Monthly Archives: October 2017

MobileViews Podcast 228: Google Pixel 2 initial impressions

  1. Jon – iPhone X
  2. NoteShelf. Recent update supports iPhone in addition to iPad. Tested with JotScript stylus.
  3. TOdd – Google (HTC) Pixel 2
  4. USB-C only. No mini-jack for headphones. No headphones. It ships with mini-plug to USB-C and USB-A to USB-C adapters
  5. Otterbox Defender for Pixel 2 $50
    No useful paper or web instructions for how to take this thing apart. Turns out there are 5 clips to pop to separate the plastic case after removing the outer rubber case. After the ordeal of taking it apart and putting it on the Pixel 2, here’s what I learned. One good, one bad.
    The squeeze to activate Google Assistant works with the case on- a little too well. I need to reduce its sensitivity
    The built-in transparent screen protector is not perfectly flat against the screen which makes typing on the visual keyboard difficult. Note: The much less expensive (about $20) Unicorn Beetle case I’ve used on my Nexus 6 for more than two years also has a built-in screen protector. And, it works perfectly.
    Belt clip is useless
  6. Impressed by the photos it takes. No second lens. So, no optical zoom.
  7. Google Pixel 2 vs. iPhone 7+: Photographing a bright red hibiscus
  8. The fingerprint reader works better than I expected. And, its placement on the back of the phone is not as awkward as I expected.
  9. Good battery life so far

MobileViews Podcast 227: Google Photos now with Pet ID

In this podcast Jon Westfall and I discuss:

  1. Mac mini refresh? Ref: ars technica
  2. Limited unlimited Google Photos storage for Pixel 2 owners. Ref: BGR
  3. Google Photos now recognizes your dog or cat
  4. Finally. Bluetooth battery indicator in Pixel 2
  5. Sleep tracking on the Apple Watch (Pillow app). Jon tried it out last night, and learned some interesting things. Finally something that tops his old FitBit One.
  6. Hacking Is a Risk for Pacemakers. So Is the Fix

Available via Google Music Podcasts and Apple iTunes.

MobileViews Podcast 226: Rant-cast, disintegrating Apple Smart Keyboard, Procreate 4.0.3 crashing

  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.

MobileViews Podcast 225: New Google hardware. Guest Frank McPherson

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.

MobileViews Podcast 224: New Amazon Echo devices. Shoutout to Stayf Draws & Paint(dot)Net

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.