Tech Byte with MARK STROSS

The Rand Corporation coined the phrase "Truth Decay", to describe where we are today in American history. Now more than ever, people polarize over many things...things that should be disputable by facts. Meaning, people disagree on things that previously would be considered indisputable. We're not talking about disputing details, we're talking about absolute disagreement on the "main things". Not...

Do you put your cell phone on the table during dinner? During a meeting? What does this say about you? If you don't, does it drive you crazy when someone else does?  What does it say about them? Some say cell phones are destroying our relationships. Holding a cell phone in your hand or putting it on the table, places your device "equal" to that person. Is that what you want to communicate? Is...

As adults, we must safeguard our digital footprint, become informed about who and what is keeping tabs of our activities. But who is protecting our kids? Too young to think about consequences, they follow the adrenaline rush and dopamine hits to the newest trend, without a single synapse of worry about who might be watching. Unfortunately, the youth are quite casual about who has their information...

Mark introduces you today to Larry Fink's Alladin, the artificial intelligence AI behind Blackrock. This "robot" has been getting smarter and smarter, and more and more powerful over time, to those in the financial markets. Today, asset managers depend on Alladin as if it's oxygen. From saving banks to controlling a significant portion of the economy, Alladin advises and manages more than $20 tril...

Would you like to own the Eiffel Tower? How about the Taj Mahal? How about the Cowboy's stadium? SuperWorld is a virtual world built on the Ethereum blockchain, based on real life locations and maps. Dividing the earth's surface into more 64 billion properties, SuperWorld wants to interest real estate investors in picking up valuable properties for real money, in this unreal world. The developers...

Episode 100! Mark reads Oxford's online dictionary meaning of woke. Then moves on to discuss the incident that happened when a female entered the Metaverse and was reportedly "harassed and assaulted".  The story goes that the woman felt an increased amount of vibration through her handheld controller, which occurred when others in the Metaverse got close to her. Mark explains how we should wo...

What is it with this cancel culture? Two free, American men sharing their opinions on public platforms, suddenly eliminated from the ongoing conversation about American culture and society today. Jordan Peterson and Dave Rubin. Is the goal of public media, social media, and online platforms to control the conversation? By censoring, modifying, minimizing, or canceling one side of the story, these...

Join Mark on a journey back to the beginning or radio. 100 years ago, there was a clear intention for what was then unveiled as "broadcasting". See how understanding old-fashioned radio and its beginnings provides insight into social media and the continual trajectory of technology today. We must continue to study history, of all things, to learn from it, advance beyond it, and not repeat it. This...

Artificial Intelligence. It allows computers to perform tasks and calculations like a human, faster or better than we can do them. Additionally, AI is machine learning, algorithms, and data put together in such a way as to create things that did not previously exist. At this moment, artificial intelligence can access knowledge, or content, from the web, look up data with scanning speeds faster tha...

Elon Musk want to establish settlements on Mars. And with his popularity comes an automatic enthusiasm about his ideas. However popular, the idea warrants serious discussion about the conditions there, the limitations of our human bodies, and the needs of technology to solve some of these natural environmental incompatibilities. For example, did you know that the Martian soil is toxic to plants na...

First, in the headlines: Artificial Intelligence is now creating artificial intelligence (AI). Technology is not going anywhere. What will we do when we no longer have to do manual labor? We will be replaced by computers.  These days anyone can put on their private investigator hat. Ever wanted to do a background check? See if your fiancé' has a criminal record? People Search Engines are now...

First, an update about self-driving cars in the news! Now WATER: Did you realize that Lake Mead is at historic lows, bringing the area to their knees with water conservation and concern for fresh water. What are we to do? Why can't we solve for this? Let's take a look at model situation that challenges the US to get serious about using technology to solve our water problems. Israel, a known desert...

But first, Mark Stross explains the meaning of " The Edge" in his show title. This term is very intentional and connects to technology in a way that you might not have known.  The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes $17 billion for auto safety including technology that will prevent motorists from operating a vehicle while intoxicated. This sounds like a great idea, right? Saving l...

The TechByte Show can't always be scary or creepy (see May 4 2022). Mark Stross brings you Milton Friedman's story of the pencil in a relevant, encouraging way for all of us today. 

NEURALINK and the Singularity. How close are we to it? Are you ready for artificial intelligence AI? You will be if Elon Musk has anything to do with it.  

BEST of the BEST Shows! Meet Mark Stross' virtual companion, fully artificial AI and all genned up, Virtualeen. This is a CREEPY look into the future of artificial companions for the lonely and lost? or for everyone? 

Feeling lonely? This is the time to be alive, when you can download an app and build your own digital companion. Mark Stross shares his personal experience with developing his new artificial companion. Is this a good thing? What can AI companions do? What's the dark side? Listen to find out, in this scary, creepy episode of Tech Byte. 

Satellites are why we have high speed internet and cell service across the globe. More than 800 satellites are expected to be put into orbit this year alone. For every satellite needing a ride into space, there's need for a rocket. Mark Stross discusses the rocket shortage, the Russians, and how SpaceX is filling the need. 

Yesterday American Express users across the world experienced widespread outages that lasted hours. The payment services giant reports that some users may continue to experience issues online or over the phone. What is going on? Is this a hack? A cyber attack? A technical difficulty? Mark Stross weighs in on the Amex outage, and why we need to pay attention to the rising threats to our digital inf...

Before Putin's Russian army invaded the Ukraine, few Americans knew the name of Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Over the past few weeks, this lawyer turned comedian has become the most watched politician in the world. Who is he? And did you realize that his fictional comedy series, "Servant of the People" turned into reality seating him as the 6th president of Ukraine. A modern-day story of serendipity.

People spend a lot of time taking care of their things. Regular oil changes, cleaning your gun, and cleaning the lint filter are routine ways to keep your machines running. What do you do to keep your PC running?  With more than 2 billion PC's in the world today, what are people doing to maintain them? In this episode, Mark gives you valuable ways to maintain your tech, keep it running, and a...

During this time of rising gas prices, escalating food prices, and inflation, Mark brings a bit of fun to this episode with not-so-secret ways to save money on Amazon. Learn how you can access returned or barely used merchandise from this giant retailer, find deals of the day, and spend less money. 

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is playing out right before our eyes. Like never before, we are watching the new Iron Curtain grinding into place. Technology has changed the way we watch this war, as well as the way the war is being fought. Propaganda is unfolding continuously online as brands take sides. This episode takes you inside a technologist's view of this modern war and the role technology p...

In this episode, Mark talks about his direct connections with programmers in the Ukraine. Hear about their experience with the outbreak of war, their current situations, and how you can help.

In this show, Mark takes a look back at previous shows, how many times he got it right, told you what was about to happen, and how things played out exactly like he said they would. This is why you should listen to this guy every week