When our phones are just phones with Kai Tang and Joe Hollier of Light
How I Built This with Guy Raz
Guy Raz | Wondery
4.8 • 31.1K Ratings
🗓️ 10 August 2023
⏱️ 35 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Most of us are dependent on our smartphones. In fact, Americans spend an average of three hours a day on these devices — devices that only came into existence relatively recently.
Designers Kai Tang and Joe Hollier have long believed that it’s not normal for humans to be so attached to their phones. So they launched their own company in 2014 to create an alternative...called the Light Phone.
This week on How I Built This Lab, Kai and Joe talk about their work to build a simpler mobile phone - without apps or tracking of personal data - which has been adopted by users across generations. Plus, the duo discuss the impact of society’s growing reliance on tech and their hopes for a less-connected future.
This episode was produced by Casey Herman with editing by John Isabella, research by Kerry Thompson, and music by Ramtin Arablouei. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is my voice. It can tell you a lot about me, and I'm not changing it for anyone. |
| 0:08.0 | In MPR's Black Stories, Black Truths, you'll find a collection of MPR episodes centered on the Black Experience. |
| 0:16.0 | Search MPR Black Stories, Black Truths, wherever you get podcasts. |
| 0:22.0 | When I biggest challenges is staying organized to remember what I need to do and when I need to do it. |
| 0:29.0 | So I've been using Notion AI. It's a productivity software that's simple and beautifully designed. |
| 0:35.0 | And here's the coolest thing. It has the power of AI built right inside of it. |
| 0:40.0 | Notion AI helps you work faster, write better, and think bigger, doing tasks that normally take you hours in just seconds. |
| 0:48.0 | I've used Notion AI to summarize documents, write first drafts, translate text into other languages, and lots more. |
| 0:56.0 | Try Notion AI for free when you go to Notion.com slash built. |
| 1:01.0 | That's all lowercase letters. Notion.com slash built. |
| 1:05.0 | To try out the incredible power of Notion AI today. |
| 1:09.0 | And when you use Arling, you are supporting our show. |
| 1:12.0 | So please check out Notion AI for free right now at Notion.com slash built. |
| 1:20.0 | Hello and welcome to how I built this lab. I'm Guy Rise. |
| 1:24.0 | So imagine you're waiting somewhere, right? |
| 1:27.0 | Maybe you're in the checkout line at the grocery store or at a restaurant and just waiting for the bathroom to open up. |
| 1:32.0 | And while you wait for a few minutes, what are you doing? |
| 1:36.0 | I bet there's a high chance that you take out your smartphone and just start scrolling. |
| 1:40.0 | I do it. I'm embarrassed to say. |
| 1:42.0 | In fact, a recent study found that on average, American adults spend almost three hours a day, three hours, staring at their smartphones. |
| 1:50.0 | Of course, smartphones are amazing. They brought massive convenience toward everyday lives. |
| 1:55.0 | But they've also let tech companies access intimate details of our private lives for advertising. |
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