The Icon Garden

Dan Vincent & Jake Pugh
  • 4.6 (13)
  • TECHNOLOGY

Not Quite Graybeards! The Icon Garden is a show about interesting topics in the world of Apple and Technology for the enthusiast user. Hosts Dan and Jake talk news, workflow, and a special topic every show. We chat home automation with the HomeKit Chronicles, and every month there's a deep dive into Apple and Tech history with Macinography. We started from the Ars Technica Mac Ach forum and bring the knowledge to the wide world of tech.

  1. Good Night Garden, Hello Userlandia

    10/05/2021

    Good Night Garden, Hello Userlandia

    A short goodbye to the Garden. We thank you for listening over the years. It's been a lot of fun! Dan's new podcast and blog, Userlandia, can be found at www.userlandia.com.

    3 min
  2. William Volk Oral History Interview - Apple, Amiga, and PC Game Pioneer

    06/15/2021

    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 Links William Volk - Wikipedia The Climate Trail Avalon Hill Conflict 2500 for Apple II Voyager 1 for TRS 80 Controller Epson QX-10 - old-computers Valdocs Pyramid of Peril for Mac Mac-Challenger The Computer Chronicles - The Macintosh in 1985 Inside Aegis Draw - Archive.org Ports of Call - Amiga An Unlikely Savior - The Digital Antiquarian The Manhole - The Digital Antiquarian FM Towns Compact Disc Interactive Return to Zork Return to Zork - The Digital Antiquarian Lightspan, Inc Apple Interactive Television Box Topps and The Wayans Bros. Take "Yo Mama" Insults To All-New Platform - Trading Card Central iWhack Kenny Rogers' Gambler Mobile Blackjack MyNuMo is now Playscreen PlayScreen Bocce Ball Rufus Hound Ownerfy Gem Rush Board Game Gem Rush on the App Store Gem Rush on Steam Subscribe Apple Podcasts Overcast Pocket Casts Spotify Google Podcasts Contact Us Dan's Twitter: @kefkafloyd Jake's Twitter: @jakepugh Show Twitter: @icongardenshow Visit Our Website Email us Mac Ach Thread Join our Discord Jake's HomeKit Page Theme Song by Space Vixen Follow them on Twitter: @SpaceVixenMusic 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

    1h 26m
  3. March Mac-ness with Matt Corey

    03/17/2021

    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 Links MacBook Air BMW i3 CarPlay Retrofit kit LG 34WK95U-W Review - RTings Apple discontinues original HomePod - 9to5Mac Leaked AirPod Renders -MacRumors Apple Discontinues iMac Pro - 9to5Mac iMac to get New Look for Apple Silicon Follow the Sun on Mac App Store Matt on Twitter - @matt1corey Subscribe Apple Podcasts Overcast Pocket Casts Spotify Google Podcasts Contact Us Dan's Twitter: @kefkafloyd Jake's Twitter: @jakepugh Show Twitter: @icongardenshow Visit Our Website Email us Mac Ach Thread Join our Discord Jake's HomeKit Page 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

    1h 40m
  4. Smart Kitchens and Food Technology

    03/03/2021

    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 Links Tom's Hardware GPU Sadness Index BMW i3 CarPlay Retrofit kit OONI Koda 16 Pizza Oven Steve1989MREInfo Kowboy Kent James May's Foodtribe Subscribe Apple Podcasts Overcast Pocket Casts Spotify Google Podcasts Contact Us Dan's Twitter: @kefkafloyd Jake's Twitter: @jakepugh Show Twitter: @icongardenshow Visit Our Website Email us Mac Ach Thread Join our Discord Jake's HomeKit Page 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

    1h 20m
  5. Macinography 18: The Problem with Performas

    02/24/2021

    Macinography 18: The Problem with Performas

    Meet the Martinettis. They're the all-American family of the nineties. When they want a computer, they hop on down to the big box store and buy a Performa, the computer made just for them. Alas, darkness lurked from within that happy Mac, seduced by the siren song of marketshare. Listen to find out how an otherwise reasonable idea almost rotted Apple from the core. Sources Macworld, October 1992 MacUser, October 1992 Apple Confidential 2.0 By Owen W. Linzmayer MacWorld Mac Secrets by David Pogue and Joseph Schorr The Martinettis Bring Home a Computer The LA Times: The Un-Infomercial Apple's Weapon to boost Earnings - SFGate EMaculation UPI: Apple Introduces New Mac Line ToastyTech: At Ease IMDB: Ashley McCarthy Ad Age: NIMA Awards AdAge: Apple Performa Infomercial Bags 100,000 calls CHM Oral History: Jon Rubinstein StatCounter Desktop Marketshare Subscribe Apple Podcasts Overcast 
Pocket Casts Spotify Google Podcasts Contact Us Dan's Twitter: @kefkafloyd Jake's Twitter: @jakepugh Show Twitter: @icongardenshow Visit Our Website Email us Mac Ach Thread Join our Discord Jake's HomeKit Page Theme Song by Space Vixen Follow them on Twitter: @SpaceVixenMusic Chapters 00:00:00 - Opening 00:00:39 - Share and Marketshare Alike 00:11:38 - Putting Your Mind At Ease 00:23:15 - Nobody Beats The Wiz 00:39:41 - Legacy 00:51:35 - Outtro and Credits Music Credits Second Goodbye (Instrumental) by Sapajou | https://soundcloud.com/sapajoubeats Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US Simplify by Ron Gelinas Chillout Lounge | https://soundcloud.com/atmospheric-music-portal Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US Dark Snow by windsouls | https://soundcloud.com/windsoulsmusic Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

    53 min
  6. Live Streaming With Your Mac with Maegan Wilson

    02/17/2021

    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 Links Maegan on Twitch Maegan on Instagram Maegan on Twitter Maegan's Livestream Gear Let's Racing Time on Twitch Elgato Stream Deck NewTek NDI Camera App LG 5K2K monitor BlackMagic ATEM HDMI Capture Switch BetterTouchTool StreamLabs OBS OBS Studio Ecamm Live Subscribe Apple Podcasts Overcast Pocket Casts Spotify Google Podcasts Contact Us Dan's Twitter: @kefkafloyd Jake's Twitter: @jakepugh Show Twitter: @icongardenshow Visit Our Website Email us Mac Ach Thread Join our Discord 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

    1h 10m
  7. Fitness Technology Roundtable with Isaac Niebeling, Dustin Ray, and Ian Blackburn

    02/03/2021

    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 Links Are We Doing This? Podcast DustinMRay on Twitter IanBlackburn on Twitter Apple Watch Triathlete Training Today App Trainer Road Zwift Wahoo Fitness Training Peaks Rouvy RGT Cycling Fulgaz Strava GTA 5 Bike Simulator Mod Kickr Core Kickr Climb Concept2 Rower $30 mic stand iPad holder Polar OH-1 heart rate monitor Scosche rhythm 24 Tacx Neo Concept2 SkiErg Lifefitness T3 treadmill Fisher Price Smart Trainer - DC Rainmaker Ring Fit Adventure Overview Subscribe Apple Podcasts Overcast Pocket Casts Spotify Google Podcasts Contact Us Dan's Twitter: @kefkafloyd Jake's Twitter: @jakepugh Show Twitter: @icongardenshow Visit Our Website Email us Mac Ach Thread Join our Discord Jake's HomeKit Page 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

    1h 57m
  8. Keeping Vintage Macs Alive with Steve AKA Mac84

    01/20/2021

    Keeping Vintage Macs Alive with Steve AKA Mac84

    They call it retro, which means old, but cool. Special guest Steve, AKA Mac84, joins Dan and Jake to talk all things retro. Ever wanted to restore an old Mac but didn't know where to start? How about collecting old Apple clones? We've got all your favorite flea market and eBay finds right here. Listen for some nostalgia and commiseration! Recorded January 15, 2020 Links Mac84tv on Youtube History of Clones Part 1 - Mac84tv Mac84 Website or Retro version for vintage Macs Why Apple Allowed Mac Clones - RMC The Cave The Creative SurroundStation - Hardware-One Reviews Philips Hue Wall Switch Module Macintosh IIcx - Wikipedia Wink gives customers one extra week after accusations of extortion [U] - 9to5Mac Why do computers die? - Computer Clan CHM Oral History: Ted Selker, Trackpoint Inventor Recap A Mac Subscribe Apple Podcasts Overcast Pocket Casts Spotify Google Podcasts Contact Us Dan's Twitter: @kefkafloyd Jake's Twitter: @jakepugh Show Twitter: @icongardenshow Visit Our Website Email us Mac Ach Thread Join our Discord Jake's HomeKit Page Theme Song by Space Vixen Follow them on Twitter: @SpaceVixenMusic Chapters 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:01:23 - Special Guest Steve AKA Mac84 00:15:11 - Steve's First Mac 00:23:59 - What's Going On In Your Tech Life? 00:33:04 - The HomeKit Chronicles - Philps Hue Wall Switch Module 00:39:43 - Steve's Wink Light Woes 00:52:35 - Jake's Arlo Baby Monitor Ultimatum 00:56:54 - Repairing and Restoring Vintage Macs 01:18:00 - Collecting Clones and Vintage Macs 01:38:50 - Outtro and Credits

    1h 45m
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4.6
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

Not Quite Graybeards! The Icon Garden is a show about interesting topics in the world of Apple and Technology for the enthusiast user. Hosts Dan and Jake talk news, workflow, and a special topic every show. We chat home automation with the HomeKit Chronicles, and every month there's a deep dive into Apple and Tech history with Macinography. We started from the Ars Technica Mac Ach forum and bring the knowledge to the wide world of tech.

Information

  • Creator
    Dan Vincent & Jake Pugh
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2021
  • Episodes
    85
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    The Icon Garden