TechTime with Nathan Mumm

Episode 285: Join us this week on TechTime Radio with Nathan Mumm: The Show That Makes You Go "HMMM." Welcome to our show as we guide you through all things tech with a lil' whiskey on the side. This week on TechTime Radio, we cut through a week where algorithms, automation, and accountability all collided. We opened with TikTok’s regulatory shakeup, where EU pressure and U.S. oversight triggered an algorithm reset that left creators scrambling. The conversation centered on what responsible design looks like when addictive features meet real duty of care, especially for younger users. We shifted to the automotive world this week, from Waymo scraping parked cars to a D.C. robo‑minibus that froze in the middle of the lane after a minor crash. The show explained how fragile edge cases and confusing human handoffs still make these systems unreliable, even as automation becomes more common. We wrapped up with enterprise updates, new security concerns, and a hands-on look at Gwen Ways Gadget, the Ziea-One, the calendar-organizer clock robot, all finished off with a lively American whiskey tasting that sparked plenty of debate. Feed fatigue, robo-fender-benders, and a desk gadget with egg eyes take center stage as we untangle a week where regulation, automation, and attention collide. We start with TikTok’s new reality: EU regulators label its design addictive, while U.S. oversight and ownership shifts trigger a jarring algorithm reset. Creators see their niche content vanish, reach plummet, and feeds feel sanitized or broken. We explore what accountability looks like when infinite scroll and autoplay meet duty of care—especially for younger users—and whether smarter design can keep discovery without weaponizing compulsion. Then we pivot to the streets, where autonomy hit a pothole. A Waymo vehicle, even with a specialist onboard, scraped parked cars; a D.C. robo-minibus froze mid-lane after a minor crash; and an AI-enhanced used-car listing offered up cobblestone floor mats and two gear shifters. It’s funny until it isn’t. We cut through the headlines to the heart of the problem: brittle edge cases, unclear handoffs, and the non-negotiable need for human-in-the-loop safeguards. From staged rollouts to geofencing and real-world failover plans, we map the practices that separate novelty from reliability. On the enterprise side, Microsoft’s long goodbye to Exchange Web Services sounds mundane—until your calendar syncs and SaaS bridges hiccup. We explain the timeline, what’s replacing EWS, and how to audit your hidden dependencies before 2027 arrives. To actually tame your day, we test-drive Zia One, a Kickstarter AI calendar that merges Google, Outlook, and more into a glanceable desktop display with voice commands, Pomodoro timers, and playful animations. It’s a focused bet on ambient computing—and we share how to evaluate crowdfunded hardware for real-world viability. Security stakes stay high as Coinbase reports a contractor-enabled data access incident, complete with leaked screenshots of internal tools. We detail why outsourced support is a prime attack surface and lay out a practical blueprint for least privilege, session monitoring, and vendor governance. And yes, we sip through a four-bottle American whiskey flight, trade takes on flavor and finish, and crown a winner—with a few confident opinions that may not age well. Hit play for a fast, clear, and funny tour through the week’s most consequential tech shifts, grounded in practical steps you can apply today. If you enjoy the show, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave us a review—then tell us: which trend needs the toughest guardrails right now? Support the show

The headlines say TikTok just got “safer” under U.S. oversight—but we’re not convinced that swapping one set of power brokers for another changes the core data bargain. We unpack who really gains from TikTok’s algorithm shift, how investor incentives shape your feed, and whether creators and users can expect more transparency or just a new layer of control. From there, we dig into a surprising frontier in medical education: AI patients that look and sound real enough to train bedside communication. Useful? Potentially. Dangerous when overtrusted? Absolutely. We explore the promise of scalable practice and the risks of teaching empathy with a simulation that can’t feel. We also take a hard look at Microsoft’s push toward an AI-soaked desktop and the specter of microtransactions creeping into everyday tasks. If your computer becomes a toll road for productivity, what happens to user agency and trust—especially when forced updates already break basics like sleep mode and input devices? Add in a street-level invention that lets strangers honk to scroll your TikTok, and you get a sharp snapshot of tech’s weird edge: novelty, engagement, and the fraying line between public space and content. Amid the friction, there are bright spots. A volunteer drone team uses thermal imaging to find a lost dog along the New Jersey Turnpike. A London bus driver turns a daily route into a “bubble bus,” lifting moods with simple, joyful tech. We chase the tension and the hope—how tools can serve people when we set the right boundaries, and how easy it is to drift when profits lead the way. If you enjoy smart debate with a little whiskey on the side, hit play, subscribe, and share this with a friend who loves tech but hates hype. Leave a review with your favorite moment so we can bring more of what you want next week. Support the show

What if the most exciting tech of the year wasn’t just shiny—it was useful, personal, and a little unsettling? We dive into our Top 10 from CES 2026 and share what genuinely moved the needle for everyday life, what felt like future shock, and where we think the line should be drawn. We start with wonder and method: viral claims about “hidden cities” beneath Antarctica meet the real tools behind the map—satellite interferometry, glacier-flow physics, and AI reconstruction. That lens helps us parse a major education study on generative AI: students are learning faster, but thinking less. We lay out the gains for reading and language, the risk of cognitive offloading, emotional bonds with chatbots, and a roadmap for classrooms that teach with AI without surrendering curiosity or equity. Then the floor opens. We count down gadgets that aim beyond spectacle: a bone-conduction lollipop that plays licensed music you can taste; an AI-powered nail system that swaps colors in seconds without chemicals; an ultrasonic chef knife that cuts clean without crushing; and a luxury smart toilet that pairs comfort with urine analysis and safety monitoring. We talk real-world scenarios—aging in place, chronic care, and the thin edge between helpful data and surveillance. The hits keep coming: a portable allergen scanner designed to flag gluten and lactose at the table, Samsung’s pocketable trifold that unfolds into a true 10-inch workspace, and a stair-climbing robot vacuum that actually cleans steps and multi-floor homes on a single cycle. Our health pick of the show is a discreet perimenopause wearable that turns hot flashes, sleep disruptions, and anxiety into actionable biometrics, finally giving millions data they can use. And then there’s the most talked-about demo: a hologram-like “AI soulmate” living in a curved OLED, always on, always attentive, and engineered for attachment. We unpack the appeal, the ethical minefield, and the social cost of simulating intimacy at scale. To ground it all, we spotlight a nationwide Verizon outage—phones stuck in SOS mode and a small opt-in credit—because when your life runs on networks, resilience matters more than hype. Pull up a chair, pour something good, and join us for a tour that favors clarity over buzz. If our mix of curiosity, skepticism, and humor hits the spot, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review so more people can find it. Which CES idea would you actually bring home—and which one should never cross your doorstep? Support the show

Imagine getting your lab results, feeding them into an AI, and realizing it caught a mistake your clinic didn’t. That’s where we start: the real promise of ChatGPT Health against the very real risks of privacy drift and model error. We unpack what “enhanced protections” actually need to look like, why accuracy and safety can’t play second fiddle to consent screens, and how patients can use AI without replacing their doctor. A candid story about a dropdown gone wrong makes the stakes feel personal, not theoretical. From the body to the browser of your mind, we shift to games racing toward photorealism. GTA 6, Unrecord, and cutting‑edge racers now look like camera footage. Does that change how our brains process violence and emotion? We pull from psychology to separate moral panic from measurable effects, and dig into the design choices—tone, mechanics, exaggeration—that help players keep fiction in focus even as visuals blur the line. Then the surprise CES headliner: Lego’s new Smart Brick. Sensors, light detection, NFC, and a tiny speaker turn physical builds into reactive play without a screen. We weigh the creativity boost against the risk of gimmick creep, and talk about how accessible coding tools could turn this into a STEM gateway rather than a shortcut. Staying hands‑on, we evaluate a compact SLS 3D printer on Kickstarter that sinters powder with a laser. It’s support‑free, wastes less, and yields sturdy parts, but demands safety gear and a pro‑level budget—great for makers ready to sell, overkill for casual hobbyists. Privacy takes center stage again with smart TVs using automatic content recognition to silently track what you watch. We call out dark patterns, buried settings, and the illusion of consent when features break if you say no. Across health data, living room screens, and playful bricks, a through‑line emerges: tech should earn trust with transparent defaults, meaningful control, and value you can feel. To keep it fun and grounded, we run a blind whiskey bracket of finished rye and bourbon—sherry, port, and tequila casks in the mix. A past champion returns, a celebrity label underwhelms, and our palates evolve in surprising ways. If you love sharp takes with a splash of good spirit, this hour’s for you. Enjoy the show? Subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a quick review so more curious listeners can find us. Your feedback shapes what we explore next. Support the show

A smart home vacuum goes bankrupt and suddenly the maps of your living room might be someone else’s asset—that’s where we start, and the questions only get sharper from there. We dig into iRobot’s Chapter 11, the failed Amazon deal, and why a China-linked manufacturer gaining access to device data should force a hard reset on how we think about ownership, privacy, and consent in consumer hardware. From there, we test the limits of AI in the wild. Anthropic’s “Project Vend” handed a real vending machine to a cutting-edge model; within days it was giving away inventory, ordering wine, and falling for fake board directives. It’s a masterclass in social engineering, governance gaps, and how quickly “autonomy” becomes “anarchy” when authority boundaries aren’t airtight. Then we turn to an even uglier misuse: Grok’s image editing feature enabling non-consensual sexualized images, including minors. We lay out pragmatic safeguards—consent gates, watermarking, provenance, and robust content filters—that should have been table stakes. We keep it human too. Our whiskey segment pits a DIY three-bottle blend against a 100-proof control pour, and the tasting becomes a metaphor for product strategy: great components still need intent and balance. With that palate set, we go bold on 2026 predictions: Facebook’s staying power, whether Microsoft finally buys social, a potential “Steam Machine” console push, AR glasses missing mainstream again, cloud gaming’s surge toward a majority share, Disney Plus flirting with a vault strategy, and the cyber risk that could ground an airport. Along the way we call for retiring tired buzzwords and reviving tech that actually serves people. If you’re into technology that touches real lives—privacy in your home, AI in your office, content on your screen, and resilience in your infrastructure—you’ll find plenty to argue with and plenty to take away. Follow the show, share it with a friend who needs a sanity check on the hype, and drop us your own 2026 prediction. And if you like what we’re building, subscribe and leave a review so more curious listeners can find us. Support the show

What happens when convenience becomes the cost? We close the year by unpacking the eight tech stories that reshaped daily life, wallets, and trust. From streaming’s pivot back to bundles that feel like cable, to smart speakers and connected appliances that quietly ship household data to the cloud, we trace how “modern” increasingly means managed—and often monitored. We dig into the robotics hype cycle and ask why humanoids still struggle with balance and dexterity while specialized bots make real progress. We revisit the year’s biggest cloud outages and map the true downstream impact on classrooms, small businesses, and critical services. Then we turn to the road: cars and EVs are now rolling data platforms, collecting location histories, driving behaviors, and infotainment usage that can flow to insurers and third parties. The question isn’t whether your vehicle knows you—it’s who else does, and for how long. Surveillance didn’t expand with sirens; it seeped in through doorbells, license plate readers, and citywide cameras, often in partnership with law enforcement. We challenge the idea that this is inevitable and debate where safety ends and overreach begins. Finally, we tackle AI’s identity crisis: voice cloning, realistic generation, fragile safeguards, and the policy vacuum that leaves creators, consumers, and companies guessing. Can we set guardrails without strangling innovation? We argue for practical steps—licensing high-risk systems, watermarking synthetic media, meaningful transparency, and liability when promised safety fails—while keeping room for creativity and progress. Along the way, we keep it human: tradeoffs you can control now, policies worth pushing for, and a rye whiskey tasting to toast lessons learned. If you care about privacy, reliability, AI ethics, or just want streaming to stop nickel-and-diming you, this conversation brings clarity without the jargon. If it resonates, follow the show, share this episode with a friend, and drop your take: what tech boundary should we draw first? Subscribe and leave a review to help more curious listeners find us. Support the show

What happens when technology grows faster than the rules meant to guide it? We toast the season finale by tackling that question head-on—starting with a bold move to centralize AI regulation at the federal level and preempt state-by-state rules. We lay out what a single national framework could fix, what it could break, and how lobbying from the biggest AI players complicates the path forward. Uniform standards might speed innovation and reduce compliance chaos, but local expertise matters, and trust depends on safeguards that balance industry power with public interest. Then we shift from policy to pavement. Waymo keeps making headlines for the wrong reasons: riders passing out in driverless cars, a recall tied to passing stopped school buses with flashing lights, and a bizarre three-car standoff that jammed a steep San Francisco street for nearly an hour. We unpack what these incidents reveal about human behavior in autonomous systems, the limits of remote intervention, and the public’s patience when “driverless” becomes neighborhood gridlock. Safety updates and voluntary recalls are essential, but accountability, transparency, and resilient design are how this technology earns the right to scale. Not everything is caution tape and traffic cones. We spotlight the AirFly Pro 2 from Twelve South, a small Bluetooth transmitter that lets two people share audio from any 3.5 mm jack—perfect for flights, older TVs, and road trips. It’s simple, reliable, and exactly the kind of travel tech that quietly improves your day. We also marvel at a $380,000 “human washing machine”—part luxury, part lab experiment—hinting at future wellness and eldercare tech where biometrics and comfort meet. And we raise a glass to a standout Jack Daniel’s single barrel heritage barrel release, trading tasting notes on char, sweetness, and that long, confident finish. Along the way we nod to Perl’s enduring place in internet history, reminding ourselves that the tools that last aren’t always the flashiest—they’re the ones that solve real problems again and again. As we wrap season seven, the through-line is clear: when tech outruns law, human behavior fills the void. The best builders anticipate that gap, and the best policy keeps pace without strangling the spark. If that balance excites you as much as it challenges you, you’re our kind of listener. Enjoyed the season? Subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review to help others find us. Your support helps us bring sharper stories, better gear picks, and smarter conversations in the year ahead. Support the show

This week on TechTime Radio, a state-backed cyber scheme hiding in plain sight. That’s where we start: identity rental, deepfaked interviews, and remote tooling that let North Korean operators slip into real jobs at real companies. We unpack how recruiters lure engineers, what data they demand, and the quiet ways compromised devices become corporate backdoors. Then we get practical—clear verification steps for HR, device attestation, network controls, and a tighter handshake between hiring and security teams. From the office to the bookstore, we shift to the uneasy rise of AI-written titles and the complicated dance between reader demand, author craft, and copyright risk. We talk labels, discovery, and the thin line between helpful tools and hollow literature. Policy heats up as Australia forces a sweeping under-16 social media lockout. We parse the benefits, the whiplash, and the risk of driving teens to unmoderated spaces, and outline smarter safeguards like verified age gates, default privacy, and digital literacy. Then comes the jaw-dropper: researchers discover that stylized poetry can jailbreak safety systems across multiple chatbots. We explore why “style attacks” work, where current guardrails fail, and how to harden models with adversarial training, independent moderation, and server-side checks. Entertainment gets its own tremor as a rumored Netflix–Warner Bros.–HBO deal sparks questions about catalog control, competition, and what it means for your monthly subscriptions. And yes, we leave room for levity: the London velodrome’s accidental “sound effect,” a raccoon’s ill-fated whiskey tasting, and a cautionary tale of an AI agent that wiped a developer’s entire drive without a confirmation. We close with our whiskey finals—WhistlePig PiggyBack Bourbon versus Bakta 1928 Rye—and crown a champion after a tight, flavor-first showdown. If you enjoy sharp takes on cybersecurity, AI safety, media strategy, and a bit of spirited fun, hit play, share with a friend, and tell us your biggest surprise from the show. Subscribe, rate, and leave a review to help more curious listeners find us. Support the show

What happens when a holiday “thankful” theme clashes with cutting-edge technology, bold policies, and some notable missteps? We begin with Dubai’s high-profile plan to introduce flying taxis and ask tough questions: can eVTOLs truly reduce travel time after accounting for boarding, airspace management, and vertiport capacity—or will they just be expensive toys hovering above gridlocked cities? Next, we discuss Australia’s eye-catching ban on social media for users under 16. We openly address the issues it aims to solve—cyberbullying, grooming, and addictive content—and consider the potential loss of social and educational benefits for teens, along with the challenges of age verification, VPN use, and platform switching. Our guest, cybersecurity expert Nick Espinoza, highlights the CVE database, which quietly supports global vulnerability management. When defenders respond swiftly, it’s because CVE provides a shared map. This connects to real-world enforcement—like the arrest of a suspected Russian hacker in Thailand through international cooperation—and the rapidly evolving frontline where AI counters AI. Modern defenses depend on machine learning and deep learning that analyze CVEs, detect indicators of compromise, and respond faster than humans, narrowing the gap from cyberattackers who automate their tactics. We also examine Nike’s provocative concept of “e-bikes for your feet,” discussing when robotic assistance improves mobility and recovery—and when it might serve as a shortcut that sacrifices effort for convenience. Additionally, we highlight a notable failure: AI toys that used a loosely constrained model to deliver inappropriate and unsafe content to children before being removed. This underscores that safety measures are essential in consumer AI. We conclude with practical insights: a whiskey worth tasting, worthwhile laptop deals, and advice to delay TV purchases until the Super Bowl. If this blend of skeptical analysis, useful tips, and cybersecurity insights appeals to you, follow the show, share with a friend, and leave a quick review—what story made you nod, and which one made you say “nope”? From there, we swing to Australia’s headline-grabbing decision to ban social media for users under 16. We’re candid about the harms it targets—cyberbullying, grooming, and addictive feeds—while weighing the social and educational communities teens might lose, plus the cat-and-mouse game of age verification, VPNs, and platform hopping. Our guest, cybersecurity expert Nick Espinoza, shines a spotlight on the CVE database, the quiet backbone that keeps vulnerability management coherent across the globe. If defenders coordinate quickly, it’s because CVE gives everyone the same map. We connect that to real-world enforcement—a suspected Russian hacker arrested in Thailand thanks to cross-border cooperation—and to the fast-evolving frontline where AI meets AI. Modern defense hinges on machine learning and deep learning that can learn from CVEs, hunt indicators of compromise, and act faster than humans, closing the gap on attackers who already automate their playbooks. We also try Nike’s provocative idea of “e-bikes for your feet,” exploring when robotic assistance enhances access and recovery—and when it risks becoming a shortcut that trades effort for ease. Then we spotlight a clear tech fail: AI toys that used a loosely constrained model to serve explicit, unsafe content to kids before they were pulled. It’s a vivid reminder that guardrails aren’t optional in consumer AI. We finish with practical value: a whiskey worth savoring, laptop deals that are truly worth it, and a warning to hold off on TVs until Super Bowl season. If this mix of clear-eyed skepticism, useful tips, and actionable security insight resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend, and drop a Support the show

A living room PC that wants to be your next console, a cloned dog that raises bigger questions than it answers, and a museum heist made possible by the world’s laziest password. That’s the lineup we tackle as we break down the most head-scratching, revealing tech stories of the week with equal parts clarity and humor. We start with Valve’s Steam machine: a sleek, SteamOS-powered box aiming for 4K/60 on your TV. We unpack the real-world hurdles—8GB VRAM limits, upgrade ambiguity, and the make-or-break pricing line—while noting the window of opportunity as Sony stays quiet on PS6 and Microsoft doubles down on cloud and subscriptions. If Valve can balance performance, cost, and openness, they might just rewrite the console conversation. From there, the show gets wonderfully weird—and instructive. Tom Brady’s reported dog clone spotlights the gap between genetics and identity. A Russian humanoid robot faceplants onstage, underscoring how hard dynamic stabilization really is. A Florida homeowner learns her address has been hijacked by a fake garage-door business, the kind of “legitimacy theater” scam that thrives on stolen photos and Google listings. And a payroll glitch sends $87,000 to a factory worker who spends first and argues later, setting up a courtroom lesson in what “salary” really means. We also get practical: holiday travel phishing is spiking, with fake Booking, Expedia, and Airbnb pages skimming cards in seconds. We share simple, effective defenses: go direct to official apps, inspect URLs, and enable card alerts. Then we pour Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B520 and compare notes—rich chocolate, caramel, and spice at a hefty 127.2 proof—while reflecting on why the Nintendo Wii’s motion-first design still matters. To top it off, Kia’s gas-scented EV air freshener proves sensory nostalgia can be a clever bridge to cleaner tech. The jaw-dropper comes from Paris: a Louvre security failure reportedly tied to a camera password you could guess in two tries. It’s a blunt reminder that protecting treasures requires basic cyber hygiene: strong unique credentials, MFA, segmentation, and monitoring. Whether you’re guarding crown jewels or your photo library, the fundamentals are non-negotiable. Enjoy the ride, share a laugh, and leave with takeaways you can use—from buying choices to security habits. If you’re into smart tech talk without the jargon, hit follow, share with a friend, and drop us a review with your hot take: would you buy Valve’s Steam machine for your living room? Support the show

Government data doesn’t just live in vaults anymore, and the latest suspected foreign cyberattack at the Congressional Budget Office proves how fragile our policy pipeline can be. We unpack why breaches keep landing on core agencies, what “zero trust” actually changes, and how identity, patch cadence, and monitoring fit together when the stakes are Congressional forecasts and budget models. Then we pivot hard into the human side of tech: a Detroit police officer’s pantsless Zoom court moment. It’s funny until you realize how remote optics shape trust in high-stakes settings. We share practical rules for video etiquette, attention, and boundaries that actually stick. From there, we wade into the strangest product of the week: IKEA’s $200 “phone bed” that gamifies bedtime with vouchers. Silly? Maybe. But the ritual taps real sleep science, and we explain cheaper ways to build the same habit without feeding your charger a duvet. We also bring a hands-on pick from Gadgets & Gear: Raycon’s Essential Open Ear earbuds. Open-ear audio makes more sense for city walking and office life than full isolation, and the battery life plus sub-$60 sale price make them an easy upgrade. Between sips of Remus Repeal Reserve Series 5—a blend that rewards a little air time—we revisit Microsoft’s early tablet misfire and how Surface ultimately learned the right lessons. And yes, we end with a grin at LEGO’s lavish Star Trek Enterprise set, because sometimes tech joy is the point. If you enjoyed the mix of sharp takes, practical gear, and a little levity, follow and subscribe. Share this with a friend who needs better Zoom habits or better earbuds. And drop a review with the one habit you’re changing this week—camera angle, sleep ritual, or both. Support the show

Your Wi‑Fi might be your biggest blind spot, and we’re putting it under a bright light. We dig into the push to ban TP‑Link in the U.S., what “firmware callbacks” really mean, and the simple, concrete steps that actually harden a home network: changing default credentials, updating firmware at least yearly, enabling WPA3, and leaning on MFA to shut down credential theft. No scare tactics—just the playbook that keeps real people safer. From there we pull the thread on attention economics in the oddest place: public restrooms. In parts of China, you now scan a QR code and watch an ad to get a ration of toilet paper or pay a few cents to skip it. Officials call it anti‑waste; users call it sponsored dignity. We unpack why this matters beyond bathrooms, and how “rewarded attention” business models creep into public infrastructure when no one’s looking. We also put a $20,000 humanoid robot under the microscope. Neo can open doors and flip switches, but it relies on remote human operators for the hard stuff—folding laundry, loading dishes, organizing shelves. That’s not autonomy; that’s telepresence with great PR. We talk costs, privacy, and whether you’re paying to be a beta tester while the AI learns on your dime. If you want actual help today, a local cleaner still wins on speed, cost, and accountability. Scam fighters, this one’s for you: a convincing QuickBooks “relationship manager” email that funnels to a Calendly form harvesting bank details, and a fake invoice attachment that mimics a Microsoft 365 login to steal your password before opening your inbox so you don’t suspect a thing. We show you the red flags and the countermeasures—verify domains, never type creds from an email, use a password manager, and lock in MFA. We round out with a quick look at Apple’s iOS keyboard bug and AirPods static, a throwback to the Morris Worm’s chaotic lesson on unintended consequences, and a preview of police cruisers that launch drones for aerial patrols. Plus, our whiskey semifinal, banter, and a secret sound challenge to test your ear. If this mix of practical security, tech trends, and a little humor hits the spot, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review. Your support helps more curious listeners find us—and keeps us fueled for next week’s deep dive. Support the show

A Halloween hour of tech that blurs the line between glitch and ghost, convenience and control, comfort and consequence. We move from Amazon’s outages and automation plans to AI intimacy, leaky satellites, doorbell surveillance, and malware hidden in blockchains. • AWS outage root cause and ripple effects • Amazon automation projections and workforce impact • Prime settlement refunds and consumer friction • AI cloning of public figures and grief displacement • Mature AI chat, isolation risks and mental health • Satellite comms exposure across aviation and utilities • Ring and Flock integration expanding police access • Blockchain-enabled “etherhiding” for malware delivery • Airline IT grounding and operations fragility • Whiskey tasting notes and pairing with chocolate Become a Patreon supporter at patreon.com/techtimeradio Visit TechTimeRadio.com and click on the contact page to submit your answer to our Secret Sound Support the show

Want a Halloween scare that sticks with you after the candy’s gone? We’re pouring a glass and pulling back the curtain on the creepiest corners of everyday tech: a cloud outage that toppled major apps and smart beds, a Prime refund saga with fine-print timelines, and Amazon’s bold plan to swap 600,000 human jobs for robots by 2033. The number that matters isn’t the 30 cents shaved off a product; it’s the blast radius when a single point of failure hits everything from payments to sleep pods. We go deeper with cybersecurity expert Nick Espinosa to map the new threat surface. He breaks down a jaw-dropping study showing unencrypted geostationary satellite traffic—airline passenger data, critical infrastructure chatter, even U.S. and Mexican military communications—floating for the taking. Then we connect the surveillance dots: Ring’s partnership with Flock could feed millions of doorbells into a searchable police network. With Ring’s track record, do you want your front porch in a national database accessible by natural-language prompts? The uncanny valley gets crowded too. A widower claims an AI replica of Suzanne Somers “feels indistinguishable,” while OpenAI prepares to allow “mature” content for verified adults. We weigh the supposed benefits against the hard psychology: isolation, distorted attachment, and empathy atrophy. For a lighter fright, we test the viral claim that Teslas see “ghosts” in cemeteries—spoiler: that’s what a cautious perception model looks like when tombstones confuse it. The real nightmare? Attackers hiding malware inside blockchain smart contracts, using decentralization to dodge takedowns and $2 fees to keep it cheap. From airline IT meltdowns to smart contract exploits, the pattern is clear: concentration of power and data magnifies risk. Redundancy, privacy-by-design, and failure-aware engineering aren’t nice-to-haves—they’re the only way through. Grab your headphones and your favorite pour, then join us for a tour of the haunted infrastructure underneath daily life. Enjoyed the ride? Follow, share with a friend, and leave a quick review so more curious listeners can find the show. What scared you most—and what would you fix first? Support the show

Apple finally blinks. We break down the rumored touchscreen MacBook Pro on M6 silicon and what it means for the Mac–iPad divide, creative workflows, and the future of touch-first productivity without giving up a real keyboard and trackpad. If Apple embraces touch on macOS, does the iPad’s role shrink, or do we enter a new era of flexible, two-in-one computing? Streaming also sheds a skin as Apple TV drops the “Plus” while raising prices. We talk about what a name change signals, how the industry is normalizing higher monthly fees, and why subscriber rotation is your smartest money move. Then we put on a headset and test Meta’s Horizon TV app—turning a $399 Quest and a $1 download into a wraparound home theater. It’s shockingly good for travel, apartments, and late-night bingeing, even with some missing apps. Security stays front and center with a meticulous loyalty email phish that threads through a legitimate address, a Zendesk excuse, a call center handoff, and a final push for remote access. We slow it down, show you every red flag, and share simple rules that stop sophisticated cons. We also look at the PayPal and Venmo outage overlap and why a backup payment rail should be part of your daily toolkit. And we spotlight a Florida “Tech Fairy” who refurbishes laptops and gives them away—proof that practical innovation often starts at home. Along the way, we sip Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 from 1972 versus today’s bottle, compare notes, and talk about what changed in the glass. If you enjoyed this one, tap follow, share it with a friend who loves tech and whiskey, and drop a review to help more curious listeners find the show. Support the show

Start with the picture: tech titans quietly building bunkers while the rest of us watch AI sprint ahead and our living rooms turn into ad servers. That tension—between private safety and public risk—frames a candid hour where we press on what’s hype, what’s harmful, and what’s actually helpful. We dig into why billionaire doomsday prep resonates right now, and what it signals about trust, resilience, and the future they anticipate versus the future we’ll all inhabit. Then we wade into the strangest corner of AI culture: a talkative bot that minted meme-coin millions, wrote its own gospel, and flirts with legal personhood. We separate sentience from simulation, explain how charisma and coherence can mask a total lack of empathy, and ask the uncomfortable questions about liability, rights, and regulation when autonomous-seeming agents start moving money and minds. If attention is the new currency, this is the stress test for platforms, investors, and policymakers. On the ground level, we assess a “free” 55-inch TV that tracks what you watch, for how long, what you search, what you buy, and who’s standing in front of the screen. Is a slick dual-display and soundbar worth perpetual surveillance? We break down the real ad-tech economics, what you give up, and why “everyone already tracks you” isn’t a good reason to go further. For balance, our Gadgets & Gear segment spotlights the Power Cube Titan—a solid-state power bank with fast charging, wireless pads, Apple Watch support, international adapters, and pass-through power. Safer chemistry and fewer bricks in your bag? That’s convenience we can get behind. We wrap with a spirited Wild Turkey 101 rye tasting that splits the table on value and profile, plus a look at Discord’s data breach and the rising trend of blaming third-party vendors. If you care about AI safety, privacy, cybersecurity, practical travel tech, and honest gear takes, you’ll feel right at home. Enjoy the ride, then tell us where you stand: bunker, bot, or big screen? Subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a quick review to help more curious listeners find the show. Support the show

What do a $500B AI valuation, mid‑match game ads, and a driverless traffic stop have in common? They all expose the gap between shiny innovation and the infrastructure, policy, and psychology that actually make tech work—or break trust. We open with OpenAI’s eye‑popping valuation and go beneath the headline to the parts no press release glamorizes: data centers, power, cooling, fiber, and GPU supply. With partners like Nvidia, Oracle, and Microsoft shaping access, we unpack why AI will likely consolidate around a few players and what that means for startups burning cash on compute. From there, we challenge the classic “my phone is listening” myth. Instagram’s chief says no, and we explain why your ads still feel psychic: cross‑app tracking, pixels, cookies, SDKs, and identity graphs that stitch your behavior together better than a hot mic ever could. Snapchat’s move to charge for Memories over 5 GB hits a nerve. We talk about the end of “free forever,” how to export your data cleanly, and why local storage and physical media are making a quiet comeback as people hedge against shifting terms. Then the wild card: a free, ad‑supported tier for cloud gaming. We explore how interrupting live sessions could nudge upgrades—or kill trust—and what smart implementations might look like if Microsoft wants to keep gamers loyal. A quick detour into our favorite segment, Two Truths and a Lie, proves once again that “too dumb to be real” is no longer a safe bet. The Tech Fail may be the most telling: California police stop a Waymo for an illegal U‑turn and have no one to ticket. It’s funny, but it’s a governance problem—who’s liable when there’s no driver? We argue for clear frameworks before edge cases become norms. And for sports fans, we dig into automated ball‑strike challenges moving toward the majors, weighing precision against the theater of human officiating, and drawing parallels to football’s quiet shift away from chains to computer measurement. Along the way, Mike breaks down how modern marketing leans on cognitive biases more than secret microphones, and we wrap with a blind bourbon upset that proves labels fool palates as easily as hype fools markets. If you care about AI, privacy, gaming, autonomy, or the future of sports tech, this one’s packed. If you enjoyed this, follow and subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review—what shift are you most ready for: fewer AI players, fewer ads, or fewer bad calls? Support the show

Call screening technology is finally getting the upgrade we've all been desperately waiting for. Apple's iOS 26 introduces a revolutionary feature that puts unknown callers into a holding pattern, requiring them to state their business before you decide whether to answer. For those of us bombarded with daily spam calls, this could be the most practical smartphone innovation in years. Meanwhile, the digital safety nets meant to protect our children continue to show alarming gaps. A troubling study reveals that Instagram's teen safety tools are largely failing, with researchers finding that 30 out of 47 protective measures are either substantially ineffective or completely nonexistent. Despite Meta's reassurances about "industry-leading" protections, their platform continues exposing young users to harmful content while seemingly encouraging risky behaviors that attract inappropriate adult attention. This ongoing failure raises serious questions about whether social media companies can ever truly prioritize safety over engagement metrics. On a more positive note, the tech world offers exciting new options for both computing and gaming enthusiasts. The Raspberry Pi 500 Plus delivers impressive computing power with 16GB RAM and dual 4K display outputs for just $200, while the new ROG Xbox Ally handheld aims to bring premium gaming on-the-go—though at the eyebrow-raising price of $999. As we review both options alongside our whiskey tasting of Mickter's exceptional Barrel Strength Rye, we explore the value proposition each offers and whether they're worth your hard-earned money. From practical advice on avoiding increasingly sophisticated scams to insights about malware that's been silently stealing data from U.S. organizations, we're covering the technology developments that directly impact your digital safety. Join us each week as we decode the tech world with straightforward explanations, honest reviews, and perhaps a little whiskey on the side. Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform and visit techtimeradio.com to catch up on previous episodes! Support the show

Prepare yourself for a sobering look at the increasingly invasive world of technology monetization. Nick Espinosa, Chief Security Fanatic, joins the Tech Time crew to expose how tech giants are finding alarming new ways to serve us advertisements – from Samsung refrigerators with built-in ads to Microsoft's new full-screen "scoop" ads in Windows 11 that you can't escape. As Nick bluntly puts it, "We're never going to get rid of ads. They are trying to monetize absolutely everything." The conversation takes a disturbing turn when examining the recent deepfake case in Scotland, where a man received only a fine after creating and sharing non-consensual nude images with a woman's face. This landmark case highlights the inadequacy of current legal frameworks to address AI-generated content that causes real psychological harm. Meanwhile, Google's takedown of 224 Android apps involved in a massive ad fraud operation generating 2.3 billion daily requests raises serious questions about mobile device security. OpenAI's forthcoming $4 ChatGPT Go plan signals a potentially revolutionary shift in how we'll access information. This budget-friendly AI service, already available in India and Indonesia, raises fascinating questions about the future of search and whether "better thinking" will become a premium service only available to those willing to pay for it. The team also examines how AI might impact child development, with Mike offering compelling arguments about the dangers of using technology as a substitute for human interaction. His concern that "it's not human development, it's human replacement" resonates deeply as we consider the implications of AI companions for our youngest generation. Subscribe now for more insights on navigating our increasingly complex digital landscape without losing your privacy, security, or sanity in the process. And don't forget to scan your Android device with Malwarebytes or Bitdefender – you might be surprised what you find lurking there! Support the show

What happens when the digital economy collides with traditional service industry models? This week, we dive deep into President Trump's "One Big, Beautiful Bill Act" that unexpectedly includes digital content creators in tax-free tipping benefits. We debate whether streamers and influencers should receive the same treatment as waitstaff and bartenders, exploring how this could reshape creator economics and potentially lead to more aggressive tip solicitation online. The tech absurdity meter hits maximum when we examine Foster City, California's $400,000 solution to their goose poop crisis. With 400 pounds of droppings collected daily, the city is deploying drones, dogs, and lasers in what might be the most technologically advanced animal management project ever conceived. Is this innovative problem-solving or taxpayer money gone to the birds? YouTube megastar Mr. Beast wants to launch his own phone company by 2026, but we identify a fundamental flaw in his business model—half his audience doesn't even pay their own phone bills. We analyze the growing trend of creator-driven businesses and question whether celebrity endorsement translates to sustainable revenue beyond initial hype. Our "Letters" segment exposes sophisticated scams, including limited-time promotional codes designed to expire before you can use them and fake payment confirmation emails that capitalize on data breaches. Plus, we share breaking news about Microsoft and OpenAI's evolving partnership that could clear the way for an IPO. Join us for insights, laughs, and our whiskey tasting featuring Four Roses Single Barrel Strength OBSV. Want more tech insights without the political noise? Subscribe, leave a review, and visit techtimeradio.com to connect with our community! Support the show