**This Week's Topics**

• 40% of US data centers planned for 2026 are facing setbacks or cancellations due to power constraints and equipment shortages

• Why large hard drives (40TB+) are completely sold out — and what's driving demand

• NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang says Chinese AI models are now on par with American ones — and why that's arguably even more impressive given their hardware restrictions

• Google announced their partnership with Apple to power the next-generation Siri with Gemini — and they broke the news before Apple could

• Researchers reduce AI energy consumption by 100x using smaller, more efficient reasoning models — AI is already consuming 10% of US energy

• BitNet's breakthrough: an 8-billion parameter AI model trained at 1-bit, fitting into just 1.7 gigabytes — and their new "ternary" (1.5-bit) approach that made it 10% smarter with barely any size increase. These could realistically run on your phone.

• Which AI subscriptions are actually worth paying for? We compare Ollama, ZAI, MiniMax, Hermes Agent, Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini

• Christopher tries to make a flyer for a youth volleyball club using ChatGPT's image generator and hits unexpected content moderation walls — and the Reddit workaround that actually worked

• Grok's controversial "premium" image feature and how X avoided an App Store ban

• Apple named John Ternus — longtime SVP of Hardware Engineering — as its new CEO, with Tim Cook moving to chairman. What does a hardware-first leader mean for Apple's product direction?

• The EU's incoming 2028 legislation requiring user-replaceable batteries — and what that means for Apple's ultra-thin design obsession

• Apple smart glasses rumors as Meta's Ray-Bans and Oakleys draw criticism for square 4:3 video recording, poor low-light performance, and short battery life

• Meta lays off 8,000 employees, attributing the work to AI — and the story of Facebook reportedly using AI software to monitor employee keystrokes

• "Pieces" — an open-source app that voluntarily tracks your own work sessions using local AI, generating standup notes and long-term memory. A privacy-respecting alternative to Microsoft's Windows Recall.

• US worker rights vs. EU protections: why European countries have strict rules around employee monitoring and America doesn't

• Gaming: DJ has been playing Achilles, a Vampire Survivors-style auto-shooter. Christopher's Xbox Series X has been sitting in its box since Christmas — and DJ finally convinces him to set it up with Game Pass Ultimate.

• Nintendo Switch 2, retro gaming, and hunting down Castlevania

• The streaming trend of hour-long episodes making it hard to watch anything with a toddler

• Restaurant prices: a family dinner at Olive Garden now easily tops $100

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Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes weekly.

• (00:00) - - Welcome & How Was Your Week
• (01:05) - - Hard Drive & SSD Shortages
• (02:44) - - 40% of US Data Centers Facing Setbacks
• (05:03) - - Jensen Huang: Chinese AI Is Just as Good
• (07:02) - - Google Announces Gemini Is Powering Siri
• (10:32) - - Energy-Efficient AI & 1-Bit Models (Bonsai/BitNet)
• (13:33) - - On-Device AI Personalization
• (14:27) - - How AI Agents Build Long-Term Memory (Hermes)
• (16:18) - - Which AI Services Are Worth Paying For?
• (18:52) - - OpenAI Image Gen & Content Moderation Headaches
• (23:31) - - Uncensored AI Image Models & Grok's Controversy
• (25:25) - - Apple's New CEO: John Ternus Takes Over
• (33:30) - - iPhone Design Wishlist: Thicker, Better Battery
• (34:41) - - EU Mandates Replaceable Batteries by 2028
• (37:04) - - iPhone Charging Habits & the Oura Ring
• (39:03) - - Apple Sunglasses Rumor & Meta Smart Glasses Frustrations
• (43:07) - - Meta Lays Off 8,000 Employees / The Muse Model
• (44:40) - - Facebook Monitoring Employees & Windows Recall
• (45:22) - - "Pieces" App: Privacy-Respecting Workflow Memory
• (47:04) - - Worker Rights: US vs. EU
• (49:04) - - Gaming: Achilles & Vampire Survivors-Style Games
• (50:14) - - Xbox Series X & Game Pass Ultimate Deep Dive
• (52:02) - - Nintendo Switch 2 & Retro Games
• (55:43) - - Streaming TV: The Hour-Long Episode Problem
• (57:11) - - Dining Out Is Painfully Expensive
• (58:31) - - Listener Numbers & Sign-Off

Show Notes — "How Many California Democrats Will Survive?"

This week Chris and DJ cover the full spectrum of American civilization — from Trump posting himself as Jesus to California Democrats somehow losing to themselves, to a man sobbing over tacos. Democracy is fine. Everything is fine.

🙏 TRUMP: THE SECOND COMING
The President posted an AI image of himself as Jesus Christ healing the sick. Alex Jones pushed back. Yes, that Alex Jones. When the gay-frog guy is your moral compass, you may have lost the plot.

🏛️ ERIC SWALWELL EXITS, STAGE LEFT
California's Democratic frontrunner for governor resigned his seat and dropped out of the race after multiple assault allegations. Chris notes our current president has a similar rap sheet and somehow kept his job. Different rules, apparently.

🐘 CALIFORNIA REPUBLICANS' IMPOSSIBLE DREAM
Seven Democrats are splitting the governor's race vote into oblivion while two Republicans are each polling at 20%. Trump endorsed Steve Hilton to consolidate the GOP vote. Hilton got 43% at the state caucus — short of the 60% threshold. Nobody got endorsed. The California GOP left their own convention having accomplished nothing.

💻 APPLE NEWS: SOLD OUT EVERYTHING
The MacBook Neo ($599–$699) is flying off shelves because people love cheap Apple hardware — except Apple didn't make enough chips. Meanwhile, Mac Studio high-RAM configs are completely gone, wiped out by hobbyists running local AI models. Ram shortage incoming, buckle up.

🤖 AI ROUND-UP
Stanford says the US-China AI race is now neck and neck. Anthropic leads model rankings, but the next seven spots are all Chinese models. Chris uses Claude (who calls him "Captain My Captain"), ChatGPT (who calls him Elmo), and is still workshopping a Gemini nickname. DJ demos the Google AI Edge Gallery app — free on iOS, runs Gemma 4 locally, and can control your phone with a 250-parameter micro-model.

😭 MEN AND THEIR EMOTIONS
Chris cries during the Battle of Yavin. DJ once sobbed in his kitchen thinking about tacos after forgetting his medication for a week. His wife has not let it go. We also get into AI companions, the death of dating risk, and why the comfort zone epidemic started long before ChatGPT.

🔫 JOHN WICK: CLOSING ARGUMENTS
The guys wrap with a deep dive into the John Wick franchise. Highlights include a duel that ends like a Monty Python sketch and a very athletic woman who fights Keanu Reeves for reasons.

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Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes weekly.

• (00:00) - Welcome Back & Week in Review
• (00:28) - Trump Posts Himself as Jesus (Alex Jones Disapproves)
• (03:29) - Eric Swalwell: Resignation Speedrun
• (05:48) - The Epstein Files Were Redacted by Toddlers
• (07:00) - California's Governor Race: 7 Dems vs. 2 Republicans
• (09:23) - Trump Endorses Steve Hilton, Hilton Promptly Underperforms
• (11:00) - The California GOP Endorses Nobody
• (14:46) - Finding Balance: How to Not Get Played by the Media
• (16:00) - "What's Up With That" Chrome Extension
• (17:57) - Narcissism: It's Not Just for Swalwell Anymore
• (20:38) - Apple MacBook Neo: Sold Out Because Nobody Planned for Success
• (25:42) - Mac Studio RAM: Gone. All of It. Sorry.
• (29:00) - RAM Companies Abandoned Consumers for Big Tech
• (31:00) - iPhone RAM & the Apple Intelligence Features That Never Shipped
• (33:08) - US vs. China in AI: Closer Than You Think
• (34:46) - Captain My Captain, Elmo & the Gemini Nickname Problem
• (37:41) - Google AI Edge Gallery: On-Device Gemma 4
• (39:47) - ChatGPT on CarPlay & AI Golf Tips
• (41:08) - The "Her" Future: AI Companions Are Coming
• (44:23) - Young Men, Dating Risk & the Comfort Zone Trap
• (47:33) - Men Crying: Star Wars, Batman v Superman & Taco Tears
• (51:12) - "I'm Watching Porn" — Chris's Answer to Stupid Questions
• (54:00) - John Wick Deep Dive & Franchise Debate
• (58:07) - Outro & Sign Off