Author: Richard Hay

Observed.Tech PODCAST Episode 228 #OTP

Observed.Tech PODCAST Episode 228 #OTP

Posted by | May 6, 2017 | , |

Welcome to Episode 228 of Observed.Tech. No surprises this week as I spend the vast majority of this show talking about Microsoft’s big education event that happened this past week in New York City. That means discussing the new Surface Laptop, Windows 10 S, Office 365 for Education with Microsoft Teams, Minecraft for Education and its new add-on Code Builder. I did jump up on my soapbox early about some coverage I saw this week after the event that just bugged me to no end and therefore I had to speak up. I promise it only lasts for a few minutes and then I move on! However, after all of that we did get new Redstone 3 and Feature 2 builds for PCs and Mobile devices late in the week so they get time in the sun along with more apps showing up on Fast Ring builds that are giving us a closer look at Project NEON and its popular transparency/translucence in the app UI. Then finally I spend some time talking about Build 2017, Microsoft’s annual developer focused/centric conference that is being held in Seattle from 10 to 12 May. I review some of the sessions I think are going to have a big impact on consumers plus I will be out in Seattle for all the activities to cover it for our Penton Tech Channel sites. As always enjoy the show and thanks again for listening!

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Observed.Tech PODCAST Episode 227 #OTP

Observed.Tech PODCAST Episode 227 #OTP

Posted by | Apr 29, 2017 | , |

Welcome to Episode 227 of Observed.Tech. We are just a few days away from Microsoft Education related event in New York City on Tuesday, it is being held/was held on 02 May, and I am preparing for my trip up for that so I start off with some comments about what I am expecting to see and hear. Then we talk about Microsoft’s 3rd Quarter financial results that were released this past week including what is working and what is looking rough around the edges. I will tell you a secret – it is hardware that needs some attention. Of course, there is plenty of Windows 10 news to talk about including new Redstone 2 and Feature 2 builds for PC and Mobile respectively. The PC build includes the return of My People which was intended for Redstone 2 but got left behind because it was not ready for release with the Creators Update. Microsoft also provided guidance to Windows 10 Mobile users who are not officially supported with the Creators Update so they can stay on the final build, receive cumulative updates, and use the update. However, nothing changes about these handsets and users being unsupported so we will talk about what that means as well. As always there are other bits scattered throughout the show including Acers new hardware lineup including a mixed reality headset, my first week with the Samsung Galaxy S8, a new fingerprint reader from Kensington, Facebook Workplace trying to compete for your team collaboration business, and changes to cumulative updates from Microsoft. Enjoy the show and thanks again for listening!

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Observed.Tech PODCAST Episode 226 #OTP

Observed.Tech PODCAST Episode 226 #OTP

Posted by | Apr 22, 2017 | , |

Welcome to Episode 226 of Observed.Tech. It should not come as a surprise that we have a lot of Windows 10 related topics to talk about in this show plus a whole lot more. I kick off this episode talking about a patch that surfaced this week that allows users to bypass Microsoft’s patch from a couple of weeks ago that blocked the installation of Windows 7/8.1 on modern devices. This had been announced by Microsoft for well over a year ago and April’s Patch Tuesday was the day of reckoning. Well this patch will certainly allow a user to install Windows 7/8.1 on these newer devices but is it worth the risk? My opinion is that anything which messes with the integrity of your operating system is not worth it plus Windows 7 will be out of support in less than three years – time to move forward! OK – in other news we learned this week there will now be a predictable release cycle for not only Windows 10 but also Office 365 and System Center Configuration Manager. In addition, each product update will be supported for 18 months after its release which means users should be moving along with the development of the operating system instead of staying with it for 10 years at a time. This is good and will keep end users on a modern OS capable of doing what they need it to do. I also have other items about a Windows 10 information push from Microsoft, a few hands on videos/galleries of Windows 10 Creators Update features, Steve Ballmer’s new website project, Xbox updates, IoT news from Microsoft, and the risk in crowd funding projects. Enjoy the show and thanks again for listening!

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Observed.Tech PODCAST Episode 225 #OTP

Observed.Tech PODCAST Episode 225 #OTP

Posted by | Apr 15, 2017 | , |

Welcome to Episode 225 of Observed.Tech. Of course this show has some more Windows 10 goodness as the Creators Update has now been officially released along with a bevy of information from Microsoft on the upgrade. I have info about the overall update and some specifics about Microsoft Edge’s continued maturation. However, we start the show off talking about some recent release of several exploits that were released by a hacking group. The good news upfront is that after reports that Windows was very vulnerable, it turns out most currently supported systems are patched already against these issues or are not susceptible to them. We then talk about some new features that have recently come to Windows 10 over on Xbox One and also the discovery of a modern version of a very handy system tool for Windows. We also have a huge amount of news about the future of Windows 10 Mobile and what devices will be officially supported for the Creators Update on mobile, which will be released on the 25th of April, and the Windows Insider Program. That list of supported hardware only has 13 devices listed and that is causing a lot of consternation for Windows 10 Mobile users. I also have tidbits about Steve Ballmer and his reflective perception of Microsoft’s mobile moves, commercials triggering your digital assistants, ad blockers and the way some companies are approaching them, and Apple’s drop on the Best & Worsts Laptop Brands of 2017. Enjoy the show and thanks again for listening!

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Observed.Tech PODCAST Episode 224 #OTP

Observed.Tech PODCAST Episode 224 #OTP

Posted by | Apr 8, 2017 | , |

Welcome to Episode 224 of Observed.Tech. After being away last week on personal retreat I am back behind the microphone for this week’s episode that is just chock full of Windows 10 news. Since we hit the early unofficial launch of the Creators Update just a few days ago we get caught up on the final stages of Redstone 2 and getting everyone started on upgrading to this third major feature update for Windows 10 now that it is available. However, I lead off the show with some personal news that many of you may have already heard about on social media but I wanted to make it official on the show as well. I then very quickly jump into details about the Creators Update, which will begin its official rollout via Windows Update on 11 April which is this month’s Patch Tuesday, and get you ready to understand all the new features and enhancements. We also got a big surprise Friday afternoon from the Windows Insider Program team that was truly unexpected and gets Insiders right back into pre-release builds. Yes, that is correct, Microsoft has already pushed out the first Redstone 3 build to Insiders. This now begins the development journey towards the four major feature update for Windows 10 which is expected this fall. Plus there are already some surprises in this first build even though no new features were officially announced for Redstone 3 Build 16170. There is also news for Xbox One and its Creators Update process plus some serious details about Project Scorpio – the next version of Microsoft’s Xbox gaming console. As always I have a few interesting tidbits at the end of the show including firmware and driver updates for Surface Book and Surface Pro 4 running the Creators Update, 80% of Windows 10 PC’s already running Anniversary Update, the ROI for migrations to Windows 10 in businesses, unboxing and trying out new hardware, extended introductory pricing for Outlook.com Premium, and Windows Vista reaching then end of its lifecycle support this month. Enjoy the show and thanks again for listening!

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