AI-powered web browsers are hitting the scene fast, but Steve and Leo unpack why these smart assistants could usher in an era of security chaos most users aren't ready for. Brace yourself for the wild risks, real-world scams, and the privacy questions no one else is asking.

• Secret radios discovered in Chinese-made busses.
• Edge & Chrome introduce LLM-based "scareware" blocking.
• A perfect example of what scareware blocking hopes to prevent.
• Aardvark: OpenAI's new vulnerability scanner for code.
• Italy to require age verification from 48 specific sites.
• Russia to require the use of only Russian software within Russia.
• Russia further clamping down on non-MAX Telegram and WhatsApp messaging.
• 187 new malicious NPM packages. Could AI help with that?
• BadCandy malware has infiltrated Australian Cisco routers.
• Github's 2025 report with the dominance of TypeScript.
• Windows 11 gets new extra-secure Admin Protection feature.
• A bunch of interesting feedback and listener thoughts.
• And why the new AI-driven web browsers may be bringing a whole new world of hurt

Show Notes - https://www.grc.com/sn/SN-1050-Notes.pdf

Hosts: Steve Gibson and Leo Laporte

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iOS 26.1 & macOS 26.1 are out now, with updates to Liquid Glass. Apple had big results in its Q4 2025. More rumors are emerging about Apple's entry into the low-cost laptop market. And Apple finally launches the App Store for the web!

• Apple releases iOS 26.1, macOS 26.1, other updates with Liquid Glass controls and more.
• iOS 26's Shortcuts app adds 25+ new actions, here's everything new.
• Charts: Apple caps off high-flying fiscal year with Q4 record.
• Apple results: Holiday dunks and questions dodged.
• Apple preps low-cost laptop to rival Chromebooks and Windows PCs.
• Hello, Robot: Sandwich launches "immersive commercial"
• Use the Apple Vision Pro app on iPhone and iPad.
• Apple launches App Store for the web.
• Apple debuts new Apple TV intro with music by Finneas following "Vibrant" rebrand.
• Apple's Eddy Cue, Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht talk 'F1' and Emmys success, upcoming slate, and launching a platform.
• OpenAI acquires Software Applications Incorporated, maker of Sky.
• Introducing WhatsApp for Apple Watch.
• Canva's new free Affinity app wants to sink the Adobe flagships.
• Tim Cook just turned 65, renewing speculation about his successor.
• Apple slices its logo for new Apple One branding.
• How Tim Cook evaded disaster at Apple this year.

Picks of the Week

• Andy's Pick: Logoer
• Leo's Pick: Iconfactory Tapestry
• Alex's Pick: Shutter Encoder

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Alex Lindsay, Andy Ihnatko, and Jason Snell

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From AI-powered code generation boosting productivity to adversaries using the same tools to hunt zero-days, the panel exposes the coming wave of AI-fueled cyberattacks—and why most companies aren't ready for it.

• Cotton blocks Trump-backed effort to make daylight saving time permanent
• The End of Cybersecurity
• Amazon says it didn't cut 14,000 people because of money. It cut them because of 'culture'
• Here's How the AI Crash Happens
• US government is getting closer to banning TP-Link routers
• Neato cloud shutdown sees robocleaners robbed of their smarts
• FCC will vote to scrap telecom cybersecurity requirements
• Trump FCC Votes To Make It Easier For Your Broadband ISP To Rip You Off
• Swedish Death Cleaning But for Your Digital Life
• The F5 Hack is a Big Deal
• OpenAI Releases Agentic Security Researcher
• 'Do not trust your eyes': AI generates surge in expense fraud
• Proton Data Breach Observatory aims to alert you in near real-time
• Using a Security Key on X? Re-Enroll Now or Your Account Will Be Locked
• YouTube denies AI was involved with odd removals of tech tutorials
• 10M people watched a YouTuber shim a lock; the lock company sued him. Bad idea.
• Samsung's $2000 smart fridges are getting ads - gHacks Tech News
• ESPN, ABC, and other Disney channels go dark on YouTube TV

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Jill Duffy, Alex Stamos, and Stacey Higginbotham

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This week SUSE's SLES and Red Hat's RHEL are embracing AI in the form of MCP and CUDA support. FFMPEG scores a $100k donation, Pop_OS and Cosmic finally have a release data, and Unity is in need of help. Kodi 22 has an Alpha, Debian has a Systemd dustup, and Krita has landed HDR support. And there's a port of Linux to WASM, so you can run the kern in your browser. Handy! For tips we have doxx for opening .docx in the terminal, a primer on absolute vs relative paths, whoami for grabbing the current username, and btrfs's scrub command for checking the local disk. You can find the show notes at https://bit.ly/4ovhsLG and have a great week!

Host: Jonathan Bennett

Co-Hosts: Rob Campbell, Jeff Massie, and Ken McDonald

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On Hands-On Tech, Mikah Sargent lists some of his favorite two-factor authenticator apps for listener Stuart and some of the pros and cons using 2FA applications.

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Host: Mikah Sargent

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This week we look at why space can be scary with a survey of some of the best (and some of the most laughable) movies about critters from outer space! Witness the terror of men in floppy rubber suits! Cringe as the century plant-like triffids take over people's brains! Scream along with us as rock spiders on the moon devour astroanuts' faces! It's a true popuourri of space-borne horrors as we discuss some of the best (okay, and worst) space sci-fi movies of all time!

Headlines:
• NASA Science Centers Face Shutdown and Controversy During Budget Crisis
• SpaceX Promises to Simplify Artemis 3 Moon Landing, Details Remain Vague
• Night Sky Halloween Highlights: Two Can't-Miss Comets
• Tribute to Buzz Aldrin's Late Wife, Anka Ferrer

Main Topic: Scary Space Movies—A Halloween Special
• Classic 1950s Sci-Fi: The Thing from Another World, Terror from Beyond Space
• Martian Invasions: War of the Worlds Films and HBO/BBC Adaptations
• Alien Franchise: From Horror to Action Blockbusters
• Unique Entries: Day of the Triffids, Quatermass, Event Horizon, Apollo 18
• Modern Space Horror: Life, Pandorum, Sunshine, and Sputnik
• Real-Life Space Terror: Apollo 13's Harrowing True Story
• Honorable Mentions and B-movie Picks: Green Slime, The Blob, Leprechaun 4, Jason X

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

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Jacob Ward of The Rip Current joins Mikah Sargent this week! OpenAI disclosed stats on mental health from its users' chats within ChatGPT. How deepfake videos are becoming increasingly difficult to differentiate. Cybersecurity concerns over AI-powered browsers. And the latest from Adobe Max!

• Jacob talks about OpenAI's release of stats surrounding mental health, warning signs, and how its model is doing to recognize and support people in moments of distress.
• Mikah chats about how it's starting to become harder to recognize videos that are AI-generated.
• Mikah also talks about AI browsers and how slowly these browsers are becoming a ticking cybersecurity time bomb.
• And artist Joe Esposito joins us from Adobe Max to share everything that was announced at Adobe's annual creativity conference.

Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Jacob Ward

Guest: Joe Esposito

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Microsoft is redefining the "AI PC" to include almost every machine running Windows 11, putting futuristic Copilot features in the hands of millions overnight. Find out what surprises—from voice-triggered actions to smart app integrations—are landing on your desktop next.

Host: Paul Thurrott

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See how AirPods Pro team up with your iPhone to run a personal hearing test and tailor audio just for you. Get a firsthand look at a health tool you may not realize is sitting in your pocket.

• Step-by-step guide to starting hearing test and prepping devices
• Real-time noise detection and environment checks during test setup
• Fit adjustment guidance and sound tests for optimal AirPod positioning
• Tone pulses and interactive hearing assessment via iOS Health integration
• Saving and reviewing audiogram results in Health app after test completion
• AirPods tuning and hearing assistance recommendations based on test results

Host: Mikah Sargent

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John Hunter asks about using high-end TVs as computer monitors. It's certainly possible, but there are several considerations to keep in mind. Scott Wilkinson explains.

Host: Scott Wilkinson

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What if your child's screen time could actually boost creativity, math skills, and problem-solving, all with the right app? Check out the latest apps turning iPads into playgrounds and classrooms for little learners, with hands-on demos you can watch!

• Khan Academy Kids - Offline educational features
• Funexpected Math - Interactive audio math games for kids
• Thinkrolls Kings and Queens - Puzzle logic and problem-solving for children
• MarcoPolo Ocean & Arctic apps - Free ocean and Arctic exploration
• Importance of local teacher and App Store recommendations for kids' learning apps
• Feedback: Managing energy, not just time, with Structured app
• App Caps: Troubleshooting CarPlay with new wireless adapter fix

Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Rosemary Orchard

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Can an AI truly care about your feelings—or is emotional intelligence in machines just the most sophisticated form of manipulation? Dr. Alan Cowen of Hume AI joins the crew to unpack the promise and peril of emotionally adept bots, even as they're quietly shaping how we connect, seek help, and parent in the digital age.

• Virtual Try On Free Online - AI Clothes Changer | i-TryOn
• Oreo-maker Mondelez to use new generative AI tool to slash marketing costs
• OpenAI Moves to Generate AI Music in Potential Rivalry With Startup Suno
• Surprising no one, researchers confirm that AI chatbots are incredibly sycophantic
• Microsoft's Mico heightens the risks of parasocial LLM relationships
• Armed police swarm student after AI mistakes bag of Doritos for a weapon - Dexerto
• A Definition of AGI
  OpenAI Finalizes Corporate Restructuring, Gives Microsoft 27% Stake and Technology Access Until 2032 - Slashdot
• This mom's son was asking Tesla's Grok AI chatbot about soccer. It told him to send nude pics, she says
• Nvidia Becomes World's First $5 Trillion Company - Slashdot
• Paris Hilton Has Been Training Her AI for Years
• How Realistic is OpenAI's 2028 Timeline For Automating AI Research Itself?
• Tesla's "Mad Max" mode is now under federal scrutiny
• Zenni's Anti-Facial Recognition Glasses are Eyewear for Our Paranoid Age
• Alphabet earnings
• Meta earnings
• You Have No Idea How Screwed OpenAI Actually Is
• Elon Musk's Grokipedia Pushes Far-Right Talking Points
• AOL to be sold to Bending Spoons for roughly $1.5B
• Casio's Fluffy AI Robot Squeaked Its Way Into My Heart
• For the sake of the show, I will suffer this torture -jj
• Machine Olfaction and Embedded AI Are Shaping the New Global Sensing Industry
• A silly little photoshoot with your friends
• Bugonia
• Celebrating 25 years of Google Ads
• The Data Is In: The Washington Post Can't Replace Its "TikTok Guy"
• Peak screen?

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Jeff Jarvis, and Paris Martineau

Guest: Dr. Alan Cowen

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Welp, Azure crashed on Microsoft's earnings day, the cloud's weakest link exposed just as AI investments hit mind-boggling numbers. And 2.5 years into the AI era, things are still moving quickly, and there are extreme opinions on both ends of the spectrum. But Paul finally found a source for a good way to evaluate AI and figure out where it works and where it does not. It came from an unexpected place.

Windows 11

• Week D arrives with a massive Preview Update for 24H2 and 25H2 - including the new Start menu, finally
• Copy & Search, Voice typing improvements, Proactive Memory Diagnostics, more in Dev and Beta
• Copilot Vision in Copilot app updated with text input and output across all Insider channels
• Intel earnings are great unless you understand how numbers work

Microsoft 365

• Australia regulator sues Microsoft over misleading Microsoft 365 consumer pricing
• Copilot is being integrated into the People, Files, and Calendar companion apps for Microsoft 365 commercial
• On the day Microsoft will report earnings, Microsoft 365 and Azure went down. Hilarious!

AI

• OpenAI completes its transition to a for-profit owned by a non-profit
• Microsoft's stake is 27 percent. A lot has changed in the Microsoft/OpenAI partnership agreement
• WSJ finally calls out Microsoft for its lack of financial reporting transparency. Paul's been complaining about that for over a decade - Big Tech has became a shell game. These companies are managing money they don't even have and actual products and services and "real" value be damned
• Big Copilot feature dump for consumers with a human touch: Mico, Copilot Groups, memory improvements, connectors, Proactive Actions in preview, Copilot for Health, Copilot in Edge improvements, and Copilot in Windows updates from last week
• Microsoft 365 Copilot is getting App Builder and Workflow agents
• GitHub Copilot to support third-party AI agents
• Grammarly rebrands as Superhuman

Xbox and gaming

• Credible report claims Microsoft requires Xbox/Microsoft Gaming to deliver 30 percent profit margin
• That is impossible and this is clearly coming from Amy Hood and has led to the ensh*ttification of Xbox as a platform
• As Microsoft launches first gaming handhelds, all anyone wants to talk about is the next-generation Xbox console. It started with Sarah Bond last week - "very premium" console with "curated" experience
• Phil Spencer discusses it this week, who implied Windows at the heart of console
• The rumor mill churns up - Will be Windows, as we've said, will drop multiplayer paywall that debuted in 2002
• Now Satya Nadella is commenting on the next console, confirms publisher focus for this business
• Halo: Campaign Evolved is coming in 2026, new features, new Unreal Engine graphics, new PS5 compatibility
• Also, The Outer Worlds 2 is now available. Yes, on PS5 too
• Amazon relaunches Luna, and the new Amazon layoffs point to a new focus on casual gaming

Tips and picks

• Tip of the week: Understand where AI works and where AI is just a marketing term used to hype something that doesn't work
• App pick of the week: Tiny11 Builder
• RunAs Radio this week: AI for DBAs with Grant Fritchey
• Brown liquor pick of the week: Redbreast Dream Casks

These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/956

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

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Just when you thought DNS cache poisoning was a thing of the past, Steve and Leo reveal why this 17-year-old bug is making a dramatic comeback—and why most DNS resolvers still can't manage high-quality random numbers after all this time.

• The unsuspected sucking power of a Linux-based robot vacuum.
• Russia to follow China's vulnerability reporting laws.
• A pair of Scattered Spider UK teen hackers arrested.
• Facebook,Instagram and TikTok violating the EU's DSA.
• Microsoft Teams bringing user WiFi tracking bypolicy.
• You backed up. That's great. Did you test that backup?
• Coveware reports all-time lowransomware payment rate.
• Ransomware negotiator reports how the bad guys get in.
• Lots of listener thoughts and feedback about NIST passwords.
• And against all reason and begging credulity, it seems we still haven't managed to put high-quality random number generators into our DNS resolvers.

Show Notes - https://www.grc.com/sn/SN-1049-Notes.pdf

Hosts: Steve Gibson and Leo Laporte

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Apple held a special developer event for immersive media experiences last week, and some of MacBreak's own were there! Did Apple reduced production levels for its iPhone Air? Apple crosses the $4 trillion market cap. And what's going on with Apple's lawsuit against Jon Prosser?

• Apple holds special developer event touting immersive media experiences for Vision Pro.
• Samsung takes on Apple's Vision Pro with new Galaxy XR headset.
• Apple iPhone Air cuts mean very little in October 2025.
• iPhone Air production cut orders may not be true.
• The UK CMA says it will label Apple and Google as having "strategic market status", imposing stricter rules on how they run their platforms to boost competition.
• US judge decertifies Apple app store class action.
• Apple crosses $4 trillion market cap for the first time.
• Apple begins shipping American-made AI servers from Texas.
• Apple says Jon Prosser 'has not indicated' when he may respond to lawsuit.
• Apple readies new framework to let iPhone users migrate app data to and from Android.
• iPhone 18 Pro could gain satellite 5G as SpaceX chases Apple partnership.
• Apple seeds iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS Tahoe 26.1 release candidates.

Picks of the Week

• Alex's Pick: Blackmagic Camera
• Leo's Picks: Adobe's Project Indigo & Casio's G-Shock Nano DWN-5600
• Andy's Pick: Susan Kare's Prints
• Jason's Pick: Daft Music

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Alex Lindsay, Andy Ihnatko, and Jason Snell

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When a major Amazon cloud outage brings everything from smart mattresses to Snapchat grinding to a halt, what does it reveal about our digital fragility—and are we trusting the cloud a little too much?

• A Single Point of Failure Triggered the Amazon Outage Affecting Million
• Pluralistic: The mad king's digital killswitch (20 Oct 2025)
• Trump and Xi will 'consummate' TikTok deal on Thursday, treasury secretary says
• 3,000 YouTube Videos Exposed as Malware Traps in Massive Ghost Network Operation
• Can YouTube Replace 'Traditional' TV?
• All the implications of F1's game-changing TV move
• Foreign hackers breached a US nuclear weapons plant via SharePoint flaws
• Browser Promising Privacy Protection Contains Malware-Like Features, Routes Traffic Through China
• iCloud data helps crack NBA and mob poker scheme
• Rubbish IT systems cost the US at least $40bn during Covid: study
• Counter-Strike cosmetics economy loses nearly $2 billion in value overnight
• GM to introduce eyes-off, hands-off driving system in 2028
• WordPress co-founder files countersuit against WP Engine over trademark violations
• a16z-Backed Startup Sells Thousands of 'Synthetic Influencers' to Manipulate Social Media as a Service
• Bill Gates-Backed 345 MWe Advanced Nuclear Reactor Secures Crucial US Approval
• Programmer Gets Doom Running On a Space Satellite

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Richard Campbell and Doc Rock

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The Xubuntu torrent was hijacked! There's a performance shootout between Windows and Linux, Austria is going its own way, and Canonical inflicts damage on themselves. Then, Asahi Linux is still rolling, Digikam gains some Wayland features, and Mobian is coming for your phones! For tips we have easyssh, barrier for software KVM, the difference between echo and printf, and a quick intro to an Open Source game, Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead! You can find the show notes at http://bit.ly/4qorX5b and enjoy!

Host: Jonathan Bennett

Co-Hosts: Jeff Massie, Rob Campbell, and Ken McDonald

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On Hands-On Tech, listener Ozzie asks Mikah Sargent how to repurpose a 2010 MacBook Pro so they can avoid recycling it.

Send in your questions for Mikah to answer to hot@twit.tv.

Host: Mikah Sargent

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Lander, lander, who's got the lander? Last week, acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy announced that the agency would be re-opening the contract for the Artemis III lunar lander, which had previously been let to SpaceX to be fulfilled by their Starship Human Landing System. Unfortunately, that effort is well behind schedule, and the Trump administration has made landing astronauts on the moon, before China does, a national priority. With multiple refuelings and landing tests required, there is concern that SpaceX may not be able to fulfill their commitment before China's announced landing date of 2030. Elon Musk responded to the announcement with characteristic tack, with phrasing like "Sean Dummy" and him having a two-digit IQ. Mike Wall of Space.com joins us to dive into this rapidly evolving story.

Headlines:

• Texas vs. the Smithsonian: The Fight Over Space Shuttle Discovery Heats Up
• Artemis II Moon Rocket Fully Assembled, Awaits Rollout
• California Senator Pushes State Funding to Support JPL Amid Federal Cuts
• SpaceX Sets Record with 139 Launches, ULA Struggles to Keep Up
• New Super-Earth Discovered Just 20 Light Years Away Near Gemini

Main Topic: The Lunar Lander Dilemma for Artemis III and Beyond
• NASA Acting Chief Sean Duffy Announces Reopening Artemis III Lunar Lander Contract
• SpaceX's Starship Faces Orbital Refueling Challenges and Timeline Doubts
• Blue Origin Lurking in the Wings: Can They Deliver a Lander On Time?
• Political Pressures: China's Moon Plans Drive US Urgency
• Spacesuit Development Delays Threaten Artemis Timelines
• NASA's Budget Woes and Layoffs Cloud Roadmap for Future Moon Missions
• Speculation on Jared Isaacman's Potential Leadership of NASA
• Broader Uncertainty Over Artemis IV, V, and Long-Term Lunar Strategy

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Mike Wall

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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

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