MobileViews Blog

1. Apple Watch chronograph doesn’t ship with Series 3 but is available from the Face Gallery of the Watch app.
2. Blocking the iOS 11 upgrade Ref: imyfone
3. Not buying another Apple Smart Keyboard for the iPad Pro
4. Procreate 4.0.3 is broken on my iPad Pro. Moved on to Tayasui Sketches Pro for my daily doodles
5. Planetizen: UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies research is the first-ever study with representative data from major cities across America on ride-hailing and its impact on travel decisions. Uber and Lyft most likely add to traffic in major cities today.
6. It looks like either (1) People don’t play games on the Mac much or (2) those who do don’t provide feedback to the MacOS app store. Probably the latter based on sampling review counts for various types of apps. Considering buying Civ 2 for Android ($9.99) or the free FreeCiv to play on the Samsung Chromebook Plus in preparation for the day I accidentally neglect to prevent my 9.7-inch iPad Pro (which is still running on iOS 10) to upgrade to iOS 11.
7. Google Data Studio

Available via Google Music Podcasts and Apple iTunes.

Jon Westfall and I are joined by Frank McPherson for this podcast. We discuss Google’s October 4, 2017 hardware product announcements.

1. Google planning to fly 30 Loon balloons over Puerto Rico to restore connectivity. Ref: Wired
2. $649+ & $849+ Google Pixel 2 & 2 XL
3. $999+ Google Pixelbook and Pixelbook Pen ($99)
4. $399 & $49 Google Home Max & Mini
5. $159 Google Pixel Buds
6. $249 Google Clips
7. Sonos throws hat in the smart assistant field – a Play:One with Alexa support They’re going full “Android” Alexa can now control Sonos as well.

Available via Google Music Podcasts and Apple iTunes.

In this podcast Jon Westfall and I discuss:

Shoutouts
1. Procreate Primer: eBook about the Basics of Painting in Procreate 4. $9.99 in the Apple bookstore. Ebook with videos.
2. paint.net is now available on the Windows Store! for $8.99. Free classic version still available. This is, perhaps, the first useful Store App (IMO)

Discussion Topics
Apple Watch tip for fellow newbies: Long press on the hard to read cluster of app icons to get to the list view option. Jon got his S3 watch on Thursday night. Thoughts and comparison to S0. Activate LTE on Verizon Wireless. Entering your address for E911 can be a show stopper.

Asymco believes that Apple is the world’s biggest watch maker, overtaking Rolex, with $12B in sales.

Bill Gates now using an Android phone. Ref: OnMSFT.com

“Alexa multi-step routines” coming soon Ref: The Verge

New Amazon Echo devices. Ref: ars technica

$99 Echo – replaces the original Echo
$149 Echo Plus – is an IoT hub and comes with one Philips Hue smart light bulb
$35 Echo Connect – make voice calls and send text messages to POTS lines and cell phones
$130 Echo Spot – smaller version of Echo Show. Has a display
$20 for two Echo Buttons – connects to an Echo and can be used as buttons for things like games

Available via Google Music Podcasts and Apple iTunes.

Jon Westfall and I continue our discussion of Apple’s iPhone 8/8 Plus and Watch Series 3 now that these devices are available for purchase.

1. USPS Informed Delivery Daily Digest
2. Sprint and T-Mobile discussing a merger. Ref: Reuters. Tried once before in 2014.
3. Apple Watch Series 3. Does not charge with PowerPort Qi or Energizer Qi pads (my personal tests). Ref: The Verge. I think Android Wear is easier to get started compared to Apple Watch. Pebble vs. Apple Watch?
4. Siri
5. Messages
6. iPhone 8/8+
7. iOS 11 on 7+. Display is often landscape after waking up despite holding it in portrait.
8. Jon’s getting more interested in the iPhone X
9. DXOmark said 8+ has best rated smartphone camera ever.
10. QNAP Nas thoughts – build own cloud very easily.

Jon Westfall and I discuss the recently announced iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and X as well as the Apple Watch Series 3 in this podcast. We also discuss the passing of Jon’s Mac mini server and his problems with Sonos speakers.

In this podcast Jon Westfall and I discuss:

1. Jerry Pournelle, RIP. Some know of him from his SF novels. Others know of him from his incredible Chaos Manor column run in BYTE magazine which, I believe, influenced directly or indirectly everyone today who writes about technology. He moved tech writing from a dry dull style to a one with a point of view (the consumer) and opinions based on hands-on experience. True to form, he kept writing until the day before he passed away.
2. A belated Happy Star Trek Day (Sept. 8)
3. Ookla 2017 Q1 & Q2 mobile and landline speed test data
4. USPS Informed Delivery Service
5. Is Apple breaking the Tick Tock cycle that started with the iPhone 3G and 3GS? No tock? Jump from iPhone 7/7+ to 8, 8+, and X. No “S”. Ref: 9to5Mac
6. Jon’s NAS Story. Twice bitten, Very Shy (CrashPlan, previously Mozy)

Available via Google Music Podcasts and Apple iTunes.