29 Sept 2025
This episode of Talk Talk 126 delves into major tech updates, global economic shifts, and emerging AI trends. Discussions cover Apple's iOS 184 and AI, Microsoft's blue screen change, Nintendo's new console, Trump's escalating tariffs, OpenAI Academy, Studio Ghibli AI art, TikTok, Midjourney V7, and Elon Musk's X controversies.
The program, Talk Talk 126, marks the first talk of the year 1404, broadcast on April 16 at 11:14 am amidst rainy weather and subway commutes. The episode introduces a series of news segments, starting with Trump's tariffs and their global impact, followed by updates from major tech companies like Apple, Android, and Microsoft.
Apple released iOS 184, which did not improve the 'terrible situation' of Apple Intelligence. New features include priority notifications, Visual Intelligence on the iPhone 15 Pro's Action Button, Apple Intelligence in the Control Center, a 'Sketch' style for Playgrand images, additional languages (excluding Persian/Iran), seven new emojis, and a Vision Pro app section for News and Security. Other changes encompass Music in Control Center, private enemy indicator, two Australian Siri voices, Photos app improvements, Siri typing, Back to School notifications, App Store comment summaries, a hidden 'Stop downloading apps from Apple Store' feature, preferred language in Apple Maps (usable in Iran), a timer for two-step authentication codes, and a new podcast widget.
Apple is integrating its artificial intelligence into the Vision Pro, enabling the $3,500 device owners to utilize Apple Intelligence functionalities. Previously announced 'special stupid features,' slated for late 2026, are now accessible, allowing Japanese, Korean, and Chinese users to ask questions.
Microsoft plans to replace the iconic blue screen of death (BSoD), which signifies hardware and software incompatibility, with a black screen. This change is anticipated in upcoming Windows versions, possibly Windows 11 or Windows 12, despite the BSoD having been a persistent issue for Microsoft's 50-year history.
A new Nintendo Switch model offers slightly better hardware than the standard Switch, with games costing $80 each. Game cartridges are merely licenses requiring users to download the full game after payment, providing a 'piece of plastic with a code.' Despite features like magnetic Joycons (preventing drift), mouse functionality, and up to 120 frames per second at 720p resolution, the overall offering is deemed a 'steal' due to criticisms of game quality and the download requirement.
Trump's tariffs are impacting 180 countries, including Iran, which faces a 10% tariff on imported and exported goods to the United States. All countries have a 10% base tariff, with China facing 34% and Vietnam nearly 45.6%. Nike's move of factories from China to Vietnam, seeking lower tariffs, backfired as Vietnam's tariffs became more expensive, causing Nike's stock to drop by 10%. The tariffs also affect Apple, as an iPhone manufactured in China is considered a Chinese export to the US, subjecting it to a 43% tariff.
The US-China trade war and associated tariffs are projected to significantly increase iPhone prices globally. An iPhone costing $1,200-$1,600 could rise to $2,300, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max 1TB model could increase from $1,600 to $2,300. The standard iPhone 16, initially envisioned as an affordable option at $600, is expected to become $80-$156 more expensive. Other Apple products, including iPads, Macs, and AirPods, are also expected to see price increases of 39-43%.
OpenAI launched its own artificial intelligence academy, offering several free online training courses accessible via a website portal. The academy provides instruction on building intelligent agents, fine-tuning OpenAI models for improved application performance, and working with Sora AI. A VPN is required for access due to regional bans or filters.
A recent trend involves people transforming images into Studio Ghibli-style art, generating 700 million images in a week. This trend raises concerns about providing facial data to companies, increased power consumption by GPUs for processing, leading to higher fossil fuel use, CO2 emissions, ozone layer depletion, and global warming. The 'Rule 34' phenomenon, where anything can be turned into pornographic content, has also affected this trend, with Miyazaki-style scenes being generated.
Former President Trump indicated that China might receive a tariff discount if it approves the TikTok deal, which involves handing over the popular social media platform to an American entity. Trump publicly discussed these negotiations during a flight, implying a strategic link between the TikTok approval and tariff reductions.
Midjourney released version 7 of its image generation platform, boasting ten times the quality and speed of previous iterations. This update aims to attract users back to Midjourney for photo production, as many had turned to chatbots for similar tasks. Midjourney V7 is capable of producing beautiful photos even in turbo mode, with examples like a cat next to a unicorn eating strawberries.
Elon Musk's Company X (formerly Twitter) is selling inactive usernames, offering discounts for bulk purchases, potentially leading to users' usernames being changed without notice. Furthermore, a significant data leak on X exposed email addresses of 200 million users, affecting approximately 2.8 billion accounts. A 34 GB CSV file containing data from over 200 million active user accounts was published by a user named 'Thinking One,' with no official response from Elon Musk or his team.
The program included a segment for listener comments and questions covering ChatGPT's effectiveness on philosophical topics, the nature of 'Dragon Copilot' currency, AI ear models (A6S), and using voice commands for phone functions like alarms and app control. Other topics included humor related to air taxi drivers, the value of 'prompt engineering' as a future-proof career, pervasive 'packet loss' issues (with advice on using VPNs or DNSs), and shared personal holiday experiences.
Prompt engineering, a skill in crafting effective AI queries, offers an unparalleled university degree and secures a future-proof career, truly placing the world at one's fingertips.
| Insight Category | Key Detail | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Updates | iOS 184 and Apple Intelligence | iOS 184 released with minor features, but Apple Intelligence remains unimproved ('crap'). Vision Pro integrates AI. |
| Microsoft Policy | Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) | Microsoft is replacing the BSoD with a black screen in future Windows versions, not fixing the underlying compatibility issues. |
| Gaming Console Economics | Nintendo Switch Game Pricing | New Switch games cost $80, but cartridges are only licenses requiring a full game download, raising questions about value. |
| Geopolitical Economics | Trump's Tariffs Impact | Tariffs (10-45.6%) affect 180 countries, causing significant price hikes for imported goods like iPhones (up to $2,300). |
| AI Education | OpenAI Academy | OpenAI offers free online courses on building intelligent agents, fine-tuning models, and using Sora AI, requiring a VPN for access. |
| AI Ethics & Environment | Studio Ghibli AI Art Trend | Widespread AI art generation raises concerns over data privacy, increased GPU power consumption, CO2 emissions, and potential for misuse (Rule 34). |
| Social Media & Data Security | X (Twitter) Usernames & Data Leak | Inactive X usernames are being sold, and a massive leak exposed 200 million user email addresses affecting 2.8 billion accounts. |
| Future Job Market | Prompt Engineering | Prompt engineering is highlighted as a highly valuable, future-proof university degree and job skill, placing the 'world in one's hands'. |
