Doug Mejia

Oh, man… Mac Power Users put out their 2025 Holiday Gift Guide. Let me hide my wallet!

Here are some of the things I already own, like or found interesting.

• Gift of Relay
• 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max - Apple
• Apple in China - by Patrick McGee
• Logitech MX Vertical Ergonomic Wireless Mouse
• Ugmunk
• Field Notes
• Benchmade Custom Knives
• Leatherman ARC Multi-tools
• Packing Cube | Peak Design Official Site
• Roller Pro | Peak Design Official Site
• Amazon.com: Battery Daddy Storage & Organizer Case
• Toyo Toolbox

Could Apple Bring Back The iPod For A Special Anniversary Edition?

…Apple released the iPhone Pocket a day after the iPod turned 24. That said, could the company bring back its iconic product for a special anniversary edition in 2026, when it completes 25 years?

Yes, please! Maybe it’s because I’ve been on a music rediscovery kick lately with my (new) Sony Walkman, but I think this would be an awesome idea. How cool would it be if Apple reintroduced the iPod Classic to celebrate its 25th anniversary? I don’t think they would do it, but it would be cool.

I have my old iPod Classic and it still works, so instead of having Apple bring back the old iPod Classic purely for nostalgia purposes, what if they brought back an entirely new dedicated music player? It would have to be something that entices audiophiles and casual listeners alike. With the resurgence of physical media being purchased by younger generations, I don’t see this as a stretch.

Imagine Apple releases an iPod that’s like the Classic in that it has one purpose: to play music at the highest quality possible. I think they have a real shot because younger people are buying vinyl, Blu-rays, DVDs, and old CDs to go back to a simpler time. It’s like they’re trying to experience something new, because to them, streaming services are “so yesterday.” They want to try something cool, like listening to vinyl or busting out a Sony Walkman like I did and enjoying that for an evening.

Maybe it’s not nostalgia for them but something genuinely new that sparks their interest. I think they’d be hooked because they wouldn’t have to listen to the compressed streaming quality they may be used to. Instead, they’d get high-quality lossless audio that I’m sure Apple could deliver in an iPod 2026 edition. What a cool thought experiment. I’m all in.

The Last 5 Pennies Ever Made Have a Special Mark and Could Sell for Big Bucks

The US Mint brought more than two centuries of penny production to a close last week

In case you missed it, the US Mint will no longer make any more pennies. First minted in 1793 and changed to the design we’re most familiar with in 1809, the penny has officially reached the end of its production run. However, there are about 300 million still in circulation. The last five pennies ever minted will feature a special omega symbol on them. Unfortunately, they won’t be released into circulation by the Philadelphia mint. Instead, they’ll be auctioned off. Some experts say they may go for tens of thousands of dollars, while others are claiming they’ll probably fetch anywhere from $2 million to $5 million per coin.

Funny that I came across this CNET article (linked above) because my wife and I were talking about exactly this on the way home today. I told her I was a little sad to see the penny come to an end because it’s always been around. Now that they’re not being made anymore, I’m sure we’ll all try to keep whatever pennies come across our path from now on. Maybe people will even stop, bend down, and pick up a penny or two from now on. Maybe people won’t even throw them in those fountains at the mall to make a wish?

Deepfake Videos Are More Realistic Than Ever. Here’s How to Spot if a Video Is Real or AI

Remember when “fake” on the internet meant a badly Photoshopped picture? Ah, simpler times. Now, we’re all swimming in a sea of AI-generated videos and deepfakes, from bogus celebrity videos to false disaster broadcasts, and it’s getting almost impossible to know what’s real.

Not too long ago, whenever you saw a photo or video, it was safe to assume it was real. Sure, you probably knew it had been touched up a bit or cropped for emphasis, but overall, you could believe what you were seeing. Then you started scrutinizing photos more carefully when composites became common, and even more so when Photoshop made it possible to remove or insert objects and people who weren’t in the original image. The only comfort we had was that these skills were limited to a select few. Otherwise, it was easy to spot the imperfections that gave away a fake.

Then came videos. When watching a movie, we assumed most of it was enhanced or outright faked, and we called it movie magic. We knew the context and situation we were putting ourselves into, so we expected it and allowed ourselves to be fooled for enjoyment and entertainment.

Somewhere down the road, AI-generated videos started appearing. The most popular one was probably the Will Smith eating spaghetti video from 2023. It was clearly fake and easy to spot because of its low quality and uncanny valley appearance. Other videos were easy to identify because AI struggled with rendering hands. They always looked weird, sometimes with six fingers, which was a dead giveaway.

Since then, AI has gotten significantly better at creating images and videos. You can still spot them, but it’s much harder now.

This CNET article linked above offers some suggestions for spotting fake AI-created images and videos. Basically, trust your gut. If something looks too perfect or oddly off, it’s probably fake. Another suggestion is to run it through a metadata checker, where responsible companies will indicate if content was AI-generated. However, they acknowledge that most people won’t take that extra step. Looking for watermarks from companies like Sora or Google can also help identify AI content. The problem is you’re depending on creators to insert those watermarks. Usually, those aren’t the ones you need to worry about since they’re mainly for entertainment.

The real danger comes from content designed to convince you of something fake by passing it off as real. Those are the ones you need to scrutinize carefully and make your own judgment about whether what you’re seeing is true. Check your sources and verify information through other means to confirm what’s being portrayed is actually real. Don’t take things for granted, and please educate others. I’m thinking especially of older generations who may not be up to speed on these capabilities and could be easily fooled. I’m not saying they’re less intelligent than us because any of us can be fooled by this at any time. Let’s continue to look out for one another.

Sitting down to intentionally enjoy your music isn’t something most of us do these days. We put music in the background while showering, driving to work, cleaning the house, or hosting a party. The music is there, it sets the mood, and we enjoy it, but we don’t listen to it the way people used to back in the 60s and 70s.

The other day, I saw Randy talk about taking the time to really enjoy our music on his cheapaudioman YouTube channel. He mentioned that streaming services give us incredible variety, but having so much choice creates a paradox. With virtually no limits on what to choose from, we listen to a bit of a song, click to the next one, and keep clicking until we either get tired, move on to something else, or actually find something we like. The problem? We’re not really taking the time to enjoy songs the way the artist intended, like we would if we listened to an entire album.

I get it. Not all of us have time for this. But every once in a while, it’s nice to just slow down, sit back in your favorite chair, and listen to your music collection. Revisit old tracks that remind you of great times gone by. Just as fun is discovering new music that’s been hiding in plain sight within the collection you’ve always had.

I did just this today. I actually started a couple of nights ago for about an hour, but today I dedicated a nice chunk of time to it again. I took my music collection (ripped from CDs a while ago and stored on my NAS) and put it on a microSD card. Once I had everything I wanted, which was my entire collection since it’s not that big, I loaded it onto my “new” Walkman, a Sony NW-A55/B. I paired it with my HiFiMan open-back headphones and went to town.

I loaded up all the songs, put them on shuffle, pressed play, sat back, and enjoyed. Some of these songs brought back awesome memories, while others I’d never heard before, or at least didn’t remember hearing. A good example is “3121” by Prince. It’s a fun, rhythmic song I don’t remember ever listening to before, so I’m glad I discovered it.

If you have the opportunity, try something like this yourself. One of these days, I’m going to dig into my vinyl collection, pick an album at random, and just put it on. Even if I end up not liking my choice, at least I can say I listened to it and made an informed decision. There’s a slim chance of that since most of the vinyl records I have are ones I chose myself, but there are a few that were handed down to me or bought by family members, so there’s always a possibility. But I love music so much, I’ll probably find something I like in everything I listen to.

Anyway, that’s a project for another day. Today was such a joy, and I experienced it uninterrupted because I didn’t have my phone buzzing or beeping at me. I was just listening to a dedicated music player with wired headphones, a cup of coffee in my hand, and my memories. Period.

Have you ever stopped to notice that your USB ports have different colors? Some are blue, some are black, and some are red—but what do all these mean? It’s OK if you don’t know, because manufacturers don’t follow a universal standard. It all depends on what they feel like coloring it. The saving grace is that many of them do conform to certain conventions.

For example, blue ports typically represent the higher-speed USB 3.0 or 3.1 standard, which means faster data transfers compared to older versions. Red or yellow ports often signify “always-on” or high-power charging capabilities, meaning your devices will keep charging even when your computer is asleep or completely off.

These colors, in short, mean something. They can indicate faster speeds, enhanced features, or higher charging capacity. Unfortunately, since there’s no universal standard dictating what each color means, we still have to depend on reading the manufacturer’s manual for definitive answers.

Every computer is most likely different, and even models within a certain manufacturer’s lineup can vary.

The bottom line… While color conventions exist and can be helpful guides, always check your device’s documentation to know exactly what you’re working with.

Nikhil Azza from BGR has written a great article explaining these colors more in depth. Check it out here.

Each port color signifies a specific functionality, and plugging your gadget into the right USB port can make a noticeable difference in speed and performance.

I am excited about the upcoming Ken Burns documentary, The American Revolution Season 1 that will air on November 16, 2025 on PBS. 📺

From what I have been reading, it has been in the making for about a decade and it supposed to be different than his previous projects like The Civil War or Baseball. Since there were no photographs of the time period, Burns uses other tools at his disposal such as CGI maps and drone shots of reenactments to piece together his story. All in all, it cost about $30 million to make.

The New York Times has a good article that goes into more detail.

Watch the Extended Trailer