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                    LittleBITS: Rebooting Our VidBITS Column

   Adam Engst

   It's time to try something different. I'm frequently introduced to apps
   that I think TidBITS readers would like to learn about. If the app
   solves a problem I have or offers a new approach to an aspect of my
   digital life, it's easy for me to dive in, explore the possibilities,
   and write an article.

   However, with some legitimately interesting apps, I can't figure out
   how I'd use them in any real way. Perhaps the app scratches an itch I
   don't have or would force me to upend key parts of my carefully
   constructed workflow. Whatever the reason, I can't muster the
   enthusiasm to devote the time required to evaluate and explain the app.
   But neither do I want to ignore it!

   So here's my latest experiment'a reboot of our VidBITS column, where
   I'll invite a developer to demo their app to me. The result will be a
   conversation, not a scripted presentation. As the developer
   demonstrates what their app can do, I'll ask questions to clarify'for
   both myself and viewers'the app's concept, goals, intended audience,
   and basic usage. I have neither the desire nor the personality to be
   obnoxious about limitations in the app or how it stacks up to the
   competition, but I may tread into uncomfortable territory in my effort
   to wrap my head around it.

   I anticipate the discussions will be much like those I had with
   exhibitors at the much-lamented Macworld Expo, when I was trying to
   determine whether the app in question was sufficiently interesting to
   cover in TidBITS. However, those interactions were always short'there
   were hundreds of other booths to visit'whereas I have no preconceived
   notion about how long these VidBITS will be. They'll be long enough to
   cover the topic, and if you only want to watch the first 10 minutes or
   skip around, I'm not offended.

   This experiment also gives me the opportunity to explore new software:
   in this case, an online recording and editing studio called
   [1]Riverside. I chose it over the more familiar Zoom and other
   videoconferencing systems because Riverside records audio and video
   locally for each person and uploads those full-quality tracks
   separately to the cloud-based system. This multi-track approach makes
   it easy to change screen layouts and yields a higher-quality result
   than a system that merely records what one person sees. Riverside also
   provides tools to improve audio by reducing background noise and
   removing filler words and pauses, either by briefly muting the
   offending audio or by cutting it entirely'adjusting all tracks
   simultaneously to keep everything in sync. The downside of the cuts is
   a very slight jump in the video, but overall, I think the improved
   audio is worth the trade-off.

   Although Riverside handles the heavy lifting, I have only the most
   basic audio and video editing skills and spend little time watching
   online videos. The result will be informal and conversational rather
   than slickly produced, so please let me know how I could improve these
   recordings, hopefully in relatively simple ways. I don't want to spend
   more time than necessary editing these presentations.

   So take a look at '[2]VidBITS: A Hookmark Walkthrough with Luc
   Beaudoin,' (18 February 2026) and let me know what you think of the
   approach in the comments here'please leave comments about Hookmark
   itself on that article.

References

   1. https://riverside.com/
   2. https://tidbits.com/?p=73308

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