Techstream with Shelly Palmer and Seth Everett

Axie's Hack and the "Crypto Kool-Aid": First-Hand Tales from NFT|LA

Shelly just got back from a week spent at NFT|LA, and he's got stories to share! He talks about the interactions he had and the panels he moderated, like being on-stage with The Jiho, the co-founder of Axie Infinity, on the same day of their massive hack. Shelly and Seth then discuss what, exactly, Axie Infinity is - and what's going to happen with all that stolen money. They also talk about the government regulation that is bearing down on the Web3 world and explain what, exactly, an NFT...

How to Help Your Kids Navigate Instagram and TikTok

We've talked a lot about the impact that social media apps like Instagram and TikTok have on kids. But now that the world has largely returned to in-person gatherings, the FOMO created by these apps is bigger than ever. Combine that with the fact that preteen girls and teenage girls have a reputation of not being the nicest people on the planet, and… well, it's a mess. There's no way in the world to keep kids off social media. The question becomes: What do you do now? These apps are offeri...

Amazon's "Secret Sauce" (and Why it Bought James Bond)

At long last, Amazon's purchase of MGM finally closed. While there's no new “news,” there are big questions: What did Amazon get from the $8.5 billion it spent? And, more importantly to us: What does it mean for Amazon Prime subscribers? “If you build it, they will come” simply isn't true for content. We talk about what that means, why that fact benefits Amazon and the ways in which Amazon could revolutionize your viewing experience. We also discuss the acquisition in terms of buying a ba...

Our 50th Show!

We've made it to 50 episodes! We've been doing Techstream for just about a year, yet we've never met each other in person. This podcast has provided the two of us a little bit of stability over the past tumultuous year, and we hope it's done the same for you, too. Want to help the people in Ukraine? Go to shellypalmer.com/ukraine to learn about verified charities you can safely and comfortably donate to. Apple just held its first event of the year, and it was a little underwhelming. We br...

Cyber Warfare

As the situation in Ukraine continues to evolve, the topic of “cyber warfare” continues to be discussed in the media. In today's episode, we discuss the concept of cyber warfare, and how anyone who doesn't believe cyber warfare is going on right now doesn't understand what it is. Plus… Do any of us really need a new phone? Samsung just unveiled new flagship devices and Apple is set to refresh its SE line. We discuss the real benefits of buying a new device, and when the “right” time to upg...

Ukraine and "Data Doomsday"

It's a crazy time in the world right now, and a combination of 24-hour news networks and social media is putting the situation in Ukraine directly (virtually) in front of us. Today, we talk about the tech in play and the kind of cyber warfare on display that no one ever thinks about. On the domestic side of things… Seth talks about some self-proclaimed “first-world problems.” What happens when your phone is the only way you can connect to the internet… and it loses all internet access? How...

The Return of Techstream

Techstream is back after a week off. Both Shelly and Seth suffered personal losses, and - for one of the first times in a while - Seth found real comfort in social media. We often talk about the toxicity of platforms like Facebook and Twitter, but today we chat a bit about their benefits. It's been a big-time for sports, too, since we last recorded. We chat about the Olympic figure skating doping scandal - and what, exactly, “performance-enhancing” means, as well as what it means to be hum...

Does Facebook Suck?

Techstream's audience is growing. Facebook's audience, for the first time ever, is not. It was inevitable that this would happen, but there's something worse that's happening in the world of Facebook, and it's bad news for all advertisers and marketers, not just Facebook. While you may think that “Facebook is for your grandparents,” the truth is that just about everyone on the internet is on Facebook. While a Yogi Berra aphorism may come to mind - “No one goes there anymore. It's too crow...

All Things Television, Great and Small

We've been covering a lot of CES-adjacent tech over the past few weeks, and we're continuing that trend in this episode with a deep dive into the world of television. We talk about why QD-OLED TV sets are so breathtaking, whether it's time to upgrade your TV, and what TV tech you should invest in (and what you shouldn't.) Shelly explains why he's annoyed by HDMI 2.1a, Seth offers some “real life” TV advice, and we share some “bottom line” TV buying tips (plus tips on upgrading your home au...

Microsoft, Peloton, and Netflix… Oh My!

Microsoft bought Activision Blizzard for about $70 billion. How does that impact moderate gamers? We talk about the evolution of the gaming industry and how we play games. Microsoft is expert in this. Meta is getting ready. Are we about to see a shift in the way Microsoft views its business? No idea is more powerful than the idea whose time has come. Peloton had its moment, but now it's struggling to predict the public's need for its products. They're facing more competition than ever befo...

NFT Lawsuits, Debates, and Education

It seems like everyone these days wants to aspire to become an influencer, but many people may not realize the true power they have within their network. We talk a bit about influence, virality, and why there's more to your social network than mere size. One of the most powerful influencers in the world, Kim Kardashian, has been in the news lately for a tweet she sent a while back about Ethereum Max. Shelly explains what the lawsuit is about - and why he's keeping a close eye on it. We al...

Facebook, Meta, and the Metaverse at CES 2022

CES 2022 is officially in the books, and we're offering a recap of the show's coolest and most important takeaways, plus the practical tech and best uses of the best innovations that we saw. Then, we share audio from Shelly's Innovation Series Summit 2022 (available to watch in full on YouTube), where he talked to Stephanie Latham, Meta's Head of the Entertainment, Technology, and Mobile & Connectivity industries. They covered tough topics, such as whether Facebook or Instagram, or WhatsAp...

CES 2022 Preview

Happy New Year! Whether you rang in the new year with friends, family, Anderson Cooper, or The Matrix Resurrections, we've all completed another trip around the sun, which means… it's CES time! While some major exhibitors have pulled out the in-person show, CES will still go on as planned (albeit ending a day early). Whether you're going in-person or following along with the show online, there's one event you won't want to miss: the Shelly Palmer Innovation Series Summit, which will stream...

2021: A Tech Year in Review

2021 was… not a great year, BUT starting Techstream was a highlight for both of us. In this episode, we look back at “the year that was,” and we talk a bit about supply chain issues and the ascension of TikTok as two of the big stories of the year. We also dive deep into the worlds of crypto and DeFi, and Shelly teases an upcoming platform to help everyone learn more about Web 3, crypto, blockchain, and more. Then, we chat about our favorite TV shows and movies from the year (with a star...

Last Minute Christmas Gift Ideas

Are you tired of Christmas? Seth sure is! Shelly Claus is here to restore some of his Christmas spirits. But first… COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc, and the lack of universal policies around postponements and rescheduling games in the NHL and NFL is aggravating fans and players alike. We vent some frustrations around that, then talk about the steps the CTA is taking to help make CES as safe and healthy of an in-person event as possible. Then… A recent TikTok “challenge” centered around...

Hacked!

This past week offered Shelly and Seth a look at wars and conflicts both past and present. Seth attended (and covered) the 122nd Army-Navy game. He describes the emotion of the scene and the storied history of the game. Shelly's experience was more modern and less positive. He recaps his MetaMask wallet hack, offers tips on buying hardware wallets and using seed phrases, as well as how to properly and securely encrypt your files. The experience left Shelly feeling a little vulnerable and...

The Impact of Omicron

As December hit, the markets crashed. COVID is back. We're supposed to be evolving from this, but there's another new variant. Should we worry? How do we react? Is it time to start doing things differently? As the old saying goes, “If it bleeds, it leads.” News is entertainment now, and when you give something a name, you give news organizations something to do. We talk about the news coverage from the past week and wonder: Is Omicron more virulent? More contagious? More deadly? We also...

The Breakdown of Black Friday

It's the "Black Friday" edition of Techstream. Before we talk about the holiday weekend… Seth just purchased his first electric vehicle, having (sort of) overcome his range anxiety. We talk about the state of electric vehicles and where they need to improve, and we try to shed some light on the current state of energy prices and where the U.S. power grid stands. Plus, Seth shares a "so funny it has to be true" story about a well-placed charging station. Black Friday sales are down… why? W...

How to Separate Work and Home When You WFH

Over the past 18 months, many of us have moved (either part-time or full-time) to a work-from-home experience. Some of us got shiny new equipment from our employers, while the rest of us adapted (or upgraded) our current gear to implement our work into our home-use machines. If you fall into the latter group, though, things can get murky. Today, we wonder: Should we keep our personal computers separate from our work? We offer tips on how to separate business from pleasure with tips about...

Can We Believe Anything We See?

The lawyers in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial brought up a fascinating perspective on the admissible video. We're steering away from the political elements of this, but the lawyers' assertions around the computational photography used on the devices that captured the footage created enough doubt in the mind of the jury that what they're seeing isn't real. When you add in deepfakes, it's important to realize that we're living in a whole new world, one that will last far past the trial. When it c...

Are You Ready for CES 2022?

Given the state of things, we need some positivity around tech. CES 2022 could be exactly what we all need. This year is going to be a smaller show, but if you have reason to go, it's poised to be one of the best CES shows of all time. Content. Hardware. Software. Brands. They all come together to create the magic of CES. Maybe you're headed to Las Vegas this year for your first show… maybe you're headed for your twentieth show… or maybe you just don't know what the big deal about CES is. ...

The Metadata about Facebook and Meta

We're setting aside our Facebook bashing for a week to instead focus on the company's strategic approach to the future that the metaverse presents. Today, we're answering all the questions posed by Facebook's rebrand. Is Facebook renaming itself, Meta, anything more than prestidigitation? Are people really deleting their Facebook accounts? What level of DC villain is Mark Zuckerberg? Also, Seth has begun exploring TikTok, so we take a little time for a surface-level dive into that world. ...

The Real Cost of Sports

Is Disney planning to sell ESPN? That's the latest rumor at the proverbial water cooler, and today we're talking about whether that makes financial sense for Disney, what would happen to ESPN if it got spun off, and whether or not consumers should care. We also explore the transitional time that televised sports exist in today. We talk about who could land the next big NFL contract, how MLB is thinking about changing its streaming offerings, and the reason behind the strange discrepancy in...

How Real Are Deepfakes?

Have you seen Tom Cruise doing insane things on the internet? Not the insane things he does in every Mission: Impossible movie, but things that seem strange… even for him. If so, you probably saw a Tom Cruise deepfake: a piece of synthetic media in which a person in an existing image or video is replaced with someone else's likeness (in this case, Tom Cruise). Deepfakes are easier to execute than ever, which means they're more prevalent on the internet… and more liable to cause trouble. D...

Education, Employment, and The Great Resignation

Even though we're not talking about Facebook this week… we've got to talk about Facebook this week! (At least for a little bit.) We chat about our Facebook usage this past week and why it's so tough to combat misinformation on WhatsApp. Then, we segue into today's topic: the evolution of education and employment, how each has changed during the pandemic, and how the relationship between the two continues to evolve. We talk about the differences between online learning and online teaching ...

Blowing the Whistle on the Facebook Whistleblower

Last week we talked about Instagram and an embarrassing interview that the people from Instagram did on The Today Show. Well, multiply that by about 15, and you have today's episode of Techstream, about the whistleblower who went on 60 Minutes on Sunday night and plans to testify before Congress this week. What Frances Haugen said should not surprise anyone. Facebook works. Instagram works. This is not news. Facebook knows it's harmful. (Really, how could they NOT know?) In this episode, ...

Should Instagram Take a Pause?

Adam Mosseri, Facebook's Head of Instagram, went on The Today Show on Monday, Sept. 27 to talk about Instagram, its effects on children, and the company's plans for an Instagram "safe for tweens." We've talked a lot on this podcast about the toxicity of social media, and Mosseri's appearance on The Today Show put that topic at the forefront of the cultural conversation once again. Today, we're talking about Facebook's plans to "solve" the problems of Instagram, the power of its algorithm,...

Don't Upgrade to iOS 15… Yet

The new iPhone launches this Friday, and iOS 15 (and iPadOS 15) are available now for your existing Apple devices. If you're thinking of upgrading to Apple's latest software… you may want to wait a bit. We explain why you shouldn't rush to upgrade your iDevice, as well as all the shiny new features Apple has waiting for you when the time comes. (A reminder: if you don't upgrade to iOS 15 yet, make sure you're on iOS 14.8 for security reasons.) Plus: AMC is now airing NFL games in select m...

What Does Football's TV Future Look Like?

It's football season! With the TV landscape changing, and the NFL Sunday Ticket contract expiring in a few years, the million (well, to be fair, billion, or multi-billion) dollar question: what's looming on the horizon for the future of the NFL when it comes to streaming games? We talk about the state of football broadcasts, whether or not we'll be streaming all of our football games on a Big Tech platform in a few years, and whether or not NFL RedZone is too much or exactly the right pres...

Why You (Probably) Don't Need the New iPhone

Seth made his triumphant return to the movie theater after 18 months away… and things did not go as planned. We revisit an earlier conversation from Techstream to talk about the state of the movie theaters, the future of movie theaters (and whether there is one), and more. Plus! Now that it's September, it's "Apple season," but with delays either confirmed or rumored for much of Apple's flagship hardware, will we be able to "celebrate" (by giving Apple our hard-earned money)? We talk about...

More Porn, More Apple, and Jamie Tartt

When Techstream speaks, the tech industry listens! Last episode, we talked about OnlyFans' confounding decision to ban sexually explicit content. Mere days later, OnlyFans reversed its course and decided to once again allow such posts. But that shift doesn't make our last episode obsolete. Far from it, in fact! Instead, it puts our focus on new business models at the forefront of every conversation about the future of OnlyFans and its creators' financial endeavors. Plus! Apple changed it...

The End of OnlyFans: What's Next for Porn?

Porn leads tech. It always has, it always will. And this week, Techstream is all about porn! OnlyFans just announced that -- for business reasons -- it will ban sexually explicit content later this year. Millions of creators and subscribers cried out in terror as they realized the site was going the way of Tumblr. At the same time, half the engineers on the planet stopped what they were doing to contemplate how they could code an uncensored app to take its place. What will take its place?...

The End of OnlyFans: What’s Next for Porn?

Porn leads tech. It always has, it always will. And this week, Techstream is all about porn! OnlyFans just announced that -- for business reasons -- it will ban sexually explicit content later this year. Millions of creators and subscribers cried out in terror as they realized the site was going the way of Tumblr. At the same time, half the engineers on the planet stopped what they were doing to contemplate how they could code an uncensored app to take its place. What will take its place?...

Are Movie Theaters Dead?

The NFL is planning full stadiums. The U.S. Open is planning to have fans. Broadway is sold out for the next, say, three decades. Movie theaters, though, have struggled in their return. Even before COVID-19, movie theaters were in a difficult situation. Now, with the added implications of the pandemic, the ask is even greater and the economics are even direr. We're taking a look at the current state of the movie theater, the changes in theatrical release windows, and the immense level of ...

Apple Plans to Scan Your iPhone. Should You Worry?

Apple will soon start scanning your iPhone for child pornography and other illegal content. Should you be worried? We discuss the Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) database, what Apple is looking for with its scans, and (perhaps more importantly) what it is *not* looking for. We discuss the two sides to this argument and issue, what (exactly) Apple's commitment to protecting you really means, and whether or not Apple is likely to make a mistake, along with the lessons Apple could (or shou...

Time Crystals (or: The End of Physics As We Know It)

We've got all the Pym Particles we need and we're ready to get really small as we talk about one of the most important discoveries of all time… if it's real. We do a quick rundown of the laws of thermodynamics to help everyone comprehend the fact that one of these may no longer be true. The reason? Time crystals. It's sci-fi in the real world. It's on the level of shapeshifting, teleportation, and the rest of the wild stuff you only see in Marvel movies. Everything about everything we thin...

From Olympic Basketball to Masters of the Universe

Take the difficulties of a 13-hour time difference between Tokyo and New York City, add the wrinkle of a global pandemic, and sprinkle in a dash of having every Olympic event "spoiled" on social media before it airs in primetime in the U.S., and it's easy to see why this is the most challenging Olympic Games for broadcasters and journalists. But for viewers, it's never been better! With the games viewable over-the-air (with exquisite NBC packaging) and on Peacock and Hulu (including one-cl...

Streaming Music: How Did We Get Here?

If you love music (and stories about music), the past few weeks have provided a wealth of great new documentaries to watch, including Summer of Soul and 1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything, which looks back at a bygone era of music. Now, there's a new era of music. For just a few bucks a month, we suddenly have access to (just about) the entire history of recorded music. It's amazing for the consumer, but is it a net positive? We talk about the concepts of "access" vs. "ownership,...

A Safer Space Race

On July 11, 2021, Richard Branson ushered in the era of private space travel by flying to the edge of space in a "space plane" designed and built by his company. In a few weeks, Jeff Bezos will surpass Branson's accomplishment by flying above the Karman Line (an altitude of 100 kilometers), the internationally recognized boundary for space, in a "rocket ship" designed and built by his company. While Elon Musk has not been a passenger in one of his own spacecrafts, SpaceX (his company) put...

Don't Take Your High-Speed Internet for Granted

A lot has been written about the socio-techno divide (also known as the digital divide) and how the less affluent lack equal access to modern necessities like high-speed internet. The issue (and the access) goes much deeper than that. We talk about why high-speed internet is so hard to come by in certain places, plus solutions (like Starlink, mophie, and eero) that could help make access a bit easier for some people. We also discuss the risks of being single-threaded and why the necessary ...

Don’t Take Your High-Speed Internet for Granted

A lot has been written about the socio-techno divide (also known as the digital divide) and how the less affluent lack equal access to modern necessities like high-speed internet. The issue (and the access) goes much deeper than that. We talk about why high-speed internet is so hard to come by in certain places, plus solutions (like Starlink, mophie, and eero) that could help make access a bit easier for some people. We also discuss the risks of being single-threaded and why the necessary ...

UFOs, UAPs, and Death Stars: The Truth is Out There

It's hot outside… it's so hot, in fact, that you might think the government just published an official report about UFOs… sorry, UAPs: unidentified aerial phenomena. Wait… they are? We talk about the latest Pentagon report and the likelihood of aliens visiting earth. From there, we talk about the time that Will Smith battled aliens (and the time he battled a giant mechanical spider) before discussing the films of Quentin Tarantino (Are Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2 great films?) and the right way...

What's Going on with Crypto? Is it Cryptomageddon?!

Bitcoin crashed hard this past weekend, and the selloff doesn't seem to be turning around too quickly. The crypto markets have been unusually volatile recently, and there are a few factors at play. We dive into what's going on with the cryptocurrency market, as well as some long-term things to think about and understand so that you're not surprised. If you've been a Techstream listener since the start, you'll know there hasn't been a lot of good news in the crypto market since the show beg...

Gaming PCs: Not Just for Gamers!

Video games and gaming are a hotter industry than they've ever been. Console gaming (like Xbox and PlayStation) is great, but PC gaming is greater. Over the past 18 months, we've seen tremendous enhancements with new advancements like ray tracing and the absolute booming viewership numbers on platforms like Twitch. Is new tech all that's behind the recent uptick in interest around gaming? Is there a "mystery" behind why people watch gamers play (or practice) on Twitch? The biggest question...

Everything You Need to Know About Apple's Announcements at WWDC21

Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) kicked off on Monday with a keynote showing off new operating systems for all of its hardware. We dive into the best new features, discuss key takeaways, and share the announcements we're most excited about. It's not just an Apple lovefest, though. We've got criticism! Is there anything to *actually* get excited about at WWDC this year? Is Apple boosting FaceTime features too little, too late? Does anyone really care if Apple boosts Maps capabi...

The Country Has Re-Opened. Now What?

This past weekend represented a significant milestone: Memorial Day Weekend 2021 was the first major holiday where the majority of Americans were vaccinated against COVID-19. While the world has largely re-opened following the pandemic, more than a few questions remain. Safe or unsafe? Who will voluntarily agree to be in the "unsafe" group? Who can you trust? Plus, the biggest question of all: If you've been vaccinated, should you care if someone else isn't? We also talk about vaccine pas...

Is Crypto Dead?

Last time we spoke about crypto, we offered the intro course. Today, we're going deeper. We're on the cusp of brand new, and there's a world of crazy you should be aware of. There's a very small cross-section of people both financially savvy and tech savvy, and therein lies the issue. People don't know what they don't know, and there are more than a few people willing to use your lack of knowledge to their advantage. We explain what's been going on in the world of crypto, blockchain, and...

WarnerMedia Merges with Discovery: What This Means for You

Have You Been Hacked Today?

Don't click that link! With phishing and social engineering at an all-time high, hacks and ransomware (like the one that just hit the Colonial Pipeline) are more common than ever. We talk about how ransomware works, the traps, and pitfalls to avoid, and why security is on the top of everyone's mind right now. We also look into the (potentially terrifying) future to see where the real damage can (and likely will) be done. As Robert Mueller said, "There are only two types of companies: thos...

Apple vs. Fortnite and the Future of Gaming, Esports, and Entertainment

Do you want to play a game? Apple and Fortnite are locked in a battle that could change the iPhone as we know it. What's the fight all about? Who's right? Who's wrong? Who ya got? We break it all down and explain what's really going on. Plus: we look at the emergence of esports, the ascendance of Twitch, and where it falls in the greater sports ecosystem. We also talk about the changing ways we're able to gather around communities of passion and how we can interact with our favorite conte...