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TEConnect is the podcast that tackles the news, trends, and technologies impacting the specialty IT reseller channel, software companies, and hardware manufacturers. Hosted by John Martin & Dean Reverman. Tell us what YOU want to hear about: teconnect@bluestarinc.com
Episodes
Thursday Mar 02, 2023
Thursday Mar 02, 2023
Unless you’ve been on a severe information detox, you’ve probably seen more than a few stories recently about AI and various tools for content creation. Not ones to miss a trend, we asked Barcoding’s Jody Costa to return to the pod to weigh in. She shares her experience with ChatGPT and similar programs, whether AI will impact marketing jobs and the positives and negatives of using them in our business. It’s the episode that still feels pretty good about its job security.
#VARValue - Beyond marketing & advertising, in what other ways can AI tools be used by VARs to improve their business?
Referenced articles & further reading:
BlueStar Nation - Creating Ads for Your Business Using AI
ChatGPT Sees Strong Early Adoption - Fishbowl
Google Unveils Bard - CNET
Eden Bidani post - LinkedIn
OpenAI is Using Media Websites to Train ChatGPT - Moguldom
The Prompt Box is a Minefield - The Convivial Society
TEConnecting with us:
Jody - Jurassic Park & evolution
Dean - Subscription Trash
John - Accidental James Webb Discovery
Talk to us!
Twitter - @TEConnectPod
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html
Sponsored by:
Zebra TC53/58 Touch Computers
Elo 70 Series
Thursday Feb 23, 2023
Thursday Feb 23, 2023
It’s time to riff on more exciting stories, trends, lists, and technology.
Topics Covered:
- The Most Sinful Cities in America
- MIT’s 10 Breakthrough Technologies for ‘23
- A Chronicle of the Four-Day Workweek
- AI – What Do Workers Think & What’s China Doing?
- Tulsa Bet on Remote Workers
- US Migration Patterns
- Cracking Down on Digital Piracy
TEConnecting with us:
Dean - TEC BEEF: Indoor security drone and the Corruption Perceptions Index
John - Businesses wasting money on software licenses
Talk to us!
Twitter - @TEConnectPod
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html
Sponsored by:
Elo Healthcare Touch Solutions
Zebra RFID Portfolio
Thursday Feb 16, 2023
Thursday Feb 16, 2023
Government consultant and expert Jeff Smith is back to catch us up on what's been happening with public sector technology. How is the spending of approved U.S. funds going? What's Jeff's take on public safety as a branch eager for new tech? Are there opportunities in education? Finally, we asked him to look into his crystal ball and give us predictions and trends to watch out for in 2023.
#VARValue - What should VARs be doing now with their government accounts, and whom should they talk with to get the year off to a strong start?
Referenced Articles:
Deloitte Gov't Tech Trends '23
4 Federal Government IT Trends to Watch in 2023
TEConnecting with us:
Jeff - NASA's X57 all-electric plane
Dean - Getty Image AI lawsuit and what's the #1 dream job worldwide?
John - Audi's EV SUV concept vehicle
Talk to us!
Twitter - @TEConnectPod
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html
Sponsored by:
Zebra Public Safety Tech
Thursday Feb 09, 2023
Thursday Feb 09, 2023
After he threw out an idea to discuss Web3, we turned the tables on James Korte and invited him to join us! First, a quick review of Web1 & 2—essentially what the internet has been to date—before explaining what Web3 could be and why. How would Web3 be built? What advantages and disadvantages would it create? Does Web3’s connection to blockchain & cryptocurrency concern us? Is this internet iteration feasible, or is the idea the path to something else?
#VARValue - Does this mean anything to our channel yet? If it came to pass, what would it mean?
Referenced articles:
What is Web3? - Harvard Business Review
What Is Web3 All About? An Easy Explanation With Examples - Forbes
TEConnecting with us:
James - ChatGPT & Notion
Dean - Brainwave rhythms
John - Real-life T-1000?
Talk to us!
Twitter - @TEConnectPod
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html
Sponsored by:
Elo Wallaby Pro
Zebra WS50
Thursday Feb 02, 2023
Thursday Feb 02, 2023
Automation is increasingly a part of our daily lives, and we’ve preached it as a way for VARs to make their own business more efficient. In this episode, MicroTouch’s Tyler Wells helps us identify how they can take that automation to their customers, combating labor shortages, addressing new expectations for speed, and staying ahead of the competition. How do touchscreens fit into the conversation? What industries benefit the most? When should VARs get in on robotics?
Tyler's XaaS Journal article:
https://www.xaasjournal.com/vars-get-ready-to-ride-the-automation-and-robotic-systems-adoption-wave/
#VARValue - For VARs exploring automation with their customers, how can partners like MicroTouch help them win business?
TEConnecting with us:
Tyler - Electric car adoption, fission/fusion advancements, automation in manufacturing
Dean - "Silent" cargo delivery drone
John - No more airplane mode?
Talk to us!
Twitter - @TEConnectPod
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html
Sponsored by:
MicroTouch Mach Series
Zebra RFID Opportunity eBook
Thursday Jan 26, 2023
Thursday Jan 26, 2023
No one likes crowds, long lines, or waiting. We didn’t before COVID changed how we felt about being around strangers, and we certainly don’t today--but how do retailers, hospitality, and event companies find the right solutions to a problem that’s been around as long as people have congregated? Zack Klima, Founder & CEO of WaitTime, has his own story about the frustration of waiting which led to his solution, crowd management technology that benefits fans, attendees, and customers but also provides valuable intelligence to venues and businesses. How does it work? What hardware is involved, and how should VARs approach their customers to find opportunities? It’s the episode that offers “no-brainer tech” to add to your solution stack.
#VARValue - What should VARs be asking their customers to determine if a crowd management solution is viable, and when should they get WaitTime involved?
WaitTime webinar: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/8354486700101210112
WaitTime Blog - 10 Questions to Determine Crowd Management Needs:
https://www.thewaittimes.com/post/10-questions-to-align-crowd-technology-solutions-to-your-needs
TEConnecting with us:
Zack - AI advancements
Dean - ChatGPT
John - Sink Twice
Talk to us!
Twitter - @TEConnectPod
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html
Sponsored by:
Zebra Temp Sensing Tech
Thursday Jan 19, 2023
Thursday Jan 19, 2023
We’re kicking off the fourth year of the pod by looking back and ahead. First, we reflect on 2022 and the stories, trends, surprises, disappointments, and personal moments that stood out to us in the channel, our lives, and the world at large. After that, it’s fun with “Best of” lists, predictions and resolutions, our top episodes of the year, and more!
ALERT!! We need YOUR help! Please send us your ideas for the podcast. What topics, industries, technologies, and partners interest you? https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html
#VARValue - What’s your advice for VARs looking ahead?
TEConnecting with us:
Dean - VALL-E AI voice simulator
John - CES 2023
Talk to us!
Twitter - @TEConnectPod
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html
Sponsored by:
Zebra Public Safety Tech eBook
Thursday Dec 29, 2022
Thursday Dec 29, 2022
*Star Wars SPOILERS in this episode* We wrap up another year on the pod with our third annual Star Wars discussion, and we have a lot to cover! Would any of us pay $5000 for a Star Wars-themed drink? Is the amount of SW content too little or too much? We discuss "The Book of Boba Fett," "Obi-Wan Kenobi," "Tales of the Jedi," and "Andor." Are the prequels cool again? What's coming next year? What are some VFX sequences that stand out to us in the franchise?
Talk to us!
Twitter - @TEConnectPod
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html
Sponsored by:
Thursday Dec 22, 2022
Thursday Dec 22, 2022
Working in this channel, you have to be pretty fond of technology, and it's probably been a big part of your life. In this episode, we're reflecting on the gadgets and gizmos we grew up (or old) with, but to make sure we had some perspective beyond John & Dean's pre-internet days, we brought in a couple of Millennials in Sam & Sarah. Are we early tech adopters? What was our first computer? First portable music player? Gaming system? Mobile phone? Finally, we discuss "old" tech that seems absurd now.
#VARValue - Let’s discuss the importance of understanding generational gaps like we’ve heard today.
What's John's "webplayer" looked like: https://me.pcmag.com/en/consumer/2644/how-many-of-these-weird-internet-appliances-do-you-remember?p=1
TEConnecting with us:
Sarah - Fun fact: In 1992, the first text message was sent...it said "Merry Christmas"
Sam - Has Cleopatra been found?
Dean - The "A Christmas Story" house is up for sale & assembler robots
John - Sewer spiders
Talk to us!
Twitter - @TEConnectPod
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html
Sponsored by:
Elo Edge Connect
Zebra RFID Portfolio
Thursday Dec 15, 2022
Thursday Dec 15, 2022
Much of the "next-gen" tech and innovation we expect to inform our future relies on computer/machine vision, but what can it do, and how do VARs benefit? We posed those questions to Intel's Rob Risany, returning to the pod to emphasize the partnerships they bring to the table and the channel. Why is data quality so important to utilizing computer vision? What are the use cases in retail and other industries?
#VARValue - The computer vision market value is projected to hit $48 billion this year. How can VARs work with BlueStar and Intel partners to get a piece of that?
Referenced articles:
- Forbes - 5 Computer Vision Trends in 2022
- Shutterstock - 3 Predictions for Computer Vision
- BlueStar Nation - AI Survey
TEConnecting with us:
Rob - Making math more efficient
Dean - Scientists create a "baby" wormhole
John - World Cup privacy concerns
Talk to us!
Twitter - @TEConnectPod
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html
Sponsored by: