Notnerd Podcast: Tech Better

Online scams keep getting better, especially with AI. We've got a tool and some other tips to avoid getting scammed out of your hard-earned money. We also cover other tech news and tips to help you get out there and tech better! Watch on YouTube! - Notnerd.com and Notpicks.com INTRO (00:00) Intel is doing well now (03:05) Pope Leo takes aim at big tech in sweeping encyclical on AI (05:40) MAIN TOPIC: Stop getting scammed (07:25) ~$20.9 billion lost to cyber-enabled scams and fraud reported to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) — up about 26% from 2024. Over 1 million complaints were filed. Scamwise DAVE'S PRO-TIP OF THE WEEK: How to NOT to get Phished from Moonlock (14:20) JUST THE HEADLINES: (28:30) Googling the word "disregard" causes Google's AI to return garbled chatbot ramblings To fill air traffic controller shortage, FAA turns to gamers Spotify to reserve tour tickets for artist 'superfans' in support of live music Ferrari reveals $640,000 EV co-designed by Jony Ive Steve Jobs U.S. commemorative $1 coin goes on sale Samsung chip workers will get an average $340,000 bonus as AI profits soar Colossal Biosciences is growing chickens in a 3D-printed artificial eggshell LISTENER MAIL: Dillon - Why are YouTube ads so bad? Also, Fender PR disaster (32:50) WITHIN REACH! Dave 7-5, Round 13, Dave goes first (47:10) TAKES: Plex announces borderline offensive Lifetime Pass price hike (56:00) This week in tech layoffs (01:00:25) StanChart to cut over 7,000 jobs, boost AI to replace 'lower-value human capital' Meta begins laying off thousands of employees as it transforms around AI Intuit to cut 17% of global jobs to streamline operations, memo shows BONUS ODD TAKE: Theodore's Thick Coins (01:01:40) PICKS OF THE WEEK: Dave: Behringer FLOW 8 8-Input Digital Mixer (01:05:50) Nate: Brightown E26 Rechargeable Light Bulb with Remote Timer and 3 Color Temperatures, Battery Backup Bulb for Sconces and Lamps, E26 Detachable Charging for Non-Hardwired Fixture, Dimmer, 700LM (01:09:20)

People are doing amazing things with AI, and we try to stay positive with Notnerd. But this week, there are a handful of news stories about AI that aren't so glamorous. But don't worry, we have a good time discussing them, plus all the normal fun you show up for. Watch on YouTube! - Notnerd.com and Notpicks.com INTRO (00:00) Apple OS 26.5s are out (04:00) MAIN TOPIC: The not-so-flashy AI News Stories of the week (06:15) Google Chrome's silent 4GB AI download problem Google says hackers used AI to develop a major security flaw Digg tries again, this time as an AI news aggregator Apple agrees to pay iPhone owners $250 million for not delivering AI Siri Apple's camera-equipped AirPods reach late testing in AI device push Silicon Valley bets $200M on AI data centers floating in the ocean DAVE'S PRO-TIP OF THE WEEK: Transform Text With Apple Notes (24:10) JUST THE HEADLINES: (29:20) Humanoid robot becomes Buddhist monk in South Korea Pentagon begins releasing new files on UFOs Match invests $100 million in Grindr rival Sniffies Apple now requires verification for education discounts Amazon turns its logistics empire into a new business, taking on UPS and FedEx in freight and shipping Honda patents fake clutch for electric motorcycles 10 people called police to report Bigfoot sighting in Ohio WITHIN REACH! Dave's up 6-4, Round 11, Dave goes first (31:45) TAKES: GM cutting hundreds of salaried IT workers as it trims costs, evaluates needs (40:05) Microsoft Patch Tuesday May 2026 Edition (43:35) BONUS ODD TAKE: Crocheted Technology (48:05) PICKS OF THE WEEK: Nate: TCMKY Hair Clippers for Men Professional Clippers for Men Cordless&Corded Barber Clippers for Hair Cutting & Grooming. Rechargeable Hair Trimmer Kit for Household (Red) (51:55) Dave: Brach's Classic Jelly Beans, Candy, Assorted Flavors, Bulk Bag, 54 oz (2 ct) (56:45)

We discuss a couple of big stories from the week where insiders made a big profit on the prediction markets. We've discussed Polymarket and Kalshi before, but the concerns are going mainstream. We've also got some other tech news and tips to get caught up on, so you can get out there and tech better. Watch on YouTube! - Notnerd.com and Notpicks.com INTRO (00:00) Social Media Marketing World (02:20) AirPods - One backup is none backup (04:35) MAIN TOPIC: I wouldn't bet on that (07:20) France investigates suspected tampering with weather sensors after Polymarket bets DOJ arrests soldier who made $400,000 betting on Maduro's removal https://polymarket.com/ DAVE'S PRO-TIP OF THE WEEK: iOS Photos quick tools access (16:35) JUST THE HEADLINES: (21:05) Fans angry over Pokemon Go champion's disqualification for allegedly shaking the table Study finds a third of new websites are AI-generated Mozilla uses Anthropic's Mythos to fix 271 bugs in Firefox Home security giant ADT data breach affects 5.5 million people Ping-pong robot Ace makes history by beating top-level human players BMW is one step closer to selling you a color-changing car America now has 70% more bookstores than in 2020, says bookshop.org founder TAKES: China blocks Meta's $2 billion takeover of AI startup Manus (24:20) 20,000 job cuts at Meta, Microsoft raise concern that AI-driven labor crisis is here (28:45) BONUS ODD TAKE: Livestream of the Big Bear bald eagle nest (31:40)

It's time for our 3rd annual P.F.A.N.T.S.S episode. Spring is in the air, and with that comes a time when people like to clean. So Nate came up with a simple acronym to help you think through what might need some attention in your digital and tech world. Plus, we've got tech news, tips, and more to help you tech better! Watch on YouTube! - Notnerd.com and Notpicks.com INTRO (00:00) It's Tax Time (02:30) Stunning Artemis II phone wallpapers (04:15) MAIN TOPIC: Kick off your P.F.A.N.T.S.S. (05:55) Episode 492: Check Your P.F.A.N.T.S.S.! Episode 436: Spring Cleaning Your Tech – Consider Your P.F.A.N.T.S.S. Physical Files Apps Notifications Time Subscriptions Security DAVE'S PRO-TIP OF THE WEEK: Save money by not being lazy (26:25) JUST THE HEADLINES: (32:15) Meta builds AI version of Mark Zuckerberg to interact with staff Botched IT upgrade ended liquor sales for the entire state of Mississippi Robot birds deployed by park to attract real birds Anthropic asks Christian leaders for help steering Claude's spiritual development AI that bankrupted a vending machine is now running a store in San Francisco Testing suggests Google's AI overviews tells millions of lies per hour WITHIN REACH! Dave 4-2, this is round 8 Nate Goes First (35:05) TAKES: Amazon to end support for older Kindle devices (39:40) Dead Google (41:40) Microsoft Patch Tuesday April 2026 (45:20) BONUS ODD TAKE: Your Life in Weeks (46:55) PICKS OF THE WEEK: Dave: Freetaxusa.com (50:05) Nate: TAKAVU Car Window Cleaning Tool, Windshield Wiper Cleaner with Extendable Long-Reach Handle, 3 Washable Reusable Microfiber Bonnets, Car & Home Inside Interior Exterior Use - Lint Free (Green) (54:45) Guest Pick: Hey Grandma - Xenvo Shutterbug - Camera Shutter Remote Control - Bluetooth Wireless Selfie Button Clicker - Compatible with iPhone, iPad, Android, Samsung, and Google Pixel Cell Phones, Smartphones and Tablets (57:15)

Apple has been around for 50 years now. They have been celebrating and reminiscing about the last 50 years of Thinking Different. But don't let that overshadow World Backup Day, because you know, One Backup in None Backup. We get you caught up on what's going on in tech, while having a good time doing it. Watch on YouTube! - Notnerd.com and Notpicks.com INTRO (00:00) Happy World Backup Day! (06:20) MAIN TOPIC: Apple Turns 50 (15:30) Apple hosts 50th anniversary celebrations around the world Apple: The First 50 Years book now available How Apple became Apple: The definitive oral history of the company's earliest days Rank Apple's top 50 Products Apple's $700 Mac Pro Wheels kit discontinued along with Mac Pro DAVE'S PRO-TIP OF THE WEEK: Folders in Bookmark Bar (29:15) JUST THE HEADLINES: (35:10) Jupiter's lightning may have the force of nuclear weapons Melania Trump welcomes humanoid robot at White House summit Stephen Colbert to write next 'Lord of the Rings' movie after leaving late night Rogue AI triggers serious security incident at Meta Ziff Davis to sell Ookla and Downdetector to Accenture as part of $1.2 billion deal CBS news shutters radio service after nearly a century Hermès now sells $1,250 Magsafe chargers wrapped in calfskin leather WITHIN REACH! Dave 3-2, this is round 6 Dave Goes First (37:50) TAKES: OpenAI shutting down Sora video app, Disney drops plans for $1 Billion investment (45:40) Netflix raises subscription costs again (47:15) BONUS ODD TAKE: Toast Spinner (50:20) PICKS OF THE WEEK: Dave: PKCELL 20 Pack CR2450 Battery CR 2450 3V Lithium Battery, 5-Year Shelf Life,High Capacity, Long Lasting Power, Mercury-Free (54:15) Nate: STAEDTLER Triplus Micro Mechanical Pencils (#2) 0.5mm lead, Retractable with Twist Eraser, Ergonomic Triangular Grip for Writing, Drawing & Drafting, 3-Pack - June Gold 640 Pieces, 0.5 mm HB #2 Lead Refills, 160 Pieces Per Dispenser, Fine Thickness, Break Resistant Lead/Graphite (Pack of 4 Dispensers) (58:25) Guest Pick: Hey Grandma - EZVALO 5-Pack Under Cabinet Lighting, 2400mAh Motion Sensor Light, LED Closet Lights Wireless, 6500K Dimmable, Timer, Magnetic, with Remote Control for Kitchen, Closet, Stair (01:00:45)

Apple is still dominating the news this week. They announced the new AirPods Max 2, acquired a video company, won an Oscar, and more. We've also got some sad news, one of our beloved segments might be forced to end. Watch on YouTube! - Notnerd.com and Notpicks.com INTRO (00:00) MAIN TOPIC: More Apple Stuff (05:25) Apple introduces AirPods Max 2 Compare AirPods Models Apple acquires MotionVFX, maker of popular Final Cut Pro plugins and more Apple Vision Pro is getting the 'World's Most Advanced Flight Simulator' Apple original film F1 wins Oscar for best sound Apple toys with the competition - MacBook Neo offers more single-core performance than any mobile processor from AMD, Intel or Qualcomm DAVE'S PRO-TIP OF THE WEEK: Find iPhone with Apple Watch WITH BLINKING FLASH (20:05) JUST THE HEADLINES: (23:10) 'Pokémon Go' players unknowingly trained delivery robots with 30 billion images 11M Facebook and Instagram scam accounts zapped, new alerts launched Perplexity inks deal to use CoreWeave's data centers Tennessee grandmother jailed after AI facial recognition error links her to fraud Grammarly says it will stop using AI to clone experts without permission Meta just bought Moltbook, the social network for AI bots Backblaze hosts 314 trillion digits of Pi online and the dataset is massive WITHIN REACH! Dave 2-1, this is round 4 Dave Goes First (26:10) TAKES: Digg's open beta shuts down after just two months, blaming AI bot spam (30:45) Setapp now lets users buy or subscribe to selected apps individually (34:30) Microsoft Patch Tuesday, March 2026 Edition (37:20) BONUS ODD TAKE: The Little Wanderer - A Collective Journey (39:30) PICKS OF THE WEEK: Dave: Temdan Portable Wireless Charger for Apple Watch Magnetic iwatch Charger 1200mah Power Bank Camping Travel Essentials Camping Watch Charger for Series 10/9/8/7/6/Se/5/4/3/2/1/Ultra/Ultra 2-Black (42:10) Nate: AppleCare+ for AirPods (46:15) RAMAZON PURCHASE OF THE WEEK - RIP (53:55)

The rumors were right, Apple is releasing a bunch of new products this week. So far, we have a new iPhone 17e, iPad Air, Studio Display, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pros, and it's only Tuesday. We discuss these products and what Apple might have for the rest of the week. Plus all the regular tech goodness to help you get out there and tech better! Watch on YouTube! - Notnerd.com and Notpicks.com INTRO (00:00) Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra hands-on: I need the Privacy Display feature on my iPhone ASAP (04:10) MAIN TOPIC: New Apple Stuff (06:15) Apple introduces iPhone 17e Apple introduces the new iPad Air, powered by M4 Apple unveils new Studio Display and all-new Studio Display XDR Apple introduces MacBook Pro with all‑new M5 Pro and M5 Max Apple introduces the new MacBook Air with M5 DAVE'S PRO-TIP OF THE WEEK: Change your login picture on Mac, iCloud (25:30) JUST THE HEADLINES: (32:35) Scientists crack the case of "screeching" Scotch tape Startup plans April launch for a satellite to reflect sunlight to Earth at night Burger King will use AI to check if employees say 'please' and 'thank you' Uber previews its Dubai air taxi service Anthropic's Claude hits No. 1 on Apple's top free apps list after Pentagon rejection South Korean police lose seized crypto by posting password online Sam Altman would like to remind you that humans use a lot of energy, too WITHIN REACH (35:05) TAKES: Kalshi reveals insider trading case against editor for MrBeast - OpenAI fires an employee for prediction market insider trading (41:05) Nano Banana 2: Combining Pro capabilities with lightning-fast speed (44:40) Block shares soar as much as 24% as company slashes workforce by nearly half - EBay is laying off about 800 workers, 6% of global workforce (49:10) BONUS ODD TAKE: https://iambored.fun/ (53:55) PICKS OF THE WEEK: Dave: 24 PCS Magnetic Zip Tie Mounts, Magnetic Cables Clips Organize and Secure Cable Wires with Powerful Multipurpose Cable Ties Mount Base for Electrical Wire (56:10) Nate: Tennedriv Green Soil Moisture Meter for House Plants, Plant Water Meter,Plant Moisture Meter for House Plants and Outdoor Plants, No Batteries Required (01:00:00) RAMAZON PURCHASE OF THE WEEK (01:02:30)

Ring is under some heat for sharing your data, but don't worry, they are still going to look for your dog. Surveillance is everywhere these days. What does that mean for all of us? Plus, we have plenty of other tech news to get caught up on, like the app Nate has wanted for his Apple Vision Pro since day 1. Tune in and tech better! Watch on YouTube! - Notnerd.com and Notpicks.com INTRO (00:00) YouTube launches on Apple Vision Pro (04:15) Apple Announces Special Event in New York, London, and Shanghai on March 4 (07:30) MAIN TOPIC: Ring a ling a ding dong (09:10) Amazon's Ring cancels controversial partnership with tech company Flock amid privacy concerns Have I Been Flocked? deflock DAVE'S PRO-TIP OF THE WEEK: Show Wifi QR Code (20:10) JUST THE HEADLINES: (26:05) Western Digital is sold out of hard drives for 2026 Sam Bankman-Fried asks for a new trial in FTX crypto fraud case Razer launches limited-edition Boomslang gaming mouse for $1337 T-Mobile will live translate regular phone calls without an app Meta patented an AI that lets you keep posting from beyond the grave Spotify says its best developers haven't written a line of code since December, thanks to AI Sony will ship its final Blu-ray recorders this month TAKES: Apple Podcasts app gaining 'enhanced video podcast experience' in iOS 26.4 (31:20) Tomb Raider reboot launches on iOS and Android (37:50) Anthropic's new model is a pro at finding security flaws (41:25) BONUS ODD TAKE: Bugs Apple Loves (43:10) PICKS OF THE WEEK: Dave: Movo VXR10 Universal Shotgun Mic for Camera (46:45) Nate: NEEWER Basics Magnetic RGB Camera Auxiliary Light, 1.5W Plastic Small Cold Shoe LED Panel Video Photo Fill Lighting for DSLR Action Cam Phone Cage AC024 OSMO Pocket 3 Mount & M21, CRI95+ 500mAh, M23 (50:40) RAMAZON PURCHASE OF THE WEEK (55:35)

Apple made a big acquisition this week, released some big numbers on their quarterly results, and updated the very big number of active devices worldwide this week. Amazon and Spotify also had some big numbers to share this week, one of them not so great. Plus plenty of other tech news, tips, and picks to help you tech better! Watch on YouTube! - Notnerd.com and Notpicks.com INTRO (00:00) Apple Vision Pro launched two years ago today (04:30) 'Reddit for bots' Moltbook (probably) isn't being used to plot an AI uprising (06:40) MAIN TOPIC: Apple's Billions (09:25) Apple acquires Q.ai for a reported $2 billion Apple reveals it has 2.5 billion active devices around the world Apple announces all-time record in revenue, iPhone sales Apple shares trailer for new Top Dogs immersive 'doguseries' coming to Vision Pro DAVE'S PRO-TIP OF THE WEEK: Persistent proxy icon finder windows (19:35) JUST THE HEADLINES: (25:30) The LEGO Group and Crocs enter multi-year global partnership Scientists create programmable, autonomous robots smaller than a grain of salt SoundCloud data breach impacts 29.8 million accounts Seven of the world's ten best=selling smartphones in 2025 were iPhones An AI toy exposed 50,000 logs of its chats with kids to anyone with a Gmail account Los Angeles aims to ban single-use printer cartridges 'Reverse Solar Panel' generates electricity at night TAKES: Amazon confirms 16,000 job cuts after accidental email (30:20) Amazon shuts down controversial payment method (33:15) Spotify paid out $11B in royalties to music industry in 2025 (37:25) BONUS ODD TAKE: One Minute Park (40:40) PICKS OF THE WEEK: Dave: Twinings Earl Grey Black Tea Individually Wrapped Bags, 100 Count (Pack of 1), Flavoured with Citrus & Bergamot, Caffeinated, Enjoy Hot or Iced, 100 Teabags (45:00) Nate: Memory Foam Replacement Ear Tips Compatible with AirPods Pro 2nd/1st Generation,with Noise Reduction Hole & Built-in dust Guard Screen,for USB-C Charging Case with Cleaner kit -Black (51:10) RAMAZON PURCHASE OF THE WEEK (56:00)

On episode 500, Nate made a bold challenge: That if we did not reach 1000 subscribers by the 10-year anniversary, it was time to shut down Notnerd. Well, here we are, and it's time to take an honest look at where the show is and what the future looks like. Will this be the last time we help you tech better? Watch on YouTube! - Notnerd.com and Notpicks.com INTRO (00:00) MAIN TOPIC: 10 years and what happens when you post (05:20) Episode 500 - Nate's Challenge Foto Stax Video DAVE'S PRO-TIP OF THE WEEK: Send Low-Quality Photo Previews - Send Photos Faster (19:00) JUST THE HEADLINES: (22:35) Microplastics from washing clothes could be hurting your tomatoes Matthew McConaughey trademarks himself to fight AI misuse China builds hypergravity machine 2,000X stronger than Earth Israel deploys world's first drone defense laser Roblox's AI-powered age verification is a complete mess AI has made Salesforce engineers more productive, so the company has stopped hiring them Officials showed off a robo-bus in DC, it got hit by a Tesla driver LISTENER MAIL: Producer Todd Voicemail (27:05) TAKES: The US Government just followed through on its ban of DJI drones - and it's so much worse than we thought (31:40) iPhone 17 Pro case offers tribute to original 1984 Macintosh (36:40) Microsoft Patch Tuesday January 2026 Edition (37:50) Windows 11 shutdown bug forces Microsoft into out-of-band damage control (39:45) BONUS ODD TAKE: 360-degree panoramas of the interiors of several Star Trek ships (41:00) PICKS OF THE WEEK: Dave: Maclock WB-8 Wonderboy Innovation Design Co., Ltd. (44:10) Nate: High Fidelity Concert Earplugs for Concerts Musicians，Earplugs for noise reduction，24db Advanced Filter Technology Ear Protection for Music Festivals,DJ's, Nightclub, Drummers - 2 Pairs (Black) (50:15) RAMAZON PURCHASE OF THE WEEK (53:55)

We're in Vegas for CES, just finished day 1, and took a nice, long walk to our hotel. After 8 hours at the show, we give a quick recap of some highlights from day 1. Plenty more stuff to see this week, and we'll have a full report on all the latest tech next week. Watch on YouTube! - Notnerd.com and Notpicks.com

The tech news has definitely slowed for the holidays, so we've got a fun, abbreviated Christmas show for you tonight. There's still some tech to talk about, but some fun surprises as well. Merry Christmas! Watch on YouTube! - Notnerd.com and Notpicks.com INTRO (00:00) MAIN TOPIC: 2025 Night Before Christmas Tech Version (02:40) DAVE'S PRO-TIP OF THE WEEK: Find photos by Maps (07:00) JUST THE HEADLINES: (12:25) Samsung is putting Google Gemini AI into your refrigerator, whether you need it or not Confused Waymos stopped in intersections during San Francisco power outage White House website mysteriously streams personal finance YouTube creator The Oscars are moving to YouTube in 2029 Trump's social media business is merging with a nuclear fusion company Google AI summaries are ruining the livelihoods of recipe writers James Webb Space Telescope confirms 1st 'runaway' supermassive black hole BONUS ODD TAKE: NORAD Tracks Santa (17:15) PICKS OF THE WEEK: Favorite Christmas foods (19:30) Dave: Mashed potato's Ham Charcuterie Apple pie Muddy Buddies Nate: Egg Nog Cheese Log Fruit Cake Pecan Pie Peanut butter cookies with Hershey kisses RAMAZON PURCHASE OF THE WEEK (27:00) https://notpicks.com/2025-gadget-gift-guide-for-geeks/

Some staffing changes near the top at Apple were announced this week, with Alan Dye, design guy, moving to Meta getting a lot of press. But many say good riddance. There was also plenty of other tech news dropping this week, we try to get you caught up with what you need to know. Of course, we have some great tips for you and even a special guest during our picks of the week. All so you can get out there and tech better! Gadget Gift Guide for Geeks Watch on YouTube! - Notnerd.com and Notpicks.com INTRO (00:00) After Apple refusal, Indian government completes U-turn on mandatory iPhone app (03:00) MAIN TOPIC: Apple Design is a changing (04:45) Apple design executive Alan Dye poached by Meta in major coup Apple design boss Alan Dye departing for Meta Alan.app Apple announces executive transitions Apple chief Johny Srouji confirms he isn't going anywhere DAVE'S PRO-TIP OF THE WEEK: Get a Callback Reminder for a Missed Call (13:10) JUST THE HEADLINES: (19:10) End-to-end encrypted smart toilet camera is not actually end-to-end encrypted Cloudflare says it has fended off 416 billion AI bot scrape requests in five months Amazon starts testing 'ultra-fast' 30-minute deliveries Woman hailed as hero for smashing man's Meta smart glasses on subway All of Russia's Porsches were bricked by a mysterious satellite outage HBO Max forgot to remove a 'vomit hose' crew member in Mad Men 4K Oregon sportswear giant Columbia pledges to give 'the company' to anyone who can prove the Earth is flat TAKES: YouTube introduces its own version of Spotify Wrapped for videos (21:30) Even Microsoft's retro holiday sweaters are having Copilot forced upon them (26:35) Bending Spoons to acquire Eventbrite in $500M all-cash deal (30:00) Netflix agrees to buy Warner Bros. in an $82.7-billion deal that will transform Hollywood (32:05) Microsoft December 2025 Patch Tuesday (34:55) BONUS ODD TAKE: An online collection of found cassette tapes (36:25) PICKS OF THE WEEK: Dave: Headlamp Rechargeable 2PCS, 230° Wide Beam Head Lamp LED with Motion Sensor for Adults - Camping Accessories Gear, Waterproof Head Light Flashlight for Hiking, Running, Repairing, Fishing, Cycling (39:30) Nate: Bambu Lab A1 Mini 3D Printer, Support Multi-Color 3D Printing, Set Up in 20 Mins, High Speed & Precision, Full-Auto Calibration & Active Flow Rate Compensation, ≤48 dB Quiet FDM 3D Printers (44:00) Gadget Gift Guide for Geeks RAMAZON PURCHASE OF THE WEEK (52:35)