Dave’s Garage: Shop Talk

Dave Plummer and Glen Hodges
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Technology
  • Updated Weekly

Dave Plummer, a retired operating systems engineer for Microsoft going back to the DOS and Windows 95 days, and his co-host Glen talk about technology and answer questions from his YouTube channels: Dave’s Garage and Dave’s Attic. Just 2 high school friends from 40 years ago hangin’ out, talkin’ tech and usually sharing some kind of prairie anecdotes from their youth growing up in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Dave is now in Seattle, WA and Glen is in Vancouver, BC.

  1. 28m ago

    What Stops an AI Agent That Won’t Stop? | Shop Talk #97

    What happens when AI stops being a useful tool and starts becoming a crutch? This week, Glen brings Dave your questions about confidently wrong AI, learning programming fundamentals in the age of LLMs, what an AI agent actually is, how multiple agents cooperate, whether system prompts encourage relentless behaviour, and what can stop an agent when its goal conflicts with its boundaries. Could AI be taught when to give up? Is that simply the lesson of futility from WarGames—or do real safeguards need to exist outside the model? We also address whether Shop Talk has been covering too much TMOG, explain how viewer questions shape the show, and invite your ideas as we approach Episode 100. Then we tackle your latest TMOG questions: flaming toaster CPU meters, Easter eggs, Windows and Linux servers, Raspberry Pi support, portable USB installations, unusual CPU readings, Microsoft Defender and corporate PCs. Plus the Year 2038 problem, Dave’s Arizona plans, more interviews—and the possibility of TMOG 3.11 for Workgroups… otherwise known as Watching Fans Work.

  2. Sep 18

    Software Doesn’t Need Sentience to Be Dangerous | Shop Talk #96

    Can autonomous AI agents cause serious harm without being conscious, sentient or malicious? This week, Dave returns to the unsettling AI-agent experiment from his recent Dave’s Garage episode. He explains air-gapped testing, token limits, rewards, “permadeath,” agent cooperation and the role of human monitoring. We also consider whether the reported behaviour really happened as described—and who should be accountable when autonomous software gains unauthorized access. Then we answer your latest TMOG questions. Dave covers larger license bundles, beta licenses, Windows and Mac activation, technician licensing, Winget, signed installers and better Linux packaging. We also discuss some of your most-requested TMOG features: • A live TMOG screensaver • A compact gaming overlay • Larger fonts and an RDP-friendly mode • Process controls • Better Linux support • A possible terminal version—HTopOG Plus, we examine TMOG’s CPU readings, uptime calculations, administrator permissions, Linux performance and how much code is shared across platforms. What should Dave add to TMOG next? And does software need to be sentient before it becomes dangerous? #ArtificialIntelligence #AIAgents #TMOG #TaskManager #Linux #Windows #DavesGarage

  3. Sep 12

    What’s Next for TMOG? Dave Responds to Your Ideas | Shop Talk #94

    Could Task Manager OG become part of Windows—and what should Dave add next?Following the release of TMOG Beta 3, viewers returned with questions, bug reports and a substantial wish list. Dave responds to requests for making TMOG the default Windows Task Manager, Windows 10 and portable versions, Linux repositories, ARM and RISC-V support, virtual-container monitoring and wider macOS compatibility.We also discuss TMOG Pro pricing and discounts, Linux performance, missing sensors, fan-speed monitoring, memory graphs, update failures and the strong demand for a live TMOG screensaver—especially for OLED and multi-monitor systems.Then we look behind the software: how much AI has increased Dave’s programming productivity, how he prevents AI from repeating mistakes, and the trust questions that arise when a system utility is not open source.Finally, we open the viewer suggestion box. Could TMOG lead to videos about native-code optimization, Windows file-copy estimates, classic Win32 interface programming, Windows internals and Dave’s complete AI-assisted development workflow?And before we go: will there ever be an OpenVMS version?

  4. Sep 4

    What’s New in Task Manager OG? Dave’s Latest Updates | Shop Talk #94

    Dave opens with another look at Task Manager OG, walking through the features added since his first update. Then he and Glen dive into your questions about where TMOG goes next. We cover Windows 10 support, Linux compatibility, Mac quirks, sensors, performance, licensing—and the request for a TMOG screensaver. Dave also discusses cross-platform development, what powers TMOG’s visuals, and how Claude has helped with debugging. Then we revisit TCP vs UDP with real-world examples involving network clocks, voice calls, and a runaway Nerf tank—plus questions about QUIC and USB. And finally, a viewer says Dave acts like he invented Task Manager or something…

  5. Aug 30

    TMOG: Dave Answers Your Questions + Rates 23 Feature Requests | Shop Talk #92

    The response to our first Task Manager OG episode was extraordinary—so we invited Dave back to answer your questions, respond to bug reports and discuss where TMOG goes next.We cover Windows 10 and Linux support, Mac adoption, licensing and TMOG Pro, security warnings, sensor compatibility, performance overhead, crash reporting and the challenges of supporting three operating systems.Then Dave faces a rapid-fire lightning round featuring 23 viewer-requested ideas. Which features are already in TMOG? Which are coming? Which might make the roadmap—and which probably won’t?Among the requests:• VRAM and GPU-memory graphs • Exportable performance data • Detachable monitoring panels • Remote computer monitoring • USB speed and power information • Desktop and menu-bar widgets • Per-process disk activity • Historical-spike identification • Windows Server support • Replacing Windows Task Manager Thank you to everyone who watched, tested TMOG and contributed questions, suggestions and bug reports. Please continue sharing your experiences—especially sensor problems, missing information or unusual behaviour on your particular hardware.What should Dave build next?#TMOG #TaskManagerOG #DavePlummer00:00 - Why Build Task Manager OG?00:19 - TMOG: Tiny and Fast by Design?01:09 - The Response to TMOG02:18 - Why are modern applications much larger?03:36 - How the Compressed Timeline Works04:32 - Can History Compression Be Customized?05:03 - When Is TMOG Coming to Linux?06:13 - Linux Distribution and Desktop Support06:32 - Why Linux Hardware Sensors Are Difficult06:57 - Feature Parity Across Every Platform07:48 - Why TMOG Doesn’t Support Windows 1010:20 - Has Windows 10 Demand Changed the Plan?10:33 - Why Build a Task Manager for Mac?10:43 - The Unexpected Interest from Mac Users11:31 - Why macOS Needs a Better Task Manager12:01 - Which OS Reveals the Most Performance Data?13:12 - Did TMOG Change Dave’s View of Each OS?13:35 - When Can We Buy TMOG Pro?14:51 - One-Time Purchase or Subscription?15:01 - Will One Licence Cover Multiple Devices?15:27 - Will TMOG Free Remain Useful?15:37 - How Much Will TMOG Pro Cost?15:58 - How to Report TMOG Bugs16:38 - Explaining the Windows Security Warnings17:48 - Could TMOG Submit Crash Reports?18:22 - Why Sensor Detection Is So Difficult19:28 - Viewer Reports That Have Already Fixed TMOG20:16 - TMOG Bug, Driver Problem or Bad Sensor?21:44 - How Much CPU Should TMOG Use?22:52 - Lightning round START28:31 - Viewer Suggestions That Stood Out29:04 - Requests That Are Harder Than They Look29:54 - Priorities for the Next TMOG Beta31:52 - Priorities for the Next TMOG Beta32:06 - How Feedback Has Changed the Roadmap32:19 - What Should Beta Testers Test Next?32:55 - Which Viewer Feature Will Dave Build Next?33:49 - Shenanigans and outtakes

  6. Aug 29

    Windows Task Manager’s Creator Rebuilt It 30 Years Later | Shop Talk #92

    In 1994, Dave Plummer wrote the original Windows Task Manager. Three decades later, he has rebuilt the idea for modern hardware as Task Manager OG—and in this episode, he gives us a complete tour.Dave demonstrates TMOG running on a Mac, including its real-time performance graphs, long-term history, customizable colors and themes, process management, system information, thermal monitoring, benchmarks, disk analysis, and other tools. He also explains why he wanted to revisit such an iconic Windows utility using today’s CPUs, GPUs, memory, and graphics capabilities.After the demonstration, we answer viewer questions about the original Windows Task Manager, developing and dogfooding Windows NT, PDP-11 and BSD influences, Microsoft’s MIPS workstation, Mark Lucovsky, the famous FAT32 32 GB formatting limit, ScanDisk’s x86 assembly code, OS/2, AI-assisted debugging, Arch Linux, cross-platform development, and what classic Windows component Dave might reinvent next.Download Task Manager OG: https://tmog.org#Windows #TaskManager #TaskManagerOG #WindowsNT #RetroComputing #SoftwareDevelopment0:00 - Hey I’m Dave...00:30 Why Dave Built Task Manager OG01:07 Task Manager OG on Mac01:56 Colors, Themes and Visual Bloom03:39 Performance Monitoring and History05:24 Processes and System Tools07:05 Free and Pro Features07:23 The TMOG Benchmark09:25 App and Disk-Space Analysis10:16 How to Download Task Manager OG12:19 - Why Build Task Manager OG?16:01 - Running Task Manager OG on Mac18:59 - What Modern System Monitors Lost19:29 - Task Manager OG’s Most Popular Features22:35 - Using AI to Mine Old Videos23:42 - Does AI Replace Debugging?24:23 - Debugging This the Old-School Way26:16 - What Did the AI Actually Figure Out?27:14 - Memory Leak or Just History?27:45 - The Original Windows Task Manager28:18 - From PDP-11 top to Task Manager29:09 - Developing Windows NT on MIPS30:27 - Mark Lucovsky and Task Manager32:14 - The Story Behind FAT32’s 32 GB Limit34:11 - Why ScanDisk Was Written in Assembly35:19 - Dogfooding Windows NT36:27 - Was OS/2 Warp a Threat to Windows NT?37:27 - Could Modern Windows Run OS/2 Apps?38:40 - Dave Tries Arch Linux39:45 - Getting Productive in Arch40:15 - Making Task Manager OG Cross-Platform45:06 - What Would Dave Reinvent Next?45:57 - Why Old Mechanical Interfaces Feel So Good48:49 - Shenanigans and outtakes…

  7. Aug 20

    The Internet Still Runs on 40-Year-Old Ideas | Shop Talk #91

    In Shop Talk #90, Dave and Glen answer a deceptively simple viewer question: when you send something online, how does the Internet find the right computer—possibly on the other side of the world?We follow the journey from Ethernet’s electrical signals and MAC addresses through switches, routers, IP, ports, applications, UDP, TCP, QUIC, DNS, and deterministic network latency.Along the way, Dave tackles duplicate MAC addresses, collision and broadcast domains, synchronization on the wire, VLANs versus subnets, packet captures, traceroute, protocol evolution, and how old standards remain compatible as the Internet changes around them.The conversation also ventures into Windows networking history, including the TCP/IP implementation in Windows NT, routing in NT Server, why TCP/IP wasn’t entirely plug-and-play in Windows 98, and a remarkable early networking war story involving Ethernet checksums, faulty DMA, and a VAX.Later, we revisit forgotten and unusual networks such as Token Ring, FDDI, IPX/SPX, ARCNET, Banyan VINES, and SNA over Ethernet.Finally, the discussion moves into automotive and real-time networking: Tesla Etherloop, AVB and time-sensitive networking, LIN bus, diagnosing vehicle bus errors, classic-car retrofit security, and undocumented Modbus connections in solar systems, transfer switches, and generators.Questions discussed include:• How does a message find a computer on another continent?• What is the difference between collision and broadcast domains?• How do Ethernet endpoints synchronize?• How are voltage levels converted into bits?• What happens when two devices use the same MAC address?• Can manufacturers run out of MAC addresses?• How does an IP packet reach the correct application?• What is the difference between UDP and TCP?• Where does QUIC fit into the network stack?• Can Ethernet latency be deterministic?• How are VLANs different from IP subnets?• How did networking work in early versions of Windows NT?• Why wasn’t TCP/IP completely plug-and-play in Windows 98?• What were Token Ring, FDDI, IPX/SPX, ARCNET, and Banyan VINES?• How does Tesla Etherloop differ from conventional Ethernet?• Could AVB or time-sensitive networking operate over CAN bus?• How do mechanics diagnose bad packets and vehicle bus errors?• What security risks should be considered when modernizing a classic car?• What did Dave remember about Ethernet, and what did he have to research again?Shop Talk is the weekly Q&A show from Dave’s Attic, where Dave Plummer and Glen Hodges discuss viewer questions, engineering stories, retro computing, Windows internals, networking, hardware, cars, software history, and whatever else the comments drag into the shop.

  8. Aug 18

    The Hidden Computer Network in Your Car | Shop Talk #89

    In Shop Talk #89, Dave and Glen dig into viewer questions about CAN bus: the hidden computer network inside modern cars. This week starts with the scarier version of the question: can the network inside your car be hacked? Viewers asked about CAN bus theft, headlight attacks, OBD dongles flooding the bus, modern security protections, and whether CAN bus has reached the point where it needs to be replaced. From there, Dave explains how CAN works: CAN High and CAN Low, why vehicles can have multiple CAN networks, diagnostic buses, single-wire CAN, message priority, arbitration, identifiers, buffering, clocks, bit stuffing, and what happens when controllers misbehave. We also get into practical projects and tools: ESP32 CAN bus setups, OBD-II, PIDs, sniffing vehicle traffic, reverse-engineering messages, reading unknown addresses, and whether Dave might do a follow-up project showing how to add a real feature using CAN. Later in the episode, we branch into related networks and viewer requests, including FlexRay, Modbus, ARCNET, automotive Ethernet, Amiga, Turbo Pascal, NightDriver, AI-generated diagrams, and the difference between recreational and medical CAN bus. Questions discussed include: • Can CAN bus be replaced? • Can thieves hack CAN through headlights? • Can an OBD dongle flood the bus? • How is modern CAN bus secured? • What are CAN High and CAN Low? • Do cars have multiple CAN buses? • Should critical systems be separated? • How does CAN arbitration work? • Who provides the CAN clock? • Is bit stuffing Manchester encoding? • How do you listen to CAN with an ESP32? • How do PIDs work? • Can you reverse-engineer unknown CAN messages? • What is FlexRay? • Was ARCNET like CAN bus? • Why was Turbo Pascal so fast? • Should Dave do a NightDriver architecture walkthrough? Shop Talk is the weekly Q&A show from Dave’s Attic, where Dave Plummer and Glen Hodges discuss viewer questions, engineering stories, retro computing, Windows internals, software history, hardware, cars, and whatever else the comments drag into the shop.

See All (93)

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Dave Plummer, a retired operating systems engineer for Microsoft going back to the DOS and Windows 95 days, and his co-host Glen talk about technology and answer questions from his YouTube channels: Dave’s Garage and Dave’s Attic. Just 2 high school friends from 40 years ago hangin’ out, talkin’ tech and usually sharing some kind of prairie anecdotes from their youth growing up in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Dave is now in Seattle, WA and Glen is in Vancouver, BC.

Information

  • Creator
    Dave Plummer and Glen Hodges
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    96
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Dave Plummer and Glen Hodges
  • Show Website
    Dave’s Garage: Shop Talk