MobileViews.com Podcast

In this podcast, Jon Westfall and I discuss:

• Microsoft shutting down Skype on May 5, 2025
• Amazon Alexa+
• Discussion: What to you expect of other people's AI use? What would you like people/companies using AI that would benefit you and others?
• Future topic: 52 Things I Learned inspired by Tom Whitwell's annual list.

I'm joined by Sven Johannsen, Frank McPherson, and Don Sorcinelli for this podcast. We discuss:

• Kagi paid search
• HP bought the (AI) Humane Pin company
• Nvidia SIgns can teach ASL. But, it couldn't detect my functioning webcam
• iPhone 16e announced
• Windows 11 24H2: Patches that need patches
• Google Daily Listen works on iOS and Android phones but NOT iPadOS and Android tablets
• Twelvesouth PlugBug power supply with integrated FindMy

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

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

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)

• 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.

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

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.

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

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.