As somebody who has mostly standardized his tech life around Apple products—and, to a much lesser degree, services—I’m generally willing to try an Apple solution before looking for third-party alternatives. The way I see it, Apple’s product, app, or service will probably integrate well with the rest of their offerings. It doesn’t always turn out that way, of course, but Apple usually gets first crack at solving a problem I’m having.

So, when the rumored acquisition of Beats Music ended up being true, I figured I’d give it a try. Being a satisfied Rdio user and somebody who had tried (and dismissed) Beats in the past, I wasn’t expecting to like it enough to switch from my beloved Rdio. But, there’s a good chance that Beats will end up being tied into Apple’s software at some point, so I signed up for a month of Beats so I could kick the tires. Here are my thoughts… [Read more…]

Even before becoming a fancy-pants independent writer, my preferred writing situation has been somewhere that served a good beverage (beer, whiskey, or coffee depending on the time of day and/or my current stress level), allowed smoking (yes, yes, I know) and didn’t care if I parked my butt there for several hours. Other than cutting way back on the smoking, this set of preferences holds true to this day.1

I thought it might be fun—and totally self-indulgent, if I’m honest—to unpack the not-so-secret contents of what friends and strangers alike have dubbed my “man bag.” When I leave the house for more than a couple of hours, this bag is usually with me and well-stocked for a number of situations and opportunities. [Read more…]