Hello Apple Silicon

Now that I have a new MacBook Pro with the Apple M1 Pro chip which is part of Apple’s Silicon line of processors, it’s time to start upgrading my macOS apps so that they run natively on Silicon. Note that Intel-based Mac apps will still run on Apple Silicon chips through Rosetta in emulation mode, but apps that are Universal (i.e., they run on both Intel and Silicon processors) or Silicon can take full advantage of Silicon chips.

If you want to view a list of all your apps and whether they are Intel, Apple Silicon, or Universal, Run System Information and navigate to Software > Applications. See this page for step by step instructions. If there is a specific app that you want to look up to see if there is a Silicon version available, visit Is Apple Silicon ready? and search for your app by name.

If you’re lucky, your Intel app might notify you that there is a Silicon version available. This was the case when I launched the Intel version of Zoom:

It advised me to update the app to the Apple Silicon version. Very helpful and timely! For comparison, here are the details of the Intel and Apple Silicon versions:

 

Are you making the transition to Apple Silicon?

Apple M1 Chip + Parallels Windows VM = Windows 11

At work, my colleagues are generally issued Windows machines. Since my manager knows that I’m a Mac fanboy, he graciously issued me a 2016 15-inch MacBook Pro upon hire, and I’ve been seamlessly running all of our company apps through a Parallels Desktop virtual machine running Windows 10 Pro. It’s worked great for me, and I haven’t experienced any compatibility issues.

Recently I asked my manager for approval to service my 2016 MacBook Pro since I needed to repair the defective butterfly keyboard and to replace the battery which was nearing the end of its life. He approved the repairs AND recommended that I get a new MacBook Pro and hold on to the old machine as a backup. Normally I try to use my Macs as long as I possibly can, but that also means that I have to occasionally deal with hard drive failures like this and this. Therefore, it made sense for me to keep a backup computer.

Now I’m running a 2021 16-inch MacBook Pro with the Apple M1 Pro chip. Woot! I thought that transferring my Parallels virtual machine to my new machine would be as simple as installing Parallels Desktop and copying my .pvm file over to my new MacBook Pro. I did that, and here’s what I saw:

Here is some additional information:

It turns out that a virtual machine created on an Intel-based Mac cannot be started on a Mac computer with an M1 chip as discussed here. Instead, a new virtual machine must be created as discussed here. Furthermore, since the M1 chip is an ARM-based processor, you must install an ARM-based version of Windows.

Our IT department officially supports Windows 10 Pro, so I attempted to download an ARM-based version of Windows 10 Pro. I discovered that there was a Windows 10 ARM version in the Windows Insider program, but it is no longer available. A Reddit thread confirmed my findings, and although it appears that there may be unofficial channels where one can obtain Windows 10 ARM installers, I didn’t want to take the risk.

To run Windows on a new M1 Mac, it appears that the only option available today is to run Windows 11 ARM, and I found 2 ways to get it (there are probably other ways, but these were the most obvious to me). The first method is to use the Parallels Desktop Installation Assistant to “Get Windows 11 from Microsoft” as is prominently displayed when you try to create a new virtual machine.

Naturally I selected that option and successfully installed Windows 11 ARM, only to find out later that it defaults to the Windows 11 ARM Home edition. I am not sure why we need to use the Pro edition at work—perhaps it is because Pro supports Active Directory, or it could be any number of other features that Pro supports that Home does not (see a comparison of Home vs. Pro editions of Windows 10 and Windows 11), but in any case I needed to look for a Pro edition.

The second method of getting Windows 11 ARM is to register for the Windows Insider program and download Windows 11 on ARM Insider Preview here. The current build is 22523, and I can confirm that it is the Pro version:

I am not aware of an official release of Windows 11 Pro on ARM, so I believe this “beta” version to be the only version around. All the usual apps (Microsoft Office 365, Adobe Reader, Notead++, 7-Zip, and other apps I use day to day) as well as custom company apps seem to run fine on Windows 11 Pro Insider Preview, so all seems OK for now (knock on wood).

In summary, if you have a new M1 Mac and need to run Windows via Parallels Desktop, just be aware that your ARM-based Windows options are limited to Windows 11 Home and Windows 11 Pro Insider Preview. Windows 10 ARM is no longer available. I wish that Parallels would have made this a little more obvious to me before I switched over to an M1 Mac. It might not have deterred me from upgrading, but it would have been nice to know about my options ahead of time.

James Webb Space Telescope

On December 25, 2021, millions of people will wake up in eager anticipation of opening Christmas presents. Far fewer people will be interested in the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope which is the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. The launch has been delayed several times, and the current launch window is December 25 between 7:20 AM and 7:52 AM Eastern time.

Check out this website for an informative overview of the James Webb Space Telescope, its launch plan, and its unfolding. If you will be up early on Christmas Day, consider watching the live stream of the launch on the NASA website.

I am eager to see what kinds of images it is able to capture and transmit a million miles back to earth.

Lee Family 2021 Year In Review

Our Lee Family 2021 Year In Review is now available, with prior editions available here. Depending on the device you are using, you might be prompted by Dropbox to sign in, download the mobile app, or continue to the website—you can simply select the option to continue or dismiss the dialog box.

Our home movies are available on Victor’s YouTube channel.

Tracking COVID-19 Variant Omicron

On November 28, 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a technical brief regarding the SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.529, also known as Omicron, which is currently designated as a variant of concern. See this post for additional discussion on the classification of variants. The WHO stated, “Omicron is a highly divergent variant with a high number of mutations, including 26-32 in the spike, some of which are concerning and may be associated with immune escape potential and higher transmissibility.”

Currently there are no confirmed cases of Omicron in the United States, but it is simply a matter of time before that happens. If you are interested in tracking the spread of the Omicron variant, check out the Omicron Tracker at BNO News.

It presents confirmed and probable cases of Omicron. Here’s a list of the top 10 countries ranked by the number of confirmed cases, as of 7:00 PM Pacific on November 29, 2021:

You can also track the Omicron variant on the BNO News Twitter feed. Stay safe earthlings!

COVID-19 Vaccination Record in Apple Wallet

I previously wrote about SafePass LA and briefly discussed why I prefer to store my COVID-19 vaccination record in Apple Wallet. In this post, I’d like to show you how you can get your COVID-19 vaccination record into Apple Wallet. There are 2 methods that I know of.

Method 1: Healthvana

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health partnered with Healthvana in December of 2020 to provide digital vaccination records as discussed here. A couple weeks after I received my 2nd Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, I received a text message from Healthvana. It contained a URL that allowed me to view a digital record of my vaccination:

After entering some information to confirm my identity, I was shown my COVID-19 vaccine record and presented with an option to add it to my Apple Wallet.

If you did not receive a text message or email from Healthvana, and if you received your COVID-19 vaccination in the county of Los Angeles, you can contact Healthvana and request your COVID-19 digital vaccination record. In the “What is your question about?” field, select “COVID-19 Vaccination” and complete the rest of the form. When I did this for my wife, she received a response later that same day.

Method 2: Vaccination QR Code

If you prefer not to use Healthvana, or if you did not receive your COVID-19 vaccination in the county of Los Angeles, there are other ways to get your COVID-19 vaccination record into Apple Wallet. All you need is a QR code of your vaccination record and an iPhone running iOS 15 or later (at the time of this writing, the current version is iOS 15.1.1).

Step 1 is to get a QR code of your vaccination record. There are at least 2 ways to get a QR code. The first is to retrieve it from your provider. For example, Kaiser Permanente has a portal where patients can login and retrieve immunization history and other parts of one’s medical record. This includes a QR code in SMART Health Card format.

If your provider does not provide a QR code to you, and if you live in the state of California, you can request your digital COVID-19 vaccine record at https://myvaccinerecord.cdph.ca.gov. Simply enter your name, date of birth, your phone number or email, and a 4-digit PIN (any 4 numbers that you want, for the purpose of securely accessing your digital record). After submitting this information, you should soon receive  a text message or email with a link to retrieve your COVID-19 vaccine record which will contain a QR code.

Step 2 is to scan your QR code with your iPhone running iOS 15 or later. Simply launch your camera app and point your rear-facing camera at the QR code. Once your phone recognizes the QR code, it will display a “Health” notification:

Tapping the “Health” notification will take you to the Apple Health app with a prompt to add your COVID-19 vaccination record to Wallet and Health. Here’s what it looked like when I did this for my wife:

Step-by-step instructions, along with other options to add verifiable COVID-19 vaccination information to Apple Wallet and Health, are provided here. Learn more about Apple Wallet here.

Dinosaur Endless Runner Game on Chrome

If you’re looking for something totally unproductive to do, check out the dinosaur endless runner game on Google Chrome. If you disconnect from the internet and search for anything in Google Chrome, you’ll be presented with a “No internet” message with a picture of a dinosaur:

From there, if you press the space bar, you’ll launch an endless runner game where you can press the space bar to jump over obstacles that come your way. It looks like this:

For an easier way to access the game, simply type “chrome://dino” into your address bar in Google Chrome. Happy gaming!

SafePassLA

If you live in or visit the county of Los Angeles, you should be aware of a vaccine verification program called SafePassLA which requires demonstration of proof of full COVID-19 vaccination for certain indoor locations and outdoor events. Examples of covered indoor locations include (but are not limited to):

• Food & Beverage Establishments (e.g., restaurants, fast food establishments, coffee shops, cafeterias, food courts)
• Gyms & Fitness Venues (e.g., yoga, dance studios, hotel gyms, any facility used for indoor fitness classes)
• Entertainment & Recreation Venues (e.g., shopping centers, movie theaters, bowling alleys, sports arenas, convention centers, museums)
• Personal Care Establishments (e.g., spas, hair/nail salons, barber shops)
• Indoor City Facilities (e.g., city hall, senior centers, recreation centers)

Additionally, for outdoor event venues, events with 5,000 to 9,999 attendees will require proof of vaccination OR a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of entry.

SafePassLA launched yesterday (November 8, 2021) with a focus on outreach and education. Enforcement will begin November 29, 2021. I would not be surprised if enforcement will be spotty, especially with small business owners who may not have the staffing to provide such enforcement, but you should be prepared in case you are asked to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Whatever you do, don’t be this guy.

To demonstrate proof of COVID-19 vaccination, you can certainly carry your white Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccination card with you, but there are other options that may be more convenient for you, especially if you carry your cell phone with you everywhere you go. One such option is to take a picture of your CDC vaccination card and store it on your phone. Another option is to use one of several mobile phone apps that provide digital vaccination records as listed here by the LA County Department of Public Health. Approved digital vaccination records are those made by Healthvana, Carbon Health, CommonPass, CLEAR Health Pass, and VaxYes.

I previously wrote about COVID-19 Digital Health Credentials, and I illustrated how you can add your Healthvana COVID-19 vaccination record to Apple Wallet. That will be my preferred method of showing proof of vaccination because it is convenient, and it will work even if I don’t have internet connectivity. As a backup, I already have my COVID-19 vaccination credentials loaded into CLEAR Health Pass, and I also have photo backups of my CDC vaccination card in Google Photos and as attachments in my personal email.

Advanced Google Searches

Chances are that you have searched the internet using Google and are familiar with its simplicity. Just type something and let Google find relevant content for you. Easy peasy lemon squeezy, right?

There are times when you may want to further refine your searches in Google, and there are 2 approaches to doing that. The first approach is to type specific limiters into the Google search box. This works well if you already know what the parameters are and know the syntax for each.

The second approach is to use the Advanced Search page that provides a menu of options along with sample usages:

I think you’ll find it self-explanatory, so give it a try and hopefully you’ll level up your Google searches right away.

Also note that after you perform certain advanced searches, Google will auto-populate the proper syntax in its command line search for you. For example, if I populate the Advanced Search in this way:

all these words: ahsoka tano

none of these words: mandalorian

The resultant command line search will be:

ahsoka tano -mandalorian

The command line search syntax can come in handy if you want to apply advanced searches to other Google assets like Gmail, Google Images, Google Alerts, and any other Google site where you can enter a search string.

The Journey of a Rain Droplet

River Runner is a website that visualizes the path of a rain drop from any point in the contiguous United States to its end point (usually the ocean, sometimes the Great Lakes, Canada/Mexico, or another inland water feature). Its instructions are simple: “Click to drop a raindrop anywhere in the contiguous United States and watch where it ends up.”

To learn more about the data resources that are used to visualize the path of a raindrop, visit the River Runner GitHub site and the Hydro-Network Linked Data Index.

Apple Maps Guide - America’s National Parks

In recent years, Apple has celebrated the birthday of the National Park Service which was established when the Organic Act was signed into law on August 25, 1916. Last year’s Apple festivities included donations to the National Park Foundation based on selected usage of Apple Pay—details are described here.

This year marks the 105th birthday of the National Park Service, and Apple is doing something similar. Additionally, it has provided a link to an Apple Maps Guide that was created by the National Park Foundation which can be accessed here.

There are 63 locations in this guide, one for each national park. Each national park has a brief description along with a link to additional information on the National Park Foundation website.

More information about the Guides feature of Apple Maps can be found on the Apple Maps overview page, the Maps User Guide for macOS, the iPhone User Guide, or the iPad User Guide.

LAUSD COVID-19 School Report Card

Now that the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has transitioned students back to full-time in-person instruction, it is important to monitor COVID-19 cases at each school. The LAUSD COVID-19 School Report Card serves this purpose.

Upon selecting a school in the upper right corner, it provides a dashboard summary of active COVID-19 cases among staff and students and characterizes how many of those cases come from school-based transmission. It also provides data on community case rates which are broken down into staff and student case rate, community case rate, and LA county case rate. Definitions of each metric are provided in a glossary below the dashboard. Cases from school-based transmission are defined as positive test cases that were determined to be epidemiologically linked through contact tracing. There is currently no detail provided regarding contact tracing methods, but I assume this is done manually. Unfortunately there does not appear to be an option to download the entire data set.

Of interest, the reporting statuses are listed as OPEN (no active positive cases that are epidemiologically linked), OPEN (2 or more active positive cases that are epidemiologically linked; all close contacts are in quarantine), or CLOSED (school closure determined by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health). As of right now, it is not clear what the contingency plan would be in the even of school closure, and I hope I don’t find out what it is.

LA County Hotspot Locator

There are many ways to access the internet when you’re away from home. Nowadays it seems that most people have wireless plans with (often unlimited) data. But for those of you who have caps on your wireless data plans or need wireless internet on your laptop or mobile devices, your best bet is to find a wireless hotspot. If you live in Los Angeles, you might benefit from the LA County Hotspot Locator.

It is an interactive map that shows WiFi locations throughout LA County, many of which are publicly available and free. In addition to zooming to your location or destination, you can also enter an address and specify a search radius. Happy surfing!

Spectrum Internet - Modem Activation

This morning we had experienced what seemed like yet another internet outage. Our Spectrum internet service has been spotty during the pandemic, and it came as no surprise that we lost internet again today. I decided to run through my typical troubleshooting steps to determine if the problem could have been due to my computer, the mesh router, modem, or ISP. When I attempted to reboot the NETGEAR C3000 cable modem/router, I discovered that all the lights were off, and despite toggling the power button and removing/inserting the power supply, I was unable to get the modem to work. Time to get a new modem.

Spectrum provides a list of authorized modems that are compatible with its network. Fortunately my local Costco warehouse had a NETGEAR CM1100 cable modem (modem only, no router; I don’t need a modem/router because I already have a mesh router) in stock, and it is listed by Spectrum as approved for internet speeds up to 1 Gbps.

I thought that replacing my modem should have been easy as plugging in the power supply, turning on the modem, and connecting the ethernet cable between my modem and mesh router. However, on my 2016 MacBook Pro running macOS 10.15.7 (Catalina), I was only getting speeds of 0.85 Mbps even though I subscribe to a 60 Mbps plan. On my mid-2007 iMac running Mac OS X 10.11.6 (El Capitan), I saw the following pop-up window:

Although clicking the “Get Started” button returned me to the same screen resulting in an infinite loop, fortunately it provided a link to https://activate.spectrum.net/ at the bottom of the window which I visited via a web browser. After logging in, it told me that my modem was offline.

Clicking the 3 dots to the right of the modem icon gave me an option to replace my modem. Upon selecting that option, I entered the MAC address listed on the new modem. A few minutes later, my new modem was successfully activated, and I am back to normal internet speeds.

California Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Record

I previously wrote about a variety of ways that my COVID-19 vaccination could be documented. Since then, the state of California has implemented its own Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Record. To access these vaccine credentials, simply fill out your name, birthday, and either the cell phone or email address that you used when you received your COVID-19 vaccine. Also set a 4-digit PIN that you’ll later be asked to re-enter to retrieve your credentials. From there, you will either receive an email or text message with a link that is valid for 24 hours. Here’s what mine looks like:

In the FAQ, it is emphasized that this digital record is not a vaccine passport. Rather, it states, “You are not required to obtain a digital COVID-19 vaccine record. It is an optional means to obtain your COVID-19 vaccine information, and is the digital version of your paper vaccine card. It is one of the options to show proof of vaccination. The State will not be implementing a mandatory passport system in California.”

In August, I will be attending a conference in which a conference-specific vaccine passport will be required for all attendees. Perhaps I will discuss vaccine passports as the date approaches.

COVID-19 Digital Health Credentials

If you’ve received one of the COVID-19 vaccines, you might have realized that there are many ways to prove that you have been vaccinated. First there is the physical “COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card” with the logos from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Centers for Disease Control at the upper right. Here’s mine:

If you received your shot at a location where you normally receive healthcare, you might also be able to access your immunization records through a patient portal. Here’s what mine looks like from a desktop-based web browser. Note that it unfortunately does not list the dates, and there was a data entry error because for my second shot, I asked that it be injected into my RIGHT arm.

In some cases, your local city or county may have partnered with a 3rd party health information technology company to provide you with a digital version of your vaccination record that can be added to a mobile wallet. Los Angeles County has partnered with Healthvana on this effort, and I received a text message that my vaccination record was available to be added to my mobile wallet. Here are screenshots from my iPhone to illustrate what it looks like to retrieve my vaccine information from a mobile web browser and what the record looks like in Apple Wallet:

As if there weren’t enough options, if you have an iPhone and a healthcare provider that supports interoperable patient data through a “Blue Button” download, you could transfer your vaccination information and other health records to your Apple Health app. Follow these instructions to add your health data to Apple Health. Here’s what my immunization record looks like in Apple Health, both in human-readable summary view as well as the underlying data:

There is much discussion about vaccine passports nowadays which has given rise to many questions. Can we do it? Should we do it? Is it even legal? Without getting into a lengthy debate, suffice it to say that technologies have already been around for many years, and we’ve already been implementing digital health credentials to varying degrees for quite some time. For me, adding data related to COVID-19 vaccination simply represents a more comprehensive picture of my overall health data.

In addition to the discussion about vaccine credentials or passports, perhaps a bigger challenge is to figure out whether we can all agree on a common method to share health data. There is a saying that goes something like this: “The great thing about health IT standards is that there are so many of them to choose from.”

Disabling Windows 10 News and Interests

The Windows 10 News and Interests Widget was introduced with versions 2004 and 20H2 on April 28. A blog describes its features but does not mention its most useful feature: how to turn it off (I use Windows 10 strictly for work). To do this, right-click any blank space on the taskbar and select News and interests > Turn off.

Tracking Coronavirus Variants

Chances are that you’ve head about variants of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19. When viruses replicate, sometimes there are replication errors that are known as mutations. Mutations can render the virus harmless or could result in more efficient transmission (how well it spreads) or greater disease severity (including higher rates of hospitalization and/or death), depending on the nature of the mutation.

Variants are classified as variants of interest (limited impact), variants of concern (increased transmissibility or disease severity), and variants of high consequence (significantly reduced effectiveness of preventive or treatment measures).

• There are currently 4 variants of interest in the US: B.1.526 (New York City), B.1.526.1 (New York City), B.1.525 (United Kingdom/Nigeria), and P.2 (Brazil)
• There are currently 5 variants of concern in the US: B.1.1.7 (United Kingdom), B.1.351 (South Africa), P.1 (Japan/Brazil), B.1.427 (California), and B.1.429 (California)
• There are currently no variants of high consequence in the US

If you have an interest in tracking coronavirus variants and are a visual person, then you’ll probably appreciate the data visualizations from the GISAID Initiative which promotes the rapid sharing of data from influenza viruses and SARS-CoV-2.

Simply select a variant in the drop-down menu and explore animated maps, variant genome frequency plots, and downloadable variant data tables.

For more information about coronavirus variants, visit this CDC resource.

I’m a COVID-19 Community Ambassador

I just completed the COVID-19 Community Ambassador Program through the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health. The purpose of the ambassador program is to empower individuals with accurate and shareable resources and the appropriate Departmental contacts for reporting of concerns. It is not intended to formally train or deputize individuals to take personal action in instances of non-compliance. Visit www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/Coronavirus for Protocols for the Health Officer Orders, protocols for reopening, COVID-19 information, and frequently asked questions.

To complete the program, all you need to do is watch a 30-minute informational video and complete a short survey. You will immediately receive a certificate via email and will be sent a community ambassador mask and pin via US mail. If you want to just watch the video without receiving the goodies, you can do so here:

Blockchains and Non-fungible Tokens

A digital image was recently auctioned for more than $69 million. While that amount of money is eye-opening, perhaps equally interesting are the facts that the bidder (1) paid for it with cryptocurrency and (2) received not the actual image but rather a non-fungible token (NFT).

So what the heck is an NFT? Fasten your seatbelts because this will take some explaining. An NFT is a specific kind of data on a blockchain. A blockchain is a record-keeping system that is difficult if not impossible to forge because it is based on a digital distributed public ledger that maintains authenticity through a series of checks and balances on many computers distributed throughout the world. Blockchain technology was originally created to enable transactions of cryptocurrency (of which Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin are a few examples) but have extended to other use cases like NFT transactions.

Unlike cryptocurrency which is fungible, meaning that it is replaceable by another identical item (e.g., I could give you 1 Bitcoin, you could give me 1 Bitcoin, and we’re even-steven), NFT is not fungible (i.e., not interchangeable). Therefore, by their very non-fungible nature, NFTs cannot be used as currency, but they can be used to represent proof of ownership by 1 individual. This comes in handy for digital creations such as images and music files where the original file could be copied an endless number of times, but proof of ownership is intended to reside with a single owner. In this manner, an NFT is a digital certificate of ownership and can also be bought and sold.

So back to the original story, the person who bought the digital image for $69 million did not receive a physical print of the image but rather a digital certificate of ownership in the form of an NFT. That NFT could then be sold for whatever price is mutually agreed upon by the seller and buyer, and it could be done via a 1-on-1 manner or auction, as long as it is paid for with cryptocurrency so that it can be stored and validated in a blockchain.

This is potentially good news for artists as well as buyers and collectors of artistic creations. For more information about NFTs, check out this FAQ.

When Eligible, Find Your COVID-19 Vaccine

The United States is gradually increasing its supplies of COVID-19 vaccines, and most Americans are still waiting for their turns to receive one of them. I previously wrote about how Californians can sign up to be notified when they become eligible for a vaccine.

However, state health department recommendations and vaccine rollout plans may vary, so if you don’t live in California, you can visit a CDC website to be redirected to your state health department’s website to find out your eligibility. Simply select your state or territory and then follow the guidance provided by your state.

When you do become eligible, you might need to find out where you can get vaccinated. The CDC, in partnership with Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Castlight Health, have launched VaccineFinder to make it simpler for you to find a location near you where you can get vaccinated. The website reminds visitors that appointments are required at most locations.

For more information about COVID-19 vaccination, check out the CDC’s Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19 Vaccination.

A Primer on iPhone 12 HDR Video

Apple introduced many new features to its iPhone 12 lineup. Many people know about its 5G cellular capabilities, better camera (improved sensor and new ProRAW format), and faster processor (A14 Bionic chip with better performance and power efficiency). However, fewer people are aware that it also introduced a Dolby Vision HDR video recording option. This is kind of a big deal if you are a serious videographer, and it may also be a very useful feature for casual videographers like me. The purpose of this primer is to help you understand what high dynamic range (HDR) video is and why you might or might not want to enable it on your video recordings.

Let’s start by discussing what HDR video is. In short, there are limitations to the colors that computer screens can display as compared to what colors the human eye can actually perceive. Standard dynamic range (SDR) video is captured with 8-bit recordings which capture a very good representative sample of all the colors that human eyes can see. HDR video ups the game to 10-bit recordings which capture an even better representative sample of what humans can see (but still falls short of capturing everything humans can see). The result is truer pure red, pure green, and pure blue colors, as well as all color combinations of reds, greens, and blues.

Taking this a step farther, techies refer to these representative samples of colors as a “color gamut” or “color space” which you can liken to an artist’s palette.  The more colors you can mix on a palette, the better you can paint the true colors of a scene. Color spaces are represented by CIE chromaticity diagrams. CIE is French for Commission internationale de l'éclairage which was established in 1913 and is also known as the International Commission on Illumination. In a CIE chromaticity diagram, the full range of colors is represented by a horseshoe-like shape, and triangular shapes represent color spaces of a variety of different SDR and HDR video formats as depicted here:

A given display can only reproduce the color combinations that reside inside the triangle that is formed by its primary (red, green, and blue) colors. As you can see, HDR video (e.g., Rec. 2020 color space) can reproduce a larger subset of colors than SDR video (e.g., Rec. 709 color space). The end result is higher luminance (brightness intensity) and more detail in both shadows and highlights.

From what I can tell, there are similarities and differences in HDR videography and HDR photography. From a technical perspective, HDR video boils down to a wider color space. HDR photos, on the other hand, are images that are the result of the blending of multiple different exposures of the same scene, all within a single color space. Also, HDR photos can be viewed on any display, while special HDR displays are needed to fully leverage the wider color space of HDR video. So the HDR look is achieved in very different ways between HDR photos and HDR videos. However, what HDR photos and videos share in common is that you can get better representation of tonal range. Note that one can go overboard with HDR photography, and that might be the topic of another blog.

Although HDR video is “better” than SDR video, there are potential tradeoffs. First, HDR video requires more storage space than SDR video, so this may impact how much video you can save on your iPhone as well as iCloud (if you use that service). Second, because there are lots more computations involved, recording HDR video requires more energy and can drain your battery more quickly. Finally, if you share and/or edit your HDR videos, you may need to be mindful of the color spaces you want to support. Most of the common sharing options automatically adjust for differences in color space and ensure compatibility. For example, when editing and sharing HDR videos in Photos, Clips, iMovie, and other applications, you will be prompted to specify the color space. Things are currently a little more complex for Final Cut Pro where you need to create a new Final Cut Pro library and set the color processing for the library to Wide Gamut HDR and then tweak some other settings. Color space conversions and tone mapping might be the topic of another blog post, but for now check out this Apple support page and this Apple white paper for more information.

All of this leads us to a single question: Should you enable HDR video recordings on your iPhone 12? I’d say yes if all of the following are true:

• You care about getting better color quality (it might not be noticeable to casual observers but might make a difference to those who have an eye for color “trueness”)
• The differences in storage space and battery life are not a concern (probably not a significant deterrent for most people)
• You are sharing videos by “conventional” means (i.e., via Apple software applications) which automatically make adjustments or prompt you to ensure color space compatibility
• If you edit videos for the purpose of publishing them to other platforms (e.g., YouTube), then you are willing to learn about supported color spaces and the conversions between them, in case issues arise

To enable or disable HDR video on your iPhone 12, go to Settings > Camera > Record Video and toggle the “HDR Video” option. If you’re interested in learning more about color spaces, a good starting point might be this series of lessons in Khan Academy.

Photos from Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover

I previously wrote about NASA’s launch of its Mars Perseverance Rover. Yesterday it successfully landed on the surface of Mars, and you can watch recorded coverage of the landing here:

Did you know that NASA will be posting raw images that are taken from the Perseverance Rover? You can find them here.

 

I was disappointed to find only 3 low-resolution (2 of the 3 images are 320x240 pixels, and the other is 1280x960 pixels) .png files at the moment. Perhaps they will post high-resolution raw files (i.e., straight out of the camera and unprocessed) at a later time. Maybe Perseverance only had the bandwidth to send thumbnails and the original raw files will take more time to be transmitted back to earth. Nevertheless, how cool is that?

Also notice that on the Raw Images website, each photo is accompanied by an acquisition date along with its corresponding day on Mars which is referred to as a sol or a Martian day. A sol is 24 hours, 39 minutes, and 35.244 seconds long which is only slightly longer than an earth day. However, a Martian year is approximately 668 sols, equivalent to approximately 687 Earth days. All 3 of the currant images were taken on February 18, 2021 which is designated as sol 0.

I plan to check back occasionally to see if more interesting images from Perseverance are posted to the Raw Images site. While looking for photos, I also happened to find the archives of raw images from the Mars Curiosity Rover (launched in 2011) which you can view here. Happy exploring, earthlings!

COVID-19 Vaccination: How is California Doing?

It is well-known that there are numerous logistical issues related to the manufacturing and equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. That being said, the vaccines are slowly but surely making their way into all 58 counties in California. The official website for California Coronavirus Response provides many resources, including a COVID-19 state dashboard where cases, deaths, tests, and vaccine administration are shown in dashboard views. While many of us are quite familiar with dashboards for the daily and total cases, deaths, and tests, the  California COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard is a relatively new addition to these data visualizations.

The vaccine administration dashboard is simple in nature. It displays the quantity of vaccine that has been shipped, delivered, and administered throughout all 58 counties in California. As depicted above, the CDC Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program and CDC Federal Retail Pharmacy Program doses are a subset of the total. A live and interactive view of the dashboard is available here:

COVID-19 Vaccination: Is It My Turn?

As soon as the first COVID-19 vaccine was approved in December 2020, the state of California launched its “Vaccinate All 58” campaign with the aim of providing vaccinations for residents of all 58 California counties in a safe and equitable manner.

According to the campaign, “vaccines will be administered in phases by prioritizing groups according to risk and level of exposure. Initial doses will go to California’s essential health care workers and those among our most vulnerable in long-term care settings.” For more details, see the vaccine distribution plan and the Phase 1A vaccine distribution recommendations at the California Department of Public Health website.

While this background information may be interesting and useful to some, if you’re one of millions of Californians who are wondering when it will be your turn to get vaccinated, check out My Turn. According to the site, “Find out if it’s your turn by answering a few questions. It only takes a few minutes. If you’re eligible and vaccine appointments are available through My Turn, you can schedule one. If it’s not your turn yet or appointments are not available, you can register to be notified when you’re eligible or when appointments open up.”

I am not yet eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine, but I registered to be notified and will gladly schedule an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as supplies become available for my demographic.

An Adventure in Updating Headphone Firmware

I recently received a set of Razer Opus Bluetooth-enabled headphones. The first time I turned them on, my iPhone 12 ProMax immediately detected the headphones via Bluetooth and successfully paired. The combination of over-ear cup design and active noise cancellation provides a rich audio experience.

When later attempting to pair the headphones with my 2012 iMac and 2016 MacBook Pro, neither computer was detecting the headphones, even when disconnecting and forgetting the Razer Opus on my iPhone and shutting down the headphones and turning them back on.

I read in the instruction manual about the Razer Opus iOS app, so I decided to see if that would help me solve my Bluetooth pairing woes. Note that Razer has different iOS apps for different audio devices, so make sure you download the correct app. Anyway, upon launching the app, you are asked to select your headphone model to initiate paring. After pairing, the Razer Opus app informed me that there was a firmware update available. I thought that maybe this firmware update would enable my headphones to pair with my iMac or MacBook Pro. I proceeded to download the firmware update, and so my adventure began.

  

For the next 10 minutes or so, I watched the “Uploading to Device” progress bar crawl from 0 to 100%. When complete, the progress bar changed into a “Ready to Install” button. After  selecting “Ready to Install”, I was notified that I should charge the Opus to at least 75% before installing the firmware update. So I put my update on hold momentarily while I charged the Opus for the next hour or so to get the battery level above 75%. Then I was able to initiate the firmware update.

 

During the firmware update, the app clearly told me not to turn off the headphones or mobile device during installation. I had my device in low power mode, even though my battery level was 85%, so the phone screen kept dimming every few seconds. I dutifully babysat my phone and periodically tapped on the screen so as to not let the phone go to sleep. However, the process was taking a long time, and on one occasion the phone went to sleep and might have dropped the Bluetooth connection because the indicator light on the headphone turned off completely. I never saw it blink green as the app said it would do when the update had finished. I knew that you should never interrupt a firmware update, as it could brick your device. My worst fears came true when I tried unsuccessfully to pair the Opus with my iPhone.

Upon re-launching the Razer Opus app, it automatically began re-downloading the firmware update, so this indicated to me that I did in fact interrupt the firmware update, but at the same time it gave me hope that I could simply re-apply the firmware update and get the headphones functioning again. Strangely, on the second installation attempt, while the download process took about 10 minutes (similar to my first attempt), the actual installation process lasted only a few seconds, after which it said the firmware was installed. However, I was still unable to pair the headphones.

I turned off the headphones, force-quit the iOS Opus app, and tried to install the firmware a 3rd time. Once again, the download process took about 10 minutes, and the firmware installation lasted a little bit longer this time, perhaps 30 seconds or so. For the 2nd time, it said that the firmware was installed. Cautiously optimistic, I tried to pair the headphones with my iPhone but to no avail. By this time, I assumed that I had effectively bricked the headphones.

For whatever reason, I decided to long-press the power button on the headphones, and this time my iMac detected the Razer Opus device via Bluetooth, successfully paired, and was able to stream audio. In retrospect, it seems like if you want to use the Opus headphones on multiple devices, you have to long-press the power button to re-initiate a pairing request. Maybe it didn’t need a firmware update after all, and I could have paired with my iMac and MacBook Pro had I simply known to long-press the power button.

I re-read the instruction manual (it is brief), and nowhere does it describe how to pair the headset with multiple devices. So I learned 3 important lessons today. The first is to make sure that you don’t interrupt a firmware update (I already knew that, but I’m counting it as a lesson learned anyway). Second, if installing a firmware update from your narcoleptic phone, you need to tap on it periodically to keep it awake. Third, if you want to use your Razer Opus on multiple devices, it appears that you have to long-press the power button to re-initiate a pairing request. Hope this helps prevent you from bricking your brand new headphones.