Dave’s Garage: Shop Talk

Dave and Glen discuss how WPA was "hacked" and other topics in this latest edition of ShopTalk! Subscribe to the channel! Windows 7 product activation exploit BIOS key vulnerabilities Anti-piracy measures at Microsoft Viewer feedback on video background music Dave's speaking style and cadence Windows being "essentially free" debate Office Suite UI frustrations Windows 11 hardware requirements (TPM...

Every wondered why Microsoft removes features like docking the taskbar on the side? Find out in this episode of ShopTalk with Dave and Glen! Taskbar docking feature removal reasons Feature maintenance cost vs. usage Start menu rewrite speculation Low-usage feature elimination rationale Glen’s temporary Regina location Internet latency challenges Riverside streaming platform benefits Windows Pinbal...

Topics: Windows XP Pinball physics differences Windows 11 telemetry and monetization Desktop-as-a-service speculation Prefetch & Superfetch explained PDP-11 RK05 drive troubleshooting Dave's power supply voltage fail War stories from Microsoft days JetKVM product questions addressed Clarifying JetKVM sponsorship status Nano KVM bad reviews avoided JetKVM saved overheating Threadripper Can...

Dave explains where there could NOT be a Windows 9 in this episode of ShopTalk! Tektronix 4014-1 terminal: Vector graphics, phosphor retention, plans to restore it. Tempest Super AI project: Switched to expert system + reinforcement learning, 10 instances running. Longhorn retrospective: MS evaluation system, Team 99, product vision vs. failure, WinFS, and Aero. Why Dave left Microsoft: Side busin...

Join us almost live for ShopTalk:New Longhorn episode release and Dave’s reflections on itDave’s work on Tempest AI, including behavioral cloning and reinforcement learningBuilding and selling a PDP-11/73 on eBay that boots BSD Unix, RT11, and RSX11MDave and Glen’s high school history and university experiencesYouTube algorithm challenges and channel growth strategiesMesmerizer project: open-sourc...

In this episode of ShopTalk:Why not check refa cap first? - Dave explains not always checking capacitors before powering up. Detecting electrical noise? - Tips on spotting interference using a TV or ham radio feedback. Learning about middle-aged hardware failures? - Dave suggests a video on 2000s capacitor issues. Variac use and capacitor failure? - Depends on capacitor age and voltage rating. Rep...

Why did Dave’s kids get hassled at the Canadian border while picking up a PDP-11?How does Dave plan to train an AI to beat his world record in Tempest? What challenges does Dave face simulating the Tempest encoder wheel for the AI?Why does Dave give the AI only the visual data a human player would see, not internal game states? How does the AI Tempest model improve its performance frame-by-frame?...

Vintage computing (PDP systems): Dave discusses booting his PDP 1134 with RK05 drives and running 2.9 BSD Unix, plus formatting a SCSI drive on his PDP 1173.AI for technical problem-solving: Dave compares using ChatGPT and Grok to solve technical issues, favoring Grok’s efficiency with provided context. Machine learning for game playing: Dave’s project to build an AI to play Tempest using reinforc...

Mirror Flipping: Mirrors flip depth (Z), not left-right or up-down. Physics Girl: Shoutout to Diana Cowan’s mirror video. Light Speed: Headlights work, but time dilation shifts perception. Philosophy Teaser: Half-distance-to-wall paradox. Commodore Printers: Likely just logic, not smart systems. Windows Handles: OS references; millions signal leaks. Full-Height Drives: New term, tied to VAX format...

The Mirror Reversal Mystery Elon Musk's Family Background The Millionth Customer Barbecue Incident Decoding "LPT" Git Usage Preferences Computing History: Commodore 64 and 1541 Floppy Drive ESP8266 Evolution Real-Time Systems Programming Task Manager Priority Behavior Handling Incorrect Information in Large Language Models (LLMs) Quantum Computing and Qubits Advice on Working for Sta...

"You helped work on Windows? Are you sure you're a tech expert?""What is the firing order on my 351 Windsor and my '69 Mustangs?""What do you know about quantum computers—and how do qubits really work?""Do you actually know all the Git/CLI commands, or is that just a myth?""Have you ever seen Uncle Bob (Robert Martin) refactor code—and could you...

Dave and Glen answer the best of more than 8000 comments about the Deepseek R1 episode!

In this jam-packed episode of Shop Talk, Dave and Glen dive into a mix of retro tech nostalgia, hardware troubleshooting, and an exciting giveaway! Here's the rundown: Jetson Orin Nano Giveaway: Dave announces the lucky winner of the Orin Nano, a powerful AI-focused single-board computer. Congrats to Null L1i for their brilliant home automation idea featuring text-to-speech like HAL 9000! Hard...

Join Dave and Glen in the latest episode of Dave's Garage for an electrifying mix of retro computing, cutting-edge AI, and essential cybersecurity insights! This week, they’re diving deep into the legendary PDP-11, sharing the thrilling journey of resurrecting a 2GB hard drive and booting BSD for the first time. Whether you’re a vintage tech enthusiast or a modern AI aficionado, there’s someth...

Dave and Glen discuss the new Google Chrome extension exploits in 35+ different Chrome Extensions affecting millions of PC users.

Dave and Glen dive into viewer questions about Dave’s ongoing PDP-11 Unix adventures. They discuss the challenges of compiling the UNIX kernel on real vintage hardware (complete with hour-long compile times!), writing custom software like a homemade sudo command, and experimenting with retro-themed screensavers including a Matrix-style display on a genuine VT220 terminal. Other highlights include...

Dave and Glen dive into the world of retro computing with a focus on the PDP-11, Unix kernel debugging, and all the quirks that come with working on vintage systems. Dave shares his week-long journey of building and debugging a custom Unix kernel, solving issues with disk corruption, and uncovering a rogue getty process. They answer viewer questions on topics ranging from the history of shutdown p...

In this episode of Shop Talk, Dave upgrades his PDP-11/73 to an /83 and tackles the challenges of building and configuring the Unix kernel for 211BSD. He dives into the intricacies of adding device drivers, overlaying memory sections, and dealing with configuration quirks. Along the way, Dave shares insights into retro computing, nostalgia for classic games like Zork and Adventure, and tips for co...

Dave and Glen dive into a mix of classic and new questions from viewers, covering everything from Dave's latest PDP-11 project—complete with working RL02 drives and a live telnet demo—to humorous behind-the-scenes stories from his days at Microsoft. They chat about the evolution of Windows NT, Cairo, and the infamous Tuckwila project, sprinkling in anecdotes about data centers, task management, an...

Join Dave and Glen for a lively Shop Talk session covering the week's deep dives into vintage computing projects and real tech insights! Dave discusses rebuilding a PDP-11 from parts, tackling hardware repairs on a rare SuperPET (complete with a smoky capacitor mishap), and debates the merits of defragging SSDs. Plus, they take a deep look into legendary practices from the early Microsoft days, wh...

Join Dave and co-host Glen as they dive into viewer questions covering a range of topics—from the infamous one-line software bug that led to the Mars Polar Lander crash to retro computing with the PDP-11. They discuss LED projects, programming languages, vintage hardware, and share personal anecdotes and insights into historical tech failures. Whether you're a tech enthusiast or just curious about...

Dave and Glen discuss how Microsoft discovers zero day attacks and answer listener questions in this episode of Shop Talk!

This week we dive into the fascinating world of extreme home power setups, answering your burning questions about 600-amp service, backup generators, and DIY solutions for powering everything from a PDP-11 to a Tesla. Along the way, they tackle topics like the pros and cons of solar, how natural gas systems work during outages, and the quirks of home energy monitoring tech. Packed with humor, prac...

Mac vs PC, SuperPET, and Vintage Computing and more! Glen and Dave discuss this week's viewer questions.

Dave relates the story of the talking dog for sale and answers viewer questions on recent episodes!