Better Offline
Cool Zone Media and iHeartPodcasts
Better Offline is a weekly show exploring the tech industry’s influence and manipulation of society - and interrogating the growth-at-all-costs future that tech’s elite wants to build.
Combining narrative-form storytelling, one-on-one interviews and panel-based discussions, Better Offline cuts through the buzzwords and obfuscation of the tech industry, investigating and evaluating the schemes and scams of everyone from cryptocurrency scumbags to the greediest of the venture capital elite. Tech industry veteran Ed Zitron and a dynamic coterie of guests will help listeners understand the who, how and why of how tech’s most powerful players are changing the world - for better or for worse.
Combining narrative-form storytelling, one-on-one interviews and panel-based discussions, Better Offline cuts through the buzzwords and obfuscation of the tech industry, investigating and evaluating the schemes and scams of everyone from cryptocurrency scumbags to the greediest of the venture capital elite. Tech industry veteran Ed Zitron and a dynamic coterie of guests will help listeners understand the who, how and why of how tech’s most powerful players are changing the world - for better or for worse.
Episodes
Mentioned books
80 snips
May 13, 2026 • 55min
The Insanity of the Markets with Ben & Emil
Emil, co-host offering macro and retail-trader perspectives, and Ben, finance-focused co-host with trading stories, unpack social-media-fueled market mania. They trace finance-Twitter hive minds, meme-stock and semiconductor frenzies, cross-border retail flows, momentum trading and contagion risks. Short, sharp takes on narrative reflexes, FOMO and the emotional toll of trading.
93 snips
May 6, 2026 • 58min
CZM Rewind: Cory Doctorow and Ed Zitron on Enshittification and the Rot Economy
Cory Doctorow, author and digital-rights activist known for his work with the EFF, and Ed Zitron, tech commentator, discuss platform decay and the “rot economy.” They trace how search and social systems degrade, debate AI’s investment bubble and which AI bets leave lasting value, and lay out civic and worker actions to push back against tech’s harmful incentives.
116 snips
May 1, 2026 • 19min
Monologue: AI's Compute Demand Story Is A Lie
A sharp takedown of how a few companies are hoarding cloud GPU capacity and skewing AI economics. A breakdown of who is likely consuming most hyperscaler AI spend. A look at the VC-hyperscaler loop that props up overpriced infrastructure. A tour of billing quirks, inventory oddities, and what could trigger a broader reckoning.
113 snips
Apr 29, 2026 • 1h 7min
Palantir's Manifesto with June and Caleb from KTC
June (co‑host/producer at Kill The Computer) and Caleb (co‑host/producer at Kill The Computer) dissect Palantir’s 22‑point manifesto. They poke at calls for national service, tech as hard power, AI weaponization, and the manifesto’s cultural and political posturing. Expect sharp critique on militarism, tech celebrity, and the PR timing around the manifesto.
93 snips
Apr 24, 2026 • 11min
Monologue: How OpenAI Kills Oracle
A deep dive into the huge compute deals tying OpenAI to massive data center builds. A breakdown of Oracle's Stargate project, its timelines, costs, and GPU inventories. A look at the math of revenue, fundraising needs, and the financial risks if contracted payments fail. Questions about investor scrutiny and the obsolescence risk of long multi‑year hardware builds.
203 snips
Apr 22, 2026 • 59min
Cal Newport on Mythos and Anthropomorphization
Cal Newport, a computer science professor and writer on tech and productivity, joins to debunk AI hype and marketing stunts. He critiques doomy headlines, shaky job-loss studies, and the anthropomorphic chatty style of LLMs. They dissect overhyped agents, explain why LLMs make poor planners, and argue practical AI progress comes from engineering harnesses and smaller specialized models.
56 snips
Apr 17, 2026 • 12min
Monologue: On Dangerous Rhetoric
A sharp takedown of fear-driven AI rhetoric and how it heightens public anxiety. A critique of tech leaders who anthropomorphize models and hype job doomsday scenarios. An examination of how sensational claims and media amplification can inspire real-world harm. A call to treat large language models as ordinary software to reduce panic.
77 snips
Apr 15, 2026 • 48min
More, Everything, Forever With Adam Becker
Adam Becker, journalist and astrophysicist who writes and podcasts about tech and futures. He probes LLMs and chain-of-thought, critiques AI as an intellectual shortcut, questions agent-driven workflows and orbital data centers, and urges realistic, hopeful visions for better futures.
155 snips
Apr 9, 2026 • 43min
Investigating Altman With Ronan Farrow and Andrew Marantz
Andrew Marantz, New Yorker writer on tech and culture, and Ronan Farrow, investigative journalist, unpack Sam Altman and OpenAI. They trace the mysterious ouster and return, debate promises of safety versus investor pressures, and explore financial risks, power plays, and governance questions around advanced AI.
96 snips
Apr 7, 2026 • 41min
The Reality of AI Economics With Paul Kedrosky
Paul Kedrosky, an economist who studies tech markets and data center investment, breaks down the economics behind massive data center land buys and the brittle NVIDIA GPU market. He discusses how data centers shaped recent GDP, powered-land speculation, long-term purchase agreements, and why inference efficiency and new chips could upend current finance models.
