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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 Dec 02, 2021
Thursday Dec 02, 2021
The mighty barcode scan has come a long way from that pack of gum in the 70s. Not only have we progressed to 2D/QR codes to hold more information, but new technology like LIDAR, laser-marking, and the complex cameras in our personal mobile devices has changed the scanning game and will continue to. This week, we turned to an expert in the field, Bruce Scharf from Code Corporation. What new tech has him geeking out? Why should we be wary of “free” scanning apps? How will scanning change with the growth of AR & AI?
#VARValue - What verticals benefit the most from new scanning technologies?
TEConnecting with us
Bruce - Energy storage & NFC
Dean - Scar tissue repair
John - Russia blows up a satellite
Talk to us!
Twitter - @TEConnectPod
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Sponsored by:
Thursday Nov 25, 2021
Thursday Nov 25, 2021
We’re bringing you something fun and lighthearted for Thanksgiving…the podcast version of our former hit Tech Trivia gameshow! This time Dean gets to be a contestant, competing against BlueStar’s own Whitney “Willow” Gerrety & Austin “Tremor” Hearn. Why those nicknames? Who studied harder for the show? Are the questions rigged for Dean? Is it Berenstain or Berenstein Bears? It’s an episode you can share with (and compete against) the whole family!
Talk to us!
Twitter - @TEConnectPod
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Sponsored by:
Zebra Workforce Connect
Elo Cannabis POS
Thursday Nov 18, 2021
Thursday Nov 18, 2021
Intel has a pretty big reputation in the tech world and BlueStar is proud to be one of the “IoT Solution Aggregators.” This week, Intel’s Rob Risany joins the pod to explain what that means, along with a discussion about deploying market-ready solutions. What are the benefits to VARs and end users? Where is there still hesitance to embrace “pre-built” solutions? We also take a moment to talk about ourselves and how BlueStar enables VARs to go-to-market with all of the partners, services and even financing they need. Pay attention around the 18:00 mark for a challenge from Rob & Intel to bring us your own ideas for market-ready solutions!
#VARValue - What markets/industries are strong targets for market-ready solutions?
TEConnecting with us:
Rob - Indy Autonomous Challenge & Minecraft machine vision
Dean - World's oldest home & Computer Space
John - American Crime Story: Impeachment and the legacy of Monica Lewinsky in the internet age
Talk to us!
Twitter - @TEConnectPod
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Sponsored by:
Intel's Retail Tech Webinar
Thursday Nov 11, 2021
Thursday Nov 11, 2021
The “Fourth Industrial Revolution” can be a bit of a nebulous term depending on who you ask, so we asked an expert! Elo’s Jim Foster joins us to explain how connectivity, IoT, cloud computing, modern display technology, and more are playing big parts in creating the factories, warehouses and enterprises of the future. How does he define Industry 4.0? What are some of the signals end users and businesses give that they’re ready to innovate? How does touchscreen tech and Android in particular factor in? And how does this impact the supply chain as a whole?
#VARValue - How does Elo help VARs in this transition to Industry 4.0?
TEConnecting with us:
Jim - The Metaverse
Dean - The Great Firewall of China
John - Dubai's 3D printed laboratory
Talk to us!
Twitter - @TEConnectPod
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Sponsored by:
Thursday Nov 04, 2021
Thursday Nov 04, 2021
The point-of-sale (POS) market is pretty big and showing no signs of contracting anytime soon. That means there’s a lot of opportunity, but also a lot of competition in the market. This week, Jeremy Julian (Custom Business Solutions & host of The Restaurant Technology Guys podcast) joins to help us understand when and why restaurants and retailers change POS systems. How does he approach POS from a marketing standpoint? How important is differentiation? What’s the downside of “free” POS systems?
#VARValue - What are one or two tips for VARs who want to stand out in the market?
TEConnecting with us:
Jeremy - Innovation with cameras
Dean - Lithium nanofiber batteries
John - Astronomers may have spotted the first known exoplanet in another galaxy
Talk to us!
Twitter - @TEConnectPod
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Sponsored by:
Elo I-Series 4
Evolis Kiosk card printers
Zebra Vertical Markets eBook
Thursday Oct 28, 2021
Thursday Oct 28, 2021
Grocery stores have always been an essential business in any community but during the COVID-19 pandemic, they were the one place we all still had to go, leading to increased demand, supply shortages, and opportunities for innovation. This week, Elo's Ruth Cooley joins us to discuss what she's seen change since the start of 2020 and look ahead at what's to come. We look at 5 pain points for customers and how a little modernization can combat them. How does display technology bring customers back in-store and generate those precious impulse buys? Hint: maybe figuring out what to pair with a nice cabernet?
#VARValue - How is Elo helping VARs position new technology to grocers, especially local or regional ones?
Check out Elo Grocery solutions at https://www.elotouch.com/grocery
TEConnecting with us
Ruth - Elo's upcoming M60 & Android AIO devices
Dean - Portl holograms
John - Squid Game
Talk to us!
Twitter - @TEConnectPod
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Sponsored by:
Elo's 5053L Display
Thursday Oct 21, 2021
Thursday Oct 21, 2021
It's the second of our live episodes recorded at VARTECH 2021 in Orlando Florida! For this one, James Korte, unofficial third host, joins us to discuss how VARs and TSCs should be utilizing LinkedIn for their business. What should you emphasize for personal and company pages? How important is it to post and share content? What does the LinkedIn algorithm seem to "reward"? Is it useful to market on the platform? Finally, what about other social media platforms? It's the episode that wants you to acknowledge your age!
#VARValue - What is something our audience or anyone listening could do right now to improve their social reach?
TEConnecting with us:
James - Rivian EV trucks & SUVs
Dean - mRNA cancer therapy
John - Building his own lightsaber
Talk to us!
Twitter - @TEConnectPod
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Sponsored by:
Elo EssentialEdge
Zebra Modernizing Warehouses w/Android
Evolis Primacy
Thursday Oct 14, 2021
Thursday Oct 14, 2021
After a year and a half of podcasting from our little studio, we took the show on the road for the first time to VARTECH 2021 in Orlando before a live audience! For this episode, we had a great conversation with Barcoding, Inc.’s VP of Marketing, Jody Costa, who helped us understand what our listeners actually dealt with during the early days of the pandemic and how marketing had to scramble to adjust. What did she learn? What worked or didn’t? What does it really mean to be creative with your marketing? How do you maintain a brand while still stretching creatively? It’s the podcast that now celebrates National Barcode Day!
#VARValue - Where should our audience or listeners start to self-evaluate their own marketing efforts?
TEConnecting with us:
Jody - Saildrone hurricane probe (and check out the Dorothy scene from Twister -25 year old spoilers)
Dean - The most popular cocktail and the fastest growing/declining jobs
John - Lucid Air electric vehicle
Talk to us!
Twitter - @TEConnectPod
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Sponsored by:
Evolis Kiosk Card Printers
Zebra Fixed RFID Readers
Thursday Oct 07, 2021
Thursday Oct 07, 2021
While we work on some special episodes this week, here’s another round-up of the latest in tech, science and pop culture news and stories. 1. The latest in robotics for distribution. 2. The Jeopardy! host saga. 3. Best US states to do business & the most/least stressed cities. 4. Emma, the robot masseuse. 5. Fake public comments on the net neutrality issue. 6. The theatre vs. streaming debate (ScarJo, Patty Jenkins). 7. REvil goes offline.
TEConnecting with us:
Dean - Audi's transforming AV
John - Retro Bowl
Talk to us!
Twitter - @TEConnectPod
Email - TEConnect@bluesarinc.com
Sponsored by:
Elo Cannabis POS
Epson T88VII Receipt Printer
Zebra Service Contracts eBook
Thursday Sep 30, 2021
Thursday Sep 30, 2021
Contactless solutions have been a popular topic for the past couple years, but when it comes to ID cards and badges, the technology has been in place for much longer. Many of us already use them for physical access to buildings or specific areas, but there are plenty of applications beyond opening a door. Evolis’ Sean Barrett is here to explain! He walks us through the history of ID & access control technologies, how modern contactless & proximity cards are printed and encoded, and how smart cards can be used for identity authentication, single-sign on, secure print and much more.
#VARValue – How does Evolis help VARs that are trying to introduce ID/access management to their customers?
TEConnecting with us
Sean - Tesla Bot
Dean - Most popular AirBnB
John - Apple Airpods Pro
Talk to us!
Twitter - @TEConnectPod
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Sponsored by:
Evolis Primacy Card Printer
Evolis Kiosk Printers