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Category: Tech Trends

November 19, 2017

The Perfect Portable Night Light for Children

Putting your kids to sleep on the road can have its particular set of challenges. If being able to create dim lighting for the perfect sleeping conditions is important to you, then you no longer need to look beyond the moon for your solution…

My seven-year-old son is a great sleeper. One variable that’s contributed to this happy state (For him as well as my wife and me) has been the use of a night light in his room over the years. It just helps him go to sleep. We’ve used different night lights and currently have one from Pottery Barn Kids that’s constructed into the ‘Rowan Base’ of his bedroom lamp. So, the lamp has two light bulbs… one regular… the other a night light.
(Clever)

But as you might imagine, sleeping elsewhere can create something of a challenge to create the same dim-light ambiance for him.

Of course, you can always take the same night light with you on your travels, but that’s not always a practical choice.

More often than not, I’ve had to figure it out in the moment whenever we’ve entered a hotel room.
(It’s not been beyond me to do a little redecorating.)

I should also mention that the whole night-light equation has become less of a critical issue of late. A slightly cracked door to the bathroom with its light on is now just fine for him.

Of course, it is… now, that I’ve found the perfect solution.
So, for those of you parents out there who are still trying to figure out an ideal portable night light to take with you, here it is…

Moonbase Alpha
It’s called ‘Moonlight,’ and it’s a battery-driven illuminated plastic moon the size of large grapefruit.

It’s not exactly cylindrical since it’s got a flat bottom, but that allows you to safely place it anywhere.
(As you can see in the photo at the top of the page)

Made by a British company called Paladone, it’s constructed of a rubbery material that makes it a little squishy. And it quickly ‘reinflates’ after being squeezed by curious hands.
(My son has demonstrated this ‘trick’ to me several times.)

The Moonlight weighs almost nothing.
It runs on three LR44 button batteries.
It fits easily into a suitcase.
And It throws off just enough light.

It’s seemingly indestructible.
It’s perfect.

And It’s $13.63 on Amazon Prime.

Q.E.D.
(Quite easily done!)

Click.

Next Generation
My son’s Moonlight showed up as a gift, and as I marveled at the little orb, I decided to do a little more research on this great concept. Of course, I found some competitors on the market…

The primary difference is rechargeable technology that allows you to plug in your moon instead of having to replace the batteries. That’s obviously a more environmentally friendly choice.

These rechargeable models appear to all be created with ‘3D printing’ technology. So, they’re not going to be squishy like my son’s Moonlight.
Also, they’re completely cylindrical, which requires you to use the included stand if you don’t want them to roll off their night table.

And they have different brightness and color settings, which is nifty.

LOL is No Joke
All of those enhancements of course make them more expensive.

For example:

LOL claims you’ll get 4-20 hours of illumination on one charge depending on the brightness setting.

Goodnight Moon
So, for occasional use, I think that any of these wonderful little orbs will get the job done. But if it becomes an often-used item in the bedroom, you’re going to have to consider the convenience of having to regularly recharge or replacing the batteries.

Unless…
…Your child’s moon also goes to sleep during your check-in before you hit the sack.
(Turning the Moonlight off after my son has entered dreamland has worked just fine for me…and him, and it really cuts down on battery drain.)

But for one-off uses as a portable night light on the road… these glowing moons are perfect!

Happy ZZZs.

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November 12, 2017

What Went Wrong with Blade Runner 2049?

Sometimes you’ve got to experience a movie for yourself instead of just reading everyone else’s opinion. That said, here’s my take as to why “Blade Runner 2049” failed to succeed at the box office.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away (Massachusetts)… I used to write the ‘occasional’ movie review. That was before social media gave the capability of influencing public opinion to most of the planet.

Then, my patterns of life shifted. Fast forward another few chapters, and BAM! I’m a parent. And then as you might expect, I found it something of a challenge to get to the movies during the first week when a particular flick came out.
(And sometimes during the first month!)

Those delays quickly stripped me of my ability to form a point of view on new movies.
(That said, I’m enjoying life’s other priorities.)

But of course, there are exceptions…

Coming Out of Retirement
A few weeks back… I watched in dismay from the sidelines as “Blade Runner 2049” went down in flames when it premiered at the box office.

To date, this 150-million-dollar flick hasn’t even made $90 million back yet at the U.S. box office after five weeks of wide release.

I wondered what went so wrong? This positively-reviewed sequel to the iconic 1982 “Blade Runner” seemed like it had blockbuster written all over it.

As a science fiction fan, I was bummed out… It just didn’t make any sense.

Then, when Warner Brothers decided to pull the film early from its theatrical run I made a point to catch it before it entirely disappeared.

I realized I had to have my own opinion on this one… however delayed it might be.
(Plus, I really wanted to experience it on the big screen.)

So, what did I think…?

Barrett’s Movie Review
Overall, I enjoyed “Blade Runner 2049.”
A lot.
It’s solid.

Directed by Denis Villeneuve, it’s definitely a ‘movie experience’ complete with rich visuals that extend the groundbreaking vision of the original.

Harrison Ford is super in his reprisal of the blade runner Deckard, now in retirement… and also missing. But this is really Ryan Gosling’s movie, and he rocks as a cool and steady replicant blade runner about to come unhinged.

If I were to oversimplify the plot of this sequel in one sentence… Gosling is in the middle of a mystery/conspiracy that eventually leads him to Ford.

The visuals. The oppressive music. The complexity of the story.
This is the way big movies are supposed to be like.
Right?

But yes… I also saw some problems.
Significant problems.

And it makes sense to me that these drawbacks kept people away.
(Unfortunately)

While this is not to be designed to be a standard movie review, I want to address what I believe kept “Blade Runner 2049” from really taking off…

The Length
It’s 164 minutes. With all of the movie trailers that get thrown at you before the main flick actually begins, you’ve got to commit almost three hours of your day to watch this.

That, by itself will keep busy folks away.

It’s Confusing
Yes, so was the original. And some of the confusing elements from the first one are intentionally retained here.
You’ve got to pay attention as the plot goes through its twists and turns.
But, honestly, I missed the rationale behind a couple of big moments.

The Pace
It’s slow. It’s moody. And it’s wonderful.
But I don’t know that many people have the attention span for that anymore.
Unfortunately, that’s not the way blockbusters are made.

It’s Best to be a Student of “Blade Runner”
While you don’t need to see “Blade Runner” first, it certainly helps to maximize your enjoyment of this one. If you know the differences between the original’s theatrical cut vs. the director’s cut, even better. The problem is that removes a huge swath of the movie-going population who weren’t even born yet when “Blade Runner” came out.

A Sequel 35 Years Later
So, when you talk about a sequel’s appeal being fueled by the original… again, much of the audience wouldn’t have this opportunity, unless they sought it out on DVD decades later.

The Music Gives It Away
To continue the theme of inside baseball, the music track joins the club. And apparently, if you pay close attention to the music, you’ll figure out major plot developments, because certain pieces of music mirror similar themes from the original at pivotal points.
(I missed this entirely.)

Thumbs Up Anyway
So, “Blade Runner 2049” isn’t perfect.
Or maybe it would be more perfect if you come really prepared to watch it.

Will it become a classic, like the original?
Hmmm… hard to say. “Blade Runner” created its groundbreaking world from scratch. This one has the advantage of building on that.

But the more I think about this movie, the better I feel about it… flaws and all. It’s ambitious and bold. It takes a lot of chances, the way many blockbusters don’t.

Perhaps the most important realization I’ve had is that “Blade Runner 2049” has stayed with me. It didn’t evaporate the way so many other lighter and inconsequential flicks have done right after watching.

That says a lot.

On a five-point scale… I‘d give it a solid four.
“Blade Runner 2049” is definitely worth seeing, and now I understand why it underperformed.

And there you have it… a few tardy insights on a flick that’s still worth the attention it never got…

Any other thoughts out there…?

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November 5, 2017

Why Forwarding Photos May Not Be a Welcome Gift

You should think twice before sharing lots of digital photos with your peeps. Sure, it may be fun for the recipient to take a quick look. But guess what happens after that…?

All of this time, I thought I was doing my family and friends a favor by emailing downloadable Dropbox links of photos I’ve snapped at group settings. I’ve been doing this for years. What’s not to like?

I know that people generally love to participate in digital photo sharing.
It’s immediate.
It’s free.
It’s easy.

It’s also a quick and simple gift.

But you’ve got to admit, it’s something of a sloppy art.

Even so, I figure that folks can be responsible for what they do with the pictures they receive.
Right?

Well, yes.
And… no.

I think the problem is many people today just don’t have the time to do anything with your photos once they take a quick look at them.

That requires organization.
And good organization takes time.
Organization that even I have a hard time maintaining.
In fact, I’m still years in the rear at creating those ‘annual’ family photo albums to proudly live on our book shelves.

Some Assembly Required
I suppose emailing one or two photos shouldn’t really be a problem to handle. Even several… if they’re good pics.
But when you just throw twenty or thirty photos at someone, because you just don’t have time to do anything else, that just shifts the burden of organization onto the recipient.

You might think that you’re still doing them a favor, because once they go through everything, they’ll certainly separate the creative wheat from the chaff.

But you’re essentially sending someone more work to do.
That’s not such a great gift, is it?

Now, this is not a universal declaration. Take me for example…
If family and friends want to send me lots of unfiltered pics… I feel that’s better than not receiving anything at all.
(But I readily admit… I probably don’t represent the norm.)

The bottom line is you should always know your audience before you click on ‘send.’

The Analog Advantage
If you want to give the true gift of photo sharing that doesn’t require anything else to do, then you may have to suck it up and put in a little more effort…

And do you know what that looks like?
(I think you do.)

It’s a physical photo album or a photo book that’s completely done!
(How analog)

Will that take more time than you’re willing to commit?
Well, of course… there’s the rub.

Case in Point…
I’m always appreciative when someone hands me a little photo book celebrating an event or activity.
Sure, I might think… “Huh… I might have done that a little differently.”
But the reality is… I probably would never have gotten around to doing it at all!

And there’s your opportunity…

So recently, when a family friend scoffed at receiving a bunch of photos I emailed over, I didn’t take it personally.
Instead of a “Thank you,” I got a “When am I going to have the time to do anything with these?”
(And I had even gone through the batch to pick out the best ones!)

It was clearly time to create a tangible photo book…
Not to mention that I also received a direct request for one of these as a birthday gift.
(Isn’t clarity a wonderful thing?)

The Inner Truth
And for those of you digital geeks out there who don’t own a printer or know what a piece of paper is anymore (let alone a physical photo album)…
Guess what?
Deep down…
…You know you’re craving the same thing.

Wouldn’t it be nice if someone made you a physical photo album or book?

It’s okay.
Your secret is safe with me.

What’s Old is New Again
It’s not so old school.
People love photo books.

And there are lots of companies out there serving that need… like Shutterfly.
Since I’m doing my photo management in Adobe Lightroom, there’s an integrated process to work with Blurb.

It’s time to stop taking the easy way out by throwing your photos to the digital wind and hoping for the best.
Roll up your sleeves and create a physical photo collection that’s actually complete upon arrival.

Now, I’d better take a bit of my own advice and get to work on the birthday gift… The party is next week!

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