TechStuff

Artist Alicia Framis plans to wed an AI "hologram" this summer. Before the wedding bells chime, we have some questions. We explore holograms, artificial intelligence, and technical, social, ethical and cultural conundrums.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every year in the U.S., tens of thousands of hospital patients die of preventable causes. For many of these patients, warning signs are subtle and easy for doctors to miss. Suchi Saria is the founder and CEO of Bayesian Health, and a professor at Johns Hopkins where she runs a lab focused on machine learning and healthcare. Suchi’s problem is this: How can you use AI to detect when hospital patients are at risk of potentially deadly complications – and how can you get doctors to listen?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sometimes, an invention comes along that defines a new function, form factor, or fashion. In this episode, we celebrate some of these inventions by exploring the stories behind them.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Silicon Valley dream is to come up with an app and make a billion dollars. But not every app hits such heights. And some briefly touch the stars but then plummet back to Earth. This episode is dedicated to the failures!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Once upon a time, there were no digital cameras. Who invented them, and how did they become so common that even the most basic smartphone has one? We learn about the tech behind digital cameras and really get into the megapixels.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In what I can only describe as an overcorrection, Google's Gemini AI has tried to promote diversity in situations where it's not appropriate, such as in an image portraying Nazi soldiers. Plus, Bluesky gives more control to users, Cruise looks to resume operations in a different state after California revoked its license, and researchers find a way to double processing power without upgrading hardware.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Journalist Jacob Goldstein joins the show to talk about the challenges of communicating technology topics to the public, how to sort through the promise and threat of AI, and the way that engineers approach problems.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did the co-founders of Intel go from being "traitors" to two of the early pioneers of Silicon Valley? We learn about Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the 20th century loomed ever closer, the battle waged to determine how we would transmit electricity. Learn about the current wars and why AC ultimately won.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Not all inventions are the product of careful experimentation. Sometimes, someone pulls a whoopsie and learns something new. This episode is all about those types of discoveries.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For a couple of years in Google's early history, it was a real search company. But that would change in 2000 as Google would embrace advertising. Learn how Google would shift to become a dominant force in online ads.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sam Altman of OpenAI wants to see a huge investment in new semiconductor fabrication plants to support AI implementations. The FTC hopes to reverse the Microsoft-Activision Blizzard merger. And did hackers really take over millions of smart toothbrushes?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Back in 2015, Facebook made a claim that would lead advertisers and content creators to shift focus to online video. There was one problem -- the claim ended up being bogus. How did the pivot to video strategy become a dark, grim joke in the tech sector?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does Big Data actually mean? How has the science of Big Data changed recently? What are the potential benefits and pitfalls of Big Data? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Senate Judiciary Committee met with CEOs like Mark Zuckerberg with accusations that their companies are actively causing harm to children, and they weren't happy with the response. Plus, a judge tells Elon Musk that he will not be getting the massive compensation package promised to him by Tesla's board of directors. And TikTok says goodbye to Taylor Swift's music (and all other UMG tracks). Plus more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who invented the hovercraft? What happened to all the hovercraft that used to provide transportation options in the UK? How do they work? We look into all this, plus a classic Jackie Chan action flick.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sometimes, an operating system has served its purpose and it's time to go live on a farm. We take a look at some operating systems that are no longer supported and explore why moving on can sometimes cause a problem.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From New York City to the state of Florida, politicians are getting serious as they face off against social media companies like Meta TikTok. Plus, we have a bunch of news around AI, an update on Tesla that has investors upset and we say farewell to an amazing little helicopter on Mars.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An interesting set of challenges crop up when you want to translate movements in a physical space to a virtual one. How do you keep people safe? How do you manage groups in the same physical space? And can you still look cool if you're running around on an omni treadmill?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At this year's CES, several trends revealed themselves among the exhibitors. But none were more prevalent than the incorporation of artificial intelligence. How are companies using, or at least claiming to use, AI in their products this year?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did you know that engineers were harnessing electricity long before they even knew what it was? We take a look at the history and tech behind electricity.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode from 2021, we look at the thorny issues of copyright and how fair use isn't some proactive safety play to avoid those pesky copyright strikes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A fuel cell is an electrochemical energy conversion device; it turns chemical energy into electrical energy. Jonathan and Chris discuss fuel cells in detail from their origins to why they're not practical for general use yet in this episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It might be a small world after all, but how did Disney imagineers create the first audio animatronics and how do they work? Find out in the Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Room.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do the theories of special relativity and general relativity apply to satellites? Why is the speed of light constant, but time and distance are not? We get all Einstein up in here!See 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lasers can be used to threaten our enemies, cut steel and even amuse our cats. Find out the history of lasers and how they work in this episode of Techstuff.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How does CT (computed tomography) scanners work? What's going on with TechStuff? In this episode, you are invited into Jonathan's brain to find out.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is the technological singularity? How might the technological singularity come about? What do critics say about the idea of the singularity? Listen in as Jonathan and Lauren explore the technological singularity.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I swore I would never do another one of these. But what the heck, let's get out the crystal ball and make some predictions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nearly two years after Microsoft announced its intention to acquire video game company Activision Blizzard, it sealed the deal. But it wasn't a sure thing. We look back on how government officials around the world nearly prevented the merger and why. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What was once a blue sky engineering dream has finally been put to bed. Hyperloop One never achieved its goal, but it did manage to be a hot spot for drama and controversy before petering out. We look back on the company.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While FTX's failure happened in late 2022, the story of Sam Bankman-Fried's literal trials and tribulations played out this year. Plus, his rival Changpeng "CZ" Zhao entered a guilty plea on securities violations. We look at how two leaders in the crypto space had to face the music in 2023.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From the return of Steve Jobs to the most recent Macs, we look at how the computer has changed over the years.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While Christmas 2023 might be over, I have a little present for all of y'all -- 12 days out of 2023 that were important in the tech world for one reason or another. From cryptocurrency controversies to Apple getting into augmented reality, we look at a dozen days that stood out in 2023.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jess Royal and John Hilton drop what they're doing on Stranger Things to come by the studio and talk about what their jobs require. From Christmas lights to the upside down, we learn about what it takes to make a show work.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We look at the history of incorporating lights in winter holidays like Christmas and Hanukkah and how electricity changed things dramatically. We'll also dive into those over the top displays that sequence lights with sound and talk about why it was such a challenge for the electrician on Stranger Things to make lights blink a specific way.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the beginning of 2023, Twitter was still called Twitter. It was facing multiple challenges in the wake of an acquisition. Elon Musk had reduced the staff by more than half. Advertisers were getting antsy. And then it all got much worse.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The video sharing platform TikTok faced opposition and scrutiny around the world. Some suspect it of being a surveillance tool used by the Chinese Communist Party. Others worry that it is warping young minds. We look back over TikTok's rocky 2023.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After its launch, Apple tweaked the Macintosh a bit. Then Apple executives gave Steve Jobs the boot. He would return many years later. We look at the Macintosh during this era.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The ITC shuts down Apple's attempt to delay a ban on certain Apple Watches and so they leave store shelves today. A Reuters investigation shows that Tesla has been blaming customers for design problems for nearly a decade. And leaked documents indicate that Sony is worried about Microsoft. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Artificial intelligence was in the news all throughout 2023. From legislators debating regulations to drama in corporate boardrooms to concerns about copyright infringement, AI touched just about everything. We take a look back on how the year played out.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The EU announced a preliminary investigation into the social networking platform X out of concerns that it allows the transmission of illegal content and disinformation within the EU and potentially violates the Digital Services Act. Apple is pulling some popular tech off shelves in the US out of anticipation of a ban by the ITC. Plus lots more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Video game developer released a long-anticipated game called The Day Before on December 7th, 2023. Four days later, the company shut down. What the heck happened? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's the origin story for the Macintosh computer? We look at the early days of Apple leading up to the launch of one of the most famous Apple products of all time.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elon Musk has had a busy week, with issues at X, Tesla and Neuralink. Plus, hackers say that a Polish train company has sabotaged its own vehicles if railways don't stay within the company's ecosystem. And the FCC says that cable and satellite providers can't charge customers early termination fees anymore. And much more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The ESA announced that E3, the Electronic Entertainment Expo, is well and truly over. What was E3's purpose, and why has the ESA decided to pull the plug?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A hidden clause in Tesla's Cybertruck contracts forbids owners from reselling their new Cybertruck within a year of purchase. Google loses an important anticompetitive lawsuit against Epic Games. And the Wi-Fi 7 standard should become official early next year. Plus lots more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A tech miser and cryptobro learns the true meaning of Christmas. This episode of TechStuff is as goofy as the Dickens!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Picking up where we left off, we look at some of the more recent stories about Samsung, including the tricky relationships between the heirs to the Samsung throne.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.