Robert Scoble has been on the giving and receiving side of interviews thousands of times.

He normally talks about startup companies, social media, new mobile hardware or apps, and the pervasive data around us.

But does anyone ask Robert – the man with 5.5 million G+ followers and who actively follows 40,000 people on Twitter – how technology can help us live intentionally and slow down?

Probably not … until now.

I asked Robert, former Microsoft tech evangelist and current best-selling author of Age of Context, for a contrarian view to most Smart and Simple Matters guests. And he delivered in his typical candid, colorful style.

Oh, did I mention that he was reading a tweet every second while recording our interview … and somehow stayed well-spoken and on point? The man eats information for breakfast, news for lunch, and data for dinner.

Have a listen to our surprising conversation and discover a new perspective on how things like mobile devices, tiny sensors, and location-based tech are changing us and everything else around us.

You're about to Learn …

• Why Robert believes tech isn't designed to help you slow down.
• How software and computers are at odds with nature.
• Why the digital divide makes people choose if they're “all in.”
• A great way to successfully challenge a stubborn child.
• Why Robert hand-selected 40,000 people to listen to on Twitter.
• Why we're not culturally ready for self-driving cars.
• The unexpected reason why Robert believes being overwhelmed isn't bad.
• How Facebook is trying – and succeeding – in addicting you.

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Resources and Items Mentioned in This Episode:

• Websites:
  • Scobleizer.com
  • Rackspace

• Resources:
  • Uber
  • TripIt
  • Snapseed
  • Everything We Know About Facebook's Secret Mood Manipulation Experiment

• Books:
  • Age of Context
  • Experience Curating

• Robert on Social Media:
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Topics

• [05:49] Robert's seeds of awesomeness
• [08:50] What technology means to Robert
• [12:08] The Age of Context
• [19:43] Using social media and automation to align our values
• [23:31] The potential of smartphones and online communities
• [28:57] How Robert listens to 40,000 people on Twitter
• [33:19] How Robert spends his downtime

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Transcript

The transcript will not be available until I find a new transcriptionist (if you know someone good, let me know).

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