680: Failed Up

This week on Grumpy Old Geeks, Jason and Brian dissect the latest tech and cultural news, starting with a TikTok tempest. The Supreme Court’s decision to uphold a law potentially banning the app in the U.S. leaves the ball in Trump’s court, while TikTok’s CEO plans to attend his inauguration. As users flock to alternative Chinese apps and RedNote scrambles to hire English-speaking moderators, it seems the tech world is in chaos. Meanwhile, Mark Zuckerberg faces lawsuits over using pirated materials to train AI and continues to delete links to competitors like Pixelfed. Over in Europe, Elon Musk’s X is under scrutiny for its algorithm transparency, while celebs like Mark Ruffalo advocate for a fully open social media ecosystem. Add in news of Bluesky’s new photo-sharing app, Mastodon’s founder stepping back, and yet another study revealing rampant fakery in online job postings, and it’s a wild ride.

In Media Candy, the geeks dive into the gritty charm of Silo, the Broadway movie hit Wicked, and the nostalgia of Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action. They also discuss Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test Season 3 and reminisce about Blue Thunder and its TV adaptation. On the music front, dream pop enthusiasts will love their take on The 30 Best Dream Pop Albums, while Marvel fans get the scoop on the Daredevil: Born Again trailer. Plus, a nod to Real Coffee with Scott Adams and the real tea on Neil Gaiman.

Finally, in Apps & Doodads, they break down the fallout from Sonos’ disastrous app launch and the FTC’s decision to ban General Motors from selling driving data. Musk’s antics make an appearance again with a bizarre spat involving leaked DMs and a revoked checkmark, and a curious gadget called the Gaming Pillow. Closing shout-outs honor legendary Brewers broadcaster Bob Uecker and visionary filmmaker David Lynch, both gone but never forgotten.

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Show notes at https://gog.show/680

IN THE NEWS

Supreme Court upholds law that could ban TikTok in the U.S., leaving the matter to Trump

TikTok C.E.O. Plans to Attend Trump Inauguration

TikTok Users Are Flocking to Another Chinese Social Media App as U.S. Ban Looms

RedNote Scrambles to Hire English-Speaking Content Moderators

Donald Trump Has Mark Zuckerberg By the Balls

Lawsuit says Mark Zuckerberg approved Meta's use of pirated materials to train Llama AI

Meta admits it deleted links to decentralized Instagram competitor Pixelfed

Europe orders Elon Musk’s X to submit documents on its recommendation algorithms