Frak That! Ep. 93: ‘Artificial Stupidity’

Randall Kennedy and Joe Wilcox talk about digital assistant/artificial intelligence mayhem during Episode 93. They begin with a Twitch stream featuring two Google Home devices asking each other stupid questions—and answering them. Randall laughs: “It’s like two Millennials fighting over the friggin’ remote”, referring to the incoherent but continuous banter between the devices.

That leads into a disturbing discussion about the Amazon Alexa digital assistant. A few days earlier, there was a news story about a six year-old accidentally ordering a dollhouse and four pounds of cookies from Amazon when asking Alexa about them. But the saga doesn’t end there. “The news cast playing on the TV in other peoples’ homes who also had the Alexa—the Alexa heard the same language…and their Alexas start trying to order the dollhouse”, Randall explains. “It’s like this chain reaction”.  Frak That! Ep. 93: ‘Artificial Stupidity’

Frak That! Ep. 89: ‘The Wonkavator’

On Dec. 14, 2016, President-elect Donald Trump summoned a dozen Silicon Valley CEOs to a summit at his self-named hotel in New York City. Joe Wilcox calls it a meeting with the “King”, while Randall Kennedy makes allusions to “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” and riding the “Wonkavator” to the top of Trump Tower.

The two agree that Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos reminds of an insurance salesman. “They don’t look happy at all to be there”, Randall says of Bezos, sitting next to Alphabet CEO Larry Page. Episode 89 is dedicated to these fearless supporters of Hillary Clinton and opponents to all things Trump.  Frak That! Ep. 89: ‘The Wonkavator’

Frak That! Ep. 73: ‘Mourning’

Randall Kennedy says Apple cofounder Steve Jobs is rolling over in his grave: “This Cook guy, he’s a moron. My God, he’s destroying my company—my legacy”. That for forgetting iPod’s 15th birthday on Oct. 23, 2016. Randall and Joe Wilcox mourn Apple’s appalling negligence and more!

Death of the Internet is yet something else about which to grieve, following the October 21st hack of webcams, baby cams, and other so-called Internet of Things devices that brought down major websites—Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr among them. Episode 73 is their epitaph. Frak That! Ep. 73: ‘Mourning’