Digital Trends Live: Episode 53

Digital Trends Live: Amazon Scout, Soraya Darabi, and Joey Ricard

By Will Nicol January 25, 2019

On episode 53 of Digital Trends Live, Digital Trends’ live morning show, hosts Greg Nibler and “Conspiracy” Drew Prindle scoured the biggest news stories from the world of tech. The first story of the day concerns some tech history: January 24, 2019 was the 35th anniversary of the first Macintosh computer. Apple CEO Tim Cook tweeted out a celebratory message, showing off the original, blocky machine.

Moving on to more modern devices, Amazon revealed its upcoming delivery robot, the Scout. Rolling around on six wheels, the humble Scout will carry packages within its bulky frame. For now, Amazon is testing the Scout in Washington with human chaperones accompanying them. Assuming they perform well, don’t be surprised to see Scouts roaming your neighborhood at some point in the future.

Over in DT’s New York studio, editor-in-chief Jeremy Kaplan sat down to chat with Soraya Darabi of Trail Mix Ventures, an investment vehicle that focuses on sustainable, ethically run companies. Soraya has had a fascinating career, moving from the music industry to journalism to venture capitalism.

“I went to college at Georgetown University and was obsessed with music, and would go to music concerts maybe four nights a week …” she explains. “Sony Music hired me to be a marketing rep and I became obsessed with convergence at that time. Why were they sending me physical CDs to promote artists ranging from Nas … to John Mayer when everything was happening on LimeWire and Napster. So I then thought ‘You know, I’m not sure the music industry gets it, I’m going to go intern for the Washington Post. Media really understands convergence!’”

After an internship where she trained journalists in the use of RSS, Darabi later worked for Conde Nast and the New York Times, eventually helping found the app Foodspotting.

“The company was acquired by OpenTable and then later Priceline. What that allowed me,” Darabi goes on, “when receiving a little bit of liquidity as a founder, was to then begin to vote with my own dollars, and to invest as an angel investor in companies that I thought were supremely interesting…”

Later on the show, Greg interviewed Joey Ricard of CloudPay Technologies, who ran into a spot of trouble at CES. CloudPay is involved in retail automating, and was showing off a CBD vending machine at the trade show; although CloudPay got approval ahead of time, show officials booted them from the show.

Digital Trends Live airs Monday through Friday at 9 a.m. PT, with highlights available on demand after the stream ends. For more information, check out the DT Live homepage, and be sure to watch live for the chance to win occasional prizes.

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