TechStuff

We look at what's been going on at Blizzard recently and how global politics have created a challenging situation for the company. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does motion capture mean? What are the different systems used to capture a performer’s movements? Why do some animators consider motion capture cheating? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Riding high on some notable successes, Blizzard continued to make big waves in the world of video games. But now and again the company would find itself in a storm of criticism. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Founded in 1991, the video game company Blizzard got its start not by creating blockbuster games of its own but by porting other companies' games to different platforms. This is the story of the founding of Blizzard. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How is Firefox connected to Netscape Navigator? Are Firefox and Internet Explorer cousins? What is Mozilla? Join Chris and Jonathan as they explore the origin and growth of Mozilla. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the last decade, we've seen a gradual shift from hard copy media to streaming media. In this episode, we look at the history and tech behind devices designed to stream entertainment. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the end of the 19th century, it seemed like there was nothing electricity couldn't do. So could it be used as a way to humanely carry out the death penalty? We learn about the invention of the electric chair and the dentist who dreamed it up. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is an alternate reality game? What is Ingress? How do you play the game? Join Jonathan and Chris as they introduce you to the world of Ingress and alternate reality gaming. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happened with Boeing's 737 MAX aircraft and why did the CEO of the company appear before the US Congress? We learn about the flight control system that led to tragedy and the controversy surrounding it. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's the difference between voltage and current? What is resistance? What are the units of measurement associated with electricity? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What was Megaupload? Why did the US federal government pursue Megaupload? Why is the Megaupload case so complicated? Join Chris and Jonathan as they shed some light on the Megaupload, from its origin to its ongoing court case. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Internet can be a great place but it's also the host for some pretty sneaky scams out there. In this episode, we look at some common schemes to take advantage of unsuspecting victims and how you can avoid becoming a victim yourself. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For more than 200 years, doctors have experimented with using electricity to treat everything from liver disease to severe depression to varying degrees of success. We look at the history behind these practices and what's going on. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is Industrial Light and Magic, and when did it get its start? What is ILM's relationship to Pixar? What technologies did ILM pioneer? Join Jonathan and Chris as they shed some light on ILM. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jonathan is about to head to Walt Disney World (he'll be back by the time this publishes). But he doesn't want to leave you without an episode, so here's one about Disney's audio animatronics from the archive! 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.

How do electric motors work? Are electric vehicles a new idea? Why aren't there more electric vehicles on the road today? Join Jonathan and Chris as they power through the past, present and possible future of electric vehicles. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did the modern submarine develop? What kind of technology is on a submarine? How do they navigate? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do submarines work? When were they invented? In this episode, we explore the truths (and myths) about the origin of submarines. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is the ESRB? What procedure does the ESRB follow to rate games? What do the different ratings mean? Join the guys as they demystify the inner workings of the Entertainment Software Rating Board. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The University of Oxford Computational Propaganda Research Project issued a report on how countries around the world are manipulating people with misinformation. What's YOUR country up to? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From the physics of light to ingenious uses of a mirror, we look at the history of telescopes and how they work. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did the Stratos jump work? What sort of technology was inside the capsule? How did Felix's suit work? Join Jonathan and Chris as they leap into the tech behind this groundbreaking jump. 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 the late 1990s, a new television channel aimed at the computer crowd launched. It would last six years before a merger would effectively end it all. This is the TechTV story. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who really invented the light bulb? What is the Draper point? How do fluorescent bulbs work? Join Chris and Jonathan as they shine some light on the fascinating story of light bulbs. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

IBM and Red Hat have some big plans when it comes to cloud computing. From open source to artificial intelligence, we find out what they have in store for the future. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We rejoin the story of Android to see how the operating system evolved from Ice Cream Sandwich to the most recent release. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We look at the history of Google Android from its development to the launch of Ice Cream Sandwich. This is part one of The Android Story. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is Klout? Does everyone have it? What is Klout good for? Join Jonathan and Chris as they get to the bottom of Klout in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chinese telecom company Huawei went from startup to the largest phone manufacturer in the world in just 30 years. What's the story behind the company and why are so many governments wary of it today? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we explore the history of industrialization in China and ask why are so many electronics assembled there. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's the process of animating a film with hand-drawn animation? Who patented the process of cel-based animation? What was Disney's multiplane camera? Join Jonathan and Chris as they ink the answers to these questions and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tragedies and financial crises turned what used to be General Electric's strengths into liabilities. In this episode, we learn how the once dominant company began to struggle and why some think its heading for insolvency. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After World War II, General Electric would grow rapidly to the point of bloat. Then a man named Jack Welch took over as CEO and made some big changes. What was Welch's legacy? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How can a DNA sequence represent digital information? How dense is the data storage with DNA? What could be the future of computers with DNA? Join Jonathan and Chris as they delve into the depths and future of DNA and computing. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In its first few decades, General Electric would grow into an enormous company with incredible influence in the United States. In this episode, we see how that played out leading up to and through World War II. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

General Electric has been around for more than 100 years. It's recently been in a bit of a slump. How did this company get started? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is desalination? What are some of the methods used to get salt out of water? Why isn't desalination in wider use? Join Jonathan and Chris as they explore the tech behind desalination in this episode with Erik Hanson of General Electric. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Companies like Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Facebook have all admitted to using humans to listen to user audio for various reasons. But how far does this go? Is your tech actually eavesdropping on you? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scott Benjamin joins the show to talk about the history and tech behind Formula 1 race cars. What sets them apart? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why should password security be a top concern? What can you do to make your passwords safe? What constitutes a strong password? Join Chris and Jonathan as they give you the tips and tricks you'll need to keep your passwords secure. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What was the cutting edge in video game technology 30 years ago? Jonathan arbitrarily chooses to talk about outdated video game tech. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A year ago, we talked about electric scooters and how they rapidly spread to several major cities with dockless sharing programs. What's the grumpy old man podcaster got to say about this? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does the Large Hadron Collider do? How large is it? What is the LHC looking for? Listen in and get the scoop on the Large Hadron Collider with Chris and Jonathan. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is a brain-computer interface and how does it work? Why is Elon Musk interested in them? And is Facebook really going to read your mind? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For years, television manufacturers were pushing 3D features on TV sets. By 2017, all major companies had stopped trying. What happened with 3D TV? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did journalist Mat Honan get hacked? What is social engineering? How can you protect yourself against hackers? In this episode, Chris and Jonathan examine how criminals can access your data -- and how to protect your information from hackers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We can thank geniuses for the development of stuff like radios, television and electricity. But what about the pocket fisherman? We explore the lighter side of invention. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After introducing the 707, Boeing began to manufacture many more commercial jets. Some would become iconic in the aviation industry. And the 737 MAX would end up creating a huge problem for the company. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.