TechStuff

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.

The dumpster fire that is Twitter continues this week as we learn about Twitter reps scrambling to re-hire some of the employees let go in last week's layoffs. Elon Musk toys with putting Twitter behind a paywall. Meta may be holding layoffs of its own this week. And the creator of the Oculus makes a VR headset that kills you for real if you die in a game.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Internet of Things (IoT) can bring with it a ton of benefits, but it can also introduce security and privacy vulnerabilities. In this episode, Jonathan describes a few notable cases where IoT devices caused some massive headaches.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ben Bowlin of Stuff They Don't Want You to Know joins the show to talk about DNA forensics, cold cases and science. How reliable is DNA evidence?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pantone's licensing agreement with Adobe means that designers will have to cough up fifteen bucks a month to access certain colors. Twitter continues to have a tumultuous week. Meta is testing out NFTs in Instagram. And TikTok is facing scrutiny around the world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With rumors that the video app Vine is set to return, we look at Vine's history. Where did it come from? Where did it go? Did Cotton Eye Joe have anything to do with it?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, Elon Musk completed his Twitter acquisition and began to clean house, firing multiple executives. This week, he continues with launching projects and planning future layoffs. Plus news about Meta, Google, Microsoft and Sony!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why did Einstein refer to quantum entanglement as "spooky action at a distance?" What is locality? Could quantum systems allow for faster than light communication? Could that violate causality? It's a spooky quantum episode of TechStuff!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How has the Internet fueled a return to the old system of patronage? This episode explores crowdfunding resources like Indiegogo and patronage services like Patreon. Can they work for anybody?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The EU will require Apple to switch to a USB-C port on iPhones starting in late 2024 and the company isn't happy about it. Plus Elon Musk is on the verge of closing his deal for Twitter, the US Department of Justice is reportedly investigating Tesla and gamers might be shocked to learn that physical copies of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II have no game on the physical disk.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is the uncanny valley? What causes that feeling of uneasiness we get when we see certain robots or CGI characters? What makes them creepy?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Intelligent automation can help combat the human biases that can lead to discriminatory hiring practices. 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 Angela Hood, founder and CEO of ThisWay Global. They discuss how intelligent automation can accelerate inclusive hiring practices, why machines can mitigate bias but not remove it, and why diverse companies are more competitive. This is a paid advertisement from IBM.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does "the ghost in the machine" mean? From philosophy to artificial intelligence, we explore this idiom to understand what it means, how it's used and if the dream of strong AI is realistic.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's time to tackle Tinder. Where did the app come from? Do people use it for more than just hooking up? And what do you get when you go premium?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Netflix has a plan for all those households that share login credentials. Uber is going to advertise to you, a lot. A mysterious GPS interference affected air travel in Texas. And did physicists uncover the cheat code to the universe?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is vampire power? Why do electronic devices pull power even when they're not on? And what are some ways to stop it?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Less than a year after its relaunch, G4TV once again goes dark. Plus online entertainment company Rooster Teeth faces harsh criticism in the wake of a former employee's accusations. And Parler is getting a new owner.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Modern ghost hunting relies heavily on the use -- or misuse -- of technology. Learn about EMF meters, what constitutes electronic voice phenomena, and why your "ghost host" thinks it's all a misunderstanding. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does Google's restructuring mean for the company?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.