SciTech Culture

YSteve and Ben close out 2023 touching on Die Hard as a Christmas movie, the ban on the sale of Apple Watches in the US, and discussing the future possibilities of SciTech Culture.

YouTube tech reviewers work hard to maintain their views and audience to the maximum that they can, but are they going too far with their general approaches and straying from making honest reviews? Steve and Ben discuss how content creators are potentially seeing negative consequences due to chasing the algorithm for views, and they also discuss the humble potato chip and the amazing ways that flavours are generated for these salty snacks we all love.

Filmic Pro was a premier video camera app for the iPhone that was enthusiastically used for years until recently when it was bought out, a subscription fee imposed, and better apps like the Blackmagic Cam app coming on to the scene that are free to use with more pro features. Steve and Ben discuss the fall of Filmic Pro and the amazing capabilities of the Blackmagic Cam app. Steve and Ben also discuss Australia's contribution to space exploration with it's new roo-rover, a rover designed to explore the Moon.

The M3 series of Apple Silicon chips was recently released by the tech giant, continuing the successful drive of the Mac resurgence post-Intel. However, now with the transition complete, many M1 and M2 machines are now appearing at better price points on Apple's Certified Refurbished store and third party retailers. Given even the original M1 series of Apple Silicon is still extremely powerful, are refurbished models just straight up better value for Apple users? Steve and Ben discuss these issues, as well as shooting ProRes video on the iPhone 14 Pro Max and managing the large video files through the lightning port.

Comedian Hasan Minhaj recently found himself in a battle for his reputation following an article written by The New Yorker accused him of being false in his stand-up comedy special when highlighting certain political issues. Did The New Yorker cherry pick talking points to shape a narrative to disparage Minhaj, did Minhaj misrepresent himself, or was it a bit of both? Steve and Ben examine this story, as well as Ben's attendance at the 2023 Melbourne EV show and how the progress of electric vehicles still has a long way to go before they can be a satisfactory replacement to traditional fossil fuel based vehicles.

Creative differences have been used to explain all manner of creative projects falling apart, and this appears to have happened with Jon Stewart and Apple over his talk show, The Problem with Jon Stewart. Steve and Ben discuss this story and how corporate influences overriding creative ideas is a tale as old as time. Steve and Ben also discuss Elon Musk's plan to put X behind a paywall, as well as how snoozing is a healthy option for some people that find it hard to get up in the morning.

Rumours abound that Netflix will be opening retail stores in the next few years to offer new experiences to its customers. Steve and Ben discuss this potential move and the imperatives of corporations to move beyond their original founding direction in pursuit of growth. Steve and Ben also discuss scientists experimenting to create many different sourdough breads, as well as the incredible potential advances in spintronic computing which could provide a pathway to quantum computing.

Big tech is jumping in to AI across all their products. Recent announcement by Google, Microsoft, and Samsung, with their Pixel 8 phones and accessories,Windows Co-Pilot Features, and Appliance announcements respectively for each company highlight how much big tech is keen to drive AI through their products, but haven't products had AI of some form in them already? Steve and Ben discuss the AI focus for big tech, as well as their thoughts on Apple's iOS 17 backporting a key feature back to the iPhone 14 Pros. They also discuss a recent online discussion comparing high profile science communicators Neil deGrasse Tyson and Brian Cox.

Apple has unveiled its new iPhone line for 2023, introducing Grade 5 titanium frames for the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max, a tetra prism 5x camera lens for the latter model, and USB-C ports across the iPhone 15 line-up. Despite these improvements, the Apple event seemed like more of the same this year despite its deftly executed Hollywood production values. Steve and Ben examine the new iPhones and how we are no longer in the world of big year on year changes to these amazing devices we all carry with us. Steve and Ben also discuss the importance of detoxing your digital life.

The Matildas made their country proud by reaching fourth place in the FIFA 2023 Women's World Cup, cementing themselves in the Australian sporting lexicon as one of the greatest sporting achievements Australia has ever had. Steve and Ben discuss the Matildas' performance in the world cup and its impact on women's sport in Australia. Steve and Ben also discuss Donald Trump and the four indictments he is now facing as the 2024 US Presidential Election season is soon to commence, as well as the recent controversies surrounding YouTuber Linus Sebastian and its impact on standards YouTuber content creators may need to consider when producing content.

In what seems one of the most baffling brand name changes of all time, billionaire Elon Musk just unilaterally decided to rebrand Twitter to the letter X. Will this spell the end of Twitter and its social media dominance? Steve and Ben discuss Elon Musk's decision to make such a radical change to one of the most recognised social media brands, and they also discuss their views on the new season of Star Trek Strange New Worlds, including its infamous musical episode.

Has Mark Zuckerberg discovered an opportunity to steal some of Elon's Twitter thunder with Threads? Steve and Ben discuss the extraordinary entry of Threads in to the social media sphere and how it may have a shot at taking the crown given Meta's overall user base and market position. Steve and Ben also discuss the cancellation of the 2026 Commonwealth Games by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, as well as the opening of the new Christopher Nolan film, Oppenheimer.

Between Taylor Swift concert tickets going on a frenzied sale and a 4.6 magnitude earthquake hitting near the city, Melbourne experienced some drama recently. Steve and Ben discuss how earthquakes in Australia have been increasing in frequency in the past few years with a few earthquakes occurring on the East Coast, as well as the issue of scalping at major concert events with many Taylor Swift fans missing out on her concerts. Steve and Ben also discuss the recent news that the WHO may announce that artificial sweetener aspartame may be linked to cancer risks.

The world was shocked to learn this week of the catastrophic implosion in the deep ocean of OceanGate's Titan submersible vehicle as it was taking the company's CEO and four passengers to view the wreck of the Titanic. However, with the mainstream media broadcasting wall to wall coverage of the story turning it in to a meme-able narrative, is the media actually doing its job with the news? Steve and Ben discuss the media's slide in to clickbait and narrative-driven material, while also discussing how social media and search algorithms are driving our behaviour in a way that has seen the hallowing out of news, media, and popular culture.

Apple's AirTags were intended to be used to keep track of car keys, luggage, and other personal items, but they have also been used for more nefarious purposes, such as stalking individuals, with the tech giant coming under fire for not doing more to alert users of unknown AirTags within their vicinity. Steve and Ben discuss how technology likes this can be used for nasty purposes and how tech giants have a responsibility to solve the ensuing problems if they want to be in the position to write the rules on how tech influences our lives. Steve and Ben also discuss ex-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's hilarious 80s ad for Windows 1, the discovery of phosphorous on Saturn's moon of Enceladus and its implications for life beyond Earth, as well as the battle between Christopher Nolan and Tom Cruise for IMAX screens for their respective films Oppenheimer and Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part I.

After years of rumour and speculation, Apple announced the VisionPro, the tech giant's first foray in to the virtual and augmented reality headset space. With a slew of incredible technical breakthroughs that set the VisionPro apart from its competition, Apple may have successfully delivered on its one more thing heritage in style, but does the VisionPro fundamentally solve the issues that have plagued VR and AR headsets? Steve and Ben discuss the Apple VisionPro as well as the Mac hardware announcements from WWDC 2023. Steve and Ben also discuss the story of a YouTuber who intentionally crashed in plane for more views, but was charged by authorities for the trouble.

After years of speculation, Apple surprised everyone by announcing through a press release that Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro would be coming to the iPad, and designed specifically for tablet use. Steve and Ben discuss their impressions of this announcement as Final Cut users on the Mac ,and the use cases for this powerful app on the iPad. Steve and Ben also discuss Google's entry in to the folding phone space with the new Pixel Fold device, the new Pixel 7A, and the Pixel Tablet which appears to offer a different use case to Apple's market-dominated iPad.

Sleep is one the most fundamental biological activities that humans engage with in their life that is vital and necessary to good health. However sleep patterns have changed over time, with humans living in the pre-industrialised age having bi-phasic sleep patterns which contrast with the current eight hours of sleep model recommended for good health. Steve and Ben discuss the importance of sleep and the change in sleep patterns over time. Steve and Ben also discuss the announcement by the WHO to end the emergency status on the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the development of mind reading machines powered by AI technology.

A television show called Now On My Way To Meet You is a popular program in South Korea, and draws the ire of the North Korean regime given it features North Korean defectors talking about their experiences. Steve and Ben discuss the show and the concept of how radically different life must be for those living under such an oppressive regime. Steve and Ben also discuss the recent SpaceX rocket launch that ended with it exploding minutes after impact, the big drop in sales figures notes for PCs and Macs, as well as the best way to watch the highly acclaimed third season of Star Trek Picard.

The finale of Star Trek Picard Season 3 stuck the landing on an impression reunion show for the cast of Star Trek The Next Generation, providing a satisfying story interwoven with numerous fan service moments that will delight those who enjoyed watching the original show. Steve and Ben give their take on Star Trek Picard Season 3 and how it stands against other long standing franchises attempting to recapture the magic of their glory days. Steve and Ben also discuss the return of app icon labels to the taskbar in Windows 11, and how the production of cement is a larger contributor to greenhouse gas emissions than one might think.

Star Wars Celebration was recently held by Disney, with the announcement that three new Star Wars movies are on the way, set in completely different eras of the Star Wars universe, stirring predictable reactions from the internet given the course Disney has taken with the franchise to date. Steve and Ben examine Disney's announcement of more Star Wars movies, and how Disney is running the risk of killing the goose that laid the golden egg. Steve and Ben also discuss how to handle iPhone upgrade cycles and when to upgrade your iPhone, as well as the curious behaviour of certain YouTube content creators who are behaving more like egotistical movie producers when dealing with their talent and collaborators.

Well, it finally happened, Former President Donald Trump has been indicted. What will the next chapter of Trump's impact on US politics bring? Steve and Ben examine the latest on the indictment of Donald Trump and how this is the first time in US history that an ex-President has been indicted on criminal charges. Steve and Ben also discuss Apple's rumoured plans for a mixed reality headset expected to be launched at WWDC 2023, as well as taking another look at Avatar The Way Of Water now that it has been released for digital download.

Some clever users have discovered that the photos of the moon captured via space zoom on Samsung Galaxy phones are faked using software algorithms. Is this a problem, or could it have been marketed as a very clever feature? Steve and Ben discuss the controversy of Samsung's fake moon photos, and discuss the issues around computational photography in smartphones, and asking what is a real photo in today's world. Steve and Ben also discuss the latest startling images from the James Webb Space Telescope, as well as the media response to the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank.

Avatar The Way Of Water has settled in to the number three spot on the top highest grossing films of all time list. James Cameron has done it again with his epic sci-fi sequel to the 2009 smash hit, with audiences attending cinemas in droves to watch the world of Pandora unfold in spectacular fashion, but is the film as great as the hype? Steve and Ben discuss the Avatar sequel through the lens of how modern Hollywood movies are made, and that just because a film has great technical skill, does not mean that it is a great film. Steve and Ben also discuss a new discovery of using an enzyme from bacteria that can turn hydrogen from the air in to electricity, and they also discuss the truth behind smartphone reviews as they battle to be seen by YouTube's omnipresent algorithm.

In a rare January drop of new products, Apple has released the new M2 Pro and M2 Max updates for the 14 and 16 inch MacBook Pros and the Mac Mini. With such powerful machines now available at reasonable price points, particularly for the Mac mini, the era of spending lots of money on a powerful workstation or laptop are effectively over. Steve and Ben discuss the new MacBook Pros and Mac mini options and how the future of the Mac has never looked brighter. Steve and Ben also discuss the unequaled triumph of James Cameron having three of the top five worldwide highest grossing movies of all time with Avatar The Way Of Water continuing to rake in box office, and they also discuss the truck-sized asteroid that swung past the Earth in the past week.

Apple has seemingly started off 2023 with a bang with a slew of rumours of new products for this year, including a curious story about how Apple is finally going to bring touchscreens to their Mac line. Will they do this, especially given their legendary founder Steve Jobs stated back in the day that touchscreens do not want to be vertical? Steve and Ben discuss the latest Apple rumours as well as the story of ChatGPT, an open language AI that is demonstrating impressive abilities to communicate in very human ways when asked the right questions.

With approximately 30,000 hours being uploaded every hour to YouTube, we are living in a world where content creation has become extremely ubiquitous and easy to access to everyone. With this has been an increased change in to the type of content being created. It's not enough to produce a show any more, the creator has to put themselves online as much as possible to stay relevant. Steve and Ben kick off 2023 examining content creation and its relationship to narcissistic behaviour by creators, as well as having a quick look at the Lenovo Yoga 9i dual screen laptop, and stepping back to look at all the topics they covered in 2022.

Breaking an addiction to your phone is likely to be at the top of many people's New Year's resolutions lists, but is it easier said than done? What are the best strategies to limit the time you spend on your phone, your screen on time, and not to be distracted by the latest post or notification that constantly pops up on the device you carry with you every day? Steve and Ben discuss their strategies for how to best handle your smartphone usage, including deleting all social media apps and disabling almost all notifications. They also discuss the disturbing impacts that smartphone use is having on us as humans, and the impacts on society as a whole.

Australia has received an unprecedented level of rainfall across the eastern side of the country, causing serious flooding events across four states on multiple occasions in 2022 alone. With residual consequences such as additional insect breeding, increased pollen issues and more, these events have re-focused the debate on climate change given the real world impacts on so many lives. Steve and Ben discuss the impacts of the floods in Australia. They also discuss the progressing nature of online attacks and how to deal with them, as well as a nostalgic cinematic trip via Steven Spielberg's upcoming film, The Fabelmans.

The turmoil continues at Twitter as Elon Musk locks out employees from the main company headquarters following an ultimatum to stay but only if they put out exceptional levels of performance. Meanwhile, Deliveroo announces they are exiting the Australian market, with local restaurants now removing their menus entirely from a range of delivery apps. Steve and Ben discuss the turmoil across Twitter and the gig economy, as well as the seeming reemergence of BlackBerry as a supplier of software for cars.

Returning after a month off, Ben discusses his recent sarcoma diagnosis on his left middle finger and the outcome. Steve and Ben also discuss Elon Musk's turbulent approach to changes at social media platform Twitter, and they also talk through Apple's confusing 2022 iPad line-up and how Apple may have inadvertently pushed its customers to purchase older models when considering the value proposition of the new models.

New iPhone season has arrived, and with that, is a traditional unboxing, this time of the Space Black iPhone 14 Pro Max. Steve and Ben discuss the new iPhone 14 Pro Max and using it to record the SciTech Culture podcast in 4K cinematic mode. Steve and Ben also discuss the Apple Watch Ultra and its place in the world of endurance sports and extreme activities, as well as tech trends for the future leading to a technological revolution that will radically change the way we live and move on this planet.

Tis the season to buy new iPhones! Like clockwork, Apple has announced its new iPhone line up at its September 2022 event. The regular iPhones now feature a plus sized model, the iPhone 14 Plus, while the Pro models saw the most attention with both the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max receiving a big camera upgrade, a nifty user interface feature called Dynamic Island, crash detection, and more. Apple also announced new Apple Watches, including the new Apple Watch Ultra for extreme users in harsh environments, as well as the second generation AirPods Pro 2 with improved noise cancellation and transparency modes. Steve and Ben examine the announcements from this year's Apple September event, and they also discuss National Cinema Day in the US where Jaws became a blockbuster hit again 47 years after its release.

Fantasy genre fans have a bounty of riches on offer at the moment with the close releases of The Lord Of The Rings The Rings Of Power and the Game of Thrones prequel House Of The Dragon. Steve and Ben discuss how high profile streaming content like these two series are now the modern replacement of the exciting Hollywood blockbuster of yesteryear, and how both shows do a great job at executing on their respective source material. Steve and Ben also discuss the faster transfer speeds offered by the new spec for USB4 Version 2, as well as the long gestating retirement of the floppy disk in Japan.

With the world turning its attention to renewable sources of energy, the conversation has also started to include how long term storage of electricity in the form of batteries factors in to the mix. With traditional lithium ion batteries not suitable for larger scale requirements while also presenting sustainability issues, alternative battery technologies are being explored including those based in salt and sand, amongst others. Steve and Ben discuss the potential for new battery technologies, as well as tech giant Apple facing resistance from its employees to return to work in the office, as well as the post-covid outlook for the tourism industry and the challenges it faces returning to business with a cautious public not rushing back to travel.

Dogs truly are our best friends, displaying an empathy and intelligence that are truly incredible, leading to a wonderful and depth-filled relationship between the two species. Steve and Ben discuss intelligence in dogs and how we should treat dogs with the respect they deserve given their blind devotion to us as humans and owners. Steve and Ben also discuss the urgent patching of iOS and macOS by Apple to address a significant security flaw in these operating systems, as well as Liz Cheney's loss in the Wyoming Republican Primary race and potential 2024 Presidential Run, and how the new film Prey finally brings audiences a sequel in the long running science fiction Predator franchise that lives up to the quality of the original 1986 film.

One of the biggest challenges in tackling climate change and environmental sustainability is how to generate clean, renewable energy for the entire world that is sustainable and does not negatively impact the environment. Global supergrids could be the answer, with its network of connector cables and high volage direct current providing the possibility of transferring electricity from where it is generated to where it is needed. Steve and Ben discuss the potential for global supergrids, as well as Trump making it back in to the news with the FBI raid on his Florida home at Mar-a-lago, and the recent Samsung Unpacked event where the Galaxy Fold 4 and Galaxy Flip 4 were announced.

The CSIRO recently released a megatrends report outlining seven key trends that will have a major impact on the world and society in the coming decades, covering health, sustainability, climate change, automation and AI, digital and data economies, and geopolitical shifts. Steve and Ben discuss the report and these seven key megatrends as they pertain to the world in the 21st century, especially as compared to events from the previous century.

Mark Zuckerberg turned up the heat on his employees in a recent conference call, claiming some of them should not be at Meta and that should those employees come to the conclusion that his company was not the place to be for them, that self-selection would be okay with him. With that frank admission, as well as scrutiny over Meta's future and direction, is the Zuck feeling the pressure? Steve and Ben discuss Meta's current prospects and its future direction. Steve and Ben also discuss myths around COVID as well as a recent study supporting the Wuhan Market origin of COVID, as well as trialing Apple's iOS16 Beta, and issues with Amazon Prime Video incorrectly identifying VPN issues with user setup.

For most knowledge and information workers, their employers will supply a laptop and or a smartphone in order to work. With this in mind, is it wise to use your work devices for personal use so you can save the money and hassle with purchasing and maintaining separate personal devices, or should you keep your work and personal tech separate? As always, the answer lies in what your actual needs and use cases are. Steve and Ben discuss how to handle your work and personal devices and setups. Steve and Ben also discuss the requirements for those editing videos with their devices, and how you may not need top tier expensive hardware to successfully edit high quality videos as you may have needed in the past.

We are living in a world where it is impossible to be bored given the never-ending distractions on offer, from social media feeds, endless streaming possibilities, and other content sources available on demand at every hour of the day. Without room to pause and be bored, we are sapping our collective ability to allow space for creativity and free thought. Steve and Ben examine why we all need boredom in our lives.

With the arrival of Apple's new M2 chip, a swirl of controversy has erupted online around the MacBook Pro 13 base model and its slower SSD speeds and apparent overheating issues. Steve and Ben examine the apparent controversy and whether or not this is a result of click-baiting headlines, and if real world users will even care or notice. Steve and Ben also discuss how digital twins are being used to monitor wind farms and their environments, a study that shows many people want credit cards that lessen their environmental impact on the planet, and Elon Musk's withdrawal from purchasing Twitter.

Managers and Leaders are crucial to the success or failure of a task, a small business, an organisation, a corporation, or any activity seeking an end result, or outcome. What are the qualities of good management and good leadership, how do they compare, and how do they feed in to each other to achieve quality outcomes for all? Steve and Ben examine the qualities of management and leadership and how both are vital for success when achieving outcomes in any activity, from the smallest groups to the largest organisations.

Outlook for Mac has recently been updated to a brand new version with an appealing visual look and a streamlined interface but it does have some issues with basic functionality. Steve and Ben discuss the missing move to folder function between accounts that is causing workflow issues. Steve and Ben also discuss the recent and unprecedented move to suspend the Australian wholesale energy market by the Australian Energy Mark Operator due to widespread instability in the market, and the very real risk of the Australian public experiencing rolling blackouts caused by market instability rather than supply.

WWDC 2022 has come and gone, with Apple making a slew of announcements including the debut of the next generation of Apple Silicon in the M2 Chip, the new M2 MacBook Air and MacBook Pros, as well as the latest operating system announcements of iOS 16, iPadOS 16, watchOS 9, and macOS Ventura. Steve and Ben discuss the announcements that stood out to them, including issues with the Mac line's pricing structure and considerations for purchase, and the long awaited external display support feature for iPads. They also discuss the downsides of choosing to be a YouTuber as a profession versus podcasting.

Steve and Ben discuss the historic result for the 2022 Australian federal election, the advent of monkeypox, bioreactors generating meat and other animal food products, as well as the reports of delays for the upcoming iPhone 14 due to lockdowns in China, and the exciting announcement of Project Volterra by Microsoft as the tech giant begins the transition to ARM processors.

After two tumultuous years living through lockdowns and other measures to counter the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, many countries have now transitioned to a policy of living with the virus. With soaring case numbers due to the spread of the omicron variant, numbers that would have shocked people just a year earlier, living with the virus is bringing a whole host of new challenges. Steve and Ben examine the concept of living with the virus, and how with the exception of a new variant of concern causing further measures to be explored, that this policy is an attempt by governments to return life back to some semblance of normal, particularly in an environment where harsh measures to counter the coronavirus are unlikely to be tolerated by a weary public.

Elon Musk has made his move to purchase Twitter, sending the internet and mainstream media in to a frenzy of commentary as to what his presence will do to Twitter and its current place in the social media landscape, particularly in his comments on reforming the platform to reflect a true public square for the masses. Steve and Ben discuss this historic purchase and its implications, as well as the recent incident of comedian Dave Chapelle being attacked on stage by an audience member and reaching 250 episodes of SciTech Culture.

The Batman is the new film in the iconic comic book character's franchise of films, and it has opened to stellar reviews and box office. However, is the film actually good given its lifting of elements from other works? Steve and Ben discuss The Batman and the continuing trend of big budget Hollywood films recycling older works as an attempt to play it safe while sustaining success in the current cinema environment. Steve and Ben also discuss the release of Unreal Engine 5 to the public, the role of the media in the current Australian Federal Election, and the continuing concerns that the world is facing through COVID, inflation, and other elements leading to perceived instability in the world.

It was the infamous slap that was heard around the world. The fallout from that moment at the Oscars when Will Smith slapped host, Chris Rock, across the face for making a joke about Smith's wife Jada-Pinkett Smith, has generated a lot of discussion and mainstream media coverage. Steve and Ben examine the fallout from Will Smith's actions, how the Academy and Hollywood elite reacted to it in the room and afterwards, what precedent it set, and how this all feeds in to the dwindling nature of celebrity culture and whether or not celebrities should be venerated, as well as the continuing fall of Hollywood's cultural relevance.

Apple had made another splash announcement with its new Mac Studio desktop, the first new Mac form factor it has introduced in many years, and simultaneously introducing the new M1 Ultra chip which fuses two M1 Max chips together for the system to recognise as one super-charged chip. With Apple course-correcting back to the desires of the Pro community, and notwithstanding the impressive achievements of the M1 line and Apple Silicon in general, has the Apple product line become too diverse and confusing? Steve and Ben discuss the announcement of the new Mac Studio, and they also discuss Vimeo's recent announcement of increasing charges for high-bandwidth users, the startling first test image from the James Webb Telescope, Microsoft's confounding play to introduce ads in to Windows File Explorer, as well as Ben's latest iPhone camera tests and post-production workflow on the iPad Pro.