Sam Bushman and Jay Harrison dig into why global smartphone shipments just hit their worst quarter in 13 years, and argue that AI on phones is more marketing hype than real innovation. They cover Elon Musk's quiet billion-dollar purchase of a power generation company, Waze's Israel-based legal controversy, Microsoft's layoffs and the backlash over a bloated AI-powered Notepad, and a breakthrough brain-computer interface that restored hand function and touch for a paralyzed man. Tech Watch: we keep an eye on tech so you don't have to.

Timestamps:

0:00 – Intro and sponsor mention (NetworkProvidersInc.com)

1:04 – Global smartphone shipments hit a 13-year low

4:44 – Why AI on phones still feels like marketing hype, not progress

7:32 – The endless frustration with map apps (Google, Apple, Waze)

10:51 – Musk quietly buys a $1 billion power generation company

12:49 – Sponsor break (Cyber Playbook, Managed IT Services)

14:25 – Password manager reminder and a new fake job interview scam

15:34 – Microsoft cuts 4,800 jobs, mostly in Xbox division

16:13 – The Notepad rebellion: a former Microsoft engineer's 2.5KB rebuild

20:49 – Brain-computer interface restores touch and hand movement for a paralyzed man

Call to action:

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Sam Bushman and Jay Harrison cut through the noise of repetitive AI headlines to dig into what actually matters this week: the privacy risks of camera-equipped smart glasses, how close household robots really are to affordable reality, and why multi-monitor setups remain one of the best productivity upgrades around. They also break down Asana's acquisition of Stack AI and the growing AI regulation debate in Washington. Tech Watch: we keep an eye on tech so you don't have to.

Timestamps:

0:00 – Intro and sponsor mention (NetworkProvidersInc.com)

1:18 – Rapid-fire rundown of repetitive tech headlines (AI stocks, hacks, lawsuits)

7:07 – Smart glasses without cameras vs. the "hidden camera" privacy problem

13:12 – Sponsor break (Local Honey Man, Cyber Playbook)

14:49 – Household robots: pricing tiers and how close they are to reality

19:25 – Why multi-monitor setups are a top productivity upgrade

21:41 – Asana acquires Stack AI: thinking vs. automation

23:25 – The AI regulation debate heats up in Washington

Call to action:

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Sam Bushman and Jay Harrison cover the week's biggest tech stories on NPI Tech Guys. They discuss Elon Musk's plan to distribute a knowledge archive across the solar system, Coinbase's AI-driven layoffs and the AI overselling problem, AI models identifying plant species, Microsoft's release of the original 86-DOS source code, Apple accelerating security updates as AI threats grow, the FBI's warning on a Microsoft 365 phishing campaign, and Amazon's push into AI agents. Brought to you by Network Providers Inc, your partner in IT strategy, security, backups, and more.

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro: Welcome to Tech Watch with Sam and Jay

0:59 Elon Musk's plan to archive knowledge across the solar system

4:12 Coinbase cuts 700 jobs, blames AI: the overselling problem

9:04 AI models identifying plant species at scale

13:53 Microsoft releases original 86-DOS source code

19:31 Apple accelerates security updates as AI threats rise

21:19 FBI warns of Microsoft 365 phishing campaign

22:51 Amazon expands its AI agent push

Call to Action:

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Sam Bushman and Jay Harrison break down the biggest tech stories of the week on NPI Tech Guys. They discuss how the world is discovering America's tech, freedom, and convenience through the World Cup, Bali's new crackdown on remote workers and influencers, President Trump's executive orders on AI safety and quantum-resistant encryption, and the massive Carnival Cruise Line data breach affecting 6 million people. Brought to you by Network Providers Inc, your partner in IT strategy, security, backups, and more.

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro: Welcome to Tech Watch with Sam and Jay

1:22 America through the eyes of the world: tech, freedom, and the World Cup

3:47 Bali cracks down on remote workers and influencers

8:55 Trump's executive order on AI model safety checks

13:50 Trump's quantum-resistant encryption order

14:32 Is quantum computing really "real" yet

18:43 Carnival Cruise Line data breach: 6 million affected

24:20 Why AI and human oversight matter for cybersecurity

Call to Action:

Protect your business from the next big breach. Get the Cyber Playbook at networkprovidersinc.com/cyber-playbook or call 385-446-5500, and visit npitechguys.com for more episodes of the show.

Sam and Jay break down the biggest stories in tech this week. Amazon's Prime Day is expanding to four days (and counting). Telegram faces bans in the UK and India - and what that means for your daily communications. AI is officially no longer an experiment - it's becoming core infrastructure, with OpenAI adding enterprise controls ahead of their IPO. Georgia Power is seizing homes via eminent domain to build AI data center power lines. Apple is raising prices due to a memory chip shortage driven by AI demand, while also facing pressure from Brazil to open iOS to third-party app stores. Plus, Waymo recalls nearly 4,000 robotaxis after they struggled to navigate construction zones with human traffic officers.

Timestamps:

0:00 - Amazon Prime Day is now Prime Days (June 23-26)

3:08 - Telegram and the UK's proposed social media ban for kids under 16

5:50 - India shuts down Telegram for a week over exam cheating scandal

8:55 - The real problem: Telegram as core communication infrastructure

10:54 - AI moves from experiment to infrastructure

12:50 - OpenAI adds enterprise spending controls ahead of IPO

15:50 - Georgia Power seizing homes via eminent domain for AI data centers

18:13 - Trump announces Apple and Intel chip partnership in the US

19:20 - Brazil forces Apple to open iOS to third-party app stores

20:45 - Apple raising product prices due to AI-driven memory chip shortage

22:03 - Waymo recalls nearly 4,000 robotaxis over construction zone failures

Call to Action:

If you want a partner who actually understands technology and how to protect your business, visit networkprovidersinc.com or call 385-446-5500. And if cybersecurity is keeping you up at night, grab the Cyber Playbook at networkprovidersinc.com/cyber-playbook - it's written for business owners, not IT guys.

Sam and Jay tackle a provocative warning: Are we sprinting toward a digital dark age? With SSDs degrading, file formats becoming obsolete, and data volumes exploding, your grandkids may inherit terabytes of corrupted files they can never open. Then, Fox makes a bold $22 billion move to acquire Roku and control both content and the platform it runs on - a massive bet on ad-supported streaming as subscription burnout hits consumers hard. Jeff Bezos stirs debate at the Viva Tech conference in Paris by predicting AI will actually cause labor shortages, not mass unemployment. Plus, a new study shows it's remote work - not AI - that's hitting young college graduates hardest in the job market.

Timestamps:

0:00 - Introduction: Digital dark age warning

1:29 - What is bit rot and why your saved files may not last

3:57 - Microsoft's glass cube and the problem with long-term data storage

6:29 - How much of our data do we actually need to preserve?

9:32 - AI as the solution for sorting and curating massive photo libraries

15:04 - Fox acquires Roku for $22 billion - reshaping how America watches TV

18:20 - Subscription burnout: why Fox is betting on free, ad-supported streaming

21:16 - Jeff Bezos contradicts AI job loss fears at Viva Tech Paris

22:25 - Remote work, not AI, is driving unemployment among young graduates

Call to Action:

Want a tech partner who actually protects your business? Visit networkprovidersinc.com or npitechguys.com. And if cybersecurity keeps you up at night, grab the Cyber Playbook at networkprovidersinc.com/cyber-playbook or call 385-446-5500.

Sam Bushman and developer Ben Bushman break down the jaw-dropping story of a company that burned $500 million in a single month after giving employees uncapped access to Claude. Is AI actually worth the cost? Sam and Ben do the honest math on ROI, productivity gains, and what businesses should really be paying per employee. Plus: Anthropic hits a $1 trillion valuation, AI agents are now the #1 tool in software development, what "fan out" means and why it'll blow up your token budget, and why agents falsely report completed tasks 8% of the time.

Timestamps:

0:00 - Intro

1:41 - The $500 million AI spending story

4:14 - Anthropic valued at $1 trillion

13:37 - Is $100/month for AI actually worth it? The honest math

15:33 - AI productivity: should employees share the gains?

13:37 - Back from break: AI agents move beyond chat

15:38 - The real difference between AI and automation

16:38 - Arena data: #1 use of AI agents is software development

18:32 - "Fan out": multi-agent research and the token cost

22:54 - Agents lie 8% of the time — what that really means

24:33 - Defining tasks: what computers think vs. what we think

24:47 - Wrap-up

Call to Action:

Want to put AI to work in your business without the $500 million surprise? Visit networkprovidersinc.com for a free consultation, or grab the free Cyber Playbook at networkprovidersinc.com/cyber-playbook to protect your business while you scale with AI. Call 385-446-5500 to get started. Subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Sam Bushman and developer Ben Bushman dig into a major new Arena research study revealing just how often AI agents fail to complete tasks and why. From the "windshield scraper" problem to Google secretly installing a 4GB AI model on your computer, this episode is a must-watch for anyone relying on AI in their business. Plus: Micron hits $1 trillion, Apple bets on on-device AI, the FROST browser fingerprinting attack, and a frank conversation about where AI is really headed.

Timestamps:

0:00 - Intro & welcome

0:37 - Arena AI research study: AI agents fail more than you think

1:23 - AI + automation: understanding tasks, tokens & prerequisites

12:08 - Micron tops $1 trillion on AI chip demand

15:33 - Apple shifts to on-device AI (and what it'll cost you)

16:46 - Google Chrome secretly installs a 4GB AI model on your PC

19:00 - FROST attacks: how websites can spy through your hard drive

22:38 - Free AI training event from Network Providers

24:39 - Wrap-up & final thoughts

Call to Action:

Ready to put AI to work for your business the right way? Visit networkprovidersinc.com to learn how Network Providers can guide your AI strategy, from system setup to security. Get the free Cyber Playbook at networkprovidersinc.com/cyber-playbook or call 385-446-5500. And subscribe so you never miss an episode of Tech Watch!

Sam Bushman and Jay Harrison dig into the biggest tech stories of the week. Google is back in the AI race with Spark, a $100/month AI assistant that wants to run your digital life. Then the guys debate whether smart glasses are finally ready for prime time, or still just a novelty. Sam shares a game-changing ChatGPT prompt technique using the 80/20 rule to learn anything fast. Plus, an AI startup's viral "stop hiring humans" billboard campaign, and Hisense smart TVs caught collecting your viewing data without proper consent. All that and Anthropic hits a $1 trillion valuation.

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro + Google Spark AI Assistant ($100/month breakdown)

4:43 Google AI Smart Glasses Are Back (and privacy concerns)

15:01 The 80/20 ChatGPT Prompt Trick (master any topic fast)

18:52 AI Startup "Stop Hiring Humans" Billboard Goes Viral

20:59 Hisense Smart TV Lawsuit: Your TV Is Watching You

24:28 Anthropic Hits $1 Trillion Valuation

Call to Action:

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Sam Bushman and Jay Harrison tackle a packed week in tech. Samsung is warning that the RAM shortage is going to get significantly worse by 2027, and Sam and Jay debate what that means for AI, data centers, and your next computer purchase. Then a broader conversation: is technology good or evil? Sam shares his take from a recent talk, landing on this: technology magnifies human intent. Next up, ChatGPT now wants to link to your bank account, and the guys weigh in on whether that's useful or just another AI power grab. Microsoft is phasing out SMS verification in favor of passkeys, but is forcing its own Authenticator app. And finally, a serious Windows 11 update bug has been silently blocking security patches since January, and Microsoft has left users with vague guidance and no easy fix.

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro + Show Overview

1:38 Samsung RAM Shortage Warning: It Gets Worse in 2027

8:39 Is Technology Good or Evil? Technology Magnifies Human Intent

10:48 ChatGPT Wants Access to Your Bank Account

17:21 Microsoft Drops SMS Verification, Pushes Passkeys

20:39 Windows 11 Update Bug: Your Computer May Stop Booting

Call to Action:

If you found this episode useful, subscribe and share Tech Watch Radio with someone who needs to stay ahead of tech. Visit npitechguys.com for video, audio, and more. And if your business needs a real strategic IT partner, networkprovidersinc.com is where to start.