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TechStuff

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TechStuff is getting a system update. Everything you love about Tech Stuff now twice the bandwidth with new hosts, Oz Woloshyn (Sleepwalkers) and Karah Preiss (Sleepwalkers). 

Oz and Karah bring humour and wit to the table as they break down what's happening in tech...and what it says about us. 

TechStuff is the podcast where technology meets culture. 

We speak to the folks building the future to understand what tomorrow will look like and how our technology is changing us: how we live, how we love, how we work and even how we die. With a healthy dose of drama, too, as tech titans clash over their interstellar ambitions. 

Get in touch here: techstuffpodcast@gmail.com

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Episodes

Facebook's Accountability Problem

A piece in the New York Times examined how Facebook navigated a tricky situation through questionable strategies in the wake of multiple scandals. What did the journalists find out and how has Facebook responded? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 22, 201844 min

The History of Cyber Monday

What is Black Friday, and how did it spawn Cyber Monday? From business trends to marketing schemes, we take a look at the history of holiday shopping online. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 21, 201835 min

How AI Can Make You Look Like a Better Dancer

Today, it's possible to manipulate photos and videos in ways that were unthinkable just a few years ago. We look at a research project that uses computers and AI to map the movements of professional dancers to the images of people who have two left feet. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 20, 201835 min

The Boring Podcast

How do tunneling machines work? We look at the science and tech behind burrowing under the Earth. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 19, 201838 min

TechStuff Classic: TechStuff Adjusts the Thermostat

What are the parts of a thermostat? How do bimetallic thermometers work? What is a mercury switch? In this episode, Chris and Jonathan break down the mechanics of thermostats. Tune in to learn what happens when you flip that mysterious switch on the wall. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 16, 201834 min

DARPA in the 1970s

How did DARPA navigate the choppy political waters in the wake of the Vietnam War and the rise of the counterculture movement? From a re-branding to a new focus on stealth technology, we look at DARPA's work in the 1970s. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 15, 201841 min

DARPA's First Projects

From weather satellites to horrifying herbicides, we explore some of DARPA's projects during its first years of operations. How was this agency meant to counteract missile attacks and insurgent uprisings? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 13, 201833 min

The Origins of DARPA

How did a Soviet satellite kickstart the R&D branch of the US Department of Defense? We look at how DARPA was founded and the problems it was meant to solve. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 12, 201840 min

TechStuff Classic: The Story of Rim

What is Research in Motion? What did the company do before inventing the Blackberry? Why do so many people direct criticism at RIM today? Tune in as Jonathan and Chris answer these questions and more in this long-awaited episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 09, 201850 min

Robots are People Too?

An ongoing debate in Europe concerns whether or not we should extend the concept of personhood to robots. Why would we do such a thing and what would it mean? And why are many computer scientists opposed to the idea? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 08, 201839 min

Goodbye, Kepler Telescope

NASA launched the Kepler telescope in 2009 to stare out into space. In October, 2018, the telescope "retired." What did we learn from it and how did it work? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 07, 201840 min

John von Neumann and the Bomb

We continue our story about John von Neumann, the mathematical genius. From his work on the Manhattan Project to creating what we now call von Neumann architecture, we learn how his work changed the world. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 06, 201841 min

Who was John von Neumann?

The Hungarian-born mathematician John von Neumann made numerous contributions to mathematics, computer science and more in his relatively short life. In this episode, we learn about his meteoric rise in academia. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 05, 201835 min

TechStuff Classic: How Metal Detectors Works

What are the three types of metal detectors? How do metal detectors use electromagnetism to detect stuff? What kind of stuff can create interference when using a metal detector? Tune in as Jonathan and Chris explore the technology behind metal detectors. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 02, 201832 min

The Complicated Story of an AI Artist

In October, 2018, a portrait created by an artificial intelligence program sold at auction for more than $400,000. But there's controversy surrounding the story - did the team that created the work of art steal the artist? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 01, 201836 min

TechStuff's Spooky Halloween Spectacular!

In celebration of Halloween, we take a look at an article from HowStuffWorks titled 10 Scary Modern Technologies. From drones to voices coming out of thin air, we peek under the big scary bed that is technology. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 31, 201842 min

The Trials of MakerBot

What happens when a company abandons its core philosophy? MakerBot went from embracing open source to incorporating proprietary technology, alienating makers and shedding co-founders as a result. Here's what happened. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 30, 201838 min

How MakerBot Was Born

MakerBot is known as the company that brought 3D printing into the consumer market. We learn about how the company was spawned from a project intended to turn the manufacturing world upside down. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 29, 201840 min

TechStuff Classic: How Theremins Work

So what exactly is a theremin? It's got an unmistakably unique sound, and it's one of the world's first electronic musical instruments. Join Chris and Jonathan as they explore all things theremin, from the story of its inventor to playing techniques. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 26, 201833 min

Sleepy Time Tech

What happens when sleep and technology meet? From sleep trackers to the world's first "sleep robot," we look at the science behind sleeping and the tech that tries to exploit it. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 25, 201842 min

Powerful Lasers and Their Uses

How do lasers work? What are the most powerful lasers out there today and what do they do? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 24, 201832 min

E-Waste and What To Do With It

What is electronic waste? What makes it so problematic? And what's the best way to deal with it? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 23, 201840 min

AI Gone Rude

Science fiction authors have thoroughly explored what could happen if we implement artificial intelligence irresponsibly. But they didn't predict that Microsoft would have to rein in a rogue, foul-mouthed chatbot. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 22, 201837 min

TechStuff Classic: TechStuff Stares at Laser Eye Surgery

How does laser eye surgery work? How does the human eye work? What types of eye problems can laser eye surgery correct? Join Jonathan and Chris for a closer look at laser eye surgery. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 19, 201840 min

Could we make a sarcastic supercomputer?

As we develop more advanced natural language systems, will we ever reach a point where a computer can detect not just what we say but what we actually mean? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 18, 201838 min

More Space Planes

In this episode, we learn about more recent and proposed space planes. What happens when they transition from experimental aircraft to practical vehicles? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 17, 201844 min

Planes in Spaaaace

What is a space plane and how does it work? From the Space Shuttle to the super secret X-37B, we look at the designs and proposals for reusable spacecraft. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 16, 201833 min

Voting and Technology

Bob Sullivan of the Breach Podcast joins the show to talk about the intersection between tech and voting. Is there a sweet spot? And do voting machines make the process more or less secure? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 15, 201847 min

TechStuff Classic: TechStuff Ponders an Enigma

What was the Enigma machine? What is a cipher? How did the Enigma machine work? Join Chris and Jonathan to learn more about cryptography. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 12, 201838 min

Death of the Amiga

The Amiga computers had a reputation for being incredibly powerful, particularly for video applications. But numerous problems at Commodore meant the system was living on borrowed time. What happened? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 11, 201839 min
Hosted on Omny Studio
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