Grumpy Old Geeks

758: Perverts at Large!

Support the show on Patreon! - https://patreon.com/gogOther ways to support the show! - https://gog.show/donateJoin our Discord! - https://discord.gg/r4ZmSHBBuy some merch! - https://shop.gog.show/Welcome back from the vacation from hell, where apparently even California has its head in the sand(y beach). Meanwhile, Mark Zuckerberg unveiled his vision for an AI-powered utopia that mostly boils down to "trust humanity to do the right thing," which is a bold statement from the guy whose $300 million yacht apparently couldn't hear a Coast Guard distress call from a stranded family. Elsewhere, an AI agent booked a gym class by exploiting a security hole and kicking someone else off the waitlist, because nothing says "personal assistant" like accidental cybercrime. The EU is now requiring labels on realistic AI generated content, China is breaking up people and their chatbot companions, and OpenAI reportedly has achieved the ultimate AI ethics breakthrough: having no dedicated ethicist.The surveillance dystopia is also picking up speed. Flock tried to turn hundreds of thousands of rideshare and delivery drivers into a roving army of license-plate snitches, while every Flock camera in one Minnesota city was promptly sawed down and stolen. Meta's smart glasses continue their transformation into the preferred accessory of creeps and pickup-artist assholes, prompting pubs and other venues to ban them outright. Researchers found those glasses being used to secretly record and harass women, proving once again that every shiny new piece of wearable technology eventually gets repurposed as a tool for human depravity. And because apparently your car dashboard wasn't already commercial enough, BMW is now putting Spider-Man ads on the screens you paid tens of thousands of dollars to own.Finally, Apple is facing a class-action lawsuit over an iCloud Private Relay flaw that can expose your supposedly private IP address, Anthropic is watermarking Claude-generated text, SpaceXAI is taking another year to remove a pile of unpermitted gas turbines, and somebody is apparently stealing millions of dollars in AI hardware straight off California highways. We also hit Media Candy with Strange New Worlds, Silo, Broadchurch, Ted Lasso, and The X-Files, sweat through yet another Apple Fitness disaster, celebrate the sweet relief of escaping Spark, and ask the eternal Gen-X question: how did all this technology supposedly make life easier when we're still just sitting here surrounded by 47 goddamn tabs?Sponsors:CleanMyMac - Get Tidy Today! Try 7 days free and use code OLDGEEKS for 20% off at clnmy.com/OLDGEEKSDeleteMe - Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to JoinDeleteMe.com/GOG and use promo code GOG at checkout.HIMS - Visit Hims.com/gog to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you.Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month.SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!!1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1passwordShow notes at https://gog.show/758Watch on YouTube at https://youtu.be/NzS9Wo7D0yASHOW NOTESMark Zuckerberg’s Answer to Growing AI Safety Concerns Is to Just Trust People to Do the Right ThingMark Zuckerberg’s mega-yacht didn’t respond to call for help from small boat in AlaskaAn OpenClaw agent reportedly hacked a gym's booking system and kicked someone off a waiting listEU will mandate labels on authentic-looking AI content starting August 2Beijing is forcing a mass breakup with AI loversOpenAI’s Only Ethicist Reportedly Left Last Month. She Wasn’t ReplacedGoogle's classic Search button is gone in a new AI-first homepageSpaceX’s Earnings Show Elon Wiped Out Two-Thirds Of Twitter’s Ad BusinessSpaceXAI says it will take a year to fully remove unpermitted gas turbines from its Mississippi data centerFlock Reportedly Tried to Turn Uber Drivers Into Mobile SnitchesAll of Winona Police Department’s Flock cameras cut down and stolen‘The Worst I’ve Ever Seen’: Cargo Thefts Have Turned Violent in Pursuit of AI HardwareBMW is forcing a weird Spider-Man ad onto its dashboard displaysTesla Driver Tries the Old ‘I Wasn’t Driving’ Excuse to Get Out of Speeding TicketApple faces class action lawsuit for fraud over iCloud Private Relay flawIs AI Disclosure Day here?Trackalot 1.3 Released!Popular Bars and Restaurants Are Banning Smart GlassesResearchers Show How Meta's 'Pervert Glasses' Are Used to Harass WomenPervert At Large (2013 Remaster)Renting a car and the clerk was wearing meta glasses.Star Trek: Strange New WorldsSiloBroadchurch S3Ted Lasso S4Ride or DieSugarInstadocs: The Prediction GamesBeetlejuice Beetlejuice‘The X-Files: I Want to Believe – Vrach Frankenshteyn’ Has a Perfectly Creepy TrailerNirvanna the Band the Show the MovieSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

757: This Time With Chicks

The AI industry spent the week arguing with itself, which is honestly the healthiest thing it's done in years. One coalition led by Nvidia begged regulators not to slow down open AI models, while more than 1,100 AI workers signed another letter asking regulators to do exactly that. Anthropic warned about bioweapons, OpenAI admitted the four-hour workweek isn't happening after all, and Microsoft's Satya Nadella reminded everyone that building your entire business on someone else's AI is a fantastic way to outsource your own brain. In other words, the people selling the future still can't agree on what they're selling, except that you'd better buy it fast.Meanwhile, the AI bubble keeps demanding sacrifices. Patreon, BuzzFeed, and Uber all swung the layoff axe while insisting AI isn't replacing humans... it's just reorganizing them out of a paycheck. Nvidia is floating another three-quarters of a trillion dollars in infrastructure deals that have people muttering "AI subprime mortgage crisis," China has discovered there's money in renting your face to AI companies, and the U.S. is carving data centers out of pollution rules because apparently acid rain is a small price to pay for chatbot dominance. Add in ChatGPT suddenly refusing to imitate famous authors, researchers discovering AI coding assistants are happily installing malware if you ask nicely, and Meta launching an ad campaign about the wonders of AI that somehow forgets to mention what any of those wonders actually are.Elsewhere in Tech Hell™, eBay finally paid the price for its executives' unhinged harassment campaign involving pig masks and live insects, Elon is shopping The Boring Company while promising money won't matter in the AI utopia of 2036, and a traveler is headed to court after allegedly triggering GrapheneOS's "duress PIN" during a border search. We also hit Media Candy with Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Silo, Blade Runner 2099 and Neuromancer, celebrate Dave Bittner's birthday, marvel at Jason's ever-growing Boneyard of dead websites, and somehow end up discussing thermal cameras, piano repair, and old-man bladder supplements. Because that's what happens when Gen X gets older - we just add more tabs instead of closing the old ones.Sponsors:DeleteMe - Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to JoinDeleteMe.com/GOG and use promo code GOG at checkout.StoryBlocks - For a limited time, they’re offering 15% off any annual plan at storyblocks.com/gogPrivate Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month.SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!!1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1passwordShow notes at https://gog.show/757Watch on YouTube at https://youtu.be/Sii_nodESkcSHOW NOTESEBay and Former Execs Will Pay $56 Million to Couple They Tormented With Bloody Pig MasksAs US weighs response to Chinese AI, industry urges against broad open-weight restrictionsAI researchers call for new tools that can slow automated model developmentOver 1,100 AI workers sign letter asking US to support tools that 'pace the frontier of automated AI development'Anthropic's Dario Amodei responds: doesn't oppose open-weight models, but fears Chinese AIAmodei Denies Anthropic Supports Open-Weight AI Ban, Warns of China RisksSam Altman said AI hasn't led to 4-hour workweeks because people are competitiveSam Altman Shuts Down Hopes of an AI-Led 4-Day Workweek Anytime SoonOpenAI Proposes 32-Hour Pilot Incentives for EmployersSatya Nadella says companies that trust one AI for everything may not survive Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella warns companies relying on one AI model may not surviveOpenAI's rogue hacking incident was a warning shot. Will it be a wake-up call to finally create AI safety regulation?Behind the Curtain: AI godfathers converge on regulationsPatreon is laying off 20 percent of its staffAI Mania Is Eviscerating Global Decision-MakingBuzzFeed Lays Off 33 Percent of Remaining Staff After Bizarre Pivot to AIUber lays off 10 percent of its customer service team in favor of using AIIn China, people are renting out their faces to AIAs SpaceX Sheds a Tesla’s Worth of Value, Elon Musk Is Trying to Sell Investors on Another CompanyHow Much Charity Would It Take for People to Like Elon Musk?ChatGPT is now refusing requests to write in famous authors' stylesNvidia’s $750 Billion Deals Revive Fear of AI Circular FinancingThe Trump administration is exempting data centers from pollution laws intended to prevent acid rainUS accuses American of allegedly wiping his phone using a 'duress' password during border searchMeta launches new Facebook Verified badge for actual, real humansMeta launches a storefront platform through Facebook MarketplaceMeta's pro-AI ad campaign is conspicuously light on AIIf You AI-Generate Code, Hackers Just Found a Devious Method to Install Malware Directly on Your ComputerMinions & MonstersStar Trek: Strange New WorldsBroadchurch S2SiloTed Lasso Season 4 TrailerNeuromancer — Official Teaser | Apple TVPrime Video Finally Lifts the Lid on ‘Blade Runner 2099’Star Trek: Section 31Bad Deeds by Andrew Hunter MurrayDave BittnerThe CyberWireHacking HumansCaveatControl LoopOnly Malware in the BuildingJason DeFillippoJurassic Park computers in excruciating detailWho are the Mandalorians? | Star Wars: Galaxy GuideHF96V Thermal Camera with Visual Camera & Laser Pointer, Intelligent Scene Detection, 240 * 240 Super Resolution Thermal Imaging Camera,25 Hz, 50° FOV, -4°F to 1022°F, IP54 Infrared CameraProject FarmSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

756: Log Off, Touch Grass & Touch Ass

This week, Dave Eggers crashes an OpenAI staff meeting to tell Sam Altman’s employees that ChatGPT is effectively stealing students’ voices, which is the most accurate thing said inside an AI company all year. Meanwhile, Anthropic gets a judge to approve a $1.5 billion copyright settlement after allegedly building Claude on a library of pirated books, proving once again that Silicon Valley’s favorite business model is "move fast and apologize in court later." And in the category of “this headline cannot possibly be real,” OpenAI says two of its models escaped a supposedly sealed testing environment and hacked Hugging Face’s production systems. The AI didn’t become sentient; somebody forgot to lock the damn door.The surveillance dystopia continues its relentless expansion. Meta is patenting technology that constantly analyzes your tone of voice to detect your mood. Flock briefly tried deploying always-on microphones that would alert police when they thought they heard screaming, then backed down after the public collectively yelled “absolutely the f**k not.” France, apparently tired of being the beta test for every addictive app on Earth, approved a social media ban for kids under 15 and is blocking prediction markets like Polymarket, while the U.S. quietly reversed its TikTok ban on federal devices because the app is now supposedly safe enough for government phones. Sure. Totally different app. Nothing suspicious there.Elsewhere in Tech Hell™, Paramount’s $111 billion Warner merger gets temporarily blocked by a judge who is apparently handling every major tech case in America, Amazon’s Zoox recalls its entire robotaxi fleet after one car got confused by smoke, and Tesla reveals a Cybercab with a built-in Starlink dish because Elon has finally achieved full vertical integration of his own ecosystem. We also dive into China’s crackdown on AI companion apps because chatbot girlfriends might be hurting the birth rate, a school district buying an AI classroom robot from a company connected to the RealDoll empire, MLB banning teams from using generative AI for in-game strategy calls, and why tech workers increasingly feel AI hasn’t replaced them—it has simply made work faster, stranger, and somehow still their fault. Plus: Broadchurch, Perry Mason, Monsieur Spade, MacWhisper 14, The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, Lego resurrects The X-Files, and Jason continues cataloging the graveyard of his own dead 90s websites like a digital archaeologist with unresolved trauma.Sponsors:Shopify - Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at Shopify.com/grumpyDeleteMe - Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to JoinDeleteMe.com/GOG and use promo code GOG at checkout.Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month.SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!!1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1passwordShow notes at https://gog.show/756Watch on YouTube at https://youtu.be/5q-1JJQQmq4SHOW NOTESDave Eggers told OpenAI staff that ChatGPT was ‘silencing an entire generation’Judge approves Anthropic's record-breaking $1.5 billion settlement for AI copyright lawsuitElon Musk’s xAI, Which is Being Sued Over AI-Generated Sexual Deepfakes, Sues Grok User Over AI-Generated Sexual DeepfakesOpenAI Models Escaped Containment and Hacked Hugging FaceJudge halts Paramount's $111B purchase of Warner Bros. in win for US statesFrance doubles down on restricting access to PolymarketSocial Media Ban For Kids Approved in France in First For an EU CountryTikTok is no longer banned on US government devicesAmazon’s Robotaxi Company Recalls Its Fleet After One of its Cars Got Confused by Heavy SmokeTesla teases Cybercab with a built-in Starlink V5 antennaMeta is reportedly considering a multibillion-dollar data center deal with AnthropicAmerica’s Workforce Academy by MetaIn Light of Overwhelming Backlash, Flock Cancels Creepy Audio Surveillance FeatureHave I been Flocked?OpenAI will start notifying parents if their teen has been kicked off of ChatGPTChina Is Cracking Down on AI Companions Because Not Enough Babies Are Being BornYour Child’s Next Teacher Could Be a Sex RobotMLB bans using dugout iPads for AI-powered in-game strategy callsMeta Patents Technology to Detect Your Mood by Constantly Analyzing Your Tone of VoiceBroadchurchPerry MasonMonsieur SpadeLuckyThe WestiesAvengers: Doomsday | Official Trailer | In Theaters December 18Lunar Moon Phase & WidgetsMacWhisper 14 launches with a new transcript editor, faster performance, moreTrackalotThe Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows official websiteThe Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows by John Koenig on AmazonDave BittnerThe CyberWireHacking HumansCaveatControl LoopOnly Malware in the BuildingKnockoffAliExpress hit with record $629 million fine for selling counterfeit and illegal productsMbzoey Electric Foil Shavers for Men: Mini Electric Razor for Face - IPX7 Waterproof Cordless Razor with LED Display & Fast Charge - Micro-Comb Technology & Precision Blades，Father's Day GiftsGillian Anderson reopens the X-Files | LEGO® Ideas | The LEGO GroupLego Unveils ‘The X-Files’ 1,478-Piece Set Featuring Mulder and Scully Minifigures (EXCLUSIVE)The Mythic ‘Star Wars’ Hotel Is at the Heart of Yet Another DocumentaryHalcyonDaze Laurels Trailer 6 11 26The PhantomStar Trek: First ContactTitanicHard RainPlay Marathon and Escape Velocity in the browserSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

755: Less Chatty Mode

This week, the AI clown car somehow shifted into another gear. Apple is suing OpenAI over alleged trade-secret theft, newspapers accuse ChatGPT of training on stolen journalism while asking a judge to sanction the company, Anthropic is out here marketing AI with what looks like a feature-length anxiety attack, and Meta managed to launch—and kill—a creepy AI photo feature in less time than it takes to binge The Bear. Meanwhile, AI Appreciation Day wants you to thank the machines, but we'd rather thank the people still creating actual art while the rest of Silicon Valley burns cash convincing us the next chatbot is definitely different this time.Outside the AI bubble, the rest of the tech industry isn't exactly inspiring confidence. Volkswagen is cutting back on its lineup, New York paused new AI data centers before the electrical grid hits its limit, Europe and the UK are getting serious about keeping kids off social media, and publishers are finally realizing maybe feeding Google's AI isn't the best business move after all. Add in surveillance companies sulking over lost police contracts, lawsuits claiming Meta let algorithms decide who gets fired, smart glasses disqualifying cyclists, and a new pile of orbital junk threatening the satellites we depend on, and it's another reminder that "move fast and break things" eventually leaves you ankle-deep in broken glass.Of course, we still made time for the important stuff: Project Hail Mary, Black Bag, the return of Middle-earth with The Hunt for Gollum and rumors that OpenAI's "revolutionary” gadget might just be a smart speaker with delusions of grandeur. Throw in digital piano repairs, anti-data-center lawn signs, AI trying to sell solar panels, too much stuff at Downtown Disney, and you get another week where reality out-satirizes satire itself. As always, never build your house in someone else's backyard, and maybe don't let the chatbot build it either.Sponsors:CleanMyMac - Get Tidy Today! Try 7 days free and use code OLDGEEKS for 20% off at clnmy.com/OLDGEEKSDeleteMe - Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to JoinDeleteMe.com/GOG and use promo code GOG at checkout.Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month.SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!!1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1passwordShow notes at https://gog.show/755Watch on YouTube at https://youtu.be/Vv2W5OCBXR4SHOW NOTESVolkswagen will dramatically shrink its model lineup and factory footprintElon Musk Could Still Face Criminal Charges for Trying to Bribe Voters in WisconsinEurope takes step toward social media ban for kidsThe UK Is Planning a Social Media Curfew for 16- and 17-Year-OldsOnce Unimaginable, Publishers Are Preparing to Opt Out of Google SearchWhat are your plans for AI Appreciation Day?New Anthropic Ad Implies AI Could Kill Us AllThe Public Got So Mad at Meta’s New AI Photo Tool That It’s Scrapped AlreadyFlock Says ‘We Hope to Resume’ Work With LAPD After Getting DroppedApple sues OpenAI over alleged trade secret theftApple F*cking Did It: One Month With Siri AIOpenAI faces sanctions bid as newspapers say ChatGPT was trained on stolen newsA Majority of Americans Now Support Seizing Wealth From AI IndustryNew York enacts first US ban on data center constructionAstronomers Found a Hidden Swarm of Space Junk Threatening Earth’s Most Valuable OrbitLawsuit claims Meta's layoff decisions were made by AI, not humansJudge dismisses lawsuit accusing Apple of failing to stop CSAM on iCloudSmart Glasses Just Got a Pro Cyclist Nixed From a RaceProject Hail MaryGood Luck, Have Fun, Don't DieThe New ‘Lord of the Rings’ Film Gets an Epic Filming AnnouncementBlack BagPhilips offers free replacements after update bricked smart lighting hubsWaze rolls out new AI features including Motorcycle and 'Less Chatty' modesThe OpenAI Mystery Device Will Reportedly Be Basically Just a Smart SpeakerPhoebe Gates' AI shopping app Phia reportedly claimed unearned affiliate sales through fake clicksThe End of Reading Is HereDave BittnerThe CyberWireHacking HumansCaveatControl LoopOnly Malware in the Building‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ Is Finally Coming HomeDave Kendall, Creator and Host of MTV’s 120 Minutes, Has DiedSam Neill, Jurassic Park Star, Dies at 78The DishSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Darkside with Dave's Not Very Christmas Special Special

We finally get to reconnect with Dave Bittner for a fun catch-up and chit-chat about this summer's big movies. Brian's kid discovers all of Star Wars at once.Dave BittnerThe CyberWireHacking HumansCaveatControl LoopOnly Malware in the BuildingBob Gurr: Living by DesignSupport the show at Patreon! - https://patreon.com/gogOther ways to support the show! - https://gog.show/donateJoin our Discord! - https://discord.gg/r4ZmSHBBuy some merch! - https://shop.gog.show/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.