MobileViews Blog

Author: todd

  • MobileViews Podcast 327

    In this podcast Jon Westfall and I discuss:

    1. iPad Pro 11-inch replaced. No more spontaneous shutdowns and reboots
    2. Google Play Music going away. Forced to switch to YouTube Music. But, no sign of the “transfer button” on YouTube Music for iPadOS.
    3. How much credence should I give to browser speed tests like Speedometer 2.0? I began wondering about this as I debate whether to buy the new Lenovo Chromebook Duet when it is available somewhere (other than in reviewers’ hands). AboutChromebook’s Kevin Tofel noted that he is not a fan of benchmarks. However, people always ask (like me). So, he provided a set of results from multiple tests and the Duet clocked in at 46.07. Being too lazy to run the full set myself, I choose Speedometer 2.0 as a representative test to compare against a couple of devices I have for testing. Note that results appear to vary because Kevin’s Speedometer 2.0 result for the Acer Chromebook Spin 13 was 104 while mine is 61.80. I checked and we have the same model (CPU, memory, etc.).
    4. Jon’s Using his Apple Watch to its full potential.
    5. iOS text messages & multiple devices – notifications problem
    6. Still struggling with URL Schemes with Microsoft Office (why doesn’t ms-excel:// always open in office or Excel – WHY would it open Onedrive?!?)
    7. Revisiting the Microsoft Whiteboard app
    8. Microsoft Office app for iOS and Android
    9. Jon’s Struggle to use a Apple 27’’ Cinema Display (2010, not thunderbolt, Mini-Displayport) with USB C. Cost of my desired refresh.
    10. Jon’s R tip
      Web Scraping with rvest package – example code below. Basically if you can read HTML and understand CSS classes, you can find information and download it.

      install.packages(“rvest”);
      library(“rvest”);
      addr <- "https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?s=MS&pg=2&id=175616" page <- read_html(addr); nodes <- html_nodes(page,".tabular td"); totfaculty <- html_text(nodes)[2] paste("The total number of faculty are",totfaculty); What about pages that use Javascript to pull in the data though? Well then… PhantomJS browser! Chapter 9 in my book shows that.

    11. App Tip of the Week: Garageband How-To Videos.iSongs’ version of Gangstas’ paradise
      iPianoDude

    Available via Google Music Podcasts and Apple iTunes.

  • MobileViews Podcast 326: Goodbye to Ricky Li; iPad Pro problem; Autodesk Sketchbook is free?; Google Lens OCRs handwriting; Apple Arcade; Jon’s R tip

    In this podcast we discuss:

    1. RIP Ricky Li.
      MobileViews podcasts 216, 217, 232, 237 (the post missile crisis cast), 256, 277, 281
      MIni-podcast 30 – recorded with Paul Lawler in person sitting around an outdoor table during lunch
    2. iPad Pro 11-inch 2020 frequent spontaneous shutdowns and restarts
    3. Old news that was news to me: Autodesk Sketchbook full edition became free two years ago! This includes desktop and mobile views. Ref: All3DP.com
    4. After 16 years, Inkscape 1.0 was released on May 4. Introducing Inkscape 1.0. Open Source vector graphics for Linux, MacOS, and Windows.
    5. How to Scan and Import Text Into Google Chrome With Google Lens
    6. Jon signed up for Apple Arcade. Seems worth it for $4.99 a month with family sharing. Mini Motorways is awesomely addicting (Mini Metro was the developer’s first game, also awesome and very similar, and a 1 time purchase no ads).
    7. Tip from Jon’s Practical R 4 book
      The Input Method – reminds me of SAS’ cards command:

      OurData = (”
      Student Pretest Posttest
      A 25 27
      B 23 23
      C 21 22
      D 23 29
      E 23 24
      F 21 19
      “)
      Data = read.table(textConnection(OurData),header=T)

    8. Installed R & R Studio on my Chromebook. Excellent step-by-step by Francis L. Huang

    Available via Google Music Podcasts and Apple iTunes.

  • MobileViews Podcast 325: Jon’s new book Practical R 4; & happy 5th birthday to the Apple Watch

      Happy 5th birthday to the Apple Watch (April 24, 2015). Jon can talk a little bit about how it feels to have had one for 5 years now! Listened to some of Mobileviews 115 when I gave my first impressions. (Mobileviews 111 is when we first discussed it after it had been announced; Mobileviews 95 also included some Apple Watch news in Sept 2014)

      Microsoft Word now flags double spaces as errors, ending the great space debate

      Are You Charging Your MacBook on the Wrong Side?

      Fintie Ultrathin 4mm Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard with Built-in Multi-Touch Touchpad: Using one with an iPad Pro running iPadOS 13.4.

      Jon just finished a new book titled: Practical R 4. Look for it to be available this summer!

    Available via Google Music Podcasts and Apple iTunes.

  • MobileViews Podcast 324: Mostly Apple


    In this podcast, Jon Westfall and I discuss mostly about Apple products and services.

    1. Apple TV+ widens free access as Disney+ passes 50 million subscribers

      Apple TV+ offering 8 free series. Does anyone care? I am still in my free year period and haven’t found anything compelling to watch.

      “To lure these prospective viewers, Apple is widening access to three adult dramas (For All Mankind, Little America, Servant) and four kid- or teen-friendly shows (Dickinson, Ghostwriter, Helpsters, Snoopy in Space), plus The Elephant Queen documentary.”

    2. Modern Family – all seasons for $100 from Apple

      iPad launch in 2010

      Modern Family Episodes with technology: Season 1, Episode 19: Game Changer (The iPad launch). Season 6, Episode 16: Connection Lost (episode that is based on a macbook), shot with iPhones/iPads

    3. What does the iPhone’s “Set Up for an Alternate Appearance” do? It does not allow for Face ID with a facemask on.

      Macrumors said: With iOS 12, you can add a second face to Face ID, which is useful if you have a job where your face dramatically changes, such as with a surgeon’s mask or protective goggles.
      However, that didn’t work for me. And, you can see from the screenshot here that iOS’s Face ID does not allow facial “obstructions.”

    4. Jon’s ordered parts to bring his Apple 27’’ Cinema Displays into the modern world – they connect over MiniDisplay port, so a MiniDP – HDMI output, a USB C hub with passthrough charging, and a charger. Point would be to eventually support a new Macbook, but before that, interested to try it with the iPad Pro. Also raises an interesting question – would I benefit from simplifying my life down to 1 laptop that I took everywhere, plugging it into 1 port at each of my 3 primary workspaces?

    Available via Google Music Podcasts and Apple iTunes.

  • MobileViews Podcast 323: Mostly Microsoft news

    Todd Ogasawara and Jon Westfall discuss:Microsoft 365 rebranding from Office 365 on April 21; Microsoft Teams for Home; Microsoft Editor, Grammarly like service available; and Jon’s broken AirPod Pro adventure.

    1. Microsoft 365 rebranding from Office 365 on April 21 – dumb idea. Ref The Verge
    2. Microsoft Teams for Home in Office 365
      Introducing a free version of Microsoft Teams
    3. Microsoft Editor
      Introducing Microsoft Editor – Bring out your best writer wherever you write
    4. Jon had an Airpod speaker go bad this week (Right ear, high-end). Apple Warranty covered it – 24 hour turn around time on both to me, and back to Apple).
    5. 2020 iPad Pro 11 spontaneously rebooting now and then

    Available via Google Music Podcasts and Apple iTunes.

  • MobileViews Podcast 322: The new iPad Pro & Macbook Air

    Things that have changed since our previous podcast two weeks ago. In this podcast, Jon Westfall and I discuss:

    1. CNBC: Some drive-in movie theaters are making a comeback amid coronavirus
    2. Newsweek: BABY CHICKENS SOLD OUT NATIONWIDE AHEAD OF EASTER AS AMERICANS PANIC-BUY FEATHERY FRIENDS FOR COMFORT
    3. UNACAST
    4. iPad Pro 2020 11 & 12.9 inch models
    5. Magic Keyboard with trackpad available in May and very expensive: I can’t convince myself to spend $299 to buy a keyboard. Especially after the terrible experience with the earlier iPad Pro smart keyboard.
    6. Smart Folio for iPad Pro 11 at $79 is not worth it. The magnetic back keeps falling off. Wish it had a front cover cutout for the cameras when the lid is flipped to the back
    7. Macbook Air 2020
      Starts at $999. $1,299 configuration that has a quad-core Core i5 and doubles the storage to 512GB
    8. Magic Keyboard like the one introduced for the 2019 Macbook Pro and the version for the iPad Pro that will be in available in May for $300 or more depending on size
    9. The Verge
    10. Really nice shortcut for those who journal with Day One – Download the frontpage of the NY Times to your journal. Really helpful to have context for how the day was going for the world + you. Jon has started going back to January 1 of this year and filling them in.
    11. Apple COVID-19 Screening Tool

    Available via Google Music Podcasts and Apple iTunes.