Grepcast: Recent Episodes
TSP
Recorded live at Startup Boston Week 2025, this episode of Power Up Boston features a conversation between Tech Superpowers’ Adam Fisk and Aisling Carlson, Chief Growth Officer at Greentown Labs.
From her beginnings in venture capital to leading growth at the world’s largest climatetech incubator, Aisling shares her journey, lessons in resilience, and the role of community in helping founders scale breakthrough ideas. She also dives into the unique ecosystems in Boston and Houston, how Greentown connects startups with investors and corporate partners, and why finding your “why” is critical for any entrepreneur .
Tune in for insights on climate innovation, founder support, and the future of Boston’s startup community.
Ries McQuillan, Senior Manager of Business Development at Baker Tilly, joins us to talk about his unconventional path from selling Cutco knives to becoming a relationship-driven leader in Boston’s startup ecosystem. In this episode, we dive into how Reese built a career on partnerships, why patience is critical in sales, and how Baker Tilly supports startups—from pre-seed through IPO.
Whether you’re a founder, ecosystem connector, or just love a good startup story, this one’s for you.
Beth Porter, Head of Studio Operations at C10 Labs and faculty at BU Questrom School of Business, joins Adam and Mike to dive into the hacker-first mindset, the evolving role of AI in innovation, and how startups can balance risk, security, and growth in an ever-changing tech landscape!
Omer Tene, a Partner at Goodwin Procter LLP, took the time to join Adam and Mike to not only give us a primer on what privacy means for us all, and discuss how the world of privacy has been changing - especially with AI!
PowerUp Boston is back!
In this latest episode, we had the incredible opportunity to connect with Stephanie Roulic, the visionary founder of Startup Boston and a force in her own right in the Boston startup community. Following our own talk at Startup Boston Week and witnessing the vibrant community they've cultivated, we just had to bring Stephanie onto the podcast.
Join us as we dive into Startup Boston's roots, the value of hybrid events, the significance of community research in your startup adventure, and so much more!
Find Steph and everything they're up to at startupbos.org/ & https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephroulic. Also for the latest in Boston events, check out their Community Events calendar here!
In this episode of PowerUp Boston, Adam and Mike are joined by Kylie Bourjaily of InnoCrew and talk about her experiences being a founder of two companies in Boston, as well as building community and the unspoken stresses founders go through!
Find InnoCrew and everything they're up to at theinnocrew.com & twitter.com/theinnocrew, as well as Kylie at twitter.com/KylieBourjaily.
Tech Superpowers will be at StartUp Week Boston 2023! Find us in the Founder track on Thursday at 2 PM! https://www.startupbos.org/founder-track-sbw2023
Mike and Adam chat with Matt Crane of MGMT Boston about the differences between the startup scene on the West Coast and in Boston, what the Endeca effect is, and what's next for MGMT Boston!
Follow Matt and the happenings over at MGMT Boston at mgmtboston.com, and sign up for the newsletter at mgmtboston.substack.com!
Stay in touch with the Tech Superpowers team and everything we're up to over at tsp.me and on Instagram!
Tech Superpowers is back in your feeds with a brand new show! Adam and Mike are here to talk about everything that's been happening since you've heard us last and introducing what we're doing next! PowerUp Boston will be a regular podcast where we connect with folks from the Boston startup community to discuss the scale-up journey and all the various items that come up as a business grows!
Adam, Kelly, and Mike are back with a collection of quick-hit articles, bringing you that classic Grepcast energy while not being all too mired in the constant pandemic-related technology coverage. While we kick it off with everyone's new morning / evening routine, we take a glance at the past (2003 to be specific) before doing some future tripping.
Links and Extra Reading
Doomscrolling Is Slowly Eroding Your Mental Health
Facemash Creator Survives Ad Board
Beyond Zoom: The future of virtual meetingsMedivis - Pushing the limits of what's possible
Looks like you need Iceland
The Grepcast is joined by a special guest today, Sarah Pruski, Director of Security Operations at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education for a conversation about all things cybersecurity. But! Before we get into cybersecurity, we touch back in with our best friends - Spot the Dog and Silicon Valley.
Links and Extra Reading
Spot the Coronavirus Doctor Robot Dog Will See You Now
Is ‘dopamine fasting’ Silicon Valley’s new productivity fad?
Telecoms paranoia, 5G vs Covid-19 (and phones turning into human heads)
Radio Galaxy Zoo: LOFAR
How to Feel Nothing Now, in Order to Feel More Later
Indycar's Virtual Race Crashes Sparked Real-World Controversy Among Drivers
As we continue to record from our homes in the time of COVID, we start by chatting about VR once again, even though Adam continues to be unconvinced. From there, the gang talks through Contact Tracing improvements and then how COBOL and technical debt has brought about a new group of superheroes.
Links and Extra Reading
@michaelfolkson: Yesterday I co-hosted a Socratic Seminar in VR
Apple acquires popular weather app Dark Sky and will shut down the Android version
Google And Apple Will Enable Mobile Phones To Trace User Contacts In Coronavirus Fight
How Digital Contact Tracing Slowed Covid-19 in East Asia
Our Government Runs on a 60-Year-Old Coding Language, and Now It’s Falling Apart
Zoom Lets Attackers Steal Windows Credentials, Run Programs via UNC Links
Bookshop
Network traffic insights in the time of COVID-19: March 23-29 update
In this episode of the Grepcast, we focus on all the things that feel worse than the new normal of self-quarantines. Come for the Bird smack-talk, stay for Kelly going off on the Internet Archive.
Links and Extra Reading
My friend just got laid off along with 400 other employees by dialing into a pre-recorded Zoom message.
It Felt Like a Black Mirror Episode' The Inside Account of How Bird Laid off 406 People in Two Minutes via a Zoom Webinar
Internet Archive offers 1.4 million copyrighted books for free online
The Pandemic Is Not an Excuse to Exploit Writers
Twitter: Want to see the true potential impact of ignoring social distancing?
Boston Public Library: Into the Water
LinkedIn: Our strategy for COVID-19 layoffs
In this episode of the Grepcast, we check-in on how COVID is changing the landscape of the internet - especially as it pertains to Zoom and Netflix. From there, Adam gets mad at an article bemoaning the limitations of VR and then we dissect a new wearable that promotes privacy from Alexa and Siri.
Links & Extra Reading
AT&T Suspends Broadband Data Caps During Coronavirus Crisis
‘Zoombombing’: When Video Conferences Go Wrong
Netflix and YouTube are slowing down in Europe to keep the internet from breaking
VR Was Supposed to Help Us Work Remotely. So Where Is It?
Activate This ‘Bracelet of Silence,’ and Alexa Can’t Eavesdrop
Rachel Barenbaum's 'A Bend In The Stars' Tells A Tale Of Injustice And Romance
https://twitter.com/viverideama/status/1242224223055155201?s=20
As the world continues the change as part of the current Covid-19 pandemic, we here at the Grepcast are here to talk about how it may just change work forever. But before we dive into that, we follow up on an article from 2015 about how smart homes can improve the quality of life for those living with disabilities.
Links and Extra Reading
An Instagram personality said he had coronavirus on a plane. The failed viral stunt got him arrested
ImJayStation: YouTuber admits to faking girlfriend’s death to gain subscribers
For the disabled, smart homes are home sweet home
How coronavirus could force the work-from-home movement
Coronavirus is the first big test for futuristic tech that can prevent pandemics
The Zodiac Killer has been a mystery for 50 years – but one man thinks he's solved it
Writers Bone Episode 402: Kelly J. Ford, Author of Cottonmouths
On this episode of the Grepcast, we only focus on the good stuff! No bummers in this episode, not even a single one! Our quick hits start with domain name "acquisitions" and Smart Mirrors. From there, we go on to the future of 3D printing and what the "right to repair" really means.
Links and Extra Reading
Social Media Influencer Behind ‘State Snaps’ Sentenced to 14 Years for Plot to Steal Domain Name
A $1,500 smart mirror brings live fitness classes to your home
The world’s first 3D-printed neighborhood now has its first houses
He Was Murdered in a Hate Crime. She Brought His Blood-Soaked Phone Back to Life.
Apple Is Bullying a Security Company with a Dangerous DMCA Lawsuit
The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic--and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World
This Company Built a Private Surveillance Network. We Tracked Someone With It
Sure - it's a bit of a spoiler, but in this episode of the Grepcast, we find concrete examples of the joy of technology. But before we get to that, we go over talk Cybersecurity, Big Dogs, and the permeation of productivity apps in the home.
Links and Extra Reading
NSA Cybersecurity Boss Anne Neuberger on What Keeps Her Up at Night
Mass. State Police Tested Out Boston Dynamics’ Spot The Robot Dog. Civil Liberties Advocates Want To Know More
Slack's New Rich Text Editor Shows That Markdown Still Scares People
The Slackification of the American Home
Dial Up!
De mi Rancho a Tu Cocina
BOKA Vanguard loading Carnival Vista
On this episode of the Grepcast, we tackle all of our late year heavy hitters - the tribulations of managing life, and what are we going to do about Open Office design?
Links and Extra Reading
Managing Your Friendships, With Software
'I feel bombarded with to-dos': the hell of life admin – and how to get on top
The Truth About Open Offices
On average, a data breach costs $3.9 million. Fortunately, cybersecurity insurance is now available to help businesses limit the financial damage associated with a data breach.
Cybersecurity insurance offers financial protection if a business suffers a data breach. For example, if a company loses money due to a malware attack or any other cyberattack, cybersecurity insurance covers the investigation and recovery costs associated with this incident.
So, is cybersecurity insurance worth the money? In our latest Grepcast, "So What Is Cybersecurity Insurance, Anyways?" Cleary Insurance Vice President Andy Gregory discusses cybersecurity insurance, and why it is a must-have for today's businesses. Read our Grepcast transcript below to find out what Gregory and the Grepcast team have to say about cybersecurity insurance.
Full Disclosure : Cleary Insurance is TSP's insurance provider.
Grepcast # 51.5 — So What Is Cybersecurity Insurance, Anyways? Adam Fisk: Joining us today on the Grepcast, we have Andy Gregory, Vice President at Cleary Insurance. He's here to chat about everybody's favorite topic, and that is insurance, but specifically, cybersecurity insurance. So, just to get a baseline definition, what is cybersecurity insurance?
Andy Gregory: Cybersecurity insurance really is the insurance industry's response to covering a peril that was not previously covered under traditional insurance. The insurance industry is a causational type of operation and consistently responds to providing a type of product that was needed prior to a specific event. Back in the 80's, 90's, and certainly the 2000's, when cyber events started happening like hacking and such, the existing insurance coverage forms that were available did not exist. So, either the policy form was silent and did not cover it at all. Or, it was expressly excluded. So, cyber coverage is something that has been designed to address those costs that come out of hacking. It covers both the company itself for damage — whether it's financial or property damage — that is the result of a hack. Or, financial damage to a customer or third party as a result of that. It's a very, very highly specialized and complicated insurance coverage form that's different than any other insurance coverage form out there.
Michael Oh: What's interesting, Andy, from my perspective is that we've actually seen some of our customers looking at cyber security because of the insurance. It is a reaction from the insurance companies to something that's happened, but we're also seeing that clients are becoming more educated about cyber security, and really what the risks are. It's almost like if there's a premium and a cost to it, then suddenly it's real. Whereas with cyber security up to this point, I think a lot of companies have sort of seen it as, "Well, [a cyber event] hasn't happened so far, is it really going to happen, and do I really need to take any action with my IT firm or internally in order to mitigate it?" But it seems almost like, "Hey, if the insurance companies recognize [cyber events] as a risk, then this is something that I need to act on." Which is actually a great end result, in my view.
AG: Yeah, no question. In IT security and IT services, everything that you provide is, in essence, risk management for the insured. But, for instance, let's compare it to property insurance for a building. If your building has hardwired smoke detectors and fire alarms, the insurance company looks at that property risk as a good risk. It's the same thing with IT security. You're deploying any and all possible standards for your company that help to mitigate or reduce or completely avoid any type of cybersecurity event, so then you pay much lower premiums, because there is a much better risk overall.
AF: So, in this case, we can at least, with a resounding voice, say that cybersecurity insurance is not the end-all. We have to do our homework first, and we have to make sure that we at least do the bare minimum of protecting ourselves.
AG: Absolutely. The whole concept of insurance is that you're doing your best — it's risk management — to reduce or mitigate any potential loss to your company. And then the insurance is a backup to that effort. And as a result, [the insurance] is there to protect you, but also, if you're doing the right thing to reduce risk, you're going to pay lower premiums than another company that is not doing the same.
MO: So how would you recommend that a company that really hasn't tackled cyber security either from an insurance or risk mitigation standpoint that is working with an IT provider approach this? Is it one before the other? Is it both simultaneously? What do you see out there in the marketplace?
AG: That's a good question. It's interesting. You talk to people that run businesses — whether it's a small business owner or a mid-sized company that's got a controller or chief financial officer — every business is watching the bottom line and focused on controlling costs. Unfortunately, a lot of the time, cyber security and certainly insurance in various forms are overlooked, and it's also almost on purpose, and they say they have enough insurance. I would say that, first and foremost, a company that works with an IT vendor needs to embrace that relationship and treat [the vendor] as a regular partner to their team. It needs to say, "Let's meet on a regular basis and make sure that you understand what we're doing and who we're doing business with and how our networks are protected. Do we have the latest malware protection? Are we encrypting where we need to be encrypting?" I guarantee that if you sit down with a lot of these small to mid-sized businesses, a lot of them will give you a pretty vague answer when you ask them if their standards are up to date. I'm sure you see this when you bring on new clients. Most companies are not where they should be. And once you have that addressed, then you superimpose the insurance as a backstop.
MO: It's interesting, because I think one of the things that's very clear to me is it's a problem with education about what the risks are so that a business owner can quantify those things. Ultimately, there's the fear that something might happen, the idea that that might cost five figures or six figures, or, in some cases, more, but there's really no way to quantify that in a way that gets to the point where they can say, "OK, well that is worth X to me." But I think what you mentioned is to really start these discussions with your IT provider, with companies like us, because until you start those conversations, everybody is in the dark. We're not here to just sell a service to our clients. We're here to educate and inform them about how [a service] is useful and the value you get for that service. I'm sure it's very similar in the insurance world as well. It's less about selling something than it is about educating people and bringing them along on that journey of understanding the risks.
AG: Yeah, no question. The only way to quantify that is to hang your hat, so to speak, on statistics. First of all, in the state of Massachusetts, any company that has one record that has potentially been breached has to notify the state. As soon as you do that, there are costs that you incur as far as investigation and notification. And if you compare the costs between spending money with an IT service firm that makes sure everything is up to date and spends time with your employees to educate them on finding phishing emails — you'd be surprised at how often employees click right through them and infect networks — and cybersecurity fees and insurance costs with the costs of a cyber breach, then I think it's a no-brainer. The cost comparison between the two makes it easy to make a decision.
AF: In your experience, either historically or where we're at in present days, are there any industries that are more prevalent for an attack like this? I know for at least ourselves, but even in the Greater Boston IT community, there are definitely areas where [companies] feel like, "Hey, we're not at risk. We're not doing something that is going to be heavily trafficked or trying to be stolen." Are you seeing similar things, or is it across the board these days?
AG: Looking at it from two different perspectives, the general statistics suggest that close to 60% of data breaches are targeted toward small businesses. So, small businesses are a target because they are perceived as not as well-funded for cyber security, and it may be easier to gain access to their networks. From an actual sector standpoint, healthcare has been one of the bigger areas that's been affected. Any type of organization that's involved in a financial transaction; law firms and accounting firms are two very big areas that are targets of social engineering attacks. We've seen several times with our clients where a third party has found a way to hack an email address and redirect funds that are supposed to be going to or from a bank or from a bank to a law firm or a third-party client. So, those are definitely two sectors that are big targets.
MO: It's interesting that you say law firms, financial firms, and these people that are moving money. But at the same time, you're also saying that anybody that makes transactions. But that's the fact in small business. What we've found ourselves in, even as a small IT firm, is that we're doing these transactions on a pretty regular basis. Whether or not it's to pay a vendor using wire funds and that kind of stuff, there's always the potential for these things to be hacked, if an email gets hacked into and its details are changed. So, in some ways, it does make sense that there are some areas that are more highly targeted. But I think what we've found as well is that just because your firm isn't in one of those things doesn't mean that you won't be a target. [Cybercriminals are] basically looking for anyone that may be complacent or hasn't put in the effort to educate and train users. And effectively, that bookkeeper or controller that's part of that thread of money moving around in a business is the target, regardless of what your industry is.
AG: Yeah, absolutely. I've heard some cybersecurity professionals say in the past that if you think about the industry as a hacker, there's not just a person sitting there during the work day that's trying to hack into your system. [Cyberattacks] are constant, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year, and they're all-day-long automated processes. There are networks out there just searching and searching for weaknesses. So, yeah, it is anyone, and once [hackers] find a weakness in a network, they're going to explore it, and they're going to dig in there and see what they can find.
MO: As you mentioned, insurance is sort of a game of statistics. I recently was looking into some research about family offices; these are offices that are managing quite a large amount of wealth. There was a 2019 report from UBS and Camden Wealth that included a survey of 300 family offices. They said, "When those studied here were asked whether or not they had suffered a cybersecurity attack, 20% said yes, 72% said no, and 8.5% were unsure." Which, [unsure to me] means a yes. If you don't really know if you were hacked or not, then you probably were. But they basically surmised that the actual number of family offices successfully hit by a cyberattack is 30%. Because, really, if you look at the answers and knowledge that the people have, and the anticipation that some people will have been hacked but really don't know it yet — there's someone sitting on a network and waiting for a transaction to go through and trying to get that big $50,000 or $100,000 wire transfer to the wrong place — that's a pretty big number.
AG: I've seen statistics that generally show that, when asked, business owners will say that they were aware that they have potentially been hacked, and the rest didn't actually realize that they had been hacked because they didn't know it yet. There's a very high percentage of businesses that have third parties with access to their networks that haven't actually done anything yet, but the risk is there for the future.
AF: So tying everything together, using your analogies in regards to cyber security and insurance, we want to make sure we have at least the baseline, that we have the sprinkler systems, and that we have the fire extinguishers. In your experience, is there something that small business owners, or people who are looking into a cybersecurity insurance option and may not have an IT firm like TSP assisting them, that they want to have before starting the process?
AG: Having your virus and malware solution updated on a regular basis — there's a reason why they do those updates. New threats emerge every single day, and software providers are constantly updating their products to address them. So, that's number one, and that's not difficult to do from anyone's standpoint. The second thing is that if you don't have a professional sit-down with your employees to talk about these things, do some of your own research so you can tell your employees, "Look, if you get emails from somebody you're not sure of, then don't click on things." Even in the last six months, I'm very surprised at how often I get emails that seem to be from someone I work with. But when I look at the email address, the email is from a different Gmail or AOL email account. Or, the email will say it comes from John Doe's mobile phone, but when I look at the email, it's not. So, update your virus or malware software, and make sure that your employees are using their heads when they're opening emails and working on your network.
MO: For the companies that have an IT provider, do you see them taking additional actions like testing their staff on phishing emails or white hat hacking campaigns where you're creating a phishing email and sending it out to your staff to find out who clicks on it? Is that something that you see out there? And from an insurance standpoint, what does that mean to you?
AG: Typically, I would say that I don't see in-house IT professionals testing employees. I've worked for publicly held insurance companies in the past where it was the complete opposite and you have to go in two to three times a year for online education for identifying these threats, and there are quizzes at the end, and you have to get to a certain grade. But I have not seen that in privately held smaller companies that are managed by an IT person or department.
MO: In terms of what makes these things real, I think there is this general sense from a lot of business owners and business stakeholders that this is an unknown threat that might happen. Do you seen actual claims coming across your desk for cyber security breaches?
AG: We do. Some of the times, we'll get a notification from the client that says that they're not sure but they think they might have had a breach. But beyond that, we've got three active, ongoing claims for cyber security. And two of them are both social engineering-related. We've definitely seen an uptick in social engineering. It just seems that it's easier and easier for hackers to insert themselves into an email chain and get control of an email account. So, it's very real, and we see it all the time. I get [malicious emails] personally in my email inbox quite often. We keep a repository of these emails, and we try to let our clients know that these are the emails that we're receiving, and you may be receiving them. There's no question that there's a lot of activity, and it's ticking up. Let's put it this way — it's doubled since last year in terms of the number of reported incidents and related costs.
AF: I know, at least from our view, from what we see and what we talk about on the Grepcast, we frequently see larger and larger scale incidences. This causes me to think if we're only hearing about large instances like Baltimore being completely shut down because of ransomware, there are dozens and dozens of cases involving small and medium-sized businesses that we just don't hear about. Sometimes, the knee-jerk reaction — just in the case of ransomware — is to just pay it and get going, because maybe [businesses] don't have the robust backup system and cybersecurity protections that they would need in this case. And, unfortunately, it's just biting the bullet.
AG: Yeah, there's no question. Hackers are showing some actual business acumen in the instances where they're making the amount payable. They're not saying they want $1 million or $2 million; in some cases, they're saying they want $10,000 or $25,000. They realize that the company, based on what they know about it, will pay the ransom. And it's almost like a legitimate business transaction. The business pays the ransom, their data is released, and it goes back to doing business. And you're right, in a lot of those instances, no one ever hears about them. No one really knows the logistics around those because of embarrassment.
Have an idea for a Grepcast episode? We'd love to hear from you! Contact the Grepcast team via email at grepcast@tsp.me.
For this episode of the Grepcast, we tread only lightly into the doom and gloom that is omnipresent surveillance systems until we venture into that happy land of noise design and how plants can really just make you feel better.
Maybe we're biased, but I think that was a good call.
Links and Extra Reading
Mental health apps are scooping up your most sensitive data. Will you benefit?
If you ever wondered how police in Moscow managed to track down this many protesters...
Face Time: Moscow's Massive Use Of Camera Surveillance
Moscow Tracks Commuters' Movements in 'China-Style' Surveillance Scheme
Why we need to rethink the concept of noise in restaurants
What is biophilic design, and can it really make you happier and healthier?
Ok, Gang, we get deep into AI again in this episode. In true Grepcast fashion though, we get started off with talking about Drive-Thrus. Then, Kelly clues us into what we all feared - our biometric data is really just everywhere.
Links and Extra Reading
An AI-Run World Needs to better reflect People of Color
How Computers See Gender
I Opted Out of Facial Recognition at the Airport—It Wasn't Easy
@Austin_Walker on Surveillance Technology
Amazon's Facial Analysis Program Is Building A Dystopic Future For Trans And Nonbinary People
On this episode of the Grepcast our quick hits... hit all of our highlights - dumb IoT and frightening facial recognition. From there we become mystified by what three words can do for us, and then ultimately come back to Massachusetts for the latest in remote work.
Links and Extra Reading
Juul's New E-Cig Sure Is Collecting a Dumb Amount of Data About Its Users
Facial recognition software mistook 1 in 5 California lawmakers for criminals, says ACLU
What3words: The app that can save your life
@sTeamTraen on Twitter : #What3Words is not a life-saving app...
Massachusetts telecommuting tax credit would be first in the nation, governor says
Congestion pricing in Boston: New York’s move adds to the conversation
Entrances2hell
Did you hear the news? Grepcast is bi-weekly now! First on our list this episode is shouting out the latest Good AI story for you, resulting in Adam and Mike creating the next big browser. From there we take you to coal country and chat about the next big public school curriculum. And since we can't stay away from the darkness, we end our episode in YouTube - the darkest site.
Links and Further Reading
AI Needs Your Data—and You Should Get Paid for It
What is your data worth? Equitable Valuation of Data
How a State Plans to Turn Coal Country Into Coding Country
How YouTube Radicalized Brazil
Hoboy. We finally dig into the joke that is the fine handed out by the FTC to Facebook. From there, we discuss the latest workers strike at Amazon, and then proceed to dunk on Tracking pixels. All in all, a pretty standard Grepcast episode.
Links and Extra Reading
Facebook’s $5 billion FTC fine is an embarrassing joke
Facebook 'to be fined $5bn over Cambridge Analytica scandal'
Amazon workers go on strike in Germany as Prime Day begins
The Amazon Prime Day strike could be a turning point for workers' rights
Superhuman: the startup offering a shortcut to empty inbox nirvana
Email Tracking Is Creepy and Invasive and No One Should Do It
It's time to rejoice and sing in the streets, because finally - AI is actually doing some good. But before we give you the good news, Mike pours one out for Jony Ive, we chat about how cool AirDrop is, and then Adam gets mad about the latest in housing exploitation (I mean innovation).
Links and Extra Reading
Jony Ive’s Fragmented Legacy: Unreliable, Unrepairable, Beautiful Gadgets
Hong Kong’s protesters put AirDrop to ingenious use to breach China’s Firewall
AirDrop fumble grounds flight for 90 minutes
This bunk bed is $1,200 a month, privacy not included
Using AI to predict breast cancer and personalize care
IBM launches cloud tool to detect AI bias and explain automated decisions
Quick programming note at the top of the podcast today, please please change your cell phone carrier PIN! Before we give you the skinny on why this is your task for the week, we touch on the latest in school surveillance tech - and how it actually may be a total farce. Only then, can we talk about how we actually don't own Things any longer?
Links and Extra Reading
Aggression Detectors: The Unproven, Invasive Surveillance Technology Schools Are Using to Monitor Students
How a trivial cell phone hack is ruining lives
MICROSOFT'S EBOOK APOCALYPSE SHOWS THE DARK SIDE OF DRM
Microsoft Ebooks Will Stop Working Because It's Shutting Down a DRM Server
We're back from our mini-Summer break with an extra large sized episode for you!
On this episode of the Grepcast, we chat with TSP-alum Ben Pender-Cudlip about his documentary Dawnland. In true Grepcast fashion, first, we dive into talking about the latest in SmartTV issues and why SMS encryption is so important.
Links and Extra Reading
Samsung’s security reminder makes the case for not owning a Samsung smart TV
Why I turned on iMessage
Dawnland : Screenings
DAWNLAND Official Trailer
FILMMAKERS SEEK THE TRUTH IN EYE-OPENING STORY OF FORCED NATIVE CHILD SEPARATION
As everyone else focuses on $1000 monitor stands, we take the high road and start chatting about Apple's latest button. From there, we enter the spooky world of "education" surveillance and then get frustrated at a "radical" graph.
Links and Extra Reading
Apple’s new sign-in button is built for a post-Cambridge Analytica world
Schools Are Deploying Massive Digital Surveillance Systems. The Results Are Alarming
Radical Candor — The Surprising Secret to Being a Good Boss
How To Power Your Garden Shed Off-Grid In Three Steps
The drive for data collection reaches a new market : Bargoers! After we tear apart another data-based cash grab, we touch on happier news - the rise of sustainability in new housing developments. And then finally, we talk about how everyone should be project managers.
Links and Extra Reading
This ID Scanner Company is Collecting Sensitive Data on Millions of Bargoers
How high-end housing developments use sustainability as a selling point
California first in nation to require solar panels on new homes
Product Designers Should Forget About Coding. Learn Product Management Instead.
We finally have sunshine here in Boston, so that means it's a no bad news 'cast! Starting off, we talk about the definitely-not-scary ability to create videos of people, before moving on to the fact that a US city is being held hostage by ransomware. But we end on vacations!
Links and Extra Reading
It's Getting Way Too Easy to Create Fake Videos of People's Faces
Hackers Are Holding Baltimore Hostage: How They Struck and What’s Next
Airbnb is partnering with 23andMe to send people on “heritage” vacations
I LET A STRANGER WATCH ME WORK FOR A DAY — AND I’VE NEVER BEEN MORE PRODUCTIVE
I don't want to alarm anyone, but we're in the heart of the Diaper Tech wars now. Before you get any context on what that even means, Adam talks about Spotify's pivot to hardware and then Mike talks about how space is just full of junk.
Links and Extra Reading
Spotify begins testing its first hardware: a car smart assistant
The smart diaper is coming. Who actually wants it?
Why satellite mega-constellations are a threat to the future of space
Female voice assistants fuel damaging gender stereotypes, says a UN study
The Man Behind San Francisco’s Facial Recognition Ban Is Working on More. Way More.
Oh boy, gang - we get on a roll right out of the gate this week and we don't stop. Apps using our pictures for AI research, Facebook and Apple just being monoliths, and then surprise! There are two more Apps that you should be updating. Like, right now.
Links and Extra Reading
San Francisco Bans Facial Recognition Use by Police and the Government
Millions of people uploaded photos to the Ever app. Then the company used them to develop facial recognition tools.
Supreme Court Allows Antitrust Lawsuit Against Apple to Proceed
It’s Time to Break Up Facebook
Twitter discloses bug that shared location data on iOS users
WhatsApp vulnerability left iOS open to spyware attack
While we didn't go with a clip-show, on this weeks Grepcast we talk about all of our favorite topics : Amazon, Slack, and even introspection!
Links and Extra Reading
The making of Amazon Prime, the internet’s most successful and devastating membership program
The productivity pit: how Slack is ruining work
Five Hidden Cognitive Biases That Keep Us From Our Best Creative Work
Man accidentally swallows an Apple AirPod… and it STILL WORKS after it passes through his system
This week on the Grepcast, we spend some time talking about the latest issues with entry-systems and IoT. From there we look into China's unicorn/bicycle issues, and then we look to GoDaddy for our good news of the week.
Links and Extra Reading
America’s Favorite Door-Locking App Has a Data Privacy Problem
How China’s ‘Unicorns’ Shook a Bicycle Town
GoDaddy takes down 15,000 subdomains used for online scams
HACKER LEXICON: WHAT IS CREDENTIAL STUFFING?
Our condolences to our fintech bros - Patagonia will no longer sell you the mythical power vest. After we deliver that totally sincere eulogy, we move on to discussing the normalization of facial recognition and why we decided that robots want to kill us.
Links and Extra Reading
Patagonia Is Refusing To Sell Its Iconic Power Vests To Some Financial Firms
Twitter : @internetofshit
JetBlue Experiments With Using Your Face As A Boarding Pass
Twitter : @LeftAtLondon
WHY WE'VE DECIDED THAT THE MACHINES WANT TO KILL US
So it turns out, Alexa has been recording and transcribing everything you say? Oops. Oh, femtech is also creepily invasive? Double oops. But at least Instagram is our ray of sunshine this week...
Links and Extra Reading
Amazon workers reportedly get to hear some of what you tell Alexa, and they have a chat room to talk about 'amusing' recordings
There's a simple way to make sure Amazon workers can't listen to what you say to Alexa — here's how to do it
There’s a dark side to women’s health apps: ‘Menstrual surveillance’
FOR SOME SMALL BUSINESSES, INSTAGRAM HAS REPLACED WORD-OF-MOUTH
Everything You Need to Know About Instagram Pods, the New Way Influencers Are Gaming the Algorithm
Kicking off the episode today, Kelly shines a light on Australia's super secret hacker division, and then Mike fills us in on the Boeing 737Max disasters - and where the problems really stem from. Then - Meet Q - the worlds first genderless AI voice.
Links and Extra Reading
Australia Shares Secrets of Its Offensive Cyberwar Against ISIS to Entice New Hacker Troops
Twitter : BEST analysis of what really is happening on the #Boeing737Max issue from my brother in law @davekammeyer
Doomed Boeing Jets Lacked 2 Safety Features That Company Sold Only as Extras
Twitter : Challenger Disaster
The world’s first genderless AI voice is here. Listen now
Meet Q
We dig into all the latest announcements from Apple - from News, all the way to credit cards? From there Mike gives us the rundown of Asus' no good week, and then Kelly invites us all into the rabbit hole.
Links and Extra Reading
Apple Doubles Down On Services As iPhone Slips
The Apple Card Is Great at Privacy but Mediocre Overall
1M Asus PCs Compromised Through Vendor's Own Updates: Kaspersky
Our Software Is Biased Like We Are. Can New Laws Change That?
Who Made That Decision: You or an Algorithm?
Senior Dog with Separation Anxiety Finds Comfort and Cuddles in Mannequin Dressed Like His Dad
We're back! We took a week off to recharge our batteries, so we're bringing you the latest in social media snooping, dunkin' on Self-Checkout, and then lambasting Tufts on shoddy investigations.
Links and Extra Reading
On Disability and on Facebook? Uncle Sam Wants to Watch What You Post
Why Self-Checkout Is and Has Always Been the Worst
Tufts expelled a student for grade hacking. She claims innocence
Amherst College had a rough week, to say the least. But before we dive into the good and bad of their (total) internet outages, we chat about decarbonization, Lime scooters being the worst, and weirdly - Nike's being bricked.
Links and Extra Reading
How to decarbonize America — and the world
Lime Scooter Software Glitch Causes Random Braking, Dozens Of Rider Injuries
A POPULAR ELECTRIC SCOOTER CAN BE HACKED TO SPEED UP OR STOP
Nike's Android app doesn't run well with its Adapt BB self-tying shoes
No Email, No Wi-Fi, No LMS
5G is coming! Unless you live in a house or use your phone around any type of wall, that is. After Mike fills us in on the 5G dilemma, we chat about smart thermometers, more Bandersnatch discourse, and then Dark Pattern.
Links and Extra Reading
5G Will Hit A Wall, Literally, In 2019
They’ve Taken America’s Temperature — and It’s Running High
The One Choice You Weren't Given In Black Mirror: Bandersnatch
Designing Welcome Mats to Invite User Privacy
Dark Patterns : HALL OF SHAME
https://twitter.com/samfbiddle/status/1096113904671956992
We kick off this weeks episode with a listener question, that then allows us to touch on the latest Bezos-drama. From there, Kelly tells us about how your social media game can influence your life insurance policies. Then we talk about ways to improve your personal cybersecurity in 2019.
Links and Extra Reading
It looks like the National Enquirer is using Amazon's cloud to host its website
New York insurers can evaluate your social media use if they can prove why its needed
Tesla's fart mode is a real gem
TD Bank - Passwords
Sure, here at the Grepcast try to ensure we make a pun-free cast for you, but on this week's mini-cast we were unable to do so! With Mike away at ISE 2019, Kelly and Adam join the Fyre festival discourse and what it means in the social media landscapes.
Links and Extra Reading
HULU’S “FYRE FRAUD” VS. NETFLIX’S “FYRE”: A SCORECARD
Lessons Learned From Fyre Festival’s Mishandling of Influencer Marketing
Where Does Salt Come From? — How to Make It
Blueprints for personal smart home security, merit badges for cybersecurity, and not beating up robots! We cover all of the bases on this weeks Grepcast. Find something interesting that you think we should cover? Email us over at grepcast@tsp.me!
Links and Extra Reading
Security Things to Consider When Your Apartment Goes ‘Smart’
A common smartphone app helped find missing woman
HP Enterprise debuts game teaching Girls Scouts about cybersecurity
Phishing Scheme Targets Professors’ Desire to Please Their Deans — All for $500 in Gift Cards
Why Do We Hurt Robots?
Kicking off the episode today, Adam tells us about how someone gave hackers access to THE ENTIRE Chilean ATM network. From there, we talk about Hitmen, Robot Porters, and then ultimately - can we say "no" to the Smart Home future?
Links and Extra Reading
Employee Falls for Fake Job Interview Over Skype, Gives North Korean Hackers Access to Chile's ATM Network: Report
This Runner Is a Hitman. His GPS Watch Tied Him to a Mob Boss Murder
Robots Ruin Robot Hotel
Lesley Carhart Twitter
We never thought we'd get another chance to yell about Bird scooters, but here we are! Before we discuss the values of being a good Virtual Worker; Adam talks Bandersnatch drama, Kelly dunks on Bird, and Mike makes us all want a new TV. Again.
Links and Extra Reading
Netflix sued by Choose Your Own Adventure publishers over Black Mirror: Bandersnatch
Scooter startup Bird tried to silence a journalist. It did not go well.
This Really Is the Next Revolution in TV Technology
The Virtual Work Skills You Need — Even If You Never Work Remotely
Before we dive into the current State of Apple, Adam reminds us that the Town in Footloose was the bad guys, Kelly talks about ignoring ads, and Mike touches on the precursors to all small tech - Mighty Mouse.
Links and Extra Reading
It Doesn't Matter That There's a Video of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Dancing in College
Banner Blindness Revisited: Users Dodge Ads on Mobile and Desktop
Five big questions about Apple putting iTunes on Samsung TVs
Mighty mouse
Hey Apple, what happens on iPhones doesn't stay there, and your 'clever' CES ad is promoting a dangerous illusion
Welcome to 2019, you finally made it to the future! Starting off the year right, Adam talks to us about the cash-less futures, Kelly touches on the growing role of DNA testing customer support, and Mike lets us know that Guardzilla is the worst. Also, spoiler alert, the Internet is fake?
Links and Extra Reading
The Problem with Cashless Restaurants
Surprise DNA Results Are Turning Customer-Service Reps Into Therapists
Security flaws let anyone snoop on Guardzilla smart camera video recordings
How Much of the Internet Is Fake? Turns Out, a Lot of It, Actually.
This is it! We close out 2018 by chatting about Google wardrobe options, the rise of Influencer advertising, and Alexa ruining Christmas. From there, we look to 2019 with our favorite in tech predictions.
Links and Extra Reading :
GOOGLE Internal Google Docs Warn Not to Gift Contractors Shirts in Case They Start Thinking They're Employees
How the Rise of Influencers Like Lilly Singh and Andrew Bachelor Have Disrupted Advertising
Alexa Crapped Out on Christmas
31 Tech Predictions for 2019
This week we look back at the latest in Taylor Swift tech-drama, the superstar cities of America, and the best and worst in technology that 2018 had to bring.
Links and Extra Reading
Taylor Swift used facial recognition tech at concerts to spy on stalkers
Where You Should Move to Make the Most Money: America’s Superstar Cities
Worst Gadgets of 2018
WIRED Recommends: The best gadgets and gear in 2018
Today Adam lets us all know about how free apps will be our downfall, Mike is now ok with robots taking selfies, and Kelly recaps the latest in people not understanding technology. For our big topic : if Brett Farve is Social Network, what does that mean for all of us?
Links and Extra Reading
Delete All Your Apps
NASA InSight Lander 'Hears' Martian Winds
Republicans are mad at Google for search bias—will they do anything about it?
Six Years With a Distraction-Free iPhone
Spooky Space 'Sounds'
How Censorship in China Allows Government Criticism but Silences Collective Expression
Before we explain what all this title means, Adam describes the latest in scams targeting grandparents, Mike lets us yell about Elon again, and Kelly tells about the scam of Open-Plan workspaces. Then we get to talk about our perennially favorite topic : BitCoin.
Links and Extra Reading
Grandparents increasingly targeted by impostors who know "everything" about them
Don’t Work 80 Hours a Week for Elon Musk, or Anyone
It's Official: Open-Plan Offices Are Now the Dumbest Management Fad of All Time
What’s Ransomware Without Cryptocurrency?
Opinion: Bitcoin is close to becoming worthless
This week Adam opens up about the anxieties that punctuation can bring, Mike tells us about Solid State Airplanes, and Kelly introduces us to a new robot. From there, we investigate the latest in AI - Babysitter screening.
Links and Extra Reading :
The Tyranny of the Exclamation Point Is Causing Email and Text Anxiety
Meet Zora, the Robot Caregiver
MIT engineers fly first-ever plane with no moving parts
Wanted: The ‘perfect babysitter.’ Must pass AI scan for respect and attitude.
Happy American Thanksgiving from all of us at TSP! This week we talk about the safety of random WiFi networks, working while on the road, and as expected - Mini Unicorn Cupcakes. We manage to be serious at the end and talk about the myth of gamification.
Links and Extra Reading
YOU KNOW WHAT? GO AHEAD AND USE THE HOTEL WI-FI
iPad Pro 2018 review: A computer, not a PC
Amazing Mini UNICORN CUPCAKE
Gamification is Bullshit
Impacts of gamification on intrinsic motivation
A jumbo-sized episode for you this week! We dive straight into the AI-generated future, the oft-marketed "two-in-one" device, and how we design the offices of the future. For our big topic, we review LucidChart's 2019 IT Report and what it means for the changing IT landscapes.
Links and Extra Reading
HOW AI-GENERATED MUSIC IS CHANGING THE WAY HITS ARE MADE
The Quest to Build the Impossible Laptop
Life After the Death of the Office
In light of the release of Red Dead Redemption 2, we spent some time talking about the crunch culture that surrounds the studio. Prior to that, Adam talks about his new Alexa device, Kelly scares us, and Mike lets us know of a new home automation tool.
Links and Extra Reading :
US WEAPONS SYSTEMS ARE EASY CYBERATTACK TARGETS, NEW REPORT FINDS
Inside Rockstar Games' Culture Of Crunch
Game Developers Give Advice On How To Make Their Industry a Better Place
Amazon Smart Plug
Lutron RA2 Select
While Mike flies back and forth across the oceans, we welcome Chase back to the Grepcast. Today we talk about how sustainable cryptocurrency could be, and then about how Fallout 76 and Face Over IP may be changing the game.
Links and Extra Reading
Iceland's farmers have a cunning plan to solve crypto's energy crisis
‘Fallout 76’ Partners With West Virginia Tourism Department Ahead of Release
Star Citizen’s wacky face over IP tech is expected to enter public testing today
We're back with a jam-packed episode for you this week! Adam starts off with the latest in bagel-based controversies, Kelly talks on the finer points of robot improvements, and Mike surprisingly brings up Drones. For our big topic - How secure is 2-Factor Authentication?
Links and Extra Reading
Apple fixes its new bagel emoji with cream cheese and a doughier consistency
You're Expecting too much out of Boston Dynamics' Robots
The drones come in the night and then descend to drop illicit cargo in plastic bags attached by s-hook
‘I Lived a Nightmare:’ SIM Hijacking Victims Share Their Stories
This is why you shouldn’t use texts for two-factor authentication
Before we give our eulogy to Google+, and the security breach that proceeded it; Adam gives an update to our Amazon discussion, Kelly makes plush Horses walk, and Mike alerts us to the latest NetGear IoT attacks.
Links and Extra Reading
SOME AMAZON WORKERS FEAR THEY’LL EARN LESS EVEN WITH A $15 MINIMUM WAGE
Robotic 'skin' transforms stuffed animals into soft bots. And that's just the beginning.
Google to shut down Google+ after failing to disclose user data leak
MASSIVE IOT ATTACK TARGETING UNPATCHED NETGEAR DEVICES
Surprise, surprise! Facebook has had another security breach. Before we dive into that, Adam talks about Google doing the right thing, Kelly hates on the latest Gmail, and Mike brings up theft due to oversharing.
Links and Extra Reading :
Between You, Me, and Google: Problems With Gmail's “Confidential Mode”
Cyclist who had five bikes stolen says thieves are looking for quick times on Strava to try and find high-end bikes – warns other users to check their privacy settings
Amazon raises minimum wage to $15 for all US employees
Facebook Security Breach Exposes Accounts of 50 Million Users
We run the gambit on topics this week! From the latest tech-adjacent movie and Kelly's new gadget to Mike finding his sure-fire way to bring down the internet. For our big topic this week, Mojave is out! Should you download it, or wait?
Links and Further Reading
Searching Official Trailer
NCIS Hacking
Domain registrar oversteps taking down Zoho domain, impacts over 30Mil users
macOS Mojave
Apple Watch Series 4 Teardown
Besides Adam harboring an illness, the episode today was sans any gloom! Adam tells us the joys of pocket synths, Mike tells us the new way to learn piano, and Kelly brings up her new obsession. Then, as we predicted last week, we touch on the latest from the Apple event last week.
Links and Extra Reading :
Pocket Operator
You Lost ! - Po-20 + PO-28 Doodle
Simply Piano
Unboxing the Mind Bending Wallpaper TV
Cardiologists react to new Apple Watch ECG capabilities
Why an Apple Watch with EKG matters
iOS 12 : The Review
Before we jump into the doom and gloom; Adam spends some time talking about 23andMe updates, Kelly tells us about how to see with your tongue, and Mike tells us about the changes at the CEDIA Expo. Then with doom, how should we prepare ourselves for Natural Disasters?
Links and Extra Reading :
23ANDME CUTS OFF THE DNA APP ECOSYSTEM IT CREATED
RadioLab : Translation
Seeing with the Brain
Disaster Preparedness
sharpest smoke kitchen knife in the world
We have a jam-packed episode for you this week! Kelly kicks off the 'cast talking about Internet access in rural areas, then Adam and Mike get into the two extremes of drones. For our larger topic today, when do public betas start doing more harm than good?
Links and Extra Reading :
Rural America Is Building Its Own Internet Because No One Else Will
The Story of Vermont's Quiet Digital Revolution
Broadband Is Largely Inaccessible to Those Who Need it Most
Brazil Releases Drone Footage of Amazon Tribe Previously Unseen by Outsiders
Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro survives apparent assassination attempt
Apple Has 4 Million Users Beta Testing its Software
It's a busy week here at TSP, and to not leave you hanging Kelly and Adam recorded a fun sized Grepcast. Today's topics focus on Bird Scooters, and our dockless future.
Links and Further Reading :
Okay, E-Scooters Are Fine, But They Need to be Parked Somewhere
People Are Destroying E-Scooters and Reveling in the Carnage
Here’s why Cambridge and Somerville are threatening to confiscate Bird’s scooters
Bird Refuses To Back Down, As Somerville Seizes Electric Scooters
We're back at it again this week and Adam kicks off with hacking hospitals, Kelly focuses on inclusivity of smart devices, and special guest Chase Rowe tells us about Le Corbusier then and now.
Have a question for us? Read an interesting article that you want to shoot our way? Send us an email at grepcast@tsp.me!
Links and Extra Reading
The Fight to Secure Vulnerable Medical Devices From Hackers
This clever app lets Amazon Alexa read sign language
Getting Alexa to Respond to Sign Language Using Your Webcam and TensorFlow.js
WHAT IS A MACHINE FOR LIVING IN?
This week we find out that the reason we can't think straight is just because of dehydration, Kelly shares a new party trick and it's spooky ramifications, and Mike talks about DefCon. Bringing it full circle, we discuss the latest social media hack and the impact of "breach fatigue".
Have a question for us? Read an interesting article that you want to shoot our way? Send us an email at grepcast@tsp.me!
Links and Extra Reading :
Off Your Mental Game? You Could Be Mildly Dehydrated
.C. Mom Says Baby Monitor Was Hacked
In post-massacre Vegas, security policies clash with privacy values
How a fish tank helped hack a casino
We had a security incident. Here's what you need to know.
In this weeks episode of the GrepCast; Adam talks too much about shrimp, Kelly helps us shut off from the digital world and focus, and Mike uses the power of anecdotes to pull it all together. We then turn our focus to Facebook and if we can ever really escape its pull?
Links and Extra Reading :
The Shrimp Industry Is Dirty. Can New Farming Technology Clean It Up?
I TRIED LEAVING FACEBOOK. I COULDN’T
Freedom : Block distractions. Focus on what matters.
In this weeks episode; we all yell about libraries, Kelly hates getting wet, and how Mike is able to keep his travel itinerary from getting out of hand. We then spend some time talking about the cable cutter dream and focus in on Slingbox.
Links and Extra Reading :
Forbes deleted a deeply misinformed op-ed arguing Amazon should replace libraries
Sling TV
Tripit
Dark Sky
For this week's topics; Adam keeps looking at ceilings, Mike gets really into plane crashes, and Kelly can't wait to get her genetic information stolen. Then we dive into everyone's favorite topic : Is Apple the good guy now, or rapidly spinning back towards the "worst"?