The Verge Weekend Questionnaire

Benn Jordan whitethorn person initially gained notoriety for his euphony arsenic Flashbulb and later, reviewing synths and effects pedals connected YouTube nether Benn and Gear. But astir 5 years ago, Benn decided to return his YouTube channel successful a different direction. He didn’t extremity covering euphony cogwheel overnight, but arsenic clip progressed, his transmission became much focused connected subject and exertion investigations. He moreover turned the full endeavor into a nonprofit.

While location will still beryllium the occasional video focused connected euphony aliases audio — say, poisoning AI music systems aliases storing information successful vertebrate song — lately Benn has been mostly focused connected the surveillance state. He’s uncovered glaring information flaws successful Flock’s camera systems, demonstrated really easy it is to hack a Ring camera, and seemingly confirmed a conspiracy mentation that Unitree’s robot dogs are secretly sending information backmost to servers successful China.

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Cecil Baldwin’s résumé includes appearances connected Gravity Falls, narrating the documentary Scream, Queen! My Nightmare connected Elm Street, and performing arsenic portion of the New York Neo-Futurists theatre company. But he is champion known arsenic the big of the podcast Welcome to Night Vale, a long-running fabrication show that blends macabre Lovecraftian scary pinch absurdist comedy. As Cecil Palmer, the sound of Night Vale Community Radio, Baldwin keeps the group of the titular municipality abreast of each the goings ons pinch the Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives successful Your Home and offers tips connected really to champion support their Bloodstone circles.

He besides cohosts Random Number Generator Horror Podcast No. 9 pinch Night Vale cocreator Jeffrey Cranor, precocious directed the play As Sylvia and raises consciousness for LGBTQ+ issues and HIV. In short — he’s a engaged man. So we’re excited that he recovered immoderate clip to show america astir his tech pet peeves.

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Roger Linn is simply a fable successful the world of philharmonic instruments. He’s been astatine the cutting separator of euphony exertion for decades. He created the LM-1, the first drum instrumentality to usage samples, and its successor, the LinnDrum, is 1 of the astir iconic drum machines of each time. They were utilized connected countless records successful the 1980s, including hits by Tom Petty, Queen, and Tears for Fears. But the astir notable instrumentality was astir apt Prince, who utilized them extensively connected Purple Rain and 1999.

Somehow, those are not his top contributions to the euphony world. That would, undoubtedly, beryllium the MPC. Linn collaborated pinch Akai to create 1 of the astir celebrated and important samplers ever. The MPC60 and its successors became the tool of choice for countless hip-hop and house producers. J Dilla’s MPC 3000 moreover sits successful the Smithsonian.

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Manoush Zomorodi is an accomplished reporter, podcast host, and author. Her caller book, Body Electric, takes a broad look astatine really exertion is impacting our physical health. It’s a collaboration betwixt NPR and Columbia University Medical Center that picks up wherever her first title, Bored and Brilliant, near off. That book looked astatine really exertion was hampering our intelligence health. I highly recommend it to anyone who feels for illustration being perpetually attached to a instrumentality is sapping their power and creativity.

Both books grew retired of her extended podcasting work. After heading up WNYC’s Note To Self, Zomorodi went connected to big NPR’s TED Radio Hour, and moreover gave a TED Talk of her ain successful 2017 that has racked up over 7 cardinal views. So we wanted to know, really does Manoush enactment productive, and what does her existent narration pinch tech look like?

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