TechStuff

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...

2022 was a tough year for Meta. From historic earnings calls to increased regulatory scrutiny to skepticism surrounding the metaverse, the company has faltered a bit over the last 12 months. We look back on some of the big stories involving Meta in 2022. Plus, we chat briefly about streaming! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cryptocurrencies (and blockchain and NFTs and Web3) had a rough year. Things started with a boom and then went bust. What happened? What led to the collapse of FTX? Where is crypto going from here? And is Web3 ever going to be anything more than hype? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're going to look back over the big stories in tech this past year, and we're starting off with the trend of governments and regulators pushing back against big tech companies like Meta, Google, Apple, and more. Should Big Tech companies be worried? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Industrial Revolution transformed the world. Cities grew, new jobs were created and technology transformed the world. In part one, we take a close look at the textile industry. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Senators voted to ban federal employees from loading TikTok on government-owned devices -- the vote now goes to the US House of Representatives. Plus Sam Bankman-Friend could face more than a century in jail if convicted. And Twitter stopped paying rent on its office space? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We conclude the epic series of episodes about the history of social networks by rushing through 2011 to present day. We look at Google+ and its failure, the rise and growth of Twitch, the arrival of Discord and Mastodon, and the emergence of far-right social networks like Gab, Parler and Truth Social. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sam Bankman-Fried, the co-founder of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, has been arrested in the Bahamas. It turns out a lot of people are very interested in speaking with him about the collapse of FTX. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice is also asking FTX competitor Binance some tough questions as customers pull their money from the exchange. Plus more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informa...

After the wave of microblogs, social networks started turning to some interesting places. You had image-oriented networks like Pinterest and Instagram. And you had Snapchat, which introduced the idea of content that only stays online temporarily before disappearing. Plus more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did Comcast become such a huge, powerful company? What happened with the doomed Time Warner deal? And where does the company go next? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apple's security plans have upset the FBI. The EU rules that Google is legally obligated to remove links to sites if users can prove the sites host misinformation. And Dyson has some super expensive headphones that have an interesting peripheral. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From 2006 to 2008, the trend in social networks was short and sweet: the micro-blog. Learn how Twitter, Jaiku, Plurk and Tumblr all took different approaches to micro-blogging. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meta threatens to pull news feeds off Facebook if the US passes a proposal giving media outlets collective bargaining power. Tesla is having a hard time filling positions in Germany. And Chinese hackers were able to steal millions of US dollars meant for Covid relief. Plus more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.