TechStuff

Yesterday, Meta/Facebook held an earnings call and things went poorly right out of the gate. By the time the call was over, the company was poised to shed 200 billion dollars in value. What happened? Plus, more news in tech. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's the difference between bits and bytes? Has a byte always been 8 bits (no, it has not)? And is a kilobyte 1,000 bytes, or 1,024 bytes? It depends! Let's all get confused with this refresher course in bits and bytes! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Acquisitions are in the tech news this week, from updates on Microsoft's purchase of Activision Blizzard to the New York Times scooping up a viral online game. We also look at how hackers made more than 80 million bucks from insider trading and a group of engineers who proved da Vinci's flying machine could work. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Diem, formerly known as the Libra Association behind Facebook's Libra currency, is kaput. Learn about how folks at Facebook attempted to launch a digital currency and the problems they encountered along the way. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Part Two of this series, Chuck and Jonathan talk about how Atari dominated video games until the crash of 1983. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

LG's announcement to advertisers might mean connected televisions learn more about us than we would like. Anti-vax groups were spreading lies about COVID vaccines before the US even announced a vaccine program. And the IRS wants a good look at your face. Plus more! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From Moore's Law to the Laws of Robotics, we take a look at some famous "laws" about technology. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The recent decline in cryptocurrency value might be good news for folks looking to buy a GPU. Attorneys want to hold Google accountable for what they say are misleading location tracking practices. And hackers have hit the Belarus railway system with ransomware in an effort to prevent Russian troops from amassing near Ukraine. Plus more! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Peloton seems to be moving backward, which is bad news for a company known for its stationary bikes. We look at the history of Peloton, the company's business model, and how recent events have convinced at least one activist investor to call for the CEO's resignation. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's the story behind Atari? Stuff You Should Know's Chuck Bryant joins the podcast to answer this listener question. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An issue with Roku's systems on the back end caused user devices to fail for several hours on Wednesday. Plus, news about the metaverse, crypto criminals and a movie studio in spaaaaace. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What are patents for? How long do they last? And what's a patent troll? We give a quick overview about patents and why they're such a big deal in tech. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're on the eve of AT&T and Verizon switching on their C-Band 5G networks and several airlines warn that the tech could cause a "catastrophic event" in the form of delays and cancellations. What's going on? Plus HUGE news about Activision Blizzard and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The semiconductor chip shortage continues to be a huge problem for multiple industries around the world and has brought new attention to Taiwan, the manufacturing capital of semiconductors. But how did it get that way? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What are the six simple machines and why are they so important? Joe McCormick joins the show to explain. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The tech news today is filled with stories about lawsuits and scams, from Apple paying employees for the time they spent being searched to Kim Kardashian getting name dropped in a lawsuit about an alleged cryptocurrency scam. Plus, Disney files an interesting (and potentially creepy) patent. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What are/were content farms, and what conditions allowed them to flourish? And what changed? From junk articles to clickbait, we look at how web sites would try to gamify the system to get more views. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A law in South Korea forces Apple and Google to offer alternatives to their respective in-app payment systems. A former Amazon employee will testify to lawmakers that the company's employee review system is incomprehensible. And Razer changes up how it markets its new Zephyr masks. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Digital Rights Management has a bad reputation. Is it earned? (Yes, yes it is). We look at the history and evolution of DRM and why critics say it's broken. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The FCC Chairman has proposed reclassifying ISPs as common carriers under Title II. Wait, what does that mean? Jonathan explains. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I talk about some of the stuff coming out of CES that I found interesting. Plus we hear about Google alienating its employees and get a story on an NFT art heist. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Travel the world and you'll discover that you will need some special gear to plug in your electronics as you go from place to place. Plugs, outlets and even voltages vary around the world. We're going to talk about why. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A jury returns a verdict on the case against Elizabeth Holmes, founder of Theranos and it's a mixed bag. AT&T and Verizon both agree to delay 5G rollout, but only for a couple of weeks. And CES gets underway in Las Vegas, Nevada. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee 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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Electric bikes aren't a new idea. How do they work? Scott Benjamin joins the show to talk about e-bike tech. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been a while since I did a tech predictions episode. What trends are going to be big in 2022? From Web3 to the Great Resignation, we look ahead at what will shape tech in the year to come. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we wrap up our look back on 2021, we talk about some of the big stories involving space missions. We also look at what Tesla was up to in 2021 and we look ahead at a very different CES 2022. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We continue our look at the big tech stories of 2021, including a truly tumultuous year for video game company Activision Blizzard. Plus, Jonathan rants about cryptocurrencies and a vaguely-defined Web3. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's time to look back on some of the big tech stories of 2021, and golly this past year was a doozie. In this first episode, we look at tech's role in the spread of misinformation, how it played a part in the US capitol riots, and Jonathan once again rails about NFTs. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What are all the connections on the back of a television? From HDMI to composite to component cables, we explain what each means. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is electronic waste? What makes it so problematic? And what's the best way to deal with it? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's the difference between a Gaffer and the Best Boy? What do all the roles on a movie set actually mean? We look at the tech and terminology of film sets. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elizabeth Holmes, Theranos founder, awaits a jury's verdict in her wire fraud case. We learn that cyber criminals really stepped it up over the last couple of years. And Brian Eno has some harsh words for NFT enthusiasts. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Don't believe the hype, but believe in the hype cycle. It's a tool that describes the path a tech takes from its emergence to adoption. From 3D TVs to the metaverse, we explore how we can use the hype cycle to describe how we perceive tech. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark Hosler, one of the founding members of Negativland, joins the podcast to talk about audio collage, art, legal potholes and using technology to make mind blowing sound. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An Intel senior VP explains why we're not technologically prepared for the metaverse. We cover some serious stories about abuse and hostile work environments in tech. And Roku faces a ban in the US. Plus more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TechTV was a cable channel dedicated to tech, but ultimately a merger with G4TV would spell the end of most of the channel's programming. Could it have survived in streaming form if it came out today? Tom Merritt, former TechTV guru, joins the show to talk it over. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why are security experts calling the Log4j vulnerability the worst one in a decade? Why is OSHA investigating Apple? And why did Meta revoke one Instagram user's 10-year-old Instagram account? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Tuesday, December 7th, 2021, a glitch in Amazon Web Services had a massive impact on everything from smartphone apps to Walt Disney World. We learn about the origins of AWS and what Amazon says went wrong. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What exactly happened with the hack that targeted Sony? Why do some people question the official explanation that North Korea was behind it? Ben Bowlin joins the show to explain. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Global supply chains have made headlines this year, with businesses in every industry and consumers all experiencing unprecedented volatility. How can companies stabilize this boundless bullwhip? In this episode of Smart Talks, Malcolm talks to Jonathan Wright, Global Managing Partner for Supply Chain Consulting at IBM, about demand forecasting and other technologies that manufacturers and vendors are using to make their supply chains more resilient. This is a paid advertisement from IBM. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For years, television manufacturers were pushing 3D features on TV sets. By 2017, all major companies had stopped trying. What happened with 3D TV? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meta/Facebook faces a pair of class action lawsuits seeking billions in damages, alleging that the company fueled extremism and violence in Myanmar. In other news, Microsoft wrests control of servers belonging to hackers targeting companies. And NASA develops a new program to calculate the likelihood of an asteroid colliding with Earth. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the big news stories of 2021 has centered around Facebook's "algorithm." In this episode, we dive into what that actually means and how content like misinformation and hate speech can get a big boost from Facebook itself. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's time for another classic TechStuff episode! In this one, Chris Pollette and Jonathan Strickland give the history of CES and what it's like to attend. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, consumers, businesses and governments are united in their sense of urgency about the sustainability of the planet. But how do we go about achieving it? In this episode of Smart Talks, Malcolm talks to Marc Rolfe, Senior Vice President and Head of Strategic Partners Ecosystem Success at SAP, and Jason Kelley, General Manager, IBM Strategic Partners, about how strategic partnerships between companies can create a larger industry shift toward sustainability. This is a paid advertisement from IBM. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A listener asked what's the difference between LHR and non-LHR graphics cards. Who knew it would turn into a full discussion on crypto mining, hash values and how companies are trying to make sure that gamers get their hands on graphics cards? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jack Dorsey steps down as Twitter's CEO again. Former Google employees sue Google for being evil. And the FBI considers encrypted messaging services like WhatsApp and iMessage to be "the most permissive" when it comes to investigations. Plus more! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Pirate Bay turned 18 this year. We look at file sharing, copyright issues, corporate assets and the pirates who advocate for a free Internet. It's a big ol' mess and we're going to sort it out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Special guest Holly Frey joins the show to talk about typewriters. What's their history and what's the real scoop behind the QWERTY keyboard? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.