Consumer Tech Update

If AI is powerful enough to be dangerous, it's powerful enough to cure cancer. We break down the argument that's shaping AI. Plus, we dig into the wild theory are China's clumsy, viral robot fails actually intentional, designed to make humanity underestimate them? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A simple phrase turns your chatbot into a comedian. The LOL moment? Uses your own chat history against you. We got the prompt that'll "get you cooked.” Plus, James built himself an AI wife. A bad one based on movie villains. First man in history to engineer more nagging into his life. On purpose.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some political voices want America to halt chatbot research entirely. But that could hand the lead to competitors like China. Plus, we debate whether Anthropic's ex-safety lead is right that AI could destroy humanity within a decade. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thursday is Constitution Day! In addition to free entry, there's an $80 lifetime deal for older adults. Plus, we help Crescenda find cameras so her three sons can start their on own YouTube channel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Turns out your employer can require you to silence or even lock away your phone during your shift, but the rules have to apply to everyone, corner office included. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sending something sensitive on Gmail? There's a setting built right in that almost nobody uses. Pick an expiration date, and your message vanishes from the recipient's inbox when time's up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

That old picture of you online might already be in Clearview AI's database. Plus, we help Nancy and her friends pick which AI hairstyle apps are safe to use to try out their new hairdos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's an 30-second chatbot trick that decodes your Medicare coverage before open enrollment closes. Plus, my embarrassing story about how my AI email assistant accidentally sent four conflicting replies to a major radio executive. I had no idea. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A driver spent 13 days in jail after a license plate camera wrongly linked her to a crash. And Electronic Frontier Foundation's Dr. Matthew Guariglia talks about where Flock cameras are heading next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most churches live stream now. Your phone can find yours in seconds. Plus, we help Father Andrew use AI to unite his English and Spanish speaking congregation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CD sales are up 16% this year. It's all thanks to Gen Z and K-pop fans, even though most of them don't have a CD player. Plus, we help Jim get his decades of lost music back from Apple Music. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Never check your power bank on a flight. It can explode. Melissa saw it happen with her own eyes. She tells us the story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apple has officially entered the foldable phone market. Plus, we talk with Georgia Tech PhD researcher Ariana about how she is using interactive tech and low-frequency sound walls to keep zoo elephants mentally stimulated. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

25 years after 9/11, some families still hold onto a single voicemail as their last recording of a loved one. Hear how to save yours before it's gone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wondering why deleting and blocking political emails never actually stops them? I explain why. Plus, Mark Graham and I tackle a range of pressing tech topics. From an Anthropic researcher's scary AI warnings to everyday digital safety. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

That 22 page lease nobody actually reads is full of clauses that could cost you. There's an AI prompt that flags hidden fees and renewal traps before you sign. Plus, we talk to Trevor about how chatbots saved his career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apple's 18 Ultra is finally here. Took a decade to make. And has a $2,000+ price tag. Plus, award-winning photographer Steven's entry was so stunning, the competition said it looked too good to be believed. The kicker? It was shot on his Samsung phone. We talk to him about his picture-perfect ending. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No more scrolling through the alphabet on your remote. Your smart TV can connect to a regular keyboard. Wired or Bluetooth. Plus, we help Mark set up streaming on his boat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While most venture capital chases chatbots, others are pouring money into sports teams. Luxury travel. And real estate instead. We break down why. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chatbots have a teacher mode. No cheating allowed. And we help Dom turn his 38 years of teaching electronics and robotics into a YouTube channel for kids. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you turn off the recording light on your smart glasses, Meta will kill the camera. Permanently. Irony much? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Holiday traffic could double your drive time this evening. There's a Google Maps trick to time your trip perfectly. Flying? Keep a good grip on your phone. Dorian dropped hers in an airplane toilet. She went in after it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apple's biggest launch of the year drops Wednesday. Waiting three days to buy new gear could save you money. And disappointment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The deadline is real to save your old VHS tapes. Hear the cheap way to save them before it's too late. Plus, Roger wants our help digitizing 40-year-old Betamax tapes of global sea-towing adventures. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The “Camera Jet” AI camera spots missed plaque. Then blasts it away with mouthwash. Nothing says "good morning" like a toothbrush judging your flossing habits. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Got a sketchy text or email? AI spots the red flags in seconds. Plus, we help Gee get his Amazon back after crooks hijacked it. Made $2,500 worth of fraudulent purchases. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new investigation anti-data center, anti-Flock camera, and pro-Palestinian campus demonstrations trace back to one man. A rich organizer with ties to a pro-China media network. Plus, Gordon shares the viral trick of asking AI to roast him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Don't be the person emailing at 9 PM before a holiday weekend. There's a scheduling trick that'll save your team's sanity. Plus, Mark's mom keeps accidentally clicking pop-up scams. We got the family setting that stops it for good. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A California class action lawsuit claims Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses record strangers without consent. But the law might not be on the plaintiff's side. Plus, we break down why Meta's $18 billion settlement isn't going directly to the victims. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

iPhone resale values crash right after every Apple announcement. There's a trick to lock in the price. Speaking of Apple, we're breaking down all the new products expected to be unveiled on September 9th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grand Theft Auto 6 drops November 19th. And people are already booking vacation days for it. Plus, would you pass an in-person drawing test? A video game company is putting artists to the test. The goal? Prove they're human. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two out of three Medicare Advantage denials get reversed on appeal. Yet less than 1% of people ever try. An AI prompt drafts a formal appeal letter in seconds. Plus, we help Joy use chatbots to fight back on a 97% insurance rate increase.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apple's September 9th event marks two historic firsts. The new CEO John Ternus. And the long-rumored foldable iPhone Ultra. Plus, we chat with Anita about if her Apple Watch is bad for her health. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

That holiday "sale" price might not be real. I got the fix. Shows a product's actual price history before you buy it. Plus, we chat about scammers using AI to sell giant, fake flowers. And how a fake AI monkey sparked a real police search. Bananas! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Microsoft's co-founder called AI one of the biggest threats to jobs and human life. Plus, his daughter Phoebe is under fire. Allegedly ran a scheme through her startup that earned an extra $70,000 a day. Lawyers say it could count as federal wire fraud. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

That free school laptop isn't really free. It can log activity after school hours. On your own Wi-Fi. Plus, we break down cheap ways to track your kids at school. Including putting AirTags in their shoes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Forget tech stores. Tesla and Hyundai are prepping car dealerships to sell and lease home robots. Plus, we help Ken, a retired ventriloquist, find a flexible job. His friend Hank has some opinions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Don't wait until "someday" to capture your parents' memories and stories. There's a free app that lets you record it. Even preserves them at the Library of Congress. Plus, Sarah lost her voice to ALS 25 years ago. AI rebuilt it. How? 8 seconds of old home video audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The FDA just cleared a robot that can draw blood on its own. No human needed. Has a 94.5% first-try success rate. Plus, we talk Anne through the risks and benefits of letting doctors record her appointments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You don't need cable or a streaming subscription to catch the football season. All you need is a $25 antenna. Plus, we help Doug figure out why his arena's live camera keeps freezing over wi-fi. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meta just settled for a fraction of what tobacco companies paid decades ago and admitted to nothing. But this isn't the end; the real reckoning may still be ahead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your bill went up again, and you're tired of it. Stop overpaying. AI turns your next customer service call into a negotiation you'll actually win Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meta just settled a case about social media harming kids. Plus, Marissa's best friend of 15 years stole her newborn's pictures. Passed the kid off as her own to strangers online. Even faking a birth story. We talk to Marissa about the fallout and the rise of “digital kidnapping. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most of the apps on your phone aren't getting used. And they're still watching. There's a setting that auto-removes them for you. Plus, we help Renee free up storage on her devices. Without having to pay for more space. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A short, greeting-free message to your doctor has less than a 25% chance of getting a prompt reply. Hear the format that that nearly guarantees one instead. Plus, we help Joe use AI to find cancer treatments for his wife. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tired of losing your fantasy league? I have the exact AI prompt to build your entire draft board. Sleepers and busts included. Plus, Andrew unveils how chatbots made his dream team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Think Tesla is leading the humanoid revolution? You might be waiting for a household robot to drop, but China has ones that outrun Olympians. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses look just like regular shades, making it easy for anyone to record you in public without asking. Kim reveals three dead giveaways that instantly prove someone is spying. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The AI layoffs are here, and hundreds of thousands of jobs are gone. The silver lining: small businesses are hiring displaced workers who have basic AI skills. Best part? AI will teach you for free. I'll show you how.t Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Buried school newsletter deadlines got you stressed? There's an AI trick that pulls out every date and permission slip in seconds. Plus, a teacher wants to use AI in her second grade classroom without replacing her students' creativity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apple's September 9 event is two weeks out, but a slip inside iOS 27 spilled the beans: a foldable iPhone and AirPods with cameras. Hear what's coming and why you shouldn't buy anything Apple until the 9th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices