PowerUp Boston

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...

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 Resu...

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 develo...

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 H...

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-con...

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...

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 sw...

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 on...

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 Experime...

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 c...

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 wha...

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 Ou...

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 in...

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 C...

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: Band...

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 Yor...

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 Mark...

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 de...

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...

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 jour...

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 que...

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-Serv...

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...

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...

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...