Throwback Thursday – June 26, 2025

While in San Francisco in 2018 for the Asian Lunar New Year Parade, I made a side trip up to Petaluma to visit the This Week in Tech (TWiT) studios. After catching that weeks recording of the TWiT podcast, I met the host, Leo Laporte, and sat on the set while talking with him.

This weekend featured an event that was last on my calendar when my schedule existed primarily in analog form: the HFStival, revived Saturday at Nats Park. I knew upfront that the venue would represent an immense upgrade over RFK, but I didn’t realize how much I would appreciate seeing the Postal Service play “The District Sleeps Alone Tonight” for what they say is the last time–in the city that inspired the song.

9/16/2024: With Apple Finally Welcoming RCS, Google Voice Is the Lone Holdout, PCMag

I had this piece on my story-ideas list for months if not years, and Google was predictably disappointing in continuing to ignore its self-inflicted feature neglect.

9/17/2024: What the Reinstatement of Net Neutrality Means for Higher Education, EdTech

The piece that I wrote for EdTech’s sibling publication FedTech must have left a favorable impression on both newsrooms’ parent firm Manifest, as I had an editor ask I could write an explainer about the intersection of net neutrality politics and higher education.

9/18/2024: Microsoft: Russian Disinformation Ops Pivot to Attack Harris Campaign, PCMag

Seeing Russian disinformation operatives rack up two losses in the previous two weeks (and having almost finished reading Renée DiResta’s book Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies into Reality) added to my interest in writing up this Microsoft report.

9/20/2024: Boom Supersonic’s flight plan has to be measured in years, Fast Company

More than a month after my detour to California’s high desert to check out Boom Supersonic’s operation there–followed by my needing time to quiz a couple of aviation experts about the company’s ambitions–this piece finally made its way to Fast Co.’s site. In a few days, I will write a bonus post for Patreon readers sharing some of my leftover notes from talking to Boom CEO Blake Scholl for an hour and change on that Saturday morning.

9/20/2024: Rivian CEO: ‘Extreme Lack of Choice’ Is Hampering EV Sales Growth, PCMag

Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe’s talk at the Atlantic Festival offered some useful insight about the state of electric-vehicle pricing, but he also repeated an incorrect characterization of a California zero-emission car mandate that does not, in fact, ban sales of cars with fossil-fuel engines after 2035.

9/22/2024: This Week in Tech 998: Artisanal Locally-Sourced Dopamine, TWiT.tv

Joining this podcast via Zoom instead of in studio reminded me of one unsolved issue with my home office’s lighting. From 6 p.m. onwards, there wasn’t enough light streaming through the windows to illuminate my workplace adequately, then I took too long to take advantage of a sponsor break to reach for a light switch as the podcast continued for another hour and change. I can, however, take credit for helping to give this episode a title–“artisanal, locally-sourced dopamine” was my turn of phrase to describe how posting on Bluesky feels better than continuing to support a toxic ex-Twitter with free writing.

9/23/2024: I updated the TWiT entry with a direct link to the episode and context about its title.

https://robpegoraro.com/2024/09/22/weekly-output-google-voice-vs-rcs-net-neutrality-and-higher-education-russian-disinformation-boom-supersonic-rivian-this-week-in-tech/

#AtlanticFestival #BoomSupersonic #disinformation #electricVehicles #EVChargers #EVs #GoogleVoice #iOS18 #LeoLaPorte #misinformation #Mojave #netNeutrality #Overture #RCS #Rivian #RussianElectionInterference #SST #ThisWeekInTech #TitleII

The latest episode of This Week in Google was the best yet.

I enjoy most, if not all, TWiT.tv’s shows, with TWiG being my penultimate. I think it might be the fact that I’m a Jeff Jarvis groupie. And Paris Martineau is fabulous and has the perfect amount of snark and sass mixed with so much intellect that it’s mind blowing.

Leo On Vacation

This week, Leo Laporte, the chief TWiT himself was away. Paris and Jeff had Ed Zitron, who is a podcaster, but also a PR guy on the show. I was shocked when I heard that he was a PR person appearing on a TWiT network show. I always thought Leo shied away public relations people on the shows. Regardless, Ed’s no hold back, in-your-face views were amazing.

Paris did a great job keeping the show going. And Jeff was the amazing, grumpy-yet-still-happy, curmudgeon he aways is.

So What Was Different?

I hate to say it, the thing that was different was that Leo wasn’t arguing through the whole episode. I have mad respect for Leo and what he’s created with his network, but lately, it’s just not been as great. I haven’t really been able to put my finger on why exactly. But the part that was missing this week was in fact… Leo.

I don’t want to be too hard on Leo. He’s amazingly knowledgeable and I do value his take on things, but this episode was just so great.

Am I off here? Please let me know. I will die on the hill saying that this was the best TWiG yet.

https://sethgoldstein.me/the-latest-episode-of-this-week-in-google-was-the-best-yet/

#Critique #LeoLaporte #opinion #podcasting #TWiG #TWiT #TwitNetwork

Great interview of Shoshana Zuboff, author of "The Age of Surveillance Capitalism", on Triangulation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIrFAi5R9yg

https://www.amazon.com/Age-Surveillance-Capitalism-Future-Frontier/dp/1541758005/

#surveillancecapitalism #survelliance #capitalism #shoshanazuboff #triangulation #leolaporte

@Big_Diggity @kris
No idea! 😅

Just got the idea from #LeoLaporte The Tech Guy. He set up a #Minecraft #server for his youngest (for him to use with his friends) and he said the teen got really good at creating worlds there.