Podd: This Week in Tech (Audio)

TWiT 1011: The Year in Review - A Look at the Top Stories of 2024

23 december 2024 | 200 min

What's behind the tech industry's mass layoffs in 2024? : NPR
Rabbit R1 AI Assistant: Price, Specs, Release Date | WIRED
Stealing everything you've ever typed or viewed on your own Windows
PC is now possible with two lines of code — inside the Copilot+ Recall disaster.
Microsoft delays Recall after security concerns, and asks Windows Insiders for help
The Qualcomm Snapdragon X Architecture Deep Dive: Getting To Know Oryon and Adreno X1
Elon Musk: First Human Receives Neuralink Brain Chip
Apple hit with €1.8bn fine for breaking EU law over music streaming
Bluesky emerges
The hidden high cost of return-to-office mandates
Apple's Car Was Doomed by Its Lofty Ambitions to Outdo Tesla
SpaceX pulls off unprecedented feat, grabs descending rocket with mechanical arms
U.S. versus Apple: A first reaction
Google Says It Won't Force Gemini on Partners in Antitrust Remedy Proposal
U.S. Accuses Chinese Hackers of Targeting Critical Infrastructure in America
U.S. Agency Warns Employees About Phone Use Amid Ongoing China Hack
AT&T says criminals stole phone records of 'nearly all' customers in new data breach
National Public Data confirms breach exposing Social Security numbers
Schools Want to Ban Phones. Parents Say No.
New York passes legislation that would ban 'addictive' social media algorithms for kids
GPT-4o (omni) + new "Her"-style AI assistant (it's nuts)
Google emissions jump nearly 50% over five years as AI use surges
Trump proposes strategic national crypto stockpile at Bitcoin Conference
Ten additional US states join DOJ antitrust lawsuit looking to break up Live Nation and TicketmasterThe Internet Archive just lost its appeal over ebook lending
Hezbollah Pagers Explode in Apparent Attack Across Lebanon
OpenAI raises $6.6 billion in largest VC round ever
Painting by A.I.-Powered Robot Sells for $1.1 Million
Netflix's Live Mike Tyson Vs. Jake Paul Fight Battling Sound & Streaming Glitches In Lead-Up To Main Event
Infowars Sale to The Onion Rejected by Federal Bankruptcy Judge
Supreme Court agrees to hear challenge to TikTok ban
So You Want to Solve the NJ Drone Mystery? Our Expert Has Some Ideas
Beeper's push for iMessage on Android is really over
The Quiet Death of Ello's Big Dreams
Japan finally ends mandatory form submission on floppy disks
We'll Miss You: Pioneering instant messaging program ICQ is finally shutting down after nearly 30 years
Spotify is going to break every Car Thing gadget it ever sold
Game Informer to Shut Down After 33 Years
In Memoriam

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ, Richard Campbell, and Mikah Sargent

Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech

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TWiT 1010: The Densest State in the US - TikTok Ban, Drones Over Jersey, GM Quits Robotaxis

16 december 2024 | 178 min

TWiT 1009: Andy Giveth & Bill Taketh Away - Trump's Tech Titans, Crypto Boom, TikTok's US Ban, Intel CEO Exits

9 december 2024 | 155 min

Leo Laporte, Harry McCracken, Christina Warren, and Lou Maresca discuss the evolving relationship between the tech industry and the incoming Trump administration, the future of TikTok in the U.S., advances in AI and its impact on everything from weather forecasting to web browsing, and much more.

• Elon Musk and other tech billionaires are playing a major role in shaping President-elect Trump's transition team. The panel debated what this could mean for issues like antitrust regulation of Big Tech.
• Trump has named entrepreneur and investor David Sacks as the White House AI and Crypto Czar. Sacks is an Elon Musk ally who has been critical of OpenAI.
• The Hak Tuah cryptocurrency project suffered a 90% price crash shortly after launch amid controversy, in what may have been a "rug pull" scam.
• Trump's pick to lead NASA, private astronaut Jared Isaacman, is expected to push the agency to partner more with SpaceX and the commercial space industry. But his close ties to Elon Musk could face political hurdles.
• TikTok's future remains murky as U.S courts uphold a potential ban. The crew discusses the free speech implications and the role of geopolitics. EU also probes TikTok over Russian election interference.
• Entrepreneur Frank McCourt's Project Liberty consortium is reportedly advancing a bid to acquire TikTok's U.S. operations, positioning it as a "people's bid."
• The U.S. House is set to approve an additional $3 billion to fund the removal of Chinese telecom equipment like Huawei and ZTE from domestic networks.
• Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger is departing after a challenging 3-year stint. The chip giant's future strategy is up in the air as it faces intensifying competition, but the chip company did outline breakthroughs at a conference in advanced transistors, packaging, and interconnects that could help it regain a manufacturing edge.
• OpenAI is running a "12 Days of OpenAI" promotion highlighting new AI models and services. The TWiT panel debated whether it's mainly a technical showcase or a monetization push.
• Google unveiled a weather forecasting AI model that it says outperforms the leading U.S. and European forecast systems, especially for predicting extreme events.
• ElevenLabs launched a beta product that allows users to create and edit entire AI-generated podcast episodes, sparking discussions about the impact on human podcast creators.
• With the rise of AI, could we see a new generation of AI-infused web browsers that better understand our behavior? A long blog post by tech guru Om Malik explored the possibilities.
• In the wake of China's "Salt Typhoon" hacks of telecom networks, the FCC is proposing new cybersecurity rules - but with a twist that would allow law enforcement backdoor access.
• In the latest twist in the CSAM scanning saga, Apple is being sued for abandoning the controversial child abuse image detection feature, after previously being pilloried for trying to implement it.
• A sleeker, more accurate definition of a "second" based on atomic clocks using Strontium instead of Cesium atoms could be coming by 2030, enabling new scientific breakthroughs.
• Just in time for Christmas, a pair of the iconic ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz sold at auction for a whopping $28 million, a new record for movie memorabilia.

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Harry McCracken, Christina Warren, and Louis Maresca

Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech

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TWiT 1008: Internet Legal - Australia's Social Media Ban for Kids, Smart Home Nightmare, Bluesky's Ascent

2 december 2024 | 168 min

In this week's episode of This Week in Tech, Leo Laporte and guests Devindra Hardawar, Doc Rock, and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy discuss a wide range of topics including Australia's ban on social media for under 16s, the latest in smart home technology and Matter protocol, CES 2024 expectations, Black Friday sales records, Elon Musk's legal battles, the FTC's efforts to protect consumers, and the growing threat of infrastructure sabotage. The panel also touches on the lifespan of smart devices, the ownership of social media accounts, and the growth of Bluesky.

Australia bans social media for everyone under 16, sparking a discussion on the challenges of age verification, the necessity of such measures, and the potential impact on children's social lives
Jennifer shares her thoughts on the progress and challenges of Matter protocol, the future of smart home technology, and the killer use cases like energy management that could drive broader adoption
Devindra looks forward to checking out the latest tech at CES 2024, while the panel discusses the impact of potential tariffs on consumer electronics prices
Black Friday online sales hit a record $74.4B, up 5% from last year, with over half of spending done on mobile devices and a surge in traffic to retail sites from AI chatbots
Elon Musk files for an injunction to halt OpenAI's transition to a for-profit, accusing the company of discouraging investors from backing rivals like his own xAI
Musk admits X is throttling links, effectively limiting people from reading news on the platform, which could impact content creators and marketers
The panel discusses the implications of X's objection to The Onion buying InfoWars, reminding users that they do not own their social media accounts or followers
As alternative social media platforms like Bluesky gain traction, the panel considers the challenges of managing multiple platforms and the potential for a more decentralized social media landscape
The FTC releases a report on the hidden lifespan of smart devices, highlighting the need for transparency and the potential security risks of unsupported devices
FTC changes its telemarketing rules to better protect consumers from growing 'tech support scam' calls
Supreme Court considers whether ISPs should be liable for users' piracy, with potential far-reaching consequences
Concerns rise over infrastructure sabotage as a Chinese ship's crew is suspected of deliberately dragging an anchor for 100 miles to cut Baltic cables
Meta plans to build a $10B subsea cable spanning the world to support its services and ensure data traffic flow

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, Doc Rock, and Devindra Hardawar

Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech

Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit

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TWiT 1007: All the Hotdogs in the World - China's "Salt Typhoon" Hack, Google on the Chopping Block, Recall AI

25 november 2024 | 189 min

In this episode of This Week in Tech, the panel tackles the "biggest hack in US history," the future of AI, and the role of government in tech. From the Chinese hack's implications to Microsoft's AI-powered Recall, the Supreme Court's tech-related cases, and the push for social media age verification, Leo Laporte, Patrick Beja, Wesley Faulkner, and Alex Wilhelm provide insightful analysis and lively discussion on the most pressing issues facing the industry today.

China's "Salt Typhoon" hack, dubbed the "worst hack in our nation's history," which compromised US telecommunications infrastructure and allowed surveillance of high-profile individuals
The panel debates the challenges of securing outdated infrastructure and the role of government in regulating tech companies
DOJ's push for Google to sell off Chrome to break its search monopoly, and the potential implications for competition and innovation
Alex Wilhelm's article "If you like startups, you should love anti-trust" and the importance of fostering competition in the tech industry
Microsoft's Windows 365 Link, a $349 mini PC that streams Windows from the cloud, and the potential for thin client computing
Microsoft's Recall AI feature, which records and indexes users' screen activity, raising security concerns but offering potential benefits for users
The Supreme Court's involvement in cases related to Facebook's Cambridge Analytica data breach and the fate of America's low-income broadband fund
The panel also discusses their personal experiences with parenting in the digital age and the challenges of balancing screen time, privacy, and education for children
Meta's push for Apple and Google to verify users' ages on social media platforms, and the challenges of implementing effective age verification while protecting user privacy
Amazon's talks with Instacart, Uber, Ticketmaster, and others to enhance its AI-powered Alexa assistant
Spirit Airlines filing for bankruptcy amidst financial losses and mounting debt payments
Alex laments the addition of ads to Amazon Prime Video and the panel debates the tradeoffs of bundled subscription services

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Patrick Beja, Wesley Faulkner, and Alex Wilhelm

Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech

Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Sponsors:

TWiT 1006: Underwater Alien Civilizations - Bluesky Growth, Tyson Vs. Paul, AI Granny

18 november 2024 | 162 min

TWiT 1005: $125,000 in Baguettes - iPod Turns 23, The $1.1M AI Painting, Roblox

11 november 2024 | 166 min

TWiT 1004: Embrace Uncertainty - Political Texts, Daylight Saving Time, Digital Ad Market

4 november 2024 | 173 min

TWiT 1003: CrabStrike - Delta Sues Crowdstrike, Hospital AI, Surge Pricing

28 oktober 2024 | 166 min

TWiT 1002: Maximum Iceland Scenario - Data Caps, 3rd Party Android Stores, Nuclear Amazon

21 oktober 2024 | 184 min

This Week in Tech (Audio)

This Week in Tech is the top-ranked flagship tech podcast from TWiT.

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TWiT 1011: The Year in Review - A Look at the Top Stories of 2024

TWiT 1010: The Densest State in the US - TikTok Ban, Drones Over Jersey, GM Quits Robotaxis

TWiT 1009: Andy Giveth & Bill Taketh Away - Trump's Tech Titans, Crypto Boom, TikTok's US Ban, Intel CEO Exits

TWiT 1008: Internet Legal - Australia's Social Media Ban for Kids, Smart Home Nightmare, Bluesky's Ascent

TWiT 1007: All the Hotdogs in the World - China's "Salt Typhoon" Hack, Google on the Chopping Block, Recall AI

TWiT 1006: Underwater Alien Civilizations - Bluesky Growth, Tyson Vs. Paul, AI Granny

TWiT 1005: $125,000 in Baguettes - iPod Turns 23, The $1.1M AI Painting, Roblox

TWiT 1004: Embrace Uncertainty - Political Texts, Daylight Saving Time, Digital Ad Market

TWiT 1003: CrabStrike - Delta Sues Crowdstrike, Hospital AI, Surge Pricing

TWiT 1002: Maximum Iceland Scenario - Data Caps, 3rd Party Android Stores, Nuclear Amazon