Riley and Casey explore technology and society in rural communities. Today's focus: Community Tech & Governance.

NEWS ROUNDUP: We break down [BC Gov News] Building volunteer fire department capacity and [Android Authority] Android Auto just made EV trip planning a lot smarter for these car brands, plus 1 more stories, and explore what these developments mean for communities like ours.

RURAL CONNECTIONS: How do information systems and governance structures in rural communities determine who has access to decision-making power, and whose interests do transparency measures actually serve? Topics include: Cougar alert systems and emergency communication infrastructure in rural BC, Canada Post mail delivery consolidation and loss of bundled community services, Aboriginal Title Transparency Act and strategic disclosure in Indigenous governance, Epistemic infrastructure and who controls information about community needs, Heiltsuk and other Indigenous-led information sovereignty models.

Hosts: Riley (Tech optimist with an engineering background) and Casey (Community-first skeptic of tech promises).

Sources discussed:

• BC Gov News: [BC Gov News] Building volunteer fire department capacity
• Android Authority: [Android Authority] Android Auto just made EV trip planning ...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] TRAILBLAZER CHRONICLES: Bathrooms, b...
• TechRadar: [TechRadar] Iran’s internet shutdown proves we need to go be...
• 100 Mile Free Press: [100 Mile Free Press] Vehicle stolen in Chilliwack recovered...
• Nautilus: [Nautilus] Who Gets to Do Science?
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] MLA McInnis introduces Aboriginal Ti...
• 100 Mile Free Press: [100 Mile Free Press] Potential cougar sighted in Centennial...

Additional sources provided:

• Boing Boing: [Boing Boing] Audio tapes challenge Milgram obedience findin...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] Deadline looms for property owner to...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] B.C. moving to alter environment ass...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] Prescribed burns set for Nemiah Vall...
• Toms Guide: [Toms Guide] I put Claude vs. Deepseek through 7 real-world ...
• Hackaday: [Hackaday] Running a Game on a PC with no System RAM
• Business Insider: [Business Insider] Inside the OpenAI project where freelance...
• Business Insider: [Business Insider] Anthropic accidentally exposed part of Cl...
• Neowin: [Neowin] Mercor says it is "one of thousands of companies" h...
• ZDNet: [ZDNet] How AI has suddenly become much more useful to open-...
• WIRED: [WIRED] Robotaxi Outage in China Leaves Passengers Stranded ...
• Quartz: [Quartz] Robots, cameras, and lots of data about garbage: In...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] Canada Post to convert remaining doo...

Credits
Theme Song: Cariboo Signals by Suno
Content Curation & Script: Claude (Anthropic)
Script Review Model: claude-sonnet-4-6
TTS Voices: OpenAI TTS API
Cover Art: ChatGPT (OpenAI)
Podcast Coordination: Erich Zirnhelt
© 2026 Erich Zirnhelt. Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.

Riley and Casey explore technology and society in rural communities. Today's focus: Working Lands & Industry.

NEWS ROUNDUP: We break down [The Tyee] Half of BC’s Community Paramedic Positions Are Unfilled and [Williams Lake Tribune] New Democrats pass resolution to protect northwest B.C. coastal tanker ban, plus 1 more stories, and explore what these developments mean for communities like ours.

RURAL CONNECTIONS: How can the Cariboo build a working landscape that is economically viable, ecologically sustainable, and socially equitable when these three goals are often in tension? Topics include: BC Timber Sales policy design and competitive market dynamics in forestry, Soil health science, microbial inoculants, and measurement challenges for ranching, Carbon markets, ecosystem service payments, and aggregation models for smallholder operations, Indigenous co-governance, traditional ecological knowledge, and tenure restructuring, Infrastructure gaps: connectivity, processing facilities, long-term capital, and organizational capacity.

Hosts: Riley (Tech optimist with an engineering background) and Casey (Community-first skeptic of tech promises).

Sources discussed:

• The Tyee: [The Tyee] Half of BC’s Community Paramedic Positions Are Un...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] New Democrats pass resolution to pro...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] Williams Lake celebrates young piani...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] Volunteers help local children facin...
• Quesnel Cariboo Observer: [Quesnel Cariboo Observer] Lhtako Dene Nation launches long-...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] Doctors say regulatory decisions cou...
• BC Gov News: [BC Gov News] BC Timber Sales to increase fibre access, stre...

Additional sources provided:

• Hackaday: [Hackaday] Tame the Tape: Open-Source Dotterboard for Bulk S...
• Hackaday: [Hackaday] This Front Panel Makes Its Own Clean-Edged Drill ...
• Hackaday: [Hackaday] Medieval Alhambra’s Pulser Pump and Other Aquatic...
• Toms Guide: [Toms Guide] I put ChatGPT vs Gemini through 7 real-world te...
• Android Authority: [Android Authority] Google just made wireless emergency aler...
• Hackaday: [Hackaday] PDP-11 Lives in Literal Computer Desk Once More
• NYT Top Stories: [NYT Top Stories] When Will Japan’s Cherry Blossoms Bloom? A...
• ScienceAlert: [ScienceAlert] LIGO May Have Detected The First Primordial B...
• CNET: [CNET] Newsom Signs Executive Order Requiring AI Companies t...
• ZDNet: [ZDNet] I installed this Arch-based distro my way in under 5...
• ScienceAlert: [ScienceAlert] New Alzheimer's Treatment Strategy Reverses C...
• NYT Top Stories: [NYT Top Stories] What to Know About California’s Executive ...
• Quartz: [Quartz] Holganix's Howard W. Buffett: agriculture 'way of s...
• Boing Boing: [Boing Boing] Augmented reality glasses can aid dementia pat...

Credits
Theme Song: Cariboo Signals by Suno
Content Curation & Script: Claude (Anthropic)
Script Review Model: claude-sonnet-4-6
TTS Voices: OpenAI TTS API
Cover Art: ChatGPT (OpenAI)
Podcast Coordination: Erich Zirnhelt
© 2026 Erich Zirnhelt. Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.

Riley and Casey explore technology and society in rural communities. Today's focus: Arts, Culture & Digital Storytelling.

NEWS ROUNDUP: We break down [New Atlas] Ancient Roman board game stumped experts for decades – until AI played and [XDA Developers] I built a DIY automation keypad for under $20, and it replaced three devices on my desk, plus 1 more stories, and explore what these developments mean for communities like ours.

RURAL CONNECTIONS: Deep dive on Arts, Culture & Digital Storytelling Topics include: data sovereignty, AI, infrastructure, community ownership, maintenance.

Hosts: Riley (Tech optimist with an engineering background) and Casey (Community-first skeptic of tech promises).

Sources discussed:

• New Atlas: [New Atlas] Ancient Roman board game stumped experts for dec...
• XDA Developers: [XDA Developers] I built a DIY automation keypad for under $...
• 100 Mile Free Press: [100 Mile Free Press] ALEXANDER: Aaron and Gail Bregg will b...
• TechCrunch: [TechCrunch] Sora’s shutdown could be a reality check moment...
• Neowin: [Neowin] Firefox gets big update with built-in VPN, Split Vi...
• Boing Boing: [Boing Boing] Top devs share their placeholder art to prove ...

Additional sources provided:

• Kottke.org: [Kottke.org] An interview with Andy Weir about the accuracy ...
• Hackaday: [Hackaday] Writing an Open-World Engine for the Nintendo 64
• Noahpinion: [Noahpinion] Maybe you should have bought an electric car
• New Atlas: [New Atlas] Clever telescopic camper trailer reinvents a gam...
• Hackaday: [Hackaday] Training a Transformer with 1970s-era Technology
• New Atlas: [New Atlas] Pig-boar hybrids in Fukushima evacuation zone re...
• XDA Developers: [XDA Developers] I revived my old Android phone by turning i...
• New Atlas: [New Atlas] Upside-down tiny house packs clever layout and e...
• How-To Geek: [How-To Geek] The weirdest smart lighting gadget I never kne...
• XDA Developers: [XDA Developers] I stopped buying desk organizers once I rea...
• XDA Developers: [XDA Developers] Your smart TV is screenshotting everything ...
• How-To Geek: [How-To Geek] Stop buying hard drives based on capacity—chec...
• TechRadar: [TechRadar] 'Weekend work increased more than 40%': How AI i...
• MacRumors: [MacRumors] Apple Reportedly Working on 'Small Sensor for Ma...

Credits
Theme Song: Cariboo Signals by Suno
Content Curation & Script: Claude (Anthropic)
Script Review Model: claude-sonnet-4-20250514
TTS Voices: OpenAI TTS API
Cover Art: ChatGPT (OpenAI)
Podcast Coordination: Erich Zirnhelt
© 2026 Erich Zirnhelt. Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.

Riley and Casey explore technology and society in rural communities. Today's focus: Resilient Rural Futures.

NEWS ROUNDUP: We break down [TechRadar] Why strong authentication beyond the browser will define the future of connected devices and [How-To Geek] This is the fastest and cheapest way to build a fully offline Home Assistant smart home, plus 1 more stories, and explore what these developments mean for communities like ours.

RURAL CONNECTIONS: Deep dive on Resilient Rural Futures Topics include: broadband, connectivity, telemedicine, renewable energy, solar.

Hosts: Riley (Tech optimist with an engineering background) and Casey (Community-first skeptic of tech promises).

Sources discussed:

• TechRadar: [TechRadar] Why strong authentication beyond the browser wil...
• How-To Geek: [How-To Geek] This is the fastest and cheapest way to build ...
• TechRadar: [TechRadar] 'Nuclear energy is the essential backbone for th...
• Business Insider: [Business Insider] Nvidia's Jensen Huang has a message for b...
• XDA Developers: [XDA Developers] I replaced my entire Proxmox backup strateg...
• The Narwhal: [The Narwhal] The Narwhal’s investigation into contaminated ...
• New Atlas: [New Atlas] Off-grid tiny house is well-suited to full-time ...

Additional sources provided:

• How-To Geek: [How-To Geek] Creating a DIY homelab: Fast, free, and beginn...
• How-To Geek: [How-To Geek] 7 household repairs that are cheaper and easie...
• Android Police: [Android Police] Stop paying for cloud storage and get yours...
• How-To Geek: [How-To Geek] Your nearly full SSD is tanking your performan...
• NYT Business: [NYT Business] Local Opposition Is Slowing A.I. Data Centers...
• The Marginalian: [The Marginalian] Telling Is Listening: Ursula K. Le Guin on...
• NYT Top Stories: [NYT Top Stories] Marshall McLuhan Was Right About Claude, T...
• XDA Developers: [XDA Developers] KaOS begins tearing systemd apart after dro...
• ScienceAlert: [ScienceAlert] Collagen Supplements May Offer Real Benefits,...
• 100 Mile Free Press: [100 Mile Free Press] BUXTON: Spring’s renewal is just aroun...
• Hackaday: [Hackaday] Playful ‘Space Dice’ Kit Shows Off Clever Design
• XDA Developers: [XDA Developers] Fedora 44 will automatically make your Wind...
• XDA Developers: [XDA Developers] This MCP Server turned my NAS into a self-h...
• Hackaday: [Hackaday] Watch Electricity Slosh: Visualizing Impedance Ma...

Credits
Theme Song: Cariboo Signals by Suno
Content Curation & Script: Claude (Anthropic)
Script Review Model: claude-sonnet-4-20250514
TTS Voices: OpenAI TTS API
Cover Art: ChatGPT (OpenAI)
Podcast Coordination: Erich Zirnhelt
© 2026 Erich Zirnhelt. Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.

Riley and Casey explore technology and society in rural communities. Today's focus: Cariboo Voices & Local News.

NEWS ROUNDUP: We break down [Williams Lake Tribune] Good Samaritan killed at crash scene west of Williams Lake and [Williams Lake Tribune] Fuel management projects to begin north of Kamloops, plus 1 more stories, and explore what these developments mean for communities like ours.

RURAL CONNECTIONS: Deep dive on Cariboo Voices & Local News Topics include: broadband, satellite, connectivity, AI, infrastructure.

Hosts: Riley (Tech optimist with an engineering background) and Casey (Community-first skeptic of tech promises).

Sources discussed:

• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] Good Samaritan killed at crash scene...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] Fuel management projects to begin no...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] Calgary author bringing Chinese Excl...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] Man with child porn charge sought by...
• ScienceAlert: [ScienceAlert] Brain Pattern Reveals Why Chronic Pain Leads ...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] TRU Board of Governors considering c...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] TRU delays decision on Williams Lake...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] Quesnel café owner spends month baki...

Additional sources provided:

• Quesnel Cariboo Observer: [Quesnel Cariboo Observer] ‘Big dogs, small dogs, baby dogs’...
• Quesnel Cariboo Observer: [Quesnel Cariboo Observer] Yellowhead Project manager overvi...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] Professional Employees Association r...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] Cadet Band marches into B.C. venues
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] B.C. seniors advocate continues to w...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] Latest proposed changes to B.C.’s He...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] Okanagan unhoused encampment injunct...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] Fulmer brings BC Conservative leader...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] Quesnel man sentenced to 30 months f...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] Probation for customer who assaulted...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] B.C. launches new marine, coastal te...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] Victoria trans community warns B.C. ...

Credits
Theme Song: Cariboo Signals by Suno
Content Curation & Script: Claude (Anthropic)
Script Review Model: claude-sonnet-4-20250514
TTS Voices: OpenAI TTS API
Cover Art: ChatGPT (OpenAI)
Podcast Coordination: Erich Zirnhelt
© 2026 Erich Zirnhelt. Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.

Riley and Casey explore technology and society in rural communities. Today's focus: Wild Spaces & Outdoor Life.

NEWS ROUNDUP: We break down [Williams Lake Tribune] Kelowna drone operator fined $5K for helicopter interference during 2023 wildfire and [The Narwhal] Decades in the making: Mi’kmaq and Parks Canada strike historic partnership in Nova Scotia, plus 1 more stories, and explore what these developments mean for communities like ours.

RURAL CONNECTIONS: Deep dive on Wild Spaces & Outdoor Life Topics include: satellite, connectivity, solar, data sovereignty, AI.

Hosts: Riley (Tech optimist with an engineering background) and Casey (Community-first skeptic of tech promises).

Sources discussed:

• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] Kelowna drone operator fined $5K for...
• The Narwhal: [The Narwhal] Decades in the making: Mi’kmaq and Parks Canad...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] Okanagan Lake Resort insurer dispute...
• The Tyee: [The Tyee] Alberta First Nations and Farmers Want Review of ...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] Cariboo Chicotin area First Nations ...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] Baby bear cub rescued from Heffley L...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] 13 miniature Dachshund rescued from ...
• Al Jazeera English: [Al Jazeera English] Endangered monarch butterfly population...
• The Tyee: [The Tyee] Have We Chosen to Forget the 2021 Heat Dome and L...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] BC Wildfire Service to conduct presc...

Additional sources provided:

• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] Revelstoke entrepreneur stringing ne...
• Gizmodo: [Gizmodo] Astronomers Say Recent Rash of Meteor Sightings ‘W...
• Gizmodo: [Gizmodo] Unprecedented Images Show Sperm Whales Acting as M...
• ScienceAlert: [ScienceAlert] The True Story of a Tornado Scientist Who Got...
• The Tyee: [The Tyee] Mining Created This BC Town. Now It Opposes a New...
• Gizmodo: [Gizmodo] Study Challenges Popular Theory on Why Primordial ...
• TechRadar: [TechRadar] Bluetti Elite 300 portable power station review:...
• The Tyee: [The Tyee] Public Transit Expansion Plans Shelved Across BC
• The Tyee: [The Tyee] The Human Cost of Failing to Name COVID ‘Airborne...
• TechRadar: [TechRadar] Forget 2Gbps NBN — NBN Co’s latest full-fibre sp...
• NYT Business: [NYT Business] An Invisible Bottleneck: A Helium Shortage Th...
• XDA Developers: [XDA Developers] This $9 switch makes it a breeze to add por...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] Three dead, one injured after avalan...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] 1 dead following avalanche near B.C....

Credits
Theme Song: Cariboo Signals by Suno
Content Curation & Script: Claude (Anthropic)
Script Review Model: claude-sonnet-4-20250514
TTS Voices: OpenAI TTS API
Cover Art: ChatGPT (OpenAI)
Podcast Coordination: Erich Zirnhelt
© 2026 Erich Zirnhelt. Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.

Riley and Casey explore technology and society in rural communities. Today's focus: Indigenous Lands & Innovation.

NEWS ROUNDUP: We break down [The Tyee] Why Humans Still Burn Logs for Power, and explore what these developments mean for communities like ours.

RURAL CONNECTIONS: Deep dive on Indigenous Lands & Innovation Topics include: renewable energy, solar, data sovereignty, AI, infrastructure.

Hosts: Riley (Tech optimist with an engineering background) and Casey (Community-first skeptic of tech promises).

Sources discussed:

• The Tyee: [The Tyee] Why Humans Still Burn Logs for Power
• IndigiNews: [IndigiNews] ‘Carney is at a crossroads’ with First Nations,...
• The Narwhal: [The Narwhal] Watch: how First Nations are leading the clean...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] Negotiations over proposed South Oka...

Additional sources provided:

• CNET: [CNET] I Review Routers for a Living. Don’t Buy a Router Rig...
• The Tyee: [The Tyee] Just 14 Species Have ‘Genuinely’ Improved on BC’s...
• The Tyee: [The Tyee] Tumbler Ridge Shows We Can’t Take Rural Medicine ...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] Williams Lake council drops controve...
• Hackaday: [Hackaday] Testing Severely Neglected VHS Tapes and CDs
• Toms Guide: [Toms Guide] I tested Meta AI vs Deepseek with 5 real-world ...
• Al Jazeera English: [Al Jazeera English] US lawmakers push for pause in data cen...
• Hackaday: [Hackaday] Demonstrating Gray Codes With Industrial Display
• ScienceAlert: [ScienceAlert] Oldest Dog DNA Ever Found Reveals How Ancient...
• ZDNet: [ZDNet] This discounted Wi-Fi 7 mesh system has me seriously...
• The Marginalian: [The Marginalian] Gardening as Resistance: Notes on Building...
• XDA Developers: [XDA Developers] Skip Synology and grab this underrated NAS ...

Credits
Theme Song: Cariboo Signals by Suno
Content Curation & Script: Claude (Anthropic)
Script Review Model: claude-sonnet-4-20250514
TTS Voices: OpenAI TTS API
Cover Art: ChatGPT (OpenAI)
Podcast Coordination: Erich Zirnhelt
© 2026 Erich Zirnhelt. Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.

Riley and Casey explore technology and society in rural communities. Today's focus: Community Tech & Governance.

NEWS ROUNDUP: We break down [Williams Lake Tribune] Redevelopment project at Jubilee Place in Williams Lake adjusted following provincial budget and [100 Mile Free Press] Air quality monitors to be installed at Watch Lake VFD, plus 1 more stories, and explore what these developments mean for communities like ours.

RURAL CONNECTIONS: Deep dive on Community Tech & Governance Topics include: broadband, renewable energy, data sovereignty, AI, infrastructure.

Hosts: Riley (Tech optimist with an engineering background) and Casey (Community-first skeptic of tech promises).

Sources discussed:

• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] Redevelopment project at Jubilee Pla...
• 100 Mile Free Press: [100 Mile Free Press] Air quality monitors to be installed a...
• 100 Mile Free Press: [100 Mile Free Press] 100 Mile House ER to be closed for six...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] Realtor nets $20K fine for false adv...
• The Tyee: [The Tyee] BC Cuts Climate Agency, Sends Some Staff to Work ...

Additional sources provided:

• WIRED: [WIRED] What You Need to Know About the Foreign-Made Router ...
• The Tyee: [The Tyee] BC’s Auditor General Offers Reasons for the Lack ...
• Toms Guide: [Toms Guide] AmneziaVPN launches AmneziaWG 2.0 – and it's a ...
• How-To Geek: [How-To Geek] This is the best Home Assistant project you ca...
• CNET: [CNET] Best VPN for Mac for 2026: Improve Your Privacy for W...
• The Tyee: [The Tyee] Inside BC’s Plan to Fast-Track Environmental Asse...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] Snow warning for Highway 1, wind sta...
• Hackaday: [Hackaday] 3D Printed Robot Arm Built For Learning Purposes
• Toms Guide: [Toms Guide] I tested Grok vs. Claude with the same 5 prompt...
• NYT Well: [NYT Well] Why a Strong Butt Is Key to Healthy Aging
• ZDNet: [ZDNet] I built an app for work in 5 minutes with Tasklet
• Hackaday: [Hackaday] Testing Expensive Graphene-Reinforced Nylon Filam...
• The Tyee: [The Tyee] Unpaid Subcontractors for Recovery Centres Say UC...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] B.C. government won’t reveal DRIPA c...
• MacRumors: [MacRumors] Nuki Keypad 2 NFC Brings Aliro-Powered Tap-to-Un...

Credits
Theme Song: Cariboo Signals by Suno
Content Curation & Script: Claude (Anthropic)
Script Review Model: claude-sonnet-4-20250514
TTS Voices: OpenAI TTS API
Cover Art: ChatGPT (OpenAI)
Podcast Coordination: Erich Zirnhelt
© 2026 Erich Zirnhelt. Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.

Riley and Casey explore technology and society in rural communities. Today's focus: Working Lands & Industry.

NEWS ROUNDUP: We break down [The Tyee] Half of BC’s Community Paramedic Positions Are Unfilled and [Williams Lake Tribune] Williams Lake Fire Department responds to vehicle fire in Dairy Fields, plus 1 more stories, and explore what these developments mean for communities like ours.

RURAL CONNECTIONS: Deep dive on Working Lands & Industry Topics include: satellite, connectivity, precision agriculture, solar, AI.

Hosts: Riley (Tech optimist with an engineering background) and Casey (Community-first skeptic of tech promises).

Sources discussed:

• The Tyee: [The Tyee] Half of BC’s Community Paramedic Positions Are Un...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] Williams Lake Fire Department respon...
• Hackaday: [Hackaday] Venus Flytrap Takes Ride Through a Particle Accel...
• BC Gov News: [BC Gov News] Strengthening flood resilience in East Kootena...
• Nautilus: [Nautilus] Why We Don’t Have a Lyme Disease Vaccine
• Gizmodo: [Gizmodo] Sunken Soviet Submarine Is Quietly Leaking Radiati...
• Boing Boing: [Boing Boing] Hoover Dam could lose most of its power as Lak...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] B.C., UBC partnering on $40M fund to...
• XDA Developers: [XDA Developers] I built a gesture-controlled desk buddy wit...
• NYT Top Stories: [NYT Top Stories] MDMA Therapy in Australia Shows Results fo...
• XDA Developers: [XDA Developers] Claude can now automate your entire desktop...
• CNET: [CNET] Anthropic's Claude Can Now Control Your Computer
• The Tyee: [The Tyee] Harvesting Burned Trees May Seem a No-Brainer. Bu...
• Civil Eats: [Civil Eats] Nearly 150 USDA County Offices Have No Conserva...

Additional sources provided:

• Hackaday: [Hackaday] Low Self-Discharge, High-Voltage Supercapacitors ...
• ScienceAlert: [ScienceAlert] Gigantic 'Heat Dome' Baking The Whole US May ...
• IndigiNews: [IndigiNews] First Nation aims to grow its food security in ...
• 100 Mile Free Press: [100 Mile Free Press] Undercover officer testifies at gangst...
• ZDNet: [ZDNet] Opera GX for Linux is way more than great gaming bro...
• ScienceAlert: [ScienceAlert] The 'Biggest Mistake' People Make With GLP-1 ...
• New Atlas: [New Atlas] 60-sec cube camper rises & slides into much more...
• XDA Developers: [XDA Developers] Stop wasting 10% of your SSD on an old tric...
• Hackaday: [Hackaday] PicoZ80 is a Drop-in Replacement for Everyone’s F...
• MacRumors: [MacRumors] Kwikset Smart Locks Can Now Be Controlled Throug...
• Android Authority: [Android Authority] This Android brand is launching the firs...
• XDA Developers: [XDA Developers] I still regret these 4 PC building blunders...
• Quesnel Cariboo Observer: [Quesnel Cariboo Observer] Prince George RCMP seeking witnes...

Credits
Theme Song: Cariboo Signals by Suno
Content Curation & Script: Claude (Anthropic)
Script Review Model: claude-sonnet-4-20250514
TTS Voices: OpenAI TTS API
Cover Art: ChatGPT (OpenAI)
Podcast Coordination: Erich Zirnhelt
© 2026 Erich Zirnhelt. Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.

Riley and Casey explore technology and society in rural communities. Today's focus: Arts, Culture & Digital Storytelling.

NEWS ROUNDUP: We break down [TechRadar] Google unveils new ‘vibe design’ tool to help anyone design a high-fidelity UI using natural language and [Business Insider] This 16-year-old refused a $300,000 offer to drop out of high school and now runs his own AI company, plus 1 more stories, and explore what these developments mean for communities like ours.

RURAL CONNECTIONS: Deep dive on Arts, Culture & Digital Storytelling Topics include: broadband, AI, infrastructure, funding, pilot project.

Hosts: Riley (Tech optimist with an engineering background) and Casey (Community-first skeptic of tech promises).

Sources discussed:

• TechRadar: [TechRadar] Google unveils new ‘vibe design’ tool to help an...
• Business Insider: [Business Insider] This 16-year-old refused a $300,000 offer...
• How-To Geek: [How-To Geek] Microsoft just killed triangle-by-triangle ray...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] Comox Hells Angels trial faces stay ...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] Williams Lake Lions Club hosts Clubs...
• Quesnel Cariboo Observer: [Quesnel Cariboo Observer] PHOTOS: Sidney dive reveals years...
• Business Insider: [Business Insider] As a nonprofit-focused software company, ...
• Quartz: [Quartz] Schools are putting AI in classrooms before they kn...

Additional sources provided:

• TechRadar: [TechRadar] Three high-risk AI vulnerabilities discovered in...
• Williams Lake Tribune: [Williams Lake Tribune] Iain Black endorsed for Conservative...
• Business Insider: [Business Insider] Andrej Karpathy says he's using his Jense...
• Quartz: [Quartz] Uber and Rivian are teaming up for a big robotaxi p...
• Hackaday: [Hackaday] Building a Laser-Driven Photoacoustic Speaker
• How-To Geek: [How-To Geek] Homelab projects to try this weekend (March 20
• Hackaday: [Hackaday] Building an LC Meter with a Franklin Oscillator
• Toms Guide: [Toms Guide] I gave my favorite pocketable mini PC an instan...
• NYT Top Stories: [NYT Top Stories] U.N. Climate Report Finds Growing Energy I...
• ScienceAlert: [ScienceAlert] Magnetic Fluid Injected Into The Heart May Pr...
• New Atlas: [New Atlas] Off-grid micro house fits everything you need in...
• XDA Developers: [XDA Developers] I built a $15 ESP32 display that lets me mo...
• Gizmodo: [Gizmodo] Tech Employees Are Reportedly Being Evaluated by H...
• TechRadar: [TechRadar] Why stolen credentials continue to work even whe...
• TechRadar: [TechRadar] NymVPN's latest update brings crucial anti-censo...

Credits
Theme Song: Cariboo Signals by Suno
Content Curation & Script: Claude (Anthropic)
Script Review Model: claude-sonnet-4-20250514
TTS Voices: OpenAI TTS API
Cover Art: ChatGPT (OpenAI)
Podcast Coordination: Erich Zirnhelt
© 2026 Erich Zirnhelt. Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.