MobileViews.com Podcast

MobileViews 549: Apple TV Android app; Firefly video beta; Kids' screen time? Rumored Apple announcements

In this podcast, Jon Westfall and I discuss:

• Adobe Firefly Video (AI) beta creation
• Apple TV app now available for Android
• Apple Feb. 19 (rumored) product announcements
• Children and screen time?
• Reflect App - track anything

MobileViews Podcast 548: ELIZA revived; new Apple gear? Tech product shifts?

In this podcast Jon Westfall and I discuss:

• ELIZA, the first chatbot, revived using 60 year old code
• Smart speakers and AI chatbots Super Bowl picks (or not)
• New Apple products this coming week?
• The new Apple Invites app
• Looking for your next tech solution? Shifts in the past? What's your next tech shift?
• Jon's Alternatives Research Starter Pack

MobileViews 547: Groundhog Day w/Steve Hughes, Sven Johannsen, & Don Sorcinelli

Jon Westfall and I are joined by frequent guest panelists Steve Hughes, Sven Johannsen, and Don Sorcinelli for this Groundhog day edition of the MobileViews Podcast. We discussed:

• Technology & services related to severe weather events
• The US Copyright Office January 2025 document "Copyright and Artificial Intelligence Part 2: Copyrightability"
• DeepSeek and QWEN vs. the current AI leaders
• Is Microsoft going to buy the US part of TikTok? What does this mean? This failed the last time in 2020
• Jon used NotebookLM for class study materials, now debating how to use it while creating the test.
• Microsoft Recall beta for Windows Insiders
• Siri Class Action Lawsuit
• Jon's use of Microsoft Zoomit and Google Chrome Remote Desktop in university classrooms
• Alexa, Gemini, and Siri could not answer "What did the Groundhog say today" (on Groundhog Day)

MobileViews Podcast 546: Testing a new budget webcam; Google Photos "Ask" is horrible; Jon's Theory about ChatGPT academic journal hallucinations

• Thanks to Walter Eccles who, in MobileViews mini-podcast 50,  helped me test a sound level meter and wireless lav mic system by recording a podcast in a busy restaurant.
• Google NotebookLM summarized the podcast using only the audio discussion.
• Jon experimented with ChatGPT & NotebookLM and discovered how ChatGPT hallucinates journal articles.
• OBSBOT Meet SE 1080P 100FPS Webcam & its microphone were tested.
• Apple Macintosh celebrated its 41st birthday.
• The new Google Photos for iOS "Ask" feature is horrible, but has a temporary "Switch to classic search" option.
• The accuracy of weather data was questioned, and Forecast Advisor was used to determine the best weather source for a specific ZIP code.
• 1Password now allows users to freeze their accounts.
• Orbitime World Clock Widget offered a free lifetime upgrade.
• Google Docs introduced a new "Write with Gemini" option.

MobileViews Mini-Podcast 50: Walter Eccles - intersection of technology & the performing arts. Testing Decibel Meter & Wireless Lav Mics

I'm joined by a former colleague (prior to my retirement), Walter Eccles, for this podcast. Although I've known him as a technologist over the past decade or so, I learned about his involvement in local theater and TV in various capacities including acting. In this podcast, we discuss the intersection of technology in the performing arts in his decades of activities.

 

We recorded this podcast in the Fête restaurant during lunch so I could test both a new Decibel Meter and a  new set of wireless lavalier microphones. The lav's receiver was connected to an iPhone using a USB-C cable and recorded using the Just Press Record app. Although the lav mic system has a built-in noise reduction setting, I left this off to allow me more post-production granular control. This resulted in what I consider a very good voice recording of our conversation. However, I decided to post-process using  Adobe Podcast Studio at 75% enhancement to reduce the background restaurant sounds and music.

MobileViews Podcast 545: Testing a new wireless lav mic; ByteDance CapCut turned off (briefly); Microsoft CoPilot & Google Gemini included in suite prices; Personal time-tracking

Jon Westfall and I discuss:

• Microphone hardware noise cancellation

• ByteDance also turned off CapCut as well as TikTok (briefly)

• Adobe Podcast Studio (beta) new AudioGram feature
• Microsoft Office apps unsupported on Windows 10 after Windows 10 sunsets on Oct. 14 2025
• Microsoft Copilot now included in Microsoft 365 (Office) personal & family editions
• Google Adds Gemini AI to Workspace Apps, But There's a Catch
• Jon’s Time Tracking using the self-hosted TimeTagger

Google NotebookLM audio summary of MobileViews Podcast 544

This is a roughly 9 minute long audio summary of MobileViews Podcast 544 recorded by Jon Westfall and me today. It was created by feeding the full roughly 50 minute long podcast to Google NotebookLM and using its Audio Summary feature to create a podcast discussion.

MobileViews Podcast 544: CES 2025; Google AI Studio; Disasters & Tech

I had Google NotebookLM write this podcast summary based on its listening to the podcast. I made a few text edits including the spelling of my surname

Todd Ogasawara and Dr. John Westfall discuss their underwhelming perception of CES 2025, focusing on the prevalence of vaporware and concepts over readily available products (as is normal for CES announcements).  They highlight a few items of interest though, including an **AI-powered fan**, a **robot vacuum with a robotic arm**, and a **petal-shaped camera**,  comparing these to existing technologies.  The podcast also features discussions on **older technologies**,  **consumer tech blind spots**, and the importance of **disaster preparedness**.  Finally, they share anecdotes about their experiences with various tech products and companies.

MobileViews 543: Hello, 2025! Looking ahead with Sven Johannsen and Don Sorcinelli

For this first podcast of 2025, Jon Westfall and I are joined by frequent guest panelists Sven Johannsen and Don Sorcinelli. In this podcast we:

• Asked where AI Is as we start 2025:
• Where is the "smart" Apple Siri?
• When will Microsoft Recall for the Copilot + PCs be released to production
• Why can't LLMs spell words even when we tell them exactly the words are
• What's the deal with LLMs training LLMS?
• Then, we discussed what we want in 2025:
• Todd: Folding iPad or Pixel Tablet, an actual 2nd generation Pixel tablet, USB-C cables with marking to indicate power and data capabilities
• Sven: Equipment manufacturers to put QR code leading to manual on device
• Don: Less “Move fast and break things” mentality, Anything actually innovative
• Jon: Apple Watch Ultra 3 or Series 11 with new biometric sensors (Blood Glucose? Blood Pressure?)
• And of course, we had a couple of rants:
• Sven: Why do Cell companies hate their customers? Dell XPS 16 wouldn’t support Chrome OS Flex (WiFi wouldn’t work)
• Jon: A fix to a rant - use FaxZero service to fax customer service requests to make use of the "Fax Loophole" - companies actually respond to detailed requests via fax
• We also mentioned a couple of new recent toys:
• Todd: AGEEN  13-Port USB C Hub for iMac 24 inch that fits perfectly under a 2024 M4 Mac mini without blocking the vents on the bottom of the chassis. Includes NVMe slot for M.2 SSD
• Sven: DJI Mini 4 Pro, SODI Wireless Keyboard with Touchpad - Foldable & Bluetooth
• Don: A self-stirring coffee mug
• Jon: Backbone One;  Apple Titanium Milenese loop watch band. Appreciating the Apple Silicon battery life

MobileViews Podcast 542: AIring of Tech Grievances part 2

For this end of 2024 podcast, I'm joined once again by the Google NotebookLM podcast bots. And, once again, I used the beta-release interactive chat mode to interject during the podcast bots discussion.

Note: Jon Westfall will rejoin the podcast for the first podcast of 2025.

NotebookLM's summary of the podcast:

MobileViews Podcast 541, Part 2, focuses on listener tech complaints. Adam Lein criticizes the inconsistencies of USB-C charging, while Todd Ogasawara suggests improvements to USB-C cable standardization. Jason Dunn expresses frustration with limitations of the Google Pixel 9 Pro's Gemini AI, particularly regarding locked-screen voice access. Finally, Ogasawara lists further grievances, including Google's discontinuation of Google Podcasts and its VPN service, and the lack of a Pixel Tablet 2 and wider availability of Microsoft's Recall feature.