What A Lot Of Things: Tech talk from a human perspective

Apr 07 2025 32 ep. 57 mins 6
What A Lot Of Things: Tech talk from a human perspective Podcast artwork

Ash and Ian talk about interesting Things from the tech industry that are on their minds.

  Technology
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Presentations and the Demise of Skype

Apr 07 2025 73 mins  
In this episode, Ian and Ash embark on a thoroughly British adventure through the land of presentation software, complete with the obligatory post-implementation complaining. Marvel as Ian delivers a monumental discourse on PowerPoint crimes, Keynote superiority, and why Comic Sans should be punishable by “a damn good encouragement.” Meanwhile, Ash provides a heartfelt eulogy f

Story Splitting and Apple’s Disappointment

Mar 17 2025 68 mins  
In Episode 29, Ian and Ash venture into the wild frontiers of video podcasting, with Ian's "door and chair" background sure to be nominated for design awards. The pair tackle the thorny art of story splitting, with Ash confessing his frustration at watching teams scramble around massive requirements like ants on a dropped ice cream cone. Meanwhile, Ian suggests testers might be uni

Is Testing Dead? and The Younger Generation (of open source maintainers) These Days!

Feb 24 2025 71 mins  
In Episode 28, Ian and Ash wade into the treacherous waters of AI-generated testing strategies, with Ian demonstrating how LLMs can now create comprehensive (but perhaps suspiciously mundane) test documentation with just a few commands. The pair debate whether testers should fear for their jobs or simply laugh at AI's confident yet risk-blind approach to testing. Meanwhile, Ash pon

Pair Programming with AI and DeepSeek R1

Feb 03 2025 70 mins  
In this barnstorming episode of What A Lot Of Things, Ian and Ash bravely venture into the uncanny valley of AI pair programming, where the machines are suspiciously eager to agree that you're an absolute genius. Will our intrepid hosts manage to navigate the delicate dance between genuine collaboration and what Ash describes as "an advanced rubber duck with impeccable manners"? (S

Quantum Computing and Tech Nostalgia

Jan 06 2025 61 mins  
Step into a quantum realm of confusion as Ian attempts to explain Google's new Willow chip, a computer so powerful it makes regular supercomputers look like pocket calculators from the 1980s. Listen in amazement as our hosts try to wrap their heads around quantum computing using everything from Schrödinger's cat to hand-waving explanations of mysterious "quantum gates" that may or

Measuring Developer Productivity and the Clock of the Long Now

Dec 16 2024 72 mins  
Your favorite tech podcast stretches out for a luxurious 75 minutes this time, like a cat in a sunbeam (speaking of which, meet Ash's new rescue cat Bauhaus).Ian and Ash dive into McKinsey's latest thoughts on measuring developer productivity, leading to some choice words about their take on "quality assurance testers." Things get wonderfully weird when Ian introduces the Clock of

Christmas Party Invite

Dec 01 2024 7 mins  
Step into the festive spirit as Ian and Ash invite you to join them for the first ever What A Lot Of Things Christmas party! After a remarkably productive year with 14 (soon to be 15) episodes released, the podcast duo are inviting listeners to a yet-to-be-determined pub in Ilkley on Wednesday, 18th December. Whether you want to join Ash's cheerful tirade against Figma and Christma

Google NotebookLM and Getting a Job in Tech

Nov 25 2024 65 mins  
Journey with Ian and Ash into the peculiar world of AI podcasting as they explore Google's NotebookLM, where American-accented hosts eagerly discuss everything from your CV to your productivity systems (even if they do occasionally mistake Ash for a lady). Our intrepid duo discover you can make AIs wax lyrical about a document containing nothing but "poop" and "fart" repeated 1000

Figma as an Antibody for Collaboration & National Productivity

Oct 07 2024 72 mins  
Buckle up, dear listeners, for the 23rd rollercoaster ride of What A Lot Of Things! In this episode, Ian and Ash embark on a wild adventure through the treacherous jungles of productivity, armed with nothing but their wit, wisdom, and a healthy dose of skepticism.First up, Ash dives headfirst into the Figma frenzy, revealing how this popular design tool might just be the secret sup

Personal Productivity and Conway's Law

Sep 23 2024 69 mins  
Get ready for a productivity party as Ian and Ash dive into the chaotic world of getting stuff done! From Ash's Trello-powered life management system to Ian's valiant attempts at David Allen's Getting Things Done, our dynamic duo explore the highs and lows of personal productivity. Warning: may contain traces of work-in-progress limits and an unhealthy obsession with database admin