S3 // Ep 13 // "...Like my Subs: Part 2!..."

Ready to take your YouTube viewing to the next level? We've sorted through the digital haystack to bring you our favorite channels, promising to add some spark to your subscriptions! We kick it off with the beloved 18-year-old channel Ashens, which is Stuart Ashen's hilarious mix of Poundland reviews, gaming and tat analysis.

We also highlight the audacious antics of three Australian dudes on How Ridiculous, and have a treat for all coffee aficionado - Mr. James Hoffman's channel, a haven of coffee machine reviews and brewing tips.

Strap in as we continue our journey through YouTube's finest, tipping our hats to the massively popular Mr Beast, lauded for his zany videos and benevolent charity contributions, then Mr Mobile, the go-to guru for all the latest on mobile devices. Behold, gamers! We've got Nerd Cubed on our list, a paradise of playthroughs and game-testing. Love luxury travel and Star Trek? Trek Trendy and Trek Culture respectively, have got you covered. Take our guided tour of these diverse channels and who knows, you might stumble upon your new YouTube obsession!

@Ashens

 @howridiculous

 @jameshoffmann

 @TheMrMobile

 @JustinHawkinsRidesAgain

 @MrBeast

 @NerdCubed

 @TomScott

 @Trektrendy

 @TrekCulture  

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Transcript

Stephen: 0:00

Hello, welcome to StevenSpeak, welcome to this episode where I'll be continuing a list of a countdown of my YouTube subscriptions that I really, really love and watch regularly, yeah, so stay tuned for that. Welcome to StevenSpeak, the podcast, unscripted, on everything and nothing.

Stephen: 0:38

Hello, welcome to the episode. Yeah, as I say, continuation of a countdown of my favorite YouTube subscriptions from content creators that produce really good content, interesting content, and some of the content creators are just stuff that you know you can really just sit back and enjoy and take your brain out for a little bit, which is something we all need to do sometimes. So, yeah, so in the previous episode I went through quite a diverse list really, but I realized how much YouTube I actually watch, which is quite scary really. I probably really need to maybe go to the gym and watch some while I'm at the gym. That might be really helpful, rather than sat in the setting and watching it. But anyway, that's something for my own personal development, but yeah.

Stephen: 1:29

So next on the list, I got a list of 20. I started doing it. I thought I was going to do a countdown of 10. And then, when I actually started going through my subscription list of the things I actually like and probably want to tell people about and actually the ones I watch regularly, I thought you know what this is. At least 20 long now, and I probably could have added a couple more to this, if I'm honest with you, but these are probably the ones that are in my constant cycle. Some of my watch like daily or every other day when they release content. I'll actually watch videos as soon as they're released. Other times I'll dip in and out of them and then binge some, and generally this is the list of my countdown, so no particular order, same as the last list, it was just how I came across them in my list and through my brain.

Stephen: 2:15

So the first one is a YouTube channel I've been watching for a long, long time and it's a program called, a channel called Ashen's, and he's also got another channel called Extra Ashen's. But Stuart Ashen runs this YouTube channel and it's been going for 18 years now, I believe, so like he's been going a long time. Basically all it is is him normally don't normally see his face, generally it's just facing a brown couch and he reviews stuff. So Tati's bought off the internet. Tati's bought from like Poundland, which is like the same as Doll Store, really from America, and he just reviews stuff, really goes through it all to see how good it is, is it worth the value. He's quite a witty, funny guy as well, so that helps Quite sarcastic, which I really relate to, and it's just like an interesting channel.

Stephen: 3:11

He does some gaming stuff as well, which, if anyone's into like retro gaming he's got quite a few videos about retro gaming. He's written a couple of books about retro gaming terrible I don't think they'll call terrible old games. You've probably never heard of Brilliant, just literally going through games that are awful and shouldn't play, which is a hilarious idea. Yeah, and he's done a couple of films as well. So he's Ashens and the question of the game child, but Polybius Heist, and he's released a new one which, off the top of my head, I've completely forgot the name of, but if I remember I'll put the link in the description which is, I think, currently going on Kickstarter, which is going to be more of a horror genre for him, about the legend of Black Shook in the Norfolk area, which is interesting. I kind of like the concept, and his other two films are very, very good as well. So if you like kind of geeky comedy, I don't know, I hasten to say like carry on film. It's not really carry on film, it's just like just a very like satirish kind of sarcastic comedy film, I would say, and they're just, they're just funny, they're just funny. Probably not doing them justice the way I'm describing them, to be honest. So yeah, stuart Ashen, I'll pull the links to all the channels in the description.

Stephen: 4:29

And the next one is how ridiculous. You've probably heard of these guys. These are three Australian lads Brett, derek and Scott and they just basically have fun, like all their videos just mad Loud in your face and they just try and do ridiculous things. So they kind of starting off, I think, throwing like balls or frisbees off a Balcony, trying to get score crazy shots, and they still kind of do that now. So basically they throw stuff off this like massive tower somewhere in the middle of nowhere in Australia. Just see what it's gonna do, see if they can, like drop a heavyweight through something. So there's a lot of destruction on that channel, to be fair, and they go to this, I think, since Switzerland. They go to this like big, massive dam in Switzerland and they throw stuff off it and they play games and they try and score points on each other and sounds. It sounds terrible, but it's just fun. Again, it's one of them channels you can take your brain out and just watch if what it is, and good fun, how ridiculous and it is.

Stephen: 5:26

And this one is some I've discovered for my from my love of coffee, and it's a mr James Hoffman and he's basically coffee connoisseurs written some books which are on my wish list and I need to buy them I don't think good coffee table books, I would say and he just basically reviews coffee machines. He basically gives you ideas on how to brew coffee, tells you how to do it, tells you the most economical way. If you don't, I spend a fortune on stuff. And we also reviews like everyday stuff as well as high-end stuff. So you know, depending on what your budget is, he's, he's probably got you covered. And again, he's, he's. He's a really good host and it's kind of presented in kind of an almost like cooking shows style. He's behind a counter and he's shown you stuff and Such things and he's brewing stuff and it'll taste things as well. So one day that he tasted all these creamers, just see what they were like. But yeah, he's an expert in his field and he knows his stuff and he is also very good host and he's also a bit sarcastic and you, as you know, has a good sense of humor. So highly recommend James Hoffman.

Stephen: 6:35

And now the next person on the list is Justin Hawkins rides again, which, from the name is Justin Hawkins from the darkness fame and he basically chats about music, rates. Music talks about people's performances Good or bad, kind of like takes people's comments on from the chat. So if he puts a video, someone says all that, you want to go look at this. He'll will. He looks at new music and and why. I've just go from from that. Obviously new music, good musician, but you really you really appreciate like his musical knowledge, like his it's theoretical musical knowledge. So you'll start looking at songs never heard before. He's like reviewing it, and then he'll pick it up and he'll stop playing a bit of it and he'll go yeah, that's in the key of such and such, it's using pentatonics and Incredible. He does also videos where he looks at his own comments and looks at people basically taking the piss out of him and she's quite funny as well Looks at his own performances and and explains things about his own life and yeah.

Stephen: 7:34

He just comes across as a really nice guy, which I always thought he was. He's very open and honest and I Think he can be critical of people's music because he's a musician. So if you're an expert in something, you probably can have an opinion. Be honest. Yeah, so go check it out. Just in Hawkins rides again. And the next one in the list is probably one that everyone's heard of and it's mr Beast. So he had to make the list.

Stephen: 7:58

I was very dubious when I Kind of started what or watched a mr Beast video to see what it was all about. So I'm still the hype and all the views he gets and some of the stuff he does, having watched them and seen him being interviewed, like he seems like a genuine person, seems like a genuine guy and and yeah, I was I was quite impressed with him, if I'm honest with you. And yeah, his videos are just outrageously over the top. He has insane downloads and view what figures. Yeah, he's, he's a bit of a force of nature on YouTube and but he's just nice guy and he gives a lot of money away. So he'll, he'll, he'll do challenges where people have to stay in a circle for as long as they can. If they do, they win like a hundred thousand pounds or thousand dollars, as it is, and and all the such things like that. And he was just going to a supermarket and buy a whole supermarket and donate the whole thing to charity and Like ship it out and help local areas and he's done so much for charity. So, and even though his views when I first started watching some of his videos, they are very well like Filmed and set up and they just they just get to the point. There's no long set up, it basically does what it says on the tin and it's that kind of yeah, kind of like how ridiculous it's in your face gets the job done. And I can see why he has so many followers and so many subscriptions and so Made so much money from it. Basically, but from what? If truth be told, apparently he doesn't really take a lot of the money. He invests it all back in. So fair play to him, takes what he needs to live and then carries on. But yeah, he, mr Beast, if you haven't heard of him, where have you been? But yeah, I believe his real name is James Donaldson as well. I don't know, that's true, I just had to quit Google, as I had. I realized that never really people call him Jimmy, but I didn't think it was called James, which you know you don't make that lips leaps sometimes. Well, I don't anyway. Anyway, mr Beast, go check him out. I've had to them millions and billions of views.

Stephen: 10:03

Another one I Will not miss a video off. To be honest, this, this is one of the channels where I it's a must, it is a must see Soon as they drop one of their channel videos. I've got the alerts turned on and it's me, me only putting either the watch later or it's like I'm downloading that, or, yes, I have YouTube premium, don't moon and I'm downloading it, or I'll literally watch it straight away, so as soon as it comes up. And that's a guy called mr Mobile Michael Fisher, and he, his videos are about mobile devices, including laptops and a new mobile tech really, but primarily focused on mobile phones and tablets really, and and he for me, is one of the best tech he's up there with. I can't think of the other guy that I watch who just missed out on this list. If I'm honest with you, is his name Marcus and he has like a car channel stuff now.

Stephen: 11:02

But mr Mobile folks is on mobile devices and I chose Mr Mobile over the other channels I Watch is because he's the I feel like he's the most impartial and he had. You can tell he's got a passion for Especially folding devices and devices that push the boundaries and push the envelope of like design. It does a brilliant series. If you do go and check out his channel, he does a brilliant series called when phones were fun, and it just basically says but you know that the time is like back in the early 2000s where we had weird shaped phones or phones that did different things. Phone, that's phones that twisted, phones that could play games, phones that were consoles, phones that you held with to take a call. So, yeah, he's just a really, really good channel, very, very, very nicely made videos and Doesn't give, like the manufacturers, any input into the videos he produces, like he produces some, sends them out there. They have no like checking procedure and stuff which is really cool, yeah, and Even, even is. Even his ads in his videos go fly by because he doesn't really label a point which is which is really cool. So yeah, mr Mobile on YouTube, go check him out. I don't think you'd be disappointed with that one, I think. I think that's a. That's a good show, I think, for general people that you know Just want to know what the new Google phones like or what the actual Apple phones like, or how it compares to the previous models, or how the three new phones are going out, compare with each other. I Need to quite impartial as well, even though I think he has the side of Android, and the next one is another one that Another YouTube channel that I really like.

Stephen: 12:39

He's funny Bit of a ratic, just says what he feels, and just a clever guy and has built this channel up and you know what you get from him. That's a nerd cubed, works a lot with actions. Sometimes Different things was in the actions films, but Daniel Hardcastle of nerd cubed great guy Well, I never met him, but he was across the creek high and, yeah, just his videos are just really About gaming. He knows what he knows as well. Like you know he's he's quite a, a knowledgeable person and and is he's one of the people that I think. If he recommends a game, I would like it and it would be a. It wouldn't be Just a flippant recommendation, it would be something that he would recommend because he thinks the general populace would like it. Yeah, this video is a fun.

Stephen: 13:33

He doesn't take himself too seriously. He does various types of videos, playthroughs. He does it does not should say does does game in primarily. He does do the odd review of like collectibles and stuff, but primarily it's gaming. And he does playthroughs, testing games, looking at the first, looks at games, but he also like sees to not say and break them, but he messes around in games to see what he can do. So you get these like construction games, like he challenges himself to back to build like weird vehicles and stuff, and it's. It's just funny. He is brain and Almost works like mine in some ways. When I think what he's doing, I think I watch videos and think I would be doing the exact same thing. That's hilarious.

Stephen: 14:14

So, yeah, so nerd cubed. He has a couple of channels, um, but nerd cubed is that is the main one, so I'm sure you'll you can find links to the other ones. And the next one is Trek trendy and I believe this guy's called will Davis and and this guy's just it's basically a travel travel YouTube channel. So but it's more about the get in there rather than the destination. So this guy basically takes like luxury trains, luxury planes, luxury Cruises and basically reviews them, says whether they're worth the money. Again, very well put together videos. It shows you everything you probably need to know about a journey and tells you how much they are. I'll give you some tips about how to get them cheaper if you can.

Stephen: 14:59

But yeah, he's, his videos are like traveling first class in planes, traveling first class on trains, doing sleeper journeys, yeah, and recently doing what he's been doing a lot of cruise videos as well is his girlfriend and I think it's his girlfriend and his wife has been. It has been quite a few of the videos, yeah, and he's just. He just seems like a genuinely nice guy. He likes his NASA jumpers and his, his Tim's, as he calls them, his Timbalands, and it's kind of a theme through his videos where he takes the Tim's off, always asked to have his NASA represent Representing somewhere on his on his clothing normally. But yeah, go and go and check him out. It's a Trek trendy and yeah, if you like, if you want a bit of an insight what it'd be like to travel first class somewhere, go and have a look because it is insane. It is some of the, some of the journeys is done are insane and even I think even if I was a millionaire, I feel like I still wouldn't do some of the journeys because they cost a ridiculous amount of money for one trip Mental. That's without the hotel room, but she's literally just the journey together.

Stephen: 15:58

Um, okay, another one that I really like, and again, this is another channel that if they put a video up, it's straight in the watch later, pile or I'm gonna go watch it straight away and that's Tom Scott and Tom Scott's been doing. He's Been doing insane things on YouTube for years. I only discovered him probably about two, three years ago, but he's pretty much been releasing videos non-stop for years, like well over ten years and it's got some sort of record and it's got to be like a difficult Job to do that. Like you release content that frequently, it's pretty insane. So I can't believe it's like one video a week or one video every two weeks or something, but he's been doing that for a set, for a set time Without fail, pretty much. And yeah, it's, it's, it's quite crazy. So his videos are basically just really interesting short videos about a subject, like they're just yeah, they're just about, I don't know Watch.

Stephen: 17:01

Recently I'm having a mental blank, so he went to one once and it was about these, this little monorail system to get to people's houses, like basically personal monorail systems. I can't remember what country it was in now I want to say New Zealand, but I don't know if it was and then he's done them about. He's done about the railway, like this old system to check if rocks will fall down a Rocks will falling off the hill, so rock fall and stuff onto the railway and it's like it's old wire system that alerts the signals to rock falls on the line in Scotland. But he doesn't about everything. He's done them about the way they send, you know them, air, the air powered tubes through and you put you put your information a little tube and it fires through a tube system. It's all air powered. He did did that about a hospital in America that still uses that to get stuff between Bits of bits of the hospital.

Stephen: 17:56

Fast it was, it was crazy and some of the things that I really unbelievable, like you just think god known would see that and you really wonder how he comes up with Like the contacts and the research and stuff to constantly like go to these places and it's all over the world. He'll go all over the world, america, like all over Europe. You know he's, he's, he's a traveler and he gets his content out there and it's good content and it's only short normally but it's like really factual and a lot of time, a bit mind-blowing. If my sweet it says Tom Scott is a, is a definite thumbs up to to watch if you like facts and and Like to learn a bit of things. Really, I've never done justice there with some of the stuff. It sounds weird but honestly, go and look at some of the videos and you'll. You'll see where I'm coming from.

Stephen: 18:42

And Last but not least, is another one with trek in the name. It's trek culture, which I think it's part of the what culture Blant brand. I'm presuming just by the name. But yeah, trek culture is a YouTube channel. Basically, they put our content about Star Trek so they review episodes. You know synopsis of episodes, synopses, synopsis, and insert correct word here. And yeah, they just Did you countdowns like the top 10 episodes with a character. You know top 10 episodes that featured such and such Top 10 episodes of a series.

Stephen: 19:18

You know all these different things and, basically, if you're a Star Trek fan and you might learn some stuff, to be fair, might, might teach you how much of a Star Trek fan you are. Um, generally I would say that I'm like oh yeah, I kind of knew that. Oh yeah, I did spot that. But sometimes I'm like whoa, that's mind-blowing and you have to have a bit of a Google do it Just to just to make sure it's correct.

Stephen: 19:39

But generally, like um, you learn stuff on that channel. So if you're into Star Trek, it's a bit of a more specific oneness. But if you're into Star Trek, definitely get onto Trek culture. The content's really good. Countdowns they don't really mess around with the countdowns. Sometimes channels faff around a bit, but they pretty much get into the crux of it and bang them out there. So, yeah, so that's my other the other 10 off the list there. So a bit of a very run bit of music, a bit of fun, a bit of nerdy stuff, a bit of facts and facts and that and a bit of channels that will teach you some stuff about the general interest, really if you've got an interest in coffee or like well, technology and stuff.

Stephen: 20:22

But yeah they're the things that keep me interested and they're the things I watch. So I'll try and put as many links in the description as I possibly can so you can go and click and check them out. But a quick Google of any of them I'm sure they're all really really popular channels, so if you've not already heard of them, a quick Google will probably get you the link reasonably quick. Thank you very much for listening. I would like to end on the fact that last week I used an AI thing to sort out the old transcript and such things. I thought I'd try it out.

Stephen: 20:57

My web host has added this feature. So let me know you thought of the description of the episode, because it was all pretty much AI generated. It was same with the title and we'll see what this one generates as well. So just let me know, send me a message and the same as always, like, share, subscribe. If you have a subscription service, you can throw me a couple of quid to support me. Link in the description as well and check out my website and these updates. And again, honey, I haven't been on there for a while, unfortunately been super busy. I'm going to get out of the blog soon. I think I need to need to kick myself up the arse of it, but until the next episode, take care of yourselves, cherry Springer style, and I'll speak to you all soon. Bye.