Interchange Project

Episode 37: Blogging for tenure

We start off by discussing the Das Keyboard that I’m testing out for review purposes. Jeremy may have never heard a louder keyboard before.

But for the author, the Das Keyboard feels heavenly and the loudness is an asset. You owe it to yourself to at least try a mechanical keyboard before you die. This isn’t my final review, but early results are very positive.

Why shouldn’t someone who writes, programs or types for a living think very deeply about the device they use to do most of their work? Why do we spend so much time picking out our actual machines, software, even mice and so little on our keyboards?

I’m typing this entry on a Apple Extended Keyboard that I got off of Ebay to compare modern vs. old mechanical keyboards. It’s huge little a battleship, but man does it feel good, even though it is 20 years old.

We then take Google Drive for a spin and discuss how we think it stacks up against Dropbox and iCloud. If you’re interested in setting up a writing workflow with an iPad, I highly recommend you check out this post. I bring this up because any good mobile workflow will need one of these three services.

We also discuss academic writing in the Internet Age. Why is so much scholarly work locked up in academic journals that no one reads?

Is it time for academic blogging? Can you get tenure in your Mom’s basement?

I apologize for my audio sounding weird at the end. I’ll investigate what went wrong with my microphone.

Listen to this week’s episode:

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Show notes:

• Das Keyboard initial thoughts
• Clicky keyboards for productivity and happiness
• Blogging as a scholarly activity

Episode 36: Hacks and hackers

We begin by discussing my experience at BarCamp NewsInnovation Philadelphia, one of the best (un)conferences around. It brings together journalists and technologists.

What I really like about events like BCNI is that people take the sessions seriously and the audience is engaged and asks lots of questions. The sessions really become great Socratic debates. No one is proposing a session just so they can get in free; BCNI costs $5 and came with free breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The event led me to write a post about taking news beyond the narrative form based on a session I attended.

We then discuss the whole Washington Post blogPost mess. We have to ask, who really made the ethical lapse at the Post?

Also, Jeremy thinks that working on blogPost is the worst entry-level journalism job he has ever heard of.

There are also a few good rants. So buckle up.

Listen to this week’s show:

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Show notes:

• BarCamp NewsInnovation Philadelphia
• Taking news beyond the narrative form
• History of the article
• On failing young journalists
• Elizabeth Flock’s resignation: The Post fails a young blogger
• The latest sad fate of the aggregation serf

Episode 35: Our computer setups

This is my current setup (although my office has some new toys). It’s a Mac Mini hooked up to dual 22-inch monitors, Bluetooth Apple keyboard and mouse, external hard drive, Harman-Kardon Soundsticks and more.

We discuss my upcoming computer setup for grad school and look back at what computing was like 10 years ago when I began my undergraduate education.

What was your computing setup like when you were in school?

Speaking of school, the University of Florida doesn’t think highly of computer science anymore.

Listen to this week’s show:

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Show notes:

• My computer setup for grad school
• University of Florida guts computer science department in budget-cutting move
• Data visualization for the people

Episode 34: Manly boards

Jeremy talks about is manly Pinterest boards.

Apparently, everyone is pinning these days and Pinterest now the world’s third largest social network. I assume MySpace is still No. 1.

We also discuss online news orgs winning Pulitzer prizes. The times they are a changing.

We also rant again about net neutrality, and we discuss how young people are driving less today because of technology.

Listen to this week’s show:

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Show notes:

• The Huffington Post wins a Pulitzer
• Netlfix CEO Reed Hastings blasts Comcast over Net Neutrality
• Young Americans are driving a lot less than older Americans
• Study: Pinterest is the world’s third-largest social network

Episode 33: Should computers and computing systems auto update?

We discuss the purchase of Instagram by Facebook.

Jeremy is concerned. I’m taking a wait and see approach.

Then we have a big discussion about computers and computing systems automatically installing updates and patches for users. Most users don’t keep their computers and computing systems up to date. So doesn’t it make sense that more computers and computing systems are auto updating? Won’t this lead to less malware and a better user experience?

But what happens if that computing system being updated is within the car you’re driving?

It’s a serious usability discussion. Both sides have drawbacks and benefits. Perhaps the answer comes down to the user and the use case.

Listen to this week’s show:

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Show notes:

• Hey Facebook. Let’s talk about Instagram
• The biggest OS X malware outbreak ever has hit with Flasback malware
• Mercedes can upgrade car software remotely

Episode 32: Can I see your Facebook password? It’s for work.

We discuss the growing controversy over employers asking employees for their Facebook login information.

Would you give a perspective employer your username and password to Facebook if it were the only way you could get that job?

Usability expert Jakob Nielsen believes that the new iPad with its high resolution display is a usability game changer. Specifically, it makes you want to use it more. This is the future of computing displays.

Also, is faking a students death an appropriate April Fool’s Day joke?

Listen to this week’s episode:

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Show notes:

• Passwordgate: How private is your Facebook page?
• Nielsen: iPad text resolution improves usability
• Penn State student publications “kills” former editor who prematurely killed Joe Paterno

Episode 31: How would you prefer to die?

I got new, blazing fast Internet this past week, which of course means that we had several Internet issues during this week’s episode.

We also discuss how streaming movies have overtaken physical media watching. Also, how would you like to die?

Listen to this week’s show:

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Show notes:

• More movies will be streamed instead of watched on disc on 2012
• Draw Something becomes instant success story
• Director James Cameron details 3 hours at Earth’s deepest spot, says it’s desolate, foreboding
• Video of James Cameron’s dive
• Five Ways James Cameron Could Have Died on His Mission to the Bottom of the Ocean

Episode 30: This American Lie

We breakdown the This American Life mess that surrounds Apple, Foxconn and Mike Daisey.

This American Life ran an episode about Apple’s main supplier Foxconn that included troubling allegations by Mike Daisey. The episode has now been retracted, as Daisey did not do the reporting that he said he did. We discuss how this could have happened, why fact checking is important and why good journalism isn’t always good storytelling.

I also give my review of the new iPad. If you like to read, it’s a great upgrade. Text looks amazing — except on iPad news all that haven’t been updated yet.

Listen to this weeks’s show:

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Show notes:

• Mr. Daisey and the Apple factory
• This American Life: Retraction
• RETRACTING “MR. DAISEY AND THE APPLE FACTORY”
• 5 Revelations in This American Life’s Foxconn Retraction Episode

Episode 29: Blue Screen of Death while driving

Would you like a Blue Screen of Death while driving?

We discuss the pitfalls of putting touch screens and computers in cars and several other topics. And, finally, iTunes movies are in the cloud.

Listen to this week’s show:

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Show notes:

• Google Play
• Ford’s reliability ratings are dropping because of their touchscreen software designed by Microsoft
• A guy’s Dad tries to use Windows 8 for the first time
• #STOPKONY and slacktivism

Episode 28: Are we all Square?

We had some technical difficulties this week, so that’s partially why the episode is a little late in hitting. That’s also explains the weird start to the show, but it’s a good one, I promise. And the worst part is that we made some iPad, Apple TV and iPhoto for iOS predictions that were spot on!

We talk quite a bit about mobile payment processing and how this is a big deal for small businesses, especially in emerging markets. Square’s new Register app for the iPad has us swooning. If we were to open a small business, we’d go with iPads and Square Register.

We also discuss the new Reflection app for iPad, which has allowed Jeremy to finally us his iPad in the his classroom. An Apple TV did not work.

Listen to this week’s show:

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Show notes: 

• Square Register 
• Reflection app
• Reflection app for Mac is a dream come true
• Reflection app goes live, brings iOS screen mirroring to your Mac