Byteside: tech + digital culture

49 episodes listed below

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Technology where culture actually lives.

The gist

Byteside: tech + digital culture treats technology as part of ordinary life, not a separate gadget lane. Conversations move from Slack Huddles and digital trust to D&D podcasting, studio sound, renewable engineering, VR research, games policy, and keg logistics.

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About Byteside: tech + digital culture

Byteside: tech + digital culture follows the places where technology stops being an object and starts shaping how people work, make, play, secure, and organize things. It has a wide field of view. In the recent sample, Slack Huddles appears beside IBM Security, Trackdown Studios, Dungeons and Dragons podcasting, clean and renewable energy, Meta's VR research ambitions, keg logistics, and Australia's digital games tax offset. That range is the point. The show treats digital culture as something that runs through collaboration tools, creative communities, studio workflows, government policy, and physical supply chains. It can spend time on product choices, but the conversation usually widens into behavior. A workplace chat feature becomes a way to think about informal meetings. A studio discussion becomes a look at remote recording, latency, microphones, cameras, and visual cues. A security episode turns toward trust, transparency, customer expectations, and data handling after something goes wrong. The tone is interested and conversational rather than combative. It is also practical. Guests are asked to explain what changes, what sticks, and what problems still need solving. That gives the show a useful middle lane: more grounded than hype, less narrow than specialist engineering talk. The tech is specific, but the frame stays human. Dungeons and Dragons podcasting is discussed as creative community and media practice. Renewable engineering is connected to public understanding and visibility. Beer logistics becomes a story about tracking, batteries, data, and pubs. The show suits a listener who wants to understand how technology is already moving through familiar parts of life. It works best for people who like conversations that begin with a concrete product, company, policy, or studio problem and then follow the implications outward.

Made for: Suits a listener who wants broad technology conversations tied to work, media, games, security, sustainability, and creative production. It fits someone who prefers practical context over gadget-chasing.

What sets it apart: Byteside connects technical subjects to the habits and institutions around them: meetings, studios, pubs, games policy, fandom, and trust. Similar shows may track launches; this one lingers on how tools change behavior.

In their own words

It's the world through the lens of technology and digital culture. How tech has come to influence everything around us. How do we make sure it's all happening for the benefit of humans? The world is dominated by all things geek and nerd today. So what happens next? We're here to work it out. Send us your input via @byteside on Twitter! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why you'd press play

A beer keg has a Wi-Fi story, if you're curious enough to ask.

Press play if you want

  • to learn how a keg tracker locates itself in a pub basement without GPS
  • to get past VR's realism pitch and into the eye-tracking problem behind it
Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →
digital cultureworkplace collaborationsecurity and digital trustsound and media productiongames and tabletop culturerenewable engineeringvirtual realitytechnology in logistics

Talks about

Best episodes of Byteside: tech + digital culture

Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.

How Dragon Talk welcomed us through D&D's best decade yetDec 2, 2022

A warm look at how Dragon Talk made improvised D&D play feel more approachable.

Dragon Talk comes across as a warm story about how an official Dungeons & Dragons podcast helped a creative community settle into its rhythm. Greg Tito and Shelley Mazernoble are presented as co-hosts guiding a show that covers news and new releases, talks with the people behind…

The future of sound production at Trackdown StudiosNov 17, 2022

A grounded look at remote collaboration inside a professional recording setup.

Sound production lands here as a series of practical choices, from microphones to the power that keeps Trackdown Studios running. Seamus Byrne's conversation with Elaine Beckett, the studio's general manager, and Craig, its technical officer, head scoring engineer, and audio…

Engineering for a clean futureJul 4, 2022

A clear, grounded conversation about clean energy, public understanding, and why visibility matters in engineering.

Seamus Byrne's conversation with mechanical engineer Dr. Rosie Barnes frames clean and renewable energy as a communication problem as much as a technical one.

Can Slack's Huddles end a lot of 30 minute meetings?Jun 28, 2022

A focused look at how Slack Huddles can make workplace collaboration feel less rigid and more spontaneous.

Slack Huddles gets a clear, practical airing through the familiar problem of the 30-minute meeting habit and the appeal of audio-first collaboration.

Does Meta's VR Turing Test ambition make sense?Jun 23, 2022

A loose, curious review of VR realism, immersion, and whether sharper visuals are really the point.

This PlayNext review follows a VR conversation with a clear question at its center: what would make virtual objects feel real no matter where someone looks?

Can beer be more efficient? Konvoy is showing the wayApr 21, 2022

A grounded look at the technology moving beer from brewery to bar.

Beer looks simple once it reaches the bar, but this review follows the harder journey before the pour. Seamus Byrne's conversation with Convoy founder and CEO Adam Tripp-Smith tracks a keg through breweries, warehouses, cellars, cool rooms and footpaths, turning a familiar…

Podcasts like Byteside: tech + digital culture

Episodes

  1. 1

    How Dragon Talk welcomed us through D&D's best decade yet

    Hidden gem

    Byteside's Greg Tito and Shelley Mazernoble discuss Dragon Talk, the official Dungeons & Dragons podcast, which they say has reached about 350 episodes over seven years.

    Dec 2, 2022·45m·4 clips
  2. 2

    The future of trust and security

    Chris Hockings, IBM Security Asia Pacific CTO, says Australian digital trust is low after recent breaches.

    Nov 24, 2022·17m·1 clip
  3. 3

    The future of sound production at Trackdown Studios

    Hidden gem

    Byteside's "The future of sound production at Trackdown Studios" looks at how Trackdown handles orchestral recording for films, TV, games, remote sessions, Atmos, and AI.

    Nov 17, 2022·36m·2 clips
  4. 4

    Engineering for a clean future

    Hidden gem

    ["Dr.

    Jul 4, 2022·27m·2 clips
  5. 5

    Can Slack's Huddles end a lot of 30 minute meetings?

    Hidden gem

    Byteside's Seamus Byrne talks with Rob Seaman, Slack's Senior Vice President of Product, about why Huddles is becoming a replacement for some 30-minute meetings.

    Jun 28, 2022·20m·1 clip
  6. 6

    Does Meta's VR Turing Test ambition make sense?

    Hidden gem

    Seamus Byrne and Nick Healy use ByteSide's first video recording to compare Meta's VR roadmap, Elon Musk's Twitter deal, and game monetization, while joking about World Giraffe Day and a baby giraffe at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo.

    Jun 23, 2022·45m·3 clips
  7. 7

    Can beer be more efficient? Konvoy is showing the way

    Hidden gem

    Adam Tripp-Smith, founder and CEO of Convoy, explains how 200,000 rented kegs move through breweries, warehouses, and pubs across Australia and New Zealand.

    Apr 21, 2022·39m·2 clips
  8. 8

    Is the DGTO really going to help?

    Apr 11, 2022·23m
  9. 9

    Inside the weird world of Devolver Digital

    Byteside examines how Devolver Digital built a distinctive publishing identity around quirky games such as Disc Room, Carrion, Fall Guys, and Inscryption.

    Feb 1, 2022·42m·2 clips
  10. 10

    Is Fortnite a beachhead for the metaverse?

    Dec 9, 2021·32m
  11. 11

    Dreamshaping for everyone: Media Molecule's Siobhan Reddy

    Dec 6, 2021·24m
  12. 12

    Stephen Cornish, Pentanet Founder, on the future of networks

    Nov 23, 2021·43m
  13. 13

    Putting some heart into Far Cry 6

    Oct 21, 2021·17m
  14. 14

    Australia's first digital NBA pro, Meason Camille

    Oct 12, 2021·21m
  15. 15

    145km/h VR: Brendan Doyle's skeleton racing edge

    Aug 12, 2021·30m
  16. 16

    Is it a game? Is it fitness? Yes, it's Zwift!

    Aug 4, 2021·34m
  17. 17

    Poly ANZ MD Andy Hurt on shifting AV from the office to the home

    Jul 30, 2021·33m
  18. 18

    Putting retro games on a streaming service? Meet Antstream Arcade CEO Steve Cottam

    Jul 20, 2021·21m
  19. 19

    Do esports need beer? Are we actually enjoying Loki?

    Jul 8, 2021·40m
  20. 20

    It's about time

    Jun 9, 2021·50m
  21. 21

    Enhance and augment

    Mar 22, 2021·50m
  22. 22

    The WandaVision post-mortem: with live caller input!

    The hosts discuss the Marvel series WandaVision and the pros and cons of binging versus weekly releases.

    Mar 11, 2021·52m
  23. 23

    States of play: what's coming next from Nintendo, PlayStation and Microsoft's XR labs?

    Mar 5, 2021·51m
  24. 24

    Stream for me: the state of video on demand in Australia in 2021

    Feb 25, 2021·1h 3m
  25. 25

    Smart home tech for fun and horror

    Feb 18, 2021·1h 2m
  26. 26

    Fitness+ in Kaldheim

    Feb 12, 2021·52m
  27. 27

    Virtually from CES 2021

    Jan 13, 2021·42m
  28. 28

    Spams, scams and monolithic weirdness

    Dec 3, 2020·39m
  29. 29

    Subscribing just to avoid the ads

    Nov 26, 2020·33m
  30. 30

    Fleeting fingers and free photo farewells

    Nov 18, 2020·40m
  31. 31

    Enforced temptation control?

    Nov 12, 2020·36m
  32. 32

    Byteside special: Sony PlayStation 5 reviewed

    Nov 6, 2020·19m
  33. 33

    Byteside special: Xbox Series X reviewed

    Host Seamus Byrne and guest Alice Clark discuss their hands-on experience with the Xbox Series X, exploring its performance and place in the gaming landscape.

    Nov 5, 2020·23m
  34. 34

    We owned a bit of Quibi too?

    Oct 28, 2020·34m
  35. 35

    Apple new iPhone day 2020

    The hosts discuss Apple's latest iPhone announcement, focusing on design changes and performance improvements.

    Oct 14, 2020·36m
  36. 36

    Your amazing dystopian flying family drone

    The hosts introduce the show about tech and digital culture, discussing how technology influences society and daily life.

    Sep 30, 2020·40m
  37. 37

    Maybe fibre is better?

    Sep 23, 2020·31m
  38. 38

    Phreaking brilliant

    The hosts discuss recent Xbox announcements, including pricing and details for Series X and Series S, while reflecting on their previous predictions.

    Sep 16, 2020·38m
  39. 39

    That TikTok video

    Sep 9, 2020·33m
  40. 40

    Australia vs Facebook & Google

    The hosts discuss a virtual running festival during the pandemic and how technology is shaping events and culture.

    Sep 2, 2020·37m
  41. 41

    Apple vs Epic vs Batman's eye makeup

    The hosts discuss tech, games, and digital culture, then debate Batman's eye makeup and Robert Pattinson's portrayal.

    Aug 26, 2020·42m
  42. 42

    Who really wins in the search wars?

    Aug 19, 2020·32m
  43. 43

    The awkward brilliance of game storytelling

    Aug 5, 2020·32m
  44. 44

    The agony and ecstasy of Dolby Atmos

    Jul 22, 2020·36m
  45. 45

    COVIDSafe: did tech or marketing fail?

    Jul 15, 2020·26m
  46. 46

    Scam Poetry

    Jul 8, 2020·31m
  47. 47

    Can Seamus really quit Facebook?

    Jun 30, 2020·37m
  48. 48

    Careful what you Wish for

    Jun 23, 2020·39m
  49. 49

    The weirdest tech story of 2020 is here

    The hosts discuss their recent road trip and then revisit a previous conversation about TV shows being cancelled, framing it within their tech and digital culture focus.

    Jun 17, 2020·39m