New Year New Tech

In this episode of The Technology Geek Podcast, Brandon welcomes listeners to the first show of 2017 and shares reflections on the recent holiday season. He recounts spending time with family during Christmas and New Year’s, doing some light work on app development and web design, and enjoying downtime with binge-worthy shows like Game of Thrones, Westworld, and Fuller House with his daughter. He also discusses the overlap of Hanukkah and Christmas that year, emphasizing the joy of the holidays and the value of being with loved ones.

The episode shifts to a serious discussion of internet privacy and the consequences of sharing personal content online. The host covers disturbing news stories, including cases of revenge porn, underage photo scandals, and violent parental reactions. He emphasizes how difficult it is to remove content from the internet once it’s posted, and highlights how technology has amplified personal and legal challenges around digital sharing. He warns about the long-term impact of online behavior, especially for young users, and shares his skepticism about platforms like Google being able—or willing—to fully scrub content.

In the final segment, Brandon offers thoughts on streaming services and tech subscriptions, reviewing YouTube Red, PodcastOne, and Google’s content ecosystem. He critiques the value of paid podcast networks compared to free offerings and notes that while YouTube Red includes useful extras like ad-free content and music streaming, much of its original programming is hit or miss. He wraps the episode with anticipation for CES (Consumer Electronics Show), sharing insights about upcoming innovations like Cortana-powered cars and premium gaming laptops, while also reflecting on the challenges of covering tech events from a professional perspective.

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