What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future
Every Friday and Sunday, Slate’s popular daily news podcast What Next brings you TBD, a clear-eyed look into the future. From fake news to fake meat, algorithms to augmented reality, Lizzie O’Leary is your guide to the tech industry and the world it’s creating for us to live in.
- Update frequency
- every 3 days
- Average duration
- 28 minutes
- Episodes
- 601
- Years Active
- 2017 - 2025
Inside Hamas' Social Media Strategy
Since war broke out, Hamas has been efficient in getting its message out on social media - both in providing crucial information to refugees fleeing the area, and in waging psychological warfare. How…
00:27:42 |
Fri 20 Oct 2023
The $30,000 Zelle Scam
Zelle has exploded in popularity as a fast, convenient way to send and receive money. But the story of a couple who was scammed out of a pool shows there are problems with safety on the platform.
G…
00:25:47 |
Sat 14 Oct 2023
The Israel-Hamas War Instantly Broke X
When the Arab Spring was unfolding, Twitter was hailed as a way for on-the-ground reporting to reach the public. But when fighting between Hamas and Israel broke out over the weekend, X became floode…
00:33:28 |
Fri 13 Oct 2023
The Man Who Turned You Into Data
Hank Asher was a lot of things: a Florida condo maven, a drug runner, a DEA informant—and a tech visionary who created the mixed blessing of turning everyone’s online activity into an unshakable shad…
00:27:11 |
Sat 07 Oct 2023
Sam Bankman-Fried—and Crypto—on Trial
As the trial begins, SBF is making the case that what he did is typical in the world of crypto. But when the government paints a much bleaker picture of FTX—one riddled with fraud and deception—what …
00:32:44 |
Fri 06 Oct 2023
Inside Crypto's House of Cards
The trial of Sam Bankman-Fried marks the end of an era where crypto rose to dizzying, Super-Bowl-commercial heights. Where does the industry go from here?
Guest: Zeke Faux, investigative reporter f…
00:31:06 |
Sun 01 Oct 2023
Who Will Pay For A COVID Vaccine?
After years of being a rare spot of universal, American-government-funded health care, this fall’s new COVID-19 vaccine is hitting the commercial market for the first time. So far, the rollout has be…
00:31:18 |
Sat 30 Sep 2023
Is Amazon a Monopoly?
Amazon evolved from a place to get cheap used books to the “everything store”—one encompassing warehouses, logistics and shipping.
But with the FTC now run by Lina Khan—who wrote the essay ‘Amazon’…
00:28:53 |
Fri 29 Sep 2023
What Instacart’s IPO Means for Tech
As other tech companies that rode the pandemic to success started sinking, Instacart managed to stay above water—they turned a profit and even made it to an IPO. But a stubbornly static stock price h…
00:26:26 |
Sat 23 Sep 2023
Did AirBnB Need to Go?
The sword of regulation, which has been swinging over New York AirBnBs for over a decade, is falling at last. But will new laws for short-term rentals have the effect housing advocates are hoping for…
00:24:49 |
Fri 22 Sep 2023
Can Politicians Keep Kids Safe Online?
The bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act has noble-sounding intentions, but has been called one of the most dangerous bills in years by the digital rights group, the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
Gue…
00:30:41 |
Sat 16 Sep 2023
Google Makes Its Case
A trial a decade in the making has started, as the U.S. Justice Department’s antitrust case against Google and its unrivaled position as the top search engine begins. Is this the beginning of the gov…
00:32:59 |
Fri 15 Sep 2023
Bad Air, Worse Vibes
COVID’s still here but the public’s appetite for masking, social distancing, or remote learning is long gone. One palatable way to stop the spread: improving air circulation indoors.
Guest: Apoorva…
00:21:27 |
Sat 09 Sep 2023
Tech Disrupts the School Bus
When Howard County signed a $27 million contract with the start-up Zum, the company promised to modernize the way schools provide transportation. But when the school year started, that’s not what hap…
00:27:40 |
Fri 08 Sep 2023
Social Media’s Pivot from News
It wasn’t long ago when social media was a place to go for up-to-the-minute updates in an emergency. But even as internet access is more widespread than ever—and natural disasters more frequent—Twitt…
00:28:35 |
Sun 03 Sep 2023
Is LinkedIn...Cool Now?
As Twitt—sorry, X—continues to go through tumult, an unlikely, long-time player is emerging as the last acceptable place to post.
Guest: Sarah Frier, tech editor at Bloomberg Businessweek.
If you e…
00:26:03 |
Fri 01 Sep 2023
The Cost of "Sustainable" Pet Food
Most pet food is made from the byproducts of the meat that we, humans, eat. Recently, there’s been a rise in high-end pet food products - including things like lab-grown meat - that are touted as sus…
00:27:09 |
Sun 27 Aug 2023
TikTok's Shady Deal with the U.S.
In the spring, it looked like TikTok was on the verge of being banned in America. Since then, it’s continued operating business as usual.
But this week, it was revealed that ByteDance and the Commi…
00:27:22 |
Fri 25 Aug 2023
Digital Life After Death
Sorting through a loved one’s things after they’ve died can be an emotional, difficult chore. But now, added to that, people have to sort through the deceased’s password-protected online presence.
…
00:26:46 |
Sun 20 Aug 2023
How Crypto Fails Sex Workers
At first, cryptocurrency seemed like the solution to the problems sex workers have had with traditional banks. But as the US moves to regulate the crypto industry, many are finding it hasn’t worked o…
00:25:59 |
Fri 18 Aug 2023
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