Uncanny Valley | WIRED

Discussing the rise of plug-in hybrids in the era of sustainable transportation, addressing catalytic converter theft in hybrid cars, debating the practicality of plug-in hybrids vs. electric cars, exploring Tesla's driving experience, and sharing literary recommendations and tributes to American writers.

Do you know what TCP/IP means? (Hint: you’re using it right now.) What about CDMA? Or GPT? While the concepts and the execution of these technologies are clear to most of us who have been on the internet nearly our whole lives, the acronyms we use to define them are often inscrutable. On this week’s episode, we welcome WIRED’s AI reporter Will Knight onto the show. Along with our hosts Michael Calore and Lauren Goode, the trio takes turns quizzing each other on what exactly these acronyms stand for. Michael is asked to unpack various terms from the early internet era, Lauren is tested on acronyms from the mobile era, and Will tells us what all the AI-related abbreviations mean. Everyone does a pretty good job even if nobody earns a perfect score. Play along at home; maybe you can best our hosts with your arcane knowledge of internet minutiae.Show NotesRead Steven Levy’s story about the Google research paper that kickstarted the transformer-based AI boom.Recommendations:Will recommends the book The Rise and Fall of the EAST by Yasheng Huang. (Watch their conversation at MIT’s Starr Forum.) Lauren recommends the Forest app for the Pomodoro work method. Mike recommends The Jargon File.Will Knight can be found on social media @WillKnight. Lauren Goode is @LaurenGoode. Michael Calore is @snackfight. Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@booneashworth). Our theme music is by Solar Keys. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The podcast discusses Airchat, a social media app where users share audio snippets. It's invite-only for Silicon Valley insiders, similar to Clubhouse. Guests explore the app's features, AI usage, data privacy, moderation challenges, and Wired's new podcast studio.

The podcast discusses how election deniers are using tech to disrupt elections, targeting officials and challenging voter rolls. It explores the impact of FOIA requests and AI disruptions on election processes. It also highlights the challenges faced by election workers and the influence of disinformation on voters, including amusing conspiracy theories.

The podcast explores the trend of social media platforms turning into shopping destinations, focusing on TikTok Shop and the variety of products available. They discuss the evolution of seller fees, impact on consumer behavior, and the rise of zany products. Recommendations include a hangover cap and a German art documentary.

Discover the DOJ's antitrust lawsuit against Apple focusing on iPhone security features. Dive into the green bubble-blue bubble encryption debate on iMessage. Get recommendations for a unique sea salt and a touching book, along with a vibrant music festival experience at Big Ears.

This podcast explores the intriguing themes of impending alien invasion, political instability, and over-dependence on virtual reality in the new sci-fi series based on the Three Body Problem book. The hosts discuss how the show mirrors real-world events, the historical accuracy of key scenes, and the integration of virtual worlds and technological intricacies in the narrative. They also touch on the enjoyment and pacing of the TV show adaptation, recommend the Silo series on Apple TV+, and share a nostalgic love story recommendation.

The podcast delves into the political turmoil surrounding TikTok, with discussions on data security concerns, national security threats, and the potential implications of a TikTok ban. The show features insights from a senior politics writer, recommendations for office work and wellness, and playful banter among hosts.

Discussing Google's 'Woke AI' problem and the controversies surrounding AI image generation with Gemini. Exploring Google's recent layoffs and discrimination accusations. Recommendations include food blog, journalism article, and spy author podcast episode. Dive into Razzie Award-winning films on Criterion Channel.

Discover the evolution of Nvidia from gaming graphics to AI dominance. Explore the trend of custom chips in AI computing and competition in the tech sector. Dive into ethical dilemmas in self-driving cars and innovative voice transcription apps. Get gardening tips and a recommendation for the book 'Say Nothing'.