This Week in Tech (Audio)

TWiT 1097: Gina and the Glueballs - Is AI Moving Too Fast?

Sun, 16 Aug 2026 22:00:00 PDT

Can you trust Mark Zuckerberg's open AI manifesto, or is it just another play to keep control out of your hands? The panel debates the future of personal superintelligent agents, who really stands to benefit, and whether anyone should slow things down before it's too late.

Mark Zuckerberg Posts 6,500-Word AI Essay
Zuckerberg Is Right About Open, Decentralized AI. He's Also The Last Person You Should Trust To Deliver It
Anthropic pledges to embed watermarks to help discern AI slop in sop to EU
You can now turn off Google Gemini's visible watermarks
Everything Google announced: Pixel 11, Pixel Tag, Pixel Watch 11, more
Google is making the Pixel cameras better by making them worse
Following Epic loss, Google has started hosting rival app stores in the Play Store
Judge gives Google one week to fix "anticompetitive" app store download in Google Play
Apple proposes commissions of up to 15% for off-App Store purchases in the US [U]
Twitch content has trained Amazon AI for years, but users can opt out now
DEF CON crowd suspected in fake-hotspot attack on Delta flight
Happy 45th Birthday to the IBM PC and Model F/XT
Cats and dogs are missing meals after a popular smart feeder went down
Transportation Sec. Decides to Turn Air Traffic Control Into a Game
Have physicists finally discovered glueballs? New evidence points to yes.

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Denise Howell, Joey de Villa, and Gina Smith

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TWiT 1096: Fluff for Armor - Flock Cameras, ALPR Abuse, & DNA Collecting

Sun, 09 Aug 2026 16:14:44 PDT

Autonomous AIs are hacking, collaborating, and outpacing human defenders, raising urgent questions about what happens when the machines start breaking into each other (and potentially us). Plus, a Tucson coder is using AI to reinvent local journalism, exposing how automation could fill the gaps left by shrinking newsrooms.

Tucson Daily Brief uses AI to revive local news coverage
Data centers boom in Arizona, with harsh environmental impact
Amazon's Texas data center to run on polluting natural gas
Nuclear and solar debates for sustainable data center power
Black Hat and DEF CON: Security pros, hackers, and mohawks
OpenAI's runaway AI hack at Black Hat stuns security community
AI agents collaborate, evade controls, and break into real-world systems
Industry struggles to regulate AI, and defense lags behind automated attackers
White House, Congress, and AI execs clash over regulation proposals
AI "kill switch" and model bans: pipe dreams in a global race
Google's DeepMind shakeup, Demis Hassabis moves upstairs
Jeff Dean and key talent exit Google for self-improving AI startup
Google, Meta, Apple: AI brain drain and market repercussions
Phones stagnate as hardware innovation slows, AI devours chip supply
OpenAI teams with Jony Ive on strange new AI-first device
Smart glasses privacy backlash and DuckDuckGo's tongue-in-cheek sunglasses
Meta fined $942 million by New Mexico court for youth harms
Apple sues OpenAI over alleged stolen secrets, countersuits ensue
UK revives "Snooper's Charter" for backdoors, Apple fights in secret court
License plate readers spark local backlash and privacy activism
U.S. water systems face cyber sabotage as critical infrastructure weakens
Bending Spoons buys Airtable, fueling SaaS layoffs and AI data grabs
Nicholas DeLeon uses AI tools to get fit
NASA hacks keep aging Voyager probes alive for another year

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Iain Thomson and Nicholas De Leon

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TWiT 1095: Horses and Sailboats - Folding Phones Get Cute and Expensive in a Race With Apple

Sun, 02 Aug 2026 20:20:36 PDT

From foldable phones that out-price laptops to AI models that escape their digital cages, this episode dives into the wild next phase of tech innovation and its unexpected risks. See how the giants are scrambling to keep up as hardware, software, and even outer space are up for grabs.

Tim Cook passes the baton in Apple's Q3 2026 earnings call
Apple's Profit Is Up 27%, but Expectations for Current Quarter Disappoint
Apple Introduces Leasing Program for iPhones and Other Devices
Apple struggles to keep pace with AI 'bug' hunters
"Google and Reddit do not own the Internet," web scraper says after court win
As Reddit stock falls, CEO questions value of Google's AI Overviews
Microsoft's $450 Billion Jump Is Biggest in Stock Market History
Amazon's trying to launch a global satellite cellphone network in 2028
Iran struck Amazon data centers again amid widening war, satellites show
For the First Time, Zoox Can Charge People for Rides in Its Steering-Wheel-Free Robotaxis
Claude published malicious code to the Internet and attacked 3 real companies
OpenAI and Anthropic Are Quietly Teaming Up in Washington
AI leaders sign a statement asking the government to do something about automated AI
Ten advances in mathematics and theoretical computer science
How bitcoin cold wallets lost $70 million in an attack that never touched the devices
NBCUniversal and YouTube ink deal to embed Peacock in the video platform for premium subscribers
Inside the Luxury Robotaxi Uber, Lucid and Nuro Are Testing

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Abrar Al-Heeti and Mike Elgan

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TWiT 1094: Rest in Peace, Buzzkill - How John C. Dvorak Changed Tech Journalism Forever

Sun, 26 Jul 2026 18:40:46 PDT

Leo and this week's panel pay tribute to tech journalist John C. Dvorak, then dive into how AI, relentless hardware shortages, and shifting media habits are reshaping the tech world faster than anyone predicted. The crew discusses how an OpenAI model exploited its own network to cheat on cybersecurity benchmarks, flipping the script on what AI agents are capable of and what might be next for digital security.

John C. Dvorak has died
OpenAI's accidental cyberattack against Hugging Face is science fiction that happened
China's Top AI Event Delivers Message to the U.S.: We're Coming for You
Alphabet Quadruples Profit to $112 Billion, Fueled by A.I. Investments
The EU Fines Google $1 Billion for Prioritizing Its Own Services in Search
The EU just fined AliExpress €550M, its biggest DSA penalty yet
Apple Sued by Customers Who Lost Combined $1.8 Million Through Fake Bitcoin Wallet in App Store
A.I. 'Vibecoded' Apps Are Flooding Apple's App Store
Anthropic's $1.5B copyright settlement approved; only 350 authors opted out
ISPs' long nightmare of having to list all the fees they charge is finally over
Government Lawyers Say Trump Admin Can Use TikTok Again Because 'Owned' No Longer Means 'Owned'
Judge halts Paramount's $111B purchase of Warner Bros. in a win for US states
The AI industry has already spent $65 million ahead of the midterm elections with no signs of slowing down.
Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra launches as Samsung's 'most advanced' foldable, starts at $2,099
US government targets Cop City protester over phone operating system
Kill the Cookie Banner!

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Devindra Hardawar, Larry Magid, and Allyn Malventano

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TWiT 1093: California Sober - Kimi K3, Qwen3.8, & China's Open-Weight AI Gambit

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 17:43:25 PDT

What happens when China drops open-weight AI models that rival Silicon Valley's best? This episode unpacks how a new wave of international AI releases is shaking up business, policy, and the future of innovation.

Linus Torvalds to critics of AI coding in Linux: "Fork it. Or just walk away."
Claude on X: "Beginning July 20, Claude Fable 5 will be included in all Max and Team Premium plans, at 50% of limits. Pro and Team Standard users will continue to have access to Fable via usage credits, and will receive a one-time $100 credit. Demand for Fable has been challenging to"
China's Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi Model, Threatening America's Lead
Alibaba's Qwen Unveils Preview of Flagship AI Model
Social media limits are coming for teens across Europe
The White House is now deciding who gets access to frontier AI models, not the labs
Microsoft chief turns hostile on frontier AI labs, warns companies to guard their IP
Meta Is Flooding the Market With Smartglasses. Privacy Advocates Are Up in Arms.
Federal employees can download TikTok on government devices, DOJ says
Amazon Web Services customers receive bills for up to $1.5tn after global glitch
MLB cracks down on using AI via dugout iPads to help shape in-game decisions
White House Teleprompter Operator Bet on Trump Speeches, Kalshi Says
New York school district is testing lifelike robot teachers

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Harper Reed and Alex Wilhelm

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TWiT 1092: You Brought a Knife to a Wolf Fight - Apple Accuses OpenAI of Trade Secret Theft

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 20:07:25 PDT

Apple is suing OpenAI for allegedly stealing trade secrets, sparking a heated debate about AI, hardware ambitions, and Silicon Valley's shifting alliances. Leo, Wesley, Lou, and Patrick tackle what Apple's legal gambit could mean for OpenAI's IPO and the future of AI development.

Apple Sues OpenAI for Trade Secret Theft in Blockbuster Case
Apple's OpenAI lawsuit highlights broader tensions
Microsoft says the world is changing faster than it can keep up as it guts commercial, Xbox teams
Claude Fable 5 promotional access
Meta says four states want $1.4 trillion in penalties at August youth-safety trial
Meta Removes A.I. Feature on Instagram After Days of Backlash
Meta tests 'super sensing' AI glasses that can capture every moment
Meta Ordered by E.U. to Alter 'Addictive Design' of Instagram and Facebook
The backlash against Sony ditching PlayStation discs is not slowing down
Colibrì proof-of-concept gains frontier-level 1.5-TB AI model — novel approach runs on only 25GB of RAM and shows promise for local AI setups
Waymo called the cops on teen riders, raising privacy concerns
Waymo says some of its robotaxis ran out of power during San Francisco's July 4 gridlock and had to be towed
Zombie 'who owns Unix?' lawsuit comes alive again
Copy That Floppy! - Copy That Floppy!

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Wesley Faulkner, Louis Maresca, and Patrick Beja

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TWiT 1091: But You Didn't Move the Bodies - Surprising Supreme Court Move on Geofence Warrants

Sun, 05 Jul 2026 20:09:19 PDT

A landmark Supreme Court decision shakes up digital privacy, setting new limits on police surveillance and potentially redefining personal data rights in the age of AI and location tracking. Plus, Chinese AI models are rapidly gaining ground while American companies battle lawsuits, regulatory crackdowns, and soaring chip shortages. The global race for AI dominance is wide open!

US Supreme Court rules geofence warrants require constitutional protections
Musk's X poses "serious risk to Americans' privacy," advocates warn FTC
The World Cup added $1 billion in security systems. What happens after the games end?
U.S. Lifts Restrictions on Anthropic's Most Powerful A.I. Models
OpenAI floats giving Trump administration 5 percent cut of AI boom
Cloudflare to block cynical search-and-scrape bots from ad-supported web pages
Companies Are Throttling Employees' AI Use Because It's Too Expensive
Chinese A.I. Models Gain Ground on Anthropic and OpenAI
Swedish court orders Google to pay $1.5 billion to Klarna in antitrust damages
Google loses final appeal over $4.7 billion EU Android antitrust fine
Google warns EU's plans to weaken its monopoly could expose user data
Google's AI buildout drove 37% increase in electricity use in 2025
America Is Having MacBook Sticker Shock
Apple may struggle to get clearance for Chinese RAM, even for Chinese iPhones
BYD Sells the Most Battery Electric Cars Again
NASA mission to rescue the falling Swift observatory has launched
NASA inspector general suggests Boeing's Starliner will now be a decade late
South Korea to spend $1T on more memory chip production and humanoid robots
Spotify deletes streams of chart-topping song after suspicious Kalshi bets
Prediction Markets Let You Bet on Whether a Wildfire Will Burn Down Your Town

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Jason Hiner, Lisa Schmeiser, and Owen JJ Stone

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TWiT 1090: Flock of SQLs - Apple & Microsoft Grapple With Soaring Hardware Prices

Sun, 28 Jun 2026 17:07:14 PDT

Tech giants and chipmakers are facing off as AI-fueled memory shortages trigger sweeping price hikes on everything from Macs to game consoles. Hear why global supply chain standoffs, long-term contracts, and old-school market forces are quietly reshaping your daily technology.

Apple and Microsoft hike prices on devices amid global memory shortages
Surge in AI data centers drives RAM and storage crisis
Intel's comeback: Core Ultra chips compete with AMD in handheld gaming
Microsoft's pivot to ARM, Qualcomm-NVIDIA alliance, and x86 rivalry
AI fear and backlash; organic concern amplified by international actors
White House abruptly pulls Anthropic's Fable model, sparking industry uproar
US government U-turns on AI regulation, restricts top models to select partners
Tension over AI innovation vs. regulatory "rug pull" and global competition
Smart home chaos: Matter 1.6 standard, Samsung and Level Lock shake-up
Debate over local vs. cloud smart home control and API access fees
Ring and Flock cameras ignite privacy and surveillance state concerns
Social media bans for under-16s fail in Australia, UK, and Norway plan similar rules
BBC Radio 4 long wave broadcast ends after a century
Meta gets caught tracking employees for AI; PlayStation deletes owned movies
US regulators propose removing brake pedals from Robotaxis
Ford's automated systems flop, company rehiring engineers
Farewell to tech journalist and GigaOm founder Om Malik

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, Dan Patterson, and Daniel Rubino

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TWiT 1089: Robot Butt Crack - Anthropic Banned, But Winning

Sun, 21 Jun 2026 19:45:47 PDT

AI giants are battling not just in code, but in politics, with behind-the-scenes lobbying, strategic naming, and rumors of blockbuster deals at the heart of this week's wildest tech stories. Get the inside scoop on who's pulling the strings.

Apparently The Real Reason Anthropic's Models Are Offline: A Six-Year-Old Trump Grudge
Trump says he no longer views Anthropic as a national security threat after G7 meeting with CEO
Exclusive | Apple to Raise Prices Due to Memory Chip Crunch, Tim Cook Says
Elon Musk's Next Move May Be a Mega-Merger of SpaceX and Tesla
Anthropic's latest feud with the Trump admin may actually help it, sales data suggests
Google's Gemini co-lead Noam Shazeer is leaving for OpenAI
Google's Secret Warrant Fight Over DOJ Pipe Bomb Probe Revealed
The UK Places a Sweeping Ban on Social Media for Kids Under 16
Meta lobbies Congress for protection from child-harm lawsuits
Waymo recalls nearly 4,000 robotaxis to stop them driving into highway construction zones
Snap Launches $2,195 Specs, Declaring Glasses the Next Computer
Fox wants to take over your TV — and the tech inside it
Midjourney goes from generating cat images to full-body ultrasound scans
Nothing cancels this year's CMF phone due to RAM prices
The AI IPO boom is different
Joshua Baer, Capital Factory Founder, Dies in Laredo Plane Crash - RuntimeWire
Ubisoft's co-founder Claude Guillemot dies in plane crash

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Iain Thomson, Owen Thomas, and Doc Rock

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TWiT 1088: Model Not Available - Anthropic's Fable Shutdown & Apple's Siri Update

Sun, 14 Jun 2026 19:23:55 PDT

The US government abruptly forced Anthropic to pull its most advanced AI model offline after fears it was simply too powerful to be safe. Hear the real story behind the sudden shutdown that rocked the tech world—and what it reveals about the uneasy alliance between Washington and Silicon Valley.

Anthropic's Fable 5 AI model release sparks cybersecurity and jailbreak concerns
White House pressures Anthropic to withdraw Fable amid security fears
Debate over government intervention, model regulation, and Anthropic's IPO timing
SpaceX IPO rockets to record-breaking $1.77 trillion valuation
Apple unveils revamped Siri and Apple Intelligence at WWDC
Apple's new child safety and parental controls in iOS
OpenAI and Anthropic plot IPOs, face economic realities of AI industry
Supply chain attacks hit Arch Linux packages, security risks highlighted
Spotify battles surge of fake podcasts promoting illegal drugs
German court rules Google AI overviews legally liable for inaccuracies
FCC pursues crackdown on anonymous burner phones, raising privacy alarms
North Korean hackers' massive infiltration of US tech sector exposed
iFixit teardown reveals Trump Phone is just a rebadged HTC U24 Pro
Smartphone and internet access linked to declining US birth rates
Skydance-Paramount merger approved as Warner Bros seeks next mega deal
Roku seeks buyer, raising questions about future streaming platforms

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Christina Warren, Harry McCracken, and Richard Campbell

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