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Best of Recode Decode: 2019 Dec 30, 2019

Show notes

Recode's Kara Swisher, her executive producer Erica Anderson, and her producer Eric Johnson discuss their favorite Recode Decode interviews from 2019 and look back at some of the year's big trends. Use the links below to go to the full versions of the interviews excerpted in this episode in Apple Podcasts; or, if you prefer a different podcast app, use the names/dates to find them in the Recode Decode feed:

Shoshana Zuboff (February 20)
Carole Cadwalladr (July 8)
Tristan Harris (May 6)
Ken Burns (October 18)
Kathy Griffin (March 13)
Barry Diller (February 18)
Anand Giridharadas (May 22)
Bill de Blasio (September 16)

Featuring:

Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large

Erica Anderson (@ericaamerica), Recode Decode executive producer

Eric Johnson (@heyheyesj), Recode Decode producer

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything.

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Recode Decode: Liz Plank Dec 20, 2019

Show notes

Journalist Liz Plank talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her recent book, For the Love of Men: A New Vision for Mindful Masculinity.

Featuring:

Liz Plank (@feministabulous), author, For the Love of Men: A New Vision for Mindful Masculinity

Host:

Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything.

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Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us.

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Recode Decode: Dylan Collins Dec 18, 2019

Show notes

SuperAwesome CEO Dylan Collins talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how he got interested in children's digital privacy at a time when Silicon Valley didn't care, how his company works with tech firms to help them comply with privacy laws, and SuperAwesome's in-development video platform for kids, Rukkaz. Collins also talks about his previous gaming companies, which were acquired by Activision and Gamestop; how COPPA and GDPR-K work; and why TikTok and YouTube were fined by the FTC.

Read a full transcript of this interview here.

Featuring:

Dylan Collins (@MrDylanCollins), CEO, SuperAwesome (@GoSuperAwesome)

Host:

Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything.

About Recode by Vox:

Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us.

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Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom

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Recode Decode: Tom Steyer Dec 16, 2019

Show notes

2020 presidential candidate Tom Steyer talks with Recode's Teddy Schleiefer about income inequality and the need for a wealth tax in America, what separates him from fellow ultra-wealthy candidate Michael Bloomberg, and why we should expect the government to solve problems — not plutocrats who have pledged to give their money away. Steyer also discusses the importance of grassroots organizing on the left, how antitrust laws should be applied to tech giants like Amazon and Facebook, and why he's emphasizing climate change as the "number one priority" in 2020. Plus: How people have rationalized the intentional "cruelty" of the Republican Party.

Read a full transcript of this interview here.

Featuring:

Tom Steyer (@TomSteyer), 2020 presidential candidate, investor, and environmental activist

Hosts:

Teddy Schleifer (@teddyschleifer), finance editor, Recode

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything.

About Recode by Vox:

Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us.

Follow Us:

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Recode Decode: Ben Mezrich Dec 13, 2019

Show notes

Writer Ben Mezrich talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about his latest book Bitcoin Billionaires and his previous books, including The Accidental Billionaires, which was adapted into the movie The Social Network. Mezrich, who specializes in "true stories about young people doing crazy things," discusses the controversies around how he depicted Mark Zuckerberg in The Accidental Billionaires, how Zuck has changed over time, and how the story went from a “nobody will care” book proposal to a classic movie. He also talks about the respectability the Winklevoss twins brought to cryptocurrency and why Facebook is the exact wrong company to launch a cryptocurrency, even though they’re looking in the right direction. Plus: Will there be a sequel to The Social Network?

Featuring:

Ben Mezrich (@benmezrich), author, Bitcoin Billionaires

Hosts:

Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything.

About Recode by Vox:

Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us.

Follow Us:

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Recode Decode: Margaret O'Mara Dec 11, 2019

Show notes

Historian Margaret O'Mara talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her latest book, The Code: Silicon Valley and the Remaking of America. She explains how the government catalyzed the digital revolution starting in the 1960s, the reasons tech power coalesced in suburban California, and why tech history must be considered a part of political history — even though the industry has tried in recent decades to distance itself from government. O'Mara also talks about the origins of sexism in the tech industry and how women were not given the same opportunities to break in as men, and the threats to Silicon Valley's current culture, including government regulation, overly strict immigration laws, and the rise of China.

Read a full transcript of this interview here.

Featuring:

Margaret O'Mara (@MargaretOMara), author, The Code: Silicon Valley and the Remaking of America

Hosts:

Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything.

About Recode by Vox:

Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us.

Follow Us:

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Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom

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Recode Decode: Neal Katyal Dec 09, 2019

Show notes

Neal Katyal, a partner at the law firm Hogan Lovells, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book Impeach: The Case against Donald Trump. Katyal explains why he believes the “evidence will be too strong” against President Trump, ending his first term prematurely, and argues that if he were Trump's lawyer his advice would be to resign. He also talks about the inability of the DC establishment to comprehend Trump’s propensity for lying, and why social media will become less important during a presidential impeachment trial. Plus: How arguing cases in front of the Supreme Court became an ordinary part of Katyal's job, and how he advises tech companies in an era of looming tech regulation.

Read a full transcript of this interview here.

Featuring:

Neal Katyal (@neal_katyal), author, Impeach: The Case against Donald Trump

Hosts:

Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything.

About Recode by Vox:

Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us.

Follow Us:

Newsletter: Recode Daily

Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom

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Recode Decode: Nadav Goshen Dec 06, 2019

Show notes

MakerBot CEO Nadav Goshen talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the company's Method X industrial printer, which Goshen says will foster innovation by making it easier to manufacture real products. He also talks about the setbacks to the initial hype that 3-D printers would be as accessible and commonplace as toothbrushes; how teachers use MakerBot's smaller 3-D printer Replicator in the classroom; and the importance of professionals adopting an emerging technology before it goes mainstream. Plus: What is the environmental impact of making manufacturing effortless at home, and how will global manufacturing change in the coming decades?

Featuring:

Nadav Goshen, CEO, MakerBot

Hosts:

Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything.

About Recode by Vox:

Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us.

Follow Us:

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Recode Decode: Andrea Matwyshyn Dec 04, 2019

Show notes

Andrea Matwyshyn, the associate dean of innovation at Penn State Law, talks with Kara Swisher's executive producer, Erica Anderson, about the integration of technology with biology, a trend Matwyshyn terms the "internet of bodies." She explains what that means in real world terms, why someone might want to implant a computer chip in their bodies, and the potential risks and security concerns, including hackers who could manipulate thoughts. Matwyshyn also talks about the ethical and policy implications of this type of tech, and what she, a leading expert on the subject, is most worried about.

Featuring:

Andrea Matwyshyn (@amatwyshyn), associate dean of innovation at Penn State Law

Hosts:

Erica Anderson (@EricaAmerica), executive producer, Recode Decode

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything.

About Recode by Vox:

Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us.

Follow Us:

Newsletter: Recode Daily

Twitter: @Recode and @voxdotcom

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Recode Decode: Deborah Rutter Dec 02, 2019

Show notes

Deborah Rutter, the president of Washington, DC's John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the Center's new free immersive learning spaces, REACH, which offer visitors the chance to participate in and look behind the scenes of many kinds of performances. Rutter also discusses how technology has impacted the public's relationship with art and education, why issues like cell phone addiction aren't a big threat to the Kennedy Center's shows, and how tech itself could become part of the artistic experience. Plus: Can art bridge the red-blue dividie, and what will the Kennedy Center look like in 50 years?

Featuring:

Deborah Rutter (@KenCenPrez), president, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (@kencen)

Hosts:

Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything.

About Recode by Vox:

Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us.