Shows
TBPNSuper Bowl Ad Reactions, New Ferrari Design, Ads Launch in ChatGPT | Jason Fried, Bill Bishop, Jason Kelly, Dan Romero, Boris Sofman, Sara Hooker, Edward MehrSign up for TBPN’s daily newsletter at TBPN.com(11:59) - Super Bowl Ad Reactions
(57:18) - Ads Launch in ChatGPT
(01:15:44) - Jason Fried, co-founder and CEO of Basecamp, a web-based project management platform, is known for his minimalist approach to software design and advocacy for simplified business practices. In the conversation, he discusses Ferrari's upcoming electric vehicle, the Luce, focusing on its interior design collaboration with Jony Ive and the integration of tactile and digital elements. Fried expresses appreciation for the fresh approach but emphasizes the importance of cohesive design between a car's in...
2026-02-103h 31
Tech Scenes with Jeff James MartinTech Scenes Unplugged with Boris Sofman Co-Founder and CEO of Bedrock Robotics“AI is a gigantic multiplier.” - Boris Sofman, Co-Founder and CEO of Bedrock RoboticsIn this episode of Tech Scenes, Jeff Martin sits down with Boris Sofman, Co-Founder and CEO of Bedrock Robotics, to explore how AI and robotics are transforming the physical world — starting with heavy machinery and construction.Boris brings rare, deep experience across consumer robotics, autonomous vehicles, and now autonomous construction. Prior to Bedrock, he spent five years as an engineering executive at Waymo, helping scale autonomous trucking and the Waymo One robo-taxi network, which has logged over 100 million fully driverless miles. Before...
2026-01-0842 min
InevitableAutonomous Construction Sites and AI-Powered Heavy Equipment with Bedrock RoboticsBoris Sofman is the CEO and Co-Founder of Bedrock Robotics, a company turning existing construction equipment into fully autonomous fleets through same-day hardware upfits. With over $80 million in funding from Eclipse, 8VC, NVIDIA Ventures, and former Waymo CEO John Krafcik, Bedrock is tackling a major bottleneck in the global economy: a massive construction labor shortage just as demand for data centers, clean energy projects, housing, and manufacturing is skyrocketing. In this episode, Boris shares how his experience building autonomous vehicles at Waymo inspired him to apply similar AI and machine learning approaches to heavy equipment. He explains w...
2025-11-1349 min
What's Your Problem?Could Autonomous Diggers Unleash a Building Boom?Boris Sofman is the co-founder and CEO of Bedrock Robotics. Boris' problem is this: How do you teach machines not just to drive, but also to work: to grade roads, move heavy objects and dig big holes at construction sites. On today’s show, Boris talks about how his work at Waymo led him to found Bedrock, and he explains how autonomous construction equipment could help unleash an American building boom.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2025-10-0231 min
Autonocast#341: Boris Sofman of Bedrock RoboticsFormer Waymo self-driving truck lead and Anki co-founder Boris Sofman joins The Autonocast to talk about his new company, Bedrock Robotics, and why autonomous construction equipment might be the most important, least-hyped application of AV tech yet. Kirsten and Alex dig into why he left the public-road race, what makes construction sites a uniquely promising environment for autonomy, and how lessons from Waymo and Anki are shaping his approach to this new frontier.
2025-07-3100 min
Joe Lonsdale: American OptimistEp 119: Former Waymo Leader Boris Sofman on Autonomous Construction & Bringing AI into the Physical WorldConstruction is a $2 trillion U.S. industry ($13 trillion globally) that impacts nearly every aspect of our lives. Yet, building has become too expensive and too slow to meet rising demand and aging infrastructure. What if we can apply breakthroughs from self-driving to construction? And what if we can use AI to operate heavy machinery autonomously 24/7?This week, we bring the AI revolution into the physical world with Boris Sofman, co-founder and CEO of Bedrock Robotics. Founded by three former Waymo leaders, Bedrock emerged from stealth this week to bring autonomy to the construction industry. Boris earned his...
2025-07-1641 min
Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastMermaid Scales and the Town of Sand Manga Discussion (with Asher Sofman)Get ready to go to the beach in this emotionally affecting, short josei series. Mermaid Scales and the Town of Sand by Yoko Komori follows Tokiko, a sixth grader whose parents are recently separated; as a result, she moves with her dad from Tokyo to the small beach town where her mother grew up where legends of merfolk are still honored. As she grapples with her new normal, Tokiko is also looking for a particular merman for saving her from drowning. Shojo & Tell host Ashley and her husband Asher dive deep into Tokiko's family dynamics, whether or not one...
2025-07-1651 minShojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastSnow White with the Red Hair Manga Discussion Part 2 (with Asher Sofman)Ashley and Asher are back to discuss volumes 11 through 20 of Snow White with the Red Hair, and they have a lot more to say this time (most of it is still some variation of "they're so cute!"). The Ashes talk about new characters (Hisame, the Bergat brothers, Lilias folks), the overarching plots (Izana's coronation, Lilias part 2, Sereg assassination plots, Kiki's marriage machinations), the official character poll (lol Mitsuhide), and of course, all the ships (yes, Zen and Shirayuki are cute, but why not Kiki and Shirayuki?). Let the fangirling and fanboying commence.REFERENCESBuy Snow White...
2025-06-222h 13Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastSnow White with the Red Hair Manga Discussion Part 1 (with Asher Sofman)There are few contemporary shojo manga that are more popular and beloved that Sorata Akizuki's wholesome fairy-tale-inspired story Snow White with the Red Hair. The protagonist, Shirayuki, has apple-red hair that attracts attention from unsavory characters and noble princes alike, and the story follows her as she becomes a court herbalist and a worthy bride-to-be for Prince Zen Wisteria. Shojo & Tell host Ashley and her husband Asher delve into why this story is so special, while walking through the highs (and the lows) of the first 10 volumes. Asher expresses his undying love for Obi, while Ashley pledges allegiance to...
2025-03-111h 33Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastMiyuki-chan in Wonderland and The One I Love (with Asher Sofman)This episode discusses Miyuki-chan in Wonderland and The One I Love by ClampA short episode to discuss two short Clamp works. Shojo & Tell host Ashley and her husband/journey-through-all-of-Clamp-buddy Asher recognize that hentai Miyuki-chan was perhaps.... just not at all for them. And also isn't meant to be taken seriously anyway. Which is good, because neither Ash really enjoyed it. Then there's The One I Love, which feels like a strange gender experiment gone wrong. To quote Asher: It feels gender essentialist and "homework-y." The best we can say is we did our homework assignments of...
2024-04-1752 minShojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastLegal Drug (with Asher Sofman)Covers all three volumes of Legal Drug by ClampGet ready to get high. And horny. And gay. And paid. Okay, to be honest, we're not sure what the drug is, or that it's legal, but hey, we're here to talk about it anyway. Shojo & Tell host Ashley and her husband Asher continue their Clamp journey with Legal Drug, which is technically complete, in the same way that QQ Sweeper is complete (which is to say: Not at all, because there's a sequel, Drug & Drop, and it's been on hiatus for forever). None of the central mysteries...
2024-03-2758 minShojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastCowboy Bebop Shojo Manga Discussion (with Asher Sofman)We discuss the two shojo manga versions of Cowboy Bebop: Cowboy Bebop by Hajime Yatate [Sunrise staff] and Cowboy Bebop: Shooting Star by Cain KugaAsk an anime fan above the age of 30 what their favorite anime is, and chances are high they'll say Cowboy Bebop. The music, the animation, the mood — it's iconic. And then there are the two shojo manga iterations of Cowboy Bebop, which have largely been lost to the sands of time (and then, there's the Netflix live action version...). Shojo and Tell host Ashley and her husband, Asher, read both of these se...
2023-12-2859 minShojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastThe Vision of Escaflowne (with Asher Sofman) [Shonen Exception #5]This episode discusses all volumes (1-8) of The Vision of Escaflowne by Katsu AkiThe Vision of Escaflowne is the anime that got Shojo and Tell host Ashley into anime. It sparked one of only a handful of great obsessions in Ashley's life. It's probably the reason this podcast exists at all.Katsu Aki's shonen manga version of the story is..... not like the anime you know and love.It's explicitly billed as a shonen series, and it's all downhill from there. Instead of being a badass track and field star with short...
2023-12-131h 45
Product Engineering PodcastSystemdenken | Prof. Dr. Lydia Kaiser
Im Gespräch mit Frau Prof. Lydia Kaiser erklärt sie uns, warum Systemdenken eine wichtige Kompetenz im Systems Engineering ist. Systemdenken ist die Fähigkeit, ein Produkt in seinem Kontext zu denken und zu verstehen. In der heutigen Komplexität der Produktentwicklung ist diese Kompetenz essentiell. Frau Prof. Kaiser erklärt im Podcast, wie Systemdenken geschult werden kann und welche Vorteile sich daraus ergeben.
Shownotes
Kontakt Lydia Kaiser: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prof-dr-lydia-kaiser-3166b645/
Fraunhofer IEM: https://www.iem.fraunhofer.de/CONSENS Methode: https://digital.ub.uni-paderborn.de/hsx/content/titleinfo...
2023-07-0349 minShojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastClamp School Detectives (with Asher Sofman)A discussion about all three volumes of CLAMP School Detectives by CLAMP.We're rounding out the unofficial Clamp School trilogy with CLAMP School Detectives, which is actually a shojo series! Nokoru, Suoh, and Akira (from Man of Many Faces) make up the elementary student council representatives at Clamp School, and they're determined to help any maiden in distress. Shojo and Tell host Ashley and her husband, Asher, discuss how Clamp School is a dystopian totalitarian state disguising itself as a utopia, what it does or does not get right about going to prestigious schools, and how the...
2023-04-061h 26
Lexman ArtificialBoris Sofmans Tale of Consumption and DestructionBoris Sofman tells the story of how he became possessed by mammon and spent his nights roaming the city's nightspots.
2023-03-0704 minShojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastDuklyon: CLAMP School Defenders (with Asher Sofman) [Shonen Exception #4]A discussion about the two-volume series Duklyon: CLAMP School Defenders by CLAMP.Another two-volume shonen gag manga from CLAMP, an even sillier and shorter Shojo & Tell episode than usual. The CLAMP School Defenders Kentarou Higashikunimaru and Takeshi Shukaido are trying to protect the institution from the Imonoyama Shopping District Association. From there, an alien romance commences. Duklyon is strange, comedic, and a loving send up to tokusatsu shows. Most of this episode is just Asher and Ashley trying to say "Higashikunimaru" 10 times fast. (No, it's not. That's only part of the episode. We promise.)REFERENCES
2023-03-0535 minShojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastMan of Many Faces by CLAMP (with Asher Sofman) [Shonen Exception #3]A discussion about the two-volume series Man of Many Faces by CLAMP.This is a two-volume gag manga about a gentleman thief who's in elementary school named Akira. He has two moms who look identical to each other. He's part of the Clamp School Detectives. He's in love with a kindergartener named Utako. It might be one of the best romantic relationships in any Clamp manga. Wait, what? Shojo and Tell host Ashley and her husband do their best to crack the case as to why this strange, should-be-problematic short series is actually endearing and wholesome.
2023-02-1856 min
Lexman ArtificialBoris Sofman from Griffin Robotics on the Cromer ServomotorGriffon Robotics has released the Cromer, their latest line of servomotors. Boris Sofman, representative for Griffin Robotics, joins Lexman to discuss the new motors and their applications.
2023-02-0403 min
XCrossingep12 もらう側とあげる側から見たストックオプションとリターンの現実過去にもらったストックオプションがついにリターンになった！…ものの、現実は夢物語が叶ってばかりじゃない。インセンティブとしてのストックオプションとそれにまつわるエピソードについて、もらう側（従業員）とあげる側（経営者）が、それぞれの視点で話しました 1:08 エクイティクラウドファンディング - アメリカの適格投資家になる条件 3:54 日本の適格機関投資家はリストも公開されている 5:53 yammerの発音 7:05 Evernoteで得たストックオプションとリターンの現実 9:41 Googleの株価下落にともないストックオプションの価値が落ち込んでいた（underwater option）ときに会社がとった施策 13:28 金銭的なリターン以外に得る無形の資産 14:35 ほんのわずかな成功体験だけしか経験値がないと勘違いしてしまうエンジェル投資家 18:20 未上場株式は数パーセントしか当たらない 19:02 プロのベンチャーキャピタルでも投資収益率はそんなに高くない 20:24 社員でない外部協力者にもストックオプションは配布できる 23:25 アメリカでは自社の株式の20％ぐらいをストックオプションに確保しているところが多い 25:15 （アメリカでは）何事も交渉、休みに自国に帰るときはその旅費を会社持ちにしてもらう等 25:58 Evernoteにはユニークな制度があった − 休暇日数無制限、まとまった休み取ったら1000ドルもらえるリンク：トーク中で取り上げた記事や情報へのリンクです。 Google offers employees with underwater options a new option : https://venturebeat.com/social/google-offers-employees-with-underwater-options-a-new-option/ The once-hot robotics startup Anki is shutting down after raising more than $200 million : https://www.vox.com/2019/4/29/18522966/anki-robot-cozmo-staff-layoffs-robotics-toys-boris-sofmanプロダクトマネジメントとプロダクト開発組織づくりを専門とする及川卓也。アメリカ・ニューヨークでスタートアップ投資する関信浩。マーケティング・広報・プロダクトマネジメントを幅広く手掛ける上野美香。テクノロジー業界で働く3人が、気になる話題を毎回、異なった視点で語り合います。XCrossing website https://x-crossing.com/XCrossing Official Twitter @x_crossing_及川卓也 @takoratta関信浩 @NobuhiroSeki上野美香 @mikamika59
2023-01-2426 min
Lexman ArtificialBoris Sofman and the Business of KanaOwen is having a terrible day and Boris is there to cheer him up. They chat about their love for brimming gutters and practising their kanji.
2022-11-2304 minShojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastSkull-face Bookseller Honda-san (with Asher Sofman)Covers all 4 volumes of Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san by Honda.Ever wanted to know what it's like to work in a bookstore? Well, your friendly neighborhood bookseller, Honda-san, has some funny stories to share and will teach you about wholesalers. Oh, and Honda's a skeleton. Of course. Honda relays many hijinks at their Kin*kuniya or B**k*ff in Tokyo, particularly in regards to foreign customers. The Ashes compare the anime and the manga, talk about issues surrounding book distribution and discovery, and name their favorites among Honda's coworkers. Here's a short episode for Halloween that has...
2022-10-3045 minShojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastAbsolute Boyfriend (with Asher Sofman)This episode discusses all six volumes of Absolute Boyfriend by Yuu Watase.The Ashes are back to do a compare and contrast between two shojo heavyweights, Yuu Watase and CLAMP. Last episode we covered Chobits even though it's a seinen series, partially because we're determined to read every CLAMP series, and partially because we knew Absolute Boyfriend appears to have taken heavy inspiration from Chobits and shojo-ified it. We talk about how Absolute Boyfriend handles sex and A.I. compared to Chobits, whether it's magical and dreamy that your boyfriend can be destroyed and have to go...
2022-10-051h 14
Lexman ArtificialBoris Sofman on Blackfishes, Avower, Alisma, Prefabricators, Proctoscopes, and HelvesToday on Lexman, Boris Sofman joins the show to talk about blackfishes and avower. He also explains alisma and prefabricators, and shares some tales about proctoscopes and helves. Tune in and enjoy the show!
2022-09-2404 minShojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastChobits (with Asher Sofman) [Seinen Exception #2]This episode discusses all eight volumes of Chobits by CLAMP.We're continuing our journey through CLAMP with their most provocative, perverted, and problematic series yet: The sci-fi series Chobits, where personal computers (persocoms) take the form of cute high school girls with cat ears. Hideki, peak schmuck boy, finds a free one in the trash, and he names her Chi, and then he may or may not fall in love with her, even though she behaves like a child. Talk about awkward. Asher and Ashley have A LOT of feelings about the moral implications of the relationships...
2022-09-111h 41
Lexman ArtificialGrace and Favour recipient Boris Sofman on landraces and correctnessBoris Sofman is a cryptographist and grace and favour recipient who talks about landraces and their correctness.
2022-08-1303 min
Lexman ArtificialBoris Sofman on ctenophores and graspingLexman Artificial interviews Boris Sofman, a ctenophore researcher who has been pioneering new methods of studying these unusual creatures. They discuss Sofman's work on ctenophores' capacity for grasping and how it contributes to their ecological role.
2022-07-2503 min
Lexman ArtificialThe Case of the Pothooking AcaridBoris Sofman joins Lexman Artificial to discuss the case of the pothooking acarid. This mysterious parasite has been reported to pothook its way into the brains of unsuspecting voters, leading them to rack up votes in favor of candidates they wouldn't otherwise support. Is this a sophisticated propaganda technique orchestrated by shadowy forces? Or is something else going on here? The two of them explore the evidence and try to come to a conclusions.
2022-07-0203 min
Lexman ArtificialBoris Sofman on steradian, mullions, and ReserpineIn this episode Boris Sofman, a mathematician and physicist discusses the concept of steradian and mullions. He also discusses the drug Reserpine and how it can have deleterious effects on the body.
2022-06-2602 minShojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastFlower in a Storm (with Asher Sofman)Wife and husband duo Ashley and Asher are back to talk about the short comedic manga Flower in a Storm. While neither would say they really loved the story of rich-boy Ran going after super-strong Riko, Ashley, at least, thinks it shows lots of promise from the author, and is a funny parody of mid-2000s shojo manga tropes. But the real standouts are the two unrelated short stories that are included.REFERENCESFlower in a Storm is available from Viz Media's Shojo Beat lineThe only other manga out by this author in English is Caste...
2022-06-1342 minShojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastPlanet Ladder (with Asher Sofman)Covers the entire series of Planet Ladder by Yuri Narushima.Wife and husband duo Ashley and Asher discuss the wild ride that is PLANET LADDER. They're not quite sure what happened, but they both know Bambi is the best. Also, there's a giant chicken. Surely you want to know more?REFERENCESPlanet Ladder is out of print. It was published by TokyoPop, and you can find used copies on places like eBay.Planet Ladder is inspired by The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter.Other series mentioned:The Vision of EscalfowneMarsFushigi YuugiThe Young Master's RevengeShortcake...
2022-06-031h 17Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastAfter Hours (with Asher Sofman) [Seinen Exception #1]We discuss all three volumes of After Hours by Yuhta Nishio.Welcome to the club. Emi knows nothing about dance music. Kei is a DJ with manic pixie dream girl energy. Emi gets sucked into Kei's world in this series that's basically a 101 lesson in EDM. "Isn't this a seinen manga?" Yes, yes it is. But Shojo & Tell host Ashley has a soft spot for these lesbian DJs, so we're covering it anyway! Ashley and her husband, Asher, discuss the particular moment in music time the series is in response to, how relatable Emi's millennial struggle is...
2022-02-1059 min
Lex Fridman Podcast#241 – Boris Sofman: Waymo, Cozmo, Self-Driving Cars, and the Future of RoboticsBoris Sofman is the Senior Director Of Engineering and Head of Trucking at Waymo, formerly the Google Self-Driving Car project. He was also the CEO and co-founder of Anki, a home robotics company. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
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2021-11-173h 20Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastSP Baby (with Asher Sofman)Covers both volumes of SP Baby by Maki Enjoji.We're back with another Enjoji title! This time, it's a classic bodyguard romance, full of tragic backstories and sexual harassment. Tamaki joins the Security Police for Kagetora, the prime minster's nephew, against her better judgment (she really needs this job) and of course, romance ensues whether the heroine wants it or not. Ashley and Asher discuss how Tamaki's extreme form of accountability is actually refreshing, while Kagetora manages to avoid landing at the very bottom of the barrel for romantic heroes. We've seen worse. We've also seen way...
2021-10-2734 minShojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastRG Veda (with Asher Sofman)Covers all of RG Veda by CLAMP.This hyper-violent fantasy series was CLAMP's first traditionally published work — and it shows. Shojo & Tell host Ashley and her boytoy Asher talk about the highs and lows of this high-concept series about destiny and the power of love (what else is new?). All good boys are praised, and Yasha is not on the list.REFERENCESRG Veda is available from Dark HorseListen to Clampcast's more in-depth RG Veda episodes!Religious texts mentioned:Rig VedaMahabharataRamayanaOther CLAMP series mentioned:Magic Knight RayearthCardcaptor SakuraXTokyo BabylonTsubasaxxxHolicOther media mentioned:DigimonNoragamiAir GearRanma 1/2The Vi...
2021-07-171h 18
RoadSigns A Transport Topics PodcastRS56: What Will It Take to Make Autonomous Trucking a Reality?Have you been imagining a driverless future where the machines do all the work and humans watch? You might be in for a surprise. Even at Level 4 autonomy, self-driving trucks will have technical limitations. They will be designed for specific applications that are best suited to automation. They’ll also require industry buy-in and public acceptance. In this episode, we ask how technology developers are clearing those hurdles to make autonomous trucking a reality.
And how might the trucking industry improve safety and efficiency by combining automation and human labor in the future? To find out, we bring in Boris So...
2021-04-1540 min
ML Minutes9 - Autonomous Vehicles with Boris Sofman from WaymoWhat’s the deal with autonomous vehicles? For starters, saving 40,000 lives per year and answering some of the most interesting questions in artificial intelligence.Boris Sofman, Head of Perception and Trucking Engineering at Waymo, came in to discuss the methods used to train autonomous vehicles, covering where datasets are gathered, how performance is evaluated, and how knowledge gained through AV can be leveraged across different industries.Monte's speaking at some cool events! He'll be presenting at the Feature Store Meetup and TWiMLCon. Find out more at mlminutes.com/events.Hear more of the ju...
2021-01-0615 minShojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastSocrates in Love (with Asher Sofman)A discussion about the manga adaptation of Socrates in Love by Kyoichi Katayama and Kazumi KazuiGet ready to cry at this one-volume melodrama about a teenage couple torn apart by a tragedy. Socrates in Love follows Sakutaro and Aki as they go from being friends to lovers, but have their happiness cut short through illness. Chaplain-in-training Asher Sofman and Shojo & Tell host Ashley discuss how love and death are intertwined, how people grapple with suffering and illness, and other such fun, cheery topics. Ashley makes extensive comparisons between Socrates in Love and Nicholas Sparks' A Walk...
2020-12-3051 minShojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastAll My Darling Daughters (with Asher Sofman)Covers All My Darling Daughters by Fumi YoshinagaThis one-volume manga about three generations of women in a family is masterfully told and extremely relatable. Shojo & Tell host Ashley and boytoy Asher discuss their favorite stories from this collection of five, dwell on the theme of love being a form of discrimination, and fret about how to avoid some of these parenting pitfalls when raising children.A content warning for the second story: There's an age-gap romance between a teacher and a student, and it escalates immediately.REFERENCESAll My Darling Daughters...
2020-12-051h 04Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastHaruka Pt. 2 (with Asher Sofman)Covers volumes 10–17 of Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time by Tohko Mizuno.We’re back to discuss the second half of Haruka, a manga series based on one of the earliest otome game franchises. Suddenly, the story remembers it’s a romance, and all eight of the guardians realize they're vying for the priestess Akane’s heart. And she starts to see all of them as the sexy menfolk they are. (Except Yasuaki, who is still the best. But he's a golem (or is he a homunculus?), so we get it.) Shojo & Tell host Ashley and her boytoy A...
2020-07-161h 12Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastHaruka Pt. 1 (with Asher Sofman)Covers volumes 1–9 of Haruka: Beyond the Stream of Time by Tohko Mizuno.Haruka (perhaps more widely known as Harukanaru Toki no Naka de) was one of the first-ever otome games, and it launched a franchise that spun off into manga and anime adaptations as well. Though the series didn’t gain popularity in the United States, we thought HARUKA was important to cover for its historical context. In this episode, Shojo & Tell host Ashley and her boytoy Asher journey back to the Heian era with Akane (a normal high school girl who’s a priestess in this altern...
2020-07-021h 23Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastFruits Basket Another (with Jacob Chapman)Covers all three volumes of Fruits Basket another by Natsuki TakayaWould you like to have another basket of fruit? Natsuki Takaya shows us what the kids of everyone from the original Fruits Basket cast are like in this sequel to the blockbuster series. Another centers around Sawa Mitoma, aka NegaTohru, as she suffers abuse from her single mother and meets the Sohma kids in high school. In this podcast, Fruits Basket fanatic Jacob and Shojo & Tell host Ashley get into whether this sequel series stands on its own, whether it's worth reading, how Takaya handles the...
2020-06-171h 00
Same Same but TechMini-Ep: Autonomous Vehicles are like Email (featuring Waymo)Boris Sofman is the Director of Engineering, Head of Trucking and Perception at Waymo - formerly the Google self-driving car project. Waymo’s mission is to make it safe and easy for people and things to move around autonomously. Prior to Waymo, Brois was the Co-Founder and CEO of Anki, an AI and robotics company.SSBT is hosted by Mauhan M Zonoozy, founder of Bubbl (acquired by Cricket Media), NYC-based angel investor, and Venture Architect Director at BCG Digital Ventures. Guests: Boris Sofman, Director of Engineering, Head of Trucking and Perception at Waymo
2020-06-1600 minShojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastAngelic Layer (with Aisha Soleil and Asher Sofman) [Shonen Exception #2]Covers all five volumes of Angelic Layer by CLAMP.What if battle shonen, but for GIRLS? That's the premise of Angelic Layer, where young girls get to fight with super-cool dolls that they control with their minds (OK, Ohjiro can play too). Upon coming to Tokyo, Misaki immediately becomes smitten with this game and learns the ropes very quickly. Shojo & Tell host Ashley, her boytoy Asher, and guest Aisha discuss the gender dynamics of the manga (moms can play with VR tech too!!), the fanfiction-y nature of CLAMP’s works, and who the best deus and angel ar...
2020-06-031h 08Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastBeast Master (with Asher Sofman)Covers both volumes of Beast Master by Kyousuke Motomi"There is a beast inside of each of us that protects the things we hold dear." That’s the driving force behind this short story from Kyousuke Motomi (Dengeki Daisy, QQ Sweeper). It follows Yuiko as she tries to tame the beast of a boy named Leo. Shojo & Tell host Ashley and her boytoy Asher discuss how moar money leads to moar problems in Leo’s family, why English is wrong for having “fear” and “hatred” be separate words, how this story of domestication and bestiality compares to manly man me...
2020-05-2057 minShojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastMeteor Prince (with Asher Sofman)Covers both volumes of Meteor Prince by Meca Tanaka.A wild and whacky ride awaits in this super-short series about an alien named Io (who is essentially Tamaki Suoh from Ouran High School Host Club) looking for his soul mate, Hako, on Earth. Shojo & Tell host Ashley and her lover Asher dive deep into the use of soul mates in literature and have an excessively silly shipping corner. Remember: You and me, baby, ain't nothing but mammals, so let's do it like they do on the Discovery Channel. (But is Io a mammal??)REFERENCES...
2020-04-0850 minShojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastLove in Focus (with Asher Sofman)Covers all 3 volumes of Love in Focus by Yoko NogiriLove in Focus is a very cute and subtly subversive series about a high school love triangle between Mako, Kei, and Mitsuru and their experiences with a photography club. Shojo & Tell host Ashley and her boytoy Asher heap tons of praise on this highly aware manga. Ashley rants about why Kei is too relatable and therefore is aggravating, there's debate about the state of photography in the modern day, and there are revelations about what makes Mako a refreshing shojo manga protagonist. In the end, this episode...
2020-01-241h 03Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastMy Lesbian Experience with Loneliness + My Solo Exchange Diary (with Asher Sofman)Covers all of My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness and My Solo Exchange Diary by Nagata KabiNot a shojo manga episode, yet also not a shonen exception: My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness and My Solo Exchange Diary are memoir manga about a young woman’s experience coming out and dealing with deep-rooted depression. In an episode largely fueled by listener questions, Shojo & Tell host Ashley and her lover, Asher Sofman, go over the most #relatable bits of Kabi's life, whether Kabi should continue down the road of writing about her own life, how there's actually not a lo...
2019-12-1858 minShojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastWish (with Asher Sofman)Covers all of Wish by CLAMPI can be your angle or yuor devil. Shojo and Tell host Ashley and journey-through-all-of-CLAMP pal Asher Sofman go on a bizarre adventure with CLAMP’s JoJo’s fanfiction. Topics of discussion include gender pronouns, purity, tests of love, and shipping, where the conclusion is that the most interesting romantic ship is between Shuichiro and his mom, Hotaru, who is a tree fairy. We know this manga about the angel Kohaku was very formative to plenty of people. Please explain to us why?REFERENCESWish is available from Dark...
2019-11-021h 08Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastPhantom Thief Jeanne (with Laura Spicer and Asher Sofman)Covers all of Phantom Thief Jeanne by Arina Tanemura
This is the first series by Arina Tanemura discussed on the podcast! What the heck’s a Phantom Thief, and what does it have to do with Jeanne d’Arc? Wait, God and some angels are here, too? There’s time travel? Long-time Tanemura fan Laura Spicer, Shojo & Tell host Ashley, and begrudging participant Asher Sofman delve into “Arina’s Christianity fanfiction” to discuss purity politics, how the anime compares to the manga, and how everyone in this manga got with the wrong person except Finn Fish and Access Time...
2019-05-221h 54Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastTokyo Babylon (with Asher Sofman)Covers all of Tokyo Babylon by CLAMP
In an alternate Tokyo, Subaru, Seishiro, and Hokuto have otherworldly adventures in this prequel to CLAMP’s unfinished series, X. In a poll about which CLAMP series we should cover next, Tokyo Babylon came out victorious. We’re here to give the people what they want, so on this episode, Shojo & Tell host Ashley and her journey-through-all-of-CLAMP buddy Asher Sofman answer many listener questions, like: Does Seishiro love Subaru? Why is Hokuto so great? What’s the true nature of evil? What were our favorite cases? This is a heavy episod...
2019-05-011h 18
FrancoinformadorCancelan festival de Woodstock. Facebook abre su base de datos. Taylor Swift record.Descarga este episodio FACEBOOK ABRE SU BASE DE DATOS. Facebook, el gigante de los medios sociales está abriendo sus bases de datos (generalmente privadas) a investigadores de 30 instituciones académicas en 11 países. Los datos abarcan desde enero de 2017 hasta febrero de 2019. Los investigadores fueron seleccionados por los socios de Facebook en Social Science One y el Social Science Research Council. Facebook dijo que espera profundizar la comprensión del público sobre el papel que juegan las redes sociales en la democracia y las elecciones, al tiempo que busca ayudar a otras compa...
2019-04-3000 min
Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastWake Up, Sleeping Beauty (with Asher Sofman)Covers Wake Up, Sleeping Beauty by Megumi Morino (all six volumes of the series)
“I can't believe Wake Up, Sleeping Beauty single-handedly convinced me that manga was not a mistake.”
“This is up there with Erased and Princess Jellyfish for me as far as human relations go.”
“I don't know if I'm going to be able to go back to manga after reading this manga, it was everything I ever wanted in a romance manga.”
“This manga is much better than you would expect since nobody’s hyped it up — and we want to be the...
2018-11-281h 06
The a16z Showa16z Podcast: The IQ and EQ of Robotswith Boris Sofman (@bsofman), Dave Touretzky (@DaveTouretzky), and Hanne Tidnam (@omnivorousread)
We're just now beginning to truly see the the first 'real' robots in the home, from Roombas to toys to companions to... well, much more. How are humans beginning to forge relationships with these robotic devices (/entities!) -- and how will those relationships develop? What do we learn as we begin to forge relationships and interact with robotic toys like Cosmo and Vector -- about robots, and about ourselves? And what do these learnings teach us about the possibility of adding a "personality wrapper" to new t...
2018-11-2135 min
Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastPreview Guide 3: Ao Haru Ride and Kira-kun TodayDiscusses the first volumes of Ao Haru Ride by Io Sakisaka and Kira-kun Today by Rin Mikimoto
After September brought no new shojo manga series debuts in the US, October has brought two! Shojo & Tell host Ashley McDonnell and her bestie Asher Sofman have differing opinions on the quality of this month’s debuts. They discuss the wackiness of Kira-kun Today and what makes Io Sakisaka’s much-hyped Ao Haru Ride special (Ao Haru Ride is also known as Blue Spring Ride). Whether you like talking birds or childhood crushes, strange depression or persistent melancholy, there’s probab...
2018-10-2430 min
Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastMagic Knight Rayearth (with Asher Sofman)Covers all of Magic Knight Rayearth by CLAMP (that's six volumes across MKR I and II)
Take a trip to Cefiro, grab a sword, and get in a mech in this wild and beautiful Clamp classic. Asher and Ashley do a character walkthrough that’s mostly gushing about how pretty everyone is (Eagle! Lantis! Umi! Fuu! Hikaru! That's only 1/100th of the number of characters in this six-volume manga!), debate whether Princess/Pillar Emeraude committed suicide and how this relates to controversies over assisted suicide, and of course, fail to escape hitsuzen because everything is hitsuzen. Plus, th...
2018-10-031h 48
The VergecastAnki CEO Boris SofmanAnki, known for creating “robots that move you,” just finished a successful Kickstarter campaign to fund their new home robot, Vector. Anki CEO Boris Sofman sat down with Nilay for this week’s interview episode of The Vergecast to talk about the new companion robot, why gendering the robots is important, and how to avoid the uncanny valley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2018-09-1139 min
Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastPreview Guide 1: Fruits Basket Another and Sacrificial Princess & the King of BeastsDiscusses the first volumes of Fruits Basket Another by Natsuki Takaya and Sacrificial Princess & the King of Beasts by Yu Tomofuji
Welcome to our first preview guide! What's a preview guide, you ask? Our preview guide episodes will cover the first volume of newly released shojo/josei series (in the US), providing first reactions about the manga (mixing review with our normal discussion format). These will be shorter episodes that come out in addition to our normal bi-weekly, in-depth series discussions. More shojo talk! What could be better?
Our inaugural series are Fruits Basket Another...
2018-08-0143 min
The Times Tech PodcastBoris Sofman: "Engineering emotion"The Sunday Times’ tech correspondent Danny Fortson brings on Boris Sofman, founder of Anki, a maker of AI-powered toys, to talk about why he chose toys (2:45), convincing investors to back him (5:25), starting out making a real life Mario Kart (7:20), using a prototype to pitch (9:50), creating a Pixar-style robot (13:05), putting software at the heart of its toy (17:00), engineering emotion (18:05), the importance of eye contact (21:15), if toys can get ‘too good’ (23:50), the difference from old-school companies (25:25), the future of ‘the family robot’ (27:15), why Anki won’t be a toy company for long (31:40), growing up in Russia and Texas (34:30), studying robots at Carnegie Mellon (35:3...
2018-06-0841 min
Shojo & Tell: A Manga PodcastMaid-sama! Part 1 (with Asher Sofman)Covers: MAID-SAMA! Vol. 1-9
After doing two classic shojo series, we’re finally covering Ashley’s favorite manga of all time: Maid-sama! Yes, Ashley’s favorite manga is about working in a maid cafe. Asher and Ashley discuss how liking a manga about maids is okay (also discussed: whether this manga is actually about maids), what this battle of the sexes story has to say about gender roles, and whether Misaki Ayuzawa and Usui Takumi make a good couple. Mostly, Ashley just rants about how Misaki is the greatest.
LINKS
Get Maid-sama! from Viz Media...
2017-12-131h 24
Decoder with Nilay PatelRecode Decode: Boris Sofman, CEO, AnkiAnki CEO Boris Sofman talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about the future of robotics and why his company is starting with robots that entertain people: The artificially intelligent toy cars Anki Drive, released in 2013, and the emotive pet-like Cozmo, which came out in 2016. Sofman says designing for cuteness makes it easier for humans to accept when the robot makes an error, and is a low-risk way to make all robots better at skills like computer vision. He also talks about the current state of self-driving cars and why the biggest danger robots currently pose to humanity is being mi...
2017-05-2959 min
Lost in Translationmon - A Digimon PodcastAppliEpisode 4.1 - Don't Dead Spooky InsideThis week's AppliEpisode also doubles as a Halloween special where we cover the musical wonder that is "It's Spooky In Here".
Thanks to Andrew Sofman from Podigious for sharing his copy of the CD: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B99L9BYd8TnFaEJQdm9naUhpYnM
Thank you to our supporters on Patreon; Sam Krieger (who hosts a Digimon and Pokemon podcast with Stevie called 'The Moncast'), Wuqinglong who you can follow on his twitch of the same name, MetalMamemon, Joe, AnimeGuyKurosaki1, Chakmon, Ishpaul Bhamber, Hiro Alato, Jason Morosky, FrostMrajic, Steven Reeves, Kaida Washi, Mac, Noam, Riku, Red & Garren from Breakfast...
2016-10-3027 min