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Ask HN: As a developer, how can I take advantage of time spent driving to work?

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Re: Ask HN: As a developer, how can I take advantage of time spent driving to work?

#41

Post by jldugger »

jgill wrote: post #9
AkiraMichi wrote: post #4

I've tried listening to university lectures and varies conferences talks. But, I find them distracting on the road. I've found, consuming really technical stuff to be much easier. When I can give it my full attention. Personally, I like to listen to podcasts that cover new and upcoming technologies in the field. They could be about high level stuff or even the nitty and gritty, like new language syntax or upcoming im…

What are some of your favorite more technical podcasts?

Tech

http://devopscafe.org/

https://changelog.com/

https://www.arresteddevops.com/

http://www.marketplace.org/topics/tech/codebreaker-podcast

https://www.youtube.com/user/googletechtalks

http://www.gitminutes.com/

http://foodfightshow.org/

Business & Organizations

Request for Commits: https://changelog.com/rfc HBR Ideacast:

http://feeds.harvardbusiness.org/harvardbusiness/ideacast/

https://www.manager-tools.com/

http://ecorner.stanford.edu/podcasts.html

http://podcast.ft.com/s/ft-alphachat/

http://marketplace.org

http://www.npr.org/sections/money/

Science

60 Second Science: https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/60-second-science...

https://academicminute.org/

http://spectrum.ieee.org/multimedia/podcasts

Engines of our Ingenuity: http://www.uh.edu/engines/

http://www.econtalk.org/

Re: Ask HN: As a developer, how can I take advantage of time spent driving to work?

#42

Post by douche »

I listen to podcasts or audiobooks on my commute. This summer I went through all of Dan Carlin's Hardcore History. It's true that it's not IT-related, but it's learning, and it is a good break from work. Now I've moved on to going through Game of Thrones once more.

It helps if it is something that you can enjoy without paying rapt attention - it's kind of important to have most of your brain focused on the road if you are behind the wheel.

Re: Ask HN: As a developer, how can I take advantage of time spent driving to work?

#43

Post by grzm »

douche wrote: post #39
protomyth wrote: post #15

I have an Audible subscription, so I listen to audiobooks on my way back and forth to work (43 miles one way). The only IT related stuff I listen to is podcasts and that's mostly news. I'm not sure its a good idea to listen to anything super, technical that might require more attention than just listening to songs on the radio. You are driving after all. I guess the trick for me is that the audio substitutes for othe…

I would pay double or triple for Audible if they didn't wrap their audiobooks up in an awful DRM that doesn't work with my ipod-knockoff.

They put the DRM in place so they can continue to charge lower rates that more people are willing to pay because the content isn't as easily pirated (for which they make no money at all).

What device do you have? What prevents that device from supporting the DRM Audible uses?

Re: Ask HN: As a developer, how can I take advantage of time spent driving to work?

#45

Post by unhammer »

> (much like you would do with a foreign language audio course)

How about trying just that? It's a lot of fun if you get a good course (e.g. Pimsleur), since you can really feel the progress. I've never managed to learn much from technical audio stuff; I feel like I need pen&paper/computer at hand to grasp new technical cocncepts, while language actually works better when i'm not able to distract myself :-) (Step Two: use newfound language skills to move to a place where you don't need the commute.)

Re: Ask HN: As a developer, how can I take advantage of time spent driving to work?

#46

Post by douche »

grzm wrote: post #43
douche wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would pay double or triple for Audible if they didn't wrap their audiobooks up in an awful DRM that doesn't work with my ipod-knockoff.

They put the DRM in place so they can continue to charge lower rates that more people are willing to pay because the content isn't as easily pirated (for which they make no money at all). What device do you have? What prevents that device from supporting the DRM Audible uses?

Oh, it's some sort of $20 SanDisk copy of the original iPod Nano from ten years ago. Plays MP3s beautifully, but that is about it.

So I ended up buying some files from Audible, then had the choice of resorting to torrenting the ripped versions or using some dodgy converter to extract something useful. Or cancelling the subscription and getting a refund, which is what I did.

Re: Ask HN: As a developer, how can I take advantage of time spent driving to work?

#49

Post by pesfandiar »

reitoei wrote: post #11

Relax and clear your head. Listen to some music, audio books.

This is very important. Without some time off for your brain, you can't be productive for a long time. Just listening to music and being half-aware of bumper-to-bumper traffic is a good way to give your brain some rest.

Re: Ask HN: As a developer, how can I take advantage of time spent driving to work?

#50

Post by grzm »

douche wrote: post #46
grzm wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They put the DRM in place so they can continue to charge lower rates that more people are willing to pay because the content isn't as easily pirated (for which they make no money at all). What device do you have? What prevents that device from supporting the DRM Audible uses?

Oh, it's some sort of $20 SanDisk copy of the original iPod Nano from ten years ago. Plays MP3s beautifully, but that is about it. So I ended up buying some files from Audible, then had the choice of resorting to torrenting the ripped versions or using some dodgy converter to extract something useful. Or cancelling the subscription and getting a refund, which is what I did.

Sounds like Audible has pretty good customer service!

I see a little incongruity here.

You're willing to pay $20 10 years ago for media player.

Audible subscriptions are about $15/month, with additional titles approximately $15 (or more) a piece. You're willing to spend perhaps $30–$45/month for a subscription or $30–45 per title?

  1 year Audible subscription: $360 (at $30/month)
  10 years: $3,600.

  Apple iPod nano: $150.
  1 year Audible subscription: $180 (at $15/month)
  Total for first year: $330.
  Each additional year: $180.
  After 10 years: $1,950
If you don't care for Apple, I'm sure there are comparable choices available.

There are likely other trade-offs you're likely taking into account as well (e.g., some people are opposed to DRM on principle, but it's not clear to me that's your argument). But if money can solve your problem which you imply by offering to pay more, it looks like you have options to use Audible for the price you're willing to pay.

If I've done the math wrong, or made some assumptions you don't agree to, please feel free to correct me.

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