Pop | Tech | Jam

As The Summer of 2019 winds down, El Kaiser and J.D. discuss (among other things) the buzz around Apple's annual fall iPhone event, Twitter's account security issue with one of its major users, Facebook's latest attempts at transparency in political advertising and Amazon's growing video-surveillance network. And, as nerds, we used to always run after the shiny new gadget to have the latest and greatest gear — but have we gotten over that particular fear of missing out? Spin up PTJ 316 to hear it all!

Hoverboard travel is here! In experimental trips across the English Channel, anyway. El Kaiser and J.D. take off through the week's headlines, including more accusations of retaliatory workplace culture at Google, the move toward "pay with your face" forms of authentication and requirements for getting one of those new Apple Cards. J.D. also hosts a (Hopefully) Helpful Hint about getting more of that notepad program on your smartphone. PTJ 315 awaits!

Pop Tech Jam returns from Summer Vacation Phase 1 to buckets of money from the Equifax data-breach settlement — or alleged buckets of money. While El Kaiser files his Equifax claim online, J.D. serves up the news of the week, including the Fortnite World Cup results, pocket air-conditioners and worrisome multimedia surveillance. And for those who dove headfirst into the Apollo 11 50th-anniversary coverage in July, J.D. has tips on where to find more archival material from that historic 1969 event — and the many other Apollo missions through the years.Jump on PTJ 314 right here!

On this week's episode. El Kaiser and JD discuss Jony Ive's departure from his long-time design post at Apple, Facebook’s attempts at civil rights and the latest in cat-flap technology. And, after decades of living the 3.5mm life, El Kaiser also unboxes his very first set of Lightning-connector earbuds and tests them out. Have yourself a listen here on Episode 313!

Big Government finally seems to be paying attention to Big Tech, but will anything actually change? El Kaiser and JD discuss some of the assorted bits of legislation aimed at regulating intrusive technology. And, in a (Hopefully) Helpful Hint, JD offers tips for whipping up your own letterhead in case you need to fire off an old-fashioned epistle by post or PDF. Episode 312 awaits!

On this week's show, JD takes a short break from watching the FIFA Women's World Cup 2019 to round up some news with El Kaiser — including the annual Mary Meeker Internet Trends presentation, legal looks at Big Tech and game-world announcements. El Kaiser, ever on the hunt for good-sounding audio gear at reasonable prices, offers his review of the Mixcder E9 wireless headphones. Have a listen to PTJ 311!

El Kaiser and J.D. were off binging Good Omens, but finished just in time for Apple's 2019 edition of its World Wide Developers Conference. This week's episode discusses the major announcements from the keynote — including a revamp of El Kaiser's absolute favorite piece of Mac desktop hardware. Looming government regulation, verified Rotten Tomatoes reviews and a virus-riddled laptop celebrated as art are also in this week's headlines. Listen in to Episode 310!

Game of Thrones may be over on HBO, but El Kaiser and J.D are still here talking tech, pop culture and everything else in between. This week’s episode ponders the blacklist effect on Chinese telecom company Huawei and potential problems with accurate weather forecasting because satellites measure water vapor in the 23.8 GHz band on the wireless spectrum and the Federal Communications Commission is selling off adjacent frequencies. J.D. also has a suggestion for parents who need a project for their bored kids. All this and more, right here on Episode 309!

El Kaiser and JD finally got out of Avengers: Endgame and are back in the recording bunker to discuss recent tech news – including Google’s I/O conference and a former Facebook founder’s call for the government to bust up his former company. JD also explores the new movement that have some people spending less time staring at their smartphones screens. Episode 308 awaits!

On this week’s episode, El Kaiser and J.D. discuss the current legal heat on Facebook over data privacy and misuse of its customer’s personal information. Google’s delivery drone program and Samsung’s woes with its Galaxy Fold smartphone are also in the mix. And, on the heels of Avengers: Endgame taking over cineplex screens, PTJ 307 looks down the list of other geekworthy movies headed to theaters this summer.

Freshly returned from spring break, El Kaiser and JD jump into the week's headlines — including government attempts to regulate technology platforms and robots rolling through Walmart. JD also has a (Hopefully) Helpful Hint for wrangling the massive photo collection stuffed on your smartphone. Push play to hear it all on Episode 306!

El Kaiser and J.D. wade through the highlights of Apple’s big March 25 event, which brought three new subscription services, a revamped TV app and…a new Apple credit card. And for those who don’t care about Apple’s swerve into paid services, there’s always data privacy and drones to talk about! Spin up PTJ 305, where you can also get tips on finding music-theory and instrument instruction.

On this week’s episode, El Kaiser and J.D. work through the recent headlines — the good, the bad and the completely horrible — and offer a few tips for backing up personal content you’ve posted on social media. Because it’s not like any of those free services can be trusted to DO IT FOR YOU. Spin up PTJ 304 right here!

Can Big Tech get busted up and does Facebook’s pivot to privacy seem legit? El Kaiser and J.D.  roll through the recent news, stopping to ponder the “Save the Internet” Act, a slew of new streaming channels and the success of Captain Marvel at the box office — despite concentrated efforts from certain quarters to drag down the film’s ratings. It's all here on PTJ 303, where we also have our annual guide to helping your friends and family avoid tax-season scams this spring.

Has social media become more trouble than it’s worth? El Kaiser and J.D ponder the topic while discussing virtual-reality pioneer Jaron Lanier’s 2018 book, “Ten Arguments For Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now.” And as always, this week’s episode of Pop Tech Jam serves up a look at the recent tech headlines. Fire up Episode 302 to hear it all!

As NASA declares its Mars Opportunity rover's mission to be over, El Kaiser and J.D. raise a glass to the plucky little machine who did far more than what was expected of it — and sent back so much science. This week's batch of headlines also brings a potential new subscription service (or two) from Apple, Amazon bailing out of New York City and a Tinder-like app for cattle. J.D. also discusses apps to better plan your home renovation. Here's a toast to Opportunity from PTJ Episode 301!

As Pop Tech Jam hits the canonical 300-episode mark, El Kaiser and J.D. ponder the skill (or lack thereof) needed to create a good grilled-cheese sandwich — before discussing the week's technology news and a roundup of public-safety and information apps. Cook yourself up a toastie and have a listen!

The winter temperatures in the American Midwest may have plummeted, but in the technology world, it's Apple and Facebook bouncing off the floor — and into each other over user privacy. El Kaiser and J.D. chew through the events of the past week, and also pause to ponder another question: How many streaming services can one actually have until it feels like paying the same old big bucks for a cable subscription? Click up Episode 299 to hear it all!

Famous eggs, self-delivering scooters, rabbit-ears making a comeback and YouTube triesto ban stupidity — El Kaiser and JD catch up on a big pile of technology news from the past week or two. And in a (Hopefully) Helpful Hint, J.D. explains how to use a free, pre-built spreadsheet to track your finances. Roll on into PTJ 298 to hear it all!

Early January is here at last and El Kaiser and J.D. are ready to explore all the unique creations launched on the floor of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. And as with last year's round-up, the specifications and features on the Kohler Intelligent Toilet amaze. This week's episode also features a look at recent technology news and a rave review for the animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse film. Jump into 2019 with Episode 297!