Episode

Good Night Garden, Hello Userlandia

Hey everybody,

A few months ago we announced that the show would be on hiatus. Well, the hiatus is going to be a little more permanent than we thought. Jake and I would like to thank everybody for listening over the past few years. We both had a fantastic time creating the show and sharing it with you. Many thanks also go to our numerous guests for sharing their time and thoughts with us too.

But with all endings is a new beginning. I’d like to humbly ask that if you liked our show to follow my new project, Userlandia. It’s a blog and podcast project focused on tech enthusiasm, both retro and modern. Apple will be a topic, of course, but it won’t be the only one.

You can visit the website at userlandia.com and subscribe on your favorite podcast platforms, like Apple Podcasts and Overcast. Or just be old school and grab the RSS feed.

Thanks for listening.

Episode 61: William Volk Oral History Interview - Apple, Amiga, and PC Game Pioneer

Episode 61: William Volk Oral History Interview - Apple, Amiga, and PC Game Pioneer

Time for a surprise!

Joining Dan in the Garden today is game industry veteran William Volk. Volk started his career in late 1979 as a game tester for Avalon Hill and developed or spearheaded games across all generations of platforms. As a cofounder of Aegis Development, Volk was part of the first Macintosh game releases before the company pivoted to the Amiga. Volk joined Activision in 1988, serving on its executive team as VP of Technology. We talk Volk’s career past and present, including development in the early days of the Macintosh, the influence of gaming on education, his return to indie development with The Climate Trail, and how the Amiga keeps coming back.

Recorded March 7, 2021

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Theme Song by Space Vixen
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Chapters

00:00:00 - Introduction
00:01:06 - William Volk
00:04:00 - Avalon Hill and The 8-Bit Era
00:16:07 - Pyramid of Peril and Mac Challenger
00:20:33 - Aegis Development and the Amiga
00:28:23 - Activision and The Manhole
00:43:15 - Lightspan, Inc. Games
00:49:27 - Transitioning to Mobile Gaming
00:58:48 - Pioneering Games on the iPhone
01:08:35 - Ownerfy, The Amgia, and Warhol
01:12:41 - The Climate Trail And An Indie Resurgence
01:23:26 - Outtro and Credits

Episode 60: March Mac-ness with Matt Corey

Fill out your iMac rumor brackets!

After weathering a cold and snowy winter, Dan and Jake welcome March with open arms. It’s a season of renewal, and previous guest Matt Corey returns to talk about his new light control app, Follow the Sun. Both Jake and Matt now have M1 MacBooks Air—how do they fit in their workflows? Plus, Dan finally succumbed and bought the LG 34WK95U ultrawide monitor. Is the ultrawide life all it’s cracked up to be? Listen in to find out.

Recorded March 12, 2021

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Theme Song by Space Vixen Follow them on Twitter: @SpaceVixenMusic

Chapters

00:00:00 - Introduction
00:01:44 - Returning Guest Matt Corey
00:03:30 - Matt and Jake Buy New M1 MacBooks Air
00:18:22 - BimmerTech i3 Wireless CarPlay Adapter Installation and Review
00:29:12 - Dan Buys an LG 34WK95U 5k2k Ultrawide Monitor
00:43:17 - New Apple Silicon iMac—What Do We Want?
00:52:38 - Redesigned AirPods Regular Coming Soon?
00:56:48 - RIP original HomePod, 2018-2021
01:02:54 - Follow The Sun App
01:14:59 - HomeKit on the Mac and App Store Experiences
01:36:41 - Outtro and Credits

Episode 59: Smart Kitchens and Food Technology

I’m a Power User, and I Need a Power Cereal!

The dynamic duo is reunited as Jake thaws out from the Texas deep freeze—did all his smart tech survive? Dan still can’t find a GPU, and Jake adds CarPlay to his new automobile. For our main topic, we talk smart kitchen appliances, how tech has changed our grocery habits, and hot takes on easter candy too.

Recorded February 26, 2021

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Mac Ach Thread

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Theme Song by Space Vixen Follow them on Twitter: @SpaceVixenMusic

Chapters

00:00:00 - Introduction
00:02:33 - Dan Can't Find A GPU
00:09:58 - Surviving the Texas Deep Freeze
00:18:54 - CarPlay Upgrade MMI for the BMW i3
00:31:23 - Ooni Koda Pizza Oven
00:40:05 - Smart Kitchen Gadgets
00:45:11 - Apple in the Kitchen?
00:47:35 - Grocery Shopping Apps and Services
00:56:19 - Meal Kit Services
01:02:29 - Future Moves for Apple in Food and Dining
01:14:05 - Easter Candy Judgment Time
01:18:36 - Outtro and Credits

Episode 58: Live Streaming With Your Mac with Maegan Wilson

Episode 58: Live Streaming With Your Mac with Maegan Wilson

Never cross the streams.

We’ll do it live! Guest and friend of the show Maegan Wilson returns to fill in for Jake. Ever wanted to stream your games or productivity but didn’t know where to start? Dan and Maegan talk about streaming to Twitch and YouTube using Macs (and PCs!), the gear you’ll need, and what the experience is like.

Recorded February 16, 2021

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Mac Ach Thread

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Jake’s HomeKit Page

Theme Song by Space Vixen Follow them on Twitter: @SpaceVixenMusic

Chapters

00:00:00 - Introduction
00:00:55 - Returning Guest Maegan Wilson
00:07:21 - Dan Builds an AMD 5950x Workstation
00:12:08 - Introduction to Streaming
00:22:12 - Using a Mac to Stream
00:32:59 - Gear and Hardware for Streaming
00:42:33 - Audio Quality and Setup
00:49:57 - Touch Bar for Streaming
00:53:12 - Finding an Audience and Platform Politics
01:04:28 - Final Thoughts
01:07:15 - Outtro and Credits

Episode 57: Fitness Technology Roundtable with Isaac Niebeling, Dustin Ray, and Ian Blackburn

Episode 57: Fitness Technology Roundtable with Isaac Niebeling, Dustin Ray, and Ian Blackburn

Gonna fly now.

Get buff, get tough! The Icon Garden Roundtable is back, this time the subject is fitness technology, apps, and more! Special guests Isaac Niebeling, Dustin Ray, and Ian Blackburn sit down to talk smart exercise bikes, fitness games, how social media and apps work into our fitness routines, and more.

Recorded January 30, 2020

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Theme Song by Space Vixen Follow them on Twitter: @SpaceVixenMusic

Chapters

00:00:00 - Introduction
00:01:23 - Roundtable Guest Introductions
00:09:15 - Fitness Tracking and Sharing Apps
00:19:38 - Zwift and Smart Exercise Programs
00:42:59 - Training in the Era of Quarantine
00:49:54 - How Apple Fitness+ Compares
01:03:56 - Ring Fit Adventure
01:05:57 - Apple Watch's Interfacing (Or Lack Thereof) With Equipment
01:14:08 - Is There Room For An Athlete-Focused Apple Watch?
01:19:14 - Smart Trainers and Smart Bike Mods
01:33:13 - Biking Simulation Apps
01:39:51 - Apple Watch Marketshare Critical Mass
01:49:19 - Final Thoughts
01:52:37 - Outtro and Credits

Episode 54: The 2020 Icon Garden Holiday Special with Jeff Berg

Episode 54: The 2020 Icon Garden Holiday Special with Jeff Berg

It’s Christmas all over again!

Ho ho ho! Merry Macmas! Jeff Berg rejoins Dan and Jake to talk about the present that Santa Tim dropped for all the good Apple children: AirPods Max! Jake has a pair of the new headphones and we review features, audio quality, comparisons, all of it! Plus, we try Apple Fitness+, and a holiday episode wouldn’t be complete without a holiday gift guide for all the techies in your life. Pour a cup of cheer and listen in!

Recorded December 18, 2020

Links

The Icon Garden Gift Guide

(!) A note from Jeff: I must disclose that I work for REI because REI sells Peak Design and Goal Zero Products. I am not directly compensated for endorsement, but I received a discount when I purchased the products. I did purchase and do use all of the products I list here. Opinions are my own.

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Mac Ach Thread

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Jake’s HomeKit Page

Theme Song by Space Vixen Follow them on Twitter: @SpaceVixenMusic

Chapters

00:00:00 - Introduction
00:01:45 - Returning Special Guest Jeff Berg
00:03:17 - AirPods Max Introduced
00:07:55 - AirPods Max Style and Form
00:16:34 - Ergonomics Comparison
00:26:09 - AirPods Max Audio Quality
00:33:02 - Spatial Audio
00:39:55 - Auto-Device Switching
00:47:31 - The Smart Case
00:56:59 - AirPods Max: Value and Price
01:20:40 - Microphone Quality
01:21:59 - Apple Fitness+ First Impressions
01:34:57 - The Icon Garden Gift Guide
01:52:08 - Outtro and Credits

Episode 53: Mac to the Future with Krazy Ken

Episode 53: Mac to the Future with Krazy Ken

Awesome. Awesome to the Macs.

Catch the Crazy! Dan and Jake are joined in the studio by Krazy Ken to speculate about future Macs based on imagined (and rumored) new Apple Silicon chips. Dan talks about rescuing a hot rod Power Mac 8100. Jake experiments with HomeKit Adaptive Lighting. Ken recalls his greatest tech misadventures. All this and more when you tune in!

Recorded December 4, 2020

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Mac Ach Thread

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Theme Song by Space Vixen. Follow them on Twitter: @SpaceVixenMusic

Chapters

00:00:00 - Introduction
00:01:50 - Special Guest Krazy Ken
00:11:44 - Ken's First Mac
00:17:37 - What's Going On In Your Tech Life?
00:24:00 - The HomeKit Chronicles: iOS 14 Adaptive Ambient Lighting
00:42:59 - Main Topic: Future Apple Silicon Products
00:55:06 - Potential New Design Languages
01:07:12 - Workflow on Apple Silicon
01:13:50 - Apple Silicon Macs vs. iPad and Competitors
01:27:15 - Outtro and Credits

Episode 52: The Route to Big Sur with Jay McNiff

Episode 52: The Route to Big Sur with Jay McNiff

Big Sur! (badabum) Big Sur, Big Sur, Big Sur!

The new M1 Macs are out in the wild, and until Dan and Jake get ones of their own, they do the next best thing: bring in a guest! Friend of the show Jay McNiff stops by to talk about the new M1 MacBook Air, Big Sur, and obscure giant robots. Also, Jake has HomePods Mini! Do these little spheres pack big sound? Listen to find out.

Recorded November 20, 2020

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Dan’s Twitter: @kefkafloyd
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Show Twitter: @icongardenshow
Visit Our Website
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Mac Ach Thread

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Jake’s HomeKit Page

Theme Song by Space Vixen Follow them on Twitter: @SpaceVixenMusic

Episode 51: Apple November 2020 Mac Special Event

Episode 51: Apple November 2020 Mac Special Event

Welcome to the world of tomorrow!

Dan and Jake are hot on the tail of an Apple Special Event! This time it’s about the unveiling of the first Apple Silicon Macs. What’s changed? What’s the same? And are they just making a bunch of crazy promises? Plus: Jake learns a lesson! Dan watched Dave Letterman Interview Lizzo! Join us for this hot off the microphones special event.

Recorded November 10, 2020

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Mac Ach Thread

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Jake’s HomeKit Page

Theme Song by Space Vixen Follow them on Twitter: @SpaceVixenMusic

Chapters

00:00:00 - Introduction
00:02:20 - Apple Silicon Macs Event Review
00:11:12 - Specs, Benchmarks, and Promises
00:20:48 - New MacBook Air and Pro
00:32:09 - New Mac Mini: One GPU Forward, Two Ports Back?
00:37:49 - Pricing and Sales Strategies
00:41:45 - Thinking About Future Macs
00:56:36 - One More Thing...
01:01:27 - Outtro and Credits