TUAW Talkcast tonight at 10 PM ET - Let's all sing The iPhone 4 Antenna Song

Say chowder frenchy.

You might consider renaming or relabeling this podcast somehow. Otherwise, someone will tune in, as I did, expecting to hear informed, well-argued "analysis" of a problem with a piece of Apple technology, given the events of the week in the topical area you purport to cover here. Something like you get, with say, the Engadget podcast.

The podcast starts off with one host's negative opinion on Apple's approach Friday to the antenna issue with the iPhone 4. (I was eager to learn about this, as I am in Europe, use the iPhone 4 in France (on Bouygues) and after years of happy use all over my apartment with the same service, same SIM in my iPhone original -- suddenly have NO signal (yes, dropped calls, yes completely dropped data and texts) and am eager to know as much as I can about what's happening and what I can do in response to Apple's handling of the situation.

In all my research, I'd discovered that the problem has been quite well documented by now. Tune into this podcast and you actually hear from purported quasi-expert hosts that the problem may be actually more of a syndrome of an easy-to-bait media and people who misunderstand their phones and what is and isn't a problem with reception.

So the thing about that opening opinion was that while negative about Apple's Friday press conference -- it was explained and founded -- and was getting moreso until it was interrupted. But anyway, next the listener expects differing opinions in disagreement with the negative one, similarly argued and explained clearly. And that together with these views, the informed reader and longtime Apple customer comes away with a better idea of how to approach his options for solving the very real problem that his brand new iPhone 4 can't behave just like his iPhone 2G did under the very same conditions.

The kind of thing you get with, say, the Engadget podcast.

But what follows is a near mockery of anything resembling a technology debate or even discussion. The host who wants to "respectfully disagree" with the original talker's point offers the incredibly specific point that sometimes a mere blog post or two can spread an unfounded criticism all across the gullible, negativity-hungry media, suggesting that this problem is an example of that. It's just embarrassing that you guys post this kind of conversation without editing out that kind of argument. I kept waiting to hear the conversation get back to something other than "gosh, people complain/don't understand/make a mountain of a molehill" -- it was incredible how long it took and how little it did even then.

It's why I say you should consider re-labeling the podcast to indicate that this is what you're going to get -- fluffy cheerleading that not only uses comedy routines in the guise of "argument." Really? Louis CK's bit on tech is how you're actually going to go about responding to the reasonable points opening the podcast? Oh, but the caller is ever-popular. I guess for saying nothing but being funny while he does. Much like that host who kept saying "Apple did the best possible thing they could possibly do." What's it like in his sanguine, sighing world where "respectfully disagreeing" with a specific set of points is to generalize about the media and people who complain about technology problems. Could he put back on a permanent cruise? I think his brain is still on that last one he took. Yikes, it makes you cringe listening to that brain try to say something.

Be warned anyone with a legitimate beef with a product they might otherwise happen to love and have high expectations for.

You'll learn little and discover that what you thought was some objective publication taking up with your favorite company and favorite tech products is nothing but a yuk-fest between minimally informed, minimally entertaining people who somehow think they have an hour's worth of opinions and information in a podcast that would be better off left.

Get thee to a month of Engadget discussions then consider redesigning how you do this thing. It's truly embarrassing for a publication that's somehow supposed to be expert about Apple. I'd read it if it was because I'm a big fan of Apple's work, obviously. (I think Jobs is a genius. I love what he's made for the world. I've spent loads of cash on his products and want them to work for me as well as they possibly can. But hey, I'm just probably trying to get the media's attention...)

Good lord, find some actual things to podcast, post haste.

Completely agree with you there

iPad users got it rough :(

That's a bit late for us "European" readers...