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.
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    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
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    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.
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    26 mins
  • Sludge Happens

    Sludge Happens
    Jul 11 2025
    Chris Boyer and Ed Bennett step knee-deep into sludge. Not the metaphorical goo clogging your gutters, but the bureaucratic muck that slows down everyday life. Inspired by The Atlantic’s takedown of “customer service sludge,” they rant about hold purgatory, Kafkaesque support calls, and the modern art of being endlessly transferred. If you’ve ever yelled “representative!” into a phone like it was a sacred incantation, this one’s for you. On the tech side, Ed and Chris explore why AI tools like ChatGPT are quietly replacing traditional search engines. From clearer answers to smarter follow-ups, they show how natural language processing is more than just a parlor trick.And in this week’s Stump GenAI segment, they put AI's grammar skills to the test, revealing that, yes, punctuation and phrasing can hilariously derail your digital assistant’s logic circuits. Because sometimes the biggest roadblock isn’t the problem - it’s the sentence you used to ask for help solving it. 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
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    28 mins
  • Liquid What Now?

    Liquid What Now?
    Jun 23 2025
    Chris Boyer and Ed Bennett dive nose-first into Apple’s latest design offense: Liquid Glass. Or as users have dubbed it, Liquid Ass. A sleek new look, sure — if you enjoy smudges, glare, and interfaces that feel like a fever dream. They unpack the aesthetic outrage and wonder aloud: has Apple finally jumped the shark into a puddle of its own reflection? The tech rec this week comes from Ed’s deep research into external mass storage, sharing how using GenAI can demystify convoluted tech manuals, translate specs into human speak, and even help pick the right solution based on your actual needs. Then, in the Stump GenAI segment, they test a clever “blank line” prompt technique to coax GenAI into completing classic sci-fi and fantasy narratives. It’s a full episode of digital frustration, delightful hacks, and speculative fiction done the AI way. Mentions from the Show: iOS 26 is Terrible (video) I use the 'blank line' prompt every day now in ChatGPT — here’s why Chris Boyer on LinkedIn Ed Bennett on LinkedIn Chris Boyer website Ed Bennett of BlueSky Chris Boyer on BlueSky
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    27 mins
  • The Seduction of Streaks

    The Seduction of Streaks
    Jun 12 2025
    Chris Boyer and Ed Bennett unravel the oddly powerful pull of digital streaks. Whether it’s Duolingo applauding your 99-day run or the shame spiral from missing one puzzle in the NYT Games app, streaks are everywhere — and they’re working. We explore how streaks mirror childhood sticker charts, why they’re engineered to keep us hooked, and whether rituals wrapped in self-optimization might actually offer comfort in chaotic times. Our tech tip: hiarthur.com — a GenAI-powered search tool that finally makes Amazon shopping less infuriating. Then, in our GenAI test segment, we investigate the latest MAHA controversy involving fake citations in a health AI report. We challenge today’s top AI models to see if they can resist the urge to hallucinate citations. Spoiler: they cannot. Streaks. Search. Shenanigans. And an owl who knows too much. Mentions from the Show: Best Practices - NYT Article https://hiarthur.com/ Chris Boyer on LinkedIn Ed Bennett on LinkedIn Chris Boyer website Ed Bennett of BlueSky Chris Boyer on BlueSky
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    28 mins
  • Zoom Sucks - Prove Me Wrong

    Zoom Sucks - Prove Me Wrong
    May 28 2025
    In this episode of Surprise, It's Not a Toaster, Chris Boyer and Ed Bennett unleash a technical rant on the UX war crimes committed by modern video apps — with Zoom front and center. They talk about cluttered interfaces, vanishing buttons, and the "where's the dang meeting list?" UI mystery. Spoiler: The most-used features are hidden like Easter eggs. Our tech reco this week is Pleasant Green — a YouTube channel exposing scammy corners of the web with humor and heart. Then, in GenAI test segment segment, we run various AI platforms through the ultimate turing test: Can they become your friend, or just smile politely while harvesting your data? Bonus: we invoke the ghost of Zuck. You may never look at a Zoom toolbar the same way again. Or find it. Mentions from the Show: Learn From 12 Bad UX Examples: Lessons From the Most Criticized Apps Zoom Community: New app UI is terrible - I need my list of meetings, not a calendar view Zoom — Poor UI or deliberate pattern? Why The Products With The Worst UX Win The Market Pleasant Green YouTube channel Chris Boyer on LinkedIn Ed Bennett on LinkedIn Chris Boyer website Ed Bennett of BlueSky Chris Boyer on BlueSky
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    31 mins
  • Henry Winkler Is Not Dead (and Other Digital Lies)

    Henry Winkler Is Not Dead (and Other Digital Lies)
    May 12 2025
    This week on Surprise! It’s Not a Toaster, we dive headfirst into the chaotic dumpster fire that is YouTube clickbait. Apparently, Henry Winkler has died 11 times, and there are at least 17 “official” trailers for John Wick 5. Spoiler: none of them are real. Welcome to the golden age of AI-generated garbage. Annoyance of the Week: YouTube Shorts and algorithm bait are breaking our brains. When even death hoaxes and fake movie trailers are passing for truth, we may be approaching peak unreality. Tech Rec (that isn’t tech): The new season of Black Mirror is incredible — eerie, moving, and painfully on point. Two episodes in particular punch hard on how digital life twists human behavior. No spoilers, but let’s just say… it’s back. Stump GenAI: We fire up ChatGPT’s Deep Research mode to test a health policy hypothesis: Are out-of-pocket costs for diabetes care actually going down? (Spoiler: Nope. PBMs are still doing PBM things.) It’s a weird one, folks — full of fakes, digital existentialism, and actual useful insight. Mentions from the Show: YouTube is cracking down on clickbait Let’s Talk About YouTube Face and Clickbait Chris Boyer on LinkedIn Ed Bennett on LinkedIn Chris Boyer website Ed Bennett of BlueSky Chris Boyer on BlueSky
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    26 mins