![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Screen-Shot-2020-07-07-at-2.03.59-PM.png)
Robin Raskin is the Founder of The Virtual Events Group, a community that explores how we will meet in a tech-first future. A long-time journalist, author, publisher, event producer, and industry advocate, Raskin was one of the early editors of PC Magazine, and one of the first women in technology publishing. She founded FamilyPC, and created Yahoo!Tech. In 2008 Raskin founded Living in Digital Times (LIDT), which was acquired by the Consumer Technology Association. She writes a weekly column about the intersection of technology and the economy for Techonomy. Raskin plays an active role in high-tech policy issues. She won a lifetime achievement award from the CTA in 2020.
Written Articles
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AI Generated Actors Are Already Here
The actors’ strike puts the spotlight on AI replacing performers. It’s early days, but soon it will impossible to know real from virtual.
By Robin Raskin
Dec 27, 2023![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IRA-Climate-300x169.jpg)
The Inflation Reduction Act Could be the New, New Deal
The biggest U.S. government investment in clean tech could be even larger than anticipated, in part by kickstarting the private sector.
By Robin Raskin
Sep 6, 2023![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Oppenheimer-Nuclear-Energy-300x169.png)
Oppenheimer’s Legacy: Nuclear Energy?
Charles Oppenheimer, grandson of J. Robert Oppenheimer, discusses his grandfather’s values and commitment to international cooperation.
By Robin Raskin
Sep 1, 2023![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/AI-snackable-content-2-300x169.jpg)
Generative AI: The Digital Version of Fast Food
Generative AI’s raison d’etre is to help us go faster. But snackable content can be digital junk food.
By Robin Raskin
Aug 4, 2023![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/reading-the-news-300x169.jpg)
News Alert: We Don’t Read It Anymore
A growing number of Americans actively avoid the news. And that is a problem for a well-informed democracy.
By Robin Raskin
Jul 7, 2023![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/venture-capital-disruption-300x169.jpg)
Challenging the VC Bros Status Quo
The mostly white, mostly male dominated VC community had its chance to widen the tent but has been too slow on the draw. Lemmings are not good for innovation.
By Robin Raskin
Jun 23, 2023![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/airplane-over-nyc-300x169.jpg)
As The World Burns
We’re beginning to learn to prepare for the unexpected now that the unexpected has become the norm. The realities of the climate crisis become harsher and more inescapable by the day.
By Robin Raskin
Jun 14, 2023![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/AR-Headset-Debate-300x169.jpg)
XR is Having a Moment – Will Headsets Share the Spotlight?
Headsets, AR, VR and XR become the rage again.
By Robin Raskin
Jun 6, 2023![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/attack-of-chatbots-300x169.jpg)
Attack of the Chatbots
In the early days of ChatGPT, you had to make a conscious effort to actively seek it out. Now, AI chatbots are becoming inescapable.
By Robin Raskin
May 19, 2023![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/dall-e-geoffrey-hinton-300x169.jpg)
AI Dangers: Real or Human Hallucination?
The backlash to advances in artificial intelligence have come in all shapes and forms, from mild concern to dramatic over-reactions. Here’s a look at the primary concerns.
By Robin Raskin
May 5, 2023![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/UN-Water-Week-300x169.jpg)
Inside the United Nations’ Water Week
Over 2 billion people lack access to safe drinking water, and around 4.2 billion people–more than half of the world's population–experience severe water scarcity for at least one month per year.
By Robin Raskin
Apr 7, 2023![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/tiktok-ban-300x194.jpg)
TikTok: Weapon of Destruction or Distraction
It’s time to consider that at its heart TikTok is a cultural tool of war attempting to lower the collective IQ of a new generation of American youth.
By Robin Raskin
Mar 17, 2023![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/generative-AI-prompt-300x169.jpg)
The Art of the AI Prompt
Mastering the new art and science of Generative AI is all about the power of a good prompt, breaking down the big vision of what you’d like to see and encapsulating it into as few words as possible.
By Robin Raskin
Mar 7, 2023![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/AI-neruosis-300x169.jpg)
Collective Neurosis in the Age of AI
It’s been a helluva month as Google and Microsoft unleash AI-powered search to a wary public.
By Robin Raskin
Feb 24, 2023![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/wall-street-goes-green-300x169.jpg)
Wall Street is Finally Ready to Go Green
Wall Street Green's Peter Fusaro believes we’ve moved beyond the education phase into an action and implementation phase that will benefit businesses, investors, and the planet.
By Robin Raskin
Feb 10, 2023![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/the-great-reshuffle-300x169.jpg)
The Great Reshuffle
The Great Resignation, the Great Layoffs, the quiet firings, the quiet hirings, the quiet quitting. Call the current work environment what you will, but at its core, what we’ve got is a Great Reshuffle, where how we work and get compensated may change forever.
By Robin Raskin
Feb 3, 2023![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/shutterstock_2037011399-300x157.jpg)
A Farm in the Cloud
Here’s a mind-blowing number: Roughly 2% of people in the United States grow the food that the other 98% of us consume. Novel agtech is changing what it means to farm.
By Robin Raskin
Jan 20, 2023![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/community-building-work-300x169.jpg)
Why Community Matters Now
Bringing people together effectively has become an increasingly important component of corporate strategy and employee retention. In a post-pandemic world, community building became elevated to an art form.
By Robin Raskin
Dec 22, 2022![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/tech-layoffs-300x169.jpg)
Understanding Tech’s Unexpected Season of Layoffs
In an economy that’s regaining momentum, the tech sector is the outlier, losing jobs faster than socks lose their mates in the dryer. So how does this economic uptick reconcile with the tumult in tech?
By Robin Raskin
Dec 9, 2022![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Susanna-Pollack-Games-for-Change-300x169.jpg)
Metaverse Hype Befuddles Everyone–Even Techonomists
Ask 10 people to define the metaverse and you’ll get 15 different answers. The recent conference served to highlight the metaversal concerns of digital sophisticates.
By Robin Raskin
Nov 23, 2022![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/gamification-education-300x169.jpg)
Can We Tokenize, Gamify, and Reality Augment Education?
New educational tools are incorporating curricula based on AI, gamification, AR and VR, and most interestingly, a collaboration that uses blockchain, token systems, and the creator economy. Here are three startups worth a look.
By Robin Raskin
Nov 18, 2022![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Jasper-AI-writing-300x169.jpg)
Now You Can Get an AI to Write for You
Generative AI is increasingly available to every person–software that can create works of art, music, video, code, and yes, even writing columns like this one, in response to your written commands. Such software was once the domain of computer scientists or enterprises with deep pockets. Now they’re affordable and rapidly heading toward mass market adoption. […]
By Robin Raskin
Oct 28, 2022![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Semiconductor-Chip-War-300x169.jpg)
The Next Cold War Has a Chip On Its Shoulder
I’m no longer hiding under my desk awaiting missiles, but don’t be surprised if you see me stockpiling chips in my desk drawer. Many companies have already reported doing the same, many of them Chinese companies.
By Robin Raskin
Oct 21, 2022![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/AI-Bill-of-Rights-green-2-300x169.jpg)
Biden Proclaims AI Bill of Rights (Kinda/Sorta)
As AI assumes more and more previously human tasks, ethicists, futurists, and legal minds are getting apoplectic, scurrying to get out ahead of the issues.
By Robin Raskin
Oct 14, 2022![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Louis-Rosenberg-robot-painting-MidJourney-300x169.jpg)
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Algorithm
AI-generated art from emerging products like Dall-e and Midjourney begs the question of what is creativity, what is art, who makes it, and who owns it.
By Robin Raskin
Sep 30, 2022![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/green-pc-300x169.jpg)
Green PCs Get an A for Effort
Conventional wisdom has it that PCs and electronics are just bad for the environment – think nasty chemicals, extreme water use, and e-waste. Manufacturers are making progress, with more on the horizon.
By Robin Raskin
Sep 16, 2022![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Frida-Kahlo-Decentraland-metaverse-300x169.png)
Who’s Curating the Show?
The art market highlights the problems with a decentralized world. It may ultimately mean that there is no one entity that dominates the scene, but principles of trust and community will result in awesome art creations.
By Robin Raskin
Sep 2, 2022![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/kyiv-tech-summit-hackathon-ukraine-300x169.jpg)
The Kyiv Tech Summit: Hacking for Ukraine
The hackathon will engage the blockchain community and others. Programmers, designers, and innovators aim to build tech to "make wartime life easier."
By Robin Raskin
Aug 26, 2022![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/guide-to-iot-smart-home-300x169.jpg)
The Sustainable Consumer’s Guide to Smart Devices
Little devices can make a big difference in reducing your carbon footprint. Here’s a quick overview.
By Robin Raskin
Aug 12, 2022![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/solana-store-hudson-yards-300x169.jpg)
Apple Store, Microsoft Store, Crypto Store?
Solana Spaces was conceived to help demystify crypto and create a sort of ever-changing hangout for fans who are expected to keep exploring the store's latest additions.
By Robin Raskin
Jul 29, 2022![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Dots-Home-Game-300x169.jpg)
Can a Game Change Lives?
More than one third of the world's population plays video games. The Games for Change Festival spotlights how games can be a force for good.
By Robin Raskin
Jul 22, 2022![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/metaverse-porn-raskin-300x169.jpg)
The Metaverse, Porn, and the Future
The fallback definition of porn has been “I can’t define it, but I know it when I see it”. The definition of the metaverse may be “I’m in it, but I don’t know it.”
By Robin Raskin
Jul 8, 2022![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/metaverse-standards-3-300x169.jpg)
Khronos and Friends Embark on a Metaverse MetaStandard
Avatars, navigation, security, the transportability of purchases and wallets, and what you can view with your VR headsets–it’s all completely dependent on which metaverse you visit. This is a real problem.
By Robin Raskin
Jul 1, 2022![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/bored-ape-crypto-climate-300x169.jpg)
The Greening of Crypto: Proof of Stake and Beyond
Crypto is feeling intense pain right now. But the ecosystem must address a thorny problem as it comes of age: energy consumption.
By Robin Raskin
Jun 24, 2022![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/metaverse-cities-digital-twins-300x169.jpg)
How Governments are Solving Real Problems In the Metaverse
Cevat Yerli wants a metaverse rooted in pragmatism, optimism and happiness. He’s not alone.
By Robin Raskin
Jun 23, 2022![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Bitcoin-crash-june-22-300x169.png)
Keep Calm and Crypto On
Despite daily reports of bad news about cryptocurrencies, the true believers at Consensus in mid June remained optimistic. Community leaders share why that was.
By Robin Raskin
Jun 17, 2022![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/crypto-run-300x169.jpg)
Amid Tumult, Crypto Industry Seeks Regulation
A crypto movement that once tried to circumvent governments and regulators of any kind is finally raising its hand and begging to be regulated.
By Robin Raskin
Jun 17, 2022![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/sheryl-sandberg-steps-down-300x169.jpg)
Sheryl Sandberg’s Complicated Legacy
Sandberg will be remembered as the Wendy to Peter Pan and the Lost Boys. Her legacy also includes blame for how Facebook amplified divisiveness in humankind. That is a heavy burden.
By Robin Raskin
Jun 3, 2022![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/paywalls-making-us-stupid-300x169.jpg)
Blocked By Paywalls: Subscriptions Make Us Stupid
One-size-fits all paywalls for publishers create societal problems. Time for new models to make sure our news needs are being met.
By Robin Raskin
May 27, 2022![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Video-AI-1-300x169.jpg)
AI Comes Out of the Closet
AI is being used to make all kinds of everyday digital tasks more efficient and easy. The software can do many things you used to have to do yourself–in video editing, dieting, fitness, and plenty of other activities.
By Robin Raskin
May 20, 2022![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/abortion-rights-supreme-court-300x169.jpg)
We Need to Change the Abortion Rights Narrative
Banning abortion pushes the U.S. towards the path of becoming a third rate power, with uneducated, unemployable citizens whose lives will need to be subsidized by government dollars.
By Robin Raskin
May 6, 2022![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Earth-Day-Pandemic-300x169.jpg)
Let’s Take Climate As Seriously as the Pandemic
The image of a cleaner planet we experienced during the early pandemic was not a mirage. While we can’t live in lockdown, we can learn its lessons.
By Robin Raskin
Apr 22, 2022![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/kids-metaverse-nfts-300x169.jpg)
The Kids Metaverse is (Sort of) Open for Business
Grownups have gotten so excited about what they could do in the metaverse that they’ve all but ignored the kids. And for understandable reasons.
By Robin Raskin
Apr 13, 2022![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Metaverse-Fashion-Week-300x169.jpg)
Wings are the Newest Accessory (at Metaverse Fashion Week)
Metaverse Fashion Week was a celebration of virtual sartorial style with over 70 participating brands. From the silly to the sublime, it offered a glimpse at a future where distinctions between reality and digital will blur.
By Robin Raskin
Apr 1, 2022![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/cryptocurrency-regulation-announcement-300x169.jpg)
Crypto: Finally Something We Can All Agree On?
Can government agencies move fast enough to ensure the U.S. remains the leader in digital assets? At least business and Washington are more or less now on the same page.
By Robin Raskin
Mar 25, 2022![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Robin-Raskin-SXSW-avatar-300x169.jpg)
NFTs at SXSW: They Came, They Minted, They Conquered
If the metaverse is the next web, promising fully immersive digital destinations, then NFTs are increasingly positioned as a ticket to get in.
By Robin Raskin
Mar 18, 2022![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/shutterstock_1032759394-300x225.jpg)
Crypto Goes to War
Russia and Ukraine are among the world’s most crypto-conscious countries. Now cryptocurrency is helping both sides. Russians want to evade sanctions, while Ukraine aims to tap crypto wealth.
By Robin Raskin
Mar 4, 2022![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/fintech-diversity-300x169.jpg)
Fintech Means Economic Inclusion
Fintech is creating a wider, more inclusive tent for those who want access to financial services. Innovators have done that by focusing on the pain points in today’s financial system.
By Robin Raskin
Feb 25, 2022![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/FTX-Superbowl-Ad-Larry-David-300x169.jpeg)
The CryptoBowl Preyed on Its Audience
If you take a bunch of Super Bowl fans already punch drunk on chicken wings and beer and serve them up the suggestion of easy gains in crypto, it’s a recipe for risky behavior.
By Robin Raskin
Feb 18, 2022![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/911-technology-300x169.jpg)
9-1-1 Gets a High Tech Facelift
Mobile phones brought huge changes to 9-1-1 emergency systems. Now the internet of things and AI will take them to the next level, improving safety for all of us.
By Robin Raskin
Feb 11, 2022![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/decentraland-300x157.png)
A Child’s Garden of (Meta) Verse
The metaverse exists mostly in the vivid imaginations of its creators. These cheeky poems take you on a tour through the digital landscape.
By Robin Raskin
Feb 4, 2022![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/shutterstock_1118597414-300x200.jpg)
My City, My Warehouse
Dark stores, ghost kitchens, and/or micro fulfillment centers are the latest assault on urban topography. These warehouses live right in your neighborhood, in order to get goods and meals delivered faster than ever.
By Robin Raskin
Jan 27, 2022![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/CES-2022-300x175.jpg)
At CES 2022 Smaller Voices Made Bigger Noise
CES 2022 was a very different sort of show and that may have a big influence in how trade shows, especially this one, are designed in the future.
By Robin Raskin
Jan 19, 2022![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/CoosBonfik-Chair-Green-Screen-300x210.jpg)
HO, HO, HO, WTF!
'Tis the season to be jolly (if possible) and work from home yet again. So let your gift list reflect that! For loved ones still trapped by their screens, here’s Raskin's last-minute list of gifts to make working at home at least a better experience.
By Robin Raskin
Dec 22, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/shutterstock_534851326-300x200.jpg)
Art Basel Meets the NFT Cool Kids
NFTs continue their invasion of the art world, most recently at Art Basel. The rich, newly-rich, and JPEG-rich converged in proximity to Basquiat et al.
By Robin Raskin
Dec 17, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/patricia-prudente-qESmLLXAmWs-unsplash-300x169.jpg)
Like Taking Candy from Babies: Grownups in the Metaverse
I see caution flags about how kids will be catered to in this new world everywhere. Now that we’re all big babies in the metaverse, it’s time to make sure we’re minding the real babies with a lot more intention.
By Robin Raskin
Dec 3, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Screen-Shot-2021-11-19-at-11.41.25-AM-300x148.png)
How the Pandemic Birthed the Metaverse
Forced isolation, ad fatigue, the desire to be recognized as a full-fledged citizen with rights in cyberspace, and some fantastic technology advancements are bringing us to the birth of the metaverse. It’s still just gestating.
By Robin Raskin
Nov 19, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/superstrata-bike-crop-300x169.png)
Arevo and Our 3D-Printed Future
Are we on the edge of breaking through, poised to transform how we as humans will make things forever? This CEO thinks so.
By Robin Raskin
Nov 12, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Frances-Haugen-Web-Summit-2021-scaled-1-300x168.jpg)
Frances Haugen: I’ve Come Not to Bury Facebook, But to Save It
A change in leadership, employees with backgrounds in humanities, and a switch so a "slower, smaller" approach – this whistleblower darling is on a crusade to save lives by saving Facebook.
By Robin Raskin
Nov 4, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/mark-zuckerberg-meta-announcement-300x200.jpeg)
Lilliputians Will Tie Up Gulliver in the Metaverse
The metaverse was supposed to be open, not owned by anyone, and interoperable between all platforms. Does that sound like Facebook to you?
By Robin Raskin
Oct 29, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/supply-chain-shortages-300x225.jpg)
The Stuff Shortage is a First World Problem
Shortages in the labor market; ports that can’t offload container ships; rising prices–it’s a recipe for a stuff shortage. Taming the supply chain is going to take a concerted effort on many fronts.
By Robin Raskin
Oct 22, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/shutterstock_1971640259-300x200.jpg)
Instagram for Kids: Doomed from the Start
Will Facebook continue wading into the quagmire of children’s digital content or double down on the next generation gold rush – the metaverse?
By Robin Raskin
Oct 1, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Picture1-14-300x163.png)
NFTs: Sh**t Show or Shift to A New Kind of Commerce?
NFTs are being touted as the cure for just about everything that can ail us. Not since the Internet itself has a single concept opened up so much opportunity, speculation and conversely, trepidation.
By Robin Raskin
Sep 24, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/magnet-me-JUpaXbh-Fgc-unsplash-300x200.jpg)
Robin’s Rules of Order: New Models for the Workplace
Right now, companies are fumbling. It’s time to apply a new set of metrics to how work is measured, how it’s compensated, and how much of it can be done remotely.
By Robin Raskin
Sep 16, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Portrait-of-a-Graduate-300x192.png)
Spiritual Opium: China Limits Kids’ Online Gaming Time
Chinese officials unveiled tough new limits on the amount of time its young people can spend playing video games, calling them “opium for the mind.“ Let the experiment begin.
By Robin Raskin
Sep 1, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Zoom-Apps-Raskin-300x287.jpg)
Zoom Wants to Be the Center of Your Universe. What Could Go Wrong?
Apps are likely to end up a great way to take rigidity and sameness out of Zoom meetings. But for the moment, to have better meetings you need fewer tools, not more.
By Robin Raskin
Aug 27, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Ariana-Grande-Fortnite-300x198.png)
Niantic Calls the Current Metaverse Dystopian
CEO John Hanke made waves this week by saying we should concentrate on building a better reality, not sleeker alternative ones.
By Robin Raskin
Aug 13, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/shutterstock_697494421-300x200.jpg)
The Shrink in Your Pocket Will See You Now
We are a nation on the verge of a collective nervous breakdown. But are apps the answer?
By Robin Raskin
Aug 5, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Branson-Bezos-Musk-300x188.jpg)
What the Moon and the Metaverse Have in Common
Uncharted territory. The lure of the unknown. And just like with the explorers of yore, the course of history will inevitably be altered by greed, motive, and human error.
By Robin Raskin
Jul 30, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Period-tracking_Clue-04-300x200.jpg)
Women’s Problems: Can FemTech Offer Relief?
The health care industry has left a gaping hole in serving its largest segment. These products might democratize access to health care for women.
By Robin Raskin
Jul 23, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/shutterstock_642618100-300x200.jpg)
Techonomy’s Summer Reading List
Settle down with one of these good new books by Eggers or Isaacson, among others. You'll gain major insight about tech and might even have fun (depending on the book).
By Robin Raskin
Jul 15, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Commuters-Lamment-NYC-Subway-1-300x192.jpg)
Workers Unite
Now that they’ve tasted the sweet cheese of working from home, the rat race has less appeal.
By Robin Raskin
Jul 2, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/shutterstock_767432839-300x200.png)
Now that we can measure everything, do you feel you’re not measuring up?
First it was steps, then sleep, but now tech is measuring what you say, how you say it, and whether or not people like it. It all has dystopian impact.
By Robin Raskin
Jun 25, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/big-tech-monopoly-break-up-300x225.jpg)
Breaking Up (Companies) is Hard to Do–But It Can Happen
AT&T was broken up in the 80’s. That same year, a giant antitrust suit against IBM was dropped. But both companies broke into parts. The past can instruct the present.
By Robin Raskin
Jun 17, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/shutterstock_95376838-300x200.jpg)
An Ode to the Business Card
The death of the business card may be inevitable. But it has an awful lot of cultural, historical, business, and even creative significance.
By Robin Raskin
Jun 11, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Screen-Shot-2021-06-03-at-12.27.53-PM-300x257.png)
The New Mood Ring
The “affect recognition” market could be worth $56 billion by 2024. But humans misread human emotion, why should computers fare better?
By Robin Raskin
Jun 3, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/download-300x158.jpeg)
Beauty Goes Digital–Offline and On
Despite face masks, beauty products sold beautifully during the pandemic. And the industry furthered its pivot to digital, not only online but in stores. Virtual lipstick try-on, anyone?
By Robin Raskin
May 28, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/gRail-1-scaled-1-300x225.jpg)
How Cold and Impersonal Should Grocery Shopping Get?
Tech companies are moving quickly towards grab and go shopping. But as clerks disappear, do we really want to lose the human touch as we do our rounds?
By Robin Raskin
May 20, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Screen-Shot-2021-05-13-at-12.20.23-PM-300x247.png)
I’ll Miss Bill and Melinda
Never underestimate the woman who marries a geek.
By Robin Raskin
May 13, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Yahoo-Aol-Apollo-1-300x188.jpg)
AOL and Yahoo: More Media Lives than the Kardashians
Can a private equity firm do better than a telecom as an owner? Don’t throw out your AOL or Yahoo email addresses just yet.
By Robin Raskin
May 7, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/shutterstock_1741867793-300x157.png)
Digital Twins Grow Up
2021 is being hailed as the birth of a mirrored world, where digital simulations and real life will work in concert. Digital twins will be used to create ultra-realistic, bi-directional simulations of everything from smart cities to manufacturing processes, aeronautics, clinical health trials and supply chains.
By Robin Raskin
Apr 29, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Screen-Shot-2021-04-23-at-9.45.50-AM-300x228.png)
Can Facebook Break the Sound Barrier?
Facebook this week announced a sweeping audio-forward campaign. In a rare interview with a journalist, Zuckerberg elaborated on Facebook’s ambitious plans.
By Robin Raskin
Apr 23, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/image-6-2-300x160.png)
Perfecting the Art of the Virtual (Meeting)
Columnist Raskin has become, during Covid, a curator of the exploding field of event technologies. Here are some innovative ones. Join her own event to learn more.
By Robin Raskin
Apr 15, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/daria-nepriakhina-gGoi4QTXXBA-unsplash-300x200.png)
Can Tech Help Creatives Earn a Decent Living
The creative industry – art, music, the theatre – was hit hard by the pandemic. Can new tech help them finally get recognized for what they're worth?
By Robin Raskin
Apr 8, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/shutterstock_1831757866-300x203.jpg)
Lessons Learned or Post-Covid Amnesia?
The past 12 months have tested us to a near biblical degree. We’ll spend the rest of eternity unpacking its lessons. The risk lies in forgetting everything we’ve learned.
By Robin Raskin
Apr 1, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/shutterstock_239466208-300x200.jpg)
Nature + Tech = Sustainable Fashion
In the future textile manufacturing will be part farm, part chemistry lab, and part factory. Nature and high tech don't have to be at odds.
By Robin Raskin
Mar 26, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/shutterstock_1810422307-300x205.jpg)
Audio: 2021’s Comeback Kid
We’ve had a lot of time to listen this past year, and a lot of incentive to move away from our screens. The year 2021 will be good on the ears.
By Robin Raskin
Mar 18, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NFT-Fungible-Vs-Non-Fungible-300x237.gif)
The Next Land Grab Is Digital (An NFT Tutorial)
Where do you go when the things you want in real life are already spoken for? The latest For Sale sign is for all things digital.
By Robin Raskin
Mar 11, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/shutterstock_1694685340-300x200.jpg)
Till we Meet Again (at Conferences)
Most notable large live events of this coming spring and summer are being canceled for the second year in a row. But as we start to see the light at the end of the tunnel, there’s lots of collective soul searching about how we should meet again.
By Robin Raskin
Mar 5, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/shutterstock_272095901-300x200.jpg)
How Much Do You Owe in 2020 Taxes–and To Whom? It’s A Mess.
Upwards of 55% of the population worked remotely during the pandemic. With April 15th approaching, keep your financial planner on speed dial.
By Robin Raskin
Feb 24, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/shell-games-history-maker-VR-300x169.png)
Pandemic-Inspired Digital Innovation May Transform Education
As education remains deeply impaired by the pandemic, schools will have to push the envelope further, incorporating technologies like 3D, augmented reality, voice tools, and AI learning. Here are a few technologies we think hold particular promise.
By Robin Raskin
Feb 17, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/gamestop-300x300.gif)
Why GameStop Was the Wrong Company to Lionize
The GameStop saga is more than a David/Goliath saga of Redditors versus Wall Streeters. It’s the story of reality versus the both of them.
By Robin Raskin
Feb 4, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/shutterstock_1499165804-300x200.jpg)
Why Social Media Ought to Know Its Customers
Facebook suggests that 5% of active monthly users are fake. Social media giants should look to banking's Know York Customer (KYC) tenets for solutions.
By Robin Raskin
Jan 27, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/name-badge-scaled-1-300x225.jpeg)
Cleanliness is Next to Techieness at CES 2021
Walking through the all-digital CES proved there’s an awful lot of new tech that aims to keep us safer and more hygienic as we emerge from the pandemic. Here are just a few of the products showcasing tech-infused cleanliness.
By Robin Raskin
Jan 14, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/VIDCON-AMA-1-300x184.png)
In 2021 Digital Communities Will Deepen–and Even Blend
Discord, Substack, Patreon, and the metaverse are just the tip of the community iceberg.
By Robin Raskin
Jan 8, 2021![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/shutterstock_1663136242-300x200.jpg)
Vaccination Nation: Digital Health Passports Will Be the Rage in 2021
COVID is forcing us to reimagine a digital immunization records. How we approach it may change how we control the virus, reinvigorate the economy, and open the world after lockdown.
By Robin Raskin
Dec 23, 2020![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Screen-Shot-2020-12-17-at-12.03.41-PM-300x233.png)
CES 2021 Will Showcase Plenty of Truly Useful Tech
Viewed through a screen, CES may offer us a glimpse at more substance and less glitz than if we were shuffling through the throngs at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Here’s a sneak peek at some of the technologies we should really be celebrating.
By Robin Raskin
Dec 17, 2020![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/shutterstock_280908281-300x260.jpg)
What did you learn in the pandemic?
2020 made us question a lot of assumptions. Here are a few tenets 2020 shattered and rearranged.
By Robin Raskin
Dec 10, 2020![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/shutterstock_1555751210-300x200.jpg)
“Ghost Kitchens” Rise to Meet To-Go Demand
There's a new kind of restaurant where food gets cooked but not served. Such establishments may be the savior of the hard-hit industry. And they're giving all of us a wide range of at-home choices.
By Robin Raskin
Dec 4, 2020![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/shutterstock_1733872811-300x150.jpg)
Swipe Left to Connect: Dating Apps Set the Stage for Business
We’ve mastered attending virtual conferences, but the human connection is hard to find. We’re housebound, with screens our only portal for meeting new people. So a few new companies are taking their cues from the singles scene to come up with solutions.
By Robin Raskin
Nov 25, 2020![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/shutterstock_1709798407-300x200.jpg)
The Thriving Do-Not-Touch Economy
“Do Not Touch” is this year’s revenue battle cry. Proximity sensing, voice, NFC, 5G, sensors, and the cloud are just some of the enabling technologies that make it all possible.
By Robin Raskin
Nov 19, 2020![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Cutting-the-Cord-200x300.jpg)
The Cell Phone’s Father Speaks Out
Martin Cooper is universally celebrated as the father of the modern cell phone. His new memoir is a manifesto that addresses the innate need for people to communicate–past, present and future.
By Robin Raskin
Nov 12, 2020![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/shutterstock_1687034341-300x192.jpg)
For Homebound Kids, the Play’s the Thing
Among the laundry list of behaviors that have been upended by the pandemic is what constitutes playtime for kids. Playdates, playgrounds, and outdoor sports all but evaporated as the world locked down. Screens became the intermediary between kids and the physical world. The silver lining is that parents got to watch and even participate in […]
By Robin Raskin
Nov 5, 2020![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/shutterstock_1838857231-300x172.jpg)
PayPal Now Pals With Bitcoin
Earlier this month PayPal announced that in the U.S. it would begin accepting Bitcoin. This marriage further legitimizes the crypto evolution.
By Robin Raskin
Oct 29, 2020![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/zoomtopia-300x150.png)
Will Zoom Be Your New Happy Place? For Everything?
With 300 million daily participant meetings, Zoom now aims to move from being just a video conference solution to become a digital ecosystem, "delivering happiness."
By Robin Raskin
Oct 22, 2020![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Screen-Shot-2020-10-16-at-9.23.11-AM-300x160.png)
Desperately Seeking Talent: Technology Association Report Underscores Shortage of Skilled Workers
Three in four tech companies face difficulty finding candidates with the right skills and abilities. A triple cocktail is moving the dial right now on how to address the school-to- work pipeline, creating vast opportunities for smart educators and smart companies to step up, work to help people, and lessen the friction between schools and business.
By Robin Raskin
Oct 16, 2020![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Screen-Shot-2020-10-08-at-12.49.13-PM-300x170.png)
Pandemic Fashion and Beauty: Does Reality Still Matter?
As we stare at our screens for a larger portion of each day, the lines between real and digital are getting fuzzier. Phase 2 of screen life will blur real and digital even more.
By Robin Raskin
Oct 8, 2020![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/perfect-corp-300x169.jpg)
The Beauty Industry Bows to the Pandemic Beast
Tech is reshaping the beauty industry in its own image, turning it more reliant on screens, AI, AR, and personalization. Here are some changes, from the mundane to the sublime, we can expect to linger in the half-trillion-dollar business of cosmetics and personal care products.
By Robin Raskin
Oct 1, 2020![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/shutterstock_1748417447-300x173.jpg)
Crypto will Rise from the Pandemic
People often say the greatest tech innovations emerge from crises. Crypto may be the place to watch this time.
By Robin Raskin
Sep 24, 2020![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Apple_watch-series-6-Aluminum-blue-case-blood-oxygen-animation_09152020-300x300.gif)
Sick Care or Health Care: 10 Post-Covid Expectations for American Healthcare
A major tech-infused healthcare movement has been in the works for more than a decade. COVID just kicked it into high gear. Here are ten things you need to think about.
By Robin Raskin
Sep 16, 2020![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/ParlerApp-300x225.jpeg)
I Joined Parler So You Didn’t Have To
As Facebook and Twitter begin to flag more hate speech and misinformation, new social media hangouts step up to fill the void, for those who don’t like such censorship.
By Robin Raskin
Sep 9, 2020![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/rendered-300x200.jpg)
Your Camera Knows You’re the Picture of Health–or If You Have COVID
Several companies are developing technology that can read your vital signs (and screen for COVID) via your smartphone camera simply by looking at your face.
By Robin Raskin
Aug 27, 2020![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Screen-Shot-2020-08-20-at-9.50.10-AM-300x189.png)
Gaming Is Changing the Ecosystem of Tech
If you want to see the future of technology and policy, look no further than digital gaming. Not only are they at the cutting edge in consumer behavior, gaming apps like Fortnite are now in the middle of a national debate about state-of-the-art tech regulation.
By Robin Raskin
Aug 20, 2020![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/shutterstock_1762171961-300x79.jpg)
Finally, AI for the Masses?
OpenAI's GPT-3 was recently described as “the most powerful 'language model' ever created" and has the potential to be the poor man's road to AI riches.
By Robin Raskin
Aug 12, 2020![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/tiktok-microsoft-300x200.jpg)
Why Microsoft Shouldn’t Buy TikTok
A Microsoft acquisition won’t end well, argues Raskin. Here's why she's rooting for a complete spinoff of TikTok, creating a new American company.
By Robin Raskin
Aug 5, 2020![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/fake-covid-claims-video-300x190.png)
As Fake Videos Threaten, New Tools Help Fight Back
As video becomes the hieroglyphics of our time, we’ll rely on it to communicate more than ever. And increasingly we’re coming to doubt the veracity of all things video.
By Robin Raskin
Jul 30, 2020![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/shutterstock_1569498097-300x199.jpg)
Will TikTok Get Its Green Card?
Controlled by a Chinese media conglomerate and the social media of choice for U.S. 16-24-year-olds, TikTok is being scrutinized and dissected by everyone.
By Robin Raskin
Jul 22, 2020![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Hamilton-Bway-300x170.gif)
What Hamilton Tells Us About Silicon Valley
The parallels to today’s Silicon Valley should not be lost. Hamilton’s crew were eking out a framework for democracy. Theirs was a very serious sort of start-up.
By Robin Raskin
Jul 8, 2020![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/shutterstock_1763985593-300x200.jpg)
Why Americans Hate Contact Tracing
Americans are about as likely to report they’ve had Covid-19 and turn over their contacts as they are to report they’ve got head lice or STDs.
By Robin Raskin
Jul 2, 2020![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/shutterstock_729947554-300x169.jpg)
These Tech Nonprofits for Seniors Pivoted Online–With Challenges
Covid-19 has been particularly unkind to older people and has exacerbated what’s been called the Loneliness Epidemic. Now nonprofits are using tech to provide a better quality of life for aging and disabled populations.
By Robin Raskin
Jun 25, 2020![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/summercamp-cancelled-stamp-300x255.jpg)
That Scream You Hear? A Parent Facing Summer Without Camp
With summer camp essentially impossible, innovative parents are turning to alternatives. There are lots of online programs or you can restructure family life, but there are ways to avoid parental burnout this summer.
By Robin Raskin
Jun 18, 2020![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/shutterstock_796315264-2-300x152.jpg)
Will Tech Finally Stop Excluding People of Color?
The tech industry is a redoubt of "white guys doing business." Only 2.8% of Google's U.S. employees are Black. Will today's historic protests finally lead to more inclusion?
By Robin Raskin
Jun 11, 2020![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Apple-Watch-EKG-1-300x179.png)
Now Every Doctor’s a “Teledoc” But What’s Next?
Before the pandemic less than 10% of the American population had tried telehealth services. Most of us felt telehealth generally wasn’t much more than a doctor-directed self examination. “Where does it hurt? Do you have a fever? ” A typical session via companies like Teladoc, Amwell or HealthTap took 15 minutes and cost something like […]
By Robin Raskin
May 28, 2020![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/hopin-platform-example-scaled-1-300x164.jpg)
Raskin’s Special Awards for Virtual Events Platforms
The gold rush is on to move live events and conferences online. These are some companies to consider if you want to host an event in this stay-at-home era. The list of companies claiming to turn your event virtual is vast, but I found these to be the pick of the litter.
By Robin Raskin
May 19, 2020![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/neal-ferguson-300x149.png)
Golden Gate Bridge Fatigue, and Other Tales From the Brave New World of Online Events
It’s only been 6 weeks since most large gatherings and events were canceled. Many of us are quickly finding out that, when done right, online events and conferences can be a lot less expensive and remain effective in surprising ways.
By Robin Raskin
May 12, 2020![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/spira-300x225.png)
Inspired at CES, Seattle Teenagers Tackle Tech to Diagnose Covid-19
At ages 15 and 16 respectively, Sage Khanuja and Nikolas Ioannou were among five winners of Young Innovators to Watch award at CES in January. Their project, Spria, was a low-cost 3D-printed device that could, when administered with a mobile app survey, detect early signs of COPD. Now, they’re developing a smartphone-based technology to offer clinical-quality testing to assess lung capacity just with a phone alone.
By Robin Raskin
May 5, 2020![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/20200422_195037-scaled-1-300x225.jpg)
Yes There is Still Good News, and It’s Amplified Online
A new type of high-tech busking is emerging, and a big canvas that is both isolated and worldwide is taking root. Raskin explains and puts your FOMO at ease with her calendar-based compendium of live, virtual events.
By Robin Raskin
Apr 28, 2020![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Rip-Van-Winkled-800-300x239.jpg)
We’re Rip Van Winkled–What Happens When We Wake?
The idea of sleeping through a defining moment of American history resonates. What will it look like when we walk out of this world-wide pause and find ourselves in a world transformed?
By Robin Raskin
Apr 21, 2020![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Zoom-Techonomy-Roundtable-300x173.jpg)
A Boomer Zoomer Talks to Zoom’s Chief Product Officer
Oded Gal is Chief Product Officer at Zoom. Raskin spoke with him the morning after her family’s Zoom Passover Seder and right after a morning Zoom gym class.
By Robin Raskin
Apr 13, 2020![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Covid-Learning-300x200.jpg)
The Covid Shock Jolts Digital Learning to Life
As Covid-19 spread, more than 1.4 billion students worldwide suddenly found themselves booted out of the classroom. That began a scramble to create or adopt a makeshift curriculum that could be delivered online.
By Robin Raskin
Apr 6, 2020![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/shutterstock_1424448053-scaled-1-300x200.jpg)
What if the Stimulus Package Went Digital?
There’s no better time for the U.S. to embrace digital currencies. It could instantly get funds into the hands of American consumers. Speaker Pelosi’s first stimulus bill even discussed it. A crisis is often when great technologies take off.
By Robin Raskin
Mar 29, 2020![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/shutterstock_1504724594-300x200.jpg)
Are We Ready for a Do-Not-Touch World?
Touching was already getting touchier. Now, life under threat of COVID-19 is the ultimate touchless state. But as we reign in touch we lose communication and comfort.
By Robin Raskin
Mar 21, 2020![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/shutterstock_1637161819-scaled-e1584053341550-300x169.jpg)
The World Wide Pause
Coronavirus is putting our world on pause, writes this normally peripatetic conference-goer. Amidst the inconvenience, she finds inspiration for embracing the slowdown from, of all things, the Grateful Dead.
By Robin Raskin
Mar 11, 2020Videos
![](https://i3.ytimg.com/vi/PsmO4Rq67dI/mqdefault.jpg)
Matty Lin and Billy Mann on How TikTok’s Social Media Triumph is Changing Gen Z – and Society
It’s no secret it has blown up and changed social media, allowing creatives to express themselves, and turning everyone into creatives. And now more and more brands are finding ways to collaborate with these largely young creatives.
By Robin Raskin
Jul 21, 2020Events
![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Mike-Schroepfer-TE22-300x169.jpg)
Techonomy 22
Innovation and technology have the power to save us – if we act rapidly in multiple realms. We face daunting dilemmas – the climate crisis, war, a continuing global pandemic, refugees, and gyrating economies. But there is hope.
By Robin Raskin
Apr 6, 2022![](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Copy-of-Copy-of-Copy-of-Copy-of-National-Teachers-Day-Event-Poster-1-300x251.png)
Techonomy Virtual: Reset + Restore
The combination of the Covid-19 crisis and the heightened awareness of racial injustice is unprecedented. This is a historic moment in so many ways and our speakers took an in-depth look at the ongoing transformations in business, technology, social life, ethics, health, and global relations.
By Robin Raskin
Feb 10, 2020![newsletter icon](https://s45834.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/newsletter-icon.png)
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