Episode Summary:

We kick off with an impressive AI-generated intro from Suno's newly released V5 model, showcasing how far AI music creation has come. The conversation quickly shifts to hands-on hardware reviews, with Will sharing his one-week impressions of the iPhone 17 Pro Max (in orange) and both of us discussing the new AirPods Pro 3. From iOS 26 performance quirks to the practical realities of running beta software on production devices, we cover the full spectrum of Apple's latest releases. The episode wraps with an extended discussion on electric vehicle charging strategies, vehicle-to-grid technology, and why Brandt might finally be warming up to those Rivian headlights.

Discussions Include:

• Suno's V5 model release and whether the $20/month subscription is worth it for better AI music generation
• Real-world impressions of iPhone 17 Pro Max and iOS 26 after a week of daily use
• AirPods Pro 3 features, including hearing aid functionality and adaptive transparency mode
• Electric vehicle charging economics and the future of vehicle-to-grid technology

Quotable Quotes (Should you choose to share):

• "You handed a caveman a flame- and then took it away from him." - Will Curran
• "I noticed that iOS 26 just runs better on it. This is what I'm noticing- with my being in the iPhone upgrade program is that I'll do the beta, I run it on my 16 Pro or Pro Max, whatever it is, and I notice slight performance issues." - Will Curran
• "Every time [a Rivian] drives by me and I'm like, well, it's actually not that bad looking. It's like, it's wearing me down... I can't get past the headlights. Weeelllll, I might be able to get past the headlights." - Brandt Krueger
• "So the guy basically insinuates 'I'm on the employer's dime. I'm going to be charging my car and then I'll just go back and sell it back to the grid and make a profit,' heheh..." - Will Curran

Episode Summary: 
Brandt and Will kick things off with more AI-generated podcast music experiments, comparing Suno and Eleven Labs for creating that perfect intro sound. The conversation shifts to Meta's latest copyright controversies involving torrented content, then lands squarely in Apple territory as Will unboxes his brand new iPhone Pro Max live on the podcast. Between discussions of Colorware customization options for black AirPods, and iOS 26 installation regrets, we explore the tension between AI creativity and copyright protection, all while celebrating (and occasionally lamenting) our gadget obsessions.

Discussions Include:

• The challenges of getting AI music generators to understand style without naming specific artists
• Meta's latest copyright troubles and what they might mean for AI training on music
• Will's live unboxing of the new AirPods Pro 3 in orange, complete with first impressions
• Colorware customization pricing and the eternal quest for black AirPods
• Why you shouldn't install iOS 26 on production devices (Will learned this the hard way)

Quotable Quotes (Should you choose to share):
 "I love music and all of this kind of stuff. And I get it, right? We don't want to be able to just type in, make a Fatboy Slim song... But I'm just trying to say, I like the style of Fatboy Slim. I'm not trying to pass anything off as being a Fatboy Slim song." - Brandt Krueger

"It is crazy how smart the AI is getting now though, if you ask it to describe the music, it pulls out specific instruments and notes and stuff like that." - Will Curran

"Do not install it on your production machines. I made a really dumb decision." - Will Curran (regarding MacOX Tahoe)

"I've never liked the [AirPod] design with that stick sticking out. Like as dorky as my Bose look... I mean, on the plus side, you can see it sticking out of a tech's ear from 20 feet away." - Brandt Krueger

Episode Summary:
Brandt Krueger and Will Curran break down Apple's latest iPhone 17, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and AirPods Pro 3 announcements, finding the keynote more ordinary than expected after two years of blockbuster reveals. The conversation explores whether Apple's product lines are converging toward price point differentiation rather than feature distinction, examines the surprisingly pro-level camera capabilities that could replace traditional rigs, and debates the durability of the impossibly thin iPhone Air. Along the way, they discuss vapor cooling, the "plateau" (not a camera bump), concert etiquette, and why Brandt still refuses to wear white electric toothbrush heads in his ears.

Discussions Include:

• The iPhone 17 Pro's cinema-grade camera features like GenLock and multi-camera sync that are targeting professional videographers and content creators, potentially replacing traditional camera rigs in tight spaces
• Whether the ultra-thin iPhone Air can survive "BendGate 2.0" and if sacrificing camera capability for sleekness makes sense when you'll just throw a case on it anyway
• Apple's product differentiation strategy shifting from features to price points, with specs becoming more similar across the lineup except for camera count and storage tiers
• The AirPods Pro 3's heart rate sensing feature raising questions about redundancy in the Apple ecosystem when most users already have an Apple Watch for fitness tracking

Quotable Quotes (Should you choose to share):
"It's not a camera bump, ladies and gentlemen. It's a plateau." - Brandt Krueger

"I am not going to stick an electric toothbrush head in my ear. Just not. I'm just not." - Brandt Krueger (on AirPods)

"I started thinking to myself, I'm looking at my studio and I'm going like, maybe I just put up iPhones. Like- in the end they all wirelessly communicate to my Mac." - Will Curran

"They said something that really made me sad and I hope to God it's not right. They said 'This feature is great for concerts where you can record your reaction and the stage' and I go no no no no no." - Will Curran

"It felt kind of ordinary, to be perfectly honest." - Brandt Krueger (on the overall keynote)

Episode Summary:


In this episode of “Where’s the Future?”, Brandt Krueger and Will Curran experiment with podcast intros, share hard-won lessons in AI-driven task automation, and reminisce about the wild west of search engines. The conversation shifts from the quirks of cloud storage and the pitfalls of syncing, to an in-depth look at new Philips Hue product announcements, culminating with palpable excitement for upcoming smart home innovations. Sprinkled throughout are community shoutouts, tech rants, and nimble pivots between AI fatigue and genuine gadget enthusiasm.

Discussions Include:

• Experimenting with AI-generated podcast intros and the search for a unique theme sound - HELP US!!
• The practical frustrations and promise of agentic browsers, scheduling tasks, and project-based GPT memory
• Cloud storage headaches with Google Drive and OneDrive, and why more physical storage is always a safe bet
• Upcoming innovations and leaks in the Philips Hue smart lighting ecosystem, including smarter, cheaper bulbs, string lights, and expanded hub capabilities

Quotable Quotes (Should you choose to share):

• “Just take to the bridge...” – Brandt Krueger
• “I was so frustrated that something that was so consistently good at, ‘Hey, you put it in a folder, have a Google Drive save it for you, and it will be there,’ just turned into this nightmare. And I’m realizing now I’ve got to pay so much money for storage on Google cloud that used to be free” – Will Curran
• “[Person detection being added to Hue bulbs is] going to be something I think is super duper exciting to see what ends up happening from it. But is it going to, you know, work?” – Will Curran
• “You’re never going to regret having too much storage space. Right? You’re never going to regret that.” – Brandt Krueger 

Episode Summary:
This inaugural episode of the WTF (Where’s the Future?) podcast features Brandt Krueger and Will Curran discussing their transition from the Event Tech Podcast, exploring early experiments with AI agentic browsers like Comet and Dia, their frustrations and hopes for AI tools, and the evolving landscape of the open web amid new AI data challenges.

They also discuss the approaching potential AI bubble and industry consolidation, as well as the democratization of app and tool creation through no-code platforms. Be sure to joint the WTF community to stay in touch between episodes! https://wtf.community

Discussions Include:
• Early experiences and challenges using AI agentic browsers to automate web tasks
• Current concerns around web scraping, data privacy, and the open web’s future
• The outlook on the AI bubble, industry hype, and the need for specialization in AI tools
• The rise of no-code app development and democratizing technology creation
• Highlights from the WTF community on emerging tech like Apple Watch updates and smart home devices

Quotable Quotes (Should you choose to share):
• “At first I was like- this is amazing! Then, my God, this is terrible. My God, you are so dumb! Wait, no, what? No. Actually? No. This is pretty cool? Nope, you’re just dumb.” - Brandt Krueger
• “We can see what it could be… It’s kind of like glimpsing out a window and seeing all the kids playing outside and you know that you could be that kid playing outside, but Perplexity and Comet Daddy won’t let you go out because you’re grounded.” - Will Curran
• “I think the opportunity is if we have leveled off on these Uber GPTs, that’s good because now we can focus on specialty- on unitaskers that do one thing really well.” - Brandt Krueger
• “The internet’s becoming more like a city with complex rules and less like free land where you could build whatever you wanted.” - Will Curran
• “The AI bubble means tons of money thrown at it, lots of people hired, then a collapse where the lower level people lose their jobs, but the big players get their guaranteed payouts.” - Brandt Krueger

Episode Summary:

In this bittersweet installment, Will Curran and Brandt Krueger close the book on the Event Tech Podcast- at least as we’ve known it. After years of stretching topics to fit the confines of “event tech,” they’re rebranding and broadening the focus to Where’s the Future? (conveniently, WTF). With a wider lens on technology, gadgets, innovation, and how they all connect to real life, the duo reflect on their favorite episodes, industry shifts post-COVID, and the future of both the show and the community. It’s equal parts nostalgia, industry critique, and excitement for what’s ahead.

Discussions Include:
 • Why the Event Tech Podcast is winding down and evolving into Where’s the Future? (WTF)
 • The changing pace of innovation in the events industry post-COVID
 • Memorable episodes, rants, and recurring themes from the show’s history
 • How the new community and live podcast recordings will work

Quotable Quotes (Should you choose to share):

• “We were promised jetpacks… where’s my flying car? Where’s the future?” - Will Curran
• “If you liked what we were doing before, I’d like to think you’re going to continue to like what we’re doing... it's just broader.” - Brandt Krueger
• “Sometimes I think our listeners already knew how things tied into events. They just wanted to know what’s GOOD and we’d figure out the rest.” - Will Curran
• “We moved the ball down the field ten years in one year… and then we went backwards.” - Brandt Krueger
• “Let’s be honest. Will and I are going to talk even if no one’s in the room.” - Brandt Krueger

Be sure to check out the WTF community! Conveniently located at http://wtf.community ;)

Episode Summary:

This time on the Event Tech Podcast, Brandt and Will welcome industry veteran Matthew Byrne to unpack the pains and progress of event content management. Byrne introduces ShowSync, a new solution designed to streamline the collection, synchronization, and distribution of event content- eliminating versioning headaches, USB thumbdrive chaos, and other PPT nightmares. The episode explores the real-world challenges that inspired ShowSync, how it works across multiple production environments, and the future possibilities for integrating with other industry tools.

Discussions Include:

• The origin story of ShowSync and the persistent problems it solves in event production
• How ShowSync manages real-time content syncing, version control, and secure uploads across multiple machines and locations
• Technical insights into hardware integration, cloud syncing, and InfoSec compliance for sensitive client data
• The roadmap for ShowSync, including potential integrations and expansion into new event and retail environments

Quotable Quotes (Should you choose to share):

"Essentially what it does is it seamlessly syncs all of content across production for events- and then on the back end leverages out the content that's created at an event in a much more cost effective and efficient way." - Matthew Byrne

"If then on machine one, you delete slide one, every version number 29 in that package on every machine just starts to lose slide one. Like as fast as the 10 gigabit connection can make that happen." - Matthew Byrne

"We always say that a live event is a content machine. If we can cut down the expense and time to be able to leverage that value out, I think that that solves a lot of problems." - Matthew Byrne

"It's always nice when someone's able to go, 'how about we put it all together into one thing and make it go?' It's wonderful." - Brandt Krueger

Learn more about ShowSync at https://byrneproductionservices.com/showsync/

Episode Summary:

This episode of the Event Tech Podcast explores the real-world performance of OpenAI's Operator, the agentic AI tool that promises to automate browser tasks on your behalf. Will shares his hands-on experience running Operator through its paces—from sending personalized Twitch messages to attempting LinkedIn research and even trying to buy festival tickets. Brandt and Will dissect what works, what doesn't, and why Operator currently feels less like a job-stealing super-agent and more like a well-meaning, but exasperating, digital intern. The conversation also touches on the future of agentic AI, the importance of user data, and the quirks of modern AI assistants.

Discussions Include:

• What “agentic AI” actually means and how Operator fits the bill
• Real-world Operator use cases: Twitch messaging, LinkedIn research, and online purchases
• The current limitations, quirks, and slowdowns of agentic AI tools
• Broader implications for the future of work and the data arms race among tech giants

Quotable Quotes (Should you choose to share):

"Once again, Will's taking the hit so that we don't have to, right? He's letting us know that it's not there yet." - Brandt Krueger

"I think we're potentially in this world where I do think agents are starting to do things that we never would have comprehended." - Will Curran

"It's like a really, really dumb intern. You show someone a task once and at least they get it, right? But this thing constantly forgets." - Will Curran

"The tasks that you’ve given it are very close to the examples we gave when we first started talking about operator and agentic AI. It doesn't sound like it can do that yet." - Brandt Krueger

Episode Summary:
This episode of the Event Tech Podcast brings listeners up to speed on Will Curran’s latest role at Voxo, a Swedish company shaking up event technology with real-time AI session summaries. Brandt Krueger and Will explore how Voxo’s platform captures, analyzes, and packages event content into instantly branded reports, LinkedIn-ready carousels, and live displays. The conversation covers the technical magic behind speaker identification, the marketing potential of AI-generated assets, and the future of personalized attendee experiences.

Discussions Include:

• Will Curran’s joining Voxo and the company’s mission in event tech
• How Voxo uses AI to generate instant, branded session summaries and reports
• The technical process of capturing audio, identifying speakers, and producing content assets
• The future of personalized event reports and AI-driven attendee recommendations

Quotable Quotes (Should you choose to share):

"I just started up a new gig at Voxo, which is the Swedish company... If you were at Event Tech Live London, you will definitely recognize the 

"At the base level, essentially, we're summarizing every session... capturing all the audio... and in real time, we're creating these reports and transcriptions and all that fun stuff, and then branding it." - Will Curran

"The thing that blew my mind the most about it is... you walk off stage, man, you as speaker walk off stage instantly, you have this PDF report, available to you as an audience." - Will Curran

"One of the most powerful things about this AI report that gets generated is... and it also comes in a LinkedIn version... a one-by-one carousel because we all been there ... We get done with a session and we're like lucky if we remember to take a selfie!" - Will Curran

"We not have the ability to completely remember everything that happened at an event? ... There's no reason why that can't be offloaded somewhere else." - Brandt Krueger

Episode Summary:

Brandt Krueger and Will Curran return with a lively breakdown of the latest trends spotted while judging the Eventex Awards, offering a behind-the-scenes look (within NDA limits) at where event technology is headed. From lightning-fast badge pickup and GDPR-compliant facial recognition to hyper-personalized attendee journeys and the resurgence of event bots, this episode unpacks the innovations shaping conferences, registration, AI, and event apps. The conversation also explores the tension between niche solutions and global platforms, the creative uses of Generative AI, and the growing importance of deep integrations between proprietary tools and third-party event apps.

Since recording, the winners of the Global Eventex Awards have been announced, so be sure to check out the winners!
https://eventex.com/winners2025

Discussions Include:

• How AI is transforming attendee journeys, reporting, and real-time event analytics
• The rise of hyper-personalized registration flows and niche event tech providers
• Creative uses of generative AI for art installations and next-gen word clouds
• The return of event chatbots and the push for deeper, more meaningful event app integrations

Quotable Quotes (Should you choose to share):

“Speed, right? That was one of the things- it was all about how quickly can we get thousands of people registered, get them their badges and things like that.” – Brandt Krueger

“Most of these high-end registration platforms have the ability to really customize the journeys that your attendees will take. We’re used to having a few different buckets for attendees… Well, now you can have 50 buckets.” – Brandt Krueger

“Let’s be honest, no one in planning space wants to learn to be a data analyst. That was the thing that I looked at for so long, especially when we were doing Klik and like there’s so much data available to planners who just don’t want to look at data.” – Will Curran

“I just couldn’t believe that finally, two years into this AI blooming that we’re seeing, we’re finally getting back to having good, decent event bots that can help us out with these things.” – Brandt Krueger