In 2006, Cat Power released her seventh studio album, The Greatest. It was her highest-charting record to date and the first to feature an album of entirely original songs. To this day, many fans consider it among her very best, praised for its soulful warmth and immaculate songwriting.

Included on The Greatest is the second single, “Lived in Bars,” which serves as the backdrop for one of my all-time favorite music videos.

I’ll be the first to admit I can’t fully explain why it’s one of my favorites — it just is. Before this video, seeing Chan Marshall genuinely happy and at ease felt rare. Known for her early stage fright, erratic live shows, and self-imposed isolation, she had long been something of an enigma. “Lived in Bars” presents her in a completely different light: smiling, dancing around the room, and radiating warmth.

Filmed at the Lamplighter Lounge in Memphis, the video brings a dive bar to life with an eclectic mix of people — young and old, familiar and strange — bathed in soft light and easy joy. The dancing is objectively bad, which is exactly what makes it perfect. It’s unscripted and unchoreographed, and no one seems to be trying to look cool. They’re just there, together, for a moment. We don’t know why but it feels right and natural.

By the time the song reaches its climax around the 2:30 mark, when Chan leads the bar into a loose group dance before calling it a night, the video achieves the ultimate sense of FOMO. I have no personal connection to anyone in the room, yet I can’t help but wish I were there with them.

Nearly twenty years later, “Lived in Bars” still gives me the same rush of joy and affection that it did the first time I watched it in 2006.

Celebrating 20 Years of Cat Power’s “Lived In Bars” was originally published in Fuzzy Lion on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

If you had told me as a teenager that there would one day be a legal way to access almost every song imaginable and listen on demand, I would’ve thought you were showing me the holy grail.

As a ’90s kid, my music diet was built on CDs and cassette recordings taped off the radio. Most of my high school part-time paychecks were spent at the local music shops, and after several years post-college working in the music business, I’ve accumulated a sizable physical collection. And that’s not even factoring in the vast amount of money I’ve spent on vinyl.

Thankfully, we now live in a world where I can listen to almost anything I want with a single click. While streaming has been an undeniable blessing for listeners, there’s still a frustrating gap: plenty of songs simply aren’t available on these platforms.

This is especially true for older tracks that were exclusive to compilations or movie soundtracks, where licensing agreements never accounted for digital distribution. As a result, some genuinely great songs remain locked in the past unless you happen to own the original physical release.

Below is a list of my personal top 10 songs that are not currently available on streaming platforms in the U.S. (I’m excluding YouTube Music here, since fan uploads of these tracks aren’t technically legally available in most cases.)

10. “Heroes” — The Wallflowers

Countless artists have covered David Bowie’s “Heroes,” but there’s something undeniably magical about The Wallflowers’ rendition that has stayed with me over the years. Anchored by Jakob Dylan’s unmistakable voice, the band manages to make the song feel entirely their own while still preserving its emotional DNA. The result is one of the strongest cover songs of the late ’90s.

Don’t get me wrong — the Bowie original is an undeniable classic. But The Wallflowers’ version is equally compelling. Recorded exclusively for the soundtrack to the 1998 film Godzilla, it’s a hidden gem that many listeners may have missed.

This may be blasphemous to some, but I personally prefer The Wallflowers’ take to the original.

9. “Killing an Arab” — The Cure

As one of the first songs that turned me into a diehard fan of The Cure, the original studio version of “Killing an Arab” is surprisingly nowhere to be found on streaming platforms in the United States.

Despite its provocative title, the song has no racist intent — it was inspired by the opening scene of Albert Camus’ The Stranger, in which the protagonist kills an Arab man on a beach. The prevailing theory behind its absence from streaming services points to post-9/11 cultural sensitivity rather than the song’s actual meaning.

In 2019, a live version surfaced on Anniversary: 1978–2018 Live in Hyde Park London, offering at least a partial workaround. With any luck, the original studio recording will eventually follow.

8. “Heavenly Father” — Bon Iver

Written exclusively for the 2014 Zach Braff film Wish I Was Here, Justin Vernon’s “Heavenly Father” is a stunning track built on poignant lyrics, a repeating, drone-like synth, and Vernon’s trademark falsetto. It’s a clear standout in Bon Iver’s stellar catalog.

While several other excellent exclusive tracks from the soundtrack are available on streaming — like the Cat Power & Coldplay collaboration “Wish I Was Here” and The Shins’ “So Now What,” Bon Iver’s “Heavenly Father” remains frustratingly absent.

7. “Cannonball Days” — Ryan Adams

Ryan Adams is unquestionably one of the most prolific artists of his generation. After his band Whiskeytown released three albums, Adams went on to record roughly 30 more under his own name — not including the live albums and additional material still sitting unreleased. His 2000 solo debut Heartbreaker earned widespread, well-deserved acclaim and was followed a year later by Gold.

Adams originally envisioned Gold as a double album, but Lost Highway Records pared it down to a single disc. A limited-edition five-song bonus CD — issued with the first 150,000 copies — was released separately as Side 4. That disc includes “Cannonball Days,” which remains one of my all-time favorite songs from Adams’ remarkably deep catalog.

While a few live versions of “Canonball Days” are available on streaming platforms, the original studio recording has yet to make its way to DSPs.

6. “Love Song” — Death Cab for Cutie

Some may not remember, but in the first decade of the 2000s, Starbucks — yes, the coffee chain — was surprisingly active in the music business, releasing exclusive albums that featured genuinely great songs.

In 2009, they put out a compilation titled Sweetheart: Our Favorite Artists Sing Their Favorite Love Songs. The album included standout covers like a-ha’s “Take On Me” reimagined by A.C. Newman and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ “I Put a Spell on You” performed by She & Him. But for me, the true highlight is Death Cab for Cutie’s cover of The Cure’s “Love Song.”

Ben Gibbard’s voice paired with anything written by The Cure is a recipe for greatness, and “Love Song” is a perfect example of that magic.

5. “Home” — The Smashing Pumpkins

In 2000, The Smashing Pumpkins released Machina/The Machines of God. Following the massive success of Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, Billy Corgan had envisioned Machina as a double album,nbut Virgin Records had other plans, insisting it be released as a single disc.

In response, Corgan famously leaked the remaining material to a small group of fans and outlets under the title Machina II/The Friends and Enemies of Modern Music. Released for free, the album contained some of the band’s strongest work, including standouts like “Dross,” “Real Love,” and my personal favorite, “Home.” Unfortunately, for more than two decades these songs existed only as vinyl rips, never sounding quite as good as they deserved without proper mastering and an official release.

In 2025, the band finally unveiled an expanded version of Machina that combined both albums in their originally intended sequence, along with additional tracks that had never been released. Titled Machina Aranea Alba Editio — translated as “White Spider Edition” — this version is rumored to eventually arrive on streaming platforms. For now, however, listeners are once again limited to vinyl-sourced rips.

That said, the newly remastered version of “Home” sounds even better than I’d hoped, and I’m counting down the days until I can finally listen to it on streaming or CD — without relying on a vinyl rip.

4. “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” — Peter Gabriel & Hot Chip

Vampire Weekend’s “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” played a major role in launching the band into the stratosphere. Released in 2008, it sounded unlike anything else at the time — catchy indie pop infused with African and Caribbean rhythms, often likened to a modern-day take on Paul Simon’s Graceland.

The song famously name-drops Peter Gabriel in its lyrics, and later that same year, Gabriel teamed up with Hot Chip to record a cover released exclusively on the XL Recordings promotional compilation 08/09. Uncomfortable singing a line that referenced himself, Gabriel cleverly tweaks the lyric in a tongue-in-cheek move that only adds to the charm.

As a longtime fan of both Peter Gabriel and Vampire Weekend, I absolutely adore this cover.

3. “Spank Thru” — Nirvana

“Spank Thru” is one of the most important songs in Nirvana’s history. Released in 1988 on the compilation album Sub Pop 200, it’s largely unknown to casual fans, but it’s the song that convinced bassist Krist Novoselic to start a band with Kurt Cobain.

The track first appeared on a 1985 demo tape from Cobain’s early band, Fecal Matter. That demo version has since made its way to streaming, but the studio recording from Sub Pop 200 — which, in my opinion, is far superior to any version currently available on DSPs — remains vinyl and CD-only.

For now, a handful of solid live versions are available to stream, but here’s hoping Sub Pop eventually makes the definitive studio version accessible to everyone.

2. “Wasting Time” — Zwan

Following the 2000 breakup of The Smashing Pumpkins, Billy Corgan formed his next band, the short-lived but prolific Zwan. While Zwan officially released just one album, Mary Star of the Sea, the band recorded a wealth of additional material, much of which was performed live or teased in fragments on a bonus DVD included with select editions of the album.

In 2002, Corgan also wrote music for the film Spun, which featured a cast including Jason Schwartzman, John Leguizamo, Mena Suvari, Brittany Murphy, and Mickey Rourke. Though the film itself received lukewarm reviews and has largely faded into obscurity, the music Corgan contributed was outstanding. Several of the songs heard in the film were Zwan tracks performed live, making the prospect of properly recorded studio versions especially enticing for fans.

Unfortunately, an official Spun soundtrack was never released. Over time, a handful of tracks have surfaced through leaks and DVD audio rips, but the material has never been formally collected or properly issued.

Corgan has since stated that an expanded reissue of the Zwan catalog is planned, raising hopes that these Spun recordings will finally see an official release. For me, the standout is “Wasting Time,” though tracks like “Revolve” and a cover of UFO’s “Love to Love” are also high on my wish list.

1. “Waiting on the Stairs” — Pela

In 2007, Pela released their debut album Anytown Graffiti — a record that I consider a masterpiece. From the moment I heard the opening track “Waiting on the Stairs,” I knew I would fall deeply in love with this band.

I could spend hours unpacking the band’s history and the drama that followed, but the short version is this: Pela eventually reemerged under the name Augustines, then, due to legal issue, briefly became We Are Augustines, before ultimately returning to Augustines. Remarkably, every album they released under each iteration was a masterpiece in its own right. Easily one of my all-time favorite bands, I was genuinely devastated when they broke up after it became financially unsustainable to continue in the modern music industry.

There’s a must-see documentary about the band that tells their story far more eloquently than I ever could, and I can’t recommend it enough. Odds are, you’ll fall in love with them too.

Early last year, Augustines announced they were returning. Beyond a confirmed show date, much about their future remains unknown — but even that small sign of life feels huge and has me very excited.

While all of the Augustines albums are available on streaming platforms, Pela’s Anytown Graffiti remains conspicuously absent. Even tracking down a physical copy can be difficult, with used CDs sometimes selling for $100 or more. Not a month goes by that I don’t revisit at least a few songs from Anytown Graffiti, and I’m still holding out hope that it eventually makes its way to streaming — if only so I can introduce as many people as possible to its brilliance.

If you made it this far, thank you. Let me know in the comments what your holy grail songs are that are still missing from streaming.

The Top 10 Songs Not Available on Streaming was originally published in Fuzzy Lion on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Ever since their respective U.S. launches, I’ve maintained premium subscriptions with both Spotify and Apple Music. However, my engagement with Apple’s ecosystem extends even further back, given that I’ve been using iTunes since its inception. This long-standing relationship with both platforms uniquely positions me to discuss their strengths and weaknesses, particularly in 2023, a year when each service has solidified its identity, for better or worse.

Before I delve into specifics, there’s one crucial point I need to clarify. My interaction with Spotify is exclusively for music. Originally a music-focused platform, Spotify expanded its scope when it recognized the need for greater profitability. I don’t criticize this expansion, but I do take issue when it affects the music experience, a point I’ll elaborate on later. For podcast and audiobook content, I gravitate towards superior platforms like Overcast and Audible.

Music Catalog

Regarding their music catalogs, both services claim to offer “over 100 million songs”. However, I’d advise a degree of skepticism with this statement. From personal experience, Apple Music seems to provide a more extensive selection, especially when it comes to older albums, compilations, and artists who’ve recently chosen to remove their music from Spotify. Generally, most users may not notice a difference in availability between the two platforms. While Spotify does offer some exclusive “Spotify sessions,” Apple counters with its own unique content too. Despite my slight bias towards Apple Music in terms of availability, the overall comparison essentially results in a draw.

Winner: Draw

Mobile App Design

When it comes to design, Spotify and Apple Music adopt contrasting methodologies. Apple’s propensity for aesthetically pleasing design is evident in Apple Music. Their mobile app, flaunting a clean and beautiful interface teeming with appealing UI elements, is further enriched by the impending iOS 17 update, which promises a delightful mobile experience.

However, the Apple Music app isn’t devoid of imperfections. Some essential features, such as the like/dislike buttons that help tune the algorithm, are buried in sub-menus. The search function, despite recent enhancements, still lags behind Spotify in speed. Also, some excellent desktop power-user features have yet to find their way to the mobile app. Additionally, users with older devices have reported that Apple Music’s app navigation is slower than Spotify’s, although I personally haven’t experienced any notable slowdowns.

In contrast, Spotify’s app can be described as chaotic. The UI is subject to frequent changes and inconsistent addition or removal of features, often without prior notice. Spotify attributes this to A/B testing, but these unpredictable alterations can lead to vastly different user experiences. For instance, Spotify’s “Canvas” feature, which displays looping videos during song playback, was removed from my account for over a year before it was unexpectedly reinstated. Various Reddit threads illustrate this inconsistency, with users reporting dissimilar home screens and functionality. My belief is that premium users should be given the option to opt-out of A/B testing; it’s highly frustrating to pay for a service and witness free users gaining access to exclusive features.

Earlier this year, Spotify introduced a TikTok-inspired interface, met with immediate criticism. Although they’ve since toned it down somewhat, the presence of these looping video cards in certain parts of the app exemplifies a company seemingly out of touch with its customers’ needs. Incessant, aimless design changes only sow confusion and overload their technical support.

Another gripe with Spotify revolves around its lyrics feature. Unlike Apple, which empowers artists to upload official, time-synced lyrics, Spotify relies exclusively on Musixmatch, a crowd-sourced platform prone to errors or omissions. Even when a song includes lyrics, following them isn’t nearly as effortless as on Apple Music. The entire feature feels underdeveloped and has shown little improvement since its launch.

However, Spotify’s app excels in handling music queuing, an aspect consistently critiqued in Apple Music’s mobile offering. The consensus in online discussions often leans towards Spotify’s intuitive approach compared to Apple’s convoluted method. Oddly, Apple Music’s desktop app emulates Spotify’s queue system, yet fails to carry this over to the mobile platform.

Both apps carry their unique strengths and weaknesses, but for me, the greatest issue with Spotify is the inability to customize my experience. I primarily use Spotify for music, not podcasts or audiobooks, yet the app continues to recommend these mediums without the option to disable these suggestions. This has been a significant deterrent over the years. As a premium user, I believe I should be able to filter out unwanted recommendations and tailor my app experience to music alone. If Spotify wishes to promote these features to free users as an incentive to upgrade, that’s reasonable. However, the relentless pushing of services I don’t wish to use ultimately diminishes my experience as a paying customer.

Winner: Apple Music

Desktop App

Spotify has long held the advantage in terms of the desktop experience compared to Apple Music, but recent improvements by Apple are narrowing this gap, while Spotify seems to have stumbled, failing to maintain their lead.

Spotify’s desktop app stands out for its speed, responsiveness, and cross-platform availability. Besides a custom EQ, the desktop app offers few frills. Its primary selling point over the mobile version is the friend’s feed, making it simple to keep tabs on your friends’ music preferences. Furthermore, many of the design issues that burden the mobile app haven’t found their way to the desktop version. However, a recent redesign of Spotify’s desktop app has been met with largely negative feedback, as it seems to have increased clutter and navigational difficulties.

On the other hand, Apple Music’s desktop app is built atop the already cumbersome iTunes app. Despite a rewrite designed to make the macOS app more system-native, it remains clunky when compared to the superior iOS and iPadOS versions. For Windows users, Apple Music has traditionally been accessed via iTunes, but a new Windows Preview app offering a native Apple Music experience has been well-received.

Apple Music’s edge in the desktop arena stems from its power-user features, with “smart playlists” being my personal favorite. These allow the creation of dynamic playlists based on numerous user-defined triggers. For instance, you can generate a playlist of all songs in your library released between 2010–2020 that you’ve listened to more than three times, or songs released over the past decade that you haven’t heard in over 356 days. This feature offers almost endless possibilities for re-exploring your music library. It’s perplexing that such a feature is confined to desktop use, although the smart playlists you create will appear on your mobile app. Third-party mobile apps, such as Miximum, offer similar functionalities.

Despite the strengths and weaknesses of both desktop apps, Spotify holds the advantage, primarily due to its speed and responsiveness. Additionally, Spotify supports Linux with a dedicated desktop app, while Apple Music is confined to macOS and Windows platforms. Nevertheless, both offer a web-based player compatible with any browser.

Winner: Spotify

Sound Quality

In terms of audio quality, Apple emerges as the clear champion. In fact, not only does Apple offer better audio quality than Spotify, the same is true for just about all of Spotify’s streaming music competitors. Spotify Premium users can only avail themselves of the “very high” audio quality setting, which equates to “approximately 320kbit/s.” In contrast, virtually every song in Apple Music’s library is available for lossless streaming, an uncompressed format that offers a listening experience akin to that of a CD. Additionally, Apple Music features albums that can be streamed at hi-res lossless, which delivers an even superior sound quality than CDs, with the right hardware. Apple Music’s standout feature, however, is Dolby Atmos, which they brand as “Spatial Audio.” Both lossless and Dolby Atmos are included with Apple Music at no additional charge.

Before diving into the specifics of music quality, a couple of points merit mentioning. Firstly, Apple Music’s lossless audio can only be accessed via a wired headphone connection, as it is currently impossible to stream lossless audio over Bluetooth. Secondly, some argue that the difference between Lossless and 320kbit/s is practically indistinguishable. While I concur that the distinction isn’t stark, as someone who notices the disparity, especially when using high-end equipment, I choose not to engage in this debate.

The difference that truly is like night and day is Dolby Atmos. Unlike stereo, Dolby Atmos, or Spatial Audio, is a virtual surround sound technology that envelops you in music. When mixed properly, it can create an immersive experience, as though you’re sharing a room with the musicians, exposing instruments and melodies that might be lost in a stereo mix. The beauty of Spatial Audio is that it doesn’t require any special hardware — it is compatible with any pair of headphones. If you use AirPods or specific Beats headphones, Dolby Atmos will activate automatically, while all other headphones require you to enable an “always on” option in your settings.

It’s noteworthy to mention that Spotify announced plans to introduce lossless music, named Spotify HiFi, back in February 2021. However, it’s still not available. Leaks suggest it will be included in a new “Supremium” tier launching later this year, but these leaks don’t mention Dolby Atmos support, a feature quickly becoming an industry standard in music streaming. Each day Spotify continues to offer only 320kbit/s stereo strengthens the argument that it no longer prioritizes music.

Winner: Apple Music

Music Recommendations

Inquire about what endears Spotify to its users and you’ll commonly hear, “the algorithm gets me.” For years, I shared this sentiment and discovered many brilliant artists through it. Early on, when juxtaposed against Apple Music’s recommendation engine, Spotify’s discovery experience was leaps and bounds ahead, leading to an assumption of its invincibility.

However, the landscape has transformed significantly over the recent years. Apple Music has not only managed to level the playing field, but has even outshone Spotify in certain areas. Although some might perceive this as a sacrilegious statement, I urge you to continue reading.

It’s important to recognize that Spotify’s personalized recommendations are entirely driven by algorithms, while Apple utilizes a blend of algorithmic and human curations. Spotify delivers its suggestions in the form of dynamically generated playlists that evaluate a range of factors, such as listeners’ habits with similar taste profiles, to propose new songs you might enjoy. They accomplish this through a series of recurring daily and weekly auto-generated playlists like “Discover Weekly” or “Daily Mix.” Users can also curate playlists based on their favored songs and artists for similar recommendations.

Apple’s recommendations are also diverse, but this might be why newer Apple Music users criticize Apple’s offerings. Apple’s weekly personalized playlists are entirely algorithm-based and might disappoint new users. This is because Apple Music requires time to learn your taste profile and adjust accordingly. Fortunately, Apple’s like/dislike options, as well as other actions like adding a song to your library or playlist, listening to a song/album/artist/genre repeatedly, sharing songs, and more can refine your recommendations. An easy method is to utilize one’s “personal radio station,” a mix of familiar songs and new suggestions. I advise users to focus on liking/disliking songs here and on their weekly auto-generated playlists under the “For You” section to fine-tune their algorithm more quickly.

Once Apple Music understands your preferences, I believe you’ll notice that your experience is not just the same, but you’re actually discovering more new music through Apple. Not only has the algorithm discerned my unique tastes to the point where my “Listen Now” homepage is always brimming with fantastic album recommendations, but creating stations from artists I love has introduced me to an array of new artists, a feat I haven’t experienced on Spotify as much lately.

It’s also important to educate or remind users about a disconcerting truth concerning Spotify — many recommendations users receive are paid placements. Spotify isn’t overtly secretive about this, but it isn’t as transparent as some might prefer. As an indie music enthusiast, I noticed that the same artists keep appearing in my daily mixes and other personalized playlists, usually from indie artists signed to labels capable of affording these placements. While it’s not traditional “payola,” it feels strikingly similar to what payola in the streaming world might look like.

In conclusion, both services offer impressive discovery features. Unfortunately, Apple is at a disadvantage due to its previous shortcomings with algorithmically driven recommendations tarnishing its reputation. However, I can guarantee that if you dedicate time to train it and create stations from artists and songs you appreciate, you’ll find that Apple Music is as effective, if not superior in some aspects, compared to Spotify.

Winner: Draw

Library Management

Library management might not be a feature that piques everyone’s interest, but for music collectors like myself, it plays a pivotal role in our listening experience.

Apple Music triumphs in this area as library management is inherently woven into its service. The ability to establish a virtual music archive and organize those songs into playlists or into dynamically crafted smart playlists is a major allure for Apple Music. In contrast, Spotify offers a rudimentary set of features for library management, which isn’t surprising, given that Spotify’s core focus revolves around playlists.

Moreover, Apple Music’s handling of pre-releases is far superior. When an artist announces a new album, users can pre-add it to their library and as new singles become available, they are ungrayed and ready to be streamed. There’s no need to resort to dubious pre-save services that require relinquishing access to your account and personal data (seriously, avoid third-party pre-save services!). Spotify, on the other hand, creates an individual single for each song from a new album, leading to an excessively cluttered library and multiple artwork versions for songs. To be fair, Spotify has permitted a limited number of artists to use a native pre-add to library feature, but this is only accessible to a select set of artists for now.

One of the standout features of Apple Music is the iCloud Music Library. This feature enables users to upload songs, not available in the streaming catalogue, to the cloud and have them accessible across all devices where they use Apple Music. This is particularly beneficial for exclusive releases, live bootlegs, remixes, and demos that aren’t available for streaming. It’s an incredibly seamless feature that I’m surprised Apple doesn’t highlight more, especially since incorporating music into Spotify, that’s not available for streaming, can be a complicated process.

However, just as Apple Music’s exquisite design could benefit from some refinement, the same applies to their library management. Persistent bugs that randomly split an album into two have been a nuisance for years. This usually happens due to backend metadata updates by the artist or label, but in 2023, the software should be savvy enough to conceal these changes from users and avoid visible and irritating bugs. Additionally, there’s a peculiar quirk where erasing an album from your library also removes any songs from the playlists they’ve been added to. I’ve submitted numerous feedback and emails to Apple, urging them to at least provide an option to delete something from the library while keeping the songs in playlists. Hopefully, they’ll implement this soon.

Winner: Apple Music

Social Features

Both Apple Music and Spotify incorporate social features, but Spotify has a significant lead in this aspect. Every aspect of Spotify seems geared towards sharing and social connectivity, from observing your friends’ music choices to crafting blended playlists with a close friend or family member. Owing to its massive popularity, Spotify has become the go-to service for sharing songs, a fact supported by its standing as one of the few services to provide a free streaming tier. Additionally, many of these social features are activated by default, leading to a vibrant culture of playlist sharing and discovery unparalleled by their competitors.

Apple does offer social features, but they require users to opt-in, making it significantly more challenging to discover playlists from unknown users. While you can connect with friends, you can’t see what they’re listening to in real-time. You can only see what’s displayed on their profile, if you’re on an album page that your friend also listens to, or a selection from a weekly auto-generated playlist called “Friends Mix,” which showcases songs your friends have been enjoying.

Personally, I am indifferent towards the social features, but I acknowledge that they are crucial to many users and an area where Apple needs to bolster if they want to level up the competition. With the advent of iOS 17, Apple is introducing collaborative playlists and SharePlay over CarPlay, two features that will help to narrow the gap with Spotify. However, unless Apple opens up Apple Music further and promotes more friend connections and playlist sharing, it’s a formidable challenge.

Winner: Spotify

Bells & Whistles

Each platform possesses unique strengths and certain limitations, and I’ve tried to outline the major ones that most users care about. Given my extensive experience with both services, I feel it’s worth highlighting some of the additional features that I appreciate from each service, which are missing in the other.

Spotify

• Spotify Connect is an extremely user-friendly feature. It enables users to transition between devices seamlessly and continue their music. It also lets you control one device using another, like using your phone to control the music playing on your desktop. It’s indeed surprising that Apple has not replicated this yet, considering their “Handoff” and “Continuity” features.
• Spotify’s desktop app displays play counts for all songs on an album page, which is a delight for data enthusiasts like me.
• Spotify Wrapped is an enjoyable way to revisit your yearly listening habits.
• The new music tab in the Spotify app is convenient for tracking new releases from your followed artists. While Apple has made improvements in this area, Spotify’s one-tap access is handy.
• Unlike Apple Music’s library limit of 100k songs, Spotify imposes no such limit on its library size.

Apple Music

• The feature ‘Apple Music Sing’ that was introduced earlier this year, allows users to reduce or eliminate the vocals from a song for a karaoke-style experience. If you possess a newer Apple TV, you can replicate the same experience there and host a true karaoke party.
• The desktop app features an excellent mini player that can be conveniently placed at any corner of your desktop, allowing easy access to view what’s playing and control your music without needing to open the full app.
• Apple Music Replay is Apple’s response to Spotify Wrapped. Even though it’s not as comprehensive, it provides a regularly updated site where you can observe your listening habits anytime. It also generates a playlist of your top songs for the year, updating it regularly. Furthermore, it allows you to explore Replay playlists from previous years for a nostalgic journey.

Winner: Draw

Conclusion

For several years, Spotify was my preferred music service. However, their strategic shift towards podcasts and audiobooks has resulted in my growing disinterest. This, combined with the enhancements that Apple has made to their platform, has swayed my preference towards Apple Music, which I believe offers a superior service for true music aficionados.

I recall the peak years of MTV and I’m observing Spotify tread a similar trajectory that eventually led to MTV’s descent as a music giant. Similar to how MTV had to diversify as music videos were not as profitable, Spotify is experiencing the same trend. While I comprehend their need for exploring new revenue sources, it feels as if they are doing so at the expense of the music fans who played a pivotal role in their rise. I recognize that Spotify’s situation differs from Apple’s, as Apple does not rely on the profitability of Apple Music — it primarily serves to boost sales of their iPhones and AirPods.

Setting financial considerations aside, casual listeners who don’t subscribe to Spotify Premium are unlikely to switch. However, if you are a Premium user and share my growing dissatisfaction with Spotify, you might find Apple to be a commendable alternative. In my view, Apple Music gives the impression of a limitless record store, while Spotify feels more akin to scanning through a radio dial. Apple Music’s top-notch recommendations, attractive interface, and impeccable sound quality make it the clear victor in my eyes. Perhaps my sentiments would change if Spotify launches HiFi, hopefully incorporating Dolby Atmos. However, as of now, it’s tough for me to advocate Spotify over Apple Music for individuals for whom music plays a significant role in their lives.

In June, I used AI to design new logos for each the NBA team. Most were horrible, but more often than not, the results showed promise. Fast forward just six months, and the quality of AI-generated art has progressed faster than Moore’s Law.

Previously, I ran this experiment using Craiyon, but this time I switched to Midjourney. I changed for two reasons: First, Midjourney is Discord-based and has a community that helps you learn to use the technology better. Secondly, their tool is making drastic leaps forward every month.

Before we get into the results, I want to share the methodology used. Every text input follows this format: design a new logo for the “[Team Name]” NBA team, flat, no gradient. (The use of “flat, no gradient” to the query limits the output into more logo-like results, as typically 3D elements and gradients are not used in sports logo). The results from a query provides four options, referenced as follows:

1= upper-left
2 = upper-right
3 = lower-left
4 = lower right

One glaring hole is that the text doesn’t display on the logos as expected. While there are some workarounds where you can upload reference images, I wanted the results to be 100% pure. So please disregard any gibberish text on any logos. Hopefully, in the next update to this experiment, the inclusion of text on an image will work much better.

I present each NBA team’s initial, unaltered Midjourney-designed new logo choices.

Atlanta Hawks

I love these and can easily see the Hawks using one of these as inspiration on a new logo.

Boston Celtics

Interesting use of some Celtic elements in the logos here. Also reminds me of some Irish beer bottle labels.

Brooklyn Nets

I’m fascinated by the results for the Nets here. The tree in #1 immediately reminds me of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and could be an element used to tie history into what’s currently a pretty basic logo design. The skyline in the background of #2 is also a great upgrade.

Charlotte Hornets

I love these. Numbers 1 and 4 are my favorites, and I like how they’re brining in some of the gold which is part of the Hornets 2022–2023 City Edition “Gold Rush” uniforms.

Chicago Bulls

These are all fantastic and feel like truly iterative upgrades to what The Bulls use now. Their logo is so classic that I wouldn’t expect a drastic re-design, but more a modern touch-up, and these nail that aesthetic.

Cleveland Cavaliers

These are so unique and offer an interesting take, especially the royal crest-like elements in #3.

Dallas Mavericks

I’m in love with #3. It feels like a natural refresh of the Mavs identity and just oozes “Texas.”

Denver Nuggets

Numbers 1 & 2 are so good. With just minimal touch-ups, I think either of these could be wonderful official logos for the Nuggets. I especially love the pop of red in #1 which complements the blue and gold so well.

Detroit Pistons

Detroit has a pretty boring logo to begin with, so almost anything would be an upgrade in my book. I’m not sure any of these really nail it, but #2 seems to have the most promise. I don’t know what that monster-looking thing is in #4.

Golden State Warriors

While numbers 2 and 4 are so close to what already exists, I’m going to ignore those and focus on just how good #1 is. I love how it keeps the color scheme of the Warriors and adds a warrior-style knight helmet on top of a shield background. Such a cool result.

Houston Rockets

I’m really intrigued by #1 and #4. The futuristic building with the basketball in #1 is very sci-fi and interesting, and the star above the rocket-like structure in #4 does a nice job of tying in the Texas/Houston element into the design.

Indiana Pacers

The Pacers have a classic logo that hasn’t changed much at all throughout the team’s history. I do like #4, and assuming those elements of the skyline and river have a tie-in to Indiana, that could be a nice secondary logo.

Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers are another team with a boring existing logo, but I’m not sure Midjourney aced the assignment here. I do think #2 shows promise; the variety of landscapes plays into the narrative of California’s beauty, so this could be a fun direction to explore.

Los Angeles Lakers

I love #1 and #3. The Lakers colors infused with California landscape elements is a beautiful combination.

Memphis Grizzlies

These are so bad-ass; Midjourney really nailed this one. My favorite has to be #2 because of the confident and angry look of the bear.

Miami Heat

These are a total slam dunk by Midjourney. From #1 using the basketball as a sun in front of a palm tree, to #2 with that warm color palette and palm trees, to #3’s sand and palm trees with scorching hot-looking sky, I can’t tell which is my favorite.

Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks already have such an iconic logo that it’s hard to top it, but incorporating some of these realistic elements on the deer head could be a nice, natural upgrade. Well done, Midjourney.

Minnesota Timberwolves

These are so good that my mind is blown. #1 takes what the T-Wolves have now but makes it meaner and much more awesome. The trees in #3 and #4 also add in that Minnesota aesthetic which brings the logo to a whole new level. Just fix that gibberish text on any one of these and they’re ready to go!

New Orleans Pelicans

Each of these is an upgrade to the current Pelicans logo in my opinion. I also really like the flourish in #2 which feel very native to New Orleans.

New York Knicks

The Knicks are hard to do, especially for AI which has trouble building off a nickname. That said, I think #2 and #3 are the standouts by tastefully incorporating the skyline. I also like how in #2, it’s as if you’re look from the top-down through a basketball hoop.

Oklahoma City Thunder

The design of these really does scream “storm,” and while you can’t really draw “thunder,” the movement and chaos in these helps illustrate that point pretty well.

Orlando Magic

The more I look at these, the more I like them. The typeface in #3 really does have a magician-like feel to it. The devilish-looking figure in #4 definitely screams magic to me too. I like the copper color really playing heavily into #1—to the best of my knowledge, it’s never appeared in their color scheme at any point, but could really make for an interesting palette.

Philadelphia 76ers

I’m digging the style of #4. Has a very retro feel to it and with the right text, could be a nice design.

Phoenix Suns

A phoenix (bird) representing Phoenix (the city) in front of a sun? So good.

Portland Trail Blazers

Probably the most challenging team to create a new logo for in AI, but #3 is pretty interesting to me. The tree on the top can be a nice representation of Portland’s flora, and it kind of looks like a trail below it, so if they want something less abstract, #3 has a nice direction to start with.

Sacramento Kings

Well Midjourney really nailed the color scheme and the whole “king” descriptor. I think #1 is my favorite as it seems the most regal and that crest is really nice. I like the drawing of the face in #4 too. Perhaps moving that face into the crest of #1 is the winning move?

San Antonio Spurs

When your team name is something so specific as a spur, it’s limiting what you can do, but I like what Midjourney did here by pulling in some of the San Antonio aesthetic. I would also love to see this cream-color from #3 replace the white in their uniforms, and include some of the orange accents. It would really liven up their uniforms.

Toronto Raptors

These are very cool—but half of them couldn't work because of science. Since we now know dinosaurs looked more like birds than the traditional reptile representations of our youth, it hurts that scary Velociraptor-from-Jurassic-Park tone that the Raptors have going for them. Perhaps #1 and #4 could offer some good inspiration for a logo evolution though.

Utah Jazz

Hard to find anything nice to say about these other than perhaps the noise and randomness of these logos is a visual representation of the chaos of Jazz music. Number 4 brings in the mountains of Utah so that’s a plus.

Washington Wizards

Some interesting interpretations here that bring in a bit of the element of wizardry (stars, moons). I also like the “W” in #2 and the attempted “Wizards” typeface in #4.

If you haven’t seen the previous examples from this past June, I urge you to check them out if only to see who much this technology has drastically improved in only six-months. I’m so bullish on AI-powered art to drive inspiration and it’s only a matter of time before some professional team has their logo designed by a computer.

Using AI to Design New NBA Team Logos, 2023 Edition was originally published in Bootcamp on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

As someone that loves and is fascinated by the aesthetics of professional sports teams and their logos, I wanted to see what would happen if I asked Craiyon to design new logos for each NBA team. Below are the results in all their weird and distorted glory. While most are ridiculous, Craiyon had a few interesting design choices I called out when I saw them.

For now, I don’t think design firms have anything to worry about, but this use of AI technology is super interesting, and I’m excited to see how it matures over time.

I’ll try this with the other professional sports leagues soon. If there are any creative design elements Craiyon came up with that I didn’t call out, leave them in the comments.

*Note that when I refer to an image’s number, I’m going horizontal, then vertical:
1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9

Atlanta Hawks

I like how Craiyon incorporated what looks like a basketball into the curve of the neck on a couple of these examples.

Boston Celtics

Brooklyn Nets

Anyone else think that the deflated basketball in the 7th example is Craiyon’s dig at the Nets’ implosion this past season? 😉

Charlotte Hornets

Some interesting color schemes here that reflect their Charlotte Bobcat years (which we Hornets fans don’t like to talk about.) Number 6 looks a bit to me like a mix of their current logo with elements of their classic logo (which is still the best logo in all NBA history!)

Chicago Bulls

I really like some of the tilted head takes on the bull’s head in #6 and #7. Adding some depth this way could be an interesting upgrade.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Dallas Mavericks

I’m liking the inclusion of aqua/teal into the color palette in a few of these.

Denver Nuggets

Detroit Pistons

Golden State Warriors

Interesting to see #1 bring in the orange from the Warrior’s 1997–2010 era.

Houston Rockets

Indiana Pacers

Los Angeles Clippers

Los Angeles Lakers

Nice use of a very different shade of purple in logo #9, reminiscent of their 1960’s era.

Memphis Grizzlies

These are some of the best of the entire project. The color schemes are great, and the return of the swiping bear claw in #4 & #6 is very cool to see. #2 is also very nice—it looks like a bear poking its head through smoke or fog.

Miami Heat

I love how the ball looks like it’s melting through the hoop in logos #1 and #4. I also like the way #3 and #8 look like the ball is so hot it’s glowing.

Milwaukee Bucks

Minnesota Timberwolves

Another excellent example of incorporating interesting color choices. I’m also surprised how many of these took inspiration from Minnesota’s 1996–2008 alternate logo.

New Orleans Pelicans

New York Knicks

I don’t know what’s going on with #7, but it seems emblematic of this horribly-run franchise. The basketball hoop in #5 is an interesting element.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Orlando Magic

I don’t know where that creepy face in #7 came from, but I like it!

Philadelphia 76ers

Phoenix Suns

Portland Trail Blazers

I’m surprised that even Craiyon can’t design something more creative than the boring logo the Blazers have had their entire existence. With all the beauty and culture of Oregon, there has to be something better than a pinwheel representing the offense and defense playing basketball.

Sacramento Kings

I love the pop of yellow/gold in #3, creating almost a reverse LA Lakers color palette. Surprised we haven’t seen that incorporated into a crown element for the Kings before.

San Antonio Spurs

Toronto Raptors

Utah Jazz

Washington Wizards

Does #4 remind anyone else of The Rolling Stones logo?

Using AI to Design New Logos for the NBA was originally published in Bootcamp on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Tucked at the bottom of Apple’s own iOS 14 Preview website, App Clips are a new addition coming to iOS 14 that allows a person to use a micro-feature of a mobile app without that app installed on your phone. John Gruber gave an excellent use case for this on a recent episode of this podcast, “The Talk Show.” Imagine you’re in a parking garage want to pay for your parking, but don’t want to go through the hassle of downloading the garage’s app, setting up an account, adding your credit card information, and paying for your ticket. With App Clips, all you need to do is tap your phone or scan a QR-style code, and the payment portion of the app will appear on your phone, allowing you to pay directly with your credit card info on your phone via Apple Pay.

Without App Clips, the most likely outcome in the scenario above would be to pay via credit card, because the process of using the app would be too cumbersome. App Clips are taking the utility that apps provide to both the user and the vendor, without the unneeded clutter and hassle of using these categories of apps today.

Nobody knows what the post-smart phone future looks like, but every expert agrees that we’re not destined to hold metal and silicon rectangles in our pockets for eternity. We’ve already seen the Apple Watch revolution provide a whole new experience in tracking our health and fitness and performing tasks like paying for groceries, boarding airplanes, and managing smart home features. True, many of these experiences require the phone to be on us, but they can run pseudo-independently without physically interacting with the phone.

Imagine if the future is “smart glasses.” The rumors have all but confirmed that Apple Glasses (dubbed, for now, Apple Glass) are coming likely in 2021. If so, rumors suggest they’ll be similar to the Apple Watch in that they will require tethering to the iPhone to function — you will still need the phone to do a lot of the heavy lifting of processing data. But how will that look five years after launch? The advancements that Apple Watch has made since its 2015 launch are enormous; to expect that by 2025 both the watch and glasses can be completely independent of the phone is not unreasonable.

And this is where App Clips come in. When these devices reach a point of true independence, the way we fundamentally interact with mobile apps will have changed immensely. The idea of collecting apps as we do on our phone will seem archaic, because these smart devices will interact with the cloud, accessing the parts of the mobile app that are needed to conduct a task. Whether it’s utility, like paying for food or services, or leisure, with providing access to maps, restaurant menus, or accessing augmented reality travel guides, the possibilities are endless.

I’m not saying that Apple Glass will be the future, but something will be the future, and that something will rely on a 5G-connected world that leverages the cloud to handle all the processing, machine learning, and data storage that our devices do now.

Lastly, I want to point out that Apple didn’t invent App Clips. Android has had this feature for a while now, dubbed “Instant Apps.” However, just like most things Apple brings to the market, it’s not about first; it’s about doing it best. And Apple is currently the only company suited to bring mass-adoption to this new way of approaching mobile applications because of one thing — their ecosystem. For App Clips or Instant Apps to go mainstream, it has to remove all the friction. Apple’s ecosystem of iOS, watchOS, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple ID will all work together to make App Clips eventually become so seamless and engrained in our day-to-day habits that it’ll be hard to imagine a world without them.

This new way of approaching mobile technology shines a brighter light on one of the most fundamental problems of the Android ecosystem that’s only going to get worse over time. Unless Google wrangles more control over the system from OEMs and developers, they’re going to be left behind in this truly connected, post-smartphone world.

Apple Just Showed What the Post-iPhone Future Looks Like was originally published in Mac O’Clock on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

I have been a Gmail user since 2004. Back when the service was only accessible via a coveted invite, I plunked $20 down on eBay and got myself a golden ticket into what was supposed to be the future of email. At first, it was glorious — the power of Google search inside my email, all that “AJAX/Web 2.0 goodness,” and labels replacing folders, truly felt like email was getting the 2.0 makeover it needed.

Fast forward to 2020, and very little has changed with Gmail. Aside from some interface redesigns and pedestrian mobile apps, the core of what Gmail is has remained the same. There are some things it does very well: search (obviously) and spam blocking are still two killer features, but over the past couple of years, I’ve become disenfranchised with Gmail. I’m sick of being a product to Google, knowing that everything that goes in and out of my Gmail account is tracked to sell me more crap I don’t need or dump me into advertising targeting cohorts all around the web.

I was very intrigued when I heard that Basecamp team was looking to rebuild email from the ground up. While I personally have always hated Basecamp and found the entire suite of products a confusing, unintuitive mess, it’s obvious they know how to build things that last. After all, Basecamp was founded in 1999 and still has a rabid fanbase 21 years later. After all the hype, Hey.com is now opening its doors to the public. I’ve been testing the service and am afraid to say that we still need to wait longer for someone to fix email, assuming it’s fixable at all.

Before I dive into what I like and what I don’t about Hey, I want to make two points:

1. I am not going to harp on what’s broken with email — this is a tale as old as time, and Brian Chen tackles a bit of this in his excellent review of Hey for the New York Times.
2. If you aren’t aware of the drama between Apple and Hey, this is a good recap. (I’m 100% on the developers’ side and think that Apple’s App Store monopoly needs to be broken up, but that’s an article for another day.

What Hey Gets Right

From the minute you set up your Hey account, you enter into what is probably the best onboarding experience I’ve seen in years. Beautifully-designed emails from Hey appear right into your “imbox” (not a typo), and native prompts throughout the service help guide you into a new approach to email.

Their apps are equally as beautiful. I’ve tested the service via web, iOS, and Mac apps, and each feels entirely cohesive. I’m also impressed by the quality of these apps given that they are 1.0 releases; it’s obvious the decades of programming experience from the Basecamp team is shining here.

Hey has also made it easy to migrate your email into their service. Regardless of your provider, Hey has simple how-to guides on forwarding your email over to them. It’s not possible to move your old message into Hey, and they claim it is because they want you to “start fresh,” but that seems like an excuse for a feature they haven’t had time or resources to build.

The “killer feature” of Hey is what they call their screening feature. Before an email can get into our imbox, you must permit it. You’re playing the role of virtual bouncer for all new messages that are reaching your email, and you can either allow them in, block them for good, or force them into “The Feed” or “The Paper Trail.” It is satisfying to deny senders into the void and knowing they’ll never be alerted that you gave them the boot.

Hey also prides itself on privacy; they promise never to sell your information or track you, and they will show you each time an email you received has had its tracking pixel blocked. Seeing sales email show up with the big purple callout that Hey has prevented them from tracking you is also satisfying, but there have been a few reviews that point out that their tracking blocking isn’t as effective as some believe. Still, I’ll take a little over nothing at this point.

Clips is a great feature that I wish Hey would tout more. You can select an area of text and save it for easy access. This is perfect when you need to keep a confirmation number, someone’s phone number, or other bite-sized bits of information without having to search for it within an email. You can also add personal notes to any email to remind you about anything you want that is only visible by you.

Where Hey Falls Flat

While Hey does have a lot of good things going for it, I’m sad to say that I can’t see myself using this service as my Gmail replacement. There is a handful of what I call “minor annoyances” that I’ll outline below. If fixed, it would make the service much less annoying, but the fundamental way Hey approaches email that’s supposed to make me love it does the exact opposite.

The screening process is all-or-nothing. While this is great if your primary use of email is friends and family, but dealing with e-commerce is an utter nightmare. For example, I order from Starbucks and Dunkin frequently and like to get the email receipts when they’re charing my card with auto-reload. Now, if I tell Hey that emails from Starbucks or Dunkin’ should go into my “Paper Trail” box (the catch-all for receipts), in a few days, my Paper Trail is filled with marketing emails too. If I send them to “The Feed,” which is Hey’s box for marketing emails for perusing at your will in one infinite-scroll format, then I need to dig for them and move individually over to Paper Trail. Doing this is already adding 3 or 4 extra steps in managing my emails than in the “old way.” Hey says that their screening will get better over time, but I’m not willing to wait for them to improve on what is such so vitally essential for me to now.

Also, I wouldn’t say I like how anti-notifications Hey seems to be. While I’m the first to say that notifications have gone overboard for the majority of apps out there, email is one where I often welcome them, even if it’s just a badge icon for unread messages. The only way you can get notifications in Hey, at least right now, is on a per-person basis. I’d love to know how many emails I have in my imbox and my to-be-screened list without having to start up the app. Forcing me to start the app to check for mail is another thing adding more time to my email management.

Deleting messages is also a multi-tap experience. If you’re on desktop or web, merely tapping the “T” key will move a message to your trash, but in the app, you often have to go through two or three taps before you can trash a message. Hopefully, an app update will add a one-tap delete button, but for now, I dread seeing a long list of messages that I need to delete.

The Feed is also an area that Hey touts as a way to streamline your email process for all of those non-essential emails. Unfortunately, there’s currently no way that I can see to be notified when new emails have been added into the feed automatically. I need to check it all the time to make sure I haven’t missed anything that might be a bit time-sensitive (e.g., a flash sale). Also, you have to manually delete every message in there in a very awkward way, which makes me wish I just dumped it into the imbox in the first place. At the very least, adding a visual prompt when there are new messages in The Feed and auto-delete three days after reading would make this feature much more usable.

As an “inbox zero” guy, I also can’t get over my personal OCD of seeing old read messages just sitting on the bottom of my screen under the “previously seen” area. I’d much prefer these disappear into an archive and instead, put greater focus on the “reply later” and “set aside” stacks that Hey creates for emails you want to mark for follow-up or easy-access.

I also can’t live without custom snooze, which Hey doesn’t support. The aforementioned “reply later” and “set aside” features will move messages you need to follow-up on into a special box on the screen. Still, there’s no way to have them re-appear at the top of your inbox at a custom time, which has become a vital way to optimize my workflow in Gmail, Outlook and other email clients.

In Closing

Hey costs $99 a year after a two-week trial. Charing a yearly fee will alone be a dealbreaker for many people, but if you value privacy, great design, and a truly innovative process, $8.25 a month is not too much to ask for all that Hey offers. Unlike Flexibits, who has the gall to charge $5 a month for a calendar app, I could justify Hey’s yearly fee if it made me love email. Unfortunately, the only thing it’s made me realize about email is that managing it is much faster in the way we’re all accustomed to doing.

I don’t think I’m alone in saying the majority of my non-work email is transactional. It’s housing my Amazon receipts, updates from my kids’ school, and helping me track when bands I love are putting out new music or going on tour. Having to jump through hoops to move those around in the Hey model makes me hate email more than ever. Those conversations that we all used to have with family and friends over email have moved over to text messages and social media. It appears that Hey hasn’t gotten that memo yet and is trying to fix a problem that we’ve all moved on from.

I also can’t get over how much I hate the term imbox.

Father’s Day will look a lot different this year, with social distancing limiting large family gatherings and sports still missing from everyday life. Stress and mental health are at an all-time high for many Americans, and with each day feeling like the one before, finding ways to celebrate Dad can seem challenging this year. Listed below are some fantastic gift ideas for any budget to make Father’s Day 2020 memorable for the important men in your life.

Nomad Mobile Accessories ($25+)

Nomad makes some of the most beautiful and innovative mobile accessories on the market. Some of their products are so innovative they seem too good to be true! Case in point — the waterproof leather Apple Watch Active Strap ($70). Yes, you read that correctly, waterproof leather. Not only is it waterproof, but gorgeous too. Want to spice up a work-from-home desk with multi-device wireless charging? Then you’ll love the Base Station ($99), which features a padded leather wireless charging surface and is capable of charging up to four devices at once. Nomad has you covered with portable power too. Their Battery Cable ($25) features a nylon braided USB-A to lightning cable with an embedded battery pack, making it the only cable you’ll ever need to charge your phone.

Tupperware Microwave Breakfast Maker Set ($29)

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, but working remotely and managing homeschooling with kids means it’s often the first thing that suffers on busy mornings. Thanks to Tupperware, a healthy breakfast is as easy as cracking a couple of eggs and throwing them in the microwave. The Breakfast Maker Set perfectly pairs with the Chop ‘N Prep Chef ($39) for creating dead-simple but delicious omelets. Despite its name, the Microwave Breakfast Maker Set has you covered with lunch options, including a deliciously simple egg salad recipe or poached eggs that pair perfectly with salads or sandwiches.

Spiceology Seasoning Blends ($39+)

Whether barbecuing on the grill or the stove, Spiceology’s steak seasoning rubs will vastly enhance the flavor of whatever you’re cooking. They come in a variety of mouthwatering flavors for seasoning more than just meat (e.g., popcorn, salads, mac & cheese, eggs). You won’t find any excess sodium or MSG in these jars, only high-quality, chef-picked ingredients. Don’t know where to start? I suggest the BBQ Rubs Variety Pack ($96). It contains Spiceology’s most popular rubs in a box that looks as good as they taste.

Medterra CBD Gummies ($39)

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard about the many benefits of CBD. If there has ever been a time for CBD to go mainstream, it’s now. Our routines are disrupted, stress is at an all-time high, and mental health is suffering worldwide. Medterra’s delicious CBD gummies come in three varieties: Stay Alert (focus), Keep Calm (relax), and Sleep Tight (sleep) to make dealing with these times a bit easier. Each gummy includes 25mg of CBD and comes delicious fruity flavors. You won’t find any high fructose corn syrup or gelatin in these gummies so that Dad can feel good in more ways than one!

Heaven’s Door Whiskey Trilogy Gifting Pack ($59)

This whiskey three-pack, created in partnership with the legendary Bob Dylan, looks as good as it tastes. This “boxed set” includes three 200ml bottles of Heaven’s Door’s core portfolio: Tennessee Straight Bourbon, Heaven’s Door Double Barrel Whiskey, and Heaven’s Door Straight Rye Whiskey. The bottles feature gates that Dylan made himself in his welding studio. Best of all, you can order these online, and they’ll ship directly to you.

JBL Tune 120TWS ($80)

While it seems like almost every audio company has entered into the wireless-earbuds-inspired-by-AirPods game, most wind up screwing it up. JBL’s Tune 120TWS is one of the rare exceptions. The JBL Tune 120TWS gives you the genuinely wireless experience of AirPods, a portable charging case (about 50% larger than the AirPods case), and decent battery life. Still, one area where JBL Tune excel is in their bass delivery. The 5.8mm driver provides a very noticeable increase in low-end frequencies, which pairs nicely with their noise-isolating tips. Those tips come in three sizes, so unlike the AirPods, which are designed for one-size-fits-most, JBL Tune lets you truly customize your fit, so you can run, workout, or lay down without fear of them falling out. Another bonus — they are available in six different colors.

Whistle GO Explore ($129 + monthly subscription)

Sometimes the best gift for Dad is a gift for man’s best friend. Whistle creates wearables for dogs that can help track their location, fitness levels, and even spot troublesome behaviors like excessive itching and licking. The Whistle GO Explore comes in three colors and includes attachments for collars or harnasses. After pairing to their mobile app, you can set up “safe spaces” and receive alerts anytime your dog wanders outside those designated areas. The activity tracking will report on how much exercise your pet is getting, help you choose the ideal food portions based on their size and weight, and even connect you to a tele-vet for any questions or issues. The monthly subscription costs $9.95/month but can go as low as $6.95 with a longer commitment. The subscription covers the GPS & LTE tracking and gets you access to unlimited tele-vet access.

JBL Link Portable ($130)

JBL makes some excellent audio equipment, and the JBL Link Portable is no exception. The Link Portable offers crystal clear 360° sound, built-in Google Assistant, and can stream audio via WiFi or Bluetooth. The Link Portable also supports Apple’s AirPlay 2, so you can send audio to multiple devices throughout your home. The speaker can dock in it’s charging cradle or enjoyed portably with 8 hours of playback. Best of all, the JBL Link Portable features an IPX7 waterproof rating so that you can keep the music play in the shower, beach, or pool.

LifeFuels Smart Nutrition Bottle ($149)

Doctors always tell us to drink eight glasses of water a day, but that can often be confusing. People often have questions on what constitutes the size of a glass of water and if that’s too much or too little given one’s body size, weight, and age. With quarantine and social distancing rules in place, our inability to go to the gym or keep up the diets we were on pre-COVID makes it harder to get the vitamins and electrolytes we want. This is where LifeFuels’ Smart Nutrition Bottle has been a godsend. The starter kit includes a Bluetooth smart water bottle and three FuelPods, each with a different flavor and health benefits: electrolytes, antioxidants & multi-vitamins. The companion app, available on both iOS and Android, syncs your bottle to your phone and builds a customized hydration profile based on your gender, age, and weight. The FuelPods add a subtle, sugar-free taste to your water, providing a much healthier alternative to many sports drinks. The app will even let you play mixologist and blend a variety of flavors and strengths to create something truly unique. Whether you’re drinking flavored or plain water, the LifeFuels Smart Nutrition Bottle will track your daily fluid intake and remind you when you’re not drinking enough throughout the day. After using this smart bottle, I can’t imagine going back to my “dumb” water bottles ever again.

Illy Y3.2 iperEspresso Espresso & Coffee Machine ($149)

Illy makes, in my opinion, some of the best tasting coffee you can buy. I’m in love with their ground drip coffee and K-Cups, and now I can add their Y3.2 iperEspresso machine to that list. This thing looks gorgeous, but it also makes the perfect cup of espresso and coffee with the press of a button. It’s very slim so that it won’t take up much room on your counter and uses Illy’s iperEspresso Capsules, which can be found in many stores or on Amazon. This is an excellent gift for the coffee-obsessed men in your life that might want to mix things up a bit.

Meural Canvas II ($400+)

The Meural Canvas II is a WiFi-connected digital canvas that displays over 30,000 works of art directly on your wall. With over 16.7 million pixels, custom-scheduling, Alexa integration, and the ability to hang vertical or horizontally, the Meural Canvas II will class up any space. In addition to the curated works of iconic and emerging artists from around the world, the Canvas II can also display your photographs, making the possibilities endless. If you want even more inspiration, recent partnerships with Marvel and Game of Thrones bring your favorite comic characters and HBO stars to life. The Canvas II comes in two sizes (16x24 & 19x29) and four colors.

Neato Robot Vacuum ($429+)

The extended time at home means more dirt and crumbs on the floor. This is where Neato’s line of Robot Vacuums comes in. Their D-Series features top-of-the-line technology that does all of the dirty work for you. It can even start cleaning your space with a simple Alexa or Google voice command. The Neato D Series vacuums feature LasterSmart technology to navigate your home intelligently. So unlike some “dumber” robot vacuums, the Neato won’t always bang into everything in its way. Using the Neato app, you can even see a laser-generated map of your home to mark areas to avoid. With over 120 minutes of battery life, suction that can pick up pet hair and home debris, custom scheduling, and user-defined cleaning zones, you’ll never have an excuse for a dirty house again.

Ever since Apple switched over to the touch-sensitive Siri remote, the experience has been a frustrating mess. I’m not going to dive into all the reasons the remote sucks—there’s a great article that does just that. Instead, I’m going to focus on the fix, and if you have $8 to spare, you need to head over to Amazon and order this right now.

The elago R1 Intelli Case is a silicone sleeve that fits over your Apple TV remote and makes it infinitely more usable. Not only does it make clear which area is the top, touch-sensitive part, it also includes built-in magnets so you can store it on any metallic surface and never lose it again. If you’re like me and have lost the Apple TV remote in the past, you know they’re not cheap to replace. It even comes in a variety of colors, which can make it easy to differentiate remotes in multiple Apple TV households. Save yourself the frustration of this rare design miss by Apple and pick up the Intelli Case now and you can thank me later.

Back to school season is upon us and whether your child is going to middle school, high school or college, there are some great must-have gadgets to get them through the school year. Here are some of the best for 2019.

Lenovo Smart Clock with Google Assistant ($79.99)

Smart speakers are everywhere these days, including almost every college dormroom. The Lenovo Smart Clock with Google Assistant includes all the useful features of the Google Home Mini, but with a small embedded screen that serves as an alarm clock and information display for data like the weather and upcoming calendar events. It’s small footprint is perfect for dorm rooms and because Google Assistant allows you to connect your music streaming services (e.g. Spotify), you can play music while trying to unwind, focus on studies or to fall asleep. Don’t let the small size fool you, the audio on this thing packs quite a punch!
Perfect for: High School & College Students | Buy at BestBuy

BetterAir Biotica800 Air Purifier ($399)

One item that parents often forget to purchase for the college student in their life is an air purifier. Let’s face it, dorm rooms and college apartments are not the cleanest places on Earth, nor are college students renowned for their dusting abilities. What’s unique about the BetterAir Biotica800 is its use of probiotics to consume the bacteria that causes bad odors. The BetterAir is simple to use, small in size and does an amazing job of removing odors, eliminating allergens (mold spores, dust mites, fecal matter, pet dander, pollen and more) and protecting surfaces.
Perfect for: College Students | Buy on Amazon

Altec Lansing ComfortQ Active Noise Canceling Bluetooth Headphones ($99)

Anyone that’s ever used quality active noise canceling (ANC) headphones knows what a pleasure they are. Having the background noise filtered out makes music, podcasts, and audiobooks so much easier to hear and helps bring out the subtleties in audio that can often go unheard. Using ANC headphones without any audio can also make it easier to focus on work or studying. For me, the thought of forgetting my ANC headphones on a long flight is enough to keep me up at night. High-quality noise canceling headphones can be very expensive; two of the industry leaders, Bose and Sony, often retail for $300 or more. Most sub-$200 ANC headphones I’ve tested have been pretty underwhelming, which makes the $99 Altec Lansing ComfortQ headphones such a pleasant surprise. Not only are they comfortable, well-made and come with all the accessories that their much-more-expensive counterparts include (travel case, airplane adapter), their noise canceling and sound quality is very impressive. While they don’t surpass Bose or Sony in either category, they’re a steal at $99. With 26 hours of battery life and a fashionable aesthetic, these headphones are a must-have for anyone looking to enter the world of noise canceling headphones.
Perfect for: High School & College Students | Buy on AltecLansing.com

Contigo AUTOSEAL Chill Stainless Steel Water Bottle ($21.95)

As more and more schools are moving away from wasteful plastic water bottles, parents are required to send their kids in with reusable water bottles. The problem with most reusable bottles is that they leak like crazy. After repeated openings and washings, the seals that lock in the liquid wear down and your child’s backpack and homework is drenched. (Trust me, this happens too frequently with my kids.) Contigo’s AUTOSEAL line of products solves this problem with an innovative lid that locks in liquids no matter how much one shakes or tilts the bottle. They also feature “Thermalock” double-walled vacuum insualtion that keeps drinks cold for up to 28 hours. My family and I tested the Chill Stainless Steel Water Bottle for a week and my son was amazed to find that the ice cubes in his bottle were still there after 13 hours! Another bonus—these bottles can hold up to 24 ounces of liquid, keeping your child hydrated all day. Retailing at $21.95, with some colors as low as $15 on Amazon, the Contigo AUTOSEAL bottles are a better value than similar super-insulated products from brands like Yeti.
Perfect for: All Ages | Buy on Amazon

JBL Everest 310GA Wireless Headphones with Google Assistant ($199)

It’s a shame that so many people are walking around wearing Beats headphones when they can (and should) be rocking JBL’s Everest 310GAs. Not only do these similarly-priced headphones destroy Beats in sound quality, they offer two killer features rarely found in headphones: built-in Google Assistant and Bluetooth audio sharing. Simply cup your hand over the left ear and speak your command to trigger Google Assistant. This works on both iOS and Android and will give you far better results than Siri does on iPhone. My personal favorite feature is Bluetooth sharing , which JBL calls ShareMe 2.0; this allows you to share the audio coming into your headphones with any other headphones nearby, regardless of brand. This is perfect for gaming, watching movies or listening to music with a friend.
Perfect for: High School & College Students | Buy on B&H (on sale for $99)

JBL JR POP Bluetooth Speaker ($29)

Not only does JBL make must-have audio products for the high school and college students in your life, their JR POP speaker is the perfect wireless speaker for your younger child. It features 5 hours of playback time, an IPX7 waterproof rating, which basically means it can survive up to 30 minutes in 3 feet of water or less, and an array of fun multicolor lights that kids will love. Combine all that with surprisingly crisp and loud sound and you have one of the best sub-$50 speakers around.
Perfect for: Elementary & Middle School Students | Buy on Amazon

Zagg Invisible Shield Screen Protectors with VisionGuard (Varies)

Glass screen protectors are hugely popular, and for most students they are a necessity in protecting their expensive devices from scratches and cracks. What separates the Zagg Invisible Shield with VisionGuard line of glass screen protectors from others on the market is the inclusion of Eyesafe technology. With the average American spending 11 hours a day viewing screens, Eyesafe selectively filters UV light and high-energy visible (HEV) blue light that is emitted from digital light sources, helping to prevent eye fatigue and macular degeneration. Blue light has also been shown to cause insomnia, and with people using their devices in bed, this can really affect sleep habits (and grades!) The Zagg Invisible Shield with VisionGuard line covers the most popular iOS and Android devices and provides fantastic protection without any impact on the colors of the display. Eyesafe technology is also integrated into new Dell computers just in time for back-to-school, so if you’re in the market for a new PC for your student, give them a look.
Perfect for: All Ages | Buy on Zagg.com

iTouch Wearables PlayZoom Kid’s Smartwatch ($39.99)

If you own an Apple Watch and have young kids, chances are you’ve been asked “Why can’t I have an Apple Watch too?” With iTouch Wearables PlayZoom Kid’s Smartwatch, now your little one can have their very own smartwatch that can help them learn to tell time, practice basic math skills, take photos & videos, play games and set alarms & timers. The PlayZoom comes in a variety of colors, is splash resistant, and requires no internet or mobile phone to setup or use.
Perfect for: Elementary School Students | Buy on iTouchWearables.com

What are some of your favorite gadgets for back-to-school this year? Hit me up in the comments.