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Plus the good and the bad of Audible using generated voices.Starring Tom Merritt, Jenn Cutter, and Andy Beach.Links to stories discussed in this episode can be found here.
Gurman says Apple's Solarium update is a big feature at next month's WWDC, and Dr. Niki talks about 3D printing your skin. Yes, your actual skin.Starring Jason Howell, Tom Merritt, and Dr Niki.Links to stories in this episode can be found here.
WhatsApp finally made it to iPad, Salesforce is dropping $8 billion on Informatica to boost its AI game, and Realme launched two phones with monster batteries that charge in under an hour. Meanwhile, The Browser Company hit pause on Arc to chase the AI wave with its new Dia browser. Starring Sarah Lane, Tom Merritt, Amos, and Joe. To read the show notes in a separate page click here! Support the show on Patreon by becoming a supporter!
And Tardigrades are getting tattoos, and you will want them to.Starring Tom Merritt, Jenn Cutter, and Dr. Niki.Show notes can be found here.
How reliable are LLMs when it comes to judgements in sensitive areas? Turns out not so much. How oversharing information online can make you a bigger target for cyber criminals. And can LLMs do a better job being CEO than a human could? Plus it's Friday and it's time to screw you thinking caps on as we quiz our panel about bad product names. Starring Sarah Lane, Tom Merritt, Robb Dunewood, Roger Chang, Joe. To read the show notes in a separate page click here! Support the show on Patreon by becoming a supporter!
Apple officially provides support for the Apple Vision Pro on the Godot game engine. OpenAI is buying Jony Ive's product development company called io. Is YouTube the secret sauce for self-improvement? And Volvo will be the first automaker to integrate Google's Gemini AI chatbot into its automobiles. Starring Sarah Lane, Tom Merritt, Roger Chang, Joe. To read the show notes in a separate page click here! Support the show on Patreon by becoming a supporter!
We discuss all the announcements from Google I/O. Patrick's here with a first-hand guide on how to prepare for connectivity and power outage during natural disasters. And Marshall, the guitar amplifier company, has introduced its first home theater soundbar. Starring Sarah Lane, Tom Merritt, Patrick Norton, Roger Chang, Joe. To read the show notes in a separate page click here! Support the show on Patreon by becoming a supporter!
Plus, Nvidia and Intel have new chip announcements at Computex, and Ina Kim shares tech to teach languages online.Starring Tom Merritt, Robb Dunewood, and Ina Kim.Show notes can be found here.
Netflix acquires exclusive global streaming rights to Sesame Street starting with season 56. Tom highlights the big news from Microsoft BUILD. Why is Apple so behind on rolling out AI? And are you one of the millions who haven't upgraded their Windows OS installs? Starring Sarah Lane, Tom Merritt, Roger Chang, Joe. To read the show notes in a separate page click here! Support the show on Patreon by becoming a supporter!
Plus you'll finally understand why some people believe it's OK for AI models to infringe copyright.Starring Tom Merritt, Huyen Tue Dao, and Meredith Rose.Show notes can be found here.
Charter is buying Cox to form a cable giant, while Verizon gets FCC approval to acquire Frontier and expand fiber to millions. Meanwhile, Apple and Epic are back at it over Fortnite, OpenAI launches a coding assistant, Microsoft kills the Surface Laptop Studio, and Acer shows off sleek new gear at Computex. Also: Nvidia denies shifting GPU work to China, and Kickstarter gets serious about funding climate tech. Starring Sarah Lane, Tom Merritt, Robb Dunewood, Molly Wood, Len Peralta, Amos, Joe. To read the show notes in a separate page click here! Support the show on Patreon by becoming a supporter!
Plus why the Dungeon Crawler Carl audiobooks are so good they can't stay out of the best seller list. Starring Tom Merritt, Jenn Cutter, and Aaron Morton.Links to stories found in this episode can be found here.
The Monday Morning Medical Stream Show. Yo Quiero Pachelbel. Joanie Loves Tchaikovsky. This stream was made for froggin'. Butt Ounce of Custard. Diddy Freak Out. Dr Slippy-Fingers. Delancey Doesn't Just Give It Away. BLAME-Y. Chopin Broccoli. Show-plifter. Ariana G-String in Concert! Orange Schubert. Nintendo Chips & Dip with Tom Merritt. Steamrolling Recommentals with Nicole and Randy and more on this episode of The Morning Stream. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Monday Morning Medical Stream Show. Yo Quiero Pachelbel. Joanie Loves Tchaikovsky. This stream was made for froggin'. Butt Ounce of Custard. Diddy Freak Out. Dr Slippy-Fingers. Delancey Doesn't Just Give It Away. BLAME-Y. Chopin Broccoli. Show-plifter. Ariana G-String in Concert! Orange Schubert. Nintendo Chips & Dip with Tom Merritt. Steamrolling Recommentals with Nicole and Randy and more on this episode of The Morning Stream. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
DeepMind's AlphaEvolve solves math and science problems by generating and critiquing its own answers. Meanwhile, the U.S. warns against Huawei chips, Sony eyes PS5 price hikes, Max reverts to HBO Max, Uber launches shuttles, Google tests AI Mode, and Airbnb adds on-demand services. Starring Sarah Lane, Tom Merritt, Scott Johnson, Amos, and Joe. To read the show notes in a separate page click here! Support the show on Patreon by becoming a supporter!
Apple brings a slew of new accessibility features to its devices, and James Thatcher shares what the effect of the China-US tariff pause is likely to be on tech purchases.Starring Jason Howell, Tom Merritt, and James Thatcher.Links to stories in this episode can be found here.
ESPN aims to launch a $29.99 per month streaming option this Fall. How early childhood YouTube channel Cocomelon moved in the big screen and what could mean for other YT creators. And Apple reveals new accessibility features coming in iOS 19, macOS 16, and other platforms. Starring Sarah Lane, Tom Merritt, Roger Chang, Joe. To read the show notes in a separate page click here! Support the show on Patreon by becoming a supporter!
ESPN aims to launch a $29.99 per month streaming option this Fall. How early childhood YouTube channel Cocomelon moved in the big screen and what could mean for other YT creators. And Apple reveals new accessibility features coming in iOS 19, macOS 16, and other platforms. Starring Sarah Lane, Tom Merritt, Roger Chang, Joe. To read the show notes in a separate page click here! Support the show on Patreon by becoming a supporter!
Plus, happy birthday to the longest-running Apple podcast on the internet.Starring Tom Merritt, Robb Dunewood, and Allison Sheridan.Show notes can be found here.
What are the concerns when using AI in healthcare and do the benefits outweigh the risks? Why did the US president fire the Register of Copyrights, Shira Perlmutter and does it have anything to do with AI and copyrighted materials? And a scientist licenses technology that makes wood strong as steel while keeping the weight benefits. And are you ready for a price increase on iPhones? Starring Sarah Lane, Tom Merritt, Justin Robert Young, Roger Chang, Joe. To read the show notes in a separate page click here! Support the show on Patreon by becoming a supporter!
A court allows simulated testimony, plus a hospital in Ottawa uses AI to make doctor's better at being doctors.Starring Tom Merritt, Shannon Morse, and Andy Beach.Show notes can be found here.
Apple earned over $10 billion from U.S. App Store commissions last year, while Epic continues pushing to relist Fortnite amid ongoing policy shifts. Meanwhile, Microsoft banned the DeepSeek app over privacy concerns, and Meta is reportedly reversing course by adding facial recognition to its Ray-Ban smart glasses despite previous backlash. Starring Sarah Lane, Tom Merritt, Robb Dunewood, Len Peralta, Amos, Joe. To read the show notes in a separate page click here! Support the show on Patreon by becoming a supporter!
Can the perceived gender of a robot influence the decisions you make make getting recommendations from it? We critique Netflix's TV and mobile UI redesign. Plus is the cat out of the bag? Online photos show a possible Xbox handheld could be arriving sooner rather than later. Scott tells us all about it! And Matter rolls out the 1.4.1 update that adds tap-to-pair setup via NFC and multi-device QR codes to speed up device onboarding. Starring Sarah Lane, Tom Merritt, Scott Johnson, Roger Chang, Joe. To read the show notes in a separate page click here! Support the show on Patreon by becoming a supporter!
OpenAI opts to keep its nonprofit in control of its business, and Bodie Grimm details the environmental impact of electric vehicles.Starring Jason Howell, Tom Merritt, and Bodie Grimm.Show notes can be found here.
DoorDash plans to acquire hospitality tech firm SevenRooms. We do an overview of all the autonomous car companies right now. How can technology serve as a bridge to our memories of loved ones who've passed on. Starring Sarah Lane, Tom Merritt, Roger Chang, Joe. To read the show notes in a separate page click here! Support the show on Patreon by becoming a supporter!
Plus, Apple may change up the pattern it uses to announce iPhones.Starring Tom Merritt and Robb Dunewood Show notes can be found here.
Automakers are rediscovering the benefits of control knobs and buttons for their cars. Waymo plans to add 2000 more robotaxis in 2026. Google launches a new film and TV production initiative, called 100 Zeros. We examine why they aren't tasked with making movies or TV shows for YouTube or other Google outlets. And is over reliance on ChatBots for self-help a recipe for disaster. Starring Sarah Lane, Tom Merritt, Jenn Cutter, Roger Chang, Joe. To read the show notes in a separate page click here! Support the show on Patreon by becoming a supporter!
Molly Wood and Tom Merritt share their text message chat about the ruling against Apple's anti-steering policies, which leads to a prescription for what Apple needs to do. And has elements of a Molly rant as well. Starring Molly Wood and Tom Merritt
The first apps under Apple's new permissive payment guidelines hto the store and a soccer game that doesn't have as much soccer in it as you might thing. Starring Tom Merritt, Huyen Tue Dao, and Andy Beach.Show notes can be found here.
Producer of the CISCO Series podcasts, David Spark, is here with a roundup of the big topics from the 2025 RSA Conference. Plus Reddit will integrate AI Answers into its main search bar. Something that already has a million users a week. Plus we discuss how Microsoft is celebrating World Passkey Day. And we end the week with a security quiz and games from David Spark. Starring Sarah Lane, Tom Merritt, David Spark, Len Peralta, Roger Chang, Joe. To read the show notes in a separate page click here! Support the show on Patreon by becoming a supporter!
Also, everybody seems to want age verification, but can you even do it?Starring Tom Merritt, and Jenn Cutter, and Dr Niki.Links to show notes here.
Plus, how YouTube is the hope for Google, and maybe TSMC is the hope for Intel.Starring Tom Merritt, and Huyen Tue Dao, and Bodie Grimm.Show notes can be found here.
Will AI replace apps as the primary interface for technology? Meta's CTO thinks so. Netflix rolls out dialogue only subtitles. In Australia an AI-generated radio host of a four-hour show went unnoticed for months. And we end the week with another quizzical quiz that we'll test your knowledge of life after death through technology in big and small screen. Starring Sarah Lane, Tom Merritt, Robb Dunewood, Roger Chang, Joe. To read the show notes in a separate page click here! Support the show on Patreon by becoming a supporter!
OpenAI has expressed interest in buying Chrome if the Department of Justice forces Google to divest it. Nintendo says not everybody who wants a Switch 2 on launch day will not be able to get one. Bethesda officially drops The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered the same day they reveal. Why is everyone going crazy for it? And its YouTube's 20th birthday. We discuss how a video-sharing platform has become an entertainment giant and an even larger repository of video people don't watch. Starring Sarah Lane, Tom Merritt, Scott Johnson, Roger Chang, Joe. To read the show notes in a separate page click here! Support the show on Patreon by becoming a supporter!
Instagram finally releases its video editing mobile app called Edits, and Bodie Grimm talks about some cool EVs coming very soon.Starring Jason Howell, Tom Merritt, and Bodie Grimm.
Would you like your artistic legacy to live on in an LLM? With the age of tap to pay phone, how do you let your waiter know you're ready to pay? A Columbia student suspended over interview cheating tool raises $5.3M to develop a ‘cheat on everything' AI tool. And Instagram launches a mobile video editor. Does CapCut have competition? Starring Sarah Lane, Tom Merritt, Roger Chang, Joe. To read the show notes in a separate page click here! Support the show on Patreon by becoming a supporter!
A very convincing phishing scam hits Gmail and Blair from This Week in Science helps us understand how AI helps us understand Dolphins.Starring Tom Merritt, and Robb Dunewood, and Blair Bazdarich.Links to stories featured in this episode can be found here.
AGI or artificial general intelligence is the holy grail for AI researchers. But how will we know when we've achieved it? Can AR/VR based therapy help people with social anxieties? The FTC has sued Uber, accusing it of misleading customers into signing up for the monthly subscription Uber One. And are you a tech hoarder? We share what we do with our old tech when we upgrade. Starring Sarah Lane, Tom Merritt, Justin Robert Young, Roger Chang, Joe. To read the show notes in a separate page click here! Support the show on Patreon by becoming a supporter!
Plus, the difference between the Google antitrust cases, and Andy Beach talks Adobe agents.Starring Tom Merritt, and Huyen Tue Dao, and Andy Beach.Show notes can be found here.
We discuss alternatives to Google's ubiquitous search tool. Will screenshots be the universal method of capturing digital information for AI digital assistants? Is a trend of using ChatGPT to identify locations from photos another threat to privacy? Starring Sarah Lane, Tom Merritt, Robb Dunewood, Roger Chang, Joe. To read the show notes in a separate page click here! Support the show on Patreon by becoming a supporter!
Plus, the CVE database is fine for now, but Nvidia's profits are not.Starring Tom Merritt, and Jenn Cutter, and Tanner Goodman.Links to stories can be found here.
It was just last week when the Trump administration hit pause on its Liberation Day tariffs — except when it came to China. Not only were they excluded from the pause, they got slapped with additional hikes, escalating what had already started to look like an all-out trade war. Then came Saturday morning's Customs and Border Patrol announcement, which seemed to undercut all of that: nearly 60% of Chinese exports, including smartphones, laptops, and semiconductors, were apparently exempt from the new tariffs.So, what happened? Did the White House backtrack? Was this a walk-back in disguise? The administration scrambled to clarify. Their explanation: those goods are being set aside into their own “buckets” — alongside other key industries like cars and steel — for future, tougher action. These aren't exemptions, they insist, just part of a long-term plan. The reason for the sudden PR push? According to Axios' Mark Caputo, Trump simply doesn't like the words “exemption” or “exception.” He felt too many were granted in his first term and didn't want the headline suggesting he'd lost his edge.But let's be honest: This is hair-splitting. Whether you call them buckets or carveouts, the reality is a significant chunk of Chinese goods aren't being hit right now, and the market knows it. The real question is whether the administration is buying time, recalibrating, or trying to thread the needle between tough-on-China optics and economic stability.Saber Rattling, Delistings, and Peasant TalkIn the meantime, tensions are ramping up. The U.S. is now considering delisting nearly 300 Chinese companies from American stock exchanges — a move that's part economic pressure, part political theater. The legal foundation? The Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, which requires financial transparency from foreign firms. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Senator Rick Scott are reportedly behind the push, with Trump expected to lean on executive orders to expedite the process if necessary.Naturally, China isn't taking this lightly. In response, they've begun blocking deliveries of Boeing jets, and the rhetoric has turned acidic. China's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office issued a statement saying, in part, “Let those peasants in the United States wail in front of five thousand years of Chinese civilization.” That's not diplomatic posturing — that's a full-throated nationalist flare-up, made more surreal by the fact that JD Vance himself had recently referred to Chinese laborers as “peasants” on Fox News.And through all of this, both sides are playing the “we're open to talks, but we won't be the first to call” game. It's juvenile, it's geopolitical theater, and it's exactly the kind of posture that leaves markets — and companies — dangling.What Happens Next?Here's where I land: I don't think we're going back to “normal” with China anytime soon. The issues the U.S. wants addressed — IP theft, forced joint ventures, restricted market access — aren't things China's going to give up easily, if at all. So yes, the tariffs might eventually get reshuffled or reduced. But the era of posturing, of economic nationalism, of strategic decoupling? That's here to stay.The polling shows Americans are broadly in favor of being tougher on China — until, of course, it hits them in the wallet. That's where this whole thing could flip. For now, though, the administration seems fine dragging this out. Tariffs, carveouts, buckets, delistings — it's all part of the same dance. And we're still in the first few steps.At least that's this peasant's opinion.Chapters00:00 - Intro02:14 - US-China Trade War Continues11:45 - Update13:13 - AOC Fundraising Record15:15 - Andrew Cuomo NYC Race17:22 - Brian Kemp's Senate Potential22:22 - Interview with Tom Merritt49:59 - Wrap-up This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.politicspoliticspolitics.com/subscribe
We discuss Ubisoft's new dev tools to help game-devs incorporate accessibility into their games for the colorblind. How can sound help patients alleviate issues with motion sickness. TikTok is launching “Footnotes,” a crowd-sourced fact-checking feature. And with the success of A Minecraft Movie, we ponder the potential of what other game IP to leverage for cinematic or TV adaptations. Starring Sarah Lane, Tom Merritt, Scott Johnson, Roger Chang, Joe. To read the show notes in a separate page click here! Support the show on Patreon by becoming a supporter!
OpenAI is getting into the social network game, and Bodie Grimm talks about how BYD vehicles can charge in five minutes!Starring Jason Howell, Tom Merritt, and Bodie Grimm.Show notes can be found here.
Apple says it has a workaround to training its AI models with data that doesn't violate its customers' privacy. The town that used AI to see what everybody wanted. OpenAI is working on a X-like social media platform. Is this what we want? And we share our data security habits when we travel abroad with tech. Starring Sarah Lane, Tom Merritt, Nica Montford, Roger Chang, Joe. To read the show notes in a separate page click here! Support the show on Patreon by becoming a supporter!
Plus we explain why chips do still have tariffs despite receiving some exemptions and why they may get new tariffs in the next couple of months. Starring Tom Merritt, and Robb Dunewood, and Matteo Doni.Links to storied in this episode can be found here.
OpenAI will fully replace GPT‑4 with GPT‑4o and WhatsApp New FeaturesStarring Tom Merritt, Huyen Tue Dao, Mallory O'Meara, and Brea Grant.Show notes can be found here.
My Cousin Amy. Sucked In w Tom Merritt. Ashes to Ashes, Butts to Butts. My wife made me a virgin. Double Ringing Ramen. A Fartgas of Farkuses. Leezershoot Larry. Replicator? Barley Knew Her! The Device Said Moops. Funky Funky BeJunky. Caffeinated Travis. Only Dogs can Hear the Sonic Screwdriver. Scott Pees while Brian ISPeeeeeeeees! Pallbearer - More Than an Emotional Load. The one movie WITHOUT Giancarlo Esposito, with Nicole and Randy and more on this episode of The Morning Stream. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Framework pauses the sale of its entry-level laptops in the US in response to the tariffs, and Sean Hollister talks with Tom about the usefulness of Google Translate in Japan.Starring Jason Howell, Tom Merritt, and Sean Hollister.Links to stories covered in this episode can be found here.
Plus, augmented reality has deeper roots than you think and what Dr. Gippitti is good at. (Chat GPT to its friends.)Starring Tom Merritt and Robb Dunewood.Show notes can be found here.