October 26, 2023

Tech News Weekly 309: Cell Phones: The Origin Story

1 hour 4 minutes

This week on Tech News Weekly, Jason and Mikah go back in time to the origins of cell phones with an AT&T engineer who helped build the first network, get the inside scoop on Apple's next event from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, social media trends, and more.

We kick off the show by chatting with Stu Tartarone, a veteran of AT&T who helped develop the first cell phone network and make the first cell phone call back in 1983. They discuss the skepticism around early cell phone market research, the distributed network architecture that enabled cellular technology, and how concepts like pre-dialing numbers were revolutionary at the time.

Mark Gurman of Bloomberg joins to preview Apple's upcoming "Scary Fast" October event. He explains that the name hints at new M3 chips for the MacBook Pro and 24-inch iMac. Mark also shares details on the future of AirPods and AirPods Max.

Mikah analyzes Google's reported plan to block Apple from making inroads in search through lobbying and pushing its own apps. Google pays Apple billions to remain the iPhone's default search, but wants to prevent Apple's Spotlight from becoming competition.

Jason covers the shutdown of Twitter alternative T2, renamed Pebble. It never gained traction despite its familiar format and focus on safety. Social media platforms are struggling to retain users divided across multiple networks.

Hosts: Jason Howell and Mikah Sargent

Guests: Stu Tartarone and Mark Gurman

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