This week on Tech News Weekly, host Mikah Sargent is joined by guest co-host Dan Moren to discuss Siri privacy concerns and how Apple could leverage AI to improve the user experience. Jason Hiner of CNET reports on CES 2025 on the latest TV displays, NVIDIA's AI innovations, and more. Then Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, weighs in on Meta's controversial decision to end fact-checking on its platforms.

• Dan's latest column explores how Apple could use AI to benefit users by improving spam filtering, search capabilities, and automation. Implementing these features would align with Apple's focus on simplifying technology.
• Apple released a statement clarifying that Siri recordings are not being used to build ad profiles, despite an ongoing conspiracy theory that devices are always listening. In reality, ad targeting is based on online behavior.
• At CES 2025, new TV display technologies were announced including brighter OLED panels likely using "tandem OLED" and a new mini-LED backlight system from Hisense for improved color depth.
• Lenovo showcased an expensive laptop prototype with a screen that rolls up to double in size, though it may have limited practical appeal for now.
• NVIDIA unveiled COSMOS, an AI framework to generate synthetic training data for robots and self-driving systems, which could accelerate future autonomous innovations.
• Offbeat CES products included an electric spoon that makes low-sodium foods taste saltier to promote healthier eating, and aggressively priced TVs from TCL.
• Meta announced it will end fact-checking and rely on community moderation, which CCDH CEO Imran Ahmed argues will amplify the spread of misinformation and cause real-world harms.

Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Dan Moren

Guest: Jason Hiner

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In the first episode of 2025, Mikah and Abrar discuss Meta's plans to add AI bots to their social media platforms, the rise of AI-generated phishing scams, the trend of parents giving their kids retro tech devices to reduce screen time, and the current state and future potential of passkeys for secure logins.

• Meta plans to populate Facebook and Instagram with AI-generated bot accounts that can create content, share posts, and interact with users, in an effort to drive engagement as user growth stagnates. Abrar and Mikah debate the pros and cons of AI bots on social media.
• Cybersecurity experts have seen a significant increase in sophisticated phishing scams using AI to generate hyper-personalized messages mimicking people's communication styles, with over 90% of successful cyberattacks now beginning with phishing emails. Abrar and Mikah discuss cybersecurity training and email filtering used by companies to combat this.
• There's a growing trend of parents gifting their kids retro tech like Walkmans, portable CD players, and MP3 players in an effort to reduce screen time. Mikah and Abrar reflect on the appeal of single-purpose devices and bonding over music.
• Passkeys, a new login technology aiming to replace passwords, have seen increasing adoption but face usability challenges and inconsistent implementation across sites and devices. Mikah explains how passkeys work and recommends using password managers for now, as both hosts agree passkeys aren't quite ready for mainstream adoption yet.

Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Abrar Al-Heeti

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A look back at some of our favorite interviews from the past year:

• Emily Forlini of PCMag and her story about the AI "dating scene" AI through ChatGPT Plus and AI boyfriends and her somewhat lackluster experience.
• Jennifer Pattison Tuohy and the breaking news that the U.S. Department of Justice is suing Apple for claims that the company has an illegal monopoly over the smartphone market.
• Amanda Silberlng and her story that she wrote about how how AI images have entered this year's Met Gala's online discourse through celebrities who "appeared" on the Met Gala carpet.
• Abrar Al-Heeti and her story about how Harvard students created an app called I-XRAY that uses Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses and facial recognition to find personal data on people in real-time, raising privacy concerns.
• Leah Nylen of Bloomberg talks with Mikah about the Google Antitrust Case and The Department of Justice's recommendations that could reshape the tech giant.
• And Nick Steele and David Turner from the FIDO Alliance join Mikah to discuss the Alliance's new specifications involving passkeys and their portability.

Host: Mikah Sargent

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Nvidia announces a tiny $249 AI supercomputer for AI hobbyists. The company Flipboard has a new social media system that allows you to create your own curated feeds. A look back at this past year's home theater tech with a friend of the network. And a look into sleepwear tech that will help you take a nap - on demand.

• Emily Forlini of PCMag talks about Nvidia's unveiling of a $249 palm-sized supercomputer that can help a variety of people with the power of AI to power their passion projects and hobbies.
• Mikah Sargent talks about Surf Social, a new social media network from Flipboard that allows you to create curated feeds and share them with others
• Scott Wilkinson of Home Theater Geeks stops by to discuss 2024's home theater tech, what excited Scott the most, and what he looks forward to in the coming year.
• And Nasha Addarich Martínez of CNET joins the show to talk about new sleepwear tech that can help you take a nap on demand.

Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Emily Forlini

Guests: Scott Wilkinson and Nasha Addarich Martínez

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Amanda Silberling of TechCrunch joins us this week! Did OpenAI's Sora video generation model train on gaming and streaming content? A judge ruled that Automattic is to stop blocking WP Engine's access to WordPress.org. And Image Playground, Genmoji, and more generative AI features now available within Apple Intelligence.

• Amanda talks about how OpenAI's Sora video generation model is supposedly training on video games and streaming content.
• Mikah shares how WP Engine won an injunction against Automattic, owner of WordPress, and that Automattic must stop blocking WP Engine's access to WordPress.org's resources.
• Jason Howell stops by to share his time recently with Android XR, Google's new AI-powered OS that brings the augmented, virtual, and mixed reality experience to devices such as headsets and glasses.
• And Image Playground and Genmoji arrives to Apple Intelligence, and Mikah demonstrates these new features, which are now available to users.

Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Amanda Silberling

Guest: Jason Howell

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Abrar Al-Heeti joins Mikah Sargent on Tech News Weekly this week! Abrar talks about TikTok blocking teenagers from using beauty filters on the platform. There's an AI app that can predict your death. A new competitor enters the mixed-realty headset market. And learn about the data company the FTC recently banned from selling sensitive location data.

• Abrar Al-Heeti talks about TikTok's decision to block teenagers from using beauty filters on its platform and the broader message this decision sends about the digital influence on teens' beauty standards.
• Mikah Sargent is fascinated by an AI app that predicts when you will die but is a little off-put by the steep price point of the application.
• Scott Stein of CNET joins Mikah to talk about the Xreal One Smart Glasses, a new competitor in the mixed-reality headset market.
• And Joseph Cox of 404Media stops by to talk about the FTC taking stronger action against data companies, such as Venntel, signifying the FTC's shift in the regulation of data companies.

Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Abrar Al-Heeti

Guests: Scott Stein and Joseph Cox

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Jennifer Pattison Tuohy of The Verge joins Mikah Sargent this week! Amazon announces the new Echo Show 21 and the Echo Show 15 smart displays. Is AI allowing the robotics revolution to come to fruition? Microsoft announces the Windows 365 Link mini desktop PC. And will the DOJ get Google to sell off Chrome following the DOJ's call to divest the company?

• Jennifer Pattison Tuohy talks about Amazon's announcement of the Echo Show 21 and Echo Show 15 smart displays.
• Mikah Sargent talks about how AI is powering a robotics revolution as more organizations are utilizing robots, thanks to AI.
• Zac Bowden from Windows Central joins the show to talk aobut Microsoft's Windows 365 Link, a mini desktop that runs Windows 11 through the cloud.
• And Leah Nylen, Antitrust Reporter for Bloomberg, stops by to talk about the Department of Justice and Google and how the DOJ is calling for Google to divest and start with the sale of Chrome.

Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy

Guests: Zac Bowden and Leah Nylen

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Reports are trickling out that Apple plans to expand into different product categories. What to know about Bluesky, the social media network growing in popularity and users following the U.S. elections. And some advancements with ChatGPT and OpenAI that seek to help users out more daily.

• Mark Gurman of Bloomberg joins the show to discuss how Apple is aiming to catch up with the smart home market by releasing a wall-mounted, AI-powered display unit.
• Mikah Sargent continues the conversation on Apple with the company's push into other markets with glasses, home devices, and mixed-reality headsets.
• Following the 2024 U.S. elections, there's been more chatter about Bluesky, a social media network alternative to Twitter / X. So, what is Bluesky?
• And Mikah talks about how ChatGPT is starting to work with other apps on your Mac computers, and OpenAI almost ready to launch a tool to help its users automate tasks.

Host: Mikah Sargent

Guest: Mark Gurman

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