tag:liisten.com,2014:/sitemapLiisten2018-10-08T14:51:30-07:00Tyler Hhttps://liisten.comtyler@liisten.comSvbtle.comtag:liisten.com,2014:Post/on-music-discovery2018-10-08T14:51:30-07:002018-10-08T14:51:30-07:00On Music Discovery<h2 id="what-is-music-discovery_2">What is music discovery? <a class="head_anchor" href="#what-is-music-discovery_2">#</a>
</h2>
<p>At its most basic level music discovery is as simple as turning on the radio or sitting in Starbucks. Music is all around us, all the time. It doesn’t take much effort to hear a song you’ve never heard before. It takes a little more work, however, to find a song you’ve never heard before that you love.</p>
<p>I think music discovery can be broken down into two categories: active and passive. Sitting in Starbucks and hearing a song you like is passive discovery. It’s the same for watching TV and hearing a song you like in a commercial. In this way, music is coming to you and you’re accepting it.</p>
<p>Active music discovery takes some effort on the part of the listener. You click on the curated playlist section in Spotify. You ask someone what the last new song they liked was. Active music discovery doesn’t have to be complicated, it just has to be intentional. You are seeking out music in some way.</p>
<p>The term “discovery” is a bit loose on the passive side. But I think as long you are aware of a new song, you have discovered it. If you’re watching a movie and you’re engrossed in a climatic scene, the music probably has a lot to do with it, but without cognition of the music specifically, it isn’t discovery.</p>
<p>Once you become aware of music and take action on it, you begin to move into active music discovery. The extreme of active music discovery is that you set out, in some manner, to specifically discover new music. This would include things like downloading a music networking app or digging through curated playlists looking for songs and artists you didn’t know about previously.</p>
<p>Discovering music is a spectrum. It ranges from the simple and easy to the involved and complicated. The further you get away from the easy side, moving toward the complicated side, the less people that are willing to spend the time.</p>
<h2 id="why-is-music-discovery-important_2">Why is music discovery important? <a class="head_anchor" href="#why-is-music-discovery-important_2">#</a>
</h2>
<p>At the heart of music discovery is that, I believe, people should be listening to more music, more often. That is, if we accept a premise that music is a net positive for humans and their emotions. I think this form of art is powerful and should be experienced constantly, in lots of different contexts and forms. It provides additional color to our lives. Each new song is an additional shade of a growing color spectrum.</p>
<p>On the commercial side of this, Apple, Spotify, Tidal, and Pandora, among others have a vested interest in getting people to discover more music than the handful of artists they were listening to in high school.</p>
<p>A streaming music service subscription that provides access to millions of songs is less valuable to someone who is aware they only listen to a few hundred songs, ever. But someone constantly finding new music to listen to is more likely to continue to find value in paying each month for access.</p>
<h3 id="dedicated-music-listening-takes-time_3">Dedicated music listening takes time <a class="head_anchor" href="#dedicated-music-listening-takes-time_3">#</a>
</h3>
<p>My hypothesis is that active music discovery is just too cumbersome for most people. More than 50 percent of people would rather spend time doing something else, even consuming other forms of media, than seeking out new music. And even if people think they value music, I would also guess that most people’s time does not represent that.</p>
<p>An ice breaker question I like to ask is: what would you rather do with two free hours? Watch a movie, play a video game, or listen to music.</p>
<p>While all media is not exclusive, for example there’s both music and video in a video game, asking the question provides insight into someone’s awareness of their media consumption.</p>
<p>I rarely hear: sit and listen to music. The answers typically fall towards the newest form of media. It is the most attractive and engrossing.</p>
<p>Dedicated listening time seems to have decreased as time has gone on which makes sense. If we look at a timeline of recorded music being one of the oldest forms of media and something virtual reality or mobile apps being the newest, then it makes sense that as time progresses media gets more consuming in nature.</p>
<p>Of course, music shouldn’t ever go away. It’s a glue that fits in the cracks of commuting and work. Music soundtracks our lives in real-time so it won’t ever go away, but dedicated listening time just becomes rarer as it has to compete with other forms of media in our finite days.</p>
<h2 id="where-it-happens-currently_2">Where it happens currently <a class="head_anchor" href="#where-it-happens-currently_2">#</a>
</h2>
<p><strong>Question</strong>: How many times do you have to casually hear a song in the course of a day before you take action on it? Either adding it to your music library, looking it up on YouTube, or searching for its lyrics.</p>
<p>How much causal, passive listening does it take to make an impact? This is really an auditory advertising question so I’m sure there’s a formula that could be adapted to music. The difference, however, is that I think a song has the potential to attract more attention than a print or banner ad.</p>
<p><em>Can a perfectly placed song, one that marries visual and sonic emotion instantly grab more people’s attention than one that isn’t?</em></p>
<h2 id="how-people-can-be-encouraged-to-discover-more_2">How people can be encouraged to discover more music. <a class="head_anchor" href="#how-people-can-be-encouraged-to-discover-more_2">#</a>
</h2>
<p>The crux of music discovery is taking a passive and non-invasive opportunity and turning it into an active one. The more people that take action on their passive listening would be a benefit for artists and for music companies.</p>
<h3 id="context_3">Context <a class="head_anchor" href="#context_3">#</a>
</h3>
<p>I think active music discovery is still too hard and not contextual enough. In fact, to change this, I think music discovery, at some point, may be able to quantified into a formula that can then be used to increase the action taken on new music being promoted to the general public.</p>
<p>This would mostly be about grading a song’s topic, tone, and tempo and giving it an emotional score and trying to place it in the right context across digital platforms to, first, get people to notice, and then, take action on it.</p>
<p>For example, one opportunity I see still see lacking after years is Pinterest integrating a streaming music partner. At first glance, this doesn’t make a lot of sense, but if the right songs were embedded alongside pin searches it could increase browsing time and songs streamed.</p>
<p>This follows the premise that all activities can and probably sound be soundtracked better. Looking for deck chairs and summer ways to update your backyard, it would be nicely paired with a light and breezy jazzy song.</p>
<h3 id="video_3">Video <a class="head_anchor" href="#video_3">#</a>
</h3>
<p>For other contexts, the way to incorporate music is visual. Music videos are still very good at eliciting emotion by marrying visual and audio to convey emotion. But also in a fast-paced social media world, it often takes a visual to catch the attention of a person before it scrolls by.</p>
<p>This works for podcasts too. How do you get people to discover an auditory piece of content? Give it a visual element. It doesn’t have to be an actual produced video, but even looping words or some moving graphics are able to draw attention.</p>
<p>Often when I share a song, I share the YouTube link. Even if it’s just a lyric video it contains the lowest friction (Youtube displays and embeds everywhere), and the video preview attracts the most attention.</p>
<h3 id="constant-attention_3">Constant attention <a class="head_anchor" href="#constant-attention_3">#</a>
</h3>
<p>It’s also critical to continually incorporate music and be known for it. For a while, every commercial Apple was releasing was featuring an artist on the brink of national notoriety and the combination of fun visuals with the good song really propelled them into the limelight.</p>
<p>Whatever method you choose to try and expose more people to music, be aware of the high barrier to entry and that you need to be constant with your attempts.</p>
tag:liisten.com,2014:Post/discover-new-music-from-a-newsletter2018-08-15T12:12:45-07:002018-08-15T12:12:45-07:00New Music Newsletter<p><em>The genesis of Liisten was music discovery and it’s returning in the form of a newsletter.</em></p>
<h2 id="a-hrefhttpliistensubstackcomsign-up-to-receiv_2">
<a href="http://liisten.substack.com">Sign up to receive weekly emails featuring new artists and album releases</a> <a class="head_anchor" href="#a-hrefhttpliistensubstackcomsign-up-to-receiv_2">#</a>
</h2>
<p><a href="https://svbtleusercontent.com/65kLAzuZFdwunRiqzfAjev0xspap.jpeg"><img src="https://svbtleusercontent.com/65kLAzuZFdwunRiqzfAjev0xspap_small.jpeg" alt="samller.jpeg"></a></p>
<p>In addition to just new music, the Liisten newsletter will feature artist interviews, playlists, and other music related items.</p>
<h3 id="the-goal-is-to-put-out-two-issues-each-week_3">The goal is to put out two issues each week. <a class="head_anchor" href="#the-goal-is-to-put-out-two-issues-each-week_3">#</a>
</h3>
<ul>
<li><p>A shorter one <strong>early Friday morning</strong>, highlighting the best new music released each week.</p></li>
<li><p>And the main issue on <strong>Monday</strong>, featuring undiscovered artists, interviews, playlists, and other features.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>For now, all issues will be free. Try it out and see what you think. In the future there will be a paid level for $5/month or $50/year. The Friday issue will remain free, while the lengthier Monday issue will go to paid subscribers only.</p>
tag:liisten.com,2014:Post/tesla-surfboard-is-now-a-thing2018-07-28T06:54:30-07:002018-07-28T06:54:30-07:00Tesla Surfboard Is Now A Thing<p>Is surfboard a code name for some kind of new vehicle from the electric automaker? Nope. It’s a literal surfboard for the water. </p>
<p>From the description, there are only 200 of these $1500 surfboards available so you might want to jump on it if this is a product calling your name. </p>
<p><a href="https://shop.tesla.com/us/en/product/apparel/limited-edition-tesla-surfboard.html">Link</a></p>
<p><a href="https://svbtleusercontent.com/dHeBxP3WhW5PxtkRx7jnWd0xspap.jpeg"><img src="https://svbtleusercontent.com/dHeBxP3WhW5PxtkRx7jnWd0xspap_small.jpeg" alt="33EDE145-5047-4688-A5F3-56190A8D2A5C.jpeg"></a></p>
<p><a href="https://svbtleusercontent.com/kP9Pdm42ogRkb9ro6C82DR0xspap.jpeg"><img src="https://svbtleusercontent.com/kP9Pdm42ogRkb9ro6C82DR0xspap_small.jpeg" alt="6C3ECFAC-BEF4-45B0-B6C3-39F32760B046.jpeg"></a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>The Limited Edition Tesla Surfboard features a mix of the same high-quality matte and gloss finishes used on all our cars. The deck is reinforced with light-weight “Black Dart” carbon fiber, inspired by the interiors in our cars, and featuring tonal logos in subtle contrast gloss.</p>
<p>Model S, X and 3 can comfortably accommodate this surfboard on either the inside or outside of the vehicle.</p>
</blockquote>tag:liisten.com,2014:Post/what-owning-a-tesla-model-3-is-really-like2018-07-01T14:43:08-07:002018-07-01T14:43:08-07:00What Owning A Tesla (Model 3) Is Really Like<p>Owning a Tesla comes with a fair bit of curiosity and questions from people. After a few months and plenty of miles with a Model 3, here’s an overview of what owning an electric car is really like and explanations of Tesla features for those not familiar.</p>
<h2 id="electric-car_2">Electric car <a class="head_anchor" href="#electric-car_2">#</a>
</h2>
<p>The foundation of Tesla is its electric motor and battery power. This is what gives the car its quick start (referred to as torque) and quiet drive. There’s not a typical combustion engine in the front of the car, so there is no spark plug, timing belt, and other mechanical parts.</p>
<h3 id="frunk_3">Frunk <a class="head_anchor" href="#frunk_3">#</a>
</h3>
<p>The electric motor is really small and sits behind the rear passenger seats. (There’s a second, small motor in the front for all wheel drive versions.) This creates more available space than other vehicles and lets Tesla add a front truck, or a Frunk as people like to call it. The rear trunk also has plenty of space.</p>
<p>Lots of people notice that the rear, middle seat has more space than they would expect. That’s because there’s no bump as a result of no drive shaft.</p>
<h3 id="battery_3">Battery <a class="head_anchor" href="#battery_3">#</a>
</h3>
<p>It doesn’t look like there’s a huge battery powering Tesla’s cars, but there is. It spans the length of the car just below all the seats. People hear that Teslas are electric, but I still get the followup question quite a bit, double checking that it doesn’t use any gas. That’s correct. The car is powered only by the battery built in and recharges just like your mobile phone.</p>
<p>Teslas are quick, have more available room, and are packed with technology, but plugging in a car to recharge it, versus filling it with gas, is still the item most people get hung up on.</p>
<h3 id="charging_3">Charging <a class="head_anchor" href="#charging_3">#</a>
</h3>
<p>Most people are concerned with how to charge the car. The car comes with a wall plug, and you can plug it in to a regular outlet, anywhere, and it will start charging. If you plug the car into a regular (110v) U.S. house outlet it won’t charge fast, but it will work.</p>
<p>If you want the car to charge faster, you can have a 220v or 240v outlet installed (typically in the garage) to get 20-30 miles of range per hour. That means, if you leave it plugged in for 6 hours overnight, you’ll get an average of 175 miles of drivable range.</p>
<p>While there’s not a place to charge an electric car on most corners, like there are gas stations, the reverse is that you might never need to make inconvenient stops, always recharging overnight.</p>
<p>There is an option to schedule charging to start at certain times, like when the electricity rates go down to off-peak hours.</p>
<h3 id="electricity-costs_3">Electricity costs <a class="head_anchor" href="#electricity-costs_3">#</a>
</h3>
<p>Your home electricity bill will go up because you’re using more electricity than you were before having an electric vehicle, that’s true. Depending on how much you drive daily and your local utility’s rates are, the cost of charging at home and paying for gas offset each other. So far, electricity rates have come out more economical than refueling at a gas station.</p>
<p>You, however, aren’t limited to only charging at home. Lots of malls, businesses, and parking structures have electric charging available. This should be cheaper than going to a gas station or possibly free.</p>
<p>There’s also <a href="https://ts.la/tyler55025">solar for your home which can minimize costs</a>.</p>
<h3 id="superchargers_3">Superchargers <a class="head_anchor" href="#superchargers_3">#</a>
</h3>
<p>One of Tesla’s advantages is its Supercharger network. It knew electric vehicles and charging stations were a chicken and egg problem, one needs the other, so it just started building lots of fast charging stations around the world. You can now go pretty much anywhere in the U.S., including coast to coast, just using Tesla’s Superchargers.</p>
<p>These Superchargers are much faster than home chargers and, on average, could recharge a car from near empty to full in 45 minutes. It takes longer than putting gas in a car, but it makes road trips much more viable. As a bonus, most Model S and Model X cars don’t pay for Supercharging. The Model 3 does need to pay, but it costs local electricity rates and is still half to two-thirds cheaper than a gas station.</p>
<h2 id="inside-a-tesla-car_2">Inside a Tesla car <a class="head_anchor" href="#inside-a-tesla-car_2">#</a>
</h2><h3 id="navigation_3">Navigation <a class="head_anchor" href="#navigation_3">#</a>
</h3>
<p>If you’re wondering how you find these Superchargers, Tesla shows these locations on its maps in the car. When you type in a destination, it will alert you if your current battery level will reach the destination or not. If not, it will automatically re-route you to quickly recharge.</p>
<p>You can also see any Supercharging station’s capacity at any time. It will show how many stalls are available and how many are in use. Because you’ll likely be there for 30-60 minutes, it shows what amenities are around each station; like places to eat, shop, or rest.</p>
<p>The car will do nearly everything to make sure you can’t accidentally run out of power. Range anxiety is less of an issue in practice than theory.</p>
<h3 id="cellular-connection_3">Cellular connection <a class="head_anchor" href="#cellular-connection_3">#</a>
</h3>
<p>Tesla cars can show this type of Supercharging information because each one has cellular data built-in. This connection is used for maps, navigation, software updates, and music streaming, among other things. This cellular connection has been free for the last eight years. As of July 2018, there will be a nominal fee for advanced uses of this connectivity, including to stream music.</p>
<p>Turn-by-turn navigation is largely an expected feature in cars, but streaming music built-in is less so. In the U.S. Tesla provides native access to Tune In and Slacker Radio. Tune In covers podcasts and access to radio stations all over the world, while Slacker provides Pandora-like music streaming. In Europe, Tesla has Spotify built in. Of course, you can still use the Bluetooth connection to listen to any music service on your phone or tablet.</p>
<p>The biggest advantage of having a cellular connection is the over-the-air software updates. In the same way your mobile phone will get updates to add new features and fix bugs, Tesla cars benefit in the same way.</p>
<p>My favorite example of how the Model 3 is more like a gadget than a car is its rear heated seats.</p>
<h3 id="software-updates_3">Software updates <a class="head_anchor" href="#software-updates_3">#</a>
</h3>
<p>When I got the Model 3 in late March, the front seats were heated, but the three rear ones were not. A few weeks later a software update gave the car new functionality and the rear seats were able to be heated from the touchscreen. The coils were already in the seats, there wasn’t magic involved, but the update brought the feature to life.</p>
<p>Tesla has also improved the braking distance and shortened the time it takes to stop when slamming on the brakes, from a software update.</p>
<p>Not all electric cars can improve over time like Teslas will, this is still something largely unique to the company.</p>
<h3 id="mobile-app_3">Mobile app <a class="head_anchor" href="#mobile-app_3">#</a>
</h3>
<p>Not only do Tesla cars get software updates, but the Tesla phone app does as well. The Tesla app can perform nearly all car functions remotely, such as honking, blinking lights, locking and unlocking, starting the car, and opening trunks.</p>
<p>The mobile app can also control when charging takes place, how full you let the car charge, and if you want to stop it charging.</p>
<p>The most convenient item is the notifications the car will send, letting you know when these items have taken place. For example, it will tell you when it starts charging and when it is finished, rather than just having to guess. </p>
<h3 id="regenerative-braking_3">Regenerative braking <a class="head_anchor" href="#regenerative-braking_3">#</a>
</h3>
<p>The two things people notice when actually driving a Tesla for the first time is the acceleration and the braking. Regenerative braking refers to the car capturing energy from the wheel rotation and putting it back into the battery.</p>
<p>The result is that when you completely let off the accelerator, like you might in a gas car to coast, a Tesla will slow down very quickly. At first, this is a constant gut-check. It takes a lot to break long driving habits.</p>
<p>Once you get the hang of pressing down to go and easing off to slow down, it makes it hard to drive a non-electric car.</p>
<h2 id="autopilot_2">Autopilot <a class="head_anchor" href="#autopilot_2">#</a>
</h2>
<p>Autopilot is probably one of Tesla’s best and misunderstood features. Once you’ve seen or tried it, it makes more sense; but from news stories and other sources, it can sound dangerous.</p>
<p>Autopilot is really just advanced cruise control. It’s meant to assist a driver during highway driving. The problem is that it works really well—most of the time—and can work wherever there are clear lane lines.</p>
<p>It will perform auto acceleration and braking based off the car in front of you. This includes coming to a stop and resuming driving. It will also auto-steer the car and move the wheel for you. This <strong>feels</strong> a lot like the car is driving you—and I suppose it is. The problems arise when the driver is not paying the same attention to the road as if they were fully driving.</p>
<p>Since Autopilot isn’t perfect, it will get confused by some road conditions. It doesn’t currently read intersections or stop signs and stop lights. There’s also other drivers which present unknowable conditions and demand the driver pay attention to his or her surroundings.</p>
<p>Beyond those caveats, Autopilot really is a fantastic advancement to cruise control and a glimpse at autonomous vehicles.</p>
<p><a href="https://svbtleusercontent.com/sz439ZkactYV3PrL9o2jTA0xspap.jpg"><img src="https://svbtleusercontent.com/sz439ZkactYV3PrL9o2jTA0xspap_small.jpg" alt="E8B40B4B-98C7-4A93-AEF5-788BBC63C157.jpg"></a></p>
<h2 id="inside-a-model-3_2">Inside a Model 3 <a class="head_anchor" href="#inside-a-model-3_2">#</a>
</h2>
<p>The Model 3 is very similar to other Tesla cars. It’s built on the electric foundation with similar software features as the company’s other cars. The Model 3 base model, however, is designed to more affordable to more people and could likely be a lot of people’s first electric car.</p>
<h3 id="the-touchscreen_3">The touchscreen <a class="head_anchor" href="#the-touchscreen_3">#</a>
</h3>
<p>When you look inside a Tesla for the first time, the first thing people’s eyes immediately go to is the large touchscreen. In the Model 3 it’s even more the case because there’s not much else to look at.</p>
<p>Everything happens on the screen. The speed read-out, the locks, the music, moving the vents, really, everything. I’ve found this to be nice to have everything in one place. It makes the button-filled cabins of other cars look outdated to me. But, I can also understand if people don’t care for it at first.</p>
<p>There’s no reason you couldn’t get use to it, however, like the layout of any new car’s controls.</p>
<h3 id="the-air-vents_3">The air vents <a class="head_anchor" href="#the-air-vents_3">#</a>
</h3>
<p>Most people think I’m joking when I say the air vents are controlled with the center touchscreen. The dashboard only has one visible vent that spans the width of the car and it’s very different from other vents, even in other Teslas. </p>
<p>The driver and front passenger each have dots to slide around and adjust what direction the air goes. From the technical side, it’s interesting that the air blows out in a manner than curve down; and if you want it to go up, there’s a second vent you can see which blow the downward air up to redirect it.</p>
<p>This system works fine, but I have found it a little hard to get the air direction right on the first or second try most times.</p>
<h3 id="speed-display_3">Speed display <a class="head_anchor" href="#speed-display_3">#</a>
</h3>
<p>The speed being displayed on the center screen with nothing visual in front of the driver has been a complaint for many people considering the car. In use, even for my wife, this isn’t a problem.</p>
<p>You have to glance down when the speed is in front of you; in the Model 3 you glance to the right side. They are different and muscle memory will come into play, but it’s not a negative.</p>
<h3 id="conclusion_3">Conclusion <a class="head_anchor" href="#conclusion_3">#</a>
</h3>
<p>The Model 3 isn’t the car of the future anymore. It’s just forward looking. After a few months with it, it’s hard to go without the connectivity and mobile app other cars don’t have. The biggest feature of the Model 3 and the reason to buy it is that it’s electric. </p>
<p>More than anything else, the torque, the quietness, and handling is what defines the Model 3. I have a feeling that once others experience the benefits of electric cars, they will feel the same way too.</p>
<p><a href="https://ts.la/tyler55025">You can use my referral code to get additional savings if you do buy a Tesla at some point</a>.</p>
tag:liisten.com,2014:Post/meural-review-forget-what-you-knew-about-digital-frames2018-03-01T09:43:06-08:002018-03-01T09:43:06-08:00Meural Review: Forget What You Knew About Digital Frames<p>It’s not the same kind of exhilaration you feel while speeding down the highway at high speeds, but having a wall frame that instantly shows new art on a whim is definitely exciting and kind of addicting.</p>
<p>Meural’s digital canvas is a digital frame, but there are a few things that separate it from others. First it’s pretty big, with a 27-inch anti-glare display and second, it’s framed and made to look like realistic art, hung and displayed on a wall.</p>
<p>In my mind, and probably others as well, digital frames have this bad rap from the last decade of cheap 7-inch frames which were low resolution and hard to use. These were the commoditized ones trying to capitalize on holiday shoppers and the random gift idea. Meural is bucking those stereotypes.</p>
<p><a href="https://svbtleusercontent.com/shcp4syfgpxf5g.jpg"><img src="https://svbtleusercontent.com/shcp4syfgpxf5g_small.jpg" alt="IMG_2509.JPG"></a></p>
<h2 id="set-up_2">Set up <a class="head_anchor" href="#set-up_2">#</a>
</h2>
<p>From opening the box to getting a selected image on the screen, it was about 20 minutes, half of which was due to hidden and slightly complicated controls.</p>
<p>The frame uses swipe gestures to control its on-screen menu, but these aren’t <strong>touch</strong> controls, they’re motion detection. You hold your hand about an inch or two from the frame and wave sideways or up and down. Doing this later to switch images works as well as you’d expect, but during set up and accessing advanced menu settings isn’t ideal. In fact, it can be down right frustrating.</p>
<p>The allure of sophisticated “invisible” controls is admirable, but should definitely be looked at for future product improvements.</p>
<p><a href="https://svbtleusercontent.com/xqc9o7voaznirw.jpg"><img src="https://svbtleusercontent.com/xqc9o7voaznirw_small.jpg" alt="IMG_0212 2.JPG"></a></p>
<p>Once the frame was connected to my Wi-Fi and I signed in to the app, I didn’t experience any technical issues. Selecting art, uploading my own images, and creating playlists all worked well. It was very useable, though a refreshed app interface would likely benefit more casual technology users.</p>
<h2 id="daily-use_2">Daily use <a class="head_anchor" href="#daily-use_2">#</a>
</h2>
<p>I was able to replace an existing framed picture on my wall with the Meural one and it looked great. The frame and matting don’t look out of place, there’s nothing overly “technical” about it—which is the goal. As a word of warning, however, the frame is extremely heavily, so make sure your screw is anchored into the wall.</p>
<p>The wart of this product is its cord. I don’t know how you fix that eye-sore, but it has the potential to kill someone’s enthusiasm over furnishing their home with a digital wall frame. Of course, there are ways around this including having an electrician add a wall outlet directly behind the frame (like a wall mounted TV) or setting it on a piece of furniture to hide the cord.</p>
<p>The visual cord issue is a real concern, but if you can get past it in someway, daily use with the Meural frame is awesome.</p>
<p>Going through the chore of buying art of or taking and framing your own photos isn’t necessarily fast and cheap which makes Meural so tempting. I loved being able to set a playlist of famous art pieces. Whatever the mood, time of day, and circumstance, it was easy to match an image.</p>
<p>If anyone has ever had a significant other who was always asking for more family photos, or been asked to routinely change them out for new ones, they will appreciate the ease of the digital wall frame. It could be a relationship-saver for some couples.</p>
<p>It’s not just your own photos, however, a wealth of art through Meural’s collections should satisfy most people’s cravings for the familiar and unknown. The real decision comes in deciding whether to hang the frame vertical of horizontal. </p>
<h2 id="conclusion_2">Conclusion <a class="head_anchor" href="#conclusion_2">#</a>
</h2>
<p>Sure, a digital canvas isn’t a replacement for a piece of art, but what it does is satisfy a large section of the market who wouldn’t have bought a piece of art in the first place. </p>
<p>This piece of technology is tapping into consumers who like Netflix, or who will pay $9.99 a month to stream all the music available, but weren’t ever going to buy all the music they listened to or all the movies they wanted to watch.</p>
<p>The display is high enough resolution for its size and is convincing enough for all casual encounters. Meural is a new category of gadget. It’s not simply a digital frame, the 7-8-inch ones everyone’s parenting we’re getting a few years ago. It’s also definitely not a TV or second screen. Meural is a type of gadget that needs to be a functional and dedicated piece of technology, because if it doesn’t do its one objective right, it’s a complete failure in every way. It succeeds in the hardware where it must and is acceptable in the software and ways that can be tweaked in the future.</p>
<p>While knowing the cord limitations, if you think this would solve your art problem or would brighten your home, it probably will and you should take the plunge. For everyone else, the success of Meural should mean a variety of more options in the near future.</p>
<p><a href="https://svbtleusercontent.com/qdy3x07dfndusg.jpg"><img src="https://svbtleusercontent.com/qdy3x07dfndusg_small.jpg" alt="IMG_6262.JPG"></a></p>
tag:liisten.com,2014:Post/here-s-why-homepod-is-amazing2018-02-09T15:37:35-08:002018-02-09T15:37:35-08:00Here’s Why HomePod Is Amazing<p>The smart/connected home speaker war is underway. While eventually some of these companies battling might have to concede, consumers are currently the ones winning with a swath of fantastic choices for home audio.</p>
<p><a href="https://svbtleusercontent.com/ou92ylkkocigzq.jpg"><img src="https://svbtleusercontent.com/ou92ylkkocigzq_small.jpg" alt="IMG_0063.JPG"></a></p>
<h2 id="a-hrefhttpliistencomgooglehomemaxvssonosplay5_2">
<a href="http://liisten.com/google-home-max-vs-sonos-play-5">If you’re interested, you can read about how the Google Home Max and Sonos Play:5 compare to each other</a>. <a class="head_anchor" href="#a-hrefhttpliistencomgooglehomemaxvssonosplay5_2">#</a>
</h2>
<p>In terms of the HomePod, consensus from early reviews is that it sounds good, but Siri is lacking. In practice I think the reviews are over thinking this home audio space a little bit. After trying nearly every Sonos speaker, Google Home Max, Echo, and now a HomePod, I think Apple has a one of the most compelling offerings.</p>
<p><strong>Big Picture</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>HomePod is compact, but has really loud, amazing sounding audio quality</li>
<li>Siri covers all the basics for people getting into voice assistants</li>
</ul>
<p>The HomePod doesn’t look like a speaker in the way Home Max and Play:5 do, giving it more versatility in peoples’ homes. However, it sounds just as good as other speaker in its category. </p>
<p>While Siri is definitely limited compared to Alexa and Google’s Assistant, it isn’t immediately obvious and for people just easing into home voice assistants, it might not matter than it is limited on day one. The HomePod can play news on-demand, control popular smart home accessories, answer basic questions, control Apple Music, become an AirPlay destination, and more. It should also be mentioned that the microphone array and pick up on the HomePod is as impressive as its sound it.</p>
<p>The HomePod is being marketed perfectly. The general mass market audience should be covered on release day and as long as Siri continues expansion, it will cover most peoples’ needs. In this regard, the HomePod is amazing and if you use Apple Music, it should be good investment.</p>
<p><a href="https://svbtleusercontent.com/wsdafqsw12ua.jpg"><img src="https://svbtleusercontent.com/wsdafqsw12ua_small.jpg" alt="IMG_3275.JPG"></a></p>
tag:liisten.com,2014:Post/tesla-model-3-wireless-charging2018-01-29T14:59:53-08:002018-01-29T14:59:53-08:00Tesla Model 3 Wireless Charging<p>Tesla’s new Model 3 may not come with a wireless Qi charger that new phones like iPhone 8 and iPhone X can utilize, but there will soon be a way to add one.</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://vrlps.co/a?pt=NTZUWIePqcvVXGIe-mE2LUnM5KI&referralCode=BknrdbDUM&refSource=copy">Tesla Wireless Pad</a></strong> is a rubber mat, made to fit in the existing phone section of the Model 3, where currently Tesla provides two charging connectors. (There should be a Model S version of the Tesla Wireless Pad coming as well.)</p>
<p><a href="https://svbtleusercontent.com/ra5xldxuwyqxq.png"><img src="https://svbtleusercontent.com/ra5xldxuwyqxq_small.png" alt="Screen Shot 2018-01-29 at 2.57.25 PM.png"></a></p>
<p>While the Tesla Wireless Pad looks fantastic and price shouldn’t be an issue for Model 3 owners, one of the biggest questions is how effective <em>any</em> Qi charger will be. The USB ports for the rear seats in the Model 3 appear to be 2.4A, while the front media console USB ports appear to only output 1A, which will limit the speed of charging–likely to 5W. (Translation: slow.) </p>
<p>Still, if you’re looking for an easy way to throw your capable phone down, have it charge some, this is a good looking option. You can reserve now and availability is scheduled for April at $99.</p>
<p><a href="https://svbtleusercontent.com/abltc7abb3nbnq.png"><img src="https://svbtleusercontent.com/abltc7abb3nbnq_small.png" alt="Screen Shot 2018-01-29 at 2.58.02 PM.png"></a></p>
tag:liisten.com,2014:Post/google-home-max-vs-sonos-play-52017-12-22T17:03:53-08:002017-12-22T17:03:53-08:00Google Home Max vs. Sonos Play:5<p>These two speakers aren’t going to cannibalize each other at this point in time, but the realities are, <strong>anyone looking at a Google Home Max wants to know how it compares to Sonos Play:5 and vice versa</strong>. They are too similar in form, price, and function, not to be an obvious choice for someone who wants this type of speaker.</p>
<p><a href="https://svbtleusercontent.com/gvherhb3b2vy3a.jpg"><img src="https://svbtleusercontent.com/gvherhb3b2vy3a_small.jpg" alt="IMG_4531.JPG"></a></p>
<p>On their own, each is an awesome home stereo system replacement, capable of annoying next door neighbors. Directly compared, however, neither one is the clear cut winner on all aspects—sound and capabilities.</p>
<h1 id="sound_1">Sound <a class="head_anchor" href="#sound_1">#</a>
</h1>
<p>Both of these speakers sound great. The main differentiation for most people likely won’t be the sound, but the capabilities and how each functions as an internet connected speaker.</p>
<p>In broad strokes, the Google Play Max has more distinct bass and present treble out of the box. It makes an impact to play a song, slide the volume up as loud as your ears can take, and try to figure out how the bass is able to punch you from such a compact speaker. </p>
<p>On the other side, the Play:5 has equally impressive volume for its size. The high and lows are very much present, but aren’t as distinct with more mids and a fuller overall sound. The Play:5 has a sound which is a bit warmer and not quite as harsh when pushed beyond 40 or 50-percent volume.</p>
<p>The Home Max has more sound personality out of the box, and if you were to put both side to side, I think a lot of people would prefer the Home Max at first reaction. After listening to a bunch of songs back to back, however, I do think the Play:5 is the speaker with a truer and more accurate sound profile. That’s what Sonos touts, after all, a speaker which can and is used by professionals with critical ears.</p>
<p>It should be mentioned that all this discussion about sound has a big asterisk attached to it because both the Play:5 and the Home Max can change their EQ based on the room and their placements. Sonos uses TruePlay through your phone to calibrate a room’s shape and acoustics, while Google uses Smart Sound and uses the multiple microphones on the speaker to automatically adjust the sound for its location.</p>
<p><a href="https://svbtleusercontent.com/hgi4ougkbu2w7w.jpg"><img src="https://svbtleusercontent.com/hgi4ougkbu2w7w_small.jpg" alt="IMG_4338.JPG"></a></p>
<p><a href="https://svbtleusercontent.com/priwlowxkpcqrw.jpg"><img src="https://svbtleusercontent.com/priwlowxkpcqrw_small.jpg" alt="IMG_8502.JPG"></a></p>
<h1 id="capabilities_1">Capabilities <a class="head_anchor" href="#capabilities_1">#</a>
</h1>
<p>The differences in function and capabilities is pretty remarkable, despite both of these being connected speakers with nearly the same form factor. </p>
<p>The Play:5 uses Sonos’ app to connect all your music and audio accounts and all speaker interaction happens through the app, in a single location—give or take. Sonos does have Alexa voice controls in beta and can cast from some apps like Spotify and Google Play Music, but it still happens over Wi-Fi. While the Sonos app is an easy target for people to complain about, it is easy to understand that to control Sonos speakers, you do everything through the Sonos app.</p>
<p>Coming from primarily using Sonos home audio, Google’s method for interacting with its speaker feels a bit disjointed. The Home Max uses the Google Home app to set itself up, but to play music from your phone, you need to use individual apps like YouTube Music, Google Play Music, Spotify, or something else. Instead of one central music location, you’re casting your music from different apps over Wi-Fi to the speaker. (As an added benefit, the Home Max does have Bluetooth and allows for a guest mode.)</p>
<p>There are some oddities because the Home app is where you set up the speaker and it will show your music playing, but you can’t really start music from that app, even though you can change the volume and play/pause once music is playing—but you can’t skip songs. The Home app will also kick you over to the Assistant app for determining default music services and other speaker preferences.</p>
<p>The primary method for controlling music on the Home Max is, of course, meant to be voice, and that works phenomenally, when it works. Meaning, the microphones and voice control is arguably better than Amazon’s Alexa, but speaking the name of bands and music can be tough when it means you need to pronounce names like Haim, Haerts, ASTR, Hajk, Rhye, and tons of others which don’t come easily.</p>
<p>Still, the Home Max is really a smart voice assistant for your home, able to control your Nest products, smart lights, and dozens more, and also happens to be a really loud and good home stereo system.</p>
<p>The Play:5 on the other hand is the most capable connected speaker, able to play audio from major services like Apple Music, Spotify, NPR, and MLB, but also tons of smaller services from around the world. It’s a music lover’s dream. The only issue is that not having microphones and more smarts built in directly, it can feel a little limited in direct comparison to the Home Max.</p>
<p>These two speakers may look similar, but they function pretty differently, meaning the same people happy with one, probably wouldn’t have been satisfied with the other one.</p>
<p><a href="https://svbtleusercontent.com/n2pw5rs7nmviva.jpg"><img src="https://svbtleusercontent.com/n2pw5rs7nmviva_small.jpg" alt="IMG_4856.JPG"></a></p>
<p><a href="https://svbtleusercontent.com/wtifz4lobn2ew.jpg"><img src="https://svbtleusercontent.com/wtifz4lobn2ew_small.jpg" alt="IMG_5360.JPG"></a></p>
<p><a href="https://svbtleusercontent.com/m0wc9gb050inxq.jpg"><img src="https://svbtleusercontent.com/m0wc9gb050inxq_small.jpg" alt="IMG_3586.JPG"></a></p>
<h1 id="conclusion_1">Conclusion <a class="head_anchor" href="#conclusion_1">#</a>
</h1>
<p>If you already have a Sonos Play:5, congratulations, you have a terrific speaker connected to the most audio choices available; there’s probably no reason you should pick up the Google Home Max—a Google Home Mini for voice assistance isn’t out of the question though. </p>
<p>Conversely, if you picked up a Google Home Max, fantastic, you have a really good smart speaker capable of answering your questions, controlling your smart home, and filling your home with music. You’re should be super happy with your purchase.</p>
<p>In the case of these two speakers, this really is case of your specific audio needs and preference. And hey, if you bought one of these and aren’t happy, return it and pick up the other one and you should be good to go.</p>
tag:liisten.com,2014:Post/the-best-music-tv-shows-and-movies-of-20172017-12-18T07:56:37-08:002017-12-18T07:56:37-08:00The Best Music, TV Shows, and Movies of 2017<p>What were the best songs, albums, and shows? Here’s my take on dissecting 2017’s media and ranking this year’s best. Hopefully you’ll discover something new. </p>
<h2 id="albums_2">Albums <a class="head_anchor" href="#albums_2">#</a>
</h2>
<p><strong>10 - Mutemath - Play Dead</strong><br>
An album which marks a continued evolution of the band’s sound, but might turn out to be their last. </p>
<p><strong>9 - John Mark McMillan - Mercury & Lightning</strong><br>
A slightly unexpected release which authentically connects through McMillan’s own flavor of pop.</p>
<p><strong>8 - The War On Drug - A Deeper Understanding</strong><br>
Rock ’n roll circa 2017</p>
<p><strong>7 - The Lighthouse And The Whaler - Paths</strong><br>
Spunky and raw, The Lighthouse And The Whaler walk a fine line that continues to work beautifully.</p>
<p><strong>6 - Phoenix - Ti Amo</strong><br>
After hearing the first single, I was hoping Phoenix would put out a summer album and they did. It is perfectly breezy.</p>
<p><strong>5 - Haim - Something To Tell You</strong><br>
Nearly every song has incredibly tight hooks which makes them hard not start singing along with. </p>
<p><strong>4 - Maggie Rogers - Now That The Light Is Fading EP</strong><br>
Though only four songs, this EP is full of rhythm and is a unique breed of pop music, while remaining instantly familiar.</p>
<p><strong>3 - The Maine - Lovely Little Lonely</strong><br>
This album sounds hugely influenced by Third Eye Blind, which is to say, full of nostalgia and straight up rock ’n roll.</p>
<p><strong>2 - Andrew Belle - Dive Deep</strong><br>
It always takes me a handful of listens to decide if I like whatever Andrew Belle’s latest album is, or love it. So far, once I’ve given it a chance to wash over my ears, I’ve always love them. The subtle hooks and music is quicksand only pulling you in deeper with each listen.</p>
<p><strong>1 - Khalid - American Teen</strong><br>
New, fresh, and youthful, American Teen is such a great album from start to finish. It encapsulates everything it set out to, without being self aware. This is truly an album that ushers in a new generation of music and artists, lyrically capturing living in a digital world.</p>
<h2 id="songs-in-no-particular-order_2">Songs (in no particular order) <a class="head_anchor" href="#songs-in-no-particular-order_2">#</a>
</h2>
<ul>
<li>Muna - “I Know A Place”</li>
<li>Sigrid - Don’t Kill My Vibe / Plot Twist / Strangers</li>
<li>Dagny - “Love You Like That”</li>
<li>Fickle Friends - “Hello Hello”</li>
<li>Leif Vollebekk - “Elegy”</li>
<li>Carly Rae Jepson - “Cut To The Feeling”</li>
<li>The Aces - “Baby Who”</li>
<li>Amber Coffman - “No Coffee”</li>
</ul>
<p><em>Notice a pattern?</em></p>
<h2 id="interesting-but-honorable-mentions_2">Interesting, but… (honorable mentions) <a class="head_anchor" href="#interesting-but-honorable-mentions_2">#</a>
</h2>
<ul>
<li>LANY [I’m a huge fan of LANY’s sound and first 3 EPs, but the band’s first full length left a little to be desired.]</li>
<li>Charli XCX - “Boys” [This song is really catchy]</li>
<li>Matt Pond PA - Still Summer [I’ve never been into Matt Pond PA, but this album is a full body dunk into youth and the feeling of a young summer.] </li>
<li>Brand New - Science Fiction [The band had everything, including a successful comeback and Jesse Lacey screwed everything up. If you can separate the person from the art, you may enjoy this album.]</li>
<li>Mappe of - A Northern Star, A Perfect Stone [It’s the sound of autumn and relaxation.]</li>
<li>Wild Cub - Closer [This is a good album that overshoots the mark of progression from the last album to this one.] </li>
<li>Madi Diaz [Intriguing, but too short.]</li>
<li>U2 - Songs of Experience [It’s cool to be too cool for U2, but this album is genuinely fun and catchy.]</li>
<li>Leif Vollebekk - Twin Solitude [So chill]</li>
<li>Zara Larsson - So Good [Smooth]</li>
<li>Harry Styles - Self Titled [who knew ¯_(ツ)_/¯]</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="soundtracks_2">Soundtracks <a class="head_anchor" href="#soundtracks_2">#</a>
</h2>
<ul>
<li>Master of None</li>
<li>Baby Driver</li>
<li>Blade Runner 2049</li>
<li>Stranger Things S2</li>
</ul>
<p><em>Each of these has a distinct sound which shapes the story, beyond the visuals.</em></p>
<h2 id="next_2">Next <a class="head_anchor" href="#next_2">#</a>
</h2>
<ul>
<li>The Aces</li>
<li>Fickle Friends</li>
<li>Sigrid</li>
<li>Joan</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="books_2">Books <a class="head_anchor" href="#books_2">#</a>
</h2>
<ul>
<li><p><strong>American Kingpin by Nick Bilton</strong><br>
A fascinating story about cryptocurrency and the dark web–a seemingly stale topic for a book.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas</strong><br>
An easy YA novel read, with a story powerful enough to trip you up.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Hit Makers by Derek Thompson</strong><br>
One of the many takeaways from this book is that “viral” doesn’t mean what you think it means, in fact, it doesn’t mean much.</p></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://liisten.com/book-recommendation-for-2017-part-1">There were a bunch of other books that were interesting for different reasons, which you can see some of on the site.</a></p>
<h2 id="shows_2">Shows <a class="head_anchor" href="#shows_2">#</a>
</h2>
<ul>
<li><p><strong>Halt and Catch Fire S4 (final season)</strong><br>
Halt And Catch Fire started off slow and on an uneven footing before finding solid ground and perfectly captured the heart of people that love technology and were at the cutting edge of a new industry. There hasn’t been another show or movie I’ve seen which was able to blend tech into a show for everyone and explains the unending passion some people feel for pursuing technological advancement.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Stranger Things S2</strong><br>
Season one was unexpected and amazing which brought a LOT of hype for season two. Despite the fear that it wouldn’t live up to expectations, Stranger Things continues to impress and be a love letter to its thriller genre.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Master of None S2</strong><br>
Master of None may be the spiritual successor to Seinfeld. There’s a lot of things it succeeds at, including cultural diversity, but my favorite thing about the show may be how it is a thoroughly digital show—from distribution to dialog, everything is authentically millennia, without a hint of pandering.</p></li>
</ul>
<h2 id="movies_2">Movies <a class="head_anchor" href="#movies_2">#</a>
</h2>
<ul>
<li>Baby Driver</li>
<li>Blade Runner 2049</li>
<li>Rogue One</li>
</ul>
<p><em>Not sure if I didn’t see enough movies or there were just not too many great ones this year. I haven’t seen Ladybird yet, or that might have made it as well.</em></p>
tag:liisten.com,2014:Post/gift-guide-music-tech-edc2017-11-22T14:19:57-08:002017-11-22T14:19:57-08:00Gift Guide - Music, Tech, EDC<p>This actually isn’t so much a “gift guide” as it is a list of items that I’ve enjoyed, products that are interesting, and ideas for the hard to shop for person who’s into tech, media, and EDC.</p>
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.baronfig.com/products/squire"><strong>Baron Fig - Squire</strong></a> $55
Once you hold this pen in your hand, the fuss about it begins to make more sense. It feels great and writes well.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://svbtleusercontent.com/tu9bcou3ccd9q.jpg"><img src="https://svbtleusercontent.com/tu9bcou3ccd9q_small.jpg" alt="squire_gallery_02.jpg"></a></p>
<ul>
<li>
<a href="http://moviepass.com"><strong>Moviepass</strong></a> $9.99/month or $89/year</li>
</ul>
<p>If you were going to go to a movie every couple of months anyway, this makes a lot of financial sense, but it’s really awesome to be able to take a chance on a new movie without feeling disappointed when it turns out to be a dud.</p>
<p><a href="https://svbtleusercontent.com/a6zrmxddkcmg.png"><img src="https://svbtleusercontent.com/a6zrmxddkcmg_small.png" alt="Screen Shot 2017-11-22 at 2.50.45 PM.png"></a></p>
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.aersf.com/flight-pack-black"><strong>Aer - Flightpack</strong></a> $150</li>
</ul>
<p>This will not be the last backpack I own or try, but I am a fan of the 3-way style (backpack and messenger) and this one does both really well.</p>
<p><a href="https://svbtleusercontent.com/jtfsnd2dxmbiza.jpeg"><img src="https://svbtleusercontent.com/jtfsnd2dxmbiza_small.jpeg" alt="1500013386199.jpeg"></a></p>
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.allbirds.com/products/mens-wool-loungers?variant=49435323783"><strong>Allbirds - Loungers</strong></a> $95</li>
</ul>
<p>I like the standard Allbirds, but didn’t love the style. I really like the slip-ons.</p>
<p><a href="https://svbtleusercontent.com/oiqtiofmkd4bpw.png"><img src="https://svbtleusercontent.com/oiqtiofmkd4bpw_small.png" alt="Allbirds_M_Wool_Lounger_BLACK_ANGLE.png"></a></p>
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.apple.com/airpods/"><strong>AirPods</strong></a> $159</li>
</ul>
<p>If Apple’s EarPods fit well in your ears, there is currently no better wireless earbuds available. The functionality between Apple devices and these earbuds are amazing.</p>
<p><a href="https://svbtleusercontent.com/cbkryz5zsgt2ka.png"><img src="https://svbtleusercontent.com/cbkryz5zsgt2ka_small.png" alt="Screen Shot 2017-11-22 at 2.26.19 PM.png"></a></p>
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://store.google.com/product/google_wifi"><strong>Google Wifi</strong></a> $124 (1 pack) $289 (3 pack)
I get asked all the time, what router should I get? I’ve been super happy with my Google Onhub, the predisesor to Google Wifi. The price, features, and expandability make it a great choice.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://svbtleusercontent.com/vqgc0dlfl3m3w.png"><img src="https://svbtleusercontent.com/vqgc0dlfl3m3w_small.png" alt="Screen Shot 2017-11-22 at 2.34.53 PM.png"></a></p>
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.sfbags.com/collections/pouches/products/gear-pouch"><strong>Waterfield - Gear Pouch</strong></a> - $39</li>
</ul>
<p>My new obsession is finding the perfect case or solution for carrying cables and small devices. This is the best one I’ve found which includes enough space, stays small and compact, isn’t too pricey, and looks good.</p>
<p><a href="https://svbtleusercontent.com/ttwtwhbv5cg8ia.jpg"><img src="https://svbtleusercontent.com/ttwtwhbv5cg8ia_small.jpg" alt="gear-pouch-med-cords1_1024x1024.jpg"></a></p>
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/elago-Stand-Original-Design-Awards/dp/B01MYNE2BM"><strong>Elago - W3 Stand</strong></a> $10</li>
</ul>
<p>This stand is both functional and attractive, and inexpensive.</p>
<p><a href="https://svbtleusercontent.com/xi2p4bruigvpfq.jpg"><img src="https://svbtleusercontent.com/xi2p4bruigvpfq_small.jpg" alt="61xIR+5u+aL._SX522_.jpg"></a></p>
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://bellroy.com/products/micro-sleeve-wallet/default/caramel#image-2"><strong>Bellroy - Micro Sleeve</strong></a> $65</li>
</ul>
<p>I’ve been using this wallet for awhile now and I love it. I’m also a fan of anything Bellroy, including their new Google Chromebook case, even though I don’t have a Chromebook, it’s tempting buy for an iPad or MacBook.</p>
<p><a href="https://svbtleusercontent.com/1xb53f5mozchcg.jpg"><img src="https://svbtleusercontent.com/1xb53f5mozchcg_small.jpg" alt="64f6a514183114d84cb87c8a7c5a9c844fd4ba3478dd5e52f392f6d0f3372c45.jpg"></a></p>
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.vinylmeplease.com/select-your-plan/"><strong>Vinyl Me, Please</strong></a> Starting at $25/month</li>
</ul>
<p>The best way to get into vinyl records or keep your collection growing. Also <a href="https://app.vinylmeplease.com/products/vmp-essentials/vinyl-me-please-s-100-albums-to-own-in-your-collection">buy this book</a> because I wrote two of the entries for it.</p>
<p><a href="https://svbtleusercontent.com/tphifjych5koja.jpg"><img src="https://svbtleusercontent.com/tphifjych5koja_small.jpg" alt="s600_Cover_Image.jpg"></a></p>
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://thesweetsetup.com/apps/best-music-streaming-service/"><strong>Apple Music</strong></a> $9.99/month</li>
</ul>
<p>While Spotify is not bad, I think Apple Music is the right choice for most people streaming music.</p>
<p><a href="https://svbtleusercontent.com/wbipivy0osnmbq.jpg"><img src="https://svbtleusercontent.com/wbipivy0osnmbq_small.jpg" alt="Apple-Music-Hero-2.jpg"></a></p>