Marketplace Tech

The company Three Square Market provides software that runs vending machines, self-checkout kiosks and, soon, microchips that can be implanted into its employees' hands. Vice President of International Development, Tony Danna, joins us to share what exactly these chips are capable of. Afterwards, we'll chat with Anatrope founder Tiffany Rad about two of the biggest hacking gatherings in the U.S.

With many cities trying to become the next Silicon Valley or tech hubs in their own right, the job site Indeed decided to take a look at where job growth is actually happening. Turns out the same places (think San Francisco) still have a money monopoly on the market. But there are some promising areas. Indeed's chief economist Jed Kolko stops by to break down the site's findings with us. Next, we'll look at Windows' decision to phase out its Paint program, which will be replaced by a 3-D version. The BBC's Zoe Kleinman explains its appeal, and how even professional artists sometimes use it to create illustrations.

Advanced artificial intelligence requires small, yet very important components: chips. Google happens to be one of the latest tech companies that's starting to get into the AI chip game. And on today's show, we'll chat with Urs Holzle, senior vice president for technical structure at Google, about why the tech giant is starting to invest in this area. Afterwards, we'll look at a new social media service for musicians that may help create the next Sonny and Cher.

We're starting off our show today by playing Silicon Tally, the game where we try to stump each other with numbers from the week's news. Our guest for this episode: Marketplace reporter Ryan Kailath. Afterwards, we'll examine an unexpected threat to the computer vision systems in autonomous vehicles: kangaroos.

They may not be the most anticipated items in the world, but transparency reports are important because they reveal how companies disclose information about the way they deal with the U.S. government. On today's show, we'll talk with Michee Smith, a product manager at Google, about the changes the company is making to its report. Afterwards, we'll look at the model behind Up & Go, a service that connects those in New York City who need cleaning services with small business owners.

Qualcomm may not be a household name, but its chips are inside a household item: your phone. On today's show, we'll look at the company's ubiquity, along with the struggles it's been facing as smartphone makers decide to find solutions in-house. Afterwards, we'll discuss the announcement of Bluetooth Mesh, the idea that eventually all your Bluetooth devices may be able to talk to each other separately from your Wi-Fi network.

What is Watson? As IBM prepares to announce earnings this afternoon, investors are claiming that the artificial intelligence — which has made appearances on Jeopardy and even has its own cookbook — isn't raking in as much as it should be. Jefferies analyst James Kisner joined us to talk about why IBM invested in Watson and why he thinks it isn't working out for the company right now. Afterwards, we'll chat with entrepreneur Cindy Whitehead about her tech incubator Pinkubator, which aims to help female entrepreneurs with access to capital and mentorship.

That's right: today is world emoji day. And there are plenty of companies that are trying to turn these symbols into a business, like Inmoji. On today's show, we'll chat with the company's CTO, Jarrod Mclean, and head of engineering, Chris Nagle, about its services and their involvement. Afterwards, we'll talk with Ian Bogost, a professor at Georgia Tech, about the declining appeal of cars as "fashion objects."

A trillion-ton iceberg broke off the western coast of Antarctica this week. The news raised questions like: Will the chunk disrupt shipping routes? But aside from the physical consequences, there are also digital ones: like the changes mapping services will now have to make. On today's show, we'll chat with Denis Dean — a professor at the University of Texas at Dallas — about what services do in situations like these. Then, we'll cap off the week by playing Silicon Tally with Sara Fischer, a media reporter with Axios.

We're getting closer and closer to ultra-fast travel. Hyperloop One recently completed a test that sent a vehicle down a vacuum track at 70 miles per hour. On today's show, we'll talk to the company's co-founders about their goals and what this technology can actually be used for. Next, we'll speak with Tina Sharkey, cofounder of the new online grocery store Brandless, about their company's unique business model — everything at the store is just 3 bucks.