This Week in Tech (Audio)

First off, let me say that I love TWiT. With that said, I now beg Leo and John Dvorak to back up and please let the other TWiT's speak for more than a few seconds without the constant, incessant interjection and interruption. Robert Heron, Alex Lindsay and Patrick Norton very frequently have great information to share but it’s almost always drowned out by Leo's need to hear himself speak and Dvorak's endless hot air. I love punditry as much as the next guy but these men rarely let the others speak without interruption. As a long time radio personality, Leo should know better. I love the show, but they really ought to allow everyone to speak equally. Very often Leo and Dvorak show just how old they are by being dismissive and curmudgeonly about things they often know little about, and instead of allowing the others to teach them they just yell them down into submission. Too bad fellas! Get your act together!

This is a must listen weekly podcast for me. I’m kept up-to-date on the latest trends and opinions and technology, receive great recommendations, and just learn more about the world.

What used to be an interesting, fun, and informative discussion about all things tech has slumped so badly that it now barely even lives up to its own title. The first 10-20 episodes were wonderful, with a high-quality and listener-centered panel, headed by the personable Laporte. Recently, however, the topics are increasingly obscure, the banter increasingly self-centered, the audio quality increasingly sub-par, and the presence of certain voices increasingly grating. John C. Dvorak deserves special credit in the destruction of this podcast for using his inclusion in the group of TWiTs to feed his ever-more-alienating ego. After months of committed listening and spreading the word to friends, I am extremely saddened by the quick combustion of a once-great podcast. Over the course of a few short months, the TWiT army has gone from laughing and learning along with the panel to hanging our heads, and our iPods, in shame.

Your episode 1023 (March 16,2025) mentioned old style hard drives now getting expensive, harder to get and coming back into vogue. There are knitting machines (made by Brother and other Japanese companies, as well as some European) from the 1960s-1990s which use punchcards for designs and patterns—these older machines are STILL being used by domestic knitters today because they were so well built. These machines were also designed with electronics in the 1980s-1990s but ceased being made and difficult to get electronics if they go bad (get “bricked”). The punchcard machines are non-electronic and can be used anywhere/anytime. These Japanese machines hold their value—if an experienced knitter knows what to look for—and the learning curve for any knitting machine is still quite steep (with or without punchcards/electronics). China is trying to make copycats but the specs, materials and workmanship are not like those of the 1980s-1990s — all of which are simple computers 😊