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
