I've been hearing increasing numbers of social media friends talking on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter about getting back to the normality of travelling again for business. Most of the comments I've seen are by friends who haven't travelled since 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic. Some of the commenters speak of their apprehension at travelling again, venturing literally into the unknown. Others worry about ongoing exposure to infection risks. And others speak of the challenges at this time, … [Read more...] about Travel in a time of Covid-19
Mobile
Review: AAWireless gives you wireless Android Auto in your car
If there were a product available right now that lets you connect your phone to your car to use Android Auto without a USB cable, would you go for it? I would, and did, with a simple yet powerful device called AAWireless that does just that - lets me use Android Auto in my car with the phone being connected wirelessly. I've been a huge fan of Android Auto for some years as the primary method of planning car journeys with Google Maps and navigating to where I want to drive: I follow the … [Read more...] about Review: AAWireless gives you wireless Android Auto in your car
Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel review: laptop winner
The bottom line summary from my review of the Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel laptop: Super light and thin clamshell laptop.Powered by an Intel hybrid Core i5 processor designed for smartphone-like battery life while running regular 64-bit Windows 10: handles with ease typical business applications such as in the Microsoft 365 suite, streaming video, participating in video conferencing with Zoom.Crisp, sharp and colourful 13.3" touchscreen display powered by Intel UHD integrated graphics. It has … [Read more...] about Samsung Galaxy Book S Intel review: laptop winner
FIR 185: Hey Google, play me some content marketing
The July 2019 edition of “The Hobson and Holtz Report” features Neville Hobson and Shel Holtz discussing these stories: Have we hit “peak podcast”?Google’s trying social media againThese are the top 10 emerging technologies of 2019Communicators need to explore new channels for their messagesYou downloaded FaceApp. Here’s what you’ve just done to your privacyConsumers are less attentive to news on mobile devicesDan York reports on interoperability, the new Twitter interface, Twitter’s “Live … [Read more...] about FIR 185: Hey Google, play me some content marketing
A shout-out to Samsung for great customer service
I'm a big fan of Samsung's products especially their Galaxy series of smartphones. My first Samsung smartphone was a Galaxy S3 in 2012. That was followed by an S4 and then an S6. I'm now on a Galaxy S8. The next one might be an S10 as it looks like I'm an even-number kind of Galaxy user, if I go for another Samsung model again. Which, by the way, is not a guarantee with the likes of Huawei and other emerging manufacturers offering leading-edge tech and compelling user experiences often … [Read more...] about A shout-out to Samsung for great customer service
For Immediate Release 134: We start with Starbucks and end with drones
In this April edition of The Hobson & Holtz Report, Neville and Shel talk about… Starbucks’ response to a racial incident in Philadelphia that went viral and sparked protests In an effort to reduce “noise pollution,” Ghana wants Muslims to issue the call to prayer via WhatsApp The line between earned and paid media is blurring and consumers don’t care which is which There’s a reckoning coming for terms and conditions Augmented Reality is making huge inroads (except in … [Read more...] about For Immediate Release 134: We start with Starbucks and end with drones
How to be a magazine publisher with Flipboard
In the summer of 2010, a new visual way of consuming news stories was launched for iOS mobile devices - especially the iPad which had been released a few months earlier - in the form of Flipboard, an aggregator app that brought together content from social media, news feeds, photo sharing sites and other websites, and presented it in magazine format. This highly-appealing visual communication tool became popular very quickly on iPads and iPhones, enabling users to "flip" through the articles, … [Read more...] about How to be a magazine publisher with Flipboard
Is podcasting about to get its tipping point?
There's been quite a sense of anticipation, if not excitement, among podcasters about Apple's announcement last week on some significant enhancements the company is making this autumn to its podcast app for iPhones and other iOS devices. The big change in the app is potentially a game-changer for podcasting as it will provide podcasters with basic analytics functionality to offer evidence of listening behaviours by subscribers (where they paused in a podcast, how much of it they listened to, … [Read more...] about Is podcasting about to get its tipping point?