TechStuff

Iyaz Akhtar joins the show to talk about his career in tech, his friendship with Jonathan and what it's like to have your finger on the pulse of the technology sector. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government in India says that Twitter could be held liable for illegal material posted to the network. The "King of Bitcoin" is under arrest. And learn why some major Internet companies say they might pull out of Hong Kong. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How were matches invented? From toxic chemicals to pee science, we learn about matches. And a fictional character stops by to irritate our host. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Clothes dryers have evolved from precarious, fire-bellied devices to the increasingly green machines we know today. We cover the history of dryer tech, plus the newest innovations and NASA-funded research. And, of course, explain how they work. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The FCC cracks down on spoofing. Google has a digital COVID card. And companies that make autonomous vehicles in the US must report all major accidents moving forward. All this and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've reached the end of our primer on tech acronyms and initialisms (for now). In this episode, learn about search engine optimization, what an SSID is, why you should pick WPA over WEP and what Y2K was all about. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's news episode, we learn how one YouTube algorithm banned a legitimate channel and how over at Amazon an algorithm can fire employees. Plus ISPs and Netflix go to battle in South Korea and Apple has an extreme solution to information leaks. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's a PCB? What makes an RTF? What the heck is SaaS? We continue to demystify the acronyms and initialisms common in tech circles. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What goes into making a planetarium work and where did they come from? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John McAfee, the founder of McAfee Antivirus, was found dead in a jail cell in Spain after a court ruled he would be extradited to the US for tax evasion. We look at his life, plus stories about Amazon throwing out hundreds of thousands of products each month and how a change at Google might mean millions of links will go dead. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does MPEG stand for? What does MIDI do? And are P2P networks inherently bad? We learn some more tech initialisms and acronyms. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We got ourselves some Hubble Trouble. The US House of Representatives isn't a fan of SpaceX and Blue Origin. And cryptocurrencies keep taking a beating. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our series on tech acronyms and initialisms continue. From learning basics like input and output to what it is that ICANN does, we've got you covered. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recently, a documentary crew went out to the desert to dig up some legendary Atari cartridges. It reminds us of this classic TechStuff episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here in the US, the government is looking at laws that could change how tech companies operate. Japan is looking into supersonic passenger flight technology. And Amazon is cracking down on fake reviews. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We continue learning about the initialisms and acronyms used commonly in tech and what they mean. From proprietary file extensions to global navigation systems, we work our way through the technological alphabet. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 2021 E3 is going on right now, and Microsoft is taking the opportunity to dominate conversations. A ransomware hacker group targeted a nuclear weapons contractor. And a group of tech companies wants the SEC to require corporations to submit a regular climate change performance report. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this new series, we take a look at acronyms and initialisms in tech and learn what they mean, plus get a little story behind them. Learn about ASCII and BIOS and CSS and more! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, HBO is known for its original programming that's so popular people can't stop pirating it. We look at the company's current strategy. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hackers share billions of passwords while others infiltrate EA's internal systems. El Salvador moves to make bitcoin legal tender within the country. And politicians propose legislation that could mean huge changes for some major tech companies. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act or COPPA has been around since 1996. So why was it suddenly in the headlines in 2020? We explore this law, its purpose and what consequences it has on the world of online content and advertising. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A massive sting operation brings down 800 criminals around the world thanks to an "encrypted" messaging app. Bitcoin value sinks again after the US seizes a ransom paid in cryptocurrency. And in the future you might cruise Amsterdam's canals on a robotic boat. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is your phone eavesdropping on you? Does that smart speaker listen in on your conversations? Turns out, they don't need to, because companies can access enormous amounts of personal data in other ways. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happened to HBO once cable subscriptions hit a saturation point? We look at how the company transitioned from startup to corporate. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Remote working has kept many businesses afloat over the last year, but has it kept employees productive, enthusiastic, and inspired? In this special episode of Smart Talks, recorded at IBM’s Think Conference, Malcolm spars with his longtime friend Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist and professor at the Wharton School, about what we’ve learned through remote working and how businesses can approach a hybrid model. Can we, and should we, return to “normal”? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Continuing our history of Warner Bros/Time Warner/WarnerMedia, we look at how the failed merger of AOL Time Warner shook out. Then we explore how the media landscape changed rapidly in the 2000s. And we learn why AT&T bought WarnerMedia only to turn around and sell it off again. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A report claims Google purposefully hit location tracking settings to discourage users from turning them off. Facebook funds a questionable report. And we learn about a military drone that attacked targets autonomously. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Disneyland attraction Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln originally started out as a World's Fair attraction before taking up residence in the Happiest Place on Earth. We look at the history, technology and evolution of this popular Disney attraction. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a time that’s been challenging for everyone, perhaps no other industry has been hit harder than healthcare. Anthem, one of America’s leading health benefits companies, needed to be ready to answer member questions at a moment’s notice. In this episode of Smart Talks, Malcolm talks to Anil Bhatt, Senior Vice President and CTO of Anthem, and Glenn Finch, Managing Partner of Global Business Services at IBM, about how AI is helping people interact with healthcare in a whole new way. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Human rights group urge Google to drop a cloud computing project in Saudi Arabia. UK Uber drivers now have a union they can join. And scientists think that your perception of time changes in virtual reality. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Continuing our episodes about the evolution of WarnerMedia, we look at a brief history of HBO and Cinemax. We learn about the Worst Merger of All Time. And we learn a bit about the cable business. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today’s episode includes many stories of how tech and politics are clashing. From police in India raiding Twitter offices to China cracking down on bitcoin mining, we learn about how tech has come under fire from various governments and why. Plus lots more! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AT&T plans to spin off WarnerMedia and have it merge with Discovery Communications, but this is just the most recent example of corporate shuffling for Warner. We look at the origins of the Warner Brothers Studio and how it gradually mutated into Time Warner. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TechStuff listeners join hosts Jonathan Strickland and Ariel as they discuss sitcoms and movies. Knives Out 2 gets another amazing actor. Dear Evan Hansen casting becomes a joke on the Internet. And they go surprisingly dark with a mash up between Full House and Monsters Inc. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Google held a virtual event for developers and we learned about a lot of software updates, but not much on hardware. Cryptocurrency values went through a major dip. And ByteDance has a new leader. All this and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the years, large companies have pressured governments (particularly the US government) to create strict laws that crack down on unauthorized copying and distribution of intellectual property. We look at the good, the bad and the really, really ugly consequences. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China lands a rover on Mars. Elon Musk contributes to another dip in Bitcoin's value. Apple and Amazon Music offer lossless audio options to subscribers at no additional charge. And more! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee 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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did the Home Box Office network get its start? And how did it grow into the giant it is today? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Game developer Ubisoft is shifting toward more free-to-play titles, which generate revenue on a recurring basis. In this episode, we look at how video games traditionally made money and how that's all changing. And how will it affect the games that come out in the future? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Radio dramas brought audiences to places they could never go on their own, from collapsing mines beneath Wales to a Martian invasion hitting New York City. Today, we're seeing a resurgence in the art form. Learn about the history and evolution of radio drama. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hackers shut down Colonial Pipeline in the largest cyberattack on US infrastructure to date. Amazon responds to calls to crack down on counterfeiting. And a casual comment from Elon Musk causes the value of dogecoin to plummet. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the late 19th century, a French experiment demonstrated the power of stereo sound. A century later, experiments in binaural audio would help create rich soundscapes that could immerse the listener in audio environments. We learn about the evolution and tech of 3D audio. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Solar Impulse 2 is scheduled to fly around the Earth in 2015 using only solar power. Say what? How is that even possible? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Facebook's oversight board says the company was justified in banning Donald Trump but needs to revisit the issue. Microsoft has never made a profit off of Xbox hardware sales. And Twitter wants you to think twice before tweeting out that mean thing you just typed. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is it really possible for a machine to achieve consciousness? What does consciousness even mean? From philosophy to technological obstacles, we look at the problems and possibilities. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Verizon is looking to offload AOL and Yahoo (for about half of what the company paid for them). Facebook hates Apple's new iOS rules. Sony hates crossplay. And Jonathan hates thunderstorms. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a continuation of our story about Niantic, we learn how the company has grown thanks to Pokemon, and how a young wizard's spell totally failed to repeat its success. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How are we using hydrogen today and how might we use it in the future? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, women represent approximately 22% of the AI workforce. But IBM is out to change that by increasing diversity not just in hiring but through programs such as Women Leaders in AI that celebrate diversity in the field. In this episode of Smart Talks, Malcolm Gladwell talks to IBM’s new SVP & CMO, Carla Piñeyro Sublett, and Chimka Munkhbayar, co-founder of Agrolly, about their challenges, achievements, and the steps they’re taking to create a more inclusive tech world. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.