Back in January, I asked this question and expressed my doubt, regarding Amazon’s use of fiber optic cable.
I was correct in assuming that Amazon is hooking up with Corning for its expansion plans.
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/08/amazon-taps-corning-for-op.html
With all of the talk and concern about where processors are made, what about the circuit boards designed to hold those chips?
I continue to play with test the new Epson ET-2985. I’m less pleased with the scanner than I am with the printer. I’m much pickier with the former than I am the latter.
On eBay I bought a color transparency of my childhood crush Allene Roberts. (Hey, how was I supposed to know she was old enough to be my mother!) This is an image the seller made with a transparency scanner.
The results when printing on regular copier paper and matte card stock were as expected, with the latter being better. I used the default quality setting for both.
Likewise when printing on glossy photo paper. When seeing the color banding I wondered if I should have used the photo quality setting. Instead, I ran a nozzle check.
Sure enough, a minor clog was revealed in the black test pattern. Two cleaning cycles were needed to clear it. That was the second clog I’ve encountered, but wasting ink is much less of a concern with the tanks than it would be with cartridges.
The collapse happened in Frankfurt. Maybe Boeing can blame it on sabotage by an Airbus operative.
Trump wrecks everything he touches. He isn’t a builder of anything. Donald is an agent of destruction.
Author Michael Lewis tarnished his reputation by failing to immediately see Sam Bankman Fried as a fraud. Before that misstep, Lewis wrote about the systematic efforts to undermine Science during Trump’s first term.
Now, eight years later, DJT continues his perhaps irreparable damage to scientific research and understanding.
Viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Nature’s triple threat.
The PBS Newshour covers critical research into a new generation of antibiotics. Boston’s home team includes the Broad (pronounced “Brode”) Institute, MIT, and Mass General Hospital. I have a niece who works in one of the labs at the Broad.
A significant factor in the rise of drug-resistant bacteria has been the overuse of antibiotics, especially in animals.
Through all of my eye troubles long ago, from a detached retina to cataract replacement lenses, I learned to switch “eye dominance.” My left eye is for “close up” sight. My right eye is corrected for distance vision. This works very well for me.
By mentally de-emphasizing the “distance vision” in my right eye, I can usually get by without reading glasses. Looking up across the room, my right eye takes the lead. This happens automatically, without a thought.
I wear glasses when driving, to bring my left eye up to 20/20. The lenses in my distance glasses are getting scratched, so I’m going to make an appointment to get a new pair.
The fun part of an eye exam is after the prescription is getting close to correct, when the optometrist quickly flips the lenses back and forth in the phoropter. The question may go from “Which looks better?” to “Which do you prefer?”
That’s what it’s all about concerning so many things in life — what’s better vs. personal preference. In economics, this leads to discussions of cost/benefit analysis and diminishing returns. So, let’s make some comparisons.
I have the first and second generations of the Tangzu Waner in-ear monitor plugged into the porch’s laptop PC. (One of them is plugged into a USB-C DAC/Amp adapter.)
The most significant difference between the two products is how they fit. The Waner 2 is much worse in this regard, as I explain in my Amazon review.
https://amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/RE391S18LDF8F?ref=pf_ov_at_pdctrvw_srp
Regarding the measured frequency response curves for the two products, they are very similar overall. Yet, as stated in the review, the W2 is significantly brighter sounding in the upper treble.
Which is better? Neither. Which do I prefer? Both. It depends on the music being played. Both products cost only $20, so there is no diminishing return on the price.
If you can stand it, I’ll have some more comparisons coming up, regarding images rather than sound. First, I’ll return to music listening.
The original Waner is better for Pop and Rock music, and the Waner 2 is my preferred pair for Classical music. Here are all nine of Schubert’s symphonies from the good folks at the Brilliant Classics label.
