TechStuff
Episodes
What is Apple's Neural Engine?
02 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Listener Dan wanted to know more about Apple's "neural engine." What exactly is it, and what can it do? We explore how a system on a chip can power ma...
The Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow
01 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
On October 1, 1982, EPCOT Center opened at Walt Disney World. But that Epcot wasn't the same thing as Walt Disney's initial vision. We look into the h...
TechStuff Classic: The Tech of Firefighting
28 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Firefighters are an invaluable part of every community, but how does firefighting work? What tech will you find on a fire truck? Join Jonathan and Chr...
How Game Engines Work
27 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What exactly is a game engine? What are the notable game engines out there today? And how do they work? A request from listener Tongki. Learn more ab...
The Worst Video Games of All Time . . . Since 2011
26 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Back in 2011, we asked listeners what they thought the worst video games of all time were. In this episode, we look at games that received some of the...
Netflix to Today
25 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Netflix has shifted focus to streaming video, though it still operates a DVD rental service. What were some of the challenges and roadblocks the compa...
Netflix vs Blockbuster
24 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Netflix has faced many competitors, but none gave the company as much trouble as Blockbuster. In this episode, we continue Netflix's story and how Blo...
TechStuff Classic: Can we stop an asteroid from hitting Earth?
21 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Could we blow up an asteroid like in the movie Armageddon? Join Jonathan and Chris as they tackle what may become one of Earth's most important questi...
Netflix's Early Years
20 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In our continuation of the story of Netflix, we look at how the young company changed dramatically over the first few years of its existence. Learn m...
The Netflix Story
19 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Listener Kevin wants to know the story behind the company that buried Blockbuster. In this episode, we look at the early years of Netflix and how it w...
The Nvidia Story So Far
18 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We continue our look at the company that created the term GPU. How did Nvidia rise to dominance after such an uncertain start? Learn more about your ...
Graphics and Nvidia
17 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Nvidia is a company perhaps best known for its graphics processing units. Where did it come from and how has it impacted computing? A request from lis...
Techstuff Classic: Eureka Archimedes
14 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Who was Archimedes, and what did he actually invent? Join Chris and Jonathan as they take a closer look at the works of Archimedes -- including his hi...
TechStuff Goes Dark
13 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What is the dark web? What is its purpose? What sort of stuff is on there? We shine the light on a dark topic, as requested by listener Tyler. Learn ...
The Cambridge Analytica Scandal
12 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In early 2018, the data analysis and marketing firm Cambridge Analytica came under fire in both the United States and the United Kingdom for different...
The Founding of Cambridge Analytica
11 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Cambridge Analytica made headlines multiple times during its relatively short history. Where did the company come from and what did it have to do with...
Silencing the Echo Chamber
10 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We've changed the way we get information, and that has changed our perceptions of the world. How have echo chambers formed through tech and what can y...
TechStuff Classic: What are QR Codes?
07 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
How do QR codes store information? What’s the difference between a QR code and a barcode? Why did it take so long for QR codes to take off? Join Chr...
Three Nuclear Disasters
06 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What happened at the nuclear power plants at Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima? What did we learn from those disasters? And how bad were they...
The Hot Take on Cold Fusion
05 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Cold fusion would transform our world in ways we can't even imagine. Is it really possible? Jonathan explores the science to find the answer. Learn m...
How a Fusion Reactor Would Work
04 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Nuclear power can generate a lot of electricity, but fission brings with it some drawbacks. What if we used fusion? We look at the difference between ...
How Nuclear Power Plants Work
03 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
How does a fission-based nuclear reactor work? What are some of the proposed modifications of this technology that could potentially make it a more at...
TechStuff Classic: How Sonar Works
31 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Sonar uses sound to gauge the distance between objects. Although most people associate sonar with submarines, humans use sonar for a lot more than und...
The Decline and Fall of Pebble
30 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Just a few short years after it burst on the scene with an incredibly successful Kickstarter campaign, the Pebble company fell apart. What happened an...
The Origin of Pebble
29 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Where did the Pebble Smartwatch come from? We look at the story behind one of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns. Learn more about your ad-cho...
Web Analytics and Your Data
28 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
How much of your personal information gets collected on the Web? Can you protect your information from prying eyes? And should you? Learn more about ...
How Web Analytics Work
27 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
How do web analytics companies gather data? How much could these companies know about you? How hard is it to identify a person based off their browsin...
TechStuff Classic: TechStuff Tests the Emergency Broadcast System
24 Aug 2018
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...
How Fender Changed After the Acquisition
23 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
When CBS bought Fender guitars, the new bosses had some big changes in mind. How did that turn out and how is the Fender of today different from the c...
TechStuff Shreds on Fender Guitars
22 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What's the story behind Fender Musical Instruments? From the iconic Stratocaster to today's company, we take a look at this iconic name in American mu...
Making Tech Accessible
21 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Listener Kenn wanted to know about the process of designing assitive and accessible technologies. Technology has the potential to assist people with d...
TechStuff Builds a Sound System
20 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What are the different components in a high-tech sound system and what does each one do? TechStuff gives a rundown on audio equipment. Request by Karl...
TechStuff Classic: TechStuff Gets Curious About Mars
17 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What is the success rate for sending missions to Mars? What made the Curiosity rover mission so special? What would it take to get people to and from ...
The Death of Blockbuster
16 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The once mighty franchise has dwindled down to a single location. What led to the downfall of Blockbuster? Learn more about your ad-choices at https:...
The Birth of Blockbuster
15 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
TechStuff listener Paul wanted to know the story behind the company Blockbuster. How did this franchise emerge to threaten mom and pop video rental st...
The Cutting Edge of Forensic Technology
14 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We continue our look at forensic technology. What sort of cutting edge tech do investigators use? And how close is it to Hollywood's version? Learn m...
TechStuff Investigates Forensic Technology
13 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We've seen the Hollywood version of forensic scientists, but what sort of tech do real forensics experts rely upon when conducting an investigation? F...
TechStuff Classic: TechStuff Listens in on Sound Files
10 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What do sound files do? Why are there so many different kinds of sound files? What's the difference between uncompressed, lossless and lossy formats? ...
TechStuff Boards the Space Shuttle Program
09 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The Space Shuttle program in the United States was a story filled with triumph and tragedy. We take a closer look at the technology of the space shutt...
It Is, In Fact, Rocket Science
08 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Recently, I covered a lot of early spacecraft. But how did we get those darn things into space in the first place? In this episode, I trace the histor...
More Apollo and The Soyuz Spacecraft
07 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We conclude our look at the Apollo space program and climb aboard a Soyuz spacecraft, which are still used to this day. Learn more about your ad-choi...
The Apollo Missions
06 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The Gemini project was a stepping stone to what seemed like an impossible goal - put astronauts on the Moon and return them to Earth safely. The Apoll...
TechStuff Classic: The MMORPG Story
03 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What is an MMORPG? What was the first MMORPG? Who coined the term MMORPG? Get online with Chris and Jonathan as they explore the massive, multifaceted...
From Voskhod to Gemini
02 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We continue our episodes about early spacecraft. This time, we go beyond the Vostok and Mercury missions and take a look at what came next. Learn m...
The First Manned Spacecraft
01 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
From the Vostok to the Mercury, we take a look at some of the spacecraft responsible for keeping astronauts and cosmonauts safe as they entered the fi...
Cisco Systems Today
31 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We continue our look into Cisco Systems, a huge company responsible for key technologies that make the stuff you use work. Learn more about your ad-c...
The Origins of Cisco Systems
30 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
TechStuff listener Gage wanted to hear about the company Cisco Systems, which went from a startup in 1984 to one of the biggest corporations in the US...
TechStuff Classic: How Nuclear Weapons Work
27 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
During this classic episode, Chris and Jonathan explore one of the world's most dangerous technologies. How do nuclear weapons work? Why are uranium a...
More on NLP and where voice assistants come from
26 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We conclude our investigation into what makes natural language processing tick and explore the history of assistants like Siri, Alexa and Cortana. Le...
The challenge of natural language processing
25 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
TechStuff listener Nate wanted to know about natural language processing. How can computer scientists teach machines to understand human language and ...
I'm sorry, what did you say?
24 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We explore the history and evolution of speech recognition, one of the foundational technologies behind voice assistants like Siri, Alexa and Google A...
Phishing, Spear Phishing and Whaling
23 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What exactly is phishing and how does it work? From corporate espionage to political manipulation, we explore how people leverage old, deceptive strat...
TechStuff Classic: Slow Motion Film and High Speed Photography
20 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
How does film work? What are the basic parts of a camera? How can you take a photo of a high-speed subject and get a clear picture? Tune in as Chris a...
How ASIMO Worked
19 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Superfan Kat asked for an episode all about Honda's robot ASIMO, which was recently retired. Learn all about the bot meant to interact with human bein...
Scams, Hoaxes and Technological Flim Flam
18 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Stuff They Don't Want You To Know's Ben Bowlin joins the show to talk about some of the biggest shams, hoaxes and flim-flam in tech. Put that skeptici...
How Critical Thinking Works
17 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In the 1000th episode of TechStuff, Jonathan explores the concepts of skepticism and critical thinking and why they are important not just in the worl...
The State of AI
16 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In June 2018, Ian Hogarth and Nathan Benaich released a report on how far AI has advanced over 12 months. We take a look at artificial intelligence, w...
TechStuff Classic: Anonymity
13 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Is it possible that privacy is becoming less of a social norm? In this episode, Chris and Jonathan explore how the internet and online social networks...
Over Hill and Over Dell (Dell Story Part Two)
12 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
After Dell Computers' meteoric rise, the company hit some rough waters. In this episode, we learn what happened, how Michael Dell was able to buy back...
Dude, You Got a Dell
11 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Dell founded his company when he was a teenager. In this episode, we learn how he took a good business idea and turned it into a billion-dolla...
What exactly is GDPR
10 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Legisliation from the European Union has forced many companies to scramble to comply to new rules and regulations. What exactly is General Data Protec...
TechStuff Update Grab Bag
09 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes, after I cover a topic, stuff keeps happening. It's pretty rude. But this episode is all about following up on recent tech stories. Learn m...
TechStuff Classic: Say My Name
06 Jul 2018
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...
The Best and Worst of Crowdfunding
05 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Crowdfunding and platforms like Kickstarter and IndieGogo have changed the way people get funding for projects, including big tech projects. In this e...
TechStuff Moments with Mr. Lincoln
04 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The Disneyland attraction Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln originally started out as a World's Fair attraction before taking up residence in the Happies...
Vaporware: The Software Edition
03 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
From computer games that never made it out of development to entire operating systems, we look at some of the greatest software that never made it to ...
Go Go Gadget Vaporware!
02 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we round up some examples of promised gadgets that never delivered. From a self-adjusting belt to a pair of camera glasses promoted b...
Techstuff Classic: What about (Microsoft) Bob
29 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What was Microsoft Bob? What was the major security flaw in Bob? Why did Bob flop? Join Jonathan and Lauren as they explore the rise and fall of Micro...
What is Microsoft up to Today?
28 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
From mixed reality to political controversy, we explore the recent activity of the world's largest software company: Microsoft. Learn more about your...
An Update on Microsoft
27 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
TechStuff listener Rob asked "What has Microsoft been up to since you recorded The Microsoft Story Part 2 in 2013?" We find out. Learn more about you...
Defense against the Dark DDoS Arts
26 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We take a closer look at different DDoS strategies as well as how cyber security experts try to handle attacks. Is there anything you can do to help l...
DDoS Attacks 101
25 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What exactly is a denial of service attack? And what makes one a distributed denial of service? In this episode, we learn more about the basics of DDo...
Techstuff Classic: Techstuff Talks to Rooster Teeth
22 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What is Rooster Teeth Productions? What is machinima? How did Red vs. Blue get started? Listen in as Jonathan and Chris interview Burnie Burns, the pi...
Frequency Hopping
21 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We finish our story about Hedy Lamarr and look at how frequency hopping works and is un underlying technology for many modern communications systems. ...
Hopping with Hedy Lamarr
20 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Classic film star Hedy Lamarr was celebrated for her appearance but what many people didn't know was that she also co-invented a method of communicati...
How to Make a Podcast
19 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Podcasting has become increasingly popular over the years. What do you need to know to start your own? We give tips on how to go about creating your v...
Caught up with eBay
18 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What has eBay been up to over the last few years? We catch up with the company and bring our story up to the present day. As long as that present day ...
Open vs Closed: A TechStuff Debate
15 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What are the benefits of each type of system? What are the drawbacks? Who won the debate? Tune in as Jonathan and Chris explores the respective pros a...
eBay Goes Corporate
14 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Meg Whitman's tenure at eBay changed the company's culture dramatically. Why did eBay buy Skype, and why do some people say that was a huge mistake? ...
Stuff Younger than TechStuff
13 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We look at some more companies and services that launched after TechStuff became a show back in 2008, including some stuff that didn't get the chance ...
TechStuff is Older Than...
12 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
TechStuff has been a podcast for 10 years. In that time, several companies and services have launched. In this episode, we look at some familiar names...
TechStuff's 10th Anniversary Spectacular!
11 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
TechStuff launched in June, 2008. What has changed in tech over that decade? Jonathan looks back at 10 years of the biggest hits, flops and stories in...
Techstuff Classic: The Sad Tale of Hitchbot
08 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What was HitchBot all about and what happened to it? From hitchiking across Canada to a violent end in Philadelphia, we tell the robot's story. Scott ...
eBay Makes Billionaires
07 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
It only took a couple of years for eBay to go from a hobby to a multi-million-dollar corporation. In this episode, we trace eBay's journey to its init...
The Early Days of eBay
06 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
TechStuff listener Niel asked that we take a look at eBay. How did a Mac programmer get the idea for the auction web site? What was the first thing so...
TechStuff Gets on the Radar
05 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Several TechStuff listeners have asked me to do an episode about radar. In this episode, we take a quick look at several of the people responsible for...
Tim Schafer and Double Fine Productions
04 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
After producing two critically acclaimed but low-selling games, what did Tim Schafer and his Double Fine Production company do next? Learn more about...
Techstuff Classic: The Mythology of Area 51
01 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Area 51 factors into stories about everything from weather-control devices to aliens. Ben Bowlin joins the show to look at the mythology of Area 51. ...
Tim Schafer: From Monkey Island to Brutal Legend
31 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
TechStuff listener Juan asked that we talk about Tim Schafer, a computer game designer famous for making clever, quirky adventure games. In this first...
Demystifying WiFi
30 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Where did the WiFi standard come from? What are the differences of the various flavors of WiFi? And why should you care? Learn more about your ad-cho...
Instagram Gets Big
29 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Shortly after Instagram launched, Facebook moved to acquire the company for a billion dollars. What made the photo sharing service so valuable and wha...
The Birth of Instagram
28 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Listener Nelly asked me to look into the story of Instagram. In this episode, we learn about the co-founders and the abandoned app that ended up spawn...
Techstuff Classic: The Max Headroom Incident
25 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
How did hackers take over a television signal in the late 1980s? Stuff You Should Know's Chuck Bryant joins the show to talk about the Max Headroom In...
TechStuff Profile: Robert N. Hall
24 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Robert N. Hall died in 2016 at the age of 96. The New York Times published an obituary two years later. What were Dr. Hall's contributions to tech...
Engage the Cloaking Device
23 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A popular gadget in science fiction is the cloaking device, a technology capable of rendering entire vehicles invisible. Recently, researchers at the ...
What is Project Maven?
22 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A project dedicated to bringing artificial intelligence into military operations in a real combat theater has prompted more than a dozen Google employ...
How LORAN Worked
21 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Alfred Loomis created the long range navigation system called LORAN. How did it work? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastne...
Techstuff Classic: TechStuff Gets Flushed
18 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
How do toilets work? What's the secret behind using a Japanese toilet? And can you enter a toilet race? Josh Clark joins the show. Learn more about y...
TechStuff Profile: Alfred Loomis
17 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Listener Kris asked that I do a profile on Alfred Lee Loomis, an inventor and philanthropist who had a huge impact on world history and the funding of...
TechStuff at the Bat
16 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Listener Carter asked us to take a look at the technology behind the humble baseball bat. Is it just a stick or is there more to it? From manufacturin...