TechStuff

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.

How was full motion video used in early computer and console games? And why is it so hilariously bad? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We pick up with the space suits designed for the Apollo program. We learn what the Apollo astronauts had to do in order to go to the bathroom in space. Warning: it isn't pretty. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jonathan is joined by Daniel Whiteson of Daniel and Jorge Explain the Universe. Daniel works in the field of experimental particle physics and conducts research using the LHC. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Dallas Police Department accidentally deleted 22 terabytes of data. Hackers infiltrated T-Mobile servers and claim to have stolen the private information of 100 million customers. And we learn about a vigilante group targeting trolls on TikTok. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A lack of new space suits is going to push back the Artemis Program. Where did space suits come from? What were the early ones like? We look at flight suits up through the early days of Apollo in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is FMV and how did it change video games? From the brilliant to the brilliantly awful, we take a look at FMV. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Netflix tries to stop people from using VPNs to view region-locked material. Facebook faces new anticompetitive investigations in the UK. A report shows the New York Police Department spent more than 150 million dollars on surveillance tech without public oversight. And more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NASA is soliciting applications for its astronaut program in anticipation of sending men and women to the Moon. Learn all about the Artemis program, its goals and what comes next! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US Senate has approved a 1.2 trillion dollar infrastructure bill, but contained within that bill are some amendments that could cause problems down the road. Also, Twitter uses a competition to root out problems with its photo cropping algorithm. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In late 2014, hackers stole an enormous amount of information from Sony Pictures, then wiped out thousands of computers and hundreds of servers. A group calling itself Guardians of Peace claimed responsibility. But what was really going on? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From the good old days of roughing it to the high tech campsite of the future, we look at the tech of camping. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Google researchers claim they can use quantum computers to study time crystals, and we figure out what that sentence means. We also cover stories about Facebook, Apple, and how the US is using artificial intelligence to predict the enemy. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Steven Lisberger, writer and director of the 1982 film Tron, joins the show to talk about the tech of making the film and the mythology of Tron itself. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tesla Autopilot may have averted tragedy in Norway, but it also thought the moon was a traffic light. And a massive Tesla battery caught fire, requiring four days of firefighting to extinguish it. In other news, the space station did some unplanned flips last week. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It sounds like a paradox: a tech company is worth billions of dollars but operates at a loss year after year. We look at a few companies that have struggled with this and the challenges of turning a profit. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did a pair of programmers make a chatbot that passed the Turing Test? What exactly is the test and has anyone beaten it before? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Smart Talks, Malcolm talks to Jim Whitehurst, senior advisor at IBM and an expert in open source software and innovation. During their conversation, Jim reveals how embracing moments that initially feel like chaos can ultimately lead to more open organizations, and broader access to new ideas. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Once upon a time, the US wasn't really fussed about energy conservation. So what happened? From wars to oil embargoes to environmental disasters, we look at the factors that would shape energy policy and a more responsible approach to energy consumption. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A company offering a VPN service has some explaining to do after Ukrainian officials seize some servers. Apple patches a zero-day vulnerability. And Alienware computers are just too powerful for six states. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the late 90s, the Y2K bug was a big news item. People worried that everything from toasters to airplanes would fail as computer systems mishandled the change from 1999 to 2000. But what was really going on, and why did Y2K come back last year? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You may have seen the Indiegogo solar roadway project. What are the goals of solar roadways? Are they realistic? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A problem with a Content Delivery Network meant that several major web sites and services went offline on Thursday. The State of California brings a lawsuit against video game company Activision Blizzard. And the UAE zaps clouds to make it rain. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The word algorithm pops up a lot in tech discussions, but what the heck is an algorithm? From learning about an Arabic genius to discovering a way to figure out what day of the week falls on any given date, we look at algorithms. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jeff Bezos takes a joyride on a rocket. Apple delays when employees will have to return to the office. And an illegal cryptocurrency mining operation turns out to be something completely different. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We make some time to celebrate some of the ideas and companies in tech that just didn't work out. From bad ideas to bad luck, we explore the factors that lead to failure in tech. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's the manufacturing process for carbon fiber? What properties does carbon fiber possess? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Dogecoin co-founder speaks out against cryptocurrency. Android 12 takes a new spin on auto-rotate. President Biden signs an executive order supporting the right to repair. And what do emoji sound like? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do scam artists disguise their phone numbers when setting up robocalls? We look at Caller ID and spoofing and learn how companies and government agencies are trying to fight back. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ByteDance employees are about to have less work. Google faces a big fine in France. And Amazon just got permission from the FCC to watch you sleep. Plus more! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A listener asked to learn more about fast recharging technologies, so we take a look at the history and evolution of batteries, what happens with rechargeable batteries and the complicated mess of fast recharging solutions. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Carbon fiber is an amazing material. Where did it come from? And were people really making it in the 19th century? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former president Donald Trump files legal complaints against YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. More than 30 states say that the Google App store is "monopolistic." China's WeChat shuts down LGBT channels on the platform. And Dodge announces an all-electric muscle car. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.