Stay ConnectedTechnology podcast that both experts and novices can enjoy.
Pop culture you love. Tech you dream about.
Shelly Palmer and Seth Everett cover topics that mean a lot to those in the tech space and those who just love tech.
Learn what’s new, what’s next, and what it means for you and your business.
Could Batman’s toys exist in the real world? Is Star Trek still science fiction, or has it become science fact?
Copyright: © 2021
Google is one of the most useful tools in the world - and TikTok is even more prevalent. We've talked about the rapid rise in TikTok's popularity in past episodes. Still, a new study from the Pew Research Center found that social media usage among teens has doubled, and nearly half of all teens are “almost constantly” online. We break down the results of the new study and compare how today's teens are marketed as compared to past generations. We also look at the type of direct messaging and marketing that today's teens encounter online, what “expertise” means in today's online sphere, and how the information will be propagated around our media universe in the future.
Film Twitter spent last week in a tizzy, trying to parse rumors and separate fact from fiction about HBO Max, Discovery+, and Batgirl. When the dust settled, it was clear that HBO Max isn't dying, a new (combined) app is coming next summer… and Batgirl is still not coming out. Today, we peer into the Techstream crystal ball to get a sense of what the new app could look like, what it could cost, and how its combined user base will interact with its content. We also talk about why Batgirl was canceled, the optics of the cancellation, and the emotionally unsatisfying reality of the situation.
TikTok is one of Shelly's great online loves, but recent experiences have soured Seth on the platform, as recent videos have led to copyright flags. Coming from the world of music composition, the topic of publishing and licensing rights is firmly in Shelly's wheelhouse. Today's episode takes a look at copyright flags and rights ownership, as well as how AI models can be trained to listen, recognize, and flag violations. Seth rants about other frustrations on the platform. Shelly proposes ways to further compensate composers. Seth takes advantage of the medium to play some of his favorite drops.
Linear TV is dead! That's what Netflix CEO Reed Hastings thinks, at least. There's more to the story, though, like Netflix's shrinking subscriber base and a murky future without any major franchises to entice new users. So… what happens now? On today's episode, we take a trip down TV's memory lane and look back at how shows like Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and Game of Thrones changed the game for all networks, how streaming devices could look to evolve and adapt and earn new revenue, and what the next 5-10 years look like for both linear TV and streaming services. It's time to sound off! Have you thought about canceling Netflix? Have you already pulled the plug and left the service? Tweet at us @Techstream and let us know!
When Elon Musk said he was buying Twitter, we recorded a super-fun episode about the future of free speech and what it all meant. Fast forward to today, and now Elon Musk and Twitter are probably going to court over whether he should be forced to buy the social media company for $44 billion. Elon's trying to back out of the deal because he thinks Twitter is lying about the number of bots and fake accounts on the platform. At least, that's what he is saying. So… what happens now? Shelly and Seth talk about their frustrating and confusing history as users on Twitter, how (and why) Twitter is broken, and when Twitter will not be a “go-to” for “legitimate” media.
Seth and Shelly both started their careers in radio. Even if you don't pay close attention to the numbers, it's easy to see that stations are downsizing. That leaves a big question: with the advent of Instagram and Facebook, where does radio fit in the lexicon? On today's episode, we talk about radio's place in our “attention economy,” the media landscape's shift to podcasts, and its role in our collective future. We also explore the future of infotainment in cars: what we want, what we need, and what we don't think we'll ever get.
Shelly's been a TikTok superstar for a while, and Seth has been using it to push his other podcasts forward. Just about everyone else has been using the app, too, as earlier this year TikTok became the most-visited website in the world, more popular than even Google. Last week, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr gave the CEOs of Apple and Google until July 8 to respond to his open letter asking them to remove TikTok from their app stores. Everyone is weaponizing data. In this episode, we wonder: Why is the FCC singling out TikTok? We talk about the companies weaponizing data that we SHOULD be worried about, where you draw the line, and a conflict that's beginning to bubble up. Plus, we offer advice on practical actions about what to do next.
Amazon just had a conference where it announced that Alexa will soon be able to speak to you with any voice of any person, living or dead. All it takes for Alexa to do this is a minute of audio. Shelly used this kind of deepfake technology during The Palmer Group's Innovation Series Summit this year, but the technology has advanced exponentially from January, and we're on the verge of something truly horrifying. We talk about why this could break bad and the potential ramifications, as well as whether the possible benefits could outweigh the dangers and risks. Then, for a lighter conversation, we talk about (spoiler warning!) Obi-Wan Kenobi, as well as the broader Star Wars universe and the technology being used to create these new series.
We have “a potpourri of chaos” on this week's episode of Techstream. With everything going on… why do U.S. politicians care about USB-C? If you (rightly) hate that your iPhone and iPad and MacBook may all use different connectors… it's important to keep in mind that this legislation is the road to hell, paved with good intentions. We talk about the drawbacks of USB-C and Shelly proposes a 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Then, we talk about the crypto market, with some cryptocurrencies everyone knows and loves down as much as 70%. Is Bitcoin going to $0 or $100,000? The reality is somewhere in-between. Lastly, are the robots coming to take us away? Is Judgment Day around the corner? We chat about an update to our episode about A.I. from a few weeks ago.
Shelly and Seth recap the June 6th, 2022 Worldwide Developer Conference Apple Keynote, which highlighted the preview of iOS 16. This episode features a recap of all of the new features, both ones they liked and others they disliked. Some of the new features discussed are the improved home screen, the new maps features, new security and privacy features, facetime, AirPods app, and much more. Seth also explains what impresses him about Lizzo, and the episode ends with the catchiest rap you can find on TikTok
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