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All TWiT.tv Shows (Audio)
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Leo Laporte brings some of the most interesting personalities in technology together to talk about the most important issues. Fun, relaxed, informative and always entertaining, count on TWiT for the best tech podcasts in the world.
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What if your smart TV and Firefox extensions were secretly hijacking your security and privacy? This episode reveals the jaw-dropping discovery of a massive TV botnet and the surprisingly clever malware lurking behind innocent browser icons.
North Korea's profitable fixation on cryptocurrency.
Amazon uncovers a cryptomining sneaking into customer clouds.
Insecure Docker API servers are also hosting cryptominers.
A new and truly massive SmartTV-based botnet discovery.
DNS Benchmark's 4th release.
Who, besides Let's Encrypt, offers free automated certs.
Some interesting listener feedback.
And how a PNG Icon was used to infect 50,000 Firefox users
Show Notes - https://www.grc.com/sn/SN-1057-Notes.pdf
Hosts: Steve Gibson and Leo Laporte
Download or subscribe to Security Now at https://twit.tv/shows/security-now.
You can submit a question to Security Now at the GRC Feedback Page.
For 16kbps versions, transcripts, and notes (including fixes), visit Steve's site: grc.com, also the home of the best disk maintenance and recovery utility ever written Spinrite 6.
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An update on the story about an Apple developer who lost access to their Apple ID. Apple receives clearance to activate the Apple Watch hypertension detection feature in Australia. Italy fines Apple $115 million over App Tracking Transparency. And we say goodbye to one of the original MacBreak Weekly panelists.
Apple developer's account restored after compromised gift card incident.
Apple receives clearance to activate Apple Watch hypertension detection/notification feature in Australia.
Apple agrees to third-party App Store alternatives in Brazil.
Apple's iOS 26.3 will introduce proximity pairing to third-party devices in the EU.
Free two-hour delivery from Apple Stores now available for a limited time.
1.5 TB of VRAM on Mac Studio - RDMA over Thunderbolt 5.
Italy fines Apple $115 million over App Tracking Transparency.
Apple announces more ads are coming to App Store search results
Apple quietly discontinued flyover city tours in Apple Maps.
Why Apple's foldable iPhone may be smaller than expected.
Apple TV releasing Pluribus season finale early.
Picks of the Week
Alex's Pick: Homey Pro
Andy's Pick: Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas & Patrick Stewart's 'A Christmas Carol'
Jason's Pick: Some of his favorite books, TV shows, and podcasts from the past year.
Hosts: Leo Laporte, Alex Lindsay, Andy Ihnatko, and Jason Snell
Download or subscribe to MacBreak Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/macbreak-weekly.
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After a year tangled in political drama, AI hype, and regulation battles, the TWiT crew explains how many of tech's "biggest stories" simply fizzled into nothing or left us with new headaches by year's end.
Year-end tech trends: AI, politics, and security dominated 2025
Major stories faded fast: TikTok saga, political tech drama, DOGE scandal
TikTok's ownership battle—Oracle, Trump donors, and US-China tensions
China tech fears: banned drones, IoT vulnerabilities, secret radios in buses
Rising political pressure for internet privacy and media literacy reform
Surveillance and kill switch concerns in US grid and port infrastructure
Convenience vs. privacy: Americans trade data for discounts and ease
Age verification, surveillance, and flawed facial recognition across countries
Discord's ID leak highlights risks of rushed compliance with privacy laws
Social media's impact on kids pushes age-gating and verification laws
ISPs monetize customer data, VPNs pitched for personal privacy
Global government crackdowns: UK bans VPN advertising, mandates age checks
The illusion of absolute privacy: flawed age gates and persistent tracking
AI takes over: explosive growth, but profits elusive for big players
Arms race in LLMs: DeepSeek's breakthrough, OpenAI/Meta talent bidding war
Ad-driven models still rule; Amazon's playbook repeated in AI
Humanoid robots and AGI hype: skepticism vs. Silicon Valley optimism
AI-generated art, media, and the challenge of deepfake detection
Social platforms falter: Instagram and X swamped by fake or low-value content
Google's legal, regulatory, and technical woes: ad tech trial, Manifest V3 backlash
RAM price spikes and hardware shortages blamed on AI data center demand
YouTube overtakes mobile for podcast and video viewing, Oscars move online
The internet's growth: Cloudflare stats, X vs. Reddit, spam domain trends
Weird tech stories: hacked crosswalks, Nintendo Switch 2 Staplegate, LEGO theft ring
Sad farewell: Lamar Wilson's passing and mental health awareness in tech
Reflections on the year's turbulence and hopes for a better 2026
Host: Leo Laporte
Guests: Mikah Sargent, Paris Martineau, and Steve Gibson
Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech
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This week we celebrate the announcement of the new Mozilla CEO, cover the news in that GPL lawsuit that's been slowly making progress, and talk about what's new in OpenZFS. There's an AMD vs NVIDIA GPU showdown, we cover the Linux Foundation's annual report, and Plasma 6.6 is promising some late Christmas presents for us all. For tips, we cover sot for system observation, a quick primer on moving between the desktop and command line, and dog/doge for a better DNS tool. You can find the show notes at https://bit.ly/4b0mImI and Merry Christmas!
Host: Jonathan Bennett
Co-Hosts: Jeff Massie and Rob Campbell
Download or subscribe to Untitled Linux Show at https://twit.tv/shows/untitled-linux-show
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On Hands-On Tech, Richie asks Mikah Sargent about saving their TiVo recordings to their PC after TiVo discontinued its TiVo Desktop software.
Don't forget to send in your questions for Mikah to answer during the show! hot@twit.tv
Host: Mikah Sargent
Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech
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It's our annual holiday special for 2025, in which we look back at the past year in space—its ups, its downs, its all-arounds. What a year it's been, and after all the challenges and hullabaloo, we're grateful in a post-Thanksgiving fashion to welcome Jared Isaacman, at last, as the new NASA Administrator. What he will do and how remains largely unknown, but we do believe he has the nation's interests at heart, and the man knows people are watching. But there are a lot of other stories and we've done our best to stuff as many as we can into this virtual Christmas space stocking! Please join us for this year-end roundup!
Headlines & Looking Back at 2025:
New Executive Order Targets Space Superiority
Starlink Satellite Breaks Up in Orbit, SpaceX Responds
Interstellar Comet ATLAS: Extraterrestrial Conspiracies and Public Fascination
Isaacman Confirmed as New NASA Administrator
Project Athena: NASA's New Strategic Direction?
Artemis 2 Mission Prep and Timeline Shifts
Mars Sample Return: Uncertain Costs and New Proposals
Commercial Spaceflight: SpaceX Successes, Boeing Troubles
Perseverance Rover Finds Possible Mars Biosignatures Recap
Space Shuttle Discovery Relocation Battle Heats Up
New Moon Discovered Around Uranus
Webb Telescope and Hubble Milestones
International Space Station Celebrates 25 Years of Crewed Work
U.S. Space Policy Shifts and NASA's New Leadership
Satellite Operations: Starlink's Reliability and Space Junk Concerns
Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik
Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space.
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Jennifer Pattison Tuohy from The Verge joins Mikah Sargent for the final episode of Tech News Weekly for 2025! Are AI health coaches the future for wearables? A look back at smart home news and devices in 2025. And how AI image generators have changed over time.
Mikah talks about an article written by CNET's Vanessa Hand Orellana about AI health coaches in wearables and how it showcases innovation within healthcare, but also the data concerns if data breaches or unauthorized access to the data occur.
Jennifer reflects on the smart home news and smart home devices highlighted in the past year and shares her excitement about news such as IKEA releasing Thread-supported devices, but also laments on companies like iRobot filing for bankruptcy.
And Allison Johnson of The Verge joins the show to talk about how AI image generators are improving as various models have learned from their mistakes & fumbles that occurred in their early beginnings.
Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Guest: Allison Johnson
Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly.
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This year's App Store Awards are shaking things up, spotlighting indie apps and clever tools for neurodivergent users, rather than corporate giants. Mikah and Rosemary break down which surprising winners deserve a spot on your home screen.
Timo: Neurodivergent-friendly AI planner wins iPhone App of the Year
Detail: Auto-editing video app takes iPad App of the Year
Essayist: Citation-powered writing app honored for Mac
Explore POV: Immersive video app wins Apple Vision Pro App of the Year
Strava: Fitness tracking app crowned Apple Watch App of the Year
HBO Max: Redesigned streaming app lands Apple TV App of the Year
Cultural Impact Awards: Be My Eyes, Focus Friend, Storygraph recognized
News: Apple leadership shakeups as key execs retire and Apple Fitness+ expands to 28 new markets
Shortcuts Corner: Automating HomeKit switch notifications and safety cutoffs
Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Rosemary Orchard
Contact iOS Today at iOSToday@twit.tv.
Download or subscribe to iOS Today at https://twit.tv/shows/ios-today
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Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.
Windows 11 quietly shifted the way we manage apps, protect data, and interact with our devices in 2025. This episode reveals the must-try upgrades tech insiders are buzzing about.
Host: Paul Thurrott
Download or subscribe to Hands-On Windows at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-windows
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Ever wonder why your iPad keeps popping up surprise notes every time you swipe from the corner? This episode breaks down the Quick Notes feature, why it keeps tripping up users, and the simple settings that put you back in control.
Activating Quick Notes with swipe gestures from screen corners
Quick Notes interface walkthrough: markup, multiple notes, screenshots, sharing
Using Quick Notes while multitasking—making fast notes during other activities
Quick Notes storage and organization in the Notes app
Apple Pencil integration with Quick Notes
How to disable or customize corner swipe gestures in iPadOS settings
Assigning screenshot function to corner swipes instead of Quick Notes
Universal app support for customized corner swipe gestures
Recurring accidental Quick Note activation and practical troubleshooting
Host: Mikah Sargent
Download or subscribe to Hands-On Apple at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-apple
Want access to the ad-free audio and video and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit
Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.
Over-the-air (OTA) TV delivers a lot of programming to homes for free. It works when the internet goes down, it's better than cable or streaming in terms of resolution and clarity with no harsh compression, it's immune to corporate disputes that result in blackouts—and did we mention it's FREE? Michael Heiss talks with Scott Wilkinson about the benefits of OTA and how to get it in your home.
Host: Scott Wilkinson
Guest: Michael Heiss
Download or subscribe to Home Theater Geeks at https://twit.tv/shows/home-theater-geeks
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Forget the "AI is killing the planet" panic—this episode unpacks what's actually driving tech's power grab, the financial bubble no one wants to talk about, and why the big models are starting to look eerily similar.
CJ Trowbridge - cjtrowbridge.com - https://www.tiktok.com/@cjtrowbridge
Gemini 3 Flash: frontier intelligence built for speed
The new ChatGPT Images is here | OpenAI
Last Week on My Mac: How good is AI at solving Mac problems?
Time Magazine's 'Person of the Year': the Architects of AI - Slashdot
OpenAI are quietly adopting skills, now available in ChatGPT and Codex CLI
"I was forced to use AI until the day I was laid off." Copywriters reveal how AI has decimated their industry
Roomba Maker iRobot Files for Bankruptcy, With Chinese Supplier Taking Control
Coursera to buy Udemy, creating $2.5 billion firm to target AI training
Purdue University Approves New AI Requirement For All Undergrads
It's beginning to look a lot like (AI) Christmas
Trump Pretends To Block State AI Laws; Media Pretends That's Legal
This major cruise line just banned Meta Ray-Ban and other smart glasses — is this category already doomed?
Woman Hailed as Hero for Smashing Man's Meta Smart Glasses on Subway
Oscars Bolts from ABC to YouTube Starting in 2029
When AI Takes the Couch: Psychometric Jailbreaks Reveal Internal Conflict in Frontier Models
Simulating Life Paths with Digital Twins: AI-Generated Future Selves Influence Decision-Making and Expand Human Choice
The worst person in tech bracket
Banned fonts
Subway bagel rats
Hosts: Leo Laporte, Jeff Jarvis, and Paris Martineau
Guest: CJ Trowbridge
Download or subscribe to Intelligent Machines at https://twit.tv/shows/intelligent-machines.
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We were inundated with new Windows features in 2025, but which ones actually moved the needle? Fortnite isn't just back on iPhone and Android, it's available on Windows 11 on Arm, and it works great! Plus, 2 big mobile wins for Epic Games and some thoughts on the "right" way to roll out AI features.Windows 11
Best Windows 11 updates of 2025, in no particular order...
Dark mode improvements to File Explorer
Widgets major overhaul with separate widgets and Discovery feed
Xbox Full Screen experience - especially good on handhelds, of course, but also any PC you use for gaming with a controller
Click to Do (Copilot+ PC only)
External fingerprint reader support for Windows Hello ESS
-External/USB webcams supported by Windows Studio Effects (Copilot+ PC only)
Quick Machine Recovery is the tip of a wave of new foundational features like Admin Protection, Smart App Control (updates), and more that go beyond surface-level look and feel
Redesigned Start menu isn't perfect but it's a nice improvement
Copilot Vision, though this type of thing may make more sense on phones
AI features in Paint, Photos, Notepad, and Snipping Tool
Natural language interactions like the agent in Settings, file search, and more (mostly Copilot+ PC only, but you can do this in Copilot as well)
Bluetooth LE support for improved audio quality in game chat, voice calls
Gaming on Windows 11 on Arm and Snapdragon X: Major steps forward, but the same issue as always
Looking ahead to 2026: 26H1, Agentic features that work, potential Windows 12, and AI PCs
AI
An extensive new interview with Mustafa Suleyman confirms why this guy is special and how confusing it is that Copilot is so disrespected
Microsoft Copilot is auto-installing on LG smart TVs and there's no way to remove it
GPT-5.2 is OpenAI's answer to Gemini 3
ChatGPT Images is OpenAI's answer to Nano Banana Pro
Disney invests $1 billion OpenAI, sues Google
Opera Neon is now generally available for $20 per month
AI is moving quick as we all know but the bigger issue may be the incessant marketing about features like agents that don't even work now
Microsoft is getting pushback on forced Copilot usage, price hikes
Google is expanding its use of "experiments" outside of mainstream products with things like NotebookLM, Mixboard, CC, and much more. Maybe this is the better approach: Test separately and then integrate it into existing products
Oddly enough, Microsoft does have a Windows AI Lab for this kind of experimentation
Many small models vs. one big LLM in the cloud
Mobile
Fortnite is back in the Google Play Store in the U.S. as Google plays nice
Apple loses its contempt appeal, the end of "junk fees" (Apple Tax) is in sight
Xbox and gaming
Xbox December Update has one big update for the mobile app and one big update for Xbox Wireless Headphones
There's a new Xbox Developer Direct coming in January
Half-Life 3 may really be happening, but it will be a Steam Machine launch title so it could be a while
Tips & picks
Tip of the year: De-enshittify Windows 11
App pick of the year: Fortnite
RunAs Radio this week: Zero Trust in 2026 with Michele Bustamante
Brown liquor pick of the week: Lark Symphony No. 1
These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/963 Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell
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Australia's nationwide social media ban has put tech's age verification tools under the spotlight, exposing the flaws and privacy risks in today's facial detection systems and sparking worldwide debate about what's coming for the rest of us.
Home Depot's puzzling reluctance to close a bad hole.
GNOME's shell extension manager is unhappy with AI.
How attacks on open source repositories compares in 2025.
China's researchers have taken aim at the US power grid.
How bad has the React2Shell vulnerability turned out to be.
More new React vulnerabilities.
Apple moves to iOS 26.2.
Let's Encrypt's crosses into one billion servers managed.
A DNS Benchmark update.
Some interesting listener feedback, then...
How things going with Australia's social media ban and what we are learning
https://www.grc.com/sn/SN-1056-Notes.pdf
Hosts: Steve Gibson and Leo Laporte
Download or subscribe to Security Now at https://twit.tv/shows/security-now.
You can submit a question to Security Now at the GRC Feedback Page.
For 16kbps versions, transcripts, and notes (including fixes), visit Steve's site: grc.com, also the home of the best disk maintenance and recovery utility ever written Spinrite 6.
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Apple releases OS 26.2 right before the holidays! Pluribus becomes Apple TV's most-watched show ever. And why you should consider backing up more of your stuff locally.
Apple releases OS 26.2 updates.
With iOS 26.2, Apple lets you roll back Liquid Glass again — this time on the Lock Screen.
26.2: Here are the security fixes for all of Apple's operating systems.
tvOS 26.2 brings kids mode to the Apple TV app.
iOS 26.3 beta reveals how Apple plans to handle EU-required notification forwarding.
Apple loses its appeal of a scathing contempt ruling in iOS payments case.
Japan law opening phone app stores to go into effect.
Pluribus becomes Apple TV's most watched show ever.
Cadillac and Chevy are getting native Apple Music.
Apple buys two new buildings in Cupertino, topping $1B spend.
UK to push for nudity-blocking software on devices to protect children.
20 years of digital life, gone in an instant, thanks to Apple.
Picks of the Week
Jason's Pick: Fosi Audio BT20A Pro Bluetooth 5.0 Amplifier
Andy's Pick: "Will Return" Screensaver
Hosts: Leo Laporte, Andy Ihnatko, and Jason Snell
Download or subscribe to MacBreak Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/macbreak-weekly.
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Are we witnessing an AI-fueled gold rush or the early signs of an epic crash? Listen to these hard-hitting discussions on bubbles, breakthroughs, and the real impact behind Silicon Valley's AI obsession.
Time Magazine's "Person of the Year": the Architects of AI
The AI Wildfire Is Coming. It's Going to Be Very Painful and Incredibly Healthy.
'ChatGPT for Doctors' Startup Doubles Valuation to $12 Billion as Revenue Surges
Trump Pretends To Block State AI Laws; Media Pretends That's Legal
It's beginning to look a lot like (AI) Christmas
Amazon Prime Video Pulls AI-Powered Recaps After Fallout Flub
Could America win the AI race but lose the war?
Google Says First AI Glasses With Gemini Will Arrive in 2026
Border Patrol Agent Recorded Raid with Meta's Ray-Ban Smart Glasses
The countdown to the world's first social media ban for children
US could demand five-year social media history from tourists before allowing entry
Reddit making global changes to protect kids after social media ban - 9to5Mac
There are no good outcomes for the Warner Bros. sale
Paramount CEO Made Trump a Secret Promise on CNN in Warner Bros. Convo
Whatnot's Schlock Empire Shows Digital Live Shopping Can Thrive in America
The Military Almost Got the Right to Repair. Lawmakers Just Took It Away
Apple loses its appeal of a scathing contempt ruling in iOS payments case
Japan law opening phone app stores to go into effect
Microsoft Excel Turns 40, Remains Stubbornly Unkillable - Slashdot
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 sweeps The Game Awards — analysis and full winners list
Microsoft promises more bug payouts, with or without a bounty program
An ex-Twitter lawyer is trying to bring Twitter back
Host: Leo Laporte
Guests: Iain Thomson, Owen Thomas, and Jason Hiner
Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech
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This Week is the week for Cosmic! Jeff looks at a tiny NAS and Jonathan chats about the Orange Pi 6 Pro. Gnome says no more AI in extensions, Microsoft brings the Hornet, and you shouldn't be running Gogs. The Rust experiment is over, and CachyOS is eating Arch's lunch! For tips we have StarLit for your terminal weather needs, a primer on keeping eyes on the /var directory, and how to check whether your system has a good time source. You can find the show notes at https://bit.ly/3KPUqki and enjoy!
Host: Jonathan Bennett
Co-Hosts: Jeff Massie and Rob Campbell
Download or subscribe to Untitled Linux Show at https://twit.tv/shows/untitled-linux-show
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On this week's episode of Hands-On Tech, Curt asks Mikah Sargent about a good replacement to the Pocket app, an app that allowed you to save articles for later reading, which Firefox discontinued back in July of 2025.
Don't forget to send in your questions for Mikah to answer during the show! hot@twit.tv
Host: Mikah Sargent
Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech
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This week, we talk with our favorite Newspace Buccaneer, Jeffrey Manber. When so many people were touting their private spaceflight dreams in the 1980s, Manber took the next enormous stride and actually made it happen. He formed the Office of Space Commerce within the US Department of Commerce at the invitation of the Reagan administration, forged the first commercial relations with the then-Soviet Union, bridged that into the post-USSR period, and was responsible for the first commercial spaceflight to the then-mothballed Soviet-era Mir space station with a crew that stayed there for 70 days. He then went on to develop a variety of commercial space enterprises, from the first commercial platform to release smallsats from the ISS to initiating the Bishop airlock that became part of the space station. He also started Nanoracks, the first privately developed and standardized satellite deployment mechanism to fly. Finally, he initiated Starlab, the private space station currently under development by Voyager Technologies and a consortium of aerospace companies. Join us for this very special episode with one of the key founders of NewSpace!
Headlines:
SpaceX Plans 2026 IPO and Possible $1.5 Trillion Valuation
NASA Loses Contact with Mars Maven Orbiter
Discussion of Star Trek's New Starfleet Academy Series Trailer
Main Topic: Privatizing Orbit and the Roots of Commercial Space
Jeffrey Manber Details His Early US-Russian Commercial Space Collaborations
His Space Journalism Origins and Shaping Commercial Space Policies
Inside the Launch of Commercial Space Fund and the Office of Space Commerce
First US Commercial Contracts with the Soviet Union and Mir Space Station
Navigating Washington Policy and Export Licenses for Soviet Deals
Attempt to Privatize Mir: Mirkorp, Leasing the Space Station, and Commercial Astronaut Crews
The Rise of Nanoracks and Commercial Payloads on the ISS
Building Starlab: Partnerships, Scale, Launch Plans, and Commercial Design
Comparing Starlab's Ambitions to Vast, Axiom, and China's Tiangong
Evaluating SpaceX's Public Offering and Its Impact on Elon Musk's Strategy
Jeffrey Manber's Other Projects: Writing About Newspace and President Lincoln
Thoughts on America's Future in Commercial Orbit and Personal Memoir Plans
Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik
Guest: Jeffrey Manber
Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space.
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Amanda Silberling of TechCrunch joins Mikah Sargent on Tech News Weekly this week! The former CEO of Hinge left his position this week to launch an AI-powered dating app. Pebble is coming out with its take on a smart ring. What is the AI Model Context Protocol? And could grocery delivery services be using AI to charge different prices for groceries to consumers?
Amanda talks about a new AI-powered dating app called Overtone that the former CEO of Hinge, Justin McLeod, has founded.
Pebble is coming out with its own smart ring with a built-in microphone, and Mikah has some quarrels with the device.
Mikah talks about the Model Context Protocol, or MCP: an approach companies like Google and OpenAI have adopted that would allow AI agents to access information online in a standardized manner easily, and now Anthropic has donated the protocol to the Linux Foundation.
And Derek Kravitz of Consumer Reports joins the show to talk about its investigation into Instacart utilizing artificial intelligence that would offer different prices of the same product to consumers.
Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Amanda Silberling
Guest: Derek Kravitz
Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly.
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Leo, I remember watching you on TV in the late 90's. I don't remember which channel it was on. It was before TechTV or G4. I've got much love for you, and love that you're still going. Give Beneto his own show!
Leon Bad. Elon Good.
The host for Security Now is seriously awful, and basically does nothing but reads articles S-L-O-W-L-Y for almost the entire podcast. His tonality is so monotonous I can't do it anymore. This show is just bad, sorry.
As for your sponsor Helm, they are TRYING their best to help with privacy, and I do appreciate their effort. But they are USA-based, and if you listen to the CEO's interview with Jason Calacanis, he admits that the FBI came to question him before it even launched! Do you REALLY think a product like this that will be watched like a hawk is going to be private? Educate yourself and do things yourself without Helm to avoid the risk of a backdoor.
Regarding VPN suggestions in this episode: Express is good (though mainstream and a larger target, could be trouble moving forward), lots of new tech, encrypted DNS fetching, good jurisdiction, Nord is better than some, TONS of servers, performance is ok, but their app does forced analytics. TunnelBear has been sold to a USA-based corporation and should be AVOIDED. Don't listen to these mainstream tech sites, first rule of VPN Club: you NEVER use a USA-based VPN, it is the worst possible jusidiction for privacy, even worse than Australia. Overall the best VPNs are offshore outside the 9 Eyes, with OpenVPN standard, that are medium-sized and run by privacy activists preferably.
Good point by Leo. I am so glad that he doesn't install or use Facebook or FB-owned platforms. Sadly he is right about the Facebook "shadow profiles", where they create a non-public acccount for you for their internal data, it is rather psycho. But not using FB-owned products does help a LOT to stop tracking.
Stop referring to the company as "Ring", it is owned by AMAZON. This scandal about Amazon using their Amazon Ring doorbells to spy on people by force should be the top headline on all news sites, as it expands the government/police spying in the USA by a huge margin...and why should this stop in the US? They ship worldwide, there is nothing stopping them from doing so globally. And the fact that it was Amazon the contacted las enforcement about this and not the other way around speaks volumes. People should be terrified about this.
How is this Steve guy supposedly a security expert when he admits he doesn't even encrypt any of his cloud files? He also said that he does all his work from home, in which case, why are you even using cloud storage and exposing yourself to additional risk in the first place? Just do 2x local backups. It is difficult to take advice seriously when something as basic as encryption is ignored.