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A podcast with prizes coming next week...

JoRatcliffe

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Hey everyone, I have some news to share which is a bit different to my usual updates :)

Our online store (which you might recognize as Newark, Farnell or element14 depending on your region) is releasing a second series of last year’s Top Tech Voices podcast: a six-episode exploration into how technology can help improve our lives, with each episode featuring a different expert.

 I will be sharing each episode here in the Members Area on the community for discussing each topic and we will have some prizes... Trophy

The topics and guests are all very different so take a look at what is coming up and when:

3rd February - Episode #1 Mental Health & Technology: Navigating the Digital Mind (featuring Dr Jack Lewis, neuroscientist and author)

24th February - Episode #2 Sustainable Tech: Innovations for a Greener Planet (featuring Fionn Ferreria, inventor, chemistry student and Forbes 30 under 30 listee)

17th March - Episode #3 Neuro-tech and Brain Interfaces (featuring Anil Seth, neuroscientist professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience)

7th April - Episode #4 Biohacking & Human Enhancement: Redefining Our Limits (featuring Dr Julia Jones, neuroscientist and entrepreneur)

28th April - Episode #5 Work / Tech Life Balance (featuring Dr Anne-Laure Le Cunff, neuroscientist and former Googler)

19th May - Episode #6 Smart Cities and Urban Tech: Designing the Future Metropolis (featuring Carlo Ratti, architect, engineer, ranked as one of the top ten most-cited scholars in urban planning)

Like the previous season, the community team was fortunate to be in the podcast studio while each guest recorded their episode with the host, so I thought it would be fun to share a little extra insight on how filming the podcast takes place.

The Podcast’s Logistics

{gallery}Behind The Scenes

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We can watch from a soundproof 'green room' while each episode is being recorded: 

Much of the element14 Community team is based in Leeds in the UK and a professional podcast studio within walking distance of our office is used to record and work on the podcast. The leader and organizer of the podcast project works in France, so several colleagues including   and myself help facilitate things physically at the podcast studio.

Some questions that podcast guests sometimes have for us include:

  • How much swearing is too much swearing?
  • Is this shirt ok?
  • Should I bring my example gadgets and tools (and the answer is always yes!)

When it comes to recording each episode, there is a pre-prepared list of general discussion points for guests and the host to discuss but - once everyone is ready - we let the camera run and the conversation is unscripted. Each guest and the host are left to talk by themselves while we watch next door from a soundproof 'green room'. We stop the recording when the conversation comes to a natural end. If any discussion topics are not covered at all, we do a ‘pick-up’ and record a small, extra segment which can be optionally edited into the episode later.

All the filming for each season takes place over three days with two guests each day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The podcast studio has its own editing team that puts the episodes together once the footage for each one is ready.

The aim is a natural, authentic conversation so very little footage goes unused, there are hardly any ‘deleted scenes’ or bloopers.

One aspect of the podcast I like personally is that - while all the podcast guests bring a lot of experience to the show - some bring visual aids with them too:

  • In Episode 1 of the first series, Jaap Haartsen (the inventor of Bluetooth) brought a whole host of early Bluetooth-enabled products with him, from a mobile phone through to a ‘Britney Spears-style’ headset mic. Jaap laid all the gadgets out on the table and talked us through them all.
  • In Episode 3, Professor Dominik Boesl wore a Skynet-branded T-shirt - evoking the Terminator movie series - and he brought the shirt into the conversation.
  • For Episode 4, Toju Duke brought her book with her and we displayed it on the bookshelf behind Georgia the host – did you notice?

While we wait for season 2 to kick off next Tuesday on February 3rd, check out the previous season of the podcast below for some interesting discussions and to get a sense of what is coming up.

Full Episode List
Ep. 1: Wireless Innovation Link
Ep. 2: Cybersecurity & Data Privacy Link
Ep. 3: Robotics & IoT Link
Ep. 4: AI On The Edge Link
Ep. 5: Electric Vehicles & The Race To Electrify Link
Ep. 6: The Future Of Technology Link
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  • in reply to JWx

    Can we append the word Irish in front of sailor? I have some of that in my blood.

    I swear. Depending on the audience, a lot.

    When I retired, I returned to the island I grew up on, to reconnect with family. I met my 96 year old aunt who I hadn't seen since I was 11. Her first comment, greeting me at the door was, "who the fook are you?" The word was utter exactly how it is spelled.

    When I was growing up a bar of soap in the mouth and a paddle on the backside were punishment if my mother caught us swearing. She only had to hear about it and not actually witness it. My brother suffered the punishment when I ran to the house telling my mother that my brother used the f word in the neighbours yard.

    I never swore in my home. My daughter never heard the words come from my mouth. My wife will attest to that. At my daughter university graduation while speaking to here friends. I let slip a “bad” word and immediately apologize. My daughters friends started  laughing. They told me the word wasn’t that bad, my daughter could beat me, she is the queen of swearing in their group.

    I learned on my retirement trip that nearly every member that carry my family name are Olympic level swearers! If swearing was an Olympic sport we would medal bronze, silver and gold. My excuse for swearing is that it is hereditary.

  • in reply to colporteur

    That was meant to be a friendly joke - my country had a limited sea access in the recent history so sailors are more known from anecdotes (some of them involving their specific use of language) so I was trying to continue a perceived joke from the original post

  • in reply to JWx

    Took it as light banter. I have acceptance of my language. I try not to let it impact others but swearing for me is cathartic.

  • in reply to colporteur
    colporteur said:
    I met my 96 year old aunt who I hadn't seen since I was 11. Her first comment, greeting me at the door was, "who the fook are you?"

    Are you sure you got the right door though ? Slight smile