Tech News Weekly (Audio)

Liz Chamberlain, Director of Sustainability at iFixit and a teardown expert, dives into the iPhone 17 Pro's durability issues, revealing how its aluminum edges contribute to scratches. She also discusses iFixit's recent teardown of the iPhone Air, showcasing its innovative battery design for better repairability. The conversation shifts to Apple's TechWoven material, exploring its advantages over FineWoven, particularly in stain resistance, while also noting its vulnerabilities. Liz provides practical advice on selecting cases to maximize protection.

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy from The Verge shares insights on Amazon's upcoming hardware announcements, while Scott Stein from CNET gives a hands-on review of Meta's innovative Ray-Ban display glasses and Neural Band. They discuss the implications of new smart home tech and how OpenAI is tackling teen safety on ChatGPT. Scott highlights the unique features of the glasses, including augmented reality capabilities and gesture controls, while also addressing the social perceptions around wearing them. It's a fascinating dive into the future of wearable tech!

Zac Hall, a reporter for 9to5Mac, shares his excitement after attending Apple's recent 'Awe Dropping' event. He discusses the new AirPods Pro 3, highlighting their enhanced workout tracking and battery life. Zac also dives into the sleek design and innovative features of the iPhone Air, alongside insights into its camera capabilities and how they compare to the pro models. Expect detailed thoughts on the evolution of Apple’s tech as Zac reflects on what these changes mean for users.

Dan Moren, East Coast Bureau Chief at Six Colors, and Leah Nylen, Antitrust reporter at Bloomberg, dive into the latest tech turmoil. They tackle Apple's bold move to develop an AI search engine, aimed at challenging OpenAI. The conversation shifts to OpenAI's response to mental health concerns and the implications of AI in sensitive contexts. Meanwhile, Leah provides critical insights into a recent court ruling affecting Google’s monopoly in the search market, sparking mixed industry reactions as tech giants navigate evolving regulations.

Emily Forlini, a tech journalist from PCMag, delves into the serious implications of AI, discussing a lawsuit against OpenAI after a tragic incident involving a teen. She raises concerns about the misuse of AI and the emotional ties users develop with technology. Joining her is Allison Johnson from The Verge, who reviews the Google Pixel 10 Pro, highlighting its impressive Magic Cue feature. They also touch on Meta's bold $10 billion investment in a massive data center in Louisiana, aimed at fueling its AI ambitions.

Amanda Silberling from TechCrunch joins to discuss the privacy crisis surrounding the app TeaOnHer, which has exposed users' sensitive data. Patrick Holland from CNET shares insights from the Made by Google event, highlighting the innovative features of the newly unveiled Pixel 10 and Pixel Watch 4. They also delve into the growing issue of AI-generated articles in journalism, raising concerns about integrity and misinformation. The conversation blends ethical tech discussions with the excitement of new product features.

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy of The Verge joins Mikah Sargent on this episode of Tech News Weekly! Apple is rumored to launch a series of AI-powered devices, the upcoming Pebble Time 2's design is shown off, a look into a global SMS phishing scam ring, and the blood oxygen feature is returning to Apple Watches? Apple is seeking to expand its product offerings into AI-powered robots, home security, and smart displays, according to a report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Eric Migicovsky, founder of Pebble smartwatches, unveils the design of the company's Pebble Time 2* watch. Harrison Sand, Senior Security Consultant for mnemonic, unveils Darcula. This global SMS phishing-as-a-scam ring sends SMS messages hoping to steal credentials from those who click on the links in the messages. And Apple announces that it's bringing back the Blood Oyxgen feature for Apple Watches, which was a clever workaround following a recent U.S. Customs ruling against Masimo. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Guest: Harrison Sand 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 shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: zocdoc.com/tnw cachefly.com/twit

Abrar Al-Heeti from CNET joins Mikah Sargent this week on Tech News Weekly! Tesla has been found partially liable for a fatal crash in 2019. Project Ire from Microsoft can autonomously identify malware at scale. Age verification is slowly being rolled out across the internet. And OpenAI announced GPT-5! Abrar discusses Tesla's being found partially liable in a fatal 2019 crash and ordered to pay $243 million in damages. Tesla seeks to appeal the ruling. Mikah shares a new AI model from Microsoft called Project Ire that can analyze and classify malware in software. Age verification is slowly being rolled out to numerous websites that host adult material and harmful content. However, there are concerns with how this is being utilized, which raises privacy concerns for users. And Sabrina Ortiz of ZDNET joins the show to chat with Mikah about everything announced at OpenAI's unveiling of its latest AI model, GPT-5. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Abrar Al-Heeti Guest: Sabrina Ortiz 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 shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: zscaler.com/security go.acronis.com/twit smarty.com/twit

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy joins Mikah Sargent this week on Tech News Weekly! Jennifer shares her first impressions of Alexa Plus. The growing overlap between consumer wellness gadgets and regulated medical technology. And Google's rolling out a machine-learning age verification model to detect account users who are under or over the age of 18. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy has spent some time with Amazon's new, AI-powered Alexa, Alexa Plus. She shares her excitement and criticisms for the new voice assistant. Victoria Song of The Verge joins Mikah to talk about wearable tech companies using the idea of "wellness" technology to skirt FDA regulation on medical technology. And Mikah talks about Google's rollout of a machine-learning age verification model to verify account users' age in the U.S. 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 shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: spaceship.com/twit uscloud.com threatlocker.com for Tech News Weekly

Dan Moren joins Mikah Sargent for this episode of Tech News Weekly! A zero-day bug was discovered in Microsoft's SharePoint. T-Mobile's new satellite texting service, T-Satellite. Apple announces AppleCare One. And Meta's Reality Labs published new papers on the latest advancements in its wrist-based controllers. Mikah shares details about the zero-day bug discovered in Microsoft's SharePoint on Monday, which affected over 400 organizations worldwide. Jeff Carlson of CNET spent some time using T-Mobile's new satellite-based service, T-Satellite, and shares his thoughts on the company's Starlink-based service. Dan Moren talks about Apple's latest iteration of its device coverage program, AppleCare One, a $19.99/month subscription that covers up to three devices of your choice. Breaking news as Apple's iOS 26 Public Beta arrives Thursday morning! And Mikah talks about the latest on Meta's wrist-based controllers that use surface electromyography (sEMG) to allow you to interact with paired devices. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Dan Moren Guest: Jeff Carlson 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 shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsor: zocdoc.com/tnw