Is SSD worth it on an old computer? Yes! SSD prices are dropping and the migration/installation is very easy. The “Data Migration Program” that came with my Samsung EVO did the cloning perfectly – it was a drop-in replacement and, boom, it was all fast like never before.

Please, forgive me if it sounds too incredible. But it is true: you change 1 (one) component and suddenly everything is snappy fast (unless all you do is CPU data crunching).

Since 2009, I started using a Macbook as my main work computer. It came with a traditional hard-disk and I used it that way during 4 years. Then I changed its HDD for an SSD… what a difference! In 2013 those 500GB were expensive – but the productivity gain was brutal. It was my working tool, so it was worth the price.

Besides the Mac, we always had a PC around at home. We use it sporadically… so, we never considered buying an SSD for it – until now.

Check it out on Amazon:

Here you have my affiliate link*. The Samsung 850 EVO line is offered in 120GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB and 2TB capacities. I bought the 500GB one. Once at Amazon, you have easy buttons to change the capacity and compare the prices:

• Samsung 850 EVO 500GB SSD 

* Whatever product you buy, soon after clicking my link, you are helping me a big deal. Thank you for your support!

On both occasions I bough SSDs from Samsung after reading lots of reviews and some performance/endurance/energy-efficiency tests. There are other SSD brands who demand even more energy than an mechanical hdd, which on a laptop is a deal breaker to me. Right now Samsung offers a very good relation between price/capacity/performance/endurance and consumption (battery time).

This content was NOT sponsored. I just like Samsung TVs and SSDs

Traveling with this 10400mAh USB battery pack, you won’t need to stop for an outlet!

I bought it 10 months ago, for a family trip here in Spain, and it saved the day many times! We had four iPhones with us and we used them all the time for photos, videos and GPS. We never stopped, we charged them in our pockets, on the go.

If you still don’t have a portable USB battery pack to keep your iPhone charged on your trips, this is a good one.

Check it out on Amazon:

• 10400mAh Power Bank by TP-Link; TL-PB10400 

Buying any product from my links, you are helping me a big deal! Thank you for your support!

We wanted to buy them for pickup at a store, at the very first day. It was not that simple.

On 2015, June 26, Apple started selling its watch on a second batch of countries, including Spain, where I live. I woke up very early, at 7:01 I was ready to fill the forms as fast as I could to make a reservation and pick my 42mm blue Watch Sport at the “Puerta del Sol” store in Madrid. The system told me I would be able to pick it up at 9:30 (yey!). Unfortunately I was stopped by an SMS code that never came back… Two hours later I gave up and ordered online – it might be delivered someday on July.

My wife was much smarter: she went directly for online purchase since the first minute. Her 38mm space gray Watch Sport arrived today, June 30 – and she was very kind to let me carefully “unbox” it.

There are lots of unboxings already on YouTube – many of them just hurry up to crack-open the package and start showing the Watch. I’ll do something different: just a careful unboxing focused on the “opening experience”.

I loved the details of the packaging, the plastics, the materials, the charger… Everything is so beautiful. Ok, I am a total fan-boy… but I was really amazed by the details. To me, this is the most refined, most detailed, fine crafted Apple product to this moment. Opening this box was delightful.

I am now editing the video… I’ll post it as fast as I can! Don’t miss it:

Subscribe to my YouTube “You Have an iPad” channel!

See you very soon!

There are lots of places this wireless speaker is great: on the bicycle (for safety reasons you shouldn’t bike in the city using earbuds), in a bathtub, as a shower speaker, in a swimming pool, on the beach, camping, traveling / backpacking / hiking… It is not only water-resistant, it is IPX7 Waterproof (I explain what is it in the video) – so, water is not a problem. Watch my unboxing and full review of the BOOM Swimmer:

Check it out on Amazon:

• BOMM Swimmer – waterproof bluetooth speaker 
• Sony Walkman NWZW273S – waterproof MP3 player 

Buying from these links, you are helping me a big deal! Thank you for your support!

My impressions

I honestly don’t know why there are so few articles about the BOOM Swimmer. The reviews I found were very positive and even enthusiastic – and I totally agree. While I was testing and preparing the video, I had loads of fun playing with the Swimmer – before handing it over to my wife definitely.

The only critic I have is about the position of the “+” and “–” buttons: they should switch places. Holding + for 3 seconds jumps to playback to the next song, so, it would make more sense if this plus were at the ‘right’ of the play button (and the minus at the left). It is the only complaint I have.

Another surprise was about Bluetooth performance under water. I knew that bluetooth radio frequency ranged at the microwave level, so I imagined no bluetooth devices wouldn’t really communicate well underwater – but I was really amazed that only a few inches would be enough to interrupt the signal. Thats the reason there are no “bluetooth swimming earbuds”.

Bottom line: I like it a lot. Recently I listened to several Bluetooth Speakers in stores – and of course you can find lots of options with deeper and louder sound, but they are much heavier, bigger and cost a LOT more. The Boom Swimmer has nothing to do with “sound-systems”/stereo/living-room… But it is perfect for what I’ve shown in the video.

How this video was produced

Voice entirely recorded with the Blue Yeti USB Condenser Microphone (watch my review) on Cardioid Pattern. Sound recording, editing and post-processing all in Audacity, including equalization, noise reduction, normalization and audio compression.

Video recorded mostly on Canon 600D at 24 frames per second. Final “60fps look” is naturally achieved in accelerated sequences using custom/fast-speed fps, and artificially by interpolation on normal speed takes.

Outdoors bicycle sequence was recorded on an iPhone 4S using the “Filmic Pro” app. The park is the “Parque del Retiro” in Madrid, Spain. Since 2014, Madrid offers a public bicycle renting service – BiciMAD – with 123 stations scattered on the center of the city.

Featured songs provided by YouTube Audio Library, free music; listed by appearance order in the video:

“Opening Night”, Jason Farnham
“Blues Blast”, John Deley
“Play Song”, John Deley and the 41 Players
“Dixie Outlandish”, John Deley and the 41 Players
“Non Piu Andrai”, Ron Meixsell
“Horses to Water”, Topher Mohr and Alex Elena
“Led Foot”, Ethan Meixsell
“Loophole Fragment”, Silent Partner
“World Map”, Jason Farnham

The video was written, performed and produced by Everson Siqueira.

Backstage photos:

[gss columns=”2″ link=”file” ids=”116,106,117,118″]

This video will guide you to make better recordings with good sound quality.

Connecting the Blue Yeti to an iPhone or iPad is possible; but not as simple as it is to connect the Yeti directly in a computer’s USB. To use the Yeti microphone with an iOS device you need an Apple’s USB Camera Adapter (or the 30-pin “Camera Connection Kit”) and a powered USB Hub, and you are ready to record sound with Garageband or any other App. But I recommend you to check the microphones Blue has made specifically for iOS.

New “Radius II” shockmount suspension from Blue:
The old Radius falling problem is fixed! Blue rebranded it as “Radius II“. The new model comes with a different thumb-screw mechanism with teeth (cog). Now it stays put just perfect
http://www.bluemic.com/radius2/

Check them on Amazon:

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Buying any product from these links, you are helping me a big deal! Thank you for your support!

Getting the best sound with Yeti recordings

To improve the sound quality of your recording with the Yeti, be sure to:

• use the cardioid pattern for voice-overs
• keep the gain knob to the minimum (I never use it over 40%)
• use a pop-filter (the nylon ones are cheaper and hold plosive-wind better than the metallic ones)
• speak really close to the microphone
• use custom equalization to enhance the sound of your voice
• you might need to apply some noise reduction
• you might need to apply some sound compression

If your natural voice is captured close to the microphone, you can use less gain and you will have less background noise.

My voice in this video was entirely recorded with the Blue Yeti USB Condenser Microphone on Cardioid Pattern. Sound recording, editing and post-processing all in Audacity. Custom Equalization was applied to remove very low frequencies and increase high frequencies (for better speech comprehension).

The best equalization is different for every person/voice. As a starting point, C-Threep has a great Audacity Equalization tutorial: https://youtu.be/t1fS97ut93c

Since my ‘recording room’ is not properly sound isolated (wooden building, you can hear neighbors walking upstairs… cars, trucks and motorcycles are frequently heard), I also apply noise reduction.

Audio compression is minimum, but, yes, also applied (by audio compression I mean increasing overall volume and reduce volume for the loudest parts, to achieve more uniform audio level – nothing to do with file size).

Professional Microphones for iOS from Blue:

http://www.bluemic.com/iOS_devices/
Spark Digital: http://www.bluemic.com/spark_digital/
Mikey Digital: http://www.bluemic.com/mikey_digital/

Special Thanks/Credits

“C-Threep”
amazing and hilarious Radius shockmount review
https://youtu.be/c1D_quSjfcc
awesome tutorial on equalization with Audacity
https://youtu.be/t1fS97ut93c

“Syrtah”
sound effect: 8mm projector
https://www.freesound.org/people/Syrtah/sounds/241886/
http://videofüralle.de

Jorick Bronius (“jorickhoofd”)
sound effect: breaking glass
https://www.freesound.org/people/jorickhoofd/sounds/179234/
http://jorickbronius.wordpress.com

“Archeos”
sound effect: woman scream
https://www.freesound.org/people/Archeos/sounds/261419/

Jason Farnham
closing song: “Opening Night”
YouTube Audio Library, free music