e559 – Welcome to the Matrix
Michael R and Andy have a different format of discussion this time around, and it counts as a "geek out"! A catch up on Andy's current work project, homelabbing, games of interest, and more.
hoto by Francis Painchaud on Unsplash
Published 29 June 2026
e559 with Michael R and Andy – it’s a catch-up and geek out on things we’ve been doing, games we’ve been playing, and topics we’ve been thinking about… including Apple history, Retro Computing, and self-hosting services.
A slightly different show format this week, as Michael R and Andy decide not to cover the weekly news stories and links… and instead catch up with one another, across a range of topics.
Michael has backed a new Kickstarter, for a podcast talking about Apple’s background and history in California. Andy talks about his recent visit to the Retro Computer Museum in Leicester, UK.
Then, there’s a discussion of Andy’s latest work project, a new role at the Matrix.org Foundation. There’s a dive into what the Matrix protocol is and how it is used; Michael is considering whether it might be worth trying as an alternative to existing tools for our podcast workflow.
They also stop to discuss Markdown; Michael traces it back to Waterloo Script on IBM 3081 and WordPerfect’s Reveal Codes. Andy brings up Google Cloud’s “Open Knowledge Format” (essentially Markdown + YAML front matter) as an AI-readable standard.
The gaming section covers Michael ordering the D&D-themed Demeo game. Andy has neglected his Meta headset for six months but has been hooked on Forza Horizon 6.
Finally Michael wants a single “home page” for all of his communities (Slack, Discord, RSS, forums). Andy uses Glance on his homelab for a dashboard, with Uptime Kuma monitoring the show’s infrastructure.
Thanks for joining our one-to-one this week! Let us know what you thought!
Selected links
- Matrix Overview
- Continuwuity (a Matrix homeserver)
- Google Open Knowledge Format
- Forza Horizon 6 – get a DeLorean
- Glance app
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:40 — 12.8MB) | Embed
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