TechStuff
Episodes
Becoming a Microchipped Cyborg
04 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Employees at a vending company can elect to get an RFID microchip implant. What's the story behind this and is it a good idea? Learn more about your ...
The History of Programming Languages Part Two
02 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
How have programming languages evolved over time? What was wrong with the old ones? How are more recent languages different from the ones first develo...
The History of Programming Languages Part One
28 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
What was the first programming language? Why are they even necessary? Why are there so many different types of programming languages? Learn more abou...
How Weather Models Work
26 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
What sorcery is this? How do meteorologists actually make weather forecasts after collecting all that data? Learn more about your ad-choices at https...
How Meteorologists Work
21 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
How do meteorologists predict the weather? We look at the tools meteorologists use to determine stuff like high and low temperatures, the chance of pr...
How Weather Works
20 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In an effort to understand meteorology, we first must understand how weather works. What are the complex variables that determine weather patterns? L...
Are 4k TVs Worth It?
14 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
What exactly is 4k resolution? How does the number of pixels on a screen correspond to image quality? And are 4k sets really worth it? Learn more abo...
Smiley Face Emoji Story
12 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
What's the difference between an emoticon and an emoji? Where did emoji come from? And is it a language? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://...
The Intel Story Part Two
07 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
From the humble 4004 to today's Kaby Lake, we take a look at the processors and technology Intel has developed over the years. Learn more about your ...
The Intel Story Part One
05 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
How did the co-founders of Intel go from being "traitors" to two of the early pioneers of silicon valley? We learn about Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore...
History of Electricity Part Two
30 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
As the 20th century loomed ever closer, the battle waged to determine how we would transmit electricity. Learn about the current wars and why AC ultim...
History of Electricity Part One
28 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know that engineers were harnessing electricity long before they even knew what it was? We take a look at the history and tech behind electric...
The Wonderful World of Audio Animatronics
23 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
It might be a small world after all, but how did Disney imagineers create the first audio animatronics and how do they work? Find out in the Tiki Tiki...
Jonathan's E3 2017 Adventure
22 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Join Jonathan as he describes his experience exploring E3 2017, the expo all about computer and video games. Learn more about your ad-choices at http...
Ransomware and WannaCry
16 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
What is ransomware? Why does it so often target healthcare organizations? Tune in to learn all about the history of holding data hostage — from Dr. ...
Pew Pew Lasers
14 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Lasers can be used to threaten our enemies, cut steel and even amuse our cats. Find out the history of lasers and how they work in this episode of Tec...
The Macintosh Story Part 3
09 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
From the return of Steve Jobs to the most recent Macs, we look at how the computer has changed over the years. Learn more about your ad-choices at ht...
The Macintosh Story Part 2
08 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
After its launch, Apple tweaked the Macintosh a bit. Then Apple executives gave Steve Jobs the boot. He would return many years later. We look at the ...
The Macintosh Story Part 1
02 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
What's the origin story for the Macintosh computer? We look at the early days of Apple leading up to the launch of one of the most famous Apple produc...
Revisiting Net Neutrality
01 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
What is Net Neutrality? Why is it a big deal? And what is the current status of net neutrality? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.ihear...
The Samsung Story Part 2
26 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Picking up where we left off, we look at some of the more recent stories about Samsung, including the tricky relationships between the heirs to the Sa...
The Samsung Story Part 1
24 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
How did the company Samsung get its start? From its humble beginnings as a grocery and shipping company, we look at the complicated history of one of ...
The National Facial Recognition Database
19 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Are you an adult citizen in the US? If so, there's a 50% chance your face is in a law enforcement database. We look at this problematic law enforcemen...
Close, but No Nuclear War
17 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The world has teetered on the brink of nuclear war a few times. Sometimes, it was because of technical glitches. Sometimes, it was because of coincide...
The Google Glass Story
12 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Was Google Glass an idea ahead of its time? What are its origins and where is it today? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcast...
Bestselling Games of All Time
09 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
What are the bestselling video games of all time? Find out some of the top performers for systems dating back to the Atari 2600. Learn more about you...
The Digg Story
05 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
It all began with a startup led by a TechTV host. Then it evolved into a massively influential site, only to seemingly implode a short while later. Wh...
The TV Story Part 3
03 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
From projection televisions to LED screens, we explore the more recent advancements in television technology. What the heck is HDR, anyway? Learn mor...
The TV Story Part 2
28 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Controversy continues as we look at the development of electronic televisions. Was Philo T. Farnsworth the real inventor of the TV? Learn more about ...
The TV Story Part 1
26 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Who invented the television? Well, it's complicated. We look at the science behind TV and the first mechanical sets. Learn more about your ad-choices...
How USB Ports Work
21 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The USB has become a standard port in tech. How did it get started and how does it work? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcas...
What was Gopher?
19 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Once upon a time, a text-based Internet navigation system was poised to become the primary way we interact with the net. What happened? Learn more ab...
The FitBit Story
14 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
How did two guys with no manufacturing experience create a successful company that has defined an entire new industry? We look at Fitbit's story and t...
TechStuff is Under Siege
12 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
From catapults to ballista, we explore the world of siege engines. Which ones were real? Which are fantasy? And how did they work? Learn more about y...
The id Software Story Part Two
07 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
From humble beginnings to massive success, we follow the rest of the id Software story. When did the founders leave and why? And what's going on there...
The id Software Story Part One
05 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
They made games like Doom and Quake, but where did id Software come from? In this episode, we explore the origins of a major name in computer games. ...
Tech Memes
29 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
What is a meme? What are some of the notable tech memes, and where do they come from? How does something become a meme? Learn more about your ad-choi...
The Story of Comdex
22 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
It was once the computing conference to attend. Today, it's rapidly fading from memory. How did Comdex begin and what happened to it? Learn more abou...
TechStuff Goes Transmitter Hunting - Part Two
15 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Joe McCormick and Jonathan continue their discussion about radio waves, transmitters and radio direction finding. How can you locate a transmitter and...
TechStuff Goes Transmitter Hunting - Part One
08 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Joe McCormick and Jonathan continue their discussion about radio waves, transmitters and radio direction finding. How can you locate a transmitter and...
How Video Game Emulators Work
01 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wanted to play classic games from old consoles or arcade machines on your computer? Then you need a video game emulator. But are they le...
Authentication Tech and You
22 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
What is authentication? Why is it important? And what are engineers doing to make it better? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpo...
The History of MP3 Players
15 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
How did the humble MP3 player get its start? When did the iPod take over as the dominant brand? And what's the MP3 Player business like today? Learn ...
The Circuit City Story Part 2
08 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Once the Wards Company, Circuit City really established its identity decades after it was founded. How did the company grow and ultimately die, and wh...
The Circuit City Story Part 1
01 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Do you remember the electronics superstore called Circuit City? If you shopped in the 80s and 90s, the answer is probably yes. How did it get started?...
How Magnetic Storage Works
25 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about the amazing world of magnets and how super smart people figured out we could use them to store data. From old wire recordings to magnetic ...
How MP3 Compression Works
18 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
How does a computer program decide which bits of an audio file to keep and which to ditch during compression? We learn about the mp3 algorithm and Jon...
TechStuff Visits CES 2017
11 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Ben Bowlin joins the show, recorded in Las Vegas, to talk about the big trends in tech at CES 2017. From autonomous cars to smart hubs to virtual real...
TechStuff and Friends Predict 2017
05 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Jonathan is joined by a few friends and together they predict what will happen in tech in 2017. Will we sit in our driverless cars playing virtual rea...
TechStuff Reviews 2016 Part Two
28 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We conclude our look back on the big tech stories of 2016, from June to December. Gawker goes bankrupt, Pokemon Go steals the spotlight for a few week...
TechStuff Reviews 2016 Part One
21 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We take a look back at the big stories in tech during 2016, from January through May. We say goodbye to the Goblin King, Twitter shakes up its executi...
2016 Predictions Report Card
14 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
It's a bit early, but Jonathan has Iyaz Akhtar rejoin TechStuff to look at the predictions we made at the beginning of the year. How did we do? Learn...
Bad Computer Bugs
07 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Software bugs range from annoying to catastrophic. It's time to explore some of the most famous flaws in computer history! Learn more about your ad-c...
The Dirt on Digital Audio
30 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
How is audio recorded digitally? In this first episode on a series about mp3 and digital audio, Jonathan breaks down how we convert sound into 0s and ...
Augmenting Your Reality
23 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
What is AR and how does it work? Learn about augmented reality's history and future! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnet...
The Sony Story: Part Three
16 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
From Sony's involvement in the film industry to the recent big changes to the company, we bring the Sony story to its conclusion. Learn more about yo...
The Sony Story: Part Two
09 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Picking up where we left off, we explore how Sony got into the world of television and VCRs. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpo...
The Sony Story: Part One
02 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
How did the enormous company Sony get its start? From humble beginnings to transistor radios, we look at the Sony Story. Learn more about your ad-cho...
The Scary World of EVMs, Part Two
26 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Ben Bowlin joins Jonathan to talk about electronic voting machines, hackers and keeping the democratic process secure. Are EVMs a bad idea? Can we rel...
The Scary World of EVMs, Part One
19 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Ben Bowlin joins Jonathan to talk about electronic voting machines, hackers and keeping the democratic process secure. Are EVMs a bad idea? Can we rel...
Exploring the World Through Tech
12 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Luria Petrucci of Geeks Life joins the show to talk about the tech designed to get you outside and exploring the world. Find out about apps, gadgets a...
TechStuff Goes Back To School
05 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Now that students are back in school, it's time to have a serious talk about how to use tech responsibly. We chat with Denelle Dixon-Thayer of Mozilla...
Mars Simulation Takes to the HI-SEAS
28 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Recently, a year-long isolation experiment simulating a mission to Mars concluded. What were the results? And why did it happen in Hawaii? Learn more...
The Worst Hacking Scenes from Hollywood, Part Two
14 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Shannon Morse and Jonathan continue their conversation about some of the worst hacking scenes in Hollywood history and how with a little adjustment th...
The Worst Hacking Scenes from Hollywood
07 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Hacking isn't as glamorous or exciting as movies and television make it seem. Shannon Morse joins the show to talk about the worst examples of hacking...
How Pokemon Go Works
31 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
From the history of Pokemon to the strange evolution of Keyhole, we look at how Pokemon Go became an instant phenomenon. Learn more about your ad-cho...
What will the Internet be like in 2021?
24 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
TechStuff did an amazing job predicting 2016 way back in 2011. Can we do it again? CNET's Iyaz Akhtar guest hosts. Learn more about your ad-choices a...
Following Up on TechStuff Predictions from 2011
18 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Back in 2011, Chris and Jonathan made some predictions about what the Internet would be like in five years. Five years later, it's time to see how the...
The Pixar Story: Part 3
10 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
What has Pixar been up to over the last decade? Which Pixar film has had an underwhelming performance at the box office? And what comes next? Learn m...
The Pixar Story: Part 2
03 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
How did the success of Toy Story affect Pixar the company? Why was there tension between Steve Jobs and Michael Eisner? And what happens when Disney a...
The Pixar Story: Part 1
27 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
How did the Pixar studio get started? How did it evolve from a small operation to a power player in the Disney empire? And how has the company led inn...
A Conversation with Nerds
20 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Josh and Nicola from the Big Nerd Ranch join the show to talk about Alexa and making the training material for people who want to make Alexa apps. Wha...
Robot People and Autopilots
14 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Scott Benjamin comes on the show to talk about two stories. One is about a proposal to give robots electric personhood status. The other, a discussion...
How Tech Could Make Better Chocolate
06 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Temple University scientists have found a new way to improve chocolate and it involves electric fields. Learn about the technology and physics behind ...
How E3 Works
29 Jun 2016
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...
How the Disney Magic Works
22 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
After my recent (tenth) cruise on the Disney Cruise line, I decided to look into what makes the ship work.How does it steady itself in rough seas? How...
AI Assistants and You
15 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
From Amazon to Google to Apple, companies are creating digital assistants to make our lives easier. What's the technology behind them and are they saf...
How the Kepler Telescope Works
08 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The Kepler Telescope has detected hundreds of exoplanets in our galaxy. What's the story behind it and how does it work? Learn more about your ad-cho...
Shh! How Soundproofing Works
01 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Producer Noel Brown joins the show to talk about the science, theory and practice of soundproofing. How does sound work? How can you protect a room fr...
The Problem With Ads Part Two
25 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Jonathan and Ben continue their conversation about online ads. Is it wrong to use ad blockers? Or is it wrong to block people who block ads? Learn mo...
The Problem with Ads Part One
18 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Online advertising has been a bit of a problem for a long time. Join Jonathan and Ben as they talk about ads, ad blockers and malware. Learn more abo...
The FAA and Drones
11 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Consumer drones are cool. Consumer drones are also potentially dangerous. What are the FAA's rules about drones? Learn more about your ad-choices at ...
Hacking for Dollars
04 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Hak5 Host Shannon Morse joins the show to talk about hacking as a profession. From white hats to black hats, how do hackers make money? Learn more ab...
The Great Google Car Crash of 2016
27 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
CarStuff's Scott Benjamin comes on to talk about Google's self-driving car causing its first car accident. What happened? And how will Google prevent ...
Weather Tech, Part 2
21 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
How are weather predictions made? How does the tech used in meteorology work? And can we control the weather? Learn more about your ad-choices at htt...
Weather Tech, Part 1
20 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
How are weather predictions made? How does the tech used in meteorology work? And can we control the weather? Learn more about your ad-choices at htt...
The Nintendo Story: Part Three
13 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
What has Nintendo been up to since 2011? In this update, Jonathan explains the more recent history of the famous game company. Learn more about your ...
Classic TechStuff: The Nintendo Story: Part Two
06 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this classic episode, Chris and Jonathan explore Nintendo's rise in the video game industry and some of its missteps. Learn more about your ad-cho...
Classic TechStuff: The Nintendo Story: Part One
30 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
How did Nintendo get its start? Chris and Jonathan talk about the famous video game company (before it made video games) in this classic episode. Lea...
A Conversation With FanBolt's Emma Loggins
23 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Emma Loggins is the founder of FanBolt, a pop culture blog that's been around since 2002. How did FanBolt get started and how has it been so successfu...
Classic TechStuff: Industrial Light and Magic
16 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this classic episode, Chris and Jonathan look at the effects studio Industrial Light and Magic. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.ih...
How Solar Towers Work
09 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
What are solar towers? How do they generate electricity? What's the future of solar power? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodc...
Apple vs the FBI
02 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
What does the FBI want Apple to do and why do so many tech experts oppose it? Ben Bowlin joins the show to talk about it. Learn more about your ad-ch...
How LIGO Works
24 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
What is LIGO and how did it detect gravitational waves? We explain! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnys...
High Tech at High Speed
17 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Scott and Ben from CarStuff join the show to talk about some of the latest tech making its way into cars. What do they think of autonomous vehicles an...
The MOOG Story: Part Two
11 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
What is a MOOG synthesizer? How does it work? And did people really say synthesizers didn't make real music? Learn more about your ad-choices at http...
The MOOG Story: Part One
03 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
What is a MOOG synthesizer? How does it work? And did people really say synthesizers didn't make real music? Learn more about your ad-choices at http...
The Philips Story: Part Two
27 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
What happened to the Philips company during World War II? How did Philips diversify over the decades? What's next for the company? Learn more about y...
The Philips Story: Part One
20 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Who founded the electronics company Philips? Why did it nearly go bankrupt in less than five years? And who saved it? Learn more about your ad-choice...
CES 2016 Impressions
13 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Jonathan attended CES once again. What were the big trends? What caught the press's attention? And what did he eat? Learn more about your ad-choices ...