Here’s a quick podcast recommendation for iMortal readers (all seven of you). Only three episodes into its current incarnation, the Gadget Lab Podcast from Wired is already, in my opinion, the best tech podcast on right now. Hosted by Michael Calore and David Pierce (formerly of The Verge), the show has lots to like, and very little of what I can’t stand about tech podcasts these days.
I’ve always admired Pierce’s video reviews when he was at The Verge (his Amazon Echo review is just one brilliant example), including his takes at the “This is My Next” section, in which he narrows down the best gadget of a given category you can buy right now. (And I usually agree with him, too. The iPhone 6 probably is the best phone for most people right now, if not for me, and yes, the Kindle Paperwhite is a better buy than the Kindle Voyage, which I totally didn’t expect.) His style is witty and concise, delivering substance with an efficiency that is welcome.
He brings that to the podcast. The show is brisk, with just enough banter between the hosts to make it feel familiar and conversational, but plenty of substance and informed analysis. Opinions about tech are treated as opinions, and unlike with some other shows I enjoy (and am enjoying less), holding a different opinion does not necessarily signify idiocy or barbarity.
Pierce and Calore cover a broad swath of territory within the topic of tech, and so aren’t bogged down by a narrow focus on one company or platform. Yes, that means no multi-episode arcs on their Apple Watch band selection. Calore doesn’t even want one! How refreshing is that?!?
It’s not navel-gazing, which is great. You get to know the hosts, and you learn about their lives in quick bursts, but they never get stuck there. And they sound like they’re really enjoying hashing over the various tech topics they’ve chosen.
The Gadget Lab Podcast existed well before this particular pair of hosts ran the show, but I never heard it until Pierce signed on. But whatever the show was before this, it’s great now. You should check it out.
Near-Earth Object 