Amanda Silberling from TechCrunch joins Mikah Sargent this week on Tech News Weekly. They talk about how AI deepfakes have infiltrated aspects of the online conversations of the Met Gala fashion. How a Chinese network is behind one of the largest online scams into duping US and European customers through fake online designer shops. Teenagers are turning to AI chatbots to find entertainment, help, and even support from these AI services. Finally, Google DeepMind's AlphaFold AI program can model parts of DNA and human molecules.
- Amanda Silberling discusses how AI images have entered this year's Met Gala's online discourse through celebrities who "appeared" on the Met Gala carpet.
- Mikah Sargent talks about an online scam that originates in China, targeting US and European customers through online fake designer shops that acquire their credit cards and other personal information.
- Teenagers are slowly turning more to AI chatbots to seek entertainment, help, and overall companionship, which they are lacking at times in real life.
- Finally, Google DeepMind's new AlphaFold AI program can generate & predict how human overall molecules can interact, assisting in developing drug discovery and research.
Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Amanda Silberling
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Sponsor:
- 'It's Been Painful': What Jonah Peretti Says Went Wrong at BuzzFeed
- The first Pulitzer prize for tech journalism in a decade!
- Meet AdVon, the AI-Powered Content Monster Infecting the Media Industry
- Google is getting even worse for independent sites
- Heat Death of the Internet
- What's happening at Tesla? Here's what experts think.
- They Put a 65-Foot Hot Dog in Times Square, and It's a Blast
- Read the wild email Tesla is sending to suppliers amid Supercharger chaos
- Lithium-free sodium batteries exit the lab and enter US production
- TikTok Sues US Government Over Potential Ban
- Meet Pixel 8a
- YouTube's AI-powered 'Jump Ahead' feature rolling out widely to Premium users
- Google is changing how you set up 2FA
- Google Chrome Now Has a Gemini AI Shortcut
- Google TV's magic button is finally here, so what does it do?
- Number Of Search Results Dropped Google Search Results Page
- I Love Facebook. That's Why I'm Suing Meta.
- Jack Dorsey quits Bluesky board and urges users to stay on Elon Musk's X
- (God help us) Elon Musk's Plan For AI News
- The Forgotten War on Beepers
- AI-Voiced Audiobooks Top 40,000 Titles on Audible
- geospy.ai
- MacWhisper
- Is This the Most Boring Man in the World?
Hosts: Leo Laporte, Jeff Jarvis, and Paris Martineau
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Microsoft is promising to put security first, again. Three features have been added to Windows 11 Canary build 26212. Microsoft shuts down some game developer studios under its Xbox Games Studios, including a popular one that published Hi-Fi RUSH. And Playstation recinds PSN account requirement for Helldivers 2 on PC.
Microsoft & Security
- Microsoft promises to put security first. Again.
- Microsoft adds passkey support to Microsoft accounts.
Windows 11
- Windows 11 Canary build 26212 adds three features from the beta channel.
- Microsoft starts controlled feature rollouts (CFRs) on Windows Insider dev channel.
- Microsoft acknowledges VPN connection issues on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
- More improvements to Tiny11 Builder.
- Arc for Windows shipped last week.
Armed and Ready
- Apple announces M4 along with new iPad Pros.
- Qualcomm earnings flat, but big promises for current quarter.
AI
- Better prompt writing is coming to Microsoft 365 Copilot.
- OpenAI is allegedly testing its replacement for Google Search.
- Microsoft allegedly testing LLM that challenges OpenAI.
Xbox
- Microsoft shuts down more Xbox studios, triggering a new round of angst.
- Starfield is getting the 60 FPS support it should have had at launch on Xbox Series X.
- Nintendo has now sold over 141 million Switch consoles, promises Switch 2.
- Just kidding on the PSN account requirement for PC Helldivers 2.
Tips and picks
- Tip of the week: Build Blogger Bash
- App pick of the week: DesktopGPT
- Plus: Proton Pass gets much-needed account protection features.
- RunAs Radio this week: Identity Governance with Jef Kazimer.
- Brown liquor pick of the week: Shelter Point Cask Strength Single Malt.
Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell
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Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com
The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.
Sponsor:
- The vulnerability of GPS
- Is the sky falling on all VPN systems?
- Multi-user Passkeys, YubiKeys?
- The iCloud Keychain
- The UK and Google's Topics
Show Notes - https://www.grc.com/sn/SN-973-Notes.pdf
Hosts: Steve Gibson and Leo Laporte
Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/security-now.
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You can submit a question to Security Now at the GRC Feedback Page.
For 16kbps versions, transcripts, and notes (including fixes), visit Steve's site: grc.com, also the home of the best disk maintenance and recovery utility ever written Spinrite 6.
Sponsors:
Apple held its iPad event early on Tuesday morning and announced new iPad Pros with M4 chips! The iPad Air 6 was also announced with a redesigned model. The iPad Pros also have nano-texture glass for their displays, but only for the 1TB and 2TB models. Plus, an Apple Pencil Pro with squeeze and roll gestures and Find My support!
- Apple announces new iPad Pro: OLED display, M4 chip, thinner redesigned chassis.
- Apple debuts Magic Keyboard for M4 iPad Pro with larger trackpad, function row, aluminum palm rest.
- Nano-texture glass for M4 iPad Pro only available on 1TB and 2TB models.
- Apple's new cellular iPad Air and iPad Pro models are eSIM only.
- iPad Air 6: Redesigned model available in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes, landscape front camera.
- Apple unveils M4: Its first chip made for AI from the ground up.
- Apple's new iPad Pro should turn device into true laptop replacement.
- Apple Pencil Pro launches, with squeeze gesture and roll, plus Find My support.
- New versions of Final Cut and Logic Pro for iPad take advantage of the power of the M4 chip.
- New iPad Pro lacks mmWave 5G and Ultra-Wide camera.
- Google paid Apple $20 Billion to be default search engine in 2022.
- Apple reports second quarter results.
- Apple mulling potential partnership with Rivian.
- Apple's Star Wars themed Precision Finding ad.
- Apple is developing AI Chips for data centers, seeking edge in arms race.
Picks of the Week:
- Doc's Pick: GL.iNet GL-MT3000 Travel Router
- Mikah's Pick: Misting Pet Brush
- Andy's Pick: Portal
Hosts: Leo Laporte and Andy Ihnatko
Guests: Doc Rock and Mikah Sargent
Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/macbreak-weekly.
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Apple unveiled a series of updates to its iPad lineup, introducing new models, features, and accessories.
- Redesigned iPad Air: The new iPad Air, available in 11-inch and 13-inch models, features the M2 chip, an updated camera layout, improved connectivity, and increased storage options.
- Next-Generation iPad Pro: The all-new iPad Pro boasts an ultra-thin design, advanced Ultra Retina XDR display, and the powerful M4 chip. It comes in 11-inch and 13-inch models.
- Introduction of the M4 Chip: Apple's latest silicon, the M4 chip, enables the iPad Pro's sleek design and impressive display capabilities while delivering significant performance improvements.
- Updates to Pro-Level Apps: Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro receive substantial updates, with new features like Live Multicam, Final Cut Camera, Session Players, ChromaGlow, and Stem Splitter.
- Debut of Apple Pencil Pro: The new Apple Pencil Pro offers an enhanced user experience with pressure sensitivity, haptic feedback, gyroscope-based control, and Find My integration.
- Redesigned Magic Keyboard: The updated Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro is thinner, lighter, and includes a function row, aluminum palm rest, larger trackpad, and haptic feedback.
Hosts: Leo Laporte and Mikah Sargent
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In this episode of This Week in Tech, Leo Laporte is joined by Georgia Dow, Shoshana Weissmann, and Fr. Robert Ballecer, tackling a wide range of thought-provoking topics, from the ethical implications of AI in sensitive fields to the challenges of creating and consuming content in an increasingly commercialized digital landscape.
The panel grapples with the potential risks and benefits of AI-powered therapists and priests, stressing the need for human empathy and discernment in these emotionally charged roles.
They confront the harsh realities of the internet's "heat death," as the relentless pursuit of profits and engagement leads to a glut of low-quality content and erodes user trust.
The group reflects on the double-edged sword of democratized media, celebrating the value of supporting emerging voices while acknowledging the importance of professional standards.
As Twitter faces existential challenges, the panel surveys the social media horizon, evaluating alternative platforms like Mastodon and Bluesky, and weighing the implications of Jack Dorsey's departure from the Bluesky board.
Elon Musk's reckless tweets about taking Tesla private have come back to haunt him, with the Supreme Court upholding an SEC settlement requiring his Tesla-related posts to be vetted by a lawyer.
The FCC has cracked down on major telecom companies for the illegal sale of location data, while legislators push for reforms to prevent the government from exploiting privacy loopholes.
Congress continues its misguided crusade to protect children online, with ill-conceived age verification mandates and privacy-eroding measures that threaten the very foundations of digital security. The panel offers an impassioned critique of these shortsighted efforts.
The once-beloved video game Helldivers 2 serves as a cautionary tale of platform overreach, as a heavy-handed PlayStation Network login requirement sparks a massive player revolt and torpedoes the game's reputation.
Apple's quarterly results are analyzed, and all eyes are on Apple's upcoming event, where new iPads and an enhanced Apple Pencil are expected to take center stage. But the real buzz surrounds the rumored M4 chip and its tantalizing AI capabilities, hinting at a potential game-changer for the iconic brand.
The group geeks out over Disney+'s radical revival of X-Men '97 and Amazon's ambitious Fallout adaptation, complete with an immersive easter egg phone experience
The freewheeling discussion also touches on Shoshana's ingenious Alexa hacks for Sabbath TV viewing, a UK council's apostrophe apocalypse, the looming cicada invasion, and Fr. Robert's role as a guardian angel for the Vatican's feral felines.
Host: Leo Laporte
Guests: Georgia Dow, Shoshana Weissmann, and Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ
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The people are pushing for the ban of TikTok within the U.S. Trying to use your WiFi network while on your mobile hotspot. Why is my Safari browser constantly crashing on start up? Be aware when purchasing SD cards on websites like Amazon. What happens with data that is stored in your iCloud but not on your phone? Plus, Scott Wilkinson stops by to talk about the new TVs Sony announced recently.
- Arc Browser available for Windows.
- Heat Death of the Internet.
- Apple reports second quarter results.
- Meet the powerful tech insiders behind the push to ban TikTok
- Can you use a WiFi network when using a hotspot on the AT&T network?
- Scott Wilkinson and Sony's 2024 TV's.
- A caller suggests some novels for Leo & Mikah to read.
- A follow-up question to last week's show about images stored within BitWarden and the idea of a "secure delete."
- Talking about the AT&T security breach that happened recently.
- How does the iPhone manage files & data on your phone and within iCloud when handling older files and data from a previous iPhone?
- After upgrading to Sonoma OS on my Mac, why is the Safari browser constantly crashing on startup for me?
- How can I know when I'm purchasing a legitimate SD card on websites like Amazon?
- Are there any bank institutions that offer 2FA through applications such as Authy or Google Authenticator rather than text messages?
- How can I block outgoing traffic from Amazon's Alexa on my Ubiquiti network?
- If I have a bunch of HDMI cables from over the years, how can I test the cables to tell which is HDMI 1.0 and the other is HDMI 2.0?
- Why is my Windows Start menu disappearing after my machine goes to sleep mode?
- What's the best way to encrypt a USB drive?
Hosts: Leo Laporte and Mikah Sargent
Guest: Scott Wilkinson
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Show notes and links for this episode are available at: https://twit.tv/shows/ask-the-tech-guys/episodes/2023
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While we may not think of it very often, music has a long history of influencing how we think about spaceflight. From the scores of early silent films to the modern classics we all know, like 2001: A Space Odyssey and the never-ending franchises of Star Trek and Star Wars, we often have a riff going through our minds when we see a space image—few can hear Strauss' Blue Danube without thinking of the space station in 2001, or see a tilted yellow title scroll without hearing that first orchestral crash of John Williams' immortal Star Wars score. And, in real life, we had the talented astronaut Chris Hadfield performing David Bowie's classic hit Major Tom, augmented by upbeat lyrics. Space music is big, and Chris Carberry, CEO of Explore Mars and author of the recently released book The Music of Space, is here to tell us why!
Headlines:
- China launches Chang'e-6 mission to the far side of the moon, aiming to collect and return the first-ever samples from this region
- Boeing completes final flight readiness review for the CFT crew flight test mission, set to launch on May 6th with a 95% chance of good weather
- James Webb Space Telescope successfully maps weather on exoplanet WASP-43 b, located 280 light years away, showcasing the telescope's potential for studying distant worlds
Main Topic: The Music of Space
- Chris Carberry discusses his new book "The Music of Space: Scoring the Cosmos in Film and Television" and his motivation for exploring the connection between space and music
- Early examples of space-related music in film include the scores for "Metropolis" (1927) and the space documentary "Our Heavenly Bodies" (1920)
- The pivotal role of Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" in using classical music to depict space, and how it influenced future filmmakers
- John Williams' iconic score for "Star Wars" (1977) marked a turning point in film scoring and revitalized orchestral music in cinema
- The concept of music as a universal language and its potential for communicating with alien civilizations
- Chris Hadfield's rendition of David Bowie's "Space Oddity" on the International Space Station and the challenges of playing music in microgravity
- The role of music in future space settlements, its impact on mental health, and how it may evolve in different environments like Mars
- Chris Carberry's previous book "Alcohol in Space" and the history of alcohol consumption in space missions
- The need for studying the effects of alcohol on human physiology in space as commercial spaceflight advances
Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik
Guest: Chris Carberry
Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space.
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Abrar Al-Heeti joins Mikah Sargent this week! Abrar talks about the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). Mikah talks about GM rolling out its own infotainment hub after no longer supporting Apple CarPlay in its vehicles. Reviews of the Rabbit R1 have rolled out this week. And can you remove bad AI data from AI models?
- Abrar Al-Heeti talks about how the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is winding down and the impact it will have on 1 in 5 US households, affecting the indigenous community the hardest.
- Mikah Sargent airs his grievances on GM's in-house infotainment hub after the company decided against using Apple's CarPlay in its vehicles.
- Lisa Eadicicco of CNET joins the show to discuss her review of the Rabbit R1 AI devices and whether this device could truly replace one's smartphone.
- And finally, Katyanna Quach of Semafor talks about how researchers from Amazon suggest that bad and harmful data can be removed from an AI model and the idea of 'model disgorgement.'
Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Abrar Al-Heeti
Guests: Lisa Eadicicco and Katyanna Quach
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Sponsors:
- Google is building a fart button into Android
- The Rabbit R1 is loosely based on Android after all
- Alphabet Leaps Into $2 Trillion Club as Results Show AI Strength
- Google plans $3 billion data center investment in Indiana, Virginia
- Google cuts hundreds of 'Core' workers, moves jobs to India, Mexico
- Google workers fired for protesting Israeli contract file NLRB complaint
- Meet the powerful tech insiders behind the push to ban TikTok
- A Chinese Firm Is America's Favorite Drone Maker. Except in Washington.
- FCC fines AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon nearly $200 million for illegally sharing location data
- The FCC just doled out big privacy fines. It could soon lose that power.
- Supreme Court Rejects Musk's 'Twitter Sitter' Appeal in SEC Win
- Twilio Founder Jeff Lawson Has Some Serious Plans for The Onion
- Lawsuits test Tesla claim that drivers are solely responsible for crashes
- Musk Wins China's Backing for Tesla's Driver-Assistance Service
- Elizabeth Spiers: That Strange Piece of Metal Origami Embodies All Elon Musk's Flaws
- Tesla to lay off everyone working on Superchargers, new vehicles and public policy team
- Supreme Court declines to block Texas pornography restriction
- Bruce Perens proposes draft Post-Open Zero Cost License
- Remember that Sora balloon video?
- From Baby Talk to Baby A.I.
- Related: Yann LeCun & AI as 4-year-old
- Is history repeating itself? I have concerns.
- The Cheyenne Supercomputer is going for a fraction of its list price at auction right now
Hosts: Leo Laporte, Jeff Jarvis, and Paris Martineau
Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-google.
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Sponsors:
FY24 Q3 Earnings, AI Explorer, Github Copilot Workspace
Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell
For full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/879
Sponsors:
- GCHQ: No more default passwords for consumer IoT devices!
- What happened with Chrome and 3rd-party cookies?
- Race conditions and multi-threading
- GM "accidentally" enrolled millions into "OnStar Smart Driver +" program
- Steve recommends Ryk Brown's "Frontiers Saga"
- SpinRite update
- Passkeys: A Shattered Dream?
Show Notes - https://www.grc.com/sn/SN-972-Notes.pdf
Hosts: Steve Gibson and Leo Laporte
Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/security-now.
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You can submit a question to Security Now at the GRC Feedback Page.
For 16kbps versions, transcripts, and notes (including fixes), visit Steve's site: grc.com, also the home of the best disk maintenance and recovery utility ever written Spinrite 6.
Sponsors:
Could Apple's announcement of its new iPad's next week be positioned as an AI-powered device? What happened with Apple IDs being reset suddenly for some users? Apple is replacing its titanium Apple cards from the 2019 batch. And Mercedes-Benz is planning not to adopt the next iteration of Apple's CarPlay in its vehicles.
- Apple rivals retool to challenge the iPhone and Vision Pro.
- Apple's OpenAI talks intensify as it seeks to add AI features.
- Many people say their Apple IDs were inexplicably reset last night.
- FCC fines AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon nearly $200 million for illegally sharing location data.
- Apple starts replacing titanium Apple cards from 2019 batch.
- Apple must open iPadOS to sideloading within 6 months, EU says.
- Epic Games is dragging Apple back to court over anti-steering.
- iPad used to fire modern weapons in old Ukrainian jets.
- Mercedes-Benz won't let Apple CarPlay take over all its screens.
- Why an iPhone can survive a drop from a plane, but not from your kitchen counter.
Picks of the Week:
- Alex's Pick: Alpaka
- Leo's Pick: Loctote
- Andy's Pick: The Boston Public Library
- Jason's Pick: Grammarly Desktop
Hosts: Leo Laporte, Alex Lindsay, Andy Ihnatko, and Jason Snell
Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/macbreak-weekly.
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Sponsors:
TikTok Ban, Intel's Struggles, Google's Ensh*ttification
- 'Thunder Run': Behind Lawmakers' Secretive Push to Pass the TikTok Bill
- A Chinese Firm Is America's Favorite Drone Maker. Except in Washington.
- The panel taks about AI
- With YouTube Booming, Podcast Creators Get Camera-Ready
- A new California bill would restrict line-skipping service 'Clear' at airports in the name of equity
- The Man Who Killed Google Search
- Google search boss Raghavan warns employees of 'new operating reality'
- Oracle is moving its world HQ to Nashville
- Google delays third-party cookie demise yet again
- Alphabet Leaps Into $2 Trillion Club as Results Show AI Strength
- U.S. chipmaker Intel was once dominant, now struggles to stay relevant
- Twilio Founder Jeff Lawson Has Some Serious Plans for The Onion
Host: Leo Laporte
Guests: Amy Webb and Kevin Rose
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TikTok will be banned within the U.S. in nine months unless Bytedance divests, but now the government may be seeking to ban another popular Chinese product within the country. Why are a caller's photo uploads to Instagram failing? How can I get Siri to stop bringing up duplicate contacts when using it? Plus, Dick DeBartolo brings some exciting gadgets to the show, and Chris Marquardt goes over the Power photo assignment!
- Banning TikTok just puts a Band-Aid over social media's problems.
- Many people say their Apple IDs were inexplicably reset last night.
- A Chinese firm Is America's favorite drone maker. Except in Washington.
- With YouTube booming, podcast creators get camera-ready.
- What off-site backup options do Leo and Mikah like the most?
- Troubleshooting why a sound bar is no longer connecting to a caller's WiFi network automatically.
- Dick DeBartolo and the semi-smart lightbulb.
- Why are my photos failing to upload to Instagram?
- Is there an app that can allow me to send the same pre-recorded voicemail to those that I call?
- How can I get Siri to stop bringing up multiple instances of one contact when using the digital assistant?
- Is there a way to securely open JPGs within BItwarden without re-downloading it or opening the image externally?
- Why is my iPhone 11 unable to connect to my printer?
- Chris Marquardt and the Powerful assignment review.
- Why is the quality of my audio so poor when streaming through Xfinity?
- Is it time to upgrade my Intel iMac to the most recent Mac mini? Should I wait for Apple to refresh the Mac minis later this year?
Hosts: Leo Laporte and Mikah Sargent
Guests: Dick DeBartolo and Chris Marquardt
Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit
Show notes and links for this episode are available at: https://twit.tv/shows/ask-the-tech-guys/episodes/2022
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We've been waiting... and waiting... and waiting for Boeing's Starliner to fly. First selected in 2010, along with SpaceX's Crew Dragon, Starliner has been behind schedule for years. SpaceX got $2.6 billion for its six dragon flights, and Boeing received more at $4.3 billion, so you'd expect Boeing to be first to fly, right? Well, as of today, SpaceX has delivered crews to the International Space Station eight times, to Boeing's... zero. Delayed development, turbulence problems with the capsule on the Atlas launcher, stuck valves, flammable materials, and faulty parachute lines have all contributed to the delays. Boeing has flown two uncrewed missions—the first one a partial failure, with the second, funded by Boeing itself, flown to NASA's satisfaction. Now it's time to put a crew aboard. Will Boeing overcome their issues and deliver the goods? Join us.
Headlines:
- Voyager's Return: NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory confirms reestablishment of contact with Voyager 1 after five months of silence, overcoming communication challenges over vast interstellar distances.
- China's Shenzhou 18 and Tiangong Space Station: China successfully launches Shenzhou 18 to the Tiangong Space Station, which was recently hit by space debris, prompting China to revamp its space debris management strategies.
- International Partnerships for Lunar Research: China announces new international partnerships for its International Lunar Research Station, contrasting its progress with NASA's Artemis Accords.
Main Topic: Boeing Starliner's Upcoming Mission
- Starliner's Crewed Test Flight: A detailed discussion on Boeing's upcoming Starliner mission, highlighting the spacecraft's capabilities, the crew's preparations, and the significance of this test flight.
- Spacecraft and Mission Overview: Insights into the Starliner's design, the choice of Atlas V rockets for the launch, and the planned landing procedures in the southwestern United States.
- Crew Profiles: Focus on the astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, discussing their backgrounds, roles in the mission, and expectations for the test flight.
- Closing Thoughts: Rod and Tariq wrap up with final thoughts on the importance of the Starliner mission for Boeing and NASA, discussing potential outcomes and what they signify for the future of commercial spaceflight.
Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik
Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space.
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Jason Howell is filling in for Mikah Sargent as Mikah is out! Emily Dreibelbis chatted with one of the moderators of r/ChatGPT on Reddit. The Rabbit R1 AI companion device recently had its launch party, and first impressions are coming out for the wearable device. Meta opens its Quest Horizon OS to developers. And AI finally arrives in the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses.
- Emily Dreibelbis of PCMag spoke with a moderator of one of the more popular subreddits on Reddit, r/ChatGPT, about their experience moderating a subreddit of that size and popularity.
- Jason Howell talks about the Rabbit R1 AI companion device and how more wearable devices are being developed with AI in them.
- Scott Stein of CNET joins the show to discuss Meta's opening its Quest Horizon OS to other developers and Meta's possible goals for allowing third-party developers access to this operating system.
- Finally, Victoria Song of The Verge stops by to talk with Jason about the Ray-Ban rolling out multimodal AI to its smart glasses.
Hosts: Jason Howell and Emily Dreibelbis
Guests: Scott Stein and Victoria Song
Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly.
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Sponsors:
- 'Thunder Run': Behind Lawmakers' Secretive Push to Pass the TikTok Bill
- TikTok ban would be a gift from Congress to Meta and Google
- How the TikTok ban could survive a court challenge
- The Chilling of TikTok
- FTC Bans Noncompete Agreements That Restrict Job Switching
- Sam Altman-backed crypto project Worldcoin faces an orb shortage
- Paris' nuts
- Rabbit R1
- brilliant.xyz
- More wearable AI: IYO One
- The Man Who Killed Google Search
- Google search boss Raghavan warns employees of 'new operating reality'
- The solution to scary Boston Dynamics bots? Make robots hairy
- Meta shares plummet 10% after second quarter outlook disappoints
- Newsletter platform Ghost adopts ActivityPub to 'bring back the open web'
- Beware of The Fake Podcast Invite Scam
- Bravely Exploring the Squalor of a 'Boy Room'
- This fun little web game: Equinox.Space
- magCulture
- No one buys books
Hosts: Leo Laporte, Jeff Jarvis, and Paris Martineau
Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-google.
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Leo, Paul, and Richard steer towards the performance race as they speculate about how Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite/Plus PCs will compare to Apple Silicon MacBooks. What makes a laptop truly user-friendly? System reliability, UI consistency, battery life? Plus, the recent Fallout TV series, the practicality of using winget for browser installations, and how the ARM chipset switch is revving up the PC market.
ARMed & ready
- Qualcomm announces the Snapdragon X Plus and confirms Paul's report that the Snapdragon X Elite will have three SKUs (product editions)
- All four SKUs outperform Apple M3, Intel Core Ultra 7/9, AMD Ryzen 9 7940/8945HS on most benchmarks
- Why? PC makers asked Qualcomm for familiar choices
- Previously, an X Plus-based Surface Pro 10 and an X Elite-based ThinkPad T40s leaked. Paul can now confirm from a source that Surface Laptop 6 (13 and 15-inch) and Surface Pro will all be on X (something}
- Vivaldi is bringing its browser to Windows on Arm too
Windows 11
- The April 2024 Week D preview update is here: Recommended apps and frequently used apps in Start, Widgets icon updates, Lock screen widgets improvements
- Canary: Moves off 24H2 train to build 26200, no more switch to Dev, minor changes to the Widgets board and Taskbar (no new build for Dev)
- Beta: New Widgets design with navigation bar, new account manager in Start, Gmail in Share, MSA recovery advertisement, and new Game Pass recommendation card in Settings
- Microsoft Store app downloads from the web get simpler, more sophisticated
- After yet another Quest 2 Headset price cut, and mounting problems for Apple's Vision Pro, Meta opens up Horizon OS, Microsoft is sort-of on board
Microsoft 365/Dev
- Office LTSC 2024 commercial is now available in preview
- Classic Teams rides off into the sunset on July 1
- Dropbox offers deeper Microsoft 365 integration
- GitHub sees success in 2FA push
AI
- The European Commission will not formally investigate Microsoft/OpenAI partnership
- Microsoft released a new SLM
- Microsoft gives a sneak peek of VASA-1, a crazy and scary "talking faces" AI tool
- Google copies Microsoft again, announces massive AI reorg - that has Pixel fans worried
- Adobe's generative AI image capabilities are predictably fantastic
Xbox
- Get an Xbox Mastercard in the US, if you're a tool
- Microsoft announces IGN x ID@Xbox digital showcase - indie games
Tips & Picks
- Tip of the week: Have you heard the one joke about the one time you need to use Edge?
- App pick of the week: Tiny11 Builder
- RunAs Radio this week: PowerShell 7.4 with Sydney Smith
- Brown liquor pick of the week: GlenKinchie 12
Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell
Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly
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Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com
The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.
Sponsors:
- What do you call "Stuxnet on steroids"??
- Voyager 1 update
- Android 15 to quarantine apps
- Thunderbird & Microsoft Exchange
- China bans Western encrypted messaging apps
- Gentoo says "no" to AI
- Cars collecting diving data
- Freezing your credit
- Investopedia
- Computer Science Abstractions
- Lazy People vs. Secure Systems
- Actalis issues free S/MIME certificates
- PIN Encryption
- DRAM and GhostRace
- AT&T Phishing Scam
- Race Conditions and Multi-core processors
- An Alternative to the Current Credit System
- SpinRite Updates
- Chat (out of) Control
Show Notes - https://www.grc.com/sn/SN-971-Notes.pdf
Hosts: Steve Gibson and Leo Laporte
Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/security-now.
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You can submit a question to Security Now at the GRC Feedback Page.
For 16kbps versions, transcripts, and notes (including fixes), visit Steve's site: grc.com, also the home of the best disk maintenance and recovery utility ever written Spinrite 6.
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Apple announced a May 7th event, hinting very heavily that new iPads will be announced at the event! Will Apple stop producing its FineWoven accessories following negative reviews of the product? Apple is continuing its environmental push. And is Apple cutting its future Vision Pro shipment forecasts?
- Apple announces May 7th event for new iPad.
- Apple reportedly stops production of FineWoven accessories.
- Apple hits 18 gigawatts of clean energy in its environmental push.
- What really happens when you trade In an iPhone at the Apple Store.
- Apple finally plans to release a Calculator app for iPad later this year.
- macOS 15 rumored to feature revamped Calculator app.
- Apple says it was ordered to pull WhatsApp from China app store.
- Apple cuts 2024 & 2025 Vision Pro shipment forecasts.
Picks of the Week:
- Shelly's Pick: Quinn Martin TV Shows
- Andy's Pick: MediaHuman Audio Converter
- Alex's Pick: Apple Reality Composer
Hosts: Leo Laporte, Alex Lindsay, and Andy Ihnatko
Guest: Shelly Brisbin
Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/macbreak-weekly.
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Sponsors:
- Cops can force suspect to unlock phone with thumbprint, US court rules
- TikTok 'ban' passes in the House again
- Senate reauthorizes FISA spy program, but not before its midnight expiration
- Surveillance Law Section 702 Keeps Us Safe
- Netflix (NFLX) earnings Q1 2024
- Americans' New TV Habit: Subscribe. Watch. Cancel. Repeat.
- How One Author Pushed the Limits of AI Copyright
- Amazon Prime Memberships in US Gain 8% to New High After Lull
- Tesla recalls all 3,878 Cybertrucks over faulty accelerator pedal
- Tesla asks shareholders to approve Elon Musk's nixed $56 billion pay plan
- Cool or creepy? Microsoft's VASA-1 is a new AI model that turns photos into 'talking faces'
- GPT-4 can exploit real vulnerabilities by reading advisories
- Boston Dynamics' Atlas humanoid robot goes electric
- Schools Want to Ban Phones. Parents Say No.
Host: Leo Laporte
Guests: Jason Howell, Abrar Al-Heeti, and Mikah Sargent
Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech
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Leo Laporte and Mikah Sargent dive into a variety of engaging tech topics, from controversial phone bans in schools to the future of AI and data privacy. The duo also tackles listener questions on VPNs, mobile hotspots, Apple App Store subscriptions, and more. Special guest Rod Pyle joins to discuss the latest updates on Voyager 1 and the Mars Sample Return mission.
- Mobile Phones in Schools: Leo and Mikah discuss the growing controversy around schools banning phones to prevent students from being distracted in class, despite parents' concerns about wanting to stay connected with their children.
- Biometric Security and Privacy: A recent court ruling determined that police officers can compel suspects to unlock their phones using biometric data like fingerprints, sparking a debate about privacy rights and the Fifth Amendment.
- TikTok Ban Passes in the House Again: The hosts examine the implications of the U.S. House of Representatives once again passing a ban on TikTok, which is now headed to the Senate as part of a foreign aid package.
- John asks how to ensure that a VPN is truly protecting his privacy, and Leo explains the importance of trust in a connected world.
- Eric inquires about using NFC chips to log onto Wi-Fi networks with an iPhone, and Mikah clarifies that this feature is not currently available on iOS devices.
- Limitless: Leo pre-ordered a new wearable device called Limitless, which uses AI to record and transcribe conversations while respecting privacy by requiring consent from participants.
- Space expert Rod Pyle joins the show to discuss the latest developments with Voyager 1's corrupted memory and NASA's decision to cut ties with JPL for the Mars sample return mission due to cost and time concerns.
- Dan experiences issues with his mobile hotspot disconnecting when using his computer, and the hosts troubleshoot potential solutions, including checking for metered connections and power-saving settings.
- Fernando inquires about running local AI models for his work at a hospital, and Leo provides insight into retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) and various open-source AI options like Dot.
- Tim asks about using multiple payment methods for Apple App Store subscriptions, and Mikah explains the workaround of manually reordering payment methods.
- Steve wants to move his photos from Google Photos to a hard drive, and Leo recommends using Mylio to easily import and manage the photos from Google Takeout.
- A listener, also named Tim, asks for recommendations on moving their DNS hosting away from Google while still supporting dynamic DNS updates, and the hosts suggest using Cloudflare or a router with built-in dynamic DNS support.
- Shelly experiences issues with mismatched drive sizes when attempting to clone her hard drives, and Leo advises using a sector-by-sector copying tool or rsync for more precise duplication.
Hosts: Leo Laporte and Mikah Sargent
Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit
Show notes and links for this episode are available at: https://twit.tv/shows/ask-the-tech-guys/episodes/2021
Download or subscribe to this show at: https://twit.tv/shows/all-twittv-shows
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Unless you've been living under a big red Martian rock, you've likely heard that NASA's Mars Sample Return mission is in trouble. The robotic program has its roots in the 1960s, when NASA started thinking about sending robots to fetch Mars soil even before Mariner 4's first flyby of the planet. The Russians pondered it as well, as the Chinese and Japanese are today. The problem? It's really hard, with multiple spacecraft, possibly on different launches, rendezvousing around the Red Planet to accomplish. And then there are the concerns about the safety of returning possible pathogens to Earth (that said, I could use an extra tentacle). But the showstopper, as usual, is cost—and NASA's not happy. We invited the original Space Ace reporter, Leonard David, to join the discussion.
Headlines:
- NASA gives green light to Dragonfly, a nuclear-powered helicopter mission to Saturn's moon Titan, set to launch in 2028 and arrive in 2034
- New images from the Perseverance rover reveal the crash site of the Ingenuity helicopter on Mars, showing scattered debris and broken rotor blades
- NASA continues to study the Orion spacecraft's heat shield, which experienced more erosion than expected during the Artemis 1 mission, raising concerns for future crewed missions
Main Topic: Mars Sample Return Mission
- Leonard David expresses frustration with NASA's recent announcement of significant cost increases and delays for the Mars Sample Return mission
- NASA Administrator Bill Nelson stated that the current estimated cost of $11 billion is too high and called for innovative ideas from industry and academia to reduce costs and accelerate the timeline
- They discuss the scientific importance of returning Martian samples to Earth but question whether the current approach is the most effective way to search for life on Mars
- Leonard suggests that advancements in miniaturized instruments could allow for more comprehensive life detection experiments directly on the Martian surface, reducing the need for sample return
- The conversation touches on the potential for international collaboration and competition in Mars exploration, with China, Japan, and Russia planning their own missions
- Rod highlights the critical role of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Mars exploration and expresses concern about the potential loss of expertise if the MSR mission is scaled back or cancelled
- The TWiS crew concludes by emphasizing the need for a clear, sustainable strategy for Mars exploration that balances scientific objectives, technological capabilities, and budgetary realities
Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik
Guest: Leonard David
Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space.
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Boston Dynamics introduced a new robot that has caught the attention of many people. How is Microsoft's AI Copilot impacting the coding industry? What are TikTok Notes? And what in the heck are Super Apps?
- Jennifer Pattison Tuohy joins us this episode to discuss Boston Dynamics' introduction of its latest robot, the Atlas, and how it's a vast improvement over its previous robots.
- Mikah Sargent talks about how Microsoft's AI Copilot is impacting the coding industry by automating coding aspects and saving engineers time.
- Karissa Bell of Engadget joins the show to talk about TikTok's latest experiment, TikTok Notes, and how it is similar to Meta's Instagram.
- Finally, Lisa Eadicicco of CNET explains what Super Apps are and why the idea of Super Apps is starting to make news lately.
Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Guests: Karissa Bell and Lisa Eadicicco
Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly.
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Sponsors:
- Craig Newmark the Pigeon Man / more AI Music
- Boston Dynamics' Atlas humanoid robot goes electric
- Marques Brownlee calls the Humane AI pin "the worst product I've ever reviewed."
- limitless ai
- brilliant.xyz
- Maria Cantwell wants a privacy law. She's been one of its biggest obstacles.
- Experts Provide Early Analysis of the American Privacy Rights Act
- Unclear Protections in the American Privacy Rights Act Not Worth Broad Preemption
- Google tests stopping news links in California because of CJPA
- Whoops! Computer error leads to wrong couple getting divorced
- Hey, Paris: How Neopets' nostalgic revival tripled users in six months
- Amazon virtually kills efforts to develop Alexa Skills, disappointing dozens
- Panic-as-a-Business is Expanding
- Crypto Trader Searched Web for 'Fraud' Before $110 Million Haul
- 'Eat the future, pay with your face': my dystopian trip to an AI burger joint
- Ready for a Chatbot Version of Your Favorite Instagram Influencers?
- Prophet Song
- Strands, the superior NYT game
- Cow magnets
- Vinod Khosla's tech-determinist TED wet dream
Hosts: Leo Laporte, Jeff Jarvis, and Paris Martineau
Guest: Stacey Higginbotham
Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-google.
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Sponsors:
Backlash against tech criticism, Ralf Groene retires, Hardcore Software
Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell
For full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/877
Sponsors:
