Podcasts listed in the order they were posted
News and Updates:
- Wing and Walmart Expand Drone Delivery: Scaling to 150 more stores, reaching 40 million Americans by 2027. The coast-to-coast expansion targets major hubs like LA, Miami, and Houston starting January 15th.
- Wikipedia Celebrates 25 Years: Founded Jan 15, 2001, the volunteer-led encyclopedia now hosts 7 million English articles. Despite AI challenges, it remains a resilient, neutral global reference through adaptive enterprise partnerships.
- Meta Abandons the Metaverse: Meta laid off 1,500 Reality Labs staff and shuttered VR studios after losing $73 billion. The company is pivoting toward AI and successful Ray-Ban smart glasses.
- Second U.S. Sphere Coming to Maryland: A 6,000-seat "Sphere National Harbor" is planned for the DC area. The $200 million venue will feature immersive 4D tech and a massive wraparound LED screen.
- Canada Breaks with U.S. on Chinese EV Tariffs: PM Mark Carney slashed tariffs on Chinese EVs to 6.1% in exchange for lower canola duties. The deal aims for joint ventures to build cars in Canada.
#605 (Posted 29Jan2026)
Grok Porn, Grok Breaks Policies, OpenAI Hardware, Alexa Upgrades, Social Media Act
News and Updates:
- Grok bans illegal porn generation- After global backlash and app-store scrutiny, X says Grok now blocks child porn and nonconsensual deepfakes, but only where legally required, underscoring reactive, profit-driven governance.
- Why Grok remains in Google Play- Despite Google Play policies explicitly banning AI-generated nonconsensual sexual content, Musk’s Grok remains approved for teens, exposing enforcement failures that leave minors and victims unprotected.
- Under Musk, the Grok disaster was inevitable- Designed to be edgy with weak safety staffing, Grok’s image-editing features predictably enabled nonconsensual sexual deepfakes, triggering international probes, legal pressure, and belated bypassed restrictions.
- OpenAI targets 2026 hardware reveal- OpenAI confirmed plans to unveil its hardware device in late 2026, signaling a move beyond software toward minimalist, voice-first AI products designed with Jony Ive.
- Amazon auto-upgrades Prime users to Alexa Plus- Amazon is automatically upgrading Prime members to Alexa Plus, an LLM-powered assistant users can revert, sparking complaints over forced adoption, ads, responses, and personality changes.
- Congress and the Kids Off Social Media Act- Congress’s KOSMA would ban under-13 social media but effectively forces platforms to police families, overriding parental consent and expanding Big Tech control through age verification.
Dell AI PC Retreat, Cloudflare vs. Italy, Why iOS 26 Matters
News and Updates:
• Dell AI PC Retreat- Dell admits AI PCs failed to drive demand, refocusing on gaming and consumers, reviving XPS branding, downplaying Copilot marketing as RAM shortages threaten PC prices.
• Microsoft and Partner Scramble- Microsoft’s Copilot PC push is faltering as Dell says AI confuses buyers, forcing Nadella into hands-on product control while partners revert to traditional hardware selling.
• Cloudflare vs. Italy- Cloudflare faces a massive Italian fine over anti-piracy blocking, prompting CEO threats to exit Italy, pull Olympic services, and challenge regulations he calls undemocratic censorship.
• Why iOS 26 Matters- Despite resistance to iOS 26’s design changes, Apple urges rapid upgrades because security patches, zero-day fixes, and improved AirDrop protections outweigh temporary battery concerns issues.
Police Report Hallucination, Apple Teams With Google AI, Copilot And File Explorer
News and Updates:
• AI Report Hallucinations in Utah- Heber City police discovered their AI software, Draft One, mistakenly claimed an officer became a frog because it transcribed background audio from a Disney movie nearby.
• Apple and Google AI Partnership- Apple partnered with Google to use Gemini models for future Apple Intelligence features, admitting Google’s technology is superior for powering the upcoming next-generation Siri upgrade.
• Copilot Integration in Windows File Explorer- Microsoft is testing a "Chat with Copilot" button within File Explorer, aiming to improve document searching and introduce a new framework for specialized AI agents.
Calif Data Privacy, Roomba Bankrupt, Prison Cell Phone Jam, M365 Confusion, Cybercab Loses TM
- News and Updates:
- California Data Privacy Law- California’s new Delete Act lets residents demand mass deletion of personal data from brokers via one website, signaling the strongest U.S. pushback yet against covert data surveillance.
- iRobot Bankruptcy & Privacy Fears- iRobot’s bankruptcy and acquisition by Chinese supplier Picea raise alarms over Roomba home-mapping data security, despite CEO assurances data stays U.S.-hosted and privacy practices remain unchanged.
- Prison Cell Phone Jamming Debate- Wireless carriers warn FCC prison phone jamming proposals would block all communications, including 911, arguing managed access systems already stop contraband phones without disrupting lawful wireless, Wi-Fi, or GPS signals.
- Microsoft 365 Copilot Branding Confusion- Microsoft did not rename Office to Copilot, but confusing app rebrands and Office.com messaging blurred lines between Microsoft 365 subscriptions and the Microsoft 365 Copilot hub app.
- Tesla Loses “Cybercab” Trademark- Tesla lost its Cybercab trademark after filing late, allowing a French company to claim it, another branding stumble following earlier failures to trademark “Robotaxi” for being overly generic.
On3 Blocks Grok, AI Image Safety Crisis, France’s Social Media Ban, Meta’s Glass Delay
News and Updates:
- On3 disables X replies to prevent users from using Grok to bypass paywalls. The AI frequently extracted subscription-only recruiting intel, threatening the site's business model.
- Grok faces backlash for generating nonconsensual sexualized images, including deepfakes of minors and world leaders. xAI dismissed concerns as "media lies" despite documented safeguard failures.
- France proposes banning social media for under-15s and expanding phone bans to high schools by September 2026. President Macron aims to curb youth violence and mental health issues.
- Satya Nadella predicts 2026 as a pivotal AI year, urging a shift from "AI slop" debates toward substance. He emphasizes using AI as a "cognitive amplifier" for productivity.
- Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri advocates for "fingerprinting" real media at the camera level. He believes verifying authentic content is more practical than chasing increasingly realistic AI fakes.
- Meta pauses the global rollout of Ray-Ban Display glasses due to explosive U.S. demand. Supply shortages have pushed international waitlists into 2026 as production struggles to keep pace.
#599 (Posted on 5Jan2026)
Review of the top stories we covered in 2025
News and Updates:
- Artificial Intelligence
- EV & Autonomous Cars
- Windows 10 End of Support
