Disconnected

In the wake of the monumental news around Roe v Wade, can we be certain of our data security? Many of us find digital spaces to be a haven of anonymity for any health concerns, WebMD knows more about us than our doctors in most cases - can we expect our personal data to be safe from prying eyes, particularly those of governments? We’re joined by The Social Element’s Wendy Christie this week, as we...

The prospect of having a digital twin is equal parts intriguing and intimidating. We’re making digital versions of cars, buildings and even organs, but imagine a digital you to handle things without you needing to know - is that a dream or a nightmare? On Disconnected this week, we’ve got a bumper episode with all your favourite co-hosts returning, plus Remo’s Founder Hoyin Cheung to offer his per...

NFTs are permeating every facet of our media now, boasting its benefits and blemishes for all to see. Whether it’s Netflix diving in with a Love, Death and Robots-themed NFT scavenger hunt, or Seth Green’s lead actor in an upcoming show being stolen in an NFT heist, they’re here to stay. On Disconnected this week we’re looking at the potential for interactivity that comes from NFTs, how Twitter mi...

Whether you’re focused on Depp vs Heard or Elon’s social media escapades, the effect of public reputation cannot be overstated. The decision to make trials public opens up the dilemma of how social media could warp purple’s perceptions. So what are we to take away from one of the most highly televised legal battles in recent memory? We touch on this in Disconnected E21, along with Uber’s diversifi...

Will your speech be truly free with Twitter’s future plans? Since Elon Musk confirmed his intention to buy the social media giant, there are so many questions around the implications of this deal on free speech, control, and billionaires’ influence. Breaking this down with me this week on Disconnected is a friend of the show - Jason Kapadia (previously on Episode 2) - as we dive into Twitter’s fut...

Few people can influence the world quite like Elon Musk. The world’s richest person is no stranger to controversy, so what effect might his latest escapades in the tech world have on our social media landscape?  On this week’s Disconnected, we talk Musk’s Twitter takeover (which has been finalised since recording), fighting the filter-happy social media landscape, how you might soon end up subscri...

What happens to your data when you die? Data rights are already a touchy subject in the living world, so what muddy waters might the prospect of a digital afterlife present to us? In this week’s episode of Disconnected, we’ve got a huge range of topics from the latest in tech to discuss, from investors being fleeced of their bitcoin and linking our brains to social media, through to a Meta-organis...

It looks like NFTs and cryptocurrency are here to stay - join us as we dive headfirst into the world of blockchain. Between Ben Wiggins and Felina Tan, we’re taking our first steps into crypto trading and NFT ownership, and for anyone looking to do the same we’re sharing every facet of our experiences so far on episode 17 of Disconnected. On top of that, we’re taking a look at the Bitcoin theft be...

Facebook forms part of our digital past and is a titan at present - do they have their future figured out, and how will their actions affect us…? Hot off the back of a lengthy and revealing interview with Lex Fridman, Mark Zuckerberg’s next moves with Meta, Facebook, and the Metaverse hold immense power over the internet going forward. For this week’s discussion on privacy, peer pressure and putti...

We live in a bizarre world where Kanye West can be embroiled in a feud with Peppa Pig. Social media has changed the way we communicate, engage, and in some unfortunate cases spit vitriol towards others - cartoon pig or otherwise. On this week’s episode of Disconnected, our panel of co-hosts consider the societal impact of our tech-driven lives, from blurred boundaries of work-life balance and rega...

Whether it’s social media, dating apps, podcasting platforms or the world stage of the Winter Olympics, the world is progressing ever closer to a tech revolution. We’ve seen the very nature of Facebook change over its 18 year lifespan, the emergence of new ways to find love, & watched podcasts take the world by storm - and there’s no going back. In this episode of Disconnected we’re breaking d...

Episode 13 of Disconnected marks the start of an engaging, entertaining, and deeply insightful new co-host format with some new and familiar faces. Returning to the podcast from past episodes are Ben Wiggins (E3) and Felina Tan (E12), and joining us to complete the lineup is MD of The Giles Agency, Jennifer Campbell.  We kick off with a look at Donald Trump’s imminent social media venture, Truth S...

Influencers have changed the internet forever - can we trust them to do so for good? Modern social media is awash with brand deals, collaborations, and audiences hanging on every word of these internet personalities.  This week I’m joined by career marketeer Felina Tan to look back at how exactly we got here, and what the future holds for influencer marketing; who’ll police the bad apples, will th...

WhatsApp’s initial dream of safe, encrypted, ad-free private messaging is far from intact… In 2009, WhatsApp’s creators Brian Acton and Jan Koum shared a passion for creating a free, global instant messaging app without the nuances that plague its current, Meta-owned definition of ‘encryption’.  Needless to say that Acton & Koum have started their own ventures since WhatsApp’s takeover. So wha...

The introduction of the smartphone to India is irreversible - but has it been for the better? For many in the country a smartphone presents their first calculator, camera, gaming device, and notably their first always-on portal to the constant stream of internet information. The implications are far-reaching, but journalist and fellow podcaster Mahathi Rangarajan is scrutinous in observing the enc...

It’s time to reset our relationship with technology, and the platforms to which we give our time, energy, and data. We’re often able to drill down into the nitty-gritty of malicious practices that impact our lives, but to apply it on a societal level takes a big picture perspective. Elizabeth Uviebinené is the multi-award winning author of The Reset, a book which offers us an opportunity to recons...

We’re being scored with secret formulas we don’t understand, with no course for appeal if things don’t go our way. Data scientists are writing code that learns from our every move, click, post and payment, and it’s tangibly changing the future of our tech-driven world.  One the one hand, we’re served posts tailored to preferences we may not know we had. On the other hand, mortgages, insurance, jai...

It's never been easier to fall foul of Cyber Attacks than right now… As the world continues its perpetual shift to an always-online ecosystem, even those with no coding skills can initiate a hack within minutes. Whether it's small-scale leaks of your personal files, or a coordinated attack on HBO demanding $6m for Game of Thrones' final season not to be released to the world, it see...

China’s technological progression has been nothing short of meteoric in recent decades, integrating systems long before we’re ready to do so in the West. But how well founded are our fears? Is China’s collective embrace of revolutionary technology being used and abused, or is our trepidation holding us back? The perfect man to answer these questions is one Blake Stone-Banks, who’s been living in B...

Three letters are taking the world by storm - N. F. T.  Non-Fungible Tokens are a growing phenomenon built on the emerging blockchain technology with far-reaching impacts on currency, art, collectibles, brand integration, and undoubtedly a number of other applications yet to present themselves. Here to demystify the world of NFTs and blockchain on this episode of Disconnected is Chris Ghent, a tra...

Apple and Facebook are two of the largest behemoths in the tech space, influencing every facet of software development and hardware design alike, and with iOS 14.5 the two are at war for the internet… As the ripple effects of Apple’s changes to privacy begin to emerge for us as users, small business owners, and the giant, influential players in the technology space, it’s time to break down this ba...

The beautiful game is as much a business to be run as it is an experience to be shared, and both of these aspects now happen in ways that connect us all more than ever before. As the almost-immediate response to global, social backlash towards the proposed European Super League demonstrates, social media’s power is potent, and has unlocked new opportunities for fans and clubs alike. As Senior Mana...

To truly understand how the world of applications has evolved over the years - for better and for worse - it’s vital to observe how the development tools, app store platforms and whole tech landscape has evolved from inception to current day. With app development pedigree spanning back to Microsoft’s Pocket PC, and a service used by around 20% of Londoners every month, Jason Kapadia’s credentials,...

We all have a story that goes much like this: you talk to a friend about a product, then hours or days later the adverts served to you are flooded with the very same product.  Where these two events have coincided so often, it’s given rise to the concern that our phones are always listening to us. So are big tech companies always eavesdropping, or could the truth be even more sinister? Join me for...

Welcome to Disconnected, the podcast that peers behind the giant tech curtain to discover the truth behind the social media platforms and technologies that impact our everyday lives.  Before diving into the depths of today’s ‘Web 2.0’ world, it’s time to get to know your personal guide through the algorithms and data collection behind social media - Jag Sharma.  I’ve spent the last 12 years creati...