TechStuff

Faced with challenging engineering problems, Apple has reportedly shelved its augmented reality glasses project. We look at the history and evolution of AR, and why it's so hard to create a pair of glasses with AR capabilities. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Artists, musicians and even stock photography companies are starting to fire shots at generative artificial intelligence systems. Will we see lawmakers create new legislation that creates a legal framework for generative AI? At what point can you say a machine plagiarized an artistic work? Plus, Meta sues an Israeli company for scraping user data and Google has plans for all those Stadia controllers once the service shuts off tomorrow.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode from 2021, we look at the thorny issues of copyright and how fair use isn't some proactive safety play to avoid those pesky copyright strikes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Codebreaker's Ben Johnson joins the show to talk about data tracking. What is it used for? What's the best case scenario? And what happens when it goes wrong?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A corrupt file in the FAA's systems forced all flights in the US to hold, leading to thousands of delays and hundreds of cancellations. Plus, CNET has been using AI to write articles and no one really noticed. Parler laid off about 75% of its staff. And the James Webb Space Telescope finds its first new exoplanet. Plus more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2022, Apple rolled out a self repair service shop. New York state passed a bill meant to give consumers more options when repairing their tech. And John Deere recently signed a memorandum of understanding with farmers loosening repair restrictions. Has the US embraced the Right to Repair? Not quite.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Artificial intelligence is going to be a big topic this year, and we have several stories to prove it. Plus, more about some of the stuff shown off at CES and how a school system is taking social media companies to court.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The world of startups is already a risky one, but it gets even worse when the "move fast and break things" philosophy extends to the law. We cover some examples of startups and VC firms that made headlines for all the wrong reasons. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did Sputnik change the world? What do satellites do? And what keeps them in orbit?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From Sony’s electric vehicle to Alienware’s new 500 Hz gaming monitor, we look at a few of the early announcements out of CES. Plus an update on how Meta is facing opposition in the EU, more security experts warn that TikTok is bad news and how companies like Amazon and Salesforce will be downsizing in the new year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just like parents, machines just don't understand. At least, not without first compiling data into 0s and 1s. So how can systems like ChatGPT seemingly understand what we want and present results? We take a look at natural language processing and how it can create the illusion of comprehension.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Could the US government issue a ban on TikTok? A landlord sues Twitter for failing to pay rent. Nearly 80% of all new car sales in Norway last year were electric vehicles. Plus much more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode from the distant past of 2021, Jonathan goes over some of the products that companies showed off at the CES trade show that never made it to market.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the conclusion of our series on the Industrial Revolution, we'll look at other industries that changed along with iron and textiles. We'll also learn about the living and work conditions of laborers and how that transformed our notions about work.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When is a predictions episode not a predictions episode? When Jonathan says so! We look at some of the things we expect to see happen in tech next year, from Apple's AR headset to how Meta handles the metaverse.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NASA launched Artemis I, the James Webb Space Telescope is already sending back phenomenal astronomical images, and Russia's hostilities in Ukraine force massive changes. Plus we learn about advancements in fusion, quantum computing and more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From the war in Ukraine to tech companies encountering challenges in China, we look at how global politics and tech intersected and conflicted in 2022.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We look at the history of incorporating lights in winter holidays like Christmas and Hanukkah and how electricity changed things dramatically. We'll also dive into those over the top displays that sequence lights with sound and talk about why it was such a challenge for the electrician on Stranger Things to make lights blink a specific way.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we continue to explore the Industrial Revolution, we look at how iron helped shape the modern world. It's time to explore iron, steam engines and more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Twitter tells Meta "Hold my beer" as the company has a dramatic, chaotic year thanks to the former world's richest man, Elon Musk. From corporate maneuvers to brutal layoffs to nonsensical policy changes, we look at how Twitter struggled this past year. Plus, we take a moment to talk about Elizabeth Holmes and Sunny Balwani getting prison sentences.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2022 was a tough year for Meta. From historic earnings calls to increased regulatory scrutiny to skepticism surrounding the metaverse, the company has faltered a bit over the last 12 months. We look back on some of the big stories involving Meta in 2022. Plus, we chat briefly about streaming!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cryptocurrencies (and blockchain and NFTs and Web3) had a rough year. Things started with a boom and then went bust. What happened? What led to the collapse of FTX? Where is crypto going from here? And is Web3 ever going to be anything more than hype?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're going to look back over the big stories in tech this past year, and we're starting off with the trend of governments and regulators pushing back against big tech companies like Meta, Google, Apple, and more. Should Big Tech companies be worried?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Industrial Revolution transformed the world. Cities grew, new jobs were created and technology transformed the world. In part one, we take a close look at the textile industry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Senators voted to ban federal employees from loading TikTok on government-owned devices -- the vote now goes to the US House of Representatives. Plus Sam Bankman-Friend could face more than a century in jail if convicted. And Twitter stopped paying rent on its office space?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We conclude the epic series of episodes about the history of social networks by rushing through 2011 to present day. We look at Google+ and its failure, the rise and growth of Twitch, the arrival of Discord and Mastodon, and the emergence of far-right social networks like Gab, Parler and Truth Social.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sam Bankman-Fried, the co-founder of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, has been arrested in the Bahamas. It turns out a lot of people are very interested in speaking with him about the collapse of FTX. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice is also asking FTX competitor Binance some tough questions as customers pull their money from the exchange. Plus more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After the wave of microblogs, social networks started turning to some interesting places. You had image-oriented networks like Pinterest and Instagram. And you had Snapchat, which introduced the idea of content that only stays online temporarily before disappearing. Plus more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did Comcast become such a huge, powerful company? What happened with the doomed Time Warner deal? And where does the company go next?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apple's security plans have upset the FBI. The EU rules that Google is legally obligated to remove links to sites if users can prove the sites host misinformation. And Dyson has some super expensive headphones that have an interesting peripheral.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From 2006 to 2008, the trend in social networks was short and sweet: the micro-blog. Learn how Twitter, Jaiku, Plurk and Tumblr all took different approaches to micro-blogging.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meta threatens to pull news feeds off Facebook if the US passes a proposal giving media outlets collective bargaining power. Tesla is having a hard time filling positions in Germany. And Chinese hackers were able to steal millions of US dollars meant for Covid relief. Plus more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We continue our trip through the history of social networks. This time we look at Flickr, Orkut, Bebo, YouTube and Reddit. Two of those don't exist anymore! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Comcast is a powerful player in the cable and Internet space. How did the company get its start? And how did cable television take off in the first place?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cybersecurity researchers find that only 13% of defense contractors in the US pass a basic set of cybersecurity regulations. Elon Musk wants to put a chip in someone's brain within six months. And could hydrogen fuel your next trip on a jet?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our profile on the history of social networks continues with two of the big competitors in the mid 2000s -- Myspace and Facebook. From the infamous News Corp buyout of Myspace for 580 million bucks to the even more infamous Cambridge Analytica scandal at Facebook, we take a look at how these networks shaped the web.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Salesforce platform can empower businesspeople to create digital solutions without writing code. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell takes on this topic with Jacob Goldstein, host of What’s Your Problem?, and guest Phil Weinmeister, Head of Product, Salesforce Americas, at IBM. They discuss human-centric design, the low-code/no-code approach, and how IBM Consulting powers digital transformations with the Salesforce platform. This is a paid advertisement from IBM.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Twitter and Facebook are struggling right now, but both have outlasted many other social networks. In this retrospective, we look at early attempts to bring people together online. Some are gone, some remain, and some transformed into something else entirely.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's the story with Volkswagen and emissions testing? How did the car manufacturer hide vehicle emissions? Scott Benjamin of CarStuff joins us to talk about it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do companies really implement planned obsolescence to get you to buy more stuff? (Spoiler: yes). And do they really resist giving you the option to repair gadgets? (Spoiler: Also yes).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Numbers stations are mysterious, creepy and part of the world of espionage. We learn how shortwave radio works, why it's used for numbers stations and how you might tune in to find one yourself.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Even as Twitter headcount dwindles, Elon Musk announces an ambitious vision for the service's future. Alphabet is gearing up for layoffs. Tax prep services have been sending Americans' financial info to Meta. And more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No copyright infringement intended. Does that matter? Does it even mean anything? We look at the complicated issues of copyright and fair use.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the holiday season coming up, it's time to look at some gift ideas for the filthy rich. From ridiculous watches to a multimillion dollar mobile home, we explore some of the most ridiculously expensive tech out there.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elon Musk allegedly fires Twitter employees who criticize his decisions. A billionaire is calling for Google to stop paying its employees so darn much. Amazon gears up for corporate layoffs. And Chinese gamers will soon lose access to games like World of Warcraft and Hearthstone. Plus more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malware has come a long way since the humble computer virus. We look at the seven types of malware (as defined by Cisco) and learn what they do and how they work, as well as how to protect your computer devices from malicious code.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Having a good data strategy can streamline the way a company does business. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell takes on this topic with Ronald Young Jr., host of Solvable, and guest Nicholas Renotte, Data Science and AI Technical Specialist at IBM. They discuss how data literacy can help make a business more efficient, the fundamentals of data management, and why data is step one to AI solutions. A study quoted by Nicholas and referenced in this episode can be found here. Some of Nicholas’ guidance on machine learning can be found here. This is a paid advertisement from IBM.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cryptocurrency exchange FTX spectacularly imploded over the last two weeks. What happened? How did SBF go from crypto wunderkind billionaire to having assets in the neighborhood of $0? Is Binance CEO CZ the Lex Luthor to FTX's Clark Kent? Plus more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Once upon a time, a buzz term called Web 2.0 dominated discussions about web sites. What did Web 2.0 really mean? Or does it mean nothing?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark Zuckerberg oversees more than 11,000 job cuts across Meta. Twitter continues its bumpy ride post Musk acquisition. And IBM breaks a quantum processing record.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.