- Have you seen the massive lineups across the country? To share his thoughts on the new Nintendo Switch 2 videogame console, we’re joined by Peer Schneider, Co-Founder and Executive Vice President of IGN, one of the biggest online entertainment platforms
- Have you ever wondered what happens behind the scenes when you ask ChatGPT a question? Hillery Hunter, CTO of IBM Infrastructure, offers some insights into current consumer concerns -- and opportunities -- around AI
- I’ll also share some “smart home” innovations that can save you time, money, and give you peace of mind. I also offer a half-dozen gadget gift ideas ahead of Father’s Day and graduation season (“dads and grads”)
- Thank you to Visa and SanDisk for your support!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the ever changing world
of technology? Can check it out? Can help make some
sense of it all, Breaking down geeksbeak into street speak.
Technology columnist, author, and TV personality Mark Saltzman covers consumer
technology each week for every listener, Mark tackles the latest news, reviews,
and how toos to help you understand what's hot, what's
(00:21):
not and why.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Hey everyone, welcome to check it out. This is episode
three ninety seven. I'm cooking up a sweet giveaway for
our four hundredth episode, so stay tuned for that. We
have a very busy show for you, so no small talk.
Off the top of the program, we're going to kick
things off with a review of the Nintendo switch To.
(00:46):
We're going to chat with Pear Schneider from IGN in
a moment sort of a review. At the time of
recording this, it was only some preliminary hands on time
with the new console, but people were lining up all
across the country on Wednesday night Thursday morning, so pretty exciting.
Also on the program, IBM will join us to chat
about AI in the workplace, and I'll share some smart
(01:09):
home ideas and a little bit later in the program,
some gadget gift ideas for dads and grads for Father's
Day and graduation. So a very busy tech it out
for you this week, powered by Visa. Securing the world's
payments is priority one. I'll tell you more about Visa's
anti fraud efforts shortly, but let's officially kick off the
(01:29):
show with our first interview. It's official. Nintendo Switch Too
has launched on Thursday, June fifth, after more than a
year of speculation and rumors and months of hype once
it was formerly announced. So what is all the hype about?
Is it warranted? Joining us on the show for the
first time is Per Schneider, co founder and executive vice
(01:51):
president of IGN, one of the biggest online entertainment platforms.
Welcome to the show. Pair, Good to chat with you, Hi, Mark,
Thanks for having me on. Well, this is a full
review because at the time of recording this interview, your
impressions are based on pre launch time with the console
in more of a controlled setting. I believe so hard
(02:11):
to assess things like battery and so on, but at
a high level, tell us what Nintendo Switch to is
all about.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
The Switch Too.
Speaker 4 (02:19):
Is basically like an iteration on the original Nintendo Switch console,
which I would describe as a revolutionary change in gaming. Right,
Once in a while, a new device comes along, whether
it's an iPad on iPhone or you know, a home
assistant device, that really kind of changes how we interact
with our favorite hobbies. And the Nintendo Switch was that
(02:39):
because what it did was it merged handteld gaming and
console gaming into one device, and literally you could switch
between playing on your television and then taking the device
with you on interrupted. You could just take it out
and it keeps on playing and take it on an
airplane or wherever you go. And so the Switch to
is very much that, but in the more powerful package.
(03:02):
You know, graphics of better, the sound is better, the
resolution is higher, it's got a bigger screen, so it's
a more beautiful device. But it's an iteration. It's a
step up. And so much of the hype is about
the games that you can play on the device and
what comes in the future more so than what it
does to gaming and how it changes things.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Thanks for that, and I am going to ask you
about some of the gaming highlights in a couple of
moments from now from your vantage point, and I know
there are probably a couple of games you've played that
aren't coming out until the summer, like Donkey Kong Bonanza,
which I thought was fun, but yeah, thank you for
calling that out. So it's probably called Nintendo Switch because
you can switch from a portable or handheld gaming system
(03:46):
into a console that you can dock and play on
your big screen TV. So great for both, you know,
keeping the kids entertained in the backseat to reduce the
are we there yet? As well as kids at heart
like you and I. And then again, the versatility of
being a to dock it and play it on your
I don't know, seventy five inch or eighty inch TV
or whatever you have at home or in a hotel
(04:06):
or something is great. It's an awesome option. So Nintendo
Switch too, sounds like an evolution of the Nintendo Switch,
improving things. Like you mentioned a bigger screen. I think
it's now seven point nine inches instead of six point
two twice, the resolution has technologies like HDR High dynamic
range for better contrast and brightness, and color has faster
(04:28):
speeds to keep up with the latest games and pair
what's your take on the Joycon controllers on each side
now called Joycon two, they now magnetically attached to the console.
Do you like that idea instead of having to swipe
in on that small narrow groove. Do you think this
is a better idea?
Speaker 4 (04:47):
I do, And I think any current Nintendo switch on
it probably has struggled with the Joycon connection. It looks
so good on paper when you actually know what you're doing,
but if you put a joy Con on the wrong way,
it's kind of a pain to get it back off
the console. And probably some kids struggled with it, and
they fix that, and you know the name switch also
(05:08):
this sort of the sound effect that Nintendo has employed
throughout its marketing in the past, whether it's like the
snap sound right, and the snap is what happens when
you attach the controllers, And that's one of those examples
of where Nintendo is just really clever with their sort
of crazy toy maker ideas to like really kind of
sell an idea to you, just like if you remember
(05:29):
the Nintendo Wii and waving the controller around like a
golf club or a tennis racket.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
They did this thing with the controllers when.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
You attach them, and that snap sound now actually literally
makes that click sound because they have these really strong
magnets that pull the controllers in when you attach them.
It feels really good and really intuitive. It's actually if
you'd be worried about something being magnetically held versus like
a sliding in from the old ones, it's actually really
(05:58):
really steady, like they wiggle less than the original Nintendo
Switch control Full disclosure.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Mark I am.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
I am a little bit of an obsessive classic gaming collector,
and I own every Nintendo Switch JOYCN color.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
And variation released and so.
Speaker 4 (06:15):
I'm looking at the Switch to launch with anticipation but
also a little bit of dread and you know, I'm
just going to have to be strong and not want
to buy every one of those controllers.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
A good luck with that pair. And speaking of strong,
the kickstand is more durable this time around. I should
mention it was a bit flimsy with the original Nintendo Switch.
There's now a spatial audio and one of my favorite
features of Nintendo Switch too is the C button. It's
to launch game chat. Can you tell our listeners about that?
Speaker 4 (06:45):
Yeah, so, you know, obviously playing online games against friends
that aren't in the same house and or you know,
all the way across the world has been a feature
in console gaming PC gaming for a while. Nintendo's traditionally
been a little lukewarm on it. You know, partially it's
a Japanese company where online gaming wasn't as big as
in the West. They finally and also they've always been
(07:09):
very protective because of kids, right they want to make
sure that anyone can play their games, and you know
that kids aren't exposed to to predators or negative negative
experiences online, and so they've dragged their feet a little bit.
With the switch To, they're finally coming into the into
the mainstream and are supporting online play with built in
(07:32):
voice chat. You have to you have to use an
external app for that on your phone. With Nintendo Switch one.
With switched to, there's a built in microphone. It's all
very turn key. Friending is upgraded, so Mark, you and
I could send each other friend requests and instantly be
linked in chat through the console whenever we have an
Internet connection. They but they're also very playful about things
(07:54):
like video chats obviously something lots of people do with
FaceTime or you know, other devices Zoom, other applications like
Zoom all the time. Nintendo built this into the Nintendo
Switch too with this optional camera attachment, and they made
it fun where when you're playing a game, you can
bring up your friend's faces if they have a camera
(08:14):
at the bottom of the screen, and so you see
their reactions in real time when you're playing something like
Mario Kart, and then they're actually doing some stuff where
they alter that you can do overlays and filters and
kind of have like fun little moments take snapshots of
you know, the other players reactions. So they gamifying it
in a way that only really Nintendo can at its core.
(08:37):
It's not something like mind blowing or unique or something
others haven't done, but Nintendo just has this sort of
kind of twinkle in their eye and playful way of
making something that's even a little bit old or interesting.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
Yeah, that's a great way to put it. And you're right.
We've seen online gaming with chatting for a very long
time with PlayStation and Xbox and PC gaming, but for
the Nintendo Switch, the original console, it wasn't the most
graceful way to do it. Now, with the built in
microphone with noise cancelation by the way, it should be
able to block out ambient sounds around you up to
(09:10):
twelve people can now chat while they're gaming. You can
also share your screen with up to four people at once,
so if you're stuck, even in say a single player
game like one of the Zelda games, you can call
up a friend and have them help you in real
time by seeing where you're stuck, for example. And as
you mentioned, you can also video chat now by adding
an optional USBC video camera. So it sounds like they've
(09:32):
really upgraded everything across the board. We are chatting with
Pear Schneider. He's co founder and EVP of IGN, one
of the biggest online entertainment platforms on the planet. Pair,
I've known you for what I mean, twenty five years now.
You've been in the industry for a long time. Something
something nineties, Mine something something nineties. Okay, I'll take that.
So look, we've been around long enough to know that
(09:54):
it's tricky to launch a successor to a popular console
because on one hand, you don't want to with the formula right,
you don't want to change what made the original so popular.
But on the flip side, you need to give gamers
a reason to upgrade. Has Nintendo straddled that line? What's
your opinion on that?
Speaker 4 (10:12):
So just for background, Right, the Nintendo Switch is the
number three best selling gaming console of all time. It's
sold over one hundred and fifty million units worldwide. It's
only lagging behind the Nintendo DS and the PlayStation two,
which you know it is likely going to overtake both
of them in the course of the next two years
because the console isn't going away, right, So the Switch
(10:33):
Too follows in the footsteps of a massive success for Nintendo.
That doesn't always guarantee that the follow up is going
to be a success.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Right.
Speaker 4 (10:41):
The Nintendo Wii was a groundbreaking success, and the follow er,
Nintendo We You very very similarly named, did not become
a success.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
It was one of the.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
Greatest failures I think in the case of the Switch Too.
There are a couple of different things that play here.
One is the format has not outstayed. It's welcome if
you remember the original people in the end stop playing
the motion enabled games, right like tennis, golf, All of
that stuff get kind of old.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
And then a lot of people use the Nintendo.
Speaker 4 (11:09):
Switch as a Netflix machine for years to come, but
didn't really buy games for it.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
A few more minutes about Nintendo Switch Too with pair Schneider,
co founder of IGN. So stick with us. We'll be
right back with more check it Out hang type.
Speaker 5 (11:24):
Listen to check it Out whenever you want to find
the Check it Out podcast at I too or wherever
you get your podcasts.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
Welcome back to check it Out. We've got just two
minutes left with Pair Schneider, co founder of IGNIGN dot com.
We're talking Nintendo Switch to now. Before the break, Pair,
you are just about to share some thoughts on some
of the advantages that Nintendo Switch to has at launch.
Please continue your thought.
Speaker 4 (11:59):
Nintendo Switch two launches with Nintendo's biggest franchise, and that's
Mario Kart. They have a new game called Mario Kart World,
and so that's a very very powerful first day game
to have. You know, they never had a Mario Kart
game at launch like that. And then secondly, there's some
really unique things that I don't think have shown their
value yet.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
The new Joycon controllers.
Speaker 4 (12:19):
You don't just attach them to the switch to and
play like you would with a regular gaming controller. You
can take them off and you can turn them on
their side and they act like a PC mouse.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
Yeah, like the game Dragon Drive.
Speaker 4 (12:33):
Right, Yeah, that's right, there's a game where you basically
use the two joycon and you move them on the
table forward as if you were riding in a wheelchair,
So you like pushing the wheelchair forward with the motion
of the controllers on the table. Now, what that enables,
apart from some you know, some unique experiences like that,
is that games that were formerly locked to PCs, like
(12:53):
first person shooters anything like think about a game like Civilization,
They were always better on PC because you wanted that
nuance and the mouse movement. They are now possible not
just on a console device, but on a portable that
you take with you, so you could play a game
like that on an airplane. And Nintendo has demonstrated that
you can use thee joycn as a mouse by putting
(13:16):
them on your pants, like on your pant leg basically
and moving the controller like a mouse there and it
all functions pretty well.
Speaker 3 (13:23):
And so I think that that.
Speaker 4 (13:25):
Story hasn't been told very well, and I think it
takes the right game to really demonstrate that in the future,
and so I think people will be pretty excited when
they see the device in action.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Where could our listeners read more about the Nintendo switch
to no doubt you're going to have review up at
IGN reviews of the games, some news feature stories. Perhaps
you just.
Speaker 4 (13:45):
Start at IGN dot com and you will see plenty
of coverage that leads you deeper in.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
But we've been around for a.
Speaker 4 (13:51):
While, so we're actually actually active on all platforms, whether
you're on TikTok or on YouTube where we have almost
twenty million subscribers.
Speaker 3 (13:59):
Just follow us any we're there.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Pair, Thank you so much for taking the time to
chat with us today, sharing your time and your expertise
on Nintendo Switch. Too good to catch up with you.
It's been a while. Thank you again.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
Thank you so much. Mark.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Hey, do you want to upgrade your home, sweet home
into a home smart home? I had a lot of
fun on Wednesday morning out of New York broadcasting to
various TV stations to share a few easy to use
smart home innovations that can save you time, money, and
give you peace of mind for the summer months. You're
going to want the Eero Outdoor seven. This brings fast
(14:34):
Wi Fi seven speeds outside with reliable coverage up to
fifteen thousand square feet. So that's to power your fun
experiences like streaming your sports while you're outside with friends
or djaing pool parties, or for more practical purposes like
security cameras at the edge of your property. This is
weather proof Wi Fi with what's called IP sixty six
(14:56):
protection against dust, rain, and snow, and these can operate
in extreme temperatures. The easy app based install includes mounting
accessories for virtually any surface. Again, that's called Eero e
Ro Outdoor seven. Next up, the T Mobile five G
Home Internet service is awesome if you need affordable and
(15:18):
reliable Wi Fi, especially during moving season, whether you're renting, buying,
or relocating this summer, T Mobile five G Home Internet
is an easy and hassle freeway to get connected. Plus
right now, you can score up to a three hundred
dollars gift card when you sign up. Plans start at
only thirty five dollars a month, and it includes a
(15:39):
five year price guarantee, so you've got the piece of
mind knowing that the prices won't go up, and some
plans even come with perks like free subscriptions to Hulu,
Paramount Plus and more. Now, if you love online shopping
as I do, but you're not at home as much
this time of the year, to receive the packages. I've
got an awesome solution for you. It's called Amazon Key
(15:59):
in Garage Delivery. As the name suggests, it's a secure
and convenient way to help protect your orders from theft
and bad weather by placing deliveries inside your garage. Whether
it's for Amazon dot Com, Amazon Fresh, or Whole Foods Market.
It's compatible with most smart garages and is exclusively available
(16:20):
for a Prime members, which I highly recommend. Set Up
is super simple. It could be done in the Amazon
app itself. Just shop like you normally would, and then
choose key delivery at checkout. It's that easy. So a
vetted driver will be able to scan your package. When
they get to your home, the garage door will automatically open.
You do not need to share your pin code to
(16:41):
your garage with them. They place the package a couple
of feet in the garage and then it closes behind them,
and you're notified on an app wherever life takes you.
Did you know that water damage accounts for nearly a
quarter of all home insurance claims? Well to help the
mow and flow smart water monitor and shut off connects
to your home's main seat supply line to proactively notify
(17:02):
you of any leaks, a burst or frozen pipe, or
issues like running toilets and faucet drips. If something is detected,
the water supply can automatically shut off and then you're
notified via the Mowen app, allowing you to monitor and
control problems from anywhere at any time. Mowen dot com
has more on that. And finally, over the past twenty
(17:24):
five plus years, Vivit has become a leader in advanced
smart home tech. Now part of NRG, Vivit is fusing
smart home innovation and security with energy managed. With rising
summer electricity bills, you can claim control of your energy
usage and ultimately reduce costs, which everybody I'm sure wants
(17:44):
to do. Vivin offers seamlessly connected devices from lighting, to
HVAC and more, all controlled via a central app. Every
system includes professional installation, and it includes twenty four to
seven customer support and monitoring. Simply visit in thenews dot tv.
You can even see a video of all of these
products that I'm chatting about. All right, that's again in
(18:07):
thenews dot tv. We'll be right back with more tech
it out when we chat with IBM about Ai. Stick
with us, We'll be right back.
Speaker 1 (18:15):
Want to follow Mark Google, Mark with a C and
Saltzman with a Z. Breaking down geeksbeak into street speak.
This is check it Out. Check it Out with technology columnist, author,
(18:36):
and TV personality Mark Saltzman.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
Welcome back to tech it Out. We cover cybersecurity a
lot on this program and how you can best protect
yourself in the digital age, even if you're not super
tech savvy. One part of the solution is securely shopping
online and so I'm thrilled about my partnership with Visa
on tech it Out, as they've made some significant investments
in fraud prevention over the past five years, as much
(19:01):
as ten billion dollars Yes that's billion with a B,
to support Visa's brand promise to protect the financial information
of individuals and businesses. Zero liability means peace of mind
when you shop online using your Visa card. There can
be no half measures when it comes to cybersecurity, which
is why the company takes an aggressive and multi layered
(19:22):
approach to combating the rising threat of malicious software and
other threats by well funded and global criminal enterprises. Read
more about Visa and how securing the world's payments is
Priority one at Visa dot com slash security. That's Visa
dot Com slash security. Have you ever wondered what happens
behind the scenes when you ask chat GPT a question?
(19:44):
What types of systems are powering these AI tools, and
perhaps more importantly, what happens to your data? Your information?
Some surveys have found people are skeptical about how their
data is used or misused. Joining us to chat about
this is Hillary Hunter, CTO of IBM Infrastructure, to share
insights into consumer concerns and opportunities around AI and what
(20:09):
companies can do to keep their AI operations safe and secure.
Speaker 6 (20:13):
Hi.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
Hillary, thanks so much for your time today. Good to
chat with you.
Speaker 7 (20:16):
Thanks for having me on.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
I get a lot of questions from readers of my
articles and listeners to this program about AI, and I
think specifically it's jen AI, generative AI like chat GPT,
as I mentioned off the top, Maybe that's a good
place to start with you, Hillary. What are some examples
of how people are using AI in their everyday lives
and of course, what their concerns are around the tech.
Speaker 7 (20:39):
I think Mark you started off with one of the
most recognizable tools, open AIS chat, GPT Today, millions of
Americans are already using those tools. Also capabilities like anthropics Claude.
These are really popular and if you have a teenager,
I'm sure you've seen them doing even their homework using
these things. But AI is fun mentally changing the way
(21:01):
that we work, the way that we learn and get information,
the way that we plan our free time and get
recommendations on recreational activities. It's not something in the future.
It's something that's impacting us every day right now. And
almost everyone in our society is using AI to summarize
information or interacting with AI based systems when they're seeking
(21:23):
customer service from a provider that they're using. I think
to this topic of data and the question of you know,
where is my data going and how am I using
AI in an effective way? You know, AI can draft
and summarize documents. It can help us then spend more
time on higher value work, on creative efforts. It can
(21:44):
help create efficiency for businesses, and it can help us
move faster toward things that really benefit our lives. Teachers
can bring AI into the classroom for lesson planning support.
Healthcare workers can get recommendations of how to improve patient care.
But I think there's still a bit of a gap
between those who really understand the boundaries and the data
(22:07):
protection and what their providers are giving them and those
who don't. Our adoption in deck study that we did
in twenty twenty four, said that the biggest inhibitors of
generative AI adoption are that organizations in many cases are
concerned about data privacy and they're concerned about trust and transparency.
And so I think that's important for the consumer to
(22:28):
know because it means that enterprises and businesses are being
really thoughtful about this core question of protecting data, and
many are making very intentional and careful choices to protect
the data of their consumers. At IBM, we're really making
it a priority to show that end users can use
AI in a trustworthy way and that it can be
(22:51):
steerable and controllable. But we need to do a better
job at shining the light on the benefits that Americans
already are seeing today from those businesses that are partnering
with companies like ourselves who are really focused on that
trust and security and safety of your data. As you
interact with.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
AI, I can ask you in a couple of moments
about IBM and how they're helping to advance AI technology responsibly.
But at a higher level, how would you say, hillary
companies are leveraging AI or bringing AI into their business.
Can you give us some examples.
Speaker 7 (23:23):
Yeah, Within a business, there's a lot of what we
would call processes and workflows. There's really complicated steps, long
chains of things that need to happen in order for
us as a consumer to interact effectively with those businesses.
In order for them to, for example, ensure their supply chain,
make sure that they're getting all the right parts in
at the right time on an affordable basis, to interact
(23:46):
with employees human resources HR processes. But there's also complicated
things that happen across sales, marketing, operations, finance, really all
parts of a business. We see that about three orders
a business executive say that they need to adopt generative
AI quickly in order to keep up with their competitors
across all of those core functions. So there really isn't
(24:09):
any part of a modern effective enterprise that shouldn't be
looking at how AI can make it more effective and
help the employees in that area move to higher value.
Speaker 2 (24:20):
Work fair and I think even non enterprise level companies
like you know, medium businesses. Understandably, they're trying to leverage
AI as a way to even the playing field right,
to give them an advantage if they can, even against
larger companies that aren't leveraging AI as effectively as some
smaller companies are. You know, I like seeing this across
(24:41):
the board as long as it's being used responsibly. But
I agree with you from what I've learned over the
last couple of years, certainly since November of twenty two
when chat GPT came out, that companies are using tools
like generative AI across the board and every division, every department,
at every level, not just with chatbots for the consumer
we're facing interactions with that company, but also within the organization.
(25:04):
And so with that in mind, how can companies ensure
they're using data safely?
Speaker 7 (25:09):
I think the first thing is to work with AI
models where the provider is transparent about the data sources
that they use to create that model. Knowing where data
came from and then therefore how it may come out
the other side of an AI model is one of
the most important things we talk about. Seeking a data
fact sheet. You can think of that like a nutrition label.
We have these FDA nutrition labels that tell us what's
(25:32):
inside the products that we purchase to consume. And you
want that kind of information and that conversation to be
transparent with your AI model provider. You also want to
think about using smaller models that you can then customize
to your specific enterprise data. And this is a key
approach that we're working with more enterprises to look at.
(25:54):
I think the last thing is that you want to
look at securing the different environments where you are are
deploying AI and bringing the AI to where that data
is secure and protected is a key part of their
strategy to ensure that customer payments and consumer payments remain secure.
Speaker 2 (26:11):
Ar with Hillary Hunter, CTO of IBM Infrastructure, to chat
with us about AI when we return on tech it.
Speaker 6 (26:19):
Out, breaking down GeekSpeak into street speak Check it out
holosted by Mark Saltzman.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
Welcome back everyone you're listening to check it out. We've
got a couple of minutes left with Hillary Hunter, chief
Technical Officer of IBM Infrastructure. She has been sharing insights
into current consumer concerns and opportunities around AI and what
companies can do to keep their AI operations safe and secure.
Speaking of security, Hillary, before the break, you were talking
(26:59):
to us about ways to minimize their risk of data
falling into the wrong hands. There was a well known
story from early twenty twenty four of I think it
was a Samsung employee who used open AI to research
a product that was being developed internally at Samsung, unknowingly
that information was going to be shared, you know, with
(27:19):
the collective if you will, and he inadvertently shared some
corporate secrets long before our product debuted. And so obviously
that's a concern among many businesses that you know, it's
one thing about you know, customer data and transactions and
all that to protect their consumers, but also sharing potentially
sensitive information by betting on the wrong AI tool that
(27:41):
doesn't have transparency with what's happening with their data. Have
you heard that feedback from companies.
Speaker 7 (27:47):
Absolutely. I think education both of us individually as consumers
and education of employees is at the heart of using
and implementing AI responsibly. In many cases, things have happened
just because people had no idea that the service they
were interacting with had rights to the data that they're
supplying into that AI capability, and so I think education
(28:10):
is key. If you're a consumer, look at the terms
of the apps and other things that you're using. If
your business and you're considering implementing AI, as I said,
work with a provider that's transparent about the data that
went into that AI, and that is transparent equally about
the data posture of what you put into it. It's
completely possible as a business to use services where your
(28:32):
data is your data and it remains your data, and
it's not used to further improve that AI and it
can't flow out to others.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
What is IBM doing specifically to help advance AI technology
in a responsible way.
Speaker 7 (28:45):
We're focused on a couple things. I think. First, we
come from a heritage of IT that is intended for
the most regulated of industries and intended for industries where
consumer data protection is paramount, like in retail, for example,
and so we're APPROACHINGI from that same perspective. So, whether
it's healthcare companies or finance or insurance, we're helping them
(29:07):
bring AI to where their data resides so that they're
not wondering about where their data went. We're helping them
use secure environments in the cloud with new technologies like
confidential computing that enable a very deep level of sensitive
data protection even in a public environment like a cloud.
And so whether it's from encryption and confidential computing technologies
(29:32):
through to where and how that AI is deployed and managed,
we're working with our clients on a comprehensive strategy that
can help them move forward at speed. As you said, Mark,
there are even small businesses for which AI today can
be the primary differentiator of their quality of service, of
their personalization, of their customization to us as clients and
(29:52):
can help them really grow. But small, medium, or large
and regulated businesses across the globe need to be a
to monitor their data, monitor their AI, and so we're
creating everything from AI on the mainframe to watsonnex dot
governance that helps you oversee and manage your AI and
how it's deployed and secure cloud and on prem deployments
(30:13):
to really give optionality that you can move forward with
confidence to use AI to transform your business and create
an advantage.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
Where can our listeners go for more info on what
we've chatted about.
Speaker 7 (30:23):
Today, Yeah, just a quick website that I'd recommend folks
check out, IBM dot Com, Slash AI, Dash Infrastructure.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
All right, IBM dot Com, Slash AI, Dash infrastructure. I
know a lot of it. Decision makers at various organizations
tune into this program. So that's a great r ol
to plug. As we wrap up, Hillary Hunter, thank you
so much for your time today. Really enjoyed our chat.
Speaker 7 (30:46):
Thanks again, great talking to you, Mark, Thank you.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
Some guys like ties, but all boys love toys. I've
been chatting on TV about great gadget gift ideas for
Father's Day and if you have a graduate in the home,
so gift ideas for dads and grads. I thought I
would spend a couple of minutes now, maybe you're still
looking for that gift ahead of June fifteenth, and so
here are a bunch of ideas. Now for pricing, I'm
(31:12):
going to plug a website at the end of each
item because that's where you'll get up to date pricing
and availability, i e. What retailers have what you are
looking for, and because there are some regional sales, it's
just easier to do it that way. So listen for
the website at the end of each item. All right,
let's start off with a delicious device. I'm referring to
(31:32):
the Ninja Creamy Swirl ice cream Maker. Hey, if you
want to be the most popular house on the street
this summer, this is a device for your kitchen that
turns your countertop into an ice cream shop. It's a
TikTok sensation and a best Buy bestseller. This machine is
easy to set up and use, and it lets you
make soft serve ice cream, sore bats and gelados, milkshakes,
(31:56):
protein shakes, frozen yogurt, and a lot more. You can
create recipes from the included book or experiment on your
own by adding ingredients like cocoa or fruit or nuts, sprinkles,
any other ingredients from your kitchen. Throwing a couple of
oreos or fudgios into that vanilla ice cream you get
the idea. Simply pull the arm to dispense it into
(32:18):
a bowl, cup, or cone. Again, that's the Ninja Creamy
Swirl ice Cream Maker at best Buy. Best Buy dot
com has more. Next up, those who take their music
seriously will appreciate JBL Tour one M three over ear headphones,
which delivers pristine sound and advanced noise cancelation. It features
(32:39):
forty milimeters drivers and has an internal dock digital to
analog converter, which can deliver high resolution or lossless audio
with the USBC or three and a half millimeters stereo cable,
both of which are included in the box, enabled by
the onboard dock. The noise cancelation is amazing with the
eight microp and it has a battery life of up
(33:02):
to seventy hours. JBL dot com has more. I will
share other gadget gift ideas for dads and grads when
we return on Teck it out, stay with.
Speaker 5 (33:11):
Us, Follow Mark Saltzman on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram.
Listen to check it out whenever you want.
Speaker 2 (33:27):
If you're just tuning in now, I'm sharing some gadget
gift ideas for dads and grads. Father's Day, or maybe
you've got a graduate in your home from high school
or college or what have you. For worker Bees, perhaps
your crew will go in on or give gift cards
that can go towards the hp omnibook x Flip fourteen.
It's a next generation AI laptop that's thin, light and versatile.
(33:51):
It's a two to one computer that can be used
in multiple modes, or convertible as it's sometimes called because
you can bend back the three hundred and sixty degree
hine to convert it from a laptop into a touchscreen tablet,
or put it Intent mode for viewing videos or presentations
or when you're engaged in a video call. In fact,
it's got an embedded poly camera Pro for super clear
(34:13):
video calls, while AI can get rid of background noise
for you. Speaking of AI, it is powered by a
Copilot plus AI companion, as well as an Intel Core
Ultra seven processor under the hood and a huge one
terabyte solid state driver SSD for fast speeds. Finally, the
HP omnibook x flip fourteen has multiple ports on each side,
(34:36):
so you don't need to buy a hub to carry
around with you to connect several devices at the same time.
HP dot com has more. If you're just joining us,
I'm sharing some gadget gift ideas for dads and grads.
Father's Day is June the fifteenth. Then you may have
a graduate in your home from high school, you know,
college or university this month, as we do, and so
(34:56):
I'm sharing verbally the products that I showed visually on
TV last week. Got some nice messages about it. I
talked about a Ninja creamy Swirl ice cream maker JBL
one M three over ear headphones which sound phenomenal, a
versatile HP Omni laptop powered by AI, and I've got
a couple more to share with you. The last couple
(35:18):
of suggestions are for the home from Ecovas. The wind
Bot W two pro Omni is billed as the world's
first robotic window cleaner with a portable charging station, so
it gives you hands free and streak free operation. It
features an industry first edge cleaning mode and powerful three
nozzle spray for hard to reach areas, whether it's navigating
(35:42):
floor to ceiling, sliding doors, shower doors, or windows big
and small. And don't forget it can be used in
your home as well. This device suctions onto your window
and it navigates on its own, or you can use
an app if you want to take control manually. But
the idea is to you know, set it and forget it.
In other words, you can leverage this robot to spend
time on what you actually want to do this summer
(36:04):
rather than what you have to do. And hey, it's
a lot safer than getting on a ladder as well.
Right again, it's the Windbot W two pro Omni from
Ecovax at ecovax dot com, and then finally a pair
of screens, budget permitting if it's time to replace the
family's aging television with a stunning big screen TV. It's
(36:24):
hard to pull your eyes away from the lgoled evog
five TV, with sizes ranging from fifty five inches all
the way up to ninety seven inches. The G five
delivers a forty five percent increase in brightness over its predecessor,
while the self lit oled pixel technology delivers perfect black
levels and true to life colors. It's also an AI
(36:45):
powered smart TV with a microphone enabled Magic remote that
you can speak into for added personalization and even access
to an interactive chatbot. It's pretty wild. And the other
screen I alluded to is a huge monitor for gamers.
It's the LG Ultra gear O Lead forty five GX
nine point fifty A. It's the world's first five K
(37:07):
two K o leed gaming monitor for incredible resolution and
contrast and brightness and colors and speed, which is important
for gamers. It's got point zero three millisecond response time
to keep up with those fast paced games. I know
this is radio or a podcast, but you got to
see this thing. It's an ultra wide forty five inch
(37:28):
display that's curved and it's got a twenty one by
nine aspect ratio, so hey, by day you can use
it as a very efficient tool for productivity because you
can have several windows open at the same time. It's
like having two monitors side by side. But by night
with those speeds and that resolution, it's awesome for gamers.
There's multiple ports. You can adjust the monitor up, down,
(37:49):
side to side, curve it any way you like, and
it has a relatively small footprint so it fits on
most desks with its small stand, but sturdy enough to
hold that giant widescreen monitor in place. Again, it's the
o LED forty five g x nine fifty A. It's
part of the Ultra Gear family from LG and you
can learn more at LG dot com. Well, there you
have it. A half dozen gadget gift guide ideas ahead
(38:12):
of Father's Day June fifteenth, and perhaps a graduate you
have in your home because June is Dad's and grads
season as we wrap up, and one other great gift
idea for dads or grads would be a sand disk
storage solution to easily back up all of your important
files onto something super thin and light and fast. SanDisk
(38:33):
dot com has more. Thank you for your support on
this program. Also a huge thank you to Visa. Securing
the world's payments is priority one. Learn all about Visa's
anti fraud efforts at Visa dot com slash security. Well,
I hope you enjoyed the program with the various guests
and topics we had. I hope you have an amazing
(38:53):
week ahead and I look forward to catching up with
you next weekend for another brand new episode of Teck
It Out on the Radio American Network. I'm your host,
Mark Saltzman Chow for now
Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the ever changing world
of technology? Can check it out? Can help make some
sense of it all, Breaking down geeksbeak into street speak.
Technology columnist, author, and TV personality Mark Saltzman covers consumer
technology each week for every listener, Mark tackles the latest news, reviews,
and how toos to help you understand what's hot, what's
(00:21):
not and why.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Hey everyone, welcome to check it out. This is episode
three ninety seven. I'm cooking up a sweet giveaway for
our four hundredth episode, so stay tuned for that. We
have a very busy show for you, so no small talk.
Off the top of the program, we're going to kick
things off with a review of the Nintendo switch To.
(00:46):
We're going to chat with Pear Schneider from IGN in
a moment sort of a review. At the time of
recording this, it was only some preliminary hands on time
with the new console, but people were lining up all
across the country on Wednesday night Thursday morning, so pretty exciting.
Also on the program, IBM will join us to chat
about AI in the workplace, and I'll share some smart
(01:09):
home ideas and a little bit later in the program,
some gadget gift ideas for dads and grads for Father's
Day and graduation. So a very busy tech it out
for you this week, powered by Visa. Securing the world's
payments is priority one. I'll tell you more about Visa's
anti fraud efforts shortly, but let's officially kick off the
(01:29):
show with our first interview. It's official. Nintendo Switch Too
has launched on Thursday, June fifth, after more than a
year of speculation and rumors and months of hype once
it was formerly announced. So what is all the hype about?
Is it warranted? Joining us on the show for the
first time is Per Schneider, co founder and executive vice
(01:51):
president of IGN, one of the biggest online entertainment platforms.
Welcome to the show. Pair, Good to chat with you, Hi, Mark,
Thanks for having me on. Well, this is a full
review because at the time of recording this interview, your
impressions are based on pre launch time with the console
in more of a controlled setting. I believe so hard
(02:11):
to assess things like battery and so on, but at
a high level, tell us what Nintendo Switch to is
all about.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
The Switch Too.
Speaker 4 (02:19):
Is basically like an iteration on the original Nintendo Switch console,
which I would describe as a revolutionary change in gaming. Right,
Once in a while, a new device comes along, whether
it's an iPad on iPhone or you know, a home
assistant device, that really kind of changes how we interact
with our favorite hobbies. And the Nintendo Switch was that
(02:39):
because what it did was it merged handteld gaming and
console gaming into one device, and literally you could switch
between playing on your television and then taking the device
with you on interrupted. You could just take it out
and it keeps on playing and take it on an
airplane or wherever you go. And so the Switch to
is very much that, but in the more powerful package.
(03:02):
You know, graphics of better, the sound is better, the
resolution is higher, it's got a bigger screen, so it's
a more beautiful device. But it's an iteration. It's a
step up. And so much of the hype is about
the games that you can play on the device and
what comes in the future more so than what it
does to gaming and how it changes things.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Thanks for that, and I am going to ask you
about some of the gaming highlights in a couple of
moments from now from your vantage point, and I know
there are probably a couple of games you've played that
aren't coming out until the summer, like Donkey Kong Bonanza,
which I thought was fun, but yeah, thank you for
calling that out. So it's probably called Nintendo Switch because
you can switch from a portable or handheld gaming system
(03:46):
into a console that you can dock and play on
your big screen TV. So great for both, you know,
keeping the kids entertained in the backseat to reduce the
are we there yet? As well as kids at heart
like you and I. And then again, the versatility of
being a to dock it and play it on your
I don't know, seventy five inch or eighty inch TV
or whatever you have at home or in a hotel
(04:06):
or something is great. It's an awesome option. So Nintendo
Switch too, sounds like an evolution of the Nintendo Switch,
improving things. Like you mentioned a bigger screen. I think
it's now seven point nine inches instead of six point
two twice, the resolution has technologies like HDR High dynamic
range for better contrast and brightness, and color has faster
(04:28):
speeds to keep up with the latest games and pair
what's your take on the Joycon controllers on each side
now called Joycon two, they now magnetically attached to the console.
Do you like that idea instead of having to swipe
in on that small narrow groove. Do you think this
is a better idea?
Speaker 4 (04:47):
I do, And I think any current Nintendo switch on
it probably has struggled with the Joycon connection. It looks
so good on paper when you actually know what you're doing,
but if you put a joy Con on the wrong way,
it's kind of a pain to get it back off
the console. And probably some kids struggled with it, and
they fix that, and you know the name switch also
(05:08):
this sort of the sound effect that Nintendo has employed
throughout its marketing in the past, whether it's like the
snap sound right, and the snap is what happens when
you attach the controllers, And that's one of those examples
of where Nintendo is just really clever with their sort
of crazy toy maker ideas to like really kind of
sell an idea to you, just like if you remember
(05:29):
the Nintendo Wii and waving the controller around like a
golf club or a tennis racket.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
They did this thing with the controllers when.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
You attach them, and that snap sound now actually literally
makes that click sound because they have these really strong
magnets that pull the controllers in when you attach them.
It feels really good and really intuitive. It's actually if
you'd be worried about something being magnetically held versus like
a sliding in from the old ones, it's actually really
(05:58):
really steady, like they wiggle less than the original Nintendo
Switch control Full disclosure.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Mark I am.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
I am a little bit of an obsessive classic gaming collector,
and I own every Nintendo Switch JOYCN color.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
And variation released and so.
Speaker 4 (06:15):
I'm looking at the Switch to launch with anticipation but
also a little bit of dread and you know, I'm
just going to have to be strong and not want
to buy every one of those controllers.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
A good luck with that pair. And speaking of strong,
the kickstand is more durable this time around. I should
mention it was a bit flimsy with the original Nintendo Switch.
There's now a spatial audio and one of my favorite
features of Nintendo Switch too is the C button. It's
to launch game chat. Can you tell our listeners about that?
Speaker 4 (06:45):
Yeah, so, you know, obviously playing online games against friends
that aren't in the same house and or you know,
all the way across the world has been a feature
in console gaming PC gaming for a while. Nintendo's traditionally
been a little lukewarm on it. You know, partially it's
a Japanese company where online gaming wasn't as big as
in the West. They finally and also they've always been
(07:09):
very protective because of kids, right they want to make
sure that anyone can play their games, and you know
that kids aren't exposed to to predators or negative negative
experiences online, and so they've dragged their feet a little bit.
With the switch To, they're finally coming into the into
the mainstream and are supporting online play with built in
(07:32):
voice chat. You have to you have to use an
external app for that on your phone. With Nintendo Switch one.
With switched to, there's a built in microphone. It's all
very turn key. Friending is upgraded, so Mark, you and
I could send each other friend requests and instantly be
linked in chat through the console whenever we have an
Internet connection. They but they're also very playful about things
(07:54):
like video chats obviously something lots of people do with
FaceTime or you know, other devices Zoom, other applications like
Zoom all the time. Nintendo built this into the Nintendo
Switch too with this optional camera attachment, and they made
it fun where when you're playing a game, you can
bring up your friend's faces if they have a camera
(08:14):
at the bottom of the screen, and so you see
their reactions in real time when you're playing something like
Mario Kart, and then they're actually doing some stuff where
they alter that you can do overlays and filters and
kind of have like fun little moments take snapshots of
you know, the other players reactions. So they gamifying it
in a way that only really Nintendo can at its core.
(08:37):
It's not something like mind blowing or unique or something
others haven't done, but Nintendo just has this sort of
kind of twinkle in their eye and playful way of
making something that's even a little bit old or interesting.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
Yeah, that's a great way to put it. And you're right.
We've seen online gaming with chatting for a very long
time with PlayStation and Xbox and PC gaming, but for
the Nintendo Switch, the original console, it wasn't the most
graceful way to do it. Now, with the built in
microphone with noise cancelation by the way, it should be
able to block out ambient sounds around you up to
(09:10):
twelve people can now chat while they're gaming. You can
also share your screen with up to four people at once,
so if you're stuck, even in say a single player
game like one of the Zelda games, you can call
up a friend and have them help you in real
time by seeing where you're stuck, for example. And as
you mentioned, you can also video chat now by adding
an optional USBC video camera. So it sounds like they've
(09:32):
really upgraded everything across the board. We are chatting with
Pear Schneider. He's co founder and EVP of IGN, one
of the biggest online entertainment platforms on the planet. Pair,
I've known you for what I mean, twenty five years now.
You've been in the industry for a long time. Something
something nineties, Mine something something nineties. Okay, I'll take that.
So look, we've been around long enough to know that
(09:54):
it's tricky to launch a successor to a popular console
because on one hand, you don't want to with the formula right,
you don't want to change what made the original so popular.
But on the flip side, you need to give gamers
a reason to upgrade. Has Nintendo straddled that line? What's
your opinion on that?
Speaker 4 (10:12):
So just for background, Right, the Nintendo Switch is the
number three best selling gaming console of all time. It's
sold over one hundred and fifty million units worldwide. It's
only lagging behind the Nintendo DS and the PlayStation two,
which you know it is likely going to overtake both
of them in the course of the next two years
because the console isn't going away, right, So the Switch
(10:33):
Too follows in the footsteps of a massive success for Nintendo.
That doesn't always guarantee that the follow up is going
to be a success.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Right.
Speaker 4 (10:41):
The Nintendo Wii was a groundbreaking success, and the follow er,
Nintendo We You very very similarly named, did not become
a success.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
It was one of the.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
Greatest failures I think in the case of the Switch Too.
There are a couple of different things that play here.
One is the format has not outstayed. It's welcome if
you remember the original people in the end stop playing
the motion enabled games, right like tennis, golf, All of
that stuff get kind of old.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
And then a lot of people use the Nintendo.
Speaker 4 (11:09):
Switch as a Netflix machine for years to come, but
didn't really buy games for it.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
A few more minutes about Nintendo Switch Too with pair Schneider,
co founder of IGN. So stick with us. We'll be
right back with more check it Out hang type.
Speaker 5 (11:24):
Listen to check it Out whenever you want to find
the Check it Out podcast at I too or wherever
you get your podcasts.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
Welcome back to check it Out. We've got just two
minutes left with Pair Schneider, co founder of IGNIGN dot com.
We're talking Nintendo Switch to now. Before the break, Pair,
you are just about to share some thoughts on some
of the advantages that Nintendo Switch to has at launch.
Please continue your thought.
Speaker 4 (11:59):
Nintendo Switch two launches with Nintendo's biggest franchise, and that's
Mario Kart. They have a new game called Mario Kart World,
and so that's a very very powerful first day game
to have. You know, they never had a Mario Kart
game at launch like that. And then secondly, there's some
really unique things that I don't think have shown their
value yet.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
The new Joycon controllers.
Speaker 4 (12:19):
You don't just attach them to the switch to and
play like you would with a regular gaming controller. You
can take them off and you can turn them on
their side and they act like a PC mouse.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
Yeah, like the game Dragon Drive.
Speaker 4 (12:33):
Right, Yeah, that's right, there's a game where you basically
use the two joycon and you move them on the
table forward as if you were riding in a wheelchair,
So you like pushing the wheelchair forward with the motion
of the controllers on the table. Now, what that enables,
apart from some you know, some unique experiences like that,
is that games that were formerly locked to PCs, like
(12:53):
first person shooters anything like think about a game like Civilization,
They were always better on PC because you wanted that
nuance and the mouse movement. They are now possible not
just on a console device, but on a portable that
you take with you, so you could play a game
like that on an airplane. And Nintendo has demonstrated that
you can use thee joycn as a mouse by putting
(13:16):
them on your pants, like on your pant leg basically
and moving the controller like a mouse there and it
all functions pretty well.
Speaker 3 (13:23):
And so I think that that.
Speaker 4 (13:25):
Story hasn't been told very well, and I think it
takes the right game to really demonstrate that in the future,
and so I think people will be pretty excited when
they see the device in action.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Where could our listeners read more about the Nintendo switch
to no doubt you're going to have review up at
IGN reviews of the games, some news feature stories. Perhaps
you just.
Speaker 4 (13:45):
Start at IGN dot com and you will see plenty
of coverage that leads you deeper in.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
But we've been around for a.
Speaker 4 (13:51):
While, so we're actually actually active on all platforms, whether
you're on TikTok or on YouTube where we have almost
twenty million subscribers.
Speaker 3 (13:59):
Just follow us any we're there.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Pair, Thank you so much for taking the time to
chat with us today, sharing your time and your expertise
on Nintendo Switch. Too good to catch up with you.
It's been a while. Thank you again.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
Thank you so much. Mark.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Hey, do you want to upgrade your home, sweet home
into a home smart home? I had a lot of
fun on Wednesday morning out of New York broadcasting to
various TV stations to share a few easy to use
smart home innovations that can save you time, money, and
give you peace of mind for the summer months. You're
going to want the Eero Outdoor seven. This brings fast
(14:34):
Wi Fi seven speeds outside with reliable coverage up to
fifteen thousand square feet. So that's to power your fun
experiences like streaming your sports while you're outside with friends
or djaing pool parties, or for more practical purposes like
security cameras at the edge of your property. This is
weather proof Wi Fi with what's called IP sixty six
(14:56):
protection against dust, rain, and snow, and these can operate
in extreme temperatures. The easy app based install includes mounting
accessories for virtually any surface. Again, that's called Eero e
Ro Outdoor seven. Next up, the T Mobile five G
Home Internet service is awesome if you need affordable and
(15:18):
reliable Wi Fi, especially during moving season, whether you're renting, buying,
or relocating this summer, T Mobile five G Home Internet
is an easy and hassle freeway to get connected. Plus
right now, you can score up to a three hundred
dollars gift card when you sign up. Plans start at
only thirty five dollars a month, and it includes a
(15:39):
five year price guarantee, so you've got the piece of
mind knowing that the prices won't go up, and some
plans even come with perks like free subscriptions to Hulu,
Paramount Plus and more. Now, if you love online shopping
as I do, but you're not at home as much
this time of the year, to receive the packages. I've
got an awesome solution for you. It's called Amazon Key
(15:59):
in Garage Delivery. As the name suggests, it's a secure
and convenient way to help protect your orders from theft
and bad weather by placing deliveries inside your garage. Whether
it's for Amazon dot Com, Amazon Fresh, or Whole Foods Market.
It's compatible with most smart garages and is exclusively available
(16:20):
for a Prime members, which I highly recommend. Set Up
is super simple. It could be done in the Amazon
app itself. Just shop like you normally would, and then
choose key delivery at checkout. It's that easy. So a
vetted driver will be able to scan your package. When
they get to your home, the garage door will automatically open.
You do not need to share your pin code to
(16:41):
your garage with them. They place the package a couple
of feet in the garage and then it closes behind them,
and you're notified on an app wherever life takes you.
Did you know that water damage accounts for nearly a
quarter of all home insurance claims? Well to help the
mow and flow smart water monitor and shut off connects
to your home's main seat supply line to proactively notify
(17:02):
you of any leaks, a burst or frozen pipe, or
issues like running toilets and faucet drips. If something is detected,
the water supply can automatically shut off and then you're
notified via the Mowen app, allowing you to monitor and
control problems from anywhere at any time. Mowen dot com
has more on that. And finally, over the past twenty
(17:24):
five plus years, Vivit has become a leader in advanced
smart home tech. Now part of NRG, Vivit is fusing
smart home innovation and security with energy managed. With rising
summer electricity bills, you can claim control of your energy
usage and ultimately reduce costs, which everybody I'm sure wants
(17:44):
to do. Vivin offers seamlessly connected devices from lighting, to
HVAC and more, all controlled via a central app. Every
system includes professional installation, and it includes twenty four to
seven customer support and monitoring. Simply visit in thenews dot tv.
You can even see a video of all of these
products that I'm chatting about. All right, that's again in
(18:07):
thenews dot tv. We'll be right back with more tech
it out when we chat with IBM about Ai. Stick
with us, We'll be right back.
Speaker 1 (18:15):
Want to follow Mark Google, Mark with a C and
Saltzman with a Z. Breaking down geeksbeak into street speak.
This is check it Out. Check it Out with technology columnist, author,
(18:36):
and TV personality Mark Saltzman.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
Welcome back to tech it Out. We cover cybersecurity a
lot on this program and how you can best protect
yourself in the digital age, even if you're not super
tech savvy. One part of the solution is securely shopping
online and so I'm thrilled about my partnership with Visa
on tech it Out, as they've made some significant investments
in fraud prevention over the past five years, as much
(19:01):
as ten billion dollars Yes that's billion with a B,
to support Visa's brand promise to protect the financial information
of individuals and businesses. Zero liability means peace of mind
when you shop online using your Visa card. There can
be no half measures when it comes to cybersecurity, which
is why the company takes an aggressive and multi layered
(19:22):
approach to combating the rising threat of malicious software and
other threats by well funded and global criminal enterprises. Read
more about Visa and how securing the world's payments is
Priority one at Visa dot com slash security. That's Visa
dot Com slash security. Have you ever wondered what happens
behind the scenes when you ask chat GPT a question?
(19:44):
What types of systems are powering these AI tools, and
perhaps more importantly, what happens to your data? Your information?
Some surveys have found people are skeptical about how their
data is used or misused. Joining us to chat about
this is Hillary Hunter, CTO of IBM Infrastructure, to share
insights into consumer concerns and opportunities around AI and what
(20:09):
companies can do to keep their AI operations safe and secure.
Speaker 6 (20:13):
Hi.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
Hillary, thanks so much for your time today. Good to
chat with you.
Speaker 7 (20:16):
Thanks for having me on.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
I get a lot of questions from readers of my
articles and listeners to this program about AI, and I
think specifically it's jen AI, generative AI like chat GPT,
as I mentioned off the top, Maybe that's a good
place to start with you, Hillary. What are some examples
of how people are using AI in their everyday lives
and of course, what their concerns are around the tech.
Speaker 7 (20:39):
I think Mark you started off with one of the
most recognizable tools, open AIS chat, GPT Today, millions of
Americans are already using those tools. Also capabilities like anthropics Claude.
These are really popular and if you have a teenager,
I'm sure you've seen them doing even their homework using
these things. But AI is fun mentally changing the way
(21:01):
that we work, the way that we learn and get information,
the way that we plan our free time and get
recommendations on recreational activities. It's not something in the future.
It's something that's impacting us every day right now. And
almost everyone in our society is using AI to summarize
information or interacting with AI based systems when they're seeking
(21:23):
customer service from a provider that they're using. I think
to this topic of data and the question of you know,
where is my data going and how am I using
AI in an effective way? You know, AI can draft
and summarize documents. It can help us then spend more
time on higher value work, on creative efforts. It can
(21:44):
help create efficiency for businesses, and it can help us
move faster toward things that really benefit our lives. Teachers
can bring AI into the classroom for lesson planning support.
Healthcare workers can get recommendations of how to improve patient care.
But I think there's still a bit of a gap
between those who really understand the boundaries and the data
(22:07):
protection and what their providers are giving them and those
who don't. Our adoption in deck study that we did
in twenty twenty four, said that the biggest inhibitors of
generative AI adoption are that organizations in many cases are
concerned about data privacy and they're concerned about trust and transparency.
And so I think that's important for the consumer to
(22:28):
know because it means that enterprises and businesses are being
really thoughtful about this core question of protecting data, and
many are making very intentional and careful choices to protect
the data of their consumers. At IBM, we're really making
it a priority to show that end users can use
AI in a trustworthy way and that it can be
(22:51):
steerable and controllable. But we need to do a better
job at shining the light on the benefits that Americans
already are seeing today from those businesses that are partnering
with companies like ourselves who are really focused on that
trust and security and safety of your data. As you
interact with.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
AI, I can ask you in a couple of moments
about IBM and how they're helping to advance AI technology responsibly.
But at a higher level, how would you say, hillary
companies are leveraging AI or bringing AI into their business.
Can you give us some examples.
Speaker 7 (23:23):
Yeah, Within a business, there's a lot of what we
would call processes and workflows. There's really complicated steps, long
chains of things that need to happen in order for
us as a consumer to interact effectively with those businesses.
In order for them to, for example, ensure their supply chain,
make sure that they're getting all the right parts in
at the right time on an affordable basis, to interact
(23:46):
with employees human resources HR processes. But there's also complicated
things that happen across sales, marketing, operations, finance, really all
parts of a business. We see that about three orders
a business executive say that they need to adopt generative
AI quickly in order to keep up with their competitors
across all of those core functions. So there really isn't
(24:09):
any part of a modern effective enterprise that shouldn't be
looking at how AI can make it more effective and
help the employees in that area move to higher value.
Speaker 2 (24:20):
Work fair and I think even non enterprise level companies
like you know, medium businesses. Understandably, they're trying to leverage
AI as a way to even the playing field right,
to give them an advantage if they can, even against
larger companies that aren't leveraging AI as effectively as some
smaller companies are. You know, I like seeing this across
(24:41):
the board as long as it's being used responsibly. But
I agree with you from what I've learned over the
last couple of years, certainly since November of twenty two
when chat GPT came out, that companies are using tools
like generative AI across the board and every division, every department,
at every level, not just with chatbots for the consumer
we're facing interactions with that company, but also within the organization.
(25:04):
And so with that in mind, how can companies ensure
they're using data safely?
Speaker 7 (25:09):
I think the first thing is to work with AI
models where the provider is transparent about the data sources
that they use to create that model. Knowing where data
came from and then therefore how it may come out
the other side of an AI model is one of
the most important things we talk about. Seeking a data
fact sheet. You can think of that like a nutrition label.
We have these FDA nutrition labels that tell us what's
(25:32):
inside the products that we purchase to consume. And you
want that kind of information and that conversation to be
transparent with your AI model provider. You also want to
think about using smaller models that you can then customize
to your specific enterprise data. And this is a key
approach that we're working with more enterprises to look at.
(25:54):
I think the last thing is that you want to
look at securing the different environments where you are are
deploying AI and bringing the AI to where that data
is secure and protected is a key part of their
strategy to ensure that customer payments and consumer payments remain secure.
Speaker 2 (26:11):
Ar with Hillary Hunter, CTO of IBM Infrastructure, to chat
with us about AI when we return on tech it.
Speaker 6 (26:19):
Out, breaking down GeekSpeak into street speak Check it out
holosted by Mark Saltzman.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
Welcome back everyone you're listening to check it out. We've
got a couple of minutes left with Hillary Hunter, chief
Technical Officer of IBM Infrastructure. She has been sharing insights
into current consumer concerns and opportunities around AI and what
companies can do to keep their AI operations safe and secure.
Speaking of security, Hillary, before the break, you were talking
(26:59):
to us about ways to minimize their risk of data
falling into the wrong hands. There was a well known
story from early twenty twenty four of I think it
was a Samsung employee who used open AI to research
a product that was being developed internally at Samsung, unknowingly
that information was going to be shared, you know, with
(27:19):
the collective if you will, and he inadvertently shared some
corporate secrets long before our product debuted. And so obviously
that's a concern among many businesses that you know, it's
one thing about you know, customer data and transactions and
all that to protect their consumers, but also sharing potentially
sensitive information by betting on the wrong AI tool that
(27:41):
doesn't have transparency with what's happening with their data. Have
you heard that feedback from companies.
Speaker 7 (27:47):
Absolutely. I think education both of us individually as consumers
and education of employees is at the heart of using
and implementing AI responsibly. In many cases, things have happened
just because people had no idea that the service they
were interacting with had rights to the data that they're
supplying into that AI capability, and so I think education
(28:10):
is key. If you're a consumer, look at the terms
of the apps and other things that you're using. If
your business and you're considering implementing AI, as I said,
work with a provider that's transparent about the data that
went into that AI, and that is transparent equally about
the data posture of what you put into it. It's
completely possible as a business to use services where your
(28:32):
data is your data and it remains your data, and
it's not used to further improve that AI and it
can't flow out to others.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
What is IBM doing specifically to help advance AI technology
in a responsible way.
Speaker 7 (28:45):
We're focused on a couple things. I think. First, we
come from a heritage of IT that is intended for
the most regulated of industries and intended for industries where
consumer data protection is paramount, like in retail, for example,
and so we're APPROACHINGI from that same perspective. So, whether
it's healthcare companies or finance or insurance, we're helping them
(29:07):
bring AI to where their data resides so that they're
not wondering about where their data went. We're helping them
use secure environments in the cloud with new technologies like
confidential computing that enable a very deep level of sensitive
data protection even in a public environment like a cloud.
And so whether it's from encryption and confidential computing technologies
(29:32):
through to where and how that AI is deployed and managed,
we're working with our clients on a comprehensive strategy that
can help them move forward at speed. As you said, Mark,
there are even small businesses for which AI today can
be the primary differentiator of their quality of service, of
their personalization, of their customization to us as clients and
(29:52):
can help them really grow. But small, medium, or large
and regulated businesses across the globe need to be a
to monitor their data, monitor their AI, and so we're
creating everything from AI on the mainframe to watsonnex dot
governance that helps you oversee and manage your AI and
how it's deployed and secure cloud and on prem deployments
(30:13):
to really give optionality that you can move forward with
confidence to use AI to transform your business and create
an advantage.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
Where can our listeners go for more info on what
we've chatted about.
Speaker 7 (30:23):
Today, Yeah, just a quick website that I'd recommend folks
check out, IBM dot Com, Slash AI, Dash Infrastructure.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
All right, IBM dot Com, Slash AI, Dash infrastructure. I
know a lot of it. Decision makers at various organizations
tune into this program. So that's a great r ol
to plug. As we wrap up, Hillary Hunter, thank you
so much for your time today. Really enjoyed our chat.
Speaker 7 (30:46):
Thanks again, great talking to you, Mark, Thank you.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
Some guys like ties, but all boys love toys. I've
been chatting on TV about great gadget gift ideas for
Father's Day and if you have a graduate in the home,
so gift ideas for dads and grads. I thought I
would spend a couple of minutes now, maybe you're still
looking for that gift ahead of June fifteenth, and so
here are a bunch of ideas. Now for pricing, I'm
(31:12):
going to plug a website at the end of each
item because that's where you'll get up to date pricing
and availability, i e. What retailers have what you are
looking for, and because there are some regional sales, it's
just easier to do it that way. So listen for
the website at the end of each item. All right,
let's start off with a delicious device. I'm referring to
(31:32):
the Ninja Creamy Swirl ice cream Maker. Hey, if you
want to be the most popular house on the street
this summer, this is a device for your kitchen that
turns your countertop into an ice cream shop. It's a
TikTok sensation and a best Buy bestseller. This machine is
easy to set up and use, and it lets you
make soft serve ice cream, sore bats and gelados, milkshakes,
(31:56):
protein shakes, frozen yogurt, and a lot more. You can
create recipes from the included book or experiment on your
own by adding ingredients like cocoa or fruit or nuts, sprinkles,
any other ingredients from your kitchen. Throwing a couple of
oreos or fudgios into that vanilla ice cream you get
the idea. Simply pull the arm to dispense it into
(32:18):
a bowl, cup, or cone. Again, that's the Ninja Creamy
Swirl ice Cream Maker at best Buy. Best Buy dot
com has more. Next up, those who take their music
seriously will appreciate JBL Tour one M three over ear headphones,
which delivers pristine sound and advanced noise cancelation. It features
(32:39):
forty milimeters drivers and has an internal dock digital to
analog converter, which can deliver high resolution or lossless audio
with the USBC or three and a half millimeters stereo cable,
both of which are included in the box, enabled by
the onboard dock. The noise cancelation is amazing with the
eight microp and it has a battery life of up
(33:02):
to seventy hours. JBL dot com has more. I will
share other gadget gift ideas for dads and grads when
we return on Teck it out, stay with.
Speaker 5 (33:11):
Us, Follow Mark Saltzman on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram.
Listen to check it out whenever you want.
Speaker 2 (33:27):
If you're just tuning in now, I'm sharing some gadget
gift ideas for dads and grads. Father's Day, or maybe
you've got a graduate in your home from high school
or college or what have you. For worker Bees, perhaps
your crew will go in on or give gift cards
that can go towards the hp omnibook x Flip fourteen.
It's a next generation AI laptop that's thin, light and versatile.
(33:51):
It's a two to one computer that can be used
in multiple modes, or convertible as it's sometimes called because
you can bend back the three hundred and sixty degree
hine to convert it from a laptop into a touchscreen tablet,
or put it Intent mode for viewing videos or presentations
or when you're engaged in a video call. In fact,
it's got an embedded poly camera Pro for super clear
(34:13):
video calls, while AI can get rid of background noise
for you. Speaking of AI, it is powered by a
Copilot plus AI companion, as well as an Intel Core
Ultra seven processor under the hood and a huge one
terabyte solid state driver SSD for fast speeds. Finally, the
HP omnibook x flip fourteen has multiple ports on each side,
(34:36):
so you don't need to buy a hub to carry
around with you to connect several devices at the same time.
HP dot com has more. If you're just joining us,
I'm sharing some gadget gift ideas for dads and grads.
Father's Day is June the fifteenth. Then you may have
a graduate in your home from high school, you know,
college or university this month, as we do, and so
(34:56):
I'm sharing verbally the products that I showed visually on
TV last week. Got some nice messages about it. I
talked about a Ninja creamy Swirl ice cream maker JBL
one M three over ear headphones which sound phenomenal, a
versatile HP Omni laptop powered by AI, and I've got
a couple more to share with you. The last couple
(35:18):
of suggestions are for the home from Ecovas. The wind
Bot W two pro Omni is billed as the world's
first robotic window cleaner with a portable charging station, so
it gives you hands free and streak free operation. It
features an industry first edge cleaning mode and powerful three
nozzle spray for hard to reach areas, whether it's navigating
(35:42):
floor to ceiling, sliding doors, shower doors, or windows big
and small. And don't forget it can be used in
your home as well. This device suctions onto your window
and it navigates on its own, or you can use
an app if you want to take control manually. But
the idea is to you know, set it and forget it.
In other words, you can leverage this robot to spend
time on what you actually want to do this summer
(36:04):
rather than what you have to do. And hey, it's
a lot safer than getting on a ladder as well.
Right again, it's the Windbot W two pro Omni from
Ecovax at ecovax dot com, and then finally a pair
of screens, budget permitting if it's time to replace the
family's aging television with a stunning big screen TV. It's
(36:24):
hard to pull your eyes away from the lgoled evog
five TV, with sizes ranging from fifty five inches all
the way up to ninety seven inches. The G five
delivers a forty five percent increase in brightness over its predecessor,
while the self lit oled pixel technology delivers perfect black
levels and true to life colors. It's also an AI
(36:45):
powered smart TV with a microphone enabled Magic remote that
you can speak into for added personalization and even access
to an interactive chatbot. It's pretty wild. And the other
screen I alluded to is a huge monitor for gamers.
It's the LG Ultra gear O Lead forty five GX
nine point fifty A. It's the world's first five K
(37:07):
two K o leed gaming monitor for incredible resolution and
contrast and brightness and colors and speed, which is important
for gamers. It's got point zero three millisecond response time
to keep up with those fast paced games. I know
this is radio or a podcast, but you got to
see this thing. It's an ultra wide forty five inch
(37:28):
display that's curved and it's got a twenty one by
nine aspect ratio, so hey, by day you can use
it as a very efficient tool for productivity because you
can have several windows open at the same time. It's
like having two monitors side by side. But by night
with those speeds and that resolution, it's awesome for gamers.
There's multiple ports. You can adjust the monitor up, down,
(37:49):
side to side, curve it any way you like, and
it has a relatively small footprint so it fits on
most desks with its small stand, but sturdy enough to
hold that giant widescreen monitor in place. Again, it's the
o LED forty five g x nine fifty A. It's
part of the Ultra Gear family from LG and you
can learn more at LG dot com. Well, there you
have it. A half dozen gadget gift guide ideas ahead
(38:12):
of Father's Day June fifteenth, and perhaps a graduate you
have in your home because June is Dad's and grads
season as we wrap up, and one other great gift
idea for dads or grads would be a sand disk
storage solution to easily back up all of your important
files onto something super thin and light and fast. SanDisk
(38:33):
dot com has more. Thank you for your support on
this program. Also a huge thank you to Visa. Securing
the world's payments is priority one. Learn all about Visa's
anti fraud efforts at Visa dot com slash security. Well,
I hope you enjoyed the program with the various guests
and topics we had. I hope you have an amazing
(38:53):
week ahead and I look forward to catching up with
you next weekend for another brand new episode of Teck
It Out on the Radio American Network. I'm your host,
Mark Saltzman Chow for now
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.