Total Leo (Audio)

Microsoft's latest Windows event left even diehard enthusiasts scratching their heads, with new AI-powered hardware and "RTX Spark" PCs getting top billing but little clear reason for anyone to buy them. If you're wondering what actually matters in the world of AI PCs. or why no one can explain it, you're not alone.

Windows

• We need to talk about last week's Windows event... what the heck was this?
• Lots of Windows, lots of Su...

Hosts: Steve Gibson and Leo Laporte

Think your open-source AI model is safe? This episode uncovers how LLMs can be secretly booby-trapped with undetectable backdoors, raising the stakes for anyone deploying AI in serious environments.

• Anthropic cuts live Internet access during testing.
• Will LLM technology turn out to be an uncontrollable dead end?
• What alternative AI technologies are underway?
• Anthropic offers free AI vuln...

Apple held its "Welcome Home" event, debuting Apple HomeView and Apple Home Collection, a lineup of new smart home accessories in partnership with LG. Apple also unveiled its Apple TV 4K. And will Apple finally debut its Touchscreen MacBook Pro later this month?

• Meet Apple HomeView, a new way to enjoy entertainment and manage the home.
• Introducing Apple Home Collection, a new lineup of smart home accessories.
• Apple unveils t...

Windows unveiled its Surface Laptop Ultra & Surface RTX Spark Dev Box at its recent Surface event. Google's SynthID Detector is open to everyone now to check for AI-made media. OpenAI agents attempted to hack Wikipedia and its tools to make unauthorized edits. And AI tools are now flooding into underground cybercrime markets.

• Windows 11 market share creeps upwards as cost of staying on Windows 10 set to double.
• Everything...

From deleting critical files to oversharing your banking details in Slack, today's AI agents are proving both incredibly helpful and hilariously unpredictable. Hear what actually happens when AI gets a little too persistent and why transparency about their actions matters more than ever.

• AMistral CEO interview (use Translate)
• Google releases Gemini 4 Argon, called its most powerful model yet
• Profile of Mark Zuckerberg
• Facin...

Microsoft and NVIDIA's RTX Spark laptops are official, with preorders open and shipping October 16. Prices run from $2,599 (24GB) to $5,899 (128GB, already sold out on Surface). Paul and Leo cover who needs that much RAM, what "hybrid intelligence" means, and why Paul's new Googlebook disappointed him.

Windows

• RTX Spark laptops: from $2,599 (24GB), $3,700 (32GB), $5,899 (128GB). Ships Oct 16
• Partners: Microsoft, ASUS, Dell, ...

As AI becomes startlingly capable, top minds at OpenAI admit they can't always control what their own creations do—or even fully understand how they think. This episode dives into the real-world tension between rapid progress and the growing challenge of keeping AI truly aligned.

• GLM-5.3 can be and has been abliterated. What does that mean?
• Firefox 157 repairs a large number of high-impact vulnerabilities.
• A surprising...

We could finally see Apple launch new smart home products this month. iPhone Duo apparently has a 'replaceable' folding display layer to help minimize crease visibility. Apple is changing Full Disk Access in macOS. And Apple's latest AirPods, AirPods 5, get a better reparability score from iFixit!... from 0 to 2.

• Apple is finally ready to enter its next big category: the smart home.
• 'Get Ready' to pre-order the iPhone Duo sta...

Is Gemini 4 truly so capable, as claimed by Google? OpenAI unveils Dots to rival Meta's Muse. Google's Project Suncatcher prototype satellite is now in orbit. And should we be worried about the possible 'catastrophic' risks with AI, as reported in a leaked IPO filing by Anthropic?

• OpenAI pauses training its most powerful models after rogue agents target government.
• Google announces Gemini 4 and says it's so capable that only ...

What happens when a single person manages a staff of 24 AI "employees" with one-on-one performance reviews and weekly stand-ups? This episode takes you inside the wild, experimental frontier of local AI, where hobbyists are building their own digital workforces from scratch.

• DevDay 2026 Recap
• Anthropic warns of 'catastrophic' AI risks in its own IPO filing
• GLM-5.3 and the spread of advanced cyber capabilities
• (7) Joe on X: ...

Why does Microsoft keep stumbling with new devices and software design... and what happens when enthusiasts start favoring AI over old-school Office? Paul, Richard, and Leo dig into shifting loyalties and what that means for the future of the desktop. And with the release of 26H2, it's time to update your install and recovery media. The build number is 26300.9457

Windows

• Windows 11, version 26H2 is here
• New features, none un...

With millions racing to embrace AI assistants and cybercriminals pivoting to new, high-stakes tactics, the episode tackles the dizzying pace of change and asks: just how worried should we be? The discussion pulls back the curtain on AI's unpredictable power, the escalation of digital extortion, and why the next breach may hit closer to home than you think.

• Muse has a bad 0-day
• The regularity of "Irregular"
• More rogue OpenAI ...

Federico Viticci of MacStories joins the show this week! Federico shares his experience using Apple's new M5 Ultra Mac Studio & running local AI agents with the machine. John Ternus is looking to get the company to run faster & leaner. And AT&T may not support Apple's new iPhone Handoff feature?

• M5 Ultra Mac Studio Review: The dream Mac for local AI agents.
• Apple's new CEO seeks to make company run faster and lean...

If your fridge can be bricked by a firmware update and your AI can outwit its creators, are we trading convenience for chaos? This lively episode tackles the tension between relentless innovation and apparent human oversight in today's weird tech world. Unpack the reality behind AI agents hacking government sites and why industry leaders suddenly want to "pause" progress while shipping new models.

• An OpenAI Agent Hacked Austra...

Forget large language models. This episode uncovers a radically different approach to AI, where physics-guided reasoning and energy-based models are reshaping what machines can actually understand—and why that could unlock breakthroughs mainstream AIs keep missing.

• Claude Opus 5.5 and OpenAI GPT-6 Sol & Luna both launch today with lower costs
• Muse, Meta's extraordinarily privileged AI assistant, has a serious 0-day
...

Windows

• Week D arrives, and this time we get updates - a preview of Octoberʼs Patch Tuesday
  • 24H2/25H2 Minor update with new Copilot key remaps, Wi-Fi in WRE, more
  • 26H1 Major update that brings all new 26H2 features—Start, Taskbar, Search —to 26H1. Finally.

Windows Insider Program

• Four new builds last Friday - Biggest change is Cloud Rebuild in WRE (in Experimental) gaining new capabilities.

After Microsoft's historic Mega Patch Tuesday, enterprise IT teams worldwide are scrambling as a wave of updates triggers system meltdowns, broken domains, and silent Excel failures. Find out how AI-driven speed collided with real-world chaos.

• Andrew Ng weighs-in on AI Doomsaying.
• The wisdom of outsourcing AI security testing.
• The true risk of an AI-created bioweapon.
• The EU KIDS Act -- this one is even messier.
• "Nightmare...

The iPhone 18 Pro & Pro Max are hitting consumers' hands. Reviews of the Apple Watch Series 12 & Ultra 4 are out now for Apple's latest smartwatches. And are the newest Mac Minis and Mac Studios worth it for their prices?

• Apple explains how the iPhone 18 Pro's new Reference Image camera mode works.
• The iPhone 18 Pro's big camera update is all about the small gains.
• Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 review: More perso...

AI hallucinations nearly sparked an international crisis, Google dodged a breakup but faces new rules, and Meta's personal AI agent might be about to run your life. This week's episode ponders what's pragmatic, what's dangerous, and what's coming for everything from privacy to geopolitics.

• Judge Orders Data Sharing and Other Fixes to Solve Google's Ad Tech Monopoly
• US judge signals rejection of part of TikTok privacy settleme...