User Friendly - The Podcast

This week we introduce a new format - let us know what you think!Our first segment looks at online security. We talk about VPN's, email encryption and more. Our guest as the CEO of NordVPN.Then we talk about Sony's "Project Q", their new handheld gaming system. This is a new take on a portable video game system. The team looks back at past gaming consoles, both handheld and non-portable systems.William Sikkens, Bill Snodgrass, Gretchen Winkler

This week we answer your questions on AI.Our first segment addresses your questions about what AI really is and where it is going.Then we talk about Cybernetics - and where it is being used now in a very positive way.Our third segments looks at AI in Science Fiction.William Sikkens, Bill Snodgrass, Gretchen Winkler

This week we talk light technology.Also, after 3 years business is leaving the Metaverse. Is this a billion-dollar fad that has gone bust?Our guest this week is Joan Woodward from Travelers. According to the NHTSA distracted driving claimed 3,522 lives in 2021 and is trending up. Joan Woodward discusses this trend and gives some advise on how to stay safe this summer on the road.William Sikkens, Bill Snodgrass, Gretchen Winkler

Halloween will be here before we know it! Are you planning a light display? There is a lot of new technology out there - and it's never too early to plan.Also Bill Snodgrass discusses the latest news and issues with Wizards of the Coast.William Sikkens, Bill Snodgrass, Gretchen Winkler

Sure, it's May 6th. But May the 4th / Star Wars day was this week!Join us for this weeks episode!William Sikkens, Bill Snodgrass, Gretchen Winkler

Wedding tech - like everything else technology is bring new options to your wedding.  Some are helpful, others are... well weird.  We talk the new trendsWe have heard of electric cars - but there are other options.  Hydrogen Cars are here.Is your WiFi slow?  We talk about this and some tricks to fix it.William Sikkens, Bill Snodgrass, Gretchen Winkler

Our guest this week is Joan Woodward. Joan is President of the Travelers Institute and EVP of Public Policy at Travelers. Any of us are at risk of being hacked - and business, small and large, stand in front of the line. Joan shares tips on avoiding this and talks Cyber Insurance in case you can't.Later, we talk about the risk of damage to our mobile devices. Did you know April is the month of the year when you are most likely to break your phone, tablet or laptop?William Sikkens, Bill Snodgrass, Gretchen Winkler

Production returns this week with two great guests!First, John Penner, Mayor of Orting, WA and CEO of Inquisio.AI talks AI and searching public records.We then look at online reviews - Google vs Yelp - which is better?Second, Joseph Lampert joins us to give his take on ChatGPT.Finally we look back at the Andor series on Disney +William Sikkens, Bill Snodgrass, Gretchen Winkler

Please enjoy this weeks clip show.New material will return next week.William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler, Bill Snodgrass

Please enjoy a look back at our Thanksgiving clip show.User Friendly will resume production of new material next week.William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler

This week we have 2 exciting, featured guests!Carol with Hoofprints in the Sand (a horse rescue) joins us to talk shop and a fun family upcoming event on April 1.Then, Sarcos Technology and Robotics Corporation's COO Jorge Pedersen joins us to talk robots. Sarcos offers a very innovative approach to robotics, offering technology that improves people’s lives and safety. William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler

This week we feature 2 segments with your questions.  Send us your questions at userfriendlyshow.com!Also, this week we continue to talk Star Wars.  With the new season of Mandalorian and more Bad Batch episodes there's a lot to discuss!William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler

This week we talk NextGen TV.  What is this and can it allow you to get your broadcast channels for free?We also talk about what's involved in putting together a modern website.  There are ways you can do a site that looks great without having to be a master programmer.Finally, Mandalorian Season 3 drops this week.  We talk Star Wars and what we hope to see in the new episodes.  William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler

International Author Joseph M Lenard joins us this week to discuss his books and related technology. Lenard has published "Terror Strikes... Now" and "How to Write and Publish". In addition, he is a tech guy - and we talk about our preferences in publishing websites.Also, the team discusses the "new" e-commerce site TEMU, the evolution of Internet Service Providers and the Supreme Court's review of Section 230 (related to social media sites).William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler

The team discusses ChatGPT.Also, it it a good idea to buy used electronics. We take a look at the pros and cons.William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler

The team looks at all the different types of comic cons that exist.  From gaming to cosplay to classic comic books there is something for everyone.We also talk about computer language translation and how it has progressed over the years.William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler

This week we start to answer listener questions relating to the format wars of video.The team discusses Season 2 of Bad Batch.William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler.

We dig deeper into weird and unusual tech this week.  Check out some of these "unusual" devices.Also we talk about identity theft and tech protection.  William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler

This week we talk weird tech. We take a look at some of the more unusual things from CES and talk about some controversial uses of Facial Reconigition.We also take a look at what's happening with all the streaming "wars".William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler

Join us for our season 5 opener as we present live coverage from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.If you were traveling this holiday season on Southwest you probably had problems. We dive into what happened and why.Star Wars Bad Batch Season 2 is out - the team talks the first 2 episodes.William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler, Chaz Wellington

The team at user friendly hopes you will enjoy this clip episode from Labor Day 2022. Next week join us for coverage of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas!William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler

Please enjoy our holiday clip show! We will see you again in 2023!William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler

Please enjoy our holiday clip show! We will see you again in 2023!William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler

We end this year with a report on an exciting breakthrough in the field of energy research. Fusion may finally be a reality!The team discusses the technology of 2022 and the trends of 2023.William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler, Bill Snodgrass

Join us this week for live interviews from Las Vegas.Also Annie, Artist at Furever Yours, talks about creating unique art of your pets.William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler, Bill Snodgrass

This week we are joined by an incredible group of people that have created and published their own comic book. The team publishing at Ounce Comics in Las Vegas talk about "The Wombat". This amazing group is bringing a very unique character to life. Check it out at ouncecomics.com!As we approach the holidays many are using their mobile phones more.  Check out this segment for tips and tricks on how to extend your phone's battery life.Chaz Wellington joins us live from the NHLA Hotel Technology Conference in Las Vegas.  Spoiler alert - they have some REALLY COOL tech!William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler, Chaz Wellington

Happy Thanksgiving from the team at User Friendly 2.0!Please enjoy our holiday clip show.William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler

This week we are joined by an incredible group of people that have created and published their own comic book. The team publishing at Ounce Comics in Las Vegas talk about "The Wombat". This amazing group is bringing a very unique character to life. Check it out at ouncecomics.com!Also this week we talk holiday tech. What is trending in the Smart Home world might surprise you.We also discuss "Waterproof" electronics.William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler

Chaz joins us to talk Gaming Social.Jeremy answers comic book questions and talks Iron Man.William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler, Chaz Wellington

This week the team discusses social media.We cover all that is happening at Twitter to Facebook and a new social network for casino gaming.William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler, Chaz Wellington

Happy Halloween from the User Friendly Team! This week we take a look at Halloween pasts and events to attend.Our guest this week is David Vigano with Sensoria - a manufacturer of Artificial Intelligence Sportswear. William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler

This week we hear last years Halloween show.William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler, Bill Snodgrass

This week we talk about how to protect your electronics from power surges and brownouts.  Also we discuss how to avoid hurricane damaged cars and some weird things with PayPal.William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler

Jeremy talks Batman in his history of comics.In tech we talk subscriptions, cover the Tesla AI Day and look at the New Fire TV's.William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler

This week the team discusses what's coming on television for this fall. It's October - so that includes Halloween shows!We also deep dive into 2022 Smart Home technology. You can do more than ever.William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler

Our guest this week is Ken with Ken's Pens. You will be amazed how much you can do with the design of a pen!On Tech News we talk about upcoming changes to the Samsung SmartThings platform and discuss Ethical Hacking.William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler

Raza with Paymaster Games joins us this week to talk about his companies Native American miniatures. Where is Coolwalk? We talk about updates to Android Auto and answer questions on in-car navigation.Jeremy talks Comic Books.William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler

This week the team presents a new segment on comic books. Jeremy dig's into the history of several well-known franchises and presents some details you may not of known.Apple held their annual show this week. The iPhone 14 is a reality. Check out what's new.We have seen 4 recent data breaches including the IRS, Samsung, Tik Tok and your kids school tablets. Listen for details and some tips to help your children stay safe.William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler

Have a wonderful holiday weekend!William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler

Our guest this week is Charles Cormier. Charles traveled the world with his wife while building the fastest growing startup ecosystem in the world. A sales guy at heart, Charles nowadays obsesses over finding product-market fit through cold e-mail.After Charles, the team talks wearable tech. We look at new products that still need, well, a little polishing.Finally we talk Emerald City Comic Con 2022.William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler

The team looks at timing on buying your next iPhone.  The result? Wait a few weeks.We also look at preparing for conventions and trade shows in this "post?" Covid period.This week's show also features an extended Q&A and a look at Google DoodlesWilliam Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler, Bill Snodgrass

Chaz Wellington covers the 2022 Black Hat security conference with live interviews from the presenters in Las Vegas!  Also this week we talk about selling on Amazon and discuss the Disney + “Light and Magic”.William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler, Chaz Wellington, Bill Snodgrass

James Simmons is the Founder and CEO of GameApart, a remote culture building platform designed to keep fully remote teams connected and in-sync. He joins us this week to talk about what was involved in creating his technology and what it can do.Chaz Wellington joins us to give a preview of this year's Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas. Finally, we bring your questions to Steve Mehler. William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler, Steve Mehler, Chaz Wellington

Steve Mehler interviews guest Demetria Lionakis, a screenwriter-actress and Holly wood wardrober.Most people who have used computers have lost valuable information. Whether it's user error or mechanical breakdown, losing that photograph or document that can't be replaced is a major bummer. But what if you lost $176,000,000.00 (One hundred seventy six million dollars) by accidently throwing away a hard drive?Someone has and we look at their quest to get it back.Finally Comic Con International is back! We talk this year’s highlights as well as the Comic Con Museum. William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler, Bill Snodgrass, Steve Mehler

This week guest D.K. (Darla) Boljat joins us to talk about her art.  We discuss where and how she started and what she loves about her work.  Seeing is believing! Check out her work at dkboljat.com.The team revisits the topic of Crypto Currency and its recent crash.  Also, it's hot out there! Water is running short in some places and the technology behind desalination is back on the table.William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler, Bill Snodgrass

The team discusses tech this week!  First off, a sci-fi idea that is becoming a reality.  Metasurfaces allow you to manipulate objects with your mind.  This isn't an episode of "Stranger Things" but is something that is in a proof-of-concept stage.The James Webb Telescope has sent back its first color images and they really impress.  We discuss the details and what's next for this new scientific instrument.Finally, a lot of you have been having trouble with Android Auto.  We discuss some of the bugs and possible solutions.William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler

Steve Mehler and his guest Michael Placencia discuss discuss producing a new animated show. Our own Steve is a co-producer on this one!Later we take a look at the new nReal AR glasses and answer your questions.Steve Mehler, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler, Bill Sikkens

Happy 4th of July from the team at User Friendly 2.0!

Steve Mehler joins us this week with his guest Geno Romo.  Geno was on a few weeks ago and is back after listen requests.We discuss Crowdfunding.  These sites might be a way for your to raise money.  They are different and do charge for their services.We also discuss a real-life scam story that could of cost a victim thousands of dollars.  William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler, Steve Mehler

Guest Irete Hamdani joins us this week to talk about shopping sustainable products. Her company has created a way to make this very easy to do.Later the team talks online security. Firefox is enabling several security features by default now. How can you make sure you are as secure as possible?William Sikkens, Jeremy and Gretchen Winkler, Bill Snodgrass