This week on TechtalkRadio, Travel tech, Aviation apps, Retro family discoveries, AI photo restoration, Streaming frustrations, and even a little Bubble Pop obsession are covered with Andy Taylor, Shawn DeWeerd, and Justin Lemme The Episode kick off by talking about Justin’s upcoming trip to Japan and the tech challenges that come with international travel — from voltage differences and outlet adapters to keeping devices charged during a 12-hour flight. Justin tells us why getting the adaptors for the country you are visiting is important. The conversation also dives into airline Wi-Fi and finding out if Starlink is available on the flight, Also keeping occupied with Steam Deck gaming on long flights, and useful tools like FlightAware and ADS-B Exchange for aviation fans on the ground

Shawn had a busy week and shares stories from producing and directing a massive international chamber music competition livestream, The Fischoff, giving listeners a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to manage cameras, streaming systems, and production crews during an 11-hour broadcast event.

Andy also shares a fascinating genealogy rabbit hole after discovering long-lost family history connected to Burma and India through online archives and vintage photographs. The discussion naturally expands into preserving family memories, with the team debating whether AI-powered photo restoration tools are a great way to preserve history or if traditional untouched photos should remain as they are.

Listeners also get a lively conversation about movie search frustrations, the “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon,” including a great find with a website, The Oracle of Bacon. A Listener question about whether it’s finally time to cut the cord from cable television, what to think about and why streaming services are starting to feel just as expensive as traditional CableTV. The crew also touches on the rise of FAST TV, subscription fatigue, and the growing number of ads appearing even on paid streaming platforms.

To wrap things up, Andy shares some surprising Walmart tech bargains on gaming PC hardware, Shawn discusses a major cyberattack impacting schools using the Canvas learning platform during finals week, and Justin previews the gadgets and camera gear he’ll be bringing along to Japan.

This week on TechtalkRadio, Andy and Shawn open with condolences for Justin, who’s away for a couple weeks after a loss in the family. From there, the conversation swings into Shawn’s very real-world tech life as a broadcast engineer at Notre Dame—juggling a marathon Saturday that included multiple live productions across different networks and platforms. They also touch on the frustration of missing major industry conferences like NAB and Infocom due to schedule collisions, while still keeping an eye on the one event Shawn refuses to miss: Gen Con, the massive tabletop gaming convention he’s attended for over a decade.

The middle of the show dives into the growing “ownership problem” in modern tech—especially as it relates to phones, computers, and cloud services. Andy and Shawn react to Apple’s latest headlines, including talk of a more affordable iPhone option and what a lower-cost iOS device could mean for people who don’t want (or can’t justify) flagship pricing. That naturally leads to a bigger discussion: device upgrade fatigue, the rising cost of PC parts like RAM and storage, and the creeping shift toward renting everything—software, storage, even processing power—through subscriptions and cloud instances.

AI is the big philosophical thread this week. They debate the ethical and emotional cost of AI-generated content—how it’s getting harder to tell what’s real, why disclosure matters, and what happens when companies replace human creativity because AI is cheaper and “good enough.” Andy shares a fascinating example using Suno, an AI music generator that created a shockingly convincing song featuring the show’s names—cool, impressive… and immediately uncomfortable once you realize what it represents. They also dig into the fine print reality: even when you prompt the creation, you often don’t truly own it, and rights can disappear the moment you stop paying.

In the second half, the show pivots back to practical tech help with a listener question about home security cameras. Shawn lays out why he’s a fan of Wyze—especially the value of an unlimited camera plan and SD-card local recording—while Andy weighs in with real-world comparisons like Google Nest limitations and other alternatives (including a window-mounted camera option he demoed on TV). The episode wraps with a fun maker-style segment where Shawn explains his DIY hack turning a Wyze smart switch into a portable “smart button,” plus a quick look at an RF/IR detection gadget Andy picked up for travel privacy and hidden camera detection. Finally, they close on fresh Apple rumors—an apparent leak pointing to a lower-cost “MacBook Neo”—and tease next week’s topic: AI journaling with Rosebud.

Please leave this field empty

DON’T MISS A BEAT

Be the first to know when our Shows and Video Content is released

We don’t spam! Read our [link]privacy policy[/link] for more info.

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.