While we didn't go with a clip-show, on this weeks Grepcast we talk about all of our favorite topics : Amazon, Slack, and even introspection! Links and Extra Reading The making of Amazon Prime, the internet’s most successful and devastating membership program The productivity pit: how Slack is ruining work Five Hidden Cognitive Biases That Keep Us From Our Best Creative Work Man accidentally swallows an Apple AirPod… and it STILL WORKS after it passes through his system...
May 13, 2019•42 min•Season 1Ep. 38
This week on the Grepcast, we spend some time talking about the latest issues with entry-systems and IoT. From there we look into China's unicorn/bicycle issues, and then we look to GoDaddy for our good news of the week. Links and Extra Reading America’s Favorite Door-Locking App Has a Data Privacy Problem How China’s ‘Unicorns’ Shook a Bicycle Town GoDaddy takes down 15,000 subdomains used for online scams HACKER LEXICON: WHAT IS CREDENTIAL STUFFING?...
May 06, 2019•43 min•Season 1Ep. 37
Our condolences to our fintech bros - Patagonia will no longer sell you the mythical power vest. After we deliver that totally sincere eulogy, we move on to discussing the normalization of facial recognition and why we decided that robots want to kill us. Links and Extra Reading Patagonia Is Refusing To Sell Its Iconic Power Vests To Some Financial Firms Twitter : @internetofshit JetBlue Experiments With Using Your Face As A Boarding Pass Twitter : @LeftAtLondon WHY WE'VE DECIDED THAT THE MACHIN...
Apr 29, 2019•35 min•Season 1Ep. 36
So it turns out, Alexa has been recording and transcribing everything you say? Oops. Oh, femtech is also creepily invasive? Double oops. But at least Instagram is our ray of sunshine this week... Links and Extra Reading Amazon workers reportedly get to hear some of what you tell Alexa, and they have a chat room to talk about 'amusing' recordings There's a simple way to make sure Amazon workers can't listen to what you say to Alexa — here's how to do it There’s a dark side to women’s health apps:...
Apr 21, 2019•42 min•Season 1Ep. 35
Kicking off the episode today, Kelly shines a light on Australia's super secret hacker division, and then Mike fills us in on the Boeing 737Max disasters - and where the problems really stem from. Then - Meet Q - the worlds first genderless AI voice. Links and Extra Reading Australia Shares Secrets of Its Offensive Cyberwar Against ISIS to Entice New Hacker Troops Twitter : BEST analysis of what really is happening on the #Boeing737Max issue from my brother in law @davekammeyer Doomed Boeing Jet...
Apr 10, 2019•41 min•Season 1Ep. 34
We dig into all the latest announcements from Apple - from News, all the way to credit cards? From there Mike gives us the rundown of Asus' no good week, and then Kelly invites us all into the rabbit hole. Links and Extra Reading Apple Doubles Down On Services As iPhone Slips The Apple Card Is Great at Privacy but Mediocre Overall 1M Asus PCs Compromised Through Vendor's Own Updates: Kaspersky Our Software Is Biased Like We Are. Can New Laws Change That? Who Made That Decision: You or an Algorit...
Mar 31, 2019•43 min•Season 1Ep. 33
We're back! We took a week off to recharge our batteries, so we're bringing you the latest in social media snooping, dunkin' on Self-Checkout, and then lambasting Tufts on shoddy investigations. Links and Extra Reading On Disability and on Facebook? Uncle Sam Wants to Watch What You Post Why Self-Checkout Is and Has Always Been the Worst Tufts expelled a student for grade hacking. She claims innocence...
Mar 25, 2019•48 min•Season 1Ep. 32
Amherst College had a rough week, to say the least. But before we dive into the good and bad of their (total) internet outages, we chat about decarbonization, Lime scooters being the worst, and weirdly - Nike's being bricked. Links and Extra Reading How to decarbonize America — and the world Lime Scooter Software Glitch Causes Random Braking, Dozens Of Rider Injuries A POPULAR ELECTRIC SCOOTER CAN BE HACKED TO SPEED UP OR STOP Nike's Android app doesn't run well with its Adapt BB self-tying shoe...
Mar 03, 2019•39 min•Season 1Ep. 31
5G is coming! Unless you live in a house or use your phone around any type of wall, that is. After Mike fills us in on the 5G dilemma, we chat about smart thermometers, more Bandersnatch discourse, and then Dark Pattern. Links and Extra Reading 5G Will Hit A Wall, Literally, In 2019 They’ve Taken America’s Temperature — and It’s Running High The One Choice You Weren't Given In Black Mirror: Bandersnatch Designing Welcome Mats to Invite User Privacy Dark Patterns : HALL OF SHAME https://twitter.c...
Feb 24, 2019•39 min•Season 1Ep. 30
We kick off this weeks episode with a listener question, that then allows us to touch on the latest Bezos-drama. From there, Kelly tells us about how your social media game can influence your life insurance policies. Then we talk about ways to improve your personal cybersecurity in 2019. Links and Extra Reading It looks like the National Enquirer is using Amazon's cloud to host its website New York insurers can evaluate your social media use if they can prove why its needed Tesla's fart mode is ...
Feb 18, 2019•45 min•Season 1Ep. 29
Sure, here at the Grepcast try to ensure we make a pun-free cast for you, but on this week's mini-cast we were unable to do so! With Mike away at ISE 2019, Kelly and Adam join the Fyre festival discourse and what it means in the social media landscapes. Links and Extra Reading HULU’S “FYRE FRAUD” VS. NETFLIX’S “FYRE”: A SCORECARD Lessons Learned From Fyre Festival’s Mishandling of Influencer Marketing Where Does Salt Come From? — How to Make It...
Feb 11, 2019•33 min•Season 1Ep. 28
Blueprints for personal smart home security, merit badges for cybersecurity, and not beating up robots! We cover all of the bases on this weeks Grepcast. Find something interesting that you think we should cover? Email us over at grepcast@tsp.me! Links and Extra Reading Security Things to Consider When Your Apartment Goes ‘Smart’ A common smartphone app helped find missing woman HP Enterprise debuts game teaching Girls Scouts about cybersecurity Phishing Scheme Targets Professors’ Desire to Plea...
Feb 03, 2019•47 min•Season 1Ep. 27
Kicking off the episode today, Adam tells us about how someone gave hackers access to THE ENTIRE Chilean ATM network. From there, we talk about Hitmen, Robot Porters, and then ultimately - can we say "no" to the Smart Home future? Links and Extra Reading Employee Falls for Fake Job Interview Over Skype, Gives North Korean Hackers Access to Chile's ATM Network: Report This Runner Is a Hitman. His GPS Watch Tied Him to a Mob Boss Murder Robots Ruin Robot Hotel Lesley Carhart Twitter...
Jan 28, 2019•37 min•Season 1Ep. 26
We never thought we'd get another chance to yell about Bird scooters, but here we are! Before we discuss the values of being a good Virtual Worker; Adam talks Bandersnatch drama, Kelly dunks on Bird, and Mike makes us all want a new TV. Again. Links and Extra Reading Netflix sued by Choose Your Own Adventure publishers over Black Mirror: Bandersnatch Scooter startup Bird tried to silence a journalist. It did not go well. This Really Is the Next Revolution in TV Technology The Virtual Work Skills...
Jan 20, 2019•46 min•Season 1Ep. 25
Before we dive into the current State of Apple, Adam reminds us that the Town in Footloose was the bad guys, Kelly talks about ignoring ads, and Mike touches on the precursors to all small tech - Mighty Mouse. Links and Extra Reading It Doesn't Matter That There's a Video of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Dancing in College Banner Blindness Revisited: Users Dodge Ads on Mobile and Desktop Five big questions about Apple putting iTunes on Samsung TVs Mighty mouse Hey Apple, what happens on iPhones doesn...
Jan 13, 2019•40 min•Season 1Ep. 24
Welcome to 2019, you finally made it to the future! Starting off the year right, Adam talks to us about the cash-less futures, Kelly touches on the growing role of DNA testing customer support, and Mike lets us know that Guardzilla is the worst. Also, spoiler alert, the Internet is fake? Links and Extra Reading The Problem with Cashless Restaurants Surprise DNA Results Are Turning Customer-Service Reps Into Therapists Security flaws let anyone snoop on Guardzilla smart camera video recordings Ho...
Jan 06, 2019•39 min•Season 1Ep. 23
This is it! We close out 2018 by chatting about Google wardrobe options, the rise of Influencer advertising, and Alexa ruining Christmas. From there, we look to 2019 with our favorite in tech predictions. Links and Extra Reading : GOOGLE Internal Google Docs Warn Not to Gift Contractors Shirts in Case They Start Thinking They're Employees How the Rise of Influencers Like Lilly Singh and Andrew Bachelor Have Disrupted Advertising Alexa Crapped Out on Christmas 31 Tech Predictions for 2019...
Dec 30, 2018•40 min•Season 1Ep. 22
This week we look back at the latest in Taylor Swift tech-drama, the superstar cities of America, and the best and worst in technology that 2018 had to bring. Links and Extra Reading Taylor Swift used facial recognition tech at concerts to spy on stalkers Where You Should Move to Make the Most Money: America’s Superstar Cities Worst Gadgets of 2018 WIRED Recommends: The best gadgets and gear in 2018...
Dec 23, 2018•40 min•Season 1Ep. 21
Today Adam lets us all know about how free apps will be our downfall, Mike is now ok with robots taking selfies, and Kelly recaps the latest in people not understanding technology. For our big topic : if Brett Farve is Social Network, what does that mean for all of us? Links and Extra Reading Delete All Your Apps NASA InSight Lander 'Hears' Martian Winds Republicans are mad at Google for search bias—will they do anything about it? Six Years With a Distraction-Free iPhone Spooky Space 'Sounds' Ho...
Dec 16, 2018•37 min•Season 1Ep. 20
Before we explain what all this title means, Adam describes the latest in scams targeting grandparents, Mike lets us yell about Elon again, and Kelly tells about the scam of Open-Plan workspaces. Then we get to talk about our perennially favorite topic : BitCoin. Links and Extra Reading Grandparents increasingly targeted by impostors who know "everything" about them Don’t Work 80 Hours a Week for Elon Musk, or Anyone It's Official: Open-Plan Offices Are Now the Dumbest Management Fad of All Time...
Dec 08, 2018•32 min•Season 1Ep. 19
This week Adam opens up about the anxieties that punctuation can bring, Mike tells us about Solid State Airplanes, and Kelly introduces us to a new robot. From there, we investigate the latest in AI - Babysitter screening. Links and Extra Reading : The Tyranny of the Exclamation Point Is Causing Email and Text Anxiety Meet Zora, the Robot Caregiver MIT engineers fly first-ever plane with no moving parts Wanted: The ‘perfect babysitter.’ Must pass AI scan for respect and attitude....
Dec 01, 2018•40 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Happy American Thanksgiving from all of us at TSP! This week we talk about the safety of random WiFi networks, working while on the road, and as expected - Mini Unicorn Cupcakes. We manage to be serious at the end and talk about the myth of gamification. Links and Extra Reading YOU KNOW WHAT? GO AHEAD AND USE THE HOTEL WI-FI iPad Pro 2018 review: A computer, not a PC Amazing Mini UNICORN CUPCAKE Gamification is Bullshit Impacts of gamification on intrinsic motivation...
Nov 22, 2018•38 min•Season 1Ep. 17
A jumbo-sized episode for you this week! We dive straight into the AI-generated future, the oft-marketed "two-in-one" device, and how we design the offices of the future. For our big topic, we review LucidChart's 2019 IT Report and what it means for the changing IT landscapes. Links and Extra Reading HOW AI-GENERATED MUSIC IS CHANGING THE WAY HITS ARE MADE The Quest to Build the Impossible Laptop Life After the Death of the Office...
Nov 17, 2018•41 min•Season 1Ep. 16
In light of the release of Red Dead Redemption 2, we spent some time talking about the crunch culture that surrounds the studio. Prior to that, Adam talks about his new Alexa device, Kelly scares us, and Mike lets us know of a new home automation tool. Links and Extra Reading : US WEAPONS SYSTEMS ARE EASY CYBERATTACK TARGETS, NEW REPORT FINDS Inside Rockstar Games' Culture Of Crunch Game Developers Give Advice On How To Make Their Industry a Better Place Amazon Smart Plug Lutron RA2 Select...
Nov 03, 2018•41 min•Season 1Ep. 15
While Mike flies back and forth across the oceans, we welcome Chase back to the Grepcast. Today we talk about how sustainable cryptocurrency could be, and then about how Fallout 76 and Face Over IP may be changing the game. Links and Extra Reading Iceland's farmers have a cunning plan to solve crypto's energy crisis ‘Fallout 76’ Partners With West Virginia Tourism Department Ahead of Release Star Citizen’s wacky face over IP tech is expected to enter public testing today...
Oct 27, 2018•29 min•Season 1Ep. 14
We're back with a jam-packed episode for you this week! Adam starts off with the latest in bagel-based controversies, Kelly talks on the finer points of robot improvements, and Mike surprisingly brings up Drones. For our big topic - How secure is 2-Factor Authentication? Links and Extra Reading Apple fixes its new bagel emoji with cream cheese and a doughier consistency You're Expecting too much out of Boston Dynamics' Robots The drones come in the night and then descend to drop illicit cargo in...
Oct 20, 2018•36 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Before we give our eulogy to Google+, and the security breach that proceeded it; Adam gives an update to our Amazon discussion, Kelly makes plush Horses walk, and Mike alerts us to the latest NetGear IoT attacks. Links and Extra Reading SOME AMAZON WORKERS FEAR THEY’LL EARN LESS EVEN WITH A $15 MINIMUM WAGE Robotic 'skin' transforms stuffed animals into soft bots. And that's just the beginning. Google to shut down Google+ after failing to disclose user data leak MASSIVE IOT ATTACK TARGETING UNPA...
Oct 12, 2018•28 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Surprise, surprise! Facebook has had another security breach. Before we dive into that, Adam talks about Google doing the right thing, Kelly hates on the latest Gmail, and Mike brings up theft due to oversharing. Links and Extra Reading : Between You, Me, and Google: Problems With Gmail's “Confidential Mode” Cyclist who had five bikes stolen says thieves are looking for quick times on Strava to try and find high-end bikes – warns other users to check their privacy settings Amazon raises minimum ...
Oct 05, 2018•34 min•Season 1Ep. 11
We run the gambit on topics this week! From the latest tech-adjacent movie and Kelly's new gadget to Mike finding his sure-fire way to bring down the internet. For our big topic this week, Mojave is out! Should you download it, or wait? Links and Further Reading Searching Official Trailer NCIS Hacking Domain registrar oversteps taking down Zoho domain, impacts over 30Mil users macOS Mojave Apple Watch Series 4 Teardown...
Sep 28, 2018•34 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Besides Adam harboring an illness, the episode today was sans any gloom! Adam tells us the joys of pocket synths, Mike tells us the new way to learn piano, and Kelly brings up her new obsession. Then, as we predicted last week, we touch on the latest from the Apple event last week. Links and Extra Reading : Pocket Operator You Lost ! - Po-20 + PO-28 Doodle Simply Piano Unboxing the Mind Bending Wallpaper TV Cardiologists react to new Apple Watch ECG capabilities Why an Apple Watch with EKG matte...
Sep 21, 2018•34 min•Season 1Ep. 9
