Mr. Fred's Tech Talks

The Email That Got Me: Canvas, Phishing, and Social Engineering

It was finals week. Students were trying to submit work, check grades, finish projects, and prepare for graduation. Then Canvas, the learning management system used by many schools and universities, became part of a major cybersecurity story. In this episode of Mr. Fred’s Tech Talks, Mr. Fred breaks down the recent Canvas breach and uses it as a teaching moment for students, parents, educators, and anyone who uses email, school platforms, or online accounts. But this episode is not just about hackers or software. It is about the human side of cybersecurity. Mr. Fred shares how students and faculty experienced the confusion in real time, how communication from schools and vendors mattered, and why stress, urgency, and uncertainty can make people more vulnerable to cyberattacks. He also shares something personal: during the same stressful environment, he fell for what appeared to be a phishing email that looked legitimate and seemed connected to a real student issue. That is the heart of this episode. Cybersecurity is not always a high-tech movie scene. Sometimes it is an email. Sometimes it is a nervous student. Sometimes it is a rushed decision. Sometimes it is realizing that even people who teach cybersecurity can get caught when the story feels believable. In this episode, you’ll learn: * What happened with the Canvas cybersecurity incident * Why social engineering is so effective * How phishing emails use urgency, trust, and timing * Why AI may make scam messages more convincing * Why we should avoid speculation while still understanding the risks * What students, parents, teachers, and families can do to stay safer * How to use the “pause test” before clicking, entering a code, or approving a request This week’s Tech Challenge is the Social Engineering Audit: find one suspicious email, inspect it carefully, and look for signs of urgency, fear, curiosity, or pressure without clicking anything. If this episode helps you think differently about cybersecurity, share it with a student, parent, teacher, coworker, or anyone who has ever clicked something a little too fast. And as always: Keep learning. Keep questioning. And keep building. CONNECT Website: https://www.getmecoding.com [https://www.getmecoding.com] Courses: https://courses.getmecoding.com [https://courses.getmecoding.com] FOLLOW YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GetMeCoding [https://www.youtube.com/@GetMeCoding] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmecoding [https://www.instagram.com/getmecoding] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GetMeCoding [https://www.facebook.com/GetMeCoding] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrfred77/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrfred77/] Follow, rate ★★★★★, and share! ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Code, Curiosity, and the Courage to Keep Building: A Conversation with Dr. Hal Smith

What does it look like when someone has spent decades writing real software, then walked into a classroom to help the next generation figure it out? In this episode, Mr. Fred sits down with a longtime colleague, Dr. Hal Smith, a professor of Information Sciences and Technology, former software developer at Raytheon, and yes, a ukulele player, for one of the most honest and wide-ranging conversations the show has had yet. Dr. Hal traces his journey from a Cub Scout field trip to a power facility, where a computer playing Hangman lit a spark, to programming on a Timex Sinclair, learning Basic in a Cornell enrichment class, and eventually writing missile guidance algorithms in Tucson, Arizona. He talks about what industry taught him that no textbook could, including the time he had to debug a compiler and the time he built a globe display for a ground-based radar tracker from scratch. But this conversation goes deeper than origin stories. Mr. Fred and Dr. Hal dig into the real challenges of teaching software development today: the students who arrive expecting to build video games by week two, the disconnect between how young people experience technology and what a first-semester class actually looks like, and why the elegance of code still matters even in an age of AI. They also tackle the big questions parents and students are asking right now. Should kids learn to code? Are we too late? What does AI mean for the future of software development? And is curiosity something that can be taught, or does it have to be sparked? This one runs longer than a typical episode, and every minute is worth it. Whether you are a parent wondering where to start, an educator trying to keep up with a world that will not slow down, or a curious person who has always wondered how the tech around you actually works, this conversation is for you. CONNECT Website: https://www.getmecoding.com [https://www.getmecoding.com] Courses: https://courses.getmecoding.com [https://courses.getmecoding.com] FOLLOW YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GetMeCoding [https://www.youtube.com/@GetMeCoding] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmecoding [https://www.instagram.com/getmecoding] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GetMeCoding [https://www.facebook.com/GetMeCoding] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrfred77/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrfred77/] Follow, rate ★★★★★, and share! ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

May the Fourth Be With the Builders

Today is May the Fourth, and for Mr. Fred, that means more than just Star Wars jokes, lightsabers, and fun social media posts. In this special episode of Mr. Fred’s Tech Talks, Mr. Fred looks at Star Wars through the lens of technology, coding, artificial intelligence, Disney Imagineering, and the future of young builders. Star Wars has always been a technology story disguised as an adventure. From the Death Star’s catastrophic design flaw to R2-D2’s creative problem-solving, the galaxy far, far away gives us a fun and surprisingly useful way to talk about how we build, why we build, and what happens when powerful tools are created without enough wisdom behind them. Mr. Fred also gives a personal nod to his son, whose birthday falls on May the Fourth, and celebrates former student and friend, who now works in Disney Imagineering in systems automation. This episode explores how Disney gets STEM right, why storytelling makes technology more meaningful, and how today’s kids are already becoming builders through coding toys, robotics, AI tools, games, and hands-on tinkering. And of course, there is a May the Fourth Tech Challenge: pick one piece of Star Wars technology, find its real-world equivalent, and ask what it would take to close the gap. May the Fourth be with you. Always. Links mentioned: GetMeCoding.com https://www.getmecoding.com/ [https://www.getmecoding.com/] Mr. Fred’s Tech Talks Podcast Home https://www.getmecoding.com/podcast-mr-freds-tech-talks/ [https://www.getmecoding.com/podcast-mr-freds-tech-talks/] How A Walt Disney World Vacation Can Inspire Learning https://www.getmecoding.com/5-must-see-stem-related-disney-attractions/ [https://www.getmecoding.com/5-must-see-stem-related-disney-attractions/] What Is a Database? A Simple Explanation Using Star Wars https://www.getmecoding.com/what-is-a-database-a-simple-explanation-using-star-wars/ [https://www.getmecoding.com/what-is-a-database-a-simple-explanation-using-star-wars/] The 2026 Coding Toy Idea Book for Kids https://www.getmecoding.com/episode-26-2026-coding-toy-idea-book/ [https://www.getmecoding.com/episode-26-2026-coding-toy-idea-book/] Coding Toy Idea Book 2026: The Best Coding and STEM Toys for Kids https://www.getmecoding.com/best-coding-toys-2024/ [https://www.getmecoding.com/best-coding-toys-2024/] STEM Activity: Build a Model of Disney’s Rockin’ Roller Coaster https://www.getmecoding.com/stem-activity-rocknrollercoaster/ [https://www.getmecoding.com/stem-activity-rocknrollercoaster/] Explore coding courses: https://courses.getmecoding.com/ [https://courses.getmecoding.com/] Keep learning. Keep questioning. And keep building. CONNECT Website: https://www.getmecoding.com [https://www.getmecoding.com] Courses: https://courses.getmecoding.com [https://courses.getmecoding.com] FOLLOW YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GetMeCoding [https://www.youtube.com/@GetMeCoding] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmecoding [https://www.instagram.com/getmecoding] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GetMeCoding [https://www.facebook.com/GetMeCoding] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrfred77/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrfred77/] Follow, rate ★★★★★, and share! ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

How Netflix, YouTube & Spotify Know What You Want

How do Netflix, YouTube, and Spotify seem to know exactly what you want next? It’s not random and it’s not your phone listening. Ever feel like your phone knows you better than your friends? You watch one video… and suddenly you’re two hours deep. You hear one song… and your playlist is perfect. You browse one product… and it follows you everywhere. That’s not random. It’s recommendation algorithms. In this episode of Mr. Fred’s Tech Talks, we break down how platforms like YouTube, Netflix, Spotify, and Amazon decide what to show you next—and why it works so well. You’ll learn: * What recommendation algorithms actually are (in plain English) * The difference between collaborative filtering and content-based filtering * How your behavior shapes what you see every day * Why it sometimes feels like your phone is listening—even when it’s not * How to take back control and become a more intentional user This isn’t about fear or hype. It’s about understanding the technology you interact with every single day and using that knowledge to your advantage. 🎯 TECH CHALLENGE 💡 Try the “Algorithm Audit” For the next 24 hours, ask yourself: 1. Why is this being shown to me? 2. Do I actually want this? 3. Did I choose this—or did it lead me here? You might be surprised by what you notice. 🌐 Learn more: https://www.getmecoding.com [https://www.getmecoding.com] 🎓 Courses: https://courses.getmecoding.com [https://courses.getmecoding.com] 🎤 Book Mr. Fred to speak: https://www.getmecoding.com [https://www.getmecoding.com] Interested in bringing this kind of conversation to your school, workplace, or church? Visit GetMeCoding.com and let’s connect. CONNECT Website: https://www.getmecoding.com [https://www.getmecoding.com] Courses: https://courses.getmecoding.com [https://courses.getmecoding.com] FOLLOW YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GetMeCoding [https://www.youtube.com/@GetMeCoding] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmecoding [https://www.instagram.com/getmecoding] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GetMeCoding [https://www.facebook.com/GetMeCoding] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrfred77/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrfred77/] Follow, rate ★★★★★, and share! ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Databases: The Design Thinking Behind Every Game, Hospital, and Restaurant

What do video games, hospitals, restaurants, airlines, and social media all have in common? Databases. In this episode of Mr. Fred’s Tech Talks, Mr. Fred breaks down what a database really is, why it matters, and how database thinking helps us design better systems before a single line of code is written. From saved game progress to medical records and restaurant orders, databases are one of the most important invisible technologies in our world. You’ll also learn the difference between structured and unstructured data, why smart database design matters, and how design thinking plays a critical role in building technology that actually works. CONNECT Website: https://www.getmecoding.com [https://www.getmecoding.com] Courses: https://courses.getmecoding.com [https://courses.getmecoding.com] FOLLOW YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GetMeCoding [https://www.youtube.com/@GetMeCoding] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmecoding [https://www.instagram.com/getmecoding] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GetMeCoding [https://www.facebook.com/GetMeCoding] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrfred77/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrfred77/] Follow, rate ★★★★★, and share! ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.