Emily Forlini of PCMag joins Mikah Sargent this week on Tech News Weekly! A look into a program that trains dogs to detect hidden tech. How AI is impacting learning for kids in schools. Samsung touts a new privacy feature for its latest phones. And Apple is ramping up its new product releases as it catches up in the AI race.

• Emily talks about her time at the FBI and a program that trains dogs to detect hidden tech.
• Mikah chats about an agentic AI that was developed to attend lectures and do homework for you, delving into the conversation about AI's impact on a child's learning development.
• Jason Howell of Android Faithful joins the show to talk about everything announced at the Galaxy Unpacked event that happened in San Francisco, including Samsung's new Privacy Display feature.
• And Mikah talks about Mark Gurman's look into the work Apple is ramping up on as it works to catch up in the AI era of tech.

Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Emily Forlini

Guest: Jason Howell

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Jennifer Pattison Tuohy of The Verge joins Mikah Sargent this week! Amazon's Ring product had a Super Bowl ad that generated a lot of discussion and backlash following its debut. A look inside Lego's Smart Brick technology. And NASA's Perseverance rover completed its first-ever drive fully planned by AI.

• Jennifer talks about Amazon Ring's Super Bowl commercial that sparked a lot of backlash, which showcases its AI-powered Search Party feature, with concerns that it could be used as a means of a mass networked surveillance system.
• Mikah is fascinated by the dive into Lego's new Smart Brick technology.
• And Tariq Malik of Space.com and This Week in Space joins the show to talk about NASA's Perseverance rover, which completed its first drive planned by AI, and how the technology's use compares to a human-planned drive.

Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy

Guest: Tariq Malik

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Amanda Silberling of TechCrunch joins Mikah Sargent this week on Tech News Weekly! A Stanford graduate built a matchmaking algorithm that's sweeping across the Stanford campus. Is social media "clinically addictive"? Discord announced an age-verification process that sparked privacy concerns among users. And the Virtual Boy is back?

• Amanda talks about an AI-powered dating app that was developed by a Stanford graduate and how dating for young adults is becoming more driven by tech.
• Mikah talks about the social media addiction trial and comments made by Instagram's CEO, Adam Mosseri.
• Emma Roth of The Verge joins the show to talk about Discord's age verification mandate that has sparked huge user privacy concerns, especially following a data breach the company suffered last year.
• And Scott Stein of CNET stops by to share his thoughts and time with Nintendo's revival of Virtual Boy as a replica accessory for the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2.

Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Amanda Silberling

Guests: Emma Roth and Scott Stein

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Abrar Al-Heeti of CNET joins Mikah Sargent on Tech News Weekly this week! Abrar has her hands on the new Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold phone! More people are pirating TV through rogue streaming boxes. The newest social media platform has launched, but it's only for AI bots. And Apple's Lockdown Mode prevented the FBI from accessing a reporter's iPhone.

• Abrar got her hands on the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold phone and shares her initial thoughts on the device so far.
• Mikah talks about how more people are straying away from streaming services and looking towards streaming boxes that allow one to access pirated content that mirrors live TV.
• Mikah and Abrar chat about Moltbook, a new social media platform that is just for AI bots.
• And Mikah shares how Apple's Lockdown Mode helped a Washington Post reporter stop the FBI from accessing their seized iPhone.

Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Abrar Al-Heeti

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Jacob Ward joins the show this week! Big Tech is brewing up a battle for your kids. Scientists are using AI to identify dinosaur footprints. Looking into Apple's Creator Studio. And TikTok USDS blames Sunday's outages on a power outage.

• Jacob Ward talks about recently released documents in lawsuits against big tech that showcase how social media companies are aggressively recruiting teens to their platforms.
• Mikah Sargent gets very excited about scientists using AI in identifying dinosaur footprints.
• Dan Moren of SixColors stops by to talk about the Apple Creator Studio collection that makes Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, and other creative apps available for users for a single subscription.
• And Emma Roth of The Verge joins the show to talk about the outage the US side of TikTok suffered earlier this week following the finalization of the new TikTok USDS Joint Venture.

Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jacob Ward

Guests: Dan Moren and Emma Roth

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Mikah Sargent and Emily Forlini dive into some of tech's strangest new challenges: AI wearables causing psychological meltdowns, mobile games turning to casino-style tactics, and a viral EMF theory targeting NFL injuries. Get fresh perspectives on tech's impact from mental health to big-money gaming, plus a skeptical look at conspiracy theories in sports.

• Meta AI Glasses & Mental Health: Emily discusses the case of a tech exec whose constant use of AI glasses led to financial trouble and delusions, highlighting unseen risks of wearable AI.
• Gaming Industry's VIP Secrets: Mikah digs into how mobile games reward and track their top spenders with perks and personal attention, raising questions about ethics and addiction.
• 49ers EMF Injury Conspiracies: Mikah breaks down the sudden popularity of blaming football injuries on electromagnetic fields, with experts pushing back against the science behind the claims.

Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Emily Forlini

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Jennifer Pattison Tuohy shares some of the cooler tech she saw at this year's CES. A warning for those using some wireless audio devices. And what happens when you swap the nosebleed sets for a virtual front row experience at a NBA game?

• Jennifer was on the show floor at CES last week! From smart mirrors to smart locks and robotic pets, she shares some of the exciting and fun tech she saw at the convention.
• Mikah warns us about patching your wireless audio devices, as a new vulnerability was discovered that leaves devices open for others to eavesdrop on your conversations.
• And Kerry Wan of ZDNet joins the show to share his experience watching a NBA game within Apple's Vision Pro.

Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy

Guest: Kerry Wan

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Surface Duo Hands-on, Russian SIMs, Apple's unannounced subscription bundles.

• Harry McCracken from Fast Company has the Microsoft Duo foldable Android device and shares his thoughts after spending one week with the prerelease hardware.
• Joseph Cox from VICE got the inside scoop on a secretive Russian SIM network that enables all sorts of illegal activity, and he explains how they work.
• Apple is expected to announce a collection of subscription bundles for its services and Mikah isn't quite sold on the value of them.
• Epic Games added a new in-game payment method for Fortnite that bypasses Apple and Google's own in-app payment systems, and the consequences are beginning to take shape.

Hosts: Jason Howell and Mikah Sargent

Guests: Harry McCracken and Joseph Cox

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