Generative AI is disrupting the professions of writers, artists, coders and now audiobook narrators. We explore this with tech journalist Erin Carson. Plus we take a look at the “RESTRICT Act'' from Senators Mark Warner of Virginia and John Thune of South Dakota. The latest bill designed to curb TikTok in the US. And we explain what’s happening with verified Twitter accounts after Elon Musk’s tweet on Monday. Starring Tom Merritt, Erin Carson, Roger Chang, Joe. Link to the Show Notes ....
Mar 28, 2023•30 min•Season 10Ep. 4486
Bioengineers at the University of Hiroshima have created a mathematical model of a bat’s echolocation that could be used to develop new active sensing systems. Why has Microsoft informed at least two customers that it will terminate their license to use the Bing search index if they use it to train AI tools? And will software coders be the biggest victims of large scale AI enhanced dev tool adoption? Starring Tom Merritt, Rich Stroffolino, Blair Bazdarich, Roger Chang, Joe. Link to the Show Note...
Mar 27, 2023•29 min•Season 10Ep. 4485
Modular laptop maker Framework is bringing an expansion featuring PCI-Express interface for the module for a GPU or dual SSDs. OpenAI has launched an alpha for plugins for ChatGPT allowing developers to expand the chatbot’s training data by allowing it access to third-party sources, including the web. And would you let a Anime woman in a videogame do your real-life taxes? Starring Sarah Lane, Rich Stroffolino, Lamarr Wilson, Roger Chang, Joe. Link to the Show Notes ....
Mar 24, 2023•32 min•Season 10Ep. 4484
The Game Developers Conference is happening all this week. Trisha Hershberger is here with the biggest announcement from the event. Plus a spate of YouTubers have had their accounts hacked and taken over by third party actors. Is there something more that Google could do to enhance YouTube account security? And the US Federal Trade Commission issued a notice of proposed rulemaking for a new Click to Cancel rule, which would require businesses to make subscription canceling simpler for consumers....
Mar 23, 2023•33 min•Season 10Ep. 4483
TikTok’s CEO, Shou Chew, will appear before the House Energy and Commerce Committee Thursday to answer questions regarding the service’s data security. What can we expect to hear about from Chew? Plus Ubisoft announced it’s using a tool called Ghostwriter to help its developers write game dialogue. Starring Sarah Lane, Scott Johnson, Roger Chang, Joe. Link to the Show Notes ....
Mar 22, 2023•32 min•Season 10Ep. 4482
Amazon is shuttering DPReview.com. A premiere site for digital camera reviews for over twenty years. What does it say about the digital camera market? Plus Oppo announced its new flagship phone, the Find X6 Pro. And Microsoft announced it began rolling out its Bing Image Creator to Bing preview testers. Starring Sarah Lane, Terrance Gaines, Roger Chang, Joe. Link to the Show Notes ....
Mar 21, 2023•32 min•Season 10Ep. 4481
Will Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Digital Chassis dominate the core component that makes up a connected EV’s digital system? A New York Federal court will hear arguments in a lawsuit over the Archive.org’s Open Library program and copyright holders of material used in the program. Will the judgment impact other digital libraries in the future? And Netflix plans to release 40 more games this year, will add Monument Valley in 2024. Starring Sarah Lane, Rich Stroffolino, Justin Robert Young, Roger Chang, ...
Mar 20, 2023•32 min•Season 10Ep. 4480
The US Federal Communications Commission finalized new rules that will reduce spam calls. The Metaverse may be getting a Second Life. And relieving the chip shortage will take more than just the US Congress providing monetary incentives to establish manufacturing in the country. Starring Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane, Robb Dunewood, Len Peralta, Amos, Joe. Link to the Show Notes ....
Mar 17, 2023•33 min•Season 10Ep. 4479
OpenAI isn’t as capable as you may have feared but is probably smarter than you’re comfortable with. TikTok’s uphill battle against US regulators just got a little steeper with other countries sharing similar concerns and restrictions. And Microsoft outlined its use case for AI in Office during its Reinventing Productivity event. Starring Sarah Lane, Rich Stroffolino, Justin Robert Young, Amos, Joe. Link to the Show Notes ....
Mar 16, 2023•29 min•Season 10Ep. 4478
OpenAI’s announcement of GPT-4 has created a stir as company’s announce their integration of the AI tool into their services. Drone delivery service Zipline unveiled its latest delivery platform that’s faster and more precise. Bally Sports net TV channels filed for bankruptcy Tuesday. How will this impact the OTT sports viewing? Starring Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane, Scott Johnson, Roger Chang, Joe. Link to the Show Notes ....
Mar 15, 2023•32 min•Season 10Ep. 4477
Disney is asking a federal court to issue Digital Millennium Copyright Act subpoenas to Reddit and Google in order to identify the individuals responsible for leaking dialogue from the “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” before the movie’s release. Google announces more AI features in Docs and Gmail, and launched API access for its Large Language Model. And how will Amazon’s Project Kuiper compete against Elon Musk’s Starlink to provide satellite to cell phone service. Starring Tom Merritt, Sara...
Mar 14, 2023•31 min•Season 10Ep. 4476
With the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank last Friday and Signature Bank today, what has regulators concerned about banks with over-exposure to assets in certain tech sectors? The image results from Samsung’s 100x “Space Zoom” feature on its smartphones is accused of being “fake”. Starring Tom Merritt, Rich Stroffolino, Molly Wood, Chris Ashley, Roger Chang, Joe. Link to the Show Notes ....
Mar 13, 2023•32 min•Season 10Ep. 4475
We explain the usefulness of hardware key authentication devices and why you should be using them. What does the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank mean for the broader health of the tech industry? And what does Meta’s plan for a “standalone decentralized social network” mean? Starring Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane, Shannon Morse, Len Peralta, Roger Chang, Joe. Link to the Show Notes....
Mar 10, 2023•35 min•Season 10Ep. 4474
Apple is releasing a standalone Apple Music Classical app for iPhone that will offer access to more than 5 million classical music tracks. Alphabet’s drone-delivery company, Wing, has a new system where drones can pick up and deliver assignments without having to return to a home base. And it's 2023 why are floppy disks still being used? Starring Sarah Lane, Rich Stroffolino, Justin Robert Young, Roger Chang, Joe. Link to the Show Notes ....
Mar 09, 2023•31 min•Season 10Ep. 4473
DuckDuckGo is Bringing AI to its search tool but will use a different approach than the one used by Bing. In a Conversation post Associate Professor, Barbara Ribeiro, argues AI will increase the amount of work people will need to do, not reduce it. And the indie mini-game console, the Playdate, is going up in price. Starring Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane, Scott Johnson, Roger Chang, Joe. Link to the Show Notes ....
Mar 08, 2023•31 min•Season 10Ep. 4472
Mastodon instance enough of a draw to add subscribers? Is David Pierce from The Verge right when he states that streaming boxes have failed in their mission in their original promise of being the central hub for home entertainment? And we dig through Counterpoint’s latest list of best selling phones of 2022. Starring Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane, Nicole Lee, Roger Chang, Joe. Link to the Show Notes ....
Mar 07, 2023•31 min•Season 10Ep. 4471
In a world where generative AI and machine learning chatbots occupy centerstage is there still a place and market for more intelligent voice assistants? Dubbing videos on social media from one language to another is big business. Can YouTube compete? Antibiotic resistant bacterial infections are on the rise. Is the solution molecule sized nanobots? Starring Tom Merritt, Rich Stroffolino, Dr. Nicole Ackermans, Roger Chang, Joe. Link to the Show Notes ....
Mar 06, 2023•29 min•Season 10Ep. 4470
If you’re planning a trip to ends of the earth what should you keep in mind if you’re planning to bring your personal tech with you? With the increase in the number of satellites around the earth issues of radio interference are a growing problem. What are solutions that astronomers are looking to help mitigate the issue? And will a EU law passed last year finally force Apple to open up iMessage? Starring Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane, Allison Sheridan, Len Peralta, Roger Chang, Joe. Link to the Show ...
Mar 03, 2023•33 min•Season 10Ep. 4469
Microsoft adds a three way toggle switch to control the tone of Bing chatbot response. Apple blocks the update of a ChatGPT powered email app over concerns that the app might be age inappropriate. And we talk about how EV infrastructure and EV range influence the adoption of EVs. Starring Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane, Chris Ashley, Roger Chang, Joe. Link to the Show Notes ....
Mar 02, 2023•30 min•Season 10Ep. 4468
Meta shares its 4 year AR/VR hardware roadmap. What does it say and more importantly what can consumers expect in the near future? And the Volkswagen Group is planning to launch an app store for the infotainment system in upcoming car models. We discuss what might be behind the move and will this help or confuse consumers? Starring Sarah Lane, Rich Stroffolino, Scott Johnson, Roger Chang, Joe. Link to the Show Notes ....
Mar 01, 2023•31 min•Season 10Ep. 4467
Rod Simmons for the SMRPodcast is here to share his advice on password managers; are they still worth using, how should a secure password manager operate and recommendations. Microsoft releases PhoneLink for iOS and expands PC Game Pass to more markets and updates for Windows 11. Plus will the UK’s proposed C-SAM legislation force encrypted service providers out of Britain? Starring Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane, Rod Simmons, Roger Chang, Joe. Link to the Show Notes ....
Feb 28, 2023•31 min•Season 10Ep. 4466
Mobile World Congress 2023 starts today and we have all the big news from today’s show including new rollables from Lenovo and foldables from Honor, Samsung’s new chip for satellite phone, and new feature announcements from Google for Chrome, ChromeOS and Android. Starring Tom Merritt, Rich Stroffolino, Robb Dunewood, Roger Chang, Joe. Link to the Show Notes ....
Feb 27, 2023•30 min•Season 10Ep. 4465
We explore the crucial role NASA mathematician, Melba Roy Mouton, had in supporting the US's first space missions. China looks to develop its own version of Starlink's satellite communication network. And when can we expect Apple's mixed reality headset to ship. Starring Sarah Lane, Nica Montford, Roger Chang, Joe. Link to the Show Notes ....
Feb 24, 2023•32 min•Season 10Ep. 4464
We analyze the US Copyright Office’s rationale for not copyrighting works created from the Midjourney text to image generator. Plus we examine Canada’s Bill C-18 that would enact legislation compelling big tech companies to pay news publishers for linking to their stories. And we discuss Towns, a protocol and a web-based chat app designed to facilitate self-owned, self-governed online communities from the person that brought us Meerkat. Starring Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane, Justin Robert Young, Roge...
Feb 23, 2023•30 min•Season 10Ep. 4463
We have the latest on Microsoft's allay concerns over its attempted acquisition of Activision Blizzard by expanding its 10-year deal to publish Call of Duty franchise on other platforms. Google is rolling out a new radio feature on YouTube Music letting users select artists on their "stations". And Spotify launches a DJ feature in beta, that curates music with automatically generated spoken commentary about the tracks and artists powered by OpenAI. Plus we breakdown the latest on SCOTUS hearings...
Feb 22, 2023•31 min•Season 10Ep. 4462
We learn about Rimac, Croatia’s EV Supercar company, and their latest car, the Nevera. Scientists at Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology have come up with a way to inexpensively remove pollutants in water. And does Apple have an in-built competitive advantage with the Gen Z demographic? Starring Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane, Tim Stevens, Roger Chang, Joe. Link to the Show Notes ....
Feb 21, 2023•30 min•Season 10Ep. 4461
Will Apple’s Major League Soccer deal workout for the tech company as the new season starts? Is Nest co-founder Matt Rogers new startup Mill the answer to household food waste? Plus how can people avoid being manipulated and used by authoritarians on social media? Starring Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane, Len Peralta, Roger Chang, Joe. Link to the Show Notes ....
Feb 17, 2023•32 min•Season 10Ep. 4460
We have a hands-on review of Sony’s next-gen VR offering the PSVR2 with The Verge’s Sean Hollister. YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki steps down from her role. And Tile announces new features to its trackers to stop stalkers from using the technology to follow people. Starring Sarah Lane, Rich Stroffolino, Scott Johnson, Sean Hollister, Roger Chang, Joe. Link to the Show Notes ....
Feb 16, 2023•32 min•Season 10Ep. 4459
Stephen Wolfram’s , of Wolfram Alpha fame, explains in a recent post on his site explaining how ChatGPT works and why it gives the results it does. How did Elon Musk boost the profile of his posts on Twitter after a disappointing showing during the Super Bowl? And a roundup of the latest AI news. Starring Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane, Justin Robert Young, Roger Chang, Joe. Link to the Show Notes ....
Feb 15, 2023•30 min•Season 10Ep. 4458
Are AI assisted web search products still not ready for prime time? The NHL hopes to attract younger viewers by creating an animated version of real-life games they hope appeal to a generation hooked-on TikTok. Plus how Microsoft is responding to the UK Competition and Markets Authority’s concerns about its acquisition of Activision-Blizzard. Starring Tom Merritt, Rich Stroffolino, Brian Brushwood, Roger Chang, Joe. Link to the Show Notes ....
Feb 14, 2023•28 min•Season 10Ep. 4457
