Full disclosure: I’m not a huge fan of Amazon’s Fire TV products.  I don’t care for the interface, and as a YouTube watcher, it’s virtually useless.  But I do own a few.  I have a Fire TV 4K that I use when I travel, for example.  So when Amazon announced that they had a new product known as the Fire TV Cube, I wasn’t sold.  It was only until they told me that the Cube can act as a remote and Echo device did my ears perk up.  Unfortunately, after giving the device a good test drive, my ears have now been boxed.

Now let me start by saying I won’t really be reviewing the interface.  It’s the same as any other Fire device with little deviation.  Sure, it’s a little zippier, but that’s about it.  What I want to talk about is how the Cube works as both an Echo device and as a remote.  But before all of that, here is what you need to know.  The Cube comes with everything you are going to need out of the box to make it work…except…no HDMI cable.  Seriously, Amazon, what were you thinking?  But other than the lack of HDMI cable, it comes with everything else.  You get the Cube, Amazon’s remote, two AAA batteries, an IR blaster, a power adaptor, and a dongle that lets you connect the device to ethernet and micro-USB.  Yes, it has a dongle but no HDMI cable.

Setup for this product is a breeze.  You simply connect the device to your TV using an HDMI cable, plug in the power, and that’s it unless you want to connect it to a wired ethernet connection.  The setup process is relatively easy but you still have to type in your usernames and passwords.  One thing I love about Siri on the Apple TV is that you can dictate this information or use your phone to set it up.  Amazon’s process isn’t easy but it’s not hard.  The most fun in the setup process is configuring the device to work with your equipment.  The Cube walks you through the entire process from TV to sound bar, but if you want to configure anything else like a cable box, you’ll do that once the setup process is complete.  Overall, setup isn’t complicated but I wish Amazon would allow dictation of usernames and passwords.

Now Amazon recommends that the product be placed a good distance from the TV or sound bar.  The logic is that the TV and sound bar will interfere with the far-field microphones that this device is equipped with.  These microphones theoretically allow you to use Alexa.  When the Cube does respond to the A word, the device mutes the TV making it easier to talk to Alexa.  Besides using Alexa to do the usual, such as turn on lights and set thermostats, she can also turn on and off your TV, sound bar, and other equipment.  She can switch inputs after you configure them and adjust volume.  Overall, she’s a voice remote.  But while she does a good job of controlling what’s around her, she misses the mark when it comes to things like making calls or sending messages.  Short answer: she can’t.   So basically she’s an Echo minus a few features.

But the worst part about this product is that Alexa just doesn’t listen most of the time.  When she works, she works great but in my tests she barely worked 10% of the time and I often had to yell at her and say things multiple times.  I have Echo’s or Echo Dot’s in every room of the house and even the Echo’s in other rooms responded better than this.  I’m sorry, but as an Echo, she’s terrible.  And it’s not that she doesn’t hear me all the time.  She does mute the TV when I say the wake word.  But she doesn’t get the commands or execute them and frankly it’s a little annoying.  Hopefully a software update will fix this but my advice is to wait till they do.

Otherwise, as a remote, she works great.  It’s like having a Harmony without the clunky setup.  Now as for the remote, there are a few things to keep in mind.  While she does work with most common entertainment appliances, I was not able to get her to work with my TiVo Roamio.  I’m a cord-cutter and I want this to be my go-to but she can’t do anything with my OTA DVR.  And when it comes to my OTT (Over-the-top) services, she was just as useless.  After trying the service with both DirecTV Now and Playstation Vue I can tell you the integration is just not there.  But I’d imagine that she probably works well with standard cable boxes.

When it comes to finding content, however, the Cube did excel at finding it amongst all the different apps.  All you have to do is ask Alexa to find something and she will.  She will even tell you the best way to watch it.  Between Netflix and Amazon, the choices where there, but at the same time it’s nothing my Apple TV, Roku, or even TiVo can’t do.  And while I appreciate the Alexa integration, it’s just not worth it for me if she won’t listen, so I’ll be connecting my Echo Dot back up in this room.

Frankly, I really want to like the Cube.  As a remote, it’s not bad.  But the poor microphones and bad experiences out-weigh the cost of this product.  The interface is…well…the interface so I’ll let you be the judge of that.  But if you really don’t care about the Amazon integration or if you have devices that you can connect to other smart speakers, I suggest you do it that way and pass on this product.  If you really like the idea of having a voice remote and this is your only Echo device, you might be okay.  Otherwise, I say pass or, at the very least, wait to see if a software update fixes the myriad of problems.  In any case, tread carefully because you might be disappointed in the final product.

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Face it, MoviePass, whether you love it or hate it, has changed the way many of us watch movies.  And with AMC throwing their hat into the subscription ring, it would appear the model is not going away anytime soon.  But fresh off of AMC’s announcement, MoviePass is making some changes of their own.  But are these changes even a good idea?  Well, here is what’s coming.

First the good: The company is bringing a “bring-a-friend” option to the service.  According to Business Insider, the publication that ran the interview with MoviePass CEO Mitch Lowe, the feature would allow subscribers to select the option to “add a friend when buying tickets through the app…” It’s not known if this feature will cost anything extra but I would imagine it would.  Further, subscribers will also have the option of paying an up-charge to go see IMAX or 3D versions of movies.  This is a welcome addition for those into premium viewing experiences.  Unfortunately, pricing has yet to be announced on what those uncharges might be.

Now the bad: Also, according to Lowe, the company is going to experiment with something they call “high-demand” pricing.  The idea is kind of like the “Surge Pricing” that Uber practices during high demand.  According to Lowe, subscribers will be charged a premium to go see movies that are popular.  The popularity of said movie will be determined by other subscribers and based on what is considered popular or “high demand.”  The price for this high demand ticket will “start at $2” although I would pay special emphasis to the word “start.”  It’s unclear if ticket prices will vary based on movie or theater chain but the word “start” does indicate there may be some deviation.

The good news is that customers still have some time to enjoy the current perks they’ve grown to love.  A majority of these changes are set to take affect in August with the exception of the surge pricing which will take affect in July.  I’m told that those people who are on an annual plan will not be affected but if you are on the month-to-month $9.95 deal, expect to hear about this soon.  So far, MoviePass has been an experiment for a lot of people, especially in patience.  The company has recently changed course on many of its features; curbing repeat movie watching and now requiring certain customers to submit photos of ticket stubs.  Despite all this, many people are still hanging on to the service.  But with the recent addition of AMC’s A-List, you have to ask yourself, is MoviePass still attractive?  Stay tuned for updates as we have them.

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When MoviePass was reborn last year with its $9.95 all-you-can-eat package, many people scoffed, including AMC Theaters president Adam Aron.  Speaking on behalf of his theater chain, he exclaimed that MoviePass was not welcome and that it would essentially kill the value of a movie ticket.  Well, times have changed apparently, as AMC is launching a new subscription service that actually might be worth a look.

The package is called AMC Stubs A-List, a variant of AMC Stubs, the reward service that gives you points for your purchases.  The idea is simple.  For $19.95 a month, you can see up to 3 movies a week at any participating AMC theater.  What makes the program so appealing compared to the MoviePass counterpart is that you can watch any movie regardless of format.  Currently MoviePass restricts you to one 2D movie a day.  A-List will let you not only watch 2D, but IMAX and 3D as well.  Further more, unlike MoviePass, you can also see the same movie more than once.

Depending on your preferred theater, this could be a great deal.  But there are a few considerations to keep in mind.  First, this will only work at AMC theaters, so if you don’t live near an AMC or if you enjoy flexibility in choosing your theater, MoviePass might be for you.  Second, there is a three month commitment so don’t expect to use it once and forget it.  On the other hand, you can use A-List with AMC’s app to book tickets online and reserve tickets for future showings; something you can’t do on MoviePass.  And A-List will also give you a 10% concessions discount on top of the already good benefits you get with Premiere.

A-List is expected to roll out on the 26th of this month (June).  And if you’ve been considering MoviePass but can’t stand the restrictions or if you’re concerned about the company’s longevity, this might be a good alternative.  Regardless, having a choice in package is a fantastic idea.  We will have a full review for you once the service goes live.

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AT&T was handed a big victory today in court when Federal Judge Richard Leon ruled in favor of the AT&T Time Warner merger.  The victory comes after the proposed merger announcement and subsequent squashing of the merger by President Trump, himself.  The DOJ argued that the deal was anti-competitive.  However, the judge ruled that the DOJ did not present enough evidence to suggest any constraint of competition.

The deal, estimated to be worth roughly $85 billion, gives AT&T a competitive advantage in the marketplace.  AT&T would gain properties from Warner that include HBO, CNN, and Warner Bros.  Meanwhile, AT&T has made several promises about the content including launching a “skinny” package of cord-cutting channels for around $15.  It also makes AT&T a formidable competitor to companies like Comcast who owns NBC, and Disney who has announced plans to acquire 21st Century Fox (the later is in a competition with Comcast to also acquire Fox).

Speculation about Trump’s disapproval of the merger is speculated to revolve around the acquisition of CNN; an oft hated media outlet by Trump.  The President has often considered CNN to be fake news.  Regardless of feelings about CNN, the deal does give AT&T a wide variety of content from other owned Warner properties as well.

For those unaware, AT&T owns IPTV service U-Verse, and satellite service, DirecTV.  The company has recently branched out into over-the-top with DirecTV Now, an online only service.  The company offers HBO Go for only $5 a month on the DirecTV Now service.  The company also offers many distribution methods with fiber Internet and, soon, 5G wireless services.  Time Warner did offer traditional cable TV service but sold the service back in 2016 to Charter.

Of course, the DOJ is expected to appeal the decision, although Judge Richard Leon did say that the DOJ’s case was weak on appeal.  Only time will tell if the DOJ does appeal, but it would seem that a merger is now more likely than ever.  Stay tuned for updates as they occur.

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Amazon unveiled there newest streaming device today and it is definitely worth a look, at least on paper.  Amazon unveiled their not-so-secret Fire TV Cube device; the latest in streaming media players from the company.  But while the Cube is a streaming box, it’s also a whole lot more…potentially.

I say potentially because the truth is we haven’t seen the box in action.  However, from what Amazon has told us, it’s basically an entertainment hub.  The Cube will feature Amazon’s signature skinned Android OS with obvious integration in to the Amazon ecosystem.  Basically, it will interface like any other Amazon Fire product on the market currently.  However, this box is fully featured with a 1.5 Ghz Quad-core processor and 16 GB of on-board storage.  Compare this to the 8 GB of storage on the standard 4K Fire TV.

The reason for the larger capacity may have to do with having Alexa built in.  To be fair, previous Fire devices have Alexa integrated into the remote, however, the Cube takes it to the next level.  Featuring far-field microphones, the Cube is basically an Echo device that connects to the TV.  It’s this integration into said home theater that is going to make or break this device.

Theoretically, you could tell Alexa to turn on or off your TV, find a show, turn on or off your smart devices, and even raise the volume.  The concept is sound.  And to make the whole thing work together, the Cube is adding IR blasters to each side of the device, making this a universal remote.  Now, I won’t compare this to a Harmony quite yet, but the idea of controlling your home theater using your voice is appealing, at least to me.  And that’s mainly what this product is aimed at; home theater consumers who want universal control and an Echo in one product.

Unfortunately, there are a few omissions that have me concerned, at least in terms of integration.  Like Fire products of the past, the remote control has abstained from controlling the volume through HDMI.  One advantage to HDMI is that it’s not just audio and video that can pass through the cable but also data that leads to the integration of controlling other devices with one remote. The Cube won’t offer that, at least not at this time.

One thing the Cube will offer, however, is HDR.  The Cube, like the current Fire TV is 4K HDR compatible, but only with the HDR10 standard.  Dolby Vision is not offered but presumably, Amazon could offer an upgrade sometime down the road.  Interestingly enough, however, Amazon does offer Dolby Atmos, the new standard for theater sound.  Clearly the company is going for premium, at least in audio.  And while they are making the same attempt in video, Dolby Vision would be a welcome addition.

Now to be fair, we haven’t had a hands-on with the product yet, and because it hasn’t shipped yet, chances are specs could change.  But I doubt that anything would change between now and the 21st.  But if you are so inclined, you can pre-order one yourself for $89 before it ships on June 21st.  This price expires on the 8th at Midnight, however, so grab one now before the price goes up to $119 after that.  Of course, we have one on order so look for a full review soon.  But we are really excited about the possibilities of this product. Stay tuned.

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To be fair, the Beam isn’t even out yet.  It just got announced two days ago.  But the announcement was enough for me to shake my head and wonder, “what are they doing?”  Sonos, for its part, has had some decent sound equipment for the home theater for a while.  They offer a sound bar, satellite speakers, a subwoofer, etc…and it’s all wireless.  The speakers themselves never sounded that bad but the thing that prevented me from ever buying a package from them is its lack of Audio Return Channel (ARC).

ARC is a must nowadays for anyone who is a home theater enthusiast.  Not only does it make connecting audio a breeze, but its ability to deliver uncompressed audio makes it a must-have for home theater enthusiasts who want that true theater sound.  Dolby Atmos is one such example of modern audio that ARC is really made for.  Fortunately for Sonos, they added ARC functionality.  Unfortunately, it’s not Atmos compatible.  And therein lies the problem.

Atmos may not be widely adopted but it is coming.  I have several movies that are Atmos encoded and I actually own an Atmos 5.1.4 surround sound system.  The audio quality is fantastic.  The audio is delivered uncompressed through my 4K HDR TV and every movie sounds like a theater experience.  However, in order for Atmos to function correctly, you need speakers that are correctly configured and the Beam doesn’t have those speakers.  And at a price of $399, it just seams not worth it as an home theater device, especially considering how much audio you can get from even midrange home theaters-in-a-box.

The main draw of the Beam, however, isn’t necessarily the audio quality.  The company is touting the Beam as a “smart” speaker.  With built-in Alexa functionality, Sonos is going after the high-end smart speaker audio segment.  For music, I have zero doubt that this is going to be a winner.  The sound quality that Sonos usually delivers is quite premium given the size.  But for home theater enthusiasts? I wonder if this is truly made for us.

Unfortunately, I have yet to get my hands on this nor have I had the chance to give the product a listen.  As soon as they are available, I will pick one up and give it a thorough review.  But if I was a betting man, I’m not sure that Sonos will have a hit on their hands.  While I expect the audio quality to be good for music and the smart functionality to be perfect for home automation, I would say, given the price, that it may be worth passing up for anything home theater related.

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Dark Mode is here:

Apple announced that Dark Mode is coming to the latest Mac OS and boy does it look good.  The company showed off the entire demo in Dark Mode and things looked very sleek.  We will post some screen grabs as soon as we have them.

Dynamic Desktops:

For those who don’t get out much or maybe you just don’t believe in windows (the glass kind that look outward, not the OS), MacOS will now tell you what time of day it is with a desktop that changes as they day moves along.  As the sun sets, the desktop gets darker.  This is certainly a nice gimmick.  But the real feature is something the company calls “Stacks.”  Stacks are literal stacks of files on your desktop.  Mojave can automatically arrange these stacks by file kind, date, or tag.  Clicking on a stack opens it up and you can swipe through the documents in a stack and open one up as necessary.  The best part is that documents can get automatically sorted into stacks as you add them.  I can certainly see this being a useful feature.

A Quicklook preview:

When Preview was added to MacOS, I squeed.  It was the best feature ever.  Now Quicklook is here and the squeeing has begun once again.  You can now preview a document quickly with Quicklook, mark it up, and close it, all without opening up a single app.  This should make anyone who constantly works with documents happy.

A new finder:

The finder has been updated with a new look.  Think “Photos” but for your files.  You can pick a view, including gallery, view metadata in a sidebar, and do quick actions.  Need to rotate that photo?  Click it and choose the appropriate quick action.  If you need your own “quick action,” you can of course make your own.  You’ll need to use automator but if you’re into creating efficient workloads, this new feature could be for you.

Continuity:

Continuity is getting a nifty upgrade.  Need a photo for your project?  Simply click a contextual button and your Mac will open your iPhone camera, allowing you to snap the photo.  Once the photo is snapped, it will automatically import into the appropriate app.  You can do the same thing with scanning a document.

Security:

One of the many reasons I prefer Apple devices is for their security.  Now the company is doing even more.  Regarding Internet security, Apple is now making Safari one of the most secure browsers on the market.  The company is allowing you to opt-in for cross cookie advertising.  Did you check out that nice razor and now the ad follows you from site to site?  Well, say goodbye to that.  Also, fingerprinting, the act of identifying your computer through unique attributes such as types of fonts, system information, etc, is also going the way of the dodo bird.  The company will insert a generic “computer” in your computer’s place, essentially making your Mac look like everyone else’s.  This is fantastic news for privacy buffs.

And finally…

Finally, also announced was a version for News and Stocks for the Mac and a newly designed App Store, which looks similar to the App Store found on iOS.  The redesign looks nice and simple, which is a welcome change.  But we won’t know more until fall when we will get our hands on it and give you our thoughts.

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Apple announced that Watch OS 5.0 is coming this fall.  The update is going to offer advanced health and fitness improvements.  One such improvement is the ability for the watch to automatically recognize if you are working out prior to initiating a workout on the watch.  Currently, to log a workout on your watch, you have to start the workout from the device.  Only after you start the workout does it log that activity as exercise.  With the update, you can be working out prior to pressing the button and it will automatically know what activity you were doing prior to starting the workout.  This should make absentminded people like me very happy.  Branching off from that, Apple also announced that new workouts are coming including Yoga, hiking, and outdoor running.  Basically, the Apple Watch is turning into the fitness watch for everyone.

Speaking of everyone, you will also be able to challenge your friends and family to weekly programs as well.  The watch will keep you synchronized and the winner will earn special badges.  This is a feature I adored with FitBit and it looks like Apple is going along the same route.  The only issue is that everyone will have to buy an Apple Watch, and with Apple Watch only working with iPhones, don’t expect your Android friends to be jumping in with you.  Otherwise, it’s a nice addition.

Finally, for the Dick Tracy lovers: you can now have a live walkie-talkie feature in your watch.  The feature appears to be a simple push, hold, talk, and release type product.  But the applications are huge, especially for people with parents or young kids.  The feature does need permission to connect so don’t expect a stranger to be able to access you.  Otherwise, it’s a neat little communication tool.  Like iOS and Mac OS, this update will be coming in the fall.

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Performance increase:

Of course there would be performance upgrades.  Trying to make the OS work better for legacy products, Apple announced that the new OS would perform significantly better on said devices than ever before.  One of the biggest changes is in how the processor handles intensive tasks.  According to Craig Federighi who presented the product in the keynote, the processors will ramp when necessary and slow down after the task is finished.  This should help keep the phone zippy while saving battery in the process.  Of course, we will know more once we get our hands on the product.

AR is here to stay:

The future of AR is coming down to a slugfest between Google and Apple and Apple just made their biggest play yet.  The company is co-developing an extension/standard with Adobe called USDZ that will supposedly make AR universal.  Adobe, to take things one step further, is even developing a WYSIWYG editor that should allow for the simple creation of AR apps.  This could be a big boon for Apple to win over AR developers concerned about development time.

Further, Apple is updating ARKit in the latest iOS to ARKit 2.  The big update adds improved face tracking and realistic rendering among other things.  In a demo, Federighi was able to custom build a Fender guitar and have it appear right before him on the screen.  Lego showcased a promising app that allows Lego builders to interact with their play sets.  Using a Lego designed app, more than one person can interact with the set while both users share the same experience.  Apple calls it “shared experiences.”  Think of it as multiplayer AR.  The demos were impressive, but like many before it, we have yet to see this technology applied in the wild.  Hopefully this time will be different.

Photos, thy name is search:

Now this feature is much anticipated by me.  Photos is getting a search feature.  You can search by places, people, categories,  business names, etc, and find exactly what you are looking for.  According to Apple, Machine Learning knows where you are and can help identify certain photos that you have taken based on context.  Further, the Photos app will give you suggestions, for example photos that you may want to share with friends because other friends were there snapping photos as well.  It will even suggest what photos to put in albums.  While I certainly can’t wait to have this organize my photos, the concept is potentially unnerving from a privacy perspective.

Siri is getting smarter:

Who here would like a smarter Siri?  Anyone who uses Siri regularly should have raised their hand to this.  The company announced that Siri is getting smarter through “Shortcuts.”  A “shortcut” is a tool that you can create that will allow you to get Siri to execute a command.  One example might be to ask Siri to order a pizza.  Siri will know, because you taught it, that it should open your favorite pizza app and place the order.  Think of it as a skill, like in Alexa.  The major difference here is that, while app makers can build in shortcuts, you can make your own with a Shortcut app.  It’s almost like Apple’s Automator but for the iPhone.  Let’s see how this plays out but it does look like a really good idea.

New apps:

Both Apple’s News app and Stock are getting refreshes.  Apple News is getting a simplified refresh with a browse and favorites tab.  Meanwhile Stocks is getting charts and real-time news from the investment world.  These are both welcome additions in my opinion.  iBooks is also getting updated with a new simplified design.  You’ll be able to preview where you left off and a browse books in a new store design.

CarPlay:

Finally, third-party navigation in CarPlay.

Phone addiction:

Finally, Apple added some new features to combat phone addiction.  Do Not Disturb is getting an update where you will see a blank screen at night.  When you wake up, your notifications will start appearing in spurts so as not to overwhelm you.  This is much appreciated.  Notifications will now be grouped together on the lock screen and Siri will alert you to notifications from apps that you may not be using anymore.  And if you have kids, you’ll appreciate Apple’s new Screen Time feature.  This feature will let you control how much time you spend on your device or in a given app.  It will literally lock you out of something if you’re spending too much time in it.  Of course, you have to set these settings.  And this setting can also be applied to children as well.  But this is Apple’s first step in giving people back control of how they and their loved ones use these devices.

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Dolby Atmos Finally!!!

This is something I have been waiting for.  Apple announced that Dolby Atmos is now coming to the 4K product.  This is a great addition for a box that Apple has been touting as a “Home Theater” must have.  Dolby Atmos is Dolby’s latest product to enrich the audio experience.  Using multi-channel sound as well as speakers pointed up, Dolby can bounce sound waves around to give you a more enriching sound.  Unfortunately, Atmos has been slow to take off.  But with the announcement today, Atmos adoption could be skyrocketing soon.  You will need to upgrade your equipment to Atmos compatible sound equipment.  The good news is that you won’t have to spend a dime on your movies.  Apple, like they did with 4K, will be upgrading movies for free.  Look for more on this soon.

TV Apps Are The New Norm

Apple also announced a partnership with Charter, a major cable player in the US.  Charter will be partnering in some capacity with Apple that will allow consumers to use an Apple TV 4K box instead of the cable box.  How they do this isn’t exactly clear although one thing they did tell is us that Charter customers will be able to get access to TV apps with zero sign-on required.  What this means is that a Charter customer who subscribes to TNT will also be able to download and watch the TNT app and it will just work.  Then, you can integrate these apps directly into Apple’s TV App which should conceivably be a central place to watch navigate all the apps everywhere.  I use the word, “conceivably” because I haven’t really been able to justify use of Apple’s TV app.  But we will see how things progress as these changes move forward.

Remotes, Remotes, Remotes

Apple also announced that alternative remotes are coming to the platform, although the company didn’t tell us much about them. One of the biggest complaints about the latest Apple TV is the poor remote design.  While Apple did give you the ability to use the App on your phone to control the device, this latest update adds new physical remotes to the equation.  Unfortunately we don’t know what remotes these are and how good they will be.  Only time will tell but you can check back here as we have more information.

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