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We're all panicking about AI. We're also all using it. So which is it — should we be afraid, or should we relax?
In this episode of Techish with Jennifer Jolly, I sit down with Tristan Harris — the former Google ethicist behind the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma, who warned us about social media's harm to young people years before a jury found Meta guilty of doing exactly that. He's now one of the central voices in a new documentary called "The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist," out now from the team behind Everything Everywhere All at Once and the Oscar-winning Navalny. The film features three of the five biggest AI CEOs on the planet — Sam Altman of OpenAI, Dario Amodei of Anthropic, and Demis Hassabis of Google DeepMind — all reacting to the same set of facts.
In this conversation, we cover:
How AI is already going rogue — the Alibaba model that secretly mined cryptocurrency during training, the Anthropic test where AI models blackmailed an executive 79-96% of the time, the Palisade Research findings on AI rewriting its own code to avoid shutdown Why your job is the actual business model — and what "arm farms" in LA are training robots to do right now Why Tristan refuses to call himself either an optimist or a pessimist — and what he says we actually need insteadThe "post-tragic optimism" frame that's changed how I think about what's coming What every parent, worker, and ordinary person can do right now to protect what matters mostThis is the conversation I think everyone needs to hear before the AI debate moves another inch forward.
About Tristan Harris: Tristan is the co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology and one of the most influential voices on the ethics of consumer technology. He's been called "the closest thing Silicon Valley has to a conscience."
About the host: Jennifer Jolly is an Emmy-winning tech journalist, USA Today columnist, NBC's Today Show contributor, and host of Techish with Jennifer Jolly.
Watch the documentary: The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist — in theaters and streaming via Focus Features.
Read the full breakdown: [techish.com/podcast]
Talk to me:
Podcast: WGN, Apple Podcasts, or SpotifyNewsletter: TechishYouTube: @TechishbyJenniferJollyTikTok: @JenniferJollyTechishFacebook: @TechishbyJenniferJollyInstagram: @JennJollyTwitter/X: @JenniferJollyLinkedIn: @Jennifer JollySubscribe, rate, and review Techish with Jennifer Jolly wherever you listen.
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Apple built the world we live in on our phones. Now it’s working on what comes after them.
In this week’s episode, I sat down with David Pogue. THE David Pogue. He's the guy who tells the most important consumer tech stories on the planet, in a way that makes you forget it’s about buttons and features, and reminds you it’s about real life.
David’s covered Apple for longer than I have — about 35 years. He was the tech columnist at the New York Times for 13 years, a seven-time Emmy winner on CBS Sunday Morning, and the reason your iPhone has a screenshot button. This is such a great conversation…
Why this matters:
We talk about David’s new book, Apple: The First 50 Years — the most accurate, journalistic, and genuinely great account of one of the most iconic companies in history. This is the version of Apple's story most people think they know — and then what actually happened. Spoiler alert: The myth is fine, but the truth is way better.
We got into the foldable iPhone — what Pogue thinks is actually coming and why it's different from everything you've seen so far. We got into what Apple is doing with AI that is dramatically different from everyone else — and whether that's because they're being responsible or just running behind. And we got into where Apple is quietly headed next, and it has nothing to do with a screen. We also talk about why so many "next big things" in tech fail. And the most important part — is any of this actually making life better?
If Apple gets this right, the goal isn't a better iPhone. It's about needing your phone less.
Follow / Subscribe
Newsletter: Techish.com
YouTube: @TechishbyJenniferJolly
Instagram: @JennJolly
WGN: @TechishwithJenniferJolly
Subscribe so you never miss an episode. Five stars on Apple Podcasts help more people find this show.
Chapters
01:14 Meeting David Pogue + Apple at 50
04:03 The real Apple story (and the myths we believe)
07:16 Did Apple become what it once fought?
10:30 Life after screens: glasses, AirPods & what’s next
11:09 Apple’s AI strategy (and why it’s so different)
15:12 Does Siri suck, or is it just me?
18:16 Has Apple lost its innovation edge?
24:01 Apple’s controversies, leadership & what comes next
31:32 The screenshot story + final takeaways
Note: We recorded this episode before Tim Cook announced he’s stepping down in September.
Links:
Buy David’s bookSee David’s extended interview with Tim CookPogue’s Posts, now back on Substack
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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I was a mom who was paying attention. I tested Meta's parental controls and wrote about teen screen addiction for USA Today. I talked with my daughter about everything and watched over her social media accounts. I still had no idea Instagram was feeding my high school cross-country star a steady diet of thinspo and eating disorder content.
Two juries just confirmed what parents like me eventually started to suspect: these companies knew their apps were harming children, documented it internally, and kept right on doing it anyway.
Tristan Harris — the former Google ethicist behind The Social Dilemma — explains why a $381 million fine is a rounding error for a company that made $235 billion last year, and what would actually force change. Kristin Bride, whose 16-year-old son Carson died by suicide after being cyberbullied on Snapchat, answers the question everyone asked after the verdicts: Where were the parents? She was there. She did everything right. It still wasn't enough. And Reuters reporter Diana Novak Jones breaks down Section 230 — the law that has shielded these companies for decades and may finally be losing its grip.
If you have a child with a phone or a parent struggling to find the best ways to manage the teen years and social media, this episode is a must-see. I wish I had it when my daughter was 16.
WHAT META'S OWN DOCUMENTS REVEALED
— 32% of teen girls said Instagram made them feel worse about their bodies
— A Meta researcher wrote internally: "IG is a drug. We're basically pushers."
— A 2018 document said: "If we want to win big with teens, we must bring them in as tweens."
— An employee brought suicide statistics to Zuckerberg and Sandberg directly. No response.
WATCH & READ MORE
Your Attention Please documentary: yourattentionpleasedoc.com
Parents Rise: parentsrise.org
Wait Until 8th: waituntil8th.org
Center for Humane Technology: humanetech.com
Full show notes: techish.substack.com/p/where-were-the-parents-social-media-verdict
CONNECT WITH JENNIFER
Listen on WGN, Apple Podcasts, or SpotifyNewsletter: Techish by Jennifer JollyYouTube: @TechishbyJenniferJollyTikTok: @JenniferJollyTechishInstagram: @JennJollyLinkedIn: Jennifer JollySubscribe and hit the bell so you never miss an episode. Five stars on Apple Podcasts help more parents find this show.
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK
If you have a teenager on Instagram right now, what's your biggest fear — and what would actually make you feel like they were safe? Let’s talk about it.
SUPPORT THE SHOW
If you like what you hear, please rate and review Techish with Jennifer Jolly — it helps more people find the show. Questions or comments? Email [email protected].
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When is the right age to give your kid a phone? It’s become a modern milestone—but we’re doing a lot less to prepare our kids for it than we think.
A phone means they can reach us, we can reach them, and they’re part of the world their friends are already in. It feels practical. It feels harmless.
But this isn’t really about screen time. It’s about what these devices open up when kids aren’t ready to handle them.
In this episode, I sit down with Dane Witbeck, founder of Pinwheel, to talk through what’s actually going on—what the research shows, what parents are dealing with in real life, and what it looks like to do this better.
We get into why parental controls don’t work the way most people think, what actually drives anxiety and behavior changes in kids, the difference between giving a child a phone and giving them access to everything on it, the stage gates approach to letting kids earn more access over time, and whether waiting helps or backfires.
If you’re trying to figure out what to do about phones in your own family, this conversation gives you a clearer place to start.
Products: pinwheel.com, gabb.com, bark.us, troomi.com
Resources and USA Today reviews: techish.com
If your child has been targeted online: cybertipline.org or 1-800-THE-LOST
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This is a story of tech fixing something very broken. Then "the system" breaking it again.
Menopause. The Change. Cougar Puberty. Whatever you want to call it, it's having a moment — and it's worth knowing about, no matter how old you are or whether you think this has anything to do with you. (Spoiler: It does.)
For twenty years, doctors told millions of women their symptoms were stress, aging, or all in their heads. Then the internet showed up. TikTok, Reddit, telehealth, and a billion views on the menopause hashtag later, HRT prescriptions jumped 86%, the FDA finally acted — and I found Midi Health. For the first time in years, someone actually listened.
Now here's the plot twist nobody planned for: women finally got the green light on hormone therapy, and now they can't fill their prescriptions. I sit down with Midi Health CEO Joanna Strober — whose telehealth company treats 25,000 women a week and just hit a billion-dollar valuation — to talk about what tech fixed, what's broken again, and whether it can pull off a second act.
What You'll Learn
What caused the estrogen and progesterone shortage — and why it's about to get worseWhy 20% of middle-aged women are on SSRIs when hormones might work better — and why nobody has ever done that comparison studyHow Midi is using AI to scale care without losing the human connectionWhat longevity actually means for women in their 40s and 50s — and the new women's blood test coming later this yearEpisode Resources
Midi Health — midihealth.comEstrogen patch shortage coverage at Techish.comJennifer’s coverage on this issue in USA Today.Tell Us What You Think
Are you dealing with the shortage? Have you tried telehealth for perimenopause or menopause — and did it change anything? We want to hear from you. And if you know a woman between 35 and 65 who's been told it's all in her head — send her this episode.
Connect with Jenn
Newsletter: Techish by Jennifer JollyInstagram: @JennJollyYouTube: @TechishbyJenniferJollyTikTok: @JenniferJollyTechishTwitter/X: @JenniferJollyLinkedIn: Jennifer JollySupport the Show
If this one mattered to you — or to someone you love — please rate and review Techishly Jenn. It helps more people find the show. And text it to someone. Like a human.
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"I tell you guys how to be less addicted to your phones, get more out of your life — and I feel so broken right now."
That's me — a consumer tech journalist who has spent nearly 20 years telling you exactly how not to let your phone run your life. Now I'm coming clean. I am addicted to my smartphone. Not casually. Clinically.
My screen time average? Nearly 11 hours a day. That adds up to almost 18 years of the rest of my life — not with my family, not doing things that fill my soul. Half of my the life that I have left on this planet. On a phone.
It gets worse. A child who gets a smartphone at 13 will spend an estimated 22.3 years of their life staring at a screen.
This is Part One of my very public reckoning — with the science, the data, the counterarguments, and six fixes that actually work.
Mentioned in this episode:
Dr. Anna Lembke, Dopamine NationElana Klein, WIRED: "Dumbphones"Sathnam Sanghera and Ezra Klein (Instagram/YouTube posts linked at Techish.com)Screen Time (iPhone): Settings → Screen Time (how-to @techish.com)Digital Wellbeing (Android): Settings → Digital Wellbeing (how-to @techish.com)Listen: WGN · Apple Podcasts · Spotify
Follow: @JennJolly (Instagram) · @JenniferJollyTechish (TikTok) · @TechishbyJenniferJolly (YouTube)
Support the Show:
If this one hit close to home, please share it. Text it — like a human — to someone you've been wanting to have this conversation with. Rate and review wherever you listen. Questions or comments? Email [email protected].
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The IRS is using it. So are many filers. Here’s what you
"I am more concerned about the IRS having really bad AI than I am about our tax software having decent AI. The IRS and AI—what could possibly go wrong?"
That's the question driving this episode of Techishly Jenn. Tax season is here, and for the first time, AI isn't just a feature—it's actively processing your return and the IRS system reviewing it. Algorithm vs. algorithm. And your biggest check of the year is sitting right in the middle.
Host Jennifer Jolly talks with Intuit executive Mark Notarainni about how TurboTax and Credit Karma are using AI with guardrails, human review, and serious security protections. But she doesn't stop there. She tracks down real users—like 26-year-old startup founder Musa Hakim Jr., who says AI made filing "easier, faster, clearer"—and skeptics like performer Barbara Kamara, who caught ChatGPT giving flat-out wrong tax advice.
From cost basis errors that cost people thousands, to the IRS using machine learning to flag side hustles and crypto, this episode breaks down what's hype, what's helpful, and what could bite you if you're not paying attention.
What You'll Learn
How the IRS uses AI to flag higher-risk returns (and what triggers it)Why random chatbots are dangerous for tax advice—and what makes tax-specific AI differentWhat "AI + human review" actually means inside TurboTax and Credit KarmaHow AI caught $12,000 in missing deductions for one type of filer aloneWhy transparency matters more than speed when your refund is on the lineThe real difference between automation and guardrails
Connect with Jenn Listen on WGN, Apple Podcasts, or SpotifyNewsletter: Techish by Jennifer JollyYouTube: @TechishbyJenniferJollyTikTok: @JenniferJollyTechishInstagram: @JennJollyTwitter/X: @JenniferJollyLinkedIn: Jennifer JollyEpisode Resources
TurboTaxCredit KarmaConsumer Reports insights on AI transparencyTechish.comTell Us What You Think
Would you trust AI to do your taxes? Have you already filed this year? Did it help — or just make things more confusing? Drop your thoughts below.
Support the Show
If you like what you hear, please rate and review Techishly Jenn — it helps more people find the show. Questions or comments? Email [email protected].
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Recurring guest, Andrew Yang is back — and he’s not pulling punches.
In this wide-ranging, deeply honest conversation, Jenn sits down with Yang to talk about the forces reshaping our lives right now: AI, money, power, politics, and what happens when technology moves faster than our institutions can handle.
This isn’t a campaign speech or a tech hype session, it’s a real, sometimes funny, sometimes unsettling conversation about why Americans feel squeezed, why trust in institutions is collapsing, and why AI is about to upend work, wealth, and opportunity whether we’re ready or not.
Yang opens up about running for president (again), the broken two-party system, why Silicon Valley lost its moral compass, and what it actually takes to build businesses that help people instead of extracting from them.
Along the way, Jenn pushes Yang on a few topics like billionaires burning money on ego projects, why universal basic income is no longer a fringe idea, and how companies like Yang’s Noble Mobile are trying (quietly) to put cash back into people’s pockets. It’s candid, emotional, occasionally profane, and one of the most unfiltered conversations we’ve had on the show.
If you’ve ever wondered who’s really running the country — politicians, tech giants, or venture capital — this episode is for you.
What You’ll Learn
Why Andrew Yang says the odds of him running for president again are “very high”How AI is already hollowing out jobs — and why worse disruption is coming fastWhy Silicon Valley abandoned the idea of helping society and chased power insteadHow the two-party system is breaking down — and what could replace itWhy universal basic income is becoming unavoidable, not radicalHow Noble Mobile works — and how your phone plan might actually save you moneyWhy Americans feel poorer even when the economy says they’re “doing fine”Who Yang believes is still doing business the right way — and why that matters
Connect with Jenn Listen on WGN, Apple Podcasts, or SpotifyNewsletter: Techish by Jennifer JollyYouTube: @TechishbyJenniferJollyTikTok: @JenniferJollyTechishInstagram: @JennJollyTwitter/X: @JenniferJollyLinkedIn: Jennifer JollyEpisode Resources
Andrew Yang (website)Andrew Yang (newsletter)The War on Normal PeopleNoble MobileForward PartyTell Us What You Think
Do you think AI will actually make life better — or just make a few people richer? Would you ever trust a company that claims it wants to make you less broke? Drop your thoughts, push back, or tell us where you agree (or disagree) — this is one we expect people to argue about.
Support the Show
If you like what you hear, please rate and review Techishly Jenn — it helps more people find the show. Questions or comments? Email [email protected].
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This is a can’t miss episode.
There’s a quiet rebellion happening — in kitchens, classrooms, and bedrooms — and it’s not coming from Silicon Valley. In this powerful episode of Techishly Jenn, Jenn sits down with Jonathan Haidt and Catherine Price, co-authors of the new book The Amazing Generation, to talk about what’s really happening to kids growing up with smartphones, social media, and now AI.
If The Anxious Generation helped parents understand what went wrong, The Amazing Generation is about what comes next — and why kids themselves are starting to say “enough.”
This isn’t a tech-panic episode. Jenn, Jonathan, and Catherine make it clear: technology isn’t the enemy. But addictive design, unregulated platforms, and giving kids adult-grade tech before their brains are ready? That’s where things go sideways.
Together, they unpack how smartphones became “supercomputer slot machines,” why social media harms girls and the broader techno-sphere traps boys, and why AI may pose an even bigger developmental threat if we don’t slow down and get this right. Along the way, Jenn shares candid parenting moments, including the uncomfortable but essential question every parent should ask their child — and themselves.
This is one of the most honest, emotional, and practical conversations we’ve had on the show — about kids, screens, guilt, hope, and how we reclaim childhood without shame or lectures.
What You’ll LearnWhy kids don’t need smartphones — and what they actually need insteadHow social media and games are deliberately designed to hijack young brainsWhy the damage isn’t anecdotal anymore — and what the research really showsWhy girls are hit hardest by social media and boys by the broader techno-sphereThe heartbreaking question parents should ask their kids about phone useWhy “no screens in bedrooms” is the single most important rule you can makeHow AI could be more dangerous than social media for child developmentWhy kids themselves are leading the rebellion — and what gives real hope
Episode ResourcesThe Amazing Generation (website)The Amazing Generation (book)Jonathan Haidt (website) Jonathan Haidt (Instagram)Catherine Price (website)Catherine Price (Instagram)Tell Us What You Think
Have you already given your child a smartphone — and now wish you’d waited? What rules are working (or not) in your house? This episode isn’t about guilt — it’s about doing better together. Share your thoughts, questions, and hard moments with us.
Support the Show
Do us a favor. If you like what you hear, please rate and review Techishly Jenn — it helps more people find the show. Send your questions and comments to [email protected].
Connect with Jenn Listen on WGN, Apple Podcasts, or SpotifyNewsletter: Techish by Jennifer JollyYouTube: @TechishbyJenniferJollyTikTok: @JenniferJollyTechishInstagram: @JennJollyTwitter/X: @JenniferJollyLinkedIn: Jennifer Jolly
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There are tens of thousands of gadgets, gizmo’s and techy doo-dads at CES. But how many of them actually matter to you and me? What deserves a spot in your home and life this year and well into the future? Those are just a few of the questions Jenn and Producer Scott asked themselves and hundreds of other gadget-insiders for a solid week at the world’s most powerful tech convention in Las Vegas in early January.
Jenn and Scott have more than 30-years of CES experience under their well-worn belts. In this 2026 recap episode of Techishly Jenn, the two of them break down what stood out, what surprised them, what made them laugh, and what made them both quietly whisper, “Oh… this might actually matter.”
From robots that crash (and occasionally charm), to AI health mirrors that claim to know you better than your doctor, to toilets that are doing way too much, this episode cuts through the hype to focus on the tech that feels real, useful, or at least entertaining enough to talk about.
They also bring back everyone’s favorite segment — Marry, Fund, Kill — because nothing says serious tech analysis like ranking gadgets based on vibes, value, and whether we’d actually sleep with them or just take ‘em out for a one night stand.
What You’ll Learn
What was so insanely different about CES this year? (Spoiler: it has nothing to do with “booth babes.”) Whether this the year we all get robot helpers in our homes…Why Tombot Jennie stole hearts (and why its purpose actually matters)Why toilet tech is “flush” with promise, but still has some crap to work out. The TVs and display tech that genuinely impressed us (hello, Dolby Vision 2 and Wallpaper TV)The gadgets we’d marry, fund, or bury in the backyard next to our kids’ first pet hermit crab.Episode Resources
Tombot Jennie and the future of robotic companionshipNuralogix Longevity Mirror and AI health monitoringNuance Audio Hearing GlassesHypershell Ultra X wearable exoskeletonOHM Home Resonance LampLG Wallpaper TV and next-gen display techCES show highlights [Instagram]
Tell us What You ThinkWhich CES gadget would you marry? Which one deserves funding? And which one made you say, “Absolutely not”? Drop your hot takes, disagreements, and favorite CES finds — because half the fun of CES is arguing about it afterward.
Support the ShowDo us a favor. If you like what you hear, please rate and review Techishly Jenn — it helps more people find the show. Send your questions and comments to [email protected].
Connect with Jenn Listen on WGN, Apple Podcasts, or SpotifyNewsletter: Techish by Jennifer JollyYouTube: @TechishbyJenniferJollyTikTok: @JenniferJollyTechishInstagram: @JennJollyTwitter/X: @JenniferJollyLinkedIn: Jennifer Jolly
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It’s the most wonderful — and tech-obsessed — time of the year. In this festive, no-holds-barred holiday special of Techishly Jenn, Jenn and Producer Scott unwrap the best gadgets of 2025, roast the biggest tech flops, and hand out the annual Naughty & Nice List to companies and CEOs who shaped the year — for better or worse.
This episode is equal parts gadget gossip, holiday confession, cultural critique, and consumer survival guide. From AirPods that finally live up to the hype, to AI tools that quietly save time (and sanity), to tech leaders who lost the plot entirely, Jenn pulls zero punches. Along the way, she shares the products she actually uses, the tech she refuses to tolerate, and why 2026 needs to be the year we demand more — from our gadgets, our platforms, and ourselves.
Questions? Comments? Email us at [email protected] or [email protected] and find us on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
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*If you care about privacy, policing, tech ethics, or just want to understand who’s tracking your license plate and why — this episode is for you.*
It’s pretty safe to say we all want less crime — but what are we willing to trade for it? In this episode of Techishly Jenn, Emmy Award–winning journalist Jennifer Jolly steps into the rapidly expanding world of AI-powered safety tech — where license-plate readers scan our streets and data promises to solve crimes before we even know they’ve happened.
Flock Safety — America’s fastest-growing surveillance company — has quietly installed more than 80,000 cameras across 6,000+ communities, from school zones to shopping centers. Valued at $7.5 billion, it’s the crime-fighting giant most people have never heard of…until now.
Jennifer sits down with Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley to explore how license-plate readers, AI, drones, and data are changing modern policing — and what that means for safety, privacy, public trust, and everyday life.
What starts as a straightforward Q&A with a well-messaged CEO, quickly becomes a deeper conversation about crime prevention, civil liberties, data transparency, and how much responsibility technology companies should (or should not) have in how their tools get used.
This episode is part crime-tech explainer, part civil-liberties gut check — asking not just can we build this technology, but ultimately who’s responsible for how it gets used? It pulls back the curtain on the gadgets shaping our world — asking hard questions, while keeping it smart, human, and just a little bit funny.
NOTE: This episode was recorded in August 2025
🔑 What You’ll LearnHow Flock Safety became a $7.5B crime-tech powerhouseWhy cities and neighborhoods are racing to install automated license-plate readersThe controversies sparking lawsuits, watchdog warnings, and “Handmaid’s Tale vibes”Garrett Langley’s response to critics — and what he sees as the future of policing tech
📌 Episode ResourcesJennifer’s YouTube video on Flock SafetyJennifer Jolly’s USA Today column: The $7.5 Billion Eye in the SkyBackground on Flock Safety’s tech and controversiesFollow Jennifer on Techish.com and Instagram
💬 Connect with Jenn Newsletter: Techish by Jennifer JollyInstagram: @JennJollyYouTube: @TechishbyJenniferJollyTikTok: @JenniferJollyTechishTwitter/X: @JenniferJollyLinkedIn: Jennifer Jolly
⭐ Support the ShowIf you like what you hear, please rate and review Techishly Jenn — it helps more people find the show. Send your questions and comments to [email protected].
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If you’ve ever looked at your monthly cell bill and thought, “Why am I paying premium prices to get doom-scrolled into a bad mood?” — this one’s for you.
In this episode of Techishly Jenn, Emmy-winning tech journalist Jennifer Jolly sits down with Andrew Yang — yes, the former presidential candidate — who’s now CEO of a brand-new wireless carrier called Noble Mobile. The pitch: save real money, get rewarded for using your phone less, and stop being the product in a data-harvesting economy. Is this refreshingly human… or just really good branding? We dig in.
What starts as “new phone plan, who dis?” quickly turns into a bigger conversation about money, mental health, attention, trust, and how tech could reflect our values instead of hijacking them. We also go behind the curtain on politics, power, and why switching carriers after 25 years can feel like breaking up with your high school sweetheart — but in five minutes.
What You’ll Learn
• The big idea behind Noble Mobile: why it charges less, how the month-end rebate works, and why your data isn’t for sale
• How a carrier can nudge you to doom-scroll less without turning into your nagging aunt
• Why so many famous folks are launching MVNOs — and what makes this one different (or not)
• The money–mental health loop: why saving $50–$100 a month actually changes how you feel
• Yang’s 10-year prediction: your phone as a reflection of your values, identity, and community
• A candid look at politics, polarization, and why “we are the adults in the room” now (weird, right?)
Episode Resources
• Noble Mobile (plan details, rebates, referrals, and savings calculator)
• Andrew Yang’s recent talk on media, polarization, and optimism about the future
• Jennifer’s coverage and ongoing review notes at Techish.com
Tell Us What You Think
If a carrier paid you to scroll less — would you switch? What would it take? Send questions and hot takes for our follow-up Q&A.
Connect with Jenn
Newsletter: Techish by Jennifer JollyYouTube: @TechishbyJenniferJollyTikTok: @JenniferJollyTechishInstagram: @JennJollyTwitter/X: @JenniferJollyLinkedIn: Jennifer JollySupport the Show
If this episode helped you think differently about tech (or your bill), please rate and review Techishly Jenn. It helps more people find the show — and keeps us from becoming just another boring tech podcast.
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Ever wished your backup battery was, well, bigger?
In this episode of Techishly Jenn, I sit down with Lynn Ames, GM’s behind-the-scenes “energy whisperer,” to unpack the bold idea behind GM Energy: electric vehicles that don’t just drive you to the store — they can keep your house running when the grid goes dark. We talk about vehicle-to-home (V2H), vehicle-to-grid (V2G), real-life blackout stories, safety, incentives, affordability, and what it takes to make 100-year-old industries work together.
Quick note: we recorded just before GM reported a $1.6B EV loss — so we also tackle the big question head-on: can cars that give back still move the company (and the country) forward?
Also — Producer Scott talks about his latest Techish review of the Garmin Bounce 2 smartwatch for kids. Can it give his kids a little more freedom and give him fewer worries about letting them roam? What works, and what doesn’t, for parents and kids alike.
🔑 What You’ll Learn
How V2H actually works in a blackout: what stays on, what switches over, and why it’s silent, seamless, and fume-free.From driveway to micro-grid: the path from V2H to V2G, where millions of EVs can stabilize the grid — and potentially earn you money.Control, safety, and security: who decides when energy flows, how protections work, and why mobility needs always come first.Real incentives, real numbers: rebates, utility programs, and why a $499 “generator” isn’t the only smart family investment we talked about.Access & affordability: under-$30K entries (hello, Bolt return), used-EV dynamics, lower maintenance, and where costs are falling fastest.Women leading the future of energy + mobility: two women talking candidly about the next era of vehicles, power, and family resilience.📌 Episode Resources
Can EV’s Save the Grid? Jenn’s USA Today article about powering her home with an EV for a week – [link]Jennifer’s Hands-on Video with the GMC Sierra – [link]Jennifer’s Hands-on Video Powering Her Home – [link] GM Energy: V2H, PowerBank, utility partnerships, and program eligibility – [link]Getting Started with V2H: home assessment, transfer switch basics, and safety checklist – [link]Find Incentives: federal, state, and utility rebates for EVs and home energy – [link]Techish coverage and hands-on tests from Jenn’s blackout experiences – [link]Scott’s Techish coverage and hands-on review of the Garmin Bounce 2 – [link]💬 Tell Us What You Think
Would you let your car keep your lights on — or sell energy back to the grid for cash? What would it take for you to try V2H or V2G? Send questions and hot takes for our follow-up.
Q&A: Send feedback and questions to [email protected]. And if this episode helped you think differently about power, or even kids tech, please rate and review Techishly Jenn on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps more people find the show.
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A screen that fixes screens? That’s the bold new idea behind a brand-new gadget called Board — a 24-inch tabletop console where physical pieces are the controllers: knives that cut, stairs you build, spaceships you fly — all on a shared digital board.
Founder Brynn Putnam (who sold Mirror to Lululemon for half a billion dollars) and game veteran Seth Sivak (ex-Blizzard, World of Warcraft) join Jennifer to talk about their bigger bet: ending solo screen time and making face-to-face play effortless for toddlers, teens, parents, and grandparents alike.
We dig into how it works (and why an iPad can’t), why the “Best Family Game” can’t keep being single-player, what $499 actually buys at launch (12 original games and the pieces), and what it takes for a woman-led hardware startup to create a whole new category in 2025.
What starts as “Isn’t this just a big iPad on a table?” quickly turns into a deeper conversation about how we use screens, what real connection looks like, and why this one — powered by physical play — actually feels like magic.
🔑 What You’ll Learn
• Why Board exists: the problem with “family” tech that still keeps everyone alone on their own screens
• How the hardware + software + object recognition work together (and why a tablet can’t do this)
• Why Board’s games beat nostalgia, especially when the controller is a robot, a spaceship, or a stair block
• The intentional multi-generational design: From toddlers to grandparents, Board needed to figure out a way to make the platform seamless, regardless of age
• Price and value: why $499 aims to compete with consoles, not tablets, and what comes next
• Category creation in 2025: the realities of fundraising, shipping hardware, and a woman leading in gaming
📌 Episode Resources
• Board - ORDER TODAY [URL]
• lululemon athletica inc. to Acquire Home Fitness Innovator MIRROR [URL]
• Jenn’s Board review on Techish.com [URL] and USA Today [URL]
💬 Tell Us What You Think
Would you spend $499 to bring everyone back to one screen? What game would sell you on the concept? What topic do you want us to tackle next? Drop a comment and send your questions and hot takes for our follow-up Q&A.
💬 Connect with Jenn Spotify: Techishly JennNewsletter: Techish by Jennifer JollyYouTube: @TechishbyJenniferJollyTikTok: @JenniferJollyTechishInstagram: @JennJollyTwitter/X: @JenniferJollyLinkedIn: Jennifer Jolly
