エピソード

  • Sludge Happens

    Sludge Happens
    2025/07/11
    Chris Boyer and Ed Bennett step knee-deep into sludge. Not the metaphorical goo clogging your gutters, but the bureaucratic muck that slows down everyday life. Inspired by The Atlantic’s takedown of “customer service sludge,” they rant about hold purgatory, Kafkaesque support calls, and the modern art of being endlessly transferred. If you’ve ever yelled “representative!” into a phone like it was a sacred incantation, this one’s for you. On the tech side, Ed and Chris explore why AI tools like ChatGPT are quietly replacing traditional search engines. From clearer answers to smarter follow-ups, they show how natural language processing is more than just a parlor trick.And in this week’s Stump GenAI segment, they put AI's grammar skills to the test, revealing that, yes, punctuation and phrasing can hilariously derail your digital assistant’s logic circuits. Because sometimes the biggest roadblock isn’t the problem - it’s the sentence you used to ask for help solving it. Mentions from the Show: That Dropped Call With Customer Service? It Was on Purpose. You Can’t Nudge If You’ve Got Sludge Chris Boyer on LinkedIn Ed Bennett on LinkedIn Chris Boyer website Ed Bennett of BlueSky Chris Boyer on BlueSky
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    28 分
  • Liquid What Now?

    Liquid What Now?
    2025/06/23
    Chris Boyer and Ed Bennett dive nose-first into Apple’s latest design offense: Liquid Glass. Or as users have dubbed it, Liquid Ass. A sleek new look, sure — if you enjoy smudges, glare, and interfaces that feel like a fever dream. They unpack the aesthetic outrage and wonder aloud: has Apple finally jumped the shark into a puddle of its own reflection? The tech rec this week comes from Ed’s deep research into external mass storage, sharing how using GenAI can demystify convoluted tech manuals, translate specs into human speak, and even help pick the right solution based on your actual needs. Then, in the Stump GenAI segment, they test a clever “blank line” prompt technique to coax GenAI into completing classic sci-fi and fantasy narratives. It’s a full episode of digital frustration, delightful hacks, and speculative fiction done the AI way. Mentions from the Show: iOS 26 is Terrible (video) I use the 'blank line' prompt every day now in ChatGPT — here’s why Chris Boyer on LinkedIn Ed Bennett on LinkedIn Chris Boyer website Ed Bennett of BlueSky Chris Boyer on BlueSky
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    27 分
  • The Seduction of Streaks

    The Seduction of Streaks
    2025/06/12
    Chris Boyer and Ed Bennett unravel the oddly powerful pull of digital streaks. Whether it’s Duolingo applauding your 99-day run or the shame spiral from missing one puzzle in the NYT Games app, streaks are everywhere — and they’re working. We explore how streaks mirror childhood sticker charts, why they’re engineered to keep us hooked, and whether rituals wrapped in self-optimization might actually offer comfort in chaotic times. Our tech tip: hiarthur.com — a GenAI-powered search tool that finally makes Amazon shopping less infuriating. Then, in our GenAI test segment, we investigate the latest MAHA controversy involving fake citations in a health AI report. We challenge today’s top AI models to see if they can resist the urge to hallucinate citations. Spoiler: they cannot. Streaks. Search. Shenanigans. And an owl who knows too much. Mentions from the Show: Best Practices - NYT Article https://hiarthur.com/ Chris Boyer on LinkedIn Ed Bennett on LinkedIn Chris Boyer website Ed Bennett of BlueSky Chris Boyer on BlueSky
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    28 分
  • Zoom Sucks - Prove Me Wrong

    Zoom Sucks - Prove Me Wrong
    2025/05/28
    In this episode of Surprise, It's Not a Toaster, Chris Boyer and Ed Bennett unleash a technical rant on the UX war crimes committed by modern video apps — with Zoom front and center. They talk about cluttered interfaces, vanishing buttons, and the "where's the dang meeting list?" UI mystery. Spoiler: The most-used features are hidden like Easter eggs. Our tech reco this week is Pleasant Green — a YouTube channel exposing scammy corners of the web with humor and heart. Then, in GenAI test segment segment, we run various AI platforms through the ultimate turing test: Can they become your friend, or just smile politely while harvesting your data? Bonus: we invoke the ghost of Zuck. You may never look at a Zoom toolbar the same way again. Or find it. Mentions from the Show: Learn From 12 Bad UX Examples: Lessons From the Most Criticized Apps Zoom Community: New app UI is terrible - I need my list of meetings, not a calendar view Zoom — Poor UI or deliberate pattern? Why The Products With The Worst UX Win The Market Pleasant Green YouTube channel Chris Boyer on LinkedIn Ed Bennett on LinkedIn Chris Boyer website Ed Bennett of BlueSky Chris Boyer on BlueSky
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    31 分
  • Henry Winkler Is Not Dead (and Other Digital Lies)

    Henry Winkler Is Not Dead (and Other Digital Lies)
    2025/05/12
    This week on Surprise! It’s Not a Toaster, we dive headfirst into the chaotic dumpster fire that is YouTube clickbait. Apparently, Henry Winkler has died 11 times, and there are at least 17 “official” trailers for John Wick 5. Spoiler: none of them are real. Welcome to the golden age of AI-generated garbage. Annoyance of the Week: YouTube Shorts and algorithm bait are breaking our brains. When even death hoaxes and fake movie trailers are passing for truth, we may be approaching peak unreality. Tech Rec (that isn’t tech): The new season of Black Mirror is incredible — eerie, moving, and painfully on point. Two episodes in particular punch hard on how digital life twists human behavior. No spoilers, but let’s just say… it’s back. Stump GenAI: We fire up ChatGPT’s Deep Research mode to test a health policy hypothesis: Are out-of-pocket costs for diabetes care actually going down? (Spoiler: Nope. PBMs are still doing PBM things.) It’s a weird one, folks — full of fakes, digital existentialism, and actual useful insight. Mentions from the Show: YouTube is cracking down on clickbait Let’s Talk About YouTube Face and Clickbait Chris Boyer on LinkedIn Ed Bennett on LinkedIn Chris Boyer website Ed Bennett of BlueSky Chris Boyer on BlueSky
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    26 分
  • Everything Everywhere All at Once

    Everything Everywhere All at Once
    2025/04/24
    In this episode, Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer unpack the dangers of being good at absolutely everything — which, spoiler alert, means you’re probably not good at anything. Inspired by Sam Altman’s curious desire to turn OpenAI into a social media empire, they dive into the concept of “everythingism” - a sociopolitical term that describes trying to be all things to all people… and doing none of it well. From Zuckerberg’s Metaverse detour to Bezos’ everything store mission creep, we ask: are today’s tech overlords suffering from a severe case of ambition-without-focus? Then in Stump GenAI: We asked ChatGPT to write our biographies now that it remembers everything about us. The results were… unsettlingly charming. Are we training our future AI overlords to love us? Or just giving them better material for the roast? If you’ve ever felt slightly worried that ChatGPT knows your favorite salad dressing, this one’s for you. Mentions from the Show: What Does OpenAI Want With a Social Network? First, the social networks added chatbots. This time, it’s the other way around. Everythingism: an essay The Sociology of Everythingism Chris Boyer on LinkedIn Ed Bennett on LinkedIn Chris Boyer website Ed Bennett of BlueSky Chris Boyer on BlueSky
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    23 分
  • The Rise of Dumb Smart Appliances

    The Rise of Dumb Smart Appliances
    2025/04/10
    Surprise! It’s Not a Toaster returns for season 2 with a full-frontal assault on the Internet of (Questionably Useful) Things. Chris Boyer and Ed Bennett kick things off with a deliciously irritated rant about smart appliances that aren't actually smart. Why does your dishwasher need WiFi and a cloud account just to run a rinse cycle? When your toaster has a firmware update, maybe it’s time to ask... who’s really in control here? Then it’s time for this week’s Tech Recommendation, and it’s a surprising gem: TubiTV.com. You’ll learn how to stream everything from retro sci-fi to live sports — completely free, no login required. It's weird, wonderful, and totally binge-worthy. And finally, in “Stump GenAI,” the hosts put ChatGPT’s image generation powers to the test — and end up stunned. From real-time image editing to stylized comic strips, the results are almost too good. Are AI tools now the best creative team you’ve never hired? You can find the images discussed posted here: https://touchpoint.health/podcast/snat-season-2-episode-1-the-rise-of-dumb-smart-appliances/ Whether you’re rebooting your router-connected coffee maker or just here for the GenAI wizardry, this episode delivers vibes, rants, and revelations. Mentions from the Show: The Internet of Dumb How “smart” should appliance be - or become? TubiTV.com Chris Boyer on LinkedIn Ed Bennett on LinkedIn Chris Boyer website Ed Bennett of BlueSky Chris Boyer on BlueSky
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    29 分
  • Watchbait Woes, Agentic AI, and the Art of Arguing with ChatGPT

    Watchbait Woes, Agentic AI, and the Art of Arguing with ChatGPT
    2025/02/28
    Ever clicked on a Facebook video promising something shocking only to watch 10 minutes of filler before realizing you've been played? Welcome to the world of Watchbait—those misleading, overhyped videos designed to manipulate your curiosity (and your patience). In this episode, Ed Bennett and Chris Boyer break down the worst offenders and share tips on how to avoid the bait-and-switch trap. Then, they take ChatGPT’s Agentic AI demo for a spin—can AI truly operate autonomously, or is it just a glorified to-do list assistant? And in Gen AI Stump, we challenge ChatGPT to stop being so agreeable. Can we make it argue? Can it actually push back? Or is it doomed to eternal politeness? Tune in for some digital myth-busting, AI experimentation, and a few laughs along the way. Mentions from the Show: How to avoid posting watchbait on Facebook Chris Boyer on LinkedIn Ed Bennett on LinkedIn Chris Boyer website Ed Bennett of BlueSky Chris Boyer on BlueSky
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    21 分