This week, a review of the IEB6 + MIC in-ear monitors from First Harmonic and the debut of a new segment we like to call “Stuff We Saw on TV”. Of course we bring you all the tech news and shenanigans you’ve come to expect from the best tech-themed podcast on this or any other galaxy.

Kicking old-school this week with a heaping helping of tech news goodness, including nuggets from Facebook’s F8 conference in San Fran and Elon Musk’s reusable rocket finally sticking the landing and a (Hopefully) Helpful Hint from J.D. explaining how one might skip logging into their computer with a password if they were so inclined.

Just kick back, relax, and let the snark roll over you.

You know you want to…

Ever wonder what’s being installed in those regular security patches for your devices and computers?

No? Well this is awkward.

Okay, then.  For those of you that are curious, J.D. tells us where we can find details of what gets installed in all those mysterious updates.

Not to worry, El Kaiser joins J.D. for his weekly dose of terror! (AKA the week’s tech news round-up).

Popping, teching and jamming for your listening pleasure!

The are only two type of people on this big blue marble we call Earth: those who love Star Wars and those who don’t. I think you all know which camp J.D. and El Kaiser spend their time in. This week J.D. fills us in on the goodies you’ll get in the various and sundry versions of the digital and DVD/Blu-Ray releases of the latest chapter in the space opera, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”. In tech headlines, the FBI doesn’t need Apple’s help hacking into an iPhone, Instagram gives users more time, and now you can build your own Amazon Echo with help from another fruit-themed toymaker.

Ebooks are hot and romance-novel ebooks are even hotter, as the genre pulling in huge sales every year.  On this week’s episode, journalist Laura M. Holson discusses how the ebook industry has created the need for more male models to grace the digital covers of these romantic reads. Meanwhile, El Kaiser and J.D. ponder the headlines, including Apple’s week of new products and pitfalls, Amazon’s urgent warning to Kindle owners, the rolling robot that delivers pizza and the hazards of letting Internet users suggest names for large important government research ships.

It seems the FBI and the Department of Justice have set their sights on Facebook’s hugely popular WhatsApp communication platform in their ongoing battle with tech giants.

Also on the episode, J.D. fills us in on phone applications that handle the job of communicating life-saving medical information when you can’t while El Kaiser breaks down the tech term “cryptography”.

Don’t fret! We have tons more tech news, shenanigans and general silliness…exactly what you’ve expect from us here at POP | TECH | JAM.

Is social media totally hacking the 2016 elections? Republican presidential candidate Donald J. Trump is well known for his rather pointed Twitter feed, but does he show another side of himself on Instagram and Facebook? Journalist Laura M. Holson stops by Pop Tech Jam HQ to discuss how Mr. Trump and other candidates are making the most out of the Internet this election season. And as always, El Kaiser and J.D. discuss the technology news of the week — including the Federal Communication Commission’s proposed update to its Lifeline plan and Apple’s continuing ups and downs with the United States court system.

You know them, you hate them: political robocalls, telemarketers and phone scams.

This week J.D. introduces us to services that help stop that flood of annoying calls and fills us in on what steps the FTC and the FCC are taking to help end the scourge.

In the news, Apple wins a big one in court;  Microsoft finally puts a price on its Hololens augmented headset (and it ain’t cheap); Google’s self-driving car gets into an accident; and a long trip into space comes to an end.

Of course there’s more news and lots of shenanigans, so click play and enjoy the ride!

Questions, we have questions this week. Will Apple be able to stand up to the Justice Department over creating back doors into its software?  Will Old Media and New Media ever figure each other out? Will we soon be able to pay for purchases with our faces? These are just some of the talking points on this week’s episode of Pop Tech Jam as journalist Laura M. Holson rejoins El Kaiser and J.D. at the podcast table, fresh off her trip to last week’s Code/Media Conference in California.

Making a video can take a lot of time and effort, especially if one is not trained in the art. Magisto, a popular consumer app that uses algorithms to analyze raw footage and create a video narrative for home users, has just rolled out a business version designed to help small and mid-sized companies easily craft clips to promote their products. Dr. Oren Boiman, the chief executive officer and a co-founder of Magisto, explains how it all works and what makes for a good business video.

And, as with each and every episode of Pop Tech Jam, El Kaiser and J.D. discuss the latest developments in technology and pop culture, including news from New York Toy Fair 2016 and NASA’S Help Wanted pages.