Review: Plex Media Server

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I’m trying to regather some posting momentum with a series of short reviews about stuff I like.  Look for one every couple of days.  I’m not paid for any of this, I just like reviewing things.

Using Plex Media Server to manage my movies makes me very happy.  It capably serves up video files to every TV in my house, and is a rare product that just works.  I recently took every DVD I own and copied them to a hard drive.  Plex sits on that computer and automatically organizes those files with correct metadata and thumbnail images (be still my librarian heart).

So that’s great, but how do they get to the TV?  Plex has straightforward apps for just about any platform you can think of.  Every TV in my house has either a Roku or an Android device (see previous review of the iMito MX1) attached, so those devices function as a front end to the server.

As an added bonus I boxed up the DVDs, put them in the closet, and reclaimed a ton of living room space.

Plex is completely free, though I gladly paid for a lifetime plexpass membership (which includes early access to new features) to support future development.

Review: iMito MX1

imitoI’m trying to regather some posting momentum with a series of short reviews about stuff I like.  Look for one every couple of days.  I’m not paid for any of this, I just like reviewing things.

The iMito MX1 is one of those pieces of technology that feels like it shouldn’t exist.  This is a full computer packed into a super tiny case.  If it helps with scale in that picture, the thing sticking out the top is an HDMI plug.  Connect it to a TV and you’ve got Android running on the screen.

It sounds a little odd to want to run a phone and tablet operating system on your TV, and admittedly the interface is a little wonky at times when using a keyboard an mouse.  Still, having access to the Android app store means a dead simple way to get Hulu, Netflix, my podcasts, Google Music, Youtube, and Plex (more on this in another post) onto the big screen.  All for less than $60!

Review: 1Password

1password_logo[1]I’m trying to regather some posting momentum with a series of short reviews about stuff I like.  Look for one every couple of days.  I’m not paid for any of this, I just like reviewing things.

1Password has changed my digital workflows more than any other product or service since Dropbox.  As a password manager, 1password encrypts all of your passwords behind one master password.  That seems a bit counter-intuitive, but the end result is that I only have to remember that one master password.  It alone gets me access to all my passwords for various sites & programs.  Built-in browser extensions make the process pretty seamless.

I’m slightly ashamed to admit that in a previous job I maintained a spreadsheet full of passwords.  But no more!  1password also lets me use stronger and unique passwords for each service, since I don’t need to commit them all to memory.  It feels odd to say that I honestly don’t know what my facebook or gmail passwords are (not to mention my bank), but that’s where I stand today.

With versions for PC, mac, android, and ios I have pretty reliable access to my password list wherever I am.  It’s not free, but it is on sale!  The 5-pack of licenses for $50 is a steal.  (There’s also educational pricing!)