Marketplace Tech

Google's developers conference I/O kicks off in San Francisco today, and while many of the announcements are geared toward, well, developers, they can provide hints about what consumers can expect down the line. Some stuff it looks like we'll be getting: a new Android operating system and hands-free mobile payments. Plus, we'll explore Chicago's growing prominence as a tech hub and one food startup that's found a home there: the meal-delivery service Tovala.

By now, you've likely heard about the malicious ransomware that spread like wildfire across computer networks using Microsoft's products. Matthew Green, a professor at Johns Hopkins University, joins us to talk about how users can keep safe and the primary motive behind the hacker(s) actions. Plus: Imraan Ismail, co-creator of the new virtual reality film "The Protectors," on why the medium hasn't become all that common yet.

GM is launching a new service called Maven, which will allow drivers to rent cars by the hour. We'll discuss how Maven is different from the competition and GM's future in the self-driving landscape. Afterwards, we'll look at President Trump's decision to sign an executive order asking government branches to report on their security challenges — a move that coincided with a global ransomware attack.

Europe's highest court will decide in a few months whether Uber is a software company or a transportation service. If it rules the latter, that could mean unionization among the company's workers and guaranteed benefits for them. But could the ride-sharing giant withstand the cost increases associated with this regulation? Plus: We'll end the week by playing Silicon Tally with Alex Davies, a transportation editor for Wired.

The cryptocurrency Bitcoin has hit a record high in value this week. What many, including the Fed, also see value in is Bitcoin's underlying technology, blockchain. We'll chat with Jim Cunha, a senior vice president for the Federal Reserve, about why the group has interest in this weird, esoteric technology. Next, we'll discuss the thousands of anti-net neutrality comments left on the FCC's site (all using similar language), and then hear from Gizmodo's Ashley Feinberg about the publication's experiment involving a fake email phishing hack and some pretty high-profile figures — including former FBI Director James Comey.

A legal adviser to the European Court of Justice (essentially the EU's version of the Supreme Court) will give his views on whether Uber is a transportation company or a digital service — which could mean much stricter rules for the ride-sharing giant. The New York Times' Mike Isaac is here to talk about how Uber has tried to define itself and its biggest blind spot. Afterwards, we'll look at the launch of another Amazon internet-connected device, The Echo Show, and then discuss Salt Lake City, Utah's promise as a growing tech hub.

Comcast and Charter, companies with a combined 47 million customers, put out a vague press release this week stating they would explore opportunities for "operational cooperation." Roger Cheng, executive editor of news at CNET, explains why the two are coming together and what that could mean for consumers' internet options. Afterwards, we'll take a brief look at the story of Dread Pirate Roberts. No, not the character from "The Princess Bride," but the man who created the Silk Road website using that name as his online pseudonym: Ross Ulbricht. Nick Bilton, author of "American Kingpin," stopped by to talk about controversy over the creator's identity, legal pushback against the site, and ethical quandaries surrounding the dark web.

Snap has tons of daily active users, tons of daily active media brands, and soon, it could have television programming. Shalini Ramachandran from the Wall Street Journal shares the type of programming Snap is planning to roll out, and how the company will collaborate with old media like NBC. Afterwards, Jalek Jovanputra, a managing partner and founder of Future Perfect Ventures, explains how the underlying technology of bitcoin might be used in the physical world.

France is gearing up to choose its new president in just a couple of days. Among those that are watching: Facebook and Google, who hope that fake news will be less visible than it was in the run up to the U.S. presidential election last fall. Sarah Frier, a tech reporter for Bloomberg, details the different efforts both companies are making to combat the issue, which includes collaborations with fact-checking organizations and research investment. And finally, we'll cap off today's show by playing Silicon Tally with Quartz reporter Mike Murphy.

Despite its popularity, the Netflix drama "13 Reasons Why" has received criticism for its very graphic depiction of suicide. Dan Romer, a research director at the University of Pennsylvania, joined us to discuss the effect of media depictions of the act on audience members. Next, we'll look at Facebook's decision to hire 3,000 people over the next year to help address violence on its site, and then check out the soundtrack "Bird World" from composer Leon Chang, which he created by imagining a video game that doesn't actually exist.