A no-holds-barred show about the Internet and how it's affecting our lives for good or bad. Hosts Jason DeFillippo & Brian Schulmeister have over 40 years of online experience and aren't afraid to tell it like it is.
FOLLOW UP starts with the realization that Spotify Wrapped thinks we are 82 years old, which honestly feels accurate, followed by a massive shout out to Bama Bryan on Bluesky for listening to us for over 3,000 minutes. We look at the grim stats from the Department of Government Efficiency regarding USAID deaths, then move to IN THE NEWS where the KALSHI CEO wants to monetize "any difference in opinion" because gambling on the news is the future. PALANTIR CEO Alex Karp claims making war crimes constitutional is bad for business, META STARTS KICKING AUSTRALIAN CHILDREN OFF their platforms to avoid fines, and TETHER gets a "weak" rating while U.S. BANK calls the ability to freeze stablecoins "appealing." We discuss the LEAK CONFIRMS OPENAI IS PREPARING ADS for ChatGPT while SAM ALTMAN DECLARES 'CODE RED' to catch up to Google. Speaking of which, ONE OF GOOGLE'S BIGGEST AI ADVANTAGES IS WHAT IT ALREADY KNOWS ABOUT YOU, even if GOOGLE DISCOVER IS TESTING AI-GENERATED HEADLINES that are complete lies. We cover how GROK WOULD PREFER A SECOND HOLOCAUST OVER HARMING ELON MUSK, the US PATENT OFFICE ruling on generative AI, a new report on DAVID SACKS profiting from his administration role, and INSTACART SUES NEW YORK CITY because paying workers a living wage is apparently unconstitutional. We wrap up the news with the HUMAN ROBOT HYPE SCARING CHINA, a sad story where CHILDREN SOB AS WAYMO RUNS OVER DOG, a video showing a WAYMO SELF-DRIVING TAXI TAKES PASSENGER THROUGH ACTIVE POLICE SCENE, and the fact that PASSENGERS FACE DISRUPTION AS AIRBUS UPDATES THOUSANDS OF PLANES due to solar flares.
In MEDIA CANDY, the industry is shaking because NETFLIX BUYS WARNER BROS. FOR $82 BILLION, meaning they now own everything from Harry Potter to Batman. We look at upcoming releases including WAKE UP DEAD MAN: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY, FALLOUT SEASON 2, ROMCON: WHO THE F**K IS JASON PORTER?, SEAN COMBS: THE RECKONING, THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT, THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, and A MAN ON THE INSIDE. Moving to APPS & DOODADS, we discuss the pure joy of uninstalling DROPBOX, our collective hatred for FUCK CENTER STAGE, and the report that APPLE EMPLOYEES ARE 'GIDDY' ABOUT ALAN DYE'S DEPARTURE. We also cover the horror show where GOOGLE'S AGENTIC AI WIPES USER'S ENTIRE HDD without permission, a study showing YOUR GLITCHY VIDEO CALLS MAY MAKE PEOPLE MISTRUST YOU, and how SCIENTISTS CREATED THE BLACKEST FABRIC EVER.
Finally, in THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE, we learn that CLAUDIA BLACK EXITS ‘AHSOKA’ SEASON 2 over pay disputes because Disney is apparently broke, we scrutinize LEAKED CLIPS FROM THE RUMORED 50TH ANNIVERSARY RERELEASE OF THE ORIGINAL VERSION OF STAR WARS (still no R2D2), check out a STORMTROOPER SUIT ON FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE, and mention THE MAD MEN 4K release.
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Watch on YouTube at https://youtu.be/4IRVvpdJC30
Show notes at https://gog.show/725
FOLLOW UP
Kalshi CEO Says He Wants to Monetize ‘Any Difference in Opinion’
Palantir CEO Says Making War Crimes Constitutional Would Be Good for Business
Meta starts kicking Australian children off Instagram and Facebook
Meta reportedly plans to slash Metaverse budget by up to 30%
IN THE NEWS
Crypto’s Most Trusted Stablecoin Given Lowest Possible ‘Weak’ Rating By Major TradFi Agency
U.S. Bank Calls Ability to Freeze Stablecoins ‘Appealing’ as Crypto Has Completely Lost the Plot
Leak confirms OpenAI is preparing ads on ChatGPT for public roll out
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman declares 'code red' as ChatGPT competition mounts
One of Google's biggest AI advantages is what it already knows about you
Google Discover is testing AI-generated headlines and they aren't good
Grok would prefer a second Holocaust over harming Elon Musk
US patent office says generative AI is equivalent to other tools in inventors' belts
The People Outsourcing Their Thinking to AI
New report examines how David Sacks might profit from Trump administration role
Instacart sues New York City over minimum pay, tipping laws
Humanoid Robot Hype Is Officially Scaring China
Children Sob as Waymo Runs Over Dog
Waymo self-driving taxi takes passenger through active police scene in downtown LA, video shows
Passengers face disruption as Airbus updates thousands of planes
MEDIA CANDY
Netflix Buys Warner Bros. for $82 Billion
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Fallout Season 2 on Prime Video
ROMCON: Who The F**k is Jason Porter? - Season 1
APPS & DOODADS
Gruber: Apple employees 'giddy' about Alan Dye’s departure
Google's Agentic AI wipes user's entire HDD without permission in catastrophic failure
Your glitchy video calls may make people mistrust you
Scientists Created the Blackest Fabric Ever, Then Made a Dress
THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE
Claudia Black Exits ‘Ahsoka’ Season 2 Over Alleged Pay Disputes
Leaked clips from the rumored 50th anniversary rerelease of the original version of Star Wars
William Shatner - Good King Wenceslas
AI boom kills Crucial as Micron shuts down consumer brand
CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS
'Mortal Kombat' Star Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa Dead at 75
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After surviving Thanksgiving and the subsequent biting cold, we jumped into the FOLLOW UP with news that Malaysia is joining the trend by taking steps to ban social media for children under 16, mirroring similar actions in Australia and Denmark—it seems the world is finally realizing the internet is a toxic wasteland for the kids. We also discussed Apple’s photo AI, which is apparently still in beta, if the results are anything to go by. The bulk of our discussion centered on the spectacular, flaming death of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is Officially Dead. We broke down a brief rundown of the damages this vanity project caused, from humanitarian disasters overseas to administrative chaos and the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs domestically, proving the "savings" were pure illusion. Now, with the collapse, the 'Suddenly exposed' DOGE employees fear prosecution after Musk abandoned them, learning the hard way that billionaire guardianship has an expiration date.
The job market is just great, with both Apple laying off part of its sales team despite record revenue, and HP joining the List of Tech Companies Cutting Jobs and pointing to AI as the convenient scapegoat for laying off 10% of their workforce. Meanwhile, we found out the most popular social media platform among US adults isn't Instagram or TikTok—it’s YouTube—while Meta allegedly buried research showing its products are harming users, confirming what we’ve known all along: they’re evil, but they already got your grandma hooked. Adding to the misery, An Alarming Number of Teens Say They Turn To AI For Company, Study Finds, because why talk to a real, messy human when a bot can gaslight you more efficiently? Sam Altman's financial troubles are spilling over, with Sam Altman’s Business Buddies Are Getting Stung (sorry, SoftBank and Oracle), and analysts estimate OpenAI Is Just $200 Billion Away From Still Losing Money, HSBC Says, a comical hole they plan to fill by asking for more free money. Legally, OpenAI can’t use the Word ‘Cameo’ in Sora now, thanks to a trademark suit, and Warner Music is playing both sides by dropping its lawsuit against Suno in exchange for a licensing agreement. Finally, in some truly dark news, a Marc Andreessen-backed Super-PAC Pours Millions Into Fighting State AI Regulations, and X's new location feature reveals that New X Feature Reveals Many MAGA Patriots on X Are Not Even Based in the U.S.
After ranting about my misery dealing with the Open Dialogue bug in a beta build and declaring my return to "pedestrian releases," we got into APPS & DOODADS. Spotify is actually doing something cool with its new SongDNA feature, which shows you who sampled what (and they bought WhoSampled to do it). They’re also testing Spotify's New AI-powered audiobook Recaps to remind you where you left off—Amazon is doing the same with AI-powered series Recap Videos for Prime Video. Amazon is also rolling out Alexa Home Theater surround sound for Echo speakers, making those budget speakers slightly more useful. We ran through some great stocking stuffers in Jason’s Holiday Gift Guide, including Velcro cable ties and the Contigo travel mug, before moving on to MEDIA CANDY, which included Dan Carlin's Common Sense, Nathan Fillion and Alan Tudyk’s new podcast Once We Were Spacemen, and a discussion on why Stranger Things Lost the Plot. We then got deeply uncomfortable talking about a Toronto ASMR spa that offers doctor roleplay, and closed out by talking about the documentary Quiet Please… about the neurological disorder misophonia. The episode finished with the AT THE LIBRARY segment, covering the Milli Vanilli memoir You Know It’s True and the sci-fi short story collection The Time Travelers Passport.
Show notes at https://gog.show/724
Watch now on YouTube: https://youtu.be/PoMa9FM5QEE?si=4r25yqv_0u8aXHF7
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FOLLOW UP
Malaysia takes steps to ban social media for children under 16
IN THE NEWS
'Suddenly exposed' DOGE employees fear prosecution after Musk abandoned them: report
Apple lays off part of its sales team
HP Joins List of Tech Companies Cutting Jobs and Pointing to AI
The most popular social media platform among US adults isn't Instagram or TikTok
Meta allegedly buried research showing its products are harming users
An Alarming Number of Teens Say They Turn To AI For Company, Study Finds
Sam Altman’s Business Buddies Are Getting Stung
OpenAI Is Just $200 Billion Away From Still Losing Money, HSBC Says
OpenAI Can’t Legally Use the Word ‘Cameo’ in Sora Now
Warner Music drops lawsuit against AI music platform Suno in exchange for licensing agreement
Marc Andreessen-Backed Super-PAC Pours Millions Into Fighting State AI Regulations
New X Feature Reveals Many MAGA Patriots on X Are Not Even Based in The U.S.
MEDIA CANDY
Common Sense 325 – Who’s the Boss?
How Stranger Things Lost the Plot
At Toronto’s new ASMR spa, sensory stimulation slips out of the internet and into real life
APPS & DOODADS
Spotify's SongDNA feature will show you which songs are sampled on a track
Making of "The Prodigy - Smack My Bitch Up" in Ableton by Jim Pavloff
Spotify's New AI-Powered Audiobook Recaps Will Remind You Where You Left Off
Amazon Launches AI-Powered Series Recap Videos
Alexa Home Theater surround sound for Echo speakers is rolling out now
Dashaun No Sadè - Episode 13 Durand Bernarr
Meike 35mm F2.0 Auto Focus Full Frame STM Stepping Motor Lens Compatible with Nikon Z Mount Cameras
Scientists Reveal What Black Friday Is Doing to Your Brain
Contigo AUTOSEAL West Loop Vacuum-Insulated Stainless Steel Travel Mug with Easy-Clean Lid 20 oz
Scotty Peeler Label and Sticker Remover - Single Metal Peeler -SP2
Carlashes 1001UB Classic Black
AT THE LIBRARY
You Know It’s True - The Real Story of Milli Vanilli
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We open by tracking our video money and mocking the chef who quit Elon’s "epic" bacon diner, before diving into the IN THE NEWS segment where plummeting crypto and Nvidia stocks confirm everything is a sham; we cover Bezos’s new $6.2 billion AI flop, a sleeping Tesla Robotaxi driver, and why OpenAI’s new school tools are a Recipe for Idiocracy with students who can't read; in MEDIA CANDY, we tear apart Disney's lazy Moana remake; THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE we discuss Zork going open source and why movies just don’t feel real anymore before CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS where we are mourning Mani from the Stone Roses, and wishing Bjork a very metal 60th.
We start with a FOLLOW UP on our channel’s performance, wading through the garbage pile of Monetization questions and Stats, including the scourge of Shorts—because apparently, that's what we do now. Speaking of people running from trouble, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers is ditching his OpenAI board seat after a fresh batch of cringey Jeffrey Epstein emails surfaced. Meanwhile, the financial world is having a meltdown: Nvidia’s Stock is Falling Again after its earnings report, exposing the fact that almost Yet Another Study Shows That Most Companies Aren’t Making Any Money Off AI, and Bitcoin is Getting Absolutely Crushed Right Now, which we happily remind you will Trigger the Next Financial Crisis. Don't worry, Jeff Bezos will head a new engineering-focused AI startup because the world clearly needs more tech billionaires throwing money at things they don't understand, while Apple is reportedly getting ready to replace Tim Cook.
The tech-bro corruption parade continues as a former DOJ official points out that Trump’s Crypto Pardon of the Binance co-founder is exactly what it looks like, and Elon's pet AI, Grok Insists That Elon Musk Is More Physically Fit Than LeBron James and better at everything else, proving the bot has been sampling its boss's Adderall. Even though ChatGPT Achieves a New Level of Intelligence by finally letting you disable its em-dash addiction, companies like Intuit are integrating its tax and accounting products with ChatGPT—because who doesn't want an AI-powered tax audit? This all dovetails nicely with the news that OpenAI is launching ChatGPT for Teachers’ right as students’ math skills hit a low, leading to a literal Recipe for Idiocracy where elite college students Can’t Read Books. The whole thing is broken, including Tesla’s so-called Robotaxi, where a Passenger Alarmed When Tesla Robotaxi “Safety” Driver Falls Completely Asleep at the Wheel. On a lighter note, we check out the new trailers for The Witcher S4, Frankenstein, and Project Hail Mary in MEDIA CANDY, and tear apart the absolutely unnecessary live-action Moana teaser, before mentioning the biggest drama launch on Apple TV, Pluribus.
Next up is THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE, where our tireless security guru Dave Bittner throws in some random facts, like Microsoft making Zork I, II, and III open source and videos on why the iOS Keyboard is Broken and Why Movies Just Don't Feel "Real” Anymore, and we discuss Thanksgiving plans. Finally, in CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS, we end with a shout-out to our generous PATREON supporters and PAYPAL/STRIPE donors, mourn the passing of Stone Roses and Primal Scream bassist Mani, and wish the incomparable Bjork a milestone 60th birthday.
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/tWM83ra7Qp8
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Show notes at https://gog.show/723
FOLLOW UP
Tesla Diner Chef and Co-Operator Quits to Open a Jewish Deli
IN THE NEWS
Oops! Nvidia’s Stock Is Falling Again After Its “Blowout” Earnings Report
Bitcoin Is Getting Absolutely Crushed Right Now
How Crypto Could Trigger the Next Financial Crisis
Jeff Bezos will head a new engineering-focused AI startup called Project Prometheus
Yet Another Study Shows That Most Companies Aren’t Making Any Money Off AI
Passenger Alarmed When Tesla Robotaxi “Safety” Driver Falls Completely Asleep at the Wheel
Meta wins antitrust trial as judge denies that it's a monopoly
Apple is reportedly getting ready to replace Tim Cook as early as next year
Former DOJ Official: Trump’s Crypto Pardon Is Unprecedented Corruption
ChatGPT Achieves a New Level of Intelligence: Not Using the Em Dash
Grok Insists That Elon Musk Is More Physically Fit Than LeBron James
11 Things Grok Says Elon Musk Does Better Than Anyone
Intuit is integrating its tax and accounting products with ChatGPT
OpenAI Introduces ‘ChatGPT for Teachers’ to Further Destroy the Minds of Our Youth
The Elite College Students Who Can’t Read Books
Pornhub Begs Tech Giants to Verify User Ages on Their Device: Report
London thieves gave stolen phones back when they weren’t iPhones
MEDIA CANDY
Pluribus is Apple TV's biggest drama series launch ever
Squid Game: The Challenge Season 2
Project Hail Mary | Official Trailer 2
Goo Goo Dolls: NPR Tiny Desk Concert
THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE
RIHC: Disney’s Legacy, with Bob Iger
Microsoft makes Zork I, II, and III open source under MIT License
It's Not Just You - The iOS Keyboard is Broken
Why Movies Just Don't Feel "Real" Anymore
The greatest space battle in Cinema history, and my personal favorite VFX shot. @ 7:07
CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS
Stone Roses and Primal Scream bassist Mani dies at 63
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The inevitable decline of civilization takes center stage as the show kicks off with the miserable results of the FACEBOOK SETTLEMENT, confirming Brian's $4.01 payout, followed by a discussion of the SPORTS BETTING SCANDAL, where MLB players are rigging games over prop bets, confirming that gambling is now actively killing sports; moving to the news, the guys celebrate the DENMARK SOCIAL MEDIA BAN and SCHOOL PHONE BANS, which are already proving that teenagers need mandatory digital detoxes, prompting comparisons to Footloose and the revelation that teens are now passing handwritten notes and taking Polaroids. Naturally, things aren't going well for the hyper-rich, as evidenced by the TESLA EXECUTIVE EXODUS and the launch of WAYMO FREEWAYS, which will surely bring chaos to LA, and the ongoing saga of massive capital destruction via OPENAI LOSSES and META AI FAILURES, prompting Mark Zuckerberg to announce his desperate bid to CURE ALL DISEASES with AI, a feat less audacious than the fraud of AI startup FIREFLY AI TRANSCRIPT, which admitted its original "AI" was just human transcriptionists.
They then hit a laundry list of digital woes, including the dubious convenience of APPLE PASSPORTS, the creeping dread of Sam Altman's failing WORLDCOIN EYEBALL SCANS, the ridiculous crypto fraud DEFI OFFICE SPACE that literally copied a movie plot, and Coinbase's inexplicable decision to bring back high-risk ICOs; the absurdity continued with the OPENAI LAWSUIT over a suicidal chatbot that suggested the user "Rest easy, King," and the political maneuvering of the REPUBLICAN BROADBAND REDIRECT, which will gut internet access for the underserved to fund the Treasury, but the real threat to humanity remains the clandestine PREVENTATIVE GENE HACKING startup funded by tech billionaires aiming to create modified babies offshore.
In Media Candy, they share reviews of the excellent DIPLOMAT, ZOOTOPIA, and the just-released LUSH DOCUMENTARY, confirming our combined Gen-X fragility, before celebrating two definitive wins for reality: the fact that physicists have finally CRUSHED THE SIMULATION THEORY, and the literary brilliance of Joyce Carol Oates' tweet, which expertly called out Elon Musk as uneducated and uncultured.
All this and more on this episode of Grumpy Old Geeks
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Show notes at https://gog.show/722
FOLLOW UP
IN THE NEWS
Denmark set to ban social media for users under 15 years of age
Banning Phones in Schools Is Drastically Changing the Behavior of Kids
The Head of the Cybertruck Program Quit Tesla. The Model Y Leader Left Hours Later
Waymo's driverless cars will start driving on freeways in three US cities
Apple introduces a new Digital ID feature to make boarding flights easier
OpenAI Will Lose $74 Billion the Same Year That Anthropic Breaks Even: Report
Meta’s AI Ambitions Appear to Be in a Tailspin
Zuckerberg, Chan bet AI can cure all disease
Startup Secretly Working to Gene-Hack Human Baby
Sam Altman's Creepy Orb Startup Has Only Scanned 2 Percent of Its Ideal Number of Eyeballs
$120 Million Crypto Hack Blamed on Office Space-Style Exploit
Coinbase Wants to Bring Back an Old Crypto Trend That Ended in Disaster
Seven more families are now suing OpenAI over ChatGPT's role in suicides, delusions
US states could lose $21 billion of broadband grants after Trump overhaul
Physicists Say They’ve Proven Whether We’re Living in a Simulation
Elon Musk Got One-Shotted by an Extremely Mean Tweet
MEDIA CANDY
'V for Vendetta' Is Becoming a TV Show
Dune: Prophecy' Kicks off Season 2 Production
‘Alien: Earth’ Has Been Renewed for Season 2
The Running Man | Final Trailer (2025 Movie) - Edgar Wright, Glen Powell
Toy Story 5 | Teaser Trailer | In Theaters June 19
Paramount+ announces price increases for every streaming plan
APPS & DOODADS
How to adjust the Liquid Glass effect in iOS 26.1
How to stretch the clock on your lock screen in iOS 26
Tesla Reportedly Adding Apple CarPlay, Bucking Industry Trend
FTC Announces Crackdown on Deceptive AI Claims and Schemes
THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE
The Official ‘Star Wars’ Magazine Is Coming to an End After Over 30 Years
Talk about your crotch-rocket...
AI-Powered Toys Caught Telling 5-Year-Olds How to Find Knives and Start Fires With Matches
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This episode proves that nothing gold can stay, especially your 401k, as we kick things off with the revelation that October saw the worst tech layoffs since 2003, all while "Big Short" genius Michael Burry decided to bet a billion dollars on the inevitable AI bubble bursting. The villains of the week are legion: the FCC is officially making it easier for internet companies to charge us even more hidden fees; Elon Musk not only got his $1 trillion pay package approved—despite Tesla sales collapsing nearly 90% in some countries—but he also teased a flying car, clearly living in his own "Golden Dome" fantasy, which the Pentagon is happily subsidizing; and in a stunning display of entitlement, Mark Zuckerberg opened an illegal school, which is somehow less shocking than Meta’s claim that their massive porn stash was purely for "personal use," not AI training. The bad news doesn't stop there, with Texas suing Roblox over 'pixel pedophiles,' though at least a rural Michigan healthcare system is doing some good by using drones to improve care.
Jumping over to Media Candy, since we’re all emotionally scarred by the sheer awful-ness of The Witcher S4—a season so bad it "broke" The Critical Drinker—we need some comfort viewing. We’re deep-diving into the political chess of The Diplomat and escaping into the sheer volume of competitive cooking shows, including the standard Halloween and Holiday Baking Championships, plus the delightfully ridiculous Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking S2; we also took a look at Pluribus, Knife Edge, Black Rabbit, and the trailer for Tron: Ares, while cheering the fact that Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz are set to revive The Mummy franchise for a fourth film. In Apps & Doodads, we’re all mourning the eventual death of simple, good tech as we’re warned to enjoy Apple CarPlay while we still can, but at least the Lego ‘Star Trek’ Set is finally here for our inner child; the real question, though, is why Automattic Inc. thinks they can claim ownership of the actual word 'Automatic.'
Finally, The Dark Side with Dave Bittner reminds us that everything old is new again and ripe for monetization, whether it's Miss Piggy potentially bringing back The Muppets to the movies or the sleek, blacked-out remake of the Commodore 64, not to mention that cool Tron Arcade Cabinet Miniature Model. However, the present is still a complete dumpster fire: a Google AI model allegedly accused a senator of sexual assault, and internal documents show that Meta is earning a fortune on a massive deluge of fraudulent ads, proving that the only thing getting healthier is our paranoia, though Dave did throw in a curveball with some special jar lids and seeds for growing organic sprouts. We finish, as always, with the obligatory Closing Shout-Outs because even cynical geeks need validation.
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Show notes at https://gog.show/721
FOLLOW UP
October Layoffs Were the Worst Since 2003 and Hit Tech Workers Hard
IN THE NEWS
The Big Short Guy Just Bet $1 Billion That the AI Bubble Pops
Trump's FCC is officially moving to make it easier for internet companies to charge hidden fees
Pentagon will reportedly award SpaceX a $2 billion contract to help develop the 'Golden Dome'
Elon Musk teases a flying car on Joe Rogan's show
Tesla’s Sales Collapsed Nearly 90 Percent in Some Countries Last Month
Tesla shareholder meeting updates: Elon Musk gets his $1 trillion pay package
Texas AG sues Roblox, accusing it of prioritizing 'pixel pedophiles' over child safety
Mark Zuckerberg Opened an Illegal School at His Palo Alto Compound. His Neighbors Revolted
Meta Says Porn Stash was for ‘Personal Use,’ Not Training AI Models
How a rural Michigan healthcare system is using drones to improve care
MEDIA CANDY
Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking S2
Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars
The Witcher Season 4 - A Show So Awful, It Broke Me by The Critical Drinker
Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz Set to Revive The Mummy Franchise with Fourth Film
APPS & DOODADS
Enjoy CarPlay While You Still Can
The Lego ‘Star Trek’ Set Is Here, and It’s Exactly What You Want
Automattic Inc. Claims It Owns the Word 'Automatic'
THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE
Miss Piggy May Bring ‘The Muppets’ Back to the Movies
Relive the Commodore 64's glory days with a slimmer, blacked-out remake
Show and Tell: Tron Arcade Cabinet Miniature Model
Google removes AI model after it allegedly accused a senator of sexual assault
Organic Radish Sprout Seeds (16 oz) – Non-GMO, Heirloom Seeds for Sprouting and Microgreens
Meta is earning a fortune on a deluge of fraudulent ads, documents show
...
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This week’s episode started with the usual existential sigh before tumbling straight into the corporate bloodbath. Amazon chopped 14,000 jobs under the noble banner of “embracing AI,” which CEO Andy Jassy insists isn’t about money—despite swimming Scrooge McDuck–style in profit. GM’s cutting 1,700 workers, YouTube’s dangling “voluntary” buyouts, and economists can’t decide if AI is killing jobs or if the economy’s just trash. Microsoft’s winning either way, sitting pretty on OpenAI’s planned $1 trillion IPO, while Meta stock cratered because Zuckerberg’s still shoveling billions into the AI bonfire instead of quietly burying the metaverse. Meanwhile, Elon managed to cram a week’s worth of disasters into a single news cycle: Tesla’s being probed for its idiotic “Mad Max” mode, recalling thousands more Cybertrucks because they can’t figure out glue, launching Grokipedia (Wikipedia’s evil twin), and turning Truth Social into a crypto casino. Somewhere between the chaos, more people tuned into a fake NVIDIA livestream than the real one, and the only vaguely uplifting story was a grieving family using an AI chatbot to hack a $195K hospital bill down to $33K.
In media misery, we soothed our nuclear anxiety with A House of Dynamite, tolerated Welcome to Derry, rolled our eyes at Stranger Things 5, and confirmed Slow Horses still rules. Music listeners, please stop streaming fascism—cancel Spotify. On the tech toy front, Grammarly’s having an identity crisis as “Superhuman,” Affinity caved to the subscription gods, and Apple’s prepping to inject ads into Maps because the world wasn’t already annoying enough. The chaos didn’t stop there: a rogue Goodreads librarian rewrote Trump’s book listings to protest censorship, Cursor 2.0 actually impressed us with a working currency converter, and Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It turned out to be the perfect title for the entire digital era.
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Show notes at https://gog.show/720
FOLLOW UP
IN THE NEWS
Amazon cuts its workforce by 14,000 in further embrace of AI
Is AI Leading to Layoffs or Does the Economy Just Suck?
Amazon CEO Now Says AI Is Not Responsible for Recent Layoffs
Amazon Accused of Trapping Drivers in AI Panopticon
GM lays off 1,700 workers making EVs and batteries in Michigan, Tennessee
Tesla Recalls Thousands More Cybertrucks, Is Bad at Gluing Things
YouTube is offering employees buyouts as part of an AI-focused reorganization
Everyone Is Laying People Off This Week. Researchers Say They’re Going to Regret It
OpenAI completes restructure, solidifying Microsoft as a major shareholder
OpenAI lays groundwork for juggernaut IPO at up to $1 trillion valuation
Meta Stock Plummets as Investors Horrified at How Much Zuckerberg Is Spending on Misfired AI
Federal investigators are looking into Tesla's Mad Max mode, which reportedly defies speed limits
Grokipedia Is the Antithesis of Everything That Makes Wikipedia Good, Useful, and Human
More people watched a fake NVIDIA livestream than the real thing
Trump’s Media Company Set To Roll Out Polymarket-Like Prediction Market on Truth Social
Surprising no one, researchers confirm that AI chatbots are incredibly sycophantic
MEDIA CANDY
Stranger Things 5 | Official Trailer | Netflix
Don’t Stream Fascism: Cancel Spotify
APPS & DOODADS
Grammarly has rebranded to Superhuman
Affinity’s image-editing apps go “freemium” in first major post-Canva update
Apple is reportedly getting ready to introduce ads to its Maps app
Rogue Goodreads Librarian Edits Site to Expose 'Censorship in Favor of Trump Fascism’
Introducing Cursor 2.0 and Composer
Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It by Cory Doctorow
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
We open with a sobering follow-up: the future is less about AI toast (though Red Dwarf predicted it) and more about a soul-stripping "infrastructure of meaningless" after an AWS outage proved how fragile the internet is. Corporate overlords, like Elon Musk, are taking note: he finally addressed Starlink's use by Asian scam syndicates, but his attention is mostly on superintelligence, which Wozniak, Prince Harry, and 800 others want banned. Meanwhile, Meta, despite pouring $27 billion into data centers, suddenly cut 600 AI jobs, and Amazon is preparing to automate a half-million warehouse positions, offering drivers AR spy glasses and suggesting a new "Help Me Decide" AI tool to automate the exhausting micro-decision of which air fryer to buy. This dystopian fever dream peaked when Suzanne Somers' widower revealed he built a full-on robotic AI twin of the late actress. Predictably, Tesla stock tumbled, and the crypto grift continued with the pardoning of Binance founder Zhao, leaving SBF to ponder his failed check-bounce in jail.
Speaking of soul-crushing, Disney's latest nostalgia raid, Tron: Ares, tanked harder than anticipated, proving not every Gen-X intellectual property is a worthy cash cow. But fear not, there's still great TV to be had: we recommend the clever dramas Slow Horses and The Diplomat Season 3, the high-stakes culinary nightmare Knives Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars, and the surprisingly excellent Gen V (which you must watch before the next season of The Boys). We also got our fix with the Pluribus trailer, Bullet Train, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, and the deliciously low-stakes reality shows Come Dine With Me, Hotel Costiera, and The Celebrity Traitors UK/Canada. Sadly, we must mourn the end of Food Network’s The Kitchen. Yet, no matter how good the show, you still have to deal with Ticketmaster, which is still lying about "fighting bots" while cornering the secondary market.
In the world of Apps & Doodads, OpenAI dropped its "Anti-Web" browser, ChatGPT Atlas (a data mule in disguise), and a new app now fakes your vacation photos (perfect for burned-out users). X is poised to sell "rare" usernames for millions (with a terrible subscription catch), while some clever hacker figured out a $60 mod to disable the privacy light on Meta's Ray-Ban spy glasses. Fellow podcast host Dave Bittner joined us to agree that the new Hall of Presidents format is better without the political posturing and confirmed the joy of old-school, purple-ink-smelling Spirit Duplicators (and we checked out a Star Wars fan film trailer for the AT THE LIBRARY section). Don't forget your Tilly Hat! Finally, R.I.P. Soft Cell's musical force Dave Ball, aged 66; the hits still hit.
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FOLLOW UP
Does Anyone Want Any Toast? | Red Dwarf | BBC
A Tool That Crushes Creativity
IN THE NEWS
Amazon's AWS outage knocked services like Alexa, Snapchat, Fortnite, Venmo and more offline
SpaceX disables 2,500 Starlink terminals allegedly used by Asian scam centers
Yelp is getting more AI, including an upgraded chatbot
Steve Wozniak, Prince Harry and 800 others want a ban on AI ‘superintelligence’
Suzanne Somers’ Widower Built “AI Twin” of Late Actress
Meta Cuts 600 AI Roles From Its Superintelligence Labs After $27 Billion Data Center Deal
New report leaks Amazon's proposed mass-automation plans
Amazon Rolls Out New AI Tool to Help You Decide What to Buy: The Great Mental Outsourcing continues.
Amazon unveils AI-powered augmented reality glasses for delivery drivers
Tesla reports revenue growth after two down quarters. Why the stock is falling
Trump pardons convicted Binance founder Zhao, White House says
Crypto billionaire pardon is insane by Coffeezilla
MEDIA CANDY
‘Tron: Ares’ Is an Even Bigger Bomb Than We Thought
Food Network’s The Kitchen to End After 40 Seasons
Knifes Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars
Pluribus — Official Trailer | Apple TV
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
Ticketmaster Is Going to Have to Do Better Than That
APPS & DOODADS
OpenAI's AI-powered browser, ChatGPT Atlas, launches on macOS today
ChatGPT's Atlas: The Browser That's Anti-Web By Anil Dash
Too burned out to travel? This new app fakes your summer vacation photos for you
X's handle marketplace will sell some 'rare' usernames for millions of dollars
A $60 Mod to Meta’s Ray-Bans Disables Its Privacy-Protecting Recording Light
THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE
Firefly | The World's Smallest Pro-Audio Microphone
Spirit Duplicators: Copies Never Smelled So Good
STAR WARS ENTRENCHED: Fan Film TEASER 2
CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS
Soft Cell's musical force Dave Ball dies, aged 66
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This week, Guest Host Donovan Adkisson joins Jason DeFilippo to wade through the usual tech chaos; California is attempting to regulate the inevitable AI companion chatbots, which is timely, considering ChatGPT is about to launch erotica (with age verification, natch). Turns out, most of the world is less stoked about our algorithmic future than Silicon Valley is. Speaking of chaos, Elon Musk’s Boring Company racked up nearly 800 environmental violations in Vegas, and his Starlink satellites are burning up the atmosphere, validating the Kessler Syndrome predictions (and ruining backyard astronomy). On the ground, Georgia Tech is deploying drone first responders, ensuring campus security is instantly airborne, while the UK's Online Safety Act slapped 4chan with a hefty fine. We also mourn a Crypto Kingpin who met his end in a Lamborghini following a market crash. Finally, beware that "perfect" house listing, as the owner likely used AI to virtually enhance that curb appeal.
It seems even the guy who coined the term "Vibe Coding" admits that relying on AI for complex software is "Net Unhelpful," proving that humans still have to do the heavy lifting—a fact Uber might ignore, as they plan to pay drivers to train AI between rides. Speaking of dumb human stunts, some genius launched the "World's First Waymo DDoS" by summoning 50 robotaxis to a dead end. On the entertainment side, it's time to binge Gen V before Season 5 of The Boys drops; also, why did Apple rename Apple TV+ to Apple TV? The guys also discuss the eternal cultural resonance of Idiocracy and the perfection of Galaxy Quest (and its fantastic documentary, Never Surrender). On the work front, Jason switched back to Things 3 because life is too short for ugly software, even as Windows 10's impending end-of-life threatens to create an e-waste disaster. Also, Wi-Fi 8 is coming soon, because the recently ratified Wi-Fi 7 just wasn't cutting it.
Finally, the Grumpy Old Geeks wish a happy birthday to friends of the show and offer remembrance for the recently deceased, including screen icon Diane Keaton and KISS founding member Ace Frehley (though, honestly, no one here watched KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park). Tune in next time, and always remember to check out Anonymous: Real Stories of Alcoholism, Addiction, and Recovery; and go get some of that GOG Merch... when it becomes available.
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Show notes at https://gog.show/718
FOLLOW UP
California becomes first state to regulate AI companion chatbots
ChatGPT erotica coming soon with age verification, CEO says
International Polling Shows Fear of AI Across the World
IN THE NEWS
Georgia Tech’s drone first responder program cuts emergency response time to 90 seconds or less
Crypto Kingpin Turns Up Dead in Lamborghini After Market Crash
4chan fined $26K for refusing to assess risks under UK Online Safety Act
Elon Musk’s Boring Company Accused of Nearly 800 Environmental Violations on Las Vegas Project
That perfect-looking house for sale may have an owner using AI to virtually enhance the listing
Even the Inventor of 'Vibe Coding' Says Vibe Coding Can't Cut It
Man Launches “World’s First Waymo DDoS” by Ordering 50 Robotaxis to Dead End Street
MEDIA CANDY
Apple’s streaming service gets harder to tell apart from its streaming app, box
Never Surrender: A Galaxy Quest Documentary
Anonymous - Real Stories of Alcoholism, Addiction, and Recovery
APPS & DOODADS
The End of Windows 10 Support Is an E-Waste Disaster in the Making
CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS
Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
The Dutch courts finally did something useful: they told Meta to quit force-feeding algorithmic slop to everyone, so Facebook and Instagram users might actually see posts from friends again—if they can remember who those are. Meanwhile, OpenAI’s Sora 2 rollout is the kind of chaos that makes you wonder if the company replaced QA with a TikTok filter, as outrage videos flood the internet faster than you can say “deepfake meltdown.” Apple banned ICEBlock for being too effective while ICE now wants its own social media surveillance tool—one that OpenAI shut down when Chinese accounts tried to build it. California’s hammering Tesla for its abysmal insurance claims handling, OpenAI is gobbling up chunks of AMD, and consultants got caught using ChatGPT to fake reports before proudly partnering with Anthropic, who just landed Deloitte as its latest “enterprise AI” victim. Elsewhere in this circus: a Florida teen asked ChatGPT how to kill his friend, Taylor Swift fans are furious her new promo video used AI slop (“too rich to be this cheap”), and Apple’s “Find My” led cops to a mountain of smuggled iPhones.
In Media Candy, Brian’s stunned The Diplomat scored a third season, The Long Walk is being pitched as Stand By Me meets Squid Game, California finally bans loud streaming commercials, and Amazon censored Bond posters to remove guns because apparently irony is dead. AI “musicians” are signing record deals while Zelda Williams begs people to stop resurrecting her dad with deepfake garbage. In Apps & Doodads, Jony Ive’s OpenAI gadget is delayed (good), Rivian insists we’ll “appreciate” not having CarPlay (we won’t), Spotify and ChatGPT are teaming up to read your soul through playlists, and Jason warns everyone that the Echo Show is basically an ad-spewing parasite. Apple’s now facing a cybercrime probe in France for Siri’s wiretapping habits, and if you’re nostalgic for simpler times, ioquake3 will let you relive Quake III Arena glory on a modern rig. At the Library, Peter Cawdron’s Dark Beauty: First Contact belly-flops as a Slaughterhouse-Five tribute, while Cory Doctorow’s Enshittification nails exactly why everything sucks—even if his fixes are pure science fiction.
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Show notes at https://gog.show/717
FOLLOW UP
Dutch court orders Meta to change its Facebook and Instagram timelines
OpenAI's Sora 2 Already Melting Down Into Outrageous Drama
IN THE NEWS
Apple removes ICEBlock from the App Store after Trump administration's demand
ICE is planning to create a surveillance team that hunts for leads on social media
OpenAI has disrupted (more) Chinese accounts using ChatGPT to create social media surveillance tools
California regulators threaten to revoke Tesla's insurance license for mishandling claims
OpenAI Gobbles Up a Stake in AMD as Its Spending Spree Shows No Sign of Stopping
Consultants Forced to Pay Money Back After Getting Caught Using AI for Expensive “Report”
Anthropic lands its biggest enterprise deployment ever with Deloitte deal
Teen Arrested After Asking ChatGPT How to Kill His Friend, Police Say
Taylor Swift Fans Furious as She’s Caught Using Sloppy AI in Video for New Album
Apple’s ‘Find My’ Leads Cops to Cache of Thousands of Smuggled iPhones
MEDIA CANDY
California bans loud commercials on streaming platforms
Amazon Pulls Censored Bond Posters After Pulling the Guns From Them
More AI artists are starting to get record deals
Robin Williams' daughter pleads for people to stop sending AI videos of her dad
APPS & DOODADS
OpenAI's first device with Jony Ive could be delayed due to 'technical issues'
Rivian says ‘customers will appreciate’ lack of CarPlay eventually
Spotify and ChatGPT Team Up for Personalized Music and Podcast Recommendations
Don’t buy an Echo Show (you can have mine)
Apple faces cybercrime investigation in France after Siri complaint
AT THE LIBRARY
Dark Beauty: First Contact by Peter Cawdron
Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It by Cory Doctorow
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
The world is a dumpster fire, confirmed. Following California's landmark AI safety bill SB 53, the head of Nvidia is allegedly "quaking in his boots"—which is a good sign, unlike the news that the "Nirvana Baby" Spencer Elden's lawsuit was finally dismissed. Meanwhile, corporate America continues its pivot to chaos: Spotify shuffled its execs, Meta is charging UK users for ad-free Facebook and Instagram, and the UK is introducing digital ID cards (Hello, Mark of the Beast). The entire internet is now dominated by bots, proving the Cracker Barrel logo outrage was manufactured, a fact that's somehow less depressing than the FCC accidentally leaking iPhone schematics. Naturally, Alphabet just paid $22 million to settle President Trump’s YouTube lawsuit, confirming that legal threats are the new VC funding. Disney is panicking over an "AI Actress," sending cease and desist letters to Character.AI, while OpenAI rolls out its new Sora app and ChatGPT's ability to buy things for you, proving it's determined to turn the internet into one seamless, copyright-infringing shopping mall, and it's now worth more than Elon Musk's SpaceX.
The ensuing boredom demands new media, though the pacing is terrible in everything: Slow Horses Season 5 and Human: Neanderthal Encounters are great, but even the original Matrix and Frankenstein trailer (by Guillermo del Toro) feel slow, confirming the Princess Bride litmus test. MXV’s Riot Fest photos were rad, and Disney lost 1.7M subs after suspending Kimmel, which is why YouTube Music is testing AI hosts (who will only be wrong), and the Pivot Tour is happening. Our Apps & Doohickeys department confirms security is an afterthought: macOS 26 unlocked the Journal app, but the smart glasses race is fully on, and Logitech’s new keyboard can be recharged by any light (finally, tech that works!). Amazon Fire TV is expected to ditch Android for Linux, Meta introduced the AI-filled Vibes feed, and Tile trackers were found to have a stalking flaw—a fact only slightly more depressing than the swift failure of the Neon call-recording app and the continued existence of the Comet browser. Finally, The Dark Side with Dave celebrated the low-budget charm of Blue Thunder and the necessity of Disney Park Ride Overlays, while Dave embarked on his quest to unbox the Home Depot R2D2. We thank our patrons for keeping this beautiful noise alive and pay tribute to the amazing Jane Goodall.
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Show notes at https://gog.show/716
FOLLOW UP
California Governor Newsom signs landmark AI safety bill SB 53
Nvidia Is Quaking in Its Boots
‘Nirvana Baby’ Spencer Elden’s ‘Nevermind’ Suit Dismissed Again
IN THE NEWS
Spotify Appoints New CEOs as Daniel Ek Becomes Executive Chair
Meta announces paid subscriptions for both Instagram and Facebook in the UK
UK announces plans for digital ID cards
OpenAI’s New Sora App Lets You Deepfake Yourself for Entertainment
The First 24 Hours of Sora 2 Chaos: Copyright Violations, Sam Altman Shoplifting, and More
OpenAI Rolls Out ChatGPT’s Ability to Buy Stuff for You
OpenAI Is Now Worth More on Paper Than SpaceX, Catches Up to Elon Musk Himself
Disney sends cease and desist letter to Character.AI
Creator of “AI Actress” Responds to Near-Universal Backlash
FCC accidentally leaked iPhone schematics, potentially giving rivals a peek at company secrets
Alphabet will pay $22 million to settle President Trump’s YouTube lawsuit
Cracker Barrel Outrage Was Almost Certainly Driven by Bots, Researchers Say
MEDIA CANDY
Frankenstein | Guillermo del Toro | Official Trailer | Netflix
YouTube Music is testing AI hosts that present relevant stories, trivia and commentary
How Many Streaming Subscribers Did Disney Lose After Suspending Kimmel?
APPS & DOODADS
macOS 26 unlocks the real potential of Apple’s Journal app
The smart glasses race is really on now
Logitech's new keyboard can be recharged by any kind of light
Amazon Fire TV devices expected to ditch Android for Linux in 2025
Meta introduces Vibes feed for AI generated content
Tile trackers reportedly have a security flaw that can let stalkers track your location
Comet - The browser that works for you
THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE
The Best Disney Park Ride Overlays, and Where to Find Them
Home Depot R2D2 Unboxing and Assembly!
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Grumpy Old Geeks is back with another round of righteous griping and eyebrow-raising headlines in Episode 715: Our Wizard Lies. We kick things off in FOLLOW UP, where TikTok is still the geopolitical hot potato that both the U.S. and China promise to sort out “someday, maybe,” while Wired’s global editorial director explains how tech’s growing political clout is playing out under Trump. From there, it’s a cavalcade of absurdities: DOGE as federal workforce demolition derby, and crypto bros trying to turn Charlie Kirk’s death into meme-stock retirement plans. Late-stage capitalism is nothing if not creative.
Then in IN THE NEWS, Amazon gets spanked with a $2.5 billion fine for Prime trickery, Microsoft yanks cloud services from an Israeli military unit, and Palantir goes full lifestyle brand—yes, you too can cosplay as a drone strike enthusiast with a $99 pair of gym shorts. Silicon Valley philosophers warn AI regulation would literally summon the Antichrist, while banks whisper the bubble might pop before the devil even arrives. Meanwhile, YouTube toys with letting COVID and election denialists back into the algorithm, “SIM farms” threaten New York’s cell networks, and unlucky tourists are finding themselves trafficked into cyber-scam slavery across Southeast Asia. Progress!
MEDIA CANDY tries to lighten the mood—sort of—serving up everything from Elio, Tron: Ares, and Disney price hikes to AI musicians cashing million-dollar checks. Lionsgate, on the other hand, learns you can’t feed four John Wicks into an algorithm and get an anime out the other side. Over in THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE, we get furries on the DC Metro, Disney plotting your every park step via Ray-Ban spy glasses, a Ponzi scheme in RadioShack cosplay, and even a Jim Henson Company anniversary auction. We close out with shout-outs and sighs, because sometimes the world doesn’t deserve a mic drop—just a slow shake of the head.
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Show notes at https://gog.show/715
FOLLOW UP
US and China agree to agree on a TikTok deal
WIRED global editorial director on tech's growing political power under Trump
The Story of DOGE, as Told by Federal Workers
Crypto Bros Are Trying to Monetize Charlie Kirk’s Death
IN THE NEWS
Amazon to pay $2.5 billion for allegedly duping millions to sign up for Prime
Palantir Wants to Be a Lifestyle Brand
Silicon Valley’s latest argument against regulating AI: that would literally be the Antichrist
AI Experts Urgently Call on Governments to Think About Maybe Doing Something
‘Workslop’: AI-Generated Work Content Is Slowing Everything Down
Deutsche Bank Issues Grim Warning for AI Industry
YouTube may reinstate channels banned for spreading covid and election misinformation
‘SIM Farms’ Are a Spam Plague. A Giant One in New York Threatened US Infrastructure, Feds Say
They traveled to Thailand. They wound up cyber scam slaves in Myanmar.
MEDIA CANDY
Disney is raising the price of Disney+, Hulu subscriptions next month
Wicked: For Good | Final Trailer
Lilith Faire: Building a Mystery
AI Artist Signs Million-Dollar Record Deal
Lionsgate Is Finding Out It’s Really Hard to Make Movies With AI
Jimmy Kimmel May Be Back. Trump’s Attacks on the First Amendment Aren’t Over By Merrill Markoe
THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE
Disney Explores Using Ray-Ban Meta Glasses To Guide Guests Around Its Parks
The Happiest Story on Earth: 70 Years of Disneyland
The Mandalorian and Grogu | Official Trailer | In Theaters May 22, 2026
The Jim Henson Company 70th Anniversary Auction
Feds Say Company That Bought RadioShack Was Running $112 Million Ponzi Scheme
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.