Geek News Central Podcast

Twice weekly Technology News show covering the Tech Space. With Segments on Science, Mobile, Digital TV, FAA, FCC, Cyber Security, Gadgets and Tech Politics.


By Todd Cochrane

https://geeknewscentral.com/

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Anthropic Stands Their Ground, Ethics over Money #1859

March 01, 2026

In this episode, Ray tackles Anthropic’s standoff with the U.S. Department of War after CEO Daria Amodei refused to grant unrestricted model access, citing concerns over mass surveillance and autonomous weapons. The government responded by banning

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Ring Search Party Sparks Privacy Backlash #1858

February 26, 2026

Chris breaks down the backlash to Ring’s Super Bowl “Search Party” ad, which aimed to help find lost pets but reignited privacy concerns over AI-powered neighborhood surveillance. He also explores the surge of AI-themed Super Bowl ads, Apple’s de

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OpenClaw, Moltbook and the Rise of AI Agent Societies #1857

February 02, 2026

This episode kicks off with Moltbook, a social network exclusively for AI agents where 150,000 agents formed digital religions, sold “digital drugs” (system prompts to alter other agents), and attempted prompt injection attacks to steal each o

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So… Is DJI Actually Banned? #1856

January 13, 2026

Geek News Central breaks down the new DJI drone ban, explaining what’s actually restricted, what remains legal, and how the changes affect creators and consumers, plus updates on health AI, robotics, and emerging tech shaping 2026 -Want to be a Guest on a

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Money over Ethics: Silicon Valley and China’s Police State #1855

January 01, 2026

1855 kicks off with a bombshell AP investigation revealing how Silicon Valley giants IBM, Intel, NVIDIA, Oracle, and more spent decades building China’s surveillance state. Also covered, malicious Chrome extensions stealing credentials from 170+ si

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The End of Deadzones and Japan’s new Laser Gunship #1854

December 24, 2025

In this episode, Ray covers December Tech News! T-Mobile’s groundbreaking Starlink satellite beta promises to eliminate dead zones using your regular phone with no special equipment needed. Also discussed: Japan’s ship-mounted laser weapon wi

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iPhone Pocket: Clever Innovation or Cash Grab? #1853

December 19, 2025

In episode 1853 of Geek News Central, Chris speaks about Apple’s pricey new iPhone Pocket accessory, questioning its usefulness and reacting to the internet’s mockery of the product. Chris then shifts gears to tech and gaming, highlighting Steam’

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From NASA’s X-59 to Humanoid Workers: The Future Is Getting Weird #1852

November 24, 2025

In this episode, we dive into NASA’s first test flight of the ultra-quiet X-59 supersonic jet, explore the futuristic Phantom transparent 4K monitor, and break down World Labs’ breakthrough 3D world-modeling AI. We also cover TypeScript’s unexpected rise

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NASA’s Voyager Probes the Mysteries of the Heliosphere #1851

November 10, 2025

In this episode, Ray kicks things off with NASA’s Voyager mission uncovering extreme plasma temperatures—up to 50,000 Kelvin—at the edge of our solar system. He also dives into PBS’s 25-year celebration of the ISS, China’s breakthrough analog chip 1,000×

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Gadget Overload for October 2025 #1850

November 03, 2025

Dive into “Gadget Overload for October 2025,” where we review this month’s standout tech — from Apple’s M5-powered iPad Pro and Asus ROG Ally X to Meta’s smart glasses — plus NVIDIA’s AI chip deal in South Korea, Google’s Gemini AI upgrades, new non-leth

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Tech Leaders Demand a Pause on Superintelligence #1849

October 27, 2025

In this episode, Ray breaks down a petition signed by 800+ leaders calling to pause the superintelligence race, then digs into AWS outage chatter about AI replacing DevOps, and Microsoft’s Gaming Copilot privacy concerns. Plus: a prompt trick that boosts

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ChatGPT Set to Unlock Mature Content for Verified Users #1848

October 19, 2025

In this episode, Ray dives into OpenAI’s plan to allow mature content for verified ChatGPT users, explores the Xreal One AR glasses and Opera’s AI-powered Neon browser, and highlights innovations like Portalgraph’s holographic display. Plus, updates on N

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The Future of AI on Your Desktop #1847

October 15, 2025

NVIDIA’s new DGX Spark is shaking up the AI world — a $3,999 pocket-sized supercomputer built to run powerful AI models locally. A true game changer for developers. -Want to be a Guest on a Podcast or YouTube Channel? Sign up for GuestMatch.Pro -Thinking

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ChatGPT Unveils App Platform #1846

October 09, 2025

OpenAI’s Dev Day headline turns ChatGPT into an app platform, allowing users to call services like Canva and Zillow directly in chat, signaling a significant push toward an AI “OS” for the web. -Want to be a Guest on a Podcast or YouTube Channel? Sign up

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Apple’s Scratchgate Uncovered #1845

October 02, 2025

Dive into Apple’s “Scratchgate,” Google’s new live search AI, Xbox’s handheld Ally with Gaming Copilot, EA’s massive buyout, plus wild innovations like a gaming exoskeleton and a house-printing robot. -Want to be a Guest on a Podcast or YouTube Channel?

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The Future of Smart Homes with Apple’s New OS #1844

September 30, 2025

Apple is developing a new operating system, codenamed “Charismatic,” to power its upcoming smart home hub and tabletop robot. Blending tvOS and watchOS, the platform will feature widgets, multi-user profiles, and Siri-first controls, signaling Apple’s dee

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Remembering Dad and What’s Next for GNC #1843

September 17, 2025

In this episode on GNC, Chris, the youngest son of Todd Cochrane, addresses the listeners following the unexpected passing of his father on September 8. Chris shares that the past week has been one of the most challenging times in his life, but gathering

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Remembering Todd Cochrane – Podcast Hall of Famer and Blubrry CEO and, GNC Host

September 11, 2025

On this special final New Media Show tribute episode, we honor the life and legacy of Todd Cochrane, podcasting pioneer, podcast hall of famer, founder of Blubrry and RawVoice, host of Geek News Central podcast, author of one of the first podcasting book

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YouTube’s Premium Family Plan Faces New Restrictions #1842

September 04, 2025

YouTube is enforcing stricter rules for its Premium Family plan, requiring all members to live in the same household. Non-eligible users will lose Premium benefits after 14 days, following Netflix’s 2023 policy shift to curb account sharing and drive new

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ChatGPT Buzzwords Are Reshaping Human Conversations #1841

August 28, 2025

New research reveals that ChatGPT’s frequently used words, often referred to as AI buzzwords, are increasingly appearing in everyday human conversations. By analyzing over 22 million words from unscripted podcasts, researchers found a notable rise in term

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How AI Chatbots Amplify Delusion and Distort Reality #1840

August 25, 2025

AI chatbots, trained to be overly agreeable, have unintentionally become catalysts for psychological crises by validating users’ grandiose or delusional beliefs. Vulnerable individuals can spiral into dangerous fantasy feedback loops, mistaking chat

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The Real AI Threat #1839

August 15, 2025

In recent months, headlines have sensationalized stories of AI models “blackmailing” engineers and “refusing” to shut down, stoking fears of runaway artificial intelligence. But beneath these dramatic narratives lies a far less sin

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Perplexity AI Caught Red-Handed: Secretly Sneaking Past Website Defenses #1838

August 05, 2025

Perplexity AI has been exposed for secretly deploying stealth crawlers that intentionally evade website no-crawl directives, rotate IP addresses, and even masquerade as regular browsers. Despite explicit robots.txt blocks and firewall defenses, Perplexity

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Google Indexing ChatGPT Shared Links – Marketing Opportunity? #1837

August 01, 2025

Google is now indexing publicly shared ChatGPT conversations, potentially exposing sensitive business information, strategies, and personal details. Marketers and businesses should audit their shared content, educate teams about AI privacy, and take preca

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FBI Warns of Rising Cybercrime and Real-World Violence from Youth Network “The Com” #1836

July 29, 2025

The FBI has issued an urgent warning about “The Com,” a rapidly expanding network of youth aged 11–25 who are engaged in both cyber and real-world crimes. Split into Hacker Com, IRL Com, and Extortion Com, the group commits acts from ransomwar

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50 Years of Microsoft: How the Altair 8800 and BASIC Revolutionized Computing #1835

July 25, 2025

Fifty years ago, Bill Gates and Paul Allen’s agreement with MITS for a BASIC interpreter for the Altair 8800 microcomputer marked the founding of Microsoft, profoundly influencing the world of personal computing. This collaboration transformed techn

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Google’s Gemini Deep Think AI Achieves Gold Medal at 2025 International Mathematical Olympiad #1834

July 22, 2025

Google DeepMind’s advanced Gemini Deep Think AI has reached a milestone by solving five out of six problems at the 2025 International Mathematical Olympiad, achieving gold-medal status. Unlike previous models, Gemini operated entirely in natural language

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OpenAI Unveils Game-Changing ChatGPT Agent #1833

July 18, 2025

OpenAI has introduced ChatGPT Agent, an advanced AI assistant that performs complex, multi-step tasks by directly controlling a virtual computer. Built with a new model combining capabilities from prior tools, Operator and Deep Research, the agent can aut

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Self-Destructing SSD for Ultimate Data Security #1832

July 15, 2025

TeamGroup has launched the P250Q-M80 SSD, a specialized drive that can physically destroy its flash memory by pressing a button. Designed for defense and critical-use scenarios, the drive features a one-click data destruction circuit, complete with LED in

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Grok 4 Surpasses OpenAI and Google, Now Top AI Model #1831

July 11, 2025

xAI’s Grok 4 achieves the highest Artificial Intelligence Index score, outperforming OpenAI, Google Gemini 2.5 Pro, and Anthropic Claude 4 Opus in extensive benchmarks. Grok 4 excels notably in coding, mathematics, and advanced reasoning tasks despi

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AI-Driven Revolution in Adult Content Creation #1830

July 01, 2025

In today’s creator-centric adult industry, performers shoulder not only on-camera work but also scripting, editing, marketing, and ongoing fan interaction—tasks once handled by studios. To manage the growing workload and sustain subscriber engagement, man

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DeepSeek Accused of Aiding Chinese Military #1829

June 23, 2025

DeepSeek, a Chinese AI firm, is accused by a senior U.S. official of supporting China’s military and intelligence services, sharing user data with Beijing, and using Southeast Asian shell companies to bypass U.S. export controls on advanced AI chips. Desp

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Trump Delays TikTok Ban Again Amid Ongoing Sale Talks and Security Concerns #1828

June 19, 2025

President Donald Trump has extended the deadline for the sale of TikTok in the U.S. by 90 days, delaying the enforcement of a law mandating its sale or ban due to national security concerns. Despite bipartisan criticism, Trump cited TikTok’s role in

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Anne Wojcicki Reclaims 23andMe in $305M Deal #1827

June 16, 2025

Anne Wojcicki, founder of 23andMe, has successfully repurchased the genetic testing firm out of bankruptcy through her non-profit TTAM for $305 million, surpassing a prior winning bid from Regeneron. The deal, which excludes the company’s liabilities, may

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NASA Shuts Down Influencer’s False Astronaut Claim #1826

June 13, 2025

NASA firmly debunked claims by influencer Laysa Peixoto, who portrayed herself as a career astronaut selected for lunar and Mars missions. Clarifying that Peixoto had no official affiliation, NASA explained she participated only in a student workshop. Add

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Apple Unveils ‘Liquid Glass’ UI for iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe #1825

June 09, 2025

Apple introduces its most extensive design overhaul with Liquid Glass, a transparent, glass-like UI coming to iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, and more. Inspired by visionOS, it adapts to light and dark modes and brings real-time rendering across apps l

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Trump Blasts Elon Musk as “Crazy,” Threatens to Cut Billions in Contracts

June 05, 2025

A bitter political clash exploded between President Trump and Elon Musk, with Trump calling Musk “CRAZY” and vowing to end billions in federal contracts for Tesla, SpaceX, and other Musk-run ventures. The feud stems from Musk’s opposition to Trump’s massi

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Gen Z’s Digital Dilemma ChatGPT as a Virtual Life Coach #1823

June 03, 2025

Gen Z increasingly relies on ChatGPT for personal decisions, drawn to its 24/7, judgment-free support. While this trend reflects a shift in how we seek advice, especially in a disconnected, uncertain world, it raises concerns about emotional depth, bias,

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Gemini AI Expands Video Summarization in Google Drive #1822

May 29, 2025

Google has expanded its Gemini AI in Drive to summarize videos, offering time-saving insights like action items and key updates from footage. With captions enabled, users can interact via a chatbot to extract information without watching the video. Additi

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YouTube’s New Ad Tactics Designed to Extract More Money from Viewers #1821

May 15, 2025

YouTube is integrating Google’s Gemini AI to place ads at the most engaging video moments, making them harder to avoid. This AI-driven tactic identifies “Peak Points” to maximize viewer retention during ad playback, indirectly pushing more users tow

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