Geeks & Beats

What do Mark Hamill, Wutang Clan, James Spader, Pearl Jam, Pokemon Go, Spotify, Augmented Reality, Samsung, and a vinyl pressing plant fire all have in common? This episode. The post The B Material appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

Valentine's Day shouldn't just be for new couples, amirite? Pol Gerbeau of Desire Games on his "Dare" app for married couples, Michael browses "the best edibles for a romantic evening" while Alan fears his wife's reaction to the app. The post Married Valentine appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

The rise of the iPod marked the decline of the dominance of the Home Stereo. But as streaming audio dominates, HD audio is making a comeback - and Apple should be worried. Mark Cohen of Audeze joins us to talk about the return of High Fidelity. Plus: Ground Zero for the Coronavirus is also the home of China's punk scene, and why we've been KICKED OFF SPOTIFY The post The Return of High Fidelity appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

A new study has found AI is better at spotting breast cancer than a doctor. A super team of researchers from Google Health, Imperial College London, the National Health Service and Northwestern University have trained an AI model on X-ray images from almost 29,000 women. The post Doctor AI appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

The geeks look back at the creative force behind Rush, why Star Trek Picard may determine the future of CBS All Access thanks to subscription fatigue, and Dr. House in Spaaaace…. The post Neil Peart appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

Cannabis journalist Jameson Berkow joins us to talk about why the best gadget at CES 2020 may have been a Vape Pen from CES 2016. Plus, the founders of high-tech marijuana humidor maker Keep Labs walked away from CES 2020 and an award after being told they couldn't tell attendees their biometric security device was […] The post The Technology of Getting High, David Lee Roth Review appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

Join the geeks as we eat our way through CES 2020, Michael discovers IOT-powered diapers, field reporter Andy Baryer finds a Samsung TV that rotates itself to portrait mode for vertical video, and Alan uncovers a doggy door that keeps you from getting out of bed in the middle of the night for your pooch. […] The post Live from CES 2020 appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

We close 2019 with our good friend and music producer Brent Bodrug to talk all about Men At Work's song, "Down Under" – and not the version that was the hit song of the 1980s. Released in 1981 by Australian band, Men At Work, the song reached Platinum certification in the US and the UK, […] The post The Original "Down Under" by Men At Work appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

It was a weird year. And not just that a Canadian tops the streaming charts, the Raptors were the most searched term, or that the world's biggest porn site reports Grandma watches for longer than her grandkids. 2019 in Music Let's look back at music of 2019. Spotify is notorious from having AMAZING analytics at […] The post 2019: The Year in Streaming, Search, and Sex appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

1/5th of the Kids in the Hall joins the geeks from the block-heater capital of Canada to talk about getting the band back together, why he's not the least bit qualified to write and sing in a rock opera, and why the hell he's living in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The post Kevin McDonald's Rock Opera and Other Oddities appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

Social Media Guy Stewart Reynolds tells us why Tik Tok doesn't get sued for music sampling, his inaugural Social Media North conference, and why U2 is just getting big halfway around the world. The post Social Media North appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

The music industry is locked in a cold war for gold records. And in the digital streaming age, the weapons are algorithms. Entertainment Intelligence founder Greg Delaney joins us from the London bureau to talk about how an avalanche of data is burying artists who don't adapt to the modern age. The post Entertainment Intelligence appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

Beatie Wolfe wants you to get excited about listening to music again. Here's how she's going to do it. The post Orange Juice for the Ears with Beatie Wolfe appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

Back in August, World Wrestling Entertainment dropped the news that they'll be getting into the podcast game. Just let's say it's a brand new endeavour. Unlike their film studios - WWE Studios, the podcast network might be more successful for them creativity and financially. The post Can You Smell What the WWE is Cooking? appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

Lyrics are the most popular and most widely searched music content on the Internet. When listeners bought physical albums, finding lyrics wasn't a problem; they were usually printed on the inside of the CD, cassette or record insert. But since the dawn of the digital download, the lyric has been left behind. One Canadian company […] The post Kiss This Guy: The Business of Lyrics with LyricFind appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

Music producer and longtime friend of the show Brent Bodrug helps deconstruct what makes Nirvana's Smell's Like Teen Spirit the ultimate Grunge Rock track, Sound City was its legendary home, and we learn the track has its roots in the last vestiges of Boomer hair-metal bands, the Pixies, and BOSTON!?? Knowing nothing about Nirvana, a […] The post Smells Like Clickbait appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

"There's this big emphasis on Toronto as a music city now, but I'm more interested in 'how did we get here?' Well, man, it didn't just happen overnight. That shit started in the 1880s." The post The Flyer Vault unlocks 150 years of Toronto concert history appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

Gord Downie was just 2 years old when Chanie Wenjack died, but the Secret Path united them 50 years later. The post Gord Downie's Secret Path Revisited appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

The inspiration for this week's episode was the release of Robbie Robertson & friends' cover of "The Weight" for "Playing for Change". But as long time music industry exec Eric Alper tells us, the interest in rock icons rallying around a cause has been lost, and the 80s may get the blame. The video came […] The post Cause Songs are a Lost Cause appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

The dream of '90s Canadian rock bands is alive and well, thanks to the devoted effort of the man behind Rave & Drool. The post Rave and Drool, the 90s Documentary Gets a Podcast appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

Rumours of Alan Cross's demise have been greatly exaggerated. He's back from the (walking) dead and convinced little green men are watching us. We'll review the UFO footage recently confirmed by the U.S. Navy and the connection to the band Blink 182. Plus, Abbey Road Studios opens its doors for 50% of The World's Most […] The post Little Green Men appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

By the time this podcast airs, Alan Cross could be dead. Also, this is the episode that happens when we tread water waiting for a guest who never shows. The post Alan Cross's Last Show appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

Turning the graphic novel Scary Girl into a VR world was a tall task for Dark Slope Studios. Author and creative director Nathan Jurevicius and COO Dan Fill discuss the lessons learned in this new storytelling form, how music is integral to the success, and how "VR music" moves beyond crappy 360 degree concerts. Plus: […] The post Virtual Music Reality with Dark Slope Studios appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

General Magic invented the Emoji. Text messaging. Mobile communication. If it wasn't for the biggest Silicon Valley failure nobody's heard of, we wouldn't have the iPhone we have today. It laid the groundwork for the modern mobile device only to have Apple pull the rug out from under it. Documentary filmmaker Matt Maude joins us […] The post The iPhone from 1990: General Magic with filmmaker Matt Maude appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

Thank you all who joined us live on location at Black Lab Brewing for the big fundraiser show! We managed to squeeze $1,200 out of you wonderful people, so we're 12% on our way to CES 2020! Missed the live show? If only we had recorded it. We did manage to salvage the Q&A and […] The post Not Live from Black Lab Brewing appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

The first major manufactured band designed to cash-in on this new demographic called the "Teen-Ager" just turned 50. We talk to Andy Kim, the singer-songwriter behind the 1969 hit "Sugar Sugar" by "The Archies." The post Bubblegum Pop Turns 50 appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

Most music fans in Toronto have them, but one man is behind an effort to collect stories of That Night at Massey Hall. The post That Night at Massey Hall appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

When they're needed most, editorial cartoonists are facing an increasingly hostile world where their work is being shelved or putting their jobs at risk. The post Political Cartoons with Pulitzer Winner Adam Zyglis appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

The best Star Trek captain ever is out of retirement and back on the small screen. We'll break down what we know. Data's job before he was on the bridge? Worm farmer. We'll tell you how it landed him in court. Star Wars Fan Michael teaches Alan something salacious about his favourite Borg. And an […] The post Picard appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

It was 50 years ago this week mankind's greatest achievement was made. But did Neil Armstrong blow his big line? And what music were we listening to in July of 1969 as he stepped onto extra-terrestrial soil for the first time? Plus, an update on our Live on Location show Friday August 23rd in Toronto. The post One Giant Leap appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

The New York Times recently exposed what could be possibly the most devastating cover-up of the music industry in recent history. In 2008, there was a massive fire at Universal Music… and no one knew about it until now. Thousands upon thousands of original masters were obliterated leaving many well-known artists at a loss with […] The post The Day The Music Burned appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

iTunes is dead. Long live iTunes. The post The Death of iTunes appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

Doctor Nadia Azar drops by the G&B studios to talk about her work at the University of Windsor on the impact a lifetime of drumming has on the human body. Plus, we learn how Michael lost a $1,000 bet with his teenager thanks to technology. The post The Science of Drumming appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

Why the battery electric autonomous car isn't guaranteed, and what could replace the internal combustion engine as Donald Trump rattles his sabre at the only country with the key ingredient for the industry. Plus, plans for our Season 7 live fundraiser for CES 2020. The post Auto-Motives appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

A sex toy designed for and by women was set to be honoured at CES. Until it was deemed indecent. But hey, look at those sexbots! The post Uncensoring Sex at CES appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

Join Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth and 14,000 of their friends, fans, and musicians at CosmoFEST 2019! We'll find out if Drake can be blamed for the Raptors' performance in the NBA Finals, we'll definitely not listen to a Donald Trump tribute CD, and we'll find out what Wikipedia's Jimmy Wales told Michael about the […] The post Live on Location at CosmoFEST 2019 appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

Recording engineer, mixer, and producer Mark Howard drops by the G&B studios to talk about how U2 starts off sounding like a garage band, and ends up selling Platinum records. Plus, life in the studio with Gord Downie, Bob Dylan, and why Tom Waits doesn't like his drums "beige." Plus, how to make music in […] The post Making Music with U2 appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

Most who played in a garage band dodged the Wedding Singer bullet. But they're the inspiration for your favourite music, and some of the biggest albums were recorded in garages. We'll play you the original version of Springsteen's recording of Born in the USA. It'll blow your mind. Shaun Jette, G&B's live truck director and […] The post Dadbod Garage Band appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

Music producer Brent Bodrug drops by the G&B studios to protest Michael's claim the 1982 track is little more than corporate rock written by committee. At least Michael softened-up Brent with his classic dry Dirty Martini, first. The post Toto's Rosanna, Deconstructed appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

Microsoft's Amy Sorokas on the pre-concert VR experience by Muse, Michael's VR space simulation addiction, and Jerry Seinfeld's night at a party leads to a book. We read it. We've recently talked on the big show about artists like American DJ, Marshmello, hosting a live concert in the video game, Fortnite. We've also talked over […] The post Muse VR appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

When X + Y = Conspiracy. This week's latest misogynist trolling campaign targeted a 29 year-old female computer scientist and the algorithms embedded in popular social media channels allowed it to happen. The post Algorithmic Anarchy appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

Remixes happen, a lot, but not all of them are done legally. Dubset wants to help DJs get paid for their work while the original artist gets the credit (and payment) they're due. The post Game of Thrones Season 8 appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

Once the Province of Ontario softened up their liquor laws in 1946, Toronto came alive. This is when Toronto's jazz scene really started to flourish. The city grew a large base where it became a regular stop on the Jazz tour circuit. Jazzcast is a new venture in music, born from the creative brains of Dani […] The post All That Jazzcast appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

It's the 1 year anniversary of walking away from a steady mainstream media career and Michael. Lessons learned about management styles, what he actually does in a day, and why the Boomer generation is to blame for destroying the news business. On Medium, Michael wrote: 1 year ago today I jumped from an airplane […] The post The Ongoing History of Michael Hainsworth Part 2 appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

From basic radio to seamless smart phone connectivity, in-car entertainment has gone from luxury option to standard feature. The post Dashboard Decision: The Evolution of In-Car Entertainment appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

Has the art of writing a hit song become a matter of science? Hit Songs Deconstructed tracks the latest trends. The post Hit Songs Deconstructed appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

Once upon a time, the belief was that pop songs should be short, catchy, inoffensive and lighthearted. That time has returned. But the reason why is dramatically different this time around. In 1957, the first year of the Billboard Top 100 Chart, the song of the year was Elvis Presley's "All Shook Up," which ran […] The post Pop Song Shrinkage appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

The best compliment you could pay 2019 Oscar winner Jos Stam is that you didn't see his work. And you've seen a movie in the last 5 years, you've watched his films. The artist turned computer geek went from Holland to Hollywood and turned computer generated film into an art form. We'll find out why […] The post Oscars Uncovered appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

Have you ever actually listened to the song? It's SO WEIRD. And it was even weirder when it was released on Halloween of 1975. Music producer Brent Bodrug joins us to deconstruct why almost 45 years later, it's every headbanger's favourite song to rock out with in the car. Alan explains the theory it's Freddie […] The post Bohemianly Rhapsodizing appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.

Yeardley Smith of the Simpsons and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Zibby Allen join us to talk about their True Crime podcast, why the genre is so appealing to women, the hottie detectives they talk to, and how Smith managed to break her neck. The post Small Town Dicks appeared first on The Geeks and Beats Podcast with Alan Cross and Michael Hainsworth.