Diggnation (Rebooted)

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Kevin Rose and Alex Albrecht reunite to ask what deserves our time in an AI-saturated world, from online degrees and disappearing junior jobs to handmade watches, rogue agents, and social media limits. They also unpack Kevin's open-source Reflection Engine and the OpenAI and Hugging Face breach, then share practical ways their families are taking back their attention.

EPISODE NOTES

Education and work
AI-assisted cheating is forcing colleges to rethink online degrees. Kevin and Alex consider live, AI-assisted oral...

Basic Intelligence: https://basic.in

Kevin Rose left venture capital to start an incubator. Plus: robots outrunning people, Apple's AI miss, and the greatest insurance scam involving a bear suit.

Kevin and Alex hadn't seen each other in over a month and had a lot to catch up on. Kevin walked through why he stepped away from TruVentures after nine years to go back to building full time - and what he's been working on at Basic Intelligence. The short version: he crawled 9 million connections on X and built a recursive ranking system that surfaces...

Kevin Rose and Alex Albrecht sit down for a heavy one. Digg's beta has been shut down, and the team had to make painful layoffs. Kevin breaks down the two forces that hit at the same time: usage that never reached the right product-market fit, and a relentless wave of AI-powered SEO spam attacks that exploited Digg's legacy Google authority and eroded platform trust faster than a small team could fight back. Kevin announces he's leaving True Ventures to return to Digg full-time, and lays out a vision for rebuilding with a tiny AI-augmented team that can punch above...

In this week's episode, Kevin and Alex reunite after Alex's whirlwind trip to the UK, where he survived Manchester, explored Edinburgh's frigid beauty, and spectacularly broke his Dry January streak at a house party on January 31st. The conversation quickly turns to Kevin's upcoming birthday and his ambitious "year of health" plan to get absolutely shredded by his next tortoise-year milestone (yes, they calculated his age in giant tortoise years - he's only 34). The duo dives deep into the AI revolution, discussing the massive news that OpenClaw's creator Peter Steinberg has joined OpenAI, and what this means for the...

https://digg.com is live! Public beta is open for community creation!

January’s almost over, which means it’s either too late or just early enough to still say “Happy New Year.” In this episode, Kevin and Alex wade through that awkward seasonal purgatory, debate etiquette, and naturally land on Alex’s go-to insult: “Eat the bag.”

Kevin checks in on Dry January and confirms that sleep is, in fact, real. The conversation takes a turn into the serious realities of alcohol withdrawal before pivoting to some big Digg news: the public beta is officially liv...

Diggnation is back for 2026. In this New Year’s episode, Kevin Rose and Alex Albrecht dive into Dry (ish) January, accidental woodworking injuries, and why Kevin's Peloton crush might be more motivating than your therapist. On the tech side, Kevin drops a quiet-but-clear hint for Digg beta users to keep an eye out. The guys talk about Samsung’s decision to ship Google’s Gemini AI to 800 million devices, which feels like a major win for Google’s ecosystem. On the tech side, Kevin gives a heads up to Digg beta users: Communities are coming. Now is a good time to...

This holiday episode is a greatest hits tour of Diggnation Rebooted with Kevin and Alex in peak end of year form. Scotch gift exchanges and fighting Mike Tyson for $500,000 is a reasonable life choice. There are pronunciation corrections, especially Hyundai, plus plenty of love for retro futuristic concept cars.

AI takes center stage as the duo talks creativity and productivity with tools like Cursor and ChatGPT, including negotiation tricks and extremely questionable AI day trading strategies. The conversation also covers the Telepathy Tapes podcast, autism, neurodiversity, and Alex’s experience with aphantasia. Kevin finally understanding Netflix and ch...

Alex and Kevin break in the new Digg warehouse studio with brandy cocktails, French pastry flexes, and a surprisingly serious challenge—can Alex stay sober for all of 2025?

They cover Netflix’s rumored $84B move to buy Warner Bros. Discovery (yes, including HBO and DC Comics), AI tools that drop your face into fake movie scenes, and the rise of “etiquette camps” for startup founders. Also: teens in Australia are happy to be banned from social media, a spider-shaped robot now performs endoscopies, and the famous Japanese 7-Eleven egg salad sandwich finally lands in the U.S.—with quest...

This week on Diggnation, Kevin ends his seven-month break from alcohol with a glass of wine and some podcast-inspired reflection on why being too rigid about anything might be its own kind of burden, While Alex sips wine and regrets live theater. Kevin reveals he has aphantasia, aka the inability to conjure mental images, which he says disqualifies him from certain forms of _ahem_ nostalgia. The pair dive into the existential horror of AI-enabled children’s toys that suggest you play with knives and explore kinks. On a lighter note, converting vintage cars to electric sparks a surprisingly feasible bu...

In this episode, we go full spectrum, from the rise of AI-powered web browsers like ChatGPT’s Atlas and OpenAI’s latest updates, to what it’s actually like hitting six months sober and realizing Jack Daniels might still text back.

We celebrate some new EV purchases (yes, there’s a BMW iX involved), talk about Rivian’s new electric bike, and break down one of the boldest art heists in modern history, where a crew literally used a bucket truck to steal royal jewels from the Louvre.

Somewhere between Apple’s innovation slump, the philosophy o...

RSVP for Chicago Digg Meetup! https://app.getriver.io/beta/events/digg-human-captcha-chicago-irl-meetup-sc1

In this week’s Diggnation:
Kevin and Alex drink a mysterious brain fuel that tastes like chemical warfare, get roasted by OpenAI’s video model (bald caps included), and pitch a LAN party for aging nerds. They also question if computer science degrees still matter, fantasize about neurotech that forces you to work out, and ask the most pressing question of our time: what if Instagram was just... Instagram again? Oh, and there's a legit HIV prevention breakthrough hiding in there, too.

Spon...

Broadcasting from Kevin’s new ADU bunker (goodbye Neuehouse, we barely knew you), Kevin and Alex are back with 80-ish minutes of tech, pranks, and philosophical spirals. From Apple’s latest brain-implants-that-go-in-your-ears to a Samsung fridge trying to sell you stuff while chilling your oat milk, it’s a full spectrum ride through what the internet's doing to us—sometimes with our permission, sometimes with ads. Also: AI fails, mystery stereo tubes, and a German slug with strong prank energy. 

🧪 ZBiotics
Go to https://zbiotics.com/DIGG and use code DIGG at checkout for 15% off your first order...

Diggnation Episode 19 is part tech dispatch, part suburban diary. Kevin and Alex open with updates on sobriety, lawn mowing, and a Linux laptop built from scratch. Then it's into smart home experiments, including security cameras that yell at people a little too enthusiastically.

Digg news includes app store approvals, invite rollouts, a bot-thwarting system called the Human Captcha Project, and new plans for user-led communities. They also drop "Digg Daily," an AI-powered news podcast you can call by phone like it's 2006 again.

Other highlights include a Chinese EV promising 1000 miles per charge, some soul-searching about...

This week on Diggnation: Kevin discovers a squatter secretly living in a staged LA home during a house tour, Alex tries to explain time dilation without having a full existential meltdown, and the team breaks down what actually happened at Digg’s first real-world community meetup. We’re talking mind blanking, deep meditation states that register as sleep, and why your brain sometimes just stops working for a bit. Plus: rollable laptops, modular microLED home theaters, ChatGPT’s 700 million users, and why we’re finally moving the Digg app out of TestFlight and into the App Store for real.

0:0...

Kevin’s 82 days sober. Alex has a new audio toy. And Grok AI thinks “Hitler” is still trending (yikes). This week on Diggnation, we unpack Bitcoin conspiracies, Commodore nostalgia, and why Americans have forgotten how to party. Also: Nanoblocks, nude bowling, and a startup so weird Google only bought the humans. It’s retro futurism, digital privacy, and a kitchen remodel.

Merch store is open! swag.digg.com

⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 Intro and Welcome  
01:13 Justin, CEO of Digg.com Joins  
03:04 Kevin's Sobriety Update and "Hooch" Mention  
04:08 Kevin's Nanoblocks Hobby  
08:10 Alex's Kitchen Remodel and Wine Cellar...

In this episode, the Digg CEO drops by to give a private demo of the iOS app that may or may not change your scrolling habits forever. We also dive into reports that Apple’s been sniffing around Perplexity in a possible bid to stay in the AI race it forgot to enter. Kevin opens up about launching his new podcast *Less Than One*, sobriety milestones, and post-fire clarity. Alex reveals the kitchen remodel purgatory he’s barely survived. Plus: autofocus glasses that might kill bifocals, a whole tangent on local LLMs, and a brief appearance from Jeffrey Dahmer’s hypo...

Kevin’s 41 days sober and glowing, Alex voices a Viking, and AI is still deeply weird. This week, Kevin tries Google's "Flow" video tool, which turns your prompt into something between an ad and a fever dream. Alex talks loop group voice work on Predator: Killer of Killers, and Kevin explains why Eleven Labs’ new AI is scarily good at conversations. Also: red-tinted contact lenses that might give you night vision, Builders AI getting caught with 700 human coders, and a hot take on residuals from the streaming wars. Alex's kitchen remodel is still chaos, Kevin's skin is allegedly better, and...

Kevin’s 15 days into sobriety, Alex is resin-printing door parts, and the Digg mobile app is quietly becoming a real thing.
This week, AI is either your creative assistant or the reason you need a new career—depending on how you feel about Marvel using bots for its opening credits.
Jayci Hayes joins with tales of heli-repelling wildfires, building GameCrib, working with Twitch in its early days, and launching a bottled margarita brand designed to protect citrus from UV light.
Also: Alex automates his home with Home Assistant (bye Echo), Apple finally loses its grip on in-a...

We’re not saying nostalgia hits harder with a cocktail in hand. But it helps. Dr. Tiki and Lala from Tiki Bar TV join Alex and Kevin for a tropical-tinged episode full of old internet tales, new tech obsessions, and the slow unraveling of Alex's appendix-related trauma.

They sip Mascot wine, wrestle with home automation setups, and revisit the chaotic brilliance of the early web. Plus: robot horses, maple syrup whiskey, and the most ethical lottery heist ever attempted.

0:00 Intro
0:02 Mascot Wine & Tony Hawk memories – Fancy juice, legendary guests
0:05 Emergency Appendix Removal – Everything is fin...

Alex and Kevin recount their tequila-fueled live show in Austin, complete with backstage chaos, crowd energy, and at least one emotional moment that may or may not have involved crying. They officially unveil the relaunch of Digg.com and introduce “Groundbreakers,” a community for early users to help shape the platform’s future. The episode also dives into tech topics like the upcoming GTA game, advancements in AI and local models, and the 23andMe data breach. Rounding things out, Alex goes deep on a startup reinventing helicopter flight with fly-by-wire tech, because of course he does.

00:00 Introduction – Alex and...

Celebrating the relaunch of digg.com with a vibrant live show in Austin, Texas, Kevin Rose and Alex Albrecht welcomed a lineup of influential guests in a pivotal episode. The gathering brought together figures like tech entrepreneur Jason Calacanis [0:07:58], venture capitalist Chris Sacca [0:23:13], author and podcaster Tim Ferriss [0:40:54], and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian [1:02:58] to reflect on the digital landscape and the resurgence of Digg. This special event underscored the return of a significant platform in the evolution of online communities. The conversations throughout the show highlighted the legacy of Digg and the future aspirations for the relaunched platform, emphasizing...

Kevin and Alex take on everything from the future of teleportation, GLP-1 blindness, and using AI to help diffuse a bomb. Big stories today after Kevin's trip to Japan, including discussions about robotic exoskeletons, gaming rig building, and MIT's robotic insects. It's a fun-filled episode packed with insights and laughs. Plus, exciting news on Diggnation Live in Austin, which is nearly sold out!

📚 Time Code Markers
0:00:00 Introduction
0:04:40 Travel and Personal Health: Tokyo trip, Kevin's health.
0:06:30 Japanese Culture and Lifestyle: Denim, coffee, apartments.
0:12:27 Home Improvement and Design: Kitchen reno.
0:15:30 Diggnation Live tease, sponsor int...

We’re tackling a mix of tech, personal stories, and some truly bizarre headlines this week! Kevin shares his "Dry January" journey, fueled by Athletic Brewing’s non-alcoholic beers, and recounts the devastating LA fires that destroyed his home, forcing him to rethink what really matters. On the tech front, we dive into the wild world of AI sex bots, the relaxing potential of "Face F#$%er" smart goggles, and cutting-edge advancements like NVIDIA’s game-changing graphics cards and AI software. Plus, we’re hyped for Diggnation Live in Austin, Texas, and we can’t forget Iceland's unexpected cucumber shortage.<...

🎄 The holiday vibes are here, with cutting-edge tech, and pop culture galore! We chat about everything from New Year’s resolutions to groundbreaking AI advancements, plus some wild stories like Jeremy Allen White joining The Mandalorian as Rotta the Hutt and Hyundai teaming up with Amazon to sell cars online. Kevin reveals some exciting live show details, Alex jokes about OnlyFans (or is he serious?), and we dive into Star Wars, Superman, and AI-driven robot training that’s faster than ever before.  

📚 Chapter Markers  
00:00 Intro: Holiday Plans and New Year’s Resolutions  
05:11 Kevin Teases Live Show Details  <...

Welcome back to Diggnation! We’re hanging out at Alex’s place, catching up on Thanksgiving, holiday plans, and some wild stories from the world of tech, entertainment, and nostalgia. Kevin breaks down his epic sous-vide-and-smoked turkey leg recipe, and we share the big announcement—Diggnation Live is coming to SXSW this March! Get ready for an unforgettable reunion.

This episode dives into NASA’s delayed return to the moon, Kevin’s ride in a Waymo robotaxi, and the groundbreaking diamond battery tech that could last for 5,700 years. We also reminisce about the return of Chi-Chi’s, laugh at the...

Welcome back to Diggnation Reboot Episode 6! This week, Alex and Kevin talk about Bitcoin breaking $90k and MicroStrategy’s stock hitting an all-time high. Is holding onto Bitcoin still the move, or are you better off cashing out? Meanwhile, Mike Tyson and Jake Paul finally went head-to-head last week, and Tyson’s punch power is straight-up unreal (think: 13 kicks to the nuts-level impact).

We’re also unpacking the next big thing for EVs: silicon-based batteries that promise double the range and faster charging. Plus, Amazon is shutting down Freevee (RIP another streamer), and we can’t get over the...

In this episode, we’re diving into mind-blowing AI breakthroughs, a tech hack that scored Kevin a $400 refund, and Tesla’s latest RoboTaxi reveal. We’ll also discuss the Dodgers’ Ohtani memorabilia auction and Alex’s first experience using Claude 3.5. Get ready for laughs, surprising insights, and some practical tips you didn’t know you needed. Join us for another jam-packed episode of Diggnation!

Here's that GLP-1 Probiotic trail!: https://www.kevinrose.com/p/a-natural-alternative-to-glp-1-drugs

Chapters:

00:00 - Kicking Off & Halloween Vibes
Halloween vibes are in full swing as Kevin and Alex discuss cost...

This week, we’re kicking back with some beer talk and reminiscing (hello, Edward Forty Hands!). Kevin's got some great stories from his recent AI summit trips in London and Berlin, and we’re diving into everything from Waymo’s self-driving cars to Tesla’s latest micro-taxi prototype. We’ll also chat about the new iPhones, some fancy beers we’ve been trying, how AI is changing content creation, and a few wild stories you won’t want to miss.

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In this episode of Diggnation, Glenn joins us for an unexpected and hilarious reunion. 🍻 We kick things off by opening a bottle of Pliny the Elder and dive into some of the internet’s wildest stories. We reminisce about childhood crushes on animated characters and tackle a modern relationship dilemma involving circumcision.

On the tech side, we geek out over Hyundai’s electric cars, especially the futuristic N Vision 74, and explore the bizarre phenomenon of cocaine sharks. 🦈

Our chat covers the latest in language learning apps, new smartphone trends, and the future of digital assistants like Alexa...

Join us as we bring back Diggnation with a mix of our classic humor and deep dives into game-changing advancements. We're exploring how AI is transforming gaming and healthcare, diving into the controversies around insurance companies using drones, and sharing some hilarious personal stories. From unexpected insurance cancellations to awkward public encounters, this episode is packed with laughs and insights.

Episode Markers

0:07:42 - Vampire Treatment

0:17:38 - Insurance Drones and California Home Issues

0:25:00 - Intimate Locations and Mishaps

0:35:01 - Data Breach and AI Images

0:44:55...

Alex Albrecht joins ‪Kevin Rose for a reunion-style episode of Diggnation, and it’s like they never left. Kevin and Alex kick things off by discussing everything from past moments on Diggnation to current events like WWDC announcements, and the evolution of Tesla and Boeing, the latest from Apple.

Guest Bio and Links: