Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 29

In this week’s Summer Special episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Brian McKenna, Caroline Donnelly and Clare McDonald look back on some of their favourite podcasts from 2019 so far, and offer some recommended summer reading and listening in the lead-up to the trip season.

• Clare reminisces about the invention of Dr Dolphin in podcast 24, a TV show based on real-life CTO Ricky Dolphin, a man with a penchant to use technology for use-cases other than it was invented for.
• Caroline fills Clare in on previous discussions about the use of technology in TV show Line of Duty, and the team talk about their coverage of technology used in various TV shows. Pondering whether there should be a series of podcasts dedicated to tech on telly, the team mull over possible opportunities for future episodes, with Love Island and The Circle as possible candidates.
• Some of Brian’s favourite podcasts include those featuring Cliff Saran’s wide knowledge of technological milestones, including 30 years of the web, and 50 years since man landed on the Moon.
• The team recommend summer reading – Brian recommends Clear, bright future: a radical defence of the human being by former Computer Weekly journalist Paul Mason, a non-fiction piece looking into the role of humans in an increasingly digital world. Clare recommends a series of children’s books by author and illustrator Kate Pankhurst which talk about amazing women throughout history, and Caroline recommends some comedy podcasts for those more keen on listening, including Do The Right Thing, and the Richard Herring Leicester Square Theatre Podcasts.
• Among various upcoming trips, Clare talks about the Computer Weekly and Mortimer Spinks diversity and inclusion in technology event, which will cover the topic of embracing inclusion to make the technology sector the best place to work.