Logging In

What really happens when you click that checkout button? And what happens when a business gets paid, ships the product, and then the money disappears?

This week on Logging In, Kali and Techie welcome special guest Victor Popovics, an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in e-commerce and the founder of Avendo, a financial technology company looking to change how businesses process credit card payments.

Victor takes us behind the scenes of something we all do without thinking twice. Whether you’re shopping on Amazon or running your own business, there’s a lot happening between clicking pay and seeing that payment approved.

But things get especially interesting when Victor shares how his business lost $5,000 in a fraudulent transaction. The merchandise was shipped, the bank took the money back, and the business was left with nothing.

The conversation also gets into hidden processing fees, why small businesses don’t always get the best rates, how payment security works, the differences between credit cards and Zelle, and why switching payment processors isn’t always as simple as it sounds.

Victor also introduces Avendo and explains how his company is working to bring competition between payment processors to individual transactions.

It’s a side of online shopping most of us never see, but one that affects nearly every purchase we make.

We are not endorsing Avendo or its services, and we were not paid for this interview. The conversation is intended for informational purposes only.

Featuring Victor Popovics of Avendo

Website: https://avendo.tech

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/loggingin/exclusive-content

What happens when Twitter disappears…but everybody still wants to build the next Twitter?

This week on Logging In, Kali and Techie revisit a story they actually tried to talk about before — except Techie’s kid accidentally unplugged the system halfway through recording and part of the episode was lost.

And apparently a lot can change between recordings.

The Twitter-inspired service they had been discussing lost its court battle involving the original Twitter and is now Tweet.app. That opens up a much bigger conversation about the growing number of platforms trying to capture the space Twitter once occupied — including Bluesky, Threads, Fanbase Spark and more.

But building another social network is one thing. Convincing people to actually use it is another.

Kali and Techie talk about why people stick with the platforms and brands they already know, what it takes for a new social network to break through, and whether any of these alternatives can become the place everyone actually checks every day.

With everybody fighting for the space Twitter once dominated, is the bird’s crown finally up for grabs?

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/loggingin/exclusive-content

Please don’t follow us. Seriously. Every new follower could make it more expensive to sponsor Logging In.

This week, Kali and Techie accidentally turn the episode into a live business meeting as Techie reveals that he grabbed the Logging In Show name across just about every social platform he could find. Then comes the bigger experiment: what if sponsorships started at practically nothing and increased as the audience grew? 

That sends the conversation down the rabbit hole of how people actually get attention online—from creators making money with bizarre sponsorship ideas to a bowling alley cat becoming a mascot and a fake wedding that failed to fool the parents but managed to fool the internet. 

The episode also opens with the confusion surrounding reports of Dolly Parton’s death, including the strange moment when Techie saw the news, searched for confirmation, found reports calling it a hoax—and then learned later that the original report was real. 

Sometimes the internet makes sense. This isn't one of those times.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/loggingin/exclusive-content

What happens when AI companies need more training data and start turning to physical books?

This week on Logging In, Kali and Techie talk about the growing demand for books as AI companies look for more material to train their systems. That leads to a bigger question: what happens to rare, forgotten, or out-of-print books when copies start disappearing?

Techie makes the case for rescuing the books worth preserving before they become harder to find, while Kali looks at what it means when technology starts changing the value of something as ordinary as an old book.

It’s a conversation about AI, preservation, ownership, and why that dusty book sitting on a shelf might suddenly be more important than you think.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/loggingin/exclusive-content

This week on Logging In, Techie and Kali dive into a world where everything seems to come with a catch. YouTube may be making it even harder for smaller creators to monetize, smart-home technology is turning into “Home as a Service,”and apparently even being single could cost you more when it comes to car insurance.

Plus, Techie discovers a man literally living inside a billboard, Coyote vs. Acme gets a second life after nearly disappearing forever, and Facebook continues its quest to become even more deeply embedded in your phone.

From 8,000 watch hours and 20 million Shorts views to subscription-powered homes and the strange economics of being unmarried, Techie and Kali ask a familiar question: when did everything become something else we have to pay for?

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/loggingin/exclusive-content

This week on Logging In, Techie and Kali dig into two stories that sound almost unbelievable. First, a security vulnerability involving Visa and Apple Pay raises the possibility of someone triggering a transaction of up to $10,000 through an iPhone—even while the phone is locked. The conversation turns to transit features, convenience versus security, and just how much trust we put into the devices sitting in our pockets.

Then Kali brings a different kind of surprise: a California rental listing that reportedly included an additional $200-a-month fee for tenants who work from home. Is working remotely now something landlords can charge extra for? And where does a fee end and a “work-from-home tax” begin?

Plus, Techie and Kali look at schools experimenting with a decidedly low-tech solution: taking away screens and bringing back paper, pencils, handwriting, and physical books—with some surprising results.

From Apple Pay to remote work to classrooms going analog, Episode 033 asks whether technology is making life easier—or whether we're starting to pay for convenience in ways we never expected.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/loggingin/exclusive-content

Techie’s voice is finally back, but Logging In missed a week for an unusual reason: he and his family were tracking down a traffic cone from Scotland.

In Episode 32, Techie explains how the Boston Cone became a symbol of the unexpected friendship between Boston and Scotland following the World Cup. The cone traveled first class from Glasgow, was fitted with a tracker, signed by Massachusetts leaders, and became the center of a real-life scavenger hunt that Techie and his children could not resist.

The conversation then turns to the World Cup final, including its unusual halftime entertainment, the trophy presentation, President Trump’s extended appearance with the winning team, and reports that a significant portion of the champions’ prize money could be subject to United States taxes.

From there, the algorithms take the show in several strange directions. Techie and Kali discuss a bizarre Big Brother twist involving former Survivor contestants, dinosaurs, time travel, and a contestant being thrown into a volcano before officially entering the game.

Finally, Kali introduces Instacart’s AI-powered grocery carts. These carts can recognize products, track a shopper’s location, calculate a running total, and recommend coupons based on what is happening inside the aisle. That leads to questions about privacy, incorrect prices, shopping with children, and how long it will take before people begin trying to trick the carts into offering better deals.

From a world-famous traffic cone to a grocery cart that knows what you are buying, Episode 32 proves that the strangest stories are often the ones your usual algorithm would never show you.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/loggingin/exclusive-content

In this episode of Logging In, Techie shares his firsthand experience spending time with Scotland's passionate Tartan Army and how that unexpected adventure led to another surprise—free tickets to see Young Washington.

Along the way, Techie and Kali discuss what made both experiences memorable, the power of community, how historical storytelling is evolving, and why sometimes simply showing up opens doors you never expected. From passionate fans to creative marketing, this episode explores the connections between history, entertainment, and the moments that remind us the best stories often aren't planned.

Join us as we log into Scotland, revolutionary history, and the unexpected opportunities that happen when curiosity leads the way.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/loggingin/exclusive-content

Boston thought it was hosting World Cup matches. Instead, it got invaded by Scotland.

In Episode 30 of Logging In, Techie reports live from the middle of the Tartan Army takeover as Scottish fans march through Boston, pack Fenway Park, drain local bars dry, set stadium noise records, and even honor American statues with traffic cones. Somehow, the biggest World Cup story isn't what's happening on the field—it's everything happening around it.

Meanwhile, Kali explores the United Kingdom's proposal to ban social media for anyone under 16, sparking a debate over childhood, technology, government oversight, and whether digital platforms have become too powerful for young users.

Then the conversation takes another turn into the future as a Texas hospital introduces "Moxie," a robot assistant helping nurses deliver medications, supplies, and lab specimens. Is this the beginning of a healthcare revolution—or just the latest example of robots quietly becoming our coworkers?

From soccer fan chaos and digital childhoods to hospital robots with heart-shaped eyes, this episode proves once again that reality is doing a better job than fiction.

Topics include:

• The Tartan Army's World Cup takeover of Boston
• Why Scotland fans became bigger news than the matches
• The UK's proposed social media ban for children under 16
• Reading, attention spans, and digital childhood
• Robot nurses arriving in Texas hospitals
• The future of healthcare automation
• Why the strangest stories are often the most important ones

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/loggingin/exclusive-content

Techie has a summer cold and it shows—but the news doesn't stop.

This week on Logging In, we revisit the latest developments in the Bricks & Minifigs and Reckless Ben story, explore FIFA World Cup controversies, and laugh our way through America's most questionable soccer chants. The conversation also covers Apple's newest AI features, concerns about photo authenticity, and what Techie sees as a changing era for Apple leadership.

Meanwhile, Kali examines the return of the New World screw worm after decades of eradication, Panama's controversial paternity fraud legislation, and New York's proposed shift from "mother" and "father" to gender-neutral family law language.

It's a mix of tech, culture, politics, sports, and commentary—with one major twist: the further the episode goes, the less voice Techie has left.

Topics include:

• Bricks & Minifigs vs. Reckless Ben
• FIFA World Cup stadium changes and controversies
• Egypt, Iran, and Pride Month discussions
• The infamous USA soccer chants
• Apple's new AI photo tools
• Tim Cook and Apple's future
• The return of the New World screw worm
• Panama's paternity fraud proposal
• New York's family law language changes
• Techie's battle against a summer cold

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/loggingin/exclusive-content