The Blerg

This episode is a bit of an experiment in that there's no guest. Instead, it's a collection of voice diary recordings I made around the launch of my brand new app, ActionDash. Part 1 (00:49): The night before launch. Part 2 (19:38): Launch morning (she's *just* gone live - "Please don't crash!"). Part 3 (24:09): Launch evening (how busy was launch day?) Part 4 (32:02): Five days on from launch.   Links ActionDash (it would really help me out if you'd leave a review!) Me on Twitter: @chrismlacy  

In December 2012, the first version of Action Launcher released. In this episode, long-time Action Launcher user Jesse Wilson hosts yours truly in a discussion about the ensuing five years. This is a wide ranging discussion, covering not just Action Launcher itself, but a number of topics including how app development has changed during that time, our evolved feelings device system updates, how to help surface features in an app and much more. But don't be fooled, there's plenty of Action Launcher chat here. Links: Follow Jesse on Twitter: @jessewilson Follow me on Twitter: @chrismlacy Action Launcher on Google Play (please leave a review!) AdaptivePack on Google Play (please leave a review!) Flashback: Action Launcher v1's promo video (

Warning: this episode contains coarse language. It's the fourth annual "… of the year" extravaganza, in which Jesse Wilson and I each bestow 20 highly coveted and equally made up awards based on 2016's technology news. Some of the awards include classics like “moonwalk of the year” and “lipstick on a pig of the year”, as well as new entries like “you dropped the ball at the finish line of the year” and special one I felt obliged to add for myself titled “biggest personal egg on face moment of the year”. Follow Jesse on Twitter: @jessewilson. Follow me on Twitter: @chrismlacy. Links: … of the year, 2013. … of the year, 2014. … of the year, 2015. The Bill Simmons Podcast Episode 101: Charity: Water's Scott Harrison. Trump, Putin and the Pipelines to Nowhere.  

Jesse Wilson returns to the show to chat all things Action Launcher with me. Topics include why there was more than 6 months between Action Launcher updates to start the year and what I learnt going so long between updates. I also discuss my pushing to release the Pixel Launcher inspired update so quickly after the leaks arrived, how the update was received by press and customers alike. Oh, and I both tease a major feature I withheld from a recent update and find a (valid!) excuse to talk about hidden menu items at In-N-Out Burger. Follow Jesse on Twitter: @JesseWilson. Follow me on Twitter: @chrismlacy Links: Action Launcher on Google Play. Even if you've already bought Plus, I'd appreciate a review!   Note: this episode was recorded after early September's Action Launcher 3.9's update but before late September's 3.10 update.

So. Many. Hardware. Announcements.   Phil and I break down the Pixel phones, Daydream View, Google WiFi, Google Home and Chromecast 4k announcements. We also discuss whether the event lived up the hype Google set about creating, and chat about what we didn't see.   Follow Phil on Twitter: @philnickinson. Follow me on Twitter: @chrismlacy.

Ben Sandofsky and I break down all the announcements of Apple's September 2016 event. We of course discuss all the new hardware, as well as give our thoughts on: The loss of the headphone jack. The disparity between the cameras in the two iPhone modes. Apple's increasing trend of having features like AirPods, Portrait photo mode and Pencil miss launch windows. And of course I get my bitch on about a new Apple Watch model that doesn't have an always on display. Follow Ben on Twitter: @sandofsky. Follow me on Twitter: @chrismlacy.

Hot off the wires, Francisco Franco and I dig into WWDC 2016's watchOS, tvOS, macOS and iOS announcements. What did we like and dislike? What didn't we see that we were hoping for? What did we make of those crazy Music and iMessage announcements? Follow Francisco on Google+: +FranciscoFranco1990. Follow me on Twitter: @chrismlacy.   Check out Francisco's app 5217 in the Play Store.

  Jake Wharton and I conclude our post Google I/O 2016 chat by digging into the wealth of show's developer announcements including Android Studio 2.2, Firebase, Android Instant Apps and more. Follow Jake on Twitter: @JakeWharton. Follow me on Twitter: @chrismlacy.

What's it like to attend Google I/O? Was the venue switch away from San Francisco to an outdoor venue in Mountain View a good move? What quality level were the technical sessions this year? Why do Google keep making seemingly basic mistakes hosting I/O each year? Was the move to abandon the giveaways of previous years a good one? Jake Wharton and I discuss all this and more. Follow Jake on Twitter: @JakeWharton Follow me on Twitter: @chrismlacy

Many felt I was too negative in the previous episode, where Koush and I broke down Google I/O 2016's keynote. Previous guest of the show Karl Smith was one such person, so he and I decided to dig into some of the areas we disagreed with most in this impromptu follow up episode, and I also offer some further thoughts on what we saw given a few more days to process it.    Follow Karl on Twitter: @punyweakling. Follow me on Twitter: @chrismlacy. Links: Karl's blog: punyweakling.com.   ---  Note: the initial release of this episode had audio issues with voices at different levels. Fixed in this latest version. Sorry about that.      

Google I/O is here! Koush and I break down all the big announcements such as Home, Allo, Duo and Daydream. We also discussed Google's advancements in AI, the Android Wear 2.0 release, Android Instant Apps and more. Follow Koush on Twitter: @koush. Follow me on Twitter: @chrismlacy.    

Fellow Android developer Annyce Davis joins me for a deep dive into all things Android TV! We dig into our experience with Google TV, the Nexus Player, Android TV built into a TV and more, as well as discussing our gripes with the platform, and how we'd like to see it improve going forward. Note: this episode was recorded in early March, before Android N was announced, so best keep that in mind when we discuss what we'd like to see in future versions of the platform. Follow Annyce on Twitter: @brwngrldev. Follow me on Twitter: @chrismlacy.

Turmoil, staff exodus and mud-slinging at Nest. Promising robotics unit Boston Dynamics reportedly up for sale, while the rest of the initiative is seemingly on notice. Reports of unrest at Verily Life Sciences. The other bets of Alphabet seem to be making quite a bit of news of late, and not in a good way.  Ars Technica's Ron Amadeo joins me to discuss all of this news, our feelings on what this might mean for future Alphabet bets, as well as rumors of Google's competitor to the Amazon Echo. Follow Ron on Twitter: @ronamadeo. Follow me on Twitter: @chrismlacy. Links: The Information: Inside Tony Fadell's Struggle to Build Nest. Dropcam founder Greg Duffy responds to Tony Fadell's statements. Bloomberg: Google Puts Boston Dynamics Up for Sale in Robotics Retreat. Stat: Google Life Sciences Exodus.

Well that came out of nowhere! Google surprised us all by announcing Android N. In this episode, Ty Smith and I dig into all the newly announced features, discuss our impressions of our time using the N Preview, chat about what features didn't make this release that we were hoping to see and more. Follow Ty on Twitter: @tsmith Follow me on Twitter: @chrismlacy Links Get 30% off your DroidCon SF ticket with the discount code "droidcon30"!   Note: Unfortunately due to a couple of issues on my end, this episode's audio quality is a little off. My apologies

Most device reviews happen at launch time, but often our impressions change as we spend significant time actually using the device. In this episode, fellow Android developer Brian Griffey and I discuss our wildly differing experience of actually using the Nexus 5X and 6P as a daily driver for the last three plus months. Follow Brian on Twitter: @briangriffey Follow me on Twitter: @chrismlacy  

Warning: this episode contains mild coarse language.  Jesse Wilson and I break down all of 2015's news and developments by doling out awards to the tech space's newsworthy people, products and companies. But some of the awards include: Haters gonna hate hate hate of the year… Lipstick on a pig of the year… Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to what you just said, and may God have mercy on your soul of the year… Also, the post-show sees an Internet first, with two douchebags discussing Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Follow Jesse on Twitter: @jessewilson. Follow me on Twitter: @chrismlacy. Links … of the year, 2014. … of the year, 2013. Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter A Convincing Argument "Douchebag": The White Racial Slur We've All Been Waiting For Scott Weiland's Family: 'Don't Glorify This Tragedy'  

This Nexus 6P is terrific. It's the best Nexus phone ever. Or is it? Well, yes it is. But fellow Android developer Jerrell Mardis and I still find much to talk about. We cover the good, the great, and even manage to find some things to complain about. Follow Jerrell on Twitter: @jerrellmardis Follow me on Twitter: @chrismlacy

Renowned Apple analyst and iMore.com Editor in Chief Rene Ritchie joins me in part 2 of my discussion about, as I see them, "worrying Apple trends". Rene brings his astute Apple insight to many of the previous episode's talking points including whether the base line of Apple's products is becoming a bit less appealing than they previously have been, a Magic Mouse that can't be used whilst being charged and much more.   Follow Rene on Twitter: @reneritchie. Follow me on Twitter: @chrismlacy.

Guest Russell Ivanovic joins me to discuss a variety of Apple's not-so-great recent trends. We dig into a great many of the warts increasingly appearing around Apple's ecosystem, including the experience when first running a device, the less than universally acclaimed new Apple TV remote, the stagnant App Store and app review process, general product stability and more. We also chat about Apple's ever expanding and confusing product lines, Jony Ive's accountability, as well as discussing Apple's trend to make their cheapest product versions less appealing than was previously the case.   Follow Russel on Twitter: @rustyshelf Follow me on Twitter: @chrismlacy Listen to Russell every week on the Material Podcast on Relay FM.  

Guest Phil Nickinson and I chat about all of the announcements from Google's September '15 event. We break down all the new hardware announcements, Google's decision to target the 6P and 5X at different segments on the market and Google's confidence with the camera. We also discuss Nexus Protect, the new Chromecasts, what we didn't see that we were expecting to and more. This episode is brought to you by my app Action Launcher 3. Go on, leave me a nice review! Links Follow Phil on Twitter: @philnickinson Follow me on Twitter: @chrismlacy

Influential journalist Charles Arthur joins me for a discussion on the lay of the land for Android's traditional OEMs. Inspired by Charles' Premium Android hits the wall post, we dig into the revenues and shipments of these Android devices, dig into why these devices are collectively seeing a declining market share, as well as Apple's position in the market and the potential future implications for premium Android devices. This episode is brought to you by Action Launcher 3 for Android. Go on, leave me a review (I like the number 5). Follow Charles on Twitter: @charlesarthur. Follow me on Twitter: @chrismlacy Links Premium Android hits the wall. The Overspill www.charlesarthur.com    

Supreme iOS/Mac engineer and Apple aficionado Ben Sandofsky joins me to break down Apple's September 2015 event. We dig into all the details of the iPhone, iPad and Apple TV announcements, with detailed discussion on why the iPad Pro was even necessary, the Internet's reaction to the Apple Pencil, the types of games we may and may not see on Apple TV, our fears for 3D Touch and more. We also give our initial impressions of what was the most unexpected and perhaps bigggest announcement, that of the iPhone Upgrade Program, as well as discussing iCloud's stingy data caps, the 16GB base model iPhone and whether Apple's vastly increased product count and increasinly long keynotes are a worrying sign for the company. To close out the show, Ben gives some insight into his time as a technical advisor for HBO's Silicon Valley series. This episode is brought to you by Action Launcher 3 for Android. Go on, leave me a review (I like the number 5). Follow Ben on Twitter: @sandofsky Follow me on Twitter: @chrismlacy

Jake Wharton (aka the most in-demand Android engineer on the planet) takes over the show and proceeds to interview yours truly about all things Link Bubble, my now former app. We discuss everything about Link Bubble, from how I conceived the app all the way up to my selling of the app and everything in between.  Some of the many topics discussed include the early prototyping of the app, my decision making process in applying for a patent on the app, my thoughts on the vocal folk who felt the app was outrageously priced at launch, the companion app TapPath, what it was like for me to temporarily trade in my engineering hat and try my hand at becoming a deal making executive, and a whole heap more. This episode is brought to you by Action Launcher 3 for Android. Go on, leave me a review (I like the number 5). Follow Jake on Twitter: @JakeWharton Follow me on Twitter: @chrismlacy   Links The "directors cut" episode of The Blerg where guest Jesse Wilson and I discuss the Action Launcher 3.5 update. My announcement post of Link Bubble and TapPath's sale. Brian R. Bondy's announcement that all of Link Bubble's features are available for free for everyone. My initial teaser post about Link Bubble's release. My launch day post in response to the "this app is too expensive" commenters.  

Pitchforks at the ready, as Android developer and kernel tweaker Francisco Franco and I have a lengthy chat about the iPhone 6! We start off talking about how we came to spend time with the latest iPhone, and then dig into three main topics: the hardware, iOS and the platform's apps. We discuss our experiences using an iPhone on a daily basis, the things we miss most coming from Android, areas where the iPhone is superior, Apple's restrictive APIs and more. Oh, and Francisco demonstrates that he may in fact have a future in politics when we discuss what phone we envisage our SIM card being plugged into on Christmas Day once this year's Nexus phones have shipped. Follow Francisco on Google+: +FranciscoFranco1990 Follow me on Twitter: @chrismlacy  

Guest JR Raphael and I discuss all the week's news. We break down M's official name, as well as discussing the potential implications for future Android version numbers and logos, and of course discuss this week's updated M Preview release itself. I have my first podcast mini-rant about over-the-air updates of preview releases, and also speculate about a potential reason we have seen M's finalized APIs released earlier this year. We also chat about on the possibility of multiple Nexus devices for this year, and dig into Google's newly announced OnHub device, including my irresponsible speculation as to why Nest didn't release this product. Finally, JR shares a few thoughts about OnePlus. Follow JR on Twitter: @jrraphael. Follow me on Twitter: @chrismlacy. Links JR's website: jrstart.com. Ep. 10 of The Blerg, in which Ron Amadeo and I break down Alphabet. The logic behind multiple Nexus phones finally starts to make sense (for me at least) Leaked Nexus 5 picture. WSJ profile of OnePlus CEO Carl Pei.    

Guest Ron Amadeo and I discuss all the Alphabet related news of the week. We dig into why we think Google have made this move, discuss Sundar Pichai's continued rise, speculate idly on what companies Google might consider acquiring given their new structure and more. Ron also provides some insight and impressions on the newly announced Galaxy Note 5, and we close things out discussing Stagefright and HTC's financial woes. Follow Ron on Twitter: @ronamadeo. Follow me on Twitter: @chrismlacy.

Googler Kirill Grouchnikov joins me as we discuss the similarities and differences between small scale and billion user scale app development. In the second and final part of our chat, Kirill and I discuss the time we aim for between app releases, how Kirill finds working outside of Mountain View, and adjusting to a post-Eclipse world. We also compare how we test our apps before releasing them, and of course we finally resolve the age old "Gif" vs "Jif" debate. Follow Kirill on G+: +KirillGrouchnikov Follow me on Twitter: @chrismlacy   Links Kirril's website: www.pushing-pixels.org

Googler Kirill Grouchnikov joins me as we discuss the similarities and differences between small scale and billion user scale app development. In the first of a two part chat, we talk about how we measure success, assessing user feedback, the impact integrating material design into the Play Store app had on the product schedule and more. Kirill also presses me about how I approach app design, prioritizing features and more. Follow Kirill on G+: +KirillGrouchnikov Follow me on Twitter: @chrismlacy   Links Kirril's website: www.pushing-pixels.org

In the second and final part of my chat with Pushbullet CEO Ryan Oldenburg, we discuss how Pushbullet handles multi-platform development, how slower app review processes impact momentum and how the company deals with educating users who don't understand why some features don't work on other platforms. Ryan also talks how much concern he has for Google potentially entering the space, as well as discussing the potential risk of adding confusion to Pushbullet with a focus on messaging, the app's usage of encryption and more. Follow Ryan on Google+: +RyanOldenburg Follow me on Twitter: @chrismlacy   Links pushbullet.com      

Pushbullet CEO Ryan Oldenburg joins me to discuss all things Pushbullet! In the first of a two part conversation, Ryan details the origin of Pushbullet and his usage of Android, why he decided to start a company and we compare notes on how a typical launch day goes for each of us. Ryan also details how he spends his time now that he is CEO of a company with seven employees, and we discuss that old chestnut of dealing with user feedback and providing support. Follow Ryan on G+: +RyanOldenburg Follow me on Twitter: @chrismlacy   Links pushbullet.com

The tables are turned, as I become the topic of conversation, leaving my guest Jesse Wilson to drive and pose the questions during in-depth discussion about the recently released Action Launcher 3.5 update. We of course dig into the nitty-gritty of this update, where I discuss my motivations for developing Action Launcher 3's new Quickbar feature, how much of a struggle this update was for me to develop and why, how the launch has been received and more. Jesse also asks me what motivated me to start writing Action Launcher in the first place, we discuss details on features from Action Launcher 2 that haven't made it to Action Launcher 3, and I offer my perspective on Google Now as a launcher feature, and discuss whether I feel such support will ever come to Action Launcher.   Follow Jesse on Twitter: @jessewilson   Links Action Launcher 3 on Google Play  

Shifty Jelly co-founder and Pocket Casts supreme welder Philip Simpson and I break down the Samsung Galaxy S6.  We of course dig into core features like the camera and fingerprint scanner, compare the Edge and normal models as well as detailing what we dislike. Phil and I also discuss configuring the device to the point you can almost squint and not even realizing you're using TouchWiz device. Almost.   Links Follow Phil on Twitter: @geekygecko Follow me on Twitter: @chrismlacy You're listening to this with Pocket Casts right? shiftyjelly.com/pocketcasts

Falcon for Android developer Joaquim Vergès joins me to discuss all things Twitter.   We discuss our feelings for the company given in light of us both having written Twitter clients that reached Twitter's API limits, and of course discuss the recent CEO upheaval. We also break down Twitter investor Chris Sacca's recent public post suggesting product changes the company might make to arrest the near billion people who tried yet bailed from the service, and each place our bets on "@Jack vs the field" for the next CEO.   Follow Joaquim on Twitter: @joenrv Follow me on Twitter: @chrismlacy   Links What Twitter Can Be - Chris Sacca. Snoop Dogg and Aaron Levie discuss Twitter's CEO search.  

Shifty Jelly's Russell Ivanovic and I dig into Apple's WWDC '15 announcements.  We of course break down El Capitan, iOS 9, watchOS 2 and Apple Music, as well as Apple's persistence with bundling system app updates with OS releases, potential future implications of Apple Music's impending arrival on Android, what we didn't see that we were hoping for and more. Russell also tells us what it was like lining up for the keynote at 3 AM, something I myself am unlikely to ever experience in person.   Follow Russell on Twitter: @rustyshelf. Follow me on Twitter: @chrismlacy.

Welcome to the very first episode of The Blerg! My guest on this inaugural podcast is Karl Smith, and we dive deep into all of last week's announcements from Google I/O '15. Android M of course gets a heavy doze dose of discussion, as does Google Photos and Now on tap. I also talk a bit about what it's like to attend I/O in person, and touch on what we didn't see that I was hoping to.   Follow Karl on Twitter: @punyweakling. Follow me on Twitter: @chrismlacy.