Observed Tech PODCAST

We begin this episode with a reminder that the Windows 7 End of Lifecycle Support clock is ticking and pointing out a Twitter account that you can follow to keep up with the countdown. We also had a new Windows Insider build to talk about along with a new reserved storage enhancement that is rolling out. I share some of my observations on what could be a key success factor for future Windows 10 upgrades. After that we dive into our normal list of things like app updates, the latest on the January 2019 Patch Tuesday, Xbox gaming related news, and a quick rundown of all the new hardware announced last week at the annual Consumer Electronics Show 2019.

Welcome to the first episode of 2019! We get back at it this week catching up on the latest build released for Windows Insiders, a closer look at Windows Sandbox in Windows 10 19H1, and Cortana being quieter during the OOBE. Then we run down a laundry list of app and service related updates, a few more end of year reflections from Microsoft, Windows 10 finally surpassing Windows 7 in market share at the end of 2018, and the countdown for the end of Lifecycle Support for Windows 7 in January 2020.

This is it - we have reached the end of 2018. A total of 40 episodes and nearly 23,000 listens along the way and this is our final episode of the year. We will be back in two weeks to kick of 2019 with Episode 295. Thanks for being part of this community and coming along for the journey. In this show we wrap up things by talking about the latest for Windows Insiders plus the big tech headlines across social media, gaming, hardware, and a little space as well.

We kick this show off by talking about what was thought to be a privacy violation with Windows 10 and turned out to be inconsistent naming of data which is collected. Next up we touch base on the latest information coming out of Redmond around a potential Microsoft 365 Consumer based subscription and how that might be configured/set-up. On the Windows Insider front, we had a new build this week that continues Microsoft's efforts to make the UI cleaner and more efficient for end users. Including among the changes is some A/B testing of a split between Search and Cortana on the Taskbar plus a new information bar header in Windows Settings. Of course, the show is full of other information, stories, and other tidbits so be sure to listen all the way until the end.

Once again this week we have a massive piece of news to discuss when it comes to Windows 10 and this time it shakes out fairly positive despite a handful of detractors about the news. Although there was no new Windows Insider builds for Fast Ring this past week, there was some Insider news so we will also discuss those items. However, the Microsoft Edge news dominates everything about Windows 10 this week. There are multiple app updates to cover on Windows 10 and Xbox One plus we have headlines from Amazon, Apple, Google, Qualcomm Snapdragon, and WordPress to share as well. Be sure to listen all the way through to catch everything. Thanks for listening.

Great to be back behind the mike after some downtime and so we catch up on a lot of news both from this past week and a few items from the week before that are of note. Plenty happening in the Windows Insider world including a new build for testers and a cumulative update with fixes for the October 2018 Update. In addition, we have a handful of app related updates to mention plus Microsoft's rise to being the most valuable U.S. based company based on their market cap. Of course, we have a lot of other items throughout the show on all kinds of subjects so be sure to listen all the way until the end.

A very rare Friday edition of the show as I start some downtime but so much happened this past week that I needed to get behind the mike and talk about it with you all. Leading things off was my unexpected and still unexplained suspension from Twitter this past Tuesday. I share what the day was like and the absolutely awesome community response that happened. On that same day Microsoft finally re-released the October 2018 Update. We discuss the roll out and a new promise of quality and transparency moving forward. I talk about their opportunity to regain users trust with the next feature update. We also have Surface Headphones and Surface Studio 2 reviews, Xbox news, and plenty of other goodies including a new way to listen to the show on Alexa devices.

This week we kick off with the latest in the Windows Insider Program and I share some thoughts on the tweaks we are seeing and what it might mean for the direction of the 19H1 feature update. We are also another week without any updates about the re-release of the October 2018 Update and the blogosphere this week spent time commenting on the lack of communications from Microsoft on this updates release. Without improved communications from Redmond, regaining users trust is going to be challenge. Of course, we have app update news, a ton of Xbox related announcements after XO18 this week in Europe including several new additions to Xbox Game Pass, plus we talk about Samsung showing off their first Foldables phone and the updates Google is making to Android to support the new form factor. There are lots of other tidbits scattered throughout the show like any other episode so be sure to listen until the very end to catch everything.

Once again we are talking about the still to happen re-release of the October 2018 Update. I shared my thoughts on the one thing that could make things much clearer for everyone involved. I also share where we are at with current releases in the Windows Insider Program including potentially new code names for future feature updates after the release of Windows 10 19H1 next year. We then catch up on the normal collection of progress and new features/capabilities for several apps from the Microsoft Store and then talk about the looming end of life for Windows 7 and a new countdown timer that has appeared on the web. We also discuss the big Apple hardware announcements this past week along with Xbox related gaming news, some Spotify growth and benefits information, and changes to Flickr free accounts. There are other tidbits sprinkled throughout the show, so be sure to listen all the way until the end to catch everything!

We start off by talking about the latest build in the Windows 10 19H1 development branch and the stagnant status of the re-release process for the October 2018 Update. Currently that feature update is still being tested by Slow and Release Preview Ring Insiders. Another issue, this time about copying and pasting files from a compressed archive, now has to be fixed and likely tested as well. This was earnings week and Microsoft had a big one setting records for revenue along with big year over year gains in most areas across the company. This performance even lifted Microsoft up into position as the second most valuable company in the United States. Of course, we have app news, developer updates, security related items, and all kinds of other tidbits so be sure to listen all the way until the end of the show to catch everything.