audio
Listen To Your Computer: New Read Aloud Options In Outlook, Word
When you’ve finished talking to your computer, you can sit back and listen to it instead. Microsoft has improved the speech features in Word and Outlook for Office 365 subscribers, so the computer will read documents and messages out loud with more natural inflection and pauses. It’s still mechanical but it’s better mechanical. […] continued
Read moreHow Microsoft Became Uncool And Lost Touch With Consumers
There was a time when Windows was cool. A long time ago, people lined up to get new versions of Windows when they went on sale. Maybe not quite the numbers of people outside of Apple stores at the height of iPhone madness, but still – Microsoft was pretty cool.
When the iPhone was released in 2007, Microsoft began its long decline with consumers. […] continued
Read morePeeking Behind The Scenes At Spotify & The Music Industry
Spotify and Apple Music have helped the music industry recover from a disastrous decade. Here are a couple of interesting perspectives on streaming music – a look behind the scenes at the relationship between Spotify and the music industry, and a thought about our shift to streaming music.
Let’s call them “record companies.” A bit of an archaic term, but that’s the familiar name for Universal, Warner, Sony and a few others – the businesses that continue to stand between artists and the public, demanding a huge cut of revenue from music recordings and performances. […] continued
Read moreTales Of The Unknown, Volume 17: Chrome Remote Desktop
Google Chrome is a web browser. I kind of vaguely knew that it could do other cool tricks.
I stumbled on a pretty amazing Chrome app that I’ve been overlooking for five years. Sometimes it seems like Google is having all the fun with new technology.
With Chrome Remote Desktop, you can control a Windows or Mac computer remotely from almost any other device: another Windows or Mac computer, a Chromebook, an iPhone or iPad, or an Android phone or tablet. […] continued
Read moreSpotify Daily Mix: Better Playlists Through Algorithms
If you’re a regular Spotify listener, you’ve got to check out the new Daily Mix playlists!
Before we get to that, start with the advice: if you listen to music, you should have a paid Spotify subscription. For $9.99/month, you can play just about anything from the entire history of recorded music on demand. […] continued
Read moreGoogle Duo And Communication Overload
Google introduced a new app for video chats last week. Google Duo makes one-on-one video chats as easy as possible, with nothing required except a phone number and someone on the other end who’s running the app or willing to install it. Google Duo doesn’t even require a Google account. Setup takes only a moment, and once it’s set up it literally requires only a single tap to start a call. […] continued
Read moreAs Ignorable As It Is Interesting: Increase Productivity With The Sounds You Won’t Hear
“Ambient music must be able to accommodate many levels of listening attention without enforcing one in particular; it must be as ignorable as it is interesting.“ – Brian Eno, liner notes for Ambient 1: Music for Airports (1978)
Ambient music and sounds can increase your productivity. Here are some apps and music selections that might be the best thing you’ve ever ignored while you’re getting work done. […] continued
Read moreSpotify Is Creating A Personalized Mixtape For You Every Week
Each week, Spotify creates a personalized playlist with thirty songs on it, tailored specifically to my taste in music. I’m starting to look forward to my “Discover Weekly” playlist on Monday morning, knowing that it will have a lot of names I’ve never heard before and a lot of music that I like very much. […] continued
Read moreNot All Technology Bubbles Are Expanding
Technology news has been a bit negative recently. The death of Windows Phone got the most attention last week but Apple and Samsung have their own problems, and there are many other companies and products that are either failing or not living up to expectations. Here’s a sampling of the dark side of recent technology news. […] continued
Read moreGetting Started With Android: Reading & Listening
Previously:
Getting Started With Android: Office 365 Mail
The OnePlus One phone has given me a chance to explore the world of Android apps. Here are some of the apps that I’ve been using for the last couple of months for reading and listening. Some of them are specialized but perhaps you’ll get an idea for an app that might work for you. […] continued
Read moreBluetooth Takes Center Stage
Bluetooth has been around for more than ten years powering our phone headsets but not much else. Now that we’re using phones and tablets as our primary technology devices, Bluetooth is turning up everywhere.
Bluetooth is a special kind of wireless signal designed to work over short distances. Frequently you’ll see references to a range of thirty feet but the reality is frequently far less. […] continued
Read moreSpotify Is The Best Way To Listen To Music
Technology is causing another shift in the way we listen to music. There’s no right or wrong answer but Spotify has some advantages over many of the other choices.
BackgroundA quick recap of how we’ve listened to music over the years.
• Baby boomers started with vinyl LPs. Cassettes were the mobile alternative in the 70s. […] continued
Read moreTiny Computing With The Intel NUC
It shouldn’t be a surprise that computers don’t have to be large any more – we’re accustomed to laptops that are razor thin and weigh three pounds, after all. But it’s still surprising to see the Intel NUC, a powerful, full-featured computer stuffed into a four-inch square box that weighs eighteen ounces. […] continued
Read moreGetting Serious About Audio With JRiver Media Center 17
JRiver Media Center 17 is a Windows program for music and video. You can try it for free for 30 days. It costs $49.98.
Most of you don’t need it. There are some advantages to using iTunes, especially if you have an iPhone or iPad. It’s simple and you’re used to it. […] continued
Read moreWalled Gardens Postscript: Just Tell Me What To Do!
Previously:
Walled Gardens, Part 1: Apple
Walled Gardens, Part 2: Google
Walled Gardens, Part 3: Microsoft
This is a transition year. There are no right or wrong answers. Buy whatever feels right and be prepared for some bumps and the possibility that you’ll replace a device or two in 2013 to consolidate everything in one garden. […] continued
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