:focus state - a show about tech and creativity.Mar 11, 2019
E3 2019 - Gaming and Next Gen Consoles
This week Ryan is joined by Nathan Drake (@MelonHawk on Twitch) to talk all about E3 2019.
We run through all the shows, including Google Stadia and their price point and discuss how Stadia will not really shine until 2020, although Ryan immediately pre-ordered.
We talk EA Play, Microsoft and their Project Scarlett, what next get really means, Keanu Reeves and Cyberpunk 2077, Blair Witch Project and Ryan’s love for Flight Simulator, as well as Bethesda and their Orion platform. We talk the small indies from Kinda Funny, Limited Run, as well as Devolved, and the PC and VR Gaming shows.
Then we dive into Ubisoft, Watch Dogs: Legion and the uPlay+ service, Square Enix, who finally announce a release date for what will now be a huge Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Then Nintendo and Animal Crossing, Marvel Ultimate Alliance and more.
We take a look back 10 years ago at E3 2009, talk out most anticipated games and our biggest takeaways from this current generation of gaming, what the next will hold and if a few of these companies still have a few tricks up their sleeve,
Subscribe to Nathan’s Twitch at https://www.twitch.tv/melonhawk/
Visit Ryan and https://www.ryanbott.com/ and http://thingsigotwrong.com
Apple's WWDC 2019
This episode, Ryan and Mark talk all about Apples WWDC 2019 keynote, run down why WatchOS still doesn't feel all the way there. Ryan's excitement for the new privacy features like 'only once' location sharing, Sign in with Apple, and Unknown calls to voicemail while Mark is excited for Homekit and iPad. We talk the new bigger, cheese grat-ier Mac Pro, theories on the insane $999 Pro Display Stand and more!
Eat: Impossible Burgers
In this episode, we talk our experience eating Impossible burgers. Mark's commitment to eliminating meat and the future of bio-created and plant based meat.
Privacy in Tech, GDPR, and consumer data rights
Privacy in Tech, GDPR, and consumer data rights
50 Books in 30 Days: End Game
The Challenge is finally over and was a success! We break down the biggest takeaways, some stats and numbers, and talk what it means to focus in on a big challenge.
Google I/O 2019, Microsoft Build, the rise of services and the mid-tier
Ryan just may pick up the Pixel 3a. We talk the state of Googles products, where Apple's upcoming services is juxtaposed to Microsoft's Enterprise play and how the future of tech software doesn't always look like it's feature rich, but the experience becomes better and better.
50 Book Challenge pt. 4: 2/3 of the way through. Big Takeaways, Richard Branson, and Auto Biographies
We're getting past the 2/3 point of the 50 Books in 30 Challenges and discuss the big takeaways and the inspiration that's been coming from taking this challenge.
Why are companies killing off their own services?
In this episode, we say RIP to Google Inbox and talk about the many apps and services that tech companies kill off.
Electric Vehicles
In this episode of :focus state, we talk Electric Vehicles, the if all cars should be required to be electric off the line in the next few years, are fully autonomous Uber fleets up and coming and more.
http://focusstate.com
Apple's Special Event - March 2019
In this Episode we are breaking down the Apple event, going through Apple's new gaming membership and the rest of their news, video and TV products.
50 Books Challenge pt 3. Keeping pace with busy pace, talking iPads and e-ink readers
This episode I'm at 21 books in 13 days, but work life gets busy. We talk the challenges and what the second half of this challenge looks like. We also talk the platforms I'm reading on, mostly the Kindle app on iPad and talking Mark's new e-ink reader tablet.
The first 25 books being read:
Captivate: The Science of Succeeding with People by Vanessa Van Edwards
Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek
How to Be Interesting (in 10 Simple steps) by Jessica Hagy
Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely
Smarter Faster Better: The transformative power of real productivity
-- 5
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Amy Wallace and Edwin Catmull
Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
"It Always Seems Impossible Until It's Done.": Motivation for Dreamers & Doers by Kathryn Petras and Ross Petras
#AskGaryVee: One Entrepreneur's Take on Leadership, Social Media, and Self-Awareness by Gary Vaynerchuk
Rework by David Heinemeier Hansson and Jason Fried
-- 10
Gmorning, Gnight!: Little Pep Talks for Me & You by Lin-Manuel Miranda
Will It Fly?: How to Test Your Next Business Idea So You Don't Waste Your Time and Money by Pat Flynn
The Richest Man in Babylon by George Clason
The Irresistible Introvert: Harness the Power of Quiet Charisma in a Loud World by Michaela Chung
Unshakeable: Your Financial Freedom Playbook by Peter Mallouk and Tony Robbins
-- 15
Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Nell Scovell and Sheryl Sandberg
how to win friends and influence people in the digital age
13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do
Extreme Productivity: Boost Your Results, Reduce Your Hours by Robert Pozen
What Color is Your Parachute? by Richard Bolles
-- 20
Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian Tracy
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig
Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon
Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown
When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel H. Pink
-- 25
Equipping a fully Solar house
Mark is prepping to go fully solar at his house. We talk the rational, how many panels, the costs and challenges in doing so and what the practicality of going mostly solar is for his future.
http://focusstate.com
The Hardest Part of 50 Books in 30 Days
We deep dive into the books Ryan's read over the first part of his Challenge.
The first five books are:
Captivate: The Science of Succeeding with People by Vanessa Van Edwards
Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek
How to Be Interesting: (In 10 Simple Steps) by Jessica Hagy
Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces that Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely
Smarter Faster Better: The Transformative Power of Real Productivity by Charles Duhigg
http://focusstate.com
Bonus: I'm about to read 50 productivity books in 30 days
This is the start of a 30 day challenge that Ryan is attempting: to read 50 self-help and productivity books in 30 days. In this Bonus episode (really the part of the last challenge that ran way long) we discuss why this is important, what Ryan's goal through all of this really is and how :focus state can play an important part during the challenge and after.
Watch: Twin Peaks and Star Trek: TNG, Comparing TV culture today to 30 years ago
Ryan watches Star Trek: TNG (and a new Episode of Discovery) as Mark watches Twin Peaks. Our thoughts on how those shows hold up and what has changed in the last 20 to 30 years.
Twin Peaks Episodes: "Pilot", "Traces to Nowhere", "Zen, or the Skill to Catch a Killer"
Star Trek Episodes: The Next Generation -- s2e9 "The Measure of a Man", s5e17 "The Outcast", s6e15 "Tapestry", Discovery : s2e2 "New Eden".
Adobe Creative Cloud Alternatives
What viable alternatives are there to Creative Cloud.
Is the Subscription model something more people will draw away from? Apps like Sketch replaced a lot of Web mocks done on Adobe Illustrator, but not much else has come since.
Our next Challenge is for each of us to visit and watch parts of the other's favorite classic shows, Star Trek TNG and Twin Peaks
Challenge: Read a Newspaper
“The failing” New York Times
What are these newspapers that end up in my front lawn?
Online newspapers? ($2/week but charge $8?)
What newspapers did we choose?
Where do you find a newspaper?
Have you ever bought one before?
Interview: Creating an Etherium Mining Business
This episode, our Things I Got Wrong co-host, Stu Hopkins joins us to walk through the entire process of Etherium mining. The ups, downs and struggles of trying to scale a venture like this. The challenges and insights into the business that sprouted during the high times of the crypto bull run and the collapse.
We discuss what place crypto and the block chain even have in our society beyond a speculative gamble and what it was like to ride the waves of the craziness that came from the crypto scene.
What is Crypto and the blockchain?
Blockchain uses outside currency
Speculations
Mining and power consumption
What is money?
Chase Crypto
https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/15/investing/jpmorgan-bitcoin-crypto-jamie-dimon/index.html
Ethereum v Bitcoin
Monero?’
Ripple
Challenge: Keep a Bullet Journal
This episode our co-host on Things I Got Wrong, Rachel Miller, joins to talk Bullet Journaling, how it helps her keep track a busy life and how both Ryan and Mark derive their to-do and task keeping methods.
Origin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dE254U0PNcA
How-to
Official site
Medium
Retail Wasteland: The Current State of Retail Stores
What was the last retail store you went to (not target/Walmart) and why?
Angela Ahrendts leaves apple
https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/5/18212657/apple-retail-chief-angela-ahrendts-leaving-replacement
Sears liquidates?
Ron Johnson and JCP
https://www.forbes.com/sites/marketshare/2013/04/09/ron-johnson-ousted-as-jcpenney-ceo
Amazon Go
Best Buy Earnings
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/28/best-buy-earnings-q2-2018.html
Alexa Shopping / Google Shopping / Instacart
https://qz.com/1322124/amazon-is-capitalizing-on-the-demise-of-toys-r-us/
NYC transforms as businesses can’t survive:
https://medium.com/futures-protocol/new-york-city-transforms-into-a-retail-wasteland-ea05dece2678
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-09-10/new-york-city-transforms-retail-wastelend
“”“Particularly hard hit are gentrifying areas in Brooklyn and many of Manhattan’s top retail strips in some of the world’s priciest shopping districts, from Broadway in SoHo to Madison Avenue on the Upper East Side. Soaring rents and competition from online shopping have forced out many beloved mom-and-pop shops, which many residents say decimates neighborhoods and threatens New York’s unique character. Then there is the blight that shuttered stores bring, including vagrants, graffiti and trash.””
Challenge: Meditate for 5 minutes a day
In this episode of :focus state, we try our hand at meditating and discuss what enlightened nirvana we found along the way. We go back through some of the apps we used in the past and how they hold up.
https://focusstate.com
Watch: Fyre Festival Docs - Fyre: The Greatest Party that Never Happened on Netflix and Fyre Fraud on Hulu
Watch: Fyre Festival Docs - Fyre: The Greatest Party that Never Happened on Netflix and Fyre Fraud on Hulu
Remote Work Culture
Using Trello
We discuss some of the unique ways we use Trello, how Ryan's yearly goals are tracked using Trello and other alternatives to to-do lists and calendars.
Check out https://focusstate.com
Challenge: FiveThirtyEight's Personality Quiz
In our first challenge episode, we start by taking FiveThirtyEight's new "data backed" Personality Quiz "that doesn't suck": https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/personality-quiz/
Our Next Challenge is to watch the new Fyre Festival docs on Netflix and Hulu
Talking tech and what :focus state is
In our very first episode, we talk about our thoughts on tech podcasts and what we want to see out of a new show. We talk Mark's experience with his Tesla, our phones and what the format of the show will look like.