Podcast · Tech & Science
by Tom Merritt · English · Tech & Science
Tom Merritt and the team help you stay up to date with an independent, authoritative and trustworthy tech news briefing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
7 Oct 2026 · 37 minNew
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra is also out and can do a lot of parameters locally too. And Tom vibe codes a crappy but cute game on Google’s new Playground service. Starring Tom Merritt , Huyen Tue Dao , and Robb Dunewood . Links to stories discussed in this episode can be found here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
E5368 · 6 Oct 2026 · 34 minNew
Mistral and a New York company get competitive in open weights, and a startup wants to sell you a cheap AI PC. Cheap by AI standards. Starring Tom Merritt and Jason Howell Show notes found here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
E5367 · 5 Oct 2026 · 33 minNew
Some Android apps don’t work as well on the Intel Googlebooks. How many? Google says don’t worry about it. Meanwhile, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says we need to put up with a little risk for great AI rewards. Starring Tom Merritt and Robb Dunewood Show notes found here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
4 Oct 2026 · 25 min
Tom Merritt talks to Tom Persky, the proprietor of Floppydisk.com , about how he’s still able to sell new blank floppy disks, how he ended up in the business, and how much longer he thinks it can go on. Show notes here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
3 Oct 2026 · 13 min
Robert Heron from Heron Fidelity joined us to talk about the lawsuit over the meaning of MiniLED, what it means to you, and what to keep in mind when shopping for a TV. Show notes found here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S13 · E5366 · 2 Oct 2026 · 1 hr
OpenAI introduced Dots this week; proactive agents that run in the cloud and act for you without being asked. Meta’s Muse and Manus offer similar capabilities. The big question: Do you want your AI agent to be proactive? Plus Amazon unveiled a new Kindle lineup this week aimed at new readers. Amazon says 60% of buyers are first-time Kindle owners. The second question of the week: Ebook or real book? Starring Sarah Lane, Tom Merritt, Robb Dunewood, Jason Howell, Huyen Tue Dao, Len Peralta, Roger Chang, Joe Link to the Show Notes . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
E5365 · 1 Oct 2026 · 33 min
We break down the new Kindles, talk about Gemini 4 Argon, and assess the iPhone’s China comeback. Starring Tom Merritt and Sarah Lane Show notes here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S13 · E5364 · 30 Sep 2026 · 35 min
Apple’s going to release a smart home hub in a few weeks. Plus, the real US AI story you’re not hearing as much about and why you should care about a new Fire TV Stick! Starring Tom Merritt and Huyen Tue Dao . Links to stories discussed in this episode can be found here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S13 · E5363 · 29 Sep 2026 · 32 min
It’s Dev Days for OpenAI, so they added a new $500-a-month plan. Plus, a way to use batteries to remove CO2 from the air. And we interpret Anthropic’s IPO filing so you don’t have to be a financial pro to understand it. Starring Tom Merritt and Jenn Cutter . Links to stories discussed in this episode can be found here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S13 · E5362 · 28 Sep 2026 · 29 min
NVIDIA’s Open Agent Safety Platform is a reference design for how agents can be confined and monitored, and Bose released its USB-C powered Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds to tap into the growing wired headphone resurgence. Starring Jason Howell and Robb Dunewood . Links to stories discussed in this episode can be found here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S13 · E5361 · 25 Sep 2026 · 59 min
Can Googlebooks replace a MacBook or PC laptop? Are AI charms the future of personal AI or just a dead end? We discuss these important topics plus answer this important viewer question "Which jobs will be looked upon as buggy whip manufactures in the near future?" Starring Sara Lane, Tom Merritt, Robb Dunewood, Huyen Tue Dao, Iyaz Akhtar, Len Peralta, Roger Chang, Joe Links to stories discussed in this episode can be found here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S13 · E5360 · 24 Sep 2026 · 34 min
Meta’s new Muse Charm makes agentic AI cute. Plus Rob DeMillo joins to talk about Google launching its Tensor Processing Units into space. Starring Tom Merritt , Sarah Lane , and Rob DeMillo . Links to stories discussed in this episode can be found here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S13 · E5359 · 23 Sep 2026 · 37 min
Jason Howell reports from the Snapdragon Summit on the new Snapdragon Elite Gen 6 models, plus most of the world feels good about AI, so why is the West such a downer? Starring Tom Merritt , Huyen Tue Dao , and Jason Howell . Links to stories discussed in this episode can be found here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S13 · E5358 · 22 Sep 2026 · 36 min
A few hundred layoffs and some other studio moves continue the changes at Xbox, plus Beats 360 modular headphones and an LLM for ancient Greek. Starring Tom Merritt , Jenn Cutter and Dr. Niki . Links to stories discussed in this episode can be found here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S13 · E5357 · 21 Sep 2026 · 35 min
Ron Richards got his hands on the new Googlebooks, which are great laptops for Android users. Plus, the Mac Mini and Mac Studio reviews are out, and why AI might NOT kill us all. Yet. Starring Tom Merritt , Robb Dunewood , and Ron Richards . Links to stories discussed in this episode can be found here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S13 · 20 Sep 2026 · 34 min
Scott Stein, CNET Editor at Large, walks through the new Steam Frame VR headset, where it sits in the pantheon of VR devices in 2026, and whether its price is justified. Featuring Jason Howell and Scott Stein. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S13 · E5357 · 19 Sep 2026 · 39 min
Which cables should you keep and which can you finally ditch? Roger and Patrick Norton tackle the tangled mess of cables taking over our closets and garages, and attempt some much-needed cable therapy. Starring Patrick Norton, Roger Chang Show Notes https://www.cablematters.com https://www.anker.com/collections/cables Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S13 · E5356 · 18 Sep 2026 · 1 hr
Molly Wood joins to talk about the upgrade cycle of devices, whether you should get permission from people before summarizing your conversations with them and does anyone need smart glasses? Featuring Tom Merritt, Roger Chang, Amos, Joe, Jenn Cutter, Sarah Lane, Len Peralta, Molly Wood. Links to stories discussed in this episode can be found here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S13 · E5355 · 17 Sep 2026 · 43 min
We think big enterprises are the most likely to buy Snap Specs, plus the Apple Watch reviews are in, and more AI safety instances and a framework for dealing with them! Starring Tom Merritt , Sarah Lane , and Dr. Niki . Links to stories discussed in this episode can be found here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S13 · E5354 · 16 Sep 2026 · 32 min
We look over the largely growing reviews of the iPhone 18 Pro, plus what Flock Cameras actually capture and a security industry perspective on securing agents. Starring Tom Merritt and Jenn Cutter . Links to stories discussed in this episode can be found here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S13 · E5353 · 15 Sep 2026 · 33 min
Steam Frame reviews say that the VR headset is ambitious and expensive with limited games support, and newly developed perovskite solar cells can charge more efficiently underwater than traditional silicon solar cells. Starring Tom Merritt and Jason Howell . Links to stories discussed in this episode can be found here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
E5352 · 14 Sep 2026 · 39 min
Code spotted inside of iOS27 shows how real AI model choice might present itself inside the OS, and Justin Robert Young talks about how AI has become the top political issue heading into the US midterms. Starring Jason Howell , Robb Dunewood, Tom Merritt, and Justin Robert Young . Show notes can be found here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S13 · E5352 · 12 Sep 2026 · 52 min
Apple just unveiled its latest lineup: the iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, the much-anticipated iPhone Duo, Apple Watch Series 12, and AirPods 5. But the big question is: is Apple’s first foldable iPhone actually worth the hype? Jenn Cutter and SnobOS Podcasters Nica Montford and Terrance Gaines join us to break down Apple’s boldest iPhone yet—and whether the iPhone Duo changes the game. Starring Sarah Lane, Nica Montford, Terrance Gaines, Jenn Cutter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
E5351 · 11 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 1 min
Scott Johnson joins us to talk about Apple's ever-growing list of iPhones and whether we still want or need game consoles. Plus, if AI is unsafe, what do we want done to make it safe? It's the Friday BIG TECH QUESTIONS episode. Join us! Show notes found here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
E5350 · 10 Sep 2026 · 39 min
It’s a small chance, but still. At least autonomous vehicles are safer for us. And poor Instagram. Making it “safer” makes it less fun. Starring: Tom Merritt and Sarah Lane Show notes found here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S13 · E5349 · 9 Sep 2026 · 44 min
Apple also has a new watch and more. Sarah Lane joins us to break it all down. Plus, an Anthropic engineer quits over AI safety fears. Starring Tom Merritt , Huyen Tue Dao , and Sarah Lane . Links to stories discussed in this episode can be found here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S13 · E5348 · 8 Sep 2026 · 37 min
Dr. Niki reviews and calls out the IgNobel prizes, the silliest achievements in science, and Google Search is now very different in the EU as the company complies with the Digital Markets Act. Starring Tom Merritt , Jason Howell , and Dr. Nicole Ackermans . Links to stories discussed in this episode can be found here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S13 · 6 Sep 2026 · 16 min
Dr. Niki looked at the numbers and tells us why this year’s number of recalls is not that different than previous ones, but is notable in one important way. Featuring Tom Merritt and Dr. Nicole Ackermans. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S13 · 5 Sep 2026 · 21 min
Tom Merritt and Jenn Cutter look back on the biggest tech stories of July Starring Tom Merritt and Jenn Cutter . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
E5347 · 4 Sep 2026 · 34 min
Astra is coming for us all, Lenovo has new concept devices, and Microsoft knows what’s best for you. Streaming game limits and developer configurations. Starring Tom Merritt and Jenn Cutter Show notes found here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tom Merritt and the team help you stay up to date with an independent, authoritative and trustworthy tech news briefing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Daily Tech News Show is a English tech & science podcast from Tom Merritt. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.
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