This Week in Tech (Audio)

In this week's episode of This Week in Tech, Leo Laporte and guests Devindra Hardawar, Doc Rock, and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy discuss a wide range of topics including Australia's ban on social media for under 16s, the latest in smart home technology and Matter protocol, CES 2024 expectations, Black Friday sales records, Elon Musk's legal battles, the FTC's efforts to protect consumers, and the growing threat of infrastructure sabotage. The panel also touches on the lifespan of smart devices, the ownership of social media accounts, and the growth of Bluesky. • Australia bans social media for everyone under 16, sparking a discussion on the challenges of age verification, the necessity of such measures, and the potential impact on children's social lives • Jennifer shares her thoughts on the progress and challenges of Matter protocol, the future of smart home technology, and the killer use cases like energy management that could drive broader adoption • Devindra looks forward to checking out the latest tech at CES 2024, while the panel discusses the impact of potential tariffs on consumer electronics prices • Black Friday online sales hit a record $74.4B, up 5% from last year, with over half of spending done on mobile devices and a surge in traffic to retail sites from AI chatbots • Elon Musk files for an injunction to halt OpenAI's transition to a for-profit, accusing the company of discouraging investors from backing rivals like his own xAI • Musk admits X is throttling links, effectively limiting people from reading news on the platform, which could impact content creators and marketers • The panel discusses the implications of X's objection to The Onion buying InfoWars, reminding users that they do not own their social media accounts or followers • As alternative social media platforms like Bluesky gain traction, the panel considers the challenges of managing multiple platforms and the potential for a more decentralized social media landscape • The FTC releases a report on the hidden lifespan of smart devices, highlighting the need for transparency and the potential security risks of unsupported devices • FTC changes its telemarketing rules to better protect consumers from growing 'tech support scam' calls • Supreme Court considers whether ISPs should be liable for users' piracy, with potential far-reaching consequences • Concerns rise over infrastructure sabotage as a Chinese ship's crew is suspected of deliberately dragging an anchor for 100 miles to cut Baltic cables • Meta plans to build a $10B subsea cable spanning the world to support its services and ensure data traffic flow Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, Doc Rock, and Devindra Hardawar Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: NetSuite.com/TWITbitwarden.com/twite-e.com/twitINFO.ACILEARNING.COM/TWIT - code TWIT100

In this episode of This Week in Tech, the panel tackles the "biggest hack in US history," the future of AI, and the role of government in tech. From the Chinese hack's implications to Microsoft's AI-powered Recall, the Supreme Court's tech-related cases, and the push for social media age verification, Leo Laporte, Patrick Beja, Wesley Faulkner, and Alex Wilhelm provide insightful analysis and lively discussion on the most pressing issues facing the industry today. Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Patrick Beja, Wesley Faulkner, and Alex Wilhelm Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: Melissa.com/twitshopify.com/twitveeam.comlookout.combitwarden.com/twit

Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Alex Kantrowitz, Daniel Rubino, and Iain Thomson Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: expressvpn.com/twitFundrise.com/TWIT1password.com/twitcanary.tools/twit - use code: TWITNetSuite.com/TWIT

Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Abrar Al-Heeti, Dan Patterson, and Lisa Eadicicco Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: lookout.comziprecruiter.com/twitmintmobile.com/twite-e.com/twitexpressvpn.com/twit

Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Shoshana Weissmann, Nicholas De Leon, and Amy Webb Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: bitwarden.com/twitlookout.comNetSuite.com/TWITZipRecruiter.com/Twitcanary.tools/twit - use code: TWIT

Delta Sues Crowdstrike, Hospital AI, Surge Pricing Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Alex Stamos and Owen Thomas Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: shopify.com/twitveeam.comlookout.comexpressvpn.com/twit1password.com/twit

Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Brian McCullough, Cory Doctorow, and Jason Hiner Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: bitwarden.com/twitflashpoint.iocanary.tools/twit - use code: TWITNetSuite.com/TWITFundrise.com/TWIT

Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Sam Abuelsamid and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: e-e.com/twitlookout.comexpressvpn.com/twitziprecruiter.com/twitmintmobile.com/twit

On this 1000th episode of TWiT, Leo has his old pals Patrick Norton, Robert Heron, Roger Chang, and David Prager on the show to reminisce about the TechTV days, discuss the future of AI, and get caught up on each other's lives. Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Patrick Norton, Robert Heron, David Prager, and Roger Chang Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: veeam.comcoda.io/twitMelissa.com/twitbitwarden.com/twitNetSuite.com/TWIT

CA AI Bill Veto, Meta's Orion, FTC Vs. Fake Reviews Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Denise Howell, Parmy Olson, Daniel Rubino, and Henry Laporte Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: lookout.com1password.com/twitshopify.com/twitveeam.comflashpoint.io

Amazon Returns to Office, CA AI Bill, Elon Backs Down Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Ben Parr, Alex Lindsay, and Rob Pegoraro Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: NetSuite.com/TWITcanary.tools/twit - use code: TWITexpressvpn.com/twitshopify.com/twitveeam.com

iPhone Event, $700 PS5, AI in AU Host: Devindra Hardawar Guests: Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ and Anthony Ha Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: Fundrise.com/TWITZipRecruiter.com/Twite-e.com/twitmintmobile.com/twitlookout.com

Starlink Backtracks, AI Royalty Heist Host: Iain Thomson Guests: Mike Elgan and Emily Dreibelbis Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: coda.io/twitlookout.com1password.com/twitexpressvpn.com/twitNetSuite.com/TWIT

AnandTech Shuts Down, Brazil Bans X, Alexa Revamp Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Doc Rock, Louis Maresca, and Wesley Faulkner Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: flashpoint.iobitwarden.com/twitNetSuite.com/TWITFundrise.com/TWITMelissa.com/twit

Pavel Durov Arrested, Hacking Bikes, Apple Event Rumors Black Myth: Wukong Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Christina Warren, Sam Abuelsamid, and Reed Albergotti Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: 1password.com/twitNetSuite.com/TWITFundrise.com/TWITlookout.comshopify.com/twit

Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Nicholas Deleon, Dan Patterson, and Brian McCullough Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: mintmobile.com/twitcanary.tools/twit - use code: TWIT1password.com/twite-e.com/twit

Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Abrar Al-Heeti, Shoshana Weissmann, and Andrew Chow Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: ziprecruiter.com/twitmintmobile.com/twitbitwarden.com/twitexpressvpn.com/twitNetSuite.com/TWIT

Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Jason Howell, Alex Lindsay, and Jason Snell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: expressvpn.com/twitbitwarden.com/twitZipRecruiter.com/Twite-e.com/twitcoda.io/twit

Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Jason Hiner, Owen Thomas, and Parris Lilly Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: motific.aiNetSuite.com/TWITexpressvpn.com/twitpanoptica.app1password.com/twit

Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Lisa Schmeiser, Ashley Esqueda, and Anthony Ha Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: canary.tools/twit - use code: TWITlookout.commintmobile.com/twitNetSuite.com/TWITmotific.ai