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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: 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.

Nov 15, 202446 min

Rerun: Getting in Touch with Touchscreens

What's the difference between a capacitive and a resistive touchscreen? Which came first? And are there other types of touchscreen technologies? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 13, 202418 min

TechStuff's Top Holiday Gift for 2024

A little more than a decade ago, mobile computing revolutionized how we access software and the internet. It's about to happen again. At the top of my holiday wish list is an AI-augmented laptop powered by the Snapdragon X Elite processor for lightning-fast performance. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 11, 202440 min

Rerun: 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.

Nov 08, 202435 min

Rerun: What was the first mp3?

When developing the mp3 compression algorithm, engineer Karlheinz Brandenburg used a specific song to tweak settings and get them just right. What was that song? And why does Jonathan not like it? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 06, 202411 min

Sowing Seeds for the Future: Sabanto

When Craig Rupp left Iowa in the 80s, he never wanted to step foot on a farm again. A whirlwind career as an engineer took him to some of the biggest companies - Motorola, Apple, Samsung - but he always felt a strong connection to his roots. He had an idea he couldn’t shake - an opportunity to change farming forever. Introducing Sabanto and its best-in-class Autonomous Operator, Steward. On the day of their first big test, the tractor froze, stuck in a field in a blizzard - no planting, no compa...

Nov 05, 202437 minSeason 1Ep. 11

The Story of Microsoft Bing

In 2009, Microsoft announced a new search engine called Bing. What was Microsoft's strategy, how is Bing different from the dominant search engine Google, and what's next? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 04, 202444 min

Tech News: Elections and Tech Clash

We knew that the 2024 election season in the US would include some tough stories involving tech and potential election interference. In this episode, we look at a few headlines of how tech may have already played a role in misinforming voters either on purpose or by accident. Plus many more headlines in this jumbo news episode! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nov 01, 202443 min

REM Pods and Ghost Hunting

What does an REM Pod do? How does it work? And why is Jonathan such a darn party pooper when it comes to ghost hunting? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 30, 202438 min

Doubly Exposing Spirit Photography

In the 19th century, some enterprising and unscrupulous photographers convinced vulnerable people that they had developed (pun intended) a way to photograph the spirits of the dearly departed. But what was really going on? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 28, 202439 min

Departing OpenAI Leaders Warn about AGI

Description: The former senior advisor for OpenAI's now dissolved AGI Readiness division warns that no one, not even OpenAI, is actually ready for artificial general intelligence. Plus, the US unveils some "guardrails" about using AI tools, Montana's Attorney General files a new lawsuit against TikTok, and Norway increases the minimum age for social media users to 15. And more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 25, 202420 min

Notorious Hackers

Cybersecurity company Kaspersky has a list of the most notorious hackers of all time. We look at three of the entries, from the loose confederation of hackers called Anonymous to a hacker responsible for stealing millions of credit and debit card numbers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 23, 202443 min

Smart Talks with IBM: How AI Can Accelerate Cybersecurity

In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM , Malcolm Gladwell speaks with Jason Kelley, GM, Strategic Partners and Ecosystems at IBM, and Kristy Friedrichs, SVP and Chief Partnership Officer at Palo Alto Networks. They discuss the challenges and opportunities that the rapid development of AI brings to the cybersecurity space. Jason and Kristy also underscore how implementing a zero trust strategy can help enterprises enhance cyber resiliency and simplify operations. Together, IBM and Palo Alto Netw...

Oct 23, 202441 min

Rerun: 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 21, 202443 min

Tech News: X Changes Prompt Some Users to Jump Ship

X, formerly known as Twitter, makes a major change to the block feature that has some users switching to alternatives. Plus, Meta holds layoffs across multiple departments, some filmmakers experiment with generative AI, and SpaceX uses a giant metal claw to catch a rocket booster. And more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 18, 202420 min

What Happened to Amazon's HQ2?

In 2018, more than 200 cities competed to become the site for Amazon's second headquarters. Late that year, Amazon would choose two locations. A year later, it would pull out of one of those two sites. And today, the HQ2 sits nearly half empty. What happened? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 16, 202441 min

TechStuff Takes a Walk with Robots

Tesla showed off the Optimus humanoid robots recently. What's the history behind bipedal, humanoid robots? Why are they so hard to get right? Why would you want to design such a robot in the first place? We explore the history, science and evolution of humanoid robots. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 14, 202446 min

Tech News: Tesla Fails to Wow Investors at We, Robot Event

This week, Elon Musk held his delayed Cybercab event while also showing off a new Robovan concept and Optimus humanoid robots. Investors, however, remain concerned that the event was more show than business. Also, Chinese hackers exploited backdoor access points to major Internet Service Providers in the US. And more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 11, 202420 min

Can Sound Be Used As A Weapon?

From LRADs to the dreaded "brown noise," we look at attempts to weaponize sound. Is it possible? What effects can sound have on the body? And how much do we not know? (Hint: The answer is "A lot.") See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 09, 202441 min

Smart Talks with IBM: Scaling AI With Purpose

In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM , Jacob Goldstein speaks with Rebecca Finlay, CEO of Partnership on AI, about the importance of advancing AI innovation with openness and ethics at the forefront. Rebecca discusses how guardrails — such as risk management — can advance efficiency in AI development. They explore the AI Alliance’s focus on open data and technology, and the importance of collaboration. Rebecca also underscores how diverse perspectives and open-mindedness can drive AI progress...

Oct 08, 202436 min

How Active Noise Cancellation Works

There's nothing like wearing noise cancelling headphones while on a noisy flight. But what technology lets you listen to your sweet tunes while eliminating the loud hum of an aircraft? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 07, 202438 min

Tech News: OpenAI Gets That Cheddar

Earlier this year, analysts predicted that OpenAI would need a large injection of investments to stay afloat. This week, OpenAI closed on a 6.6 billion dollar investment round. What's next? Plus, Elon Musk holds a recruitment event for xAI, the governor of California vetoes an AI safety bill and more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 04, 202419 min

How Two AI Startup Unicorns Went Bust

AI is hard. How hard? Your company can hit a valuation of more than one billion dollars one moment and you're out of business the next. We look at two digital health companies that went from the highest highs to the lowest lows. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 02, 202441 min

How Hydroelectricity Works

Hydroelectric power harnesses the energy of water to generate electricity, but how? From turbine design to dynamos, we look at the components that make hydropower work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 30, 202436 min

Tech News: Meta Wants the Internet On Your Face

Meta held its Connect conference this week and showed off some chonky augmented reality glasses, among other things. Plus, OpenAI shakes things up and DoNotPay agrees to, well, Pay. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 27, 202422 min

The Story of the Sony Walkman

Time named the Sony Walkman number 47 on a list of the 50 most influential gadgets of all time. How did the Walkman become a thing, and what influence has it had on how we experience music? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 25, 202445 min

Smart Talks with IBM: The power of Granite in business

As the scale of artificial intelligence continues to evolve, open technology like many of IBM’s Granite models are helping enhance transparency in AI and improve efficiency across businesses. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM , Jacob Goldstein sat down with Maryam Ashoori, the Director of Product Management and Head of Product for IBM’s watsonx.ai, where she spearheads the product strategy and delivery of IBM’s watsonx Foundation Models. Together, they explored the shift from large general...

Sep 24, 202432 min

A Quick Chat About CAPTCHAs

Where did CAPTCHAs come from? What purpose do they serve? How do they relate to artificial intelligence? And why are some of them so doggone hard? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 23, 202420 min

Tech News: Exploding Pagers and Nuclear-Powered AI

Israel is allegedly behind an attack on Hezbollah involving exploding pagers. How did that happen? In other news, Microsoft wants to reopen a nuclear power plant to supply electricity to power-hungry AI data centers. Plus much more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 20, 202438 min

Social Networks and Mental Health

Is there a link between social media use and mental health challenges? We look at a meta-analysis and use some critical thinking to tackle the issue. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 18, 202440 min
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