Tech It From Me

Every December, my Burlington home transforms into Rusty Griswold’s Light Display — over 14,000+ LED pixels choreographed to music. In this episode, I take you behind the scenes: the tech backbone with xLights and controllers, the creativity of sequencing songs across decades, the not-so-magical moments of yard chaos, and why I keep coming back year after year to share the magic with my community.

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SpaceX just made a $17B spectrum play — acquiring AWS-4, H-Block, and S-band/MSS rights from EchoStar to accelerate direct-to-cell service.

In this episode of Tech It From Me, I break down what was bought, why spectrum is the real currency of wireless, how direct-to-cell could change coverage forever, and who should be nervous (telcos, cloud giants, satellite startups). I also take a hard look at the risks ahead — regulation, debt, technology, and timing.

📌 What you’ll hear in this episode:

AI is making scams look real—voices, video, even “your CFO.” Here’s what to watch for and how to protect your family and business.

In 2025, scammers are using generative AI to clone voices, fake live video, and craft perfect emails that look like they came from your boss. In this episode, I explain why this year is the tipping point—cheap, powerful models, “scam-as-a-service,” endless breached data, and our comfort with synthetic media—and walk through real cases and a practical defence plan for individuals, families, and finance teams. You’ll leave with a checklist you can implement today.

Meta just signed a six-year, $10 billion deal with Google Cloud to power its AI ambitions. This surprising partnership brings two rivals together and reshapes the balance of power in the cloud wars between AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud.

In this episode of Tech It From Me, I break down:

If you’re curious about how AI is driving record-breaking cloud deals — and what this means for the future of technology — this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

📖 Read the full write-up: Meta’s $10B Google Cloud Deal Fuels AI and Cloud Wars

Are job certifications worth it in 2025? In this episode of Tech It From Me, Mike breaks down when credentials actually help your job search—and when they don’t. He looks at cloud & data analytics certifications (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud), why prestige alone often fails to deliver, how ATS systems screen your resume using certification keywords, and a practical checklist for choosing the proper credential.

Mike also shares a personal note about earning the AWS Cloud Practitioner certification—how it boosted credibility, opened doors, and gave him the confidence to take on bigger projects.

You’ll learn:

If you’re considering your next certificate—or wondering whether one you have is pulling its weight—this episode gives you an honest, data-driven guide.

📖 Read the full write-up: Do Certifications Help Your Job Search? Here’s When They Do

💡 Open-source AI is no longer a niche experiment—it’s a movement. In 2025, models like Mistral , Ollama, and Meta’s LLaMA are stepping into the ring with industry heavyweights like GPT-5, Claude 3.5, and Gemini Ultra. But can they really compete?

In this episode of Tech It From Me, Mike dives into:

We’ll explore the advantages, limitations, and future potential of open-source AI—and why the next few years could shape a hybrid ecosystem where both open and closed models thrive.

🎧 Whether you’re an AI developer, IT leader, or just AI-curious, you’ll walk away with a clear view of where the AI race is headed.

📖 Read the full write-up: Open-Source AI: Can It Compete With the Big Players?

The AI boom isn’t just about innovation — it’s a compute arms race with billion-dollar cloud bills, scarce GPUs, and a massive environmental footprint.

In this episode of Tech It From Me, Mike pulls back the curtain on the hidden price tag of building and running today’s most powerful AI models. From skyrocketing hardware costs and cloud provider lock-in, to the staggering electricity and water demands of data centers, this is the side of AI you don’t hear about in press releases.

Drawing on over 15 years of experience in the Engineered Environmental sector, Mike explains how these costs trickle down to businesses, consumers, and even local communities — and what can be done to make AI cheaper, greener, and more sustainable.

If you’ve ever wondered who’s really footing the bill for artificial intelligence — and how it might come back to you — this episode is a must-listen.

📖 Read the full write-up: The Real Cost of AI: Who’s Paying for the Compute Arms Race?

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg just unveiled a bold new AI vision—and it’s not about one centralized superintelligence ruling the world. Instead, he’s imagining a future where each of us has our own personalized super-AI: a digital companion tailored to our needs, habits, and goals.

In this episode of Tech It From Me, I explore what that means, how it compares to strategies from Microsoft, Apple, Google, and OpenAI, and what it could mean for privacy, control, and everyday life. From Meta’s closed-source pivot to Microsoft’s Copilot push, we break down the competing AI philosophies shaping your digital future.

Whether you’re excited, skeptical, or a bit of both, this episode will help you make sense of the AI arms race we’re all living in.

🎧 Topics covered:

📖 Read the full write-up: The Case for Personalized Superintelligence: Zuckerberg vs the AI Mainstream

Think you’re safe online because you don’t click shady links or fall for obvious scams? Think again. In this episode of Tech It From Me, I break down how cybercriminals actually get your info—and why you might be more exposed than you realize.

From credential stuffing and phishing to sketchy Wi-Fi and reused passwords, we unpack the real-world tactics behind modern cybercrime. I'll share stories from my own experience as an IT leader, explain why behaviour is often the biggest security risk, and offer five practical things you can do today to protect yourself, without needing to be a tech expert.

Learn how to:

If you’ve ever said “I’m not important enough to hack,” this episode is for you.

📖 Read the full write-up: Tech It to the Bank: How Cybercriminals Really Get Your Info

Microsoft just became the second company in history to close a trading day with a $4 trillion market cap, right behind Nvidia.

In this episode, I break down what drove Microsoft to this historic milestone and why it signals a new era in tech leadership. We’ll explore the four pillars behind Microsoft’s rise—Azure, Copilot, OpenAI, and enterprise trust—and how its strategic alignment with Nvidia is powering the future of AI.

This isn’t just about valuation. It’s about who controls the infrastructure of intelligence—and who’s building the future everyone else will run on.

🔹 Why Azure + AI is Microsoft’s power play

If you’re an IT leader, technologist, or want to understand the business of AI at scale, this episode is for you.

📖 Read the full write-up: Microsoft Joins the $4 Trillion Club: What It Means for the Future of Tech