Disqus - Latest Comments for toddogas

Re: Outlook.com gets a major facelift, Evernote add-in, and more

Todd Ogasawara — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 01:27:15 -0000

MountainViking: Doh! Slapping self on forehead. Will correct my error.

Re: Comcast begins rolling out DOCSIS 3.1-based gigabit home Internet

Todd Ogasawara — Wed, 30 Dec 2015 03:07:10 -0000

FYI: Comcast's FAQ states that the Gigabit Pro service is, despite its name, a consumer-only service.

Re: Windows 10 Build 10586: ‘gold disk’ release for the big Fall Update?

Todd Ogasawara — Sat, 07 Nov 2015 22:47:17 -0000

Karen: The Venue 8 Pro shipped with Windows 8, not 7. If I recall correctly, I had some issues with drivers for the first couple of months. Personally, I've found every Windows touchscreen PC I have has benefited from upgrading from 8 to 10 (I was never a fan of Windows 8). If you are looking for a small Windows 10 tablet, you may want to look at newer models which may support features such as "Windows Hello".

Re: Report: Google to merge Android and Chrome OS in 2017

Todd Ogasawara — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 00:51:46 -0000

JohnCalla: I don't have any knowledge of the situation beyond what I read and reported here. However, looking at what the WSJ reported and statements from Google, Google doesn't refute what the WSJ reported. This might just be wishful thinking on my part. But, I'm really hoping to see a 13 or 14 inch ChromeDroid notebook in 2017 (if not earlier). And, if there's a way to record Skype calls on the device for my podcasts, that would be icing on the cake. :-)

Re: The $99 phone-sized Kangaroo Windows 10 PC could be the perfect travel companion

Todd Ogasawara — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 00:47:34 -0000

Zach: Many thanks for taking the time to let me know about your experience with the Kangaroo. I was a little concerned about the Bluetooth keyboard/mouse drive. Glad to know it works fine. The last time I looked, it was out of stock.

Re: Report: Google to merge Android and Chrome OS in 2017

Todd Ogasawara — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 19:29:49 -0000

I don't have a link to this statement. But, I was told by a source at Google that it has been cleared for public release:

"Several stories in the press are speculating that we’re “folding the Chrome operating system into Android.”

This is not true: Chrome OS is not going away. In fact, we are investing heavily in Chrome OS moving forward. We’ve seen amazing momentum with Chromebooks, for example, which are the number one educational device for schools in the US and have topped Amazon’s bestselling laptops list for the past two holiday seasons. The PR team is currently working to correct these inaccurate stories.

We want to give users a great experience across mobile and desktop, and will always look for ways to improve things. The Android and Chrome OS teams have been part of the same organization for over a year, and continue to collaborate on features that build on the best of both platforms (like smart unlock, which allows people to unlock a Chromebook with their Android device, or App Runtime for Chrome, which enables Android apps to run on Chrome OS)."

Re: Report: Google to merge Android and Chrome OS in 2017

Todd Ogasawara — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 14:45:10 -0000

FYI: Tweet from Google SVP for Android, Chromecast, & Chrome: "There’s a ton of momentum for Chromebooks and we are very committed to Chrome OS. I just bought two for my kids for schoolwork!"

https://twitter.com/lockhei...

Re: The $99 phone-sized Kangaroo Windows 10 PC could be the perfect travel companion

Todd Ogasawara — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 02:58:43 -0000

You could connect a projector to the Kangaroo. However, it seems to me that it wouldn't be as practical as using an iPad in some situations.

Re: Ad blocking for the masses, part one: uBlock Origin

Todd Ogasawara — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 02:57:52 -0000

Acknowledged. Should have read "inspired the concept for this three article series"

Re: Google Docs Voice Typing lets you speak instead of type

Todd Ogasawara — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 03:26:36 -0000

1. Editing supported? Ref: "Unlike dedicated speech-to-text systems, Voice Typing does not have a way to correct or change text using just your voice. With Voice Typing left turned on, you must use your keyboard (physical or on-screen) to make changes to text."
2. No "Voice Typing" under Tools? Are you looking at Google Docs using Google's Chrome browser on a Windows PC or Mac? It is not supported when using other browsers.

Re: You can now download Amazon Prime Instant videos and watch them offline

Todd Ogasawara — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 04:24:58 -0000

Trying clearing your browser cache or use a different browser. All the links should be fixed now.

Re: You can now download Amazon Prime Instant videos and watch them offline

Todd Ogasawara — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 04:24:29 -0000

It is available from Amazon's App Store. https://www.amazon.com/gp/v...

Re: You can now download Amazon Prime Instant videos and watch them offline

Todd Ogasawara — Sat, 05 Sep 2015 03:03:16 -0000

Prior to this week, you were correct. Amazon only allows its Prime Instant Videos (free videos) to be downloaded for offline viewing on its own Kindle Fire tablet. Now, however, you can have offline downloads using the iOS app or the new Android app. Sorry for the broken links, btw.

Re: Microsoft Cortana for Android (beta): Ready to take on Google Now?

Todd Ogasawara — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 17:57:55 -0000

Thx for the pointer!

Sorry about the broken link. Will try to fix. In the meantime, here is the URL: http://www.slate.com/articl...

Re: Microsoft Windows Phone: A 20-year retrospective of a meandering mobile strategy

Todd Ogasawara — Sat, 11 Jul 2015 04:24:25 -0000

Yep. Typo on my part. Thanks for the catch.

Re: Microsoft Windows Phone: A 20-year retrospective of a meandering mobile strategy

Todd Ogasawara — Sat, 11 Jul 2015 04:22:12 -0000

The number of models isn't the point. There have been perhaps dozens of Lumia models released each year since late 2012. But, its marketshare continues to drop. And, Microsoft has not said how its next set of branded (Lumia) phones will be produced. In this past week's Windows Weekly podcast, ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley said she asked Microsoft if they would continue to manufacture Lumia phones or outsource it. She reported that Microsoft did not respond directly to that question.

And, Windows Phone is not doing particularly well in the U.S.as of 2014 when it had a 3.88% share. It was, however,doing reasonably well in Italy (13.6%) and France (10.2%), however. http://www.winbeta.org/news...

Re: Microsoft Windows Phone: A 20-year retrospective of a meandering mobile strategy

Todd Ogasawara — Fri, 10 Jul 2015 17:07:50 -0000

Please re-read my introduction. I clearly said that hardware group is the one affected by the layoffs and that the OS will continue forward, That said, since Lumia accounts for at least 90% of all Windows Phone sales and the manufacturing appears to be mostly shuttered, you have to wonder how many Windows 10 Mobile devices we will see. And, while Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile apparently share core services and can have universal apps, if history is a guide, this will be more confusing than clarifying/useful.

Re: Microsoft Windows 10 Build 10158: Almost ready for prime time

Todd Ogasawara — Wed, 01 Jul 2015 02:19:24 -0000

FYI: Microsoft released build 10159 shortly after this article went live on June 30, 2015. It just finished installing on my Venue 8 Pro. So, I haven't had a chance to see what is different aside from the splash image on the login screen.

Re: Microsoft Windows 10 Build 10158: Almost ready for prime time

Todd Ogasawara — Wed, 01 Jul 2015 02:06:28 -0000

Have not heard/read an RTM date. The only announced date I've seen is the OS release date: July 29.

Re: Microsoft Windows 10 Build 10158: Almost ready for prime time

Todd Ogasawara — Wed, 01 Jul 2015 02:03:49 -0000

Anytime you test an Operating System beta on bare metal (vs. in a virtual machine), you take the risk that the computer may become inoperable and require a complete OS reinstallation.

Re: Microsoft Windows 10 Build 10158: Almost ready for prime time

Todd Ogasawara — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 16:34:24 -0000

Daniel: Right you are. I "sacrificed" the relatively inexpensive Dell Venue 8 Pro to test Windows 10. And, yes, the update is for all x86/x64 based desktop, notebook, and tablet computers.

Re: Microsoft is Updating Office Online with New Formatting and Viewing Features

Todd Ogasawara — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 15:34:38 -0000

The problem I have specifically with the online version of Word is that it becomes too slow to use if there are more than a few paragraphs in a document. This is on a 3 month old Dell notebook w/12GB RAM running Windows 8.1 on a reasonably good broadband connection.

Re: Google Photos: Unlimited storage for free, with a few gotchas

Todd Ogasawara — Mon, 01 Jun 2015 17:25:30 -0000

The iOS and Android apps were released on May 28, 2015. You might be thinking of the Photos component in the Google+ app.

Re: Microsoft releases Windows 10 Build 10122 — and it’s a giant mess

Todd Ogasawara — Sat, 23 May 2015 03:21:45 -0000

Would it help if I said that my suggested title was: "Windows 10 Build 10122 - What's New? What's Better? What's Broken???" Obviously, Jamie's title brought in a lot more comments that mine would have though :-) That said, here's my summarized take on Windows 10, its current build, and what's the come.
1. Windows 8 was terrible. 8.1 addressed a few things and is more usable for me but is still not good. My first take on Windows 10 during its initial release as "Technical Preview" was a very positive one. It addressed a lot of issues I had with Windows 8.x and and a few interesting twists like the new rich media Start Menu available in both the desktop and Metro (Modern UI?) views. The initial Technical Preview release was nearly rock solid for me on the Dell Venue 8 Pro I use as my test platform.
2. The last couple of builds (starting around Nov. 2014) have become increasing unstable in terms of problems with the display driver, WiFi stack, Metro apps not launching or, if they launch, not working as expected, formerly stable apps (like Mail) becoming increasingly unstable This is not true for all beta testers. But, looking at the Microsoft's feedback list, it is also not unique.
3. In my past experience with Windows 95, XP, Vista, 7, and even 8, betas releases started solidifying the user experience (good or bad), and focused on stability as it neared the gold release.
4. Microsoft has said that they expect to release Windows 10 "this summer". To me, this is up to the first day of Fall in September. But, one hardware partner and some knowledgeable bloggers (thinking of Mary Jo Foley and Paul Thurrott speaking on the Windows Weekly podcast) say that Windows 10 may be released as early as the end of July. Since we are nearing the end of May and there needs to be a lot of testing on the "final product" before release, I would guess Microsoft needs to have a feature/UI complete version by mid to late June in order to allow for that testing process for an end-of-July release date. Build 10122, to me, seems far from that target based on what I've seen in past Windows beta tests at the two-months-unit-launch time frame.
5. As an end-user, I really liked what I saw the initial Technical Preview release. Recent builds, however, have made Windows 10 less appealing than earlier builds.
6. As someone who uses Windows most of the time (I also use and like Mac OS/X and UNIX-Linux variants) and someone who wants to dump Windows 8.1 off of my main notebook by upgrading to Windows 10, I'm really concerned with what I see at this apparent "late date" in the development cycle. In the past beta builds were near or at feature complete state with stability and driver compatibility as the main targets before the gold release. That's not what I'm seeing here if late July is really the target release date. I wouldn't be surprised to see that date slip internally at Microsoft slip to September. And, I also think that would be a good thing - Spend more time making Windows 10 a rock solid release.

Re: From AT&T to Shentel: Which is America's cheapest (and most expensive) broadband Internet provider?

Todd Ogasawara — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 22:03:58 -0000

Cox is listed as a "competitor" to Hawaiian Telcom. However, FYI: Cox does not have any presence in Hawaii.