by Martin Feld
In episode 155 of Hemispheric Views, I reminisced with Andrew and Jason about the old R2-D2 USB hub that sat on my family’s computer desk and which I purchased at Akihabara during a holiday in Japan. In all of its cheesy glory, you can see it in the image below, sitting next to our old [ ]
Is there a device from your past that deserves a bit more love and attention? I discuss one from a simpler digital time that brings me and my family joy. Read a transcript of the episode. Subscribe via RSS. Links and Show Notes
The last time that I wrote a PhD journal entry was back in April 2020. Extending the theme of this blog, which is overthinking, it s fair to say that the long gap was a result of overdoing things, as I was also maintaining a written autoethnographic journal of my research and sharing updates on my [ ]
In episode 134 of Hemispheric Views, Andrew and I discussed his appearance on The Omni Show and what it means to love certain apps on your computer. The Mac is home to many beloved third-party apps, whether they be NetNewsWire, MarsEdit, Audio Hijack, Pastebot, Acorn, iA Writer, BBEdit or the recently-acquired Pixelmator Pro. The list is endless. Back in episode 097, when we undertook our ‘Duel of…
For the past few years, I ve been extremely fortunate to produce the Hemispheric Views podcast with my two great friends, Andrew Canion and Jason Burk. It has led me to meet more wonderful people online and helped me to develop practical skills that have benefited other audio projects in my research and paid work, such [ ]
I’m an enthusiastic user of OM SYSTEM cameras, the brand formerly known as Olympus, which was transferred to Japan Industrial Partners (JIP) in 2021 and became the new company OM Digital Solutions (OMDS). I entered the ecosystem in 2022, having been a happy Canon user for years. I wanted a lighter mirrorless system and I [ ]
Recently, in episode 097 of Hemispheric Views, which was titled ‘Duel of the Defaults’, I had the pleasure of battling it out against my co-host, Jason, to see who had the most default apps installed on their phone. I thought that it would be a fun idea before we recorded the episode, but I had no idea [ ]
I m back on the audio lounge after an entire year of absolutely nothing, and of course, there are some excuses! Welcome back to Lounge Ruminator restored, reloaded, rebooted—however you want to put it! There ll be more in the future, but without the pressure of a regular schedule. Thanks for following the show! Read a transcript [ ]
Media ecologist Marshall McLuhan once said, ‘We walk backwards into the future’. He was referring to the human tendency to feel nostalgic in the face of new things—to focus on what has already passed us by. I find myself frequently in conflict about the devices that I use: their usefulness, balancing necessity with desire and [ ]
One of my favourite things about Micro.blog is that whether you’re using the default app or third-party options like Gluon for Micro.blog, you can adjust a setting that stops any replies from appearing in your feed. With this preference enabled, only original blog posts, articles and photos are displayed. To be clear, I m not saying [ ]
Every day, I rely entirely on digital devices to produce, consume and manage information for myself and others. I edit podcasts with my iPad Pro and Apple Pencil; I listen to music on my iPhone; I take photos on my Olympus camera; I import and edit photos on my iPad mini; I watch YouTube on [ ]
For our November 2022 issue of Hemispheric News, Jason prescribed me the following topic to discuss: I absolutely love this topic, as it aligns with concepts and themes in the discipline of media ecology, which forms the major theoretical basis for my research project about tech podcasting. I will avoid being too academic and using jargon or direct [ ]
By now, many people have already written about Stage Manager, which is the new window-management tool that Apple introduced in iPadOS 16 and macOS Ventura (13.0). If you aren’t familiar with the feature, it is intended to provide a new way of navigating between active app windows and focusing on your task at hand, with [ ]
Listeners of our members’ show, Hemispheric Views One Prime Plus, may recall that we spoke about the ad-free photo-sharing service Glass in episode 012, ‘TumblrJimbo!’. Quite amusingly, I was the only one left on the network after both Andrew and Jason decided to leave. I loved using the app, which felt right at home on the [ ]
After a long break, the Lounge Ruminator podcast returns! (Thanks for sticking around.) I discuss the ethical review behind my research interview show, Really Specific Stories, and reflect on the challenges of balancing family, work and academic commitments. Read a transcript of the episode. Links and Show Notes
Although I often use Pages to refine shared documents and MarsEdit to publish posts on Lounge Ruminator, my main writing app (particularly for university) is iA Writer. It feels like a rethought TextEdit on Markdown steroids: it’s minimalistic, focused and includes a restricted set of beautiful fonts, which are named Mono, Duo and Quattro. When [ ]
On Hemispheric Views, Andrew, Jason and I regularly discuss our own experiences with digital technology and its effects—generally with a focus on the positives. Digital devices are so much a part of our lives at this point though that we habitually want and reach for things without a moment’s consideration. Having a baby in the [ ]
Listeners will recall that in Hemispheric Views episode 059, Flip the Bit!, I revealed that I purchased an Xbox Series X. It’s my first new console purchase since I was in early high school, which was an Xbox 360. (I completely skipped the Xbox One generation.) Since bringing the Series X home, I have been enjoying [ ]
Listeners of Hemispheric Views may recall that I am a fan of the reimagined series of Battlestar Galactica (2004); by extension, I also enjoyed its prequel, Caprica (2009), which portrays a hedonistic capital (of the Twelve Colonies) before its destruction by the Cylons. At the beginning of Caprica, which I don’t intend to spoil entirely, [ ]
At the beginning of our April Hemispheric News on One Prime Plus, Andrew discussed the issue of web apps and their user experience (or lack thereof); I share his opinion. Andrew raised a great point that many people may not know or care about the difference between web and native apps, as an equivalent tool [ ]
Back in August of 2018, I was motivated to write a brief blog post about what is probably my favourite album: Eternal Nightcap (1997), which is the third album by The Whitlams. I have wonderful memories associated with this album, as it played on repeat in the car during family road trips and to me, [ ]
This post was originally written in February 2022 for Hemispheric News; subscribe at the Patreon site One Prime Plus to receive this monthly newsletter and other benefits that are linked to the Hemispheric Views podcast. Those who follow me on Micro.blog may recognise the photo above, which I posted there recently, stating that the combination of canopy and sky [ ]
This post was originally written in January 2022 for Hemispheric News; subscribe at the Patreon site One Prime Plus to receive this monthly newsletter and other benefits that are linked to the Hemispheric Views podcast. As I’ve said a number of times on our podcast, I’m not a huge gamer. As a kid, I spent a good chunk of [ ]
If you haven’t watched this show, then you definitely should. Read a transcript of the episode. Image credit: Netflix (2022) Links and Show Notes
In my first podcast episode for 2022, I give a quick review of Cecelia Watson s book Semicolon: The Past, Present, and Future of a Misunderstood Mark, while sharing some of the key themes that resonated with me. Read a transcript of the episode. Other Ways to Listen Apple Podcasts Castro Overcast Pocket Casts RSS Links and Show Notes
When I was in early high school, a good friend from my primary years—with whom I’m still friends today—would visit my place on Friday afternoons. Each time that he popped in, he’d say, ‘Martin, you’re so domesticated’. Why did he say this? Well, back then, Friday afternoons were the time for weekly family housework. Upon [ ]
This post was originally written in November 2021 for Hemispheric News; subscribe at the Patreon site One Prime Plus to receive this monthly newsletter and other benefits that are linked to the Hemispheric Views podcast. In my previous role, I travelled to Sydney from Monday to Friday; this is hardly uncommon for someone who lives in Wollongong, as many [ ]
This post was originally written in October 2021 for Hemispheric News; subscribe at the Patreon site One Prime Plus to receive this monthly newsletter and other benefits that are linked to the Hemispheric Views podcast. It’s funny how quickly you fall into certain roles or personas when you co-host a podcast. Since starting Hemispheric Views with Andrew and Jason—now [ ]
This post was originally written in September 2021 for Hemispheric News; subscribe at the Patreon site One Prime Plus to receive this monthly newsletter and other benefits that are linked to the Hemispheric Views podcast. Even if you’re not into media studies like I am, you might have heard of someone by the name of Marshall McLuhan. If [ ]
This post was originally written in August 2021 for Hemispheric News; subscribe at the Patreon site One Prime Plus to receive this monthly newsletter and other benefits that are linked to the Hemispheric Views podcast. My poor wife Natasha often has to deal with my extended monologues at home, whether they’re about technology, social observations or stories [ ]
This post was originally written in July 2021 for Hemispheric News; subscribe at the Patreon site One Prime Plus to receive this monthly newsletter and other benefits that are linked to the Hemispheric Views podcast. Then something changed: I stopped handwriting. Why is that? (You may ask…) I went to university. I had been using computers throughout my [ ]
This post was originally written in June 2021 for Hemispheric News; subscribe at the Patreon site One Prime Plus to receive this monthly newsletter and other benefits that are linked to the Hemispheric Views podcast. After I finished high school in 2009, I was fortunate to receive a very generous gift from my parents: a Canon 500D. [ ]
This post originally appeared on the Hemispheric Views blog for the month of Nostalgic November. You can also read the accompanying posts by Andrew Canion and Jason Burk. You may be wondering what on Earth is going on in the header for this article. It ll all make sense in a moment! When I was a [ ]
This post was originally written in June 2021 for Hemispheric News; subscribe at the Patreon site One Prime Plus to receive this monthly newsletter and other benefits that are linked to the Hemispheric Views podcast. If you’re into technology, you probably have a lot of old things lying around your home. Although I try to recycle some [ ]
Andrew is a writer, poet and media educator, as well as the founder of the McLuhan Institute. He also happens to be the descendant of renowned media ecologists Marshall and Eric McLuhan. In this episode, he kindly joins me to discuss his work at the institute, what motivates him to write, how we can slow [ ]
I m joined by Dario to talk about his background in film research (and now audio), along with the art of academic podcasting and why the podcast as a medium has a propensity to talk about itself. Other Ways to Listen Apple Podcasts Castro Overcast Pocket Casts RSS Find Dario Online Links and Show Notes Introducing Dario — 00:00 Academic [ ]
Anne is a PhD student who is investigating what she calls fan commentary podcasts. She tells the story of how she started listening to them, what appealed to her about undertaking higher research on the topic and what it means to be a fan. Other Ways to Listen Apple Podcasts Castro Overcast Pocket Casts RSS Find Anna Online Links [ ]
Vincent shares his personal story of how he became an independent developer, from his earliest use of computers through to creative projects and apps like Gluon for Micro.blog. Other Ways to Listen Apple Podcasts Castro Overcast Pocket Casts RSS Find Vincent Online Links and Show Notes Early Days with Computers 00:00 Flight 10:22 Experimenting on the Web 13:23 Developing [ ]
We all know about the monetary cost of streaming media, but what does it cost the planet? Other Ways to Listen Apple Podcasts Castro Overcast Pocket Casts RSS Links and Show Notes
If you have been following my blog and its associated Lounge Ruminator podcast, then you may recall an episode that I uploaded on 16 August 2020: 39. International Mac Nerds with Special Guests Andrew Canion and Jason Burk’. This shared, extended audio rumination became the pilot for Hemispheric Views, a fortnightly podcast that I now co-host [ ]
In this episode, I offer a quick critique on Apple’s power as a ‘vectoralist’ of information, drawing on Kara Swisher’s recent interview of CEO Tim Cook and the work of scholar McKenzie Wark. Other Ways to Listen Apple Podcasts Castro Overcast Pocket Casts RSS Links and Show Notes Introduction 00:00 Apple as Vectoralist 00:47 To Ruminate 11:30
Like just about any other human being, I have a strong attachment to my home and the landscape that surrounds me. I feel incredibly grateful to live in the city of Wollongong—part of the Illawarra region—and enjoy its distinctive, narrow coastline, backed by an escarpment that gives otherwise ignorant Westerners like me a sense of [ ]
I discuss a conceptual shift in my podcasting research, the shock of the (big) HomePod’s discontinuation and finally, three wonderful films that challenge us to think differently. Other Ways to Listen Apple Podcasts Castro Overcast Pocket Casts RSS Links and Show Notes Research Rumination 00:44 So Long, Big HomePod 07:29 Three Films with One Idea 13:29 To Ruminate 21:08
My long-time friend (and former drama teacher and boss), Fiona Finley, joins the podcast to explain her love of the arts. She elaborates on her own background in theatre, the value of performance for kids and the importance of liveness. Other Ways to Listen Apple Podcasts Castro Overcast Pocket Casts RSS [ ]
Friend and fellow podcasting co-host Jason Burk joins the virtual rumination lounge! We discuss hobbies, the ever-changing world of online work and education and the effects of open offices and commuting. (Thank you to the really loud, enthusiastic cicadas who kindly featured intermittently throughout the episode.) Other Ways to Listen Apple Podcasts Castro [ ]
My long-time friend Evan joins the podcast to discuss his experience as a pianist and music teacher. He also shares his thoughts on how digital technology has been transforming performance and education. Links and Show Notes A Dark Cave — 01:03 Performance Roles — 09:36 Acoustic Space — 18:10 Digital Effects on Music Education — [ ]
I review a stunning documentary series that sheds light (literally) on amazing animal behaviour. Beware of minor spoilers: I have strong opinions to share, even when I only have five minutes. Links and Show Notes
Ever since the launch of iPhone 6 back in 2014, I’ve enjoyed having a larger display. Web pages became easier to read and navigate, photos looked even more spectacular and on-screen keyboards began to feel less cramped. Still with the increase in size, I missed the feeling of the iPhones 3G, 4 and 5 that [ ]
Natasha joins me on the lounge for the first episode of 2021! We reflect on our recent visit to one of the most unusual, niche amusement parks in Australia, called Granties Maze, then share memories of trips to theme parks from when we were kids. We then ruminate on the difference in experiencing such places [ ]
Whenever Natasha and I do our grocery shopping, we always make sure to visit local, independent shops in our area, as we naturally wish to support them. Furthermore they often stock obscure things that you can’t find elsewhere. In Australia, the two main grocery chains are Coles and Woolworths and although their respective ranges are [ ]