Surprise - It's Not a Toaster cover art

Surprise - It's Not a Toaster

Surprise - It's Not a Toaster

By: touch point media
Listen for free

About this listen

 Discover the realm where digital expertise meets candid conversations on "Surprise - It’s Not a Toaster" - a podcast led by digital experts and technophiles Ed Bennett and co-host Chris Boyer. Together, they venture into the fabric of online experiences, dissecting annoyances and irritations about navigating the modern online world. In each episode, they unveil contemporary tools, technologies, and software solutions, providing a firsthand exploration of what's shaping the digital landscape and the hosts challenge the limits of GenAI, where questions are posed to various LLMs, illuminating the interplay between human expertise and machine-generated insights. Tune in to navigate the digital maze, equip yourself with valuable insights, and engage in compelling discussions that bridge the gap between the human and digital worlds.touch point media © 2023. All rights reserved.
Episodes
  • Taco Tuesday Goes Quantum

    Taco Tuesday Goes Quantum
    Sep 11 2025
    Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer kick off with a rant about vertical video — because nothing says “breaking news” like watching a natural disaster unfold in portrait mode. Sure, TikTok made it trendy and one-handed filming is easy, but what happens when video shifts to massive screens like the Vegas Sphere or into Meta’s glasses? Spoiler: portrait might not age well. This week’s recommendation: the new season of South Park. It’s fast, it’s vicious, and it shreds GenAI and tech bros in a way no think piece ever could. And for the GenAI test, it’s Taco Tuesday with a twist: ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Claude all attempt to explain quantum mechanics using only taco metaphors. The results are as chaotic — and as satisfying — as a late-night taco run.
    Show More Show Less
    23 mins
  • Big Buttons, Big Reports, and Bigger Personalities

    Big Buttons, Big Reports, and Bigger Personalities
    Aug 28 2025
    Turns out the future of tech might not be sleek voice commands or intuitive design — it might just be one giant button you can’t miss. Ed and Chris debate the glory of the “big hard button,” skim (and snark) their way through Mary Meeker’s annual tech report, and then throw ChatGPT 5.0’s new preset personalities into the ring. Spoiler: “Cynic” might actually be the most honest of the bunch.Mentions from the Show: That Dropped Call With Customer Service? It Was on Purpose. You Can’t Nudge If You’ve Got Sludge Chris Boyer on LinkedIn Ed Bennett on LinkedIn Chris Boyer website Ed Bennett of BlueSky Chris Boyer on BlueSky
    Show More Show Less
    28 mins
  • FIlter Culture

    FIlter Culture
    Aug 5 2025
    You thought filters were just for photos? Think again. In this episode, Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer wade through the murky waters of modern digital life, where everything seems to be a filter: restaurant reviews, dating apps, social feeds, even healthcare choices. Have we filtered so much that we've lost the raw, the real, and the reliable? But it’s not all rant - there’s redemption. The hosts offer a solid recommendation: swap out search engines for GenAI tools to explore the web. Why scroll through SEO-optimized junk when you can have an AI actually converse with you? And in possibly the most self-aware moment in podcast history, they ask GenAI tools—ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Claude—to rank themselves. Then (because they can’t help themselves), they ask those same bots to critique their critiques. Spoiler: the results are either deeply insightful or utterly broken. You decide.
    Show More Show Less
    26 mins
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.