This Week in Google 765: Inflatable Nuts

In this episode of This Week in Tech, Leo Laporte is joined by Georgia Dow, Shoshana Weissmann, and Fr. Robert Ballecer, tackling a wide range of thought-provoking topics, from the ethical implications of AI in sensitive fields to the challenges of creating and consuming content in an increasingly commercialized digital landscape. The panel grapples with the potential risks and benefits of AI-powered therapists and priests, stressing the need for human empathy and discernment in these emotionally charged roles. They confront the harsh realities of the internet's "heat death," as the relentless pursuit of profits and engagement leads to a glut of low-quality content and erodes user trust. The group reflects on the double-edged sword of democratized media, celebrating the value of supporting emerging voices while acknowledging the importance of professional standards. As Twitter faces existential challenges, the panel surveys the social media horizon, evaluating alternative platforms like Mastodon and Bluesky, and weighing the implications of Jack Dorsey's departure from the Bluesky board. Elon Musk's reckless tweets about taking Tesla private have come back to haunt him, with the Supreme Court upholding an SEC settlement requiring his Tesla-related posts to be vetted by a lawyer. The FCC has cracked down on major telecom companies for the illegal sale of location data, while legislators push for reforms to prevent the government from exploiting privacy loopholes. Congress continues its misguided crusade to protect children online, with ill-conceived age verification mandates and privacy-eroding measures that threaten the very foundations of digital security. The panel offers an impassioned critique of these shortsighted efforts. The once-beloved video game Helldivers 2 serves as a cautionary tale of platform overreach, as a heavy-handed PlayStation Network login requirement sparks a massive player revolt and torpedoes the game's reputation. Apple's quarterly results are analyzed, and all eyes are on Apple's upcoming event, where new iPads and an enhanced Apple Pencil are expected to take center stage. But the real buzz surrounds the rumored M4 chip and its tantalizing AI capabilities, hinting at a potential game-changer for the iconic brand. The group geeks out over Disney+'s radical revival of X-Men '97 and Amazon's ambitious Fallout adaptation, complete with an immersive easter egg phone experience The freewheeling discussion also touches on Shoshana's ingenious Alexa hacks for Sabbath TV viewing, a UK council's apostrophe apocalypse, the looming cicada invasion, and Fr. Robert's role as a guardian angel for the Vatican's feral felines. Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Georgia Dow, Shoshana Weissmann, and Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: Stamps.com promo code TWiT kolide.com/twit IntouchCX.com/twit expressvpn.com/twit NetSuite.com/TWIT

The people are pushing for the ban of TikTok within the U.S. Trying to use your WiFi network while on your mobile hotspot. Why is my Safari browser constantly crashing on start up? Be aware when purchasing SD cards on websites like Amazon. What happens with data that is stored in your iCloud but not on your phone? Plus, Scott Wilkinson stops by to talk about the new TVs Sony announced recently. Arc Browser available for Windows. Heat Death of the Internet. Apple reports second quarter results. Meet the powerful tech insiders behind the push to ban TikTok Can you use a WiFi network when using a hotspot on the AT&T network? Scott Wilkinson and Sony's 2024 TV's. A caller suggests some novels for Leo & Mikah to read. A follow-up question to last week's show about images stored within BitWarden and the idea of a "secure delete." Talking about the AT&T security breach that happened recently. How does the iPhone manage files & data on your phone and within iCloud when handling older files and data from a previous iPhone? After upgrading to Sonoma OS on my Mac, why is the Safari browser constantly crashing on startup for me? How can I know when I'm purchasing a legitimate SD card on websites like Amazon? Are there any bank institutions that offer 2FA through applications such as Authy or Google Authenticator rather than text messages? How can I block outgoing traffic from Amazon's Alexa on my Ubiquiti network? If I have a bunch of HDMI cables from over the years, how can I test the cables to tell which is HDMI 1.0 and the other is HDMI 2.0? Why is my Windows Start menu disappearing after my machine goes to sleep mode? What's the best way to encrypt a USB drive? Hosts: Leo Laporte and Mikah Sargent Guest: Scott Wilkinson Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Show notes and links for this episode are available at: https://twit.tv/shows/ask-the-tech-guys/episodes/2023 Download or subscribe to this show at: https://twit.tv/shows/total-leo Sponsors: Stamps.com promo code TWiT eufy.com cachefly.com/twit

Google is building a fart button into Android The Rabbit R1 is loosely based on Android after all Alphabet Leaps Into $2 Trillion Club as Results Show AI Strength Google plans $3 billion data center investment in Indiana, Virginia Google cuts hundreds of 'Core' workers, moves jobs to India, Mexico Google workers fired for protesting Israeli contract file NLRB complaint Meet the powerful tech insiders behind the push to ban TikTok A Chinese Firm Is America's Favorite Drone Maker. Except in Washington. FCC fines AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon nearly $200 million for illegally sharing location data The FCC just doled out big privacy fines. It could soon lose that power. Supreme Court Rejects Musk's 'Twitter Sitter' Appeal in SEC Win Twilio Founder Jeff Lawson Has Some Serious Plans for The Onion Lawsuits test Tesla claim that drivers are solely responsible for crashes Musk Wins China's Backing for Tesla's Driver-Assistance Service Elizabeth Spiers: That Strange Piece of Metal Origami Embodies All Elon Musk's Flaws Tesla to lay off everyone working on Superchargers, new vehicles and public policy team Supreme Court declines to block Texas pornography restriction Bruce Perens proposes draft Post-Open Zero Cost License Remember that Sora balloon video? From Baby Talk to Baby A.I. Related: Yann LeCun & AI as 4-year-old Is history repeating itself? I have concerns. The Cheyenne Supercomputer is going for a fraction of its list price at auction right now Hosts: Leo Laporte, Jeff Jarvis, and Paris Martineau Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-google. Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: kolide.com/twig YahooFinance.com joindeleteme.com/twit promo code TWIT

FY24 Q3 Earnings, AI Explorer, Github Copilot Workspace Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell For full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/879 Sponsors: GO.ACILEARNING.COM/TWIT - code TWIT30 cachefly.com/twit

GCHQ: No more default passwords for consumer IoT devices! What happened with Chrome and 3rd-party cookies? Race conditions and multi-threading GM "accidentally" enrolled millions into "OnStar Smart Driver +" program Steve recommends Ryk Brown's "Frontiers Saga" SpinRite update Passkeys: A Shattered Dream? Show Notes - https://www.grc.com/sn/SN-972-Notes.pdf Hosts: Steve Gibson and Leo Laporte Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/security-now. Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit 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. Sponsors: business.eset.com/twit vanta.com/SECURITYNOW 1bigthink.com lookout.com

Could Apple's announcement of its new iPad's next week be positioned as an AI-powered device? What happened with Apple IDs being reset suddenly for some users? Apple is replacing its titanium Apple cards from the 2019 batch. And Mercedes-Benz is planning not to adopt the next iteration of Apple's CarPlay in its vehicles. Apple rivals retool to challenge the iPhone and Vision Pro. Apple's OpenAI talks intensify as it seeks to add AI features. Many people say their Apple IDs were inexplicably reset last night. FCC fines AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon nearly $200 million for illegally sharing location data. Apple starts replacing titanium Apple cards from 2019 batch. Apple must open iPadOS to sideloading within 6 months, EU says. Epic Games is dragging Apple back to court over anti-steering. iPad used to fire modern weapons in old Ukrainian jets. Mercedes-Benz won't let Apple CarPlay take over all its screens. Why an iPhone can survive a drop from a plane, but not from your kitchen counter. Picks of the Week: Alex's Pick: Alpaka Leo's Pick: Loctote Andy's Pick: The Boston Public Library Jason's Pick: Grammarly Desktop Hosts: Leo Laporte, Alex Lindsay, Andy Ihnatko, and Jason Snell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/macbreak-weekly. Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: wix.com/studio ecamm.com/twit or use Promo Code TWIT Melissa.com/twit cachefly.com/twit

TikTok Ban, Intel's Struggles, Google's Ensh*ttification 'Thunder Run': Behind Lawmakers' Secretive Push to Pass the TikTok Bill A Chinese Firm Is America's Favorite Drone Maker. Except in Washington. The panel taks about AI With YouTube Booming, Podcast Creators Get Camera-Ready A new California bill would restrict line-skipping service 'Clear' at airports in the name of equity The Man Who Killed Google Search Google search boss Raghavan warns employees of 'new operating reality' Oracle is moving its world HQ to Nashville Google delays third-party cookie demise yet again Alphabet Leaps Into $2 Trillion Club as Results Show AI Strength U.S. chipmaker Intel was once dominant, now struggles to stay relevant Twilio Founder Jeff Lawson Has Some Serious Plans for The Onion Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Amy Webb and Kevin Rose Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: zscaler.com/zerotrustAI NetSuite.com/TWIT wix.com/studio mylio.com/TWIT25 canary.tools/twit - use code: TWIT

TikTok will be banned within the U.S. in nine months unless Bytedance divests, but now the government may be seeking to ban another popular Chinese product within the country. Why are a caller's photo uploads to Instagram failing? How can I get Siri to stop bringing up duplicate contacts when using it? Plus, Dick DeBartolo brings some exciting gadgets to the show, and Chris Marquardt goes over the Power photo assignment! Banning TikTok just puts a Band-Aid over social media's problems. Many people say their Apple IDs were inexplicably reset last night. A Chinese firm Is America's favorite drone maker. Except in Washington. With YouTube booming, podcast creators get camera-ready. What off-site backup options do Leo and Mikah like the most? Troubleshooting why a sound bar is no longer connecting to a caller's WiFi network automatically. Dick DeBartolo and the semi-smart lightbulb. Why are my photos failing to upload to Instagram? Is there an app that can allow me to send the same pre-recorded voicemail to those that I call? How can I get Siri to stop bringing up multiple instances of one contact when using the digital assistant? Is there a way to securely open JPGs within BItwarden without re-downloading it or opening the image externally? Why is my iPhone 11 unable to connect to my printer? Chris Marquardt and the Powerful assignment review. Why is the quality of my audio so poor when streaming through Xfinity? Is it time to upgrade my Intel iMac to the most recent Mac mini? Should I wait for Apple to refresh the Mac minis later this year? Hosts: Leo Laporte and Mikah Sargent Guests: Dick DeBartolo and Chris Marquardt Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Show notes and links for this episode are available at: https://twit.tv/shows/ask-the-tech-guys/episodes/2022 Download or subscribe to this show at: https://twit.tv/shows/total-leo Sponsor: mylio.com/TWIT25

'Thunder Run': Behind Lawmakers' Secretive Push to Pass the TikTok Bill TikTok ban would be a gift from Congress to Meta and Google How the TikTok ban could survive a court challenge The Chilling of TikTok FTC Bans Noncompete Agreements That Restrict Job Switching Sam Altman-backed crypto project Worldcoin faces an orb shortage Paris' nuts Rabbit R1 brilliant.xyz More wearable AI: IYO One The Man Who Killed Google Search Google search boss Raghavan warns employees of 'new operating reality' The solution to scary Boston Dynamics bots? Make robots hairy Meta shares plummet 10% after second quarter outlook disappoints Newsletter platform Ghost adopts ActivityPub to 'bring back the open web' Beware of The Fake Podcast Invite Scam Bravely Exploring the Squalor of a 'Boy Room' This fun little web game: Equinox.Space magCulture No one buys books Hosts: Leo Laporte, Jeff Jarvis, and Paris Martineau Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-google. Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: YahooFinance.com bitwarden.com/twit

Leo, Paul, and Richard steer towards the performance race as they speculate about how Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite/Plus PCs will compare to Apple Silicon MacBooks. What makes a laptop truly user-friendly? System reliability, UI consistency, battery life? Plus, the recent Fallout TV series, the practicality of using winget for browser installations, and how the ARM chipset switch is revving up the PC market. ARMed & ready Qualcomm announces the Snapdragon X Plus and confirms Paul's report that the Snapdragon X Elite will have three SKUs (product editions) All four SKUs outperform Apple M3, Intel Core Ultra 7/9, AMD Ryzen 9 7940/8945HS on most benchmarks Why? PC makers asked Qualcomm for familiar choices Previously, an X Plus-based Surface Pro 10 and an X Elite-based ThinkPad T40s leaked. Paul can now confirm from a source that Surface Laptop 6 (13 and 15-inch) and Surface Pro will all be on X (something} Vivaldi is bringing its browser to Windows on Arm too Windows 11 The April 2024 Week D preview update is here: Recommended apps and frequently used apps in Start, Widgets icon updates, Lock screen widgets improvements Canary: Moves off 24H2 train to build 26200, no more switch to Dev, minor changes to the Widgets board and Taskbar (no new build for Dev) Beta: New Widgets design with navigation bar, new account manager in Start, Gmail in Share, MSA recovery advertisement, and new Game Pass recommendation card in Settings Microsoft Store app downloads from the web get simpler, more sophisticated After yet another Quest 2 Headset price cut, and mounting problems for Apple's Vision Pro, Meta opens up Horizon OS, Microsoft is sort-of on board Microsoft 365/Dev Office LTSC 2024 commercial is now available in preview Classic Teams rides off into the sunset on July 1 Dropbox offers deeper Microsoft 365 integration GitHub sees success in 2FA push AI The European Commission will not formally investigate Microsoft/OpenAI partnership Microsoft released a new SLM Microsoft gives a sneak peek of VASA-1, a crazy and scary "talking faces" AI tool Google copies Microsoft again, announces massive AI reorg - that has Pixel fans worried Adobe's generative AI image capabilities are predictably fantastic Xbox Get an Xbox Mastercard in the US, if you're a tool Microsoft announces IGN x ID@Xbox digital showcase - indie games Tips & Picks Tip of the week: Have you heard the one joke about the one time you need to use Edge? App pick of the week: Tiny11 Builder RunAs Radio this week: PowerShell 7.4 with Sydney Smith Brown liquor pick of the week: GlenKinchie 12 Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin. Sponsors: kolide.com/ww GO.ACILEARNING.COM/TWIT - code TWIT30