This Week in Google (Audio)

* Leo's AI Toys * DeepSeek * How a top Chinese AI model overcame US sanctions * Mark Zuckerberg post re: Llama 4 * 17th Century Death Roulette ☠️ * Google says it will change Gulf of Mexico to 'Gulf of America' in Maps app after government updates * 23andMe might sell itself as it runs out of money * The rise of 'influencer voice': Why this TikTok creator accent is taking over the internet and maybe the world * Paris' new TV * Scoldy Mastodon * Pluralistic: It's not a crime if we do it with an app (25 Jan 2025) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow * Comcast unveils ultra-low lag Internet connection * Dr. Barlow and HIllmanTok * Philip Low, long-time friend and peer of Elon Musk, posts open letter calling him out for what he is. * Why doesn't Siri know what it doesn't know? * New Vatican document examines potential and risks of AI * Technological puritanism * All in the mind? The surprising truth about brain rot * By Paris: Before Google's $2.7 Billion Deal With AI Startup, a Stark Warning on Safety * The mayor of Merrymac Hosts: Leo Laporte [https://twit.tv/people/leo-laporte], Jeff Jarvis [https://twit.tv/people/jeff-jarvis], and Paris Martineau [https://twit.tv/people/paris-martineau] Download or subscribe to This Week in Google (and Intelligent Machines) at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-google [https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-google]. 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 [https://twit.tv/clubtwit]

* "Stargate" Squares Some AI Circles * Old enough to remember Trump's Foxconn factory * What Stargate Means and What It Doesn't * Google decides it won't comply with EU fact-checking law * SkyTok, BlueSky's TikTok, made with Surf on ActivityPub * The Second Trump Presidency, Brought to You by YouTubers * Google will let you control your Chromebook with your face * Walgreens replaced its refrigerator doors with digitized ad-laden glass. It might become a $200 million debacle * Nokia's reaction to the iPhone * The Ankler launches standalone trade publication on the creator economy * Bassinet backlash reflects debate over adding fees to connected devices * Elon Musk admits cheating at video games, chat transcript appears to show * The Whole World is Whining * Netflix's UK Audience Reach Overtook BBC1 For The First Time Last Year * Genrevision podcast Hosts: Leo Laporte [https://twit.tv/people/leo-laporte], Jeff Jarvis [https://twit.tv/people/jeff-jarvis], and Paris Martineau [https://twit.tv/people/paris-martineau] Download or subscribe to This Week in Google at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-google [https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-google]. Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit [https://twit.tv/clubtwit] Sponsor: * zscaler.com/security [http://zscaler.com/security]

* Justice Kagan Acknowledges Bluesky, And Other Notes From The TikTok Oral Argument * Alito and Playboy * A Marriage Proposal Spoken Entirely in Office Jargon * Meta Is Blocking Links to Decentralized Instagram Competitor Pixelfed * Free our feeds fundraising * The people should own the town square * Lemley's post * Google's 'Daily Listen' lab is a personalized podcast based on your Discover feed * Leo's AI toys * She Is in Love With ChatGPT * Jawboning In Plain Sight: The Unconstitutional Censorship Tolerated By The DMCA * Personalized voice recordings by Elwood "You've got mail!" Edwards * American Psycho with Huey Lewis and Weird Al * Physicists figure out the perfect Cacio e Pepe recipe * Cursormania! Hosts: Leo Laporte [https://twit.tv/people/leo-laporte], Jeff Jarvis [https://twit.tv/people/jeff-jarvis], and Paris Martineau [https://twit.tv/people/paris-martineau] Guest: Cathy Gellis [https://mastodon.cloud/@cathygellis/] Download or subscribe to This Week in Google at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-google [https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-google]. Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit [https://twit.tv/clubtwit]

* Meta is ending its fact-checking program in favor of a 'community notes' system similar to X * (30+) kottke.org: "oh shit new logo just dropped" * Masnick: The Good, The Bad, And The Stupid In Meta's New Content Moderation Policies * Social-Media Companies Decide Content Moderation Is Trending Down * I watched the Nvidia keynote; can summarize -jj * The Bitter Lesson * Hank Green's Cripslock Test for AGI * Public Domain Day 2025 * CES 2025 * New AI powered Samsung refrigerators will allow direct grocery ordering with Instacart * Gemini is taking over Google TV - in a good way * Google's AI Help Me Read feature * Deepseek seems to be a big deal: Chinese model, cheaper to train * Altman's latest gospel * Choose your Silicon Valley Thinkbro * Nicvember Post Mortum * The Habermas Machine: AI mediating disagreements * VPN Demand Surge in Florida after Adult Sites Age Restriction Kicks In Hosts: Leo Laporte [https://twit.tv/people/leo-laporte], Jeff Jarvis [https://twit.tv/people/jeff-jarvis], and Paris Martineau [https://twit.tv/people/paris-martineau] Download or subscribe to This Week in Google at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-google [https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-google]. Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit [https://twit.tv/clubtwit] Sponsor: * zscaler.com/security [http://zscaler.com/security]

* Jeff's op-ed proposing that Bell Labs be turned into a Museum and School of the Internet * Paris reveals her passion for pruning trees in NY * Molly White's first appearance, stupid Wikipedia edit wars * Ed Zitron's first appearance, elon's shady non-profits * NYC apartment with a podcast studio * What are cow magnets? * Paris and Cathy, tab hoarders * Paris digs into the source of the human cells used in a robotics experiment * Craig stops by to talk about pancakes and his philanthopy * Leo's audition for Megalopolis * AI Genereated podcast of Paris' stories * Paris getting her license to prune trees in NY Host: Leo Laporte [https://twit.tv/people/leo-laporte] Download or subscribe to This Week in Google at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-google [https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-google]. Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit [https://twit.tv/clubtwit]