TechStuff
Episodes
The History of Social Networks: Here Come the Micro-Blogs!
07 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 app...
Tech News: Meta Says No News is Good News
06 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 ti...
The History of Social Networks: Flickr to Reddit
05 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We continue our trip through the history of social networks. This time we look at Flickr, Orkut, Bebo, YouTube and Reddit. Two of those don't exist an...
TechStuff Classic: The Comcast Story: Part One
03 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Comcast is a powerful player in the cable and Internet space. How did the company get its start? And how did cable television take off in the first pl...
Tech News: US Defense Contractors Flunk Basic Cybersecurity
01 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Cybersecurity researchers find that only 13% of defense contractors in the US pass a basic set of cybersecurity regulations. Elon Musk wants to put a ...
The History of Social Networks: Myspace and Facebook
30 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Our profile on the history of social networks continues with two of the big competitors in the mid 2000s -- Myspace and Facebook. From the infamous Ne...
Smart Talks with IBM- Clicks, Not Code: Transforming Digital Experiences with Salesforce
29 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Salesforce platform can empower businesspeople to create digital solutions without writing code. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm ...
The History of Social Networks: From TheGlobe to hi5
29 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Twitter and Facebook are struggling right now, but both have outlasted many other social networks. In this retrospective, we look at early attempts to...
TechStuff Classic: The VW Scandal
25 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What's the story with Volkswagen and emissions testing? How did the car manufacturer hide vehicle emissions? Scott Benjamin of CarStuff joins us to ta...
Rerun: Planned Obsolescence and the Right to Repair
24 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Do companies really implement planned obsolescence to get you to buy more stuff? (Spoiler: yes). And do they really resist giving you the option to re...
Rerun: TechStuff By the Numbers (Stations)
23 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Numbers stations are mysterious, creepy and part of the world of espionage. We learn how shortwave radio works, why it's used for numbers stations and...
Tech News: Twitter 2.0, Son of Musk
22 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Even as Twitter headcount dwindles, Elon Musk announces an ambitious vision for the service's future. Alphabet is gearing up for layoffs. Tax prep ser...
Rerun: Copyright and Fair Use
21 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
No copyright infringement intended. Does that matter? Does it even mean anything? We look at the complicated issues of copyright and fair use.See omny...
TechStuff Classic: Expensive Consumer Tech
19 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With the holiday season coming up, it's time to look at some gift ideas for the filthy rich. From ridiculous watches to a multimillion dollar mobile h...
Tech News: Do Not Question the Musk
17 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Elon Musk allegedly fires Twitter employees who criticize his decisions. A billionaire is calling for Google to stop paying its employees so darn much...
7 Types of Malware
16 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Malware has come a long way since the humble computer virus. We look at the seven types of malware (as defined by Cisco) and learn what they do and ho...
Smart Talks with IBM - Unlocking Data Strategy: Data Literacy for Better Business
15 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Having a good data strategy can streamline the way a company does business. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell takes on this to...
The FTX Collapse
14 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Cryptocurrency exchange FTX spectacularly imploded over the last two weeks. What happened? How did SBF go from crypto wunderkind billionaire to having...
TechStuff Classic: What was Web 2.0?
11 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Once upon a time, a buzz term called Web 2.0 dominated discussions about web sites. What did Web 2.0 really mean? Or does it mean nothing?See omnystud...
Tech News: Meta Cuts 13% of Workforce
10 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Zuckerberg oversees more than 11,000 job cuts across Meta. Twitter continues its bumpy ride post Musk acquisition. And IBM breaks a quantum proce...
Tech News: Twitter Fires and then Re-hires Some Employees
09 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The dumpster fire that is Twitter continues this week as we learn about Twitter reps scrambling to re-hire some of the employees let go in last week's...
The Dangers of the Internet of Things
07 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Internet of Things (IoT) can bring with it a ton of benefits, but it can also introduce security and privacy vulnerabilities. In this episode, Jon...
TechStuff Classic: DNA Forensics
04 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ben Bowlin of Stuff They Don't Want You to Know joins the show to talk about DNA forensics, cold cases and science. How reliable is DNA evidence?See o...
Tech News: It's Not Easy Being Green
03 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Pantone's licensing agreement with Adobe means that designers will have to cough up fifteen bucks a month to access certain colors. Twitter continues ...
The Rise and Fall of Vine
02 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With rumors that the video app Vine is set to return, we look at Vine's history. Where did it come from? Where did it go? Did Cotton Eye Joe have anyt...
Tech News: Twitter is Full of Musk
01 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Last week, Elon Musk completed his Twitter acquisition and began to clean house, firing multiple executives. This week, he continues with launching pr...
Spooky Action at a Distance
31 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Why did Einstein refer to quantum entanglement as "spooky action at a distance?" What is locality? Could quantum systems allow for faster than light c...
TechStuff Classic: Patronage Makes a Comeback
28 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How has the Internet fueled a return to the old system of patronage? This episode explores crowdfunding resources like Indiegogo and patronage service...
Tech News: Apple Begrudgingly Adopts USB-C for iPhones
27 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The EU will require Apple to switch to a USB-C port on iPhones starting in late 2024 and the company isn't happy about it. Plus Elon Musk is on the ve...
TechStuff Tidbits: Exploring the Uncanny Valley
26 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What is the uncanny valley? What causes that feeling of uneasiness we get when we see certain robots or CGI characters? What makes them creepy?See omn...
Combatting Hiring Bias: Recruiting a Diverse Workforce with Intelligent Automation
25 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Intelligent automation can help combat the human biases that can lead to discriminatory hiring practices. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Mal...
The Ghost in the Machine
24 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What does "the ghost in the machine" mean? From philosophy to artificial intelligence, we explore this idiom to understand what it means, how it's use...
TechStuff Classic: Tinder Loving Care?
21 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's time to tackle Tinder. Where did the app come from? Do people use it for more than just hooking up? And what do you get when you go premium?See o...
Tech News: Netflix Targets Shared Passwords
20 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Netflix has a plan for all those households that share login credentials. Uber is going to advertise to you, a lot. A mysterious GPS interference affe...
TechStuff Tidbits: Putting a Stake in Vampire Power
19 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What is vampire power? Why do electronic devices pull power even when they're not on? And what are some ways to stop it?See omnystudio.com/listener fo...
Tech News: The Death of G4TV (Again)
18 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Less than a year after its relaunch, G4TV once again goes dark. Plus online entertainment company Rooster Teeth faces harsh criticism in the wake of a...
Ghost Hunter Technology Revisited
18 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Modern ghost hunting relies heavily on the use -- or misuse -- of technology. Learn about EMF meters, what constitutes electronic voice phenomena, and...
TechStuff Classic: Alphabetizing Google
14 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What does Google's restructuring mean for the company?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tech News: Zuckerberg Triples Down on VR
13 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
At the Meta Connect event, the company showed off the new, more advanced and very expensive VR headset formerly known as Project Cambria. Plus we lear...
The Zombies Are Attacking
12 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What is a zombie computer? What is a botnet? And what the heck is a DDoS attack? We look at a common tactic used by hackers to silence or inconvenienc...
Tech News: Meta Gets Connect-ed
11 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Meta is holding its Connected conference today and we expect to see the new VR high-end headset codenamed Project Cambria, plus updates on the metaver...
Much Ado About Nothing Phone
10 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Nothing Technology, Ltd released the Nothing Phone (1) in July 2022. What sets this phone apart, and is it really going to transform smartphones forev...
TechStuff Classic: Photo Editing and Manipulation, Part Two
07 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dylan is back to talk about the post-digital age of photo manipulation, when Photoshop and other programs began to allow more people to change images....
Tech News: Elon Musk Agrees to Buy Twitter. . . . Again
06 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Elon Musk, Twitter, Tesla, ultrasonic, autonomous, self-driving, China, Great Firewall of China, TLS, nuclear fusion, social media, depression, critic...
Critical Thinking and Tech Evangelists
05 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It pays to think critically about claims folks make about technology. In this episode, we look at how the sunk cost fallacy can lead people to make ve...
Tech News: Supreme Court to Weigh In on Section 230
04 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The US Supreme Court agreed to look at a case that involves Section 230, a rule that protects internet platform from being held liable for stuff poste...
The Death of Google Stadia
03 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Google announced that Stadia, its cloud-based gaming service, is shutting down in January, 2023. What does that mean for Stadia customers? Are there S...
TechStuff Classic: Photo Editing and Manipulation, Part One
30 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
HowStuffWorks photo editor Dylan joins the show to talk about the pre-digital age of photo manipulation. Learn about airbrushing, composite photos, do...
Rerun: It's All Relative
29 Sep 2022
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...
Rerun: Right-Handed Bias - A Sinister Problem
28 Sep 2022
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- The Future of Supply Chain: Building Sustainable and Transparent Businesses
27 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sustainable supply chains are good for the planet and good for business. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell takes on this topic...
Rerun: Deep Learning and Deepfakes
26 Sep 2022
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: How Periscope Works
23 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What is Periscope? What's the technology behind the company? And did Jonathan livestream a podcast?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information...
Tech News: Grand Theft Data
22 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The makers of Grand Theft Auto are responding to a hacker who leaked dozens of videos of the next title in the series. Russia implies it might shoot d...
The Story of Ping
21 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What is the ping tool, what is it used for, and where did it come from? We learn about the man who first created ping, why it's not an acronym for any...
Tech News: The Epic Apple vs Epic Fight Continues
20 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
An appeals court is preparing to hear arguments from Epic, Apple, the State of California and even the US Department of Justice in the ongoing battle ...
Creating more resilient supply chains by decoupling labor from location: Elliot Katz and Shai Magzimof of Phantom Auto
20 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The promise of autonomous vehicles and machinery has been on the minds of industries, consumers and science fiction writers for many years. While adva...
Fairphone and the Sins of the Tech Industry
19 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Fairphone company's mission is to make smartphones that are repairable, rely on sustainable and recycled materials, and that aren't contributing t...
TechStuff Classic: The Sad Tale of HitchBot
17 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What was HitchBot all about and what happened to it? From hitchhiking across Canada to a violent end in Philadelphia, we tell the robot's story. Scott...
Tech News: Twitter Deals, Whistleblowers, and National Security, Oh My!
15 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Twitter shareholders voted to approve Elon Musk's acquisition bid for Twitter even as a whistleblower testified in front of Congress that Twitter has ...
How Dynamic Ads Work in Podcasts
14 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Listener Ryan Barrier asked how advertising works in podcasting, and how even old episodes can have current ads in them. So in this episode, we look a...
Tech News: Twitter Shareholders Vote on Acquisition Today
13 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Twitter's shareholders are expected to approve Elon Musk's proposed Twitter acquisition even as Musk continues to try and extricate himself from the d...
Obsolete Forms of Media
12 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
One challenge with data preservation is that the way we store information changes rapidly. In this episode, we look at some media formats that are now...
TechStuff Classic: The Decline of Google+
09 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Is Google Plus heading off into the sunset? What happened? In this update to a classic episode, TechStuff looks at what went wrong.See omnystudio.com/...
Tech News: Apple Announces New iPhones and More
08 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Apple held its Far Out event and unveiled new iPhones, Apple Watches and Airpods. Google is telling employees to cut back on company travel. Microsoft...
The Automated Highway Concept
07 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Way back in 1939, GM proposed a highway system that would allow cars to travel rapidly down highways with no danger of traffic congestion or accidents...
Tech News: NASA Delays Artemis I Launch
06 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We'll have to wait a while longer before the first of NASA's missions to return us to the Moon takes off. Plus, Brazil tells Apple to include phone ch...
How the Great Movie Ride Worked
05 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Special guest Jack Pattillo joins the show to talk about the former Disney Hollywood Studios attraction, The Great Movie Ride. From immersive storytel...
TechStuff Classic: Is Carbon Dating on the way out?
02 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How does radiocarbon dating work? And why might it be less reliable in the future? Learn about carbon-14 and how it can be used to guess when ancient ...
Tech News: Going Back to the Moon and Playing D&D in Space
01 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
NASA is going to try again with the Artemis I launch, part of the program to return humans to the Moon's surface. Microsoft faces potential resistance...
TechStuff Tidbits: How do Cams work?
31 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What is a cam? How do cams fit into mechanical systems, and why do we use them? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Smart Talks with IBM - The Mayflower Autonomous Ship: AI and Automation at Sea
30 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The world’s first autonomous vessel to cross the Atlantic Ocean is signaling a new era in maritime technology. In this episode of Smart Talks with I...
I Never Meta Pixel That I Liked
29 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A listener asked to learn more about the Facebook/Meta Pixel, an ad tool that is incredibly powerful (and invasive). What is the Pixel, how does it wo...
TechStuff Classic: Tech in the Post Apocalyptic World (Part 2)
26 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There's been an Event. What sort of tech can you rely upon after the zombie outbreak? Or solar flares? Or whatever?See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...
Tech News: Twitter and Facebook Shut Down Pro-US Propaganda Campaign
25 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Facebook and Twitter have been shutting down fake accounts spreading pro-US narratives in the Middle East and Asia. Google warns us of a hacking tool ...
Janet Jackson and Nikola Tesla
24 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How could a music video's audio shutdown a computer? Why did the Tacoma Narrows bridge collapse in 1940? And did Nikola Tesla build an earthquake mach...
Tech News: When is a nanometer not a nanometer?
23 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Apple's 3 nm chips are on the way. A former Apple employee pleads guilty to industrial espionage. Oracle allegedly knows everything about you. And Son...
The History of Smart TVs
22 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Televisions weren't always smart. You might argue they still aren't. But there's a surprisingly long history behind them and of the effort to bring ex...
TechStuff Classic: Tech in the Post Apocalyptic World (Part 1)
20 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There's been an Event. What sort of tech can you rely upon after the zombie outbreak? Or solar flares? Or whatever?See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...
Tech News: Mt. Kilimanjaro Gets WiFi
18 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tanzania has installed high-speed internet on Mt. Kilimanjaro, providing more resources to mountain climbers and influencers alike. Facebook and TikTo...
VR, the Metaverse, and Barriers to Entry
17 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we look at some of the issues with VR that could act as a stumbling block on the journey to the metaverse. How will VR play a part in...
Tech News: Hacking a Tractor to Play Doom
16 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Apple reportedly has a new deadline requiring corporate employees to come back to the office. Some Signal users had their phone numbers exposed in a p...
Affirm and Max Levchin
15 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How does the fintech company Affirm work? And what's the story behind its founder, Max Levchin? From Chernobyl to Peloton, our story takes some pretty...
TechStuff Classic: TechStuff Takes Manhattan (Project)
12 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What was the Manhattan Project all about? What went on during the Manhattan Project and who were the influential people involved? Ben Bowlin joins the...
Tech News: Cisco Gets Hacked
11 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ransomware hackers got access to some Cisco systems but forgot to actually do the ransom part. Streaming services are grappling with the problem of ma...
Super Soakers and Rocket Science
10 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How did a nuclear engineer end up inventing the Super Soaker water gun? This is the story of Lonnie Johnson, an inventor and engineer who, among many ...
Tech News: How do you Google is Google Down when Google is Down?
09 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Google's software update caused a brief but widespread outage of services. The US government stalls on passing an antitrust bill that would have a mas...
What does Google X do?
08 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Listener Charlie wants to know about X, the Alphabet subsidiary where Google engineers conduct super secret research and development on everything fro...
TechStuff Classic: The Manhattan Project Part One
05 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Ben Bowlin joins the show to talk about the scientific and political landscape that made the Manhattan Project possible. What was Ein...
Tech News: Virtual Real Estate Values Plummet in the Metaverse
04 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Late last year, speculation around the metaverse fed into a crazy market for virtual real estate. Six months later, values have dropped 80%. What happ...
Why Facebook Might Leave the EU
03 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Zuckerberg has said that Facebook and Instagram might have to shut down operations if there's not a change to EU privacy requirements. It turns o...
Tech News: The Sun is Angry
02 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A solar storm is heading toward Earth but it's nothing to worry about. Plus, Apple says its human rights were violated and the Chairman of TSMC states...
The Volume and The AR Wall
01 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Franchises like Star Wars and Star Trek have recently received a filmmaking upgrade in the form of The Volume and The AR Wall (respectively). What do ...
TechStuff Classic: Disruptive Technologies
29 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What exactly is a disruptive technology? Jonathan explains the term and gives examples of how technology can really shake things up.See omnystudio.com...
Tech News: A Mega Load of Meta News And More
28 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Meta held its Q2 2022 earnings call and we learned a lot about what's going on with the company. We also learned that soon Meta will charge more for V...
Why Jony Ive Left Apple
27 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Concluding our epic series about Jony Ive and his influence at Apple, we find out how Steve Jobs's death affected the designer, the projects he worked...
Smart Talks with IBM: The Good Hacker: Hacking Businesses before Criminals Do
26 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The headlines tell us cyberattacks are a big, consistent threat to business data – and ours. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwe...
Apple Takes Off with Jony Ive
25 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Steve Jobs, Jony Ive and others at Apple were able to make huge changes, going from the brink of bankruptcy toward success. What would come next would...
TechStuff Classic: Digital Immortality, Part Two
22 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Stuff You Should Know's Josh Clark and Jonathan continue their discussion about achieving immortality through technology. What are the philosophical p...
Tech News: Meta Is Going to Court Again
21 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Zuckerberg is going to have to appear in a federal court to answer questions about his alleged involvement in the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Me...