For an excellent source of news through streaming, try CBSN, an application for CBS News for television streaming which is one of my favorite regular means of getting news. It’s free on Apple TV.
CBSN also features live streaming of CBS News. Other programming is also available, from CBS Evening News, Face the Nation and CBS Sunday Morning to 60 Minutes and Mobituaries.
Functionally, CBSN is both satisfying and accessible. For example, unlike other apps for major broadcasting news competition, such as ABC News, CNN, Fox News and NBC News, its content is both substantive and fast to use without excessive advertising, promotions and noise, graphics and fast cuts. I’ve been informed, amazed and moved by multiple reports, stories and segments, including an excellent report on an American Prisoner of War’s widow and some sense of closure during last week’s failed summit in Hanoi, Vietnam between Communist Korea’s dictator and the American president.
Leftist bias creeps in, though in smaller measure than in other quality press sources, such as National Public Radio (NPR). Wide access to CBS News archives, with archival reports, footage and material from the late Walter Cronkite and other CBS News journalists, adds value to the source. Major Garrett’s reports and podcasting (The Takeout) from Washington, DC, are especially good. That’s where I learned that Face the Nation hostess Margaret Brennan’s favorite movie is the awful hamfest The Departed starring Jack Nicholson and for no good reason, really, and that her favorite book is The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, which she says made her never want to eat beef. This answer by Brennan says so much about her and helps me better judge her inquiry on Face the Nation.
But one of the best reasons I like CBSN is that it’s an intelligent news tool. Unlike the worst of these apps, such as the ABC News app, which moves too fast in bright color with lots of sound effects and seems designed for unthinking audiences, the CBS News app deals primarily in stories, in facts and, occasionally, because it is an app, in tidbits. The ads are not too distracting. The longer form features, such as 60 Minutes segments, are very well done. Generally, there’s a kind of respect for the viewer as a thinker; a benefit of the doubt that you’re a person who’s capable of exercising independence when consuming the news. Strikingly, this means CBS News is more balanced and less biased in its approach than other sources.
I watch, read and listen to other news sources. But I find that, increasingly, bias and an agenda to push me toward a certain viewpoint creeps in, whether I’m watching Fox News, listening to NPR or reading the Los Angeles Times. Or, worse, there’s a general aversion to any coherence or reporting at all in the name of neutrality, which results in a sort of burp of sensory-level material that makes no sense, like a meme or a looping video clip. CBSN isn’t perfect, but it helps me accomplish the crucial task of keeping myself informed.
On a product page, Apple promises that its AirPods, a product the company introduced in 2016, are: “Wireless. Effortless. Magical.” After deciding to buy AirPods a couple of weeks ago, I can attest that there’s truth in Apple’s advertising.
I ordered the AirPods through Apple for $159. When they arrived (a day early), I opened the box with two AirPods, which were ready to use, inside their glossy, white magnetized charging case. Pulling one at a time out of the case, I put the two AirPods in my ears. As I prepared for my morning walk, they instantly sounded a chime indicating they were ready to pair. I went to my iPhone’s Bluetooth setting and selected ‘AirPods’. That was all the pairing took. They also automatically connect with my other Apple devices, such as the tablet and laptop.
Buy AirPods
Using AirPods is easy. They fit into my ears and stay anchored without any problems during my low-key fitness routine, though I wouldn’t advise using them during high-intensity, heavy perspiration workouts. AirPods sense when they’re in my ears. The devices pause audio whenever I remove one, take a call or perform another task.
AirPods are amazing in multiple ways. I summon Siri, Apple’s digital voice assistant, when I want to skip a song in my playlist or execute a command. I just double-tap either of the AirPods to activate voice commands, without needing to take my iPhone out of my pocket. I am also impressed by AirPods’ range, which is wider than I anticipated, thanks to Apple’s W1 microchip, which the Cupertino, California-based company claims produces “extremely efficient wireless for better connection and improved sound”.
By my account, this is true. I’ve had no problem with AirPods’ battery, either, though I haven’t used it beyond Apple’s asserted five hours on a single battery charge. AirPods need just 15 minutes in the recharging case for three hours of listening time. And, because AirPods simultaneously connect to Apple devices, and I am admittedly a 100 percent Apple customer, I can shuttle between listening to an audiobook, album or podcast episode on my iPhone and an Apple Watch or iPad Pro; sound switches between devices. The same goes for listening on my laptop or iMac. I simply choose AirPods on each machine.
AirPods contain what Apple calls accelerometers and other sensors to gauge when the devices, which fit snugly but not too tightly, are inserted or removed from my ears. Apple says this saves time and energy. For instance, when I was listening to a song during my walk and had to remove an AirPod to talk with someone or pause for some reason, the music automatically paused upon device removal. When I re-inserted the AirPod, music or podcast automatically resumed, picking up where the sound left off. Sound stops when both AirPods are removed, saving battery life.
By employing simple, easy to use technology, AirPods significantly enhance my life. I look forward to using them. The sound is clear, the fit is superior compared to EarBuds and the convenience is marvelous. I still use headphones for certain contexts. But AirPods are a valued new addition and another reason why Apple is a favorite brand.
Competing with Mr. Coffee, Keurig and other home coffee machines, Starbucks launched its Verismo (pronounced vurr-izmo like ‘gizmo’ preceded by the ‘ver’ as ‘vurr’) a few years ago. Read my positive review here. This fall, the food, beverage and lifestyle company, whose innovative CEO Howard Schultz stepped down this week, introduced a new version of the machine.
Verismo V, as the new name goes, is improved.
Starbucks’ Verismo V
Better yet from the consumer’s perspective, they keep a similar price range ($129-$179), though it’s currently on sale for $99, which comes with a variety pack or your choice of a box of a dozen coffee pods (a limited line compared to Keurig, which also carries Starbucks coffees, including milk-based, espresso and brewed beverages). It’s available with a milk frother, but I already own one of those.
First, the negatives, and there are a couple. The new detachable water tank, unlike the original machine’s tank, drips upon detachment, so, when you refill it with water, expect leakage on the way back to the machine (I haven’t figured out if it’s possible to stop that yet). I’m filling it without removing the container. Also, and it’s not that big of a problem, Verismo V is larger and takes up more space.
Product design enhancements outweigh the negatives, however, and make up for inconvenience. For example, the water tank, previously located in the back of the machine, goes on the side. It’s measurably larger, too, so a couple drinking a cup or two in the morning won’t have to refill the tank as often and can probably go a few days without refilling. It’s more accessible than before, too, with a simple lid, which easily fits into place. The other version’s water container was tucked into the back of the machine, which was a minor hassle.
The cup/drip tray is also removable, only it’s made of sturdier materials—especially the black metal cup holder, which is separable—and now it’s made to magnetically lock into one of two places to accommodate different cup sizes (and it’s easy to detach the parts completely to make room for a travel mug or tall glass). Rather than an indented spot for the cup as in the previous version, the new Verismo coffeemaker curves the opposite way (outwardly, not inwardly), which takes getting used to. The lever feels thicker, there are more buttons allowing more brewing choices—but not too many—on top and Verismo V is observably quieter when brewing coffee. Beverages (you can use the machine as a hot water dispenser for tea and hot chocolate, of course) are as hot as or hotter than before.
Other improvements include the ability to stop any brewing with the touch of any button and an ability—this is new—to program up to four custom dispensing settings, which Verismo V retains, so two people can have their own separate preferences pre-programmed like car seat positions. In the short time I’ve been using Verismo V, a used pod didn’t drop into the detachable container just once, so that’s still a factor, but at least the space for spent pods is larger. There’s still a small discharge of water after the rinse cycle but splatter has been reduced, so the protruding brew spout is more precise.
Verismo V by Starbucks
After set-up, here’s how Verismo works: fill the water container, power up the machine and place a cup on the tray. Wait for go signal (steady not blinking lights), pull the black metal lever down in one swift motion without a pod inserted, run a short rinse, empty the dispensed water and repeat with a cup after inserting a brewed, espresso and/or latte pod this time. Note that, unless you’re using the programmed settings, you’ll have to manually press any button to stop the brewing process or else the brewing does not stop and the cup will overfill. Verismo V still lasts a few minutes. Verismo V is a bit faster and commands are more responsive.
Starbucks offers fewer pod choices than Keurig’s line of K-cups, but limited edition blends, such as Christmas, Anniversary and others, are usually available in Verismo pods through Starbucks’ Target and in-grocery-store operations, online and Starbucks retail stores. Buying at Starbucks’ website in higher volume saves money, as pods come in boxes of 12 at about a dollar a pod (they’re not reusable).
Verismo V is for people who want to drink premium coffee at home without making a mess or spending more time, effort and energy than old-fashioned grinding, pressing and brewing. The coffeemaker comes with a good manual, which features set-up, programming, troubleshooting and cleaning and maintenance instructions, and the machine still automatically powers down after five minutes of idle time. For good, fast, convenient premium coffee at home, Verismo V remains an excellent option.
Today’s edition of the New York Times reports that if Apple is forced by the Obama administration to make a government-dictated operating system, its key employees and software engineers may quit the company (read the article here). Apple refused comment for the article in the Times, which often sides with the Obama administration and rarely risks incurring the government’s wrath.
Will Atlas shrug? That’s what Lavabit, a company cited in the Times piece which was also ordered by the Obama administration to act against Lavabit’s rights and self-interest, did when its founder chose to exterminate his company rather than submit to statist oppression. Apple, led by heroic CEO Tim Cook, is challenging the United States government in a court battle which may end up in the Supreme Court (read about Apple’s case here).
Whatever Apple workers choose to do if and when faced with the threat of force by the FBI, this report should be seen as part of the epic contest between Apple and the U.S. government. The Democratic Party’s leading candidate for president and presumptive nominee, Hillary Clinton, presumably would mimic the unconstitutional policy of Barack Obama, who went before SXSW last week to impose unearned guilt and shame on Apple and its customers, whom he complained “fetishize their cell phones” at the expense of national defense. Presidential frontrunner Donald Trump, running as a Republican, supports the Obama administration and opposes the rights of Apple, which Trump said he would “boycott”. Unfortunately, Texas Senator Ted Cruz also rejects Apple’s argument, though not as unequivocally as Clinton and Trump.
Apple, however, is unyielding in the commitment to its products, customers and rights and is winning the argument, gaining support from Silicon Valley businesses such as Google, Twitter and Microsoft, key policy groups such as the Cato Institute and the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Rep. Justin Amash, a leading opponent of Obama’s surveillance statism. In a recent judicial filing, Apple rightly argued that America’s founders “would be appalled” by Obama’s dictate. Tim Cook told ABC News in an interview that Apple’s defiance against the order is a “matter of principle”.
That may also be true for Apple’s men of the mind, according to the report. Will Obama force Apple employees to work under executive order in their current positions and effectively seize operational control and nationalize the Cupertino, California-based company? Do not be surprised if he does—and count on the fact that Trump, whose candidacy is predicated on the promise to use physical force against the individual at his whim, will not hesitate to do the same or worse. The same goes for Hillary Clinton, who once proposed outlawing divorce for couples with children. The notion that Americans may again be physically forced by the government to work—slavery—is a distinct possibility. As the terrible Obama presidency comes to a climactic end, and the reality of a more diabolical presidency looms, the thinking man knows that tyranny not only can happen here—it is, in fact, happening here and now.
Whether Apple in whatever form goes on strike may prove crucial in this major battle between America’s worst big government and America’s best big business. In this sense, what the state does to Apple—and what Apple does in its self-defense—foretells America’s immediate future.
This is the word used by conservative columnist Thomas Sowell, who endorsed Sen. Ted Cruz for president with qualifications, to describe the prospect of a presidential election between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Sowell writes that these two disgraceful candidates “are not merely inadequate but appalling.”
Warning that the nation is on a “ruinous road to a point of no return”, he points out that:
The trends that brought us to this crucial day go back for years. But whatever the paths that led to this crossroads, we are in fact at a crossroads and our future, and our children’s futures, depend on whether we can come up with some presidential candidate better than either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump. In other times and in other conditions, one bad president could not ruin a great nation. We survived Jimmy Carter and we may survive Barack Obama, but there is no guarantee that we can survive an unlimited amount of reckless decisions in a dangerous world. The dangers are both internal and external. Two of our bitterest enemies—Iran and North Korea—are openly declaring their desire to destroy us. And both are developing intercontinental missiles that can carry nuclear warheads.”
Yet, in an apparently sweeping approval of the two parties’ frontrunners, majorities of voters in most states with today’s primaries—in Missouri, North Carolina, Illinois, Florida and Ohio—Clinton and Trump won (Ohio Gov. John Kasich, an altruistic advocate for the welfare state, bolstered by Democrats crossing over to vote for him, won in his home state). Sowell’s column (read it here) forecast today’s disastrous results and, toward the end, he calls for supporting Cruz as the only real alternative to this increasingly likely and unacceptable contest between two shrill, cackling power-lusters who seek total government control of people’s lives. Leonard Peikoff, in a recent episode of his podcast (listen to it here), said that he thinks America is in fast decline and, given the presidential campaign thus far including today’s election results, I agree.
This year’s election looks like an oncoming catastrophe for the nation based on individual rights. I’ve been observing, reporting and writing about the nation’s downward spiral for years and now that the rate of acceleration downward is apparent to everyone, it is worse than I could have imagined. Sowell is right that these two candidates are appalling. Unfortunately, most appalled Americans may be making matters worse—some, if not most, I suspect, without knowing it.
Knowing better could stop the coming disaster. On a fundamental level, this must happen through philosophical change achieved through education. But in the few months remaining before the national political conventions, especially the Republican National Convention in July in Cleveland, Ohio, and between now and Election Day, those who know why Clinton and Trump are appalling as candidates for the presidency of this American republic should think about activism and speak out as early and as often as possible. Though time is short, the impending doom of a race between Clinton vs. Trump—an unwinnable conflict—can be stopped.
For both aspiration and inspiration, look to the words and actions of the West’s greatest business, an American computer company called Apple in Cupertino, California. Apple, as you probably know, is being persecuted by the Obama administration, which fundamentally made Trump and Clinton possible, and Apple has decided to reject granting what Ayn Rand called the sanction of the victim.
Apple is fighting back.
Invoking America’s founding fathers in a defiant appeal to reason in the nation’s judicial system (read about it here), Apple again opposed Obama’s order to violate Apple’s rights today in court by arguing that “[a]ccording to the government, short of kidnapping or breaking an express law, the courts can order private parties to do virtually anything the Justice Department and FBI can dream up.”
Apple lawyers added: “The Founders would be appalled.”
I did not fully appreciate the heroism of Apple’s principled stand against the state until I watched the full, extended interview with CEO Tim Cook (watch it here).
Though ABC News should have disclosed its parent company Disney’s historically close relationship with Apple and the interviewer’s questions are generally slanted toward Obama’s administration or uninformed and often hostile, with no regard for individual rights, the interview only underscores Mr. Cook’s outstanding communication skills. He’s unequivocal, he answers each question, raising the stakes here and there and challenging the interviewer. It’s apparent from the interview that Apple, its leadership and Mr. Cook, who persistently and powerfully emphasizes that Apple’s refusal to comply with the government’s order to make new software in violation of Apple’s and its customer’s rights is a stand on principle, has studied, examined and contemplated the deepest issues and context of the false dichotomy between national defense and individual liberty. Tim Cook concisely, slowly and fundamentally gives Apple’s position clarity. One may dispute a word choice or phrasing but I can’t recall another recent example of a businessman so prominently, bravely and historically refusing to be persecuted by the state.
Bravo to Tim Cook for standing up for individual rights—his company’s and his customer’s—and to Apple for earning its status as the greatest American business. Whatever the outcome in this climactic conflict between the inalienable rights of the individual and the ominous role of the American state (read my thoughts on “Apple vs. the State“), the fact is that, while presidential candidates rage against Big Business and fraudulently pose as rebels for positive reform, a big business in California led by one man honors the proud American practice—from the Boston Tea Party to Rosa Parks and Edward Snowden—of rebelling against the omnipotent state and fighting for one’s rights.
I write fiction and non-fiction. Read my blog at left for informal posts on news, ideas and the culture. I am available for contracting, so if you're interested, please start here.
I welcome feedback. To let me know your thoughts, please feel free to contact me.
CBSN also features live streaming of CBS News. Other programming is also available, from CBS Evening News, Face the Nation and CBS Sunday Morning to 60 Minutes and Mobituaries.
Apple, however, is unyielding in the commitment to its products, customers and rights and is winning the argument, gaining support from Silicon Valley businesses such as Google, Twitter and Microsoft, key policy groups such as the Cato Institute and the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Rep. Justin Amash, a leading opponent of Obama’s surveillance statism. In a recent judicial filing, Apple rightly argued that 
Yet, in an apparently sweeping approval of the two parties’ frontrunners, majorities of voters in most states with today’s primaries—in Missouri, North Carolina, Illinois, Florida and Ohio—Clinton and Trump won (Ohio Gov. John Kasich, an altruistic advocate for the welfare state, bolstered by Democrats crossing over to vote for him, won in his home state). Sowell’s column (read it 
Knowing better could stop the coming disaster. On a fundamental level, this must happen through philosophical change achieved through education. But in the few months remaining before the national political conventions, especially the Republican National Convention in July in Cleveland, Ohio, and between now and Election Day, those who know why Clinton and Trump are appalling as candidates for the presidency of this American republic should think about 