Too Embarrassed to Ask

Two and a half years ago, we launched Too Embarrassed to Ask. And now, having answered your questions about everything from Snapchat to Juicero to tech addiction, it’s time to goodbye ... or maybe Goode-bye? This week, Recode’s Kara Swisher reunites with her longtime co-host Lauren Goode (now a senior writer at Wired) for one final show and one final “hashtag money.” They talk about wearables, podcasts, Phoebe’s twin sister on “Friends,” Facebook’s year of scandals and — of course — their cats. Give it a listen and stay tuned for a new Kara Swisher podcast, coming this fall. If you subscribe to Too Embarrassed to Ask now, make sure to stay subscribed; you’ll automatically get the first episodes of Kara’s new show once it’s ready. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Microsoft Research scientist Jaron Lanier talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book, "10 Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now." He explains why those who have the opportunity to quit platforms like Facebook and Twitter should do so, comparing the problem to past crusades against “mass addictions” like smoking or drunk driving. Lanier also talks about the future of virtual reality, a field in which he helped drive interest in the 1990s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Northeastern University assistant professors Dave Choffnes and Christo Wilson talk with Recode's Kara Swisher about their recent year-long investigation into a popular online conspiracy theory: Smartphones are secretly turning on their microphones to record conversations and serve us more targeted ads. Choffnes and Wilson say that although there have been a small number of apps that have surveilled users, they tested 17,000 of the most popular apps on Android and found that this doesn't happen; in fact, it doesn't need to. Although the theory may sound plausible, we provide a vast amount of information about ourselves through other means that can explain ads that feel eerily well-targeted to our lives. The researchers also explain some of the steps consumers can take to reduce these more mundane privacy violations and how app developers have reacted since their study was released. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

House of Highlights creator Omar Raja talks with Recode's Kurt Wagner about how he built his sports-focused Instagram account into a social media juggernaut. Today, it's owned by Bleacher Report and has nearly 10 million followers. Raja hasn't taken a day off in four years; however, the fame of the account has connected him with basketball stars like Kobe Bryant, who earlier this year gave Raja a personal pep talk and cured a growing sense of burnout. He also talks about how he decides what to feature on Instagram, why House of Highlights is expanding into YouTube and Twitter accounts and how it's making money on all of these platforms without looking like a sell-out in the eyes of its young fanbase. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Renée DiResta, the head of policy at Data for Democracy, talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about how disinformation is spread on social media platforms and what can be done about it. DiResta says the tech community wouldn't be talking about this problem as much if Donald Trump had not won the presidency in 2016 — and that’s unfortunate, because a huge and diverse number of groups have weaponized social media, not just pro-Trump Russian agents. She explains why consumers shouldn’t be afraid of tech platforms sharing more information with each other and the government, and why one of the most useful things they can do is to politely correct people in their own communities who are spreading false information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recode’s Kara Swisher, her son Louie Swisher and Recode Radio producer Eric Johnson talk about Sandbox VR, a new virtual reality arcade installation south of San Francisco that they visited together, along with Kara’s other son, Alex. They share their reactions to an action-packed pirate video game, in which everyone was wearing a backpack computer and a VR headset and could roam freely around a room, all while shooting evil skeletons, dodging ghosts and solving puzzles. Kara says she’d prefer a similar VR experience to any video game, while Louie argues that it’s an unfair comparison, and that there are times he’d still prefer to play games on the TV. Meanwhile, Eric critiques the game’s design, and everyone complains about a parrot that wouldn't stop talking. Plus: Louie recounts a VR art installation that illustrates the peril of crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, and Kara quizzes him about his latest feelings on Snapchat and Facebook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Entrepreneur Anil Dash, the CEO of Fog Creek Software, talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about ethics and accountability in the tech industry. Dash recounts his first “eye-opening moment” about the potential for abuse on the web, and why he is encouraged by an apparent shift in the tone of the conversation about harassment and inclusion. He also proposes a new way to talk about the worst forms of platform misuse, such as the genocide in Myanmar that has been fueled in part by Facebook. Plus: Why South Asian immigrants are overrepresented in American tech companies, and why Dash has become internet-famous for talking about mangoes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recode's Kara Swisher and Peter Kafka talk about this week's ruling that AT&T could buy Time Warner, likely ending a lawsuit brought against the companies by the U.S. Justice Department. The decision almost immediately triggered a $65 billion bid from Comcast for 21st Century Fox, which Disney had been publicly courting at a lower price. And more generally, Kafka says it means that any media distributor now feels free to buy content companies, should they want to mirror AT&T's planned marriage of its distribution infrastructure with Time Warner's media. Plus: What all this means for consumers and why it's significant that this verdict came down the same week that net neutrality was repealed in the U.S. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recode’s Kara Swisher and Dan Frommer talk about the 2018 edition of Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). Frommer explains why the company has stopped regularly unveiling new hardware at the event, and why Apple's decision to break that rule last year with an early preview of the HomePod smart speaker may have backfired. He also recaps the big announcements from this year’s conference, including updates to Siri and Apple’s augmented reality technology, ARKit. Plus: Why FaceTime now supports up to 32 callers at the same time, and why Apple is getting into the virtual avatar game with Memoji. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recode's Kara Swisher and Peter Kafka, the co-producers of the 2018 Code Conference, talk with Converge host Casey Newton about this year's interviews and the unofficial theme that emerged over the past week: "With great power comes great responsibility." Kafka says that tech companies that have longed described themselves as "platforms" are having more responsibilities thrust upon them, whether they want them or not. Newton explains why he was encouraged by new Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi but frustrated by Spotify CEO Daniel Ek. Plus: The trio contrasts Snap CEO Evan Spiegel's apparently candid responses with the coached answers of Facebook executives Sheryl Sandberg and Mike Schroepfer, and debate whether that even matters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Professional lacrosse player, entrepreneur and investor Paul Rabil talks with Recode's Kara Swisher and her son Louie Swisher about the intersection of sports and technology. Rabil says that for niche sports like lacrosse, it's especially important for athletes to respect the power of social media apps like Instagram, which can humanize the players and convert followers into fans. He also talks about broader trends affecting all sports today, including media consolidation, the generational divide over live television and emerging technologies such as AI, VR and wearables. Plus: Why Rabil hates the term "lax bro," and what he thinks will happen now that sports betting is on the road to legalization in most states. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NYU professor and “The Four” author Scott Galloway talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about how Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Tesla and other tech leaders are faring in an era of techlash. Galloway says many of these businesses, despite good intentions, have too much power and should be broken up. It's the responsibility of anyone who’s unhappy about privacy violations to elect lawmakers who will rein them in, he says. Previously having predicted the Amazon-Whole Foods acquisition, he makes a slew of new predictions, including: Snap will have to be acquired because it can’t compete with Facebook; Amazon will beat Apple to a $1 trillion market cap even though Apple is currently much closer to that milestone; and the Cambridge Analytica scandal may have undermined Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg’s ability to run for president one day. He also criticizes Tesla CEO Elon Musk for his “immaturity” on a recent call with shareholders and pleads for Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to help create a future of work that won’t rely on citizens receiving a universal guaranteed income. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Chaos Monkeys” author and Wired contributing writer Antonio García-Martínez talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about his early-2010s stint at Facebook, where he helped develop the ad-targeting technologies that have landed the company in trouble in recent months. He evaluates how Facebook is dealing with a string of public controversies that culminated in CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifying before Congress, but argues that “most people don’t care about privacy” and that the company isn’t in any danger of going away despite the backlash. García-Martínez also talks about some common misconceptions about Facebook ads, why Google hasn’t been criticized as much for the same practices, and why the history of media suggests we could be in for decades of “fake news.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Investor, author and serial entrepreneur Jason Calacanis talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about recent tech news stories, including Tesla's Q1 earnings, Facebook's data privacy scandal and Uber's rebound from a series of scandals. Calacanis, an early Uber investor and personal friend of ex-CEO Travis Kalanick, says chief U.S. rival Lyft missed its opportunity to capitalize on those "unforced errors" and now "the window has closed." He also talks at length about why he sold all his shares of Facebook last year when the stock was well below current levels: In part, Calacanis says, it's because CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been "completely immoral," both with his own products and with his willingness to copy those of other companies, such as Snapchat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recode managing editor Ed Lee talks with Kara Swisher about the pending $85 billion merger of AT&T and Time Warner. Lee says the deal is in part a reaction to the rise of Netflix and will, in theory, let the companies create new kinds of online video and smarter digital advertising. However, last year the U.S. Justice Department sued AT&T in an attempt to block the deal, which Lee says is plausibly more motivated by President Trump’s animus toward Time Warner-owned CNN than by actual danger posed to consumers. He also talks about what would change for consumers if the deal goes through and why its success could lead to a dramatic showdown between Disney and Comcast for the right to buy 20th Century Fox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Verge’s science reporter Loren Grush talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about SpaceX’s launch of TESS, a NASA satellite that will search for planets beyond our solar system. Grush explains how SpaceX got back on track after two of its rockets were accidentally destroyed in 2015 and 2016, and how the company stacks up against private competitors like Jeff Bezos’s rocket company, Blue Origin, and the Boeing-Lockheed Martin joint venture United Launch Alliance. SpaceX originally planned to send humans into space by 2017, but now Grush predicts that won’t happen until 2019. Plus: Why was Elon Musk tweeting about giant party balloons, and could we build a garbage dump on the Moon? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recode's Kurt Wagner and The Verge's Casey Newton talk with Kara Swisher about Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's two-day marathon of hearings in front of Congress. On Tuesday, Zuckerberg was bombarded with basic questions that could have been answered by Googling — but as Wagner points out, those ill-informed questions from U.S. Senators speak to a widespread lack of understanding about Facebook's business. The trio agrees that Zuckerberg's second day, speaking to members of the House of Representatives, was more combative and informative, although it's still unclear whether Congress can find enough common ground to take any action against Facebook in the form of new privacy regulations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recode's Kara Swisher and Teddy Schleifer talk about the shooting at YouTube's headquarters in San Bruno, Calif. and the other big tech story of that day, Spotify's unusual and long-awaited debut as a publicly traded company. They discuss how the former might change corporate culture in the famously laid-back tech industry, and how the latter might change how and when startups IPO. Later in the show, Recode's Kurt Wagner returns to provide an update on the Facebook-Cambidge Analytica data privacy scandal, which has blown up to the point that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will have to testify before Congress next week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To commemorate her final episode of Too Embarrassed to Ask as co-host, Lauren Goode counts down her favorite episodes from the past two years. Among the favorites: Juicero founder Doug Evans, Kara Swisher admitting to her phone addiction and Walt Mossberg's own farewell episode, for which Kara and Lauren concocted a devious plan in secret. The co-hosts also talk about how they started working together and what's next for both Lauren and this podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recode's Kurt Wagner talks with Kara Swisher and Lauren Goode about the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal, shortly after he and Swisher interviewed Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Wagner says reports of a political data firm exploiting a loophole in Facebook's old data platform has severely undermined public trust in Facebook, in part because the social networking giant knew the problem was out there years ago. The trio talks about why it took several days for Zuckerberg to weigh in on Cambridge Analytica publicly and how Facebook's need to grow when it was a startup laid the groundwork for this misuse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SB Nation editor in chief Elena Bergeron talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about the 2018 NCAA men’s basketball tournament — a.k.a. March Madness — and how other major sporting events like the Olympics and the NFL are being reshaped by tech. Bergeron says it’s easier than ever to be an “over-the-top” fan and watch as much of the NCAA tournament as you want, regardless of where you live, and explains how the entry of companies like Amazon, Facebook and YouTube will change sports broadcasting in the future. She also talks about online betting, bracket challenges and how social media has upturned the relationship among fans, players and the media. Plus: Why aren’t college athletes paid for playing? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chain CEO Adam Ludwin talks with Kara Swisher and Lauren Goode about blockchain, ICOs and cryptocurrencies. He explains what all of those terms mean and the differences among blockchain-related products and assets, including bitcoin, ethereum, lytecoin and filecoin. Ludwin says blockchain is currently a "frontier technology" caught between two powerful forces — its technological innovation and its countercultural appeal — and argues that there's value to be discovered, in spite of today's "market mania." Plus: How easy would it be for Kara Swisher to create her own cryptocurrency? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sophia Amoruso, the founder and CEO of Girlboss, talks with Kara Swisher and Lauren Goode about launching a new company "in the afterlife": In 2015, she stepped down as CEO of her first company, Nasty Gal, and two years later, it filed for bankruptcy. Amoruso says Nasty Gal's ambitions were right but that she made several "naive" mistakes about fundraising, hiring and her own interests and strengths as a leader. She also shares advice for other female entrepreneurs and talks about the #MeToo movement, as well as the Netflix show about her past exploits, "Girlboss," which was executive produced by Charlize Theron. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writer Catherine Price talks with Kara Swisher, Lauren Goode and Kara’s son Louie about her latest book, “How to Break Up With Your Phone.” Price says our attitudes about tech addiction need adjusting — rather than taking a "tech detox," the goal should be to use our phones in ways that are useful and enjoyable, and using them less when they make us sad or distracted. She explains the brain science that makes that goal so difficult for so many people, and recommends tricks and habits that people who are looking for more balance in their lives can adopt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Verge's Lauren Goode roams the halls of the 2018 Code Media conference in Huntington Beach, Calif., interviewing attendees about their tech addictions and what we can do to be less addicted. Interviewees include startup founders, investors, a former ad exec — oh, and rapper-turned-entrepreneur Chamillionaire, the artist behind the hit song "Ridin'." Plus: Kara Swisher and Goode debate whether the responsibility for reducing tech addiction belongs to tech companies or consumers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Daily Beast reporter Taylor Lorenz talks with Kara Swisher and Lauren Goode about the state of YouTube in early 2018. The online video platform is more culturally powerful than ever, with no signs of slowing down. However, some of its biggest stars have begun to attract negative attention in recent years, most recently when YouTuber Logan Paul released a video of a human corpse filmed at a "suicide forest" in Japan. Lorenz explains what the site could be doing to keep videos like that off its platform — and why it hasn't been willing to proactively police videos in the past. She also talks about how YouTubers make money (spoiler alert: Merch!), why some of them ask journalists to pay them for interviews and how reality show-esque drama among video creators has taken over the site. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sonos CEO Patrick Spence talks with Kara Swisher and Lauren Goode about the evolving home speaker market, and how Sonos is contending with its new competitors: Amazon, Google and Apple. Spence says that unlike its rival's speakers, Sonos’ newer hardware will be able to support multiple virtual assistants, such as Alexa and Google Assistant. He discusses why that versatility is needed in the home but not on mobile phones, and how he expects the value of a speaker system will change once Apple releases its new wireless audio software, AirPlay 2. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recode's Senior Social Media Editor Kurt Wagner talks with Kara Swisher and Lauren Goode about how Facebook is trying to fix its "fake news" problem — by showing users less news and asking them to rank the credibility of media outlets. Wagner explains why digital publishers have been alarmed by the new proposals and why it's sometimes hard to believe Facebook when it insists that it's not a media company. He also shares tips for making the current News Feed work better for you and what the social media giant has said it will do to make political advertising more transparent during the 2018 U.S. midterm elections. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Axios Chief Technology Correspondent Ina Fried talks with Kara Swisher and Lauren Goode about the major security flaws, commonly referred to as Spectre and Meltdown, that were recently discovered in commonplace computer processors. Fried explains the differences between the vulnerabilities, how the world's largest tech companies have reacted to their exposure and what consumers can do to best protect themselves. Plus: When will we start seeing new chips that aren't susceptible to the same flaws and should this incident give us pause about putting these processors in cars? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kara Swisher and Lauren Goode talk with The Verge's Ashley Carman about Lauren and Ashley's week in Las Vegas for CES 2018. Although marred by rain (unusual), flooding (predictable) and a massive power outage (unprecedented), the annual Consumer Electronics Show mostly carried on as normal. One big takeaway: CES 2018 was led by a slew of gadgets angling to compete against Amazon's Alexa. Carman also talks about the continuing prevalence of cars at the tech trade show and a category she's personally interested in: Tech products made by beauty companies like Neutrogena, which make personalized recommendations to users after scanning their hair or skin. Plus: The trio talks about the severe shortage of women among CES's keynote speakers and why its apology for that fact doesn't pass the smell test. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recharge CEO Manny Bamfo talks with Recode's Kara Swisher and The Verge's Lauren Goode about his startup, which lets customers rent hotel rooms by the minute rather than by the night. Business travelers might want to book a room for a couple hours before a meeting, Bamfo explains, but a more surprising group of customers are locals or Uber drivers in need of a break. He answers your questions about how much these rooms cost, how they're cleaned and how the people who clean the short-term rentals get paid. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recode's Kara Swisher and The Verge's Lauren Goode count down the 10 most important tech stories of 2017: The year's biggest product launches, including the iPhone X and a non-exploding phone from Samsung; Amazon's $14 billion acquisition of Whole Foods; "fake news" and the Twitter-presidency of Donald Trump; the mixed bag of tech IPOs from Snap, Blue Apron, Roku and Stitch Fix; the fallout from Russia's meddling in the 2016 U.S. election; the FCC's repeal of net neutrality; bitcoin's rise and fall (and rise?); widespread backlash against Silicon Valley companies and products for a range of reasons; the #MeToo movement across multiple industries, including tech; and, finally, the nonstop turbulence at Uber, ignited in part by a former employee's blog post. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clear CEO Caryn Seidman Becker talks with Kara Swisher and Lauren Goode about how the company uses fingerprint and iris scanning to let its customers skip the TSA line at the airport and how it keeps all that data safe. Becker says Clear does not share data with or sell data to anyone, including government agencies like the TSA with which it has sometimes partnered. She also talks about why she led the effort to buy and resurrect Clear after the first incarnation of the company went bankrupt in the late 2000s, why it’s now expanding far beyond the airport security line and all the weird ways we’ll prove our identities in the future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Seismic CEO Rich Mahoney talks with Kara Swisher and Lauren Goode about how robots will change everyday life around the world. Mahoney's company, originally funded by DARPA, is developing wearable robotics, or "powered clothing," that could help the elderly experience a better quality of life, or provide support to sales reps who have to spend the whole day on their feet. He also talks about how improvements to robotics will reshape the economy and jobs, whether Elon Musk's tweets make Mahoney's job harder and when we'll all be able to buy electronic "super suits."  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jessica Rosenworcel, a Democratic member of the Federal Communications Commission, talks with Kara Swisher and Lauren Goode about the FCC's upcoming vote on the future of net neutrality. The Commission's chairman, Republican Ajit Pai, is hoping to roll back regulations implemented under President Obama, which would ask internet service providers to be transparent about how they manage their services — but not prevent them from throttling speeds or blocking websites, for example. Rosenworcel explains her opposition to the repeal, which is expected to succeed when it is held on Dec. 14, and why enforced neutrality is better than transparency. She also answers questions from readers and listeners about what happens next, why she doesn't believe the issue should be divided along Democratic-Republican lines and how America's rules affect the rest of the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fan-favorite guests Louie Swisher and The Verge's Casey Newton return to the show to talk with Recode's Kara Swisher, a.k.a. Louie's mom. She quizzes him about Snapchat, TBH and why he doesn't want a Nintendo Switch. Louie says he's not paying attention to the news about Russia's election meddling on Twitter and Facebook because he doesn't use Twitter or Facebook, and predicts both platforms will die off within 10 years. He updates listeners on how he's using Snapchat, including the relatively new Snap Map feature that shares your location with friends, and Casey explains why Snapchat has to redesign itself and keep growing. Plus: A special guest appearance by a third member of the Swisher family, Kara's mother Lucretia Carney. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tamara Warren, the Verge's transportation editor, talks with Kara Swisher and Lauren Goode about Tesla's recent product event in which the Silicon Valley car company unveiled new electric semi trucks — and a new version of its Roadster sports car, which starts at $200,000. Warren explains why Elon Musk & company are getting into trucking at a time when they're still having trouble with on-time deliveries all the Model 3 sedans they had promised consumers. She also talks about the potential cost savings of electric trucks for retailers like Walmart, the future of Tesla's autonomous driving ambitions and why she thinks it's unlikely Tesla would sell itself to a big automaker or another tech company anytime soon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1Password's Defender Against the Dark Arts Jeffrey Goldberg (yes, that's his real title) talks with Kara Swisher and Lauren Goode about the future of passwords and password management. He explains how managers such as 1Password work and what makes them better than trying to remember passwords yourself. Goldberg says we probably won't stop using passwords to protect our online accounts anytime soon, even though it's becoming more common to use our fingers and faces to unlock our phones. He also addresses some common misconceptions about computer security and why it's safe to use 1Password on an unprotected public Wi-Fi network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special episode, Kara Swisher and Lauren Goode inquire about the morning routines of several past Too Embarrassed to Ask guests, including 23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki, security researcher Brian Krebs and the executive editor of the Verge, Dieter Bohn. Their answers vary: Some guests combine a vigorous morning workout with their screens; others set two (or three or four) alarms to make sure they get out of bed. If you have a unique tech morning routine to share with us, send it to [email protected]! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recode's Jason Del Rey talks with Kara Swisher about Amazon's ever-expanding reach into our homes and personal lives. Del Rey talks about why the company's new camera and smart lock, dubbed Amazon Key and Cloud Cam, are both catnip to privacy advocates and legitimately useful for a lot of people across the country. He also explains why the company is developing products like the Amazon Echo Look, which advises you on your fashion choices, and the Echo Show, which pairs the company's virtual assistant Alexa with a tablet-like screen. Plus: Del Rey and Swisher discuss the widely publicized search for Amazon's second headquarters and whether the company should be fearful of regulation from the U.S. government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tony Romm, Recode's senior policy and politics editor, returns to the show to talk with Kara Swisher and Lauren Goode about Russian agents' use of social media to meddle in the 2016 U.S. elections and what happens next. He previews next week's open hearings in which members of the U.S. Congress' House and Senate Intelligence Committees will grill representatives of Facebook, Twitter and Google about what they knew then and what they know now. Romm explains why regulating speech and advertising online is so difficult and answers your questions about fake news, bots and whether we should instead be focusing on education and personal responsibility. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wirecutter editor in chief Jacqui Cheng talks with Kara Swisher and Lauren Goode about buying tech products on a budget. Cheng offers recommendations for both Android and iOS smartphones that are “as cheap as you can go without tearing your hair out,” since the cheapest options can sometimes be intolerable to use. Cheng also explains Wirecutter’s review methodology, how she finds the best deals, and what she recommends for budget smart-home speakers, laptops, Bluetooth headphones and tablets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Google Senior Vice President of Hardware Rick Osterloh talks with Kara Swisher and Lauren Goode about the company’s newly announced products — the second iteration of high-end Pixel smartphones, wireless headphones called Pixel Buds, an AI-powered camera called Google Clips, new smart home speakers and a new Pixelbook laptop. Osterloh says the unifying theme across all these products is Google Assistant, the company’s previously announced answer to other virtual assistants like Siri, Alexa and Cortana. He also explains why Google did away with the headphone jack on the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, why it hasn’t announced a smart watch (at least, not yet) and how Google plans to turn itself into a high-end hardware brand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Security researcher Brian Krebs talks with Kara Swisher and Lauren Goode about the recent Equifax hack that exposed the confidential information of 143 million Americans. Krebs says whether or not you think your data has been compromised, it has; he recommends freezing your credit and explains what happens after a freeze is in place. He also talks about whether we can expect the government to take any meaningful action against the credit rating firms, what tech and security experts can do to make our data more secure, and why not everything you might have read about Equifax executives "golden parachutes" is true. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Consumer Reports CEO Marta Tellado talks with Kara Swisher and Lauren Goode about how the 81-year-old magazine has migrated into the digital age, first with a pioneering online subscription in the 1990s and now by increasingly turning its attention to software over hardware. Tellado says Consumer Reports wants to "bend the marketplace" in the direction of more privacy for users and more reliable products. To that end, it mobilizes its subscribers to advocate for those causes with manufacturers and legislators. Tellado also talks about the future of product reviews and why you should still listen to experts even though it's easier to check the star rating on Amazon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki talks with Kara Swisher and Lauren Goode about how the 11-year-old company is trying to expand consumers’ access to their own health data without working inside the insurance system. Wojcicki explains how the company protects users’ privacy, and why its databases are a less-appealing target for hackers than, say, a bank or credit agency. She also discusses how 23andMe’s accuracy has improved over time, whether DNA testing encourages racism, and whether the company will ever offer a more affordable genome-testing kit than its current versions, which start at $99. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recode Editor in Chief Dan Frommer talks with Kara Swisher and Lauren Goode about Apple's latest product event, at which it announced a new series of the Apple Watch, with optional LTE connectivity; a wireless charging pad for Apple devices called AirPower; the next iterations of its flagship phones, the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus; and a higher-end phone with an OLED screen and no home button, the iPhone X, which will start at $1000. Frommer and Goode, who were at the Apple event, answer your questions about all of the new hardware, as well as the iPhone X's face-recognition technology Face ID. Plus: How nice is the new Steve Jobs Theater and why weren't more women from Apple onstage? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Verge's Dieter Bohn talks with Kara Swisher and Lauren Goode about the new Android phones coming out this fall, including the recently released Samsung Galaxy Note 8, the company's first Note-branded device since last year's exploding phone debacle. Bohn says it's a "stupdendously good big phone" with a few minor annoyances, but cautions that no one should buy a new phone until all the new gadgets have been announced. He also discusses the rocky launch of the Essential Phone, which led to dozens of customers accidentally emailing their drivers' licenses to one another, and LG's newest flagship, the V30. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Geoff Woo talks with Kara Swisher and Lauren Goode about how his company, HVMN — formerly known as Nootrobox — is marketing “human enhancement” products to make customers smarter, more alert or more efficient. Woo argues that medicine focuses only on making sick people normal, and that there’s an untapped opportunity to make normal people better and more productive. He also talks about why he advocates fasting three days a week, and why Silicon Valley is obsessed with the idea of extending life, quantifying health and even ending death. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Forward CEO Adrian Aoun talks with Kara Swisher and Lauren Goode about the future of health care and whether a Silicon Valley startup can make going to the doctor's office something you actually want to do. Aoun says Forward, which costs $149 per month and does not work directly with any insurers or government agencies, wants to help people better understand their own health and wellness. Most people only go to the hospital or doctor when something is wrong, so Forward wants to provide information to keep patients proactive rather than reactive. Later in the show, he answers questions from readers and listeners about the cost of health care, why Forward doesn't offer dental care and where the company is going next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices