Was just going to ask this question (Why No Video). This is a good show but I expected to see everyone. Also sometime in the future get Stacy involved :-). Subscribing now… 
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Lisa answered this elsewhere. Under 30,000 subscribers a video show doesn’t make enough sponsor income to cover the production costs, presumably because the amount a sponsor is willing to pay is proportionate to the number of people their product is getting in front of. That means that any new video show would run at a loss until the numbers cross that threshold, which is a pretty strong disincentive to try anything new. Audio show costs are tiny by comparison, and taking that path allows them to try new ideas without a big drain on the finances, and with the option of going to video if the subscriber numbers take off. Leo’s already said he’d consider video if the subscribers go over the magic number.
Plus a lot of the wider potential podcast audience is only familiar with audio podcasts anyway, so unlike TWiT regulars they are not going to be looking for a video option. Part of the thinking for a new show is probably whether it can grow the overall audience by drawing in people who aren’t familiar with the existing TWiT approach.
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I was already thinking about whether I could use NFC tags to automate some simple tasks on my Android phone (like pausing my podcast player when the doorbell goes, without having to unlock the phone), so I’ll be interested in your experiences when you explore that platform. Some apps that I had been looking at in Google Play: NFC Tools, NFC Tasks, Automate, MacroDroid - haven’t had the chance to try them yet but they have good reviews.
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I’m wary of fully going IoT because I think we’re in between waves (and because of network security concerns, but that can be allayed by good planning and “edge” computing), but I’ve played around with NFC tags (good tip about hiding them under tables, never occurred to me) and have Hue lights, and pretty sure I will further invest time and money into more automation stuff at some point.
The one thing I really want to try is doing the full “Doc Brown” (Back to the Future) Rube Goldberg automatic breakfast (not the exact same, mind you) but with IoT, once I’m sure I can make it relatively foolproof and with little prior setup the night before.
I also think that doing longer, multi-week, multi-step projects like that as a segment - segments would be great for the show, by the way, maybe with audio bumpers/transitions/jingles or whatever its called - would be great for the show. An hour is a lot to fill for IoT if doing it weekly, and there’s going to be overlap from what Stacey talks about on TWiG as well as from the platform specific shows (All About Android, iOS Today, Macbreak Weekly, Windows Weekly) as well as the big show (This Week in Tech).
You could also do recurring categories like smart gardening devices, smart cleaning, smart devices on a budget, etc or theme by episode. If you can’t have video yet, you can at least find ways to spice up the audio. i think AAA does a good job of this, and it livens things up. Ask for user submitted content.
Would also like to see an IFTTT vs Zapier vs Flow vs whatever else in platform-agnostic, online IoT services at some point. Maybe a prerecorded or live smart assistant competition, as well (could be fun to pretend it’s a boxing match, get Alexa, Siri, Google, and dare I say Cortana to talk trash before entering the ring… AI Arena? 
Not quite “Thrilla in Manila” and might be too close to Android Arena, but you get my point…).
Just some ideas; hoping you get to 30k, and beyond. Good first episode. 
As most of us are aware of the security risks of IoT devices, but not everyone wants to go down into the detail, it might be useful to know if devices are compliant with California’s “IoT security law” SB-327 mentioned in TWiG 529. The article in The Verge https://www.theverge.com/2018/9/28/17874768/california-iot-smart-device-cybersecurity-bill-sb-327-signed-law makes clear that it’s not a guarantee of security, but it’s still a useful guide to whether the most awful errors have been addressed and is likely to be of interest to people outside of CA too, given that there’s so little guidance at the moment.
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Beautifully and perfectly put, @Clayton. Thank you!
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Audio-only is really just so we can easily test new shows - we’ve launched more new shows this quarter than in years - and then “promote” them to video if they succeed.
I’m still all-in on video versions of our long-term winners.
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Could stand to do with more uplifting intro/outro music, IMO. Kind of doom-tech right now, bit of a downer?
Hi @mikahsargent and @matthewcassinelli I am loving the show so far. (I agree with others that a video component would be awesome, though I completely understand Leo’s requirements). I have a suggestion
Suggestion: perhaps have a standalone video that accompanies each episode (similar to Leo’s Ask the Tech Guy). This could be a distilled 2-3 minute video about one of the concepts mentioned. For example: what are the pros and cons of a mesh WiFi network vs WiFi extenders. You two mention this in the beginning but I wish there was more information from you.
Thank you!
cool but they need 30,000 to turn on video so tall your friends
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thay neeed video or i will not be thee so subscribe
I listened to the new ep on the way home and enjoyed it a lot. I think after you all get into a rhythm and relax a bit it will get even better.
Sorry, but no. After the first episode I was disappointed that you focused on the worst of the 3 AIs. In the second episode you allowed the error, and committed to do it. I love twig, but the decision to put 2IOS guys on this show was wrong. Unsubscribing
I really enjoyed Episode 1 and I love Mikah! Can I make a suggestion? There’s already an iOS Today. I might have named this new show simply Smart Tech. I like that, whatdya say??? 