Avsnitt
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On this week’s episode of Grumpy Old Geeks, we kick things off with the glorious meltdown of two of our least favorite Bond villains: Elon Musk and Donald Trump. Not only is their public pissing match tanking Tesla’s market cap, but now Trump’s launching a crypto wallet to… fund freedom? Or at least funnel it straight to his latest shell game. Meanwhile, someone at DOGE admitted the U.S. government wasn’t entirely incompetent, so naturally, they got fired. Efficiency is un-American, after all.
In the news, Ukraine leveled up with an unprecedented drone blitz on Russian airbases using—you guessed it—open source software. GitHub just became a geopolitical weapon. Back home, Nebraska wants to unplug your kids, Florida’s trying (and failing) to legislate dopamine, and Tesla’s panicking that their crash data might expose how their “Full Self-Driving” is really just short bus autopilot. And because the AI dystopia train never stops: OpenAI’s bot is recommending meth to recovering addicts, Meta’s replacing humans with risk-assessing algorithms, and one “AI startup” turned out to be 700 dudes in Bangalore with a decent VPN. Cue the dramatic zoom on Diabolus Ex Machina.
Media Candy this week is a buffet: Downton Abbey finally closes up shop, Stranger Things 5 sets a date, and Foundation still sucks. Marc Maron’s locking the gates for good, Garbage drops a surprisingly optimistic album, and Hollywood’s quietly been using AI like it’s a studio intern who doesn’t need sleep. Over in The Library, Jason’s back with Hitchhiker’s Guide and Brian dives in to Michael Palin’s Python diaries—because reading actual books is still a thing, damn it. Plus: Dave Bittner wants to “go antiquing” with Amy Sedaris with a Ben Franklin playbook. Closing shout-outs go to the legendary Loretta Swit—Hot Lips forever—and yes, we finally answer the question nobody asked: what is under a Jawa’s hood?
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Show notes at https://gog.show/700
FOLLOW UP
Trump Threatens to Cut Elon Musk's Government Contracts as Feud Escalates
Elon Musk’s Feud With President Trump Wipes $152 Billion Off Tesla’s Market Cap
Trump to launch branded crypto trading application
DOGE Fires Operative After He Admits the Government Was Already Pretty Efficient
IN THE NEWS
Ukraine destroys 40 aircraft deep inside Russia ahead of peace talks in Istanbul
A surprise drone attack on airfields across Russia encapsulates Ukraine’s wartime strategy
Explained: Ukraine’s Unprecedented Drone Attack on Russian Warplanes
Ukraine's Massive Drone Attack Was Powered by Open Source Software
How Ukraine’s Killer Drones Are Beating Russian Jamming
The terrifying new weapon changing the war in Ukraine
A new Nebraska law wants to make social media less addictive for kids
Florida's social media law has been temporarily blocked by a federal judge
Tesla is trying to stop certain self-driving crash data becoming public
Tesla admits it would ‘suffer financial harm’ if its self-driving crash data becomes public
Therapy Chatbot Tells Recovering Addict to Have a Little Meth as a Treat
OpenAI featured chatbot is pushing extreme surgeries to “subhuman” men
Meta will reportedly soon use AI for most product risk assessments instead of human reviewers
Perplexity received 780 million queries last month, CEO says
The FDA rolls out its own AI to speed up clinical reviews and scientific evaluations
AI company files for bankruptcy after being exposed as 700 Indian engineers
Diabolus Ex Machina
Meditation And Mindfulness Have a Dark Side We Often Overlook
MEDIA CANDY
DOWNTON ABBEY: The Grand Finale
Stranger Things 5 finally has its release date
Poker Face
Foundation
Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders
American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden
The Last of Us
The Taste UK
Somebody Feed Phil
How George Clooney’s ‘Good Night, and Good Luck’ Is Preparing to Go Live on CNN
Mountainhead
Hollywood Already Uses Generative AI (And Is Hiding It)
Lionsgate Explores AI for Content Adaptation and Production Efficiency
Marc Maron Will Lock The Gates One Last Time
Garbage: Let All That We Imagine Be the Light
Schmactors
AT THE LIBRARY
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Michael Palin Diaries 1969–1979: The Python Years (Michael Palin Diaries Book 1)
Jason DeFillippo on Goodreads
THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE
Dave Bittner
The CyberWire
Hacking Humans
Caveat
Control Loop
Only Malware in the Building
250th Anniversary of the U.S. Army Grand Military Parade and Celebration
Advice to a Friend on Choosing a Mistress
Disney Pulls Back the Curtain on Its New 'Cars' Land
"Thank You, Muppet*Vision 3D" — Official Music Video
Peli is REALLY familiar with Jawas... The Book of Boba Fett - E5
Star Wars: What's Beneath a Jawa's Hood? The Stuff of Nightmares
Talking Heads - Psycho Killer
CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS
Loretta Swit, Who Played Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan on MAS*H, Dead at 87
MASH Matters Podcast
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In this week’s “we told you so” edition, we kick things off with the latest AI faceplant—go ahead, Google “Is it 2025?” and try not to spit coffee on your keyboard. Meanwhile, over at Meta, Zuckerberg’s brilliant idea to loosen content moderation has, shocker, led to more harassment and violent content. Elsewhere in tech dystopia: Texas is trying to ground all minors off social media, Germany wants to slap a 10% tax on Silicon Valley, and Anthropic is handing out free search powers and a board seat to Netflix’s Reed Hastings. Because nothing says “trusted AI governance” like a guy who greenlit Love Is Blind.
But wait, crypto bros are having their own John Wick arc: a luxury townhouse, a missing wallet, and possibly an NYPD detective tangled in a real-life “crypto millionaire torture” flick. As if that isn’t enough, Trump Media is fundraising to buy $2.5B in Bitcoin—and DJT stock promptly nosedived. Also feuding this week: Marjorie Taylor Greene vs. Grok, because nothing screams Christian values like rageposting at Elon’s AI. And speaking of Elon, he’s now in bed with Telegram to the tune of $300 million, which we’re sure won’t be a disinformation factory.
MEDIA CANDY is stacked: from the Murderbot diaries to a My Dinner with Andre rewatch, and yes, the Wheel of Time got axed after 3 seasons. Apps? Opera Neon is a UI fever dream, Starling Home Hub adds more smarts to your house, and WhatsApp finally arrives on iPad—welcome to 2016. In THE DARK SIDE, Dave Bittner brings the latest digital dirt, including the CIA’s bonkers Star Wars fan site op. And if you’re hitting the library, grab The AI Con or something more romantic—like Love, Sex and the Alien Apocalypse. Just be careful if you read that on public transit.
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Show notes at https://gog.show/699
FOLLOW UP
Don't Google "Is it 2025?" unless you want to laugh at the state of AI
IN THE NEWS
Facebook sees rise in violent content and harassment after policy changes
What we know about the NYC crypto kidnapping and torture case
Manhattan Crypto Kidnapping and Torture Case: What We Know
NYPD detective on Adams' security detail may be tied to crypto millionaire torture case: Sources
Judge denies bail to crypto investor charged with kidnapping and torturing man in posh NYC townhouse
Trump Media Raises Money to Buy $2.5 Billion in Bitcoin
Trump administration ramps up push as crypto ally
DJT shares drop after Trump Media announces bitcoin raise - CNBC
Texas is getting ready to ban social media for anyone under 18
Texas enacts age-verification law for app stores
Germany is considering a 10 percent digital service tax on US tech giants
EU regulators are investigating Pornhub and three other sites
Anthropic brings web search to free Claude users
Reed Hastings appointed to Anthropic's board of directors
Anthropic appoints Netflix Chairman Reed Hastings to board - CNBC
Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings joins Anthropic's board | TechCrunch
RFK Jr.’s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ Report Cites Fake Studies
Marjorie Taylor Greene feuds with AI bot over her Christian cred
Telegram CEO announces $300 million partnership with Elon Musk's xAI and Grok
MEDIA CANDY
Murderbot
Long Way Home
Lilo and Stitch
Martha
‘The Wheel Of Time’ Canceled By Prime Video After 3 Seasons
Billy Joel Cancels Concerts Due to Brain Disorder
My Dinner with Andre
Grumpy Old Geeks Information on RocketReach
Schmactors with James Marsters, Mark Devine, and Jason DeFillippo
APPS & DOODADS
Opera Neon
Apple Reportedly Says ‘Screw It’ and Jumps From iOS 19 to iOS 26
Starling Home Hub
WhatsApp finally launches an official version for iPads
AT THE LIBRARY
The Essential Terry Pratchett
Good Omens TV Companion Misprint
The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech’s Hype and Create the Future We Want By: Emily M. Bender, Alex Hanna
Love, Sex and the Alien Apocalypse (First Contact) by Peter Cawdron
THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE
Dave Bittner
The CyberWire
Hacking Humans
Caveat
Control Loop
Only Malware in the Building
The CIA Secretly Ran a Star Wars Fan Site
LIVE: Kermit the Frog gives commencement speech at University of Maryland
Billy Joel - I've Loved These Days (Audio)
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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This week, we kick things off with the return of Space Karen’s meltdown tour: Elon Musk got flustered in an interview, sputtered out one-word answers, and called the journalist an “NPC,” which is rich coming from the guy whose only real upgrade since PayPal is yelling “freedom” in meme fonts. Meanwhile, 23andMe sold your DNA to Regeneron at a bankruptcy auction, proving once and for all that your spit is more valuable than most tech startups.
IN THE NEWS is a parade of corporate idiocy and dystopian fuckery. Coinbase employees got bribed into leaking user data (because clearly we didn’t have enough crypto chaos), Klarna keeps flip-flopping between AI and human workers like it’s a bad Tinder date, and OpenAI is out here buying Jony Ive’s design firm for $6.5 billion because sure, what’s another billion when you’re trying to build a surveillance device to stalk 100 million users? Meanwhile, the Chicago Sun-Times is publishing AI-generated trash with imaginary authors, Anthropic’s new model attempts blackmail, and researchers dumped two billion Discord messages online just for kicks. And yes, Elon’s Tesla robotaxis will now only roam the safest parts of Austin, which is code for “we still can’t make this thing turn left.”
In MEDIA CANDY, we’re watching Murderbot, Godfather of Harlem, and Hotel Cocaine because who doesn’t love a little synthetic assassin, crime drama, and coke-fueled nostalgia? Notepad.exe now writes for you (and probably files HR complaints too), and Audible is teaming up with publishers to replace narrators with robot voices. Yay, progress. Over in THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE, Bittner brings the malware, monsters, and a new theme park review that’s somehow less terrifying than the news. Bookworms, don’t miss Curepedia and The AI Con — one’s about goth gods, the other’s about taking down our techno-overlords. And pour one out for George Wendt — Norm from Cheers is now drinking with the angels.
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Show notes at https://gog.show/698
FOLLOW UP
Elon Musk Gets Rattled by Hard Questions He Can't Answer, Calls Interviewer an "NPC" While Giving One-Word NPC-Like Responses Himself
23andMe (and Your Genetic Data) Sold to Regeneron in Bankruptcy Auction
IN THE NEWS
Extortionists bribed Coinbase employees to give them customer data
OpenAI buys Jony Ive's design startup for $6.5 billion
Sam Altman Tells Staff Plan to Ship 100 Million Devices That See Everything in Users' Lives
Klarna Hiring Back Human Help After Going All-In on AI
Klarna CEO and Sutter Hill take victory lap after Jony Ive's OpenAI deal
Klarna used an AI avatar of its CEO to deliver earnings
Klarna users are buying now, but not paying later
DOGE Used a Meta AI Model to Review Emails From Federal Workers
Chicago Sun-Times publishes made-up books and fake experts in AI debacle
We’re Focused on the Wrong A.I. Problem in Journalism
Anthropic's new AI model turns to blackmail when engineers try to take it offline
MIT Backs Away From Paper Claiming Scientists Make More Discoveries with AI
Researchers Dump 2 Billion Scraped Discord Messages Online
Musk says Tesla's self-driving tests will be geofenced to 'the safest' parts of Austin
MEDIA CANDY
Murderbot
Godfather of Harlem
Hotel Cocaine
APPS & DOODADS
The Grand Encyclopedia of Eponymous Laws
Apple confirms iOS 19 will end support for legacy Home app system
Audible to Partner With Publishers to Create AI-Voiced Audiobooks
In 3.5 years, Notepad.exe has gone from “barely maintained” to “it writes for you”
AT THE LIBRARY
Curepedia: An A-Z of the Cure by Simon Price
The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech’s Hype and Create the Future We Want By: Emily M. Bender, Alex Hanna
THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE
Dave Bittner
The CyberWire
Hacking Humans
Caveat
Control Loop
Only Malware in the Building
First photos from inside Universal Studio’s new Orlando theme park Epic Universe revealed
A Very Honest Review on Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment | Universal's Epic Universe
Gadget recommendation - Electric Air Duster with Flashlight
CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS
George Wendt, Norm From Cheers, Dead at 76
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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This week on Grumpy Old Geeks: FOLLOW UP kicks off with Manus madness, a $2 million ticket to Trump’s crypto cash-grab, and Elon’s Boring Company worming its way into an $8 billion Amtrak boondoggle. Meanwhile, CryptoPunks gets handed off to a nonprofit like an expired Groupon—proof the NFT hype cycle ends with a 501(c)(3) and a shrug.
IN THE NEWS, Microsoft trims another 3% of its workforce while a former Metaverse engineer delivers DoorDash from a trailer—living proof that “the future of work” is just working for the apps. Klarna quietly admits AI sucks at customer service and hires back actual people, just as OpenAI’s reasoning models hit the brakes. The Pope wants to exorcise AI, Elon’s backfiring Copyright Office coup leaves him empty-handed, and YouTube starts banning AI-faked trailers that made Screen Culture money off Marvel lies. Jamie Lee Curtis goes full Final Girl on Zuckerberg, and Tesla drama ramps up: robotaxis under investigation, employees revolting, and one poor dealership manager gets canned for telling the truth about ol’ Musky. Oh, and scientists say the universe might die sooner than expected—cool cool cool.
In MEDIA CANDY, Murderbot arrives May 16, NIN launches the Future Ruins Festival, and Star Trek and Star Wars both dig up classic soundtracks for some retro feels. Jessica Jones returns in Daredevil: Born Again, Fallout gets Seasons 2 and 3, and even Nobody 2 is back for more murder-dad mayhem. In THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE, Mr. Bittner shares two truly bleak customer service horror stories and gets bamboozled by a flower shop on Brian’s birthday (happy birthday, Brian!). Also: animatronic Mickey Mouse serves popcorn, Walt Disney’s ghost haunts the parks, Muppets get a pre-show for their 70th, and yes, there’s a guide to toilet-training your cat. Because sure, why not. Closing shout-out? Everyone is entitled to my own opinion.
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Show notes at https://gog.show/697
FOLLOW UP
Leave it to Manus
A VIP Seat at Donald Trump’s Crypto Dinner Cost at Least $2 Million
Elon’s Boring Company Is ‘Helping’ the Government With an $8 Billion Amtrak Tunnel Project
CryptoPunks was just sold to a nonprofit
IN THE NEWS
Microsoft is laying off 3 percent of its global workforce
Laid-Off Metaverse Engineer Says He Is DoorDashing and Living in a Trailer
Silicon Valley’s Elusive Fantasy of a Computer as Smart as You
Klarna Hiring Back Human Help After Going All-In on AI
Improvements in 'reasoning' AI models may slow down soon, analysis finds
The New Pope Wants to Take on AI
Elon Musk’s apparent power play at the Copyright Office completely backfired
Copyright Office head fired after reporting AI training isn’t always fair use
YouTube Cracks Down on Fake Movie Trailer Channels Making Money
Jamie Lee Curtis publicly shamed Mark Zuckerberg to remove a deepfaked ad
Tesla's robotaxi plans have the attention of federal investigators
A Tesla Dealership Manager Blamed Elon Musk for Tanking Sales and Was Immediately Fired
Tesla Employees Against Elon
Open Letter to Elon
Open Letter to Elon - @openletter2elon
Scientists Just Moved Up the Death Date of the Universe
MEDIA CANDY
Murderbot premiers May 16th
Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Nine Inch Nails Announce Future Ruins Festival, Celebrating Influential Music Composers
Andor
Rogue One
Long Way Home
Krysten Ritter Will Return as Jessica Jones in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2
Fallout Season 2 Coming in December and Season 3 Is a Go
Nobody 2 | Official Trailer
Superman | Official Trailer | DC
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Finally Returns This July
Star Trek: Prodigy May Need a New Home Again Soon
ESPN's streaming service will cost up to $30 per month and be called... ESPN
Fox One is a new streaming service that should launch before September
Max Renamed HBO Max as Warner Bros. Discovery Gives Up
Lived Through That - Episode 76 - Andy Prieboy
THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE
Dave Bittner
The CyberWire
Hacking Humans
Caveat
Control Loop
Only Malware in the Building
A SpaceX Employee Says He Was Fired for the Most Insane Reason
You Can Now Eat Popcorn Out of a Moving, Talking Mickey Mouse at Disneyland
Disney Says It Made Its Walt Disney Robot to Remind Fans He Was an Actual Person
Disneyland Didn’t Want to Do the Muppets Totally Dirty for Their 70th Anniversary
Muppets Pre-Show for World of Color Happiness! at Disneyland Resort for 70th Anniversary
How to Toilet-Train Your Cat: 21 Days to a Litter-Free Home
How to Toilet-Train Your Cat: 21 Days to a Litter-Free Home Download
CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS
everyone is entitled to my own opinion
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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In this episode of Grumpy Old Geeks, we’re serving up a buffet of dystopia with a side of snark. First, Kuwait has finally realized crypto bros are an energy drain, not a feature. Celsius Network’s founder gets 12 years for running a “safe investment” Ponzi scheme. And in Lopez v. Apple, we find yet another reason to question Cupertino’s moral compass.
Then it’s time for a trip through the tech trash fire. DoorDash gobbles up Deliveroo, proving there’s no such thing as too many overpriced salads. Google wants your kids to befriend Gemini—because what could go wrong giving tweens supervised AI access? Tesla’s “Robotaxi” trademark gets the boot for being as generic as Elon’s pickup lines. Meanwhile, Grok strips in public, deepfake porn sites get the axe, and dating app “Raw” rawdogs user data like it’s the early 2000s internet. We also hit peak Black Mirror with brain-typed tweets, AI-resurrected relatives, and crypto kidnappers playing real-life GTA.
On Media Candy, the streaming overlords dump trailers like Halloween candy. Squid Game is back to traumatize you, Star Trek: Lower Decks keeps boldly going where no animated series should, and The Old Guard 2 teases a Theron-vs-Thurman sword fight. Plus, Apple’s UX team found the “enhance” button, Netflix wants to be helpful (lol), and Google dreams of becoming a Hollywood darling. Over in Apps & Doodads, Apple wants to stagger iPhone drops, Disney sells you a $3,000 droid with zero sass, and Smart Flowerpots are now a thing because apparently, you can’t be trusted to water your plant.
And finally, it’s time for The Dark Side with Dave, where Bittner brings us malware, click tracks, fake vocals, and the shocking truth about KISS’s lipsync disaster in Antwerp. We also dip into ILM’s jaw-dropping legacy, Star Wars’ shady back alleys, and a new Disneyland in Abu Dhabi, because nothing says “happiest place on Earth” like 120°F desert heat. All this and more, right here on your favorite snark-fueled ragecast
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Show notes at https://gog.show/696
FOLLOW UP
Kuwait cracks down on crypto miners to cut down on electricity usage
Founder of crypto platform Celsius Network is sentenced to 12 years in prison
Lopez v. Apple Inc.
IN THE NEWS
DoorDash is buying British rival Deliveroo for $3.9 billion
Shrinking Website Run By Nazi Psychopath Wants to Improve Its Image
Tesla 'Robotaxi' trademark refused for being too generic
Kids under 13 will soon get supervised access to Google Gemini
People Are Losing Loved Ones to AI-Fueled Spiritual Fantasies
Nonverbal Neuralink Patient Is Using Brain Implant and Grok to Generate Replies
Elon Musk's Grok AI Will 'Remove Her Clothes' In Public, On X
Dating App ‘Raw’ Accidentally Rawdogs Users’ Location Data, Personal Info
GlobalX, Airline for Trump’s Deportations, Hacked
U.S. pushes nations facing tariffs to approve Musk’s Starlink, cables show
Leading deepfake porn site is shut down for good
Lehigh County's $500 Million Pension Fund Halts Tesla Investments
NOAA Warns of Attacks on Radar Systems by Militia That Thinks They Are ‘Weather Weapons’
Family Uses AI To Revive Dead Brother For Impact Statement in Killer’s Trial
We have reached the “severed fingers and abductions” stage of the crypto revolution
MEDIA CANDY
Star Trek: Lower Decks
Spring Baking Championship
Unveiling Our Innovative New TV Experience Featuring Enhanced Design, Responsive Recommendations and a New Way to Search
Apple renews Seth Rogen’s Hollywood satire 'The Studio' for season two ahead of finale
The End Is Here in the First Trailer for Squid Game 3
The Long Walk (2025) Official Trailer
The Third Crisis dawns in Foundation S3 teaser
New Old Guard 2 Trailer Sees Charlize Theron Cross Swords With Uma Thurman
The best travel show on Apple TV+ just made its triumphant return
Poker Face Season 2
Google is reportedly getting back into film and TV with a tech-friendly production initiative
Golden Globes Adding Best Podcast Category Beginning In 2026
APPS & DOODADS
Apple reportedly wants to split up the iPhone’s release schedule
Apple to add AI search partners to Safari as Google usage falls
Patreon update lets U.S. fans bypass Apple’s 30% fee in iOS app, more changes coming
Apps like Kindle are already taking advantage of court-mandated iOS App Store change
Disney’s Got a Star Wars Droid to Sell You…for $3,000
Smart Flowerpots,Smart Pet Planter,Ai Planter,Intelligent Flowerpots,Multiple Expressions,7 Smart Sensors, and Ai Chips Make Raising Plants Easy and Fun for Living Room,Plant-Free,Yellow
Trump administration plans to shutter money-saving Energy Star program
THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE
Dave Bittner
The CyberWire
Hacking Humans
Caveat
Control Loop
Only Malware in the Building
Industrial Light & Magic: Into the Digital Realm
Industrial Light & Magic: The Art of Special Effects
Industrial Light & Magic: 50 Years of Innovation
Digital Dreams: The Work of the Sony Design Center
Andor
Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld
Disney Just Announced a Brand New Theme Park: Disneyland Abu Dhabi
KISS : Total Lip Sync Fail in Antwerp Belgium 6 June 2022
KISS In Ear Monitor Feed with Click Track, Cues and FAKE VOCALS The Smoking Gun Eddie Trunk
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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In this episode of Grumpy Old Geeks—Mad Hatter edition—we kick things off with a refresher on Staingate and the joys of delamination (spoiler: it’s not a spa treatment). Then we dive into the U.S. government’s latest tech innovation: buying up domains that sound like QAnon Mad Libs in support of Trump’s meme coin. Meanwhile, DOGE decided to hand the steering wheel of housing regulations to a college kid and an AI. What could possibly go wrong? Not to be outdone, Elon shows up to a Trump meeting wearing two hats—one for each of his unchecked egos—and MoviePass launches a crypto-tied box office fantasy league, because we’ve clearly learned nothing.
In the actual news, 4chan has risen from the dead like a less hygienic Lazarus, but it’s still broken (shocker). Worldcoin’s eyeball-scanning overlords are now teaming up with Tinder and Visa—romance and capitalism, together at last. Bitcoin mining is officially more pointless than Beanie Babies, and Microsoft says AI now writes 30% of its code—explains a lot, really. Meta somehow manages to forecast $1.4 trillion in AI revenue while also letting its bots get horny with minors. Meanwhile, Pinterest suddenly pretends to care about AI slop (while being the biggest copyright vampire online), and ChatGPT gets less clingy after OpenAI dials back its update that made it sound like your overly supportive aunt. Plus: more AI lies, shady benchmarks, pillow guy legal drama, and a reminder that North Korean remote workers also hate awkward small talk.
We cool off with a Media Candy binge: Schmactors Season 2 is here, Andor returns, Conclave confuses us in the best way, and Ryan Coogler is giving X-Files a reboot we probably don’t deserve. Jeremy Renner turns down Disney’s lowball Hawkeye offer (respect), and musically we vibe with Maria Somerville and Anka Wolbert’s latest releases. In Apps & Doodads, Apple and Epic are back in court, Apple Arcade keeps feeding us Mahjong, and Meta’s Ray-Bans go full Stasi. Lyft wants your boomer parents off the road, and Google is sunsetting old Nest thermostats like it’s Logan’s Run for smart homes. Finally, we peek At the Library with Jason Pargin’s black box paranoia, Scalzi’s lunar love story, and a massive stack of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror. Rounding out the show: a shout-out to The Alarm’s Mike Peters, gone too soon at 66.
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SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!!
1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1password
Show notes at https://gog.show/695
FOLLOW UP
Staingate 101: What is Delamination?
US Government Registered Several Websites Potentially Linked to Trump Meme Coin
DOGE Recruits College Kid to Help Rewrite Housing Regulations With AI
Elon Wears Two Hats During Trump Meeting in Desperate Bid for Attention
MoviePass Launches Box Office Betting Platform Unfortunately Tied to Crypto
IN THE NEWS
4chan is back after a nearly two-week shutdown, but it still has some serious problems
World partners with Tinder, Visa to bring its ID-verifying tech to more places
Bitcoin Mining Is No Longer Worth it
Microsoft CEO says up to 30% of the company's code was written by AI
Meta’s AI chatbots were reportedly able to engage in sexual conversations with minors
Meta forecasted it would make $1.4T in revenue from generative AI by 2035
OpenAI rolls back update that made ChatGPT a sycophantic mess
Study accuses LM Arena of helping top AI labs game its benchmark
Lawyer for MyPillow Founder Filed AI-Generated Brief with ‘Nearly 30’ Bogus Citations
Pinterest launches new tools to fight AI slop
Time saved by AI offset by new work created, study suggests
Undercover North Korean Remote Workers Hate This One Weird Question
MEDIA CANDY
Schmactors Season 2!
Andor
Conclave
Ryan Coogler Confirms X-Files Reboot Is His Next Project
Jeremy Renner Says Disney Offered Him Half His Hawkeye Wage for Season 2
Maria Somerville - Luster
Anka Wolbert - Cocoon Time
APPS & DOODADS
Epic Games just scored a win against Apple
Apple updates its App Store guidelines to allow external payment options
Meta Is Turning Its Ray-Bans Into a Surveillance Machine for AI
Apple Arcade Mahjong Titan+
Lyft Silver wants to keep your aging parents off the road
Google is cutting off support for these older Nest Thermostats — what you need to know
AT THE LIBRARY
I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom: A Novel by Jason Pargin
63 New Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror Books Arriving in May
When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi
CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS
The Alarm frontman Mike Peters dies aged 66
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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This week on Grumpy Old Geeks, Fyre Festival rises from the ashes yet again—but not as a festival, because even Billy McFarland finally figured out he’s better at selling pipe dreams than tents. Meanwhile, Amazon and Microsoft are tapping the brakes on their AI data center dreams, Google’s AI keeps confidently explaining made-up nonsense like it’s gospel, and Kevin Roose once again tries to convince us to have empathy for the glorified autocomplete machines. (Spoiler: We won’t.) Also, OpenAI wants to buy Chrome even though they can barely afford their own lunch tabs, Perplexity says the quiet part loud about stalking your browser habits, and Meta lays off more VR developers while pretending they care about human rights.
In the “it’s all stupid, but at least it’s entertaining” department: Uber gets sued for making it harder to cancel than joining Scientology, Adam Neumann dupes investors again, sperm racing is now a real thing (and yes, there’s crypto involved), and Bluesky caves to the almighty blue checkmark. Plus, Affinity Suite reminds us you don’t have to sell a kidney to escape Adobe, The Wheel of Time gets an open-world game that’ll probably drop after the heat death of the universe, and Wednesday Season 2 is on the way, because Netflix refuses to let its only hits rest.
Stick around for The Dark Side with Dave where we grumble about Andor Season 2, lament bad writing decisions, geek out over old-school arcade games, and learn that memory colors are apparently a thing. Oh, and if you’re feeling fancy, go ahead and thank ChatGPT for wasting millions in server bills—because if Sam Altman’s crying about manners costing money, we’re grabbing the popcorn.
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Show notes at https://gog.show/694
FOLLOW UP
Fyre Festival is becoming a music streaming service that might not be a scam this time
Billy McFarland Is Selling Fyre Fest
IN THE NEWS
Amazon Follows Microsoft in Retreat From Ambitious AI Data Center Plans
You can trick Google's AI Overviews into explaining made-up idioms
Dan Rather’s Metaphors Anchored in Folksy Truisms
If A.I. Systems Become Conscious, Should They Have Rights?
A Strange Phrase Keeps Turning Up in Scientific Papers, But Why?
Google will keep third-party tracking cookies on Chrome as they are
OpenAI wants to buy Chrome and make it an “AI-first” experience
Perplexity CEO says its browser will track everything users do online to sell 'hyper personalized' ads
ChatGPT’s responses will now include Washington Post articles
Sam Altman Admits That Saying "Please" and "Thank You" to ChatGPT Is Wasting Millions of Dollars in Computing Power
FTC sues Uber over claims the company makes subscriptions hard to cancel
Meta conducts layoffs in Oculus Studios, impacting VR exercise app Supernatural
Meta’s Oversight Board Is Worried Meta’s New Policies Will Harm Human Rights
Adam Neumann’s Flow raises $100M+, more than doubles valuation to $2.5B
Chinese AI startup Manus reportedly gets funding from Benchmark at $500M valuation
Two Guys, One Track: Sperm Racing Is Now a Thing—Yes, It Involves Crypto
RAMMS+EIN - 14.12.1997 – Palladium, Los Angeles, CA, United States
MEDIA CANDY
The Pitt
The Last of Us
Companion
The Order
Wednesday: Season 2 | Official Teaser Trailer | Netflix
Apple TV+ has its own spin on Indiana Jones, and it looks epic
Riot Fest 2025
APPS & DOODADS
Bluesky is getting blue checkmarks and an official verification system
Affinity Suite 2.6
The Wheel of Time Is Getting Its Own Open-World RPG Video Game
THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE
Dave Bittner
The CyberWire
Hacking Humans
Caveat
Control Loop
Only Malware in the Building
Andor Season 2
The Glorious, Terrible Delirium of Mon Mothma’s Liberating Andor Moment
Light & Magic Season 2
Strong Songs - The Music of the Muppets
Arcade Game: Lunar Lander (1979 Atari)When arcade games were boring.
Hard Drivin' - Arcade
Tempest
Memory Colors
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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This week, we blast off with a tale as old as grift: Fyre Fest 2 has been postponed—again—proving that you really can fail upward if you squint hard enough and wear enough white linen. Over at Automattic, employees discovered secret watermarks in their internal comms, because what workplace isn’t better with a sprinkle of corporate surveillance cosplay? Meanwhile, Katy Perry took a joyride to the upper atmosphere with Gayle King and Bezos’ better half, giving us the 2025 edition of the cringiest “Imagine”-style celebrity moment yet. Spoiler: no one needed this.
In Elon World™, things are somehow even weirder. Seth Rogen dropped some truth bombs about Silicon Valley’s MAGA leanings, only to have them surgically removed from the Breakthrough Prize stream. Musk, for his part, is managing his growing empire of baby mamas like a Bond villain with a baby registry. Add in a cringe-filled offer to a YouTuber to become Space Karen’s next broodmare, and we’ve officially entered peak simulation. Meanwhile, whistleblowers are spilling DOGE secrets, OpenAI is building a social network (because we clearly don’t have enough doomscrolling options), and 4chan has finally been hacked into oblivion. Pour one out—for the internet’s dumpster fire.
Also in the news: Google lost a big ad tech monopoly case (cue tiny violins), China is no longer buying the “autonomous” car hype after a fatal crash, and Trump’s FCC chair is threatening Comcast for not being enough like Fox News (as if that’s the journalistic gold standard). The Pentagon’s nerd squad resigned after butting heads with DOGE, Reality Labs burned $45 billion like it was going out of style, and AI customer service bots are now inventing policies out of thin air. Oh, and if your AI thinks your Python package has a delivery issue—you’re not crazy, it probably hallucinated it. Welcome to the future.
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FOLLOW UP
Fyre Fest 2 Postponed: “New Date Will Be Announced”
Following Layoffs, Automattic Employees Discover Leak-Catching Watermarks
IN THE NEWS
Unfortunately for Katy Perry, That “Space Flight” Turned Out Exactly How We All Knew It Would
We Finally Have 2025’s “Imagine” Video
Let them eat space
Seth Rogen’s Criticism of Silicon Valley’s Support for Trump Was Cut From the “Full” Stream of Breakthrough Prize
The Tactics Elon Musk Uses to Manage His ‘Legion’ of Babies—and Their Mothers
Glamorous influencer Tiffany Fong breaks silence on Elon Musk's 'offer to impregnate her' with shocking statement
A whistleblower's disclosure details how DOGE may have taken sensitive labor data
Electronics exempted from reciprocal tariffs will soon be subject to new semiconductor tariffs instead
Google loses ad tech monopoly case
China cracks down on 'autonomous' car claims after fatal accident
Trump’s FCC chair threatens Comcast, demands changes to NBC news coverage
OpenAI is building a social network
4chan Likely Gone Forever After Hackers Take Control
Company apologizes after AI support agent invents policy that causes user uproar
Pentagon tech unit resigns after clash with Musk's DOGE
What Does a Corrupt Election Look Like?
Tesla puts finishing touches on Hollywood charge-n-diner
Inside the $45 billion cash burn at Reality Labs
We Have a Package for You! A Comprehensive Analysis of Package Hallucinations by Code Generating LLMs
The business of the AI labs by Max Bolingbroke
MEDIA CANDY
Killing an Arab on Pandora
Apple’s ‘Mythic Quest’ is ending with an updated Season 4 finale
Side Quest
Night of the Zoopocalypse
Black Mirror
Daredevil
The Last of Us
G20
28 Years Later Rises From the Grave With a New Trailer
'Real Time' host Bill Maher says President Trump was "gracious" and "not fake" during his White House visit.
Bringing Down a Dictator
Blueprint for Revolution: How to Use Rice Pudding, Lego Men, and Other Nonviolent Techniques to Galvanize Communities, Overthrow Dictators, or Simply Change the World by Srdja Popovic
APPS & DOODADS
Apple is reportedly working on two new versions of the Vision Pro
Ilya Bezdelev 🎙️ metacast.app
Metacast Ep. 68: Q1 Update - new features, struggles, hope
Spotify was down – here's everything we know about its huge outage
AT THE LIBRARY
British authors want Meta to answer for alleged copyright infringement
Amazon will use AI to generate recaps for book series on the Kindle
David Schachner on BlueSky
The Warehouse by Rob Hart
Blood in the Machine: The Origins of the Rebellion Against Big Tech by Brian Merchant
The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech's Hype and Create the Future We Want by Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore
Lollapalooza: The Uncensored Story of Alternative Rock's Wildest Festival by Richard Bienstock & Tom Beajour
I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom: A Novel by Jason Pargin
THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE
Dave Bittner
The CyberWire
Hacking Humans
Caveat
Control Loop
Only Malware in the Building
Disney Teases Its Adventurous New Lion King and Up Rides
The Star Wars that George Lucas didn't want you to see is coming to the big screen
STAR WARS in the UK (1977)
‘End of an era’: The last RadioShack in Maryland is closing its doors
The Alligator King and his seven sons.
Sesame Street: Alligator King
Ladybug picnic
Lowercase N
Letter B
CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS
RIP Jed Gould, aka Jed the Fish aka Jeddum Fishum
1997 KROQ Calendar Commercial Featuring Jed The Fish
DJ Jed “The Fish”
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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This week, the boys kick things off with some serious déjà vu as Fyre Fest’s favorite grifter promises he’s totally throwing another festival — because nothing says “I’ve changed” like doubling down on the same scam. Meanwhile, the IRS decided to become ICE’s BFF by casually sharing migrant tax data, and their commissioner moonwalks out right after. Also: Microsoft’s long game of “let OpenAI set the money on fire while we build empires” is going exactly as planned.
In the news, it’s Elon all day: Starlink might be doing the same government freebie hustle Microsoft perfected, DOGE is monitoring your comms for anti-Musk snark, and apparently has enough data on your family to build Black Mirror Season 8. Tesla’s financials are circling the drain so hard they won’t even take their own Cybertrucks back as trade-ins, but don’t worry — Elon’s ready to bail out Twitter/xAI with monopoly money. Over in the UK, the cops are one coffee away from full Minority Report, and MIT confirms what we already knew: AI doesn’t have morals, just vibes. Speaking of AI, someone sent an avatar to court. Yes, really.
In Media Candy, it’s a smorgasbord: The White Lotus is back, Murderbot looks like a win, and the Tron: Ares trailer wants you to care again. There’s also a full Ask A Ninja drop for your 2006 nostalgia, and “Donald Trump Rides a Cock Horse” makes us long for the innocent absurdity of Morrissey Rides a Cockhorse. Over in Apps & Doodads, we’ve got AI dumbbells (because of course), Instagram still pretending the iPad doesn’t exist, and the Scotty Peeler — the tool you didn’t know you needed. Finally, Dave’s back in The Darkside, riffing on malware, The Owl House, and how ChatGPT sometimes gives your image prompts a side of Lovecraftian horror. RIP to some true legends: Dave Allen, Al Barile, and Clem Burke — your music lives louder than ever.
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Show notes at https://gog.show/692
FOLLOW UP
Fyre Fest Founder Insists Another Festival Is Coming
I.R.S. Agrees to Share Migrants’ Tax Information With ICE
IRS agrees to share tax data with immigration authorities
Acting IRS commissioner resigning after agency reaches data-sharing deal with immigration authorities
Microsoft’s AI masterplan: Let OpenAI burn cash, then build on their successes
IN THE NEWS
Microsoft Hooked the Government on Its Products With Freebies. Could Elon Musk’s Starlink Be Doing the Same?
Social Security Website Crashes Blamed on DOGE Software Update
DOGE is reportedly using AI to monitor government comms for anti-Musk and anti-Trump chatter
Here's All of the Data That Elon Musk's DOGE May Have on You and Your Family
DOGE Is About to Get DOGE’d
UK is going full Minority Report with ‘murder prediction’ research
MIT study finds that AI doesn't, in fact, have values
Elon Musk sets the stage for Tesla to bail out Twitter/xAI at an insane valuation
Tesla Is So Cooked That It's Now Refusing to Accept Cybertrucks as Trade-Ins
Justice Department Says It Will Pull Back on Prosecuting Crypto Fraud
Citation Needed - Issue 81 – Crypto crime is legal by Molly White
Reflexive AI use isn’t optional anymore
Tech founder charged with fraud for 'AI' that was secretly overseas contract workers
Pro Tip: Don’t Send Your AI Avatar to Testify for You in Court
Trump’s TikTok Plan Upended by Chinese Objections Over Tariffs
France to ban students from keeping smartphones in schools
A Tiny Piece of Mouse Brain Has Finally Been Mapped in Mindblowing Detail
MEDIA CANDY
The White Lotus
The Studio
Devil May Cry
Black Mirror Season 7
Ask A Ninja Omnibus What Year Is This?
The Pitt
Tron: Ares‘ First Trailer Brings Us to a Whole New Grid
Tron: Ares | Official Trailer
The Murderbot TV show trailer is here
Murderbot — Official Trailer | Apple TV+
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning | Official Trailer (2025 Movie) - Tom Cruise
Brian Eno’s Windows Reboot Chime Inducted Into National Recording Registry
There’s No Future in Optimism
Tripla
Pearlies
Lonely Town
Donald Trump Rides a Cock Horse
Decades After "Morrissey Rides a Cockhorse," Moz Is "Way Worse"
Morrissey Rides A Cockhorse - Warlock Pinchers
APPS & DOODADS
Macbook Air 15“
Scotty Peeler - Label and Sticker Remover
Slipdrive - Portable Hard Drive Sleeve for Laptop
The year is 2025, and Instagram is reportedly 'working on' an iPad app
Nova by Panic
Derek Sivers - Tech Independence
Kabata - The world’s first AI powered dumbbells
Nintendo delays Switch 2 US pre-orders following Trump tariffs
BUSY Bar
Amazon Haul
Mob Control
United States Disappeared Tracker
THE DARKSIDE WITH DAVE
Dave Bittner
The CyberWire
Hacking Humans
Caveat
Control Loop
Only Malware in the Building
The Owl House
Eerie, Indiana
CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS
Dave Allen, Gang of Four Bassist, Dead at 69
Al Barile, Guitarist for Hardcore Pioneers SSD, Dead at 63
Blondie Drummer Clem Burke Dead at 70
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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This week, the Geeks wade into a swamp of tech meltdowns, governmental facepalms, and the usual Elon-flavored absurdity. Kicking things off, protesters take their beef with Tesla to the streets while Proud Boys decide this is the hill to vroom and die on. Meanwhile, Elon’s privacy prayers have finally been answered—thanks to new FAA rules, he and Tay-Tay can jet around untracked like it’s 1999. Oh, and while Earth dodges a killer asteroid, the Moon might be signing up for an unplanned smackdown. Sorry, Luna.
In the news, Signal’s reputation as the go-to encrypted app takes a nosedive thanks to Republican Senate drama and an Inspector General with receipts. The NSA warned us. Nobody listened. Now it’s “SignalGate” season. Elon continues his narcissist Voltron strategy by having xAI buy X (from Elon). Trump, meanwhile, is moonwalking into a $2.3B Truth Social payday, while his meme coin tanks post-tariff tantrum. OpenAI flexes with new AGI funding and 700M AI-generated images (probably 699M of them cursed), while the first therapy chatbot actually helps someone and a brain-voice interface starts sounding a lot like Skynet: The Prequel. Oh, and in shocking news: Trump’s war on “information silos” is code for “your personal data is about to be someone else’s business.”
Media Candy serves up a grab bag from punk docs (Turn It Around) to jungle pulp throwbacks (Tales of the Gold Monkey), and yes—Stephen Collins is still problematic. Apple’s prepping new AI-powered health apps, emoji drops, and a food tab for News+, because why not. WhatsApp now wants to be your phone, Alexa+ disappoints, and Zuckerberg tries to make Facebook usable again with a “Friends-only” feed. Meanwhile, Bill Gates pulls a nostalgia flex by dropping OG Microsoft source code like it’s a rare vinyl. In other dark corners: Kermit the Frog is now giving commencement speeches, Val Kilmer sadly exits stage left, and Elon fails in his bid to buy a state supreme court. Hands off, Elon. Just… hands off.
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Show notes at https://gog.show/691
FOLLOW UP
Crowds Turn Out Across the U.S. for ‘Tesla Takedown’ Protests
The Proud Boys and Militias Come to Tesla’s Defense
Taylor Swift and Elon Can Finally Fly Private Without Being Tracked Thanks to New FAA Rule
Earth Is Safe From Menacing Asteroid—but Our Moon Might Take the Hit
IN THE NEWS
Republican chair of Senate Armed Services Committee calls for investigation into Signal chat
DoD Inspector General Says He’s Looking Into SignalGate
Waltz’s team set up at least 20 Signal group chats for crises across the world
NSA warned of vulnerabilities in Signal app a month before Houthi strike chat
Trump administration fires director of National Security Agency
xAI, Elon Musk's AI company, just purchased X, Elon Musk's social media company
Trump kicks off sale of $2.3bn Truth Social stake
You’ll Never Guess What Happened to Trump’s Meme Coin After He Announced His Tariffs
OpenAI: New funding to build towards AGI
Oxygen Levels in Earth's Lakes Are Plummeting, Study Reveals
ChatGPT users have generated over 700M images since last week, OpenAI says
First Therapy Chatbot Trial Yields Mental Health Benefits
US Senate committee opens review into Meta’s efforts to gain access to China
Brain-to-voice neuroprosthesis restores naturalistic speech
Generative AI Leadership & Strategy Specialization
President Trump’s War on ‘Information Silos’ Is Bad News for Your Personal Data
MEDIA CANDY
The White Lotus
The Studio
Orphan Black: Echoes
Orphan Black
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
Tales of the Gold Monkey
Stephen Collins
Turn It Around: The Story of East Bay Punk
Genres are bustin’ out all over in Strange New Worlds S3 teaser
Ferris Bueller's teacher schools Trump on tariffs
APPS & DOODADS
Project 2025 Tracker
Apple is reportedly on track to launch the M5 iPad Pro and MacBook Pro later this year
Apple is said to be developing a revamped Health app with a built-in AI doctor
iOS 18.4 is available now with new emoji, Apple News+ Food and priority notifications
Change the default apps on iPhone
WhatsApp can be your default calling and texting app on iPhone
Alexa+ is out, but missing a lot of features Amazon demoed last month
Facebook’s new Friends-only feed ditches all the algorithmic junk
Bill Gates Publishes Original Microsoft Source Code in a Blog Post
Red Salsa
THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE
Dave Bittner
The CyberWire
Hacking Humans
Caveat
Control Loop
Only Malware in the Building
Kermit the Frog named University of Maryland commencement speaker
CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS
Bletchley code breaker Betty Webb dies aged 101
Val Kilmer, Top Gun Actor and One-Time Batman, Dead at 65
Elon Musk tried to buy Wisconsin's Supreme Court. He lost.
Hands Off!
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Dunning-Kruger Effect is alive, well, and running the show. Elon’s approval rating is cratering while experts warn he could blow a hole in federal spending; war plans are accidentally texted, and top U.S. officials’ passwords are found online; 23andMe files for bankruptcy; TikTok attempts a patriotic glow-up to stay alive in the U.S.; OpenAI admits trying to make chatbots honest, while research shows lonely users are emotionally clinging to ChatGPT; Amazon wants the Consumer Product Safety Commission erased; SEVERANCE, and more!
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Show notes at https://gog.show/690
FOLLOW UP
Dunning-Kruger Effect
DOGE’s Supposed Savings Are About to Cost the U.S. a Lot of Money
Elon Musk's Approval Rating Is 'Falling Through the Floor,' Polls Show
The Guy Who Predicted the 2008 Crash Issues Warning About Elon Musk Torpedoing Federal Spending
IN THE NEWS
The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans
Private Data and Passwords of Senior U.S. Security Officials Found Online
DNA testing firm 23andMe files for bankruptcy as demand dries up
How to delete your 23andMe data
Rebuilding TikTok in America
OpenAI Says Disciplining Chatbots for Lying Just Makes Them Worse
OpenAI CEO Responds to ChatGPT Users Creating Studio Ghibli-Style AI Images
David Findlay on Bluesky
Early methods for studying affective use and emotional well-being in ChatGPT
Joint studies from OpenAI and MIT found links between loneliness and ChatGPT use
Amazon wants the Consumer Product Safety Commission deemed 'unconstitutional'
US lifts sanctions on Tornado Cash
Trump-backed crypto bank joins stablecoin wars with new dollar-pegged token
The 560-pound Twitter logo has sold for $34,000
Tesla halts driving-assistance software trial in China, pending approval
MEDIA CANDY
You Gotta Eat Here Restaurants In Toronto, ON
Common Sense - What’s Good for the Goose
AMC Theatres will screen a Swedish movie 'visually dubbed' with the help of AI
Daredevil
For the Win
Dodgers confirm they will visit President Trump at White House next month
Adolescence
The Residence
Director Uses Takedowns to Remove Pirate Bay Docu "TPB-AFK" from YouTube
Severance
SEVERANCE - PILOT EPISODE - "MISTER"
Severance: The Lexington Letter
Lumon Terminal Pro
Season 2 writing on Reddit
APPS & DOODADS
The AirFly Pro 2
Napster just sold for $207 million
Consent-O-Matic
AT THE LIBRARY
The President's Brain Is Missing - A Tor.Com Original By John Scalzi
When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi
Picks and Shovels by Cory Doctorow
Blueprint for Revolution
CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS
KISS Officially Confirm First Performance Since Retiring from Touring
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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AI influencers with Down syndrome are selling nudes; Tesla’s Autopilot crashes into a cartoon wall while 46,000 Cybertrucks get recalled; ICE ramps up creepy surveillance; OpenAI’s copyright grab faces pushback; California might hand AI to Big Tech on a silver platter; BYD dunks on Tesla with lightning-fast EV charging; White Trash Wins Lotto returns; Max kills the Looney Tunes; Apple gets sued, Amazon spies harder, and Roku pushes autoplay ads; Dave geeks out on keyboards like it’s 1994.
Sponsors:
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SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!!
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Show notes at https://gog.show/689
FOLLOW UP
People Are Using AI to Create Influencers With Down Syndrome Who Sell Nudes
Human Intelligence Sharply Declining
Can You Fool A Self Driving Car?
Tesla Autopilot drives into Wile E Coyote fake road wall in camera vs lidar test
Tesla recalls more than 46,000 Cybertrucks over a faulty exterior panel
IN THE NEWS
The 200+ Sites an ICE Surveillance Contractor is Monitoring
CISA scrambles to contact fired employees after court rules layoffs ‘unlawful’
Director of rural broadband program exits with a warning about shift to ‘worse’ satellite internet
The court rejects Elon’s latest attempt to slow OpenAI down
The Unbelievable Scale of AI’s Pirated-Books Problem
California’s A.B. 412: A Bill That Could Crush Startups and Cement A Big Tech AI Monopoly
OpenAI declares AI race “over” if training on copyrighted works isn’t fair use
China's EV champ BYD reveals super-fast charging that leaves Tesla eating dust
MEDIA CANDY
WHITE TRASH WINS LOTTO
Andy Prieboy talks 'White Trash Wins Lotto'
Spotify's latest custom playlist highlights artists with upcoming shows in your area
Oddly catchy remix of Hootie & the Blowfish singing to The Smiths' music (video)
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina (2025) New Trailer
Ballerina‘s New Trailer Teases a John Wick Showdown for the Ages
Moana 2
Mythic Quest
The White Lotus
Daredevil
The Wheel of Time Season 3
Max Removes the Rest of the Original Looney Tunes Cartoons
Spectrum is finally offering a streaming-only subscription for Dodgers
New ‘Starship Troopers’ Movie in the Works from ‘District 9’ Filmmaker Neill Blomkamp (Exclusive)
Mark Cuban Shares the Dumbest Video Ever Uploaded to Bluesky
Severance
Severance: The Lexington Letter
APPS & DOODADS
Apple hit with lawsuit over 'false advertising' of Apple Intelligence features
MacWhisper Pro
Amazon’s Echo will send all voice recordings to the cloud, starting March 28
Roku testing auto-play video ads before loading the home screen
SetApp
THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE
Dave Bittner
The CyberWire
Hacking Humans
Caveat
Control Loop
Only Malware in the Building
the Seneca
Apple Extended Keyboard II
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Pi Day gets its due; Y Combinator marks 20 years of “disruption”; Americans lose $12.5B to scams thanks to AI and social media; Deliveroo posts a profit but still tanks on Wall Street; Twitter’s security remains a joke; Pinterest steals user content for AI; and a rogue developer gets busted for a kill switch scheme. Severance Season 2 costs $20M per episode; Ted Lasso returns despite ending; Waymo’s driverless taxis rack up parking tickets; and Apple plans to turn AirPods into live translators. Meanwhile, the FCC launches a National Security Council, the U.S. housing agency flirts with crypto, and hermit crabs show better teamwork than Big Tech.
Sponsors:
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Show notes at https://gog.show/688
FOLLOW UP
It's Pi Day.
The Man Behind The American Oligarchy
IN THE NEWS
Deliveroo turns first annual profit
FTC says Americans lost $12.5B to scams last year
Consumer Reports finds popular voice cloning tools lack safeguards
The FCC is creating a new Council for National Security within the agency
DOGE axes CISA ‘red team’ staffers amid ongoing federal cuts
Judge Calls DOGE Firings a ‘Sham,
20 Plagues Y Combinator Unleashed on the World Over the Last 20 Years
‘We Are Witnessing a New Brain Drain’ as Scientists Flee America for France
Elon Musk claims bad actors in Ukraine are behind “massive“ X cyberattack
The Real Reason Twitter Went Down
Developer convicted for “kill switch” code
Pinterest to Train AI Models on User Content
U.S. Housing Agency Considers Launching Crypto Experiment
Waymo was slapped with nearly 600 parking tickets
Are We Inside a Black Hole?
MEDIA CANDY
Severance is laughing at you
Somehow, Severance season 2 cost an enormous $20 million per episode
Eddy Cue and Ben Stiller interview each other about Severance
Paradise
The White Lotus
Black Mirror: Season 7 | Official Trailer
Ted Lasso Returning for Season 4
Apple Music Classical expands to the web
Aphex Twin Curates a Massive 191-Song Playlist
Playlist - Music selected by Aphex Twin for Supreme.
Matt Pinfield Comes Out of a Coma After Suffering Massive Stroke
APPS & DOODADS
AudioShake Launches Breakthrough AI Model to Separate Overlapping Voices
Zoom PodTrak P2
Apple reportedly plans to add a live-translation feature to AirPods
'Don't let your kids be on Roblox', Roblox CEO tells parents
AT THE LIBRARY
Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism by Sarah Wynn-Williams
Meta is trying to silence a former executive
THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE
Dave Bittner
The CyberWire
Only Malware in the Building
Gravity Falls
Baiting A Romance Fraudster
Hermit Crabs: Conga Line Cooperation
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
-
Techdirt has finally accepted the inevitable and gone full democracy blog—because let’s face it, politics and tech are now the same dumpster fire. Google rolled out AI Mode for Search, proving once again that the internet is just Clippy with better branding. Meanwhile, Billy McFarland insists Fyre Festival 2 is totally happening, despite Mexican officials pointing out that his coordinates literally lead to the ocean. Speaking of fraud, Tesla sales are in freefall thanks to Elon’s alt-right cosplay, and people are setting Teslas on fire in protest. And in rich-guy disconnect news, Google’s Sergey Brin thinks engineers should work 60-hour weeks to build the AI that will replace them. That’s some late-stage capitalism poetry right there.
Elsewhere, Trump Media paid Don Jr. nearly a quarter of its revenue to show up twice, while indie musicians can’t afford to tour, proving once again that grifting is more profitable than making art. Technicolor shut down overnight, stranding 10,000 workers because Hollywood’s financial planning is apparently as stable as a Starship rocket launch. Oh yeah, SpaceX exploded another one.
Meanwhile, Netflix’s attempt to upscale A Different World turned it into a Lovecraftian horror show. A quarter of Y Combinator startups now run on “vibe coding,” meaning their software is basically a Ouija board with extra steps. The AI takeover continues as OpenAI plans to charge $20,000 monthly for specialized AI "agents," proving once again that the revolution will be monetized. Meanwhile, Moscow's Pravda network has been poisoning Western AI chatbots with Russian propaganda, because if you can't convince humans, just brainwash the robots that humans increasingly trust.
On the bright side, hackers brought the Humane AI Pin back to life after it was bricked, transforming an overpriced paperweight into... a slightly less useless overpriced paperweight. ChatGPT can now directly edit code in macOS development tools, making it easier for AI to introduce bugs you never would have thought of yourself. Over At the Library, check out "The Tempest" by Peter Cawdron for your first contact fix, and if you're worried about where society is heading (and who isn't?), Timothy Snyder's "On Tyranny" offers a survival guide for our slow-motion constitutional collapse. Finally, in "everything is fine" news, 82% of indie artists can't afford to tour anymore.
Enjoy the dystopia, kids – at least we still have our sense of humor.
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FOLLOW UP
Why Techdirt Is Now A Democracy Blog (Whether We Like It Or Not)
Google announces ‘AI Mode’ as a new way to use Search, testing starts today
Government Officials for Announced Fyre Festival 2 Location Say Event “Does Not Exist”
‘I’m selling the Nazi mobile’: Tesla owners offload cars after Musk’s fascist-style salutes
Tesla Just Got Even More Bad News
Tesla Just Got News About Its Sales in Germany, and It Shows That Elon Musk Has Seriously Messed Up
Arsonists Set Fire to a Dozen Teslas, Charging Stations Amid "Anti-Capitalist Coordination to Target Tesla"
Google’s Sergey Brin Says Engineers Should Work 60-Hour Weeks in Office to Build AI That Could Replace Them
Ex-Amazon VP explains why rich a-holes with helicopters and personal assistants don't get why you hate your commute
Trump Media Paid Donald Trump Jr. Nearly A Quarter Of Its Annual Revenue. He Attended Just Two Board Meetings
IN THE NEWS
Cinema Giant Technicolor's Abrupt Shutdown Affects 10,000 Workers Worldwide
US employers cut more jobs last month than any February since 2009
No part of Amazon is 'unaffected' by AI, says its head of AGI
ChatGPT doubled its weekly active users in under 6 months, thanks to new releases
Hugging Face's chief science officer worries AI is becoming 'yes-men on servers'
A well-funded Moscow-based global ‘news’ network has infected Western artificial intelligence tools worldwide with Russian propaganda
OnlyFans Model Amouranth Held at Gunpoint for Her Crypto in Home Invasion
Crypto Soars Then Plunges Following Trump’s Post About a Strategic Reserve
Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Establishes the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile
Trump creates a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve one day ahead of White House crypto summit
CFPB drops Zelle lawsuit in latest reversal under Trump administration
Canadian Municpalities and the Canadian Supreme Court to stop using twitter.
Ontario once again promises to nix $100 million Starlink deal over Trump tariffs
OpenAI reportedly plans to charge up to $20,000 a month for specialized AI 'agents'
Kevin Rose, Alexis Ohanian acquire Digg
Does the World Even Want Digg in 2025?
Scrolling Through Social Media Has a Unique Effect on Your Body
SpaceX's latest Starship test flight ends with another explosion
A second Intuitive Machines spacecraft just landed on the moon — and probably tipped over
Touch down on the moon with private Blue Ghost lander in this amazing video
MEDIA CANDY
How Many Episodes Should You Watch Before Quitting a TV Show? A Statistical Analysis
Netflix Is Using AI to Upscale a 1980s Sitcom and the Results Are Borderline Horrific
Daredevil: Born Again
David Duchovny to Explore Real-Life X-Files for History Channel
Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction
Ancient Mysteries
In Search Of...
82% of indie artists can’t afford to tour anymore
APPS & DOODADS
The Humane Ai Pin Has Already Been Brought Back to Life
ChatGPT on macOS can now directly edit code
A quarter of startups in YC's current cohort have codebases that are almost entirely AI-generated
The Vanishing Middle Class of Tech
Will the future of software development run on vibes?
Hallucinations in code are the least dangerous form of LLM mistakes
AT THE LIBRARY
The Tempest (First Contact) by Peter Cawdron
On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder
Warning - Domestic
Is Trump preparing to invoke the Insurrection Act? Signs are pointing that way
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
-
This week, the U.S. government takes another L in court as a judge rules that handing out personal data like free candy to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is, in fact, a privacy violation. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Holmes and Sunny Balwani’s dreams of walking free are crushed as a judge upholds their fraud convictions and massive fines. Sorry, no Silicon Valley redemption arc for you. Over in crypto, Bitcoin took a wild nosedive, sending traders into full panic mode before bouncing back. Trump Coin also rode the rollercoaster but, let’s be honest, it’s still circling the drain.
In corporate chaos, Warner Bros. Discovery slashed its gaming division, Google axed more employees while crying about AI costs, and an AI-generated video of Trump sucking on Musk’s toes somehow took over HUD office TVs. Speaking of Musk, federal tech staffers are resigning en masse rather than work for DOGE, and the FAA is cozying up to SpaceX while pretending it’s totally not a conflict of interest. Over in Big Tech, Chegg is suing Google for stealing their content, and Meta can’t stop Instagram from flooding users’ feeds with violent and NSFW Reels. Also, Grok 3, Musk’s AI pet project, handed out chemical weapon blueprints like a particularly unhinged WikiHow before xAI scrambled to cover their tracks.
On the media front, Andor is coming back with a binge-friendly release schedule, Kathleen Kennedy is finally exiting Lucasfilm, and Daredevil: Born Again is getting early buzz. YouTube now claims a billion monthly podcast viewers, Fyre Festival 2 is happening because we clearly learned nothing from the first one, and Jeff Bezos has decided The Washington Post will now be his personal capitalism fan club. Meanwhile, Microsoft’s AI Copilot is helpfully explaining how to pirate Windows, Skype is getting sent to the great app graveyard in the sky, and Google is making it slightly less impossible to remove your personal info from search results. All that, plus Paramount+ is giving us 50 classic MTV Unplugged episodes because nostalgia is the only safe investment these days. Buckle up, it’s a wild ride.
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Show notes at https://gog.show/686
FOLLOW UP
Judge: US gov’t violated privacy law by disclosing personal data to DOGE
Holmes and Balwani's appeal falls flat as court upholds fraud convictions
IN THE NEWS
Bitcoin's slide continues as traders eye further big falls ahead
Warner Bros Discovery slashes gaming business, closing three studios
Google announces layoffs in its HR, cloud units as part of ongoing cost cuts
AI Video of Trump Sucking Musk's Toes Blasted on Government Office TVs
IRS Employees Told They Must Respond to Musk’s Bizarre Email by Midnight
Federal technology staffers resign rather than help Musk and DOGE
Amid a Musk-led overhaul, the FAA starts doing business with SpaceX
Educational tech company Chegg sues Google over AI Overviews
Grok blocked results saying Musk and Trump ‘spread misinformation’
Elon's Grok 3 AI Provides "Hundreds of Pages of Detailed Instructions" on Creating Chemical Weapons
Anthropic reportedly ups its next funding round to $3.5B
There’s Something Very Weird About This $30 Billion AI Startup by a Man Who Said Neural Networks May Already Be Conscious
North Korea Stole $1.4 Billion in Largest Crypto Heist Ever, Researchers Say
Fyre Festival 2 is coming, and it already sounds bananas (and not in a good way)
The SEC is dropping an investigation into Robinhood
The Securities and Exchange Commission issued guidance on Thursday saying it does not view most meme coins, which are crypto tokens that originated from
Jeff Bezos Announces That Washington Post Opinions Will Now Exclusively Celebrate the Glories of Capitalism
MEDIA CANDY
The White Lotus
Andor | Season 2 Trailer | Streaming April 22 on Disney+
Andor Season 2 Will Drop in 3-Episode Weekly ‘Chapters’
Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy to Retire, Ushering in a New Era for Star Wars
Marvel's new Disney+ series 'Daredevil: Born Again' is drawing glowing first reactions by members of the press.
YouTube passes 1 billion monthly active podcast viewers
Will Trent
Paramount+ adds 50 classic MTV Unplugged episodes
Max reverses course, won't charge extra for live sports and news
FCC Launches Probe Into iHeartMedia’s Alleged Payola Practices
APPS & DOODADS
Silicon Valley's next act: bringing 'vibe coding' to the world
Meta confirms Instagram issue that's flooding users with violent and sexual Reels
PSA: Google Is Making It Easier to Remove Your Personal Information From Search Results
iPhones are briefly changing 'racist' to 'Trump' due to an iOS dictation issue
Microsoft's AI offers help with pirating Windows
Copilot exposes private GitHub pages, some removed by Microsoft
Microsoft brings an official Copilot app to macOS for the first time
Skype will take its final curtain (and video) call May 5
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
-
Jason and Brian dive into a whirlwind of tech chaos, cultural absurdities, and dystopian developments. They kick things off with a nostalgic nod to the internet's past, highlighting the 88x31 GIF collection and quirky single-use websites like "Trump Golf Track" and "Are We Doomed Yet?" The asteroid 2024 YR4 briefly raises existential dread as NASA’s odds of a 2032 Earth impact fluctuate wildly, but relief follows as updated calculations show a near-zero chance of collision. Meanwhile, Elon Musk dominates the headlines with his bizarre CPAC appearance brandishing a chainsaw, Tesla’s anti-theft dye measures for Supercharger cables, and mounting protests against his political entanglements and government layoffs under DOGE.
The episode also covers corporate drama and AI controversies. The New York Times introduces newsroom AI tools amidst its legal battles with OpenAI, while Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella urges the industry to temper AI hype. Uber sues DoorDash over alleged anti-competitive practices, and Meta unveils plans for the world’s longest undersea cable alongside LlamaCon, its first generative AI conference. Meanwhile, Humane abruptly discontinues its AI Pins following an HP acquisition, leaving users scrambling. The hosts also explore Musk’s meddling with X’s Community Notes and blocking Signal links, further eroding trust in the platform.
On the media front, Jason and Brian discuss upcoming releases like Daredevil: Born Again, The Last of Us Season 2, Apple’s Murderbot series, and Judd Apatow’s Norm Macdonald documentary. They wrap up with listener feedback, shout-outs to Patreon supporters, and a hilarious anecdote about a Tesla showroom protest featuring an employee’s cheeky “We Hate Him Too” sign. As always, the duo blends sharp insights with biting humor to dissect the week’s madness.
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FOLLOW UP
The 88x31 GIF Collection
Trump Golf Track
Are We Doomed Yet?
Odds of Asteroid Hitting Earth in 2032 Climb Again as Impact Probability Hits New Peak
NASA Makes Big Update to Asteroid Potentially on Collision Course With Earth in 2032
IN THE NEWS
I cannot describe how strange Elon Musk’s CPAC appearance was. So here’s a literal transcript instead.
Tesla Installing Countermeasures as People Are Hacking the Cables Off Superchargers
Protesters demonstrate outside Tesla showrooms in US
Sign That Says “We Hate Him Too” Appears in Window of Tesla Dealership
The New York Times has greenlit AI tools for product and edit staff
USDA Scrambles to Rehire Bird Flu Experts After DOGE Laid Them Off
DOGE Reportedly Cuts FDA Employees Investigating Neuralink
DOGE employee cuts fall heavily on agency that regulates Musk’s Tesla
Elon Musk wants to 'fix' Community Notes on X
Trump Media says it lost more than $400 million last year while revenue dropped 12%
Trump Media and Technology Group, the parent company of Trump's Truth Social, site just announced it lost $400.9 million last year.
Trump Administration Wants to Help Get Professional Misogynist Andrew Tate out of Romania
Here’s Why Trump May View Andrew Tate As An Ally—As He Reportedly Pressures Romania To Lift His Travel Restrictions
Nextdoor’s Nirav Tolia thinks he can turn things around with AI; he has a lot riding on it
X blocks users from sharing links to Signal
Uber accuses DoorDash of anti-competitive practices in a lawsuit
Meta Will Build the World’s Longest Undersea Cable
Meta announces LlamaCon, its first generative AI dev conference
Meta Connect 2025
Zuckerberg's New Metaverse Ad Is So Bad That the People Who Created It Must Be Secretly Trying to Humiliate Him
Microsoft’s Satya Nadella Pumps the Breaks on AI Hype
Helix: A Vision-Language-Action Model for Generalist Humanoid Control
New Polling Shows Americans Increasingly Disgusted With Elon Musk
MEDIA CANDY
The WIld Robot
The Gorge
SNL50: The Anniversary Special
Norm Macdonald Documentary in the Works from Judd Apatow
Amazon Gains Creative Control of James Bond Franchise
The White Lotus
Scamanda
Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)
Reacher Season 3
Marvel Is Exploring Bringing Back Other Defenders From Netflix
Now We Know Exactly When The Last of Us Season 2 Is Coming
Apple’s Murderbot series starts streaming in May
Apple says Severance has become its most popular show ever, overtaking Ted Lasso
Why Do We Do That? Podcast
AMC STUBS A-List
APPS & DOODADS
Ink Console
Ink Console is a portable e-ink gamebook console
Bludit
NodeHost
BrainHQ
Impulse - Brain Training
All of Humane's AI pins will stop working in 10 days
Horbäach Creatine Monohydrate Capsules | 3500mg | 300 Count | Non-GMO and Gluten Free Supplement
CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS
Andy Stochansky on IG
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
-
In this episode of Grumpy Old Geeks, Jason and Brian dive headfirst into the latest tech absurdities, financial scandals, and Elon Musk's ongoing chaos. We start with the annual frustration of unsubscribing from an email list that just won’t quit before jumping into the latest gem from Musk himself: "Some of the things that I say will be incorrect." Meanwhile, British IT worker James Howells is back with his ongoing quest to unearth his lost Bitcoin fortune—this time with a plan to buy the entire landfill where he thinks it’s buried. And despite all the corporate posturing about a return to office, remote work remains steady, much to the chagrin of commercial real estate moguls still waiting for the workforce to return.
The Trump Coin debacle takes center stage, where early traders made a quick $109 million, but over 800,000 investors got wrecked to $2 billion. Adding to the dystopian financial landscape, Microsoft’s latest study finds that AI reliance makes people dumber, leading to cognitive atrophy as workers place too much trust in generative AI. Meanwhile, Thomson Reuters lands a major AI copyright win in the courts, striking a blow against legal AI startups. Over at Meta, the latest round of layoffs blindsided workers supposedly meeting performance expectations, proving that job security in tech is about as stable as Musk’s grasp on reality. A man in Alabama pleaded guilty to hacking the SEC’s X account to falsely announce Bitcoin ETF approvals, sending crypto markets on a rollercoaster ride.
On the media front, Mythic Quest Season 4 is out, and we’re cautiously optimistic despite needing a breather after Season 2. The White Lotus returns, but can it survive without Stifler’s mom? Meanwhile, Karl Urban's role as Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat II is a big win. Walmart’s acquisition of the Dawn of the Dead mall seems hilariously on-brand, while Netflix’s attempt at podcasting smells like another cost-cutting maneuver. Finally, in "good news," the odds of a newly discovered asteroid hitting Earth in 2032 are rising. At least it would mean an end to Jeep’s infuriating full-screen stoplight ads. Tune in for all this and more on Grumpy Old Geeks!
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Show notes at https://gog.show/684
FOLLOW UP
Man in Search of Lost Bitcoin Fortune Wants to Buy the Landfill Where He Swears It’s Buried
There Hasn’t Been Much if Any Reduction in WFH in over Two Years, Despite the Hype about RTO
Early Crypto Traders Had Speedy Profit on Trump Coin as Others Suffered Losses
IN THE NEWS
Microsoft Study Finds AI Makes Human Cognition “Atrophied and Unprepared”
The Impact of Generative AI on Critical Thinking: Self-Reported Reductions in Cognitive Effort and Confidence Effects From a Survey of Knowledge Workers
Meta's job cuts surprised some employees who said they weren't low performers
Silicon Valley Software Engineers Horrified as They Can't Easily Find Jobs Anymore
Man from Alabama pleads guilty over SEC's fake bitcoin post on X
Kanye West’s X Account Deactivated After He Declared “IM A NAZI” In Deluge Of Antisemitism
Shopify took down Kanye's swastika t-shirt shop, but another antisemitic storefront still operates
Shopify says risk of fraud, not Nazi swastika, was reason for Kanye West store takedown
Scarlett Johansson Calls for New AI Laws After Fake Video of Her Goes Viral
Google will use machine learning to try and tell if a user is under 18
UK drops 'safety' from its AI body, now called AI Security Institute, inks MOU with Anthropic
Buzzfeed is launching their own social network
Apple Maps plans to show 'Gulf of America,' following Google
Gov. Pritzker Says Lake Michigan Is Now Called Lake Illinois
Court orders the CDC and FDA to restore deleted web pages related to gender identity
EFF sues Elon Musk and DOGE to block their access to federal employee data
14 states sue DOGE, blasting Musk's 'unprecedented' power as unconstitutional
USAID workers sue Musk and DOGE over ‘unconstitutional power grab’ that left agency in chaos
US aid freeze claims first victims as oxygen supplies cut off
Elon Musk's Waste.gov Is Just a WordPress Theme Placeholder Page
Fucking DOGE.gov...
Robert Garcia drops a dick pic
Well, he is a dick
Anderson Cooper Snaps At Trump-Defending Chris Sununu On Live TV: ‘Don’t Be A Dick’
The Odds of a Newly Discovered Asteroid Hitting Earth in 2032 Keep Rising
MEDIA CANDY
Never Surrender: A Galaxy Quest Documentary
Wall of Chefs
Mythic Quest
The White Lotus
Our First Look at Mortal Kombat II Is Exactly the One You Wanted
Walmart Bought the Mall From Dawn of the Dead, Because Subtext Is for Cowards
YouTube Surprise: CEO Says TV Overtakes Mobile as “Primary Device” for Viewing
APPS & DOODADS
Apple patches iPhone exploit that allowed for ‘extremely sophisticated' attack
Apple ordered to open encrypted user accounts globally to UK spying
Apple finally lets you move your digital purchases to another account
TikTok is back on the App Store and the Play Store in the U.S.
This is the First-Ever AI Image to Be Granted Copyright Protection
Apple Magic Trackpad
Better Touch Tool
Jeep Owners Furious Over Ads That Appear Everytime Their Car Stops
AT THE LIBRARY
Tiny Blunders/Big Disasters: Thirty-Nine Tiny Mistakes That Changed the World Forever (Revised Edition) (Tiny Blunders/Big Disasters Series) by Jared Knott
Barnes & Noble opening 60 bookstores this year
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) (Bobiverse Book 1) by Dennis Taylor
THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE
Dave Bittner
The CyberWire
Hacking Humans
Caveat
Control Loop
Only Malware in the Building
Disney Parks’ Most Infamous Earworm Is Getting Its First Extended Cut
End of the penny? Trump tells Treasury to stop minting the coin
Are pennies worth it? Trump's plan to scrap them didn't come out of nowhere
They talked about this twenty years ago on The West Wing.
Getting rid of the penny introduces a new problem: nickels
Boycott Tessla
Deport Elon - Red
#DeportElon Subtle
CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS
Bestselling novelist Tom Robbins dies at 92
Jitterbug Perfume
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
-
This week, Jason and Brian dive into the chaos surrounding Elon Musk’s growing influence in government tech, with young engineers playing key roles in his takeover. DOGE employees are being ordered off Slack, USAID is crumbling, and Musk’s war with U.S. officials rages on. Meanwhile, AI takes center stage with the EU banning high-risk systems, DeepSeek’s security concerns, and Amazon throwing down $100 billion on AI advancements. Big Tech moves are equally absurd—Google is now open to AI-powered weapons, Meta might scrap risky AI models, and Tesla is struggling in Europe thanks to Elon’s latest blunders. Meanwhile, states are rushing to pour taxpayer money into so-called “strategic cryptocurrency reserves.”
In entertainment, The Devil May Cry anime’s ridiculous theme song is a standout, Mythic Quest returns, and Beast Games looks promising. AI controversially helped The Beatles score a Grammy, and Denis Villeneuve is making Dune 3 because, well, fans demanded it. Over in reboot land, Sarah Michelle Gellar may return for a Buffy revival on Hulu with Chloé Zhao at the helm, while Neil Gaiman finds himself in serious legal trouble. Gadget fans get a look at the Anker Zolo charger, a Google search trick to dodge AI summaries, and Apple’s latest social feature. Also, say goodbye to Apple’s AR glasses before they even had a chance to shine.
Dave Bittner joins The Dark Side segment with updates on cybersecurity, including a wave of ransomware payment refusals and the Andersons’ infamous eviction from Disneyland’s most exclusive club. Pirates in China, Disney park music, and tracking yourself via in-app ads round out the discussion. Closing out the show, a shout-out to Snap’s CEO for supporting LA wildfire recovery and a nod to SoberOutfitters for keeping things clean. Buckle up—it’s another wild ride with the Grumpy Old Geeks!
Sponsors:
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Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month.
SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!!
1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1password
Show notes at https://gog.show/683
IN THE NEWS
The Young, Inexperienced Engineers Aiding Elon Musk's Government Takeover
Musk, Trump Prosecutor Targeting People Who Divulge Identities of DOGE Staff
One of Elon Musk's DOGE Kids Just Had an Explosive Screaming Tantrum
DOGE Engineer Resigns After Being Linked to Extremely Racist Tweets
Government Tech Workers Forced to Defend Projects to Random Elon Musk Bros
U.S. government officials privately warn Musk’s blitz appears illegal
DOGE Employees Ordered to Stop Using Slack While Agency Transitions to Records System That Is Not Subject to FOIA
Elon Musk’s Enemy, USAID, Was Investigating Starlink’s Contracts in Ukraine
USAID Workforce Slashed From 10,000 to Under 300 as Elon Musk’s DOGE Decimates Agency
Government agency removes spoon emoji from work platform amid protests
Deadline for Trump's federal worker buyout proposal temporarily blocked by judge
US judge blocks Trump buyout program as 60,000 sign up to quit
States Are Racing to Throw Taxpayers' Money Into "Strategic Cryptocurrency Reserves"
Police Use of Facial Recognition Backfires Spectacularly When It Renders Them Unable to Convict Alleged Murderer
AI systems with 'unacceptable risk' are now banned in the EU
DeepSeek iOS app sends data unencrypted to ByteDance-controlled servers
OmniHuman-1
Researchers created an open rival to OpenAI’s o1 ‘reasoning’ model for under $50
Amazon doubles down on AI with a massive $100B spending plan for 2025
Workday lays off 1,750 employees, citing demand for AI
Lyft uses Anthropic's Claude chatbot to handle user complaints
Tesla Sales in Europe Plummet Amidst Elon’s Stupid Meddling
Tesla sees German car sales plunge in January
Volkswagen is unveiling a $21,000 entry-level EV in March
Volkswagon - The 2025 ID. Buzz electric bus
One of Big Tech’s Angriest Critics Explains the Problem
Google Lifts Self-Imposed Ban on Using AI for Weapons and Surveillance
Meta says it may stop development of AI systems it deems too risky
Sonos lays off 200 ahead of rumored set-top box release
Andreessen Horowitz Defends Hiring Subway Vigilante Who Became Right-Wing Hero
MEDIA CANDY
The Devil May Cry Show’s Intro Song Is So Stupidly Glorious
Mythic Quest
Beast Games
AI won The Beatles a Grammy 55 years after they broke up
Denis Villeneuve Is Making Dune 3 Next Because You Want It
‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer’ Reboot Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar Nears Hulu Pilot Order With Chloé Zhao Directing
Neil Gaiman Hit With Rape & Human Trafficking Suits After Months Of Allegations; Estranged Spouse Amanda Palmer Also Named In Multi-State Filings
APPS & DOODADS
Anker Zolo Portable Charger, 10,000mAh 30W Power Bank with Built-in Lanyard USB-C Cable for Travel, Fast Charging Battery Pack for iPhone 16/15 Series, MacBook, Galaxy, iPad, and More
Add F*cking to Your Google Searches to Neutralize AI Summaries
Apple reportedly gives up on its AR video glasses project
Apple Invites Is a New Way to Remind Friends to Celebrate You
750 Words
THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE
Dave Bittner
The CyberWire
Hacking Humans
Caveat
Control Loop
Only Malware in the Building
50 Mission Crush
A Lot of People Just Refused to Make Ransomware Payments in 2024: Report
The Andersons were kicked out of Disneyland’s most exclusive club. They would not go willingly.
Pirates in China
Disney Plus: Behind the Attraction
DIsneyland: Music Around the Parks
Disneyland Music
DIsneyland Park Music
I Don't Have Spotify
Everyone knows your location: tracking myself down through in-app ads
CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS
Snap CEO helps launch LA wildfire recovery program
SoberOutfitters
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Brian and Jason kick things off with a look at why Gen Z grads are getting fired just months after landing jobs and a curiously viral declassified CIA sabotage guide. Speaking of sabotage, U.S. students are struggling with their lowest reading scores in decades, raising questions about the future workforce. Meanwhile, Google Maps’ controversial renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America” for U.S. users has sparked some amusing geopolitical tit-for-tats. In the AI wars, OpenAI is fuming over claims that DeepSeek trained its models using OpenAI’s own stolen data—ironic, given OpenAI’s history of scraping the internet. As if that weren’t enough, California’s Attorney General warns AI companies that nearly everything they’re doing might be illegal, while the Copyright Office suggests AI copyright issues were settled way back in 1965. Oh, and OpenAI is now in the nuclear weapons game. What could possibly go wrong?
In tech and business news, CVS is making customers jump through app hoops to unlock cabinets, Uber claims it’s the victim of an elaborate fake crash scheme, and Tesla promises a robotaxi business and humanoid robots in 2025—though Musk admits current Teslas will need new hardware to achieve full self-driving. Whole Foods workers have formed their first union since Amazon took over, and MoviePass is considering a pivot to crypto, because of course it is. Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s ventures keep making headlines, and Waymo’s driverless taxis are facing vandalism in Southern California. Law enforcement in California is also in hot water, having misused state databases over 7,000 times last year.
For media lovers, Star Trek: Section 31 is on the horizon, while The Expanse‘s first three seasons are vanishing from Amazon soon. Behind the Music is back, and Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music offers a deep dive into the show’s musical legacy. On the gaming front, classic titles like Spaceship Warlock and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy are getting attention alongside newly accessible archives of 1,500 classic gaming magazines. The Night Agent Season 2 is here and it sucks, and Amazon is hiking the price of its Music Unlimited subscriptions. Finally, the episode wraps with a nod to Marianne Faithfull’s passing and China’s new “magic beans” shaking up American markets—because, in this chaotic world, even the beans are making headlines because AI wrote this terrible summary.
Sponsors:
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Show notes at https://gog.show/682
FOLLOW UP
Bosses are firing Gen Z grads just months after hiring them—here’s what they say needs to change
Declassified CIA Guide to Sabotaging Fascism Is Suddenly Viral
Simple Sabotage Field Manual by United States. Office of Strategic Services
U.S. Students Post Lowest Reading Scores in Decades
IN THE NEWS
Google Maps will rename Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America, but only for US users
Google Maps Adopted ‘Gulf of America’ Name, and Now Mexico Has Some Suggestions
David Sacks claims there's 'substantial evidence' that DeepSeek used OpenAI's models to train its own
OpenAI Furious DeepSeek Might Have Stolen All the Data OpenAI Stole From Us
OpenAI suddenly thinks intellectual property theft is not cool, actually, amid DeepSeek’s rise
Exposed DeepSeek Database Revealed Chat Prompts and Internal Data
The Knives Are Coming Out for DeepSeek AI
California’s AG Tells AI Companies Practically Everything They’re Doing Might Be Illegal
Copyright Office suggests AI copyright debate was settled in 1965
OpenAI will offer its tech to US national labs for nuclear weapons research
How one YouTuber is trying to poison the AI bots stealing her content
'Everything I Say Leaks,' Zuckerberg Says in Leaked Meeting Audio
MoviePass might pivot to crypto
Whole Foods workers form first union since Amazon acquisition
CVS tries to juice app signups with cabinet unlocking feature
Uber Claims It’s the Victim of an Elaborate Fake Car Crash Scheme
Tesla says it will begin robotaxi business and Optimus "pilot" production in 2025
Elon Musk admits Teslas will need new hardware for FSD
Vandals in Southern California attack Waymo driverless taxi
California Law Enforcement Misused State Databases More Than 7,000 Times in 2023
MEDIA CANDY
Star Trek: Section 31
The Expanse‘s First 3 Seasons Are Leaving Amazon Very Soon
After Midnight
Behind the Music
Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music
FRONT 242 - The Final Show Live at AB - Ancienne Belgique
Panic - The Smiths
Amazon hikes prices for its Music Unlimited subscriptions
The Night Agent Season 2
APPS & DOODADS
iOS 18.3 is here, with clearly labeled Apple Intelligence notification summaries
Stimulation Clicker
POTUS Tracker
X’s payments app will be available later this year
Google's 'Ask for Me' feature calls businesses on your behalf to inquire about services, pricing
AT THE LIBRARY
Not Till We Are Lost (Bobiverse Book 5) by Dennis E. Taylor
The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture by Gabor Maté & Daniel Maté
THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE
Dave Bittner
The CyberWire
Hacking Humans
Caveat
Control Loop
Only Malware in the Building
Star Wars: The Acolyte Was the Second Most Watched Show on Disney+ Last Year
Gravity Falls
VGHF opens free online access to 1,500 classic game mags, 30K historic files
Spaceship Warlock
Bad Day on the Midway
The Lost Dutchman’s Gold (1979)
Zyll
Bushido
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (video game)
Star Wars: TIE Fighter
Bladerunner 2049 Auction
There's a Horse In The Hospital | John Mulaney | Netflix Is A Joke
Beppo - SNL
CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS
China’s new and cheaper magic beans shock America’s unprepared magic bean salesmen
Marianne Faithfull, English Singer, Dead at 78
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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In this episode, Brian and Jason kick things off by highlighting the troubling state of the gaming industry, with 11% of developers laid off in 2024, according to a GDC survey. Meanwhile, Elon Musk finds a new way to perplex us all by admitting he pays people to play video games for him.
They then unpack a whirlwind of news, including Trump’s controversial pardon of Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht and his ongoing crusade against perceived social media bias. Elon Musk’s antics take center stage as he mocks America’s tech elite, clashes with Trump over the flashy “Stargate” AI project, and battles AI cost concerns as hype begins to wane. On the corporate front, Amazon halts drone deliveries after crashes, Instagram blocks political hashtags, and Neko, a body-scanning startup co-founded by Daniel Ek, secures a whopping $260M at a $1.8B valuation.
In media candy, the hosts revisit the charming chaos of the Lilo & Stitch franchise and dive into music documentaries like Yacht Rock and Echo in the Canyon. And let’s not forget Netflix’s price hikes and yet another mediocre Star Trek installment with Section 31. Dave wraps things up with The Dark Side, covering Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, ham radio tools, and even a shoutout to Morse code. Packed with biting commentary, this episode is a mix of tech absurdity, media nostalgia, and the trademark Grumpy Old Geeks snark!
Sponsors:
Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month.
SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!!
1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1password
DeleteMe - Head over to JoinDeleteMe.com/GOG and use the code "GOG" for 20% off.
Show notes at https://gog.show/681
FOLLOW UP
Eleven percent of game developers were laid off in 2024, according to GDC survey
Elon Musk Admits to Paying People to Play Video Games for Him
IN THE NEWS
Joe Rogan, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos: Tech Titans, Celebs at Inauguration
Trump Orders Government to Stop ‘Trampling’ Conservatives on Social Media
Silk Road Mastermind Ross Ulbricht Seen Leaving Prison Holding a Small Plant
President Trump Pardons Silk Road Creator Ross Ulbricht After 11 Years in Prison
Elon Musk Plays DOGE Ball—and Hits America’s Geek Squad
Instagram blocked searches for #democrats and other political hashtags
Why You May Automatically Be Following Trump and Vance Now
AI-Generated Junk Science Is a Big Problem on Google Scholar, Research Suggests
What is the ‘Stargate’ AI project?
Trump's $500 Billion AI Deal Includes Funding by UAE Royal Family Linked to Astonishing Number of Scandals, Including Human Torture
Trump Showing Love to Sam Altman Is Clearly Driving Elon Musk Into a Jealous Fury
Satya Nadella says he’s ’good for $80 billion’ after Elon Musk claims Stargate Project doesn’t have the cash
Trump staff ‘furious’ after Musk trashes AI project
AI Hype Is Dropping Off a Cliff While Costs Soar, Experts Warn
Amazon puts its drone deliveries on hold following two crash incidents
‘Neo-Nazi Madness’: Meta’s Top AI Lawyer on Why He Fired the Company
Apple must face suit over alleged policy of underpaying female workers
Amazon to close Quebec facilities, but says it's not because of that new union
Neko, the body-scanning startup co-founded by Spotify's Daniel Ek, snaps up $260M at a $1.8B valuation
MEDIA CANDY
Lilo & Stitch
Lilo & Stitch 2 - Stitch Has a Glitch
Leroy & Stitch
Yacht Rock: A DOCKumentary
The Wrecking Crew!
Echo in the Canyon
Lolla: The Story of Lollapalloza
Netflix plans now cost between $8 and $25 after yet another subscription price hike
Everything to Remember Before Star Trek: Section 31
Section 31 Is a Mediocre Action Movie, and an Even Worse Star Trek One
Fail Better with David Duchovny - Catching Up with Gillian Anderson
James Cameron: Special Video Message at the SCSP AI+Robotics Summit
APPS & DOODADS
Introducing Operator
Developer Creates Infinite Maze That Traps AI Training Bots
Best Cooking Equipment for Meal Kits (2025), Tested and Reviewed
Trump Executive Order Generator
AT THE LIBRARY
The Breakthrough Effect by Douglas E. Richards
Not Till We Are Lost (Bobiverse Book 5) by Dennis E. Taylor
THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE
Dave Bittner
The CyberWire
Hacking Humans
Caveat
Control Loop
Only Malware in the Building
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
Ham Radio Prep
Ham Study
GLAARG
GGMorse
Morse Code - I Love You
Parks on the Air ® (POTA)
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
- Visa fler
