Dream Machines: Spatial Computing + AI

This is Part II of our mini-series with prominent bitcoin investor, thinker, and creator, Marty Bent in which we chart the necessary path towards ‘Bitcoin Enlightenment’, aka the phases of knowledge required to fully appreciate Bitcoin's purpose and potential. The goal of this series is to address Bitcoin's marketing problem as one of the most misunderstood yet important technologies in common parlance todayIf you've not listened to Part I, I'm going to refrain from shouting at you emphatically, and just say with complete patience and kindness... Press pause and go give Part I a listen. It was truly an awesome convo. We discuss the first 5 phases out of 7 and cover off on the 'what & why' of bitcoinHere in Part II, we focus more on the 'how' and hit some of the more technical aspects that Bitcoin special & unique. We also discuss:- Marty's views on the Future of Media & Podcasting- How he's going to run his media company on a Bitcoin standard- His experience and foresight in running the largest bitcoin only investment firm, and the type of bets they are making. So strap in, put on your slightly more technical hat, and enjoy this episode with Marty Bent This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dreammachines.ai

Despite being around for a while now, bitcoin remains woefully misunderstood.It’s alarming to me how many people still roll their eyes at the topic. Yet, more often than not, these same people haven’t made any effort to understand why Bitcoin exists, what problems it solves, and why its useful.This is especially alarming considering the current fiscal and economic environment we're in (as I discussed in this essay here: Why Bitcoin (Really) Matters)So, to tackle said marketing problem, there's few people in the world more qualified than our guest, Marty Bent. He's one the most renowned thinkers, investors, and creators in the Bitcoin space, and he has quite the pedigree...Throughout this conversation, we package up all this knowledge into what we believe are the necessary steps, or ‘phases of knowledge’, required to fully appreciate Bitcoin's purpose and potential. Perhaps I’ll call these phases the path, or at least a path, to ‘Bitcoin Enlightenment’.We broke this convo into a two-parter. Here in Part I, we cover steps 1-5 (out of 7) towards enlightenment. This includes:1/ Understanding the Problem (aka the water we swim in, which I cover in depth in this essay here)2/ Recognizing that we're being deceived3/ Grasping what sound money is and isn’t4/ Seeing the financial incentive & game theory at play, and5/ Understanding the role of energy in both bitcoin and the wider energy gridSo if you're new bitcoin, prepare to expand your mind and start thinking a bit different. And if you're a bitcoin veteran, sit back and enjoy the unique musings of no other than Marty Bent. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dreammachines.ai

Matthew Ball, renowned expert on the metaverse, discusses updates to his book, the intersection of AI and Blockchain, digital twins, and the future of identity in the evolving spatial computing world.

Welcome back to our mini-series on spatial computing in the enterprise with Sven Brunner, CEO of Sphere: one of the top apps for enterprise grade collaboration/communication.If you missed Part I, highly suggest you back and take a listen. Lots of important context around the state of enterprise adoption today, along with where & how companies are having success with AR, VR, and 3D more broadly.Here in Part II, we cover:* The convergence of Spatial Computing and AI* How & why they're really a marriage made in heaven* Where there's some real utility now, where this combo is heading.We also hit on the impact of the Apple Vision Pro, and of course, in classic Medium Energy fashion, we end on a philosophical note, exploring why this future will be a good thing for humanityPer usual, let know what you think of this one, and if you have 30 seconds to spare, would greatly appreciate a share with one friend, and if feeling generous, perhaps review on your favorite podcast player! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dreammachines.ai

Apple Podcast LinkSpotify Podcast LinkGood day friends! We have another great show for you all today… especially if you're interested in all things spatial computing in the enterprise, along with its intersections with AI.This interview is with Sven Brunner, the Founder & CEO of Sphere.Sphere is one of the leading spatial computing apps in the enterprise space today. I liken them to a spatial Swiss army knife, satisfying a variety of use cases centered around immersive collaboration, and really any moment of knowledge transfer that would benefit from immersive, 3D visualization or ‘just in time’ information. This recording went longer than expected, so we're breaking this episode into a two part mini-series. Here in Part I we focus on the current state of enterprise adoption and hitting on a range of topics, including:* What the future of work & collaboration is going to look like* The challenges holding the back main stream adoption today* Where & how customers are finding success and utility* What conditions need exist for meaningful scaleIn Part II, we’ll do a deep dive on the convergence of AI and Spatial.Let me know what you think of this one. And if you enjoy, please consider sharing with a friend or three! (Oh, and toss a rating if you get a moment :-)Alright, enough from me. Put on your business cap and enjoy this episode with Sven Brunner. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dreammachines.ai

Alright folks, we’re launching a new addition to the content lineup: ‘The Quarterly Market Update’Typically, we cover the more philosophical and practical sides of AI, Spatial Computing and Crypto.Today, we’re exploring how to make money and grow wealth from these innovations.Towards that end, this new segment will explore the most important things happening in financial markets and in the economy, with the goal of helping you better invest and plan for the future.The plan is to do this right on the tails of earnings season... after all the most important companies show their financial cards.To kick off this new series, we're leaning on a good friend and my go-to person for navigating the complexity of today’s market... and that's Hatem Dhiab.Hatem is a Managing Partner at Gerber Kawasaki: one of the more renowned wealth management firms here in LA area.Gerber Kawasaki well known for being more on the cutting edge of investing, particularly for being early bulls on Tesla and NVIDIA, placing heavy bets before the consensus rush. They've also trail blazed in giving clients early access to crypto.So put on your money making cap, and enjoy this wide ranging chat on all things investing & current market conditions. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dreammachines.ai

Welcome back friends to Medium Energy!This is another live panel recording from SXSW. It’s also one of my favorite panels to date…It was titled ‘Redefining Reality’, so as you probably guessed, it’s about all things spatial computing i.e. the full spectrum of immersive, interactive real-time 3D experiences… from 3D on the web, to headsets like the Vision Pro, to simulations on phones/tablets/laptops.If you’re in search of talk tracks to pitch friends, family, or colleagues on why spatial computing matters, and why its worth investing in, you're going to enjoy this one.The panel includes a variety of leaders and really great thinkers in the space, representing hardware/software for creating VFX at live events (Disguise, CXO Alex Wills), to Snap and their AR lens creator platform (Snap Global Director of Creative Studio, Resh Sidhu), to one of the top agencies in the world building spatial applications (Arcade XR CEO, John Meggitt)This array of experience and perspectives allowed us to cover a variety compelling topics, including:* The real 'so what' behind spatial computing, and the more fundamental & philsophical impact it will have.* The idea of this not being just spatial computing, but rather 'experiential computing', and why that could change, well… everything.* We also get practical and a bit technical, exploring the best practices brands need to consider to properly build & take advantage of spatial computing as it matures and transforms... and how to do so beyond just headsets.I think you'll really enjoy this one, especially if you're trying to incorporate spatial into your company and/or work life. So let me know what you think, and if you do indeed enjoy, please consider sharing with a friend and leaving a review on Apple/Spotify! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dreammachines.ai

This is a live recording of a panel with Artist & the Machine during a 'Spatial Computing Salon' in LA.Artist & The Machine is an awesome new event series put on by my friend Dani Van De Sande. She's pulling together an amazing community of builders, brands, and investors to connect in-real life to share ideas, co-create, and meld minds; all with a similar focus as Medium Energy: to champion the elements of tech that make us more human, not less.This panel featured a very diverse and awesome line up of entrepreneurs within spatial computing.We had Neha Singh, the founder & CEO of ObsessAR. Obsess is building the future of e-commerce via immersive, virtual retail environments. They’re effectively giving brands a digital 'come inside' button, helping customers better interact with and understand products.We also had Reza Ali, CEO and Founder of Valence 3D: a 3D modeling app for iPhone, iPad, and eventually VisionPro. Check it out… it’s a really slick 3D creation tool for non-3D experts.And lastly, Don Allen Stevenson, a prominent influence & creator in this space, educating people on all the ways to use AI and spatial. He also has one of the best nick names I've heard in the content creation realm — “the Bob Ross of the metaverse’...If you don't know who Bob Ross is, your probably a Gen Z’er… *sigh- Just look him up on YouTube. A true gem of the 80's and 90's public TV era..During the panel, we hit on all kinds of juicy topics at the heart of Spatial Computing and AI, including:* How to address people’s fear & skeptcisim about this brave new world* The impact we’re all seeing from this tech on both business & creativity* And of course, we wax poetic and get philosophical about the long term implications of this interface for society writ large...Alright enough preamble, let's dive into the show, and if you enjoy, please do subsribe, give us a rating on Apple/Spotify, and perhaps share with a friend or two! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dreammachines.ai

Apple Podcast LinkSpotify Podcast LinkWelcome to Part II of our conversation with Vince Kadlubek, co-founder of Meow Wolf, aka the next-gen Disney, or what I like to call the ‘real-world metaverse’. If you haven't listened to Part I, trust me… Press pause and check out that episode via this link (or the Apple/Spotify links above).It’s garnered the best + most feedback of any piece of Medium Energy content to date. It also sets important context and provides ideas that underpin this conversation, such as…* The future of storytelling* How to tap into/harness imagination* Balancing spontaneity with control* Pricesless lesson in entrepreneurship* How to bring a dream & vision to life out of thin air (e.g. ‘believing the unbelievable’)Here in Part II, we dive into the future of Meow Wolf and how they’re integrating spatial computing, AI, and crypto. We also discuss the challenges of leading a company, dealing with failure, and adapting to your own weaknesses. In the end, we bring things home by getting deep. We discuss…* Vince’s experience with love and death* How to incorporate these parts of the human experience into our daily work and lives.* What questions we need to be asking ourselves as we face this moment of exponential changeI came away from this conversation feeling really optimistic about where technology is taking us… Confident you’ll feel the same… So, let's get started. Here’s Part II of our talk with Vince Kadlubek. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dreammachines.ai

This was my favorite conversation of the past year, both on and outside of Medium Energy. It’s a chat with entrepreneur, dreamer, and dear friend: Vince Kadlubek.Vince is one of the most compelling thinkers I know. He's also the co-founder of Meow Wolf: one of the world's most original and exciting ventures within arts and entertainment.For those unfamiliar, Meow Wolf is akin to a next-generation Disney, but with a unique twist… catapulting visitors into a vortex of childlike wonder & awe.More concretely, they transform huge physical spaces into a kaleidoscope of immersive experiences that blur the lines between art gallery, amusement park, and interactive museum.Here are some examples…With locations flourishing in Santa Fe, Denver, and Las Vegas—and with more on the horizon—the realms they build look & feel like a real-world ‘metaverse’, transporting visitors into narratives brimming with digital art, sculpture, and an evolving array of technologies like AI, augmented reality, and spatial audio. We also discuss the potential to use cryptocurrency and NFTs… which in my opinion, is where things start to get really interesting…This convo was too rich and expansive for just one episode, so we’re dividing it into two parts.In this first installment, we cover:* The ethos driving Meow Wolf, tracing its origins and exploring a concept that resonates deeply with me: the ability to believe in the unbelievable.* The evolution of storytelling and its impact on our species, considering how such experiences not only offer healing and growth but can also usher in new avenues for finding purpose and meaning in our lives.* This idea of ‘religion without religion’, as we navigate a world where traditional religious structures have left a void (of community & places with inspiration + hope)These themes are not just intellectually stimulating; they touch on something elemental to the human experience… something we’ll explore further into in Part II (which we’ll be releasing as a fast follow later this weekend).For now, let’s dive into Part I!I find these topics endlessly fascinating, and upon hearing Vince’s perspective, I think you will too. So without further adieu, I bring you, Vince Kadlubek… This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dreammachines.ai