GizmoSapiens Podcast

Chris and Matt discuss the Cult of Coscto, what kicked off the upgrade of PC hardware, GM laying off workers, and more. We want to hear from our listeners!  Please send feedback to: [email protected] See you on the digital flip side! The Cult of Costco: https://slashdot.org/story/26/01/01/1752221/the-cult-of-costco?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed Windows 11, Not AI, Kick-Started the PC Upgrade Cycle: Windows 10's end-of-support deadline, not AI PCs, drove the 2026 refresh wave. URL: https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/20/windows_11_pc_refresh/ GM Cutting Hundreds of Salaried IT Workers: GM cuts 500–600 IT jobs while opening 82 AI/autonomy roles — reallocation, not retreat. URL: https://it.slashdot.org/story/26/05/11/1839238/gm-cutting-hundreds-of-salaried-it-workers-as-it-trims-costs-evaluates-needs?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed Remote Work, Not AI, Is Sidelining Recent College Graduates: NY Fed research links remote work — not AI — to a spike in young-grad unemployment. URL: https://news.slashdot.org/story/26/06/01/2151248/remote-work-not-ai-has-sidelined-recent-college-graduates-research-finds?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed US Consumers and Businesses Pay 90% of Tariff Costs, Says Federal Reserve: NY Fed data shows Americans, not foreign exporters, absorbed nearly 90% of 2025's tariff costs. URL: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/02/us-consumers-business-pay-90-of-tariff-costs-says-federal-reserve/  

In this week’s transport-tech roundup, Chris and Matt discuss a sector under pressure from regulation, economics, and real-world safety debates. On the EV side, the UK is moving toward a mileage-based tax, Ford is trimming its EV ambitions, and new U.S. rules are forcing automakers to strip out some Chinese software dependencies. Autonomous vehicle headlines are also getting sharper: Waymo is back in the spotlight after a dog collision in San Francisco, raising familiar questions about accountability and whether robotaxis should be judged by a higher standard than human drivers. Meanwhile, the more speculative end of transportation continues to attract attention, with new hyperloop efforts in Europe despite persistent skepticism about cost, capacity, and practicality. We want to hear from you!  Please send feedback to [email protected] See you on the Digital Flip-Side!

Chris and Matt explore how ordinary tools—browsers, smart speakers, cameras, police gadgets, and even robotaxis—have quietly turned into powerful surveillance and attack platforms. They look at data exfiltration via simple copy‑paste, police use and abuse of AI-powered systems like Flock license plate readers, security disasters in both consumer and government tech, and the growing backlash against invasive tracking. The line between “helpful tech” and “creepy, dangerous infrastructure” is getting thinner, and our security and consent models are not keeping up. Please send feedback to [email protected] See you on the Digital Flip-Side!

In this episode, Chris and Matt explore four stories that show what happens when AI, automation, and gadgets step off our screens and into the physical world. First, we look at a live demo where security researchers hijacked a commercially available humanoid robot using nothing but spoken commands, then used short‑range wireless to spread the exploit to an offline robot—turning embodied AI into a potential physical weapon.   Next, we head to Japan, where Ishinomaki City is deploying Terra Drone–built “bear‑repellent spray drones” to deal with record numbers of human‑bear encounters, injuries, and deaths, using capsaicin spray as a non‑lethal deterrent from up to a kilometer away.   Back at the dinner table, pasta sauce brand Prego and nonprofit StoryCorps have created the “Connection Keeper,” a $20, puck‑shaped, screen‑free recorder meant to get phones off the table and preserve family conversations, with an option to archive them via StoryCorps and even the Library of Congress.   Finally, we discuss de‑extinction company Colossal’s claim that it has hatched 26 live chicks from artificial eggshells—3D‑printed honeycomb containers with silicone membranes—positioning the technology as a step toward bringing back extinct birds like the dodo and giant moa.   Together, these stories raise big questions about safety, surveillance, conservation, and what counts as “humane” technology in a world where bits are increasingly attached to atoms. Links discussed: “Researchers Show Some Robots Can Be Hijacked Just Through Spoken Commands” (Slashdot / Interesting Engineering, DARKNAVY demo) “Japanese city deploys anti-bear drones as ‘human casualties at an all-time high’” (Terra Drone coverage and news reports) “Has the smartphone hijacked your dinner table? StoryCorps and Prego made this gadget to rescue your dinner convos” (TechRadar and Prego materials) “Chickens without eggs? De-extinction company creates artificial egg.” (Ars Technica, Colossal Biosciences) See you on the Digital Flip-side!

Chris and Matt discuss school and university systems are quietly rethinking some of their biggest bets of the last two decades. In K‑12, districts that spent billions on laptops and tablets during the pandemic are now limiting screen time or putting devices away in response to parent concerns about distraction, mental health, and academic performance. At the same time, Kansas City Public Schools is making a dramatic platform shift, replacing around 30,000 Windows PCs and Chromebooks with Apple devices it describes as more secure, durable, and reliable.   In higher education, Harvard has voted to cap straight‑A grades at roughly 20 percent per class starting in 2027, its most aggressive effort yet to push back against grade inflation. And new labor‑market data show that a master’s degree no longer offers the job security it once did, with unemployment among under‑35 master’s holders near a 20‑year high.   We tie these stories together into a bigger question: are we watching the beginning of a reset on educational technology, grading, and credentials? And what should students, parents, and educators do about it? Links discussed: Why some US schools are cutting back on the technology they spent billions on (Slashdot / Washington Post) Harvard votes on limiting A grades (Slashdot, Axios, Washington Post, The Crimson) “A Master’s Degree Isn’t the Job Guarantee It Used To Be” (Slashdot / Wall Street Journal) Kansas City Public Schools to replace 30,000 Windows PCs and Chromebooks with Apple devices (9to5Mac / PCMag) See you on the Digital Flipside!