TechStuff

Diodes are key components in modern electronics, but what are they and what do they do? We take a few minutes to describe diodes and their function. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A business school professor says that ChatGPT passed the final exam needed to earn an MBA. Microsoft announces a commitment to a multi-year, multibillion dollar relationship with OpenAI. And Elon Musk says that Twitter will offer an ad-free subscription level in the future. Plus more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With ChatGPT in the news, I thought it was high time we take a look at OpenAI -- the company behind the controversial chatbot. From its founding in 2015 to its shift to a "capped-profit" company, we look at the organization founded with the goal of creating AI that's beneficial for humanity. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who founded the electronics company Philips? Why did it nearly go bankrupt in less than five years? And who saved it? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cybersecurity researchers discover that, with a little bullying, they could convince ChatGPT to make some nasty malware. Plus workers in Kenya suffered to make ChatGPT less toxic. Meta faces fines in the EU for WhatsApp. And Microsoft is gearing up for layoffs. Plus more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Faced with challenging engineering problems, Apple has reportedly shelved its augmented reality glasses project. We look at the history and evolution of AR, and why it's so hard to create a pair of glasses with AR capabilities.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Artists, musicians and even stock photography companies are starting to fire shots at generative artificial intelligence systems. Will we see lawmakers create new legislation that creates a legal framework for generative AI? At what point can you say a machine plagiarized an artistic work? Plus, Meta sues an Israeli company for scraping user data and Google has plans for all those Stadia controlle...

In this episode from 2021, we look at the thorny issues of copyright and how fair use isn't some proactive safety play to avoid those pesky copyright strikes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Codebreaker's Ben Johnson joins the show to talk about data tracking. What is it used for? What's the best case scenario? And what happens when it goes wrong? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A corrupt file in the FAA's systems forced all flights in the US to hold, leading to thousands of delays and hundreds of cancellations. Plus, CNET has been using AI to write articles and no one really noticed. Parler laid off about 75% of its staff. And the James Webb Space Telescope finds its first new exoplanet. Plus more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2022, Apple rolled out a self repair service shop. New York state passed a bill meant to give consumers more options when repairing their tech. And John Deere recently signed a memorandum of understanding with farmers loosening repair restrictions. Has the US embraced the Right to Repair? Not quite. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Artificial intelligence is going to be a big topic this year, and we have several stories to prove it. Plus, more about some of the stuff shown off at CES and how a school system is taking social media companies to court. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The world of startups is already a risky one, but it gets even worse when the "move fast and break things" philosophy extends to the law. We cover some examples of startups and VC firms that made headlines for all the wrong reasons.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did Sputnik change the world? What do satellites do? And what keeps them in orbit? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From Sony’s electric vehicle to Alienware’s new 500 Hz gaming monitor, we look at a few of the early announcements out of CES. Plus an update on how Meta is facing opposition in the EU, more security experts warn that TikTok is bad news and how companies like Amazon and Salesforce will be downsizing in the new year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just like parents, machines just don't understand. At least, not without first compiling data into 0s and 1s. So how can systems like ChatGPT seemingly understand what we want and present results? We take a look at natural language processing and how it can create the illusion of comprehension. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Could the US government issue a ban on TikTok? A landlord sues Twitter for failing to pay rent. Nearly 80% of all new car sales in Norway last year were electric vehicles. Plus much more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode from the distant past of 2021, Jonathan goes over some of the products that companies showed off at the CES trade show that never made it to market. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the conclusion of our series on the Industrial Revolution, we'll look at other industries that changed along with iron and textiles. We'll also learn about the living and work conditions of laborers and how that transformed our notions about work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When is a predictions episode not a predictions episode? When Jonathan says so! We look at some of the things we expect to see happen in tech next year, from Apple's AR headset to how Meta handles the metaverse. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NASA launched Artemis I, the James Webb Space Telescope is already sending back phenomenal astronomical images, and Russia's hostilities in Ukraine force massive changes. Plus we learn about advancements in fusion, quantum computing and more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From the war in Ukraine to tech companies encountering challenges in China, we look at how global politics and tech intersected and conflicted in 2022. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We look at the history of incorporating lights in winter holidays like Christmas and Hanukkah and how electricity changed things dramatically. We'll also dive into those over the top displays that sequence lights with sound and talk about why it was such a challenge for the electrician on Stranger Things to make lights blink a specific way. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we continue to explore the Industrial Revolution, we look at how iron helped shape the modern world. It's time to explore iron, steam engines and more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Twitter tells Meta "Hold my beer" as the company has a dramatic, chaotic year thanks to the former world's richest man, Elon Musk. From corporate maneuvers to brutal layoffs to nonsensical policy changes, we look at how Twitter struggled this past year. Plus, we take a moment to talk about Elizabeth Holmes and Sunny Balwani getting prison sentences. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat...