The Flickcast – Page 21 of 1030 – Stuff Nerds Love

Things We Love: Coffee

coffee

We believe few things in life are as satisfying as a good cup of coffee. So it should be no surprise to learn it’s one of the Things We Love here at The Flickcast.

Sure, one or two people around here drink tea occasionally, or as an alternative to coffee, but we don’t really talk to them all that much. To be honest, we consider their judgement a little suspect. 

So, coffee? Yes. Please and thank you.

There’s so many ways to make coffee at home, the office or at the home office we won’t go into every one of them here. We will, however, talk about a couple of our favorite methods and some tools we think are necessary to get the caffeine fix and amazing cup of coffee you deserve.

There’s basically two methods we use on a regular basis: the Pourover or the French Press. We also, on occasion, use a more traditional coffee maker if time is a factor, but won’t go into that in this post. 

First, let’s talk Pourover using the Hario V60, which is pretty much the industry standard. We could go into a lengthy explanation of how it works, what to do and all that.

Instead, let’s let World Barista Champion, author and famous YouTube star James Hoffman tell us all about it.

He makes it look easy, right? It does take some work and practice. But once you get it mastered this method creates an amazing cup of coffee.

To make this at home, the office or the home office, you’ll need a few things. Fortunately, you’ll only need to get most of these items once and they can be used for many years.

First, the V60 by Hario, which is the backbone of the entire system. You’ll also need a glass coffee server, which goes underneath the V60 and catches the coffee as it comes through.

Next, you need a way to heat and pour water. We prefer the Hario Kettle. You’ll also need paper filters, a grinder to grind the beans and, of course, some coffee.

For paper filters, we go with the ones from Hario. For a grinder, our favorite that’s seen daily use for several years and never once complained, is the Baratza Virtuoso.

Lastly, for coffee we like to buy local here in Austin from favorites such as Cuvee Coffee or Texas Coffee Traders. They also ship worldwide, but you can most likely find local roasters in your area. If you’re having trouble finding one, you can check out this map to locate a roaster near you. 

Now, let’s turn to the French Press. Again, here’s James Hoffman to show you the way.

As with the Pourover, you’ll need a few things for this method as well. Of course, the French Press itself. Our current favorite is the Bodum 1928.

You’ll also need pretty much the rest of the things mentioned above for best results. But as this is a French Press you won’t need the V60 this time.

Okay. That’s how we (and James) do it. It may seem like a bit of time and trouble, but the rewards of great coffee are worth it . . . at least to us. Enjoy your coffee!

Do you love coffee as much as we do? If so, what are some of your favorite methods to make it? Let us know in the comments or hit us up on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

 

Note: This post contains affiliate links.

428: Moving On

moving on

It’s time for another new episode of The Flickcast. The pop culture podcast about stuff nerds love. This week it’s Episode 427: Moving On.

On this episode Chris and Joe are back discussing a bunch of new and recurring topics, as they often do. Some of these include a bit more about the finale of WandaVision, upcoming Marvel/Disney+ series including The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, further managing of expectations, where the MCU goes from here, the “Snyder Cut”, audio books and a whole lot more.

Once again, this latest episode is not as long as some of the last few, but it’s still got a lot of great discussion, analysis and commentary. . . Well, at least it’s not that long.

Oh, if you get a moment and feel like it/can do it, consider rating or reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts. Every rating and review helps. And if you’re really feeling it, consider supporting the show on Patreon.

Thanks for listening!

WARNING: This episode may contain discussions about COVID-19, mental health and quarantine. We understand not everyone is in a place to talk about or hear discussions surrounding these issues. We completely understand. Please do what’s best for you. Stay safe everyone.

As always, if you have comments, questions, critiques, offers of sponsorship or whatever, feel free to hit us up in the comments, on Twitter, Instagram or, yes, even Facebook. Or shoot us an email. We don’t mind.

 

Opening and end music by Kevin MacLeod under Creative Commons License
Image: Marvel Studios / Disney

Tech Time: Microphones

microphones

Welcome to another edition of Tech Time. In this series we focus on a piece of technology we love from the past, present or future.

Like last time, we’re focusing on audio with a look at another important piece of tech you’ll definitely need if you want to record it: microphones.

You likely know already but a microphone is (according to the dictionary) “. . . an instrument whereby sound waves are caused to generate or modulate an electric current usually for the purpose of transmitting or recording sound (such as speech or music).”

Makes sense, right? But what microphone do you want or need?

For our purposes, which are mostly recording podcasts, but also audio books or music, we’re going to look at two different kinds of mics: USB and XLR. These refer to the way the microphone connects to your computer so you can use it for recording.

A USB mic is just that, a microphone that connects to your computer directly via a USB cable. Some of the ones we’ve used and like are the Blue Yeti, the Rode NT-USB and the one our podcast co-host Joe Dilworth uses (for the moment), the Blue Snowball. They’re relatively easy to set up and use, which is great for beginners. 

XLR microphones use an XLR cable and are found in most music and podcast recording studio in the world. They are the choice of most pros and offer higher build and recording quality. Of course, said higher quality also comes with a higher price tag. 

Out preferred XLR microphones include the Shure SM58, the Rode PodMic and the one used by our podcast co-host Chris Ullrich (and so many others), the Shure SM7B. Yeah, we know, the SM7B is expensive. But it really is one of the best.

microphones

To use an XLR microphone, you’ll also need an XLR cable and a device like the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. We discussed the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 in a previous post. Again, the higher quality requires more expense and a bit more setup. We produce podcasts and other audio professionally, so we think it’s worth it. 

If you’re just starting out or don’t want to spend a lot of money (we get that), you can absolutely use a USB microphone like the Yeti or Snowball from Blue and record audio with software such as Apple’s Garage Band. That’s how we started and you can get some good sound that way. 

So that’s a bit of information on microphones. We plan on doing a more in-depth series on podcast recording in the near future, so keep an eye out for that. Until then, happy recording!

Do you record a podcast or music at home or in a studio? If so, what microphone do you like and use? Let us know in the comments or hit us up on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

 

 

Images: Shure / Rode 
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Weekly Link Love: Friends And More

friends and more

It’s time for another edition of Weekly Link Love The last few weeks we focused on Twitter and Instagram accounts we love and follow. This week we’re turning to cool websites of friends and more we want to be sure get the recognition (and love) they deserve.

You may have heard of none, some, or all of these sites. And yes, we know we’ve featured a few of them in previous Weekly Link Love posts, but they’re worth your time, so we’re link loving them again!

And, of course, there’s so many more we follow and love. We can’t list them all. This post would be way too long. Instead, here’s a taste.

As always, don’t forget to spread the love. Now, on to the links!

Baronfig – Tools for thinking. These folks make some of our favorite notebooks and more. 

BoingBoing – A site full of interesting and mostly wonderful things. An internet staple for so many years.

CBR – The place for comics, movies, and other news. Old school, but still one of the best.

DnD Beyond – If you play D&D, this site is a must. Try it and you’ll never play without it again.

Engadget – The OG of tech blogs. Still one of the best.

Field Notes – Our other favorite notebook company. Can’t get enough of their stuff. 

GeekDad – Are you a geek or nerd? Are you a Dad? This site is for you. 

Jason Lee – Actor and amazing photographer. Jason Lee is the real deal. Check out his work. It’s pretty amazing.

Kottke – Hard to describe, but if you’re a nerd/geek, or just like cool, quirky stuff, this site is a must. 

LAist – Our favorite website about Los Angeles. Still going strong after all these years. 

Lifehacker – You know this one. Want to get better and, well, everything? You need to read this. 

Pencil Revolution – We love pencils, so this is a favorite. Lots of great info, reviews, terrific zines, a podcast and more!

Pen Addict – The site that pretty much kickstarted/re-ignited our love of pens, pencils, notebooks and more.

RPGBot – A great source of knowledge to help you optimize characters for D&D and other RPGs. 

Tabletop Hero – Your library of adventures, monsters and encounters for D&D 5e. Plus, D&D kids club. Great stuff. 

Terribleminds – The site where author Chuck Wendig offers “gentle” writing advice, rants and more. Well worth your time. 

The Typewriter Revolution – If you love typewriters like we do, this site is a must. So much great info for fellow enthusiasts.

Whatever – Author John Scalzi’s website where he talks about, well, whatever. Love his work? You’ll love this site. 

Wirecutter – Our go-to site for reviews & recommendations for pretty much everything from TV’s to toasters, and more.

That’s it for this week. Did we miss any of your favorite websites or blogs? If so, let us know in the comments or hit us up on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook

Until then, happy linking and don’t forget to spread the love!

Trailer Time: ‘The Falcon and The Winter Soldier’

'the falcon and the winter soldier'

It’s time for another edition of Trailer Time. This time around, we’re going bigger with trailers, teasers and more from the upcoming Marvel/Disney+ series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.

Now that WandaVision has come to an end, what are Marvel fans to do? We’re not getting Black Widow or Eternals until later this year (at least). So, until then, how will we scratch our itch for explosive Marvel fare?

Fortunately, there’s hope. Hope in the form of two somewhat unlikely heroes named Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes, aka The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Played, of course, by the terrific Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan, just like in the movies. Fun!

Set in the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame, this upcoming show tells the story of two opposites forced to come together and work together to save humanity from powerful forces, including an old threat in the form of Baron Zemo (Daniel Brühl). Can these two opposites share an apartment and save the world without driving each other crazy?

It sounds great. We’ll just have to watch and find out. Well, maybe we made up that apartment thing. But maybe. Who knows? We’ll find out soon enough. 

Until then, check out all the great videos below. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier hits Disney Plus on March 19th.

Are you excited for The Falcon and The Winter Soldier? Are you going to watch it? Let us know in the comments or hit us up on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

Images/Videos: Marvel/Disney

427: Managing Expectations

managing expectations

It’s time for another new episode of The Flickcast. The pop culture podcast about stuff nerds love. This week it’s Episode 427: Managing Expectations

On this episode Chris and Joe are back discussing a bunch of new and recurring topics. Some of these include the season (series?) finale of WandaVision, the new movie Boss Level, directed by Joe Carnahan and starring Frank Grillo, the new NBC series Debris, from the makers of Fringe, managing expectations, where the MCU goes from here and a whole lot more.

This episode is not as massive as the last few, but it’s still chock full of great discussion, analysis and commentary. Well, most of those things anyway. . . At least it’s shorter. Okay?

Oh hey, if you get a moment and feel like it/can do it, consider rating or reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts, and if you’re really feeling it, supporting the show on Patreon. We’d really appreciate it. 

Thanks for listening!

WARNING: This episode may contain discussions about COVID-19, mental health and quarantine. We understand not everyone is in a place to talk about or hear discussions surrounding these issues. We completely understand. Please do what’s best for you. Stay safe everyone.

As always, if you have comments, questions, critiques, offers of sponsorship or whatever, feel free to hit us up in the comments, on Twitter, Instagram or, yes, even Facebook. Or shoot us an email. We don’t mind.

 

Opening and end music by Kevin MacLeod under Creative Commons License
Image: Marvel Studios / Disney

What We’re Reading: ‘Wanderers’

wanderers

It’s time for another edition of What We’re Reading. This week What We’re Reading is Chuck Wendig’s apocalyptic novel Wanderers.

To us it seems sorta appropriate to be reading a novel about the downfall of society during a pandemic. Heck, we’re gluttons for punishment most of the time and watch/read and enjoy all sorts of stuff some may find distasteful. To each his or her own, right?

Fortunately, at least in the case of Wanderers, it’s so good and so consistently entertaining we can actually forget about real world issues and instead concentrate on the issues of the characters in the novel. That’s no small feat and we have Chuck Wendig’s excellent writing to thank for it.

So, thank you Mr. Wendig. Chuck . . . Can we call you Chuck? Anyway . . .

Wanderers grabs you from the first page and never lets you go. It’s the kind of book you’re tempted to read the last few pages of because you desperately want to know how it ends, who’s gonna survive and what the hell is going on, but you don’t dare.

Even though you really want to know, you also want to follow the story to see what happens and not spoil anything. Such a tough (and great) predicament to be in.

In short, as you can probably tell, we loved the book around here and can’t recommend it highly enough. And we’re not the only ones.

It was named one of the best books of the year by The Washington Post, The Guardian, NPR and Publisher’s Weekly. Not bad. Give it a read, you’re sure to enjoy it too. 

Get your copy of Wanderers wherever awesome books are sold. We got our copies at Amazon and BookPeople, our local bookstore here in Austin.

The novel is also being developed as a television series by Walking Dead and The Shield producer Glen Mazarra. So, that’s pretty cool. Lastly, look for Wayward, the sequel to Wanderers, hitting bookstores in 2022.

Have you read Chuck Wendig’s Wanderers? If so, what di you think of it? Let us know in the comments or hit us up on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

 

 

Note: This post contains affiliate links.
Artwork: Del Rey / Penguin Randomhouse

Things We Love: Pencils

pencils

Welcome back to another edition of Things We Love. This time around we’re turning our attention to something that might seem like an odd choice given how prevalent digital technologies are these days. As you an tell from the title of this post, we’re talking, of course, about pencils.

Yes, that’s right, pencils. An artifact created in a time before iPads, iPhones, computers and most any other form of technology designed to help you create, remember things or get things done. They’re still in use today and more popular than ever. There’s even a podcast dedicated to them.

The pencil is generally credited to people such as Nicolas-Jacques Conté, who figured out how to mix graphite to mold it into a strong core, Joseph Dixon, who developed methods to mass produce pencils in the classic hexagonal shape they are known for today and Hymen Lipman, who was the first to attach an eraser to one end. According to pencil collector and expert Caroline Weaver in her TED talk about this very subject (which you can watch in its entirety below), this is a major factor in what makes the pencil special. 

“. . . it’s that long history of collaboration that, to me, makes it a very perfect object.”

She makes a compelling case for the pencil during her talk and you should definitely watch the video. It’s pretty cool.

Now that we (and Ms. Weaver) have convinced you pencils are awesome, where do you go to get some for yourself? Well, we mostly go to these places:

Pencils.com

CW Pencil Enterprises

JetPens

Some of our favorites include the Blackwing 602, the General Pencil Test Scoring 580, the Musgrave Tennessee Red, the ForrestChoice #2 and, for you mechanical pencil fans, the Pentel P205 and Rotring 600.

These are just a few of our favorites and some of the places we go to get pencils. Many of these are also available at Amazon.

So, why not give the pencil a try? You just might love it as much as we do.

Do you ever use pencils or other analog tools in your daily life? If so, what are some of your favorites? Let us know in the comments or hit us up on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

 

Image: Blackwing
Video: TED
Note: This post contains affiliate links.