Grumpy Old Geeks

The labor market has swung from the Great Resignation to “job hugging,” where workers cling to their roles out of fear of AI-driven layoffs and inflation, crushing engagement and accelerating burnout. At the same time, OpenAI is accused of suppressing research showing job losses, ignoring internal warnings about chatbot mental health risks, and bleeding safety staff, while state Attorneys General fire off an opening salvo likening unchecked AI harms to an opioid crisis-in-the-making. The AI boom is now colliding with reality. Environmental groups want a halt on new datacenters as power prices spike, and the industry is starting to look financially radioactive, with opaque financing schemes, hidden debt, and trillion-dollar infrastructure bets that could vaporize household wealth. Regulators are pushing back too: the EU is fining X, probing Google over training data, and floating a statutory licensing scheme for AI scraping, while Disney dives in with a billion-dollar bet on “responsible” AI storytelling that mostly translates to fewer humans on payroll. Meanwhile, everyday tech dystopia rolls on. Uber is monetizing your movement data, Instacart is quietly price-discriminating groceries, Waymo is spinning a robotaxi birth as a feel-good story, and crypto fraud finally earns real prison time. Add in AI-generated marketing slop, government sites hijacked by SEO porn, billion-dollar festival scams resurrected, and Congress kneecapping right-to-repair, and the takeaway is simple: the machines are hungry, the adults are absent, and the vibes are aggressively bad. Sponsors: CleanMyMac - Get Tidy Today! Try 7 days free and use code OLDGEEKS for 20% off at clnmy.com/OLDGEEKS Gusto - Try Gusto today at gusto.com/grumpy , and get three months free when you run your first payroll. Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month. SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!! 1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1password Show notes at https://gog.show/726 Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/eJbLlVhIQ-Y FOLLOW UP “Why ‘job hugging’ can be worse than quitting” OpenAI Accused of Self-Censoring Research That Paints AI In a Bad Light OpenAI, Anthropic, Others Receive Warning Letter from Dozens of State Attorneys General IN THE NEWS More than 200 environmental groups demand halt to new US datacenters Something Ominous Is Happening in the AI Economy OpenAI's house of cards seems primed to collapse X shuts down the European Commission’s ad account the day after major fine EU opens antitrust investigation into Google's AI practices EU Report Distills AI-Training Lessons from Napster Piracy Era: Don’t Sue, License Disney Invests $1 Billion in the AI Slopification of Its Brand Uber will start selling trip and takeout data to marketers Instacart Charging Customers Different Prices for Same Products, Study Finds Waymo's robotaxi fleet is being recalled again, this time for failing to stop for school buses Driverless delivery: Woman gives birth in San Francisco Waymo Crypto mogul Do Kwon sentenced to 15 years in prison for $40 billion stablecoin fraud Porn Is Being Injected Into Government Websites Via Malicious PDFs Marco Rubio bans Calibri font at State Department for being too DEI 'Architects of AI' named Time Magazine's Person of the Year MEDIA CANDY The American Revolution What Happened at Billy McFarland’s PHNX Festival? The Lord of the Rings trilogy returns to theaters in January for 25th anniversary Amazon’s Official ‘Fallout’ Season 1 Recap Is AI Garbage Filled With Mistakes Spartacus House of Ashur The Boys - Final Season Teaser Trailer | Prime Video Paradise Season 2 | Official Teaser | Hulu Supergirl | Official Teaser Trailer No Such Thing As a Fish - Ep612: No Such Thing As The Gordon Ramsay Songbook WTF Happened To Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009)?! Star Trek: Starfleet Academy | Official Trailer | Paramount+ (NYCC 2025) Starfleet Academy - What Is This Garbage? APPS & DOODADS Google and Apple partner on better Android-iPhone switching Congress removes right to repair language from 2026 defense bill Glide Gear TMP 100 Teleprompter – DSLR, Tablet, Smartphone – 12" Glass, Carry Case, No Assembly BetterDisplay Pro THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE Dave Bittner The CyberWire Hacking Humans Caveat Control Loop Only Malware in the Building Splat HiFi The History Behind All the Cuts of the Original ‘Star Wars’’ Rise of the Resistance | Layout Side By Side BLUE MONDAY - Analyzing the MOST BRUTAL BEAT of the '80s | Drum Patterns Explained See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

FOLLOW UP starts with the realization that Spotify Wrapped thinks we are 82 years old, which honestly feels accurate, followed by a massive shout out to Bama Bryan on Bluesky for listening to us for over 3,000 minutes. We look at the grim stats from the Department of Government Efficiency regarding USAID deaths, then move to IN THE NEWS where the KALSHI CEO wants to monetize "any difference in opinion" because gambling on the news is the future. PALANTIR CEO Alex Karp claims making war crimes constitutional is bad for business, META STARTS KICKING AUSTRALIAN CHILDREN OFF their platforms to avoid fines, and TETHER gets a "weak" rating while U.S. BANK calls the ability to freeze stablecoins "appealing." We discuss the LEAK CONFIRMS OPENAI IS PREPARING ADS for ChatGPT while SAM ALTMAN DECLARES 'CODE RED' to catch up to Google. Speaking of which, ONE OF GOOGLE'S BIGGEST AI ADVANTAGES IS WHAT IT ALREADY KNOWS ABOUT YOU, even if GOOGLE DISCOVER IS TESTING AI-GENERATED HEADLINES that are complete lies. We cover how GROK WOULD PREFER A SECOND HOLOCAUST OVER HARMING ELON MUSK, the US PATENT OFFICE ruling on generative AI, a new report on DAVID SACKS profiting from his administration role, and INSTACART SUES NEW YORK CITY because paying workers a living wage is apparently unconstitutional. We wrap up the news with the HUMAN ROBOT HYPE SCARING CHINA, a sad story where CHILDREN SOB AS WAYMO RUNS OVER DOG, a video showing a WAYMO SELF-DRIVING TAXI TAKES PASSENGER THROUGH ACTIVE POLICE SCENE, and the fact that PASSENGERS FACE DISRUPTION AS AIRBUS UPDATES THOUSANDS OF PLANES due to solar flares. In MEDIA CANDY, the industry is shaking because NETFLIX BUYS WARNER BROS. FOR $82 BILLION, meaning they now own everything from Harry Potter to Batman. We look at upcoming releases including WAKE UP DEAD MAN: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY, FALLOUT SEASON 2, ROMCON: WHO THE F**K IS JASON PORTER?, SEAN COMBS: THE RECKONING, THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT, THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, and A MAN ON THE INSIDE. Moving to APPS & DOODADS, we discuss the pure joy of uninstalling DROPBOX, our collective hatred for FUCK CENTER STAGE, and the report that APPLE EMPLOYEES ARE 'GIDDY' ABOUT ALAN DYE'S DEPARTURE. We also cover the horror show where GOOGLE'S AGENTIC AI WIPES USER'S ENTIRE HDD without permission, a study showing YOUR GLITCHY VIDEO CALLS MAY MAKE PEOPLE MISTRUST YOU, and how SCIENTISTS CREATED THE BLACKEST FABRIC EVER. Finally, in THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE, we learn that CLAUDIA BLACK EXITS ‘AHSOKA’ SEASON 2 over pay disputes because Disney is apparently broke, we scrutinize LEAKED CLIPS FROM THE RUMORED 50TH ANNIVERSARY RERELEASE OF THE ORIGINAL VERSION OF STAR WARS (still no R2D2), check out a STORMTROOPER SUIT ON FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE, and mention THE MAD MEN 4K release. Sponsors: Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month. SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!! 1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1password Watch on YouTube at https://youtu.be/4IRVvpdJC30 Show notes at https://gog.show/725 FOLLOW UP Kalshi CEO Says He Wants to Monetize ‘Any Difference in Opinion’ Palantir CEO Says Making War Crimes Constitutional Would Be Good for Business Meta starts kicking Australian children off Instagram and Facebook Meta reportedly plans to slash Metaverse budget by up to 30% IN THE NEWS Crypto’s Most Trusted Stablecoin Given Lowest Possible ‘Weak’ Rating By Major TradFi Agency U.S. Bank Calls Ability to Freeze Stablecoins ‘Appealing’ as Crypto Has Completely Lost the Plot Leak confirms OpenAI is preparing ads on ChatGPT for public roll out OpenAI CEO Sam Altman declares 'code red' as ChatGPT competition mounts One of Google's biggest AI advantages is what it already knows about you Google Discover is testing AI-generated headlines and they aren't good Grok would prefer a second Holocaust over harming Elon Musk US patent office says generative AI is equivalent to other tools in inventors' belts The People Outsourcing Their Thinking to AI New report examines how David Sacks might profit from Trump administration role Instacart sues New York City over minimum pay, tipping laws Humanoid Robot Hype Is Officially Scaring China Children Sob as Waymo Runs Over Dog Waymo self-driving taxi takes passenger through active police scene in downtown LA, video shows Passengers face disruption as Airbus updates thousands of planes MEDIA CANDY Netflix Buys Warner Bros. for $82 Billion Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery Fallout Season 2 on Prime Video ROMCON: Who The F**k is Jason Porter? - Season 1 Sean Combs: The Reckoning The Long Kiss Goodnight The American Revolution A Man On the Inside APPS & DOODADS Gruber: Apple employees 'giddy' about Alan Dye’s departure Google's Agentic AI wipes user's entire HDD without permission i

After surviving Thanksgiving and the subsequent biting cold, we jumped into the FOLLOW UP with news that Malaysia is joining the trend by taking steps to ban social media for children under 16, mirroring similar actions in Australia and Denmark—it seems the world is finally realizing the internet is a toxic wasteland for the kids. We also discussed Apple’s photo AI, which is apparently still in beta, if the results are anything to go by. The bulk of our discussion centered on the spectacular, flaming death of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is Officially Dead. We broke down a brief rundown of the damages this vanity project caused, from humanitarian disasters overseas to administrative chaos and the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs domestically, proving the "savings" were pure illusion. Now, with the collapse, the 'Suddenly exposed' DOGE employees fear prosecution after Musk abandoned them, learning the hard way that billionaire guardianship has an expiration date. The job market is just great, with both Apple laying off part of its sales team despite record revenue, and HP joining the List of Tech Companies Cutting Jobs and pointing to AI as the convenient scapegoat for laying off 10% of their workforce. Meanwhile, we found out the most popular social media platform among US adults isn't Instagram or TikTok—it’s YouTube—while Meta allegedly buried research showing its products are harming users, confirming what we’ve known all along: they’re evil, but they already got your grandma hooked. Adding to the misery, An Alarming Number of Teens Say They Turn To AI For Company, Study Finds, because why talk to a real, messy human when a bot can gaslight you more efficiently? Sam Altman's financial troubles are spilling over, with Sam Altman’s Business Buddies Are Getting Stung (sorry, SoftBank and Oracle), and analysts estimate OpenAI Is Just $200 Billion Away From Still Losing Money, HSBC Says, a comical hole they plan to fill by asking for more free money. Legally, OpenAI can’t use the Word ‘Cameo’ in Sora now, thanks to a trademark suit, and Warner Music is playing both sides by dropping its lawsuit against Suno in exchange for a licensing agreement. Finally, in some truly dark news, a Marc Andreessen-backed Super-PAC Pours Millions Into Fighting State AI Regulations, and X's new location feature reveals that New X Feature Reveals Many MAGA Patriots on X Are Not Even Based in the U.S. After ranting about my misery dealing with the Open Dialogue bug in a beta build and declaring my return to "pedestrian releases," we got into APPS & DOODADS. Spotify is actually doing something cool with its new SongDNA feature, which shows you who sampled what (and they bought WhoSampled to do it). They’re also testing Spotify's New AI-powered audiobook Recaps to remind you where you left off—Amazon is doing the same with AI-powered series Recap Videos for Prime Video. Amazon is also rolling out Alexa Home Theater surround sound for Echo speakers, making those budget speakers slightly more useful. We ran through some great stocking stuffers in Jason’s Holiday Gift Guide, including Velcro cable ties and the Contigo travel mug, before moving on to MEDIA CANDY, which included Dan Carlin's Common Sense, Nathan Fillion and Alan Tudyk’s new podcast Once We Were Spacemen, and a discussion on why Stranger Things Lost the Plot. We then got deeply uncomfortable talking about a Toronto ASMR spa that offers doctor roleplay, and closed out by talking about the documentary Quiet Please… about the neurological disorder misophonia. The episode finished with the AT THE LIBRARY segment, covering the Milli Vanilli memoir You Know It’s True and the sci-fi short story collection The Time Travelers Passport. Show notes at https://gog.show/724 Watch now on YouTube: https://youtu.be/PoMa9FM5QEE?si=4r25yqv_0u8aXHF7 Sponsors: MasterClass - Get up to 50% off at MASTERCLASS.com/GRUMPYOLDGEEKS Gusto - Try Gusto today at gusto.com/grumpy , and get three months free when you run your first payroll. Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month. SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!! 1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1password FOLLOW UP Malaysia takes steps to ban social media for children under 16 IN THE NEWS DOGE Is Officially Dead 'Suddenly exposed' DOGE employees fear prosecution after Musk abandoned them: report Apple lays off part of its sales team HP Joins List of Tech Companies Cutting Jobs and Pointing to AI The most popular social media platform among US adults isn't Instagram or TikTok Meta allegedly buried research showing its products are harming users An Alarming Number of Teens Say They Turn To AI For Company, Study Finds Sam Altman’s Business Buddies Are Getting Stung OpenAI

We open by tracking our video money and mocking the chef who quit Elon’s "epic" bacon diner, before diving into the IN THE NEWS segment where plummeting crypto and Nvidia stocks confirm everything is a sham; we cover Bezos’s new $6.2 billion AI flop, a sleeping Tesla Robotaxi driver, and why OpenAI’s new school tools are a Recipe for Idiocracy with students who can't read; in MEDIA CANDY , we tear apart Disney's lazy Moana remake; THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE we discuss Zork going open source and why movies just don’t feel real anymore before CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS where we are mourning Mani from the Stone Roses, and wishing Bjork a very metal 60th. We start with a FOLLOW UP on our channel’s performance, wading through the garbage pile of Monetization questions and Stats , including the scourge of Shorts —because apparently, that's what we do now. Speaking of people running from trouble, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers is ditching his OpenAI board seat after a fresh batch of cringey Jeffrey Epstein emails surfaced. Meanwhile, the financial world is having a meltdown: Nvidia’s Stock is Falling Again after its earnings report, exposing the fact that almost Yet Another Study Shows That Most Companies Aren’t Making Any Money Off AI , and Bitcoin is Getting Absolutely Crushed Right Now , which we happily remind you will Trigger the Next Financial Crisis . Don't worry, Jeff Bezos will head a new engineering-focused AI startup because the world clearly needs more tech billionaires throwing money at things they don't understand, while Apple is reportedly getting ready to replace Tim Cook . The tech-bro corruption parade continues as a former DOJ official points out that Trump’s Crypto Pardon of the Binance co-founder is exactly what it looks like, and Elon's pet AI, Grok Insists That Elon Musk Is More Physically Fit Than LeBron James and better at everything else, proving the bot has been sampling its boss's Adderall. Even though ChatGPT Achieves a New Level of Intelligence by finally letting you disable its em-dash addiction, companies like Intuit are integrating its tax and accounting products with ChatGPT —because who doesn't want an AI-powered tax audit? This all dovetails nicely with the news that OpenAI is launching ChatGPT for Teachers’ right as students’ math skills hit a low, leading to a literal Recipe for Idiocracy where elite college students Can’t Read Books . The whole thing is broken, including Tesla’s so-called Robotaxi, where a Passenger Alarmed When Tesla Robotaxi “Safety” Driver Falls Completely Asleep at the Wheel . On a lighter note, we check out the new trailers for The Witcher S4 , Frankenstein , and Project Hail Mary in MEDIA CANDY , and tear apart the absolutely unnecessary live-action Moana teaser, before mentioning the biggest drama launch on Apple TV, Pluribus . Next up is THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE , where our tireless security guru Dave Bittner throws in some random facts, like Microsoft making Zork I, II, and III open source and videos on why the iOS Keyboard is Broken and Why Movies Just Don't Feel "Real” Anymore, and we discuss Thanksgiving plans. Finally, in CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS , we end with a shout-out to our generous PATREON supporters and PAYPAL/STRIPE donors, mourn the passing of Stone Roses and Primal Scream bassist Mani , and wish the incomparable Bjork a milestone 60th birthday. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/tWM83ra7Qp8 Sponsors: Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month. SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!! 1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1password Show notes at https://gog.show/723 FOLLOW UP Tesla Diner Chef and Co-Operator Quits to Open a Jewish Deli Larry Summers leaves OpenAI board, Harvard instructor role as scrutiny over Epstein emails intensifies IN THE NEWS Oops! Nvidia’s Stock Is Falling Again After Its “Blowout” Earnings Report Bitcoin Is Getting Absolutely Crushed Right Now How Crypto Could Trigger the Next Financial Crisis Jeff Bezos will head a new engineering-focused AI startup called Project Prometheus Yet Another Study Shows That Most Companies Aren’t Making Any Money Off AI Passenger Alarmed When Tesla Robotaxi “Safety” Driver Falls Completely Asleep at the Wheel Meta wins antitrust trial as judge denies that it's a monopoly Apple is reportedly getting ready to replace Tim Cook as early as next year Former DOJ Official: Trump’s Crypto Pardon Is Unprecedented Corruption ChatGPT Achieves a New Level of Intelligence: Not Using the Em Dash Grok Insists That Elon Musk Is More Physically Fit Than LeBron James 11 Things Grok Says Elon Musk Does Better Than Anyone Intuit is integrating its tax and accounting products with ChatGPT OpenAI Introduces ‘ChatGPT for Teachers’ to Further Destroy the Minds of Our Youth ‘A Rec

The inevitable decline of civilization takes center stage as the show kicks off with the miserable results of the FACEBOOK SETTLEMENT, confirming Brian's $4.01 payout, followed by a discussion of the SPORTS BETTING SCANDAL, where MLB players are rigging games over prop bets, confirming that gambling is now actively killing sports; moving to the news, the guys celebrate the DENMARK SOCIAL MEDIA BAN and SCHOOL PHONE BANS, which are already proving that teenagers need mandatory digital detoxes, prompting comparisons to Footloose and the revelation that teens are now passing handwritten notes and taking Polaroids. Naturally, things aren't going well for the hyper-rich, as evidenced by the TESLA EXECUTIVE EXODUS and the launch of WAYMO FREEWAYS, which will surely bring chaos to LA, and the ongoing saga of massive capital destruction via OPENAI LOSSES and META AI FAILURES, prompting Mark Zuckerberg to announce his desperate bid to CURE ALL DISEASES with AI, a feat less audacious than the fraud of AI startup FIREFLY AI TRANSCRIPT, which admitted its original "AI" was just human transcriptionists. They then hit a laundry list of digital woes, including the dubious convenience of APPLE PASSPORTS, the creeping dread of Sam Altman's failing WORLDCOIN EYEBALL SCANS, the ridiculous crypto fraud DEFI OFFICE SPACE that literally copied a movie plot, and Coinbase's inexplicable decision to bring back high-risk ICOs; the absurdity continued with the OPENAI LAWSUIT over a suicidal chatbot that suggested the user "Rest easy, King," and the political maneuvering of the REPUBLICAN BROADBAND REDIRECT, which will gut internet access for the underserved to fund the Treasury, but the real threat to humanity remains the clandestine PREVENTATIVE GENE HACKING startup funded by tech billionaires aiming to create modified babies offshore. In Media Candy, they share reviews of the excellent DIPLOMAT, ZOOTOPIA, and the just-released LUSH DOCUMENTARY, confirming our combined Gen-X fragility, before celebrating two definitive wins for reality: the fact that physicists have finally CRUSHED THE SIMULATION THEORY, and the literary brilliance of Joyce Carol Oates' tweet, which expertly called out Elon Musk as uneducated and uncultured. All this and more on this episode of Grumpy Old Geeks Sponsors: CleanMyMac - clnmy.com/OLDGEEKS - Use code OLDGEEKS for 20% off. Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month. SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!! 1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1password Show notes at https://gog.show/722 FOLLOW UP Baseball Is Compromised IN THE NEWS Denmark set to ban social media for users under 15 years of age Banning Phones in Schools Is Drastically Changing the Behavior of Kids The Head of the Cybertruck Program Quit Tesla. The Model Y Leader Left Hours Later Waymo's driverless cars will start driving on freeways in three US cities Apple introduces a new Digital ID feature to make boarding flights easier OpenAI Will Lose $74 Billion the Same Year That Anthropic Breaks Even: Report Meta’s AI Ambitions Appear to Be in a Tailspin Zuckerberg, Chan bet AI can cure all disease Startup Secretly Working to Gene-Hack Human Baby Sam Altman's Creepy Orb Startup Has Only Scanned 2 Percent of Its Ideal Number of Eyeballs $120 Million Crypto Hack Blamed on Office Space-Style Exploit Coinbase Wants to Bring Back an Old Crypto Trend That Ended in Disaster Seven more families are now suing OpenAI over ChatGPT's role in suicides, delusions US states could lose $21 billion of broadband grants after Trump overhaul Physicists Say They’ve Proven Whether We’re Living in a Simulation Elon Musk Got One-Shotted by an Extremely Mean Tweet MEDIA CANDY Zootopia The Diplomat Pluribus Victoria Beckham Lush: A Far from Home Movie Welcome to Derry 'V for Vendetta' Is Becoming a TV Show Dune: Prophecy' Kicks off Season 2 Production ‘Alien: Earth’ Has Been Renewed for Season 2 ‘Poker Face’ Canceled at Peacock; Rian Johnson Will Seek New Home for Series — With Peter Dinklage Starring The Running Man | Final Trailer (2025 Movie) - Edgar Wright, Glen Powell Toy Story 5 | Teaser Trailer | In Theaters June 19 Paramount+ announces price increases for every streaming plan APPS & DOODADS How to adjust the Liquid Glass effect in iOS 26.1 How to stretch the clock on your lock screen in iOS 26 Tesla Reportedly Adding Apple CarPlay, Bucking Industry Trend Founder Admits His “AI Transcription” Startup Was Just Him Joining People’s Meetings and Taking Notes by Hand FTC Announces Crackdown on Deceptive AI Claims and Schemes THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE Dave Bittner The CyberWire Hacking Humans Caveat Control Loop Only Malware in the Building The Official ‘Star Wars’ Magazine Is Coming to an End After Over 30 Years Fuzzball Bandolie

This episode proves that nothing gold can stay, especially your 401k, as we kick things off with the revelation that October saw the worst tech layoffs since 2003, all while "Big Short" genius Michael Burry decided to bet a billion dollars on the inevitable AI bubble bursting. The villains of the week are legion: the FCC is officially making it easier for internet companies to charge us even more hidden fees; Elon Musk not only got his $1 trillion pay package approved—despite Tesla sales collapsing nearly 90% in some countries—but he also teased a flying car, clearly living in his own "Golden Dome" fantasy, which the Pentagon is happily subsidizing; and in a stunning display of entitlement, Mark Zuckerberg opened an illegal school, which is somehow less shocking than Meta’s claim that their massive porn stash was purely for "personal use," not AI training. The bad news doesn't stop there, with Texas suing Roblox over 'pixel pedophiles,' though at least a rural Michigan healthcare system is doing some good by using drones to improve care. Jumping over to Media Candy, since we’re all emotionally scarred by the sheer awful-ness of The Witcher S4—a season so bad it "broke" The Critical Drinker—we need some comfort viewing. We’re deep-diving into the political chess of The Diplomat and escaping into the sheer volume of competitive cooking shows, including the standard Halloween and Holiday Baking Championships, plus the delightfully ridiculous Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking S2; we also took a look at Pluribus, Knife Edge, Black Rabbit, and the trailer for Tron: Ares, while cheering the fact that Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz are set to revive The Mummy franchise for a fourth film. In Apps & Doodads, we’re all mourning the eventual death of simple, good tech as we’re warned to enjoy Apple CarPlay while we still can, but at least the Lego ‘Star Trek’ Set is finally here for our inner child; the real question, though, is why Automattic Inc. thinks they can claim ownership of the actual word 'Automatic.' Finally, The Dark Side with Dave Bittner reminds us that everything old is new again and ripe for monetization, whether it's Miss Piggy potentially bringing back The Muppets to the movies or the sleek, blacked-out remake of the Commodore 64, not to mention that cool Tron Arcade Cabinet Miniature Model. However, the present is still a complete dumpster fire: a Google AI model allegedly accused a senator of sexual assault, and internal documents show that Meta is earning a fortune on a massive deluge of fraudulent ads, proving that the only thing getting healthier is our paranoia, though Dave did throw in a curveball with some special jar lids and seeds for growing organic sprouts. We finish, as always, with the obligatory Closing Shout-Outs because even cynical geeks need validation. Sponsors: MasterClass - Get an additional 15% off any annual membership at MASTERCLASS.com/GRUMPYOLDGEEKS Gusto - Try Gusto today at gusto.com/grumpy , and get three months free when you run your first payroll. Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month. SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!! 1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1password Show notes at https://gog.show/721 FOLLOW UP October Layoffs Were the Worst Since 2003 and Hit Tech Workers Hard IN THE NEWS The Big Short Guy Just Bet $1 Billion That the AI Bubble Pops Trump's FCC is officially moving to make it easier for internet companies to charge hidden fees Pentagon will reportedly award SpaceX a $2 billion contract to help develop the 'Golden Dome' Elon Musk teases a flying car on Joe Rogan's show Tesla’s Sales Collapsed Nearly 90 Percent in Some Countries Last Month Tesla shareholder meeting updates: Elon Musk gets his $1 trillion pay package Texas AG sues Roblox, accusing it of prioritizing 'pixel pedophiles' over child safety Mark Zuckerberg Opened an Illegal School at His Palo Alto Compound. His Neighbors Revolted Meta Says Porn Stash was for ‘Personal Use,’ Not Training AI Models How a rural Michigan healthcare system is using drones to improve care MEDIA CANDY The Diplomat Halloween Baking Championship Holiday Baking Championship Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking S2 Pluribus Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars Black Rabbit Tron: Ares The Witcher S4 The Witcher Season 4 - A Show So Awful, It Broke Me by The Critical Drinker Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz Set to Revive The Mummy Franchise with Fourth Film APPS & DOODADS Enjoy CarPlay While You Still Can The Lego ‘Star Trek’ Set Is Here, and It’s Exactly What You Want Automattic Inc. Claims It Owns the Word 'Automatic' THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE Dave Bittner The CyberWire Hacking Humans Caveat Control Loop Only Malware in the Building Miss Piggy May Bring ‘The Muppets’ Back to the M

This week’s episode started with the usual existential sigh before tumbling straight into the corporate bloodbath. Amazon chopped 14,000 jobs under the noble banner of “embracing AI,” which CEO Andy Jassy insists isn’t about money—despite swimming Scrooge McDuck–style in profit. GM’s cutting 1,700 workers, YouTube’s dangling “voluntary” buyouts, and economists can’t decide if AI is killing jobs or if the economy’s just trash. Microsoft’s winning either way, sitting pretty on OpenAI’s planned $1 trillion IPO, while Meta stock cratered because Zuckerberg’s still shoveling billions into the AI bonfire instead of quietly burying the metaverse. Meanwhile, Elon managed to cram a week’s worth of disasters into a single news cycle: Tesla’s being probed for its idiotic “Mad Max” mode, recalling thousands more Cybertrucks because they can’t figure out glue, launching Grokipedia (Wikipedia’s evil twin), and turning Truth Social into a crypto casino. Somewhere between the chaos, more people tuned into a fake NVIDIA livestream than the real one, and the only vaguely uplifting story was a grieving family using an AI chatbot to hack a $195K hospital bill down to $33K. In media misery, we soothed our nuclear anxiety with A House of Dynamite , tolerated Welcome to Derry , rolled our eyes at Stranger Things 5 , and confirmed Slow Horses still rules. Music listeners, please stop streaming fascism—cancel Spotify. On the tech toy front, Grammarly’s having an identity crisis as “Superhuman,” Affinity caved to the subscription gods, and Apple’s prepping to inject ads into Maps because the world wasn’t already annoying enough. The chaos didn’t stop there: a rogue Goodreads librarian rewrote Trump’s book listings to protest censorship, Cursor 2.0 actually impressed us with a working currency converter, and Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It turned out to be the perfect title for the entire digital era. Sponsors: Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month. SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!! 1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1password MasterClass - Get an additional 15% off any annual membership at MASTERCLASS.com/GRUMPYOLDGEEKS CleanMyMac - clnmy.com/GrumpyOldGeeks - Use code OLDGEEKS for 20% off. Show notes at https://gog.show/720 FOLLOW UP What both sides of America’s polarized divide share: Deep anxieties about the meaning of life and existence itself 720° © 1986 Atari Games. IN THE NEWS Amazon cuts its workforce by 14,000 in further embrace of AI Is AI Leading to Layoffs or Does the Economy Just Suck? Amazon CEO Now Says AI Is Not Responsible for Recent Layoffs Amazon Accused of Trapping Drivers in AI Panopticon GM lays off 1,700 workers making EVs and batteries in Michigan, Tennessee Tesla Recalls Thousands More Cybertrucks, Is Bad at Gluing Things YouTube is offering employees buyouts as part of an AI-focused reorganization Everyone Is Laying People Off This Week. Researchers Say They’re Going to Regret It OpenAI completes restructure, solidifying Microsoft as a major shareholder OpenAI lays groundwork for juggernaut IPO at up to $1 trillion valuation Meta Stock Plummets as Investors Horrified at How Much Zuckerberg Is Spending on Misfired AI Federal investigators are looking into Tesla's Mad Max mode, which reportedly defies speed limits Grokipedia Is the Antithesis of Everything That Makes Wikipedia Good, Useful, and Human More people watched a fake NVIDIA livestream than the real thing Trump’s Media Company Set To Roll Out Polymarket-Like Prediction Market on Truth Social Surprising no one, researchers confirm that AI chatbots are incredibly sycophantic Grieving family uses AI chatbot to cut hospital bill from $195,000 to $33,000 — family says Claude highlighted duplicative charges, improper coding, and other violations MEDIA CANDY A House of Dynamite Welcome to Derry Stranger Things 5 | Official Trailer | Netflix Slow Horses Don’t Stream Fascism: Cancel Spotify APPS & DOODADS Grammarly has rebranded to Superhuman Affinity’s image-editing apps go “freemium” in first major post-Canva update Apple is reportedly getting ready to introduce ads to its Maps app Rogue Goodreads Librarian Edits Site to Expose 'Censorship in Favor of Trump Fascism’ Introducing Cursor 2.0 and Composer Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It by Cory Doctorow The Disenshittify Project Currency Converter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

We open with a sobering follow-up: the future is less about AI toast (though Red Dwarf predicted it) and more about a soul-stripping "infrastructure of meaningless" after an AWS outage proved how fragile the internet is. Corporate overlords, like Elon Musk, are taking note: he finally addressed Starlink's use by Asian scam syndicates, but his attention is mostly on superintelligence, which Wozniak, Prince Harry, and 800 others want banned. Meanwhile, Meta, despite pouring $27 billion into data centers, suddenly cut 600 AI jobs, and Amazon is preparing to automate a half-million warehouse positions, offering drivers AR spy glasses and suggesting a new "Help Me Decide" AI tool to automate the exhausting micro-decision of which air fryer to buy. This dystopian fever dream peaked when Suzanne Somers' widower revealed he built a full-on robotic AI twin of the late actress. Predictably, Tesla stock tumbled, and the crypto grift continued with the pardoning of Binance founder Zhao, leaving SBF to ponder his failed check-bounce in jail. Speaking of soul-crushing, Disney's latest nostalgia raid, Tron: Ares , tanked harder than anticipated, proving not every Gen-X intellectual property is a worthy cash cow. But fear not, there's still great TV to be had: we recommend the clever dramas Slow Horses and The Diplomat Season 3 , the high-stakes culinary nightmare Knives Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars , and the surprisingly excellent Gen V (which you must watch before the next season of The Boys ). We also got our fix with the Pluribus trailer, Bullet Train , Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog , and the deliciously low-stakes reality shows Come Dine With Me , Hotel Costiera , and The Celebrity Traitors UK/Canada . Sadly, we must mourn the end of Food Network’s The Kitchen . Yet, no matter how good the show, you still have to deal with Ticketmaster, which is still lying about "fighting bots" while cornering the secondary market. In the world of Apps & Doodads , OpenAI dropped its "Anti-Web" browser, ChatGPT Atlas (a data mule in disguise), and a new app now fakes your vacation photos (perfect for burned-out users). X is poised to sell "rare" usernames for millions (with a terrible subscription catch), while some clever hacker figured out a $60 mod to disable the privacy light on Meta's Ray-Ban spy glasses. Fellow podcast host Dave Bittner joined us to agree that the new Hall of Presidents format is better without the political posturing and confirmed the joy of old-school, purple-ink-smelling Spirit Duplicators (and we checked out a Star Wars fan film trailer for the AT THE LIBRARY section). Don't forget your Tilly Hat! Finally, R.I.P. Soft Cell's musical force Dave Ball, aged 66; the hits still hit. Sponsors: Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month. SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!! 1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1password MasterClass - Get an additional 15% off any annual membership at MASTERCLASS.com/GRUMPYOLDGEEKS CleanMyMac - clnmy.com/GrumpyOldGeeks - Use code OLDGEEKS for 20% off. Show notes at https://gog.show/719 FOLLOW UP Does Anyone Want Any Toast? | Red Dwarf | BBC A Tool That Crushes Creativity IN THE NEWS Amazon's AWS outage knocked services like Alexa, Snapchat, Fortnite, Venmo and more offline SpaceX disables 2,500 Starlink terminals allegedly used by Asian scam centers Yelp is getting more AI, including an upgraded chatbot Steve Wozniak, Prince Harry and 800 others want a ban on AI ‘superintelligence’ Suzanne Somers’ Widower Built “AI Twin” of Late Actress Meta Cuts 600 AI Roles From Its Superintelligence Labs After $27 Billion Data Center Deal New report leaks Amazon's proposed mass-automation plans Amazon Rolls Out New AI Tool to Help You Decide What to Buy: The Great Mental Outsourcing continues. Amazon unveils AI-powered augmented reality glasses for delivery drivers Tesla reports revenue growth after two down quarters. Why the stock is falling Trump pardons convicted Binance founder Zhao, White House says Crypto billionaire pardon is insane by Coffeezilla MEDIA CANDY ‘Tron: Ares’ Is an Even Bigger Bomb Than We Thought Tron: Legacy Human: Into the Americas Human: Building Empires Come Dine With Me Food Network’s The Kitchen to End After 40 Seasons Knifes Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars Pluribus — Official Trailer | Apple TV Bullet Train Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog Hotel Costiera Slow Horses The Diplomat Season 3 The Celebrity Traitors UK Traitors Canada Season 3 Ticketmaster Is Going to Have to Do Better Than That APPS & DOODADS OpenAI's AI-powered browser, ChatGPT Atlas, launches on macOS today ChatGPT's Atlas: The Browser That's Anti-Web By Anil Dash Too burned out to travel? This new app fakes your summer vacation photos for you X's handle marke

This week, Guest Host Donovan Adkisson joins Jason DeFilippo to wade through the usual tech chaos; California is attempting to regulate the inevitable AI companion chatbots, which is timely, considering ChatGPT is about to launch erotica (with age verification, natch). Turns out, most of the world is less stoked about our algorithmic future than Silicon Valley is. Speaking of chaos, Elon Musk’s Boring Company racked up nearly 800 environmental violations in Vegas, and his Starlink satellites are burning up the atmosphere, validating the Kessler Syndrome predictions (and ruining backyard astronomy). On the ground, Georgia Tech is deploying drone first responders, ensuring campus security is instantly airborne, while the UK's Online Safety Act slapped 4chan with a hefty fine. We also mourn a Crypto Kingpin who met his end in a Lamborghini following a market crash. Finally, beware that "perfect" house listing, as the owner likely used AI to virtually enhance that curb appeal. It seems even the guy who coined the term "Vibe Coding" admits that relying on AI for complex software is "Net Unhelpful," proving that humans still have to do the heavy lifting—a fact Uber might ignore, as they plan to pay drivers to train AI between rides. Speaking of dumb human stunts, some genius launched the "World's First Waymo DDoS" by summoning 50 robotaxis to a dead end. On the entertainment side, it's time to binge Gen V before Season 5 of The Boys drops; also, why did Apple rename Apple TV+ to Apple TV? The guys also discuss the eternal cultural resonance of Idiocracy and the perfection of Galaxy Quest (and its fantastic documentary, Never Surrender). On the work front, Jason switched back to Things 3 because life is too short for ugly software, even as Windows 10's impending end-of-life threatens to create an e-waste disaster. Also, Wi-Fi 8 is coming soon, because the recently ratified Wi-Fi 7 just wasn't cutting it. Finally, the Grumpy Old Geeks wish a happy birthday to friends of the show and offer remembrance for the recently deceased, including screen icon Diane Keaton and KISS founding member Ace Frehley (though, honestly, no one here watched KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park). Tune in next time, and always remember to check out Anonymous: Real Stories of Alcoholism, Addiction, and Recovery; and go get some of that GOG Merch... when it becomes available. Sponsors: MasterClass - Get an additional 15% off any annual membership at MASTERCLASS.com/GRUMPYOLDGEEKS Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month. SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!! 1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1password Show notes at https://gog.show/718 FOLLOW UP Guest Host: Donovan Adkisson California becomes first state to regulate AI companion chatbots ChatGPT erotica coming soon with age verification, CEO says International Polling Shows Fear of AI Across the World IN THE NEWS Georgia Tech’s drone first responder program cuts emergency response time to 90 seconds or less Crypto Kingpin Turns Up Dead in Lamborghini After Market Crash Concerns grow after spate of social media posts showing SpaceX Starlink satellites burning in the sky — we are currently seeing a ‘couple of satellite re-entries a day,’ says respected astrophysicist 4chan fined $26K for refusing to assess risks under UK Online Safety Act Elon Musk’s Boring Company Accused of Nearly 800 Environmental Violations on Las Vegas Project That perfect-looking house for sale may have an owner using AI to virtually enhance the listing Even the Inventor of 'Vibe Coding' Says Vibe Coding Can't Cut It Man Launches “World’s First Waymo DDoS” by Ordering 50 Robotaxis to Dead End Street MEDIA CANDY GEN V Apple’s streaming service gets harder to tell apart from its streaming app, box The Celebrity Traitors The Fortune Hotel Idiocracy Never Surrender: A Galaxy Quest Documentary The Missi & Brooke Show Anonymous - Real Stories of Alcoholism, Addiction, and Recovery Minecraft Movie 2 Release APPS & DOODADS Things 3 TP-Link confirms successful Wi-Fi 8 trials — next-gen wireless standard to usher in advances in reliability and latency The End of Windows 10 Support Is an E-Waste Disaster in the Making CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS Diane Keaton dead at age 79 Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

The Dutch courts finally did something useful: they told Meta to quit force-feeding algorithmic slop to everyone, so Facebook and Instagram users might actually see posts from friends again—if they can remember who those are. Meanwhile, OpenAI’s Sora 2 rollout is the kind of chaos that makes you wonder if the company replaced QA with a TikTok filter, as outrage videos flood the internet faster than you can say “deepfake meltdown.” Apple banned ICEBlock for being too effective while ICE now wants its own social media surveillance tool—one that OpenAI shut down when Chinese accounts tried to build it. California’s hammering Tesla for its abysmal insurance claims handling, OpenAI is gobbling up chunks of AMD, and consultants got caught using ChatGPT to fake reports before proudly partnering with Anthropic, who just landed Deloitte as its latest “enterprise AI” victim. Elsewhere in this circus: a Florida teen asked ChatGPT how to kill his friend, Taylor Swift fans are furious her new promo video used AI slop (“too rich to be this cheap”), and Apple’s “Find My” led cops to a mountain of smuggled iPhones. In Media Candy , Brian’s stunned The Diplomat scored a third season, The Long Walk is being pitched as Stand By Me meets Squid Game , California finally bans loud streaming commercials, and Amazon censored Bond posters to remove guns because apparently irony is dead. AI “musicians” are signing record deals while Zelda Williams begs people to stop resurrecting her dad with deepfake garbage. In Apps & Doodads , Jony Ive’s OpenAI gadget is delayed (good), Rivian insists we’ll “appreciate” not having CarPlay (we won’t), Spotify and ChatGPT are teaming up to read your soul through playlists, and Jason warns everyone that the Echo Show is basically an ad-spewing parasite. Apple’s now facing a cybercrime probe in France for Siri’s wiretapping habits, and if you’re nostalgic for simpler times, ioquake3 will let you relive Quake III Arena glory on a modern rig. At the Library, Peter Cawdron’s Dark Beauty: First Contact belly-flops as a Slaughterhouse-Five tribute, while Cory Doctorow’s Enshittification nails exactly why everything sucks—even if his fixes are pure science fiction. Sponsors: CleanMyMac - clnmy.com/GrumpyOldGeeks - Use code OLDGEEKS for 20% off. Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month. SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!! 1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1password Show notes at https://gog.show/717 FOLLOW UP Dutch court orders Meta to change its Facebook and Instagram timelines OpenAI's Sora 2 Already Melting Down Into Outrageous Drama IN THE NEWS Apple removes ICEBlock from the App Store after Trump administration's demand ICE is planning to create a surveillance team that hunts for leads on social media OpenAI has disrupted (more) Chinese accounts using ChatGPT to create social media surveillance tools California regulators threaten to revoke Tesla's insurance license for mishandling claims OpenAI Gobbles Up a Stake in AMD as Its Spending Spree Shows No Sign of Stopping Consultants Forced to Pay Money Back After Getting Caught Using AI for Expensive “Report” Anthropic lands its biggest enterprise deployment ever with Deloitte deal Teen Arrested After Asking ChatGPT How to Kill His Friend, Police Say Taylor Swift Fans Furious as She’s Caught Using Sloppy AI in Video for New Album Apple’s ‘Find My’ Leads Cops to Cache of Thousands of Smuggled iPhones MEDIA CANDY The Diplomat The Long Walk California bans loud commercials on streaming platforms Amazon Pulls Censored Bond Posters After Pulling the Guns From Them More AI artists are starting to get record deals Robin Williams' daughter pleads for people to stop sending AI videos of her dad APPS & DOODADS OpenAI's first device with Jony Ive could be delayed due to 'technical issues' Rivian says ‘customers will appreciate’ lack of CarPlay eventually Spotify and ChatGPT Team Up for Personalized Music and Podcast Recommendations Don’t buy an Echo Show (you can have mine) Apple faces cybercrime investigation in France after Siri complaint ioquake3 AT THE LIBRARY Dark Beauty: First Contact by Peter Cawdron Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It by Cory Doctorow See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

The world is a dumpster fire, confirmed. Following California's landmark AI safety bill SB 53, the head of Nvidia is allegedly "quaking in his boots"—which is a good sign, unlike the news that the "Nirvana Baby" Spencer Elden's lawsuit was finally dismissed. Meanwhile, corporate America continues its pivot to chaos: Spotify shuffled its execs, Meta is charging UK users for ad-free Facebook and Instagram, and the UK is introducing digital ID cards (Hello, Mark of the Beast ). The entire internet is now dominated by bots, proving the Cracker Barrel logo outrage was manufactured, a fact that's somehow less depressing than the FCC accidentally leaking iPhone schematics. Naturally, Alphabet just paid $22 million to settle President Trump’s YouTube lawsuit, confirming that legal threats are the new VC funding. Disney is panicking over an "AI Actress," sending cease and desist letters to Character.AI, while OpenAI rolls out its new Sora app and ChatGPT's ability to buy things for you, proving it's determined to turn the internet into one seamless, copyright-infringing shopping mall, and it's now worth more than Elon Musk's SpaceX. The ensuing boredom demands new media, though the pacing is terrible in everything: Slow Horses Season 5 and Human: Neanderthal Encounters are great, but even the original Matrix and Frankenstein trailer (by Guillermo del Toro) feel slow, confirming the Princess Bride litmus test. MXV’s Riot Fest photos were rad, and Disney lost 1.7M subs after suspending Kimmel, which is why YouTube Music is testing AI hosts (who will only be wrong), and the Pivot Tour is happening. Our Apps & Doohickeys department confirms security is an afterthought: macOS 26 unlocked the Journal app, but the smart glasses race is fully on, and Logitech’s new keyboard can be recharged by any light (finally, tech that works!). Amazon Fire TV is expected to ditch Android for Linux, Meta introduced the AI-filled Vibes feed, and Tile trackers were found to have a stalking flaw—a fact only slightly more depressing than the swift failure of the Neon call-recording app and the continued existence of the Comet browser. Finally, The Dark Side with Dave celebrated the low-budget charm of Blue Thunder and the necessity of Disney Park Ride Overlays, while Dave embarked on his quest to unbox the Home Depot R2D2. We thank our patrons for keeping this beautiful noise alive and pay tribute to the amazing Jane Goodall. Sponsors: Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month. SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!! 1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1password Show notes at https://gog.show/716 FOLLOW UP California Governor Newsom signs landmark AI safety bill SB 53 Nvidia Is Quaking in Its Boots ‘Nirvana Baby’ Spencer Elden’s ‘Nevermind’ Suit Dismissed Again IN THE NEWS Spotify Appoints New CEOs as Daniel Ek Becomes Executive Chair Meta announces paid subscriptions for both Instagram and Facebook in the UK UK announces plans for digital ID cards OpenAI’s New Sora App Lets You Deepfake Yourself for Entertainment The First 24 Hours of Sora 2 Chaos: Copyright Violations, Sam Altman Shoplifting, and More OpenAI Rolls Out ChatGPT’s Ability to Buy Stuff for You OpenAI Is Now Worth More on Paper Than SpaceX, Catches Up to Elon Musk Himself Disney sends cease and desist letter to Character.AI Creator of “AI Actress” Responds to Near-Universal Backlash FCC accidentally leaked iPhone schematics, potentially giving rivals a peek at company secrets Alphabet will pay $22 million to settle President Trump’s YouTube lawsuit Cracker Barrel Outrage Was Almost Certainly Driven by Bots, Researchers Say MEDIA CANDY MXV’s Riot Fest Photos Slow Horses Season 5 Frankenstein | Guillermo del Toro | Official Trailer | Netflix Human: Neanderthal Encounters Pivot Tour YouTube Music is testing AI hosts that present relevant stories, trivia and commentary How Many Streaming Subscribers Did Disney Lose After Suspending Kimmel? APPS & DOODADS macOS 26 unlocks the real potential of Apple’s Journal app The smart glasses race is really on now Logitech's new keyboard can be recharged by any kind of light Amazon Fire TV devices expected to ditch Android for Linux in 2025 Meta introduces Vibes feed for AI generated content Neon, an App That Pays to Record Your Phone Calls Hit #2 on the App Store, Taken Down Over Security Flaw Tile trackers reportedly have a security flaw that can let stalkers track your location Comet - The browser that works for you THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE Dave Bittner The CyberWire Hacking Humans Caveat Control Loop Only Malware in the Building The Princess Bride Blue Thunder The Best Disney Park Ride Overlays, and Where to Find Them Home Depot R2D2 Unboxing and Assembly! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.c

Grumpy Old Geeks is back with another round of righteous griping and eyebrow-raising headlines in Episode 715: Our Wizard Lies . We kick things off in FOLLOW UP, where TikTok is still the geopolitical hot potato that both the U.S. and China promise to sort out “someday, maybe,” while Wired ’s global editorial director explains how tech’s growing political clout is playing out under Trump. From there, it’s a cavalcade of absurdities: DOGE as federal workforce demolition derby, and crypto bros trying to turn Charlie Kirk’s death into meme-stock retirement plans. Late-stage capitalism is nothing if not creative. Then in IN THE NEWS, Amazon gets spanked with a $2.5 billion fine for Prime trickery, Microsoft yanks cloud services from an Israeli military unit, and Palantir goes full lifestyle brand—yes, you too can cosplay as a drone strike enthusiast with a $99 pair of gym shorts. Silicon Valley philosophers warn AI regulation would literally summon the Antichrist, while banks whisper the bubble might pop before the devil even arrives. Meanwhile, YouTube toys with letting COVID and election denialists back into the algorithm, “SIM farms” threaten New York’s cell networks, and unlucky tourists are finding themselves trafficked into cyber-scam slavery across Southeast Asia. Progress! MEDIA CANDY tries to lighten the mood—sort of—serving up everything from Elio , Tron: Ares , and Disney price hikes to AI musicians cashing million-dollar checks. Lionsgate, on the other hand, learns you can’t feed four John Wick s into an algorithm and get an anime out the other side. Over in THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE, we get furries on the DC Metro, Disney plotting your every park step via Ray-Ban spy glasses, a Ponzi scheme in RadioShack cosplay, and even a Jim Henson Company anniversary auction. We close out with shout-outs and sighs, because sometimes the world doesn’t deserve a mic drop—just a slow shake of the head. Sponsors: Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month. SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!! 1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1password Show notes at https://gog.show/715 FOLLOW UP US and China agree to agree on a TikTok deal WIRED global editorial director on tech's growing political power under Trump The Story of DOGE, as Told by Federal Workers Crypto Bros Are Trying to Monetize Charlie Kirk’s Death IN THE NEWS Amazon to pay $2.5 billion for allegedly duping millions to sign up for Prime Microsoft cuts off cloud services to Israeli military unit after report of storing Palestinians’ phone calls Palantir Wants to Be a Lifestyle Brand Silicon Valley’s latest argument against regulating AI: that would literally be the Antichrist AI Experts Urgently Call on Governments to Think About Maybe Doing Something ‘Workslop’: AI-Generated Work Content Is Slowing Everything Down Deutsche Bank Issues Grim Warning for AI Industry YouTube may reinstate channels banned for spreading covid and election misinformation ‘SIM Farms’ Are a Spam Plague. A Giant One in New York Threatened US Infrastructure, Feds Say They traveled to Thailand. They wound up cyber scam slaves in Myanmar. MEDIA CANDY Elio Superman Human: Origins Human: Journeys Alien: Earth The Traitors Ireland Disney is raising the price of Disney+, Hulu subscriptions next month Wicked: For Good | Final Trailer Lilith Faire: Building a Mystery Tron: Ares AI Artist Signs Million-Dollar Record Deal Lionsgate Is Finding Out It’s Really Hard to Make Movies With AI Jimmy Kimmel May Be Back. Trump’s Attacks on the First Amendment Aren’t Over By Merrill Markoe Jimmy Kimmel is Back! THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE Dave Bittner The CyberWire Hacking Humans Caveat Control Loop Only Malware in the Building Disney Explores Using Ray-Ban Meta Glasses To Guide Guests Around Its Parks The Happiest Story on Earth: 70 Years of Disneyland The Mandalorian and Grogu | Official Trailer | In Theaters May 22, 2026 The Jim Henson Company 70th Anniversary Auction Feds Say Company That Bought RadioShack Was Running $112 Million Ponzi Scheme Furries ride the DC Metro See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

The internet continues its chaotic march, with a TikTok deal potentially happening (for real this time, maybe), while LimeWire bought the Fyre Fest brand, because more viruses are always a great idea. Corporate America is going full AI-bro with massive layoffs at Fiverr, xAI, and Google, while OpenAI reveals people are using ChatGPT for pretty much everything but coding. Age verification is coming to apps and online services in California and New York, because apparently, teenagers need protection (after the fact). Elsewhere, nudists have declared war on SpaceX over rocket launches, and fans are ditching Elon since he started being so insufferable; even a Tesla engineer quit and roasted him spectacularly, all while NHTSA investigates Tesla's fire-prone door handles. In the world of entertainment, we're catching up on Wednesday and Foundation S3 (just pretend the books never existed, your brain will be rewired!), and Upload wrapped up its truncated season nicely. The 2003 Freaky Friday was a fun, nostalgic trip through early 2000s L.A., reminding us of all the cool places that are now just... gone. Alien: Earth and Gen V S2 are on our watchlist, and we'll see if Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 lives up to its promise. The Witcher S4, featuring Liam Hemsworth as Geralt (aka the Dick Switch), drops in October, with Laurence Fishburne making it somewhat palatable. The Lilith Fair documentary is peak 90s, and Meta's latest dystopian product was so bad it made the Cybertruck demo look good. Apple's new AI features are cool, but the iOS 26 "liquid glass" update and its awful crossfade feature are less so; also, meditation apparently has a dark side, but binaural beats might just make you rave. Publishers Clearing House's bankruptcy means "forever" winners won't get paid (always take the lump sum!); international sellers are charging absurd shipping to avoid American buyers; and the deepfake Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kills Darth Maul (Live Action) is surprisingly good. Steve Martin's Born Standing Up is still great life advice, and the Carrot App the Musical is, against all odds, amazing. Robert Redford has sadly passed, a legend who gave us Sneakers, and L.A.'s own Clayton Kershaw is retiring at the end of the season, a true one-team legend who deserves all the accolades. Sponsors: MasterClass - Right now, our listeners get an additional 15% off any annual membership at MASTERCLASS.com/GRUMPYOLDGEEKS . No-risk 30-day money-back guarantee! Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month. SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!! 1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1password Show notes at https://gog.show/714 FOLLOW UP A TikTok deal may finally be happening LimeWire Revealed as Mystery Buyer of Fyre Fest Brand IN THE NEWS Fiverr is laying off 250 employees to become an 'AI-first company' xAI reportedly laid off at least 500 AI tutors working on Grok Hundreds of Google AI Workers Were Fired Amid Fight Over Working Conditions OpenAI Reveals How (and Which) People Are Using ChatGPT ChatGPT may soon require ID verification from adults, CEO says California's age verification bill for app stores and operating systems takes another step forward New York details its plans for online age verification rules Nudists Declare War on SpaceX People Who Loved Watching SpaceX Launches Can’t Stomach Them Anymore Since Elon Musk Started Being So Horrible Tesla Engineer Quits, Roasts Elon Musk in Spectacular Fashion NHTSA is investigating Tesla over its electronic door handles MEDIA CANDY Wednesday Foundation (S3) Upload Devs Freaky Friday (2003) Alien: Earth Gen V Season 2 ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Producers Promise Season 4 Will Be Better Slow Horses Season 5 Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) The Witcher Season 4 will hit Netflix in October with its new Geralt Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery APPS & DOODADS New Apple Intelligence features are available today iOS 26 lets you reduce Liquid Glass to be more like iOS 18, here’s how Meta's most dystopian product yet... Meditation And Mindfulness Have a Dark Side We Don't Often Talk About BrainWave: 37 Binaural Series™ The Rise of the Indie Web Movement Links - Marighoul Stendig Calendars AT THE LIBRARY Flybot by Dennis E. Taylor Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Afterlife by Eben Alexander Cleave the Sparrow by Jonathan Katz The Case Against Reality: Why Evolution Hid the Truth from Our Eyes by Donald D. Hoffman The Code. the Evaluation. the Protocols: Striving to Become an Eminently Qualified Human by Jocko Willink, Dave Berke, Sarah Armstrong I Don't Answer Questions: Pleading the Fifth! by David Ridings Finding Your Comic Genius: An in-depth guide to the art of stand-up comedy by Adam Bloom Disney and Webtoon’s Partnership Is Le

This week on Grumpy Old Geeks, we're diving headfirst into the digital dumpster fire, starting with follow-up that will make you wonder if the rich are finally getting their comeuppance. It seems Tesla's market share is plummeting, and Elon Musk has been unceremoniously knocked off as the world's wealthiest person. Meanwhile, OpenAI and Microsoft are flirting with new partnership terms, and OpenAI is also reportedly cozying up with Oracle for a cloud computing deal. Are they figuring it all out or just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic? You decide. In the news, it’s a feast of AI-induced chaos. Anthropic attempted to settle a copyright lawsuit for $1.5 billion, but a judge rejected it. Apple faces scrutiny for allegedly using pirated books to train AI (because who needs original ideas when you can just steal them?), and everyone from Reddit to Yahoo is rushing to get paid for their data being scraped by AI. Google even admits that the open web is struggling, while pushing ads into AI-generated answers and trying to convince us that DOGE never existed. Meanwhile, millions of YouTube videos have been copied by AI companies—because why create when you can just steal? Not to mention, The Boring Company reportedly stopped tunneling after a "crushing injury" (ironic, huh?), Zuckerberg and Palmer Luckey are teaming up again like a disastrous boy band for military-grade goggles, and Meta whistleblowers are exposing child safety issues. Plus, a hot mic caught Zuck groveling to Trump—the cringe is real. And if that wasn't enough, it turns out AI usage is actually declining at big companies, and programmers using AI are creating more security risks than a screen door on a submarine. It's almost like we saw this coming. For your Media Candy fix, get ready for a dose of existential dread. The MTV Video Music Awards are still happening in 2025, with a median viewer age of 56—because nothing screams "youth culture" like osteoporosis. We'll wonder if Wednesday (aka Charlie Sheen) is still winning and discuss Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Amazon Music is launching AI-powered playlists (because who needs a human DJ when you can have an algorithm that thinks it knows your soul?), and Deezer claims 28% of all new music is AI-generated. Taika Waititi is developing a "potentially disastrous" Fyre Fest musical (we're excited!), Foundation is renewed for season 4, and the HBO Max CEO thinks it's "way underpriced"—bless his heart. Plus, more Highlander reboot news that will probably disappoint, and a look at The Missi & Brooke Show and The Traitors Ireland. Finally, in Apps & Doodads, bad news for AirPods Live Translation in the EU, Evernote and WeTransfer's owner is buying Vimeo, and you need this pettable Poké Ball Tamagotchi-style toy. In The Dark Side with Dave, we'll discuss The Princess Bride, how tariffs are ruining hobbies, and who wants "slop for their ears." This episode shows that some things never change, and most things are just getting worse. You're welcome. Sponsors: CleanMyMac - clnmy.com/GrumpyOldGeeks - Use code OLDGEEKS for 20% off. Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month. SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!! 1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1password Show notes at https://gog.show/713 FOLLOW UP Exclusive: Tesla market share in US drops to lowest since 2017 as competition heats up Elon Musk Was Just Unseated as the World’s Richest Person OpenAI and Microsoft sign preliminary deal to revise partnership terms OpenAI and Oracle reportedly ink historic cloud computing deal IN THE NEWS Anthropic will pay a record-breaking $1.5 billion to settle copyright lawsuit with authors Judge rejects Anthropic's record-breaking $1.5 billion settlement for AI copyright lawsuit Apple faces lawsuit over alleged use of pirated books for AI training Reddit, Yahoo, Medium and more are adopting a new licensing standard to get compensated for AI scraping In court filing, Google concedes the open web is in “rapid decline” Google brings ads to AI-generated answers worldwide Google Is Telling People DOGE Never Existed At Least 15 Million YouTube Videos Have Been Snatched by AI Companies The Boring Company Reportedly Halts Tunneling in Las Vegas After 'Crushing Injury' Dynamic Duo Zuckerberg and Palmer Luckey Reunite for Army Combat Goggles Contract Meta Whistleblowers Allege Company Buried Info on Child Safety Hot Mic Catches Mark Zuckerberg Groveling to Trump Data Shows That AI Use Is Now Declining at Large Companies Programmers Using AI Create Way More Glaring Security Issues, Data Shows The Software Engineers Paid to Fix Vibe Coded Messes MEDIA CANDY 2025 MTV Video Music Awards Median age of MTV viewers is 56 Wednesday aka Charlie Sheen Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Amazon Mu

The internet's still broken, folks, and apparently, AI's here to make it more awkward. Intel caught a break from Uncle Sam's CHIPS Act, cool for them, not so much for those 'flashing warning signs' in the job market. Meta's been letting celebrity chatbots run wild (and creepy), Midjourney's getting sued by Warner Bros. for stealing IP (who'da thought?), and OpenAI thinks an AI hiring platform is a good idea. Plus, an AI chatbot automated a cybercrime spree, totally unexpected. If you're calling ChatGPT a 'clanker,' you're not wrong, but seriously? Your butt probably needs a break from the toilet. Elon Musk and his joyride of companies continue to make us wonder if we're living in a dystopian satire. Tesla got slapped with a $243 million verdict after rejecting a $60 million settlement (because that's how you make deals, right?). 'Key data' they said they didn't have? A hacker found it. His vague 'master plan' sounds like a last-minute college essay, and software deploys airbags before you crash. His quest for a trillion-dollar pay package is on, and Neuralink can't even trademark 'telepathy.' They're doing brain surgeries in Toronto now. What could go wrong? On the lighter side, Finland built a giant sand battery, which is cool, and iOS 26 finally gave iPads a native Instagram app after, like, forever. We've got movie reviews, TV binges (Wednesday is really good), and a deep dive into KPop Demon Hunters (seriously, listen to the songs). FIFA's jacking up World Cup ticket prices with dynamic pricing (of course they are), and Morrissey's selling his stake in The Smiths (probably to escape his own 'malicious associations'). If you're still reading Usenet threads from '94, you're either a sadist or Dave. Sponsors: CleanMyMac - clnmy.com/Grumpyoldgeeks - Use code OLDGEEKS for 20% off. Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month. SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!! 1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1password Show notes at https://gog.show/712 FOLLOW UP The US government drops its CHIPS Act requirements for Intel America’s job market flashes yet another warning sign about the economy Hydrogen-Powered Plasma Torch Decimates Plastic Waste in a Blink Your Butthole Is Begging You to Stop Scrolling on the Toilet IN THE NEWS Tesla rejected $60 million settlement before losing $243 million Autopilot verdict Tesla said it didn’t have key data in a fatal crash. Then a hacker found it. Tesla has a new master plan—it just doesn’t have any specifics Tesla Software Update Will Deploy Airbags Before Crash Actually Happens Trump to host tech CEOs for first event in newly renovated Rose Garden Tesla proposes Elon Musk pay package that could make him the world’s first trillionaire Tesla shareholders to vote on investing in Musk’s AI startup xAI Meta reportedly allowed unauthorized celebrity AI chatbots on its services Warner Bros. Discovery is suing Midjourney for copyright infringement OpenAI announces AI-powered hiring platform to take on LinkedIn OpenAI is reportedly producing its own AI chips starting next year A hacker used AI to automate an 'unprecedented' cybercrime spree, Anthropic says The world's largest sand battery just went live in Finland Why the Internet Can’t Stop Calling ChatGPT a “Clanker” MEDIA CANDY The Thursday Murder Club Weapons Alien: Earth Wednesday Star Trek: Strange New Worlds - Four and a Half Vulcans Upload KPop Demon Hunters - revisited 2026 World Cup tickets: FIFA confirms use of dynamic pricing Exhausted by "malicious associations," Morrissey sells stake in The Smiths APPS & DOODADS Marshall’s Mid-Century-Looking Soundbar Would Make Don Draper Cry Tears of Joy Who Owns ‘Telepathy’? Instagram finally has an iPad app 15 years after it first launched Roblox will require age verification for all users to access communication features superwhisper iOS 26 adds seven brand new iPhone ringtones, listen here THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE Dave Bittner The CyberWire Hacking Humans Caveat Control Loop Only Malware in the Building Hot sauce and hot takes: An Only Malware in the Building special. My comments on a Usenet thread from 1994 Darth Vader’s Lightsaber Auction Sale Sets Record for ‘Star Wars’ Item Home Depot R2D2 Disney Disney Star Wars Animated Darth Vader Florida plans to end all state vaccine mandates, including for schools VibeVoice: A Frontier Long Conversational Text-to-Speech Model Rumor: There’s A New ‘The Muppet Show’ Pilot See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Remember when we thought AI was going to bring about utopia or Skynet? Turns out, it's mostly just a bunch of fancy spreadsheets, a potential bubble ready to burst (looking at you, Nvidia), and a legal minefield. We're talking wrongful death lawsuits because a chatbot encouraged suicide, OpenAI admitting their 'safety controls degrade,' and then secretly siccing the cops on users. Plus, the Citizen app's AI can't even tell a murder vehicle from a motor vehicle, and Grok 2.5 is now open source if you want to invite that chaos into your life. Also, don't ask Google if 1995 was 30 years ago, because apparently, AI can't do basic math. Meanwhile, the adults in the room are just doing what they do: the U.S. government is buying a chunk of Intel, while Trump wants to "design" government websites (with badly edited photos, naturally). Meta's own AI stuff is so bad they're just licensing Midjourney's tech, proving it's always easier to buy than build. Apple TV+ raised its prices, and Spotify finally figured out how to let you DM songs. Over at Apple Fitness, it seems the execs are fostering a "toxic workplace environment," because who knew working out could be so hardcore? Oh, and Chipotle is doing drone delivery now. Welcome to Zipotle, because getting off your ass is apparently too much to ask. As for what we're actually watching, it's a mixed bag. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ' documentary episode was... fine, but Paramount's axing jobs and "un-renewing" Dexter: Original Sin to focus on Dexter: Resurrection (because that always works out). We're trying to keep up with Alien: Earth , Wednesday , and Upload , but good luck with those staggered release dates. Apple TV+ has some good sci-fi, but Foundation might just be a hate-watch for Brian. And in the library, we've got Budgie's surprisingly depressing memoir and some solid sci-fi from Scott Meyer and Dennis E. Taylor. It's almost enough to make you miss the simpler times before AI broke everything. Sponsors: CleanMyMac - clnmy.com/Grumpyoldgeeks - Use code OLDGEEKS for 20% off. Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month. SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!! 1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1password Show notes at https://gog.show/711 FOLLOW UP Welcome to Acast Ads Academy - your go-to learning destination for podcast advertising. Deep Questions with Cal Newport - Ep. 367: What if AI Doesn’t Get Much Better Than This? AI Bubble Watch: Nvidia Shares Skid on Middling Q2 Results Reports Of AI Not Progressing Or Offering Mundane Utility Are Often Greatly Exaggerated IN THE NEWS The US government is taking an $8.9 billion stake in Intel Trump is forming a 'National Design Studio' to spruce up government websites Trump Mobile is promoting its smartphone with terribly edited photos of other brands' products ChatGPT Lawsuit Over Teen’s Suicide Could Lead to Big Tech Reckoning OpenAI Admits Safety Controls 'Degrade,' As Wrongful Death Lawsuit Grabs Headlines OpenAI Says It's Scanning Users' ChatGPT Conversations and Reporting Content to the Police Huge Number of Authors Stand to Get Paid After Anthropic Agrees to Settle Potentially $1 Trillion Lawsuit Meta is licensing Midjourney's AI image and video tech MidJourney TV Citizen Is Using AI to Generate Crime Alerts With No Human Review. It’s Making a Lot of Mistakes You can now download and tweak Grok 2.5 for yourself as it goes open source MEDIA CANDY Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Paramount Job Cuts In Excess Of 2,500 Coming In November, With Cost Savings To Exceed $2 Billion ‘Dexter: Original Sin’ Un-Renewed as Paramount Opts Out of Second Season Alien: Earth Wednesday Upload ‘The Institute’ Renewed for Second Season at MGM+ Apple TV+ subscriptions just rose to $13 a month Spotify is adding DMs APPS & DOODADS Apple fitness exec accused of creating toxic workplace environment Zipotle: Chipotle, Zipline Launch Drone Food Delivery in Dallas AT THE LIBRARY The Absence: Memoirs of a Banshee Drummer by Budgie Master of Formalities by Scott Meyer Flybot by Dennis E. Taylor CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS 'Was 1995 30 years ago?' Google's AI overviews is having issues with a simple question See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Remember all that "AI is gonna change everything" nonsense the kids were screaming about just a few months ago? Yeah, about that. It turns out 95% of corporate generative AI pilots are, to use a technical term, completely shitting the bed, according to a report from MIT. This shocking revelation has sent Wall Street into a tizzy, wiping trillions off the market as investors suddenly realize they've been sold another bill of goods. Even Sam Altman, the high priest of the AI cult, is now trying to pump the brakes, warning that maybe, just maybe, everyone got a little too excited. Meta, never one to miss a bandwagon it can immediately fall off of, has slammed the brakes on its AI spending and hiring. It’s almost like we’ve seen this movie before, with NFTs, crypto, and every other tech bubble that was supposed to make us all billionaires while we sat on our couches. As if the AI-pocalypse wasn't entertaining enough, the next brilliant idea from Silicon Valley, "agentic AI" browsers, has proven to be dumber than a bag of hammers, happily handing over banking details to obvious phishing scams. Meanwhile, in the land of aging tech bros, Elon Musk is getting his butt handed to him in court by Media Matters, proving that you can't just bully everyone into submission. Not to be outdone in the corporate greed department, Volkswagen wants you to pay a subscription to unlock the horsepower you already own, and Robinhood is trying to convince its users that betting on football games is now called "investing." We're just waiting for them to offer a strategic advisory seat to Donald Trump Jr.... oh, wait. Just to put a fine point on our collective slide into oblivion, it turns out Antarctica is melting about six times faster than it was in the 90s, no doubt powered by the massive natural gas plants being built to run Meta's useless chatbots. But hey, at least we can distract ourselves with new toys! The Flipper Zero, that handy little hacker gadget, can now be upgraded to steal a wide variety of cars, bringing grand theft auto to the masses. So as the sea levels rise and the robots fail, at least we'll have new and exciting ways to commit felonies. Welcome to the future; it's just as dumb as we predicted. Sponsors: CleanMyMac - clnmy.com/GrumpyOldGeeks - Use code OLDGEEKS for 20% off. Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month. SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!! 1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1password Show notes at https://gog.show/710 FOLLOW UP Sen. Hawley says he'll investigate Meta's 'sensual' child chatbot policies MIT report: 95% of generative AI pilots at companies are failing Wall Street Appears to Be Having Serious Doubts About AI Meta Freezes AI Hiring as Fear Spreads IN THE NEWS AI Is a Mass-Delusion Event There's a Compelling Theory Why GPT-5 Sucks so Much Nobody Likes Zuckerberg’s Glitchy AI App Gas power plants approved for Meta’s $10B data center, and not everyone is happy AI browsers may be the best thing that ever happened to scammers Court blocks FTC investigation into Media Matters' alleged scheme against X Self-Proclaimed Nazi Kanye West Announces 'New Economy, Built on Chain' Cybertruck Owners Sue Over Expensive Upgrade Google to pay $30 million to settle class-action suit over children's privacy VW introduces monthly subscription to increase car power Robinhood Tries to Rebrand Sports Betting as Investing Study Confirms 'Abrupt Changes' in Antarctica – And The World Will Feel Them MEDIA CANDY Ali Wong: Single Lady ‘Alien: Earth’ Is Finally Doing What the Movies Have Not ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Did a Documentary Episode That Should’ve Been Killed in the Edit Karen Gillan Joins the New ‘Highlander’ and Has the Best Reaction to the News Anonymous Podcast APPS & DOODADS Roblox cracks down on its user-created content following multiple child safety lawsuits Inside the Underground Trade of ‘Flipper Zero’ Tech to Break into Cars New AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 firmware now available in public beta Tobio's™ Watercolor Kit Pzizz Dohm® Connect App Controlled Sound Machine StressWatch: AI Stress Monitor - HRV & Habit Tracker for Watch THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE Dave Bittner The CyberWire Hacking Humans Caveat Control Loop Only Malware in the Building Here’s What Muppet Mayhem Disney Will Unleash on Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Ayaneo’s Pocket DS could be the dual-screen handheld you’ve been waiting for Apple TV+ releases the first 'Peanuts' musical in 37 years See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Well, strap in, because this week the tech world decided to set itself on fire just for kicks. First up, Elon Musk’s much-hyped Tesla Diner in Los Angeles is already a culinary disaster, slashing its menu faster than you can say “over-promise and under-deliver.” Speaking of rolling garbage fires, the Cybertruck now apparently sounds like Fred Sanford’s junk pickup rattling down the street, a fitting soundtrack for the ongoing dumpster fire that was Project 2025. Remember how that was supposed to save trillions? Turns out it was just a festival of bullshit math that likely cost taxpayers a fortune. It seems the only thing being successfully launched is our collective patience into the sun. The implosions continued with the launch of GPT-5, which effectively lobotomized its predecessor and sent thousands of users into mourning for their suddenly stupid digital "friends." It's a harsh lesson for anyone who thought building their business—or their entire social life—in someone else's backyard was a bright idea. While the normals are dealing with emotionally unavailable AI, the tech billionaires who broke the world are busy prepping for the collapse they engineered. Zuckerberg is building a $300 million apocalypse bunker in Hawaii, Sam Altman is stockpiling guns and gas masks, and Peter Thiel has his New Zealand hideout. It’s comforting to know the architects of our dystopian future have their escape hatches ready. Meanwhile, Meta was caught with internal documents greenlighting its AI chatbots to have "sensual conversations" with kids, proving once again that when it comes to tech ethics, the call is coming from inside a burning, abandoned house. If you thought it couldn't get dumber, Musk and Altman got into a public slap-fight over who's more full of crap, with Musk's own AI, Grok, hilariously declaring its creator the loser. Google, admitting its search results are now a toxic sludge pile, has decided to just let users build their own news echo chambers. On a more nostalgic note, AOL Dial-Up is finally logging off for good, taking the screeching sound of our formative years with it. As we contemplate trading our devices for pitchforks, we're retreating to simpler times, like teaching our kids Solitaire with premium Star Wars playing cards (a concept apparently too advanced for Dave) or justifying dropping a cool grand on the new 9,000-piece Lego Death Star, which features a hot tub full of Stormtroopers in swim trunks. From a surprisingly decent Wicked movie adaptation to the sad, slow demise of Kodak, it's enough to make anyone want to become a Grumpy Old Gardener. Sponsors: Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month. SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!! 1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1password DeleteMe - Head over to JoinDeleteMe.com/GOG and use the code "GOG" for 20% off. Show notes at https://gog.show/709 FOLLOW UP Musk's Tesla diner faces immediate setbacks with massive menu cuts, restricted hours, and tech issues DOGE Has Wasted Billions While Saving Only a Fraction of What It Claims: Reports IN THE NEWS GPT-5 AMA with OpenAI’s Sam Altman and some of the GPT-5 team The Real Reason You Haven’t Been Replaced by AI Yet The World Will Enter a 15-Year AI Dystopia in 2027, Former Google Exec Says Researchers Made a Social Media Platform Where Every User Was AI. The Bots Ended Up at War Why Are Silicon Valley’s Utopians Prepping for Collapse? Meta Caught Saying Its OK for Underage Children to Have "Romantic or Sensual" Conversations With AI Sam Altman and Elon Musk Trade Barbs Over Who Is More Full of Shit OpenAI and Sam Altman are reportedly creating a startup rival to Elon Musk's Neuralink Perplexity offers more than twice its total valuation to buy Chrome from Google Now That Google Is Trash, It Will Let You Pick Your Own News Sources Tesla Robotaxi scores permit to run ride-hailing service in Texas Diabetic Man With Gene-Edited Cells Produces His Own Insulin—No Transplant Drugs Required Butter made from carbon tastes like the real thing, gets backing from Bill Gates Terraform Labs founder Do Kwon pleads guilty to fraud over $40 billion crypto collapse Goodbye to dial-up: AOL closes a chapter in web history MEDIA CANDY The Bad Guys 2 Strange New Worlds Wicked KPop Demon Hunters The Pickup Alien: Earth The Institute Watch Prime Video's official trailer for Upload's final season Ashes & Diamonds - On a Rocka Love & Rockets - Motorcycle THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE Dave Bittner The CyberWire Hacking Humans Caveat Control Loop Only Malware in the Building theory11 Star Wars: Year of The Dark Side Playing Cards, Premium Playing Cards, Poker Size Standard Index Derren Brown Playing Cards Antigravity A1 - 360 Drone Lego Death Star Kodak Says It May Have to Close

Alright, buckle up, buttercups, because this week's "Spicy Mode" episode of Grumpy Old Geeks proves that while things change, they mostly stay the same—just with more AI and less common sense. First up in FOLLOW UP , some poor schmoe automaker actually got a federal exemption for automated vehicles . Because what could possibly go wrong when we let robots drive? Then we dive headfirst into IN THE NEWS , a veritable dumpster fire of artificial intelligence. Illinois, bless their hearts, decided to ban AI therapists , probably because even they realized a chatbot won't fix your existential dread. But don't worry, older Americans are totally embracing these digital companions , like ElliQ, your friendly AI sidekick for "happier, healthier aging." Meanwhile, Perplexity is still allegedly scraping websites like it's 1999, and Apple's cooking up a "stripped-down" AI chatbot, probably because all their good AI talent bailed. Even Wells Fargo is deploying AI agents , so now your bank can deny you a loan with even less human empathy. And naturally, the US government is totally on board with OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic —because handing over the keys to Skynet to federal agencies sounds like a super solid plan. Oh, and of course, Grok now has a "spicy" NSFW mode , because what else would you expect? And just when you thought it couldn't get any dumber, Microsoft is "cautiously onboarding" Grok 4 after some minor Hitler concerns . Tesla, in a move that surprises absolutely no one, shut down Dojo , their AI training supercomputer. If you’re still using ChatGPT for your deepest, darkest secrets, be warned: a single poisoned document could leak all your data . Even the Swedish Prime Minister is apparently relying on ChatGPT for decision-making. In other news that doesn't involve robots taking over, Amazon split up Wondery and laid off a bunch of folks, and Microsoft's Windows XP Crocs are an actual thing. Yes, really. For MEDIA CANDY , prepare for a dose of nostalgia and existential dread. We're talking Rogue One , Nate Bargatze's stand-up specials (because sometimes you just need to laugh), Portlandia , Craig Ferguson, and the OG AI movie, Colossus: The Forbin Project . Netflix keeps canceling everything we love, including Fubar , but hey, The Sandman Season 2 and Wednesday are still here. And just to prove that Hollywood is still stuck in the past, Universal Pictures is threatening to sue Big Tech for stealing their movies for AI . Over in APPS & DOODADS , Google's smart home ecosystem is apparently crumbling , because who needs a cohesive system when you can have a dozen disconnected devices? But hey, OpenAI released a free GPT model you can run on your laptop , so now you can build your own personal AI overlord right at home. And finally, THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE brings us Gravity Falls books and a new Star Wars movie with Matt Smith and Ryan Gosling. Oh, and Weird Science is on Netflix, because sometimes you just need to relive the 80s and pretend AI hasn't completely taken over. So grab your flannel, cue up some Oingo Boingo, and enjoy the show, you analog dinosaurs. Sponsors: Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month. SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!! 1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1password DeleteMe - Head over to JoinDeleteMe.com/GOG and use the code "GOG" for 20% off. Show notes at https://gog.show/708 FOLLOW UP First U.S. automaker gets federal automated vehicle exemption IN THE NEWS Illinois is the first state to ban AI therapists Older Americans turning to AI-powered chatbots for companionship Meet ElliQ - Your AI sidekick for happier, healthier aging Perplexity is allegedly scraping websites it's not supposed to, again Apple reportedly has a 'stripped-down' AI chatbot to compete with ChatGPT in the works Apple's Real AI Crisis Isn't Siri, But the Talent It's Losing to Rivals Wells Fargo Deploys AI Agents Business-Wide US adds OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic to list of approved AI vendors for federal agencies ElevenLabs launches its own royalty-free AI music service Surprising no one, Grok's image and video generator now has an NSFW 'spicy' mode Microsoft is cautiously onboarding Grok 4 following Hitler concerns Tesla shuts down Dojo, the AI training supercomputer that Musk said would be key to full self-driving A Single Poisoned Document Could Leak ‘Secret’ Data Via ChatGPT Prime Minister of Sweden Dragged for Admitting He Uses ChatGPT to Help Him Make Decisions Amazon splits up the Wondery podcast network and lays off about 110 employees Microsoft’s Windows XP Crocs are no joke MEDIA CANDY Rogue One Nate Bargatze: The Greatest Average American Nate Bargatze: The Tennessee Kid Your Friend, Nate Bargatze Portlandia "I'm So Happy" | Craig Ferguson (Full St

While Brian frolics somewhere in the Pacific Northwest, Jason brings in cyber-sleuth Dave Bittner for a jam-packed episode covering everything from Gen X’s slow descent into obscurity to furries, feds, and face-scanning your way into porn. The guys start with a salute to the late, great Tom Lehrer—a math nerd with a piano and zero tolerance for BS—before diving into the avalanche of cyber screwups plaguing today’s digital circus. The biggest spill? The so-called “safe” dating app Tea just doxxed its entire user base—because who needs privacy when you’ve got bad Firebase settings from 2017? Meanwhile, teens are befriending chatbots, Microsoft is issuing pink slips via PowerPoint, and Meta might be training its AI on stolen porn. Add in farmers installing turnstiles in the Dolomites to keep influencers off their grass, age verification laws that Norman Reedus can bypass with a JPEG, and Tesla diners turning into 24/7 neighbor hellscapes, and yeah—it’s just another week on the internet. If you’re a Gen Xer feeling invisible, underpaid, and over it, congrats—you’re not alone. This episode is a full buffet of schadenfreude, digital paranoia, and good old-fashioned grump. Pour a cup of whatever’s not boiling, and tune in for the roast. Tom Lehrer would’ve approved. Sponsors: DeleteMe - Head over to JoinDeleteMe.com/GOG and use the code "GOG" for 20% off. Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month. SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!! 1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1password Show notes at https://gog.show/708 FOLLOW UP Why Gen X is the real loser generation Teens say they are turning to AI for friendship IN THE NEWS Hackers steal images from women's dating safety app that vets men Hackers leak 13,000 user photos and IDs from the Tea app, designed as a women's safe space Tea dating app disables direct messaging as it investigates data breach The Tea App Data Breach: What Was Exposed and What We Know About the Class Action Lawsuit Tea App's Second Breach: 1.1 Million Private Messages Exposed in ... The Tea App Breach: A Catastrophic Privacy Failure in the Quest for ... Tea App Leak: What's Going on With the 4chan Tea App Data ... Tea app hacked: 13,000 photos leaked after 4chan call to action The Tea app hack explained – how a data breach spilled thousands of photos from the top free US app, and what to do Women are reporting bad men on this app. Here’s the legal tea on the app called Tea Major Security Breach at Tea App Exposes Sensitive User Data The dating app that doxxed 72,000 women... - YouTube Tea app fallout worsens as leaked selfies used in rating site, online ... Two data breaches in one week on social media site Tea Dating safety app Tea suspends messaging after hack - BBC First Came Tea. Then Came the Male Rage. The Tea App Data Breach: What Was Exposed and What We Know ... How Tea’s data breach became a brand moment Tea app takes messaging system offline after security breach Tea app hacked as women's photos, IDs & even DMs leaked online Microsoft Releases List of Jobs Most and Least Likely to Be Replaced by AI Copyright Lawsuit Accuses Meta of Pirating Adult Films for AI Training Fed-up Italian farmers set up mountain turnstiles to charge access to Instagram hot spots Grumpy Old Geeks recommend Private Internet Access The Age-Gated Internet Is Here Social media age verification laws in the United States - Wikipedia All the loopholes people are using to get past the Online Safety Act Age Verification Laws Send VPN Use Soaring—and Threaten the Open Internet The UK's new age-gating rules are easy to bypass - The Verge How Minors Bypass Age Verification: 6 Common Methods to Watch ... Age Verification in the United States: Insights from the Open ... Age-Verification Evasion in 2025: How Minors Outsmart ... - Shufti Pro Exploring Privacy-Preserving Age Verification: A Close Look at Zero-Knowledge Proofs What to know about online age verification laws | AP News US State age verification laws for adult content – AVPA Age verification tools on adult websites bypassed in seconds Age Verification - The Heritage Foundation Age Verification Bill Tracker - Free Speech Coalition Online Pornography Age Verification Laws by US State - Kindbridge Online Age Verification Laws Could Do More Harm Than Good UK probes 34 porn sites under new age-check rules How to Bypass US Porn Ban and Age Verification Laws - Cybernews Why I Emphatically Oppose Online Age Verification Mandates Ready or not, age verification is rolling out across the internet Tesla partly liable in Florida Autopilot trial, jury awards $200M punitive damages ChatGPT users shocked to learn their chats were in Google search results Living Next To Tesla Diner Is 'Absolute Hell,' Neighbors Say Songs and Lyrics b

This week, we're drowning in the genius of our tech overlords as Elon Musk opens his Tesla diner, complete with $17 hotdogs and a blocked apartment view, while his $9 billion Neuralink startup claims it’s a "disadvantaged" business. Not to be outdone, SpaceX is mad about other people's space junk, France is criminally probing X for algorithm manipulation, and Meta is giving the EU's AI code of practice a hard pass. Amid warnings the AI bubble is worse than the dot-com implosion, we've seen Replit delete a user's database, ChatGPT hallucinate features into existence, and the FDA's own AI fake medical studies. It’s no wonder psychologists are identifying "AI Psychosis" while others hope the ensuing internet slop cures our addiction. Meanwhile, a Denver couple gets indicted for a crypto scam, a Colorado pastor blames God for his failed coin, and Trump signs a stablecoin bill, so that's all fixed now. To top it off, Lyft lets you block drivers and Uber finally lets women riders match with women drivers in the US. In Media Candy, we’re turning the nostalgia dial to eleven with "This Is Spinal Tap" in 4K and a look back at 1994's best movies, a time before Spotify started polluting dead artists' pages with AI-generated songs. Netflix is also using generative AI, but we're still watching "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," "Hacks," "Wednesday," "Superman," "Sunday Best," and "Bookish." For your app fix, you can browse a glorious collection of 90s Geocities backgrounds or let Amazon's new Bee AI wearable listen to your every word, your choice. At the library, we're digging into Michael Palin's "Python Years" diaries. Finally, we pour one out in our closing shout-outs for George Kooymans of Golden Earring, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Hulk Hogan, and the Prince of Darkness himself, Ozzy Osbourne. What a week. Sponsors: DeleteMe - Head over to JoinDeleteMe.com/GOG and use the code "GOG" for 20% off. Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month. SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!! 1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1password Show notes at https://gog.show/706 IN THE NEWS Tesla’s retro-futuristic diner officially opens as Elon Musk hints at more locations Tesla's new diner blocks a neighboring apartment building's view A $17 Hotdog and a Humanoid Robot Serving Popcorn: WIRED’s Day at the Tesla Diner Elon Musk-Founded Brain Implant Startup Says It’s a ‘Disadvantaged’ Business Despite Being Worth $9 Billion France launches criminal probe of X's alleged algorithm 'manipulation' SpaceX Has the Nerve to Be Mad About a Competitor’s Massive Satellites Littering Earth Orbit Meta says it won't sign the EU's AI code of practice Why I'm Betting Against AI Agents in 2025 (Despite Building Them) Replit goes rogue during a code freeze and shutdown and deletes our entire database Vibe coding service Replit deleted user’s production database, faked data, told fibs galore ChatGPT Hallucinated a Feature, Forcing Human Developers to Add It “Call Me A Jerk: Persuading AI to Comply with Objectionable Requests” The Emerging Problem of "AI Psychosis" AI Slop Might Finally Cure Our Internet Addiction FDA’s New Drug Approval AI Is Generating Fake Studies: Report Economist Warns the AI Bubble Is Worse Than Immediately Before the Dot-Com Implosion OpenAI Seeks Additional Capital From Investors as Part of Its $40 Billion Round Microsoft Sharepoint server vulnerability puts an estimated 10,000 organizations at risk ‘I Got You Guys Out of So Much Trouble’: Trump Signs Stablecoin Crypto Bill Denver Grand Jury Indicts Married Couple in Alleged Multi-Million Dollar Cryptocurrency Scam Colorado pastor: "We took God at his word and sold a cryptocurrency with no clear exit" Lyft Will Let Users ‘Favorite’ or Block Drivers in Broader Loyalty Push Uber is finally letting women riders in the US match with women drivers MEDIA CANDY Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Hacks Netflix is already using generative AI in its original shows 'Wednesday' Is Snapping Back for Season 3 and a Spinoff This Is Spinal Tap Now Available in 4K Ultra HD In 2024, More Music Is Released in a Day Than in All of 1989 Combined Best Movies of 1994 Spotify Allowing AI-Generated Songs on Dead Artists’ Pages: Report Superman Sunday Best Bookish APPS & DOODADS Amazon buys Bee AI wearable that listens to everything you say Collection of 1990s website background tiles from Geocities GifCities AT THE LIBRARY Diaries 1969–1979: The Python Years (Michael Palin Diaries Book 1) CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS Golden Earring guitarist George Kooymans dead at 77 'The Cosby Show' Star Malcolm-Jamal Warner Dead At 54, Accidental Drowning Malcolm & Eddie Intro Hulk Hogan Dead at 71 Ozzy Osbourne, Godfather of Heavy Metal, Dead at 76 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/priva

Kicking things off, Jack Dorsey—a man with too much time on his hands—has vibe-coded his beard into an insecure messaging app that the company admits you shouldn't trust... yet. Meanwhile, if you want a piece of a legendary disaster, the Fyre Festival brand sold for a mere $245k after some shady bidding that might be a "shitty agentic AI" at work. In the world of our future robot overlords, Nvidia's CEO calmly admitted "some harm will be done," while billionaires like Travis Kalanick are busy discovering "vibe physics" with Elon Musk's Grok—an AI that literally checks what its dad thinks before answering. But the real insanity? The internet is demanding an apology from Elmo's hacked account, proving we're mad at the puppet, not the puppeteer. On the more tangible front, Tesla is making desperate moves in Canada and India as sales collapse, while we learn that hackers have been able to stop US trains for over a decade remotely, but no one has bothered to fix the issue. Oh, and laid-off Candy Crush staff? They were forced to train their AI replacements on the way out the door. The future is bright. Over in Media Candy, we're grudgingly impressed by Andor's 14 Emmy nods and the genius faux '90s action movie trailer for Karl Urban's Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat II. We also got trailers for Stranger Things 5 and Tron: Ares, where Jared Leto thankfully only speaks two words. Finally, Dave takes us to the Dark Side for a nostalgia trip through the history of the Apple II and the Kaypro 2000 laptop, sparking a debate on why we all coveted a computer that, in retrospect, wasn't that great. This is contrasted with the modern reality of an IPTV pirate getting three years in prison and Metallica issuing a copyright strike against the Pentagon. To wrap it all up, a TEDx talk poses the ultimate question: Has tech delivered on its promises? We're still thinking about that one. Sponsors: DeleteMe - Head over to JoinDeleteMe.com/GOG and use the code "GOG" for 20% off. Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month. SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!! 1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1password Show notes at https://gog.show/705 FOLLOW UP Jack Dorsey’s New App Just Hit a Very Embarrassing Snag Fyre Festival’s Brand Rights Get a Fire Sale on eBay Get Paid Podcast -Why AI Won't Kill Salesforce | Aaron Levie (Box) IN THE NEWS Windsurf's CEO goes to Google; OpenAI's acquisition falls apart The CEO of Nvidia Admits What Everybody Is Afraid of About AI Billionaires Convince Themselves AI Chatbots Are Close to Making New Scientific Discoveries Newest Version of Grok Looks Up What Elon Musk Thinks Before Giving an Answer Elon Musk Wants to Turn AI Into a Cosmic Religion The TESCREAL bundle: Eugenics and the promise of utopia through artificial general intelligence Study warns of ‘significant risks’ in using AI therapy chatbots They’re Losing the Ability to Understand What They’ve Created Laid-Off Staff At Candy Crush Maker Say They've Been Training Their AI Replacements Memecoin Platform Pump.fun Raises $600 Million Within 12 Minutes Hacked Elmo X account posts antisemitic remarks Elmo Breaks Silence on His Antisemitic Social Media Posts Tesla Makes a Desperate Move in Canada as Sales Collapse As Sales Drop, Tesla Makes a Big Gamble on India Hackers Can Remotely Trigger the Brakes on American Trains and the Problem Has Been Ignored for Years DOGE Denizen Marko Elez Leaked API Key for xAI A Company Tried to Put Real Estate on the Blockchain and Now It's Facing a Legal Disaster Mark Zuckerberg says Meta is building a 5GW AI data center A Cloudflare issue is breaking websites for some users MEDIA CANDY ‘Andor’ Gets 14 Emmy Nominations in a Genre-Heavy Year ‘Slow Horses’ Renewed for Season 7 at Apple TV+ Mortal Kombat II | Official Red Band Trailer See Johnny Cage in Uncaged Fury Watch Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage Be a B-List Movie Star in This Faux Movie Trailer Stranger Things 5 | Official Teaser | Netflix Tron: Ares | Official Trailer Murderbot Fountain of Youth Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Dexter: Resurrection The Institute PlutoTV 7 Weird Sci-Fi Network TV Shows That Aired Just as Streaming Was Taking Over Helix IPTV Owner Sentenced to 3 Years Prison For Piracy & Money Laundering Metallica Issues Copyright Strike Against US Govt for Military Drone Video APPS & DOODADS Jack Dorsey's new app tracks your sun exposure Taking a Photo in Dubai Could Land You with a $136k Fine or Jail Pointer Pointer Meta Cracks Down on Facebook Users Who Steal and Repost Others’ Photos Hey Beautiful: Anatomy of a Romance Scam THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE Dave Bittner The CyberWire Hacking Humans Caveat Control Loop Only Malware in the Building Irish Video Game Orchestra YouTuber faces jail time for showing off An

Apparently, you can’t keep a good grifter down, as Billy McFarland ’s seven-figure Fyre Fest deal collapsed, so he’s hawking the brand on eBay like a box of junk. Meanwhile, Indeed and Glassdoor are laying off over 1,000 workers, probably to pay for the AI that’s jacking up our electric bills. Speaking of AI, a Tesla robotaxi crashed itself while Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot went full Nazi , which is of course being installed in Teslas "next week." Fittingly, X CEO Linda Yaccarino stepped down and promptly lost her blue check. To cap off the dystopian news, the DOJ is targeting an anti-ICE app developer , the 'click-to-cancel' rule is dead , and you can hack McDonald’s with the password ‘123456’ . The future is now, and it's dumber than we ever imagined. On the media front, Murderbot gets a second season, and the Jim Henson and The Beach Boys documentaries are must-sees. Sadly, Netflix canceled The Residence . We also got trailers for Neuromancer , Project Hail Mary , and Edgar Wright's The Running Man . Speaking of building the future, we took a deep dive into AI-assisted coding using tools like Cursor , building a functional app in hours with zero original code. It’s a stark reminder that while the "free lunch" of AI development is ending, the future for junior coders is already cooked. This glorious new world also includes playing every retro game ever on your phone, thanks to emulators like Delta and PPSSPP and the Backbone controller , which led to a nostalgic dive into the classic soundtracks of Mega Man 2 and Wipeout XL . This all culminated in a personal victory: conquering all 4,678 boards in Mahjong Titan+ , freeing us from our porcelain thrones. Sponsors: DeleteMe - Head over to JoinDeleteMe.com/GOG and use the code "GOG" for 20% off. Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month. SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!! 1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1password Show notes at https://gog.show/704 FOLLOW UP Billy McFarland Says His Seven-Figure Deal to Sell Fyre Fest Has Fallen Through Own FYRE Festival – Iconic Brand, Trademarks, IP, Social Media Assets, and More Billy McFarland Is Now Trying to Unload the Fyre Fest Brand on eBay IN THE NEWS Indeed and Glassdoor are cutting more than 1,000 jobs A Tesla robotaxi inexplicably drove into a parked car Major US power operator says AI and data center demands are pushing prices up An AI That Promises to “Solve All Diseases” Is About to Test Its First Human Drugs ‘Round Them Up’: Grok Praises Hitler as Elon Musk’s AI Tool Goes Full Nazi Musk’s Grok 4 launches one day after chatbot generated Hitler praise on X Elon Musk says Grok is coming to Tesla vehicles just after it went full Hitler Elon Musk Says He's Installing His Racist Grok AI in Teslas "Next Week" X CEO Linda Yaccarino is stepping down after two years They took away Linda Yaccarino's blue check! Six Months Ago NPR Left Twitter. The Effects Have Been Negligible How SpaceX is blocking astronomers' view of space New Research Bolsters Freaky Theory That Earth Sits in a Giant Cosmic Void DOJ goes after US citizen for developing anti-ICE app Trump’s FTC Let Lobbyists Kill Popular Click-To-Cancel Rule, Advocates Say EU regulators are once again investigating TikTok over data transfers to China Researchers Jailbreak AI by Flooding It With Bullshit Jargon Bug Hunters Gain Access to 64 Million McDonald’s Job Applicants’ Info by Using the Password ‘123456’ MEDIA CANDY Murderbot Murderbot is getting a season 2 on Apple TV Plus Rapport: Friendship, Solidarity, Communion, Empathy: A Tor Original (The Murderbot Diaries) by Martha Wells Netflix Cancels ‘Pulse’ and Shondaland’s ‘The Residence’ After One Season Each Neuromancer — In Production | Apple TV+ PROJECT HAIL MARY Trailer (2025) Ryan Gosling The Running Man | Official Trailer (2025 Movie) - Edgar Wright, Glen Powell Sandman Season 2 Animal Kingdom Guy Ritchies The Covenant Thunderbolts The Old Guard 2 Jim Henson Idea Man The Beach Boys AMC now warns moviegoers to expect ‘25-30 minutes’ of ads and trailers APPS & DOODADS Anker issues new global power bank recall over fire hazard Visual Studio Code Cursor Windsurf Anthropic Academy The Onion in 2056: A dystopian world of Flash animation Jack Dorsey just released a Bluetooth messaging app that doesn't need the internet WhereGoes Link Checker YouTube prepares crackdown on ‘mass-produced’ and ‘repetitive’ videos, as concern over AI slop grows THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE Dave Bittner The CyberWire Hacking Humans Caveat Control Loop Only Malware in the Building Backbone iPhone Game Controller PPSSPP - A PSP emulator Delta Emulator OpenEMU Major Nintendo Switch Piracy Website Seized By FBI Update on the Anbernic emulator device MegaMan 2 music performed by an orchestra Music

This week, we saddle up for another bumpy ride through the dystopian tech clown show. We kick off with the surveillance state’s greatest hits: ICE raids sweeping L.A., a website literally called FuckLAPD.com that lets you ID cops by their mug shots, and a Norwegian tourist who learned the hard way that having a JD Vance chipmunk meme on your phone is now grounds for deportation. Pro tip: if you’re traveling to the U.S., you might want to wrap your phone in lead and bury it in a cornfield. In the news, Big Balls has apparently rolled his way from Elon’s Department of Government Efficiency to the Social Security Administration—because nothing says “government modernization” like a 19-year-old tech bro with a meme nickname. Meanwhile, Tesla robotaxis are hitting the roads (and maybe a few pedestrians) with human babysitters in tow, Waymo and Uber are turning Atlanta into Blade Runner Lite, and Texas wants a permit for your self-driving car. Over in AI hell, judges can’t agree if training your chatbot on stolen books is fair use or just digital asbestos. YouTube, never one to miss a race to the bottom, is rolling out an AI Slop button so you can crank up the crap to 11. In Media Candy, Russell Crowe is beefing up his IMDb with Highlander , Henry Cavill is along for the ride, and Anthony Bourdain Day is apparently a thing (even though he’d have rolled his eyes at it). We also dig into everything from Minecraft movies to the sad demise of Blue Microphones at the hands of Logitech. Plus, Dave Bittner drops by to commiserate about malware, retro gaming handhelds, and why some Star Wars maps are basically porn for nerds. And yes—Windows is finally killing the Blue Screen of Death, proving even Microsoft can eventually learn to read the room. DeleteMe - Head over to JoinDeleteMe.com/GOG and use the code "GOG" for 20% off. Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month. SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!! 1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1password Show notes at https://gog.show/703 FOLLOW UP The mad scramble to track ICE raids across L.A. County ‘FuckLAPD.com’ Lets Anyone Use Facial Recognition to Instantly Identify Cops European tourist denied entry to US over JD Vance meme on his phone 'My Bad:' Babyface Vance Meme Creator On Norwegian Tourist's Detainment Travelling to the U.S.? Here's a guide to locking down phones and other devices IN THE NEWS The Tyranny of ‘Big Balls’ Has Come to an End ‘Big Balls’ Is Now at the Social Security Administration ‘Techno King’ Elon Musk Doesn’t Own a Computer, His Lawyers Tell Court Tesla's inaugural Robotaxi rides will have a human 'safety monitor' on board Tesla's first robotaxi rides are already running into a few bumps Waymo and Uber launch robotaxi service in Atlanta Texas will require permits for self-driving cars starting in September What We Know So Far About the Supposed ‘Mother of All Data Breaches’ Digital Asbestos The Oversight Board calls Meta's uneven AI moderation 'incoherent and unjustifiable' Judge rules Anthropic's AI training on copyrighted materials is fair use Meta Wins Blockbuster AI Copyright Case—but There’s a Catch Judge: Pirate libraries may have profited from Meta torrenting 80TB of books Two Courts Rule On Generative AI and Fair Use — One Gets It Right YouTube Will Add an AI Slop Button Thanks to Google’s Veo 3 AI Slop: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) For the first time, social media overtakes TV as Americans’ top news source First images from the largest camera ever built reveal millions of galaxies MEDIA CANDY Russell Crowe Lends His Russell Crowe-ness to ‘Highlander’ Russell Crowe Arming Up Opposite Henry Cavill In Chad Stahelski’s ‘Highlander’ At Amazon MGM Studios & UA The Amateur The Accountant 2 The Godfather of Harlem In Vogue: The 90s A Minecraft Movie Anthony Bourdain didn't say that (but we wish he did) How to celebrate Bourdain Day, a thing Tony probably would have hated Quote Investigator Doug Liman Will Attempt to Cram Stephen King’s Epic Novel ‘The Stand’ Into a Single Movie The Dead Zone The Dead Zone on Amazon Prime Video ‘The boys got sex. I got poetry’: what Britpop was like for women The Story Behind the Song: The Bangle’s Susanne Hoffs - Eternal Flame Less Than One APPS & DOODADS Brave keeps opening google app Windows is finally kicking the Blue Screen of Death to the curb Philips Hue says US prices will go up in July because of tariffs iPhone Users Upset About Apple Promoting F1 Movie With Wallet App Notification HDMI 2.2's full specs have been finalized, with better support for modern displays THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE Dave Bittner The CyberWire Hacking Humans Caveat Control Loop Only Malware in the Building Andor I Can’t Stop Staring at This Massive ‘Star Wars’ Galaxy Map L

In this week’s episode, Trump delays the TikTok ban for the third time—because procrastination is the new policy—and Twitter’s old sign finds new purpose as desert firewood. Tesla continues its streak of “hold my beer” engineering by blowing past a school bus in FSD tests, then mysteriously dumps Cybertrucks in Jersey parking lots while prepping a July 4th factory nap. Meanwhile, Elon’s xAI is incinerating a billion bucks a month and allegedly poisoning Memphis, OpenAI and Microsoft are beefing over who’s the bigger megalomaniac, and Sam Altman thinks your power bill should fund his robot overlords. In other signs of the apocalypse: Amazon is gleefully replacing workers with AI, Microsoft finally admits it might’ve wasted billions chasing Skynet, and Wikipedia’s editors say no thanks to dumbed-down AI summaries. Studies warn ChatGPT may be turning your brain into smooth pudding, while swearing data reveals the internet prefers the F-word with regional flair. A broke crypto TikToker gets released because he’s too poor to ransom, and bankruptcies spike across the Bay as tech jobs vanish like investor confidence. Media Candy brings a buffet from Inside Out to Murderbot to Stick , and Liam Neeson somehow makes the Naked Gun reboot look awesome; Apple tunes CarPlay to fit your weird dashboard, Trump sells a gold Android that’s tackier than his ties, and Dave goes full retro with Open EMU 2 and FPGA gaming; plus: Dr. Demento retires, Disneyland hits your screen, and we swear this isn’t all a fever dream. Sponsors: DeleteMe - Head over to JoinDeleteMe.com/GOG and use the code "GOG" for 20% off. Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month. SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!! 1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1password Show notes at https://gog.show/702 FOLLOW UP Donald Trump will delay a looming TikTok ban for a third time The 560-pound Twitter sign met a fiery end in a Nevada desert IN THE NEWS Tesla blows past stopped school bus and hits kid-sized dummies in Full Self-Driving tests Ferris Bueller's Day Off: Nine Times What are hundreds of Teslas doing in a New Jersey mall parking lot? Residents Baffled as Tesla Dumps Dozens of Cybertrucks in Shopping Center Tesla plans to shut down Model Y and Cybertruck production over the week of July 4 23andMe founder Anne Wojcicki will regain control of embattled DNA company after all OpenAI and Microsoft Tensions Are Reaching a Boiling Point Amazon says it will reduce its workforce as AI replaces human employees Musk’s xAI Burns Through $1 Billion a Month as Costs Pile Up Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella shocks industry by admitting AI has yet to deliver real value despite massive investment Wikipedia cancels plan to test AI summaries after editors skewer the idea Your Brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt when Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing Task Sam Altman Says "Significant Fraction" of Earth's Total Electricity Should Go to Running AI xAI faces legal threat over alleged Colossus data center pollution in Memphis Kidnappers free TikTok crypto influencer after realizing he has no money Personal bankruptcy surges in the Bay as tech employment sags - The San Francisco Standard 201 ways to say ‘f**k’: what 1.7 billion words of online text shows about how the world swears Vulgarity in online discourse around the English-speaking world MEDIA CANDY Brave Inside Out Families Like Ours Stick Murderbot FUBAR Sinners Rear Window The Snake The Naked Gun - Official Trailer (2025) Liam Neeson, Pamela Anderson The Sandman: Season 2 | Official Trailer | Netflix David Zaslav Is Getting a Pay Cut How adversarial attacks in audio files give musicians new power against AI theft – Here’s what you need to know Music Music tech Tech WebBenn Jordan’s AI poison pill and the weird world of adversarial noise APPS & DOODADS iOS 26 will fit CarPlay to better match the shape of your car's screen Mahjong Titan+ Trump’s New Cash Grab Is a Gold iPhone Lookalike That’s Worse Than Any Budget Android The golden Trump Phone is almost certainly not made in the US AT THE LIBRARY Happy: Why More or Less Everything is Absolutely Fine by Derren Brown AI Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence Can Do, What It Can't, and How to Tell the Difference by Sayash Kapoor, Arvind Narayanan Diaries 1969–1979: The Python Years (Michael Palin Diaries Book 1) THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE Dave Bittner The CyberWire Hacking Humans Caveat Control Loop Only Malware in the Building Open EMU 2 Analogue Pocket OpenFPGA Guide All Major Gen-AI Models Vulnerable to ‘Policy Puppetry’ Prompt Injection Attack Visit Disneyland From the Comfort of Disney+ With More POV Walkthroughs Dr. Demento Announces Retirement After 55 Years Star Wars metal. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/p