Today in Tech

While some company layoffs at companies like Tesla and Rivian indicate a lower demand for electric vehicles, companies like Google and Best Buy may have said the quiet part out loud – investments in AI might be one of the reasons they are letting people go. Keith and Chris talk with guest co-host Brandon Mahne about the reasons behind the latest bunch of tech layoffs, as well as whether anyone will buy an AI PC, and why the Fallout TV show hit a home run with viewers and gamers alike.

Before we all got obsessed with generative artificial intelligence, the technology world was obsessed with connecting everything to “the Internet of Things” – street lights, water sensors, buildings, locks, cameras, etc. Disruptions from the pandemic era quelled a lot of that movement, so where are IoT deployments happening now? Keith chats with David Howard, director of technical sales at Quectel and an industry leader on IoT matters, about where IoT stands these days.

Advances in battery performance, design, form factors and lightweight materials are all contributing to a potential boost in wearable computing devices that move beyond the smart watch. Whether devices will be worn on your face, neck, hands or even feet, companies are looking to find new ways for users to monitor their health or provide other data for convenience purposes. Keith chats with Semir Haddad, chief product and strategy officer for MicroEJ, about the new world of wearables we might see in the next five years.

With the arrival of the Apple Vision Pro and renewed interest in virtual reality offerings by Meta, it looks like shipments of the devices will grow in 2024 and beyond. Keith chats with IDC’s Ramon Llamas about the impact of Apple’s entrance into the market, and what the future holds for the augmented reality / virtual reality / mixed reality / spatial computing world.

OpenAI announces a tool that can clone a person’s voice based only on a 15-second audio clip, while a song generator can now generate a three-minute song from natural language prompts. Brandon Mahne joins the crew as guest co-host as they also discuss Amazon ditching its ‘Just Walk Out’ grocery technology, and we find out who was really responsible for the MGM Resorts hack.

The rise of social media addiction and behavioral issues has also corresponded with the rise of smartphone usage, especially among adolescents. When talking about the behavioral issues caused by social media addiction, how much of this can also be attributed to a device that we have attached to our hip almost 24 hours a day? Keith chats with Professor Joseph Trunzo, a professor of psychology at Bryant University about how smartphones are affecting behaviors, as well as whether there will be long-term effects of social media addiction as this generation moves into the workforce.

FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried will be in federal prison for a very long time for his role in conspiracy and fraud charges from the collapse of the crypto exchange he started. Guest co-host Brandon Mahne joins Keith and Chris to discuss these and other tech stories of the week, including the under-the-radar rise of NVIDIA and Anthropic, as well as the new AI song-writing tool that everyone is obsessed with.

Parents and end users who are worried about the potential effects of social media addiction can take more proactive steps to help stave off potential behavioral issues as a result. Keith chats with John Paul Simon, director of clinical interventions in schools for CarePlus New Jersey, about how to recognize the signs of social media addition, as well as advice to help users become more aware of the dangers.

Using tactics like how Las Vegas casinos keep customers in their seats, big social media companies are designing interfaces to keep users on the platform for longer periods of times. This can be very problematic for younger users, who have brains that are still developing and can be seriously affected by addiction behavior. Keith chats with Dr. Lisa Strohman, a licensed psychologist and director of the Digital Citizen Academy, about the harmful effects of social media addiction.

The last two years has seen more than 310,000 layoffs from more than 200 tech companies, indicating an issue with employment in the technology sector. While some experts say there are plenty of open technology positions at companies, anecdotal evidence suggests that it’s becoming harder to find work. AI-based hiring tools that often screen out qualified candidates before they reach a hiring manager also seems problematic. In our latest technology roundup, Keith and Chris are joined by guest co-host Brandon Mahne, a Silicon Valley veteran technologist and CTO, to discuss the issue. Also discussed is whether Apple and Google teaming up on AI is a good idea, and why people under 30 are so unhappy.