Surprise - It's Not a Toaster

In this episode of Surprise—It’s Not a Toaster, hosts Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer rant (just a little) about the ever-growing paywall problem—because apparently, reading an article online now requires a monthly subscription, your firstborn child, and a secret handshake. While they fully support paying for quality content, they debate whether the web’s overreliance on paywalls is actually helping or...

In this episode of Surprise—It's Not a Toaster, hosts Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer dive into the labyrinthine world of Terms & Conditions (and EULAs)—those digital novels we all “agree” to without reading. From hilarious (and horrifying) examples of what companies sneak into the fine print, to asking the big question: why does signing up for software feel like selling your soul? Then, they shift gea...

In this episode of Surprise—It's Not a Toaster, hosts Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer dive into the messy world of social media content moderation (or lack thereof). From platforms hitting the snooze button on moderation to the search for unbiased news with AllSides.com, the hosts tackles today’s digital dumpster fires with humor and heart. And as the cherry on top? They put ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude...

In this episode, hosts Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer reflect back on the last 30 episodes and share insights on things we’ve learned, how we’re evolving and predict what we’ll be talking about in the new year.

In this episode, hosts Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer discuss the history of the annual “Word of the Year” presented by various sources (including the Oxford English Dictionary). They also share a useful Bluesky plug-in to help curate news, and then test GenAI’s ability to create unique pub trivia facts.

In this episode, hosts Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer discuss the current state of journalism and the rise of social influencers in becoming primary news sources. They also share their experience with Bluesky as then test GenAI’s ability to create poetry.  Annoyance: Online influencers and the fall of journalism 1 in 5 get news from social media influencers: Pew poll  Cision's 2024 State of the Media...

In this episode, hosts Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer discuss their frustration with the shifting expectations around achieving AGI (Artificial General Intelligence). Ed then shares his personal experience using Apple AirPods as a hearing aid, and Chris conducts an experiment to see if asking GenAI questions politely yields different results compared to using insults. Annoyance: Fear and loathing abou...

In this episode, hosts Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer discuss the growing trend of artificial online sales events and delve into the potential impact of AI Agents. They also explore a study commissioned by Apple, highlighting the limitations of GenAI’s logical reasoning abilities. Annoyance: Online “prime” and other artificial sales days Prime Day isn’t just for Amazon anymore The Truth about Prime Da...

In this episode, hosts Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer discuss how GenAI is starting to replicate natural human language in a frightening way, and ponder how quickly it will fall from the Trough of Disillusionment to bridging the Uncanny Valley. They also take NotebookLM for a spin and share some surprising results.  Annoyances: AI getting better and the uncanny valley Tech rec: NotebookLM and other AI...

In this episode, hosts Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer vent about online user agreements and the universal struggle we all face with them. Then they share how ChatGPT 4.01 can be your secret weapon for conquering those pesky Connections puzzles. Finally, they put AI to the test by asking it to summarize complex book and movie plots.  Annoyances: User Agreements Tech rec: ChatGTP o1-preview - watching A...

In this episode, hosts Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer recap past discussions, and provide a quick update on various annoyances, technology tips and put GenAI to the Turing test. Annoyances:  Episode 2: Ratings and reviews: FTC rules on fake reviews aren’t enough: Hold sites accountable Episode 5: AI Products: Brands should avoid this popular term. It’s turning off customers Episode 13: Fake AI video/a...

In this episode, hosts Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer discuss the challenges of gamification and wonders if things have gone too far. They also share a great tool to help develop flowchart visualizations using text prompts and then try to stump GenAI to answer a hypothetical question to determine how much it will hallucinate.  Annoyance: Gamification Please Oh Please Stop Making The Future Suck (Groce...

In this episode, hosts Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer dive into the world of infotainment, exploring their love-hate relationship with Apple and Android car apps, and why they believe automakers should steer clear of developing their own. They also geek out over the perks of a brand-new widescreen monitor and put Generative AI to the test with a deceptively simple logic puzzle known as the “Alice in W...

In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Ed Bennett discuss the challenges with everything being in the “cloud” and then share free tools to help with tracking your presence on the Dark Web. Then, they test Gen AI’s ability to create humorous ways to insult someone in a hypothetical situation.  Annoyance: Challenges of the Cloud Tip/technology: Google is making dark web reports free for everyone. He...

In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Ed Bennett ask why does everything have to be digital (and if there is still room to have physical copies of music, movies and books). They also share updates on previous tech tips on operating system updates and password protection. Then, they challenge Gen AI by asking a common question that has plagued philosophes and scientists for ages.  Annoyance: Does...

In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Ed Bennett address common digital frustrations like Caps Lock mishaps, Copy/Paste issues, and how iOS handles email address forms. They also share powerful Windows tweak tools and other customization hacks to enhance keyboarding experiences. Finally, they challenge AI with thought-provoking questions about resource efficiency. Tune in to elevate your digital...

In this episode of 'Surprise - It's Not a Toaster,' hosts Chris Boyer and Ed Bennett dive into the digital world's quirks and innovations. First, they tackle the frustrations of websites that force users to create name/password accounts, exploring why this outdated practice persists and how it impacts user experience. Then, they share a handy tech tip on using iPhone voice search with ARC Search t...

In this episode of "Surprise - It's Not a Toaster," hosts Chris Boyer and Ed Bennett hilariously tackle the frustration of inconsistent UX/UI across credit card readers, lamenting the lack of standardization. They lighten the mood by suggesting the Cash App as a savior for seamless transactions. Then, in the fan-favorite "Stump GenAI" segment, they challenge Generative AI with the ultimate questio...

In this episode of "Surprise - It's Not a Toaster," hosts Chris Boyer and Ed Bennett discuss the pros and cons of the new iPad Pro including the design and content consumption capabilities off the tablet but also the limitations of the closed OS and the limitations of the touchpad to use for other software. Lastly, they challenge GenAI in daring it to define a sandwich.

In this episode of "Surprise - It's Not a Toaster," hosts Chris Boyer and Ed Bennett discuss how TikTok has changed the landscape of social media (and has secretly made them feel like luddites), how the most life-changing technology also has a potential stigma (hearing aids) and then test GenAI’s ability to pass an IQ test.  Love, Hate or Fear It, TikTok Has Changed America Apple’s AirPods Pro cou...

In this episode of "Surprise - It's Not a Toaster," hosts Chris Boyer and Ed Bennett share frustrations about a future where personal ownership is minimal, and access to goods and services is facilitated through sharing or leasing, leading to a potentially simpler and more content lifestyle. Then, Ed shared how he has optimized video viewing using the Nvidia Shield Pro. Lastly, they test GenAI’s c...

In this episode of "Surprise - It's Not a Toaster," hosts Chris Boyer and Ed Bennett share frustrations about fake AI-generated content and its impact on small things, cool apps to experience the total solar eclipse, and test to see if GenAI is complicit in encouraging children to lie about childhood magic.  Annoyance: Fake AI-generated content, and it’s impact on the small things Tip/Technology:...

In this Switcheroo episode of "Surprise - It's Not a Toaster," hosts Chris Boyer and Ed Bennett share frustrations about surge pricing, share a tool to manage your online footprint and then test GenAI’s ability to create jokes. Annoyance: Dynamic/surge pricing Tip/Technology: Yorba Trump GenAI: Jokes

In this episode of "Surprise - It's Not a Toaster," hosts Chris Boyer and Ed Bennett share their frustrations about how everything online is becoming a video, and then discuss the upcoming Total Solar Eclipse and then test GenAI’s quiz making capabilities.  Annoyance: Can we stop with the videos?  Tip/Technology: Solar eclipse Stump GenAI: a quiz on the upcoming solar eclipse Ted Talk: You owe it...

In this episode of "Surprise - It's No a Toaster," hosts Chris Boyer and Ed Bennett vent about the over-reliance on Powerpoint in business meetings, share Ed’s experience with the Apple Vision Pro and test GenAI’s ability to create music. Annoyance: Why is everything a Powerpoint? Tip/Technology: Apple Vision Pro Stump GenAI: AI Songs (http://suno.ai)