Tech News and Commentary



Dave and Chris discuss New rugged laptops from G-Tech, wrongful death lawsuits against OpenAi, Taco Bell's Ai at the drive-thru, a PayPal data breach, ChatGPT's parental controls, and more.







“News Pick of the Week” with Ralph Bond







In the late 1800s the rise of steel-frame construction revolutionized architecture. And in the early 1900s reinforced concrete became widely used. As a result, the use of wood was relegated to small structures like homes, barns, etc. This week our Science and Technology news reporter, Bond, Ralph Bond, says there’s a new scientifically modified wood that’s stronger than steel and that may change the whole construction game!







Read more here.





Don in LaBelle, Florida asked: "I wonder if you have any advice on buying a used phone online. I'm thinking of doing that but I'm not sure if that's a safe move or whether it's good for the budget. So any hints you might have would be appreciated."Don, given how extremely expensive mobile phones are these days and how small changes between models are, at least considering a used device is not a bad idea.There are some things to look out for: if possible dont go too old or check first to see how much replacing the battery on the device would cost.Batteries are chemical devices and theres no getting around their performance degradation issues.Even with those you may be looking at a lower price if you buy used and pay for a battery replacement if needed.You should also buy some somewhere reputable so you can be protected from someone trying to unload a stolen device. These days stolen devices may be disabled remotely so you cant use them.Buying from a legitimate business should get you safely around that area though. Site ranging from the specialized likes Gazelle.com to more general purpose sites like Amazon.com will sell used electronics and should provide you with all the assurances you need to know youll be able to use them.Overall, considering a used phone is probably a good idea, you may be able to save a good amount of money without really losing much functionality at all.



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