723: Don’t Want No Samsung

Nov 21, 2025

In this discussion, cybersecurity expert Dave Bittner highlights the exciting news that the classic text adventure game Zork has gone open source, sparking nostalgia among fans. They delve into why modern films often lack realism, critiquing the overly polished visuals that detract from storytelling. The conversation touches on how students struggle with reading in an age of AI tools, raising concerns about educational standards. Bittner also shares useful camping tips, adding a light-hearted touch to the tech-centric dialogue.

01:13:36

forum

Ask episode

web_stories

AI Snips

view_agenda

Chapters

menu_book

Books

auto_awesome

Transcript

info_circle

Episode notes

volunteer_activism

ADVICE

Don’t Use ChatGPT For Taxes

Avoid relying on ChatGPT for critical tax or accounting tasks that require responsibility.
Use a human accountant who will attend audits and accept liability instead.

insights

INSIGHT

EdTech Freebies Are Data Playbooks

Schools are a battleground for companies offering free AI tools to lock in future users and data.
Free access aims to harvest institutional data and build dependence before monetizing.

insights

INSIGHT

Rising Remedial Needs In Math

Pandemic-era changes plus tech reliance have left many college freshmen below middle-school math.
Removing standardized tests and grade inflation worsen remediation needs nationwide.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

YouTube Experiment and Shorts Surprise

01:33 • 1min

chevron_right

Monetization, Patreon, and Channel Workload

02:40 • 2min

chevron_right

Tesla Diner and Chef Departure

04:20 • 2min

chevron_right

Larry Summers Quits OpenAI Board

06:44 • 1min

chevron_right

NVIDIA Earnings and AI Bubble Warnings

07:48 • 3min

chevron_right

Bitcoin Crash and Financial Risk

10:27 • 3min

chevron_right

Bezos' $6.2B AI Startup

13:05 • 2min

chevron_right

Most Companies See No AI ROI

14:53 • 2min

chevron_right

Waymo vs Tesla Robotaxi Concerns

16:41 • 2min

chevron_right

Meta Antitrust Ruling Verdict

18:13 • 2min

chevron_right

Tim Cook Succession Talk at Apple

Binance Report and Crypto Pardon Critique

20:46 • 3min

chevron_right

OpenAI Milestones and Dash Fix

23:28 • 2min

chevron_right

Grok's Elon Worship and AI Bias

25:08 • 3min

chevron_right

Intuit Partners with OpenAI

28:23 • 1min

chevron_right

ChatGPT for Teachers and Education Risks

29:39 • 2min

chevron_right

Declining Math Skills at UCSD

32:02 • 2min

chevron_right

Reading Decline and College Preparedness

33:54 • 2min

chevron_right

PornHub Age Verification Debate

36:18 • 2min

chevron_right

London Muggers Reject Samsungs

37:48 • 56sec

chevron_right

The Witcher, Frankenstein, and Guillermo del Toro

38:44 • 3min

chevron_right

Pluribus Launch and Apple TV Hits

41:40 • 60sec

chevron_right

Squid Game and Mr. Scorsese Series

42:40 • 1min

chevron_right

Ken Burns' American Revolution

43:40 • 2min

chevron_right

Moana Live-Action Trailer Critique

45:44 • 54sec

chevron_right

Project Hail Mary Trailer Reaction

46:38 • 32sec

chevron_right

The Dark Side Intro with Dave Bittner

47:10 • 4min

chevron_right

Zork Open Source Release

51:34 • 5min

chevron_right

iOS Keyboard Issues and Betas

56:46 • 2min

chevron_right

Why Movies Don't Feel Real Anymore

58:30 • 4min

chevron_right

Favorite VFX Shot: Return of the Jedi

01:02:31 • 4min

chevron_right

Thanksgiving Plans and Family Traditions

Closing Shout-Outs and Music News

• Mentioned in 201 episodes

The Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy

Douglas Adams

The book follows Arthur Dent, an ordinary Englishman, whose house and planet are about to be demolished. He is rescued by his friend Ford Prefect, an alien researcher for the 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'. Together, they embark on a journey through space, encountering various characters such as Zaphod Beeblebrox, the two-headed, three-armed president of the galaxy, Trillian, a human woman, and Marvin, a paranoid android. The story involves their adventures on the spaceship Heart of Gold, which has an Infinite Improbability Drive, and their quest to understand the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything, which is revealed to be '42'. The novel is known for its humor, satire, and imaginative storytelling.

We open by tracking our video money and mocking the chef who quit Elon’s "epic" bacon diner, before diving into the IN THE NEWS segment where plummeting crypto and Nvidia stocks confirm everything is a sham; we cover Bezos’s new $6.2 billion AI flop, a sleeping Tesla Robotaxi driver, and why OpenAI’s new school tools are a Recipe for Idiocracy with students who can't read; in MEDIA CANDY, we tear apart Disney's lazy Moana remake; THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE we discuss Zork going open source and why movies just don’t feel real anymore before CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS where we are mourning Mani from the Stone Roses, and wishing Bjork a very metal 60th.

We start with a FOLLOW UP on our channel’s performance, wading through the garbage pile of Monetization questions and Stats, including the scourge of Shorts—because apparently, that's what we do now. Speaking of people running from trouble, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers is ditching his OpenAI board seat after a fresh batch of cringey Jeffrey Epstein emails surfaced. Meanwhile, the financial world is having a meltdown: Nvidia’s Stock is Falling Again after its earnings report, exposing the fact that almost Yet Another Study Shows That Most Companies Aren’t Making Any Money Off AI, and Bitcoin is Getting Absolutely Crushed Right Now, which we happily remind you will Trigger the Next Financial Crisis. Don't worry, Jeff Bezos will head a new engineering-focused AI startup because the world clearly needs more tech billionaires throwing money at things they don't understand, while Apple is reportedly getting ready to replace Tim Cook.

The tech-bro corruption parade continues as a former DOJ official points out that Trump’s Crypto Pardon of the Binance co-founder is exactly what it looks like, and Elon's pet AI, Grok Insists That Elon Musk Is More Physically Fit Than LeBron James and better at everything else, proving the bot has been sampling its boss's Adderall. Even though ChatGPT Achieves a New Level of Intelligence by finally letting you disable its em-dash addiction, companies like Intuit are integrating its tax and accounting products with ChatGPT—because who doesn't want an AI-powered tax audit? This all dovetails nicely with the news that OpenAI is launching ChatGPT for Teachers’ right as students’ math skills hit a low, leading to a literal Recipe for Idiocracy where elite college students Can’t Read Books. The whole thing is broken, including Tesla’s so-called Robotaxi, where a Passenger Alarmed When Tesla Robotaxi “Safety” Driver Falls Completely Asleep at the Wheel. On a lighter note, we check out the new trailers for The Witcher S4, Frankenstein, and Project Hail Mary in MEDIA CANDY, and tear apart the absolutely unnecessary live-action Moana teaser, before mentioning the biggest drama launch on Apple TV, Pluribus.

Next up is THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE, where our tireless security guru Dave Bittner throws in some random facts, like Microsoft making Zork I, II, and III open source and videos on why the iOS Keyboard is Broken and Why Movies Just Don't Feel "Real” Anymore, and we discuss Thanksgiving plans. Finally, in CLOSING SHOUT-OUTS, we end with a shout-out to our generous PATREON supporters and PAYPAL/STRIPE donors, mourn the passing of Stone Roses and Primal Scream bassist Mani, and wish the incomparable Bjork a milestone 60th birthday.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/tWM83ra7Qp8

Sponsors:

Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month.

SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!!

1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1password

Show notes at https://gog.show/723

FOLLOW UP

Tesla Diner Chef and Co-Operator Quits to Open a Jewish Deli

Larry Summers leaves OpenAI board, Harvard instructor role as scrutiny over Epstein emails intensifies

IN THE NEWS

Oops! Nvidia’s Stock Is Falling Again After Its “Blowout” Earnings Report

Bitcoin Is Getting Absolutely Crushed Right Now

How Crypto Could Trigger the Next Financial Crisis

Jeff Bezos will head a new engineering-focused AI startup called Project Prometheus

Yet Another Study Shows That Most Companies Aren’t Making Any Money Off AI