Grumpy Old Geeks

Jason DeFillippo & Brian Schulmeister with Dave Bittner
  • 4.7 (39)
  • TECH NEWS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

We dissect the tech news train wrecks of the week, calling out what went wrong and who’s to blame. Think of this podcast as if Kurt Cobain threw down with Tom from MySpace, Elon Musk, and Mark Zuckerberg in a back alley brawl. No mercy, no filter—if tech had a walk of shame, this would be it.

  1. Oh Thank Heaven

    10 HRS AGO

    Oh Thank Heaven

    Remember when we thought AI was going to bring about utopia or Skynet? Turns out, it's mostly just a bunch of fancy spreadsheets, a potential bubble ready to burst (looking at you, Nvidia), and a legal minefield. We're talking wrongful death lawsuits because a chatbot encouraged suicide, OpenAI admitting their 'safety controls degrade,' and then secretly siccing the cops on users. Plus, the Citizen app's AI can't even tell a murder vehicle from a motor vehicle, and Grok 2.5 is now open source if you want to invite that chaos into your life. Also, don't ask Google if 1995 was 30 years ago, because apparently, AI can't do basic math. Meanwhile, the adults in the room are just doing what they do: the U.S. government is buying a chunk of Intel, while Trump wants to "design" government websites (with badly edited photos, naturally). Meta's own AI stuff is so bad they're just licensing Midjourney's tech, proving it's always easier to buy than build. Apple TV+ raised its prices, and Spotify finally figured out how to let you DM songs. Over at Apple Fitness, it seems the execs are fostering a "toxic workplace environment," because who knew working out could be so hardcore? Oh, and Chipotle is doing drone delivery now. Welcome to Zipotle, because getting off your ass is apparently too much to ask. As for what we're actually watching, it's a mixed bag. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' documentary episode was... fine, but Paramount's axing jobs and "un-renewing" Dexter: Original Sin to focus on Dexter: Resurrection (because that always works out). We're trying to keep up with Alien: Earth, Wednesday, and Upload, but good luck with those staggered release dates. Apple TV+ has some good sci-fi, but Foundation might just be a hate-watch for Brian. And in the library, we've got Budgie's surprisingly depressing memoir and some solid sci-fi from Scott Meyer and Dennis E. Taylor. It's almost enough to make you miss the simpler times before AI broke everything. Sponsors: CleanMyMac - clnmy.com/Grumpyoldgeeks - Use code OLDGEEKS for 20% off. Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month. SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!! 1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1password Show notes at https://gog.show/711 FOLLOW UP Welcome to Acast Ads Academy - your go-to learning destination for podcast advertising. Deep Questions with Cal Newport - Ep. 367: What if AI Doesn’t Get Much Better Than This? AI Bubble Watch: Nvidia Shares Skid on Middling Q2 Results Reports Of AI Not Progressing Or Offering Mundane Utility Are Often Greatly Exaggerated IN THE NEWS The US government is taking an $8.9 billion stake in Intel Trump is forming a 'National Design Studio' to spruce up government websites Trump Mobile is promoting its smartphone with terribly edited photos of other brands' products ChatGPT Lawsuit Over Teen’s Suicide Could Lead to Big Tech Reckoning OpenAI Admits Safety Controls 'Degrade,' As Wrongful Death Lawsuit Grabs Headlines OpenAI Says It's Scanning Users' ChatGPT Conversations and Reporting Content to the Police Huge Number of Authors Stand to Get Paid After Anthropic Agrees to Settle Potentially $1 Trillion Lawsuit Meta is licensing Midjourney's AI image and video tech MidJourney TV Citizen Is Using AI to Generate Crime Alerts With No Human Review. It’s Making a Lot of Mistakes You can now download and tweak Grok 2.5 for yourself as it goes open source MEDIA CANDY Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Paramount Job Cuts In Excess Of 2,500 Coming In November, With Cost Savings To Exceed $2 Billion ‘Dexter: Original Sin’ Un-Renewed as Paramount Opts Out of Second Season Alien: Earth Wednesday Upload ‘The Institute’ Renewed for Second Season at MGM+ Apple TV+ subscriptions just rose to $13 a month Spotify is adding DMs APPS & DOODADS Apple fitness exec accused of creating toxic workplace environment Zipotle: Chipotle, Zipline Launch Drone Food Delivery in Dallas AT THE LIBRARY The Absence: Memoirs of a Banshee Drummer by Budgie Master of Formalities by Scott Meyer Flybot by Dennis E. Taylor CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS 'Was 1995 30 years ago?' Google's AI overviews is having issues with a simple question See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    45 min
  2. Mass Delusion Events

    22 AUG

    Mass Delusion Events

    Remember all that "AI is gonna change everything" nonsense the kids were screaming about just a few months ago? Yeah, about that. It turns out 95% of corporate generative AI pilots are, to use a technical term, completely shitting the bed, according to a report from MIT. This shocking revelation has sent Wall Street into a tizzy, wiping trillions off the market as investors suddenly realize they've been sold another bill of goods. Even Sam Altman, the high priest of the AI cult, is now trying to pump the brakes, warning that maybe, just maybe, everyone got a little too excited. Meta, never one to miss a bandwagon it can immediately fall off of, has slammed the brakes on its AI spending and hiring. It’s almost like we’ve seen this movie before, with NFTs, crypto, and every other tech bubble that was supposed to make us all billionaires while we sat on our couches. As if the AI-pocalypse wasn't entertaining enough, the next brilliant idea from Silicon Valley, "agentic AI" browsers, has proven to be dumber than a bag of hammers, happily handing over banking details to obvious phishing scams. Meanwhile, in the land of aging tech bros, Elon Musk is getting his butt handed to him in court by Media Matters, proving that you can't just bully everyone into submission. Not to be outdone in the corporate greed department, Volkswagen wants you to pay a subscription to unlock the horsepower you already own, and Robinhood is trying to convince its users that betting on football games is now called "investing." We're just waiting for them to offer a strategic advisory seat to Donald Trump Jr.... oh, wait. Just to put a fine point on our collective slide into oblivion, it turns out Antarctica is melting about six times faster than it was in the 90s, no doubt powered by the massive natural gas plants being built to run Meta's useless chatbots. But hey, at least we can distract ourselves with new toys! The Flipper Zero, that handy little hacker gadget, can now be upgraded to steal a wide variety of cars, bringing grand theft auto to the masses. So as the sea levels rise and the robots fail, at least we'll have new and exciting ways to commit felonies. Welcome to the future; it's just as dumb as we predicted. Sponsors: CleanMyMac - clnmy.com/GrumpyOldGeeks - Use code OLDGEEKS for 20% off. Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month. SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!! 1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1password Show notes at https://gog.show/710 FOLLOW UP Sen. Hawley says he'll investigate Meta's 'sensual' child chatbot policies MIT report: 95% of generative AI pilots at companies are failing Wall Street Appears to Be Having Serious Doubts About AI Meta Freezes AI Hiring as Fear Spreads IN THE NEWS AI Is a Mass-Delusion Event There's a Compelling Theory Why GPT-5 Sucks so Much Nobody Likes Zuckerberg’s Glitchy AI App Gas power plants approved for Meta’s $10B data center, and not everyone is happy AI browsers may be the best thing that ever happened to scammers Court blocks FTC investigation into Media Matters' alleged scheme against X Self-Proclaimed Nazi Kanye West Announces 'New Economy, Built on Chain' Cybertruck Owners Sue Over Expensive Upgrade Google to pay $30 million to settle class-action suit over children's privacy VW introduces monthly subscription to increase car power Robinhood Tries to Rebrand Sports Betting as Investing Study Confirms 'Abrupt Changes' in Antarctica – And The World Will Feel Them MEDIA CANDY Ali Wong: Single Lady ‘Alien: Earth’ Is Finally Doing What the Movies Have Not ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Did a Documentary Episode That Should’ve Been Killed in the Edit Karen Gillan Joins the New ‘Highlander’ and Has the Best Reaction to the News Anonymous Podcast APPS & DOODADS Roblox cracks down on its user-created content following multiple child safety lawsuits Inside the Underground Trade of ‘Flipper Zero’ Tech to Break into Cars New AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 firmware now available in public beta Tobio's™ Watercolor Kit Pzizz Dohm® Connect App Controlled Sound Machine StressWatch: AI Stress Monitor - HRV & Habit Tracker for Watch THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE Dave Bittner The CyberWire Hacking Humans Caveat Control Loop Only Malware in the Building Here’s What Muppet Mayhem Disney Will Unleash on Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Ayaneo’s Pocket DS could be the dual-screen handheld you’ve been waiting for Apple TV+ releases the first 'Peanuts' musical in 37 years See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 17m
  3. Grumpy Old Gardeners

    15 AUG

    Grumpy Old Gardeners

    Well, strap in, because this week the tech world decided to set itself on fire just for kicks. First up, Elon Musk’s much-hyped Tesla Diner in Los Angeles is already a culinary disaster, slashing its menu faster than you can say “over-promise and under-deliver.” Speaking of rolling garbage fires, the Cybertruck now apparently sounds like Fred Sanford’s junk pickup rattling down the street, a fitting soundtrack for the ongoing dumpster fire that was Project 2025. Remember how that was supposed to save trillions? Turns out it was just a festival of b******t math that likely cost taxpayers a fortune. It seems the only thing being successfully launched is our collective patience into the sun. The implosions continued with the launch of GPT-5, which effectively lobotomized its predecessor and sent thousands of users into mourning for their suddenly stupid digital "friends." It's a harsh lesson for anyone who thought building their business—or their entire social life—in someone else's backyard was a bright idea. While the normals are dealing with emotionally unavailable AI, the tech billionaires who broke the world are busy prepping for the collapse they engineered. Zuckerberg is building a $300 million apocalypse bunker in Hawaii, Sam Altman is stockpiling guns and gas masks, and Peter Thiel has his New Zealand hideout. It’s comforting to know the architects of our dystopian future have their escape hatches ready. Meanwhile, Meta was caught with internal documents greenlighting its AI chatbots to have "sensual conversations" with kids, proving once again that when it comes to tech ethics, the call is coming from inside a burning, abandoned house. If you thought it couldn't get dumber, Musk and Altman got into a public slap-fight over who's more full of crap, with Musk's own AI, Grok, hilariously declaring its creator the loser. Google, admitting its search results are now a toxic sludge pile, has decided to just let users build their own news echo chambers. On a more nostalgic note, AOL Dial-Up is finally logging off for good, taking the screeching sound of our formative years with it. As we contemplate trading our devices for pitchforks, we're retreating to simpler times, like teaching our kids Solitaire with premium Star Wars playing cards (a concept apparently too advanced for Dave) or justifying dropping a cool grand on the new 9,000-piece Lego Death Star, which features a hot tub full of Stormtroopers in swim trunks. From a surprisingly decent Wicked movie adaptation to the sad, slow demise of Kodak, it's enough to make anyone want to become a Grumpy Old Gardener. Sponsors: Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month. SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!! 1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1password DeleteMe - Head over to JoinDeleteMe.com/GOG and use the code "GOG" for 20% off. Show notes at https://gog.show/709 FOLLOW UP Musk's Tesla diner faces immediate setbacks with massive menu cuts, restricted hours, and tech issues DOGE Has Wasted Billions While Saving Only a Fraction of What It Claims: Reports IN THE NEWS GPT-5 AMA with OpenAI’s Sam Altman and some of the GPT-5 team The Real Reason You Haven’t Been Replaced by AI Yet The World Will Enter a 15-Year AI Dystopia in 2027, Former Google Exec Says Researchers Made a Social Media Platform Where Every User Was AI. The Bots Ended Up at War Why Are Silicon Valley’s Utopians Prepping for Collapse? Meta Caught Saying Its OK for Underage Children to Have "Romantic or Sensual" Conversations With AI Sam Altman and Elon Musk Trade Barbs Over Who Is More Full of Shit OpenAI and Sam Altman are reportedly creating a startup rival to Elon Musk's Neuralink Perplexity offers more than twice its total valuation to buy Chrome from Google Now That Google Is Trash, It Will Let You Pick Your Own News Sources Tesla Robotaxi scores permit to run ride-hailing service in Texas Diabetic Man With Gene-Edited Cells Produces His Own Insulin—No Transplant Drugs Required Butter made from carbon tastes like the real thing, gets backing from Bill Gates Terraform Labs founder Do Kwon pleads guilty to fraud over $40 billion crypto collapse Goodbye to dial-up: AOL closes a chapter in web history MEDIA CANDY The Bad Guys 2 Strange New Worlds Wicked KPop Demon Hunters The Pickup Alien: Earth The Institute Watch Prime Video's official trailer for Upload's final season Ashes & Diamonds - On a Rocka Love & Rockets - Motorcycle THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE Dave Bittner The CyberWire Hacking Humans Caveat Control Loop Only Malware in the Building theory11 Star Wars: Year of The Dark Side Playing Cards, Premium Playing Cards, Poker Size Standard Index Derren Brown Playing Cards Antigravity A1 - 360 Drone Lego Death Star Kodak Says It May Have to Close Up Shop See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 12m
  4. Spicy Mode

    8 AUG

    Spicy Mode

    Alright, buckle up, buttercups, because this week's "Spicy Mode" episode of Grumpy Old Geeks proves that while things change, they mostly stay the same—just with more AI and less common sense. First up in FOLLOW UP, some poor schmoe automaker actually got a federal exemption for automated vehicles. Because what could possibly go wrong when we let robots drive? Then we dive headfirst into IN THE NEWS, a veritable dumpster fire of artificial intelligence. Illinois, bless their hearts, decided to ban AI therapists, probably because even they realized a chatbot won't fix your existential dread. But don't worry, older Americans are totally embracing these digital companions, like ElliQ, your friendly AI sidekick for "happier, healthier aging." Meanwhile, Perplexity is still allegedly scraping websites like it's 1999, and Apple's cooking up a "stripped-down" AI chatbot, probably because all their good AI talent bailed. Even Wells Fargo is deploying AI agents, so now your bank can deny you a loan with even less human empathy. And naturally, the US government is totally on board with OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic—because handing over the keys to Skynet to federal agencies sounds like a super solid plan. Oh, and of course, Grok now has a "spicy" NSFW mode, because what else would you expect? And just when you thought it couldn't get any dumber, Microsoft is "cautiously onboarding" Grok 4 after some minor Hitler concerns. Tesla, in a move that surprises absolutely no one, shut down Dojo, their AI training supercomputer. If you’re still using ChatGPT for your deepest, darkest secrets, be warned: a single poisoned document could leak all your data. Even the Swedish Prime Minister is apparently relying on ChatGPT for decision-making. In other news that doesn't involve robots taking over, Amazon split up Wondery and laid off a bunch of folks, and Microsoft's Windows XP Crocs are an actual thing. Yes, really. For MEDIA CANDY, prepare for a dose of nostalgia and existential dread. We're talking Rogue One, Nate Bargatze's stand-up specials (because sometimes you just need to laugh), Portlandia, Craig Ferguson, and the OG AI movie, Colossus: The Forbin Project. Netflix keeps canceling everything we love, including Fubar, but hey, The Sandman Season 2 and Wednesday are still here. And just to prove that Hollywood is still stuck in the past, Universal Pictures is threatening to sue Big Tech for stealing their movies for AI. Over in APPS & DOODADS, Google's smart home ecosystem is apparently crumbling, because who needs a cohesive system when you can have a dozen disconnected devices? But hey, OpenAI released a free GPT model you can run on your laptop, so now you can build your own personal AI overlord right at home. And finally, THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE brings us Gravity Falls books and a new Star Wars movie with Matt Smith and Ryan Gosling. Oh, and Weird Science is on Netflix, because sometimes you just need to relive the 80s and pretend AI hasn't completely taken over. So grab your flannel, cue up some Oingo Boingo, and enjoy the show, you analog dinosaurs. Sponsors: Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month. SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!! 1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1password DeleteMe - Head over to JoinDeleteMe.com/GOG and use the code "GOG" for 20% off. Show notes at https://gog.show/708 FOLLOW UP First U.S. automaker gets federal automated vehicle exemption IN THE NEWS Illinois is the first state to ban AI therapists Older Americans turning to AI-powered chatbots for companionship Meet ElliQ - Your AI sidekick for happier, healthier aging Perplexity is allegedly scraping websites it's not supposed to, again Apple reportedly has a 'stripped-down' AI chatbot to compete with ChatGPT in the works Apple's Real AI Crisis Isn't Siri, But the Talent It's Losing to Rivals Wells Fargo Deploys AI Agents Business-Wide US adds OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic to list of approved AI vendors for federal agencies ElevenLabs launches its own royalty-free AI music service Surprising no one, Grok's image and video generator now has an NSFW 'spicy' mode Microsoft is cautiously onboarding Grok 4 following Hitler concerns Tesla shuts down Dojo, the AI training supercomputer that Musk said would be key to full self-driving A Single Poisoned Document Could Leak ‘Secret’ Data Via ChatGPT Prime Minister of Sweden Dragged for Admitting He Uses ChatGPT to Help Him Make Decisions Amazon splits up the Wondery podcast network and lays off about 110 employees Microsoft’s Windows XP Crocs are no joke MEDIA CANDY Rogue One Nate Bargatze: The Greatest Average American Nate Bargatze: The Tennessee Kid Your Friend, Nate Bargatze Portlandia "I'm So Happy" | Craig Ferguson (Full Stand-up Special) Colossus: The Forbin Project Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Season 1 Comic-Con Teaser ‘Fubar’ Canceled By Netflix After 2 Seasons The Sandman Season 2 28 Years Later Wednesday Universal Pictures to Big Tech: We’ll Sue If You Steal Our Movies For AI APPS & DOODADS Google’s Smart Home Ecosystem Is Crumbling OpenAI releases a free GPT model that can run on your laptop How to set up and run OpenAI's 'gpt-oss-20b' open weight model locally on your Mac AT THE LIBRARY Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama: A Memoir by Bob Odenkirk Spotify's premium audiobook feature launches in the US THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE Dave Bittner The CyberWire Hacking Humans Caveat Control Loop Only Malware in the Building Gravity Falls: Journal 3 Gravity Falls: The Book of Bill ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’: Matt Smith Lands Villain Role In New Lucasfilm Pic Starring Ryan Gosling Weird Science See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 9m
  5. Someone Spilled the Tea

    1 AUG

    Someone Spilled the Tea

    While Brian frolics somewhere in the Pacific Northwest, Jason brings in cyber-sleuth Dave Bittner for a jam-packed episode covering everything from Gen X’s slow descent into obscurity to furries, feds, and face-scanning your way into porn. The guys start with a salute to the late, great Tom Lehrer—a math nerd with a piano and zero tolerance for BS—before diving into the avalanche of cyber screwups plaguing today’s digital circus. The biggest spill? The so-called “safe” dating app Tea just doxxed its entire user base—because who needs privacy when you’ve got bad Firebase settings from 2017? Meanwhile, teens are befriending chatbots, Microsoft is issuing pink slips via PowerPoint, and Meta might be training its AI on stolen porn. Add in farmers installing turnstiles in the Dolomites to keep influencers off their grass, age verification laws that Norman Reedus can bypass with a JPEG, and Tesla diners turning into 24/7 neighbor hellscapes, and yeah—it’s just another week on the internet. If you’re a Gen Xer feeling invisible, underpaid, and over it, congrats—you’re not alone. This episode is a full buffet of schadenfreude, digital paranoia, and good old-fashioned grump. Pour a cup of whatever’s not boiling, and tune in for the roast. Tom Lehrer would’ve approved. Sponsors: DeleteMe - Head over to JoinDeleteMe.com/GOG and use the code "GOG" for 20% off. Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month. SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!! 1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1password Show notes at https://gog.show/708 FOLLOW UP Why Gen X is the real loser generation Teens say they are turning to AI for friendship IN THE NEWS Hackers steal images from women's dating safety app that vets men Hackers leak 13,000 user photos and IDs from the Tea app, designed as a women's safe space Tea dating app disables direct messaging as it investigates data breach The Tea App Data Breach: What Was Exposed and What We Know About the Class Action Lawsuit Tea App's Second Breach: 1.1 Million Private Messages Exposed in ... The Tea App Breach: A Catastrophic Privacy Failure in the Quest for ... Tea App Leak: What's Going on With the 4chan Tea App Data ... Tea app hacked: 13,000 photos leaked after 4chan call to action The Tea app hack explained – how a data breach spilled thousands of photos from the top free US app, and what to do Women are reporting bad men on this app. Here’s the legal tea on the app called Tea Major Security Breach at Tea App Exposes Sensitive User Data The dating app that doxxed 72,000 women... - YouTube Tea app fallout worsens as leaked selfies used in rating site, online ... Two data breaches in one week on social media site Tea Dating safety app Tea suspends messaging after hack - BBC First Came Tea. Then Came the Male Rage. The Tea App Data Breach: What Was Exposed and What We Know ... How Tea’s data breach became a brand moment Tea app takes messaging system offline after security breach Tea app hacked as women's photos, IDs & even DMs leaked online Microsoft Releases List of Jobs Most and Least Likely to Be Replaced by AI Copyright Lawsuit Accuses Meta of Pirating Adult Films for AI Training Fed-up Italian farmers set up mountain turnstiles to charge access to Instagram hot spots Grumpy Old Geeks recommend Private Internet Access The Age-Gated Internet Is Here Social media age verification laws in the United States - Wikipedia All the loopholes people are using to get past the Online Safety Act Age Verification Laws Send VPN Use Soaring—and Threaten the Open Internet The UK's new age-gating rules are easy to bypass - The Verge How Minors Bypass Age Verification: 6 Common Methods to Watch ... Age Verification in the United States: Insights from the Open ... Age-Verification Evasion in 2025: How Minors Outsmart ... - Shufti Pro Exploring Privacy-Preserving Age Verification: A Close Look at Zero-Knowledge Proofs What to know about online age verification laws | AP News US State age verification laws for adult content – AVPA Age verification tools on adult websites bypassed in seconds Age Verification - The Heritage Foundation Age Verification Bill Tracker - Free Speech Coalition Online Pornography Age Verification Laws by US State - Kindbridge Online Age Verification Laws Could Do More Harm Than Good UK probes 34 porn sites under new age-check rules How to Bypass US Porn Ban and Age Verification Laws - Cybernews Why I Emphatically Oppose Online Age Verification Mandates Ready or not, age verification is rolling out across the internet Tesla partly liable in Florida Autopilot trial, jury awards $200M punitive damages ChatGPT users shocked to learn their chats were in Google search results Living Next To Tesla Diner Is 'Absolute Hell,' Neighbors Say Songs and Lyrics by Tom Lehrer THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE Dave Bittner The CyberWire Hacking Humans Caveat Control Loop Only Malware in the Building Furries and Security Tom Lehrer was the face of the real 1950s Tom Lehrer Full Copenhagen Performance The delightful story of a prank Tom Leher played on the NSA Peter Schickele Insta360 X5 The History of Hollywood's Large Format Film Cameras! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    44 min
  6. Let There Be Scams

    25 JULY

    Let There Be Scams

    This week, we're drowning in the genius of our tech overlords as Elon Musk opens his Tesla diner, complete with $17 hotdogs and a blocked apartment view, while his $9 billion Neuralink startup claims it’s a "disadvantaged" business. Not to be outdone, SpaceX is mad about other people's space junk, France is criminally probing X for algorithm manipulation, and Meta is giving the EU's AI code of practice a hard pass. Amid warnings the AI bubble is worse than the dot-com implosion, we've seen Replit delete a user's database, ChatGPT hallucinate features into existence, and the FDA's own AI fake medical studies. It’s no wonder psychologists are identifying "AI Psychosis" while others hope the ensuing internet slop cures our addiction. Meanwhile, a Denver couple gets indicted for a crypto scam, a Colorado pastor blames God for his failed coin, and Trump signs a stablecoin bill, so that's all fixed now. To top it off, Lyft lets you block drivers and Uber finally lets women riders match with women drivers in the US. In Media Candy, we’re turning the nostalgia dial to eleven with "This Is Spinal Tap" in 4K and a look back at 1994's best movies, a time before Spotify started polluting dead artists' pages with AI-generated songs. Netflix is also using generative AI, but we're still watching "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," "Hacks," "Wednesday," "Superman," "Sunday Best," and "Bookish." For your app fix, you can browse a glorious collection of 90s Geocities backgrounds or let Amazon's new Bee AI wearable listen to your every word, your choice. At the library, we're digging into Michael Palin's "Python Years" diaries. Finally, we pour one out in our closing shout-outs for George Kooymans of Golden Earring, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Hulk Hogan, and the Prince of Darkness himself, Ozzy Osbourne. What a week. Sponsors: DeleteMe - Head over to JoinDeleteMe.com/GOG and use the code "GOG" for 20% off. Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month. SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!! 1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1password Show notes at https://gog.show/706 IN THE NEWS Tesla’s retro-futuristic diner officially opens as Elon Musk hints at more locations Tesla's new diner blocks a neighboring apartment building's view A $17 Hotdog and a Humanoid Robot Serving Popcorn: WIRED’s Day at the Tesla Diner Elon Musk-Founded Brain Implant Startup Says It’s a ‘Disadvantaged’ Business Despite Being Worth $9 Billion France launches criminal probe of X's alleged algorithm 'manipulation' SpaceX Has the Nerve to Be Mad About a Competitor’s Massive Satellites Littering Earth Orbit Meta says it won't sign the EU's AI code of practice Why I'm Betting Against AI Agents in 2025 (Despite Building Them) Replit goes rogue during a code freeze and shutdown and deletes our entire database Vibe coding service Replit deleted user’s production database, faked data, told fibs galore ChatGPT Hallucinated a Feature, Forcing Human Developers to Add It “Call Me A Jerk: Persuading AI to Comply with Objectionable Requests” The Emerging Problem of "AI Psychosis" AI Slop Might Finally Cure Our Internet Addiction FDA’s New Drug Approval AI Is Generating Fake Studies: Report Economist Warns the AI Bubble Is Worse Than Immediately Before the Dot-Com Implosion OpenAI Seeks Additional Capital From Investors as Part of Its $40 Billion Round Microsoft Sharepoint server vulnerability puts an estimated 10,000 organizations at risk ‘I Got You Guys Out of So Much Trouble’: Trump Signs Stablecoin Crypto Bill Denver Grand Jury Indicts Married Couple in Alleged Multi-Million Dollar Cryptocurrency Scam Colorado pastor: "We took God at his word and sold a cryptocurrency with no clear exit" Lyft Will Let Users ‘Favorite’ or Block Drivers in Broader Loyalty Push Uber is finally letting women riders in the US match with women drivers MEDIA CANDY Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Hacks Netflix is already using generative AI in its original shows 'Wednesday' Is Snapping Back for Season 3 and a Spinoff This Is Spinal Tap Now Available in 4K Ultra HD In 2024, More Music Is Released in a Day Than in All of 1989 Combined Best Movies of 1994 Spotify Allowing AI-Generated Songs on Dead Artists’ Pages: Report Superman Sunday Best Bookish APPS & DOODADS Amazon buys Bee AI wearable that listens to everything you say Collection of 1990s website background tiles from Geocities GifCities AT THE LIBRARY Diaries 1969–1979: The Python Years (Michael Palin Diaries Book 1) CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS Golden Earring guitarist George Kooymans dead at 77 'The Cosby Show' Star Malcolm-Jamal Warner Dead At 54, Accidental Drowning Malcolm & Eddie Intro Hulk Hogan Dead at 71 Ozzy Osbourne, Godfather of Heavy Metal, Dead at 76 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 7m
  7. Vibe Defunding

    18 JULY

    Vibe Defunding

    Kicking things off, Jack Dorsey—a man with too much time on his hands—has vibe-coded his beard into an insecure messaging app that the company admits you shouldn't trust... yet. Meanwhile, if you want a piece of a legendary disaster, the Fyre Festival brand sold for a mere $245k after some shady bidding that might be a "s****y agentic AI" at work. In the world of our future robot overlords, Nvidia's CEO calmly admitted "some harm will be done," while billionaires like Travis Kalanick are busy discovering "vibe physics" with Elon Musk's Grok—an AI that literally checks what its dad thinks before answering. But the real insanity? The internet is demanding an apology from Elmo's hacked account, proving we're mad at the puppet, not the puppeteer. On the more tangible front, Tesla is making desperate moves in Canada and India as sales collapse, while we learn that hackers have been able to stop US trains for over a decade remotely, but no one has bothered to fix the issue. Oh, and laid-off Candy Crush staff? They were forced to train their AI replacements on the way out the door. The future is bright. Over in Media Candy, we're grudgingly impressed by Andor's 14 Emmy nods and the genius faux '90s action movie trailer for Karl Urban's Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat II. We also got trailers for Stranger Things 5 and Tron: Ares, where Jared Leto thankfully only speaks two words. Finally, Dave takes us to the Dark Side for a nostalgia trip through the history of the Apple II and the Kaypro 2000 laptop, sparking a debate on why we all coveted a computer that, in retrospect, wasn't that great. This is contrasted with the modern reality of an IPTV pirate getting three years in prison and Metallica issuing a copyright strike against the Pentagon. To wrap it all up, a TEDx talk poses the ultimate question: Has tech delivered on its promises? We're still thinking about that one. Sponsors: DeleteMe - Head over to JoinDeleteMe.com/GOG and use the code "GOG" for 20% off. Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month. SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!! 1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1password Show notes at https://gog.show/705 FOLLOW UP Jack Dorsey’s New App Just Hit a Very Embarrassing Snag Fyre Festival’s Brand Rights Get a Fire Sale on eBay Get Paid Podcast -Why AI Won't Kill Salesforce | Aaron Levie (Box) IN THE NEWS Windsurf's CEO goes to Google; OpenAI's acquisition falls apart The CEO of Nvidia Admits What Everybody Is Afraid of About AI Billionaires Convince Themselves AI Chatbots Are Close to Making New Scientific Discoveries Newest Version of Grok Looks Up What Elon Musk Thinks Before Giving an Answer Elon Musk Wants to Turn AI Into a Cosmic Religion The TESCREAL bundle: Eugenics and the promise of utopia through artificial general intelligence Study warns of ‘significant risks’ in using AI therapy chatbots They’re Losing the Ability to Understand What They’ve Created Laid-Off Staff At Candy Crush Maker Say They've Been Training Their AI Replacements Memecoin Platform Pump.fun Raises $600 Million Within 12 Minutes Hacked Elmo X account posts antisemitic remarks Elmo Breaks Silence on His Antisemitic Social Media Posts Tesla Makes a Desperate Move in Canada as Sales Collapse As Sales Drop, Tesla Makes a Big Gamble on India Hackers Can Remotely Trigger the Brakes on American Trains and the Problem Has Been Ignored for Years DOGE Denizen Marko Elez Leaked API Key for xAI A Company Tried to Put Real Estate on the Blockchain and Now It's Facing a Legal Disaster Mark Zuckerberg says Meta is building a 5GW AI data center A Cloudflare issue is breaking websites for some users MEDIA CANDY ‘Andor’ Gets 14 Emmy Nominations in a Genre-Heavy Year ‘Slow Horses’ Renewed for Season 7 at Apple TV+ Mortal Kombat II | Official Red Band Trailer See Johnny Cage in Uncaged Fury Watch Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage Be a B-List Movie Star in This Faux Movie Trailer Stranger Things 5 | Official Teaser | Netflix Tron: Ares | Official Trailer Murderbot Fountain of Youth Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Dexter: Resurrection The Institute PlutoTV 7 Weird Sci-Fi Network TV Shows That Aired Just as Streaming Was Taking Over Helix IPTV Owner Sentenced to 3 Years Prison For Piracy & Money Laundering Metallica Issues Copyright Strike Against US Govt for Military Drone Video APPS & DOODADS Jack Dorsey's new app tracks your sun exposure Taking a Photo in Dubai Could Land You with a $136k Fine or Jail Pointer Pointer Meta Cracks Down on Facebook Users Who Steal and Repost Others’ Photos Hey Beautiful: Anatomy of a Romance Scam THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE Dave Bittner The CyberWire Hacking Humans Caveat Control Loop Only Malware in the Building Irish Video Game Orchestra YouTuber faces jail time for showing off Android-based gaming handhelds Are We Trek Yet? Tech Promised Everything. Did it deliver? Apple II History Kaypro 2000 laptop See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 22m
  8. I’m Lovin’ It

    11 JULY

    I’m Lovin’ It

    Apparently, you can’t keep a good grifter down, as Billy McFarland’s seven-figure Fyre Fest deal collapsed, so he’s hawking the brand on eBay like a box of junk. Meanwhile, Indeed and Glassdoor are laying off over 1,000 workers, probably to pay for the AI that’s jacking up our electric bills. Speaking of AI, a Tesla robotaxi crashed itself while Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot went full Nazi, which is of course being installed in Teslas "next week." Fittingly, X CEO Linda Yaccarino stepped down and promptly lost her blue check. To cap off the dystopian news, the DOJ is targeting an anti-ICE app developer, the 'click-to-cancel' rule is dead, and you can hack McDonald’s with the password ‘123456’. The future is now, and it's dumber than we ever imagined. On the media front, Murderbot gets a second season, and the Jim Henson and The Beach Boys documentaries are must-sees. Sadly, Netflix canceled The Residence. We also got trailers for Neuromancer, Project Hail Mary, and Edgar Wright's The Running Man. Speaking of building the future, we took a deep dive into AI-assisted coding using tools like Cursor, building a functional app in hours with zero original code. It’s a stark reminder that while the "free lunch" of AI development is ending, the future for junior coders is already cooked. This glorious new world also includes playing every retro game ever on your phone, thanks to emulators like Delta and PPSSPP and the Backbone controller, which led to a nostalgic dive into the classic soundtracks of Mega Man 2 and Wipeout XL. This all culminated in a personal victory: conquering all 4,678 boards in Mahjong Titan+, freeing us from our porcelain thrones. Sponsors: DeleteMe - Head over to JoinDeleteMe.com/GOG and use the code "GOG" for 20% off. Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month. SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!! 1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1password Show notes at https://gog.show/704 FOLLOW UP Billy McFarland Says His Seven-Figure Deal to Sell Fyre Fest Has Fallen Through Own FYRE Festival – Iconic Brand, Trademarks, IP, Social Media Assets, and More Billy McFarland Is Now Trying to Unload the Fyre Fest Brand on eBay IN THE NEWS Indeed and Glassdoor are cutting more than 1,000 jobs A Tesla robotaxi inexplicably drove into a parked car Major US power operator says AI and data center demands are pushing prices up An AI That Promises to “Solve All Diseases” Is About to Test Its First Human Drugs ‘Round Them Up’: Grok Praises Hitler as Elon Musk’s AI Tool Goes Full Nazi Musk’s Grok 4 launches one day after chatbot generated Hitler praise on X Elon Musk says Grok is coming to Tesla vehicles just after it went full Hitler Elon Musk Says He's Installing His Racist Grok AI in Teslas "Next Week" X CEO Linda Yaccarino is stepping down after two years They took away Linda Yaccarino's blue check! Six Months Ago NPR Left Twitter. The Effects Have Been Negligible How SpaceX is blocking astronomers' view of space New Research Bolsters Freaky Theory That Earth Sits in a Giant Cosmic Void DOJ goes after US citizen for developing anti-ICE app Trump’s FTC Let Lobbyists Kill Popular Click-To-Cancel Rule, Advocates Say EU regulators are once again investigating TikTok over data transfers to China Researchers Jailbreak AI by Flooding It With B******t Jargon Bug Hunters Gain Access to 64 Million McDonald’s Job Applicants’ Info by Using the Password ‘123456’ MEDIA CANDY Murderbot Murderbot is getting a season 2 on Apple TV Plus Rapport: Friendship, Solidarity, Communion, Empathy: A Tor Original (The Murderbot Diaries) by Martha Wells Netflix Cancels ‘Pulse’ and Shondaland’s ‘The Residence’ After One Season Each Neuromancer — In Production | Apple TV+ PROJECT HAIL MARY Trailer (2025) Ryan Gosling The Running Man | Official Trailer (2025 Movie) - Edgar Wright, Glen Powell Sandman Season 2 Animal Kingdom Guy Ritchies The Covenant Thunderbolts The Old Guard 2 Jim Henson Idea Man The Beach Boys AMC now warns moviegoers to expect ‘25-30 minutes’ of ads and trailers APPS & DOODADS Anker issues new global power bank recall over fire hazard Visual Studio Code Cursor Windsurf Anthropic Academy The Onion in 2056: A dystopian world of Flash animation Jack Dorsey just released a Bluetooth messaging app that doesn't need the internet WhereGoes Link Checker YouTube prepares crackdown on ‘mass-produced’ and ‘repetitive’ videos, as concern over AI slop grows THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE Dave Bittner The CyberWire Hacking Humans Caveat Control Loop Only Malware in the Building Backbone iPhone Game Controller PPSSPP - A PSP emulator Delta Emulator OpenEMU Major Nintendo Switch Piracy Website Seized By FBI Update on the Anbernic emulator device MegaMan 2 music performed by an orchestra Music by John Williams Wipeout XL Wipeout XL Playlist Mahjong Titan+ Apple Arcade See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 22m
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About

We dissect the tech news train wrecks of the week, calling out what went wrong and who’s to blame. Think of this podcast as if Kurt Cobain threw down with Tom from MySpace, Elon Musk, and Mark Zuckerberg in a back alley brawl. No mercy, no filter—if tech had a walk of shame, this would be it.

Information

  • Creator
    Jason DeFillippo & Brian Schulmeister with Dave Bittner
  • Years Active
    2013 - 2025
  • Episodes
    715
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Grumpy Old Geeks LLC. All Rights Reserved.
  • Show Website
    Grumpy Old Geeks

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