Tech News Weekly (Audio)

Emily Forlini of PCMag joins Mikah Sargent on Tech News Weekly! Microsoft launched its fall feature drop for Copilot, including a new AI avatar called Mico. Amazon is making headlines with its robotic automation efforts and also unveiled new AR smart glasses for delivery drivers. Jason Howell stops by to discuss Samsung's new Galaxy XR headset, their answer to Apple's Vision Pro.

• Emily discusses Microsoft's new AI avatar Mico, introduced as part of Copilot's fall feature drop with 12 new features, including group project tools and health Q&A. Emily and Mikah debate whether anyone actually wants 'real talk' with a chatbot.


• Mikah covers Amazon's continued automation push, replacing warehouse positions with robots as the company expands its use of robotics throughout its logistics operations. Emily weighs in with her inside knowledge on what this means for real workers.


• Jason Howell joins to talk about Samsung's new $1,799 Galaxy XR headset positioning itself as a direct competitor to Apple's Vision Pro. He explains why built-in Gemini AI makes it special and why smart glasses might ultimately beat big VR headsets.


• Mikah dives into Amazon's new AR smart glasses designed for delivery drivers, featuring hands-free navigation, package scanning, hazard detection, and automatic proof-of-delivery photo capture—all displayed directly in the driver's field of view.

Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Emily Forlini

Guest: Jason Howell

Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly.

Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!

Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Sponsors:

• ventionteams.com/twit


• auraframes.com/ink


• outsystems.com/twit


• threatlocker.com/twit

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy of The Verge is on Tech News Weekly with Mikah Sargent this week! Jennifer is excited about the new iPad Pro. California passed a law requiring warning labels on social media. Apple announced the new iPad Pro, MacBook Pro, and Vision Pro with the M5 chip. Meta launched new PG-13 Guidelines for teen users on Instagram.

• The iPad Pro got an M5 update! But Jennifer is more excited about how the iPad got the chip needed to be a smart home controller that officially supports the Thread protocol.


• Mikah talks about California passing a new law that requires social media companies to disclose the health risks of using social media.


• Dan Moren of Six Colors stops by to talk about, besides the iPad Pro getting an upgrade to M5, the MacBook Pro and Vision Pro getting updated with the M5 chips.


• And Mikah shares Meta's new PG-13 guidelines for Instagram Teen accounts.

Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jennifer Pattison Tuohy

Guest: Dan Moren

Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly.

Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!

Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Sponsors:

• zapier.com/tnw


• veeam.com


• ventionteams.com/twit


• outsystems.com/twit

Amanda Silberling joins Mikah Sargent on Tech News Weekly this week! Casio has a new smart toy companion powered by AI. The UK is still seeking to develop backdoor encryption for Apple users. ChatGPT is looking to act more like an operating system. And how the 'Buy Now, Pay Later' model has built a $120 billion industry.

• Amanda has her hands on a new AI-powered smart companion from Casio! She and Mikah talk about the device, how it works, and the possible data security and privacy concerns.


• Mikah talks about the UK's continued push to create backdoor encryption for Apple users in the country.


• Sabrina Ortiz of ZDNet joins the show to discuss OpenAI's Dev Day and the company's ambitions to make OpenAI function like an OS with the launch of the Apps SDK.


• Finally, Mikah shares an article from The New York Times Magazine about the 'Buy Now, Pay Later' market, which allows buyers to obtain their items easily and traps users in a swarm of debt.

Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Amanda Silberling

Guest: Sabrina Ortiz

Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly.

Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!

Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Sponsors:

• pantheon.io


• threatlocker.com/twit


• cachefly.com/twit

Abrar Al-Heeti joins Tech News Weekly this week! OpenAI launches Sora 2. AI is powering more fraudulent ads. Amazon updates its lineup of products. And Google incorporates Gemini into its smart home devices.

• OpenAI launches Sora 2, its latest video generator app. Sora 2 seeks to rival platforms such as TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.


• DoubleVerify's DV Fraud Lab has detected a rise in fraudulent apps available for download, with AI powering these apps to hijack mobile devices.


• Amazon held its Fall Hardware Event this past week, unveiling the latest Echo devices, Ring security cameras, and its next-gen Alexa+ chatbot being available in these devices.


• And Florence Ion joins the show to discuss Google's revamp of its smart home devices, introducing Gemini for Google Home and the new Google Home Speaker, which is slated to launch in Spring 2026.

Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Abrar Al-Heeti

Guest: Florence Ion

Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly.

Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!

Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Sponsors:

• hoxhunt.com/securitynow


• zscaler.com/security


• veeam.com

Emily Forlini of PCMag joins Mikah Sargent this week! The EU is considering ending the cookie consent banners. Amazon reaches a $2.5 billion settlement with the FTC. Some insight into why the new iPhone 17 Pros are more prone to scratches and dings. And is TechWoven truly better than FineWoven?

• Emily talks about how the EU is considering ending the cookie consent banners that pop up when users visit websites.


• Mikah shares how the FTC is bringing Amazon to trial over allegations that the company misled users into signing up for Amazon Prime. However, Amazon has settled the matter for a cool $2.5 billion!


• And Liz Chamberlain, Director of Sustainability of iFixit, joins the show to discuss what has led to the iPhone 17 Pro showing more wear than the other models, the organization's teardown of the iPhone Air, and how Apple's TechWoven improves on some of the failures of the previous FineWoven material.

Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Emily Forlini

Guest: Liz Chamberlain

Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly.

Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!

Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Sponsors:

• spaceship.com/twit


• smarty.com/twit