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Episode #432 – The Blinky Lights and Flashing Buttons Are Alive!

For this Week’s Episode of TechtalkRadio,  Andy and Shawn discussed the recent announcement from DJI about the New Osmo Mobile 7, a handheld device that stabilizes video footage in three axes. Andy ask Shawn to explain to the listeners the purpose of a Gimble Arm and what it can accomplish. Shawn explained that it’s designed for mobile devices, providing smooth footage even in challenging terrains. The device is priced at $89 for the standard version and $149 for the pro version, which includes additional features such as a wireless receiver for DJI mics, an 8-inch telescoping arm, gesture control, and a built-in light. Shawn expected the announcement to be a different product and after recording we discovered it is the DJI RS 4 Mini which we will discuss next week. 

The action camera market is still providing some great solutions for videographers and storytellers and the guys  focus on major players like DJI, GoPro, and Insta360. They noted that GoPro has been in the business for a long time and has been successful in the market. Shawn shared his experience with various GoPro models, particularly the Hero 3 Plus, which he considers his favorite.  Shawn then listed five companies that attempted to enter the action camera market  including Nikon, Kodak, Contour, Garmin, and Sony. 

Shawn and Andy welcome to the show Author Chase Roberts, Founder of Baby Step Books to discuss his fun books  “Computer Engineering for Babies” and “Computer Engineering for Big Babies”.  Chase discussed the development of a book that introduces basic computer concepts to young children. Chase shared his inspiration, which came from his child’s fascination with light switches and decided to create a book that would deliver on the promise of the title, introducing concepts like gates and circuits in a way that a child could understand. Chase faced numerous challenges in the production process, including issues with circuit board design and soldering. His wife’s encouragement helped him persevere and eventually launch a successful Kickstarter campaign, which exceeded his expectations. He shared his experience of creating the first book, which was a success, and then working on a second book that added switches and LEDs. Chase mentioned that the second book took two years to complete, highlighting the challenges he faced, particularly with designing the switch placements. 

A Listener Question sent in from Martha in La Quinta inquired about using a Windows XP Computer to play old favorite games however she was told by a friend to not power up the XP System because it could get a Virus? Andy and Shawn let Martha know while connecting to the internet is not recommended playing the local games on the system should be fine.  This Gave Shawn and Andy a chance to discuss their experiences with old games and computers. Andy mentioned his fondness for playing old games like Joint Ops and Castle Wolfenstein, while Shawn reminisced about playing Diablo 2 and other classic games. A question from Chad had Andy looking for some input on Starlink and its reputation for service in the Southern Arizona Area, Shawn tells us about the different connect options. 

Tune in for all this and more on TechtalkRadio!

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Episode 431 – What Tech Gift Would You Get for Yourself?

This Week on TechtalkRadiom Justin, Shawn, and Andy discuss tech gifts, personal projects, and listener questions. Justin shares his preference for buying tech gifts for himself, while Shawn talks about his ongoing family photo archiving project using the Epson FF680 Photo Scanner. The team also covers converting VHS tapes to digital, with Shawn recommending a VHS-to-hard-drive converter and a time-based corrector and Andy also recommending The Diamond Multimedia Converter 

Justin updates the crew on Project Zomboid, mentioning his recent voiceover work for a game mod. Andy expresses interest in the game, available on Steam, and Justin highlights its low system requirements and engaging gameplay.

The team breaks down Sony’s recent 24-hour outage and revisits the 2011 Sony hack, which compromised 77 million PlayStation accounts. This leads to a discussion on data security, warning against free credit monitoring services that can waive legal rights. They also share tips on using multiple email addresses to track potential data breaches.


A listener asks if a home-based business needs a website or if social media is enough. Justin shares his experience with Wix for an affordable, all-in-one solution. The team agrees that a website adds professionalism and stability, especially when paired with strong social media strategies.

Another listener wants to convert Windows Media files to other formats. Shawn recommends Handbrake, VLC Player, and FFMPEG for free, reliable conversions, explaining the benefits of each. The team also touches on Adobe Media Encoder and Roxio Creator, with MP4 suggested as the best format for compatibility.

Justin and Andy compare health tracking devices. Justin prefers the Oura Ring over the Pixel Watch, noting its FSA eligibility for savings. Andy highlights the new Apple Powerbeats Pro 2, which monitor heart rate during workouts. The team also discusses sleep apnea detection and arrhythmia monitoring in both the Oura Ring and Apple Watch.


Finally, they share their browser and extension preferences. Justin dislikes Chrome’s heavy resource usage and recommends Firefox, Edge, and Opera instead. Shawn agrees but acknowledges Chrome’s work compatibility. Andy shares his experience with Internet Connection Monitor, while Shawn mentions using AdBlock Plus.

Tune in for all this and more on TechtalkRadio!

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Episode #430 – Do You Remember Your First Computer?

In this week’s TechtalkRadio show, Andy and Shawn revisit the USB hub Andy purchased from a discount store—and this time, they crack it open! They discuss their experiences with USB hubs and the potential dangers of using unverified or suspicious USB devices. They emphasize the importance of purchasing from reputable vendors and being cautious when using public USB ports.

Thinking about getting a new laptop? Shawn shares his recent purchase of a Lenovo ThinkPad T17 for his in-laws, explaining how it met their budget and needs. He walks through some of the challenges they faced while setting up the new computer, particularly issues with transferring settings and favorites—most of which revolved around Microsoft’s OneDrive. After some configuring, the laptop was set up to their liking, and Shawn details a few of the key steps he took.

Andy is joined by Micki and Steve, showrunners and producers of the upcoming Vintage Computer Festival SoCal, taking place in Orange, California, on February 15th and 16th, 2025. The event, expected to draw over a thousand attendees, stems from the organizers’ passion for vintage computing and their goal of fostering a community for enthusiasts. Inspired by similar events nationwide, they have been working on this festival for about four years. Attendees can expect to see a variety of vintage computers and related memorabilia while sharing their experiences and memories of their first computers. The organizers also run a YouTube channel, VintNerd, where they share their interests and conduct fascinating interviews. Check them out at www.youtube.com/@TheVintNerd and on their website at https://thevintnerd.com/index.html.

Andy and Shawn return to discuss their love for electronics and tinkering. Andy shares his experience with Elenco Snap Circuits, including the Top Secret Spy Kit and the Snap Circuits Jr. Explorer Kit. These STEM-focused kits allow users ages 7 to 107 to experiment with circuits—no soldering required! Andy demonstrates one of the projects he built with the Spy Kit: a motion detector, which turned out to be a fun and rewarding project.

Shawn also shares some exciting news—he will be attending the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show in Las Vegas for the first time! He looks forward to networking and learning about the latest in broadcasting technology.

Finally, Andy and Shawn discuss a book called Computer Engineering for Babies and its educational value in teaching young children the basics of computer functions in an engaging and accessible way.

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Episode #429 – Would You Like One Monitor or Two…Or Four?

In this week’s episode, Andy, Justin, and Matt eagerly tune in as Shawn finally reveals the conclusion to last week’s DJI cliffhanger! The new DJI Flip—a compact take on the DJI Spark—boasts similar flight times and camera resolutions, with pricing at $439 for the drone and controller, or $639 for the full bundle with a screen. Shawn also stresses the importance of responsible drone usage, reminding listeners to respect privacy and airspace laws.

The conversation takes off with the latest GPU story, as the newly launched RTX 5090 and 5080 have gamers camping outside stores in a frenzy to get one. The guys wonder if the buyers are snagging them for personal use, or is this just another scalping fiasco? The team draws parallels to console shortages and even Pokémon card restrictions, debating how retailers are handling high-demand products.

Shifting gears to AI, the crew discusses DeepSeek and the growing role of AI in content creation. Matt highlights a wild case of a writer using ChatGPT to generate five movie scripts with only three edits needed. But is Hollywood doomed? Justin argues that most audiences don’t care who’s behind the script—as long as the story and actors deliver. The debate even touches on actors’ likeness rights, with throwbacks to Crispin Glover’s legal battle over Back to the Future 2 which was settled out of court and Robin Williams’ famous Disney dispute after Aladdin.

A listener emails in with a classic dilemma: One big monitor or two smaller ones? Matt breaks it down—if color accuracy matters, go with a high-quality monitor. If not, a large-screen TV might do the trick. The team discusses setups, from Andy’s 39-inch curved LG to Shawn and Justin’s multi-monitor rigs, even bringing up Samsung’s Odyssey Ark 55-inch ultra-wide as a crazy alternative which can even display as 4 monitor screens!

Finally, Andy goes bargain hunting, scoring a $5 USB hub from a discount store. The catch? It’s from an unknown brand, made in Thailand, and has potential security risks. Shawn, Matt, and Justin voice concerns, recalling an FBI case where hacked cables were found stealing data. Will Andy’s find be a deal or a disaster? He promises to crack it open and report back next week!

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Episode 428 – So You Want to Start a Podcast?

For this Week’s TechtalkRadio Show, Justin and Andy listen in to Shawn as he discusses his role in providing technical support for Notre Dame sports broadcasts, particularly hockey which is his favorite sport to cover. The guys discussed the challenges and opportunities of podcasting as many people are looking at ways to podcast. Shawn shared his experience with the Athletics Department at the University, which started a podcast called “Wake Up the Echoes” that took off quickly. With some wanted to develop shows, The group discussed the importance of content and the shift towards live video and short-form content.

With TikTok in the News recently, The team discussed the topic of social media, with Justin emphasizing the importance of curating one’s social media feed to avoid unwanted content. Shawn also shared his limited use of social media platformswith the exception of Reddit and Snapchat. Justin highlighted the potential for social media to become an echo chamber if not managed properly. Shawn shares that he stopped using Facebook in early 2020 and noticed changes in his habits and mindset. While initially driven by muscle memory to open social media apps, he found himself completing more meaningful projects at home. Andy discusses the prevalence of ads and sponsored content on platforms, suggesting blocking unwanted connections.

Justin expresses uncertainty about TikTok’s future amidst data privacy concerns and speculations about tech company motives, but admits to rarely using TikTok himself.With a walk down memory lane, Andy, Shawn, and Justin discussed the evolution of social media platforms and their impact on society. They reminisced about the rise and fall of various platforms such as Myspace, Vine, and Google+. Shawn shared his experience with BBSs and LiveJournal, while Justin talked about the shift from AOL chat rooms to Skype. The conversation also touched on the addiction-like withdrawal symptoms some people experienced when TikTok was temporarily banned. Justin shared his efforts to reduce his family’s reliance on social media, while Shawn and Andy discussed the cultural significance of social media platforms in college life.

A Listener Question from Palm Desert has a listener that uses her PC laptop extensively, and has run out of USB slots due to the addition of a camera and a backup drive. Andy and Justin suggest using a powered USB hub to add more ports. They recommend brands like Belkin, Logitech, and Anker. Andy had a hard drive failure and was able to use EaseUS Data Recovery Software to recover data. Justin shares his positive experience with Easeus, a data recovery software. Andy advises being redundant with backups and not relying solely on one backup device.

Gaming is a topic justin loves to shares and discussed his return to the game Project Zomboid, which involves surviving a zombie apocalypse. He mentioned that the game is available on Steam and has undergone significant changes in the past five years. Andy and Shawn discussed the value of Steam compared to Xbox Game Pass

Shawn discussed his recent purchase of a Lenovo ThinkPad T16 for his father-in-law, who was concerned about the end of Windows 10 support. Shawn sought advice from Matt and Justin, who recommended the ThinkPad due to its durability and cost-effectiveness. The ThinkPad features a 13th Gen Intel I7 processor, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, Windows 11 Pro, Wi-Fi 6, and a 16-inch display. Shawn also discussed the need for data transfer from the old system to the new one, with Andy suggesting the use of PC Mover for program migration. Shawn agreed to keep the new system minimal to avoid bloatware.

Andy discusses his friend who wants to keep her old computer because it has a DVD drive, even though most modern laptops no longer come with built-in DVD drives. Shawn explains why manufacturers removed the optical media option due to DVD drives taking up significant space in laptops with the concept that more users will use streaming technology for music and movies. To wrap up this Weeks Show, Andy, Shawn, and Justin discussed various topics including retro technology, camera technology, and photography. Justin shared his experience of indoor skydiving on his birthday, which he found to be a thrilling experience. The conversation then shifted to the resurgence of small cameras and the benefits of detaching photography from smartphones. Shawn emphasized the importance of being physically engaged with taking photos and the nostalgic value of physical cameras. The Recent Wildlife Photography Winner was announced and can be found at https://www.comedywildlifephoto.com Shawn promised that next week he will tell us more about a New drone from DJI!