Brains Byte Back

According to 99 firms, 293.6 billion emails are sent every day. That figure probably doesn't surprise you given the number of emails sitting in your inbox, hundreds if not thousands... Right? But among these emails are numerous malicious emails, designed to trick, scam and hack.

These emails are known as phishing emails, which in its simplest form can be described as a fraudulent attempt to obtain sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details by disguising oneself as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication.

But there is good news, as we now have a guardian angel ready to look out for us. My guest today is the president and founder of Pixm, a company that provides real-time anti-phishing on log-in pages and shuts down an attack at the point of click, Arun Buduri.

And for our Neuron to Something piece, where we discuss a story relating to psychology and technology, we will look at a recent Pew Research Center survey, analyzing Americans’ feelings and perceptions relating to data collection.

Video from Buduri: Amazing mind reader reveals his 'gift'

The internet is full of trolls. This is nothing new. However, the tactics used by trolls can go way further than stupid comments on YouTube, and doxxing is an example of this.

If you are not familiar with the term doxxing, it is the publishing of private or identifying information, such as a home or work address, about a particular individual on the Internet, typically with malicious intent. While this might sound outright illegal, as it stands the law surrounding doxxing is limited and vague.

To get a better understanding of where the US law stands on this issue, what the future of doxxing might look like, and how you should respond if you are a victim, we are joined by Joseph Hoelscher, a criminal defense attorney and Managing Attorney of a Texas law firm, Hoelscher Gebbia Cepeda PLLC, who has worked on multiple doxxing cases in the past, from both sides, as clients who were charged with online harassment and with clients who were the victims of doxxing.

And for our side piece today, we have Computer Says LOL, where we have a stand-up comedy bit from Don McMillan, a technology engineer turned stand up comedian.

With over 100 million copies sold, Call of Duty is easily one of the most recognizable game franchises in history. But for Call of Duty co-founder Chance Glasco, this is just one of many achievements in his long career in the tech industry.

In this episode, we discuss how he and his fellow co-founders created the franchise, his motivation to move to Brazil and start his own VR company, Doghead Simulations, and how he is using VR to help victims of human trafficking.

And for our Weird Wide Web piece, we have a story from the BBC about a pledge from the UK's Labour party to give every home and business in the UK free full-fiber broadband by 2030, if it wins the general election.

Weird Wide Web - General election 2019: Labour pledges free broadband for all

If you are a fan of UFC, you will probably know of our guest this week. He might not be a tech star, but he definitely has plenty of experience when it comes to the psychology of perseverance and determination.

In this episode we discuss Faber's victorious come back into the UFC at 40 years old against 26 year old Ricky Simon, how being a father has impacted his mentality in the Octagon and his new upcoming movie.

We also have a double helping of Weird Wide Web, with a story regarding research that suggests Bitcoin’s famous 2017 rise was the result of one whale, and another about streaming services issuing emergency alerts.

Links:

Netflix and Spotify Might Be Required to Issue Emergency Alerts From the Government Just Like TV and Radio

Bitcoin (BTC) 2017 Rally Caused by Single Whale, Research Shows

The truth is, Google probably knows more about us than some of our closest friends. We ask the internet search engine everything from "Is a banana a herb?" to "What would chairs look like if our knees bent the opposite way?" No jokes these are genuine questions Google has suggested.

In this episode, we will look at how our interactions with technology and what we search impacts the type of information we receive. In this episode, you will learn how the SEO industry is reacting to a change in our behavior, tactics they use to give results an edge and how AI stands to change the SEO game. To discuss this, I am joined by the senior SEO and content manager at Publicize, a digital communications service that creates PR packages geared for growth, Rudi Davis.

And for this week’s special feature we have Computer Says LOL, where we share a stand-up clip or joke relating to technology. This week we have a clip from The Laugh factory where a stand-up comedian compares his neighbor’s interactions with Alexa to a toxic relationship.

1...2...3...4...Skip ad. You can probably relate to this, waiting a few seconds to skip to the content we actually want to see. We are bombarded with ads all over the internet, but how many successfully get your attention, probably just a small few right?

It takes a very special ad to connect with us, arguably something we rarely see in the modern world of digital ads. But there are companies out there that want to give consumers a better advertising experience while enabling companies to better communicate their message. One of which is Streann, a SaaS platform that empowers content providers with innovative distribution, engagement and monetization tools for a better end-user experience.

Joining us on this podcast is the company's CEO, Giovanni Punzo, to explain how they are making an impact on the digital advertising industry. In this episode, you will learn about the current digital advertising landscape, where it is heading, and how companies can successfully connect with users without them counting down to the skip ad button.

And for our Good News feature, we have a story about the BBC's new page on the dark web.

If you have spent any time in cities such as Medellin or Chiang Mai, you have probably met a digital nomad. In its simplest form, a digital nomad is an individual that is location independent and use technology to perform their job.

With the freedom to work anywhere, digital nomads often live nowhere, at least for long periods of time. This unconventional lifestyle has created its own culture of nomadic individuals, traveling the world with nothing more than a laptop and smartphone. While this lifestyle might sound idealistic, it is not without its troubles.

In this episode, you will learn how digital nomads combat loneliness on the road, why coworking spaces are so important to them and how anyone can become one.

To discuss this topic we are joined by Andrew Alexander, a digital nomad since 2014 and is in charge of Product, Sales, and Systems at VegReady.com, a location-independent company with team members scattered across the world. We are also joined by Lucas Seyhun, the founder and CEO of The Farm Soho, New York coworking spaces designed to nurture a community to promote organic collaboration between its members.

And for our side feature today, we have a new one call Computer says LOL, where we focus on technology-related jokes and humor. In this episode, we will listen to a 2001 comedian’s skit, that has aged well, on how to work for an IT help desk which will make you laugh.

If you have ever visited the subreddit VRtoER, you will probably know two things: That VR is becoming increasingly common in our everyday lives, and most people still don't understand how to use it.

With this technology gaining such momentum, we dedicated this episode to VR and other forms of "extended reality" to see what we can expect in the not too distant future.

Our guest this week is Kain Tietzel, a respected digital thought leader in the Australian VR community, who is the founder and CEO of Start VR, an interactive cinematic virtual reality content studio based out of Sydney.

And for our Weird Wide Web feature, we have a study from Microsoft that claims “Teens say parents share too much about them online.”

A 2018 special report from the US Department of Justice put recidivism rates at 83%. We rarely accept such a high rate of fail as the norm within other areas of society. For example, if 83% of surgeries were unsuccessful, we would strive to recognize the failures of the current system and aim to improve them immediately.

In light of this, why is our approach to the rehabilitation of prisoners not the same? Why do we still operate using a system which is failing inmates and society? The answer is complicated, as you will find out, however, thanks to technology we do have the tools to mend this broken system.

To discuss this topic I am joined by Leonard Sipes, who has worked as a senior spokesperson and director of public information for state and national criminal justice agencies. He is also the owner and operator of crimeinamerica.net.

And for this week’s Tech this out feature we have a live TV news debate featuring Steve Jobs and a privacy advocate from 1981, discussing the dangers of privacy due to computers becoming more prevalent in our lives.

We can all relate to feeling alone at some point or another, but for younger generations, this is a sensation that is becoming increasingly common.

According to a survey conducted by the Young Women’s Trust in the UK, One in four 18 to 30-year-olds report feeling isolated compared to one in 10 older people, aged 64 to 72. And in the US, millennials are the loneliest generation today according to research by YouGov.

Technology and social media have been heavily criticized for amplifying sensations of loneliness with one study conducted by psychologists at the University of Pittsburgh claiming the more time a young person spends on social media, the more likely they are to feel socially isolated.

To get a better understanding of how technology could be exacerbating feelings of loneliness, we spoke with two experts.

Our first guest is the Director of Research at Hopelab, a social innovation lab focused on designing science-based technologies to improve the health and well-being of teens and young adults. Dr. Danielle Ramo.

In addition to Dr. Ramo, we will be joined by Dr. Lisa Strohman -- a clinical psychologist and the founder of Digital Citizen Academy, a program created to help educate parents and children about the proper use of technology and the repercussions that technology may have.

And for our Weird Wide Web feature, where we highlight a bizarre story from the world of tech, we have a story about AI-generated head shots putting stock photo companies on edge.