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TechtalkRadio – Flight Apps, Travel Tech & AI Photo Restoration – EP479


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.

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TechtalkRadio Episode 477 – Hail, Apple, and Why Is This Still 1080p?!

This week on TechtalkRadio, Andy Taylor, Shawn DeWeerd, and Justin Lemme kick off with Shawn sharing a wild camping story—where YouTube weather streamer Ryan Hall helped them track a fast-moving storm that quickly turned dangerous. It sparks a discussion about the growing role of independent content creators and how platforms like YouTube are reshaping how we consume real-time information and entertainment

The guys break down the latest news from Apple with Tim Cook stepping aside as CEO of Apple and John Ternus stepping into the role. The team explores Apple’s successes, missteps, and whether the company can catch up in the rapidly evolving AI space. Justin shares with a discussion on “de-Googling”—a growing movement toward reclaiming personal data through alternative operating systems like GrapheneOS. Does this conflict with the trade-offs between convenience and control in today’s connected world?

Amazon shares news about a New Slimmer Amazon Fire Stick HD and FAST (Free Ad Supported Television) channels. The New Device ditches the previous Fire OS and is now run on Linux-based Vega OS. No Power Brick needed, it can run off a USB-C Port, and it does come with a USB-C to USB A Cable. It still has the guys wondering about the puzzling decision to stick with 1080p in a 4K world.

Amanda is back on the show to talk AI in education—what’s really happening in classrooms right now and how schools are handling it. She dives into the opportunities, the challenges, and what parents should be paying attention to.

Later, the crew answers a listener question about digital signage, offering practical solutions—from simple USB-based displays to more advanced platforms like Bright Sign or XOGO.AI. Justin shares a almost celebrity encounter which opens a discussion of the Nicest and grumpiest celebs we have encountered. The guys also talk about the gamer so focused on her bubbles, police were called which opens up a discussion of gamers in their 90s, proving that tech truly spans generations.

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Less Screen Time, More Play: Fun Tech for Kids with Mario and Bluey

In this week’s Talking Tech segment on KMSB Fox 11 News 13, Andy Taylor explores a growing trend in technology—tools and toys designed to help kids take a break from screens while still engaging with interactive and educational experiences.

After showcasing a variety of gadgets at the Sunflower Computer Club in Marana, one standout featured previously on Talking Tech was the NEX Playground, an interactive system that turns your TV into a motion-based gaming experience. Kids can physically participate in games, blending screen time with movement and social interaction.

Nintendo is also expanding beyond traditional gaming with its My Mario line, offering books, building sets, and hybrid digital experiences that encourage creativity, reading, and hands-on play.

For outdoor fun, Andy highlights a ride-on ATV themed around Bluey. The Bluey 12v ATV With Surfboard is Designed for younger riders, it offers a safe, battery-powered way for kids to explore while enjoying familiar sounds and characters. Of course it is decorated in Bluey Style! While the Weight limit is about 66lbs and can reach a top speed of 3mph, Andy decided to have Sora, before it goes aways, allow him a virtual experience of Riding!

The takeaway: technology isn’t just about more screen time—it can also be a bridge to more active, creative, and balanced play.

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Episode 472 – MacBook Neo Is Official, AI Music Gets Real & Choosing the Right Security Camera | TechtalkRadio

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.

Andy shares some features of the K19+
Andy shows the K19+ Hidden Camera Detector Feature
Shawn shares a Multi-Function Switch together with a Wyze Switch
Shawn shares the Multi Feature Switch he made with a Wyze Product

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.

The Final after Adjusting Eye Color in Photoshop
Final after Photoshop Eye Layer
Original Photo of Gloria before attending a KLPX Ozzy Event
Original Photo from 2002 of Gloria
After having Gemini update the background with a prompt highlighting the event. We shouldn't have asked for the Green Eyes.
Gemini Take after asking for Green Eyes??

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.

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Episode 471 – AI Ads, New Tech & The Death of Trust Online | TechtalkRadio

This week on TechtalkRadio, Andy Taylor, Justin Lemme, and Shawn DeWeerd are finally all back in the same episode—and they waste no time diving into the biggest tech vibes of the week: Super Bowl ads, AI overload, and the growing feeling that nothing we see online can be trusted at face value.

The crew kicks things off talking about how Super Bowl commercials just don’t hit like they used to—especially now that so many ads get spoiled early and a wave of “AI everything” messaging has officially arrived. One standout: the uneasy reaction to a Ring-style “AI neighborhood search” concept that left everyone asking the same question… is this helpful… or is this Big Brother? That leads into a bigger conversation about terms-of-service “gotchas,” features enabled by default, and how the U.S. and EU often treat consumer protections very differently. Andy found his old Dude Your Getting a Dell T-Shirt, The Guys wondered what happened to the Dude Guy? 10 years ago this week – He answered the Questions in this video for TechInsider posted to YouTube

From there, the episode shifts into something closer to home: the ongoing Nancy Guthrie case in Tucson and how AI-generated “enhancements” and misinformation are muddying the waters online. The guys discuss how quickly fake visuals and wild speculation can spread, especially when streamers and social feeds turn a real investigation into 24/7 content. The takeaway is simple—and kind of scary: AI is making it harder than ever to trust what we’re seeing.

Listener questions bring the episode into practical territory. One parent asks where teens should start with AI, and the answer is all about guardrails: keep it open, keep it honest, and stay involved. Justin shares a great real-world example—using AI as a supervised helper so his son can learn Roblox Studio and build an actual working game. (Proof that with the right oversight, these tools can be more “creative superpower” than “digital doomscroll.”)

Then it’s nostalgia time. Susan in Green Valley wants to revisit classic Windows 95-era games, and Shawn points listeners toward GOG (Good Old Games) for DRM-free classics and the Internet Archive for browser-playable retro titles. The gaming talk escalates into Diablo vs. World of Warcraft, “Will It Run Doom?” madness (yes, people run Doom on everything), and even a moment of remembrance for Hideki Sato, a key figure behind Sega’s legendary hardware era—including the Dreamcast.

The episode wraps with a quick Apple-watch segment: a teased “special Apple experience,” rumors of new hardware like an iPhone 17E and MacBook Pro with M5, and a side-road into shifting tech ecosystems—Windows frustrations, growing Linux momentum, and Andy’s ongoing real-world adjustment to Android life with his Pixel. As always: listener questions, tech laughs, and just enough chaos to keep it fun.