TechStuff

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The History of Vending Machines Aug 14, 2023

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The first vending machine in recorded history wasn't for soft drinks or snacks. It was for holy water. And how did an English radical think a vending machine was the loophole he was looking for? We look back on the weird history of vending machines.

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TechStuff Classic: The History of MP3 Players Aug 11, 2023

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How did the humble MP3 player get its start? When did the iPod take over as the dominant brand? And what's the MP3 Player business like today?

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Tech News: The Supreme Court Hands Epic a Setback Aug 10, 2023

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The US Supreme Court declined a recent request from Epic regarding the company's ongoing legal battles with Apple. Disney is getting ready to hike subscription fees (again) on Disney+ and other streaming services. And some astronomers worry that slamming spacecraft into oncoming asteroids might not actually remove the risk of catastrophe.

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TechStuff Tidbits: The One About APIs Aug 09, 2023

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What is an API? Where did the term come from? What does an API do, and why are they important for developers?

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Tech News: AI Versus The Pope Aug 08, 2023

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Pope Francis has called for a day of global reflection on AI. Security researchers warn of technology that can decode keystrokes just from sound alone. Zoom changes its terms of use after customers bring up concerns about using call data to train AI models. And much more!

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Rerun: TechStuff Looks Inside the Black Box Aug 07, 2023

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In tech, a black box is any technology that hides the processes that take input and generate output. We see what goes in, we see what comes out but what's going on inside? We look at the black box problem in tech.

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TechStuff Classic: The Circuit City Story Part 2 Aug 04, 2023

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Once the Wards Company, Circuit City really established its identity decades after it was founded. How did the company grow and ultimately die, and what comes next?

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Tech News: Microsoft vs. Hackers Aug 03, 2023

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A security company CEO has some harsh words for Microsoft and the security it relies on for its Azure cloud platform. Microsoft itself warns that Russian hackers are using Microsoft Teams to target a small number of organizations in an effort to get login credentials. And the FBI finds that the FBI was partly responsible for illegal activity.

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TechStuff Tidbits: Superconductivity and LK-99 Aug 02, 2023

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What does it mean for a material to be superconductive? Did a team of South Korean researchers create a revolutionary superconductive material? And what would that mean for the world?

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Tech News: X's Sign Becomes An Ex Sign Aug 01, 2023

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Elon Musk's X company installed an enormous, illuminated "X" sign at the company HQ, and then took it down a couple of days later. Meta is preparing to launch some AI chatbots, including an AI Abe Lincoln. And a court in Europe is forcing Meta to reveal the identity of an anonymous user. Plus lots more!

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