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In MobileViews 618, recorded on July 12, 2026, guest co-host Don Sorcinelli joined me to cover a wide range of tech updates. I kicked off the show with a shoutout to my web host, DreamHost, who helped me manage an exponential spike in website traffic by filtering out various bots that were crashing my virtual private server. We then looked ahead to the upcoming Google Pixel event on August 12th, where we expect to see the Pixel 11 and potentially a new Pixel Watch. We also discussed the rollout of Android 17, noting its gradual improvements to desktop mode compared to the initial version rolled out in Android 16.

I shared my frustrations with Microsoft Copilot, which is rapidly burning through my AI credits just for using basic OneNote features like syncing handwritten notes. This has pushed me to experiment with Obsidian and the Excalidraw plugin as a potential offline alternative for my e-ink tablet. We also touched on Windows, discussing the new Cloud Rebuild feature in the Windows 11 preview. Don shared his success in reviving an older 2019 Samsung Galaxy Book with a simple Windows 11 reset, a timely win given that skyrocketing RAM and SSD prices continue to make budget-friendly options like the MacBook Neo incredibly appealing.

Finally, Don provided a deep dive into the complex world of Microsoft Enterprise Licensing. He explained how Microsoft is rolling features from its struggling Intune suite into its standard E3 and E5 licenses while simultaneously pushing price increases. Most notably, they have introduced a new E7 license—which Don jokingly called the “mother of all licenses”—that includes high-end Copilot agent features for a staggering $99 per user per month. We closed out with a look at how these price hikes, including those for non-profit organizations, are forcing IT departments to carefully rethink how they assign user licenses across their organizations.

Available via Apple iTunes.
MobileViews YouTube Podcasts channel
MobileViews Podcast on Audible.com

I opened with a “mini-rant” about the frustrations of the USB-C ecosystem and apparent power requirement issues with a new Acer USB-C external LCD display. We also observed possible tangible effects of “AI scarcity,” noting that Google Meet recordings and Alexa Plus responses are taking significantly longer to process, likely due to the processing demands of modern AI models. This scarcity sparked a conversation on new social norms in the AI age, specifically regarding the etiquette of AI agents (like Read.ai) attending meetings and the “cat-and-mouse game” of recording lights on smart glasses.

Jon shared a major shift in his productivity workflow by moving to Obsidian, a “Swiss Army knife” of note-taking. By using Codex to convert 20 years of WordPress entries and Day One journals into Markdown files, he has created a future-proof, portable “vault” that avoids proprietary databases. We also discussed the release of Android 17, which introduced an interesting “Screen Reactions” overlay feature but also caused frustration by resetting permissions for tablet casting and photo galleries.

To wrap up, Jon provided a field report on his DJI Neo 2 drone, which successfully tracked him during a 20mph e-bike ride. Despite suffering its first high-speed crash into a tree, the lightweight drone proved remarkably durable, surviving the impact with no visible damage. We also touched on a few tech trends, including Gen Z’s growing rejection of Silicon Valley’s vision in favor of “dumb” tech like flip phones and repaired iPods

Available via Apple iTunes.
MobileViews YouTube Podcasts channel
MobileViews Podcast on Audible.com

In MobileViews 614, Jon Westfall and I were joined by frequent guest panelists Sven Johansson, and Don Sorcinelli discuss the highlights from Apple’s recent Worldwide Developer Conference—or, as it we call it: the “Apple AI Conference”. We also discussed the branding shift as my Google One 2TB plan was officially rebranded to Google AI Plus, signaling a broader industry trend toward AI-centric subscriptions. Don shared his experience with the Dreambeans experiment from Google Labs, which acts as a “really good sketch artist” by creating eerily accurate daily comic strips of your life based on calendar data and search history. This led to a deeper debate on the privacy vs. utility trade-off, contrasting Apple’s “private cloud compute” architecture with Google’s data-heavy personalization.

The conversation turned to the shifting economics of AI, which I’ve dubbed the “drug dealer model”. Companies are moving away from subsidized usage toward granular credit systems; for instance, Microsoft Copilot now consumes credits for simple tasks like opening large files or syncing handwriting. Despite these costs, “vibe coding” remains a game-changer. I shared how I used Google AI Studio to build a custom tool that summarizes the Techmeme River news feed and reads it back to me using an AI-synthesized voice, a task that took less time than brushing my teeth. Jon and I also lamented the current state of Siri, wishing it could handle multiple commands simultaneously rather than the current “one-step-at-a-time” limitation.

We closed out with a look at Apple’s hardware horizon and a bit of tech nostalgia. While rumors swirl about AirPods with built-in cameras to help the user “see” the world, I was disappointed by the lack of any hints regarding a desktop Mac Neo. Our parenting discussion highlighted the iPad as the gold standard for managed digital access for toddlers, with Don choosing a strict “kiosk mode” approach to build good habits early. Finally, we reminisced about the original Microsoft Barney doll and the early days of Microsoft Flight Simulator (in context of the new Flight Simulator in Google Earth).

Available via Apple iTunes.
MobileViews YouTube Podcasts channel
MobileViews Podcast on Audible.com

In MobileViews 6136, Jon Westfall and I tackled the increasingly complex world of AI ecosystems. I shared my early impressions of Google Labs’ “Dream Beans,” an interesting daily briefing tool that uses AI to generate an illustrated summary of topics it thinks you’ll find interesting based on your activity. While the illustrations are very nice looking and the content relevant, the app is currently very phone-centric, lacking the landscape orientation optimization I’d expect for a tablet experience. I also noted that Google AI Pro remains a solid value for me at $20 a month.

A major portion of the episode was dedicated to my “credit crunch” rant regarding Microsoft Copilot. I discovered that Microsoft’s 365 family plan only provides 60 AI credits per month, and the “intentional use” policy is aggressive. According to Copilot itself, credits can be consumed simply by opening the app, syncing handwriting from an e-ink tablet to OneNote, or even having the AI suggest a grammar fix you don’t actually use. This led me to explore Obsidian as a OneNote alternative, as it offers free handwriting plugins without the credit overhead. Jon suggested a sustainable path forward: using AI to build offline scripts or tools that perform data manipulation locally to avoid recurring token costs.

We also looked at the hardware horizon, specifically Microsoft’s announcement of Project Solera—AI-powered badges and desktop displays—and the new Nvidia RTX Spark PCs. These machines are purpose-built for local AI, boasting a petaflop of performance to run personal agents offline. Finally, with Apple WWDC just around the corner, we shared our hopes for the long-promised “personal context” updates to Siri. Jon is also eagerly awaiting his pre-ordered Clicks communicator and keyboard, while I continue to hold out hope for a MacBook Neo with a backlit keyboard and a desktop Mac Neo. Whether it’s navigating “vibe coding” loops or managing AI budgets, it’s clear that the “magic math” of the AI industry is starting to meet the reality of the bean counters.

Available via Apple iTunes.
MobileViews YouTube Podcasts channel
MobileViews Podcast on Audible.com