Trends with Benefits: Will 2017 be the year you ride in a driverless car?

By Greg Nibler Published December 27, 2016

Each week, we gather a roundtable of tech experts from the Digital Trends staff, along with the occasional celebrity guest, to discuss all things tech. Topics range from the big tech stories of the week to predicting the future, all while maintaining a somewhat civil decorum.

Our latest weekly episode of Trends with Benefits features Holly Smith, Caleb Denison, Ryan Waniata, and Greg Nibler.

Uber’s California woes and Waymo/Honda: Uber has decided to go the legal route with its California tests and seek the actual permits needed. Waymo is rumored to be partnering with Honda to bring its autonomous project onto the streets. Are you ready for the self-driving car revolution?

LG Factory Tour: DT’s Caleb Denison and Jeremy Kaplan went behind-the-scenes at LG’s hadquarters in South Korea and the verdict is .. it’s incredible. Caleb will let you know what he saw and what it may mean for CES 2017.

iPhone 8 and the OLED display shortage: Another week and another iPhone 8 rumor. This time it has to do with the apparent lack of OLED screens available. What kind of upgrade would it actually take for you to consider buying a new iPhone?

Revenge on a phone thief: A phone thief in China received swift justice this past week. A truck driver had his phone swiped, but was able to track down the perpetrator and kick him off his scooter, Double Dragon-style!

DT Holiday Gift Guide: Don’t forget to check out our extensive holiday gift guide for tech to get you through any situation. We put together our list of what one item each of us would recommend. What would you suggest people buy?

Please subscribe and share Trends with Benefits and send in your questions to podcast@digitaltrends.com. We also broadcast the show live on YouTube every Thursday at 2:30 p.m. PT.

Please don’t forget to check out our other live-streamed shows, Between the Streams and Close to the Metal.

Former Host

Greg has worked as a Host, Producer, and Writer in radio and television since the early 2000s, working for such companies as…

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Tesla

Entertainment

The best scary podcasts to keep you up all night

amazon lumberyard game engine spooky

It doesn't feel like long since the start of summer, but believe it or not, Halloween is right around the corner. As the dark nights roll in, fall is the perfect time for Gothic novels, spooky horror movies, and, of course, hauntingly good podcasts -- mug of pumpkin-spiced chai optional. There are plenty of scary podcasts to choose from, whether you're looking for fictional dramas or strange-but-true tales of things going bump in the night. Whatever you're h(a)unting for, you'll find something in our list of the best scary podcasts. And if you're looking for something that won't leave you cowering under the covers, check out our roundup of the best podcasts.
Audio drama/fiction
The No Sleep Podcast

This award-winning anthology of short original horror stories is now in its 18th season, with over 500 episodes to listen to. Each episode has a haunting, atmospheric soundtrack that ensures you're truly immersed in the tale. Be warned, though -- as the name suggests, this is definitely not a podcast to listen to in bed unless you plan on staying awake all night.
Apple Podcasts Stitcher

Audio / Video

Spotify looks to lure podcasters, listeners away from Apple with polls, Q&As

Spotify app icon on iPhone.

It's no secret that Spotify has its sights set on total podcast domination, given its high-profile acquisition of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, along with several exclusive launches like The Michelle Obama Podcast and one that features the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, better known as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. But the streaming music giant is still looking for additional ways to attract both listeners and podcast creators to its platform, and its latest move is the introduction of podcast polls and Q&As.

If you're a podcast creator, polls and Q&As give you a free way to increase your engagement with your audience. Normally, a listener has few ways to directly interact with their favorite podcasts, given that most platforms like Google Podcasts and Apple Podcasts are essentially no more than a way to find, subscribe to, and play podcast episodes. With Spotify's new tools, podcasts become interactive, with polls and the ability to ask listeners questions, right on the episode page.

Podcasts

Apple’s Podcasts+ subscription service makes debut at Spring Loaded event

apple podcast subscriptions

Apple will make podcasts a more integral part of its ecosystem with the launch of Apple Podcasts+, a subscription-based service that will offer exclusive podcasts only available to subscribers, along with the wider library of shows available on its existing podcasts app. The entire Apple Podcasts app will also get a redesign, as announced during the Spring Loaded event on April 20.

The premium Podcasts+ service will launch in May with several new shows only available to Podcasts+ subscribers. Along with receiving additional curation options and recommendations for subscribers in the redesigned app via Channels, Podcasts+ subscribers will also enjoy ad-free listening settings, early access to certain shows, and more, yet-to-be-announced features.