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  • Something I just said to a colleague in Slack:

    “Xcode 3 was the good one. It’s all been downhill since then.”

    I think I’m turning into an old.

    → 2:45 PM, Dec 29
  • Got a couple of fountain pens and would like to improve my handwriting. If anyone knows of a book that teaches a practical style for adults that haven’t written cursive in 20+ years… let me know.

    → 2:06 PM, Dec 29
  • It has been a couple of years, so I think I may give a beard a try again. If it comes in with a lot of gray this time I retain the right to nix this idea pre-completion.

    → 1:20 PM, Dec 28
  • American Democracy Is Doomed

    American democracy is doomed - Vox:

    To understand the looming crisis in American politics, it's useful to think about Germany, Japan, Italy, and Austria. These are countries that were defeated by American military forces during the Second World War and given constitutions written by local leaders operating in close collaboration with occupation authorities. It's striking that even though the US Constitution is treated as a sacred text in America's political culture, we did not push any of these countries to adopt our basic framework of government. This wasn't an oversight.

    I recommend reading this entire article. It was written pre-Trump, and it’s hard to look at now and think that anything in the last two years hasn’t made this seem more right than when it was published.

    → 12:45 PM, Dec 28
  • This macOS bug where the emoji picker pops up in every new text field I enter is extremely obnoxious.

    → 5:33 PM, Dec 27
  • One downside of working in the greenest commercial building in the world is it gets pretty chilly when it’s in the 30’s outside.

    → 3:43 PM, Dec 27
  • 2018 Reading Challenge

    This year I read a bit less than the year before, at only about twenty books or so. For 2018 I’d like to get on a more consistent reading schedule, and so I’m aiming for fifty. That’s a little less than one a week. I’d also like to work more fiction in and not just read about politics, buddhism, and computers. Don’t know if I’ll do it, but that’s my goal.

    → 1:54 PM, Dec 27
  • So apparently everyone uses Launchpad except me — including a bunch of technical folks — and I was wrong. Maybe I should give it a shot.

    → 5:59 PM, Dec 23
  • Not a lot of people in the office today, or, as our President might say:

    Millennials HATE work. Don’t show up THREE DAYS before holiday. SAD!

    → 3:59 PM, Dec 22
  • I wonder how long Launchpad is for macOS. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone use it.

    → 3:35 PM, Dec 22
  • Ugh. I know it’s a small thing, but there is literally nothing immune to this mans vanity and lack of any class: www.washingtonpost.com/politics/…

    → 3:14 PM, Dec 22
  • Me, upon hearing about “Booktube” (the part of YouTube where people talk about books): “Can’t you just read a book?”

    I’ve turned into someones mom from the 90s.

    → 4:46 PM, Dec 21
  • What Mac oriented productivity blogs are people reading these days? Is that still a thing, or are they soooo 2011?

    → 4:32 PM, Dec 21
  • No idea why, but I used to use the Leopard/Snow Leopard style grid version of Spaces a ton, but have never been able to make use of it since it went to the post-Lion left-right design at all.

    → 4:31 PM, Dec 21
  • And… I’m back on OmniFocus. Sorry Things.

    → 6:07 PM, Dec 20
  • Things 3 is really really impressive. Biggest complaints are: undo support still sucks (it’s been a decade) and no/very wonky window restoration.

    → 5:07 PM, Dec 20
  • The story of Super Mario Odyssey is amazing to me. In a nutshell, Bowser tells Mario: “I’m kidnapping your kind-of-girlfriend to make her marry me… and also this hat for some reason… and also the hat is alive, and is a girl hat, and comes from a land of sentient hats!”

    → 2:12 PM, Dec 20
  • Thinking I should put a public repo on GitHub on useful scripts I’ve been writing. Wish there was an obvious way to distribute Automator services I’ve made that wrap a lot of these.

    → 1:22 PM, Dec 20
  • Feeling pretty comfortable with writing shell scripts (always more to learn). Thinking the next skill I want to invest in to build on that is getting way more comfortable with grep, sed, and regular expressions.

    → 1:21 PM, Dec 20
  • What’re peoples favorite places to host Wordpress sites nowadays that don’t require being a sysadmin and don’t charge for things like custom domains and themes?

    → 5:41 PM, Dec 19
  • Todays ideas for Mac apps: 1) A modern regex app that wasn’t abandoned four years ago. 2) A “link cleaner” for Amazon and other things that monitors the clipboard. Maybe you could enter your own patterns too.

    → 5:38 PM, Dec 19
  • So many terrible ideas for apps only I would want, so little time.

    → 5:35 PM, Dec 19
  • Autosleep looks like it’s the sleep tracking thing for me. The most accurate as far as automatic sleep/wake time detection I’ve seen.

    → 4:11 PM, Dec 19
  • Micro.blog Now Available for Everyone

    As of today, anyone can sign up for Manton Reece’s fabulous Micro.blog with a code or having been a Kickstarter backer. I’ve been using the service for the last several months, and it’s become a great community. I love how it’s able to pull in content from different sources via RSS and present it all in one timeline. If you want to follow me there, I’m @collin.

    → 3:49 PM, Dec 19
  • Congratulations on the launch, @manton!

    → 1:20 PM, Dec 19
  • A Great Qi Charging Stand for $20

    I’ve been using this charging stand1 with my iPhone X for about three weeks, and I couldn’t recommend it more highly. It actually looks nice. One of the things I didn’t like about the other options was they tended to have a lot of ugly branding on them. It’s also exactly the right angle for Face ID, and isn’t picky about how you place your phone on it. Oh, and it’s only $20.

    Great present to yourself or someone else.

    61J1NucLnIL SL1100 jpg


    1. The actual product name is: Fast Wireless Charger, Yolike 2 Coils Wireless Charger Wood Grain A8 for iPhone 8/8 Plus, iPhone X, Fast Wireless Charging for Samsung Note8 S8 S8+ S7 S7 Edge S6 Edge+ Note5. So catchy. ↩
    → 6:26 PM, Dec 18
  • Investing in Skills

    I’m pretty comfortable on the command line. I can move about, issue commands, edit my profile, pipe things around, all that. However – and I’m probably supposed to admit this with a little shame – I’ve never really learned how to write shell scripts. Usually I’d write a Python script, a small command line app, or hack something together with Automator. It did the same job, but not being able to write a bash script from scratch felt like kind of a blind spot.

    I decided to work on that.

    In order to get from the can-competently-get-by level to the can-do-magic level I started reading a book on the topic, and set aside a few others I want to follow it up with. It’s been kind of a blast so far. I already knew how to program, and I can use command line tools well, so this has sort of been like taking two things I already knew and putting them together. made things a lot easier than if I were starting from zero. Even after just a couple days, I was able to put together little scripts to do useful things. It’s neat.

    Recently I read the book So Good They Cant Ignore You by Cal Newport. If you haven’t read it: you should. It’s fantastic. The big idea is that “follow your passion” is actually terrible career advice. Most people don’t know what they’re passionate about before they start, and only find that passion later once they’ve developed skills in an area. According to the book, the better advice is to focus on doing the best work you can in a field with potential for growth, and the passion will come later.

    Another thing he mentions in the book is how most people get good enough at whatever they’re doing, and then kind of stop learning. What that means though, is that if you you actually take even a little time to purposefully practice and improve your skills, you’ll blow past most people who don’t bother. Filling in some of the blanks in my developer skill set feels like a good investment.

    → 4:58 PM, Dec 18
  • And it’s over. One monitor is clearly the most I can handle.

    → 3:58 PM, Dec 14
  • Trying out being a vertical secondary monitor stud. Don’t know if I have what it takes.

    → 3:51 PM, Dec 14
  • Use SF Mono Outside of Terminal and Xcode

    I really like the SF Mono font Apple includes in Sierra and High Sierra (even more than Menlo), but for some reason it’s only available inside of Terminal and Xcode. So I’m out of luck when I’m writing in MarsEdit, BBEdit, or any other third party app. Fortunately, you can just copy the font from Terminal’s app bundle and install it so it’s available everywhere.

    Run this command from the Terminal and you’re all set:

    cp -R /Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app/Contents/Resources/Fonts/. /Library/Fonts/

    You could also ⌘-G in Finder and copy the files over that way if you prefer.

    → 4:59 PM, Dec 13
  • RevenueCat Makes iOS Subscriptions Easy

    My friend Jacob Eiting just released a new service to make adding subscription payments into iOS apps super easy. I checked out the API and it looks great.

    RevenueCat is the best way to implement subscriptions in your mobile app. We handle all the complicated parts so you can get back to building.

    You can check out RevenueCat here.

    → 3:56 PM, Dec 8
  • I Bought a $60 Smart Water Bottle and It’s Sort of Cool

    As of yesterday I believe I have hit peak millennial. It happened when I received my Hidrate Spark 2.0 smart water bottle in the mail. I wanted to start drinking more water, so I’d been using an app to track how much I drink for a few days. The app was fine, but it was easy to forget to do it every time I drank something and kind of a pain. The bottle tracks everything I put in it, syncs over bluetooth, and then saves it using HealthKit. So far it seems to work pretty well.

    If you have an extra $60 and want to drink more water, it’s not the worst thing you could do.

    → 1:18 PM, Oct 27
  • Life Update

    Astute readers/listeners/friends may have noticed that I haven’t published a new blog post or put up a podcast episode in the last couple months. And, there are reasons for that. I’ve been meaning to get everything going again, but life has managed to get in the way, so I thought I’d post a quick update.

    First off, I am no longer living in San Francisco. I moved from San Francisco to Seattle in September to work for Sonos. It’s been a great fit. I love the people I’m working with, the products we make are super cool, and I’m really excited for the future for the future of the company. I’ve always been a big audio nerd, and have loved speakers, microphones and all of that. There aren’t a ton of opportunities as an iOS developer to work at a company that bridges both of those things, so this has felt like a great fit.

    As for my podcast, I recorded an episode right before I left which I need to edit and put up. I’ll be booking more guests going forward and will try to get back on a regular weekly schedule. It’s a lot of work to manage, but I love doing it. I let life get in the way more than I should have, but I’m going to try to fix that.

    Anyway, that’s me.

    → 2:37 PM, Oct 24
  • It turns out I am employable.

    → 12:20 PM, Oct 20
  • This morning until early afternoon was full on crazy. Trying to refocus my brain now.

    → 2:30 PM, Oct 16
  • It’s a bit embarassing to be getting winded and have to take a break during aikido with the tiny old women are still like “COME AT ME BRO!”

    → 10:09 AM, Oct 13
  • Doing my first run tonight! I’ve been getting fairly winded at aikido so I need to get my endurance up. I’m using RunKeeper if anyone wants to add me. runkeeper.com/user/coll…

    → 10:09 AM, Oct 13
  • I’ve disabled cross posting from Micro.blog to Twitter out of solidarity for the boycott. I might just leave it that way. I feel like my community here is pretty separate from my community there.

    → 10:01 AM, Oct 13
  • Built my 50s bar cart. Looking a little sad though. Need to get some more things for it.

    → 3:45 PM, Oct 9
  • One speaker is cool but they shine so much more once you’ve got them in every room.

    → 3:11 PM, Oct 9
  • It’s weird and awesome to work on a product you use everyday. As a user, I really can’t recommend Sonos products more. They’re awesome.

    → 3:10 PM, Oct 9
  • It’s pretty incredible the discussion on gun control has successfully pivoted by the right to bump stocks, because that’s the real issue.

    → 3:06 PM, Oct 9
  • Do I know anyone in Boston? I will be there November 13-17 if you’d like to get together.

    → 2:04 PM, Oct 2
  • Really need to figure out how to get Star Trek: Discovery. As such a big Trek fan, I don’t know how I’ve managed to miss three episodes.

    → 9:59 AM, Oct 2
  • Still unclear on the benefit of a 64GB Apple TV if you aren’t playing games vs a 32 other than that I can get 32 today vs a month for 64.

    → 3:24 PM, Sep 28
  • I’m the ten millionth person to say this, but it’s true. The only thing I don’t prefer about Safari to Chrome is that the pinned tabs don’t use favicons so often aren’t recognizable.

    → 1:22 PM, Sep 27
  • Notes is so crazy good in iOS 11 — how have they not killed the paper texture background?

    → 11:54 AM, Sep 27
  • Posted a fix today that used a little bit of bitwise math, which always makes me feel like I am smart and know what I’m doing.

    → 3:35 PM, Sep 26
  • Woke up early for a company all hands today. Going to need a nap when I get home.

    → 2:10 PM, Sep 20
  • After using the Playbar I can report it sounds pretty darn good, even without the sub. Good job, team!

    → 11:41 AM, Sep 19
  • Two iOS simulators running side by side? Man. What a time to be alive.

    → 11:07 AM, Sep 19
  • Moving across the street to work was a fantastic idea. At least for someone as terrible at mornings as I am.

    → 10:01 AM, Sep 19
  • Ooh my Sonos Playbar has been delivered. Pretty excited to hook that up when I get home.

    → 4:28 PM, Sep 18
  • I am now a licensed driver in the state of Washington! This is the first time I’ve ever remembered to do this not years after moving.

    → 3:17 PM, Sep 18
  • Falling back into Objective-C pretty easily. Will need to make sure to maintain some side projects to keep my Swift skills up though.

    → 11:21 AM, Sep 18
  • I’ve completed my first week at Sonos. Everyone is incredibly nice and I was able to start getting bugs fixed by the end of the week.

    → 4:59 PM, Sep 15
  • Installing iOS 11 GM on my main iPhone… 🤞

    → 4:54 PM, Sep 13
  • I don’t actually have any trouble hitting escape on the touch bar without looking, but not having tactile feedback is weird.

    → 4:50 PM, Sep 13
  • Capitol Hill gets nuts on Saturday night. Glad I picked an apartment in the back of my building so there’s not too much noise.

    → 3:07 PM, Sep 10
  • The studio equipment is set up in my new apartment in Seattle!

    → 3:03 PM, Sep 10
  • Can anyone in Seattle recommend a good tailor to take some sleeves in?

    → 8:35 PM, Sep 9
  • Got my Doc Martens and a warm Barbour jacket so I think I’m fully Seattleized now.

    → 1:56 PM, Sep 9
  • Tried out a new dojo tonight in Seattle and it was great. Will definitely be going again.

    → 9:08 PM, Sep 6
  • I am now a Seattleite.

    → 3:14 PM, Sep 5
  • Moving into my new fourth floor apartment and… the elevator broke. Ha.

    → 12:44 PM, Sep 5
  • Having done this drive several times it’s unbelievable how much easier it is to be vegan on a road trip than six or seven years ago.

    → 3:22 PM, Sep 3
  • Starting the drive towards Seattle. First stop is the Veggie Grill in Corte Madera.

    → 3:20 PM, Sep 3
  • Can anyone recommend a good Wi-Fi camera? Preferably one that works with HomeKit if that’s possible.

    → 11:45 PM, Aug 29
  • Made a point to come to one of my favorite aikido people’s 7am class I never made it to before. Hurray for two hours of sleep!

    → 6:54 AM, Aug 28
  • Oh my god! I’m so happy right now. #twinpeaks

    → 9:40 PM, Aug 27
  • In one week I will be on my way driving to Seattle. Taking my 4th kyu test for aikido the day before.

    → 3:32 PM, Aug 27
  • Controversial: I do not think this is a particularly strong season of Game of Thrones.

    → 12:08 PM, Aug 24
  • Pretty stoked that I’m going to have fiber and not Comcast at my new apartment.

    → 11:59 AM, Aug 24
  • My goal is to be waking up at 6 AM when I get to Seattle so I can go to yoga before work and aikido after.

    → 4:14 PM, Aug 23
  • Need to get my sleep schedule back in order before I start my new job. Super tired today after waking up at 10:30 AM 😳

    → 4:11 PM, Aug 23
  • Fulfilling my goal of going to lots of aikido so far. Planning to take my next test the day before I leave.

    → 10:47 AM, Aug 16
  • Turns out it’s not that expensive to have some people come out to pack and load your one bedroom apartment.

    → 4:36 PM, Aug 11
  • I’m probably fifteen years late on this but Pandora radio works pretty well.

    → 3:00 PM, Aug 9
  • Ahh. I’m so ready to be in Seattle. Three more weeks!!

    → 8:51 PM, Aug 8
  • Getting an apartment in 2017 when you’re 32 is basically like ordering something off Amazon.

    → 8:51 PM, Aug 4
  • Can’t wait to get like 5 more Sonos speakers. I have a feeling one is okay but they really shine when you have a bunch.

    → 8:23 PM, Aug 4
  • I’m going to miss my dojo a lot.

    → 8:01 PM, Aug 4
  • My plan right now is to try and go to aikido every day for the next month and get my next rank before leaving.

    → 8:01 PM, Aug 4
  • Reading this book Grokking Algorithms. It’s awesome. Short. Lots of pictures. It’s a nice refresher.

    → 9:52 PM, Aug 1
  • Almost back home… to Seattle and back in less than 24h. So tired.

    → 8:29 PM, Jul 27
  • I did this time because I’m starting to wonder what’s up.

    → 12:23 PM, Jul 26
  • Getting sick of hearing “no.” I feel like I’m doing good at these interviews and I’m good at what I do. No idea what I’m doing wrong.

    → 11:41 AM, Jul 26
  • I’m going to be in Seattle tomorrow night if anyone wants to meet up for a drink.

    → 12:18 AM, Jul 26
  • Had an interview I felt went really well on Thursday… should hear back today. Pretty nervous.

    → 12:31 PM, Jul 24
  • Podcasting Gear (July 2017)

    I’ve switched about my gear quite a bit since I started podcasting, and I think things sound pretty good. I thought I would go ahead and share what I’m using, what I like about my current setup, and what I might change in the future.

    Microphone: Heil PR-40

    The mic that I’m currently using, and that I’ve used on most episodes of The Run Loop is a Heil PR-40. I like the sound of it pretty well, although sometimes think it might be a little too hyped sounding. The thing I really like about it how much rejection it has for anything that’s not in front of it. Considering I’m recording in a small downstairs apartment with loud upstairs neighbors, that’s pretty essential.

    I was using a Shure SM7b for a couple episodes but didn’t like it so much because it picked up a lot of room sound and the very low output made it a bit challenging to deal with, even with nice preamps.

    On the episode with Bob, I used an Electro-Voice N/D767a for his voice, and on the latest episode with Michele Titolo I used a Shure SM58. They both seemed about as good but I’d probably give the edge to the Shure.

    Headphones: Sony MDR7506

    Although the hyped high end makes these a little weird to use if you were going to try to mix on them, I love the Sony MDR7506 for tracking. I have less trouble with bleed getting into the mic than I did with the Sennheiser HD 380 PRO, and they don’t need anything special to drive them. That’s pretty much what I’m looking for in tracking headphones. As a bonus they also look extremely cool.

    Audio Interface: Focusrite Clarett 4Pre

    I traded my Apogee Duet 2 for this, and for the most part it’s a great upgrade. Comparable sound, 4x as many inputs, and way better software. Plus it actually has knobs. The Duet had one knob that you needed to click to change what it did.

    The only thing I don’t like about the Clarett as much is that the built in preamps have less gain available at 57dB vs the Duet’s 75dB. It’s totally sufficient for most things though; the Duet just had more headroom.

    I would absolutely recommend the Clarett to anyone looking for an interface in this general price range. The value it gives for the cost is just nuts. Really pleased with it.

    Preamp: API 512c

    At $900 a channel, plus requiring a $650 box to put it in, I can’t really recommend this unless you have a lot of money and want something truly professional, or plan on recording music as well. For podcasting, the built in preamps in a decent interface are going to be great, but I already had this, so why not use it?

    Software (DAW): Logic Pro X

    I used Pro Tools way back in the past, but I’ve been on Logic for many years now. I have custom presets saved for most things and muscle memory for the key commands. I really like this app and I’m pretty good with it.

    Other Gear

    • Tivoli Audio Model One for mixing and listening back. I'd like to get some real studio monitors hooked up but space is very limited.
    • Auphonic Leveler Batch Processor. I use the desktop version of Auphonic for loudness normalization. I don't mess with the other features too much.
    • Zoom H6 handy recorder for mobile recording.
    • Electro-Voice RE-50b microphone. Also for mobile recording.
    • Cloud Microphones CL-1 Cloudlifter for using low gain microphones with the Clarett preamps.

    Wrapping Up

    If I make any significant changes I’ll try to post what they are and why I switched. Right now I think my gear is pretty sufficient though and I’m going to try to focus on just making great episodes with what I’ve got for a while.

    → 5:07 PM, Jul 23
  • Counting Bits in an Integer

    During a tech screen I was given the task of writing a function to count the number of bits in an integer given. I thought I’d share what I came up with.

    #include <stdio.h>
    
    int count_bits(int i) {
        int bit_count = 0;
        int comparator = 0x1;
    
        for (int x = 0; x < sizeof(int) * 8; x++) {
            if (comparator & i) {
                bit_count++;
            }
    
            comparitor <<= 1;
        }
    
        return bit_count;
    }
    
    int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
        // 1
        printf("%dn", count_bits(1));
        // 2
        printf("%dn", count_bits(3));
        // 4
        printf("%dn", count_bits(0x00011101));
        return 0;
    }
    

    I don’t know if there’s a better way to do this, but what I did create a comparator with 1 bit (0x1), loop through the number of bits in an int (sizeof(int)*8), do a bitwise AND to see if that bit is flipped in the int I’m counting against, and then shift left one and do it again.

    → 2:16 PM, Jul 23
  • Interviewing at different places alternately makes me feel like I’m either really good or the worst at what I do. Pretty weird process.

    → 11:09 PM, Jul 22
  • If there a trick to getting better integration between Wordpress and Micro.blog? I just have it looking at my RSS feed currently, but if there’s a way for it to pull down an excerpt or something that would be nice.

    → 5:07 PM, Jul 22
  • I’m going to try something new. If I think of a stupid idea for an app that does one thing, I will make it and put it on the App Store.

    → 2:18 PM, Jul 22
  • Putting Code on Dropbox

    On the latest episode of Under the Radar, David mentioned that he stores all of his code in Dropbox, rather than pushing and pulling to a Git repo to sync between his machines. Of course, he’s not an animal, so he also uses Git, just not for syncing between his personal machines.

    I’ve never done this but once he said it, I was pretty much convinced and moved all of my code to a folder on Dropbox. Why wouldn’t I want the current state of my work, including what branches I was working on locally that I haven’t necessarily pushed to GitHub to be kept in sync so everything I need to work is automatically wherever I am?

    In fact, if I’m just working by myself on a project by myself, I don’t even need to push it to GitHub at all until I want to share it with someone else in order to get the benefits of having my code backed up externally and kept in sync across my machines?

    Am I crazy, missing something, or was everyone else already doing this?

    → 2:12 PM, Jul 22
  • If Object-Oriented Programming Were Announced Today

    Graham Lee has a post titled If Object-Oriented Programming were announced today:

    Here’s an idea: the current backlash against OOP is actually because people aren’t doing OOP, they’re doing whatever they were doing before OOP. But they’re calling it OOP, because the people who were promoting OOP wanted them to believe that they were already doing OOP.

    Basically, Graham argues that a lot of the “newer” paradigms are just OOP by a different name, and that none of us were really doing pure OOP to begin with. You should also check out his talk at UlKonf 2015 – Object Oriented Programming in Objective-C – where he talks about a lot of the same things in greater detail.

    → 1:36 PM, Jul 22
  • Ugh, come on Nintendo. This is baby town frolics.

    → 2:24 AM, Jul 19
  • Should be hearing back about a job today/possibly tomorrow 🤞

    → 3:01 PM, Jul 18
  • Almost definitely switching to T-Mobile this year. Unlimited international data is awesome, and it’d save me at least $40 a month.

    → 2:41 PM, Jul 16
  • I’m still using a late 2012 non-Retina iMac, so I’d really like to replace it with a MBP+UltraFine display once this work thing is sorted.

    → 2:34 PM, Jul 16
  • Wow, that is a steep price increase going from 1TB of storage to 2 on a MacBook Pro.

    → 2:32 PM, Jul 16
  • Up First by NPR

    The Up First podcast from NPR is a morning briefing show that’s about ten minutes long; meant to catch you up on the most important news of the previous day. I’ve just started listening to it after having it recommended to me, and think it’s great. The episodes are the perfect length to listen to in the shower and pretty information dense.

    → 2:27 PM, Jul 16
  • Trying to make sense of the sorts of things that are in messages (flights, invitations, etc) and surface them better would be great in Mail.

    → 1:46 PM, Jul 16
  • MailButler makes Mail better, but only on my Mac. Apple Mail is good enough, but I’d really like to see it integrate some Gmail features.

    → 1:45 PM, Jul 16
  • If there was a Slack for The Run Loop, would you be interested? Considering opening that up if there’s more than 4 people who’d join.

    → 10:37 AM, Jul 15
  • Had a good interview yesterday at a company I liked. Kind of proud of myself for getting so on top of finding a new job right away.

    → 10:35 AM, Jul 15
  • Back to using a regular mouse for the time being. I occasionally get some discomfort in my right wrist, so hoping that helps.

    → 10:29 AM, Jul 15
  • Another podcast edited and uploaded! Noah Read (@noahread) was a fabulous guest.

    → 3:43 PM, Jul 13
  • What’s the best IRC client for Mac right now? Colloquy is pretty dated looking.

    → 1:18 PM, Jul 13
  • Hire Me

    If you’re looking to hire an iOS developer with over nine years of professional experience for contracting or full time employment, I am now available for either of those things with immediate effect.

    Email me at my full name at gmail dot com if you’re interested.

    → 7:24 PM, Jul 11
  • So many different people I’m talking to that I have to keep track of. Going to need to get my OmniFocus in order to not drop balls.

    → 4:29 PM, Jul 11
  • My startup had to let me go. Not my fault and on good terms. I’m going to need a new job or contracting ASAP. Please get in touch and retweet.

    → 3:04 PM, Jul 10
  • So, this is happening. The Run Loop will be live at 360iDev! Tuesday at 6:30 after Stump 360. 360idev.com/sessions/…

    → 2:28 PM, Jul 10
  • There is a couple literally making out at this coffee shop. Late 20s maybe? Super weird.

    → 4:24 PM, Jul 9
  • I’ve been using a Beddit 3 sleep tracker for about a week now and I like it, but think the app could do more with the data it’s getting.

    → 12:36 PM, Jul 8
  • I actually really want to try writing some server side Swift now. Could be fun.

    → 12:34 PM, Jul 8
  • I had a great talk with @khanlou about Beacon, server side Swift and more on @TheRunLoop this week. fireside.fm/s/9DlzJW7…

    → 12:33 PM, Jul 8
  • Ugh. Not feeling so hot today. I don’t know if I’m sick or ate something or what.

    → 3:07 PM, Jul 7
  • Curious to see if the toothpaste @getquip sent me lasts three months. I feel like they sent exactly the amount I would need and no extra.

    → 2:41 PM, Jul 4
  • I bought this weird Japanese toothpaste roller thing at the Container Store for $5 and it’s totally rad.

    → 2:32 PM, Jul 4
  • These Beyond Burgers are so crazy good.

    → 5:39 PM, Jul 3
  • According to my Elgato Eve the humidity in my bedroom has dropped from 78% to 52% in about four hours since I put in the dehumidifier 😲

    → 4:16 PM, Jul 3
  • Cran-Raspberry Lacroix is a winner 👍

    → 1:45 PM, Jul 3
  • Really pleased to see the Micro.blog app go live! Congratulations @manton.

    → 1:44 PM, Jul 3
  • Went and got a large dehumidifier. I live in the foggy part of San Francisco and I’m tired of my place being slightly damp all the time.

    → 12:47 PM, Jul 3
  • I woke up crazy early today and I’m now exhausted. Just trying to stay up until at least 10.

    → 7:25 PM, Jul 2
  • Wow. ProMotion on the new iPad Pro is way more noticeable and cooler than I expected.

    → 11:51 AM, Jul 2
  • I believe I have fixed my blog so that a moderate or even high amount of traffic will not take it down.

    → 8:03 AM, Jul 2
  • Lots of walking today to get my mind off things. Feeling a bit better I think.

    → 9:35 PM, Jul 1
  • Man, today is rough. I wish I could’ve seen Nick Sensei again and told him how much of an impact he had on me before he passed.

    → 4:25 PM, Jun 30
  • Nokia/Withings scale is great so far! Syncs with Apple Health, and works on carpet.

    → 12:48 PM, Jun 30
  • It’s too bad Apple bought Beddit or I’d totally get one of these. It looks sweet.

    → 1:46 PM, Jun 29
  • I guess another option would be to see what a hosted Wordpress site costs and then I don’t have to think about anything.

    → 11:42 PM, Jun 28
  • Is there a preferred static blogging system people are using that’s easy to migrate from Wordpress to?

    → 11:39 PM, Jun 28
  • Ended up going with the Nokia (Withings) scale. A lot of people seem to like it and it’s only $100.

    → 10:17 PM, Jun 28
  • The Focusrite Clarett 4Pre is a crazy good value for the money. Beats the Duet in nearly every way for the same price.

    → 10:16 PM, Jun 28
  • If you’re not used to being in front of a mic or haven’t been on podcasts a lot, this post should tell you everything you need to sound good. collindonnell.com/2017/06/2…

    → 4:09 PM, Jun 28
  • How to Sound Good on a Podcast

    If you read this blog, you know that I do a weekly interview podcast called The Run Loop. The show (generally) has remote guests with different audio setups and level of comfort in front of a microphone, so I wanted to write a short tutorial I could send to future guests to prepare them to be on the show and get the best audio quality. I then realized it made a lot more sense to make that a blog post so that other people could use it as a resource as well. So, here it is. Following this should help anyone sound good on a podcast regardless of previous experience.

    Getting a Microphone

    If you already have a microphone you can use for recording, great! A lot of people have a Blue Yeti, which can give you pretty good sound quality if you’ve got a good environment, or a Rode Podcaster which is really easy to set up for beginners to get a good enough sound. If you already have one of those two, great. I’m going to tell you how to get the best audio quality out of them. Otherwise, I’m going to tell you what to buy and how to use it. If you don’t, and you are preparing to be on a podcast, the one I’m going to recommend is the Audio Technica ATR2100 . You’ll also want to get one of these windscreens for it to block out plosives (p sounds) and a stand for it. This stand attaches to your desk. All together you’re looking at about $85.

    Why do I recommend the ATR2100? A few reasons. First, it’s a dynamic cardioid microphone. Dynamic means it’s going to be more forgiving to an untreated room than what’s called a condenser microphone. It’s not important the differences between the two types of microphone, but generally speaking, a condenser is going to pick up a lot more (mouth sounds, cars outside, room echo, etc). That’s great if you’re recording an acoustic guitar or in a professional recording setting, but not so much for a beginning podcaster. The Yeti is a condenser. The ATR2100 is a dynamic. Cardioid means it’s going to pick up mostly what’s in front of it and not other directions.

    Secondly, it’s a USB mic, but it also has an XLR plug. XLR is what “professional” audio interfaces and microphones use. So if you decide you want to graduate to a standalone audio interface or you need a mic that can plug into a mixer or whatever, you have room to grow.

    The last reason is that it sounds really good for a $70 mic. If you want to hear an example of this, listen to this episode of The Run Loop with Laura Savino. She used the ATR2100 and required very little editing or tweaking to make sound good.

    Headphones

    You’re also going to want a set of headphones. In a pinch, anything will do, but ideally, you want some big over the ear headphones that block out external sound. If you already have something that fits that description you should be okay, but if you want to get some recording specific headphones, these Sony ones are great for about $100. I haven’t used these $40 Sennheiser ones, but they look like they would be good and I’ve seen them recommended elsewhere.

    You’ll want to plug them directly into your microphone/interface for low-latency monitoring of your own voice. It’s important to hear yourself so that you don’t drift away from the microphone without realizing it. When you’re recording, keep it at a comfortable, but not too loud volume, or even with closed headphones you’ll get some bleed from the people you’re talking with.

    Setting Levels

    If your microphone/interface doesn’t have a knob for setting levels, you’re set. The Rode Podcaster is like this. If it does, you need to turn up the level on your microphone to get a good signal. Load up GarageBand, create a new audio track, and select your microphone as the input. Now talk into it at a normal speaking volume and adjust the gain knob on your microphone. If you look at the track volume indicator, you want it to be averaging in about the 40-50% range on that slider (-15 to -12 dBFS if you’re using a different app that shows you the numbers). The reason you want it to be in this range is to give yourself what’s called headroom. If you go above 0 dB, you’re going to clip and distort the recording.

    If you’ve been around audio at all, you might have heard that you want to peak around 0 dB. The reason for that is that on analog gear, it wouldn’t actually distort until something like +18 dB, so at 0 dB you still had a bunch of headroom. On digital gear you will distort at 0, so recording at around -12 to -15 is the same as recording at 0 on analog gear.

    Preparing Your Environment

    Before you go on the podcast, you should record some tests with your mic in the room you’ll be recording in. Put on your headphones, turn up the volume, and listen to your room through your mic. Everything you hear is going to come through on the recording. Turn off fans, air conditioning, anything like that which is getting picked up. I turn off my refrigerator when I record.

    Now, get close to your microphone (2-4”), hit record, and speak into it. What does it sound like? If you’re getting echo, try hanging a blanket behind the mic to catch some of those reflections.

    If you hear electronic interference, you’re going to need to get rid of that. Often, it’s some kind of grounding or power issue. Try changing what your computer is plugged into. If you’re on a laptop and using the two prong adapter, try the three prong one, or vice versa. If you’re plugged in, try recording on battery and see if it goes away. If all else fails, do a Google search.

    Mic Technique

    If you’re looking for a video on what good mic technique looks like, this video by Dan Benjamin will show you.

    If you’re wondering how far you should be away from your microphone and what looks like, my tip is this: put your four fingers together minus your thumb like a karate chop. Put your pinky on the microphone, and place your lips on your index finger. Now stay exactly there. If you move left, right, forward, or backwards, the sound is going to suffer.

    The other important thing to remember is that anything that happens in front of the mic is going to get picked up. If you scratch your face while talking, that’s going to show up on the recording, and there’s no way to remove it later. Same for bumping your desk, fiddling with your AirPods case, etc.

    Wrap Up

    This probably all sounds like a lot to adsorb, and it is, but if you can follow it, you’re going to sound way better than most people who go on a podcast. The main points to keep in mind are:

    • Get a microphone that’s forgiving and sounds good. I recommend this one.
    • Set your levels properly.
    • Get rid of as much room noise as you can.
    • Talk directly into the mic.
    • Don’t make any noise you don’t want to be recorded.

    I hope this all helps, and if you have any other questions, please get in touch via Twitter.

    → 3:59 PM, Jun 28
  • Thinking of trading in my Fitbit scale for one that works with HealthKit. Is Nokia the best choice now?

    → 11:50 AM, Jun 28
  • Going to PodCon

    I’m going to be attending PodCon in Seattle December 9-10, 2017:

    We even love podcasts we’ve never heard because we kinda like the entire idea of podcasts. Which is why we want to create an event that celebrates this medium/art form/whatever it is. We’re bringing together a diverse group of podcast pros in Seattle, Washington for two days of live podcasts, performances, discussions, workshops, and weirdness.

    It’s going to have awesome people like Roman Mars, Dylan Marron of Welcome to Night Vale, the McElroy brothers, and a bunch of other podcasters who I haven’t listened to but will definitely look up before I go. Tickets are cheap (~$100). If you can make it, you should come and let me know you are.

    → 1:38 PM, Jun 27
  • Laura Savino on The Run Loop

    On the latest episode of The Run Loop, Laura Savino comes on the show to talk about natural vs computer languages, decipherable and readable code, and a lot more. Go check it out.

    For the audio nerds out there, Laura was using an Audio Technica ATR2100 dynamic USB microphone, and I can’t believe how good this mic sounds for $70. If you’re getting started in podcasting and don’t want to spend a ton of money, I’d recommend this one super highly.

    → 11:14 AM, Jun 27
  • Nice! I have found someone to buy my Duet. Killing it at selling things I don’t need.

    → 5:30 PM, Jun 26
  • Digging this setup. The SM7b would be tough to use if I didn’t already have a good preamp though.

    → 3:27 PM, Jun 25
  • My new thunderbolt audio interface did not come with a thunderbolt cable… ugh.

    → 2:51 PM, Jun 24
  • My Gimlet shirt showed up. Sweet!

    → 5:42 PM, Jun 23
  • The latest episode of The Run Loop with Laura Savino (@savinola) is up. Rate, subscribe, recommend! fireside.fm/s/9DlzJW7…

    → 1:41 PM, Jun 23
  • Autolayout is incredible. I’ve written so little manual layout code the last couple years.

    → 12:29 AM, Jun 23
  • I was on an SM7b this week, but my guest had the ATR2100 and she sounds really good.

    → 12:01 PM, Jun 22
  • I cannot believe how good the Audio Technica ATR2100 sounds for podcasting. Way better than Yeti or Rode Podcaster and only $70. Nuts.

    → 12:01 PM, Jun 22
  • What sorts of things could I offer Patreon subscribers that might encourage more people to join? Behind the scenes? After dark recordings?

    → 10:22 PM, Jun 21
  • Wow. I’m sure those Parachute sheets are amazing, but holy crap are they expensive.

    → 12:38 PM, Jun 21
  • I have a lot to do between now and the end of the week. Best plan is to start with some coffee.

    → 12:36 PM, Jun 21
  • If you have questions about any part of recording/editing/podcasting, please send them along for a future show I’m considering.

    → 2:51 PM, Jun 20
  • Writing a new app over the next three weeks. Thinking I’m going to use NSCoding unless someone can make a good case for something else.

    → 11:47 AM, Jun 20
  • First dentist appointment in a long while and was told I make little plaque and my teeth are great. Getting back on a regular schedule.

    → 10:57 AM, Jun 20
  • Greg Pierce of Agile Tortoise on The Run Loop

    Greg Pierce – of Drafts and x-callback-url fame – was kind of enough to come on The Run Loop and talk to me about his history, automation on iOS, and the past and future of The App Store. Go check it out here.

    → 5:23 PM, Jun 18
  • Fun Run Loop with Greg Pierce (@agiletortoise) yesterday Lots of automation and new App Store talk. fireside.fm/s/9DlzJW7…

    → 11:46 AM, Jun 17
  • I’m not counting touch ID as part of the Touch Bar either.

    → 10:24 PM, Jun 16
  • It’s surprising that the only feelings I’ve heard anywhere on the Touch Bar are neutral to negative. I thought everything had its fans?

    → 10:23 PM, Jun 16
  • It was crazy beautiful out in San Francisco. Could see clearly to the ocean from forty blocks away.

    → 10:18 PM, Jun 16
  • If anyone ever sees my bathroom, I better hope they don’t listen to a lot of podcasts or I’m definitely getting made fun of.

    → 6:37 PM, Jun 16
  • I am fairly obsessed with the new Twin Peaks. Don’t know how much more Dougie Coop I can take though.

    → 10:55 PM, Jun 15
  • Apparently you’re not supposed to rinse your mouth out when you’re done brushing? I’ve never heard that before.

    → 4:47 PM, Jun 15
  • Giving a Quip electric toothbrush a try.

    → 4:13 PM, Jun 15
  • Just bought a ticket for PodCon. It’s cheap. Other people should go too so we can hang out. podcon.com

    → 1:02 PM, Jun 15
  • I’ve used Zencastr for four episodes so far and it hasn’t had a hiccup. I record Skype as a backup but everyone should be using this 👍

    → 11:29 AM, Jun 15
  • What’s the best and easiest way to sell something like an iMac? Kind of big to ship, but it could be done.

    → 10:28 AM, Jun 15
  • Thinking I should sell my late 2012 iMac and get a MacBook Pro. Weird because I’d have two MBPs, since I have my 2015 era one from work.

    → 10:24 AM, Jun 15
  • “America’s favorite iOS development podcast outside the Dakotas™”

    → 10:12 AM, Jun 15
  • They’re not terrible or anything, but not “recorded in a professional studio with nice gear” good.

    → 9:34 PM, Jun 13
  • So far all of the podcasts I’ve heard recorded in Apple’s booth sound kind of off to me? Not sure if it’s editing, the room, or something else.

    → 9:33 PM, Jun 13
  • Added my second ever sticker to a laptop. @microdotblog

    → 7:34 PM, Jun 13
  • I have a gently loved Rode Podcaster with desk boom and shock mount if anyone would be interested in buying such a thing.

    → 2:22 PM, Jun 13
  • Making sketches and wireframes today ✏️

    → 12:31 PM, Jun 13
  • The weird bug bite from my terrible San Jose hotel is almost gone, so, things are really turning up Collin now.

    → 12:25 PM, Jun 13
  • Oh cool. The expensive sleep tracking alarm clock I bought’s company is going out of business and it’ll probably stop working soon.

    → 7:17 PM, Jun 12
  • Went on a walk to clear my mind. Still pretty bummed out but I think getting out of the house was good for me.

    → 6:07 PM, Jun 12
  • The WWDC episode got way more downloads than previous episodes. Hoping a significant portion of new people stick around.

    → 3:59 PM, Jun 12
  • I can probably think of at least the first ten episodes off the top of my head. If anyone listened to it, I’m sure I’d end up with more ideas as it went on.

    → 1:22 PM, Jun 12
  • Thinking of doing a show on audio production for podcasters. One topic per episode plus listener questions. There’s shows of this nature but I’m not particularly satisified with the depth they go into on the audio side. Sound interesting?

    → 1:21 PM, Jun 12
  • If you’re not used to being in front of a microphone, this is a good primer on mic technique. m.youtube.com/watch

    → 7:45 PM, Jun 11
  • I just found out one of the sensei’s at my dojo is in the hospital and may not be long for this world. Shit.

    → 12:20 PM, Jun 11
  • In case you missed it yesterday this episode with Marco and Gus at WWDC is especially good. fireside.fm/s/9DlzJW7…

    → 7:47 PM, Jun 10
  • Yesterday was rough and ended up resting pretty much all day. Feel mostly recovered from WWDC now.

    → 12:41 PM, Jun 10
  • Planning on catching up on WWDC videos this weekend. Any especially good ones?

    → 2:16 PM, Jun 9
  • The first night a fire alarm would periodically go off and I’d have to press the button, and the last day I ended up with a weird bug bite.

    → 2:12 PM, Jun 9
  • Whatever amount I saved on my terrible hotel this year at WWDC was definitely not worth it. Reviews made it look good, but it was not.

    → 2:11 PM, Jun 9
  • Marco Arment and Gus Mueller on The Run Loop

    Marco Arment and Gus Mueller come on the show this week to discuss the past, present, and future of WWDC, the move to San Jose, and a lot more. Give it a listen and please remember to subscribe, recommend, rate, review, and all of that.

    → 12:30 PM, Jun 9
  • Managed to run into a bunch of friends and stayed later than expected. At the Fairmont bar.

    → 5:00 PM, Jun 8
  • Taking off shortly to SF after saying goodbyes so if you see me, grab me!

    → 2:33 PM, Jun 8
  • Taking off tomorrow afternoon. This has been a great week. Too short. It was really fun to meet so many listeners and other great people.

    → 2:02 AM, Jun 8
  • My current status. ☕️

    → 3:11 PM, Jun 7
  • This Beacon app is a godsend. Can’t believe we’ve gotten by without it for so long.

    → 3:07 PM, Jun 7
  • A little surprised I’m just now getting my first Philz of the week.

    → 3:04 PM, Jun 7
  • If you’re looking for a good place to eat near WWDC, Good Karma is vegan and fantastic. The meat eaters I took also loved it.

    → 3:02 PM, Jun 7
  • Good turnout for the indie microblogging meetup!

    → 12:52 PM, Jun 6
  • May have wimped out on the street recording yesterday. Feel free to shame me and make me do it if you see me 😐

    → 12:15 PM, Jun 6
  • It goes without saying, but @macgenie is a very nice lady.

    → 12:58 AM, Jun 6
  • Not the most excited to take mic stands on the Caltrain but at least I’m not flying cross country with them.

    → 7:58 AM, Jun 5
  • Going to watch the keynote from my apartment and then get down sometime early this afternoon.

    → 7:57 AM, Jun 5
  • Excited to pack up my gear and head down to WWDC tomorrow, microphone in hand.

    → 2:49 PM, Jun 4
  • Spending the day in Sacramento. Haven’t been here in years and years.

    → 12:49 PM, Jun 3
  • Are iBook Author books still a thing? I like what they can do but not if it means no one will read it.

    → 7:50 PM, Jun 2
  • My magnets for @TheRunLoop arrived! Hit me up if you want one during WWDC.

    → 7:16 PM, Jun 2
  • I’m going to be making at least one Veggie Grill outing during WWDC. Probably Wednesday. Let me know if you want to come.

    → 6:52 PM, Jun 2
  • Fact: Ouran Highschool Host Club is the greatest anime/piece of cinema ever created.

    → 4:31 PM, Jun 2
  • Wonder what the chances are that Apple has be worked on a non-screen verison of a Siri speaker and was caught flat footed by the Echo Show.

    → 4:18 PM, Jun 2
  • Jean MacDonald On The Run Loop

    This week on America’s favorite iOS development podcast listened to in forty out of fifty states, I was joined by Jean MacDonald of App Camp for Girls, Micro.blog, and more. We also talked about driving for Lyft and “crossing the geek divide.”

    Go find it here and don’t forget to subscribe in your favorite pod-catcher.

    → 2:21 PM, Jun 2
  • Then I could just send it to people before we record. Other people could use it too.

    → 2:32 PM, Jun 1
  • I think I may create a blog post/video for how to get setup to be a remote guest on a podcast, proper mic technique, etc.

    → 2:31 PM, Jun 1
  • Sometimes it takes a lot of experimentation to figure out where that button should go.

    → 3:27 PM, May 31
  • I love Veggie Grill so much. Surprised they don’t have a location in SF yet.

    → 10:30 PM, May 30
  • Ugh. I think I’m getting a cold.

    → 7:19 PM, May 30
  • I was surprised he’s using a shotgun mic since they’re usually super directional, but he knows more than I do.

    → 5:28 PM, May 30
  • I am such an audio nerd. Based on two blurry pictures I’m pretty sure I’ve revserse engineered S-Town’s mobile recording setup.

    → 5:28 PM, May 30
  • Man, now that I know about the podcasting studio I sort of wish I had a WWDC ticket just so I could see it.

    → 4:25 PM, May 30
  • I finally started listening to S-Town. This is quite a story.

    → 4:24 PM, May 30
  • On my way to Fanime! This will be an experience.

    → 12:43 PM, May 27
  • Will be in San Jose for WWDC Monday through Thursday. About $125 a night? Not bad!

    → 5:32 PM, May 25
  • Will be in San Jose for WWDC Monday through Thursday. About $125 a night? Not bad!

    → 5:32 PM, May 25
  • Now that I have a portable recorder, I keep thinking of podcasts I could do that involve getting out of the house.

    → 3:58 PM, May 25
  • Chris Parrish On The Run Loop

    Snappy dresser and all around charming individual Chris Parrish joined me on The Run Loop to talk about Seattle in the 90s, winning an ADA, healthcare, and the future of programming.

    → 3:48 PM, May 25
  • Man I love these pink sunglasses 😎

    → 1:05 PM, May 25
  • I dislike people who perform (esspecially drummers) on Market so much. It’s charming until you actually live here and have to go places.

    → 12:32 PM, May 25
  • So what I learned today is to have a pre-flight checklist for podcasting. Turn off fridge, make sure mic is correct, turn off heater…

    → 5:42 PM, May 24
  • I’m just going to have to roll with it. Ugh.

    → 1:31 PM, May 24
  • I didn’t talk that much this time. I’m seriously wondering whether I could re-record all my parts.

    → 1:27 PM, May 24
  • Shit. I accidentally recorded the internal mic from my computer. I don’t know what I’m going to do.

    → 1:24 PM, May 24
  • Drinking a dry martini in honor of Sir Roger Moore.

    → 6:30 PM, May 23
  • Thinking of getting photos I could use for professional type things. How do people go about that?

    → 12:46 PM, May 23
  • Sad to hear about Roger Moore. He had quite a life and career.

    → 12:43 PM, May 23
  • So I left the house and it is both foggy and cold out. Never doing that again.

    → 7:09 PM, May 22
  • I should really try to leave the house today. Working from home can make you pretty sedentary if you don’t watch out.

    → 6:20 PM, May 22
  • Heard multiple times you can get banned from Amazon for returning too much, so my policy is that I only buy things there I’m sure I want.

    → 12:15 PM, May 22
  • Reconsidering my plan for WWDC week in San Jose. If you have a hotel and want to share cost, let me know. Will sleep on cot/couch.

    → 6:36 PM, May 19
  • Pretty neat the same thing that I can walk around with to record on the street interviews can scale up to a live panel as a mixer/recorder.

    → 6:35 PM, May 19
  • This Zoom H6 is pretty fantastic and does a lot for the money. Can even be used as a mixer with compression and lo-cut while recording.

    → 6:33 PM, May 19
  • Which was suprising to me since I’ve basically been obsessed with it for the past month.

    → 2:31 PM, May 19
  • Hard balance talking too much about your thing vs getting it out there. Got messaged yesterday someone didn’t know I had a podcast at all.

    → 2:31 PM, May 19
  • I need to get back to working on my side project app at night. It’s for meditation 🙏 Probably free but would be nice to have out there.

    → 7:36 PM, May 18
  • Coding Python after only using Swift for a while is quite a change.

    → 6:01 PM, May 18
  • Incase you missed it, I recorded a really good episode with Brent Simmons where we talked about JSON Feed. d.pr/wCza2

    → 5:28 PM, May 18
  • I like the SM58 because it sounds pretty good, takes EQ well, and isn’t too finicky regarding mic placement.

    → 9:24 AM, May 18
  • Going to need a couple more mics for panel show at WWDC. Thinking of just picking up a couple SM58s, but I’m open to better options.

    → 9:23 AM, May 18
  • I’ve been a bad aikidoka the past couple of weeks. Need to get my big boy pants on and go to class tonight.

    → 4:56 PM, May 17
  • Brent Simmons On The Run Loop

    Brent Simmons stars on the latest episode of the critically acclaimed series The Run Loop. We talk about JSON Feed, past projects, and other things. Go check it out and subscribe in your favorite podcast app.

    → 4:48 PM, May 17
  • Due to setting the wrong date in my CMS, this weeks episode with Brent Simmons is out a day early. Enjoy! www.therunloop.com/4

    → 3:50 PM, May 17
  • Really not sure how I feel about the trailer for Star Trek: Discovery. My initial thought is I hope the show is better than the trailer.

    → 3:06 PM, May 17
  • Need to get better at double checking the date when I hit schedule an episode to go out. Have messed that up twice now 😧

    → 2:09 PM, May 17
  • Adding a JSON Feed to my wordpress site via the plugin was super easy, so I did it. collindonnell.com/feed/json

    → 1:51 PM, May 17
  • My mic flag showed up! This is a pretty silly thing I thought of.

    → 5:16 PM, May 16
  • I set a goal of $50/month on Patreon to cover all my hosting costs for the show. Check it out. patreon.com/collindon…

    → 2:07 PM, May 16
  • I can already tell if I don’t stop calling podcasts “pods” as a joke it’s going to stick and not be a joke anymore.

    → 1:29 PM, May 16
  • I also may have gotten one of those things TV stations put on their microphones with their logo…

    → 2:37 PM, May 15
  • Bought a news style mic and a portable recorder. Will be doing on the spot interviews during WWDC as well as a panel show.

    → 2:36 PM, May 15
  • My favorite tofu burritos in SF.

    → 4:03 PM, May 14
  • I feel like around episode 50 is when I’m going to figure out how to end a podcast.

    → 12:37 PM, May 14
  • Woo! I was able to be quick and buy a podcast ad on Overcast.

    → 8:25 PM, May 12
  • Going to give Zencastr a try for recording the next episode. If it works as advertised, it’ll absolutely be worth $20 a month.

    → 12:54 PM, May 12
  • This new pop filter will make moving my microphone around way less annoying.

    → 6:48 PM, May 11
  • The Run Loop With Bob Cantoni

    Bob Cantoni came on the show this week to talk moving from indie to working for a compoany, political activism, moving into product from engineering, and more. You can find it here. Subscribe, recommend, etc. Thanks!

    → 4:22 PM, May 11
  • New episode of the Run Loop with Bob Cantoni. We talk about activism, moving to product, and more. www.therunloop.com/3

    → 11:10 AM, May 11
  • Next episode is uploaded and scheduled to go out tomorrow morning ☺️

    → 9:55 PM, May 10
  • Favorite mug.

    → 12:18 PM, May 10
  • My Run Loop stickers arrived. They look good!

    → 5:35 PM, May 9
  • Really digging Micro.blog. Kind of want to make a Mac app for it.

    → 12:23 AM, May 9
  • Found a guest for this week, and it’s a great one!

    → 9:11 PM, May 8
  • Guest on The Run Loop has to reschedule last minute due to personal issues – open to nominations/volunteers for Tuesday/Wednesday recording.

    → 2:48 PM, May 8
  • Realized I’ve been recording near a window and putting some heavy curtains up will probably mostly fix room echo.

    → 6:49 PM, May 7
  • Early start today. Did some coding, sent a build, went across town to the music store and back for cables. Its 5pm and I’m exhausted.

    → 5:10 PM, May 7
  • Got the new compressor hooked up. Fun to play with… need to be careful not to overdo it though.

    → 4:57 PM, May 7
  • New compressor arrived! My podcast will definitely get big now 🙄

    → 12:26 PM, May 7
  • Turns out Amazon was right! Not what I guessed was going to happen.

    → 12:22 PM, May 7
  • Hmm. Amazon says arriving today and USPS says tomorrow 🤔

    → 11:22 AM, May 7
  • Want to try to record an episode of The Run Loop at WWDC… now just have to think of three or so other people I can talk into doing it with me.

    → 8:04 PM, May 5
  • That Sonos Playbase looks pretty sweet, but man is their stuff expensive.

    → 6:13 PM, May 5
  • Today I learned: those things that sit under the burners are called drip pans, and they can be replaced cheaply.

    → 3:17 PM, May 5
  • Kind of want to get a red betta fish and name it Sidon.

    → 2:13 PM, May 5
  • Ordered 200 small stickers for WWDC a day or two ago and they’ve already shipped! Excited to see them.

    → 1:42 PM, May 5
  • Going to be a Core Data at the laundromat sort of day.

    → 2:16 PM, May 4
  • The Run Loop Episode 2 with Manton Reece

    This week on The Run Loop I was lucky enough to be joined by Manton Reece, creator of Micro.blog and long time Mac and iOS developer. We talk about working on independent projects, building communities, creating a social network that’s resistant to harassment, tabs vs spaces, and more! Please check out the show on it’s website and if you haven’t subscribed in your podcast player of choice, please do.

    Also, if you’re enjoying The Run Loop, please tell a friend, review the show on iTunes, and recommend it in Overcast.

    → 5:00 AM, May 4
  • Ordered a new router. This Netgear r6400 has… not been great.

    → 9:10 AM, May 3
  • Going to try a different intro style for episode 2 of The Run Loop and let the guest introduce themselves.

    → 7:29 AM, May 3
  • My desk is getting rather cramped since adding my API lunchbox. http://d.pr/i/VQy7P

    → 4:03 PM, May 2
  • Really happy with the response for the first episode of The Run Loop. Lots to improve, but a pretty good start. Great guests coming up too.

    → 11:33 AM, May 2
  • It might be a little too busy to talk over, so that’s my main concern at this point is to not add too much stuff.

    → 11:24 AM, May 2
  • I don’t know if I’ve made a podcast intro or a song. I kind of like it though. Going to work on it more tonight.

    → 11:24 AM, May 2
  • My New Podcast: The Run Loop

    The first episode of my new podcast, The Run Loop, is now available in iTunes, Overcast, and wherever else great podcasts are found. You can also listen and subscribe on the shows website. The Run Loop will be a weekly discussion about making iOS and Mac apps with great designers and developers. In this episode I talk to my friend Samuel Goodwin about how he got started, peer mentorship, our trip to Japan, and more.

    If you like what you hear, please subscribe, rate, and recommend the show.

    You can also help support the show through Patreon. If you donate $1 or more a month, you will receive my sincere gratitude and help me make more and better content, but up to five people can also donate $50 a month and receive an hour a month of my time for a design or code review.

    I also want to thank to Joe Cieplinski for creating great artwork for the show. I hope you enjoy this first episode, and I’m looking forward to making many more.

    → 1:07 PM, Apr 27
  • Come on Apple, approve my podcast! The suspense is killing me.

    → 6:37 PM, Apr 26
  • Fabulous! Very excited to be on Micro.blog :) Good job, Manton!

    → 5:45 PM, Apr 26
  • Help Manton Hit His Indie Microblogging Stretch Goal

    Manton Reece has four days to go on his “Indie Microblogging” Kickstarter, and he still needs our help. He’s trying to create an ad-free open platform for microblogging where people own their own data and can take it where they please. Right now he’s at $68,620 of his original $10,000 goal – which is fantastic. Manton has built safety into the platform with a feature he calls “Safe Replies” to fight abuse, but if he reaches his stretch goal of $80,000 he can hire community manager to make the service even better:

    If the Kickstarter reaches $80,000, I will use some of the money to make my very first part-time hire for Micro.blog: a community manager. The community manager will help set the tone for the service, work on documentation and best practices, and be responsible for curation when Safe Replies fails to automatically catch emerging problems.

    I’m going to up the amount that I’m in for. If you haven’t already pledged to help – and you can – you should.

    → 12:54 PM, Jan 27
  • Very Short Squatty Potty Review

    I do not want to go into detail other than to say: it does what they say it will, and it’s totally worth $25. You can buy them on Amazon or the Squatty Potty website.

    If you’ve never heard of a Squatty Potty, go watch this video.

    → 3:20 PM, Jan 26
  • The "Unsubscribe" Mailbox for Apple Mail

    I don’t know how I’ve ended up on so many mailing lists for products I don’t care about, but I am. I created this “Smart Mailbox” for finding any emails I’m receiving that can be unsubscribed to that aren’t archived. It works pretty well.

    • Contains messages that match all of the following:
      • Entire Message -- Contains -- "Unsubscribe"
      • Message is not in Mailbox -- "Archive"
    → 12:52 PM, Jan 25
  • The CocoaPods App

    Managing third party code on iOS has always been a pain. In the past 9 years or so I’ve done everything from dragging source directly into projects, to Git submodules, to CocoaPods, to Carthage, to Git submodules again. Right now I’m using CocoaPods.

    I’ve had three problems with CocoaPods from the beginning:

    1. It messes with my Xcode project files.
    2. It stops working for me all the time.
    3. I don't want to mess around with Ruby gems.

    While the first issue seems pretty much intractable, the CocoaPods app seems to (potentially) fix the second two by bundling its own Ruby environment in the app. Because it’s from the people who make CocoaPods, I assume it’ll keep updated to match the command line tool.

    The app itself is pretty barebones. I’d love to see a future version let me see what updates are available for my pods from within the app and abstract away me having to edit the podfile by hand. Either way, I’m going to give it a shot. You can check it out on the CocoaPods website.

    → 12:09 PM, Jan 24
  • New JSON Formatting App by Samuel Goodwin

    My vivacious and charming friend Samuel Goodwin has just released a new app for formatting JSON called Formatter on the Mac App Store for the low price for $4.99. You can drag and drop JSON files right on it, or use the included Xcode plugin to turn your gross mess of brackets and parenthesis into artisanally crafted pretty printed JSON files. Another thing I like about Formatter is that it includes a QuickLook plugin to make looking at JSON in the Finder a bit nicer.

    The pasta maker icon is pretty clever, too. Go buy it.

    → 3:07 PM, Jan 5
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