This Week in Tech (Audio)

AT&T Landlines, US Bans Kaspersky and DJI

• Microsoft delays Recall after security concerns, and asks Windows Insiders for help
• I just ordered the cheapest Surface Pro option - why I (probably) won't regret it
• Biden bans US sales of Kaspersky software over Russia ties
• The DJI Drone Ban: A Uniquely American Clusterf*ck
• Surgeon General: Social Media Platforms Need a Health Warning
• The Surgeon General Is Wrong. Social Media Doesn't Need Warning Labels
• LAUSD approves cellphone ban as Newsom calls for statewide action
• EU Council has withdrawn the vote on Chat Control
• US sues Adobe for hiding termination fees and making it difficult to cancel subscriptions
• Apple Won't Roll Out AI Tech In EU Market Over Regulatory Concerns
• AT&T can't hang up on landline phone customers, California agency rules
• Amazon mulls $5 to $10 monthly price tag for unprofitable Alexa service, AI revamp
• What Game of Thrones did to the media
• Elon Musk Tweeted a Thing
• This Old House' Pays Tribute to Creator Russell Morash

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Amanda Silberling, Louise Matsakis, and Ed Bott

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The future of finance, Web3, NASA Webb Telescope, synthetic biology, CES 2022

•  Amy introduces the Futurist episode.
•  The Future Today Institute's 14th Annual Tech Trends Report.
•  Moxie Marlinspike - My first impressions of web3.
• Jack Dorsey says VCs really own Web3 (and Web3 boosters are pretty mad about it).
•  Chris Dixon and Naval Ravikant — The Wonders of Web3, How to Pick the Right Hill to - Climb, Finding the Right Amount of Crypto Regulation, Friends with Benefits, and the Untapped Potential of NFTs.
•  The rise of the alt-coins.
•  Oh look, it's a Tesla traffic jam in Las Vegas' Boring Company tunnel.
•  NASA's Webb Telescope Reaches Major Milestone as Mirror Unfolds.
• CES attendance down more than 75%, organizers say.
•  LG Display brought a reclining curved OLED throne to CES this year.
•  Change your car's colour with an app: BMW unveils color-changing car.
•  CES 2022: The humanoid robot, Ameca, revealed at CES show.
•  Abbott tells CES it's getting into consumer biowearables.
• The Genesis Machine: Our Quest to Rewrite Life in the Age of Synthetic Biology by Amy Webb.

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Amy Webb and Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ

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In this episode of This Week in Tech, Leo Laporte is joined by Georgia Dow, Shoshana Weissmann, and Fr. Robert Ballecer, tackling a wide range of thought-provoking topics, from the ethical implications of AI in sensitive fields to the challenges of creating and consuming content in an increasingly commercialized digital landscape.

• The panel grapples with the potential risks and benefits of AI-powered therapists and priests, stressing the need for human empathy and discernment in these emotionally charged roles.
• They confront the harsh realities of the internet's "heat death," as the relentless pursuit of profits and engagement leads to a glut of low-quality content and erodes user trust.
• The group reflects on the double-edged sword of democratized media, celebrating the value of supporting emerging voices while acknowledging the importance of professional standards.
• As Twitter faces existential challenges, the panel surveys the social media horizon, evaluating alternative platforms like Mastodon and Bluesky, and weighing the implications of Jack Dorsey's departure from the Bluesky board.
• Elon Musk's reckless tweets about taking Tesla private have come back to haunt him, with the Supreme Court upholding an SEC settlement requiring his Tesla-related posts to be vetted by a lawyer.
• The FCC has cracked down on major telecom companies for the illegal sale of location data, while legislators push for reforms to prevent the government from exploiting privacy loopholes.
• Congress continues its misguided crusade to protect children online, with ill-conceived age verification mandates and privacy-eroding measures that threaten the very foundations of digital security. The panel offers an impassioned critique of these shortsighted efforts.
• The once-beloved video game Helldivers 2 serves as a cautionary tale of platform overreach, as a heavy-handed PlayStation Network login requirement sparks a massive player revolt and torpedoes the game's reputation.
• Apple's quarterly results are analyzed, and all eyes are on Apple's upcoming event, where new iPads and an enhanced Apple Pencil are expected to take center stage. But the real buzz surrounds the rumored M4 chip and its tantalizing AI capabilities, hinting at a potential game-changer for the iconic brand.
• The group geeks out over Disney+'s radical revival of X-Men '97 and Amazon's ambitious Fallout adaptation, complete with an immersive easter egg phone experience
• The freewheeling discussion also touches on Shoshana's ingenious Alexa hacks for Sabbath TV viewing, a UK council's apostrophe apocalypse, the looming cicada invasion, and Fr. Robert's role as a guardian angel for the Vatican's feral felines.

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Georgia Dow, Shoshana Weissmann, and Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ

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• Solar Storm Knocks Out Farmers' Tractor GPS Systems During Peak Planting Season
• Apple Closes in on Deal With OpenAI to Put ChatGPT on iPhone
• Apple Will Revamp Siri to Catch Up to Its Chatbot Competitors
• Google is getting even worse for independent sites
• Musk Plans More Layoffs as Two Senior Tesla Executives Depart
• At Tesla, a Wild Week That Defined the Company's Future
• TikTok Sues US Government Over Potential Ban
• Telegram vs. Signal
• Sony reverses unpopular Helldivers 2 decision after blistering player reaction
• Apple apologizes for 'Crush' iPad Pro ad that sparked controversy

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Paris Martineau, Sam Abuelsamid, and Mike Elgan

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Biggest stories of the year including Meta, mRNA, Log4j, NFTs, Ransomware

•  COVID-19's impact on tech.
•  Elon Musk in 2021.
•  The World Is Still Short of Everything. Get Used to It.
•  GM's heated seats and steering wheels are the latest casualties of the chip shortage.
•  Baby Driver: Philadelphia woman gives birth in the front seat of Tesla on autopilot.
•  The tangled history of mRNA vaccines.
•  Ransomware Jerks Helped Cause the Cream Cheese Shortage.
•  The Harvard Job Offer No One at Harvard Ever Heard Of.
•  Microsoft's very bad year for security: A timeline.
•  Log4j: The 'most serious' security breach ever is unfolding right now.
•  REvil Ransom Arrest, $6M Seizure, and $10M Reward.
•  Billionaires in space.
•  FAA: No more commercial astronaut wings, too many launching.
•  Fact check: Jeff Bezos' New Shepard rocket launch didn't emit carbon.
• Jeff Bezos steps down as Amazon's C.E.O., handing the reins to Andy Jassy.
•  In a surprise tweet, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey said he's stepping down.
•  Square is changing its name to Block.
•  The Metaverse Is Mark Zuckerberg's Escape Hatch.
•  A Global Tipping Point for Reining In Tech Has Arrived.
•  Lina Khan's Battle to Rein in Big Tech.
•  Top trend of 2021: The Metaverse.
•  2021 ends with a question: Are NFTs here to stay?
•  Android 12: Everything you need to know about Google's new big update to the popular OS!
•  Colonial Pipeline: How a major oil pipeline got held for ransom.
•  Sinclair Confirms Ransomware Attack That Disrupted TV Stations.
•  A comprehensive breakdown of the Epic v. Apple Ruling.
•  Tardigrade is first multicellular organism to be quantum entangled.
•  Ever Given container ship leaves Suez Canal 106 days after getting stuck.
•  VW rebrand turns out to be April Fool's joke.
•  Olympics Broadcaster Announces His Computer Password on Live TV.
•  Don't be fooled — Amazon's Astro isn't a home robot, it's a camera on wheels.
•  I swallowed one of my AirPods.
•  Woman swallows AirPods accidentally; claims device recorded audio from her stomach.

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Ant Pruitt, Mikah Sargent, and Jason Howell

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