In this episode of This Week in Tech, the panel tackles the "biggest hack in US history," the future of AI, and the role of government in tech. From the Chinese hack's implications to Microsoft's AI-powered Recall, the Supreme Court's tech-related cases, and the push for social media age verification, Leo Laporte, Patrick Beja, Wesley Faulkner, and Alex Wilhelm provide insightful analysis and lively discussion on the most pressing issues facing the industry today.

• China's "Salt Typhoon" hack, dubbed the "worst hack in our nation's history," which compromised US telecommunications infrastructure and allowed surveillance of high-profile individuals
• The panel debates the challenges of securing outdated infrastructure and the role of government in regulating tech companies
• DOJ's push for Google to sell off Chrome to break its search monopoly, and the potential implications for competition and innovation
• Alex Wilhelm's article "If you like startups, you should love anti-trust" and the importance of fostering competition in the tech industry
• Microsoft's Windows 365 Link, a $349 mini PC that streams Windows from the cloud, and the potential for thin client computing
• Microsoft's Recall AI feature, which records and indexes users' screen activity, raising security concerns but offering potential benefits for users
• The Supreme Court's involvement in cases related to Facebook's Cambridge Analytica data breach and the fate of America's low-income broadband fund
• The panel also discusses their personal experiences with parenting in the digital age and the challenges of balancing screen time, privacy, and education for children
• Meta's push for Apple and Google to verify users' ages on social media platforms, and the challenges of implementing effective age verification while protecting user privacy
• Amazon's talks with Instacart, Uber, Ticketmaster, and others to enhance its AI-powered Alexa assistant
• Spirit Airlines filing for bankruptcy amidst financial losses and mounting debt payments
• Alex laments the addition of ads to Amazon Prime Video and the panel debates the tradeoffs of bundled subscription services

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Patrick Beja, Wesley Faulkner, and Alex Wilhelm

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• How Bluesky, Alternative to X and Facebook, Is Handling Explosive Growth
• Netflix's Live Mike Tyson Vs. Jake Paul Fight Battling Sound & Streaming Glitches In Lead-Up To Main Event
• Biden Asked Microsoft to "Raise the Bar on Cybersecurity." He May Have Helped Create an Illegal Monopoly.
• CFPB looks to place Google under federal supervision, setting up clash
• Apple's Tim Cook Has Ways to Cope With the Looming Trump Tariffs
• Apple Removes Another RFE/RL App At Request Of Russian Regulator
• Here's Why I Decided To Buy 'InfoWars'
• Elon Musk's X Corp. files notice in Alex Jones' Infowars bankruptcy case
• Spotify's Plans For AI Generated Music, Podcasts, and Recommendations, According To Its Co-President, CTO, and CPO Gustav Söderström
• This 'AI Granny' Bores Scammers to Tears Congress ponders underwater alien civilizations, human hybrids, and other unexplained stuff
• In Memoriam: Thomas E. Kurtz, 1928–2024

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Alex Kantrowitz, Daniel Rubino, and Iain Thomson

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• Apple launched the iPod 23 years ago, and changed the world
• Apple Quietly Introduced iPhone Reboot Code Which is Locking Out Cops
• How the 2024 US presidential election will determine tech's future
• Jeff Bezos, Sam Altman, Tim Cook and other tech leaders congratulate Trump on election win
• AI didn't sway the election, but it deepened the partisan divide
• YouTube dominated Election Day as viewers guzzled 84 million hours of presidential news
• The other election night winner: Perplexity
• Dogecoin and other memecoins surge as Trump wins presidential election
• Detroit to Accept Crypto for Tax Payments in Bid to Spur Tech Innovation, Fuel Economic Growth
• Painting by A.I.-Powered Robot Sells for $1.1 Million
• OpenAI defeats news outlets' copyright lawsuit over AI training, for now
• Anthropic teams up with Palantir and AWS to sell AI to defense customers
• OpenAI acquired Chat.com
• Even Microsoft Notepad is getting AI text editing now
• Roblox is banning kids from 'social hangout' spaces
• Reddit Passes Snap
• Canada orders shutdown of TikTok's Canadian business, app access to continue

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Abrar Al-Heeti, Dan Patterson, and Lisa Eadicicco

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech

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