The death of cheap tech

The death of cheap tech

On this week's show, Stephen and Daniel talk about how the rise of AI is killing cheap tech, and that may not be entirely a bad thing (though it's still mostly a bad thing). They talk about the Steam Machine's exorbitant price, and how intra-generational price increases have never really happened like this. Unprecedented times, indeed. Finally, they talk about forming human bonds with AI and how to negotiate that strange and uncomfortable place. Oh, and there's a bit of talk at the beginning about bowling. If you want to avoid that, skip ahead to 7:39. Show notes and links: * The Wholesale Plagiarism of Obscure Sorrows [https://waxy.org/2026/06/the-wholesale-plagiarism-of-obscure-sorrows/] - Waxy * Blu-ray Disc Turns 20: A Look Back at the Format's Launch Day [https://www.patreon.com/TheDigitalBits/posts/blu-ray-disc-20-161620352] - The Digital Bits * Valve Steam Machine: Official Price and Release Date Confirmed [https://www.theverge.com/news/837022/valve-steam-machine-price-release-date] - The Verge * AI Demand Begins to Justify Massive Cost of Data-Center Buildout [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-06-25/ai-demand-begins-to-justify-massive-cost-of-data-center-buildout] - Bloomberg ($) * Hivemind – AI-Powered Intelligent Narrator for Shared Storytelling [https://hivemind.app/] --- Feedback or comments? Email us at theoldscoolcast@gmail.com [theoldscoolcast@gmail.com] Find us on Instagram @theoldscoolcast [https://www.instagram.com/theoldscoolcast/] too. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The proper way to cash in on nostalgia

This week, Stephen and Daniel compare their delicate wrists while showing off the Pebble Time 2, and debate nostalgia projects done right versus *very* wrong. Plus, can chatbots actually be made safe for kids? These parents aren't so sure. Show notes and links: * Pebble Time 2 Review – A Redditor's Real-World Take [https://www.reddit.com/r/pebble/comments/1t9xo3k/pebble_time_2_review/] (r/pebble) * Pebble Time 2 Review: Resurrection Time [ https://youtu.be/4sLs2bPxwUU] (MrMobile on YouTube) * U.S. Government Forces Anthropic to Pull Fable 5 and Mythos 5 Over National Security Concerns [https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/949553/anthropic-fable-5-mythos-5-government-national-security] * Anthropic Shuts Down Fable 5 & Mythos 5 Over U.S. Export Control Order — A Sovereign AI Wake-Up Call [https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/949986/anthropic-fable-mythos-shutdown-sovereign-ai] * Apple's Price Increases Are Coming — Blame the AI Memory Crunch [https://www.wsj.com/tech/apple-price-increases-memory-supply-199845b1?mod=rss_Technology] * Americans and AI 2026: Chatbots, Smart Devices and Views on Impact (Pew Research Center) [https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2026/06/17/americans-and-ai-2026-chatbots-smart-devices-and-views-on-impact/] Feedback or comments? Email us at theoldscoolcast@gmail.com [theoldscoolcast@gmail.com] Find us on Instagram @theoldscoolcast [https://www.instagram.com/theoldscoolcast/] too. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Retro games and a brand new Siri

This week, Stephen and Daniel chat through their favorite childhood games, consoles, and controllers, and share what they think are the best games of all time. Then, in the second half of the show, they dive into the biggest announcement from WWDC 2026, Siri AI, and the impact (or lack thereof) it will make on Apple's hardware business. Feedback or comments? Email us at theoldscoolcast@gmail.com [theoldscoolcast@gmail.com] Find us on Instagram @theoldscoolcast [https://www.instagram.com/theoldscoolcast,] too. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

AI may be the only way to save obsolete tech

This week, Stephen and Daniel dive into the choppy waters of AI writing, and whether it's ever OK to consume AI-made media. And how AI-based coding tools may be the only way to fix obsolete machines that lack proper documentation. Plus, is the Pope a friction-maxxer? Feedback or comments? Email us at theoldscoolcast@gmail.com [theoldscoolcast@gmail.com] Find us on Instagram @theoldscoolcast [https://www.instagram.com/theoldscoolcast,] too. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Friction-maxxing and the rebirth of physical media

On this week's show, Stephen and Daniel dive into their childhoods full tape decks and portable CD players, their shared love of MiniDiscs, and how today's rise of friction-maxxing is bringing them all back (well, except maybe MiniDiscs). Plus, Daniel shares a deep dark secret he's never shared before, and Stephen tell us about his time as a DJ. Feedback or comments? Email us at theoldscoolcast@gmail.com [theoldscoolcast@gmail.com] Find us on Instagram @theoldscoolcast [https://www.instagram.com/theoldscoolcast,] too. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.