In this episode, Jason DeFillippo and Brian Schulmeister dig into the Hawk Tuah meme coin disaster and where influencer-driven crypto schemes go off the rails, leaving chaos in their wake. They unpack WP Engine’s big win against Automattic in a high-stakes WordPress legal battle and take a closer look at Waymo’s rapid rise to match Lyft’s market share in San Francisco.
The discussion heats up with GM’s decision to shut down its troubled Cruise robotaxi brand, Amazon’s bold move into the car-selling business with Hyundai, and reports of mysterious car-sized drones over New Jersey raising more questions than answers. They also dive into Google’s new quantum chip, Willow, which promises to rewrite the rules of computing and science.
On the legal and policy front, the guys covers Apple’s billion-dollar lawsuit over abandoned child safety tools, updates to the Kids Online Safety Act, and Google’s push to break Microsoft’s grip on OpenAI’s cloud hosting. Meanwhile, LG’s exit from the Blu-ray market marks the end of an era, and MasterClass’s new AI-powered mentorship platform points to the future of learning.
In Media Candy they spotlight upcoming releases like The Wheel of Time season three, Reacher season three, and the new documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story. They also revisit music nostalgia with an acoustic set from the Descendents and a deep dive into the origins of pop-punk.
Finally, they tackle a troubling lawsuit involving a chatbot allegedly influencing a teen’s behavior and the emotional fallout from a failed robotic companion for kids. This episode is packed with tech updates, big moves, and a glimpse into the evolving digital landscape. Don’t miss it!
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Show notes at https://gog.show/677
FOLLOW UP
Exposing the hawk tuah scam
Howie Mandel’s Son-In-Law Behind Disastrous 'Hawk Tuah Girl' Meme Coin Launch
The Hawk Tuah Memecoin Rug Pull Is The Apotheosis Of Bag Culture
WP Engine wins preliminary injunction in WordPress legal battle
Waymo's market share is now equal to Lyft within SF.
IN THE NEWS
GM ends support for Cruise robotaxis
Amazon Is a Car Dealership Now
Mystery "Car-Sized" Drones Reach the Skies of New York
Pentagon says mystery drones over New Jersey are 'not US military,' not likely foreign
What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
White House: Drones are manned aircraft; NJ lawmakers say that's not what they were told
Meet Willow, our state-of-the-art quantum chip
Apple sued for failing to implement tools that would detect CSAM in iCloud
X helped senators update the Kids Online Safety Act so it can't be ‘used to stifle expression’
Google Asks Feds to Kill Microsoft’s Cloud Hosting Deal With OpenAI
AI Firm’s ‘Stop Hiring Humans’ Billboard Campaign Sparks Outrage
Bogus AI-Generated Bug Reports Are Driving Open Source Developers Nuts
How Cryptocurrency Turns to Cash in Russian Banks
Cloudflare 2024 Year in Review
MEDIA CANDY
The Wheel of Time Spins Back Up Again in March 2025
Day of the Jackal
Lioness
Silo
Dune Prophecy
Shrinking
Lower Decks
Reacher Season 3
Afraid
Inside Out: Dream Productions
Music by John Williams
Beatles ‘64
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Apple Music expands its live radio offerings with three new stations
Descendents go Acoustic! | Taylor Guitars Soundcheck
WHO INVENTED POP-PUNK??
Before Dookie 1: How Punk Became Pop (1976-87)
Before Dookie 2: How Punk Became Pop (1988-94)
LG stops making Blu-ray players, marking the end of an era — limited units remain while inventory lasts
APPS & DOODADS
Apple Watch just gained a helpful new feature for inspiring you to stay active
WSKEN for Apple Watch Ultra 2/Ultra Screen Protector 49mm,9H Tempered Glass + Titanium Alloy Frame, [Keep Original] [Touch Sensitive] Lightweight Protective Film iwatch 2 Pack,Original
Google Wallet can now hold your US passport
MasterClass On Call gives you on-demand access to AI facsimiles of its experts
Mom sues after AI told autistic son to kill parents for restricting screen time
Startup will brick $800 emotional support robot for kids without refunds
Dvorak: Symphony No. 9 in E Minor
Dashaun Wesley - Labels! Out Now!
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