Observed Tech PODCAST Episode 119
Welcome to Episode 119. In this Tuesday edition of Observed Tech I spend some time talking about shifting back to Windows Home Server 2011 from Windows Server Essentials 2012, my upcoming testing of the WD MyCloud device, comparing the Nokia Lumia 1520 to the 920 and a WD TV Live Media Player giveaway. Of course I discuss many other things from the past week including Tweetium 2.0, More Microsoft CEO advice, Scott Guthrie moving up, Bill Gates and his new role on Microsoft from a recent Reddit Ask Me Anything, Microsoft’s focus on US Veterans, Microsoft’s Frank Shaw and a NYT advice column, Internet of Things grows at Microsoft, Microsoft fighting cybercrime, Massive $900 million dollar construction project at Microsoft HQ, SkyDrive/OneDrive branding changes, Windows 8.1 Update 1, Windows Phone 8.1, Windows 8 licenses, Where Microsoft Windows is headed, Snap View in Windows 8, Finding things on Windows 8.1, Surface Firmware updates in February Patch Tuesday, Creating a new Microsoft account from an existing email address, 64 Bit Windows Tablets, Windows 7 gets an extension of sorts, Windows Phone certification speeds up, Windows Phone and Flappy Bird, Lessons from the the Nokia DVLUP Campaign, Why Nokia Lumia is best for business, Enterprise dominance in smart phones, Microsoft and Android Apps, Nokia Lumia Icon, Microsoft Office on iPad, Multi Factor Authentication on Office 365, Office Online getting closer, Xbox One vs PS4 in January, The COMCAST/TWC deal, Skype Message Sync fixed, Conan O’Brien’s ideas for running Microsoft, Yahoo! and Microsoft, Sony’s waterproof MP3 player, Flappy Bird’s demise in iOS and Play stores, Download wrappers, Enabling Two Factor Authentication on your Microsoft Account, OneDrive Storage Bonuses, Windows on Chromebooks, WiFi Plug, Linking to copyrighted work OK, Surface in Business, Surface approved by FAA for in flight use and Pilots banned from personal use of electronics in the cockpit. Until next time enjoy the show and thanks for listening.
Observed Tech PODCAST Episode 118
Welcome to Episode 118. This is the show where we talk about the big news of the past week which was the Microsoft CEO announcement and what the companies board will look like, the Windows 8.1 Update 1 which is getting a lot of tech press coverage because of all the leaked information about it including screenshots and functionality details. I also share my thoughts and initial impressions about the Nokia Lumia 1520 which recently came home with me as an upgrade for my Nokia Lumia 920. I will also discuss how I arrived at the decision to go with the 1520 vice the 1020 which I was considering. Other items discussed in this show include Microsoft OneDrive, Nokia Lumia Black update roll out, Nokia Lumia 1520 update for a video bug, Windows Phone 8.1 Notification Center, Bing Apps on Windows Phone, iOS and Android getting another Microsoft service app before Windows Phone, The top 25 WP Apps according to PC Magazine, Office 365 at one year, Office Online vs Office Web Apps, InfoPath Discontinued, Recent Microsoft Commercials, No discless Xbox One but an update is arriving, The life and death of Windows XP, Amazon Prime Price Bump, Newegg Expedited Shipping Subscription, Amazon Web Services vs Windows Azure Pricing Wars, Nextgen Reader and Buffer Support and the Sochi Olympics. Until next time enjoy the show and thanks for listening.
Observed Tech PODCAST Episode 117
Welcome to Episode 117 and the first show of 2014 and our return after an extended hiatus. I explain where I have been over the last few weeks as the show starts and get you caught up on how 2013 closed out for WindowsObserver. I also share the trials and tribulations of moving the site to a new host and using Windows Azure for storing static files relating to the website. Suffice it to say I am very happy with my new host and the speed things are working so it was well worth the effort. Since this is a catch-up show I cover a lot of things from the last few weeks that will impact what we keep an eye on in 2014 so buckle up and tighten those straps! Other topics of discussion in this show include – Which WordPress plugins slow down your site, Windows 8.1 Preview expired, Microsoft personalization theme updates, Download Monitor for WordPress by Mike Jolley, Stop people from emailing you through Google Plus, Top 25 passwords in 2013, $1 million in Pizza sold via Xbox, Five recommendations for those new Windows devices, Windows 8.1 information from Microsoft, Windows XP use dropping, Amazon Prime growth, New year – New Backup plan, Xbox wins December, Microsoft trademarking term Mod, Windows 8/8.1 usage grows, Windows Store over 142K apps as 2014 begins, Kindle Fire and Surface gains over holidays, Windows 9, Windows 8.1 Update 1, Office 365 partners with GoDaddy, Windows on Small Devices, Educators deploying Windows RT 8.1, Microsoft Security Essentials and Windows XP, Windows XP on 95% of ATM’s, Windows Store improvements for client and developers, Tablets will not replace PC’s, How PC and tablet markets changed in 2013, The end of Desktop computing, Choosing between iPad, Android or Windows tablets, App Store ratings are broken and Paying for apps. Until next time enjoy the show and thanks for listening.
Observed Tech PODCAST Episode 116
Welcome to Episode 116 and the final show of 2013. We recorded a total of 43 shows this year in bringing you the tech stuff we keep an eye on so thanks for listening. In this final episode of the year I lead off with how I am transitioning the static files on WindowsObserver.com (primarily themes and miscellaneous downloads) to Windows Azure Blob (Binary Large Object) storage. For visitors the change is transparent but learning how to use these new services is a great learning experience. This weeks other topics of discussion include Best Bing Homepages of 2013 Theme, Windows XP and 3rd party security, Switch plans easily in Office 365, IE11 virtual machines/hard drives for testing, Windows Phone 8.1 rumored features, Nokia Lumia Black update begins rollout, Universal laptop charger standard coming next year, Getting started with new Windows devices after Christmas, Surface BitLocker Recovery Key retrieval, Free Skype Premium features for one year, Ballmer and Nadella interviews with Mary Jo Foley, Mandatory app updates for certain versions of OS, Twitter and third party apps, Tweetium Twitter app, Continuous flow of app updates for Windows and Windows Phone, Aviary abandons image SDK for Windows platforms, Apps that sync across Windows Phone and Windows, Official Instagram update still missing video and Instagram Direct support, App Categories front and center in Windows Store, Xbox Music and Xbox Video apps for Windows Phone, Project Siena, Roku gets YouTube channel finally, Microsoft Retail growth in 2013 and 2014, Covering up your webcam for security reasons, Surface device and accessory sell out, Living with Dell Venue 8 Pro, Fix Dell Venue 8 Pro Wi-Fi issues available, Microsoft’s messy Windows strategy, Microsoft convergence and integration in 2013, Top products in 22 years by Walt Mossberg, Social media folks should know social media, Facebook users gets all wet and Bill Gates rocks Reddit Secret Santa. Until next time, and next year, enjoy the show and thanks for listening.
Observed Tech PODCAST Episode 115
Welcome to Episode 115. This week it is an early morning recording session on Friday the 13th, by the way nothing went wrong during recording, to bring you a snapshot of this past weeks tech news. I kick things off reminding you about the TechPodcast Networks CES 2014 coverage next month in Las Vegas. Each year TPN has a group of partner shows on the ground out there to bring you interviews with product teams and additional product demos to show you the new tech heading our way. I will have a dedicated page setup for CES 2014 coverage including TPN’s live stream so keep an eye out for that in January as well. This weeks other topics of discussion include Tech companies rally together about surveillance reform, Microsoft Account activity history, AT&T offering gigabit Internet for your web history, Swipe Down in Windows 8.1 to close apps, 50 best tech products of 2013, Angry Birds Go!, Office 365 Admin App goes cross platform, Instagram Direct, Buffer for Business, Nokia’s 8 inch tablet, A week with Surface 2, A 3 Surface family in Seattle, Remove Kindle Ads, Clarification on Windows 7 retail sales deadline, Windows XP end getting closer, Windows 8.1 Preview license expiration, Making Windows 8 a free upgrade, More Windows 8.1 tutorial videos from Scott Hanselman, Changes coming to Windows 8.2/Threshold, Microsoft Stores and the PC market, Photosynth App update, Surface firmware updates, Surface Pro 2 firmware install issue, Dell Venue 8 Pro post Patch Tuesday Wi-Fi issue, Focus on Steve Ballmer as he prepares to leave Microsoft, Bill Gates resigning as Chairman of Microsoft, Xbox One gets first post release update, November gaming console sales numbers, Predicting who wins December between Xbox One and PS4, Steve Sinofsky pokes at Windows in jest and Twitter steps back from blocking change. Until next time enjoy the show and thanks for listening.