Episodes

  • What comes next after #TooEmbarrassed ends?

    What comes next after #TooEmbarrassed ends?
    Aug 3 2018
    Two and a half years ago, we launched Too Embarrassed to Ask. And now, having answered your questions about everything from Snapchat to Juicero to tech addiction, it’s time to goodbye ... or maybe Goode-bye? This week, Recode’s Kara Swisher reunites with her longtime co-host Lauren Goode (now a senior writer at Wired) for one final show and one final “hashtag money.” They talk about wearables, podcasts, Phoebe’s twin sister on “Friends,” Facebook’s year of scandals and — of course — their cats. Give it a listen and stay tuned for a new Kara Swisher podcast, coming this fall. If you subscribe to Too Embarrassed to Ask now, make sure to stay subscribed; you’ll automatically get the first episodes of Kara’s new show once it’s ready. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    45 mins
  • Should you quit social media?

    Should you quit social media?
    Jul 27 2018
    Microsoft Research scientist Jaron Lanier talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book, "10 Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now." He explains why those who have the opportunity to quit platforms like Facebook and Twitter should do so, comparing the problem to past crusades against “mass addictions” like smoking or drunk driving. Lanier also talks about the future of virtual reality, a field in which he helped drive interest in the 1990s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    47 mins
  • Why do people think their phones are spying on them?

    Why do people think their phones are spying on them?
    Jul 20 2018
    Northeastern University assistant professors Dave Choffnes and Christo Wilson talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about their recent year-long investigation into a popular online conspiracy theory: Smartphones are secretly turning on their microphones to record conversations and serve us more targeted ads. Choffnes and Wilson say that although there have been a small number of apps that have surveilled users, they tested 17,000 of the most popular apps on Android and found that this doesn't happen; in fact, it doesn't need to. Although the theory may sound plausible, we provide a vast amount of information about ourselves through other means that can explain ads that feel eerily well-targeted to our lives. The researchers also explain some of the steps consumers can take to reduce these more mundane privacy violations and how app developers have reacted since their study was released. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    30 mins
  • How do you get over burnout? Ask Kobe Bryant for help.

    How do you get over burnout? Ask Kobe Bryant for help.
    Jul 13 2018
    House of Highlights creator Omar Raja talks with Recode's Kurt Wagner about how he built his sports-focused Instagram account into a social media juggernaut. Today, it's owned by Bleacher Report and has nearly 10 million followers. Raja hasn't taken a day off in four years; however, the fame of the account has connected him with basketball stars like Kobe Bryant, who earlier this year gave Raja a personal pep talk and cured a growing sense of burnout. He also talks about how he decides what to feature on Instagram, why House of Highlights is expanding into YouTube and Twitter accounts and how it's making money on all of these platforms without looking like a sell-out in the eyes of its young fanbase. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    47 mins
  • Disinformation on social media: How screwed are we?

    Disinformation on social media: How screwed are we?
    Jul 6 2018
    Renée DiResta, the head of policy at Data for Democracy, talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about how disinformation is spread on social media platforms and what can be done about it. DiResta says the tech community wouldn't be talking about this problem as much if Donald Trump had not won the presidency in 2016 — and that’s unfortunate, because a huge and diverse number of groups have weaponized social media, not just pro-Trump Russian agents. She explains why consumers shouldn’t be afraid of tech platforms sharing more information with each other and the government, and why one of the most useful things they can do is to politely correct people in their own communities who are spreading false information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    44 mins
  • Are VR games better than normal video games?

    Are VR games better than normal video games?
    Jun 29 2018
    Recode’s Kara Swisher, her son Louie Swisher and Recode Radio producer Eric Johnson talk about Sandbox VR, a new virtual reality arcade installation south of San Francisco that they visited together, along with Kara’s other son, Alex. They share their reactions to an action-packed pirate video game, in which everyone was wearing a backpack computer and a VR headset and could roam freely around a room, all while shooting evil skeletons, dodging ghosts and solving puzzles. Kara says she’d prefer a similar VR experience to any video game, while Louie argues that it’s an unfair comparison, and that there are times he’d still prefer to play games on the TV. Meanwhile, Eric critiques the game’s design, and everyone complains about a parrot that wouldn't stop talking. Plus: Louie recounts a VR art installation that illustrates the peril of crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, and Kara quizzes him about his latest feelings on Snapchat and Facebook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    49 mins
  • Anil Dash: How can we make tech more accountable?

    Anil Dash: How can we make tech more accountable?
    Jun 22 2018
    Entrepreneur Anil Dash, the CEO of Fog Creek Software, talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about ethics and accountability in the tech industry. Dash recounts his first “eye-opening moment” about the potential for abuse on the web, and why he is encouraged by an apparent shift in the tone of the conversation about harassment and inclusion. He also proposes a new way to talk about the worst forms of platform misuse, such as the genocide in Myanmar that has been fueled in part by Facebook. Plus: Why South Asian immigrants are overrepresented in American tech companies, and why Dash has become internet-famous for talking about mangoes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    41 mins
  • AT&T can buy Time Warner. What does that mean for everyone else?

    AT&T can buy Time Warner. What does that mean for everyone else?
    Jun 15 2018
    Recode's Kara Swisher and Peter Kafka talk about this week's ruling that AT&T could buy Time Warner, likely ending a lawsuit brought against the companies by the U.S. Justice Department. The decision almost immediately triggered a $65 billion bid from Comcast for 21st Century Fox, which Disney had been publicly courting at a lower price. And more generally, Kafka says it means that any media distributor now feels free to buy content companies, should they want to mirror AT&T's planned marriage of its distribution infrastructure with Time Warner's media. Plus: What all this means for consumers and why it's significant that this verdict came down the same week that net neutrality was repealed in the U.S. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    35 mins