hpr_transcripts/hpr1704.txt

Episode: 1704
Title: HPR1704: Introducing Jeffrey Powers aka Geekazine
Source: https://hub.hackerpublicradio.org/ccdn.php?filename=/eps/hpr1704/hpr1704.mp3
Transcribed: 2025-10-18 08:03:25

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This is HPR episode 1,700 for entitled Introducing Jeffrey Powers' Oka Gikazeen.
It is hosted by Dung and is about 26 minutes long.
The summary is Jeffrey Powers' Talks Aisines and his other tech sites.
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All right, three, two, one.
So I was asked to do a follow-up on my introduction to the Netizen Empowerment Federation.
Specifically, I was asked to talk a bit more about the goals of Sportazine.com and how
it fits into the free culture movement.
I felt the best way to talk about what Sportazine is and where we're headed was to bring in my
Sportazine.com co-founder Jeffrey Powers.
How are you doing today, Jeffrey?
I'm doing great.
How about yourself?
I'm doing well.
So before we get into this little interview, I just want to very briefly say that the sports
industry is a huge industry.
So May 2011 estimate puts it somewhere between 35 and not 35, 350, extra zero and 450
billion pounds so that was at the time $480 to $620 billion and we'll have a link for
that information to show notes.
That was the most recent I could find.
So it's probably gone up.
So whatever you think about sports, it's foolish to ignore it as an industry.
And if you want to change things into sports industry, either because you love sports and
you don't think things are run well or because you just don't like sports and you wish
they would go away, you're not going to convince anybody by shouting at them and I don't
think you're going to convince anybody by quietly being condescending that people like sports.
So that's why I think that it's important that there be a free culture presence in sports.
Nobody else is doing it.
So that's why we decided to take up the mantle and do that.
Now it didn't start out that way.
No.
It just started out.
I wanted to get into sports journalism and then things went from one thing to another
and that's sort of where we led.
I guess before we get into some of the more personal questions, since I brought up the
things have sort of changed in sport, how has things changed from your initial vision
of what sport has been was and how it fit into your projects?
Well, I started back in 2007.
I started a website called Geek-A-Zeen, which is Geek and Tech Culture.
I was an IT administrator getting out of the game and getting into more and a podcasting.
And my envision was to actually have more of a network of websites using the A-Zeen line.
So we have Geek-A-Zeen.
We have DoorKazeen, Sport-A-Zeen, of course.
DoorKazeen is kind of like silly little bits and pieces.
My brother first suggested that I put it together and so it's kind of his website.
And then Sport-A-Zeen, I think you were the one dug that kind of suggested it.
And then we just put it together and then you kind of ran with it from there.
Excuse me, I also have some other A-Zeen like Wic-A-Zeen, which is my all-encompassing
wiki for the whole site.
And then a couple other A-Zeen that have kind of sat in the dark with some other websites
that I have that don't follow that same pattern.
But the whole idea is to get it back on track and have the A-Zeen network back online.
So all of the ones that you're talking about, both the A-Zeen and the other ones, they're
all under the JMP banner.
That's correct?
Yeah, JMP Enterprise.
Yeah.
So what are some of the ones that aren't in the A-Zeen network, just so people can get
a feel for what you have going on?
Well, we have a day into mostly podcasting stuff.
So day in tech history, which is a full rundown of tech history.
I did have iPad 365, which was a podcast about iPad apps, but that since it's closed six
months ago, I'm going to be rebranding it as app wild.
And that hasn't come out yet.
And then, of course, wearable today, which is a weekly show that myself and another person
Luke Wallace from Down in Dallas do, we talk about wearable technology, plus a few others
that are still working on.
So iPad 360 is still in your signature for your email.
iPad 365, yes.
Yeah, you should.
Yeah, 365.
365 and 365, both work though, so far as names.
So I thought this would be interesting.
We got, you know, it's mostly a tech-focused radio station here on HBR.
So I thought people might be interested in just the type of tech history that you do.
So I don't know if you've done the stuff for the 16th yet.
I don't know when it comes out, but just to give people a piece, if it's not today,
like yesterday's, it's going to come out in a couple of weeks this show.
So it won't be current.
But just to give them a piece of the type of history, what was the thing for yesterday
or today?
And tomorrow, if you want to get it.
That's the cool thing about it is I just started with day and tech history.
We have an archive over at day and tech history.com, forward slash day and tech history archives.
And so you basically, you go into the archive.
You can see what happened on each and every day.
So if we want, let's say, two weeks in advance, that would be the, let's say, about what
the 27th are actually, well, yeah, on January 27th, the Magnovox Odyssey, the production
began.
So that's one of the things that happened around that time.
So you can, I have a full archive.
I'm doing it a little bit different this year.
Every year, basically, what I would do is I would close out the post and then I'd create
a new post.
But this year, what I'm doing is I'm actually creating a second years worth of posts because
I find that a lot of people link to them.
And then those links stick around for about two years.
And then disappear.
So it'll, it'll double the amount of content that's on my website.
They'll be to, like for instance, January 16th, there's two January 16th.
And then it'll be able to back, go back and forth and each year, I add a little bit more
to it, cleaning it up and making it more special.
And how much of depth do you go into that?
Is it like a minute, 10 minutes?
Oh, it's, it's a full rundown.
So it's basically, I talk about what, what happened just a rundown, if you go to wikazead.com
to the day and tech history project, I just read right from there so it'll say like 1907
this happened, 1923 this happened, 1991 this happened, just like that.
So you'll get, you'll get everything that I've found that happened on that day in technology
history.
Very cool.
So we've got a lot of developers and just general technologists that listen to HPR.
Some of them might be interested in coming on your shows for interviews.
Do you do interviews for any of your sites?
Oh, yeah.
For wearable today, we do interviews and, and I'm working on an actual, another show
that would do interviews.
I haven't figured out what I would do for AppWild just yet.
It is definitely going to be in a different format.
I'm also working on, and, and most of this is video, day and tech history is the only exception,
which is an all audio format, but most of it is video, and I'm working on getting some
new video production gear in so I can better, stronger, faster type stuff.
So is the app wild?
Is that still going to be iOS focused or is that going to be interesting?
Oh, no, no, no, we're, it's, it's, that's, that's the best part about it is apps happen
everywhere.
I mean, Google, well, now the extinct Google class had apps, iOS has apps, Android has apps,
your, your TV has apps, your, your set top box like Roku or, or, or, or, or Amazon TV.
Those have apps.
So I wouldn't be surprised if you're, if you're refrigerator, your, your dresser drawers,
your washer dryer will eventually have apps, and that's what we'll cover with AppWild.
So if you'll indulge me just a second, I had not heard that Google Blast is extinct.
Did they just rename it or what is it?
Oh, no, just not doing it.
Um, they're, they're, they're retiring.
And this is something we talked about on Wearable today.
They basically back in June, they, uh, they introduced Android, uh, OS, our Android Wear,
excuse me, yeah, Android Wear, uh, for the watches and stuff like that.
And Google ran on, uh, Google X operating system.
And, and we kept talking about it.
It's like they're not going to keep, uh, operating system for one thing.
They're going to try and switch it over.
So, uh, yesterday they made the announcement that they're closing out Google Blast and
Ivy Ross, who they hired about six months ago, will be heading up a team for the next
iteration, which we're calling right now Android Wear Glass.
Um, so it's, it's, it's, it's not that their headgear is going away.
It's that they're recouping, are they're, they're re, uh, reorganizing and they're going
to come out with another piece of headgear that's going to probably look more like glasses
and, uh, and have a lot more functionality.
And of course, hook up with the, uh, using the Android Wear.
So your watch, your phone and your, and your headgear, will all work as one.
So that, that'll be ironic that it'll look more like glasses after they've wiped the glass
name away from the project.
Well, I'll still, I'll probably, uh, we're, we're thinking it's going to be like Android Wear
Glass, but it's not going to be Google Glass.
All right.
Yeah, because then I guess other manufacturers could use the Android Wear, you know, Samsung,
yes.
Yeah, just like, just like the Android operating system, uh, phones use, uh,
Samsung and them to use the Android operating system.
They just reflavor it to their designs.
They'll do the same thing with whatever headgear they make.
Very cool.
Um, so let's get back on track.
Okay.
That's my, totally my fault that I was curious and, uh,
since it is a tech show, I figured people would be interested.
Um, even if it is going to come out two weeks late, so, uh, as far as the news cycle comes.
So we were talking about interviewees or interviews.
How do you vet interviewees?
You know, like, do they need like a certain amount of Twitter followers?
Just so people don't, you know, you don't get flooded with like a thousand people that want
to be on your shows.
If I got flooded with a thousand people, then I, then I, then I put together these protocols,
but, uh, so far, anybody that calls up and says, hey, I want to be on the show.
Um, there, there, yeah, there has to be some sort of, uh, validation.
A couple of years ago, I did a show called the OTT, which was over the top television,
talking about set top boxes.
I had, uh, my co-host was a guy from, uh, yeah, he was in Florida.
And he had, he had no real credentials.
He just wanted to be on the show.
It's like, okay, let's do the show.
And then, then there we go.
Um, uh, depending on the show, I mean, it's wearable today.
Of course, you got to, you got to show that you have some wearable knowledge.
Um, but, uh, if you want to just get on the show and just say, yeah, that's cool.
I don't have a problem with that.
Um, but of course, as we, as we grow, and if we get more people, then I'll start thinking about
stuff like that.
Cool.
So if somebody did want to do that, what would be the best way to get in touch with you?
Would you be email, Twitter, uh, geekyzine.
Think magazine, put in a geek, you've got geekyzine.
Think, uh, magazine, put in sport, you got sportyzine.
But, uh, yeah, geekyzine at gmail.com, Twitter handles geekyzine, um,
you, uh, on, uh, Facebook.com, forward slash geekyzine, uh, plus dot google.com, forward slash
plus geekyzine, um, or plus Geoffrey powers, uh, that would work too.
Cool.
So I'm going to move into a little bit more of some sports questions here.
We got like the first intro into the sports section.
Yeah, should I get my, should I get my sports voice going on?
So, um, yeah, if you want to like a big and answer sport.
Now we move to the sports.
How's that?
Hey, that was, that was wonderful.
Thank you.
So where are we speaking to you from today?
I mean, I know this answer, but you are a beautiful Madison, Wisconsin.
I think people are going to either love it or hate it if you do that for all these questions.
I will try.
Video killed the radio star.
Okay, that's enough.
So, uh, what are your favorite sports to either watch or play?
And I guess you can say which ones?
My favorite sports are, uh, well, football.
Of course, I'm a packer and a badger fan, which, uh, of course, this Sunday,
we, it's a love hate relationship because the Packers are playing the Seahawks.
Packers, of course, from Green Bay and Seattle having Russell Wilson, who was a,
Wisconsin badger and is off the offensive coach, which is Darryl Bevel,
which I actually went to school with at the University of Wisconsin.
So it's, uh, I have, I'm a hometown sports fan, um,
and mostly in the football related field, uh, football hockey, uh, professional wrestling.
That's pretty much it.
That's one that we haven't done on the side is professional wrestling.
Although we did have some MMA content for a while.
But that's not professional.
Those are two different things.
So, right, exactly.
So, so we got to ask about the Packers.
Okay.
What do you, I mean, they could be out.
I'm not sure when the Super Bowl is what, what the day is.
I know there's a week off.
So I guess it's February 1st this year would be my guest.
Um, so probably the Super Bowl will have already happened.
So people will be able to see if you're psychic or not.
How far do you think the Packers are going to go?
I think that, uh, well, uh, the Seahawks are really good.
And of course, they, they blew the Packers away first week.
Packers have changed their, uh, changed their, what they did from the first week.
I mean, we have, uh, on defense, we have, uh, uh,
and names escaping me right now on how they've been switching them back and forth
between, uh, outside linebacker and inside linebacker.
And, uh, I think that we've got a different team.
We still have Aaron Rogers who has the bad left leg.
So that'll definitely play a factor.
But in watching the game against the Cowboys, um, it really showed that he was, uh,
that Aaron Rogers was very versatile and he could still get the ball out.
Um, I wish it would have been a higher scoring game than what it was,
but it was, that's what it was.
And so I, I think we're going to have a really great game this Sunday.
And yeah, of course, I'm going to say the Packers are going to go to the Super Bowl again.
And I'm going to say the Packers are going to win the Super Bowl.
I have to say too, for people that don't follow the NFL, both the Packers and the Seahawks are 13 and 4.
So it's not like, I mean, even those Seahawks are favorite for nothing else because it's in Seattle.
Yeah, it should be a good game.
So, yeah.
So, and then, of course, Phoenix being where the Super Bowl is.
So, um, it really, it really depends on what happens in the next, uh, at this game.
So it's going to be a great game.
A lot of people are going to watch it and, uh, it's going to have a lot of fun.
Nice. So one thing that sort of crosses over between sports and some of the tech stuff is
video games and not just sports video games. So when players come from other countries for big
video game tournaments, they actually get athletic visas in the US.
So if there's big starcraft tournament, they're going to, they're going to be treated as athletes
by the US government for these purposes. Um, an ESPN has started getting in the game and
airing video game tournaments. Not, you know, EA sports, you know, or Madden or any of those
sorts of things, video games are just like regular old video games have started doing that.
So it's becoming more competition based. But I just wondered if any of the tech stuff that you do,
how much they cover video games if people are really in the video games.
Surely that has to come up on like day in tech history.
Oh, yeah. Uh, definitely there's a lot of, uh, video game tech history, but I had to,
I had to kind of put a line and a lot of the video games were things where like, uh,
this video game came out, this video game came out, it got acquired.
So I decided to do it just like movies. If, if the video game had an impact of some sort,
then it's part of the day in tech history. Uh, just like with a movie, uh, if you'll,
you'll see movies like Metropolis, you'll see movies like weird science. These are,
these are all cult classics that, uh, that you'll probably show your kids and remember the day
that you, you saw it in the theaters. That's the stuff that'll be in day in tech history. Uh,
Ultima, the Ultima series, uh, I grew up on those games. So I'm, you know, those are definitely
in the day in tech history because they have an impact on me. Um, world of warcraft and stuff
like that. Important dates and go from there. Um, as for gaming, you know, I'm not as much of a
gamer. So I'm, I don't follow that realm as much as a lot of people want me to. I know, uh, like
for instance, uh, next month, uh, the comic, uh, Madison Comic Con, which is the first time
that they're doing this. Um, they're going around to multiple cities and doing a Comic Con and,
and ours is going to be, uh, the first week of February. And I, I, I'm debating whether I'm
going to get tickets or not. I mean, it's nice and I, and I know I'll get some traction. If I go
to these, uh, these conventions and report on the, the cosplay and report on the gaming,
but on the other hand, does it really follow what geek is in is, or what I want geek is in to be
about? Uh, it could also work with door cuisine. So, and that's why I have this multi-layered website.
But, uh, that's, that's where I kind of stand on gaming and stuff like that. Yes. And, and, and,
and I've seen it as a sport multiple times. In fact, I remember, uh, back in the late 80s,
early 90s, I remember a game show where people were pitted up against, uh, um, uh, playing a, uh,
Mario Brothers game or something like that, or a pinball machine or, or something like that. And
then of course, the winner got like a few thousand dollars or whatever. Uh, the, uh, the prize was,
and that was, so that was interesting, but, but in today's gaming, I could definitely see, uh,
game show TVs, uh, shows and stuff like that. Cool. So this is kind of a one-off question,
but we talked about sports and we talked about tech. You're also into music and you had at least a
band last I heard you had a band. So, um, you're still in the band. What's the name of the band?
Where can people check out your music? Band is, uh, called trailer kings over at trailerkings.com.
And, uh, we're actually playing the, we're playing, uh, the next few Saturdays. Uh,
lots of, lots of great music. We're, we're cover band. And we, we call ourselves garage rocks,
experts. And if you're not sure what that is, basically garage rock is, when you, when you're in a band,
in a garage, you're like, yeah, let's play this song. Oh, that's great. Let's play this song. Oh,
that's great. Um, and then it's just kind of having fun drinking beers, playing songs that you know,
um, and of course, we've got, uh, we've got years and years of experience, uh, of musicians that
know how to play our instruments and, uh, and have a lot of fun with the songs. We don't have
set lists so you could walk up and you could suggest a song. And of course, if it's Justin Bieber,
we'll laugh you off the stage. If it's not, uh, if it's something that we, we can play, we will,
we'll play it. And we have a lot of fun doing that and we get a lot of our crowd really organized,
our, our crowd really, uh, into what we do because, you know, we've got, we're, we're just like the,
uh, dueling pianos of bands because, uh, you know, you can choose from a list or we can just play
what we play. And do you guys just play a Madison or in Wisconsin or, uh, we've played, we've,
we've gone, uh, our farthest gig was actually in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which is farther than you
think because there's a lake in between. So you have to, you have to drive around the lake. So
we're not opposed to playing outside of Wisconsin. It's, uh, happened few and far between. In fact,
I just realized the, uh, the people that got married that we played for them in Grand Rapids,
Michigan, his brother is getting married and we're actually playing their gig in, uh, I think it's in
September or something like that. Nice, nice. So yeah, I once looked into going to Detroit for a game
from Madison when I lived in Madison. Yeah. And, you know, you wouldn't think it would take that
long to get there, but, you know, you have to go all the way around south to get, you know, around
like Michigan. And so we actually, a friend and I, we looked at using the ferry across Michigan,
but it's expensive. Yeah. Yeah. Especially if you bring, well, if you, if you bring
yourselves, it's not that bad, but if you, if you take a car, right, that's where the,
that's where the cost comes in. Yeah. Yeah. So Jeff, I'm sure we could talk forever, but
was there anything else that we, that I'm missed in asking you questions that you want to tell the
good people with HPR? Well, the basic thing is, uh, that, you know, uh, Geek is in, uh, I go around,
I, I do a lot of video, I do a lot of audio. I was just at the consumer electronics show and then
I hopped a plane back here and then I hopped the plane speaking of Detroit. I hopped a plane
to Detroit to cover the North American International Car Show. Uh, I'll be out there at South by Southwest.
I'll be out there at National Association of Broadcasters. Um, is my future schedule. Um, after that,
uh, no plans just yet. I also do a lot of, uh, independent video stuff stuff that I create video for,
but you'll never see my name on it. It's, it's for other companies. So, uh, I do a lot of one-on-one
videos. So you, you, I couldn't tell you where to check them out because they're clients and,
and that would, that works. So, uh, but the bottom line is that, uh, uh, I'm out there in the space,
uh, on social media, uh, as a podcaster, I, uh, I do some podcast coaching and I have a group
on Google plus called the podcasters community where people, uh, talk about podcasting, um, other than
that I'm, I'm talking with social media people all the time. So you can check me out over at Geekazine,
Geekazine.com. Fantastic. Well, thanks for joining us today on HPR. Jeff. All right. Thanks a lot, Doug.
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