The Really Useful Podcast

The world of cryptocurrency just doesn't seem to stop changing. With over 5000 different cryptocoins in circulation, new digital units of value need to stand out from the crowd in order to generate any sort of traction.

In this week's show, we take a look at the resurgent Dogecoin (and learn how to pronounce it) and try to work out if Chia is really a "green" cryptocurrency. There's also a look at The Internet Computer, a new approach to decentralizing the internet.

Shownotes

Here are the useful links for this week's show:

• What Is Dogecoin?
• What Is Chia Cryptocurrency?
• Will the Internet Computer Crytocurrency Usher in a Decentralized Internet?
• Don't Use Crypto to Buy a House

Christian Cawley and Gavin Philips host this week's show. Contact them on Twitter: @thegadgetmonkey and @gavinspavin.

Look out for our other shows---subscribe to the Really Useful Podcast on iTunes and YouTube (be sure to hit the bell icon to be notified of new episodes) for more tips.

Vegan headphones might sound like the name of an indie band, but they're real. Headphones made without leather and using sustainable materials are just one of the ways in which using technology responsibly is becoming more important.

This week, we take a look at sustainability in technology, and how things might change going forward.

Shownotes

This week's vital links:

• What Are Vegan Electronics
• The Best Vegan Headphones
• What Is Greenwashing?
• How Music Is Going Vegan
• Cutting Back Animal Products During the Pandemic

Christian Cawley and James Frew are this week's hosts. Follow them on Twitter as @thegadgetmonkey and @jimjamfroo.

Look out for our other shows---subscribe to the Really Useful Podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube (be sure to hit the bell icon to be notified of new episodes) for more tips.

Dashcams might seem an expensive addition to your vehicle, but they are worth their weight in gold. In this week's podcast we look at dashcams, covering everything from looking at the best current models to the reasons to use a dashcam.

We also consider the various steps you should take when installing a dashcam for the first time, and how you can save money by making your own dashcam with a free mobile app.

Shownotes

This week's vital links:

• Reasons to Use a Dashcam
• How to Choose a Dashcam
• Make Your Own Dashcam
• Dashcam Apps for Android
• Dashcam Setup Tips

Christian Cawley is your host this week. You can contact him on Twitter as @thegadgetmonkey with your suggestions for future topics.

Look out for our other shows---subscribe to the Really Useful Podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube (be sure to hit the bell icon to be notified of new episodes) for more tips.

Kickstarter, Indiegogo, Unbound, Blurb... the opportunities for crowdfunding campaigns are massive these days. But if you've never backed a project on Kickstarter and don't really know what crowdfunding is - or if you have concerns over their reliability - we're here to help you out.

Shownotes

Here are this week's links for everything we discuss in the show.

• 3 Things to Consider Before Backing a Kickstarter
• Kickstarter Asks Creators to Be More Honest
• Tips for Running Your Own Crowdfunding Campaign
• Bets Alternatives to Patreon
• Crowdfund Without a Crowndfunding Website
• Crowdfunder Producer Discusses Brian Blessed Casting
• Sitcom Geeks

Christian Cawley and Gavin Philips host this week's show. Contact them on Twitter: @thegadgetmonkey and @gavinspavin.

Look out for our other shows---subscribe to the Really Useful Podcast on iTunes and YouTube (be sure to hit the bell icon to be notified of new episodes) for more tips.

You've seen the ads, online and on TV. Courses for learning to code, build mobile apps, even start designing video games. But how easy is it really to learn to code? To find out, Ian Buckley - a man with a bit of programing experience under his belt - is here to explain if you should learn to code, where to find good resources, and whether or not you should be paying for the pleasure...

Shownotes

• Learn the MERN Stack
• Learn JavaScript While Playing Minecraft
• Gaming Retro UK

Christian Cawley and Ian Buckley host this week's show. Contact them on Twitter as @thegadgetmonkey and @ianmbuckley with your suggestions for future topics.

Look out for our other shows---subscribe to the Really Useful Podcast on iTunes and YouTube (be sure to hit the bell icon to be notified of new episodes) for more tips.

Heard about Clubhouse but not really sure what social audio is all about? You've come to the right place. In this podcast we take a look at Clubhouse, its "exclusivity" and what alternatives are coming along from Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other existing social platforms.

Use these links to learn more about Clubhouse in this week's show.

• What Is Clubhouse
• What Are the Alternatives to Clubhouse?

Christian Cawley and Megan Ellis are your hosts. You can contact them on Twitter as @thegadgetmonkey and @Megg_Ellis with your suggestions for future topics.

Look out for our other shows - subscribe to the Really Useful Podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube (be sure to hit the bell icon to be notified of new episodes) for more tips.

To celebrate 30 months since the launch of the Really Useful Podcast, we bring you a collection of the top 5 best tips from our most popular episodes.

As such, Christian Cawley is joined by various members of the Really Useful Podcast team to cover diverse topics such as Windows keyboard shortcuts, problems with Skype, old PC games, Microsoft Office alternatives, and a what is Raspberry Pi.

Shownotes

We talk about so many things this week, but the following links will help you find the key resources.

• Best Windows 10 Keyboard Shortcuts
• Best Microsoft Office Alternatives for macOS
• Old PC Games That Are Still Worth Playing
• Fix Skype Problems
• Best Uses for a Raspberry Pi

Christian Cawley hosts this week's show, with contributions from Ben Stegner, Gavin Philips, James Frew, and Ian Buckley.

Look out for our other shows---subscribe to the Really Useful Podcast on iTunes and YouTube (be sure to hit the bell icon to be notified of new episodes) for more tips.

You've seen the term NFT but what does it mean? How can you buy digital art for $1000s without even owning it? What is the real ecological damage of cryptocurrency mining? And why are graphics cards so expensive?

In this podcast we explore non-fungible tokens, the madness of this latest crypto bubble, whether cryptocurrency is as bad for the environment as some claim, and why there is a shortage of graphics cards.

Some links to help you with this week's show:

• What Do You Own If You Buy an NFT?
• Elon Musk's NFT About NFTs
• Nvidia Cryptocurrency Mining Lock
• Is Bitcoin Really Bad for the Environment

Christian Cawley and Gavin Philips host this week's show. Contact them on Twitter: @thegadgetmonkey and @gavinspavin.

Look out for our other shows---subscribe to the Really Useful Podcast on iTunes and YouTube (be sure to hit the bell icon to be notified of new episodes) for more tips.

The Amazon Fire tablet is one of the most popular alternatives to Apple's iPad. Equipped with the Android-based Fire OS, these are versatile tablets aimed at the whole family.

But are you getting the most our of your Amazon Fire tablet? Is the tablet really suitable for children or is it more geared towards a media consuming adult? How do you change the way it looks, or install games from Android Play? And what happens if you crack the screen?

These questions, and more, are answered in this week's Really Useful Podcast - the tech podcast for technophobes.

This week's vital links:

• Amazon Fire Tablet Tips
• make the Amazon Fire Tablet Child Friendly
• Why You Shouldn't Buy an Amazon Fire Tablet for Kids
• Regain Storage Space on the Amazon Fire Tablet
• Best Amazon Fire Tablet
• How to Repair a Cracked Tablet Screen
• Install Google Play on a Fire Tablet
• Make the Amazon Fire Tablet Look Like Stock Android

Christian Cawley is your host this week. You can contact him on Twitter as @thegadgetmonkey with your suggestions for future topics.

Some new Xbox and PS5 games are launching at around $70. Game controllers are around the same price. And if you can get hold of a next generation console, that's going to set you back a few hundred dollars too.

So: is video gaming becoming to expensive? 

This week's discussion draws on these resources:

• Why Are PS5 and Xbox Series Games So Expensive?
• Best Sites for Video Game Price Alerts
• Ways to Improve Laptop Gaming Performance
• Activision Founders Launch Atari 2600 Game Company
• Defeat PS5 and Xbox Series Scalpers
• Evercade Handheld Retro Console Review

Christian Cawley and Ben Stegner are your hosts. You can contact them on Twitter as @thegadgetmonkey and @stegnersaurus with your suggestions for future topics.

Look out for our other shows---subscribe to the Really Useful Podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube (be sure to hit the bell icon to be notified of new episodes) for more tips.