Observed Tech PODCAST Episode 139 #OTP
Welcome to Episode 139. Another developer preview update dropped at the beginning of this week and I know many folks opted to jump off that cliff and grab the update. Well I leapt off as well and it is a nice update. My favorite feature is the Live Folders for the Start Screen. It is well implemented and has some of the smoothest animations ever. You can customize them quite a bit but as one Twitter follower mentioned to me – do not over do it because it can slow down your Start Screen. I also reveal that an iPhone 4s in being used in my house! Some of the other items covered in the show include Windows Phone 8.1 Update Developer Preview, Mobile IE in WP 8.1 update DP, Live Folders on WP 8.1 Update DP, Some HTC users will not get the WP 8.1 Update DP, IE support changing, Amazon Prime video credit to slow down shipping, Surface Pro 3, Surface losses, Surface market expansion, Money back on in app purchase with Fidesity, Office for iPad update, NFL apps, PhotoMart app for Walmart, Microsoft will appeal order to release overseas emails, Windows market share updates, Two views of recommendations relating to Windows Phone, Cortana reminders, Microsoft sues Samsung for patent royalties, Microsoft’s cloud service predicted to be largest by end of this year, Unlock your phones, OneDrive for Amazon Fire, Patch Tuesday and Windows Updates, Windows Threshold aka Windows 9, Remote Desktop app update for WP, Google creating separate photo service out of Google+, Amazon registering domains now, Facebook App for WP gets beta features, Tweetium for Windows Phone beta update, Windows Blog portal overhaul, Expose a breach then charge to check, Microsoft and iFixit, Six Clicks from Ed Bott on Outlook, Word, Excel and OneNote and Understanding Steve Ballmer. Until next time enjoy the show and thanks for listening.
Observed Tech PODCAST Episode 138 #OTP
Welcome to Episode 138. Getting back into a normal Wednesday recording routine today with this new episode to talk about some of the headlines in tech news. I start off by talking a little bit about two classes I am currently enrolled in for school – Multimedia Development which uses Adobe Flash as a core platform and Web Page Development. I am getting to refine quite a few skills I have vaguely learned over the years thru trial and error so they have been fun to participate in these courses. Well worth the effort to go back to school. I then discuss the adventure that has been WP 8.1 Developer Preview, reverting to WP 8, upgrading to WP 8.1 and Cyan and then the upcoming Windows Phone 8.1 Update. Yes, it is as confusing as it reads! On top of those updates there is the issue around use of a preview and the impact that can have on folks even though they agreed to jump off that cliff voluntarily. Some of the other areas I covered during this episode are Windows Phone usage numbers, Finding an unexpected memory on an Xbox, PC sales forecast to grow, People must trust tech to use it, OneNote goes cross platform to Amazon Fire and gets updated on iOS devices, Amazon shares drop upon debut of their Fire Phone, Amazon’s cloud growth scaring investors, Yammer now belongs to Office 365, More Microsoft Stores on the way, Windows Desktop and Windows RT, Laywoman review of Surface Pro 3, Cortana vs Siri is the new PC vs Mac, Microsoft raided in China, Kids App Store, Nokia X phones not quite dead yet, Family Plan Wars, Selfie phone from Microsoft, Soft-resetting a Windows Phone, Microsoft starting to build Windows Phone technically speaking, Uber and FitBit official apps land on Windows Phone, Facebook diverging their app capabilities like Foursquare did, Cortana knows Foursquare locations, The morality of in app purchases, Universal Apps, USAA using IBM’s Watson as a military veterans advisor, Atari Landfill documentary trailer, EA Access, HBO web based subscriptions, Twitter grows big time in last quarter, Ballmer purchase of Clippers close to completion, Mars rover sets distance record among extraterrestrial machines, Cloud storage nightmare with Box for one customer and Best Buy CEO interview highlights. Until next time enjoy the show and thanks for listening.
Observed Tech PODCAST Episode 137 #OTP
Welcome to Episode 137. Has it really been nearly a month since my last show? As I was recording the podcast and mentioning missing a couple of shows I thought it had been about three weeks but Episode 136 was back on 25 July. No wonder it felt so good to be back in front of the mike talking to you about tech stuff! The unintended hiatus, which I explained on the show, also resulted in me taking a different approach to my list of items to talk about. You will find the volume of items is greatly reduced and I spent much more time on each area/story. I even strayed off while watching Twitter and discussed some breaking news stuff as well. Let me know what you think of the re-focusing of the shows format. Amongst the things discussed on the show Stopping Facebook’s automatic video playing, Microsoft as the challenger, Layoffs at Microsoft, 4th Quarter FY14 Microsoft Earnings report, Nokia acquisitions help and hurt on the big picture at Microsoft, Microsoft outselling Apple last quarter in the phone market, Lumia 530 announcement and Lumia 930 reviews, No Jen Taylor voiced Cortana outside of the US, Tracking the Cyan Windows Phone 8.1 Update, Xbox One/360 console sales, Surface Mini was shelved, What One Windows really means, Streamlining Xbox Music & Video and confirmation they are here to stay from Joe Belfiore, Cloud Booms at Microsoft, Office 365 subscriptions at 5.6 million now, OneDrive storage bumps for Office 365 subscribers and free users, Updated iOS and Windows Phone apps for OneDrive, Windows 8.1 update for OneDrive, Microsoft announces one big annual tradeshow, Microsoft bolsters consumer channels by grabbing Best Buy executive, Amazon Fire disappoints most reviewers, Microsoft brings Skype to Amazon Fire phone, Amazon Prime Music expands collection, YouTube head of music quits, Microsoft being sued by Nevada tech firm concerning patent licensing, Bing cast search tip, Free vs Paid vs Subscriptions when it comes to 3rd party apps, Tweetium arrives on Windows Phone, Official Microsoft Twitter account list and @HiddenCash on Twitter. Until next time enjoy the show and thanks for listening.
Observed Tech PODCAST Episode 136 #OTP
Welcome to Episode 136. As I Start Up this show I discuss the continued evolution of the Microsoft Tech Support scam phone calls, the overuse of the phrase grain of salt in tech news, Microsoft’s continuing Android journey, Windows Phone 8.1 Cyan update and lifecycle confusion plus my observations from the Google IO keynote. The normal collection of tidbits during the main part of the show including items relating to Microsoft, Windows, Windows Phone, Office, Security, Cloud, Hardware, Apps, Services, Xbox, Internet Explorer and Social Media. As things come to a close and I begin the Shut Down process there are items such as Bing Rewards giving you an Ad Free Outlook.com, a college student who moved away from studying Computer Science and why they did that, Microsoft Virtual Academy training tools and the thief who loved Facebook. Until next time enjoy the show and thanks for listening.
Observed Tech PODCAST Episode 135 #OTP
Welcome to Episode 135. This is the one where we start off with first impressions of the Surface Pro 3 and some console related news since it is E3 week out in Los Angeles, California. Things Start Up for this episode as I share my initial impressions of Surface Pro 3 after checking out the device at my local Best Buy and then I share my thoughts on Microsoft and Sony’s E3 media briefings earlier this week. Also in the discussion is personal robot sales that are supposed to begin next year, Twitch being serious business which means gamers are serious business, the plan for Safari and Chrome to hide full web addresses, Mac Pro construction and Windows machines go hand in hand, an eye opening video about driving and texting from VW and Google’s new acquisition of a satellite company gives them eyes in a geosynchronous orbit above the Earth. After we get things started you can expect the normal collection of tidbits during the main part of the show including items relating to Microsoft, Windows, Windows Phone, Office, Security, Cloud, Hardware, Apps, Services, Xbox, Internet Explorer and Social Media. As I get ready to Shut Down I highlight a proposed armrest for airliners that will end elbow battles forever, Flickr’s move away from Facebook and Google sign ins, Microsoft’s Smart Home of the Future back in 1999, the OS X Yosemite Transformation Pack and our desire to make OS’s look like other OS’s, the world’s largest game collection up for sale, iOS8 wallpapers, the top free and paid apps in the Windows Phone and Windows Stores, the top ten recommended apps for your Windows 8.1 tablets, why exactly PC sales are flat, DSLR tips for beginners on how to use Manual Mode and finally building a homemade portable air conditioner for just $8. Just in time for summer in the northern hemisphere. Until next time enjoy the show and thanks for listening.