Ask The Tech Guys 2021

Leo Laporte and Mikah Sargent dive into a variety of engaging tech topics, from controversial phone bans in schools to the future of AI and data privacy. The duo also tackles listener questions on VPNs, mobile hotspots, Apple App Store subscriptions, and more. Special guest Rod Pyle joins to discuss the latest updates on Voyager 1 and the Mars Sample Return mission.

• Mobile Phones in Schools: Leo and Mikah discuss the growing controversy around schools banning phones to prevent students from being distracted in class, despite parents' concerns about wanting to stay connected with their children.
• Biometric Security and Privacy: A recent court ruling determined that police officers can compel suspects to unlock their phones using biometric data like fingerprints, sparking a debate about privacy rights and the Fifth Amendment.
• TikTok Ban Passes in the House Again: The hosts examine the implications of the U.S. House of Representatives once again passing a ban on TikTok, which is now headed to the Senate as part of a foreign aid package.
• John asks how to ensure that a VPN is truly protecting his privacy, and Leo explains the importance of trust in a connected world.
• Eric inquires about using NFC chips to log onto Wi-Fi networks with an iPhone, and Mikah clarifies that this feature is not currently available on iOS devices.
• Limitless: Leo pre-ordered a new wearable device called Limitless, which uses AI to record and transcribe conversations while respecting privacy by requiring consent from participants.
• Space expert Rod Pyle joins the show to discuss the latest developments with Voyager 1's corrupted memory and NASA's decision to cut ties with JPL for the Mars sample return mission due to cost and time concerns.
• Dan experiences issues with his mobile hotspot disconnecting when using his computer, and the hosts troubleshoot potential solutions, including checking for metered connections and power-saving settings.
• Fernando inquires about running local AI models for his work at a hospital, and Leo provides insight into retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) and various open-source AI options like Dot.
• Tim asks about using multiple payment methods for Apple App Store subscriptions, and Mikah explains the workaround of manually reordering payment methods.
• Steve wants to move his photos from Google Photos to a hard drive, and Leo recommends using Mylio to easily import and manage the photos from Google Takeout.
• A listener, also named Tim, asks for recommendations on moving their DNS hosting away from Google while still supporting dynamic DNS updates, and the hosts suggest using Cloudflare or a router with built-in dynamic DNS support.
• Shelly experiences issues with mismatched drive sizes when attempting to clone her hard drives, and Leo advises using a sector-by-sector copying tool or rsync for more precise duplication.

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• Transcripts: Ask the Tech Guys 2021 Transcript

Links

• Schools Want to Ban Phones. Parents Say No. - WSJ
• Cops can force suspect to unlock phone with thumbprint, US court rules
• Controversial US surveillance program (briefly?) lapses amid congressional dysfunctionControversial US surveillance program (briefly?) lapses amid congressional dysfunction
• TikTok ‘ban’ passes in the House again, moving to the Senate in foreign aid package
• Best VPN Service 2024: VPNs Tested by Our Experts
• NextDNS - The new firewall for the modern Internet
• Signal
• Tile Lost and Found Labels
• PingTag
• Limitless
• We finally know why NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft stopped communicating — scientists are working on a fix
• NASA's Mars sample return plan is getting a major overhaul: 'The bottom line is $11 billion is too expensive'
• JS Naked Day
• Metered connections in Windows
• Solved: Why Does Xfinity Wifi Hotspot Keep Disconnectin
• Dot - Chat with your Data
• Meta Llama 3
• Mistral AI | Frontier AI in your hands
• Use Managed Apple IDs in Apple Business Manager
• Mylio Photos (TWiT.tv Sponsor)
• ExifTool by Phil Harvey
• Matthias-Wandel/jhead
• Cloudflare
• rsync