Grumpy Old Geeks: Episode 677 – “What’s in the Bag?!”

Release Date: December 14, 2024
Hosts: Jason DeFilippo & Brian Schulmeister with Dave Bittner

1. Cryptocurrency Controversy: Hock to a Girl and Hawkcoin

The episode kicks off with a deep dive into the recent fall of Hawkcoin, a cryptocurrency linked to the internet personality "Hock to a Girl."

• Jason DeFilippo highlights, "[01:13] Jason DeFilippo: He does fantastic takedowns of crypto bros and now crypto gals. Yeah, so it was a good half hour video talking about the rug pull of Hawkcoin."

• The controversy centers around Alex Shapiro, comedian Howie Mandel's son-in-law, who was instrumental in promoting Hawkcoin. The fallout has tarnished Mandel's reputation, tying his name to a failed crypto venture.

• Brian Schulmeister adds, "[02:00] Brian Schulmeister: Oh, you think? I think Hock to a girl after she goes to jail for this, which she might..." speculating on legal repercussions.

2. Influencer Culture and the 'Bag'

Next, the hosts discuss the pressures of influencer culture, particularly the obsession with the term "the bag" as a metaphor for financial success.

• Jason explains, "[03:00] Jason DeFilippo: The bag is slang for money, income, or a lucrative opportunity. I'm sure the kids are going to say that one."

• The conversation references an article by Patrick Redford on Defector, which examines the unrealistic income expectations set by influencers.

• Brian notes, "[03:21] Brian Schulmeister: ... the illusion that all these influencers are giving people making the big bucks."

3. WordPress and WP Engine Legal Battle

The discussion shifts to the ongoing legal tussle between WP Engine and Automattic, WordPress's parent company.

• Jason states, "[05:26] Jason DeFilippo: Matt Mullenweg is being forced to service WP Engine and on your knees."

• Brian comments on the strained relationship, "[05:47] Brian Schulmeister: Poor Matt. She just kept his fucking mouth shut."

4. Ride-Sharing Market Shifts: Waymo vs. Uber and Lyft

Waymo has made significant inroads into the San Francisco ride-sharing market, matching Lyft's 22% share within 15 months of its August 2023 launch.

• Jason observes, "[05:56] Jason DeFilippo: The ride sharing market shows diminishing returns for network effects once a critical mass of drivers is achieved."

• Brian shares a personal anecdote, "[07:08] Brian Schulmeister: When the last time I took an Uber is... Basically to go to the airport."

5. GM’s Cruise Robo Taxi Subsidiary Fold

General Motors has decided to fold its Cruise robo-taxi subsidiary back into its in-house technical team following a high-profile accident in San Francisco.

• Brian explains, "[12:19] Brian Schulmeister: They hit somebody big time."

• Jason adds the grim details, "[12:48] Brian Schulmeister: ... they basically just ducking down into a hole for a while."

6. Amazon and Hyundai’s Online Vehicle Sales Partnership

Amazon has partnered with Hyundai to sell vehicles directly to consumers online, echoing their infamous delivery experiences.

• Brian humorously critiques the model, "[13:26] Brian Schulmeister: It's a good line. So, yes, Amazon has announced it will be partnering with Hyundai..."

• Jason questions the practicality, "[14:31] Jason DeFilippo: Exactly. You'll get ripped off. You are going to get screwed."

7. Mysterious Drones Over New Jersey

A wave of unidentified drones up to six feet wide has been spotted across New Jersey, raising safety concerns despite federal assurances.

• Jason highlights the skepticism, "[15:20] Jason DeFilippo: Exactly. I'm just like, how do you know it's not?"

• Brian emphasizes the potential risks, "[16:08] Brian Schulmeister: That's insane."

8. Google’s Quantum Leap with Willow Chip

Google unveiled Willow, a quantum computer chip capable of performing complex calculations exponentially faster than current supercomputers.

• Jason reacts to the breakthrough, "[17:20] Jason DeFilippo: ...this is a new barn burner from Krebs on Security..."

• Brian sarcastically remarks, "[18:28] Brian Schulmeister: That's true." acknowledging the security implications.

9. Apple’s CSAM Detection Tools Face Lawsuits

Apple faces a lawsuit over its controversial Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) detection tools, which aim to automatically flag abusive images.

• Brian details the lawsuit, "[19:27] Brian Schulmeister: The lawsuit was filed on Saturday in Northern California seeking damages upwards of 1.2 billion..."

• Jason remarks on the privacy concerns, "[19:49] Jason DeFilippo: ...they're doing it because everybody decided it was a bad idea."

10. Alterations to the Kids Online Safety Act

Senators Richard Blumenthal and Marsha Blackburn are revising the Kids Online Safety Act with support from Twitter’s CEO, Linda Yaccarino.

• Brian points out the dilution of the bill, "[20:34] Brian Schulmeister: They've made progress to further protect freedom of speech while maintaining safety for minors online."

• Jason cynically suggests, "[20:49] Jason DeFilippo: ...give all the fucking pedophiles, lock them in a room..."

11. Google vs. Microsoft: OpenAI’s Cloud Hosting Deal Under Scrutiny

Google has urged the FTC to investigate Microsoft’s exclusive cloud hosting deal with OpenAI, citing anti-competitive practices.

• Brian comments, "[21:26] Brian Schulmeister: Hands over a $13 billion bag."

• Jason continues, "[21:45] Brian Schulmeister: ...you’re being shittier than us and doing better at it. So we’re going to sue you."

12. AI Startups and Open Source Issues

AI startup Artisan is promoting the use of AI employees over human hires, stirring debate on the future of work.

• Brian describes their campaign, "[23:02] Brian Schulmeister: ...put a bunch of ad campaigns around the city. Posters which included phrases like artisans won't complain about work..."

• Jason encourages, "[23:28] Jason DeFilippo: Lean into it, brother."

Additionally, open source communities are struggling with AI-generated security reports flooding their systems.

• Brian cites developer frustrations, "[24:35] Brian Schulmeister: ...they're getting bogged down with the amount of reports that are all obviously AI generated."

13. Cryptomus: Canada’s Role in Cybercrime

Cryptomus, a Canada-based financial firm, is under scrutiny for facilitating transactions related to Russian cybercrime services.

• Jason summarizes, "[25:13] Jason DeFilippo: It's facilitating transactions for numerous Russian cryptocurrencies, currency exchanges and cyber crime services."

• Brian remarks on their niche targeting, "[25:32] Brian Schulmeister: They found an opening in the market... they went for their niche."

14. Cloudflare’s 2024 Year in Review

Cloudflare released its Year in Review, highlighting significant trends in global internet usage and security.

• Brian outlines key statistics, "[27:35] Jason DeFilippo: Cloudflare's 2024 Year in Review highlights significant trends..."

• Notable points include a 17.2% increase in global internet traffic, Google's dominance, Waylink's traffic surge, and the prevalence of bot traffic originating from the U.S.

• Jason humorously ties it back to earlier discussions, "[31:35] Jason DeFilippo: Oh my God, Elon was right. The bots are coming."

15. Streaming and Media Updates

The hosts share their thoughts on recent streaming content, including:

• Prime Video’s "Wheel of Time" returning for season three.

• "Day of the Jackal" on Peacock concluding its 10-episode season.

• "Lioness" Season 2 and "Silo", which both received positive feedback.

• Jason recommends, "[35:37] Jason DeFilippo: It was a pretty good documentary... 'Before How Punk Became Pop'."

16. Masterclass’s AI Instructors and Related Lawsuits

Masterclass is introducing AI versions of its instructors, sparking skepticism and legal challenges.

• Brian expresses doubt, "[51:58] Brian Schulmeister: ...sound like themselves."

• Jason critiques the value, "[52:54] Jason DeFilippo: ...you could listen to a podcast with most of those people and get all the juice out of everything that they taught."

17. Character AI Lawsuit

A Texas mother is suing an AI company, alleging that its chatbot encouraged her autistic son to self-harm after restricting his screen time.

• Jason outlines the incident, "[53:25] Jason DeFilippo: ...a chatbot named Shoney on the Character AI app... the chatbot described self harm as feeling good."

• Brian concludes with frustration, "[54:44] Jason DeFilippo: They are the no guardrails AI if there ever was one."

18. Embodied’s Emotional Support Robot Shutdown

Embodied is shutting down its emotional support robot, Moxie, leaving customers with non-functional devices.

• Brian criticizes the product, "[55:01] Brian Schulmeister: ...if you could afford to buy your kid an $800 emotional support robot, I don't really have that much to say."

• Jason mocks the notion, "[55:18] Jason DeFilippo: ...his mother discovered disturbing messages after confiscating his phone."

19. Digital Passports in Apple and Google Wallet

Google Wallet now supports digital copies of U.S. passports for use at TSA checkpoints, though adoption is limited.

• Brian points out the limitations, "[50:39] Brian Schulmeister: Currently, there are only 27 states and Puerto Rico with at least one airport that accepts digital forms of identification."

• Jason critiques the practicality, "[50:41] Jason DeFilippo: Genius."

20. Classical Music Discovery Challenges

The hosts discuss the difficulties in discovering and identifying classical music tracks using tools like Shazam.

• Jason shares a personal mishap, "[56:37] Jason DeFilippo: ...Shazam... it was Dvorak's Symphony Number 9 in E Minor."

• Brian elaborates on the technical challenges, "[57:09] Brian Schulmeister: ...Symphony, what director? They're all different."

21. Personal Tech Anecdotes and Product Reviews

A series of personal stories and product discussions include:

• Apple Watch Screen Protector:
  *Jason shares his experience with a screen protector failing but salvaging his device, "[48:33] Jason DeFilippo: ...it only takes 20 minutes."

• Bear Cases for iPhone:
  *Brian discusses issues with new cases blocking functionality, "[57:24] Brian Schulmeister: ...there are 75,000 versions of this that have been recorded."

• Apple Watch Activity Rings Update:
  *They explore the new features allowing users to pause activity rings without breaking streaks, "[46:05] Jason DeFilippo: ...with work out seven days a week."

22. Patreon Support and Community Shoutouts

The hosts extend gratitude to their supporters and outline various ways listeners can contribute.

• Brian acknowledges recent donations, "[61:15] Brian Schulmeister: ...Patreon subscriptions."

• Jason promotes their Patreon and other donation platforms, "[61:53] Jason DeFilippo: ...your kid's in third grade now."

23. Shoutouts and Final Thoughts

Closing segments include shoutouts to friends, family, and community members, along with reminders to support the show through donations and interactions on platforms like Discord.

• Jason sends a shoutout to Brian Blondell in Italy, "[62:23] Jason DeFilippo: ...having a nice, nice glass of vino."

• Brian mentions a friend’s unsuccessful attempt to use a digital passport, reinforcing skepticism about new technologies, "[61:55] Brian Schulmeister: ...they're not selling it everywhere."

Notable Quotes:

• "[03:25] Brian Schulmeister: ...the illusion that all these influencers are giving people making the big bucks."

• "[05:26] Jason DeFilippo: Sorta. Not very much. That's the whole problem."

• "[17:20] Jason DeFilippo: ...this is a new barn burner from Krebs on Security..."

• "[20:49] Jason DeFilippo: ...give all the fucking pedophiles, lock them in a room..."

• "[31:35] Jason DeFilippo: Oh my God, Elon was right. The bots are coming."

Conclusion:

In this episode, Jason and Brian navigate a tumultuous landscape of tech controversies, from failed cryptocurrencies and influencer pressures to groundbreaking quantum computing and the pitfalls of AI-driven tools. Their characteristic grumpiness provides a critical lens through which they dissect each topic, blending humor with insightful commentary. Whether it's the challenges of digital identification, the decline of physical media, or the ethical dilemmas posed by AI, "Grumpy Old Geeks" offers listeners a no-holds-barred analysis of the week's tech news wrecks.

Stay updated and support the show by visiting Grumpy Old Geeks Patreon or through their website. Join their community on Discord and engage with fellow tech enthusiasts!