How is Skype related to Kazaa? What does a peer-to-peer network do? And was the eBay acquisition of Skype really one of the worst deals in tech history (spoiler: no it was not)? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 16, 2023•43 min
From catapults to ballista, we explore the world of siege engines. Which ones were real? Which are fantasy? And how did they work? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 13, 2023•42 min
Last April, National Public Radio (NPR) closed out its Twitter accounts. Six months later, NPR leadership says that the impact to NPR has been negligible. Could this mean more organizations will say goodbye to Musk's platform? Plus, news about a massive DDoS attack, why we'll be seeing a lot more of AI in the near future, and an update on Sam Bankman-Fried's court case. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 12, 2023•39 min
Intelligence researchers lament that X has become so rife with disinformation that there's no good way to use it while tracking tumultuous events like the war in Israel. The FCC is gearing up for a fight with US broadband companies. And did Disney unknowingly use an AI-generated stock image to promote Loki season 2? Plus more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 10, 2023•38 min
Back in 2020, we did a three-part series on the history of Ubisoft. What's been going on since then? And what's the story behind the troubled development of the pirate-themed game Skull & Bones? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 09, 2023•53 min
From humble beginnings to massive success, we follow the rest of the id Software story. When did the founders leave and why? And what's going on there now? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 06, 2023•48 min
In an episode with perhaps the most SEO-friendly title in TechStuff history, we learn about how someone used an AI-generated version of YouTuber MrBeast to advertise a scammy deal, how the FTC alleges that Amazon used a secret algorithm to fix prices and squash competition, and how Facebook Messenger users proved that Meta's tool for AI-generated stickers might need a bit more work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 05, 2023•33 min
A slightly sick Jonathan is back to talk about some past winners of the Ig Nobel Prize. Learn about how a wasabi-spraying alarm could save lives, how an inventor planned to recreate a classic cartoon trap, and how a bra might be just the thing during the next pandemic. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 04, 2023•38 min
Open-source innovation is the future of AI. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM , Malcolm Gladwell and Tim Harford discuss the open-source AI community with Jeff Boudier, head of product and growth at Hugging Face. They chat about the history and future of open-source AI, its critical importance to AI progress, the IBM watsonx partnership with Hugging Face, and how businesses can leverage open-source AI for their specific needs. Visit us at ibm.com/smarttalks Learn more about the Hugging Fac...
Oct 03, 2023•32 min
It's hard to hold onto information. Paradoxically, it can also be hard to get rid of it. In this episode, we look at why long-term data preservation is a challenge, and the lengths people will go to in order to clear out digital information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 02, 2023•45 min
They made games like Doom and Quake, but where did id Software come from? In this episode, we explore the origins of a major name in computer games. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 29, 2023•44 min
Chinese-backed hackers are infiltrating computer systems by compromising routers. Some security researchers say that modern GPUs can steal pixels right off a web site. And Microsoft encounters yet more resistance regarding its acquisition of Activision Blizzard. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 28, 2023•20 min
In 1991, the editor of a satirical science journal launched an award for the scientifically ridiculous (and ridiculed), the Ig Nobel Prize. Learn how it all got started and some of the early tech-related prize winners! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 27, 2023•30 min
During the administration of Barack Obama, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) tried to codify net neutrality into US law. Then, during the Trump administration, the new FCC stripped net neutrality out again. This week, the FCC once again tries to establish an official US stance on net neutrality. Plus more news! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 26, 2023•28 min
On September 11th, 2023, MGM Resorts International posted that the company experienced a "cybersecurity issue." That issue links to two different hacker groups, a ransomware attack, and a similar incident that happened to another major casino company earlier in the year. This is the story so far. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 25, 2023•44 min
What is a meme? What are some of the notable tech memes, and where do they come from? How does something become a meme? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 22, 2023•39 min
A fire in 1836 wiped out nearly every patent on file in the United States. How did the patent office rebuild, and how did a second fire in 1877 change things even more? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 21, 2023•33 min
US founding father Thomas Jefferson gets the credit for establishing the first process in the US for filing and granting patents. But how did patent law change in those early years, and why does Jonathan say the patent office was like the Game of Thrones? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 20, 2023•32 min
Major breakthroughs in artificial intelligence research often reshape the design and utility of AI in both business and society. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell and Jacob Goldstein explore the conceptual underpinnings of modern AI with Dr. David Cox, VP of AI Models at IBM Research. They talk foundation models, self-supervised machine learning, and the practical applications of AI and data platforms like watsonx in business and technology. Visit us at: https://www.ibm.c...
Sep 19, 2023•40 min
A world where customers can buy everything they want, whenever and wherever they want isn’t 100% there—but it’s pretty close. And perhaps no company has been up for that challenge as much as Lowe’s. In this episode of The Restless Ones, I had the chance to sit down with Seemantini Godbole, EVP and CIO of Lowe’s Companies, Inc., whose early start as an engineer has fueled problem-solving throughout her career. From helping customers prepare for projects via virtual appointments and designs, to ma...
Sep 19, 2023•27 min•Season 4Ep. 8
Jonathan sits down with Sudhin Shahani of Surf Air Mobility, who recently went public to talk about the future of travel. What is Regional Air Mobility? Why is Surf Air Mobility electrifying planes? And how might this affect how you handle short-range travel in the future? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 18, 2023•33 min
It was once the computing conference to attend. Today, it's rapidly fading from memory. How did Comdex begin and what happened to it? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 15, 2023•1 hr
Apple's iPhone 15 reveal fails to impress my producer Tari. Google's antitrust trial is underway. The government starts to ask questions about AI. And much more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 14, 2023•32 min
A blog site called Simplicable outlines several "fundamental principles" of technology. We take a look at a few of them, talk about what they mean, and how they relate not just to tech but how we incorporate tech into our lives. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 13, 2023•39 min
Today, the US Department of Justice begins its anti-trust case against Google. Should it matter if Google commands more than 90% of the web search market share? Plus, a cybersecurity issue creates a huge headache for MGM Resorts and a former Apple employee brings RICO charges against the company. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 12, 2023•21 min
Figuring out if artificial intelligence wrote a block of text can be tricky. Some companies have created tools that claim to determine if text was likely the product of a human author or AI. But as we have learned, these tools aren't reliable. What makes it so difficult to tell who wrote what? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 11, 2023•42 min
Joe McCormick and Jonathan continue their discussion about radio waves, transmitters and radio direction finding. How can you locate a transmitter and what is fox hunting? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 08, 2023•50 min
How were hackers able to access important email systems belonging to big targets like the US Department of State? It turns out it was a perfect set of circumstances that Microsoft failed to address. Plus, we have a bunch of AI news, the FAA okays delivery drones flying beyond line of sight, and lots more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 07, 2023•36 min
Before the World Wide Web, savvy computer users were flocking to USENET to participate in discussions on everything from the latest advance in computing to the worst jokes you could imagine. USENET is still around today. So what the heck is it? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 06, 2023•36 min
As businesses adopt AI, a new era of problem-solving, innovation, and creative decision-making can be brought to scale. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell and Jacob Goldstein explore the future of AI in enterprise business AI for business with Kareem Yusuf, senior vice president of product management and growth for IBM software. They discuss the advent of foundation models, how AI can transform data storage and decision-making, and how next-generation AI platforms like wat...
Sep 05, 2023•33 min