The Killing IT Podcast

IT authors and entrepreneurs Ryan Morris, Karl Palachuk, and Dave Sobel provide commentary on the changing world of technology opportunities and emerging tech. We want to expand the discussion from the SMB IT channel to all things tech - with one eye on the future and the other on profits. Join us!

Episode 111 - Hacking Waze, Cookies by Drone, and Discussing Diversity 05/11/2021

Episode 110 - Hacked Ice Cream Machine and Right to Repair 05/04/2021

Episode 109 - Offensive Tech Jargon, Facial Recognition Update, and Geo-Location Ethics 04/27/2021

Episode 109 - Offensive Tech Jargon, Facial Recognition Update, and Geo-Location Ethics Topic 1: Racist (and other offensive) Tech Jargon Words matter. The most obvious example is "master/slave" but there's plenty of other insensitive terminology around. Remember, these terms might make sense to you, but you clients may hear it and wonder exactly what you're talking about. Link: Topic 2: Facial Recognition Update. Facial Recognition has evolved considerably in the pandemic. It has been banned in a few places. It has been regulated a bit at the local (not federal) level. Amateurs are now getting in the game (e.g., Used to identify police during protests). And the police have adopted it for several purposes, including identifying protesters. It is over-used in China, and illegal in Portland. Big picture: Don’t rely on tech for the answer. Looks to society and local governments. Topic 3: The ethics of geo-location technology. The "Ethical Geo" web site has posted ten founding principles to begin a worldwide conversation about using geo-location technology from an ethical perspective. The ten founding principles presented to the public for further input and refinement are: Realize opportunities Understand impacts Do no harm Protect the vulnerable Address bias Minimize intrusion Minimize data Protect privacy Prevent identification of individuals Provide accountability We discuss. Links: Launch related video webinar - Sponsor Memo: Want to learn about Trends in Managed Services, increasing sales, governance or winning in Biopharma? How about an MSP peer panel, or CompTIA’s Carolyn April with their latest research in managed services trends? Egnyte’s first annual MSP summit is coming May 11th, keynoted by Karl Palachuk on setting a cloud strategy. The first 300 attendees even get a copy of Karl’s book on becoming a Successful MSP in 30 days! Win prizes, network with peers, all in a half day online event. Register for free right at :-) /episode/index/show/killingit/id/18867221

Episode 108 - AI on Fiverr, Millions of IOT Devices Compromised, and More 04/20/2021

Episode 107 - Best Practices, Ingram/Harmony, and Water Cooled Servers 04/13/2021

Episode 106 - Multicloud, Deep Fakes, AI, and More 04/06/2021

Episode 105 - Cops and Robots, Distributors and Bitcoin 03/30/2021

Episode 105 - Cops and Robots, Distributors and Bitcoin Topic 1: Cops and Robots Move to stop NYC police from using armed robots. Note: The police do not own any armed robots, but they do own some robots. So this is totally a preventive measure. We previously discussed the use of AI and facial recognition by police departments. The question here is, when do we begin the conversation (before or after deployment)? Related Link: Topic 2: Is Bitcoin mining compatible with Singapore’s green initiatives? Bitcoin mining uses about the same amount electricity as Norway! Now Singapore is questioning whether this non-green factor is consistent with their go-green policies. Meanwhile . . . Bank of America says there’s no reason to use Bitcoin. Ethereum has more features. And Ethereum is easier to manage if you’re interested in De-Fi (decentralized finance). BofA released a report last week entitled “8 Dirty Little Secrets of Bitcoin.” See the slideshow link below. Related Links: Topic 3: Tech Data-Synnex merger - Does this matter to IT consultants? Tech distributors Synnex and Tech Data are merging. Karl is surprised this took so long. But, in the big picture, does this affect you? SaaS companies have been taking distributors (and partners) out of the equation for many years. The cloud is moving servers into data centers, who frequently bypass distributors. Cloud services are more effectively sold by Sherweb, AppRiver, Intermedia, Pax8, etc. Were you surprised? Give us your feedback. Related Links: ChannelE2E Announcement re: Synnex / Tech Data Merger CRN Slideshow re: D&H Response to Synnex / Tech Data Merger -- -- -- Sponsor Memo - Are you still using on-prem file servers and VPNs to share files with remote workers? Egnyte is a business class cloud sharing solution that works more like your on-prem server than other solutions. With a security first approach to file sharing and collaboration, Egnyte offers multiple options for sharing files and collecting files from outside sources. And do it all addressing data governance and compliance. Want to learn more? Check out , and when you do, tell them we sent you. :-) /episode/index/show/killingit/id/18515336

Episode 104 - AI Mayflower, NFT Artwork, and RMM News 03/23/2021

Episode 103 - Big Tech Lobbying, Massive Security Camera Breach 03/16/2021

Episode 102 - Drone-Killing Drones and People-Saving Drones 03/09/2021

Episode 101 - State of the Channel, 3D Homes, and Splinternet News 03/02/2021

Episode 101 - State of the Channel, 3D Homes, and Splinternet News Topic 1: ChannelPro State of the Channel survey Bruised but roaring back? We you bruised in 2020? Is this a real reflection of the real channel? Or is this a sampling issue? As always, we think research is good. You just need to be careful about what the results mean. We discuss. And we give a few thoughts on eternal optimism - pro and con. We look forward to concrete house mod kits . . . and more. Related Link: Topic 2: 3D printed home. 1,500 sq feet. $299K We're not sure how much the printer cost - but the houses are serious. The story here is from New York, so the price point of $300,000 is a serious value. We haven't covered 3D printing much, but this is just cool. Related Link: Topic 3: Paying for news in Australia . . . News agencies are finally pushing back on letting social media giants redistribute their product for free. Magazines and newspapers have mis-played the Internet opportunity for twenty-five years. Now they've decided to try to make money. Australia passed a law forcing the major social media outlets to pay for news. In response, Google said "okay" and Facebook threatened to pull out of the country. Social media have been taking advantage of content creators since day one. It may have taken twenty years longer than expected, but a realistic balance is probably on the way. The U.S. is a follower and not a leader on this front. So keep an eye on Australia. Please see previous episodes: The Splinternet continues to splinter! Related Link: -- -- -- Sponsor Memo: Gozynta Mobius – the easiest way for ConnectWise Manage and QuickBooks online to connect. Keep invoices, expenses, and inventory automatically updated right from Manage to QuickBooks Online, and payments right back into Manage. With simple pricing, set it and forget it auto sync, Gozynta Mobius delivers with no restrictions on the number of invoices, expenses and payments, and plays well with others like ConnectBooster. Trusted by over a thousand MSPs. now introducing a free plan, go to , and tell them Killing IT sent you. -- -- -- :-) /episode/index/show/killingit/id/18128024

Episode 100 - Zoom Opens the Future, Texas Electricity, and AI Ethics 02/23/2021

Episode 100 - Zoom Opens the Future, Texas Electricity, and AI Ethics Topic 1: Zoom begins the next wave . . . getting back to the office We were impressed with Zoom's announcement of touch-free office connections for receptionist via Zoom. What other emerging technologies can we look forward to as we emerge from the pandemic? Remember: Innovation and technology both affect culture and are affected by culture. Related Link: Topic 2: Texas Electricity You heard about Texas' problem with electricity. If not, follow the link below. We're tempted to draw an analogy to the availability question regarding bandwidth. And we are reminded: All this stuff costs money! On what this means for the bigger picture, tune into Dave's point at 18:45 . . . There's a great analogy here to zero trust access to data and security. Background on the Texas electrical grid and why it's not connected to the rest of the U.S.: TXU - Your Texas Electricity Company Texas Public Utilities Commission Topic 3: Episode 1 revisit on Ethics At Show 100, we harken back to Episode 1, in which we addressed ethics and Artificial Intelligence. It turns out, that's still a relevant discussion. See the last several shows. Technologists always have to balance what we can do and what we should do. After all, the technology we love can grow much faster than our understanding of the ethics related to that technology. . . . And, of course, we give an update on the Drone vs. Robots delivering pizzas and burritos. What do you think? Give us your feedback. Sponsor Note: Are you still using on-prem file servers and VPNs to share files with remote workers? Egnyte is a business class cloud sharing solution that works more like your on-prem server than other solutions. With a security first approach to file sharing and collaboration, Egnyte offers multiple options for sharing files and collecting files from outside sources. And do it all addressing data governance and compliance. Want to learn more? Check out , and when you do, tell them Killing IT sent you. :-) /episode/index/show/killingit/id/18048116

Episode 99 - Nouveau Jargon and Visions of the Future 02/16/2021

Episode 98 - Betting on Reddit Stock Tips, Apple, and the Future of Privacy 02/09/2021

Episode 98 - Betting on Reddit Stock Tips, Apple, and the Future of Privacy We cannot ignore what's going on with Reddit. This one is more "of interest" than a direct hit on topics we think you need to know about. There are many ramifications for business people, of course. And it's also a reflection of some bigger trends in society generally. We spent more time on Reddit, so this show only features two topics. Topic 1: /r/wallstreetbets/ . . . Good, bad, or just ugly? Sub Reddit takes on hedge funds. “Professional” hedge fund managers are selling Game Stop short - and the Reddit users are forcing the stock UP. They are bankrupting professionals hour by hour. Overall, is this just gambling, or is there s business purpose here? Lots of related links. Reddit: These folks are intentionally manipulating stocks. Completely outside the world of regulations. https://www.reddit.com/r/wallstreetbets/ Topic 2: Apply Says They'll Increase Privacy by Default Apple promises you will be “opted out” by default from targeted remarketing. Is that necessarily a good thing? Do you really want to see a lot of random advertising? Google has this cool tool - https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated Apply thinks you value privacy so much that you don't care that you'll be ignoring a bunch of ads. Google's bet is that you will tire of random, unrelated ads and choose to go back to the world where ads are relevant once again. What do you think? Drop some comments at . -- -- -- Sponsor Note: PC Matic — Endpoint Security built on a zero trust philosophy, allowing only trusted applications and blocking all the rest. Light weight, simple to deploy, easy to manage, find out about PC Matic's unique lead sharing program for MSPs backed by a prime-time national TV campaign. Together, we bring advanced security solutions combined with more than sales enablement … we bring actual leads. Find out more about PC Matic by visiting . :-) /episode/index/show/killingit/id/17874233

Episode 97: Alphabet Internet and Creepy Microsoft Chatbots 02/02/2021

Episode 97: Alphabet Internet and Creepy Microsoft Chatbots Topic 1: Update on the update: Alphabet cancels their balloon-based internet offering Apparently, they listened to last week’s show. After many years and billions spent, Alphabet (Google) has dropped their plans to provide Internet access to remote areas via lighter-than-air balloons. Side note: We are deep inside an era where private organizations are taking on challenges - and trying new things - without direct government help. Related Link: Topic 2: Shall we adopted the word “integrator” to describe our channel partners? A view from another industry. The Commercial Integrator magazine proposes the work Integrator for their slice of the channel. We think this mostly works. Is there a similar term for the so-called managed services providers in the channel? Related Link: Topic 3: Is this a good or bad use of chat bots? Microsoft has patented some technology that they now say they will not produce. Basically, they can take pretty much anyone with a substantial data record and create a "realistic" chat bot. This easily includes lots of famous people. But it might also include someone close to you who just happens to be dead. Creepy? Some people think so. What do you think? Related Links: “Microsoft patented a chatbot that would let you talk to dead people. It was too disturbing for production” -- -- -- Sponsor Memo: MobiusConnect by Gozynta – the easiest way for ConnectWise Manage and QuickBooks online to connect. Keep invoices, expenses, and inventory automatically updated right from Manage to QuickBooks Online, and payments right back into Manage. With simple pricing, set it and forget it auto sync, Mobius Connect delivers with no restrictions on the number of invoices, expenses and payments, and plays well with others like ConnectBooster. Trusted by over a thousand MSPs now, and with a personalized onboarding, go to to try it out for free, and tell them the guys at Killing IT sent you. :-) /episode/index/show/killingit/id/17779205

Episode 96 - SpaceX, Microsoft, and Our Channel 01/26/2021

Episode 95 - Dude. I need a data center 01/19/2021

Episode 94 - Open Source RMM and Touchless Controls of the Future 01/12/2021

Episode 93 - Online Shopping Report, Good News on Cybersecurity, Electricity 01/05/2021

Episode 92 - End-of-Year show: 2020 12/29/2020

Episode 92 - End-of-Year show: 2020 Special show - and video! We recorded a video version of this podcast. You can view it at . Or on YouTube on the Small Biz Thoughts channel (). In this episode, we take a look at technology in the year gone by and what it means for the year ahead. So, we're breaking away from the strict timing and 3-topic format. First up: What's the status of our big pizza/burrito delivery race? Delivery improved on many fronts in 2020. But none of us took delivery of a burrito! No visible progress, although technology is inching forward That morphed to a discussion of how much of the "changes" from 2020 will stick? How much of the pandemic-centric behavior is preferred in the long run? How much business travel will return, and how soon? We certainly learned a lot about location independence and remote work in 2020. Over time, people actually started stretching a bit and adding creativity to the remote component. In all of this, there's still a human component to the changes. That will certainly affect the speed and nature of any return to the in-person world that emerges in 2021. Then we looked at . . . the things we totally missed. What did we not see coming a year ago. One biggy was the visibility of our industry to legislatures. It looks like 2021 will be a year of increasing regulation. Another is the nature of cybersecurity. Ryan was hoping that we'd stop selling on fear, but fear seems to be the future. But, on a positive side, a lot of clients have finally seen true value in the money they spend on technology. Many IT service providers are enjoying great success. The barrier to entry in IT is higher than it used to be, and true competence is noticeably more difficult than ever. The era of the amateur are over. A final umbrella discussion is on the changing nature of the supply everywhere, at every level. The problems with JIT (Just in Time) delivery have never been more obvious. Will companies build a little slack into their systems. Again, our discussion turns to percentages. Some will; some won't. What lessons will be learned? . . . We had a great time making this show. We hope you enjoy. Please like, share, subscribe, and send us any questions you have. We have a question form at . :-) /episode/index/show/killingit/id/17316380

Episode 91: AI Doppelgangers, Google Outage, and Vaccine Apps 12/22/2020

Episode 90 - Pandemic Burnout; Modern Data Centers; Uber and Out 12/15/2020

Episode 89 - Fighting Inequality with AI, Cheap Energy, and "Edge" Opportunities 12/08/2020

Episode 88 - Robo-job Apocalypse Delayed; NATO Publications; and Facebook Algorithm 12/01/2020

Episode 87 - Proctored Exam Overkill; Smart Cities to Watch; and Video Games that Are Good For You 11/24/2020

Episode 87 - Proctored Exam Overkill; Smart Cities to Watch; and Video Games that Are Good For You A bit of wisdom from Dave on marketing: If you are only buying a sure thing for marketing, you are LAST. Note: This space is available. YOU could be advertising here. Topic 1: Modern "Proctored" Exams are creating excessive anxiety. Cheating-detection companies made millions during the pandemic, and now students are fighting back. (This was originally a Washington Post article, but you need a subscription to read it there.) You should read at least some of this article to get the gist of what's going on. Aside from over-doing distrust, the over-use of technology is making the system worst. This is also a reflection of how behind the times education is. Our conclusion: If you're paid to give advice, don't ignore stupid stuff like this. Earn your pay and speak up! Topic 2: Eight Smart Cities to Watch During Pandemic A great look at some actual, real-world application of various technologies. This is a longer article and very good. Is your city on the list? It's really amazing how much cool stuff is being done to improve the livability of cities with technologies that help with citizen participation, traffic managements, safety, and more. This is way beyond traffic lights and road sensors. Note that there's also a HUGE opportunity here. These are cities, not states or federal governments. Cities hire people like you to make this stuff happen. Topic 3: Video games are good for well-being (University of Oxford study). People who play video games for long periods of time tend to report feeling happier than those who do not, the study shows. The Oxford Internet Institute research focused on two games: Nintendo's Animal Crossing and Electronic Art's Plants vs Zombies. In an unusual step, the developers of the games shared anonymized data about how long each participant had played. These logs were then linked to a survey in which the players answered questions about their well-being. A total of 3,274 gamers took part!!! All were over eighteen years of age. In previous research, data gathered about the duration of subjects' gaming sessions was based on self-reported "guesstimates," which can be inaccurate. :-) /episode/index/show/killingit/id/16930058

Episode 86 - 3D Printing, AI Analysis of Reddit, and Bias in Facial Recognition 11/17/2020

Episode 85 - Firing Robots, Analyzing AI, and Implementing Smart Tech 11/10/2020

Episode 84 - AI Bias, Digital Collaboration, and the Failure of Contract Tracing 11/03/2020

Episode 83 - Fragmented Health Data, Right to Repair, and Dying Industries 10/27/2020

Episode 82 - Universal Connectivity, Digital Transformation, and the Smart Office 10/20/2020

The Killing IT Podcast

TOPICS