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    Technology

    This is Only a Test

    This is the official podcast of Tested.com. Tested brings you the week’s technology and science news, with hosts Will Smith, Norman Chan, and Jeremy Williams. There’s no jargon here, just solid explanations of the week’s news–and plenty of wacky tangents. Make sure you stick around after the outro for fake outtakes!

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    Copyright: © 2020 tested.com

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    Latest Episodes:
    All Good Things – This is Only a Test 668 – 10/14/22 Oct 14, 2022

    Jeremy Williams joins us for an extra long and special episode of the podcast as we dissect and discuss the announcements from Meta Connect, including all the details about the new Quest Pro. Plus, the surprising return of fan-favorite characters in the new Star Trek: Picard trailer, and a little Moment of Science as well. Stick around for some news from the team, and thanks as always for listening!


    Optimusk – This is Only a Test 667 – 10/6/22 Oct 07, 2022

    This week, we talk Twitter's uncertain future and Tesla's latest AI-day robot reveals has us fonding remembering the epic fails of the Darpa Robotics Challenge. Plus, a ruling in the EU that may change how Apple makes their future iPhones. That and our final predictions ahead of the Meta Connect conference coming up next week!


    EV Questions Answered – This is Only a Test 666 – 9/30/22 Sep 30, 2022

    Marvel shocks us with a surprise Deadpool 3 announcement, NASA completes a test of its planetary defense strategy, and Stadia gets sunsetted in this week's packed news discussion. We also welcome EV reporter Robbie Baldwin to the show to answer our questions about the current state of electric vehicles around the globe, and what people in the market to buy an EV should be aware of today. Thanks so much to Robbie for guesting on the show this week! You can find him at https://twitter.com/strngwys and the Wheel Bearings podcast at https://wheelbearings.media/


    Pockets of Fomenting – This is Only a Test 665 – 9/23/22 Sep 23, 2022

    Norm's back from Disneyland just in time to discuss the debut of Andor, the GTA VI leak, and Nvidia's latest generation of graphics cards. Plus, what surprised iFixit about their iPhone 14 teardown, Logitech's curious cloud gaming handheld, and a new standalone VR headset announcement!


    Avatar Stans – This is Only a Test 664 – 9/15/22 Sep 15, 2022

    We recap the big news out of this past weekend's D23 expo, including announcements from the lands of Marvel, Pixar, Lucasfilm, and Disney+. Plus, a new trailer and title for Breath of the Wild's sequel, and the trailers from Sony's State of Play.


    Dynamic Island – This is Only a Test 663 – 9/9/22 Sep 09, 2022

    A lot of news to go over this week as we recap Apple's big fall product launch and the most interesting features of the new iPhone. Disney+ Day goes head to head with Star Trek Day in which we see the full trailer for Picard Season 3, and we discuss the first episode of The Rings of Power. Plus, behind Adam's lightsaber build and a revelations in 3D printing.


    Props To History – This is Only a Test 662 – 9/1/22 Sep 01, 2022

    We're back from SiliCon! Joining us this week is Mike Corrie aka Props To History, a new friend and one of the guests we met at this past weekend's convention! We share our favorite sights, cosplays, and memories from the event, frustrations over TSA mishandling of props, and our mutual love for 1999's The Mummy. Plus, the strange new world of AI-generated artwork. Thanks to Mike for joining us this week! You can find Props to History at: http://www.propstohistory.com http://www.corrisonstudios.com


    Building the MakerVerse – This is Only a Test 661 – 8/23/22 Aug 23, 2022

    SiliCon is upon us! Jen Schachter joins us to talk about what to expect from the MakerVerse panels and workshops at the convention, as well as guests and makers we're excited to meet up with at the show. Plus, we review the first episodes of She-Hulk and House of the Dragon, lament the cancellation of an upcoming Batman show, and scratch our heads at screenshots from the metaverse.


    Stream of The Endless – This is Only a Test 660 – 8/12/22 Aug 12, 2022

    We've got The Sandman on the mind as Norm reviews the new Netflix adaptation of Neil Gaiman's comic series this week, as well as the best Predator movie maybe ever in Prey. Plus, thoughts on Samsung's Unpacked event, Amazon buying iRobot, and the 90th anniversary of LEGO!


    Crisis on Infinite Streaming Services – This is Only a Test 659 – 8/5/22 Aug 05, 2022

    What a week. From the passing of cultural icons like Nichelle Nichols and Bill Russell to the chaos around the Batgirl movie, we could take a breath to process major news as it broke from minute to minute. We discuss our hopes for the future of HBO Max and DC, get pumped for Andor, and get an extended return of A Moment of Science!


    The Multiverse Saga – This is Only a Test 658 – 07/28/22 Jul 28, 2022

    We're back after a week off to talk about our blitz through San Diego Comic-Con and all the bit movie announcements from the weekend's Hall H panels. We discuss the vibe on the show floor and our favorite booths as well as break down Marvel's Phase 5 and 6 reveals. Plus, what's going on with VR hardware pricing increases?


    Strange New Worlds – This is Only a Test 657 – 07/15/22 Jul 15, 2022

    It's a big week for science and science fiction as Norm and Kishore are joined by science communicator Ariel Waldman to geek out about the first images from the James Webb Space Telescope (aka. Jelly Welly Space Telly). We also review the first season of Star Trek Strange New Worlds (very minor spoilers within) and get hyped for Comic-Con! Thanks to Ariel for joining us this week! You can sign up to get dispatches from her Antarctic expedition here: https://mailchi.mp/arielwaldman/updates-from-antarctica and get notified when her book Out There is available to order here: https://www.amazon.com/Ariel-Waldman/e/B015SGHJSQ/ref=aufs_dp_fta_dsk


    Super Size Cosplay – This is Only a Test 656 – 07/08/22 Jul 08, 2022

    As convention season starts to pick up, this week's episode is all about the incredible large size cosplay builds we've seen. Special guest Allison Chase joins us to talk about her journey making showstopping cosplays such as her Power Loader from Aliens, Snowball from Rick and Morty, and My Neighbor Totoro's Catbus that Adam saw at MegaCon last year! Thanks so much to Allison for joining us this week! You can find her work at https://www.instagram.com/aachase1401/ https://www.tiktok.com/@allison.chase.cosplay https://www.instructables.com/member/AllisonC74/


    Star Trek Starships – This is Only a Test 655 – 7/1/22 Jul 02, 2022

    We have an interview special for you this week as Norm is joined by Tested contributor Sean Charlesworth and modelmaker Bill Krause to geek out about Star Trek's starships, and pay tribute to modelmaking legend Greg Jein. We recap our visit to Bricks by the Bay, hear about this year's Wonderfest modelmaking show, and learn how Bill and Sean worked together to make scale model starships that appeared in season 2 of Star Trek: Picard! Thanks to Bill for being our guest this week! Follow his starship builds at https://www.instagram.com/admiralbuck/


    Visual Turing Test – This is Only a Test 654 – 6/22/22 Jun 22, 2022

    The prodigal podcaster returns! Jeremy comes back for a special episode of the podcast as we discuss our recent trip up to Reality Labs Research to demo Meta's prototype VR headsets. We also chat about Top Gun in 4DX, LEGO's new 90th anniversary sets, and rank the films in the Toy Story franchise. Of course, there's also a pinball update--it's been too long!


    Fandom Propaganda – This is Only a Test 653 – 6/11/22 Jun 11, 2022

    Kishore and Norm return from some travel and share some of the things we saw at Monsterpalooza as well as at the National Air and Space Museum in Virginia. We fawn over Strange New Worlds and break down the incredible Ms. Marvel debut. We also recap the most notable and bizarre things to come out of Apple's WWDC keynote. Plus, what's up with all the recent AI-generated imagery being shared on social media lately?


    Celebration 2022 – This is Only a Test 652 – 6/3/22 Jun 03, 2022

    Norm and Kayte are joined by special guest Adam Russell of the Thank the Maker podcast this week to recap their adventures at this past weekend's Star Wars Celebration convention! We talk about our favorite sights from the show floor, that incredible Mandalorian exhibit, the new shows announced, and the first two episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi! Minor plot spoilers within! Thanks to Adam Russell for joining us this week! Find him and the Thank the Maker podcast at: https://anchor.fm/thankthemaker https://twitter.com/thankthemaker https://twitter.com/AdamTheSkull https://www.instagram.com/thankthemakerpod/ https://www.instagram.com/adamtheskull/


    Choose Kindness – This is Only a Test 651 – 5/26/22 May 26, 2022

    We take a moment to acknowledge the tragedies of the past two weeks, and attempt to keep the rest of the show light to take a breath from the intensity of the news. From an upcoming family road trip to Star Wars Celebration to the return of Tom Cruise running on the biggest screen possible, here's what we're looking forward to over the next week. Plus, a moment of science returns as Kishore breaks down some new research data about long Covid. Thanks as always for choosing to spend an hour each week hanging out with us.


    Pop Culture Power Hour – This is Only a Test 650 – 5/19/22 May 19, 2022

    As we approach the debut of the Obi-Wan show, we discuss all the nuggets of Star Wars news revealed in the recent Vanity Fair feature. Kishore and Norm also react to the She-Hulk teaser, ponder Stan Lee's future in the MCU, and are wowed by two newly announced LEGO sets. Plus, some spoiler-light thoughts on the Picard season 2 finale and a mini Spoilercast review of Dr. Strange In the Multiverse of Madness at the end of the show!


    Ctrl-F For Real Life – This is Only a Test 649 – 5/12/22 May 13, 2022

    On the night after Google I/O, Kishore and Norm pod up to discuss the new Pixel devices announced and teased, and break down the augmented reality demos shown. We also share thoughts on the Moon Knight finale (spoilers within!) and compare notes on the technology of the Avatar 2 teaser. Plus, the end of the iPod era!


    Punished Props Catch-Up – This is Only a Test 648 – 5/5/22 May 05, 2022

    On Revenge of The Fifth day, we catch up with our friends Bill and Brittany Doran of Punished Props Academy to talk about their recent prop builds, 3D modeling for prop building, and diving in to CNC machining for their next projects. We also hear how they balance their content creation schedule with personal hobbies and travel, and geek out over the Star Wars trailers and news that came out this past week! Check out the Punished Props Fusion 360 3D modeling tutorial here: https://www.punishedprops.com/shop/fusion360-beginner-course/


    A Disturbance In The Timeline – This is Only a Test 647 – 4/28/22 Apr 28, 2022

    A whole lot of news to cover this week as Norm and Kishore digess Twitter's takeover and potential future, the trailers and announcements from Cinemacon, Meta's Quest gaming showcase, and the coolest drone video we've ever seen. Plus, an update on Kishore's EV quest!


    Wilsonnnnnn! – This is Only a Test 646 – 4/22/22 Apr 22, 2022

    Love and Thunder are upon us as we react and break down the new Thor trailer, get excited for a new Star Wars game announcement, and discuss the hand-tracking 2.0 update for Quest. Prop maker Ben Eadie also joins us to detail his recent RC Wilson build for Tom Hanks and catch up on his latest projects. Plus, it's time for Kishore to embark on an EV quest!


    Mid-Season Thoughts – This is Only a Test 645 – 4/14/22 Apr 14, 2022

    Kishore's back from a hiatus and we catch up with our sweet quiche to talk about Picard, Moon Knight, and swoon about Severance. Plus, the first look at PlayDate hardware in the hands of reviewers, driverless cars shenanigans in San Francisco, and that photo of Bill Gates checking out augmented reality hardware.


    Video Production Q&A – This is Only a Test 644 – 4/7/22 Apr 07, 2022

    Joey joins Norm for a duocast to pick up where we left off last week answering some listener questions about Tested's video production, and to chat about his new pizza-making video series Getting Doughy with Joey! We talk about virtual production technologies, the return of the Monkey Island game franchise, and the big Star Trek news that just dropped. Plus, a bit of sci-fi pendantry in a rant at the end of the show!


    One Perfect Shot – This is Only a Test 643 – 3/31/22 Mar 31, 2022

    The tambola of guest hosts continues to revolve this week as Norm is joined by Tested's own Joey Fameli and new producer Josh Self in his podcast debut! The three talk about Josh's backgound in production and the making of our recent Bond-inspired dart blaster video, as well as dive into recent films like The Batman. Plus, we watch HBO Max's One Perfect Shot documentary series, and give a spoiler-free review of the first episode of Moon Knight! Thanks to Joey and Josh for joining this week! You can find them online at https://twitter.com/joeyfameli and https://twitter.com/puppetflesh


    Galactic Starcruiser – This is Only a Test 642 – 3/24/22 Mar 24, 2022

    We're talking Star Wars this week as Norm is joined by guest host Kayte and special guest Adam Russell of the Thank the Maker podcast to talk about Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser! Adam and his friends actually embarked on the two-day immersive Star Wars hotel, and answers our burning questions about the experience. No major spoilers here either! Thanks to Adam Russell for joining us this week! Find him and the Thank the Maker podcast at: https://anchor.fm/thankthemaker


    Star Gazers – This is Only a Test 641 – 3/18/22 Mar 19, 2022

    Science communicator and explorer Ariel Waldman guests on the podcast this week to talk about her recent and upcoming expeditions, what it's like packing for a monthlong trip to Antarctica, and the joys of microscopy. Plus, we discuss the first two episodes of Star Trek: Picard's second season and our hopes and predictions for the rest of the series!


    One Last Keynote – This is Only a Test 640 – 3/10/22 Mar 10, 2022

    We break down Apple's recent Peek Performance event and discuss the potential of the new M1Ultra processor, the design of their Mac Studio computer, and what we'd like to see from Apple's reentry into the consumer monitor space. Plus, it's the end of an era as Jeremy finds his creative calling and we look back at his tenure co-hosting the podcast and journey as a maker. Thanks for all the fish, Williams!


    Steam Deck Debrief – This is Only a Test 639 – 3/3/22 Mar 03, 2022

    After a week off, we're back with a duocast to answer questions left over from our recent Steam Deck review, give a little insight into the testing and review process, and speculate about the future of handheld computing. Plus, Jeremy finally watches Ghostbusters: Afterlife and we discuss the reviews for Disney's Star Wars-themed spaceship hotel.


    It's a Mad, Mad, Multiverse – This is Only a Test 638 – 2/17/22 Feb 17, 2022

    The gang's all back after this past weekend's big game to talk about that nostalgia-filled half-timed show, the swarm of crypto and electric vehicle commercials, and the first looks at The Rings of Power. We then dive deep into the multiverse and break down that insane Dr. Strange trailer. Plus, Kishore finally gets to unload about his Android woes and temptation to switch over to the dark side.


    Futurama Returns – This is Only a Test 637 – 2/10/22 Feb 10, 2022

    No bigger news this week than the revival of Futurama, one of our favorite science fiction shows ever. Our resident Futurama expert Kishore talks about where the show left off and what he hopes to come, and Will joins this week to talk about the launch of The Anacrusis and his new podcast on open-source software. Plus, the sad state of 4K sports streaming, and those juicy new details about the upcoming Steam Deck. Also, stick around for an interview with one of the sculptors and art directors of Sideshow's pop culture statues, Daniel Bel!


    All About Halo – This is Only a Test 636 – 2/3/22 Feb 03, 2022

    Tested's head of production Joey Fameli joins us this week to talk about a topic near and dear to his heart: Halo! With the announcment of Sony's acquisition of Halo's original developer Bungie and the debut of the live-action Halo trailer, we hear from our resident Spartan expert about what's familiar and what's new to Halo fans in this highly-anticipated show. Plus, Kishore and Norm discuss in detail the latest episode of The Book of Boba Fett--spoilers within!


    Star Wars Fans, Serviced – This is Only a Test 635 – 1/27/22 Jan 28, 2022

    It's all about Star Wars this week and we discuss EA's annoucement that it's working on three new Star Wars games, and guest Dan Stapleton of IGN joins us to talk about the latest Steam Deck news. We devote the second half of the hour reviewing the latest episode of The Book of Boba Fett, in spoilerific detail. You have been warned!


    Microsoft, Big Spender – This is Only a Test 634 – 1/20/22 Jan 20, 2022

    There's only one place to start this week as we discuss the massive acqusition of Activision/Blizzard by Microsoft, its implications, and how it's not a metaverse play. Plus, the saga of a Dune concept art book bought at auction, the technical hurdles of software interoperability, and our reaction to the new Moon Knight trailer!


    Resin Printing Questions – This is Only a Test 633 – 1/13/22 Jan 13, 2022

    Special guest Clayton aka Uncle Jessy joins us this week for a full episode discussing the latest in resin 3D printing! We hear how he got started with rapid prototyping and his thoughts on new innovations being introduced to resin printers this past year. An hour of geeking out with one of our favorite YouTubers!


    The Wait for PSVR 2 Begins – This is Only a Test 632 – 1/6/22 Jan 06, 2022

    The new year commences with CES in full swing as we recap how we spent our holidays, the movies we watched, and the gifts we gave and received. The gang discusses the big tech announcements out of CES, including details on Sony's PSVR 2, HTC's wrist trackers, and passthrough applications on Quest 2. Plus, a new Stern pinball machine and neat drone tech!


    The Year That Was 2021 – This is Only a Test 631 – 12/23/21 Dec 23, 2021

    For our last podcast episode of the year, we go over the top technology and science stories from the past 12 months and give our retrospective takes on what trends were fads and what technologies may have legs into the future. Plus, one of our favorite recent 3D prints and excitement for the upcoming James Webb telescope launch! Thanks for hanging out with us this year and see you in 2022!


    The Tech Demo Awakens – This is Only a Test 630 – 12/16/21 Dec 16, 2021

    We geek out over the truly Epic Unreal Engine 5 demo released in The Matrix Awakens and discuss the technology that makes it possible. Kishore also gives an update on the research being done on the Omicron variant, what to expect over the coming weeks, and silver linings in the data.


    New Holiday Classics – This is Only a Test 629 – 12/9/21 Dec 09, 2021

    Duocast this week! Jeremy and Norm catch up on the first three episodes of Disney's Hawkeye show, warn you not to watch the newest Matrix trailer, and get excited for the upcoming Spiderverse sequel. Plus, we can't get enough of Aardman's new Shaun the Sheep holiday special!


    The O Word – This is Only a Test 628 – 12/2/21 Dec 02, 2021

    After a restful Thanksgiving holiday, we're back with an extended Moment of Science for Kishore to answer our questions about the Omicron coronavirus variant. We also give a spoiler-free review of the first two episodes of Haweye and recap the Unity Slices VR demo Norm tried last week. Plus, what's one movie you'd want to be able to watch again for the very first time? No wrong answers here.


    Thanksgiving Break – This is Only a Test 626 – 11/25/21 Nov 25, 2021

    The crew are break this week for the Thanksgiving holiday, but Norm gives an update of what to expect on the channel in the coming week and we rebroadcast a recent livestream q&a for those of you who may have missed it! Thanks to all our listeners and channel members for supporting the show and we'll see you next week!


    You're The Genius Bar – This is Only a Test 626 – 11/18/21 Nov 18, 2021

    After returning from DesignerCon, Norm and the team get together to discuss the new Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer drop, our IMAX enhanced home-viewing experience, and Apple's shift in right to repair policy. Plus, Valve gives more details about Steamdeck hardware and Meta's Reality Labs previews some haptics research! (Apologies for some popping audio in the episode as we had a bad XLR cable in a microphone)


    VR Friendships – This is Only a Test 625 – 11/11/21 Nov 11, 2021

    The full squad is back this week to talk about Tested's short film shoot and spacesuit build, an incredible AT-AT Lego set, IMAX formatted movies for the home, and Unity buying Weta Digital. Plus, extended impressions of the Lynx R1 mixed reality headset and the upcoming zombie game After The Fall!


    Talking LEGO – This is Only a Test 624 – 11/4/21 Nov 04, 2021

    joined by special guest Brent Waller, a LEGO fan designer who's had several of his creations turned into official LEGO sets (including the Ghostbusters Ecto-1 and Seinfeld apartment). Brent joins us to talk about our halloween adventures, his journey submitting successful LEGO Ideas projects, creating Batmobiles for the LEGO Batman film, and the new LEGO Bricklink Designer Program. Plus, a glimpse at how he sorts his massive LEGO collection!


    That's So Meta – This is Only a Test 623 – 10/28/21 Oct 29, 2021

    It's a big week for virtual reality as Jeremy and Norm discuss all the news to come out of Facebook Connect, including the brief glimpses of new hardware teased for next year. Plus, the Dune sequel gets greenlit, Pixar's Lightyear trailer, and thoughts on the VR headsets announced by Varjo and Pimax.


    Pro, Max, Notch – This is Only a Test 622 – 10/21/21 Oct 21, 2021

    We react to the trailers and footage shown at DC's recent Fandome event, including the new trailer for The Batman and our first look at Black Adam! The team also discusses Valve's plans to verify games for the SteamDeck, and Google's Pixel 6 strategy. Plus, our take on the performance and design of Apple's just-announced MacBook Pro lineup and new Airpod 3s.


    Should've Sent a Poet – This is Only a Test 621 – 10/14/21 Oct 15, 2021

    We're back from New York Comic Con to talk about the cosplay we saw there, the Ghostbusters: Afterlife panel, and testing the iPhone's cinematic mode on the show floor. Plus, Kishore's close encounter with the earthquake in Hawaii, Shatner's spaceflight, and a deluge of VR and AR news!


    Windows 11 – This is Only a Test 620 – 10/7/21 Oct 07, 2021

    We're finally all back together this week to discuss the launch of Windows 11, the recent social media outage, and William Shatner's upcoming trip to space! Plus, the problem with Seinfeld on Netflix and what's the deal with the movie being filmed on the International Space Station. Who's going to be at New York Comic Con this weekend?


    Cinematic Mode – This is Only a Test 619 – 9/30/21 Oct 01, 2021

    The duocast streak continues as Jeremy tags in this week to discuss real world use of iPhone's cinematic video mode, the nitpicking of iPad Mini's jelly roll screen effect, porting Medal of Honor to the Quest 2, and Amazon's slate of home robots. Plus, Norm demos a new type of LED strip he's been testing and rants about the movie Free Guy. Join us!


    Visions – This is Only a Test 618 – 9/24/21 Sep 24, 2021

    Norm and Kishore check in to talk about the success of the Inspiration 4 mission, the just-announced Mario movie, and what surprised us most about the Star Wars Visions series. Plus, Microsoft's revamped hardware lineup, new iPhone reviews, and the future of wireless charging.


    Apple's Diminishing Returns – This is Only a Test 617 – 9/16/21 Sep 16, 2021

    Another duocast this week, as Jeremy joins Norm to recap the announcements and disappointments from Apple's California Streaming event, including the new technolgoy in the latest generation of iPhones and Apple Watch. Plus, more thoughts on The Matrix, the launch of the Inspiration 4 mission, and the first trailer for Marvel's Hawkeye show!


    Resurrections – This is Only a Test 616 – 9/9/21 Sep 10, 2021

    So much to go over this week! Kishore and Norm give a lengthy spoiler-free review of Shang-Chi, dissect the incredible The Matrix: Ressurections trailer, ponder the future of holographic concerts, and break down the challenges of "smart glasses" for both Facebook and Apple as both companies pursue augmented reality technologies.


    Parental Control – This is Only a Test 615 – 9/2/21 Sep 02, 2021

    Man in Robot Suit – This is Only a Test 614 – 8/26/21 Aug 26, 2021

    Two massive Marvel trailers dropped this week as we discuss the latest glimpses of The Eternals and the internet-breaking Spider-Man: No Way Home teaser. Plus, we debate the practicality of the Tesla Robot, talk LED light strips, react to Disney's Genie Pass, and awe over an amazing fan-made Simpsons video player!


    Horizon Workrooms – This is Only a Test 613 – 8/19/21 Aug 19, 2021

    This week, we catch up on the new animated MCU show "What If...?", get hyped for Star Wars Visions, recap our trip to see the original Batwing filming model, and try to wrap our heads around the appeal folding phones. Plus, we discuss and give our impressions on the just-announced Horizon Workrooms open beta and the virtual reality technology being developed to create the VR alternative to video calls for collaborations.


    Proton Is Not An Emulator – This is Only a Test 612 – 8/12/21 Aug 12, 2021

    Three big topics to go over this week, as Norm recaps and gives more context to his Steam Deck hands-on trip to Valve, we discuss The Suicide Squad with minor spoilers, and Devindra Hardawar of Engadget and the Filmcast guests to give clarity to Apple's new child safety initiatives on iPhone. Thanks to Devindra for guesting this week! You can find him online at https://twitter.com/devindra and the Filmcast: https://audioboom.com/channels/4997224


    Is PCVR Dead – This is Only a Test 611 – 8/5/21 Aug 05, 2021

    This week, Kishore gives a big update explaining the data on the Delta variant, we discuss the new Ghostbusters: Afterlife trailer, Google's just-announced Pixel 6 phone, Disney's Galactic Starcruiser pricing, and the prospects for PC-based virtual reality systems as a sustainable market.


    Behind the Attraction – This is Only a Test 610 – 7/29/21 Jul 29, 2021

    Jeremy returns his week down in Southern California and reports back on his visit to Galaxy's Edge, Universal Studios Hollywood, and the EV road trip getting there. We also have more thoughts on the Steam Deck, discuss the first hands-on reports of the Playdate handheld, and awe at PlayStation 5's record-breaking sales. Plus, some Oculus updates that VR fans should know about!


    Steam Deck – This is Only a Test 609 – 7/22/21 Jul 22, 2021

    Dan Stapleton from IGN joins us this week to break down the announcement of the Steam Deck as we talk through Valve's forays into making and selling hardware. From the hardware's potential to the pre-order system designed to thwart scalpers, we discuss who this new handheld is designed for and our hopes for it. Plus, a spoiler-filled recap and review of the finale of Loki!


    A Coupon Day or Something – This is Only a Test 608 – 7/15/21 Jul 15, 2021

    Kishore gives a health update, Jeremy prepares for a trip to Disneyland, and Norm has opinions about the new look of broadcast sports. Disney announces two eagerly-anticpated streaming specials, and we review Black Widow and talk about what its simultaneous theatrical and streaming release mean for the future of Marvel Studios films. Plus, we weigh in on the achievements of private companies like Virgin Galactic, Blue Orgin, and SpaceX have made in sending their own crewed missions to space. What does it mean to democratize space travel?


    Stay In Your Lane, Car – This is Only a Test 607 – 7/8/21 Jul 08, 2021

    Kishore's back from vacation to give us some context about what's going on with the Delta variant, and we share our spoiler-free thoughts on the latest episode of Loki, Nintendo's surprising Switch hardware announcement, and the latest on Jeremy and Kishore's EV quests. Plus, what movies do you think would benefit from a 4D theater treatment?


    Rare LEGO – This is Only a Test 606 – 7/1/21 Jul 01, 2021

    We're joined by friend of the site Steve Lin this week to catch up and talk about the reception to Disney's Loki show so far (no spoilers!), the announcement of Windows 11, the benefits of 4K vs HDR, and anticipation for the new LEGO BrickLink Designer Program. Plus, our reaction to the latest Picard Season 2 trailer and how much an iconic Next Generation prop sold for at auction!


    EV Quest – This is Only a Test 605 – 6/24/21 Jun 24, 2021

    A new dubstep intro theme drops this week as Will joins us to discuss the things that excited us at E3, the games that both Will and Jeremy have been working on, and Jeremy's ongoing quest for a new electric vehicle. Plus we review both Pixar's Luca and Lin Manuel Miranda's In The Heights!


    The Variant Episode – This is Only a Test 604 – 6/18/21 Jun 18, 2021

    In this episode from a parallel reality, branched off from the sacred timeline, Norm is joined by Bill Doran (Punished Props Academy) and Joel Telling (3D Printing Nerd) to catch up and geek out about 3D printing, producing their YouTube channels, and embracing different tools for making--and making videos. And we eventually get around to reviewing the first episode of Loki!


    Let's Make a PlayDate – This is Only a Test 603 – 6/10/21 Jun 10, 2021

    Lots to go over this week as we break down Apple's announcements from WWDC, dissect the Battlefield 2042 debut trailer, get excited over new information on the PlayDate portable game system, and show off some holograms on a Looking Glass Portrait volumetric lightfield display. Plus, the early reports from Avengers Campus and Norm's new lightsaber!


    The Real Ocean's 11 – This is Only a Test 602 – 6/3/21 Jun 03, 2021

    We're joined by Tested contributor Bill Doran of Punished Props Academy to talk about his latest foam fabrication projects, how he's thinking about convention travel plans for the rest of the year, and the benefits of FDM 3D printers versus resin printers. Plus, Kishore gives an update on NASA's James Webb telescope and we all geek out over reality competition shows that showcase compentency over drama.


    Steam in Your Pocket – This is Only a Test 601 – 5/27/21 May 27, 2021

    We don't hold our breath for news about JJ Abram's Portal movie, but get excited for casting for Netflix's Sandman in this week's episode. We also discuss the rumor that Valve is making a handheld gaming PC to run Steam, the first Eternals trailer, and Tesla's decision to go all in on computer vision.


    Step Into The Looking Glass – This is Only a Test 600 – 5/21/21 May 21, 2021

    Duocast this week as Kishore and Norm recap the news from Google I/O, dissect the Project Starline telepresence booth, get hyped for a new Batman animated show, and sing the praises of the VR game Demeo. Plus, more impressions of the Framework modular laptop and what an electric F-150 pickup means for the EV market.


    Headset Haptics – This is Only a Test 599 – 5/13/21 May 13, 2021

    On the cusp of our 600th episode, we convene over the Zooms to discuss the announcements out of HTC's VIVECon, react to the rumored specs of PS5's VR hardware, and debate the merits of putting haptic feedback in a VR headset. We recap our recent experiences in Demeo and the new Population One Season 2 update, plus Jeremy lays out the details on Stern's upcoming Mandalorian Pinball machine. And how about that Venom 2 trailer?


    The Tape Measure Lightsaber – This is Only a Test 598 – 5/6/21 May 06, 2021

    As we get close to our 600th episode, we mix things up with a new format for the show, narrowing our topics of discussion to the top four stories we found most interesting this week. Kicking things off is Disney's unveil of a "working" lightsaber prop for its theme parks, our review of The Mitchells vs the Machines, Marvel's Phase 4 announcements, and the latest in the Apple vs Epic trial. Now accepting new segment music submissions!


    Robo Meet and Greet – This is Only a Test 597 – 4/29/21 Apr 29, 2021

    It's taken us a year, but we're finally back on the podcast set (at least virtually) this week to talk about Imagineering's Project Kiwi robot prototype, the filmic look of the Academy Awards, and our impressions of Oculus's Air Link feature for the Quest 2 headset. Plus, our final thoughts on The Falcon and the Winter Solider as we brace for the Loki series!


    TV Remote Hype – This is Only a Test 596 – 4/22/21 Apr 22, 2021

    In this week's duocast, Kishore and Norm go over the announcements from Apple's packed Spring Loaded event, debate the usefulness of tile-trackers, and get hyped for Ted Lasson season 2. Plus, a spoiler-discussion of the fifth episode of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, the Shang-Chi teaser trailer, and a quick VR minute!


    Enter the Infinite Office – This is Only a Test 595 – 4/15/21 Apr 15, 2021

    Will guests this week as we discuss the major new features of the Oculus Quest 2's impending V28 software release and review the latest episode of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Plus, what we hope to see out of Apple and HTC's upcoming virtual events, and our hopes for Disney's mysterious lightsaber design! Thanks to Will for guesting this week! Check out his chat with Kishore about the latest on vaccines at https://techpod.content.town/


    Picard's Second Chance – This is Only a Test 594 – 4/8/21 Apr 09, 2021

    A special short episode this week as Norm checks in from his paternity leave to catch up with the gang about the latest episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, that bonkers Loki trailer, and our cautious optimism for the next season of Star Trek: Picard. Plus, an interview with the team behind Plutosphere, who want to make cloud-based VR a reality.


    An Awkward Thanksgiving – This is Only a Test 593 – 4/1/21 Apr 01, 2021

    We're joined by special guest Devindra Hardawar (from Engadget and the Slashfilmcast) this week to talk about the return of Comic-Con in San Diego this Thanksgiving, the implications of the latest Falcon and The Winter Soldier episode, and what new tech we're excited for this year. Plus, a retrospective discussion of VR on the fifth anniversary of the Oculus Rift's launch! Thanks to Devindra for guesting this week! You can follow him at https://twitter.com/devindra


    Intel's Next Big Bet – This is Only a Test 592 – 3/25/21 Mar 25, 2021

    This week, we review the first episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (spoilers within!), finally finish the Snyder Cut of Justice League, and discuss Intels' big foundry announcement. Plus, new LEGO sets we're excited for, OnePlus's new phones, and the Ingenuity robot copter's impending takeoff on Mars!


    4:3 Aspect Ratio – This is Only a Test 591 – 3/18/21 Mar 18, 2021

    This week, we're joined by Will to talk about the release and reception to the Justice League Synder Cut, the controversial changes to Cricut cutter's design upload policy, and the surprise reveal of the PlayStation 5 VR controller. Plus, Intel takes a jab at Macs with a familiar face, and we get a download about the popular game Eco.


    Who Wants Small Phones – This is Only a Test 590 – 3/11/21 Mar 11, 2021

    This week, Kishore explains the state of COVID vaccinations in the US and what the next couple months could look like, Norm and Jeremy review Disney's Raya and the Last Dragon, and we all wonder why Apple's mini iPhone may not be selling as well as expected. Plus, what we would want from an Amazon robot, and our hopes for physical controllers in VR and AR.


    NFT WTF – This is Only a Test 589 – 3/5/21 Mar 06, 2021

    This week, we try to wrap our heads around the emerging NFT marketplace, how the technology works, where the demand is coming from, and what it means for the future of digital art sales. We also break down the new Nintendo Switch rumors and marvel at the footage of the SpaceX Starship SN10 landing. Plus, stick around after the credits for a full Wandavision finale spoilercast discussion and review!


    Best Bye's to Fry's – This is Only a Test 588 – 2/25/21 Feb 25, 2021

    This week, we gush over the first images and audio to come from NASA's Perserverance rover after its successful landing on Mars! Jeremy is also beaming with pride over his first video game development credit in Blizzard's new Arcade Collection. With the highs also come the lows as we say goodbye to Cinefex, Daft Punk, and the computer store Fry's electronics. Plus some news on the PSVR front!


    All Eyes On Perserverance – This is Only a Test 587 – 2/18/21 Feb 18, 2021

    We get excited for the Perserverance rover Mars landing happening later today in this week's episode. Jeremy finally watches In and Of Itself, we get hyped for The Last of Us casting, and try to deciper the new Chevy Bolt announcements. Plus, Kishore gets a Pelaton and we wrack our brains around reverse engineering the source code to GTA III.


    House of MCU – This is Only a Test 586 – 2/11/21 Feb 11, 2021

    The gang gets together to recap their favorite bits from this past weekend's Superb Owl, including the new camera tech used for the broadcast and the best chicken wing recipes. Kishore shares tips for streamlining your streaming services, and Will guests this week to dive into the mind-bending implications of the latest WandaVision episode.


    Tesla Goes Full K.I.T.T. – This is Only a Test 585 – 2/4/21 Feb 04, 2021

    WandaVision starts to get really interesting as we break down the latest MCU developments in the Disney+ show this week, along with discussion about Google's step back from Stadia games, multiple Mars landings this month, and Tesla's wild new car design decisions.


    In and Of Itself Spoilercast! – This is Only a Test 584 – 1/28/21 Jan 28, 2021

    This week, we try to wrap our heads around the craziness happening with Gamestop's stock prices, and are joined by Will to review and discuss the Derek Delgaudio film In and Of Itself. Plus, a recap the latest WandaVision, brain-computer interface hype, and Kishore explains what's going on with COVID mutations. Thanks to Will for guesting this week! You can listen to Tech Pod at https://techpod.content.town/


    Apple's VR Conundrum – This is Only a Test 583 – 1/21/21 Jan 22, 2021

    We break down the confounding rumors about Apple's VR headset plans on this week's show, review the first two episodes of WandaVision, and share what we'd want out of a Willy Wonda prequel. Plus, the surprising things we learned from iFixit's AirPods Max teardown, and the return of a Moment of Science! SF Covid Vaccine notification site: https://sf.gov/covid-19-vaccine-san-francisco


    We're All at CES – This is Only a Test 582 – 1/15/21 Jan 15, 2021

    With the first virtual CES underway, we discuss the weird and far out products and prototypes that debuted this week. From multi-rotor taxis to RGB LED face masks, CES still manages to be a showcase for novelty tech. We also talk about the surprise Lucasfilm Games announcements, Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event, and Doom 3 for VR!


    2021's Return Window – This is Only a Test 581 – 1/07/21 Jan 08, 2021

    Happy new year! The gang meets up to recap their holiday breaks, gifts we gave and received, and Jeremy's new gig in game development! We also review Pixar's Soul and Wonder Woman 1984, and get hyped for a year of MCU shows. Plus, our hopes for the virtual CES event happening next week!


    Mando and Tenet – This is Only a Test 580 – 12/24/20 Dec 25, 2020

    It's our final episode of the year! We zoom up one last time to send off 2020 with an episode dedicated to discussing the second season finale of The Mandalorian, the future of Star Wars on television, and a spoiler-filled breakdown of Christopher Nolan's Tenet. Thanks for joining us for an uncertain and unconventional year, and stay safe during the holidays!


    Neverending Star Wars – This is Only a Test 579 – 12/17/20 Dec 17, 2020

    As we get ready to close out the year, Disney gives us a tremendous amount to look forward to as they reveal their slate of Star Wars and Marvel shows and movies for the next few years. We break down the announcements and talk about the potential for these stories to take our favorite franchises in both new and familiar directions, as well as our hopes and fears for each. Plus, testing iPhone's ProRAW feature and mixed reality updates in the VR Minute!


    MAXed Out – This is Only a Test 578 – 12/10/20 Dec 10, 2020

    News goes to the Max this week with the industry-shaking announcement about Warner Bros.'s plans to release all of its 2021 films on HBO Max and Apple's surprise AirPods Max unveil. Engadget editor Devindra Hardawar joins us on the show to this week to discuss the implications for the film business, his review of Apple's M1-powered laptops, and the latest episode of The Mandalorian.


    Forever Baby Yoda – This is Only a Test 577 – 12/3/20 Dec 03, 2020

    We're back from a remote Thanksgiving holiday to catch up on two weeks of news, including the unveiling of Super Mario World at Universal Japan, Wonder Woman 1984's upcoming debut on HBO Max, and a new desktop holographic display from Looking Glass. Plus, we recap this past week's awesome Mandalorian episode--revelations and spoilers within!


    Not Too Good To Be True – This is Only a Test 576 – 11/19/20 Nov 19, 2020

    Duocast this week! Kishore and Norm break down the reviews of Apple's new M1-based Macbooks, review the incredible documentary film In & Of Itself, recap this past week's Mandalorian, and lay out our hopes for Black Friday. Plus, an explanation of the recent vaccine news in a Moment of Science, and a bonus interview with our very own Darrell Maloney about mSLA 3D printing!


    Enter the Apple M1 – This is Only a Test 575 – 11/12/20 Nov 12, 2020

    The long prophesied day has finally arrived--Apple this week announced three new computers that run on its new ARM-based M1 processor, and we dive into their configurations and discuss how the transition to ARM could affect new Mac buyers.


    Feel Good Special Episode – This is Only a Test 574 – 11/5/20 Nov 06, 2020

    There's a lot of stressful stuff happening in the world this week, so the gang finds solace in checking in on each other this week to talk about more cheerful things in life.


    3080 Achieved – This is Only a Test 573 – 10/29/20 Oct 29, 2020

    Kishore gets a surprise delivery during the recording of this episode--his new gaming PC!


    How Long is a Quibi – This is Only a Test 572 – 10/22/20 Oct 23, 2020

    Will sits in the third chair this week to talk about his recent hunt for a future-proof TV, testing the GeForce 3080 graphics card, and the benefits of gaming on 360Hz monitors.


    Episode 571 – Merry Questmas – 10/15/20 Oct 15, 2020

    What a week for gear! Jeremy and Norm get on Zoom right after Apple's iPhone 12 keynote event to break down the new lineup of iPhones for this year and the tech introduced alongside them. From 5nm chip manufacturing to Apple's ProRAW photo format, here's what we're excited about from this year's phones. Plus, Quest 2 is finally out in the world!


    Episode 570 – Most Underrated Captain – 10/8/20 Oct 09, 2020

    Norm checks in from the road this week as we talk about our first long range trip in months, one week of playing Star Wars Squadrons, Star Trek cast members reuniting, and the impending iPhone annoucnement event. Plus, what the heck is going on with Spider-Man in the MCU? That and more as we get excited for the launch of Quest 2 in just a week!


    Episode 569 – To HOTAS or Not HOTAS – 10/1/20 Oct 01, 2020

    This week, Jeremy and Norm are joined by former colleague Dan Stapleton, the Executive Editor of Reviews at IGN. We talk about the review process for the upcoming Star Wars: Squadrons and break down our thoughts of the game as the review embargo lifts. Plus, more Marvel tv show news, an incredible Mandalorian playset, and Amazon's drone security camera. Thanks to Dan for guesting on the show!


    Episode 568 – Gradual, Imperceptible Change – 9/24/20 Sep 24, 2020

    We have a full crew this week to review the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma, unpack John Carmack's talk about the Oculus Quest 2, and dive into the science of Tesla's battery day news. Plus, Norm dons a Hololens 2 and shares some impressions, and we blitz through a whirlwind of pop culture updates.


    Episode 567 – Take of Two Keynotes – 9/17/20 Sep 17, 2020

    Jeremy and Norm discuss in-depth the two big tech stories this week: Quest 2 being announced at Facebook Connect and Apple's new iPad and Watch event. We answer questions viewers have about the Quest 2 and brace ourselves for a holiday season of new hardware launches. And just as we finish recording, Sony drops the PlayStation 5 pricing and release dates!


    Episode 566 – Where The Air is Sweet – 9/10/20 Sep 11, 2020

    We're joined by science communicator Trace Dominguez this week to discuss the state of the west coast wildfires and what's making the sky turn orange in the Bay Area. Kishore recaps the virtual panels of DragonCon, and Norm wonders how a big budget Dune gets approved. Plus, pricing for next-gen consoles, augmented reality Mario Kart, and the science of brain-machine interfaces. Thanks to Jeff for making this week's theme music!


    Episode 565 -BFGPU – 9/3/20 Sep 03, 2020

    This week, we talk about Nvidia's long-awaited 3000-series graphics card announcement, Netflix's plan to adapt the Three Body Problem, LEGO's first collaboration with IKEA, and debate the merits of rotoscoping over stop-motion animation. Plus, a new Marvel-themed pinball machine and the hype for Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond! Thanks to Chloe for making this week's theme music!


    Episode 564 – Enter the Fandome – 8/27/20 Aug 27, 2020

    We break down all the announcments from DC's Fandome event from this past weekend, including the reveal of the new Batman! Plus, Netflix's comforting gaming documentary, the latest in Epic vs. Apple, and the big change for Oculus' annual developer conference. Thanks to Rick in Vermont for making this week's intro music!


    Episode 563 – Cabinet Battle – 8/20/20 Aug 20, 2020

    Epic takes on Apple in the biggest tech story this week, as the team explains the conflict in a mock trial with advocates for both parties. What's actually at stake for users and developers? Plus, the response to Oculus's terms of service updates, the state of Covid testing, and how a shuffle button would and should work on Netflix. Thanks to Chip McDonald for composing this week's intro music! Keep them coming!


    Episode 562 – Lower Decks – 8/13/20 Aug 13, 2020

    It's just Norm and Jeremy this week to discuss the wave of Microsoft product news, including the Surface Duo launch, Halo Infinite delay, and xcloud on iOS. We also have differing opinions about the new Star Trek Lower Decks show, and our hopes for the VR port of the Hitman trilogy. All that and more on a reverse-order show! Thanks to @lessreverb for creating this week's theme music!


    Episode 561 – Disney Double Dipping – 8/6/20 Aug 06, 2020

    This week, we talk about Disney's decision to release Mulan for purchase on Disney+ and what that may mean for future wide releases while theaters are closed. We also talk about LEGO's grand piano set, PlayStation controllers, and the idea of an Oculus Quest Pro. Plus, Kishore explains the vaccination testing process in an extended moment of science!


    Episode 560 – Mars Rover Has a Friend – 7/30/20 Jul 30, 2020

    We're going reverse order this week, but kick things off with anticipation for the impending launch of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover slated for early Thursday, and its kit of high-tech gear being sent offworld. We discuss the Oculus headset photo leak, our hopes for Tales from Galaxy's Edge, the Xbox games showcase, and major takeaways from last week's Comic-Con at home. Thanks to Maskil for making our awesome heavy metal theme this week!


    Episode 559 – Dropping Frames, Dropping Calls – 7/23/20 Jul 23, 2020

    On the eve of San Diego Comic-Con at home and the Xbox Games Showcase, we check in to talk about our recent projects upgrading home theater sound systems and building a new PC. We discuss Netflix's big bet on spy thriller franchise, the fate of Tenet, and the significance of 4K 60fps games on next-gen consoles. Plus, what's up with that Oculus Quest render that's been posted online. Thanks to Alex for creating this week's theme music!


    Episode 558 – LEGO's Big Flex – 7/16/20 Jul 16, 2020

    We're back after a short break and catch up on big news in the worlds of LEGO, Star Trek, and VR. The gang discusses the different reactions to the Hamilton film, and Norm gushes over two behind-the-scenes documentaries that put a spotlight on high stakes creative endeavors. Plus, a science update on the state of Covid, and the VR mintue!


    Episode 557 – Apple Gets Fully Armed – 6/25/20 Jun 25, 2020

    So much to cover this week as we recap the big annoucements from Apple's virtual WWDC keynote, their impending shift to ARM architecture Mac computers, and the gameplay details of Star Wars: Squadrons. Plus, surprise Batman casting rumors, Mixer shutting down, and a farewell to the Oculus Go headset!


    Episode 556 – So That's the PlayStation 5 – 6/18/20 Jun 18, 2020

    Bill Doran of Punished Props Academy joins us this week to talk about the PlayStation 5 unveiling and games showcase, Comic Con at home happening next month for free, and our excitement for Star Wars: Squadrons! Plus, a lot of VR news and catching up with our favorite foamsmith!


    Episode 555 – Power Glove – 6/11/20 Jun 11, 2020

    On the eve of the Sony PS5 showcase, we talk about our expectation for the next gen console, rising rumors of Apple's move to ARM for Mac, and our adventures in a VR escape room. Plus, a celebration of esoteric game controllers like the Power Glove, and an interview with The Atlantic's Alexis Madrigal in our Living with Covid segment!


    Episode 554 – Introspection and Action – 6/4/20 Jun 04, 2020

    We take a break from our usual coverage to talk about what's going on in the world this week and continue the conversation we had on Still Untitled with Kishore and Jeremy. It's a difficult conversation to have, but thank you for listening and we hope it's helpful for the kind of talks and introspection you might be going through right now.


    Episode 553 – Six Hour Director's Cut – 5/28/20 May 28, 2020

    We're back to the standard segment order in this week's episode, where we talk about the SpaceX crewed Dragon launch (recorded before the mission was rescheduled), HBO Max's launch and plans for Zack Snyder's Justice League cut, and HP's new VR headset unveiled at the Augmented World Expo! Plus, in our new interview segment Living with Covid, Kishore interviews Ian Haydon, a volunteer who took part in the recent clinical trial of Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine candidate.


    Episode 552 – One Year of Quest – 5/21/20 May 21, 2020

    The reverse-order podcast returns as special guest Devindra Hardawar joins us this week to talk about how the Oculus Quest platform has grown in its first year of release, the release of Half-Life: Alyx workshop tools, and the technologies and use cases for AR glasses that will make them mainstream. Plus, Build 2020 news, new shows we've been watching, and a special science interview segment!


    Episode 551 – Cozy LEGO – 5/14/20 May 14, 2020

    The podcast is flipped on its head this week as we go through our usual segments in reverse order, starting with the VR minute! Norm, Jeremy, and Kishore talk about how they celebrated mother's day, cozy LEGO builds, and the impending release of the Hamilton concert film on Disney+. Plus, hand tracking experiments in VR, Unreal Engine 5 looking amazing, and hype for the upcoming Lower Decks Star Trek show. That and the usual goodness in this week's packed episode!


    Episode 550 – A Flying Robot on Mars – 5/7/20 May 07, 2020

    Jeremy's back from Spring Break as we go over the news from Star Wars day, the Space Force show trailer, upgrades to both Surface and MacBook Pro laptops, and a fully mechanical handheld pong game from the 70s. Plus, updates in a Moment of Science and NASA's announcement of sending a flying robot to Mars as well as filming a Tom Cruise movie in space! What the what?


    Episode 459 – All Week Battery Life – 4/30/20 Apr 30, 2020

    Will sits in this week as we discuss the rumors that Apple will transition Mac processors away from Intel next year, what the success of Trolls 2 means for theatrical releases, and the groundbreaking specs for Canon's EOS R5 camera. Plus, Star Wars television show news, a swimming dinosaur discovery, and the delightful Animal Crossing-based talk show created by our friend Gary Whitta!


    Episode 548 – Rise of Virtual Conventions – 4/23/20 Apr 23, 2020

    This week, we discuss the change in direction for Magic Leap, Comic-Con's cancellation, the rise of virtual conferences, and the impending HBO Max launch. Kishore talks about the implications of antibody testing, and we lament the shuttering of an electric skateboard company. Plus, speculation on the future of tracked controllers in the VR minute!


    Episode 547 – Surprise iPhone Announcement – 4/16/20 Apr 16, 2020

    We discuss Apple's new iPhone SE release, the technology behind Apple and Google's contact tracing framework, Bob Iger returning to run Disney, and two new Disney+ shows that make us felt seen. Plus, incredible fan recreations of Disneyland, a remastered video from over 100 years ago, and the science of how the Covid19 virus works. Send us questions to answer in future episodes on our Discord!


    Episode 546 – Experience BIJ – 4/9/20 Apr 09, 2020

    We take a detour to the 24th century this episode as the gang suits up to play a game of Star Trek: The Next Generation VHS tabletop game! But first, we discuss the launch of Quibi, shifts in the MCU release timeline, the new PlayStation controller, and Google Stadia going free. Stick around for the second half of the show when we try to take back the Enterprise from the Klingon Kavok!


    Episode 545 – One Neat Zoom Trick – 4/2/20 Apr 02, 2020

    This week, we discuss the performance of AMD's new Ryzen 4000 mobile processors, Intel's response, and how it shakes up the high-end laptop world. Plus, home theater ediquette, support for art house cinemas, the Dragon's Lair movie adaptation, and new hope for Star Trek: Voyager fans. Stick around to the end for more Picard finale spoiler-talk!


    Episode 544 – Talking About Alyx – 3/26/20 Mar 26, 2020

    The release of Half-Life: Alyx is the big story, and we spend plenty of time going over the game and the decisions Valve made to push the limits of VR. (All of our discussion is spoiler-free this week). We also chat about what the maker community is doing to provide its support during the covid19 crisis, and what could happen next. Stick around for an interview with Valve's Robin Walker and Corey Peters, as well as our spoiler alert review of the latest Picard episode!


    Episode 543 – Bonsai Mario – 3/19/20 Mar 19, 2020

    Our podcasting adventures continue even as we work from homes, as Will guests to discuss the newly announced XBox Series X and PlayStation 5 technical specs, Call of Duty Warzone, Apple's new iPad, and the surprise hybrid of LEGO and Super Mario. Plus, Kishore answers listener questions about Covid19, and we gear up for the release of Half-Life: Alyx in under a week!


    Episode 542 – Choosing Robin's Fate – 3/12/20 Mar 12, 2020

    The whole crew is back in office this week as we vulcan salute and discuss the latest events to be cancelled, covid19 as a pandemic, and the importance of flattening the infection curve. Plus, some lighter fare with Batman comics history, a 5-hour single-shot film, and our review of the most recent Picard episode! Spoiler alert goes up at the hour and 45-minute mark!


    Episode 341 – An Abundance of Caution – 3/5/20 Mar 05, 2020

    Norm and Jeremy are in studio this week to talk about the wave of cancelled conferences and events in the wake of the covid-19 outbreak, and dial Kishore in to get a sensible scientific take on the situation. We also discuss to the new Half-Life: Alyx gameplay footage, mini-LED displays, and Spielberg's worst films.


    Episode 340 – The Era of New Bob Begins – 2/27/20 Feb 27, 2020

    Norm and Kishore complete the duocast trifecta in this big news week! We discuss the surprise announcement of Disney's new CEO, trends from New York Toy Fair, the next Xbox's technical specs, Tesla Model Y deliveries, and Facebook acquisition of a major VR game developer. Plus, we dive into Picard episode 5 spoilers and reveals at the end of the show!


    Episode 539 – RIP HQ Trivia – 2/20/20 Feb 20, 2020

    Will guests this week to chat with Jeremy about the rise and fall of HQ Trivia, Half-Life: Alyx's release date, Space X's private spaceflight plans, and Sony's PS5 pricing mystery. Plus, we dial Norm in for an intercontinental facetime call to see what's happening in New Zealand!


    Episode 538 – Rising for the Resistance – 2/13/20 Feb 13, 2020

    We've risen for the resistance! At Star Wars Galaxy's Edge, that is. Norm and Jeremy duocast this week to recap the strategies and tricks for getting aboard this new ride, and the benefits of bringing a baby to Disney World. Plus, breaking news about Mobile World Congress, impressions of Samsung's new Galaxy flagships, and stay for the Picard Episode 3 spoiler talk at the end of the show [spoilers begin at 1:44:25]!


    Episode 537 – Ferment Your Hot Sauce – 2/6/20 Feb 07, 2020

    This week Kishore and Jeremy discuss new release dates for Marvel and Mandalorian seasons on Disney+, a Hamilton film announcement, Japan's life size 60 foot animatronic Gundam, Sesame Street's applications for artificial intelligence, a video call to Norm live from Walt Disney World, and spoiler talk for Picard Episode 2 [spoilers begin at 1:07:47]!


    Episode 536 – Ten Years of Slate Life – 1/30/20 Jan 30, 2020

    An extra-long moment of science to kick the episode off this week as we discuss the facts of the Coronavirus outbreak and what concerned folks should know right now. We also look back at the iPad's announcement ten years ago, and speculate on a Fast saga-Bad Boys crossover. Plus, love for The Walking Dead in the VR Minute!


    Episode 535 – Make It So – 1/23/20 Jan 23, 2020

    Two big stories dominate this week: the premiere of the highly-anticipated Star Trek: Picard show and Valve answers questions about Half-Life: Alyx in a Reddit AMA! Plus, streaming service confusion, Apple's rumored "budget" iPhone, love for Pavlov VR, and a moment of science!


    Episode 534 – Sound Editing vs Sound Mixing – 1/16/20 Jan 16, 2020

    With CES come and gone, we move to Oscar season and discuss this year's Academy Awards nominations. Plus, Star Trek after Picard, 120Hz phone screens, and what we'd want to see from a Nintendo theme park. That and more with Will joining this week!


    Episode 533 – Enable Filmmaker Mode – 1/9/20 Jan 09, 2020

    Big week for technology news, and we recap the most interesting and curious announcements from this year's CES. From Samsung making rolling robot assistants to Sony designing a concept car, we break down the weird and wired. Plus, a slew of new stuff from 1UpArcade, lots of science, and some good news for VR adoption!


    Episode 532 – The New Roaring 20s – 1/2/20 Jan 03, 2020

    New decade, same podcast! We're back in the studio after the new year to talk about how we celebrated the holidays, gifts given and received, and the shows and movies we watched over the break. Plus, drones replacing fireworks, CES speculation, and the new Stranger Things pinball machine!


    Episode 531 – The Last One Of The Year – 12/26/19 Dec 26, 2019

    With the power of video calling, we're able to get together (remotely) one more time this year to chat about the two most pressing topics we've been asked about: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and Half-Life: Alyx! Hope you all have a wonderful holiday and see you next year! (Apologies for the audio and video quality, which was saved from Skype)


    Episode 530 – The Decade in Review – 12/19/19 Dec 19, 2019

    On our second to last episode of the year (promise!), we examine the past decade and discuss the technologies and products we thought had the most impact in our world. Plus, our last chance to speculate about The Rise of Skywalker before watching it, and watch out for spoilers all around the internet!


    Episode 529 – VR Brawler – 12/12/19 Dec 13, 2019

    As the VGAs are airing tonight, we discuss one of the VR games announced (and released!) during the show: Path of the Warrior. Kishore's back with gifts of Star Trek wine, and we discuss the week in VR game releases, trailer unveils, science, and technology news!


    Episode 528 – Cybertruck and Half-Life: Alyx – 12/5/19 Dec 05, 2019

    Back from Thanksgiving, it's a duocast this week as Norm and Jeremy discuss the Cybertruck event and thoughts on Tesla's bold electric truck. Plus, the reveal of Half-Life: Alyx and what it means for the VR community and gamers alike.


    Episode 527b – Blast from Jibo Past – 11/28/19 Nov 28, 2019

    We're all traveling this week for the Thanksgiving holiday, so here's a vintage episode of This is Only a Test from the archive. The year is 2014. We're talking Surface Pro 3, pinball cabinets, and Comcast cancelling woes. But most importantly, a personal assistant robot named Jibo has just been announced. Enjoy!


    Episode 527 – Flagship VR Game – 11/21/19 Nov 21, 2019

    On the eve of Valve's big reveal of Half-Life: Alyx, we discuss what it means to have a killer app for the VR market today, John Carmark's role shift at Oculus, Star Trek movie announcements, and Tesla's impending reveal of the Cybertruck. It's a big news week leading up to Thanksgiving!


    Episode 526 – The Escape Key Returns – 11/14/19 Nov 15, 2019

    This week, we discuss the launch of Disney+ and the first episode of The Mandalorian (no big spoilers!), Apple's 16-inch MacBook Pro details, and the logistics of planning a baby's first birthday party. Plus, impressions of Stormland in the VR Minute!


    Episode 525 – Glass Storage – 11/7/19 Nov 07, 2019

    In the small window between Norm returning from a international travel and Kishore about to embark on an overseas trip, we gather the team to discuss Google's acquisition of Fitbit, the new VR game Pistol Whip, and Microsoft Research's experiments with archiving data onto sheets of glass. Plus, we ponder the viability of a LEGO competition show and are blown away from an experimental audio tool.


    Episode 524 – HBO Maximized – 10/31/19 Oct 31, 2019

    Cord-getting gets more complicated this week as Warner announces the details for its upcoming HBO Max streaming service. We break down how it compares with other streaming options, the confusion for current HBO subscribers, and how HBO might change. Plus, a Star Wars shakeup, surprise Apple Airpods release, and the problem with Daylight Savings. Support the Team Trees effort at http://teamtrees.org ! Find Trace's videos at https://www.youtube.com/tracedominguez


    Episode 523 – The Final Star Wars Trailer – 10/24/19 Oct 24, 2019

    Duocast this week! Jeremy and Norm discuss the final Star Wars trailer for The Rise of Skywalker, HBO's Watchmen, Pixel 4 revelations, and mixed reality video recording. Plus, the search for a new case for a PC build, and one of the coolest 3D printers we've seen.


    Episode 522 – The Strangeness of 120fps Film – 10/17/19 Oct 17, 2019

    Google formally announces the Pixel 4 and we discuss the unique features of Android's new flagship. Jeremy and Norm try to explain what it was like watching Gemini Man at 120 frames per second and what content might be best suited for high framerate cinematography. Plus, an intriguing new handheld gaming system, Matrix 4 casting, and the science of marathon optimization.


    Episode 521 – The Next PlayStation – 10/10/19 Oct 10, 2019

    The gang gets together to discuss the great stuff we saw at New York Comic Con, Sony's PlayStation 5 announcement, the new Picard trailer, and our favorite titles in Apple Arcade. Plus, Asgard's Wrath debuts in VR and we played some of the new Walking Dead VR game. And don't miss a Moment of Science!


    Episode 520 – Surface Goes Dual-Screen – 10/3/19 Oct 03, 2019

    Hot off the heels of Microsoft's big Surface event, we discuss the Surface Pro X, Neo, and Duo announcements and their interesting release timing. We also revel in the return of Spider-Man to the MCU, the upcoming DC Universe crossover, and a bunch of new tech product reveals. Plus, A Moment of Science and the VR Minute!


    Episode 519 – Live from Oculus Connect 6! – 9/26/19 Sep 26, 2019

    We're on location this week at Oculus Connect 6, and joined by special guest Devindra Hardawar, Senior Editor of Engadget! The three of us chat about some recent movies, Jurassic World casting news, Amazon's new glasses, and of course, the announcements from OC6. Thanks to Devindra for guesting this week!


    Episode 518 – Our Reboot Fears – 9/19/19 Sep 19, 2019

    This week, we dive into the recent news of TV show and movie reboots, early iPhone 11 reviews, Donkey Kong record holder drama, and anticipation for the Switch Lite. Plus, a pre-OC6 edition of The VR Minute where we talk about HTC's Vive Cosmos and going hands-on with Tilt5!


    Episode 517 – Don't Call it a Slowfie – 9/12/19 Sep 12, 2019

    We recap Apple's big September announcements, including pricing and content on their two new services, hardware updates, and the new iPhone lineup. Plus, we dive down into the technology behind the always-on OLED Apple Watch display, ponder Nintendo's new Switch controller accessory, and discuss new VR software out this week!


    Episode 516 – The Legend of Jon – 9/5/19 Sep 05, 2019

    We get the full download of Kishore's adventures at Dragon*Con, including a roundup of his favorite cosplays, meetsups, and spontaneous shennanigans from this past weekend. We also talk USB 4, the impending iPhone event, right to repair, and FMK with streaming services. Plus, a Moment of Science and the VR minute!


    Episode 515 – Galaxy's Edging – 8/19/19 Aug 29, 2019

    Thought last week was a big news week? The news keep on coming as we recap all the announcements from D23, including new Marvel shows, the Star Wars hotel, Disney+ details, and the new footage from The Rise of Skywalker. Plus, a full breakdown of our first trip to Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland!


    Episode 514 – The Matrix (Part 4) Has You – 8/22/19 Aug 22, 2019

    Kishore & Jeremy are joined by special guest Trace Dominguez to geek out about Spider-Man's breakup with the MCU, a new Matrix film, the web's longest running web cam going dark, and the science of popular music charts. Plus, a smattering of Apple news, the VR Minute, and yet another amazing outro by Wo Hawk!


    Episode 513 – Cetacean Ops – 8/15/19 Aug 15, 2019

    This week, we talk about Samsung's new Note phones, the Star Trek universe falling under one umbrella, and telepresense with RC cars. There's also new Snap Spectacles, shakeup in VR, and yes, Barbie to discuss. Plus, Kishore grosses us all out with video of a particular snail. We can't unsee that!


    Episode 512 – Mixer's Big Week – 8/8/19 Aug 08, 2019

    This week, we talk about Ninja's move to Mixer, the grittiness of Amazon's The Boys, surprise DC universe casting, and Apple's MacBook Pro rumors. Plus, more love for Pavlov VR and our hopes for Oculus Connect 6! And yes, something is different in the studio!


    Episode 511 – Indie Arcade Games – 8/1/19 Aug 01, 2019

    Zach Radding (aka Build Cool Stuff) joins us this week as we recap our trip to the annual arcade convention California Extreme, the latest Picard news, Fornite's new champion, and the VR filmmaking. You can also hear Jeremy and Zach talk about their work on the Savage Builds WWI dogfighting episode in this week's Still Untitled!


    Episode 510 – The Big Comic-Con Recap – 7/25/19 Jul 25, 2019

    Pop culture news dominates this episode as Norm and Kishore recap their adventures at San Diego Comic-Con. From the best stuff we saw on the floor to impressions of new trailers, here's what got us most excited from the biggest pop culture event of the year. Plus, we dissect the Picard trailer and go through the MCU Phase 4 announcements!


    Episode 509 – 50th Anniversary – 7/18/19 Jul 18, 2019

    It's a big week for the team as we celebrate not only the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, but also the 50th San Diego Comic-Con! We talk about some of the events we're following online for each of these celebrations, as well as the latest in pop culture, technology, science, and VR news. Plus, what's your go-to children's book recommendation for new parents?


    Episode 508 – Switch Lite – 7/11/19 Jul 11, 2019

    Nintendo surprises us with the announcement of the Switch Lite, Warner confuses us with the reveal of HBO Max, and an old friend stuns us with his Twitch livestream. Plus, a moment of science, the VR minute, and stick around the end for a Spider-Man Far From Home spoiler-filled discussion!


    Episode 507 – The Post-Jony Ive Era – 7/4/19 Jul 04, 2019

    This week, we talk about the legacy of Jony Ive as Apple's head of design announces his departure from the company, the announcement of a Sandman Netflix show, and whether humans will ever colonize Mars. Happy 4th of July!


    Episode 506 – The Bitcoin Rises – 6/27/19 Jun 27, 2019

    We go on a roller coaster of emotions this week as producer Gunther joins to give us the skinny on Bitcoin's recent surge. We also discuss iOS 13's public beta, app review procedures, Bill Gate's biggest regret, and more thoughts on Toy Story 4. Plus, the VR Minute!


    Episode 505 – Daystrom Instiute – 6/20/19 Jun 20, 2019

    We talk about Simone's Truckla build, Pixar's new film announcement, Facebook's crypto ambitions, and Oculus' statement on app development. Plus, we introduce Jeremy to some fun Star Trek fan theories. And, with Kishore back this week, we have a return of a Moment of Science!


    Episode 504 – Streaming Issues – 6/13/19 Jun 13, 2019

    We're back from E3 and discuss the announcements from the major console companies, VR news, and recap some of the demos we played. Plus, thoughts on DJI's new robot, the making of Chernobyl, and the future of maker faires.


    Episode 503 – Monitor Stand Sold Separately – 6/6/19 Jun 06, 2019

    We talk Mac Pros and reference monitors this week as we recap the news from WWDC (dub dub), joined by video game historian Steve Lin. Plus, pinball talk, gear we saw at Augmented World Expo, a Magic the Gathering televition show and much more to be discussed! Thanks so much to Steve Lin for joining us this week. Find out more about the Video Game History Foundation at https://gamehistory.org/


    Episode 502 – Make a Playdate – 5/30/19 May 30, 2019

    Build Cool Stuff's Zach Radding joins us this week to talk about the Panic Playdate handheld, emotion-detecting smart assistants, ray-traced Quake, MacBook keyboards, and share our excitement for the Picard teaser. Plus, the VR minute as we prepare for Augmented World Expo.


    Episode 501 – How It All Began – 5/23/19 May 23, 2019

    For our 501st episode, we're joined by special guests Will and Gary, who started this podcast with us back in 2010. The five of us recount our favorite memories from the past nine years and reflect on the beginnings of Tested and what the worlds of technology, pop culture, and virtual reality looked like back then. Here's to the next 500!


    Episode 500 – What We Left Behind – 5/16/19 May 16, 2019

    It's our 500th episode! Special celebrations will have to wait due to scheduling conflicts, but the gang gathers to talk about Deep Space Nine, the making of Game of Thrones, Android Q, and Lenovo's folding computer. Plus, a moment of science and the VR minute!


    Epiosde 499 – The Long Wait for 2027 – 5/9/19 May 09, 2019

    We've got a duocast this week as Kishore is out from food poisoning. Jeremy and Norm talk about Disney's release schedule for Star Wars, Marvel, and Avatar films, tech news out of Google IO and Microsoft Build, and more testing on the Oculus Rift S. Plus, quite possibly the best listener-submitted outro.


    Episode 498 – Quest, Index, Endgame – 5/2/19 May 02, 2019

    What a week for news! Norm's voice is completely shot but we're still podcasting in this special episode recapping our Oculus Quest review, the announcement of Valve's Index headset, and our thoughts on Avengers: Endgame. Spoilers saved for the very end of the show!


    Episode 497 – The State of Electric Cars – 4/25/19 Apr 26, 2019

    We're joined this week by Robbie Baldwin, who covers cars and electric vehicles for Engadget, to talk about Tesla's busy week, the state of electric and self-driving cars, and what EV he'd recommend. Plus, we brace ourselves for Endgame and gush about Labo VR!


    Episode 496 – The Next Console Generation – 4/18/19 Apr 18, 2019

    Continuing from our podcasting on Still Untitled, this week, Will joins Norm and Jeremy to talk about hardware for the next PlayStation, streaming digital games, and the lineup for Disney+. Plus, how the Model 3's new autopilot feature fared in a road trip down to Los Angeles.


    Episode 495 – Black Holes and Revelations – 4/11/19 Apr 11, 2019

    Big science news this week as we talk about the imaging of black holes and whether cats recognize their names. Plus, Amazon's AirPod rival, impending Labo VR, and a new pinball machine tease. Shazam! spoiler discussion is saved for the end, and we butt heads on our thoughts on the movie!


    Episode 494 – VR Shots Fired – 4/4/19 Apr 04, 2019

    The core crew is back this week and we hear about Kishore's theme park adventures, discuss Apple's cancellation of AirPower, and speculate on the Valve Index virtual reality headset. Plus, who got Avengers Engame tickets?


    Episode 493 – A La Apple Carte – 3/28/19 Mar 28, 2019

    Between Apple's services announcements and the news from the Game Developers Conference, there's a lot to talk about this week! Will joins as we dissect the news and talk Love, Death, and Robots. Seven more episodes until 500!


    Episode 492 – Model Y, Rift S – 3/21/19 Mar 21, 2019

    While Norm's on the road for a video shoot, Kishore and Jeremy podcast to recap the week's news, including the Tesla Model Y reveal and Oculus' Rift S announcement. Plus, a new iPad Mini and the full Toy Story 4 trailer!


    Episode 491 – Bring Back Virtual Boy – 3/14/19 Mar 14, 2019

    Everyone's back this week as we share our hopes and fears for Nintendo's Labo VR kit, discuss Apple's streaming video ambitions, and celebrate the 30th birthday of the world wide web. Plus, stick to the end as we review Captain Marvel!


    Episode 490 – Breakthrough Technologies – 3/7/19 Mar 07, 2019

    The countdown to episode 500 begins! We talk about Tesla's $35,000 car, the promise of full autopilot, and our hopes for the Model Y. Plus, digging through Bill Gates' breakthrough technology picks for the year, and Amazon's carbon footprint.


    Episode 489 – What's Up Hololens 2 – 2/28/19 Feb 28, 2019

    We have another duocast this week as Norm and Kishore discuss Microsoft's Hololens 2 announcement, the weird and doomed phones of Mobile World Congress, Academy Awards, and disappearing clouds.


    Episode 488 – Folding Galaxies – 2/21/19 Feb 21, 2019

    Kishore and Jeremy discuss breaking phone announcements from Samsung, buggy Nike shoelaces, new Lego augmented reality kits, a new book about Oculus & Facebook, plus a Moment of Science and a heaping helping of VR news including a new $6000 pro headset.


    Episode 487 – Fake 5G – 2/14/19 Feb 14, 2019

    For this Valentines Day episode, we're joined by Will this week to talk about Apex Legends, Amazon's purchase of mesh wi-fi company Eero, the reveal of Genie in Aladdin, and Activision Blizzard's disappointing layoffs. Plus, a spoiler-free discussion of LEGO Movie 2!


    Episode 486 – RIP Bud Knight – 2/7/19 Feb 07, 2019

    With this year's Superbowl behind us, we talk about the aftermath of everything non-sports-related with the big game, including our favorite commercials and Kishore's wings experiments. Plus, a new Google Chrome extension opens our eyes, HP's new VR headset, and Apple's retail shakeup.


    Episode 485 – Apple's FaceTime Flub – 1/25/19 Jan 31, 2019

    What a week for Apple, as they announce their most recent earnings in the wake of the embarrassing FaceTime eavesdropping bug. We discuss that news as well as iOS gaming subscription rumors, roomba lawn mowers, and deepfake Dali.


    Episode 484 – Rollable TVs – 1/24/19 Jan 24, 2019

    We're finally able to get Patrick Norton of Tekthing back on the podcast to talk about his favorite things he saw at CES! Plus, we talk Academy Award nominations, Apple's photo contest, and a new phone with absolutely zero ports.


    Episode 483 – Escalation in the Streaming Wars – 1/17/19 Jan 17, 2019

    Professional maker of things Zach Radding joins us this week as we discuss the new Spider-Man: Far From Home trailer, Netflix price hikes, the technology in Nike's self-lacince shoes, and the problem of ICEing at Tesla superchargers. Thanks to Zach for joining us this week! Find his projects at http://www.buildcoolstuff.com/


    Episode 482 – Who Needs 8K TVs? – 1/10/19 Jan 10, 2019

    We're not in Vegas this week for CES, but we're still keeping an eye on the big announcements in tech coming out of the show. From new VR headsets to TV technologies, we go over the news that we find most interesting. Plus, thoughts on Star Trek rumors, a new animated superhero show, and pinball news!


    Episode 481 – Frosties or Sugar Puffs – 1/3/19 Jan 03, 2019

    Happy new year! To kick off 2019, the shares how they spent the holidays, their New Years Eve rituals, and best gifts received and given. Plus we dissect the latest Black Mirror episode Bandersnatch in copious detail (spoilers last until 53 minute mark) and catch up on tech news. Get any cool tech for Christmas?


    Episode 480 – Into the Spoiler-Verse – 12/20/18 Dec 20, 2018

    The gang can't stop gushing about the new Spider-Man film as we dive into a deep review of Into the Spider-Verse, (first spoiler-free, then full-on spoilers!). Plus, we talk about the latest in pop culture, technology news, and the regrettable demise of Star Wars Sphero toys. It's the last podcast of the year from the office!


    Episode 479 – We're In the Endgame Now – 12/13/18 Dec 13, 2018

    We're extra festive this week as the squad put on their gremlins headgear and talk Avengers Endgame teaser trailer, isolation chamber prop bets, Apple Watch's big health moment, and the anniversary of Doom. Plus, a moment of science!


    Episode 478 – Goodbye Daredevil – 12/6/18 Dec 06, 2018

    Patrick Norton of TekThing joins us this week to talk about headphones, 4K TVs, and what he's been testing lately. We talk about the new Captain Marvel trailer, Apple's reported iPhone woes, the future of Marvel shows on Netflix, and Epic's new Steam competitor. Plus, an important PSA about motion smoothing.


    Episode 477 – An Affront to Science – 11/29/18 Nov 30, 2018

    Everyone's back from their Thanksgiving travels as we hear about visiting national monuments, sharing VR experiences with family, and reactions to the black friday deals. Plus, our thoughts on the demise of the Chevy Volt, new movie trailers, and CRISPR news.


    Episode 476 – A Bunch of Dads (2018) – 11/22/18 Nov 22, 2018

    For this special Thanksgiving episode, the original hosts of This is Only a Test get back together to welcome Norm as a new dad! We talk about babies, birth stories, and binging Red Dead Redemption 2. Happy Thanksgiving!


    Episode 475 – From Pikachu to HQ2 – 11/15/18 Nov 15, 2018

    Will Smith joins Kishore and Jeremy to discuss the passing of comic legend Stan Lee, the Toy Story 4 teaser, Amazon HQ2, new discoveries about the Venus Fly Trap, and intriguing leaked photos of a new Valve VR headset in development.


    Episode 474 – The Metric System is the Tool of the Devil – 11/08/18 Nov 08, 2018

    This week, Kishore is joined by Will Smith (@willsmith) and first-timer Trace Dominguez (@tracedominguez) to talk about the retirement of the physical kilogram, 25 hours of videos games for the kids, Samsung's new foldable "device", and an extra long Moment of Science.


    Episode 473 – Thanks for All the Fish, Kepler – 11/01/18 Nov 02, 2018

    Jeremy is joined by old guard Will Smith and Gary Whitta to discuss the latest Apple announcements, the Red Dead Redemption 2 release, a new Star Trek animated series, our favorite horror movies, best practices with Tesla Autopilot, and what's most important to VR adoption: price or quality.


    Episode 472 – 13 Piece Drought – 10/25/18 Oct 25, 2018

    The world crowns a new Tetris champion, a legend of animation is set to retire, and Netflix shocks us with two announcements. Plus, we discuss iPhone XR reviews, expectations for the upcoming Apple event, and a surprise car model from Tesla.


    Episode 471 – Face Palm Phone – 10/18/18 Oct 18, 2018

    We remember the work and contributions of Paul Allen, discuss the revival of Palm phones, and reflect on the great YouTube outtage of October 2018. Plus, news from Adobe, the cancelling of Iron Fist, and Winamp comes back!


    Episode 470 – Die by the Notch – 10/11/18 Oct 12, 2018

    Will sits in this week as we recap some adventures at New York Comic Con, the Magic Leap developer conference, and spoiler-free impressions of First Man. Plus, Google's big Android hardware event, the first Star Wars live action show, and theories behind that crazy Banksy auction stunt.


    Episode 469 – Spider-Ham – 10/4/18 Oct 04, 2018

    Back in the studio after two weeks, we catch up on news of Tesla's SEC woes, Microsoft and Amazon's product announcements, and trailers for the new Spider-Man and X-Men movies. Plus, could choose-your-own-adventure narratives work for television?


    Episode 468 – The VR Hour – 9/27/18 Sep 28, 2018

    We record a special episode this week on location on the floor of Oculus Connect 5! Jeremy and Norm are joined by Darshan Shankar, founder and CEO of Bigscreen VR to talk about the Oculus Quest and other announcements made this week. It's a full episode of VR talk! Thanks to Darshan for guesting this week, and check out Bigscreen VR at https://bigscreenvr.com/


    Episode 467 – Golden Ticket to Space – 9/20/18 Sep 20, 2018

    Apple iPhone XS reviews are out, and we discuss what early reviews have to say about the phone's performance and camera improvements. Plus, what's up with billionaires who want to go to space, and what games will be included in the PlayStation Classic?


    Episode 466 (Fixed) – iPhone X Retired – 9/13/18 Sep 13, 2018

    We record this week's episode just minutes after the Apple September press conference, so let's dive into the details of the new watch and phone announcements. Plus, a look at the science behind Apple's health claims, and casting shakeup in the DC cinematic universe!


    Episode 465 – Marvel or Mar-vell – 9/7/18 Sep 07, 2018

    Kishore returns from DragonCon and gives us the download of his cosplay adventures there, Norm details his recent electric car road trip to Las Vegas, and Jeremy experiments with 3D printing video game sprites. Plus, we talk about Canon's new mirrorless cameras, Apple's upcoming event, and big Marvel movie news!


    Episode 464 – Unprotected Left Turns – 8/30/18 Aug 30, 2018

    This week, we discuss reports of autonomous driving difficulties, early hints at Disney's streaming service, Nikon's new mirrorless cameras, and a science video that has us squirming. Plus, we hit 4 million subscribers on YouTube! Thanks so much for watching our stuff!


    Episode 463 – The Volta Age – 8/23/18 Aug 24, 2018

    We discuss Nvidia's latest generation of video cards, DJI's newly announced Mavic quadcopters, rumors of a new entry-level MacBook, and pricing for HTC's wireless VR headset accessory. Plus, a Magic Leap teardown and a moment of science!


    Episode 462 – Searching for Spock – 8/16/18 Aug 16, 2018

    We have six eyes in the room as the spectacled gang talks about Star Trek casting news, a new Galaxy Note, and what was shown at Quakecon and Defcon. Plus, Jeremy pays a trip to The Void and we discuss our impending coverage of the Magic Leap One augmented reality headset!


    Episode 461 – Make It So – 8/9/18 Aug 09, 2018

    As you would expect, the gang is stoked about the return of Patrick Stewart to Star Trek, and we talk a bunch about our hopes and fears for Picard in the new era of Trek. Plus, Google's Android Pie in tech news and robot empathy in a Moment of Science. We unfortunately recorded this episode the day before the Magic Leap launch, so we'll be talking about it next week!


    Episode 460 – Enter Starlords – 8/2/18 Aug 02, 2018

    We recap the past weekend of classic arcade and pinball gaming at Pinburgh and California Extreme--the latter being the debut of the latest Tested build project. We also play Moviepass deadpool, discuss drone leaks, and debate the proper way to remove a USB key from a computer. Plus, a Moment of Science and the VR Minute!


    Episode 459 – Pinball on Both Coasts – 7/26/18 Jul 26, 2018

    We record a little earlier this week as Jeremy's about to head to Pittsburgh for an annual pinball convention, and the Tested team prepares for the California Extreme classic arcade convention this weekend. We discuss pop culture and technology news, and recap Comic-Con announcements. Plus, a Moment of Science taste test!


    Episode 458 – Comic-Con Bound – 7/19/18 Jul 19, 2018

    Just before Norm heads down to San Diego for Comic-Con, we gather to talk about Apple's new laptops, Samsung's foldable phone plans, first sightings of Magic Leap, and Netflix's newly-announced shows! Plus, Kishore answers science questions from listeners!


    Episode 457 – Lando's Back? – 7/12/18 Jul 12, 2018

    Narrowly escaping a viral outbreak, Jeremy returns to the podcast this week to talk new Surface Go tablet, Elon Musks' rescue submarine, and the unfortunate case of a mistaken Statue of Liberty. Plus, a moment of science and pop culture news!


    Episode 456 – Carousel – 7/6/18 Jul 06, 2018

    Danica is our special guest this week joining Norm and Kishore to talk about adventures in New York, recommendations for shows and attractions, and the latest in pop culture and technology news. Plus, we devote the last 30 minutes of the podcast to discussing the show In & Of Itself. Spoilers within when the background lights change colors! (Apologies for video viewers--our camera's memory card filled up with 10 minutes left on the podcast, so it's audio-only from that point.)


    Episode 455 – Let's Talk Baby Tech – 6/28/18 Jun 28, 2018

    We record an early podcast this week before Norm leaves for New York, and discuss Apple's keyboard concession, the Echo Combat beta, and Mario Tennis Aces. Plus, a deep dive into the baby tech that looms in Norm's future, with sage advice from Jeremy and Kishore.


    Episode 454 – Shakeup in the Stars – 6/21/18 Jun 22, 2018

    The future of Star Wars and Star Trek is our top story this week, and we have lots of thoughts on the rumors of what's to come from Lucasfilm and CBS. Plus, new SteamVR controllers, AMC's movie pass competitor, and Instagram's move into YouTube territory. Don't worry, we save all the Incredibles 2 spoiler talk for the end of the podcast!


    Episode 453 – Electronic Three – 6/14/18 Jun 15, 2018

    Norm and Jeremy are back from LA to talk about what they saw at this year's E3, and the VR gaming presence (or lack thereof) at the show. Plus, we ponder about rockets on supercars, an AI film director, and get hype about Incredibles 2.


    Episode 452 – WWDC and Model 3 – 6/7/18 Jun 07, 2018

    Extra long episode this week as we have a lot to cover! We discuss all the news from Apple's WWDC keynote, new movie trailers, Sonos' new living room speaker, and oh yeah, Norm's new Model 3. Plus, Kishore's back for A Moment of Science, and Jeremy talks about watching a comedy show in VR with Oculus Venues.


    Episode 451 – Let's Talk About Solo – 5/31/18 May 31, 2018

    Effects fabricator and Tested contributor Kayte Sabicer joins us this week for a big discussion on Solo: A Star Wars Story and the latest in pop culture, technology, and virtual reality! Note: when the background lights turn green, spoilers are in effect!


    Episode 450 – A Dark Divide – 5/24/18 May 24, 2018

    Will Smith joins us this week as we avoid talking about Solo spoilers, but learn about a big difference of opinion in the room concerning Star Wars. We also discuss Uber's latest autonomous car news, a brazen Samsung commercial, and what's up with HBO's Watchmen adaptation. Also, a recap of some cool stuff we saw at Maker Faire!


    Episode 449 – Cocaine Noodles – 5/17/18 May 17, 2018

    This week, we get hyped for E3, the impending release of Deadpool 2 and Solo, and a new LEGO roller coaster set. Plus, the baffling audio clip phenomenon dividing social media, visits to the Beta store, and hacking digital assistants with words you can't hear. Hope to see some of you at Maker Faire this weekend!


    Episode 448 – Robo Calls – 5/10/18 May 10, 2018

    With Google IO, Microsoft Build, and Facebook F8 all happening within a week of each other, there's lot to talk about on this week's show. We discuss the implications of Google's new AI efforts, Oculus' new prototype VR headset, and Nintendo online service plans. Plus, more details about our trip to see the NASA InSight mission rocket launch!


    Episode 447 – Post Infinity War Era – 5/4/18 May 03, 2018

    We save the Infinity War discussion and spoiler-talk for the end of the podcast, and kick things off with discussion of the just-released Oculus Go headset. There's also Star Trek news, details from F8, and excitement for the next Star Wars animated series. Plus, we're hopefully going to see a rocket launch!


    Episode 446 – Thanos Beckons – 4/26/18 Apr 26, 2018

    On the day before Infinity War's release, the gang gathers to recount the past 10 years of Marvel cinematic universe movies, learn the origin of Kishore's love of Thanos, and hear about some highlights from the Replica Prop Forum showcase. Plus, the VR Minute and thoughts on Nintendo Labo. (Apologies for the bad audio for the 30 minutes of the podcast--our audio recorder stopped recording so we only had camera microphone audio.)


    Episode 445 – Steve Wiebe Redeemed – 4/19/18 Apr 19, 2018

    This week, we hear about Norm's trip to Monsterpalooza, the downfall of competitive arcade gamer Billy Mitchell, White Castle's take on Impossible burgers, and a really intriguing Nintendo Switch patent. Plus, hype for the impending Insight Lander launch!


    Episode 444 – Zuck Goes to Washington – 4/12/18 Apr 12, 2018

    As Mark Zuckerberg testifies to congress, we get together to talk about Facebook privacy concerns, this past weekend's Silicon Valley Comic Con, the new Solo trailer, and more! Plus, a moment of science and the VR minute!


    Episode 443 – Reviewing Ready Player One – 4/5/18 Apr 05, 2018

    We're finally able to talk about Ready Player One, and the gang as expected has different reactions. (Red light behind Kishore means spoilers are in play!) We also talk about the death of Steam Machines, new Intel chips, and spider science. Plus a quick VR minute!


    Episode 442 – Movie Bracket Madness – 3/29/18 Mar 29, 2018

    On the eve of the Ready Player One premiere, we recap all the VR experiences we saw at GDC, discuss Apple's iPad for education event, hear about Kishore's trip to the MARS conference, and get outraged by a Disney/Pixar twitter tournament. Plus, Norm's trip the The Void's Star Wars experience.


    Episode 441 – Toys R Us Memories – 3/22/18 Mar 22, 2018

    Professional maker of things Zach Radding joins us this week to talk about Facebook's privacy problems, the Game Developers Conference, Avengers: Infinity War trailer impressions, and the demise of Toys R Us. Plus, the VR minute!


    Episode 440 – Hundred Percent Fatal – 3/15/18 Mar 15, 2018

    We pay tribute to the life and work of Stephen Hawking, get envious of the Westworld experience at South by Southwest, discuss the first Ready Player One reviews, and scratch our heads at a silicon valley startup that has to kill its clients.


    Episode 439 – No Escape Room Spoilers – 3/8/18 Mar 09, 2018

    The gang talks about their hands-on time with the Nintendo Labo maker kits, a recent trip to an amazing escape room, and the latest Star Wars news. Plus, controversy with movie posters, car news for Geneva, and being locked out of your phone for almost 50 years.


    Episode 438 – The Notch is Trendy – 3/1/18 Mar 02, 2018

    Will Smith is in the house this week as a guest in place of Jeremy, and we chat about his latest eSports adventures, the exciting conclusion to the Winter Olympics, and news from Mobile World Congress. Plus, the VR minute and a moment of science!


    Episode 437 – Jabba's Playset – 2/22/18 Feb 22, 2018

    We review Black Panther without spoiling any details, discuss some toy news from this year's Toy Fair, hear about Kishore's recent roadtrip, and look at the specs of Qualcomm's new VR headeset. Plus, a big change to Google search that startled us.


    Episode 436 – Enter Metalhead – 2/15/18 Feb 15, 2018

    Norm and Jeremy talk about their recent adventure on a homemade mini-boat, Kishore shares the most impressive science photos he's ever seen, and we discuss the potential of autonomous drones that can sense the world. Plus, a ton of hype for movies coming out this weekend!


    Episode 435 – The Falcons Have Landed – 2/8/18 Feb 08, 2018

    We're still taking in all the awe and imagery of SpaceX's Falcon Heavy launch, so we dive into what we know about the historic launch and the publicity surrounding it. Plus, our thoughts on this year's Superbowl ads, Netflix's Cloverfield release, Apple Homepod reviews, and Deepfakes. So much happened this week!


    Episode 434 – Flame Throwers and Flavored Diet Coke – 2/1/18 Feb 01, 2018

    On the eve of Apple's big earning report, the gang discusses the upcoming changes to iOS, The Boring Company's flamethrower sale, and two new film trailers starring Paul Rudd. Plus, Kishore makes us all try the new Diet Coke flavors...for science!


    Episode 433 – The Future of Shoplifting – 1/25/18 Jan 25, 2018

    Norm's back from New Zealand this week to share some stories about aerial photography, and the gang discusses Nintendo Labo, reckless Apple rumors, and Amazon's experimental grocery store. Plus, GPU shortages, Duke Nukem, and a Moment of Science!


    Episode 432 – Just for the Taste of It – 1/18/18 Jan 18, 2018

    Norm is still away at WETA workshop in New Zealand, so Kishore and Jeremy are joined by TekThing co-host Shannon Morse to discuss the Great CES blackout of 2018 (12:40), her hands-on impressions of the new Vive Pro (22:15), the potential Studio Ghibli themepark (1:09:40), and to celebrate Shake Shack expanding to San Francisco, we rank our favorite chain burgers (1:12:00). And yes, Kishore is still reeling from the huge Diet Coke announcement. Check out Shannon on TekThing (https://www.youtube.com/tekthing) and Hak5 (https://www.hak5.org/shows/threatwire). And special shout out to Danica Chan for designing our new podcast set!


    Episode 431 – No Transitions Necessary – 1/11/18 Jan 11, 2018

    Norm is away in New Zealand, so Kishore and Jeremy are joined by game development legend Mike Mika of Other Ocean Interactive. We chat about the Vive Pro and other VR announcements from CES, the pre-blackout most interesting hardware at CES so far, and its award season, so we hand out the 1st ever Tested awards for our favorite media, games, and hardware of 2017. RIP Tested transition music.


    Episode 430 – Future Car – 1/4/18 Jan 04, 2018

    The team returns from holiday break to talk about Apple's recent phone battery controversy, watching Top Gun in a virtual reality theater, and test driving a Tesla Model 3! Plus, why we love the newest season of Black Mirror.


    Episode 429 – White Elephants – 12/21/17 Dec 22, 2017

    In 2017's penultimate episode, we're joined by Tested set designer Danica to talk about the spirit of White Elephant gift exchanges, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and Apple's admission of throttling phone speeds. Plus, we speculate as to the future of cinema, and react to the first images of Magic Leap's AR goggles!


    Episode 428 – The Night Before Jedi – 12/14/17 Dec 14, 2017

    On the night before The Last Jedi, the crew gathers to talk about the new Ready Player One trailer, Nintendo Switch sales, the iMac Pro, and Apple's acquistion of Shazam. Plus, dinosaur fossils! And we wrap up just in time for some trivia.


    Episode 427 – Christmas Light Wars – 12/7/17 Dec 07, 2017

    Days before we head to the annual Dickens Fair, the gang gets together to chat about the Disney and the X-Men, YouTube on Amazon devices, The Room, and putting a car on Mars. Plus, a big update to Oculus in the VR minute!


    Episode 426 – Going Full 4K – 11/30/17 Nov 30, 2017

    Special guest Danica joins us this week for a post-Thanksgiving episode to talk about how we spent the holiday, Black Friday, our first CDs and DVDs, and the new fight for net neutrality. Plus, Infinity War trailer discussion and the VR minute!


    Episode 425 – A Tested Thanksgiving Miracle – 11/23/17 Nov 23, 2017

    The ghosts of Tested past return for a very special Thanksgiving episode of This is Only a Test! We're joined by BOTH Will and Gary this week to catch up on what they've been up to, talk Star Wars and Justice League, and discuss what's been going on in tech this past week. Plus, Jibo!


    Episode 424 – What is Star Wars Will Never Die – 11/16/17 Nov 16, 2017

    Busy week as we get close to the holidays! Kishore talks about the big finale for the Bay Area Science Festival, Jeremy recaps Day of the Devs, and Norm shares highlights from DesignerCon. Plus, we scrutinize Face ID, and talk about all the Star Wars and comic book movie news of the week.


    Episode 423 – One Week with iPhone X – 11/9/17 Nov 09, 2017

    Flea markets, BlizzCon announcements, and Thor! We discuss all of the above and more in this week's episode. Plus, Jeremy and Norm talk extensively about their experiences using the iPhone X for a week, and we get both science and pinball updates!


    Episode 422 – Live Show Hangover – 11/2/17 Nov 02, 2017

    Kishore, Jeremy, and Norm gather to tell some behind-the-scenes stories about the live show, give some impressions of Stranger Things 2, and discuss the early iPhone X reviews. Plus, VTOL hobby rockets and Razer's 120Hz phone screen!


    Episode 421 – RIP Kinect – 10/26/17 Oct 26, 2017

    Professional maker of things Zach Radding joins us this week as we chat about the upcoming release of Stranger Things 2, Essential phone's price drop, Sony's new full-frame camera, and the demise of Microsoft Kinect. Plus, the VR minute!


    Episode 420 – Giant Robots – 10/19/17 Oct 20, 2017

    With home 3D printers, laser cutters, and virtual reality headsets, we're truly living in an awesome future. And that's before we watched two giant robots beat each other up on a livestream. This week, we talk about the big MegaBots match, Surface Book 2, and Pixel 2 camera reviews. Plus, we pay a visit to Elon's shower thoughts!


    Episode 419 – Quadcast – 10/12/17 Oct 12, 2017

    Will joins us this week for a special quadcast! Because we missed recording last week, there's lots to catch up on, including Google's Pixel 2 announcement event, New York Comic Con, Elon's Mars colony dreams, and the release of the SNES Classic. Plus, Norm talks about the Westworld experience he went to in New York. (Recorded Tuesdsay so Oculus Connect 4 news will be discussed next week!)


    Episode 418 – 140 Forever – 9/28/17 Sep 28, 2017

    Norm, Jeremy, and Kishore talk about their recent trip back in time to the Speakeasy, Star Trek Discovery's premiere, Amazon's surprise hardware announcements, and Twitter's big change.


    Episode 417 – Spirit of Iwata – 9/21/17 Sep 22, 2017

    Special guest Mike Mika of Other Ocean Entertainment joins the gang to talk about hacking software, video game easter eggs, and the mysterious incident of NES Golf found in the Nintendo Switch. Plus, we talk iPhone 8 and Apple Watch 3 reviews and contemplate digital assistant personalities.


    Episode 416 – No iPhone 9 – 9/14/17 Sep 14, 2017

    The team gets together to talk about the new director for Star Wars Episode IX, Apple's big iPhone announcements, and AI studying how a game of Super Mario. Plus, we reveal a build that's happening right outside our podcast studio.


    Episode 415 – The Mayor Returns – 9/7/17 Sep 07, 2017

    Heat waves, Dragon*Con, Burning Man, and PAX. What a weekend! The gang talks about how they spent our Labor Day holiday, Apple's upcoming product launch, shakeups in the Star Wars world, and speed-solving rubix cubes. Plus, supermassive black holes and what we've been testing!


    Episode 414 – Who's Barb? – 8/31/17 Aug 31, 2017

    The gang talks the Game of Thrones finale, hope for Half Life 3 Closure, Echo multi room audio, the science behind the flooding in Houston, and the VR quest for the Crimson Cauldron.


    Episode 413 – Tantric Science – 8/24/17 Aug 25, 2017

    The gang talks about how they watched the recent solar eclipse, Disney's rumored Netflix competitor, The Defenders miniseries, and VR Mario Kart. Plus, more Elon shower thoughts and the scientific answer to a horse-related oddity!


    Episode 412 – Strange Car UX – 8/17/17 Aug 18, 2017

    Will joins us this week as we hear about Jeremy's latest train adventure across the country, discuss OpenAI's Dota 2 win, and debate the usefulness of Tesla's Model 3 dashboard. Plus, what's the deal with MoviePass, and the VR minute!


    Episode 411 – LEGO Voltron Assemble – 8/10/17 Aug 10, 2017

    We record a little earlier this week to talk about Intel's new Core i9 processors, the first photo of Cable from Deadpool 2, that incredible Game of Thrones episode, and a phone accessory that will read Gameboy cartridges. Plus, self-driving car and science talk, and the VR minute!


    Episode 410 – Unlock Autopilot – 8/3/17 Aug 03, 2017

    Jeremy's back from Pinburgh to regale us of tales of his pinball achievements, and we discuss what we've learned about the Tesla Model 3, Bitcoin's fork, and a rare Atari 2700. Plus, the VR minute and a Moment of Science!


    Episode 409 – Farewell Flash – 7/27/17 Jul 27, 2017

    Norm's back from SDCC! He's joined by Kishore and special guest Annalee Newitz for a mega deep dive into their Comic-Con experiences, all the movies and TV trailers, behind the scenes of that crazy jetpack video, the end of Adobe Flash and MS Paint, and the science study that may end football.


    Episode 408 – Artificial AI – 7/20/17 Jul 21, 2017

    Kishore and Jeremy are joined by Tested founder Will Smith to discuss all the news from Disney's D23, the return of Google Glass & Atari Consoles, space drones, mosquito hacking, and of course the VR Minute and what we've been testing!


    Episode 407 – FartBus.co – 7/14/17 Jul 15, 2017

    Kishore's back this week to talk about his London trip, and we discuss the news coming out of D23, RED's $1200 smartphone, a set visit to War for Planet of the Apes, and Microsoft's AI computer vision tool. Plus, hagfish slime in a Moment of Science, and thoughts on recent pricing announcements for VR.


    Episode 406 – Chicken Dinner – 7/6/17 Jul 06, 2017

    We're joined by guest Zach Radding to talk about prototyping hardware for startups, making cool stuff as a career, the internet obsession with PUBG, testing the Echo Show, and Tesla's production of the Model 3. Plus, Jeremy shares his impressions of the Glowforge laser cutter!


    Episode 405 – 10 Years of iPhone – 6/29/17 Jun 29, 2017

    Where were you 10 years ago when the iPhone was first released? The gang looks back at a decade of the modern smartphone and discusses the SNES Classic, Vidcon, a crazy science GIF. Plus, the VR Minute!


    Episode 404 – European Vacation – 6/22/17 Jun 23, 2017

    Jeremy and Kishore welcome Norm back to the podcast and catch him up on three weeks worth of tech news and discussion. We hear about some of Norm's favorite museum stops on his trip, talk about Uber's controversies, Amazon's big purchase, and the newest OnePlus phone. Plus, the VR Minute and a Moment of Science!


    Episode 403 – E3 2017 – 6/15/17 Jun 16, 2017

    Jeremy and Kishore are joined by engineer & maker Zach Radding to discuss all the video game news from E3 2017, IKEA's journey to Mars, artificial intelligence vs Ms. Pac-Man, and the latest from Hollywood's Marvel & DC. Plus, all the VR news you can handle and a Moment of Science reveals the world's deadliest creature!


    Episode 402 – Sup HomePod – 6/08/17 Jun 09, 2017

    Jeremy is joined by Patrick Norton and Tested producer Gunther Kirsch while we discuss a new breakthrough 3D printer, SpaceX and Tesla updates, the new Star Wars pinball game, and all the news from Apple's WWDC event. Plus the VR Minute, and Patrick's thoughts on playing Rocket League on an 8k monitor!


    Episode 401 – Bridge Crew – 6/01/17 Jun 01, 2017

    Kishore and Jeremy are joined by Tested Founder Will Smith to discuss the newly released Star Trek VR title, Bridge Crew, the new "Essential" phone, a landmark Supreme Court ruling about printer ink, as well as the latest in Science news.


    Episode 400 – Get'em Luke! – 5/25/17 May 26, 2017

    It's our 400th episode, which just happened to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Star Wars. In this listener's choice episode, we each recount our first Star Wars memories, look back at some TIOAT moments, and of course dive into this week's pop culture, technology, and science news.


    Episode 399A – Not Hot Dog – 5/19/17 May 19, 2017

    Due to "miscalculation", we're not quite at episode 400 yet! But this week, Kishore is back with Jeremy and Norm to share his thoughts on Guardians of the Galaxy 2, discuss all the announcements from Google I/O, and get hyped up on the science of moving trees. Plus, we disagree on opinions for the new Star Trek show and do a real-time test of Google's drawing recognition system.


    Episode 399 – Goodbye Story Studio – 5/11/17 May 11, 2017

    Norm, Jeremy, and guest Sean meet up to talk about Amazon's new Echo Show smart assistant, disagree about Guardians of the Galaxy, and lament the closing of Oculus Story Studio. Plus, some breaking VR news while we podcast, and Sean's adventures at a 3D printing conference!


    Episode 398 – First World "Solutions" – 5/4/17 May 05, 2017

    Happy belated May the 4th day! Norm, Jeremy, and Kishore check out some of the festivities celebrating the occasion online, recap Microsoft's Surface laptop announcement event, and dive into the practicalities of boring tunnels for self-driving cars. Plus, an important moment of science!


    Episode 397 – Alexa's Fashion Advice – 4/27/17 Apr 27, 2017

    Back from Silicon Valley Comic Con and the March for Science, Norm, Jeremy, and Kishore recap the past week of pop culture and technology news in a lively chat. We talk about Amazon's new Echo, the Juicero disassembly, and Jurassic World casting news. Plus, Norm tries to get someone to care about the film Unbreakable.


    Episode 396 – RIP NES Classic – 4/20/17 Apr 21, 2017

    We're joined by special guest Mike Mika, Chief Creative Officer at Other Ocean and the creator of #IDARB! Jeremy, Norm, and Mike talk about immersion in theme parks, high-tech juicers, the NES Classic, and the latest in VR demos and experiences.


    Episode 395 – What's in a Whopper? – 4/13/17 Apr 13, 2017

    This week, we talk about Monsterpalooza, Star Wars Celebration, Burger King's shennanigans, and building an iPhone from recycled parts. It's two hours of technology, science, pinball, and testing updates! Plus, we catch Jeremy up on Thor and Hulk's roles in the the Marvel comic and cinematic universes.


    Episode 394 – Jumping Between Realities – 4/6/17 Apr 06, 2017

    The core gang is all back this week to talk about April Fools day, Apple's Mac Pro mistakes, SpaceX's groundbreaking rocket launch, and testing the LG G6 smartphone. Plus, Norm shakes Jeremy and Kishore's grip in reality with shocking truths. Show notes here: show notes: http://bit.ly/TiOaTShownotes


    Episode 393 – Engage VPN – 3/31/17 Mar 31, 2017

    Patrick Norton joins us this week on This is Only a Test to talk about internet privacy, testing AMD's Ryzen CPUs, Samsung's Galaxy S8, and more! Plus, Jeremy watches Hamilton and we wonder if StarCraft needs an HD remake.


    Episode 392 – Finding All Shrines – 3/23/17 Mar 23, 2017

    Norm, Jeremy, and guest Will gush over the new Zelda game this week as we're back in the Tested studio and recapping the latest in pop culture, technology, and VR news. Plus, we hear about Jeremy's experience in the Hall of Justice. Check out Will's new Foo episode at http://www.foovr.com


    Episode 391 – On Location in France – 3/16/17 Mar 17, 2017

    A very special on-location episode of This is Only a Test from France! Norm and Kishore are joined by Joey Fameli as the three talk about their trip to visit CERN and Large Hadron Collider experiments. But first, we have a bunch of pop culture news to go through!


    Episode 390 – The Second Half of GDC – 3/9/17 Mar 09, 2017

    Jeremy's out on jury duty, so Will returns for a second week in a row to discuss what we saw on the rest of GDC week. We also break out our Nintendo Switches and gives some impressions on the console hardware and launch software.


    Episode 389 – The First Half of GDC – 3/2/17 Mar 02, 2017

    An extra long episode this week as we're joined by Tested co-founder Will Smith to discuss all things GDC! We recap bizarre Oscars blunder, the Oculus demo day, and announcements for YouTube TV, Nvidia's GeForce 1080 Ti, and SpaceX's privately funded Moon mission. Plus, can hackers steal data from blinking hard drive lights?


    Episode 388 – Drone Dunk Fail – 2/23/17 Feb 23, 2017

    Kishore cannot contain his excitement over Marvel's upcoming Infinity War, we discuss diminishing returns for smartphone upgrades, get duped by a YouTube comedy video, and roll our eyes over drone gimmicks. Plus, NASA's breaking news story and the VR minute!


    Episode 387 – Speak Easy – 2/16/17 Feb 16, 2017

    With Jeremy and Kishore out this week, Norm gets a chance to chat with guest Steve Lin about classic arcades, emulator hardware, VR parks, and more. Plus, spoiler-free opinions on LEGO Batman and John Wick 2, as well as Norm's immersive theater experience.


    Episode 386 – Halftime Drones – 2/9/17 Feb 09, 2017

    This week, we talk about the technology and pop culture of the Superbowl, including drones used during the halftime show and Kishore's chicken wing party. Two new Netflix show trailers get us excited, and we debate the future of tipping for car sharing services. Plus, the VR lawsuit ruling and rumors about Magic Leap.


    Episode 385 – Coffee and Dayquil – 2/2/17 Feb 02, 2017

    Star Wars news! Star Trek apologetics! Peak smartphone! The science of game theory! You'll find all of that discussed in this week's episode of our technology podcast. Plus, we ponder what would happen if Elon Musk took over a city's transportation department.


    Episode 384 – Dark Rides – 1/26/17 Jan 27, 2017

    Norm's back from vacation and can't stop talking about the technology of theme park rides. We also talk about the new Star Wars movie title, discuss how artificial intelligence could win at poker, and get angry in a Moment of Science. Plus, what's the best desktop screensaver of all time?


    Episode 383 – Switch! – 1/19/17 Jan 19, 2017

    Kishore and Jeremy are joined by Steve Lin to discuss the Nintendo Switch announcements, Google's custom security chips, newfangled technological doctors offices, and Steve's epic trip to Japan. All this in addition to your Moment of Science, the VR Minute, and What We've Been Testing!


    Episode 382 – The Soul of Brewing – 1/12/17 Jan 12, 2017

    We're back from CES! Norm gives Jeremy and Kishore the scoop on everything we saw there, including new virtual reality gear, a competitive laser cutter, and a home beer making machine. Plus, we discuss AT&T's latest price hikes, pinball news, and a moment of science that gets Kishore pissed off.


    Episode 381 – Goodbye Bitcoin – 1/5/17 Jan 05, 2017

    It's the week of CES! And before Norm heads out to Las Vegas, we catch up on everyone's holidays, including Jeremy's cruise adventures and Kishore's trek to Joshua Tree. We also get the details on Jeremy's new Bolt, fiber internet in San Francisco, and the conclusion to our bitcoin adventure.


    Episode 380 – Our Virtual Reality – 12/22/16 Dec 22, 2016

    For our last episode of This is Only a Test this year--we record entirely in virtual reality using BigScreen VR! Jeremy, Kishore, and Norm discuss Rogue One and share some of their favorite technology products, Tested video projects, and science stories of 2016. Have a great holiday, and we'll see you all in the new year!


    Episode 379 – Extra Tickets Available – 12/15/16 Dec 15, 2016

    The gang is extra peppy today as we're giddy for the upcoming release of Rogue One, and discuss the deluge of new movie trailers released in the past week. On the tech side, we get stoked about Drone Racing broadcasts, a goggle-wearing parrot, and watching a movie together in virtual reality! (Find shownotes at http://bit.ly/TiOaTShownotes)


    Episode 378 – Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation – 12/8/16 Dec 08, 2016

    This week, we hear about Kishore's trip to India and his testing of airline entertainment devices, discuss the demise of Pebble, and expand on our review of the new Oculus Touch controllers. Plus, Jeremy's mind gets blown when he hears about the idea of transcranial magnetic stimulation!


    Episode 377 – Gravy for Days – 12/1/16 Dec 01, 2016

    We're back from the Thanksgiving holiday, packed full of turkey and no regrets. And we're joined by Will this week to chat about the holiday, black friday deals, two weeks of technology news, a bunch of gear we've been testing. It's an extra long episode!


    Episode 376b – Blast from a Past Thanksgiving – 11/24/16 Nov 24, 2016

    We're all traveling this week, so please enjoy a vintage episode of This is Only a Test, featuring Will, Gary, and Norm from Thanksgiving 2012!


    Episode 376 – How Holodecks Work – 11/17/16 Nov 17, 2016

    It's our final episode before the gang goes traveling for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. We talk about iFixit's MacBook Pro teardown, disagree about Star Wars Clue, and discuss how holodecks works in the fiction of Star Trek. Plus, a packed moment of science!


    Episode 375 – The Mourning After – 11/10/16 Nov 10, 2016

    Norm, Jeremy, and Kishore get together the morning after election day to look toward the future--one where an an artificial intelligence will be smart enough to beat a human player at StarCraft II.


    Episode 374 – Live Show Recap – 11/3/16 Nov 03, 2016

    Everyone is exhausted after last week's massive torrent of news, and the gang recovers from a successful live show. Norm, Jeremy, and Kishore talk a bit about how the live show came together, autonomous car unknowns, our thoughts on Will's Foo VR technology, and more info about Apple's new MacBook Pros.


    Episode 373 – Dongle Required – 10/27/16 Oct 28, 2016

    Norm and Jeremy record a duocast to catch up on this past week in technology news. It's been a busy week, from Tesla's autopilot announcement to Nintendo's new console, not to mention the big two unveils from Microsoft and Apple. We chat about Surface Studio, the new MacBooks, and our hopes and fears for each. Plus, did we mention we're putting on a live show this weekend?


    Episode 372 – Apple Can't Do That – 10/20/16 Oct 20, 2016

    Norm, Jeremy, and Kishore plan an after-work hangout to read Guardians of the Galaxy comic books, but first, record a podcast about the latest Apple Mac event rumors, Tesla's Model 3 production schedule, Google Pixel reviews, and new Pinball machines. Plus, Norm continues to try to convince the guys to watch Westworld!


    Episode 371 – Fireproof Baggage – 10/13/16 Oct 14, 2016

    Jeremy, Kishore, and Norm team up to discuss a what's going on in the world of technology, pop culture, and virtual reality. We recap the events and annoucements from New York Comic Con, the new Star Wars Rogue One trailer, Samsung's disastrous Note 7 recall, and the many problems with Siri. Plus, surprising VR news from Steam Dev Days!


    Episode 370 – The VR Minutes – 10/6/16 Oct 07, 2016

    Norm and Jeremy record a special edition of This is Only a Test discussing a huge week of virtual reality news!


    Episode 369 – The Restaurant on Musk 1 – 9/29/16 Sep 29, 2016

    Skepticism and optimism collide this week as Norm, Jeremy, and Kishore chat about new quadcopters, holographic displays, Elon Musk's Mars plan, and the use of technology in the Presidential debate. Plus, our hopes and fears for PSVR's launch and the upcoming Oculus Connect event.


    Episode 368 – The Internet of Shoes – 9/22/16 Sep 22, 2016

    This week, we gather to dive deep into the camera annmouncements made at Photokina, discuss GoPro's along-awaited quadcopter, and ponder about the usefulness of Nike's upcoming self-lacing shoes. Plus, hopes and fear for new sci-fi shows including Star Trek and Westworld.


    Episode 367 – Catching Norm Up – 9/15/16 Sep 15, 2016

    Norm's back! Jeremy and Kishore fill Norm in on what's happened in the worlds of pop culture, technology, science, and virtual reality over the past three weeks. We talk about the new iPhones, Samsung's Note 7 problems, Star Trek's 50th anniversary, sugar revelations, and hungry polar bears. And yes, an Arctic update!


    Episode 366 – Headphone Jack RIP – 9/8/16 Sep 08, 2016

    Kishore & Jeremy are joined by Ars Technica Tech Culture Editor Annalee Newitz to discuss this week's Apple and Sony events, the SpaceX explosion and its ramifications, a newly discovered bizarre ant colony, and McDonald's cosplay. Plus, as always, the VR Minute and what we've been testing!


    Episode 365 – True Trending Topics – 9/1/16 Sep 01, 2016

    Kishore & Jeremy are joined by Tested founder Will Smith to discuss the weeks high jinks in pop culture and technology, including the firing of the Facebook trending topics team, a Nest shakeup at Google, our hopes for next week's Apple & Sony events, and a fond farewell to Gene Wilder. Plus an extended Moment of Science segment and our thoughts on newly released VR titles in the VR Minute!


    Episode 364 – More Ludicrous Than Ever – 8/25/16 Aug 25, 2016

    Kishore, Jeremy, and Patrick Norton discuss new Tesla announcements, self-driving UBERs in 2016, and sweet poetic justice involving a tech support scammer. Plus the VR Minute and a Moment of Science involving... a human head transplant?!


    Episode 363 – Mevo Mischief – 8/18/16 Aug 18, 2016

    Just days before Norm's big day and upcoming arctic trip, the gang unites to record an episode and test out the new Mevo livestream camera. We discuss the news from IDF, car ownership, and a good helping of pop culture happenings.


    Episode 362 – Olympic Village – 8/11/16 Aug 11, 2016

    Norm, Jeremy, and Kishore talk about the technology around following the Olympics, news in the streaming video world, and remakes of classic PC games. Plus, a few million dollar ideas!


    Episode 361 – Fiducial Markers Everywhere – 8/4/16 Aug 04, 2016

    The full team is back this week to talk about disappointments in recent comic book adaptations, a massive pinball convention, the new Galaxy Note 7, and our appreciation of the Netflix show Stranger Things. Plus, an idea of how to make use of 8K cameras. (Apologies for the audio in this episode--our sound recorder shut down mid-recording and we're using a backup feed.)


    Episode 360 – Master Plan, Part Deux – 7/28/16 Jul 28, 2016

    We're back from San Diego Comic-Con with another Duocast! But this week it's Kishore who's on vacation as Jeremy comes back from his family camping trip. We recap some of the things we saw in San Diego, along with big tech news from Yahoo and Tesla.


    Episode 359 – Duocast – 7/21/16 Jul 21, 2016

    Kishore and Norm preview Tested's Comic-Con coverage, recap the announcements from Star Wars Celebration, and give a spoiler-free review of Star Trek Beyond. Plus, the return of not one but two fan-favorite cartoon series! All that and our weekly technology, science, and VR news updates.


    Episode 358 – Pokemon Prime Day – 7/14/16 Jul 14, 2016

    Kishore and Jeremy are back from their vacations this week as we try to understand the popularity of Pokemon Go, share our strategies for Amazon Prime Day, and discuss the best and worst mammals to domesticate as pets. Plus, a VR minute!


    Episode 357 – Just the Two of Us – 7/7/16 Jul 07, 2016

    As we figure out the best areas in our new office to set up a podcast studio, Norm is joined by Will this week to record an episode in front of a familiar bricked wall backdrop. We chat about Will's take on Finding Dory, Tesla autopilot incidents, and the case for more storage on entry-level phones.


    Episode 356 – Back from Down Under – 6/30/16 Jun 30, 2016

    Sorry for the lack of an episode last week--we were abroad in Australia and New Zealand for some video shoots. In fact, Norm rushes directly to the office from the airport to record this week's episode with Kishore and Jeremy, sharing some info about the trip and catching up on two weeks worth of technology and pop culture news.


    Episode 355 – WWDC and E3 2016 – 6/16/16 Jun 16, 2016

    Slow news week, right? Norm makes it back from a whirlwind week of travel to chat with Jeremy and Will about all the announcements from Apple's WWDC conference and E3. From Apple watch upgrades to Microsoft and Sony's next-gen console plans, there's almost too much to discuss. Plus, VR demo impressions!


    Episode 354 – Elon's Shower Thoughts – 6/9/16 Jun 09, 2016

    Welcome to our new office! Kind of. While we're still setting up the place, Norm is joined by Kishore and Jeremy to talk about recent technology and science news, new VR experiences, our hopes for E3, and the many shower thoughts of Elon Musk.


    Episode 353 – VR Backpacks – 6/2/16 Jun 02, 2016

    We've moved out of our old office, and once again podcast from Norm's living room. Topics include announcements from Computex, VR backpacks, and a recent autonomous vehicle testing event. Plus, we learn a surprising insight about Microsoft's Clippy.


    Episode 352 – Pebble's Pivot – 5/26/16 May 26, 2016

    We're recording in Norm's living room this week while we move offices, but there's still a lot to go over! Kishore, Jeremy, and Norm talk about their favorite projects they saw at Maker Faire, the recent Star Trek fan event, Pebble's new products, and rumors of a new XBox. Plus, the ISS's inflatable module in a moment of science.


    Episode 351 – Farewell, Tested Office – 5/19/16 May 19, 2016

    Big news this week! Norm, Jeremy, and Kishore record the final episode of This is Only a Test...at the current Tested office. We're moving! In this listener's choice episode, we talk about Doom, Nvidia's GeForce 1080 performance, Origami robots, surprising reactions to VR. Plus, hot takes of news out of Google I/O!


    Episode 350 – Class M Planet – 5/12/16 May 12, 2016

    Lots to talk about this week on This is Only a Test, as we finally see the announcement of Nvidia's Pascal video cards, both the new Call of Duty and Battlefield games, and some rumors leading up to next week's Google I/O conference. Plus, we celebrate the transit of Mercury in A Moment of Science!


    Episode 349 – Where is Jibo? – 5/5/16 May 05, 2016

    Happy belated Star Wars day! This week, we talk about some new Star Wars-related announcements, Hulu live streaming, Maker Faire anticipation, science news, and our new favorite Oculus game. Plus, Kishore and Norm explain to Jeremy the plot of the Civil War comic book series, and share their hopes for the new film.


    Episode 348 – Red Robin Ramen Burger – 4/28/16 Apr 28, 2016

    We're back after a week on the road to catch up technology, pop culture, and science news! Kishore and Will join Norm to discuss SpaceX's just-announced Mars plan, the anniversary of Aliens, and our recent visit to USC's ICT labs. Plus, the VR minute and an exploration of ramen burgers.


    Episode 347 – Autopilot Activated – 4/14/16 Apr 14, 2016

    This week, Norm is joined by Jeremy and Patrick Norton to talk about Space X's rocket landing, speculate on Google's robot plans, and debate the merits of a $300 eBook reader. Plus, we get excited about the potential of autopilot in Tesla's cars.


    Episode 346 – April Foolish – 4/7/16 Apr 08, 2016

    Norm, Jeremy, and Will meet up this week to discuss the new Star Wars Rogue One trailer, pooly-implemented April fools gags, a new 3D printing technology, and Tesla's Model 3 pre-orders. Plus, with the the release of the HTC Vive, we share our thoughts on the hardware and learn about Will's new VR show!


    Episode 345 – Welcome to the Virtual Age – 3/31/16 Mar 31, 2016

    It's finally here! Norm is back from his trip abroad just in time for the launch of the Oculus Rift consumer release. Jeremy and Will join this week to discuss our experience so far with the headset, along with news from Microsoft Build and Tesla's Model 3 announcement.


    Episode 344 – The Inmates Are In Charge – 3/24/2016 Mar 24, 2016

    Jeremy, Kishore, and Will are in charge, with Norm halfway around the world. Topics discussed include the first Silicon Valley Comic-Con, this week's Apple event, Boston Dynamics for sale, the process for Tesla Model 3 pre-orders, and the last pre-Oculus Rift VR Minute. Enjoy!


    Episode 343 – The Long VR Minute Redux – 3/17/16 Mar 17, 2016

    The Game Developers Conference is upon us this week as Norm is joined by Jeremy and Will to discuss technology news, games, and hands-on impressions of Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PlayStation games. There's so much to talk about!


    Episode 342 – Go Time for Artificial Intelligence – 3/10/16 Mar 10, 2016

    We brace for next week's Game Developers Conference by packing this week with technology news discussion. Jeremy talks about the excitement of watching a Go match against Google's artificial intelligence, Kishore shares some recent science community controversy, and we talk about Amazon's Alexa strategy. Plus, pop culture news discussion!


    Episode 341 – Don't Trust the Emergency Robot – 3/03/16 Mar 03, 2016

    Jeremy is back from vacation this week to join Norm and Will to talk about Apple's stance on user data, Google's self-driving car accident, the new Phantom 4, and robots you can't trust. Plus, more impressions from using the HTC Vive Pre!


    Episode 340 – Don't Bully the Robots – 2/25/16 Feb 26, 2016

    This week, Norm and Kishore are joined by Will, who returns to the podcast studio to talk about the announcements from Mobile World Congress, new phones, and virtual reality headsets. We talk through the pre-ordering decision for VR early adopters, and also discuss the games we've been playing. Plus, replacing screens on Kindles, and testing a CNC milling machine.


    Episode 339 – Beware the Spoiler Cake – 2/18/16 Feb 18, 2016

    Apple takes a stand against the government, Mattel announces a 3D printer for kids, and Google dumps yet another beloved application. We're joined in the studio this week by our Kishore and Frank to chat about this week's technology news, the wild success of Deadpool, and pirating academic journals. That, and TV Quest 2016!


    Episode 338 – Quality Tweets – 2/11/16 Feb 11, 2016

    Lots to talk about this week as we're joined by Jeremy Williams and Kishore Hari to recap the Super Bowl (technology and chicken wings!), discuss our hopes for Star Trek, Jeremy's appearance on Mythbusters, and the latest news in tech. How do you feel about the newest changes to Twitter?


    Episode 337 – Your DeLorean is Arriving – 2/4/16 Feb 04, 2016

    We're back in the studio this week as Norm is joined by Jeremy and Kishore to recap two weeks of technology news and updates from Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Tesla. We talk about over-hyped science stories in the media, the possibility of a 9th planet, and our hopes for Magic Leap.


    Episode 336 – SteamVR Developer Showcase – 1/28/16 Jan 28, 2016

    Special episode of This is Only a Test this week, as Norm is on location in Seattle for Vavle and HTC's SteamVR Developer Showcase. The VR Minute is expanded into a full-blown episode, as we chat with the developers of Job Simulator and Fantastic Contraption about their experiments in virtual reality and lessons learned from game development. (Sorry, no video this week. We'll be back in studio next week for a regular episode!)


    Episode 335 – From the Drone Barge – 1/21/16 Jan 21, 2016

    This week, we're joined by Jeremy Williams and Kishore Hari to talk about rocket landings, Netflix show ratings, commercial drone regulation, and other news in tech. Kishore updates us on recent science happenings, and we chat a bit about our playtime in the Eve: Valkyrie alpha. Plus, a tease for an upcoming video we're really excited about!


    Episode 334 – The Long VR Minute – 1/14/16 Jan 14, 2016

    Look who's back! We're back in the studio this week, joined by Jeremy and Will to recap the news that came out of CES and big announcements in virtual reality. We chat about electric cars, bad multi-rotor ideas, and what's new with Oculus and SteamVR.


    Episode 333 – CES 2016 – 1/7/16 Jan 08, 2016

    We kick off the year with a podcast recording at the CES in Las Vegas! Norm is joined by Patrick Norton to talk share their CES war stories, discuss interesting things they've seen at this year's show so far, and preview the coverage to come. We're running on 10% battery! (Sorry, no video for this episode, but we'll be back in studio next week!)


    Episode 332 – Camping Out for Star Wars – 12/24/15 Dec 24, 2015

    For the second-to-last podcast of the year, Norm is joined by Jeremy Williams and special guest Steve Lin to geek out on pinball games and old arcade technology. We talk about Space X's historic rocket landing, the complexity of smartphone cameras, and camping 24 days for Episode I. Plus, the VR minute and what we've been testing. Just one more sleep until Christmas!


    Episode 331 – Staying Off The Internet – 12/17/15 Dec 18, 2015

    Norm is joined by Jeremy and Sean this week to talk about the FAA's recent drone registration announcement, Netflix re-encoding its entire library, virtual reality predictions, and our anticipation for Star Wars. Staying off of the internet isn't easy! Plus, our impressions of new movie trailers for Star Trek, Independent Day, and X-Men sequels.


    Episode 330 – On a Segue Roll – 12/10/15 Dec 10, 2015

    This week, Norm is joined by Jeremy and Sean to talk about exclusive content for streaming services, Apple's worst designed product, and depth camera technology. Plus, an extra long VR minute segment in which we talk about the big news with HTC Vive, PlayStation VR, and Oculus Rift. All three platforms have announcements!


    Episode 329 – Save the Headphone Jack – 12/3/15 Dec 03, 2015

    This week, Norm is joined by Jeremy and Kishore to talk about their Black Friday takeaways, always-connected toys, drone delivery systems, and Apple rumors. Kishore brings the science knowledge with news of genetic editing and Martian rings. Plus, we ponder what life will be like decades and centuries from now. Join us!


    Episode 328 – Embrace The Splurge – 11/26/15 Nov 26, 2015

    Norm is joined by Tested's Senior Science Correspondent Kishore Hari and Senior Rapid Prototyping Correspondent Sean Charlesworth to talk about NASA's announcements, Designer Con, Gear VR, and the holiest of consumer holidays: Black Friday. Plus, we give our reactions and analysis to the new Captain America: Civil War teaser trailer. Prepare for a comics knowledge bomb! That and more on this week's episode of This is Only a Test. Have a happy American Thanksgiving, everyone!


    Episode 327 – Hero with a Thousand Faces – 11/19/15 Nov 20, 2015

    How do you stream your music and video from today's services? This week, Norm, Jeremy, and Patrick discuss data encryption, the fall of Rdio, tablet displays, and the endurance of Star Wars! Also, we mull over Oxford Dictionaries word of the year selections and share what we've been testing. Apologies for the video going out in the last five minutes--an office munchkin pushed our mixer buttons!


    Episode 326 – Native Klingon Speaker – 11/12/15 Nov 12, 2015

    Norm, Jeremy, and Patrick talk about the Trident II missile test sighting, indie games played at Day of the Dev, and the recent iPad Pro release and reviews. Plus, more tech news, the VR minute, and what we've been testing!


    Episode 325 – DQ Blizzard Candy Crush – 11/5/15 Nov 05, 2015

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy discuss post-Halloween strategies, Comikaze Expo, Star Trek's return, and our experiences with the new Apple TV. It's also Will's last episode as the host of This is Only a Test!


    Episode 324 – Dear Pastrami Reuben – 10/29/2015 Oct 29, 2015

    We're joined this week by Veronica Belmont and Jeremy Williams to discuss what's new in technology news, the recent Tested live show, Alcatraz, and Soylent! Drink your pre-mixed bottle of This is Only a Test now!


    Episode 323 – Beta Testing Cars – 10/22/2015 Oct 22, 2015

    Norm, Jeremy, and Sean celebrate two pop culture milestones: Back to the Future day and the new trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. But wait, there's some technology news, too! We talk about Tesla's new autopilot mode, YouTube Red, drone registration, and new gear we've been testing. Super fun times begin now!


    Episode 322 – You Can't Change Physics – 10/15/2015 Oct 15, 2015

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy discuss Norm's experience at last week's Microsoft event, Apple's stealth iMac update, NYCC Cosplay, electric skateboards, and more. Enjoy!


    Episode 321 – Cyber Security Awareness Month – 10/8/2015 Oct 08, 2015

    This week, Will is joined by Patrick Norton to discuss cyber security awareness month, this week's Microsoft event, including the Surface Pro 4, the Surface Book, the Roku 4, the iPhone battery life controversy, and moth drones. Enjoy!


    Episode 320 – Video Oops – 10/01/2015 Oct 01, 2015

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy discuss the Google Nexus launch event, the new Chromecast, Android Marshmellow, the Oculus Connect event, new VR demos from Oculus (including Bullet Train), and the iPhone launch event. All that, plus first iPhone 6S and 6S Plus impressions, upgrading to SmartThings 2.0, and more. Enjoy!


    Episode 319 – Bad Timing – 9/24/2015 Sep 24, 2015

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy discuss the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus reviews, WatchOS 2, Volkswagen and emissions tests, and ad blockers on iOS. All that, plus the VR Minute. Enjoy!


    Episode 318 – Hugs and Kissses – 9/17/2015 Sep 17, 2015

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy discuss the latest iOS 9 release news, the problems with ad blocking, the NASA worm logo, Amazon's new products, Super Mario Maker, and Facebook's Do Not Like button. Enjoy!


    Episode 317 – The Big News Week – 9/10/2015 Sep 10, 2015

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy discuss Verizon's upcoming 5G networks, the GoPro Odyssey, this week's Apple event (including new iPhones, the iPad Pro, and the new Apple TV), and Will's big news. Enjoy!


    Episode 316 – 'sup G – 9/3/2016 Sep 03, 2015

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy discuss Google's new logo, Windows 10 adoption rate, streaming news, Netflix's EPIX deal, the new Nest thermostat, and an extra-long edition of the VR minute. Enjoy!


    Episode 315 – The McWhopper!?!?! – 8/27/2015 Aug 27, 2015

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy discuss the Windows 10 adoption rate, the latest iPhone 6S rumors, the Galaxy Note 5's pen problem, YouTube Gaming's launch, Pixar in a Box, Comcast's plans for gigabit, in-flight Wi-Fi pricing, the McWhopper, and a whole lot more. Enjoy!


    Episode 314 – Something Something Pi – 8/20/2015 Aug 20, 2015

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy discuss Disney's D23 convention, the news from the Intel Developer Forum, Google's new router, candy that starts with the letter 'M', Amazon, and Hawaiian shirts. Enjoy!


    Episode 313 – Ready Player Two – 8/13/2015 Aug 13, 2015

    Norm is joined by Jeremy and Sean this week to chat about roadtrips, Google's restructuring, Time Magazine's latest cover, Intel Skylake, and more. Plus, some discussion on Ready Player One and our hopes for the film's casting.


    Episode 312 – San Francisco Problems – 8/6/2015 Aug 06, 2015

    This week, Will and Jeremy are joined by Veronica Belmont to discuss Flash ad hacks, pinball tournaments, quadcopters used to smuggle drugs, Netflix's maternity and paternity leave, and more. Enjoy!


    Episode 311 – Windows 10 and Novel Proteins – 7/30/2015 Jul 30, 2015

    This week, Will is joined by Patrick Norton, Dave Snider, and Joey Fameli to discuss Windows 10, pandas, Intel and Micron's new memory technology, the robots that will really kill us all, and Motorola's new phone lineup. Enjoy!


    Episode 310 – Saucy T-Rex Puppet Show – 7/23/2015 Jul 23, 2015

    This week, Will and Norm are joined by the Internet's Bonnie Burton to discuss quadcopter races, classic pinball machines, Ashley Madison, and dinosaur erotica. Enjoy!


    Episode 309 – Tick Tock Toe – 7/16/2015 Jul 16, 2015

    This week, Will, Norm, Jeremy, and Patrick Norton debrief on Comic-Con, discuss the unlocking of Pluto's secrets, the end of Moore's Law, Flash zero-day exploits, and more. Enjoy!


    Episode 308 – Analog Communication – 6/2/2015 Jul 02, 2015

    This week, Will and Norm discuss Apple Music, the strange appeal of worldwide radio, and taxing the cloud. Enjoy!


    Episode 307 – Profligate Wastrels – 6/25/2015 Jun 25, 2015

    This week, Will, Jeremy, and Gary discuss the Amazon Echo's official release, Apple and music royalties, the Arkham Knight PC recall, DNA and poop, taxi drivers protesting in Paris, and the newest Spider-Man reboot. Enjoy!


    Episode 306 – Tested Takes On E3 – 6/18/2015 Jun 19, 2015

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy break down the details of our trip to E3, including the latest on the consumer version of the Oculus Rift, the Oculus Touch, Sony's latest Project Morpheus hardware and games, Starbreeze's surprise wide-field of view VR headset, and Microsoft Hololens. Enjoy!


    Episode 305 – The VR Hour – 6/11/2015 Jun 11, 2015

    On this week's episode, Will, Norm, and Jeremy discuss the Oculus Rift annoucement, the unveil of the Oculus Touch VR controller, the latest news from WWDC, including OSX El Capitan, iOS 9, WatchOS 2, and the first solar sail tests. Enjoy!


    Episode 304 – The Best 304th Episode Ever – 6/4/2015 Jun 05, 2015

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy discuss Google I/O, the Windows 10 launch date, Google's updates to Now On Tap, future materials, the Jacquard Loom, and another edition of the VR minute. Enjoy!


    Episode 303 – Hot Topics – 5/28/2015 May 28, 2015

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy make Google I/O predictions, Charter buying Time Warner, mobile web traffic trends, an iOS bug that can kill Messages, Android tablets shipping with Office, and another edition of the VR minute. Enjoy!


    Listener's Choice! – This Is Only a Test 302 – 5/21/2015 May 21, 2015

    This week, you chose the topics! Will, Norm, and Jeremy discuss Makerfaire, the new Battlebots, Google's new photo service, smartch updates, Oculus's announcements, Inside Out, the KFC Tray Typer, and the problem with Internet.org. Enjoy!


    Episode 301 – Monster or Muppet – 5/14/2015 May 14, 2015

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy discuss the taxonomy of Muppets, Windows 10 editions, 4k Blu-ray, AOL and Verizon, the Lily Camera, pizza + emoji, and more. Enjoy!


    Episode 300 – Fuller House – 5/7/2015 May 07, 2015

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy are joined by Patrick Norton to discuss our Hololens experiences, the Oculus release announcement, Tesla's home batteries, Spotify vs Apple, and the end of Windows Media Center. Enjoy!


    Epiosde 299 – BUILDing the Apple Watch – 4/30/2015 Apr 30, 2015

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy discuss Microsoft's BUILD conference, Windows Holographic and HoloLens, Will's first impressions of the Apple Watch, the new Macbook, and a whole lot more.


    Episode 298 – Celebrate Good Times – 4/23/2015 Apr 23, 2015

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy discuss Star Wars Celebration, the new Force Awakens trailer, the amazing practical BB-8 droid, Google's Fi network, Steam VR developer applications, The Muppet show, and the latest updates to Windows 10 and the Xbox One. Enjoy!


    Episode 297 – The Apple Watch Watch – 4/16/2015 Apr 16, 2015

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy discuss Will's visit to Seattle, fancy coffee, Apple Watch try on appointments, Daredevil, CG in Furious 7, and the week's tech news. Enjoy!


    Episode 296 – The Return of the Duke – 4/09/2015 Apr 09, 2015

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy discuss digital releases of Star Wars, the DJI Phantom 3 announcement, Apple Watch reviews, the latest iOS and OSX updates, an Amazon Echo update, and a whole slew of new products in What We're Testing. Enjoy!


    Episode 295 – Full House – 4/2/2015 Apr 02, 2015

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy are joined by TekThing's Patrick Norton to discuss the Ready Player One movie, Microsoft's new Surface 3, Project Spartan, Google's ChromeOS HDMI stick, Amazon's Dash buttons, and Liar's Day. Enjoy!


    Episode 294 – The Virtual Minute – 3/26/2015 Mar 26, 2015

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy discuss the latest in virtual reality news, YouTube's Twitch competitor, Fantastical 2's high price, the PS4 update that adds suspend and resume, and that badass TIE Fighter animated short. Enjoy!


    Episode 293 – Unregistered Version – 3/19/2015 Mar 20, 2015

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy discuss the Carbon 3D printer, Nintendo's foray into mobile gaming, Apple's plan for Watch sales, Windows 10 release details, Sony's Vue over-the-top TV streaming service, and hints at the HTC Vive's price. Enjoy!


    Episode 292 – Optical Vaseline – 3/12/2015 Mar 12, 2015

    This week, Will, Norm, Jeremy, and Gary discuss the latest in virtual reality from GDC and the news from Apple's March 2015 event, including Apple Watch, the new MacBook, and Broadwell updates to the rest of the MacBook line.


    Episode 291a – A Podcast in Two Parts – 3/5/2015 Mar 05, 2015

    This week, Will and Norm are joined by game developer Samantha Kalman to discuss GDC, virtual reality rumors, the news from Mobile World Congress, the Pebble Time Steel, the real purpose for Kickstarter, and a bit of behind the scenes on the Amazon Fire Phone. Audio listeners, be sure to stick around at the end for a post-GDC update from Will and Norm about GDC announcements and impressions of Valve and Sony's latest VR demos.


    Episode 290 – Positively Stephensonian – 2/26/2015 Feb 26, 2015

    This week, Will and Norm are joined by Patrick Norton to discuss this week's news, including the FCC's broadband as a utility vote, more Smartfish aftermath, the Gemalto hack, China, why it's Pebble TIme, and Valve's not-so-top-secret-anymore VR tech.


    Episode 289 – Technical Difficulties – 2/19/2015 Feb 19, 2015

    This week, Norm, Will, and Jeremy discuss the FAA's new rules for commercial multirotor flying, a strange Raspberry Pi 2 bug, Disneyland, SNL's 40th Anniversary Special, Jony Ive, and the NSA's tricky toolkit. Sorry about the technical difficulties early on, the video starts around the 40 minute mark.


    Episode 288 – The Opposite of On Fleek – 2/12/2015 Feb 12, 2015

    This week, Will, Norm, Jeremy, and Gary discuss the Marvel Cinematic Universe joining the Spider-man universe, TVs that insert ads in your movies, and Tim Cook's Goldman Sach's talk. Plus: hands on impressions of Sling TV, Mario Kart 8, and board games for kids.


    Episode 287 – Gary's Back (Again) – 2/5/2015 Feb 06, 2015

    This week, Will and Norm are joined by "classic" co-host Gary Whitta, who returns from a trip to London and a year working on an upcoming Star Wars film. Topics include the FCC's reclassification of broadband, the new Raspberry Pi 2, RadioShack's demise, the new Swatch smartch, and Gary's next movie. Enjoy!


    Episode 286 – Raw Dog – 1/29/2015 Jan 29, 2015

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy discuss timing for the Apple Watch, Homeworld's imminent re-release, blocking Wi-Fi hotspots, Comcast and corruption, and virtual reality movies. Enjoy!


    Episode 285 – Meet Windows 10 – 1/22/2015 Jan 22, 2015

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy discuss Microsoft's big Windows 10 announcements, Windows Holographic and augmented reality, the end of Google's Glass Explorer program, and Nvidia's new GeForce 960. Enjoy!


    Episode 284 – A New Cohost Appears – 1/15/2015 Jan 15, 2015

    Will, Norm, and Jeremy are joined by Alexa to discuss CES, including their impressions of new VR demos from Oculus and Razer, flying quadcopterss in the desert, and the latest technology news. Enjoy!


    Episode #283 – Vegas Baby! – 1/8/2015 Jan 08, 2015

    This Is Only a Test returns with tidings of a happy New Year, America's Favorite Home Videos, a trip to Las Vegas, and the guys' most anticipated items at CES. Enjoy!


    Episode 282 – A Very Sub-Nokia Podcast – 12/18/2014 Dec 19, 2014

    This week, Will and Norm join Adam on tour in Los Angeles to talk about the long-term ramifications of the Sony hack, and talk about how the Behind the Myths tour has gone.


    Rainpocalypse 2014 – This Is Only a Test #281 – 12/11/2014 Dec 12, 2014

    Will and Norm sit out the great San Francisco rain storm of 2014 by taking your Qs and turning them into As in another rainy day edition of This Is Only a Test. Enjoy!


    Episode 280 – The Podcast Awakens – 12/4/2014 Dec 04, 2014

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy explore the aftermath of Thanksgiving and Black Friday, discuss the Jurassic World and Star Wars VII trailers, converting The Wire to a widescreen aspect ratio, the Sony Pictures hack, and NASA's now-delayed Orion test launch. Enjoy!


    Episode 279 – Rainy Day Edition – 11/20/2014 Nov 20, 2014

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy discuss the Apple Watch SDK, the problem with sapphire screens, Uber's implosion, and hydrogen cars.


    Episode 278 – Comet Landing – 11/13/2014 Nov 13, 2014

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy discuss landing spaceships on comets, Disneyland, Amazon's speaker thing, Taylor Swift, net neutrality, and a whole lot more. Enjoy!


    Episode 277 – Listener's Choice – 11/6/2014 Nov 06, 2014

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy discuss topics selected by the audience, including Microsoft's fitness band, the 5K iMac, DoubleFine and iam8bit's Day of the Devs, the Internet Arcade, and a whole lot more! Enjoy!


    Episode 276 – Baller Time for Charity – 10/30/2014 Oct 30, 2014

    Gary Whitta joins Will and Norm for his twice annual visit to the show. We discuss last weekend's Tested stage show, the third wave of Marvel movies, the Antares rocket explosion, 5k iMac reviews, and the re-release of X-Wing and TIE Fighter. All that, plus what we're testing and more. Enjoy!


    Episode 275 – And We're Back – 10/23/2014 Oct 23, 2014

    This Is Only a Test returns after a brief hiatus with talk about Google's new phones, Apple's new iPads, the gang's questions with the 5K iMac, and a whole lot more. Enjoy.


    This Is Only a Programming Note Oct 16, 2014

    There's no new episode of This Is Only a Test this week, but we're excited to announce that there are three podcasts to enjoy on Tested instead. Subscribe to CreatureGeek, A Bunch of Dads, and Mr. & Mrs. Smith.


    Episode 274 – Windows X – 10/2/2014 Oct 03, 2014

    Norm's off on location, so Will and Jeremy discuss the next version of Windows, Netflix's next batch of exclusive content, Paypal finally spinning off from Ebay, and Tesla unveiling the D. Enjoy!


    Episode 273 – Virtual Reality Reality – 9/25/2014 Sep 25, 2014

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy discuss the news from the Oculus Connect conference, first impressions of the iPhones 6 and 6 Plus, the new Kindles, Nvidia's new videocards, and more. Enjoy!


    Episode 272 – Norm's vs. Soylent – 9/18/2014 Sep 18, 2014

    This week, Will and Norm are joined by Veronica Belmont to discuss fine dining in Portland, the merits of drinking vinegar, the board and video games of XOXO, the sale of Minecraft to Microsoft, rumored (now confirmed) new Kindles, and the current status of Norm's large bowel. Enjoy!


    Episode 271 – Apple Logo Name – 9/11/2014 Sep 11, 2014

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy discuss the Moto X, the Moto 360, and Apple's announcement of the iPhone 6, Apple Pay, and the Apple Watch. Enjoy!


    Episode 270 – PAX Prime Report – 9/04/2014 Sep 04, 2014

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy discuss the latest news from IFA, the latest on Oculus and Samsung's VR goggles, and PAX Prime highlights, including IDARB, Lovers In a Dangerous Spacetime, and Keep Talking and No One Explodes. Enjoy!


    Episode 269 – I Felt the Earth Move – 8/28/2014 Aug 28, 2014

    As they prepare to leave for PAX Prime in Seattle, Will and Norm discuss the Napa earthquake, Amazon buying Twitch, living inside a hologram, and the biggest Kickstarter ever. All that, plus our PAX plans, what we're testing, and your questions answered. Enjoy!


    Episode 268 – Listener's Choice/Rumor Mill – 8/21/2014 Aug 21, 2014

    This week, Norm, Jeremy, and Will discuss Ballmer's big purchase, what we'd like to see from Windows 9, iPhone 6 rumors, sweet tea, foaming milk, and the hidden costs of ordering coffee from your phone.


    Episode 267 – Listener's Choice! – 8/7/2014 Aug 07, 2014

    This week, Will and Norm discuss topics of your choosing, including the Oculus DK2, ebola, Pokemon playing fish, and Vinny Caravella's voice acting work. Enjoy!


    Episode 266 – The Green Bathmat – 7/31/2014 Jul 31, 2014

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy discuss game subscriptions, Uber ratings, octocopters, 3D printing, the Oculus DK2, and Amazon's terrible Fire phone. Enjoy!


    Episode 265 – Jibo! Make Me a Sandwich – 7/17/2014 Jul 17, 2014

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy discuss big changes (and layoffs) at Microsoft, the hidden meaning of Satya Nadella's big memo, Aereo's attempts to become a cable company, cancelling Comcast, and the way we'd really use a domestic robot. Enjoy!


    Episode 264 – A Very Frank Conversation – 7/10/2014 Jul 10, 2014

    This week, Will and Norm are joined by Frank Ippolito to discuss the Oort Cloud, Google's smartwatch, Thunderbirds, Elon Musk, Microsoft's change of direction, and Martha Stewart. Enjoy!


    Episode 263 – That's No Moon – 6/26/2014 Jun 26, 2014

    This week, Will and Norm are joined by Dave Snider to discuss the news from Google's IO event (yeah, that was an astronomy joke), the end of Netflix's public API, China's solution to a delicate problem, and drone news! Enjoy!


    Episode 262 – Fire Pun – 6/19/2014 Jun 19, 2014

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy discuss the Kindle Fire phone, Adobe's first attempt at hardware, the return of the Nest Protect, and the correct pronunciation of GIF. Enjoy!


    Episode 261 – What Does a Panda Feel Like? – 6/12/2014 Jun 12, 2014

    This week, Will and Norm are joined by Veronica Belmont to discuss E3, the first Oculus-published VR game, Sony's new Morpheus demos, Control VR's finger tracking that actually works, safe panda handling, the world's first smart cup, and why the Turing test is bullshit. Enjoy!


    Episode 260 – Sweet and Creamy – 6/5/2014 Jun 05, 2014

    This week, Will, Norm, and special guest Jeremy Williams discuss Amazon's mystery event, Star Wars leaks, loosened Kickstarter restrictions, and all the news from WWDC. Enjoy!


    Episode 259 – Nothing But News – 5/29/2014 May 29, 2014

    This week, Will and Norm catch up on big MakerFaire news, Gary's big news, Apple's big news, Dre's big news, Google's big news, and Microsoft's big news. Enjoy!


    Episode 257 – The Problem With Basements – 5/15/2014 May 15, 2014

    This week, Loyd Case joins Will and Norm to discuss the latest on the PC front, AMD's move to ARM, the Parrot's Bebop quadcopter, Microsoft's change of heart, and Batman. Enjoy!


    Episode 256 – The Ethics of Flight – 05/08/2014 May 09, 2014

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy discuss Apple buying Beats, the politics of quadcopters, the FCC's current stance on net neutrality, and the next entry in the Mario Kart series. Enjoy!


    Episode 255 – Where's Lando? – 5/1/2014 May 01, 2014

    This week, Norm is once again joined by Jeremy to talk about the Atari ET game cartridge excavation, researching laser cutters, the future of human-computer interaction, and the casting for the new Star Wars film. We also take some listener questions and geek out about flying quadcopters.


    Episode 254 – Project Ara – 4/24/2014 Apr 24, 2014

    This week, Norm and Jeremy have a long chat about Google's Project Ara smartphone concept, Norm's trip to WonderCon, camera software tricks to approximate expensive hardware, and whatever happened to Norm's BitCoin.


    Episode 253 – Listener's Choice – 4/17/2014 Apr 17, 2014

    This week, Will is joined by very special guest Dave Snider to discuss a wide range of topics selected by the community, including our latest woodworking projects, dragons, mischief, Snoop Dogg, and the viability of kilts. All that and a whole lot more in this week's episode. Enjoy!


    Episode 252 – Tablets In the Bathroom – 4/10/2014 Apr 11, 2014

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy discuss Heartbleed, iPhone 6 rumors, Amazon's FireTV, Letterman retiring, and the one place Norm's iPad will never go. Enjoy!


    Episode 251 – The Podcast of Truth – 4/3/2014 Apr 03, 2014

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy discuss the continuing implications of the Oculus/Facebook purchase, Oculus hiring Michael Abrash, rearview cameras in cars, Roku's HDMI stick, Gmail's birthday, Liars day, and DIY traffic jams. We recorded before BUILD and the Amazon Fire TV announcement, so expect to see that next week.


    A Landmark Episode of This Is Only a Test – 3/27/2014 Mar 27, 2014

    Gary joins Will and Norm to celebrate a milestone, catch up on the last few months, and discuss the implications of Facebook buying Oculus. Enjoy!


    Episode 199f – Virtual Everything – 3/20/2014 Mar 21, 2014

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy discuss SXSW and GDC. Topics include Bitcoin, the second Oculus Rift devkit, Sony's Morpheus VR headset, CastAR's latest prototypes, the latest Steam Controller, Google's wearable computing platform, and more. We're also joined live by a very special guest. Enjoy!


    Episode 199d – Smashing Windows – 2/27/2014 Feb 28, 2014

    This week, Will and Norm discuss cooking with water baths, testing high speed cameras, the news from Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, and a whole lot more. Enjoy!


    Episode 199c – Recorded Before We Knew Whats App – 2/20/2014 Feb 20, 2014

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy Williams discuss the latest Apple rumors, Nvidia's new Maxwell architecture, the Comcast/Time-Warner merger, and router security. All that, plus what we've been testing, an update on Jeremy's Kickstarter project, and a whole lot more. Enjoy!


    Episode 199b – Bitcoin Explained – 2/13/2014 Feb 13, 2014

    This week, Will, Norm, and the Internet's Dave Snider discuss Valentine's Day, damming the Thames, playing flappy birds while flying, and Microsoft's first Android phone. All that, plus what we've been testing and your questions answered. Enjoy!


    Episode 199a – Woodworking Today – 2/6/2014 Feb 07, 2014

    This week, Will and Norm are joined by Dave Snider to discuss Microsoft's new CEO, the real reason John Carmack left id software, Facebook Paper, Flickr and Facebook's launch dates, and a whole lot more. Enjoy!


    Episode 199 – The Eurasian Beaver – 1/30/2014 Jan 30, 2014

    This week, Will, Norm, and special guest Jeremy Williams discuss the B-wing's legacy in Star Wars, the rise of the Eurasian beaver, the non-existence of black holes, the sale of Motorola by Google, and how to protect yourself online. All that, plus your questions answered, what we've been testing, and fake outtakes. Enjoy!


    Episode #198 – Robot Economists – 1/23/2014 Jan 23, 2014

    This week, Norm and Will are joined by the Internet's Dave Snider to discuss Netflix and net neutrality, supernovae and Stargate, and Candy Crush. All that, plus what we've been testing and reader questions. Enjoy!


    Episode 197 – Maybe We Won't Talk About Her – 1/16/2013 Jan 16, 2014

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy revisit all that CES had to offer, including an in-depth talk about the Oculus Crystal Cove prototype, the latest from Makerbot, the problem with UHD, the net neutrality situation, and SimCity's offline mode. All that, plus your questions answered and fake outtakes! Enjoy


    Episode 196 – CES 2014 – 1/9/2014 Jan 10, 2014

    On the first podcast of 2014, Will and Norm are joined by Nathan Edwards (of the Wirecutter and Tested's PC building column) to talk about the stuff they saw at CES. Topics include the latest Oculus prototype, the problem with curved TVs, and the real reasons you might want to equip a 3D printer with cocoa butter. Enjoy!


    Episode 195 – So Long, 2013! – 12/19/2013 Dec 20, 2013

    How did the year pass so quickly? For potentially the last podcast of 2013, Norm is joined by Wes and Jeremy to talk about robot telemarketers, Google's robotics ambitions, virtual reality, and China's historic landing on the Moon. We also discuss products we're testing, reveal a MAME machine project, and give a little preview of what to expect on Tested in 2014. Plus, predictions!


    Episode 194 – A Very Special Episode of TIOaT – 11/21/2013 Nov 22, 2013

    This week, Will and Norm are joined by Gary Whitta and Jeff Green. They discuss the Playstation 4, the last week of pre-Xbox One news, the rise of videogame streaming, the iPad Mini w/ Retina's display problems, Jeff's colonoscopy, and Oxford Dictionary's word of the year. All that, and a lot more nonsense on this week's show.


    Episode 193 – But Wait… – 11/14/2013 Nov 15, 2013

    This week, Will and Norm are joined by Loyd Case and Jeremy Williams to discuss the iPad Mini's stealth launch, the imminent launch of the Playstation 4, the nature of the word review, Yahoo's domain name sale, and Avegant's new retinal projector display. All that, plus hands on with the iPad Mini w/Retina, the Nexus 5, and Loyd's camera changeover.


    Episode 192 – The Duocast – 11/07/2013 Nov 07, 2013

    Apologies for the short show this week, but we barely managed to squeeze this in between other shoots this week. Topics discussed include iPad Air impressions, the Nexus 5, Android KitKat, the Surface 2, and JJ Abrams' new book S. Enjoy!


    Episode 191 – What Seems To Be the Problem, Officer? – 10/31/2013 Oct 31, 2013

    This week, Will, Norm, and Joey share stories of OCTOBERKAST 2013, then check in on the PlayStation 4, the iPad Air reviews, Motorola's modular phone, Google's updated Glass, Dell's stinky laptops, and the real problem with the Kutch. Enjoy!


    OCTOBERKAST 2013 – Part 8 – Jeff Gerstmann, Jeff Green, Vinny Caravella, Darren Gladstone Oct 27, 2013

    OCTOBERKAST 2013 concludes with The Closers. Join the final three hours of OCTOBERKAST 2013 for talk from Jeff Gerstmann, Jeff Green, Vinny Caravella, and Darren Gladstone! Also, some people eat a few spicy peppers. For donation info, visit OCTOBERKAST.com


    OCTOBERKAST 2013 – Part 7 – LEGO Build Off, Bill Doran, Jeff Gerstmann, Adam Savage Oct 27, 2013

    The KAST rolls on with a white-knuckle LEGO Build Off, Bill Doran Skypes in to chat, and we're joined in the studio by Adam Savage! For donation info, visit OCTOBERKAST.com


    OCTOBERKAST 2013 – Part 6 – Oculus Euro Truck Continues, Oculus Horror Begins Oct 27, 2013

    Will takes over for Norm in the Oculus Endurance challenge, and Oculus Horror, Presented by Patrick Klepek begins. For donation info, vist OCTOBERKAST.com.


    OCTOBERKAST 2013 – Part 5 – Giant Bomb's Alexis and Drew, Phil Broughton, Oculus Euro Truck Sim 2 Oct 27, 2013

    OCTOBERKAST 2013 marches on. After the halfway point, we're joined by Alexis and Drew from Giant Bomb, more physical violence occurs, Phil Broughton personally delivers a batch of Black Blood of the Earth, and we talk about pooping in Antarctica while Norm tries to drive a lorry in Euro Truck Sim 2 on the Oculus Rift.


    OCTOBERKAST 2013 – Part 4 – Veronica Belmont, Jake Rodkin and Chris Remo, Roberto Baldwin Oct 27, 2013

    Veronica Belmont stops by OCTOBERKAST 2013 to chat about books and slap Will, The Idle Thumbs come by and we discuss Internet history and videogames, and finally Wired's Roberto Baldwin starts the late shift at 11PM. The slappy-happy fun starts RIGHT HERE. For donation information, visit OCTOBERKAST.com.


    OCTOBERKAST 2013 – Part 3 – Carl Merriam, Brad Muir, Roger Chang Oct 27, 2013

    LEGO Builder Carl Merriam drops into OCTOBERKAST 2013 to talk bricks, DoubleFine's Brad Muir makes an appearance, and Revision 3 and East Meets West's Roger Chang takes a turn on the mic. For donation information, visit OCTOBERKAST.com.


    OCTOBERKAST 2013 – Part 2 – Colin Campbell, Jeremy Williams, Loyd Case Oct 27, 2013

    OCTOBERKAST 2013 marches on with Polygon's Colin Campbell, frequent This Is Only a Test guest and pinball aficionado Jeremy Williams, and board game geek Loyd Case. Witness the birth of SPACE ROCKS. For learn how to donate to our charities, visit OCTOBERKAST.com


    OCTOBERKAST 2013 – Part 1 – Intro, Brad Shoemaker, Dave Snider Oct 27, 2013

    The gang starts the show strong with the weeks tech news followed by a chat with the realest of the real people, Giant Bomb's Brad Shoemaker. Finally, Dave Snider drops to discuss stuff and things. To donate or learn more, visit OCTOBERKAST.com.


    Episode 190 – Before OCTOBERKAST – 10/24/2013 Oct 24, 2013

    In the first of many hours of podcasts this week, Will, Norm, and Wes discuss Tuesday's Apple announcement, including the launch of OSX Mavericks, the new Mac Pro, adding Haswell to the Retina MacBook Pro, the all-new iPad Air, and the updated Retina iPad Mini. Enjoy, and make sure you come back on Friday at noon Pacific for the first hour of OCTOBERKAST!


    Episode 189 – Toaster Ovens – 10/17/2013 Oct 17, 2013

    This week, Will, Norm, and Wes discuss iPad rumors, the Square Cash service, SpaceX Grasshopper's final flight, and the people who should upgrade to Windows 8.1 immediately. Enjoy!


    Episode 188 – Coconut Water – 10/10/2013 Oct 10, 2013

    This week, Will, Norm, and special guest Loyd Case discuss the Samsung Galaxy Gear, Nest's new smoke detector, AMD's new API, puffing guns, and HP's latest hardware. Oh, we also announce the date for OCTOBERKAST 2013. Enjoy!


    Episode 187 – Time Traveling – 10/3/2013 Oct 03, 2013

    This week, Will, Norm, and Jeremy discuss Valve's new game controller, making stuffed animals in space, the more-real-than-ever prospect of living on Mars, the Surface 2, and coping strategies for the distant future. Enjoy!


    Episode 186 – It's Still Baller – 9/26/2013 Sep 26, 2013

    This week, Will and Norm are joined by Jeremy Williams to discuss World Maker Faire in New York, puffed cereal, LEGO artwork, the iPhone 5s, new Kindle Fires, the Surface 2, and GTA V. Enjoy!


    Episode 185 – We're Leaving On a Jet Plane – 9/19/2013 Sep 19, 2013

    On this week's show, we discuss the launch of iOS 7, iPhone 5s and 5c reviews, Bing's new logo, Voyager 1 leaving the solar system, and answer reader mail. Enjoy!


    Episode 184 – This Year's iPhones – 9/12/2013 Sep 12, 2013

    On this week's episode, Will, Norm, and Gary discuss the new iPhones, iOS 7, the Vita TV, Intel's latest processor, and the politics of solar panels and electric cars. All that, plus the latest books Gary and Will are reading, and the announcement of OCTOBERKAST 2013! Enjoy!


    Episode 183 – Ode to Ballmer – 9/5/2013 Sep 05, 2013

    Jeremy Williams joins Will and Norm to discuss PAX Prime and Dragon*Con, Ballmer's departure, Microsoft's Nokia buy, Google Play as the new Android, smart watches, the Nintendo 2DS, and KitKats. Enjoy!


    Episode 182 – The Ragecast – 8/22/2013 Aug 23, 2013

    This week, Will, Norm, and Gary discuss topics designed to fill you with rage, including games, the PS4 and Xbox One, Saints Row IV, Google Glass, the NSA, Terrorism, Chelsea Manning, drones, and a whole lot more. Enjoy!


    Episode 181 – The HyperCast – 8/15/2013 Aug 15, 2013

    This week, Loyd Case joins the show to talk about the Hyperloop, the ineffable Xbox One, the release of Windows 8.1, and the FUTURE!


    Episode 180 – Explain Doctor Who – 8/8/2013 Aug 08, 2013

    Gary returns to explain the import of the selection of the 12th Doctor Who, Norm learns about the modern waterpark, and Will explores the zipper method. All that, plus the latest on Oculus VR, what's in the Xbox One box, Jeff Bezos and the Washington Post, and a $200 sous vide Kickstarter. Enjoy!


    Episode 179 – Listener's Choice – 8/1/2013 Aug 02, 2013

    On this week's episode, Will, Norm, and Wes discuss the new MotoX, Netflix profiling, Intel's answer to the Raspberry Pi, and Retina iPad Mini rumors. All that, plus questions from the audience and a whole lot more!


    This Is Only a Test #178 – We're Back – 7/25/2013 Jul 25, 2013

    This week, Will & Norm are joined by Jeremy Williams, to discuss Arduino programming, the new Nexus 7, Google's Chromecast, Xbox self-publishing, porn, and a whole lot more. Enjoy!


    Episode 177 – Norm Remembers – 7/18/2013 Jul 18, 2013

    Will, Norm, and Joey take to the road as they drive to Comic-Con 2013. Ride along with the guys as they sample road delicacies, and reminisce about Comic-Cons past, while they realize the horrible truth about the Con.


    Episode 176 – Baller Time – 7/11/2013 Jul 11, 2013

    This week, Will, Norm, and Wes remember Ryan Davis and talk about a bunch of nonsense.


    Episode 175 – Independence Day – 7/4/2013 Jul 04, 2013

    This week, Will and Norm discuss Don Mattrick, the Boxee Box and Samsung, the future of iWatches, and a whole lot more. Enjoy!


    Episode 174 – Cola is a Nut – 6/27/2013 Jun 27, 2013

    In this week's Microsoftastic episode, Will, Norm, and Wes discuss BUILD 2013, Microsoft's sudden change of heart surrounding Xbox One DRM, the truth about Windows 8.1, Tesla's charging solution, the Makerbot sale, the Ouya's launch, and a whole lot more. Enjoy!


    Episode 173 – Press Conference Apocalpyse – 6/13/2013 Jun 13, 2013

    This week, Will, Norm, and Loyd discuss PRISM, the next-gen console wars, the Playstation 4's price, wearing Google Glass, and the largest four-sided dice ever. Oh, also WWDC stuff, including new Mac Pros, new MacBook Airs, iOS 7, and OSX Sea Lion (Mavericks is a dumb name).


    Episode 172 – Put a Hat On It – 6/6/2013 Jun 06, 2013

    On this week's show, Norm regales the gang with tales of Switzerland, Gary regales the gang with tales of New York, and Will really nails the intro. All that, plus WWDC rumors, a handful of Computex announcements, Omni VR, the EFF's podcast patent troll fight, E3 preparations, and a whole lot more. If you're looking for the tech news, just skip ahead to the one hour mark.


    Episode 171 – Soft Gs For Everyone! – 5/23/2013 May 23, 2013

    This week, Will, Norm, Gary, and Brad discuss Bieber's monkey, pronunciation, HTC's woes, the new Flickr, and Yahoo's acquisition of Tumblr. That's it. Nothing else at all. Only those things, and absolutely nothing else.


    Episode 170 – Audio-Only Edition – 5/16/2013 May 17, 2013

    This week, Will, Norm, and Wes discuss Google I/O, Hangouts, Maps, Music, paid YouTube channels, the problem with Kepler, the Microsoft/Google brouhaha, and a whole lot more. We didn't do fake outtakes, but Norm did discuss the fall TV upfronts at length, so it's pretty much the same thing. Enjoy!


    Episode 169 – Jar Jar Binks Super Happy Facebook Adventure – 5/9/2013 May 09, 2013

    This week, Loyd Case joins Will and Norm to discuss Ray Harryhausen, the Windows 8.1 Start Button, 3D printed pistols, the end of Adobe Creative Suite, Intel's Haswell CPUs, and a whole mess of EA news. All that, plus what we're testing and questions from the readers. Enjoy!


    Episode 168 – On Carbonated Beverages – 5/2/2013 May 02, 2013

    This week, Wesley explains why Haswell is exciting, Will wonders why anyone thinks Mars One is possible, and Norm explains why Mountain Dew isn't a cola. All that, plus the latest on Netflix, Microsoft Surface, and Google Now on iOS.


    Episode 167 – Questions & Answers – 4/25/2013 Apr 25, 2013

    This week, Will and Norm discuss the SpaceX Grasshopper, the Antares rocket, Boston, and answer a heaping helping of your questions. Enjoy!


    Episode 166 – Lake Wobegon Is a Lie – 4/18/2013 Apr 19, 2013

    This week, Wes, Norm, and Will explore the problems with Minnesota public radio, the rash of new apps from Facebook, and the problem with CISPA. All that, plus reader questions, more on the Oculus Rift, the problem with the Surface Pro, and another edition of fake outtakes.


    Episode 165 – In the Shower – 4/11/2013 Apr 11, 2013

    This week, Will, Norm, and Wes discuss showerhead technology, Facebook Home, NAB, Google Fiber, and Roger Ebert. All that plus another edition of fake outtakes. Enjoy!


    Episode 164 – Will's Dead MacBook – 4/4/2013 Apr 04, 2013

    This week, Will and Norm discuss a good way to destroy a MacBook, the problem with forking browsers, LucasArts shutting down, the promise of Aereo, going eyes on with the Oculus VR, and Rdio's new video streaming service.


    Episode 163 – Vader Helmet – 3/28/2013 Mar 28, 2013

    This week, Will and Norm discuss the Oculus Rift some more, get clarification on the TF2 control modes, talk about T-Mobile's bold new strategy, and talk about 3D printed "guns".


    Episode 162 – Oculus Rifting – 3/21/2012 Mar 22, 2013

    Will and Norm discuss the death of Google Reader, good alternatives to the dying RSS service, the rash of Oculus Rift publicity, and Samsung's epically bad press conference.


    Episode 161 – Google Reader is Dead – 3/14/2013 Mar 14, 2013

    Gary joins Will and Norm this week, as they discuss SXSW, the Oculus Rift, the Xi3 Piston, the PlayStation 4, next Xbox rumors, and the triumphant return of fake outtakes.


    Episode 160 – TED Talking – 2/28/2013 Feb 28, 2013

    This week, Will and Norm talk about the TED conference, Mobile World Congress, Norm's new Canon 6D, and bottle warmers. Enjoy!


    Episode 159 – Where's Crash? – 2/22/2013 Feb 22, 2013

    On this week's (day late) show, Norm and Will discuss the PlayStation 4, the GeForce Titan, the HTC One, and the problem with vestigal organs. Enjoy!


    Episode 158 – Remember Me – 2/14/2013 Feb 15, 2013

    This week, Loyd Case joins Norm and Gary to talk next-gen console graphics, board game discoveries, and the controversy over New York Times' Tesla test failure. The gang also learns about the origins of the modern day telephone system and discusses virtual reality's potential. All that, plus another edition of fake outtakes.


    Episode 157 – Jeffrey Tambor's Moustache – 2/7/2013 Feb 07, 2013

    This week, Brad Shoemaker drops by to talk about the US Postal Service, switching back to iOS, the Boy Scouts, and Glee. All that, plus another edition of fake outtakes. Enjoy!


    Episode 156 – My Two Dads – 1/31/2013 Feb 01, 2013

    Will and Gary join Norm to talk about babies, sacs, Blackberry's new phones, quarterly report season, the future of Netflix, and a whole lot more. All that plus what we've been testing and a very hungry edition of fake outtakes.


    Episode 155 – Reveling in ExCES – 1/17/2013 Jan 17, 2013

    This week, Will, Norm, and Wes chat about the latest Facebook news, digest CES, and discuss the real problem with throwing up. All that, plus another episode of fake outtakes and Will uses a brand new mixer. Enjoy!


    Episode 154 – Solo Edition – 1/10/2013 Jan 11, 2013

    On this week's show, Will goes it alone to discuss the real problem with CES, why he doesn't like Smart TVs, why "smart" forks are dumb, the smartest products at CES, and a whole lot more. Enjoy and please, be kind.


    CES 2013 – Day 4 Recap Show – Now With Audio! Jan 11, 2013

    On the final day of CES, Norm is joined by Veronica Belmont and Patrick Norton of Tekzilla to talk about the best things they've seen at the show and the perils of shady Vegas hotels. Plus, ice skating! We close out CES with a whole lot of fun!


    CES 2013 – Day 3 Recap Show – Now With Audio! Jan 10, 2013

    Norm recaps the third day of CES 2013 with special guest Nathan Edwards from the Wirecutter. Norm and Nathan talk about Lenovo's new laptops, Razer's Edge tablet, and the PC Build Race. Thanks to Tested user Lee Costigan for cleaning up the audio on these enough that we could post them!


    CES 2013 – Day 2 Recap Show – Now With Audio! Jan 09, 2013

    Norm and special guests Roberto Baldwin and Christina Bonnington from Wired Gadget Lab discuss the new products and technologies they've seen from the show floor at CES 2013. Thanks to Tested user Lee Costigan for cleaning up the audio on these enough that we could post them!


    CES 2013 – Day 1 Recap Show – Now With Audio! Jan 08, 2013

    Join Norm and the Tested crew as they recap the first day of CES 2013 with special guests Florence Ion and Casey Johnston from Ars Technica. Topics include press conference announcements, 4K televisions, and 1080p smartphones. Thank to Tested user Lee Costigan for cleaning up the audio on these so we could post them!


    CES 2013 Day 0 Recap Show – Audio! Jan 06, 2013

    Thanks to the efforts of Tested user Lee Costigan, here's the first night of CES 2013 wrap up coverage, with Norman Chan, Wesley Fenlon, and Matt Braga. Thanks Lee!


    Episode 153 – Happy New Year! – 1/3/2013 Jan 03, 2013

    On this slow first news week of the year, Will and Norm discuss their holiday breaks, Windows 8 sales, Zipcar sales, the death of netbooks (and the PS2), and Bill Gates' kids' Christmas morning. Happy New Year!


    Episode 152 – Apocalypse When? – 12/20/2012 Dec 20, 2012

    On this week's episode, Will checks the door, Joey delays his gratification, and Norm ponders the true meaning of Christmas. All that, plus the Instagram TOS kerfuffle, Google dominating iOS, Twitter archives, the year in review, the problem with gift guides, and the final fake outtakes of the year.


    Episode 151 – Uncrossing the Feeds – 12/13/2012 Dec 13, 2012

    On this week's show, Norm gets a package, Wes doesn't say monitor enough, and Will insists on something silly. All that, plus the latest on the Tested redesign, Microsoft's problems, next-generation consoles, the most popular Google searches of the year, and another edition of fake outtakes.


    Episode 150 – Snuck In Under the Wire – 12/6/2012 Dec 06, 2012

    On this week's episode, Will gets some glue, Norm corrects an error, and Wes shares an imporrtant after-school lesson. All that, plus the latest on new iTunes, Kindle FreeTime Unlimited, the Wii U and Google Maps, and another episode of fake outtakes.


    Episode 149 – Max Headroom – 11/29/2012 Nov 29, 2012

    On this week's show, Will makes some adjustments, Gary goes virtual, and Norm steals a drink. All that, plus the latest on Black Friday sales, the morality of autonomous cars, the tough-to-buy Nexus 4, tea bagging, and a tepid edition of fake outtakes.


    Episode 148 – Happy Thanksgiving! – 11/21/2012 Nov 22, 2012

    On this week's show, Will gets an important savings tip, Gary learns what kids really want for Christmas, and Norm learns the true meaning of Black Friday. All that, plus the latest on OSX 10.9, Intel's CEO retirement, the Kin's failure, and another edition of fake outtakes. Enjoy!


    Episode 147 – Tips for Life – 11/15/2012 Nov 16, 2012

    On this week's show, Joey gets a big update, Will avoids uncomfortable situations, and Norm wants a sandwich. All that, plus the latest on Stephen Sinofsky, the Wii U's launch details, Nokia's mapping service, Motor Trend's Car of the Year and another edition of fake outtakes. Enjoy!


    Episode 146 – The Robotic Stranger – 11/8/2012 Nov 09, 2012

    On this week's episode, Will drinks coffee, Norm discusses a T-shirt, and Gary ponders the implications of the word dynasty. All that, plus the latest on Windows Phone 8 prices, the iPad Mini, Surface's Storage, Instagram's user profiles, and fake outtakes. Enjoy!


    OCTOBERKAST 2012 – Part 12 – Jason Cross, Patrick Klepek, The Exciting Conclusion! Nov 03, 2012

    Gary pulled out of OCTOBERKAST due to a sick child (don't worry, she's OK!), but Will and Norm soldier on. Jason Cross stayed on to bring us home, and we're joined by Patrick Klepek, who talks with us about horror movies and PC building. We do OCTOBERKAST every year to support Child's Play (http://www.childsplaycharity.org). To donate, go to http://octoberkast.chipin.com


    OCTOBERKAST 2012 – Part 11 – Loyd Case, Jason Cross Nov 02, 2012

    In this penultimate episode, Will, Norm, and Gary soldier on, while Loyd removes ALL of the boardgames from his magical bag of infinite holding. Jason Cross jumps into the 'kast to talk Windows 8.


    OCTOBERKAST 2012 – Part 10 – Jeff Green, Ryan Block Nov 02, 2012

    It turns out 24-hours is a long time. We discover that this hour, when Jeff Green shows a horrifying skill and talks about the legacy he wants to pass on to UC Berkeley students. Meanwhile, Ryan Block brings some amazing coffee and talks tech, while Norm, Will, and Gary muddle on.


    Episode 145 – Missing Mail -11/1/2012 Nov 02, 2012

    On this week's episode, Will walks out, Norm speaks directly to camera, and Gary is a giant douche. All that, plus the latest on Windows Phone 8, more Surface thoughts, the new Google Nexus tablet and phone, Star Wars going to Disney, and the most meta Would You Rather ever. Enjoy!


    OCTOBERKAST 2012 – Part 9 – Adam Savage, Jeff Green Nov 01, 2012

    Adam Savage joins OCTOBERKAST with 8 hours to go. We talk about sleep deprivation, Ambien abuse, Patton Oswalt's Halloween costume, and other things. Adam tags out and Jeff Green jumps in to discuss selling out. We do OCTOBERKAST every year to support Child's Play (http://www.childsplaycharity.org). To donate, go to http://octoberkast.chipin.com


    OCTOBERKAST 2012 – Part 8 – Jeff Gerstmann, Brad Shoemaker, Darren Gladstone Nov 01, 2012

    Something something OCTOBERKAST inevitable something something. Jeff Gerstmann and Brad Shoemaker charge on. Jeff describes an unsuccessful PR pitch, Brad eats a pork bun, Gary delivers a non sequiter, and Darren shares his home defense strategy.


    OCTOBERKAST 2012 – Part 7 – Bricked Conclusion, Jeff Gerstmann, Brad Shoemaker Oct 31, 2012

    After blowing by the halfway point, OCTOBKERAST is unstoppable. After the down-to-the-wire conclusion of our Mini-Bricked, Jeff Gerstmann stops by to discuss The Raid. Brad Shoemaker brings delicious pork buns. We do OCTOBERKAST every year to support Child's Play (childsplaycharity.org). It's not too late to donate! Go to our Chipin page at http://octoberkast.chipin.com.


    OCTOBERKAST 2012 – Part 6 – Patrick Norton, Drew Scanlon, Bricked Begins! Oct 30, 2012

    OCTOBERKAST 2012 can't stop 'til it's got enough. We're joined by Tekzilla's Patrick Norton and Giant Bomb's Drew Scanlon, where we continue talking about North Korea, airport security checkpoints, and the future of the future. BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE! Bricked makes its triumphant comeback, and for the first time ever, it's a fair competition. That's right, Norm and Will face off in the ultimate LEGO builders battle. Who will be victorious? Watch and see...


    OCTOBERKAST 2012 – Part 5 – Alexis Gallisa, Patrick Norton, Drew Scanlon Oct 30, 2012

    Nothing can stop the OCTOBERKAST. The crew soldiers on past 2AM with the help of Alexis Gallisa. Patrick Norton joins the 'KAST, then immediately throws his phone across the room, and Drew Scanlon regales us with tales from the Axis of Evil.


    OCTOBERKAST 2012 – Part 4 – Roberto Baldwin, Alexis Gallisá Oct 29, 2012

    OCTOBERKAST 2012 continues with Wired's Roberto Baldwin and Giant Bomb's Alexis Gallisá. We discuss the iPad Mini, and NCIS. Also Halloween costumes, the real problem with novelty candy bar flavors, and more. We do OCTOBERKAST every year to support . It's not too late to donate! Go to our .


    OCTOBERKAST 2012 – Part 3 – Scott Sorenson and Bill Doran Oct 29, 2012

    OCTOBERKAST 2012 marches on with Scott Sorenson, high-speed video expert and all around good dude. Bill Doran from Punished Props rounds out the 5th hour and talks about building props, as well as the fabulous Mass Effect 3 Paladin pistol he built for the auction. Witness the beginning of the descent into madness. We do OCTOBERKAST every year to support . It's not too late to donate! Go to our .


    OCTOBERKAST 2012 – Part 2 – The Idle Thumbs, Vinny Caravella Oct 29, 2012

    OCTOBERKAST 2012 continues with The Idle Thumbs. That's right, Jake Rodkin, Sean Vanaman, and Chris Remo come onboard to talk about the right price for T-shirts, KickStarter, under-desk racks, The Walking Dead, and The Cave. Then Vinny Caravella comes onboard to share terrifying child-rearing stories with the gang, and gently stroke his old equipment. We do OCTOBERKAST every year to support . It's not too late to donate! Go to our .


    OCTOBERKAST 2012 – Part 1 – Welcome to the Show, Roger Chang, Ryan Davis, Brad Muir Oct 28, 2012

    Thus begins OCTOBERKAST 2012. In the beginning of this 24-hour podcast spectacle, Will, Norm, and Gary talk about the Microsoft Surface RT, Windows 8, and OCTOBERKAST's past. Then we're joined by Revision 3's Roger Chang, Ryan Davis crashes the party, and finally we're joined by Brad Muir. We do OCTOBERKAST every year to support . It's not too late to donate! Go to our .


    Episode 144 – Things We've Lost – 10/18/2012 Oct 18, 2012

    On this week's episode, Will loses the thread, Norm loses his patience, and Gary explains why he loves the Bachelorette. All that, plus all the details on Microsoft's Surface RT, skydiving from the stratosphere, extrasolar planets, and fake outtakes. Enjoy!


    Episode 143 – Paint the Town – 10/11/2012 Oct 12, 2012

    On this week's show, Will has something in his beard, Joey's sittin' in a brand new chair, and Norm gets unusually excited. All that, plus the latest on the Redbull Stratos, Dragon's first real mission, LG making the next Google Nexus phone, and another episode of fake outtakes. Enjoy


    Episode 142 – OCTOBERKAST Announced! – 10/04/2012 Oct 04, 2012

    On this week's show, Norm shares his dining out strategy, Gary reveals a shameful secret, and Will questions the color of his phone. All that, plus the latest on the LEGO B-Wing, Curiosity's riverbed find, Microsoft Surface Phone rumors, and another edition of fake outtakes.


    Episode 141 – Live, From New York – 9/27/2012 Sep 27, 2012

    (Previously recorded) On this week's show, Norm gets bad walking directions, Will gets bad driving directions, and Wes gets no public transit directions. All that, plus the latest on the new Nook tablets, Hubble space photography, flying cars, and another edition of fake outtakes.


    Episode 140 – PodcastGate – 9/20/2012 Sep 21, 2012

    On this week's show, Norm stuffs envelopes, Gary gets carto-graphic, and Will doesn't want to go camping. All that, plus the latest on iOS 6, Wal-Mart vs. the Kindle, HTC's Windows Phone 8 phones, and another edition of fake outtakes.


    Episode 139 – The iPhone 5 Arrives – 9/13/2012 Sep 13, 2012

    On this week's episode, Norm calculates surface area, Will is crotchety, and Brad makes a big decision. All that, plus the latest on the iPhone 5, Amazon's new Kindle Paperwhite, Nokia gets caught cheating, Curiosity's Myspace pics, and another episode of fake outtakes. Enjoy!


    Episode 138 – Whitta Fever – 9/6/2012 Sep 06, 2012

    On this week's episode, Gary talks about airlocks, Norm fondles a tablet, and Will has to take a brief timeout. All that, plus the latest from Google, Motorola, Microsoft, Nokia, and fake outtakes. Enjoy!


    Episode 137 – The Highway – 8/30/2012 Aug 30, 2012

    On this week's episode, Norm claps his hands, Joey gets ready for a celebration, and Will preps for PAX. All that, plus the latest on the Apple vs. Samsung verdict, Sony and Samsung announce tons of products, Kepler finds a neat planet, and a whole lot more. Enjoy!


    Episode 136 – Explain the Internet – 8/23/2012 Aug 23, 2012

    On this week's show, Norm connects with dinosaurs, Wes makes a poignant observation, and Will forgets a name. All that, plus the latest on Nikon's Android camera, the problem with passwords, iPhone rumor rumors, AT&T vs. Facetime, and another episode of fake outtakes. Enjoy!


    Episode 135 – The Filet o' Fish Incident – 8/16/2012 Aug 16, 2012

    On this week's show, Joey is curious about Windows 8, Will enjoys the heat, and Norm tells a horrifying story. All that, plus Windows 8 RTM impressions, a Mars Curiosity update, Samsung's Galaxy Note 10.1, and another edition of fake outtakes. Enjoy!


    Episode 134 – Dudes Talkin' About Linen – 8/9/2012 Aug 10, 2012

    On this week's show, Joey gets tempurpedic, Will eats a donut, and Norm doesn't know how to properly use sheets. All that, plus the Curiosity Rover landing, the Apple/Amazon vulnerabilities, Best Buy going private, Steam selling stuff that isn't games, and another episode of fake outtakes. Enjoy!


    Episode 133 – Sittin' in Norman's Lap – 8/2/2012 Aug 03, 2012

    On this week's episode, Will drinks water, Norm gets grossed out, and Gary is broken. All that, plus the latest on the Oculus Rift, the Windows 8 RTM, the problem with Verizon's LTE service, and another edition of fake outtakes. Enjoy!


    Episode 132 – Wow, It's Late – 7/26/2012 Jul 27, 2012

    On this week's show, Norm strokes electronics, Will changes a camera, and a wild Brad appears. All that, plus the latest on the Nexus 7, the Sparrow sale to Google, Gabe Newell vs. Windows 8, meat, and another episode of fake outtakes. Enjoy!


    This is Only a Test 131 – Oversharing Inc. – 7/19/2012 Jul 20, 2012

    On this week's show, Norm grips a tablet, Joey reviews whisky, and Will makes soft grunting noises. All that, plus stories from Comic-Con 2012, Windows 8's general availability date, the problem with cyborgs, and another episode of fake outtakes.


    Episode 130 – SimCity Bus Rules – 7/12/2012 Jul 12, 2012

    On this week's episode, Will insists on answering a question, Norm says something he immediately regrets, and Joey talks about his time on a tour bus. All that, plus Tweetbot for OSX, our thoughts on Ouya, the right and wrong uses of Kickstarter, and another edition of fake outtakes.


    Episode 129 – After the Birth – 07/05/2012 Jul 06, 2012

    On this week's episode, Will enjoys the new office, Andy discards his dog sling, and Norm fears the fecal mist. All that, plus the latest on patents, Windows 8 pricing, next week's Comic-Con, and a sweaty edition of fake outtakes.


    Episode 128 – The Squirrel Suit – 6/28/2012 Jun 29, 2012

    On this week's episode, Gary doesn't like parties, Norm gets spherical, and Will revisits the past. All that, plus the latest from Google I/O, the Nexus Q, the Nexus 7, the Nexus 6, and a whole lot more. All that, plus the latest episode of fake outtakes!


    Episode 127 – Don't Say Jobsian – 6/21/2012 Jun 21, 2012

    On this week's episode, Gary becomes an optimist, Norm tries not to interrupt anyone, and Loyd brings some board games for show-and-tell. All that, plus an extensive discussion on Microsoft's big announcements on this very special edition of This is Only a Test!


    Episode 126 – Talkin' About Apple – 6/14/2012 Jun 14, 2012

    On this week's episode, Gary rents a pool, Norm looks into the future, and Will shares some photos. All that, plus the latest on the new MacBooks, iOS 6, OSX Mountain Lion, and another episode of fake outtakes.


    Episode 125 – We're Kind of Punchy – 6/7/2012 Jun 08, 2012

    On this week's episode, Norm is punchy, Gary ate a brownie, and Will is mostly out of frame. All that, plus everything we saw at E3, the future of Google Maps, AirTime, and another episode of fake outtakes. Enjoy!


    Episode 124 – Brought to You By Starbucks – 5/31/2012 Jun 01, 2012

    On this week's episode, Gary shares medical terminology, Norm is ambivalent about the Beatles, and Will peels a banana. All that, plus Windows 8 Release Preview, Facebook, RIM, Space X, and a whole lot more. Enjoy!


    Episode 123 – Adam Savage Edition – 5/27/2012 May 27, 2012

    On this week's show, Will doesn't connect his non sequiter, Norm gets excited about bridges, and Adam has a dangerous book. All that, plus our favorite Maker Faire 2012 projects, SpaceX's Dragon, the Golden Gate Bridge's 75th birthday, and Towel Day. Enjoy!


    Episode 122 – Don't Do the Dew – 5/24/2012 May 25, 2012

    On this week's episode, Chloe requests a toy, Norm checks some facts, and Will yells at the crows. All that, plus the latest on the Facebook IPO, Windows 8 news, SpaceX's Dragon launch, and a whole lot more. Enjoy!


    Episode 121 – Two Very Special Guests – 5/17/2012 May 18, 2012

    On this week's episode, Matt makes a Canadian joke, Wes gets lazy, and Norm admires strawberries. All that plus Microsoft's Signature, Verizon ditches unlimited data, Comcast raises its download limits, the latest on SNES emulation, Will and Norm visit Adam's workshop and another episode of fake outtakes.


    Episode 120 – Sandwich Lube – 05/10/2012 May 11, 2012

    On this week's show, Gary has a lie down, Will sees a hummingbird, and Norm explains the proper role of condiments. All that, plus the latest on film archival, the $99 Xbox, the new iPad 2, and another episode of fake outtakes.


    Episode 119 – Lick the Baby – 5/3/2012 May 03, 2012

    On this week's episode, Gary licks a baby, Will drinks iced coffee, and Norm gets very uncomfortable. All that, plus the Galaxy S III, Blackberry 10, and another episode of fake outtakes.


    Episode 118 – Space Bunnies vs. the World – 4/26/2012 Apr 26, 2012

    On this week's episode, Norm gets excited about asteroids, Brad fears the future, Will talks crazy, and Gary is a morning person. All that, plus the latest on Google Drive, mining asteroids, passive homes, and the security of the power grid.


    Episode 117 – A Voyage of Discovery – 4/19/2012 Apr 19, 2012

    On this week's adults-only show, Will continues his battle against the squirrels, Norm finds a VCR, and Gary answers a question. All that, plus your questions answered, the latest on Windows 8's official name, and another episode of fake outtakes.


    Episode 116 – Bloviating Squirrel – 4/12/2012 Apr 12, 2012

    On this week's episode, Gary gets ready for a journey, Norm dreams of Trek, and Will battles squirrels. All that, plus AOL's patents, the DOJ ebook lawsuit, the origin of orange, and another edition of fake outtakes. Enjoy!


    Episode 115 – Rwandan Coffee – 4/5/2012 Apr 05, 2012

    On this week's episode Will enjoys the sunshine, Gary cleans out his closet, and Norm gets ready for coffee nirvana. All that, plus Google's Project Glass, gravitational tractors, cavemen and fire, and fake outtakes. Enjoy!


    Episode 114 – 39 Minutes – 03/29/2012 Mar 30, 2012

    On this week's episode, Will doesn't like McDonalds, Gary loves James Cameron, and Norm has tricorder lust. All that, plus the Lumia 900 gets a release date, PlayStation 4 rumors, trolls go to jail, and fake outtakes!


    Episode 113 – Hunger Games – 3/22/2012 Mar 23, 2012

    On this week's show, Will makes iced coffee, Gary fails to restrain himself, and Norm gets really hungry. All that, plus new iPad impressions, the human birdwing hoax, your questions answered, and another episode of fake outtakes. Direct link to podcast here: http://files.tested.com/podcast/thisisonlyatest-113-20120322.mp3


    Episode 112 – Good News Everyone! – 3/15/2012 Mar 16, 2012

    On this week's episode, Will reveals a secret, Norm has a celebrity encounter, and Gary's mind is blown. All that, plus the latest on tree lobsters, eBooks and the DOJ, the iOS version of Sparrow, and homeless-powered hotspots! Enjoy!


    Episode 111 – Resolutionary *sigh* – 3/8/2012 Mar 08, 2012

    On this week's episode, Will gets hard boiled, Norm shows his full frame, Brad has questions, and Gary orders a new iPad. All that, plus the latest on the new iPad, the new Apple TV, Canon's 5D Mark 2, and another episode of fake outtakes.


    Episode 110 – L.E.A.H. – 3/1/2012 Mar 01, 2012

    On this week's episode, Will makes his triumphant return, Gary loves anti-nerd media, and Norm checks his email. All that, plus the latest on Mobile World Congress, Windows 8 Consumer Preview, next week's iPad event, and fake outtakes!


    Episode 109 – The Wrong Side of History – 02/23/2012 Feb 23, 2012

    On this week's episode, Gary hosts, Norm produces, and Jeff sits in to talk about the PS Vita. All that, plus Google's rumored goggles, OnLive Desktop, and another episode of fake outtakes.


    Episode 108 – Electric Fascism – 02/16/2012 Feb 17, 2012

    On this week's episode, Will mispronounces stuff, Gary loves fortified yoghurt, and Norm referees an intervention. All that, plus OS X Mountain Lion, Windows on ARM, and another episode of fake outtakes.


    Episode 107 – Animal Cracker – 2/9/2012 Feb 10, 2012

    On this week's episode, Will makes a bold declaration, Norm gets technical, and Gary shares a personal fantasy. All that, plus iPad 3 rumors, the latest news on Windows 8 for ARM, Chrome on Android, Steve Jobs' FBI file, and another episode of fake outtakes.


    Episode 106 – Groundhog Day – 02/02/2012 Feb 02, 2012

    On this week's show, Gary talks Constitutional Law, Will talks Lego sorting strategy, and Norm can't wait to shop at Penney's. All that, plus the latest on Windows Phone Apollo, the Facebook IPO, 24-bit audio, and another episode of fake outtakes!


    Episode 105 – The Fast and the Fourier – 01/26/2012 Jan 27, 2012

    On this week's episode, Loyd talks board games, Brad makes a joke, and Norm brings in late-breaking news. All that, plus Apple has a good quarter, Xbox video problems, the issues with ultrabooks, Makerbot breakthroughs, a 6x speed next Xbox, and another episode of fake outtakes.


    Episode 103 – The Amazing Test? – 01/19/2012 Jan 20, 2012

    On this week's episode, Norm opens a package, Gary puts things in order, and Will gets ultra-violent. All that, plus the latest on Kodak's bankruptcy, the SOPA/PIPA protests, the unveiling of The Amazing Test, and another episode of fake outtakes.


    Episode 103 – Leaving Las Vegas – 1/12/2012 Jan 13, 2012

    On tonight's episode, Gary beats the house, Will gets emotional, and Norm wears dumb fake hipster glasses. All that, plus heads up displays, Razer's PC gaming tablet, the Tesla S, a waterproof Kleenex, the latest from Makerbot, and a whole lot more. Enjoy


    Episode 102 – We Brought the Hammer – 01/11/2012 Jan 12, 2012

    On this evening's show, Gary makes a brief appearance, Norm whips out a ball peen hammer, and Will is speechless. All that, plus Toshiba's 4k TV, Sharp's 8K TV, Lenovo's SmartTV, and Samsung's TV window on another action-packed edition of This is Only a Test.


    Episode 101 – No Compromises – 01/10/2012 Jan 11, 2012

    On tonight's episode, Will loves upscaling, Norm covets a Vita, and Gary goes on an adventure. All that, plus the latest from Sony and Samsung at CES, the next iCade, fake outtakes, and a whole lot more.


    Episode 100 – CES Day 0 – Mistakes Were Made – 1/09/2012 Jan 10, 2012

    On this episode, Will makes a startling revelation, Norm tells a loooooong story, and Gary faces an impossible choice. All that, plus the latest on CES press conferences from LG, Sharp, Intel, Samsung, Panasonic, Nokia, Microsoft, Sony, and the worst-ever edition of fake outtakes. Enjoy!


    Episode 99 – Kodachrome – 01/05/2012 Jan 06, 2012

    On this week's episode, Norm is ready for CES, Will is waiting for Ivy Bridge, and Gary has a surprise on the way. All that, plus Matt and Wes stop by to talk Consumer Electronics Show, the latest on the new Roku stick, next-generation Wi-Fi, even more AppleTV rumors, and even more fake outtakes. Enjoy!


    Test podcast to bump iTunes feed. Do not listen! Jan 03, 2012

    This is Tested music made by listener Vetterli. I apologize in advance.


    Episode 98 – Keeping Mall Santas Accountable – 12/29/2011 Dec 30, 2011

    On this week's episode, Gary talks Holiday loot, Norm visits crazy town, and Will is trapped in a box. All that, and the gang recaps the tech successes and failures of 2011, and makes bold predictions for what'll happen in 2012. Plus, no fake outtakes. It's the last podcast of the year!


    Episode 97 – For the Rest of Us – 12/22/2011 Dec 23, 2011

    On this week's episode, Gary dreams of a December to remember, Will reports from the South, and Norm hosts a podcast. All that, plus the latest on AT&T's failed T-Mobile merger, the downfall of CES, Kindle Fire's patch, new video cards, holiday plans, and another edition of fake outtakes. Wes also guests on what could be the last Tested podcast of 2011!


    Episode 96 – Listener's Choice! – 12/15/2011 Dec 15, 2011

    On this week's episode, Gary goes on a rant, Will shares a dream, and Norm hates comic sans. All that, plus the latest on the Windows 8 App Store, the new Xbox interface, Louis CK's video sale, last-minute gifts, and another edition of fake outtakes.


    Episode 95 – Dire Straits Hate – 12/08/2011 Dec 08, 2011

    On this week's episode, Will admits owning a fake tree, Gary fondles a Lumia, and Norm talks hair care. All that, plus the latest on Android lag, the real problems with iOS, Firefox's problems, Kindle Fire usability issues, and another edition of fake outtakes. Enjoy!


    Episode 94 – Stuffing All Year 'Round – 12/1/2011 Dec 01, 2011

    On this week's episode, Norm expresses his love of stuffing, Gary expresses his love of stuffing, and Will expresses his love of stuffing. All that, plus the latest on the AT&T/T-Mobile merger, the latest on Carrier IQ, problems with Siri, and another episode of fake outtakes.


    Episode 93 – Talkin' Turkey About Tech – 11/23/2011 Nov 23, 2011

    On this week's episode, Norm checks facts, Will details turkey prep, and Gary makes his triumphant return. All that, plus the latest on the Kindle Fire, Kindle Touch, Nook Tablet, and fake outtakes!


    Episode 92 – I'm Just a Bill – 11/17/2011 Nov 17, 2011

    On this week's show, Norm defends his choices, Will has the sniffles, and Loyd gets serious about flashlights. All that, plus the latest on Internet censorship, Google Music leaves beta, Sandy Bridge Extreme, and another edition of fake outtakes.


    Episode 91 – Imagine a Toilet – 11/10/2011 Nov 10, 2011

    On this week's episode, Will shares haunting tales from his youth, Norm learns the truth about apple butter, and Brad asks a pertinent question. All that, plus the death of mobile Flash, the latest on the Nook Tablet, what's up with Tegra 3, and another edition of fake outtakes.


    Episode 90 – We've Gone the Plaid – 11/3/2011 Nov 03, 2011

    On this weeks Listener's Choice show, Will does a barrel roll, Gary expresses confidence in his decisions, and Norm experiences a magical moment. All that, plus the latest on HP's PC division, Amazon opens a lending library, the iOS 5 patch is coming, Google TV is updated, and another episode of fake outtakes!


    Episode 89 – There is No Apple Television – 10/27/2011 Oct 28, 2011

    This week, Gary commits a faux pas, Norm wears a T-shirt, Will insults the Finnish, and Loyd classes the joint up. All that, plus the latest on Nokia's Windows Phone 7 phones, Apple television rumors, and fake outtakes!


    Episode 88 – Miles Per Hour – 10/20/2011 Oct 20, 2011

    On this week's episode, Will has trouble with the latest Nexus' name, Gary reminisces about OCTOBERKAST, and Norm has problems with Wi-Fi. All that, plus the latest on Motorola's Droid RAZR, the Samsung's Galaxy Nexus, the Ice Cream Sandwich announcement, and another edition of fake outtakes. Enjoy!


    OCTOBERKAST #11 – Enter Chloe Bananas – 10/15/2011 Oct 19, 2011

    In our final segment, Jeff Gerstmann and Darren Gladstone swing by and have a surprisingly serious conversation about the games industry, games journalism, and other serious business. Then Chloe shows up and the whole thing goes to shit. Most importantly, we raised $50,000 for Child's Play, which is AMAZING! Thanks for listening, donating, and supporting OCTOBERKAST! We'll see you guys next year!


    OCTOBERKAST #10 – In Which We Fully Appreciate the Implications of the Word Penultimate – 10/15/2011 Oct 18, 2011

    With four hours to go, our intrepid heroes take calls, experiment with vitamin B12, and get jacked up on Red Bull. I'm pretty sure Rorie and Jeff appear at some point, as well.


    OCTOBERKAST #9 – Lessons Learned at 6AM – 10/15/2011 Oct 18, 2011

    I'll be perfectly frank. I don't remember a single thing that happened during this episode. The sun came up and we might have announced OCTOBERKAST 2012. Gary marvels at the technological marvel that is the telephone. Will rants hard. Pretty sure Wes and Lucas stopped by too!


    OCTOBERKAST #8 – Bob's Donuts – 10/15/2011 Oct 18, 2011

    It's late and things are getting unruly. Robbie Baldwin continues, Dave Snider gets loopier, Gary can't pronounce "adjective," and Patrick Norton brings donuts then takes a turn at Mad Libs to help the KAST power through the wee hours.


    OCTOBERKAST #7 – After Midnight – 10/15/2011 Oct 17, 2011

    Chaos continues to reign as we cross the halfway point. Patrick Klepek is there, drunk people are around. Dave and Norm quaff Black Blood of the Earth, and I'm pretty sure Dave sees a dragon in this episode. Alexis suddenly disappears and Robbie Baldwin talks about Area 51. Static clears up about 10 minutes in.


    OCTOBERKAST #6 – Yeah, You Can Curse Here – 10/14/2011 Oct 17, 2011

    Will, Norm, Gary, and Patrick are joined by Tekzilla's Veronica Belmont, who leads off with a seemingly innocent question. Then Brad Shoemaker takes a seat, Dave's sister Karen makes an appearance, and things are poised to get Double Fine.


    OCTOBERKAST #5 – Chaos. Pure Chaos – 10/14/2011 Oct 17, 2011

    Dan Stapleton leads off this episode, but it quickly gets chaotic. Maybe Patrick Klepek was here? Pretty sure Gordon Mah Ung was around. Things happened for sure. Oh shit, Ryan's coming over.


    OCTOBERKAST #4 – Enter the Dragon – 10/14/2011 Oct 17, 2011

    Jeff Green swings by OCTOBERKAST to talk about elevators, birthdays, and unicorns. Gordon Mah Ung swings by to troll Gary, and Dan Stapleton doesn't speak Spanish.


    OCTOBERKAST #3 – Everything is Made of Poop – 10/14/2011 Oct 16, 2011

    On this section of the Octoberkast, Jeff Gerstmann, Ryan Davis, and Patrick Klepek announce the game that will be in the next Giant Bomb Endurance Run and Roger Chang talk Star Trek plumbing. Yeah, that's right.


    OCTOBERKAST #2 – Board Games and Ultrabooks – 10/14/2011 Oct 16, 2011

    Hour 3 of Octoberkast starts with Loyd Case talking about the intersection between board games and technology, then PC World's Jason Cross brings Acer's first ultrabook by for a test spin.


    OCTOBERKAST #1 – Kicking Off With Colin Campbell – 10/14/2011 Oct 16, 2011

    We start the show with a whimper, restart it, and then Colin Campbell joins us. iPhone 4Ses arrive, and Will lovingly strokes his box. Yeah, that's right. Box stroking.


    Episode 87 – 1955-2011 – 10/6/2011 Oct 06, 2011

    On a somewhat somber episode, Will, Norm, Gary, and Brad talk about the legacy of Steve Jobs, the new iPod updates, iPhone 4S, Siri, the end of the Zune HD, TV on Xbox, and the state of PC gaming.


    Episode 86 – Like a Samurai – 9/29/2011 Sep 29, 2011

    On this week's episode, Will complains about analog metaphors, Norm wonders if there's ever a bad time to Tweet, Alexis explains the ins and outs of wiki design, and Matt describes a Canadian bus ride. All that, plus WinPho 7 Mango finally appears, iPhone 5 rumors, the TiVo Premiere Elite appears, wireless networks that monitor your breathing, and another edition of fake outtakes.


    Episode 85 – On Ethical Grounds – 9/22/2011 Sep 22, 2011

    On this week's episode Norm expresses disdain for the new Facebook changes, Will regales the gang with tales of his childhood road trips, and Gary expresses his love of coffee. All that, plus Google+ going public, the big Netflix split, HP's got a new CEO, Apple's having a party, and another edition of fake outtakes. Enjoy!


    Episode 84 – Poison Ivy Bridge – 9/15/2011 Sep 15, 2011

    On this week's show, Will encourages restraint when it comes to Windows 8, Norm gets really excited about IDF, and Gary explains Monster Hunter to us all. All that, plus hands on time with Windows 8, all the next-gen processor news from IDF, golden cartridges, the Nintendo slidepad, the latest on Mango, and another edition of fake outtakes.


    Episode 83 – Synchronize the Kicks – 9/8/2011 Sep 08, 2011

    On this week's show, Gary declares Amazon's Android tablet the winner of holiday 2011, Norm explains how laser headlights work, and Will geeks out on Bull Mountain. All that, plus the latest on $300 Android tablets, Atari's answer to the iCade, iPhone 5 rumors, a display expert weighs in on 3DTVs and another episode of fake outtakes.


    Episode 82 – Rise of the Seven-Incher – 9/1/2011 Sep 02, 2011

    On this week's episode Norm loves Windows 8 news, Gary loses his iPhone, and Will battles a sack of imaginary raccoons. All that, plus the latest on the DOJ's suit stopping the AT&T/T-Mobile merger, Lenovo and Toshiba unveil the first round of ultrabooks, Samsung pulls the wraps off of two new tablets, the problem with HTC's Jetstream, and another episode of fake outtakes. Enjoy!


    Episode 81 – So, We Went to Pax – 8/30/2011 Aug 31, 2011

    On this week's show, Norm answers an unanswerable question, Gary is afraid of ducks, and Will talks really really fast. All that, plus what we tested at PAX and another episode of fake outtakes. This show is dedicated to Theros the Enforcer and @Rufo, without whom it wouldn't exist. Enjoy!


    Episode 80 – Not the Best Week to Record Early – 8/25/2011 Aug 25, 2011

    On this week's episode, we don't talk about Steve Jobs resigning from Apple because we recorded it on Wednesday morning due to PAX. We'll talk about Steve on this Sunday's episode, at PAX. I promise. On this show, we talked about the TouchPad firesale, Sony's S1, Rdio's family plan, Sonic.Net's fiber service at Stanford, and a whole lot more. We also had fake outtakes. Sorry again that we missed the Apple thing.


    Episode 79 – 48 Days Later – 8/18/2011 Aug 19, 2011

    On the biggest news week ever, Gary talks about saving money at the grocery, Will explains the problem with storage units, and Norm smuggles booze into a concert. All that, plus HP kills WebOS, Google buys Motorola, a new way for AT&T to screw you, fake outtakes, and a whole lot more!


    Episode 78 – All-American Edition – 8/11/2011 Aug 11, 2011

    On this week's Listener's Choice episode, Will expounds on the merits of sliced pork sandwiches, Norm explains the meaning of rolled up sleeves, and first-time podcastee Wes Fenlon tells the straight truth about Atlanta. All that, plus the latest on the HP TouchPad price drop, the inside story on the Kindle Cloud Reader, the problem with paper receipts, developers complaints about the Amazon App Store, and another episode of fake outtakes. Enjoy!


    Episode 77 – Gary's Back – 8/4/2011 Aug 05, 2011

    On this week's episode, Gary gives a lesson about balls, Norm does a live test of the MacBook Air's battery, and Will desperately tries to keep the show on track. All that, plus the latest on the new BlackBerries, HBO Go on consoles, AppleTV's new streaming capabilities, the problem with Instagram, and fake outtakes.


    Episode 76 – Case Closed – 07/28/2011 Jul 28, 2011

    On this week's episode, Will shares some surprising truths about Netflix streaming, Norm criticizes last week's BMW-cast, and special guest Loyd Case dishes the RAW truth. All that, plus the latest on the Nintendo 3DS price drop, Windows Phone 7 Mango being released to manufacturing, the latest on smartphone market share, and another fascinating edition of fake outtakes. Enjoy!


    Episode 75 – Beards of Chisago County – 7/21/2011 Jul 21, 2011

    On this week's episode, Matt espouses the benefits of robotic arms, Will expresses his deep and abiding love of Mission Control, and a special guest talks smack about going all natural. All that, plus the latest on OS X Lion, the new MacBook Air, the benefits of docking stations, and another episode of fake outtakes.


    Episode 74 – Before the Fortress – 7/14/2011 Jul 15, 2011

    On this week's episode, Norm is disappointed by Apple, Will gets ready to play some games, and Matt mis-pronounces a common word. All that, plus the latest on Spotify in the US, Netflix's price change, AT&T's LTE service, Windows 8 and Xbox games, Amazon's Android tablet, and another resplendent episode of fake outtakes. Enjoy!


    Episode 73 – Enter Braga – 7/7/2011 Jul 07, 2011

    On this week's episode, Matt shares a fondness for ethnic potato chips, Norm shares his secret dream with the world, Gary goes in search of the perfect public restroom, and Will kvetches about his Internet service. All that, plus the news about Facebook's video chat service, more on Google Plus, the latest Apple rumors, and another fantastic edition of fake outtakes! Enjoy!


    Episode 72 – Meet Geraldine – 6/30/2011 Jul 01, 2011

    On this week's episode, Norm builds a Makerbot Thing-o-Matic, Will checks in with the arborist, Gary shares a pro-tip and Ana is impressed by Google+. All that, plus the full scoop on the MySpace sale, the launch of Google+, the early HP TouchPad reviews, the upcoming Roku boxes, and a whole lot more on this action packed edition of This is Only a Test. Also, fake outtakes.


    Episode 71 – The Tree Always Wins – 6/23/2011 Jun 23, 2011

    On this very special Listener's Choice episode, Will battles a tree and loses, Norm discusses freezing his jeans, and Gary lists his favorite Vegas buffet. All that, plus the possible Hulu sale, the Nokia N9 and Windows Phone 7 phones, Apple television rumors, Google vs. the FTC, US patent number 7,966,578, and another scintillating episode of fake outtakes.


    Episode 70 – Rise of the Erogenous Cloud – 6/16/2011 Jun 17, 2011

    On this week's episode Gary imagines what happens after the Singularity, Norm explores an exclusive Venn diagram, Ana expresses meme expertise, and Will walks Gary through iOS 5. All that, plus the latest news on the new Kinect SDK, Google's Instant Pages, iPad HD rumors, the successor to the Logitech MX518, TiVo's newest DVR, and another edition of fake outtakes. Enjoy!


    Episode 69 – The Perfect Podcast Storm – 6/9/2011 Jun 10, 2011

    This week, Gary plays golf with Wil Wheaton, Norm expresses his love for the Wii U, and Will declares himself ruler of all he surveys. Plus, the latest on Windows 8, the Sony Vita, the state of the 3DS, iOS 5, OS X Lion, iCloud, the new Xbox interface, and another edition of fake outtakes on this week's extra-long episode of This is Only a Test.


    Episode 68 – Dueling Conferences – 6/2/2011 Jun 02, 2011

    On this week's episode, Norm reveals a social blind spot, Gary wears a boring shirt, and Will loses his cool. All that, plus the latest talk from D9, Computex, the Tabfone, grilled cheese sandwiches, Google's social failings, WWDC keynote speculation, and another edition of fake outtakes, on this week's This is Only a Test.


    Episode 67 – Gary's Kirk-Shirt – 5/26/2011 May 27, 2011

    On this week's episode, Matt joins the gang to talk Mango, Gary is confused by the proliferation of Android-powered devices, Norm explains the problems with Mac malware, and Will imagines the grocery store of the future. All that, plus Google's cell phone payment methods, the latest on the Nook and Kobo e-readers, and another scintillating edition of fake outtakes on this weeks episode of This is Only a Test!


    Episode 66 – The Podcast Before the Apocalypse – 5/19/2011 May 19, 2011

    On this week's episode Norman is glad he skipped the iPad 2, Gary marvels at Netflix's dominance over piracy, and Will wonders why anyone watches Stargate. All that, plus the latest on Windows Phone 7, Amazonian tablet rumors, the problem with meaningless specs and another edition of fake outtakes. All that in this value packed edition of This is Only a Test!


    Episode 65 – Everything Is Content – 5/12/2011 May 13, 2011

    On this week's show, Gary complains about retcons, Will gets cranked up about Chromebooks, and Norm has no idea why Microsoft bought Skype for eight BILLION dollars. All that, plus the latest from Google I/O on Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich, and ChromeOS and a heaping serving of fake outtakes on this weeks episode of This is Only a Test.


    Episode 64 – Insert Timely Reference – 5/4/2011 May 04, 2011

    On this week's episode, Norm expresses his feelings for the BlackBerry PlayBook, Will discusses the difference between Netflix and Comcast, and Gary wears an offensive T-shirt. All that, plus the future of the desktop PC, the problem with HTPCs, the weird and uncomfortable Hasbro My3D, and another edition of fake outtakes on this week's episode of This is Only a Test.


    Episode 63 – Tastes a Bit Nutty – 4/27/2011 Apr 27, 2011

    On this week's episode, Gary expresses disdain for the white iPhone, Norman goes deep with the BlackBerry PlayBook, and Will expresses his love of iced coffee. Plus, newly-minted Giant Bomber Patrick Klepek takes the guest seat to talk about Sony's PSN problems, your questions answered, and fake outtakes on this week's magical episode of This is Only a Test.


    Episode 62 – Beyond the Cave of the Podcasts – 4/21/2011 Apr 23, 2011

    This week, Will, Norm, and Gary take the show LIVE. They welcome Top Man Andy McCurdy to talk about Amazon's web hosting failure. Norm shares the best way to eat Corn Flakes, Will talks about the Frosted Mini-Wheat genocide, and Gary rants about fascism. All that, plus hands on with the BlackBerry PlayBook, the latest Wii HD rumors, the death of the PSP Go, and fake outtakes.


    Episode 61 – Enter, McGriddle – 4/13/2011 Apr 14, 2011

    In this week's wide-ranging episode, Gary wonders what's up with Windows 8, Norm searches for the perfect Portal 2 buddy, and Will invents a new verb. All that, plus the latest news from Microsoft's MIX conference, ad-supported Kindles, and fake outtakes.


    Episode 60 – Real Men and Pocket Discomfort – 4/6/2011 Apr 06, 2011

    This week, Norm confronts his Internet anxiety, Gary lauds Google for making tough decisions, and Will discusses the downsides of spicy food. All that, plus Google retaking control of Android, a tetherless jailbreak for iOS 4.3.1, fake outtakes, and a whole lot more.


    Episode 59 – Mission to Mars – 3/31/2011 Mar 31, 2011

    This week the Tested gang talks about iPhone 5 rumors, Amazon's CloudMusic service, the Nintendo 3DS, Acer's insane dual-screen notebook, and Garrison Keillor. All that plus fake outtakes and Will singing showtunes on this week's episode of This is Only a Test.


    Episode 58 – The Message Came From Inside the Plane – 3/24/2011 Mar 25, 2011

    This week, Norm recounts his adventures with tablets at CTIA, Gary talks about the real price of fanboyism, and Will shares an anecdote from his childhood. All that, plus fake outtakes and talk about the all the latest Honeycomb tablets.


    Episode 57 – Friendship is Magic – 3/17/2011 Mar 17, 2011

    This week Norm, Gary, and Will talk about their early impressions of the iPad 2, the Zune's demise, the New York Times paywall, Jeff's PC build, and My Little Pony. All that, plus fake outtakes and a whole lot more on this week's episode of This is Only a Test.


    Episode 56 – Whitta Strikes Back – 3/9/2011 Mar 10, 2011

    This week, Norm and Will help Gary get caught up on the last few week's tech news, talk iPad 2 plans, wrap up GDC news. Plus the Radeon 6990, Chrome 10, Viewsonic's dual-booting tablet, and bullshit iOS apps.


    Episode 55 – The iPad 2 and Other, Less Important Things – 3/2/2011 Mar 03, 2011

    With the iPad 2 announcement behind us, the Norm, Matt, and Will talk about the second coming of the Apple tablet, plus the early word from GDC, Battlefield 3, the Nintendo 3DS, and the latest on OS X Lion on this week's episode!


    Episode 54 – You Can't Buy That In Canada – 2/24/2011 Feb 25, 2011

    Another week of wonderful things hits, and the gang talks about the hot new Android gear from Motorola (the Atrix and Xoom), plus Apple's updated MacBook Pro line, Intel's Thunderbolt tech, the imminent iPad 2 announcement, and Windows 7 Service Pack 1. All that, plus fake outtakes on this week's episode of This is Only a Test!


    Episode 53 – We're Not in Barcelona – 2/17/2010 Feb 18, 2011

    The WAN crew talks about all the hot news from Mobile World Congress, including the latest on Honeycomb tablets, the next generation of Android phones, the Nokia/Microsoft deal, and HTC's Facebook phone. All that, plus the latest iPhone 5 rumors, Watson on Jeopardy, and Sony's response to the PS3 hack on this week's episode!


    Episode 52 – Delicious Eagle Sandwich – 2/9/2011 Feb 10, 2011

    Enjoy the full WANG-cast, where we talk about HP's new lineup of tablets and phones, more iPad 2 rumors, the problems with uncurated app stores, and the infamous Nokia letter. All that, plus fake outtakes on this week's episode!


    Episode 51 – Meet the Controversacast – 2/3/2011 Feb 04, 2011

    This week, the WAN gang talk about the Google/Bing feud, Google's Honeycomb announcement, web-based Android market, Chrome 9, Verizon's iPhone, the Apple/Sony brouhaha, and a whole lot more, on this week's episode of This is Only a Test.


    Episode 50 – SKULLTRAIL! – 1/27/2011 Jan 27, 2011

    This week Will, Norm, and Gary are joined by a special guest to talk about Sony and Nintendo's next-gen handheld consoles, handicap the 3DS and NGP's chances, and talk about how they'll affect phone gaming. All that, plus Nvidia's latest GeForce, reader questions, and fake outtakes on this week's edition of This is Only a Test


    Episode 49 – The REAL Problem with Dyson Spheres – 1/20/2011 Jan 21, 2011

    This week, the gang talks about the future of Apple, the iPad 2, HP's WebOS tablets, price and date for the Nintendo 3DS, the saga of the Samsung Galaxy S phones, and exciting news about Google Voice. All that, plus fake outtakes on this week's episode.


    Episode 48 – Parole Set for 2/10 – 1/12/2011 Jan 13, 2011

    The power trio shuts the door on CES before talking about the Verizon iPhone, Google dropping H.264 from Chrome, Intel and Nvidia burying the hatchet, and the rise of the Mac App Store. All that, plus fake outtakes and reader Q&A on this week's episode.


    Episode 47 – Last Night In Vegas – 1/9/2011 Jan 09, 2011

    Will, Norm, Matt, and Gary wrap up the CES experience with a look back on the show, talk about the Motorola Atrix, Vizio 3DTVs, the Razer Hydra, and Norm shoots a Taser--plus a special edition of the Tested Mailbag.


    Episode 46 – The Best Vegas Podcast Ever – 1/8/2011 Jan 08, 2011

    On today's show, the gang stays remarkably on focus talking about CES with minimal off-topicness. Lots of talk for glasses-free 3D, Sony's Geordi LaForge goggles, booth tours with the big TV manufacturers, Internet connected TVs, and the latest Verizon iPhone rumors. Enjoy! (This podcast was originally recorded during the 1/7/2011 CES livestream)


    Episode 45 – Late Night From Las Vegas – 1/7/2011 Jan 07, 2011

    On tonight's special CES spectacular, Will, Norm, Ana, and Matt are joined by Gary Whitta and special guest Kristen Salvatore to talk about the problem with 3D TVs, the pros and cons of Android tablets and the Blackberry Playbook, apps on TVs, all the stuff Norm and Will saw today, and the real reason Reese unveiled their latest chocolate and peanut butter confection at CES. Enjoy! (This is an audio version of the live stream from 1/6/2011)


    Episode 44 – Welcome to the CESpool – 1/6/201 Jan 06, 2011

    In the first of our nightly CES podcast/live video streams, Will, Norm, Matt, and pretty much everyone else here talk about the day's press conferences, including info from LG, Intel, Nvidia, Samsung, Lenovo, Panasonic, and Microsoft. Also, Norm tells a story three times, because the stream kept dropping. (This is the audio-only archive of the 1/5/2010 late night live stream)


    Episode 43 – The SARS Mask Cast – 12/30/2010 Dec 30, 2010

    This week, the gang talks about their holidays, their favorite technologies of the year, and the biggest stories in tech for 2010. All that, plus fake outtakes, CES preparations, Norm and Gary's gambling problem, and a live unboxing of something kind of awesome on this week's episode of This is Only a Test. Enjoy!


    Episode 42 – Return of the WANG – 12/22/2010 Dec 22, 2010

    On this very special Christmas episode of This is Only a Test, the podcast room was completely full. Will, Norm, Gary, and Ana tell Christmas stories, talk about holiday plans, and somewhere talk a little about technology. Happy holidays gang!


    Episode 41 – Sherlock Holmes That Shit – 12/16/2010 Dec 17, 2010

    Will, Norm, and Gary talk about silly stuff for an hour, plus Google's Demoslam, the Nexus S, Mac's App Store gets dated, the new AMD Radeons, and password security, plus fake outtakes and a whole lot more on this week's episode of This is Only a Test.


    Episode 40 – Beard on the Run – 12/9/2010 Dec 10, 2010

    TV Quest 2010 continues with the arrival of Gary and Norm's new TVs, plus we talk about the amazing week of Google--the just-announced Nexus S, the scoop on Gingerbread, and why Will thinks the Chrome app store is kind of dopey. Plus, wild speculation on iPad rumors, and even more fake outtakes.


    Episode 39 – The City on the Edge of Fuck You – 12/02/2010 Dec 03, 2010

    This week Will, Norm, and Gary talk about TV Quest 2010, network neutrality, and a whole bunch of other stuff. Plus, fake outtakes and pie!


    Episode 38 – Turkey Day Q&A – 11/24/2010 Nov 25, 2010

    In honor of Thanksgiving in the US, Norm, Gary, and Will sat down to answer all of YOUR questions. That's right, it's an all question & answer episode. Want more? The gang also talked turkey about the Samsung Tab, the iOS 4.2 update, Airplay, the Boxee Box, and Thanksgiving traditions. Happy Thanksgiving guys!


    Episode 37 – That's What She Said – 11/18/2010 Nov 19, 2010

    This week Will, Norm, and Gary chat about Windows Phone 7, Boxee, WDTV Live Hub, the new MacBook Air, the TSA, the Chevy Volt, the latest game from John Carmack and a whole lot more. Now, with armchair anthropology!


    Episode 36 – Microsoft Strikes Back – 11/11/2010 Nov 12, 2010

    This week, Will and Norm are joined by Gary Whitta and Colin Campbell, the co-hosts of one of Will's favorite podcasts, Game Theory. As you can imagine, we talked a lot about Kinect, Windows Phone 7, the state of gaming (console, casual, phone and motion), CODBLOPS, and all the exciting game industry stuff that's happened since Game Theory went off-air in 2008.


    Episode 35 – The Podcast on the Edge of Tomorrow – 11/4/2010 Nov 05, 2010

    On this week's candy-fueled episode, Will and Norm are joined by a special guest to chat about all the crazy hardware we've been testing, why there are so many TV streaming boxes on the tested schedule these days, Microsoft's Kinect, the WDTV, the new MacBook Air, and the problem with Tootsie Rolls. All that, plus your questions answered, and a secret science projects in this week's show.


    Episode 34 – Thursday Morning Hangover – 10/28/2010 Oct 28, 2010

    This week, the podcast gang talk World Series commercials, Google TV, the 3D TV adoption rate, Microsoft's future, and the Nook Color. All that, plus a whole lot more on this week's episode of This is Only a Test.


    Episode 33 Bonus! – The Radeon HD 6870 Embargo Edition – 10/21/2010 Oct 21, 2010

    In this special bonus episode of This is Only a Test Will, Norm, Gary and Brad chat about the upcoming Radeon 6870 and 6850, then talk about how it stacks up to existing cards from ATI and Nvidia. Plus, the naming scheme controversy surrounding it. Don't miss it!


    Episode 33 – In Like a Lion, Out Like a Churro – 10/20/2010 Oct 21, 2010

    In this week's episode Will, Norm, and Gary are joined by a familiar face, whilst discussing today's OS X Lion announcement, the first GoogleTV box from Sony, the MyPressi Twist espresso maker, the new MacBook Air, and the perils of iPadding on the toilet. All that, plus a whole lot more on this weeks episode of This is Only a Test.


    Episode 32 – Lions vs. Cougars – 10/14/2010 Oct 14, 2010

    Norm's in LA, so Gary and Matt rejoin Will in the podcasting chamber to talk about Windows Phone 7, Apple's lion announcement next week, the Roku XD|S vs. Apple TV, Verizon's iPad, the Nokia N8, disc-free Netflix on the PS3, and the Chilean miner's PSPs. All that, plus a whole lot more on this week's episode of This is Only a Test.


    Episode 31 – Special Guests! – 10/07/2010 Oct 08, 2010

    This week, Norm, Ana, and Will talk about the Samsung Tab, the new Apple TV, Google TV, and a whole lot more. Plus, visits by two other Whiskey-ites on another fun-filled episode of This is Only a Test!


    Episode 30 – Minecraft Minecraft Minecraft – 9/30/2010 Oct 01, 2010

    This week, Norm, Ana, and Will talk Minecraft, the Blackberry Playbook, the new Xbox 360 Dash update, and a whole bunch of awesome.


    Episode 29 – Four People! FOUR! – 9/22/2010 Sep 24, 2010

    Will, Norm, Ana, and Gary make the ultimate podcast super team in today's celebration of a super-slow news week. This week, we talk about Minecraft, Civilization 5, Kindle stuff, the HDCP crack, Canadian Netflix, Sony Move, and GPUs. We talk about GPUs kind of a lot. Frankly, probably too much. Bye.


    Episode 28 – The Tangent Has a Tangent – 9/16/2010 Sep 17, 2010

    This week features a rousing discussion on the relative merits of Rez, the iPad 4.2 Beta, the differences between Intel's Sandy Bridge and AMD's Fusion, the Internet Explorer 9 beta, our first test flights with the AR QuadraCopter, and the upcoming/out now Twitter.com redesign.


    Episode 27 – Before the Big Live Live Show – 9/08/2010 Sep 09, 2010

    On the eve of the Big Live Live Show: Live, Will, Norm, and Ana sit down to recount the week's news. We're talking about all the exciting news from PAX (Duke Nukem Forever!), the Samsung Fascinate, Google's Instant, and a whole lot more.


    Episode 26 – Gary vs. The Reality Distortion Field – 9/1/2010 Sep 02, 2010

    This week Will, Norm, and Gary talk about the new iPods, the update to AppleTV, iTunes 10 (and Ping), the crazy new Xbox 360 controller, the third-gen Kindle, the T-Mobile G2, Cyanogen 6.0, and a whole lot more, on this week's episode.


    Episode 25 – Goat Prawn – 8/26/2010 Aug 27, 2010

    Will, Norm, Ana, and Matt sit down to talk tech on this week's show. Matt goes hands-on with Windows Phone 7, Will rants about Blu-ray load times, Norm wonders what Apple's going to show on September 1, and Ana talks about treating life like a RPG. All that, plus our first audio reader question, general silliness, a truly awful joke, and a whole lot more, on this week's episode of This is Only a Test.


    Episode 24 – Tested vs. Unsexy News Week – 08/19/2010 Aug 20, 2010

    This week Norm, Will, and Ana tackle the unsexiest news week so far this year, tackling Facebook Places, Intel buying McAfee, and a whole bunch of reader questions on this week's unsexy episode of This is Only a Test.


    Episode 23 – It's Just Like Solomon – 8/11/2010 Aug 13, 2010

    Will, Norm, and Gary have another fabulous conversation, where they run down the latest rumors about the next AppleTV, the brand-new Droid 2, why Will's avoiding the Dell Streak, the current feeling about Microsoft's Kinect, and a whole lot more. Also, we talk about crazy liquids.


    Episode 22 – The Norville Barnes Appreciation Episode – 8/5/2010 Aug 06, 2010

    This week Will and Norm are joined by Gary Whitta wherein they discuss an absolutely astounding amount of news. Topics include the new Kindle 3, the Blackberry Torch, the increasing sales of Android, how magic the Magic Trackpad really is, cold brewing coffee, Siggraph, some iPod rumors, Froyo updates for old phones, and a whole lot more. PUT THIS IN YOUR EARS.


    Episode 21 – Massive Outtakes – 7/28/2010 Jul 30, 2010

    Norm makes his triumphant return, and the gang celebrates by talking tech. On the docket this week: the Samsung Captivate, the Library of Congress vs. the DMCA, new stuff from Apple, Panasonic's crazy 3D camera, reader questions, and a whole lot more!


    Episode 20 – This is a Zed-Free Zone – 7/22/2010 Jul 23, 2010

    Norm's on the road at Comic-Con, "working hard" and taking lots of pictures of scantily clad cosplayers down at Comic-Con, while Will is holding down the home office. In his stead, Tested.com's Matt Braga is signing in, and he and Will talk about Alien Swarm, the Tested TF2 server, the current crop of Android phones, the problem wtih the iPhone 4, and then take a whole lot of reader questions.


    Episode 19 – Can We Stop Talking About the iPhone 4's Antenna? Jul 16, 2010

    On this week's show, Will sits down with Gary Whitta (who's subbing in while Norm has a cold) and talks about 1 vs. 100, the Team Fortress Engineer update, and the never-ending controversy around the iPhone 4's antenna death grip.


    Episode 18 – We've Got New Digs Baby! – 7/8/2010 Jul 09, 2010

    We've moved! We've sunny Sausalito for the fog-shrouded shores of San Francisco. Yes, our new offices are in a basement, but it's a really, really awesome basement, with a bar. We talked about the new office, all the stuff we've gotten into in the last two weeks, and all the tech news that's happened since then--Froyo is out and in people's hands, Firefox 4 went beta, YouTube launched a living room-friendly feature, and the Kin met an untimely end. All that, and a whole mess of reader questions on this week's episode of This is Only a Test.


    Episode 17 – iPhone 4 is Here! – 6/23/2010 Jun 24, 2010

    The iPhone 4 has arrived, so Norm, Will, and special guest Gary Whitta sit down to talk about the latest version of Apple's wunderphone, plus all the latest news, including details about the imminent release of Froyo, the svelte new Xbox 360 S, and Motorola's super-sized Droid X.


    Episode 16 – Tested Takes on the Electronic Three – 6/17/2010 Jun 18, 2010

    The Tested crew took a magical day trip to LA to see what hardware E3 had to offer. Here's all the info you wanted to know about the Nintendo 3DS, Microsoft's new Xbox 360 design and Kinect, the new Rock Band 3 hardware plus talk about Sony's E3 offerings and the imminent OnLive launch.


    Episode 15 – This Week in iNews Jun 11, 2010

    It's WWDC week, so that means it's finally time for the official reveal of the iPhone 4 and iOS 4. Will, Norm, and a special guest talk about all the latest Apple news, plus a whole lot more, including the latest on Windows Home Server, the HTC Droid Incredible, and of course, churros. All that, plus the latest on the WDTV Live, RIAA vs. Limewire, and Bing's Treasure Maps, on this week's episode of This is Only a Test.


    Episode 14 – A Day Late and a Dollar Short – 6/3/2010 Jun 04, 2010

    Computex! D8! Ballmer! Jobs! Zuckerberg! Tablets! Lots and lots of tablets! It's time for another riveting episode of the This is Only a Test, where we discuss all the days news, enjoy a tasty beverage or two, and still get done in time to take out the trash--proverbially speaking, of course.


    Episode 13 – Maker Faire is Full of Wonder – 5/27/2010 May 27, 2010

    Will and Norm recount their adventures at Maker Faire 2010, talk about the amazing Gothic Rocketship and the Mondo Spider, as well as the new info on Android Froyo, Google TV, J Allard and Robbie Bach leaving Microsoft, and a whole lot more, on this weeks episode of This is Only a Test.


    Episode 12 – Lobot Strikes Back – 5/20/2010 May 20, 2010

    Big news today on the Google front. Will and Norm talk about the new WebM video codec, Froyo dreams, Google Chrome's new app store, more new iPhone OS 4 news, the latest iPod Touch rumor, the Twitter client formerly known as Tweetie, and tech to help you exercise better. All that, plus reader questions in this week's episode of This is Only a Test.


    Episode 11 – The Eleventh Episode Spectacular – 5/13/2010 May 14, 2010

    On a very special celebration of their 11th episode, Will and Norm talk about a bunch of stuff, including the Sony Dash and the history of alarm clocks, rumor's of Google's tablet, pricing for the Evo 4g, the second iPhone that Apple lost track of, and the upcoming Firefox 4.0. All that, plus lunch options and a brief interlude on Friendster's problems, on this week's episode of This is Only a Test.


    Episode 10 – What's the Right Price for a Kin? – 5/6/2010 May 07, 2010

    This week, the Tested crew talks about the KIN One and Two, HP's new Envy notebooks, some more iPhone OS 4 news, the new Netflix UI for Roku owners, Bumptop and Google, Google's New UI, and a little about Chrome 5. Check it out.


    Episode 9 – Rest in Peace Bill – 4/29/2010 Apr 30, 2010

    Big happenings in the tech world this week. Norm and Will talk about HP buying Palm, the cancellation of Courier, Steve Jobs' memo on Flash, the HTC Incredible, Ubuntu 10.04, and Flash acceleration on Mac. All that, plus reader questions and a lot of talk about the MakerBot on this week's episode of This is Only a Test.


    Episode 8 – The Week of 1000 Leaks – 4/22/2010 Apr 23, 2010

    All sorts of exciting stuff happened this week. Norm and Will talked about a whole lotta leaks. Apple's next-gen iPhone leaked to Gizmodo, Dell's next-gen tablets and cell phones leaked to Engadget, and Hulu's plans for a pay-service leaked to the LA Times. All that, plus listener questions on this week's This is Only a Test.


    Episode 7 – Saved by the Ustream – 4/15/2010 Apr 16, 2010

    Sorry for the shitty audio quality this week, there was an accident with a time machine, three condoms, and our new podcasting mixer that resulted in stripping the audio from a FLV and editing that to make a podcast. This week, we talk about a ton of stuff that isn't the iPad, answer reader questions, and eat pie.


    Episode 6 – Oops, We Did It Again – 4/8/2010 Apr 09, 2010

    This week, Norm and Will are joined by special guest, Gary Whitta--editor, screenwriter, and Apple enthusiast--to talk iPad, iPhone OS 4.0, and coffee on an almost exclusively Apple podcast. Despite some technical difficulties that were entirely Will's fault, the show must go on, and Norm's audio comes in about 10 minutes into the show. Sorry about that.


    Episode 5 – The iPad (Almost) – 4/1/2010 Apr 02, 2010

    It's iPad launch week, so naturally we talk about all the awesome stuff we've been working on for Tested, including the real reason the Lord of the Ring Blu-ray discs look shitty, the best way to make a single cup of coffee, and yes, the iPad. The first wave of reviews are online, so it's the first new info we've gotten on the unicorn tablet since January 25. All this, on the official podcast of Tested.com.


    Episode 4 – Las Vegas Follies – 3/26/2010 Mar 26, 2010

    It's CTIA week, so there's a lot of talk about cellphones, MIDs, and tablets. This week, Norm and Will talk about the Sprint/HTC 4G Android phone, the Joo Joo, Samsung's latest Android phone, Windows 7 Phone, Netflix on the Wii, America's Next Top Model, South Park, Adobe's upcoming CS5 suite, Nintendo's 3Ds, Microsoft's Project Natal, and the first leaked iPad apps.


    Episode 3 – Taking the Sniffles and Making Them Better Mar 19, 2010

    This week, Will and Norm talk about the latest Windows Phone 7 Series details, the Nexus One on Sprint and AT&T, pirates, LCD and LED technology, lossless audio compression, and a whole lot more. Oh, and the Xbox 360's rumored upcoming support for non-Microsoft USB keys.


    Episode 2 – The Over Caffeinated Edition – 3/11/10 Mar 12, 2010

    This week, Norm and Will talk about the happenings at the Game Developer Conference, OnLive, Nvidia's Fermi, Intel's 6-core CPUs, Sony's motion controller, and Air Video. Also, check out the (very NSFW) in the forums--and linked below in the comments.


    Episode 1 – In Search of the Digital Unicorn – 3/5/2010 Mar 06, 2010

    On this week's show, Norm and Will discuss our Norm's first week, the Nexus One, our first video test, the iPad's release date, Windows Phone 7, Microsoft Courier, Nvidia's driver woes, and a whole lot more.


    Episode 0 – Preview Edition – 3/01/2010 Mar 01, 2010

    Welcome to Tested.com's very first podcast. In this episode we talk about what we've been doing since departing Maximum PC, podcast time travel, the PS3's latest Renaissance, and even Norm's irrational hatred of Starcraft. We also talk about the new site, what our mission is, and why we're both excited.


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