Tech Hygiene

While I realize another podcast about ICOs might be a bit much I had the unique opportunity to sit down with Paul Vigna and Michael Casey to talk about their new book, Truth Machine, and the future of finance. It's a wide-ranging discussion and I hope you enjoy it. There is even a nice Q&A at the end.

Paul Vigna has been writing about crypto for years and his new book, [The Truth Machine](http://amzn.to/2Ho7s2X), focuses on the blockchain, the network that runs the bitcoin network. In this episode of Technotopia we talk about the technology and where it's headed.

Jonathan Zufi obsesses about cool stuff. His latest product, the [LifeClock One,](https://wristwatchreview.com/2018/02/14/escape-from-your-cubicle-with-the-lifeclock-one/) is an obsessive recreation of the LifeClock watch from Escape From New York and his book, [Iconic](iconicbook.com), is a fascinating look at Apple products from beginning to end. In short, he knows a lot about cool stuff. Join us as we talk about design, art, and the future of dystopian fiction.

When investor and entrepreneur Jalak Jobanputra first visited a blockchain conference five years ago she got goosebumps. The experienced investor had heard of cryptocurrencies but now that they had truly come into maturity she was excited. Now, five years later, she's building her entire VC practice around blockchain and sees bright days ahead for the technology. Join us as we talk about the future of blockchain and where she feels the technology is headed.

The PLATO computing system started out as an early educational tool in the early 1960s. The system, which launched well outside of Silicon Valley, captured the hearts and minds of thousands of early hackers and I spoke to Brian Dear, author of [The Friendly Orange Glow: The Untold Story of the PLATO System and the Dawn of Cyberculture](The Friendly Orange Glow: The Untold Story of the PLATO System and the Dawn of Cyberculture) about the platform and his deep research into early computing. It's a fascinating discussion.

Jeremy Ring was an early employee at Yahoo as well as a State Senator. In this episode of Technotopia we talk about his book, [We Were Yahoo](http://amzn.to/2DSyIIN), and what politics can learn from tech.

Nick Montfort is a professor in MIT’s Comparative Media Studies/Writing and the author of a new book, “The Future.” His book explores "future makers" - people who create the future with their work. It's a fascinating read and he's a fascinating thinker in the space.

Elizabeth Dunn has been researching and writing about the business of restaurants and her recent pieces are a fascinating look at where we're headed in the world of food. We talk about the winners and losers in the coming war for our tummies.

Polly Rodriguez is the co-founder and CEO of Unbound, an ecommerce site dedicated to women's sexuality. In this episode we talk about the future of human to human contact and what happens when you look beyond the cliches.

Machine learning expert has some fascinating things to say about the coming AI explosion and how we're more likely to see armies of smart systems rather than a unified artificial intelligence.

Lopp is my favorite thinker in cryptocurrency and the information he shared with me back in 2016 is still applicable today. Take a listen as we gear up for fresh episodes in the new year.

S1 Ep90: Leslie Berlin

This week on Technotopia we talk to writer Tobias Stone whose focus on the future is tinged by lessons of the past. It's a fascinating discussion with a fascinating thinker.

In this episode we talk to Rahul Sood, founder of Unikrn and creator of one of the most successful recent US ICOs.

James Williams is a doctoral candidate at the Oxford Internet Institute. He studies the ethics of attention and persuasion in technology design and spoke with us about the rise of attention-grabbing advertising and media and how we can fight back against the onslaught.