My wife Carol and I had the experience of heading up to North Conway, NH during School Vacation Week.
We experienced a few days with family. We had fun skiing, exploring the seasonal Ice Castles, and discovered some great places to eat.
SKIING
We put three kids, 4, 7, and 9, into the Cranmore Mountain Resort Ski School. They all loved it and were skiing up and down as much and as long as they could.
The hand cut potato fries were amazing. It's hard to believe, but these hand cut potato fries were some of the best I've ever had. I was on a roll.
Also, the boys loved the giant pretzels. If you don't like a lot of salt, you might have to brush some off. Good local beer list here and a huge fireplace to warm up in front of after a day of skiing.
20 plus years ago we began with a seven-barrel system, added a 30-barrel production facility and lab that visitors will discover on the premises today. Visit the brewery, take a tour, eat, or stay with us at the Inn
Here I ordered adult grilled cheese which is made with brewery spent grain bread, Pigs Ear Cheddar, Pecanwood smoked bacon and tomato. Guess what? It was one of the best grilled cheese ever.
Ice Castles is an award-winning frozen attraction located in six cities across North America. The experience is built using hundreds of thousands of icicles hand-placed by professional ice artists. The castles include breathtaking LED-lit sculptures, frozen thrones, ice-carved tunnels, slides, fountains and much more.
This was the first time I'd stayed in an Airbnb. Everyone in the family had their own room, and Carol and I had the Yves Saint Laurent LOVE room!
Perfect vacation paradise. Walking distance to Cranmore Mountain, North Conway Village, attached to Whitaker Woods. The main floor's open layout, wood walls and beamed ceilings, 2 gorgeous stone fireplaces - perfect spot for appetizers & drinks while watching the sunset! 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, full basement, washer/dryer (linens/towels included). New (seasonal) heated pool! (New) shuffleboard & games for kids, cable...kitchen is brilliantly equipped (enough to host a big Thanksgiving dinner!)
Not on Airbnb yet? Join Airbnb via this link and you'll get $55 off your first trip—and once you complete your reservation, I’ll get up to $30.
When I upgraded to the new Xfinity xFi Gateway (3rd Generation), the WiFi speeds in my house increased in speed and range.
There were a few 'dead spots' that needed a boost, so I got a 3-pack of Xfinity XFi pods to test, to see if they could help increase speed to those areas that were farthest away from my Xfinity gateway.
Setup was easy. The xFi smartphone app guides you through placement of hte xFi pods, and automatically recognizes them as you go from room to room to install them. The app allows you to add a descriptive name to help you monitor each xFi pod after installation.
My first test installed xFi Pods in the Livingroom, Kitchen, and Den, all are one floor below the Xfinity xFi Gateway (3rd Generation). For my second test, I removed the Livingroom xFi pod and moved it to the third floor bedroom, to be closer to the Xfinity xFi Gateway (3rd Generation). When researching online, I read that the WiFi signal hops from one xFi pod to the other, so having one on the third floor closer to the modem improved my performance.
In my testing, I found that although the xFi pods did increase the speed available at the farthest point from my modem, they decreased the speed in the rooms that are closer to the modem.
Pods will not exceed the maximum provisioned speed of your Xfinity Internet tier of service. Pods have a maximum throughput of 200 Mbps over a WiFi connection in laboratory settings. Other factors can affect speeds.
Review: SONY A9G MASTER Series LED 4K High Dynamic Range (HDR) Smart TV (Android TV)
The vibrance of the colors on this TV are incredible. Now that I have an OLED SONY TV, I see why everyone was telling me that OLED is the only way to go. We are enjoying 4K shows on streaming services, and re-watching some favorites.
OLED
"Powered by the Picture Processor X1™ Ultimate, this OLED TV pairs the deep black and natural color of OLED with Pixel Contrast Booster™ for enhanced color contrast in high luminance. Everything you watch comes to life with fine detail and vivid color."
NETFLIX
"Enjoy studio quality with Netflix Calibrated Mode
This mode was specially developed to enjoy Netflix originals and reproduce the same picture quality on a TV as on a studio evaluation master. With Netflix Calibrated Mode, the creator's vision and intent is faithfully preserved."
AMAZON PRIME VIDEO
Amazon Prime. We enjoy these shows: Modern Love, Late Night, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Jack Ryan, The Big Sick, Hanna, and Humans.
ANDROID TV
Connecting to streaming providers is easy. Gives me a taste of the freedom of cutting the cord, although I'm also experiencing the stuttering videos of high latency, which is a problem that you don't have with cable tv.
Stuttering
I've seen stuttering with Star Trek Picard on CBS All Access. When I talked to customer support they told me that it was a latency problem that they sometimes have. The support rep said that Netflix and Amazon Prime Video don't have the same problem because they connect directly to your tv with an enhanced technology that CBS All Access has yet to invest in. I don't understand what he was referring to. He told me, "That's why CBS All Access is cheaper." LOL. I'm not sure what's going on here but would love to learn exactly what he was referring to.
Note: On Friday morning, the day after the Star Trek Picard release, the show was fine. No streaming issues. I am upgrading my internet modem and will keep an eye on this.
Model Numbers: CGM4331COM
Friendly Model Name: XB7
Gigabit Ethernet Ports: 4
Dual-Band WiFi Option: Yes
Maximum Data Throughput: 2.5 Gbps
WPS (WiFi Protected Setup): Yes
Gateway/ Network Management Tool (http://10.0.0.1): Yes
Xfinity xFi Eligible: Yes
Two Total Telephone Ports: Yes (separate Alarm Port)
Link Cordless Phones (CAT-iq 2.0*): Yes
Home Hotspot Capable: Yes
Compatible with Xfinity Home: Yes
I also turned on the new modem's Wi-Fi. At the same time I removed the Orbi Mesh WiFi network, and turned off Bridge Mode, which I was using to allow my Orbi Mesh Network to run the Wi-Fi in the house. I wanted to rule out any variables when trying to trouble shoot my issues.
After a call to SONY support, I fixed both the Hulu no sound issue, and the CBS All Access and Disney+ stuttering video issues. For the audio issue, I went into the SONY audio settings and turned OFF Bravia Sync, and turned ON PCM.
Image: Audio System Prioritization = OFF
Image: Digital Audio Out = PCM
NETWORKING
I took the MAC address of the SONY TV and put it into the Xfinity Router as a fixed address instead of allowing DCHP to assign an address.
REBOOT
I also did a SOFT REBOOT of the SONY TV by holding down the power button on the SONY remote for 10 seconds.
I also used the Xfinity XFi app to reboot the Xfinity modem.
UPDATE
I had the 'no sound' and 'stuttering' happen again, even after adding in orbi mesh wifi to increse the wifi speed in the room.
I rebooted the orbi, and then unplugged and re-plugged in the tv. That fixed everything. So, the SOFT REBOOT above might have actually been the final fix the last time this happened.
SONY and SONOS
I've got a Sonos sound system, PlayBar and Sub. It supports all the latest technology including Dolby sound. It sounds great, until it doesn't sound at all. Hulu and Disney+ have gone silent at times. Hulu support had me turn off Dolby sound, and nothing happened, until I tried it again the next morning and it worked. It's a mystery. Solved for now. If I had to guess, I'd say that Amazon Prime Video and Netflix have superior apps.
AMAZON ECHO
You can control the tv with your Amazon Echo device. You can also, add the Amazon Echo app to allow you access to your ring devices and say things like, "Alexa, Show me my front door on the Den TV." FAQ - Control your Android TV with Amazon Alexa-enabled Devices.
XFINITY
Comcast Xfinity provides both cable tv and internet service used by this tv. In an environment of cord cutting, where this tv supports sampling streaming TV shows, I can see the appeal of steaming via the smart tv, but what you lose is one central place to get help for anything that doesn't work. Also, Comcast Xfinity has been broadcasting live tv and cable for years and years, and you never have issues with connectivity or stuttering. Some reasons to think twice before cutting the cord.
SPEED TESTS
Here are updated speed tests for different locations around the house. Prior testing was done with eero and orbi mesh WiFi devices. This test uses just the Xfinity xFi 3rd Generation Gateway, with one ring WiFi extender on the front porch.
SPEED TESTS:
OFFICE
BEFORE(Wired Base eero) 230 Mbps
AFTER (Wired Base orbi) 230 Mbps
SALES AND HOME INSTALLATION
My nephew, Independent Security Systems, Inc, installed this tv along with a Sonos sound system. He can do the same for you, if you are in the greater Boston area.
I'm using a Beta version of Airmail, and want it to be my default email client in Chrome. When I click to send a web page via email, the standard version of Airmail opens.
Here's how to set the preferred Chrome browser mail client. You do it in Apple Mail!
1. Open Mail.app
2. Go to Preferences->General->Default Email Reader
The Sonos Playbar and Amazon Echo devices cannot be grouped for music playback with Amazon Alexa. Hopefully a software update will allow this in the future.
To set up multiroom audio, open the Alexa app and select “Devices” from the bottom right corner. Tap the + icon in the top right, and select “Set Up Multi-Room Music.” The app will then prompt you to create a group, making it easier to control music playback by saying things like “Alexa, play music upstairs” instead of calling out individual speakers. Once you’ve created your group(s), add your desired devices, and the setup is complete.
I’ve used CardStore.com for years, and their online address book, to send customized Christmas cards. They handled everything including addressing stamping and mailing out the cards.
They suggest joining their parent company site. Americangreetings.com, but after going over there, I don’t see any way for them to mail cards for you.
After reviewing the backs of this year's Christmas cards, I've decided to replace CardStore.com with Minted.com.
Image: Nailed it by Jackie Crawford, Durham, NC
Minted had some very artistic designs that carry over to addressing your envelope, and can include coordinated stamps. The only thing that's different is that they will pre-stamp all of your cards, and then bulk mail them, in a box, to you. You then mail them. I'm not sure why this extra step is there, but it's no big deal. ;-)
Here's a deal for you:
$25 off $100 at Minted
“Your friends get $25 OFF their first order of $100 or more. You get a $25 reward to be spent on orders of $100 or more.”
Note on EXPORTING CardStore.com ADDRESS BOOK: CardStore Exports a .csv file with your addresses, BUT does not maintain the LEADING ZERO in ZIP CODES. #FAIL
Note on how to cancel your American Greetings.com 7 Day Trial Membership:
How do I cancel my subscription?
American Greetings memberships renew automatically. If you do not wish to have your membership renew, please visit the Manage Membership page in the My Account section of the site. You will select the “Do not renew membership” option, and your membership will expire at the end of your term. Please note, charges already incurred may be non-refundable under the terms of your membership. You may continue to use your membership until it expires.
To cancel your trial membership, please contact us within your 7 day trial period. Our Customer Support Representatives are happy to assist you. You can call us at 1-800-711-4474 between the hours of 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. EST (Monday through Friday) or if you prefer not to call, you can email us at help@americangreetings.com
Comcast Xfinity has a fairly new package that includes a Netflix subscription. This means that instead of paying Netflix for a monthly subscription, the cost is included in your Comcast Xfinity package, and billed through Comcast Xfinity.
If you want to upgrade your subscription from HD to UHD (4K), you'll get a message on the Comcast Xfinity page to give them a call to change your package.
Don't do that.
Instead, sign into your Netflix account on the Netflix website, and upgrade there. You'll be charged through your Comcast Xfinity billing process.
1. Season the brisket with salt and pepper to taste. Sear the brisket until brown in a fry pan using olive oil. Then remove from pan.
2. Saute onion
3. Add carrots and celery
4. Pour half of the tomatoes into the slow cooker
5. Place the brisket into the slow cooker
6. Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over brisket in the slow cooker
7. Cover and cook for 8 HOURS on LOW.
8. Allow the brisket to cool, then place in the refrigerator over-night.
9. Slice the brisket against the grain, and place the brisket back in its liquid. Bake at 350 for 1/2 hour.
10. Place back in refrigerator, after cooled.
I'm planning for the imminent installation of my SONY A9G Master SERIES OLED 4K ULTRA HD HDR 65” TV.
Here's how to get Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+, YouTube and CBS All Access through the Android TV apps on the TV. HBO and Starz will be through Comcast Xfinity, and Apple TV+ will be through my Apple TV box.
Over time the majority of these apps will be available via the Comcast Xfinity X1 box, and not require separate apps.
NETFLIX
Some of the Netflix ready devices include a NETFLIX button on the supplied remote that can be used to launch the app. If the remote for your Netflix ready device doesn't include a NETFLIX button, the app can be accessed by pressing the HOME button, and then navigating to the Netflix app. I am subscribing to Netflix through a Comcast Xfinity package.
AMAZON PRIME VIDEO
The Android TV™ supports 4K streaming of the Amazon® Instant Video app. To enjoy 4K streaming of the Amazon Instant Video app, download and install the latest software update for the Android TV. Amazon Prime Video is included with Amazon Prime.
HULU
There is one Hulu app on all of our Android TVs. The service you receive will depend on your Hulu subscription plan. I am paying for Hulu without commercial.
Disney+
The Disney+ Android app can be installed from Google Play™ Store or Sony Select on your Android TV. I bought a three year subscription to Disney+.
YouTube
You can play 4K movies on the YouTube® app with a compatible Android TV™. Free.
CBS ALL ACCESS
If you own an Android TV you can use the official CBS All Access app from the Google Play Store. I will be subscribing through the CBS All Access app.
COMCAST Xfinity Box
- HBO
- STARZ
Note: To make things easier, bundled in with the Comcast Xfinity interface, you can also get these streaming services via the X1 box:
- Netflix
- Amazon Prime Video
- YouTube
Last year I used mimeo to create my 2019 calendar. It worked well.
This year I went to create my 2020 calendar, and after duplicating the 2019 calendar and renaming it 2020, I double-clicked it, and the app never loaded. I tried it a few times, then gave up.
I downloaded Motif from the Mac App Store and opened it through the CREATE menu on the Photo app.
It opened right up.
After dragging the photos that I wanted to use in my new calendar, it's simple to drag and drop photos on to each page.
Here's my cover:
On the month pages, you can choose to use up to 9 photos on each page in many different configurations, that are able to be modified. Lots of power here.
This is my December:
Here are some of the features you can use when creating your Motif calendar.
I like the feature that allows you to add a photo to an important date.
I'd like to be able to edit the text more to allow the background photo to show up more.
I had an overall great experience with Motif making my calendar for 2020.
It’s still hard to believe that Doyle’s is closing.
Thanks again to Gerry, Donna, Eileen, and the team who took care of us for the 11 years that we had Boston Media Makers meetings there on the first Sunday of every month.
For many years Carol and I stopped in for corned beef and cabbage.
It’s the type of place that we would search for when traveling around the world. A classic Irish bar with a lot of character. Sad to see it go.
It was my pleasure to lead two photo walks at the Marketing Profs B2B Forum, at National Harbor, MD this year.
Prior to the walk, I gave photo tips to attendees using the MPB2B App. Then, prior to each walk, I gave a brief review of photo taking tips.
We had one walk at midday, and the second, first thing in the morning.
These walks are a great way to casually meet other conference goers who share an interest in photography, or who just want to walk around with a bunch of photographers.
We had all levels of photographers on the walks. The majority were wither using photographers in social media posts, or shooting photos for fun.
HASHTAGS
Do you use hashtags?
Prior to the walk, I monitored the #NationalHarbor hashtag on Instagram to get a feeling fpr popular photo stops. This was in valuable for me to make sure our walks hit all the highlights.
I suggested the use of these hashtags for our walks:
- #MPB2B , the conference hashtag
- #MPB2BPhotoWalk, a hashtag specific to our walk
- NationalHarbor, the hashtag manhy people use for the area
Looking at the MOST RECENT POSTS using the #MPB2BPhotoWalk hashtag you can see some photographers followed my suggestion to make a mosaic using letters to spell something.
GET SEEN
One thing I like to do when traveling is to get the attention of venue I am visiting. Here, the @NationalHarbor Instagram account shared one of my photos.
In Europe credit cards use CHIP and PIN. In the US, most credit cards use CHIP only. No PIN. This article can show you which cards support both CHIP and PIN.
Since I have a CHIP only card, when I tried to use it in Amsterdam, I was required to show my license and give a signature. Lame.
When I was in Germany, at the checkout, I said I wanted to pay with a CARD, and then used my iPhone to pay with ApplePay. That worked 95% of the time and made payments seamless. I tied my ApplePay to a credit card without foreign transaction fees.
Note: When the vendor asks if you want to have them convert the transaction from EURO to US DOLLARS, say NO, because their foreign transaction fees will be high, and your credit card without foreign transaction fees will take care of it.
