This week, Jason and Brian dive into the chaos surrounding Elon Musk’s growing influence in government tech, with young engineers playing key roles in his takeover. DOGE employees are being ordered off Slack, USAID is crumbling, and Musk’s war with U.S. officials rages on. Meanwhile, AI takes center stage with the EU banning high-risk systems, DeepSeek’s security concerns, and Amazon throwing down $100 billion on AI advancements. Big Tech moves are equally absurd—Google is now open to AI-powered weapons, Meta might scrap risky AI models, and Tesla is struggling in Europe thanks to Elon’s latest blunders. Meanwhile, states are rushing to pour taxpayer money into so-called “strategic cryptocurrency reserves.” In entertainment, The Devil May Cry anime’s ridiculous theme song is a standout, Mythic Quest returns, and Beast Games looks promising. AI controversially helped The Beatles score a Grammy, and Denis Villeneuve is making Dune 3 because, well, fans demanded it. Over in reboot land, Sarah Michelle Gellar may return for a Buffy revival on Hulu with Chloé Zhao at the helm, while Neil Gaiman finds himself in serious legal trouble. Gadget fans get a look at the Anker Zolo charger, a Google search trick to dodge AI summaries, and Apple’s latest social feature. Also, say goodbye to Apple’s AR glasses before they even had a chance to shine. Dave Bittner joins The Dark Side segment with updates on cybersecurity, including a wave of ransomware payment refusals and the Andersons’ infamous eviction from Disneyland’s most exclusive club. Pirates in China, Disney park music, and tracking yourself via in-app ads round out the discussion. Closing out the show, a shout-out to Snap’s CEO for supporting LA wildfire recovery and a nod to SoberOutfitters for keeping things clean. Buckle up—it’s another wild ride with the Grumpy Old Geeks! 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/683 IN THE NEWS The Young, Inexperienced Engineers Aiding Elon Musk's Government Takeover Musk, Trump Prosecutor Targeting People Who Divulge Identities of DOGE Staff One of Elon Musk's DOGE Kids Just Had an Explosive Screaming Tantrum DOGE Engineer Resigns After Being Linked to Extremely Racist Tweets Government Tech Workers Forced to Defend Projects to Random Elon Musk Bros U.S. government officials privately warn Musk’s blitz appears illegal DOGE Employees Ordered to Stop Using Slack While Agency Transitions to Records System That Is Not Subject to FOIA Elon Musk’s Enemy, USAID, Was Investigating Starlink’s Contracts in Ukraine USAID Workforce Slashed From 10,000 to Under 300 as Elon Musk’s DOGE Decimates Agency Government agency removes spoon emoji from work platform amid protests Deadline for Trump's federal worker buyout proposal temporarily blocked by judge US judge blocks Trump buyout program as 60,000 sign up to quit States Are Racing to Throw Taxpayers' Money Into "Strategic Cryptocurrency Reserves" Police Use of Facial Recognition Backfires Spectacularly When It Renders Them Unable to Convict Alleged Murderer AI systems with 'unacceptable risk' are now banned in the EU DeepSeek iOS app sends data unencrypted to ByteDance-controlled servers OmniHuman-1 Researchers created an open rival to OpenAI’s o1 ‘reasoning’ model for under $50 Amazon doubles down on AI with a massive $100B spending plan for 2025 Workday lays off 1,750 employees, citing demand for AI Lyft uses Anthropic's Claude chatbot to handle user complaints Tesla Sales in Europe Plummet Amidst Elon’s Stupid Meddling Tesla sees German car sales plunge in January Volkswagen is unveiling a $21,000 entry-level EV in March Volkswagon - The 2025 ID. Buzz electric bus One of Big Tech’s Angriest Critics Explains the Problem Google Lifts Self-Imposed Ban on Using AI for Weapons and Surveillance Meta says it may stop development of AI systems it deems too risky Sonos lays off 200 ahead of rumored set-top box release Andreessen Horowitz Defends Hiring Subway Vigilante Who Became Right-Wing Hero MEDIA CANDY The Devil May Cry Show’s Intro Song Is So Stupidly Glorious Mythic Quest Beast Games AI won The Beatles a Grammy 55 years after they broke up Denis Villeneuve Is Making Dune 3 Next Because You Want It ‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer’ Reboot Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar Nears Hulu Pilot Order With Chloé Zhao Directing Neil Gaiman Hit With Rape & Human Trafficking Suits After Months Of Allegations; Estranged Spouse Amanda Palmer Also Named In Multi-State Filings APPS & DOODADS Anker Zolo Portable Charger, 10,000mAh 30W Power Bank with Built-in
