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  • Armie Hammer: Who Decides When You're Forgiven?

    Armie Hammer is back in theaters, and the question this episode asks is whether that return means accountability happened — or that it simply didn't have to. Hosts Becca and Miles trace the full arc from the 2021 Instagram allegations and Effie Angelova's rape accusation through the LAPD investigation, the DA's May 2023 decision to decline charges citing insufficient evidence, and the Hollywood exile that had Hammer selling timeshares in the Cayman Islands. They examine what the DA's specific language — "complexity of the relationship" — actually signals, why "declined to charge" is not the same as cleared, and how Hammer's comeback vehicle, Citizen Vigilante, directed by Uwe Boll and released June 19, 2026, fits into a broader pattern of industry re-entry that runs on liability math rather than ethical judgment. Kevin Spacey's Cannes appearance enters the conversation as a parallel case that reveals how Hollywood quietly recalibrates risk once the legal threat expires. The surprising angle: Hammer told the Hollywood Reporter "I made these problems for myself" — and both hosts agree it's honest, but disagree sharply on what it leaves out.

    19 min
  • AI Infrastructure, Governance, and the Tech Stories Shaping June 2026

    This episode covers a wide range of developments across AI infrastructure, energy policy, market dynamics, hardware, entertainment, and consumer electronics. Alex and Jordan work through the stories shaping the technology industry heading into the back half of Q2 2026.

    Listeners will come away with a clearer picture of where serious capital is flowing in AI, why the industry's energy footprint keeps widening, how the competitive landscape around AI assistants is shifting, and what a string of autonomous vehicle lawsuits reveals about a broader pattern of overpromising in the self-driving space.

    • AI infrastructure costs are accelerating: Groq closed a $650 million raise following its Nvidia deal, and SpaceX is charging Reflection AI $150 million per month for compute — a figure that underscores how expensive the AI buildout has become.
    • Energy contradictions are hard to ignore: The DOJ defended xAI's unpermitted gas turbines on national security grounds in the same week Microsoft signed a 20-year gas power deal with Chevron, widening the gap between AI's stated climate commitments and its actual energy consumption.
    • Talent and market share are both in motion: ChatGPT's share of the AI assistant market fell below 50% for the first time, and Nobel laureate John Jumper's move from DeepMind to Anthropic signals where leading researchers see the most compelling work ahead.
    • Autonomous vehicle hype is facing legal scrutiny: Rivian owners filed a class-action over undelivered self-driving features, while Tesla is contesting Autopilot insurance coverage after a fatal crash in Texas — two cases pointing to the same industry-wide accountability question.
    • Hardware bets ranged widely: Valve launched the Steam Machine at an unsubsidized $1,049, Midjourney announced a pivot into medical ultrasound hardware, and the Apple Watch SE 3 hit a Prime Day all-time low of $199 alongside the launch of Wear OS 7.

    Subscribe and leave a review if you find the show useful. New episodes drop weekly.

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    • 5 min
    • AI Chips, Robotaxis, and the Public Pushback: Your Tech Week in Review

      This episode covers a wide range of developments across AI hardware, autonomous vehicles, space exploration, consumer software, corporate acquisitions, regulation, and public trust in AI. From chip rivalries to robotaxi scorecards to a Mars mission contract, the week's news spans the full breadth of the technology landscape.

      Listeners will come away with a clearer picture of where capital is flowing in AI infrastructure, how governments and companies are navigating regulatory uncertainty, and what public sentiment data means for the industry's long-term trajectory. The episode also examines whether recent milestones in autonomy and space represent genuine maturity or premature enthusiasm.

      • Qualcomm and Amazon chip plays: Qualcomm has over 40 AI wearable devices in development, while Amazon is moving to sell its Trainium chips directly to data centers, placing it in competition with Nvidia.
      • Space valuations and contracts: SpaceX's post-IPO valuation briefly surpassed Amazon at $2.7 trillion, and NASA awarded Eric Schmidt's Relativity Space a 2028 Mars mission contract — creating a direct rivalry with SpaceX.
      • Waymo and the global robotaxi gap: China leads a new robotaxi readiness scorecard by a significant margin, while a Waymo recall of nearly 4,000 vehicles over construction zone failures raises questions about AV deployment timelines in the US.
      • Anthropic export restrictions: The Trump administration's export controls on Anthropic's Fable and Mythos models drew criticism from legal and cybersecurity experts and may accelerate sovereign AI development outside the United States.
      • Public trust deficit: Pew Research data shows only 16 percent of Americans view AI positively for society, and 60 percent say the word AI in brand messaging is a turnoff — a gap that remains unaddressed by the industry despite record investment levels.

      Subscribe to Test Podcast Feed for weekly coverage of the technology stories shaping business, policy, and everyday life.

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      • 6 min
      • AI IPOs, Political Fallout, and the Gadgets Getting More Expensive

        This episode covers one of the most consequential weeks in tech finance in recent memory, from SpaceX's record-breaking IPO to a government ban on Anthropic AI models, rising iPhone prices, and an AI-powered cybercrime operation that sent two and a half million scam texts in two weeks.

        Alex and Jordan work through what these developments actually mean for investors, consumers, and policymakers — separating genuine signals from noise across eight segments that span public markets, hardware, regulation, and security.

        • SpaceX's IPO closed up 19%, raising $85.7 billion total and pushing its valuation briefly past Amazon at $2.6 trillion — making Elon Musk the world's first trillionaire. Days later, SpaceX acquired AI coding startup Cursor for $60 billion in stock, raising questions about the health of its AI division and the sustainability of post-IPO valuations.
        • Jeff Bezos's Prometheus startup raised $12 billion at a $41 billion valuation to build what it calls an artificial general engineer — AI designed for physical-world problems like drug design and heavy engineering. The hosts examine whether the valuation holds up against actual deliverables.
        • The US government banned Anthropic's Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models after Amazon reportedly flagged security concerns — yet Ramp spending data shows Anthropic surpassed OpenAI in enterprise adoption during the same period, illustrating how politics and market momentum can move in opposite directions.
        • NewCore raised $66 million to assign legal identities to AI agents, forcing a conversation about accountability when AI employees make costly mistakes. Meanwhile, Tim Cook confirmed that RAM demands from AI features are pushing iPhone prices higher — a pressure Nothing's CEO says is hitting the entire industry.
        • Google filed suit against an alleged Chinese cybercrime operation that used AI infrastructure to send 2.5 million scam texts in two weeks, while Section 702's expiration left surveillance infrastructure largely intact — a reminder that legal frameworks rarely keep pace with the technology they govern.

        If you want to understand how AI investment, regulation, and consumer hardware are converging in real time, this episode is a useful place to start.

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        • 5 min
        • Tyra Banks vs. Netflix: Who Controls the Story?

          Tyra Banks is suing Netflix over the documentary made to put her on trial — and the lawsuit may be as revealing as the film itself. This episode examines the June 13, 2026 federal defamation filing against Netflix and the producers of Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model, which drew 14.2 million views in its first week by exposing racism, body-shaming, and exploitation across ANTM's 24-cycle run. At the center of the case is a specific edit: Banks's 3.5-hour interview cut to 16 minutes, including a moment where director Mor Loushy asked Banks about Shandi Sullivan's 2003 Milan night without disclosing that Sullivan had described it as sexual assault — resulting in an onscreen hesitation, then a black screen. The hosts weigh whether Netflix's editing constitutes defamation by implication or whether Banks miscalculated by expecting journalism ethics from a streaming platform chasing a villain. The surprising angle: both things may be true at once, and the lawsuit does nothing to change what actually happened in Milan.

          19 min
        • SpaceX's Record IPO, Apple's WWDC, and the Robots Are Driving Now

          This episode covers one of the most consequential weeks in recent tech history: SpaceX's record-breaking IPO, Apple's WWDC 2026 keynote, a wave of AI agent launches, the accelerating robotaxi race in London, new developments in EV infrastructure, two significant cybersecurity breaches, and a pivotal moment for Xbox as it turns 25.

          Alex and Jordan work through the details behind SpaceX's $135-per-share pricing and $75 billion raise — examining the three hard-tech bets embedded in that valuation, the opacity facing SPV investors, and why India's last-minute Starlink freeze matters to the growth narrative. They then turn to Apple's WWDC 2026, where Siri received a significant AI overhaul alongside iOS 27 and watchOS 27, and where Tim Cook presided over what appears to be his final keynote before John Ternus steps into that role.

          • SpaceX IPO: The largest in recorded history at $75 billion raised, with questions remaining about SPV investor transparency and whether the valuation holds under scrutiny of its three core bets.
          • Apple WWDC 2026: Siri's AI revamp headlines a packed keynote, but the deeper question is whether Apple is catching up to competitors or staking out a genuinely new direction.
          • Autonomous vehicles: Waymo, Uber, and Wayve are converging on London while Waymo's new $29.99 Premier loyalty program suggests the company is making a long-term consumer brand play.
          • Cybersecurity: ShinyHunters breached Oracle PeopleSoft servers at more than 100 organizations, and hackers exploited Microsoft's own open source GitHub repositories to target AI developers — a pointed reminder about supply chain risk.
          • Xbox at 25: A translucent green anniversary console arrives alongside a restructuring memo and warnings of layoffs, capturing the tension between nostalgia and an uncertain business model reset.

          Also covered: Coinbase and DoorDash debut autonomous AI agents, GM bets on sodium-ion batteries and vehicle-to-grid technology for AI data center power demands, and Rivian begins R2 deliveries at $58,000.

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          • 5 min
          • Apple's Big Siri Moment, AI IPOs, and the Token Bill Comes Due

            This episode covers eight stories at the intersection of AI products, business, and infrastructure, recorded on June 11, 2026. From Apple's redesigned Siri to the staggering capital flows powering AI data centers, the conversation moves between what AI tools actually do for users today and the financial and ethical pressures shaping the industry's near-term direction.

            Listeners will come away with a clearer picture of where AI investment is concentrating, which products are delivering on their promises, and where the industry's most consequential disagreements are playing out. The hosts bring skepticism alongside the headlines, pressing on burn rates, adoption gaps, and the governance questions that remain unresolved.

            • Apple's Siri overhaul shipped with a dedicated app and improved context awareness, but the real question is whether AI-powered Shortcuts and photo tools reach everyday users or stay in power-user territory.
            • Anthropic and OpenAI both filed for IPOs, with Anthropic reporting $47 billion in annualized revenue as of May 2026, up sharply from roughly $9 billion at the end of last year, even as profitability questions linger.
            • Enterprise AI costs are accelerating faster than budgets, with some firms spending $7,500 per employee monthly on AI tooling and Uber exhausting its entire 2026 AI coding budget by April.
            • Infrastructure investment is operating at a scale that is difficult to comprehend, with Google paying SpaceX $920 million per month for compute and Amazon borrowing $17.5 billion to fund continued buildout.
            • The safety and ethics debate has no clear resolution, with OpenAI's Lockdown Mode, Fable 5's guardrail controversies, and Microsoft's challenge to Anthropic's framing of Claude as conscious all pointing to an industry still negotiating its own ground rules.

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            • 5 min
            • Weinstein Trial Four: When Does Justice Become Theater?

              Harvey Weinstein's rape retrial ended in a third mistrial on May 15, 2026, after jurors deadlocked 9-3 in favor of acquittal — and now DA Alvin Bragg must decide at a June 24 hearing whether to attempt a fourth trial on the same charge. Becca and Miles trace the full arc of the Weinstein case: the 2020 conviction, the 4-3 New York Court of Appeals reversal in 2024, and what the propensity evidence ruling means not just for Weinstein but for the California appeal still in progress. They examine Jessica Mann's five days of testimony across three trials, juror Josh Hadar's comments about her credibility, and what it means that a self-identified feminist juror still voted not guilty while citing reasonable doubt. The episode closes on the hardest question the Weinstein retrial raises: with a Class E felony carrying a maximum four-year sentence and Weinstein already incarcerated in California, does a fourth trial serve Jessica Mann — or does it serve the institution?

              20 min
            • Diddy's Appeal: The Jury Said One Thing, the Judge Said Another

              Sean Combs was sentenced to 50 months in prison after a split verdict that convicted him on two Mann Act counts but acquitted him on racketeering and sex trafficking — and his appeal may now reshape how federal courts sentence defendants nationwide. In this episode, Becca and Miles walk through the April 2026 Second Circuit hearing, where judges called the case "exceptionally difficult" and flagged a first-impression legal question no federal appeals court has ever resolved: whether a judge can use acquitted conduct to drive a sentence four times the typical range. They also cover the April 2026 dismissal of Combs' $100 million defamation suit against NBCUniversal, the legal doctrine the judge used to throw it out, and the Netflix documentary executive produced by 50 Cent that hit number one despite a cease-and-desist from Combs' legal team. Becca and Miles ultimately agree on the constitutional stakes but split on whether a legally correct reduced sentence would actually feel like justice to the people who testified.

              21 min
            • AI Giants, Robotaxis, and the Week in Tech

              This episode of Test Podcast Feed covers a wide range of developments across AI, autonomous vehicles, consumer tech, startup funding, and cybersecurity. Hosts Dr. Sarah Chen and Marcus Johnson work through eight distinct segments, from Anthropic's record-breaking fundraise to a phishing campaign targeting Signal users.

              Listeners will come away with a clear-eyed view of where the technology industry is moving and what the latest milestones actually mean in practice, beyond the headlines.

              • Anthropic raises $65 billion in a Series H round at a valuation approaching $1 trillion, alongside the release of Claude Opus 4.8, which introduces dynamic workflow tools and a stronger emphasis on error transparency.
              • Google's AI search overhaul is producing unexpected failures, including broken behavior triggered by the word 'disregard,' prompting a measurable uptick in DuckDuckGo installs.
              • Waymo's Ojai minivan robotaxi, manufactured in China, begins accepting riders in three cities, while Bezos-backed Slate Auto announces June 24 for EV pricing and preorders.
              • Security risks are escalating: Signal users face a targeted phishing campaign, and the Pentagon has confirmed that commercial ad network location data was used to surveil U.S. troops.
              • AI is entering culture and financial markets: an AI-generated film made for $2,000 premieres at Tribeca, and AI token futures are emerging as a new asset class.

              If you are tracking where AI, mobility, and digital security intersect with everyday life and global policy, this episode covers the stories shaping that conversation right now.

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              • 6 min

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