Tech News and Commentary



Dave and Chris discuss Google's Pixel 10 rumors, Apple's new design, WhatsApp usernames, a handheld gaming device from Asus and Microsoft, and more.







“News Pick of the Week” with Ralph Bond







Small nuclear reactors are gaining popularity these days, especially as a way to satisfy the demands of energy hungry data centers. But above ground reactors require a lot of costly containment infrastructure to make them safe. Now our science and technology news reporter says there’s a new, surprising and cost-effective containment alternative.







Read more here.









Our guest this show: Hillery Hunter, CTO of IBM Infrastructure.







Chris in Bear, Delaware asked: "I'm looking at more into SDRs and using them for scanning. I have an SDS100 but I'm looking for something that allows me to use my laptop a little more and do some more of the capabilities such as weather balloons and things like that. Which SDRs do you recommend that are budget-friendly and what else can I do with the SDR besides scanning?"Chris, if youre looking to stay with something portable like your SDS100, you can have a look at the similar Icom IC-R30, its another handle that will cost you more or less the same as your SDS100. $600-700.Having said that, since you want to involve your computer more and you can afford more of a budget there are more capable but less mobile. For example the Apache Labs Anan 7000DLE can operate autonomously but can also be paired with a computer and access over the internet for example. The catch is that budget-friendly gets fuzzy pretty quickly in the hobbyist world. An Anan 7000DLE will cost you more than $1500, but its less than half the price of an Anan G2.As far as we can tell your SDS100 is mainly meant to be a scanner, so youll probably limited to listening in for emergency services, aviation, weather stations, that kind of thing. Options like the 7000DLE allow you to expand the functionality by installing open source software.Dan in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania asked: "As a middle aged male dealing with elderly parents and finding a difficult time keeping them living independently in their own home, I'm wondering if you could speak to some of the technological advances that would be very helpful to keep my parents independent in their own home. Presently I do have a set up with web enabled cameras and microphone, as well as a tablet for the interactions and a few other things that just help around the house that are web enabled, like, power switches and so forth. But again, if you could address some of the newest technology, that would be phenomenal and perhaps help a lot of people to keep aging parents in their home safe and, worry free."Dan, the main question is, what are the problems you need to address?For example, if your parents have trouble with stability or have a heart condition, then a smartwatch can alert you of falls and of irregular heart rates. They can also give your parents an option to call you if theyre on the ground and cant reach a phone.You can also install sensors to get ahead of problems, like flood sensors to detect leaks or temperature sensors to check that the heat or air conditioning are working, for example, or have your smart devices warn you if the electricity goes out.Voice assistants can be helpful for less technical older parents who may not be very comfortable with the busier and louder UIs of modern DVRs and media players,