MobileViews Blog

Jon Westfall and I (Todd Ogasawara) start this podcast with a brief discussion of Windows 10 Technical Preview 2 (build 9926), discuss some recent software changes (Microsoft Outlook for iOS & Android, Microsoft Office for Android, and the newly free Google Earth Pro for Windows and Mac). Then we discuss 3D design and printing with expert Emil Reyes (website: iZEDZO!).

Jon’s mobile app pick: Memoir for iOS

Jon Westfall and I (Todd Ogasawara) spend the first couple of minutes of this podcast reviewing some of many announcements Microsoft made in the past week.

• Windows 10 Technical Preview 2 build 9926 (ref: Thurrott.com What’s New? and Visual Tour)
• Surface Hub
• HoloLens
• Universal apps
• No Windows RT 10 update?
• MSFT bought Revolution Analytics (R based company). Although the firm started up in 2007, it has a bit of history since its CEO is Norman Nie who co-created SPSS in the 1960s. (ref: Wired.com)

Then, we’re joined for the remainder of the podcast speaking with my friend Warren Loos who experienced a disk drive disaster that led him to use the services of a hard drive recovery firm …and…more. Warren had a Drobo multi-drive backup system, used Apple’s Mac OS/X Time Machine automated backup system, and used the Crash Plan cloud backup service. So, what perfect storm led to what at first appeared to be the loss of terabytes of photographs? Listen and learn. It is a cautionary tale for those of us who “think” our backup plans are sufficient. I know I need to rethink how my backups of family photos and the like are done today and how they should be done going forward.

For the first MobileViews podcast of 2015, Jon Westfall and I (Todd Ogasawara) assembled a variety of topics and products to discuss:

• Top download apps from iTunes in 2014 (Ref: MacRumors)
• Monster Digital On-The-Go USB 16GB Storage. Thumb drive with micro-USB instead of full size connector.
• T-Mobile pre-paid plans cheaper than to mostly identical post-paid plans.
• Apple Pay
• Essential Apps over Travel: GasBuddy (To know where the cheapest gas was on my route), Google Voice (No cell reception at my in-laws), Transmit by Panic (Same company that makes Coda) – mobile FTP/SFTP client, didn’t have to pull out the laptop as much!)
• Evernote Scanable for iOS
• App Pick of the Week: Jon: Pocket Informant (Can be overkill but set up right and it takes up less space than icons for Calendar, ToodleDo, Reminders, & Contacts)

In this final podcast for 2014, Jon Westfall and I (Todd Ogasawara) rant a bit about technologies that took a long time to arrive and a couple that still aren’t here yet.

• Video sharing from device to device
• Automated backup systems for Microsoft Windows
• Why don’t I have an electronic driver’s license yet?
• Why am I still paying so much for medical care?!?
• Why don’t fast food restaurants do online ordering like Pizza and sub shops do?
• Why is touch Office for Windows 8/10 taking so long?

UI-less UIs

App picks
Todd – Brushstroke for iOS + its 99 cent illustrations add-on pack
Jon – Spritz Speedreading Apps

Year-end mentions

• Best of iTunes
• Google Play – Best of 2014
• Google infographic – 2014 Google Play
• New Google app for iOS
• Chromecast Guest Mode – Android only
• Android only – watch full season of some TV shows for free on Hulu+

Jon Westfall and I (Todd Ogasawara) offers tips and suggestions for the 2014 holiday gadget/app season.

1. Best Freeware / Open Source Products
2. Bad moves in 2014 – Facebook & Foursquare
3. Most Anticipated Tech Trends / Items of 2015
4. Gadget Wishlist

Jon Westfall and I (Todd Ogasawara) have some choice comments about the major operating system upgrades in 2014. Android Lollipop, Apple iOS 8, and Apple OS/X Yosemite all get stinging commentary. How bad is it? I refuse to upgrade my iPad 2 to iOS 8. I am waiting for Apple to fix 8.1.1 before I upgrade my iPhone 6+. I’ve got a Mac that won’t go to Yosemite until it looks a bit more stable. And, Android 5.0 Lollipop turned my 1st generation Nexus 7 tablet into a slug. So,the Nexus 4 is staying at 4.4.

I have some comments about Microsoft’s Windows 10 Technical Preview too. But, it gets a pass because it is a beta release. You know the saying: If you play with beta, expect to get burned.

On a positive note: Jon has some kind words about Adonit’s customer service related to a problem he had with a Jotscript Bluetooth stylus purchased last year (2013). He also notes it is on sale right now over at ThinkGeek.

I have a few comments about the Alcatel pre-paid Android C1 phone running Android 4.2 and mention the Amazon Fire TV Stick that started shipping to the first wave of buyers in November.

And, finally, Jon has a bit of a “I told you so” moment in talking about the failed Amazon Fire Phone.

News

1. Microsoft Office for iOS free. No need for Office 365 subscription.
2. Microsoft Office Sway? Ref: Microsoft Office Blog announcement.
3. “Materials” Android apps appearing: Google Play, Gmail, Camera
4. Swype for iOS free app of the week

MobileViews Mailbag

1. Todd: Google Inbox as an Android battery killer
2. Jon: Get true push Gmail on an iPhone

Jon Westfall and I (Todd Ogasawara) discuss the following topics in this podcast.

News

1. Microsoft Band
2. Google Inbox (Chrome only on desktops). The Android app is a battery killer!
3. Surprise! Google Play available on Roku However, it is not available for my 1st gen Roku box. It requires a post-2011 Roku device.
4. Amazon Fire Stick was $19 during a two-day sale period. Regular price $39. Amazon underestimated demand (CNET). Shipping even on early orders slipping into Dec. New orders slipping to early 2015.
5. Google Fit for Android is useless. I tried it 2 days, then, uninstalled it to get a little more battery life.

Konspiracy Korner

1. Google X nano-particles injected into body to detect disorders.
2. Verizon Wireless perma-cookie
3. FBI holds secret meeting to push a backdoor to phone encryption
4. Circuit Court in Virginia Rules Police Can Force Users to Unlock iPhones With Fingerprints, But Not Passcodes. Fingerprints are NOT protected by the Fifth Amendment.

I’m still trying to use Google Inbox as my main interface to Gmail. However, I had to remove the Android app because it killed my Nexus 4’s battery by late afternoon. According to the Android battery usage utility, the Google Inbox for Android app accounted for 34% of all battery use today.

Interestingly, the Google Inbox for iOS app does not appear to be creating any extra battery drain on my iPhone 6 Plus. So, I’ll continue to try it there. But, it was jettisoned from my Nexus 4 as soon as the phone had enough of a charge to boot back up.

The MobileViews podcast launched way back on November 26, 2008 (under a different name). For episode 100, Frank McPherson, who was on podcast number 2, joins me (Todd Ogasawara) and Jon Westfall for a look backwards and forwards. Here’s the show run-down for episode 100.

Looking backwards and forwards with Frank McPherson

1. From the T-Mobile G1 (first Android phone) to the Moto X, Nexus 6, and more
2. Chromebooks, Chromebox, & Chromecast

News

1. Jon bought both the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3. How does it compare to the old iPad 2 & iPad mini 2?
2. He also bought Apple’s leather case for the iPhone 6 Plus. Worth the money?
3. Thoughts about the iOS 8.1 and OS/X Yosemite updates.
4. Jon and I were both traveling last weekend. And, we both took an iPhone 6 Plus on our respective trips. How well does it the new giant iPhone travel?
5. The initial Windows 10 Technical Preview worked great on my Dell Venue 8 Pro tablet. The recent major update (build 9860)? Not so much.
6. What is Microsoft Garage? And, why is Microsoft Research dabbling in Android apps?
7. Jon’s rant: What is CurrentC? And, what does it have to do with CVS and Rite-Aid shutting down support for Apple Pay?
8. Pebble smartwach, Samsung gear and other wearable tech spotted at… Sam’s Club? Yep.

Product tips

1. Todd: PressureNet for Android. Note the discussion about the possibilities of using the iPhone 6’s barometer on the Cliff Mass Weather Blog. For weather wonks.
2. Jon: Replay Video Editor for iOS: Video creation made super simple, super fast, looks cool.

Recorded: October 11, 2014

News
– Apple Oct. 16 announcements. New iPads – sure. iMacs – maybe. Mac mini – ? What happens to the iPod touch?
– Connected health devices. Ref: Mobile Health News & NPD
– Background content for Google Chromecast Ref: Google Chrome Blog
– AAA hands-free voice cognitive distraction ratings. Ref: AAA

Tips & Product Picks
– LEGO mini-figs to hold Apple lightning and other thin cables
– MMS support added to Google Voice. Enables support for, for example, Fandango movie tickets and other image based text messages. Ref: Google
– Diaries – the kind you might actually keep up with. Or for the young crowd: a social network of 1
— Day One (Mac OS / iOS; ). Reminds you to write entries, gives you prompts to get you thinking (i.e. “What was your favorite game in childhood”)
— Evernote (Especially emailed with tags – shorthand: @notebook #tag in email subject to auto categorize
— Automating your life: Hazel & Keyboard Maestro for Mac OS X, IFTTT, Dropbox as a go-between

Konspiracy Korner
Ref: Wall Street Journal – IRobot Introduces System to Help Machines Think for Themselves

Todd Ogasawara and Jon Westfall discuss:

Microsoft Windows 10 Technical Preview
— Why 10 not 9?
— Upgrade process
— Surprised that Metro UI was the default on my tablet.
— Tiles attached to the right of the new Start Menu
— Tiles can be resized, rearranged, etc.
— Left legacy list part of the start menu not touch friendly on an 8-inch tablet display
— Microsoft Bluetooth mouse works fine with Windows 10 tech preview.
— Works with the Bluetooth keyboard I use with the Venue 8 Pro
— Seems like a lot of configuration is done by typing into the Run command line
— Metro apps appear as floating windows on the Desktop.
— Can be resized horizontally but not vertically
— Prefer this much more than the Metro UI

More Apple
— Oct. 16 – rumor of new iPad announcement. Maybe Retina iMac. Yosemite.
— Apple’s mail app frequently crashes after the update. Others have noticed this too.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6538150

Say a final farewell to Lotus 1-2-3
So long Lotus 1-2-3: IBM ceases support after over 30 years of code (Ref: The Register (UK))

Product Picks
— Todd: Post-It Note Plus mostly worked as described. Was unable to get all 5 of my test notes to be recognized at the same time. But, the app let me manually add the missing note. Had one color recognition issue (yellow note)
(free)
— Jon’s Picks of the Week: TextExpander(Mac OS & iOS, $34.99 & $4.99) & Drafts(iOS, $4.99). A great combo for sending full responses on the go.sky

Konspiracy Korner
Satellites reveal hidden features at the bottom of Earth’s seas (Ref: AAAS Science)