Were you inspired by "Star Trek" (or one of its innumerable spinoffs) as a young person? We know we were, so it was a pleasure to invite Glen Swanson, author of the new Star Trek history book "Inspired Enterprise" onto the show. We've all heard lore about the original series, but Swanson, who was previously the Chief Historian at the Johnson Space Center, used his prodigious skills to perform a deep dive into the topic. From Gene Roddenberry's original inspiration to working with Caltech, the RAND Corporation, and NASA; and on to the design of the good ship Enterprise itself (and the very popular AMT models that followed), this book provides everything you need to know to be a certified Trekker.
Headlines:
Comet 3I Atlas confirmed as a comet, not a spacecraft & NASA releases new images and details of the comet
SpaceX's Starship Version 3 booster suffers damage during test
Uranus reaches yearly opposition—best viewing opportunity
Main Topic: The Real Inspirations Behind Star Trek
Glenn Swanson shares career highlights as a NASA historian and magazine founder
How Gene Roddenberry's background and influences shaped Star Trek
NASA's direct involvement and technical guidance for Star Trek's creators
The significant role of the aerospace industry, Rand Corporation, and real-world science in Star Trek's development
The story behind NASA and the Smithsonian Enterprise shooting model connections
AMT's plastic model kits fueled fan obsession and supported the show's visuals
Influences from movies like Robinson Crusoe on Mars and Forbidden Planet
Space Station K7 design's origins traced to NASA and Douglas Aircraft concepts
Star Trek's impact on inspiring real-life astronauts and the space community
Glenn Swanson's book, "Inspired Enterprise," and how you can get a signed copy
Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik
Guest: Glen Swanson
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1:08:30
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1:08:30
Tech News Weekly 414: Viral TikTok AI Pen Flunks The Test
Dan Moren of Six Colors joins Mikah Sargent this week! Apple Wallet's mobile driver's license feature is expanding to more users. An AI-powered teddy bear was caught giving explicit and graphic instructions to children. Google unveiled Gemini 3. And can AI-powered smart pens give you an edge in your academics?
Dan covers the expansion of Apple Wallet's mobile driver's license feature as the state of Illinois is the latest to support this feature.
Mikah shares how an AI-powered teddy bear, FoloToy, was discovered to be teaching kids unsafe behaviors and discussing adult topics.
Sabrina Ortiz of ZDNET joins the show to talk about Google's latest iteration of AI model, Gemini 3.
And Elissa Welle of The Verge stops by to share her experience using an AI pen, and how the pen was less than helpful.
Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Dan Moren
Guests: Sabrina Ortiz and Elissa Welle
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1:03:43
Hands-On Windows 167: Tiny 11 Builder
Imagine Windows 11 without Edge, OneDrive, or Copilot. This episode dives into Tiny11Builder, the tool that strips Windows down to just what you want—no corporate extras.
Host: Paul Thurrott
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Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.
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Hands-On Apple 209: Understanding Sounds & Haptics
Ever wondered why your iPhone's sound isn't as loud as you expect, or your AirPods seem capped? Mikah Sargent uncovers the hidden settings that could be hindering your listening experience.
Managing silent mode and status bar indicators on newer iPhones
Switching audio input sources, including iPhone mic and AirPods
Fine-tuning ringtone and alert volume controls for less disruption
"Change with buttons" explained: separation of media and alert volumes
Customizing haptic feedback and vibration settings for notifications
Setting default sounds for ringtones, texts, voicemail, and mail alerts
Keyboard feedback: toggling typing sounds and haptics preference
Differences between iPhone and iPad haptics (limitations on iPad)
Controlling speaker volume limits and effects on media playback
Understanding "Reduce Loud Sounds" to avoid abrupt audio spikes
Headphone safety: adjusting reduced loud audio upper limit for AirPods
Headphone usage notifications & protecting hearing over seven days
Managing USB audio accessory settings and privacy tracking
Host: Mikah Sargent
Download or subscribe to Hands-On Apple at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-apple
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Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.
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Home Theater Geeks 509: Best Type of Center Speaker
Listener Jason asks which is better for the center channel: a speaker designed for that purpose, or the same speaker as the front left and right? What are the pros and cons of each approach? Also, same question for the surround speakers. Scott Wilkinson has some answers.
Host: Scott Wilkinson
Download or subscribe to Home Theater Geeks at https://twit.tv/shows/home-theater-geeks
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Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.
Leo Laporte brings some of the most interesting personalities in technology together to talk about the most important issues. Fun, relaxed, informative and always entertaining, count on TWiT for the best tech podcasts in the world.
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