TechStuff

From Amazon to Google to Apple, companies are creating digital assistants to make our lives easier. What's the technology behind them and are they safe to use?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Google has announced a ton of stuff at the 2023 I/O event, including how AI will show up in future Google searches if you opt into it. We also learn how Microsoft's deal to buy Activision is going, how YouTube is discouraging ad-blockers and how one influencer is using AI to make clones of herself for people to date. For a fee, of course.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Geoffrey Hinton recently retired from Google, saying that he wanted to be able to speak freely about his concerns regarding artificial intelligence without having to consider the impact to his employer. So what is the Godfather of AI worried about? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Defendants in court cases are trying the deepfake defense and judges are not having it. Think twice before you commit a huge investment into AI companies. SBF is asking courts to throw out most of the charges against him. And Peter Thiel has some icy plans after his demise. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Special guest Jack Pattillo joins the show to talk about the former Disney Hollywood Studios attraction, The Great Movie Ride. From immersive storytelling to the implementation of a new kind of animatronic, Jack and Jonathan explore this long-gone ride.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Kepler Telescope has detected hundreds of exoplanets in our galaxy. What's the story behind it and how does it work?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sadly, we don't have any Star Wars news today. But we do have tons about AI, Meta facing governmental scrutiny, Microsoft making a questionable decision with regard to Edge and lots more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recently, I mentioned in a Tech News episode that the FBI and the FCC are warning folks to stay away from public charging stations for mobile devices. But it turns out that warning by be like a certain Shakespearean comedy: Much Ado About Nothing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

IBM's CEO reveals that the company has paused on hiring approximately 7,800 people in order to consider AI for those roles instead. A pioneer in deep learning is concerned about the potential dangers of AI. And the Web celebrates 30 years of being in the public domain.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What process does Nissan follow when designing a new vehicle? We dive into the complicated process of going from concept to finished vehicle and learn how Nissan combines cutting edge technology with traditional artistic expression to get there.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Producer Noel Brown joins the show to talk about the science, theory and practice of soundproofing. How does sound work? How can you protect a room from sound?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A man in Thailand claims that, with a little coaxing, ChatGPT helped him pick winning numbers for the lottery. Plus we hear a lot of other stories about AI, how Meta had a very good first quarter after laying off 21,000 people, and why Netflix might be worried after rolling out a password sharing crackdown initiative in Spain.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is a quantum bit, and how is it different from a normal bit? What kinds of problems are quantum computers good at solving? And how many dumb jokes can Jonathan shove into this episode?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In less than a week, Twitter's blue checkmark went from a desired status symbol to a mark people want to avoid at all costs. What happened? Plus, news on GM phasing out the Chevy Bolt, Google abandoning a mega campus project and an update on the Apple vs Epic legal battle.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is an AI hallucination? What causes a chatbot to go off script and invent stuff? And is AI's tendency to rewrite history a bug or a feature?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jonathan and Ben continue their conversation about online ads. Is it wrong to use ad blockers? Or is it wrong to block people who block ads?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The test launch of SpaceX's Starship was a success despite the fact that the launch vehicle later exploded high above the Gulf of Mexico. There are more battles happening around the subject of artificial intelligence. And if you used Facebook between 2007 and 2022, you can file a claim to get a share in a massive class action lawsuit.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vinyl sales were on the decline from the 1980s to the mid 2000s, but since 2006 sales have been on the rise. What's the history of vinyl, and what makes this format special?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is Elon Musk working on a kinder, gentler AI? Could Microsoft's partnership with OpenAI take a huge chunk out of Google? And how do artists protect themselves against deepfakes?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the weekend, Google rolled out a patch to Google Chrome. It addresses a zero-day vulnerability. But what are zero-day vulnerabilities and zero-day attacks? We learn about the definition and history of this powerful type of hacker attack.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Online advertising has been a bit of a problem for a long time. Join Jonathan and Ben as they talk about ads, ad blockers and malware.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China's Cyberspace Administration recommends regulations that would prevent AI from upsetting the country's political apple cart. Plus, why did Elon Musk buy 10,000 GPUs? And Meta employees are having a real morale issue for lots of reasons.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does a CPU do? What is clock speed? What does it mean to overclock a CPU? And are FLOPS a good thing?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've got stories about top secret US documents showing up on Discord servers and how Meta's verification system is putting people in danger, but to be honest a LOT of this episode ends up being about the chaos going on over at Twitter.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is a dark ride? What's the oldest dark ride still in operation? How do dark rides use technology to tell stories? And whatever happened to the Tunnel of Love?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hak5 Host Shannon Morse joins the show to talk about hacking as a profession. From white hats to black hats, how do hackers make money?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meta has plans to launch a commercialized AI product by the end of this year. Apple might have picked the wrong year to get into XR. Binance closes derivative businesses in Australia due to an investigation. And rich lonely people may soon be able to avoid the rest of us on Tinder.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Razer makes pretty much everything, but this episode is about some of the concepts, prototypes and (arguably) vaporware the company has teased that never became a commercial product. From modular computers to futuristic gaming chairs, we look at some crazy concept hardware that you absolutely cannot buy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Germany looks to block ChatGPT out of privacy concerns. Samsung Semiconductor adjusts its own stance on ChatGPT as employees share a bit too much information with the chatbot. And a ChatGPT detector might flag a student's legitimate work as AI material. Plus lots more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Not that long ago, tech companies would fall over themselves to participate in gags and jokes on April 1st. Things have calmed down a bit over the last few years, but we're starting to see shenanigans poke through again. We look at a few examples from this year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CarStuff's Scott Benjamin comes on to talk about Google's self-driving car causing its first car accident. What happened? And how will Google prevent future accidents?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A pair of letters signed by more than 1,000 people (maybe) argue that we need to slow down before developing more advanced artificial intelligence models. Plus, did Google cheat off OpenAI's work to build out Bard? And SBF stands accused of bribing Chinese officials to the tune of 40 million dollars.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gordon Moore, the man behind Moore's Law, passed away on March 24, 2023. We look at his life and contributions to tech.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An analyst predicts that there's a 90% chance the US will ban TikTok unless there are drastic changes at the company. A legend in the tech industry passes away. And why does NVidia's CTO say that cryptocurrencies serve no use in society? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We learn who invented the lawnmower, how lawnmowers evolved, and why we even have lawns in the first place. Hint: it has to do with castles in the Middle Ages. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How are weather predictions made? How does the tech used in meteorology work? And can we control the weather?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Google Bard admitted that it took data from an article in Tom's Hardware without attribution. ChatGPT and Bard both prove they can't tell the difference between real news and a joke. And TikTok's CEO appears before Congress to answer some tough questions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do tech entrepreneurs go from having an idea to turning it into a successful business? We look at the process of funding a tech startup and what might convince someone to invest in a long shot.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vulnerabilities in Samsung-produced chipsets may require you to remove the phone from your smartphone. Plus we learn about a bunch of new AI stories, including a company that can generate video based off text input. Plus a watchdog group in Germany brings accusations against Meta and German politicians. And more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From a pair of generals paralyzed by bad communication to a trolley hurtling out of control, we look at some classic thought experiments and how they pertain to technology. Plus, are we living in a simulation?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How are weather predictions made? How does the tech used in meteorology work? And can we control the weather? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a new version of GPT out in the wild and it has some interesting new features (and familiar problems). Chinese company Baidu's version of a chatbot fails to inspire investors. And TikTok faces new demands that it sever all ties with its Chinese parent company. Plus more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While modern flight simulators can be incredibly complicated and rely on powerful computer systems, the very first flight simulator didn't have any computers at all. Instead, it relied on stuff you'd normally find in a pipe organ. We learn about Edwin Link and his incredible flight simulator.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've got a lot of updates for ongoing news stories in tech. Meta plans more layoffs, New South Wales debates banning TikTok on government devices, Sony argues that Microsoft is untrustworthy, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Silicon Valley Bank, or SVB, was a financial pillar in the tech sector. So how did a company that helped countless startups launch fail in less than two days? We look at the history of SVB, what happened, and how it relates to banks like Silvergate and Signature failing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What are solar towers? How do they generate electricity? What's the future of solar power?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Senators show concern about how the FBI collected geolocation data without going through normal procedures. Google pays out a large settlement relating to how the company handled location tracking. Plus we have stories about facial recognition tech, how Tesla is under scrutiny for accidents (and for steering wheels popping off of SUVs) and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bridget Todd host of There Are No Girls on the Internet steps in for Jonathan to celebrate women in tech for International Women's Day.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US Senate introduces a bill that could give the President the power to ban TikTok (and other foreign tech products and services). Microsoft introduces an AI platform for enterprises. Cambridge Analytica resurfaces in the news down under. And Meta plans to hold more layoffs soon. Plus more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Ponzi scheme is a classic high-stakes con game that can net a scammer a lot of money, but at considerable risk. We take a look at the Terraform Labs collapse of 2022 and learn what factors led to its downfall and why its co-founder is on the run.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.