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Category: Tech Trends

May 3, 2015

Where Are All Your iMessages?

Have you noticed you’re receiving noticeably fewer iMessages on your iPhone recently? Maybe that’s because you’re not receiving any iMessages. So what’s the problem…?

Have you noticed you’re receiving noticeably fewer iMessages on your iPhone recently? Maybe that’s because you’re not receiving any iMessages. So what’s the problem…?

I missed a text message from a friend on my iPhone the other day. I realized the problem when I got home and saw the lingering comment glowing on my iPad as an old iMessage.

I looked for it on my iPhone 6 Plus, but it simply wasn’t there…
Strange.

Why was my Wi-Fi iPad receiving iMessages that my iPhone was missing…?

So I decided to take a closer look…

Is iMessage Activated?
I opened up the ‘Messages’ settings on my iPhone.
The red flag was immediately evident….
I saw that ‘iMessage’ was simply turned off.
(That’s confusing.)

And to rub it in, the Off setting was accompanied by an ‘error’ message.

What?
How did iMessage get deactivated?

Come to think of it, I had recently noticed that some of my texts which would typically travel on the free, ‘blue’ iMessage road to another iDevice were only showing up as normal ‘green’ SMS texts that count against my texting plan.
(Yes, I still have a free-texting limit. Is that too old school?)

I didn’t think much of these little green monsters, because sometimes the blue path gets inexplicably blocked, forcing an iMessage to morph into a standard text.

Why Is iMessage Suddenly Turned Off ?
So I immediately reactivated iMessage on my phone, which required my thumbprint’s touch ID authentication.
(Why was my phone treating me like a stranger?)

More importantly though, I wanted to know why this had all happened in the first place.

I had recently upgraded my iPhone’s operating software to iOS 8.3. Was this the culprit…?

I took a look online at some Apple message boards, and in fact there were others talking about similar problems. But I found no official determination that an iMessage issue had been created by iOS 8.3.

Huh.

Check the Facts Again
Then I did a little more diagnostic research as to when the green texting regression actually cropped up. I tracked my daily texts to my wife, and in fact, they started turning green a month back on April 1.

D’oh!

And that was before iOS 8.3….

It’s possible I did a previous iOS upgrade on that day, but I no longer have any evidence.

All I’m left with is… April Fools!!!
(seriously?)

Don’t Anger the Tech Gods
So what are the lessons learned here…?

  1. Never ignore the playful (and frustrating) power of April Fools’ Day.
  2. It’s probably a good idea to check your iMessage settings every time you upgrade the iOS on your iDevice.
  3. If it takes a month to figure out you’ve got a tech problem, you can’t place all the blame on someone else.

Let’s move on…

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April 26, 2015

The Fate of the Summer Movie Blockbuster Hopefuls

The summer movie season is almost here, but the truth is already out there. Start clicking on some movie trailers to find out the fate of the summertime box office…

The summer movie season is almost here, but the truth is already out there. Start clicking on some movie trailers to find out the fate of the summertime box office…

A long time ago in what now seems like a galaxy far, far away, I used to review movies. Today, as a family man, I’m lucky if I can even get to a flick, let alone find the time to review one.

Fortunately, one aspect of ‘the cinema’ I especially enjoy is simply checking out movie previews online. Last week, I shared my joy with the new “Star Wars” teaser trailer.

For me, a great movie trailer is worth the price of a full ticket. The way it can get your heart pumping in under three minutes. I’ve also got to admit it’s quite the efficient use of your time…. Like who doesn’t have a couple minutes?

If you haven’t noticed, the official start of the summer movie season is almost here.  I say it’s never too soon to decide what movies you intend to see. And what better way to make your decision than simply watching the trailers?

Movie Trailers 101
Here are Barrett’s basic rules on movie previews:

  • If it’s a must-see trailer, the movie has a really strong chance of being solid.
  • If it’s only a good trailer, the flick has a 50/50 chance of getting it done.
  • If it’s a bad trailer, this movie is really in trouble.
    (Because if you can’t find two good minutes to edit together, that’s saying a lot.)

Some trailers suffer from telling you too much about the story.
(Then, you feel like you’ve seen the entire movie.)

Other previews leave you confused as to what the film is about.
(Also a bad sign)

So based on these vastly oversimplified rules, I offer you my predictions for the summer’s best movies based on their most recent trailers.

My Summer Movie Picks Based on Ten Trailers

Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron
This trailer is good. Not great. So you might want to be worried. But this is Director Joss Whedon we’re talking about. I have faith he will deliver.
Go.

Jurassic World
There’s a new genetically engineered dinosaur that’s the monster du jour? Yawn.
Haven’t we really seen this movie three times before?
Pass.

Terminator Genisys
It’s supposed to be somehow set in an ‘alternate’ reality, which allows the filmmakers to ‘reimagine’ the series. Honestly, there doesn’t seem to be anything that new here. And it’s hard to spell the title. But Arnold’s baaack!
So go.

Ant Man
This movie seems to have a genuine sense of humor. I’ve got high hopes this could actually be fun.
Go.

Mad Max: Road Fury
This crazy trailer makes the original trilogy look like Barney the Dinosaur.
Go fast. Very fast.

Fantastic Four
I read they wanted to make this a ‘dark’ origins reboot. The setup looks interesting, but I’m not feeling much connection to any of the characters or their ‘mission.’
Pass.

The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
This movie is trying so hard to be ‘60’s cool and clever. And fun. The problem is the trailer isn’t. At all.
Pass.

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
Another one?!
Yes, please.
This series still appears fresh and enjoyable.
Go.

San Andreas
The Rock Vs. the fault line.
California gets destroyed. Again?
Pass.

Tomorrowland
George Clooney. Cool concept. But I’m a little confused.
Pass.
No wait… George Clooney.
Go…

Wait for the Reviews?
How fair is it to assess a movie’s potential, based solely on a finely buffed marketing effort?

Well, it’s never going to get any better for most of these flicks after they’re released and the reviews come out. This is the honeymoon period.

If a trailer can’t get it done today, it’s unlikely the film will end up being a hit tomorrow.

That said, let’s see how these flicks actually handle themselves, and I’ll review my scorecard at the end of the summer…

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April 19, 2015

The New Star Wars Teaser Will Blow Your Mind

If you’ve been preoccupied, you may have missed a significant disturbance in the Force last week. The good news is your opportunity to catch up is only a click away…

If you’ve been preoccupied, you may have missed a significant disturbance in the Force last week. The good news is your opportunity to catch up is only a click away…

I’ve always enjoyed watching movie trailers. They used to be the favorite part of my film-going experience. But no more… That’s because every blockbuster trailer I’ve seen at the multiplex I’ve already caught at home when I’m online.

Download Vs. Streaming
Typically, I go to the iTunes Movie Trailers page to find the newest previews.

I usually prefer downloading the ones I really like to my iPhone and then watching them whenever the moment moves me.
(Usually when my commuter train isn’t moving too fast)

You may recall, I’ve had some ups and downs with this….

A couple years ago, Apple inexplicably began taking away its trailer downloading functionality, leaving streaming as the only viewing option. This is hardly ideal when your smartphone doesn’t have a strong connection.

…and Barrett was frustrated.

Then, a year later, Apple seemingly gave it all back.

…and Barrett was happy again.

Prepare Yourself
So this past week, I was looking for the newest summer movie teasers, as the blockbuster season is nearly upon us.

Imagine my glee when I spotted the second teaser trailer for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”

When the first teaser came out in November, millions of geeks in galaxies near and far could barely contain themselves. The fact that J.J. Abrams had successfully recreated the look and feel of the original “Star Wars” was almost too much to handle.

Come on… This is J.J. Abrams we’re talking about.
“Lost,” “Star Trek,” “Fringe.”
You didn’t think he was going to get the basics right?

I thought the first teaser trailer was just fine.
It was nice to have a quick peek.
That’s what any first teaser usually does…

Traveling Back in Time
But then I clicked on this second teaser trailer.
My finger was running on autonomic instinct; my brain, barely keeping up.

I felt like I was fourteen years old again watching “Star Wars” for the very first time with my mother at the east 86th street multiplex in New York City. I was transported back to those two mesmerizing hours…

And then I heard-
“You have that power too.”

And then I saw-
“Chewie, we’re home.”

OMG.

Now, this is more like it!

An A+ Trailer
I’m not entirely surprised J.J. Abrams blew my mind with this new teaser trailer. He did something similar with the early trailers for his first “Star Trek” movie. But those suggested something different from the “Star Trek” we grew up with.
(And in fact, it was an alternate reality.)

This “Star Wars” trailer by comparison feels exceptionally familiar. Of course, because the Star Wars universe is being continued, not re-imagined.
(It would seem.)

We’re given the perfect balance between what we already know about and teased with what we don’t.

And then that last shot: We get to see Han Solo!
Glorious…

I Have a Good Feeling about This
We’re still eight months away from seeing how strong the Force really is with Episode VII.
That said, this trailer completely reenergized all my geeky energies.

After I watched it, I just stared at the screen.
“Whoaaaaah….”

And then I downloaded the two minutes of movie (and marketing) magic.

I felt like a kid again.
It was the perfect moment…

Thank you, Disney for spending $4 billion in 2012 to keep it all going.
Only now, at the end (of the wait) do I understand…

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