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Why The Freedom To Tinker Matters

September 29, 2015 18:57 - 32 minutes - 44.4 MB

Last week, iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens joined us to discuss DMCA anti-circumvention exceptions, but that's just one specific facet of a broader issue: the freedom to repair, modify, reverse-engineer and generally tinker with the technology you own. This week Kyle is back to discuss why the freedom to tinker is a vitally important right — and one that is constantly under threat.

Why Do We Let An 86 Year Old Librarian Decide Who's Allowed To Innovate?

September 22, 2015 18:53 - 34 minutes - 46.9 MB

One of the many strange and problematic features of modern copyright law is the DMCA anti-circumvention exception system, wherein the Librarian of Congress makes unilateral decisions about what you can and can't do with software and products that include DRM and other protections. This week we're joined by Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit and a long-time champion of the right to repair and tinker, to discuss the ins and outs of this system, and what is (or isn't) coming in the next round of exemptions.

Adblocking Wouldn't Be A Problem If Ads Didn't Suck So Much

September 15, 2015 18:32 - 30 minutes - 42 MB

Lots of publishers freak out about the existence of adblockers. Some seek ways to get around them, others simply complain. This might seem like a situation where the desires of publishers and the desires of readers are irreconcilably opposed — but is that truly the case? This week, we discuss the popular reactions to adblocking and the look at the real problem with online advertising: the quality of the ads themselves.

Privacy Policies Have Nothing To Do With Privacy

September 08, 2015 19:03 - 33 minutes - 46.6 MB

Privacy policies are ubiquitous online, and often required by law, but what are they really for? People don't read them, and when they do they have a tendency to misunderstand them, such as with the recent flare-up over poorly-contextualized changes to Spotify's policy. Plus, there's a built in incentive for companies to write their policies as broadly as possible to avoid accidentally violating them, further stripping them of all purpose. This week, we discuss a simple question: are privacy ...

Is Silicon Valley Only Building Tech For The Rich?

September 01, 2015 18:54 - 42 minutes - 58.9 MB

Technological innovation is solving all sorts of problems, from major issues to minor inconveniences — but one criticism that often comes up is that Silicon Valley has a "by rich young white men, for rich young white men" culture, with most of its efforts focused on solving problems for a small, affluent minority. This week, Catherine Bracy returns as we try to understand this common complaint, how valid it is, and what can be done about it.

Technology's Impact On Democracy

August 25, 2015 18:43 - 42 minutes - 58.9 MB

From e-voting and online petitions to broad new avenues of communication between politicians and the public, technology is changing democracy, and has the potential to do so even more. This week we're joined by Catherine Bracy, the Technology Field Officer for Obama For America in 2012, to discuss the current and future impact of rapidly changing technology on the democratic process and whether these impacts have been "good" or "bad".

Yes, There Are Business Models That Don't Need Intellectual Property

August 18, 2015 18:29 - 34 minutes - 47.5 MB

Time and time again, we hear the claim that without copyright and/or patents there is no way for creators to make money, or even any reason for anyone to create anything at all. This is obviously absurd on many levels, but in today's episode we look at the most immediate and practical ones: the many business models that aren't based on intellectual property, and approaches to incentivizing creativity and innovation that don't involve locking things down.

Humble Bundle Deserves More Credit For Its Many Innovations

August 11, 2015 19:09 - 36 minutes - 50.3 MB

When people talk about today's most innovative technology and media companies, the discussion tends to orbit the usual suspects: Apple, Google, Facebook et al. But there's one small company that we've long believed deserves far, far more attention for its multitude of smart innovations: Humble Bundle. This week, we discuss the many subtle but extremely meaningful choices that have grown the Humble Bundle from a simple experiment into a revolutionary form of distribution, and wonder why the co...

In Defense Of Copying

August 04, 2015 19:08 - 35 minutes - 49.2 MB

We live in a world that venerates "ideas" but ignores the fact that even the best idea is worthless if it's poorly executed. In turn, people who "copy" ideas are often demonized, even when it's their superior execution that is responsible for their success. But the truth is that copying is a critical part of innovation and progress, and the instinct to ignore or refute that idea has left us without many clear measurements of its impact — not to mention lots of bad policy, and a highly problem...

Kevin Smith On How To Be Yourself And Make A Living

July 28, 2015 18:43 - 51 minutes - 71.1 MB

Long-time Techdirt readers know that we're big fans of Kevin Smith, not just for his films and podcasts but also for his many innovative approaches to business, distribution and creativity in general — and we're proud to say that he is also a pretty big fan of Techdirt. This week, he joins us on the podcast to discuss the experience of striking out on your own path as a creator while countless voices from the status quo try to tear you down — and the rewards that come when you manage to ignor...

Apple Versus Google

July 21, 2015 19:24 - 37 minutes - 52.2 MB

A few years ago, there was no reason to see Apple and Google as direct competitors — but thanks to the mobile space, all that has changed. Now the two tech giants are going head-to-head in a contest for the mobile device market share, but their approaches to this race remain very different. This week, we discuss the nuances of this competition and what these two different approaches can teach us about business models and innovation.

Reddit And The Challenges Of Building A Business Out Of A Community

July 14, 2015 19:27 - 36 minutes - 50.4 MB

Reddit is a prime example of the explosive growth of online communities — and recently it's become a prime test case for the huge challenges such growth brings, especially for those who are trying to use it as the foundation for a successful company. This week we discuss some of those challenges that sit at the intersection of community and business, both in terms of popular examples like Reddit and personal experiences as both members and builders of online communities.

Are Smart Watches The New Calculator Watches?

July 07, 2015 18:24 - 35 minutes - 48.3 MB

Smart watches are among the hottest gadgets du jour, but do they live up to the hype? Their adoption hasn't been even remotely on par with smartphones, and reactions from those who have used them are mixed — but that doesn't mean they're useless or have zero appeal. So, does this dubious trend have a future, or are smart watches a dumb idea?

Closing In On Virtual Reality

June 30, 2015 16:57 - 35 minutes - 48.5 MB

The promise of virtual reality has been teasing us since the late 60s, and yet it never seems to arrive in a fully realized form. Recently, however, VR (and its cousin, augmented reality) is back in a big way, with flagship products like the Oculus Rift and Microsoft Hololens taking the spotlight, backed up by dozens of other contributions. To discuss this exciting trend, we're joined by erstwhile Techdirt writer Carlo Longino who, along with regular co-host Dennis Yang, attended this year's ...

Does Distance Matter In The Digital Age?

June 23, 2015 19:01 - 33 minutes - 45.8 MB

The internet has changed the parameters for how people can interact. Today, all sorts of work and socialization can be done over distances that were previously impossible, and the rise of telecommuting has been no surprise. And yet there are still a lot of imperfections in the system, and a lot of ways that the internet doesn't quite seem to close the gap as much as we'd like it to. In this week's episode, we ask the question of how much face-to-face communication still matters in the digital...

Autonomous Vehicles Will Change Everything

June 16, 2015 18:02 - 43 minutes - 59.5 MB

Last week, we were joined by Upshift founder Ezra Goldman to discuss the future of mobility in a world of on-demand services like Uber. This week, Ezra is back to help us fill in the other big piece of the transportation puzzle: autonomous vehicles, and their potential to change just about everything.

Is Car Ownership On The Way Out?

June 09, 2015 18:54 - 41 minutes - 56.3 MB

The explosive rise of Uber, ride-sharing programs, and other on-demand mobility services has led many to wonder if the whole concept of car ownership is on its way out, at least for city-dwellers. This week we're joined by Upshift founder Ezra Goldman, who recently wrote a manifesto for the future of mobility and helps us delve far beyond a surface analysis of transportation trends.

The Rise Of The On-Demand Economy

June 02, 2015 19:00 - 35 minutes - 49 MB

There are a lot of startups out there trying to become the "Uber of..." something, from valet parking to food delivery to dog-walking. But as much as this might look like mere bandwagon-hopping, it actually represents a fascinating and potentially important trend: the emergence of a new, highly efficient and flexible economy based around individuals offering on-demand services.

Silicon Valley's Secret Ingredient

May 26, 2015 19:01 - 33 minutes - 46 MB

Many people have tried to figure out what factors contributed to making Silicon Valley a center of rapid innovation, usually so that they might replicate it elsewhere. But most of these efforts focus on superficial aspects and miss the most important feature of Silicon Valley's culture: the open and free flow of ideas, information and talent. This week, Mike, Dennis and Hersh discuss their personal experiences with Silicon Valley and their observations about what really makes it so special.

EFF's Parker Higgins On Correcting Copyright Misconceptions

May 19, 2015 18:25 - 30 minutes - 42.5 MB

Last week, we discussed the many misconceptions that run rampant in the public understanding of copyright. This week, the EFF's Parker Higgins returns for part two of the conversation, looking at how to begin addressing and moving past these false facts.

EFF's Parker Higgins On Common Copyright Misconceptions

May 12, 2015 16:30 - 31 minutes - 43.9 MB

Copyright is one of the most important fields of law in the digital age, and also one of the most widely misunderstood. The EFF's Parker Higgins joins us to discuss to most common misconceptions about how copyright works, and how it's been abused.

Is AirBnB Good Or Bad For Cities?

May 05, 2015 18:25 - 35 minutes - 48.1 MB

AirBnB has become a massive, popular service despite many people balking at its introduction. But in the big picture, what effect is it having on the urban centers where it thrives?

Are Smaller Online Media Players Doomed In The Age Of Buzzfeed?

April 28, 2015 18:16 - 41 minutes - 56.7 MB

Following the recent shutdowns of GigaOm and San Francisco's The Bold Italic, we ask a critical question: how can smaller online media players survive in this age of goliaths like Buzzfeed?

How The Patent System Can Be Fixed

April 21, 2015 17:50 - 32 minutes - 44.8 MB

Last week, Hersh Reddy helped us navigate the many ways in which the patent system is broken. This week, we turn our attentions to the ways in which it might be fixed, whether by small changes or sweeping reforms. For music, we've got more of Destroy All Patent Trolls by https://soundcloud.com/jonathanmann (CC-BY).

How The Patent System Is Broken

April 14, 2015 17:38 - 35 minutes - 49.1 MB

Hersh Reddy, co-host of the podcast, is a patent attorney with a computer science degree and a long history of working in the tech industry. In this first half of a double episode, he discusses the many ways in which the patent system is broken, and how it got that way. This week's music is Destroy All Patent Trolls by https://soundcloud.com/jonathanmann (CC-BY).

From Lulz To Activism, With Gabriella Coleman

April 07, 2015 17:09 - 28 minutes - 39.4 MB

Gabriella Coleman is back this week to discuss the astonishing and still-recent shift in the digital world towards real, widespread political engagement on issues like privacy and surveillance.

The Many Faces Of Anonymous, With Gabriella Coleman

March 31, 2015 19:09 - 34 minutes - 46.8 MB

People (especially those in the news media) love to talk about Anonymous, often making bold, sweeping and generally inaccurate proclamations about the group's nature and goals. Gabriella Coleman, on the other hand, has spent years closely studying and engaging with Anonymous in the real world, and developing a nuanced understanding of the nebulous phenomenon. Her new book Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy: The Many Faces of Anonymous provides insider details about Anonymous that you won't fi...

Musicians Making Money, With Composer Adam Fong

March 24, 2015 18:26 - 32 minutes - 44.2 MB

Adam Fong discusses his thoughts, both as a composer and as the founder and director of the Center for New Music in San Francisco, on the changing opportunities for musicians to make money. The music on this week's episode is Adam's own composition, Five Times Remembered.

Rethinking Work, Income & Leisure: Albert Wenger On Basic Income

March 18, 2015 17:50 - 33 minutes - 46.5 MB

Recently, there's been a growing discussion around the concept of a basic income guarantee and its potential to completely change how we think about work, income and leisure. Albert Wenger from Union Square Ventures joins us this week to discuss the potential of this revolutionary idea.

What's It Like To Drive For Uber And Lyft?

March 09, 2015 19:15 - 37 minutes - 51.4 MB

Techdirt co-host Dennis Yang has been trying his hand as a driver for both Uber and Lyft. He shares his experiences, and sparks a discussion about the role and future of these services.

Do You Need A Proprietary Platform To Be A Serious Media Company Today?

March 03, 2015 18:15 - 25 minutes - 35.4 MB

Techdirt has long operated on a homegrown content management system, but while we've been considering a switch to something open like Wordpress, many other media companies have been building their own proprietary platforms. What are the pros and cons of each approach?

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