Trying to get the hang of the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 camera. The camera is on a selfie stick about four feet above the deck. I’m using the remote mic which works great. I try to stay out of the videos I shoot because I look older than Keith Richards. I like the distance I get with the Pocket 3 face-tracking. And the audio with the remote mic is exceptional.
At the 3:08 mark I refer to another rock formation on the other side of the house.
I developed an appreciation for good audio headphones during my time at KBOA back in the ’70s. Not so much for the music as much as wanting/needing to hear my voice as the listener was hearing it. Too close to the microphone? Too far away? Popping my “P’s?” I’ve purchased a lot of headphones over the years, always searching for the perfect set.
I used Apple’s wired earbuds during the iPod days and thought the music sounded fine. I never purchased another set of “cans.” I purchased my first set of Apple AirPods in 2016 and have been using them ever since. They fit my ears perfectly. So well, in fact, that I forget I have them in. Unfortunately, that means I don’t notice if one falls out which happened last week. The Find My app on my phone told me where I last had the AirPod but I never found it.
When I got my new AirPods my buddy George asked if i had configured them to take advantage of Personalized Spatial Audio. I vaguely recalled reading about this feature but don’t think I ever used it. As good as I thought the AirPods were before, this bit of tech magic was impressive.
(Perplexity) It uses the TrueDepth camera on newer iPhones to scan your face and ears. This captures data about the geometry and contours of your head and ear position. This personalized profile is then used to optimize how spatial audio is rendered through your AirPods or Beats headphones. It adjusts the sound to account for your ear shape and head size, providing a more immersive 3D audio experience tailored specifically to your anatomy.
Songs I’ve listened to a thousand times sound fresh and new. So, yeah, I’ve become one of those people walking around with tiny white things in my ears. More and more I’m using Siri to schedule reminders, send messages, check the weather, jot down a note… you get the idea. My phone stays in my bag more these days and when at home, I leave it on the table and interact via AirPods (as long as phone and pods are on same wifi network.
This will get even more interesting this fall when I take the Apple Watch (with cellular) plunge.
The perfect way to start the day.
More than three-quarters of Americans say religion’s role in public life is shrinking, per a recent Pew Research Center survey — the highest level since the group first started tracking such sentiment in 2001.
A separate Gallup survey published this week found that Latter-day Saints are the only religious group wherein a majority say they attend services weekly, at 54%.
30% of Protestants say they attend services weekly, compared to 28% of Muslims, 23% of Catholics and 16% of Jews.
“A chap like me could make himself pretty useful in a labour-camp.”
— 1984 by George Orwell
“Why are most people who are against abortion people you wouldn’t want to fuck in the first place?”
— George Carlin
Last time I took the 12 gauge out for a little target practice was back in January. The Remington was what everybody recommended for home defense but it always had a little more recoil than I liked so I gave the 12 gauge to my brother-in-law and purchased a Mossberg 590 Shockwave in 410 gauge.
Now that my busted arm is on the mend, I’m ready to try it out with the .410.
It has been many years since I used the WordPress app on my iPhone. So long, I don’t recall why I stopped. Thinking about giving it another go. 
What are you gonna do?
Trump Stand-up
The genius behind these is someone named Jabari Jones (YouTube). There’s an actor by that name but cannot confirm this is his YT channel. What can I tell you, I’m a sucker for crude humor.
Excellent interview in The New Yorker by David Remnick. Not sure if the piece is behind a paywall or not but it’s a good read.
“That’s the way you go through life. You only care about laughing and being funny.”
“And I don’t like old people, either. Even though I’m seventy—I don’t like old people. […] They don’t look good. Everything’s going. Everything’s deteriorating. I don’t want to see this. If you want to hang around, fine, but we’re moving on to younger people. I’m with you up to about thirty-eight. If you want to stay, you can stay, but I’m moving on.”
“There were no sitcoms picked up on the fall season of all four networks. Not one. No new sitcoms.”