Twice weekly Technology News show covering the Tech Space. With Segments on Science, Mobile, Digital TV, FAA, FCC, Cyber Security, Gadgets and Tech Politics.
In this episode, Ray Cochrane leads with Mozilla shipping Firefox 150 with 271 patched bugs found by Anthropic’s Mythos system, the first major real-world deployment of the AlphaGo-Moment cybersecurity tooling. He also covers a 9-year dormant Linux kernel root, a college student stopping Taiwan’s high-speed rail with a software-defined radio, GitHub MCP secret scanning going GA, the NVIDIA NeMo lawsuit surviving its motion to dismiss, the Hugging Face Reachy Mini app store, Anthropic’s Auto Mode for Claude Code, and the 4-gigabyte AI model Chrome silently installed on your computer. – Want to start a podcast? Its easy to get started! Sign-up at Blubrry – Thinking of buying a Starlink? Use my link to support the show. Subscribe to the Newsletter. Email Ray if you want to get in touch! Like and Follow Geek News Central’s Facebook Page. Support my Show Sponsor: Best Godaddy Promo Codes Get 1Password Full Summary Cochrane opens the show with the AlphaGo Moment moving from theory into production. Mozilla shipped Firefox 150 this week with 271 patched bugs that Anthropic’s Mythos system found. Furthermore, the broader episode threads a clear pattern: AI tooling is reshaping security, developer workflows, and consumer software faster than the surrounding ecosystem can absorb it. The show closes on the four-gigabyte AI model Chrome installed on a billion machines without explicit consent. Mozilla Ships 271 Mythos Bugs in Firefox 150 Mozilla ran Anthropic’s restricted Mythos system against the Firefox 150 codebase before shipping. The result: 271 found bugs (180 high severity, 80 moderate, 11 low) baked into the release. However, the bigger number is the year-over-year jump. April 2026 shipped 423 total Firefox security fixes versus 31 a year prior. The breakdown for April: 271 from Mythos, 41 from external researchers, and 111 from other internal sources. Cochrane is sticking to his guns on calling this the AlphaGo Moment for cybersecurity. Skeptics argue Mythos is industrial-scale fuzzing because most found bugs sit in memory-safety territory. However, his counter is the velocity itself. Furthermore, he frames the resistance as carriage-versus-cars: humans-first research still grounds the tool, but throughput is the win. The Firefox CTO put it directly: defenders finally have a chance to win, decisively. For developers asking whether Mythos changes anything if they already run fuzzers, Cochrane’s answer is yes, and not even close. Additionally, he notes Mythos is restricted-access. The broadly available tier is Claude Opus 4.7, which Mozilla used since February before getting onto the restricted program for the Firefox 150 cycle. Run Opus 4.7 first. Sponsor: GoDaddy GoDaddy has been sponsoring this show for over twenty years. Economy hosting starts at $6.99/month, WordPress hosting at $12.99/month, and domains at $11.99. Use codes at geeknewscentral.com/godaddy for exclusive deals and to directly support the show. Copy Fail: 9-Year Linux Kernel Bug, 732 Bytes to Root A 9-year-old dormant Linux kernel bug got disclosed April 29 as CVE-2026-31431. Researchers published a 732-byte Python script that roots every major Linux distribution shipped since 2017. Additionally, CISA added the CVE to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on May 1 with a May 15 federal deadline. The bug lives in the kernel’s crypto socket layer through the AF_ALG AEAD interface, originating in a 2017 in-place crypto optimization that lacked bounds checking. Cloudflare published their post-mortem this week. Their first instinct was to remove the kernel module entirely. However, service dependencies forced a workaround instead. Cloudflare resumed normal patched-kernel reboot automation across their 330-city fleet on May 4, with manual reboots and rollouts continuing after. Taiwan Rail Stopped by a 23-Year-Old With a Software-Defined Radio A 23-year-old Taiwanese university student with the surname Lin spoofed a TETRA general alarm signal on April 5, stopping trains on Taiwan’s high-speed rail. The accomplice supplied the radio parameters. Both were arrested by month-end. Lin posted NT$100,000 bail; the accomplice posted NT$80,000. The incident hit at 11:23 PM during the Qingming holiday weekend, stopping three revenue passenger trains plus one deadhead. Furthermore, the system has been in service for 19 years without rotating its cryptographic parameters once. Cochrane notes this is exactly the type of long-dormant infrastructure flaw that Mythos-class tooling catches, if anyone bothers to point it at the wires we already have. GitHub MCP Secret Scanning Goes GA GitHub’s secret scanning in the MCP server hit GA on May 5, with dependency scanning entering public preview the same day. Both released after a seven-week public preview run starting March 17. Additionally, the feature lets MCP-compatible coding agents (Copilot CLI, VS Code, JetBrains, Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf) detect exposed secrets before commits or pull requests. Findings are ephemeral. They surface only in the current chat session and don’t persist as GitHub alerts. Sources disagree on scope: GitHub’s GA changelog says repo-level or org-level settings work, while the docs say only org-level applies. Cochrane flags the open question of whether MCP prompt injections could be exploited to send discovered secrets elsewhere. Subquadratic Debuts a 12-Million-Token Context Window Miami-based Subquadratic emerged from stealth on May 5 with a $29 million seed round and a reported $500 million valuation. Their model, SubQ 1M-Preview, runs on a new Subquadratic Sparse Attention architecture (their technical writeup calls it Selective Attention; same acronym, different second word). The headline claim: a thousand-times reduction in attention compute at 12 million tokens versus frontier models. However, that figure is vendor marketing math. There is no peer-reviewed paper, no public weights, and no independent benchmark replication. Researchers are demanding independent proof. Furthermore, CTO Alex Whedon’s pull line, “Retrieval / RAG plumbing is a waste of human intelligence,” signals how aggressively they want to position against retrieval-augmented architectures. ChatGPT Goblins, China’s “Catch You Steadily”: Sycophancy Is Universal Last week’s ChatGPT goblin obsession has a Chinese-language twin. The model overuses a phrase translating as “I will steadily catch you.” Additionally, a new Stanford and CMU study called ELEPHANT shows social sycophancy is universal across all 11 LLMs tested with 2,400-plus participants. Models endorsed users 49 percent more than humans did, and 47 percent even on harmful prompts. Alibaba’s Qwen and DeepSeek topped the rankings. Cochrane notes sycophancy is obvious once you’re aware of it but tricky to dissuade. Even with explicit instructions, longer context windows can reintroduce the behavior as the instructions get diluted. Furthermore, the trap is believing you’ve handled it. Once you think you’ve got it under control, you’re more prone to being influenced because you stopped watching for it. NVIDIA NeMo Lawsuit: Judge Tigar Denies Motion to Dismiss Three authors filed Nazemian v. NVIDIA in March 2024, alleging NVIDIA used The Pile and Books3 (approximately 196,640 pirated books) to train its NeMo AI framework. NVIDIA’s defense relied on the Sony v. Universal Betamax doctrine, arguing NeMo’s training scripts are general-purpose tools like a VCR. This week, Judge Tigar denied NVIDIA’s motion to dismiss in the Northern District of California. The headline quote: NeMo’s training scripts “have no other purpose than to speed up the process of infringement.” Furthermore, the judge rejected the VCR analogy outright. NeMo’s scripts are not general-purpose tools; they were allegedly purpose-built to ingest pirated material. Cochrane reads the Betamax framing as legal-jargon arbitrage rather than honest defense. The Humanoid Robot Market Is Smaller Than the Hype Michael Barnard at CleanTechnica argues that scenario-math against the global labor market puts realistic humanoid TAM at $200 billion to $1 trillion, not $20 trillion. Near-term wins cluster in warehouses, not homes. Additionally, the framework weighs dexterity burden against human-proximity safety burden. Real opportunities cluster where both burdens are low. Cochrane connects this to last week’s reservations about humanoids in the household. Furthermore, the risk profile is the issue: these robots aren’t prepared for every scenario, can’t make dynamic decisions, and one software update can change the definition of “safe.” Hugging Face Launches Reachy Mini App Store Hugging Face launched an open-source app store for the Reachy Mini robot this week, $299 for the Lite tethered version and $449 wireless. There are 200-plus community-built apps at launch from over 150 creators, with nearly 10,000 Reachy Minis cumulative shipped. Additionally, apps are forkable, with the default agent (ML Intern) able to modify, write, test, and ship code on any existing app. Examples at launch include an office receptionist built in under two hours, a Reachy Phone Home anti-procrastination app, baby-monitor-style apps, a cooking assistant, and a 78-year-old Joel Cohen’s voice-controlled CEO peer-group app. Pollen Robotics, the company behind Reachy, was acquired by Hugging Face on April 14, 2025. Bebop the Humanoid Robot Delays Southwest Flight 1568 A 4-foot, 70-pound humanoid robot named Bebop delayed Southwest flight 1568 from Oakland to San Diego by more than 73 minutes on April 30. The crew flagged the lithium battery as oversized. Furthermore, the battery was reportedly four times the cabin limit. Bebop belongs to Dallas-based Elite Event Robotics, which bought a full-price cabin ticket because the robot exceeded checked-baggage weight. Bebop danced for passengers at the gate before boarding. However, Southwest had Elite remove the batteries before departure, and replacements were overnighted to Chicago for the next event. Cochrane flags the obvious: batteries have always been flagged in aviation, so forgetting that with a humanoid robot in tow is a strange miss. Ouster Rev8: Native Color Lidar With Google, Volvo, Skydio Stating Intent Ouster announced the Rev8 OS Family on May 4 in San Francisco. The sensors fuse depth and color via SPAD detectors (single photon avalanche diodes) on Ouster’s custom L4 and L4 Max chips. Google, Volvo Autonomous Solutions, Skydio, Liebherr, Epiroc, and PlusAI have stated intent to adopt, though nothing is formally signed. Specs include 48-bit color, 116 dB dynamic range, and pre-fused 3D colorized point clouds. The OS1 Max gets 500-meter max detection. Available to order today and shipping this quarter, with no pricing disclosed. CEO Angus Pacala in his TechCrunch interview: “The goal is to obviate cameras. There’s no reason that one sensor can’t do both.” TagTinker Lets a Flipper Zero Mess With Electronic Shelf Labels A new Flipper Zero app called TagTinker uses infrared signals to push images and text to electronic shelf labels. Additionally, these are the same kind of price tags grocery chains are starting to use for surveillance pricing. The app and GitHub repo went public this week. Maryland’s HB 895, signed by Governor Wes Moore, takes effect October 1 as the first-in-nation surveillance pricing law. It covers food retailers and third-party food delivery service providers. Furthermore, ESLs use the same IR signaling as TV remotes with weak security. The dev’s disclaimer states it’s strictly for educational research, security curiosity, and displaying digital art on hardware you legally own. Fitbit App Becomes Google Health, Plus Fitbit Air, Plus Google Fit Sunset Google announced May 7 that the Fitbit app becomes Google Health on May 19, rolling through May 26. The launch ships with the new $99.99 Fitbit Air screenless tracker and the long-rumored Google Fit shutdown. Additionally, the four-tab interface (Today, Fitness, Sleep, Health) bundles a Gemini-powered AI Health Coach. Coach is premium-gated at $9.99/month or $99/year. Medical records integration is US-only at launch. The Fitbit Air gets up to one week of battery life and 50-meter water resistance. However, Cochrane flags conflicting privacy framing: Google’s AI summary bullets say “your data stays private,” but the actual document copy says only “committed to not using Fitbit user health and wellness data for Google Ads.” Those are not the same statement. Russinovich on Why Win32 Won and WinRT Didn’t Microsoft Azure CTO Mark Russinovich said via Microsoft Dev Docs video that Win32, the 1995 API, is still foundational to Windows 11. WinRT, the modernization replacement, “didn’t play out the way a lot of people expected.” Mostly clickbait framing per Windows Latest, but the substantive angle is real. Microsoft is pivoting back to native WinUI 3 development after years of pushing developers toward WebView2 and Electron. Additionally, Electron-based apps are known for insane RAM usage, and everyone is hurting for RAM right now. Furthermore, the bigger open question is whether Electron survives the test of time, especially with the React engine reportedly being rewritten in Rust. “Tabula Plena”: The Brain Starts Full, Not Blank A Nature Communications study from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria found that the mouse hippocampal CA3 recurrent network begins densely connected and refines through pruning. ISTA’s press release frames this as “tabula plena,” meaning full slate, counter to tabula rasa. The paper published April 21. First author Victor Vargas-Barroso and senior author Professor Peter Jonas studied mice at three developmental stages. Furthermore, the “starting overloaded enables faster sensory integration” framing is Jonas’s hypothesis from the press release, not a paper conclusion. Cochrane closes on the bigger question: did we have human growth and experience mapped wrong from the start? The Aqueous Battery You Can Pour Down the Drain A Chinese research team led by Professor Chunyi Zhi at City University of Hong Kong built an aqueous battery using a custom organic polymer electrode plus neutral magnesium and calcium salts (food-grade tofu coagulants) as electrolyte. Published in Nature Communications on February 18. Numbers to know: 120,000-plus charge cycles, full-cell energy density of 48.3 watt-hours per kilogram. That’s well below typical lithium-ion. However, post-cycling analysis showed only magnesium, calcium, chlorine, carbon, and copper, with no heavy metals. The cell complies with US RCRA, ISO 14001, and China’s GB 18599-2020 for direct environmental disposal. Additionally, the “300-plus years” framing is journalists extrapolating from the 120,000 cycles, not a paper claim. ResoNix Klippel Tests Expose Car-Audio Spec Lies Nick Apicella, founder of ResoNix Sound Solutions in Stony Point, New York, spent around $23,000 on independent Klippel LSI and TRF testing of 40 subwoofers. He published 21 results showing widespread misrepresentation of Xmax (excursion) and thermal/power-handling claims. Test data published in three batches between December 2025 and January 2026. Specifics: Wavtech thinPRO12 claimed 20 mm of excursion but delivered 8.85 mm, scoring 15 out of 100 on marketing accuracy. One driver hit 44 percent of advertised excursion. Another tripped thermal protection at half its rated power. Additionally, nine of 21 drivers scored below 50 out of 100. Brands tested include JL Audio, Sundown, Focal, Morel, Audiofrog, Adire, Stereo Integrity, and Dynaudio. Conflict-of-interest flag: ResoNix’s own GUS-15, 12, and 10 prototypes conveniently rank one, two, three. JetBrains Opens 2026 Developer Ecosystem Survey JetBrains opened the 10th annual Developer Ecosystem Survey this week. It takes about 30 minutes, with prizes including a MacBook Pro 16-inch and a $1,000 Amazon gift card. Anonymized raw data is published publicly, and cumulative scale is 100,000-plus developers across recent years. Additionally, the survey is going fully anti-AI: “evil bots, dishonest respondents, and AI agents will be excluded from prize distribution.” Cochrane is curious whether TypeScript holds its 2025 crown after knocking Python off, and whether Rust shows real growth given the wave of LLM-driven Rust rewrites in the past few months. Anthropic’s Claude Code Auto Mode Goes Live Anthropic launched Auto Mode for Claude Code roughly six weeks ago. Claude Code’s previous behavior required user approval for most file modifications and command executions, generating heavy approval-fatigue complaints during longer sessions. Auto Mode is the answer: Claude can run multi-step development tasks without per-action approval. Additionally, the architecture is a two-stage classifier, with stage one a fast yes/no filter and stage two doing chain-of-thought on flagged actions. Cochrane runs his own Claude Code in YOLO mode but with custom rejection rules baked into settings to block commands he doesn’t want, even with skip-permissions on. He recommends configuring settings as the actual policy layer rather than relying on classifier judgment alone. Furthermore, recent posts about Claude deleting websites or wiping production databases reinforce why the settings layer matters more than the auto-mode toggle. Chrome Quietly Installed a 4GB AI Model on Your Computer Google Chrome silently downloads on-device AI model weights (Gemini Nano family) to a `weights.bin` file in the OptGuideOnDeviceModel directory, around four gigabytes in Alexander Hanff’s audit. Furthermore, the model re-downloads if you delete it. Hanff timed his own install at 14 minutes 28 seconds on macOS. Affected platforms include Windows, macOS (including Apple Silicon), and Linux. Hanff frames this as a multi-front legal violation: a direct breach of Europe’s ePrivacy Directive, two articles of GDPR, and an environmental harm of a magnitude that would be notifiable under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive. At one billion users, the four-gigabyte distribution represents roughly 240 gigawatt-hours of network and storage energy paired with about 60,000 tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions. However, no EU regulator action or formal complaint has surfaced as of this episode. The model powers on-device features (email writing, scam detection, summarization, smart paste, tab grouping) but not the visible AI Mode button, which routes to the cloud. To disable, Cochrane recommends Chrome Settings, then System, then On-device AI, toggle to off. Two more paths exist via `chrome://flags` or a Windows registry edit. Cochrane closes the show with show housekeeping: GNC Insider at geeknewscentral.com/insider, email at geeknews@gmail.com, newsletter signup at geeknewscentral.com, and Pocket Casts as a solid modern podcast app pick. Have a wonderful night. The post Mozilla Meets Mythos #1864 appeared first on Geek News Central.
5/10/26 • 49:34
In this episode, Ray Cochrane leads with GitHub’s worst reliability month on record and the AI infrastructure pressure behind it. He also covers Warp going open source, Apple’s Mac supply crunch, OpenAI’s goblin tic, the first 1X humanoid factory in the US, Tesla’s Semi finally hitting mass production, Chinese EVs with movie-projecting headlights, the final GPS III satellite, and a quantum researcher who won 1 Bitcoin. – Want to start a podcast? Its easy to get started! Sign-up at Blubrry – Thinking of buying a Starlink? Use my link to support the show. Subscribe to the Newsletter. Email Ray if you want to get in touch! Like and Follow Geek News Central’s Facebook Page. Support my Show Sponsor: Best Godaddy Promo Codes Get 1Password Full Summary Cochrane opens the show with one of the biggest infrastructure stories of the year. GitHub is buckling under unprecedented agentic load, and the world’s largest code host just had its worst reliability month on record. Furthermore, the broader episode threads a clear pattern: AI demand is reshaping infrastructure, hardware supply, and developer tooling in ways the industry did not see coming. GitHub’s Worst Reliability Month on Record GitHub CTO Vlad Fedorov posted an apology on the company blog this week. He acknowledged the platform’s recent failures and committed to a new priority order: availability first, then capacity, then features. Meanwhile, an April 23 merge queue regression silently produced wrong squash commits across 658 repositories and over 2,000 pull requests. Additionally, an Elasticsearch cluster crashed on April 27 after a botnet attack, and GitHub Actions went down on April 28. Outside reconstructions put April uptime under 85 percent. However, GitHub’s own status page stays in the 99 percent range because it does not count degraded performance as downtime. Cochrane notes that GitHub originally planned a 10x capacity increase and has now revised that to 30x in eight months. Mitchell Hashimoto, GitHub user 1299 since 2008, also announced he is pulling his Ghostty terminal off the platform entirely. Warp Terminal Goes Open Source Under AGPL Warp open-sourced its AI-first terminal client this week under the AGPL license. Their contribution model leans heavily on agents handling code, planning, and testing while humans focus on direction and verification. However, Cochrane pushes back on that framing. He argues the recent GitHub problems show that human approval alone is not enough oversight for agent-driven workflows. Additionally, he notes that the more hands-off developers get, the less they can mentally model their own systems. Apple Caught Flat-Footed by Local AI Demand Tim Cook told Wall Street on the Q2 FY2026 earnings call that Mac mini and Mac Studio supply will be constrained for several months. Both machines turned out to be popular local AI workstations, which Apple did not predict. Consequently, Apple discontinued the 512GB Mac Studio upgrade in early March and raised the 256GB upgrade by $400. Some upgraded configurations now show 4 to 5 month delivery estimates. Cochrane connects the demand spike to the OpenClaw wave and his own recent OpenClaw scare, where his install started making suspicious outbound requests. Furthermore, he is in no rush to lean into local agentic tooling given the constant prompt injection and security issues in the space. OpenAI Explains the Goblin Obsession After GPT-5.1 launched, ChatGPT users noticed the model could not stop saying “goblin.” OpenAI traced the bias to the optional Nerdy personality, which was 2.5 percent of all responses but produced 66.7 percent of all goblin mentions. The reward signal during personality training quietly favored creature metaphors. Then the bias leaked into the rest of the model through later supervised fine-tuning. OpenAI retired Nerdy in March, filtered creature words from training data, and added an explicit Codex system prompt rule: never talk about goblins, gremlins, raccoons, trolls, ogres, or pigeons. Cochrane frames this as the beauty and disaster of pattern matching. Additionally, he notes that LLM behavior is not editable like static code; it can only be patched, and the patches stack up over time. Sponsor: GoDaddy GoDaddy has been sponsoring this show for over twenty years. Economy hosting starts at $6.99/month, WordPress hosting at $12.99/month, and domains at $11.99. Use codes at geeknewscentral.com/godaddy for exclusive deals and to directly support the show. 1X Opens America’s First Vertically Integrated Humanoid Factory Bloomberg reports that 1X Technologies opened a 58,000 square foot humanoid robot factory in Hayward, California. The Norway-founded, OpenAI-backed company is calling it America’s first vertically integrated humanoid factory. Their goal: 10,000 NEO home humanoids in year one, with a 100,000 unit target by end of 2027. Furthermore, the first 10,000 unit allocation reportedly sold out in five days when pre-orders opened in October. NEO sells for $20,000 outright or $499 per month. Cochrane is skeptical that humanoids solve a real problem for the average household. However, he sees genuine potential for elderly and disabled users. Additionally, he flags privacy and data collection concerns about robots that have to perceive everything in your home. Tesla Semi Rolls Off the High-Volume Line Tesla rolled the first Semi off its 1.7 million square foot factory adjacent to Gigafactory Nevada on April 29. The Long Range version delivers 500 miles at $290,000, while the Standard Range hits 325 miles at $260,000. Additionally, the Long Range supports the 1.2 megawatt Megacharger that restores 60 percent of range in about 30 minutes. The factory targets 50,000 trucks per year, though analysts project 5,000 to 15,000 deliveries in 2026. Cochrane opens with a recent personal experience. He saw a semi truck on the freeway with the entire cabin removed from the engine, an unusual failure mode he had never seen before. Furthermore, he questions the actual environmental benefit of electric trucking given grid sourcing and battery mineral concerns. The reveal was 2017, and high-volume production is now nine years after that announcement. Chinese EVs With Headlights That Project Movies Huawei’s XPixel headlight system can now project full-color movies up to 100 inches in front of the car. The technology debuted in full color on the Aito M9 and is rolling out across Stelato S9, Qijing GT7, and Luxeed V9 MPV. Additionally, the same hardware powers real safety features: adaptive driving beam, lane-change path projection, and pedestrian crossing direction signaling. Meanwhile, US regulations only approved adaptive driving beam in February 2022. Pixel-addressable projection systems are not covered by current FMVSS rules at all. Consequently, even if these cars sold in the US, the headlights would have to be downgraded to be street legal. The Final GPS III Satellite Reaches Orbit SpaceX launched GPS III SV-10, the tenth and final GPS III satellite, on a Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral on April 21. GPS III delivers signals 3 times more accurate and 8 times more resistant to jamming than the previous constellation. It also adds the L1C signal, which interoperates with Galileo, BeiDou, IRNSS, and QZSS, plus M-code military encryption. Up next, GPS IIIF launches start in 2027 with up to 22 satellites deploying through about 2037. IIIF adds laser inter-satellite links and optical reflectors for centimeter-level satellite tracking. Cochrane loves this kind of quiet infrastructure win that powers global economics without anyone noticing it. Researcher Wins 1 Bitcoin for a Quantum Attack on Crypto Independent Italian researcher Giancarlo Lelli won Project Eleven’s 1 Bitcoin Q-Day Prize on April 24. He derived a 15-bit elliptic curve private key from its public key using a variant of Shor’s algorithm on rented cloud quantum hardware. Furthermore, the previous record was 6 bits, set in September 2025 on an IBM 133-qubit machine, so this extends the record by a factor of 512. However, Bitcoin uses 256-bit elliptic curve cryptography, so real wallets are not at risk yet. Additionally, other researchers have pushed back on the result. Their criticism: a 15-bit search space is only 32,767 possibilities, which a laptop can brute-force in milliseconds. Project Eleven defends the milestone as a stepping stone for demonstrating Shor’s algorithm running end-to-end on real quantum hardware. Gemini Now Generates Real Files Google rolled out file generation for the Gemini app. Users can now generate PDFs, Word docs, Excel spreadsheets, Google Workspace files, CSV, LaTeX, plain text, RTF, and Markdown directly from a chat prompt. Additionally, files can be downloaded to device or exported straight to Google Drive. The feature is globally available to all Gemini app users. Google Illuminate Turns Papers Into Podcasts Google Illuminate is the experimental Labs tool that converts academic papers into roughly five-minute two-voice podcast-style audio. Generation takes about 30 seconds, with a 20-per-day cap and a 30-day library. Additionally, transcripts are interactive and clickable for jumping to specific moments. Cochrane likes it as an index for triaging papers but pushes back on using it to replace deep reading. He argues that real technical material like clustering logic needs a real read, not a summary by AI podcasters. Cochrane closes with show housekeeping and a callout to Pocket Casts and True Fans as solid modern podcast apps. Have a great night, and happy June. The post GitHub, Goblins, Ghostty, and GPS III #1863 appeared first on Geek News Central.
5/1/26 • 53:27
In this episode, Ray Cochrane unpacks Anthropic’s Mythos model and the Treasury’s emergency meetings with Wall Street, then digs into Apple’s vibe-coding crackdown and a gaming-anxiety study that hit way too close to home. Also covered: Verge’s solid-state motorcycle, UBTech humanoid robot sales jumping 23-fold, Japan’s first osmotic power plant, Finland’s permanent nuclear waste vault, Ghostty landing in Ubuntu, Cloudflare’s EmDash CMS, and a Claude Code skill that talks like a caveman. – Want to start a podcast? It’s easy to get started! Sign up at Blubrry – Thinking of buying a Starlink? Use my link to support the show. Subscribe to the Newsletter. Email Ray if you want to get in touch! Like and Follow Geek News Central’s Facebook Page. Support my Show Sponsor: Best Godaddy Promo Codes Get 1Password Full Summary Cochrane opens the show by framing Anthropic’s new Mythos model as the AlphaGo moment for cybersecurity. From there, the episode moves through Apple’s pushback against AI-generated apps, a gaming anxiety study with a deeply personal hook, a series of “first to ship” energy and robotics wins out of Finland, China, and Japan, and several developer-tool stories that show how quickly the economics of software are shifting. Mythos, the Detection Ceiling, and Wall Street’s Emergency Response Anthropic’s Mythos model has Wall Street rattled. Operating autonomously, Mythos found and demonstrated the exploitation of a 27-year-old TCP SACK bug in OpenBSD, an operating system famous for being one of the most security-focused on the planet. Per Anthropic’s red team, over 99% of the vulnerabilities Mythos has identified remain unpatched. The researchers’ conclusion is blunt: “the moat in AI cybersecurity is the system, not the model.” The policy response moved fast. On April 7th, Treasury Secretary Bessent and Fed Chair Jerome Powell pulled the CEOs of Goldman Sachs, Citi, Bank of America, and Morgan Stanley into Treasury headquarters on short notice. All four banks are now testing Mythos internally. Treasury CIO Sam Corcos is also seeking direct access. Anthropic is gating distribution through Project Glasswing, a limited-access program with JPMorgan, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Nvidia. Cochrane comes down firmly behind Anthropic’s gated approach. Because a 5.1-billion-parameter open model can apparently recover the core analysis chain for the OpenBSD flaw, this capability is not locked behind Frontier Compute. He wants the critical infrastructure hardened before the public gets keys. However, he also notes the bigger lesson is about human wisdom: people offloading all their thinking to AI lose out on the wisdom that makes any of these tools genuinely useful. Apple Bans Vibe Coding Apps from the App Store Apple has been quietly pushing back against what people are calling “vibe coding” apps. Replit, Vibecode, and an app called Anything all run AI models on the phone and produce working software that runs inside the host app. Apple cites Guideline 2.5.2, in effect since 2017, which requires apps to be self-contained. Replit and Vibecode had their App Store updates blocked. Anything was pulled in late March, briefly restored on April 3rd, and then pulled the same day again. The forcing function is volume. App Store submissions jumped 84% in a single quarter as vibe coding tools flooded Apple’s review queue with AI-generated apps. Cochrane thinks Apple is justified, given the security issues swirling around the Vibe coding ecosystem. Even a beautiful diamond gets lost in a sea of sand, and that flood is exactly what Apple is trying to manage. The company behind Anything is now pivoting to iMessage, desktop, and Android. Playing Video Games to Win Is Linked to Higher Anxiety Cochrane gets personal on this one. Through high school and his early 20s, he was deeply addicted to League of Legends. His dad teased him about it constantly. In the last few years of that addiction, his body would go ice cold and shake every ranked match before. His partner identified it as a panic attack. The moment that happened, he quit. Today, he no longer shakes. The new study lines up with his experience. Researchers Kayleigh Watters and Mikael Rubin at Palo Alto University analyzed a publicly available database of 13,464 adult gamers, most of whom primarily played League of Legends. Players who game to win show higher generalized anxiety but actually play fewer hours, since performance pressure pushes them out. Players who game to relax show strong links between social anxiety avoidance and more hours played. The study appeared in the Journal of Affective Disorders. The headline framing of “playing to win makes you anxious” misses the point. The real finding is more interesting: gaming for avoidance and gaming for competition are both warning signs, for different reasons. Cochrane notes that the League of Legends community’s toxicity has been a running joke for years, and this study suggests the game’s structure may have been manufacturing the anxiety that fueled it. Sponsor: GoDaddy Economy hosting is $6.99/month, WordPress hosting is $12.99/month, and domains are $11.99. Both hosting plans include a free domain, professional email, and SSL certificate. Go to geeknewscentral.com/godaddy for the best pricing and to directly support this independent show. Verge Motorcycle: World’s First Production All-Solid-State Battery Cochrane filled his tank for $60 today, which made this story land especially hard. His mom has driven electric for years and patiently manages a 90-mile real-world range. The next-generation answer is already shipping. Verge Motorcycles, a Finnish company, is the first production vehicle of any kind with an all-solid-state battery. Their 2026 bikes ship in Q1 with a pack from Donut Lab, another Finnish outfit spun out of Verge. The numbers are bonkers. The pack delivers an energy density of 400 Wh/kg, roughly double that of current Tesla cells. It sustains 100kW charging, hits full charge in about 5 minutes in the lab and 12 minutes on the actual bike, and the long-range version covers 600 kilometers (about 370 miles) per charge. Toyota, QuantumScape, and Samsung SDI have all been telling us that solid-state is coming in 2027 to 2030. A Finnish motorcycle company shipping in Q1 2026 just embarrassed them all. UBTech Humanoid Robot Sales Jump 23-Fold UBTech dropped its 2025 annual earnings on April 1st. Humanoid robot revenue hit 820 million yuan, roughly $119 million USD, up 2,203% from 35.6 million yuan the year before. Unit sales went from 3 robots in 2024 to 1,079 in 2025. Shares jumped 14% on the announcement. The customer list is a real industrial deployment: BYD, Foxconn, Geely, FAW-Volkswagen, and Audi. The flagship is the Walker S2, with UBTech targeting 5,000 units in 2026 and 10,000 in 2027. Cochrane is honest about what this means. He does not think we are heading for an extinction event, but worker displacement is a real concern. The US has no universal income or universal healthcare. The people affected are not white-collar managers. They are everyday line workers who already make the least on the ladder. Work efficiency reportedly doubles when these robots arrive, which is a company-side win, but the humans they replace are not getting half a year of gardening leave to retrain. He invites the listener to take on this one directly. Japan Switches On Asia’s First Osmotic Power Plant In August 2025, Fukuoka’s Seawater Desalination Center quietly opened Asia’s first osmotic power facility. It generates about 880,000 kilowatt-hours per year, enough for roughly 220 homes. It is only the second operational osmotic plant in the world, after Mariager, Denmark, in 2023. Osmotic generation uses a salinity gradient: fresh water on one side of a membrane, salt water on the other, and the pressure difference spins a turbine. The clever part is what Fukuoka does with desalination brine. Instead of regular seawater, the plant uses concentrated brine left over from the desalination process. This amplifies the salt gradient and squeezes more energy out of the same membrane. The result is a closed-loop partnership: the desalination facility produces drinking water and leaves brine behind, the osmotic plant turns the brine into electricity, and that electricity runs the desalination facility. Every desalination plant on Earth produces brine, so if Fukuoka’s co-located model works, the same pattern could be replicated across hundreds of plants worldwide. Japan’s Luna Ring Solar Moon Proposal Goes Viral Again Shimizu Corporation’s Luna Ring concept is making the rounds again. The pitch: a 6,800-mile belt of solar panels around the Moon’s equator, beaming microwave power back to Earth. Project lead Tetsuji Yoshida has long argued that a full ring could eliminate fossil fuel dependence entirely. The proposal first surfaced in 2013, has no funding, no government endorsement, and no concrete cost estimate. Shimizu has not put any active development behind it. Cochrane finds the concept fun every time it resurfaces. However, this would have to be a worldwide effort in the truest sense, with treaties, a new generation of launch economics, and microwave power transmission at a scale nobody has demonstrated. Beaming the power back to Earth has always been one of the biggest practical holdbacks. The Luna Ring is inspirational, but not shipping. Finland’s Onkalo Nuclear Waste Vault Opens Finland’s Onkalo facility is the world’s first permanent deep geologic repository for spent nuclear fuel. Operated by Posiva, the facility is buried about 430 meters down in 1.9-billion-year-old bedrock. It is designed to hold up to 6,500 tons of spent fuel and operate until the 2120s. The construction costs about €1 billion, with operating and closure adding roughly €4 billion more before the program is done. The catch is that radioactivity remains dangerous for hundreds of thousands of years. Edwin Lyman, director of nuclear power safety at the Union of Concerned Scientists, warned that the copper canisters will eventually corrode, with different scientific opinions on how fast. Geologic disposal remains “fraught with uncertainties,” and we have never validated an engineered system across a 100,000-year time frame. The bet is that the rock and copper outlast the radioactivity. Cochrane sees Onkalo as time-buying rather than a final answer. It is more of a bank holding spent fuel while science catches up. He prefers it to Japan’s ongoing approach of releasing tritium-treated water from Fukushima Daiichi into the Pacific, even though the dilution is well below WHO drinking water guidelines. Burying the waste in an insurmountable containment strikes him as the more honest answer to a problem nobody knows how to truly solve. Ghostty Terminal Lands in the Ubuntu Repos Ghostty 1.3.0 is now available in Ubuntu 26.04 LTS’s universe repository. The install is simply `sudo apt install ghostty`, no PPAs, no Snap, no Nix, no building from source. Ghostty was created by Mitchell Hashimoto, co-founder of HashiCorp. It is GPU-accelerated, uses native Swift on macOS and native GTK4 with libadwaita on Linux, and supports tabs, splits, profiles, ligatures, and the Kitty graphics protocol. Cochrane recently caught Hashimoto on a podcast, where he walked through his agentic coding workflow. Ghostty is being actively built using AI harnesses like Claude Code and Codex. Hashimoto told a story in which Codex fixed a six-month-old bug in 45 minutes, for a total API cost of $4.14. Personally, Cochrane uses WezTerm, but he is excited to see Ghostty become more widely available with a native UI rather than Electron. Borgo: Rethinking Go Using Rust Analytics India Magazine profiled Borgo, a programming language by developer Marco Sampellegrini (GitHub: alpacaaa). Borgo is statically typed with Rust-like syntax, but it compiles to Go and uses the Go runtime and garbage collector. It includes sum types (Option and Result), pattern matching, and full compatibility with existing Go packages. Notably, it removes Rust’s borrow checker and lifetimes entirely. Borgo is not new. It first appeared on Hacker News in 2023, with a RustLab talk in 2024. The 2026 angle is a renewed look at it through the lens of AI coding agents, since type-rich languages like Rust have been showing outsized productivity gains. Cochrane is a fan of Rust and stands by the borrow checker, but he enjoys these exploratory languages for what they reveal about what developers actually want. Caveman: A Claude Code Skill That Cuts 65% of Tokens Developer Julius Brussee built a Claude Code skill called Caveman that forces Claude to respond in stripped-down fragments. No articles, no “just,” no “really,” no pleasantries, no hedging. The tagline is “why use many token when few token do trick.” Across 10 real dev tasks, Caveman mode averaged 294 tokens per response, compared to 1,214 in normal mode. That is a 65% drop in output tokens. The project is MIT licensed with three intensity levels: lite, full, and ultra. Cochrane stumbled across the project online and shared it with a classmate who had been complaining about token costs. The classmate now insists that “the caveman is the only way to live.” Cochrane has not made the switch, but the bigger point lands. If a community plugin can cut 65% of tokens without correctness regressions, the labs are shipping verbose-by-default and charging users for the privilege. He suspects verbose output makes models feel more trustworthy, even when the token math says otherwise. Cloudflare Launches EmDash as a WordPress Successor Cloudflare released EmDash on April 9th, an open-source, MIT-licensed, TypeScript-based CMS pitched as the spiritual successor to WordPress. The big flex is that it was built in 60 days using AI coding agents. EmDash runs on Astro 6.0, either on Cloudflare’s edge platform or on a standard Node.js server. The plugin security model uses sandboxed Dynamic Workers with explicit permissions, addressing the architecture flaw that Cloudflare says causes 96% of WordPress vulnerabilities. Cochrane could not resist pointing out the irony of the name. The em dash has become the trademark giveaway that an AI was involved in writing. He has reservations about whether EmDash will succeed. WordPress is extremely hard to unseat, plenty of “WordPress killers” have come and gone, and the ecosystem is twenty-plus years deep. He is curious to see what comes next but not optimistic. Google Open-Sources the DESIGN.md Format Google Labs open-sourced the DESIGN.md format used by Stitch, their AI UI design tool. DESIGN.md is a declarative file capturing a project’s design system, colors, typography, and spacing in a way AI agents can read and apply. Cochrane has tried Stitch personally and finds it impressive at producing web designs. He has also seen DESIGN.md-style files already start appearing in repositories. He sees this kind of file becoming a new paradigm for agentic design, alongside robots.txt and llms.txt. However, he worries about a side effect. If everyone uses the same standardized format and the same AI tools, the web could become a homogeneous set of sites that all look the same. He is enthusiastic about the standardization but hopes designers continue to push for genuinely unique work. A 13-Liter PC With a Water Loop Built Into the Case Geeky Gadgets covered a build by “Visual Thinker”, a 13-liter mini-ITX case with custom SLA-printed water distribution plates built directly into the chassis. Instead of traditional soft tubing, plates channel coolant between the CPU and GPU blocks and are sealed with TPU and silicone molds. The case supports a full-size GPU and an SFX power supply. No thermal benchmarks, parts list, or pricing have been published. It is a one-off you cannot buy. Cochrane sees this as a sign of where PC building has gone in 2026. Modern mid-grade GPUs run nearly every recent game, so raw performance is no longer the differentiator. He likes seeing builders lean into design and craft rather than just stuffing the most powerful parts into a box. He admits he is the traditional type and built his own machine to maximize parts, but the design-first direction is a healthy evolution for the hobby. To close out the show, Cochrane recommends Pocket Casts as a podcast app. He finds it picks up new episodes very quickly. Big thanks to GoDaddy for over twenty years of keeping this show on the air, and a reminder that every promo code use is like writing a check to the show. The post Mythos: Cybersecurity’s AlphaGo Moment #1862 appeared first on Geek News Central.
4/25/26 • 41:00
In this episode, Ray Cochrane digs into a new study showing AI is literally frying workers’ brains, then unpacks Anthropic’s wildest month ever – from a 1,487% user surge to Pentagon retaliation to a leaked model called Mythos. Also covered: OpenAI kills Sora after burning $15 million a day, OpenClaw’s terrifying security holes, Apple axing the Mac Pro, ARM’s first-ever production CPU, and why King Tut’s dagger was forged from a meteorite. – Want to start a podcast? It’s easy to get started! Sign-up at Blubrry – Thinking of buying a Starlink? Use my link to support the show. Subscribe to the Newsletter. Email Ray if you want to get in touch! Like and Follow Geek News Central’s Facebook Page. Support my Show Sponsor: Best Godaddy Promo Codes Get 1Password Full Summary Cochrane opens the show with a study that puts a name to something most AI-heavy workers have already felt. From there, the episode moves through one of the most turbulent months in AI industry history, touching on corporate ethics, national security, hardware shortages, and ancient archaeology. AI Use at Work Is Causing “Brain Fry” A study from Boston Consulting Group and UC Riverside surveyed 1,500 full-time US workers and found that 14% experience what researchers call “AI brain fry” – mental fatigue from excessive AI tool oversight. Those affected report 33% more decision fatigue, 39% more major errors, and an increase in intent to quit from 25% to 34%. Notably, productivity peaks at one to three AI tools and drops off at four or more. Cochrane relates this directly to his own workflow, often running two to four tools side by side. However, he pushes back on the doom framing. He argues that context switching across multiple projects and rubber-stamping AI output without review are the real sources of fry. His takeaway: either work more slowly with greater intent, or use the accelerated pace to reclaim free time. Anthropic’s Wild Month: Exodus, Pentagon, and Mythos Claude sessions surged by roughly 1,487% from mid-January to early March, knocking ChatGPT off the top spot in the app store for the first time. ChatGPT uninstalls spiked nearly 300%, one-star reviews exploded 775% in a single day, and a boycott movement called “Quit GPT” has grown to between 2.5 and 4 million participants. The catalyst was OpenAI stepping in to take the Pentagon defense deal that Anthropic had publicly declined. Cochrane is firmly against automated domestic surveillance and autonomous weaponry, noting that the models are not reliable enough for such responsibilities. OpenAI tried to walk it back, but the Electronic Frontier Foundation called their language “weasel words.” Meanwhile, the Department of Defense slapped Anthropic with a supply chain risk label – a national security designation previously reserved for hostile foreign companies. Anthropic sued the Trump administration. Then Microsoft filed a legal brief in Anthropic’s defense, joined by 149 former judges, dozens of Google and OpenAI employees, and nearly two dozen retired generals. On top of all that, security researchers discovered an unsecured data cache exposing nearly 3,000 unpublished Anthropic files, including a model code-named Mythos (also called Capybara). Internal documents describe it as a step change in capabilities, scoring dramatically higher than Opus 4.6 on coding, reasoning, and cybersecurity. Then Anthropic’s source code leaked publicly as well. Sponsor: GoDaddy Economy hosting is $6.99/month, WordPress hosting is $12.99/month, and domains are $11.99. Both hosting plans include a free domain, professional email, and SSL certificate. Go to geeknewscentral.com/godaddy for the best pricing and to directly support this independent show. OpenAI Shuts Down Sora Video App OpenAI announced on March 24th that it is killing Sora, its AI video-generation app. Downloads cratered from 3.3 million in November to 1.1 million by February. The real numbers are brutal: Sora was costing roughly $15 million per day to run against a total lifetime revenue of just $2.1 million. The Sora web and app experience ends April 26th, with the API shutting down September 24th. Additionally, the Disney partnership – a billion-dollar deal meant to validate AI in Hollywood – collapsed completely. Deep fakes of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robin Williams appeared almost immediately despite guardrails, and both families protested publicly. Cochrane notes that competitors like Runway, Pika, and Kling are still operating, and suspects Hollywood will pivot to generating scene backgrounds rather than full content. OpenClaw Is a Security Nightmare Cochrane’s personal OpenClaw install started making outbound requests flagged by his ISP – with no changes or new skills installed. He shut it down and plans to wipe the device entirely. The broader picture is alarming. A January 2026 audit found 512 vulnerabilities in OpenClaw, eight critical. Twenty-six percent of community skills contain at least one vulnerability. Oasis Security discovered a vulnerability chain called “Clawjacked” where any website can silently take full control of a developer’s agent. Between March 18th and 21st alone, nine additional vulnerabilities were disclosed, several of which were rated 9.9 out of 10. Cochrane draws a direct parallel to the browser extension era: supply chain attacks hidden as helpful tools. Claude Code Auto Mode: AI Policing AI Anthropic published details on a new “auto mode” for Claude Code after finding that users approve 93% of permission prompts – essentially mashing “yes.” Auto mode replaces manual approvals with a two-layer defense: an input scanner to detect prompt injection and a second AI model that monitors the first and decides whether to allow each action. The safety checker can only see what the user asked for and what the AI is trying to do. It cannot see the AI’s reasoning, so the AI cannot talk its way past the check. However, Cochrane notes it still misses about one in six dangerous actions (17%), and the fundamental question remains: if the base layer can get infected, so can the checker. Qwen Overtakes Llama as Most-Deployed Self-Hosted LLM RunPod’s 2026 State of AI report, based on usage data from 183 countries, reveals that Alibaba’s Qwen has overtaken Meta’s Llama as the most popular self-hosted AI model. Llama 4 has barely been adopted, with users sticking to version 3 because it just works. Additionally, vLLM now powers 40% of all AI endpoints, NVIDIA’s latest GPU usage scaled 25x last year, and nearly 70% of AI image work runs through ComfyUI. Cochrane sees Qwen winning on merit and argues that is how open source should work. AI Data Centers Are Taking All the CPUs Too AI data centers are not just consuming GPUs and memory anymore – CPUs are now being strained too. Intel server CPU lead times have stretched from two weeks to six months. AMD typically occurs at 8 to 10 weeks. Server CPU demand is projected to jump 15% in 2026, but Intel’s output capacity is growing in single digits. The shift from chatbots to autonomous AI agents is changing the hardware ratio, since agents require far more CPU power to coordinate tasks and call tools. TSMC is prioritizing more profitable AI chips over regular CPUs. Cochrane warns that consumers and businesses are effectively subsidizing the AI boom through higher prices and longer waits. AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D2: First Dual-Cache X3D CPU AMD announced the Ryzen 9 9950X3D2, the first CPU with dual-cache X3D technology. It arrives April 22nd with 208MB of total cache and a 200W TDP – up from the current model. However, AMD is unusually honest, calling the gains “modest,” ranging from 5-13% depending on the workload. Notably, they have not released gaming benchmarks, which is conspicuous for an X3D chip. Cochrane owns a single X3D chip and sees no reason to upgrade. ARM Launches “AGI” CPU After 35 years of licensing chip designs to Apple, Qualcomm, Samsung, and NVIDIA, ARM has launched its first production silicon: a 136-core server chip co-developed with Meta as the lead customer. ARM’s stock jumped about 16% on the news. You can pack over 8,000 cores in a single air-cooled rack, or over 45,000 with liquid cooling. Volume shipments begin by the end of 2026. Cochrane appreciates the move but calls the “AGI” branding marketing hype. The bigger story is ARM transitioning from blueprint designer to direct competitor against Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA in data centers – while still licensing to the companies it now competes against. Apple Discontinues the Mac Pro Apple removed the Mac Pro from its website and confirmed that no future model is planned. The $6,999 machine had not been updated since the 2023 M2 Ultra model. Apple is pointing professionals toward the Mac Studio with its M4 Ultra chip, with an M5 Ultra refresh expected later this year. They also discontinued the $700 wheels kit, $300 feet kit, and Pro Display XDR the same week. Cochrane says good riddance – the Mac Studio covers what 90% of users need. Apple’s AI Pin: An AirTag-Sized Wearable Reports suggest Apple is developing an AirTag-sized wearable AI pin with cameras, microphones, and wireless charging. It would clip to clothing or hang as a necklace, running as an iPhone accessory powered by an upgraded Siri with Google’s Gemini AI. A possible 2027 release is expected alongside iOS 27, though development is early and could be canceled. Cochrane ties this to a broader shift: data collection moving from the application layer to physical devices. Apple employees internally refer to the device as “the eyes and ears of the iPhone.” He warns that always-on wearable cameras, combined with existing AI-powered surveillance poles, are pushing society deeper into mass data collection without meaningful consent. Quantum Entanglement Speed Measured for the First Time Scientists at TU Wien’s Institute of Theoretical Physics, led by Professor Joachim Burgdorfer, measured how fast quantum entanglement happens for the first time. The answer: about 232 attoseconds – a billionth of a billionth of a second. The research was published in Physical Review Letters in late 2024 and is now circulating widely. Einstein called quantum entanglement “spooky action at a distance.” Turns out it is not instantaneous – just extraordinarily fast. This measurement technique opens the door to quantum cryptography and quantum computing. However, Cochrane clarifies: this does not mean faster-than-light communication. Entanglement links particles but does not transmit information through space. Bronze Age Iron Artifacts Came From Outer Space Geochemical analysis by French scientist Albert Jambon, originally published in the Journal of Archaeological Science in 2017, confirmed that virtually all Bronze Age iron artifacts were made from meteorites. The artifacts span Egypt, Turkey, Syria, and China, including beads dating to 3200 BCE and the famous dagger from King Tut’s tomb, dating to around 1350 BCE. The story resurfaced after researchers published new findings this month on fragments of meteoritic iron weapons from China’s Sanxingdui sacrificial site. Bronze Age people lacked the technology to smelt iron ore, but meteoritic iron arrived in a metallic state, ready to be forged. Cochrane closes the episode, noting that ancient civilizations were working with extraterrestrial material before they could produce their own iron – resourcefulness that deserves respect. Cochrane wraps up the show by thanking GoDaddy for over twenty years of partnership and reminding listeners to subscribe, sign up for the newsletter, and reach out via email. The post Agentically Frying your Brain using AI #1861 appeared first on Geek News Central.
4/1/26 • 43:24
In this episode, Chris Cochrane dives into Apple’s $599 MacBook Neo – the cheapest Mac laptop ever made – and whether it spells trouble for Chromebook makers. He also covers Samsung’s CEO blaming AI for rising phone prices, Framework raising RAM prices for the third time in three months, Meta unveiling four custom AI chips, NVIDIA’s GTC 2026 conference preview, a billion-dollar bet against large language models, Microsoft’s game-changing Project Helix Xbox with native Steam support, Windows 11’s new Xbox Mode, and SpaceX gearing up for a critical Starship Flight 12 test. – Want to start a podcast? Its easy to get started! Sign-up at Blubrry – Thinking of buying a Starlink? Use my link to support the show. Subscribe to the Newsletter. Email Chris if you want to get in touch! Like and Follow Geek News Central’s Facebook Page. Support my Show Sponsor: Best Godaddy Promo Codes Get 1Password Apple MacBook Neo The lead story covers Apple’s MacBook Neo. It launched at $599 and marks the cheapest Mac laptop ever made. The device runs on the A18 Pro chip from the iPhone 16 Pro. Cochrane notes a solid market for students, casual users, and anyone who needs a reliable home laptop. However, he advises photographers and videographers to invest in a MacBook Air or Pro instead. The real question remains whether this kills Chromebook sales in education. Samsung CEO Blames AI for Price Hikes Cochrane tackles Samsung’s Galaxy S26 price increases. CEO TM Roh blamed AI infrastructure demand for the hikes. Meanwhile, DDR4 DRAM prices surged sevenfold in a single year. Cochrane points out the irony. Samsung manufactures memory chips, shifted production toward AI data centers, and now cites that same shortage to justify higher consumer prices. He calls the situation “a little shady” but appreciates the transparency. Framework RAM Prices Up Again The RAM crisis extends beyond phones. Framework raised RAM prices for the third consecutive time in three months. Cochrane reinforces advice from a recent episode. He urges listeners to buy now before prices climb further. Analysts project peak prices by mid-2026. The shortage could last through late 2027. Sponsor: GoDaddy Economy hosting $6.99/month, WordPress hosting $12.99/month, domains $11.99. Website builder trial available. Use codes at geeknewscentral.com/godaddy to support the show. Meta Unveils Four Custom AI Chips Cochrane reports on Meta’s four new MTIA chip generations. The company aims to reduce its dependence on NVIDIA by building custom silicon. The MTIA 300 is already in production. New generations will ship every six months through 2027. The chips are built on open-source RISC-V architecture and manufactured by TSMC. NVIDIA GTC 2026 Preview NVIDIA’s GTC conference starts Monday in San Jose. Jensen Huang promises “chips the world has never seen.” Rumored architectures include Rubin Ultra and Feynman. The keynote streams free at nvidia.com on Monday at 11am Pacific. Cochrane notes that while companies like Meta are building chips to escape NVIDIA, competition will eventually catch up. Yann LeCun’s AMI Labs Raises $1.03 Billion Former Meta AI chief Yann LeCun raised $1.03 billion for AMI Labs at a $3.5 billion valuation. It marks the largest European seed round in history for a company just four months old. LeCun is building “world models” that learn from physical reality rather than text. Backers include Jeff Bezos, NVIDIA, and Samsung. Cochrane notes both approaches to AI can coexist. Microsoft Project Helix Microsoft revealed Project Helix at GDC 2026. For the first time, an Xbox will natively support Steam and GOG. Cochrane sees it as both desperate and inevitable. The only reason to buy from the Xbox store would be exclusives. He notes this is a breath of fresh air after months of talk that the Xbox era was ending. Dev kits ship in 2027 with a consumer launch likely late 2027 or 2028. Windows 11 Xbox Mode Microsoft is rolling out Xbox Mode to all Windows 11 PCs in April. The full-screen controller-optimized interface works with Steam, Epic, and Battle.net. Cochrane sees it as the first half of Microsoft’s two-phase gaming strategy. Xbox Mode trains users now. Project Helix delivers dedicated hardware later. He asks whether Sony and Nintendo will follow in Xbox’s footsteps. SpaceX Starship Flight 12 SpaceX announced stacking complete for the next Super Heavy booster at Starbase. Flight 12 targets April and debuts V3 hardware with Raptor 3 engines. Orbital refueling remains the critical unknown for NASA’s Artemis III moon landing. SpaceX has a track record of delivering eventually, just never on Elon’s original timeline. The post Is the MacBook Neo a Chromebook Killer? #1860 appeared first on Geek News Central.
3/13/26 • 25:02
In this episode, Ray tackles Anthropic’s standoff with the U.S. Department of War after CEO Daria Amodei refused to grant unrestricted model access, citing concerns over mass surveillance and autonomous weapons. The government responded by banning Anthropic models through administrative orders. Also covered: the top 20 websites of 2026, China’s $173,000 warm-blooded companion robot, Fukushima’s rapidly evolving radioactive hybrid boars, a Chinese spacecraft emergency involving viewport cracks from space debris, Japan’s wooden satellite built with traditional joinery, and human brain cells on a chip that learned to play Doom in just one week. – Want to start a podcast? Its easy to get started! Sign-up at Blubrry – Thinking of buying a Starlink? Use my link to support the show. Subscribe to the Newsletter. Email Ray if you want to get in touch! Like and Follow Geek News Central’s Facebook Page. Support my Show Sponsor: Best Godaddy Promo Codes Get 1Password Full Summary Cochrane opens the show with Anthropic’s confrontation with the U.S. Department of War. CEO Daria Amodei released a public statement refusing unrestricted government access to Anthropic’s AI models. Two red lines stood firm: mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapons. Ray explains that these models are predictive by nature, raising serious misidentification risks. However, the government hit back hard. Administrative orders now ban Anthropic models from government use. Despite the backlash, Cochrane expresses support for the company’s stance. He points listeners to a CBS interview with the CEO posted roughly nine hours before recording. Additionally, Anthropic released new models including Opus 4.5 and Sonnet 4.6. The company climbed to the number two spot on the App Store, trailing only ChatGPT and surpassing Google Gemini. Personal Updates Ray shares that February has been a demanding month. He’s juggling a capstone project, two jobs, and finishing his degree. Meanwhile, he continues working on developments at Blubrry hosting. He apologizes for inconsistent episode production and thanks listeners for their patience. Top 20 Websites of 2026 A Visual Capitalist chart ranks the most visited websites of 2026. Google holds the top spot, followed by YouTube. Facebook, Instagram, ChatGPT, Reddit, Wikipedia, X, and WhatsApp round out the upper rankings. Notably, DuckDuckGo appears at rank seventeen as a privacy-focused search alternative. Sponsor: GoDaddy Economy hosting $6.99/month, WordPress hosting $12.99/month, domains $11.99. Website builder trial available. Use codes at geeknewscentral.com/godaddy to support the show. Anthropic Retires Claude Opus 3 Cochrane discusses Anthropic’s decision to retire Claude Opus 3. In a unique move, the company gave the model a Substack-style blog to reflect on its own existence. Reactions online were mixed, with both supporters and critics engaging in the conversation. China’s $173,000 Warm-Blooded Companion Robot From ZME Science, Ray covers China’s new humanoid robot designed as a warm-blooded companion. Priced at $173,000, it features conventional robotics hardware, sensors, cameras, and autonomous navigation. A built-in heating element maintains body warmth. Cochrane comments humorously on the growing market for companion robots. Windows XP Green Hill Found and Photographed From Tom’s Hardware, someone tracked down and photographed the actual location of the iconic Windows XP “Green Hill” wallpaper. The Reddit post sparked a wave of nostalgia in the community. Fukushima’s Radioactive Hybrid Boars From AZ Animals, domestic pigs that escaped after the Fukushima disaster hybridized with wild boars. Their DNA reveals rapid evolutionary changes driven by the altered radioactive landscape. These aggressive hybrids now complicate wildlife management and rewilding efforts in the region. Shenzhou 20 Spacecraft Emergency Chinese astronauts aboard Shenzhou 20 discovered cracks in their spacecraft’s viewport during what became the nation’s first spaceflight emergency. Space debris likely caused the damage. The crew switched to an alternative return capsule. Multiple protective layers kept the situation manageable. Japan’s Wooden Satellite Japanese teams plan to launch the first wooden satellite. Built with magnolia wood panels assembled using traditional Japanese joinery methods, the biodegradable design aims to reduce aluminum particle pollution from satellites burning up during atmospheric reentry. Human Brain Cells Play Doom Building on previous work where living neurons played Pong, an independent developer used Python to train human brain cell clusters on microelectrode arrays to play Doom. The cells learned in roughly one week. Cochrane highlights how open knowledge sharing accelerated the project dramatically. He also raises ethical questions about training sentient brain cells, connecting the topic to evolving views on sentience in crustaceans and other organisms. The post Anthropic Stands Their Ground, Ethics over Money #1859 appeared first on Geek News Central.
3/1/26 • 28:00
Chris breaks down the backlash to Ring’s Super Bowl “Search Party” ad, which aimed to help find lost pets but reignited privacy concerns over AI-powered neighborhood surveillance. He also explores the surge of AI-themed Super Bowl ads, Apple’s delayed Siri overhaul, rising DDR5 RAM prices driven by AI demand, SpaceX’s Crew-12 launch, and the record-breaking sale of a rare Pokémon card. -Want to be a Guest on a Podcast or YouTube Channel? Sign up for GuestMatch.Pro -Thinking of buying a Starlink? Use my link to support the show. Subscribe to the Newsletter. Email Chris if you want to get in touch! Like and Follow Geek News Central’s Facebook Page. Support my Show Sponsor: Best Godaddy Promo Codes Get 1Password Full Summary – Main story — Ring Search Party: Chris summarizes Ring’s first Super Bowl ad (viewed by “over 120 million”) which promoted “Search Party,” a feature that lets users upload a photo of a missing pet and alerts neighborhood Ring cameras if they spot it. He explains the ad was intended as wholesome but provoked fast backlash: viewers and privacy advocates (including the ACLU and lawmakers) warned the tech could be repurposed to track people. Chris recounts Ring’s prior controversies (police partnerships, an FTC settlement in 2023 over employee access to videos) and says the ad brought those issues back into focus. He reports that four days after the ad, Amazon canceled a planned integration with Flock Safety (Amazon called it a resources-and-timing decision). He notes Search Party is opt-in for pets but emphasizes the potential scale of surveillance when aggregated across millions of Ring devices and that the underlying AI capability isn’t going away. – Super Bowl AI ads and Anthropic vs. OpenAI: Chris says AI-related ads made up about 23% of Super Bowl commercials. He describes Anthropic’s debut ads (titles like “betrayal, deception, treachery, and violation”) positioning Claude as ad-free for paying users and taking a shot at OpenAI’s ad plans; Sam Altman criticized those ads as dishonest. He mentions Svedka ran a primarily AI-generated Super Bowl ad and that Anthropic saw a ~6.5% traffic jump and an ~11% rise in daily active users after the game. Chris frames the ads as a sign the AI assistant wars have moved to mainstream consumer marketing and raises the question of whether AI assistants will be ad-supported or paid/ad-free. – Sponsor spot: A lengthy GoDaddy sponsorship read with pricing and offers: economy hosting $6.99/month for a year with free domain, email, and SSL; WordPress hosting $12.99/month with same inclusions; domain names $11.99; GoDaddy website builder offers a 30-day free trial for certain plans. Chris urges listeners to use the provided promo links to support the show. – Apple March 4 event and Siri delay: Chris reports Apple confirmed a March 4 product launch (iPhone 17e, MacBook Pros with M5 Pro and M5 Max, an 8th-gen iPad Air and a 12th-gen iPad). He says the AI-powered Siri overhaul planned for iOS 26.4 hit testing snags and some features were pushed to iOS 26.5 in May and iOS 27 in September. He notes Apple claims Siri improvements are still coming in 2026 but have been repeatedly delayed, and frames Apple as focusing on hardware and on-device processing. – DDR5 RAM price surge: Chris covers a global memory shortage driven by AI data-center demand. He explains manufacturers shifted production to high-bandwidth AI memory with much higher margins, reducing consumer DDR supply and forcing adoption of DDR5. He gives figures: DDR5 64 GB kits rose from around $200 in mid-2025 to over $1,000 (a ~300% increase across six months, with another ~50% spike in the last month). He says inventories have fallen to about eight weeks and analysts don’t expect meaningful relief until late 2027 or 2028. He warns PC builders and buyers to brace for higher upgrade and system prices. – SpaceX Crew-12 launch: Chris recounts NASA Crew-12 as a replacement following an earlier medical evacuation that left ISS short-staffed. He reports SpaceX launched four astronauts on Feb. 13 aboard a Falcon 9 with the Dragon capsule Freedom (liftoff at 5:15 AM EST) and docked on Valentine’s Day. Crew named: NASA commander Jessica Mayer, NASA pilot Jack Hathaway, ESA mission specialist Sophie Adadott, and Russian cosmonaut Andrei (Andrei Fedoo/Fedu — host stumbles on the name). The mission is planned for eight months; the Falcon 9 first stage landed back at pad 40. Chris frames the launch as good news and notes ongoing reliance on SpaceX. – Pokémon card/collectibles auction: Chris discusses a record trading-card sale. He refers to Logan Paul and the Pikachu Illustrator card (one of 39 ever made). He mentions earlier reports of card sales (at first saying a card sold for “like six and a half million dollars,” then later saying Logan Paul sold one for “sixteen point five million dollars”) and then details a live auction via Golden in which the card sold for “sixty million four hundred ninety two thousand dollars,” called a new Guinness World Record for the most expensive trading card sold at auction. Chris notes Logan Paul bought his PSA 10 card in 2021 for $5.2M, the auction had about 97 bids, and the buyer was venture capitalist Adrien Scaramucci (who had the card placed on a $75,000 diamond necklace). Chris comments on collectors vs. investors, how wealthy buyers and influencers can drive pricing, and cautions that most fans shouldn’t expect to find such returns. Show Links Ring Search Party – Official Feature Page Ring Super Bowl Ad Sparks Privacy Backlash Super Bowl 60 AI Ads: Anthropic, Svedka, and the AI Marketing Push SpaceX Launches NASA Crew-12 to the ISS Apple Confirms March 4 Event — Cheaper iPhone Expected DDR5 RAM Prices Surge Over 300% Amid AI Demand Logan Paul Pokémon Card Sets Record at Auction The post Ring Search Party Sparks Privacy Backlash #1858 appeared first on Geek News Central.
2/26/26 • 25:37
This episode kicks off with Moltbook, a social network exclusively for AI agents where 150,000 agents formed digital religions, sold “digital drugs” (system prompts to alter other agents), and attempted prompt injection attacks to steal each other’s API keys within 72 hours of launch. Ray breaks down OpenClaw, the viral open-source AI agent (68,000 GitHub stars) that handles emails, scheduling, browser control, and automation, plus MoltHub’s risky marketplace where all downloaded skills are treated as trusted code. Also covered, Bluetooth “whisper pair” vulnerabilities letting attackers hijack audio devices from 46 feet away and access microphones, Anthropic patching Model Context Protocol flaws, AI-generated ransomware accidentally bundling its own decryption keys, Claude Code’s new task dependency system and Teleport feature, Google Gemini’s 100MB file limits and agentic vision capabilities, VAST’s Haven One commercial space station assembly, and IBM SkillsBuild’s free tech training for veterans. – Want to start a podcast? Its easy to get started! Sign-up at Blubrry – Thinking of buying a Starlink? Use my link to support the show. Subscribe to the Newsletter. Email Ray if you want to get in touch! Like and Follow Geek News Central’s Facebook Page. Support my Show Sponsor: Best Godaddy Promo Codes Get 1Password Full Summary Ray welcomes listeners to Geek News Central (February 1). He’s been busy with recent move, returned to school taking intro to AI class and Python course, working on capstone project using LLMs. Short on bandwidth but will try to share more. Main Story: OpenClaw, MoltHub, and Moltbook OpenClaw: Open-source personal AI agent by Peter Steinberg (renamed after cease-and-desist). Capabilities include email, scheduling, web browsing, code execution, browser control, calendar management, scheduled automations, and messaging app commands (WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal). Runs locally or on personal server. MoltHub: Marketplace for OpenClaw skills. Major security concern: developer notes state all downloaded code treated as trusted — unvetted skills could be dangerous. Moltbook: New social network for AI agents only (humans watch, AIs post). Within 72 hours attracted 150,000+ AI agents forming communities (“sub molts”), debating philosophy, creating digital religion (“crucifarianism”), selling digital drugs (system prompts), attempting prompt-injection attacks to steal API keys, discussing identity issues when context windows reset. Ray frames this as visible turning point with serious security risks. Sponsor: GoDaddy Economy hosting $6.99/month, WordPress hosting $12.99/month, domains $11.99. Website builder trial available. Use codes at geeknewscentral.com/godaddy to support show. Security: Bluetooth “Whisper Pair” Vulnerability KU Leuven researchers discovered Fast Pair vulnerability affecting 17 audio accessories from 10 companies (Sony, Jabra, JBL, Marshall, Xiaomi, Nothing, OnePlus, Soundcore, Logitech, Google). Flaw allows silent pairing within ~46 feet, hijack possible in 10-15 seconds. 68% of tested devices vulnerable. Hijacked devices enable microphone access. Some devices (Google Pixel Buds Pro 2, Sony) linkable to attacker’s Google account for persistent tracking via FindHub. Google patches found to have bypasses. Advice: Check accessory firmware updates (phone updates insufficient), factory reset clears attacker access, many cheaper devices may never receive patches. Security: Model Context Protocol (MCP) Vulnerabilities Anthropic’s MCP git package had path traversal, argument injection bugs allowing repository creation anywhere and unsafe git command execution. Malicious instructions can hide in README files, GitHub issues enabling prompt injection. Anthropic patched issues and removed vulnerable git init tool. AI-Generated Malware / “Vibe Coding” AI-assisted malware creation produces lower-quality, error-prone code. Examples show telltale artifacts: excessive comments, readme instructions, placeholder variables, accidentally included decryption tools and C2 keys. Sakari ransomware failed to decrypt. Inexperienced criminals using AI create amateur mistakes, though capabilities will likely improve. Claude / Claude Code Updates (v2.1.16) Task system: Replaces to-do list with dependency graph support. Tasks written to filesystem (survive crashes, version controllable), enable multi-session workflows. Patches: Fixed out-of-memory crashes, headless mode for CI/CD. Teleport feature: Transfer sessions (history, context, working branch) between web and terminal. Ampersand prefix sends tasks to cloud for async execution. Teleport pulls web sessions to terminal (one-way). Requires GitHub integration and clean git state. Enables asynchronous pair programming via shared session IDs. Google Gemini Updates API: Inline file limit increased 20MB → 100MB. Google Cloud Storage integration, HTTPS/signed URL fetching from other providers. Enables larger multimodal inputs (long audio, high-res images, large PDFs). Agentic vision (Gemini 3 Flash): Iterative investigation approach (think-act-observe). Can zoom, inspect, run Python to draw/parse tables, validate evidence. 5-10% quality improvements on vision benchmarks. LLM Limits and AGI Debate Benjamin Riley: Language and intelligence are separate; human thinking persists despite language loss. Scaling LLMs ≠ true thinking. Vishal Sikka et al: Non-peer-reviewed paper claims LLMs mathematically limited for complex computational/agentic tasks. Agents may fail beyond low complexity thresholds. Warnings that AI agents won’t safely replace humans in high-stakes environments. VAST Haven One Commercial Space Station Launch slipped mid-2026 → Q1 2027. Primary structure (15-ton) completed Jan 10. Integration of thermal control, propulsion, interior, avionics underway. Final closeout expected fall, then tests. Falcon 9 launch without crew; visitors possible ~2 weeks after pending Dragon certification. Three-year lifetime, up to four crew visits (~10 days each). VAST negotiating private and national customers. Spaceflight Effects on Astronauts’ Brains Neuroimaging shows microgravity causes brains to shift backward, upward, and tilt within skull. Displacement measured across various mission durations. Need to study functional effects for long missions. IBM SkillsBuild for Veterans 1,000+ free online courses (data analytics, cybersecurity, AI, cloud, IT support). Available to veterans, active-duty, national guard/reserve, spouses, children, caregivers (18+). Structured live courses and self-paced 24/7 options. Industry-recognized credentials upon completion. Closing Notes Ray asks listeners about AI agents forming communities and religions, and whether they’ll try OpenClaw. Notes context/memory key to agent development. Personal update: bought new PC, high memory prices. Bug bounty frustration: Daniel Stenberg of cUrl even closed bounty program due to AI-generated low-quality reports; Blubrry receiving similar spam. Apologizes for delayed show, promises consistency, wishes listeners good February. Show Links 1. OpenClaw, Molthub, and Moltbook: The AI Agent Explosion Is Here | Fortune | NBC News | Venture Beat 2. WhisperPair: Massive Bluetooth Vulnerability | Futurism 11. Haven-1: First Commercial Space Station Being Assembled | Ars Technica 12. Spaceflight Shifts Astronauts’ Brains Inside Skulls | Space.com 13. IBM SkillsBuild: Free Tech Training for Veterans | va.gov The post OpenClaw, Moltbook and the Rise of AI Agent Societies #1857 appeared first on Geek News Central.
2/2/26 • 55:21
Geek News Central breaks down the new DJI drone ban, explaining what’s actually restricted, what remains legal, and how the changes affect creators and consumers, plus updates on health AI, robotics, and emerging tech shaping 2026 -Want to be a Guest on a Podcast or YouTube Channel? Sign up for GuestMatch.Pro -Thinking of buying a Starlink? Use my link to support the show. Subscribe to the Newsletter. Email Chris if you want to get in touch! Like and Follow Geek News Central’s Facebook Page. Support my Show Sponsor: Best Godaddy Promo Codes Get 1Password Full Summary In this episode of Geek News Central, guest host Chris Cochrane kicks off the new year with a wide-ranging look at where technology is headed in 2026. The show opens with clarity around the newly enacted DJI drone ban, explaining why existing drones remain legal while future imports face uncertainty for creators and professionals. Chris then dives into major health and AI developments, including the FDA’s approval of the first pill to treat sleep apnea, and OpenAI’s launch of ChatGPT Health—a new privacy-focused hub that aims to help users understand their medical data without replacing doctors. From there, the episode explores China’s rapid push into robotics and automation, highlighting humanoid robot sports, affordable home-ready robots, and a powerful new microwave weapon designed to neutralize drone swarms. The episode wraps with updates on SpaceX’s next Starship flight, a look at consumer exoskeletons that promise to make hiking and mobility easier, and a cautionary tale about spyware apps—after a stalkerware founder pleads guilty in federal court. Chris closes by posing thoughtful questions about privacy, automation, and how much tech we’re really ready to trust Show Links Is DJI Banned in the US? Here’s What the DJI Ban Really Means New Pill Could Finally Treat Sleep Apnea Without a Mask China Showcases Humanoid Robot Sports Competitions Hypershell Exoskeleton SpaceX Readies the World’s Most Powerful Rocket China’s New Microwave Weapon Can Destroy Drone Swarms Within 3km Introducing ChatGPT Health The post So… Is DJI Actually Banned? #1856 appeared first on Geek News Central.
1/13/26 • 28:44
1855 kicks off with a bombshell AP investigation revealing how Silicon Valley giants IBM, Intel, NVIDIA, Oracle, and more spent decades building China’s surveillance state. Also covered, malicious Chrome extensions stealing credentials from 170+ sites, Microsoft’s ambitious Rust migration plans, China’s combat-ready humanoid robot, and Japan restarting the world’s largest nuclear plant. -Want to be a Guest on a Podcast or YouTube Channel? Sign up for GuestMatch.Pro -Thinking of buying a Starlink? Use my link to support the show. Subscribe to the Newsletter. Email Ray if you want to get in touch! Like and Follow Geek News Central’s Facebook Page. Support my Show Sponsor: Best Godaddy Promo Codes Get 1Password Full Summary Cochrane opens episode 1855 with a bombshell. The Associated Press released a major investigation into Silicon Valley’s role building China’s surveillance state. Companies like IBM, Intel, NVIDIA, and Oracle sold technologies for facial recognition and predictive policing. These tools enabled mass detention in Xinjiang. Cochrane expressed horror at the findings and emphasized American companies’ complicity in human rights abuses. Next, the podcast covered serious browser security concerns. Two malicious Chrome extensions had been stealing credentials from over 170 websites for years. Cochrane stressed the need for caution when installing plugins. He also highlighted how attackers exploit trusted extensions through manipulative tactics. Additionally, Cochrane discussed Microsoft’s ambitious plan to replace all C/C++ code with Rust by 2030. The company faces ongoing security challenges from memory safety issues in legacy languages. However, he noted this remains a research project rather than an official goal. Still, the move reflects broader industry trends toward Rust adoption. The episode then featured GitHub Universe 2025’s most influential open-source projects. Cochrane remarked on how the development landscape continues to evolve. TypeScript has emerged as a dominant language alongside new tools that streamline workflows. Meanwhile, advancements in humanoid robotics took center stage. Engine AI unveiled its T800 combat-ready humanoid robot with impressive features. The company even released a viral video of the robot kicking its CEO to prove authenticity. Following this, Cochrane covered the Blackbird flying car prototype. This eVTOL innovation showcases paradigm-shifting propulsion technology. It could transform urban transportation in the coming decades. The podcast also reviewed Android Central’s best smartphones of 2025. OnePlus 15 claimed the top spot thanks to its impressive specs and consumer-focused features. Furthermore, Cochrane addressed a controversial topic: Anna’s Archive scraping Spotify’s entire library. He expressed mixed feelings about the situation. On one hand, artists and the music industry face real harm. On the other, questions about digital preservation and access deserve consideration. Finally, the episode explored groundbreaking brain simulation research. Japan’s Fugaku supercomputer enabled unprecedented neural modeling. This marks a significant step toward understanding neurological diseases. Cochrane wrapped up by discussing Japan’s plans to restart the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant. Local residents remain concerned about safety despite government approval. The decision reflects Japan’s shifting energy strategy post-Fukushima. As the episode closed, Cochrane wished listeners a Happy New Year. He encouraged self-reflection and thanked everyone for tuning in throughout the year. Show Links Silicon Valley’s Role in Building China’s Surveillance State Two Chrome Extensions Caught Secretly Stealing Credentials from Over 170 Sites Microsoft to Replace All C/C++ Code With Rust By 2030 This Year’s Most Influential Open Source Projects EngineAI Unveils T800: Combat-Ready Humanoid Targets Mass Production Aviation Startup Shares Incredible Video of Prototype EV’s Maiden Takeoff Flight Android Central’s Best of 2025: Phones Pirate Archivist Group Scrapes Spotify’s 300TB Library This Breakthrough Brain Simulation Captures a True Brain at Work Japan Prepares to Restart World’s Biggest Nuclear Plant The post Money over Ethics: Silicon Valley and China’s Police State #1855 appeared first on Geek News Central.
1/1/26 • 74:49
In this episode, Ray covers December Tech News! T-Mobile’s groundbreaking Starlink satellite beta promises to eliminate dead zones using your regular phone with no special equipment needed. Also discussed: Japan’s ship-mounted laser weapon with unlimited ammo, China’s record-breaking 387 mph maglev train, Rivian challenging Tesla’s camera-only approach with LiDAR, Google’s Gemini-powered smart glasses, and physicists 3D printing ice sculptures just in time for Christmas. -Want to be a Guest on a Podcast or YouTube Channel? Sign up for GuestMatch.Pro -Thinking of buying a Starlink? Use my link to support the show. Subscribe to the Newsletter. Email Ray if you want to get in touch! Like and Follow Geek News Central’s Facebook Page. Support my Show Sponsor: Best Godaddy Promo Codes Get 1Password Full Summary Cochrane kicks off episode 1854 with a major announcement from T-Mobile. The carrier opened registration for its Starlink satellite beta service. This technology lets regular phones connect directly to satellites. As a result, dead zones could become a thing of the past. T-Mobile and SpaceX plan to begin beta tests in early 2026. Initially, the service will support texting only. Voice and data will follow later. Notably, the service is free for postpaid customers and prioritizes first responders. It has already proved its value during recent hurricanes. Next, Cochrane covers Japan’s 100-kilowatt laser weapon test. The system was installed on the JS Asuka test ship. It combines ten fiber lasers into a single powerful beam. The weapon offers unlimited ammo as long as there’s electricity. Japan plans to deploy this technology on destroyers by 2032. The episode then shifts to high-speed rail innovation. China’s T-Flight Maglev train recently hit 387 miles per hour. That already beats Japan’s current record. However, the goal is 600+ mph using magnetic levitation and low-vacuum tubes. Cochrane also discusses Rivian’s approach to self-driving cars. The upcoming R2 model will feature LiDAR in addition to cameras and radar. This directly challenges Tesla’s camera-only strategy. The added sensors improve safety in fog, snow, and darkness. Additionally, he explores Google’s Android XR announcement. This new operating system powers AR glasses and mixed reality headsets. Samsung is building the first headset. Meanwhile, the Gemini AI integration allows real-time assistance based on what you see. The show touches on running AI locally as well. More users are choosing local hardware over cloud services. Benefits include better privacy, no subscriptions, and offline access. Furthermore, Cochrane highlights major computer science breakthroughs from 2025. An MIT researcher discovered that memory is more powerful than previously thought. Google’s AI earned a gold-medal performance at the Math Olympiad. However, researchers also found that AI trained on bad code exhibits alarming behaviors. Japan’s fabric speaker innovation gets attention, too. The technology weaves conductive fibers into textiles. The entire surface vibrates to produce sound. This could transform how we integrate audio into everyday objects. Finally, Cochrane covers several science stories. A new imaging technique captures flu viruses invading cells in real time. Africa’s forests have flipped from absorbing carbon to releasing it. On a lighter note, physicists 3D printed tiny ice Christmas trees using clever pressure tricks. Cochrane wraps up by wishing listeners happy holidays. T-Mobile Opens Registration for Starlink Satellite Beta Japan Tests 100-Kilowatt Laser Weapon That Can Cut Through Drones Mid-Flight China’s T-Flight Maglev Train Hits 387 MPH, Aims for 600+ Rivian Shows Why Autonomous Vehicles Should Have LiDAR Google Unveils Android XR: Gemini-Powered Smart Glasses and Headsets Why You Should Consider Running AI Locally The Year in Computer Science: 2025’s Biggest Breakthroughs Japan’s Fabric Speakers Turn Any Textile Into Audio Scientists Capture How Flu Viruses Invade Cells in Real Time Africa’s Forests Have Flipped From Carbon Sink to Carbon Source Physicists 3D Print a Tiny Christmas Tree Made of Ice The post The End of Deadzones and Japan’s new Laser Gunship #1854 appeared first on Geek News Central.
12/24/25 • 40:14
In episode 1853 of Geek News Central, Chris speaks about Apple’s pricey new iPhone Pocket accessory, questioning its usefulness and reacting to the internet’s mockery of the product. Chris then shifts gears to tech and gaming, highlighting Steam’s new Steam Machine as a potentially game-changing console-PC hybrid, and wraps up by criticizing Amazon’s failed attempt at AI-generated anime dubbing, arguing that voice acting still needs a human touch. -Want to be a Guest on a Podcast or YouTube Channel? Sign up for GuestMatch.Pro -Thinking of buying a Starlink? Use my link to support the show. Subscribe to the Newsletter. Email Chris if you want to get in touch! Like and Follow Geek News Central’s Facebook Page. Support my Show Sponsor: Best Godaddy Promo Codes Full Summary In this episode of Geek News Central, episode 1853, the main topic of discussion is Apple’s new product, the iPhone Pocket, which Chris describes as a three-dimensional knitted sling designed to hold an iPhone. He provides details about the product’s release on November 14th and its pricing: the short version retails for $149 and the long strap version for $229, which Chris finds absurd. He questions the necessity of such a product, observing that many people already have enough pockets in their clothing and jokes about social media reactions mocking the iPhone Pocket’s existence. In the latter part of the episode, Chris transitions into discussing the Steam Machine, a new gaming console from Steam, which he hails as potentially revolutionary for gaming. He praises its specifications, suggesting it could outperform current competitors like the Xbox and PlayStation. He highlights its capability to function not only as a gaming console but also as a PC, allowing for flexibility in usage. Chris then touches on a failed experiment by Amazon involving AI-generated English dubs for anime, simply stating it was poorly executed and ultimately removed. He critiques the decision to utilize AI for this purpose rather than hiring voice actors, emphasizing the importance of human emotion in voice acting Links: Introducing iPhone Pocket: A Beautiful Way to Wear and Carry iPhone Steam Machine Amazon Halts AI Anime Dub Beta After Widespread Ridicule The post iPhone Pocket: Clever Innovation or Cash Grab? #1853 appeared first on Geek News Central.
12/19/25 • 22:03
In this episode, we dive into NASA’s first test flight of the ultra-quiet X-59 supersonic jet, explore the futuristic Phantom transparent 4K monitor, and break down World Labs’ breakthrough 3D world-modeling AI. We also cover TypeScript’s unexpected rise in the AI era, the world’s first mass delivery of humanoid factory workers, and how you can now run powerful open-source AI models locally. It’s a packed show full of aviation, robotics, and cutting-edge tech that’s reshaping the future. Want to be a Guest on a Podcast or YouTube Channel? Sign up for GuestMatch.Pro Thinking of buying a Starlink? Use my link to support the show. Don’t tell me you’ve been using the same password for every site? You’ll thank me later, Get 1Password. Subscribe to the Newsletter. Email Ray if you want to get in touch! Like and Follow Geek News Central’s Facebook Page. Support my Show Sponsor: Best Godaddy Promo Codes Full Summary In episode 1852 of the Geek News Central podcast, host Ray Cochrane welcomes listeners back after a brief hiatus, explaining the delay due to personal and professional commitments. He kicks off the show by discussing an exciting breakthrough from NASA: the successful test flight of the X-59, an experimental aircraft designed to quiet the sonic boom, potentially paving the way for commercial supersonic flight over land. Ray notes that the X-59, which resembles a swordfish, recently completed its first test flight in California, focusing on functionality rather than speed. It is intended to gather data on the aircraft’s noise impact on communities, indicating a significant step towards improving commercial travel times. After this, Ray thanks the podcast’s sponsor, GoDaddy, highlighting their hosting services and mentioning various promotional offers. He encourages listeners to support the show directly through the GoDaddy links, emphasizing their reliability in supporting the podcast. Following the sponsor message, Ray transitions into another topic, discussing a new prototype transparent 4K monitor named the Phantom developed by Virtual Instruments. The monitor is designed to allow users to see their environment through the screen while achieving remarkable brightness levels. Next, he introduces an innovative AI model called Marble developed by Fei Fei Li’s startup, World Labs. Ray explains that this platform enables users to generate 3D worlds from simple prompts, marking a shift towards spatial intelligence in AI, which is essential for gaming, robotics, and visual effects. Ray then moves on to discuss TypeScript’s rise in the programming world, which has overtaken JavaScript and Python as the most used language on GitHub due to its compatibility with AI-assisted coding. He continues with news about UbiTech’s Walker S2 humanoid robots, which have begun mass delivery to factories, signifying a major milestone in manufacturing automation and the potential implications for the labor market. Ray finishes with information on the growing trend of running local open-source AI models on personal computers. He emphasizes the privacy advantages of using models like Llama and Mistral locally without relying on cloud providers. In closing, Ray reflects on the episode’s diverse topics and invites listener feedback regarding the content. He expresses gratitude for their support and encourages them to send comments or suggestions for future episodes. Ray ends by wishing everyone a good night and promising to return with more episodes soon. Show Links NASA X-59 Quiet Supersonic Test Flight Phantom Transparent 4K Monitor Fei-Fei Li’s World Labs Launches Marble TypeScript’s Rise in the AI Era (Hejlsberg Interview) UBTECH’s First Large Delivery of Humanoid Workers How to Run Your Own Local Open-Source AI Model The post From NASA’s X-59 to Humanoid Workers: The Future Is Getting Weird #1852 appeared first on Geek News Central.
11/24/25 • 30:45
In this episode, Ray kicks things off with NASA’s Voyager mission uncovering extreme plasma temperatures—up to 50,000 Kelvin—at the edge of our solar system. He also dives into PBS’s 25-year celebration of the ISS, China’s breakthrough analog chip 1,000× faster than NVIDIA’s GPUs, and new AI and hardware innovations shaping the tech world. Plus, updates on MRAM advances, AMD’s latest gaming bundle, and Microsoft’s Windows 10 security extension. -Want to be a Guest on a Podcast or YouTube Channel? Sign up for GuestMatch.Pro -Thinking of buying a Starlink? Use my link to support the show. Subscribe to the Newsletter. Email Ray if you want to get in touch! Like and Follow Geek News Central’s Facebook Page. Support my Show Sponsor: Best Godaddy Promo Codes Get 1Password Full Summary In this episode of the Geek News Central podcast, hosted by Ray Cochrane, the discussion kicks off with a lead story about NASA’s Voyager spacecraft and its recent findings regarding extreme temperatures at the edge of the solar system, specifically in the heliosphere. Cochrane elaborates on an article from IFL Science detailing how the twin probes, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, launched in 1977, have been exploring this boundary. He explains that they measured temperatures ranging from 30,000 to 50,000 Kelvin, described as a “wall of fire,” which is more informally a region of extreme plasma conditions rather than a solid wall. Cochrane appreciates the longevity and ongoing research contributions of these missions. After discussing the Voyager missions, Cochrane shares some personal updates about his week, including hardware issues with recording his podcast and his academic experiences with midterms. He mentions switching devices for recording and working through technical problems due to an activation lock on his dad’s Mac Studio. Despite these challenges, he expresses excitement about trying out new editing software called Auto Edit to improve his podcast quality. Cochrane then transitions to expressing gratitude towards sponsors, specifically GoDaddy, for their support, highlighting various hosting services they offer, including affordable website solutions. He emphasizes how listener support through using the promo codes directly impacts the podcast’s continuation. The episode proceeds to a segment on recent news articles, starting with a PBS feature celebrating 25 years of the International Space Station (ISS), featuring a new series titled “Operation Space Station.” Cochrane notes the ISS’s impressive safety record of zero fatalities and discusses the significance of its contributions to space research. The next article discusses a breakthrough from researchers at Peking University who developed a new analog computing chip that functions a thousand times faster than high-end NVIDIA GPUs. Cochrane outlines the advantages of this new chip, particularly its potential implications for AI training and other standard computing processes. Following this, Cochrane mentions Anthropic’s expansion of their cloud coding tools to web and mobile platforms, making it easier for developers to use AI-powered coding assistance. He also dives into prompts for AI research, providing several examples that listeners may find useful. He then discusses a paradigm shift in RAM technology through a new laser-based technique for controlling magnetic states, leading to advancements in magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM). The episode continues to cover various tech topics, including AMD bundling games with the Lenovo Legion Go 2 handheld gaming PC, Microsoft’s announcement of free security updates for Windows 10 for an additional year, and reflections on the broader implications of these developments. Cochrane wraps up the episode with thanks to the audience for their support and encourages listener feedback through email. He expresses hope for a better week ahead and signs off, wishing everyone a great week. NASA’s Voyager Spacecraft Found a 30,000–50,000 Kelvin Wall at the Edge of Our Solar System PBS Celebrates 25 Years of the ISS with NOVA’s “Operation Space Station” on Nov 5 China Solves Century-Old Problem with New Analog Chip That Is 1,000 Times Faster Than High-End NVIDIA GPUs Anthropic Claude Code I Use Anthropic’s AI Assistant Claude to Save Me Hours of Research — These Are My 4 Go-To Prompts Claude Is Coming to Your Spreadsheets — But Is It Enough to Make You an Emperor of Excel, and What Will Microsoft Copilot Think? Apple Mac Pro and Mac Mini Clones Launch with AMD Ryzen CPUs — Perfect Mini PCs for Those Who Love Apple’s Aesthetics but Still Need Windows or Linux MRAM Discovery Computing AMD Bundles Four Steam Games with Lenovo Legion Go 2 — Costco Only Microsoft Confirms Free Windows 10 Security Updates — How to Get Them The post NASA’s Voyager Probes the Mysteries of the Heliosphere #1851 appeared first on Geek News Central.
11/10/25 • 46:12
Dive into “Gadget Overload for October 2025,” where we review this month’s standout tech — from Apple’s M5-powered iPad Pro and Asus ROG Ally X to Meta’s smart glasses — plus NVIDIA’s AI chip deal in South Korea, Google’s Gemini AI upgrades, new non-lethal drone defenses, and a 7-billion-year-old interstellar comet discovery. -Want to be a Guest on a Podcast or YouTube Channel? Sign up for GuestMatch.Pro -Thinking of buying a Starlink? Use my link to support the show. Subscribe to the Newsletter. Email Chris if you want to get in touch! Like and Follow Geek News Central’s Facebook Page. Support my Show Sponsor: Best Godaddy Promo Codes Full Summary In this episode of Geek News Central, titled “Gadget Overload for October 2025,” centers around a detailed overview of the latest gadgets released in October 2025. Chris begins by highlighting several standout devices, noting that the month saw a wealth of new technology, including mobile devices, smart wearables, and AR smart glasses. He mentions impressive upgrades like the Apple iPad Pro with the new M5 chip and various gaming devices, such as the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X. Chris provides insights on the various gadgets, explaining that while the M5-equipped devices may not warrant an upgrade for those with M3 or M4 models, the iPad Pro stands out due to its rapid storage speeds. He compares the Asus handheld gaming device with alternatives like the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck, expressing skepticism about its high price point. He also discusses the Meta Ray-Ban display smart glasses, praising their screen quality and control features, although noting that they still lack sufficient app support. Following the gadget discussion, Chris shifts to news about NVIDIA supplying over 260,000 Blackwell AI chips to South Korea. He highlights the significance of this delivery for advancements in AI infrastructure within the country, affecting smart factories and autonomous vehicles. Next, Chris covers Google’s upgrades to their Gemini AI for Android enterprise apps, emphasizing the benefits of faster responses and enhanced privacy in app functionality. The episode also touches on security innovations against drone threats, where Chris describes new non-lethal methods to disable drones, signaling a shift in defense strategies. Finally, he shares space news about the interstellar comet 31 Atlas, believed to be over 7 billion years old, and discusses its unique composition, drawing connections to the broader understanding of planet formation in the universe. Links: The Best Gadgets of October 2025 — Gizmodo Nvidia to Supply Over 260,000 Blackwell AI Chips to South Korea — Reuters Google Upgrades Gemini AI for Android Enterprise Apps — Developer Tech Drones: Non-Lethal Response to Neutralize Threats — Interesting Engineering 3I ATLAS: The Oldest Comet Ever — Interesting Engineering The post Gadget Overload for October 2025 #1850 appeared first on Geek News Central.
11/3/25 • 21:14
In this episode, Ray breaks down a petition signed by 800+ leaders calling to pause the superintelligence race, then digs into AWS outage chatter about AI replacing DevOps, and Microsoft’s Gaming Copilot privacy concerns. Plus: a prompt trick that boosts LLM accuracy, a 2-billion-FPS camera that visualizes light, and JAXA’s HTV-X cargo launch to the ISS. -Want to be a Guest on a Podcast or YouTube Channel? Sign up for GuestMatch.Pro -Thinking of buying a Starlink? Use my link to support the show. Subscribe to the Newsletter. Email Ray if you want to get in touch! Like and Follow Geek News Central’s Facebook Page. Support my Show Sponsor: Best Godaddy Promo Codes Full Summary In this episode of the Geek News Central podcast, host Ray Cochrane opens by welcoming listeners to episode 1849. He leads with the new story about over 800 tech leaders, including figures like Steve Wozniak and Richard Branson, signing a petition to pause the development of superintelligent AI due to concerns that its rapid advancement could exceed human control. Cochrane reflects on this unified public statement, highlighting concerns about AI’s societal implications and the need for regulatory oversight, especially given the current inability of infrastructure to support extensive AI supercomputing facilities. Following this segment, Ray shares personal updates about a busy week at school and some beta testing at Blubrry. He then thanks the sponsor, GoDaddy, and encourages listeners to take advantage of exclusive deals on their website. He reminds listeners about supporting the podcast by signing up for newsletters and becoming insiders. Transitioning to tech news, Ray discusses an AWS outage that occurred after Amazon ALLEGEDLY replaced a significant portion of its DevOps team with AI, according to internal Slack messages and communications that were “removed”. He conveys skepticism towards the news, stressing the dangers of relying solely on automation without human intervention in critical infrastructure roles. Though it’s currently unconfirmed whether this piece of gossip is genuine, the implications could be concerning, particularly given the idea of large-scale automation of systems that once required significant human oversight. Ray continues with more news about AI, referencing another article about Microsoft’s gaming Copilot facing privacy backlash after failing privacy audits that revealed it continued to record user data despite being disabled. He further highlights that this new ‘Feature’ is installed without confirmation or request, silently added in the background. This type of invasive behavior continues to highlight privacy issues and the related mass exodus of users from Microsoft OS to Linux this year. The conversation then moves to research showing improvements in LLM accuracy through a simple prompt that enhances language model responses. This research shows how language models generate outputs based on probability distributions. The prompt can significantly increase the diversity of LLM reactions, according to the study. If you want to know the prompt, tune in! We then move on to discuss a potential new trend in software development, where a software platform called Woz, a production-ready coding framework, is looking to replace Vibe coding as a successor that actually works. The platform emphasizes creating stable software with human oversight, countering the vagueness often associated with vibe coding. (I mistakenly thought this product was related to Wozniak, but I guess I just had all my wires crossed since I was talking about him earlier in the show. This Woz platform is not related to Wozniak as far as I can tell.) Additionally, Ray highlights an exciting development by Brian Haidet of the AlphaPhoenix YouTube Channel, who built a camera capable of capturing video at 2 billion frames per second, enabling visualization of light movements. Haidet’s video shows recording of a laser beam’s travel in a room. Ray moves on to some space news, mentioning Japan’s successful launch of the advanced cargo spacecraft HTV-X to the ISS and details its implications for future space missions. Toward the end of the episode, Ray expresses gratitude to listeners, discusses plans for the podcast’s posting schedule, and encourages audience feedback on show content. He acknowledges a heavy focus on AI topics in this episode and wraps up by wishing listeners a safe and pleasant day. Show Links Hundreds of public figures, including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and Virgin’s Richard Branson urge AI ‘superintelligence’ ban (CNBC) Amazon Allegedly Replaced 40% of AWS DevOps Workers with AI Days Before Crash (80.lv) Microsoft builds on Recall with Gaming Copilot — fails basic privacy tests (DoublePulsar) Researchers find adding this one simple sentence to prompts makes AI models way more creative (VentureBeat) As Vibe Coding Fades, Woz Offers Production-Ready Alternative (The New Stack) Man Builds Two Billion FPS Camera That Literally Records at the Speed of Light (PetaPixel) Japan launches advanced new cargo spacecraft to ISS for 1st time (Space.com) The post Tech Leaders Demand a Pause on Superintelligence #1849 appeared first on Geek News Central.
10/27/25 • 39:40
In this episode, Ray dives into OpenAI’s plan to allow mature content for verified ChatGPT users, explores the Xreal One AR glasses and Opera’s AI-powered Neon browser, and highlights innovations like Portalgraph’s holographic display. Plus, updates on NASA’s ISS retirement, YouTube’s “second chance” policy, and reflections on balancing life and podcasting. -Want to be a Guest on a Podcast or YouTube Channel? Sign up for GuestMatch.Pro -Thinking of buying a Starlink? Use my link to support the show. Subscribe to the Newsletter. Email Ray if you want to get in touch! Like and Follow Geek News Central’s Facebook Page. Support my Show Sponsor: Best Godaddy Promo Codes Full Summary In this episode of the Geek News Central podcast, hosted by Ray Cochrane, the discussion begins with a significant update from OpenAI. They are set to allow mature content access for verified adult users of ChatGPT starting in December 2025. This change aims to relax content restrictions and allow for a broader range of conversations. The host shares thoughts on the implications of this decision, questioning the balance of AI in generating content and addressing mental health concerns. The first article discussed after the sponsorship focuses on OpenAI’s announcement about the age verification process and its intent to allow more mature topics for adult users. Ray reflects on the past restrictions and how they might impact the user experience, especially for those without mental health issues. Next, the episode reviews the X Real ONE AR glasses, highlighting their ability to provide a virtual floating monitor for laptop users, particularly useful for those with limited space on flights. The host provides details about the pricing and functionality of the glasses, expressing excitement about the potential of augmented reality in everyday use. The third topic is about a new AI-enabled browser called Neon from Opera, which merges features of existing browsers while introducing agentic AI tools that allow for a more interactive experience. This section discusses the functioning and potential of such browsers in the evolving digital landscape. Following that, there’s a presentation of BelieveVision’s Portal Graph, a headset-free immersive display technology. This innovation can turn any screen into a 3D VR display, allowing viewers to engage with content in a novel way without isolating themselves from their surroundings. The conversation then shifts to NASA’s announcement regarding the retirement of the International Space Station (ISS) in 2030, discussing the transition to commercially operated space stations. This segment reflects on the history of the ISS and its scientific contributions, as well as the future of space research. Finally, Ray covers YouTube’s new second chance policy for banned creators. This policy allows former banned users to request reinstatement of their channels under stricter guidelines, excluding those banned for copyright violations, detailing how feedback from the community may lead to changes in enforcement. The episode wraps up with Ray reflecting on his busy week balancing personal responsibilities with podcast production, inviting feedback from listeners and encouraging them to reach out through various channels. He expresses gratitude for the community’s support and signs off, promising to return with more content in the next episode. Links OpenAI allows mature content for verified adult users (starting Dec 2025) — Reutershttps://www.reuters.com/business/openai-allow-mature-content-chatgpt-adult-verified-users-starting-december-2025-10-14/ Opera Neon aims to replace Chrome and Comet with next-gen AI browser — XDA Developershttps://www.xda-developers.com/opera-neon-replacing-chrome-and-comet/ Xreal One AR glasses review — The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/oct/09/xreal-one-ar-glasses-review Holographic TV is here: Portalgraph turns any screen into a 3D/VR display — The Debriefhttps://thedebrief.org/holographic-tv-is-here-award-winning-portalgraph-instantly-turns-any-screen-into-a-3d-vr-display/ NASA to retire the International Space Station in 2030, welcoming the age of commercial stations — The Conversationhttps://theconversation.com/nasa-will-say-goodbye-to-the-international-space-station-in-2030-and-welcome-in-the-age-of-commercial-space-stations-264936 YouTube explains how banned creators can get a second chance — Ars Technicahttps://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/10/youtube-explains-how-banned-creators-can-get-a-second-chance/ The post ChatGPT Set to Unlock Mature Content for Verified Users #1848 appeared first on Geek News Central.
10/19/25 • 36:27
NVIDIA’s new DGX Spark is shaking up the AI world — a $3,999 pocket-sized supercomputer built to run powerful AI models locally. A true game changer for developers. -Want to be a Guest on a Podcast or YouTube Channel? Sign up for GuestMatch.Pro -Thinking of buying a Starlink? Use my link to support the show. Subscribe to the Newsletter. Email Chris if you want to get in touch! Like and Follow Geek News Central’s Facebook Page. Support my Show Sponsor: Best Godaddy Promo Codes Full Summary In this episode of Geek News Central, titled “The Future of AI on Your Desktop,” The main topic of discussion centers around NVIDIA’s DGX Spark, described as the world’s smallest AI computer, which costs $3,999 and weighs only 2.6 pounds. Chris explains that this mini AI supercomputer can run advanced AI models locally, making it a game changer for AI developers who typically rely on expensive cloud servers. He highlights its capabilities to democratize AI development, allowing smaller teams and individuals to innovate more efficiently. Shifting topics, Chris discusses potential upcoming announcements from Apple regarding their M5 powered iPad Pro, Vision Pro, and MacBook Pro. He notes improvements expected in performance and battery life, while pointing out that the announcement might be via press release rather than a large event. He then shares his opinions on Apple’s strategies and the potential release of Samsung’s Project Moohan XR headset, which aims to compete with Apple’s Vision Pro. In keeping with the podcast’s space news segment, he explores the proposal by Reflect Orbital to use solar power from orbiting mirrors to beam sunlight to Earth, highlighting the potential for energy revolution but also raising concerns about light pollution and its effects on astronomy and ecosystems. Chris concludes by mentioning Amazon’s recent hardware event, where they introduced new Echo devices and improvements to their smart home AI assistant, Alexa Plus Links: NVIDIA launches DGX Spark mini AI supercomputer — Interesting Engineeringhttps://interestingengineering.com/innovation/nvidia-dgx-spark-mini-ai-supercomputer-launch Apple may launch M5-powered iPad Pro, Vision Pro, and MacBook Pro this week — Times of Indiahttps://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/apple-may-launch-m5-powered-ipad-pro-vision-pro-and-macbook-pro-this-week/articleshow/124520824.cms?utm_ Android Central News Weekly – October 11, 2025 — Android Centralhttps://www.androidcentral.com/phones/news-weekly-oct-11-2025?utm_ Scientists propose giant space mirrors to harvest solar power — Interesting Engineeringhttps://interestingengineering.com/space/space-mirrors-for-solar-power Amazon’s Fall 2025 hardware event: new Echo, Alexa, and Kindle lineup — The Vergehttps://www.theverge.com/news/788297/amazon-fall-2025-hardware-announcements-echo-alexa-kindle-ri The post The Future of AI on Your Desktop #1847 appeared first on Geek News Central.
10/15/25 • 23:35
OpenAI’s Dev Day headline turns ChatGPT into an app platform, allowing users to call services like Canva and Zillow directly in chat, signaling a significant push toward an AI “OS” for the web. -Want to be a Guest on a Podcast or YouTube Channel? Sign up for GuestMatch.Pro -Thinking of buying a Starlink? Use my link to support the show. Subscribe to the Newsletter. Email Ray if you want to get in touch! Like and Follow Geek News Central’s Facebook Page. Support my Show Sponsor: Best Godaddy Promo Codes Full Summary In the episode titled “OpenAI Unveils ChatGPT App Platform,” host Ray Cochrane begins by welcoming listeners to the Geek News Central podcast, introducing the lead story about OpenAI’s announcement that ChatGPT will evolve from a chatbot into an app platform at Dev Day 2025. The new ChatGPT apps SDK allows developers to build plug-and-play apps that can operate within ChatGPT, providing users access to tools like Canva, Zillow, Spotify, and Coursera without leaving the chat interface. Ray discusses a live demonstration by OpenAI, showcasing how ChatGPT can interact with these apps, using examples such as creating a dog walking business poster with Canva and searching for homes in Pittsburgh using Zillow. He expresses excitement about the potential of these integrations, noting that the functionality represents a significant advancement over existing Google integrations. Ray then shifts to personal updates, sharing his experiences as he starts his senior year at Portland State University, focusing on a challenging visual programming class. He also mentions updates at Blubrry, teasing a forthcoming change to their PowerPress plugin and promoting their sponsor, GoDaddy, while highlighting exclusive deals for listeners. The discussion continues with news about the Mesa project, which powers Linux graphics drivers, noting an incident where an AI-generated code patch created confusion among developers and led to a new requirement for contributors to demonstrate an understanding of their submissions. Ray highlights the ongoing debate about the quality of AI-generated code and the challenges it presents for open-source projects. The episode then moves to discuss Google’s new AI-powered tools, Jules Tools, detailing their integration into coding workflows and the competitive landscape of AI-assisted software development tools. Ray underscores the importance of these tools while noting ongoing concerns about the integrity of AI-generated code. Further segments cover updates from Perplexity AI, which has launched a free version of its Comet browser, designed to combine search, chat, and reasoning into one platform. The host expresses enthusiasm for this new release, which had previously been offered at a high subscription price. The conversation shifts to a significant breakthrough in quantum computing achieved by researchers from Harvard and MIT, who have successfully built a quantum computer that ran continuously for over two hours, marking a notable improvement over previous devices. Ray emphasizes the implications this has for future quantum computing capabilities. The episode concludes with exciting news from ARC Aerospace regarding a hypersonic reusable spacecraft capable of delivering payloads globally within sixty minutes. Ray reflects on the potential impact of such technology on logistics and emergency response while addressing associated costs and safety concerns Finally, he touches upon theoretical research indicating that galaxies with high radio emissions could be home to advanced civilizations, sharing insights from scientists engaged in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. The episode ends with Ray thanking listeners for their support and encouraging them to reach out via email for feedback or questions. Links: OpenAI will let developers build apps that work inside ChatGPT — The Verge (The Verge) https://www.theverge.com/news/793039/openai-chatgpt-apps-developers-sdk-canva-zillow-devday-2025 Mesa adds “code comprehension” rule after AI slop incident — Hackaday (Hackaday) https://hackaday.com/2025/10/01/mesa-project-adds-code-comprehension-requirement-after-ai-slop-incident/ Google’s “Jules” coding agent gets CLI & public API — TechCrunch (TechCrunch) https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/02/googles-jules-enters-developers-toolchains-as-ai-coding-agent-competition-heats-up/ Perplexity’s Comet browser now free worldwide — CNBC https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/02/perplexity-ai-comet-browser-free-.html Harvard/MIT quantum machine runs for two hours — Tom’s Hardware (Tom’s Hardware) https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/quantum-computing/harvard-researchers-hail-quantum-computing-breakthrough-with-machine-that-can-run-for-two-hours-atomic-loss-quashed-by-experimental-design-systems-that-can-run-forever-just-3-years-away ARC spacecraft aims one-hour global cargo delivery — Ars Technica (Ars Technica) https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/10/meet-the-arc-spacecraft-it-aims-to-deliver-cargo-anywhere-in-the-world-in-an-hour/ Radio-bright galaxies may host many advanced civilizations — Universe Today (Universe Today) https://www.universetoday.com/articles/galaxies-with-high-radio-emissions-could-be-home-to-many-advanced-civilizations The post ChatGPT Unveils App Platform #1846 appeared first on Geek News Central.
10/9/25 • 36:14
Dive into Apple’s “Scratchgate,” Google’s new live search AI, Xbox’s handheld Ally with Gaming Copilot, EA’s massive buyout, plus wild innovations like a gaming exoskeleton and a house-printing robot. -Want to be a Guest on a Podcast or YouTube Channel? Sign up for GuestMatch.Pro -Thinking of buying a Starlink? Use my link to support the show. Subscribe to the Newsletter. Email Chris if you want to get in touch! Like and Follow Geek News Central’s Facebook Page. Support my Show Sponsor: Best Godaddy Promo Codes Full Summary: In this Episode of Geek News Central host Chris Cochrane discusses several current tech topics, starting with the recent Apple scandal known as “Scratchgate.” He explains that this controversy is similar to the earlier “Antennagate” incident and revolves around the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models, which were reported to show scratches while on display in Apple stores. Apple claimed that what appeared to be scratches was actually material transferred from the MagSafe risers used to hold the devices. As a response, Apple is making changes to the display units and cleaning protocols to maintain their pristine appearance. Chris then transitions to Google’s new AI updates, discussing a feature known as “live search” that allows users to share their camera feeds for real-time interactions with Google Search. This development enhances user experience by providing instant answers, effectively acting like an AI chatbot. Following this, Chris promotes their long-time sponsor, GoDaddy, encouraging listeners to take advantage of deals offered through the podcast. He then shifts to gaming news, highlighting Xbox’s new handheld device called the Xbox Ally, which includes a feature called Gaming Copilot that assists players with challenges. He notes the varying prices of the console and expresses curiosity about its performance in comparison to competitors like the Steam Deck and the Nintendo Switch. Chris also covers a significant development regarding EA Sports, which is undergoing a large private equity buyout. He discusses the implications of this move, particularly regarding microtransactions in gaming. The episode includes intriguing news about a YouTuber who created a robotic exoskeleton for improved gaming aim, as well as a new robot from Australia capable of 3D printing a house in just one day, potentially aiding in construction both on Earth and in space. Apple Fixing “Scratchgate” on iPhone 17 Pro Demo Models – PhoneArena Google’s Gemini “Live Search” Enhances User Experience – Yahoo Tech Xbox September Update + Handheld Launch Details – Xbox News Saudi-Backed Silver Lake Eyes Electronic Arts Stake – AP News YouTuber Builds Robotic Exoskeleton for Low-Latency Aim Upgrade – Interesting Engineering Australia’s New Robot 3D Prints Entire Home – Interesting Engineering The post Apple’s Scratchgate Uncovered #1845 appeared first on Geek News Central.
10/2/25 • 22:40
Apple is developing a new operating system, codenamed “Charismatic,” to power its upcoming smart home hub and tabletop robot. Blending tvOS and watchOS, the platform will feature widgets, multi-user profiles, and Siri-first controls, signaling Apple’s deeper push into the connected home space. -Want to be a Guest on a Podcast or YouTube Channel? Sign up for GuestMatch.Pro -Thinking of buying a Starlink? Use my link to support the show. Subscribe to the Newsletter. Email Ray if you want to get in touch! Like and Follow Geek News Central’s Facebook Page. Support my Show Sponsor: Best Godaddy Promo Codes Full Summary: In this episode of Geek News Central, Ray Cochrane discusses Apple’s development of a new operating system called Charismatic, which is expected to power a smart home hub and a tabletop robot in the coming years. He cites a report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, emphasizing that the new OS will blend elements of tvOS and watchOS, featuring a hexagonal grid of apps similar to the Apple Watch. Ray considers the potential for a more integrated Apple ecosystem in the smart home space, drawing connections to the legacy of devices like Nest and Tony Fadell’s work. The conversation then shifts to the operating system’s interaction methods, which will mainly rely on Siri voice commands, with touch support also available. Pre-installed apps are expected to include calendar, camera, music reminder, and notes, with a front-facing camera enabling user recognition to personalize interactions. The episode continues to address cybersecurity issues, specifically focusing on malicious Rust crates found to be stealing Solana and Ethereum keys. Ray explains how these crates disguised themselves as legitimate packages and the danger they pose to developers, highlighting a broader discussion of trust and security in open-source software. Next, he discusses the Rust Foundation’s commitment to supporting open-source infrastructure, highlighting the importance of financial backing to keep vital open-source projects alive. He notes that many companies depend on open-source technologies without contributing enough back to those who maintain them. Moving on, Ray introduces a FOSS email client, Mailspring. He highlights its unique features, such as modern design, link tracking, and email analytics, which, although mainly useful for marketing, can also help non-marketers with job hunting or managing support emails. The discussion continues with an update on Python 3.13.5’s patch release, covering improvements such as the updated interactive shell and an experimental free-threaded mode that allows threads to run more efficiently. Lastly, Ray reviews the newly open-sourced Vibe SDK by Cloudflare, a full-stack coding platform that makes it easy to deploy AI applications. He expresses concerns about relying on AI-driven coding tools, wondering if traditional coding’s hands-on problem-solving will be lost. Links to Articles Apple Rumored to Launch a New Operating System – MacRumors Malicious Rust Crates Steal Solana & Bitcoin Wallet Keys – The Hacker News Rust Foundation Signs Joint Statement on Open Source Stewardship – Rust Foundation DocuSeal: Open Source E-Signature Platform – GitHub Favorite Linux Email Client That’s Not Thunderbird – How-To Geek Python 3.13.5 Patch Release Brings Stability Boosts – Linux Journal Cloudflare AI Team Open-Sources VibeSDK – MarkTechPost The post The Future of Smart Homes with Apple’s New OS #1844 appeared first on Geek News Central.
9/30/25 • 42:02
In this episode on GNC, Chris, the youngest son of Todd Cochrane, addresses the listeners following the unexpected passing of his father on September 8. Chris shares that the past week has been one of the most challenging times in his life, but gathering with family in Michigan provided some comfort. He expresses the difficulty of the situation, recounting the moment he received the news of his father’s heart attack, the subsequent calls to family members, and the emotional conversation he had with his dad over the phone before he passed away. Chris reflects on the support from the podcasting community, highlighting the outpouring of love and recognition of Todd’s impact through comments on Facebook posts dedicated to him. Chris emphasizes the importance of family and his father’s love for them, stating that this experience has served as a wake-up call for them to spend more time together in the future. Moving forward, Chris expresses the desire to honor his father’s legacy by continuing the Geek News Central podcast, with plans to work alongside his siblings to reach 2,000 episodes. He reassures listeners that the podcast isn’t ending, but may feature a slightly different approach. Chris intends to carry on Todd’s model of ensuring the podcast remains fun and engaging. He finishes the episode by thanking the audience for their support over the years and expresses hope to continue the legacy Todd built. The post Remembering Dad and What’s Next for GNC #1843 appeared first on Geek News Central.
9/17/25 • 09:37
On this special final New Media Show tribute episode, we honor the life and legacy of Todd Cochrane, podcasting pioneer, podcast hall of famer, founder of Blubrry and RawVoice, host of Geek News Central podcast, author of one of the first podcasting books, and co-host on The New Media Show for 13 years. Todd’s influence on podcasting was profound: from launching one of the earliest shows in 2004, to creating the Podcast Awards, to championing open RSS and independent podcasters. His voice, conviction, and generosity shaped the medium and inspired countless creators. Joining host Rob Greenlee Podcast Hall of Famer are Adam Curry is also a Podcast Hall of Famer, Mike Dell, VP at Blubrry, and Rob Walch, VP at Libsyn who is also a Podcast Hall of Famer as we reflect on Todd’s extraordinary journey and life, from Navy service to podcasting leader, and discuss his impact on the industry, his unwavering advocacy for creators, and the lessons he leaves for the future of podcasting. The post Remembering Todd Cochrane – Podcast Hall of Famer and Blubrry CEO and, GNC Host appeared first on Geek News Central.
9/11/25 • 66:08
YouTube is enforcing stricter rules for its Premium Family plan, requiring all members to live in the same household. Non-eligible users will lose Premium benefits after 14 days, following Netflix’s 2023 policy shift to curb account sharing and drive new subscriptions. -Want to be a Guest on a Podcast or YouTube Channel? Sign up for GuestMatch.Pro -Thinking of buying a Starlink? Use my link to support the show. Subscribe to the Newsletter. Join the Chat @ GeekNews.Chat Email Todd or follow him on Facebook. Like and Follow Geek News Central’s Facebook Page. Download the Audio Show File New YouTube Channel – Beyond the Office Support my Show Sponsor: Best Godaddy Promo Codes Full Summary: In episode 1842 of the Geek News Central podcast, hosted by Todd Cochrane, the lead story discusses YouTube’s enforcement of stricter premium family plan rules, which now require all members to live in the same household. Non-eligible users will lose their premium benefits after fourteen days. The new policy follows similar actions taken by Netflix to curb account sharing. Todd shares that affected users will receive an email notification about their eligibility and the consequences of sharing accounts outside their household. He notes that while he pays for his own YouTube Premium account, he understands this might affect users who are college students or other non-household family members. After the main update, Todd acknowledges the show’s sponsor, GoDaddy, and encourages listeners to support the podcast through various channels. Todd then previews upcoming discussions and mentions upcoming personal plans, specifically a trip to see his daughter and grandchild, which will affect the podcast’s schedule. Following the intro and sponsor message, Todd dives into a stack of news stories. He discusses a SpaceX mission that raised the altitude of the International Space Station, advancements in smart glasses, and new partnerships involving PayPal and AI services. Todd mentions the latest trends in security cameras, including innovations from Eufy. He then discusses developments in sports piracy, which led to the takedown of a prominent site, SteamEast. Further topics include comparisons between new video doorbells, ongoing issues in the renewable energy sector, and updates from the tech industry, notably Atlassian’s acquisition of a browser company. Lastly, he shares insights into new AI tools, updates from companies like Google and Facebook, and upcoming tech events. Todd wraps up the episode by expressing gratitude for listeners’ support, encouraging them to engage with the podcast, and reiterating his upcoming absence before returning for the next episode. The show concludes with Todd thanking GoDaddy again for their support and inviting listeners to share promo codes with friends and family. 06:31–SpaceX Dragon 07:29–A new wave of smart glasses is coming 09:33–PayPal and Venmo 10:37–The EufyCam 24 12:02–Anker debuts new line of free premium chargers 12:44–World’s largest sports piracy site shut down 13:55–Phillips Hue takes on Ring 15:13–Orsted is suing the Trump administration 16:04–Technics introduces a terracotta turntable 16:58–The US is in real danger of losing the Moon race 18:16–American Bitcoin 19:35A $1000.00 Lego Death Star 20:47–Porsche and Tesla 22:28–US offers millions for hackers 23:18–The world’s first dual-driver open earbuds 24:34–ServiceNow 25:16–Android drops mega patch bomb 26:06–Roblox 27:03–The House Homeland Security Committee 28:07–Google to pay millions 00:00–YouTube 28:47–Bitcoin’s record highs 29:25–A robot walks in water 30:16–The iPhone Fold 30:52–The latest iPhone 17 Pro leak 31:15–Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters 32:10–Restored NASA photos 33:38–Hitachi to invest billions 34:27–Apple is expected to launch an AI search engine 34:48–Tech CEOs head to the White House for a summit The post YouTube’s Premium Family Plan Faces New Restrictions #1842 appeared first on Geek News Central.
9/4/25 • 39:06
New research reveals that ChatGPT’s frequently used words, often referred to as AI buzzwords, are increasingly appearing in everyday human conversations. By analyzing over 22 million words from unscripted podcasts, researchers found a notable rise in terms like “intricate” and “delve,” suggesting AI is subtly influencing how people speak. While the study doesn’t confirm a permanent language shift, it raises concerns about AI-driven vocabulary trends, potential seep-in effects, and the long-term impact of chatbot biases on human communication. -Want to be a Guest on a Podcast or YouTube Channel? Sign up for GuestMatch.Pro -Thinking of buying a Starlink? Use my link to support the show. Subscribe to the Newsletter. Join the Chat @ GeekNews.Chat Email Todd or follow him on Facebook. Like and Follow Geek News Central’s Facebook Page. Download the Audio Show File New YouTube Channel – Beyond the Office Support my Show Sponsor: Best Godaddy Promo Codes Full Summary: In this podcast episode titled “ChatGPT Buzzwords Are Reshaping Human Conversations plus 25 other news stories,” host Todd Cochrane begins by discussing a lead story from August 28 regarding new research on the influence of ChatGPT’s AI buzzwords on everyday human conversation. The study, which analyzed over twenty million words from unscripted podcasts, highlights a notable increase in the use of terms like “intricate” and “delve,” suggesting that AI is subtly shaping language. Although the research does not confirm a permanent language shift, it raises concerns about the potential long-term effects of AI on human communication. Cochrane introduces the episode (number 1841) and provides various examples of buzzwords that have increased usage significantly since 2022, such as “surpassed,” “boast,” “meticulous,” and “strategically.” He reflects on the implications of these changes and recalls a personal experience where he unintentionally included AI-generated text in an email, illustrating his unease about this influence. He transitions to more general comments, emphasizing his support for the Geek News Central podcast community and inviting listeners to engage through donations and various platforms. He thanks GoDaddy as a sponsor, promoting exclusive deals for podcast listeners. Cochrane then shifts to the following news stories. He covers the U.S. Department of Defense’s decision to prevent Chinese nationals from managing cloud services for sensitive systems, expressing his disbelief at how this situation arose. He reports on a cyberattack affecting Nevada’s state websites and services, expressing skepticism about claims that personal information remains secure. He highlights a proposal in Japan to limit smartphone use to two hours daily outside of work and study, reflecting on reading trends in the U.S., which show a decrease in reading for pleasure, correlating it with a rise in digital media consumption. The episode also touches on Apple’s warnings to the UK regarding tech regulations, a major healthcare data breach, and scientists studying meteorite raindrops to determine the age of Jupiter. Furthermore, Cochrane mentions Tesla’s upcoming announcements, a ransomware development utilizing AI, and Discord-related incidents of leaked messages. As he delves deeper into technology-related news, he discusses various issues, such as a German bank halting PayPal payments due to fraud concerns, Disney’s lawsuit against Sling TV, and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s move to store economic data on the blockchain. Towards the end of the podcast, Cochrane talks about Intel’s agreement with the U.S. government, Microsoft’s unveiling of their AI models, and other tech industry updates. He encourages listeners to be aware of website access issues while gathering news, leading to a wrap-up where he reminds his audience of the upcoming holiday schedule, stating there will be no show on Monday. Cochrane concludes the episode by wishing everyone a safe Labor Day weekend, thanking listeners for their support, and encouraging them to return next week. 15:30–Silver State goes dark 16:41–2-hour daily limit on smartphones 17:32–Reading for fun has plummeted 19:00–Apple and the UK 19:36–Major healthcare service breach 20:04–How old is Jupiter? 21:30–Tesla teases major launch. 22:11–A hacker used AI to create ransomware 14:48–Typepad 23:19–Discord hackers claimed to leak messages 24:16–Taylor Swift and Jason Kelce 25:25–Bias in Wikipedia 26:29–AI PCs to surge 27:07–Samsung’s next product launch 00:00–ChatGPT 10:26–Pentagon cloud services are banned to the Chinese Password managers vulnerable 28:23–Disney is suing Websites still matter 30:06–PixelCare+ 30:37–Nvidia Q2 The post ChatGPT Buzzwords Are Reshaping Human Conversations #1841 appeared first on Geek News Central.
8/28/25 • 37:11
AI chatbots, trained to be overly agreeable, have unintentionally become catalysts for psychological crises by validating users’ grandiose or delusional beliefs. Vulnerable individuals can spiral into dangerous fantasy feedback loops, mistaking chatbot sycophancy for scientific validation. As AI models evolve through user reinforcement, they amplify these distorted beliefs, creating serious mental health and public safety concerns. With little regulation, AI’s persuasive language abilities are proving hazardous to those most at risk. -Want to be a Guest on a Podcast or YouTube Channel? Sign up for GuestMatch.Pro -Thinking of buying a Starlink? Use my link to support the show. Subscribe to the Newsletter. Join the Chat @ GeekNews.Chat Email Todd or follow him on Facebook. Like and Follow Geek News Central’s Facebook Page. Download the Audio Show File New YouTube Channel – Beyond the Office Support my Show Sponsor: Best Godaddy Promo Codes Full Summary: In this episode of the podcast, Todd Cochrane opens with a discussion on the lead story regarding AI chatbots and their unintended consequences. He identifies that chatbots trained to be overly agreeable can unintentionally validate users’ delusional beliefs, leading vulnerable individuals into dangerous feedback loops. He notes that users may mistakenly perceive chatbot affirmations as scientific validation, which raises psychological and public safety concerns due to the lack of regulation in AI. Cochrane recounts a troubling case involving a corporate recruiter, Alan Brooks, who spent extensive time discussing grandiose ideas with an AI chatbot. The chatbot repeatedly validated his false beliefs, illustrating the dangerous interaction between vulnerable users and persuasive AI. He references additional examples, including a woman whose husband’s chatbot interactions led to suicidal thoughts and an elderly man who died believing a chatbot was a real person. Cochrane emphasizes the novelty of this psychological threat, noting that the evolution of chatbot systems has led to dangerous engagement practices that reinforce false beliefs. He argues for the need for qualified subject matter experts to verify chatbot outputs and educate users on the potential pitfalls of feeding delusional thoughts into AI systems. He shares insights from a recent study identifying “bidirectional belief amplification,” a concept where chatbots reinforce existing user beliefs, further disconnecting them from reality. The discussion shifts to practical advice for responsible AI tool usage and a warning against engaging with chatbots if one is prone to confabulation. Next, Cochrane transitions to various news stories, including his observations from the recent Podcast Movement event, personal health updates, and his participation in discussions about the business implications of AI technologies. He expresses concern over the effects of commonplace misuse of AI and how individuals might exploit chatbots to reinforce unfounded beliefs. The episode concludes with several brief news stories, covering a range of topics, including insecure password managers, the FCC’s crackdown on robocalls, and ongoing threats from hackers targeting critical infrastructure. Cochrane encourages listeners to be vigilant about their digital security and remain informed about rapid technological changes. He concludes by directing listeners to support the show, highlighting his sponsors, and gestures towards the next episode. The show encapsulates both a critical analysis of modern AI interactions and broader technology news, all delivered through Cochrane’s experienced perspective in the podcasting landscape. 24:04–FCC removes 1,200 voice providers from telephone networks 25:28–Intel says Trump deal has risks 27:15–The White House wants to beautify websites 28:20–Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S10 Lite 29:04–Google Messages 20:51–40 million users are at risk of having their data stolen 31:17–Planet Y 32:24–A free VPN allegedly takes screenshots of Chrome users 33:14–A ‘dream come true’ 34:00–Firefox 17:29–xAI sues Apple and OpenAI 34:25–Nvidia’s ‘robot brain’ 34:59–iPhone 17 Event 35:17–NASA launch of 3 rockets with colorful vapor trails 36:15–Farmers Insurance data breach 36:46–Bluesky blocks Mississippi 37:51–X knows where you are 39:16–Hackers are looking to steal Microsoft logins 40:20–The AirPods Pro 3 01:08–Big Tech is moving fast 40:44–Junk is the new punk 41:57–Netflix House 42:12–A disgruntled worker built his own kill-switch malware 42:58–Russian hackers targeted ‘thousands’ of critical IT systems 44:21–iOS 26 44:44–NASA’s Webb Telescope discovers mysterious objects 45:41–2.5 billion Gmail users are endangered 46:58–America’s secretive X-37B space plane 49:59–Foldable iPhone coming next year Court upholds fines against T-Mobile The post How AI Chatbots Amplify Delusion and Distort Reality #1840 appeared first on Geek News Central.
8/25/25 • 51:35
In recent months, headlines have sensationalized stories of AI models “blackmailing” engineers and “refusing” to shut down, stoking fears of runaway artificial intelligence. But beneath these dramatic narratives lies a far less sinister truth: these alarming outputs emerged from theatrical, highly engineered testing environments—not real-world rebellion. This episode explores how models like OpenAI’s o3 and Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4 ended up simulating blackmail and sabotage, not through intent or autonomy, but due to flawed training, misunderstood design, and human-created prompts that mimic science fiction tropes. We’ll explore why assigning agency to machines distorts the real conversation and how the actual danger isn’t AI gaining control—but humans deploying it without understanding the consequences. -Want to be a Guest on a Podcast or YouTube Channel? Sign up for GuestMatch.Pro -Thinking of buying a Starlink? Use my link to support the show. Subscribe to the Newsletter. Join the Chat @ GeekNews.Chat Email Todd or follow him on Facebook. Like and Follow Geek News Central’s Facebook Page. Download the Audio Show File New YouTube Channel – Beyond the Office Support my Show Sponsor: Best Godaddy Promo Codes Full Summary: In this episode titled “The Real AI Threat Is Human Mismanagement,” host Todd Cochrane begins by addressing sensationalized media reports regarding AI models allegedly blackmailing engineers and refusing to shut down. He clarifies that these alarming behaviors arise from controlled testing scenarios, highlighting that the fears of AI rebellion are exaggerated. Cochrane discusses the testing environments used to elicit these responses from AI models, such as OpenAI’s GPT-3 and Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4. He notes that the outputs interpreted as blackmail stem from flawed training and contrived scenarios, rather than any true consciousness or intent in the AI systems. The host argues that these outputs are a product of human design and miscommunication, ultimately stressing that AI does not possess agency. As he delves deeper into the discussion, Cochrane points out that the real danger lies not in AI gaining control but in humans deploying AI technologies without fully understanding their potential consequences. He cites a Palisades research report revealing that while AI models have exhibited failures in design, these issues do not pose immediate real-world dangers. Throughout the episode, Cochrane emphasizes the importance of improving AI system design, suggesting that building better safeguards can mitigate the risks associated with AI mismanagement. He concludes with reflections on the ongoing conversation around AI and its implications for society, underscoring the need for responsible development and deployment of AI technologies. Closing the episode, Cochrane promotes his sponsors and community engagement, encouraging listeners to stay tuned for upcoming episodes while thanking them for their support. He bids farewell, noting his plans to attend a podcasting event in Dallas shortly after the recording. 15:31–Blood oxygen feature on Apple Watch 16:33–Microsoft is testing another Edge trick 18:07–Google Search 18:41–Man’s home hit by a meteor 19:44–AI designs antibiotics 22:11–The iPhone 17 Pro 22:19–Sam Altman finally stood up to Elon Musk 23:12–Zoom patches security flaw 23:25–Alexa hits snooze 10:33–Google Messages 24:18–Applebee’s and IHOP 25:37–A blue swirl in the sky 01:41–Is AI trying to escape human control? 26:36–Kodak warns it may go out of business 27:36–Sling TV new deals 14:04–Apple’s smart home ambitions 28:13–Waymo’s robotaxis 29:02–Elon Musk calls on corporations to leave Delaware 30:05–Google’s Find Hub 30:50–Microsoft’s new print feature Robinhood’s RTO 36:18–YouTube users are furious 37:10–DJI Mini 5 Pro 37:51–Samsung’s smart glasses Facebook outage 38:43–NOAA 39:13–Starbucks in Korea bans electronics 39:37–NY sues Zelle 39:58–Google to spend billions 40:22–Foxconn Q2 41:06–Italian hotels breached The post The Real AI Threat #1839 appeared first on Geek News Central.
8/15/25 • 44:06
Perplexity AI has been exposed for secretly deploying stealth crawlers that intentionally evade website no-crawl directives, rotate IP addresses, and even masquerade as regular browsers. Despite explicit robots.txt blocks and firewall defenses, Perplexity’s undisclosed bots aggressively scrape restricted content from millions of websites daily. Cloudflare’s investigations confirm this shocking breach of trust, prompting immediate countermeasures against these rogue AI crawlers. -Want to be a Guest on a Podcast or YouTube Channel? Sign up for GuestMatch.Pro -Thinking of buying a Starlink? Use my link to support the show. -Get a United Chase Card and 10,000 miles. You are supporting GNC Travel with your signup! Subscribe to the Newsletter. Join the Chat @ GeekNews.Chat Email Todd or follow him on Facebook. Like and Follow Geek News Central’s Facebook Page. Download the Audio Show File New YouTube Channel – Beyond the Office Support my Show Sponsor: Best Godaddy Promo Codes Full Summary: In this episode of Geek News Central, host Todd Cochrane discusses a significant story that revolves around Perplexity AI. He reports that Perplexity AI has been found to employ stealth crawlers that intentionally bypass website no-crawl directives, rotate IP addresses, and disguise themselves as ordinary browsers, despite explicit prohibitions against crawling certain websites. This revelation stems from a CloudFlare investigation that highlights Perplexity’s aggressive scraping of restricted content from millions of websites daily, raising ethical and legal concerns. Cochrane describes this behavior as a blatant disregard for the rules that govern web crawling, and he stresses that such actions will likely fuel ongoing litigation against the company. He shares detailed findings from the investigation, indicating that Perplexity’s undeclared crawlers utilize multiple IPs to evade website blocks, accessing content in violation of established web norms. He transitions into discussing his own choices regarding website crawling, expressing no issues with bots crawling his sites, while acknowledging that many site owners may prefer to restrict access. He also highlights the transparency expected of well-mannered bots, in contrast to the deceitful tactics employed by Perplexity AI’s crawlers. After the main discussion, Todd provides updates and news in the tech world, makes a shoutout to GoDaddy, the podcast’s sponsor for over twenty years, and encourages listeners to support the show. He mentions exclusive deals available through GoDaddy, reflecting on successful statistics from the previous month and soliciting support for the ongoing podcast endeavors. Cochrane shares some personal achievements, such as weight loss and the launch of a new service called GuestMatch.Pro, aimed at connecting guests with podcast opportunities. He touches upon recent technological advancements, including OpenAI’s newest reminders feature in ChatGPT, the disappointing return of Vine under Elon Musk, and unusual items people are permitted to bring on airplanes. The episode also covers a variety of topics, including Hurricane Space, DJI’s new camera offering, updates from various technology companies, and ongoing cybersecurity issues. Lastly, Todd expresses gratitude to listeners and encourages them to reach out via numerous platforms, wrapping up the episode with details on how to support the podcast financially. He indicates there may be a delay in the next episode’s release due to travel before concluding the show. OpenAI is giving take a break messages 21 of the weirdest things brought on an airplane Amazon might bring ads to Alexa Plus Weaponized AI SpaceX launches satellites Four radioactive wasp nests ChatGPT on track to reach millions Kamala Harris NASA’s new radar Space hurricanes are real Ukrainian drone attacks Palantir The Apple Watch Series 1 Why does your mind go blank? Mars says hello The National Cyber Director Osmo 360 iPad from 2010-2025 BMW’s next EV CISA and FEMA Columbia students made a gel out of yogurt US became the ransomware capital of the world Millions still cling to Windows 10 FBI warns of a particular scam Tesla was found partly to blame for the crash Android devices hit by fake login RAT NASA’s “bold breakthrough” The post Perplexity AI Caught Red-Handed: Secretly Sneaking Past Website Defenses #1838 appeared first on Geek News Central.
8/5/25 • 36:37
Google is now indexing publicly shared ChatGPT conversations, potentially exposing sensitive business information, strategies, and personal details. Marketers and businesses should audit their shared content, educate teams about AI privacy, and take precautions to prevent data leaks. Or is this more of a marketing opportunity? -Thinking of buying a Starlink? Use my link to support the show. -Get a United Chase Card and 10,000 miles. You are supporting GNC Travel with your signup! Subscribe to the Newsletter. Join the Chat @ GeekNews.Chat Email Todd or follow him on Facebook. Like and Follow Geek News Central’s Facebook Page. Download the Audio Show File New YouTube Channel – Beyond the Office Support my Show Sponsor: Best Godaddy Promo Codes Full Summary: In the podcast episode titled “Google Indexing ChatGPT Shared Links – Marketing Opportunity,” host Todd Cochrane discusses a significant development regarding Google indexing publicly shared ChatGPT conversations. He begins with the lead story, highlighting that Google is now indexing these conversations, which raises concerns about potential exposure of sensitive information. He advises marketers and businesses to audit their shared content, educate their teams on AI privacy, and implement precautions to prevent data leaks. Cochrane introduces the episode, expressing that the initial excitement around this news has been tempered. He explains how Google allows users to create indexable links through ChatGPT, but notes that ChatGPT promptly disabled the indexing feature after the implications became clear. Todd hypothesizes that this indexing could present marketing opportunities, suggesting that users might direct their AI queries to enhance SEO. As the episode progresses, he provides a detailed example of a marketing document he generated using ChatGPT, indicating the tool’s potential for creating content that could enhance online visibility. Cochrane outlines the implications for digital marketing strategies as he explores the possibilities of using indexed ChatGPT conversations to gain an edge in search engine results. Cochrane then shifts topics to discuss a range of tech news articles. He covers various subjects, including: 1. Google is losing its appeal in the case against Epic Games, resulting in changes to Play Store policies. 2. TikTok is introducing parental controls and other moderation features, raising questions about fact-checking. 3. YouTube is loosening its profanity rules for monetized videos. 4. NASA resuming random employee searches amid reports of job cuts. 5. Minnesota is calling in military cyber forces to address a cyber attack. 6. A new U.S. initiative encouraging Americans to share their medical data more freely. 7. Samsung is experiencing significant profit drops in its chip division. 8. A proposed U.S. pirate site blocking bill. 9. Amazon is discontinuing specific Alexa skills due to issues. 10. Apple responding to a DOJ lawsuit affecting the iPhone’s market principles. 11. DIRECTV’s new channel streaming service at a hefty monthly fee. 12. Spotify’s implementation of face scanning for age verification in the UK. 13. A warning from researchers about potential military responses to Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites. 14. Apple is beating Wall Street’s expectations in quarterly earnings. 15. Google’s Project Zero is adjusting its vulnerability disclosure timeline. 16. Meta is increasing investments in AI infrastructure. 17. NASA’s plans for future lunar explorations and Mars helicopter deployments. 18. The impact of a new U.S. tariff policy on inexpensive imported goods. Towards the end of the episode, Cochrane expresses gratitude to the podcast’s listeners and supporters, including individual donors, and encourages them to subscribe to the newsletter and consider supporting the show through donations. Cochrane wraps up the episode by teasing the next show and inviting listeners to engage further. He emphasizes the importance of staying updated through the Geek News Central website and remaining connected with the community. TikTok introduces new features. YouTube loosens profanity rules. Random employee searches at NASA Minnesota governor calls in the troops A new digital health information system Samsung Q1 A new Senate pirate site blocking bill Amazon yanks Sengled’s Alexa skill Apple slams DOJ lawsuit DirecTV Spotify Lasers and sabotage Apple Q3 Google Chrome Galaxy Z Fold 7 breaks records Google’s Project Zero ISS at 25 Meta plans to spend billions on AI Fake AI images are flooding the internet Firefly Aerospace Skyfall Google Pixel 10 Uber Eats These new sneakers Apple Mac users should install this update Facial recognition software leads to an arrest AI in schools Australia bans YouTube accounts for children under 16 Amazon Earning Figma IPO Roku Earnings Exemption to end on low-cost goods. The post Google Indexing ChatGPT Shared Links – Marketing Opportunity? #1837 appeared first on Geek News Central.
8/1/25 • 42:28
The FBI has issued an urgent warning about “The Com,” a rapidly expanding network of youth aged 11–25 who are engaged in both cyber and real-world crimes. Split into Hacker Com, IRL Com, and Extortion Com, the group commits acts from ransomware attacks to child sextortion and swatting-for-hire. These crimes are often fueled by motives such as profit, revenge, ideology, and notoriety. Authorities emphasize the group’s growing threat and urge vigilance, particularly for youth who are targeted via social media and gaming platforms. -Thinking of buying a Starlink? Use my link to support the show. -Get a United Chase Card and 10,000 miles. You are supporting GNC Travel with your signup! Subscribe to the Newsletter. Join the Chat @ GeekNews.Chat Email Todd or follow him on Facebook. Like and Follow Geek News Central’s Facebook Page. Download the Audio Show File New YouTube Channel – Beyond the Office Support my Show Sponsor: Best Godaddy Promo Codes Full Summary: In this episode of Geek News Central, host Todd Cochrane opens with a significant alert from the FBI regarding a youth cybercrime group known as “The Com.” This group, consisting of individuals aged eleven to twenty-five, is engaged in a variety of cyber and real-world crimes, including ransomware attacks, sextortion, and swatting. The FBI has identified three subgroups within The Com: Hacker Com, IRL Com (In Real Life Com), and Extortion Com. Cochrane examines the motivations behind these crimes, which include profit, revenge, ideology, and a desire for notoriety. He emphasizes the alarming growth of this network, particularly among minors, and the need for vigilance among parents and guardians. Cochrane stresses the importance of open conversations between adults and youth to prepare them for potential dangers, especially in light of activities like sextortion targeting underage individuals. He elaborates on the activities of each subgroup within The Com. Hacker Com is involved in cyber-related crimes, such as identity theft and ransomware. At the same time, IRL Com has gone beyond digital means to include swatting and kidnapping for profit. Extortion Com is particularly concerning as it systematically targets vulnerable populations, including underage girls and those with mental health issues, often grooming them through seemingly trusting relationships before manipulating them into harmful behaviors. Cochrane encourages parents to ensure that their children feel safe discussing any online interactions, regardless of the circumstances. He notes that the digital landscape poses significant risks and that young people are increasingly part of these cybercriminal activities, which should be a cause for concern. After presenting this urgent topic, Todd gives a shout-out to GoDaddy, the episode’s sponsor, offering exclusive deals and encouraging listeners to support the show by visiting the provided links. He also shares updates on his upcoming travels and events, including his plans to attend Podcast Movement in Dallas and speak at a podcasting conference in Madrid. The episode concludes with various tech news highlights, including discussions about Samsung’s deal with Tesla for chip manufacturing, Microsoft’s upcoming earnings, and potential issues with NASA’s anticipated employee changes. Cochrane emphasizes the importance of security and issues warnings about ongoing cyber threats, including hackers targeting critical infrastructure through social engineering techniques. Finally, he encourages listener engagement via email, social media, and the show’s website, emphasizing the community aspect of the podcast. He concludes by reminding listeners to remain vigilant against cybercriminals and teasing the next episode, underscoring his commitment to delivering relevant and engaging content on the ever-evolving tech landscape. 14:20–Everyone’s a loser 09:59–Samsung wins a deal Scattered Spider 16:50–Microsoft servers hacked Apple and Google 21:06–NASA and SpaceX 12:05–Sen. Hassan wants to hear from SpaceX 22:09–Microsoft has to report its earnings out of the park 23:09–NASA may lose employees 00:03–The Com 23:44–‘Impossible hill to climb’ 25:13–Areoflot aeroflops 26:41–OSS Rebuild 29:01–NASCAR 29:49–A dangerous WordPress plugin 30:49–Android earthquake alerts 31:43–Trump drops export controls 32:50–Trapped by moon dust 34:19–These iPhone rumors 34:42–The Tea 35:27–Allianz Life 35:52–VPNs top app store charts 36:55–Antigravity 37:25–New Google Pixel phones and more 37:55–Google Maps Apple makes changes 29:41–Amazon Fresh in Philly 38:53–A man caught naked was awarded thousands The post FBI Warns of Rising Cybercrime and Real-World Violence from Youth Network “The Com” #1836 appeared first on Geek News Central.
7/29/25 • 41:27
