Grumpy Old Geeks

Grumpy Old Geeks

By Jason DeFillippo & Brian Schulmeister with Dave BittnerNewsTechnologyNews CommentaryTech News
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    73 min

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Grumpy Old Geeks episodes

  • 720: Sad Max Mode

    This week’s episode started with the usual existential sigh before tumbling straight into the corporate bloodbath. Amazon chopped 14,000 jobs under the noble banner of “embracing AI,” which CEO Andy Jassy insists isn’t about money—despite swimming Scrooge McDuck–style in profit. GM’s cutting 1,700 workers, YouTube’s dangling “voluntary” buyouts, and economists can’t decide if AI is killing jobs or if the economy’s just trash. Microsoft’s winning either way, sitting pretty on OpenAI’s planned $1 trillion IPO, while Meta stock cratered because Zuckerberg’s still shoveling billions into the AI bonfire instead of quietly burying the metaverse. Meanwhile, Elon managed to cram a week’s worth of disasters into a single news cycle: Tesla’s being probed for its idiotic “Mad Max” mode, recalling thousands more Cybertrucks because they can’t figure out glue, launching Grokipedia (Wikipedia’s evil twin), and turning Truth Social into a crypto casino. Somewhere between the chaos, more people tuned into a fake NVIDIA livestream than the real one, and the only vaguely uplifting story was a grieving family using an AI chatbot to hack a $195K hospital bill down to $33K.

    In media misery, we soothed our nuclear anxiety with A House of Dynamite, tolerated Welcome to Derry, rolled our eyes at Stranger Things 5, and confirmed Slow Horses still rules. Music listeners, please stop streaming fascism—cancel Spotify. On the tech toy front, Grammarly’s having an identity crisis as “Superhuman,” Affinity caved to the subscription gods, and Apple’s prepping to inject ads into Maps because the world wasn’t already annoying enough. The chaos didn’t stop there: a rogue Goodreads librarian rewrote Trump’s book listings to protest censorship, Cursor 2.0 actually impressed us with a working currency converter, and Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It turned out to be the perfect title for the entire digital era.


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    Show notes at https://gog.show/720


    FOLLOW UP

    What both sides of America’s polarized divide share: Deep anxieties about the meaning of life and existence itself

    720° © 1986 Atari Games.


    IN THE NEWS

    Amazon cuts its workforce by 14,000 in further embrace of AI

    Is AI Leading to Layoffs or Does the Economy Just Suck?

    Amazon CEO Now Says AI Is Not Responsible for Recent Layoffs

    Amazon Accused of Trapping Drivers in AI Panopticon

    GM lays off 1,700 workers making EVs and batteries in Michigan, Tennessee

    Tesla Recalls Thousands More Cybertrucks, Is Bad at Gluing Things

    YouTube is offering employees buyouts as part of an AI-focused reorganization

    Everyone Is Laying People Off This Week. Researchers Say They’re Going to Regret It

    OpenAI completes restructure, solidifying Microsoft as a major shareholder

    OpenAI lays groundwork for juggernaut IPO at up to $1 trillion valuation

    Meta Stock Plummets as Investors Horrified at How Much Zuckerberg Is Spending on Misfired AI

    Federal investigators are looking into Tesla's Mad Max mode, which reportedly defies speed limits

    Grokipedia Is the Antithesis of Everything That Makes Wikipedia Good, Useful, and Human

    More people watched a fake NVIDIA livestream than the real thing

    Trump’s Media Company Set To Roll Out Polymarket-Like Prediction Market on Truth Social

    Surprising no one, researchers confirm that AI chatbots are incredibly sycophantic

    Grieving family uses AI chatbot to cut hospital bill from $195,000 to $33,000 — family says Claude highlighted duplicative charges, improper coding, and other violations


    MEDIA CANDY

    A House of Dynamite

    Welcome to Derry

    Stranger Things 5 | Official Trailer | Netflix

    Slow Horses

    Don’t Stream Fascism: Cancel Spotify


    APPS & DOODADS

    Grammarly has rebranded to Superhuman

    Affinity’s image-editing apps go “freemium” in first major post-Canva update

    Apple is reportedly getting ready to introduce ads to its Maps app

    Rogue Goodreads Librarian Edits Site to Expose 'Censorship in Favor of Trump Fascism’

    Introducing Cursor 2.0 and Composer

    Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It by Cory Doctorow

    The Disenshittify Project

    Currency Converter

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1 hr 9 min
  • 719: Uniquely Devoid of Feeling

    We open with a sobering follow-up: the future is less about AI toast (though Red Dwarf predicted it) and more about a soul-stripping "infrastructure of meaningless" after an AWS outage proved how fragile the internet is. Corporate overlords, like Elon Musk, are taking note: he finally addressed Starlink's use by Asian scam syndicates, but his attention is mostly on superintelligence, which Wozniak, Prince Harry, and 800 others want banned. Meanwhile, Meta, despite pouring $27 billion into data centers, suddenly cut 600 AI jobs, and Amazon is preparing to automate a half-million warehouse positions, offering drivers AR spy glasses and suggesting a new "Help Me Decide" AI tool to automate the exhausting micro-decision of which air fryer to buy. This dystopian fever dream peaked when Suzanne Somers' widower revealed he built a full-on robotic AI twin of the late actress. Predictably, Tesla stock tumbled, and the crypto grift continued with the pardoning of Binance founder Zhao, leaving SBF to ponder his failed check-bounce in jail.

    Speaking of soul-crushing, Disney's latest nostalgia raid, Tron: Ares, tanked harder than anticipated, proving not every Gen-X intellectual property is a worthy cash cow. But fear not, there's still great TV to be had: we recommend the clever dramas Slow Horses and The Diplomat Season 3, the high-stakes culinary nightmare Knives Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars, and the surprisingly excellent Gen V (which you must watch before the next season of The Boys). We also got our fix with the Pluribus trailer, Bullet Train, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, and the deliciously low-stakes reality shows Come Dine With Me, Hotel Costiera, and The Celebrity Traitors UK/Canada. Sadly, we must mourn the end of Food Network’s The Kitchen. Yet, no matter how good the show, you still have to deal with Ticketmaster, which is still lying about "fighting bots" while cornering the secondary market.

    In the world of Apps & Doodads, OpenAI dropped its "Anti-Web" browser, ChatGPT Atlas (a data mule in disguise), and a new app now fakes your vacation photos (perfect for burned-out users). X is poised to sell "rare" usernames for millions (with a terrible subscription catch), while some clever hacker figured out a $60 mod to disable the privacy light on Meta's Ray-Ban spy glasses. Fellow podcast host Dave Bittner joined us to agree that the new Hall of Presidents format is better without the political posturing and confirmed the joy of old-school, purple-ink-smelling Spirit Duplicators (and we checked out a Star Wars fan film trailer for the AT THE LIBRARY section). Don't forget your Tilly Hat! Finally, R.I.P. Soft Cell's musical force Dave Ball, aged 66; the hits still hit.


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    Show notes at https://gog.show/719


    FOLLOW UP

    Does Anyone Want Any Toast? | Red Dwarf | BBC

    A Tool That Crushes Creativity


    IN THE NEWS

    Amazon's AWS outage knocked services like Alexa, Snapchat, Fortnite, Venmo and more offline

    SpaceX disables 2,500 Starlink terminals allegedly used by Asian scam centers

    Yelp is getting more AI, including an upgraded chatbot

    Steve Wozniak, Prince Harry and 800 others want a ban on AI ‘superintelligence’

    Suzanne Somers’ Widower Built “AI Twin” of Late Actress

    Meta Cuts 600 AI Roles From Its Superintelligence Labs After $27 Billion Data Center Deal

    New report leaks Amazon's proposed mass-automation plans

    Amazon Rolls Out New AI Tool to Help You Decide What to Buy: The Great Mental Outsourcing continues.

    Amazon unveils AI-powered augmented reality glasses for delivery drivers

    Tesla reports revenue growth after two down quarters. Why the stock is falling

    Trump pardons convicted Binance founder Zhao, White House says

    Crypto billionaire pardon is insane by Coffeezilla


    MEDIA CANDY

    ‘Tron: Ares’ Is an Even Bigger Bomb Than We Thought

    Tron: Legacy

    Human: Into the Americas

    Human: Building Empires

    Come Dine With Me

    Food Network’s The Kitchen to End After 40 Seasons

    Knifes Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars

    Pluribus — Official Trailer | Apple TV

    Bullet Train

    Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

    Hotel Costiera

    Slow Horses

    The Diplomat Season 3

    The Celebrity Traitors UK

    Traitors Canada Season 3

    Ticketmaster Is Going to Have to Do Better Than That


    APPS & DOODADS

    OpenAI's AI-powered browser, ChatGPT Atlas, launches on macOS today

    ChatGPT's Atlas: The Browser That's Anti-Web By Anil Dash

    Too burned out to travel? This new app fakes your summer vacation photos for you

    X's handle marketplace will sell some 'rare' usernames for millions of dollars

    A $60 Mod to Meta’s Ray-Bans Disables Its Privacy-Protecting Recording Light


    THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE

    Dave Bittner

    The CyberWire

    Hacking Humans

    Caveat

    Control Loop

    Only Malware in the Building

    Gen V

    Tilly Hats

    Firefly | The World's Smallest Pro-Audio Microphone

    Spirit Duplicators: Copies Never Smelled So Good

    STAR WARS ENTRENCHED: Fan Film TEASER 2


    CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS

    Soft Cell's musical force Dave Ball dies, aged 66

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1 hr 23 min
  • 718: Net Unhelpful

    This week, Guest Host Donovan Adkisson joins Jason DeFilippo to wade through the usual tech chaos; California is attempting to regulate the inevitable AI companion chatbots, which is timely, considering ChatGPT is about to launch erotica (with age verification, natch). Turns out, most of the world is less stoked about our algorithmic future than Silicon Valley is. Speaking of chaos, Elon Musk’s Boring Company racked up nearly 800 environmental violations in Vegas, and his Starlink satellites are burning up the atmosphere, validating the Kessler Syndrome predictions (and ruining backyard astronomy). On the ground, Georgia Tech is deploying drone first responders, ensuring campus security is instantly airborne, while the UK's Online Safety Act slapped 4chan with a hefty fine. We also mourn a Crypto Kingpin who met his end in a Lamborghini following a market crash. Finally, beware that "perfect" house listing, as the owner likely used AI to virtually enhance that curb appeal.

    It seems even the guy who coined the term "Vibe Coding" admits that relying on AI for complex software is "Net Unhelpful," proving that humans still have to do the heavy lifting—a fact Uber might ignore, as they plan to pay drivers to train AI between rides. Speaking of dumb human stunts, some genius launched the "World's First Waymo DDoS" by summoning 50 robotaxis to a dead end. On the entertainment side, it's time to binge Gen V before Season 5 of The Boys drops; also, why did Apple rename Apple TV+ to Apple TV? The guys also discuss the eternal cultural resonance of Idiocracy and the perfection of Galaxy Quest (and its fantastic documentary, Never Surrender). On the work front, Jason switched back to Things 3 because life is too short for ugly software, even as Windows 10's impending end-of-life threatens to create an e-waste disaster. Also, Wi-Fi 8 is coming soon, because the recently ratified Wi-Fi 7 just wasn't cutting it.

    Finally, the Grumpy Old Geeks wish a happy birthday to friends of the show and offer remembrance for the recently deceased, including screen icon Diane Keaton and KISS founding member Ace Frehley (though, honestly, no one here watched KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park). Tune in next time, and always remember to check out Anonymous: Real Stories of Alcoholism, Addiction, and Recovery; and go get some of that GOG Merch... when it becomes available.


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    Show notes at https://gog.show/718


    FOLLOW UP

    Guest Host: Donovan Adkisson

    California becomes first state to regulate AI companion chatbots

    ChatGPT erotica coming soon with age verification, CEO says

    International Polling Shows Fear of AI Across the World


    IN THE NEWS

    Georgia Tech’s drone first responder program cuts emergency response time to 90 seconds or less

    Crypto Kingpin Turns Up Dead in Lamborghini After Market Crash

    Concerns grow after spate of social media posts showing SpaceX Starlink satellites burning in the sky — we are currently seeing a ‘couple of satellite re-entries a day,’ says respected astrophysicist

    4chan fined $26K for refusing to assess risks under UK Online Safety Act

    Elon Musk’s Boring Company Accused of Nearly 800 Environmental Violations on Las Vegas Project

    That perfect-looking house for sale may have an owner using AI to virtually enhance the listing

    Even the Inventor of 'Vibe Coding' Says Vibe Coding Can't Cut It

    Man Launches “World’s First Waymo DDoS” by Ordering 50 Robotaxis to Dead End Street


    MEDIA CANDY

    GEN V

    Apple’s streaming service gets harder to tell apart from its streaming app, box

    The Celebrity Traitors

    The Fortune Hotel

    Idiocracy

    Never Surrender: A Galaxy Quest Documentary

    The Missi & Brooke Show

    Anonymous - Real Stories of Alcoholism, Addiction, and Recovery

    Minecraft Movie 2 Release


    APPS & DOODADS

    Things 3

    TP-Link confirms successful Wi-Fi 8 trials — next-gen wireless standard to usher in advances in reliability and latency

    The End of Windows 10 Support Is an E-Waste Disaster in the Making


    CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS

    Diane Keaton dead at age 79

    Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1 hr 17 min
  • 717: Quantum of Nope

    The Dutch courts finally did something useful: they told Meta to quit force-feeding algorithmic slop to everyone, so Facebook and Instagram users might actually see posts from friends again—if they can remember who those are. Meanwhile, OpenAI’s Sora 2 rollout is the kind of chaos that makes you wonder if the company replaced QA with a TikTok filter, as outrage videos flood the internet faster than you can say “deepfake meltdown.” Apple banned ICEBlock for being too effective while ICE now wants its own social media surveillance tool—one that OpenAI shut down when Chinese accounts tried to build it. California’s hammering Tesla for its abysmal insurance claims handling, OpenAI is gobbling up chunks of AMD, and consultants got caught using ChatGPT to fake reports before proudly partnering with Anthropic, who just landed Deloitte as its latest “enterprise AI” victim. Elsewhere in this circus: a Florida teen asked ChatGPT how to kill his friend, Taylor Swift fans are furious her new promo video used AI slop (“too rich to be this cheap”), and Apple’s “Find My” led cops to a mountain of smuggled iPhones.

    In Media Candy, Brian’s stunned The Diplomat scored a third season, The Long Walk is being pitched as Stand By Me meets Squid Game, California finally bans loud streaming commercials, and Amazon censored Bond posters to remove guns because apparently irony is dead. AI “musicians” are signing record deals while Zelda Williams begs people to stop resurrecting her dad with deepfake garbage. In Apps & Doodads, Jony Ive’s OpenAI gadget is delayed (good), Rivian insists we’ll “appreciate” not having CarPlay (we won’t), Spotify and ChatGPT are teaming up to read your soul through playlists, and Jason warns everyone that the Echo Show is basically an ad-spewing parasite. Apple’s now facing a cybercrime probe in France for Siri’s wiretapping habits, and if you’re nostalgic for simpler times, ioquake3 will let you relive Quake III Arena glory on a modern rig. At the Library, Peter Cawdron’s Dark Beauty: First Contact belly-flops as a Slaughterhouse-Five tribute, while Cory Doctorow’s Enshittification nails exactly why everything sucks—even if his fixes are pure science fiction.


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    Show notes at https://gog.show/717


    FOLLOW UP

    Dutch court orders Meta to change its Facebook and Instagram timelines

    OpenAI's Sora 2 Already Melting Down Into Outrageous Drama


    IN THE NEWS

    Apple removes ICEBlock from the App Store after Trump administration's demand

    ICE is planning to create a surveillance team that hunts for leads on social media

    OpenAI has disrupted (more) Chinese accounts using ChatGPT to create social media surveillance tools

    California regulators threaten to revoke Tesla's insurance license for mishandling claims

    OpenAI Gobbles Up a Stake in AMD as Its Spending Spree Shows No Sign of Stopping

    Consultants Forced to Pay Money Back After Getting Caught Using AI for Expensive “Report”

    Anthropic lands its biggest enterprise deployment ever with Deloitte deal

    Teen Arrested After Asking ChatGPT How to Kill His Friend, Police Say

    Taylor Swift Fans Furious as She’s Caught Using Sloppy AI in Video for New Album

    Apple’s ‘Find My’ Leads Cops to Cache of Thousands of Smuggled iPhones


    MEDIA CANDY

    The Diplomat

    The Long Walk

    California bans loud commercials on streaming platforms

    Amazon Pulls Censored Bond Posters After Pulling the Guns From Them

    More AI artists are starting to get record deals

    Robin Williams' daughter pleads for people to stop sending AI videos of her dad


    APPS & DOODADS

    OpenAI's first device with Jony Ive could be delayed due to 'technical issues'

    Rivian says ‘customers will appreciate’ lack of CarPlay eventually

    Spotify and ChatGPT Team Up for Personalized Music and Podcast Recommendations

    Don’t buy an Echo Show (you can have mine)

    Apple faces cybercrime investigation in France after Siri complaint

    ioquake3


    AT THE LIBRARY

    Dark Beauty: First Contact by Peter Cawdron

    Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It by Cory Doctorow

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    57 min
  • 716: Release the CrackerBot!

    The world is a dumpster fire, confirmed. Following California's landmark AI safety bill SB 53, the head of Nvidia is allegedly "quaking in his boots"—which is a good sign, unlike the news that the "Nirvana Baby" Spencer Elden's lawsuit was finally dismissed. Meanwhile, corporate America continues its pivot to chaos: Spotify shuffled its execs, Meta is charging UK users for ad-free Facebook and Instagram, and the UK is introducing digital ID cards (Hello, Mark of the Beast). The entire internet is now dominated by bots, proving the Cracker Barrel logo outrage was manufactured, a fact that's somehow less depressing than the FCC accidentally leaking iPhone schematics. Naturally, Alphabet just paid $22 million to settle President Trump’s YouTube lawsuit, confirming that legal threats are the new VC funding. Disney is panicking over an "AI Actress," sending cease and desist letters to Character.AI, while OpenAI rolls out its new Sora app and ChatGPT's ability to buy things for you, proving it's determined to turn the internet into one seamless, copyright-infringing shopping mall, and it's now worth more than Elon Musk's SpaceX.

    The ensuing boredom demands new media, though the pacing is terrible in everything: Slow Horses Season 5 and Human: Neanderthal Encounters are great, but even the original Matrix and Frankenstein trailer (by Guillermo del Toro) feel slow, confirming the Princess Bride litmus test. MXV’s Riot Fest photos were rad, and Disney lost 1.7M subs after suspending Kimmel, which is why YouTube Music is testing AI hosts (who will only be wrong), and the Pivot Tour is happening. Our Apps & Doohickeys department confirms security is an afterthought: macOS 26 unlocked the Journal app, but the smart glasses race is fully on, and Logitech’s new keyboard can be recharged by any light (finally, tech that works!). Amazon Fire TV is expected to ditch Android for Linux, Meta introduced the AI-filled Vibes feed, and Tile trackers were found to have a stalking flaw—a fact only slightly more depressing than the swift failure of the Neon call-recording app and the continued existence of the Comet browser. Finally, The Dark Side with Dave celebrated the low-budget charm of Blue Thunder and the necessity of Disney Park Ride Overlays, while Dave embarked on his quest to unbox the Home Depot R2D2. We thank our patrons for keeping this beautiful noise alive and pay tribute to the amazing Jane Goodall.


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    Show notes at https://gog.show/716


    FOLLOW UP

    California Governor Newsom signs landmark AI safety bill SB 53

    Nvidia Is Quaking in Its Boots

    ‘Nirvana Baby’ Spencer Elden’s ‘Nevermind’ Suit Dismissed Again


    IN THE NEWS

    Spotify Appoints New CEOs as Daniel Ek Becomes Executive Chair

    Meta announces paid subscriptions for both Instagram and Facebook in the UK

    UK announces plans for digital ID cards

    OpenAI’s New Sora App Lets You Deepfake Yourself for Entertainment

    The First 24 Hours of Sora 2 Chaos: Copyright Violations, Sam Altman Shoplifting, and More

    OpenAI Rolls Out ChatGPT’s Ability to Buy Stuff for You

    OpenAI Is Now Worth More on Paper Than SpaceX, Catches Up to Elon Musk Himself

    Disney sends cease and desist letter to Character.AI

    Creator of “AI Actress” Responds to Near-Universal Backlash

    FCC accidentally leaked iPhone schematics, potentially giving rivals a peek at company secrets

    Alphabet will pay $22 million to settle President Trump’s YouTube lawsuit

    Cracker Barrel Outrage Was Almost Certainly Driven by Bots, Researchers Say


    MEDIA CANDY

    MXV’s Riot Fest Photos

    Slow Horses Season 5

    Frankenstein | Guillermo del Toro | Official Trailer | Netflix

    Human: Neanderthal Encounters

    Pivot Tour

    YouTube Music is testing AI hosts that present relevant stories, trivia and commentary

    How Many Streaming Subscribers Did Disney Lose After Suspending Kimmel?


    APPS & DOODADS

    macOS 26 unlocks the real potential of Apple’s Journal app

    The smart glasses race is really on now

    Logitech's new keyboard can be recharged by any kind of light

    Amazon Fire TV devices expected to ditch Android for Linux in 2025

    Meta introduces Vibes feed for AI generated content

    Neon, an App That Pays to Record Your Phone Calls Hit #2 on the App Store, Taken Down Over Security Flaw

    Tile trackers reportedly have a security flaw that can let stalkers track your location

    Comet - The browser that works for you


    THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE

    Dave Bittner

    The CyberWire

    Hacking Humans

    Caveat

    Control Loop

    Only Malware in the Building

    The Princess Bride

    Blue Thunder

    The Best Disney Park Ride Overlays, and Where to Find Them

    Home Depot R2D2 Unboxing and Assembly!

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1 hr 14 min
  • 715: Our Wizard Lies

    Grumpy Old Geeks is back with another round of righteous griping and eyebrow-raising headlines in Episode 715: Our Wizard Lies. We kick things off in FOLLOW UP, where TikTok is still the geopolitical hot potato that both the U.S. and China promise to sort out “someday, maybe,” while Wired’s global editorial director explains how tech’s growing political clout is playing out under Trump. From there, it’s a cavalcade of absurdities: DOGE as federal workforce demolition derby, and crypto bros trying to turn Charlie Kirk’s death into meme-stock retirement plans. Late-stage capitalism is nothing if not creative.

    Then in IN THE NEWS, Amazon gets spanked with a $2.5 billion fine for Prime trickery, Microsoft yanks cloud services from an Israeli military unit, and Palantir goes full lifestyle brand—yes, you too can cosplay as a drone strike enthusiast with a $99 pair of gym shorts. Silicon Valley philosophers warn AI regulation would literally summon the Antichrist, while banks whisper the bubble might pop before the devil even arrives. Meanwhile, YouTube toys with letting COVID and election denialists back into the algorithm, “SIM farms” threaten New York’s cell networks, and unlucky tourists are finding themselves trafficked into cyber-scam slavery across Southeast Asia. Progress!

    MEDIA CANDY tries to lighten the mood—sort of—serving up everything from Elio, Tron: Ares, and Disney price hikes to AI musicians cashing million-dollar checks. Lionsgate, on the other hand, learns you can’t feed four John Wicks into an algorithm and get an anime out the other side. Over in THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE, we get furries on the DC Metro, Disney plotting your every park step via Ray-Ban spy glasses, a Ponzi scheme in RadioShack cosplay, and even a Jim Henson Company anniversary auction. We close out with shout-outs and sighs, because sometimes the world doesn’t deserve a mic drop—just a slow shake of the head.


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    Show notes at https://gog.show/715


    FOLLOW UP

    US and China agree to agree on a TikTok deal

    WIRED global editorial director on tech's growing political power under Trump

    The Story of DOGE, as Told by Federal Workers

    Crypto Bros Are Trying to Monetize Charlie Kirk’s Death


    IN THE NEWS

    Amazon to pay $2.5 billion for allegedly duping millions to sign up for Prime

    Microsoft cuts off cloud services to Israeli military unit after report of storing Palestinians’ phone calls

    Palantir Wants to Be a Lifestyle Brand

    Silicon Valley’s latest argument against regulating AI: that would literally be the Antichrist

    AI Experts Urgently Call on Governments to Think About Maybe Doing Something

    ‘Workslop’: AI-Generated Work Content Is Slowing Everything Down

    Deutsche Bank Issues Grim Warning for AI Industry

    YouTube may reinstate channels banned for spreading covid and election misinformation

    ‘SIM Farms’ Are a Spam Plague. A Giant One in New York Threatened US Infrastructure, Feds Say

    They traveled to Thailand. They wound up cyber scam slaves in Myanmar.


    MEDIA CANDY

    Elio

    Superman

    Human: Origins

    Human: Journeys

    Alien: Earth

    The Traitors Ireland

    Disney is raising the price of Disney+, Hulu subscriptions next month

    Wicked: For Good | Final Trailer

    Lilith Faire: Building a Mystery

    Tron: Ares

    AI Artist Signs Million-Dollar Record Deal

    Lionsgate Is Finding Out It’s Really Hard to Make Movies With AI

    Jimmy Kimmel May Be Back. Trump’s Attacks on the First Amendment Aren’t Over By Merrill Markoe

    Jimmy Kimmel is Back!


    THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE

    Dave Bittner

    The CyberWire

    Hacking Humans

    Caveat

    Control Loop

    Only Malware in the Building

    Disney Explores Using Ray-Ban Meta Glasses To Guide Guests Around Its Parks

    The Happiest Story on Earth: 70 Years of Disneyland

    The Mandalorian and Grogu | Official Trailer | In Theaters May 22, 2026

    The Jim Henson Company 70th Anniversary Auction

    Feds Say Company That Bought RadioShack Was Running $112 Million Ponzi Scheme

    Furries ride the DC Metro

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1 hr 8 min
  • 714: Crossfade This

    The internet continues its chaotic march, with a TikTok deal potentially happening (for real this time, maybe), while LimeWire bought the Fyre Fest brand, because more viruses are always a great idea. Corporate America is going full AI-bro with massive layoffs at Fiverr, xAI, and Google, while OpenAI reveals people are using ChatGPT for pretty much everything but coding. Age verification is coming to apps and online services in California and New York, because apparently, teenagers need protection (after the fact). Elsewhere, nudists have declared war on SpaceX over rocket launches, and fans are ditching Elon since he started being so insufferable; even a Tesla engineer quit and roasted him spectacularly, all while NHTSA investigates Tesla's fire-prone door handles.


    In the world of entertainment, we're catching up on Wednesday and Foundation S3 (just pretend the books never existed, your brain will be rewired!), and Upload wrapped up its truncated season nicely. The 2003 Freaky Friday was a fun, nostalgic trip through early 2000s L.A., reminding us of all the cool places that are now just... gone. Alien: Earth and Gen V S2 are on our watchlist, and we'll see if Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 lives up to its promise. The Witcher S4, featuring Liam Hemsworth as Geralt (aka the Dick Switch), drops in October, with Laurence Fishburne making it somewhat palatable. The Lilith Fair documentary is peak 90s, and Meta's latest dystopian product was so bad it made the Cybertruck demo look good. Apple's new AI features are cool, but the iOS 26 "liquid glass" update and its awful crossfade feature are less so; also, meditation apparently has a dark side, but binaural beats might just make you rave. Publishers Clearing House's bankruptcy means "forever" winners won't get paid (always take the lump sum!); international sellers are charging absurd shipping to avoid American buyers; and the deepfake Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kills Darth Maul (Live Action) is surprisingly good.


    Steve Martin's Born Standing Up is still great life advice, and the Carrot App the Musical is, against all odds, amazing. Robert Redford has sadly passed, a legend who gave us Sneakers, and L.A.'s own Clayton Kershaw is retiring at the end of the season, a true one-team legend who deserves all the accolades.


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    Show notes at https://gog.show/714


    FOLLOW UP

    A TikTok deal may finally be happening

    LimeWire Revealed as Mystery Buyer of Fyre Fest Brand


    IN THE NEWS

    Fiverr is laying off 250 employees to become an 'AI-first company'

    xAI reportedly laid off at least 500 AI tutors working on Grok

    Hundreds of Google AI Workers Were Fired Amid Fight Over Working Conditions

    OpenAI Reveals How (and Which) People Are Using ChatGPT

    ChatGPT may soon require ID verification from adults, CEO says

    California's age verification bill for app stores and operating systems takes another step forward

    New York details its plans for online age verification rules

    Nudists Declare War on SpaceX

    People Who Loved Watching SpaceX Launches Can’t Stomach Them Anymore Since Elon Musk Started Being So Horrible

    Tesla Engineer Quits, Roasts Elon Musk in Spectacular Fashion

    NHTSA is investigating Tesla over its electronic door handles


    MEDIA CANDY

    Wednesday

    Foundation (S3)

    Upload

    Devs

    Freaky Friday (2003)

    Alien: Earth

    Gen V Season 2

    ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Producers Promise Season 4 Will Be Better

    Slow Horses Season 5

    Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

    The Witcher Season 4 will hit Netflix in October with its new Geralt

    Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery


    APPS & DOODADS

    New Apple Intelligence features are available today

    iOS 26 lets you reduce Liquid Glass to be more like iOS 18, here’s how

    Meta's most dystopian product yet...

    Meditation And Mindfulness Have a Dark Side We Don't Often Talk About

    BrainWave: 37 Binaural Series™

    The Rise of the Indie Web Movement

    Links - Marighoul

    Stendig Calendars


    AT THE LIBRARY

    Flybot by Dennis E. Taylor

    Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Afterlife by Eben Alexander

    Cleave the Sparrow by Jonathan Katz

    The Case Against Reality: Why Evolution Hid the Truth from Our Eyes by Donald D. Hoffman

    The Code. the Evaluation. the Protocols: Striving to Become an Eminently Qualified Human by Jocko Willink, Dave Berke, Sarah Armstrong

    I Don't Answer Questions: Pleading the Fifth! by David Ridings

    Finding Your Comic Genius: An in-depth guide to the art of stand-up comedy by Adam Bloom

    Disney and Webtoon’s Partnership Is Leading to a Massive New Comics App


    THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE

    Dave Bittner

    The CyberWire

    Hacking Humans

    Caveat

    Control Loop

    Only Malware in the Building

    Hanker for a Hunk of Cheese

    ‘The Muppet Show’ Is Getting a 50th Anniversary Disney+ Special

    Carrot App the Musical...

    Carrot The Musical on IG

    Netatmo Home Weather Stations

    Ambient Weather WS-2902 WiFi Smart Weather Station with AWN+ Included

    Publishers Clearing House’s bankruptcy means ‘forever’ winners will no longer get paid

    $2,000 Shipping: International Sellers Charge Absurd Prices to Avoid Dealing With American Tariffs

    Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kills Darth Maul (Live Action)

    Born Standing Up by Steve Martin


    CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS

    Robert Redford dead at 89

    Sneakers

    All-time Los Angeles Dodgers great Clayton Kershaw to retire at end of season

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1 hr 23 min
  • 713: Ourovibeos

    This week on Grumpy Old Geeks, we're diving headfirst into the digital dumpster fire, starting with follow-up that will make you wonder if the rich are finally getting their comeuppance. It seems Tesla's market share is plummeting, and Elon Musk has been unceremoniously knocked off as the world's wealthiest person. Meanwhile, OpenAI and Microsoft are flirting with new partnership terms, and OpenAI is also reportedly cozying up with Oracle for a cloud computing deal. Are they figuring it all out or just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic? You decide.

    In the news, it’s a feast of AI-induced chaos. Anthropic attempted to settle a copyright lawsuit for $1.5 billion, but a judge rejected it. Apple faces scrutiny for allegedly using pirated books to train AI (because who needs original ideas when you can just steal them?), and everyone from Reddit to Yahoo is rushing to get paid for their data being scraped by AI. Google even admits that the open web is struggling, while pushing ads into AI-generated answers and trying to convince us that DOGE never existed. Meanwhile, millions of YouTube videos have been copied by AI companies—because why create when you can just steal? Not to mention, The Boring Company reportedly stopped tunneling after a "crushing injury" (ironic, huh?), Zuckerberg and Palmer Luckey are teaming up again like a disastrous boy band for military-grade goggles, and Meta whistleblowers are exposing child safety issues. Plus, a hot mic caught Zuck groveling to Trump—the cringe is real. And if that wasn't enough, it turns out AI usage is actually declining at big companies, and programmers using AI are creating more security risks than a screen door on a submarine. It's almost like we saw this coming.

    For your Media Candy fix, get ready for a dose of existential dread. The MTV Video Music Awards are still happening in 2025, with a median viewer age of 56—because nothing screams "youth culture" like osteoporosis. We'll wonder if Wednesday (aka Charlie Sheen) is still winning and discuss Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Amazon Music is launching AI-powered playlists (because who needs a human DJ when you can have an algorithm that thinks it knows your soul?), and Deezer claims 28% of all new music is AI-generated. Taika Waititi is developing a "potentially disastrous" Fyre Fest musical (we're excited!), Foundation is renewed for season 4, and the HBO Max CEO thinks it's "way underpriced"—bless his heart. Plus, more Highlander reboot news that will probably disappoint, and a look at The Missi & Brooke Show and The Traitors Ireland.

    Finally, in Apps & Doodads, bad news for AirPods Live Translation in the EU, Evernote and WeTransfer's owner is buying Vimeo, and you need this pettable Poké Ball Tamagotchi-style toy. In The Dark Side with Dave, we'll discuss The Princess Bride, how tariffs are ruining hobbies, and who wants "slop for their ears." This episode shows that some things never change, and most things are just getting worse. You're welcome.


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    Show notes at https://gog.show/713


    FOLLOW UP

    Exclusive: Tesla market share in US drops to lowest since 2017 as competition heats up

    Elon Musk Was Just Unseated as the World’s Richest Person

    OpenAI and Microsoft sign preliminary deal to revise partnership terms

    OpenAI and Oracle reportedly ink historic cloud computing deal


    IN THE NEWS

    Anthropic will pay a record-breaking $1.5 billion to settle copyright lawsuit with authors

    Judge rejects Anthropic's record-breaking $1.5 billion settlement for AI copyright lawsuit

    Apple faces lawsuit over alleged use of pirated books for AI training

    Reddit, Yahoo, Medium and more are adopting a new licensing standard to get compensated for AI scraping

    In court filing, Google concedes the open web is in “rapid decline”

    Google brings ads to AI-generated answers worldwide

    Google Is Telling People DOGE Never Existed

    At Least 15 Million YouTube Videos Have Been Snatched by AI Companies

    The Boring Company Reportedly Halts Tunneling in Las Vegas After 'Crushing Injury'

    Dynamic Duo Zuckerberg and Palmer Luckey Reunite for Army Combat Goggles Contract

    Meta Whistleblowers Allege Company Buried Info on Child Safety

    Hot Mic Catches Mark Zuckerberg Groveling to Trump

    Data Shows That AI Use Is Now Declining at Large Companies

    Programmers Using AI Create Way More Glaring Security Issues, Data Shows

    The Software Engineers Paid to Fix Vibe Coded Messes


    MEDIA CANDY

    2025 MTV Video Music Awards

    Median age of MTV viewers is 56

    Wednesday

    aka Charlie Sheen

    Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

    Amazon Music launches AI-powered weekly playlists based on 'preferences and mood'

    Deezer: 28% of all music delivered to streaming is now fully AI-generated

    Taika Waititi Developing “Potentially Disastrous” Fyre Fest Musical

    Apple TV+ has officially renewed Foundation for another season, with production on season 4 kicking off early next year.

    HBO Max is “way underpriced,” Warner Bros. Discovery CEO says

    ‘The Grandmaster’ Chinese Martial Artist Max Zhang to Join ‘Highlander’ Reboot

    Please, ‘Highlander’ Reboot, Don’t Waste Djimon Hounsou

    The Missi & Brooke Show

    The Traitors Ireland


    APPS & DOODADS

    There's bad news for AirPods Live Translation in EU countries

    Evernote and WeTransfer owner Bending Spoons is set to buy Vimeo for $1.38 billion

    This pettable Poké Ball is a Tamagotchi-style toy with over 150 Pokémon inside and I need it now


    THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE

    Dave Bittner

    The CyberWire

    Hacking Humans

    Caveat

    Control Loop

    Only Malware in the Building

    The Princess Bride

    ‘It's Just a Mess:' 23 People Explain How Tariffs Have Suddenly Ruined Their Hobby

    Who Wants Slop for Your Ears?

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1 hr 23 min
  • 712: Preparation WTF

    The internet's still broken, folks, and apparently, AI's here to make it more awkward. Intel caught a break from Uncle Sam's CHIPS Act, cool for them, not so much for those 'flashing warning signs' in the job market. Meta's been letting celebrity chatbots run wild (and creepy), Midjourney's getting sued by Warner Bros. for stealing IP (who'da thought?), and OpenAI thinks an AI hiring platform is a good idea. Plus, an AI chatbot automated a cybercrime spree, totally unexpected. If you're calling ChatGPT a 'clanker,' you're not wrong, but seriously? Your butt probably needs a break from the toilet.

    Elon Musk and his joyride of companies continue to make us wonder if we're living in a dystopian satire. Tesla got slapped with a $243 million verdict after rejecting a $60 million settlement (because that's how you make deals, right?). 'Key data' they said they didn't have? A hacker found it. His vague 'master plan' sounds like a last-minute college essay, and software deploys airbags before you crash. His quest for a trillion-dollar pay package is on, and Neuralink can't even trademark 'telepathy.' They're doing brain surgeries in Toronto now. What could go wrong?

    On the lighter side, Finland built a giant sand battery, which is cool, and iOS 26 finally gave iPads a native Instagram app after, like, forever. We've got movie reviews, TV binges (Wednesday is really good), and a deep dive into KPop Demon Hunters (seriously, listen to the songs). FIFA's jacking up World Cup ticket prices with dynamic pricing (of course they are), and Morrissey's selling his stake in The Smiths (probably to escape his own 'malicious associations'). If you're still reading Usenet threads from '94, you're either a sadist or Dave.


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    Show notes at https://gog.show/712


    FOLLOW UP

    The US government drops its CHIPS Act requirements for Intel

    America’s job market flashes yet another warning sign about the economy

    Hydrogen-Powered Plasma Torch Decimates Plastic Waste in a Blink

    Your Butthole Is Begging You to Stop Scrolling on the Toilet


    IN THE NEWS

    Tesla rejected $60 million settlement before losing $243 million Autopilot verdict

    Tesla said it didn’t have key data in a fatal crash. Then a hacker found it.

    Tesla has a new master plan—it just doesn’t have any specifics

    Tesla Software Update Will Deploy Airbags Before Crash Actually Happens

    Trump to host tech CEOs for first event in newly renovated Rose Garden

    Tesla proposes Elon Musk pay package that could make him the world’s first trillionaire

    Tesla shareholders to vote on investing in Musk’s AI startup xAI

    Meta reportedly allowed unauthorized celebrity AI chatbots on its services

    Warner Bros. Discovery is suing Midjourney for copyright infringement

    OpenAI announces AI-powered hiring platform to take on LinkedIn

    OpenAI is reportedly producing its own AI chips starting next year

    A hacker used AI to automate an 'unprecedented' cybercrime spree, Anthropic says

    The world's largest sand battery just went live in Finland

    Why the Internet Can’t Stop Calling ChatGPT a “Clanker”


    MEDIA CANDY

    The Thursday Murder Club

    Weapons

    Alien: Earth

    Wednesday

    Star Trek: Strange New Worlds - Four and a Half Vulcans

    Upload

    KPop Demon Hunters - revisited

    2026 World Cup tickets: FIFA confirms use of dynamic pricing

    Exhausted by "malicious associations," Morrissey sells stake in The Smiths


    APPS & DOODADS

    Marshall’s Mid-Century-Looking Soundbar Would Make Don Draper Cry Tears of Joy

    Who Owns ‘Telepathy’?

    Instagram finally has an iPad app 15 years after it first launched

    Roblox will require age verification for all users to access communication features

    superwhisper

    iOS 26 adds seven brand new iPhone ringtones, listen here


    THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE

    Dave Bittner

    The CyberWire

    Hacking Humans

    Caveat

    Control Loop

    Only Malware in the Building

    Hot sauce and hot takes: An Only Malware in the Building special.

    My comments on a Usenet thread from 1994

    Darth Vader’s Lightsaber Auction Sale Sets Record for ‘Star Wars’ Item

    Home Depot R2D2

    Disney Disney Star Wars Animated Darth Vader

    Florida plans to end all state vaccine mandates, including for schools

    VibeVoice: A Frontier Long Conversational Text-to-Speech Model

    Rumor: There’s A New ‘The Muppet Show’ Pilot

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1 hr 13 min
  • 711: Oh Thank Heaven

    Remember when we thought AI was going to bring about utopia or Skynet? Turns out, it's mostly just a bunch of fancy spreadsheets, a potential bubble ready to burst (looking at you, Nvidia), and a legal minefield. We're talking wrongful death lawsuits because a chatbot encouraged suicide, OpenAI admitting their 'safety controls degrade,' and then secretly siccing the cops on users. Plus, the Citizen app's AI can't even tell a murder vehicle from a motor vehicle, and Grok 2.5 is now open source if you want to invite that chaos into your life. Also, don't ask Google if 1995 was 30 years ago, because apparently, AI can't do basic math.

    Meanwhile, the adults in the room are just doing what they do: the U.S. government is buying a chunk of Intel, while Trump wants to "design" government websites (with badly edited photos, naturally). Meta's own AI stuff is so bad they're just licensing Midjourney's tech, proving it's always easier to buy than build. Apple TV+ raised its prices, and Spotify finally figured out how to let you DM songs. Over at Apple Fitness, it seems the execs are fostering a "toxic workplace environment," because who knew working out could be so hardcore? Oh, and Chipotle is doing drone delivery now. Welcome to Zipotle, because getting off your ass is apparently too much to ask.

    As for what we're actually watching, it's a mixed bag. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' documentary episode was... fine, but Paramount's axing jobs and "un-renewing" Dexter: Original Sin to focus on Dexter: Resurrection (because that always works out). We're trying to keep up with Alien: Earth, Wednesday, and Upload, but good luck with those staggered release dates. Apple TV+ has some good sci-fi, but Foundation might just be a hate-watch for Brian. And in the library, we've got Budgie's surprisingly depressing memoir and some solid sci-fi from Scott Meyer and Dennis E. Taylor. It's almost enough to make you miss the simpler times before AI broke everything.


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    Show notes at https://gog.show/711


    FOLLOW UP

    Welcome to Acast Ads Academy - your go-to learning destination for podcast advertising.

    Deep Questions with Cal Newport - Ep. 367: What if AI Doesn’t Get Much Better Than This?

    AI Bubble Watch: Nvidia Shares Skid on Middling Q2 Results

    Reports Of AI Not Progressing Or Offering Mundane Utility Are Often Greatly Exaggerated


    IN THE NEWS

    The US government is taking an $8.9 billion stake in Intel

    Trump is forming a 'National Design Studio' to spruce up government websites

    Trump Mobile is promoting its smartphone with terribly edited photos of other brands' products

    ChatGPT Lawsuit Over Teen’s Suicide Could Lead to Big Tech Reckoning

    OpenAI Admits Safety Controls 'Degrade,' As Wrongful Death Lawsuit Grabs Headlines

    OpenAI Says It's Scanning Users' ChatGPT Conversations and Reporting Content to the Police

    Huge Number of Authors Stand to Get Paid After Anthropic Agrees to Settle Potentially $1 Trillion Lawsuit

    Meta is licensing Midjourney's AI image and video tech

    MidJourney TV

    Citizen Is Using AI to Generate Crime Alerts With No Human Review. It’s Making a Lot of Mistakes

    You can now download and tweak Grok 2.5 for yourself as it goes open source


    MEDIA CANDY

    Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

    Paramount Job Cuts In Excess Of 2,500 Coming In November, With Cost Savings To Exceed $2 Billion

    ‘Dexter: Original Sin’ Un-Renewed as Paramount Opts Out of Second Season

    Alien: Earth

    Wednesday

    Upload

    ‘The Institute’ Renewed for Second Season at MGM+

    Apple TV+ subscriptions just rose to $13 a month

    Spotify is adding DMs


    APPS & DOODADS

    Apple fitness exec accused of creating toxic workplace environment

    Zipotle: Chipotle, Zipline Launch Drone Food Delivery in Dallas


    AT THE LIBRARY

    The Absence: Memoirs of a Banshee Drummer by Budgie

    Master of Formalities by Scott Meyer

    Flybot by Dennis E. Taylor


    CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS

    'Was 1995 30 years ago?' Google's AI overviews is having issues with a simple question

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    45 min

About Grumpy Old Geeks

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We dissect the tech news train wrecks of the week, calling out what went wrong and who’s to blame. Think of this podcast as if Kurt Cobain threw down with Tom from MySpace, Elon Musk, and Mark…

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    1 hr 20 min

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