WEBVTT
00:00.111 --> 00:02.921
[SPEAKER_00]: a factual data creation facility production.
00:21.087 --> 00:29.235
[SPEAKER_03]: In a world where some podcasts make millions of dollars, I bring you the OF&T podcast, which isn't one of them.
00:29.675 --> 00:32.158
[SPEAKER_03]: Now here's your host, Jim Schafer.
00:32.758 --> 00:36.242
[SPEAKER_02]: Welcome to episode 340, which I'm calling, Arrival.
00:37.022 --> 00:43.008
[SPEAKER_02]: This past week has seen the arrival of both my iPhone 18 Pro Max and the Google Book computers.
00:43.368 --> 00:44.670
[SPEAKER_02]: You bought a Google Book?
00:45.230 --> 00:45.490
[SPEAKER_02]: No.
00:46.271 --> 00:53.193
[SPEAKER_02]: The tech press has released videos of the first examples of the big G's new laptops, giving consumers their first look at them.
00:54.094 --> 00:56.915
[SPEAKER_02]: I'll give my thoughts about Google Books in the tech section.
00:57.795 --> 01:00.977
[SPEAKER_02]: Other than that, it's been sort of quiet within the world of tech.
01:01.817 --> 01:04.258
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, what do you say we get going now?
01:05.078 --> 01:05.239
[SPEAKER_01]: Yes.
01:05.799 --> 01:06.639
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh yeah.
01:06.919 --> 01:07.279
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay.
01:07.720 --> 01:08.000
[SPEAKER_01]: Yes.
01:08.540 --> 01:08.860
[SPEAKER_01]: Yes.
01:09.540 --> 01:10.781
[SPEAKER_01]: Three, two, one.
01:14.200 --> 01:15.360
[SPEAKER_01]: This week's Tech News.
01:15.829 --> 01:20.331
[SPEAKER_02]: I'll start things off with the PR blitz we saw last week concerning the new Google Books.
01:21.191 --> 01:25.432
[SPEAKER_02]: I'd reported a couple of episodes ago, or perhaps more than a couple of episodes ago.
01:26.052 --> 01:31.634
[SPEAKER_02]: That Google had planned a press-only Google book event which was to be held on September 15.
01:32.615 --> 01:36.716
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, that date came and went with Nary a report from the tech press.
01:37.496 --> 01:42.018
[SPEAKER_02]: In the last episode, I found out that Google had started sending out invites to an event which
01:46.721 --> 01:51.046
[SPEAKER_02]: It's suspected that the Google books are to be officially demonstrated to the public at that event.
01:51.987 --> 02:05.922
[SPEAKER_02]: I had assumed that the original report of a press only event to be held on September 15th was most likely false, being that I hadn't heard anything about it, and yet we've been getting wall to wall coverage of Google books over the past week.
02:06.222 --> 02:07.904
[SPEAKER_02]: Kind of strange, isn't it?
02:08.204 --> 02:08.465
[SPEAKER_03]: Yes.
02:09.025 --> 02:25.019
[SPEAKER_02]: Because of these reports highlighting Google Books from the tech press, with most of these outlets dropping the story at the same time, I'm assuming that this press only event actually did take place, and those outlets that attended were under some sort of media blackout and posed by Google.
02:25.299 --> 02:30.383
[SPEAKER_03]: Well, that would explain this sudden explosion of articles and videos about Google Books.
02:30.984 --> 02:31.384
[SPEAKER_03]: I guess.
02:32.245 --> 02:37.126
[SPEAKER_02]: Anyway, not much info about these new computers was given by the numerous reports.
02:37.946 --> 02:45.248
[SPEAKER_02]: Either it's a conditional blackout or the hands-on reporters were given so far wasn't long enough for them to report on usage details.
02:46.208 --> 02:54.910
[SPEAKER_02]: I might say though that these new Google books sure look nice and will give Android users their first truly integrated computer experience like Apple gives its users.
02:56.057 --> 03:02.519
[SPEAKER_02]: Though I feel that these new Google books are more of a challenge to Microsoft Windows operating system and aren't really aimed at competing with Apple.
03:03.199 --> 03:15.143
[SPEAKER_02]: Remember, after dropping Windows phone, Microsoft went all in on integrating Windows with Android, but haven't been able to make Android a seamless with Windows as Apple has made iOS seamless with Mac OS.
03:15.984 --> 03:20.525
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm sure the decision to drop Windows phone and attempt to integrate Android into Windows
03:26.520 --> 03:31.043
[SPEAKER_02]: Most Android users relied on Windows for serious computing at the time the decision was made.
03:31.744 --> 03:38.309
[SPEAKER_02]: Now with Google Books, Android users have that seamless integration as well as a platform for some serious computing.
03:39.569 --> 03:42.612
[SPEAKER_02]: Be that as it may, many including myself have questions.
03:43.682 --> 03:45.422
[SPEAKER_02]: The main one concerns video games.
03:46.163 --> 03:48.683
[SPEAKER_02]: Windows has a lock on the gamer community.
03:49.123 --> 03:53.004
[SPEAKER_02]: A lock that Apple has been trying to pick for years now, but with no success.
03:53.764 --> 04:02.706
[SPEAKER_02]: The Steam Company has had the most success with this, but has been able to put enough of a dent into Windows domination of the video game industry from Microsoft to even notice.
04:03.406 --> 04:08.047
[SPEAKER_02]: So, will Google book see the top game developers port their wares over to it?
04:08.387 --> 04:11.848
[SPEAKER_03]: I imagine that will depend on how well these new computers so.
04:13.948 --> 04:19.591
[SPEAKER_02]: The other question is, will this whole-called pro-content creation apps ever be ported over to Google Books?
04:20.472 --> 04:24.254
[SPEAKER_02]: You know apps like Photoshop, which are used for photo manipulation?
04:24.994 --> 04:30.257
[SPEAKER_02]: Also digital audio workstations like Pro Tools, use for creating and recording music and podcasts.
04:30.998 --> 04:38.262
[SPEAKER_03]: These are questions that are so far unanswered, again, it will depend on how many of these things Google manages to sell.
04:38.842 --> 04:42.064
[SPEAKER_02]: Actually, Google doesn't have to sell anything, at least physically.
04:42.910 --> 04:53.313
[SPEAKER_02]: Though for these computers are being manufactured and sold by its partners like Asus and Lenovo, According to Android Authority.com, Google book laptops are off to a good start.
04:53.973 --> 05:00.615
[SPEAKER_02]: According to them, Google books pre-orders have sold out on Google's US online store in just a few days since they were announced.
05:01.316 --> 05:05.437
[SPEAKER_02]: As of this recording, pre-order stock is still unavailable on Google's store.
05:06.457 --> 05:09.978
[SPEAKER_02]: According to a user on Reddit, Best Buy is still accepting pre-orders, though.
05:10.779 --> 05:16.881
[SPEAKER_02]: This boats well for a new untested laptop line whose entry-level price is $899.
05:18.142 --> 05:22.203
[SPEAKER_02]: Are we about to witness both the start of a new computer operating system revolution?
05:22.703 --> 05:25.985
[SPEAKER_02]: Which will bring the beginning of the end for Windows OS dominance?
05:26.865 --> 05:27.785
[SPEAKER_02]: No, time will tell.
05:28.526 --> 05:34.288
[SPEAKER_02]: I don't see Microsoft losing the US government or business domination they've held for decades now, but who knows?
05:35.482 --> 05:49.047
[SPEAKER_02]: Android Authority reports that, after viewing Google's official Google book a demo video, that they think that the new computer operating system looks a lot like a Mac wearing a Chrome OS hoodie, especially the trackpads use of gestures.
05:50.027 --> 05:54.869
[SPEAKER_02]: To once again, quote the band's steely Dan, be glad if you can use what you borrow.
05:56.350 --> 06:00.471
[SPEAKER_02]: Besides being threatened by Google's new operating system, Steam, and of course Linux,
06:05.702 --> 06:07.984
[SPEAKER_02]: more specifically the company's own direction.
06:09.205 --> 06:17.671
[SPEAKER_02]: First Microsoft went cloud-crazy, trying to get all of its customers to a bed in hard copies and favor of hosting everything on Microsoft's cloud service.
06:18.812 --> 06:24.516
[SPEAKER_02]: During this phase, we saw MS 365 being pushed heavily and they were somewhat successful with this strategy.
06:25.417 --> 06:30.661
[SPEAKER_02]: A lot of businesses converted to MS 365 in many US government agencies followed suit.
06:31.530 --> 06:39.107
[SPEAKER_02]: I know this from experience as the government agency I work for, DHS, get rid of their PCs and favor of Dell Mini PCs running MS365.
06:40.855 --> 06:45.697
[SPEAKER_02]: Then AI came along in 2024 and Microsoft became the largest proponent of it.
06:46.677 --> 06:51.139
[SPEAKER_02]: After investing billions, yes, billions would be into outfits like Open AI.
06:51.759 --> 06:59.122
[SPEAKER_03]: Microsoft launched its co-pilot branding and filled Windows PC with AI, along with invasive tracking and advertisements.
06:59.442 --> 07:01.043
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, that sure didn't help things.
07:01.823 --> 07:06.825
[SPEAKER_02]: Normal, non-business customers reacted to this by no longer trusting or even wanting to use
07:11.095 --> 07:14.918
[SPEAKER_02]: Some found ways of stripping out AI spy and bloodware from their machines.
07:15.879 --> 07:19.042
[SPEAKER_02]: Others just gave up and moved on to Linux and even Mac OS.
07:19.862 --> 07:24.787
[SPEAKER_02]: Even business customers became resistant to coal pilot once the expensive using it hit home.
07:25.127 --> 07:29.390
[SPEAKER_03]: And the scraping of their data by Microsoft's AI didn't help things either.
07:29.771 --> 07:30.531
[SPEAKER_02]: That's for sure.
07:31.332 --> 07:34.895
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, the chickens have come home to roost as he cool kids like to say.
07:34.915 --> 07:34.975
[SPEAKER_02]: No.
07:36.056 --> 07:42.642
[SPEAKER_02]: When recently introducing the new line above their latest surface PCs, many mention of co-pilot was absent.
07:43.403 --> 07:53.432
[SPEAKER_02]: Windows Central contacted Microsoft about this emission and the reply was, while Microsoft was still focused on AI, the co-pilot branding is practically dead.
07:54.728 --> 07:57.289
[SPEAKER_02]: All that remains of it is the co-pilot key.
07:58.249 --> 08:07.473
[SPEAKER_02]: Combine this with rumors that Microsoft is working on a deep-bloded edition of Windows, and you can see that the company has finally realized that they've gone too far with AI.
08:08.273 --> 08:13.175
[SPEAKER_02]: And now that Android has its own computer operating system, what does Microsoft have left?
08:13.615 --> 08:14.095
[SPEAKER_02]: Gaming?
08:14.616 --> 08:17.457
[SPEAKER_02]: But now, that in business and government accounts.
08:18.447 --> 08:27.590
[SPEAKER_02]: As I've stated many times before, ditching Windows Phone was a mistake, and depending on how things work out, that mistake may chipperize the whole of Microsoft in the future.
08:30.251 --> 08:36.913
[SPEAKER_02]: In the last episode, I reported about media tech announcing their first chipset based on the two an animated foundry process.
08:37.934 --> 08:40.575
[SPEAKER_02]: The company beat both Samsung and Qualcomm to the punch.
08:41.400 --> 08:48.683
[SPEAKER_02]: At the time, Samsung had announced that they were developing a new chip based on the process while QuarCom had yet announced such a chip.
08:49.623 --> 08:56.266
[SPEAKER_02]: This past week, QuarCom has announced a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6.
08:57.246 --> 08:59.567
[SPEAKER_02]: Both based on the 2-Nanometer process.
09:00.408 --> 09:05.990
[SPEAKER_02]: This leaves Samsung is the only major chip manufacturer to not have a chip made this way.
09:08.599 --> 09:25.747
[SPEAKER_02]: Now for some giant fruit company news and rumors, well mostly rumors, yeah, Mark German reports via his power on newsletter that Apple will soon be announcing a brand new operating system could this be the combined iOS and macOS operating system you've predicted previously?
09:26.067 --> 09:30.690
[SPEAKER_02]: Nah, it's just another fork of iOS and it's going to be called HomeOS.
09:31.370 --> 09:38.733
[SPEAKER_02]: This new operating system will be introduced alongside of its new a smart home hub, which is supposedly coming real soon at now.
09:39.773 --> 09:47.376
[SPEAKER_02]: Part of that whole home system will be the Apple TV streaming box, of which we've had an image in code leak as reported by MacRomers.
09:48.096 --> 09:53.198
[SPEAKER_02]: The bad news is that this new streaming box looks exactly like the current ones, no camera?
09:53.458 --> 09:53.698
[SPEAKER_02]: Nope.
09:54.418 --> 09:56.419
[SPEAKER_02]: Perhaps it'll include a webcam or connection.
09:57.259 --> 10:08.428
[SPEAKER_02]: Rumored specs of this box are, in a 17 Pro chip, 8 gigs of RAM, Apple intelligence and Siri AI support, an Apple N1 chip and a revised Siri remote.
10:09.128 --> 10:12.351
[SPEAKER_02]: Only the Lord knows how much more the single cost and its predecessor.
10:13.051 --> 10:17.992
[SPEAKER_02]: We've heard faint rumors of Apple developing a screenless fitness band all out, whoop before.
10:18.633 --> 10:23.074
[SPEAKER_02]: But now Bloomberg is reporting that Apple is developing prototypes of such a device.
10:23.434 --> 10:24.114
[SPEAKER_02]: Wow.
10:24.434 --> 10:27.955
[SPEAKER_02]: Bloomberg's existence device will become a reality before 2028.
10:28.035 --> 10:28.275
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay.
10:28.515 --> 10:31.596
[SPEAKER_02]: That is, if it's released at all.
10:32.496 --> 10:38.898
[SPEAKER_02]: With my current enthusiasm from my new Apple Watch Ultra4, my craving for such a device has waned.
10:39.659 --> 10:41.019
[SPEAKER_02]: But hey, you never know.
10:42.272 --> 10:51.097
[SPEAKER_02]: Also, in Mark German's last power-on newsletter, the Apple Leaker Dershure said that the company is laid off a handful of Apple fitness-plus employees.
10:52.658 --> 10:58.721
[SPEAKER_02]: The affected employees worked on the audio side of fitness-plus on things like a time-to-walk and time-to-run.
10:59.502 --> 11:04.405
[SPEAKER_02]: I've used time-to-walk, which features some sort of celebrity talking about themselves as they walk.
11:05.165 --> 11:10.308
[SPEAKER_02]: I stopped using it because most of the celebrity's Apple feature didn't appeal to me or were
11:12.627 --> 11:16.428
[SPEAKER_02]: Now could this be the start of major shake-ups over at Apple Fitness Plus?
11:17.428 --> 11:18.268
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, let's hope so.
11:19.108 --> 11:22.709
[SPEAKER_02]: From what I'm hearing Fitness Plus isn't making money for the giant fruit company.
11:23.269 --> 11:32.031
[SPEAKER_02]: With many dropping the service like a bad habit after their complimentary free 30-day trial expires, you get this free trial when you purchase an Apple device.
11:32.771 --> 11:39.873
[SPEAKER_02]: Those that do stick around get tired of it quickly and drop it once they realize that content isn't updated in a timely manner.
11:41.233 --> 11:43.994
[SPEAKER_02]: Other problems are the playing of the same music over and over.
11:45.054 --> 11:55.878
[SPEAKER_02]: My problem with Apple Fitness Plus are, yes, the music selection, and the instructor's catering to the bubble they reside in, and the lack of fitness metrics other services provide.
11:56.698 --> 12:03.280
[SPEAKER_02]: Still, Apple Fitness Plus has a small, very vocal user base, akin to the iPhone mini crowd.
12:04.580 --> 12:08.802
[SPEAKER_02]: I subscribe to Apple Fitness Plus because it's bundled into the Apple One Services
12:10.377 --> 12:21.820
[SPEAKER_02]: As I assume most of its scribes are, like myself, I'm sure the majority of these types of subscribers have been used Apple Fitness Plus for quite some time, or perhaps have never used it.
12:23.060 --> 12:35.163
[SPEAKER_02]: My advice for what it's worth is for Apple to clean house and start over, get rid of the current instructors and favour of ones who are entertaining and diversify their age groups.
12:36.372 --> 12:42.557
[SPEAKER_02]: Not everyone is 20 something years old and living in California, and also provide more health and fitness metrics.
12:43.618 --> 12:49.603
[SPEAKER_02]: Maybe when the new health app with its detailed metrics debuts, the complete revamp of fitness plus will follow.
12:50.504 --> 12:53.446
[SPEAKER_02]: For now, we're stuck with this old and dusty fitness service.
12:56.709 --> 12:58.450
[SPEAKER_01]: Tech the host is using.
12:58.891 --> 13:03.935
[SPEAKER_02]: Last Monday rolled around and I finally took delivery of my iPhone 18 Pro Max.
13:06.365 --> 13:13.107
[SPEAKER_02]: I wanted to tell the UPS delivery guy that it was delivered three days too late, but it wasn't his fault, so what would be the point?
13:13.867 --> 13:18.268
[SPEAKER_02]: Anyway, I unboxed the new phone and set it up using my 17 Pro Max.
13:19.449 --> 13:22.990
[SPEAKER_02]: I must say this was the smoothest iPhone set up I've experienced.
13:23.590 --> 13:29.572
[SPEAKER_02]: While setting up the 17 Pro Max last year, I had to resort to using an iCloud backup to do so.
13:30.412 --> 13:33.573
[SPEAKER_02]: I just couldn't get the phone to phone transfer of data to work.
13:34.453 --> 13:41.655
[SPEAKER_02]: After the long setup using the iCloud method completed, I still found myself having to input passwords for all my third party apps.
13:42.736 --> 13:48.778
[SPEAKER_02]: This time around the only difficulty, and it was a minor one that I ran into was that I had to repair my ordering.
13:49.778 --> 13:52.539
[SPEAKER_02]: Next, I set up my Apple Ultra4 watch.
13:53.279 --> 13:58.161
[SPEAKER_02]: That too went smoothly, as my LoveyWives series 12 had previously.
13:59.096 --> 14:04.442
[SPEAKER_02]: The hardest thing about the watch set up concerns the watch I was replacing, in this case, a series 10.
14:05.463 --> 14:08.206
[SPEAKER_02]: It's still difficult to get an Apple watch ready for trade-in.
14:08.447 --> 14:10.209
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, how do you like your new hardware?
14:10.449 --> 14:15.034
[SPEAKER_02]: Though the 18 Pro Max is heavier than its predecessor, I don't feel any difference.
14:16.055 --> 14:22.680
[SPEAKER_02]: The case from my 17 pro did, indeed, fit the 18 pro except the camera lenses are a tad more exposed.
14:23.080 --> 14:23.660
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh no!
14:24.000 --> 14:27.723
[SPEAKER_02]: I wound up ordering a new case which arrived Wednesday, so, all as well.
14:28.263 --> 14:32.486
[SPEAKER_02]: The new phone is noticeably faster and know it's not a placebo effect.
14:33.367 --> 14:36.669
[SPEAKER_02]: App seemed open instantaneously with no perceivable delay.
14:37.670 --> 14:41.993
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, apps open fast on the 17 pro, they was always as slight but noticeable delay.
14:42.957 --> 14:45.912
[SPEAKER_02]: I haven't checked out the camera yet, but I'll get around to it eventually.
14:46.990 --> 14:49.952
[SPEAKER_02]: Other than that, there's not much of a difference between the old and new phone.
14:50.553 --> 14:53.455
[SPEAKER_02]: But it's nice having a good old basic black colored phone again.
14:54.115 --> 14:56.697
[SPEAKER_02]: The Apple Watch Ultra was a pleasant surprise.
14:57.318 --> 15:03.322
[SPEAKER_02]: I was expecting it to be much more heavier on my wrist and my regular series 10 Apple Watch was, but that wasn't a case.
15:04.023 --> 15:05.004
[SPEAKER_02]: Hey, see what I did there?
15:05.324 --> 15:06.105
[SPEAKER_02]: Watch case?
15:06.305 --> 15:07.105
[SPEAKER_02]: Huh, no.
15:07.606 --> 15:12.109
[SPEAKER_02]: That's because I had mistakenly assumed that the Ultra was made from stainless steel.
15:12.429 --> 15:12.870
[SPEAKER_03]: Wrong.
15:13.410 --> 15:15.712
[SPEAKER_03]: It's made of titanium, too big.
15:16.112 --> 15:20.045
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, I realize that now Fox co-host, that really hurts you know.
15:20.566 --> 15:21.850
[SPEAKER_02]: The truth often does.
15:22.942 --> 15:30.368
[SPEAKER_02]: The Ultra does weigh some 20 grams a more than the regular Series 12, but like the 18 Pro Max, I don't really notice the extra weight.
15:30.909 --> 15:34.091
[SPEAKER_02]: The Alpine Loop Band, the Ultra 4, came with, is very comfortable.
15:34.532 --> 15:36.853
[SPEAKER_02]: I might purchase a different band than a future.
15:37.534 --> 15:40.436
[SPEAKER_02]: We'll see how the Loop Watch Band holds up to sweat.
15:41.297 --> 15:47.963
[SPEAKER_02]: The heart rate monitoring doesn't drop out as much as the old Series 10 did, and the various fitness apps pick up my heart rate a lot quicker.
15:49.013 --> 15:50.875
[SPEAKER_02]: The real improvement here is the battery life.
15:51.676 --> 15:58.942
[SPEAKER_02]: Though the regular Suis Apple watches are rated for 24 hours until the need for a recharge, as only if you don't use it for working out.
16:00.064 --> 16:01.945
[SPEAKER_02]: Apparated for 10 hours in that case.
16:02.986 --> 16:05.729
[SPEAKER_02]: The Ultra 4 is rated for 50 hours for an only use.
16:07.611 --> 16:11.454
[SPEAKER_02]: And 25 hours in what Apple calls extended orcout mode.
16:12.307 --> 16:16.452
[SPEAKER_02]: With my old series 10, I would need to charge it in the morning and then again before bed.
16:17.133 --> 16:23.881
[SPEAKER_02]: With the Ultra 4, I just charge it while I'm taking my post-workout shower and I'm good to go until the next day and beyond.
16:24.722 --> 16:27.886
[SPEAKER_02]: Even when I do play so watch on its charger, it still has about 70% charge on it.
16:29.793 --> 16:31.154
[SPEAKER_02]: I say this watch is a keeper.
16:31.794 --> 16:39.998
[SPEAKER_02]: Besides weighing more than the regular Apple Watch, the Ultra Series is a bit chunkier than the regular series of watches, but again, this doesn't bother me.
16:40.699 --> 16:45.941
[SPEAKER_02]: I've worn the Ultra while sleeping from most a week now, and I can't report that it didn't bother me in the least.
16:46.481 --> 16:54.525
[SPEAKER_02]: When Apple releases the big update to the Health app, I'll compare it to the Oror ring and make my decision on whether to continue wearing the Oror ring or not.
16:59.942 --> 17:05.427
[SPEAKER_02]: Y'all to series watches will allow me to eventually downgrade my iPhone, seeing is believing.
17:06.328 --> 17:13.695
[SPEAKER_02]: As the cool kids say, no, oh you'll be seeing it, and you could take that one to the bank as he, cool kids also say.
17:15.581 --> 17:22.303
[SPEAKER_02]: And speaking of phones, I was quoted an $855 trade-in value for my 17 Pro Max.
17:22.944 --> 17:28.005
[SPEAKER_02]: To my surprise, I actually received $972 for my old phone.
17:28.666 --> 17:37.329
[SPEAKER_02]: When the time comes for the purchase of my wife's iPhone Duo, I hope Apple is as generous or even more generous with the trade-in value for her, 17 Pro Max.
17:40.837 --> 17:48.164
[SPEAKER_02]: This was the first year that I didn't participate in Apple's public beta for its operating system since the company began the program back in 2015.
17:49.165 --> 17:55.391
[SPEAKER_02]: After being burned a couple of times with a buggy beta version, I decided to wait till the third release before jumping on board.
17:55.411 --> 18:02.757
[SPEAKER_02]: The last couple of years, I actually waited until the release candidate was available before trying these new versions out.
18:03.777 --> 18:13.792
[SPEAKER_02]: Unless there's some sort of leap in Apple's OS's in the future, I'm going to stick with the so-called Normie Schedule, and just update when the new operating system is officially released.
18:14.693 --> 18:16.997
[SPEAKER_02]: Do you participate in Apple's public beta program?
18:19.423 --> 18:26.066
[SPEAKER_03]: Peloton has been making some moves lately, perhaps the company is trying to become more appealing to a potential suitor.
18:27.286 --> 18:32.609
[SPEAKER_02]: Apple Well, that could be given the earlier story about Apple Fitness plus being sort of in trouble.
18:33.289 --> 18:40.052
[SPEAKER_02]: Last week, I noticed that Peloton had updated the user interface on the entertainment and just ride modes for the better.
18:40.852 --> 18:45.234
[SPEAKER_02]: And this week, the company announced three new treadmill models, including a quote, affordable
18:47.773 --> 18:51.214
[SPEAKER_02]: That is, if you consider $2,200 as being affordable.
18:51.794 --> 18:58.316
[SPEAKER_02]: It's called the Treadflex and is aimed at users who aren't training for racism will mainly walk on their Treadmill.
18:59.557 --> 19:02.198
[SPEAKER_03]: It sounds perfect for a user like you.
19:02.558 --> 19:04.578
[SPEAKER_02]: I must confess, I'm very tempted.
19:05.659 --> 19:08.179
[SPEAKER_03]: My lovely wife would even utilize this Treadmill.
19:08.419 --> 19:12.961
[SPEAKER_03]: Be careful of the words you use before proceeding with this line of thought.
19:13.416 --> 19:18.418
[SPEAKER_02]: Not that she needs to use a treadmill or anything, she's as in shape and beautiful as a day I met her.
19:18.599 --> 19:19.239
[SPEAKER_02]: Good job.
19:20.039 --> 19:20.559
[SPEAKER_02]: You get it.
19:21.140 --> 19:27.063
[SPEAKER_02]: Though I was once an avid runner, my knees have let it be known to me that those days are officially over.
19:27.503 --> 19:27.883
[SPEAKER_02]: Yes.
19:28.603 --> 19:36.147
[SPEAKER_02]: If running is an important part of your fitness regimen, and unlike my past foolish self, don't want to brave the bad weather to get in your run.
19:42.967 --> 19:50.734
[SPEAKER_02]: If you're training to compete in races or are super serious about running, then the tread vision plus might be your ticket to success.
19:51.855 --> 19:53.937
[SPEAKER_02]: At $6,695, you'll have the motivation to win those races you enter in.
19:58.142 --> 20:01.845
[SPEAKER_02]: That prize money for placing would help offset the high price of the vision plus.
20:02.505 --> 20:12.732
[SPEAKER_02]: Below-and-trid flex that I'm interested in, does come with some advanced features, though, like auto-encline while taking a guided class in AI-sisted-paced targets based on your progress.
20:13.753 --> 20:22.159
[SPEAKER_02]: What you're given up compared to the expense of models are a cushioned running belt, a larger screen with a built-in camera which monitors and reports on your form,
20:25.348 --> 20:31.422
[SPEAKER_02]: Sure, I would like to have a cushioned tread belt, but the Cameron-speaker system like and look what out.
20:32.537 --> 20:41.060
[SPEAKER_02]: All three models of the treadmill appear to use the same motor, with the tread vision plus having a higher incline in its running area is a foot longer from more room.
20:41.700 --> 20:50.002
[SPEAKER_02]: Peloton is leaning heavily into AI with their new products and if Apple did purchase Peloton, the groundwork would be already laid out for an AI coach.
20:50.583 --> 20:59.745
[SPEAKER_02]: Despite these announcements, and though turning a profit to Cospers shares in Peloton's stock or at the lowest point they have been in a while, I don't know how I'd feel about
21:02.118 --> 21:06.620
[SPEAKER_02]: Elaton started in New York and still has its main studio there along with an Obi-Wan in London.
21:07.200 --> 21:20.966
[SPEAKER_02]: Apple was born in Britain, California, and in my experience, mainly with fitness plus cycling instructors, they still have that California attitude and seem to be geared to 20-something-year-olds who work in and around Silicon Valley, so you've told us.
21:21.527 --> 21:26.069
[SPEAKER_02]: If Apple winds up buying peloton, I'd like to see them expand by putting studios around the
21:29.766 --> 21:34.450
[SPEAKER_02]: It's along both of having 40 live classes per day from multiple studios around the U.S.
21:35.070 --> 21:43.937
[SPEAKER_02]: But deep down, I know Apple would probably close both the New York and London studios consolidating things within the company's own California studio.
21:44.638 --> 21:46.519
[SPEAKER_02]: And further cut back on live classes.
21:47.680 --> 21:53.905
[SPEAKER_02]: Though I don't take advantage of live classes as much as I used to, it's nice knowing that they're there when I want to take one.
21:58.225 --> 21:59.566
[SPEAKER_02]: There are many reasons.
21:59.906 --> 22:03.768
[SPEAKER_02]: The main ones are first echelons equipment isn't as well made as pelotons.
22:04.529 --> 22:08.091
[SPEAKER_02]: Just read some reviews of echelon online and you'll see what I mean.
22:09.092 --> 22:14.115
[SPEAKER_02]: Two, the live classes and therefore the pre-recorded classes aren't as well produced as pelotons.
22:14.675 --> 22:18.277
[SPEAKER_02]: And finally, the instructors aren't of the same caliber as pelotons.
22:19.118 --> 22:22.200
[SPEAKER_02]: Who knows, maybe Apple will buy echelon instead of pelotons.
22:22.963 --> 22:27.189
[SPEAKER_02]: But then again, the current CEO of Peloton used to be the head of Apple Fitness Plus.
22:27.889 --> 22:29.251
[SPEAKER_02]: So, there's that to consider.
22:41.853 --> 22:42.613
[SPEAKER_02]: Yes, had.
22:42.993 --> 22:49.655
[SPEAKER_02]: That's because the House of Mouse, Disney, has started to rave prices for their Disney Plus and Hulu streaming services.
22:50.416 --> 22:54.917
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm not a subscriber to Disney Plus, but I am a long time to subscribe to Hulu.
22:55.617 --> 22:59.178
[SPEAKER_02]: This time prices are increasing by about about 50 across the board.
22:59.778 --> 23:10.702
[SPEAKER_02]: I remember when Hulu was an ad-supported free streaming service owned by a coalition of content companies before greedy Disney got its paws on it, and eventually bought out all of the partners.
23:11.602 --> 23:15.106
[SPEAKER_02]: Since then, consumers have been rewarded with annual price increases.
23:16.107 --> 23:20.392
[SPEAKER_02]: These days, I'm down to one show that I watch on Hulu and that's only murders in the building.
23:21.333 --> 23:29.442
[SPEAKER_02]: I hear that the show was on a slice legs as the actors who play two of its three main characters have already said that this show will be their swansong.
23:30.335 --> 23:36.080
[SPEAKER_02]: Of course, I'm referring to Steve Martin and Martin Short, ages 81 and 76 respectively.
23:36.621 --> 23:43.367
[SPEAKER_02]: The premise of the show is about a podcast that covers murders that take place within the apartment building where the characters reside.
23:44.327 --> 23:51.013
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, the show was set to break that premise in this coming season, the show's sixth, which has been branded only murders in London.
23:51.234 --> 23:54.116
[SPEAKER_03]: Why do I have the feeling that this will be the show's?
23:54.817 --> 23:56.058
[SPEAKER_03]: Jump the shark moment.
23:56.397 --> 23:58.279
[SPEAKER_02]: Well you're not the only one that feels that way.
23:59.200 --> 24:05.387
[SPEAKER_02]: My lovely wife used to have a whole stable of shows that she watched on Hulu but that list has dropped to zero over the years.
24:06.461 --> 24:10.703
[SPEAKER_02]: Now a fool who's prices that remained reasonable, I wouldn't mind keeping my subscription.
24:11.303 --> 24:14.284
[SPEAKER_02]: But it's now becoming hard to justify who'll do for just one show.
24:14.845 --> 24:19.787
[SPEAKER_02]: I have the feeling that Hulu is subsidizing Disney Plus which has been losing money for years now.
24:20.507 --> 24:22.108
[SPEAKER_02]: The floodgates have been reopened.
24:22.448 --> 24:24.069
[SPEAKER_02]: Let's see who comes through the next.
24:24.769 --> 24:26.770
[SPEAKER_02]: On that note, it's time for a break.
24:28.130 --> 24:33.833
[SPEAKER_02]: Depending on where you are, you may or may not be hearing some advertisements from my sponsors.
24:37.723 --> 24:40.705
[SPEAKER_01]: podcast news, or something similar to it.
25:01.743 --> 25:19.455
[SPEAKER_02]: However, he is glad about adopting the HLS enclosure, which handles video on RSS distribution because it delutes the power of Spotify and YouTube, which forces podcasters in hosting services alike to use proprietary file formats in order to post podcasts on those platforms.
25:20.136 --> 25:28.342
[SPEAKER_02]: YouTube takes it as step further by requiring their video-centric file format even for audio-only podcast in order to put a show on YouTube music.
25:29.368 --> 25:37.473
[SPEAKER_02]: YouTube Music Replace Google's podcast app, and that's why you won't find this show on YouTube Music as I refuse to render a separate file to do so.
25:48.081 --> 25:52.764
[SPEAKER_02]: The music is playing on this first-change, cool Sunday evening here in Tennessee.
25:53.792 --> 25:55.273
[SPEAKER_02]: I hope you enjoyed this episode.
25:55.753 --> 25:57.034
[SPEAKER_02]: I enjoyed making it for you.
25:57.054 --> 26:01.317
[SPEAKER_02]: If you like what you heard, you can make a donation using the link in the show notes.
26:02.457 --> 26:05.419
[SPEAKER_02]: Any and all donations will be greatly appreciated.
26:05.959 --> 26:14.665
[SPEAKER_00]: If you would like to contact the OFNT podcast, you can do so by sending an email to OFNTpodcast at gmail.com.
26:15.190 --> 26:17.972
[SPEAKER_02]: And remember, don't listen to what they say.
26:18.592 --> 26:19.913
[SPEAKER_02]: Watch what they do.
26:20.914 --> 26:25.337
[SPEAKER_02]: It's a bit chilly out there, so I think you'd be better served by getting off my lawn.
26:26.478 --> 26:27.358
[SPEAKER_02]: Stay skeptical.
26:29.460 --> 26:31.901
[SPEAKER_02]: Ahhhh, I'll be seeing ya.
26:32.181 --> 26:32.702
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh.
26:33.542 --> 26:35.484
[SPEAKER_02]: And that folks is the end of the show.
00:00.111 --> 00:02.921
[SPEAKER_00]: a factual data creation facility production.
00:21.087 --> 00:29.235
[SPEAKER_03]: In a world where some podcasts make millions of dollars, I bring you the OF&T podcast, which isn't one of them.
00:29.675 --> 00:32.158
[SPEAKER_03]: Now here's your host, Jim Schafer.
00:32.758 --> 00:36.242
[SPEAKER_02]: Welcome to episode 340, which I'm calling, Arrival.
00:37.022 --> 00:43.008
[SPEAKER_02]: This past week has seen the arrival of both my iPhone 18 Pro Max and the Google Book computers.
00:43.368 --> 00:44.670
[SPEAKER_02]: You bought a Google Book?
00:45.230 --> 00:45.490
[SPEAKER_02]: No.
00:46.271 --> 00:53.193
[SPEAKER_02]: The tech press has released videos of the first examples of the big G's new laptops, giving consumers their first look at them.
00:54.094 --> 00:56.915
[SPEAKER_02]: I'll give my thoughts about Google Books in the tech section.
00:57.795 --> 01:00.977
[SPEAKER_02]: Other than that, it's been sort of quiet within the world of tech.
01:01.817 --> 01:04.258
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, what do you say we get going now?
01:05.078 --> 01:05.239
[SPEAKER_01]: Yes.
01:05.799 --> 01:06.639
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh yeah.
01:06.919 --> 01:07.279
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay.
01:07.720 --> 01:08.000
[SPEAKER_01]: Yes.
01:08.540 --> 01:08.860
[SPEAKER_01]: Yes.
01:09.540 --> 01:10.781
[SPEAKER_01]: Three, two, one.
01:14.200 --> 01:15.360
[SPEAKER_01]: This week's Tech News.
01:15.829 --> 01:20.331
[SPEAKER_02]: I'll start things off with the PR blitz we saw last week concerning the new Google Books.
01:21.191 --> 01:25.432
[SPEAKER_02]: I'd reported a couple of episodes ago, or perhaps more than a couple of episodes ago.
01:26.052 --> 01:31.634
[SPEAKER_02]: That Google had planned a press-only Google book event which was to be held on September 15.
01:32.615 --> 01:36.716
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, that date came and went with Nary a report from the tech press.
01:37.496 --> 01:42.018
[SPEAKER_02]: In the last episode, I found out that Google had started sending out invites to an event which
01:46.721 --> 01:51.046
[SPEAKER_02]: It's suspected that the Google books are to be officially demonstrated to the public at that event.
01:51.987 --> 02:05.922
[SPEAKER_02]: I had assumed that the original report of a press only event to be held on September 15th was most likely false, being that I hadn't heard anything about it, and yet we've been getting wall to wall coverage of Google books over the past week.
02:06.222 --> 02:07.904
[SPEAKER_02]: Kind of strange, isn't it?
02:08.204 --> 02:08.465
[SPEAKER_03]: Yes.
02:09.025 --> 02:25.019
[SPEAKER_02]: Because of these reports highlighting Google Books from the tech press, with most of these outlets dropping the story at the same time, I'm assuming that this press only event actually did take place, and those outlets that attended were under some sort of media blackout and posed by Google.
02:25.299 --> 02:30.383
[SPEAKER_03]: Well, that would explain this sudden explosion of articles and videos about Google Books.
02:30.984 --> 02:31.384
[SPEAKER_03]: I guess.
02:32.245 --> 02:37.126
[SPEAKER_02]: Anyway, not much info about these new computers was given by the numerous reports.
02:37.946 --> 02:45.248
[SPEAKER_02]: Either it's a conditional blackout or the hands-on reporters were given so far wasn't long enough for them to report on usage details.
02:46.208 --> 02:54.910
[SPEAKER_02]: I might say though that these new Google books sure look nice and will give Android users their first truly integrated computer experience like Apple gives its users.
02:56.057 --> 03:02.519
[SPEAKER_02]: Though I feel that these new Google books are more of a challenge to Microsoft Windows operating system and aren't really aimed at competing with Apple.
03:03.199 --> 03:15.143
[SPEAKER_02]: Remember, after dropping Windows phone, Microsoft went all in on integrating Windows with Android, but haven't been able to make Android a seamless with Windows as Apple has made iOS seamless with Mac OS.
03:15.984 --> 03:20.525
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm sure the decision to drop Windows phone and attempt to integrate Android into Windows
03:26.520 --> 03:31.043
[SPEAKER_02]: Most Android users relied on Windows for serious computing at the time the decision was made.
03:31.744 --> 03:38.309
[SPEAKER_02]: Now with Google Books, Android users have that seamless integration as well as a platform for some serious computing.
03:39.569 --> 03:42.612
[SPEAKER_02]: Be that as it may, many including myself have questions.
03:43.682 --> 03:45.422
[SPEAKER_02]: The main one concerns video games.
03:46.163 --> 03:48.683
[SPEAKER_02]: Windows has a lock on the gamer community.
03:49.123 --> 03:53.004
[SPEAKER_02]: A lock that Apple has been trying to pick for years now, but with no success.
03:53.764 --> 04:02.706
[SPEAKER_02]: The Steam Company has had the most success with this, but has been able to put enough of a dent into Windows domination of the video game industry from Microsoft to even notice.
04:03.406 --> 04:08.047
[SPEAKER_02]: So, will Google book see the top game developers port their wares over to it?
04:08.387 --> 04:11.848
[SPEAKER_03]: I imagine that will depend on how well these new computers so.
04:13.948 --> 04:19.591
[SPEAKER_02]: The other question is, will this whole-called pro-content creation apps ever be ported over to Google Books?
04:20.472 --> 04:24.254
[SPEAKER_02]: You know apps like Photoshop, which are used for photo manipulation?
04:24.994 --> 04:30.257
[SPEAKER_02]: Also digital audio workstations like Pro Tools, use for creating and recording music and podcasts.
04:30.998 --> 04:38.262
[SPEAKER_03]: These are questions that are so far unanswered, again, it will depend on how many of these things Google manages to sell.
04:38.842 --> 04:42.064
[SPEAKER_02]: Actually, Google doesn't have to sell anything, at least physically.
04:42.910 --> 04:53.313
[SPEAKER_02]: Though for these computers are being manufactured and sold by its partners like Asus and Lenovo, According to Android Authority.com, Google book laptops are off to a good start.
04:53.973 --> 05:00.615
[SPEAKER_02]: According to them, Google books pre-orders have sold out on Google's US online store in just a few days since they were announced.
05:01.316 --> 05:05.437
[SPEAKER_02]: As of this recording, pre-order stock is still unavailable on Google's store.
05:06.457 --> 05:09.978
[SPEAKER_02]: According to a user on Reddit, Best Buy is still accepting pre-orders, though.
05:10.779 --> 05:16.881
[SPEAKER_02]: This boats well for a new untested laptop line whose entry-level price is $899.
05:18.142 --> 05:22.203
[SPEAKER_02]: Are we about to witness both the start of a new computer operating system revolution?
05:22.703 --> 05:25.985
[SPEAKER_02]: Which will bring the beginning of the end for Windows OS dominance?
05:26.865 --> 05:27.785
[SPEAKER_02]: No, time will tell.
05:28.526 --> 05:34.288
[SPEAKER_02]: I don't see Microsoft losing the US government or business domination they've held for decades now, but who knows?
05:35.482 --> 05:49.047
[SPEAKER_02]: Android Authority reports that, after viewing Google's official Google book a demo video, that they think that the new computer operating system looks a lot like a Mac wearing a Chrome OS hoodie, especially the trackpads use of gestures.
05:50.027 --> 05:54.869
[SPEAKER_02]: To once again, quote the band's steely Dan, be glad if you can use what you borrow.
05:56.350 --> 06:00.471
[SPEAKER_02]: Besides being threatened by Google's new operating system, Steam, and of course Linux,
06:05.702 --> 06:07.984
[SPEAKER_02]: more specifically the company's own direction.
06:09.205 --> 06:17.671
[SPEAKER_02]: First Microsoft went cloud-crazy, trying to get all of its customers to a bed in hard copies and favor of hosting everything on Microsoft's cloud service.
06:18.812 --> 06:24.516
[SPEAKER_02]: During this phase, we saw MS 365 being pushed heavily and they were somewhat successful with this strategy.
06:25.417 --> 06:30.661
[SPEAKER_02]: A lot of businesses converted to MS 365 in many US government agencies followed suit.
06:31.530 --> 06:39.107
[SPEAKER_02]: I know this from experience as the government agency I work for, DHS, get rid of their PCs and favor of Dell Mini PCs running MS365.
06:40.855 --> 06:45.697
[SPEAKER_02]: Then AI came along in 2024 and Microsoft became the largest proponent of it.
06:46.677 --> 06:51.139
[SPEAKER_02]: After investing billions, yes, billions would be into outfits like Open AI.
06:51.759 --> 06:59.122
[SPEAKER_03]: Microsoft launched its co-pilot branding and filled Windows PC with AI, along with invasive tracking and advertisements.
06:59.442 --> 07:01.043
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, that sure didn't help things.
07:01.823 --> 07:06.825
[SPEAKER_02]: Normal, non-business customers reacted to this by no longer trusting or even wanting to use
07:11.095 --> 07:14.918
[SPEAKER_02]: Some found ways of stripping out AI spy and bloodware from their machines.
07:15.879 --> 07:19.042
[SPEAKER_02]: Others just gave up and moved on to Linux and even Mac OS.
07:19.862 --> 07:24.787
[SPEAKER_02]: Even business customers became resistant to coal pilot once the expensive using it hit home.
07:25.127 --> 07:29.390
[SPEAKER_03]: And the scraping of their data by Microsoft's AI didn't help things either.
07:29.771 --> 07:30.531
[SPEAKER_02]: That's for sure.
07:31.332 --> 07:34.895
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, the chickens have come home to roost as he cool kids like to say.
07:34.915 --> 07:34.975
[SPEAKER_02]: No.
07:36.056 --> 07:42.642
[SPEAKER_02]: When recently introducing the new line above their latest surface PCs, many mention of co-pilot was absent.
07:43.403 --> 07:53.432
[SPEAKER_02]: Windows Central contacted Microsoft about this emission and the reply was, while Microsoft was still focused on AI, the co-pilot branding is practically dead.
07:54.728 --> 07:57.289
[SPEAKER_02]: All that remains of it is the co-pilot key.
07:58.249 --> 08:07.473
[SPEAKER_02]: Combine this with rumors that Microsoft is working on a deep-bloded edition of Windows, and you can see that the company has finally realized that they've gone too far with AI.
08:08.273 --> 08:13.175
[SPEAKER_02]: And now that Android has its own computer operating system, what does Microsoft have left?
08:13.615 --> 08:14.095
[SPEAKER_02]: Gaming?
08:14.616 --> 08:17.457
[SPEAKER_02]: But now, that in business and government accounts.
08:18.447 --> 08:27.590
[SPEAKER_02]: As I've stated many times before, ditching Windows Phone was a mistake, and depending on how things work out, that mistake may chipperize the whole of Microsoft in the future.
08:30.251 --> 08:36.913
[SPEAKER_02]: In the last episode, I reported about media tech announcing their first chipset based on the two an animated foundry process.
08:37.934 --> 08:40.575
[SPEAKER_02]: The company beat both Samsung and Qualcomm to the punch.
08:41.400 --> 08:48.683
[SPEAKER_02]: At the time, Samsung had announced that they were developing a new chip based on the process while QuarCom had yet announced such a chip.
08:49.623 --> 08:56.266
[SPEAKER_02]: This past week, QuarCom has announced a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6.
08:57.246 --> 08:59.567
[SPEAKER_02]: Both based on the 2-Nanometer process.
09:00.408 --> 09:05.990
[SPEAKER_02]: This leaves Samsung is the only major chip manufacturer to not have a chip made this way.
09:08.599 --> 09:25.747
[SPEAKER_02]: Now for some giant fruit company news and rumors, well mostly rumors, yeah, Mark German reports via his power on newsletter that Apple will soon be announcing a brand new operating system could this be the combined iOS and macOS operating system you've predicted previously?
09:26.067 --> 09:30.690
[SPEAKER_02]: Nah, it's just another fork of iOS and it's going to be called HomeOS.
09:31.370 --> 09:38.733
[SPEAKER_02]: This new operating system will be introduced alongside of its new a smart home hub, which is supposedly coming real soon at now.
09:39.773 --> 09:47.376
[SPEAKER_02]: Part of that whole home system will be the Apple TV streaming box, of which we've had an image in code leak as reported by MacRomers.
09:48.096 --> 09:53.198
[SPEAKER_02]: The bad news is that this new streaming box looks exactly like the current ones, no camera?
09:53.458 --> 09:53.698
[SPEAKER_02]: Nope.
09:54.418 --> 09:56.419
[SPEAKER_02]: Perhaps it'll include a webcam or connection.
09:57.259 --> 10:08.428
[SPEAKER_02]: Rumored specs of this box are, in a 17 Pro chip, 8 gigs of RAM, Apple intelligence and Siri AI support, an Apple N1 chip and a revised Siri remote.
10:09.128 --> 10:12.351
[SPEAKER_02]: Only the Lord knows how much more the single cost and its predecessor.
10:13.051 --> 10:17.992
[SPEAKER_02]: We've heard faint rumors of Apple developing a screenless fitness band all out, whoop before.
10:18.633 --> 10:23.074
[SPEAKER_02]: But now Bloomberg is reporting that Apple is developing prototypes of such a device.
10:23.434 --> 10:24.114
[SPEAKER_02]: Wow.
10:24.434 --> 10:27.955
[SPEAKER_02]: Bloomberg's existence device will become a reality before 2028.
10:28.035 --> 10:28.275
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay.
10:28.515 --> 10:31.596
[SPEAKER_02]: That is, if it's released at all.
10:32.496 --> 10:38.898
[SPEAKER_02]: With my current enthusiasm from my new Apple Watch Ultra4, my craving for such a device has waned.
10:39.659 --> 10:41.019
[SPEAKER_02]: But hey, you never know.
10:42.272 --> 10:51.097
[SPEAKER_02]: Also, in Mark German's last power-on newsletter, the Apple Leaker Dershure said that the company is laid off a handful of Apple fitness-plus employees.
10:52.658 --> 10:58.721
[SPEAKER_02]: The affected employees worked on the audio side of fitness-plus on things like a time-to-walk and time-to-run.
10:59.502 --> 11:04.405
[SPEAKER_02]: I've used time-to-walk, which features some sort of celebrity talking about themselves as they walk.
11:05.165 --> 11:10.308
[SPEAKER_02]: I stopped using it because most of the celebrity's Apple feature didn't appeal to me or were
11:12.627 --> 11:16.428
[SPEAKER_02]: Now could this be the start of major shake-ups over at Apple Fitness Plus?
11:17.428 --> 11:18.268
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, let's hope so.
11:19.108 --> 11:22.709
[SPEAKER_02]: From what I'm hearing Fitness Plus isn't making money for the giant fruit company.
11:23.269 --> 11:32.031
[SPEAKER_02]: With many dropping the service like a bad habit after their complimentary free 30-day trial expires, you get this free trial when you purchase an Apple device.
11:32.771 --> 11:39.873
[SPEAKER_02]: Those that do stick around get tired of it quickly and drop it once they realize that content isn't updated in a timely manner.
11:41.233 --> 11:43.994
[SPEAKER_02]: Other problems are the playing of the same music over and over.
11:45.054 --> 11:55.878
[SPEAKER_02]: My problem with Apple Fitness Plus are, yes, the music selection, and the instructor's catering to the bubble they reside in, and the lack of fitness metrics other services provide.
11:56.698 --> 12:03.280
[SPEAKER_02]: Still, Apple Fitness Plus has a small, very vocal user base, akin to the iPhone mini crowd.
12:04.580 --> 12:08.802
[SPEAKER_02]: I subscribe to Apple Fitness Plus because it's bundled into the Apple One Services
12:10.377 --> 12:21.820
[SPEAKER_02]: As I assume most of its scribes are, like myself, I'm sure the majority of these types of subscribers have been used Apple Fitness Plus for quite some time, or perhaps have never used it.
12:23.060 --> 12:35.163
[SPEAKER_02]: My advice for what it's worth is for Apple to clean house and start over, get rid of the current instructors and favour of ones who are entertaining and diversify their age groups.
12:36.372 --> 12:42.557
[SPEAKER_02]: Not everyone is 20 something years old and living in California, and also provide more health and fitness metrics.
12:43.618 --> 12:49.603
[SPEAKER_02]: Maybe when the new health app with its detailed metrics debuts, the complete revamp of fitness plus will follow.
12:50.504 --> 12:53.446
[SPEAKER_02]: For now, we're stuck with this old and dusty fitness service.
12:56.709 --> 12:58.450
[SPEAKER_01]: Tech the host is using.
12:58.891 --> 13:03.935
[SPEAKER_02]: Last Monday rolled around and I finally took delivery of my iPhone 18 Pro Max.
13:06.365 --> 13:13.107
[SPEAKER_02]: I wanted to tell the UPS delivery guy that it was delivered three days too late, but it wasn't his fault, so what would be the point?
13:13.867 --> 13:18.268
[SPEAKER_02]: Anyway, I unboxed the new phone and set it up using my 17 Pro Max.
13:19.449 --> 13:22.990
[SPEAKER_02]: I must say this was the smoothest iPhone set up I've experienced.
13:23.590 --> 13:29.572
[SPEAKER_02]: While setting up the 17 Pro Max last year, I had to resort to using an iCloud backup to do so.
13:30.412 --> 13:33.573
[SPEAKER_02]: I just couldn't get the phone to phone transfer of data to work.
13:34.453 --> 13:41.655
[SPEAKER_02]: After the long setup using the iCloud method completed, I still found myself having to input passwords for all my third party apps.
13:42.736 --> 13:48.778
[SPEAKER_02]: This time around the only difficulty, and it was a minor one that I ran into was that I had to repair my ordering.
13:49.778 --> 13:52.539
[SPEAKER_02]: Next, I set up my Apple Ultra4 watch.
13:53.279 --> 13:58.161
[SPEAKER_02]: That too went smoothly, as my LoveyWives series 12 had previously.
13:59.096 --> 14:04.442
[SPEAKER_02]: The hardest thing about the watch set up concerns the watch I was replacing, in this case, a series 10.
14:05.463 --> 14:08.206
[SPEAKER_02]: It's still difficult to get an Apple watch ready for trade-in.
14:08.447 --> 14:10.209
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, how do you like your new hardware?
14:10.449 --> 14:15.034
[SPEAKER_02]: Though the 18 Pro Max is heavier than its predecessor, I don't feel any difference.
14:16.055 --> 14:22.680
[SPEAKER_02]: The case from my 17 pro did, indeed, fit the 18 pro except the camera lenses are a tad more exposed.
14:23.080 --> 14:23.660
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh no!
14:24.000 --> 14:27.723
[SPEAKER_02]: I wound up ordering a new case which arrived Wednesday, so, all as well.
14:28.263 --> 14:32.486
[SPEAKER_02]: The new phone is noticeably faster and know it's not a placebo effect.
14:33.367 --> 14:36.669
[SPEAKER_02]: App seemed open instantaneously with no perceivable delay.
14:37.670 --> 14:41.993
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, apps open fast on the 17 pro, they was always as slight but noticeable delay.
14:42.957 --> 14:45.912
[SPEAKER_02]: I haven't checked out the camera yet, but I'll get around to it eventually.
14:46.990 --> 14:49.952
[SPEAKER_02]: Other than that, there's not much of a difference between the old and new phone.
14:50.553 --> 14:53.455
[SPEAKER_02]: But it's nice having a good old basic black colored phone again.
14:54.115 --> 14:56.697
[SPEAKER_02]: The Apple Watch Ultra was a pleasant surprise.
14:57.318 --> 15:03.322
[SPEAKER_02]: I was expecting it to be much more heavier on my wrist and my regular series 10 Apple Watch was, but that wasn't a case.
15:04.023 --> 15:05.004
[SPEAKER_02]: Hey, see what I did there?
15:05.324 --> 15:06.105
[SPEAKER_02]: Watch case?
15:06.305 --> 15:07.105
[SPEAKER_02]: Huh, no.
15:07.606 --> 15:12.109
[SPEAKER_02]: That's because I had mistakenly assumed that the Ultra was made from stainless steel.
15:12.429 --> 15:12.870
[SPEAKER_03]: Wrong.
15:13.410 --> 15:15.712
[SPEAKER_03]: It's made of titanium, too big.
15:16.112 --> 15:20.045
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, I realize that now Fox co-host, that really hurts you know.
15:20.566 --> 15:21.850
[SPEAKER_02]: The truth often does.
15:22.942 --> 15:30.368
[SPEAKER_02]: The Ultra does weigh some 20 grams a more than the regular Series 12, but like the 18 Pro Max, I don't really notice the extra weight.
15:30.909 --> 15:34.091
[SPEAKER_02]: The Alpine Loop Band, the Ultra 4, came with, is very comfortable.
15:34.532 --> 15:36.853
[SPEAKER_02]: I might purchase a different band than a future.
15:37.534 --> 15:40.436
[SPEAKER_02]: We'll see how the Loop Watch Band holds up to sweat.
15:41.297 --> 15:47.963
[SPEAKER_02]: The heart rate monitoring doesn't drop out as much as the old Series 10 did, and the various fitness apps pick up my heart rate a lot quicker.
15:49.013 --> 15:50.875
[SPEAKER_02]: The real improvement here is the battery life.
15:51.676 --> 15:58.942
[SPEAKER_02]: Though the regular Suis Apple watches are rated for 24 hours until the need for a recharge, as only if you don't use it for working out.
16:00.064 --> 16:01.945
[SPEAKER_02]: Apparated for 10 hours in that case.
16:02.986 --> 16:05.729
[SPEAKER_02]: The Ultra 4 is rated for 50 hours for an only use.
16:07.611 --> 16:11.454
[SPEAKER_02]: And 25 hours in what Apple calls extended orcout mode.
16:12.307 --> 16:16.452
[SPEAKER_02]: With my old series 10, I would need to charge it in the morning and then again before bed.
16:17.133 --> 16:23.881
[SPEAKER_02]: With the Ultra 4, I just charge it while I'm taking my post-workout shower and I'm good to go until the next day and beyond.
16:24.722 --> 16:27.886
[SPEAKER_02]: Even when I do play so watch on its charger, it still has about 70% charge on it.
16:29.793 --> 16:31.154
[SPEAKER_02]: I say this watch is a keeper.
16:31.794 --> 16:39.998
[SPEAKER_02]: Besides weighing more than the regular Apple Watch, the Ultra Series is a bit chunkier than the regular series of watches, but again, this doesn't bother me.
16:40.699 --> 16:45.941
[SPEAKER_02]: I've worn the Ultra while sleeping from most a week now, and I can't report that it didn't bother me in the least.
16:46.481 --> 16:54.525
[SPEAKER_02]: When Apple releases the big update to the Health app, I'll compare it to the Oror ring and make my decision on whether to continue wearing the Oror ring or not.
16:59.942 --> 17:05.427
[SPEAKER_02]: Y'all to series watches will allow me to eventually downgrade my iPhone, seeing is believing.
17:06.328 --> 17:13.695
[SPEAKER_02]: As the cool kids say, no, oh you'll be seeing it, and you could take that one to the bank as he, cool kids also say.
17:15.581 --> 17:22.303
[SPEAKER_02]: And speaking of phones, I was quoted an $855 trade-in value for my 17 Pro Max.
17:22.944 --> 17:28.005
[SPEAKER_02]: To my surprise, I actually received $972 for my old phone.
17:28.666 --> 17:37.329
[SPEAKER_02]: When the time comes for the purchase of my wife's iPhone Duo, I hope Apple is as generous or even more generous with the trade-in value for her, 17 Pro Max.
17:40.837 --> 17:48.164
[SPEAKER_02]: This was the first year that I didn't participate in Apple's public beta for its operating system since the company began the program back in 2015.
17:49.165 --> 17:55.391
[SPEAKER_02]: After being burned a couple of times with a buggy beta version, I decided to wait till the third release before jumping on board.
17:55.411 --> 18:02.757
[SPEAKER_02]: The last couple of years, I actually waited until the release candidate was available before trying these new versions out.
18:03.777 --> 18:13.792
[SPEAKER_02]: Unless there's some sort of leap in Apple's OS's in the future, I'm going to stick with the so-called Normie Schedule, and just update when the new operating system is officially released.
18:14.693 --> 18:16.997
[SPEAKER_02]: Do you participate in Apple's public beta program?
18:19.423 --> 18:26.066
[SPEAKER_03]: Peloton has been making some moves lately, perhaps the company is trying to become more appealing to a potential suitor.
18:27.286 --> 18:32.609
[SPEAKER_02]: Apple Well, that could be given the earlier story about Apple Fitness plus being sort of in trouble.
18:33.289 --> 18:40.052
[SPEAKER_02]: Last week, I noticed that Peloton had updated the user interface on the entertainment and just ride modes for the better.
18:40.852 --> 18:45.234
[SPEAKER_02]: And this week, the company announced three new treadmill models, including a quote, affordable
18:47.773 --> 18:51.214
[SPEAKER_02]: That is, if you consider $2,200 as being affordable.
18:51.794 --> 18:58.316
[SPEAKER_02]: It's called the Treadflex and is aimed at users who aren't training for racism will mainly walk on their Treadmill.
18:59.557 --> 19:02.198
[SPEAKER_03]: It sounds perfect for a user like you.
19:02.558 --> 19:04.578
[SPEAKER_02]: I must confess, I'm very tempted.
19:05.659 --> 19:08.179
[SPEAKER_03]: My lovely wife would even utilize this Treadmill.
19:08.419 --> 19:12.961
[SPEAKER_03]: Be careful of the words you use before proceeding with this line of thought.
19:13.416 --> 19:18.418
[SPEAKER_02]: Not that she needs to use a treadmill or anything, she's as in shape and beautiful as a day I met her.
19:18.599 --> 19:19.239
[SPEAKER_02]: Good job.
19:20.039 --> 19:20.559
[SPEAKER_02]: You get it.
19:21.140 --> 19:27.063
[SPEAKER_02]: Though I was once an avid runner, my knees have let it be known to me that those days are officially over.
19:27.503 --> 19:27.883
[SPEAKER_02]: Yes.
19:28.603 --> 19:36.147
[SPEAKER_02]: If running is an important part of your fitness regimen, and unlike my past foolish self, don't want to brave the bad weather to get in your run.
19:42.967 --> 19:50.734
[SPEAKER_02]: If you're training to compete in races or are super serious about running, then the tread vision plus might be your ticket to success.
19:51.855 --> 19:53.937
[SPEAKER_02]: At $6,695, you'll have the motivation to win those races you enter in.
19:58.142 --> 20:01.845
[SPEAKER_02]: That prize money for placing would help offset the high price of the vision plus.
20:02.505 --> 20:12.732
[SPEAKER_02]: Below-and-trid flex that I'm interested in, does come with some advanced features, though, like auto-encline while taking a guided class in AI-sisted-paced targets based on your progress.
20:13.753 --> 20:22.159
[SPEAKER_02]: What you're given up compared to the expense of models are a cushioned running belt, a larger screen with a built-in camera which monitors and reports on your form,
20:25.348 --> 20:31.422
[SPEAKER_02]: Sure, I would like to have a cushioned tread belt, but the Cameron-speaker system like and look what out.
20:32.537 --> 20:41.060
[SPEAKER_02]: All three models of the treadmill appear to use the same motor, with the tread vision plus having a higher incline in its running area is a foot longer from more room.
20:41.700 --> 20:50.002
[SPEAKER_02]: Peloton is leaning heavily into AI with their new products and if Apple did purchase Peloton, the groundwork would be already laid out for an AI coach.
20:50.583 --> 20:59.745
[SPEAKER_02]: Despite these announcements, and though turning a profit to Cospers shares in Peloton's stock or at the lowest point they have been in a while, I don't know how I'd feel about
21:02.118 --> 21:06.620
[SPEAKER_02]: Elaton started in New York and still has its main studio there along with an Obi-Wan in London.
21:07.200 --> 21:20.966
[SPEAKER_02]: Apple was born in Britain, California, and in my experience, mainly with fitness plus cycling instructors, they still have that California attitude and seem to be geared to 20-something-year-olds who work in and around Silicon Valley, so you've told us.
21:21.527 --> 21:26.069
[SPEAKER_02]: If Apple winds up buying peloton, I'd like to see them expand by putting studios around the
21:29.766 --> 21:34.450
[SPEAKER_02]: It's along both of having 40 live classes per day from multiple studios around the U.S.
21:35.070 --> 21:43.937
[SPEAKER_02]: But deep down, I know Apple would probably close both the New York and London studios consolidating things within the company's own California studio.
21:44.638 --> 21:46.519
[SPEAKER_02]: And further cut back on live classes.
21:47.680 --> 21:53.905
[SPEAKER_02]: Though I don't take advantage of live classes as much as I used to, it's nice knowing that they're there when I want to take one.
21:58.225 --> 21:59.566
[SPEAKER_02]: There are many reasons.
21:59.906 --> 22:03.768
[SPEAKER_02]: The main ones are first echelons equipment isn't as well made as pelotons.
22:04.529 --> 22:08.091
[SPEAKER_02]: Just read some reviews of echelon online and you'll see what I mean.
22:09.092 --> 22:14.115
[SPEAKER_02]: Two, the live classes and therefore the pre-recorded classes aren't as well produced as pelotons.
22:14.675 --> 22:18.277
[SPEAKER_02]: And finally, the instructors aren't of the same caliber as pelotons.
22:19.118 --> 22:22.200
[SPEAKER_02]: Who knows, maybe Apple will buy echelon instead of pelotons.
22:22.963 --> 22:27.189
[SPEAKER_02]: But then again, the current CEO of Peloton used to be the head of Apple Fitness Plus.
22:27.889 --> 22:29.251
[SPEAKER_02]: So, there's that to consider.
22:41.853 --> 22:42.613
[SPEAKER_02]: Yes, had.
22:42.993 --> 22:49.655
[SPEAKER_02]: That's because the House of Mouse, Disney, has started to rave prices for their Disney Plus and Hulu streaming services.
22:50.416 --> 22:54.917
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm not a subscriber to Disney Plus, but I am a long time to subscribe to Hulu.
22:55.617 --> 22:59.178
[SPEAKER_02]: This time prices are increasing by about about 50 across the board.
22:59.778 --> 23:10.702
[SPEAKER_02]: I remember when Hulu was an ad-supported free streaming service owned by a coalition of content companies before greedy Disney got its paws on it, and eventually bought out all of the partners.
23:11.602 --> 23:15.106
[SPEAKER_02]: Since then, consumers have been rewarded with annual price increases.
23:16.107 --> 23:20.392
[SPEAKER_02]: These days, I'm down to one show that I watch on Hulu and that's only murders in the building.
23:21.333 --> 23:29.442
[SPEAKER_02]: I hear that the show was on a slice legs as the actors who play two of its three main characters have already said that this show will be their swansong.
23:30.335 --> 23:36.080
[SPEAKER_02]: Of course, I'm referring to Steve Martin and Martin Short, ages 81 and 76 respectively.
23:36.621 --> 23:43.367
[SPEAKER_02]: The premise of the show is about a podcast that covers murders that take place within the apartment building where the characters reside.
23:44.327 --> 23:51.013
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, the show was set to break that premise in this coming season, the show's sixth, which has been branded only murders in London.
23:51.234 --> 23:54.116
[SPEAKER_03]: Why do I have the feeling that this will be the show's?
23:54.817 --> 23:56.058
[SPEAKER_03]: Jump the shark moment.
23:56.397 --> 23:58.279
[SPEAKER_02]: Well you're not the only one that feels that way.
23:59.200 --> 24:05.387
[SPEAKER_02]: My lovely wife used to have a whole stable of shows that she watched on Hulu but that list has dropped to zero over the years.
24:06.461 --> 24:10.703
[SPEAKER_02]: Now a fool who's prices that remained reasonable, I wouldn't mind keeping my subscription.
24:11.303 --> 24:14.284
[SPEAKER_02]: But it's now becoming hard to justify who'll do for just one show.
24:14.845 --> 24:19.787
[SPEAKER_02]: I have the feeling that Hulu is subsidizing Disney Plus which has been losing money for years now.
24:20.507 --> 24:22.108
[SPEAKER_02]: The floodgates have been reopened.
24:22.448 --> 24:24.069
[SPEAKER_02]: Let's see who comes through the next.
24:24.769 --> 24:26.770
[SPEAKER_02]: On that note, it's time for a break.
24:28.130 --> 24:33.833
[SPEAKER_02]: Depending on where you are, you may or may not be hearing some advertisements from my sponsors.
24:37.723 --> 24:40.705
[SPEAKER_01]: podcast news, or something similar to it.
25:01.743 --> 25:19.455
[SPEAKER_02]: However, he is glad about adopting the HLS enclosure, which handles video on RSS distribution because it delutes the power of Spotify and YouTube, which forces podcasters in hosting services alike to use proprietary file formats in order to post podcasts on those platforms.
25:20.136 --> 25:28.342
[SPEAKER_02]: YouTube takes it as step further by requiring their video-centric file format even for audio-only podcast in order to put a show on YouTube music.
25:29.368 --> 25:37.473
[SPEAKER_02]: YouTube Music Replace Google's podcast app, and that's why you won't find this show on YouTube Music as I refuse to render a separate file to do so.
25:48.081 --> 25:52.764
[SPEAKER_02]: The music is playing on this first-change, cool Sunday evening here in Tennessee.
25:53.792 --> 25:55.273
[SPEAKER_02]: I hope you enjoyed this episode.
25:55.753 --> 25:57.034
[SPEAKER_02]: I enjoyed making it for you.
25:57.054 --> 26:01.317
[SPEAKER_02]: If you like what you heard, you can make a donation using the link in the show notes.
26:02.457 --> 26:05.419
[SPEAKER_02]: Any and all donations will be greatly appreciated.
26:05.959 --> 26:14.665
[SPEAKER_00]: If you would like to contact the OFNT podcast, you can do so by sending an email to OFNTpodcast at gmail.com.
26:15.190 --> 26:17.972
[SPEAKER_02]: And remember, don't listen to what they say.
26:18.592 --> 26:19.913
[SPEAKER_02]: Watch what they do.
26:20.914 --> 26:25.337
[SPEAKER_02]: It's a bit chilly out there, so I think you'd be better served by getting off my lawn.
26:26.478 --> 26:27.358
[SPEAKER_02]: Stay skeptical.
26:29.460 --> 26:31.901
[SPEAKER_02]: Ahhhh, I'll be seeing ya.
26:32.181 --> 26:32.702
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh.
26:33.542 --> 26:35.484
[SPEAKER_02]: And that folks is the end of the show.
