Apple made a big acquisition this week, released some big numbers on their quarterly results, and updated the very big number of active devices worldwide this week. Amazon and Spotify also had some big numbers to share this week, one of them not so great. Plus plenty of other tech news, tips, and picks to help you tech better!

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

INTRO (00:00)

Apple Vision Pro launched two years ago today (04:30)

'Reddit for bots' Moltbook (probably) isn't being used to plot an AI uprising (06:40)

MAIN TOPIC: Apple's Billions (09:25)

Apple acquires Q.ai for a reported $2 billion

Apple reveals it has 2.5 billion active devices around the world

Apple announces all-time record in revenue, iPhone sales

Apple shares trailer for new Top Dogs immersive 'doguseries' coming to Vision Pro

DAVE'S PRO-TIP OF THE WEEK: Persistent proxy icon finder windows (19:35)

JUST THE HEADLINES: (25:30)

The LEGO Group and Crocs enter multi-year global partnership

Scientists create programmable, autonomous robots smaller than a grain of salt

SoundCloud data breach impacts 29.8 million accounts

Seven of the world's ten best=selling smartphones in 2025 were iPhones

An AI toy exposed 50,000 logs of its chats with kids to anyone with a Gmail account

Los Angeles aims to ban single-use printer cartridges

'Reverse Solar Panel' generates electricity at night

TAKES:

Amazon confirms 16,000 job cuts after accidental email (30:20)

Amazon shuts down controversial payment method (33:15)

Spotify paid out $11B in royalties to music industry in 2025 (37:25)

BONUS ODD TAKE: One Minute Park (40:40)

PICKS OF THE WEEK:

Dave: Twinings Earl Grey Black Tea Individually Wrapped Bags, 100 Count (Pack of 1), Flavoured with Citrus & Bergamot, Caffeinated, Enjoy Hot or Iced, 100 Teabags (45:00)

Nate: Memory Foam Replacement Ear Tips Compatible with AirPods Pro 2nd/1st Generation,with Noise Reduction Hole & Built-in dust Guard Screen,for USB-C Charging Case with Cleaner kit -Black (51:10)

RAMAZON PURCHASE OF THE WEEK (56:00)

Apparently, the US TikTok deal is settled, but some seem to be more concerned now. Apple dropped some new AirTags. Plus plenty of other tech news and tips to catch up on this week to help you get out there and tech better.

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

INTRO (00:00)

Apple launches AirTag 2 with improved range, louder speaker, more (02:50)

MAIN TOPIC: TikTok is US owned kinda (09:25)

TikTok finalizes deal to form new American entity

TikTok is now collecting even more data about its users. Here are the 3 biggest changes

TikTok in the US is already broken in some ways, here's why

Meta announces ads are coming to Threads next week

DAVE'S PRO-TIP OF THE WEEK: Move Lockscreen Widgets to Bottom of Screen (18:30)

JUST THE HEADLINES: (23:20)

Food delivery robot obliterated by oncoming train in Miami crash

New Jersey law requires e-bike drivers to have license, insurance after multiple deadly crashes

Television turns 100

Comic-Con bans AI art after artist pushback

Weight-loss drugs could save U.S. airlines $580 million per year

Almost everyone layed off at Vimeo following Bending Spoons buyout

The Samsung Galaxy Z Trifold will cost $2,900 in the US

TAKES:

T-Mobile activates free cellular Starlink in the US as winter storm rolls in (28:20)

There are now more than 1 million ".ai" websites, contributing an estimated $70 million to Anguilla's government revenue last year (33:25)

New California law means big changes for photos of homes in real estate listings (35:40)

BONUS ODD TAKE: Sandcastles (39:25)

PICKS OF THE WEEK:

Dave: Hanzim Tea Light Candles with Remote Control (41:05)

Nate: Amazon Basic Care 24 Hour Allergy Relief, Cetirizine Hydrochloride Tablets, 10 mg, 300 Count (Packaging may vary) (45:00)

RAMAZON PURCHASE OF THE WEEK (47:40)

On episode 500, Nate made a bold challenge: That if we did not reach 1000 subscribers by the 10-year anniversary, it was time to shut down Notnerd. Well, here we are, and it's time to take an honest look at where the show is and what the future looks like. Will this be the last time we help you tech better?

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

INTRO (00:00)

MAIN TOPIC: 10 years and what happens when you post (05:20)

Episode 500 - Nate's Challenge

Foto Stax Video

DAVE'S PRO-TIP OF THE WEEK: Send Low-Quality Photo Previews - Send Photos Faster (19:00)

JUST THE HEADLINES: (22:35)

Microplastics from washing clothes could be hurting your tomatoes

Matthew McConaughey trademarks himself to fight AI misuse

China builds hypergravity machine 2,000X stronger than Earth

Israel deploys world's first drone defense laser

Roblox's AI-powered age verification is a complete mess

AI has made Salesforce engineers more productive, so the company has stopped hiring them

Officials showed off a robo-bus in DC, it got hit by a Tesla driver

LISTENER MAIL: Producer Todd Voicemail (27:05)

TAKES:

The US Government just followed through on its ban of DJI drones - and it's so much worse than we thought (31:40)

iPhone 17 Pro case offers tribute to original 1984 Macintosh (36:40)

Microsoft Patch Tuesday January 2026 Edition (37:50)

Windows 11 shutdown bug forces Microsoft into out-of-band damage control (39:45)

BONUS ODD TAKE: 360-degree panoramas of the interiors of several Star Trek ships (41:00)

PICKS OF THE WEEK:

Dave: Maclock WB-8 Wonderboy Innovation Design Co., Ltd. (44:10)

Nate: High Fidelity Concert Earplugs for Concerts Musicians，Earplugs for noise reduction，24db Advanced Filter Technology Ear Protection for Music Festivals,DJ's, Nightclub, Drummers - 2 Pairs (Black) (50:15)

RAMAZON PURCHASE OF THE WEEK (53:55)

Our second year at CES is complete. 4 days, thousands of booths, and all kinds of adventures. We will review the good, bad, and weird at CES. Robots and AI tried to dominate, but there were plenty of interesting products and innovations that we don't need to be scared of.

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

INTRO (00:00)

Apple introduces new 'Creator Studio' bundle of apps for $129/year (02:35)

Apple picks Google's Gemini AI for its big Siri upgrade (06:50)

MAIN TOPIC: CES 2026 Recap (07:55)

JUST THE HEADLINES: (42:10)

• Dead mosquito proboscis used for high-resolution 3D printing nozzle
• You can now reserve a hotel room on the Moon for $250,000
• Disney+ announces vertical video is coming to the app soon
• Ghana tries to regulate online prophecies
• Vietnam bans unskippable ads
• UK company sends factory with 1,000C furnace into space
• Trump Mobile pushes back release of gold-colored phone

More CES Talk (45:25)

We're in Vegas for CES, just finished day 1, and took a nice, long walk to our hotel. After 8 hours at the show, we give a quick recap of some highlights from day 1. Plenty more stuff to see this week, and we'll have a full report on all the latest tech next week.

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

We're recovering from Christmas, ending the year, and getting ready to head to CES in Vegas next week. We have tech news to catch up on and so much more, all to help you get out there and tech better!

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

INTRO (00:00)

We're heading to CES (04:40)

MAIN TOPIC: Gift guide results & Christmas (12:15)

DAVE'S PRO-TIP OF THE WEEK: Track Flights Directly via Messages and Spotlight (24:00)

JUST THE HEADLINES: (28:20)

AI minted more than 50 new billionaires in 2025

Ireland's Diarmuid Early wins world Microsoft Excel championships

Some of the DOJ's careful redactions can be defeated with copy and paste

Breach forces Ubisoft to take "Rainbow Six Siege" offline

New York to require social media platforms to display mental health warnings

New NASA boss Isaacman says U.S. will return to the moon within Trump's term

Russia plans a nuclear power plant on the moon within a decade

TAKES:

YouTube shuts down channels using AI to create fake movie trailer watched by millions (32:00)

ChatGPT launches a year-end review like Spotify Wrapped (36:00)

Spotify music library scraped by pirate activist group (37:30)

BONUS ODD TAKE: Floor 796 Project (39:00)

PICKS OF THE WEEK:

Dave: NEEWER Magnetic RGB Camera Light, 360° Full Color RGB61 Small LED Panel Video Light with 3 Cold Shoe Mounts/CRI 97+/20 Scene Modes/2500K-8500K/2000mAh Portable Recording Photography Selfie Lighting (45:30)

Nate: Camping Table Folding Portable Camp Side Table Aluminum Lightweight Carry Bag Beach Outdoor Hiking Picnics BBQ Cooking Dining Kitchen Black Medium (49:15)

RAMAZON PURCHASE OF THE WEEK (52:40)

https://notpicks.com/2025-gadget-gift-guide-for-geeks/

The tech news has definitely slowed for the holidays, so we've got a fun, abbreviated Christmas show for you tonight. There's still some tech to talk about, but some fun surprises as well. Merry Christmas!

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

INTRO (00:00)

MAIN TOPIC: 2025 Night Before Christmas Tech Version (02:40)

DAVE'S PRO-TIP OF THE WEEK: Find photos by Maps (07:00)

JUST THE HEADLINES: (12:25)

Samsung is putting Google Gemini AI into your refrigerator, whether you need it or not

Confused Waymos stopped in intersections during San Francisco power outage

White House website mysteriously streams personal finance YouTube creator

The Oscars are moving to YouTube in 2029

Trump's social media business is merging with a nuclear fusion company

Google AI summaries are ruining the livelihoods of recipe writers

James Webb Space Telescope confirms 1st 'runaway' supermassive black hole

BONUS ODD TAKE: NORAD Tracks Santa (17:15)

PICKS OF THE WEEK: Favorite Christmas foods (19:30)

Dave:

Mashed potato's

Ham

Charcuterie

Apple pie

Muddy Buddies

Nate:

Egg Nog

Cheese Log

Fruit Cake

Pecan Pie

Peanut butter cookies with Hershey kisses

RAMAZON PURCHASE OF THE WEEK (27:00)

https://notpicks.com/2025-gadget-gift-guide-for-geeks/

Just weeks ago, OpenAI declared a code red. This week, they are rolling out announcements of new partnerships all over the place. Where does AI go from here? Will it bust or continue to grow. We discuss a bunch of interesting stories on the AI front. Plus we get you caught up on other tech news and have some tips and picks to help you get out there and tech better.

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

INTRO (00:00)

Amazingly Awkward Christmas Playlist (02:40)

MAIN TOPIC: The State of AI: bust, boom, or bologna? (04:35)

Sam Altman issues 'code red' at OpenAI as ChatGPT contends with rivals

The Architects of AI Are TIME's 2025 Person of the Year

Adobe Announces Image and PDF Integration with ChatGPT

The Walt Disney Company and OpenAI Reach Landmark Agreement to Bring Beloved Characters from Across Disney's Brands to Sora

Disney Accuses Google of Using AI to Engage in Copyright Infringement on 'Massive Scale'

Apple Music is coming to ChatGPT, OpenAI announces

Not lovin' it: McDonald's pulls AI-generated Christmas ad after social media backlash

DAVE'S PRO-TIP OF THE WEEK: Selectively Copy Messages Text (22:55)

JUST THE HEADLINES: (28:15)

Merriam-Webster's 2025 word of the year is 'slop'

Rubio stages font coup: Times New Roman ousts Calibri

Authorities intercept drone carrying crab legs, Old Bay seasoning, weed for prison inmates

Russia continues tech crackdown by blocking Snapchat, FaceTime access

Texas sues TV makers for taking screenshots of what people watch

RAM is so expensive, Samsung won't even sell it to Samsung

Hollywood director found guilty of blowing $11 million Netflix budget on crypto and Ferraris

TAKES:

Robot vacuum Roomba maker files for bankruptcy after 35 years (34:15)

SpongeBob and PowerWash Simulator headline today's six additions to Apple Arcade (37:35)

BONUS ODD TAKE: Alien Baby Name Generator (42:10)

PICKS OF THE WEEK:

Dave: Insta360 X5 8K 360 Action Cam (47:15)

Nate: INKEE GC12 Portable LED Photography Light Wand,Bi Color Magnetic Handheld Video Wand Stick 2700K-6500K,2500mAh Built-in Rechargable Inflatable Light for Video Recording Dimmable Camera Light Tube (50:55)

https://notpicks.com/2025-gadget-gift-guide-for-geeks/ (54:20)

RAMAZON PURCHASE OF THE WEEK (55:55)

Some staffing changes near the top at Apple were announced this week, with Alan Dye, design guy, moving to Meta getting a lot of press. But many say good riddance. There was also plenty of other tech news dropping this week, we try to get you caught up with what you need to know. Of course, we have some great tips for you and even a special guest during our picks of the week. All so you can get out there and tech better!

Gadget Gift Guide for Geeks

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

INTRO (00:00)

After Apple refusal, Indian government completes U-turn on mandatory iPhone app (03:00)

MAIN TOPIC: Apple Design is a changing (04:45)

Apple design executive Alan Dye poached by Meta in major coup

Apple design boss Alan Dye departing for Meta

Alan.app

Apple announces executive transitions

Apple chief Johny Srouji confirms he isn't going anywhere

DAVE'S PRO-TIP OF THE WEEK: Get a Callback Reminder for a Missed Call (13:10)

JUST THE HEADLINES: (19:10)

End-to-end encrypted smart toilet camera is not actually end-to-end encrypted

Cloudflare says it has fended off 416 billion AI bot scrape requests in five months

Amazon starts testing 'ultra-fast' 30-minute deliveries

Woman hailed as hero for smashing man's Meta smart glasses on subway

All of Russia's Porsches were bricked by a mysterious satellite outage

HBO Max forgot to remove a 'vomit hose' crew member in Mad Men 4K

Oregon sportswear giant Columbia pledges to give 'the company' to anyone who can prove the Earth is flat

TAKES:

YouTube introduces its own version of Spotify Wrapped for videos (21:30)

Even Microsoft's retro holiday sweaters are having Copilot forced upon them (26:35)

Bending Spoons to acquire Eventbrite in $500M all-cash deal (30:00)

Netflix agrees to buy Warner Bros. in an $82.7-billion deal that will transform Hollywood (32:05)

Microsoft December 2025 Patch Tuesday (34:55)

BONUS ODD TAKE: An online collection of found cassette tapes (36:25)

PICKS OF THE WEEK:

Dave: Headlamp Rechargeable 2PCS, 230° Wide Beam Head Lamp LED with Motion Sensor for Adults - Camping Accessories Gear, Waterproof Head Light Flashlight for Hiking, Running, Repairing, Fishing, Cycling (39:30)

Nate: Bambu Lab A1 Mini 3D Printer, Support Multi-Color 3D Printing, Set Up in 20 Mins, High Speed & Precision, Full-Auto Calibration & Active Flow Rate Compensation, ≤48 dB Quiet FDM 3D Printers (44:00)

Gadget Gift Guide for Geeks

RAMAZON PURCHASE OF THE WEEK (52:35)

Apple is still working on releasing a folding phone, but Samsung is adding more folds to theirs. But Apple has some good news in the smartphone world this week. We've got some great Just the Headlines, tips, and picks, all to help you tech better!

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

INTRO (00:00)

Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Cyber Week Update (02:25)

MAIN TOPIC: Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold phone (07:20)

Apple iPhone shipments to beat Samsung for the first time in 14 years, report says (12:00)

DAVE'S PRO-TIP OF THE WEEK: Assign Action Button (18:55)

JUST THE HEADLINES: (27:10)

Austria's rebel nuns refuse to give up Instagram to stay in their convent

Crime rings enlist hackers to hijack trucks

ChatGPT is going to start showing you ads

A Windows update broke login button, and Microsoft's advice is to click where it used to be

MKBHD is shutting down his iPhone wallpaper app

More than half of new articles on the internet are being written by AI

Australia spent $62 million to update its weather web site and made it worse

TAKES:

Netflix quietly drops support for casting to most TVs (30:55)

Apple AI chief John Giannandrea to step down (33:40)

India orders Apple to pre-install an undeletable state security app on iPhones (38:40)

BONUS ODD TAKE: Stone Simulator – Just Be a Rock (41:35)

PICKS OF THE WEEK:

Dave: Kernel Season's Popcorn Seasoning Mini Jars Variety Pack, 0.9 Ounce (Pack of 8) (45:30)

Nate: Shashibo Shape Shifting Box (50:00)

RAMAZON PURCHASE OF THE WEEK (53:50)