Show favorites

Interesting & unusual

Future of Work

Knowledge Bank

podcast

Road Trip

ToListen 16 – 12/08/2014

By now, the story is well known. A man sits in the backseat of a cab, sketching on a notepad as night falls over a crumbling city. He scribbles the letter I. He draws a heart. And then an N, and then a Y. Right away he knows he's got something. This is it, he thinks. This is the campaign.

The man was a designer named Milton Glaser. The City was New York. The year was 1977.

The city needed a miracle. And it kind of got one in three letters and a symbol: I ♥ NY

The I ♥ NY campaign was so successful that it became part of the built environment. So people started doing with I ♥ NY the same thing that humans have always done when encountering something in nature: they started imitating it.

99% Invisible-87- I Heart NY, TM

Tracklist: http://www.factmag.com/2014/01/13/fact-mix-420-southern-hospitality/

FACT mix 420 - Southern Hospitality (Jan '14)

What happens to institutions when technology gives people the power to do everything on their own? Today it is easier than ever for individuals to start businesses, engage in politics, share information and ideas, and disrupt the status quo. Harvard Kennedy School faculty member and author of The End of Big: How the Internet Makes David the New Goliath, talks about why institutions are struggling to keep up, and what they have to do to stay alive.

Stayin' Alive: Technology and the End of Institutions | Harvard Business School

In 2001, a woman was found dead in a pool of her own blood. Her husband was convicted of her murder. But a curious neighbor had a different theory… one that brings new meaning to man vs. beast.

Ep 1:  Animal Instincts

From file cabinets to typewriters, spreadsheets and word processing the tools we use for work change not only what we do, but the culture of our workplace. Steven Sinofsky, a veteran of building software tools for productivity, discusses the latest revolution in technology-enabled tools with Benedict Evans. Why today’s cloud-based tools change the role of managers, and why the perfect tool will never exist (nor would you want it to). 

a16z Podcast: Engineering a Revolution at Work

Software, and the billions of transistors that power it, has brought about massive change to all kinds of industries, but none more so than the news business. Today, distribution doesn’t come from the back of trucks, but from Facebook, Twitter and all across the social web. Relationships with readers and viewers have become a two-way conversation. It’s not news that the traditional business model of news has come under extreme pressure, but there is growing evidence that the reach of media outlets -- and in many ways the opportunity -- has never been greater. In today’s unending news cycle, the latest story, video or graphic is only a tap away from a potential audience of billions around the world. Andreessen Horowitz’s Margit Wennmachers leads a conversation about the road ahead for good journalism and the business of news with Claire Cain Miller from the New York Times, Alexis Madrigal from The Atlantic, and CNET’s Connie Guglielmo.

a16z Podcast: Reinventing Media

Jonah Peretti is building BuzzFeed to “inform, inspire and entertain” in a world where news and entertainment is increasingly passed around on social networks and consumed on smartphones. Chris Dixon, who is on the board of BuzzFeed as part of Andreessen Horowitz’s recent investment in the startup, sat down with Peretti to talk about building a media company from scratch. If editorial success is driven by digital word-of-mouth, and mountains of data about what people like to read and watch, what does Peretti do differently? Why do BuzzFeed’s lists work so well? Does video finally make financial sense? And why, even if it’s a traffic monster now, is Peretti not religious about any particular format -- including lists. (For more on Dixon’s take on the media business, and BuzzFeed’s “full stack” approach check out this recent post:  http://cdixon.org/2014/08/10/buzzfeed/)

---

The views expressed here are those of the individual AH Capital Management, L.L.C. (“a16z”) personnel quoted and are not the views of a16z or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources, including from portfolio companies of funds managed by a16z. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, a16z has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation.
 
This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities or digital assets are for illustrative purposes only, and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investors or prospective investors, and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any fund managed by a16z. (An offering to invest in an a16z fund will be made only by the private placement memorandum, subscription agreement, and other relevant documentation of any such fund and should be read in their entirety.) Any investments or portfolio companies mentioned, referred to, or described are not representative of all investments in vehicles managed by a16z, and there can be no assurance that the investments will be profitable or that other investments made in the future will have similar characteristics or results. A list of investments made by funds managed by Andreessen Horowitz (excluding investments and certain publicly traded cryptocurrencies/ digital assets for which the issuer has not provided permission for a16z to disclose publicly) is available at https://a16z.com/investments/.

Charts and graphs provided within are for informational purposes solely and should not be relied upon when making any investment decision. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The content speaks only as of the date indicated. Any projections, estimates, forecasts, targets, prospects, and/or opinions expressed in these materials are subject to change without notice and may differ or be contrary to opinions expressed by others. Please see https://a16z.com/disclosures for additional important information.

a16z Podcast: For Buzzfeed Sharing is the Metric that Matters

Communities that could benefit the most from technology are often the last ones to get access. Code for Progress wants underserved groups to take technology into their own hands.

The Next Generation of Coders

Lawyers, suited up and steeped in tradition, aren’t usually seen as cutting-edge, but embracing technology may be the only thing to save the legal profession.

Your Future Lawyer

The ease with which we can order anything online masks the tremendous complexity of getting that item to your door in a day or two (or less). Andreessen Horowitz's Jeff Jordan leads a discussion with four experts in ecommerce logistics and operations -- the tough business of getting things from one place to another.

---

The views expressed here are those of the individual AH Capital Management, L.L.C. (“a16z”) personnel quoted and are not the views of a16z or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources, including from portfolio companies of funds managed by a16z. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, a16z has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation.
 
This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities or digital assets are for illustrative purposes only, and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investors or prospective investors, and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any fund managed by a16z. (An offering to invest in an a16z fund will be made only by the private placement memorandum, subscription agreement, and other relevant documentation of any such fund and should be read in their entirety.) Any investments or portfolio companies mentioned, referred to, or described are not representative of all investments in vehicles managed by a16z, and there can be no assurance that the investments will be profitable or that other investments made in the future will have similar characteristics or results. A list of investments made by funds managed by Andreessen Horowitz (excluding investments and certain publicly traded cryptocurrencies/ digital assets for which the issuer has not provided permission for a16z to disclose publicly) is available at https://a16z.com/investments/.

Charts and graphs provided within are for informational purposes solely and should not be relied upon when making any investment decision. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The content speaks only as of the date indicated. Any projections, estimates, forecasts, targets, prospects, and/or opinions expressed in these materials are subject to change without notice and may differ or be contrary to opinions expressed by others. Please see https://a16z.com/disclosures for additional important information.

a16z Podcast: Where's My Stuff? -- The Lowdown on Logistics and Ops

How can ecommerce companies deal with the conflicting expectations of consumers and logistics realities of an on-demand economy? How can they compete with ecommerce giant Amazon, which just gets bigger every year? And given all this, how is physical retail faring?

---

The views expressed here are those of the individual AH Capital Management, L.L.C. (“a16z”) personnel quoted and are not the views of a16z or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources, including from portfolio companies of funds managed by a16z. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, a16z has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation.
 
This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities or digital assets are for illustrative purposes only, and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investors or prospective investors, and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any fund managed by a16z. (An offering to invest in an a16z fund will be made only by the private placement memorandum, subscription agreement, and other relevant documentation of any such fund and should be read in their entirety.) Any investments or portfolio companies mentioned, referred to, or described are not representative of all investments in vehicles managed by a16z, and there can be no assurance that the investments will be profitable or that other investments made in the future will have similar characteristics or results. A list of investments made by funds managed by Andreessen Horowitz (excluding investments and certain publicly traded cryptocurrencies/ digital assets for which the issuer has not provided permission for a16z to disclose publicly) is available at https://a16z.com/investments/.

Charts and graphs provided within are for informational purposes solely and should not be relied upon when making any investment decision. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The content speaks only as of the date indicated. Any projections, estimates, forecasts, targets, prospects, and/or opinions expressed in these materials are subject to change without notice and may differ or be contrary to opinions expressed by others. Please see https://a16z.com/disclosures for additional important information.

a16z Podcast: Ecommerce and the Holiday Shopping Collision

Part 3 + 4 here - https://soundcloud.com/ninja-tune/solid-steel-radio-show-5122014-part-3-4-dk

Solid Steel website http://solidsteel.net/ for track lists and archive shows
You can follow Solid Steel on  facebook.com/pages/Solid-Steel/175027509192663
instagram.com/solidsteelradio
twitter.com/SolidSteelRadio

Solid Steel (5th December) It's a huge show this week as we welcome back Diplo to Solid Steel. 10 years ago Diplo released his album Florida on Big Dada and played his first UK gig in an intimate venue at the monthly Solid Steel club night (and twice more that year). He plays somewhat larger venues now, including a residency in Las Vegas and Madison Square Garden on NYE. To celebrate the reissue of F10RIDA, he drops a mix exclusively for Solid Steel which features the new Eprom remix of Big Lost from the album, plus music across the board from Deadboy, Radiohead, Pharcyde, Kaytranada, Heaven 17 and our very own Bonobo.

F10RIDA is out now on Big Dada http://ninjatune.net/release/diplo/f10rida

Part 1 + 2 - Diplo   https://twitter.com/diplo

Deadboy - Wish U Were Here
Cyril Hahn feat Shy Girls - Perfect Form
2 Chainz - Employee of the Month
London Grammar - Strong (Shadow Child Remix)
DVA - Gang Gang Riddim
Labrinth etta band raf riley - EXR TREATMENT
Ta-ku - I Miss You
Gustavo Cerati - Cáctus
sully - givemeup
Sibian & Faun - I'm Sorry
Goldfinger - Contact
Two Inch Punch - UP IN YOUR MIX (TIP TWEAK)
Radiohead - You And Whose Army
Pharcyde - She Said (Jay Dee Remix)
Diplo - Big Lost (Eprom Remix)
Massive Attack - Protection
Jai paul - dont fuck jai paul
Two Inch Punch - Love You Up
Kaytranada - Free Things in Life
Love - And More Again
Heaven 17 - Let Me Go
Bonobo - Cirrus
Sully - Bonafide

Solid Steel Radio Show 5/12/2014 Part 1 + 2 - Diplo

VCs wouldn't fund Salesforce ("that obviously won't work") when Marc Benioff began. With the cloud a growing part of practically every company, government, organization, and people's lives, a lot's changed since 1999.  But what's next? Do enterprise CEOs get (mobile) religion? [Answer: not yet. Benioff thinks there's a ton of opportunity ahead there.] What's happening with international growth, when countries want their own clouds and 90% of enterprise software is bought in just 7 countries?

a16z Podcast: Where the Growth in Cloud and Enterprise Software Really Is (with Marc Benioff)

Tracklist: http://www.factmag.com/2014/12/08/fact-mix-474-helix/

--

Based in the States but signed to Night Slugs, Helix makes European music in an American way. Or is that the other way round? 

The US-Euro line is one that's been wheeled out before about Helix - he's even talked about his music in terms of Chicago legend Ron Hardy making grime - but it really is at the heart of what he does. He worships Detroit and Chicago - particularly the quick, raw mixing style of Jeff Mills and Derrick May, which is present in his FACT mix - but draws heavily from grime, to the point where he describes having Flirta D vocal his 'Drum Track' as "a fucking dream come true." And although his music could loosely be described as classic loop techno, it feels more in tune with current European sensibilities - particularly the Club Constructions axis - than most Stateside dance music.

Away from geography, what makes Helix's music work is the way he finds the subtleties in simplicity. Whether laying down loops of drum sounds and clipped chords ('Drum Track'; 'Stacks Riddim') or relentless techno (he described his recent Porsche Trax EP as DJ Vague as inspired by driving "fast in the dark – like hella fast"), he'll find exactly what makes a track work, and focus on it to the point where five channels and a simple 8 or 16-bar arrangement is all it needs. It's honestly uncanny.

The fourth track on Helix's FACT mix is listed as simply "horns & bass". Sometimes that's all you need, and no one proves it quite like this guy.

FACT Mix 474 - Helix (Dec '14)

This hour of Radiolab, a look behind the curtain of how memories are made...and forgotten. Remembering is an unstable and profoundly unreliable process--it’s easy come, easy go as we learn how true memories can be obliterated, and false ones added. And Oliver Sacks joins us to tell the story of an amnesiac whose love for his wife and music transcend his 7-second memory.

Memory and Forgetting

Tom Waits (on Jim Wilson): "Wilson, he's always playing with time. I heard a recording recently of crickets slowed way down. It sounds like a choir, it sounds like angel music. Something sparkling, celestial with full harmony and bass parts - you wouldn't believe it. It's like a sweeping chorus of heaven, and it's just slowed down, they didn't manipulate the tape at all. So I think when Wilson slows people down, it gives you a chance to watch them moving through space. And there's something to be said for slowing down the world."

Source: "Woyzeck to run at Freud Playhouse". Daily Bruin (USA), by Andrew Lee. December 3, 2002

Find more on the recording on this link: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023815586

Tom Waits on Tom waits talking about this recording - http://gloriousnoise.com/2008/tom_waits_interviews_tom_waits

More on the recording - http://hearingvoices.com/transcript.php?fID=142

You can buy original recording here - http://www.amazon.com/Gods-Chorus-Crickets-Jim-Wilson/dp/1932192077?tag=viglink124132-20

Original recording from the author - http://www.constancedemby.com/godscricketchorus_f.html

And more: http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/2013/10/13/weekend-diversion-is-this-an-amazing-chorus-of-slowed-down-crickets/

Jim Wilson | God's Chorus of Crickets | crickets audio recording slowed way down

In early August of 1945, Tsutomu Yamaguchi had a run of the worst luck imaginable. A double blast of radiation left his future, and the future of his descendants, in doubt. In this short: an utterly amazing survival story that spans ... well, 4 billion years when you get down to it.

Shorts: Double Blasted

The a16z Podcast discusses tech and culture trends, news, and the future -- especially as ‘software eats the world’. It features industry experts, business leaders, and other interesting thinkers and voices from around the world. This podcast is produced by Andreessen Horowitz (aka “a16z”), a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm. Multiple episodes are released every week; visit a16z.com for more details and to sign up for our newsletters and other content as well!