Cookies, Consent and the Illusion of Choice | #3TBPodcast

Join the 3 Techies Banter team as they demystify browser cookies – the digital “Post-it notes” that track your online activity. In this episode, we break down what cookies are, why they exist (hint: stateless vs. stateful sessions!), and the different types: first-party, third-party, and even creepy “zombie cookies.” We also tackle the big questions: Is your phone really listening to you, or is it just your cookie trail? How do GDPR and consent pop-ups actually work (or not)? And what can you do to protect your privacy? Get practical tips on adjusting browser settings, using alternative browsers, VPNs, and more. Whether you love personalized ads or hate them, this conversation will help you understand the trade-offs and take control of your digital footprint. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kick off 2026 with the 3 Techies as they flip the script on traditional predictions! In this episode, we play a bold game of "Tech Obituary," debating which technologies and skills are headed for the retirement home. Will console gaming survive? Are passwords finally dead? Is the printer on its last leg? Then, we let our imaginations run wild with a wishlist of tech we'd love to see become reality - from AI doctors and personal data pods to teleportation and micro-mobility. Join Sheetal, Samiran, and Nilesh for a fun, insightful, and sometimes controversial banter about the near future. Tech on the Chopping Block: Console gaming, home/office printers, manual photo editing, long-form typing, passwords, physical keys, hard drives, credit cards, sports cars, map reading, and language skills. Our 2026 Wishlist: AI personal assistants, general-purpose robots, teleportation, universal device finders, personal data pods, AI/cloud healthcare, satellite phones, new form factors, micro-mobility scooters, and science-backed wellness tech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the grand finale of 3 Techies Banter! 2025 was the year technology stopped being just a tool and became the battlefield, the arbitrator, and the disruptor of everything. In this explosive year-end wrap-up, we decode the three tectonic shifts that redefined our world: 1. THE WARS: From AI-driven battlefields and tactical drones to "tethered" UAVs and military internets—how tech is rewriting the rules of conflict. We discuss innovations from the Ukraine-Russia war, India-Pakistan tensions, and how chaos fuels invention. 2. THE TRADE WARS: Trump’s tariffs, fractured global supply chains, and the rise of "Tariff GPT." We explore how geopolitics is splintering the internet into specialized nets—military, trade, logistics—and reshaping global power into a multipolar world. 3. THE CREATOR ECONOMY EXPLOSION: AI is turning creators into micro-multinationals. Meet Tilly Norwood, the AI-generated actress sparking Hollywood panic. We dive into voice cloning, 24/7 AI replicas, and how the top 50 creators earned $853 MILLION. Is this the future—or a flood of content? From swarming drones to AI diplomats, quantum trade corridors to virtual influencers—this isn’t your typical year-end tech wrap. It’s a deep dive into the madness, magic, and math of a world where technology is now everything. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever thought math was just about memorizing formulas? Think again! We're joined by a wizard (crowned by the Unseen University!) and legendary mathematician Professor Ian Stewart. We dive into why math is the secret engine of everything—from your GPS to the internet—and how it's inherently fun if we just stop "destroying the fun." Prepare for mind-bending paradoxes, the story of the life-saving equation written the night before a duel, and why we all need to see "Math Inside" stickers on the world. Get ready to see the hidden magic in the numbers all around you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Weight loss is the modern-day quest for eternal life. But are drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro the magic formula we've been waiting for, or a dangerous shortcut? In this episode, we sit down with renowned endocrinologist Dr. Ambrish Mithal to separate fact from fiction. We dive deep into the science behind these "miracle" drugs, exploring why weight loss is so hard, the role of our brain and culture in obesity, and the crucial difference between using these medications for cosmetic reasons versus treating a serious health condition. Get a balanced, expert perspective on the side effects, the long-term implications, and who should really consider this path. It's a fascinating conversation that cuts through the noise on one of today's most polarizing topics. 00:00 Highlights of the Episode 03:00 Introducing to Dr. Ambrish Mithal 04:36 The Obsession with Weight Loss 12:47 Cultural Influences on Obesity 14:54 Debunking Weight Loss Myths 19:45 The Role of Continuous Glucose Monitoring 27:13 Natural and Surgical Weight Loss Methods 28:54 The Role of Exercise in Weight Loss 30:06 Strength Training and Muscle Preservation 30:40 Should You Use Weight Loss Drugs? 31:30 The Weight Loss Revolution: Ozempic and Beyond 36:18 Addressing Concerns and Side Effects 40:32 Long-Term Use and Lifestyle Changes 44:32 The Cost and Accessibility of Weight Loss Drugs 47:27 Social Impacts and Final Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the GPS in your delivery app to the weather forecast that saves your picnic, space tech is the invisible force that already runs our world. We journey from the Cold War's flag-planting race to today's $600 billion gold rush, where private companies and nations like India are turning the cosmos into a construction zone. We'll explore how space evolved from a superpower's trophy case to a startup's playground, with rocket launches getting 97% cheaper and a 90-year-old Captain Kirk finally getting his seat. Meet the pioneers who built satellites for social good, not just showmanship, and peek into a future of microgravity manufacturing and cosmic debris cleanup. Plus: why your phone needs GPS but your remote doesn't, what the "Great Filter" says about our cosmic loneliness, and what happens when we litter in orbit (spoiler: a minefield for satellites). One planet to rule them all – if we can stop cluttering the sky and start looking beyond it. 00:00 Highlights of the Episode 01:24 Today's Topic: Space - The Final Frontier 06:46 India's Space Journey 09:57 Global Space Race and Economics 23:38 Space Technology Trends 33:06 Fun Space Trivia and Conclusion Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What would you say if we told you that tuning yourself to a metronome is better for your health than that gym membership? We sit down with Tanuja Gomes, the founder of Furtados School of Music, who convinces us that formal music education isn’t scary or snobby—it’s a friendly on‑ramp for toddlers, teens, busy parents, and “I‑wish‑I‑started‑earlier” adults. If you can boil water, you can keep a beat. Tanuja tells us how the simple act of signing up for music teaches consistency, discipline, and the underrated art of showing up. Our conversation has the usual light-heartedness of three friends chatting. Tune in. This episode might be the calling you were waiting for to start your musical journey from today. Do we detect feet tapping suspiciously in the rhythm of 1-2-3-4? 00:00 Highlights of the Episode 01:22 The Role of Music in Personal Development 02:27 Welcome to Three Techies Banter 02:47 Meet Tanja: CEO of Furtado School of Music 03:25 The Journey of FSM 04:05 Impact of Music Education 06:44 Challenges and Achievements 08:44 Changing Landscape of Music Education in India 14:23 Careers in Music 15:54 Popular Instruments and Gender Preferences 18:00 Music Education Across Age Groups 19:57 Late Age Learning and Personal Stories 22:18 The Power of Music in Child Development 22:47 Music's Impact on ADHD and Depression 26:51 Tech Innovations in Music Education 29:58 Gamified Learning for Young Musicians 31:09 Trends in the Music Industry 37:14 Encouraging Musical Talent in Everyone 40:54 The Universal Appeal of Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who teaches AI how to see and recognise? Definitely not a techie in a cool office in Silicon Valley. Most likely, it is a homemaker from a marginalised community in rural India who does this tedious work for very low pay. In his debut feature film "Humans in the Loop," director Aranya Sahay explores this vital detail that got left out of the "AI Revolution" marketing materials. The film follows Nehma, an Adivasi woman from Jharkhand who takes a job labelling data for AI systems. Turns out, teaching machines to recognise the world is a lot like raising a kid; except this kid absorbs prejudices from centuries of Western datasets, with no plan to augment it with context-specific knowledge. Esp. not from the labellers :-). The film has won major accolades, including Best Film at the Bengaluru International Film Festival and Grand Jury Prize for Best Feature at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles. Have fun watching the episode! Nishtha Manchanda: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nishtha-manchanda-3b6b421b? 00:00 Introduction to the Film's Context 01:40 The Paradox of AI and Simple Tasks 02:21 Government and Civil Society's Role in AI 02:55 Future of Technology and AI 03:42 About the film 'Humans in the Loop' 04:32 Exploring Data Labeling and Its Implications 06:12 AI as a Child: A Philosophical Perspective 08:05 Challenges and Realities of Data Labeling 13:00 Bias in AI and Its Consequences 17:51 AI in the Film Industry 23:36 Global Reactions to AI and the Film 26:04 Ethnographic Insights and AI 26:27 Tech Reactions to the Film 27:46 Unexpected Audience Reactions 28:09 Women and the Emotional Impact of the Film 29:57 Community and Cultural Representation in AI 32:45 Government and Civil Society's Role in AI 35:41 Future Projects and Superhero Films 36:05 The Journey of the Film 36:50 Story Culture and Film Funding 39:08 Indigenous Life and Environmentalism in Film 40:46 Superhero Films in India 42:18 Film Screenings and Audience Engagement 43:50 Concluding Remarks and Future Endeavors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From powering your 3 AM doom-scroll to preventing actual doom (climate change), batteries are the unsung heroes who quietly run the world. We journey from the oil crisis of the '70s to Nobel Prize-winning lithium-ion tech that made your smartphone possible – and might save the planet. We'll explore how these tiny energy lunchboxes evolved from exploding prototypes to $300k Tesla packs, and now cost $7k (a 97% price drop). Meet the scientists who cracked the code, and peek into a future of solid-state batteries and sodium-ion rivals. Plus: why your remote lasts forever, your phone dies by 4 PM, and what happens when you toss batteries in the bin (spoiler: landfill fires). One battery to power them all – if we can recycle responsibly and mine ethically. Because even Frodo needed a power bank for that walk to Mordor. 🔋⚡ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season 4 of 3 Techies Banter is here, and we're finally putting faces to the voices you've been tolerating for three seasons – because nothing says "we've made it" like watching three people in their 50s gesture wildly at cameras while debating whether Web3 is dead or just hibernating. We might go delightfully off-script: the psychology of why developers have strong opinions about tabs vs spaces, how TikTok算法 accidentally created a new form of folk art, why Silicon Valley VCs are suddenly into longevity science and mushroom coffee, the game theory of group chats, whether your Spotify Wrapped says more about you than your therapy sessions, and why every tech bro suddenly thinks they're a philosopher after reading one Nassim Taleb book. With video, we might even unleash live demos that will either blow your mind or spectacularly crash on air, reaction cams for those "did they really just say that?" moments, and the occasional meme break because let's be honest - tech is too serious and we're definitely not. We are covering it all with the same chaotic energy that's kept you coming back, now with 100% more awkward eye contact. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices