Today in Tech

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Is social media use as unhealthy as smoking? | Ep. 162 Jun 25, 2024

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In the news these days: The U.S. Surgeon General declares that social media is creating a mental health crisis for adolescents, and is looking to Congress to put warning labels on apps; AI continues to have its ups and downs – ChatGPT passes the Turing Test, but AI technology gets dumped at the McDonald’s drive-through. Computerworld contributing columnist Mike Elgan joins the crew as guest co-host to discuss these and other technology news stories from the past few weeks.

Game developer creates a game for Doctors | Ep. 161 Jun 20, 2024

Show notes

For years, there existed a church and state separation between the world of video games and business training. Even concepts of ‘gamification’ haven’t much moved the needle when it comes to figuring out new ways to train people beyond papers, lectures and presentations. But with better technology now available, businesses can create “games” that will offer better training and education for workers. Keith Shaw chats with Sam Glassenberg, CEO of medical games company Level Ex, about what is causing this shift in the market.

Apple's AI: ‘personal intelligence’ | Ep. 160 Jun 12, 2024

Show notes

Apple finally enters the artificial intelligence space with its ‘personal intelligence’ tools – what does this mean for the market, competitors and, most importantly, users of Apple products? Will consumers who have been saying mostly ‘meh’ to AI now start using the tools? Computerworld’s Ken Mingis and Macworld’s Mike Simon join the show to discuss Apple’s AI announcements from WWDC 24, including what features they like best from the Apple Intelligence package.

Is the AI hype justified or will the bubble ‘burst’? | Ep. 158 Jun 10, 2024

Show notes

Nvidia becomes a $3T company based on its latest AI chips (with Intel and AMD also in the game), leading the AI hype machine to go into overdrive. But at the same time, some are suggesting that the bubble is about to burst, and that AI investments may not pan out as users feel less enthusiastic. Computerworld contributing columnist and author Mike Elgan joins the show to discuss these and other technology news items from the past week.

Does age discrimination exist in the tech industry? | Ep. 158 Jun 06, 2024

Show notes

While the technology job market remains vibrant and strong for many workers, people over the age of 50 are finding it more difficult to get a new job, or navigate past the layers of hiring with the institution of new AI screening tools. Keith talks with Christina Matz, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Boston Collee School of Social Work and director of the Center on Aging & Work, about why age discrimination still exists within much of the corporate world, including in the tech sector.

Google has more problems than it’s ‘glue on pizza’ error | Ep. 157 Jun 04, 2024

Show notes

Between having an AI tool that recommends crazy suggestions like putting glue on pizza and a “leak” around how its search engine works, Google is facing lots of criticism about its technology and operations. Analyst Jack Gold joins the show this week to talk with the crew about Google’s issues, why general consumers are saying ‘meh’ to AI tools, and why the American worker is lonelier at work than ever before.

Why computing now feels like ‘disposable technology’ Ep. 156 May 30, 2024

Show notes

As computing has developed over the past four decades, we increasingly see products designed to be more ‘disposable’ rather than upgradeable or made to last longer. However, there are still bright spots within the ecosystem that allow consumers to get more out of their devices or extend their life. Keith chats with Larry O’Connor, founder and CEO of Other World Computing, about these issues, as well as how improving speeds through cables and connectors enabled more external products such as storage (and why Keith needs to backup his data more often).

AI hype squad hits some major bumps | Ep. 155 May 28, 2024

Show notes

Big Tech companies trying to roll out new AI tools face some blowback in recent weeks, whether it was OpenAI using a Scarlett Johannson-like voice (without her permission or licensing) to tout new voice AI features; or Microsoft hyping a new feature that takes screen shots of your computer every few seconds; or Google proudly announcing that AI overviews and paid sponsors will bury search results even further. Chris Shaw from NTT Research joins the show as guest co-host with the crew to discuss these and other top technology stories from the week.

Why are workers still bad at video calls? | Ep. 154 May 21, 2024

Show notes

Four years after most workers began using video calls for meetings, workers are discovering that we are still not good with the technology. In addition, a new survey suggests that video calls cause anxiety and fatigue. Keith chats with Sylvia Johnson, head of methodology at Preply, about the survey and how we can ease the anxiety around video calls.

Will new AI tools create a better Siri or voice assistant? | Ep. 153 May 16, 2024

Show notes

OpenAI launches a new AI model that lets users have voice conversations with ChatGPT, creating the world of ‘Her’. With rumors of Apple creating a “better Siri” at some point, are we getting to a world with better AI voice assistants? Guest co-host Chris Shaw joins the crew to discuss these topics and also news around autonomous vehicles making a comeback, why solar storms disrupted tractors in the Midwest, and whether people just don’t want to work anymore.

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