MobileViews.com Podcast

MobileViews 552: Mostly Apple news with guest Steven Hughes

In this podcast, Jon Westfall and I are joined by frequent guest panelist Steven Hughes. We discuss:

• Recording this podcast using a 2020 M1 MacBook Air to compare the sound and video quality with the soon to be released 2025 M4 MacBook Air
• Warner Brothers offer to replace DVDs released in the 2006 to 2008 period that are now experiencing "disc rot"
• Apple announced the M3 iPad Air and new Magic Keyboard for it
• Apple announced the M4 MacBook Air
• iOS 18.4 beta 2 bringing Visual Intelligence to the iPhone 15 Pro
• Some Siri AI improvement now delayed (again) until 2026
• Microsoft oddity: You need to manually provide a link from your Word document in OneDrive to create PowerPoint slides from it (vs. drag and drop or some other simpler process)
• PictureThis iOS/Android app provides better plant recognition than Apple Intelligence
• Alexa+

MobileViews 551: Farewell Skype!

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.

MobileViews 550: Pay for search? Learn ASL using Nvidia Signs? iPhone 165e; Windows 11 24H2 - ugh

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

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.