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PODCAST

Technology Blows

Technology: where does it come from? How does it work? And why is it so shitty? Tune in every week for true stories about the technological marvels that plague our lives, from Bluetooth to QR codes to Clippy.

technology

All Episodes

84:23

Keurig: the Coffee Maker for People who Don't Give a...

Technology Blows ·

2026/01/28

Give the gift of convenient garbage, with Keurig. This week, Xiao Yu joins us as we explore:How Keurig was born out of antisocial office culture and a deep ambivalence for qualityThe fascinating career of hippie-turned-billionaire-asshole-turned-has-been Bob StillerHow digital rights management disrupted the beverage industryReferences:Campbell's soup in a Keurig:

en

79:11

Cookies: How Ad Platforms Steal Your Mind (Part 2)

Technology Blows ·

2026/01/21

The web didn't have to be this way. Friend-of-the-pod CJ Horton joins us for a look at cookies: the completely reasonable web protocol that became host to the parasitic ad industry.References:"Lou Montulli: Sexiest Internet Mogul." People. 15 November

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67:36

Cookies: How Ad Platforms Steal Your Mind (Part 1)

Technology Blows ·

2026/01/14

The web didn't have to be this way. Friend-of-the-pod CJ Horton joins us for a look at cookies: the completely reasonable web protocol that became host to the parasitic ad industry.References:"Lou Montulli: Sexiest Internet Mogul." People. 15 November

en

85:20

Kalshi: the Betting App that's Helping to Destroy...

Technology Blows ·

2026/01/07

Kalshi: is it "the first federally regulated prediction market," or just a shittier FanDuel? Join me and friend-of-the-pod Jeff Bonhag to learn:What modern science has in common with rolling fox knucklesHow Kalshi DOSed the Commodity Futures Trading CommissionWhy Donald Trump Jr is so interested in making prediction markets a

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75:34

Scantron: the Little Green Sheet that Ruined Education

Technology Blows ·

2025/12/31

This week we're joined by Brandon Romano to learn about Scantron: the company that made ubiquitous standardized testing possible. Find out:How standardized tests were graded in the 1500s (hint: it involved throwing corpses over walls)Why the hideous pseudoscience of eugenics is weirdly load-bearing for the SATHow Scantron uses infrared light to transmute those little number-2 pencil marks into college rejection

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52:16

Shazam (Part 2)

Technology Blows ·

2025/12/17

This week and last, I'm joined by singer-songwriter Rachel Kiel to talk about Shazam: the massive data analytics platform that occasionally tells you the names of songs. Find out:How they use computers to turn all your favorite songs into constellationsWhat other things you can Shazam, if you're not a music personWhat Shazam likes to do in its spare time, when you think it's not listening

en

61:07

Shazam (Part 1)

Technology Blows ·

2025/12/10

This week and next, I'm joined by singer-songwriter Rachel Kiel to talk about Shazam: the massive data analytics platform that occasionally tells you the names of songs. Find out:How they use computers to turn all your favorite songs into constellationsWhat other things you can Shazam, if you're not a music personWhat Shazam likes to do in its spare time, when you think it's not listening

en

79:56

Clippy

Technology Blows ·

2025/12/03

It looks like you're trying to listen to a podcast. Would you like some help with that? Join me and my guest Dana Vannen Anderson for the bizarre and frequently cringe story of Clippy, the paperclip that us helped write a thousand letters. Find out:Where we got the notion that your computer should act like a personWhy Microsoft ditched the idea of Clippy ever shutting the fuck upWhat celebrated actor brought the paperclip to life for Office XP's mortifying launch

en

78:28

Washing machines

Technology Blows ·

2025/11/19

Come with me, and you'll be, in a world of squeezing/agitation! This week, Rit Breisler and I discuss washing machines. Learn:What fluid the ancient Romans used instead of detergent (hint: you're not gonna like it)What your washing machine's onboard computer is for (hint: computers don't wash clothes)Why washing machines have gotten so much more efficient in the last half century (hint: it's not the smartphone

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55:24

Jira (Part 2)

Technology Blows ·

2025/11/12

Jira: the bloated tick gorging itself on the software industry. Join me and CJ Horton to learn about:Henry Gantt, the absolute chart simp who gave your boss the idea to ask you about your progress every half hourInfinite backlogs: where hope goes to quietly dieThe heartbreaking story of a billionaire's impostor

en

53:50

Jira (Part 1)

Technology Blows ·

2025/11/05

Jira: the bloated tick gorging itself on the software industry. Join me and CJ Horton to learn about:Henry Gantt, the absolute chart simp who gave your boss the idea to ask you about your progress every half hourInfinite backlogs: where hope goes to quietly dieThe heartbreaking story of a billionaire's impostor

en

58:25

Smart beds

Technology Blows ·

2025/10/29

Is the world ready for a mattress that snaps shut like a Venus fly trap whenever Amazon AWS is down? Jeff Bonhag and I decide!- The Bourbons: France's sleepiest monarchs- What kind of animal Peter Thiel sleeps inside- The $5000 AI-powered bed that saved DOGE, and also sometimes pisses

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52:06

Built-in battery testers

Technology Blows ·

2025/10/22

Remember those little strips that used to be on batteries, where you'd pinch it with your fingers and it'd say how much power it had left? This episode is about those! Join me and my buddy Manuel Wudka-Robles as we talk about:Why rivals Duracell and Energizer both announced versions of this feature on the same exact dayHow it workedWhy they're not around

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78:12

Wireless headphones (Part 2)

Technology Blows ·

2025/10/15

I sit down with my good friend Stephen Lauck to talk about wireless headphones – or, as we like to think of them, headphones with invisible wires.We cover:Mark Zuckerberg's stupid glassesNathan Baldwin, the theoretical polygamist who invented headphonesThe first stereo headphones, made by KossThe 1/8" audio jackThe WalkmanThe regulation of the radio spectrum (chart)Ether landlordsBluetoothThe iPhone 7 (the first iPhone without an 1/8" audio

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64:45

Wireless headphones (Part 1)

Technology Blows ·

2025/10/08

I sit down with my good friend Stephen Lauck to talk about wireless headphones – or, as we like to think of them, headphones with invisible wires.We cover:Mark Zuckerberg's stupid glassesNathan Baldwin, the theoretical polygamist who invented headphonesThe first stereo headphones, made by KossThe 1/8" audio jackThe WalkmanThe regulation of the radio spectrum (chart)Ether landlordsBluetoothThe iPhone 7 (the first iPhone without an 1/8" audio

en

15 results

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