MobileViews.com Podcast

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MobileViews Editor Todd Ogasawara discusses mobile technology hardware and software

  1. 5D AGO

    MobileViews 599: Nano Banana 2; budget Apple Macbook? EVE Motion sensor; what we lost when media went all digital?

    In MobileViews Podcast episode 599, panelists Jon Westfall and I (Todd Ogasawara) are joined by frequent guest panelist Sven Johannsen. We start off with thoughts on the new Google Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image), with Todd noting its impressive capabilities. I also shared a recent AI experiment where he fed his 100-song Apple Music Replay All Time list to Google Gemini Pro to generate a playlist for a brisk two-mile walk. The AI successfully curated a 12-song list in the 114-124 BPM range, remarkably close to my average heart rate during a brisk walk, pulling in tracks by his favorite artists that weren't even on the original list. Next, we discussed Apple's upcoming multi-day March product announcement event. I noted my amusement over tech pundits already debating the performance merits (or lack thereof) of the rumored A18 Pro budget MacBook. Sven brings some smart home tech to the table, discussing the Matter-enabled EVE Motion sensor and the frustrations involved in setting it up outside of the native EVE or Apple Home ecosystems. They also touch on the DJI Neo 2 drone, highlighting that a smartphone is required for initial setup and reminding listeners about the necessary FAA TRUST Certificate for recreational flyers. Finally, we took a nostalgic turn, pondering what we lost when media went digital. Jon discusses his recent eBay purchases of old, inexpensive CD box sets—not just to rip hard-to-find tracks, but to reclaim the physical artwork and ephemera that used to accompany music. This leads to a broader reflection on physical media, including coffee table books, and Todd’s perspective on the tangible value of ownership as a comic book collector.

    50 min

  2. FEB 23

    MobileViews 598: Budget MacBook soon? E-ink vs. OneNote. "Vibe Working"

    Jon Westfall and I (Todd Ogasawara) covered several major industry updates and rumors this week: Apple's Upcoming Events: We discussed the rumors surrounding the Apple March 4 launch event, including the highly anticipated A18 Pro budget MacBook, which is expected to bring fun colors and a more accessible price point. Google's Latest Offerings: We touched on the Google Gemini Lyria 3 music creation feature. I was able to try it out a couple of times.  Additionally, we looked at the news that Google launched a Snapseed camera for iPhone, bringing pro manual controls and retro film effects to iOS. E-Ink Troubleshooting: Boox Note Air5 C I provided an update on the Boox Note Air5 C and a frustrating e-ink lag problem when using Microsoft OneNote. This writing lag is a known issue. The current solution when dealing with OneNote's infinite scrolling is simple but annoying: don't write near the very bottom of the display. Note that this specific issue doesn't seem to happen on the iPad or conventional Android tablets—it is strictly an e-ink quirk. Workplace Feedback, "Vibe Working," and OneNote We moved into a deeper discussion about evaluating work and the ongoing challenges of providing workplace feedback. Jon has been evaluating the work of his peers lately in OneNote, and to say it's not going well would be an understatement. We debated whether the fault lies with the tool itself or the user, leading into a wider conversation about the lack of attention to detail in professional environments. This tied perfectly into the difficulty of giving feedback to coworkers, especially when unreadable formatting or poorly optimized code directly impacts your own workflow. Finding that reasonable middle ground to deliver criticism without causing unnecessary friction remains a constant challenge. We introduced some new terms to frame this phenomenon, comparing Mark Zuckerberg's old "move fast and break things" mantra against the reality that carelessness often speaks directly to competency. We coined phrases like Minimally Viable Product / Deliverable, Vibe Working, and Generation AI to describe these modern workplace dynamics.

    32 min

  3. FEB 16

    MobileViews 597: Forced Cloud Storage, Exploding Batteries, and Near Future Tech

    In MobileViews 597, recorded on February 15, 2026, Jon Westfall and I noted the upcoming the Lunar New Year while tackling the frustrations of modern tech ecosystems. I kicked things off with a double-header rant: first, my recurring battle with leaking alkaline batteries in my mouse and other devices, and second, Microsoft’s decision to force Clipchamp (a video editor) users to store massive video files on OneDrive. With my upload speeds maxing out at 25 megabits, uploading gigabyte-sized files is simply unworkable, so I’ve officially pivoted to the open-source video editor Shotcut. We also explored the "bane of existence" for educators: the limitations of Chromebooks. Jon shared his struggles with students who, having grown up in managed K-12 Chrome environments, often struggle with standard file permissions and workflows when transitioning to college and professional platforms.   Jon detailed his upgrade to the Backbone Pro gaming controller—praising its integrated battery and Bluetooth versatility—while looking forward to a future M5 Mac Mini to handle local LLM heavy lifting. I’m personally keeping an eye on rumors of an affordable A18 Pro-based MacBook that Jon noted could potentially disrupt the education sector. Between my nostalgia for coding in a 208-byte space on an Apple II and Jon’s modern Python toolkit involving pyenv and PyInstaller, we emphasize that efficiency must remain a priority, even as software becomes more bloated. Whether it's navigating the "AI search" changes in Google Photos or finding ways around "vibe coding" errors, we're still looking for tech that just works.

    36 min

  4. FEB 8

    MobileViews 596: E-ink & OneNote, AI Market Tremors, and the Hyflex Classroom

    We recorded MobileViews 596 a day early on February 7, 2026, mostly to stay ahead of the weather. I’m currently under a flood watch in Hawaii, while Jon Westfall has been dealing with the aftermath of an ice storm in Mississippi. We spent some time comparing the "quality" of our power outages—I’ve had five short ones recently, while Jon’s neighbors dealt with a single, brutal nine-day stretch. In my retirement, I’ve started using mechanical keyboards—I have several now. Surprisingly, I broke my first keycaps ever this month on a Royal Kludge board. The stems on the "O" and "3" keys actually cracked. I’ve been replacing them with a set of Warmier PBT shine-through keycaps, doing about three a day so it doesn't feel like a chore. Jon is still rocking a 15-year-old Apple keyboard, but I’m trying to convince him to try a 75% mechanical layout with a volume knob. We had a discussion about the recent tech stock dip following Anthropic’s new Claude plugins. Major players like Microsoft and Oracle saw massive hits, and I can't help but wonder if CEOs are overreacting to AI's current capabilities. I see a parallel to the "Advanced Intelligent Networking" (AIN) of the late 80s. Back then, we were told visual "drag-and-drop" programming would replace coders, but that path failed because non-techies didn't account for error conditions or governance. Jon agreed, noting that while the sky is changing, it isn't necessarily falling, and companies may soon regret the mass layoffs they've justified in the name of AI. My Boox Note Air 5C journey continues. I recently picked up a Staedtler Noris Digital Jumbo stylus. It looks just like a traditional pencil and features a digital eraser on the end. Interestingly, erasing with the physical end of the stylus is actually faster than hitting "undo" on an e-ink screen. My current workflow involves syncing my daily doodles from the native Boox app to OneNote as PDFs, though I’m still struggling with how OneNote for Android handles the mixture of handwriting and text. Jon shared his progress on a mobile "Hyflex" setup for his psychology classes at Delta State. He’s using a combination of gear to allow students to participate in-person, synchronously online, or via recording. One software highlight he mentioned is Better Display (the $21 Pro version), which allows for a picture-in-picture view of an extended display. It’s a lifesaver when the classroom projector is positioned at an awkward angle behind the presenter. Finally, Jon is planning his hardware roadmap for the year. He’s debating between a DIY Linux box for local LLM work, a Unify storage appliance, or waiting for a Mac Mini with an M5 chip. Personally, I’m keeping an eye on the rumor mill for a touchscreen MacBook—I might actually buy one if it ever surfaces.

    45 min

  5. FEB 2

    MobileViews 595: Boox Note Air5 C e-ink tablet; dealing with long power outages; & more

    After a severe winter storm in the mainland US last week, Jon Westfall is back to join me (Todd Ogasawara) for MobileViews Podcast 595. Note: this week's Google Nano Banana Pro generated frame around the screenshot of Jon and me "decided" to hallucinate components of the Onyx Boox Note Air5 C home screen (like a phone icon and the entire top info-bar) despite the fact that I provide an actual screenshot of my Note Air5 C home screen :-) We kick off the podcast with storm-related tech notes, including lessons learned about external batteries and the effects of power surges on IoT devices. On the gear front, Jon shared his creative solution for a broken Xbox headset by replacing it with a Twelve South AirFly Pro and a lav mic, allowing him to use his existing AirPods. We also discussed, what else, AI, and the intriguing concept of OpenClaw Moltbook, a "social network" for AI agents, and the challenge of "AI slop" drowning science publishing. We also noted that my Google One 2TB subscription now includes the Gemini Plus tier, which is better defined in our reference notes as the Gemini AI Pro (Advanced) plan that bundles with the 2TB storage. The featured device this week is the Onyx BOOX Note Air5 C color e-ink Android OS 15 tablet that I bought recently. Our deep dive explores the mindset of e-ink users, often seeking a minimalist, distraction-free tool and embracing "mindfulness" in their writing. I compare the Air5 C to my only previous e-ink experience (a 2010 Kindle) and the non-e-ink TCL NXTPAPER (which I am considering to purchase). While acknowledging known issues—like the case and the display’s color limitations—the appeal lies in rethinking note-taking in retirement, the low friction of a digital pen, and the ability to use apps from the Google Play store.

    56 min

  6. JAN 19

    MobileViews 594: Color e-ink tablets deep dive with Frank McPherson & Sven Johannsen

    I sat down for MobileViews Podcast 594 with my longtime friends Sven Johannsen and Frank McPherson. Our usual co-host, Jon Westfall, was away, but we had plenty to cover, ranging from the bite-sized future of entertainment to a massive deep dive into the world of color E-ink tablets. We kicked things off by discussing a fascinating trend in East Asia: micro dramas. Specifically, a TikTok subsidiary called Pine Drama is producing miniseries with episodes lasting only 30 to 90 seconds. These "video comic strips" are designed to be highly addictive, and while I have a short attention span, I’m curious to see if this ultra-short format translates well to global audiences. On a more serious note, we touched on a security vulnerability called Whisper Pair. This bug affects several major Bluetooth headset brands—including Sony, Google, JBL, and Jabra—allowing for potential location tracking if an attacker is within 14 meters. If you use earbuds from these brands, I recommend checking the specific lists online to see if your hardware is vulnerable. I’ve been testing Google Gemini’s personal intelligence features lately, which are surprisingly good at "buttering you up" by knowing your interests in Star Trek or Star Wars. This led to a broader discussion about the AI Divide. With subscriptions like Gemini Pro or Copilot Pro costing around $20 a month, we are quickly moving toward a society of "haves and have-nots" regarding high-level tech tools. We also noted how this digital divide manifests in the real world. The heart of our conversation was a deep dive into color E-ink tablets, led by Frank, who has become a true connoisseur of the medium. We compared several major players in the market: Frank emphasized that for him, writing is about memory and engagement during meetings. While an iPad has more utility, E-ink offers reflective technology that is easier on the eyes and provides a battery life that lasts for days rather than hours. After hearing Frank's breakdown, I’m strongly leaning toward the Boox Note Air 5C. It’s available on Amazon for about $530 and includes a stylus that uses Wacom EMR technology, meaning I won't even need to charge the pen.

    1h 14m

  7. JAN 12

    MobileViews 593: CES 2026 wrap-up with guest panelist Frank McPherson

    For this podcast,  Jon Westfall and I are joined by guest panelist Frank McPherson to discuss the highlights and "worst of" picks from CES 2026. I shared my recent experience with the new Alexa.com browser interface, which showed impressive "vertical integration" when the AI automatically offered to recreate sunset triggers for my new Amazon Smart Switch. This was a necessary upgrade because Belkin is bricking my old WeMo device at the end of the month, a frustrating trend of "cloud-killing" hardware we've also seen from companies like Google and Nest. We also explored LEGO's "Smart Play" announcement, specifically the Smart Bricks featuring motion sensors and sound synthesizers coming to Star Wars kits in March. While Frank expressed concern that these pre-set sounds might stifle a child's imagination, Jon argued that such immersion helps LEGO stay relevant against competitors like Funwhole. In the second half of our conversation, we looked at the evolution of e-ink, including the TCL "NextPaper" tablet, which uses 120Hz LCD technology to mimic a paper-like display. Frank explained that he prefers writing by hand on these devices for memory retention, while we debated whether the $2,000 Samsung Trifold is too bulky to be practical. I speculated that the thinness of the iPhone Air could be the precursor to a future Apple foldable. We were also quite interested in mobile accessories from Clicks, specifically the Power Keyboard with an integrated battery that Jon pre-ordered and the Communicator, a purpose-built Android device that restores the physical keyboard and SD card slot. To wrap up, we touched on the return of the Pebble Round 2 with its two-week battery life and Claude AI integration, the stair-climbing Roborock Saros vacuum, and the Rocket Smart Glasses which feature built-in diopter adjustments.

    1h 5m

  8. JAN 5

    MobileViews 592: Hello 2026. Build vs. buy?

    In this podcast Jon Westfall and I discuss our recent experiences with artificial intelligence and consumer technology (as usual these days). We share insights on using Google NotebookLM and ChatGPT to automate content creation, noting that while the tools are becoming more intuitive, interoperability between different ecosystems remains a challenge. We also discuss the "build vs. buy" dilemma in home automation, highlighting how AI-assisted coding makes DIY hardware projects more accessible than ever. We briefly preview the upcoming CES conference, expressing a mix of hope and skepticism regarding whether the event will debut a truly revolutionary product category.

    33 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

MobileViews Editor Todd Ogasawara discusses mobile technology hardware and software

Information

  • Creator
    Unknown
  • Years Active
    2008 - 2026
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    Copyright © 2011-2013 Todd Ogasawara. All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    MobileViews.com Podcast