HACKS | a tech podcast

doggedly zeroing in on the intersection of technology, politics, and culture

About the show

here at the HACKS Initiative we ask the questions everyone else is too shook to: what is technology? why is everything so bad? what's my passphrase again? how do I get the header image to work? is the NSA agent watching me through my webcam my friend?

Episodes

  • episode 006: rehash power

    September 23rd, 2018  |  48 mins 12 secs
    bitcoin, capitalism, ethics, greenwashing, podcast, the rim

    maral rejoins us for a wide/free-ranging discussion about sustainability, b*tc**n, and the inevitable death of our species (and other fun subjects!)

  • episode 005: disorder of the triad

    September 13th, 2018  |  47 mins 11 secs
    elizabeth holmes, elon musk, joe rogan, john mcafee, podcast, tech, tesla, theranos

    once again we debase ourselves, this time by engaging with tech celebrities in the dim hopes of piggybacking off of their notoriety. look, it's a hustle out there

  • episode 004: cops and LAN go hand in hand

    September 6th, 2018  |  47 mins 8 secs
    bofa, law enforcement, technology, waving the black flag

    two recent examples of local police departments going buck wild with new technologies, and we tackle the open source community's relationship with ICE.

  • episode 003: shade runner 2018

    August 30th, 2018  |  43 mins 38 secs
    alphabet, amazon, childbirth, google, hq2, podcast, savory snacks, sidewalk labs

    simon and rosemary go on a field trip and the Initiative measures the value of "smart cities" and a potential new Amazon headquarters.

  • episode 002: spooky action at the multiplex

    August 23rd, 2018  |  44 mins 5 secs
    gotti, innovation, morons, moviepass, spookytimes, unfriended dark web

    scanning for signs of digital meaning in UNFRIENDED: DARK WEB and the life and (probable) death of MoviePass, the app that was too good to live

  • episode 001: welcome to the interrortron

    August 16th, 2018  |  39 mins 21 secs
    anarchy, cats, documentary, investing, robo-advisors, technology, wealthsimple

    on wealthsimple, "ethical investing," and weaponizing errol morris.