Tech Archives - AJ Feuerman

Check Out My New Jord Watch

March 19, 2019 By AJ Leave a Comment

I was long-ago very anti smartwatch for no real reason, but as soon as I gave in and got one, I became addicted to it. But over time, I must confess I started to miss wearing something more fashionable that could be better combined with my massive bracelet collection to give my wrist a little more high gloss. I started to look around online for what I might wish to purchase but then Jord stepped in at the perfect moment to help a girl out. Check out my new Jord watch!

My body is not petite so I really prefer mens watches and this Conway design with its dark sandalwood band and burgundy face suits me just fine. I think that deep, shiny burgundy is a gorgeous, subtle accent to the deep chocolate tones in the sandalwood band and I love layering a silver bracelet with it to pick up the stainless steel details on the watch-face. Plus, because it’s made from wood and sustainable materials, it’s incredibly light. Seriously, it weighs next-to-nothing and it blows my mind. What a nice change from all the heavy, designer-y watches out there.

I played around with it a bit and found some other fun ways to style it – using more sparkly silver as well as my brown, leather rope bracelet. I LOVE to accessorize, people, so this is only the beginning!

Jord (FYI – that’s pronounced “Yode”) is based in St. Louis, where they are constantly developing new designs. The watches are are a sophisticated mix of natural, and largely re-claimed materials, combined with quality movements and components. I appreciate that Jord’s team is focused on creating timepieces that are modeled after a modern lifestyle; that value sustainability, efficiency, and experiential living. For a special, more personal touch, you should know that they size every single watch for the recipient and most of the watches’ backplates can be engraved!

Frankly, in addition to just wearing it, the experience of receiving the watch was my favorite thing. The presentation for each is in a humidor cedar watch box and comes with a cleaning cloth and a six-month supply of JORD Preserve: a custom-formulated wood treatment gel with applicator pen. It’s quite elegant.

It gives off a high-end jewelry store vibe, don’t you think? I totally put it under a lamp to catch the shine as if I were peaking in a display case at the mall. I’m a goofball.

AND NOW… JORD GIVEAWAY TIME

You may get more detail from Jord’s official website, of course, and do follow them on Instagram (check out #jordwatch for all the pics)! But RIGHT NOW, make sure you enter their GIVEAWAY. CLICK HERE, fill out the form and you will be entered for a chance to win a $100 credit toward any Jord timepiece. In addition, everyone who participates will get a code to take 10% off their next purchase.

Disclosure: I was gifted a complimentary watch so that I could write this post for you with honesty.

Making Facebook Private

March 21, 2018 By AJ Leave a Comment

Facebook Privacy! Believe it! They actually provide it

Oh Facebook privacy, you saucy, evasive minx. I understand why everyone is super upset with Facebook; no one wants their private information shared with strangers. I get it. And clearly Facebook is not winning at this game — there are flaws in their system and, if you ask this publicist, their CEO’s response to the crisis.

But I feel the need to remind everybody that Facebook actually provides rather comprehensive privacy settings. The problem is, they can be a little hard to find if you don’t know where they live and frankly, consumers are lazy, so they don’t bother.

So here’s this average person’s short list of tips. I highly recommend getting to know these tools so when moments like this make headlines, you don’t feel this mass panic and also so I don’t have to see posts like “OMG I AM SOOOOOOO LEAVING FACEBOOK.”

App Permissions

This is the biggie, right? On a desktop, go to the little dropdown arrow in the upper-right corner, and click on Settings. This is a magical land where many things happen. In the settings area, in the lefthand column, you want to select Apps, and now you’ve unlocked all the goodies. Definitely look for the box on the bottom left that says “Apps Others Use.” That’s where you probably rushed through setting up an account somewhere and gave Facebook and/or a third-party permission to dig through your private things.

And let’s go back to that third party issue. Guys, when you sign up for a game or use Facebook to login to a shopping site or anything at all, you always get a pop-up asking for you to consent. You CAN edit your permissions. Look for it and use it.

For example, when a vendor asks if they have the right to get my and my friends‘ information? I ALWAYS uncheck that. Because NO, YOU CANNOT.

Your Profile and status

If you head back into that settings area, you can also adjust how easily you can be found on Facebook. You can adjust your login security, who can tag you, if you have to approve it — seriously, there is a wealth of wonders in here. But let’s talk about your everyday posting; your Facebook status.

If you take advantage of Facebook lists…..

…. You can consequently customize who sees your posts! It’s TRUE!

I have a good amount of lists. There are some posts I don’t need my co-workers to see! Same goes for my family, my high school friends, people under 21, etc. But if I’m just posting a puppy video? That’s public because everyone needs PUPPIES.

I hope this post opened a whole new world of Facebook privacy to you. If you have any questions, you can drop them in the comments and I’ll do my best to help!

I’m Permanently Banned From YouTube

May 5, 2015 By AJ 2 Comments

This is what I get when I try to login to YouTube:

It’s a horrible stain on my otherwise pristine online reputation (yes, I said “pristine”) — I am, at least with my primary gmail address, irrevocably banned from logging into YouTube.

I say it this way because in truth, they only banned my email address so nothing prevents me from using another one to login. But if you’re an avid Google products user like me, you know what that means, logging out of everything and logging back in with the other email address. It’s kind of a pain. As such, I tend not to like, dislike or comment on anything on YouTube. Also, consequently, anytime a video delivers the message “you must be logged in to view this video” I tend to skip it. Anytime you need to be logged in to prove you are of age to view a video, again, I skip it.

YouTube, you break my heart!

I will explain. You see, in 2007, one of my all-time favorite music stars, Garth Brooks, temporarily came out of retirement to do five concerts at Staples Center and raise money for the victims of recent fires in Malibu. And let’s be brutally honest; the charitable component was lovely but of no interest to me because Brooks had been retired for some time at this point. I believed that I would never get to see my favorite singer in concert ever (this was before he established his Vegas show and long, long before he came out of retirement to tour as he is now). This was my chance. I was positively ebullient.

Social media was really in it’s infancy in 2007. There was no mal intent when I posted a video of Garth Brooks singing “Working for a Living” with special guest Huey Lewis from the concert. I was just EXCITED. I HAD BEEN THERE. I HAD SEEN GARTH. It wasn’t piracy, it was bragging.

Even though Brooks has since come around on social, having recently joined Twitter and Instagram, he and his representation heavily police what video content of him gets shared. His music isn’t even available on iTunes or Spotify. So when I posted my little video, it was taken down almost immediately and soon after, I found I’d been banned from YouTube.

Yes, I’ve appealed the decision. I’ve even had friends who work for Google look into it. There is nothing to be done. There isn’t someone to hear me out — their decisions are final and ever lasting. In any case, Garth remains one of my all-time favorite recording artists and being blacklisted from YouTube no longer angers me; it mostly amuses me. Frankly, it’s pretty absurd when you think about it. With all the illegal stuff that goes up online, I get busted for a 30 second fan video taken from the top level of a giant arena during a charity concert.

So now you know my dark secret. I am a YouTube criminal. Oh well.

I’ll probably get sued for posting this photo.

An App For Everything – Even Suicide Prevention

March 12, 2015 By AJ 2 Comments

A suicide prevention app? Well, they say there’s an app for everything and I guess they ain’t lyin’.

Post by Bloggers of Health.

Never mind how alarmed I am this post has been shared three times. And the hashtag offense — why are we hashtagging the word “prevent,” pray tell?

To be fair, at the very least, they are not wrong. According to the CDC, suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in America. Also:

Suicide is the SECOND leading cause of death for ages 10-24.
Suicide is the THIRD leading cause of death for college-age youth and ages 12-18.
More teenagers and young adults die from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza, and chronic lung disease, COMBINED.
Each day in our nation there are an average of over 5,400 attempts by young people grades 7-12.
Four out of five teens who attempt suicide have given clear warning signs. source

You do not get to post something like this so casually. Not without citing sources. Not when you’re making a claim. Not when the site you’re directing to gives no indication of any medical expertise. The address for their “business” is a private residence. No names are apparent. They have “contributing partners” like Ford and Las Fotos Project — these have nothing to do with health.

The post you click through to explains nothing. Just that the app will be demonstrated via webinar. You too can “be among the first to try this new suicide prevention learning tool—optimized for tablets.” (Cue jazz hands!)

The app in question is from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration:

Perhaps they were hoping to ride Facebook’s coattails and jump on the suicide prevention trend-train. There was also a similar app launch in February – The Broome HOPE App helps users recognize the warning signs of suicide and allows them to immediately connect to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. And MY3 let’s your create a an online support system and build a “safety plan.” Do we live in a society where suicide prevention is trendy? I can’t even begin to wrap my head around that tragedy. This should never be a thing. This should never be trendy.

SAMHSA’s app differentiates itself because it’s targeted at healthcare professionals instead of consumers, since about 50% of people who commit suicide have seen a doctor in the last month of their life. The app helps healthcare providers identify people who may be contemplating suicide.

Because I guess healthcare professionals don’t get enough schooling. They need an app for that.

Sigh.

I’m not against anything that aids in suicide prevention. I’m really not. But while we’re pushing this technology out, I hope we can all be responsible enough to know an app will NOT prevent suicide. I hope we can provide research and cite sources and word things with care. This is an area where we can’t afford to be cool and trendy with jazz hands.

Yes, an app can provide resources and a network of support. You know what else does that? Google. Friends and family. And properly trained healthcare professionals.

And that’s all I got for this round of rant. If you or someone you know needs help, make sure you get help. Here are two excellent starting points:

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1 (800) 273-8255
The Trevor Project: 1 (866) 488-7386

The Search For New On-Ear Headphones

February 23, 2015 By AJ 1 Comment

It’s time for new headphones. Again.

I’ve blown through two pairs of Beats Solo on-ear headphones in a relatively short period of time so I knew I wasn’t approaching that brand anymore. I do enjoy that they come in array of colors and I will concede that they provide great sound, especially bass, fair noise-reduction and they’re pretty comfortable, but one of the things that makes them great makes them a problem — they fold up for travel really well but I think the physical flexibility also makes them ephemeral. Or maybe I just beat the crap out of my Beats. And in any case, as I said, my love affair with them has come to an end.

When I’m going to spend a chunk of change on anything, especially an electronic device, I get rather absorbed in research. No joke – we’re talking days and weeks of obsessing. My go-to sites for researching headphones are Engadget and Sound Guys, and especially the latter because they also post a ton of video reviews of products which makes me feel more at ease (typically I hate vlogging but I like these guys). Cnet can be handy for research as well but I often get overwhelmed by their overly-cluttered interface. I also rely a lot on a few friends who always have great recommendations in this area.

I concluded I could get out of this for less than $200 and ultimately found myself considering three pairs of headphones.

Requirements

It took me a little while to learn I actually prefer on-ear to over-the-ear (sometimes called “around the ear”). I don’t like bulky headphones and I always get warm when my ears are fully cupped over. Noise cancellation is nice but not practical at the office so I just aim for “noise isolation.” I obviously want to get quality sound. Some headphones promise an amped up bass sound — that actually doesn’t matter that much to me but I guess it’s a nice perk. In this price range, with the top brands, you can rest assured you’re going to get great sound across the board so then it becomes about other preferences like style, comfort and customization (if that’s your thing). I am now on the hunt for durability since I seem to put headphones through torture. I like when they fold up and come with a sturdy case. I don’t care if they’re cordless. In fact, I prefer a cord because I hope they’ll have a mic and then I can use them for phone calls.

Fun fact about me – when it comes to earbuds, nine times out of 10 you’ll find me wearing the left earbud in my right ear and the right earbud in my left. I don’t know why but it’s always more comfortable for me.

Sennheiser Urbanite On-Ear Headphones

For about $199 you’re getting a solid pair of headphones from one of the most respected, oldest brands in audio. I was drawn to these because they get a pretty decent review across the board and they come in a unique shape in a wide array of colors (I like the plum best). I came really close to buying these but in the end, I came back around to te durability issue. The carrying case that comes with the Urbanites is just a fabric pouch. In addition, I was concerned that the headband part was made, in part, with fabric, as opposed to leather or even plastic. I felt like I’d beat the shit out of these pretty quickly. I also read a couple review citing they’re not too comfortable to wear for long periods and knowing full well I’ll wear these all day, every day at work, I couldn’t risk finding that out on my own.

Bose SoundTrue On-Ear Headphones

The least expensive of the bunch at about $150. And who hasn’t heard of Bose when it comes to anything audio? Best Buy only puts a few headphone brands out to try in their stores; Beats, Skull Candy and Bose with maybe a few variances depending on location. So I could walk into the store and try them on. The around-ear model is more substantial than the on-ear which are really light-weight and seemed really flimsy to me. In some video reviews they twist and bend them to prove they don’t break but I’m just too skeptical. And in the end, once I put them on, I actually didn’t love the audio quality. I know it’s Bose, but maybe they sacrificed a little with these to make them more affordable than their usual headphones. And in addition – and I know this sounds weird – I feel like they look like airplane headphones.

V-MODA XS On-Ear Headphones

A friend told me about V-Moda, which is a really popular brand with DJs but not as well-known to the common consumer. They use words like “military grade” and “Kevlar” whenever they describe the construction of the headphones and sell every pair with not only a two-year warranty, but a buy-back program for when you want a new pair. They also have some cool customization options like colored, steel plates you can change out on the sides and even engrave. And despite all those heavy-sounding ingredients, they are supposed to be rather light-weight and are pretty unanimously reviewed as comfortable for hours and hours of wearing. Also unique to these – the output port for the cable exists on both sides, so you can move the cable from your right ear to your left ear. That’s kind of handy if you don’t always keep your phone in the same pocket. I like their “Mind the Gap” slogan which is in reference to the bit of sound you always sacrifice to the gap between the actual earpiece and your ear. These are supposed to kick-ass sound-wise and while I never considered it at all before, I thought it was cool they’re based here in Los Angeles.

Are you guessing which pair I’m choosing? I saved the best for last. At about $180, I think I am going with the V-MODA XS On-Ear Headphones. I’ll let you know how it turns out soon!

Sol Republic Relays

February 15, 2015 By AJ Leave a Comment

I get giddy over shiny new toys — and especially earphones. What if I could just start a blog where I reviewed earphones, guys? Would that be weird? Cause I’m kind of down with that idea…

Introducing SOL REPUBLIC’s Relays, in-ear earphones that offer the benefits of a sports headphone but have amazing style. The Relays also roll out Sol Republic’s new FreeFlex™ technology, which enables a universal fit and makes them easy to put in your ear and stay there regardless of how intensely you move. (Well we’ll see about that…!)

For sports and outdoor use, it’s marvelous that Relays are water and sweat resistant with a clip-on cable that ensures it won’t ever get caught. And, no need to change headphones when commuting or working because the easily accessible mic and phone control lets you seamlessly stay in touch. I am obsessed with this feature. I listen to music or video almost all day at work and once I got the hang of the control shortcuts, it was awesome to be able to click around with the little cable-attached controller! Loved it. It’s not just play, forward and back. You have access to volume, mute, answering your phone, pausing, stopping. It’s incredibly versatile for something the size of a small paperclip.

Packaging – Sophisticated. It presents well, the cable is prevented from getting tangled and they provide you with a little snappy pouch to transport them in. I find a lot of headphones come with their own cases these days and it’s an accesory I value. Keeping the cable from getting tangled is key to preserving them even longer.

Fit – They do stay put. The Relays come with four ear-tip sizes so they are uber customizable. I started with the biggest ones, assuming that’s what I’d need, but after a little while, felt too much pressure from them and moved down a size. That was perfect. And they’re not bullet-shaped — as you can see they’re kind of like little discs so they look kind of cool on — and they’re not awkward like those horrible earbuds that come with iPhones these days. (I hate those — does anyone like those things? I think they’re horrible.)

Plus, keep in mind that Sol Republic has an “Ear Tips for Life” program so you never have to worry if you lose your ear tips. That means they will replace your ear tips anytime they are lost, misplaced or if you simply want a different size. That’s ppretty cool. They stay on the earphones really well but lord knwos they’re small and things have been known to happen…

Sound – Again, they’re disc shaped and the size of a dime at best, so I was pretty impressed that with the volume just at a resonable level, I heard almost no external sounds, which is how I like it. Especially when I’m working (although this means sometimes people have to literally hit me to get my attention).

Sol Republic Relays are available now in Black for $79.99 at Verizon Wireless.