@alexeheath - Podcast Details

Shows

Squawk PodGoogle’s Sit-In Pushback & Debating Student Debt Relief 04/24/24Google has fired 50 employees over sit-in protests at the office. Yale Lecturer Joanne Lipman and The Verge’s Alex Heath discuss activism in the office, and tech’s inflection point with its employees. Jason Furman, a Democrat economist, is making his case against President Biden’s student debt relief plan, arguing that it will make inflation worse. CNBC’s Steve Liesman is breaking down U.S. productivity data and what it means for the Federal Reserve. Plus, the Federal Trade Commission has voted to ban non-competes for employee contracts, Jamie Dimon is speaking out with his concerns for the economy, and...2024-04-2441 min

All Things Audio74: World Cup supporters show their colours on Clubhouse#Clubhouse #WorldCup2022 #TwitterSpacesLinks mentioned during the show...Simon’s thread on the future of communities rings true for Spaces too…https://twitter.com/SBkcrn/status/1594296450346721280Voice calls coming to Twitter DMs?https://twitter.com/alexeheath/status/1594881402184806400Voice notes via DM already available in some parts of the worldhttps://twitter.com/legion_mj/status/1595042881047506944Spaces Dashboard promotes big names on Spaces - ‘Look Whose Talking’ https://twitter.com/_andrewlyons/status/1595051358834642944Clubhouse rolls out Houses beta to more usershttps://twitter.com/isajorsergio/status/1...2022-11-2551 min

Land of the GiantsZuckerberg's Biggest BetMark Zuckerberg has a vision for the future -- that in a few years, we’ll be living our digital lives in a blend of augmented and virtual reality. The metaverse. To pursue that vision, Zuckerberg’s renamed his entire company and invested billions of dollars in a bid to make Meta the leader of the next tech platform. In our season finale: what are the chances his bet pays off, and why it would give Meta more power than ever. Hosted by Shirin Ghaffary (@shiringhaffary) and Alex Heath (@alexeheath) Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear our n...2022-08-3132 min

The VergecastLand of the Giants: It's a WhatsApp worldWe're sharing an episode of Land of the Giants: The Facebook / Meta disruption, a collaboration between Recode and The Verge.Meta’s most expensive acquisition ever and one of the most used communication apps in the world: WhatsApp. With over 2 billion users, WhatsApp is embedded in the social, economic, and political infrastructure of countries across the globe. For better and worse. The story of WhatsApp’s incredible power, as told through its largest market: India.NOTE: There are descriptions of graphic acts of violence in this episode. If you want to skip these descriptions, the sect...2022-08-3137 min

Land of the GiantsIt's A WhatsApp WorldMeta’s most expensive acquisition ever and one of the most used communication apps in the world: WhatsApp. With over 2 billion users, WhatsApp is embedded in the social, economic, and political infrastructure of countries across the globe. For better and worse. The story of WhatsApp’s incredible power, as told through its largest market: India.NOTE: There are descriptions of graphic acts of violence in this episode. If you want to skip these descriptions, the section begins at 20:45 and ends at 22:05. Hosted by Shirin Ghaffary (@shiringhaffary) and Alex Heath (@alexeheath) Subscribe for free. Be the first to h...2022-08-2436 min

Land of the GiantsFacebook's Plan To Be Cool AgainFacebook defined an era of social media built on our connections, our social lives. We’re watching that era come to a close. Now, your main feeds of both Facebook and Instagram will use AI to start increasingly recommending content from people you don't follow. Kind of like another major app you may have heard of – TikTok. Hosted by Shirin Ghaffary (@shiringhaffary) and Alex Heath (@alexeheath) Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear next week's episode by hitting the plus sign in your favorite podcast app Follow @recode and @verge for more coverage of Meta and Big Tech...2022-08-1731 min

Land of the GiantsThe Facebook ElectionFacebook used to brag about how its tools helped politicians swing elections. Now, the platform’s relationship to politics is much more complicated. Today: the story of how one politician again and again forced Zuckerberg to confront his own role in democracy. This episode hosted by Alex Heath (@alexeheath) Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear next week's episode by hitting the plus sign in your favorite podcast app Follow @recode and @verge for more coverage of Meta and Big Tech Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 2022-08-1033 min

Channels with Peter KafkaLand of the Giants: Why Instagram Broke Its SquareThis week, we bring you an episode of Recode and The Verge’s latest season of Land of the Giants: The Facebook / Meta Disruption. To check out the first two episodes, subscribe wherever you subscribe to podcasts!This episode explores Facebook’s acquisition of Instagram in 2012. Mark Zuckerberg promised he would be hands-off with the company’s curated aesthetic and simple features. But as Facebook scaled the startup into a social media juggernaut, tensions flared. Instagram’s founders would leave, and it’s now a very different app than when it first started. But are the changes setting th...2022-08-0437 min

Land of the GiantsWhy Instagram Broke Its SquareWhen Mark Zuckerberg bought Instagram in 2012, he promised he would be hands-off with the company’s curated aesthetic and simple features. But as Facebook scaled the startup into a social media juggernaut, tensions flared. Instagram’s founders would leave, and it’s now a very different app than when it first started. But are the changes setting the company up to compete in the future? Or is Instagram losing the magic that made it great in the first place? Hosted by Shirin Ghaffary (@shiringhaffary) and Alex Heath (@alexeheath) Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear next week's episode...2022-07-2737 min

The VergecastInstagram is TikTok now, BeReal is everywhere, and the Vergecast Hotline is back02:30 - The Verge's David Pierce talks with deputy editor Alex Heath about how Meta is pivoting Facebook and Instagram away from your friends and more towards short form video from creators. Mark Zuckerberg braces Meta employees for 'intense period' Facebook is changing its algorithm to take on TikTok, leaked memo reveals Adam Mosseri confirms it: Instagram is over Instagram is making almost all videos Reels and will show them to way more people Facebook doubles down on algorithms in the main feed Facebook puts news on the back burner as it continues to push video and creators Listen...2022-07-271h 15

Uncanny Valley | WIREDZucka Kappa MetaFacebook has nearly three billion users, which means that when it makes a change to its business, it affects nearly half the planet. Facebook's ambitions have often manifested in chaotic, unpredictable ways and had profound societal impacts for years after they've been implemented. So when the company decided to rebrand to Meta and funnel billions of dollars toward building its own virtual alternate reality, it's a move that's bound to come with some big consequences—if nothing else, for Meta itself.This week on Gadget Lab, we're joined by Shirin Ghaffary from Recode and Alex Heath from Th...2022-07-2133 min

Land of the GiantsDon't Be Afraid To Break ThingsIf our first episode brought you into the beginning of Zuckerberg’s vision for connecting at scale, this story is about the consequences of pursuing that vision at full speed. In the 2000s, Facebook made a big bet to become a platform for developers – and all social activity across the web. It would bring us FarmVille and “Log In With Facebook.” But years later, it would lead the company into one of its biggest scandals: Cambridge Analytica. Hosted by Shirin Ghaffary (@shiringhaffary) and Alex Heath (@alexeheath) Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear next week's episode by hitting...2022-07-2038 min

Land of the Giants"Facebook Gets A Facelift"Long before Mark Zuckerberg renamed Facebook Meta and made an unprecedented pivot into the metaverse, he invented a feature that turned Facebook into a social network behemoth. The News Feed, which put your friends’ status updates onto your homepage, changed the way we interact online. It was a strong statement of Zuckerberg’s values: that connecting, and sharing, at scale would be de-facto good for the world. It was also his first public controversy. Hosted by Shirin Ghaffary (@shiringhaffary) and Alex Heath (@alexeheath) Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear next week's episode by hitting the plus sign...2022-07-1328 min

This Week in StartupsTwitter's takeover defense, Meta's AR project with The Verge's Alex Heath + Wordcab's Aleks Smechov + OK Boomer: Rachel Cantor | E1436Friday variety show! First, The Verge’s Alex Heath joins to talk about two big stories he recently broke (2:32): Facebook’s plans for AR glasses and Twitter’s internal reaction to Elon’s takeover bid. Molly sits down with LAUNCH Accelerator founder Aleks Smechov whose company Wordcab specifically focuses on speech-to-text AI summaries (1:04:54). We wrap with an edition of OK Boomer where Producer Rachel talks to writer and marketer Rachel Cantor (1:18:51)! (00:00) Molly tees up today’s variety show (02:32) Alex Heath from The Verge joins to discuss the news he broke on Facebook/Meta’s further pu...2022-04-162h 00

Channels with Peter KafkaHow to cover the Facebook leaks + SNL’s Heidi GardnerFacebook whistleblower Frances Haugen is handing over thousands of documents to reporters like The Verge’s Alex Heath. The next step: Sorting through all of those files, and figuring out how and when to write about them. Heath talks to Recode’s Peter Kafka about the weeks of stories we’ll be reading in the future, and his first one - about Facebook’s rapidly aging user base. And then for something completely different: Saturday Night Live cast member Heidi Gardner joins to talk about her unlikely path into comedy, making live TV during Covid, an...2021-10-281h 07

SpaceCastsTechmeme Ride Home - Black Widow Math And Fleets Fade AwayBloomberg's @Lucas_Shaw comes on to explain the math of that Black Widow stream release story from Monday. Then @alexeheath from the Verge explains the death of Fleets, the creator thirst at Facebook and then we all get into the questioning the real value/process of Twitter verification.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.2021-07-161h 20

Techmeme Ride HomeFriday, May 11, 2018 - A Facebook Cryptocurrency?Is a Facebook cryptocurrency really possible? Can Snapchat redesign its way back into users' hearts? What's going on at Symantec? Klout strikes out. And the Weekend Longreads. Stories from: @alexeheath, @mekosoff Tweets: @om, @manjusrii, @sfiegerman Links:"It Was Cataclysmic": Can Snapchat Survive Its Redesign? (Vanity Fair)IAB says online advertising grew to $88B last year — more spending than TV (TechCrunch) Longreads:Don't Skype Me: How Microsoft Turned Consumers Against a Beloved Brand (Bloomberg)How to Make Your Open Office Less Annoying (The Atlantic)The 15 People Who Keep Wikipedia’s Editors From Killing Each Other (WSJ)The Wealthy Are Hoarding $10 Billion of Bi...2018-05-1117 min

The CultCastCultCast #244 - The new Pros, ComethSend us a text!This week: new Macbook Pros, incoming! We have even more details to share on the “significant” updates coming soon to Apple’s Macbook Pro line. Plus: iPhone 7 may get a Quad HD display and pressure-sensitive home button; Apple’s plans for a “killer” new health device; and we review our favorite new hover boards and smart scales on an all new Under Review. This episode supported by Casper’s American-made mattresses have just the right amount of memory foam and latex, and people everywhere love them. Learn why and get $50 towards any mattress at Casper.com/cultcast. ...2016-08-1252 min

The CultCastCultCast #243 - Bustin' a squirtSend us a text!This week: the controversy around iOS 10’s new gun emoji; we compare Instagram’s new stories feature to Snapchat's; Gwyneth Paltrow brings her coding skills to ‘Planet of the Apps’; we attended a 5-day Apple II festival, we’ll tell you the cool parts; and stick around for the best ways to find specific Pokémon in 'Pokémon GO’. This episode supported by Build a beautiful, responsive website quick at Squarespace.com. Enter offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off. Squarespace—Build it Beautiful. If you’re obsessive about keeping your iPhone, iPad, Mac, DSLR, glasses, and...2016-08-0543 min

The CultCastCultCast #215 - Hoverboard HatersSend us a text!This week: our legs are blown off by hover boards; our favorite ways to manage iOS photos; the new Music Memo and Garageband apps get our enthusiastic thumbs up; Bob Mansfeld is back to massage us; and we remember the hard, cruel, miserable realities of life before iPhone. This episode supported by Squarespace! Build a beautiful, responsive website quickly at Squarespace.com. Enter offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off. Squarespace—Build it Beautiful. Freshbooks, the easy-to-use invoicing software designed to help small business owners get organized, save time invoicing and get paid faster. And I...2016-01-2250 min

The CultCastCultCast #200!Send us a text!This week: we're celebrating CultCast 200, yaaa’aaaaall! And just in time for the party—it’s the iPhone 6s scandal we all knew would someday come... #CHIPGATE. We’ll tell why the internet is nerd-raging over this newest iPhone scandal, and why it might just be diminishing your iPhone 6s' battery life. Plus: the new Jobs movie is generating Oscar buzz. Seriously! And since he’s seen it—twice—Alex E Heath is here to give us his review. And stay tuned till the end for our favorite memories of CultCast’s past. It’s CultCast 200!!!! Join us for our CultCast 200 live hangout and AMA! Fun starts Friday, October 9th...2015-10-091h 10

The CultCastCultCast #179 - Code BrownSend us a text!This week: why the iPhone 6s could be the biggest “S” update yet; Nintendo promises 5 top-notch titles coming to iOS; the paltry earnings of top Mac App Store apps; and just when we thought we’ve seen every iPhone accessory imaginable, a new gadgets sneaks up on our behinds. We mean behind us. No. Just… just listen. Join the twitter and Periscope party:@bst3r / @erfon / @alexeheath / @lkahney Thanks to Casper for supporting this episode. If you’re waking up with numb limbs or back pain, Casper's American-made mattresses can help, and with a price far lower than y...2015-05-1543 min

The CultCastCultCast #177 - A week with Apple WatchSend us a text!t’s been a week now that we’ve been living with the Apple Watch affixed upon our wrists, and in that time, we’ve curated a list of what we love, what we don’t, and our overall impressions of Apple’s newest trinket. And while some of us are smitten, not all of us are sold. Our thanks to Automatic for supporting this episode. Plug Automatic into your car's data port, and with their beatiful app, you'll be able to find your parked car, learn how to save fuel with tips based on your actual...2015-05-011h 10

The CultCastCultCast #176 - Rustling The PapersSend us a text!Apple Watch, inbound! And now that it is, we’ll take a look at some of the most useful Watch apps available, and just for fun, some of the stinkiest. Plus: the noteworthy differences between the Sport and Steel; why those “scratch test” videos shouldn’t trouble you; and finally, you’ll never believe what our ol’ pal and ex-Apple exec Scott Forstall is up to now... Join the twitter and Periscope party:@bst3r / @erfon / @alexeheath / @lkahney Our thanks to FreshBooks for supporting this episode. Freshbooks, the easy-to-use invoicing software designed to help small business owners get or...2015-04-2455 min

The CultCastCultCast #175 - It's "Dadwear"Send us a text!This week: why trying on the Apple Watch will make you a believer; our WWDC hardware predictions; why a recent acquisition might mean a revolutionary new iPhone camera; Leander reviews the new Macbook; and a very special wedding surprise for our very special Buster Hein. Our thanks to FreshBooks for supporting this episode. Freshbooks, the easy-to-use invoicing software designed to help small business owners get organized, save time invoicing and get paid faster. And I can vouch for this from experience, it also makes tax time a cinch. Get started with a free trial at Freshbook...2015-04-1749 min

The CultCastCultCast #174 - Love BraceletsSend us a text!This week: get’em while they’re hot! The Apple Watch is ready for pre-order, but the reviews are in, and they’re a mixed bag. Plus: what’s good in iOS 8.3 and OS X 10.10.3; how to get a free month of HBO NOW; Samsung is up to their old tricks; the new Macbook didn’t benchmark well, but it might not matter; and things get weird in an all-new Get to Know Your Cultist! Our thanks to FreshBooks for supporting this episode. Freshbooks, the easy-to-use invoicing software designed to help small business owners get organized, save...2015-04-101h 03

The CultCastCultCast #173 - The Bookmark FolderSend us a text!This week: Apple Watch apps are hitting the store, we discuss some of the most popular ones; if you want an Apple Watch you’ll need to pre-order—we’ll tell you why and how. Plus: we love selfie sticks; Leander's special way of “bookmarking” webpages; and… Periscope! We’ll tell you all about it and why it’s way better than Meerkat. And stay tuned till the end for Sh*t We’re Into for the non-Apple stuff we’re all really loving so sweetly. Our thanks to FreshBooks for supporting this episode. Freshbooks is the easy-to-use invoic...2015-04-031h 16

The CultCastCultCast #169 - The Blizzard Took My InternetSend us a text!It’s time for all our Apple Watch hopes and dreams to come true. With the big event coming March 9th, catch our Spring Forward event expectations, all that we (think we) know about the Apple Watch thus far, how much each edition will cost, and our expectations for other Apple hardware announcements. Plus: why Apple watch will replace your keys; Apple adds cars to its list of products; and since the new Photos app for Mac just hit public beta, we’ll tell you what we like and don’t about Apple’s iPhoto repla...2015-03-061h 17

The CultCastCultCast #168 - American as Apple _______.Send us a text!This week: Apple might be eyeing 2020 for their first car, but you can catch our most wanted features and price expectations right now. Plus: Cupertino pay massive bonuses to poach top talent; the insane acceleration of Tesla’s new electric car; the new and notable from iOS 8.3 beta; Toyota says “no thanks” to CarPlay; and finally, your listener questions, answered! Our thanks to Varidesk for their support! With models starting at just $275, Varidesk is the highest quality, least expensive way that we know of to get started with a standing desk. And you should absolutely che...2015-02-271h 05

The CultCastCultCast #165 - Do you flex, bro?Send us a text!This week: a curiously equipped mystery van has us wondering if Apple’s working on self-driving autos. Plus, we review all that Apple Watch apps can’t do; Sorkin’s Jobs’ biopic gets a cast, and not everyone is thrilled; Apple’s plans for a global “data command center”; and Macho Man Randy Savage helps us answer listeners questions in an all-new Get to Know Your Cultist. Thanks to lynda.com for supporting this episode. Learn to run your business better, become a photoshop ninja, learn how to create music with your iPad, and so much more. Lynda now...2015-02-0650 min

The CultCastCultCast #163 - What Would Yeezus DoSend us a text!This week: why Apple Watch will win the wrist war; we snap a pic with Patrick Stewart and he’s NOT amused; the good and bad of a Lucas-free Star Wars 7; Microsoft’s new Hololens look incredible; and we reveal some of our favorite apps and gear on an all-new Under Review. PSA: Come hang out with Erfon live and bring your podcasting questions on Sunday the 25th at 1pm Pacific. Just head over to live.thecultcast.com On the show this weekErfon Elijah - @ErfonBuster the luster Hein - @bst3rLeander KaHaney - @lkahneyAlex "No...2015-01-2359 min

The CultCastCultCast #48 - Holiday 2012 Cult-a-sode!Send us a text!On this week's CultCast, we're ending the year with our favorite gear! Don't miss our "End of Days, Faves 'N Raves," where pitch our favorite apps, accessories, games, even shows, of 2012.But before that, we'll break down the whole Instagram debacle for you, and tell you why you should be paying attention to the big I's plans for your personal pics.All that and Tim Cook, person of the year?------------------------------------------------------------------- Our twitters! @erfon, @lkahney, @bst3r, @alexeheath -------------------------------------------------------------------And thanks to our...2012-12-2153 min