Diginauts 0024 — New Trivia App, AI begets AI, Driverless Car Testing

  • segment 1, Most Disruptive — Wifi Security (0:00): In our new show format, Deron & Eric start out the show by comparing their takes on which tech headlines from the last week will have the biggest impact… ON HUMANITY!!!  New HQ trivia app from Vine founders?  Dangerous flaw in Wi-Fi security standards?
  • segment 2, Juris Prudent — Graffiti Artists’ Rights (18:20):  A New York court case about ownership, art, landmarks, and culture.
  • segment 3, D.O.O.O.o.M.E.D. — Fresh Water Run-off (25:52): A chemical breakthrough in the process of desalinization could mean increased efficiency and reduced cost.
  • segment 4, Let’s Dig Some More. — CA Allows Driverless Testing (36:59): The Russians are even using our video games to manipulate America?  Would you eat human flesh if it’s grown in the lab?  Police on hooverbikes(!) in Dubai.  You might see test cars on the streets of California — sans drivers.
  • segment 5, Always in Motion Is The Future — Techpocalypse (51:30): Will humans destroy themselves with their own technology?  Runaway artificial intelligence? Nuclear war?  Tiny nanobots reducing us to goo?  We evaluate a DigitalTrends article predicting six ways humanity might end.

Tweet @DigitalDeron or @efader with your opinions, or give us a call and leave a voice message at 323.686.8255.

Diginauts 0013 — Babies from Three Parents, Finland’s Experiment in Basic Income, Coolest Stuff from CES

  • segment 1, Top of Mind — Healthy Babies from Three Parents (0:00): Doctors have succeeded in allowing a woman with fatal genetic defects to successfully have a baby.  Detractors fear the science isn’t yet sound.
  • segment 2, Let’s Hash It Out — CES  (12:02):  Tech companies headed to Las Vegas to show off this year’s trends in gadgets and all things digital.  Deron & Eric discuss the standout products.
  • segment 3, Juris Prudent — Libel and the Invention of Email  (31:04): Self-proclaimed inventor of EMAIL files defamation lawsuit against TechDirt’s Mike Masnick.
  • segment 4,  Let’s Dig Some More (41:32): We look at Google’s stealth advancement in artificial intelligence, a Japanese company’s decision to replace white collar workers with AI, and Finland’s move to experiment in fundamental basic income.
  • segment 5, Semantically Incorrect: ‘Ping’ and ‘Talk’ (1:11:23): Deron thinks we need a new word for talking to someone without talking to someone.

Tweet us @efader or @digitalderon or give us a call and leave a voice message at 323.686.8255.

Diginauts 0011 — Trump Summons Tech CEOs, Gamers as Drone Pilots, Opting Out of Body Scanners

Diginauts episode 0011
Diginauts episode 0011
  • segment 1, Top of Mind — Drumpf & Technology (0:00): Technology’s most powerful are gathering in New York to meet with Donald Drumpf.  What will they say?  And what the hell are they not telling us about Russian cyber interference in the election?
  • segment 2, Future File —  Fusion Stellerator (23:55):  German scientists have successfully tested the next level of their fusion device, and the results were unprecedentedly positive.
  • segment 3, Juris Prudent — Opting Out of Body Scanners   (35:33): A blogger shared his experience opting out of the “voluntary” airport scanners in Berlin.  FAKE NEWS ALERT!!! Deron mentions that a TSA operator was caught masturbating to images from a backscatter device.  He got fooled.  Snopes says that never happened.
  • segment 4,  Let’s Dig Some More (48:34): After a round-up of headlines on climate change, we discuss the possibility of the UK military recruiting computer gamers as weaponized drone operators.  We also listen to a Christmas song composed by an artificial intelligence that was shown a picture of a Christmas tree.
  • segment 5, What’s Your Take — Entrepreneurial Predisposition (1:03:55): We discuss whether entrepreneurship is in your DNA.

Tweet us @efader or @digitalderon or give us a call and leave a voice message at 323.686.8255.

Diginauts 0009 — VR to Prevent Insanity after Head Transplant, Privacy with Snap Spectacles and Spying Earbuds, Updates on YOUTHvGOV

Diginauts episode 0009
Diginauts episode 0009

Give us a call and leave a voice message at 323.686.8255, or tweet @efader or @digitalderon.

Diginauts 0008 — Facebook Echo Chamber and the 2016 Election, Human-Transmitted Passwords, Teens Sue U.S. Government

Diginauts episode 0008
Diginauts episode 0008

Tweet @DigitalDeron or @efader with your opinions, or give us a call and leave a voice message at 323.686.8255.

Diginauts 0004 — How Long Would You Like To Live, Copyright for Non-humans, New Words for Tech Concepts

Diginauts episode 4
Diginauts episode 4
  • segment 1, Top of Mind–Obama points us to Mars (0:00): This week saw some developments in subjects we’ve discussed in each of our earlier episodes.
    • from episode 3: global climate change — Cornell scientists predict a significant increase in the odds of a megadrought in the southwest US, and meanwhile 150 countries are gathering to discuss lowering HFCs.
    • from episode 2: U.S. Mission to Mars — President Obama announced his administration’s collaboration with six private companies to get humans to Mars by 2030, but a study from UC Irvine shows that astronauts still have a long way to go in overcoming radiation.
    • from episode 1: self-driving cars –In the same week that photos have shown up of Google’s self-driving minivans, another accident involving a driverless car has led the German government to label autopilot a ‘Traffic Hazard.’
  • segment 2, Juris Prudent–Monkey Selfie (29:01): Photographer David Slater claimed rights to an image taken by a macaque, but some outlets say the image is public domain because the photographer didn’t take it, and a judge dismissed the case.  PETA is revisiting the case, arguing that in fact the monkey should own the rights.
  • segment 3, Semantically Incorrect–Audio Books (36:48):  Deron hates claiming he ‘read’ an audiobook, and wants to suggest a new word.  Do you agree with his selection?
  • segment 4, What’s Your Take?–Human Longevity (46:26): Researchers theorize there might be a natural maximum to human lifespans… and we’ve reached it.  But tech billionaires are driving to “cure” death.  Should humans push to live longer and longer?

Tweet @DigitalDeron or @efader with your opinions, or give us a call and leave a voice message.