This Week in Tech (MP3)

Amy Webb and Cory Doctorow Fix All the Problems of Big Tech

The dangers of dystopian thinking
The dangers of utopian thinking
Why we need an Office of Strategic Assessment vs why we need to break up monopolies
Is the problem that the government can't write sensible regulation?
Where should tech policy come from? Technologists? Smart people in government?
Is the problem that the government lacks knowledge? Or that people in general lack knowledge? Or that they refuse to be knowledgeable?
Bashing tech has become cool. Here's why that's dangerous.
Lead in the water in Flint and binge drinking in Britain
What is "The Problem" of Big Tech? Could we write a law to fix it?
Should companies fear lawsuits?
Is there a better way to make people and companies do things than regulation?
Is California Prop 24 a step in the right direction?
is Inrupt a step in the right direction?
Privacy as a luxury good
Five Eyes, Japan, and Australia want to end encryption, but privacy is still important
Happy Rosh Hashanah!
We need more public intellectuals. But there is a danger in being intellectual. And Jewish.

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Cory Doctorow and Amy Webb

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Posted on 19 Oct 2020

iPhone 12 Preview - Congress vs Big Tech - Oracle vs Google

iPhone 12 Event Preview - here is everything we know about the iPhone 12
The Supreme Court seems to frown on Google in Oracle vs Google case
Congress' antitrust case against Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon could save the internet - or destroy it.
How exactly should Amazon, Facebook, Google, and Apple be broken up? Or should they?
What are the real harms of Big Tech? Would breaking them up fix those?
Why didn't Congress include Microsoft in the huge antitrust case against Facebook, Amazon, Google, and Apple?
What are the best steps Congress could take next?
John McAfee in jail for the same thing Al Capone went to Alcatraz for
Nobel Prizes for Chemistry and Physics go to women for the first time in a long time
Seven central banks have some suggestions to improve cryptocurrency
Slack introduces Instagram-like stories
REPEAL SECTION 230!!! - Trump
Court says Apple can kick Fortnite out of the App Store, at least until the trial next spring.

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Christina Warren, Phil Libin, and Denise Howell

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Posted on 12 Oct 2020

Google Pixel 5, Amazon One, AppleTV+

Google's Launch Night in was a snooze
Amazon Sidewalk will join your neighborhood together - or invade your privacy
Amazon wants your palm print. Will you give it to them?
James Bond delayed to 2021: Movie theaters are dying
Subway sandwiches are not made with bread in Ireland, and their chicken is less than 50% chicken, but Popeye's is the best
Apple TV+ is about to lose a whole lot of subscribers - what should we watch?
How soap operas are filming during the pandemic
Prime day is October 13th - will you shop?
Libraries are being squeezed by publishers over ebooks and audiobooks
Google TV is good, but Google seems to have lost interest like they lose interest in everything
MIxer screws Ninja over; Ninja makes bank
Sonos sues Google for multi-room audio patents
Facebook merges Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook logins
US judge saves TikTok; Fleetwood Mac rejoices
The Social Dilemma is Reefer Madness for 2020
If you pay ransomware, the Treasury Department will come after you
H1-B visas cut off; tech giants cry out

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Alex Wilhelm, Iain Thomson, and Simone de Rochefort

Sponsors:

Posted on 05 Oct 2020

TikTok Ban, Amazon Drone Camera, Pixel 5

Galaxy Z Fold 2 Review
Is TikTok banned yet?
The Palantir IPO is coming up. Should you invest?
Amazon Sidewalk is a terrifying sci-fi security network
Amazon's new Ring security cam flies around your house and lets you know if you left your stove on
Google Pixel 5 preview - We already know everything about it, except the price. Will it be an inexpensive premium phone?
5G is still BS. When will that change?
Epic Games, Spotify, and Tile form a Rebel Alliance to fight Apple. Europe and Facebook are fighting them too. When will Apple come around?
Streaming gaming is the future. Physical media will die. Get over it.
Microsoft buys Bethesda for $7.5 BILLION dollars
GTA is the most valuable media series in the world
Quibi is a failure. They are up for sale 6 months after their launch.
Republicans hate the Three-Body Problem and want Netflix to drop it.
The upcoming Foundation TV series and Dune movie make us want to re-read our childhood favorites. Should we?
Rent a goat for your next Zoom call!