Microsoft quietly hands over BitLocker keys to the government, TikTok's new privacy terms spark a user panic, and Europe's secret tech backups reveal anxious prep for digital fallout. Plus, how gambling platforms are changing the future of news and sports.

• You can bet on how much snow will fall in New York City this weekend
• Europe Prepares for a Nightmare Scenario: The U.S. Blocking Access to Tech
• China, US sign off on TikTok US spinoff
• TikTok users freak out over app's 'immigration status' collection -- here's what it means
• Elon Musk's Grok A.I. Chatbot Made Millions of Sexualized Images, New Estimates Show
• Microsoft Gave FBI Keys To Unlock Encrypted Data, Exposing Major Privacy Flaw - Forbes
• House of Lords votes to ban social media for Brits under 16
• Overrun with AI slop, cURL scraps bug bounties to ensure "intact mental health"
• Route leak incident on January 22, 2026
• 149 Million Usernames and Passwords Exposed by Unsecured Database
• Millions of people imperiled through sign-in links sent by SMS
• Anthropic revises Claude's 'Constitution,' and hints at chatbot consciousness
• The new Siri chatbot may run on Google servers, not Apple's
• A Wikipedia Group Made a Guide to Detect AI Writing. Now a Plug-In Uses It to 'Humanize' Chatbots
• GitHub - anthropics/original_performance_takehome: Anthropic's original performance take-home, now open for you to try!
• Telly's "free" ad-based TVs make notable revenue—when they're actually delivered - Ars Technica
• Toilet Maker Toto's Shares Get Unlikely Boost From AI Rush - Slashdot
• Dr. Gladys West, whose mathematical models inspired GPS, dies at 95

Host: Leo Laporte

Guests: Alex Stamos, Doc Rock, and Patrick Beja

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Adobe Photoshop finally makes big progress on Linux, and the team unpacks what this means for creative pros, open-source rivals, and anyone dreaming of ditching Windows for good. Canonical's Snaps are under fire as scammers take malware tactics to a new level, hijacking trusted developer accounts and exposing a major risk for anyone installing crypto wallet apps on Linux. Find the show notes at https://bit.ly/4sZbOEk and have a great week!

Host: Jonathan Bennett

Co-Hosts: Ken McDonald, Jeff Massie, and Rob Campbell

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On this week's episode of Hands-On Tech, Jeff emails Mikah about trying to recover files from an old, obsolete Drobo NAS.

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Host: Mikah Sargent

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The Outer Space Treaty of 1967, which was intended to regulate activities in space, is hard to enforce and woefully out of date. New nations and private actors are entering the spaceflight arena, and an updated mechanism with a bit more teeth is needed. Our guest, Ely Sandler, a Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, has put forward the idea of using COPs—not the kind in uniform, but a Conference of Parties—as a less-formal gathering of spacefaring (and space-ambitious) entities, to discuss future treaties, agreements, and enforcement mechanisms, eventually leading to new treaties. These would be similar to the annual climate COP that has provided useful discourse on climate change. A space COP would address responsibility for and control of orbital assets, land and resource use on the Moon, Mars, and asteroids; and possibly limits to the militarization of space. Join us for a fascinating discussion!

Headlines:

• Artemis II Moon Rocket Rolls Out for Launch Preparations
• Crew-11 Astronauts Speak on Space Station Medical Evacuation
• Earth Faces Strongest Solar Radiation Storm in 20 Years
• Auroras Sparked Across Unusual Latitudes

Main Topic: Is the Outer Space Treaty Obsolete? Examining the Future of Space Governance with Ely Sandler

• Outer Space Treaty's Vagueness and Limits for Modern Space Activity
• Why New Space Policy Models Are Needed for Orbital Debris, Spacecraft Ownership, and Liability
• "Conference of the Parties" (COP) Model Proposed for Space Law Updates
• Challenges of Property Rights, Exclusion Zones, and International Consensus on the Moon
• How Commercial Space and Military Concerns Intersect Under Outdated Treaties
• Space Solar Power's Potential and Regulatory Hurdles for Energy Beaming

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Ely Sandler

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Mikah Sargent and Emily Forlini dive into some of tech's strangest new challenges: AI wearables causing psychological meltdowns, mobile games turning to casino-style tactics, and a viral EMF theory targeting NFL injuries. Get fresh perspectives on tech's impact from mental health to big-money gaming, plus a skeptical look at conspiracy theories in sports.

• Meta AI Glasses & Mental Health: Emily discusses the case of a tech exec whose constant use of AI glasses led to financial trouble and delusions, highlighting unseen risks of wearable AI.
• Gaming Industry's VIP Secrets: Mikah digs into how mobile games reward and track their top spenders with perks and personal attention, raising questions about ethics and addiction.
• 49ers EMF Injury Conspiracies: Mikah breaks down the sudden popularity of blaming football injuries on electromagnetic fields, with experts pushing back against the science behind the claims.

Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Emily Forlini

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At CES 2026, RGB mini and micro LED backlights were the big TV story, but that doesn't mean there weren't plenty of other video products being introduced. Scott Wilkinson talks about what Michael Heiss saw on the show floor.

Host: Scott Wilkinson

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Think you know Windows shortcuts? Paul digs up the most efficient keys almost nobody uses, uncovering tricks Microsoft added—and quietly changed—since your last settings update.

Host: Paul Thurrott

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Turns out, making slick, professional-looking Pages templates is way easier than you think. Find out the productivity trick Mikah Sargent wishes more Mac users knew.

• Creating custom Pages templates for faster document design
• Modifying existing Pages templates and saving personalized versions
• Step-by-step guide to building a Pages template from scratch
• Using placeholder text and media placeholders for flexible layouts
• Managing, sharing, and deleting custom templates in Pages
• Practical uses for templates—recipe cards, newsletters, business cards

Host: Mikah Sargent

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