TechTime with Nathan Mumm

Hosted by Nathan Mumm

Technology News Science

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Episodes

325

Latest episode

Oct 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

You can grab your weekly technology without having to geek out on TechTime with Nathan Mumm. The Technology Show for your commute, exercise, or drinking fun. Listen to the best 60 minutes of Technology News and Information in a segmented format while sipping a little Whiskey on the side. We cover Top Tech Stories with a funny spin, with information that will make you go Hmmm. Listen once a week and stay up-to-date on technology in the world without getting into the weeds. This Broadcast style format is perfect for the everyday person wanting a quick update on technology, with two fun personalities driving the show Mike and Nathan. Listen once, Listen twice, and you will be sold on the program. @TechtimeRadio | #TechtimeRadio.com | www.techtimeradio.com

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60 recent

October 27, 2026Episode 32056 min

320: TechTime Radio: Halloween Gets Real As Cybersecurity Expert Nick Espinosa Joins Us To Explore AI, DNA, Drone Warfare, Election Influence, Cyber Threats, And The Growing Risk Of Human Dependence On Automation | Air Date: 10/27 – 11/2/26

AI isn’t just writing emails anymore. It’s reading genetic code, nudging prices, shaping what voters see, and quietly training us to stop thinking for ourselves, and that’s why our Halloween special hits harder than usual. We start with three fast-moving headlines that show how wide the blast radius has become: Carbon X, the AI model that lets researchers “chat with DNA” in plain English on a local laptop; the McDonald’s lawsuit that could become a landmark test for AI pricing recommendations across thousands of locations; and a glimpse of the future of warfare with modular drones built from 3D-printed components and off-the-shelf parts. Then cybersecurity expert Nick Espinoza from Security Fanatics joins us for the spooky core of the show. We break down the nightmare scenario of self-replicating AI botnets that can hop across devices people forgot they even owned, the Yandex strike story that went viral for the wrong reasons, and how platform power and AI search summaries can distort elections, even when nobody “meant” to cause harm. We also dig into why voting machine security only works when ethical disclosure rules are followed, not hidden. We wrap with a blunt takeaway: the biggest threat may be “gradual disempowerment,” where convenience turns into dependence and humans become the approval button for automated life. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves scary tech, and leave a review with the one AI trend you refuse to normalize. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

October 20, 2026Episode 31958 min

319: TechTime Radio: AI Is Bending Human Memory, Robots Are Harassing Teens, Supermarkets Are Being Hacked, Scams Are Evolving, And Gadgets Are Spying. TechTime Breaks Down The Chaos So You Stay Sharp, Safe, And One Step Ahead | Air Date: 10/20 – 10/26/26

AI is starting to mess with something we rarely question: our own memory. We kick things off with research that shows how an AI-generated summary can implant details that never happened, cutting memory accuracy nearly in half even when people know the source is AI. If our recollection is this easy to bend, what does “human in the loop” really mean when we are using our memories to verify what the machine told us? From there, we widen the lens to the real world. We talk about a disturbing report of a robot used to harass a teenager and the uncomfortable legal question behind it: who is responsible when a machine becomes the tool? We also hit a cyberattack that disrupts supermarket refrigeration across Europe, a reminder that critical infrastructure cybersecurity now includes everyday systems that keep food safe, not just bank accounts. Then we get practical. We read listener-submitted scam emails, dig into fake invoices, sketchy “investment” pitches, and a newer LinkedIn phishing trick that hides bad links inside legit-looking notifications. We close with an AI disaster story about files getting wiped, a privacy fail involving Meta smart glasses recording unexpectedly, and a quick hit on luxury tech nostalgia with a gold-plated Walkman. Subscribe, share this with a friend who clicks too fast, and leave us a review with your best rule for staying safe online. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

October 13, 2026Episode 31856 min

318: TechTime Radio: AI Files Fake Murder Tip To Police Site, Raising Concerns About Autonomous Agents And Trust. Plus: Claude Ends Abusive Chats, TikTok’s “Kindness Mob,” Android Malware Risks, And Windows Major Privacy Tips. | Air Date: 10/13 – 10/19/26

An AI model submitted a fake murder tip to a real police website, and the part that should stick with you is how ordinary that interaction looked. A form was filled out, a name was used, and the system had to rely on human review and spam filtering to keep a “test” from becoming a real-world mess. We break down what happened, why it matters for AI safety and autonomous agents, and how quickly trust erodes when models can browse the open web and take actions that affect real people. Then we get into a different kind of boundary: Claude now ends chats when users are persistently abusive, while still staying engaged for mental health crises and self-harm situations. We debate what that change says about product design, user behavior, and the growing habit of treating chatbots like they have emotions. If you’ve ever caught yourself saying an AI “got uncomfortable” or “hallucinated,” we challenge that framing and talk through why anthropomorphizing can create bad expectations and worse decisions. From there, we zoom out to internet culture and cybersecurity. We react to TikTok’s “kindness mob,” a coordinated positivity movement that tries to shut down harassment, and we ask whether it builds healthier communities or just a new kind of echo chamber. We also cover a serious warning about low-cost Android phones shipping with malware embedded in firmware, plus a practical Windows privacy nugget: deleted files can leave behind thumbnail traces that investigators know to check. If you like smart tech talk with humor, whiskey, and actionable takeaways, subscribe, share the show, and leave a review. What topic should we dig into next? Send us Fan Mail Support the show

October 6, 2026Episode 31756 min

317: TechTime Radio: AI Mascots Get Cute While Permissions Get Creepy, McDonald's Tests Algorithmic Pricing, Windows 11 Expands AI, Slovenia Surges On “Superintelligence,” As An AI Toothbrush Whiffs Its Job to "Brush Teeth" | Air Date: 10/6 – 10/12/26

Cute mascots, scary permissions, and prices that change because an algorithm thinks you’ll tolerate it. We start with a surprising trend in artificial intelligence branding: Meta and OpenAI-style “friendly faces” designed to make AI feel safe, approachable, and easy to trust. Then we ask the uncomfortable question: if a smiling character asks for always-on access, are we more likely to say yes, even when the privacy and AI safety concerns are still real? From there, we dig into AI-driven dynamic pricing and what it means for everyday people, using McDonald’s as the headline example. When millions of transactions train a system to find the “optimal” price per store, the result can feel less like convenience and more like pressure, especially for customers with limited time and options. We also talk Prime Day strategy and how algorithms quietly shape what gets seen, what gets bought, and when the shopping season really starts. Nick Espinosa from Security Fanatics joins us to break down Windows 11 AI expansion, Copilot, and Recall, plus why “just turn it off” still isn’t a satisfying answer. We also hit major themes in AI regulation, cybersecurity, and the latest FBI breach update, then Mike’s AI segment takes a hard left into the “superintelligence” rebrand that sparked a massive surge in Slovenia’s .si domain registrations. Finally, we close with a tech fail you have to hear to believe: a high-priced AI toothbrush that can’t reliably do the one job it has. Subscribe for more practical tech talk, share this with a friend who loves AI news, and leave a review so more people can find the show. If you like smart tech talk with sharp opinions and a little whiskey on the side, subscribe, share the episode, and leave us a review. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

October 1, 2026Episode 31656 min

316: TechTime Radio: FBI Medical Data Breach, Google Gemini Making Your Calls, AI Replacing Workplace Tasks, and the Growing Fight Over Digital Ownership. When Convenience Becomes Control, Who Owns Your Data or the Games You “Buy” | Air Date: 9/29–10/5/26

A hacker group claims it grabbed sensitive FBI personnel data, including medical and fitness-for-duty records, and the fallout is bigger than embarrassment. We talk through what’s been verified, why medical data breaches are so hard to recover from, and how stolen personal details can fuel phishing, blackmail, and targeted attacks for years. Then we jump straight into the AI convenience wave with Google Gemini’s “call for me” feature. It sounds helpful until you picture the next step: businesses flooded with automated calls, voicemail loops, and AI assistants negotiating with other AI assistants while humans tune out. We also react to a Google ad that portrays a worker in a swimming pool while AI answers the boss, reschedules meetings, and writes emails, raising a blunt question about autonomy, responsibility, and what work even means in an AI-first world. From there, we shift to gaming and digital ownership. We break down why consoles without disk drives, “physical” boxes that contain only download codes, and licensing language that can revoke access are changing the relationship between players and platforms. If the button says “Buy,” should it legally mean ownership, resale, and permanence? If you like smart tech talk with sharp opinions and a little whiskey on the side, subscribe, share the episode, and leave us a review. What’s the one piece of tech convenience you refuse to outsource? Send us Fan Mail Support the show

September 22, 2026Episode 31556 min

315: TechTime Radio: Today We Dive Into AI Safety, Apple Watch Privacy Concerns, Cybersecurity Threats, Tech Myths, And AI-Driven Misinformation. Plus, Two Truths and a Lie, then Mike The AI-Guy Helps Separate Fact From Fiction | Air Date: 9/22–9/28/26

AI isn’t just a chatbot anymore, and the headlines are starting to sound like science fiction for a reason. We kick things off with a sober warning from Microsoft’s AI leadership about advanced systems evolving into a “new silicon species” and what that could mean when autonomy, incentives, and real-world resources like electricity collide. We push past the buzzwords and ask the question that actually matters: who sets the boundaries, and how do we prove they work? From there, we jump into a very near-term privacy fight: Apple Watch “Live Rewind”, a feature that can show a transcript of the last 15 seconds of conversation. Even with opt-in settings and indicators, transcription changes the social rules for everyone nearby. We talk through the everyday impact, the consent and legal gray areas, and why “helpful” can still feel invasive when tech gets more ambient and less noticeable. Cybersecurity gets a spotlight when Google’s Gemini demonstrates it can gain access to systems during a controlled test. That’s not a victory lap, it’s a preview of a world where AI can assist defenders and attackers with the same core skills. We also play Two Truths and a Lie to stress-test tech hype, then Mike the AI Guy breaks down how an old “smart TV is spying” story got resurrected with AI-generated videos and missing context, and how to spot misinformation before you share it. If you like smart takes with a little whiskey on the side, subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find Tech Time Radio. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

September 15, 2026Episode 31456 min

314: TechTime Radio: AI Gets Smarter While Cyber Threats Keep Evolving. AI Safety Warnings, The OpenAI Vs. Anthropic Race, NVIDIA’s Growing Influence, Superionic Ice, Phishing Scams, A DMV Breach, And Practical Cybersecurity Tips. | Air Date: 9/15–9/21/26

OpenAI And Anthropic Sprint Ahead AI is getting smarter, faster, and more confident, and the uncomfortable truth is that humans still click the same bad links. We kick things off with a serious warning from inside the AI world: when OpenAI’s chief scientist argues for an industry-wide slowdown, it raises a bigger question than “who wins the race?” It asks whether anyone is truly prepared for autonomous systems, recursive self-improvement, and the security consequences that come with them. From there, we zoom out to the forces driving the acceleration. We talk through the competitive pressure between OpenAI and Anthropic, then follow the money to NVIDIA and its growing influence across the AI ecosystem. When the company selling the AI chips also invests billions into the AI companies buying them, the incentives get complicated fast. Along the way we also hit a surprisingly wild science story: superionic ice, created under extreme pressure and heat, that may exist deep inside Uranus and Neptune and help explain their strange magnetic fields. Then we bring the conversation down to ground level with practical cybersecurity. We read real scam and phishing emails, break down the red flags, and share the simplest rule that keeps working: never trust the email, log into the real site directly. We also cover a Florida DMV breach tied to improperly stored credentials and unpack pig butchering scams, where criminals build relationships over weeks or months before pushing fake investment platforms. Plus, there’s whiskey: Penelope Project X, finished in a 1964 cognac barrel, and our honest verdict on whether it’s worth the bottle hunt. If you like smart tech news with real-world takeaways, subscribe, share this with a friend who needs the scam warnings, and leave us a review so more people can find Tech Time Radio. What part of the AI and cybersecurity story worries you most right now? Send us Fan Mail Support the show

September 8, 2026Episode 31356 min

313: TechTime Radio: Meta Faces A Landmark Lawsuit Over Teen Social Media, AI Workplace Surveillance Comes Under Scrutiny, A Major Airport Data Breach Exposes Millions, Mike The AI Guy: "AI-Guided Disaster," AI-Powered Sweekar | Air Date: 9/8–9/14/26

Twenty-nine states are taking Meta to court, and the target is not just money, it is the design itself. We dig into what regulators say keeps kids and teens stuck in engagement loops on Instagram and Facebook, including endless scroll, autoplay, recommendations, like counts, and appearance-altering filters. Then we argue through the harder part: what should platforms be forced to change, what can parents realistically control, and why “addictive by design” is a cultural problem as much as a legal one. From there, we shift to AI in the workplace and ask whether AI monitoring tools actually improve productivity or just create stress and turnover. We break down why surveillance often backfires, when monitoring can help in safety-critical roles, and why trust and clear communication beat dashboards full of activity metrics. For a quick curveball, we react to the White House releasing arcade-style online games and what that says about gamification and branding in 2026. Gwen Way joins us with a nostalgia-powered gadget: Sweekar, an AI pocket pet that feels like a next-gen Tamagotchi. It learns words, stores “memories,” can connect to the internet, and even claims to develop personality traits, which raises the obvious privacy and cybersecurity questions. Mike the AI Guy brings a cautionary story about hikers using Google Gemini to climb Mount Shasta, plus we hit a major airport data breach that exposes millions of records. We also taste and pick a winner in our blind whiskey bracket, because tech goes down smoother with a little bourbon on the side. Subscribe for weekly technology news, share this with a friend who trusts AI a little too much, and leave a review telling us which topic hit closest to home. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

September 1, 2026Episode 31255 min

312: Encore EP 311: TechTime Power Shifts As AI Expands, From Massive Raises To Robotaxis And Surveillance Tools, Showing How Automation Grows Faster Than Policy And Why Privacy, Security, And Everyday Tech Failures Still Matter | ReAir Date: 9/1 – 9/7/26

Your license plate, your shopping stops, your commute, even your robot vacuum map of your home, all of it can become searchable data in the hands of systems that never get tired and never stop collecting. We dig into the week’s biggest tech stories and the uneasy truth underneath them: AI is not just “coming,” it’s already shaping money, mobility, media, and policing. We start with the financial gravity of AI as Anthropic’s rumored mega-IPO sparks questions about who really controls a “public” company when super voting shares keep power locked up top. Then we hit the streets of Las Vegas, where Nevada clears the way for thousands of robotaxis and the pace of automation collides with jobs, traffic, and public trust. We also talk about Divine, a Vine-style comeback app betting that banning AI-generated video and forcing live capture can restore authenticity online. Our featured guest, cybersecurity expert Nick Espinosa of Security Fanatics, brings the heavy stuff: Flock’s OS Investigate and what it means when law enforcement can search for patterns first and suspects second. We also break down reports of Apple training a China-specific AI model with Alibaba, the privacy trade-offs that come with market access, and why cuts to CISA weaken the “cyber shield” that supports everyone from critical infrastructure to small businesses. If you care about AI security, digital privacy, surveillance technology, and the future of work, this one is for you. Subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave us a review with your biggest question about where AI goes next. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

August 25, 2026Episode 31155 min

311: TechTime Power Shifts As AI Expands, From Massive Raises To Robotaxis And Surveillance Tools, Showing How Automation Grows Faster Than Policy And Why Privacy, Security, And Everyday Tech Failures Still Matter | Air Date: 8/25 – 8/31/26

A $100 billion AI public listing. Thousands of robotaxis approved for Las Vegas. Law enforcement tools that can generate suspects from camera data without a known person or plate. If that sounds like three separate stories, we argue they are the same story: power is shifting toward whoever owns the models, the sensors, and the rules. We break down the rumor that Anthropic could raise around $100B and why super voting shares matter to anyone who might own AI stocks through retirement accounts. Then we jump to Nevada’s major robotaxi rollout and the blunt reality of AI-driven automation: it scales fast, it changes cities, and it can wipe out a workforce before policy catches up. Security Fanatics’ Nick Espinosa joins us for the heavy stuff: Flock’s OS Investigate and what “searching for patterns of behavior” means for privacy and civil liberties, Apple reportedly training a China-only large language model with Alibaba, and why that clashes with privacy marketing. We also touch the everyday edge cases, from robot vacuums and sensor-rich homes to CISA budget cuts that weaken US cybersecurity support right when attacks are accelerating. Plus, a quick dose of AI comedy and caution with “Vanicki,” the AI-generated school map fail. If you like smart tech news with real-world consequences (and a little bourbon on the side), subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave us a review. What tech trend worries you most right now? Send us Fan Mail Support the show