Surprise - It's Not a Toaster

Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer kick off with a rant about vertical video — because nothing says “breaking news” like watching a natural disaster unfold in portrait mode. Sure, TikTok made it trendy and one-handed filming is easy, but what happens when video shifts to massive screens like the Vegas Sphere or into Meta’s glasses? Spoiler: portrait might not age well. This week’s recommendation: the new season of South Park. It’s fast, it’s vicious, and it shreds GenAI and tech bros in a way no think piece ever could. And for the GenAI test, it’s Taco Tuesday with a twist: ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Claude all attempt to explain quantum mechanics using only taco metaphors. The results are as chaotic — and as satisfying — as a late-night taco run.

Ever clicked on a Facebook video promising something shocking only to watch 10 minutes of filler before realizing you've been played? Welcome to the world of Watchbait—those misleading, overhyped videos designed to manipulate your curiosity (and your patience). In this episode, Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer break down the worst offenders and share tips on how to avoid the bait-and-switch trap. Then, they take ChatGPT’s Agentic AI demo for a spin—can AI truly operate autonomously, or is it just a glorified to-do list assistant? And in Gen AI Stump, we challenge ChatGPT to stop being so agreeable. Can we make it argue? Can it actually push back? Or is it doomed to eternal politeness? Tune in for some digital myth-busting, AI experimentation, and a few laughs along the way. Mentions from the Show:  How to avoid posting watchbait on Facebook Chris Boyer on LinkedIn Ed Bennett on LinkedIn Chris Boyer website Ed Bennett of BlueSky Chris Boyer on BlueSky

In this episode of Surprise – It’s Not a Toaster, Chris Boyer and Ed Bennett dive into the wild world of online comments—from YouTube rants to Google reviews and Twitter’s never-ending chaos (which is basically just one giant comment section). They trace the history of internet commenting, exploring how we went from early, nerdy UseNet forums to today’s digital free-for-all of trolling, toxicity, and the occasional comedy goldmine. But are comments good or bad for us? Studies show exposure to negative comments can increase anxiety, impact sleep, and even drive consumer behavior—making or breaking businesses. At the same time, Google loves well-moderated comments for SEO, proving that even the worst takes have value (sometimes). Also in this episode: AI Art with MidJourney—Is generative AI taking creativity to the next level, or just another tool for internet weirdness? GenAI Stump—Chris and Ed put AI to the test with an ethical dilemma worthy of a philosophy class (or at least a heated Reddit debate). Join us as we laugh, rant, and question the very fabric of online discourse—because sometimes, the best response to a terrible comment is just closing the browser tab. Mentions from the Show: ] The Comments Section: A Brief History of Time and Trolling Understanding news-related user comments and their effects: a systematic review The Impact of Online Negative Reviews on Consumer Purchasing Intention in the Apparel Industry: The Mediating Role of Perceived Risk The Impact of Article Comments on SEO Screenshots Of Hilarious Internet Comments That Made Me Spit-Take All Over My Desk MODERN-DAY ORACLES or BULLSHIT MACHINES?: How to thrive in a ChatGPT world Chris Boyer on LinkedIn Ed Bennett on LinkedIn Chris Boyer website Ed Bennett of BlueSky Chris Boyer on BlueSky

In this episode of Surprise—It’s Not a Toaster, hosts Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer rant (just a little) about the ever-growing paywall problem—because apparently, reading an article online now requires a monthly subscription, your firstborn child, and a secret handshake. While they fully support paying for quality content, they debate whether the web’s overreliance on paywalls is actually helping or just locking great content behind digital fortresses. Next up: a "tech tip" on AI Tar Pits—the sneaky tools and techniques websites use to block AI models from scraping their content for free. Should AI get a free lunch, or is this just another front in the content wars? Finally, the hosts put GenAI to the test—can it take a confusing technical need (like a hob/docking station) and translate it into plain English with an actually useful recommendation? Spoiler alert: AI might just be the ultimate tech translator we never knew we needed. Tune in for rants, revelations, and a little AI-fueled magic! Mentions from the Show:  Study: Paywalls influence newspaper coverage Journalism’s excessive paywalls are leaving out young people. It’s going to kill the industry  AI haters build tarpits to trap and trick AI scrapers that ignore robots.txt One rebel’s malicious ‘tar pit’ trap is driving AI web-scrapers insane Chris Boyer on LinkedIn Ed Bennett on LinkedIn Chris Boyer website Ed Bennett of BlueSky Chris Boyer on BlueSky

In this episode of Surprise—It's Not a Toaster, hosts Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer dive into the labyrinthine world of Terms & Conditions (and EULAs)—those digital novels we all “agree” to without reading. From hilarious (and horrifying) examples of what companies sneak into the fine print, to asking the big question: why does signing up for software feel like selling your soul? Then, they shift gears to geek out over better, faster website design, featuring an unlikely but brilliant contender—McMaster.com (yes, the industrial supply site). Finally, the hosts put GenAI through its paces, asking it to "simplify" classic, mind-bending literature. Can AI turn Moby Dick into a bedtime story? Tune in for laughs, insights, and AI-powered shenanigans! Mentions from the show:  Click to agree with what? No one reads terms of service, studies confirm 20 Of The Strangest Things Consumers Noticed While Looking Over Terms And Conditions https://www.mcmaster.com/ The Surprising Tech Behind McMaster-Carr's Blazing Fast Website Speed Chris Boyer on LinkedIn Ed Bennett on LinkedIn Chris Boyer website Ed Bennett of BlueSky Chris Boyer on BlueSky

In this episode of Surprise—It's Not a Toaster, hosts Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer dive into the messy world of social media content moderation (or lack thereof). From platforms hitting the snooze button on moderation to the search for unbiased news with AllSides.com, the hosts tackles today’s digital dumpster fires with humor and heart. And as the cherry on top? They put ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude in the hot seat to see if GenAI can save us all from the chaos. Tune in for insights and some AI-powered solutions—or not! Mentions from the show:  Meta surrenders to the right on speech Under Elon Musk, Twitter has approved 83% of censorship requests by authoritarian governments EFF Statement on Meta's Announcement of Revisions to Its Content Moderation Processes Ed Bennett on LinkedIn Chris Boyer website Ed Bennett of BlueSky Chris Boyer on BlueSky

In this episode, hosts Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer reflect back on the last 30 episodes and share insights on things we’ve learned, how we’re evolving and predict what we’ll be talking about in the new year.

In this episode, hosts Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer discuss the history of the annual “Word of the Year” presented by various sources (including the Oxford English Dictionary). They also share a useful Bluesky plug-in to help curate news, and then test GenAI’s ability to create unique pub trivia facts.

In this episode, hosts Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer discuss the current state of journalism and the rise of social influencers in becoming primary news sources. They also share their experience with Bluesky as then test GenAI’s ability to create poetry.  Annoyance: Online influencers and the fall of journalism 1 in 5 get news from social media influencers: Pew poll  Cision's 2024 State of the Media Report: Journalists Battle Misinformation, Embrace Data, and Seek PR Partnership Tech Rec:  Bluesky impressions from a Twitter refugee Sky Follower Bridgehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/chatgpt-or-shakespeare-readers-couldnt-tell-the-difference-and-even-preferred-ai-generated-verse-180985480/ People are fleeing Elon Musk’s X for Threads and Bluesky. Welcome to the era of social media fragmentation AI Stump:  ChatGPT or Shakespeare? Readers Couldn’t Tell the Difference—and Even Preferred A.I.-Generated Verse Follow Us Online: Chris Boyer website Chris Boyer on BlueSky Martech.Health Ed Bennett on Bluesky

In this episode, hosts Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer discuss their frustration with the shifting expectations around achieving AGI (Artificial General Intelligence). Ed then shares his personal experience using Apple AirPods as a hearing aid, and Chris conducts an experiment to see if asking GenAI questions politely yields different results compared to using insults. Annoyance: Fear and loathing about AGI Tech Rec: AirPod as Hearing aid user report  AI Stump: being rude or polite to Gen AI - does it produce different results?

In this episode, hosts Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer discuss the growing trend of artificial online sales events and delve into the potential impact of AI Agents. They also explore a study commissioned by Apple, highlighting the limitations of GenAI’s logical reasoning abilities. Annoyance: Online “prime” and other artificial sales days Prime Day isn’t just for Amazon anymore The Truth about Prime Day - It's not a scam The Secret Meaning of Prime Day Tech Rec: The AI agents have arrived AI Stump: Apple Study Reveals Critical Flaws in AI's Logical Reasoning Abilities

In this episode, hosts Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer discuss how GenAI is starting to replicate natural human language in a frightening way, and ponder how quickly it will fall from the Trough of Disillusionment to bridging the Uncanny Valley. They also take NotebookLM for a spin and share some surprising results.  Annoyances: AI getting better and the uncanny valley Tech rec: NotebookLM and other AI automation within Google AI-stump: the hosts reaction to NotebookLM's audio overview of their podcast

In this episode, hosts Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer vent about online user agreements and the universal struggle we all face with them. Then they share how ChatGPT 4.01 can be your secret weapon for conquering those pesky Connections puzzles. Finally, they put AI to the test by asking it to summarize complex book and movie plots.  Annoyances: User Agreements Tech rec: ChatGTP o1-preview - watching AI think in real time AI-stump: Please provide a single sentence describing the Lord of Rings. Points for brevity.

In this episode, hosts Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer recap past discussions, and provide a quick update on various annoyances, technology tips and put GenAI to the Turing test. Annoyances:  Episode 2: Ratings and reviews: FTC rules on fake reviews aren’t enough: Hold sites accountable Episode 5: AI Products: Brands should avoid this popular term. It’s turning off customers Episode 13: Fake AI video/audio: New YouTube tools protect creators from fake AI-generated audio and video Episode 22: Proprietary Car Infotainment Systems: Ford Patents In-Car System That Eavesdrops So It Can Play You Ads and Why GM's Anti-CarPlay Strategy Is Doomed to Fail and The Ultimate 'Connected Car' Nightmare Is Playing Out In China Technology/Tips:  Episode 6: ARC Search - now for Windows Episode 15: hearing aids - Apple says AirPods Pro 2 can be used as ‘clinical-grade’ hearing aids Episode 9: NYT Connections - provide update on Strawberry AI (which purportedly could solve it)   https://chatgpt.com/g/g-TFpOewmPa-connections-solver  OpenAI could skyrocket ChatGPT subscription to $2000 per month for next-gen Strawberry AI model Stump GenAI:  The Turing test: “What was it like to fall in love for the first time?”

In this episode, hosts Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer discuss the challenges of gamification and wonders if things have gone too far. They also share a great tool to help develop flowchart visualizations using text prompts and then try to stump GenAI to answer a hypothetical question to determine how much it will hallucinate.  Annoyance: Gamification Please Oh Please Stop Making The Future Suck (Grocery Store Edition) Tip/technology: LucidChart AI Stump: Can it answer a hypothetical question? Generative AI Apps Such As ChatGPT, Claude, Llama, And Others Appear To Surprisingly Have A ‘Shared Imagination’ That Could Vastly Impact The Future Of AI

In this episode, hosts Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer dive into the world of infotainment, exploring their love-hate relationship with Apple and Android car apps, and why they believe automakers should steer clear of developing their own. They also geek out over the perks of a brand-new widescreen monitor and put Generative AI to the test with a deceptively simple logic puzzle known as the “Alice in Wonderland problem.” Tune in for tech insights, a bit of gadget envy, and some light-hearted AI stumping! Annoyance: Proprietary Infotainment Systems (The People Have Spoken: Android Auto and CarPlay Are Great, Car Infotainment Is Not) Tip/technology: New monitor AI stump: The Alice in Wonderland Problem (This Simple Logic Question Stumps Even the Most Advanced AI)

In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Ed Bennett discuss the challenges with everything being in the “cloud” and then share free tools to help with tracking your presence on the Dark Web. Then, they test Gen AI’s ability to create humorous ways to insult someone in a hypothetical situation.  Annoyance: Challenges of the Cloud Tip/technology: Google is making dark web reports free for everyone. Here’s how they work. AI stump: Study claims AI is funnier than humans after people rate jokes written by both

In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Ed Bennett ask why does everything have to be digital (and if there is still room to have physical copies of music, movies and books). They also share updates on previous tech tips on operating system updates and password protection. Then, they challenge Gen AI by asking a common question that has plagued philosophes and scientists for ages.  Annoyance: Does everything need to be digital?  Tip/technology: Updates on Windows 11 experience, and smooth passkey management with iOS AI stump: Which came first: the chicken or the egg?

In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Ed Bennett address common digital frustrations like Caps Lock mishaps, Copy/Paste issues, and how iOS handles email address forms. They also share powerful Windows tweak tools and other customization hacks to enhance keyboarding experiences. Finally, they challenge AI with thought-provoking questions about resource efficiency. Tune in to elevate your digital know-how and conquer tech annoyances with ease! Annoyance: CapsLock, Copy/Paste and how iOS handles email address forms Tip/technology: Microsoft Power Toys AI stump: What GenAI question uses the least amount of resources to answer? What requires the most?

In this episode of 'Surprise - It's Not a Toaster,' hosts Chris Boyer and Ed Bennett dive into the digital world's quirks and innovations. First, they tackle the frustrations of websites that force users to create name/password accounts, exploring why this outdated practice persists and how it impacts user experience. Then, they share a handy tech tip on using iPhone voice search with ARC Search to streamline your daily digital interactions. Finally, they challenge Gen AI with a stump question: 'What question would I ask you that you would have a hard time answering?' Tune in for a mix of digital annoyances, practical recommendations, and mind-bending AI queries. Annoyance: Sites that don’t allow name/password accounts Tip/technology: Iphone voice search with ARC Search AI stump: What question would I ask you that you would have a hard time answering?