Dockless e-Bikes Are A Wonderful Convergence of Technologies

I had the chance to use dockless e-Bikes during a visit to Seattle in June. They fully lived up to expectations. They were plentiful, easy to use, and powerful. 20 mph uphill with modest effort is a lovely way to get around. Especially if the city is bike-friendly, which Seattle generally is.

The whole dockless e-Bike experience is a wonderful convergence of technologies. Foremost, of course, the e-Bike itself. Then there is the Smartphone app to locate and effortlessly rent them (although they were so thick in central Seattle, you could often just stroll and find them within 2 minutes).

A challenge in bike-commuting in an unfamiliar city is finding a good, bike-friendly route. Google Maps makes short work of that--it quickly got me into a bike lane, and kept me on bike-friendly streets for the duration of my trip.

The only problem with relying on Google Maps whilst biking is being able to hear. Which is where the last piece of technology comes in. Nice wireless earbuds are easy to carry at all times, and a single bud in the right ear allows you to hear navigation instructions well, while keeping the left ear free to hear the sounds of the street.

Micro USB Will Be The New Floppy Drive

I.e., the old hardware standard that never disappears, only slowly fades away.

Podcast Listening Tips

Short Version

• Use Overcast if you have iPhone.
• Speed up the playback. You both get through more content, and faster is actually better for holding your attention.
• Try wireless earbuds--Airpods are most well-known, there are good budget alternatives. One of many benefits is ease of single-ear listening, which for spoken audio, is usually what you want.
• Pro tip: if you use a Read Later app, such as Pocket, you can use the built in TTS (synthesized voice reads out loud) in all the same situations you listen to podcasts.

Longer Version

A bit of advice for those who haven't yet gotten into podcasts. There are so many. Any specialized subject, you will find a podcast on it. Podcasts especially have a "long tail' effect:

• There are well-known, highly produced podcasts, often some kind of brand extension from existing media source (NPR, the extensive Ira Glass storyteller tree, Freakonomics and Malcolm Gladwell).
• There are middle-market podcasts beg enough to attract sponsors, but still pretty niche.
• Then there are many small Indie podcasts that are homebrew affairs, probably without sponsorships. Something for everyone.

There are many good podcast apps, but if you are on iOS, don't settle for the built-in Apple app, download the Overcast podcast app. It is definitely the best one for iOS. For Android, Podcast Addict and Podcast Republic are a couple of good ones that I am familiar with.

Start listening at 1.2X speed. You will get used to that quickly, and can keep increasing the speed. I listen at 1.5X.

Bonus tip: consider getting earbuds. Like the Apple Airpods, or Wirectutter’s budget choice for a mere $40 (I got them for my wife, they seem good).

The best ways to find podcasts are:

• Referrals from friends.
• Search the internet for topics of interest.
• One podcast leads to another.

Don't rely on iTunes recommended list, and don't try to do general searching from the podcast app--only do that to actually add a specific podcast you have identified from a different source.

Washing dishes, cutting the lawn, doing laundry and of course, driving, will never be boring again!! I get I listen to 2+ hours per day on average (more on weekends).

Pro tip: if you use a Read Later app, such as Pocket, you can use the built in TTS (synthesized voice reads out loud) in all the same situations you listen to podcasts. They synthesized voice is obviously not as good as a real narrator/speaker/reader, but it is surprisingly tolerable.