Podcasts about thanks marc

WE RAISED ENOUGH MONEY FOR A WEDNESDAY SHOW! $45 MORE WILL GET YOU ANOTHER SHOW AFTER THAT! THANKS: Marc, Henry Law, Sightseeing TV, Xa Ya Za Za, Milad Daliri, CraigShipp.com, Towers Comics! Nashville, TN- Of course Bitcoin is back at $40k. Yawn. Short squeeze helped the cause, but BTC does not not care! Amazon will make it official one day, don't hold your breath of course. Tether FUD comes out at an interesting time, but it is not working as some would hope. I talk about some Beyond BTC people to follow. Much more! Watch the show here- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mbu9mnPrpw Follow Adam on Twitter- https://twitter.com/TechBalt Adam's Parler- https://parler.com/profile/BitcoinMeister All of the BitcoinMeister videos are here at- http://DisruptMeister.com Financially support the podcast here- https://anchor.fm/bitcoinmeister/support BOOKMARK SPORTSMEISTER.com DISRUPTMEISTER.com & TECHBALT.com --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bitcoinmeister/support

This is the final installment for our annuity mini-series. We will wrap things up by diving into fixed-index annuities. We get more into the finer details of some properties of annuities and also take a look at how these contracts are typically structured.Helpful Information:PFG Website: https://www.pfgprivatewealth.com/Contact: 813-286-7776Email: info@pfgprivatewealth.comDisclaimer:PFG Private Wealth Management, LLC is a registered investment adviser. All statements and opinions expressed are based upon information considered reliable although it should not be relied upon as such. Any statements or opinions are subject to change without notice. Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investment involve risk and, unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed. Information expressed does not take into account your specific situation or objectives and is not intended as recommendations appropriate for any individual. Listeners are encouraged to seek advice from a qualified tax, legal, or investment adviser to determine whether any information presented may be suitable for their specific situation. Past performance is not indicative of future performance.Transcript of Today's Show:For a full transcript of today's show, visit the blog related to this episode at https://www.pfgprivatewealth.com/podcast/----more----Speaker 1: Back here for another episode of the podcast. Thanks so much for listening to Retirement Planning Redefined with John and Nick from PFG Private Wealth. They are financial advisors serving you here in the Tampa Bay area. 813 286-7776 is how you get ahold of them if you've got some questions or concerns about anything you hear on our show, or really any others when it comes to your retirement plans. Speaker 1: And this week on the podcast, we're going to continue on with our annuity session. This is part three, and we're going to talk a little bit about indexed crediting strategies as well as indexing methods. And that sounds fancy, so we'll let the guys break it down. But first, we'll say what's going on. John, how are you, my friend? John: I'm good. I'm good. I was, this morning, just getting some quotes on artificial grass. It was- Speaker 1: Oh, that sounds fun. John: ... very interesting to look at the different samples of them. Speaker 1: The different samples of artificial grass. All right. Who would've thought, right? John: Not me. Speaker 1: It's a strange thing you can do. That's for sure. Nick, how are you doing, buddy? Nick: Definitely not looking at artificial grass, but doing pretty well. Staying busy. Speaker 1: Good. At the time we're taping this podcast, your Bills won a playoff game, yeah. Nick: Yeah. Yeah. First time in quite a while. And they continue to take years off of my life, but at least it's a lot more enjoyable to watch now. Speaker 1: I totally forgot to ask you, because as a Bills fan, you finally get rid of Brady in your division, but he moved to the town you're in. Nick: Yeah, it's pretty interesting. I mean, I've been in Tampa Bay since '03. I moved down the July after they won the Super Bowl, so they were pretty popular. And then Florida is such a different town from a sports perspective, and Tampa Bay, specifically is obviously all I have experience with. But there's so many people from other areas that it's just different. Whereas, the Bills, in Western New York, are kind of like a way of life. It's been an interesting... The Bucs have a chance, we'll see, to be the first team to play a Super Bowl in their home stadium, which would be kind of interesting. And then if it ended up being against the Bills, that would be double interesting. Speaker 1: Yeah. Some of those ghosts could be haunting them, so they're probably hoping to not see him once again. But, anyway. Nick: Yes. Yes. Speaker 1: We'll get into financial topics and we'll talk sports another time, but I just wanted to ask you about that. So good stuff, indeed. So guys, what am I talking about or what are we talking about here today on this annuity session? What are some of the features and some of the things we need to be thinking about? Nick: Yeah, this will be the last in the series of the annuities that we talk about. And just like anything else, we view ourselves as informational and educational. And because annuities are such a topic that there's so much information out there about, there's plenty of positives and plenty of negatives, that we want to make sure that we go through these different things. Nick: And so this session is going to be focused on what are called fixed index annuities, which can be confusing, just like anything else. There are some more moving parts, but we have found over the years that for those people that are pretty conservative and risk averse in looking for opportunities to have some sort of upside from the market, but are not comfortable having much downside, that these are something that can make sense for them. So we're going to spend the session kind of going through and talking about them. John: To compare these to the last session we talked about, you can expect a higher interest rate than a fixed annuity, over a long-term period. And comparing it to the variable annuity, it doesn't have the same potential because you're tied to a specific index and there's some restrictions to it, which we'll go through. John: So this is really a good hybrid in between, if you're looking for, like Nick mentioned, you want some principal protection. But the negative to a fixed annuity is, hey, I'm locked into this rate, I can't really get much more. How can I get more? And then this fixed index would actually accomplish that because if the market does go up, there's potential to actually go up with the market to a point. John: Something to understand with these, again, important in all annuities, understand the fees that you're in. And while typically... Again, I hate using the word, but we have to. Older contracts, we haven't seen fees in these, but there are some newer ones where they are having some fees within the contract. And the way that they explain that is, hey, if we put this fee in here, well actually, there's more growth potential on your crediting methods. John: So just understand if you're looking at any of these, like anything, you want to look at the surrender period, you want to look at the surrender charge, you want to look at the fees. I mean, those are three important things to look at in any annuity contract, and especially with these. Nick: So in general, the term index annuity really comes from the structure of how they credit growth inside of these contracts. One of the most popular indexes that are used in these sorts of contracts is the S&P 500. And the way that the contracts essentially work is they will offer different indexes that they will provide crediting towards, and use that index as the barometer for how it works. Nick: So just to super simplify it, what'll happen is they'll say, okay, there are different rates and John's going to different sorts of structures and John's going to kind of get into that. But they'll say, okay, between the time that you open this contract and a year from that period of time, we're going to track the index. In this case, we can call it the S&P 500. We're going to track the performance of that index over time and then we're going to give you a percentage of the performance of that index. And that percentage can change for year to year, and they declare it on each anniversary. Nick: And so that's what provides you with the upside within that contract. However, and this is the reason that many people will use this sort of contract is, if the S&P 500, in this example, let's say it drops 10 or 15% between now and 12 months from now, you're not going to participate in that down portion, that downside, you're just not going to get credited anything. So essentially what ends up happening is that you're flat for the year. Nick: So when these things talk about not having the downside or protecting your principal, that's what they're referring to. So if the S&P 500 is up 10%, you'll get a percentage of that growth and John, we'll talk a little bit about how they may credit that. However, if it's down 10%, you're just going to not lose any money that year. It's going to be flat. Nick: So that's the general principle of how it works and which index is used, how much they credit, that's all the due diligence that happens when people choose which contract to go with, but in a very basic sense, that's how it works. John: Yeah. And to really explain it, I think, let's give an example of that. So if you're in a participation rate, and let's say you start with $100,000, and like Nick said, the most popular one is the S&P 500. And by participation rate, let's say it's 50%. So what that means is you're going to get 50% of the S&P 500 on the upside. So if you're in contract January 1, 2021, they'll look at the S&P 500 on January 1, 2022. If the S&P 500 has gone up let's say, 20%, your contract is going to credited 10%. Again, that's 50% of the 20% gain. So if you start out with 100,000, your account is now at 110, okay? John: A benefit to this is that actually your 110 now is your new floor. So when you get credited, that's actually your floor moving forward. So, example, let's say year two, you're still in a 50% participation in the S&P, S&P goes down negative 10. You're year two, basically what's going to happen now is the 110 is now your floor, you stay at 110. Now you move on to year three to see what the S&P 500 does. John: So that's one crediting method, participation rate. They also have a cap rate. So, that's kind of like a ceiling. So, you could have an S&P 500, again, index that you're monitoring or are kind of shadowing. And your cap is 6%. So what that means is, you're going to get up to 6% of the S&P 500 growth. So same example, 100,000, let's say you have a 6% cap. The S&P goes up 20%, in this scenario, you only get 6% because that's your ceiling, okay? So basically 6% your cap, that's all you're going to get that a hundred thousand now, after the one year, it's going to be at 106, because you got 6%. Year two, again, S&P drops, you stay at your 106. John: So, just important to understand the different crediting methods. There's one more called a spread. This is kind of like a fee, but it's only taken off if there's gain. So a spread could be like 1.5%. And again, let's use the S&P 500. If it goes up by 7%, they take 1.5% off of that gain. In the same idea. You get the credit for that year, it locks in your balance at that point in time, and that's kind of your new floor. John: So important just to understand you have participation rate, cap rate, and a spread. Those are the most popular, they're not the only ones. There's actually a lot more, but those are the three that we typically see. We don't have enough time today to really go through each one, but those are the most common. And I'd say kind of when we're using these strategies, those are typically the ones that we use, because they're just simple to understand. Nick: Yeah. And some of the other things to look out for, if let's say you already have an existing contract and because these insurance companies, they can change those rates that John walked you through from year to year, maybe one year your cap was 6%, but they drop it to 3% on the S&P 500, it may make sense to look at another index. So most contracts have a menu of indexes that you can choose from, from year to year, and they allow you to change your choice on an annual basis. Nick: So what we've seen is people may get complacent and they've had the same index for a couple of years and because they know that there's not really market risk per se, they just leave it. And they haven't realized that those rates have changed and what they've been in, their potential is much lower. And, usually what ends up happening is that they may lower some, but they may increase others or there may be other opportunities and other portions. Nick: So it's important to look at it on an annual basis, take a look and see what changes they've made to the contract and if it makes any sense to make a change. And some of the options aren't just a one-year option, they may offer a two year option. That could have much better rates and that could be an opportunity as well. Nick: So even though it's a vehicle, a tool that can be used, sometimes there's complacency that kicks in because there isn't perceived risk and just like anything else, doing your due diligence each year and adapting to what's happening within the contract can really, really pay off for people and they can try to maximize or take advantage of the opportunities that are within the contract. Speaker 1: It sounds like any financial product where sometimes people just want to set it and forget it. And that's not always the best strategy having. And that's where you can do with reviews and things of that nature, but just kind of checking on these things is certainly a good idea is what I'm hearing. Nick: 100%. 100%. And I will say too, that in our last session on variable annuities, we talked a little bit about some of the riders that are available that can provide people with guaranteed income. And many times there are those writers available on these fixed index annuity contracts as well. So they can be a tool that provides future guaranteed income, but maybe provides options with less fees than a variable contract or higher guarantees than a variable contract, which is something that can be used from a comparison perspective. John: Yeah. And to jump into what Nick was saying about the indexing methods changing, it's important when you're looking at some of these companies that you go with a quality carrier and look at their track record. Because the last thing you want to do, and we've seen this where, one company might be offering a very competitive cap rate, let's say 8% or something like that. And then once you're in the contract with them, they all of a sudden lower their cap rate to four. And it's like, Whoa, now I'm with this company for the next seven years, because that's my surrender period and they've just lowered their rates on me, you know? John: So that's where doing your due diligence on what company am I going with, what's their ratings, what's their track record? Are they a good company I want to be with for the next five, seven years? And that's where it's important, if you're working with an advisor that they're doing their due diligence, and you're doing your own to make sure that if you're going to be with this company that they're going to do right by you, if you're going to be with them for that period of time. John: It may sound like we harp on it quite a bit, but the pitfalls are important to understand. Make sure that the company that you're looking at is a reputable company and has strong financial ratings. Pay attention to the surrender charge period with these contracts, where people have that and tripped up is we've seen people locked into contracts that are 15 years long, 18 years long, which really can be pretty tricky. So making sure that you understand how that's structured. And then, like John said, getting some historical background on how often they change their indexing rates. And if they're really just kind of using teaser rates to get people locked in. John: So just like anything else, it can be a piece of the pie. And oftentimes where it's most appropriate would be for people that are pretty conservative investors looking for a little bit more potential, especially in this current environment where rates for CDs and money market accounts and that sort of thing are so low. Speaker 1: Yeah. Again, when we talk about these things, it's always important to remember and realize that like anything in life, you should always do your own due diligence, as well as when you're working with an advisor, or when you're looking for an advisor to work with. Make sure that you're going through the proper steps, do some of the homework, and then take the time to find out is this product right for you? Don't just jump into anything because it's something you hear on any particular show or a talking head or whatever the case is without seeing how it might relate to your specific situation. Speaker 1: And if you need help with that, whatever type of annuity it might be, or any other financial product, because annuities can be a bit polarizing, have those conversations reach out to John and Nick, they're here to help in the Tampa Bay area 813 286-7776. If you've gotten this email through a newsletter or a blast or something like that, or whatever the case might be, and you haven't yet subscribed to the podcast, feel free to do so, certainly would be appreciated. If you'd like to get more content as they come out, you can simply go to pfgprivate wealth.com. You can find the podcast page there, pfgprivate wealth.com. Speaker 1: You can also find a lot of good tools, tips, and resources, and reach out to John and Nick. You can also subscribe through your favorite app or whatever that might be. Just search out retirement planning, redefined, and hit the subscribe button. A lot of times it's a heart or a thumbs up or something like that, search the type retirement planning redefined in the search box, or just call 813 286-7776. Speaker 1: John, Nick, thanks guys for your time in this series on annuities, a lot of good information. They do get a little complicated sometimes, so again, it's really important for people to understand and have a good working knowledge of this, especially if they're considering it. So I appreciate you guys sharing some of your knowledge. John: Cool. Thanks Marc, have a good one. Speaker 1: John, appreciate it, bud. Take care of yourself and we will talk next time here on Retirement Planning Redefined with John and Nick from PFG private wealth.

Smart locks come in all shapes and sizes and mostly end up with a large unsightly mechanism on the inside of your home. Not with Level Lock. In this interview, we chat with Ken Goto, founder, and CTO of Level Home, about their first invention - the invisible smart lock. Transcript:Marc Aflalo:We are back on YourTechReport. Thank you guys so much for being here. It is @YourTechReport on all our social media. Where you'll find lots of cool stuff. Anytime we talk about something here on the radio show, we tend to like to showcase it on our various social media platforms. And this next product we're going to be talking about is one that is close to home because I'm a big smart home fan. If you guys listen to the show and hopefully you guys do. Our next guest, his name is Ken Goto. He's the CTO of a company, Ken the company's Level Home, right?Ken Goto:The company is Level Home, correct.Marc Aflalo:Level Home, and this product. And I'll tell you guys a story here. Every once in a while, I search online as I'm doing research for new products. And I try to see what's coming out in the market. Because I've gone and leaned towards the HomeKit platform because my family is mostly iOS. I fell upon Level Lock. Now there are a lot of smart locks out there, and people who are trying various things when it comes to a lock. But Ken when it comes to the form factor of the way we think of smart locks, I think there's always a key pad on the outside. And then there's some kind of big bulky thing that sits on the inside. You got to change the batteries every couple months. And really you guys have taken things to a whole different level. And I want you to do your best because I know it's hard to describe physically, but describe physically the Level Lock to people. And then we'll get into the backstory and how this came to be.Ken Goto:Yeah. Yeah. So let's definitely talk about that. As you said, smart locks tend to be big, bulky, obvious things sitting on your door, holding batteries, circuit boards, all that stuff. Level Lock is basically invisible to your eye. Once it's installed, it looks like the lock you already had on your door. In fact, it is the lock you already had on the door. So the way we do that is you take your housings from your existing deadbolt. You take them off your door and inside that cavity, that's in your door, you've got a bolt that's there now. And it's taking up all that space. And what we do is we live inside that borehole entirely inside. So our motors, our gears, our boards, sensors, it's all in there. It's all in a two and an eighth inch diameter, less than an inch wide gap.Ken Goto:And then you take your housings that you just took off and you put them back on. And we go away. So the end result is suddenly, it's smart. It's funny when we were prototyping the product, I put it on my front door at my house and I'm sure you're familiar with this experience. I bring every piece of technology home, and most of the time it's a disappointment. And I usually have to hear it from my wife. "Can I just turn on a light? Can I work the stereo. I want to watch [crosstalk 00:02:50]."Marc Aflalo:Oh my God this is the last three months of my life.Ken Goto:Yeah, seriously. So I put it on our door. It was there for maybe three months before I actually said, "Hey, that thing I worked on it's in there. Do you want me to give you the iPhone app and it'll let you use it." It was just really interesting because we can meet people where they're at with technology. And in your home, you've got people who are. They're in different places in their life. Some people want to use a key they're old school. They don't want to mess with that. Other people, as you know, you're tethered to your phone, it's like part of your body. So we wanted to create this technology that was invisible, that just literally disappeared, so that it blends seamlessly with your daily routines.Marc Aflalo:Guys, I will post some videos and links in our social media. So you can really get a good view of how this works. And I think if you've ever installed any lock whatsoever. Your brain's going to click and go, "Oh my God, that is just genius." Because it really is. So now I really have to ask the question, where did this idea come from? Because there's always something that happens in the story of whether it's one of the founders, someone had something happened to them and it was born out of that, right?Ken Goto:Yeah, no, this is true. John Martin, my co founder and I, we've been passionate about the home space for the longest time we can remember. Your home is super sacred. It's where you greet your friends, and it's where your family is, and it's where you want to be safe. Especially now, these days where we're sheltering. So I think he and I both had a whole series of experiences where it's like, "This is really irritating. Why isn't there some technology in my home that makes my home welcoming. That makes my home easy to use, easy to access." And I know he had a particular story about there was one of our, sort of... When we were trying to sit down and figure out what area of the home we were going to tackle first. One of the stories he had was, he was on his way up to Tahoe to go to a place that they have up there with the family.Ken Goto:And they got stuck in the snow and all of this. And hours and hours, you probably have had that experience where you get trapped on the way to Tahoe. And two hours turns into six, seven. And they get up there. I don't know, middle of the night and he's got no keys to get in the house. And that's an awkward experience to have to go back to the wife and screaming children and basically say, "I'm not sure what we need to do. Maybe we'll asleep in the car." And it's frustrating. You think about maybe breaking your own window of your own house and things like that. So I know that that was one key thing that resonated with him. And I had a similar story and we both said, "You know what? Access." Access is a big deal because there are tons of products in your home that people are trying to make smart. And there's just lots of solutions looking for problems.Ken Goto:But then there are certain areas of the home that are demonstrably practical that you're running into daily. That really are a problem. And that was just one example. So we said, we got to do access. We've got to get you in your house.Marc Aflalo:Well, it's funny because probably about five years ago, I remember one of the first smart lock companies. And I'm sure you won't mind me mentioning competition it was August I think. And I remember having a conversation and one of the topics that came up in conversation was that the lock on that door, regardless of light bulbs and any other smart home devices you might think of, for some reason is the most sacred device in the smart home because it is it guards the entry to your home. Same thing when it comes to garage doors, because it's that entry to your home. So regardless of how you position it, you need to make sure that that device is foolproof. And there can't be any questions about it because no one's going to tamper with that. No one's going to change that unless they know that they're secure, can't be hacked, et cetera, et cetera. So I'm curious how in the messaging and how in the design of this product, you guys tackle that because it is a big deal.Ken Goto:Yeah, absolutely. And that's part of the interest in it for us, it's a high bar. You're either going to delight customers because it's something they're touching constantly through the day, their family's touching it or you're going to really disappoint. And we like that challenge. So for us, it was more than just saying, can we make something small and stuff it inside your door and have it be fragile. Have it really not live up to expectations. So for us, it was trying to come up with a design where we could achieve the same level of robustness of security as this big, giant, bulky things you see today. And we could even exceed them. If you take those things apart, they've got plastic gears inside. They're not built heavy duty.Ken Goto:If you take our stuff apart, you've got stainless steel gears. You've got just very, very specific material selection and composition. There's a tremendous amount of thought that goes into it to ensure that we can achieve the same or better level of physical security, of durability, of performance as something that is just dramatically bigger. When we show it to people and we go and inside and tear it down a little bit. It's almost mind boggling. They just can't believe that we could have achieved that in that form factor.Marc Aflalo:Well, I guess, it's like, it's when you look at smartphones and just even computers, miniaturization, obviously over time, it's important because you're trying to get more bang for your buck. And you're trying to obviously fit more in a smaller space. So tell me about how long this process, excuse me, how long this process took. Because this can't be just, "Oh, we thought about this and when we came to market in a couple of months from now." So it's obviously quite some years in the making. So I'm curious, how long ago did you start? When did this idea first start, and how on earth do you fit everything? Battery alone takes up an enormous amount of space in such a small design.Ken Goto:It does. It does.Marc Aflalo:How do you fit what you need to in there and make it last?Ken Goto:Yeah, absolutely. So as far as the R&D, I would say we took a solid two years. Company's been around for four years, just had an anniversary a couple of days ago.Marc Aflalo:Congratulations.Ken Goto:Thank you. Thank you. I would say we were in foundational R&D for about two years. Really trying to figure out going from large form factor, prototypes, concepts, all the way down through a series of cycles until we could get it into a form factor. And then from there you're constantly testing, you're constantly validating, you're constantly reworking to be able to meet all of these conflicting expectations. Because the size fights with strength, and durability, performance, and cost and manufacturability. So there are a lot of horizontally opposed goals. So I would say it took a solid two years of R&D before we got to the formula that let us know we got it, we got the product.Ken Goto:And then, from there, there's another couple of years, a little less. Where we have to basically get it ready for manufacturing and bring it out to scale, launch the product, build the rest of the company. And that's what the remaining time has been spent on. In addition to other products on the roadmap that we're also working on that are coming out later. As far as how we pack things down like that, a lot of the team, especially the core team back at that point, we all came from Apple. We're used to trying to find elegant compact solutions.Ken Goto:There are components we use where, for example, a piece of electronic component we're using for three, and four and five different capabilities, where someone else might think of five discrete components for doing that. So there's just a lot of areas where we try to condense things down. We try to be really creative and clever about how we package things together that lets us do that. You've mentioned the battery, the battery is an example. You've been looking at the website, but have you figured out where the battery is?Marc Aflalo:I have figured out what the battery is because I'm that ingenuine. And I don't even know what the word is, but, no, the battery is in the actual bolt itself.Ken Goto:It is, it is, it is right. Because once you put all this together and it's all invisible, you want to be taking housings off every year to go change batteries and things. It's a common question. It's like, "Well, okay, it's invisible but now how do I change a battery?" So we put it in a bolt, which takes a tremendous amount of engineering to figure out how you make a battery go into something that needs to be strong and durable, something that moves mechanically, but also it needs to stay connected electrically. So there's a lot to it to package it together. It's definitely a system. It's not thought about in pieces. And a lot of that just has to do with the way that we sort of the ethos of the company and how we engineer things. It's just a rigorous process of prototyping, validation, prototyping, validation, until we really zero in on the right end solution.Marc Aflalo:We talk to a lot of people in different companies, and we normally talk to them when a products now available in the market or coming out in the market. And other people have had hands on time, but we really asked the question. In describing this four year process, I'm curious, I'm sure there were ups and downs. Were there any points in time where you said to yourself, or you guys looked at each other, you and John said, "This isn't going to work." Or you felt really kind of down yourselves before there was some kind of breakthrough.Ken Goto:Yeah. I would say obviously with any engineering you run into hiccups, you run into hitches. I have to say. And it sounds strange because it sounds like that can't be real. I don't think we ever hit a point where we thought we had a barrier that was not something we could overcome. And I'll give you a reason why. And this again, gets to the ethos of how we design. When we think about doing a product, a lot of people look at what's out there and they try to make a better mousetrap. They try to bolt on, they try to take that approach. You can see that in the smart locks today. The inside of the doors occupied. So we're on the outside. Now I got to have this. It just gets bigger and bigger.Ken Goto:And you end up with more and more compromises because as an example, a regular bolt for a deadbolt is mechanically very difficult to turn. If you tried to turn it with your finger without the power just in your hand, the amount of force required to do that is really large. And so imagine a little tiny motor gearbox battery having to do that, having to push that old bolt, that old technology from the 1930s. So for us, the way we design is we always go back... We go to a place we call square zero. It's not square one, it's square zero it's before that. We really want to understand what the customer's trying to achieve. What is it they really want independent of technology, independent of the can we do it sort of thing. And we'd like to start there, and then we build up from there.Ken Goto:And what that ends up doing is it's counterintuitive. It opens up more design paths for every particular step of the way. So it actually allows us to have more paths, where if we do hit a hitch with one direction, "Oh, there's three other ways we can shift now." We're not boxed in in that way. So it's given us a lot of flexibility. For example, once we chose to replace that core bolt that lets us be inside the borehole. So then that opened up all the possibilities. Now instead of trying to be outside, trying to figure out how to make our box on the outside, smaller, less noticeable. Well, we're inside now. So now we already have taken care of that. When we redesigned the bolt, we get to make a bolt that's incredibly smooth and efficient.Ken Goto:So it takes very, very little power to move that bolt back and forth. Because we get to design that fresh. We don't have to take on the burden of the previous bolt. So you end up allowing yourself to get past things that might've been a problem. Like battery life would be an obvious problem for a smart lock. And it is a problem for most smart locks. But because we've made these other changes, suddenly battery life isn't a big issue for us because all our pieces and the way things move are so efficient, so low friction, we don't run into that problem. So we either avoid certain problems that everyone steps into, or when we do get near that problem space, we have two or three paths we can take.Marc Aflalo:Yeah. A couple of months ago before Apple, and Google, and Amazon announced this smart home alliance where they're going to start open sourcing a bit of HomeKit. There was a choice you had to make, which was, what do we make this compatible with? And you guys obviously took the HomKit approach. I think the DNA in your blood probably helped define that. But was there any other factors that helped point you in that direction?Ken Goto:Yeah. I mean, to your point the ecosystems are converging. Maybe a year or two out with that grouping coming together, they'll all unify on one platform, which would be great for consumers. But right now, right now we had to pick. We had to make our choices. As a small company we had to, basically, decide which one we were going to invest in first. And HomeKit is a great ecosystem. The integration is great. Apple, of course, you're familiar with HomeKit. You're familiar with Apple obviously. So the way their products integrate together, the way they tie in, the way it's seamless, it's definitely in line with our ethos of design, and simplicity, and user experience. So for that reason, it was a pretty obvious choice for us to start with. And yes, Apple DNA, Apple familiarity, that certainly was a factor as well.Marc Aflalo:Now, I make the assumption sometimes that people know completely what a smart lock does. But there obviously is an app that goes along with this that obviously ties things together. Other than obviously using HomeKit. Is there anything specific other than obviously unlocking and locking, and setting codes that sets your software side apart from everybody else?Ken Goto:Yeah. I think there's a couple of things that are unique about what we do. Level Lock is a Bluetooth lock. So normally speaking, it's a local lock. It's not connected to the cloud, for example, all the time, unless you have a hub, et cetera. But your phone is connected. Our phones are connected to the internet pretty much everywhere all the time. So we do certain things where we actually leverage your phones uplink for communication, for sharing of invitations, et cetera. You can share an invite to someone else that person could come up to the door. And that invite's actually going to process and work for that user locally, without that lock having to have had an internet connection up to the cloud. So we do a lot of things along those lines. We also have user based features around things like Party Pass.Ken Goto:Where I'm sure you've had the situation where you've got people coming over, and people are ringing your doorbell. No one can hear them you're out on the deck or whatever. And they're calling you like, "I'm outside. Let me in." So we said let's make this Party Pass feature. Let's make an easy way for you to create a pass that you can easily share through your social networks or email, or what have you, and get that to someone else. And then that person shows up at the door, and the door just welcome them in. And so that's a another example of a feature that's unique to what we do.Marc Aflalo:That's very cool. I like that a lot, especially, with the summer weather here. I've experienced that about five or six times probably in the past week. I have some more questions for you because you said something off the top, but before I dive into those. Tell me about availability of Level Lock where can people get it when, price point, et cetera, et cetera.Ken Goto:Yes. So Level Lock is available from level.co our website that you went to. It's also available through certain pro channels and distributors. There's a variety of places that home builders, et cetera, can purchase a Level for their builds that they're doing, et cetera. But for end user customers, it's through level.co right now. And the retail price is 229.Marc Aflalo:Awesome. Okay. So here's what I wanted to get because you had mentioned something about when we first started this conversation, about what was the first product that you guys were going to be tackling. So clearly, clearly, you guys have a mission and there's other things in the smart home that you're going to be going after. Are there any other products that you can tell me in the pipeline, or give me a indication as to where Level might be going? No, is an okay answer by the way. It's okay to say no.Ken Goto:I can't tell you about other products in the pipeline. I can definitely tell you that. Yes. You touched on it correctly. The company name is Level Home. It's not Level Lock. We are passionate about the home. There are so many areas of innovation in the home, and we really believe that these problems can be solved. And a company with our ethos can tackle those. So there are several other areas of the home we're super interested in, but as a startup we're going to stay focused. So I'm going to say no.Marc Aflalo:I like it. I like it a lot. Ken, awesome time talking to you. Thank you so much for taking the time to come on. I am very excited. I'm going to go to the site right now and buy one because your PR agency said they wouldn't send one. So I'm going to go buy one.Ken Goto:What.Marc Aflalo:I know. It's okay. Listen, demand. I understand there's demand. No, but I'm definitely, I'm looking forward to getting hands on because I love to follow up interviews. Especially the first time and really show our listeners on our YouTube channel. How easy it is to install. And I'm looking forward to it because I've been watching a lot of the videos. And you guys can go to youtube.com, just look up Level Lock. The reviews you're getting are phenomenal. People are loving this lock they're calling it's, obviously, the invisible HomeKit smart lock, incredible impressions. I'm very excited to get hands on, congratulations on the success because this is going to be a great product. If this is any indication of what's down the road for you guys. I'm really looking forward to it. So thanks again for coming on. And it was great talking to you.Ken Goto:Absolutely. Thanks Marc. And thanks for taking time to talk about Level. We're super excited and looking forward to hearing more from you after you get your lock.Marc Aflalo:Oh, you will hear.

How to vote in the Celtic Top 20, plus lots of great Celtic culture through Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. Mithril, Round the House, willos', Andy Law & Friends, Outbound Traveler, Jim Sharkey, We Banjo 3, Eamonn Flynn, The Prodigals, Kyn, Hard Green, The Wild Irish Roses, Brother Sea I hope you enjoyed this week's show. If you did, please share the show with ONE friend. The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast is dedicated to growing our community and helping the incredible artists who so generously share their music. If you find music you love, buy their albums, shirts, and songbooks, follow them on Spotify, see their shows, and drop them an email to let them know you heard them on the Irish and Celtic Music Podcast. Remember also to Subscribe to the Celtic Music Magazine. Every week, I'll send you a few cool bits of Celtic music news. It's a quick and easy way to plug yourself into more great Celtic culture. Plus, you'll get 34 Celtic MP3s for Free, just for signing up today. Thank you again for being a Celt of Kindness. VOTE IN THE CELTIC TOP 20 With the new year comes a new votes in the Celtic Top 20. This is our way of finding the best songs and artists each year. Just list the show number, and the name of as many bands in the episode as you like. Your vote helps me create next year's Best Celtic music of 2019 episode.  Vote Now! THIS WEEK IN CELTIC MUSIC 0:07 - "The Trip To Skye/Brenda Stubbert's/The Hunter's Purse/Tommy Peoples" by Mithril from The Return Home 6:57 - WELCOME 7:37 - "MacLeod's Farewell" by Round the House from Safe Home 10:53 - "Pastures of Plenty" by willos' from 4th 15:25 - "An Diberdhyans / Dons Bewnans" by Andy Law & Friends from The Long and the Short of It 20:19 - "Vincent Black Lightning" by Outbound Traveler from Go On and Wander 24:52 - HOW TO VOTE IN THE CELTIC TOP 20 27:44 - "The Old Piano" by Jim Sharkey from A Lovely Day 32:45 - "The Bunch of Green Rushes/Salt Creek" by We Banjo 3 from Gather the Good 36:48 - "Black Coddle" by Eamonn Flynn from Black Coddle 41:05 - CELTIC FEEDBACK 45:13 - "Jug of Punch" by The Prodigals from Brothers 51:16 - "Fata Morgana" by Kyn from Earendel 55:32 - "Whisky in the Jar" by Hard Green from Rare Old Mountain Dew 59:49 - "Garry Owen" by The Wild Irish Roses from Full Bloom 1:02:26 - FINAL NOTES 1:03:58 - "Curious Shore" by Brother Sea from EP The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast was produced by Marc Gunn, The Celtfather. To subscribe, go to Apple Podcasts or to our website where you can become a Patron of the Podcast for as little as $1 per episode. Promote Celtic culture through music at http://celticmusicpodcast.com/.   CELTIC PODCAST NEWS * Helping you celebrate Celtic culture through music. My name is Marc Gunn. I am a Celtic musician and podcaster. This show is dedicated to the indie Celtic musicians. I want to ask you to support these artists. Share the show with your friends. And find more episodes at celticmusicpodcast.com. You can also support this podcast on Patreon. Subscribe to the Celtic Christmas Podcast to enjoy hours of Christmas music by Celtic musicians. HOW TO VOTE IN THE CELTIC TOP 20We are near the end of the year. That means there are just a couple more weeks left for you to vote in the Celtic Top 20. The Celtic Top 20 is a poll for you to pick the best songs of each episode of the podcast. At the end of the year, I compile the twenty most-popular songs of all episodes into one very special, extra-long episode. Your last day to vote for your favorite Celtic songs of this year is on December 18, 2019. There are many ways you can vote. I will list two below. The most-obvious way to vote is to just relax and listen to the show. Each time you come across a song or tune that blows you away, write down the show time. Then head over to the shownotes at CelticMusicPodcast.com. I list the times of each song played in the show. If you wrote down 5:56, you can find exactly what song was played at that timestamp. Just copy the band name and the show number. Go to BestCelticMusic.net/vote/ and cast your vote. You can repeat this procedure with as many tracks as you want in the show. That’s the basic way. But sometimes you want to give every song a solid chance to be heard. So now I want to share tips on how to make voting easier, using a method I use when picking my favorites. Step 1. At the top of each episode of the podcast, I list every artist in the show. Copy and paste that list into a notes program along with the show number. I use Evernote. So that’s where I paste it. Step 2. Listen to the episode. If any song or tune doesn’t impress you, look at the show time to find out the band name. Delete that band from the list. Step 3. Repeat that procedure until you’re done. Step 4. Go vote at BestCelticMusic.net/vote/. Post all of the band names that remain in your list in the voting form. Congrats you’re done! I know. I’m a bit anal about voting. But sometimes I’m impressed by multiple artists. So I want to give each a chance to be heard again. Either of these methods of voting are great with me. Ultimately, I want you to just enjoy the show. But the Celtic Top 20 is something special. This is a chance for many artists to get extra special attention. The tracks are also added to our Top Irish & Celtic Music Playlist on Spotify. It’s a big honor. But these artists need your votes to earn it. So go vote in the Celtic Top 20 today! TRAVEL WITH CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS Every year, I take a small group of Celtic music fans on the relaxing adventure of a lifetime. We don't see everything. Instead, we stay in one area. We get to know the region through it's culture, history, and legends. You can join us with an auditory and visual adventure through podcasts and videos. Join the invasion at http://celticinvasion.com/ THANK YOU PATRONS OF THE PODCAST!Your generosity funds the creation, promotion and production of the show. It allows us to attract new listeners and to help our community grow. You get weekly episodes of this podcast and you get them before regular listeners. When we hit a milestone, you get an extra-long episode. We are $26 away from a two-hour instrumental. You can pledge a dollar or more per episode and cap how much you want to spend each month over on Patreon. I want to send a huge shout out to our Celtic Legends. These amazing people pledge at least $25 per month to support Celtic culture through music. That is just incredibly kind. So I humbly thank you. Raise a glass to Shawn Cali, Hank Woodward, Annie Lorkowski, Tiffany Knight, robert michael kane, Bryan Brake, Lynda MacNeil, Kevin Long, Nancie Barnett, Miranda Nelson, Carol Baril, Scott Benson, Marianne Ludwig, Patricia Conner You can become a generous Patron of the Podcast at http://songhenge.com. Oh! And Song Hengers who pledge $5 or more per month also get an exclusive podcast where I tell you a little more about artists in the latest episode.   I WANT YOUR FEEDBACK What are you doing today while listening to the podcast? You can send a written comment along with a picture of what you're doing while listening. Email a voicemail message to celticpodcast@gmail.com Tim Meushaw emailed two years ago: "Hi, Marc, I have been a listener for a very long time, but usually when I'm listening I'm doing fairly mundane things, like cleaning or driving.  But I was on holiday on the Isle of Mull, in the Inner Hebrides, for a few days last week, and listened to episode 332 while hiking north to Ardmore Bay, outside of Tobermory.  They say that on a clear day, you can see to the Isle of Skye, which reminded me of next year's Celtic Invasion.  I can't say I actually saw Skye, but the rest of the scenery was breathtaking. To prove I was listening, I made a short video of the bay, with "Sláinte Mhaith" from that episode playing as background music.  Hope you enjoy!" Tim followed up a few days ago and reminded about this email. So let me say first I am sorry Tim that I missed your email. I haven a much better system for including your feedback into the show. And hopefully, I won't run into that problem again in the future. Thank you so much for sharing the video too. If you want to watch Tim's video. Head on over to the shownotes. Fred Gilbertson emailed some photos in July 2018: "Hi Marc, I listened to your podcast for the 1st time yesterday. I had spent some time in the morning deleting other stuff from and then adding new stuff on my iPod. I think I stumbled upon your show doing an iTunes search for Natalie MacMaster. Anyway, I loaded the podcast on and later I rode my bike. My 1st new listen was to an NPR New music podcast, and when it ended I switched to your show. I enjoyed it a lot, and I intend to listen again in the future. You read a note from the listener in Suffolk, England and told of the pictures he had attached for your viewing pleasure, and you welcomed “us” to send more. Right at that moment I happened to be at a spot that I thought you would find interesting. I was on the Colonial Parkway, near Williamsburg, VA. I stopped right where I was and took 3 pictures, rode another mile or so and took 2 more. It was a rather gloomy day, but it is always rather glorious out on this stretch of the earth. On one 1 side of the parkway where I stopped, there is a farm that’s called “Gospel Spreading Farm”, which, due to its religious identity, is the only residence and farm that remained when the land was cleared decades ago for the construction of the parkway. Same spot, looking to the southwest, you see the James River Same spot, sort of northwest in direction, more of the James as well as the southern tip of Jamestown Island, where the colonists arrived in 1607. About a mile away, the James w/ a look at the Surry Nuclear Power Station Same spot, a selfie." Brandon Ball emailed a photo in May: "Love the podcast First podcast I ever listened to, back in 2009. Keep turning them out! And please play Drunken Night in Dublin by The Mahones? Here’s what I just built while listening to the most recent podcast. Whiskey you’re the devil is playing now. It’s a box for sprouts! Thanks Marc, Great listening," Kathy Levin emailed in March 2017, “Hey Marc, Hope all is going well. You always ask what people are doing while listening to your Celtic Podcast - well I spend many days here at work (WD-40 Company) catching up on back episodes I have not listened to while working. I use this to drown out the fact I work in an area with some very noisy people. Today I am setting the mood for an Irish Rovers concert we are going to tonight. On another note:  Would you please send me the link for artists that would like to have their music on the Podcast?  I have a great guy that I met last year at an SCA event and then re-connected with last month who is interested. He is out of Canada and is also on Patreon. Thanks for the great music!"   #celticmusic #celtictop20 #irishmusic

An interview with Orlando, Florida's Marc with a C, who is celebrating his twenty-year anniversary with the release of a fan-picked discography and an autobiography. We talk about Jonathan Richmond, Black Sabbath and what it's like existing as an analogue artist in a digital world. We also dive into the writing process, why it's good to ignore advice on being “topical”, and of course, Ned Flanders. Thanks Marc! http://marcwithac.com Special Guest: Marc with a C.

Marc Antoine (May 28, 1963) is a French composer, guitarist and music producer. He is currently one of the most recognized figures of smooth jazz. In 1988 he moved to London to join the Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra. In this stage he also works with Soul To Soul, Pato Banton and General Public and delves into the effervescent acid jazz scene of the English capital. At the beginning of the 90s he left for the United States and settled in Los Angeles. In his American stage he collaborates with established artists such as Sting, Rod Stewart, Céline Dion and intervenes in more innovative trends such as Solsonics, Guru or Queen Latifah, as well as Basia or Chris Botti. He reaches an agreement with Tommy LiPuma, the prestigious producer of Miles Davis, George Benson or Diana Krall, through which he signs with GRP. With this seal he will record his next works. After living and recording in Madrid, the hometown of his wife Rebecca, for 12 years, the talented Parisian acoustic guitarist moved back to Southern California in 2015. One of the most notable aspects of Antoine's return to recording four years after the release of his previous album Guitar Destiny is his incredible recovery from two major health problems In 2012, he underwent major cardiac surgery to fix a debilitating atrial fibrillation problem, and then. In 2014 after several misdiagnoses, she underwent surgery to relieve hand cramps caused by a condition called "Unchained Finger." One of his fingers on his left hand got stuck in a strange position, causing unbearable pain when he played the guitar. Fans will be happy to know that Antoine, having survived these physical challenges, has never felt more energized, musically or otherwise, in his life. Thanks Marc!

Marc Antoine (May 28, 1963) is a French composer, guitarist and music producer. He is currently one of the most recognized figures of smooth jazz. In 1988 he moved to London to join the Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra. In this stage he also works with Soul To Soul, Pato Banton and General Public and delves into the effervescent acid jazz scene of the English capital. At the beginning of the 90s he left for the United States and settled in Los Angeles. In his American stage he collaborates with established artists such as Sting, Rod Stewart, Céline Dion and intervenes in more innovative trends such as Solsonics, Guru or Queen Latifah, as well as Basia or Chris Botti. He reaches an agreement with Tommy LiPuma, the prestigious producer of Miles Davis, George Benson or Diana Krall, through which he signs with GRP. With this seal he will record his next works. After living and recording in Madrid, the hometown of his wife Rebecca, for 12 years, the talented Parisian acoustic guitarist moved back to Southern California in 2015. One of the most notable aspects of Antoine's return to recording four years after the release of his previous album Guitar Destiny is his incredible recovery from two major health problems In 2012, he underwent major cardiac surgery to fix a debilitating atrial fibrillation problem, and then. In 2014 after several misdiagnoses, she underwent surgery to relieve hand cramps caused by a condition called "Unchained Finger." One of his fingers on his left hand got stuck in a strange position, causing unbearable pain when he played the guitar. Fans will be happy to know that Antoine, having survived these physical challenges, has never felt more energized, musically or otherwise, in his life. Thanks Marc!

“We need to get pissed before we open up, this is terrible for creativity” this quote comes from Marc Lewis, Dean at the School of Communication Arts - this week on the Shiny New Object podcast. Marc is a maverick and true creative innovator who admits that “our school is often described as a cult”. In this interview Marc reveals the tools and techniques he uses to train the next generation of ad creatives. He tells us that “poetry, improv and mindfulness releases people” and reveals his excel spreadsheet technique for creating better ideas. His shiny new object is “hacking flow”. Marc’s definition of flow “is where accelerated learning takes place” and that “the expectation of an education designer should be to get students in ‘flow’ most of the time.” There is also a weird, special guest appearance that gives this episode an improvised and unusual twist - but I’ll let you work this out for yourself. Thanks Marc, the industry owes you big time.

Summer is over, let's do that hockey - The dog days are (nearly) over and hockey is (almost) back. Deb and Erika catch up on what’s gone down in the Post-Tavares summer trade season (Not Much*), what RFA’s without contracts are making us clutch our pearls, who’s going to be this year’s Tavares and, of course, the Nate Schmidt controversy. We also gripe about Toronto being so darn wholesome and talk about our hopes and fears for the 2018-2019 season because “predictions” are a fools game and honestly, were we not all schooled in the dangers of expectations by last year’s Vegas Golden Knights? In this episode’s “What the Puck” we answer a listeners question and dig into buyouts - what they are, how they’re used and how the #*!&#^ the Caps pulled off that Orpik deal. And finally, it’s training camp season which means, Rookie Games! Deb waxes poetic on the good hockey boys and their gosh-darn-go-get-em spirit. Have a hockey question, comment or observation? Do YOU know how players are selected for the NHL media weekend? Drop us an email or tweet and let us know! Twitter: @BeginnersPuck Email: beginnerspuck@gmail.com *Disclaimer: Montreal pulled off their late-night Max Pacioretty trade a few hours after we we recorded this episode. THANKS MARC. Host Erika Ensign and Deborah Stanish.

Episode 232 of the PetaPixel Photography Podcast. Download MP3 -  Subscribe via iTunes, Google Play, email or RSS! Featured: Sony Artisan of Imagery, Marc Weisberg In This Episode If you subscribe to the PetaPixel Photography Podcast in iTunes, please take a moment to rate and review us and help us move up in the rankings so others interested in photography may find us. Show Opener: Sony Artisan of Imagery, Marc Weisberg opens the show. Thanks Marc! Sponsors: - Get 20% OFF your order at MeFOTO.com using code PetaPixel20. More at LensShark.com/deals. - Get 20% OFF at ElinchromUS.com using code PetaPixel20. Through the end of 2017, trade in your Ranger RX system for $1,000 toward an ELB 1200. Stories: A photographer gets scammed on Facebook and discovers others who have as well. How to spot these scams and better keep your money and gear protected (#) TIME names the Sony a7R III as one of the top gadgets of 2017. Is it the mirrorless camera of the year? How about the Nikon D850 for DSLR of the year? (#) A museum wants to digitize imagery of a specific group of Americans, but find a problem with this. (#) A photographer gives a TEDx talk about photography being therapeutic. And the challenges in actually getting out to shoot and being inspired, especially during the winter. (#) Outtakes My other podcast with Brian Matiash, the No Name Photo Show. Connect With Us Thank you for listening to the PetaPixel Photography Podcast! Connect with me, Sharky James on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (all @LensShark) as we build this community. We’d love to answer your question on the show. Leave us an audio question through our voicemail widget, comment below or via social media. But audio questions are awesome! You can also cut a show opener for us to play on the show! As an example: “Hi, this is Matt Smith with Double Heart Photography in Chicago, Illinois, and you’re listening to the PetaPixel Photography Podcast with Sharky James!”

Stephen Bernhardt is another Patron of the Podcast who shared his top 20 songs featured on the show with awesome Celtic music from Tania Opland, Sligo Rags, The Wee Heavies, Celtic Stone, SeaStar, Serious Kitchen, Oona McOuat, George Murphy, Young Dubliners, New Shilling, Martyn Wylde, Emerald Rose, Willie McCullouch, Ockham's Razor, Susan Hamlin, Brobdingnagian Bards, Nick Hennessey, Jed Marum, Arthur Hinds, Sora. Listen and download 34 Celtic MP3s for Free! http://celticmusicpodcast.com Subscribe to the Celtic Music Magazine. This is our free newsletter and your guide to the latest Celtic music and podcast news. Remember to support the artists who support this podcast: buy their CDs, download their MP3s, see their shows, and drop them an email to let them know you heard them on the Irish and Celtic Music Podcast. http://bestcelticmusic.net   Today's show is brought to you by the Patrons of the Podcast The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast comes out every Thursday featuring an hour of awesome independent Celtic music. Your kind pledge of $1 per episode pays for the production of this podcast, as well as my time in producing it. Whenever we hit a milestone, you get an extra-long special. Wanna enjoy another 2-hour episode of Celtic Rock? Become a patron today to celebrate Celtic culture through music! http://patreon.com/celticpodcast NOTES * Helping you celebrate Celtic culture through music. My name is Marc Gunn. I am a Celtic and Geek musician and podcaster. This podcast is dedicated to the indie Celtic musicians. I want to ask you to support these artists. Share the show with your friends. And find more episodes at celticmusicpodcast.com. You can also support this podcast on Patreon. Special thanks to our newest Patron of the Podcast: Michael Cavanaugh. This week, I'm gonna highlight the favorite music of one of my patrons of the podcast. In the spring, I asked Patrons of the Podcast to share some of their favorite songs that were featured in the show. Stephen Bernhardt was one of two who listed a complete 20+ songs that he loved. So I decided to give his songs a special feature like I did with Annie Lorkowski back in episode #319. Some of Annie's songs were on his original list, so he was kind enough to revise it for me. Let's get started. * CELTIC PODCAST NEWS September 30th is your last chance to get 5 of my Cds for just $24 to save 68% off the sticker price. Follow the link to my Bandcamp page. I shared the rough itinerary for the Celtic Invasion of the Isle of Skye this week. One of my subscribers responded with comments about their own visit there. So I thought I'd ask you. Have you been to the Isle of Skye? What did you love and not love about it? Please share in the comments. In the meantime, I should have the itinerary online next week. * I WANT YOUR FEEDBACK: What are you doing today while listening to the podcast? You can send a written comment along with a picture of what you're doing while listening. Email a voicemail message to celticpodcast@gmail.com Andrew Freels emailed: "Thanks Marc! I just wanted to drop a quick note thanking you for introducing me to the band Coast. Best music I’ve heard in a long time. Much appreciated!" Mike Bromund posted on Facebook: "at Alexandria's Irish Fest. Beautiful day and great tunes." Thom Danger Speck of Screeched Inn posted on Facebook: "Spending my Sunday painting my bathroom. This could be a tedious job if not for the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast to keep me energized. Thanks Marc!" Kathleen Becker emailed on Facebook: "Excellent podcasts. Sit at my computer doing research and listen to Celtic music from your podcasts most of the day. You are exceptional. How does one contribute money to this endeavor?" THIS WEEK IN CELTIC MUSIC 0:30 "Chi Mi Na Morbheanna" by Tania Opland from Bonnie Rantin' Lassie 5:41 "Riding On the Wexford Line" by Sligo Rags from The Whiskey Never Lies 9:43 "Loch Lomond" by The Wee Heavies from The Wee Heaveies 13:00 "Drowsy Maggie" by Celtic Stone from Digital Flashbacks 15:12 "Highland Mary" by SeaStar from Never Go Back 19:24 "Young Hunting" by Serious Kitchen from "Tig" 27:23 CELTIC PODCAST NEWS 28:08 "Crystal Maiden of the Lake" by Oona McOuat from Honey & Holy Water 32:06 "When I Grow Up (The Bodhran Song)" by George Murphy from Still In One Piece 38:07 "Seeds of Sorrow" by Young Dubliners from Nine 41:10 "Amanda Lynn/Ponerosa Cone Chucker/Bridgewater Corners" by New Shilling from Irishtown Sessions 45:48 "Loch Tay Boat Song" by Martyn Wylde from Minstrel's Lament 50:07 "The Chicken Raid of Cymru" by Emerald Rose from Rants and Rambles 57:55 CELTIC FEEDBACK 59:05 "Outer Hebrides" by Willie McCullouch from Auld Tales & New 1:01:16 "Are You Alright, Liz" by Ockham's Razor from Job's Comforter 1:06:07 "Gort Na Salean (Sally Gardens)" by Susan Hamlin from Younger Than the Sun 1:09:06 "Health to the Company" by Brobdingnagian Bards from Real Men Wear Kilts 1:12:09 "Girl in the Street" by Nick Hennessey from Pebble & Bone 1:16:51 "Rose of Tralee" by Jed Marum from Confederate Songs of Ireland 1:19:16 "Turn the Wheel" by Arthur Hinds from Dance in the Fire 1:26:28 "Piper" by Sora from Scorpion Moon VOTE IN THE CELTIC TOP 20. It's easier than ever to do. Just list the show number, and the name of one or two bands. That's it. You can vote once for each episode help me create next year's Best Celtic music of 2017 episode. bestcelticmusic.net/vote/ The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast was produced by Marc Gunn, The Celtfather. To subscribe, go to iTunes or to our website where you can become a Patron of the Podcast for as little as $1 per episode. Promote Celtic culture through music at celticmusicpodcast.com.

Episode 169 of the PetaPixel Photography Podcast. Download MP3 -  Subscribe via iTunes, Google Play, email or RSS! Featured: Photographer and Tamron Rocky Mountain Region Rep., Marc Morris In This Episode If you subscribe to the PetaPixel Photography Podcast in iTunes, please take a moment to rate and review us and help us move up in the rankings so others interested in photography may find us. Photographer and Tamron Rocky Mountain Region Rep., Marc Morris opens the show. Thanks Marc! Sponsors: - Get 10% off your order at MeFOTO.com, Tenba.com, KupoGrip.com and StellaProLights.com using code PetaPixel. Sony announces the long-awaited a9 sports-minded body, but where's the long, fast glass? (#) Instagram introduces yet another feature which will be insanely useful to photographers. (#) A photojournalist in Canada finds out what happens when you take your eyes off your gear...and the importance of having the proper insurance. (#) Sony's truck full of goodies on its way to NAB in Las Vegas gets jacked. (#) Drone sales take off seeing growth the camera industry envies. (#) Outtake Connect With Us Thank you for listening to the PetaPixel Photography Podcast! Connect with me, Sharky James on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (all @LensShark) as we build this community. We’d love to answer your question on the show. Leave us an audio question through our voicemail widget, comment below or via social media. But audio questions are awesome! You can also cut a show opener for us to play on the show! As an example: “Hi, this is Matt Smith with Double Heart Photography in Chicago, Illinois, and you’re listening to the PetaPixel Photography Podcast with Sharky James!”

There's nothing like some awesome Celtic music when you're on a long road. This week, you'll get some from Colin Farrell, Socks in the Frying Pan, The Wild Clover, Con Durham & Maz O'Flaherty, Hank Cramer, Emerald Rose, Kosaka Kazuhiko, Carl Peterson, McFlooseys, The Logues, Angus Mohr, Dust Rhinos, Flatfoot 56, Tullamore. If you enjoy this podcast, then please rate the show on iTunes or your favorite podcatcher. Then subscribe to our Celtic Music Magazine. This is our free newsletter and your guide to the latest Celtic music and podcast news. Subscribe today to download 34 Celtic MP3s for free. Remember to support the artists who support this podcast: buy their CDs, download their MP3s, see their shows, and drop them an email to let them know you heard them on the Irish and Celtic Music Podcast. And remember to Vote in the Celtic Top 20 to help me create next year's Best Celtic Music 2016 episode.   Today's show is brought to you by Celtic Invasion Vacations Every year, I take a small group of Celtic music fans to exotic locations around the world. We don’t travel in big tour buses and see everything. Instead, we stay in one area. We get to Know the region through its culture, history, and legends. Plus, I bring you some great Celtic music by me and other Celtic artists. We're going to Brittany in 2017. Subscribe to the mailing list to join the invasion at celticinvasion.com   Notes: * Helping you celebrate Celtic culture through music. * Want your Celtic music played on the podcast? Submit using our form at 4celts.com. * The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast is successful thanks to people like you. Your generous pledge of as little as $1 per episode covers the cost of producing the show. And 10% of your pledges go back to non-profits to support and build our Celtic communities. Best of all, whenever we hit a milestone, you get an extra-long episode. We are working towards a two-hour special on Celtic Women. Become a Patron of the Podcast today, because we are helping you celebrate Celtic culture through music. Special thanks our latest Patron: Lynda MacNeil, Mark Allison, Larry McCloskey. We are just $48 away from that next special. * I also want to send out a big thanks to everyone who supported the release of my latest album, Pirates vs. Dragons. It climbed as high as #9 on all of CD Baby, where it has pretty much stayed since the CD was released last month. You can find the album on CD Baby, Amazon, iTunes, Spotify and all of the main online sales sites. Thank you if you supported it. If you want to find out more, go to savedragons.com * If you enjoy the music in this show, then you might also enjoy our Facebook video shows. The Celtic Music News show goes out on Mondays, and each show is between 3-5 minutes. * I WANT YOUR FEEDBACK: Call 678-CELT-POD to leave a voicemail message. That's 678-235-8763. What are you doing today while listening to the podcast? You can send a written comment along with a picture of what you're doing while listening, or from one of your trips to one of the Celtic nations. Non Negabit Nos wrote on iTunes: "With Marc Gunn's pdocast, there is no way that I could listen to this much Celtic music! Yes, tehre are other Celtic music sources out there, but you have to go find them and open your account each time. In 3 keystrokes, you are rocking to the best Celtic music programming anywhere." dustermh53j wrote on iTunes: "Another pint of sweat! Thanks Marc. I listen at the gym and get lost in the reels and songs. It pleases my mind and keeps me from thinking about that one last mile or next five lifts. Keep up the good work!" Caitlin Chonchoille wrote on iTunes: "Just started listening to this podcast. So far I am loving the playlists! Looking forward to catching up on previous episodes."   This Week in Celtic Music 0:27 "The Moving Note" by Colin Farrell from Make A Note 4:45 "Aoife Johnsons Freakout 9" by Socks in the Frying Pan from Socks in the Frying Pan 8:00 "Biddy Mulligan" by The Wild Clover Band from Behind the Blarney 11:42 "Jigs: Port Tom Mhic, The Old Kesh, Maurice Quinn's, Poirt Ó Chorca" by Con Durham & Maz O'Flaherty from Ar An Sli 14:32 "You Hilo Man" by Hank Cramer from Loosely Celtic 17:26 CELTIC MUSIC NEWS 18:56 "Drombeg" by Emerald Rose from Sunwise 24:22 "The South Wind" by Kosaka Kazuhiko from Harper's Dream 26:36 "Road and the Miles to Dundee" by Carl Peterson from The Flowers of Scotland 30:40 "Reels" by McFlooseys from One Night in Dublin 34:47 CELTIC FEEDBACK 36:07 "Poitin Valley" by The Logues from Tough at the Bottom 40:40 "Andy Renwick's Favourite Ferret" by Angus Mohr from The Monster in the Box 43:20 "Drank the Whole Town Dry" by Dust Rhinos from I Should Behave 46:24 "The Long Road" by Flatfoot 56 from Knuckles Up 51:11 "Bonnie House of Airlie" by Tullamore from Timber & Stream VOTE IN THE CELTIC TOP 20. It's easier than ever to do. Just list the show number, and the name of one or two bands. That's it. You can vote once for each episode help me create next year's Best Celtic music of 2016 episode. The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast was produced by Marc Gunn, The Celtfather. To subscribe, go to iTunes or to our website where you can become a Patron of the Podcast for as little as $1 per episode. Promote Celtic culture through music at celticmusicpodcast.com.

Here’s episode 88 of the PetaPixel Photography Podcast. You can also download the MP3 directly and subscribe via iTunes or RSS! Leave a comment in this post, or use our voicemail widget for feedback/questions for the show. In This Episode If you subscribe to the PetaPixel Photography Podcast in iTunes, please take a moment to rate and review us and help us move up in the rankings so others interested in photography may find us. Sponsor:  FreshBooks. Get your FREE 30 day trial at FreshBooks.com/PetaPixel and enter PetaPixel in the “How Did You Hear About Us?” section. Sony Artisan of Imagery Marc Weisberg opens the show. Thanks Marc! Fujifilm announces its flagship X-T2 body with a number of speed improvements. But how does it stack up to Sony's offerings? (#) DxOMark proclaims Tokina's 24-70mm f/2.8 tops over two Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 lenses. (#) ON1 wants photographers to contribute their top feature requests for their upcoming Photo RAW program. (#) Samsung announces a new memory card format it's trying to make happen. (#) An extremely useful tool for more-accurately determining if conditions will be suitable enough for doing night photography. (#) A camera strap with somewhat limited usefulness aims to keep your neck and back from hurting. (#) Connect With Us Thank you for listening to the PetaPixel Photography Podcast! Connect with me, Sharky James on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (all @LensShark) as we build this community. We’d love to answer your question on the show. Leave us an audio question through our voicemail widget, comment below or via social media. But audio questions are awesome! You can also cut a show opener for us to play on the show! As an example: “Hi, this is Matt Smith with Double Heart Photography in Chicago, Illinois, and you’re listening to the PetaPixel Photography Podcast with Sharky James!”