This Week in Tech (MP3)

This week's stories: Mobile World Congress 2020 canceled over COVID-19 fears China virtually shut down due to COVID-19. Foxconn's iPhone plant closed; making face masks instead. RSA Conference (Feb 24th in San Francisco) is next - IBM has already dropped out. Is this the end of conferences? China's response to COVID-19 includes increased surveillance and the "Close Contact" app. Is America next? Focals by North AR glasses could be the answer to COVID-19. Are we ready for AR+databases? Check out TWiT's review of Focals on Hands-On Tech! Apple stores and factories closed in China. Apple was expected to announce an iPhone SE replacement this spring - will it be put on hold? Samsung Z Flip Review - the most transformative new smartphone in years Windows 10X - Microsoft's first try at a 32bit-free OS and a two-screen device OS Windows 10X on a MacBook - it can be done! (But don't try it at home) Google's new OS is called... Pigweed? Windows 10X coming to dual-screen laptops and tablets by the end of the year Microsoft Duo caught on video in the wild! $1000+ flagship phones are now the norm. Are they worth it? (Yes) Cloud-based computing will become the norm in the next 5 years Amazon sues the US government over JEDI contract given to Microsoft; JEDI put on hold by a federal judge Taika Waititi blasts the crappy MacBook keyboard at the Oscars Raspberry Pi - the best kids' computer available Watch Hands-On Android! Episode 0 out now, Episode 1 coming 2/20/2020: twit.tv/HOA Coming soon: Hands-On Mac and Hands-On Linux! Spotify will destroy podcasting as we know it Elizabeth Holmes gets some of the Theranos charges dropped by a federal judge Is Venture Capitalism destroying capitalism? HQ Trivia crashes and burns - when will the current tech bubble burst? Essential shuttered - alleged sexual assaulter and Android inventor Andy Rubin's revolutionary phone company fails after less than a year. T-Mobile and Sprint merger passes second-to-last hurdle in its way Jeff Bezos buys the most expensive house in America Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Alex Wilhelm, Daniel Rubino, and Dan Patterson Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Sponsors: FreshBooks.com/twit WWT.COM/TWIT expressvpn.com/twit HealthIQ.com/twit

This Week's Stories: Chaos, confusion, and disinformation define the 2020 US election Motorola Razr fails the fold test NYPD drops notebooks for iPhone app Don't charge at public USB chargers: "Juice Jacking" hackers will steal your data Hackers break into your network via Phillips Hue lightbulbs Sonos bricks old speakers Tesla remotely removes autopilot from used Model S Big shakeup at Microsoft - Panos Pinay gets a huge promotion Microsoft xCloud vs Nvidia GeForceNow vs Playstation Now US Navy uses Xbox controllers Windows 7 bug keeps users from shutting down, no way to update Deepfaking "The Irishman" - how CGI de-aged De Niro Disney wants to kill Section 230, and thus all social media and comment boards Real or fake: Russian dashcams and French locomotives 'Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet' Review Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Ashley Esqueda, Nate Lanxon, and Denise Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Sponsors: casper.com/twit1 - promo code: TWIT1 mintmobile.com/twit Epson.com/ecotankleo linkedin.com/TWIT

This Week's Stories: Apple hits 1.5B users, Facebook hits 2.5B, Amazon hits $1 Trillion - is Big Tech too big? Russia vs Apple: new Russian law will force Apple to install Kremlin-friendly apps Coronavirus shuts down Apple and Google in China EU passes common charger resolution - say goodbye to your lightning jack Amazon wants you to know that they pay a lot of taxes and employ a lot of people 10 years later, the iPad is the only successful tablet Split-screen or folding screen? Is this a form factor we need? Apple TV+ hasn't quite hit it yet FCC admits that wireless carriers violated federal law selling your location data Facebook's 'Off Facebook activity tool' doesn't really do anything Facebook's new Oversight Board will surely fix everything Avast anti-virus sold your data to everybody Does tracking really make ads better? He sings! He dances! He sends you the internet from space! Cal Tech gets 1.1 billion from Apple and Broadcom in a patent case Every smart device will die. Sonos sooner than others. IBM CEO Virginia Rometty retires California halts .org sale 62 new emoji are here! Hummer is back and electric Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Wesley Faulkner, Brian McCullough, and Devindra Hardawar Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Sponsors: Molekule.com promo code TWIT10 capterra.com/twit Wasabi.com offer code TWiT ZipRecruiter.com/Twit

This Week's Stories: Was Jeff Bezos really hacked by Saudi Arabia? Welcome to the post-fact era. Embrace the power of ignorance! Sonos backs off threat to brick old speakers Apple pushes back against EU common charging standard Sundar Pichai calls for regulation of AI Why banning face recognition is just the first step One good thing about Brexit The tech angle of "Megxit" Biden calls game developers "little creeps" Tech execs are being SWATted Alan Turing's OBE medal, Ph.D. certificate, etc recovered from crazed superfan Throwboy is back with Pocket Pillows Vine is back as Byte Xerox still trying to buy HP Octi is augmented reality social media Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Mike Elgan, Patrick Beja, and Iain Thomson Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Sponsors: LastPass.com/twit FreshBooks.com/twit HealthIQ.com/twit twit.cachefly.com

This Week's Stories: Mojo Vision: Augmented Reality contact lenses The face recognition company that will end privacy FBI vs Apple 2: Pensacola Boogaloo NOBUS: why the NSA's "NObody But US" theory of exploits fail Cable Haunt: critical vulnerability in many cable modems Apple and Google are cracking down on location privacy, and ad tech companies are unhappy Don't worry about your kids' phone use so much Google will kill 3rd-party cookies by 2022 Verizon's "private" search engine The EU is not asking Apple to kill the lightning plug Our secret shame: the box of cords in our garage Digital hoarding: iTunes vs Gmail Amazon wants you to pay with a wave of your hand Sim swapping attacks: hacking customer service Joe Biden wants to repeal Section 230. This is dangerous. Sonos, Tile, and Pop Sockets testify against Google, Apple, and Amazon in Congress Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Georgia Dow, Sam Abuelsamid, and Patrick Norton Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Sponsors: capterra.com/twit expressvpn.com/twit WWT.COM/TWIT itpro.tv/twit promo code TWIT30

CES 2020 wrap-up Sex tech at CES 2020 Apple, Amazon, and others talk privacy at CES 2020 Tech Giants at CES 2020 The Sands: all the weirdest stuff at CES 2020 The best TVs at CES 2020 Future Concepts at CES 2020 The Charmin Rollbot Biggest CES 2020 trends: vegetable-based meat, driverless cars, and bendable computers Our favorite gadgets from CES 2020: from 8k TVs to electronic rosaries Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Ant Pruitt, Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ, and Jason Hiner Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Sponsors: www.stamps.com - promo code: TWIT Epson.com/ecotankleo mintmobile.com/twit ustudio.com

This Week's Stories: CES Preview: what to expect at the 2020 show Segway's new Wall-E pod chair 8k TVs take over CES - what about bandwidth caps? 3D is back at CES - get ready for Star Wars holograms Fresh Cambridge Analytica leak: 68 countries targeted 5G in 2020: hype or happening? How to fix California' gig worker law California Consumer Privacy Act hits January 1 Wyze Camera breach response: quick and decisive 1924 belongs to us all now TRACED Act passes, robocallers put on notice Hofeller Files break gerrymandering plot wide open IRS forces Turbo Tax to show free filing product Fake Twitter accounts spew thousands of pro-Iran propaganda tweets Australian fires: horrific images online Google will stop swindling the US on taxes Google's Head of International Relations left because Google started to be evil Samsung Galaxy S20 arriving February 11th Sonos bricking old speakers Fry's is in big trouble Y2K bug strikes again: NYC parking meters break in 2020, 11-19 #TeamTrees gets $20M YouTube's #1 star turned 8 in 2019 EU: AI cannot patent inventions Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Dwight Silverman, Ben Brock Johnson, and Ed Bott Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Sponsors: getguru.com/twit HealthIQ.com/twit FreshBooks.com/twit casper.com/twit1 - promo code: TWIT1

Leo Laporte takes us through the past year in tech. 2019 highlights include Chinese CRISPR Babies, San Francisco's facial recognition surveillance ban, Grumpy Cat's sad death, the United States versus Huawei, Facebook's $5 billion FTC fine, the debut of Apple TV+, and more! Happy New Year from Leo and the TWiT crew! Host: Leo Laporte Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Sponsors: HealthIQ.com/twit LastPass.com/twit mackweldon.com promo code TWIT

On This Week in Tech's 2019 Holiday Special, Leo Laporte, Stacey Higginbotham, Mary Jo Foley, and Mikah Sargent run down the top Tech News stories of 2010 - 2019. Hosts: Leo Laporte, Mary Jo Foley, Stacey Higginbotham, and Mikah Sargent Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Sponsors: www.stamps.com - promo code: TWIT do.co/twit masterclass.com/twit mackweldon.com promo code TWIT

This Week's StoriesMac Pro: only 1/3rd the cost of a banana duct-taped to a wallApple TV+ gets its first Golden Globe award nominationAirPods make Apple $4 billion/quarterHere's how to get Samuel L. Jackson on your Amazon EchoRing camera hacked to tell child to destroy their roomGoogle gives US ATF location info on 1500 usersAsk a Millennial: what's the deal with Tik Tok?Jack Dorsey wants an open standard TwitterFacebook wants end-to-end encryption. AG Barr is not so happy about that.India wants to get all its citizens' dataNew Orleans narrowly avoids ransomware hitSamsung didn't really sell a million Galaxy Folds, and other silly phone storiesParis Martineau's ultimate guide to Influencers Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Rosemary Orchard, Paris Martineau, and Owen JJ Stone Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Sponsors: masterclass.com/twit brave.com/TWIT expressvpn.com/twit Bombas.com/twit

Stories this Week Mac Pro is only for Pros Apple's pivot to services plays on our trust of Apple How amoral should companies be? Silicon Valley Finale Larry and Sergei ride off into the sunset - what happens next? How worried should companies be about government regulation? Why we're watching Watchmen Amazon comes to New York, without tax benefits Stadiums as a metaphor for tech Amazon's re:Invent is all about AI Huawei makes "America-free" Phones What is the future of war? Is 5G going to be like LTE or WiMAX? Intel admits failure Reddit bans Russian sock puppets Elon dodges pedo bullet Magic Leap is the most amazing, important, incredible failure ever Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Christina Warren and Amy Webb Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Sponsors: Molekule.com promo code TWIT10 WWT.COM/TWIT mintmobile.com/twit privacy.com/twit

This Week's Stories .org being sold off is a much bigger deal than you think Apple erases Jony Ive, brings back thicker iPhones, decent MacBook keyboards, and the cheese grater Mac Pro AMD cleans up on Black Friday. Intel, not so much Who should buy the Apple Pro Display XDR monitor? Why is HDR important? Why Hololens is succeeding where Google Glass failed Why aren't video games perfectly realistic yet? Apple bows to Russia, shows Crimea as Russian in Apple Maps Facebook thinks political lies are fine everywhere but Singapore Alexa is very, very, disappointed in you Are US presidential candidates using enough email security? California DMV sold my data Tim Berners-Lee still wants to save the web Windows 7 has 45 days to live We are really, truly, finally out of IPv4 addresses Dubai Police force buys Tesla Cybertrucks Record Black Friday - 40% of purchases made on smartphones Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Lisa Schmeiser, Iain Thomson, and Alex Lindsay Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Sponsors: eero.com/TWIT code TWIT casper.com/twit1 - promo code: TWIT1 LastPass.com/twit Wasabi.com offer code TWiT

This Week's Stories Tesla's unveils its new Cybertruck, watch out for shotputs! NTSB says a fatal crash involving Uber's Robocar was due to human error Tesla tries to SWAT a whistleblower Jack Dorsey's hacker has been arrested Google Stadia and what the future of gaming might look like Can't seem to print using Cloud, we'll tell you why Apple is building a new campus in Austin, guess who was there to help celebrate? Apple tells Congress you shouldn't be able to fix your iPhone because you could hurt yourself. Really Apple? And they claim they are losing money when they do repair your iPhone for you. SpaceX is serious about its Starlink satellites Who gets to see and keep your Ring video doorbell footage? You might not be happy when you find out! A new type of AI can predict seizures before they happen, and it's amazingly accurate PayPal just bought the coupon-finding browser extension Honey for $4 Billion! Need a lawyer? Your next call might be a robot Fox has plans for a new show, and the 50+ crowd might not like the name A court has ruled that police can't force a suspect to reveal his password Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Alex Wilhelm, Mike Elgan, and Seth Rosenblatt Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Sponsors: mackweldon.com promo code TWIT twit.cachefly.com Molekule.com promo code TWIT10 capterra.com/twit

This Week's Stories Apple's November Surprise: 16-Inch Macbook Pro brings back the scissor-switch keyboard and physical ESC key Surface Book 3 Rumors, Surface Laptop 3 and Surface Pro X Reviews Microsoft's Project xCloud launches in early 2020 as the odds-on favorite to dominate game streaming Google Stadia launches tomorrow as a failure Goldman Sachs re-evaluating Apple Card credit limits after sexism accusations Google will offer checking accounts to anyone who wants Google to know absolutely everything they pay money for. Google's secret "Nightingale" health-care project and Fitbit purchase: Google wants to own your health data Apple's Research App: do we trust Apple with our health data more than Google? Disney+, Apple+, Peacock TV, etc - when will the streaming bubble burst? YouTube creators: are you a kids' channel or an adult channel? Is YouTube fracturing the world? Should we go back to all reading the same newspaper? Apple kicks vaping apps out of the App Store, Canadian pot stocks crash - legal marijuana's bad week Minecraft Earth launches in the US - the perfect demo for Azure Anchors Hololens is still the future So is the Oculus Quest Are Apple Glasses? British Labor Party offers free broadband - could this work in the US? AI can tell if you are going to die - doctors baffled Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Daniel Rubino, Brian McCullough, and Brianna Wu Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Sponsors: Bombas.com/twit expressvpn.com/twit calm.com/twit WWT.COM/TWIT

This Week's Stories Big Tech is trying to fix California's housing crisis by throwing $billions at it. Here's what they should do instead. How can we fix the mess that is video conferencing? Delivering drugs via drone: what could possibly go wrong? Google open sources Cardboard, instead of just killing it as we expected. The FBI is secretly using face recognition to track us. The ACLU thinks this is bad for some reason. Apple is slowly tightening its privacy system. Saudi spies infiltrate Twitter. Is Big Tech security-conscious enough? FACEBOOK changes its logo. WHY? Facebook and political ads Photoshop for iPad is finally here. Here are the best tools for vertical video. Is Adobe's subscription model fair to consumers? Adobe Aero tries to standardize AR. Microsoft Ignite focuses on the hybrid cloud. Why 5G will never work, and why it will be amazing when it does. 8K will make you vomit. Microsoft puts Superman on glass. AppleTV+ launches big. If you could only have 5 streaming services, which would you choose? Amazon knocks $40 off the price of Prime for veterans. Thank you for your service! Host: Alex Lindsay Guests: Greg Ferro and Justine Ezarik Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Sponsors: ZipRecruiter.com/Twit Wasabi.com offer code TWiT capterra.com/twit mintmobile.com/twit

Google Buys Fitbit. Will this be like Google buying HTC, or like Fitbit buying Pebble?Apple hires a new smart home team. Can they catch up with Amazon and Google? Can they fix what is wrong with HomeKit?AirPods Pro review - the best earbuds we've ever worn. However, they are pricy, and they're still earbuds, with all the issues that come with that.AppleTV+ launches. Can an Aaron Sorkin wanna-be, wacky Emily Dickinson, and sexy blind people win the streaming wars?NBC's Peacock TV may be free with ads when it launches in April.HBO Max launches in May for $15. Will it finally kill cable?Twitter bans political ads. Facebook thinks they are just fine, even if they lie. How will Twitter figure out what is a political issue? Does Mark Zuckerberg really think "Lying is bad?"PG&E cuts power to millions but still manages to start a 77,000-acre fire. Cell service also fails. So does Comcast. Is this the harbinger of all of America's aging infrastructure finally collapsing?National Weather Service tweets out some useful tools to track wildfires and smoke.It's the emoji season! The controversy this year: non-gendered emoji. Host: Jason Snell Guests: Rene Ritchie, Devindra Hardawar, and Dan Moren Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Sponsors: LastPass.com/twit FreshBooks.com/twit casper.com/twit1 - promo code: TWIT1 www.stamps.com - promo code: TWIT

It's This Week in Tech with Jason Howell, Mikah Sargent, and Ant Pruitt hosting in the absence of Chief TWiT, Leo Laporte. PG&E may force a power outage at TWiT Eastside Studio to help reduce the risk of wildfire in surrounding areas.Facebook Launches News Section to Compensate PublishersZuckerberg faces heat in Congress: "It's almost like you think this is a joke."Fake Facebook ad claiming Lindsey Graham backs the Green New Deal is actually a test for ZuckerbergGoogle Pixel 4 and 4 XL review: more than the sum of its sensorsNight Sight fight: The iPhone 11 kinda destroys the Pixel 4 with low light camera shotsAT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile have finally agreed to replace SMS with a new RCS standardGoogle is delivering some Pixel 4 phones in fun cereal boxesGoogle Cereal review: Feature-packed but lacking in basic nutrition [Gallery]Google will replace Home devices bricked due to latest firmware updateLOFT Portable Battery Base for Google HomeAmazon is spending billions on shipping as it makes Prime one-day delivery a realityAfter Briefly Falling To Number Two, Jeff Bezos Is Back As The Richest Man In The WorldApple Pay overtakes Starbucks as the most popular mobile payment platform in the USGov't bill could see Emergency Alerts broadcast over streaming services like Apple MusicMicrosoft's Over-the-Top VR Rig Lets You Explore a Virtual World While Walking IRLTikTok could threaten national security, senators sayMotorola teases its foldable RAZR phone reveal for November 13thThe Huawei Mate X is set to ship next month for $2,400, but only in ChinaElvis hands-onAnt talks about his new show Hosts: Jason Howell, Ant Pruitt, and Mikah Sargent Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Sponsors: privacy.com/twit WWT.COM/TWIT twit.cachefly.com calm.com/twit

California passes law to kill the gig economyFacebook refuses to ban lying in political adsWhy does internet access in America suck so much?Pixel 4 event: kinda dullPixel 4 review: camera zoom not that great, face unlock works even if you are asleep or deadLaw enforcement face recognition banned in California for 3 yearsGoogle focuses on "ambient computing"Technopanic and social mediaZuckerberg is amoral, Facebook should just ban political adsGoogle is great at everything but selling hardwarePixelbook Go: perfect for college kids, but not for usGoogle Nest Wifi sounds goodAir Force stops using 8-inch floppies to control missile launchesMalware makes ATMs spit out all their cashSuper Pumped: The Battle for Uber coming to a TV near youRIP Yahoo GroupsHuawei is doing great!Virgin Galactic shows of its spacesuitsCobol turns 60Fortnite is down! Technical error or marketing genius?Is TikTok China's entry into our children's minds? Or is Mike Elgan just paranoid? Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Florence Ion, Mike Elgan, and Seth Rosenblatt Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Sponsors: eero.com code TWIT capterra.com/twit Wasabi.com offer code TWiT legalzoom.com offer code TWIT

This week's stories The Chinese propaganda app that spies on all Chinese citizens Chinese influence in video games, social media, and other industries - where do we draw the line? What is Tencent? How much influence do they have over the world? Here's how to keep them from watching your iPhone Can we still trust Apple? Can we trust anyone? At what point do we admit that we are in a multi-state information war? Is there any way to fine Facebook fairly? Bring back the Office of Technology Assesment! Remember: the answer to bad politics is not "no politics". It is good politics. Facebook's Libra cryptocurrency is falling apart There is a very good reason why politicians can lie on Facebook How Boris Johnson games Google There are no political ads in France. Could we do that in America? Which weird phone stands a better chance: the Essential Gem or Microsoft Duo? Apple Arcade is still wonderful. How much do Americans know about tech? Not a lot. What should we do about that? SCOTUS decides websites must be accessible to blind people Lithium-ion battery inventors win Nobel Prize Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Patrick Beja, Brianna Wu, and Nate Lanxon Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Sponsors: RocketMortgage.com/TWiT2 zapier.com/TWIT mintmobile.com/twit ZipRecruiter.com/Twit

This week's stories Microsoft surprises us all with the two-screen Surface Duo phone Apple's Deep Fusion poised to trump Google's Pixel 4 announcement More than 500 ransomware attacks on US schools so far in 2019 More red flags than a Chinese parade: WeWork's failed IPO Apple loves freedom - except in China US, UK, and Australian governments vs encryption Lexy Savvides's Memoji secrets Tim Cook can woo Trump all he wants, but Apple still has to pay 25% tariffs CNET folds the Samsung Galaxy Fold until it breaks Why did Windows Phone fail? Iain Thomson: "It was a thousand cuts of stupidity." Microsoft's new Surface line is aimed straight at Apple Will there be an October Apple event? All signs point to yes. Google Seattle makes a literal product graveyard Levis' Jacquard jean jackets PayPal backs out of Facebook's Libra cryptocurrency Facebook vs Elizabeth Warren Facebook says it's ok for political ads to lie Twitter says it's ok for Trump to advocate civil war Should Zuckerberg step down? Would that change anything? Elon Musk's new Starship and its competition The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is concerned about Tesla's Smart Summon feature Hundreds of millions of "Words with Friends" accounts hacked Japan turns off pagers after 50 years of honorable service Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Ant Pruitt, Iain Thomson, and Lexy Savvides Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Sponsors: casper.com/twit1 - promo code: TWIT1 LastPass.com/twit FreshBooks.com/twit expressvpn.com/twit