Marketplace Tech

One topic we're going to be examining on this show is who has access to life-changing technology — and who doesn't. We're calling this series “Evenly Distributed.” That's from a quote by the legendary science fiction writer William Gibson, the author of books including "Neuromancer" and "The Peripheral."  The quote is: “The future is already here. It's just not very evenly distributed.” To kick off the series, we talk with William Gibson about the intersection of tech, money and access.

The central question of the net neutrality debate: how much regulation should there be over how providers of internet service deliver the stuff we consume online? And what rules should there be to make sure they don't  slow down or charge more to deliver that stuff?  The man at the center of the free internet controversy is Ajit Pai, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. On today's show, new Marketplace Tech host Molly Wood asks Chairman Pai about whether it's time for  Congress to come up with a solution.

It's the last day Ben Johnson will be hosting Marketplace Tech, and to celebrate his time on the show, we're going to look back at some key moments. From conversations with Neil deGrasse Tyson about alien life to reporting about the visibility of minorities in the tech industry, take a listen to what we've tackled over the past few years. Plus: Starting tomorrow, Molly Wood will take over as the new voice of Marketplace Tech. Check back here for the latest episodes.

Sometimes your smart speaker might mishear your command and offer up something decidedly...inappropriate. Which is why Amazon is introducing a layer of parental control on its Echo. On today's show, we'll talk with Oren Jacob, the CEO of the computer conversation startup PullString, about what this announcement means for companies like his. Afterwards, host Ben Johnson plays his final Silicon Tally — the game where we try to stump each other with numbers from the week's news — with Tobin Low, a former Marketplacer and the co-host of the LGBTQ podcast Nancy.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos reportedly approached Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella about a partnership between their two voice assistants. This could be great for consumers, but what's in it for the two tech giants? James McQuivey, an analyst with Forrester James, explains how each has what the other wants. Afterwards, we'll discuss the app Zello — a social radio app that's being used in evacuation efforts — with CEO Bill Moore.

In the event of a natural disaster, sometimes a text can be one of the best ways to reach out for help. On today's show, we'll chat with Trey Forgety from the National Emergency Number Association about the future of emergency dispatch technology. Afterwards, The Verge's Adi Robertson joins us to discuss Google's new ARCore platform, which will allow you to build augmented reality apps and experiences into smartphones without the need to use extra hardware.

It's Netflix's 20th birthday today. With about 100 million subscribers around the world, the streaming giant has come a long way from the days of mailing DVDs to customers. Gina Keating, author of "Netflixed: The Epic Battle for America's Eyeballs," joined us to talk about the company's original business model and whether it'll be able to compete with Disney's new streaming service. Afterwards, we'll talk with Greta Byrum — director of the Resilient Communities program at New America — about what happens to our communications networks during natural disasters.

This Wednesday marks the end of a public comment period that allows people to tell the Federal Communications Commissions exactly how they feel about net neutrality. On today's show, we'll revisit our conversation with former FCC Commissioner Tom Wheeler about the current commissioner, Ajit Pai. (Hint: The relationship was dicey.) Then we'll chat with Brett Glass, founder of the world's first wireless internet provider, about how net neutrality could affect his business.

The app MoviePass allows subscribers to see an unlimited number of films in local theaters for just $10. But is it too good to be true? We'll take a look at whether a business model like this is actually sustainable. Afterwards, we'll play this week's Silicon Tally with Leslie Miley, a tech engineering leader formerly of Slack, Twitter, Apple and Google.

Female tech employees have been speaking out about sexual harassment, which has led to public apologies and pledges to fix things. And now, there's actually a piece of legislation that could make a difference. California State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson has introduced a bill to tighten up the rules around sexual harassment between investors and the entrepreneurs they fund. Axios' chief tech correspondent, Ina Fried, stopped by to explain what the measure entails. Afterwards, we'll talk to writer Negar Mottahedeh about the connection she was able to forge with someone who hacked her Instagram.