If you enjoy the song "We Didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel and you enjoy Star Wars, you will likely enjoy this rendition of the song:

With today being the inauguration of President Trump, I thought it would be befitting to sum up the Presidency of Barack Obama. Words alone will not suffice, so instead, here are some pictures from President Obama's time in Office.

[caption id="attachment_51628" align="alignleft" ] President Obama fist bumping.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_51629" align="alignleft" ] President Obama standing on a Scale[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_51630" align="alignleft" ] President Obama with Prince William and Prince Charles, future Kings of England.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_51625" align="alignleft" ] Situation Room when President Obama was working on finding Osama Bin Laden[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_51626" align="alignleft" ] President Obama reacting to being caught in Spiderman's Web[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_51616" align="alignleft" ] President Obama giving Presidential Medal of Freedom to Vice President Biden[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_51618" align="alignleft" ]President Obama with Olympian McKayla Maroney[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_51619" align="alignleft" ] President Obama visiting with a outgoing Secret Service Member[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_51621" align="alignleft" ] Obamas and Bidens[/caption]

The last thing is this short video from the White House Correspondence Dinner in 2016: Thank you President Obama for your service.

When Apple unveiled tvOS in October of 2015, they indicated that tvOS applications could only have an initial size of 200MB, but could download additional assets up to 2GB. This functionality was done through a method called "On-Demand Resources", or ODR. The reason this was done was to allow the application to download quickly but still provide a way for tvOS applications to be more complex. For games, a prime example would be providing the first few levels of a game, and then downloading the remaining levels in the background.

Apple has changed the initial size of the application. Instead of previously being 200MB, it is now possible to have an initial application size of 4GB. These tvOS apps are still able to download additional resources, up to 20GB worth of resources.

Possible Reasons for the Change

There are likely a few reasons why Apple would do this. The first is likely due to many developers indicating that the limitation of 200MB is not enough. This could be due to users who have slower connections not being able to download all of the assets in enough time without having to wait anyway. Many users are accustom to having to wait for applications to download.

Alongside this, the increase may allow for a varying of application types to be developed for tvOS. The 200MB limitation may have deterred some developers from creating tvOS apps due to the limitation; despite On-Demand Resources being a viable option.

There is another possible reason. That reason might be to keep both tvOS and iOS in line, in terms of initial download size and the size limitation of On-Demand Resources. This is the more likely reason, given that iOS applications have a maximum size of 4GB, but can download additional On-Demand Resources.

Speculation

The last possible reason for this change is a wild one, but Apple could be attempting to begin to position the Apple TV as a gaming console. Not primarily as a gaming console, but angling it more as one. The motivation behind this thinking is that with tvOS 10, Apple has now allowed developers to require a gaming controller for their games. A possible side effect of this is that future Apple TV models may have larger options for storage.

With the size increase, the number of applications that can stored on a 32GB 4th Generation Apple TV would be reduced. If a user has six applications that are 4GB, the user's Apple Tv would be nearly out of space.

Final Thoughts

Regardless of the motivations of the size change, it will be a nice change for some users to be able to download larger applications and may ultimately lead to more tvOS applications being available, which would be a good thing for Apple.

I, like many people, am constantly using my iPhone. The most common thing that I am doing with my phone is listening to audio. I can be listening to podcasts, audiobooks, or even just music. If you encounter me out and about, there is a 90% chance that I will have headphones in my ears. Headphones are one of the things that I will most likely have on me at all times. This has been the case since around 2005 when I got my first iPod; the iPod Mini.

That is not to say that I did not use headphones before, far from it. I used to listen to cassettes as well as CDs, and I even had a 32MB, yes, 32MB, Diamond Rio MP3 player. Since cassettes, CDs, and the Diamond Rio MP3 player were all around well before smart phones, I had to use wired headphones in order to listen to my music. Given that I am constantly listening to something, a good and comfortable set of headphones is an absolute must for me.

I should go without saying that I have had a slew of different headphones over the years. This does include a couple of bluetooth headphones as well. As with many people, once I find a pair of headphones I like, I will continue to buy them until they are no longer available. Luckily, my headphones of choice are Apple’s EarPods. Even though I have always had a phone that has AppleCare with it, I have not always gotten my headphones replaced under the warranty and instead opted to buy additional pairs.

History

One of the items that almost any Smart Phone needs is a way to listen to audio. All Smart Phones have at least one speaker in order to provide audio feedback. Most Smart Phones include a pair of wired headphones in with the phone. Apple’s iPhone is no exception. Apple has been including headphones with some of their products since 2001 with the introduction of the first iPod. Apple has modified their headphones in the intervening 16 years.

The second set of headphones that had a different shape were the Apple In-Ear Headphones that were introduced in September of 2008. The In-Ear Headphones consisted of three different size inserts that would allow the user to determine the best fit. The In-Ear headphones differ from the Earbuds by being ones that provide a seal inside the ear.

The shape of Apple’s earbuds remained the same from 2001 until September 2012, when they introduced the EarPods. The EarPods were developed by scanning thousands of ears and creating what is a shape that would fit the largest number of ears. It does not fit every year, but they do fit most.

With the release of the iPhone 5, Apple introduced a new connector, the Lightning connector. This connector is the one that is still on the iPhone, as well as the iPad, iPod Touch, and iPod Nano. With the release of the iPhone 7, Apple announced a radical change, the removal of the headphone jack; a staple that had been there since the release of the original iPhone in 2007. Headphones are still included in the box, as they have been since 2007. The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus now include EarPods that have a lightning connector instead of the traditional 3.5mm headphone jack.

AirPods

At the same event as the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus introduction, Apple also introduced their first Apple-branded wireless headphones, the AirPods. The AirPods have the same shape as the EarPods, just without the wires. This is actually a bit of an understatement, the AirPods are actually much more than just a simple pair of wireless headphones.

Wireless

Traditionally, when one thinks of wireless headphones, they picture a set of headphones that do not connect directly to a device with wires, but still have a wire connecting the two different earbuds. That is not the case with the AirPods. Many headphone manufacturers provide Bluetooth headphones, but they have a wire connecting the two ear pieces together. This is not the case with the AirPods. There is not even a charging cable that connects to the AirPods. The AirPods are truly wireless.

The Wireless aspects to the AirPods are provided by a custom chip that Apple has designed; the W1.

W1 chip

The AirPods incorporate some proprietary hardware, Apple’s W1 chip. The W1 chip, as I explained in my review of the Beats Solo 3 Wireless headphones:

The W1 chip is an Apple designed chip that is specifically for being able to quickly pair with any iOS 10 or macOS Sierra device. The W1 chip also enables is the syncing of the pairing information between all of the devices using the same iCloud account. The synchronization with iCloud is designed to allow your devices to automatically switch, without having to go through the tedious, “un-pair”, “re-pair” dance that is typical of Bluetooth enabled devices.

1. Enable Bluetooth on the device.
2. Open the lid on the AirPods case.
3. Press the synchronize button on the back of the case.
4. On your device tap on the AirPods.
5. The AirPods should connect to your device.

The Case

1. Place the case within a few inches of the device
2. Open the lid of the case.
3. Wait a few seconds, a popup will appear. The AirPods are now paired

Battery Life

Switching Devices

Controls

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap on to Bluetooth.
3. Click the information button next to the paired set of AirPods to open the settings.

• Siri
• Play/Pause
• Off

Issues

Feature Requests

Final Thoughts

I have been trying to determine how to sum up 2016. I think the most accurate term would be “shit show”. Regardless of how you feel as though 2016 turned out, it was undeniably a surprising year. There were many unexpected aspects to 2016. The most surprising, to many, was the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States; followed closely by the exiting of Britain from the European Union, often called “Brexit” for short.

Whether it be from being able to sail across and ocean, to flying across the same ocean, or even taking a train across a vast country, there is one thing that the march of progress has done, it has made the world a smaller place. This is even more abundantly true with the rise of the internet, and most particularly social media sites. Social media is a double-edged sword. This has occurred by allowing us to communicate with those anywhere on the planet. This allows us to be exposed to ideas and people would never have another instance to engage in. One of the ways that people learn about news that they may not normally hear, is through Social Media.

There have been many people who will say “Good Riddance to 2016”. Even though they are consciously aware of the fact that a year cannot cause problems, they do look towards something as a scape goat. Sometimes this is due to the death of celebrities and those known by a significant number of people around the world.

As with any year, a plethora of household names have passed away during 2016. Some of these include Alan Rickman, Alan Thicke, Anton Scalia, Anton Yelchin, Arnold Palmer, Carrie Fisher, David Bowie, Debbie Reynolds, Elie Wiesel, Fidel Castro, Florence Henderson, Gary Shandling, Gene Wilder, George Michael, Harper Lee, Janet Reno, John Glenn, Kenny Baker, Leonard Cohen, Merle Haggard, Muhammed Ali, Nancy Reagan, Pat Conroy, Prince, Umberto Eco, William Christopher and many many more; in fact too many to list. This includes those that are not as well known, but none-the-less have impacted people across the world.

Technology’s ability to expose people to more than they could have in the past, does mean that more people have the capability of becoming more well known. This social ability of Social Media also means that collectively we can grieve for those that have died. Even with the coming together that Social Media allows, it can also cause some to be very derisive. Compounding this downside to is that some individuals do not always recognize that there are actual human beings on the other side of the wire. This means that when people interact with others, they say and do things that they would not say or do if they were in physical proximity of others.

This cognitive dissidence has lead to some of the most contentious stories of the year. Besides the aforementioned election of Donald Trump as the 46th President of the United States and the British exit of the European Union, there have been many other stories that have caused some rancor. The biggest has been the issues with race between minorities and various Police Departments. These stories do not just minorities being shot by Police, although a majority of them are just this type of story. Some of the cities that have had these stories are Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge and Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minnesota.

One of the biggest stories has been the leaking of emails between some Democratic National Committee members. While the emails themselves were mostly innocuous, the leak itself was, and still is, the more worrisome part. It has been determined that Russia is behind the hack. Whilst the hack itself is definitely problematic, the influence of the hack on the United States election is the bigger of the issues.

As I write this, we are entering the waning hours of 2016. With 2017, we are entering a contentious time with nuclear powers threatening each other. A defector from North Korea, now in South Korea, has indicated that North Korea may have full nuclear capabilities by the end of 2017. With the Russian hacking of the United States Election, and the unknown ties between Russia’s Vladimir Putin and President Elect Donald Trump, we are entering a very unstable time. The progress that has been made within the United States is possibly in peril due to the incoming Congress of the United States and the aims of President Elect Trump.

Despite how bad 2016 has been, it is my hope that 2017 will be better; not just for race relations, but for everything that is happening throughout the world. We, as humans, are the only ones who are capable of being kinder to one another, and we are the only ones who are able to come together and come to some consensus and compromise and learn to live with each other. Here is to hoping that 2017 is better than we all expect and some of the regression that has been experienced in 2016 is reversed and we all get back into making progress.

This is the last iPhone Availability report for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. From Apple, all iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models are available in a couple of days.

iPhone 7

• T-Mobile - Black 32GB has slipped 10 days to 1/11/17.

iPhone 7 Plus

• Sprint - Black 32GB is now 'Available'.
• Sprint - Rose Gold 128GB is now 'Available'.
• Sprint - Gold 128GB is now 'Available'.
• Sprint - Black 128GB has slipped from 'Available' to 1/13.
• Sprint - Rose Gold 256GB has slipped a week from 1/6 to 1/13.
• Sprint - Gold 256GB has slipped two weeks from 12/31 to 1/13.
• Sprint - Silver 256GB has slipped two weeks from 12/31 to 1/13.

Many models of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are available. All models from Apple are available within a couple of days.

This will be the second to last update of iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

iPhone 7

• Sprint - Rose Gold 256GB is now 'Available'.
• Sprint - Gold 256GB is now 'Available'.
• Sprint - Silver 256GB is now 'Available'.
• Sprint - Black 256GB is now 'Available'.
• Sprint - Jet Black 256GB is now 'Available'.
• Verizon - Rose Gold 32GB has gone from 'Available' to 1/10.
• Verizon - Gold 32GB has gone from 'Available' to 1/10.
• Verizon - Silver 32GB has gone from 'Available' to 1/10.
• Verizon - Black 32GB has gone from 'Available' to 1/10.
• Verizon - Black 128GB has gone from 'Available' to 1/10.

iPhone 7 Plus

• Sprint - Rose Gold 128GB has gone from 'Available' to 1/12.
• Sprint - Rose Gold 256GB has slipped from 12/31 to 1/6.
• Sprint - Black 256GB has slipped from 12/26 to 1/6.
• Sprint - Jet Black 256GB has gone from 'Available' to 1/18.
• Verizon - Rose Gold 32GB has gone from 'Available' to 1/6.
• Verizon - Gold 32GB has slipped from 1/3 to 1/6.
• Verizon - Black 32GB has slipped from 1/3 to 1/6.
• Verizon - Rose Gold 128GB has gone from 'Available' to 1/6.
• Verizon - Rose Gold 256GB has gone from 'Available' to 'Unavailable'.
• Verizon - Silver 256GB has gone from 'Available' to 1/20.

If you want an iPhone or iPhone 7 Plus, it is best to order it from Apple and do it right now, in order to get it before Christmas.

iPhone 7

There have been no changes for the iPhone 7 from the Carriers.

iPhone 7 Plus

• AT&T - Black 256GB is now 'Available'.
• Sprint - Silver 32GB is now 'Available'.
• Sprint - Black 32GB has slipped to 12/31.
• Sprint - Rose Gold 128GB is now 'Available'.
• Sprint - Black 128GB is now 'Available'.
• Sprint - Jet Black 128GB is now 'Available'.
• Sprint - Rose Gold 256GB has slipped to 12/31.
• Sprint - Gold 256GB has slipped to 12/31.
• Sprint - Silver 256GB has slipped to 12/31.
• Sprint - Black 256GB has slipped to 12/26.
• Sprint - Jet Black 256GB is now 'Available'.
• T-Mobile - Black 32GB has slipped from 12/16 to 12/28.
• T-Mobile - Silver 128GB has slipped from 12/16 to 12/22.
• Verizon - Gold 32GB has slipped to 1/3.
• Verizon - Black 32GB has slipped to 1/3.

Back at Apple's September 2016 event, where they announced the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, Apple unveiled a couple of new products. The first, was a new set of wireless headphones; the AirPods. These have the same shape as the EarPods, however they are entirely wireless. This was not the only new headphone announced by Apple. the second is the Beats Solo 3 Wireless Headphones. These are the focus of this review.

Backstory

Beats was originally started by musical artist Dr. Dre and music industry producer Jimmy Iovine in 2006. Beats was created to make headphones as well as a streaming music service. In May of 2014 it was announced that Apple had purchased Beats for $3 Billion. The streaming music service was folded into Apple Music in July of 2015.

The Beats line has a variety of different headphones, from the Beats X, in ear headphones, to the Beats Studio, over the ear headphones. The Beats Solo line has both wired as well as wireless versions. The Beats Solo 3 Wireless and AirPods have something unique in them, a custom chip. The chip Apple has dubbed the W1.

W1

The W1 chip is an Apple designed chip that is specifically for being able to quickly pair with any iOS 10 or macOS Sierra device. The W1 chip also enables is the syncing of the pairing information between all of the devices using the same iCloud account.

The synchronization with iCloud is designed to allow your devices to automatically switch, without having to go through the tedious, "un-pair", "re-pair" dance that is typical of Bluetooth enabled devices.

Solo 3 Wireless

This is my first pair of Beats headphones, but definitely not my first pair of headphones in general. The Beats Solo 3 Wireless headphones come in a decent size package and includes as number of items. These items include: a Carrying Case, micro-usb charging cable, a 3.5mm headphone with Microphone cable, and a carabiner, to attach the case to a bag.

The 3.5mm headphone with Microphone cable is to connect the Beats Solo 3's to any device that has a standard 3.5mm connection. When you connect the 3.5mm cable, the Beats Solo 3's headphones will automatically power off, but the music will continue.

The Beats Solo 3 utilize Bluetooth to be able to connect to devices wirelessly. The Bluetooth protocol used is Class 1, which is likely Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy (LE). This means that they are able to be used with any bluetooth enabled device; whether it is an Apple device or a non-Apple device, the W1 chip enables this functionality.

Pairing

As mentioned above, the W1 chip makes it easier to connect to iOS 10, macOS Sierra, and watchOS 3 devices. The pairing of the devices is quite simple:

• Make sure bluetooth is on
• Turn on the Beats Solo 3 Wireless headphones
• Hold down the power button on the Beats Solo 3 headphones for one second.
• Follow the on screen steps.

Those steps are easily summed up in three screenshots.

Once the Beats Solo 3 Wireless headphones are paired, you can being listening to whatever audio you would like.

Battery Life

Apple rates the Beats Solo 3 wireless at 40 hours of time between charges. I have not thoroughly tested the battery life, but I have not had to charge them more than twice since I received them. Even if the battery life is not 100% as advertised, it is likely close to the 40 hours.

Given that I purchased the Beats Solo 3 Wireless headphones on Black Friday, I was able to use them in the cold. By cold, I don't just mean around 32 degrees Fahrenheit. It was zero degrees outside while using them. This is definitely not recommended. I went outside when they had 80% battery life remaining. Within 20 minutes the headphones were completely drained.

It should be noted that the Beats Solo 3's were under a hat and covered by a hoodie as well. I don't know if this was just a fluke, or if this is how they behave in the extreme cold.

Wired

One of the benefits of the Beats Solo 3 Wireless is the ability to also use them wired. and not just wirelessly. There is one thing to note about using them wired, besides the headphones powering off when plugged in. The cable is truly designed to only go one direction. While you could plug in to either side, the cable is designed to have the straight plug in the headphones, and the 90 degree angle side plugged into the device. If you switch the two, you will only get mono sound; however, it will be much louder which may be what you are attempting to achieve.

Adjusting the headband

One of the aspects of the Beats Solo 3's is that the controls are on the opposite side of those on the EarPods. This does take some time to get accustom to.

The second thing that the headphones actually collapse, to close. While this is not unique, it is something that you should be aware of.

Sound

One of the complaints that many individuals have of the Beats line in general is that it has more bass than other headphones. I tested a few different headphones in order to compare the Beats Solo 3 Wireless to to other headphones. The Lightning EarPods that come with the iPhone 7, the 3.5mm EarPods, the Xbox One Headset, and the Beats Solo 3 Wireless. The Beats Solo 3 Wireless headphones definitely had the most bass, but ultimately did not sound the best, compared to the others. Weirdly, the 3.5mm EarPods with the 3.5mm to Lightning adapter, sounded the best. Even better than the EarPods with native Lightning adapter.

Downsides

One of the downsides of the Beats Solo 3's is also one of its benefits. The Beats Solo 3's are designed to sit snugly right on your ears, and they do. However, this poses a problem for those of us who have glasses. The Beats Solo 3's may ease up over time, but I am not sure if this is the case, given that they are designed to fold, so they are meant to maintain their shape. You can adjust the headband of the Beats Solo 3's, but when this is done, the Beats Solo 3's do not fit as well on one's head.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the Beats Solo 3 Wireless headphones work just as advertised. They seamlessly switch between devices. The battery life, provided you do not use the in a super cold environment, is really good. If you wear glasses, the Beats Solo 3's may require some adjustments so your glasses will not dig into your temples. The Beats Solo 3 Wireless headphones are not inexpensive, by any means. If, however, you are looking for a pair of on ear headphones and you have the means, the Beats Solo 3 Wireless headphones may be the right choice for you. You can buy them from Amazon or Apple.

If you are looking for an iPhone 7 in time for Christmas, now is the time to order. They should still arrive before the holiday. There are some carrier specific models that will not arrive until well after the holiday, so it may be ideal to order from Apple today.

iPhone 7

• Sprint - 256GB Models may not arrive until 12/31, but all other models are still available.
• T-Mobile - All iPhone 7 Models on T-Mobile will still likely arrive before Christmas, but you must order today.

iPhone 7 Plus

• T-Mobile - All iPhone 7 Plus Models on T-Mobile will still likely arrive before Christmas, but you must order today.
• AT&T - Rose Gold 32GB has slipped from 12/12 to 1/2.
• AT&T - Silver 32GB has slipped from 12/12 to 1/2.
• AT&T - Black 32GB has slipped from 12/12 to 1/2.
• AT&T - Black 128GB has slipped from 12/12 to 1/2.
• Sprint - Rose Gold 128GB has slipped from 'Available' to 1/6.
• Sprint - Gold 128GB has slipped from 'Available' to 1/6.
• Sprint - Silver 128GB has slipped from 'Available' to 1/6.
• Verizon -Jet Black 128GB is now 'Available'.