Tech News Weekly (Video)

• First, Jason gives us a look at the Sun's surface with the help of the National Science Foundation's new Inouye Solar Telescope.
• Then, Mikah talks about the death of MoviePass now that the company has filed for bankruptcy.
• Then, CNET's Jason Hiner details the impact of the Wuhan coronavirus on big tech.
• Then, Sam Abuelsamid gives us the ins, outs, and in-betweens of the Cruise Origin autonomous vehicle.
• Lastly, Recode's Rani Molla explains alternative data collection and why those free apps and services you're using aren't actually free.

Hosts: Jason Howell and Mikah Sargent

Guests: Jason Hiner, Sam Abuelsamid, and Rani Molla

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly.

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• First, we talk with Joseph Menn over at Reuters about his exclusive report. Apple reportedly dropped plans for encrypting iCloud backups after the FBI complained.
• Then, we chat with Joseph Cox of Vice about the alleged hacking of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos's iPhone by the Saudi crown prince.
• Afterward, we have a chat with Tanya Basu of MIT Technology Review about the Human Screenome Project — would you want to take a screenshot of your phone every five seconds for science?
• Finally, Jason and Mikah round things out with a discussion of fly brains and Microsoft's Surface Neo and Duo.

Hosts: Jason Howell and Mikah Sargent

Guests: Joseph Menn, Joseph Cox, and Tanyu Basu

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• Jeremy Burge of emojipedia.org provides an emoji update — a look back at 2019, what's to come in 2020, and how to submit your own emoji proposals.
• Bloomberg's Mark Gurman talks about the latest round of Apple vs. FBI RE: iPhone encryption.
• Melissa Hellmann from the Seattle Times gives us the low-down on anti-surveillance gear and how to remain anonymous in the age of surveillance.
• Jason goes over Wired's recent Q&A with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey.
• Mikah shares the "Decorum Guidelines" for President Donald Trump's impeachment trial; Senators won't be bringing in any electronic devices.

Hosts: Jason Howell and Mikah Sargent

Guests: Jeremy Burge, Mark Gurman, and Melissa Hellmann

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• OneZero's Will Oremus joins us to talk about Facebook's deepfakes ban — though it's still lax on so-called "shallow fakes."
• Adi Robertson over at The Verge explains Sonos' lawsuit. The company is taking on Google (and, eventually, Amazon) for allegedly stealing its smart speaker tech.
• Ant Pruitt calls in live from the show floor to talk about some of the awesome stuff he saw at CES.
• Mikah Sargent shares Lauren Goode's Wired article about sex-tech companies at CES.
• Jason Howell talks about all the improvements coming to audio in Bluetooth's new Bluetooth LE Audio spec.

Hosts: Jason Howell and Mikah Sargent

Guests: Will Oremus, Adi Robertson, and Ant Pruitt

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly.

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• TikTok releases its first transparency report but China isn't listed.
• The TRACED Act, which aims to curb robocalls, is now law.
• Ray Wong of Input Mag joins us to discuss the odd changes to Amazon's return policy.
• CNBC's Pippa Stevens walks us through the history and future of battery technology.

Hosts: Jason Howell and Mikah Sargent

Guests: Raymond Wong and Pippa Stevens

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly.

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Mikah & Jason picks their favorite interviews from the past year.

• Cal Newport's new book Digital Minimalism explores how we have grown accustomed to devices as always-on digital companions, and paves the way to returning back to the real world.
• Burger King now offers the meatless Impossible Whopper, and Brian Cooley from CNET dared to try it.
• Tech patents can be downright ridiculous, and Rose Eveleth from Slate reveals why companies have so many of them in their arsenal if they'll never become something real.
• Britt Paris, co-author of "Deepfakes and Cheap Fakes," discusses the ways that fakes are being detected and how those systems might not be good enough as the technology gets better.

Hosts: Jason Howell and Mikah Sargent

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly.

• Buzzfeed's Alex Kantrowitz joins us to talk about Facebook's unhealthy obsession with growth.
• Kyle Wiens gives us a rundown of iFixit's Mac Pro teardown and shares some pro tips about Apple device ordering.
• OneZero's Megan Morrone stops by TNW to talk about her problematic fave: The Amazon Echo.
• Jason Howell shares a troubling revelation: Dumpster divers are selling goods on Amazon.
• Mikah Sargent shares another troubling revelation: There's a smartphone game that'll share a random photo from your camera roll, should you choose to play it.

Hosts: Jason Howell and Mikah Sargent

Guests: Alex Kantrowitz, Kyle Wiens, and Megan Morrone

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly.

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• Mike Masnick of Techdirt joins us to talk about Twitter's interest in Bluesky — a group looking to implement a social media protocol in place of social media platforms.
• Upload VR's Ian Hamilton explains Oculus's updated terms of service — particularly the changes surrounding data tracking and ad targeting.
• Jason shares The Verge's list of the best gadgets of the decade.
• Mikah goes over YouTube's updated harassment policy.

Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jason Howell

Guests: Mike Masnick and Ian Hamilton

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly.

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• Caroline Haskins, formerly of Vice and now of BuzzFeed, joins us to talk about Amazon's Ring. The company, which makes video doorbells and a neighborhood watch app, has made headlines for its close partnership with the police.
• Mishaal Ruh-mawn from XDA Developers gives us a tour of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 765, an SoC with support for 5G connectivity, 120Hz displays, and loads of RAM.
• Jason and Mikah discuss Zoe Schiffer's report, published on The Verge, regarding luggage-maker Away and the company's reportedly toxic work environment.
• Jason tells Mikah about Amazon's new AI-powered keyboard, which can improvise a background track while a musician plays live.

Hosts: Jason Howell and Mikah Sargent

Guests: Caroline Haskins and Mishaal Rahman

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly.

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• (02:00) Phil Nickinson of moderndad.com joins us to talk about the Disney+ "hack" and what consumers can do to protect themselves online.
• (16:37) Android Central's Russell Holly gives us an in-depth look at Google Stadia, including its current round of successes and failures.
• (39:49) Macy's has made the news twice now, thanks to a series of breaches that have left customers' data exposed online. What can you do to protect yourself while shopping online? What should companies be doing? Ant Pruitt and Mikah Sargent discuss.
• (52:26) If you're an iOS user, you may have noticed an uptick in updates. There's a reason for that: A new Bloomberg report says Apple's VP of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi, is overhauling the development and testing process for iOS.

Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Ant Pruitt

Guests: Phil Nickinson and Russell Holly

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly.

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