Siri to take the Apple stage, and the fuss about Mayer's micro maternity leave

SAN FRANCISCO — The topics ranged far and wide during Paste BN's latest Tech Deep Dive podcast Friday, touching on everything from technology's impact on education to why great coffee merits enduring long lines, and of course Apple's next big thing.

Voice-enabled computing is a battleground for the big tech companies. Apple reminded us of this when its personal assistant, Siri, coyly tipped the company's Sept. 9 Apple event.

The guests who dropped in on our bureau to discuss this and other tech topics were Evan Marwell, founder of Education SuperHighway, which aims to bring fast Internet service to all U.S. schools; Laura Gomez, founder of Atipica, which optimizes the job search process; and Jacob Jaber, CEO of Philz Coffee, a family-run caffeine peddler that is taking the Bay Area by storm.

The three entrepreneurs joined Paste BN tech reporters Marco della Cava and Elizabeth Weise, San Francisco bureau chief Jon Swartz and editor and podcast show host Laura Mandaro.

Marwell discussed the lack of Web access that plagues many public schools, which unless addressed will hinder the nation's efforts to educate more computer coders to fill the nation's growing number of technology-related jobs. Gomez talked about the need to radically revamp the traditional resume submission process, in order to better match job candidates with open positions. And Jaber touted his hip hand-crafted coffee company, which he says is worth the lines that trail out the door.

Listen to the full podcast below or shorter segments on the entrepreneurs.