TechStuff

We learn about how Magnavox saw a surge in consumer popularity after World War II, including how Magnavox started manufacturing televisions. We also learn about the first video game console. And we find out what happened to Magnavox the company. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Continuing our history of Magnavox, we look at how the invention of the moving coil loudspeaker would form the foundation of the company. Oh, and also how the engineers of Magnavox figured out how to make noise-cancelling microphones for World War I airplane pilots. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the next decade, quantum computing has the potential to revolutionize the way we work and live. In this episode of Smart Talks, Malcolm talks to Dr. Darío Gil, Senior Vice President and Director of IBM Research, about quantum computing and its potential to accelerate discovery and development. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Facebook held its quarterly earnings call and while the company is under criticism its revenue is through the roof. Also, Congress is asking social networking companies to think of the children and Jeff Bezos plans to build a station that's out of this world. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We dive into the early history of radio transmissions and learn about the founding of Magnavox. Along the way, we also learn about spark gap transmitters, arc transmitters and why it was difficult to break into radio in the early days. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this classic episode, Josh Clark joins the podcast to talk about humanoid robots. Why are we so concerned about building them and are they a good idea? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Attorney General for Washington DC has named Mark Zuckerberg as a defendant in a lawsuit about Cambridge Analytica. Some companies hope to put a private space station in orbit in a few years. And the Boring Company gets closer to its plans for Las Vegas. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Neal Stephenson's "Snow Crash," we were introduced to the concept of a metaverse. Now companies like Facebook are working to make their own version. But what is it? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Members of Congress imply that it might be time to begin a criminal investigation into Amazon. Facebook's AI isn't up to the task of clamping down on hate speech. And NASA wants to build a communications network for the Moon. Plus more! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What caused the great video game crash of 1983 in North America? Was it too many lousy, cheap games? Was it the home computer? Was it E.T.? Or was it more complicated than that? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Pentagon chief software officer Nicolas Chaillan resigned, citing frustrations regarding trying to bring the US Department of Defense up to speed with respect to cyber security and warfare. He said that China has effectively won the cyber battle. Is he right? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode is all about issues at Amazon and Facebook as the two companies try to fend off allegations that the companies engage in anti competitive practices. Plus we learn a bit about how Facebook is pursuing AI research. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this classic episode, Jonathan and Chris Pollette talk about the realities of cyber warfare. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, Facebook was dealing with a whistleblower. This week, the company might have another one. Plus stories about Amazon corporate employees working from home indefinitely, Microsoft blocking a massive DDoS attack and Magic Leap trying to bounce back. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the world of cryptocurrency, there's a need for algorithms to create a consensus for validating transactions. Bitcoin uses Proof of Work. Ethereum 2.0 will use Proof of Stake. What the heck is the difference? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Holly Frey from Stuff You Missed in History Class joins the show to talk about the sewing machine and how it shaped patent law. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A hacker steals pretty much everything Twitch has. Facebook tries to downplay a whistleblower's allegations. And someone has taken over a US Navy Facebook page. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listener Terje wants to know about space navigation. We look at how orbital velocities, special and general relativity and even stuff like solar radiation can make navigating from point A to point B a big head scratcher once you go into space. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Facebook and all its services disappeared on Monday, October 4th. What caused the outage? Also, the US Senate interviews a Facebook whistleblower, a former Tesla employee wins a lawsuit against the company and Amazon pushes out a very expensive robot. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was an engineering feat to link England to France via subsea cables. Connecting Europe to America would require even greater innovation. From failed installations to engineering mistakes, we look at what it took to connect two continents separated by the Atlantic ocean. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listener Antriksh asked that I look into subsea cables, the physical connections that link distant lands together for communication and power transmission. We learn about how physics creates unique challenges for subsea transmission and how 19th century engineers and scientists tried to overcome them. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The world is hitting a data tipping point where vast connectivity requires massive network capacity. In this episode of Smart Talks, Malcolm Gladwell talks to David Shacochis, Vice President for Enterprise Technology and Field CTO at Lumen, and Howard Boville, Head of IBM Cloud Platform, about how hybrid cloud is serving as a catalyst for innovation in a world where computing can and must happen everywhere: private clouds, public clouds, the edge of the network. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Area 51 factors into stories about everything from weather-control devices to aliens. Ben Bowlin joins the show to look at the mythology of Area 51. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Instagram and Facebook argue that the Wall Street Journal inaccurately interpreted data about Instagram's effects on mental health. A California law aims to make companies like Amazon more accountable for worker health and safety. And TikTok hits one billion monthly users. Plus more! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A listener asked that I talk about ADCs and DACs, but to do that we have to understand how sound works, how analog works and how digital works. And then we explore whether one format is superior to the other. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's been going on at the Area 51 site since the days of the U-2 and A-12 spy plane tests? We look at stealth technology, drones and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We learn more awful stuff about Facebook. Texas's law against social media companies is challenged in court. And the White House is meeting with companies about the semiconductor shortage. Plus more! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We finish up our series about space stations and talk about the most recent modules to join the ISS, the private citizens who visited the ISS as tourists, what life is like aboard the space station and what the future holds. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A series of articles in The Wall Street Journal has Facebook on the defensive. Tech companies struggle to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. And some non-astronauts learn that pooping in space is tricky. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After several false starts, NASA's plans for a space station got a leg up when the US invited Russia to become a part of a new, cooperative enterprise. The US, Russia, Canada, the European Space Agency and Japan would come together to create a phenomenal piece of technology: the International Space Station. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we look back on the US plans for a space station, we explore abandoned plans for a few different designs. We also learn how politics and space don't always get along. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A 2020 internal report at Facebook reveals that Instagram use can have a negative impact on mental health, and it gets worse from there. We also have stories about what Apple unveiled at their iPhone event and what's going on with the Theranos trial. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A fuel cell is an electrochemical energy conversion device; it turns chemical energy into electrical energy. Jonathan and Chris discuss fuel cells in detail from their origins to why they're not practical for general use yet in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apple holds its iPhone 13 event today and we guess at what the company will reveal. We also learn how a federal judge made a call that subsequently led to Apple losing 85 billion dollars in value. Plus news about Facebook, Google, electric vehicles and woolly mammoths. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mir was the first modular space station in orbit. It was simultaneously a scientific and engineering triumph and a chaotic mess. We look at the good, the bad and the on fire in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What goes on at the most famous secret base in the world? Ben Bowlin joins the show to talk about Area 51, aka Groom Lake. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Facebook and Ray-Ban introduce new smart glasses. Twitter creates Communities. And the Australian High Court makes a really bad decision about Facebook. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've talked about space suits. Now it's time to talk about space stations! From the first Salyut space station to the incredible story of Skylab, we look at early space stations in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a lot of tech news about the role of tech in surveillance. It's not particularly happy news. We also talk about how Android users are watching more TikTok videos than YouTube videos. And I feel old. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can technology end war? Several people thought so at one time or another. We look at five examples of idealists who thought tech would end warfare. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just when you thought it was safe to watch a Blu-ray. We look at more tech that's necessary for a great home theater system. From AV Receivers to the cables you'll need to hook everything together, we get to the bottom of what makes home theater work. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After numerous protests, Reddit shut down a subreddit dedicated to the spread of COVID-19 misinformation. Will it follow up on similar problematic subreddits? And in other news, India cracks down on VPNs, the feds still depend on facial recognition tech and Amazon and SpaceX are in a space fight. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hacker extraordinaire Shannon Morse joins the show to talk about how you can protect your data when browsing the Internet. Is public WiFi off limits? Are VPNs reliable? What about Tor? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While the US debates whether Apple and Google's in-app purchasing systems are anticompetitive, South Korea jumps ahead and bans the companies from preventing app developers from using other purchasing systems. Also, China cuts down on video game time for kids and we have a launch date for Windows 11. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We follow up with a bit more about what you need to know when selecting a screen for your home theater, plus all the options for sound. What's the difference between 5.1, 5.1.2 and 7.1? We explain! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TechStuff salutes an incredibly influential (and yet relatively unknown) tech genius: Claude Shannon. What did he do? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Content platform OnlyFans reverses a policy change after protests and criticism hit the company. Too many government agencies around the world rely on facial recognition software. The EU wants to track cryptocurrency transactions and more! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Maybe you want a new television, or maybe you want to set up a whole home theatre. This episode dives into the world of UHD experiences, from resolution to contrast ratio to HDR and beyond. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We learn how a tech startup is trying to help the people of Kabul (and how the startup's founder is protecting her employees). Apple pushes back a return to the office. And a hacker generously returns the 600 million dollars they stole in cryptocurrency. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did space suits evolve over the course of the Space Shuttle program, and what has been going on since? And why are spacesuits being blamed for a delay in the Artemis Program? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.