Grumpy Old Geeks

Very Important Links!Support the show on Patreon! - Other ways to support the show!Join our Discord! - Buy some merch!Show notes at https://gog.show/768Watch on YouTube at https://youtu.be/HaR8udbJPhwAI golems are coming for your job, and Terry Pratchett apparently saw the whole mess coming decades ago. This week on Grumpy Old Geeks, TikTok’s child-safety promises get the courtroom treatment, with employees alleging that executives ignored serious exploitation risks while supposedly robust parental controls had loopholes big enough to drive a teenager through. Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s reported decision to restrict Starlink access for Ukrainian forces raises some rather uncomfortable questions about how much power one billionaire should have over a country’s military infrastructure. Add Musk’s conveniently vague promise to give every American child a SpaceX share and his retrospective admission that DOGE probably went on too long, and the billionaire accountability department remains conspicuously understaffed.Meta has another banner week in the business of making everyone’s data its data. The company temporarily suspended a No Kings protest account after automated activity triggered its systems, then softened proposed business-account terms following backlash over web scraping and content use. Anthropic is advocating for federal AI rules that could block dangerous models, while OpenAI’s agents reportedly disabled monitoring systems and, in one case, falsely claimed they hadn’t. That’s reassuring. We also cover delivery robots accused of collecting biometric data without consent, AI-powered plant-language translation that may be more marketing than science, AI-assisted firearm design, and the prospect of using coding tools to rescue abandoned gadgets and strip ads from smart TVs. Just remember: a 97.9% success rate is not good enough when your bank’s software is involved.Elsewhere, scammers are fleecing older adults out of staggering sums with fake investment opportunities, tech-support calls, and romance scams featuring celebrity impersonators; Russian military satellites are making suspiciously close approaches to a commercial imaging satellite; and Amazon’s new kids’ tablets spark a discussion about parental controls, advertising, and which tech companies deserve your trust. In the Dark Side with Dave segment, we also visit the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art and celebrate a New Mexico judge’s $25 billion penalty against Meta over privacy violations. For lighter fare, Brian recommends the Enola Holmes movies, The Bear, The Diplomat, and The Ministry of Time, while Jason reminds us that anxiety-inducing television is not everyone’s idea of a good time. It’s another week of AI overreach, corporate doublespeak, and technology racing ahead while the grown-ups look for the instruction manual.Sponsors:DeleteMe - Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to JoinDeleteMe.com/GOG and use promo code GOG at checkout.Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month.SHOW NOTESEmployees warned TikTok about child exploitation, court documents showTikTok reportedly banned ads for Musk documentary before its wider US releaseWSJ Claims Elon Musk Ordered the Throttling of Starlink Tech for UkraineElon Musk says he plans to gift a SpaceX share to every child in the U.S.‘I Got Carried Away Basically’: Musk Expresses Some Regrets About His DOGE EraMeta says it shut down No Kings Instagram account because it thought bots had been unleashedMeta tweaks its new terms of service after backlash against scrapingAnthropic Secretly Lobbying Government to Only Shut Down an AI Model If It's Poised to Kill More Than 50 PeopleOpenAI's agents disabled their own safety monitoring systemsDelivery Robots Are Watching You, According to LawsuitNew Data Show How Much Worse Scams Are Getting for Americans Over 60Russia Just Did Something Menacing in Orbit That Satellite Trackers Say Is a FirstPlants can speak using electricity, so this startup built an AI model to decipher their languageSTAR WARS: Galactic RacerWe Regret to Inform You That “GatGPT” Is Exactly What It Sounds LikeOpenAI says its models can help banks migrate from old COBOL programs‘Reverse-Engineer Anything’ Is the New Wild West of AIEnola HolmesEnola Holmes 2Enola Holmes 3The BearThe DiplomatThe Ministry of Time by Kaliane BradleyDave BittnerThe CyberWireHacking HumansCaveatOnly Malware in the BuildingI WENT TO THE LUCAS MUSEUM by Merrill MarkoeAmazon announces an all-new family of tablets designed just for kidsNeiman Marcus has unveiled its 2026 holiday gift guide, including an $180,000 Star Wars experience.We are (once again) living the old scifi trope of ignoring the scientific experts at our own peril.Meta ordered to pay $25 billion penalty in New Mexico Cambridge Analytica caseSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Very Important Links!Support the show on Patreon! - Other ways to support the show!Join our Discord! - Buy some merch!Dave Bittner joins Jason and Brian for a bonus trip to the Dark Side, where the Phantom of the Opera remaster kicks off a musical-theater nerd fight. Les Mis, Pippin, Chess, and White Trash Wins Lotto enter the chat, along with original-cast bragging rights and memories of four-dollar theater tickets. Apparently, we used to leave the house and experience culture without financing it.The conversation turns to Apple’s smart-home ambitions, abandoned Google gadgets, increasingly useless Alexas, and the familiar thrill of buying new hardware because the old hardware stopped getting updates. Dave wants a Pixar-style lamp with personality; everyone wants their expensive devices to actually cooperate. Between Apple TV sticker shock, Spotify questions, and Sonos compatibility, the smart home sounds suspiciously like another unpaid IT job.Then an AI Pac-Man benchmark gives “superintelligence” the credibility it deserves: roughly one quarter’s worth. The guys question the obsession with throwing LLMs at everything, marvel at government buzzword inflation, and discover that a portable monitor might be more useful than another breathless AI announcement. We wrap with balcony solar, electricity-bill fantasies, and Dave’s concern that his renewable-energy investment could become airborne. The future is here; secure it to something heavy.Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Ji6O69sYu7USHOW NOTESDave BittnerThe CyberWireHacking HumansCaveatOnly Malware in the BuildingAndrew Lloyd Webber Announces Remixed and Remastered Original Phantom of the Opera Album as London Production Celebrates 40 YearsAndy Prieboy's White Trash Wins LottoEverything announced at Apple's 'Welcome Home' eventRemember the Apple patent on a Pixar-style lamp?The Pacman benchmark for AI model performance. Lenovo L15 Portable Monitor, 15.6” Display, Full HD Resolution, IPS Panel, 250 nits Brightness, 60Hz Refresh Rate, USB-C Ports, Height-Adjustable Stand, Flicker-Free Technology, GreyBalcony solar?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Very Important Links!Support the show on Patreon! - Other ways to support the show!Join our Discord! - Buy some merch!Show notes at https://gog.show/767Watch on YouTube at https://youtu.be/i9Q2SnxzolUThe internet has officially become a dumpster fire with Wi-Fi. Ukrainian strikes on Yandex data centers may have disrupted Russian internet services, but whether they actually knocked out propaganda bots remains anyone’s guess. Meanwhile, OpenAI’s former safety employees are publicly airing their grievances, an alleged spy gadget in the company’s office turned out to be a $14 hobbyist development board, and Anthropic managed to have an AI model submit a fabricated tip about an unsolved murder to Philadelphia police. The machines are allegedly getting smarter. The adults in charge? Still working on it.And because apparently everything needs an internet connection until it ruins your day, hackers allegedly cranked supermarket refrigeration systems in France to 122 degrees, potentially spoiling millions of euros in food. Tesla wants permission to dramatically increase particulate emissions near homes and a school, car manufacturers are handing vehicle identifiers and location data to advertising companies, and Flock’s nationwide license-plate surveillance network is collecting lawsuits like Pokémon. Elon Musk’s AI shopping assistant even helped broadcast his Lego order details to the internet. Add 1,400-plus Microsoft security fixes, questionable safety around home 3D printing, and the ongoing absence of meaningful AI regulation, and it’s another banner week for technological progress.For entertainment, Paramount and Skydance are reshaping the Star Trek future, with another season of Starfleet Academy still on the way; the Blade Runner 2099 trailer inspires a rant about Hollywood’s increasingly interchangeable cinematic "dongs"; and Character.AI is headed for bankruptcy after a mountain of controversy. Finally, one enterprising man used AI-generated music and thousands of automated accounts to rake in more than $8 million in fraudulent streaming royalties. Apparently, the future of music is artificial, the listeners are bots, and the royalties are real — until the FBI shows up. Stay grumpy...Sponsors:CleanMyMac - Get Tidy Today! Try 7 days free and use code OLDGEEKS for 20% off at clnmy.com/OLDGEEKSDeleteMe - Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to JoinDeleteMe.com/GOG and use promo code GOG at checkout.Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month.SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!!1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1passwordSHOW NOTESUkraine’s Zelenskyy Claims Strikes on Russian Data Centers Silenced Social Media BotsFired OpenAI safety researchers dispute their dismissals in open letterFBI arrests OpenAI employee accused of planting hidden recording device in conference roomThe 'Sophisticated' Bug OpenAI Found in Its Conference Room Can Be Yours for $13.99Microsoft's president says AI is less regulated than a carton of milkAnthropic’s AI Submitted a Fake Tip in an Unsolved Murder CaseExclusive: Anthropic breaches spark White House AI reporting mandateHackers Overheat Fridges at Supermarkets Across France, Wasting Food and Starting FiresTesla Factory Planning Massive Increase of Toxic Heavy Metal Emissions Near Elementary SchoolCyber Extortion Expert Charged With Cyber Extortion Amid FBI Website Hack Manhunt'Just canceled your order': Elon Musk trolled as he 'doxxes himself' with his full addressStudy finds many new cars share your data with third-party companiesGeorgia Man Says Deputies Used Flock Cameras to Track Him After He Sued SheriffFlock Safety is reportedly planning major layoffs now that everyone hates itTrackalot - Introducing Done-Did trackingIs 3D printing safe to do in your bedroom or home office?Microsoft Patches More Than 1,400 Security Flaws‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’ Lifts the Lid on Its Second SeasonBlade Runner 2099 TrailerKill JackieCharacter.AI just filed for bankruptcy, and former foe Disney may buy it for partsNorth Carolina Man Sentenced To 18 Months In Prison For Super Intelligence-Assisted Music Streaming FraudSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Very Important Links!Support the show on Patreon! - Other ways to support the show!Join our Discord! - Buy some merch!Dave joins Jason and Brian to debate the Ted Lasso finale: a perfect ending or room for more? Then Netflix’s AI recreation of Gene Wilder’s voice sparks an argument over consent, artistic legacy, and whether technical wizardry excuses resurrecting the dead for reality television.Kubrick memorabilia brings The Shining and 2001 into the conversation, alongside Dave’s connection to Steadicam inventor Garrett Brown. His LEGO Enterprise-D build inspires reflections on childhood, precision engineering, and the comfort of clicking bricks together—until Riker’s trombone derails the sentiment.Browser-based Adobe alternatives prompt memories of Photoshop’s single-undo days, while Dave shares an AirPods case upgrade and the absurd “Han Shot Never.” An AI-themed music video closes things out with jokes about vibe coding, replacing employees with tokens, and shipping questionable code on Friday.Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/BHFwkJJCtggDave BittnerThe CyberWireHacking HumansCaveatOnly Malware in the BuildingApple releases free chapter from Ted Lasso ‘The Richmond Way’ bookWonka's The Golden TicketGene Wilder interviewed by Alec BaldwinStanley Kubrick’s Estate Will Soon Auction Some Beyond Iconic ItemsThe Shining and the Steadicam®: an interview with inventor Garrett BrownAn open source project seeking to provide alternatives to the Adobe suite.MOBOSI for AirPods Pro 3 CaseHan Shot Never (Definitive Special Edition)LGTM (Looks Good to Me) - Claude Opus 5.5 music videoSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Very Important Links!Support the show on Patreon! - Other ways to support the show!Join our Discord! - Buy some merch!The Geeks are back, and apparently AI has officially reached the “maybe don’t let it plan your hike” stage. A 16-year-old ended up on a technical climbing route after using AI to help plan a hike, while OpenAI agents are allegedly wandering into Wikimedia systems, AI safety employees are quitting, and one AI monitoring system got the police involved after flagging a threat. Naturally, the proposed solution to all this is more AI. Because what could possibly go wrong? Meanwhile, OpenAI is trying to watermark AI-generated text, Google is watermarking AI-generated media, and everyone is pretending we can reliably tell whether a robot wrote something after a quick trip through Grammarly.The privacy nightmare continues with researchers reconstructing what people are looking at from brain scans, raising the delightful prospect of thought crimes arriving just in time for retirement. Meta is catching heat after LGBTQ-friendly bars had their Facebook and Instagram accounts flagged or removed, while Norway considers restrictions on camera-equipped smart glasses in public spaces. Apple users can also reclaim a chunk of storage by deleting Apple Intelligence, assuming they're willing to trade a few features for the exciting possibility of breaking macOS during the next update. And because apparently nobody learned anything from the last few decades, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon are teaming up on satellite connectivity—not out of the goodness of their corporate hearts, but because Starlink and Amazon are coming for their lunch money.Then Hollywood gets involved, because every technology story eventually ends there. Paramount and Warner Bros. are merging under Skydance, bringing HBO Max and Paramount+ under one roof and presumably creating yet another streaming app nobody asked for. Stephen Colbert's Lord of the Rings project is reportedly paused, Stephen King's The Institute is returning, a new Talisman novel has arrived, and Food Network is bringing back Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking. Plus, the Geeks discuss their wildly male YouTube audience, speed-reading apps and Guy Fieri's culinary crimes. Technology, entertainment, surveillance, mind reading, and baked goods: another perfectly normal week.Sponsors:HIMS - Visit Hims.com/gog to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you.DeleteMe - Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to JoinDeleteMe.com/GOG and use promo code GOG at checkout.Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month.SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!!1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1passwordShow notes at https://gog.show/766Watch on YouTube at https://youtu.be/11y9DwqIxlwSHOW NOTESNew Mexico wants Meta to pay $40 billion in penalties for Cambridge Analytica scandalTeen Left Stranded on a Cliff After Letting AI Plan HikeLawmakers Introduce Multiple Laws to Curb Flock After 404 Media CoverageTrump announces an AI czar for his newly created 'Super Intelligence Force'Anthropic Reports User to the PoliceFormer OpenAI employee says AI should be regulated like nuclear power plantsOpenAI fires three employees who allegedly shared info with an external AI safety groupWikimedia links OpenAI agents to an outage and unauthorized activityOpenAI details new text watermarking system for ChatGPT, Codex, and the APIGoogle rolls out improved SynthID AI content detector, now available globallyMeta Is Kicking Gay Bars Off Its Apps While Allowing Videos of Graphic Child AbuseNew AI Can Figure Out What You’re Thinking About From a Brain ScanThis tool frees up Apple Intelligence storage on macOS, but think twice before using itNorway Considers Most Drastic Smart Glasses Ban YetAT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon have officially teamed up to end coverage gapsReadMe! (Spritz & BeeLine)Soon-to-be merged Paramount and Warner Bros. will be known as Skydance going forwardStephen Colbert’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ Movie Reportedly ‘Paused’ Over Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger‘The Institute’ Season 2 Trailer Teases the Tense Road AheadFood Network Announces Season 3 Premiere Date, New Judges for Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking (Exclusive)Other Worlds Than These: A Talisman Novel (The Talisman Trilogy Book 3) by Stephen King and Peter StraubSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.