Starting a business can be overwhelming. You're juggling multiple roles, designer, marketer, logistics manager, all while bringing your vision to life. But for millions of businesses, Shopify is the ultimate partner. Shopify is proud to power many sources of UK e-commerce, from brands like Mattel and Gymshark to new entrepreneurs. Build a stunning online store with Shopify's ready to use templates.
Boost content with AI-powered product descriptions, page headlines and enhanced photography. Marketing is easy with built-in tools for email and social media campaigns. Plus, Shopify simplifies everything from inventory to shipping and returns. If you're ready to sell, you're ready for Shopify. Turn your big business idea into with Shopify on your side. Sign up for your £1 per month trial today at shopify.co.uk slash try. Go to shopify.co.uk slash try. Shopify.co.uk slash try.
A factual data creation facility production. In front of a studio It's the OFNT Podcast. this week finds our venerable host Jim Schaefer wondering if he will live Alexa Plus arrive onto his many Echo devices. So let's check in on him. Perhaps we'll get an answer to that question. The answer to that question
Nope. Anyway, welcome to episode 269 which I'm called SPAM TSUNAMI Google celebrated one billion daily when using RCS and T-Mobile becomes the RCS on sales punch in China sales soar worldwide CarPlay Ultra has an underwhelming introduction. Funded to predict that there's an apple renaissance coming up in 2027. Of course there's much much more in store, so let us begin, shall we? three two one
Tech News. Google Messages celebrates one billion daily RCS chats with new security features, is the headline from AndroidPolice.com. I believe in giving credit where credit is due. If it weren't for Google, RCS would still be languishing in the shadow of insecure regular text messaging. The Big G almost single-handedly forced the RCS standard onto cell carriers, to a point where Apple even started including RCS on iPhones. Of course, Google had a little help from the European Union.
In celebration of the billionth daily RCS chat milestone, Google has rolled out a new security feature, real-time scam detection. Be advised, this feature only works with Google's own messaging app. The new feature, which is actually numerous features wrapped into one, was originally launched in 2015 within a Pixel phone feature drop, but was exclusive to the Pixel 9 series of phones.
Real-time scan protection will be rolling out the Google messages later this summer and cover Android devices running Android 10 or later. And you'll probably need that scam protection if an article from Android Authority is to be believed. Quote, you didn't ask for ads in your RCS chat app, but you're getting them anyway, unquote. And that's the headline of the article. I think that headline kind of sums it up. You know the old saying? If you build it, they will come.
Google has morphed into basically an advertisement platform. Search and even the Android operating system itself were designed to allow monetization via ads. Of course, the Apple messages app would be affected also, particularly the RCS portion. According to the article, this ad virus has even spread to iOS RCS users who are reporting that they are receiving ads in their RCS chats.
This all under the banner of the so-called RCS Business Messaging Protocol. RCS Business Messaging allows businesses to send RCS messages to users. Users in the country of India, which quickly adopted the RCS messaging standard, are being deluged daily with the spam messages, and now it appears that US users are about to experience the same. I'm beginning to see why the Big G pushed so hard for RCS being widely adapted. At least iOS users have the ability to shut off RCS messaging.
I'm not sure if Android users have the same option. I sure hope they do. I know I'll be shutting off RCS messaging upon receipt of the first RCS spam message I receive on my iPhone. And just in case you were wondering what cell phone service provider in the United States handles the most RCS messages. Yes? No. I don't know. Well, another article from AndroidAuthority.com has confirmed that T-Mobile is the king of RCS.
T-Mobile has seen 613 million RCS messages per day being sent over its network. So I guess more than half of RCS messages sent daily in the United States are using T-Mobile's network to do so. This must also mean that the majority of the 1 billion daily RCS messages sent through Google messages also come from T-Mobile.
Boy, when the spam artists see these numbers, they'll be very excited. Be prepared for an RCS spam tsunami happening very soon now. Oh, yes. At least in the good old United States. Strange times we live in. Strange times. MacRumors.com reports that iPhone shipments have plunged 50% in the Chinese domestic market. It seems the Chinese consumer prefers local domestic smartphone brands over Apple. Wait.
Didn't the giant fruit company declare the China market would be a win-win for both Apple and China after what were secret negotiations with the Chinese government? which saw Apple invest billions of dollars into new factories and local businesses, along with transferring valuable IP to them. Right you are. Apple is just the latest victim of this win-win negotiation strategy of the Chinese government. The only ones who actually win are the Chinese government and their domestic industry lackeys.
From an article on MacRumors.com, Apple led the global tablet market in the first quarter of 2025. achieving a 14% year-over-year shipment growth as demand for iPads increased. Wow! This information was drawn from a report from Canalys. The tablet market as a whole experienced an 8.5% year over year increase.
Most likely due to a super cycle caused by a bunch of people buying tablets during the bad days of the pandemic. China! Those buyers, at least those who bought Android tablets, are due for an upgrade. This increase came even as competition from Chinese brands such as Xiaomi, Huawei, and Honor heated up. Xiaomi alone saw a 56.1% year-over-year increase of tablet shipments in the first quarter. Wow. Surpassing Lenovo for the first time. Xiaomi leverages ecosystem read Android across devices.
Xiaomi notorious for copying Apple's hardware and mimicking iOS by using an Android skin designed to look like iOS. It's not available in the US market. Lest the brand be met with lawsuits or intellectual property patent violations. While Samsung retains its lead in the Android tablet market, the dearth of apps optimized for tablets on that operating system holds it back.
I had a co-worker who was deep inside the Samsung ecosystem. He had the Samsung Galaxy phone, tablet, and watch. I must confess I was pretty impressed with his setup. Now if only Google would again come up with their own tablet and really put some effort into pressuring or at least monetizing developers in order for them to write some great tablet apps.
The form factor would gain some traction within the Android ecosystem. For now, it appears Google is content with what they already have going. It's all a shame, really. The Android ecosystem should be on par with Apple in regards to tablets, don't you think? Yes. Last Thursday Apple rolled out what the company is calling CarPlay Ultra. This hopped up CarPlay app, which takes over an electric vehicle's dashboard display completely, will make its debut on exactly one vehicle manufacturer's cars.
And that manufacturer is Aston Martin. The name is Bond. James Bond. This story is from sixcolors.com. Starting on the 15th of May, an update was available bringing CarPlay Ultra to new Ashton Martin vehicles in the US and Canada and start appearing on compatible existing models in the coming weeks via a dealer-provided update. It requires an iPhone 12 or later running iOS 18.5 or later.
Other car manufacturers expected to run CarPlay Ultra are Hyundai, Ghia, and Genesis. No timeline was given on when those vehicles will be getting this new version of CarPlay. This small rollout can be blamed on car manufacturers not willing to give up control of their products to an outside entity such as Apple. They don't want anything to interfere with the data harvesting of your info, which turns a healthy profit for them when they sell your info to insurance companies and data brokers.
CarPlay Auto is also the result of Apple's failed vehicle program. The program where Apple wanted to enter the auto industry and enter it hard. I'm sure you remember the hope of an Apple car that was floating around for years. It'll be a tough sell for Apple to get more manufacturers on board with CarPlay Ultra. I mean, it was tough enough getting basic CarPlay onto car screens.
General Motors, better known as GM, announced way back in 2023 that it will no longer be supporting CarPlay or Android Auto on its vehicles. Yeah, good luck with that, bro. 9to5mac.com, or quoting Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who's probably quoting one of his sources within Apple, are predicting Apple will have a product renaissance in 2027. A primer for this predicted renaissance will actually begin late this year with the iPhone 17 Air. With 2026 bringing the first foldable iPhone.
a thinner MacBook Pro, and the Apple Vision Air. What the heck is an Apple Vision Pro? The Apple Vision Pro are augmented reality goggles that only wealthy people can afford. The peasants that actually scrapped up enough credit to purchase these goggles have long ago returned them for a refund. Oh, okay. I must have missed that product release. Or at least blocked it from my memory.
And most likely it was the latter. I find it strange that Apple seems to be returning to its thin-as-in era, championed by former Apple design guru Johnny Ive. As I recall it, that era ended in disaster. But then Amber brought us a bend gate, the butterfly keyboard, and the shedding of USB and other ports. Oh, and let's not forget inadequate battery life. Hopefully we won't repeat that time period over again. I owned six Apple products from the thin is in period.
the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, the 2016 MacBook Pro, the 2018 MacBook Pro, and the 2019 MacBook Air. I didn't experience a pen gate because I never kept nor do I plan on keeping my iPhone in the back pocket of my pants. That was reserved for females wearing skin-tight jeans. Something I observed that they still practice. Not that I walk around staring at women's butts. That would be creepy.
The 2016 MacBook Pro had the worst example of the butterfly keyboard. It was akin to a cheap version of the TRS-80 color computer I had in the 1980s. 2018 MacBook Pro's keyboard was an improvement, but still kind of funky to type on. The best example of the butterfly keyboard was the 2019 MacBook Air. I didn't mind that one at all. In fact, I like typing on that keyboard. We'll see how the iPhone 17 Air holds up. That phone will be the first test of this latest thin movement within Apple.
Check I'm using! It's been a little over a week now since I received my new tech toy, which of course is the 13-inch M4 chipped iPad Pro with matching magic keyboard accessory. Bragging now, are we? Not bragging, just stating fact. I've been watching reviews on the tuba of you. Wait, shouldn't you have done that before purchasing this expensive piece of tech? Hey, I'm a rebel. I do things my own way, even if your own way is wrong. Yep, that's how I roll. Back to what I was saying.
After watching a bunch of reviews on both the iPad Air and Pro, I've convinced myself I made the right decision. Okay. I hadn't realized that the iPad Air's Magic Keyboard attachment lacked backlighting for its keys. Something that's important to me. Also, the Air model lacks Face ID, instead using the quote, old, unquote, Touch ID technology.
I remember when I had the original redesigned iPad Air with Touch ID and found it worked inconsistently, forcing me to just use the passcode in order to open it. All of my other Apple devices except my Mac Mini setup has Face ID. The Mac Mini can be opened via my Apple Watch so I really don't miss Face ID on it. There's no provision that I'm aware of that allows you to use your Apple Watch to open any iPad.
I found that typing and especially editing manuscripts are a joy on the new iPad Pro, and the larger screen is a major step up from my old Pro's 11-inch display. The stacked OLED screen of the new iPad brings watching content to a new level, and the improved sound doesn't hurt either. My old 12.9-inch iPad Pro had the best audio of all the iPads that I've ever owned, and this new Pro easily matches it. I found myself using my 15 inch M2 MacBook Air a lot less since purchasing the M4 iPad Pro.
I'll share more with you when I've had the new iPad for a longer time. I gotta break it in still. I'm looking forward to video chatting with the grandkids using the new Pro, being that the center stage camera is now mounted in the correct position on the long side of the tablet now.
The iPad Pro was one of the last of the iPads to get this better placement of the camera. Heck, even my lovely wife's base model iPad, which was released back in 2022, has the center stage camera mounted in the correct place. The bottom line here is, if you're in the market for a new iPad and have the extra cash laying around, buy the M4 iPad Pro over the M3 iPad Air. You won't have any regrets.
Well, your bank account might. Yes. If the ProMotion 120Hz display and backlit typing keys aren't important to you, well, the iPad Air is the way to go. And now for some tech I'm using news that many would find boring. Well, at least if you're not into the Peloton ecosystem or indoor cycling in general. Yeah, I'm sort of regretting getting a Peloton bike some five months ago. What? Now, don't get me wrong. The Peloton bike is the best indoor cycle that I have ever owned. I love the ecosystem.
Using the new Peloton Strength Plus app has improved my weight training exponentially. So what's your major malfunction, then? Well, I bought the Peloton because of the number of cycling classes and instructors they had on board. And of course, their live classes.
While I was using the Peloton app with my non-Peloton bike, there always seemed to be a live class I could take, no matter what time of the day it was. And there were always some new pre-recorded classes from my favorite instructors available. Lately Peloton has been shedding instructors and the number of live cycling classes have been steadily shrinking. All in favor of treadmill classes, yoga, or some other sort of class I have no interest in.
The London studio which produced my favorite classes has drastically reduced its output. Competitor Echelon has live classes from all over the USA almost every few hours. These classes aren't as slickly produced as Pelotons, but hey, you know, production standards don't necessarily make a good workout. The drawback with Echelon is the company's hardware. I'm rough on my equipment and Echelon cycles are not known for their durability.
I'm thinking I should have just purchased a commercial indoor cycle like a Schwinn, Kaiser, or Stages brand cycle. The initial cost would have been more, but in the long run, I'd be saving money. I'd use Apple Fitness Plus, which has a monthly fee of $10 versus the $45 plus fee of the Peloton or Echelon. I'd mount a 32 inch television on the wall in front of the cycle. For live classes YouTube has many channels where the hosts conduct live classes.
The drawbacks are the metrics, which I'd have to manually record in the community around Peloton. You know, I could always keep my stats myself, and community is overrated anyway in the grand scheme of things. Unfortunately, I've already made my decision, so I'll be sticking with Peloton. The company goes out of business. I hope they provide a way to jailbreak the display, which would allow riders to use other services.
Right now, there is a way to use Peloton Cycle without using their classes. As I've said, YouTube is now available on Peloton, so you can just watch YouTube cycling classes and the bike will display and record your metrics. Now, if you stop paying the monthly subscription, well, that metrics recording goes away. Bummer. Starting a business can be overwhelming. You're juggling multiple roles, designer, marketer, logistics manager, all while bringing your vision to life.
But for millions of businesses, Shopify is the ultimate partner. Shopify is proud to power many sources of UK e-commerce, from brands like Mattel and Gymshark to new entrepreneurs. Build a stunning online store with Shopify's ready to use template. Boost content with AI-powered product descriptions, page headlines, and enhanced photography. Marketing is easy with built-in tools for email and social media campaigns.
Plus, Shopify simplifies everything from inventory to shipping and returns. If you're ready to sell, you're ready for Shopify. Turn your big business idea into... With Shopify on your side. Sign up for your £1 per month trial today at shopify.co.uk slash try. Go to shopify.co.uk slash try. shopify.co.uk slash try. Entertainment news. Apple is attempting to up its movie game for its TV Plus streaming service in 2025.
This comes after a kind of a quiet 2024. A couple of weeks ago, Apple announced a sequel to Greyhound, a Tom Hanks vehicle that remains one of the most popular movies that ever premiered on the Apple TV Plus service. Last week it was announced that Denzel Washington, who is one of my favorite actors, will star in Highest to Lowest, which will be directed by Spike Lee. The movie is described as a reinterpretation of the Japanese movie High and Low.
I guess Hollywood really has run out of ideas, haven't they? It would appear so. Highest to Lois is set to debut in theaters on August 22nd, and then on Apple TV on Friday, September 5th, which is about two weeks later. Earlier this year, the Gorge was a hit for Apple, and the upcoming Fountain of Youth seems it will be pretty interesting.
I watched Gorge and I will say it was entertaining, but hey, you know, no Oscars will be awarded for acting if you get my drift. Yes! Well, we'll see if Apple can maintain the small momentum it has gained this year. Or will it be one step forward, two steps back like it has been previously with Apple TV Plus?
Everybody and their brother, sometimes sister, seem to be getting into the streaming business these days. Yes. Though Sports Network ESPN is part of the Disney Evil Empire, they've decided to strike out on their own.
this despite falling audience numbers and the loss of the network's contract to broadcast major league baseball games The falling audience numbers are due to the politicalization of ESPN's content, while the loss of the MLB contract can be blamed on the network treating the premier professional baseball league like an afterthought. ESPN lowballed EMLB in their recent negotiations, wanting less content for far less money.
Well, the MLB decided to take their baseball content to a more appreciative outlet and will most likely make more money doing so. Things have changed since Netflix Prime Video and Apple TV Plus entered the fray. Perhaps the Mac streaming service will be more beneficial to the MLB than ESPN ever was. and that's why competition is a good thing Despite all this, CNBC reports that Disney has decided to spin off into their own sports package, which they'll be calling ESPN. My, how original.
It must have taken a lot of thought and money to come up with that one. Yeah, tell me about it. The new streaming package will include ESPN, ESPN2, the SEC Network, ABC Sports, Fantasy League product, video programming, documentaries, and the all-important betting tie-ins. The cost of this new service will set one back between $25 to $30 per month.
Well, now you'd have to be a really hardcore sports fan or gambler, same thing, in order to be willing to pay such a sum of money monthly. And what are the things you receive for that monthly stipend? Well, I'll try to run it down for you. You'll be getting Monday Night Football, NBA games, and beyond that, a lot of women's softball games.
Oh, and the latest odds for betting on those sports. I predict that audience number will further decline and all in all, the ESPN streaming service will wind up being a bust. I feel that subscription price will be higher than most people are willing to pay. This will put the final nail in the proverbial coffin of ESPN. Then again, what do I really know? Yeah, you're just an old retired guy who had enough money to buy a decent microphone. Or two, or three.
First there was HBO and Cinemax. Then there was HBO Max. Well, in 2023, it was just Max. Now, for 2025, we have HBO Max. That's right, the Max app is returning to its original name. Well, one of its original names. This according to 9to5google.com. Can't they just make up their minds over there? Apparently not. I as well as others had thought that the Max moniker was a mistake when first announced.
Warner Brothers, Discovery, who own HBO and Cinemax, waited just long enough for consumers to get used to the Mac's name before pulling this switcheroo. I'm sure some market research guys made a lot of money for themselves convincing the executives over at WB Discovery to again switch the streaming services name. Good for them, I guess. Podcast news. Well, again, it was quiet within the world of Podcasting Incorporated. Yes, a little too quiet if you ask me. Nobody's really asking.
Over at the No Agenda Podcast, co-host John C. Dvorak predicts that eventually the powers that be will attempt to regulate podcasts. How dare you? Oh, no you don't. They can and eventually will. In my opinion, I think the old cranky guys is right. Are you referring to yourself here? No, I'm referring to another old cranky guy.
I believe they'll most likely start with videos which claim that they're podcasts, mostly seen on YouTube and Spotify. That's because these podcasts, which more resemble broadcasts, will be easier to control.
Remember, these shows are not carried by the open-source RSS feed. They're carried by proprietary means on these video platforms. Well, the Podfather Adam Curry responded to this by saying that because of the Podcasting 2.0 protocol that he helped to create, that this won't be a problem for an RSS-based audio podcast.
All podcasts using RSS feeds are automatically placed on the podcast index. As long as you are using a listening app that can access that index, you'll be able to hear any podcast that was ever published. While the humble RSS feed does have the capability to carry video, not since the early days of podcasting itself, If a crackdown on video does materialize, the RSS feed could be upgraded to carry a more modern standard of video.
Now if these things come to pass, I could foresee the mad scramble from these YouTubers and Spotify streamers to the updated RSS feed. These shows would be seeing a drastic cut in the revenue they generate, which would cause a lot of these hosts to fall in line with the authorities. Another thing that could happen is the government can go after the services that host podcasts, both video and audio only.
However, this would open up opportunities for a foreign-based host, which would keep various entities in power from disrupting these feeds. Self-hosting your podcast is always an option, but it's an expensive one. Putting that out of the reach for those who aren't very well healed. Government regulation, or should I say over-regulation, is a valid fear, but I trust my fellow human beings to be able to find a way around it.
With my and many other podcasts who have smallish audiences, I don't think there's any fear of being silenced. At least not for now. Well, time will tell as it always does. Sun is setting on this lovely spring. You like what you heard? show notes Enjoy hearing from You know, my lovely wife and of landscaping Cut off my lawn! Starting a business can be overwhelming. You're juggling multiple roles, designer, marketer, logistics manager, all while bringing your vision to life.
But for millions of businesses, Shopify is the ultimate partner. Shopify is proud to power many sources of UK e-commerce from brands like Mattel and Gymshark to new entrepreneurs. Build a stunning online store with Shopify's ready to use template. Boost content with AI-powered product descriptions, page headlines, and enhanced photography. Marketing is easy with built-in tools for email and social media campaigns. Plus Shopify simplifies everything from inventory to shipping and returns.
If you're ready to sell, you're ready for Shopify. Turn your big business idea into with Shopify on your side. Sign up for your £1 per month trial today at shopify.co.uk slash try. Go to shopify.co.uk slash try. Shopify.co.uk slash try.