25 THINGS ABOUT - MATTHEW PATANE    

There's a new guy on the technology and innovation beat at the Des Moines Register and he says he wants to learn to code. Teaching reporters how to code most likely isn't part of Iowa's STEM plan, and Matthew Patane would know--he's covered politics too. Your news starts now:     

1. I was born in Maryland but grew up in St. Louis.
2. My parents were born and raised in New York.
3. I try and visit every year and consider it a second home.
4. I attended the University of Missouri-Columbia and studied journalism and political science as majors.
5. I also managed to take enough classes to earn a minor in philosophy.
6. In college, I spent about three years reporting on Missouri politics and elections. Things seem calmer in Iowa's statehouse.
7. I admire journalists who risk their lives to cover war zones and dangerous stories so the public can be informed of the outside world.
8. Becoming a foreign correspondent is still a dream of mine.
9. I find staying quiet and listening to others talk is one of the best ways to learn.
10. One summer during middle school I decided to go to wrestling camp.
11. I broke my arm the first day.
12. The Black Keys are my favorite band.
13. My two favorite Black Keys' albums are "Magic Potion" and "Brothers."
14. If you see me walking around or working by myself, I'll probably have headphones in.
15. Two things I still want to learn: the guitar and coding.
16. I'm a big science fiction fan and will watch, read or play almost anything in the genre.
17. My favorite books include Isaac Asimov's "Foundation" series, "I, Robot" and Richard Matheson's "I am Legend."
18. Quentin Tarantino (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Django Unchained) and Joss Whedon (Firefly, The Avengers) are two of my favorite directors.
19. I've visited England, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Russia and Turkey.
20. I don't have a favorite sport or team.
21. If asked, I'll say it's the New York Yankees. It tends to annoy die-hard St. Louis Cardinals fans.
22. I enjoy cooking.
23. I don't like clowns.
24. Chipotle and Shake Shack are two things downtown Des Moines needs, in my opinion.
25. Hand me a tasty burger and I'll consider you a friend.

Q. You're new to the beat--anything surprising to you about the Des Moines tech scene?

The most surprising thing is the number of ideas rolling around. That includes ideas for new companies and startups, new products, new ways to capture investment and new ways to grow the community and make sure it's sustainable.

Q. As far as the technology beat goes, do you and the Register have any big changes or new plans in how you will cover it?

My taking over of the beat isn't signaling a huge shift in our coverage. The Register is still dedicated to covering Iowa's (meaning not just Des Moines) technology and innovation community. That means reporting on startups, Iowa's STEM efforts, ways to attract new investment, and Iowa's larger tech companies, like Rockwell Collins.

Still, I want to put my own style into this. I want to spend more time looking at how non-tech firms are innovating, such as insurance firms and manufacturers. I also plan to work on larger stories about how policy issues (i.e. net neutrality, drone regulations, cyber-security protections, etc.) will affect Iowa's technology community.

Q. What technology can you not live without?

My smartphone. Having access to the entire Internet and vast sources of information in the palm of my hand is vital to my job. Personally, I also love that I can find out about anything on-the-go with just a few swipes and clicks.

Q. Do you use Feedly or similar aggregator? What's in your feed reader?

I don't use a specific feed reader. I'm a big fan of Google alerts to aggregate news I may have missed. I've also found using TweetDeck as a good way to keep track of multiple information sources all at once.

Q. Do you have a brush with greatness you can share with us?

I've never had a "brush with greatness," but fortunately my job allows me to meet and see interesting people almost every day. A few weeks ago, for instance, I got to see President Obama speak in person while he was in Cedar Falls.

Q. Extra credit: Imo's or Shakespeare's?

Shakespeare's. Hands down.