Julio Ojeda-Zapata: Tech writer. Nerd. Boricua.

I did another guest-hosting stint on the always-awesome Minnov8...

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 14:48:00 -0500

I did another guest-hosting stint on the always-awesome Minnov8 Gang Podcast today. Topics included Pinterest, the Path-privacy snafu and, of course, OS X Mountain Lion.

Talkin' tech (again) with Karin!

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Karin Housley - Feb. 18 - Pt. 1 Julio Ojeda-Zapata (mp3)

I never have more fun as a tech writer than when I’m talkin’ tech with Karin Housley on her KLBB radio show. Scrub to 16:25. Thanks for having me on again, Karin. I’m honored to be your “radio-show boyfriend.”

Today I demonstrated several offbeat tech products on KARE 11,...

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:03:00 -0500

Today I demonstrated several offbeat tech products on KARE 11, the Twin Cities NBC affiliate. Watch until the end for the dramatic TV-studio flight (and crash) of the RC helicopter. Here’s a related post.

I staged a hard-drive bonfire to test ioSafe’s claim that...

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

I staged a hard-drive bonfire to test ioSafe’s claim that its Solo External hard drive is “fireproof.” That’s St. Paul Pioneer Press outdoors editor David Orrick doing the honors as I film.

How rugged IS ioSafe’s Rugged Portable hard drive? St....

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

How rugged IS ioSafe’s Rugged Portable hard drive? St. Paul Pioneer Press photographer Ben Garvin and I had fun filming this wacky video for which I will garner NO acting awards.

My fellow social-media maven, Jason DeRusha of WCCO-TV, recently...

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:41:00 -0500

My fellow social-media maven, Jason DeRusha of WCCO-TV, recently filled in as a WCCO-AM host. On the spur of the moment, while on the air, he called me to talk about how HDTV prices are plunging. It was a fun chat.

Joe Soucheray, my esteemed Pioneer Press co-worker and famed...

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:06:00 -0500

Joe Soucheray, my esteemed Pioneer Press co-worker and famed Garage Logic radio personality, had a little fun at my expense on the airwaves recently.

This is related to the time I brought some of my homemade sushi to work but forgot I had exhausted my supply of soy sauce. I sent out an all-newsroom e-mail asking if anyone had some. Several co-workers did. Problem solved.

Joe, though, thought this was heelarious. Listen to the start of the Garage Logic episode audio clip to find out why.

I can’t help thinking it was the “homemade sushi” part and not the soy sauce that set Joe off; stick with the episode for a bit to hear Souch talk about sushi, which he says he has never eaten.

Yes, Joe, I am a good sport, which is why I am posting this on my blog. And turnabout is fair play, I suppose, since I once had fun at your expense.

Also, here are shots of my homemade sushi (one, two, three, four). Here is the result of a recent sushi-making night with friends.

Peace.

The 70Decibels podcast Enough (co-starring my St. Paul friend...

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:28:00 -0500

The 70Decibels podcast Enough (co-starring my St. Paul friend Patrick Rhone) recently hit 99 episodes. For the 100th, it gathered together a bunch of geeks. Those included yours truly. Honored, guys. Thanks.

The Twin Cities’ NBC affiliate, KARE 11, invited me back...

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:35:00 -0500

The Twin Cities’ NBC affiliate, KARE 11, invited me back on its early-morning Sunrise program today for gadget talk and a taste for what is being hyped at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

I enjoy doing these segments with co-anchor Kim Insley, and chatting with her and cohort Tim McNiff during commercial breaks. They are among the friendliest, most hospitable TV people I’ve ever met.

A breathless tech chat with Karin

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Karin Housley - Dec. 31 - Pt. 1 - Julio Ojeda-Zapata (mp3)

I was a bit breathless during this tech chat with Karin Housley on her KLBB show, not just because I think she’s awesome, but because I was hoofin’ it through downtown St. Paul as I talked. Scrub to 14:25.

I was back on the TWiT network’s ‘Tech News...

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 01:10:00 -0500

I was back on the TWiT network’s ‘Tech News Today’ on Dec. 16. What a thrill!

Host Tom Merritt had a little surprise for me: He placed my ‘iPad Means Business’ book on the shelf above his right shoulder so it would be visible throughout the episode. Thanks!

It is an honor to be on ‘Enough,’ the Minimal Mac...

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 01:04:00 -0500

It is an honor to be on ‘Enough,’ the Minimal Mac podcast, with hosts Patrick Rhone (a friend) and Myke Hurley.

I made another appearance recently, with a twist: I had to speculate how I’d function within the constraints of a hypothetical 64-gigabyte MacBook Air. In other words, “How Bare is my Air”?

From the show notes:

In this episode, we are joined by Julio Ojeda-Zapata, reporter, tech pundit and author of “iPad Means Business.” He kicks off the first episode of “How Bare Is Your Air” which, actually, is just a rebranded “Enough for.” The new name was suggested by listener @grapefruitmoon on Twitter. This one turns out to be really interesting because of Julio’s almost-exclusive use of cloud-based applications. He even went so far as to erase his account on his own MacBook Air and rebuild it in order to quantify what it is he really needs. Impressive effort indeed.

I was on the Minnov8 Gang Podcast earlier today to talk gadgets...

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 13:29:05 -0500

I was on the Minnov8 Gang Podcast earlier today to talk gadgets for the holidays.

Thanks for having me on, guys, and kudos on the fun artwork for your blog post.

I was on Saturday Night With Esme Murphy yesterday to talk...

Sun, 04 Dec 2011 16:21:00 -0500

I was on Saturday Night With Esme Murphy yesterday to talk Christmas gadgets, primarily new tablets like Amazon’s Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble’s Nook Tablet.

I recently reviewed the former, while Esme recently purchased the latter.

I recently rejoined the Minnov8 Gang for a podcast episode...

Sun, 04 Dec 2011 16:15:00 -0500

I recently rejoined the Minnov8 Gang for a podcast episode focused largely on the Kindle Fire and its consumer-technology implications.

This was recorded just before a Social Media Breakfast—Minneapolis/St. Paul session at Thomson Reuters in Eagan.

I was a Fox 9 guest on Black Friday to talk tech. I did a...

Sat, 26 Nov 2011 00:33:00 -0500

I was a Fox 9 guest on Black Friday to talk tech. I did a product face-off in key categories: laptops, tablets, phones and TV video-streaming boxes.

What are the best social-media apps for journalists? I spoke to...

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:01:00 -0500

What are the best social-media apps for journalists? I spoke to my St. Paul Pioneer Press co-workers about this as part of an internal social-media training series.

I talk tech with Karin Housley

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:40:00 -0500

Karin Housley - Nov. 12 - Tech Talk (mp3)

Karin Housley wears a lot of hats. She’s a prominent Realtor. She has run for political office. But I know her best as a KLBB radio-show personality because she often has me on her program to talk tech. This is the latest installment.

I was excited to make my second appearance on ‘Tech News...

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 23:37:00 -0400

I was excited to make my second appearance on ‘Tech News Today,’ the TWiT-network show hosted by Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane, Iyaz Akhtar and Jason Howell.

I was in-studio at the famous Brick House the first time; today I Skyped in from the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

Tom was off today (too bad) but I had a lot of fun, nonetheless. Watch me do my usual hand-waving thing as I get all worked up about tech stuff.

Here’s the second part of my recent social-media...

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 23:29:00 -0400

Here’s the second part of my recent social-media conversation with Patrick Rhone and Myke Hurley, the hosts of the fine ‘Enough’ podcast. The episode description (written by Patrick):

This is part two of a special social-networking episode featuring our guest Julio Ojeda-Zapata, reporter, tech pundit and author of iPad Means Business. In this episode, we discuss his social networking tools, why I’m “doubling down” on email, and why Julio is going “all in” on social networks.