INIT

INIT

Technology is shifting from engaging just your eyes and ears to engaging your entire body. Immersive technology and next-generation wireless networks, sometimes collectively called the Tactile Internet, will shift the fundamental relationship between humans and the technologies we invent. The transition of cyberspace from being virtual to being a physical place you can visit with all your senses is the biggest deal since... maybe since ever. Let's talk about it! INIT is a different type of tech podcast. We get geeky, but we keep track of the human story. More than anything, INIT is about people – the people behind the tech, why they do what they do, and their vision of the future. We've all heard the adage, "the best way to predict the future is to invent it." INIT brings you conversations with the inventors of our shared future.

Episodes

Moving Upstream

January 3, 2022 • 16 mins
In the final episode of INIT, Dave talks about his transition to a new field.
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The Logic of the Tactile Internet

December 20, 2021 • 66 mins
Dave Birnbaum plays the role of guest in this one, and is interviewed about the possibilities for fundamental change brought about by advanced haptic technology. This episode is rebroadcast from episode 14 of the podcast entitled Haptics Club. Special Guests: David Parisi and Eric Vezzoli.
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A Hug for Your Mind

October 18, 2021 • 49 mins
Francois Kress is co-founder & CEO of Feelmore Labs, which makes Cove, a new type of wearable device. Discussion topics include leadership in design-driven fields, how luxury products become valuable, running health tech startups, how people perceive emotional touch, and how to make wearable technology that is humane and intuitive. Special Guest: François Kress.
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A Peek Inside Your Brain

September 18, 2021 • 63 mins
Adam Molnar is co-Founder of Neurable, a leading brain-computer interface (BCI) company. Adam is a serial enterpreneur and an inductee of Forbes 30 under 30 for Consumer Technology. Topics include the story of Neurable's founding, a new headphone product that uses brain sensing to help you stay focused, BCI and privacy, and the future of brain interface technology. Special Guest: Adam Molnar.
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Teach the World to Listen

August 17, 2021 • 42 mins
Dame Evelyn Glennie is a world-leading solo percussionist and double Grammy award winner. Topics include the use of haptic devices to support musicians and athletes with physical and sensory impediments, the Tokyo Olympics, and the experience of performing musicians through the pandemic. Special Guest: Evelyn Glennie.
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Transforming Mental Health with VR

July 10, 2021 • 60 mins
Lima Jevremovic is founder and CEO of AURA, a data-driven technology platform for healing mental health disorders. She is a mixed reality experience designer specializing in clinical VR systems with a focus on digital treatment tools for substance use disorders. Topics include the use of VR and biofeedback for mental health assessment, video games designed as therapeutic exercises, and how mental health professionals are increasing...
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Workshop – Touch Tools

June 30, 2021 • 12 mins
Touch Tools: Bringing Social-Sensorial Tools Into Digital Touch Design is a workshop taking place on July 5th 2021 at World Haptics conference. Special Guest: Kerstin Leder Mackley.
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Blending Brand Experiences

June 26, 2021 • 42 mins
Daina Middleton is CEO of Britelite Immersive, a creative technology company. Prior to joining Britelite she served as CEO of Performics, and before that she ran B2B marketing at Twitter. Daina is the author of Marketing in the Participation Age: A Guide to Motivating People to Join, Share, Take Part, Connect, and Engage, and Grace Meets Grit: How to Bring Out the Remarkable Courageous Leader Within. Topics include the shift to onl...
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Pattern Recognition

June 12, 2021 • 39 mins
Suzan Oslin is a pioneer of computer animation, web design, UX, and XR. She is also a principal at a volunteer research organization called VEIL. Topics include the intersection of creativity and technology, career transitions, and the VEIL project. More information available at veilab.org (veilab.org). Special Guest: Suzan Oslin.
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Designing Curiosity

April 23, 2021 • 60 mins
Cassini Nazir is a Clinical Associate Professor at The University of Texas at Dallas where he teaches classes in interaction design. This episode focuses on how the concepts of exformation, waylosing, mindfulness, defamiliarization, and others can be used as tools of design to prompt curiosity and help people live more meaningful lives. Special Guest: Cassini Nazir.
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The Incredible Machine

November 25, 2020 • 49 mins
A. Michael Noll is a pioneer of interactive technologies and computer graphics. He is credited with being one of the earliest digital artists, and is named on the first patent for an immersive interface device that combines virtual reality, 3D input, and haptics. Topics include Bell Labs, the origins of VR, texting, and video calls, and how to create an organization that cultivates creative collaboration. Special Guest: A. Michael ...
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Textiles and Tech

November 10, 2020 • 47 mins
Virginia Postrel is an author, columnist, and speaker who focuses on the intersection of culture, commerce, and technology. In this episode, we talk about her new book, The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World. Topics discussed include Neanderthal string, ancient spinning machines, the link between the abundance of thread and the Great Enrichment, the digital nature of weaving, the dye industry and the rise of modern...
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Panel – Multisensory Design

September 15, 2020 • 50 mins
This episode features the audio from a webinar called Design for Multisensory Experiences that was co-created by companies Immersion and Punchcut. Topics include 5G, voice agent design, spatial computing, haptics, automotive interfaces, and more. You can view the entire webinar here: https://punchcut.com/multisensory-experience-design-webinar/ Special Guests: Ken Olewiler, Reggie Wirjadi, and Vicky Knoop.
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Spatial Awareness

September 2, 2020 • 31 mins
Bri Scully is the Customer Experience Manager at Spatial, a startup that creates AR collaboration tools and software. Discussion topics include XR for productivity and remote work, the cognitive effects of body movement and spatial computing, how to get a job in the tech industry, the first generation of "XR natives," AR as enabling analog-like user experience, and the social consequences of the convergence of AR and 5G. Special Gu...
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The Brain Gym

August 17, 2020 • 41 mins
Amir Bozorgzadeh is the cofounder and CEO of Virtuleap, which uses neuroscience to create VR games that aim to improve cognitive performance. Special Guest: Amir Bozorgzadeh.
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Keeping In Touch in the Digital Age

July 16, 2020 • 39 mins
Carey Jewitt is Professor of Technology and Learning at University College London, UK. As Director of the IN-TOUCH project, her work explores how digital technologies shape communication, design, and the arts. Special Guest: Carey Jewitt.
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Sensory History

June 23, 2020 • 51 mins
Mark Smith is Carolina Distinguished Professor of History at the University of South Carolina and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Topics discussed in this episode include historical reenactment, immersive technology applied to historical studies, and the sensory revolution brought about by the global pandemic. Read the article on SingularityHub that triggered this interview here (https://singularityhub.com/2020/04/29/welc...
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Design for the Sense of Touch

June 3, 2020 • 38 mins
Oliver Schneider is an Assistant Professor, HCI researcher, and haptician at the University of Waterloo. Discussion topics include juicy design, measuring the haptic user experience, standardization, tools, virtual humans, and the impact of the pandemic and tactile internet technology on the future of work. Special Guest: Oliver Schneider.
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The Art of Haptics

May 11, 2020 • 42 mins
Daniel Belquer is an award winning composer and intermedia artist. Discussion topics include the use of haptics in live events and concerts, creative tools for tactile art, the state of wearable devices, therapeutic haptics, and COVID-19 and what it means for the tactile internet. Special Guest: Daniel Belquer.
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Touchy Subjects

February 27, 2020 • 47 mins
Robby Hoffman is an award-winning stand-up comedian and writer. Discussion topics include sex tech, television, haptics in mobile phones, plumbing, VR, and Mars settlement. This episode contains explicit content. Robby was named one of Comedy Central's UP NEXT comedians and was listed on Conan O’Brien’s Comics to Watch list. She headlined for the New York Comedy Festival and recorded her first one-hour TV special, "I’m Nervous," at...
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