One of the world’s most-wanted hackers, a Russian man named Pyotr Levashov, was arrested by authorities in Barcelona, Spain. He’s now been implicated in Russia’s interference with the U.S. presidential election. Dustin Voltz of Reuters joins us to give more background about Levashov and how he got brought in. Afterwards, we’ll look at the social contracts that exist between consumers and big tech companies, and then look at Minecraft’s decision to launch its own marketplace: a place where users can buy and sell in-game creations.

Amid Silicon Valley’s rising rent prices, a company called Zapier is offering residents a $10,000 incentive to get out. CEO Wade Foster joined us to talk about how effective Zapier’s experiment has been in recruiting new hires. Afterwards, we’ll explore the English-speaking bias of voice-controlled software, like Siri, with Backchannel’s Sonia Paul. 

Why Microsoft is discouraging the use of emulators, which allow their video game consoles and computers to behave like older versions of themselves and in a sense, preserve video and computer game history. And, on Silicon Tally, Ben tries to stump Brian X. Chen, lead consumer technology writer for the New York Times.

Facebook launched a new initiative to crack down on revenge porn with more manpower and new photo-matching technology. Carrie Goldberg, a lawyer who represents revenge porn victims and serves on the board of the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, stops by to discuss the implications of Facebook’s new measures. Plus, a look at YouTube’s new television venture and the hunt for Russia’s most notorious hacker. 

State pension funds are struggling to deliver the goods right now, leading some pension fund managers to invest in startups. Venture Capitalist Paul Kedrosky stops by to discuss if the risk is worth it and whether the tech world will benefit. Next, we’ll talk about Verizon’s plans for its Yahoo-AOL merger, “Oath,” and then look at a new robot food delivery program from Starship Technologies.

A diverse group of players, including Facebook and the Ford Foundation, are starting a $14 million fund to advance news literacy. Professor Jeff Jarvis of the City University of New York, the institution administering the fund, stopped by to discuss how this plan is different from other initiatives and what will happen if it affects these companies’ bottom lines. Afterwards, we’ll chat with wellness guru Dave Asprey about his unconventional dieting suggestions, which aim to help people increase their “brainpower.” 

With the rise of virtual reality, what will the movie-going experience be like in the future? Ted Schilowitz, a “futurist” for 20th Century Fox, stopped by to discuss how there will be an emphasis on the sensation of being physically transported and “choose your own adventure” stories. Afterwards, we’ll look at how museums around the world are also experimenting with virtual reality. The New Museum in New York City is encouraging artists to use VR as a medium for their art. 

“Firm inequality” describes the phenomenon where workers across firms earn vastly different amounts in earnings. Stanford economist Nicholas Bloom joins us to discuss why he thinks tech companies epitomize the pay divide. Afterwards, we’ll play this week’s “Silicon Tally” with Daniela Galarza, a senior editor at Eater.

Samsung has released its latest flagship devices, the Samsung S8 and S8 Plus, and unveiled its artificial intelligence assistant Bixby. Following Samsung’s series of scandals in the past year, we’ll look at what shape the company’s in. Afterwards, we’ll explore the AARP’s use of seminars to educate older generations on how to use smartphones.