Michael Antonoff

Apptitude
Lights Off, Fan On: Automating Home Theater Ambiance
Michael Antonoff  |  Apr 20, 2018  |  0 comments
The snappiest way to adjust the ambiance in my home theater is to touch an icon on my phone to start the ceiling fan a-twirling. Touch another icon, and the fan’s room light turns off. Getting the fan’s speed right may require another tap or two. It should be fast enough to dry TV viewers’ brows but not so fast as to cause paper plates and napkins to fly off the coffee table.
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Apptitude
8 Startups Set to Soar
Michael Antonoff  |  Apr 01, 2018  |  0 comments
Venture capital is flowing into an array of startup services poised to exploit the emerging trends of 2018. We know because we happened to retrieve a document entitled “Where to Put Your Money Now” that had fallen out of the pocket of a tuxedo-clad capitalist as he stepped into a black limo and sped off.
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Throwback Thursday
Flashback 1998: Reflecting on 20 Years of Netflix
Michael Antonoff  |  Mar 15, 2018  |  1 comments
When Netflix launched its DVD-by-mail service 20 years ago, the dozens of websites selling DVDs said the newcomer would never survive. Funny how almost all of those competitors are now long gone.
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Media Server ReviewsOther Source Component Reviews
TiVo Bolt Vox DVR and Streamer Review
Michael Antonoff  |  Mar 01, 2018  |  6 comments

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $200-$500 plus service plan

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Voice-assisted search and channel changes
Skip button for vaulting commercials
QuickView feature
Minus
Voice control adds little to program navigation
New Experience interface is sometimes cluttered and confusing

THE VERDICT
Finding cable, streamed, and recorded content through the voice remote is much faster and more fun than using an onscreen keyboard. But the joined-at-the-hip New Experience interface may frustrate TiVo veterans until they get the hang of it.

With folks chatting up their smart speakers and smart TVs, TiVo owners may have felt like they were living in the silent era of cinema. Being behind the tech ball was especially galling for the TiVo community, which, not unlike the Apple fanbase, is willing to pay more for superior technology. In late 2017, TiVo, a name synonymous with the DVR, finally responded with a new remote and interface that recognize the value of voice recognition—especially when a viewer is searching for something to watch from among innumerable over-the-air, cable, streaming, and recorded-program options.

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Apptitude
Time Lords of YouTube
Michael Antonoff  |  Jan 24, 2018  |  1 comments
Streaming video has gone from VHS- to DVD to 1080p- to 4K quality over the decade. Yet, left behind were some extremely useful navigational controls that we took for granted on our “ancient” VCRs or DVD players. They included slow motion, smooth fast-forward, and the ability to bookend any segment for looping to our heart’s content.
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Apptitude
4 Games, 1 Screen
Michael Antonoff  |  Dec 13, 2017  |  0 comments
Do you holler, “Hell, yes!” whenever the TV announcer howls: “Are you ready for some football?!” Then ESPN’s updated Apple TV app with MultiCast is for you.
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Apptitude
Blame It on the Emoji
Michael Antonoff  |  Nov 29, 2017  |  0 comments
If brown and dirty is your idea of a stocking stuffer, you won’t have far to go. Bed Bath & Beyond offers the Bluetooth Poop Emoji Speaker ($20, in brown), while Staples sells the Poop 4K Emoji Powerbank ($15, you already know the color) for charging your phone. And Macy’s has the EmojiNation Backpack for little girls and big girls ($35) decorated with a variety of emojis including a poop wearing a crown.
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Apptitude
AR Leapfrogs VR
Michael Antonoff  |  Sep 29, 2017  |  0 comments
Ya got trouble, folks, right here in virtual reality. It begins with a lowercase “i,” and that rhymes with “my,” and that means iPhone!
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Apptitude
Sleeping with Apps
Michael Antonoff  |  Aug 25, 2017  |  1 comments
With mobile screens dominating your waking hours, app makers have begun targeting the time you spend sleeping. Curious to see what it's all about, I decided to put an app-based smart pillow to the test.
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Apptitude
Will You Read or Watch TV in Your Self-Driving Car?
Michael Antonoff  |  Jul 21, 2017  |  3 comments
In three years there will be some 10 million cars on the road with self-driving features. What will people do in a car that drives itself?
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