Total Leo (Audio)

A devastating new React vulnerability earned a "perfect 10" for risk, letting attackers remotely run code on a million-plus servers with a single HTTP request. Find out what happened, how fast attackers moved in, and why this bug changes everything for web security.

• France's VanityFair face a stiff fine over cookies.
• GrapheneOS pulls out of France over coercion worries.
• The EU adds to the pile-on over underage social media.
...

Alan Dye jumps ship, departing Apple for Meta! Could Johny Srouji leave Apple soon? Srouji says he's not leaving "anytime soon". Justin Bieber is upset over part of Apple's Messages UI. And Apple TV previews part of the F1 channel TV app!

• Bad Dye Job.
• Apple announces departure of general counsel and policy chief.
• What the heck is going on at Apple?
• Apple Chip Chief tells staff he's not leaving "Anytime Soon".
• In a major c...

What happens if your internet provider gets the blame for what you download? This week, the panel unpacks a billion-dollar copyright battle at the Supreme Court that could upend how we all use the web.

• Justice Alito Makes The Most Sense, Or This Week At The Supreme Court In The Cox-Sony Copyright Case
• First Porn, Now Skin Cream? 'Age Verification' Bills Are Out of
• These new FDA-approved glasses promise to slow nearsightedne...

Spies aren't just in the shadows anymore—AI has turned every smartphone and social feed into a battlefield of influence and surveillance. This episode exposes how intelligence agencies, rogue states, and even TikTok are using machine learning to reshape what we know, believe, and fear.

• Apple AI Chief Retiring After Siri Failure
• Claude 4.5 Opus' Soul Document
• OpenAI CEO Declares 'Code Red' to Combat Threats to ChatGPT, Delay...

Can the AI boom survive its own hype? This episode takes on the future of OpenAI, tech's subscription fatigue, and why "Made with AI" labels might be the new scarlet letter. Plus, Microsoft's ugly sweaters are back for some reason.

Windows 11

• Week D comes a week late and in the wrong month, but it's a big one, and a preview of what to expect next week in Patch Tuesday
• More pervasive dark mode
• Copilot+ PC exclusives: Improv...

Cisco has finally admitted it's time for real change and is vowing to build "secure by default" gear after decades of criticism. Steve Gibson reacts to a rare moment when a tech giant actually gets security right—and what it means for everyone running critical infrastructure.

• Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters strikes (Salesforce) again.
• Cisco actually (no kidding) sees the light.
• Next week, Australia bans all underage social medi...

John Giannandrea is stepping down from his role as VP for Machine Learning & AI Strategy and retiring in Spring 2026! Could Apple re-partner with Intel on a future product? Apple overtakes Samsung as the world's top phone maker. And Apple's new holiday season TV ad charms the panel!

• John Giannandrea to retire from Apple.
• From Ming-Chi Kuo: "Intel expected to begin shipping Apple's lowest-end M processor as early as 2027....

Is Black Friday really booming, or are inflated prices and AI shopping assistants just muddying the waters? This episode rips into the data, exposes retailer tactics, and debates if smarter tech is actually making us better shoppers.

• Black Friday data shows online sales strong, store results mixed
• Silicon Valley's man in the White House is benefiting himself and his friends
• View: Trump's AI agenda sails toward an iceberg of...

AI pioneer Emad Mostaque joins Intelligent Machines to predict the intelligence inversion that could make human cognitive labor economically obsolete within a few years. Are we on the brink of a world where AI not only replaces remote jobs, but outcompetes entire companies of people?

• Fox News hires Palantir to build AI newsroom tools
• White House pauses executive order that would seek to preempt state laws on AI, sources say
  ...

Pavan Davuluri only spoke at one Ignite 2025 session, and it did not deserve the hate he got. But what did he really say?

• Copilot is a front-end for apps and cloud AI services, agents are background processes.
• Apps in Windows need to become programmatic so AI and agents can control them.
• You are in control. You being IT and the user. These experiences are off by default, opt-in, and optional. This is the end of whatever BS ...

Could banning VPNs really become law in the US? This episode breaks down the jaw-dropping legislation in Wisconsin and Michigan that targets VPN access for everyone, not just kids—and what it means for your digital privacy.

• The EU finally comes to its "Chat Control" senses.
• Windows 11 to include SysInternals Sysmon natively.
• Chrome's tabs (optionally) go vertical.
• The Pentagon begins its investment in warfare AI.
• Members ...

We celebrate 1000 episodes of MacBreak Weekly! The next iteration of iOS may be something similar to macOS "Snow Leopard". A breakthrough has been made in the iPhone Fold crease! And Gurman refutes the Financial Times report that Tim Cook could be stepping down as early as next year.

• Apple announces 45 App Store awards finalists for 2025.
• Apple iOS 27 to be no-frills "Snow Leopard" update, other than new AI.
• Jony Ive, Sam A...

A judge is racing to break up Google's advertising empire before they can appeal, while Microsoft's Copilot stumbles on camera. Australia's sweeping social bans, Roblox's selfie requirement, and flawed AI moderation spark sharp debate on what happens when online gatekeeping gets serious.

• Top MAGA Influencers Accidentally Unmasked as Foreign Trolls
• NetChoice Sues Virginia To Block Its One-Hour Social Media Limit For Kids
• Rob...

What does it take to build tech the world actually trusts? Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales joins the crew to dig into the real crisis behind AI, social networks, and the web: trust, and how to build it when the stakes are global.

• Teen founders raise $6M to reinvent pesticides using AI — and convince Paul Graham to join in
• Introducing SlopStop: Community-driven AI slop detection in Kagi Search
• Part 1: How I Found Out
• $1 billi...

Ahead of Microsoft Ignite 2025, Windows boss Pavan Davuluri tweeted an innocuous post about nothing, and all hell broke loose. We are broken as a community and it's time to cull the herd.

Ignite 2025

• Fun aside: Google could have announced Gemini 3 at any time, but they chose the opening day of Ignite. Who's dancing now?
• No Satya and suddenly the keynote is watchable again
• Microsoft brings Anthropic models to Foundry along ...

Think your cell phone is safe from tracking? Steve reveals how global networks let anyone pinpoint your location—no hacking required and no malware involved.

• Apple introduces a new Digital ID inside Wallet.
• Checkout.com refuses to pay a ransom demand.
• Google announces "Private AI Compute" in the cloud.
• Google backpedals on their "devs must register" demand.
• Win11 added a Passkeys API which 1Password & Bitwarden suppor...

Speculation about Tim Cook's eventual successor is ramping up, as he may announce his retirement as early as next year. A federal jury in California rules that Apple must pay Masimo $634 million for patent infringement. And Apple unveils how cases for the Apple Watch Series 11 & Ultra 3 were 3D-printed this year.

• Apple intensifies succession planning for CEO Tim Cook.
• Apple COO Jeff Williams is now officially retired.
• J...

Meta's Ray-Ban Display glasses steal the spotlight on a Rome trip, triggering debates about privacy, wearable tech etiquette, and the uncomfortable power of recording the world through your eyewear. Plus, gadgets scanning your urine, bots shaping your inbox, and the future of Disney+!

• Counting Renaissance butts in Rome with the Meta Ray-Ban Display
• Jury says Apple owes Masimo $634M for patent infringement
• Google ordered to ...

Can radical optimism about AI truly shape our future, or are we stuck in a cycle of doom-and-hype? This episode features an unfiltered debate with Wired co-founder Kevin Kelly on why most fears about artificial intelligence might be missing the bigger picture.

• Vibe Coding' Named Word of the Year By Collins Dictionary
• OpenAI CFO Says Company Isn't Seeking Government Backstop, Clarifying Prior Comment
• Montana Becomes First St...