CES 2018 was a all about hyping the future, but Razer’s Project Linda concept has Andrew skeptical about the practicality of phones as computers. Meanwhile, Ian explains the iPad, but different… which is still basically an iPad, and Chase starts 2018 by listening more. * CES Robot Strippers * Razer Phone * Razer Project Linda * Samsung DEX * Motoro…

Chase is unhappy with how iOS 11 has changed some previously expected behaviors. Now his wifi might be on, or might be off, or might just not be connected right now. Ian makes assumptions about how people probably don’t know how to use their iPhone. Andrew thinks it all makes sense, but he’s a power user… 🤷‍♂️ * John Gruber on the iOS 11 wifi/bluet…

Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, Ethereum… it all sounds like stuff out of a 90’s Sci-Fi movie, but it’s a real thing, and it has the potential to change the way computing, finance, and identification are done in the future. Special guest Glenn Kunzler (@TheGlennja) joins Ian to discuss the ways this next wave of technology is (potentially) sha…

Amazon has spent the last few years slowly killing off the traditional bookstore (and many other stores along the way). Now Amazon has opened a physical bookstore to help those indecisive buyers find books that might enjoy. Nordstrom is doing the same, allowing you to shop online, and have a personally tailored shopping experience in store. The que…

Chase can now have a Tesla anywhere he goes. The problems is, it’s invisible unless he’s looking through his iPhone’s camera. Meanwhile, Andrew has been experimenting with AR simulated board games and loves the shaky cam battle scenes. Also, Ian has a cold. Sorry.

On the face of it, $10/month seems like a great deal for unlimited movie theater tickets. That is, until you realize that there is a hidden cost to seeing every new Marvel or DC movie to hit the cinema - incessant advertisements in your email promoting every new action figure, poster, video game, kids toy, or special Spiderman themed food item at W…

Ian pledged $50 to get a glorified selfie stick, but only half of it has been shipped. Chase spent $100 on a video game that may or may not actually be made one day. A combination of physical and psychological factors lead to successful campaigns on crowdfunding platforms, but sometimes even the most convincing sales pitches turn out to be much les…

Don't call it a comeback, we've been here for months! That's the song that introduced me to hip-hop, and I listened to my mp3 of it over and over before the bitrate degraded too much for WinAmp to play it anymore. It was my copy, but every time I put it on a new hard drive it got a little fuzzier. I don't know why I'm explaining this; you know how …

There is a fine line between creepy technology and helpful technology. Amazon, Google, and even Facebook ride very close to that line. But does that line shift? Do you know when it's been crossed? And what drives these artificially intelligent machines? * Could Google Influence a Presidential Election * Search Engine Manipulation * Facebook Manipul…

Chase graduated, and some of his family members shared the news on Facebook before he had the opportunity to do it. Now he feels petty for wishing he owned that content. * Social Media is Ruining Your Life

Some people take tens of photos every month. Other people take thousands. With the immediacy and accessibility of photography in the modern world, is a photograph as meaningful or valuable as it was when you paid for film? And what do we do with out 10,000 photos once we've collected them? * Loss aversion - Wikipedia * Artifact Uprising | Custom Ph…

After a week of celebrating our 1-year Birthday, the trio is back with a look at working remotely - that is, embracing the home office and still working on things that exist within the traditional business sense. It takes skill, focus, and self-motivation, but it can be a wonderful reprieve from the traditional office, especially when replacing you…

If you've been a long time listener, you might recall episode 7, where we discussed TV consumption and streaming TV. Now, in 315-day-old follow-up, Chase has cancelled SlingTV and Ian is testing out the recently released YouTube TV. The question is, outside of sports, does anybody watch anything live? And is the TV (as in the panel on your wall or …

Andrew borked the recording this week, so now you have to hear his crappo Skype version. Ian is happy, though, because it means less editing for him. * Vinyl Me, Please * Crema.co * Cleanly * Blue Apron * Local Harvest * Winc (Wine Subscription) * Help me fire the maid * 🍁💨 subscription?

Andrew and his wife just bought a house, but now they have some renovations they'd like to do. The problem is, Andrew doesn't have a large tool collection, and he's not entirely sure where to start. * The Sweethome * The Wirecutter * MN Tool Library * Tragedy Of The Commons

Okay, Google, turn off the lights. Here's what I found for "turn off the lights." Hot, single electricians in your area! Only ten dollars a minute. Call now! Did you want new lightbulbs? Your preferences indicate a desire for the maximum possible savings. Placing an order for 50,000 lightbulbs to save you one half a cent per bulb compared to a five…

I've definitely seen this one before. I can't quite put my finger on where — Facemash? Soundjammers? Twibbles? Show me again, website. Yes, I'm sure I've watched this before. I remember making it. We marinated the chicken in mayo, which made it extra juicy! (Ed: this actually works.) Here's the thing. When I saw it, there was a person there, more t…

After roughly 6 years of flings with various Android devices, Chase has found true love and happiness with an iPhone 6S. Moving from Android to iOS can't be without pain points, though, right? Changing apps, different content providers, a keyboard that is hard to punctuate… how will he adjust? And what's the cost of switching platforms in the curre…

When we were kids, we rode bikes and played outside. Today's kids are buried in their devices, and experiencing the world through a tiny glass window. But what happens next? How does it change the way they interact as they grow up? What dependencies does it form? * Nomophobia - Wikipedia * Another podcast called Interface * Snapchat by the numbers …

We've created a playlist of songs we (the algorithm) think you'll love, based on a mysterious set of features. Here's a preview: * Call Me Maybe * Leaving on a Jet Plane * In Da Club * Back in Black * Mrs. Robinson Are you excited? …No? …but the algorithm. How could it be wrong? -+- Links at ianfuchs.xyz/43 -+- * How to master Apple Music liking sy…

Chase has been keeping his eye out for the latest Toyz2Lyfe game (inspired by the Dreamworks Pictures animated Toy Story rip-off), and he's found some great online tools to track the best deals. Unfortunately, he's been sucked into the consumerist trap of online deal sites, and now has a garage packed wall-to-wall with HDMI cables and women's pants…

Why is it that every car radio, CD player, or fancy infotainment system sucks? Maybe it's a disconnect with customers, maybe it's just a lack of care… or maybe it's because there is no incentive to make it better when the competition all sucks, too. Either way, we don't like it. When the device in our pocket can do almost anything, why can't it be …

It's been a long week, and it's my night to make dinner. I know the fridge is basically empty, but going to the store seems like too much work. Fortunately, I can shop a virtual grocery store, pick a delivery window, and know that my day just got 10% easier - but at what cost? * Amazon Fresh - Save $25 on your first order at ianfuchs.xyz/fresh * In…

So we missed — PING — our projected sales for — BZZZ BZZZ — the fifth quarter in a row. I know — PING PING — that you've been — ZIP POW — leading that division — BEEP BEEP — as best you can but — RING RING, RING RING — are you going to get that? Hello? Yeah. Yeah. No. Yeah. I told him no. He had it yesterday! Yes, he did. No. Okay, see you tonight.…

You're in a meeting and you need to remember some key details of the conversation. Do you write it on a sheet of paper, or punch it out into the notes app on your iPad or iPhone? Then you are asked to attend a meeting - can you check what your calendar looks like, oe is it sitting on your desk? After work, you remember you need to stop at the store…

I don't even remember what we talked about. Video games, I guess? Like a low-budget Idle Thumbs. It doesn't matter, I'm just going back to Mario. Gotta collect those souls, amirite? This game, it's like those auto-scrolling levels of Olde only now they're even harder (and maybe they're crappier as a result). I'm just glad someone took the time to h…

Facebook has entered the field of PC gaming, and Chase is uncertain they can compete with Steam. On this holiday episode, Andrew sings and Chase speculates. * Facebook Gameroom * New York Times sends out Google Cardboard * Distribution of Users Computer SkillsBy Ian Fuchs

With the rising trend of false news, clickbait headlines, and misleading pull-quotes, we thought we would discuss some of the ways we get our news, and how we can verify the accuracy and authenticity of the news we see. * Facebook report fake news * Clickbait Bernie Sanders Headline * Reply All and r/The_Donald subreddit…

The year is 2016, and the worlds biggest musical star is putting the finishing touches on their new album. Then, from down the hall, they hear their mother call for dinner. They quickly hit command-s to save their changes, close their laptop, and head off to eat. The entire album being produced on a $900 computer, without the need for any instrumen…

With the Thanksgiving holiday just past us, we ran into a multitude of scheduling conflicts. Chase is in the middle of moving across the country, Andrew is traveling with his new wife, and Ian was finding it hard to work around a newborn schedule. Fortunately, there are tons of tools available now that allow for collaboration without needing to dep…

Hey, guys! Super great to see you here again! #InterfacePodcast! We just wanted to tell you about all the great non-jobs available now! Thanks for checking the episode out! Link in bio for our favorite online retailer! Be sure to like, share, and subscribe! #VoiceByChase #OtherVoiceByIan #LogicProX #Podcast #Interface! * Russel Wilson 'loves' his S…

Ian just bought a MacBook on eBay, and now the seller has disappeared with his money. Chase just sold his car to a guy he met on Craigslist, but not after some shady meet-ups. These tools have been around for years, and regardless of how questionable they may be at times, people love them or people hate them. If only there were a more centralized p…

When we were kids, our parents sent us outside to go play and use our imagination, get dirty, and cause mischief. Now, thanks to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) focused "toys," kids can build robots, program them to pick up their room, and do it all while learning to program a game. This leaves the guys at an impasse - is imaginative …

Alert: You slept for sixteen minutes and twenty-seven seconds less last night than your six-month average. Expert sleepers typically stay within one standard deviation (five minutes) of their average sleep time; consider going to bed eleven minutes earlier tonight to recover your average and maintain optimum cognition. This information will automat…

You just got off work and get on the bus to head home. Instead of checking Twitter (again), you decide to do a little gaming. You pull out your portable console and the 2 bite-sized controllers, only to notice the person across from you is watching curiously. You offer up one of the controllers and play a round of Mario Kart. Turns out™, it's hard …

First thing this morning, I bought $12,000 worth of "premium" stickers for email. The problem is, they've all degraded and now I can't tell what any of them are. Due to a glitch in the sticker implementation, only I see the degradation — everyone else can tell what they are. That's why Oma got a sticker of a drone holding an offensive sign and my w…

Chase was a smartphone skeptic, until he owned a smartphone. Then he was an Android lover, until he tried the iPhone. Now he's weighing his options and trying to choose the right device for his needs. What can the Android do that the iPhone can't? Where does the iPhone excel? Can his workflows be adjusted to work with a new platform, or is the cost…

Son, meet Pac-Man. Daughter, meet Pac-Man. Wife, let's Pac-Man. Pac-Man, prepare for doom. Dark Souls, hardcore, normcore, co-op. Play on your couch, don't play with your internet friends! Unless you play Minecraft, but then only play it next to each other. Don't look at their face, just focus on the controller. She's a Killer Queen / quiplashing, …

One misty morning, you enter your garage. It's dark, light streaming between the cracks of the door (don't forget to call the door guy). You don't remember driving home last night but you must have; there's a car in here. Wiping the sleep from your eyes, you walk around to the driver's side door. Weird, your car is bigger than that. Something slith…

Andrew is convinced that giving every student in a class a computer is a bad idea. Ian thinks it's the way of the future, and almost a necessity for the kids of 2016. Who is right? Who is wrong? Will these 2 ever agree on anything? Find out as we discuss the use of technology in the classroom, and ways technology and the internet can be used to tru…

It's a weird year to joke about elections, but the current inconsistencies and design of many voting systems is a bit of a joke. Some votes are cast on paper, others on an electronic machine, and the layouts of the ballots can vary widely from precinct to precinct. This week, we discuss some critical flaws in various ballot designs, and how the ent…

So you bought a 4K TV. And the new Xbox One S. And you're paying the extra $2 to Netflix for "Ultra HD." You fire everything up, and suddenly you realize - there's not much worthwhile content to take advantage of all those bonus pixels. Finally, you settle on "Smurfs 2" (available in 4K), only to be greeted by buffering every few minutes. There are…

After a long weekend, Andrew heads in to work, only to realize that his wireless keyboard and mouse are on his desk at home. After checking around the office, he decides his best option is to just suffer through using the touchscreen of his Surface 4 to work on editing a few pictures in Photoshop. After an hour of effort, and almost no progress on …

Chase is a dad of 2, and Ian is about to be a dad, and Andrew was away on business, so this week, we take a quick dive into smart devices for kids (babies). We also discuss how fitness wearables for adults offer motivation, and the desire for social elements in a fitness tracker. * Owlet Baby Monitor * Snuza Baby Monitor * Kinsa Thermometer * Flo T…

When we were young, we would do and say what we wanted. For many of us, what seemed acceptable in the moment, later seemed like an embarrassing, stupid, or hurtful thing, but rarely had lasting evidence. Now, in an era of "everything online, all the time," what can be done about the trail of dumb we leave behind? * Right to be forgotten * Facebook …

I'm not writing anything snarky or goofy about online toxicity. It's bad, and whether or not you agree with the viewpoints of people who are expressing their opinions, no one deserves to receive constant abuse, death threats, and rape threats. Today, we talk about what can be done and what's being done to combat online toxicity. -John Gabriel's Gre…

Ian is being crushed by a deluge of newsletter spam. They want conversions, he wants inbox zero! Later, he turns the tables and makes a million dollars tricking people into paying him three dollars every month for a service they don't even know they are paying for. Your writer was up late last night, so sorry about the show notes. * In Defense of T…

After a terrible, tragicly unfortunate event, Ian's original recording of this episode was lost, leaving us no option but to re-record, as to not miss our Monday deadline. Fortunately, we pinned our show notes to a virtual bulletin board and were able to cover the super popular game! But is it even a game, or is it something else? The much hyped Po…

"Off-camera, a hand. On-camera, a wife. A husband. A baby shower. Thumbs bubble up from the corner, punctuated by the occasional heart. Messages trickle in from family members distributed around the country. Then a presence, one you haven't felt since high school disturbs your bliss. Your Facebook Live privacy settings were wrong — if only we still…

Colin Ray joins us to discuss the evolution and potential future of computer input methods, and strange twists and turns through the landscape of game controllers - most notably the Steam controller. *In the words of Andrew:* ENGELBART IS LOVE, ENGELBART IS LIFE. ENGELBART IS GENIUS. ENGELBART IS REMEMBERED FOR AN INPUT DEVICE HE DIDN'T EVEN INVENT…