The Mindset Digital Podcast

The Mindset Digital Podcast features discussion, analysis and insights from the intersection of Social Media, Learning and Technology from the Mindset Digital team. Every episode includes tools, tips and recommendations, plus something on the Internet guaranteed to make you laugh.

In this Three Things episode of the mIndset Digital Podcast, Matt Weiner, Hope Madden and Michael Harwick each take four minutes to get creative director Pete Brown up to speed on a variety of recent happenings in the digital world, including Apple’s Home Pod, YouTube’s new policy for advertising on hate speech videos and a chatbot who may help you feel better about yourself. Check it out!

A ranking of famously depressed robots in pop culture, though there are MANY others who could have made the list.

1) Marvin, The Paranoid Android – The robot consigned to manual labor onboard the Heart of Gold in Douglas Adams’s hilariously bleakHitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy books. His depression stems from being made responsible for no task that can fully engage his vast intelligence, despite a planet-sized brain that makes him 50,000 times more intelligent than a human. In his words, “My capacity for happiness, you could fit into a matchbox without taking out the matches first.”

2) Butter Robot – A breakout and infinitely meme-able character from the first season of Rick and Morty, Butter Robot’s sole purpose is to pass the butter, and Rick is unafraid to tell him so. Unfortunately, the revelation of Butter Robot’s limited utility causes it to have a minor existential crisis. Happily, no real-lifeversion of Butter Robot has yet to develop a crippling self-awareness of its own limited agency (“Yeah, welcome to the club, pal”).

3) Wall-E – Disney’s wide-eyed mobile trash compactor protecting a post-apocalpytic terrestrial wasteland has his cube-filled world turned upside down with the arrival of a sleek and shiny iBotwho goes by EVE. But when she fulfills her directive eons before Wall-E can possibly carry out his cleanup, he enters a lovelorn depression that leads him on an intergalactic quest to save his electric dream girl – and humanity.

4) Dolores (Westworld) – Jonathan Nolan’s mind-bending reboot of the Michael Crichton cult film centers on the developing consciousness of an artificially intelligent Alice in Wonderland. Trapped in a narrative loop that forces her to see her father get killed over and over again and endure countless species of physical and sexual abuse, it’s no wonder the name she has been given means “sorrows.”

5) David (A.I. Artificial Intelligence) – Spielberg’s take on the late Stanley Kubrick’s final existential drama met with mixed reviews upon release, but time has been kind to the world’s most expensive Pinocchio. As a permanent child, David’s sole purpose is to gratify the emotional needs of childless parents, but the inventive script asks what happens when he, like most humans who live long enough, ends up an orphan. Freud couldn’t have written a better account of the need for parental love.

Episode 23: Check out this app: digi.me

Mindset Digital’s Content Strategist Jen Michaels gets Pete up to speed on a social network archiving platform that helps resolve the ancient muffin vs. cupcake debate. Plus, how to buy a saddle for your horse, the music Facebook thinks we like and the secret name for that thing they use in shoe stores to measure your foot. All good times.

Episode 21: The Magic Kingdom Knows Where You Are

Have you been to the Magic Kingdom lately? If not, you’re going to be surprised as the tech Disney uses to support your experience. In doing so, are we getting a glimpse of our even-more-connected future?

Note: In this episode, we indicate that a Magic Band is provided as part of your admission; however, this Disney resource states that Magic Bands are part of your admission only if you are staying at an official Disney hotel or are a pass holder. If you are not in one fo these categories, you must purchase a Magic Band as an add-on. (HT Weiner)

Episode 20: Instagram Stories vs. Snapchat Stories

Instagram and Snapchat keep cloning each others features. In this episode, two of the office millennials square off in a no-holds-barred ‘who-has-the-better-stories feature’ death match while Creative Director Pete Brown tries to keep up. Plus, an update to our Episode 16 review of Digit.

Episode 19: Is Mastadon just Twitter with a conscience?

We love trying out new social networks and tools at Mindset Digital, and in this episode, we put Mastodon.Social to the test. Some call it “Twitter with a Conscience,” but is it really? And does the crowded market really need such a thing? Plus, Ashley the Intern tries to find something on the internet guaranteed to make you laugh.

Episode 18: When Groceries Go Digital

Find out what happens when three Mindsetters put online grocery shopping to the test

[Note: This podcast is companion content to our written review of online grocery shopping available here.]

The digital era has ushered all sorts of on-demand conveniences into our lives – from entertainment to banking and bill paying to productivity at work. Now grocery stores are getting in on the act – letting customers fill their cart online, and then simply picking it up on the way home.

Three Mindset Digital team members put local grocery store’s online ordering systems to the test, and then sat down with Creative Director Pete Brown to talk about how it went. Find out what happens when groceries go digital.

MSD Podcast, ep 17: Punch up your PowerPoint

Have you been subjected to death-by-Powerpoint? Have you ever rained down death upon your colleagues with your own presentations? It’s OK to admit it – seems like we’ve all done it one time or another. In today’s Tool Time episode, presentation guru Mike Taylor shares some quick tips and free tools that will take your PowerPoints from deadly to killer. (Killer in the good way, right?)

Special thanks to Brian Hake for the Tool Time stinger; Audio mastering by Jeff Gehlert of Allegro Media Design. Some music is courtesy of the website Audionautix.com, and is licensed under Creative Commons 3.0.

MSD Podcast, ep 16: Hey! Check out this app: Digit

A new (and secret) take on saving money!

Today we unveil our new “Hey! Check Out This App!” episode format as Morgan Mulgrew takes me through her experiences using the Digit automated savings app. Take ten minutes to learn of a disruptive new way to save money.

MSD Podcast, ep. 15, Tool Time: Google Pro Tips

You think you know how to Google?

You’d be surprised at all the functionality hiding behind that search bar. Mike ‘the Tool Man’ Taylor returns to the Mindset Digital podcast to walk me through a whole lot of tips that will make you a true Google Ninja.

Episode 14: Social media, breaking news and the November attack at Ohio State University

How the student journalists at OSU rose to the occasion

Social media is often the first harbinger of breaking news, but when that news is dangerous, misinformation and rumors start to fly. That’s where journalists step in to post vetted information, appropriately sourced. But what happens if those journalists are college students? In this episode, we sit down with Spencer Hunt, Ohio State’s Director of Student Media to talk through how his student reporters covered the attack on campus this past November.

Clarification: In this episode, we refer to the text of the Buckeye Alert system as “run, fight, hide.” The actual order was “Run, Hide, Fight.”

Episode 13: The LinkedIn update – what you need to know

We discuss why your summary is more important than ever.

LinkedIn’s major update is rolling out across the country, so Mindset Digital’s LinkedIn Makeover team walks creative director Pete Brown through the important changes. Learn why your summary is more important than ever, why you need to double check your profile pic, and how skills, search and connections all have changed. (15 minutes)

As Livestreaming from your phone approaches its second birthday, we examine new reasons to go live, learn best Periscope practices from guest Ryan Clarkin, and offer up something on the internet to make you laugh.

Livestreaming from your phone is about to turn two years old, and Creative Director Pete Brown says efforts are underway by the big players to convince the public to lower the bar for going live. Plus, personal trainer and popular Periscoper Ryan Clarkin shares some of the best practices he’s developed from going live each and every day. Finally, Danika Stahl returns with something on the internet guaranteed to make you laugh.

Episode 11: A new option for online meetings

Few things can ruin your day like a terrible webinar or online meeting. In this week’s Tool Time edition of the Mindset Digital podcast, Mike Taylor says there’s a new option that’s worth checking out.

In this three things episode of the Mindset Digital podcast, three team members get four minutes each to bring host Pete Brown up-to-speed on recent and interesting developments in the ongoing digital revolution. Matt Weiner talks Alexa and CES, Jen Michaels talks Alexa and murder, and Hope Madden proves that refrigerator-smack-talk is totally a thing. Check it out!

Episode 9: The demise of Vine, the rise of Hype

Vine was a quirky, fun and creative social network founded on the premise of six-second looping videos, and not much more. So why did Twitter shut it down?

In this episode, we breakdown why Twitter is shuttering video-looping network Vine and put Hype – the new app from Vine’s original creators, to the test. What;s more, Hype (and former Vine) creator Rus Yusupov tunes in to our Hype livestream and answers a couple of questions from the team.

Episode 8: Three Things to Know: Harambe, Underwater Livestreaming and the NFL

We’re trying out a new mini-episode format: Three Guests, Three Topics, Four minutes each. This week, the team brings creative director Pete Brown up to speed on Harambe and the Cincinnati Zoo’s twitter account, livestreaming from the bottom of the ocean and the NFL’s Thursday night deal with Twitter. Invest 15 minutes in getting the just-what-you-need-to-know scoop!

Episode 7: Building An Audience on Twitter

Today, it’s easy to put your message out there…but how do you get people to tune in?

In our Building an Audience series, we’ll look at how real (non-celebrity) people have built a robust audience on social media, and how it benefits their professional careers.

This episode features Mindset Digital’s Mike Taylor, who has grown a healthy audience of seven thousand followers on Twitter. How did he do it? Using his personal method of “working smarter, not harder.” Plus, we talk about how to determine who’s in – and should be in – your audience, and a new intern takes up the challenge of finding something on the internet guaranteed to make you laugh…

All this, plus some wise words about ferrets. It’s Episode 7, and it is awesome.

Episode 6: What’s the big deal with Pokemon Go?

Since its launch late last week, Pokemon Go has taken the US by storm. Wondering what all the fuss is about? Not into Pokemon? Not a gamer? The Mindset Digital team breaks it down for you, soup-to-nuts style: What is Pokemon Go, why is everybody playing, and what can we learn from the sudden success of this app?

Two quick corrections to this show:

Pokemon was originally released on the Nintendo Gameboy Advanced, not the Nintendo DS

Episode 5: The Secret Meaning of Emojis

Do you ever get the feeling there’s something going on that you don’t know about?

That’s been the case for Creative Director Pete Brown as he works emojis into his communications. In this episode of the Mindset Digital podcast, all manner of MSD staff help get Pete up to speed.

So if you’ve been looking for the right combination of emojis to express your distaste for salads, then there’s great things in store. We also cover the newest set of emojis — which include a black heart and a salad.

Mindset Digital’s Mike Taylor will share a tool for adding even more emojis, and this time personalized, to your repertoire of smiley faces.

Plus, Danika the fast-working intern takes up the challenge of finding something on the internet guaranteed to make you laugh.

Episode 4: The Disappearing Episode

Is disappearing the new black? Snapchat certainly thinks so. In this episode, we look at the Snapchat 2.0 update and speculate on what it means for the network’s overall strategy, plus the Mindset Digital team goes in search of the podcast after it inexplicably disappears from iTunes. We have a new bookmarking tool recommendation from Mike Taylor, plus how will Pete and Emma the soft-spoken Intern grapple with what-is or is-not funny on ‘Something on the Internet Guaranteed to Make You Laugh.’

Episode 3: The Livestreaming Showdown!

It’s been just about a year since livestreaming from your phone went mainstream with the launch of apps like Meerkat, Periscope and Facebook Live. In this episode, we check back in with livestreaming and see what’s transpired in the past year. Plus, we go live on four livestreaming services at once (Periscope, Meeerkat, Facebook and YouTube) in the first ever Mindset Digital MEGASTREAM as Creative Director Pete Brown tries to make the office millennials laugh with a TV clip from 1963.

Episode 2 (March, 2016):

It’s Time to Talk About Snapchat

Plus, the Secret Meaning of Emoji, Tool Time and Something on the Internet Guaranteed to make you laugh

The Mindset Digital Podcast brings you insight and tips from the intersection of Social Media, Learning and technology. Here’s what we cover in episode 2:

Mindset Digital Creative Director Pete Brown co-opts the entire podcast to solve one of his personal parenting dilemmas, namely whether or not to let his daughter use Snapchat.

The Mindset team is only too happy to discuss. Social guru Matt Weiner breaks down what snapchat is actually being used for, and its implications for both parents and business professionals. Mindset Digital founder Betsy Hubbard even drops in to share her wisdom on raising teenagers with evolving social platforms.

Episode 1 (Feb. 2016):

Twitter, Instagram and Jealousy; The Top Three Emojis of 2015

Plus, Tool Time and Something on the Internet Guaranteed to make you laugh!

The Mindset Digital Podcast brings you insight and tips from the intersection of social media, learning and technology. Here’s what we cover in our first episode:

Why a podcast? Why now? A few comments on why we think the time for MSD to fire up a podcast is here.

A look at Twitter in 2015: The social network replaced its CEO and rolled out new features that suggest a much more visual future lays ahead; Is Instagram getting jealous? Plus, the top three emoji of 2015.

This episode’s tool tip recommends Feedly.com to make your content consumption more efficient, plus something on the Internet guaranteed to make you laugh.