Tech News Weekly (Audio)

Abrar Al-Heeti of CNET joins Mikah Sargent on the show this week! Do Americans trust driverless vehicles? Safety tools for Social Media are failing kids. Sony is ceasing the production of physical games in January 2028. And a Supreme Court ruling guts the government's use of geofence warrants. A new Pew Research survey finds only 5% of U.S. adults have ridden in a driverless car, and 71% say they wouldn't feel comfortable riding in one in the first place. An audit conducted by the Cybersafety Research Center showcases that, within Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube, the research center found 51 of 86 advertised child-safety features were either broken, buried, or missing. Sony announced it will stop making physical discs for new PlayStation games starting in January 2028. And in Chatrie v. United States, which reached the Supreme Court, the Court ruled 6-3 that police need a warrant to obtain Google location-history data, further extending Fourth Amendment protections for Americans. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Abrar Al-Heeti Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: blackhat.com/us-26 and use code TWIT framer.com/tnw hipebl.ai threatlocker.com/twit rippling.ai/tnw

Dan Moren of Six Colors is in this week for Tech News Weekly with Mikah Sargent. Apple will likely raise the prices of its products in the future. Roku is being bought by Fox. Android 17 arrives for your smartphone! And could your devices come pre-installed with backdoor software? Dan talks about an interview with Apple CEO Tim Cook in the Wall Street Journal and how it's unavoidable that the company will have to raise the price on its devices in the future due to memory chip costs fueled by AI demand. Mikah laments the potential acquisition of Roku by Fox in a $22 billion cash-and-stock deal. Patrick Holland of CNET joins the show to talk about Android 17 and the new features within the operating system. And Mikah shares an investigation by the Wall Street Journal on how many cheap smart home devices have been secretly hijacked by a Chinese company to create a massive residential proxy network used by state-backed hackers from Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Dan Moren Guest: Patrick Holland Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: Melissa.com/twit threatlocker.com/twit Simply CX outsystems.com/twit

Amanda Silberling joins Mikah Sargent on this episode of Tech News Weekly! Amanda is impressed with ChatGPT's Images 2.0 model. Some companies and tech giants are pushing back on stricter emissions reporting rules. Unauthorized users have accessed Anthropic's new Mythos AI model. And Framework announces its Laptop 13 Pro. Amanda talks about ChatGPT's Images 2.0 model and how it's a huge improvement in generating text compared to other image-generating AI models. Mikah shares how more than 60 companies, including Apple & Amazon, are pushing back on the possible tightening of emissions reporting standards as the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, a global standard-setter, looks to tamp down on greenwashing risks. Mikah also talks about how unauthorized users have accessed Anthropic's Mythos Model, setting up the possibility of dangerous cyberattacks down the road, as the AI model is more powerful than other models easily accessible to the public. And Sean Hollister of The Verge joins the show again to talk about Framework's new Laptop 13 Pro that Framework CEO Nirav Patel says is "the MacBook Pro for Linux users." Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Amanda Silberling Guest: Sean Hollister Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: webroot.com/twit outsystems.com/twit zscaler.com/security Melissa.com/twit

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy of The Verge joins Mikah Sargent this week on Tech News Weekly! How AI is helping elders stay independent & provide companionship. How Apple and Google's app stores are pushing users toward deepfake nude apps, per an organization's report. And inside the crazy backstory behind an AI plush companion. Jennifer talks about Samsung's newest updates to its SmartThings Family Care service and how technology and AI are increasingly being used to help take care of elderly people & provide companionship. Mikah talks about a report from the Tech Transparency Project that found both Apple & Google's app stores that host & direct users to apps that generate non-consensual nude images of women. And Victoria Song of The Verge joins the show to share her review of a $399 AI companion and her very unique experience with the device overall. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Guest: Victoria Song Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: zscaler.com/security Simply CX

Amanda Silberling of TechCrunch joins Mikah Sargent on this episode of Tech News Weekly! How accurate are Google's AI Overviews? The usage of AI in investigative journalism. Artemis 2! And what Apple's next 50 years could look like. Mikah talks about a New York Times report that looks into the accuracy of Google's AI Overviews, which pull information from a group of various sources, from news articles to tabloids, and even social media posts. Amanda is fascinated by some tech reporters' slow adoption of utilizing AI in their journalistic process after coming across an article on the discovery of Bitcoin's creator, Satoshi Nakamoto. Rod Pyle of This Week in Space joins the show to talk about the Artemis II space mission! And Scott Stein of CNET chats with Mikah about Apple's first 50 years and what the next 50 years may look like for the company. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Amanda Silberling Guests: Rod Pyle and Scott Stein Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: framer.com/tnw bitwarden.com/twit joindeleteme.com/twit promo code TWIT

Abrar Al-Heeti joins Mikah Sargent this week! Meta is in dispute with the Motion Picture Association. Anthropic accidentally leaks Claude Code's source code. Apple is continuing to extend updates to those affected by the DarkSword exploit. And Meta & YouTube are found liable for having features that are addictive for younger users. Abrar talks about Meta's deal with the Motion Picture Association to scale back the use of film ratings when describing its teen accounts. Mikah shares how Anthropic's Claude code was leaked, unveiling some next-gen AI coding features. Mikah gives an update on the DarkSword and Coruna exploit tools that utilize zero-day vulnerabilities in iOS 18. And both Meta and YouTube were found liable for some of their features that make their social media platforms addictive for younger users, having to pay millions in fines. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Abrar Al-Heeti Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: Simply CX zscaler.com/security

Dan Moren joins Mikah Sargent on Tech News Weekly! Rumors of iOS 27 are slowly making the rounds, with Apple's planned AI reboot. A look inside the lawsuit between Halide co-founders. The US just banned consumer routers made outside of the US. And NASA unveiled its initiatives to return back to the Moon. Dan talks about the rumors of iOS 27 and Apple's planned AI refresh, alongside a new "Ask Siri" feature, that will be part of the unveiling of iOS 27 & macOS 27 at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference later in June. Mikah goes a bit deeper into the lawsuit that Lux co-founder Ben Sandofsky brought against Sebastiaan de With over financial misconduct and bringing source code with them over to Apple. Sean Hollister of The Verge joins the show to talk about the US's ban on imports of new foreign-made consumer routers and explains what the ban is seeking to do. And Mikah explains NASA's initiatives and plans to return to the Moon, and what NASA plans to do once they return. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Dan Moren Guest: Sean Hollister Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: hoxhunt.com/securitynow threatlocker.com/twit Melissa.com/twit

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy of The Verge joins Mikah Sargent this week on Tech News Weekly! IKEA's smart home products are not quite there yet. NVIDIA unveiled DLSS 5 at GTC 2026 and faced backlash from within the gaming community. A powerful iPhone-hacking technique has been discovered to take over devices running iOS 18. And some updates on the probes into Tesla's and hands-free driving systems. Jennifer shares her experience using IKEA's newest smart home products utilizing the Matter-over-Thread protocol, expressing her concerns and frustrations with trying to connect them to any smart home platform. Mikah talks about Nvidia's DLSS 5 that was unveiled at GTC 2026, and the criticism & memes it has faced since its unveiling. Andy Greenberg of WIRED joins the show to talk about a tool that has been discovered, called DarkSword, that can hack into millions of iPhones running iOS 18. And Mikah chats about hands-free driving technology in vehicles and NHTSA's probe into Tesla and Ford's hands-free driving systems. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Guest: Andy Greenberg Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: outsystems.com/twit hipebl.ai

Dan Moren of SixColors joins Mikah Sargent again on Tech News Weekly! Grammarly is facing a class action lawsuit over its AI "Expert Review" feature. Live Nation's settlement with the DOJ does very little. A recap of Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. And China is obsessed with OpenClaw AI. Dan talks about a class-action lawsuit brought against Grammarly and its company, Superhuman, over its AI "Expert Review" feature that offered editing suggestions as if they came from various authors and academics, without their consent. Mikah, and many others, are perplexed at the DOJ's settlement with Live Nation Entertainment and what little Live Nation had to concede as part of the settlement. Abrar Al-Heeti of CNET stops by to share her experience at MWC (Mobile World Congress) in Barcelona and what she and her CNET colleagues saw there. And Mikah shares about China's obsession with the OpenClaw AI craze and how users are utilizing the AI agent. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Dan Moren Guest: Abrar Al-Heeti Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: bitwarden.com/twit joindeleteme.com/twit promo code TWIT zscaler.com/security hipebl.ai

Dan Moren of SixColors joins Mikah Sargent this week on Tech News Weekly! Apple announced a whole new slew of products throughout the week, including the new MacBook Neo! A look into how Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses collect data. And how Google's new proposed system for apps could change the App Store game. Dan and Mikah discuss the slew of new products Apple announced this week: the iPhone 17e, M4 iPad Air, M5 MacBook Air, M5 MacBook Pro, and the new MacBook Neo. Mikah talks about Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses and how overseas workers are reviewing the data collected from the glasses, and how these workers are being exposed to deeply private video footage. And Leah Nylen, Antitrust Reporter for Bloomberg, joins the show to talk about Google's new system for apps on its Android phones to allow easier access for rivals as a result of the settlement between Google and Epic Games and fines in the EU as a result of the Digital Markets Act. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Dan Moren Guest: Leah Nylen Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: hipebl.ai outsystems.com/twit trustedtech.team/twit365

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy of The Verge joins Mikah Sargent this week! Amazon's Ring product had a Super Bowl ad that generated a lot of discussion and backlash following its debut. A look inside Lego's Smart Brick technology. And NASA's Perseverance rover completed its first-ever drive fully planned by AI. Jennifer talks about Amazon Ring's Super Bowl commercial that sparked a lot of backlash, which showcases its AI-powered Search Party feature, with concerns that it could be used as a means of a mass networked surveillance system. Mikah is fascinated by the dive into Lego's new Smart Brick technology. And Tariq Malik of Space.com and This Week in Space joins the show to talk about NASA's Perseverance rover, which completed its first drive planned by AI, and how the technology's use compares to a human-planned drive. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Guest: Tariq Malik Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsor: zscaler.com/security