We might be launching a series of good talks with good people, or we might not. For the purposes of this blog post, let’s say we are. To kick off Talks With Interesting People, I sat down with Max Temkin, co-creator of Cards Against Humanity, April 24, 2014 in Chicago, Ill. ... read more
One of my last acts as Director of Digital at The Onion was to help sell our channel to YouTube in Spring 2012 when it was launching its first major investment in original content. What The Onion ended up producing (for which I can take no credit) is some of ... read more
We’ve always been a company of overlapping skills and interests. “And” was part of our founding. Comedy and technology. Agency and content and events and products. New York and San Francisco. Burritos and bicycles. Today we announce another affirmative and: the merger of Cultivated Wit and I Shot Him. See ... read more
Back in September 2012, I tweeted about Apple’s third-time rejection of Drones+, an iOS app that displayed reports of killings by U.S.-operated unmanned aerial vehicles. The app’s creator, Josh Begley, emailed to thank me for the tweet, and thus began an occasional electronic messaging relationship about data, hackathons, and robot ... read more
What happens after we succumb to the marketing promises of a technology service only to find that eventually they stop supporting the product or shut it down altogether? Do technology companies—or users themselves—consider the full value users bring to the table? Why do I, a dark-skinned man, insist on recording video with ... read more
At the Sundance Film Festival this week, I expected to see technology play a large role in the form of sponsored events and panel headlines. I was not disappointed. YouTube hosted parties. HP constructed a massive tent at the center of Park City’s Main Street. I caught the tail end ... read more
Although I’ve been visiting my sister in Lansing, Michigan for over seven years, I only got a good look at Detroit for the first time one year ago. I had been invited by MIT Media Lab Director Joi Ito to be part of a four-day innovation hackathon involving the Lab, ... read more
We all know technology is changing nearly everything. It has affected food delivery, personal navigation, and the rhetoric of our mayoral candidates. I’ve been a tech junkie all my life, and a lot of that passion developed in the 12 years I lived in the Boston area (1995-2007). This is ... read more
Comedy is important! Technology is important! Comedy and technology are important together! I recently sat down with Nathan Cykiert at The Verge. Mostly we just sat there, but after 53 minutes of silence and mindful eye contact, we talked about all sorts of fun things in this wide-ranging interview. Then ... read more
I’ve been going to SXSW Interactive since 2007. Yes, I’m old. I remember lots from that first year: being overwhelmed by the lines and BBQ, catching a few SXSW Film screenings and escaping Austin just as the cool kids of SXSW Music began loading in. What I don’t remember is ... read more
Baratunde Thurston is the president and company spokesmodel. He also holds the role of supervising producer of digital at The Daily Show, a television program you've perhaps heard of. He wrote the New York Times bestseller, How To Be Black, and served for five years as director of digital for The Onion. He has advised the Obama White House, has more than 10 years experience in standup comedy, and more than 30 years experience being black.
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