Hands-On Tech 233: Using a Webcam at a Distance

iPhone 17 event live blog: on the ground at Apple's keynote Google Court Doc: Open Web Is In Rapid Decline Anthropic Judge Rejects $1.5 Billion AI Copyright Settlement (1) The Software Engineers Paid to Fix Vibe Coded Messes What to expect from Meta Connect SpaceX strikes $17B deal to buy EchoStar's spectrum for Starlink's direct-to-phone service Tesla Wants Out of the Car Business Tesla Offers Elon Musk an Unprecedented $1 Trillion Pay Package Gen Z protests in Nepal, sparked by a social media ban, have killed nearly 2 dozen and injured hundreds. Here's what to know Microdramas are TikTok turned up to 11, and they're coming for your time and money Tiny Vinyl is a new pocketable record format for the Spotify age Kodak's mini camera fits on your keyring and is smaller than an AirPods case Geek News Central Mourns the Loss of Todd Cochrane Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Dan Patterson, Victoria Song, 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 shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: expressvpn.com/twit bitwarden.com/twit oracle.com/twit shopify.com/twit NetSuite.com/TWIT

This week Microsoft Open Sources one of its oldest codebases, Firefox is blitzing its codebase, and Apache (the name) is no more. Pipewire, CUPS, and Fwupd all ships updates. Bcachefs's future is a bit uncertain, and VDPAU is certainly out of Mesa. For tips we have default handling with wpctl, server management with ansible, and Wine performance with ntsync. You can find the show notes at https://bit.ly/3K26caz and See you next week! Host: Jonathan Bennett Co-Hosts: Rob Campbell and Ken McDonald Download or subscribe to Untitled Linux Show at https://twit.tv/shows/untitled-linux-show Want access to the ad-free 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.

On Hands-On Tech, Mikah Sargent helps Rich out with getting their webcam to work on their Mac Mni when the webcam is fairly far away from their computer 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 Want access to the ad-free 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.

You've heard the news about a possible detection of ancient life on Mars... now get the inside scoop from one of the paper's key authors. Dr. Michael Tice is a research scientist and planetary geologist at Texas A&M, and has a lot to say about how the research was pulled from the year-old drill sampling, the incredible rigor that was applied to their findings, and what's next in this amazing story. It's the one we've all been waiting for--a possible indication of life beyond our own planet! Headlines: NASA's Interim Chief Declares Mission to Beat China Back to the Moon Starlink Satellite Photobombs Maxar Image of Secret Chinese Airbase James Webb Telescope Captures Stunning Interstellar Jet "Flatulence" Main Topic: Signs of Ancient Life Discovered on Mars by Perseverance Dr. Michael Tice Explains Potential Biosignatures in Jezero Crater Discovery of Unusual "Leopard Spots" Linked to Possible Microbial Activity Redox Reactions and Organics Suggest Favorable Conditions for Life Debate Between Biological and Abiotic Explanations for Findings Cutting-Edge Rover Instruments Push Detection Limits Challenges of Confirming Life Without Sample Return to Earth Future Work Needed: Sample Return Missions and Analogs on Earth Broader Reflections on Mars Science, Search for Life, and Technology Choices Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Guest: Dr. Michael Tice 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 shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Jacob Ward of The Rip Current podcast and newsletter joins Mikah Sargent this week! The impact that generative AI is having on energy and our climate. The privacy and social issues around AI wearables. And everything that was announced at Apple's 'Awe Dropping' event. Jacob shares a paper published recently that covered generative AI and how the massive use of GPU energy is causing concerns about its impact on the climate. Mikah talks about a new wearable AI companion device called Friend and how these always-listening devices present privacy challenges for not just others around the user but also for the company itself. And Zac Hall of 9to5Mac was at Apple's 'Awe Dropping' event this past Tuesday and was fortunate to get his hands on the new hardware the company announced. He shares his initial thoughts on the new AirPods Pro 3 and iPhone Air! Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jacob Ward Guest: Zac Hall 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 shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: threatlocker.com/twit pantheon.io uscloud.com cachefly.com/twit

Windows 11's latest update finally tackles a 30-year-old security flaw with a new feature called Administrator Protection. Find out how this major change uses Windows Hello to quietly lock down your PC without making your day-to-day experience a hassle. Host: Paul Thurrott Download or subscribe to Hands-On Windows at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-windows Want access to the ad-free 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.

From wrestling with multiple time zones to sharing calendars with tech-challenged family members, Rosemary and Dan dig into the moments when Apple's new calendar tricks save the day. Calendars on iOS get a redesigned UI in iOS 26 Comparing Apple's Calendar app vs. Fantastical for daily use Integrating Reminders with Calendar and viewing tasks alongside events Travel time, time zones, and scheduling events across regions Strategies for managing multiple calendars and color-coding Sharing events and whole calendars with others, controlling access Using location and attachments in events for enhanced info sharing Subscribing to public calendars for holidays, school schedules, and updates Filtering calendars by focus mode and limitations of current implementations Siri suggestions for calendar events: upsides and annoyances Tips for handling duplicate events and event merging wish list Viewing your weekly calendar using an iPhone in landscape mode Using calendar widgets and lock screen features to see upcoming events App Caps: Belkin MagSafe car vent mount and ESR Halo Lock charger for phones App Caps: Silicone cable ties for cable management, alternatives, and best practices Hosts: Rosemary Orchard and Dan Moren Contact iOS Today at [email protected]. Download or subscribe to iOS Today at https://twit.tv/shows/ios-today Want access to the ad-free 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.

Apple just dropped the iPhone 17 lineup and Mikah Sargent walks you through a smart pre-order setup that could be the difference between snagging your dream device on day one or missing out. Find out the exact steps and tips to avoid the dreaded "sold out" message. Host: Mikah Sargent Download or subscribe to Hands-On Apple at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-apple Want access to the ad-free 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.

This year's CEDIA (Custom Electronics Design and Installation Association) Expo was chock full of interesting audio and video products, though very few made their world debut at the show. Still, there's plenty to discuss with special guest Michael Heiss, industry journalist, consultant, and jolly good CEDIA Fellow. In Part 1, we discuss all the video goodies he saw there. Host: Scott Wilkinson Guest: Michael Heiss Download or subscribe to Home Theater Geeks at https://twit.tv/shows/home-theater-geeks Want access to the ad-free 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.

AI isn't just the ultimate nonsense generator—it's also a powerful tool students and teachers can't afford to ignore. In this episode, professors Carl Bergstrom and Jevin West reveal how their new "BS Machines" curriculum helps the next generation stay sharp and skeptical in a world overflowing with synthetic "facts." Interview with Carl T. Bergstrom and Jevin D. West Warner Bros. Discovery Sues AI Giant Midjourney for Copyright Infringement In Major Legal Battle AI Watchdog At Least 15 Million YouTube Videos Have Been Snatched by AI Companies Most Scraped Websites of 2025 AI surveillance should be banned while there is still time. Alterego I Hate My Friend R-Zero: Self-Evolving Reasoning LLM from Zero Data AI godfather Geoffrey Hinton says a girlfriend once broke up with him using a chatbot Business Insider yanked 40 essays with suspect bylines. Are they related? OpenAI's post on the paper Gina Trappani starts a new blog Schnitzel press NFL Debut on YouTube Draws 17.3 Million Set a two TikTok toilet limit to reduce haemorrhoid risk, doctors advise" Hosts: Leo Laporte, Jeff Jarvis, and Paris Martineau Co-Host: Harper Reed Guests: Carl T. Bergstrom and Jevin D. West 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 spaceship.com/twit