TechStuff

Hydroelectric power harnesses the energy of water to generate electricity, but how? From turbine design to dynamos, we look at the components that make hydropower work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meta held its Connect conference this week and showed off some chonky augmented reality glasses, among other things. Plus, OpenAI shakes things up and DoNotPay agrees to, well, Pay. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Time named the Sony Walkman number 47 on a list of the 50 most influential gadgets of all time. How did the Walkman become a thing, and what influence has it had on how we experience music? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the scale of artificial intelligence continues to evolve, open technology like many of IBM’s Granite models are helping enhance transparency in AI and improve efficiency across businesses. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Jacob Goldstein sat down with Maryam Ashoori, the Director of Product Management and Head of Product for IBM’s watsonx.ai, where she spearheads the product strategy and delivery of IBM’s watsonx Foundation Models. Together, they explored the shift from large general-purpose AI models to smaller, customizable models tailored to specific needs. This is a paid advertisement from IBM. The conversations on this podcast don't necessarily represent IBM's positions, strategies or opinions. Visit us at https://ibm.com/smarttalks See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Where did CAPTCHAs come from? What purpose do they serve? How do they relate to artificial intelligence? And why are some of them so doggone hard?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Israel is allegedly behind an attack on Hezbollah involving exploding pagers. How did that happen? In other news, Microsoft wants to reopen a nuclear power plant to supply electricity to power-hungry AI data centers. Plus much more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is there a link between social media use and mental health challenges? We look at a meta-analysis and use some critical thinking to tackle the issue. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does "the ghost in the machine" mean? From philosophy to artificial intelligence, we explore this idiom to understand what it means, how it's used and if the dream of strong AI is realistic.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've got a lot of stories about artificial intelligence to talk about this week. Plus, Xbox holds more layoffs, Sony announces a new PS5 model, and for the first time, private citizens go on a space walk. Plus much more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happened to plasma televisions? Where did they come from? Let's learn how plasma TVs work and why the industry abandoned this technology. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The role of AI in the classroom is evolving rapidly. When students and teachers embrace this technology, it has the ability to democratize access to education through programs like IBM SkillsBuild. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Dr. Laurie Santos, host of Pushkin’s The Happiness Lab podcast, spoke with two innovators in the space. Justina Nixon-Saintil is Vice President and Chief Impact Officer, IBM Corporate Social Responsibility, and April Dawson is an Associate Dean of Technology and Innovation and a professor of law. They discuss the importance of lifelong learning, upskilling, and the ethical implications of AI in education. This is a paid advertisement from IBM. The conversations on this podcast don't necessarily represent IBM's positions, strategies or opinions. Visit us at https://ibm.com/smarttalks See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, Paypal is a 70+ billion dollar company, but how did it start out? And why are the founders sometimes referred to as the Paypal Mafia? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brazil's Supreme Court has shut down access to X after Elon Musk defied some questionable court orders. The US Department of Justice says that an American media company was secretly generating propaganda on behalf of Russia. And a musician used bots to both generate and listen to music for nearly a decade before being accused of fraud.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From Microsoft's dual-screened tablet concept to a holographic video game system, we take a look at some tech projects that died on the vine.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2019, Facebook (now Meta) announced it was developing a digital currency called Libra. Just a couple of years later, the project was dead in the water. What happened?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From X to Tesla to SpaceX to xAI, we've got a bunch of stories about various Elon Musk companies and the challenges they face this week. Plus, the MPA takes down a massive media piracy ring, and more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

French authorities arrested Telegram's CEO on Saturday, August 24th, 2024. What did he do? What is Telegram? And can a balance be struck between secure, private communications and stopping illegal activity?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a rapidly evolving AI landscape, open-source models can further accelerate the pace of progress and help expand access to all. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell sits down with Mo Duffy, Software Engineering Manager at Red Hat. They discuss InstructLab and the benefits of open-source technology, such as flexible deployment and the ability to enhance transparency, as well as the power of partnerships and collaboration. Mo explains how a community-based approach is essential for developing genuinely open-source AI. This is a paid advertisement from IBM. The conversations on this podcast don't necessarily represent IBM's positions, strategies or opinions. Visit us at ibm.com/smarttalksSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this podtastic episode, Jonathan and Chris explore how podcasting works. Tune in as they touch on everything from how TechStuff got its start to tips for listeners who want to become podcasters themselves.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meta and Snap each plan to introduce new AR glasses, but you probably won't be able to get your hands on them. Plus, Cruise strikes up a partnership with Uber, Google introduces a photo editing feature that muddies the waters and an enterprising hacker attempts to fake his own death. Through hacking. Plus more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While tackling a project that could have bankrupted the company, Walt Disney's engineers created a new method to add depth to two-dimensional animation. The multiplane camera would add an element of realism to an otherwise unrealistic medium. See 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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shannon Morse joins the show to talk about how a data breach might impact you, as well as to clear up a few things the media tends to get wrong about data breaches. Plus, we have news about AI, NASA and more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Business leaders understand that AI can help increase revenue and profit margins. But is using AI to control pricing going to lead to bad outcomes for consumers?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As AI technology progresses, its impact on our daily lives—including how we consume our favorite sports— will grow alongside it. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Jacob Goldstein, host of Pushkin’s own What’s Your Problem?, sat down with Brian Ryerson, Senior Director of Digital Strategy at the US Tennis Association. They discuss the impact of data on the fan experience, the role that storytelling plays in sports, and how AI has unlocked innovative features, such as AI Commentary and Match Reports. This is a paid advertisement from IBM. The conversations on this podcast don't necessarily represent IBM's positions, strategies or opinions. Visit us at https://ibm.com/smarttalks See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1981, RCA released a new media format on the market. It was the CED -- the Capacitance Electronic Disc, and it was meant to compete with Betamax, VHS and LaserDisc. How did it do? Not so great! But I own one, so I'm doing an episode about it!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Google and Amazon are the subject of antitrust proceedings, while an antitrust lawsuit from Elon Musk's X has prompted an organization to disband. Trust me, you'll want to hear this. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How does GPS work? How can satellites tell you where you are? And what does Einstein have to do with all of this? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the US teeters on the brink of a recession, we're seeing economies around the world take a hit. What role, if any, did the hype around AI play? We take a critical look at the Gartner Hype Cycle and whether it applies to artificial intelligence. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some folks are getting impatient while waiting on AI to transform the world (or at the very least their investment portfolio). Plus, we learn about how a controversial online safety bill has been left to fizzle out in the US House of Representatives. And much, much more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can generative AI write a good episode for a technology podcast? We find out with this experiment about airbags written by ChatGPT. What worked, what didn't work, and what does Jonathan find really troubling? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does it mean when a signal is "jammed?" From radar to radio to some cheeky broadcast TV signal intrusions, we look at how signal jamming works. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meta and Google both brag on how their respective AI models are good at math. Meanwhile, OpenAI unveils its prototype AI-enhanced search engine. Plus, we learn about why video game voice actors are going on strike and more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We continue to explore the evolution of pinball and learn how the humble solenoid powers so much of the game. Plus, what happens when transistors, integrated circuits and computers join the party? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After attending the 2024 Southern Fried Gaming Expo, TechStuff looks into the origins and evolution of pinball machines. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A company called CrowdStrike pushed out a software update to Windows-based systems. But the update had a defect, bringing computer systems around the world to a standstill. Plus, stories about the FBI cracking into a would-be assassin's phone, how X is appealing a California law and Google's plans to get rid of crappy apps.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

King Harald of Denmark had a little quirk that would, centuries later, provide inspiration for the naming of a modern technology. We learn how his lack of oral hygiene led to the naming of a wireless protocol.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Major breakthroughs in artificial intelligence research often reshape the design and utility of Al in both business and society. In this special rebroadcast episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell and Jacob Goldstein explore the conceptual underpinnings of modern Al with Dr. David Cox, VP of Al models at IBM Research. They talk foundation models, self-supervised machine learning, and the practical applications of Al and data platforms like watsonx in business and technology. When we first aired this episode last year, the concept of foundation models was just beginning to capture our attention. Since then, this technology has evolved and redefined the boundaries of what's possible. Businesses are becoming more savvy about selecting the right models and understanding how they can drive revenue and efficiency. This is a paid advertisement from IBM. The conversations on this podcast don't necessarily represent IBM's positions, strategies or opinions. Visit us at ibm.com/smarttalks See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An AI image of a devious banker with way too many fingers can be entertaining, but could it also be a warning sign for the future of the Internet? We learn about some research that indicates future generative AI may be a real mess if it trains on other AI-generated content.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sony will stop producing rewritable Blu-rays and a DVD rental service went belly up. Are we looking at the end of physical media? Plus, AI causes more headaches, Goldman Sachs warns we might be in an AI bubble, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As chip manufacturers rush to meet the needs of all this artificial intelligence work going on, we're left to ask the question "What the heck is an AI chip anyway?" We find out! From GPUs to ASICs, this is the episode for you.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The AI startup scene is bonkers. Investors are pouring so much money into AI startup companies that some of those businesses are making unsubstantiated AI claims. We explore stories of a few companies that weren't as AI-focused as they initially claimed to be.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a lot of hacker news this week, with updates on the severity of the Ticketmaster hack, a credit union in California is doing its best to restore services after a ransomware attack, and a Chinese company turned an innocent, helpful tool into a malicious trick. Plus more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While an elephant may never forget, the same cannot be said for artificial neural networks. What is catastrophic forgetting, how does it affect artificial intelligence and how are engineers trying to solve the problem?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sometimes, a tech company pushes out a product that has a flaw bad enough to prompt that company to issue a recall. From television antennas to the Tesla Cybertruck, we look at some notable (perhaps Galaxy Note-able) recalls in tech history.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meta says it may start blocking links to Australian news sites on Facebook -- again. Hackers create a massive headache for US automobile dealerships. An Arkansas attorney general argues that China's Temu app is malware in disguise. And much more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A couple of grocery delivery services, a neobank catering to the LGBTQ+ company and a company that used robots to make pizza walk into 2023. No one gets out. Here are the stories of more startups that failed in 2023.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a rapidly evolving world, we need to balance the fear surrounding AI and its role in the workplace with its potential to drive productivity growth. In this special live episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell is joined onstage by Rob Thomas, senior vice president of software and chief commercial officer at IBM, during NY Tech Week. They discuss “the productivity paradox,” the importance of open-source AI, and a future where AI will touch every industry. This is a paid advertisement from IBM. The conversations on this podcast don't necessarily represent IBM's positions, strategies or opinions. Visit us at ibm.com/smarttalksSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From cybersecurity companies to a business that provided telehealth services for pets, we look at some of the tech startups that had to close up shop in 2023.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apple still plans to launch a more affordable mixed reality headset before the end of next year, but the Vision Pro sounds like a one off. Plus, Nvidia, Microsoft and Apple vie for the title of most valuable company in the world. And much more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.