Category: Hardware

From MacBook Pro 2012 to 2023

After 8 years of working on the MacBook Pro 2012 model, it was time to switch to something more modern. There were a few reasons for switching to a new MacBook Pro, but the main one was the lack of power. The Intel i5 with 2 cores wasn’t cutting it anymore. Despite being on an outdated macOS, newer software and updates were becoming more demanding, while other software became absolute with no prospects for updates.

I consider myself lucky because I managed to avoid some of the worst ideas that Apple introduced in their laptops over the past few years, such as the butterfly keyboard, Touch Bar, and the lack of ports in the pro lineup. However, it seems that MacBook Pros have become more expensive. Additionally, it’s no longer possible to buy a modest laptop and upgrade the RAM and storage later when component prices drop. I purchased the base model of the 14-inch MacBook Pro 2023 with 32 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage. Based on my calculations, this laptop should serve me well for next 10 years, or so I hope, based on my previous experience. Nevertheless, it still feels a little strange to make the jump from the MacBook Pro 2012 to the MacBook Pro 2023.

Now, let’s address the obvious. The new MacBook Pro 2023 is faster, lighter, better, and overall more impressive, especially in audible area. However, it feels like I haven’t really changed laptops. The keyboard is slightly different, and the trackpad is bigger, but somehow it feels very similar to the old MacBook Pro. The finger position is the same, the controls are similar enough, and the feedback is familiar. It’s different, yet somehow the same, and I really like that. Speaking of the keyboard, the functional keys are bigger, and I think it’s a good idea. At the very least, I enjoy having larger keys. One noticeable improvement that I can’t ignore is the built-in speakers. The speakers are loud, really loud, to the point where it’s uncomfortable for me. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but yeah, the built-in speakers are too loud for me. Maybe I’m getting older and/or used to listening to quiet music on my Sony XM4 headphones. Whatever the case may be, it doesn’t change the fact that the new MacBook Pro’s built-in speakers are very good and definitely a lot louder than those of my old MacBook Pro.

Software migration from macOS Mojave to macOS Ventura went surprisingly well. A few apps stopped working due to the unsupported OS, which I expected. You can only drag along old apps for so long before giving up, wrapping them in Docker or something similar and continuing to use them. Well, I haven’t gone that far, but I’m really considering the option. The new macOS doesn’t allow user data to be located in the root, and I’m guilty of doing so. Nonetheless, the data can be moved. However, I did encounter some challenges with the transition from iTunes to the new Music app. Previously, iTunes managed all my media, including audiobooks. Unfortunately, the “improved” Music app no longer takes care of audiobooks. After the migration, my audiobooks were conveniently forgotten, and I had to manually clean up and move them to the “Books” app. Another issue arose with the “Contacts” app. After the migration, it doubled its size and duplicated all contact cards. The management of contacts and cards has been rather poor for years, and it seems Apple is aware of the problem. As a result, the “Contacts” app now includes options like “Look for duplicates” and “Merge Selected Cards,” which saved my sanity. I’ve had the unpleasant experience of manually cleaning up duplicates and merging contacts before, and let me tell you, it’s no fun. One of my favorite features of the new macOS is “background sounds,” found under Accessibility -> Audio settings. This feature allows you to set up background noise while you work, which is awesome. I often play a quiet melody to help me focus, and now macOS provides the convenience.

The new MacBook Pro can support two external displays, which is awesome. Although I’m not sure when I’ll take advantage of this feature, as a single 34-inch display is sufficient for my needs. Interestingly, my old MacBook Pro was also able to handle a 34-inch display, so there doesn’t seem to be a significant advantage in this regard. However, the new MacBook Pro converts GarageBand files to MP3 about 3-4 times faster, even though the bouncing speed hasn’t changed significantly. It’s worth noting that I run my MacBook Pro in low power mode all the time. I prioritized low heat and low power consumption. Even in low power mode, the hardware is quite impressive. Everything is snappy, quick, and doesn’t seem to encounter any issues so far. I understand that over time, as hardware ages and software becomes more demanding, the laptop will start to slow down. I’ve been down this road many times before, but for now, I’m impressed.

Overall, I’m impressed with the laptop and very happy that Apple has returned to delivering proper pro-line hardware with power, ports, a simple keyboard, and no gimmicks. Everything feels very familiar, although there are some differences here and there. But overall, it feels like I haven’t really changed much; macOS has gained a few features and started working very fast. I don’t think I could ask for much more than that.

Mac mini server 2011 – the last upgrade

Running a home server is kind of a hobby with some benefits. I’ve been doing it for almost two decades, starting out with a Windows machine put together from old parts. Then I upgraded, upgraded some more, and at some point, I ended up with a Mac mini G4 (ah, good times) and finally a Mac mini server 2011, which I purchased around 2014-2015.

I ended up with Apple equipment because it was a good compromise between money, my needs, and my skills. At the time, I was pretty fed up with Windows and wanted to use Linux but fell short on skills. Besides, back in the day, Apple was quite serious about server equipment and server OS – they had separate CDs with server OS – yep, CDs! Unfortunately, that didn’t last, and nearly a decade later, Apple started losing interest in it. After another decade, Apple no longer had server OS or interest in servers.

I’ve been running the Mac mini on OS X 10.13 “High Sierra” for the past six years, past all the releases that no longer support “old” hardware, and I guess quite insecurely. Luckily, I don’t expose my server to the outside world. One of the biggest reliefs was Docker, which allowed me to expand the capability of “High Sierra” and prolong its service. Anyone who has ever used OS X knows it’s really easy to use features and services – smooth sailing. But the moment you want something that doesn’t come with OS X, get ready for some pain and uphill battles – for example, built-in Apache with a PHP module. Fortunately, Docker sidesteps all of that.

Unfortunately, this year, good times came to an end – Docker received a breaking update, and old Docker could no longer find/download new Docker images. Considering Apple releases a new OS every single year, it doesn’t seem to make much sense to support Docker development for a 5-year-old “High Sierra.” So, the time for a tough decision came.

Should I buy another Apple hardware or simply move to Linux and see how far I can get with Ubuntu LTS (Long-Term Support)? I wasn’t keen on buying a new Mac mini – the upfront cost of $1200 is something to consider carefully. The used option is a bit tricky since the Mac mini 2018 is already out of OS X support and, at the same time, can’t be upgraded – on the chip storage. So, I can buy a used pre-2018 Mac mini – which is out of support and hope that Docker will be working fine for a while. Gambling is not my strong suit. Besides, the long-term goal is to move to Linux and different hardware (perhaps Raspberry PI) – so user-friendly Ubuntu it is.

Before installing Ubuntu, I had one last gift to give my already old Mac mini server – SSD drives all around (main and secondary drive). The main drive in the mini was so old that the paper sticker started disintegrating into dust in my hand – an impressive 12 years of service, considering it started giving some trouble recently. The Ubuntu installation was straightforward, and the OS runs fast, blazing fast. I guess 4 cores i7 and 16 gigs of RAM is still a pretty decent setup.

Overall migration went ok, I managed to hit lots of troubles with data transfer, but it was my own mistake – I didn’t prepare, and in my deep ignorance, I thought that Linux and OS X file systems know how to talk to each other properly. Then naturally, I hit issues with permissions and some other small stuff. Once file permissions got straightened out, the only big hiccup was Samba service – which as I learned 6 hours later, does NOT advertise its presence on the local network, like OS X does – silly but yeah. Everything else was more or less ok, thanks to a friend of mine, who knows his way around Linux. I managed to complete the entire migration from start to end in 3 days. Not a bad result, considering I spent nearly one day on data transfer and another day fighting for nothing with Samba service – well, you live you learn.

I’m very excited about Ubuntu; after nearly 2 decades, I’m finally on Linux for my home server. I can definitely say that Ubuntu has progressed a long way. I don’t recall it being this well-refined out of the box before. I’m sure I’ll have to learn some more about Linux and go down to the command line and edit configs with Nano, but hey, in some cases, it is easier than OS X. For example, crontab is so easy I had to ask a friend a couple of times to make sure that I didn’t need to do anything else (OS X requires more work to achieve the same). Backups on Ubuntu are pretty good as well, especially I got impressed by Timeshift. It needs a little bit of configuration out of the box, but it looks a lot more powerful than Time Machine – I mean you make a snapshot, then mess with the OS as much as you want, and then you can rollback everything, including OS updates and configurations – wonderful.

Anyways, the last upgrade to my Mac mini server 2011 is complete, and now I’m wondering how far will it make it. Will it last another couple of years or all the way to its 20th birthday and perhaps beyond? Time will tell.

Bialetti – buy with option to return

Recently, I purchased a Bialetti moka pot and was somewhat disappointed. However, I was pretty determined to have a nice Bialetti moka pot, so I ordered another one – a 9-cup size. I really wanted to see if I was unlucky with the first one and hoping the second one would not have any blemishes, and the pressure release valve would not be too close to the handle.

Well, I received the second pot:

Okay, so the bottom piece is very nicely done, and the top piece doesn’t have any blemishes this time around. Now the safety release valve is about 90 degrees away from the handle once you close the pot tightly. I guess it would be good to have the valve at 180 degrees away, but it doesn’t look like Bialetti is measuring or trying to keep the valve at any particular location.

My impression of Bialetti didn’t improve much based on two samples. I figured the Bialetti moka pot could use some quality improvements! Objectively, the pot does not worth the money, and Bialetti sells based on marketing and legacy, meaning you are largely paying for marketing and not Italian-made quality.

My advice: if you just want a moka pot, don’t waste your money. Buy some other brand at a competitive price. If you are like me, who wants some part of the legacy, buy Bialetti in-person so you can inspect the pot before you purchase it, or purchase online but make sure you can actually return the item if you get a crappy one.

Bialetti – Italian Quality

I recently discovered the Moka pot and liked it so much that I decided to purchase a real Italian-made Bialetti Moka pot. After a couple of hours of research, I discovered that Bialetti only makes two Moka pots in Italy, the 6 and 9 cup ones. No problem, I wanted the 9 cup pot to share coffee with friends and family. I purchased the pot off Amazon and received it after several days.

I was very happy to see that the Bialetti Moka pot was indeed made in Italy, as I had paid a premium of $67 Canadian. The bottom part of the pot is very nicely casted and machined, and I’m very happy with it. However, that’s where the good news ends. The top part of the pot is less than ideal, with some blemishes, and the safety valve is located uncomfortably close to the handle. In case of an issue when the safety valve opens to release hot steam, I’ll have to grab it by the handle and hope the steam will not burn my hand, which is not ideal at all.

Now, I could buy a Moka pot for $20 at any mall, but I wanted to get the original premium pot from Italy and got a somewhat dubious product. Honestly, it’s a bit disappointing. I mean, Bialetti has been making Moka pots for decades. Is it so much to ask to have a quality product at par with the premium price?

Goodbye TDK SoundCube

It is funny how things workout and sometimes don’t workout in life. A few years ago, I participated in a hackathon, it was a very interesting experience amplified by the front-center seat that I have taken. The experience primarily taught me one thing: no plan survives contact with a customer ( my version of the famous ). The same idea is applicable to many situations, mainly because planning and reality tend to diverge at least at one point.

So here, I’m 8 years after purchasing my “ultimate” speaker and the speaker is no longer with me, I sold it a few days back. Why am I thinking about it? For one, I have been a bit philosophical lately – life does not stand still, everything changes, customer’s mind moves on and ultimately nothing remains the same. Another reason is sunk cost bias – I spent time and money looking for the “ultimate” speaker and it didn’t make it past 8 years with me… I feel like there should be some kind of thought consolidation, lesson learned, so here I am.

Why did I part ways? Simply because I didn’t use it. In the last 4 years, I turned on the speaker probably less than a dozen times. My life has changed, I have a child, I live in a house and music time switched from late evenings to early mornings when I sit quietly and work on things. Playing music loud is out of the question and over the last few years I stopped enjoying loud music – aging is no fun. Since priorities have changed and the speaker was collecting dust, it was an appropriate time to make a decision: to cling to the past or to let go and move forward, I chose the latter.

Leaving things behind is not an easy thing (at least for me). I get attached to certain things, I let them define me in part. However, leaving things behind is a part of life – which needs to be examined, learned and practiced. Like any exercise it has its benefits – clearing mind, space and allowing for new things/experiences to flow in.

Well, it is time to say thank you for the experience and bring joy to the new owners, bye SoundCube.

Стеклянная белая доска

Пару дней назад я наконец-то повесил новые стеклянные белые доски и обнаружил маленький момент, но начнем по порядку.

Я люблю белые доски, на них приятно накидывать мысли и отрабатывать идеи, в особенности, когда вы заперты в конференц комнате с другими людьми. Дома я придерживаюсь такой же идеи – белая доска, накидал мыслей/задач и размышляешь в слух или рассказываешь игуане.

Первыми досками я обзавелся 3 года назад, когда мой друг при переезде отдал мне его старые доски. Доски были большими (3 на 4 фута), но старыми – куча фантомов и проблемы с очисткой. Я переодически ими пользовался, один раз восстанавливал и наконец-то решил купить новые доски.

Основным требованием было легкая очистка доски, даже если записи оставались месяцами. После небольшого исследования я понял, что основательное решение это стеклянная доска. Если над стеклом не издеваться (царапать, обжигать, разбивать) то оно будет служить практически вечно.

Если стеклянная доска такая крутая, то почему их не везде используют? Со стеклом две основные проблемы: цена и вес! Если обычные белые доски можно легко повесить на липучки 3M, то со стеклом так не получится – его нужно капитально прикручивать и это работа на двоих (стекло: 3 на 4 фута). Цена тоже довольно высокая, если дешевую белую доску такого размера можно купить за $35+ долларов, то стеклянная обойдется в $110+. Получается, умножить цены и добавить стоимость установки (например в офисе), то складывается довольно внушительная сумма.  Справедливости ради отмечу, стекло выйдет дешевле, если постоянно использовать, но это все вычисляется по обстоятельствам.

Один маленький момент, который я не учел, покупая дешевую стеклянную доску, – яркость написанного. После долгих поисков, я случайно набрел на стеклянную доску от Амазона (amazon basic) за которую хотели $79. 

Не долго думая (отходил от ценового шока), я заказал две. После установки, я использовал мой повседневный зеленый маркер и в этот момент я осознал – на этом стекле написанное видно намного хуже.

Перепробовав разные цвета, я понял: черный, синий и фиолетовый цвет работают лучше всего. Я не знаю, существует ли подобная проблема в более дорогих досках, однако это обстоятельство стоит учесть, если вы думаете о покупке стеклянной доски.

Задняя мысль:

Я целиком доволен покупкой, даже с учетом снижения яркости текста – черный маркер решает все. Купил бы я ещё раз такую доску – да, $79 того стоит.

Chain issue with Fiskars StaySharp Max Reel Mower

Preface:

About two and half years ago I purchased a used Fiskars StaySharp Max Reel Mower for $60. After an initial tune up I’ve been using it trouble free as the main (and only) mower for two and half seasons.

Getting saggy:

Recently I encountered an issue that I couldn’t imagine happening – saggy chain, manifested by chain falling off during use. In my infinite ignorance I believed that the chain is the ultimate power transferring mechanism which under normal loads would never fail. Unfortunately I was proven wrong suspiciously fast – about 2.5 years of use (without accounting for previous ownership).

After some quick research I figured only two things: there aren’t many people with the same issue and Fiskars does not sell replacement chains for their infamous StaySharp Max Reel Mower. Moreover, Fiskars doesn’t seem to sell any parts for the mower, in other words if anything wears out then you either buy a new mower or substitute with custom or “whatever fits” parts.

I decided to follow Scott Robinson’s path purchased bicycle chain and replaced it. The job is easy and straight forward, no issues there. However when I took apart the mover, I discovered worn teeth on both gears. In addition, new chain seemed to have similar amount of slack as old one. Honestly, I’m not sure how everything is going to work out, but for the time being, the new chain seems to do the trick.

Concluding rant:

This far I’m very happy with the mower. It is cheap, easy to use, easy to tune up and doesn’t require much attention. I adjust blade twice per season and mow grass once a week to keep it from overgrowing. However I’m fairly annoyed with the fact that Fiskars doesn’t sell replacement parts for StaySharp Max Reel Mower! Does it simply imply that the mower will never break? Or that the mower is disposable like a plastic bag? For me, neither is the case and so I’m ask: what the hell is Fiskars doing?

Download: StaySharp Max User Manual PDF

Coleman 523

About a year ago I received a Coleman 523 stove for my birthday. The stove was used and had seen better times – scratches, small dents and missing parts. However gas tank held pressure and burner assembly seemed to have all parts in place. The only problem: almost everything was seized up.

Finally my vacation time came along and I decided – I will fix the stove and bring it back to working order no matter what. Initially I tried to take it apart in a civil way – some anti-seize lubricants, gentle pressure, WD-40; but with little result – most parts were still seized. So I took it to my friend and after few more gentle attempts all pretense of civility disappeared and the blow torch came in. I got to say, the blow torch seems to fix anything and everything that is seized. Side effect of such terrifying force is broken graphite seals/bushings. Fortunately for me, the stove had some spare parts included and missing parts were ordered from oldcolemanparts. After few days of waiting, cleaning and fitting everything back, the stove was ready for testing. Initial testing left me completely devastated – gasoline was leaking from valves, the only consolation prize was the fact that I stopped short of lighting it up, otherwise the stove would have turned into a gasoline infused bonfire. I didn’t know what to do, so I took it back to my friend, who in his infinite wisdom added automotive seal to both valves. This time around the stove started up… but some what intermittently – vaporizers were dirty. No big deal, less than an hour later vaporizers were replaced and stove was reassembled. This time around stove lightened up wonderfully and after warm up, blue flames were steadily burning along with gasoline hissing.

Working on such an old technology gives out pleasant feeling of simplicity and infinite possibilities – everything is straightforward, accessible and fixable. Of course any old tech comes with price tag – it must be maintained, adjusted and they all have quirks. I bet modern burners require less attention and probably work better under different conditions. In any case I’m very happy with the experience and the stove. I think I’ll run it again before lubricating and storing it.

Cheers!

Sony GTKXB7

На днях я приобрел новую аудио систему. Ура!!!! Но как же грааль – TDK SoundCube?

Введение:

За последние несколько лет почти все аудио системы поставляются с bluetooth подключением. Как ни крути, а аудио диски отжили свое, юзб палки – прошлый день, да и покупка музыки уходит на задний план. Сейчас все нужно стримить и ничего не иметь, кроме как ежемесячных платежей. Пора и мне сделать шаг вперед и избавиться от надоедливых кабелей.

Конечно такой радикальный шаг был навеян не одним критерием, жена и ребенок, без сомнений, внесли лепту. Моя старая, добрая, красивая и изящная SoundCube система освещала зал почти год. Однако жене не нравилась “хрен-знает как подключиться” bluetooth палка, а подключаться через кабель не вариант. Ребенок разработал фичу мобильности и стал лапать все что стоит, лежит, катается и выглядит примечательным. Отсюда я сделал однозначный вывод – пора убирать SoundCube в безопасное место и заменить его современным устройством, которое будет работать с женой.

GTKXB7:

Сони GTKXB7 аудио система пролетела мимо моего радара некоторое время назад, но я решил не торопиться и выбрав правильное время купил её с Амазона за $247. Почему конкретно эту систему? Честно говоря по причине цена / качество / фичи.

Цену и качество можно объединить и обобщить – это Сони, а отзывы на Амазоне довольно хорошие, что ещё нужно для счастья? Система представляет из себя три ВЧ-динамика, две колонки и бас. Все это упаковано в одну большую черную пластиковую коробку, которая может стоять вертикально или лежать горизонтально, а это очень хорошо так как ребенок не сможет её “ушатать”. Не мало важный фактор в плане ребенка – металлическая черная сетка, которая удерживает шаловливые ручки ребенка от деликатных динамиков.

У системы есть bluetooth соединение, а значит жена будет довольна! Кроме того беспроводное соединение работает просто на ура – после спаривания, если система выключается и заново включается то соединение устанавливается само по себе, без каких либо косяков (какие были с bluetooth палкой). Помимо этого у системы есть разноцветные мигающие и сверкающие огни. Да, со стороны может показаться, что попали на какую-то нарко-вечеринку, однако, если эпилептические огни вас не прут, то можно настоить на один цвет или просто выключить (когда мусора приедут).

На этом счастье не заканчивается. Если вы хотите “больше” звука, то Сони предлагает вам соединить ваши системы по цепочке! Можно прикупить ещё таких систем или систем по дешевле ( GTKXB5 ) и соединить их в одну большую зубо-дробящую, перепонко-рвущую, мега-дуппер систему. Для обвала пола и/или потолка все это дело вводится в режим усиленного баса и штукатурка начинает осыпаться.

Грааль:

Пять лет назад я писал, что не являюсь аудио знатоком и за пять лет ничего не изменилось. Я не слушаю музыку громко, не устраиваю разрушающие мозг вечеринки и не могу объективно оценить качество звука. Однако, на мой скромный взгляд, многие аудио системы проводят большинство своего времени в режиме мебели! По этой причине я придерживаюсь идеи покупать что-то изящное и полезное – если не играет, так создает приятный пейзаж.

В плане пейзажа GTKXB7 довольно скудна – черная пластиковая коробка. Ситуация ухудшается, если начинаешь ее трогать – грубый, дешевый пластик! Насколько я могу судить система была сделана для молодежи и вечеринок, где дубовый-живучий пластик предпочтительнее открытых колонок, мягкой резиновой поверхности и кожаной ручки.

И вот момент правды – является ли GTKXB7 граалем? Нет! GTKXB7 в моих глазах очень хорошая система, но этого недостаточно для получения статуса Грааля. TDK SoundCube может позади с фичами, однако не уступает в качестве звука, намного мобильнее (батарейки), уникальнее и имеет огромное количество шарма, а так же радио!

Заднее слово:

Если вы страдаете такими же проблемами как я, то посмотрите на Sony GTKXB7 – очень достойная система, если бы я выбирал ещё раз, то снова купил её без какой-либо задней мысли!