Old's Cool — A Retro Tech Podcast

On this episode, Stephen and Daniel dive into Samsung's recent Unpacked event where it launched the Galaxy Z Fold 8 series. What makes the new Fold 8 so interesting, and why does it matter that it's launching just months before Apple's rumored iPhone Ultra foldable? That's not a rhetorical question, we're asking you.Show notes and links:After using the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, I'm left with one expensive question (Android Authority)Galaxy Z Fold 8 hands-on: This redesign proves Google was right the first time [Video] (9to5Google)This might be the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, and Fold in their new colors [Gallery] (9to5Google)---Feedback or comments? Email us at theoldscoolcast@gmail.comFind us on Instagram @theoldscoolcast too.

This week, Stephen and Daniel recount OpenAI's highs (GPT 5.6's success) and lows (being sued by Apple) over the past week.Plus, Google's Gemini 3.5 Pro is delayed and the company risks falling too far behind the competition, particularly as Chinese competitors like Moonshot's Kimi K3 are catching up to Fable 5 and GPT 5.6 Sol.Finally, we talk smartphones and the many pressures of competing in the US. With OnePlus closing up shop and Google's Pixel line struggling for market share, are we resigned to a two-horse race?Show notes and links:What Is GPT-5.6? OpenAI's Three-Model Tier System ExplainedThe Wildest Allegations in Apple's Trade Secrets Lawsuit Against OpenAI - TechcrunchGoogle Gemini 3.5 Pro Launch Delayed as Model Falls Short of Internal Goals - BloombergKimi K3: Open Frontier Intelligence — Moonshot AI's 2.8 Trillion Parameter ModelGoogle Releases First Pixel 11 Teaser, Officially Reveals Pixel Glow - 9to5GoogleOnePlus Officially Shutting Down in the US and Europe - 9to5Google---Feedback or comments? Email us at theoldscoolcast@gmail.comFind us on Instagram @theoldscoolcast too.

On this week's show, Stephen and Daniel talk about archiving floppy discs in a digital age; the newest AI models from OpenAI, Meta, and others; Sony's old school Vaio laptops; how AI is destroying the way we teach and learn, particularly in university; and whether generative AI can really make you a better fiction writer. Plus, the best AI benchmark is a pelican riding a bicycle. Seriously.This episode's a long one, and it's all over the place, but it's better for it.Show notes and links:Machine Stories: How LLMs Set My Writing Free - The Yale ReviewBrown Professor Suspects Most of His Class Used AI to Cheat - Inside Higher EdCopy That Floppy! – A Practical Guide to Imaging Floppy Disks for Long-Term Preservation - DigipressBatman: Return of the Joker - Stages 1&5 (Floppy Drives) - MausolfB Music (YouTube)Can AI Keep a Parent Alive? - The New YorkerPelican Riding a Bicycle (AI benchmark) - Simon Willison's Weblog---Feedback or comments? Email us at theoldscoolcast@gmail.comFind us on Instagram @theoldscoolcast too.

This week, Stephen and Daniel celebrate Independence Day the only way they know how: talking about an alternative history where Napoleon defeated the English at Waterloo. It's good stuff.Also: Sony is discontinuing physical PlayStation discs in 2028, and the bots are taking over the Internet. Plus, an e-paper Game Boy? It's a thing.Show notes and links:Game Boy Emulator on ESP32 + E-Ink (M5Stack PaperS3) — Paper Boy S3 | YouTubeCloudflare's New Policy Pushes AI Companies to Pay for Publishers' Content | TechCrunchPhysical disc production ending in January 2028 for new games releasing on PlayStation consoles | Sony---Feedback or comments? Email us at theoldscoolcast@gmail.comFind us on Instagram @theoldscoolcast too.

On this week's show, Stephen and Daniel talk about how the rise of AI is killing cheap tech, and that may not be entirely a bad thing (though it's still mostly a bad thing). They talk about the Steam Machine's exorbitant price, and how intra-generational price increases have never really happened like this. Unprecedented times, indeed. Finally, they talk about forming human bonds with AI and how to negotiate that strange and uncomfortable place.Oh, and there's a bit of talk at the beginning about bowling. If you want to avoid that, skip ahead to 7:39.Show notes and links:The Wholesale Plagiarism of Obscure Sorrows - WaxyBlu-ray Disc Turns 20: A Look Back at the Format's Launch Day - The Digital BitsValve Steam Machine: Official Price and Release Date Confirmed - The VergeAI Demand Begins to Justify Massive Cost of Data-Center Buildout - Bloomberg ($)Hivemind – AI-Powered Intelligent Narrator for Shared Storytelling---Feedback or comments? Email us at theoldscoolcast@gmail.comFind us on Instagram @theoldscoolcast too.

This week, Stephen and Daniel compare their delicate wrists while showing off the Pebble Time 2, and debate nostalgia projects done right versus *very* wrong.Plus, can chatbots actually be made safe for kids? These parents aren't so sure.Show notes and links:Pebble Time 2 Review – A Redditor's Real-World Take (r/pebble)Pebble Time 2 Review: Resurrection Time (MrMobile on YouTube)U.S. Government Forces Anthropic to Pull Fable 5 and Mythos 5 Over National Security ConcernsAnthropic Shuts Down Fable 5 & Mythos 5 Over U.S. Export Control Order — A Sovereign AI Wake-Up CallApple's Price Increases Are Coming — Blame the AI Memory CrunchAmericans and AI 2026: Chatbots, Smart Devices and Views on Impact (Pew Research Center)Feedback or comments? Email us at theoldscoolcast@gmail.comFind us on Instagram @theoldscoolcast too.

This week, Stephen and Daniel dive into the choppy waters of AI writing, and whether it's ever OK to consume AI-made media.And how AI-based coding tools may be the only way to fix obsolete machines that lack proper documentation.Plus, is the Pope a friction-maxxer?Feedback or comments? Email us at theoldscoolcast@gmail.comFind us on Instagram @theoldscoolcast too.

On this week's show, Stephen and Daniel dive into their childhoods full tape decks and portable CD players, their shared love of MiniDiscs, and how today's rise of friction-maxxing is bringing them all back (well, except maybe MiniDiscs).Plus, Daniel shares a deep dark secret he's never shared before, and Stephen tell us about his time as a DJ.Feedback or comments? Email us at theoldscoolcast@gmail.comFind us on Instagram @theoldscoolcast too.