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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: [email protected]

Episodes

Rerun: Spoofing and Caller ID

How do scam artists disguise their phone numbers when setting up robocalls? We look at Caller ID and spoofing and learn how companies and government agencies are trying to fight back. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 31, 202354 min

TechStuff Classic: The Philips Story: Part Two

What happened to the Philips company during World War II? How did Philips diversify over the decades? What's next for the company? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 28, 202341 min

Tech News: AI Blunders and a Liquid-Metal Robot

An academic publisher says that it will not publish academic papers written by ChatGPT. Futurism uncovers more problems with CNET's use of AI to write articles. India pressures Twitter and Google to censor a BBC documentary. And researchers in Hong Kong show off a cool melting robot! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 26, 202331 min

TechStuff Tidbits: What is a diode?

Diodes are key components in modern electronics, but what are they and what do they do? We take a few minutes to describe diodes and their function. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 25, 202320 min

Tech News: A Chatbot Earns an MBA (Not Really)

A business school professor says that ChatGPT passed the final exam needed to earn an MBA. Microsoft announces a commitment to a multi-year, multibillion dollar relationship with OpenAI. And Elon Musk says that Twitter will offer an ad-free subscription level in the future. Plus more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 24, 202320 min

The Story of OpenAI

With ChatGPT in the news, I thought it was high time we take a look at OpenAI -- the company behind the controversial chatbot. From its founding in 2015 to its shift to a "capped-profit" company, we look at the organization founded with the goal of creating AI that's beneficial for humanity. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 24, 202349 min

TechStuff Classic: The Philips Story: Part One

Who founded the electronics company Philips? Why did it nearly go bankrupt in less than five years? And who saved it? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 21, 202337 min

Tech News: Commanding Chatbots to Make Malware

Cybersecurity researchers discover that, with a little bullying, they could convince ChatGPT to make some nasty malware. Plus workers in Kenya suffered to make ChatGPT less toxic. Meta faces fines in the EU for WhatsApp. And Microsoft is gearing up for layoffs. Plus more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 20, 202330 min

Apple Indefinitely Shelves it's AR Glasses Project

Faced with challenging engineering problems, Apple has reportedly shelved its augmented reality glasses project. We look at the history and evolution of AR, and why it's so hard to create a pair of glasses with AR capabilities. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 19, 202340 min

Tech News: Artists Versus Artificial Intelligence

Artists, musicians and even stock photography companies are starting to fire shots at generative artificial intelligence systems. Will we see lawmakers create new legislation that creates a legal framework for generative AI? At what point can you say a machine plagiarized an artistic work? Plus, Meta sues an Israeli company for scraping user data and Google has plans for all those Stadia controllers once the service shuts off tomorrow. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....

Jan 18, 202332 min

RERUN: Copyright and Fair Use

In this episode from 2021, we look at the thorny issues of copyright and how fair use isn't some proactive safety play to avoid those pesky copyright strikes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 16, 202354 min

TechStuff Classic: The Evils of Data Tracking

Codebreaker's Ben Johnson joins the show to talk about data tracking. What is it used for? What's the best case scenario? And what happens when it goes wrong? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 13, 202351 min

Tech News: A Corrupted File Grounded All US Aircraft Yesterday

A corrupt file in the FAA's systems forced all flights in the US to hold, leading to thousands of delays and hundreds of cancellations. Plus, CNET has been using AI to write articles and no one really noticed. Parler laid off about 75% of its staff. And the James Webb Space Telescope finds its first new exoplanet. Plus more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 12, 202329 min

TechStuff Tidbits: An Update on Right to Repair

In 2022, Apple rolled out a self repair service shop. New York state passed a bill meant to give consumers more options when repairing their tech. And John Deere recently signed a memorandum of understanding with farmers loosening repair restrictions. Has the US embraced the Right to Repair? Not quite. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 11, 202331 min

Tech News: AI Makes Headlines in Early 2023

Artificial intelligence is going to be a big topic this year, and we have several stories to prove it. Plus, more about some of the stuff shown off at CES and how a school system is taking social media companies to court. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 10, 202337 min

Rerun: Start Ups and Shut Downs

The world of startups is already a risky one, but it gets even worse when the "move fast and break things" philosophy extends to the law. We cover some examples of startups and VC firms that made headlines for all the wrong reasons. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 10, 202348 min

TechStuff Classic: How Satellites Work

How did Sputnik change the world? What do satellites do? And what keeps them in orbit? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 06, 202348 min

Tech News: The News Out of CES 2023

From Sony’s electric vehicle to Alienware’s new 500 Hz gaming monitor, we look at a few of the early announcements out of CES. Plus an update on how Meta is facing opposition in the EU, more security experts warn that TikTok is bad news and how companies like Amazon and Salesforce will be downsizing in the new year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 05, 202333 min

TechStuff Tidbits: ChatGPT and Natural Language Processing

Just like parents, machines just don't understand. At least, not without first compiling data into 0s and 1s. So how can systems like ChatGPT seemingly understand what we want and present results? We take a look at natural language processing and how it can create the illusion of comprehension. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 04, 202334 min

Tech News: TikTok's Time May Be Running Out

Could the US government issue a ban on TikTok? A landlord sues Twitter for failing to pay rent. Nearly 80% of all new car sales in Norway last year were electric vehicles. Plus much more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 03, 202320 min

RERUN: The CES Products That Never Made It

In this episode from the distant past of 2021, Jonathan goes over some of the products that companies showed off at the CES trade show that never made it to market. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 02, 202346 min

TechStuff Classic: How the Industrial Revolution Worked, Part Three

In the conclusion of our series on the Industrial Revolution, we'll look at other industries that changed along with iron and textiles. We'll also learn about the living and work conditions of laborers and how that transformed our notions about work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 30, 202255 min

TechStuff Looks Ahead to 2023

When is a predictions episode not a predictions episode? When Jonathan says so! We look at some of the things we expect to see happen in tech next year, from Apple's AR headset to how Meta handles the metaverse. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 29, 202241 min

The Big Tech Stories of 2022: To Space and BEYOND!

NASA launched Artemis I, the James Webb Space Telescope is already sending back phenomenal astronomical images, and Russia's hostilities in Ukraine force massive changes. Plus we learn about advancements in fusion, quantum computing and more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 28, 202250 min

The Big Tech Stories of 2022: Tech and Politics

From the war in Ukraine to tech companies encountering challenges in China, we look at how global politics and tech intersected and conflicted in 2022. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 27, 202248 min

Rerun: Lighting Up the Holidays

We look at the history of incorporating lights in winter holidays like Christmas and Hanukkah and how electricity changed things dramatically. We'll also dive into those over the top displays that sequence lights with sound and talk about why it was such a challenge for the electrician on Stranger Things to make lights blink a specific way. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 26, 202245 min

The Big Tech Stories of 2022: Twitter Descends into Chaos

Twitter tells Meta "Hold my beer" as the company has a dramatic, chaotic year thanks to the former world's richest man, Elon Musk. From corporate maneuvers to brutal layoffs to nonsensical policy changes, we look at how Twitter struggled this past year. Plus, we take a moment to talk about Elizabeth Holmes and Sunny Balwani getting prison sentences. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 22, 202250 min

The Big Tech Stories of 2022: Meta Had a Very Bad Year

2022 was a tough year for Meta. From historic earnings calls to increased regulatory scrutiny to skepticism surrounding the metaverse, the company has faltered a bit over the last 12 months. We look back on some of the big stories involving Meta in 2022. Plus, we chat briefly about streaming! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 21, 202250 min

The Big Tech Stories of 2022: The Crypto Winter

Cryptocurrencies (and blockchain and NFTs and Web3) had a rough year. Things started with a boom and then went bust. What happened? What led to the collapse of FTX? Where is crypto going from here? And is Web3 ever going to be anything more than hype? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 20, 202249 min