TechStuff

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.

How do fireworks work? From the basics to fully choreographed displays, we take a look at the tech of making stuff go boom. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shannon Morse and Jonathan continue their conversation about some of the worst hacking scenes in Hollywood history and how with a little adjustment they could be more accurate. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this classic episode from 2009, Chris and Jonathan talk about 3-D glasses, awful movies from the 1980s, and whether or not 3D would become the future of television. (Narrator's voice: It did not). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Intel and AMD have a common history, but each company has gone its own way in chip design. Why are Intel chips and AMD chips not compatible? And is there one type of chip that's better than all the rest?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What makes an 8-bit system different from a 16-bit system? Or a 64-bit system? We look at what this actually means, and how a small jump in bits results in a huge jump in the number of values those bits can represent. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jonathan is loopy, but he's also logical. Or he tries to be. Between pop culture references and dad jokes, Jonathan explains what logic gates are and how they work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hacking isn't as glamorous or exciting as movies and television make it seem. Shannon Morse joins the show to talk about the worst examples of hacking in films and TV. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elon Musk called out Mark Zuckerberg to fight in a cage match, and Zuckerberg said he's down for it. Will we get a billionaire on billionaire beatdown? Probably not, but it's fun to talk about. Plus, Amazon faces scrutiny on two different fronts and Reddit chaos continues.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What are the components that make up a CPU? What does it mean if a manufacturer used a 5 nm process to fabricate a chip? And is a multi-core processor always better than a single-core processor?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thousands of subreddits continue to protest Reddit leaders' decisions to change API rules, and they have chosen the image of John Oliver to serve as protest. Plus Apple tells employees not to use chatbots and the EU makes some new rules for device manufacturers that will require big changes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Education has the power to show students a path they’d never considered before. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell and Dr. Laurie Santos take on tech education at HBCUs with Dr. Derrick Warren, Associate Dean at the Southern University College of Business. They talk about the partnership between IBM SkillsBuild and Southern University to co-create a cybersecurity leadership...

What has Pixar been up to over the last decade? Which Pixar film has had an underwhelming performance at the box office? And what comes next? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why are Google staff being told to avoid using AI chatbots when the company makes one? How are governments around the world tackling risks associated with AI and misinformation? And why is Twitter getting kicked out of its offices in Boulder, Colorado? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.