Podcast

PCM31: Breaking Down Apple’s ‘Incredible’ Yawner of an Event

Apple CEO Tim Cook promised “monster news” at the beginning of the company’s big event this week – and we’re still waiting.

That’s because instead of monster announcements, we mostly received details about updates for Apple Watch, the iPad line, the all-new Apple TV, and the new iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.

Now, that isn’t to discount the large amount of interest many will have in these updates – after all, a company couldn’t get away with calling this snoozefest a “big event” if its products weren’t insanely popular. We’re just saying, unveiling the Apple Pencil isn’t exactly monster nor does it quite stack up to the 2001 announcement of iPod or the 2007 introduction of iPhone.

So in this week’s episode of the PC Mike Techcast, we go through each section of what Apple called a big event to tell you what you might want to know, including:

  • When will watchOS 2 be available
  • What kind of other changes are in store for Apple Watch
  • What is iPad Pro
  • What the redesigned Apple TV brings to the table
  • What changes iPhone 6s and 6s Plus mean and if they justify getting a new phone

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Show Notes for Episode #31 Sept. 11, 2015 of the PC Mike podcast:

First Things First: I’m Switching from Windows 7 to Windows 10 – Are My Files Safe?

A listener named Janet is switching from one computer running Microsoft Windows 7 to a new one running Microsoft Windows 10 and is worried about losing important personal files. She turns to PC Mike for help in making sure everything stays safe and he offers some great suggestions. [spp-timestamp time=”2:28″]

Tech News of the Week: The ‘Incredible’ (Yawner) Apple Event of the Year

TV_AppleTV_Remote_MainMenu_Movies_HERO
The user interface and hardware for the all-new Apple TV

For this week’s PC Mike Tech News of the Week segment, PC Mike and Producer Andrew Dietderich break down some highlights from Apple’s Sept. 9 event.  [spp-timestamp time=”5:39″] To read all of Apple’s official and hyperbole-filled press releases for the products it talked about, check out the company’s online pressroom at: https://www.apple.com/pr/

To hear clips from the Apple event and a short discussion following, click on the time stamp next to each product:

  • Apple Watch [spp-timestamp time=”10:23″]
  • iPad Pro [spp-timestamp time=”17:05″]
  • Apple Pencil [spp-timestamp time=”22:01″]
  • Apple TV [spp-timestamp time=”26:15″]
  • iPh0ne 6s and iPhone 6s Plus [spp-timestamp time=”31:37″]

 

Apps of the Week: Record It! Audio Recording and Editing Apps

Audio Recording and Editing Apps
Lexis Audio Editor app for Android and Windows

Whether you want to record a class, business meeting, concert or anything else, apps that turn our smartphones and tablets into versatile audio recording devices just keep getting better and better. [spp-timestamp time=”38:35″]

Here are three of the best to consider:

Voice Record Pro is a simple yet robust recording app that allows for recordings of unlimited length. It records in a variety of formats, including MP3. You can even bookmark important sections of recordings for quick and easy reference. Recordings can be uploaded to Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Box, and Soundcloud. Voice Record Pro is for iOS only and free, though for $3 you can get it without ads.

Audio Memos is easy to use with a simple and intuitive interface. You can pause and adjust quality and volume. Recordings can be edited and also be sent to your computer via email or by a USB cord connection. There’s even a way to use a lock code for privacy. The basic version is free. For $9.99 you can get the full version. It’s available for iOS and Android.

Lexis Audio Editor displays recordings in visual waveforms that make for easy editing, with cut, copy, and past options. You can also change tempo, speed and pitch of recordings. It’s for Android or Windows. The basic version is free. For an additional $3.49 users can have access to all functions of a pretty slick Audio Editor.

Thingamajig of the Week: GoPro Cameras Keep Getting Better

downloadPaul Ulreich, Verizon’s Uber User, joins the show to talk about the latest in GoPro cameras http://www.verizonwireless.com/accessories/gopro-hero-4-silver-edition/[spp-timestamp time=”42:26″]

This part of the podcast is brought to you by Verizon Wireless, the nation’s largest and most reliable 4G LTE network.

Did you hear? Verizon’s wireless network ranked no. 1 for overall performance nationally by RootMetrics.

In fact, Verizon received more RootMetrics awards in more states than all the other wireless providers combined. How’s that for reliability?

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Visit your local Verizon retailer today to learn how you can join the nation’s largest and most reliable 4G LTE network.

And visit Roadtreking.com/vzw for stories about how technology can enhance and improve your life.

Online Learning – Free Trial for PC Mike Listeners

I get asked a lot about finding online courses for learning how to use photography software such as Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom CC, which are both on my recently updated list of tech gear. I talk about how I benefited from taking online courses as well as a special deal available only to PC Mike Techcast listeners at pcmike.com/lynda, where you can even try it free for 10 days and see if online learning works as well for you as it has for me. By the way, they have more than 3,300 courses to pick from – including more than 100,000 video tutorials – in subjects ranging from photography, video and audio to graphic design and web development. With Lynda, you can get:

– Unlimited access to all 3,314 courses – more than 100,000 video tutorials
– Learn new software and stay up to date

Listeners of the PC Mike podcast can get a free 10-day trial. Try any course. Start your trial now and see what you can learn. Just go to https://pcmike.com/lynda to get the free 10 day trial.

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We Need Your Help!

As we begin a new podcast like this, it’s very important to get a bunch of reviews to be able to show well in the iTunes listings. So if you can, I’d sure appreciate it if you’d subscribe and leave me your rating and review.

Here’s how:

First, open up the iTunes app on your computer or mobile device. Click on Podcasts on top
> From the iTunes Podcasts page, use the “Search Store” field up at the top right corner of the page. Type in PC Mike Techcast under the Podcasts category.
> Click on the logo image of the PC Mike Techcast on the search return page
> From there, you can:

1) Subscribe

2) Choose and Click on a star (1-5) that reflects your rating. Five stars means you really like it, one star not so much.

3) Leave a written review.

Thanks to all for the kind reviews we’ve received so far. I read and appreciate every review! If you haven’t left a review please do so. I will be so grateful!

And remember, you can appear in future episodes. Ask a question or voice your comments by clicking the Leave Voicemail tab on the right side of this page here at pcmike.com. You can then use the microphone on your computer to record your question.

Thank you!

Mike is a veteran journalist whose video "PC Mike" reports have been distributed weekly to all 215 NBC-TV stations since 1994, making him one of the most experienced tech reporters in the country. His tech stories and videos have appeared on MSNBC, CNBC, the Today Show, The New York Times, USA Today and in numerous national newspapers and magazines. In addition to the PC Mike tech blog, he also publishes the Roadtreking.com RV Travel Blog in which he travels North America in an RV reporting about interesting people and places.