Matt Hauger’s podcast

130: Digital backdrops on Broadway?

February 07, 2023 13:00 - 4 minutes - 4.48 MB

An onstage LED backdrop seems to make sense. But it undermines the experiential nature of live theatre. Find me on Mastodon. Sources “Video Game Coin sound effect” by harrietniamh. Licensed under CC BY 3.0. “Lose (Retro video game SFX)” by cabled_mess. Public domain. “Printed Circuit Board” illustration by zhengdacool on Vecteezy. “You Can’t Stop the Beat” by Hairspray On Tour.

129: A lucky Broadway break?

January 31, 2023 12:30 - 6 minutes - 8.52 MB

Our unexpected, surreal experience with Phantom of the Opera. Find me on Mastodon. Sources “Video Game Coin sound effect” by harrietniamh. Licensed under CC BY 3.0. “Lose (Retro video game SFX)” by cabled_mess. Public domain. “Printed Circuit Board” illustration by zhengdacool on Vecteezy. “Pipe Organ_Opera Voice_with Drums” by you noise. Public domain.

128: Mastodon, made better.

January 28, 2023 23:58 - 4 minutes - 5.81 MB

A new app, Ivory, makes the Mastodon experience measurably better. Find me on Mastodon. Sources “Video Game Coin sound effect” by harrietniamh. Licensed under CC BY 3.0. “Lose (Retro video game SFX)” by cabled_mess. Public domain. “Printed Circuit Board” illustration by zhengdacool on Vecteezy.

127: Not every “how to” tutorial needs to be a video!

January 23, 2023 12:30 - 4 minutes - 4.35 MB

Why are instructions and how-tos all posted as video content these days? Find me on Mastodon. Sources “Video Game Coin sound effect” by harrietniamh. Licensed under CC BY 3.0. “Lose (Retro video game SFX)” by cabled_mess. Public domain. “Printed Circuit Board” illustration by zhengdacool on Vecteezy.

126: When will Mastodon stop shedding users?

January 18, 2023 12:45 - 4 minutes - 4.5 MB

Since December 4th, there’s been a steady decline in the number of Mastodon’s active users. Why? What does this mean for the future of the platform? Find me on Mastodon. Sources “Video Game Coin sound effect” by harrietniamh. Licensed under CC BY 3.0. “Lose (Retro video game SFX)” by cabled_mess. Public domain. “Printed Circuit Board” illustration by zhengdacool on Vecteezy.

125: What would a GOOD social media algorithm look like?

January 10, 2023 12:30 - 4 minutes - 3.74 MB

Could you build a social media algorithm that doesn’t undermine democracy and users’ wellbeing? #algorithm #facebook #TikTok #Mastodon #socialnetwork Find me on Mastodon. Sources “Facebook Wanted Out of Politics. It Was Messier Than Anyone Expected,” Jeff Horwitz, et. al., Wall Street Journal, January 5, 2023. In the Hall of the Mountain King by Edvard Grieg, performed by the Czech National Symphony Orchestra. Public domain. “Video Game Coin sound effect” by harrietniamh. Licensed under...

124: The Fediverse is bigger than Mastodon... or is it?

January 05, 2023 12:30 - 4 minutes - 4.23 MB

You may have heard people say, “The Fediverse is bigger than Mastodon!” That’s not quite true. Find me on Mastodon or TikTok. Sources “Video Game Coin sound effect” by harrietniamh. Licensed under CC BY 3.0. “Lose (Retro video game SFX)” by cabled_mess. Public domain. “Printed Circuit Board” illustration by zhengdacool on Vecteezy.

123: Why doesn’t TikTok let you turn off autoplay videos?

December 23, 2022 13:30 - 2 minutes - 2.07 MB

Advertising-driven companies like TikTok subsist on your attention. They’re incentivized to get you “engaged,” regardless of whether it’s good for you. Find me on Mastodon or TikTok. Sources “Video Game Coin sound effect” by harrietniamh. Licensed under CC BY 3.0. “Lose (Retro video game SFX)” by cabled_mess. Public domain. “Printed Circuit Board” illustration by zhengdacool on Vecteezy.

122: Let Twitter go — build something weird instead!

December 21, 2022 02:42 - 6 minutes - 5.58 MB

As Anthony DeRosa describes it, Twitter is “monetizing a car crash” — and I’m circling the crash site, hoping for more collisions. But what if we reclaimed the energy we’ve been wasting on Twitter and created something weird and amazing elsewhere? Find me on Mastodon or TikTok. Sources “Video Game Coin sound effect” by harrietniamh. Licensed under CC BY 3.0. “Lose (Retro video game SFX)” by cabled_mess. Public domain. “Printed Circuit Board” illustration by zhengdacool on Vecteezy.

121: Could you use AI to “harvest” new followers on social media? Should you?

December 18, 2022 17:29 - 3 minutes - 2.82 MB

(Note: recording on the ski slopes — apologies for the background noise!) Could you use AI to “harvest” new followers on social media? Find me on Mastodon or TikTok. Sources “Video Game Coin sound effect” by harrietniamh. Licensed under CC BY 3.0. “Lose (Retro video game SFX)” by cabled_mess. Public domain. “Printed Circuit Board” illustration by zhengdacool on Vecteezy.

120: What if the US bans TikTok?

December 15, 2022 00:43 - 6 minutes - 6.37 MB

Should the US ban Tiktok? Is it “digital fentanyl,” as one lawmaker claimed? Find me on Mastodon. Sources “Video Game Coin sound effect” by harrietniamh. Licensed under CC BY 3.0. “Lose (Retro video game SFX)” by cabled_mess. Public domain. “Printed Circuit Board” illustration by zhengdacool on Vecteezy.

119: Twitter hid my link to Mastodon!

December 13, 2022 12:30 - 4 minutes - 4.26 MB

Twitter flagged my Mastodon link as “sensitive content.” Find me on Mastodon. Sources “Video Game Coin sound effect” by harrietniamh. Licensed under CC BY 3.0. “Lose (Retro video game SFX)” by cabled_mess. Public domain. “Printed Circuit Board” illustration by zhengdacool on Vecteezy.

118: Why bother creating, when computers can do it better?

December 08, 2022 12:00 - 6 minutes - 5.78 MB

As machine learning tools improve, do they threaten to make human creativity obsolete? Find me on Mastodon. Sources “Video Game Coin sound effect” by harrietniamh. Licensed under CC BY 3.0. “Lose (Retro video game SFX)” by cabled_mess. Public domain. “Printed Circuit Board” illustration by zhengdacool on Vecteezy.

117: “Moulin Rouge!’ How an unforced error ruined a musical

December 02, 2022 12:00 - 6 minutes - 6.31 MB

The Broadway adaptation of “Moulin Rouge” inexplicably abandons the film’s satisfying conclusion — in favor of a toxic anticlimax. Recorded outside — on a walk! Find me on Mastodon. Sources “Video Game Coin sound effect” by harrietniamh. Licensed under CC BY 3.0. “Lose (Retro video game SFX)” by cabled_mess. Public domain. “Printed Circuit Board” illustration by zhengdacool on Vecteezy.

116: Facebook’s complete control over hyper-local news

November 29, 2022 22:33 - 4 minutes - 4.48 MB

For many small communities, Facebook is the only online source of neighborhood updates. Follow me on Mastodon. Sources “Video Game Coin sound effect” by harrietniamh. Licensed under CC BY 3.0. Lose (Retro video game SFX) by cabled_mess. Public domain.

115: Automating my escape from Instagram

November 23, 2022 14:33 - 5 minutes - 4.89 MB

In the wake of joining Mastodon, I’m reconsidering my relationship to ad-driven social media platforms. Here’s a simple automation that (I’m hoping) will wean me off of Instagram. Sources “Video Game Coin sound effect” by harrietniamh. Licensed under CC BY 3.0. Lose (Retro video game SFX) by cabled_mess. Public domain.

114: A lapsed gamer and the cloud

November 17, 2022 01:03 - 3 minutes - 3.18 MB

Cloud gaming made it easy to rekindle a long-lost passion for video games. Find me on Mastodon. Sources “Video Game Coin sound effect” by harrietniamh. Licensed under CC BY 3.0. Lose (Retro video game SFX) by cabled_mess. Public domain.

113: Choosing a Mastodon instance

November 15, 2022 02:03 - 1 minute - 1.83 MB

There are thousands of Mastodon instances. How do you pick just one? Find me on Mastodon. Sources “Video Game Coin sound effect” by harrietniamh. Licensed under CC BY 3.0. Lose (Retro video game SFX) by cabled_mess. Public domain.

112: The joy of not caring TOO much about your gadgets

June 02, 2020 11:00 - 4 minutes - 5.1 MB

There’s a certain joy in loving something, but not loving it too much. To being satisfied with “good enough” over “the absolute best.” That’s why I typically love the Wirecutter—it balances “great” against “practical.” But the site may have missed the mark in a recent article about making espresso at home. Video Game Coin sound effect by harrietniamh. Licensed under CC BY 3.0. “Making Espresso at Home Is Kind of a Nightmare—But If You Insist, Here’s How to Do It Well” by Brian Lam at the W...

111: How to make fan-free sports entertaining

May 22, 2020 00:32 - 7 minutes - 8.05 MB

If you remove the fans from the arena, you might lose the energy that makes the NHL playoffs worth watching. Here are some ideas for addressing this challenge. Video Game Coin sound effect by harrietniamh. Licensed under CC BY 3.0.

110: Disembarking from the gaming train

May 20, 2020 23:56 - 5 minutes - 6.05 MB

By the time I graduated from college, I had ignored gaming for a solid four years. An entire generation of consoles, including the first Xbox and the Gamecube, had come and gone—and barely registered a blip on my radar. Video Game Coin sound effect by harrietniamh. Licensed under CC BY 3.0.

109: “Picture in picture,” but for every iPad app

May 20, 2020 00:09 - 4 minutes - 4.68 MB

I’d love to be able to float widgets above my iPad apps. I’d love to be able to toss a timer into the corner and have it stay there. I want a persistent little sketch pad available for doodling on at any time. I want a ‘Now Playing’ doodad that will always show the current song. I my FaceTime video conversation to follow me around as I hop into and out of other apps. iOS 14 concept by Parker Ortolani Introducing the iOS Block by Jay Machalani Video Game Coin sound effect by harrietniamh. ...

108: Why do so few podcasts include chapters?

May 18, 2020 23:43 - 6 minutes - 7.71 MB

Some of the longest-tenured and most popular podcasters don’t add chapters to their shows. Why not? Here are some reasons why podcasters eschew chapters (and why they might want to reconsider). Video Game Coin sound effect by harrietniamh. Licensed under CC BY 3.0.

107: AirPods Pro noise cancellation isn’t miraculous (and I can prove it)

May 14, 2020 11:00 - 4 minutes - 5.35 MB

I like the AirPods Pro; they’re an impressive extension of the original AirPods’ value case: easy, quick, convenient. But don’t fool yourself; noise cancellation on the AirPods Pro isn’t miraculous—or even really all that impressive! Video Game Coin sound effect by harrietniamh. Licensed under CC BY 3.0. “AirPods Pro observations (that I haven’t seen elsewhere)” on Careful Tech.)

106: Keeping your Spotify recommendations pure

May 13, 2020 11:00 - 3 minutes - 4.16 MB

If I logged into the Echo using my own Spotify account, my recommendations would soon be overrun with Disney songs and obscure 80s pop music. Video Game Coin sound effect by harrietniamh. Licensed under CC BY 3.0.

105: A standalone Apple Watch to break bad iPhone habits?

May 12, 2020 11:00 - 8 minutes - 9.2 MB

The Watch, by being less capable, ironically offers a more fulfilling computing experience, by constantly bouncing us back into the real world and towards more fulfilling experiences. Video Game Coin sound effect by harrietniamh. Licensed under CC BY 3.0.

104: iPad Multitasking Keyboard Shortcuts

May 11, 2020 11:00 - 6 minutes - 4.85 MB

There’s still no way to enable split screen mode from an external keyboard, even now, after the release of the Magic Keyboard. Video Game Coin sound effect by harrietniamh. Licensed under CC BY 3.0.

103: Nowhere to look (Zoom calls are pointless)

May 06, 2020 23:51 - 4 minutes - 4.97 MB

Where do you look awhen you’re Zooming (or Skyping or FaceTiming)? Either you’re looking at the other person, you’re looking at the thumbnail of yourself, or you’re looking at the camera. Each one of these has intrinsic, fundamental problems. Kate Murphy: “Why Zoom is Terrible” Video Game Coin sound effect by harrietniamh. Licensed under CC BY 3.0.

102: Bargain FOMO (or why I won’t try Ulysses as my text editor)

May 01, 2020 23:41 - 4 minutes - 5.61 MB

Does it bother you when you find out that others are paying a much cheaper price for the same product? Should it? Video Game Coin sound effect by harrietniamh. Licensed under CC BY 3.0.

101: Drag and drop for the iPhone?

May 01, 2020 00:30 - 3 minutes - 3.69 MB

The iPhone is nearly the iPad mini’s size. Why shouldn’t it get the best iPad features? Video Game Coin sound effect by harrietniamh. Licensed under CC BY 3.0.

100: Screen scratch zen

April 30, 2020 01:20 - 4 minutes - 5.48 MB

My Apple Watch has a scratch. But instead of ruminating on my own clutziness every time I see it, I’m borrowing an approach from my meditation practice. Video Game Coin sound effect by harrietniamh. Licensed under CC BY 3.0.

099: Just $349 to make my iPad... worse?

April 29, 2020 02:27 - 5 minutes - 5.74 MB

Does the Magic Keyboard case make the iPad worse... at being an iPad? ATP episode 375 Mike Rockwell’s review on Initial Charge Video Game Coin sound effect by harrietniamh. Licensed under CC BY 3.0.

098: Like butter scraped over too much bread

April 27, 2020 21:59 - 7 minutes - 8.38 MB

When I saw the trailer for the new Michael Jordan documentary, it was like I heard a cartoon record scratch sound. I was... unpleasantly surprised. The Last Dance trailer on YouTube Video Game Coin sound effect by harrietniamh. Licensed under CC BY 3.0.

097: iPhone mouse support

April 25, 2020 00:57 - 4 minutes - 4.75 MB

Did you know that you can use a Bluetooth mouse with your iPhone? It’s true, and it’s... weird. Video Game Coin sound effect by harrietniamh. Licensed under CC BY 3.0.

096: Is Apple buying product placements in virtual Broadway performances?

April 23, 2020 01:19 - 3 minutes - 3.54 MB

It’s really interesting how many pairs of AirPods show up on patched-together pandemic performances. A few examples: "Gaston" "We’re All in This Together" "Alexander Hamilton" Video Game Coin sound effect by harrietniamh. Licensed under CC BY 3.0.

095: Kids’ TV limits during COVID-19

April 21, 2020 11:00 - 6 minutes - 6.36 MB

COVID-19 has changed everything, and our parental approach is no exception. Since the coronavirus-imposed lockdown, we’ve grown far more liberal about allowing TV time, at least on the weekend. Video Game Coin sound effect by harrietniamh. Licensed under CC BY 3.0.

094: Second-hand impressions of the new Magic Keyboard

April 20, 2020 11:30 - 8 minutes - 8.12 MB

Over the weekend, the Magic Keyboard arrived for some customers in Asia. Here are my ‘second-hand’ impressions of their impressions. Impression videos: https://youtu.be/zasIJXYALS0 https://youtu.be/2vmGgZkFK40 https://youtu.be/j2ndl1FMQ2A Video Game Coin sound effect by harrietniamh. Licensed under CC BY 3.0.

093: Why I write “podcast scripts”

April 18, 2020 00:27 - 5 minutes - 5.27 MB

Um… (Why I write outlines before each podcast.) Short one today, and kind of a “back-of-house” focus. I thought it might be worthwhile to share a little bit about how the sausage gets made. My MO for creating this podcast each day. So different podcasters have different philosophies on show prep. Some completely wing it. They may have a general idea of what they’re going to talk about, but they improvise, playing off of their cohosts to create something spur-of-the-moment Others are mor...

092: What’s the best-sized iPad Pro?

April 17, 2020 00:06 - 6 minutes - 5.92 MB

So which is the “One True iPad”? The 11-incher or the 12.9er? Josh Ginter: “One Week With the New 2020 iPad: Moving Back to Small” Greg Morris: “Moving to the Bigger iPad” Matt Birchler: “Big or Small iPad Pros?” Video Game Coin sound effect by harrietniamh. Licensed under CC BY 3.0.

091: Give Screen Time some teeth

April 15, 2020 23:56 - 5 minutes - 4.81 MB

Give me a more powerful weapon against time-wasting apps—something I can’t override with a four-digit passcode.

090: Rewarding yourself for online creativity

April 15, 2020 00:13 - 3 minutes - 3.54 MB

Give yourself a reward—a carrot to see you through the low-motivation, low-energy days. And, to reinforce the creative habit, choose a reward that matches the habit—something that will make your creative work easier, more fun, or more interesting.

089: The next step in iPad productivity

April 13, 2020 23:41 - 7 minutes - 6.8 MB

Now that Apple has added proper mouse cursor support to iPadOS, what’s keeping the iPad from competing more directly with PCs?

088: Praise for the Watchsmith app—and a suggestion for its future

April 10, 2020 21:03 - 8 minutes - 8.44 MB

This week, Apple Watch fans are buzzing about a new app from David Smith called Watchsmith, which allows you to customize your Watch face complications by time of day. It's an amazing idea, well-implemented, but it got me thinking; what if Watchsmith offered alternative, NON-time-based triggers?

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