• 'Thunder Run': Behind Lawmakers' Secretive Push to Pass the TikTok Bill
• TikTok ban would be a gift from Congress to Meta and Google
• How the TikTok ban could survive a court challenge
• The Chilling of TikTok
• FTC Bans Noncompete Agreements That Restrict Job Switching
• Sam Altman-backed crypto project Worldcoin faces an orb shortage
• Paris' nuts
• Rabbit R1
• brilliant.xyz
• More wearable AI: IYO One
• The Man Who Killed Google Search
• Google search boss Raghavan warns employees of 'new operating reality'
• The solution to scary Boston Dynamics bots? Make robots hairy
• Meta shares plummet 10% after second quarter outlook disappoints
• Newsletter platform Ghost adopts ActivityPub to 'bring back the open web'
• Beware of The Fake Podcast Invite Scam
• Bravely Exploring the Squalor of a 'Boy Room'
• This fun little web game: Equinox.Space
• magCulture
• No one buys books

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Jeff Jarvis, and Paris Martineau

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-google.

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Leo, Paul, and Richard steer towards the performance race as they speculate about how Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite/Plus PCs will compare to Apple Silicon MacBooks. What makes a laptop truly user-friendly? System reliability, UI consistency, battery life? Plus, the recent Fallout TV series, the practicality of using winget for browser installations, and how the ARM chipset switch is revving up the PC market.

ARMed & ready

• Qualcomm announces the Snapdragon X Plus and confirms Paul's report that the Snapdragon X Elite will have three SKUs (product editions)
• All four SKUs outperform Apple M3, Intel Core Ultra 7/9, AMD Ryzen 9 7940/8945HS on most benchmarks
• Why? PC makers asked Qualcomm for familiar choices
• Previously, an X Plus-based Surface Pro 10 and an X Elite-based ThinkPad T40s leaked. Paul can now confirm from a source that Surface Laptop 6 (13 and 15-inch) and Surface Pro will all be on X (something}
• Vivaldi is bringing its browser to Windows on Arm too

Windows 11

• The April 2024 Week D preview update is here: Recommended apps and frequently used apps in Start, Widgets icon updates, Lock screen widgets improvements
• Canary: Moves off 24H2 train to build 26200, no more switch to Dev, minor changes to the Widgets board and Taskbar (no new build for Dev)
• Beta: New Widgets design with navigation bar, new account manager in Start, Gmail in Share, MSA recovery advertisement, and new Game Pass recommendation card in Settings
• Microsoft Store app downloads from the web get simpler, more sophisticated
• After yet another Quest 2 Headset price cut, and mounting problems for Apple's Vision Pro, Meta opens up Horizon OS, Microsoft is sort-of on board

Microsoft 365/Dev

• Office LTSC 2024 commercial is now available in preview
• Classic Teams rides off into the sunset on July 1
• Dropbox offers deeper Microsoft 365 integration
• GitHub sees success in 2FA push

AI

• The European Commission will not formally investigate Microsoft/OpenAI partnership
• Microsoft released a new SLM
• Microsoft gives a sneak peek of VASA-1, a crazy and scary "talking faces" AI tool
• Google copies Microsoft again, announces massive AI reorg - that has Pixel fans worried
• Adobe's generative AI image capabilities are predictably fantastic

Xbox

• Get an Xbox Mastercard in the US, if you're a tool
• Microsoft announces IGN x ID@Xbox digital showcase - indie games

Tips & Picks

• Tip of the week: Have you heard the one joke about the one time you need to use Edge?
• App pick of the week: Tiny11 Builder
• RunAs Radio this week: PowerShell 7.4 with Sydney Smith
• Brown liquor pick of the week: GlenKinchie 12

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly

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Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com

The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.

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• What do you call "Stuxnet on steroids"??
• Voyager 1 update
• Android 15 to quarantine apps
• Thunderbird & Microsoft Exchange
• China bans Western encrypted messaging apps
• Gentoo says "no" to AI
• Cars collecting diving data
• Freezing your credit
• Investopedia
• Computer Science Abstractions
• Lazy People vs. Secure Systems
• Actalis issues free S/MIME certificates
• PIN Encryption
• DRAM and GhostRace
• AT&T Phishing Scam
• Race Conditions and Multi-core processors
• An Alternative to the Current Credit System
• SpinRite Updates
• Chat (out of) Control

Show Notes - 971-Notes.pdf">https://www.grc.com/sn/SN-971-Notes.pdf

Hosts: Steve Gibson and Leo Laporte

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/security-now.

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You can submit a question to Security Now at the GRC Feedback Page.

For 16kbps versions, transcripts, and notes (including fixes), visit Steve's site: grc.com, also the home of the best disk maintenance and recovery utility ever written Spinrite 6.

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Apple announced a May 7th event, hinting very heavily that new iPads will be announced at the event! Will Apple stop producing its FineWoven accessories following negative reviews of the product? Apple is continuing its environmental push. And is Apple cutting its future Vision Pro shipment forecasts?

• Apple announces May 7th event for new iPad.
• Apple reportedly stops production of FineWoven accessories.
• Apple hits 18 gigawatts of clean energy in its environmental push.
• What really happens when you trade In an iPhone at the Apple Store.
• Apple finally plans to release a Calculator app for iPad later this year.
• macOS 15 rumored to feature revamped Calculator app.
• Apple says it was ordered to pull WhatsApp from China app store.
• Apple cuts 2024 & 2025 Vision Pro shipment forecasts.

Picks of the Week:

• Shelly's Pick: Quinn Martin TV Shows
• Andy's Pick: MediaHuman Audio Converter
• Alex's Pick: Apple Reality Composer

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Alex Lindsay, and Andy Ihnatko

Guest: Shelly Brisbin

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/macbreak-weekly.

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Need a Linux distro to clean up after a ransomware incident? We've got CSI Linux! Want to run a newer mainline kernel with a RHEL derivitave? Rocky's doing it! And Nvidia has hired a Nouveau developer, the 6.10 kernel may have a blue screen of death, and Gentoo bans AI code! For tips we have nmon to build-your-own top, the final staps to re-sizing a virtual machine drive, and obfuscate for doing a bit of image redaction. Find the show notes at https://bit.ly/3Ju3l6G and see you next week!

Host: Jonathan Bennett

Co-Hosts: Rob Campbell and Jeff Massie

Want access to the video version and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

• Cops can force suspect to unlock phone with thumbprint, US court rules
• TikTok 'ban' passes in the House again
• Senate reauthorizes FISA spy program, but not before its midnight expiration
• Surveillance Law Section 702 Keeps Us Safe
• Netflix (NFLX) earnings Q1 2024
• Americans' New TV Habit: Subscribe. Watch. Cancel. Repeat.
• How One Author Pushed the Limits of AI Copyright
• Amazon Prime Memberships in US Gain 8% to New High After Lull
• Tesla recalls all 3,878 Cybertrucks over faulty accelerator pedal
• Tesla asks shareholders to approve Elon Musk's nixed $56 billion pay plan
• Cool or creepy? Microsoft's VASA-1 is a new AI model that turns photos into 'talking faces'
• GPT-4 can exploit real vulnerabilities by reading advisories
• Boston Dynamics' Atlas humanoid robot goes electric
• Schools Want to Ban Phones. Parents Say No.

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Jason Howell, Abrar Al-Heeti, and Mikah Sargent

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech

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Leo Laporte and Mikah Sargent dive into a variety of engaging tech topics, from controversial phone bans in schools to the future of AI and data privacy. The duo also tackles listener questions on VPNs, mobile hotspots, Apple App Store subscriptions, and more. Special guest Rod Pyle joins to discuss the latest updates on Voyager 1 and the Mars Sample Return mission.

• Mobile Phones in Schools: Leo and Mikah discuss the growing controversy around schools banning phones to prevent students from being distracted in class, despite parents' concerns about wanting to stay connected with their children.
• Biometric Security and Privacy: A recent court ruling determined that police officers can compel suspects to unlock their phones using biometric data like fingerprints, sparking a debate about privacy rights and the Fifth Amendment.
• TikTok Ban Passes in the House Again: The hosts examine the implications of the U.S. House of Representatives once again passing a ban on TikTok, which is now headed to the Senate as part of a foreign aid package.
• John asks how to ensure that a VPN is truly protecting his privacy, and Leo explains the importance of trust in a connected world.
• Eric inquires about using NFC chips to log onto Wi-Fi networks with an iPhone, and Mikah clarifies that this feature is not currently available on iOS devices.
• Limitless: Leo pre-ordered a new wearable device called Limitless, which uses AI to record and transcribe conversations while respecting privacy by requiring consent from participants.
• Space expert Rod Pyle joins the show to discuss the latest developments with Voyager 1's corrupted memory and NASA's decision to cut ties with JPL for the Mars sample return mission due to cost and time concerns.
• Dan experiences issues with his mobile hotspot disconnecting when using his computer, and the hosts troubleshoot potential solutions, including checking for metered connections and power-saving settings.
• Fernando inquires about running local AI models for his work at a hospital, and Leo provides insight into retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) and various open-source AI options like Dot.
• Tim asks about using multiple payment methods for Apple App Store subscriptions, and Mikah explains the workaround of manually reordering payment methods.
• Steve wants to move his photos from Google Photos to a hard drive, and Leo recommends using Mylio to easily import and manage the photos from Google Takeout.
• A listener, also named Tim, asks for recommendations on moving their DNS hosting away from Google while still supporting dynamic DNS updates, and the hosts suggest using Cloudflare or a router with built-in dynamic DNS support.
• Shelly experiences issues with mismatched drive sizes when attempting to clone her hard drives, and Leo advises using a sector-by-sector copying tool or rsync for more precise duplication.

Hosts: Leo Laporte and Mikah Sargent

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Show notes and links for this episode are available at: https://twit.tv/shows/ask-the-tech-guys/episodes/2021

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Unless you've been living under a big red Martian rock, you've likely heard that NASA's Mars Sample Return mission is in trouble. The robotic program has its roots in the 1960s, when NASA started thinking about sending robots to fetch Mars soil even before Mariner 4's first flyby of the planet. The Russians pondered it as well, as the Chinese and Japanese are today. The problem? It's really hard, with multiple spacecraft, possibly on different launches, rendezvousing around the Red Planet to accomplish. And then there are the concerns about the safety of returning possible pathogens to Earth (that said, I could use an extra tentacle). But the showstopper, as usual, is cost—and NASA's not happy. We invited the original Space Ace reporter, Leonard David, to join the discussion.

Headlines:

• NASA gives green light to Dragonfly, a nuclear-powered helicopter mission to Saturn's moon Titan, set to launch in 2028 and arrive in 2034
• New images from the Perseverance rover reveal the crash site of the Ingenuity helicopter on Mars, showing scattered debris and broken rotor blades
• NASA continues to study the Orion spacecraft's heat shield, which experienced more erosion than expected during the Artemis 1 mission, raising concerns for future crewed missions

Main Topic: Mars Sample Return Mission

• Leonard David expresses frustration with NASA's recent announcement of significant cost increases and delays for the Mars Sample Return mission
• NASA Administrator Bill Nelson stated that the current estimated cost of $11 billion is too high and called for innovative ideas from industry and academia to reduce costs and accelerate the timeline
• They discuss the scientific importance of returning Martian samples to Earth but question whether the current approach is the most effective way to search for life on Mars
• Leonard suggests that advancements in miniaturized instruments could allow for more comprehensive life detection experiments directly on the Martian surface, reducing the need for sample return
• The conversation touches on the potential for international collaboration and competition in Mars exploration, with China, Japan, and Russia planning their own missions
• Rod highlights the critical role of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Mars exploration and expresses concern about the potential loss of expertise if the MSR mission is scaled back or cancelled
• The TWiS crew concludes by emphasizing the need for a clear, sustainable strategy for Mars exploration that balances scientific objectives, technological capabilities, and budgetary realities

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Leonard David

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space.

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Boston Dynamics introduced a new robot that has caught the attention of many people. How is Microsoft's AI Copilot impacting the coding industry? What are TikTok Notes? And what in the heck are Super Apps?

• Jennifer Pattison Tuohy joins us this episode to discuss Boston Dynamics' introduction of its latest robot, the Atlas, and how it's a vast improvement over its previous robots.
• Mikah Sargent talks about how Microsoft's AI Copilot is impacting the coding industry by automating coding aspects and saving engineers time.
• Karissa Bell of Engadget joins the show to talk about TikTok's latest experiment, TikTok Notes, and how it is similar to Meta's Instagram.
• Finally, Lisa Eadicicco of CNET explains what Super Apps are and why the idea of Super Apps is starting to make news lately.

Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy

Guests: Karissa Bell and Lisa Eadicicco

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Safari, like any modern web browser, offers support for third-party extensions. In this episode of Hands on Mac, Mikah Sargent walks you through the process of discovering, managing, installing, and using extensions in the Safari browser on macOS Sonoma.

Use Safari extensions on your Mac - https://support.apple.com/en-us/102343

Host: Mikah Sargent

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Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.