Texting Is Broken

Texting Is Broken

The away message is a relic of desktop chat apps from decades past. But this simple feature helped keep boundaries between your online connections and your IRL self. Now that we all have tiny computers in our pockets wherever we go, those boundaries have evaporated. Instead, there's now the constant anxiety that comes with being connected—and available to chat—at all times.

This week on Gadget Lab, we talk about how messaging went from casual, asynchronous correspondence to an all-consuming attention hog, and how the tech companies that shape our correspondence could fix it.

Show Notes:

Read Lauren’s story about how it’s time to bring back the away message.

Recommendations:

Lauren recommends Jennifer Khan’s profile on Taika Waititi in WIRED. Mike recommends the book Led Zeppelin: The Biography by Bob Spitz.

Lauren Goode can be found on Twitter @LaurenGoode. Michael Calore is @snackfight. Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@booneashworth). Our theme music is by Solar Keys.

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Avsnitt(431)

BIG INTV: Matthew Prince Wants AI Companies to Pay for Their Sins

BIG INTV: Matthew Prince Wants AI Companies to Pay for Their Sins

The CEO of Cloudflare – the internet’s bodyguard - sits down with Katie to talk about his efforts to make the AI money machine start benefiting creators. Cloudflare’s new blocker tool required AI plat...

16 Sep 202546min

WIRED Roundup: How Charlie Kirk Changed Conservative Media

WIRED Roundup: How Charlie Kirk Changed Conservative Media

In today’s episode, Zöe is joined by WIRED’s Jake Lahut to discuss the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s death — from the response of right-wing tech leaders, to how Kirk helped shape conservative media inf...

12 Sep 202516min

BIG INTV: Hasan Piker Says He Will Never Run for Office

BIG INTV: Hasan Piker Says He Will Never Run for Office

Hasan Piker, the Left’s favorite Twitch streamer has the kind of following that could get votes. But he tells Katie Drummond he’d rather use his influence to tell Democrats “you can't podcast your way...

9 Sep 202540min

Are Dating Apps Over?

Are Dating Apps Over?

Dating apps have evolved a lot over the years, with apps dedicated to any romantic niche– dog lovers, astrology heads, and big, bushy beards. Despite the seemingly endless options of dating platforms,...

5 Sep 202540min

Where's the Fun in AI Gambling?

Where's the Fun in AI Gambling?

Online gambling is on the rise, and AI is entering the field. This week, Lauren and Mike speak with WIRED’s Kate Knibbs to break down how both startups and traditional gambling sites are promoting the...

4 Sep 202531min

BIG INTV: The Onion's Ben Collins On How The Truth Can Pay Dividends

BIG INTV: The Onion's Ben Collins On How The Truth Can Pay Dividends

A year after relaunching The Onion in print, CEO Ben Collins sits down with Katie to talk about why “going into something and not ruining it is bravery.” He tells her the first order of business to ge...

2 Sep 202537min

WIRED Roundup: Meta’s AI Brain Drain

WIRED Roundup: Meta’s AI Brain Drain

In today’s episode, Zöe is joined by WIRED’s Leah Feiger to run through five of the best stories you need to know about — from how AI is eliminating entry level jobs to how a secretive Democrat group ...

29 Aug 202512min

This Is How You Log Off

This Is How You Log Off

As the summer comes to an end, we’re thinking about what unplugging, going offline — the ultimate luxury — looks like in 2025. With a growing slate of apps aiming to reduce our screen time and some te...

28 Aug 202525min

Populärt inom Teknik

uppgang-och-fall
elbilsveckan
market-makers
rss-elektrikerpodden
bilar-med-sladd
skogsforum-podcast
rss-uppgang-och-fall
rss-laddstationen-med-elbilen-i-sverige
developers-mer-an-bara-kod
rss-veckans-ai
natets-morka-sida
bli-saker-podden
rss-powerboat-sverige-podcast
rss-technokratin
rss-fabriken-2
rss-snacka-om-ai
teknikveckan
hej-bruksbil
kodsnack
rss-digitala-influencer-podden