Speaking Of | TechCrunch

Speaking Of | TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com/tag/speaking-of/ Startup and Technology News Sun, 05 May 2024 18:53:09 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/cropped-cropped-favicon-gradient.png?w=32 Speaking Of | TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com/tag/speaking-of/ 32 32 Speaking Of… Pink with Jesse Draper (TCTV) https://techcrunch.com/2012/01/03/speaking-of-pink-with-jesse-draper-tctv/ Tue, 03 Jan 2012 23:11:51 +0000 https://techcrunch.com/?p=477093 Jesse Draper, creator and host of online talk show, "The Valley Girl Show." The show profiles entrepreneurs and businesspeople, but in a format not often seen in Silicon Valley: on a pink-themed set, Draper draws her guests out of their shells in fun, light-hearted interviews that focus less on numbers and more on what the guests are like outside of their work lives. A Silicon Valley native, Draper grew up around entrepreneurs. Her inspiration for The Valley Girl Show came from watching her father's friends – her heroes – being grilled in television interviews, and noticing that no one was talking about the fun, creative sides of these entrepreneurs. She set out to create an entertaining business talk show, decided to play off of the stereotypical Southern California "valley girl" persona, and ran with the pink.]]> Speaking of… sex toys with Ethan Imboden from Jimmyjane [TCTV] https://techcrunch.com/2011/04/29/speaking-of-sex-toys-with-ethan-imboden-from-jimmyjane-tctv/ Fri, 29 Apr 2011 22:19:23 +0000 https://techcrunch.com/?p=298807 Vibrating sex toys have been around for over a century, starting out as crude steam powered devices and now resembling something very cool that you might pick up at an Apple store. Sex toys have been the source of giggles, controversy, pleasure and up until the last 5 years, were not a mainstream product. They were devices you bought and had shipped in unmarked brown packaging or slipped into a toy store late at night to buy, but were not something you'd ever imagine picking up at Nordstrom or your local Wal-Mart. Millions of men and women use them every day and yet, it isn't something we talk about much. Considering there's a lot of tech that go into these devices these days, I think it is a topic worth exploring and definitely something we should no longer be ashamed of.]]> Speaking of… Social Venues with Nic Adler of The Roxy [TCTV] https://techcrunch.com/2011/01/20/speaking-of-social-venues-with-nic-adler-of-the-roxy-tctv/ Fri, 21 Jan 2011 02:04:44 +0000 https://techcrunch.com/?p=266025 We read a lot of news about amazing companies when they receive financing, have a change in leadership or launch new products, but we rarely get a glimpse into the companies and people that use those products and tools in incredibly meaningful ways. This week's Speaking Of... is with Roxy owner Nic Alder, son of Lou Adler who's famous for producing bands/acts such as Cheech and Chong, The Mamas and the Papas and films such as Up In Smoke and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Lou Adler is also the creator of the Roxy nightclub that Nic now runs and operates. The Roxy is a 37 year old international brand that was born the same year as Nic and has been the destination for legendary bands through the decades. Nic grew up around musical legends such as Bob Marley, Guns and Roses, etc. and when he took over the club, he had a very different vision for how it should operate. Lou ran a very successful club using traditional promotional tools, but the club was eventually displaced by bigger and hotter venues in different parts of Hollywood and deeply impacted by the move of consumers searching for how to spend their time using Internet tools and ditching old media.]]> Speaking of… Cindy Morgan, from Original TRON [TCTV] https://techcrunch.com/2011/01/14/speaking-of-cindy-morgan-tron-tctv/ Fri, 14 Jan 2011 23:15:28 +0000 https://techcrunch.com/?p=264006 My special guest on this week's Speaking Of is actress Cindy Morgan. Cindy is known in the film world for two iconic roles: as Lacey Underall in Caddyshack and as Lora/Yori in the original TRON. I didn't mention this in my original overview of TRON Legacy, because I didn't want to spoil much of the movie for everyone, but I was very saddened by the fact that two of my favorite characters (Bit and Yori) from the original TRON didn't make an appearance in the sequel, when so many other main actors did, including Bruce Boxleitner (shown holding Yori in the original TRON poster). When I asked about this, Cindy admitted that she'd only seen the sequel two days prior to our interview, and that it was like going to the prom without a date. She made a small cameo in Sam Flynn's room on his poster and that was about it. Cindy is incredibly gracious though, understanding that movie producers have to make difficult decisions. She hopes she'll appear in the next sequel - and I'd love to see that happen too. Video ahead.]]> Speaking of… Using Your Medium with Reason’s Nick Gillespie (TCTV) https://techcrunch.com/2010/12/11/speaking-of-using-your-medium-with-reasons-nick-gillespie-tctv/ Sat, 11 Dec 2010 17:48:11 +0000 https://techcrunch.com/?p=253473 It is 25 degrees here in NY and I feel like a wuss. We California people aren't cut out for the weather out here. I've got thermal underwear (top & bottom), another shirt on top, pants, sweater, jacket, long coat, gloves and a hat on. So, the next time I bitch about it being 50 degrees and windy in San Francisco, I need to remind myself to STFU. These people endure some serious cold. Look at that photo to the left of Nick Gillespie. I think that's what he wears when it is this cold. So, what would draw me out of San Francisco weather to NY this time of year? The celebration of John Stagliano's acquittal presented by the Reason Foundation and hosted by this week's TCTV guest Nick Gillespie. John Stagliano's federal obscenity charges, his acquittal and this celebration warrants an entirely different post, so I'm not going to get into it too much here. The event was held at the famous NY's sexy and edgy "The Box" and the attendees were incredible. We all came out to celebrate something we hold near and dear to our hearts: free speech.]]> Speaking Of… Jeff Bridges & Olivia Wilde in TRON Legacy, Part 3 & 4 (TCTV) https://techcrunch.com/2010/12/02/speaking-of-jeff-bridges-olivia-wilde-in-tron-legacy-tctv/ Thu, 02 Dec 2010 22:14:15 +0000 https://techcrunch.com/?p=250703 Greetings programs! I have the ultimate TRON interview for you: Jeff Bridges. I had 3 minutes with Bridges, so I asked him this question from TechCrunch fan "itbedave":

I'm curious as to what Jeff Bridges thinks of blue screen acting then (original TRON) vs. now (TRON Legacy) - and if it's "advancement" has enhanced or ruined acting in big Hollywood films?

Jeff, who plays Kevin Flynn, loved this question and went into detail about his feelings around motion capture. Unfortunately, I didn't get to ask him if Flynn abides or if he drinks White Russians, but I think you'll love his response. He's not a TechCrunch reader yet, but maybe we can convert him. I'd love to see some Bridges in the comments, wouldn't you? Video Ahead.]]> Speaking Of… TRON: Legacy – Interviews with Cast & Crew, Part 1 & 2 (TCTV) https://techcrunch.com/2010/11/24/speaking-of-tron-legacy-interviews-with-cast-crew-part-1-2-tctv/ Wed, 24 Nov 2010 22:35:17 +0000 https://techcrunch.com/?p=247923 Ok TRON fans, have I got a treat for you! I just returned from a two day TRON press event with some awesome interviews from the creators, cast and crew of TRON: Legacy and the original TRON. I asked many of the questions I solicited from TechCrunch commenters and everyone seemed to love them -- especially Jeff Bridges. I mean, maybe they say this to everyone, but his handlers said they had not seen him that animated until our question came along. Bridges was also pretty excited to talk about the tech involved in the making of TRON: Legacy. He took on the project of making the movie with enthusiasm when he realized he could do much of the acting without cameras by using motion capture. Keep a look out for his interview in part 3&4 along with the super sexy and awesome Olivia Wilde! 2 Videos Ahead.]]> Speaking Of… Rhymes and Medicine with ZDoggMD (TCTV) https://techcrunch.com/2010/11/08/speaking-of-rhymes-and-medicine/ Mon, 08 Nov 2010 20:17:54 +0000 https://techcrunch.com/?p=238851 Picture this: A hotel party thrown by Tony Hsieh of Zappos. A group of people, crowded around a laptop, laughing at a video of a doctor rapping and singing about ulcers. Suddenly one of the group starts rapping out loud to the video. Now people are laughing so hard that they are crying.... This is how I came to know ZDoggMD, a rare - and virtually undiscovered - talent that I would now like to gift to the TechCrunch community.]]> Speaking Of… Hellraiser with Jen McCabe of imoveyou.com (TCTV) https://techcrunch.com/2010/11/02/speaking-of-hellraiser-with-jen-mccabe-of-imoveyou-com-tctv/ Tue, 02 Nov 2010 22:44:52 +0000 https://techcrunch.com/?p=238820 Have you ever stopped to evaluate your life in terms of small decisions you made that impacted who you are and what you do? Decisions such as a left turn here, saying hello to a stranger, picking one place to eat over another? Ever wondered what life would be like if you went the other direction, ignored that new person or picked the sub place over the soup place? Simple decisions like these are sometimes the most important choices we can make in our lives. They often seem meaningless at the time, and yet each choice we make leads us down different forks in our life. Sometime they intersect with, and change, the lives of others as well. For Jen McCabe, a small decision that changed her life forever was deciding to drive tired, a decision that could have cost her life, not to mention those of others. Fortunately, Jen's decision - and the accident which followed - wasn't fatal, but it did destroy her car and shatter her knee. It also made her an entrepreneur.]]> Speaking Of … Competitiveness: with Pixar's Oren Jacob and his wife Justine (TCTV) https://techcrunch.com/2010/09/16/speaking-of-competitiveness-pixar-cto/ Thu, 16 Sep 2010 17:44:31 +0000 https://techcrunch.com/?p=219728 Ever wonder what a Technical Director of Pixar does in his free time? Well, in the case of Oren Jacob, the answer is: things that begin with "competitive". Not only has Oren - along with his wife Justine and filmmaker Alex De Silva - recently completed a film called 'Ready, Set, Bag' about competitive grocery bagging but he's also a competitive gardener. He grows things that are as big as I am, such as giant 140lb-ish pumpkins. In the video, you'll see something huge and green that's the weight of some five year old children. His journey into competitive gardening wasn't planned, but he's found it quite enjoyable during his free moments away from work. In a way, Ready, Set Bag is tied into the competitive gardening thing too, but you'll have to watch the video (below) to find out why. Sufficed to say, sometimes life presents you with very interesting opportunities if you are willing to see them and act on them. Along their journey, the filmmakers discovered an innovative way to change how independent films are distributed while raising money for charities. Not only are they the first independent filmmakers to distribute their film using Groupon to sell tickets but they also give $1.00 for each ticket sold to the local food bank where the Groupon offer was redeemed.]]> Speaking of tattoos – Interview with Micah Baldwin, CEO & co-founder of Graphic.ly (TCTV) https://techcrunch.com/2010/08/31/speaking-of-tattoos-interview-with-micah-baldwin-ceo-co-founder-of-graphic-ly-tctv/ Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:26:35 +0000 https://techcrunch.com/?p=213871 When you get a good story, sometimes you just need to whip out your flip camera and hope for the best. Apologies for the lighting on this one, but Micah Baldwin's interview was just too good to miss. Graphic.ly (a really cool digital comic book community) is based in Boulder, Colorado, which is starting to get a reputation for its hotbed of startups. There are several interesting venture backed companies that have emerged from Boulder such as SimpleGeo (multi-homed in SF as well), OneRiot, Lijit, Sendgrid and now graphic.ly. Cool companies (Kid Robot and Threadless) gravitate towards Boulder and open up offices. When questioned about what makes Boulder special, Micah responded, "Boulder is amazing. I think something like 1 in 10 people is involved in a startup!"]]> "Stop being weak." An Interview with Angelo Sotira, CEO of deviantART.com (TCTV) https://techcrunch.com/2010/08/22/stop-being-weak-an-interview-with-angelo-sotira-ceo-of-deviantart-com-tctv/ Sun, 22 Aug 2010 15:00:00 +0000 https://techcrunch.com/?p=210421 This week's episode of Speaking Of... is the CEO of deviantART. One of the greatest things about TechCrunch is that they celebrate and reward each writer's own voice rather than forcing every writer to sing from the same hymn-sheet. They encourage differences of opinion. While deviantART isn't Erick Schonfeld's cup of tea, I'm definitely a huge fan. I have five pictures up on my wall that I've purchased from the site, and they're absolutely beautiful. Deviant recently passed the milestone of their 100 millionth submission or "Deviation" as they're called. I think that's pretty cool, but what I think is even cooler, is that they just celebrated their 10th year of being in business. I don't know how old Angelo is, but I imagine that's about 1/3rd of his life. For a startup entrepreneur, that's a very long time.]]> Speaking Of . . . Batman. It Was "Built On My Bloody Knuckles" (TCTV) https://techcrunch.com/2010/08/11/speaking-of-batman-michael-uslan-tctv/ Wed, 11 Aug 2010 18:57:30 +0000 https://techcrunch.com/?p=206148 This week's episode of Speaking Of... is with the originator of the modern Batman movies and creator of the Batman franchise, Michael Uslan. Michael Uslan's story is the typical story of success. From the outside, it seems like an obvious win, but from the inside there was a long and painful struggle to get to the other side. It took Michael 10 years of pitching a dark and serious Batman in order to get it made into the first movie. It was written up as an "overnight success", but that couldn't be further from the truth.]]> Halcyon Molecular’s William Andregg: "The Only Way To Reach The Stars Is To Live Longer" https://techcrunch.com/2010/07/24/speaking-of-frogs-william-andregg/ Sat, 24 Jul 2010 17:00:27 +0000 https://techcrunch.com/?p=200010 This week’s episode of Speaking Of… (video below) features the founder/CEO of Halcyon Molecular, William Andregg. Andregg grew up in Arizona. There's a song by The Orb called Little Fluffy Clouds that describes the light-pollution-free Arizonan sky quite perfectly, with amazing clouds, sunsets and stars. Most Arizonans - at some point in their lives - will lay on the hood of their car and gaze towards the grandness of those fluffy clouds and the Milky Way, but most probably won't come to the same conclusions that William did about it all.]]> Brian Singerman: "If I Play Gandhi, This Shakespeare Stuff Is Done" [TechCrunch TV] https://techcrunch.com/2010/07/17/brian-singerman-if-i-play-gandhi-this-shakespeare-stuff-is-done-techcrunch-tv/ Sun, 18 Jul 2010 01:17:08 +0000 https://techcrunch.com/?p=198219 This week's episode of Speaking Of... (video below) features venture capitalist Brian Singerman from Founders Fund. Brian has a passion for all types of gaming, especially strategy board games. Games such as The Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride and Through the Ages are starting to penetrate the entrepreneurial world due to people like Singerman, Reid Hoffman and David Hornick. I have some theories forming about gaming and business, but the most common theme I've seen is the love for the common framework that everyone shares with these games. Perhaps, in a world of subjectivity, there's comfort in determining winners by purely objective standards. There's only one thing Brian loves more than gaming and that's discovering and funding companies focused on health. He believes the only market bigger than the Internet is our longevity and that tech entrepreneurs should do more in this space. As for Gandhi, well, you'll have to watch the video to see what he has to do with all of this.]]> TechCrunch TV: Speaking Of… Detroit, Featuring Scott and Jay Adelson https://techcrunch.com/2010/07/09/techcrunch-tv-speaking-of-detroit-featuring-jay-and-scott-adelson/ Sat, 10 Jul 2010 00:35:15 +0000 https://techcrunch.com/?p=196003

Guest post by Cyan Banister... I've met a lot of engineers and entrepreneurs from Detroit and there's an underlying vibe that resonates from all of them: a specific attitude or work ethic - possibly left over from the automotive industry - that either causes them to try to work harder than their fathers or go against the grain trying to figure out how they can live life to its fullest. As Jay Adelson takes his first break from work in 20 years, we get to time travel with him go back to the land of Henry Ford (the ultimate Detroit entrepreneur) to see where people like Jay come from.]]> TechCrunch TV: Speaking Of… Hustling https://techcrunch.com/2010/07/01/techcrunch-tv-speaking-of-hustling/ Fri, 02 Jul 2010 02:09:48 +0000 https://techcrunch.com/?p=194219 Cyan Banister is CEO of Zivity. The first episode of her new show, 'Speaking of...' has just aired on TechCrunch TV and is now available on demand. In this guest post, she previews the first episode, and explains the concept for the show... I'm extremely excited to bring the TechCrunch community a new show that features the human side of business. Speaking Of... explores the side of entrepreneurs you've never seen before. It's an organic show that will grow from episode to episode and build on concepts throughout the year: one guest will inspire the invitation of another guest and theme, which will in turn inspire the next... and so on.]]>