TNW 299: Revenge of the Robotaxis - Cord-Cutting Costs, AI Life Coach, QR Phishing
Tech News Weekly (Audio)
Leo Laporte
4.1 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 17 August 2023
⏱️ 75 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The economics of streaming services is changing, with pricing going up to pre-cord cutting days. Robotaxis are operating 24/7 in San Francisco now. Google & DeepMind are exploring AI life coaching and the growing use of QR codes for phishing scams.
- Jason Howell talks about the changing economics of streaming services & cord-cutting as companies like Netflix & Disney raise prices on their services.
- Andrew J. Hawkins from The Verge joins the show to discuss the approval of 24/7 operation for autonomous companies like Cruise & Waymo to operate in San Francisco and what the future may entail over robotaxis.
- Nico Grant from the New York Times talks about Google & DeepMind working on AI chatbots that can operate as personal life coaches and the competitive AI landscape.
- Finally, Mikah Sargent warns us about phishing campaigns using QR codes and how malicious entities targeted a US energy company and used them in fake parking tickets that lead to phishing sites.
Hosts: Jason Howell and Mikah Sargent
Guests: Andrew J. hawkins and Nico Grant
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Coming up on tech news, weekly Jason Howell and I have, as always, a great show plan for you. |
| 0:05.3 | First, Jason Howell's story of the week to kick off the show, talking about the current state |
| 0:11.5 | of streaming and how it may see a return to the days of yesterday where cable was expensive. |
| 0:20.0 | So we cut the cord, but now cutting the cord is just as expensive as cable and it's all a mess. |
| 0:25.8 | Then we talked to Andrew J. Hawkins, the transportation editor from the Verge, |
| 0:30.6 | about Robo Taxis going 24-7 in San Francisco, and then absolutely failing and blocking traffic |
| 0:38.8 | the first chance they get. After that discussion, the New York Times' own Nico Grant stops by to talk |
| 0:45.7 | about Google's deep mind, working on AI that may be looking at mental health and physical |
| 0:55.5 | well-being and personal coaching and how that has its own set of problems. And we round things out |
| 1:02.8 | with my story of the week about how QR codes may be a new way for bad actors to get access |
| 1:11.0 | to your information. Stay tuned for this jam-packed episode of Tech News Weekly. |
| 1:18.1 | Podcasts you love. From people you trust. This is Twenth. |
| 1:27.2 | This is Tech News Weekly Episode 299, recorded Thursday, August 17, 2023. Revenge of the Robo Taxis. |
| 1:36.2 | This episode of Tech News Weekly is brought to you by Melissa, more than 10,000 clients worldwide, |
| 1:41.5 | rely on Melissa for full spectrum data quality and ID verification software. |
| 1:47.1 | Make sure your customer contact data is up to date. Get started today with 1000 records |
| 1:52.6 | cleaned for free at Melissa.com slash Twit. Listeners of this program get an ad-free version if |
| 2:00.4 | their members of Club Twit $7 a month gives you ad-free versions of all of our shows. Plus, |
| 2:07.1 | membership in the Club Twit Discord, a great clubhouse for Twit listeners. And finally, |
| 2:11.8 | the Twit Plus feed, with shows like Stacey's Book Club, the Untitled Linux Show, the Gizfiz, |
| 2:18.0 | and more. Go to Twit.tv slash Club Twit. And thanks for your support. |
| 2:23.7 | Hello and welcome to Tech News Weekly, the show where every week we talk to and about the people |
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