Grumpy Old Geeks
patreon
Ep 682: We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Luigi
🕑 Added 2025-01-31 21:20:01 +0000 UTC
Brian and Jason kick things off with a look at why Gen Z grads are getting fired just months after landing jobs and a curiously viral declassified CIA sabotage guide. Speaking of sabotage, U.S. students are struggling with their lowest reading scores in decades, raising questions about the future workforce. Meanwhile, Google Maps’ controversial renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America” for U.S. users has sparked some amusing geopolitical tit-for-tats. In the AI wars, OpenAI is fuming over claims that DeepSeek trained its models using OpenAI’s own stolen data—ironic, given OpenAI’s history of scraping the internet. As if that weren’t enough, California’s Attorney General warns AI companies that nearly everything they’re doing might be illegal, while the Copyright Office suggests AI copyright issues were settled way back in 1965. Oh, and OpenAI is now in the nuclear weapons game. What could possibly go wrong?
In tech and business news, CVS is making customers jump through app hoops to unlock cabinets, Uber claims it’s the victim of an elaborate fake crash scheme, and Tesla promises a robotaxi business and humanoid robots in 2025—though Musk admits current Teslas will need new hardware to achieve full self-driving. Whole Foods workers have formed their first union since Amazon took over, and MoviePass is considering a pivot to crypto, because of course it is. Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s ventures keep making headlines, and Waymo’s driverless taxis are facing vandalism in Southern California. Law enforcement in California is also in hot water, having misused state databases over 7,000 times last year.
For media lovers, Star Trek: Section 31 is on the horizon, while The Expanse‘s first three seasons are vanishing from Amazon soon. Behind the Music is back, and Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music offers a deep dive into the show’s musical legacy. On the gaming front, classic titles like Spaceship Warlock and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy are getting attention alongside newly accessible archives of 1,500 classic gaming magazines. The Night Agent Season 2 is here and it sucks, and Amazon is hiking the price of its Music Unlimited subscriptions. Finally, the episode wraps with a nod to Marianne Faithfull’s passing and China’s new “magic beans” shaking up American markets—because, in this chaotic world, even the beans are making headlines because AI wrote this terrible summary.
Show notes at https://gog.show/682
FOLLOW UP
Bosses are firing Gen Z grads just months after hiring them—here’s what they say needs to change
Declassified CIA Guide to Sabotaging Fascism Is Suddenly Viral
Simple Sabotage Field Manual by United States. Office of Strategic Services
U.S. Students Post Lowest Reading Scores in Decades
IN THE NEWS
Google Maps will rename Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America, but only for US users
Google Maps Adopted ‘Gulf of America’ Name, and Now Mexico Has Some Suggestions
David Sacks claims there's 'substantial evidence' that DeepSeek used OpenAI's models to train its own
OpenAI Furious DeepSeek Might Have Stolen All the Data OpenAI Stole From Us
OpenAI suddenly thinks intellectual property theft is not cool, actually, amid DeepSeek’s rise
Exposed DeepSeek Database Revealed Chat Prompts and Internal Data
The Knives Are Coming Out for DeepSeek AI
California’s AG Tells AI Companies Practically Everything They’re Doing Might Be Illegal
Copyright Office suggests AI copyright debate was settled in 1965
OpenAI will offer its tech to US national labs for nuclear weapons research
How one YouTuber is trying to poison the AI bots stealing her content
'Everything I Say Leaks,' Zuckerberg Says in Leaked Meeting Audio
MoviePass might pivot to crypto
Whole Foods workers form first union since Amazon acquisition
CVS tries to juice app signups with cabinet unlocking feature
Uber Claims It’s the Victim of an Elaborate Fake Car Crash Scheme
Tesla says it will begin robotaxi business and Optimus "pilot" production in 2025
Elon Musk admits Teslas will need new hardware for FSD
Vandals in Southern California attack Waymo driverless taxi
California Law Enforcement Misused State Databases More Than 7,000 Times in 2023
MEDIA CANDY
Star Trek: Section 31
The Expanse‘s First 3 Seasons Are Leaving Amazon Very Soon
After Midnight
Behind the Music
Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music
FRONT 242 - The Final Show Live at AB - Ancienne Belgique
Panic - The Smiths
Amazon hikes prices for its Music Unlimited subscriptions
The Night Agent Season 2
APPS & DOODADS
iOS 18.3 is here, with clearly labeled Apple Intelligence notification summaries
Stimulation Clicker
POTUS Tracker
X’s payments app will be available later this year
Google's 'Ask for Me' feature calls businesses on your behalf to inquire about services, pricing
AT THE LIBRARY
Not Till We Are Lost (Bobiverse Book 5) by Dennis E. Taylor
The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture by Gabor Maté & Daniel Maté
THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE
Dave Bittner
The CyberWire
Hacking Humans
Caveat
Control Loop
Only Malware in the Building
Star Wars: The Acolyte Was the Second Most Watched Show on Disney+ Last Year
Gravity Falls
VGHF opens free online access to 1,500 classic game mags, 30K historic files
Spaceship Warlock
Bad Day on the Midway
The Lost Dutchman’s Gold (1979)
Zyll
Bushido
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (video game)
Star Wars: TIE Fighter
Bladerunner 2049 Auction
There's a Horse In The Hospital | John Mulaney | Netflix Is A Joke
Beppo - SNL
CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS
China’s new and cheaper magic beans shock America’s unprepared magic bean salesmen
Marianne Faithfull, English Singer, Dead at 78
Comments
Reggie
Yeah I definitely was below middle-class, single mom on HUD so when I heard Dave say the 70s I was like whaaaaat 🤯😱😵💫. So interesting. Thanks for the weekly shows, 4: Jason, hope everything in cali is getting better.
Grumpy Old Geeks
parents were solidly middle class - or whatever that was back in the 70s/80s. I got very interested in computers due to friends having commodores or whatnot and I got a pretty basic PC as what I believe was deemed as both the birthday and christmas gift of the year. it was a stretch for my parents i'm sure.
Reggie
Y’all must have had lots of privileges. Us Bordertown kids at least speaking for myself didn’t even know computers existed till the mid 90s let alone computer games 😂 I remember Oregon trail or something like that was one we got to play at school.
