TechStuff

TechStuff Classic: The Firefox Story

15 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How is Firefox connected to Netscape Navigator? Are Firefox and Internet Explorer cousins? What is Mozilla? Join Chris and Jonathan as they explore th...

Media in the Stream

13 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Over the last decade, we've seen a gradual shift from hard copy media to streaming media. In this episode, we look at the history and tech behind devi...

The Birth of the Electric Chair

11 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

At the end of the 19th century, it seemed like there was nothing electricity couldn't do. So could it be used as a way to humanely carry out the death...

TechStuff Classic: TechStuff Takes the Ingress

08 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What is an alternate reality game? What is Ingress? How do you play the game? Join Jonathan and Chris as they introduce you to the world of Ingress an...

The Trials and Tribulations of the 737 MAX

06 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What happened with Boeing's 737 MAX aircraft and why did the CEO of the company appear before the US Congress? We learn about the flight control syste...

The Basics of Electricity

04 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What's the difference between voltage and current? What is resistance? What are the units of measurement associated with electricity? Learn more abou...

TechStuff Classic: TechStuff Gets MegaUploaded

01 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What was Megaupload? Why did the US federal government pursue Megaupload? Why is the Megaupload case so complicated? Join Chris and Jonathan as they s...

Scams and Hoaxes

30 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Internet can be a great place but it's also the host for some pretty sneaky scams out there. In this episode, we look at some common schemes to ta...

The Shocking History of Electricity in Medicine

28 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

For more than 200 years, doctors have experimented with using electricity to treat everything from liver disease to severe depression to varying degre...

TechStuff Classic: TechStuff Looks at Industrial Light and Magic

25 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What is Industrial Light and Magic, and when did it get its start? What is ILM's relationship to Pixar? What technologies did ILM pioneer? Join Jonath...

TechStuff ReRun: The Wonderful World of Audio Animatronics

23 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jonathan is about to head to Walt Disney World (he'll be back by the time this publishes). But he doesn't want to leave you without an episode, so her...

Machine Consciousness

21 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Is it really possible for a machine to achieve consciousness? What does consciousness even mean? From philosophy to technological obstacles, we look a...

TechStuff Classic: TechStuff Rides in Electric Cars

18 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How do electric motors work? Are electric vehicles a new idea? Why aren't there more electric vehicles on the road today? Join Jonathan and Chris as t...

The Modern Submarine

16 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How did the modern submarine develop? What kind of technology is on a submarine? How do they navigate?  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://...

TechStuff Dives into Submarines

14 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How do submarines work? When were they invented? In this episode, we explore the truths (and myths) about the origin of submarines. Learn more about ...

TechStuff Classic: TechStuff Gets an ESRB Rating

11 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What is the ESRB? What procedure does the ESRB follow to rate games? What do the different ratings mean? Join the guys as they demystify the inner wor...

TechStuff Takes a Gander at Propaganda

09 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The University of Oxford Computational Propaganda Research Project issued a report on how countries around the world are manipulating people with misi...

TechStuff Looks through a Telescope

07 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

From the physics of light to ingenious uses of a mirror, we look at the history of telescopes and how they work. Learn more about your ad-choices at ...

TechStuff Classic: TechStuff Jumps From Space

04 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How did the Stratos jump work? What sort of technology was inside the capsule? How did Felix's suit work? Join Jonathan and Chris as they leap into th...

The Rise and Fall of G4 TV

02 Oct 2019

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 TechTV Story

30 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In the late 1990s, a new television channel aimed at the computer crowd launched. It would last six years before a merger would effectively end it all...

TechStuff Classic: TechStuff Gets a Bright Idea

27 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Who really invented the light bulb? What is the Draper point? How do fluorescent bulbs work? Join Chris and Jonathan as they shine some light on the f...

How IBM and Red Hat Are Transforming IT

26 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

IBM and Red Hat have some big plans when it comes to cloud computing. From open source to artificial intelligence, we find out what they have in store...

Android Dumps Desserts

25 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We rejoin the story of Android to see how the operating system evolved from Ice Cream Sandwich to the most recent release. Learn more about your ad-c...

Android Ice Cream Sandwiches

23 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We look at the history of Google Android from its development to the launch of Ice Cream Sandwich. This is part one of The Android Story. Learn more ...

TechStuff Classic: TechStuff has Klout

20 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What is Klout? Does everyone have it? What is Klout good for? Join Jonathan and Chris as they get to the bottom of Klout in this episode. Learn more ...

It's My Way or the Huawei

18 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Chinese telecom company Huawei went from startup to the largest phone manufacturer in the world in just 30 years. What's the story behind the company ...

Why is Everything Made in China?

16 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we explore the history of industrialization in China and ask why are so many electronics assembled there.  Learn more about your ad...

TechStuff Classic: How Hand-drawn Animation Works

13 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What's the process of animating a film with hand-drawn animation? Who patented the process of cel-based animation? What was Disney's multiplane camera...

The GE of Today

11 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Tragedies and financial crises turned what used to be General Electric's strengths into liabilities. In this episode, we learn how the once dominant c...

GE and the House That Jack Built

09 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

After World War II, General Electric would grow rapidly to the point of bloat. Then a man named Jack Welch took over as CEO and made some big changes....

TechStuff Classic: How DNA Computers Work

06 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How can a DNA sequence represent digital information? How dense is the data storage with DNA? What could be the future of computers with DNA? Join Jon...

GE Through World War II

04 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In its first few decades, General Electric would grow into an enormous company with incredible influence in the United States. In this episode, we see...

The Founding of G&E

02 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

General Electric has been around for more than 100 years. It's recently been in a bit of a slump. How did this company get started? Learn more about ...

TechStuff Classic: TechStuff Gets Salty

30 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What is desalination? What are some of the methods used to get salt out of water? Why isn't desalination in wider use? Join Jonathan and Chris as they...

Shh! The Tech is Listening!

28 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Companies like Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Facebook have all admitted to using humans to listen to user audio for various reasons. But how far does ...

Formula 1 - 101

26 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Scott Benjamin joins the show to talk about the history and tech behind Formula 1 race cars. What sets them apart? Learn more about your ad-choices a...

Techstuff Classic: TechStuff Looks at Password Security

23 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Why should password security be a top concern? What can you do to make your passwords safe? What constitutes a strong password? Join Chris and Jonatha...

Video Game Tech '89

21 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What was the cutting edge in video game technology 30 years ago? Jonathan arbitrarily chooses to talk about outdated video game tech.  Learn more ab...

Update E Scooters

19 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A year ago, we talked about electric scooters and how they rapidly spread to several major cities with dockless sharing programs. What's the grumpy ol...

TechStuff Classic: TechStuff Looks at the LHC

16 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What does the Large Hadron Collider do? How large is it? What is the LHC looking for? Listen in and get the scoop on the Large Hadron Collider with Ch...

Can I Read Your Mind

14 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What is a brain-computer interface and how does it work? Why is Elon Musk interested in them? And is Facebook really going to read your mind? Learn m...

The Death of 3D Television

12 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

For years, television manufacturers were pushing 3D features on TV sets. By 2017, all major companies had stopped trying. What happened with 3D TV? L...

TechStuff Classic: More Data, More Problems

09 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How did journalist Mat Honan get hacked? What is social engineering? How can you protect yourself against hackers? In this episode, Chris and Jonathan...

Odd, Silly and Unnecessary Inventions

07 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We can thank geniuses for the development of stuff like radios, television and electricity. But what about the pocket fisherman? We explore the lighte...

Boeing and the Commercial Jet Age

05 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

After introducing the 707, Boeing began to manufacture many more commercial jets. Some would become iconic in the aviation industry. And the 737 MAX w...

TechStuff Classic: Repurposing Tech for Developing Countries

02 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How are people using bicycles to create new machines for developing countries? What are MediKits? Why is e-waste recycling such a dangerous job? Join ...

Boeing Really Takes Off

31 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

World War II led to many contracts between Boeing and the United States military. In this continuation of the Boeing story, we learn about the aircraf...

Boeing Launches

29 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The aircraft manufacturer Boeing has been around for more than 100 years. In this episode, we look at the origins of the company at the dawn of the Ag...

TechStuff Classic: TechStuff Hacks Into Music

26 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Are you bored by the usual musical instruments? Would you like to turn an Atari 2600 into a guitar, or translate shadows into sound? If so, then you m...

Social Media and the First Amendment

24 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In July 2019, an appeals court upheld a ruling that says President Trump can't block people on Twitter because it's a violation of the First Amendment...

What is a Supply Chain?

22 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

You hear a lot of stories about problems with supply chains, but what actually is a supply chain and why is it so complicated? John Bermudez of TraceL...

TechStuff Classic: TechStuff Goes Steampunk

19 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What is steampunk? What are the traits of the steampunk aesthetic? Who are some famous steampunk artists? Join Chris and Jonathan as they take a close...

What's up with Facebook Libra?

17 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In June, 2019, the Libra Association published a white paper about an upcoming digital currency called Libra, with Facebook playing an important role....

Outdated Tech Terms We Still Use

15 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

From dialing a phone to making a mix tape, our language is filled with phrases spawned from obsolete tech. We take a look at some listener favorites. ...

TechStuff Classic Printing: Medication

12 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How has ink jet technology been used to dispense medication? How could a 3-D printer create medicine? In what other ways have printers been used to cr...

TechStuff Gets in Touch with Touch Screens

10 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What is the history of the touch screen? What are the different ways inventors have designed to make the technology work?  Learn more about your ad-...

Is E3 Still Relevant?

08 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It's a question the gaming industry has been asking for a while, fueled partly by some dramatic disagreements within the Entertainment Software Associ...

TechStuff Classic TechStuff Hacks the Kinect

05 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How does the Microsoft Kinect work? What's Microsoft's position on hacking the Kinect? What are some of the most creative hacks? Join Jonathan and Chr...

Time to Kick Some Asteroid

03 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In June, 2019, the OSIRIS-REx satellite entered an orbit less than 2,500 feet above the asteroid Bennu. In a few years, we might be mining asteroids. ...

The Story of HowStuffWorks

01 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

From its founding in the 90s as a site to demystify the universe to the complicated, present-day structure, we look at Jonathan's employer.  Learn m...

TechStuff Classic: TechStuff Tests the Emergency Broadcast System

28 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What was the Emergency Broadcast System? What did it have to do with the Cold War? How is the Emergency Alert System different from the old EBS? Liste...

The End of iTunes

26 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

There's no doubt that iTunes changed the fortunes of Apple. So why did the company announce in 2019 that it was discontinuing the venerable program? W...

The Creation of iTunes

24 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Apple first unveiled iTunes in 2001, setting it and the company on an incredible journey. In this episode, we learn how iTunes came to be up to the de...

Techstuff Classic: Spotlight on Dennis Ritchie

21 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Who was Dennis Ritchie? Why did Ritchie create the C programming language? What is the story of Ritchie’s involvement with UNIX? In this episode, Jo...

AMD Up To Today

19 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Picking up where we left off, this episode about AMD looks at its more recent history and how it has played a role in tech. Learn more about your ad-...

The Early Days of AMD

17 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Listener Stephen asked that I cover AMD a long time ago, and so this is the start of that company's history. We explore the founding of the company th...

TechStuff Classic: TechStuff Looks at Solid State Drives

14 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What is a solid state drive? How are they different from magnetic storage devices? How do SSDs erase data? Join Jonathan and Chris as they break down ...

The Evolution of Virtualization

12 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Virtual machines open up a lot of options for information infrastructure. Where did the idea come from and how did it evolve over time? Learn more ab...

Three Approaches to AI Policy

10 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Oz and Karah from Sleepwalkers join the show to talk about how different parts of the world are looking at developing, regulating and legislating arti...

TechStuff Classic: TechStuff Looks at Supercomputers

07 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What is a supercomputer? What was the first supercomputer? How fast is the fastest supercomputer? In this episode, Chris and Jonathan add up the facts...

AI and Misconceptions: A Conversation with Sleepwalkers

05 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Oz and Karah of the Sleepwalkers podcast join the show to talk about artificial intelligence, the challenges we face and some of the misconceptions ar...

How Planes Work

03 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What are the physics behind flight? We demystify the concept of lift and explain how many sources get the explanation wrong. Learn more about your ad...

TechStuff Classic: TechStuff Arms Itself with Non-lethal Weapons

31 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How do pain rays work? What is the Portal Denial System? How does the Taser shotgun shell work? Join Jonathan and Chris as they introduce you to a new...

The YouTube Adpocalypse

29 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What was the YouTube adpocalypse and why did it happen? Is another on the way? And where do creators turn to when their careers are at stake? Learn m...

Addicted to Tech

27 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Is technology addictive? In this episode, we look at how some psychological studies in the mid 20th century would form the foundation for app design. ...

TechStuff Classic: TechStuff Clicks on Web Ads

24 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How does Web advertising compare to traditional advertising? What do the terms CPM, CPA and CPC mean? How do affiliate programs work? Join Chris and J...

All Broken Up About Facebook

22 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On May 9, 2019, Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes wrote an opinion piece for the New York Times calling for the US government to break up Facebook into...

The Black Box Problem

20 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A black box in tech is something that hides how it works away from view or understanding, and it can cause big problems. This episode is about critica...

TechStuff Classic: TechStuff Plays the Slot Machines

17 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How did the earliest slot machines work? How do modern slot machines use random number generators? Where are you more likely to find slot machines tha...

Behind the Jargon of the Film Industry

15 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What's the difference between a Gaffer and the Best Boy? What do all the roles on a movie set actually mean? We look at the tech and terminology of fi...

How Google Won the Search War

13 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Before Google, there were half a dozen search engines to choose from. What happened to them? How did Google pass them by to become a multibillion doll...

TechStuff Classic:TechStuff Mines Some Asteroids

10 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Why would we want to mine asteroids? How might we manage the mining operation? What is Planetary Resource's plan? Join Chris and Jonathan as they expl...

Droning about Drone Regulations

08 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Recently, Alphabet company Wing received FAA approval for Air Carrier status. What does that mean? And what are the regulations about drones? Learn m...

The MP3 Revolution

06 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Digital files would become the biggest disruption to the entertainment industry since the dawn of recorded media. From piracy to a shift away from per...

TechStuff Classic: TechStuff Investigates Operation Ghost Click

03 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How does a Domain Name Server work? What are rogue Domain Name Servers? How can you tell if you have the DNSChanger malware? Tune in to learn more. L...

Blu-ray vs HD DVD

01 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When companies settled on the DVD standard, they avoided a format war. But the high-definition market wasn't going to be so lucky. Sony and Toshiba fa...

Rise of the CD

29 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The compact disc was a big hit for the music industry. Cheap to produce with a high profit margin, the CD promised to deliver high fidelity sound to a...

TechStuff Classic: TechStuff Goes for a Google Drive

26 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What is Google Drive? How does cloud storage work? How does Google Drive compare to other online storage properties? Listen in as Chris and Jonathan t...

Tracking Changes in Media: VCRs and CDs

24 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

While the audio cassette was changing the music industry, the videocassette was wreaking havoc with Hollywood. And a new player, a CD player, was in t...

Making Media Personal: Mix Tapes

22 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The development of the magnetic recording process changed the entertainment industry. In this episode, we look at the rise of tape, including the 8-tr...

TechStuff Classic: TechStuff Goes on Autopilot

19 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Who invented autopilot? How can autopilot maintain control of an airplane? What happens if the autopilot system fails? Join Chris and Jonathan as they...

Media Madness: TV Challenges Film

17 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In the second part on our series of media and tech, we look at how the rise of television forced the film industry to change. We also learn about the ...

Media and You: From Records to Film

15 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In this first episode in a series, we look at how media, business and consumption has changed as technology has evolved, starting with early records a...

TechStuff Classic: Tech’s Biggest Acquisition Stories

12 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What were some of the most successful tech acquisitions? Which acquisitions failed to make any headway? How much did each user of Broadcast.com cost Y...

RERUN: Hacking for Dollars

10 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It's time for another classic episode. In this one, Shannon Morse of Hak5 joins the show to talk about how hackers make a living by slinging code arou...

RERUN: What was Web 2.0?

08 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In this classic episode, we look back at the concept of Web 2.0. What did it really mean? Why were sites that followed a Web 2.0 philosophy more likel...

TechStuff Classic: The Internet of Things

05 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What is the Internet of things? What sort of devices could be linked to the Internet? Could the Internet of things eliminate privacy? Join Jonathan an...

RERUN: How LIGO Works

03 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A couple of years ago, a facility made headlines when it detected a previously theoretical phenomena, that of gravitational waves. This classic episod...

Turboencabulators and Technobabble

01 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Is your panametric fan misaligned? Are the hydrocoptic marzelanes rattling around? TechStuff dives into the odd world of the Turbo Encabulator and tec...