Sleepwalkers is now Kill Switch, where we explain the right now of living in the future. Everything from making money on saving fake baby animals to how you could get arrested by a police algorithm. Every Wednesday we talk to people to help us understand how our tech-focused society works …or doesn't work.

Sleepwalkers is now Kill Switch, where we explain the right now of living in the future. Everything from making money on saving fake baby animals to how you could get arrested by a police algorithm. Every Wednesday we talk to people to help us understand how our tech-focused society works &hellip;or doesn't work.

Were we sleeping when everything changed? Seems like the technologically driven future is already here. On killswitch, we explain the right NOW of our super charged technological lives. New host Dexter Thomas answers questions big and small – like who’s behind Shrimp Jesus, and could you get arrested by a computer?

kill switch also brings the DIY back to tech – “How to Now” on everything from how to run your own LLM to tips to keep your data safe. Because the more “user-friendly” our devices get, the less we understand how they work, and the less control we have. We’re here to help you take back control. And if we can’t… Well, maybe we need to look for the kill switch.

 

Were we sleeping when everything changed? Seems like the technologically driven future is already here. On kill switch, we explain the right NOW of our super charged technological lives. New host <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dexdigi/?hl=en">Dexter Thomas</a> answers questions big and small &ndash; like who&rsquo;s behind Shrimp Jesus, and could you get arrested by a computer?
kill switch also brings the DIY back to tech &ndash; &ldquo;How to Now&rdquo; on everything from how to run your own LLM to tips to keep your data safe. Because the more &ldquo;user-friendly&rdquo; our devices get, the less we understand how they work, and the less control we have. We&rsquo;re here to help you take back control. And if we can&rsquo;t&hellip; Well, maybe we need to look for the kill switch.
&nbsp;

kill switch

Were we sleeping when everything changed? Seems like the technologically driven future is already here. On killswitch, we explain the right NOW of our super charged technological lives. New host Dexter Thomas answers questions big and small – like who’s behind Shrimp Jesus, and could you get arrested by a computer?

kill switch also brings the DIY back to tech – “How to Now” on everything from how to run your own LLM to tips to keep your data safe. Because the more “user-friendly” our devices get, the less we understand how they work, and the less control we have. We’re here to help you take back control. And if we can’t… Well, maybe we need to look for the kill switch.

Were we sleeping when everything changed? Seems like the technologically driven future is already here. On kill switch, we explain the right NOW of our super charged technological lives. New host <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dexdigi/?hl=en">Dexter Thomas</a> answers questions big and small &ndash; like who&rsquo;s behind Shrimp Jesus, and could you get arrested by a computer?
kill switch also brings the DIY back to tech &ndash; &ldquo;How to Now&rdquo; on everything from how to run your own LLM to tips to keep your data safe. Because the more &ldquo;user-friendly&rdquo; our devices get, the less we understand how they work, and the less control we have. We&rsquo;re here to help you take back control. And if we can&rsquo;t&hellip; Well, maybe we need to look for the kill switch.

Introducing: kill switch 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/4d3e2d62-2980-4328-9241-b2c0015f09f4/transcript

Tech companies are constantly putting out new products to chase the hype – but they’re not all winners. Each year, nonprofit consumer advocates put on an award ceremony recognizing the lousiest of the bunch, called the Worst in Show. Dexter talks with Liz Chamberlain, who runs Worst in Show, about this year’s awards, the products that earned them (spoiler: a product featured during the Super Bowl is on the list), and what we risk when we chase the hype (read: add AI to everything).

Got something you’re curious about? Hit us up killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc, or @killswitchpod, or @dexdigi on IG or Bluesky.

Read + Watch: 
This year’s Worst In Show: https://www.ifixit.com/News/115344/worst-in-show-returns-at-ces-2026-calling-out-gadgets-that-make-things-worse
Worst In Show website: https://www.worstinshowces.com/ 
kill switch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@killswitch_pod

Tech companies are constantly putting out new products to chase the hype &ndash; but they&rsquo;re not all winners. Each year, nonprofit consumer advocates put on an award ceremony recognizing the lousiest of the bunch, called the Worst in Show. Dexter talks with Liz Chamberlain, who runs Worst in Show, about this year&rsquo;s awards, the products that earned them (spoiler: a product featured during the Super Bowl is on the list), and what we risk when we chase the hype (read: add AI to everything).
Got something you&rsquo;re curious about? Hit us up <a href="mailto:killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc">killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc</a>, or @killswitchpod, or @dexdigi on IG or Bluesky.
Read + Watch:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">This year&rsquo;s Worst In Show: <a href="https://www.ifixit.com/News/115344/worst-in-show-returns-at-ces-2026-calling-out-gadgets-that-make-things-worse">https://www.ifixit.com/News/115344/worst-in-show-returns-at-ces-2026-calling-out-gadgets-that-make-things-worse</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Worst In Show website: <a href="https://www.worstinshowces.com/">https://www.worstinshowces.com/</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">kill switch on YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@killswitch_pod">https://www.youtube.com/@killswitch_pod</a></li>
</ul>

a tour of the year’s worst new tech

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/98c30773-cbbe-46e1-a2fb-b3ed015c7dae/transcript

For a while, the internet felt like it might actually work. Dexter talks with legal scholar and author Tim Wu about his new book The Age of Extraction and how that early optimism faded as companies learned how to extract value from just about everything. 

Got something you’re curious about? Hit us up killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc, or @killswitchpod, or @dexdigi on IG or Bluesky.

Read + Watch:
The Age of Extraction, by Tim Wu: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/691177/the-age-of-extraction-by-tim-wu/
kill switch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@killswitch_pod

For a while, the internet felt like it might actually work. Dexter talks with legal scholar and author Tim Wu about his new book The Age of Extraction and how that early optimism faded as companies learned how to extract value from just about everything.&nbsp;
Got something you&rsquo;re curious about? Hit us up <a href="mailto:killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc">killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc</a>, or @killswitchpod, or @dexdigi on IG or Bluesky.
Read + Watch:
<ul>
<li>The Age of Extraction, by Tim Wu:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/691177/the-age-of-extraction-by-tim-wu/">https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/691177/the-age-of-extraction-by-tim-wu/</a></li>
<li>kill switch on YouTube:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@killswitch_pod">https://www.youtube.com/@killswitch_pod</a></li>
</ul>

how the internet learned to extract

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/15bb2b3a-45b6-4023-8d0b-b3e60161730b/transcript

When an editor at a local magazine in Toronto received a pitch from a promising new freelancer, he didn’t expect it to spiral into an obsessive investigation. What followed was a deep dive into a web of fake interviews, impossible bylines, and fake reporting. Dexter talks with Nicholas Hune-Brown to trace how he uncovered an AI journalist and what it reveals about journalism today. 

Got something you’re curious about? Hit us up killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc, or @killswitchpod, or @dexdigi on IG or Bluesky.

Read: 
“Investigating a Possible Scammer in Journalism’s AI Era”  https://thelocal.to/investigating-scam-journalism-ai/ 
“The Fallout From Our AI Freelancer Investigation” https://thelocal.to/fallout-from-ai-freelancer-investigation/
The Local’s recent issue, “The Cost of Care” https://thelocal.to/winter-2026/ 

When an editor at a local magazine in Toronto received a pitch from a promising new freelancer, he didn&rsquo;t expect it to spiral into an obsessive investigation. What followed was a deep dive into a web of fake interviews, impossible bylines, and fake reporting. Dexter talks with Nicholas Hune-Brown to trace how he uncovered an AI journalist and what it reveals about journalism today.&nbsp;
Got something you&rsquo;re curious about? Hit us up&nbsp;<a href="mailto:killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc">killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc</a>, or @killswitchpod, or @dexdigi on IG or Bluesky.
Read:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">&ldquo;Investigating a Possible Scammer in Journalism&rsquo;s AI Era&rdquo;&nbsp; <a href="https://thelocal.to/investigating-scam-journalism-ai/">https://thelocal.to/investigating-scam-journalism-ai/</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">&ldquo;The Fallout From Our AI Freelancer Investigation&rdquo; <a href="https://thelocal.to/fallout-from-ai-freelancer-investigation/">https://thelocal.to/fallout-from-ai-freelancer-investigation/</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">The Local&rsquo;s recent issue, &ldquo;The Cost of Care&rdquo;&nbsp;<a href="https://thelocal.to/winter-2026/">https://thelocal.to/winter-2026/</a>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

how an editor uncovered an AI journalist

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/5e555d14-8e1c-47bf-9b3b-b3df0174cb4e/transcript

Introducing: kill switch

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