Hallucinating with AI
What is an AI hallucination? What causes a chatbot to go off script and invent stuff? And is AI's tendency to rewrite history a bug or a feature? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 24, 2023•48 min
TechStuff
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: [email protected]
Episodes
TechStuff Classic: The Problem With Ads Part Two
Jonathan and Ben continue their conversation about online ads. Is it wrong to use ad blockers? Or is it wrong to block people who block ads? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 21, 2023•37 min
Tech News: SpaceX's Starship Gets Off the Ground, Then Explodes
The test launch of SpaceX's Starship was a success despite the fact that the launch vehicle later exploded high above the Gulf of Mexico. There are more battles happening around the subject of artificial intelligence. And if you used Facebook between 2007 and 2022, you can file a claim to get a share in a massive class action lawsuit. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 20, 2023•21 min
The Rebirth of Vinyl
Vinyl sales were on the decline from the 1980s to the mid 2000s, but since 2006 sales have been on the rise. What's the history of vinyl, and what makes this format special? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 20, 2023•49 min
Tech News: The AI Headlines Keep On Coming
Is Elon Musk working on a kinder, gentler AI? Could Microsoft's partnership with OpenAI take a huge chunk out of Google? And how do artists protect themselves against deepfakes? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 18, 2023•20 min
What Are Zero Day Attacks?
Over the weekend, Google rolled out a patch to Google Chrome. It addresses a zero-day vulnerability. But what are zero-day vulnerabilities and zero-day attacks? We learn about the definition and history of this powerful type of hacker attack. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 17, 2023•42 min
TechStuff Classic: The Problem with Ads Part One
Online advertising has been a bit of a problem for a long time. Join Jonathan and Ben as they talk about ads, ad blockers and malware. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 14, 2023•48 min
Tech News: China Tells AI to Tow the Party Line
China's Cyberspace Administration recommends regulations that would prevent AI from upsetting the country's political apple cart. Plus, why did Elon Musk buy 10,000 GPUs? And Meta employees are having a real morale issue for lots of reasons. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 14, 2023•33 min
TechStuff Tidbits: CPU Basics
What does a CPU do? What is clock speed? What does it mean to overclock a CPU? And are FLOPS a good thing? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 12, 2023•20 min
Tech News: All a Twitter about Tech News
We've got stories about top secret US documents showing up on Discord servers and how Meta's verification system is putting people in danger, but to be honest a LOT of this episode ends up being about the chaos going on over at Twitter. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 11, 2023•40 min
Dark Rides 101
What is a dark ride? What's the oldest dark ride still in operation? How do dark rides use technology to tell stories? And whatever happened to the Tunnel of Love? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 10, 2023•46 min
TechStuff Classic: Hacking for Dollars
Hak5 Host Shannon Morse joins the show to talk about hacking as a profession. From white hats to black hats, how do hackers make money? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 07, 2023•1 hr 5 min
Tech News: Meta is working on an AI to make ads better
Meta has plans to launch a commercialized AI product by the end of this year. Apple might have picked the wrong year to get into XR. Binance closes derivative businesses in Australia due to an investigation. And rich lonely people may soon be able to avoid the rest of us on Tinder. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 06, 2023•30 min
Razer's Concepts and Vaporware
Razer makes pretty much everything, but this episode is about some of the concepts, prototypes and (arguably) vaporware the company has teased that never became a commercial product. From modular computers to futuristic gaming chairs, we look at some crazy concept hardware that you absolutely cannot buy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 06, 2023•44 min
Tech News: Is ChatGPT Talking About You Behind Your Back?
Germany looks to block ChatGPT out of privacy concerns. Samsung Semiconductor adjusts its own stance on ChatGPT as employees share a bit too much information with the chatbot. And a ChatGPT detector might flag a student's legitimate work as AI material. Plus lots more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 04, 2023•38 min
April Fools' in 2023 Was Pretty Quiet
Not that long ago, tech companies would fall over themselves to participate in gags and jokes on April 1st. Things have calmed down a bit over the last few years, but we're starting to see shenanigans poke through again. We look at a few examples from this year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 03, 2023•40 min
TechStuff Classic: The Great Google Car Crash of 2016
CarStuff's Scott Benjamin comes on to talk about Google's self-driving car causing its first car accident. What happened? And how will Google prevent future accidents? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 31, 2023•1 hr 4 min
Tech News: Advocates Say We Should Pump the Brakes on AI
A pair of letters signed by more than 1,000 people (maybe) argue that we need to slow down before developing more advanced artificial intelligence models. Plus, did Google cheat off OpenAI's work to build out Bard? And SBF stands accused of bribing Chinese officials to the tune of 40 million dollars. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 30, 2023•20 min
Spotlight on Gordon Moore
Gordon Moore, the man behind Moore's Law, passed away on March 24, 2023. We look at his life and contributions to tech. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 29, 2023•38 min
Tech News: Is TikTok's Fate Sealed?
An analyst predicts that there's a 90% chance the US will ban TikTok unless there are drastic changes at the company. A legend in the tech industry passes away. And why does NVidia's CTO say that cryptocurrencies serve no use in society? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 28, 2023•36 min
Rerun: How Medieval Warfare Led to the Lawnmower
We learn who invented the lawnmower, how lawnmowers evolved, and why we even have lawns in the first place. Hint: it has to do with castles in the Middle Ages. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 27, 2023•49 min
TechStuff Classic: Weather Tech, Part 2
How are weather predictions made? How does the tech used in meteorology work? And can we control the weather? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 24, 2023•32 min
Tech News: Google's AI Admits it Plagiarizes
Google Bard admitted that it took data from an article in Tom's Hardware without attribution. ChatGPT and Bard both prove they can't tell the difference between real news and a joke. And TikTok's CEO appears before Congress to answer some tough questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 23, 2023•32 min
TechStuff Tidbits: How Tech Startups Get Funding
How do tech entrepreneurs go from having an idea to turning it into a successful business? We look at the process of funding a tech startup and what might convince someone to invest in a long shot. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 22, 2023•34 min
Tech News: Samsung Vulnerabilities and Drastic Measures
Vulnerabilities in Samsung-produced chipsets may require you to remove the phone from your smartphone. Plus we learn about a bunch of new AI stories, including a company that can generate video based off text input. Plus a watchdog group in Germany brings accusations against Meta and German politicians. And more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 21, 2023•38 min
Thought Experiments and Philosophical Problems in Tech
From a pair of generals paralyzed by bad communication to a trolley hurtling out of control, we look at some classic thought experiments and how they pertain to technology. Plus, are we living in a simulation? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 20, 2023•48 min
TechStuff Classic:Weather Tech, Part 1
How are weather predictions made? How does the tech used in meteorology work? And can we control the weather? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 17, 2023•41 min
Tech News: OpenAI's New GPT Won't Destroy The World. Probably.
There's a new version of GPT out in the wild and it has some interesting new features (and familiar problems). Chinese company Baidu's version of a chatbot fails to inspire investors. And TikTok faces new demands that it sever all ties with its Chinese parent company. Plus more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 16, 2023•35 min
TechStuff Tidbits: The First Flight Simulator
While modern flight simulators can be incredibly complicated and rely on powerful computer systems, the very first flight simulator didn't have any computers at all. Instead, it relied on stuff you'd normally find in a pipe organ. We learn about Edwin Link and his incredible flight simulator. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 15, 2023•32 min
Tech News: Happy Pi Day! Let's Catch Up
We've got a lot of updates for ongoing news stories in tech. Meta plans more layoffs, New South Wales debates banning TikTok on government devices, Sony argues that Microsoft is untrustworthy, and more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 14, 2023•21 min