TechStuff Remembers Grace Hopper
Grace Hopper was a Navy officer, a teacher, a computer programmer and a legend in the tech field. We look back on her life and achievements. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 29, 2023•38 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]
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Episodes
TechStuff Classic: How Tech Could Make Better Chocolate
Temple University scientists have found a new way to improve chocolate and it involves electric fields. Learn about the technology and physics behind improving a nearly perfect food. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 26, 2023•32 min
Twitter Serves as a Shaky Stage for a Presidential Campaign Announcement
Twitter hit some technical snags yesterday while Presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis announced his 2024 campaign. OpenAI's CEO issues a bit of a warning to the EU regarding AI regulation. And Sony has a new gaming peripheral on the horizon. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 25, 2023•21 min
The Sad Tale of Microsoft Zune
Microsoft jumped into the mp3 player space a little late. Apple had been producing iPods for five years when the first Zune hit shelves. But that was just the beginning of a series of problems Microsoft encountered. We explore the sad (and short) story of the Zune. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 24, 2023•34 min
Tech News: Meta Takes a Loss on Giphy
Meta sells Giphy for a fraction of what it paid just a few years ago. Spain's government has it out for end-to-end encryption. And the US Surgeon General advises families about the potential dangers of social media. Plus more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 24, 2023•20 min
Streaming Services that Sunk
While the streaming media landscape is crowded, it could be worse. In this episode, we look at some streaming services that didn't stand the test of time. From platforms that were a bad idea from the start to ones that were victims of corporate mergers, we find out what went wrong. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 22, 2023•46 min
TechStuff Classic: How the Disney Magic Works
After my recent (tenth) cruise on the Disney Cruise line, I decided to look into what makes the ship work.How does it steady itself in rough seas? How much is automated? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 20, 2023•56 min
Tech News: Montana Bans TikTok But Will It Work?
The state of Montana has said that, starting January 1st of next year, the app TikTok is banned statewide. How will the state enforce the rules? Is this an overreaction to TikTok? And will the law stand up to legal challenges? Plus lots of news about AI because why not? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 19, 2023•38 min
Reflecting on Resolutions
Screen resolution can be confusing. What do all those numbers mean, and is bigger necessarily better? We go over some of the more common screen resolutions out there and talk about how (and when) they make a difference. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 17, 2023•41 min
Tech News: Elon Musk Names His Twitter Successor
Last week, Elon Musk revealed he had tapped Linda Yaccarino to be the next Twitter CEO. But Musk won't be leaving Twitter completely. And now Tesla shareholders want him to create a succession plan at that company. Plus we get a bunch of updates on AI news, as well as some good news for Microsoft. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 16, 2023•33 min
The Net Neutrality War
The idea behind net neutrality is pretty simple -- fair access to legal content for all consumers regardless of what ISP they use. But how do you implement this idea? That's become the focus of a massive political battle in the United States that's been going on for two decades. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 15, 2023•48 min
TechStuff Classic: AI Assistants and You
From Amazon to Google to Apple, companies are creating digital assistants to make our lives easier. What's the technology behind them and are they safe to use? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 12, 2023•45 min
Tech News: You Got AI On My Google Search
Google has announced a ton of stuff at the 2023 I/O event, including how AI will show up in future Google searches if you opt into it. We also learn how Microsoft's deal to buy Activision is going, how YouTube is discouraging ad-blockers and how one influencer is using AI to make clones of herself for people to date. For a fee, of course. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 11, 2023•41 min
The Godfather of AI is Worried About AI
Dr. Geoffrey Hinton recently retired from Google, saying that he wanted to be able to speak freely about his concerns regarding artificial intelligence without having to consider the impact to his employer. So what is the Godfather of AI worried about? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 10, 2023•45 min
Tech News: Faking the Deepfakes
Defendants in court cases are trying the deepfake defense and judges are not having it. Think twice before you commit a huge investment into AI companies. SBF is asking courts to throw out most of the charges against him. And Peter Thiel has some icy plans after his demise. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 09, 2023•32 min
Rerun: How the Great Movie Ride Worked
Special guest Jack Pattillo joins the show to talk about the former Disney Hollywood Studios attraction, The Great Movie Ride. From immersive storytelling to the implementation of a new kind of animatronic, Jack and Jonathan explore this long-gone ride. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 08, 2023•1 hr 6 min
TechStuff Classic: How the Kepler Telescope Works
The Kepler Telescope has detected hundreds of exoplanets in our galaxy. What's the story behind it and how does it work? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 05, 2023•41 min
Tech News: May the Fourth be With You
Sadly, we don't have any Star Wars news today. But we do have tons about AI, Meta facing governmental scrutiny, Microsoft making a questionable decision with regard to Edge and lots more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 04, 2023•35 min
TechStuff Tidbits: I Got Got
Recently, I mentioned in a Tech News episode that the FBI and the FCC are warning folks to stay away from public charging stations for mobile devices. But it turns out that warning by be like a certain Shakespearean comedy: Much Ado About Nothing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 03, 2023•20 min
Tech News: IBM Considers AI Over New Hires
IBM's CEO reveals that the company has paused on hiring approximately 7,800 people in order to consider AI for those roles instead. A pioneer in deep learning is concerned about the potential dangers of AI. And the Web celebrates 30 years of being in the public domain. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 02, 2023•31 min
The Art and Science of Designing a Car
What process does Nissan follow when designing a new vehicle? We dive into the complicated process of going from concept to finished vehicle and learn how Nissan combines cutting edge technology with traditional artistic expression to get there. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 01, 2023•24 min
TechStuff Classic: Shh! How Soundproofing Works
Producer Noel Brown joins the show to talk about the science, theory and practice of soundproofing. How does sound work? How can you protect a room from sound? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 28, 2023•56 min
Tech News: Using ChatGPT to Win the Lottery
A man in Thailand claims that, with a little coaxing, ChatGPT helped him pick winning numbers for the lottery. Plus we hear a lot of other stories about AI, how Meta had a very good first quarter after laying off 21,000 people, and why Netflix might be worried after rolling out a password sharing crackdown initiative in Spain. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 27, 2023•19 min
TechStuff Tidbits: What the Heck is a Qubit?
What is a quantum bit, and how is it different from a normal bit? What kinds of problems are quantum computers good at solving? And how many dumb jokes can Jonathan shove into this episode? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 26, 2023•18 min
Tech News: The Blue Badge of Dishonor
In less than a week, Twitter's blue checkmark went from a desired status symbol to a mark people want to avoid at all costs. What happened? Plus, news on GM phasing out the Chevy Bolt, Google abandoning a mega campus project and an update on the Apple vs Epic legal battle. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 25, 2023•29 min
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 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
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