Technology Blows

Dan Slimmon
  • 4.6 (5)
  • TECHNOLOGY

Technology: where does it come from? How does it work? And why is it so shitty? Tune in every week for true stories about the technological marvels that plague our lives, from Bluetooth to QR codes to Clippy.

Episodes

  1. DEC 17

    Shazam (Part 2)

    This week and last, I'm joined by singer-songwriter Rachel Kiel to talk about Shazam: the massive data analytics platform that occasionally tells you the names of songs. Find out: How they use computers to turn all your favorite songs into constellationsWhat other things you can Shazam, if you're not a music personWhat Shazam likes to do in its spare time, when you think it's not listening anymoreReferences: https://appleinsider.com/articles/21/11/24/shazam-for-ios-will-listen-to-songs-for-longer-before-giving-uphttps://appleinsider.com/articles/24/05/22/shazam-can-now-run-in-the-background-with-live-activitieshttps://daniellenewnham.medium.com/fostering-innovation-and-choosing-the-right-founding-team-6287f7eed9fhttps://d3.harvard.edu/platform-digit/submission/shazam-predictive-analysis-for-the-music-industry/https://patents.justia.com/inventor/avery-li-chun-wanghttps://profwurzer.com/shazams-ip-fortress-layered-protection-built-a-billion-dollar-app/http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/12/the-shazam-effect/382237/https://venturebeat.com/social/shazam-american-idol/https://www.cnbc.com/2015/06/14/shazam-names-that-tune-drawing-in-money-and-users.htmlhttps://www.computerweekly.com/news/450409644/How-Shazam-handles-its-data-reserveshttps://www.ee.columbia.edu/~dpwe/papers/Wang03-shazam.pdfhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/averywang08/https://www.reddit.com/r/apple/s/uX3Gjl7FUmhttps://www.seti.org/people/avery-wang/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3hNkU03sLAhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0m-G6iwrCw

    52 min

  2. DEC 10

    Shazam (Part 1)

    This week and next, I'm joined by singer-songwriter Rachel Kiel to talk about Shazam: the massive data analytics platform that occasionally tells you the names of songs. Find out: How they use computers to turn all your favorite songs into constellationsWhat other things you can Shazam, if you're not a music personWhat Shazam likes to do in its spare time, when you think it's not listening anymoreReferences: https://appleinsider.com/articles/21/11/24/shazam-for-ios-will-listen-to-songs-for-longer-before-giving-uphttps://appleinsider.com/articles/24/05/22/shazam-can-now-run-in-the-background-with-live-activitieshttps://daniellenewnham.medium.com/fostering-innovation-and-choosing-the-right-founding-team-6287f7eed9fhttps://d3.harvard.edu/platform-digit/submission/shazam-predictive-analysis-for-the-music-industry/https://patents.justia.com/inventor/avery-li-chun-wanghttps://profwurzer.com/shazams-ip-fortress-layered-protection-built-a-billion-dollar-app/http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/12/the-shazam-effect/382237/https://venturebeat.com/social/shazam-american-idol/https://www.cnbc.com/2015/06/14/shazam-names-that-tune-drawing-in-money-and-users.htmlhttps://www.computerweekly.com/news/450409644/How-Shazam-handles-its-data-reserveshttps://www.ee.columbia.edu/~dpwe/papers/Wang03-shazam.pdfhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/averywang08/https://www.reddit.com/r/apple/s/uX3Gjl7FUmhttps://www.seti.org/people/avery-wang/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3hNkU03sLAhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0m-G6iwrCw

    1h 1m

  3. DEC 3

    Clippy

    It looks like you're trying to listen to a podcast. Would you like some help with that? Join me and my guest Dana Vannen Anderson for the bizarre and frequently cringe story of Clippy, the paperclip that us helped write a thousand letters. Find out: Where we got the notion that your computer should act like a personWhy Microsoft ditched the idea of Clippy ever shutting the fuck upWhat celebrated actor brought the paperclip to life for Office XP's mortifying launch campaignReferences: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1301.7385https://jesse.cafe/blog/packard-bell-navigator/https://guidebookgallery.org/tutorials/packardbellnavigator39/gettingstarted https://web.archive.org/web/20110504005120/https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2008/04/-quot-clippy-quot-update-now-with-organizational-anthropology/8006/ https://web.archive.org/web/20110124023627/http://blogs.msdn.com/b/chris_pratley/archive/2004/01/31/65479.aspx https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHgzgbLwhKM#t=1m41s https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/nov/07/chatgpt-lawsuit-suicide-coach https://web.archive.org/web/20070212204645/http://lis.dickinson.edu/Technology/Training/Tutorials/MsOffice/assistant.htmhttps://web.archive.org/web/20010812061222/http://www.microsoft.com/office/clippy/https://web.archive.org/web/20190214194638/https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/techtalk/2005/12/16/pm-at-microsoft/https://web.archive.org/web/20121024125147/http://news.cnet.com/2100-1001-255671.htmlhttps://www.seattlemet.com/news-and-city-life/2022/08/origin-story-of-clippy-the-microsoft-office-assistant https://magnus919.com/2025/05/the-rise-and-fall-of-clippy-from-microsofts-bold-vision-to-internet-legend/ https://spir.aoir.org/ojs/index.php/spir/article/view/10923/9596 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1143853682/https://www.newspapers.com/image/295620970/https://www.newspapers.com/image/770293367/https://www.newspapers.com/image/658114957/https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/news/2001-05-03-clippy-campaign.htm https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/191666.191703https://archive.org/details/g4tv.com-video4080 https://hardcoresoftware.learningbyshipping.com/p/042-clippy-the-fcking-clown

    1h 20m

  4. NOV 19

    Washing machines

    Come with me, and you'll be, in a world of squeezing/agitation! This week, Rit Breisler and I discuss washing machines. Learn: What fluid the ancient Romans used instead of detergent (hint: you're not gonna like it)What your washing machine's onboard computer is for (hint: computers don't wash clothes)Why washing machines have gotten so much more efficient in the last half century (hint: it's not the smartphone apps)References: https://eaglesanddragonspublishing.com/ancient-everyday-pee-and-laundry-in-the-roman-world/https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/washing-machines-vintage-photos/https://patents.google.com/patent/US966677A/enhttps://www.vox.com/future-perfect/374286/degrowth-economic-growth-washing-machines-electricity-global-povertyhttps://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-behind-the-bastards-29236323/episode/part-one-how-the-catholic-church-84227953/https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-behind-the-bastards-29236323/episode/part-two-how-the-catholic-church-84310436/https://appliance-standards.org/blog/new-spin-clothes-washer-efficiency-coming-january-2018https://home.howstuffworks.com/washer7.htmhttps://automaticwasher.org/threads/when-did-ge-start-using-electronics.62935/https://www.embedded.com/the-role-of-mcus-and-psocs-in-making-home-appliances-smarter/http://www.oldandinteresting.com/history-of-washing-clothes.aspxhttps://www.encyclopedia.com/science-and-technology/technology/technology-terms-and-concepts/washing-machine#2896500105https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/1862_London_Exhibition:_Catalogue:_Class_VIII.:_Richard_Lansdalehttps://patents.google.com/patent/US921195 https://patents.google.com/patent/US2165884https://web.archive.org/web/20130523165728/http://gogd.tjs-labs.com/show-picture?id=1129064419 https://ifdesign.com/en/winner-ranking/project/national-na-v81/2264 https://www.whitegoodshelp.co.uk/how-long-should-a-washing-machine-last/ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225802892_Electricity_and_water_consumption_for_laundry_washing_by_washing_machine_worldwide https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090312150735.htm https://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_the_magic_washing_machinehttps://academic.oup.com/book/10245

    1h 18m

  5. NOV 12

    Jira (Part 2)

    Jira: the bloated tick gorging itself on the software industry. Join me and CJ Horton to learn about: Henry Gantt, the absolute chart simp who gave your boss the idea to ask you about your progress every half hourInfinite backlogs: where hope goes to quietly dieThe heartbreaking story of a billionaire's impostor syndromeReferences: https://www.seangoedecke.com/seeing-like-a-software-company/https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/atlassian-mike-cannon-brookes-and-scott-farquhar/id1150510297?i=1000508150130https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNBmHXS3A6Ihttps://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/inside-the-atlassian-fallout-between-mike-cannonbrookes-and-scott-farquhar/news-story/ed90506fec79ee023d6f856592893c21https://www.realestate.com.au/news/37yearold-scott-farquhar-pays-more-than-70-million-for-derelict-fairfax-mansion-elaine/https://thedigitalprojectmanager.com/project-management/history-of-project-management-software/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/21573727.2011.609558https://confluence.atlassian.com/jira064/jira-3-0-release-notes-720413090.htmlhttps://confluence.atlassian.com/jira064/jira-4-0-release-notes-720413371.htmlhttps://confluence.atlassian.com/jira064/jira-5-0-release-notes-720413987.htmlhttps://confluence.atlassian.com/jira064/jira-6-0-release-notes-720413895.htmlhttps://confluence.atlassian.com/jirasoftware/jira-software-8-0-x-release-notes-957981626.htmlhttps://confluence.atlassian.com/jirasoftware/jira-software-9-0-x-release-notes-1142227613.htmlhttps://confluence.atlassian.com/jirasoftware/jira-software-10-0-x-release-notes-1416825224.htmlhttps://confluence.atlassian.com/jirasoftware/jira-software-11-0-x-release-notes-1587939582.html

    55 min

  6. NOV 5

    Jira (Part 1)

    Jira: the bloated tick gorging itself on the software industry. Join me and CJ Horton to learn about: Henry Gantt, the absolute chart simp who gave your boss the idea to ask you about your progress every half hourInfinite backlogs: where hope goes to quietly dieThe heartbreaking story of a billionaire's impostor syndromeReferences: https://www.seangoedecke.com/seeing-like-a-software-company/https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/atlassian-mike-cannon-brookes-and-scott-farquhar/id1150510297?i=1000508150130https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNBmHXS3A6Ihttps://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/inside-the-atlassian-fallout-between-mike-cannonbrookes-and-scott-farquhar/news-story/ed90506fec79ee023d6f856592893c21https://www.realestate.com.au/news/37yearold-scott-farquhar-pays-more-than-70-million-for-derelict-fairfax-mansion-elaine/https://thedigitalprojectmanager.com/project-management/history-of-project-management-software/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/21573727.2011.609558https://confluence.atlassian.com/jira064/jira-3-0-release-notes-720413090.htmlhttps://confluence.atlassian.com/jira064/jira-4-0-release-notes-720413371.htmlhttps://confluence.atlassian.com/jira064/jira-5-0-release-notes-720413987.htmlhttps://confluence.atlassian.com/jira064/jira-6-0-release-notes-720413895.htmlhttps://confluence.atlassian.com/jirasoftware/jira-software-8-0-x-release-notes-957981626.htmlhttps://confluence.atlassian.com/jirasoftware/jira-software-9-0-x-release-notes-1142227613.htmlhttps://confluence.atlassian.com/jirasoftware/jira-software-10-0-x-release-notes-1416825224.htmlhttps://confluence.atlassian.com/jirasoftware/jira-software-11-0-x-release-notes-1587939582.html

    54 min

  7. OCT 29

    Smart beds

    Is the world ready for a mattress that snaps shut like a Venus fly trap whenever Amazon AWS is down? Jeff Bonhag and I decide! - The Bourbons: France's sleepiest monarchs- What kind of animal Peter Thiel sleeps inside- The $5000 AI-powered bed that saved DOGE, and also sometimes pisses itself References: https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/04/140416-chimpanzees-trees-sleep-beds-animals-science/https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abc7239https://www.reddit.com/r/EightSleep/s/x1GIkFiHglhttps://aws.amazon.com/message/101925/https://www.404media.co/the-aws-outage-bricked-peoples-2-700-smartbeds/https://nymag.com/strategist/article/eight-sleep-pod-4-review.htmlhttps://www.eightsleep.com/science/https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/aws-crash-causes-2000-smart-beds-to-overheat-and-get-stuck-upright-3272251/https://www.reddit.com/r/EightSleep/s/0HKiHcCUDjhttps://www.uniladtech.com/news/tech-news/elon-musks-doge-sleep-pods-513132-20250205https://www.reddit.com/r/EightSleep/s/3gM13Pw8Wohttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-n-leaders/id1696212935?i=1000708827712

    58 min

  8. OCT 22

    Built-in battery testers

    Remember those little strips that used to be on batteries, where you'd pinch it with your fingers and it'd say how much power it had left? This episode is about those! Join me and my buddy Manuel Wudka-Robles as we talk about: Why rivals Duracell and Energizer both announced versions of this feature on the same exact dayHow it workedWhy they're not around anymoreReferences: https://tedium.co/2021/01/20/on-battery-power-meter-history/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-miami-herald-duracell-competing-pate/68078245/https://patents.google.com/patent/US5015544A/enhttps://patents.google.com/patent/US5059895A/enhttps://www.wsj.com/articles/SB884214290310763000https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB933034516816675358https://www.newspapers.com/article/democrat-and-chronicle-duracell-battery/68078674/https://www.supermarketnews.com/grocery-operations/testing-the-chargehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsA3X40nz9w

    52 min

  9. OCT 15

    Wireless headphones (Part 2)

    I sit down with my good friend Stephen Lauck to talk about wireless headphones – or, as we like to think of them, headphones with invisible wires. We cover: Mark Zuckerberg's stupid glassesNathan Baldwin, the theoretical polygamist who invented headphonesThe first stereo headphones, made by KossThe 1/8" audio jackThe WalkmanThe regulation of the radio spectrum (chart)Ether landlordsBluetoothThe iPhone 7 (the first iPhone without an 1/8" audio jack)References: https://hifisoundgear.com/blogs/basics-and-beyond/when-was-the-headphone-jack-inventedhttps://www.headphonesty.com/2021/05/when-were-headphones-invented/https://patents.google.com/patent/US454138A/enhttps://web.archive.org/web/20090911070726/http://www.historytogo.utah.gov/salt_lake_tribune/history_matters/070801.htmlhttps://www.millcreekut.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/695?fileID=27840 https://www.phonographia.com/FOTP%20MM/Koss.htmhttps://koss.com/pages/watch-the-history-of-kosshttps://www.nippon.com/en/japan-topics/g00726/walkman-story-the-early-years-of-the-iconic-personal-cassette-player.htmlhttps://www.jstor.org/stable/853362https://flypaper.soundfly.com/discovery/short-history-18-inch-headphone-jack/https://web.archive.org/web/20080624025103/http://www.iep.gmu.edu:80/UnlicensedWireless.phphttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NS0txu_Kzl8https://www.headphonesty.com/2025/03/real-reason-apple-killed-headphone-jack/https://www.reddit.com/r/iphone/comments/1dbj7ee/the_thickness_of_every_iphone_and_screen_sizeCredits: Our theme music is by Magic AL

    1h 18m

  10. OCT 8

    Wireless headphones (Part 1)

    I sit down with my good friend Stephen Lauck to talk about wireless headphones – or, as we like to think of them, headphones with invisible wires. We cover: Mark Zuckerberg's stupid glassesNathan Baldwin, the theoretical polygamist who invented headphonesThe first stereo headphones, made by KossThe 1/8" audio jackThe WalkmanThe regulation of the radio spectrum (chart)Ether landlordsBluetoothThe iPhone 7 (the first iPhone without an 1/8" audio jack)References: https://hifisoundgear.com/blogs/basics-and-beyond/when-was-the-headphone-jack-inventedhttps://www.headphonesty.com/2021/05/when-were-headphones-invented/https://patents.google.com/patent/US454138A/enhttps://web.archive.org/web/20090911070726/http://www.historytogo.utah.gov/salt_lake_tribune/history_matters/070801.htmlhttps://www.millcreekut.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/695?fileID=27840 https://www.phonographia.com/FOTP%20MM/Koss.htmhttps://koss.com/pages/watch-the-history-of-kosshttps://www.nippon.com/en/japan-topics/g00726/walkman-story-the-early-years-of-the-iconic-personal-cassette-player.htmlhttps://www.jstor.org/stable/853362https://flypaper.soundfly.com/discovery/short-history-18-inch-headphone-jack/https://web.archive.org/web/20080624025103/http://www.iep.gmu.edu:80/UnlicensedWireless.phphttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NS0txu_Kzl8https://www.headphonesty.com/2025/03/real-reason-apple-killed-headphone-jack/https://www.reddit.com/r/iphone/comments/1dbj7ee/the_thickness_of_every_iphone_and_screen_sizeCredits: Our theme music is by Magic AL

    1h 5m
  • 10 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

4.6
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Technology: where does it come from? How does it work? And why is it so shitty? Tune in every week for true stories about the technological marvels that plague our lives, from Bluetooth to QR codes to Clippy.

Information

  • Creator
    Dan Slimmon
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    10
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Dan Slimmon
  • Show Website
    Technology Blows

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