Hands-On Tech 286: Shutting Down vs. Restarting Your Windows PC

On this week's Hands-On Tech, Lorraine asks Mikah whether her husband or her daughter is right about the difference between shutting down and restarting a Windows PC, and how often she should be restarting her computer and phone. Send in your questions for Mikah to [email protected], and he'll answer them in a future episode! Host: Mikah Sargent Download or subscribe to Hands-On Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord. Sponsors: trustedtech.team/twit joindeleteme.com/twit-biz

This week it's Rod and Tariq working through the most important space headlines. The big story: Starship could launch test flight 14 as early as Monday the 28th. We've seen lots of tests, but this is the first attempt at an orbital flight, the success of which is necessary for the lunar landing system and eventual retirement of the Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon. Also: Vast starts up a lunar division, Isaacman's relief over delays to China's lunar program, concerns over announced discontinuation of SpaceX's Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon, and yet more money for Boeing's troubled Starliner. This and more on this episode of TWiS! Headlines: SpaceX Prepares for Big Starship Flight 14 Launch Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon Proposed Wind-down Sparks Industry Jitters Starship's Role as Future Space Habitat Gains Traction Industry Faces Uncertainty as Falcon 9 Phaseout Looms Boeing Starliner and Alternative Crew Vehicles in Focus SpaceX's Massive Louisiana Expansion Announced Jared Isaacman Comments on China's Lunar Delays U.S. and China Jostle for Lunar Leadership Vast Unveils Lunar Habitat and Surface System Ambitions ESA's JUICE and Ramses Missions Headline Upcoming Science NASA Selects PRIMA Probe for Far-Infrared Astrophysics New Study Details Disastrous Global Ice Loss Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: trustedtech.team/twit coveron.com/thisweekinspace and use code thisweekinspace threatlocker.com/twit

Dan Moren of Six Colors joins the show this week! Meta's Muse has a zero-day vulnerability. Rat brains can power an AI model? Why are we hearing more about AI agents escaping their testing environments? And Meta's new VR glasses. Dan talks about a new zero-day exploit that affects Meta's Muse AI agent, which allows an app or terminal command that can impersonate the AI agent and easily gain access to users' messages, emails, and other sensitive data. Mikah is amazed at the Biological Computing Company's new AI video model that was built from patterns utilizing lab-grown rat neurons. Mikah walks through The Verge's report on why researchers can't simply air-gap AI agents that keep escaping test environments and hitting real-world targets. And Scott Stein of CNET joins the show live from Meta's Headquarters to share his hands-on impressions of Meta's new VR glasses that were unveiled at this year's Meta Connect event. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Dan Moren Guest: Scott Stein Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: trustedtech.team/twit horizon3.ai/technews outsystems.com/twit framer.com/tnw

Think you know PowerToys? This episode uncovers new tools and features that quietly transform daily Windows 11 workflows and might just solve problems you didn't realize were fixable. Host: Paul Thurrott Download or subscribe to Hands-On Windows at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-windows Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord. Sponsors: trustedtech.team/twit canary.tools/twit - use code: TWIT

Tired of waiting for your favorite gym, library, or coffee shop to offer digital cards? With iOS 27, you can finally make your own custom Apple Wallet passes for any barcode or QR code, no third-party apps needed. • Physical loyalty cards now easily added to Apple Wallet with iOS 27 • "Create a Pass" feature lets users digitize any barcode or QR code • Three wallet pass templates: Standard, Membership, and Event • Apple Intelligence enables automatic code scanning on supported iPhones • Passes can include color themes, icons, member info, and custom fields • Sharing passes with family members now possible • Using wallet passes on iPhone and Apple Watch at checkout Host: Mikah Sargent Download or subscribe to Hands-On Apple at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-apple Want access to the ad-free audio and video and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord. Sponsors: trustedtech.team/twit threatlocker.com/twit

The 2026 CEDIA Expo was held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, and there was a LOT to see—so much, in fact, that Home Theater Geeks will devote three episodes to covering it! Mike Heiss and Joe Klusnick were there and join Scott Wilkinson to discuss what they saw and heard. In Part 2, we focus on audio products. Host: Scott Wilkinson Guests: Joe Klusnick and Michael Heiss Download or subscribe to Home Theater Geeks at https://twit.tv/shows/home-theater-geeks Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord. Sponsor: trustedtech.team/twit

Apple's new Siri AI is finally turning digital assistant hype into real, practical power, letting users speak naturally and control their apps in ways that were impossible a year ago. Matthew Cassinelli, a Siri automation expert, is here to break down what's genuinely working, what's missing, and why this matters for your iPhone right now. Early experiences: Siri's improved world knowledge and real-time actionability Developer shift: New Siri relies on app actions and App Intents for integration Beta rollout details: Supported devices, region restrictions, language support Apple's foundation models, on-device AI, and privacy-focused execution App actions at launch, incoming third-party app support, and developer adoption hurdles Siri AI's limitations: Domains not supported and why Technical evolution: Transition from SiriKit to App Intents framework and its challenges for devs NSSpain XIV recap and developer readiness strategies App Intents Optimization (AIO): Why it matters as the new SEO for apps Shortcuts Corner: Testing Siri AI's ability to build complex automation workflows Host: Mikah Sargent Guest: Matthew Cassinelli Contact iOS Today at [email protected]. Download or subscribe to iOS Today at https://twit.tv/shows/ios-today Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord. Sponsors: trustedtech.team/twit scribe.how/ios

Forget large language models. This episode uncovers a radically different approach to AI, where physics-guided reasoning and energy-based models are reshaping what machines can actually understand—and why that could unlock breakthroughs mainstream AIs keep missing. Claude Opus 5.5 and OpenAI GPT-6 Sol & Luna both launch today with lower costs Muse, Meta's extraordinarily privileged AI assistant, has a serious 0-day Two Google DeepMind AI Researchers Resign Over Safety MetaConnect on during the show Google fully details Googlebooks: $899+, October launch, & more Introducing MiMo-V2.6 series Google CC I'm Upping My P(Doom) Handshake AI Skills Studio/OpenAI Brian Johnsrud Introducing The Horowitz Andreessen Academy On 'Cupertino,' Creators of the 'The Good Wife' Go to Silicon Valley Hosts: Leo Laporte, Jeff Jarvis, and Paris Martineau Guest: Patrick Hillmann Download or subscribe to Intelligent Machines at https://twit.tv/shows/intelligent-machines. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: trustedtech.team/twit scribe.how/machines originhq.com/intelligentmachines

Windows Week D arrives, and this time we get updates - a preview of Octoberʼs Patch Tuesday 24H2/25H2 Minor update with new Copilot key remaps, Wi-Fi in WRE, more 26H1 Major update that brings all new 26H2 features—Start, Taskbar, Search —to 26H1. Finally. Windows Insider Program Four new builds last Friday - Biggest change is Cloud Rebuild in WRE (in Experimental) gaining new capabilities. Software 30 years ago, Dave Plummer created Task Manager, and now heʼs vibe-coded a modern version that works on Mac and Linux too. Stardock announces a new Windows 11 utility called Snipboard. Clipchamp does AI upscaling to 4K now Hardware The Lenovo ThinkPad X9 15p Aura Edition is nearly perfect, with 11 hours of battery life. Googlebook revealed! Questions answered - $899 starting price is much lower than expected. This is Androidʼs Copilot+ PC moment - An AI PC? What a concept! AI/dev Microsoft announces a OneDrive + Copilot event in October - Also a separate Copilot event before then. Financial Times reveals internal OpenAI prediction of $278 billion in losses over the next five years. NYT copyright case discovery reveals what Microsoft and OpenAI really think about stealing content. Anthropic merges Cowork into chat, adds Docs and Slides. Google Labs CC turned into Gemini Daily Brief, so now itʼs an AI agent for families. Google opens up its Home smart home ecosystem to other AI assistants. XAML.io is a web-based vibe coding IDE for .NET apps and it looks amazing. XBOX and Gaming A big reorg and a small number of layoffs at XBOX sets off a new round of hand wringing. Tip and Picks Tip of the week: Get Auto SR on Panther Lake-based laptops Auto SR was designed to make gaming viable on Windows 11 on Arm/Snapdragon X/X2, but now itʼs available on Intel Core Ultra Series 3-based PCs and it is worth experimenting with. App Pick of the Week: Affinity Possibly the greatest free app in existence, Affinity just got 60 new features and is even better. Hosts: Leo Laporte and Paul Thurrott Download or subscribe to Windows Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: trustedtech.team/twit originhq.com/windowsweekly

After Microsoft's historic Mega Patch Tuesday, enterprise IT teams worldwide are scrambling as a wave of updates triggers system meltdowns, broken domains, and silent Excel failures. Find out how AI-driven speed collided with real-world chaos. Andrew Ng weighs-in on AI Doomsaying. The wisdom of outsourcing AI security testing. The true risk of an AI-created bioweapon. The EU KIDS Act -- this one is even messier. "Nightmare Eclipse" finally unmasks himself. A whitehat firm used Claude to attack OpenAI. Cisco's own massive 77 CVE update. What was the fallout from Sept's Patch Tuesday Show Notes - https://www.grc.com/sn/SN-1097-Notes.pdf Hosts: Steve Gibson and Leo Laporte Download or subscribe to Security Now at https://twit.tv/shows/security-now. You can submit a question to Security Now at the GRC Feedback Page. For 16kbps versions, transcripts, and notes (including fixes), visit Steve's site: grc.com, also the home of the best disk maintenance and recovery utility ever written Spinrite 6. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: trustedtech.team/twit hoxhunt.com/securitynow rayneo.com guardsquare.com threatlocker.com/twit outsystems.com/twit