TechStuff

This is the story of the founding of Niantic, the company behind the hit smartphone game Pokemon Go. From shipwrecks to corporate acquisitions, we learn about the early days at the company. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apple has some new challenges. Google and Roku are having a spat. And a beaver in Canada decided to destroy the Internet. Kind of. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Concrete is one of the most useful materials humans have ever made. But it also represents a big source of greenhouse gas emissions. How do we solve that problem? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Could hydrogen be the fuel of the future? We look at the most plentiful element in the galaxy and discuss the possibility. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apple holds a marketing event and I like what I see. TikTok is in legal hot water in the UK. The FCC is cracking down on robocalls in the US. And it looks like a beloved old video game is getting remade. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why is it so hard to define concepts like artificial intelligence and machine learning? What do those even mean? And how does it work? We take a very high level look at AI and machine learning. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Okay, there are no flying spiders of Mars, but there is a flying drone that successfully flew on the Red Planet (and doesn't that deserve a David Bowie reference?)! We also learn why Bitcoin had a tough weekend and a new way to play Xbox games over web browsers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The modern QWERTY keyboard has had pretty much the same layout for more than a century. Why do we still rely on keyboards (and the computer mouse as well)? We explore input devices and the longevity of the keyboard. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What makes washers tick? How have they evolved over time to become more energy efficient and conserve water? And what's going on in there? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How does radiocarbon dating work? And why might it be less reliable in the future? Learn about carbon-14 and how it can be used to guess when ancient things were alive. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After launching in 1992, Mortal Kombat would spawn a massive franchise. It would also burn out the creators of the franchise and the company that spawned it would go out of business. And yet the tournament survives! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Iran reports that a cyber attack shut down the Natanz nuclear reactor. A former Facebook employee says that the company turned a blind eye to state-backed misinformation campaigns. And if you live in Houston, Texas, your next pizza might come via robot delivery. Plus more! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The company that created Mortal Kombat has a complicated past that intertwines with lots of other companies. This is part one of the story of Midway. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is Tor? What's the web under the web? What's really going on? We dish out the details. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's going on with the Facebook data breach that saw personal data from half a billion accounts compromised? Why are Signal app users upset? And why oh why is Yahoo Answers going away? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Ford Motor Company and the Model T transformed America and the world. From 1908 to 1927, Ford would produce and sell more than 15 million Model T automobiles. This is the story of the Model T, Henry Ford and the birth of modern manufacturing. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why does Apple CEO think augmented reality will make conversations better? Did Amazon terminate two employees illegally because they criticized the company? And Google addresses an old issue that let Android apps know about all the other apps on an Android phone. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After several delays, we expect to launch the James Webb Space Telescope later this year. Where is it going, what is it looking for, and how did it lead to Jonathan getting a tattoo? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How has the Digital Age improved the centuries-old practice of fingerprinting? We explore the history of fingerprint tech and explain how modern scanners use optics, capacitance, heat and ultrasound to create prints that are harder than ever to hack. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tech journalists hate April Fools. Twitter is banning some accounts claiming to be Amazon employees. Is Google collecting 20 times more data about you than Apple? And much more! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What exactly is edge computing? Why is it important? We learn about edge computing, its relationship with cloud computing and the Internet of Things, and what we can expect in the future. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As one of the nation’s largest wireless communication providers, over 120 million subscribers count on Verizon to stay connected, but we’re not just talking about phones. Today, Verizon and IBM are working together to better connect entire industries. In this episode of Smart Talks, Malcolm talks to Srini Kalapala VP, Global Technology, Strategy and Network Cloud at Verizon and Steve Canepa, Global GM & Managing Director of IBM’s Communications Sector about how 5G, Edge Computing and AI will reshape the way work gets done. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee 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). Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are ads on the Web a necessary annoyance? The creators of ad-blocking software don't think so. We dig into the history of browser extensions like AdBlock and explore the controversies around them. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With hybrid cloud and AI, businesses today can challenge the limits of how they put their data to work across the organization. In this episode of Smart Talks, Malcolm talks to Rob Thomas, SVP Cloud and Data Platform at IBM about what’s possible, and the steps businesses can take to access more of their data to help them make more informed decisions Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Non fungible tokens or NFTs have been in the news recently. What the heck are they and how do they work? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A New York council member wants to ban police from owning weaponized robots. A San Francisco couple who co-founded a startup face multiple charges of fraud. And which app is the most invasive? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

General Motors and the US automotive industry entered a golden age post World War II. But energy crises and changing markets would prove to be terrain so challenging even an SUV might stall out. We round out our series on General Motors. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From Google to TikTok to car companies, we look at stories that show how tech is tracking people in real time. How might that data be used for (or against) you? And is there anything we can do about it? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After being kicked out of General Motors in 1910, William Durant co-founded Chevrolet. He came back to GM in 1916, but within four years was kicked out. Again. Find out why! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tinder is getting background checks, India is banning BitCoin and in Pennsylvania robots can roam the streets legally. All this and a story about shooting sperm and egg cells into space! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You wouldn't think a 2,000 year old machine would need an update, but it does! This classic episode features Joe McCormick and Jonathan talking about an ancient Greek computer. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is Internet Relay Chat? How does IRC work and what does it do? TechStuff looks at this legacy chat tech. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The news is all about lots of hacking. Gab got hacked (again). A security camera company got hacked. And everyone is spying on everyone else. Learn more in today's episode! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

William Durant founded General Motors more than a century ago, but the story of how he did it is a who's who of early automotive history. From Buick to Oldsmobile to Cadillac to Chevy, learn about the early history of GM. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hackers exploit vulnerabilities in Microsoft products, those temperature-measuring gadgets might not be all that reliable and an image-recognition AI system can be fooled by pencil and paper. That and more in today's news episode! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Artificial intelligence can help or hurt us on our quest for a more equitable world. We learn about the history of computer ethics, some of the issues in AI ethics today and what challenges we have to overcome in the future. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's the story behind some of the more recent handheld gaming devices? Which ones failed and which succeeded? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Netflix has a new comedy feature in its iOS app, Parler withdraws a lawsuit against Amazon (and files another one), and scientists snoop on correspondence from the Middle Ages using artificial intelligence. And more! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We learn more about the Perseverance Rover and how NASA engineers had to navigate tricky technical and financial challenges to make it all work. Plus, we get our first chance to listen to the soundscape of Mars. It's pretty windy. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A hacker with a piratical handle hacked into Gab and stole 70 gigabytes of data. Meanwhile, China tests out a digital currency, Minneapolis backs off of an ill-advised plan to use influencers and YouTube decides to try and do TikTok only without as many editing tools. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Perseverance Mars rover is already returning incredible video and audio from the Red Planet. We learn about the mission, how it survived massive changes at NASA and what we hope it finds while far away from home. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did handheld gaming get started? We look at the origins of the electronic handheld game craze and how it evolved in the early years. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've learned more about how the military in Myanmar locked down communications in the wake of a coup. California's net neutrality law survives a legal challenge from cable companies. And Sony has plans for VR with the PS5. Plus more tech news! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee 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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spotify announced a ton of stuff at a live event, Google is back in the political ad game, and we say goodbye to an iconic music duo. Plus more tech news! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bridget Todd joins the show to talk about the role social networking platforms play with radicalization and extremism. From a hands-off approach to algorithms that exacerbate a dangerous problem, we look at what we do know and establish what we don't. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is a polymer banknote? We look at this special type of currency, how it's made and why it's important. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Facebook puts a ban on linking to news stories in Australia and the consequences could be enormous. Waymo starts testing autonomous vehicles in the San Francisco area. And the US Department of Justice goes after hackers connected to an attack on Sony Pictures from 2014. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From harvesting to brewing, we look at some of the tech connected to that ol' cup of Joe. Learn about harvesters, hullers, pulpers, roasters and other terrifying machinery! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.