Radio Leo (MP3)

The consequences of Internet content restriction.
The measured risks of 3rd-party browser extensions.
The consequences of SonicWall's unpatched 9.8 firewall severity.
The incredible number of still-unencrypted email servers.
SonicWall vulnerability patching
Shadowserver Foundation & eMail Encryption
Salt Typhoon Evicted
HIPAA gets a long-needed cybersecurity upgrade.
The EU standardizes on USB-C for power charging. What?
Believe it or not, a CATCHA you solve by playing DOOM.
And... what I learned from three weeks of study of AI

Show Notes - https://www.grc.com/sn/SN-1007-Notes.pdf

Hosts: Steve Gibson and Leo Laporte

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For 16kbps versions, transcripts, and notes (including fixes), visit Steve's site: grc.com , also the home of the best disk maintenance and recovery utility ever written Spinrite 6 .

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The MacBreak Weekly crew celebrates the 25th anniversary of Mac OS X, discusses Apple's $95 million settlement over Siri privacy concerns, and shares their thoughts on new gaming capabilities coming to the Vision Pro headset. The hosts also debate the future of Google search in light of the US government's antitrust case and touch on the possibility of non-invasive glucose monitoring coming to the Apple Watch.

• Release of iOS and iPadOS 16.3.1 with important bug fixes and security updates

• 25th anniversary of Mac OS X and its importance in providing a modern, Unix-based foundation that became the basis for Apple's other operating systems

• Apple's $95 million settlement over Siri privacy concerns related to accidental recordings, while maintaining that user data was never sold or used for marketing

• Speculation on why Apple is unlikely to create its own search engine, particularly due to its lucrative deal with Google and the economic risks involved

• Concerns over Apple's AI-generated news summaries sometimes being wildly inaccurate, prompting calls for the company to suspend the feature until it can be improved

• Expansion of Apple Fitness+ with new workouts and integration with the Strava workout tracking platform

• The gang discusses the ethical implications of Apple potentially securing exclusive rights to non-invasive blood glucose monitoring on the Apple Watch

• Nvidia announcing upcoming support for its GeForce Now game streaming service on the Vision Pro headset, plus the ability to use the device for capturing movement to train AI for robotics

• 'Wicked' director Jon M. Chu used Apple Vision Pro during the film's post-production process

Picks of the Week:

• Leo: Ghostty - a macOS terminal with metal integration

• Jason: Govee Christmas Lights 2, programmable LED lights for festive decoration

• Alex: iPhone Cinematic mode, which allows for impressive video capture and post-production focus adjustments

• Andy: Anker's new 140W 4-port charger, offering fast charging capabilities for multiple devices simultaneously

Hosts: Leo Laporte , Alex Lindsay , Andy Ihnatko , and Jason Snell

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Touching the Sun, Fake Spotify Artists, Banished Words

AI Needs So Much Power, It's Making Yours Worse
How many billions Big Tech spent on AI data centers in 2024
NASA Spacecraft 'Touches Sun' In Defining Moment For Humankind
Elon Musk Calls Out NASA's Moon Ambitions: 'We're Going Straight to Mars'
Elon Musk and the right's war on Wikipedia
Trump Asks Supreme Court to Pause Law Threatening TikTok Ban
US Treasury says Chinese hackers stole documents in 'major incident'
Judge blocks parts of California bid to protect kids from social media
Finland probes Russian shadow fleet oil tanker after cable-cutting incident
US appeals court blocks Biden administration effort to restore net-neutrality rules
The Ghosts in the Machine (fake spotify artists)
Massive VW Data Leak Exposed 800,000 EV Owners' Movements, From Homes To Brothels
Banished Words | Lake Superior State University 2025
Public Domain Day 2025
Happy Birthday, Bitcoin! The top cryptocurrency is old enough to drive
End of the lines? QR-style codes could replace barcodes 'within two years'

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Richard Campbell , Anthony Ha , and Stacey Higginbotham

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TWiT wishes all listeners and viewers a Happy New Year and peaceful 2025!

Padre's CES 2024 haul
Cory Doctorow's infamous ensh*ttification term
Tesla teases a robotaxi
Last in-studio audience for TWiT
Padre on the AI priest
Google Search gets worse
Christina Warren's Rabbit R1
Snowflake and the AT&T breach
Crowdstrike's big outag
Last in-studio episode before moving out
Salt Hank shows off his new cookbook
TWiT's 1000th episode brings back old friends
The State of X/Twitter under Elon
Parenting with TWiT daddies
Tech billionaires affecting Trump's transition team

Host: Leo Laporte

Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech

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Jeff's op-ed proposing that Bell Labs be turned into a Museum and School of the Internet
Paris reveals her passion for pruning trees in NY
Molly White's first appearance, stupid Wikipedia edit wars
Ed Zitron's first appearance, elon's shady non-profits
NYC apartment with a podcast studio
What are cow magnets?
Paris and Cathy, tab hoarders
Paris digs into the source of the human cells used in a robotics experiment
Craig stops by to talk about pancakes and his philanthopy
Leo's audition for Megalopolis
AI Genereated podcast of Paris' stories
Paris getting her license to prune trees in NY

Host: Leo Laporte

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Windows Weekly wishes all viewers and listeners a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Here's a look back at Microsoft's 2024!

NYT sues OpenAI and Microsoft
Copilot Pro announced
Copilot GPT Builder Impressions
XZ Utils Backdoor Found by Microsoft Hero
Copilot+ PC & Recall Announced
Recall Drama Prompts Opt-in Changes
Thurrant: WSJ Hit Piece on Qualcomm?
Lenovo's nutty ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid
3 Mile Island Revival
Halo Studios & Unreal Engine 5
Snapdragon Dev Kit Unboxed
Coffee and Nespresso tangent!
Steve Gibson's Worry About "Connected Experiences"
Intel's CEO "retires"
Clonakilty Whiskey in studio!

Host: Leo Laporte

Download or subscribe to Windows Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly

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Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com

The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin .

Leo revisits some of the year's top Security Now segments of 2024.

956. Apple's Hardware Backdoor: Steve reflects on the previous week's 'The Mystery of CVE-2023-38606' deep-dive. Did Apple deliberately designed a secure backdoor?
960. Unforeseen Consequences of Google's 3rd-party Cookie Cutoff: As Google moves to phase out third-party cookies, the advertising industry scrambles to find new ways to track users, potentially leading to more intrusive methods like requiring users to create accounts on websites.
961. Bitlocker: Chipped or Cracked?: A clever hacker demonstrates how BitLocker-encrypted drives can be compromised on systems using separate TPM chips, highlighting the importance of integrating TPM functionality directly into the CPU.
964. So, What Is Apple's PQ3?: Steve analyzes Apple's new "PQ3" post-quantum safe iMessaging protocol, uestioning whether it truly offers superior security compared to Signal's existing solution.
976. Recall - The 50 Gigabyte Privacy Bomb: Examining Microsoft's new "Recall" feature that records users' screens every few seconds, raising significant privacy concerns.
984. CrowdStruck: A look at the disastrous global IT outage caused by a faulty CrowdStrike Falcon update, affecting airports, hospitals, banks, and more.
1000. Steve and Leo reflect on 1000 episodes of Security Now.
1001. Artificial General Intelligence: Steve and Leo discuss the challenges in achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI) and the debate surrounding its potential timeline and societal impact.

Host: Leo Laporte

Download or subscribe to Security Now at https://twit.tv/shows/security-now .

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You can submit a question to Security Now at the GRC Feedback Page .

For 16kbps versions, transcripts, and notes (including fixes), visit Steve's site: grc.com , also the home of the best disk maintenance and recovery utility ever written Spinrite 6 .

Join us as we take a look back at some of MacBreak Weekly's best moments from 2024:

The Vision Pro finally arrives, but someone on the panel is less than enthuastic about it.
The Apple Car is suddenly no more!
Department of Justice files an Antitrust Lawsuit against Apple.
Apple announces the M4 chip.
Apple's finally makes its foray into AI with Apple Intelligence.
The Vision Pro Jingle is born.
People finally started receiving their settlement payments over the butterfly keyboard lawsuit. Plus, the last recording of MacBreak Weekly in the Eastside Studio and the retirement of Jammer B.
Why is Apple waiting to release Apple Intelligence in iOS 18.1.
Apple announces the new M4 Mac mini with a much smaller form factor.

Host: Leo Laporte

Download or subscribe to MacBreak Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/macbreak-weekly .

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What's behind the tech industry's mass layoffs in 2024? : NPR
Rabbit R1 AI Assistant: Price, Specs, Release Date | WIRED
Stealing everything you've ever typed or viewed on your own Windows
PC is now possible with two lines of code — inside the Copilot+ Recall disaster.
Microsoft delays Recall after security concerns, and asks Windows Insiders for help
The Qualcomm Snapdragon X Architecture Deep Dive: Getting To Know Oryon and Adreno X1
Elon Musk: First Human Receives Neuralink Brain Chip
Apple hit with €1.8bn fine for breaking EU law over music streaming
Bluesky emerges
The hidden high cost of return-to-office mandates
Apple's Car Was Doomed by Its Lofty Ambitions to Outdo Tesla
SpaceX pulls off unprecedented feat, grabs descending rocket with mechanical arms
U.S. versus Apple: A first reaction
Google Says It Won't Force Gemini on Partners in Antitrust Remedy Proposal
U.S. Accuses Chinese Hackers of Targeting Critical Infrastructure in America
U.S. Agency Warns Employees About Phone Use Amid Ongoing China Hack
AT&T says criminals stole phone records of 'nearly all' customers in new data breach
National Public Data confirms breach exposing Social Security numbers
Schools Want to Ban Phones. Parents Say No.
New York passes legislation that would ban 'addictive' social media algorithms for kids
GPT-4o (omni) + new "Her"-style AI assistant (it's nuts)
Google emissions jump nearly 50% over five years as AI use surges
Trump proposes strategic national crypto stockpile at Bitcoin Conference
Ten additional US states join DOJ antitrust lawsuit looking to break up Live Nation and TicketmasterThe Internet Archive just lost its appeal over ebook lending
Hezbollah Pagers Explode in Apparent Attack Across Lebanon
OpenAI raises $6.6 billion in largest VC round ever
Painting by A.I.-Powered Robot Sells for $1.1 Million
Netflix's Live Mike Tyson Vs. Jake Paul Fight Battling Sound & Streaming Glitches In Lead-Up To Main Event
Infowars Sale to The Onion Rejected by Federal Bankruptcy Judge
Supreme Court agrees to hear challenge to TikTok ban
So You Want to Solve the NJ Drone Mystery? Our Expert Has Some Ideas
Beeper's push for iMessage on Android is really over
The Quiet Death of Ello's Big Dreams
Japan finally ends mandatory form submission on floppy disks
We'll Miss You: Pioneering instant messaging program ICQ is finally shutting down after nearly 30 years
Spotify is going to break every Car Thing gadget it ever sold
Game Informer to Shut Down After 33 Years
In Memoriam

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ , Richard Campbell , and Mikah Sargent

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Supreme Court agrees to hear challenge to TikTok ban
U.S. Weighs Ban on Chinese-Made Router in Millions of American Homes
Personal Data of Rhode Island Residents Breached in Large Cyberattack
YouTube TV increases price by $10 a month starting in January
YouTube's year of the livingroom
WordPress CEO Rage Quits Community Slack After Court Injunction
Teens, Social Media and Technology 2024
NotebookLM gets a new look, audio interactivity and a premium version
1-800-ChatGPT
Roose celebritizes Claude
The weirdest job in AI
Nvidia's $249 Jetson Nano supercomputer
The Trouble With Searching Google for 'the Best'
Joanna Stern book all about her
Feeling at home? New app lets US homebuyers see neighbors' politics
Masnick: Katie Couric Is Wrong: Repealing Section 230 Won't Stop Online Misinformation
LFGSS and Microcosm shutting down 16th March 2025 (the day before the Online Safety Act is enforced)
Seat patterns from public transports all around the world
A compendium of transit tickets.
Top uses of Claude (by country)
Always Go To The Funeral

Hosts: Leo Laporte , Jeff Jarvis , and Paris Martineau

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Is AI the Wizard of Oz? Or is it more?
Microsoft's long standing effective MFA login bypass.
Is TPM 2.0 not required after all for Windows 11?
Meet 14 North Korean IT workers who made $88 million from the West.
Android updates its Bluetooth tracking with anti-tracking.
The NPM package manager repository has had 540,000 malicious packages discovered hiding in plain sight.
The AskWoody site remains alive, well, and terrific.
My iPhone is linked to Windows and it's wonderful. Yay.
How has email been finding logos before BIMI?
If we use Him and Her for people, how about Hal for AI?
Another very disturbing conversation with ChatGPT.
What's going on with the new ChatGPT o1 model? It wants to escape? What??
Let's Encrypt plans to reduce its certificate lifetime from 90 to just 6 days. Why in the world?
And all the best holiday wishes. See you in January

Show Notes - https://www.grc.com/sn/SN-1005-Notes.pdf

Hosts: Steve Gibson and Leo Laporte

Download or subscribe to Security Now at https://twit.tv/shows/security-now .

Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit

You can submit a question to Security Now at the GRC Feedback Page .

For 16kbps versions, transcripts, and notes (including fixes), visit Steve's site: grc.com , also the home of the best disk maintenance and recovery utility ever written Spinrite 6 .

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Blackmagic debuts a new 3D camera to capture video for the Vision Pro, which gets Alex Lindsay very giddy. King Charles III visits Apple's headquarters in the U.K. What does the panel think of iOS 18.2? And is Apple working on a new, folding iPad?

Blackmagic debuts $30K 3D camera for capturing video for Vision Pro.
His Majesty King Charles III visits Apple's U.K. headquarters.
Tim Cook dines with Trump at Mar-a-Lago.
Tim Cook impressed King Charles with this specific iOS 18.2 feature.
iOS 18.2/macOS 15.2 Review: Picture not so perfect?
BBC complains to Apple over misleading shooting headline.
Keynote, Pages, and Numbers get Apple Intelligence features.
Apple's new vision for computing is a giant foldable iPad.

Picks of the Week:

Jason's Pick: Mic Drop
Alex's Pick: Shokz OpenSwim
Andy's Pick: 'Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas"

Hosts: Leo Laporte , Alex Lindsay , Andy Ihnatko , and Jason Snell

Download or subscribe to MacBreak Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/macbreak-weekly .

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So You Want to Solve the NJ Drone Mystery? Our Expert Has Some Ideas
Infowars Sale to The Onion Rejected by Federal Bankruptcy Judge
Federal appeals court declines to temporarily block ban on TikTok, teeing up showdown at SCOTUS over controversial law
WordPress parent company must stop blocking WP Engine, judge rules
Crypto's Legacy Is Finally Clear
Tech Industry and CEOs Curry Favor With Trump Ahead of His Inauguration
AI Is Detecting More Breast Cancer Cases, Study Suggests
Huge randomized trial of AI boosts discovery — at least for good scientists
GM Calls It Quits on Mary Barra's $50 Billion Robotaxi Dream
You Can Buy a Car on Amazon Now

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Cathy Gellis , Mike Elgan , and Emily Forlini

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Google introduces its new generative AI video model, Veo. TikTok is fighting back, seeking to pause the US ban pending a review from the Supreme Court. A judge is currently blocking the sale of Infowars to The Onion. And Leo and Jeff help Pars decide on the best gifts for a white elephant party.

Google's new generative AI video model is now available.
Google introduces A.I. agent that aces 15-day weather forecasts.
Meet Willow, our state-of-the-art quantum chip.
Google is suing a federal regulator over supervision of its payment division.
Hawk Tuah memecoin dumps 90% amid backlash over controversial launch.
TikTok seeks to pause US ban pending Supreme Court review.
Frank McCourt's Project Liberty advances bid for TikTok.
The Supreme Court must intervene in the TikTok case.
Bluesky teases paid subscription, Bluesky+, in new mockup.
Are those drones over New Jersey? Sightings mount, and still no answers.
Introducing Reddit answers.
Cloudflare 2024 Year in Review.
Instagram rolls out 'trial reels' that aren't shown to a creator's followers.
Infowars sale to The Onion rejected by Federal bankruptcy judge.
Debanking (and Debunking?)
YouTube's new auto-dubbing feature is now available for knowledge-focused content.
The AI We Deserve.
New KOSA, same as old KOSA, but now with Elon's ignorant endorsement.
404 Media objects to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's subpoena to access our reporting.
Casey Newton: The phony comforts of AI skepticism.
WordPress parent company must stop blocking WP Engine, judge rules.
Bluesky stats!
Advertising is stupid. AI is stupid. The singularity is never.

Hosts: Leo Laporte , Jeff Jarvis , and Paris Martineau

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This week, Steve and Leo discuss the recent 'Salt Typhoon' hack of U.S. telecom providers by China, TPM 2.0 requirement for Windows 11, Microsoft's newly hacked Windows activation system, Apple patenting AI facial and body recognition, and much more. Steve also shares an intriguing conversation he had with the ChatGPT 4o AI system while working on an update to GRC's DNS Benchmark tool.

All telecom providers have been hacked and may still not be safe to use. So now the government is recommending that we use our own encrypted communications.
The plan to obsolete all non-TPM 2.0 PCs remains well underway. Microsoft must be feeling the heat, so they're taking time to not apologize.
Whoops. Microsoft's product activation system has been fully hacked. All Windows and Office products may now be easily activated without any licensing.
Here come the AI patents. Apple patents AI recognizing people by what they're wearing after earlier seeing their faces and noting what they're wearing.
Zoom wasn't encrypting their early video conferencing. They're still trying to get out from under the mess their lies created for them.
AWS introduces physical data terminal locations where users can go to perform massive data transfers to and from the cloud.
The FTC has set its sights on data brokers. Let's hope something comes of it.
GRC's email finally gets BIMI. (Can you see the Ruby-G logo?)
Lot's a terrific listener feedback about authenticator policy, a new and free point-to-point link service, Tor's "Snowflake", linking PCs and Smartphones, and even recharging spent SodaStream canisters.
Then we look at a recent conversation Steve had with "ChatGPT 4o with canvas" and the new plan that resulted

Show Notes - https://www.grc.com/sn/SN-1004-Notes.pdf

Hosts: Steve Gibson and Leo Laporte

Download or subscribe to Security Now at https://twit.tv/shows/security-now .

Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit

You can submit a question to Security Now at the GRC Feedback Page .

For 16kbps versions, transcripts, and notes (including fixes), visit Steve's site: grc.com , also the home of the best disk maintenance and recovery utility ever written Spinrite 6 .

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Is Apple working on its own modem for cellular connection? Reports suggest that Apple is working with Sony on the development of hand controllers for the Vision Pro. And Apple snagged several Golden Globes nominations, with 'Slow Horses' and 'Disclaimer' leading the way.

Apple prepares three-year modem rollout in bid to outdo Qualcomm.
Apple explores Macs, headsets with built-in cellular data.
Brazilian court overturns injunction imposed on Apple's App Store.
Rumor: OLED MacBook Pro without a notch coming in 2026? Seems fishy per Andy.
Tim Cook wants Apple to literally save your life.
Apple reportedly collaborating with Sony to bolster VR gaming on Vision Pro.
Stevie Wonder demoed the Apple Vision Pro, according to CEO Tim Cook: "It's always great to get feedback from Stevie".
Transforming Porsche media events with spatial computing.
Jason bought an M4 Max MacBook Pro.
'Slow Horses' and 'Disclaimer' lead Apple's Golden Globes nominations.
How to watch 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' for free in 2024.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber talks Apple subscribers, Messi and growth of soccer.
Apple wraps 'F1' filming with Cook in Abu Dhabi.
Tinkerer brings this retro-futuristic Mac concept to life.
Affordable third-party Mac Studio storage upgrades coming in 2025.
M4 Mac mini was almost even smaller, but design compromises were made.
Apple Pay's first competitor on the iPhone has arrived in Norway.
Apple sued by two victims for failing to curtail child sexual abuse material on iCloud.
Impersonators are claiming laptops at Apple stores before real owners can pick them up.
FBI warns iPhone and Android users—stop sending texts.

Picks of the Week:

Alex's Pick: Programming with ChatGPT
Andy's Pick: Patrick Stewart's "A Christmas Carol" one-man show
Jason's Pick: Festivitas

Hosts: Leo Laporte , Alex Lindsay , Andy Ihnatko , and Jason Snell

Download or subscribe to MacBreak Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/macbreak-weekly .

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Leo Laporte, Harry McCracken, Christina Warren, and Lou Maresca discuss the evolving relationship between the tech industry and the incoming Trump administration, the future of TikTok in the U.S., advances in AI and its impact on everything from weather forecasting to web browsing, and much more.

• Elon Musk and other tech billionaires are playing a major role in shaping President-elect Trump's transition team. The panel debated what this could mean for issues like antitrust regulation of Big Tech.

• Trump has named entrepreneur and investor David Sacks as the White House AI and Crypto Czar. Sacks is an Elon Musk ally who has been critical of OpenAI.

• The Hak Tuah cryptocurrency project suffered a 90% price crash shortly after launch amid controversy, in what may have been a "rug pull" scam.

• Trump's pick to lead NASA, private astronaut Jared Isaacman, is expected to push the agency to partner more with SpaceX and the commercial space industry. But his close ties to Elon Musk could face political hurdles.

• TikTok's future remains murky as U.S courts uphold a potential ban. The crew discusses the free speech implications and the role of geopolitics. EU also probes TikTok over Russian election interference.

• Entrepreneur Frank McCourt's Project Liberty consortium is reportedly advancing a bid to acquire TikTok's U.S. operations, positioning it as a "people's bid."

• The U.S. House is set to approve an additional $3 billion to fund the removal of Chinese telecom equipment like Huawei and ZTE from domestic networks.

• Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger is departing after a challenging 3-year stint. The chip giant's future strategy is up in the air as it faces intensifying competition, but the chip company did outline breakthroughs at a conference in advanced transistors, packaging, and interconnects that could help it regain a manufacturing edge.

• OpenAI is running a "12 Days of OpenAI" promotion highlighting new AI models and services. The TWiT panel debated whether it's mainly a technical showcase or a monetization push.

• Google unveiled a weather forecasting AI model that it says outperforms the leading U.S. and European forecast systems, especially for predicting extreme events.

• ElevenLabs launched a beta product that allows users to create and edit entire AI-generated podcast episodes, sparking discussions about the impact on human podcast creators.

• With the rise of AI, could we see a new generation of AI-infused web browsers that better understand our behavior? A long blog post by tech guru Om Malik explored the possibilities.

• In the wake of China's "Salt Typhoon" hacks of telecom networks, the FCC is proposing new cybersecurity rules - but with a twist that would allow law enforcement backdoor access.

• In the latest twist in the CSAM scanning saga, Apple is being sued for abandoning the controversial child abuse image detection feature, after previously being pilloried for trying to implement it.

• A sleeker, more accurate definition of a "second" based on atomic clocks using Strontium instead of Cesium atoms could be coming by 2030, enabling new scientific breakthroughs.

• Just in time for Christmas, a pair of the iconic ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz sold at auction for a whopping $28 million, a new record for movie memorabilia.

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Harry McCracken , Christina Warren , and Louis Maresca

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Amazon is being sued over slow deliveries to lower-incomer areas. What is the Oxford University's 2024 word of the year? Canada's antitrust watchdog is suing Google over alleged anti-competitive conduct in advertising. And Leo tries not to spend too long on the Google Changelog items.

'Hawk tuah' girl Haliey Welch launches crypto memecoin—but insists it's not a cash grab.
Amazon sued over slow deliveries to low-income areas.
Bluesky COO rejects idea upstart social app is 'left-leaning'.
Australia bans social media for everyone under 16.
What is Brain rot, the Oxford University 2024 word of the year?
Intel stock wavers on CEO Pat Gelsinger's departure.
FTC opens Microsoft antitrust investigation that Trump administration must carry on or drop.
Canada's antitrust watchdog sues Google alleging anti-competitive conduct in advertising.
FTC changes its telemarketing rules to cover growing 'tech support scam' calls.
Meta plans to build a $10B subsea cable spanning the world, sources say.
U.S. officials urge Americans to use encrypted apps amid cyberattack that exposed live phone calls.
No one is talking about ChatGPT anymore.
Romans and cultural leaders criticize Airbnb's planned two-night Colosseum experience for up to 32 guests in May 2025, saying it will demean a cultural treasure.
Google Chat rolling out audio 'Huddles' powered by Meet.
Google Maps app showing incident reports from Waze.
Gemini app rolling out 'Make calls and send message without unlocking'.
Google Wallet for Wear OS adding corporate badges, campus IDs, and more.
Pixel 6-9 now lets you check device temperature after 'Troubleshooting' update.
Google's video generator comes to more customers.
Google's beefing up Android app security, but not everyone's going to be happy.
Google Photos rolling out 'Undo device backup' setting.
Mikah's TATOFY for Magic Mouse 2 Grip
Can the "Bookazine" save Magazines?
Calculator Soup.

Hosts: Leo Laporte and Paris Martineau

Guest: Mikah Sargent

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BLOCKBUSTER NEWS FROM INTEL

Intel announces Arc B-series GPUs!!!
CEO Pat Gelsinger "retires," but was really forced out by the board of directors
Why? Theories include too-slow progress, major partner bailing on foundry, disagreements over keeping x86 design and foundry, etc.

Windows

All Quiet on the Windows Front
No Insider builds last week. Thanks Thanksgiving! Today, a new Canary build with Win32 app updating in the Store
Patch Tuesday is next week - this will be a big one
The rest of December will be quiet too
Microsoft: TPM 2.0 is "non-negotiable" in Windows
And now, a long-threatened change: Watermark on the desktop of unsupported PCs
PC sales slid 1.5 percent in Q3 after two quarters of "growth"/flat sales
Samsung is killing DeX
Phone Link is the new Dex. Interesting, given the partnership with Microsoft
Plus, Google is FINALLY adding desktop capabilities to Android. This should have always come from the platform maker

AI, Cloud

FTC is investigating Microsoft for cloud licensing too - And about 16 other things apparently
Microsoft: SHE HIT ME FIRST!
Spotify Wrapped 2024 uses Notebook LM to create a personalized podcast for each customer
OpenAI is solving the biggest problem with AI... its lack of advertising!
The Browser Company's next browser is called Dia and it's all about AI. Does it have a chance?

Xbox

Xbox Year in Review is live
Indiana Jones and more is coming to Game Pass in the first half of December
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is getting big reliability updates. Hopefully, Boeing is helping out here
For some reason, Sony announces that it sold 160 million PlayStation 2 consoles

Tips and Picks

Tip of the week: Get out of the basement
App pick of the week: Google Drive
RunAs Radio this week: A SysAdmin Christmas with Rick Claus and Joey Snow
Brown liquor pick of the week: Dewar's 8 Year Old Caribbean Smooth Rum Cask Finish

Hosts: Leo Laporte , Paul Thurrott , and Richard Campbell

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Steve Gibson and Leo Laporte discuss Microsoft's clarification about AI training data usage, a fascinating breakthrough in understanding autonomous vehicle vulnerabilities, and an urgent call for help from the Tor Network. The show culminates in an in-depth exploration of NASA's incredible Voyager 1 mission, which continues to communicate with Earth from nearly a light-day away despite increasing technical challenges.

Microsoft clarifies they are NOT using customer data from Office apps to train AI models
"Digital epileptic seizures" caused by flashing emergency vehicle lights can confuse automated driving systems, posing crash risks
Tor Network issues urgent call for volunteers to run new WebTunnel bridges to circumvent censorship in Russia
Zello asks its 140 million users to change passwords as a precautionary measure, hinting at a possible data breach
FTC opens broad antitrust investigation into Microsoft's business practices across software, cloud, cybersecurity, and AI
New Android scareware tactic simulates a seriously cracked and malfunctioning smartphone screen
Steve argues it's likely safe to leave Wireguard VPN ports open, but he prefers not to out of an abundance of caution
Research shows AI training on AI-generated content can lead to homogeneity and loss of diversity in outputs
Australia passes world-first law banning children under 16 from social media, with hefty fines for non-compliant platforms
NASA's Voyager 1 probe, nearly a light-day from Earth, resumes operations after a communications scare but faces mounting technical challenges as it nears the end of its life

Show Notes - https://www.grc.com/sn/SN-1003-Notes.pdf

Hosts: Steve Gibson and Leo Laporte

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The finalists for the 2024 App Store Awards are out now. Is your favorite app on the list? visionOS 2.2 is out with some updates that add more value to the Vision Pro. A special stop-motion animation with Wallace & Gromit was shot with Apple's iPhone 16 Pro. And the panel reminisces on a classic game now available for the iPad.

Apple reveals 45 app and game finalists for the 2024 App Store Awards.
AI-powered 'Death Clock' promises a more exact prediction of the day you'll die.
Data brokers may be banned from selling your social security number.
NFL's Gronk calls Apple his best-ever investment.
visionOS 2.2 brings three upgrades that make Vision Pro a next-gen computer.
Apple in talks to upgrade a sports stadium for live Vision Pro immersive video.
Apple nudges HomeKit robot vacuum support rollout to next year.
Wallace & Gromit bring Christmas cheer to London's Battersea Power Station.
Apple Music Replay 2024 is live.
You can now wear Apple's running shoe emoji.
Brazilian company still believes it owns the 'iPhone' trademark as it awaits trial.
iPhone SE now over 1,000 days old as new model edges closer.
Apple orders M5 chips from TSMC ahead of late 2025 production.

Picks of the Week:

Jason's Picks: Simply Piano on Apple Vision Pro
Andy's Pick: Classicbot Apple figures.
Alex's Pick: Anker 250W GaN Prime USB C Charging Station
Leo's Pick: Marathon for iPad

Hosts: Leo Laporte , Alex Lindsay , Andy Ihnatko , and Jason Snell

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In this week's episode of This Week in Tech , Leo Laporte and guests Devindra Hardawar, Doc Rock, and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy discuss a wide range of topics including Australia's ban on social media for under 16s, the latest in smart home technology and Matter protocol, CES 2024 expectations, Black Friday sales records, Elon Musk's legal battles, the FTC's efforts to protect consumers, and the growing threat of infrastructure sabotage. The panel also touches on the lifespan of smart devices, the ownership of social media accounts, and the growth of Bluesky.

Australia bans social media for everyone under 16, sparking a discussion on the challenges of age verification, the necessity of such measures, and the potential impact on children's social lives
Jennifer shares her thoughts on the progress and challenges of Matter protocol, the future of smart home technology, and the killer use cases like energy management that could drive broader adoption
Devindra looks forward to checking out the latest tech at CES 2024, while the panel discusses the impact of potential tariffs on consumer electronics prices
Black Friday online sales hit a record $74.4B, up 5% from last year, with over half of spending done on mobile devices and a surge in traffic to retail sites from AI chatbots
Elon Musk files for an injunction to halt OpenAI's transition to a for-profit, accusing the company of discouraging investors from backing rivals like his own xAI
Musk admits X is throttling links, effectively limiting people from reading news on the platform, which could impact content creators and marketers
The panel discusses the implications of X's objection to The Onion buying InfoWars, reminding users that they do not own their social media accounts or followers
As alternative social media platforms like Bluesky gain traction, the panel considers the challenges of managing multiple platforms and the potential for a more decentralized social media landscape
The FTC releases a report on the hidden lifespan of smart devices, highlighting the need for transparency and the potential security risks of unsupported devices
FTC changes its telemarketing rules to better protect consumers from growing 'tech support scam' calls
Supreme Court considers whether ISPs should be liable for users' piracy, with potential far-reaching consequences
Concerns rise over infrastructure sabotage as a Chinese ship's crew is suspected of deliberately dragging an anchor for 100 miles to cut Baltic cables
Meta plans to build a $10B subsea cable spanning the world to support its services and ensure data traffic flow

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy , Doc Rock , and Devindra Hardawar

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Paris' stuffing recipe.
Source: Google has canceled the Pixel Tablet 2, not the Tab 3.
Meta gains steam in its push to make Apple, Google verify users' ages.
A complex new age of face tech.
Musk unleashes online army on federal workers. 'A tough way to find out she's losing her job.'
Elon Musk admits X is making it harder for people to read news.
Elon Musk's Twitter backers gain windfall from xAI deal.
Google's new chess game lets you customize pieces with AI.
Google's Black Friday sale features record low prices on Pixel, Nest, and more.
Here's the full list of Gemini extensions and what they can do.
Google's iOS app now injects links on third-party websites that go back to Search.
Google Maps now does a better job of highlighting stairs.
Holding Space for Defying Gravity.
What Leo, Paris, and Jeff are thankful for with the Internet.

Hosts: Leo Laporte , Jeff Jarvis , and Paris Martineau

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