TechStuff
Episodes
The Origins of Earthlink
06 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In the 1990s, an Internet Service Provider called Earthlink helped some of the earliest denizens of the Internet get connected. We learn about the dia...
Tech News: Hack the Planet
05 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
News for Tuesday, January 5, 2021. A UK judge denies the US's extradition request for Julian Assange. The SolarWinds hack is worse than we thought. At...
Closing out the Tech Stories of 2020 - August through December
04 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
You might have thought we were out of 2020, but we've got to cover the rest of the year in tech news. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www...
TechStuff Classic: TechStuff Bonds With Spy Tech Part One
01 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Are the amazing gadgets in James Bond films possible? We look at the tech found in the early James Bond movies and compare it to real life. Learn mor...
One of Our Favorite Podcasts of 2020 - There Are No Girls On The Internet
30 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Let's take a little break from the depressing newscycle and talk about the iconic Missy Elliott and how she's been changing the digital game since the...
The Top Tech Stories of 2020 - April through July
30 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We continue our look at the top tech stories of 2020 and learn about how the Black Lives Matter movement shook up tech, how the MeToo movement hit gam...
TechStuff Looks at 2020 - January through March
28 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A lot has happened in 2020, and TechStuff is looking at the big tech stories that unfolded throughout the year. From tech successes and failures to th...
Home Hard - Lost in Nakitomi Plaza
26 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
TechStuff listeners join Jonathan Stickland and Ariel Kasten, the host of this cool geeky podcast called Large Nerdron Collider as they wade through t...
The Grant Imahara STEAM Foundation
23 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Don Bies, President of the Grant Imahara STEAM Foundation, joins the show to talk about Grant Imahara's life, his impact and how his family and friend...
Getting around in Science Fiction
21 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Special guest Ariel Kasten is back and we talk about some more sci-fi stuff, including the various means of getting from point A to point B. Hyperspac...
TechStuff Classic: Where's My Flying Car?
18 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Will the flying car ever be available to the average driver? We take a look at the history (and future) of flying cars. Learn more about your ad-choi...
Fantastical Tech from Fantasy and Sci-Fi
16 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Special guest Ariel Kasten joins the show to talk about some of the gadgets found in various speculative fiction stories. Are any of them possible? Fr...
Movies, Theaters and Streaming
14 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Many years ago in the United States, the government forbade movie studios from owning theater chains because it would lead to anticompetitive practice...
TechStuff Classic: Sniffing Out Skunk Works Part Two
11 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What's Skunk Works up to today? TechStuff talks about the more recent projects the ultra secret division has worked on. Learn more about your ad-choi...
5G Myths vs Reality
09 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
While most of us are still waiting on a robust rollout of 5G technology, there have been tons of questions about what it is and whether it is harmful....
What is Section 230?
07 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A US law that was instrumental in shaping the Internet has been a controversial topic recently. In this episode, we learn what Section 230 is and why ...
TechStuff Classic: Sniffing Out Skunk Works Part One
04 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What is Lockheed's Skunk Works division? TechStuff peeks under a veil of secrecy to talk about the early days of a classified operation. Learn more a...
The Facebook Algorithm Problem
02 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Algorithms, when you get down to it, are simple in concept. In practice, they can be really useful. Or, in Facebook's case, they can lead to a lot of ...
Rerun: The History of Cyber Monday
30 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What is Black Friday, and how did it spawn Cyber Monday? From business trends to marketing schemes, we take a look at the history of holiday shopping ...
TechStuff Classic: The Loons at Google
27 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What is the Google Loon project? Jonathan and Lauren look at how some ultra-thin balloons could supply Wi-Fi to remote locations. Learn more about yo...
Ubisoft Grows Up
25 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
After emerging from one potential hostile takeover, Ubisoft would find itself in another. And then in 2020, the company was rocked with scandal. In th...
Ubisoft from 2003 to 2011
23 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Some global success stories propelled Ubisoft into the spotlight, where an even bigger fish began to take notice. We learn about a potential hostile t...
TechStuff Classic: The Oldest Computer
20 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this classic episode of TechStuff Jonathan Strickland and Joe McCormick explain what Antikythera Mechanism is, when it was built and what it does. ...
The Origins of Ubisoft
18 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Today, it's a huge video game company with multiple studios around the world. But Ubisoft's origin story starts with truly humble origins. Learn how f...
Smart Talks with IBM: Why Business Needs Blockchain
17 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It’s paramount for businesses in any sector to have visibility into their supply chain. In this episode of Smart Talks, Jonathan Strickland talks wi...
TechStuff Grab Bag: The Update Edition
16 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A lot has happened since my office went into lockdown. Enough that I need to update some stories I covered in previous episodes of TechStuff. From the...
TechStuff Classic: The Hype About Hyperloop
13 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What is the Hyperloop concept? How would it work? Will we actually build it? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com...
The Format Wars
11 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The course of true technology does not always run smoothly. There are lots of stories about different formats battling it out to become a standard. He...
Your Money or Your Data: A Ransomware Story
09 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What is ransomware and where did it come from? From an odd, chaotic campaign in 1989 to the present day, we look at the dangers of ransomware. Learn ...
TechStuff Classic: The AT&T Story - Part Three
06 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What's happened to AT&T since it was broken up by the government? What was SBC? What's AT&T been up to lately? Learn more about your ad-choic...
Tech's Antitrust Problem
05 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Why has the US government engaged in an antitrust investigation into Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Google? We learn about US antitrust law, a precedent ...
TechStuff Makes Eye Contact with a Robot
02 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Disney Imagineers are working on animatronic figures that can make eye contact with humans and the results are fascinating (and a little creepy). We e...
Smart Talks with IBM: Coding Together for Racial Equality
02 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
To improve the diversity in the tech industry and racial tolerance in the country, we need novel, tangible ideas. In this episode of Smart Talks, Jona...
TechStuff Classic: Ghost Hunting Tech
30 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of TechStuff, Jonathan and Chris discuss ghost hunting technology -- and ghost hunting in general -- from a skeptical perspective. Le...
TechStuff Plays Spooky Games
28 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Computer and video games have pushed the horror genre in interesting directions. In this episode, we look at the development of certain features of th...
Rerun: TechStuff's Spooky Halloween Spectacular!
26 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In celebration of Halloween, we take a look at an article from HowStuffWorks titled 10 Scary Modern Technologies. From drones to voices coming out of ...
TechStuff Classic: The AT&T Story - Part Two
23 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How did AT&T form a monopoly in the US? Why did the government step in to break up the monopoly? How did the telecommunications landscape change? ...
Where are the alternatives to Facebook?
21 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Facebook has a bad rep for spreading misinformation, among other things. So where's the alternative social networking site? We look at some different ...
Space Treaties and Artemis Accords
19 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
NASA announced the eight founders of the newly published Artemis Accords, which set out guidelines for space exploration and exploitation. We take a l...
TechStuff Classic: The AT&T Story - Part One
16 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Who was Alexander Graham Bell? Why did he create the Bell Telephone Company? How was AT&T created? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://ww...
The Tragedy of 3DO
14 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is the story of a video game console that tried to make a big change in the market but failed, and the man who dreamed it all up. Learn more abo...
The Siri Story: Joining Apple
12 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How did Siri evolve once it became part of Apple? From controversial decisions, dramatic departures and reviews that were, well, mixed, we look at Sir...
TechStuff Classic: There's a Halloween Event on the Horizon
10 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What's the premise of the horror film Event Horizon? What is an event horizon? How do black holes work? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://w...
Happy Anniver-Siri
07 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Apple introduced Siri to the public on October 4, 2011, but the story of Siri goes further back and beyond Apple. We learn about how Siri evolved from...
Learning from Mistakes - Tech Startup Failures
05 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know nearly 90% of all startups fail? In this episode, we look at a few tech startups that didn't cut it and explore some of the reasons that ...
TechStuff Classic: TechStuff Shines Light on Solar Panels
02 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How are scientists improving solar panel efficiency? What do moth eyes have to do with solar panels? How long until solar panels are cheap enough for ...
What Are Graphics Cards Good For?
30 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In September 2020, PC gamers went bonkers for new graphics cards called the RTX 3080 and the 3090. What do these cards do, and why was the launch a bi...
TechStuff in the Time of Coronavirus
28 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Jonathan gives a peek behind the curtain at how TechStuff used to be produced versus how it happens now. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://...
TechStuff Classic: Sleeping Underwater
25 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Are there really companies working on building underwater hotels? What considerations do you have to make to build an underwater structure? When will ...
The Rise and Rise of ARM Holdings
23 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Once ARM Holdings began to license its processor designs and instruction sets, it was off to the races. Learn how this English company came to dominat...
Smart Talks with IBM: Human Slavery Still Exists. Can AI Help Curb This Scourge?
22 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Human trafficking to create slave labor has persisted globally for centuries, devastating the lives of millions, and frustrating those who work tire...
The Humble Origins of ARM Processors
21 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Recently, news broke that Nvidia is seeking to buy ARM Holdings, designers of ARM processors, for 40 billion dollars. Where did ARM come from and what...
TechStuff Classic: Running on Steam
18 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How old are steam engines? How do steam engines work? Are there steam engines in common use today? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.ih...
Twitch Switcharoos
16 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Twitch is mostly known as a streaming service that allows people to broadcast themselves playing video games live to an audience. For most, it's a fun...
Power Strips, UPS and Toschi Station
14 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It's time to talk about uninterruptible power supplies, surge protectors, circuit breakers and other systems designed to make sure the electricity we ...
TechStuff Classic: Ads on the Go
11 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How does mobile advertising differ from other online advertising? Why is mobile advertising such a big deal? How will mobile advertising shape online ...
TechStuff Rerun: Could we make a sarcastic supercomputer?
09 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As we develop more advanced natural language systems, will we ever reach a point where a computer can detect not just what we say but what we actually...
Deep Learning and Deepfakes
07 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What's a Generative Adversarial Network? How can a program create a deepfake video? And how do we tell the difference between what's real and what's c...
TechStuff Classic: Pacemakers Got the Beat
04 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What is a pacemaker? How do pacemakers control the rate of heartbeats? What was the first pacemaker? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www....
TechStuff Looks Inside the Black Box
02 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In tech, a black box is any technology that hides the processes that take input and generate output. We see what goes in, we see what comes out but wh...
Well Well Well
31 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we look at the technologies that deliver water to your home, whether it's a well or a municipal water system. Let's get pumped up! L...
TechStuff Classic: The Prodigy Story
28 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What was an online service provider? How did Prodigy get started? Why did Prodigy lag behind other companies? Learn more about your ad-choices at htt...
Rerun: The Rise and Fall of G4 TV
26 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A TV and movie producer thought that he could do for video games what MTV did for music videos. But the G4 channel would end up alienating the very vi...
The Epic Epic Vs Apple Battle
24 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In August 2020, Epic Games and Apple began a very public war involving the video game Fortnite and how Apple processes in-app transactions. We look at...
TechStuff Classic: Say My Name
21 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Who was Heisenberg? What was his contribution to quantum mechanics? What is the uncertainty principle? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://ww...
Computer-Generated Communication
19 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A computer-generated blog post made it onto a hacker news site. How does computer generated communication work, and is it good enough to fool us? Lea...
Quibi Quibble
17 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What is the video streaming service Quibi all about? How did the COVID-19 crisis throw a monkeywrench in the service's launch? We look at the short, t...
TechStuff Classic: Videos In the Stream
14 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What are the differences between the three big video streaming services? How do these services earn revenue? Which services have exclusive deals? Lea...
TechStuff Goes To Disneyland (Not Really)
12 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What's the tech powering some of the iconic rides at Disney theme parks? From Omnimovers to Indiana Jones, we explore innovations that put the thrill ...
Time's Up for TikTok?
10 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It's only been a few months since our last episode about TikTok, but a lot has happened since. We learn about the mysterious Committee of Foreign Inve...
TechStuff Classic: Mod That Bod
07 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What tech is used in body modification? Why is Kevin Warwick sometimes called a cyborg? Can grinders give themselves extrasensory powers? Learn more ...
Hard Disk Drives vs Solid State Drives
05 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to long-term data storage on computers, there are two main camps. In this episode, we learn how hard disk drives are different from soli...
Rerun: How E3 Works
03 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What's the history of E3? What purpose does it serve? And can anyone attend? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com...
TechStuff Classic: TechStuff Gets Tattooed and Pierced
31 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What's the origin of tattooing? Who invented the tattoo gun? How do piercings work? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetw...
Right-Handed Bias: A Sinister Problem
29 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Being left-handed in a world primarily shaped by and for right-handed people can be a challenge, particularly with technology. In this episode, we loo...
Smart Talks With IBM: Addressing health disparities during COVID-19
28 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
COVID-19 has shined a spotlight on the already pressing disparities in public health. In this episode of Tech Stuff, Jonathan Strickland chats with Dr...
Panasonic to Today
27 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Since the 1970s, Panasonic has moved further from the control of the Matsushita family. But the process hasn't always gone smoothly. From recessions a...
TechStuff Classic: How BitTorrent Works
24 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Who invented BitTorrent? How do BitTorrent transfers work? What exactly is a torrent file? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodc...
Panasonic - 1954 to 1973
22 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Panasonic, or rather Matsushita, went through a tumultuous period of ups and downs, including allegations of some shady business practices. From high ...
The Founding of Panasonic
20 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Japanese electronics company Panasonic is more than a century old. In this episode, we learn of its founding in 1918, how the company survived Wor...
TechStuff Classic: How Storm Chasers Work
17 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What are storm chasers? What kind of equipment do storm chasers use? What useful information have storm chasers gathered? Learn more about your ad-ch...
Perseverance and Ingenuity
15 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The next Mars rover scheduled for launch is the Perseverance, which NASA hopes will be able to uncover signs that life once existed on Mars. It also w...
Smart Talks With IBM: A Changing Cybersecurity Landscape
14 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
While the world struggles with the chaotic realities of COVID-19, cybercriminals are pouncing. In this episode of Tech Stuff, Jonathan Strickland chat...
The Robots Are Coming For Your Job!
13 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Are robots and automated systems going to replace human workers? And if so, what then? The fear about automation has a long history and it's not an ir...
TechStuff Classic: Pew! Pew! Plasma!
10 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What is plasma and how do we use it? Why are plasma weapons so popular in science fiction? Are plasma weapons realistic? Learn more about your ad-cho...
Surveillance Tech & Biased AI: The ACLU Fights Back
08 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What happens to our civil liberties when an algorithm is used by law enforcement to make an arrest? Even more concerning, what happens when that facia...
Magic Leap and the Big Fall
06 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It started off as an incredible project that promised to bring science fiction into science fact. But years later, the company Magic Leap struggles to...
TechStuff Classic: TechStuff Watches Independence Day
03 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How well does the film treat science and technology in Independence Day? What are the big goofs committed in the movie? How realistic is the plan to d...
It's All Relative
01 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How do the theories of special relativity and general relativity apply to satellites? Why is the speed of light constant, but time and distance are no...
TechStuff to Major Tom
29 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How do satellite communications work? What's the difference between megahertz and megabits? We learn about the tech of communication satellites. Lear...
TechStuff Classic: The WikiLeaks Story
26 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How did WikiLeaks get started? What is the purpose of WikiLeaks? What are some of the controversies WikiLeaks has been in? Learn more about your ad-c...
The 12th Anniversary Spectacular
24 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Jonathan looks back on some of the biggest tech stories since TechStuff first launched. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcast...
TechStuff Steps Out of the Limelight
22 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In our continuing exploration of stage and film lighting, we learn how technology would shape how our entertainment is created and presented and what ...
TechStuff Classic: Get Your Podcast To Mars!
19 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What is the Mars One project? Why is it a one-way ticket to Mars? What are the qualifications for Mars One? Learn more about your ad-choices at https...
Lights, TechStuff, Action!
17 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
From the stage to the silver screen, we look at how lighting has played an intrinsic role in shaping our perception of entertainment. Learn more abou...
TechStuff Flashback: The Scary World of EVMs Part Two
15 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the conclusion of this two-part series about electronic voting machines, Ben Bowlin joins the show to talk about all the challenges that come along...
TechStuff Classic: It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's a Superconductor
12 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What are superconductors? What is electrical resistance? How can superconductors levitate? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodc...
TechStuff Flashback: The Scary World of EVMs Part One
10 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It's an election year in the United States, which means it's a good time to revisit this 2016 episode about electronic voting machines. Ben Bowlin joi...
Web Spider Is Our Hero
08 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What is a web spider? You don't have to leave a message and we'll call you back, we'll explain in this episode what web spiders are and how they work....
TechStuff Classic: The Electronic Arts Story- Part Two
05 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How did the company change after the departure of Trip Hawkins? What were some of the other companies EA acquired? Why did EA win the Worst Company of...