Tag Archives: music

Editorial: why does the iPod Touch still exist in 2019?

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Apple once again renewed the iPod Touch, four years after the previous update. Pro Apple blogs like Appleinsider welcomed the update, while more neutral ones like The Verge also said it’s a solid update. But in my opinion, the iPod Touch has no reason to exist in 2019.

The original iPod’s purpose was to have “a thousand songs in your pocket”. In the age before fast mobile network it made sense. Even after the iPhone was released in 2007, the iPod Touch was still a solid choice for those not ready to get an iPhone. I’ve witnessed many who couldn’t afford an iPhone opted for an Android phone plus an iPod Touch in order to use the apps only available in iOS. Others wanted a separate device with more storage for their own, self-ripped music.

But in 2019, the iPod Touch should cease to exist.

You see, in the March Apple event, Tim Cook announced “services” are their next big focus. Apple Music, a streaming service, which requires a constant Internet connection, has succeeded, and in some way cannabilized, iTunes Music Store. Having “a thousand songs in your pocket” is nothing nowadays. When I go jogging these days, I simply take my LTE-enabled Apple Watch and AirPods and I have a million songs on the Internet with me. I don’t mean Apple Watch is the next big thing. I mean Apple Music is (supposed to be) Apple’s next big thing. The iPod touch doesn’t have LTE, meaning it doesn’t have a constant access to the Internet, meaning it cannot fully live the spirit of Apple Music. iPod + iTunes, which were often tied together in the past in Apple’s ads or even earnings report, should cease to exist if Apple truly wants its new “services” segment to fly.

There’s one way in my opinion to make a successful iPod Touch though. Kindles all have free cellular access to the Internet (do they still?) to get new Kindle ebooks. Apple could make something like a radio set. An cellular-enabled device with free internet access for Apple Music. This concept of unlimited data confined to a certain apps isn’t unheard of. In Australia/New Zealand they have plans for unlimited social media access. In Apple’s case it could limit streaming to a low bit rate, and users could download high bit rate songs with WiFi.

But if streaming music is the main purpose of that new device, it doesn’t need to be an iPod Touch. It could be an Apple Watch with free internet access for streaming.

The conclusion? In 2019, the iPod Touch has no reason to exist.

Music

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I haven’t stressed enough that I love music. And I believe the music we love tells others who we really are. So from the very beginning when we decided to host a wedding banquet, I began curating a wedding playlist. Cherry and I were quite proud of the music showcased in different sessions of my wedding night, especially the music used in table toasting. The central idea was to keep the atmosphere fun and romantic. We hope we did it.

Link for full playlist. Some preview below.

What about our march-in songs? Well we were very lucky to have found some violin/cello covers of fairy tale songs that gave so much hope for everyone. Credit to these great artists.

2018

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Year 2018 was all about getting married. I’m glad after 18 months of preparation, my wedding day went mostly smooth, and more importantly, Cherry and I really got married on 30 December 2018.

I have to be grateful to my best friends’ contributions. Each of them did their part in perfection. MK and Martin were the perfect MC duo. Their interactions, mainly sarcasm, were so natural that they amazed not only me, but everyone else in the banquet. T was the best-suited person to be the IT operator. I needed not worry anything when he’s in charge of music and video playback. Eugene described himself best — he’s the money. But to me he’s more than that. He’s the missing piece. Without him I’d have to find someone else to make four groomsmen in total. So, a big thanks to everyone.

Stressful though wedding preparation was, it’s one of the most creative periods in my life. It’s like a creativity Olympics. I had to work on graphics for invitation cards, backdrop design, photo booth template and so on. I had to work on video production. I had to refresh my skills in public speaking. I had to pick the right background music. I also had to put my fashion taste to the test when I picked not only my suits, but also groomsmen’s outfit. Overall I’m quite pleased with the outcome, but it’s definitely something I wouldn’t want to try again. One more reason to avoid getting divorced.

So, in order to review the many wonderful moments on my wedding day, I’m posting some of my creative elements here, exclusively. Enjoy. And happy new year!

Millennial fever

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I created a new iTunes Apple Music playlist called “Millennial Fever” lately. As its name suggests, it’s all about hit songs in the 2000s. More precisely, it contains songs I used to play on loop all day. Curating new playlists is one of my favourite late night activities. I got so excited as I revisited those long-forgotten songs, and I thought that would make a great car playlist.

I was wrong.

I’m not going into details about which songs I exactly picked, because some of those old favourites really embarrasses me. But it did include some usual suspects from the 2000s, like Twins, Jade Kwan, etc.. I ended up skipping lots of songs in that playlist as I drove to work. I then realized there had to be a reason songs are forgotten — maybe they really suck. Henry Ho used to say if a dental material exists, it must be of some use; otherwise it would have become obsolete. I guess this principle applies to songs too. If one doesn’t listen to a song anymore, the song really sucks.

Or maybe it doesn’t. You see, in the movie Inside Out, Ping Pong was forgotten spontaneously. Ping Pong didn’t suck. He was forgotten because Riley had new and more important memories. When Ping Pong died, his spirit lived on. He sacrificed himself so that Joy could go and save Riley. He made Joy promise she’d help him take Riley to the Moon. Old music were forgotten to make way for the new. Instead of going away all of a sudden, old tastes evolve into new, better tastes over time.

Who are my heroes? (2)

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Time flies. Two years ago I wrote the first instalment of a piece of article named “Who are my heroes?”, and I thought I’d complete the other parts soon. That never happened — I completely forgot about that article, until when I’ve found a more meaningful subject I want to talk about lately — “my little airport”, a local indie band whose songs are filled with bold, often controversial, lyrics constrasted to some relaxing melodies. They’ve become my true hero lately.

“We have to be very strong / if we want to do something wrong / 我們終於去到了九龍塘 / 在城大旁的酒店爆房”
— 浪漫九龍塘

“我就這樣痛哭一場 / 在陌生女子懷內失常 / 你說我長得跟你舊愛很像 / 才令你突然這樣憂傷”
“由不相識再到交心一場 / 然後又回復正常 / 四十分鐘的關係似夢一樣 / 人生經歷總無常”
— 憂傷的嫖客

Thinking those lyrics are rather scandalous? I may have some OCD-trait for cleanliness or tidiness, but for music and the art, I think what’s bold and crazy yet resonating are the good ones.

Their music are not always about explicitness. Sometimes they talk about some trivial yet personal events in life, sometimes the sickening politics in Hong Kong, and sometimes, of course, about love and romance. Listening to their music offers an escape from the boring reality, where we’re often bound by taboos. Life sucks lately, and their presence makes my world, and hopefully yours, suck less.

“離婚的主因是結婚這不是亂講 / 一百年前已流傳西方”
— 你是浪子，別泊岸

“這一個下雨的夜晚 / 我躺在沙發矇曨間 / 收音機說北韓已射出導彈 / 地球另一邊被炸爛”
— 土瓜灣情歌

“一早都告訴你女人就是女人 / 你說不同地方的女人都是不同類人 / 直到你的外遇開始要求你離婚 / 你是否了解女人最終只想關係安穩？”
— 已婚男人