TNW 309: Cell Phones: The Origin Story - Apple Event Preview, Apple/Google Search Battle, Cell Phones Turn 40

Tech News Weekly (Audio)

Leo Laporte

Tnw, Twit, Mikah Sargent, Technology News, Technology, News, Jason Howell, Tech News

4.1 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 26 October 2023

⏱️ 65 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week on Tech News Weekly, Jason and Mikah go back in time to the origins of cell phones with an AT&T engineer who helped build the first network, get the inside scoop on Apple's next event from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, social media trends, and more.

We kick off the show by chatting with Stu Tartarone, a veteran of AT&T who helped develop the first cell phone network and make the first cell phone call back in 1983. They discuss the skepticism around early cell phone market research, the distributed network architecture that enabled cellular technology, and how concepts like pre-dialing numbers were revolutionary at the time.
Mark Gurman of Bloomberg joins to preview Apple's upcoming "Scary Fast" October event. He explains that the name hints at new M3 chips for the MacBook Pro and 24-inch iMac. Mark also shares details on the future of AirPods and AirPods Max.
Mikah analyzes Google's reported plan to block Apple from making inroads in search through lobbying and pushing its own apps. Google pays Apple billions to remain the iPhone's default search, but wants to prevent Apple's Spotlight from becoming competition.
Jason covers the shutdown of Twitter alternative T2, renamed Pebble. It never gained traction despite its familiar format and focus on safety. Social media platforms are struggling to retain users divided across multiple networks.

Hosts: Jason Howell and Mikah Sargent

Guests: Stu Tartarone and Mark Gurman

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Coming up next on Tech News Weekly, it's me Jason Howell, starting the show off,
0:03.9	talking with Stu Tartarone, who is the principal member of Technical Staff at AT&T.
0:08.1	Why are we talking to him? Because he was there when the first cell phone network was brought
0:13.0	online 40 years ago. Amazing. I am Micah Sargent, and I bring on Mark German of Bloomberg to talk
0:19.4	about Apple's upcoming scary fast October event. Yes, and then social networks. Are you familiar
0:26.4	with T2? Maybe Pebble? Well, they both don't exist anymore. I talk about that.
0:30.8	And my story of the week is all about how Google has reportedly, at least planned to do a lot,
0:39.1	both in lobbying and in practicality, to keep Apple from being a default search engine on its platforms.
0:49.0	All that coming up next on Tech News Weekly.
0:52.4	Podcasts you love. From people you trust. This is Twenth.
1:03.4	This is Tech News Weekly, episode 309 recorded Thursday, October 26th, 2023. Cell phones, the origin
1:11.1	story. This episode of Tech News Weekly is brought to you by Zippercrooter. Good news! If you're
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1:53.6	today for a free trial. Hello and welcome to Tech News Weekly, the show where every week we talk to
1:59.7	and about the people making and breaking the tech news. I am one of your hosts, Mike Sargent.
2:05.9	And I'm the other guy, Jason Howell. Excited to talk a little history today. Yeah, let's put on
2:12.8	our history, Wigs. I forgot my wig. Oh, no, I'm sorry. Hold on. Instead, I'm wearing my hair.
	...

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