This Week in Tech 1046: "Shrimpspiracy"
Date: August 25, 2025
Host: Leo Laporte
Panel: Daniel Rubino (Editor-in-Chief, Windows Central), Paris Martineau (Consumer Reports)
Overview
This episode features a lively, in-depth roundtable with Leo Laporte, Daniel Rubino, and Paris Martineau. They discuss the latest in PC hardware, U.S. tech policy and industry politics, the ongoing TikTok ban saga, Elon Musk’s new AI-powered “Macro Hard” project, awkward product launches, the evolution of streaming, smart rings, and—yes—the week’s weirdest tech-food news (“radioactive shrimp”). Fun, geeky, and sharp, the trio offer anecdotes, hot takes, and a dose of nostalgia.
Key Topics & Highlights
1. The Case for Faster CPUs and Advances in Chip Design
[02:30 - 09:04]
- Howard Johnson’s Thesis: Companies and individuals should invest in faster CPUs—newer chips (e.g. Ryzen 9950) can be 10x faster than the slowest ones.
- Daniel Rubino: Huge gains in chip design recently—especially AMD and Qualcomm Snapdragon chips.
“I tell people…it’s hard to explain, but literally Windows runs faster on ARM…Everything is just snappier.” (Daniel, 05:27)
- Windows on ARM: Now genuinely competitive, with Snapdragon X Elite series showing impressive battery life (10–12 hrs).
- Intel’s Place: Still dominant in laptops; extensive R&D, strong OEM relationships, but has made missteps.
- NPU (Neural Processing Unit): All players now integrating dedicated AI hardware, with Apple/Qualcomm/Intel diverging in their approaches.
2. The US Government’s Surprising Stake in Intel
[09:04 - 15:44]
- Context: US gov’t will get 10% equity in Intel, converting Chips Act grants into shares.
- Legal/Policy Weirdness: May have no precedent, legal challenges likely; the deal gives the government common (not preferred) stock.
- Political Irony: Bernie Sanders–style.
"This is literally the definition... of socialism. The government owning private companies." (Leo, 13:37)
"Sometimes [Trump] does things that the left should have been doing for a long time..." (Daniel, 13:42) - Concerns: Could gov’t use its stake to steer business towards Intel?
- Wider Context: Similar moves in Nvidia, U.S. Steel, seen as a broader Trump policy of government ‘deal-making’ with corporations.
3. The TikTok Ban—“Delay and Obfuscate”
[16:03 - 19:25]
- Yet Another Delay: Trump signals openness to a fourth extension rather than enforcing the congressionally-mandated ban.
- Legal Limbo: Law (passed, signed, and ratified) ignored by executive will.
“In every, you know, all three branches of the government said, no, we're going to ban TikTok. But then the president... said the day he was inaugurated, no, I saw it, forget it. And it's still forget it." (Leo, 16:36)
- Chinese Reluctance: ByteDance unwilling to sell the US TikTok operations/algo; talk of US-only TikTok app fizzled.
- TikTok’s Role: Still central for creators and young people—even Paris’s son benefits.
4. Improving Government Websites—The Airbnb Guy Steps In
[19:25 - 23:34]
- Joe Gebbia (Airbnb): Named first-ever US Government Design Chief to overhaul federal websites via a new “National Design Studio.”
- User Needs vs. UX:
“To me, design is secondary to functionality.” (Leo, 22:25)
“Why these websites are poorly designed is because there’s a lot of stuff going on under the hood.” (Paris, 20:56) - Skepticism: Doubts remain that superficial “design” can address deeper infrastructure/security issues.
5. Elon Musk’s ‘Macro Hard’—Real Project, or Late-night Tweet?
[28:35 - 35:32]
- Announcement: Musk introduces “Macro Hard,” described as an “AI simulation” of Microsoft—a tongue-in-cheek jibe that’s (allegedly) real.
- Panel’s Take: Skepticism abounds.
“Maybe he was… it was late at night, he'd been hot tubbing with his brother.” (Leo, 31:43)
- Simulation Theory: Musk’s fixation on the world as simulation inspires more than a few of his outlandish projects.
- Grok Chatbot Comedy: The crew call his AI “Annie,” who merely parrots back PR verbiage—prompting more laughter and confusion.
6. Cringe Product Launches: Google Pixel 10 and “Star Power”
[35:32 - 48:20]
- Pixel 10 Launch: Google brings on Jimmy Fallon, Jonas Brothers, Steph Curry, Alex Cooper for a celebrity-filled but awkward launch event.
- Results:
“All of these events... could have been an email or a flashy press release and that is what they should be.” (Paris, 38:15)
- Apple’s Influence: Apple’s annual spectacle set the template, but the “shock of the new” is gone.
- Leak Culture: Surprises gone from launches—everything is already leaked.
- Panel Consensus: Genuinely interesting tech news (Pixel’s Gemini AI, etc.) gets buried under glitz and failed demos.
7. Smart Home & AI Assistants: The Real Innovation
[48:20 - 54:05]
- Key Announcements: Google to add Gemini AI to Nest Home devices, enhancing natural language and “agentic” proactive capabilities (example: setting specific timers, complex commands).
- AI as “Edge Case” Enabler: More than chatbots—AI’s magic is in contextual help, automation, and making things “just work” (e.g., Copilot guiding photo editing, proactive doorbell cams).
- AI in Windows: Microsoft hints at “Windows 12” with deep Copilot integration; new Copilot app shows recent docs, integrates with apps, and will offer in-game assistance.
8. AI Relationship Weirdness & Memory Features
[54:48 - 58:26]
- “Parasocial” LLM Bonds: Many users feel loss/distress when models change or are replaced (ChatGPT-5 upgrades).
“As if their girlfriend had been murdered in front of them… They were losing their minds…” (Paris, 55:07)
- Memory Makes AI Stickier: Copilot’s new “memory” feature anticipates needs, personalizes results, and—possibly—not-so-coincidentally, increases lock-in.
9. Apple’s AI Struggles, iPhone Iteration, and the End of Vision Pro?
[64:40 - 75:08]
- AI Brain Drain: Apple keeps losing AI researchers to Meta, Anthropic; considering licensing Gemini for a revamped Siri.
- Product Malaise: “Vision Pro is dead”; iPhone innovation has gone incremental; rumored “thinner” iPhones are more about paving the way for folding designs.
- Panel Longs for Old Big-Leap Moments:
“I yearn for…ye old iPhone cycle of…a mysterious Apple event announced…But that world doesn’t exist anymore.” (Paris, 72:04)
- Naming Nonsense: The gang bemoans Apple and Samsung jumping OS/hardware numbers for “branding synergy.”
10. Mississippi's Age Law and Platform Chaos
[76:05 - 80:13]
- BlueSky Blocks Mississippi: New law forces social platforms to verify every user’s age (~$10,000 fine per violation). Too burdensome for small players.
“Tens of customers!” (Daniel, 76:43)
- Cascading Impact: More states likely to follow. Parent-teacher desire to limit kid exposure vs. feasibility for operators.
- British Parallels: 4chan refuses to pay UK safety fines, arguing US jurisdiction.
11. The Streaming Wars: ESPN, Fox, Cable, and the Rise of OTT
[85:00 - 93:56]
- New Sports Streamers: ESPN and Fox launch $40/mo. direct-to-consumer sports bundles.
“ESPN now stands for Everybody Start Paying Now.” (cosmic, 88:00s, from Discord)
- Unbundling Backlash: Each service piles on; monthly costs add up beyond cable (plus, you still need internet).
- Broadcast’s Future: Apple TV rumored to drop MLB, questions about F1 rights, live events remain the prime selling point.
12. TVs, Remotes, and Smarthome Annoyances
[96:01 - 97:46]
- Smart TV Software Gripes: Apple TV notifications, Samsung’s convoluted UI, persistent ad-monetization.
- Multiple Remotes: Paris’s struggle with new smart TVs, firmware prompts, and her jungle of remotes.
13. Waymo's Wild Ride in New York City
[97:52 - 103:43]
- Robotaxi Pilot: Waymo gets approval to test self-driving cars (with safety drivers) in NYC.
- Panel Doubts:
“Driving here [NYC] is not for the faint of heart.” (Paris, 98:08)
- Taxi Congestion: Uber and ride-hailing contributed to NYC congestion; Waymo faces both regulatory and urban chaos.
14. Projector Nerd Out: Daniel’s Life as a 35mm Projectionist
[103:43 - 111:23]
- Behind the Booth: Daniel delivers a fascinating, detailed look at the art, stress, and weirdness of working as a union projectionist in Boston.
- Transition to Digital: Tales of massive reels, “interlocking,” and running an 18-plex.
“I literally have PTSD dreams of it…” (Daniel, 110:33)
- Cinema Nostalgia: The challenges, camaraderie, and the end of an era.
15. Gadget News Rapid-Fire
-
Smart Rings & Patents: Oura wins an ITC import ban vs. competitors for form factor infringement. Samsung escapes lawsuit due to engineering its own design.
“I like Oura. I’ve had Oura since the first one... they grandfathered you into their plan.” (Daniel, 116:10)
-
Oura vs. Smartwatches: Great for digital detox, accurate sleep tracking, easier to integrate for health data.
-
T-Mobile Slammed: Fined $92 million for selling customer location data (and every phone is a "tracking device").
-
Malicious Insiders: IT engineer jailed four years for booby-trapping company servers with a “kill switch.”
16. Browser Wars & Agentic AI Security Risks
[125:59 - 135:54]
- Chrome For Sale? Ecosia (eco-search engine) volunteers to manage Chrome as a foundation if Google is forced to divest it (suggested price: $0). Perplexity.io also interested.
- Agentic AI Browser Danger: Perplexity’s Comet browser has a major zero-day (prompt injection, buying stuff with your credit card), as tested by Guardio and Brave.
“An agentic browser... makes me very nervous. Very nervous.” (Leo, 133:46)
17. Germany: Ad Blockers as Copyright Crime?
[148:47 - 150:40]
- Legal Twist: German court finds that ad blockers might violate copyright by “modifying site code” (even though display/layout is typically user-controlled).
- Panel’s Snark: “If you put that website in too wide of a screen…you’ve violated the copyright.” (Leo, 150:18)
18. Shrimpspiracy—Radioactive Shrimp in America
[152:04 - 159:03]
- The Recall: Walmart and other brands recall Indonesian shrimp for possible contamination with Cesium-137 (thanks to flagged containers emitting radiation at US ports).
- Regulatory Lapses: Paris’s digging reveals US radiation monitors are often disabled, raising questions about port security and food chain safety.
- Panel Banter: Origins of nuclear shrimp, possibility of Godzilla, and the “shrimp spiracy” in modern food supply.
Most Notable Quotes (With Timestamps)
-
On government investment in Intel:
"This is socialism, the government owning private companies." — Leo Laporte [13:37]
-
On TikTok ban delays:
"All three branches of the government said, no, we're going to ban TikTok. But then the president... said the day he was inaugurated, no, I saw it, forget it. And it's still forget it." — Leo Laporte [16:36]
-
On Joe Gebbia's government design role:
"To me, design is secondary to functionality.” — Leo Laporte [22:25]
-
On Musk's Macro Hard:
"Maybe he was… it was late at night, he'd been hot tubbing with his brother." — Leo Laporte [31:43] "It's a genius idea that I can't explain." — Daniel Rubino [35:22]
-
On AI relationships:
"As if their girlfriend had been murdered in front of them… They were losing their minds…" — Paris Martineau [55:07]
-
On Apple event fatigue:
"All of these events... could have been an email or a flashy press release and that is what they should be." — Paris Martineau [38:15] "I yearn for… ye old iPhone cycle… What fun treats are we going to get? That world doesn’t exist anymore." — Paris Martineau [72:04]
-
On Mississippi's age verification law:
"Tens of customers!" — Daniel Rubino [76:43]
-
On ad blockers as copyright crime:
"If you put that website in too wide of a screen… you’ve violated the copyright." — Leo Laporte [150:18]
-
On radioactive shrimp:
"There seems to be a kind of a broader systemic issue... we don't entirely know what is in some of these containers." — Paris Martineau [156:36]
Memorable Moments
- Grok Chatbot’s Repetition: The panel calls Elon Musk’s AI bot for Macro Hard; it merely recycles his tweet back at them. [34:34]
- Cringiest Demo: Jimmy Fallon at the Pixel 10 event repeatedly told to “close your legs, Jimmy,” with technical flubs galore. [37:18]
- Projectionist Journeys: Daniel’s vivid memories and PTSD dreams from running 35mm prints through labyrinthine 18-plex cinemas. [103:43+]
- Shrimp with a Gun: Club Twit Discord image (not seen here), suggesting the potential show title, emerges during the "Shrimpspiracy" segment. [162:53]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 02:30 – PC CPU recommendations, ARM vs. x86
- 09:04 – US gov Intel stake/CHIPS Act
- 16:03 – TikTok ban delays and executive legal acrobatics
- 19:25 – Redesigning government websites
- 28:35 – Elon Musk’s Macro Hard project
- 35:32 – Google Pixel 10 launch event reactions
- 48:20 – Google AI (Gemini) in Smart Home, Copilot advances
- 54:48 – Emotional AI users, model memory, OpenAI reactions
- 64:40 – Apple’s AI woes, Vision Pro flop, iPhone update fatigue
- 76:05 – BlueSky blocks Mississippi, state platform age laws
- 85:00 – ESPN/Fox streaming, cable unbundling
- 96:01 – Smart TV user frustrations, multi-remote woes
- 97:52 – Waymo’s self-driving car challenges in NYC
- 103:43 – Daniel Rubino’s projectionist storytelling
- 116:10 – Smart ring market, Oura wins patent fight
- 125:59 – Chrome “for sale?”, agentic AI browser security flaws
- 148:47 – Germany’s copyright suit against ad blockers
- 152:04 – “Shrimpspiracy”: radioactive shrimp recall
Episode Tone
Fun, fast, and geeky—a mix of serious analysis and running in-jokes, with some deeply informed industry insights and a few forays into Gen X nostalgia, bizarre news, and tech-culture absurdity.
For Listeners Who Missed It
You’ll get a tech news download, hot takes on U.S. tech policy, inside baseball on CPUs and AI hardware, deep skepticism of corporate and government hype, nostalgia for “real” innovation, and—true to the title—the dangers of radioactive shrimp. Don’t miss Daniel’s stories from the projection booth or Paris’s “shrimp spiracy” reporting.