Episode 40: Steam Machine Dead On Arrival?

Valve has officially revealed the Steam Machine, complete with pricing, specifications, and a release date. The idea behind the device is simple: bring the Steam experience into the living room with a compact console-like PC that runs SteamOS and gives players access to one of the largest gaming libraries available.

In this episode, I take a closer look at the Steam Machine and ask whether Valve has created a compelling alternative to traditional consoles and gaming PCs, or whether the price has already put the device at a disadvantage before launch.

Topics discussed include:

What the Steam Machine is and who it is designed for

The impact of rising memory and storage costs on gaming hardware

Steam Machine pricing and available configurations

Breaking down the hardware specifications in plain English

Why 512GB of storage may not be enough for many PC gamers

USB connectivity and expansion concerns

The realities of 4K gaming and performance expectations

Whether 8GB of VRAM is enough for modern AAA titles

Comparing the Steam Machine to current gaming consoles

Comparing the Steam Machine to similarly priced prebuilt gaming PCs

The advantages and limitations of SteamOS

Why the Steam Deck succeeded and whether the Steam Machine can do the same

The importance of value when introducing a new gaming platform

The Steam Machine is not necessarily a bad product. In many ways, it delivers exactly what Valve set out to build: a small, living-room-friendly gaming PC designed around the Steam ecosystem. The challenge is that consumers are being asked to pay a premium for that convenience at a time when alternative options often provide more performance, more storage, and greater flexibility for similar money. Whether the Steam Machine succeeds may ultimately depend less on the hardware itself and more on whether gamers believe the value proposition makes sense.

# Tek With Josh – Episode 39

## WWDC 2026 Is an S Year

Apple's WWDC 2026 keynote has come and gone, and after all the speculation and anticipation, Joshua believes this was an "S Year" for Apple. Not an S-tier year, but an "S" year in the classic Apple sense—similar to the iPhone 3GS, 4S, and 5S—focused on refinements, optimizations, and incremental improvements rather than major leaps forward.

In this episode of Tek With Josh, Joshua breaks down Apple's biggest announcements, including Siri AI, Apple Intelligence enhancements, iOS 27, macOS Golden Gate, and the latest updates to iPadOS. He discusses Apple's new AI-powered assistant capabilities, cloud-based image generation tools, performance improvements, messaging enhancements, parental controls, and the hardware requirements needed to access some of Apple's newest features.

The conversation also explores how Apple's AI strategy compares to features already available on Android and other AI platforms, concerns about device-specific feature restrictions, and whether Apple's latest announcements justify the excitement surrounding WWDC.

### Topics Covered

- Why WWDC 2026 feels like a classic Apple "S Year"

- Siri AI and Apple's new agentic AI features

- Apple Intelligence and on-device AI processing

- Hardware requirements for advanced AI features

- macOS Golden Gate overview

- iOS 27 improvements and quality-of-life updates

- Enhanced Messages functionality

- AI-powered photo editing and image generation

- Improved parental controls and child safety features

- Faster AirDrop and file transfer enhancements

- Apple's approach to cloud-based AI services

- The future of Apple's AI ecosystem

### Key Takeaway

WWDC 2026 wasn't about revolutionary hardware or groundbreaking new products. Instead, Apple focused on refining existing experiences, improving performance, and integrating AI deeper into its ecosystem. For some users, these changes will be meaningful. For others, it may feel like Apple is finally catching up to capabilities already available elsewhere.

Listen, read, and explore more at:

👉 BooksByJosh.com

🎙️ Tek With Josh — Episode 38
LG Was Weird, and I Miss Them

LG is gone from the smartphone market, but their impact is still everywhere. In this episode, I take a look back at one of the most experimental companies in mobile technology and why I think the industry lost something when they left.

From the LG Wing and modular G5 to the V series, Nexus devices, curved displays, dual-screen accessories, and features like double tap to wake, LG was constantly trying new ideas. Not every experiment worked, and some failures hurt the company in a major way, but they were willing to take risks in a way that few manufacturers are today.

I never used an LG phone as my primary device, but I spent plenty of time around them, setting them up for family members, following their releases, and watching them push boundaries while the rest of the industry played it safe. Looking back, I think many of the ideas we take for granted today owe something to companies like LG that were willing to be a little weird.

What We Talk About

Why LG’s departure from smartphones still matters

The LG Wing and one of the strangest phone designs ever released

The LG Rumor, Fusic, and other memorable feature phones

The rise of the LG G2, G3, and G4

LG’s Nexus partnership with Google

The infamous boot loop problems and class-action lawsuit

The modular LG G5 experiment

The creator-focused V series and manual video controls

Curved displays and the LG G Flex

Dual-screen phones, accessories, and other unusual ideas

Why modern smartphones feel less adventurous than they once did

Why This Stood Out

Technology often moves forward because companies are willing to take chances. LG did not always get it right, but they consistently challenged assumptions about what a phone could be. Many of their ideas failed commercially, yet several concepts they explored eventually found their way into mainstream devices.

The smartphone market today is more refined than ever, but it is also more predictable. Looking back at LG’s history is a reminder that innovation often starts with ideas that seem strange at first.

Final Thoughts

LG’s story is not just about a company that left the smartphone business. It is about a manufacturer that was willing to experiment, take risks, and occasionally fail in public. While their phones were not always the best-selling devices on the market, they helped make the industry more interesting.

Sometimes the companies that matter most are not the ones that win. They are the ones willing to try something different.

About the Show

Tek With Josh is a technology podcast that explores the devices, trends, and ideas that shaped the tech world. From modern innovations to forgotten gadgets and industry reflections, each episode takes a thoughtful look at the technology that influences our lives.

Listen, read, and explore more at:
👉 BooksByJosh.com

The PDA Era Was Weird and Amazing

When Every Phone Tried to Be Something Different

There was a point in time when buying a phone felt like stepping into a completely different ecosystem. Before smartphones became standardized around iOS and Android, the mobile industry was filled with strange ideas, competing operating systems, experimental hardware, and companies all trying to define what portable computing should look like. Phones were not just yearly upgrades back then. They each had their own personality, limitations, strengths, and workflows.

In this episode, I reflect on the PDA and early smartphone era before 2010, a period where devices like the HTC Mogul, Palm Treo, BlackBerry Curve, and HTC G1 all approached mobile technology in radically different ways. From Windows Mobile and Palm OS to BlackBerry and Symbian, every platform felt unique. Some phones focused on messaging, others on productivity, and others tried to become full portable computers before the modern smartphone formula was finalized.

I also talk about the strange features and ideas that made the era memorable: physical keyboards, sliders, trackballs, infrared transfers, removable batteries, wireless syncing, early multitasking, gesture controls, and experimental software features that often disappeared as the industry became more standardized. Looking back at these devices is a reminder that technology once felt far more unpredictable and creative than it does now.

What We Talk About

Why the iPhone 4 marked the beginning of the modern smartphone era

The differences between Palm OS, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry OS, Symbian, and early Android

HTC’s role in shaping early smartphones and Android devices

Why BlackBerry keyboards were so effective for messaging

Palm OS beam sharing and early wireless device syncing

Slider phones, flip phones, trackballs, and experimental hardware designs

Early Android manufacturer customization and unique software features

LG’s influence on features like double tap to wake and rear button layouts

Why smartphones today often feel more iterative than innovative

The shift from experimental mobile devices to standardized ecosystems

Why This Stood Out

What made the PDA era so memorable was not necessarily that the technology was better. In many ways, it was slower, less polished, and far less convenient than what we have now. But it felt exciting because companies were still experimenting. Every device tried to solve problems differently, and every operating system had its own identity and philosophy behind it.

Modern smartphones are incredibly capable, but they are also increasingly similar. During the PDA era, switching devices could completely change how you interacted with technology. That unpredictability made the industry feel creative in a way that is difficult to replicate today.

Final Thoughts

Looking back at the PDA era is more than simple nostalgia. It is a reminder of a period when technology companies were willing to take risks and build devices that felt genuinely different from one another. Many of those ideas disappeared over time, but some of the features we now take for granted started during those experimental years.

The phones may have been strange, bulky, and occasionally frustrating, but they also felt personal. And for many people who lived through that period, that is what made the era so memorable.

About the Show

Tek With Josh is a reflective technology podcast focused on tech history, creator workflows, digital culture, and the changing relationship people have with technology. The show explores both modern and nostalgic topics through personal experience, longform discussion, and thoughtful commentary.

Listen, read, and explore more at:
👉 BooksByJosh.com

Tek With Josh – Episode 36
Running a Full Tech Workflow Alone
The Reality No One Shows

Starting a podcast sounds simple until you actually try to build the process yourself. There’s this idea that all you need is a mic and a topic, and while that’s technically true, it skips over everything that happens after you hit record. The setup, the editing, the hosting, the planning, and the consistency—it all adds up quickly when there’s no one else handling pieces of it for you.

In this episode, I walk through what that process actually looks like from my side. Not just the gear, but the workflow behind running multiple podcasts, choosing topics, recording without scripts, and managing everything alone. This isn’t about having the best setup. It’s about understanding the full picture and figuring out what actually matters when you’re doing this long term.

What We Talk About

Starting a podcast with minimal gear vs full setups

My current recording setup and why it’s more than most people need

Free vs paid recording and editing software

Podcast hosting options and alternatives

How I come up with episode topics

Using AI for idea generation

Recording without scripts and working from notes

Managing multiple podcasts alone

Transcription tools and workflow

Analytics and understanding what works

Why consistency is harder than it looks

Why This Stood Out

One of the things that doesn’t get talked about enough is how much of podcasting has nothing to do with talking. The recording itself is the easiest part. Everything around it—the setup, the planning, the uploading, the tracking—that’s where most of the time goes.

There’s also this expectation that you need a polished setup from the beginning, when in reality, most people would benefit more from starting simple and learning the process first. The gear can come later. The workflow is what actually determines whether you keep going.

Running everything alone also changes how you approach it. You start thinking less about perfection and more about sustainability. What can you realistically maintain week after week without burning out? That becomes the real question over time.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, none of this matters if you don’t hit record. That’s still the hardest part. Not the gear, not the setup, not the analytics—just starting and continuing when there’s no structure forcing you to do it.

If you’re thinking about starting a podcast, you don’t need everything figured out. You just need a starting point and a willingness to build the process as you go.

About the Show

Tek With Josh is a tech podcast focused on real-world use, honest perspectives, and the role technology plays in everyday creative workflows. From hardware to software to the way it all fits together, each episode explores tech beyond the surface-level specs.

Listen, read, and explore more at:
👉 BooksByJosh.com

My Favorite HTC Phone

The Phone That Made Me Want to Tinker

There was a time when phones still felt like something you could explore. Before everything became streamlined and predictable, devices invited you to learn them, adjust them, and sometimes even break them just to see what they could really do. It wasn’t always smooth, but it was engaging in a way that modern devices rarely are.

In this episode of Tek With Josh, I revisit the HTC Mogul, also known as the Pocket PC 6800, and talk about why it remains my favorite HTC phone. Not because it was perfect, but because it represented a different kind of experience. With Windows Mobile, a slide-out keyboard, stylus input, and access to software outside of a centralized store, it felt less like a finished product and more like a tool you could shape to your needs.

What We Talk About

What PDAs and early smartphones were like before the modern era

The HTC Mogul and its place in 2007 alongside the first iPhone

Windows Mobile and the flexibility it offered

Installing apps manually and finding software through forums

Watching videos, running emulators, and expanding functionality

The importance of physical keyboards and stylus input at the time

Battery swapping and the realities of older devices

Why the device stood out compared to BlackBerry and Palm

Why This Stood Out

The HTC Mogul wasn’t just another phone I owned. It was one of the first devices that made me want to go deeper into how things worked. It gave me the ability to install software, experiment with features, and use the phone in ways that weren’t strictly intended. That sense of control and flexibility made it feel more personal.

It also came at a time when the industry was still deciding what a smartphone should be. The iPhone was introducing a new direction, but devices like this showed a different path. One that focused less on simplicity and more on capability, even if it came at the cost of ease of use.

Final Thoughts

Looking back, the HTC Mogul doesn’t hold up in any practical sense. The specs are outdated, the software is no longer supported, and most of what made it special depended on the time it came from. But that doesn’t take away from what it meant when it was new.

This was one of those devices that shaped how I interact with technology. It made me curious. It made me want to experiment. And it set the foundation for how I approached future devices, especially when Android made that kind of flexibility more mainstream.

About the Show

Tek With Josh is a podcast about consumer tech, digital life, and the devices that shape how we interact with the world around us. Some episodes focus on what’s new, while others take a step back to reflect on the technology that left a lasting impression.

Listen, read, and explore more at: 👉 BooksByJosh.com

Episode 34 — Why I Stopped Wearing My Apple Watch

When Convenience Stops Being Necessary

There was a time when the Apple Watch made perfect sense. It solved a very specific problem—letting you stay connected without constantly reaching for your phone, especially in environments where that wasn’t practical. It fit the pace of that kind of work, where quick access and subtle notifications mattered.

But over time, that need changed. Not all at once, but gradually. The situations that once made the Apple Watch useful became less common, and the reasons for wearing it started to fade. What used to feel essential slowly became something that didn’t really serve a purpose anymore.

In this episode, I talk about why I stopped wearing my Apple Watch and went back to traditional watches. Not because the technology stopped improving, but because my lifestyle no longer required what it offered—and what that shift says about how we use the tools around us.

What We Talk About

The original reason I started using smartwatches

How work environments shape the tools we rely on

Why notifications mattered more in certain roles

The shift from constant connectivity to less dependence

Why traditional watches started making more sense

The difference between a tool and a distraction

Why This Stood Out

The Apple Watch didn’t become a worse product. In many ways, it’s better than it’s ever been. But that’s not always what determines whether something belongs in your daily life.

Sometimes the value of a device isn’t about what it can do, but whether you actually need it to do those things. And when that answer changes, the device itself doesn’t need to fail—it just stops fitting.

This is where technology becomes less about capability and more about context.

Final Thoughts

The Apple Watch still does exactly what it was designed to do, and for a lot of people, it makes perfect sense. But for me, it became something I didn’t need—a device that did more than necessary for a life that had already shifted in a different direction.

And sometimes, that’s enough reason to put something down.

About the Show

Tek With Josh is a tech podcast focused on perspective, real-world use, and the ideas behind the devices we use every day. Each episode looks beyond specs and headlines to explore what technology actually means over time.

Listen & Explore More

Listen, read, and explore more at: BooksByJosh.com

Episode 33 — The Mac Pro Didn’t Die — It Just Stopped Making Sense

The Quiet Shift That Left the Mac Pro Behind

There was a time when the Mac Pro represented something more than just a desktop. It was the machine you looked at when you wanted the best Apple had to offer, even if you never planned on owning one. It stood for possibility, for expansion, for the idea that a computer could grow with you over time.

But somewhere along the way, that idea stopped fitting into Apple’s direction. Not all at once, not through a single decision, but gradually. With each new release, with each shift in performance and design philosophy, the Mac Pro became harder to justify. And when Apple finally discontinued it, it didn’t feel sudden—it felt like the final step in something that had already been happening for years.

In this episode, I take a step back and look at how that shift happened. From the early days of the Power Mac to the rise of Apple Silicon, and what the quiet end of the Mac Pro says about where computing is headed.

What We Talk About

The original purpose of the Mac Pro and why it stood out

The shift from expandable desktops to integrated systems

The impact of Apple Silicon on performance and design

How the Mac Studio reshaped Apple’s pro desktop lineup

Why the Mac Pro didn’t fail—but no longer made sense

What this change says about modern workflows and computing

Why This Stood Out

The Mac Pro didn’t go away because it was a bad machine. It went away because the idea behind it no longer aligned with how Apple builds computers today. That’s what makes this moment different.

This isn’t just about one product being discontinued. It’s about a larger shift—from machines designed to evolve over time to machines designed to be complete the moment you buy them. From expansion and flexibility to efficiency and integration.

And while that shift makes sense in a lot of ways, it also changes how we think about what a “pro” machine is supposed to be.

Final Thoughts

The Mac Pro used to represent the highest end of Apple’s lineup, but more than that, it represented a different way of thinking about computers. Bigger, more open, more adaptable.

Now, that version of computing feels like it belongs to a different era.

The Mac Pro didn’t disappear overnight. It slowly lost its place, until one day Apple made it official. And what’s left behind isn’t just a discontinued product, but the end of a mindset that defined pro computing for a long time.

About the Show

Tek With Josh is a tech podcast focused on perspective, real-world use, and the ideas behind the devices we use every day. Each episode looks beyond specs and headlines to explore what technology actually means over time.

Listen & Explore More

Listen, read, and explore more at: BooksByJosh.com