TechStuff

In tech, a black box is any technology that hides the processes that take input and generate output. We see what goes in, we see what comes out but what's going on inside? We look at the black box problem in tech. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Once the Wards Company, Circuit City really established its identity decades after it was founded. How did the company grow and ultimately die, and what comes next? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A security company CEO has some harsh words for Microsoft and the security it relies on for its Azure cloud platform. Microsoft itself warns that Russian hackers are using Microsoft Teams to target a small number of organizations in an effort to get login credentials. And the FBI finds that the FBI was partly responsible for illegal activity. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does it mean for a material to be superconductive? Did a team of South Korean researchers create a revolutionary superconductive material? And what would that mean for the world?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elon Musk's X company installed an enormous, illuminated "X" sign at the company HQ, and then took it down a couple of days later. Meta is preparing to launch some AI chatbots, including an AI Abe Lincoln. And a court in Europe is forcing Meta to reveal the identity of an anonymous user. Plus lots more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While an elephant may never forget, the same cannot be said for artificial neural networks. What is catastrophic forgetting, how does it affect artificial intelligence and how are engineers trying to solve the problem?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you remember the electronics superstore called Circuit City? If you shopped in the 80s and 90s, the answer is probably yes. How did it get started? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

X.com will require brands to spend at least $1,000 per month on advertising or else risk losing the verified checkmark on the platform. A city in China has temporarily banned Tesla vehicles. Meta had a very good Q2. And scientists claim they have made a massive breakthrough with superconductors. Plus lots more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amazon is rolling out palm scanner technology to Whole Foods grocery stores. What's the story on biometrics, and what are the benefits and drawbacks of the technology?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elon Musk has changed Twitter to X, and a lot of people are puzzled and unhappy about it. Plus, the ESRB wants to make sure you're old enough to play that video game. And Apple faces another massive lawsuit due to its app store practices. And more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the film Oppenheimer released to theaters, it's time to talk about the tech of the atomic bombs. What set the two apart? How did they work? And how did Oppenheimer feel about his achievements? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn about the amazing world of magnets and how super smart people figured out we could use them to store data. From old wire recordings to magnetic hard drives, we look at the science and tech behind magnetic data storage. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hacker Kevin Mitnick passed away this week. Back in the 1990s, Mitnick upset a lot of powerful companies by infiltrating their computer systems and became a hero to some and a villain to others. In other news, we've got a lot more AI stories, plus Ukraine authorities bust up a huge botnet operation.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've all heard that perpetual motion machines are impossible (at least as far as our understanding of the universe goes) but why? We look at how our understanding of thermodynamics forbids perpetual motion machines to be a thing. And I bungle the lyrics to a Faith Hill song.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Microsoft's contract to purchase Activision Blizzard expires today, and Reuters reports that the company is trying to get an extension on the agreement while navigating regulatory hurdles. A CEO predicts that AI will eliminate outsourced programmer jobs in India in the near future. And the NYPD plans to use flying robots to warn citizens of imminent danger.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

A developer has created an AI chatbot designed to help hackers create malicious code and content. Was this inevitable? Beyond that, the "good" versions of AI continue to produce troublesome content. What would Hamlet have to say about that? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Software bugs range from annoying to catastrophic. It's time to explore some of the most famous flaws in computer history! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From Hollywood to India, today's tech stories largely focus on how AI is disrupting businesses and the consequences that follow. Plus, we learn about Amazon asking the EU for reclassification, Microsoft moving forward on buying Activision Blizzard, and Chinese hackers gaining access to email accounts belonging to two dozen government agencies in the US and Europe. See omnystudio.com/listener for p...

Once upon a time, the RSS icon was a common sight on web pages. But these days, it's rare to see the friendly widget on the web. So what happened? Why has RSS faded away across much of the web landscape?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Leaders in the US and Australia continue to view TikTok critically. The US state of Massachusetts proposes a law that would make it illegal for data brokers to buy and sell cellular location data. And protestors in San Francisco are sabotaging self-driving cars through the careful application of traffic cones. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meta sees Twitter's struggles as an opportunity and has launched Threads. Meanwhile, services like Mastodon, Bluesky and Hive Social have attracted former Twitter users seeking an alternative. What's the state of microblogging, and will Threads become the new dominant platform? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is AR and how does it work? Learn about augmented reality's history and future! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Twitter upsets lots of users with strange changes in process. Meta launches its Twitter competitor Threads. France passes a surveillance law that can turn a citizen's gadgets into devices that spy on them. And more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is carbon fiber? What makes it special? Is it really stronger than steel? And what are some good (and maybe bad) applications for carbon fiber?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Where does the color come from in fireworks? How are those giant displays choreographed? We conclude our discussion on fireworks. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.