Tech News Weekly 433: A $399 AI Deer That Texts You

As Anthropic, OpenAI, and industry giants race to outpace each other, data centers and supply chains are straining, while job markets and open-source communities feel the heat. Listen in for a roundtable on whether AI is fueling innovation, burnout, or just the next tech bubble. Anthropic releases Claude Opus 4.7, concedes it trails unreleased Mythos Nobody knows how many CVEs Anthropic's Project Glasswing has actually found You're About to See a Lot of Critical Software Updates. Don't Ignore Them. Cal.com Is Going Closed Source Because of AI AI anxiety is turning volatile Humanoid robots race past humans in Beijing half-marathon, showing rapid advances Snap Is Laying Off 16% of Full-Time Staff as It Embraces A.I. Musk v. Altman Is a Battle for OpenAI's Soul The Little Probe That Could: Why Voyager 1 Matters, and Why NASA Just Switched Part of It Off Sam Altman's project World looks to scale its human verification empire. First stop: Tinder. Meta Must Face Youth Addiction Lawsuit by Massachusetts, Court Rules Section 230 Is Dying By A Thousand Workarounds, And Massachusetts Just Added Another One Live Nation and Ticketmaster lose monopoly case Anna's Archive told to pay Spotify and record labels $322 million over unprecedented music scraping Roblox agrees to a $12 million settlement with Nevada Judge sides with creators of banned ICE trackers who allege DHS and DOJ violated their First Amendment rights What's the point of the App Store, if it can't protect users? TotalRecall Reloaded tool finds a side entrance to Windows 11's Recall database Google, Microsoft, Meta All Tracking You Even When You Opt Out, According to an Independent Audit It Is Time to Ban the Sale of Precise Geolocation Google Broke Its Promise to Me. Now ICE Has My Data. | Electronic Frontier Foundation Billionaire Netflix cofounder Reed Hastings is leaving the company Venture capitalist Ron Conway says he is starting treatment for a 'rare' cancer Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Louis Maresca, Wesley Faulkner, and Glenn Fleishman 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: NetSuite.com/TWIT zscaler.com/security expressvpn.com/twit shopify.com/twit cachefly.com/twit

On this episode of Hands-On Tech, Mikah tackles a listener's privacy concerns about what app developers can see when iOS and Apple Intelligence search through your apps, along with whether it's possible to bulk-manage Siri suggestion settings across all installed apps. Don't forget to send in your questions for Mikah to answer during the show! [email protected] 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. Sponsor: shopify.com/hot

Old Bugs are getting fixed, like the 20-year-old Enlightenment bug, finally landing per-screen virtual desktops in KDE, and even more X11 vulnerabilities. Mint is making the slower release cadence official, Fedora is pushing 44 off a week, and Tumbleweed is going to systemd-boot. Linux is finally dropping 486 support, Mozilla has announced Thunderbolt, and the FSF has entered the office. For tips, we have Netwatch-tui for live network stats, wtf for modular TUI dashboards, v4l2loopback-ctl for managing virtual cameras, and a tour of a working Grafana dashboard. You can find the show notes at https://bit.ly/4tkp3PI and happy Linuxing! Host: Jonathan Bennett Co-Hosts: Rob Campbell, Ken McDonald, and Jeff Massie Download or subscribe to Untitled Linux Show at https://twit.tv/shows/untitled-linux-show 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.

What happens next when science can confidently announce the discovery of an alien life form? Whether it's a fully functioning civilization or a lowly Martian microbe, the implications are vast. Dr. Brianne Suldovsky of Portland State University has studied this mostly ignored question and come up with some interesting conclusions--and, like the best science, more questions. How this can best be communicated in an age of mistrust in large institutions and science is a vexing one, and the conversation looked at it from a variety of angles. And--it was fun. Join us! Headlines: Artemis 2 Heat Shield Passes Inspection Despite Social Media Panic SpaceX Nears Version 3 Starship Launch After Delays New Naked-Eye Comet and Lyrid Meteor Shower Viewing Tips Main Topic: Communicating the Discovery of Extraterrestrial Life Lack of Research on Public Communication of Alien Life Discoveries Religious Backgrounds and How They Shape Views on Science and Space Public Trust, Misinformation, and Institutional Perception Challenges Risks, Uncertainties, and Ethics in Announcing Life Discoveries What Happens if Private Companies Discover Alien Life First Measuring Public Beliefs: the Extraterrestrial Belief Scale and Conspiracies Religious, Psychological, and Societal Impacts of Alien Life Announcements Direct Public Involvement in Decisions About Contacting Alien Life Navigating AI, Social Media, and Pattern Recognition in Spreading Space News Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Guest: Brianne Suldovsky 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

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy of The Verge joins Mikah Sargent this week on Tech News Weekly! How AI is helping elders stay independent & provide companionship. How Apple and Google's app stores are pushing users toward deepfake nude apps, per an organization's report. And inside the crazy backstory behind an AI plush companion. Jennifer talks about Samsung's newest updates to its SmartThings Family Care service and how technology and AI are increasingly being used to help take care of elderly people & provide companionship. Mikah talks about a report from the Tech Transparency Project that found both Apple & Google's app stores that host & direct users to apps that generate non-consensual nude images of women. And Victoria Song of The Verge joins the show to share her review of a $399 AI companion and her very unique experience with the device overall. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Guest: Victoria Song 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: zscaler.com/security Simply CX

Whether you're lending your phone to a kid or relying on maps off the grid, what you don't know about your device's security could come back to bite you. This episode shows why a few simple settings make all the difference when it counts. Setting up Medical ID and emergency contacts for safety Using Face ID and Guided Access to lock and protect apps Offline maps: how and why to download before you travel Find My and Life360 for tracking people and devices, with privacy tips Apple Messages' Check In and third-party safety apps like bSafe WiFi Assist and WiFi Calling: improving the reliability of calls and data News: Apple removes outdated Pages, Keynote, and Numbers from App Store Feedback: Free access to the Calm app via insurance and company perks Picks of the Week: Pokemon Go auto-catch gadget and Picsew screenshot tool Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Rosemary Orchard 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. Sponsor: shopify.com/ios

A forum called DIYAudio.com recently conducted a fascinating test among its readers: Could they tell the difference between audio signals passed through professional audio cables, wet mud, and bananas? The results might surprise you. Host: Scott Wilkinson 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.

Windows 11 is quietly rolling out subtle but genuinely useful features this year, favoring reliability and long-term usability over flashy gimmicks. Find out which updates are actually making a difference for power users and everyday fans alike. 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. Sponsor: canary.tools/twit - use code: TWIT

Find out how Apple's Focus filters quietly transform your entire digital environment, switching not just alerts but the apps, screens, and even info you see the moment you switch context. Mikah Sargent shows how to turn your Apple setup into a tailored workday powerhouse or a distraction-free oasis with just a tap. Customizing app content and behavior with focus filters Built-in focus filters for Mail, Calendar, Messages, Safari, and system settings Third-party apps and the slow adoption of focus filter support Lock screen and home screen pairing with focus modes Crafting lock screens for work, mindfulness, and other custom focus modes Environmental and contextual device changes triggered by focus modes Combining notification rules, filters, and screen pairing for a unified experience Real-world work and personal scenarios made easier with focus modes Hands-on homework: setting up focus filters, screen pairings, and Safari tab groups 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.

When renowned photographer Craig Mod coded his own AI-powered Twitter, the lines between art, tech, and community blur in surprising ways. This episode explores what happens when creative minds take AI into their own hands—and why the next wave of software might feel more like a home-cooked meal. Sam Altman's Blog About Firebombing OpenAI Backs Bill That Would Limit Liability for AI-Enabled Mass Deaths or Financial Disasters Anthropic Opposes the Extreme AI Liability Bill That OpenAI Backed Federal agencies skirt Trump's Anthropic ban to test its advanced AI model Our evaluation of Claude Mythos Preview's cyber capabilities | AISI Work OpenAI rips Anthropic, distances itself from Microsoft The tiny disclosure at the bottom of OpenAI's tax day post is all you need to read Exclusive: Anthropic Preps Opus 4.7 Model, AI Design Tool Federal Court Denies Anthropic's Motion to Lift 'Supply Chain Risk' Label Anthropic Asks Christian Leaders for Help Steering Claude's Spiritual Development Anthropic Changes Pricing to Bill Firms Based on AI Use Amid Compute Crunch Meta warned by dozens of organizations that facial recognition on its smart glasses would empower predators Mark Zuckerberg Is Reportedly Building an AI Clone To Replace Him In Meetings Chrome Now Lets You Turn AI Prompts Into Repeatable 'Skills' Adobe's new Firefly AI assistant turns Creative Cloud into a single conversational interface After sale of its shoe business, Allbirds pivots to AI Even more good news for the future of neurosymbolic AI 'The Audacity' Is the Broligarchy Takedown You Were Waiting For AI influencers are 'everywhere' at Coachella I don't see images in my head. Can training give me a mind's eye? Novo Nordisk partners with OpenAI as AI drug discovery hopes mount OpenAI has bought AI personal finance startup Hiro Ukraine captures enemy Russian position using only robots, no humans: 'The future is already on the front line' I/O schedule Haunted Paper Toys Thousands of rare concert recordings are landing on the Internet Archive -- listen now DNS & Network Tools — Mr.DNS TRAIN JAZZ The hottest college major hit a wall. What happened? Hosts: Leo Laporte, Jeff Jarvis, and Paris Martineau Guest: Craig Mod 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 Sponsor: Melissa.com/twit