Tom Talks Tech

I talked with Eric Wengrowski, Co-Founder of Steg AI, about his company's innovative technology, which allows users to embed a machine-readable code into the pixels of an image, allowing the code to travel with the image itself, invisibly.   The tech is so robust that someone can take a smartphone pic of the photo on a computer screen or print the photo out, and the code will still be readable in the smartphone shot or printed image.   We talked about the applications, including: -Solving the NFT double minting problem -Allowing an NFT token to travel with the NFT image itself -Tracking how images are used online -Enforcing copyrights -Linking metadata to images using the blockchain in a way that's immutable and can't be scrubbed out   Demo here: https://youtu.be/6DtT7wKZ5Z8  Check out https://steg.ai/ for more.  Subscribe!

I spoke with Dr. Harvey Karp, Co-Founder of the Happiest Baby, bestselling author of the landmark book Happiest Baby on the Block, and creator of the SNOO Bassinet.    Dr. Karp told me about the evolution of the SNOO, how it automates the process of using the 5 Ss, how the SNOO engages the calming reflex in the 4th Trimester, and why it's the safest infant bed ever made.   Full review soon on Debugger.Medium.com and other takes on http://www.diy-ha.com

The New York Times declared Boichik Bagels in Berkeley, California the best bagel place in the country. I talked to Boichik's owner Emily Winston about her business for an article in the Bold Italic (https://thebolditalic.com/boichik-bagels-owner-responds-to-the-new-york-times-declaring-her-bagels-the-best-in-country-b280520e835c). Here are my thoughts.

Exploring how I work as a "small time" YouTuber to make thousands on the platform, without being YouTube famous. More at https://debugger.medium.com/how-i-make-thousands-on-youtube-without-being-youtube-famous-408a2a77b140

Musician Matt Farley makes tens of thousands of dollars from viral poop songs, which have been a trending meme on TikTok. Here, I take a look at the "why" behind name poop songs--as well as the enormous profits Matt makes from them and his 21,000+ other songs. More at https://debugger.medium.com/meet-the-man-making-tens-of-thousands-from-those-poop-songs-on-tiktok-6b1d0038141c Correction: Matt started his quest in 2008, not 2018.

Do blue light blocking glasses--as well as features like Night Shift on your iPhone--really work? Brains science says yes--but using these features at the wrong time can cause more harm than good. Tune in to learn about how a century-old scientific discovery, blind mice, and circadian clocks all come together to explain how blue light impacts your brain. We'll also look at some quick and dirty brain hacks which use blue light to potentially improve your sleep and mood. More at: https://debugger.medium.com/control-blue-light-to-hack-your-brain-for-better-energy-and-more-sleep-14f9892be2a7

Fry's Electronics announced that it would close permanently this week, after more than 35 years in business. For many in Silicon Valley, Fry's is both nostalgic and practical, and will be sorely missed. Let's explore the history of the company, how it got its roots in the grocery business, and what it meant to the Valley. Read more: https://debugger.medium.com/why-frys-was-once-the-best-place-to-buy-gadgets-in-silicon-valley-819f83bf7df9

Silicon Valley is the white-hot, beating heart of the tech world--and has been for over 50 years. Hear the story behind my piece (https://onezero.medium.com/ill-never-leave-silicon-valley-ce4d6e9014d0) about moving to the Valley--and spending years capturing it on film 

When attorney Rod Ponton mistakenly engaged a filter and transformed himself into a cat during a court appearance on Zoom, I was immediately on the story. Hear how I traced the exact filter he used, developed a story for Medium's Debugger (http://debugger.medium.com), and landed in CNN.

Building on my article in Debugger on Medium, I talk about how I used Nicehash to mine a little Bitcoin on any PC, and why it's important for everyone to have some hands-on experience of cryptocurrencies and some basic knowledge of how they work.