This Week in Tech 1076: "I'm Monitoring the Situation"

Date: March 22, 2026
Host: Leo Laporte
Panel: Lisa Schmeiser (NoJitter.com), Dan Patterson (Blackbird AI), Janko Rutgers (Lowpass.cc)
Theme: The shifting landscape of news, AI in daily life, customer data, platform battles, and nostalgia in media.

Episode Overview

This episode of TWiT features a lively and reflective panel exploring the week's top tech news, delving into transformations in news media, privacy and data markets, AI’s incursion into both consumer and enterprise life, recent legal battles in big tech, and evolving trends in digital entertainment (and mixtapes!). The panelists—media veterans and tech journalists—bring personal anecdotes and industry insights, offering a blend of nostalgia, caution, and wit as they discuss what it means to live in a rapidly changing technological world.

Key Discussion Points & Timestamps

1. The End of CBS Radio News & Death of Legacy Broadcast Media

[05:24 - 22:00]

CBS Radio News Closure: CBS plans to end radio news broadcasts, impacting ~700 affiliates.
Panel Reaction:
- Dan Patterson explains that “radio was the defining and revolutionary tech of its era,” highlighting shifting economics and cultural inertia. [06:00]
- Leo Laporte laments radio’s decline, asking, “Is this purely economic or is it part of the changing landscape of media?” [07:02]
- Lisa Schmeiser notes that radio seemed poised to dominate podcasting, but “big media and news organizations… already done this, why aren’t they dominating podcasts more?” [09:12]
Barriers to Innovation:
- Dan argues it’s cultural (“there is a way we do the news”) and economic (“ROI just wasn’t there”), with big orgs slow to change. [10:07]
- Leo recalls podcasting’s early days: radio execs “didn’t think anybody wasn’t gonna hit their ratings.” [12:09]
Private Equity and Media Consolidation:
- Concerns over debt-fueled acquisitions gutting newsrooms and local radio. "This is what happens when private equity comes in. They kill businesses." —Leo [14:44]
Bari Weiss as a Potential Innovator: Could she disrupt the network news model, or is lack of broadcast background a hurdle? [15:25][19:30]
Younger Generations and News: Radio listenership skews older (ad markets adjust), while under-25s get news on TikTok. [21:07]
Content Over Medium:
- “It's about whether it comes through the air via an antenna or it goes through your Internet connection… that's not the important thing. The important thing is the content.” —Leo [21:41]

“The one thing that has been constant...from the podcast era to the social media era and now the AI era is the value of data or increased in value.” —Dan Patterson [37:06]

2. Amazon vs. Perplexity: AI Shopping and the Fight for Customer Data

[27:30 – 37:06]

Perplexity Restores AI Shopping on Amazon: A US court halts Amazon’s ban on third-party AI shopping.
- Lisa: Retailers lose control and “the customer data”—which is as valuable as the sale itself. [28:48]
- “Everyone is fighting for the ability to lock a customer into a guaranteed repeat interaction, to eliminate competition...” —Lisa [33:39]
- Dynamic pricing, ad blockers, and customer agency debated; parallels drawn to Main Street vs. Amazon disruption years ago. [34:09]
Panel muses on digital price manipulation, browser plugins, and the risks of further eroding shopper choice.

“The less agency the shopper has, the better that is for the bottom line.” —Lisa Schmeiser [31:51]

3. State of Online Privacy: FBI Buys Location Data

[37:11 – 43:40]

FBI Admits to Buying Consumer Data:
- Congressional testimony: “We do purchase commercially available information that’s consistent with the Constitution.”
- Outrage from privacy advocates: “This is an outrageous end run around the Fourth Amendment.” [38:35]
California’s Data Broker Registry commended but also critiqued as “a drop in the bucket.” [40:28]

“You are generating a lot of data that people make a lot of money on, and you’re not seeing a cut.” —Lisa Schmeiser [42:13]

4. The Bloated Web: The 49 Megabyte New York Times Page

[43:27 – 46:14]

Critique of ad-heavy news sites:
- “49 megabytes of data took two minutes...you wonder why every sane tech person has an ad blocker installed.” —Leo
Panel on the ad-industrial complex, privacy-respecting podcast advertising, and industry pressures.

5. Tech Company Updates & Platform Maneuvers

Windows 11’s Big Mea Culpa

[54:09 – 62:41]

Microsoft promises to fix Windows 11 bloat and “Copilot everywhere” backlash:
- “They’re going to bring back the repositionable taskbar!” [55:33]
- Lisa: “Backward compatibility is a curse… difference with Apple is they’re willing to break stuff, Microsoft tries to gently ooze you into it.” [59:43]
Panel confessions: Most of the group have migrated away from Windows, aside from gaming and legacy apps. [61:03]

Meta’s Wavering on Horizon Worlds for VR

[62:47 – 69:43]

Meta backtracks: Keeps VR version live, but freezes new development.
VR user base is “shifting younger,” increasingly focused on free-to-play multiplayer games. [65:36]
Nostalgia for early VR/Second Life communities.

6. Nvidia’s AI "Yassify"/DLSS Filter and Gamer Pushback

[70:19 – 76:11]

DLSS 5 “Yassify” filter: Upscales and “prettifies” game graphics using AI, causing gamer controversy.
- “It changes the art direction of a game, period.” —Benito [72:29]
- Lisa: “I think this changes the consensual reality.”
- Dan: “The gaming takes have all been pretty basic and boring… But I don’t think that’s every use case.” [72:05]
Panel discusses consent, art direction, and inevitability of AI-driven visual enhancement.

7. Elon Musk Found Liable for Misleading Tweets

[79:58 – 84:39]

Jury awards damages to investors over tweets that “depressed Twitter’s stock price” prior to Musk’s acquisition.
- “If there was a scheme, it clearly didn’t work; he had to buy it at the original price and now he’ll be paying for some stupid tweets.” —Janko [83:58]
First time a poop emoji deemed “materially misleading” in court. [82:11]

8. Emerging Risks: Geopolitics, Cyberwarfare, and Insecure Infrastructure

[85:53 – 100:44]

Iran/Israel cyberattacks and medical device data wipes.
Japan to allow “proactive cyber defense”—hacking back.
- Panel wary of escalation—“Tactical becomes strategic very quickly, especially with nuclear conflict.” —Dan [91:44]
Infrastructure, food supply, and garden talk:
- “Think of all the people who are on ventilators… utilities… hospitals.” —Lisa [97:06]

9. Prediction Markets, Polymarket, & Gambling in Sports

[109:08 – 117:06]

MLB partners with Polymarket, enabling “prop bets” on any aspect of baseball.
- Panel worries about manipulation, hypocrisy (referencing Pete Rose), and unregulated betting markets.
- “Should be prophecy markets, not prediction markets. It’s wishful thinking.” —Benito [115:07]
Harassment of journalists over news affecting bets:
- “It was a genuinely disturbing thing…” —Lisa [116:14]

10. Media, Nostalgia, & Technological Change

[120:26 – 138:26]

20 years of Twitter: Panel recalls the beginnings (via Odeo, SMS-based), and its role in shaping (and breaking) the digital landscape.
Mixtape Renaissance & Maxell’s Cassette Comeback:
- Lisa on teens: “Spotify is this really transient liquid environment… They are all super into the romance of fixed music media.” [136:14]
- Janko: “Getting it to 45 minutes and having a perfect transition was such an art.” [135:27]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On news media’s reluctance to podcast:
“There is a way we do the news. There is a way we do the radio. And this is the way we do the radio.” —Dan Patterson [10:07]
On private equity gutting legacy companies:
“This is what happened to Red Lobster. This is what happens when private equity comes in. They kill businesses.” —Leo Laporte [14:44]
On dynamic pricing and retail AI:
“It's an exciting new world in asking: how can you use data to lock a customer into protracted repeat engagement and maximize your profit?” —Lisa Schmeiser [35:19]
On personal data commodification:
“You are providing a lot of free assets or resources for other people to get very rich.” —Lisa Schmeiser [42:30]
On legacy tech nostalgia:
“The romance of the mixtape—that’s a highly personal, tangible artifact.” —Lisa Schmeiser [135:17]

Timestamps for Major Segments

[05:24] CBS Radio News closure & history of broadcast news
[10:07] Why legacy news orgs missed the podcast wave
[14:44] Private equity’s impact on radio, news, and retail
[21:41] Content vs. medium delivery
[28:48] Amazon, AI shopping agents, and the war for customer data
[38:35] FBI’s admission of buying personal data from brokers
[43:27] The bloated web & the 49 MB NY Times page
[54:09] Windows 11’s overhaul, Copilot criticism
[62:47] Meta’s VR flip-flop & the youth VR market
[70:19] Nvidia Yassify/DLSS debate in gaming
[79:58] Elon Musk’s misleading tweets, trial, and verdict
[85:53] Cyberwar escalation, Iran/Israel, and infrastructure risks
[109:08] Polymarket, sports gambling, and integrity concerns
[120:26] Twitter’s 20th birthday & the nostalgia segment
[134:24] Maxell’s USB-C cassette player; mixtape memories

Closing Thoughts

This episode paints a picture of a technology and media world in flux—where the lines between innovation, nostalgia, privacy, and commerce blur and where cultural inertia can be as strong a force as technological capability. Whether it’s the death of legacy broadcast news, legal fights around data and AI, or the rediscovery of mixtapes, the panel frames the relentless churn of tech both with realism and affection.

Listen for:

Honest, opinionated takes from tech/media lifers.
Nuanced context on the biggest tech headlines of the week.
Vintage tech stories, nostalgia, and media retrospectives.
The recurring theme: who owns the customer, the data, and the future?

Next Episode: Tune in for more tech news, AI debates, and wit from Leo Laporte and the TWiT panel.

This Week in Tech 1076: "I'm Monitoring the Situation"

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Timestamps

1. The End of CBS Radio News & Death of Legacy Broadcast Media

[05:24 - 22:00]

CBS Radio News Closure: CBS plans to end radio news broadcasts, impacting ~700 affiliates.
Panel Reaction:
- Dan Patterson explains that “radio was the defining and revolutionary tech of its era,” highlighting shifting economics and cultural inertia. [06:00]
- Leo Laporte laments radio’s decline, asking, “Is this purely economic or is it part of the changing landscape of media?” [07:02]
- Lisa Schmeiser notes that radio seemed poised to dominate podcasting, but “big media and news organizations… already done this, why aren’t they dominating podcasts more?” [09:12]
Barriers to Innovation:
- Dan argues it’s cultural (“there is a way we do the news”) and economic (“ROI just wasn’t there”), with big orgs slow to change. [10:07]
- Leo recalls podcasting’s early days: radio execs “didn’t think anybody wasn’t gonna hit their ratings.” [12:09]
Private Equity and Media Consolidation:
- Concerns over debt-fueled acquisitions gutting newsrooms and local radio. "This is what happens when private equity comes in. They kill businesses." —Leo [14:44]
Bari Weiss as a Potential Innovator: Could she disrupt the network news model, or is lack of broadcast background a hurdle? [15:25][19:30]
Younger Generations and News: Radio listenership skews older (ad markets adjust), while under-25s get news on TikTok. [21:07]
Content Over Medium:
- “It's about whether it comes through the air via an antenna or it goes through your Internet connection… that's not the important thing. The important thing is the content.” —Leo [21:41]

“The one thing that has been constant...from the podcast era to the social media era and now the AI era is the value of data or increased in value.” —Dan Patterson [37:06]

2. Amazon vs. Perplexity: AI Shopping and the Fight for Customer Data

[27:30 – 37:06]

Perplexity Restores AI Shopping on Amazon: A US court halts Amazon’s ban on third-party AI shopping.
- Lisa: Retailers lose control and “the customer data”—which is as valuable as the sale itself. [28:48]
- “Everyone is fighting for the ability to lock a customer into a guaranteed repeat interaction, to eliminate competition...” —Lisa [33:39]
- Dynamic pricing, ad blockers, and customer agency debated; parallels drawn to Main Street vs. Amazon disruption years ago. [34:09]
Panel muses on digital price manipulation, browser plugins, and the risks of further eroding shopper choice.

“The less agency the shopper has, the better that is for the bottom line.” —Lisa Schmeiser [31:51]

3. State of Online Privacy: FBI Buys Location Data

[37:11 – 43:40]

FBI Admits to Buying Consumer Data:
- Congressional testimony: “We do purchase commercially available information that’s consistent with the Constitution.”
- Outrage from privacy advocates: “This is an outrageous end run around the Fourth Amendment.” [38:35]
California’s Data Broker Registry commended but also critiqued as “a drop in the bucket.” [40:28]

“You are generating a lot of data that people make a lot of money on, and you’re not seeing a cut.” —Lisa Schmeiser [42:13]

4. The Bloated Web: The 49 Megabyte New York Times Page

[43:27 – 46:14]

Critique of ad-heavy news sites:
- “49 megabytes of data took two minutes...you wonder why every sane tech person has an ad blocker installed.” —Leo
Panel on the ad-industrial complex, privacy-respecting podcast advertising, and industry pressures.

5. Tech Company Updates & Platform Maneuvers

Windows 11’s Big Mea Culpa

[54:09 – 62:41]

Microsoft promises to fix Windows 11 bloat and “Copilot everywhere” backlash:
- “They’re going to bring back the repositionable taskbar!” [55:33]
- Lisa: “Backward compatibility is a curse… difference with Apple is they’re willing to break stuff, Microsoft tries to gently ooze you into it.” [59:43]
Panel confessions: Most of the group have migrated away from Windows, aside from gaming and legacy apps. [61:03]

Meta’s Wavering on Horizon Worlds for VR

[62:47 – 69:43]

Meta backtracks: Keeps VR version live, but freezes new development.
VR user base is “shifting younger,” increasingly focused on free-to-play multiplayer games. [65:36]
Nostalgia for early VR/Second Life communities.

6. Nvidia’s AI "Yassify"/DLSS Filter and Gamer Pushback

[70:19 – 76:11]

DLSS 5 “Yassify” filter: Upscales and “prettifies” game graphics using AI, causing gamer controversy.
- “It changes the art direction of a game, period.” —Benito [72:29]
- Lisa: “I think this changes the consensual reality.”
- Dan: “The gaming takes have all been pretty basic and boring… But I don’t think that’s every use case.” [72:05]
Panel discusses consent, art direction, and inevitability of AI-driven visual enhancement.

7. Elon Musk Found Liable for Misleading Tweets

[79:58 – 84:39]

Jury awards damages to investors over tweets that “depressed Twitter’s stock price” prior to Musk’s acquisition.
- “If there was a scheme, it clearly didn’t work; he had to buy it at the original price and now he’ll be paying for some stupid tweets.” —Janko [83:58]
First time a poop emoji deemed “materially misleading” in court. [82:11]

8. Emerging Risks: Geopolitics, Cyberwarfare, and Insecure Infrastructure

[85:53 – 100:44]

Iran/Israel cyberattacks and medical device data wipes.
Japan to allow “proactive cyber defense”—hacking back.
- Panel wary of escalation—“Tactical becomes strategic very quickly, especially with nuclear conflict.” —Dan [91:44]
Infrastructure, food supply, and garden talk:
- “Think of all the people who are on ventilators… utilities… hospitals.” —Lisa [97:06]

9. Prediction Markets, Polymarket, & Gambling in Sports

[109:08 – 117:06]

MLB partners with Polymarket, enabling “prop bets” on any aspect of baseball.
- Panel worries about manipulation, hypocrisy (referencing Pete Rose), and unregulated betting markets.
- “Should be prophecy markets, not prediction markets. It’s wishful thinking.” —Benito [115:07]
Harassment of journalists over news affecting bets:
- “It was a genuinely disturbing thing…” —Lisa [116:14]

10. Media, Nostalgia, & Technological Change

[120:26 – 138:26]

20 years of Twitter: Panel recalls the beginnings (via Odeo, SMS-based), and its role in shaping (and breaking) the digital landscape.
Mixtape Renaissance & Maxell’s Cassette Comeback:
- Lisa on teens: “Spotify is this really transient liquid environment… They are all super into the romance of fixed music media.” [136:14]
- Janko: “Getting it to 45 minutes and having a perfect transition was such an art.” [135:27]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On news media’s reluctance to podcast:
“There is a way we do the news. There is a way we do the radio. And this is the way we do the radio.” —Dan Patterson [10:07]
On private equity gutting legacy companies:
“This is what happened to Red Lobster. This is what happens when private equity comes in. They kill businesses.” —Leo Laporte [14:44]
On dynamic pricing and retail AI:
“It's an exciting new world in asking: how can you use data to lock a customer into protracted repeat engagement and maximize your profit?” —Lisa Schmeiser [35:19]
On personal data commodification:
“You are providing a lot of free assets or resources for other people to get very rich.” —Lisa Schmeiser [42:30]
On legacy tech nostalgia:
“The romance of the mixtape—that’s a highly personal, tangible artifact.” —Lisa Schmeiser [135:17]

Timestamps for Major Segments

[05:24] CBS Radio News closure & history of broadcast news
[10:07] Why legacy news orgs missed the podcast wave
[14:44] Private equity’s impact on radio, news, and retail
[21:41] Content vs. medium delivery
[28:48] Amazon, AI shopping agents, and the war for customer data
[38:35] FBI’s admission of buying personal data from brokers
[43:27] The bloated web & the 49 MB NY Times page
[54:09] Windows 11’s overhaul, Copilot criticism
[62:47] Meta’s VR flip-flop & the youth VR market
[70:19] Nvidia Yassify/DLSS debate in gaming
[79:58] Elon Musk’s misleading tweets, trial, and verdict
[85:53] Cyberwar escalation, Iran/Israel, and infrastructure risks
[109:08] Polymarket, sports gambling, and integrity concerns
[120:26] Twitter’s 20th birthday & the nostalgia segment
[134:24] Maxell’s USB-C cassette player; mixtape memories

Closing Thoughts

Listen for:

Honest, opinionated takes from tech/media lifers.
Nuanced context on the biggest tech headlines of the week.
Vintage tech stories, nostalgia, and media retrospectives.
The recurring theme: who owns the customer, the data, and the future?

Next Episode: Tune in for more tech news, AI debates, and wit from Leo Laporte and the TWiT panel.

This Week in Tech 1076: I'm Monitoring the Situation

Summary

This Week in Tech 1076: "I'm Monitoring the Situation"

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Timestamps

1. The End of CBS Radio News & Death of Legacy Broadcast Media

2. Amazon vs. Perplexity: AI Shopping and the Fight for Customer Data

3. State of Online Privacy: FBI Buys Location Data

4. The Bloated Web: The 49 Megabyte New York Times Page

5. Tech Company Updates & Platform Maneuvers

Windows 11’s Big Mea Culpa

Meta’s Wavering on Horizon Worlds for VR

6. Nvidia’s AI "Yassify"/DLSS Filter and Gamer Pushback

7. Elon Musk Found Liable for Misleading Tweets

8. Emerging Risks: Geopolitics, Cyberwarfare, and Insecure Infrastructure

9. Prediction Markets, Polymarket, & Gambling in Sports

10. Media, Nostalgia, & Technological Change

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Timestamps for Major Segments

Closing Thoughts

Listen for:

Summary

This Week in Tech 1076: "I'm Monitoring the Situation"

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Timestamps

1. The End of CBS Radio News & Death of Legacy Broadcast Media

2. Amazon vs. Perplexity: AI Shopping and the Fight for Customer Data

3. State of Online Privacy: FBI Buys Location Data

4. The Bloated Web: The 49 Megabyte New York Times Page

5. Tech Company Updates & Platform Maneuvers

Windows 11’s Big Mea Culpa

Meta’s Wavering on Horizon Worlds for VR

6. Nvidia’s AI "Yassify"/DLSS Filter and Gamer Pushback

7. Elon Musk Found Liable for Misleading Tweets

8. Emerging Risks: Geopolitics, Cyberwarfare, and Insecure Infrastructure

9. Prediction Markets, Polymarket, & Gambling in Sports

10. Media, Nostalgia, & Technological Change

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Timestamps for Major Segments

Closing Thoughts

Listen for: