Tech Gumbo

Twitter’s Jack Dorsey steps down, Spotify becoming more like Instagram & TikTok?

The Question of the Week- I heard the guy in charge of Twitter is stepping down, why is this a big deal? Spotify is trying to do more than just music and be more like TikTok & Instagram

Women leaving Tech?, Ransomware gangs buy Zero-Day flaws, Ransomware mistake, Stopping Grinch Bots, WhatsApp gives up data, Apple & Google fined

News & Updates- 1/3 of Women in Tech thinking about leaving the Tech sector, Ransomware gangs have made enough money to buy Zero-Day flaws worth 8 figures, When hit by Ransomware- the 1^st thing not to do, Lawmakers trying to stop Grinch Bots, Apple & Google fined for GDPR violations

Parents & Kids on the Internet, Bad Habits for PC’s

The Question of the Week- My child is turning 10, what should I tell her about the Internet? Also, The Bad Habits we all have that are ruining your computer

Avg Ransomware $6Mil, Win11 Blue Screen of Death, Cybersecurity for K-12, Upgrading Smartphone, Centrifuge for Satellites, Russia blows up a Satellite

News & Updates- Average Ransomware payout in US is $6Mil, Win11 going back to Blue Screen of Death instead of Black, Gov’t Agencies call for Cybersecurity updates for K-12, True cost of Upgrading to new Smartphone, A Centrifuge for launching satellites to space, and Russia blows up one of their satellites

What would happen if Social Media went away?

The Question of the Week- What would happen if Social Media went away?

Apple & Right-To-Repair, Apple hires Autopilot Executive, Microsoft announces Loop, Low End CPU’s Interest Plummet, Airlines-5G-FCC-FAA, Hakers-For-Hire

News & Updates-  Apple backs down on Right-To-Repair, Apple hires an Autopilot expert away from Tesla, Microsoft announces a new very collaborative program Loop, Chromebook sales fall off dramatically, The Airlines & FAA are in talks with the FCC about the Mid Band of 5G and whether or not it interferes with altimeters.

Facebook becoming Meta, Facebook’s Future, Fixing Facebook, Facebook Shutting Down Facial Recognition

The Question of the Week- Is Facebook still going to be Facebook?

Facebook changing the Corporate name to Meta and discusses the long range plans for Meta, Facebook employees want to fix Facebook, and Facebook is finally shutting down facial recognition, for now!

LSU get Cybersecurity designation, Tesla charging other EVs, Starlink updates, iPhone news, security patches and crash detection

News & Updates- National Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations, or CAE-CO, recently selected LSU as the sole university allowed to apply for CAE-CO designation this year, Tesla launching a pilot to allow non Tesla Electric Vehicles to charge  up at their Supercharger stations, Starlink more popular than 5G?, Starlink expanding into India, iPhone 13 using iPad parts, iOS & Mac security patch, iPhone could get crash detection

Donald Trump’s Truth Social and Deplatforming

The Question of the Week- Is former President Trump really launching a social media platform? Also we discuss the pros and cons of Deplatforming Social Media influencers

SolarWinds Hack is Back, Your ISP is Snooping, iPod turns 20, AirPods Pro

Russian hackers are targeting IT Companies, FTC OK’s ISP to monetize your data, the iPod is turning 20 and we look back, AirPods Pro get firmware update with new added features

FCC & Robotext, Google calls for Government action on Cybersecurity, Human oversight on AI, and Lawmakers-Social Media- Algorithms

News & Updates- The FCC wants to crackdown on Robotexting, Google’s CEO call for a Geneva Convention for Governments to crackdown on cybersecurity issues, and someone has had the Bad Idea not to have human oversight on advancements in Artificial Intelligence

Metaverse? Eric Romero & Warren Kron from the City of Baton Rouge/Parish of East Baton Rouge Information Services Dept

The Question of the Week- What is the Metaverse and is Facebook really changing it’s name? Also Eric Romero & Warren Kron from Baton Rouge IS Dept join us to talk about what the city government is doing for Cyber Security Month

Windows 11 is now available, Millennials worry more about Facebook breach then bank account hack, Ocean Drone in a hurricane, FCC & Robocalls, Twitch data breach exposes everything

The Question of the Week- Now that Windows 11 is out, should I upgrade?

News & Updates- Report that Millennials worry much more about a Facebook breach then if their bank account gets hacked, Ocean SailDrone in a hurricane show awesome video and sending great data, FCC still trying to eliminate Robocalls, Twitch suffered a data breach exposes everything from source code to how much content contributors got paid

Facebook’s really bad 48 hours

Facebook had the whistle-blower on 60 Minutes on Sunday, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp & Messenger all go down for 6 ½ hours on Monday, and the whistle-blower testifies before a Senate committee, and then The EU wants to regulate Facebook

Stop using the same password for everything, Amazon’s creepy new products

The Question of the Week- Do I really need to use different passwords for everything? Amazon announces new products and most of them are bad ideas, especially the Astro!

News & Updates- Instagram pauses Kids App, US trying to ease shortage, TikTok disrupts science, Apple boots Fortnite, YouTube bans Anti-Vax,

Instagram has stopped trying to create a standalone app for kids, The US Gov’t is trying to ease the bottleneck in the supply chain of semiconductors and microchips, A teenage TikTok’er disrupts thousands of scientific research with a video, Apple kicks Fortnite off this iOS platform

A deep dive on the new iOS15 and how it will affect 5G

The Question of the Week- Apple just released a major update for my iPhone, should I do the upgrade? We go through the new features in iOS 15  and how the iPhone 13 will impact the roll out of 5G in the USA

 

News & Updates- Facebook denies Wall Street Journal Article, Study-Hybrid work is more, Man Jailed for Malware on AT&T Phones, SpaceX Update, Germany bracing for a “shock”, Mich. Electric Road

Facebook says “Nuh-Uh” to the Wall Street Journal article citing that Instagram is toxic to teenage girls, Microsoft did a study on the Hybrid work overload, A man gets 12 years prison for injecting Malware into AT&T phones, SpaceX is exiting Beta in Oct 2021, Germany is very concerned what electric cars will do to jobs in the automotive industry, and Mich. Will construct a 1 mile stretch oh highway that will recharge your all electric vehicle

How to actually talk to Customer Service and Facebook knows Instagram is toxic for teenage girls, and Facebook tries to clean up Facebook

The Question of the Week- Last week you talked about calling the cell phone companies to get out of contracts, do you have any tips on how to actually talk to a customer service rep? The Wall Street Journal reports that Instagram is toxic for teenage girls and FB does nothing, and Facebook hires Accenture to try to remove the toxic material from Facebook but makes a bigger problem for the employees doing the work

News & Updates- Epic Games vs. Apple, Microsoft goes passwordless, Zoom getting people fired, iPhone 13- Boring, Autonomous Vehicle accidents

Epic Games sues Apple & the App Store and wins but Apple Wins too, Microsoft makes a further push to get away from passwords using Biometrics, Employers are reprimanding and/or firing emplyees for stupid behavior on Zoom meetings, Apple unveils the iPhone 13 and the entire planet yawns, and an autonomous vehicle has an accident at the Paralympic games and Tesla is investigated for Autopilot crashes

Getting out of a Cellular Contract, EU forcing longer support on for cell phones, Foldable phones, 5G in the USA

The Question of the Week- Can I get out of my cell phone contract? The EU wants to force companies to support smart phones for up to 7 years, Foldable phones may be getting better soon, and 5G in the USA- where it works the best

News & Updates- Google still tracking& releasing, NASA’s Ingenuity still going, The perfect Ransomware, Win 11 release

Google is still tracking and releasing your data to hundreds of companies, Nasa’s Ingenuity helicopter on Mars just completed it’s 12^th mission- they were only hoping for 5, Researches describe the perfect ransomware and who it is targeting, and Microsoft sets a release date for Win11

Buying Refurbished Electronics, Tesla Bot, Boston Dynamics Bots

The Question of the Week- Is it OK to buy refurbished Electronics? Important this to know and do when buy renewed and/or refurbished electronics. Telsa promises to buy a Humanoid Bot for menial task, comparing Tesla to Boston Dynamics

News & Updates- Deepfakes used by businesses, FBI Terrorist Watchlist leaked, App for Kabul, Nigerian Ransomware, Office 365 increases

Businesses are using Deepfakes to make remote sales pitches across multiple languages, the FBI Terrorist Watch list was leaked, Residents of Kabul built an App to get around the city avoiding hot spots, Bizarre Ransomware plot trying to build a Nigerian Social Media company, and Microsoft is raising the rates for Office 365

The Question of the Week- Should I switch from Microsoft to the quantum internet?

We discuss the difference between the Internet & the World Wide Web, and then we discuss what is Quantum computing

News & Updates- Hacker Returns $$$, Possible iPhone Changes, Amazon Biometrics, Zoombombing Fine, YikYak, Lamborghini Countach

Poly Network hacker returned all of the stolen money, Apple may be forced to change to the USB-C Port, Amazon One stores are storing Palm Prints in AWS, Zoom is fined for allowing Zoombombing in 2020, YikYak is trying to make a return, and Lamborghini is bringing back the Countach and it is a Hybrid that goes from 0 to 60MPH in 2.8 seconds

Guest Conner Leblanc- Do I need a new phone, Questions Concerning Technology

Our Guest Conner Leblanc joins us to answer the Question of the week- Do I need a New Phone?, 41 Questions Concerning Technology (we only answer a few)

News & Updates- Facebook shuts out NYU researchers, Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative, Biden exec order demands 50% electric cars by 2030, SpaceX, Hackers Returned Crypto Heist $256 Million

Facebook has shut down New York University researchers investigation into misinformation spread through political ads on the social network, Dept. Homeland Security & top tech companies form a new information-sharing initiative, dubbed the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative in a bid to protect critical US infrastructure from ransomware and cyberattacks, President Biden’s executive order for half of all new car sales to be either electric or plug-in hybrid by 2030, SpaceX previews ruggedized Starlink dish for vehicles, ships, and aircraft, Crypto Heist Hackers Have Reportedly Returned Stolen $256 Million

Person PC Backup Guide, Electric Cars, Autonomous Big Trucks

The Question of the Week (for a Free Mug)- For my personal computer, what is the best way to backup my data?

We go through different methods of backing up the data on a person (non-business) computer, we discuss a study that says 41% of people around the world are interested in an Electric or Hybrid Car, and talk about Big 18 Wheel trucks getting Autonomous before passenger cars

News & Updates- Russian Disinformation, Right To Repair, IT Careers, Replacing Excel, Alexa Coffee Maker

A WSJ story talks about how Russian Intelligence is trying to create chaos in the US by spreading false and/or misinformation on social media, the FTC votes to enforce Right To Repair, Top 10 high paying career is in IT, Finance Chiefs want to replace Excel with more focused financial software, and the IoT has merged Alexa and a Coffee Maker

 

Our Guest- Veneeth Iyengar from the Office of Broadband & Connectivity of the State of Louisiana

We talk with Veneeth Iyengar about the needs to get broadband Internet to the rural areas of Louisiana and what his office is tasked to do to make it happen

News & Updates- Regulating & Stealing Cryptocurrency, Win365, Spyware, Facebook Panic

Accountants & Lawmakers Want Rules on Cryptocurrency Accounting, Bitcoin Mining operation caught stealing $2Mil in Electricity, Windows 365 Desk-Top-As-A-Service, Spyware was used on Journalist & Activist, Facebook is losing Billion$$ because iOS allow users to opt out of activity tracking.

Which Processor i5, i7, or i9 and Global Chip Shortage

The Question of the Week- I’m buying a PC for child going to school, which processor should I buy, the i5, i7, or i9? And there is a Global Chip Shortage, we explain why.

News & Updates- REvil, Google & Antitrust, Sleep Tracking, and Right-To-Repair

REvil updates including what Kaseya knew, it was designed not to attack Russian computers, and now the REvil site is gone, the Google Play Store is targeted for Antitrust, FCC gave Amazon permission to track our sleep (Google Nest already had it) more updates on the Right-To-Repair your technology.

Question of the Week- Can my PC run Win11, REvil Ransomware Update, Tesla & Self Driven cars Update

A listener heard us talking about the new Windows 11 and asked, “Will Winn11 run on my computer?” and we answer the question, we discuss the largest ransomware to date, REvil’s exploitation of Kaseya, and Elon Musk admits “he didn't expect making a self-driving Tesla to be so difficult” and a few other self-driving car updates

Audacity is now Spyware, Ca. Driver Mounts a Starlink Disk, Pentagon ends JEDI, App Store is full of Scams

The Open Source audio editing software Audacity was recently purchased and turned into Spyware, A Calif. Driver mounted a Starlink Dish on the hood of his Prius and got ticketed, the Pentagon cancels the JEDI contract with Microsoft, and the App Store is full of Apps that considered “fleeceware”.

Guest Dave Johnson, Lecturer-in-Law, Stanford Law School

Dave Johnson talks about technology and the law, Silicon Valley, and talks about his upcoming book.

Starlink Updates, Virgin Galactic Greenlighted to Space, What is TPM, Texas Supreme Court rules against Facebook, Ransomware using VM’s

Starlink will have global coverage by August, the have almost 70,000 subscribers, and extreme heat shuts down the dish, FAA clears Virgin Galactic to fly paying customers to space, TPM (Trusted Platform Module) Win11 will take full advantage, Texas Supreme Court ruled that Facebook can be held liable for the conduct of people who use the platform to advance sex trafficking activities, Ransomware creating Virtual Machines on PC’s to encrypt the computer.

“Bossware” Surveillance & Employee Monitoring Software, Detailed look into Windows 11, including Microsoft CEO calling out Apple

A listener asked, “Can my boss really see what I’m doing on my work computer?” and the answer is yes, if they want to do so. We discuss what is being called “Bossware” or Employee Monitoring Software, and then Microsoft has unveiled the next generation of its market leading desktop operating system and we review the high points.

Lawmakers aiming at Big Tech, The Unsubscribe Act, SCOTUS Cheerleader ruling, Instagram losing popularity, John McAfee

Congress introduced sweeping antitrust legislation aimed at restraining the power of Big Tech and staving off corporate consolidation, US Senators Are Trying to Make Cancelling Subscriptions Easier, SCOTUS rules in favor of a Cheerleader on Snapchat, Instagram has become boring an John McAfee remembered for brilliance & eccentricities!

Don Monistere talks Cyber Security Guidelines and Cyber Security Assessments

The 3 Most Crucial parts of a Cyber Security Guideline are People, Process & Technology and Cyber Security Assessments are about Network, Vulnerabilities & Risk

Don Monistere Joins us to talk about Windows 11, Microsoft wants to banish passwords, How the FBI got the Colonial money back

Microsoft has announced an “End of Support” for Windows 10 in 2025, giving way to Windows 11, Microsoft’s CISO, Chief Information Security Officer wants to away with passwords for a number of reasons, and we discuss how the FBI clawed back the money from the Colonial Pipeline Ransomware attack

Ransomware Updates, Bitcoin Issue & FBI in action

The Director of the FBI compared Ransomware to the 9/11 Terrorist attacks, JBS Beef hit by Ransomware, but the FBI got over 50% of the ransom of Bitcoin back, which cause a huge drop in the value of Bitcoin, and the FBI sold organized crime all over the world cell phones that had the calculator app with an altered function that sent every message to the FBI first, so hundreds of high level criminals were arrested around the world.

Major Internet Website outages, Amazon Sidewalk is a Bad Idea, WhatsApp Backpedals, Apple pays Big $$ over explicit photos

Major website like the NY Times, Amazon, CNN and more experience outages because a “content delivery network” for more than an hour, Amazon launches Sidewalk that allows anyone to use your bandwidth from your Amazon Echo &/or Ring devices, WhatsApp backpedals and will not force users to accept T&C’s, and Apple paid a woman Millions of dollars because repair technicians were able to get into her phone and they uploaded explicit photos and videos to her Facebook page, of her!

Robot Lawn Mowers, Government Cybersecurity Regulations

A listener asked, “I heard there are robot lawnmowers, is this real”? And we go into detail about new Governmental agencies issuing Cybersecurity Guidelines

Google protects user history, WhatsApp Issue, Digital Life after Death, Stopping a Killer Asteroid, iPhone Benchmark Test, Fla Social Media Law

In this segment we discuss how Google is allowing users to protect their Activity History with passwords & 2FA, WhatsApp is limiting users functionality unless they agree to new terms, How to Prepare your Digital Life for after your Death, How to stop a Killer Asteroid before in crashes into Earth, the iPhone XR does better on a benchmark test than the iPhone 11 & 12, and Florida has a new law banning Social Media from blocking political candidates

PC’s vs the Human Body, Digital Detoxing, E-Mail is Miserable

A listener asked, “I spend a lot of time in front of my computer, are there things I can do?”, so we discussed what PC’s have been doing to the human body, how you need to detox from your digital screens, and how email is making people miserable.

Beavers vs. Internet in Canada, Pres. Biden calls for 2FA, Google forces 2FA, Pirated software create ransomware event, Businesses using TikTok, AG’s urging No to IG for kids

In this segment we discuss a beaver colony that chewed through a protected Internet cable, President Biden’s Executive Order for 2FA, an NTSB for Cyber Attacks, & Security-Focused labels, Google mandate 2FA, Ransomware attack because of Pirated Software, Creative businesses using TikTok videos to attract customers and 44 Attorneys General send a letter to Facebook asking to stop the idea of an “Instagram for Kids”

LSU Goes To The Moon, Facebook & Bot Farms, and iOS 14.5 has opting out feature

In this segment we get very excited about a project that LSU (professors & students) are working on that will send a device to the moon in 2022 to measure radiation and the affects it will have on humans, Facebook found a Bot Farm that generates 200K+ of Political Post designed to incite negative reactions, and Apple released iOS 14.5 which will allow you out of being tracked by Social Media companies trying to build an advertising profile on you.

Guest Don Monistere, President, General Informatics

We talk with Don Monistere, President, General Informatics, about his background and career path, the books he has written, why he chose to come back to S. Louisiana and General Informatics and his thoughts on the future of the IT Industry.