Category Archives: Gadgets

TIL: Amazon Echo’s Bluetooth can pair with Apple OS/X computers but not Microsoft Windows 10 PCs

echo_osx_bt_20151213

Amazon tells us that is Echo intelligent speaker can pair with mobile devices? But, I wondered what about desktop PCs and notebooks? It turns out that it pairs and works fine with Macs running Apple’s OS/X (I tested it with the current El Capitan release). However, Microsoft’s Windows 10 Bluetooth stack couldn’t even detect the Echo let alone pair with it.

So, if you have a Windows PC and want to use the Echo as a wireless speaker, you are out of luck. However, if you run OS/X on a Mac, it works fine.

MobileViews Podcast 76: Office Online now works on iPad/Android, Net Neutrality, multifunction mobile gadgets

Todd Ogasawara and Jon Westfall revisit a few recent topics in this podcast

– OneDrive/Microsoft Office Online now allows editing Office docs on iPad and Android via browser UI

– Bye bye net neutrality? Comcast buying Time Warner for $45B

Comcast (was) & Verizon throttling Netflix (Netflix ISP Index)

Todd and Jon also discuss a couple of multifunction gadgets:
HooToo HT-TM01 Charger, WiFi router, NAS
D-Link DIR-505L: Wall charger, WiFi Router, DLNA server

And, check out Jon’s tip on his own blog: Jon’s Building Portable Netflix Post: http://jonwestfall.com/2014/02/building-personal-portable-netflix/

MobileViews Podcast 72: Googlegedon

In MobileViews Podcast 72, Todd Ogasawara and Jon Westfall discuss:

– Happy 30th birthday to the Apple Macintosh (Jan. 24, 2014)

– Gmail/Google+-ageddon. 1st world problems. Cyber dependency
Ref: TechCrunch

– iWorks for iOS updated
Ref: GigaOm

– App picks
Pushbullet for Android – Ref: This Week in Google episode 233

– Yay! S. Korea says no to phone bloatware
Ref: ZDNet

In the MobileViews review queue: Energizer USB Chargers

OK. I admit it. I am woefully behind in reviewing a bunch of mobile accessories and hardware. It is embarrassing and, unfortunately, rude to the nice PR people who provided these items. So, the least I can do is let people who stumble upon this blog know what is in my review queue.

First up? Two products from Energizers new USB Chargers series. The first is the Energizer Dual Wall Universal USB Charger with an unusual list price of $28.56 but available for less than $12 from Amazon. The second is the Energizer 10 Watt USB Wall Charger and Cable with a list price of $24.99 but available from Amazon for less than $18. Both models have folding prongs making them potentially useful travel chargers. More later on this pair of gadget chargers.