The first vending machine in recorded history wasn't for soft drinks or snacks. It was for holy water. And how did an English radical think a vending machine was the loophole he was looking for? We look back on the weird history of vending machines. 

The first vending machine in recorded history wasn't for soft drinks or snacks. It was for holy water. And how did an English radical think a vending machine was the loophole he was looking for? We look back on the weird history of vending machines.

Behind every innovation is a new kind of power. TechStuff unpacks how technology reshapes influence, creativity, and control, from Silicon Valley’s rising moguls to the cultural forces they create. Because tech is the new religion, economy, and entertainment, all at once.

Each week, Oz Woloshyn and the brightest minds covering tech dig into the weird, funny, and sometimes unsettling ways technology, AI, and the internet shape our daily lives. From AI and social media to privacy, digital burnout, and the creator economy, they ask how all this innovation is changing who we are, how we work, love, and make meaning.

Smart talk, strange stories, and the questions everyone’s Googling: whether AI will replace us, how social media is affecting our kids, and what it all says about us.

Get in touch here: techstuffpodcast@gmail.com

Behind every innovation is a new kind of power. TechStuff unpacks how technology reshapes influence, creativity, and control, from Silicon Valley&rsquo;s rising moguls to the cultural forces they create. Because tech is the new religion, economy, and entertainment, all at once.
Each week, Oz Woloshyn and the brightest minds covering tech dig into the weird, funny, and sometimes unsettling ways technology, AI, and the internet shape our daily lives. From AI and social media to privacy, digital burnout, and the creator economy, they ask how all this innovation is changing who we are, how we work, love, and make meaning.
Smart talk, strange stories, and the questions everyone&rsquo;s Googling: whether AI will replace us, how social media is affecting our kids, and what it all says about us.
Get in touch here:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:techstuffpodcast@gmail.com" data-stringify-link="mailto:techstuffpodcast@gmail.com" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-haspopup="menu">techstuffpodcast@gmail.com</a>

TechStuff

Behind every innovation is a new kind of power. TechStuff unpacks how technology reshapes influence, creativity, and control, from Silicon Valley’s rising moguls to the cultural forces they create. Because tech is the new religion, economy, and entertainment, all at once.

Each week, Oz Woloshyn and the brightest minds covering tech dig into the weird, funny, and sometimes unsettling ways technology, AI, and the internet shape our daily lives. From AI and social media to privacy, digital burnout, and the creator economy, they ask how all this innovation is changing who we are, how we work, love, and make meaning.

Smart talk, strange stories, and the questions everyone’s Googling: whether AI will replace us, how social media is affecting our kids, and what it all says about us.

Behind every innovation is a new kind of power. TechStuff unpacks how technology reshapes influence, creativity, and control, from Silicon Valley&rsquo;s rising moguls to the cultural forces they create. Because tech is the new religion, economy, and entertainment, all at once.
Each week, Oz Woloshyn and the brightest minds covering tech dig into the weird, funny, and sometimes unsettling ways technology, AI, and the internet shape our daily lives. From AI and social media to privacy, digital burnout, and the creator economy, they ask how all this innovation is changing who we are, how we work, love, and make meaning.
Smart talk, strange stories, and the questions everyone&rsquo;s Googling: whether AI will replace us, how social media is affecting our kids, and what it all says about us.

The History of Vending Machines

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/750e02c7-4b87-46b1-85bd-b05e014910de/transcript

What are we supposed to make of Palantir — a company whose software has helped organizations save lives, and end them? And what of CEO Alex Karp's warnings that AI could upend American democracy? Journalist Michael Steinberger spent six years reporting on Karp for his biography, The Philosopher in the Valley: Alex Karp, Palantir, and the Rise of the Surveillance State. He tells Oz that Alex Karp, the former progressive, is a provocateur who embraces the complexity of Palantir’s work and reputation. 

Additional Reading:
The Philosopher in the Valley: Alex Karp, Palantir, and the Rise of the Surveillance State | Simon & Schuster

What are we supposed to make of Palantir &mdash; a company whose software has helped organizations save lives, and end them? And what of CEO Alex Karp's warnings that AI could upend American democracy? Journalist Michael Steinberger spent six years reporting on Karp for his biography, The Philosopher in the Valley: Alex Karp, Palantir, and the Rise of the Surveillance State. He tells Oz that Alex Karp, the former progressive, is a provocateur who embraces the complexity of Palantir&rsquo;s work and reputation. Additional Reading:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Philosopher-in-the-Valley/Michael-Steinberger/9781668012956">The Philosopher in the Valley: Alex Karp, Palantir, and the Rise of the Surveillance State | Simon &amp; Schuster</a></li>
</ul>

What is Palantir’s Alex Karp Thinking? - The Story

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/04890420-1794-4d17-9c55-b48f002a783f/transcript

In Season 2 of Shell Game, journalist Evan Ratliff tells a story of entrepreneurship in the AI age; or, how he tried to build a real company, run by fake people.

Meet Kyle Law and Megan Flores, Evan’s AI agent cofounders, as he puts to the test the claims about an emerging future in which AI employees work alongside — or instead of — humans.

Over the course of the season, the three cofounders will grind it out in a sprint that would sound familiar to any start-up founder. They’ll churn out software code, hire interns, and even sit down with investors. But first, they need to come up with a name for their company. And make sure that Kyle and Megan can remember it.

To sign up for our newsletter and access ad-free episodes, visit shellgame.co.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Season 2 of Shell Game, journalist Evan Ratliff tells a story of entrepreneurship in the AI age; or, how he tried to build a real company, run by fake people.
Meet Kyle Law and Megan Flores, Evan&rsquo;s AI agent cofounders, as he puts to the test the claims about an emerging future in which AI employees work alongside &mdash; or instead of &mdash; humans.
Over the course of the season, the three cofounders will grind it out in a sprint that would sound familiar to any start-up founder. They&rsquo;ll churn out software code, hire interns, and even sit down with investors. But first, they need to come up with a name for their company. And make sure that Kyle and Megan can remember it.
To sign up for our newsletter and access ad-free episodes, visit&nbsp;shellgame.co.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shell Game: Minimum Viable Company

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/9e131245-f3af-4c3f-a5c9-b48b01823dd2/transcript

Who’s afraid of China’s open-source AI models? Nitasha Tiku (The Washington Post) breaks down the secret battle between Silicon Valley and Chinese AI labs, why Anthropic was surveilling China-based users, and whether "adversarial distillation" is a national security threat or just a term American companies invented to protect their bottom line.

Then: ‘hot surveillance summer’ is here. Taylor Lorenz (User Mag) on the changing public perception of smart glasses, why the Kylie Jenner partnership was so successful, and where this trend may lead.
 
Also, Apple is suing OpenAI for allegedly stealing trade secrets.

Additional Reading: 


Inside the secret AI war between Silicon Valley and China | The Washington Post
Hot Surveillance Summer, AKA Why Smart Glasses Feel Different This Time | User Mag 

Who&rsquo;s afraid of China&rsquo;s open-source AI models? Nitasha Tiku (The Washington Post) breaks down the secret battle between Silicon Valley and Chinese AI labs, why Anthropic was surveilling China-based users, and whether "adversarial distillation" is a national security threat or just a term American companies invented to protect their bottom line.
Then: &lsquo;hot surveillance summer&rsquo; is here. Taylor Lorenz (User Mag) on the changing public perception of smart glasses, why the Kylie Jenner partnership was so successful, and where this trend may lead. &nbsp; Also, Apple is suing OpenAI for allegedly stealing trade secrets.
Additional Reading: 
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/07/06/why-anthropic-alleges-chinese-firms-are-distilling-knowledge-claude/">Inside the secret AI war between Silicon Valley and China | The Washington Post</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.usermag.co/p/hot-surveillance-summer-aka-why-smart-glasses-feel-different-this-time-meta-ai">Hot Surveillance Summer, AKA Why Smart Glasses Feel Different This Time | User Mag</a>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

Are You Ready For A ‘Hot Surveillance Summer’? - Week in Tech

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/a7309140-1b10-41f0-ab90-b48a000d7f64/transcript

The History of Vending Machines

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