S11E03 – Router Ban, RAM Prices and Remote-Access Scams

Episode Summary

Mike opened by asking what everyday users worry about with technology, then worked through a run of news items that all hit the wallet or the home network: streaming price increases, a RAM shortage that is raising prices on nearly everything with a chip, and a federal ban on most foreign-made home routers.

He spent a long stretch on trust and how hard it has become to tell what is real online, then described a remote-control scam he cleaned up on a client’s computer. The show finished with Phoenix robotaxis, Arizona tech jobs, and a call from Mark about the show’s website and Mike’s office.

Topics Covered

Streaming prices and piracy

Mike said Netflix is raising rates and that, with many separate services, a typical household can approach $100 a month before paying for internet. He said piracy fell when streaming was cheap and simple, and is rising again as prices climb. He noted that ad-free tiers can still show promotional messages.

The RAM shortage

Mike said RAM is backordered almost everywhere because the few chip makers are selling to AI buyers. He said an amount of RAM that cost around $100 six months to a year ago now costs about $300. He expects the shortage to spread to cars and appliances, since nearly everything now contains chips.

Tinder photo scanning and local data

Mike discussed a Tinder feature that would scan every picture on a phone with AI to pick dating photos. He questioned letting AI see receipts, ID cards and other sensitive images. He predicted data will move back from the cloud to local servers, citing repeated breaches at Microsoft.

The foreign-made router ban

Mike said the federal government is banning most foreign-made residential routers, such as older TP-Link and Netgear models, as national security risks, mostly over possible backdoors. He said he is surprised it took this long. His advice was to keep smart-home and camera devices on their own isolated network and to use two-factor sign-in. He expects higher router prices and shortages, and said enterprise gear generally gets more scrutiny.

Trust, and a remote-control scam

Mike said this is the first generation without a solid basis for truth, and that people should treat unexpected technology messages as false until verified. He described a client whose screen showed a fake Windows update while attackers used a legitimate remote-control tool on the machine. Antivirus did not flag it because the tool is not a virus. He blocked their input, ran scripts to find the connections, reported it to the FBI, and complained to the hosting services involved, which shut it down quickly.

Sora shutting down and Phoenix robotaxis

Mike said OpenAI is shutting down its Sora video product because it costs too much to run. He also said Amazon’s Zoox, a vehicle with no steering wheel or pedals, is coming to Phoenix alongside Waymo, and that Arizona expects about 4,000 new tech jobs, tied to a Taiwan deal and a Pima Community College training lab.

Calls

• Mark welcomed Mike back and asked whether earlier shows are online. Mike said they are on the station’s site for now and that he is rebuilding the show’s own website. Mike said his company is mostly business-only but is working on a residential package with enterprise-grade security at a residential price. Mark also mentioned a computer he wants to set up for a classical organ, and the show ran out of time.