This Week in Tech (Audio)

• Supreme Court Upholds Law That Threatens US TikTok Ban
• Trumpcoin
• Texas Sues Allstate Over Its Collection of Driver Data
• Skyrocketing car-insurance premiums are pushing inflation higher
• Behind the Curtain — Coming soon: Ph.D.-level super-agents
• 4 surprise products we could see at Samsung Unpacked 2025
• Apple suspends error-strewn AI generated news alerts
• US Finalizes Rule Banning Smart Cars With Russian, Chinese Tech
• Natrium 'advanced nuclear' power plant wins Wyoming permit - WyoFile
• Cash App parent fined $175 million for 'woefully incomplete' response to fraud
• FDA Proposes Significant Step Toward Reducing Nicotine to Minimally or Nonaddictive Level in Cigarettes and Certain Other Combusted Tobacco Products

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Jason Hiner, Paris Martineau, and Molly White

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• The panel discusses CES 2025
• How Watch Duty's wildfire tracking app became a crucial lifeline for LA
• Worst in Show awards 2025
• Aaron Swartz v Sam Altman
• We've not been trained for this: life after the Newag DRM disclosure
• All the Meta stuff (fact checking, etc.)
• Heritage Foundation plans to 'identify and target' Wikipedia editors
• The Government Wants to Protect Robux From Hackers
• Twitch Streamers Come Home After Big-Money Contracts at Rivals Dried Up
• Candy Crush, Tinder, MyFitnessPal: See the Thousands of Apps Hijacked to Spy on Your Location

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Nicholas De Leon, Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ, and Cory Doctorow

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Touching the Sun, Fake Spotify Artists, Banished Words

• AI Needs So Much Power, It's Making Yours Worse
• How many billions Big Tech spent on AI data centers in 2024
• NASA Spacecraft 'Touches Sun' In Defining Moment For Humankind
• Elon Musk Calls Out NASA's Moon Ambitions: 'We're Going Straight to Mars'
• Elon Musk and the right's war on Wikipedia
• Trump Asks Supreme Court to Pause Law Threatening TikTok Ban
• US Treasury says Chinese hackers stole documents in 'major incident'
• Judge blocks parts of California bid to protect kids from social media
• Finland probes Russian shadow fleet oil tanker after cable-cutting incident
• US appeals court blocks Biden administration effort to restore net-neutrality rules
• The Ghosts in the Machine (fake spotify artists)
• Massive VW Data Leak Exposed 800,000 EV Owners' Movements, From Homes To Brothels
• Banished Words | Lake Superior State University 2025
• Public Domain Day 2025
• Happy Birthday, Bitcoin! The top cryptocurrency is old enough to drive
• End of the lines? QR-style codes could replace barcodes 'within two years'

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Richard Campbell, Anthony Ha, and Stacey Higginbotham

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TWiT wishes all listeners and viewers a Happy New Year and peaceful 2025!

• Padre's CES 2024 haul
• Cory Doctorow's infamous ensh*ttification term
• Tesla teases a robotaxi
• Last in-studio audience for TWiT
• Padre on the AI priest
• Google Search gets worse
• Christina Warren's Rabbit R1
• Snowflake and the AT&T breach
• Crowdstrike's big outag
• Last in-studio episode before moving out
• Salt Hank shows off his new cookbook
• TWiT's 1000th episode brings back old friends
• The State of X/Twitter under Elon
• Parenting with TWiT daddies
• Tech billionaires affecting Trump's transition team

Host: Leo Laporte

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• 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

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• So You Want to Solve the NJ Drone Mystery? Our Expert Has Some Ideas
• Infowars Sale to The Onion Rejected by Federal Bankruptcy Judge
• Federal appeals court declines to temporarily block ban on TikTok, teeing up showdown at SCOTUS over controversial law
• WordPress parent company must stop blocking WP Engine, judge rules
• Crypto's Legacy Is Finally Clear
• Tech Industry and CEOs Curry Favor With Trump Ahead of His Inauguration
• AI Is Detecting More Breast Cancer Cases, Study Suggests
• Huge randomized trial of AI boosts discovery — at least for good scientists
• GM Calls It Quits on Mary Barra's $50 Billion Robotaxi Dream
• You Can Buy a Car on Amazon Now

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Cathy Gellis, Mike Elgan, and Emily Forlini

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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

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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

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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

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• How Bluesky, Alternative to X and Facebook, Is Handling Explosive Growth
• Netflix's Live Mike Tyson Vs. Jake Paul Fight Battling Sound & Streaming Glitches In Lead-Up To Main Event
• Biden Asked Microsoft to "Raise the Bar on Cybersecurity." He May Have Helped Create an Illegal Monopoly.
• CFPB looks to place Google under federal supervision, setting up clash
• Apple's Tim Cook Has Ways to Cope With the Looming Trump Tariffs
• Apple Removes Another RFE/RL App At Request Of Russian Regulator
• Here's Why I Decided To Buy 'InfoWars'
• Elon Musk's X Corp. files notice in Alex Jones' Infowars bankruptcy case
• Spotify's Plans For AI Generated Music, Podcasts, and Recommendations, According To Its Co-President, CTO, and CPO Gustav Söderström
• This 'AI Granny' Bores Scammers to Tears Congress ponders underwater alien civilizations, human hybrids, and other unexplained stuff
• In Memoriam: Thomas E. Kurtz, 1928–2024

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Alex Kantrowitz, Daniel Rubino, and Iain Thomson

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