kill switch

• vtubers and why "it’s not silly to be an anime girl on the internet"

  VTubers, or Virtual Youtubers, are growing at a rapid rate in the United States. Just last month, 1200+ fans paid up to $180 each to attend Fantastic Reality, a live VTuber mini-festival in a packed theatre in Los Angeles. But what exactly is VTubing? Can you ever truly build a connection with someone you don’t actually see? Dexter talks to Kou Mariya, a 6,669-year-old blonde vampire anime girl and one of the headliners of Fantastic Reality. She explains what attracts people to VTubing and the practicalities of portraying a virtual character. Plus, as one of the producers of Fantastic Reality and a co-founder of Emerging Technology Company, Spencer Burnham joins the show to walk us through the music culture side of VTubing. Got something you’re curious about? Hit us up [email protected], or @killswitchpod, or @dexdigi on IG or Bluesky. Read + Watch: Dexter’s article in WIRED, Anime Girl VTubers Are Selling Out Concerts, but Are They ‘Real’? Depends on Who You Ask: https://www.wired.com/story/anime-girl-vtubers-are-selling-out-concerts-but-are-they-real-depends-on-who-you-ask/ Fantastic Reality Website: https://www.fantasticreality.live/ Kou Mariya’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Kou_Mariya/videosSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• why are women still signing up for tea?

  Tea called itself a women’s safety app. Then, 4chan found it. Selfies, IDs, even private messages were left exposed after two massive data breaches. Tens of thousands of women were affected, but hundreds of thousands still want to sign up. We break down what went wrong, and what it says about the tech we trust to keep us safe. Dexter talks to journalists and 404 Media co-founders Emanuel Maiberg and Sam Cole about what happened, and what this could mean for women (and men!) whose information was exposed. Read + Watch: Emanuel’s coverage on the Tea data breach: Women Dating Safety App 'Tea' Breached, Users' IDs Posted to 4chan A Second Tea Breach Reveals Users’ DMs About Abortions and Cheating Tea User Files Class Action After Women’s Safety App Exposes Data Sam’s coverage on ‘Are We Dating the Same Guy?’ Facebook groups: Man Who Sued 'Are We Dating the Same Guy?' Groups Files Class Action Lawsuit Got something you’re curious about? Hit us up [email protected], or @killswitchpod on IG, or @dexdigi on IG or Bluesky.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• tech review: tablets in prisons

  This week we want to take a look at a little-known technology kept from public view: electronic tablets in prisons. Dexter talks to Gaby Caplan, a journalist and documentary filmmaker who has been researching how these tablets are used, the connection to the outside world that they promised, and why federal prisons have gone back on that promise. Read + Watch: Gaby’s piece on WIRED: https://www.wired.com/story/electronic-tablets-in-federal-prisons-chat-apps-disabled/ Got something you’re curious about? Hit us up [email protected], or @dexdigi on IG or Bluesky.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• how to: not get hacked

  If you’ve been resistant to using a password manager, or if you want to step up your overall digital security, this episode is for you. Dexter talks to Josh Blackwelder, Deputy Chief Information Security Officer of SentinelOne, about the dangers of having weak passwords (even for accounts you don’t care about), why you definitely should use a password manager, and why you should switch your email account to login by something better than a password: the passkey. We’re here to evangelize the importance of digital security – and keep you from getting hacked. If there’s someone in your life who needs to hear this, share this episode with them. Useful links: Check to see if your data’s been leaked: https://haveibeenpwned.com/ Check how strong your passwords are: https://bitwarden.com/password-strength/ Set up Google passkey: https://g.co/passkeys Got something you’re curious about? Hit us up [email protected], or @dexdigi on IG or Bluesky.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• the algorithm made me say it

  We’re living in a world shaped by algorithms. They’re not just curating our feeds, they’re changing the way we speak. Dexter talks with Adam Aleksic, aka the Etymology Nerd, about his new book Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language. They unpack how algorithmic censorship on social media is reshaping the way we use language online, and how it’s bleeding into real life. Read + Watch: Make sure to check out Adam’s book: Algospeak Where to find Adam online: https://www.etymologynerd.com/ https://etymology.substack.com/ Or @etymologynerd on social media. Got something you’re curious about? Hit us up [email protected], or @dexdigi on IG or Bluesky.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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