TechStuff

Some global success stories propelled Ubisoft into the spotlight, where an even bigger fish began to take notice. We learn about a potential hostile takeover and how that affected the company's business for several years. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this classic episode of TechStuff Jonathan Strickland and Joe McCormick explain what Antikythera Mechanism is, when it was built and what it does. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, it's a huge video game company with multiple studios around the world. But Ubisoft's origin story starts with truly humble origins. Learn how five brothers went from working at a company that sold farming equipment to founding a video game powerhouse. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s paramount for businesses in any sector to have visibility into their supply chain. In this episode of Smart Talks, Jonathan Strickland talks with Jason Kelley, General Manager of Blockchain at IBM, about what blockchain is, how it’s transforming global supply chains with respect to the pandemic, and the broader implications for these trusted transactions. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A lot has happened since my office went into lockdown. Enough that I need to update some stories I covered in previous episodes of TechStuff. From the new consoles to Quibi, here's a rundown on some updates. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is the Hyperloop concept? How would it work? Will we actually build it? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The course of true technology does not always run smoothly. There are lots of stories about different formats battling it out to become a standard. Here are a few of them. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is ransomware and where did it come from? From an odd, chaotic campaign in 1989 to the present day, we look at the dangers of ransomware. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's happened to AT&T since it was broken up by the government? What was SBC? What's AT&T been up to lately? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why has the US government engaged in an antitrust investigation into Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Google? We learn about US antitrust law, a precedent with Microsoft, and what the future might hold. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Disney Imagineers are working on animatronic figures that can make eye contact with humans and the results are fascinating (and a little creepy). We explore what has to happen to create a robot that can make eye contact. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To improve the diversity in the tech industry and racial tolerance in the country, we need novel, tangible ideas. In this episode of Smart Talks, Jonathan Strickland talks with IBM Distinguished Engineers Dale Davis Jones and Lysa Banks, along with Creative Architect Britni Lonesome, about their involvement with the Call for Code for Racial Justice effort and how listeners can get involved with the tech solutions they're developing. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of TechStuff, Jonathan and Chris discuss ghost hunting technology -- and ghost hunting in general -- from a skeptical perspective. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Computer and video games have pushed the horror genre in interesting directions. In this episode, we look at the development of certain features of the horror genre in the gaming world. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In celebration of Halloween, we take a look at an article from HowStuffWorks titled 10 Scary Modern Technologies. From drones to voices coming out of thin air, we peek under the big scary bed that is technology. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did AT&T form a monopoly in the US? Why did the government step in to break up the monopoly? How did the telecommunications landscape change? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Facebook has a bad rep for spreading misinformation, among other things. So where's the alternative social networking site? We look at some different sites that tried (and failed) to beat Facebook at its own game. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NASA announced the eight founders of the newly published Artemis Accords, which set out guidelines for space exploration and exploitation. We take a look at different space treaties and why politics play a big part in space. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who was Alexander Graham Bell? Why did he create the Bell Telephone Company? How was AT&T created? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is the story of a video game console that tried to make a big change in the market but failed, and the man who dreamed it all up. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did Siri evolve once it became part of Apple? From controversial decisions, dramatic departures and reviews that were, well, mixed, we look at Siri's evolution since 2011. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's the premise of the horror film Event Horizon? What is an event horizon? How do black holes work? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apple introduced Siri to the public on October 4, 2011, but the story of Siri goes further back and beyond Apple. We learn about how Siri evolved from a US Department of Defense project in the early 2000s. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did you know nearly 90% of all startups fail? In this episode, we look at a few tech startups that didn't cut it and explore some of the reasons that contribute to failure, and how to avoid them. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How are scientists improving solar panel efficiency? What do moth eyes have to do with solar panels? How long until solar panels are cheap enough for the average homeowner? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In September 2020, PC gamers went bonkers for new graphics cards called the RTX 3080 and the 3090. What do these cards do, and why was the launch a bit of a headache? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jonathan gives a peek behind the curtain at how TechStuff used to be produced versus how it happens now. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are there really companies working on building underwater hotels? What considerations do you have to make to build an underwater structure? When will these hotels open? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Once ARM Holdings began to license its processor designs and instruction sets, it was off to the races. Learn how this English company came to dominate the mobile processor market and what might be next. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Human trafficking to create slave labor has persisted globally for centuries, devastating the lives of millions, and frustrating those who work tirelessly to end it. On today's episode, John McGrath, Sr. Solution Architect at IBM, and Neil Giles, CEO of the Traffik Analysis Hub, discuss how the IBM Cloud-based Hub, powered by IBM Watson helps organizations securely share and analyze data to help curb modern human slavery. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recently, news broke that Nvidia is seeking to buy ARM Holdings, designers of ARM processors, for 40 billion dollars. Where did ARM come from and what's the big deal about it? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How old are steam engines? How do steam engines work? Are there steam engines in common use today? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Twitch is mostly known as a streaming service that allows people to broadcast themselves playing video games live to an audience. For most, it's a fun hobby. For a few, it's the path to riches. And some high-profile streamers have come and gone and come back recently. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's time to talk about uninterruptible power supplies, surge protectors, circuit breakers and other systems designed to make sure the electricity we use is safe for us and our devices. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How does mobile advertising differ from other online advertising? Why is mobile advertising such a big deal? How will mobile advertising shape online content? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we develop more advanced natural language systems, will we ever reach a point where a computer can detect not just what we say but what we actually mean? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's a Generative Adversarial Network? How can a program create a deepfake video? And how do we tell the difference between what's real and what's computer-generated? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is a pacemaker? How do pacemakers control the rate of heartbeats? What was the first pacemaker? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In tech, a black box is any technology that hides the processes that take input and generate output. We see what goes in, we see what comes out but what's going on inside? We look at the black box problem in tech. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we look at the technologies that deliver water to your home, whether it's a well or a municipal water system. Let's get pumped up! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What was an online service provider? How did Prodigy get started? Why did Prodigy lag behind other companies? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A TV and movie producer thought that he could do for video games what MTV did for music videos. But the G4 channel would end up alienating the very viewers it sought to attract. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In August 2020, Epic Games and Apple began a very public war involving the video game Fortnite and how Apple processes in-app transactions. We look at the disagreement and what's at stake. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who was Heisenberg? What was his contribution to quantum mechanics? What is the uncertainty principle? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A computer-generated blog post made it onto a hacker news site. How does computer generated communication work, and is it good enough to fool us? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is the video streaming service Quibi all about? How did the COVID-19 crisis throw a monkeywrench in the service's launch? We look at the short, troubled history of this media company. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What are the differences between the three big video streaming services? How do these services earn revenue? Which services have exclusive deals? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's the tech powering some of the iconic rides at Disney theme parks? From Omnimovers to Indiana Jones, we explore innovations that put the thrill in thrill rides. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's only been a few months since our last episode about TikTok, but a lot has happened since. We learn about the mysterious Committee of Foreign Investment in the United States and how it could play a role in changing TikTok forever. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What tech is used in body modification? Why is Kevin Warwick sometimes called a cyborg? Can grinders give themselves extrasensory powers? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.