Day: 2016-09-14

Is courage in my future?


Like so many, I suspect, I was hoping that the rumblings that Apple was going to do away with the 3.5mm audio jack was just a bunch of hype leading to the announcement of the new iPhone 7.  Then, it would be bait and switch to something else.

And we were wrong.

Do an internet search for iPhone 7 and courage and you’ll find all kinds of thoughts about it.  I remember one article that I had read that showed the back of a desktop computer with connectors that many of today’s youth wouldn’t recognize.  The parallel printer port, a nine pin serial, and then the standard audio jack.  That audio jack worked well then, it still works now, and there’s no reason in my mind that it wouldn’t work into the future – provided it’s available on the device.

The internet was quick to respond and parody – probably the best and well done is the Apple Plug which shows how to upgrade your current equipment to iPhone7 status.

it’s the nature of the business of technology that there has to be something new and shiny with each introduction of a new product.  The audio jack was the thing to be revolutionized this time around, I guess.

As I look around and take inventory in this room, it’s kind of scary.

  • Everything electronic that I have within reach has one of these standard jacks in it, although not all are currently in use
  • I do have the television with the tinny internal speaker connected to my desktop computer speakers (always buy a set with two inputs)
  • Of course, my computer is connected to the other input
  • My phone and mp3 player are both charging and they play back that way
  • Even the Bluetooth player that my son gave me as a gift has a jack (maybe for a backup connection?)

Then there are the things that plug into the jack

  • Every device comes with its own set of ear buds but my inventory doesn’t stop there
  • I’ve been to conferences where one of the vendor takeaways is a set of ear buds
  • I have a set of noise cancelling headphones which are excellent for airplane use
  • I own a set designed specially for running so that they don’t fall out

I guess the bottom line is that I’m pretty much vested in the technology.  And the nice part?  In a world with proprietary connections, this is one spec that just works everywhere.  If I leave a set a home, I can always dig into my computer bag and dig out another one.  If I don’t want to wear things in or over my ear, I can just plug into a set of speakers.

I’m not the type to run out and dump my Android phone just because Apple released something new anyway so my initial reaction was to just sit back and watch.  It will be interesting to see how the fanboys react to it.  While I don’t think I’ve ever lost a pair of ear buds, I think that can be attributed to the fact that they’re generally connected to an anchor in an audio player.  Without that, I could almost guarantee that I’d lose things without wires.

Then I read this.  Samsung next to ditch 3.5mm headphone jack

Say it isn’t true!  It also has that expensive word in the article.  Proprietary.  

I think I’ll hold my existing equipment tightly until the industry gets its act together.

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OTR Links 09/14/2016


Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.