Season 3 2017

TV-G

Alex Wilhelm co-hosts the show as Leo Laporte gives you his review of the Apple AirPods. Kyle Wiens from iFixit joins us to talk about all the tech and glue packed into these little buds. We sent Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ to CES 2017 to find out what technology is trending. We'll talk to Dr. Zhong Lin Wang, a Georgia Tech Professor who developed a fabric that makes electricity. In our 'Call for Help' segment, we help a kid level-up his video production game. Megan Morrone reviews the Starry Station - a wifi router with a built-in touchscreen that gives you an easy way to manage your network. Find out what tech our staff is looking forward to in the new year.

Leo Laporte and Nathan Olivarez-Giles talk with Christina Warren of Gizmodo, about the new Nintendo Switch. Christina attended the press event and gives us her first impressions. Earlier this week was the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Tim Stevens, the Editor-in-Chief of CNET's Roadshow joined us to tell us all about the latest tech auto and autonomous vehicles. Jeff Powers, the co-founder of Occipital shows off their iPhone-powered AR/VR Headset that does positional tracking. One of the advantages of HTC's Vive over the Oculus Rift was the interactivity of the controller, now Oculus has their own - the Touch. Nate has reviewed the Touch and shows Leo his favorite games that use it. Our resident audiophile Jason Howell has a review Fender's FXA5 Pro In-Ear Monitors. Fr. Robert Ballecer has a review of the very thin and flexible Acer Spin 7. Leo and Nate answer your tech questions. Learn what Password Managers you should consider in order to protect your security.

Leo Laporte and Jason Snell talk with Bodo Hoenen, a father who built a robotic assistive arm for his daughter whose arm is paralyzed. And, he did it with no robotic experience! We'll play 'Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes' with Leo, Mike Elgan, Greg Ferro, and Becky Worley. Jason Howell gives his take on the hi-res music service Tidal. Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ has a review of the Omnicharge - a 'smart' power bank with AC/DC/USB output. Jason Snell and Leo answer a lot of your Apple-centric questions in 'Calls for Help' and 'Mail Bag.'

Leo Laporte and Andy Ihnatko talk with the founder of Adventure Club Samuli Cantell and his wife Linda about meeting their daughter before she was even born. Their share with us how they created a VR model of their unborn baby and their experience 'seeing' her for the very first time. Dale Baskin joins us from DPReview.com to talk about the resurgence of film in this digital age and how Kodak is reviving Extachrome. Dales sticks around to talk more photography in our 'Call for Help' where we help Scott who looking for advice on DLSR lenses. We play another round of the 'Game of Geeks' with Fr. Robert Ballecer at the helm, pitting Jason Calacanis, Iain Thomson, and Leo in a battle of the geekiest. Megan Morrone reviews a marble maze that you design, and then turn that into a VR game. Plus, we answer more of your tech questions.

Leo Laporte and Megan Morrone talk to the founder of Groupmuse, Sam Bodkin, a social network connecting musicians and audiences. We get a private classical music concert from cellist James Jaffe and violinist Eric Chin. Jason Howell, Florence Ion, and Ron Richards, along with Matteo Doni of coolsmartphone.com, show off the Lenovo P2 smartphone. MacBreak Weekly host Andy Ihnatko dives into his backpack to show us what any proper techie should never leave home without. In 'Call for Help' we help someone looking for Evernote alternatives. Then, get ready for another Game of Geeks, questioning the panel on tech mergers and acquisitions.

Florence Ion joins Leo Laporte to talk about Android Wear 2.0 and the latest LG smartwatches. It's Leo's LG Watch Sport versus Flo's LG Watch Style. Leo and Flo talk with Kyle Wiens from iFixit.com about the 'Right to Repair' and why this is legislation that techies should support. Megan Morrone and Jason Howell completed their month-long experiment of swapping iOS and Android devices. Hear their final takeaways on switching operating systems during the #TWiTSwitch. Have you seen the short film 'Pearl?' It's the first film nominated for an Oscar with VR capability. We talk to Director and Academy Award winner Patrick Osborne about his film. Bryan Burnett builds a DIY Amazon Echo with a Raspberry Pi. Becky Worley, Mike Elgan, Greg Ferro plays another round of the PlayStation VR game, 'Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes.' Finally, we answer more of your Android questions in Call for Help and the Mail Bag!

Building Your Own Amazon Echo with a Raspberry Pi:

• Parts: Raspberry Pi (Model 3 or Model 2), Micro USB cable and power adapter, 8 GB or larger Micro SD, USB MicSpeaker, Keyboard, and Mouse
• Amazon Developer Services site: https://developer.amazon.com
• Web Settings:

1. Allowed Origins: https://localhost:3000
2. Allowed Return: URL's https://localhost:3000/authresponse

• Terminal Commands - Install Alexa:

1. cd Desktop
2. git clone https://github.com/alexa/alexa-avs-sample-app.git
3. cd ~/Desktop/alexa-avs-sample-app
4. nano automated_install.sh

• Fill in the fields with the information from your Developer account.

1. Hit CTRL X to save
2. cd ~/Desktop/alexa-avs-sample-app
3. ./automate_install.sh

• Run Alexa Service:

1. cd ~/Desktop/alexa-avs-sample-app/samples
2. cd companionService && npm start

• Run Sample App to Confirm Account:

1. cd ~/Desktop/alexa-avs-sample-app/samples
2. cd javaclient && mvn exec:exec

• Start Wake Word:

1. cd ~/Desktop/alexa-avs-sample-app/samples
2. cd wakeWordAgent/src && ./wakeWordAgent -

Leo Laporte and Alex Wilhelm get cooking with the June Intelligent Oven. It connects to your smartphone and promises to make cooking easier. Leo reviews the new Samsung Chromebook Plus convertible touch laptop. Roger Anderson of the Jolly Roger Telephone Co. is back with his AI. This one targets Windows support scammers. How much of your information is public on Facebook? Megan Morrone shows us stalkscan.com which highlights just that. Bodo Hoenen and Lorelei are back to give us a quick update on their DIY assistive arm. Jason Howell has a few apps to help you tune, learn, and play guitar.

Leo Laporte and guest host Iain Thomson talk with Nick Sullivan, the Head of Crypto at Cloudflare, about a bug that was discovered in Cloudflare's software which leaked private information. NASA and European Astronomers discovered 7 Earth-sized planets, a few of which are in the "Goldilocks Zone" meaning they could possibly host life. Vladimir Airapetian, an Astrophysicist from NASA Goddard, joins us to explain the implications of this discovery and the possibilities. Bryan Burnett met up with Nathan Olivarez-Giles at the Nintendo Switch preview event in San Francisco. They report back with their hopes and fears for the upcoming console. Dale Baskin is back from DPReview to talk about all the excitement around Panasonic's new GH5 micro-four-thirds camera. We have an all-new "Game of Geeks" with the sounds of tech. Father Robert Ballecer hosts while Iain, Jason Calacanis, and Leo compete for the crown. And we answer a fan question in Call for Help.

The Nintendo Switch hits the shelves. Leo Laporte and Kevin Rose get a full review from John Davison of Glixel.com. Crickets could be the gateway bug to sustainable food. Tiny Farms founder Andrew Brentano talks about how they use tech to raise crickets and edible insects for food. Security expert Bruce Schneier joins us to talk about the latest RSA event and his concerns about regulating the Internet of Things. Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ gives us a report from the Game Developers Conference 2017 in San Francisco. Megan Morrone continues her Facebook privacy tips and explains how to manage your location history. Then, it's the last iteration of our game of 'Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes' with Mike Elgan, Greg Ferro, Becky Worley, and Leo.

Leo Laporte and co-host Father Robert Ballecer discuss the Vault 7 WikiLeaks information dump of alleged CIA hacking tools. Leo gives his first impressions of the HTC U Ultra. Fr. Robert shows us how Blackmagic Design's Micro Studio Camera 4K works and why you might want to invest in your own for field camera shooting or to build your own podcast network. Also, the new Raspberry Pi Zero W is out. We'll take a look at what's changed for this small kit-computer. We've got two 'Calls for Help.' One wants to know about the different NAS devices on the market and what they all have to offer. The other wants to know about WiFi mesh networking and if there is an open source solution for him. Jason Howell has a review of HIFIMAN's HE-400i over-ear planar magnetic headphones and tells us all about why he loves them. We all know Megan Morrone is a big fan of her "analog" Bullet Journal, but now there's a companion app and she shows us how it works.

Leo Laporte is joined by our latest addition to the TWiT family, Nathan Olivarez-Giles, to discuss iFixit's* teardown of the new Nintendo Switch Console. Evan Noronha, Technical Writer at iFixit, Skypes in to explain what they discovered and why it earned an 8/10 repairability score. Jason Howell has been playing with Audeze's iSINE10 in-ear planar headphones and gives us his review. Then, 'No Man's Sky' superfan Blake Patterson joins us via Skype to explain why he spent a whopping $4,000 dollars on memorabilia and a high-end gaming PC he built specifically for the game. 'The Dark Tipper' Kevin Rose recommends the app Signal for a secure way to send SMS messages and share media. Leo and Nathan answer a Call for Help from a viewer who's having trouble getting cell phone service in his basement. Bryan Burnett has had a robot cleaning his apartment for a few weeks and gives us his thoughts on the pricey Dyson 360 Eye Robot Vacuum. Finally, Leo and Nathan answer your questions from the mailbag.

Georgia Dow joins us (for the first time!) in-studio to talk Apple with Leo Laporte. Ars Technica's Jim Salter joins us to discuss the wide variety of mesh Wi-Fi network systems available. Jim explains how they all work and which might be the right one for you. Father Robert Ballecer gives us his review of the HP Envy All-In-One with a 34" curved display. Dan Bracaglia from DPReview has the Fujifilm GFX 50S, a medium-format mirrorless digital camera. Nathan Olivarez-Giles has a review of the 2nd gen Nvidia Shield TV. Megan Morrone shows us how to download all of your Facebook data and what interesting things you'll find within. And we answer your tech questions.

Leo Laporte and Jason Howell discuss the new Samsung Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, DeX, and Bixby. Zack Whittaker from ZDnet makes sense of the iCloud ransom hack. What does it mean that Congress voted to remove your ISP privacy protections? Jason took a ride on a VR roller coaster, and the CEO of VR Coaster is here to talk about how this works. Catch another round of our Game of Geeks. In this edition, the contestants try to guess if crowdfunded projects are real or fake. Nathan Olivarez-Giles pitches a tent and reviews a camp stove with a built in USB charger. Jason and Leo answer your questions in Call for Help.

Leo Laporte and Alex Wilhelm talk with Ryan Evans, the CEO of Inboard Technology, about the new M1 electric skateboard. Our staff and Alex try out the super-fast longboard. Steve Gibson lets us know if we should trust LastPass. Nathan Olivarez-Giles reviews the just-released Sonos PlayBase. Russ Pitts from Take This, Inc. joins us to talk about mental health issues and creating safe places for programmers and developers at tech conferences. Myriam Joire and the crew from All About Android review the new LG G6 smartphone. Leo shows you how the YouTube TV works and if it is a cable TV killer.

Leo Laporte and Megan Morrone bring you a special 100th episode. The inventor of the PancakeBot, Miguel Valenzuela, joins us from Norway to talk about how his daughter inspired the contraption. Wallace Tucker from the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory's Chandra X-ray Center talks about what makes this X-ray telescope so unique. Portrait photographer Bill Wadman explains what is different about shooting on a medium format digital camera. Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ shows us how to setup a Tor router using a Raspberry Pi. Jason Howell has an in-depth look at the YouTube TV Android app.

Leo Laporte and Florence Ion discuss F8 2017, Facebook's developers conference, and the announcements around AR, VR, 360 cameras, AI, message bots, and so much more. Robert Scoble went to F8 and is here to look into the future. Speaking of AR, we have Ryan Pamplin from Meta with their new AR headset, the Meta2, which competes with Microsoft's Hololens. We'll give it a test drive and find out what is so different about this system. Samsung's flagship phones, the Galaxy S8 and S8+ are for sale. Flo and Leo show you what's new and give a review. Georgia Dow helps us calm down with the Breathe app on the Apple Watch. Megan Morrone shows us the right and wrong way to keep ear wax out of your AirPods and earbuds. Nathan Olivarez-Giles has a review of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Nintendo Switch. We'll talk about the best Chromebooks on a budget in Call for Help. And, in the Mail Bag, we'll see which Moto phone is the best.

Leo Laporte and Iain Thomson discuss what it really means when the NSA says it's halting collection of Americans' texts and emails, the Cassini Spacecraft crossing through Saturn's rings for the first time, and the new Amazon Echo Look. Then, NASA Astrophysicist C. Alex Young joins to discuss space weather and how it could negatively affect everything electronic. Jason Howell gives us a (literal) head-to-head comparison of the Gear VR and Google Daydream. NAB 2017 just came to a close and Dale Baskin joins to present a few of his favorite finds, including the Atomos Ninja Inferno. Leo and Iain answer a Call for Help and suggest a way to cheaply and easily record a discussion between multiple people to be posted online. Finally, we answer some of your questions in the mailbag.

Leo Laporte and Nathan Olivarez-Giles discuss Microsoft's new Surface Laptop and why so many people were fooled by the Google Doc scam. Then, they test drive the new virtual reality environment, Facebook Spaces. UL Labs certifies everything from door locks to toys. Nathan paid a visit to their Specific Absorption Rate Laboratory where they test cell phones for radiation. In our two Calls for Help, we show Erin from Hong Kong some resources for starting a podcast.In the second, we walk through different VPNs and when you should use them. Megan Morrone shows us how to hear our emails on an Amazon Echo. Jason Howell will run us through the features of the new Hulu with Live TV.

Father Robert Ballecer, SJ and Aaron Newcomb talk with Dr. Richard Marks from Sony Interactive. He is here to show off the new Aim Controller for the Playstation VR and the game, Farpoint. In 'Call for Help,' we explore software compatibility when creating portable media centers using the Raspberry Pi, Orange PI, Banana Pi, and others. Nathan Olivarez-Giles shows us TumbleSeed for the Nintendo Switch and how the HD rumble haptic feedback plays a big part of the game. Jason Howell reviews the new Family Link app from Google which controls your children's access on Android devices. Aaron talks about his book 'Linux for Makers,' published this week by Make.

Leo Laporte and Jason Howell attended the Google I/O keynote and bring you a wrap-up of the announcements and promises of technology to come. Megan Morrone shows us how to setup and use the Amazon Echo's latest feature, voice calling and messaging. The Samsung DeX turns your Galaxy S8 into a desktop computer. Leo and Jason explain how it works and give you a review. We sent Nathan Olivarez-Giles to the independent safety science company, UL Labs, to check out their 'Living Lab.' It's a smart home where they test out different devices to see how they work in a real-world environment. We have a couple 'Calls for Help.' One on making electronic music and choosing the right digital audio workstation, the other on using Chromebooks in the classroom. In 'Game of Geeks,' Jonathan Abrams, Jason Calacanis, and Peter Rojas battle it out testing their startup jargon savviness.

Leo Laporte and Iain Thomson talk with Rob Ebert, a Research Scientist with Southwest Research Institute, about the new discoveries and amazing images the spacecraft Juno sent back from Jupiter. Carey Rose from dpreview.com helps answer the question, is Sony's new A9 mirrorless, a full-frame camera worth $4k? In Call for Help, Jayson wants a good travel camera for under $300. Leo reviews the new Lenovo Yoga 2-in-1 computer. Father Robert Ballecer, SJ shows us one way thwart the WanaCry ransomware (it's called WanaKiwi). Nathan reviews the newest robotic toy from Sphero, Lightning McQueen from the Cars movies.

Leo Laporte and Nathan Olivarez-Giles talk about what the Supreme Court ruling on printer cartridges means for your right to repair stuff. Nathan went down to Aloft Silicon Valley to see a room service robot named Relay, from the folks at Savioke. The Head of Product & Design, Adrian Canoso will join us and show us what this robot can do. The new game from Ubisoft, Star Trek: Bridge Crew is out. We sent our hosts on a 'seven-minute mission to boldly go where no hosts have gone before' on PSVR. We'll also talk to the Senior Creative Director at Red Storm, the developers of the game. And speaking of Star Trek, we'll meet a doctor who won the XPRIZE for a working Tricorder - the DxtER by Basil Leaf Technologies. Georgia Dow will share some resources for teaching kids to code. Missed out on Nintendo's NES Classic? Bryan Burnett will show you how to make something even better with a Raspberry Pi 3. And, we'll answer your questions in the Mail Bag!

Nathan Olivarez-Giles and Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ talk about what you need to know from Apple's WWDC 2017. We'll take a look at a new thermal camera for your phone, the FLIR ONE Pro, and talk to the company's project manager, Rebecca Potter. Jason Howell has a review of the Android Wear smartwatch, the Huawei Watch 2. Nate gives you a sneak peak into Nintendo's new fighting game on the Switch, ARMS. Megan Morrone is dipping her toes back into the Windows world, and she has a tip on how to set up Windows Hello. We answer a 'Call for Help' about video editing on Windows 10. And we have another round of 'Game of Geeks' where Iain Thomson, Jason Calacanis, and Leo compete for the crown. All that and more.

Nathan Olivarez-Giles and Scott Wilkinson talk about Microsoft's Xbox One X reveal at E3 2017 and Amazon buying Whole Foods. Sphero launched their new tech toy Spider-Man and we have their Product Manager Ryan Burnett with is to talk all about it and where tech in toys is headed. Megan Morrone just got her hands on the new 10.5-inch iPad Pro and she'll give us her first impressions. We'll also take a look at the new Microsoft Surface Laptop running Windows 10 S. Georgia Dow of anxiety-videos.com has a quick tip on the interaction between technology and getting a good night's sleep. In our 'Call for Help,' we'll help someone who's looking to pull the trigger on a new UHD and HDR TV. Know How's Bryan Burnett has a review of Neato's Botvac Connected Wi-Fi enabled robot vacuum. And, we'll answer some more home-theater questions in our 'Mail Bag.'

Leo Laporte and Florence Ion take a look at the new OnePlus 5 smartphone. Flo and Father Robert Ballecer, SJ share their reviews. Leo's new Microsoft Surface Laptop has Windows 10 S. Is it more streamlined, secure and who is it designed for? Jim Salter from The Wirecutter is here to talk about the challenges and how to get the most from WiFi routers and mesh networks. Florence and Leo discuss Android launchers and how to automatically save photos over WiFi to a computer in Call For Help. Nathan Olivarez-Giles shows you how to unfollow everyone on Twitter. Megan Morrone walks us through the features of the new Amazon Dash Wand.

• One man might be fined $120 million for robocalling.
• Uber Founder Travis Kalanick resigns as CEO.
• Google decides to stop scanning your emails for ads.

Leo Laporte and Megan Morrone demonstrate the new Amazon Echo Show personal assistant. Adding a screen and camera make this the most impressive Echo yet, plus it raise new privacy issues. As soon as iFixit.com got their Echo Show they tore it down! Kelsea Weber shows us some surprises on the inside. We discuss why iOS 11 is a tremendous shift for Apple. Nathan Oliveras-Giles walks us through how to set-up PGP encryption for Outlook or Gmail. Jason Howell shows off the Firefox Focus privacy browser for Android. Plus, we answer your questions on Call for Help and Mail Bag.

Lagunitas is here! Brew Master Jeremy Marshall talks with Leo Laporte and Jason Howell about the technology they use to brew their unique beers. Nathan Olivarez-Giles interviews Jeremy at the brewery and discusses staying true to craft beer while also embracing technology

• Megan Morrone shows us some iOS 11 tips.
• Leo reviews the new eero WiFi mesh system.
• We'll take a look at a cool interactive concert poster from the band Umphrey's McGee.
• We'll answer your tech questions in Call for Help and the Mail Bag.

Dr. Andrew Cross, the president and CTO of NewTek (the folks behind the TriCaster) joins Leo Laporte and Robert Heron with some of their latest technology to show off. He is the chief architect of the video over IP system: NDI (Network Device Interface). Also, they have a brand new pan, tilt, zoom camera that is NDI native. And, their Spark box that converts SDI or HDMI signals to WiFi.

• Leo reviews the newest Nest camera, the Nest Cam IQ.
• In 'Call for Help,' Thom the fire eater is back. Robert will answer his questions about OTA antennas for cord cutters.
• Megan shows us some tricks with the Amazon Echo Show.
• Jason Howell will tell us about Google's new Backup and Sync app.
• Bryan Burnett takes his PC outside for a little summer cleaning.

Leo Laporte and Megan Morrone discuss Elon Musk's naive fear of artificial intelligence. NASA is working on a probe that will travel directly into the sun's atmosphere, closer to the surface than any spacecraft before it. Nicola Fox, Project Scientist for the historic Parker Solar Probe, joins us to talk all about it. Speaking of something hot - Bryan Burnett of 'Know How' show us how to overclock the CPU on your PC. Megan is looking for a new laptop for her daughter heading into the new school year. We take a look at some solid options and let you know what features to look for and how to balance cost vs performance. Waze added a new feature for recording custom voice directions. Jason Howell of 'All About Android' shows us how to make your own and share it with others. And, we answer a 'Call for Help' about finding and getting rid of duplicate files on your Mac and answer some iOS questions in our 'Mail Bag.'

Leo Laporte and Jason Snell talk to Jeremy Burge from emojipedia.org about new Emojis, how they are handling diversity, and the top requests for this year. Barney Britton from DPReview joins us to discuss macro photography, and Jason and Leo take pictures of bugs. In 'Call for Help' we answer how to get all your family together on iCloud sharing. Megan Morrone has some tips to help you have a good Twitter experience, including turning "tweet storms" into blog posts. Jason Howell has some custom Google Assistant commands and Bryan Burnett shows us where and how to mount your action cameras.

• Elon Musk delivers the first Telsa Model 3's.
• Foxconn announces a factory in Wisconsin.
• Apple will not sell the iPod Nano and Shuffle anymore.

Leo Laporte and Jason Howell talk with David Hernly, the founder of Mythric Studios about his multiplayer video game 'Starship Horizons Bridge Simulator' you can play on any device with a browser. Jason and several TWiT folks went on a mission and lived to tell the tale.

= Megan Morrone helped her parents install the ecobee4 smart thermostat in their home and has a review.
- Liam Kennedy stopped by. He built the Raspberry Pi based ISS-Above module which tracks the International Space Station as it passes overhead.
- Barnaby Britton from DPReview.com gave us his review of the Canon 6D Mark 11 DSLR.
- In 'Call for Help,' Leo and Jason gave George some advice on convertible tablets for teachers in the classroom.

Leo Laporte and Iain Thomson talk with Nathan Seidle, the founder of SparkFun Electronics about the safe-cracking robot he created and how it works. It was one of the most popular exhibits at DEF CON. Is your digital life a mess? Megan Morrone is here to help as she kicks off our #DigitalCleanse series. Today, learn how to tame your notifications. Is there a good 'trust no one' cloud storage solution? Why is Verizon so late on Android updates? Find out in our 'Calls for Help.' Then, Jason Howell loves great audio and has a review of IK Multimedia's small iLoud Micro Monitor speakers.

• Consumer Reports pulls its recommendation on Microsoft Surface laptops
• Hackers put malware in a strand of DNA.
• Iain explains why is Marmite could prevent miscarriages and birth defects (Iain says, "Is there nothing Marmite can't do?")

Leo Laporte and photographer Scott Bourne chat with Trey Ratcliff about how to make your photos come to life and move with his app Plotagraph Pro. Megan Morrone continues her path to digital enlightenment with the second part of her #DigitalCleanse series on something we all struggle with- Inbox Zero. On Monday August 21st a solar eclipse makes its way across the U.S. Scott has photography tips whether you're in the path of totality or not. We'll talk iPad Pro cases and keyboards in our 'Call for Help.' Chromebooks are already pretty secure, but Jason Howell has some tips to crank yours to 11! And we'll wrap things up with some more photography questions in our 'Mail Bag.'

Leo Laporte and Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ take a look at Back to School accessories for both students and parents. Leo reviews the GPD Pocket computer; a tiny Windows computer that's not much larger than a smartphone. Megan Morrone continues her #DigitalCleanse series. In part 3, are you an "app-rat" and is your desktop a disaster? She'll show you how to clean up your apps. In Call for Help, we'll try to solve a WiFi problem in India. Jason Howell has a review of the Asus Zenfone AR phone with Project Tango built in.

• Samsung heir gets five years in jail
• Amazon cuts some prices at Whole Foods
• The eclipse from 35,000 feet.

Leo Laporte and Roberto Baldwin try out the new Multi-Room Music feature on the Amazon Echo. We'll set up several Echos in the studio to set it up and find out how it works. Anker has a new sister brand for smart-home devices called Eufy. One of their latest products is a tiny smart speaker called the Genie. We'll see how to compares to the Echo Dot. Megan Morrone continues her #DigitalCleanse. This week is number four: Cleaning up your cloud storage. We're going to revive an old Mac Pro (mid-2010) for our 'Call for Help,' and install NVIDIA's flagship gaming GPU the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti. We'll take a first look at Tovala's meal kit service that cooks itself in a smart oven that can steam, bake, and broil. Jason Howell shows us some AR apps on the Asus Zenfone AR. In the 'Mail Bag,' we answer questions about what to do with vintage computers and tracking apps for Android.

• Apple to unveil the next iPhone September 12th at the new Apple campus.
• Juicero shuts down and won't sell juice packs.
• In an email snafu, Essential shared driver’s licenses numbers of some customers.
• Roberto was at the Hyperloop Pod Competition where the winning pod hit over 200MPH.

Leo Laporte and Jason Howell take an in-depth look at the new Essential Phone PH-1. It finally arrived and Jason has spent a lot of time with it the last few days and will have a review. Also, Kelsea Weber from iFixit.com joins us to talk about what's inside the Essential Phone. They had a hard time getting inside and had to freeze it! (plus they broke two screens!) Leo has the new Mavic Pro drone from DJI. We'll take it for a spin and see if it's worth the high price tag. Megan Morrone has a full review of the Tovala smart oven. Father Robert Ballecer, SJ has some ideas to bring new life to your old remote controls. In Call For Help, we'll talk about whether or not you should install Oreo on your Android phone.

• Equifax gets hacked and leaked personal info of 143 million consumers.
• Will the new Apple iPhone be named iPhone X?

On this week's episode of The New Screen Savers for Saturday, September 16, 2017:

• Fr. Father Robert, SJ and Patrick Norton discuss Apple's new iPhone X and iPhone 8, more Equifax breach fallout, and racist ad-targeting options offered by Twitter, Facebook, and Google.
• Scotty Allen of Strange Parts joins us to show how he was able to install a 3.5mm headphone jack into an iPhone 7 by taking apart Apple’s Lightning adapter and building it into a custom circuit board.
• When it comes to disasters like earthquakes, hurricanes, and zombies, everyone needs a bug-out-bag. Patrick and Fr. Robert battle it out to see what's in their go-bag and talk about what you should do to be prepared.
• Speaking of improvising, Jason Howell has a trick for powering your smartphone with a 9-volt battery.
• Megan Morrone has part five of her Digital Cleanse series. This week she shows you what you can do to cleaning up your hard drive.
• Patrick and Robert answer a Call for Help about Digital Audio Converters (DACs). Do you need them to get the most out of your lossless audio music?

On this week's episode of The New Screen Savers for Saturday, September 23, 2017:

• Jason Howell and Rich DeMuro discuss Google's partial acquisition of HTC and the London Uber ban.
• Rich shows off his new iPhone 8 Plus and Jason has the tiny Unihertz Jelly phone.
• Erica Peterson, the founder of Moms Can: Code, joins us in-studio to explain how they offer resources and support to moms that want to get into coding.
• Carey Rose from DPReview.com has his review of the Nikon D850 DSLR camera.
• Megan Morrone has a review of the FrontRow camera. It's a wearable camera that records everything around you and can live stream!
• When it comes to IoT devices, Father Robert Ballecer, SJ has some advice for how to do budget IoT securely with Cayenne.
• Plus, Rich and Jason answer tech questions in Call for Help and the Mail Bag.

On this week's episode of The New Screen Savers for Saturday, September 30, 2017:

• Leo Laporte and Megan Morrone discuss Twitter doubling tweet length, Ikea acquiring TaskRabbit, and how Elon Musk wants to rocket you anywhere on Earth in less than an hour.
• Megan and Leo have a little showdown between the new iPhone 8 Plus and the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.
• How do you feed your dog with tech? Sol Lipman joins us to explain how his new subscription service YaDoggie uses a smart scoop.
• In our Call for Help, we'll talk ways to work seamlessly from PC to Mac and choosing a Surface.
• Jason Howell will lay down some sick tunes and review a portable mini DJ console from Numark.
• 'Bad Gamer' Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ has a review of two 2D platformers - Cuphead and Splasher.

On this week's episode of The New Screen Savers for Saturday, October 7, 2017:

• What is "tech etiquette" and how polite should you be using technology? Rafe Needleman joins Leo Laporte and Jason Snell to break it down.
• The new iPhone 8 and Apple Watches are out, but what's inside? Adam O'Camb from iFixit.com (Sponsor) walks us through his teardown. We'll take a look at the Qi charging coil and more! Plus, can you fix it if the screen breaks?
• We'll go to a San Francisco Giants game to see how Intel is streaming games in Virtual Reality.
• Megan Morrone has the sixth edition of our very popular series on Digital Cleanse- getting your passwords in order.
• Jason and Leo answer your questions in Call for Help and the Mail Bag.​

On this week's episode of The New Screen Savers for Saturday, October 14, 2017:

• Leo Laporte and Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ discuss the Oculus Go and Project Santa Cruz from this week's Oculus Connect 4 event.

• We talk to Topher White of the Rainforest Connection (rfcx.org) about how he is using old smartphones to stop illegal logging in rainforests.

• What are the best Qi wireless chargers for Android and iPhone? Nick Guy is here from thewirecutter.com

• Megan Morrone shows you simple ways to rid your world of all those messy chargers, dongles, wires and cords in the seventh installment of the Digital Cleanse.

• Jason Howell reviews the Jelly phone from Unihertz, one of the world's smallest Android smartphones.

• Father Robert shows you how to set up a VPN with a Synology NAS in Call for Help.

On this week's episode of The New Screen Savers for Saturday, October 21, 2017:

• Leo Laporte and Megan Morrone discuss the KRACK and ROCA vulnerabilities and what you can do to protect yourself.

• Leo and Megan take a look at a new wireless microphone from Mikme that streams high-quality audio your iPhone. The CEO and Founder is here, all the way from Vienna, to talk about how it works.

• Jason Howell took the Mikme out in the field to the crowded SF MusicTech Summit. We'll see what's new for musicians.

• If you've been watching the show, you watched Megan's Digital Cleanses. This time, she'll show you live how to clean up your keyboards, phones, tablets, earbuds, and video game consoles.

• We have the new Acer Windows Mixed Reality headset. Megan tries it out to give you a first look.

• Google launched its Advanced Protection Program that works with two fobs. Leo shows you how it works and if it something you need.

On this episode of The New Screen Savers for Saturday, October 21, 2017:

• So many smart speakers so little time. Leo Laporte and Jason Howell compare the new Sonos One, Harmon Kardon Invoke, and the Amazon Echo Look.
• Jason took a trip to Nomadic, a startup in San Rafael and went on a VR adventure that blends the real world with the virtual one.
• In Call for Help, we'll see if there is an answer to the Pixel 2 XL burn-in problem.
• The holidays are coming, so why not start early? Jason kick-offs our Holiday Gift Guide with his picks for Android smartphones. One phone is a real stocking stuffer
• Fr. Father Robert Ballecer, SJ has a full review of the Acer Mixed Reality headset.

On this episode of The New Screen Savers recorded on Saturday, November 4, 2017:

• The iPhone X is here. Leo Laporte and Megan Morrone give their first impressions on how Face ID works, the lack of a home button, and screen.
• Kelsea Weber from iFixit.com already torn down the iPhone X. They found some inventive ways Apple built the phone, including using two batteries.
• Researchers at Stanford and Adobe developed an AI that can automatically edit video on a dialogue-driven scene in seconds.
• Megan and Leo will put an end to the Emjoi Cheeseburger kerfuffle in a taste-off between Facebook, Google, and Apple. Which emoji has the ingredients stacked correctly for taste?
• Jason Howell has the five most exciting features of the new Google Pixel 2 XL.
• Our Holiday Gift Guide continues. This week, Scott Wilkinson has his home theater picks including TVs, soundbars, AV receivers, UHD Blu-Ray players, and UHD streaming.

On this episode of The New Screen Savers recorded on Saturday, November 11, 2017:

• Leo Laporte and Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ check out the new Xbox One X. Samit Sarkar, Senior Reporter from Polygon joins us to talk about the new games, 4k with HDR gaming, and if it's worth it without a 4K monitor.
• The holidays are approaching quickly and we've got not one, but two Holiday Gift Guides! Padre and Leo will fill your suitcase with travel gadgets.
• Plus, Tim Stevens from CNET's Roadshow has his top six car picks!
• Megan Morrone introduces us to Gitanjali Rao. She's 11-years-old and won the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge. We'll learn about the challenges to make her invention.
• In Call for Help, Padre explains how the Raspberry Pi Pi-hole adblocker works without slowing down your internet connection.

On this episode of The New Screen Savers recorded on Saturday, November 18, 2017:

• It's a Pixel party! Jason Howell and Leo Laportea have all the new Google gear. We'll take a look and review the Pixel 2 XL, Pixelbook, and Pixel Buds.
• Jason shows Leo how to record multitrack music with the Spire Studio from iZotope.
• In our Holiday Gift Guide, Charlie Hall from Polygon joins us with his picks for best video games.
• The Noon system is a new take smart lights. It uses switches that can figure out what kind of bulbs you have in your house and control them. Megan had them installed in her kitchen, and you'll see how they work.
• Jason gives us a first look at the OnePlus 5T smartphone
• Telsa announces big rig, the Semi, and their new Roadster.

On this episode of The New Screen Savers for Saturday, November 25, 2017, with Leo Laporte and Megan Morrone:

• Megan tests an affordable pedal-assist electric bike from Espin that really moves.
• We continue our Holiday Gift Guides with Ryan Shrout from This Week in Computer Hardware, showing us his top PC gear.
• Megan and Leo Laporte also have a Gift Guide with a slew of food cooking and prep gadgets including the Mellow and Anova sous vide cookers, the Meater wireless thermometer, the Fizzics beer system, the June Oven, Ember's temperature-controlled travel and ceramic mug, and the Searzall torch.
• Alex Lidow from Efficient Power Conversion talks with Leo about Gallium Nitride and how it is being used to create the next generation of microchips and wire power.
• Jason Howell reviews the Google Home Mini and Anker's Zolo Mojo smart speakers.
• Megan had the Noon Smart Switches installed in her house and has a review.
• Leo has a review of the new Lenovo Yoga 920 2-in-1 laptop.

On this episode of The New Screen Savers for Saturday, December 2, 2017, with Leo Laporte and Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ:

• Meet a maker-extraordinaire who creates costumes, armor, weapons, and sci-fi gear from scratch. Shawn Thorsson, from Thorsson & Associates Workshop, is self-taught and builds all his amazing works of art in his shop in Sonoma County. Learn how he does it, plus see examples he brought along including Iron Man, a TIE Fighter pilot from Star Wars, and the Schick Hydrobot.
• What is machine learning and how does a neural network work? SethBling explains how he created two neural networks, MarI/O and MariFlow, to play Super Mario World and Super Mario Kart.
• Which smartphone takes the best 'portrait' style photos? Jason Howell compares five phones to find out, the iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, Pixel 2 XL, Samsung Galaxy Note 8, and OnePlus 5T.
• In our Holiday Gift Guide, Sam Machkovech shares his top virtual reality games for the Rift, Vive, Windows Mixed Reality, and PlayStation VR.

On this episode of The New Screen Savers for Saturday, December 9, 2017, with Leo Laporte and Patrick Norton:

• How do you create the perfect laptop? You have 1,000 people chime in. Eve Technology created the first crowd-developed 2-in-1 computer - the Eve V. But does it pass the Leo and Patrick test and how does it compare to Microsoft's Surface Pro?
• Leo has the new Jabra Elite Sport wireless earbuds. We'll see how they compare to the Apple AirPods and others on the market.
• Sam Abuelsamid stopped by the studio with the soon-to-be-available Nissan Leaf. Patrick and Leo discuss electric cars and when we can expect them to become mainstream.
• In Call for Help, we'll talk music apps for Android.
• The Holiday Gift Guide continues. This week Megan Morrone has her picks for the best tech for kids.
• And Jason Howell shows us how to install the Google Play Store on an Amazon Fire tablet.

On this episode of The New Screen Savers for Saturday, December 16, 2017, with Leo Laporte and Megan Morrone:

• Meet Dr. Leslie Dewan, the CEO of Transatomic, a startup looking to shake up the nuclear industry. Not only are they designing a clean, affordable and safe reactor, but they've also released technical details of their work.
• Dale Baskin from DPReview.com shows us how to take photos of the Northern Lights.
• It's our last Holiday Gift Guide of the season. DPReview.com brings us their picks for the best cameras - everything from point-and-shoot to their favorite Leica.
• The new Star Wars movie The Last Jedi is out, and Jason Howell shows us the smartphone-powered AR experience Star Wars: Jedi Challenges by Lenovo.

Welcome to our Holiday Gift Guide Episode. We've asked our hosts, experts, and friends here at TWiT to chime in. Sit back, relax and get great gift ideas for the geek in your life.

• Camera picks from DPReview.com's Dale Baskin.
• Tech gifts for kids from Megan Morrone.
• Top virtual reality games from Ars Technica's Sam Machkovech.
• PC hardware picks from PC Perspective's Ryan Shrout.
• Kitchen gadgets and food tech from Leo and Megan.
• Top video games from Polygon's Charlie Hall.
• Travel gadgets from Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ and Leo.
• Home theater gear from Scott Wilkinson.
• Cars from Roadshow's Tim Stevens.
• Android Phones from Jason Howell.

Welcome to the Best of 2017 for The New Screen Savers. We covered so many great stories, it was hard to narrow it down. Here are some of our fan and staff favorites.

• See how the Rainforest Connection and Founder Topher White is stopping illegal logging with old cell phones and solar panels.
• Meet Bodo Hoenen, a father who built a robotic assistive arm for his daughter whose arm is paralyzed.
• Our staff battles aliens in the multiplayer video game 'Starship Horizons Bridge Simulator,' where you can play on any device with a browser.
• Mike Elgan, Greg Ferro, Becky Worley, and Leo play 'Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes' on PlayStation VR.
• Megan Morrone introduces us to Gitanjali Rao, an 11-years-old who won the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge.
• Iain Thomson, Jason Calacanis, and Leo play 'Game of Geeks' with the sounds of tech.
• Visit the world famous Lagunitas Brewing Company with Brew Master Jeremy Marshall.
• Learn how crickets could be the gateway bug to sustainable food with Andrew Brentano and his startup Tiny Farms.
• Get robotic room service with the Relay robot from Savioke.
• We settle the Emoji Cheeseburger debate with a taste-off between Facebook, Google, and Apple.
• Step into Nomadic's VR adventure, where the real world blends with the virtual one.
• Take a ride on a VR roller coaster with Jason Howell.