Supercharged

Latest Episodes:

182: The Amazing Internet, Part II: Learn All the Things, Experience the Strange, and REMIX! Dec 28, 2017

Show notes

Tommy and Adam continue discussing how the Internet has impacted them (find the full list in the previous episode) and speak with Richard, host of Interview with a Nerd, about Disney's acquisition of Fox Entertainment.

Links for this episode:

Interview with a Nerd #23
Listen to the rest of Tommy and Adam's conversation with Richard on the Disney acquisition of Fox Entertainment! Also, the main part of the show, a review of the recent Disney/Pixar film Coco.
The Links!
Want links to the stuff we talked about in this episode? Well, they're in the last episode. :-P We went on too long and added them in advance, so just click "The Links!" above to go to there and do the Internets the shaped our lives.

Thank you to our wonderful sponsor this week, Sky Tripping!

181: The Amazing Internet, Part I: BAD Coinbase, No More DRM, and Your Online Diary Dec 21, 2017

Show notes

Tommy and Adam discuss the resurgence of problematic copy protection, discuss Coinbase's alleged insider trading (or whatever it is), and remember the ways the Internet has had a profound impact on their lives.

Links for this episode:

Alleged Insider Trading of Bitcoin Cash on Coinbase Is ‘Non-Crime,’ Says Ver
"Bitcoin.com CEO Roger Ver has defended US exchange Coinbase’s alleged insider trading, saying the practice is a “non-crime” and should not warrant increased regulation of crypto exchanges."
Cable TV’s Password-Sharing Crackdown Is Coming
Bloomberg: "Using someone else’s credentials to stream for free will soon be a $10 billion problem for pay-TV companies."
Unethical Quote of the Week: Adam Dachis
You all know this story already. :-P
Lifehacker
Obviously, this had to be Adam's list.
LiveJournal, OpenDiary, Etc.
When online journaling was a thing.
Razorfish (Subnetwork)
How the internet came to Adam.
Albino Blacksheep
A home for flash animators and game makers, as well as other strange things.
Bio-Bak
MBEEP!
Gawab (Review)
It doesn't exist anymore, but you can read about what someone thought back when it did!
Lynda
How Adam learned to write code (properly).
YouTube
Everyone probably has some kind of significant connection with YouTube, for many different reasons.
Algorithmia
One of Adam's current favorites.
Wikipedia
MOAR LEARNING!
Bomis
Bomis only stands for itself.
OCRemix
Where Adam learned he actually sucked at music (and got better).
I-Am-Bored
Tommy's favorite old news aggregator.

Thank you to our wonderful sponsor this week, Storyblocks!

180: Bad News Everyone! Dec 15, 2017

Show notes

Tommy and Adam discuss the unfortunate news out of the FCC: the very likely—but hopefully temporary—end of net neutrality in the US.

Links for this episode:

F.C.C. Repeals Net Neutrality Rules
New York Times: "The Federal Communications Commission voted on Thursday to dismantle rules regulating the businesses that connect consumers to the internet, granting broadband companies the power to potentially reshape Americans’ online experiences."
Watch the asshole who killed net neutrality laugh off all the reasons it’s so vital
AV Club: "Look, we all know Ajit Pai—FCC chairperson, former Verizon attorney, amateur film star, and Parks And Recreation superfan—is a total stooge. After all, he just led the FCC in a charge to lift net neutrality regulations that were in place to keep corporations from making their already crappy internet services even worse. But in case you needed any more evidence of just how big a stooge—a total dickhead, even—he is, we humbly present this disgusting little exchange between Pai and his fellow FCC commissioner, Mignon Clyburn, after she finished delivering a rousing 20-minute defense of net neutrality."
The FCC's Ajit Pai now openly mocking net neutrality protesters with his dumb new video
I've included this video because Tommy insists on torturing us all. :-P AV Club: "We’re getting closer and closer to a crisis point on net neutrality, as current FCC chairman Ajit Pai wages a minor internet culture war to convince people to support his plans for a “free internet”—i.e., one where Obama-era protections don’t exist to stop service providers from charging different amounts of money to stream different kinds of content. Having already tussled with Ron Swanson, Pai has now resorted to a time-honored internet tradition: openly mocking his critics, via a video he recently uploaded at conservative site The Daily Caller, in which he pantomimes 'all the things' we’ll still be able to do after he guts these regulations for sport."
Ron Swanson has a bone to pick with FCC chairman (and Parks And Rec fan) Ajit Pai
AV Club: "Ajit Pai, the current chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, is a lot more than just a corporate stooge and detestable harbinger of internet deregulation. He’s also a big Parks And Recreation fan. He’s invoked the NBC sitcom in at least one official statement and even has a framed copy of Ron Swanson’s inspirational Pyramid Of Greatness hanging outside his office, according to an interview published in Radio World. But as Pai’s attempt to repeal the Obama-era net neutrality laws that keep all internet traffic free and equal approaches, it appears word of his fandom has gotten back to Parks And Rec star Nick Offerman. He took it upon himself to get a reaction from the Pyramid’s creator, which he promptly directed to Pai on Twitter."

Thank you to our wonderful sponsors this week, Storyblocks and Sky Tripping!

179: Explain Me Please! Dec 08, 2017

Show notes

Tommy and Adam speak to the young creator of Wikipedia-alternative Explain Me Please, Faateh Mohammad.

Links for this episode:

Explain Me Please
Curated content crafted for your taste.
Faateh Mohammad (Twitter)
Follow Faateh on Twitter!

Thank you to our wonderful sponsor this week, Storyblocks!

178: When Plants Sing Nov 30, 2017

Show notes

Tommy and Adam talk to Jon Pattitucci and Joe Shapiro (Data Garden), creators of the MIDI Sprout: a device that translates the biofeedback of your plants into MIDI data! Or, in short, it makes your plants sing. :)

Links for this episode:

MIDI Sprout
What we're talking about!
MIDI Sprout for iOS
The iOS app (free) you can use with MIDI Sprout or just with your own finger. :)
Plants FM
Listen to plants making music!
Data Garden
The music label/company that created MIDI Sprout.

Thank you to our wonderful sponsors this week, Storyblocks and Sky Tripping!

177: Mixing the Oil and Water of New Hollywood Nov 14, 2017

Show notes

Tommy and Adam attend HETFest (Hollywood Entertainment Technology Festival), a collaborative effort between America and China created to examine how two vastly different cultures found a way to work together to create the future of entertainment. At least, that's the story through a romantic lens. Reality paints a more tumultuous endeavor, but nevertheless an important and fruitful one.

Links for this episode:

Stephanie Riggs
HOLLYWOOD ENTERTAINMENT TECHNOLOGY FESTIVAL
HETFest: "The Hollywood Entertainment Technology Festival (HETF) is a preeminent international event bridging the US and China, through discussions on trends in entertainment technology, cross-border opportunities, and investments. Focusing on the theme, Innovating in a Global Landscape, the event is a platform for visionaries, content creators, entrepreneurs, and investors."

176: Now! Nov 14, 2017

Show notes

This week Tommy and Adam discuss the upgrade treadmill and the negative effects our urgency for novelty has on us and the companies who seek (and often fail) to fulfill it.

Links for this episode:

I won't trade in my iPhone 6s for an iPhone X or iPhone 8 — here's why
Business Insider: "Every year Apple generates an incredible amount of hype around new iPhones. Sometimes it can be hard to realize that your old iPhone is perfectly fine. Our own Antonio Villas-Boas has been using Apple's iPhone 6s since it was released two years ago, and he says you don't have to worry about upgrading. Here's what you need to know. Following is a transcript of the video."
How to Get Off the Upgrade Treadmill and Stop Wasting Money on New Tech
Lifehacker: "Every year hardware manufacturers release new iterations of their products. From Apple to Samsung to Nintendo, the upgrade treadmill never ends. So, why do we feel the need to buy into it every year? We'll show you why you get stuck on the upgrade treadmill, and how to be happy with what you have."

175: The Facebook Facade Nov 04, 2017

Show notes

Tommy and Adam discuss the recent Facebook "fake news" hearings and what they reveal about the nature of the company.

Links for this episode:

Live updates: Facebook, Google and Twitter testified before Congress today
Recode: "A live look at the Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing on Russian election interference."
EIGHT REVEALING MOMENTS FROM THE SECOND DAY OF RUSSIA HEARINGS
Wired: "ON THEIR SECOND day in Capitol Hill, lawyers from Facebook, Twitter, and Google took a bipartisan beating as they faced tough questions about the role their platforms played in Russian attempts to divide the American electorate."
Here’s how U.S. lawmakers want to regulate political ads on Facebook, Google and Twitter
Record: "An early look at the Honest Ads Act by Sens. Mark Warner, Amy Klobuchar and John McCain"
Tech Executives Are Contrite About Election Meddling, but Make Few Promises on Capitol Hill
New York Times: "Executives from Facebook, Google and Twitter appeared on Capitol Hill for the first time on Tuesday to publicly acknowledge their role in Russia’s influence on the presidential campaign, but offered little more than promises to do better. Their reluctance frustrated lawmakers who sought stronger evidence that American elections will be protected from foreign powers."
Angry Al Franken hammers Facebook lawyer at hearing over Russian ads
The Guardian: "Senator clashes with Colin Stretch over how tech giants apparently missed posts coming from Russia: ‘How could you not connect the dots?’"

174: Bigger Data Oct 22, 2017

Show notes

Liam Broza (of Bitscoop) joins Tommy and Adam to talk about all this data that's been going around in our digital lives.

Links for this episode:

MoviePass
Because we talked about it.
Happy Death Day
A college student must relive the day of her murder over and over again, in a loop that will end only when she discovers her killer's identity.
Stephen Tobolowsky
Character actor Stephen Tobolowsky was born on May 30, 1951 in Dallas, Texas. Over the past three decades, Tobolowsky has racked up a lengthy list of roles in movies and television across many different genres.

173: Shockhammer: Titor Popper's Replicants of 2149 Oct 13, 2017

Show notes

Darren returns to join Tommy and Adam to talk about Bladerunner, AI, and obviously a lot of unrelated things.

Links for this episode:

Steins;Gate
Steins;Gate is a visual novel video game developed by 5pb. and Nitroplus. It is the second game in the Science Adventure series, following Chaos;Head. The story follows a group of students as they discover and develop technology that gives them the means to change the past. The gameplay in Steins;Gate follows non-linear plot lines which offer branching scenarios with courses of interaction.
John Titor - Time Traveler
"Although there is debate over the exact date it started, on November 02, 2000, a person calling themselves Timetravel_0, and later John Titor, started posting on a public forum that he was a time traveler from the year 2036."
A Dark Room
A text-based JavaScript game where you survive in a bleak world.
Decision Problem: Paperclips
The paperclip game Tommy loves.
Mark Millar Has A Crazy Theory About Blade Runner 2049’s Ending
Screen Rant: "Famed comic writer Mark Millar has come up with an intricate theory about Blade Runner 2049‘s ending that completely changes the film. The sequel to the 1982 classic has received rave reviews and despite only being on release for a matter of days has already stirred up plenty of debate, especially when it comes to the ending."

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected