MacBreak Weekly 1003: The Intersection of Greed and Delusion

Australia's nationwide social media ban has put tech's age verification tools under the spotlight, exposing the flaws and privacy risks in today's facial detection systems and sparking worldwide debate about what's coming for the rest of us. Home Depot's puzzling reluctance to close a bad hole. GNOME's shell extension manager is unhappy with AI. How attacks on open source repositories compares in 2025. China's researchers have taken aim at the US power grid. How bad has the React2Shell vulnerability turned out to be. More new React vulnerabilities. Apple moves to iOS 26.2. Let's Encrypt's crosses into one billion servers managed. A DNS Benchmark update. Some interesting listener feedback, then... How things going with Australia's social media ban and what we are learning https://www.grc.com/sn/SN-1056-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: zapier.com/securitynow threatlocker.com/twit joindeleteme.com/twit promo code TWIT veeam.com bitwarden.com/twit

Apple releases OS 26.2 right before the holidays! Pluribus becomes Apple TV's most-watched show ever. And why you should consider backing up more of your stuff locally. Apple releases OS 26.2 updates. With iOS 26.2, Apple lets you roll back Liquid Glass again — this time on the Lock Screen. 26.2: Here are the security fixes for all of Apple's operating systems. tvOS 26.2 brings kids mode to the Apple TV app. iOS 26.3 beta reveals how Apple plans to handle EU-required notification forwarding. Apple loses its appeal of a scathing contempt ruling in iOS payments case. Japan law opening phone app stores to go into effect. Pluribus becomes Apple TV's most watched show ever. Cadillac and Chevy are getting native Apple Music. Apple buys two new buildings in Cupertino, topping $1B spend. UK to push for nudity-blocking software on devices to protect children. 20 years of digital life, gone in an instant, thanks to Apple. Picks of the Week Jason's Pick: Fosi Audio BT20A Pro Bluetooth 5.0 Amplifier Andy's Pick: "Will Return" Screensaver Hosts: Leo Laporte, Andy Ihnatko, and Jason Snell Download or subscribe to MacBreak Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/macbreak-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: framer.com/design promo code MACBREAK outsystems.com/twit auraframes.com/ink

Are we witnessing an AI-fueled gold rush or the early signs of an epic crash? Listen to these hard-hitting discussions on bubbles, breakthroughs, and the real impact behind Silicon Valley's AI obsession. Time Magazine's "Person of the Year": the Architects of AI The AI Wildfire Is Coming. It's Going to Be Very Painful and Incredibly Healthy. 'ChatGPT for Doctors' Startup Doubles Valuation to $12 Billion as Revenue Surges Trump Pretends To Block State AI Laws; Media Pretends That's Legal It's beginning to look a lot like (AI) Christmas Amazon Prime Video Pulls AI-Powered Recaps After Fallout Flub Could America win the AI race but lose the war? Google Says First AI Glasses With Gemini Will Arrive in 2026 Border Patrol Agent Recorded Raid with Meta's Ray-Ban Smart Glasses The countdown to the world's first social media ban for children US could demand five-year social media history from tourists before allowing entry Reddit making global changes to protect kids after social media ban - 9to5Mac There are no good outcomes for the Warner Bros. sale Paramount CEO Made Trump a Secret Promise on CNN in Warner Bros. Convo Whatnot's Schlock Empire Shows Digital Live Shopping Can Thrive in America The Military Almost Got the Right to Repair. Lawmakers Just Took It Away Apple loses its appeal of a scathing contempt ruling in iOS payments case Japan law opening phone app stores to go into effect Microsoft Excel Turns 40, Remains Stubbornly Unkillable - Slashdot Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 sweeps The Game Awards — analysis and full winners list Microsoft promises more bug payouts, with or without a bounty program An ex-Twitter lawyer is trying to bring Twitter back Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Iain Thomson, Owen Thomas, and Jason Hiner Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-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 Sponsors: shopify.com/twit NetSuite.com/TWIT ventionteams.com/twit zscaler.com/security helixsleep.com/twit

What happens when every major AI model gets jailbroken within days? This week, the world's most prolific AI red teamer lifts the curtain on how and why "safe" AI might be an impossible promise. Pliny the Liberator | pliny.gg - discord.gg/basi ChatGPT Nears 900 Million Weekly Active Users But Gemini is Catching Up From Llamas to Avocados: Meta's shifting AI strategy is causing internal confusion Google Tells Advertisers It'll Bring Ads to Gemini in 2026 Meta Acquires Limiteless, an A.I. Pendant Company Backed by Sam Altman Here's how Google is laying the foundation for our mixed reality future OpenAI, Anthropic, and Block Are Teaming Up to Make AI Agents Play Nice Svedka's First Super Bowl Ad Will Be Made Primarily With AI AI Slop Is Ruining Reddit for Everyone TESCREALers paying journalists at major outlets to cover AI The Resonant Computing Manifesto (from Masnick) Techdirt fundraiser From Sam Lessin: Tech bros head to etiquette camp as Silicon Valley levels up its style Bare Metal Email Jeff in Austria Golden Globes enter the world of podcasts and tread carefully, avoiding controversy Who says AI isn't useful? Real-time Cricket Sorting By Sex Hosts: Leo Laporte, Jeff Jarvis, and Mike Elgan Guest: Pliny the Liberator 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: auraframes.com/ink ventionteams.com/twit agntcy.org outsystems.com/twit

December 2025's Patch Tuesday brought major shifts, but the real action is in Microsoft's pricing, privacy battles, and the arms race to control AI-enabled browsers. Plus, Paul recommends Tiny11 Builder for a clean install, or Win11Debloat for an existing install. Then, Rufus to create installation media without the forced Microsoft account (MSA) sign-in or hardware requirement checks. Use MSEdgeDirect to use the default web browser for stories from Widgets, web-based search results, etc. And ExplorerPatcher can fix the performance and reliability issues in File Explorer. It's the final Patch Tuesday of 2025 Major dark mode updates (with a fix for the "flashbang" problem) AI Agent in Settings, Click to Do, Windows Studio Effects, and Search improvements for Copilot+ PCs Many other improvements: FSE, Share, Settings, Widgets, more More Windows 11 New 25H2 preview build on Beta/Dev adds MCP public preview, Quick Machine Recovery auto-enabled, Unified Update Orchestration Platform, Windows MIDI services Microsoft 365 Microsoft 365 is getting a lot more expensive in mid-2026. You didn't think all those free AI updates were free, did you? AI Paul has been talking about "programmatic" apps and services because he wasn't sure of a term for this type of interaction. But there is a term for this: Semantic. As in semantic web. And there you go Microsoft one of 1,000 companies partnering on Agentic AI Foundation because you're getting agents whether they work or not Gartner says NO to AI web browsers The New York Times is suing Perplexity for all the obvious reasons After a big win in the legal battle with OpenAI Opera for Android gets a big AI update Google Workspace Studio brings code-free agent creation to business users - automation is a solid AI use case Xbox Xbox Series X|S notably absent during Black Friday sales Call of Duty won't repeat the mistakes of the past anymore since it didn't work out twice now MS Flight Simulator 2024 is now available on PS5 Red Dead Redemption comes to mobile for the first time, free with a Netflix account Tips & Picks Tip and app(s) of the week: De-enshittify Windows 11 RunAs Radio this week: Incident Management and the Crowdstrike Event with Liam Westley Brown liquor pick of the week: Old Farm Pennsylvania Straight Rye Whiskey Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell 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: 1password.com/windowsweekly auraframes.com/ink helixsleep.com/windows ventionteams.com/twit

A devastating new React vulnerability earned a "perfect 10" for risk, letting attackers remotely run code on a million-plus servers with a single HTTP request. Find out what happened, how fast attackers moved in, and why this bug changes everything for web security. France's VanityFair face a stiff fine over cookies. GrapheneOS pulls out of France over coercion worries. The EU adds to the pile-on over underage social media. India mandates the tracking of all smartphones. Apple says no. India abandons its smartphone tracking mandate. India requires all encrypted messaging to be SIM-tied. Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters --becomes--> SLH. AI demand has driven RAM pricing sky high. GRC's DNS Benchmark is finished and available. Cisco may talk a good game, but they're still Cisco. Browsers to ask users for local network access permission. React: The worst remote code exploit in a LONG time. Show Notes - https://www.grc.com/sn/SN-1055-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: 1password.com/securitynow veeam.com bigid.com/securitynow zscaler.com/security hoxhunt.com/securitynow

Alan Dye jumps ship, departing Apple for Meta! Could Johny Srouji leave Apple soon? Srouji says he's not leaving "anytime soon". Justin Bieber is upset over part of Apple's Messages UI. And Apple TV previews part of the F1 channel TV app! Bad Dye Job. Apple announces departure of general counsel and policy chief. What the heck is going on at Apple? Apple Chip Chief tells staff he's not leaving "Anytime Soon". In a major coup for someone, Alan Dye leaves Apple. Report: Apple Bleeding Talent to OpenAI. Apple highlights developer tools as Australia bans social media for under-16s. Justin Bieber threatens Apple with "rear naked choke hold" over Messages UI. Apple may have to enable always-on GPS in India. Russia restricts FaceTime, its latest step in controlling online communications. A love letter to glory days of iPhone gaming. Create a bootable external disk for Apple silicon Macs in Tahoe. iFixit app returns to the App Store with AI guidance and battery warnings. Pebble's new smart ring stops you from forgetting your best ideas. More all-black Vision Pro prototype parts surface online. New features for Galaxy XR and a look at future devices. Apple TV previews new F1 streaming deal, confirms driver onboard cams will be included. Apple announces winners of 2025 App Store awards. Apple's acclaimed feature "F1" and hit series "Severance," "Pluribus," & "Slow Horses" land top nominations for the 83rd Annual Golden Globe Awards. Picks of the Week Jason's Pick: MBW Picks (Pick-ception Paul Mayson!) Andy's Pick: A Charlie Brown Christmas Alex's Pick: GenR8 Hosts: Leo Laporte, Alex Lindsay, Andy Ihnatko, and Jason Snell Download or subscribe to MacBreak Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/macbreak-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: auraframes.com/ink spaceship.com/twit outsystems.com/twit cachefly.com/twit

What happens if your internet provider gets the blame for what you download? This week, the panel unpacks a billion-dollar copyright battle at the Supreme Court that could upend how we all use the web. Justice Alito Makes The Most Sense, Or This Week At The Supreme Court In The Cox-Sony Copyright Case First Porn, Now Skin Cream? 'Age Verification' Bills Are Out of These new FDA-approved glasses promise to slow nearsightedness in kids. Here's how they work Amazon Tests U.S. Ultrafast Delivery Offering What the heck is going on at Apple? | CNN Business Meta's Zuckerberg Plans Deep Cuts for Metaverse Efforts Meta acquires AI device startup Limitless Instagram mandates total return to office for employees in 2026 Is Netflix Trying to Buy Warner Bros. or Kill It? - Slashdot School Cell Phone Bans and Student Achievement RoboCop statue rises in Detroit: 'Big, beautiful, bronze piece of art' People who talk with their hands seem clearer, more persuasive - Fast Company (a petition to cancel Twitter's trademark for abandonment) Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Amy Webb, Cathy Gellis, and Brian Woolf Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: miro.com expressvpn.com/twit bitwarden.com/twit ZipRecruiter.com/twit canary.tools/twit - use code: TWIT

Spies aren't just in the shadows anymore—AI has turned every smartphone and social feed into a battlefield of influence and surveillance. This episode exposes how intelligence agencies, rogue states, and even TikTok are using machine learning to reshape what we know, believe, and fear. Apple AI Chief Retiring After Siri Failure Claude 4.5 Opus' Soul Document OpenAI CEO Declares 'Code Red' to Combat Threats to ChatGPT, Delays Ads Effort AI helps drive record $11.8 billion in Black Friday online spending I love AI. Why doesn't everyone? Dozens of US universities and colleges have announced new AI departments and programs over the last two years; an AI program is now MIT's second-largest major Austria's Rebel Nuns Refuse To Give Up Instagram To Stay In Their Convent Don't get angry, but the 2025 Oxford Word of the Year is 'rage bait' AI Slop Recipes Are Taking Over the Internet — And Thanksgiving Dinner The race to AGI-pill the pope Suno Creates an Entire Spotify Catalog's Worth of Music Every Two Weeks, Says Investor Pitch Deck for $250M Fundraise Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paris Martineau, and Jason Howell Guest: Dr. Anthony Vinci 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 shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: Melissa.com/twit agntcy.org ventionteams.com/twit monarch.com with code IM

Can the AI boom survive its own hype? This episode takes on the future of OpenAI, tech's subscription fatigue, and why "Made with AI" labels might be the new scarlet letter. Plus, Microsoft's ugly sweaters are back for some reason. Windows 11 Week D comes a week late and in the wrong month, but it's a big one, and a preview of what to expect next week in Patch Tuesday More pervasive dark mode Copilot+ PC exclusives: Improvements to Click to Do, Windows Search, Windows Studio Effects, Agent in Settings Expansion of FSE availability Improvements across Settings, Share, File Explorer, Desktop Spotlight, more Aluminium OS is the name of the ChromeOS/Android Frankenstein that will take on Windows Android 16 QPR2 is here with about 1,000 new features and maybe a saner approach to OS updating than what we see on Windows AI AI slop is no enshittification: Human error is still a much bigger issue Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney is right: The "Made with AI" label is silly and needs to go OpenAI declares a "code red" after Google finally figured out AI Opera quietly does an about-face on AI in its browsers Opera Neon gets one-minute deep research, Gemini 3, and Nano Banana Xbox and gaming Mortal Kombat 1, more coming to Game Pass in first half of December Valve is quietly bringing SteamOS, Windows games to Arm Tips & picks Tip of the week: Time to cull Tip of the week #2: Time to look back RunAs Radio this week: The M365 Copilot Data Readiness Checklist with Nikki Chapple Brown liquor pick of the week: Stumbras Starka Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell 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 shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: outsystems.com/twit helixsleep.com/windows bitwarden.com/twit framer.com/design promo code WW