Review: dbrand Grip Case For AirPods Pro

Posted in Products with tags on November 11, 2024 by itnerd

I’ve recently invested in a dbrand case and screen protector for my iPhone 14 Pro. In case you missed that review, it’s right here. While I was at it, I figured that I would update the protection for my AirPods Pro. Thus I decided to also grab the dbrand Grip Case for AirPods Pro. Here’s the box that it comes in.

Inside the box you get the case, And below it a SIM ejector tool that you can use to thread the lanyard that comes with the case through the case, a black triangle that is meant to help you to remove the case, and to the right a skin for the case and an extra set of stickers for the top part of the case.

Installation was easy enough. But just in case, dbrand have provided this video to help you with that. And that installation took less than five minutes. The net result was this:

The carbon fibre is on brand for me and fits with the Grip Case for my iPhone 14. The lanyard is a nice touch as well. The bottom portion of the case fits really tight. So including a tool to help you to remove it makes sense. But the real star of the show is the fact that the case has a texture that borders on sandpaper along with what dbrand calls grip strips to ensure that your hand. The button is pretty click and the light on the front is clearly visible. No complaints from a fit and finish perspective. The company also promises “military grade drop protection”. But they don’t say what that means specifically. I’ll also note that wireless charging works. But I don’t have the ability to stick the AirPods Pro case to a MagSafe adapter as the magnets in the AirPods Pro case don’t have as much sticking power as it did when it didn’t have a case. Having said that, the case doesn’t really add that much thickness to the overall package.

The only downside that this case is the price. It’s $34.90 USD. You can find AirPods Pro cases on Amazon for less money. So you have to decide if going the dbrand route to protect your AirPods Pro is worth it for you. It is for me as it makes my everyday carry a bit more cohesive. Which is why I’ll be rolling with this case until I need to replace my AirPods Pro. Which hopefully won’t be anytime soon.

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Job Seekers Personally Identifiable Information Exposed Online by a Tech Recruitment Service

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 11, 2024 by itnerd

A data breach involving Alltech Consulting Services — which matches global job seekers with employers in the US and Canada — was discovered and reported to WebsitePlanet by cybersecurity researcher Jeremiah Fowler. 

What happened: 

A non-password-protected file containing 2 million records of 200,000 tech job seekers was exposed. The leaked data includes personally identifiable information like partial SSNs, passport numbers, emails, phone numbers, and visa/green card status. 

Why it matters: 

This could lead to identity theft, employment fraud, and phishing attacks. In the wrong hands, it provides criminals a list of high-value targets for scams. 

To learn more, read the detailed report here:https://www.websiteplanet.com/news/alltechconsultinginc-breach-report/

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Apple Might Have Introduced A Feature To Help To Keep Law Enforcement Out Of Your Phone

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 10, 2024 by itnerd

TechCrunch is reporting that law enforcement is apparently concerned over a new feature that Apple seems to have added that makes it way harder for them to get into iPhones that are in their possession:

404 Media reported Thursday that law enforcement officials were warning each other that phones being stored for forensic examination seemed to be rebooting themselves — something that security experts confirmed in a follow-up story. After the reboot, it’s harder for those phones to be unlocked by password-cracking tools.

Apple did not immediately respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment.

This reboot appears to take place after iPhones with iOS 18.1 have not been unlocked for a set period of time. According to Chris Wade, founder of mobile analysis company Corellium, iPhones seem to reboot after their fourth day of in a locked state.

So if you’re running iOS 18.1 right now, you have this feature. Now, am I surprised that Apple not only hasn’t commented on this, but also has seemingly slipped this feature in under the cover of darkness? Not really. Apple has had a bit of a history getting into fights with law enforcement over unlocking iPhones. And given the current climate in the US where there is a massive potential for the surveillance state to really ramp up, some people might consider this a feature. I for one am fine with this because the data on my iPhone is my data. And nobody that I don’t want to have access to it should have access to it. That doesn’t make me a criminal. It makes me someone who wants their privacy to remain intact.

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Thunderbolt 5 Is Available… But The Devil Is In The Details

Posted in Commentary with tags , on November 10, 2024 by itnerd

Apple has recently released a bunch of new computers. And some of them come with Thunderbolt 5 which Apple promised “up to 120 Gbps” of speed among other things. But I’m here to say that it’s not that simple. Let me explain why by going back to what Thunderbolt 4 does.

Thunderbolt 4 ports and cables are capable of transmitting power, data and video signals. In terms of video, it will handle a single 8K, 6K or 5K external display. Alternatively it can support dual external 4K displays at up to 60Hz. In terms of speed, it will do up to 40 Gbps. And in terms of power, it will do anywhere between 100W and 140W depending on the implementation. Here’s what Thunderbolt brings to the table according to Intel:

  • Thunderbolt 5 is promising speeds of up to 120 Gbps.
  • Thunderbolt 5 can support up to three 4K displays running at up to 144Hz, or you can do two 6K or 8K displays. It can also handle a single external display as fast as 540Hz.
  • Thunderbolt 5 can support from 140W to 240W of power

But let’s get to the elephant in the room. Which is the 120 Gbps speeds that Apple promised. If you dig into the details, Thunderbolt 5 has double the bandwidth of Thunderbolt 4. So that’s 80 Gbps not 120 Gbps. So how does Apple advertise speeds of 120 Gbps? Well, Thunderbolt 5 has the ability to sacrifice receive speeds to get to 120 Gbps on the transmit side of the fence. So the only scenario where that would make sense is on the graphics side of the fence. Specifically for high resolution and high refresh rate monitors. You won’t see that shuffling files from an external hard disk for example.

As an aside, if you also have concluded that Apple will likely come out with a new version of their Pro Display XDR or Studio Display that supports their Pro Motion variable refresh rate tech because Thunderbolt 5 exists, you get a gold star. Because with Thunderbolt 4, it wasn’t technically possible for Apple to have a 5K or 6K display with anything more than 60 Hz. But with Thunderbolt 5, it is technically possible.

One other thing to consider is that you need to have Thunderbolt 5 compatible devices to get these speeds. Right now there’s not a whole lot of them out there. But I am sure that they will start to appear over the next year. That makes having Thunderbolt 5 a “sometime later” thing for most people. But when it does become a practical for most people, it will be a game changer.

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BakeBot and BakeSpace.com: AI for the Perfect Thanksgiving Feast

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 10, 2024 by itnerd

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, which means home cooks are looking for ways to make their holiday meal planning and preparation less stressful. It’s a time-honored tradition – but this year is a game changer as many home cooks turn to AI for help and inspiration in the kitchen.

One such AI tool is BakeBot by BakeSpace.com – the grassroots food community founded in 2006. BakeBot is the first AI kitchen assistant infused with the experience, wisdom and warmth of real-life home cooks, and it’s 100% free to use.

BakeBot helps home cooks of every level through every stage of the Thanksgiving cooking process:

  • Creating and modifying recipes
  • Ingredient swaps
  • Serving size/portion adjustments
  • Last-minute kitchen emergencies
  • Beverage pairings
  • and much more
  • Plus, it’s free!

You can check out the review that my wife wrote here.

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Canada Bans TikTok From Operating In The Country

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 10, 2024 by itnerd

I have to admit that didn’t see this coming. But here we are talking about the fact that the Canadian Government has banned TikTok…. Sort of:

Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne said the decision to wind down TikTok’s two Canadian offices — in Toronto and Vancouver —  was based on information and evidence that surfaced during a national security review, and the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community.

“We came to the conclusion that these activities that were conducted in Canada by TikTok and their offices would be injurious to national security,” he told CBC News.

“I’m not at liberty to go into much detail, but I know Canadians would understand when you’re saying the government of Canada is taking measures to protect national security, that’s serious.”

The sort of part comes from the fact that Canadian citizens can still use TikTok if they want, but the Canadian Government would rather you didn’t:

The statement stressed that the government is not blocking Canadians from accessing the app or using it to create content.

“The decision to use a social media application or platform is a personal choice,” the statement said.

But Champagne urged Canadians to use TikTok “with eyes wide open.” Critics have claimed that TikTok users’ data could be obtained by the Chinese government.

“Obviously, parents and anyone who wants to use social platform should be mindful of the risk,” he said.

As for TikTok, they basically said “see you in court.” So this isn’t exactly a done deal. But clearly the Canadian Government is out to get TikTok. And it would not shock me if there is more to come on this front. In the meantime, I’m waiting for TikTok to file whatever lawsuit they plan to file so that I can see how that plays out as it seems that Canada is the latest place where TikTok is fighting for its survival.

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How To Avoid Buying A Stolen Mac

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 9, 2024 by itnerd

I was recently asked by a friend what he should look out for when buying a used Mac. His main concern was that the Mac would be stolen as there are a lot of cases that have popped up online where someone buys a used Mac and it turns out that it was stolen. I had to think about that for a second because I have never been asked that question before, nor have I bought a used Mac. But I did come up with two things that anyone wanting to buy a used Mac should watch out for:

  1. Is it Activation Locked?: Activation Lock is a feature that Apple introduced with the iPhone, but has since expanded to pretty much every Apple device, where the device is “locked” to an owner via their iCloud or Apple Account. As a result, if you wanted to factory reset it for example, you’d need the password of that account. Here’s how you tell if the Mac that you want to buy is still Activation Locked:
    • If the Mac boots and you see the “Hello” screen, that usually indicates that macOS has been reinstalled. You should go through the setup to get to the point where you are able to enter an iCloud/Apple Account to make sure it isn’t activation locked to ensure that it isn’t Activation Locked
    • If you see a login window, be aware that the Mac is still likely linked to the old owner. This means that macOS Activation Lock is likely still enabled. If the owner of the Mac can’t or won’t deactivate Activation Lock on the spot, you should run in the other direction.
  2. Is it MDM or ADE locked?: MDM stands for Mobile Device Management and corporations, schools among others use MDM software to not only manage the Mac, but remotely access as well in some cases. Finding out if MDM software is installed can be difficult, but this Reddit thread has some really good advice on that front. There’s another version of this called ADE or Automated Device Enrolment. This used to be called the Device Enrolment Program but in either case, this was a program run by Apple themselves to allow companies to manage their Macs in a variety of ways. And this can be really problematic as this will be present even if you erase and reinstall macOS. If you want to check this for yourself, this Reddit thread can help you with seeing if the Mac that you want to buy is ADE locked. Why this matters is that if you come across a Mac with either of these installed, the Mac has likely been stolen. And if you buy it, you might not only be completely out of luck as it might be locked down in whole or in part. There’s also the possibility that some forms of MDM do location services, meaning that someone may end up knocking on your door looking for their stolen Mac as they could hunt you down.

There’s some other things to consider beyond the question of if it is stolen or not, like is the Mac in perfect working order for example. For that I will point you towards the Rocket Yard blog as that blog post has a lot of good tips in it. Another thing that you might want to consider is that you might want to go the refurbished route from Apple. I spoke about that here and I have personally used that route to save a few bucks. Not as much as you might save by going used, but any cash saved is a good thing.

Do you have any additional tips that I might have missed? Please leave a comment and share your thoughts.

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Terms of Service: The Truth Behind Privacy and Control in Digital Ecosystems

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 8, 2024 by itnerd

WebsitePlanet recently completed a comprehensive analysis of Terms of Service (ToS) and Privacy Policies (PP) across 57 influential digital platforms. Their aim is to empower readers with the knowledge they need to make informed choices and advocate for stronger user protections.

According to our research:

  • 80% of companies provide vague terms around data retention, allowing indefinite data storage with limited user control. Only Apple stood out positively for its privacy protections.
  • Approximately 61% of companies including Google, PayPal, Temu, and Tesla don’t specify their security measures for payment information, raising concerns about their protection of financial transactions.
  • No companies granted users full ownership of content without major licensing requirements, raising questions about user rights over their own content on these platforms.
  • Alarmingly, 90% of companies offer minimal protections for children’s data, an area where stronger, more specific policies are needed to safeguard younger users.

Why it matters:

Their findings reveal that while these agreements serve the interests of the companies, they often compromise user rights, privacy, and control. Mandatory arbitration clauses, for example, limit users’ legal options, often favoring corporate over consumer interests. They believe these findings can spark vital conversations about regulatory reforms and user advocacy.

You can access the detailed report here: https://www.websiteplanet.com/blog/research-what-users-should-know-about-terms-of-service/

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Review: dbrand Prism 2.0 Screen Protector & Grip Case

Posted in Products with tags on November 8, 2024 by itnerd

Given dbrand’s recent issues with racism, I wasn’t going to do business with them again. But I needed a new case for my iPhone 14 Pro which just had its battery replaced under AppleCare. You see I don’t find the iPhone 16 series a compelling upgrade. And the case that I have been using since I got the iPhone is on its last legs. Likely because it is being used pretty hard for anything like my daily activities, to being in the back of my cycling jersey, to cross country skiing. Seeing as this phone has to last me one more year, I thought about it and decided to give dbrand another chance by ordering their Grip Case. And while I was at it, I also decided to get their Prism 2.0 screen protector as the one on my iPhone has been there since the day I got it.

Let’s start with the Prism 2.0 screen protector. This is billed as an “idiot proof” screen protector. Now I was skeptical of this as if you make something idiot proof, God or whatever deity you worship will build a better idiot. But I think that maybe dbrand is on to something. And it starts with the packaging.

The screen protector comes in a box that feels like it’s oozing quality. Open it up and you get this:

In the middle, you get the screen protector and some documentation along with the cleaning kit which is under the scree protector. dbrand has also made accommodations for all types of users. For those who can read instructions, you’re covered on the left side of the box. But on the right side there’s a QR code that takes you to an installation video. Handy for those who live in places like Florida and Texas where they ban books and by extension don’t want you to read things.

Now I could describe how insanely easy it is to install this screen protector, but I’ll use the video that is aimed at those who can’t read instructions.

Now I have installed lots of screen protectors in my time. This by far was the easiest that I have ever installed. There were no bubbles or dust or smudges after installation. The Prism 2.0 features premium tempered glass which dbrand claims hits a 7 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness. I didn’t test that. Thus I will take their word for it. I also note that the coverage of the screen protector looks like it hits the limit of what the size of a screen protector can be on a phone without interfering with a case. I did try the dbrand case and a case from another brand to see if the case interfered with the screen protector and found no issues. You get two of these screen protectors for a rather pricey $34.95 USD.

Now let’s move on to the Grip case. You can buy the case for $59.90 USD and add a skin to it so that it stands out. In my case, I did order a carbon fibre skin as if you’ve seen my most recent Everyday Carry article, is on brand for me. The case is MagSafe compatible which means that it will work with MagSafe devices, but when you put it on your phone it won’t do the MagSafe animation. That I suspect is a non-issue for most. The magnets felt decently strong without the skin on it. But they felt a bit weaker with the skin on it.

Putting on the skin is easy if you watch this video first. I didn’t so I sort of YOLO’ed it. But I have installed enough dbrand products over the years that I know how to do it without screwing up.

Here’s the result:

The case adds minimal bulk to the phone. It’s really thin and it is grippy as dbrand says it is. Here’s why:

The case is textured and has an almost but not quite sandpaper feel to it. Plus the shiny bits are additional “grip strips” as dbrand calls them. Seeing I suffer from “butterfingers”, this case might help with that. Speaking of drops, dbrand claims that this case has “military grade” drop protection. But they never say what that actually means. And for the record, I have not dropped my phone since getting this case. Which implies that the grippy part of this case works as advertised. I should also mention that the buttons on the case have a very tactile feel to them.

There’s as lip around the back of the case that not only protects the camera lenses, but it allows the phone to lie flat on a table. That’s brilliant. And you can see that I applied the carbon fibre skin not only on the case, but around the camera lenses as well. And the carbon fibre feels really nice in the hand. It actually feels like carbon fibre.

One thing that you can’t see from these images is the fact that this case comes with chamfered edges which is along the case’s front lip. That gives you full access to the top and bottom of your screen. And the sides are a bit lower in the middle than on the edge. All of this allows you to navigate your phone a bit easier.

I should note that the inside of the case is lined with microfibre. That’s something should help to make sure that your case doesn’t scratch your phone. The fit of the case is tight which means that it’s more likely to be able to better protect your phone should you drop it.

The only downside to this case is that it collets lint like a lint roller. Well maybe not that bad. But it’s not uncommon for me to pull my phone out of my pocket and have lint all around the edges. If that’s something that you think might bother you, you might want to look elsewhere for your phone case needs. Plus it is a pricey case. That will turn some people off for sure.

Hopefully this combo will keep my phone protected for another year until hopefully a compelling iPhone comes out that will entice me to upgrade. Do I recommend the dbrand Prism 2.0 and Grip Case? Well, in the few days that I had them, they seem like they deliver on what the company promises. We’ll see long term if that changes. But in the here and now, both products seem like winners to me.

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Nikon Announces The Nikon Z50II

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 7, 2024 by itnerd

Today Nikon Canada Inc. announced the new Z50II, a compact, fully featured mirrorless camera that lets your creativity run free while enabling the effortless capture of amazing photos and video. This camera is the lifestyle accessory for those that seek innovative creative features like film-inspired looks and easy sharing, giving the freedom to capture the feeling of a fleeting moment, or conveying core memories with brilliant colours that are uniquely you. 

The Z50II combines a full range of fun, creativity-enhancing features with the superior performance of Nikon’s latest mirrorless technology. This is the simple to use yet powerful camera that creators will always want to bring along, whether shooting portraits, landscapes, a great night out or an epic trip. This is Nikon’s first APS-C / DX format camera to feature the powerful EXPEED 7 processing engine, the same found in the pro-grade Nikon Z8 and Z9. The Z50II makes it easier than ever to experience immersive image quality, with blazing fast and precise autofocus, fast frame rates up to 30 fps, superb low-light capabilities, advanced video features and extensive control of colours. 

Discover Colour

Relive the warm glow of a summer day at the beach with friends or convey the peacefully sombre tones of your favourite spot in the forest. The Z50II is the first Nikon camera to feature a dedicated Picture Control button, opening new possibilities for expressive colour, with imaginative film-inspired looks. In a single press, the user can see in real-time the effects of up to 31 built-in colour presets, which instantly change the colour, tone and feeling of the scene. Using this camera encourages the user to experiment and play with colour settings to develop a truly distinct look and feel to images and video, using tones and colour to evoke a feeling like never before.

Imaging Recipes can also be directly downloaded to their camera as Cloud Picture Controls directly through the Nikon Imaging Cloud. These recipes are custom presets with changes to colour, brightness, hue and more, which have been developed by notable creators. Additionally, users can make their own Imaging Recipes and Flexible Picture Controls for truly limitless creative possibilities. Images can also be sent instantly to a user’s own cloud-based storage using the Nikon Imaging Cloud, or easily share images to a phone with Nikon SnapBridge.

Simply Powerful

The Z50II’s EXPEED 7 processing engine delivers surprisingly powerful performance in your pocket or purse. Advanced autofocus with nine types of subject detection quickly tracks and locks on to humans, pets, vehicles and more. The system is user-friendly and extremely precise, rapidly detecting and maintaining razor-sharp focus on a subject’s eyes, even as they move. Not only is it powerful, but it’s also smart, simplifying the operation of advanced camera functions. When in AUTO shooting mode, Nikon’s proprietary deep learning technology makes it possible for the camera to analyze and recognize the subject and scene, automatically optimizing autofocus, flash control, and exposure control values such as aperture, shutter speed and ISO sensitivity settings.

Tell Stories with Video

The Z50II empowers all types of content creators to make amazing videos that stands out, with 4K footage that’s oversampled1 from 5.6K for rich and beautiful details. The camera records in various frame rates and resolutions up to 4K60p, delivering colourful and sharp video with high-quality audio. The Z50II makes it simple to capture high-quality video with a 3.2” vari-angle LCD screen, which helps to keep you and your subjects perfectly in frame, in addition to a video self-timer to begin recording to minimize time spent editing. The Z50II also features a Product Review Mode that focuses on objects in the foreground, which is helpful for products, cosmetics, fashion and beauty reviewers.

For those looking to go to the next level in production quality, the Z50II affords full flexibility with the recording of N-Log video that offers subtle and rich tonal gradation for higher-quality video recording with more exposure latitude for grading. It also has other helpful video features like a tally lamp, waveform monitor, headphone jack and a continuous record time of up to more than 2 hours.

Features of the Nikon Z50II

  • 20.9-megapixel APS-C/ DX format sensor lets you capture high quality photos and videos, with gorgeous colours and amazing low light ability. 
  • Dedicated Picture Control button allows for one-touch access to inspiring colour presets, Imaging Recipes and custom Flexible Picture Controls, all in real-time. 
  • EXPEED 7 image processing engine gives users access to powerful features and performance, including an advanced AF system with subject detection and 3D Tracking.
  • Bright electronic viewfinder at 1000 cd/m2 (nits), is roughly twice as bright as the one built into the Nikon Z50, allowing users to easily check focus and compose even on the brightest of days.
  • Rapid photo burst shooting with up to 30 fps with electronic shutter, or up to 11 fps with the mechanical shutter. 
  • Features a Pre-Release Capture function capable of recording images buffered up to one second before the shutter-release button is fully pressed.
  • Excellent low light capability produces sharp photos in minimal light with less grain thanks to a wide ISO range from 100–512002.
  • rom 100–512002rom 100–512002100–512002. 100–512002.
  • Features made for all types of video content creators, such as N-LOG recording, product review mode, waveform monitor, microphone and headphone jacks.
  • Built-in flash is useful in backlit situations as a fill-flash or in dark surroundings.
  • Hi-Res Zoom3 during video recording, which allows users to zoom in on their subject with no loss in image quality, even when using a prime lens.
  • An illuminated REC lamp (tally light) notifies the user and the subject when video recording is in progress.
  • Support for USB streaming (UVC/UAC) allows plug and play connectivity for online meetings and live video streaming by simply connecting the camera to a computer or smartphone.
  • Equipped with a large and clear 3.2-inch vari-angle monitor with a touch screen for intuitive operation and recording yourself and others.

MC-DC3 Remote Cord

The MC-DC3 is a remote cord compatible with the Z50II and later models equipped with a headphone/remote cord connector (3.5mm jack). The cord is approximately 3.1 ft/1m in length. It is useful in minimizing the effects of camera shake when using a tripod to photograph starry skies and nighttime scenes, or with commercial (product) photography. It can also be used for remote photography to release the shutter at a distance from the camera. The shutter-release button can be locked in the fully pressed position for long exposures (bulb shooting) or held down for continuous shooting. It can also be held halfway down for shooting with less release time-lag.

Price and Availability

The new Nikon Z50II will be available in late November 2024 for a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $1,249.95 for the body only or with a NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 lens for an MSRP of $1,449.95. The MC-DC3 Remote Cord is scheduled for release later in 2024, for an MSRP of $49.95.

For more information about the latest Nikon products, including the vast collection of NIKKOR Z lenses and the entire line of Z series cameras, please visit www.nikon.ca.

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