TechStuff

Back in my day, computer games didn't have fancy graphics or immersive sound. They just had plain old text, and we liked it! We look at the origins of the text-based adventure game and how these games are a creative challenge to make. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thousands of subreddits have switched to private in protest of Reddit's recent policy change regarding its API. Plus, Twitter's new CEO attempts to rally the troops, Microsoft faces more opposition to its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, and more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 2023 E3 event was supposed to happen this week, but like last year the event never happened. Now some are saying it may never happen again. What brought about the decline of E3? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did the success of Toy Story affect Pixar the company? Why was there tension between Steve Jobs and Michael Eisner? And what happens when Disney and Pixar merge? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Deepfakes create a dangerous situation -- how can we trust that a recording is the real McCoy when machines can make such convincing fakes? From the history of deepfake technology to the liar's dividend, we learn about the evolution of the tech and the problems it creates.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When developing the mp3 compression algorithm, engineer Karlheinz Brandenburg used a specific song to tweak settings and get them just right. What was that song? And why does Jonathan not like it? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yesterday, Apple finally unveiled its mixed reality headset, the Vision Pro, which will set you back $3,500 in 2024. Plus, we learn about some new challenges in the crypto world as well as reports about whether or not aliens have visited us. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In late 1985, a company called Worlds of Wonder introduced a new toy -- a teddy bear that could tell stories and sing. It could blink and move its mouth. And it turned out not to be a teddy bear at all. This is the long and winding road that leads to Teddy Ruxpin. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did the Pixar studio get started? How did it evolve from a small operation to a power player in the Disney empire? And how has the company led innovation in animation? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An organization in charge of a hotline to help people with eating disorders finds out that chatbots aren't a good substitute for a human operator. A judge in Texas explains that generative AI has no place in his courtroom. And Meta and Amazon both face some challenges around the world. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's the difference between a capacitive and a resistive touchscreen? Which came first? And are there other types of touchscreen technologies? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A lawyer finds out the hard way that ChatGPT isn't a reliable legal assistant. Nvidia's CEO says that, with the help of AI, anyone can be a programmer now. And China plans to send astronauts to the Moon by 2030. Plus more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grace Hopper was a Navy officer, a teacher, a computer programmer and a legend in the tech field. We look back on her life and achievements. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Temple University scientists have found a new way to improve chocolate and it involves electric fields. Learn about the technology and physics behind improving a nearly perfect food. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Twitter hit some technical snags yesterday while Presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis announced his 2024 campaign. OpenAI's CEO issues a bit of a warning to the EU regarding AI regulation. And Sony has a new gaming peripheral on the horizon. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Microsoft jumped into the mp3 player space a little late. Apple had been producing iPods for five years when the first Zune hit shelves. But that was just the beginning of a series of problems Microsoft encountered. We explore the sad (and short) story of the Zune. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meta sells Giphy for a fraction of what it paid just a few years ago. Spain's government has it out for end-to-end encryption. And the US Surgeon General advises families about the potential dangers of social media. Plus more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While the streaming media landscape is crowded, it could be worse. In this episode, we look at some streaming services that didn't stand the test of time. From platforms that were a bad idea from the start to ones that were victims of corporate mergers, we find out what went wrong. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After my recent (tenth) cruise on the Disney Cruise line, I decided to look into what makes the ship work. How does it steady itself in rough seas? How much is automated? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The state of Montana has said that, starting January 1st of next year, the app TikTok is banned statewide. How will the state enforce the rules? Is this an overreaction to TikTok? And will the law stand up to legal challenges? Plus lots of news about AI because why not? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Screen resolution can be confusing. What do all those numbers mean, and is bigger necessarily better? We go over some of the more common screen resolutions out there and talk about how (and when) they make a difference. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, Elon Musk revealed he had tapped Linda Yaccarino to be the next Twitter CEO. But Musk won't be leaving Twitter completely. And now Tesla shareholders want him to create a succession plan at that company. Plus we get a bunch of updates on AI news, as well as some good news for Microsoft. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The idea behind net neutrality is pretty simple -- fair access to legal content for all consumers regardless of what ISP they use. But how do you implement this idea? That's become the focus of a massive political battle in the United States that's been going on for two decades. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From Amazon to Google to Apple, companies are creating digital assistants to make our lives easier. What's the technology behind them and are they safe to use? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Google has announced a ton of stuff at the 2023 I/O event, including how AI will show up in future Google searches if you opt into it. We also learn how Microsoft's deal to buy Activision is going, how YouTube is discouraging ad-blockers and how one influencer is using AI to make clones of herself for people to date. For a fee, of course. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.