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08/30/2017: Texting 911 for help

Aug 30, 2017

Episodes 2181 - 2190 of 4268

  • The streaming service reports third-quarter earnings and subscriptions will be key.
    Ryan Anson/AFP/Getty Images

    It’s Netflix’s 20th birthday today. With about 100 million subscribers around the world, the streaming giant has come a long way from the days of mailing DVDs to customers. Gina Keating, author of “Netflixed: The Epic Battle for America’s Eyeballs,” joined us to talk about the company’s original business model and whether it’ll be able to compete with Disney’s new streaming service. Afterwards, we’ll talk with Greta Byrum — director of the Resilient Communities program at New America — about what happens to our communications networks during natural disasters.    

  • 08/28/2017: Why one internet service provider is not a fan of net neutrality
    Sean Gallup/Getty Images

    This Wednesday marks the end of a public comment period that allows people to tell the Federal Communications Commissions exactly how they feel about net neutrality. On today’s show, we’ll revisit our conversation with former FCC Commissioner Tom Wheeler about the current commissioner, Ajit Pai. (Hint: The relationship was dicey.) Then we’ll chat with Brett Glass, founder of the world’s first wireless internet provider, about how net neutrality could affect his business. 

  • 08/25/2017: Going to the movies just got cheaper
    George Konig/Keystone Features/Getty Images

    The app MoviePass allows subscribers to see an unlimited number of films in local theaters for just $10. But is it too good to be true? We’ll take a look at whether a business model like this is actually sustainable. Afterwards, we’ll play this week’s Silicon Tally with Leslie Miley, a tech engineering leader formerly of Slack, Twitter, Apple and Google. 

  • 08/24/2017: Befriending the person who hacked your Instagram
    Carl Court/Getty Images

    Female tech employees have been speaking out about sexual harassment, which has led to public apologies and pledges to fix things. And now, there’s actually a piece of legislation that could make a difference. California State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson has introduced a bill to tighten up the rules around sexual harassment between investors and the entrepreneurs they fund. Axios’ chief tech correspondent, Ina Fried, stopped by to explain what the measure entails. Afterwards, we’ll talk to writer Negar Mottahedeh about the connection she was able to forge with someone who hacked her Instagram.

  • 08/23/2017: The threat of killer robots
    GERARD JULIEN/AFP/Getty Images

    Elon Musk and a hundred others wrote a letter to the UN stating that it would be a colossal mistake if unregulated artificial intelligence were allowed to take the life of a human. We looked at the threats A.I. could pose to humanity on our Codebreaker podcast with Oxford professor Nick Bostrom —a conversation that we’ll revisit on today’s show. Afterwards, we’ll chat with Jalak Jobanputra, founder of Future Perfect Ventures, about the future of bitcoin and blockchain.

  • 08/22/2017: The voice of Mario looks back on his audition
    Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images for Nintendo

    Samsung is scheduled to announce a new phone this week, which is expected to have wireless charging. The process known as inductive charging isn’t new though — it’s been around for years. So, um, why isn’t everywhere? Rahul Mangharam, an associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania, explains why smartphone charging is in its awkward teen phase, and why we can expect a break out soon. Afterwards, on the heels of Mario Kart’s 25th anniversary, we’ll chat with the voice of Mario: Charles Martinet. He joined us to talk about the phrases he used to get the job and whether he actually plays Mario Kart. 

  • A view of a total solar eclipse.
    National Astronomical Observatory of Japan via Getty Images

    As you might have heard, there’s a solar eclipse happening today. But even if you’re not in the so-called path of “totality,” you can stream it on Twitter thanks to its partnership with the Weather Channel. Neil Katz, editor in chief of The Weather Company, joined us to talk about how it’s going to film the eclipse and how the company thinks about programming in the digital age. Afterwards, we’ll dive into issues with data privacy agreements. 

  •  Reporters surround white supremacist Richard Spencer during a conference.
    Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

    A wave of tech companies have condemned white supremacist organizations and websites, like the Daily Stormer. But will their online presence eventually fade away, or just find another outlet? It turns out that the Daily Stormer has moved its operations to what’s called the Dark Web. Nicolas Christin, an associate research professor at Carnegie Mellon University, joined us to discuss whether sites like these will be able to thrive on the Dark Web. Plus: We play this week’s Silicon Tally with Doree Shafrir, a senior tech writer at Buzzfeed and author of the book “Startup: A Novel.” 

  • 08/17/2017: What tech companies should do about white supremacist groups
    Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    Two of the world’s biggest tech companies, Alibaba and Tencent, are from China. With both having either recently released their quarterly earnings or preparing to, we’ll take a look at how they’re trying to expand their growth. Afterwards, we’ll chat with Rashad Robinson, executive director at Color of Change, about the action that tech groups should take when their users include white supremacist groups.

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Every weekday morning, Marketplace Tech demystifies the digital economy. The radio show and podcast explain how tech influences our lives in unexpected ways and provides context for listeners who care about the impact of tech, business and the digital world.

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