Observed Tech PODCAST Episode 104
Welcome to Episode 104! After I wrapped Episode 103 last week I was really expecting things to be pretty slow for Friday and the weekend. How wrong was I about that? So I start this show off talking about the unexpected retirement announcement from Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer last Friday morning and the release of Windows 8.1 to manufacturers. Both of those events made for a very busy weekend of tech news as folks all over the web started grading Ballmer’s time as CEO, who his replacement should be and the chorus of enthusiasts/developers who were wondering why Microsoft was not going to release Windows 8.1 before General Availability in October. However, there were other news items during this past week and I got to a few of them in the show as well: SkyDrive App in Windows 8.1, all businesses can benefit from Windows 8.1, the end of Microsoft Points, Xbox 360 Dashboard update released, Feedly Cloud RSS Reader goes Pro, Sinofsky is now advising the folks at Box, Nokia getting Sirius about a Windows RT tablet, Tablets sales lose some fizzle, Windows Phone Dev annual subscription for $19 gets extended, Surface Pro price cut becomes permanent, National Geographic photographer and a Nokia Lumia 1020 makes the West look great, Windows Phone takes on malware, everyone but Windows Official Apps can report abuse now via Twitter, WordPress is getting a social media curation feature for blog posts, a Windows user experiences a Mac Mini and lives to tell about it and the 3%. Until next time enjoy the show and thanks for listening.
Observed Tech PODCAST Episode 103
Welcome to Episode 103! I am very pleased to welcome Microsoft’s Rob Greenle to the show for a special segment to discuss podcasting support from Microsoft. There has been some confusion this week as changes were announced concerning the Zune Marketplace and Rob helps to clarify where podcasting fits into all of those changes. We also take a quick look at an abbreviated list of news items across many Microsoft platforms including progress on Jacksonville’s Microsoft Store, a Microsoft guy’s perspective on the Steve Jobs movie, Windows Phone 8 GDR2 update roll out, Top 3 tips for generating revenue with your apps, Skype arrives on Outlook.com for North American customers, changes to your linked and alias accounts at Microsoft, Bing for Schools brings ad free searches to school kids, how Surface has validated using a keyboard with tablets, similarities and shared interface cues help us all across Windows Phone and Windows 8, another free game for Xbox Live Gold subscribers, Xbox gamescon news and a major overhaul to Xbox Music App on Windows 8.1 Preview. Until next time enjoy the show and thanks for listening.
Observed Tech PODCAST Episode 102
Welcome to Episode 102! It never fails that as I am closing out an episodes notes more stuff comes up to be added in. This week it is in the realm of Microsoft vs Google over a Windows Phone YouTube App. Of course I hit on that and many other things including announcing the three winners of our Observed Tech Episode 100 Giveaway celebrating our 100th show. Listen to the show for the details to see If you are one of the winners – that is if you entered the contest over the last couple of weeks. However, even if you did not get the chance to enter please listen to the show! Also in the show notes for today are Windows Phone updates, Patch Tuesday’s successful history and what it has changed for users of all types, a mix of Xbox One related updates and info and of course some Windows 8.1 details. Specific areas covered in this show include: The first annual Code on the Beach Conference here in North East Florida, SpaceX’s grasshopper does some sideways maneuvering, New web pages for apps in the Windows Store, Windows Phone GDR2, Lumia Amber and the Nokia Pro Camera app for Lumia phones get released, How Patch Tuesday has changed the way customers approach security updates, Microsoft sued for Surface losses by shareholders, New channels to get Surface devices, Office 365 gets a big contract in New York, Paul Thurrott’s 5 favorite things about Office 365, The Microsoft and Google YouTube App mess, Xbox One’s up and down week of news, Games for Windows Live shutting down, Another big name joins the Windows Store, Windows 8.1 availability gets a date and Skype confirmed as built in on Windows 8.1. Until next time enjoy the show and thanks for listening.
Observed Tech PODCAST Episode 101
Welcome to Episode 101! As we get started please do not forget about the Episode 100 Giveaway as there is $100 in Amazon Gift Certificates (one $50 and two $25) that will be given away and you have to enter to be eligible of course. The winners get announced on next weeks show (Episode 102). So in our show this week we cover subjects ranging from Windows Phone including arriving system updates, big name apps, a new developer tool, some big growth over the last year and a security advisory relating to WiFi on your Windows Phone handset. We also discuss the impending Windows XP lifecycle expiration, tech support scams, Facebook trying to explain the timeline algorithm and SkyDrive welcoming Apple MobileMe refugees with storage space. Some other items on the agenda for this show are Dedicated Windows Phone developers, Apps that are socially crowd sourced, A peek at the Amber GDR 2 Windows Phone update, Bing Apps on Windows Phone, The roll out of 30,000 Windows 8 Pro tablets at a Japanese insurance company, Sony’s PS4 marketing strategy, A smorgasbord of Xbox News, Outlook.com and Messaging History changing, Comparing cameras between a Nokia Lumia 925 with a Nokia Lumia 920, High battery drain in Windows 8.1, Lack of low battery warnings in Windows 8.1, Beta Testing Office and a searchable Windows Store on the web. Until next time enjoy the show and thanks for listening.
Observed Tech PODCAST Episode 100
Welcome to Episode 100! We are now in the realm of triple digit episodes now but that will all change when we reach our 1,000th episode. Just 900 more to go! What better way to spend this 100th episode except to take a walk down memory lane over the last four years of the Observed Tech PODCAST and talk about its history, popular episodes, how it is all put together, the hardware and software that we use to produce the show and also share a couple of secret easter eggs about it. However, just those easter eggs are not enough to celebrate reaching this milestone so there is a giveaway embedded in the show. Listen to the show to learn how you can have an opportunity to win part of $100 in Amazon Gift Cards to mark our 100th episode. You have to listen to listen to the the show for the details on becoming eligible for winning and then take the right actions to be in the mix. We are giving away one $50 card and two $25 cards. After the history lesson we talk about the Nokia Lumia 925 Demo unit I have on hand and my recent visit to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex to see the new Atlantis Exhibit. Of course, it would not be an episode of Observed Tech if we did not observe some tech items so we also talk about the official confirmation of a Microsoft store coming to Jacksonville, SkyDrive.com upgrades and its upcoming name change, Windows 8.1 Preview for enterprise customers, a great alternative Twitter App called Halfwit, Official Twitter update adds and fixes some things, Instagram on Windows Phone platform. Until next time enjoy the show and thanks for listening.