Grumpy Old Geeks – Episode 729: Alright Alright Alright™

Hosts: Jason DeFillippo & Brian Schulmeister with Dave Bittner
Date: January 16, 2026

Overview

In this episode, the Grumpy Old Geeks crew dissect the latest tech debacles, industry blunders, and evolving controversies. The hosts give their trademark sardonic takes on tech news—ranging from AI scandals to Meta’s ongoing struggles—alongside digs at tech personalities and institutions, a smattering of digital culture critique, and their usual blend of nostalgia, skepticism, and gallows humor. Dave Bittner chimes in with stories of homeownership disasters and grumpy ham radio lunches, while the crew reflects on media, books, and listener community.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Jury Duty & Hot Dog Cart Reviews

• [00:18 – 02:28]
  • Jason kicks off with LA jury duty woes, explaining the increasingly strict enforcement:
    "A friend of mine...people were getting fined left, right and center for not showing up. So it's a fifteen hundred dollars fine." (01:02)
  • Brian admits he dodged LA jury duty for years, only to “serve” due to lost paperwork.
  • Local color: the Van Nuys court’s legendary hot dog cart.

Grok AI Scandal: Child Safety & Global Regulation

• [02:32 – 04:54]
  • Grok (AI chatbot on X, fka Twitter), blocked in Malaysia & Indonesia for lack of safeguards against explicit deepfakes involving women and children.
  • UK’s Ofcom opens formal investigation; other Commonwealth nations consider joint action but US remains passive.
  • US Senate’s "DEFIANCE Act" allows civil action for victims of explicit deepfakes but lacks proactive regulation.
  • Brian:
    "Typical American reaction. Rather than provide any regulations to stop it when it happens, it allows you to sue after the fact." (04:03)

Meta & Kids: Accounts Purged, Age Verification Woes

• [04:55 – 08:03]
  • Meta shuts 550k underage accounts in Australia to comply with new bans—includes Instagram, Facebook, and Threads.
  • The hosts mock Meta publishing these decisions on Medium.
  • Age verification remains deeply flawed:
    • Examples: adults misclassified as kids, kids hacking the system with makeup or images (e.g., Kurt Cobain photo gets adult status).
    • Parents helping with verification can lead to their kids ending up in the 21+ bracket.
    • Jason jokes:
      "That kid gets an award, he gets free Roblox. For life." (07:23)
  • Consensus: Digital age verification is still a "complete and utter mess."

Meta’s Pivot: Laying Off Reality Labs, Chasing AI

• [10:23 – 13:49]
  • Meta lays off 1,000+ from Reality Labs, signaling retreat from VR Metaverse focus to AI-powered hardware (e.g., smart glasses).
  • Reality Labs' $70B in losses since 2021 mockingly contrasted with global needs: "They could have bought pants for every man, woman and child on the planet." (11:00)
  • Supernatural VR fitness app gutted, leaving users adrift.
  • Ex-Trump advisor Dina Powell McCormick named Meta’s new president and vice chair to lead global AI infrastructure projects ("Meta Compute").

Bandcamp Fights AI Slop, Music Platforms Flooded with Generative Content

• [14:18 – 16:08]
  • Bandcamp bans all “insubstantial” or fully AI-generated music; voices clear stance versus Spotify/Deezer, the latter of which admits daily uploads of 50k AI tracks—1/3 of its platform.
  • Jason deadpans:
    "If Deezer knows that 50,000 AI generated songs are being uploaded daily, can't they just say, stop uploading...?" (15:26)

Celebrities Fight for AI Likeness—The McConaughey Precedent

• [16:10 – 17:22]
  • Matthew McConaughey trademarks his likeness/voice ("Alright, alright, alright") to ward off AI misuse.
  • Brian:
    "If he knew who Kurt Cobain was, he probably is an adult. Kids today don't really know too much about Nirvana." (07:27)

Botched AI Hiring Tools: ICE’s Debacle

• [17:22 – 18:09]
  • ICE uses an untested language model for law enforcement hiring, classifying anyone with "officer" on their resume as experienced.
  • Jokes about milk officers in grade school and the risks of algorithmically-fueled incompetence.

AI Self-Help Gurus, Data Privacy, & GM’s OnStar Smackdown

• [18:09 – 22:16]
  • Self-help AI chatbots charge premium rates—examples include Tony Robbins and Matthew Hussey.
    • Jason:
      "Tony Robbins is the biggest self help scam artist that ever lived. So just...run." (19:13)
  • FTC bans GM/OnStar from selling precise driver location data; must get explicit consent moving forward.

Space News: NASA’s Early Crew Return, Satellite Overload Threat

• [22:23 – 26:44]
  • NASA brings Crew-11 home early due to medical reasons—first such occurrence; Artemis II moon mission’s timeline discussed.
  • China files plan to launch 200,000 satellites (4x Starlink) raising “Kessler Syndrome” (space debris chain reactions) fears.
    • Jason on GPS apocalypse:
      "I'm Gen X, dude. I still have a Thomas Guide in my car..." (25:58)
    • Satirical silver lining: maybe losing GPS means “Elon will shut the fuck up about Mars.”

Media Candy: Lord of the Rings Rewatch, Starfleet Academy, Survivor at 50

• [28:51 – 37:18]
  • Jason revisits the Lord of the Rings extended editions, praising their enduring effects and practical magic.
  • New seasons of “Beast Games” and Survivor discussed.
  • In-depth feedback on Starfleet Academy’s debut:
    • Loathing of visuals ("looks like it’s set on Mel’s Diner") but praise for casting (Holly Hunter, Paul Giamatti), and surprising tolerance.
    • Inclusion of in-jokes regarding Star Trek’s design choices, Wesley Crusher, and Colbert’s distracting voice cameo.

Podcast & Book Corners

• [37:41 – 55:58]
  • Alan Cross’s Ongoing History of New Music “2025 In Memoriam” episode gets a somber commendation.
  • Mixed reactions to the Netflix Depeche Mode concert film—too arty, stick to 101.
  • Book recommendations:
    • Anthony Bourdain Reader—evokes nostalgia and sadness.
    • Obvious: The Story of a Successful Businessman—praised for business/marketing.
    • Before & Laughter by Jimmy Carr—Jason vouches it's funny and revealing, Brian’s not a fan but may reconsider.
    • Preview of Regicide Report (Laundry Files #14)—finale finally with the original protagonist, Bob.

The Dark Side with Dave (Bittner)

• [56:02 – 80:46]
  • Dave recommends How to Read a Book by Monica Wood—moving, well-narrated audiobook.
  • Dishwasher installation tales—Jason details the ordeal of replacing a 1960s beast ("the motor could drive a VW microbus").
  • Dave’s lunch club with old ham radio folks:
    "It is like you went to central casting and said, give me the craziest group of old cranky ethnic stereotypes..." (73:08)
  • Reflections on age, community, and the wisdom of engaging with local seniors.
  • Dave’s new lockpicking hobby, inspired by LockPickingLawyer.

Apps, AI Devices, & Tech Dystopias

• [39:52 – 50:22]
  • Jony Ive & Sam Altman’s rumored AI “airpods” (codename Sweet Pea) spark host skepticism.
  • Apple to power Siri with Google’s Gemini models, finally acknowledging Siri’s obsolescence.
    • Jason:
      "Siri at this point is so fucking useless that it's like, oh, I turn it off." (42:19)
  • Apple launches a creative app subscription, praised as "reasonably priced" alternative to Adobe.
  • Tesla shifts “Full Self Driving” to subscription only.
    • Brian:
      "It has never done what the name suggests..." (45:24)
  • Ring refocuses on "Intelligent Assistant Era," with new AI-driven features like Firewatch and Search Party—hosts express privacy and law enforcement concerns.
  • “Are You Dead?”: viral Chinese app prompts users to check in daily so contacts will be notified if they miss one—Jason notes earlier attempt at similar product ("Death Vault").

Closing & Listener Engagement

• [81:10 – end]
  • Gratitude for Patreon, PayPal, tip jar, and even YouTube members.
  • Five-star review readout that echoes praise for the show’s value.
  • Farewell to Scott Adams; the hosts reminisce ("...he went cuckoo nutty").

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On American regulatory half-measures:

  "Typical American reaction. Rather than provide any regulations to stop it when it happens, it allows you to sue after the fact."
  — Brian, [04:03]

• On Bandcamp’s clear AI policy:

  "Bandcamp one of the first music platforms to offer a clear policy on the use of AI tech."
  — Brian, [14:34]

• On the futility of age verification online:

  "Unsurprisingly, age verification online is a complete and utter mess..."
  — Brian, [08:03]

• On Meta’s missteps:

  "They could have bought pants for every man, woman and child on the planet."
  — Jason, [11:00]

• On practical wisdom:

  "I'm Gen X, dude. I still have a Thomas Guide in my car and I don't even fucking live in LA anymore."
  — Brian, [26:01]

• On AI-powered self-help scams:

  "Tony Robbins is the biggest self help scam artist that ever lived. So just...run."
  — Jason, [19:13]

• On nostalgia and effect longevity:

  "The effects really hold up. It's amazing how well the effects hold up..."
  — Jason, [29:49]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Jury duty, LA hot dog cart: [00:18 – 02:28]
• Grok/AI deepfake scandal: [02:32 – 04:54]
• Meta & Australian kids ban: [04:55 – 08:03]
• Meta layoffs, VR/AI shift: [10:23 – 13:49]
• Bandcamp bans AI slop: [14:18 – 16:08]
• McConaughey AI likeness trademark: [16:10 – 17:22]
• ICE AI hiring fail: [17:22 – 18:09]
• Self-help AI scam chatbots: [18:09 – 19:29]
• GM/OnStar privacy FTC smackdown: [20:14 – 22:16]
• NASA/Space news: [22:23 – 26:44]
• Starfleet Academy review: [31:46 – 37:18]
• Book, podcast, and media round-up: [37:41 – 55:58]
• The Dark Side with Dave: [56:02 – 80:46]

Tone and Language

Comically cynical, freewheeling, and often profane—hosts pull no punches, blend rants with world-weariness, and sprinkle in tech nostalgia, pop culture references, and irreverent takes on everything from hardware to ham radio clubs. There’s camaraderie but also genuine moments of insight, disappointment, and appreciation for their audience, books, and the “old geeks” community.

For more detail, listener Q&A, and the signature Grumpy banter, catch the full episode or visit GOG Show #729.