Author: todd

In this podcast, Jon Westfall and I discuss Google Chrome OS Flex and Neverware CloudReady; the awful Amazon/Comixology iOS app upgrade.

Google Chrome OS Flex

Neverware (Google) CloudReady Home Edition

iFixit: RIP CloudReady, but Chrome OS Flex Can Still Save Older Computers

Gizmodo: Amazon’s Comixology Overhaul Is Here, and It Sucks
AppleInsider: Amazon’s Comixology migration is a disaster – here’s what you need to know

I should note that I was such a fan of the app and its service, that I invited Comixology’s founder and CEO to the Thinkmobile West conference that I organized in San Francisco back in September 2010. It was my good fortune that David Steinberger accepted the invitation and was able to meet him and watch his presentation.

When the iPad launched in 2010, one of the best apps for it (IMO) was the Comixology comic book reading app. It made it easy to search for and buy comicbooks. It provided a great reading experience. And, of course, it solved the problem of storing physical comic books. After Amazon bought the company, it refused to pay Apple’s 30% in-app purchasing fee. That eliminated the ease to browse and buy. Android users could still do so, however. It remained a great reading experience. And, I remember wishing that DC Comics used the engine for its DC. The recent Comixology for iOS update is, as others have written, a disaster. It deletes anything that was previously downloaded which means you have to download the comic books again. The reading experience, which was very very good, is now unsettling. Why “improve” something no one was complaining about for years and years?

Available via Google Music Podcasts and Apple iTunes.

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In this pre-Super Bowl/pre-Valentine podcast, Jon Westfall and I discuss:

1. Is your iPhone case damaging the battery?
2. Google Flutter adds support to build Windows apps
3. CNet: How to use Microsoft Office on a Chromebook
   Since the PWA behaves like installed software, you can do things like pin it to the taskbar, get notifications, work offline and easily resize it. The rest of the experience is the same as using the web versions.
4. Google: Use Progressive Web Apps
5. Discussion Topic: Connecting with your spouse / significant other using Technology

Post-podcast note: I went through the process of installing a PWA on my Chromebook after the podcast. You can see two screenshots here showing the installation icon in the browser and the chrome-less PWA running after the installation.

Available via Google Music Podcasts and Apple iTunes.

MobileViews Podcast from Audible.com

In podcast 392, Jon Westfall and I discuss:

1. Google Calculator progressive web app
   https://calculator.apps.chrome/
2. Verizon’s phone contracts are all three years now – if you buy a device on monthly payment plan
3. Google wants schools to teach Chromebook repair classes – going against the years long trend of unfixable hardware
4. Jon’s “Going Stock” for a bit
   Oddity of iOS Mail & iOS Reminders / MacOS Mail & MacOS Reminders sharing of information. Right click on the subject line and choose share. Mail is oddly a walled garden within a walled garden!
   Smart Lists in Reminders are pretty nice, but missing a Not operator!
   Tags are sync’ed between Reminders & Notes, but not Email & Calendar?!?
   iOS Mail markup of PDFs is much nicer than third-party.
5. Jon found a great thing on Amazon for cold climates: INNOPAW Hand Warmers Rechargeable,10000mAh Split-Magnetic 2 Pack,Electric Reusable Hand Warmers Power Bank Portable Charger,3 Levels

Available via Google Music Podcasts and Apple iTunes.

MobileViews Podcast from Audible.com

Todd Ogasawara and Jon Westfall are joined by frequent guest panelist Don Sorcinelli. They discuss Google’s slight backpedaling on the demise of free legacy G Suite, iCloud Custom Email Domains, USB-C charging for power tools, Don’s take on enterprise IT over the past 20 years and where it is today.

1. Google relents: Legacy G Suite users will be able to migrate to free accounts
2. iCloud Custom Email Domains
3. USB Type-C finally shows up in power tools, fulfills its destiny as the One True Port
4. Microsoft releases emergency fixes for Windows Server, VPN bugs

Available via Google Music Podcasts and Apple iTunes.

MobileViews Podcast from Audible.com

As Nobel Laureate Bob Dylan wrote: The Times They Are a-Changin’

In this podcast, Jon Westfall and I discuss to loss over services or, at least, the important aspects of some long time valued services.

• Todd: My iOS devices and MacBook Pro lost pairing with my AirPods Pro. After repairing, I noticed that the AirPods had the added text “- Find My” added to the device name. Then, each re-paired device lost pairing again. Paired one more time. Text suffix dropped. But, could not connect as a speaker device. AirPods Pro might be toast
• Microsoft kills off Outlook.com Premium, bundles features into Office 365
  Microsoft ended custom domain support for Outlook Premium back in 2017. However, I’ve able to get it renewed each year since then by contacting a human Microsoft support person. This option, sadly for me, ends this year since I found it impossible to find a human to renew this grandfathered service. I called customer service at 1 (800) 642-7676. However, that resulted in an IVR that basically says, “shove it, go to support.microsoft.com”
• Google is putting an end to free legacy G Suite
  Jon has several free legacy G Suites… which he is 50/50 on losing. On one hand, it’s been great having all of those free features and 50 users. On the other hand, he never used them and now has a strange sense of freedom moving forward. It’s a good thing that iCloud now allows you to set up a custom From: header – Jon might go to iCloud for his personal email.

  Jon: Apple iCloud added custom domains forwarding last year

• Google Voice will lose some of its best web features in February

  You are receiving this email because you have a consumer (personal) Google Voice account and are one of the few remaining users using a legacy web feature that may be impacted as we complete the migration of all Voice users to the modern experience (which launched in 2017).

  In July 2020 we posted an update indicating the Legacy Web version of Voice would soon stop receiving updates, aligned with our plans to migrate all users to the modern Voice web experience which was launched in 2017. Since then, we have brought key features from the Legacy Web version over to the modern Voice web experience including, most recently, the new and improved Custom call forwarding which launched in December 2021.

Available via Google Music Podcasts and Apple iTunes.

MobileViews Podcast from Audible.com