Brothers in Tech

Hosted ByAlan Jackson & Brian Jackson

Whether you are the person who everyone calls for tech support, are the person who is doing the calling, or simply interested in technology…this podcast is for you!

Do you find yourself serving as the go-to “I.T.” person in your family? Or are you someone that tends to call other family members for technical support and would rather learn things on your own? Brothers in Tech is a weekly podcast focusing on home technology and provides help to the “default family IT person”. Hosted by Alan & Brian Jackson, a new topic will be discussed each month (main episode) followed by 3 weekly “deep dive” episodes (the B-sides) with additional information. Whether you are the person who everyone calls for tech support, are the person who is doing the calling, or simply interested in technology…this podcast is for you!

Your Hosts

Alan Jackson:
 Alan Jackson (the older brother) lives in works in Hickory, North Carolina as the Strategic Director of Jackson Creative and Jackson Insight.  Alan specializes in creating marketing campaigns and resources for a variety of clients as well as consulting on marketing research and satisfaction surveys.  In his free time, Alan runs a film society and annual film festival in Western North Carolina.  Alan started his technology journey at a young age, learning to program in BASIC on an Apple IIE and being one of the first people in his area to use and master the original Macintosh.  He earned extra lunch money by drawing pictures of superheroes in MacPaint and selling printouts to friends for a quarter each, officially earning him the title of the nerdiest kid at school.  Alan has always enjoyed learning new technologies and helping others incorporate tech into their everyday home and work lives.  Oh, and he is definitely the favorite child… no matter what his siblings suggest.

Brian Jackson:
 Originally from Hickory, North Carolina, Brian Jackson (the younger Brother) currently lives just outside of Portland, Oregon where he works a professor of Kinesiology at Pacific University. Academically, he is a “motor behaviorist” (studying motor skill learning and performance) who has used his passion for technology to research the use and effectiveness of a number of fitness and learning devices. He is a former coach (tennis), craft beer connoisseur (well…at least a consumer and admirer), and competitive dart player (yes…darts). Although admittedly deeply connected/invested in the Apple ecosystem, Brian enjoys finding, researching, and critiquing all types of new and creative technology solutions…and consulting others on educational and home technology practices (including trying to correct any mistakes that Alan has made with family advice). Oh, and he is definitely the favorite child…no matter what his siblings suggest.


All Episodes

Cycling

Whether you are tired of sitting in traffic, annoyed with rising gas prices, looking to shed a few pounds, or just eager to get outside…it is a great time to get on a bike! And, who better to give the Brothers a rundown of the latest in cycling tech than Rob Dickerson (VP of Retail Sales @ DeFeet, a cycling apparel company). From e-bikes, to clip-in pedals, to cool accessories, Rob gives a great overview of what you need to know to get into the biking world (well…at least enough so that we don’t look like complete idiots walking into a bike shop). Heck, even Alan was inspired to exercise after this…or at least wear some spandex shorts.

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Advances in Lawn Care

It’s summer, summer, summertime! And what says summer more than…lawn care? Well, it may not be the most exciting part of your life, but have no fear…there are some cool tech advances that might make the job a bit more efficient. In this episode of Brothers in Tech, the Brothers (well…Brian) review some of the advances in lawn care equipment and irrigation along with guest Rob Dickerson (VP of Retail Sales @ DeFeet). And Alan…well, he does what he does best, and adds very little to the conversation. 

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Mac & iOS Updates from 2021 WWDC

Apple recently held its annual Worldwide Developer’s Conference (WWDC) and announced a number of interesting new advancements to the macOS, iOS, and iPadOS software lines. But, are any of these advancements worth getting excited over? The Brothers (and ONLY the Brothers in this episode!) discuss the highlights of the announcements, and what they may mean to your computing experience. Oh, and Brian finally learns what the “I” in iOS/iPad/iPhone actually means (insert facepalm emoji).

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The June Brothers in Tech Suggestions (BITS)

Well…we couldn’t find anyone else to join us for the Brothers in Tech BiTs episode, so we begrudgingly brought back Chad Austin (entrepreneur, musician, photographer/videographer, drone pilot, etc. ). And, he lived up to our expectations! J Check out this week’s Brothers in Tech as we provide our suggestions of the latest in technology for the home. A device, a service, a show, and even a Pentagon report?…this episode has it all! And, luckily…Brian & Chad were able to make up for Alan’s pick.

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Advances in Audio

With Apple’s recent announcement of lossless and spatial audio availability in their Music service…there seems to be a lot of confusion as to the current advancements in audio capabilities, whether you can take advantage of them, and whether you would even notice the difference.  The Brothers, along with the help of someone who knows his way around a soundboard (Chad Austin), provide an overview of the key audio terms and discuss how these new advances might affect your listening experience. NOTE: If you listen to the lossless version of this podcast, you might hear Brian taking a drink in the background every time Alan says “interesting”…

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Drones

What is that flying above your head? A bird? A plane?  Nope,...

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App Tracking

There seems to be a lot of confusion regarding Apple’s recent introduction of App Tracking Transparency in iOS 14.5. Who’s tracking me, and when? What will you gain (or lose) if you disable tracking? And, most importantly…will this have any effect on the hair product ads that Alan receives (and appreciates)? In this episode of Brothers in Tech, we welcome Chad Austin (yes, THE Chad Austin…entrepreneur, musician, photographer/videographer extraordinaire @ http://www.chadaustin.com) to the show to discuss how apps are tracking you, and whether you should care!

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The May Brothers in Tech Suggestions (BITS & SITS)

After a full month of engaging contribution by Mary Margaret Baker (Creative Director @ Jackson Creative), it is now time for the payoff…the BiTs episode, or in her case, the SiTs (Sister in Tech Suggestion)! Check out this week’s Brothers in Tech as we provide our suggestions of the latest in technology for the home. An app, a service, and hardware…this episode has a little something for everyone.

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Social Media… Friend or Foe?

Likes, mentions, networking, and pictures of cats wearing hats. Social media has it all…but is it a good thing? To get to the bottom of this (or at least spend some quality time debating…as siblings do), the Brothers welcome back an expert in all things social media (Mary Margaret Baker, Creative Director @ Jackson Creative) to the show. Mary Margaret provides a compelling argument as to why we need and should use social media, Brian channels his inner Mike Geraci (see “The Speed of Technology” episode) and shows that he would probably prefer to be living in a van down by the river, and Alan…well…Alan was either being Switzerland in this debate or taking nap.

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Apple Announcements

Although we appreciate all types and brands of technology, it is no secret that the Brothers are deeply embedded in the Apple ecosystem (aka, fanboys). So, when Apple announces new products…we have to discuss!  The question is, what does our Sister in Tech think about it? Check out the latest Brothers in Tech as we welcome Mary Margaret Baker (Creative Director, Jackson Creative…and our actual sister!) to the show to discuss what we are excited (and not so excited) about with Apple’s new tech. And, as a bonus, you get to hear about Mary Margaret’s fetish for loyalty cards.

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