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172 From Flock Cameras To Starship Landings And The Real Costs Of Modern Tech

Season 2026 Episode 172 Published 16 hours ago
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Your town can buy a “camera system” and wake up in a surveillance network. We unpack how Flock cameras and automated license plate readers spread fast, why the data often slips into a private-company loophole, and what that means for transparency, cybersecurity, and basic privacy rights when cities claim they’re only “subscribing” to the footage.

From there, we zoom out into the rest of the modern tech stack: DIY car repairs with an OBD2 Bluetooth scanner, the real-world sticker shock of server and hardware quotes, and why the newest Intel Xeon platforms have people thinking about AI rigs and PCIe lanes again. We also talk about AI agents writing code at insane speed, why token costs are changing corporate budgets, and why local AI models are becoming more attractive when CFOs start asking hard questions.

We keep it fun too, with a deep geek-out on a SpaceX Starship flight that nails an almost surreal water landing, plus a candid thread on health tech, sleep apnea testing, and the tradeoffs between external gear and implanted devices as “smart” systems creep closer to our bodies.

If you like conversations about mass surveillance, AI safety, consumer tech economics, and where all of this is headed, hit subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find it. What’s the one piece of tech you refuse to let run your life?

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