Techno-Politics and Tech Culture

Posts about Techno-Politics and Tech Culture. Subscribe to my newsletter to make sure you don't miss anything.
Metacademy
I’m thrilled to announce the public beta launch of Metacademy: a free-to-use, risk-free, hands-on website that will teach you about blockchain, cryptocurrency, NFTs, smart contracts, Web3, and other associated technologies. You’ll learn about the world of Web3, decentralized finance (DeFi), the correct way to set up a crypto wallet, how to mint your own NFTs, and how to buy and sell them. Continue Reading →
SportsInnovation 2022
This past week, DFL (Deutsche Fußball Liga) invited me to keynote at SportsInnovation 2022. With the football (soccer) pitch at Düsseldorf’s Merkur Spiel-Arena as the backdrop, rival teams played live games as various technologies were demonstrated in real time. Here’s a look at some of my favorite tech from the event. Continue Reading →

What is the Metaverse?

Wall-E
In the metaverse (meta: to describe, verse: egotistically short for universe), everyone lives their ideal lives, visits amazing places, hangs out with incredible people, and has photographic evidence to prove it. In a metaverse, every event is epic, so even mishaps are considered exceptional. How might this evolve? Continue Reading →

Crypto vs. Credit Cards

Visa vs. BTC
VisaNet can process more than 65,000 tps (transactions per second). By comparison, Bitcoin (BTC) can only process ~5 tps. Therefore, Bitcoin (and other cryptocurrencies by proxy) are inherently too slow for practical use. Before you buy into this apples-to-oranges comparison, let's define the word "process." With a little more clarity, you will be better able to frame your thoughts about centralized (VisaNet) versus decentralized (Proof of Work) crypto transactions. Continue Reading →
Shelly Palmer Innovation Series Summit 2022
You can attend the “must attend” event during CES® 2022 whether you’re going to Las Vegas or working from home. The Shelly Palmer Innovation Series Summit will stream live on January 5, 2022 at 11 a.m. ET at shellypalmer.com/live. Continue Reading →
MetaMask Hacked
My MetaMask Chrome Extension Wallet was hacked. The ETH is gone forever. Even though I can clearly see that address of the wallet that stole it, there's nothing I can do to get it back. I'm just writing this blog post as a warning for anyone who thinks keeping more than a few hundred dollars in a "hot wallet" is a good idea. I always keep a small amount of ETH in my MetaMask wallet to buy virtual goods and NFTs and game tokens, etc. I have been aware that the wallet was vulnerable to attack, but this hack is remarkable. They must have figured out my password – which is hard to do. Here's a chronicle of the events. I'll keep it updated. Continue Reading →
CryptoPunks
You know how to amass a $1 million fortune investing in NFTs? Start with $5 million. If you are trying to “get rich quick,” stop reading now. There’s nothing here for you. If, on the other hand, you want to dig a little deeper into the most popular use cases for NFTs and the transitional technologies empowering web 3, read on. Continue Reading →

The Employee Crisis

stepping stones
There is a significant shortage of employees in the United States. One popular explanation suggests that the pandemic caused a massive realignment of personal values. Some are calling it the "great resignation." Another popular explanation suggests that average Americans are disincentivized to return to work due to overzealous government benefits. Which is correct? There probably isn't a single satisfying sound bite explanation, but this past week, I got schooled by my clients and my students and it made me think deeply about how we will adapt to the new normal. Continue Reading →

The Deepest Deepfake of All

The interviewer asked, "Is that image real"? There's no way to tell. "What about this video?" It's hard to say. "You can't tell if that's real or fake either." No. Not without analyzing it. "Well, what about the prose? Did a human write this sentence?" It's possible, but it would not surprise me to learn that it was machine generated. "What about the voice in the video?" It's sonically perfect. I'd say 60/40 it's a machine, but I'd need to hear a few more sentences to be sure. "So, what you're saying is that I can't trust my eyes or my ears?" Yes. That's what I'm saying. "Is this the end of truth?" Continue Reading →

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