TechGrumps

TechGrumps 3.38 – The Bettification of everything

eastmad — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 17:13:38 +0000

I bet you don’t know what we are complaining about. I bet you $20

Listen to your host Ryan Alexander with Ian Forrester, David Eastman, and Wendy Grossman.

Techgrumps 3.38

AI Roundup

https://simonwillison.net/2026/Feb/13/openai-mission-statement/ Comparing and showing diffs of the openai mission statement over time, you can watch the compromising happen!
The new web is markdown, because the agents don’t want ads https://blog.cloudflare.com/markdown-for-agents/
RA: https://tomloosemorework.wordpress.com/2026/02/19/ai-and-the-end-of-friction-as-a-policy-lever/ very interesting point about agentic AI taking on the engineered process friction put into the processes of accessing many public services.
App detects if Smart glasses are near by https://www.404media.co/this-app-warns-you-if-someone-is-wearing-smart-glasses-nearby/?ref=daily-stories-newsletter
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2602.16800 LLMs can de-anonymize pseudonymous online accounts. Similar to Discord offering to judge age “stochastically”
Paper showing that LLMs can link profiles and postings at speed and at scale, pretty much killing online anonymity: https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.16800

Main attractions

Prediction market is insanity!
- https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/lawmakers-move-ban-surveillance-pricing-162758282.html
Disappearing web
- https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/20/webpages_vanish_decade/
  https://www.techdirt.com/2026/02/17/preserving-the-web-is-not-the-problem-losing-it-is/
Eternity Service
- https://phrack.org/issues/51/12

AOB’s

https://protocolsforpublishers.com/event-recap-london-2026/?ref=protocols-for-publishers-newsletter#stakeholder-forum

Fediverse share this link: https://connectedplaces.online/reports/fr156-share-where/

TechGrumps 3.37 – AI Discussions sandboxed for your security

eastmad — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 18:20:04 +0000

Who watches the watchmen? Oh wait, no one does – we did that last week, This week we compare LLMs to god level Owls, expose ourselves at the Church of Moltbot and watch BBC turn Britain off one channel at a time.

https://archive.org/download/techgrumps-3.37-ai-discussions-sandboxed-for-your-security/Techgrumps%203.37%20-%20AI%20Discussions%20sandboxed%20for%20your%20security.mp3

Listen to your host Ryan Alexander with Ian Forrester, David ‘Andy’ Eastman, and Wendy Grossman.

Techgrumps 3.37

The AI Skills Hub is a bit lightweight.
- https://aiskillshub.org.uk/
Anthropic has invested 1.5M in the Python Software Foundation
- https://simonwillison.net/2026/Jan/13/anthropic-invests-15-million-in-the-python-software-foundation-a/
ChatGPT launching advertising in chatGPT products:
- https://simonwillison.net/2026/Jan/16/chatgpt-ads/
the current actual costs in terms of electricity and water for LLM usage
- https://www.simonpcouch.com/blog/2026-01-20-cc-impact/
Voice cloning is now available to anyone with a GPU
- https://simonwillison.net/2026/Jan/22/qwen3-tts/
Clawdbot/Moltbot/OpenClaw
- https://www.404media.co/exposed-moltbook-database-let-anyone-take-control-of-any-ai-agent-on-the-site/
A related dramatic reading
- https://wisebluesky.com/wisdom-story-the-owl-who-was-god/
BBC’s plan to turn off Freeview TV?
- https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/jan/28/the-bbc-proposal-to-switch-off-freeview-is-a-threat-to-its-universal-service
AOB
- Making the familiar strange podcast with Albert Fox Cain
  - https://redcircle.com/shows/95190f06-ba12-47ae-9267-4aaa656f4e93/ep/1697378b-2ff3-43db-9d22-4f2ddc330cd7
- Feed in to the future of the BBC (Green paper)
  - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cz94q0v4kq2o
- Are hearts are with Minneapolis and other parts of America
  - https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/99561-minneapolis-booksellers-resisting-ice-go-viral-sales-spike.html

TechGrumps 3.36 Men are weird: The Return of the Glasshole

eastmad — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 12:36:40 +0000

Who watches the watchmen? We don’t answer that type of dumb question in this podcast; we just wonder who is looking at your junk. And we look at why you may not want to stay on CSAM champion Elon Musk’s X platform.

Listen to your host Ryan Alexander with Ian Forrester, David ‘Andy’ Eastman, and Wendy Grossman.

Techgrumps 3.36

Mozilla, Firefox and AI
- https://techcrunch.com/2025/12/17/mozillas-new-ceo-says-ai-is-coming-to-firefox-but-will-remain-a-choice/
The return of smart glasses and wearables
- https://www.theverge.com/column/797938/optimizer-newsletter-wearable-hell-smart-glasses-smart-rings-ai-hardware
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx23ke7rm7go
Now at the “Get The F*** Off X/Twitter” stage
- https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/ofcom-launches-investigation-into-x-over-grok-sexualised-imagery
Paper about fake parts of real videos:
- https://arxiv.org/pdf/2508.21052s
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwygqqll9k2o
Tony Blair wants to be a Tech Bro, building AI tools to rival Palantir
- https://democracyforsale.substack.com/p/blair-bids-to-build-own-ai-tools-rival-palantir-tbi
AOB
- The AI summary in which a police officer turned into a frog (or in discussion of The Owl Who Was God)
  - https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/ai-police-report-frog
- Making the familiar strange podcast
  - https://redcircle.com/shows/95190f06-ba12-47ae-9267-4aaa656f4e93
- Feed in to the future of the BBC
  - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cz94q0v4kq2o
- FOSDEM 2026!
  - https://fosdem.org/
- Checkout scanners can tell you that you used a QR code not the barcode

TechGrumps 3.35 Bless The TechGrumps (Special holiday special)

eastmad — Sat, 03 Jan 2026 14:54:52 +0000

We should wish you all a Merry Christmas – but why would we do such a thing?

Enjoy this Holiday Nativity Special but with 5 wise men. Well, 4 wise men and Hannah. Actually, one wise Hannah and some others.

Listen to your host Ryan Alexander with Ian Forrester, David Eastman, Andy Piper and Hannah Field.

https://archive.org/download/tech-grumps-3.3.5-special-holiday-special-bless-the-tech-grumps/TechGrumps%203.3.5%20%28Special%20holiday%20special%29%20-%20bless%20The%20TechGrumps.mp3

Hannah: is grumpy about marketers using “GEO” or “Generative Engine Optimisation”
- https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/dec/10/is-retail-ready-for-ai-shaking-up-how-we-shop?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
Ian is grumpy about how social is eroding relationships, causing loneliness and exhaustion
Ryan is haunted because Claude knows his dungeon
- https://www.reddit.com/r/gifs/comments/1fkf65/this_scene_from_superman_iii_haunted_me_as_a_child/
David is worried about the Reverse Centaurs
- https://pluralistic.net/2025/12/05/pop-that-bubble/#u-washington
Andy is grumpy about lessons learned form Sleep dealer
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wR2XoNshl4&t=527s
- https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/sleep-dealer-2008-movie-retrospective
- https://medium.com/nerd-for-tech/are-llms-getting-devious-and-smart-enough-to-trick-you-on-their-own-65c83061e661
- “Ready Player Me” https://readyplayer.me/
- Don’t forget “Citizen Sleeper’
AOB
- Familiar strangers (not lovegrumps) podcast coming soon
- FOSDEM 2026
  - https://fosdem.org/2026/schedule/

Techgrumps 3.34 ChatGPT is not my wingman

eastmad — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 15:30:16 +0000

This time ChatGPT is helping you date, while just dating you too. When will this thing just go away? Also local cyberattacks and Android getting a bit fruity (if the fruit is an Apple).

Grumps this time include the voices of Ian Forrester, David “Andy” Eastman, and Wendy Grossman.

https://archive.org/download/techgrumps-3.34-chat-gpt-is-not-my-wingman/Techgrumps%203.34%20-%20ChatGPT%20is%20not%20my%20wingman%20v2.mp3

Techgrumps 3.34

Local council cyberattacks
- https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252526106/Annual-costs-of-Hackney-ransomware-attack-exceed-12m
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y2w43ry5lo
Planes patches
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gp9d28p74o
The iOS of Android and the problems
- https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/11/google-will-let-android-power-users-bypass-upcoming-sideloading-restrictions/
- https://keepandroidopen.org/
GraphineOS blocked in France?
- https://proton.me/blog/grapheneos-france
The Rise of ChatGPT as an AI Dating Coach in 2025
- https://www.elle.com/life-love/sex-relationships/a68999668/chatgpt-ai-dating-coach-trend-interview-2025/
AOBs
- Look out for a new podcast with Ian & Jess
- Notes on being a man by Scott Galloway
  - https://bookwyrm.social/book/2149836/s/notes-on-being-a-man
- Drift Zero DJ – DJ hackday in 2026?
  - https://driftdj.com/
- NEO’s new $20,000 robot servant that has to be operated by a remote human
  - https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2025/10/29/this-20000-neo-robot-will-clean-your-home-but-theres-a-catch-and-its-kind-of-terrifying/

Techgrumps 3.33 The Final Step Is Removing the Consumer

eastmad — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 20:23:35 +0000

This time AI wants your browser. With OpenAI launching Atlas and the Apps SDK, first they will bypass the web and finally cut the end user out of the economic decision process.

Also the AWS crash

https://archive.org/download/techgrumps-3.33-removing-the-final-step-in-captilism-removing-the-consumer/Techgrumps%3A%203.33%20-%20Removing%20the%20final%20step%20in%20captilism%20removing%20the%20consumer.mp3

AI browsers, WTF?
- https://netwars.pelicancrossing.net/2025/10/31/the-gated-web/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fountains_of_Paradise
Amazon goes down, what next?
- https://netwars.pelicancrossing.net/2025/10/24/its-always-dns/
- https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c5y8k7k6v1rt
Python software foundation rejects DEI strings
- https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/27/python_foundation_abandons_15m_nsf/
AOB
- Mozilla Festival 2025
  - https://www.mozillafestival.org/
- Enshittification (the book)
  - https://bookwyrm.social/book/1886312/s/enshittification
- QED
  - https://qedcon.org/
- Ian talks AI to the health insurances
  - https://amii.org.uk/events/
- Sir Tim’s book – https://bookwyrm.social/book/2087203/s/this-is-for-everyone
- Is Solid like Zandando? – https://fil.org/ecosystem-explorer/anytype
- And sky hooks explained in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fountains_of_Paradise

Techgrumps 3.32 Your Illegal Racially Motivated Stops Will Go More Smoothly

Ian Forrester — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 11:23:37 +0000

With the UK’s steps into the age gated internet and digital ID back again like the renegade master, the techgrumps have plenty to be grumpy about in this month’s podcast.

Grumps this time include the voices of Ian Forrester, David Eastman, Ryan Alexander and Wendy Grossman.

https://archive.org/download/techgrumps-3.32-your-illegal-racially-motivated-stops-will-go-more-smoothly/Techgrumps%203.32%20-%20Your%20illegal%20racially%20motivated%20stops%20will%20go%20more%20smoothly.mp3

Techgrumps 3.32

UK Digital ID
- https://netwars.pelicancrossing.net/2025/09/26/the-absurdity-card/
Christie’s has quietly shuttered its digital art department
- https://news.artnet.com/market/christies-scraps-digital-art-department-2685784
Age verification and online safety
- https://www.wired.com/story/vpn-use-spike-age-verification-laws-uk/
Meshtastic and different networks
- https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/08/jack_dorsey_debuts_bitchat/https://www.wired.com/story/youre-not-ready-for-phone-dead-zones/
AOB
- Digital legacy – https://machinereadablewishes.cc/
- Fediforum 2025 – https://fediforum.org/ – October 7-8th
- Ian’s digital dating manifesto – https://datingmanifesto.cc/

Enjoy the mp3 audio, and why not share it with others.

Techgrumps 3.31: Ten Thousand Steps Of Gemini’s Love Language

eastmad — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 11:13:01 +0000

Will the real wearable owner please stand up? More failing AI and Hannah meets the Fediverse, in the latest attempt to try to explain it.

Grumps this time include the voices of Ian Forrester, Hannah, Ryan Alexander and Wendy Grossman. David was too jet lagged.

https://archive.org/download/techgrumps-3.31-10000-steps-of-geminis-love-language/Techgrumps%203.31%20-%2010000%20steps%20of%20Geminis%20love%20language.mp3

Techgrumps 3.31 audio.

Enjoy the mp3 audio, and why not share it with others.

My wearable says please stand-up
- https://www.politico.com/newsletters/future-pulse/2025/06/24/rfk-jr-wants-a-wearable-on-your-wrist-00419190
Switzerland releases a public LLM
- https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/770646/switzerland-ai-model-llm-open-apertus
AI is a 4 year trying to impress you with stupid moves
Hannah meets the Fediverse
- https://videos.elenarossini.com/w/64VuNCccZNrP4u9MfgbhkN
- https://youtu.be/p9c2f63pIag?si=UZJWGfsNCfZr6Eq_&t=209
AOB
- Fediforum is back for October 7-8
  - https://fediforum.org/
- Fediforum Europe at SFcon
  - https://www.sfscon.it/programs/2025/
- Supremacy (AI, ChatGPT, and the Race That Will Change the World) by Parmy Olson
  - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxL41ew53CE
- The AI karma
  - https://futurism.com/godfather-ai-ex-broke-up-chatgpt
- Nvidia CEO says American technology should be the world’s technology stack
  - https://finance.yahoo.com/news/nvidia-ceo-jensen-huang-says-us-tech-stack-should-be-global-standard-companies-are-built-on–including-china-003308243.html

Techgrumps 3.30 – We Did It For The Children

eastmad — Tue, 05 Aug 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Look upon the rain soaked valley, see the innocent children gambol in the poppies. Only age verification can keep this bucolic vision of Britain real – and if you don’t agree you must be a pervert. So says Tech Bro Pete Kyle.

Naturally, the techgrumps are backing this all the way. Ian Forrester, David “Andy” Eastman, and Wendy Grossman fall over themselves to ensure Our Children stay in the fields where they belong.

https://archive.org/download/techgrumps-3.30-we-did-it-for-the-children/Techgrumps%203.30%20-%20We%20did%20it%20for%20the%20children.mp3

Techgrumps 3.30 audio

Enjoy the mp3 audio, and why not share it with others.

Techgrumps 3.30
- UK’s online safety act requires users to verify their age for adult content
  - VPN usage massively up! – https://mashable.com/article/proton-vpn-uk-age-verification-signups
  - The gated internet – https://reason.com/2025/07/28/the-age-gated-internet-is-here/
  - https://www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/the-great-british-firewall-age-verification-has-failed/
- What happened to hobbies?
  - https://youtu.be/OLQkNUjQPUo?si=M3b4wArK8ztUN3bu
- Any other business
  - Empires of AI – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_of_AI
  - John Oliver on AI Slop – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWpg1RmzAbc
  - Silicon Valley’s sudden embrace of Christianity – https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/christianity-was-borderline-illegal-in-silicon-valley-now-its-the-new-religion
  - Open rights group hits 20 years! – https://www.openrightsgroup.org/events/org-at-20-cory-doctorow-in-conversation-with-maria-farrell/
  - Derailed: The Story of HS2 – https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002fv8b
    - Kate Lamble investigates the extraordinary inside story of Britain’s most ambitious and controversial rail project.

Techgrumps 3.29 – Please verify your AI partner

eastmad — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 09:14:25 +0000

From BlueSky non-growth, to AI boyfriends through staring at an orb. I remember in the old days you just paid thruppence and went to a dance in the church hall, now its all AI intimacy and splitting your iris into three parts. And that Elon Musk, he’s a right one isn’t he?

Grumps this time include the voices of Ian Forrester, David “Andy” Eastman, and Wendy Grossman.

https://archive.org/download/techgrumps-3.29-please-vertify-your-ai-partner/Techgrumps%203.29%20-%20Please%20vertify%20your%20AI%20partner.mp3

Techgrumps 3.29 audio

Enjoy the mp3 audio, and why not share it with others.

Stuff we mentioned in the show

The Fediverse and Bluesky
- https://netwars.pelicancrossing.net/2025/06/27/revival/
World Orb launches in the UK
- https://eandt.theiet.org/2025/06/09/sam-altmans-eyeball-scanning-device-designed-tell-humans-bots-arrives-uk
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-66128111
AI Boyfriends
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathyhackl/2025/06/23/confessions-of-a-futurist-i-dated-four-a
- https://shows.acast.com/metaverse-marketing/episodes/dating-ai-loving-human-exploring-ai-relationships-metas-new
AOBs
- Titan: the OceanGate Disaster = https://www.imdb.com/title/tt35628853/
- Mountain Head – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt35396529/
- BBC R&D’s Social research – https://www.bbc.co.uk/rd/articles/2025-06-social-media-change-issues-problems-report
- The Bookworm and the Fireflies has launched – https://thebookwormandthefireflies.com/