Podcast / Tech Won’t Save Us / Jan 23, 2026

Bring Back Meddling with Tech Hardware—With Chris Person

Paris Marx and Chris Person on the state of hardware in the tech industry, ways to undermine Microsoft’s software dominance, and how the AI boom makes electronics more expensive.

The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

Bring Back Meddling with Tech Hardware w/ Chris Person | Tech Won’t Save Us
byThe Nation Magazine

Paris Marx is joined by Chris Person to discuss the state of hardware and manufacturing in the tech industry, ways to hack your stuff, options to undermine Microsoft’s software dominance, and how the AI boom is making consumer electronics more expensive. Chris Person is a co-founder of Aftermath and makes Highlight Reel.

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(Soumyabrata Roy / NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Paris Marx is joined by Chris Person to discuss the state of hardware and manufacturing in the tech industry, ways to hack your stuff, options to undermine Microsoft’s software dominance, and how the AI boom is making consumer electronics more expensive. Chris Person is a cofounder of Aftermath and makes Highlight Reel.

The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

How Cloud Giants Wield Their Power Against Us All w/ Cecilia Rikap / Tech Won’t Save Us
byThe Nation Magazine

As the power of big tech continues to grow, it's more important than ever to understand how these companies use infrastructure and intellectual monopolies to shape more than just the digital world. Cecilia Rikap joins Paris Marx to discuss how these networks of corporate power operate, including how they are systematically used to influence global politics, the economy, and how society views the world.

Cecilia Rikap is an Associate Professor at University College London’s Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose and the author of The Rulers: Corporate Power in the Age of AI and the Cloud.

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