TechStuff

Panasonic, or rather Matsushita, went through a tumultuous period of ups and downs, including allegations of some shady business practices. From high prices in Japan to undercutting American competitors in the US, we look at how the practices of Panasonic shaped not only the company but the electronics industry as a whole.

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The Japanese electronics company Panasonic is more than a century old. In this episode, we learn of its founding in 1918, how the company survived World War II, and how its founder positioned his company to enter the global marketplace in the 1950s.

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What are storm chasers? What kind of equipment do storm chasers use? What useful information have storm chasers gathered?

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The next Mars rover scheduled for launch is the Perseverance, which NASA hopes will be able to uncover signs that life once existed on Mars. It also will carry a helicopter-like drone. We learn about the rover, its instruments and why flying on Mars is tricky.

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While the world struggles with the chaotic realities of COVID-19, cybercriminals are pouncing. In this episode of Tech Stuff, Jonathan Strickland chats with Wendi Whitmore, VP of IBM Security X-Force Threat Intelligence, and Allison Ritter, Program Leader, IBM Security Command Center, about how they are helping businesses stay prepared and resilient within a rapidly evolving threat landscape.

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Are robots and automated systems going to replace human workers? And if so, what then? The fear about automation has a long history and it's not an irrational fear.

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What is plasma and how do we use it? Why are plasma weapons so popular in science fiction? Are plasma weapons realistic?

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What happens to our civil liberties when an algorithm is used by law enforcement to make an arrest? Even more concerning, what happens when that facial recognition technology is racially biased? As we enter an age of ubiquitous surveillance, it’s minorities - especially people of color - who are disproportionately affected. The ACLU has recently filed a complaint on behalf of a Black man who was wrongfully arrested due to faulty police facial recognition tech. It’s the first case in the US, but it’s unlikely to be the last because, according to the ACLU - the tech often can’t tell Black people apart. The organization that has been fighting for civil rights protections for over 100 years, is now calling on lawmakers nationwide to stop law enforcement use of facial recognition technology.

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It started off as an incredible project that promised to bring science fiction into science fact. But years later, the company Magic Leap struggles to stay afloat. What happened?

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How well does the film treat science and technology in Independence Day? What are the big goofs committed in the movie? How realistic is the plan to defeat the aliens?

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