Notnerd Podcast: Tech Better

Amazon jumped on the new hardware bandwagon this week with new Echo devices, TV sticks, and more. We discuss this and our finds in the Prime Big Deal Days event going on now. Plus plenty of other tech and fun to be had.

Watch on YouTube! - Notnerd.com and Notpicks.com

INTRO (00:00)

UNOFFICIAL BANTER:

Dave back on T-Mobile from Mint Mobile (02:10)

Apple Event Next week? (08:10)

Steve Jobs 15 years (08:40)

iPhone Duo Preorders next week (09:50)

MAIN TOPIC: Amazon's Big Week (12:30)

Amazon has new products too

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days

DAVE'S PRO-TIP OF THE WEEK: Let the smarter Siri find what's happening in your life. (24:35)

JUST THE HEADLINES: (30:30)

Tech workers made ChatGPT drive a Toyota Corolla

Singapore pilots a government-built dating service

Cloudflare tries to outplay Jev with open-weight Clef models

Radio broadcasters support America's 'AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act'

Google tests AI data center in space

Dyson's $500 AI toothbrush Is failing, and the company won't say why

Dozens quarantined after researcher at Russian plague laboratory dies of 'unknown' infection

LISTENER MAIL:

Todd - Are the new Apple Watches always listening? (33:25)

WITHIN REACH! (42:45)

Dave is leading 14-12,

Round 27,

Dave goes first

TAKES:

CRYPTOWATCH: Crypto winter is over,' analyst says as bitcoin tops $86,000 (48:30)

iPhone Siri Settlement Site (50:00)

BONUS ODD TAKE: The 2026 Comedy Wildlife Awards Finalists (51:50)

PICKS OF THE WEEK:

Dave: Canabalt Runner Game Online (53:35)

Nate: SMALLRIG Wireless Mic S70 Cover Kit (2 TX + 2 RX + 9 Mic Covers) (57:05)

Meta Connect 2026 happened this week, and Mark Zuckerberg showed off some new hardware that looks pretty good, including new VR glasses and a Tamagotchi-style device, Muse Charm. They emphasized how great Muse is and how it will make you money. Plus plenty of other tech to discuss.

Watch on YouTube! - Notnerd.com and Notpicks.com

INTRO (00:00)

MAIN TOPIC: Meta's all in on hardware now (02:25)

Everything announced at Meta Connect 2026

Microsoft unveils new Surface Pro 12-inch and Surface Laptop 13-inch with Snapdragon X2 Plus, brighter screens, and 5G options (18:35)

Snap tries to sell consumers on the idea of $2195 smart glasses (20:05)

DAVE'S PRO-TIP OF THE WEEK: Apple Music in iOS 27 Now Playing screen can now rotate to landscape mode and Friends Playlist (25:25)

JUST THE HEADLINES: (33:40)

People training OpenAI's AI fired for using AI to train the AI

Samsung's AI fridges shut down after update, causes outrage

Lego's biggest set ever is coming out soon: the 12,060-piece Sagrada Família. $800

New tin-based solar cells trap heat 1000 times longer, could beat 33% limit

Data center developer offers $10,000 checks to nearby households

Gene-edited bananas that don't go brown could hit UK supermarkets

Astronomers just named an asteroid after 'Weird Al' Yankovic

WITHIN REACH! Dave is leading 14-11, Round 27, Nate goes first (38:10)

TAKES:

Prepare your iPhone 18 Pro Max to ship (44:25)

BONUS ODD TAKE: Apple in Colour (47:00)

PICKS OF THE WEEK:

Dave: SMALLRIG Auto-Deploy Mini Tripod for DJI Pocket 4P/4/3, for Insta360 Luna (52:50)

Nate: Amazon Basics 5-Blade MotionSphere Men's Razor with Dual Lubrication, Vitamin E, Precision Trimmer, 1 Handle & 16 Cartridges, Black (56:40)

Nate picked up his new iPhone 18 Pro on Friday and has been putting it to the test. He also signed up for AppleCare One Family, we discuss whether it is worth it. As always, there's plenty of other tech to catch up on.

Watch on YouTube! - Notnerd.com and Notpicks.com

INTRO (00:00)

New Beats 360 Headphones (02:25)

MAIN TOPIC: Nate's new iPhone and AppleCare+ Family (08:30)

Nate's iPhone 18 Pro

David Pogue tests Siri AI

AppleCareOne Family

AppleCare Fees and Deductibles

DAVE'S PRO-TIP OF THE WEEK: Liquid Glass Slider + easter egg (26:40)

JUST THE HEADLINES: (30:50)

Male fruit fly brain trained to play Doom

John Deere launched an AI chatbot for farmers

Lawyer cites fake witnesses in murder case and blames ChatGPT

Fake AI intelligence almost made the US military start a war with China

OpenAI admits 6 more instances of AI models acting deceptively

Iran strikes on Amazon data centers caused permanent loss of customer data

U.S. acknowledges for the first time that it has deployed weapons in space

WITHIN REACH! Dave is leading 13-11, Round 25, Dave goes first (34:10)

TAKES:

Meta's Muse AI agent downloads are surging. Here's how it compares to ChatGPT, Grok and Claude (39:25)

Microsoft issues emergency Windows 11 update to fix its record-breaking patch (43:00)

BONUS ODD TAKE: Star Trek Google Search (44:20)

List of Google Easter eggs

PICKS OF THE WEEK:

Dave: [3 in 1] USB C Charger Block for Apple Watch Charger Magnetic Fast Charging (48:05)

Nate: 31-Piece Hex Key Wrench Set, Metric and SAE Allen Wrenches (0.028-3/8 inch, 0.7-10 mm) L Shape Allen Keys, Chrome Vanadium Steel (52:05)

We've got plenty to discuss after last week's Apple Event and all the new OS 27s coming out. Plus, the rest of the tech world didn't slow down, so we do our best to catch up. All so you can get out there and tech better!

Watch on YouTube! - Notnerd.com and Notpicks.com

INTRO (00:00)

MAIN TOPIC: Updating and Upgrading with Apple (06:20)

Nate's App Journey

How to migrate phones

AppleCare One Family Plan

Major updates for Apple's software platforms are now available

DAVE'S PRO-TIP OF THE WEEK: Add custom cards in Apple Wallet (37:50)

JUST THE HEADLINES: (47:45)

Dyson debuts $499 AI-powered toothbrush with a built-in camera

AI-Equipped garbage trucks could soon start spying on people in the US

ID verification giant IDScan confirms data breach with more than 150 million driver's licenses stolen

FCC plans robocall scorecard to grade phone companies on spam call blocking

Zilog Z80 turns 50 as an open-source replacement heads to drop-in DIP40 silicon

Roku's 24/7 AI slop channel is even worse than expected

Genetically modified pig kidney keeps man alive for record nine months

WITHIN REACH! Dave is leading 13-10, Round 24, Nate goes first (52:00)

TAKES:

September 2nd: MapQuest is now the No. 1 US app after bucking Trump's 'Lake America' renaming (58:00)

Microsoft Patch Tuesday September 2026 Edition (01:01:50)

BONUS ODD TAKE: Windows 98 Disk Defrag Simulator (01:05:00)

Apple held its annual iPhone event today at 10 am PT. We watched the event together and hopped on live right after to discuss the announcements. The iPhone 18 Pro, the AirPods 5, the Apple Watch 12 and Ultra 4, and, of course, the folding iPhone Duo. We even had a special guest crash the show. What are your thoughts on all the new Apple goodies?

Watch on YouTube! - Notnerd.com and Notpicks.com

• iPhone 18 Pro (03:00)
• AirPods 5 (11:05)
• Apple Watch Series 12, Ultra 4 (14:00)
• iPhone Duo (20:50)

Watch the Apple Event

Meta settled the massive lawsuit from most of the states about kids and their platforms. We discuss what that means for them, and for you. New iPhones are coming next week and plenty of other tech to get caught up on!

Watch on YouTube! - Notnerd.com and Notpicks.com

INTRO (00:00)

Apple Event September 9th - Surprise and Shine (03:25)

MAIN TOPIC: Meta settles with states (08:30)

Meta agrees to settle social media addiction claims with states for up to $18 billion

Meta wants YouTube and TikTok to join in

DAVE'S PRO-TIP OF THE WEEK: iOS 27: AI Images in Apple Notes (16:10)

JUST THE HEADLINES: (25:35)

Tim Cook and John Ternus host Pikachu at Apple Park

Kalshi dishes out its first-ever lifetime ban to George Santos

New York City 911 system missed 1,700 calls due to software update

Roblox is cracking down on games that reward kids for doomscrolling

Songs created by AI banned from Australia's music charts

Scientists turn plastic waste into edible cookies

Chatbot conversations can become evidence in court

LISTENER MAIL: Nate - I saw an Insta360 X6 on TikTok Shop for $160, is that for real? (27:50)

WITHIN REACH! Dave is leading 12-9, Round 23, Dave goes first (32:05)

TAKES:

China is secretly fueling America's data center rage (39:45)

BONUS ODD TAKE: Rename Lake Ontario with MapQuest (45:30)

PICKS OF THE WEEK:

Dave: Charging Station for Apple Multiple Devices - 3 in 1 Foldable Magnetic Wireless Charger Dock - Travel Charging Pad for iPhone 17 16 15 14 13 12 Pro Max Plus Watch & Airpods (49:05)

Nate: Propane Tank Gauge Level Indicator, Gas Grill Gauge for 5-40lbs Propane Tank, Upgraded 3 Temperatures Scale, Color-Coded Propane Gauge for Grill, Heater, Fryer, Camper (53:40)

In a surprise August announcement, Apple updated 4 of its products, before next month's new iPhones. Plus, Apple finally got through to Walmart with Apple Pay. We've got all kinds of tech news and fun this week, so you can get out there and tech better!

Watch on YouTube! - Notnerd.com and Notpicks.com

INTRO (00:00)

When is Apple Pay coming to your Walmart? Here's the full schedule (02:30)

MAIN TOPIC: Apple just unveiled four new products! (09:10)

New Mac Mini, New Mac Studio, New Magic Keyboards, New Polishing Cloth, and New Chips

DAVE'S PRO-TIP OF THE WEEK: iOS 27 Photos: New filter options - Star Ratings & Captured by Me (19:50)

JUST THE HEADLINES: (28:00)

"Darth Vader" comes out in favor of Flock cameras at San Diego city meeting

Humanoid robots have beaten Usain Bolt's 100-meter dash record

Top album releases linked to rise in fatal crashes as 'distracted' drivers access music

Dr. Dre says he uses AI to produce songs

Physicists entangle quantum memories across a record-breaking 420 kilometers

Army unit offers 4-day pass to play Grand Theft Auto VI as reenlistment incentive

Google is buying all of Spirit Airlines' data to feed its AI models

Humanoid robot crashes into a wall during a sprint test at the 'Robot Olympics' in Beijing (29:30)

LISTENER MAIL: Bobby - Is this true? Adding a plus after your name in email address to create unlimited email addresses (31:40)

WITHIN REACH! Dave is leading 12-9, Round 22, Nate goes first (36:05)

TAKES:

YouTube is offering creators millions of dollars to stay off Netflix (44:15)

BONUS ODD TAKE: Bingebuster (49:00)

PICKS OF THE WEEK:

Dave: JISULIFE 3 IN 1 Portable Fan with Power Bank & Flashlight Featured (53:05)

Nate: WhatNot: The Live Shopping Marketplace (57:45)

Google announced new hardware at the Made by Google Event. Honor is talking about their wild robot gimbal phone. Plus, we have all the other tech news and plenty of fun to get caught up on.

Watch on YouTube! - Notnerd.com and Notpicks.com

INTRO (00:00)

Columbia House Is Shutting Down (04:35)

MAIN TOPIC: New phones and more (10:30)

Made by Google 2026 - New Pixel phones and more

More than 1 billion people are using the Gemini app every month

Honor launches its Robot Phone with a built-in folding gimbal and some crazy promo videos

DAVE'S PRO-TIP OF THE WEEK: Photos Image Search iOS 27 (29:45)

JUST THE HEADLINES: (35:35)

US hires over 2,000 video gamers as air traffic controllers

Person hides prompt injection in legal filing telling AI to side with him

Apple CarPlay expands to select pontoon boats with on-water navigation

Transparent iPhone case grows moss and plants inside

More than 30 Minnesota water systems targeted in cyberattack

Most Australian teens still on social media three months after under-16 ban began

A group of teen hikers relied on Google Maps. It was a disaster

WITHIN REACH! Dave is leading 11-8, Round 21, Dave goes first (38:40)

TAKES:

California fines data broker for first time under privacy law (44:30)

PBS station fears losing 50TB of data after being ghosted by cloud storage provider (46:55)

Microsoft Patch Tuesday - August 2026 (50:55)

BONUS ODD TAKE: The Digital Graveyard - Rip.so (53:00)

PICKS OF THE WEEK:

Dave: Camera Strap Canvas Brown Shoulder Strap with Quick Release Buckles (57:10)

Nate: Go Green Power GG-5OCT GoGreen Power 5 Outlet Surge Protector, Black (GG-5OCT)Go Green Power GG-5OCT GoGreen Power 5 Outlet Surge Protector, Black (GG-5OCT) (01:00:45)

One of SpaceX's rockets crashed into the moon, probably not on purpose. It also seems that every AI is doing hacks that it shouldn't these days. Back to a normal episode this week, with all the fun times to help you tech better!

Watch on YouTube! - Notnerd.com and Notpicks.com

INTRO (00:00)

PDX Fast Foodie does Burger Week (01:40)

We got Spotify copyright takedown notices on episodes 53, 94, 334 (06:45)

Perplexity Pro (08:30)

MAIN TOPIC: Elon Musk attacked the moon? (11:30)

A SpaceX rocket just crashed into the moon. Now, the race is on to get a look at the impact site

South Korean satellite captures before and after views of SpaceX rocket's moon crash

DAVE'S PRO-TIP OF THE WEEK: Save image still from iPhone video in iOS 27 (16:45)

JUST THE HEADLINES: (24:55)

Netflix sued for $105 million for allegedly losing "master copy" of unreleased Nicolas Cage movie

LinkedIn Introduces a 'Seems Like AI Slop' Button

Russia-linked "Midnight Blizzard" group hijacks hotel wi-fi with CaptiveCrunch

A missing underscore sent innocent man to prison for 18 months

Arizona State launches influencer degree where students must gain real followers

Dress made of living mycelium can renew and repair itself

Scientists make first viruses designed by AI

LISTENER MAIL: Dillon DJI ban (27:40)

WITHIN REACH! Dave is leading 11-7, Round 21, Nate goes first (34:35)

TAKES:

Anthropic's Claude AI escapes to hack into three organizations - Meta AI too (39:30)

Apple captures 65% of global premium smartphone market (40:45)

Original iPhone loses its last cellular network as T-Mobile kills 2G (42:25)

BONUS ODD TAKE: A digital museum of video game levels (43:45)

PICKS OF THE WEEK:

Dave: Insta360 GO 3S Retro Viewfinder (47:35)

Nate: USB C Right Angle Cable 100W 6 inch 2Pack, 4K Video 20Gbps USBC 3.2 Cable | Short USBC to USBC 3.2 Gen2x2 Data Cable, Type C PD Charging Fast Charge Cord for iPhone 17,iPad MacBook, Galaxy S26, 0.5ft (55:30)

Back on episode 540, Nate confessed he has way too many open tabs; months later, he's closing them out. We review the weird, the helpful, and the site that no longer exists. We also discuss major changes to Apple's iPhone Upgrade program for Nate. There are also new folding phones on the market, what might they tell us about what Apple is doing this fall?

Watch on YouTube! - Notnerd.com and Notpicks.com

INTRO (00:00)

NEWS:

6 things you need to know before signing an Apple Upgrade lease (06:10)

Everything announced at Samsung Unpacked 2026: Three new foldables and two Galaxy Watches (13:35)

MAIN TOPIC: Closing Nate's Tabs

The Snorks (19:15)

The Apple Charging Situation (22:10)

McStumble (28:00)

Starbucks scraps AI inventory tool across North America (29:45)

Minnesota State Fair New Foods 2026 (31:00)

Room Tone (34:00)

Daft Punk Deep Cuts DJ Set (35:10)

Daft Punk, Medieval-Style (36:40)

Rain Night Cafe (39:30)

Wiby - Search the old web (40:30)

Text Behind Image (41:51)

Olive Garden Compass (44:50)

Printervention and Yes We Scan (45:45)

As Slow As Possible (47:10)