This Week in Tech with Jeanne Destro

Although Wall Street Analysts, Stockbrokers, and Traders already use sophisticated computer programming to help them make what is in some case dizzyingly vast sums of money; rapidly developing Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools could soon help them make even more. On the other hand; AI could also completely replace a lot of those jobs, leaving the people doing them today, out of work and wondering...

Imagine if the outrage Apple stirred up this week over the ad showing their super thin new Ipad Pro "crushing" images representing art and music, amplified billions of times over.  Imagine that instead of just crushing just digital images of human creativity, another tech creation; artificial intelligence, actually crushes our entire world economy, by eliminating 30 to 50 percent of all jobs, leav...

This week our special guest has a special tie to the Akron community. University of Akron graduate, Dr. Greg Davis, who started his professional career as a Physics teacher at Stow High School, has been with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, since 2005. Currently their Principal Technologist; Davis has worked on a number of amazing projects, including the Juno spacecraft, t...

All Akron residents can now apply to receive a free Amazon RING doorbell security camera, as part of the city's ongoing effort to increase neighborhood security. What started as a pilot program in three of the city's ten wards last year, has now expanded outside of just wards 3, 4, ad 5. City officials are using federal American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funds to buy the cameras, and have allotted 300 pe...

Now that President Biden has signed the bill Congress passed this week requiring the Chinese owners of the popular social media app, TikTok to sell to a US company within the next nine months, or face a possible ban; a lot more is at stake than than whether or not we can continue to can stare for hours at cute cat videos. The law, which was passed as part of a larger measure that renewed funding f...

Imagine a future where virtually everything you touch is infused with Artificial Intelligence; not just your smart phone, but also your TV, your car, your air conditioner, the forklift at the factory where you work, and more. But that's not an imaginary scenario. According to the authors of the new book, "Fusion Strategy: How Real Time Data & AI will Power the Industrial Future"; that is exactly w...

The only thing worse than realizing you don't have your files backed up when your computer or external hard drive crashes, is finding out it could cost hundreds, or maybe even thousands of dollars to get them back. But, if you live in the Akron-Canton area; you're in luck, because students at Stark State College, will help you recover your precious photos, videos, music—or whatever else you lost—...

When citizens are mislead by lies online, and journalists are hacked, tracked, intimidated, and shut down; Democracies worldwide are threatened. That was the message this week from US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, who spoke at this week at the Third Summit For Democracy in Seoul, South Korea. Blinken talked about efforts the United States is making to support free speech, free press, and fre...

So much has changed since the pandemic shut down that started four years ago this week, and one of those things is how much more dependent we all are on technology. Going to work and to school suddenly became doable from home, but only for those with fast and reliable internet connections. Those who could not count on them, were left having to use less reliable connections through mobile phones, o...

April 8th is going to be a big day in Northeast Ohio, with thousands of of visitors from all over the country expected flock here for the first total solar eclipse of the sun visible from this area since 1806. It will quite literally be the chance of a lifetime, as the next one like it, won't be until 2099. With that in mind; state, local, and federal offiicials got tother recently to discuss thei...

The State of Ohio wants to encourage teachers to get students ready for future employment in world where their jobs will be greatly influenced by Artificial Intelligence. As a result, they just issued a new "AI Toolkit" for K-12 teachers statewide, which they say will "empower policymakers, superintendents, principals, IT staff, teachers, and parents to advance AI literacy in their school district...

Financial schemes, scams, and outright swindles are nothing new, with examples dating back hundreds of years, including the Tulip  speculative bubble of the early 1600's, and the South Sea Scandal of 1720.  Fast forward to more recent times, to Bernie Madoff's gigantic Ponzi scheme, which was discovered in 2008, earned him a 150 year federal prison sentence, to the sub-prime mortgage crisis that s...

The University of Akron's Esports program recently celebrated a career milestone. For the first time Rocket League history; a collegiate team composed of students from the same school qualified for their Championship Series, known as the RLCS. But, though they beat out over 900 other teams highly rated teams in the Rocket League Championship Series to become one of 16 teams to qualify for the RLCS...

A new era in space exploration is unfolding at NASA's Neil Armstrong Test Facility near Sandusky, Ohio. That's where they're testing the new autonomous Dream Chaser Space Plane, made by Colorado-based, Sierra Space. The first of its kind, named "Tenacity", is currently undergoing rigorous testing, with plans for it to travel to the International Space Station for the first time, later this year. T...

Amazon's "Neighbors" app got a little less neighborly in the past week, after the company decided it would no longer allow users to share videos from their RING doorbell home security cameras directly with police. In an apparent bow to pressure from civil rights groups, Amazon has disabled the direct connection between police and RING users. Now, if police want access to doorbell cam videos, they...

From somebody using AI to clone President Biden's voice for a robocall aimed at keeping people from voting in New Hampshire, to top level Microsoft officials' email getting hacked, and even the Director of the Department of Homeland Security's cybersecurity infrastructure protection agency being targeted in a dangerous "swatting" attempt; cybercriminals are aiming high, and often; they're hitting...

While millions of people all over the world have eagerly embraced buying Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies for years now, it has always been a bit of a hassle and pretty risky. Now, that has changed—at least to some degree— thanks to recent action from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), especially when it comes to institutional investors, like banks, or even individuals who want to...

We're continuing our conversation about kids, social media, and mental health, with a special bonus edition featuring Tech Journalist, Ian Sherr. He recently left CNET, after 15 years as their Editor at Large, and now is a frequent contributor to CBS News. Listen now, as we discuss how Meta this week adopted some voluntary new restrictions on what kids and teens can see and search for, on Facebook...

Today we're exploring the harmful effects of social media on kids and teens, and what is being done to address them. This has been an interesting week, with the state of Ohio's new law that requires parents to consent to children under the age of 16 now on hold, because of a lawsuit filed by an organization representing the tech industry. That group, NetChoice, got a federal judge to issue a tempo...

Find out how everyone in Summit County might eventually being able to get much faster, and more affordable broadband internet service, as the result of the County's their big fiber ring project connecting municipalities and government agencies.

Although people can't necessarily explain why, and often can't tell the difference; they still prefer art made by humans, over art generated by Artificial Intelligence.    That's the word from a new study done recently by researchers at Bowling Green State University, and on today's edition of This Week in Tech with Jeanne Destro, we're going to find out why, with BGSU Organizational Psychology Ph...

With a nationwide pilot shortage putting a real strain on the airline industry; Walsh University in North Canton is streamlining its Bachelor of Science in Aviation degree program.  We talked to the University’s President, Dr. Tim Collins, who flies his own private plane, is a former US Air Force Fighter Pilot, and has also worked in Aviation technology research. Find out more about how they are a...

From the "Grandparent Scam" where tricksters try to extort people for money by convincing them someone in their family is in terrible danger, to disinformation so toxic it threatens democracy itself; voice cloning enabled by Artificial Intelligence (AI) is posing unprecedented challenges to law enforcement, and to society as a whole. So, in an effort to safeguard consumers, the Federal Trade Commi...

Just days away from our annual Thanksgiving food extravaganza; "This Week in Tech with Jeanne Destro” is focusing on the new technology America’s farmers are using to ensure we have plenty of food on the table. From cameras, drones, and autonomous tractors, to Artificial Intelligence and solar panels; farm operations are becoming increasingly more efficient and productive. As you’ll hear from our...

"This Week in Tech with Jeanne Destro" is all about water this week, which is perhaps kind of fitting, but not at all intended; as it just happens to come at the same time the City of Akron just announced they're increasing water rates for city residents by about $10.00 per month, starting in January. But, while Akron residents fret about the effect that increased water rates might have on their b...