In the Weeds with Dexter Johnson

Leaks. Thanks to the internet, we can all find out about our favorite devices before they are released. Does this help or hurt the companies that are pushing these products? || Let's continue our discussion! Follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @dexter_johnson and visit http://DexJohnsPC.com to stay on top of my latest posts. Share this podcast with a friend!

It's happened to us all, on every mobile platform, you tap your favorite app and your phone hangs a few seconds during opening and even drops a few frames during the animations. This is usually much more prevalent on Android and when it happens on Pixel devices, those built and blessed by Google -- we've got a major problem. || Let's continue our discussion! Follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @...

Galaxy Unpacked dropped a few things on us, with the most important and headlining thing being the Samsung Galaxy Note 9. It looks nearly identical to the Note 8, but the internals and upgrades to the S-Pen make this device incredibly appealing. Read more here: https://mashable.com/2018/08/09/samsung-galaxy-note-9-hands-on/ || Let's continue our discussion! Follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @d...

Epic Games wants to make your device vulnerable to attack simply because want to avoid publishing their popular game, Fortnite. Due to the fact that Google charges a distribution of 30% would mean a technical loss of revenue, but no different than iOS who also has fees associated. Doing this shows that Epic Games doesn't value it's customer base, it only values the money that it can make them. htt...

Calling all electric car manufacturers! Now is your time to shine. Let's combat the proposed rollback of efficiency standards and actually HELP the environment with cars that utilize less fuel so that we can have cleaner air and a better environment for generations to come. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/11/opinion/trump-fuel-efficiency-rollbacks.html || Let's continue our discussion! Follow me o...

We are being nickel and dimed in 2018 with our bank accounts begging for mercy at all of the micropayments. Although this is a fact, the subscription model does indeed help bring services to a wider audience while helping the companies at the same time. || Let's continue our discussion! Follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @dexter_johnson and visit http://DexJohnsPC.com to stay on top of my lates...

Apple has revolutionized personal computing, no one can argue that, but we need to address and not overlook the areas that need serious work. Happy $1 Trillion, let's utilize that to push the market forward and address some technical debt. Read more here: https://www.engadget.com/2018/08/02/apple-is-now-a-1-trillion-company/ || Let's continue our discussion! Follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @...

The WhatsApp Business API will allow business to insert contextual and noncontextual ads into the application, thanks all in part to it's parent company, Facebook. I hate to say it, but if you don't want this, perhaps consider moving to another platform? Nothing speaks louder than a loss of users. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cW9JglN5cs || Let's continue our discussion! Follow me on Twitter and...

We're spending millions of dollars per year on devices that we can't fix, from cell phones, tablets and even farm equipment -- why is it that manufacturers won't let us repair the devices that WE purchase? Anti-competitive? Perhaps. Read more here: https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/infrastructure/a25246/right-to-repair-legislation-under-fire-in-nebraska/ || Let's continue our discussion!...

The ugliness of a display notch is all but confirmed on Google's Pixel 3 XL. What other key features can it bring to the table to separate it from the crowd and can it actually build a better Face ID? || Let's continue our discussion! Follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @dexter_johnson and visit http://DexJohnsPC.com to stay on top of my latest posts. Share this podcast with a friend!

A missing digital key (likely similar to registry or a configuration file) was causing the new 2018 MBP with i9 to throttle to unacceptable low clock speeds, thanks to Dave 2D on YouTube, Apple got their act together. || Let's continue our discussion! Follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @dexter_johnson and visit http://DexJohnsPC.com to stay on top of my latest posts. Share this podcast with a f...

The EU is upset over Google forcing Android OEMs to bundle certain apps with it's mobile operating system, Android. While Google is poised to fight back, let's take a look at how not forcing regulation on manufacturers creates a poorer user experience and even more fragmentation inside of Android's already fragmented ecosystem. Read more here: https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/18/17580694/google-and...

What is throttling? Throttling is nothing more than regulation or speed. Throttling of a CPU can be a good thing to help protect the hardware so that it lasts the longest that it can. However, when you have a pro machine, topping out at $6700 perhaps the throttling is too agressive as users still need to get their work done. || Let's continue our discussion! Follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @...

The privacy subreddit is open arms about this -- rightfully so. While we know that Google collects tons of information and aggregates it, this has stepped over the creepy factor for most users. How is it done? Simple. Do you have a Gmail account that's tied to online vendors that show confirmation of purchase? That's all that Google needs. With AI and custom dashboards, you know (so does Google) y...

Meh, meh and more meh or could Walmart entering the streaming video race be a good thing? At this point, Netflix, Hulu and Amazon are synonymous with streaming. Walmart views Amazon as an ultimate competitor, so they are aiming to undercut the market at $8 per month. While details remain limited, what will Walmart do to differentiate themselves from the crowd? https://www.thewrap.com/walmart-strea...

Spoilier alert, if you don't have a Roku TV set you won't even be able to utilize these things, which is a massive blow to those invested in the platform but instantly ostracized by not owned the actual TV set. In function these seem great, is the audience too limited? https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/7/16/17566234/roku-tv-wireless-speakers-smart-connect-wi-fi-audio || Let's continue o...

Google Play, Windows Store, Ubuntu Software Center and the iOS App Store all serve as a central safe haven for us to download and install applications to our computers of choice. The App Store has revolutionized development and consumption on our mobile platforms. Let's celebrate 10 years. || Let's continue our discussion! Follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @dexter_johnson and visit http://DexJ...

Google is apart of yet another privacy scare. This time, it is over user data in regard to third party developer access. Let it be known, that in order for your third party plugins to work, those that perform automations or manage your account -- they must be given full rights to your email for them to work properly. This is nothing new or unheard of. This can become a problem if a developer has m...

Can your location be tracked through your photos that you take? EXIF data, remember this term. EXIF data holds data about the photo that you take, including time, device and location if you allow it. Knowing that your location may automatically be tagged to your photos is a security risk -- so take steps to turn it off. || Let's continue our discussion! Follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @dexte...

Is social media really driving us apart? From hate groups, to removing us from the real world or looking at the flip side with new real world connections and lasting friendships -- how can we create balance? || Let's continue our discussion! Follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @dexter_johnson and visit http://DexJohnsPC.com to stay on top of my latest posts. Share this podcast with a friend!

The butterfly key switches on the new MacBook and MacBook Pro devices have been lauded as being faulty and prone to failure almost since their release. With Apple putting out documentation about how to use compressed air to hopefully fix -- a repair program has been a long time coming and we'll deserved for customers, who have paid updward of $3000 for a laptop. || Let's continue our discussion! F...

Bias is built into everything, whether you realize it or not and with more services and industries utilizing AI we must be careful with how we implement these datasets and practices, especially facial recognition. Read an interesting article here: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-26/ai-has-a-race-problem ... || Let's continue our discussion! Follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @de...

Marketing. That's what it's all about. At the end of the day, companies want you to buy their things and whether that product or service is in a video, Instagram or Facebook post -- reviewed directly or indirectly, it's all a marketing game. || Let's continue our discussion! Follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @dexter_johnson and visit http://DexJohnsPC.com to stay on top of my latest posts. Sha...

It happened, on June 27, 2018, controlling things using our voice on Google Home devices powered by our friend Google Assistant went down for hours on end. With a voice first world vastly approaching, what can when do when this happens again -- and is voice first even the right move? || Let's continue our discussion! Follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @dexter_johnson and visit http://DexJohnsPC...

Wi-Fi Protected Access, which is a protocol developed by the Wi-Fi Alliance is getting an upgrade allowing for individualized encryption and more. More security in 2018 is certainly a welcome addition. || Let's continue our discussion! Follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @dexter_johnson and visit http://DexJohnsPC.com to stay on top of my latest posts. Share this podcast with a friend!