85 episodes
The Icon Garden Dan Vincent & Jake Pugh
-
- Technology
-
-
4.6 • 13 Ratings
-
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.
-
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. -
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 -
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 -
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 -
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 -
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
Customer Reviews
My New Favorite Apple Podcast
I finally started listening to The Icon Garden and I have to say, it is absolutely delightful; and I mean that in every sense of the word. I've all but stopped listening to some other tech podcasts, preferring to check out the chapters and skip to the parts I think I want to listen to, and The Icon Garden is such a nice change of pace. First off, the 80's theme song at the top is such a treat. Second, Dan & Jake are v relaxed and chill to listen to. Third, I enjoy the pace of the show, as well as the length; it doesn't drag itself out unnecessarily. Lastly, the show is just plain zen: no smugness, no overbearing personalities, no harping on what Apple should or shouldn't do. So if you're looking for a new Apple-themed tech podcast, give The Icon Garden a listen!
Congenial and informative!
A great podcast for any Apple user, from gray-beard expert to total neophyte. It’s more like a free-flowing conversation among friends than some slick corporate show.
While targeted at users of ArsTechnica’s MacAch community, there’s nothing that restricts it to that audience. Accessible, informed, and congenial. A great listen!
Awesome !!!!
Definitely recommend if you want to stay current within the tech world in a fun way .