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In their latest “MobileViews 574” podcast, hosts Todd Ogasawara and Dr. Jon Westfall navigated through significant tech news and offered practical advice. A notable development discussed was the discontinuation of AOL’s dial-up internet access on September 30, 2025, marking the end of an era for the once-pioneering service. The conversation also touched upon Microsoft’s decision to retire its Microsoft Lens app from iOS and Android devices, effective September 15, 2025, with full support ending November 15. Todd, who uses Lens to de-skew photos of doodles and whiteboards, is now seeking alternatives, with suggestions including Microsoft 365 Copilot app, OSS Document Scanner, Genius Scan, and Google Lens. This led to a humorous digression about the differing “personalities” of AI tools like Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini.

Shifting to essential tips, Dr. Westfall provided a comprehensive “back-to-school tech roundup” for students. Key recommendations included USB drives with encrypted partitions for secure and compatible file transfer, and small thermal printers such as the Phomemo M04AS for quick, inexpensive prints like QR codes or notes. A Belkin 2-in-1 MagSafe Wireless Charging Dock was suggested for convenience, supporting iPhone’s StandBy mode. For car-owning students, a portable jump starter (like the NOCO Boost GB40) and a mobile tire inflator (such as the DENVIX Tire Inflator) were highlighted as essential safety tools that also function as power banks and lights. Practical, inexpensive items like a packable rain hat (e.g., Soxbang Waterproof Bucket Rain Hat) and a towel were also recommended for unexpected weather. Finally, both hosts emphasized the critical need for a backup plan for all critical technology, leveraging cloud storage and considering extended warranties, along with the “three-day rule” for assignments to mitigate stress. This last point was underscored by observations about some students’ reluctance to even use two-factor authentication for campus email due to perceived inconvenience.

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

Todd Ogasawara and Jon Westfall covered a range of interesting topics, from real-world natural disasters to the cutting edge of AI development and personal tech. Todd shared his recent experience during a statewide tsunami alert in Hawaii, triggered by an 8.8 magnitude earthquake off Russia. While initial information was well-managed, he highlighted significant issues with traffic chaos during evacuation and a concerning lack of information post-wave impact. On the technology front, Todd discussed Google Notebook LM, praising its ability to create succinct summaries and slideshows with voiceovers from source material. He also introduced Google Opal, a new experimental tool from Google Labs that allows users to build and share powerful AI mini-apps using natural language and visual editing, describing it as a “step beyond Visual Basic” for accelerating AI prototyping and workflows.

Jon Westfall also shared his recent tech purchases and an exciting new project. He acquired an 8Bitdo Micro Bluetooth Gamepad, a pocket-sized mini-controller weighing just 24.8 grams with 16 buttons. Its versatility allows it to function as a game controller for Switch, Android, and Raspberry Pi, or as a keyboard mode device for various applications, including as a remote for his new Kobo Libra Colour eReader. The Kobo Libra Colour features a 7″ E Ink Kaleido™ 3 color display and Kobo Stylus 2 compatibility for colorful mark-ups and note-taking, with notebooks backed up to Kobo Cloud, Dropbox, or Google Drive. Jon also unveiled his open-source project, Uncle John’s Bank, a self-hostable banking system for parents and kids designed to teach financial literacy, notably incorporating daily compounding interest and Certificates of Deposit (CDs). This sophisticated project was developed remarkably fast (75 hours) thanks to extensive use of OpenAI Codex, which integrated directly with his GitHub repository, even writing developer documentation. However, Jon noted a peculiar issue where GitHub Copilot (AI) reviewing Codex (AI)-generated code sometimes caused new problems, suggesting limitations in AI-to-AI code interaction. Finally, Jon shared intriguing results from asking various AIs (Google Gemini, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Anthropic Claude) for investment advice, observing their diverse recommendations and risk appetites.

Todd Ogasawara and Don Sorcinelli delved into several recent developments in personal technology, starting with Apple’s new offerings. They discussed AppleCare One, a simplified coverage plan launched on July 23, 2025, which allows customers to protect up to three Apple products for $19.99 per month, with options to add more devices. This plan bundles all AppleCare+ benefits, including unlimited accidental damage repairs, 24/7 expert support, battery coverage, and extends theft and loss protection to iPad and Apple Watch. Don highlighted this as a “win-win” for both Apple and consumers, offering both simplicity and potential cost savings over individual plans. The conversation then shifted to Todd’s experience with the iPadOS 26 public beta. He noted significant improvements in the new windowing system, which provides desktop-like functionalities such as closing, minimizing, resizing, and tiling app windows. New apps like Journal and Phone are now available on iPad, and a macOS-style menu bar has been introduced. Todd also explored the Local Capture feature, enabling native audio and video recording on iPadOS/iOS 26 devices, which, while useful for content creation, only records the user’s side of the conversation in a call.

Beyond Apple, the discussion covered crucial software updates and market observations. Todd highlighted a new feature in Adobe Podcast Studio that allows users to edit video by simply editing its transcribed text, significantly simplifying the process of cutting and rearranging video segments. They clarified a common misunderstanding about Microsoft Authenticator: while its password manager functionality is being removed by August 1, 2025, the multi-factor authentication (MFA) feature will remain active, with a push towards passkeys as a more secure login method. From an enterprise IT perspective, Don shared insights into the marked improvements in Microsoft Intune’s support for Mac OS management, a development that streamlines device administration for companies striving for a “single pane of glass” solution across diverse operating systems. Finally, they observed the landscape of the US Android phone market, noting its overwhelming dominance by Samsung and Google Pixel, with other brands like Motorola having a very limited presence, largely influenced by carrier offerings and marketing strategies

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

For MobileViews Podcast 571, I’m joined by guest co-hosts Sven Johannsen and Don Sorcinelli. We discuss:

Matson, Hawaii’s largest ocean cargo carrier, has ceased accepting electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles for transport to and from the islands due to mounting safety concerns over lithium-ion battery fires at sea, a move expected to severely impact Hawaii’s car market. In a brighter tech development, RapidRAW, a new open-source RAW image editor, was introduced as a high-performance, lightweight alternative to Adobe Lightroom®, impressively developed by an 18-year-old with Google’s Gemini AI models and boasting GPU-accelerated processing and AI masking. Meanwhile, Google’s NotebookLM, an AI-powered personalized research assistant, was praised as a “game-changer for productivity” due to its source-grounded nature that minimizes “hallucinations”; it proves valuable for streamlining tasks, managing finances, and facilitating passive learning via “Audio Overviews” generated from user-fed sources. Its enhanced NotebookLM Plus offers higher limits and a 50% student discount, complemented by new curated “featured notebooks” on expert topics like Shakespeare. Beyond specific applications, broader shifts in operating systems include Google’s potential merger of Chrome OS and Android into a unified platform, and advancements in tablet interfaces like Apple’s iPadOS 26 developer beta with its touch-first windowing capabilities, alongside the anticipated Android desktop mode (similar to Samsung’s Dex) for lightweight travel setups, though consistent user concerns about effective file management across these diverse platforms persist. Finally, the Oura Ring was highlighted as a screen-less fitness tracker alternative, capable of monitoring parameters like pulse and oxygen, and suitable for restricted environments due to its lack of Wi-Fi/cellular/microphones/cameras.

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

The “MobileViews 570” podcast, featuring Todd Ogasawara and Dr. Jon Westfall on July 13th, 2025, tackles a crucial theme: “Die by the IoT”. This isn’t just a catchy title; it’s a deep dive into the frustrating reality of smart devices becoming obsolete due to company decisions. Jon Westfall shared his dismay over Belkin’s WeMo smart home devices, including a light switch he uses, losing support on January 31st, 2026, less than three years after some models were last sold. He suspects a recent sale he took advantage of was due to its impending discontinuation. This echoes his prior experience with iHome ISP5 smart plugs, whose service was discontinued years ago, though they luckily retained functionality via Apple HomeKit compatibility. Todd resonated with this, recalling a sub-$50 purple NAS-like device that became inaccessible when its cloud service was unexpectedly shut down. Both hosts strongly agreed with the sentiment of an Ars Technica article, “Belkin shows tech firms getting too comfortable with bricking customers stuff,” expressing their frustration with the dependency on cloud-based services and the expectation that products should last more than two or two and a half years. They also noted that even major players like Microsoft (Azure IoT) and Google (Cloud IoT) have been closing their IoT services for developers, leaving developers in a tough spot. A potential solution, as suggested by John, could be for companies to release the code for discontinued devices to the “geeky IoT community” for ongoing support.

Beyond the looming threat of device obsolescence, Todd and Jon explored the evolving landscape of AI and exciting new gadgets. Todd discussed Perplexity’s Comet AI browser, noting its current requirement for a $200/month Perplexity subscription for full access, though a waitlist for a free version exists. They lamented the challenge of discerning the utility of various AI services like Copilot, Gemini, and ChatGPT due to their constantly changing and inconsistent features. Todd primarily uses Google’s Gemini, which he recently leveraged to find a “way fun” method to import a photo of his line drawing into Procreate for digital coloring underneath the lines. Jon, on a more creative note, is co-authoring a musical titled “Happy Apocalypse” with AI. He also highlighted the practical application of AI, using his Plaud Note Pin (or transcribing Teams recordings via Plaud) to summarize dissertation student meetings, proving highly useful for both himself and the student’s progress reports.

The podcast also delved into some compelling new hardware. Jon enthusiastically shared his experience with the Kobo Libra Color e-reader, which boasts a color E Ink display, a stylus (sold separately), and native connectivity to Google Drive and Dropbox, offering a flexible, non-Amazon alternative to his old Kindle Oasis. He particularly praised the stylus’s paper-like feel on the E Ink display, with low latency, making it ideal for note-taking, marking up, and highlighting. Meanwhile, Todd acquired a low-cost Arturia MiniLab 3 MIDI controller, a USB-C powered device with drum pads, sliders, knobs, and velocity-sensitive keys, which works well with GarageBand. Jon also recently picked up the Wand Company Star Trek Original Series Tricorder, noting its high quality, functional disks, and voice recorder. Other brief mentions included Todd’s anticipation for iPad OS 26’s public beta, his past experiences with the Microsoft Spot Watch, Jon’s inexplicable phone time zone glitch, Todd’s interest in an E Ink touchpad concept for computer keyboards, and his fondness for the now-removed MacBook Pro Touch Bar. The episode wrapped up with the hosts looking forward to future tech discussions and adventures.

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