TechtalkRadio kicks off 2026 with Andy Taylor and Shawn DeWeerd diving into what everyone’s talking about — including the Stranger Things finale buzz and the rumor of a “secret” alternate episode (conspiracy theories included). Since recording, we find out that it is exactly that, a Rumor! From there, the guys slide into full nostalgia mode: retro gaming, childhood memories, and why classic consoles still hit differently — from Mario Kart 64 and Ocarina of Time, to the reality check of firing up an old Wii and realizing… the graphics don’t look like you remembered.
The show also hits practical tech with listener questions, including how to digitize VHS tapes the right way (without creating giant files or losing quality), what capture gear actually matters, and why transferring analog media is still a time-consuming “real-time” process. Plus, they revisit the debate: should you shut your computer down at night — and what exceptions make sense (like Plex servers)?
On the home media side, Shawn breaks down Plex in plain English — what it is, how it works, what’s free, and why opening your server for remote streaming can be risky if you aren’t staying on top of updates. You’ll also hear tips for responsibly getting rid of old towers and CRT gear (and why you should always pull hard drives first).
Finally, Andy shows off a couple of fun gadgets — including a compact media player as a “phone-free” music option and a slick new Ethernet-equipped hub — before wrapping with a rapid-fire trip down 1990s memory lane (dial-up sounds, TV Guide, Blockbuster nights, and the Dewey Decimal System).
Tech, nostalgia, CES talk, and real listener help — all in the first TechtalkRadio of 2026.
We have been running behind so wanted to make sure we share these episodes that Aired but have not been posted. Hope you enjoy them!
Linda Chorney at the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards February 12, 2012Andy Taylor takes a Pie to the FaceNew Audiobook Available
This week on TechtalkRadio, Andy Taylor and Shawn DeWeerd kick things off in full holiday mode with a look at Microsoft’s latest seasonal merch drop—highlighting the surprisingly steep price tag on the new “ugly sweater,” the retro logos packed into the design (and a few questionable modern additions), plus the equally head-scratching 50th anniversary Crocs and other oddball collectibles on Microsoft’s revamped merchandise site. The conversation rolls naturally into Shawn’s Christmas wish list—everything from retro gaming gear and board-game storage to soldering tools, ham radio accessories, and FPV drones—along with the realities of finding certain tech items in stock (or even available) right now.
From there, the show pivots to timely safety and consumer tech advice. Andy shares warnings tied to “Dangerous December,” reinforcing how critical it is to keep browsers and mobile devices updated during peak online shopping season, when older devices and outdated software can become easy targets. The duo also addresses a growing concern around romance scams, outlining common red flags—like refusing video calls or pushing for money—and reminding listeners how easily scammers can use public online details to build trust and manipulate victims.
We get a chance to answer a listener question from Cecilia in Tucson about a dropped laptop with a shattered screen—explaining how adding an external monitor can often bring the machine back to life, and walking through common steps to enable an external display if it doesn’t switch automatically. That discussion expands into practical habits for everyday computing, including whether to shut down systems overnight, what “update and shut down” really means in the real world, and how different devices (home rigs, servers, and work machines) have very different expectations for uptime and maintenance.
Later, Andy welcomes Linda Chorney—Grammy-nominated artist, filmmaker, and self-described DIY “rebel”—to talk about her new audiobook, It Ain’t Over Till the Indie Sings. Linda shares the remarkable story behind her career, how technology and persistence helped her navigate the industry, and how she taught herself production workflows—from editing and syncing audio to recording in Pro Tools and meeting modern audiobook standards. The episode closes with gaming news for Tomb Raider fans and a nostalgic holiday wrap-up, as Shawn recounts a weekend of in-person gaming, board games, and Lord of the Rings marathons—celebrating the kind of face-to-face tech friendship and shared experiences that many of us miss in today’s always-online world.
This week’s TechtalkRadio Show kicks off with Andy, Shawn, and Justin joking about cold basements, impulse buying, and Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals before diving into a discussion with former FBI spy hunter and cybersecurity expert Eric O’Neill, author of Spies, Lies, and Cybercrime. Eric explains why he hates the Hollywood “hoodie hacker” stereotype and argues that today’s cybercriminals operate more like spies—well-funded, organized, and focused on long-term reconnaissance and deception. He walks through how overseas criminal syndicates abuse the dark web, cryptocurrency, and lax enforcement in countries like Russia and China to attack victims in the U.S. with little fear of being caught.
From there, the conversation gets very real about modern scams: AI voice and video deepfakes used for “family emergency” scams, social media “fun quizzes” that are actually fishing for password reset information, and toll-road and smishing (SMS phishing) texts that weaponize urgency and fear. Eric stresses that everyone is a target, not just big companies—criminals simply look for whoever is most vulnerable, especially seniors and teens. His core advice: assume every unsolicited email or text is a potential viper, don’t click deal links in emails (go directly to the retailer’s site instead), enable two-factor authentication everywhere, and never pay scammers via wire transfer, crypto, or gift cards. He also recommends using credit cards over debit for fraud protection. Check out Eric’s Website at https://www.ericoneill.net
Shawn confesses to an expensive impulse buy: the Analog 3D, a high-end, hardware-accurate recreation of the Nintendo 64 that outputs in 4K and supports original cartridges and controllers—but he can’t find any of his N64 games. Cue memories of GoldenEye, Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, Star Fox 64 and the possibility that “Steve” might still be “borrowing” his carts. Justin follows with a deep dive into his heavily modded Steam Deck OLED, wrapped in real leather from dbrand, customized with copper-infused buttons designed to develop patina, and upgraded Hall-effect joysticks. He talks about tearing the handheld apart, troubleshooting joystick issues with AI tools, and that classic “one screw left over” moment, all while Andy points out how AI is speeding up creative work—from fixing graphics to solving hardware problems.
Listener questions round out the show. Martin in Vail asks about smartwatches for an iPhone, and Justin and Shawn recommend sticking with Apple Watch unless you need serious fitness and outdoor tracking, in which case Garmin shines with better GPS, battery life, and health metrics. Shawn also vents about Apple’s sometimes maddening notification behavior and how he fixed messages going only to his Mac instead of his watch/phone. Adrian in Irvine asks about secure email in light of concerns over big tech scanning messages for AI training; ProtonMailgets a thumbs-up overall, with a side note about recent worries over dormant address recycling. Justin’s Website of the Week is point.me, a service that helps combine travel points across multiple programs to unlock flights and hotel stays—complete with a real-world success story from their friend Matt flying upgraded to Spain on points. The crew wraps with holiday well-wishes, a shout-out to a YouTube viewer, and a joking plea for any listeners with spare Nintendo 64 cartridges to send them Shawn’s way.
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In a recent tech segment, Andy Taylor was In-Studio at KMSB Fox 11 News 13 to spotlight the new RokuOS-powered projector that aims to bring the full streaming‑TV experience into a portable, plug‑and‑play package. Unlike traditional projectors that require external streaming devices, this projector has the Roku OS built in — giving you direct access to the Roku Channel along with popular subscription services like Netflix, Disney+, and Hulu.
Andy highlights its portability (under four pounds), its ability to project a screen from 40 to 150 inches depending on the room, and the convenience of hooking up external audio via Bluetooth for a stronger sound experience. While it’s not a 4K device — it offers 1080p Full HD — for the price, it represents a solid upgrade for movie nights, especially when used in a darkened room where the picture remains crisp and clear.
The D1R Cube itself offers a mix of smart‑home flexibility and simplicity: native 1080p resolution, LED light source, a sealed optical engine for consistent picture quality, auto‑focus and auto‑keystone to minimize manual setup and built‑in Dolby Audio speakers — with the option to pair Bluetooth speakers or headphones. Andy also talked about upgrading your Roku Remote with the Voice Remote Pro.
For this Week’s TechtalkRadio Show, Andy Taylor and Shawn DeWeerd take a look at some of the big stories including Andy thinking about a purchase of the Meta Ray Ban AI Smart Glasses which helped develop this week show title. “I Don’t Want to Become a Meme” The guy’s circle back to the continuing coverage of the now-infamous Coca-Cola AI holiday ad—which featured glitchy puppies, rubbery robot-people and just noticed vanishing truck axles. While Andy enjoyed the ad for its holiday message one listener had asked about the Ad he did think delivers and for the best of his knowledge, No AI! The Amazon Ad with the three-woman wanting to reminisce about the younger year having fun on the Snowy slopes of a hill and George Martins In my life in the background. It hits the mark. The conversation also connects to a bigger conversation about “AI slop” in gaming. They talk about a story of Call of Duty Black Ops 7 and how studios may be leaning on AI for icons and posters which could signal job losses for artists and developers, however this causes growing backlash from fans who are paying real money but getting soulless, auto-generated content in return.
Shawn breaks down how AI could be creeping into sports broadcasting with auto-generated stats, highlight reels, and even generated “hyper frame rate” replays that could blur the line (literally) between what happened and what the algorithm invented. They compare that to AI-created commercials that feel emotionally sterile, and now creepy apps that could let you “talk” to A.I. Generated deceased loved ones. Not Good? Andy mentions how the number one movie this month in 1984 was The Terminator. Sky Net? Also, this causes a flashback to the days whenControl Shift Face was creating some great Deepfake videos and the guys look at Deep Fake versus full generation.
Listener questions bring things back to practical tech. Abigail from Green Valley asks how to safely get online with her iPad away from home, and the guys walk through options like cellular iPads, iPhone hotspots, VPNs, and even the rumored cheaper Apple MacBook with built-in cellular. Ted from Sahuarita writes about undeveloped 35mm film, and Shawn shares his experience usingIndie Film Lab to bring old rolls back to life. There’s also a fun shout-out to Chase Roberts’ new STEM kids’ bookSimple Machines Made Simple, plus mentions of David Pogue’s upcoming Apple book and a nostalgic look at classic computer magazines such as Computer Shopper versus today’s Newly announced Computer Gazette.
The show wraps with a run of rapid-fire topics: Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses and the mental burden of living in a world where anyone can secretly film you and turn you into a meme, thus the Show Title; Blue Origin joining SpaceX in the reusable rocket game; Black Friday safety tips to avoid phishing and sketchy Wi-Fi; and a quick look at the Fi Mini GPS pet tracker for runaway dogs and cats.
It’s a another hour of TechtalkRadio that bounces between “wow, that’s cool” and “wow, that’s terrifying” Give a Listen any Comments or Questions Email us techguys@techtalkradio.com
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