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Music, Pop Culture and Technology from radio legend Alan Cross and TV's biggest geek Michael Hainsworth

Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth


    • Oct 28, 2022 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 34m AVG DURATION
    • 338 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Geeks and Beats

    The Future of Social Media with Brittlestar

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2022 32:29


    Now that Elon Musk has bought Twitter, does this portend the downfall of western civilization? The Internet's Favourite Dad, Stewart Reynolds, AKA Brittlestar, thinks The Kids Today won't put up with this shit the way Gen-X and the Boomers do.

    The Blockchain Primer

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 12, 2022 37:47


    When electricity was first invented, Victorians had to learn a lot about it. Blockchain is kind of like that. Eventually we won't care. But until then, here's a primer on what you need to know about this world-changing technology from Tracy Leparulo and Amber Healy.

    Where's My Hologram? with Proto's David Nussbaum

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2022 27:52


    Star Wars holograms suck. Meet the man who's Proto technology has been used at concerts and awards shows, is being used by Wall Street schmucks, and may even be used by hospitals by remote doctors. David Nussbaum says the future is only 5 years away.

    S01E03 Where's My Sexbot with Annette Masterson

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 28, 2022 50:38


    Since Westworld debuted in 1973, we've been promised a world of consequence-free sex with robots. They're still coming, and PhD student Annette Masterson at Temple University has been studying their rise since 2018 and the unusual technologies required to make them happen. This episode made possible in part by the Digital Life Institute at Ontario Tech University.

    Where's My Privacy? with Cory Doctorow Part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2022 37:07


    Sci-fi author and digital rights activist Cory Doctorow on why Telsas are "Murder Cars" and how to talk to your kids about Surveillance Capitalism without scaring them off their smartphones.

    Where's My Privacy? with Cory Doctorow Part 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 14, 2022 29:22


    Our smartphones are being used against us. Sci-fi author Cory Doctorow on the science behind his fiction "Attack Surface" and why we must protect ourselves. Part 1 of 2.

    Real AI for Sustainability

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 21, 2022 32:52


    Real AI is making a real difference in shrinking the carbon footprint of generating electricity. Microsoft Sustainability Director Michelle Lancaster and Ontario Power Generation's VP of Energy Markets, Nick Pender, are working together to produce clean power for Canada's biggest province -- and to make consumption cleaner in New York State.

    CES 2022 with Rick Kowalksi

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2022 27:37


    The CTA's Rick Kowalski joins Michael Hainsworth as they discuss how big Augmented Reality is going to get, how tech from self driving Indy cars will end up in your car, and how artificial intelligence is changing how we cook.

    Real Ai For Language Translation Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 10, 2021 26:35


    Science Fiction's “Universal Translator” is one step closer thanks to artificial intelligence. #RealAI is being used to protect the Inuit language in Canada's far north and prepare us for the day when our smartphones will automatically translate a foreign speaker. 

    Real AI for Accessibility

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2021 16:07


    Many technologies we all take for granted today got their start as assistive technologies for people with disabilities. Today, AI is making the world a more accessible place. Dave Dame, Microsoft's Director of Accessibility, tells us he's optimistic about the use of Artificial Intelligence because he believes it's going to make the world a better place. 

    The Future of Live Music, NTFs, and The El Mocambo with Raine Maida of Our Lady Peace

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2021 26:33


    G&B SPECIAL: Our Lady Peace frontman Raine Maida on the band launching it's latest album as an NFT. We'll explain what it is and how it puts the power back in the hands of the artist. Michael Wekerle has turned venerated music venue the El Mocambo into a 21st century live streaming production house and Maida will break it in on opening night. We'll find out why this is the future of live music. Plus: Virtual Reality has a real chance of making inroads by moving fans in the nosebleed seats to the front row.   This Geeks & Beats Special Presentation is brought to you by Where's My Jetpack: a series about the technology we were promised as kids, what we got, and what's coming next.

    Real AI for Risk Prediction

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2021 30:04


    Canada's biggest life insurance company has seen a lot of change in its history. Not since the invention of the adding machine a year after Manulife first opened its doors in 1887 has the company had a more powerful tool at its disposal. And this tool predicts the future.

    Real AI for Healthcare

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2021 36:19


    Real AI is being used today to help stop a killer in its tracks, one that will claim 25% of Canadians in their lifetimes. At BC Cancer in Vancouver, Doctor Sam Aparicio says he has “huge optimism” over the role artificial intelligence is playing in cancer research and precision treatment. Meantime, AI is being used to make hospitals more efficient for patients, families, and staff.

    Ep04 Real Ai For Agriculture Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2021 17:45


    "We're eating the planet to death," we're warned. But Real AI is being used today to fight climate change while feeding more of us more efficiently. Terramera's Karn Manhas and Ranveer Chandra of Microsoft show Michael Hainsworth how artificial intelligence is being used for the good of the planet and its people.

    Real AI for Missing Children

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 19, 2021 25:21


    Every parent knows the heart-stopping experience of losing sight of their child at a park or that first time they go out into the world with their friends. More than 30,000 children disappear every year, and while most of them are found within 24 hours, time is critical for investigators compiling the case. Missing Children Society of Canada is leveraging artificial intelligence to comb through social media accounts looking for critical clues in a race against the clock. Our Michael Hainsworth spoke to @MCSCanada's @AmandaRightNow and Microsoft's @WirelessLife to learn how #RealAI is being used to reunite families.

    Real AI for Sustainability in the Public Sector

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2021 32:15


    Artificial Intelligence is being deployed to protect the environment by cleaning up abandoned mines, determining the best locations for electric vehicle charging stations, and keeping cheating appliances off the electrical grid. At Natural Resources Canada, Vik Pant is leading the charge, but he can’t do it alone. “That's not something that can be done humanly at any scale,” he says. There’s simply too much data to wade through.

    Geeks & Beats Announcement

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2021 1:19


    Big news from the world's most popular podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth!

    beats geeks alan cross michael hainsworth
    Series Finale Intern Appreciation Livestream

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2020 76:36


    COVID-19 killed Geeks & Beats. While Alan and Michael are still healthy, so is the demand for business to business podcasts and a documentary series. Join The Internet's Favourite Dad, Brittlestar, as he hogs the virtual open bar while we thank members of the World's Worst Intern Program one last time as we talk about 8 years of The World's Most Popular Podcast (with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth)

    Raffi vs. Fascism, Black Lives Matter, and Augmented Reality

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2020 33:12


    The children's musician Raffi on fighting fascism, supporting Black Lives Matter, taking piano lessons at 75, and the science of writing children's music. Plus: why he's not answering the Augmented Reality call on Bananaphone 2.0

    Neil Peart and the Apple Announcement

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2020 29:39


    Rush fans don't need to be told Neil Peart is a percussive hero, but on what would have been his 68 birthday. A Chinese smartphone maker eclipses Apple after Cupertino fails to release a new iPhone. And an American fighter pilot claims aliens have committed an act of war. Wait, what?

    The Elmo is Back

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2020 31:34


    It’s finally happening: A beloved Toronto music venue, the El Mocambo, is coming back to life, palm tree lights and all. Delayed by COVID-19 and the cruel hands of fate, the El Mo will livestream its first concert on September 10, a performance from Big Wreck on the venue’s second-floor stage.

    How COVID-19 tech changed society and sex

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2020


    The world has changed since March. Here's a look at how COVID brought new life to existing technologies.

    How COVID-19 tech changed society and sex

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2020 34:35


    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZmV88Rk0Pg&w=560&h=315] Sex Tech CEO Lora Dicarlo joins us to talk about what COVID-19 has changed in society and sex, and why the last thing you want is your Internet-connected dildo hacked by the Chinese.   QR Codes, Video Conferences and Sex: Covid-19 Really Did Change Everything by Amber Healy  Think back on the state of the world in January. Filled with the optimism of a new year, all bright and shiny with possibility, we went about our lives, maskless, taking for granted things like going out for dinner or drinks, watercooler chats with coworkers and maybe even the giddy anticipation of first dates.  We were all unaware suckers.  With the type of fury saved for mothers whose children have hung up on them angrily, or the historic trope of the “woman scorned,” COVID-19 giggled at our innocence and optimism and smacked us all around.  We’ve changed since then. We’re weary and cautious, knowing germs are everywhere and anywhere. We spent a good portion of the year inside. When was the last time you shook someone’s hand? If the answer isn’t “Um...March, I think?” you’re doing it wrong.  But not all is lost! There are some ways in which COVID might have a positive influence on our world, at least from a technological standpoint.  QR Codes: Those weird little boxes now tell you what’s for dinner  QR -- or quick response -- codes have been around since 1994, believe it or don’t. Invented by Denso Wave, a Japanese company, QR codes were designed to be a faster kind of barcode for products, parts and other items. Among the first adopters were auto manufacturers to make shipping and production more efficient. Eventually that grew from internal corporate uses, including food safety tracing following an outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, aka mad cow disease, QR codes were slowly introduced to consumers in the early 21st Century  But no one knew what to do with them. You’d have to download a special app to read them. Sometimes they worked, most often they didn’t. After a while, they were just boxes that looked odd and were ignored.  When COVID-19 hit, throwing everything into a tailspin, some retailers got smart. If customers are supposed to stay socially distant, and if controlling and limiting the spread of germs is of the utmost importance, could QR codes be used to point and shop instead?  QR codes are perfect for a pandemic-stricken world. Bars and restaurants have embraced with joy using QR codes taped or otherwise affixed to tables, doors, windows and other surfaces to allow patrons to read their menus without having to print out and sanitize them daily. Some are making it possible to incorporate online ordering via QR code-enabled functions, with patrons receiving a text when their order is ready. This not only limits interactions between customers and waitstaff -- angels and brave souls who do NOT get paid enough to risk their health in these times, by the way -- but it also allows establishments to have fewer staff on hand at any given time. This saves financial resources at a time when every dollar counts.  It’s an elegant solution, really, and one that’s likely to survive into the future. Not having to print menus saves money and time. It’s more sanitary. It’s easier to update an app or website linked to a QR code, and so much faster, than having to create new tangible menus when seasons change.  Some customers had grown a little more comfortable with QR codes, pre-COVID, as retailers like Starbucks, Macy’s, Whole Foods and some drug stores began using them as contact-free payment methods or linked with their loyalty rewards programs.  It also helps that it’s gotten easier to use QR codes -- no longer is a special app needed to make them work! Most newer smartphones have QR code readers integrated into their camera. Just open your camera, point it at the code and voila, there you have it.  Businesses were starting to feel optimistic about broader adoption of QR codes before the pandemic. A 2018 study from Juniper Research anticipated 5,3 billion QR-based transactions by 2022, a 400% increase over the 1.3 billion transactions in 2017. But COVID is likely going to help shatter that expectation now that North American and Western markets are buying in big time.  Video Calls: Why wear pants to talk business?  People love crediting The Simpsons with “predicting” the future, but let’s talk about the Jetsons. The show began in 1962 and anticipated treadmills, nutrition supplements to take the place of food, flying cars (ok, they weren’t perfect) and video calls. The concept, and the technology, didn’t appear in a real, useful way until 2003 when Skype was rolled out. But most people who downloaded the program used it as a way to make free phone calls to other users, or to keep in touch with international friends before limitless texting or social media was as widespread and easy as it is now.  Skype was one of the first voice-over-internet protocol communication systems, retrofitting your computer to act as your phone instead of the other way around. By 2011, it was the cornerstone of Facebook’s video chat service.  Facetime was introduced with the iPhone 4 in 2010, but only really benefited other iPhone users.  But for non-iPhone users, for workplaces and for people who want to see their far-flung friends and relatives, COVID made it easier, and far more popular, to adopt video calling capabilities.  When offices were forced to close in early 2020, there was an immediate need for people to communicate and try and mimic the daily meetings and office check-ins they were used to in their places of employment. Very few places went to Skype for assistance. Instead, products like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex, even Slack became the glue that held corporate life together.  Zoom, and similar apps like HouseParty, also brought friends together for socially distant gatherings and celebrations -- I had a series of video calls around my birthday at the end of April with family and friends -- while video call capabilities were integrated into Twitter and Instagram to make being face-to-face while socially distant even easier.  Zoominfo.com, a totally unrelated publication, found that video conferencing has grown an astonishing (but not really) 87% in the first part of 2020 alone. While other apps and companies also saw a bump, Zoom itself saw a 418% growth in adoption in just two months.  The casual user can sign up for a Zoom account and make unlimited 40-minute calls for free. Business clients can make longer calls for a subscription. And at this point, we’ve all had a chance to play around with the various stock and customizable backgrounds built into the platform to fancy up those boring conference calls. A video game developer also said, very simply, the call quality is just better in Zoom than other apps, including Google Hangouts.  Smartly, Zoom also announced early on in lockdown that it was making its technology available for free for school districts as a way to try and help kids and teachers stay connected and finish the year from their homes.  The bottom line: there’s a reason retailers are now offering “video conferencing style” sections in their clothing ads. As workplaces find a way forward in the era of social distancing, video conferencing is an effective tool to keep workers connected, allow managers to check up on employees, and it’s not likely to fade away when a vaccine allows everyone to return to the brick-and-mortar office. Assuming that happens. Someday.  Sex, coronavirus and technology: Bedfellows with benefits How, in the world of a highly contagious and possibly fatal disease, are people having sex with their partners? Is the risk an adrenaline junkie’s aphrodisiac? Are there some who find masks irresistible? Does the pandemic make a naughty nurse fantasy even more enticing?  Early on in the lockdown, the New York City Department of Health released some guidance to help people stay safe while getting their rocks off. In advice that spread as quickly as the virus itself, the city reminded people that “you are your safest sex partner” while also providing some, uh, tips for those who wanted to share the experience.  The department also encouraged holding off on threesomes or other group sex romps, to wear face coverings (in addition to condoms, of course) and avoid kissing, and to consider taking a break from in-person hookups. “Video dates, sexting, subscription-based fan platforms, sexy ‘Zoom parties’ or chat rooms may be options for you,” the advice continues.  In what might be a first, NYC also encouraged people to incorporate kink: “Be creative with sexual positions and physical barriers, like walls, that allow sexual contact while preventing close face-to-face contact.” It also urged people to explore mutual masturbation -- each partner taking care of themselves while close to the other, but with physical distancing and face coverings to reduce the risk of transmission.  Sex workers were given similar advice by the government of British Columbia, acknowledging the “considerable support” these men and women were providing each other in this difficult time - emotionally and financially. It also encourages the use of sexting, video calls and other communication tools, along with “less is more” methods of arousal like erotic massage, stripteases and positions that don’t involve face-to-face contact.  But let’s be honest: We want to know how sex will be transformed by technology as a result of COVID.  “Sex tech is more than sex toys or objects used for sexual stimulation,” starts an article in The Conversation. “It is a billion-dollar industry that builds a wide range of products for interactive, immersive and connected erotic experiences. This includes but is not limited to: virtual, augmented and mixed reality, ‘teledildonics,’ dating applications and platforms, online erotic games and artificial erotic agents (or erobots) such as sex robots, virtual partners or erotic chatbots.”  The sale of sex toys and dolls has exploded in the past few months, as has the market for sex-tech startups. A study on erobotics from the University of Montreal found that the “private sector is racing to develop new erotic products, to occupy an untapped sextech market that is estimated to be worth $30-$120 billion.”  Teledildonics, or smart sex toys connected to the internet and, therefore, partners in other locations, have been on the fringe for a while, but according to Cams.com, there’s been a 20% increase in people logging into websites and interacting with sex workers and model’s toys since the onset of COVID. The models’ income also increased by about 20% at the same time. InputMag did a deep dive into smart sex techology and found any and all kinds of connected technology have seen profound increases in interest and usage since lockdowns started in March.  At the same time, familiar partners and players, like Pornhub and other erotic sites, saw a spike in traffic almost immediately -- Pornhub alone saw a 13.7% spike in traffic in March alone -- while apps designed around sex have also received more attention. Spain-based Emjoy, “an erotic audio guide app,” had a 45% increase in downloads since early March, along with a 160% increase in usage; Beducated, based in Munich, had 185% more activity, mostly from binge-watching sexual education courses.  When it comes to toys and accessories, especially of the higher-tech variety, the market has mostly been dominated by products designed by men with their needs and interests in mind. Lora DiCarlo, a woman-led company, is changing that. If the name sounds familiar, it should-- in 2019, the company was awarded a highly coveted recognition from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas for its Ose’ product for women, only to have the award taken away and deemed inappropriate, despite dozens of other male-oriented devices not only recognized but openly displayed on the convention floor. CES later thought better of it and re-awarded Ose its Innovative Robotics Award after facing considerable backlash for being straight-up sexist.  “When women and femmes show up in the technology industry, consumers get their hands on incredible devices designed specifically for clitorial and G-spot stimulation, achieving incredible partner or solo blended orgasms,” the company states on its blog. “Female-founded companies promote both pleasure and equity through high-tech microrobotics.” The company offers not only toys for women, but access to certified sexual wellness coaches -- sex isn’t just about getting off, it’s a key component in overall health, and let’s face it, our physical and mental health is pretty taxed right now. Moving beyond toys for solo or partner use, there’s also the possibility that people will embrace virtual or augmented reality to simulate sex with digital partners in virtual worlds, or go beyond that and take up extended reality (XR), a technology just starting to be used by doctors to train their colleagues around the world in a shared virtual environment.  Just be safe out there, friends. And be like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman: No kissing on the mouth. 

    Digital vs. Analogue Audio with Glenn Schick

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2020 29:51


    We take a deep dive into your Dad’s stereo with Grammy winner Glenn Schick. We also find out why Alan can’t listen to Classical music on Compact Disc, and discover why an audio format that couldn’t beat the CD in the ’90s may be the next big thing in the ’20s thanks to 5G.

    Mental Health and the Entertainment Industry with TSN’s Michael Landsberg

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2020 37:05


    Wasn’t Kurt Cobain’s suicide a wakeup call? TSN’s Michael Landsberg knows how to talk about mental health issues. And on what would have been Robin Williams’ 69th birthday, the geeks speak about a topic that seems to have been largely swept under the rug by the entertainment industry. Robin Williams’ passing got us talking The […]

    Before there was MTV with Tarzan Dan

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2020 48:32


    MTV is pushing 40?!? Tarzan Dan from YTV’s Hit List drops by Studio 3B to talk about those in music television who came before him, he and Alan swap tops on how to interview a rock star, and we find out how he reacted to landing in the pages of Canadian music history. MTV airing […]

    The Future of Headphones is 3D

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2020 27:26


    Audeze founder Sankar Thiagasamudram explains that the next big thing in audio is 3D in a way you didn’t know you were missing with your typical headphones today. The headphones of the future will be spatially aware, and adjust to your listening preferences using artificial intelligence. And the crazy thing is these headphones already exist. The post The Future of Headphones is 3D appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

    My Fake Band

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 24, 2020 23:15


    What if that random joke you make turned into a party game? The Brothers Hermann of My Fake Band drop by Studio 3B to talk about kickstarting the Next Big Thing around the campfire. Plus: K-pop as the world’s conscience and a middle finger to Donald Trump. The post My Fake Band appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

    First Woman in Space

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2020 38:13


    The United States might have put a man on the moon first, but it was the Russians who first sent a woman to space. The Vintage Space star and author Amy Shira Teitel joins the geeks this week on a supporters-only livestream recording session and Q&A about Valentina Tereshkova, a woman 20 years ahead of […] The post First Woman in Space appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

    Isolating Richard Crouse

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2020 31:45


    Pop Life host and entertainment gadfly Richard Crouse is cramped in his spacious home office talking to celebrities in his fabulous hair while he waits for COVID-19 to pass and he can get back to making traditional television. We talk about new media and “In Isolation With”, the revenue power of funeral services announcements, and […] The post Isolating Richard Crouse appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

    Mixing + Mastering with Glenn Schick

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2020 32:11


    Multi-platinum, Grammy winning mastering engineer Glenn Schick drops by Studio 3B to talk about the evolution of getting a musician’s idea out of their head and into your ears. The digital nomad whose work has crafted the sound of Justin Bieber, Drake, and The Weeknd stuns Alan with an interesting revelation. Also: why men should […] The post Mixing + Mastering with Glenn Schick appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

    Don’t Stop Believin’ in Crowdsourcing

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2020 38:18


    Music Producer Rob Wells drops by Studio 3B to talk about his crowdsourced version of a classic Journey hit by musicians from around the world. Plus, how the introduction of Pac Man 40 years ago marked the beginning of the end of the Pinball Wizard. The post Don’t Stop Believin’ in Crowdsourcing appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

    Vintage Space Battle with Amy Shira Teitel

    Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2020 37:31


    Amy Shira Teitel of Vintage Space drops by Studio 3B to tell the story of two female aviators fighting for control of a 1960s NASA astronaut program that did not exist. The space historian and YouTube star’s latest book, Fighting for Space: Two Pilots and Their Historic Battle for Female Spaceflight hit store shelves just […] The post Vintage Space Battle with Amy Shira Teitel appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

    fighting nasa geeks alan cross amy shira teitel beats podcast space battle vintage space michael hainsworth
    Instruments of COVID-19

    Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2020 31:19


    Instrument online sales are through the roof, but returns aren’t. Cosmo Music’s Mark Hebert isn’t worried about a rash of regretful rocker wannabes. But it’s not all rosy: Amazon takes a huge piece of the action. What is Canada’s largest independent music store going to do?   The post Instruments of COVID-19 appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

    News Not Noise with Jessica Yellin

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2020 36:47


    Veteran CNN reporter Jessica Yellin on how COVID19 is changing newsrooms, her Instagram-based news service, and why Fox News isn’t solely to blame for the Untied States of America. News Not Noise By Christa Sampson What happens when the news you consume comes from a live stream vs. the mainstream? There are no special effects. […] The post News Not Noise with Jessica Yellin appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

    COVID Killed the Streaming Star with Zack Zalon

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2020 32:48


    A blessing in disguise? Cardi B is suffering a 17% drop in online streaming amid COVID-19. But are we really turning to radio as we WFM? Zack Zalon of Super HiFi joins Alan and Michael to discuss the intersection of old media and new while the pair bicker like the Costanzas over the idea that anyone would turn on the radio at home in the first place. The post COVID Killed the Streaming Star with Zack Zalon appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

    The Car Man vs. COVID-19

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2020 31:53


    How does a car company switch to producing ventilators in the age of COVID-19? Flavio Volpe, President of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association (APMA) joins us to talk about marshalling his members to convert production lines from making car parts to medical equipment. Plus, Volpe’s choice of bitchin’ tunes to play while burning rubber in […] The post The Car Man vs. COVID-19 appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

    COVID-19 vs IROC-85

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2020 30:04


    It’s 1985, you just bought this bitchin’ IROC-Z. What’s the first song you play as you drive off? We put that to the listeners and came up with #possiblyfakefacts about each entry then turned the tables on Alan Cross to see if he could tell if we faked it. Plus: Canadians have gone sex-gadget crazy […] The post COVID-19 vs IROC-85 appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

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    The Future of VR is Sound

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2020 37:28


    Nobody cares about audio until they can’t hear it. But when it comes to VR, what makes the virtual real is as much the sound as the three dimensions around you. Overworld XR founder Jonathan Rowden joins us in self-isolation at his home studio to talk about sound engineering in 3D as Michael goes on […] The post The Future of VR is Sound appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

    Take 2-Coronapocalypse AI: The Panic Index

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2020 32:42


    (Fixes missing audio) What Pornhub analytics tells us about how we’re “working from home.” The Coronavirus Panic Index claims its A.I. saw this coming by analyzing the emotion of our social media posts. Cognovi Labs CEO Dr. Beni Gradwohl introduces us to his machine. Plus: Half-Life is back and only in VR. Guess who’s super […] The post Take 2-Coronapocalypse AI: The Panic Index appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

    My Corona

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2020 37:13


    Legendary Tragically Hip manager Jake Gold tells us why COVID-19 will make SARS look like the sniffles for the music industry. And actual doctors are recommending we switch from shaking hands to the “Live Long and Prosper” sign. Remember when you had concert tickets for shows in March and early April and were so stoked […] The post My Corona appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

    The Future of Music Has Arrived: MIDI 2.0

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2020 40:28


    The man behind MIDI 2.0, Mike Kent, drops by Studio 3B to talk about why an update to a 37 year old technology is going to revolutionize the way music is produced, and how it’s so powerful, we have no idea what we’ve unleashed once artificial intelligence gets a hold of it. Plus: Alan was […] The post The Future of Music Has Arrived: MIDI 2.0 appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

    History of Headphones

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2020 31:59


    Your AirPods are thanks to grunge musicians of the 1990s. Your dad’s headphones came from the U.S. Navy. And Grampa? The invention of the telephone. Headphone wizard and CEO of Audeze Doctor C. joins us to look back at the history of cans. Plus: how to direct a live music video. The post History of Headphones appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

    Any Night of the Week

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2020 27:21


    Music fans in Toronto can easily club and hall hop on any given night and see a lineup of incredible homegrown and internationally known bands, from tiny rooms to a major arena.  That wasn’t the case even 50 years ago, when “rock bands (were) playing in tiny coffeehouses in Yorkville,” says Jonny Dovercourt, author of […] The post Any Night of the Week appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

    The B Material

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2020 36:15


    What do Mark Hamill, Wutang Clan, James Spader, Pearl Jam, Pokemon Go, Spotify, Augmented Reality, Samsung, and a vinyl pressing plant fire all have in common? This episode. The post The B Material appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

    Married Valentine

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2020 29:20


    Valentine’s Day shouldn’t just be for new couples, amirite? Pol Gerbeau of Desire Games on his “Dare” app for married couples, Michael browses “the best edibles for a romantic evening” while Alan fears his wife’s reaction to the app. The post Married Valentine appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

    The Return of High Fidelity

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 4, 2020 31:55


    The rise of the iPod marked the decline of the dominance of the Home Stereo. But as streaming audio dominates, HD audio is making a comeback - and Apple should be worried. Mark Cohen of Audeze joins us to talk about the return of High Fidelity. Plus: Ground Zero for the Coronavirus is also the home of China's punk scene, and why we've been KICKED OFF SPOTIFY The post The Return of High Fidelity appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

    Doctor AI

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2020 31:05


    A new study has found AI is better at spotting breast cancer than a doctor. A super team of researchers from Google Health, Imperial College London, the National Health Service and Northwestern University have trained an AI model on X-ray images from almost 29,000 women. The post Doctor AI appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

    Neil Peart

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 21, 2020 40:25


    The geeks look back at the creative force behind Rush, why Star Trek Picard may determine the future of CBS All Access thanks to subscription fatigue, and Dr. House in Spaaaace…. The post Neil Peart appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

    The Technology of Getting High, David Lee Roth Review

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 14, 2020 55:09


    Cannabis journalist Jameson Berkow joins us to talk about why the best gadget at CES 2020 may have been a Vape Pen from CES 2016. Plus, the founders of high-tech marijuana humidor maker Keep Labs walked away from CES 2020 and an award after being told they couldn’t tell attendees their biometric security device was […] The post The Technology of Getting High, David Lee Roth Review appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

    Live from CES 2020

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 11, 2020 77:34


    Join the geeks as we eat our way through CES 2020, Michael discovers IOT-powered diapers, field reporter Andy Baryer finds a Samsung TV that rotates itself to portrait mode for vertical video, and Alan uncovers a doggy door that keeps you from getting out of bed in the middle of the night for your pooch. […] The post Live from CES 2020 appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

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