Category: 3-SometimeTechTalk

Ranjan Roy from Margins is back for our weekly discussion of the latest tech news. We cover 1) Is OpenAI's o3 model AGI? 2) Maybe it's AGI when you squint 3) Why people are floating the idea that OpenAi is close to AGI 4) Is OpenAI going to declare that GPT-5 is AGI 5) What's in it for companies saying they've achieved AGI first? 6) AI's new memory capabilities add something big to the experience 7) Is AI the new social media? 8) Facebook has moved away from friend sharing 9) Could Google be broken up? 10) Is Google's stake in the open web actually a good thing?

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Hannah Hunt, Distinguished Technical Fellow at MetroStar and former Chief of Product at the Army Software Factory joins the show to share how her government experience is now shaping her impact from the private sector. She also offered candid insights on software factory success metrics, the challenges of scaling innovation within bureaucracy, and how emerging technologies like generative AI can be aligned with mission needs. Finally, we unpacked lessons learned from standing up transformative programs inside the Department of Defense and the importance of storytelling, empathy, and data in delivering value to government customers.

Bit lets you generate composable software simplicity, speed and quality. 

Connect with Laly on LinkedIn. 

Congrats to Lifeboat badge winner and blog contributor Charlie Martin for their answer to How does this proof, that the halting problem is undecidable, work?

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David Young spent many years in California, but lives in Colorado Springs now. He mentioned that things outside of work are very important to him, as they are the soil from which he brings fruit to bear in his work. He's married and loving living in the Rockies. He and his wife love to ski hike and camp - but most interesting, they are both endurance athletes. They run marathons, bike rides, and triathlons - in fact, David himself has run 10, which includes a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, then a marathon - all in succession. All in one day.

David noticed that that problem with SaaS today is that it's expensive, and adds up as you compile solutions. Right alongside that, open source software is free - but requires more setup and maintenance to keep it up and running. He decided that there must be a better way to purchase software, while getting the best price on a bundle of solutions.

This is the creation story of Federated Computer.

Sponsors

• Mailtrap
• Speakeasy
• QA Wolf
• SnapTrade

Links

• https://www.federated.computer/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidpaulyoung/

Kyle notes that his only experience with WebAssembly is Blazor. If you’re wondering about Blazor, we covered it on the blog in 2020. 

While Michael may have been the first user to get 10,000 rep, he’s not stopping there. 

His current employer, neuRealities, is still in stealth mode, shhhh.

Find Michael on his blog and possibly elsewhere.  

The Gene Simmons of Data Protection: Protegrity's KISS Method

Today, we are releasing another episode from our series, entitled The Gene Simmons of Data Protection - the KISS Method, brought to you by none other than Protegrity. Protegrity is AI-powered data security for data consumption, offering fine grain data protection solutions, so you can enable your data security, compliance, sharing and analytics.

Episode Title: Are You Smarter Than a Threat Actor? Maybe Your Current Methods Are Obsolete

In today's episode, we are talking with Eve Rajca, Senior Solutions Engineer, as she dives into the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity. As threat actors become more sophisticated, its critical to reassess and simplify security strategies. She will explore outdated methods, which can leave your data vulnerable, and discuss the importance of adopting straightforward security methods.

Questions

• What are some common signs that an organization's current cybersecurity methods might be outdated?
• How have threat actors evolved in their tactics over the past few years?
• Can you explain the concept of "security through simplicity" and why it's important?
• How can organizations balance the need for robust security with the need for simplicity?
• What role does employee training play in maintaining effective data security?

Links

• https://www.protegrity.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/iwonarajca/

Grace Shao is a Hong Kong-based writer and analyst, and author of AI Proem on Substack newsletter. She joins Big Technology Podcast to discuss China's rise in artificial intelligence, and whether (and how) it can be a global player. Tune in to hear how China's AI startups are rapidly productizing cutting-edge tech, why it keeps developing open-source models, and why it's surging in robotics. We also cover AI agents like Manus, chip shortages, and the entrepreneurial resurgence transforming Chinese tech culture. Hit play for an essential conversation on China’s AI ambitions and their global implications.

You can read more from Grace here: https://open.substack.com/pub/aiproem

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Enjoying Big Technology Podcast? Please rate us five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in your podcast app of choice.

For weekly updates on the show, sign up for the pod newsletter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6901970121829801984/

Want a discount for Big Technology on Substack? Here’s 40% off for the first year: https://tinyurl.com/bigtechnology

Questions? Feedback? Write to: bigtechnologypodcast@gmail.com

In this episode of The BlueHat Podcast, host Nic Fillingham and Wendy Zenone are joined by Dhiral Patel, Senior Security Engineer at ZoomInfo and one of MSRC’s Most Valuable Researchers (MVR). Dhiral shares how a hacked Facebook account sparked his passion for ethical hacking. From web development to penetration testing, Dhiral has become a top bug hunter, landing multiple spots on the MSRC leaderboards. Dhiral reflects on his early MSRC submissions and lessons learned. He also discusses the importance of mastering web security basics, practicing on platforms like TryHackMe and Hack the Box, and staying connected with the bug bounty community.  

In This Episode You Will Learn:  

• The importance of mastering web security basics before diving into bug bounty hunting 
• Why hands-on platforms like TryHackMe and Hack the Box are perfect for beginners 
• Dhiral’s journey from blogging to freelancing and security research 

Some Questions We Ask: 

• How do you balance competition and collaboration in the bug bounty community? 
• Can you explain what clickjacking is and if it still works today? 
• Why did you start with Power BI, and how did it lead to your journey in security? 

Resources:      

View Dhiral Patel on LinkedIn    

View Wendy Zenone on LinkedIn   

View Nic Fillingham on LinkedIn  

Related Microsoft Podcasts:   

• Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast   
• Afternoon Cyber Tea with Ann Johnson   
• Uncovering Hidden Risks   

Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts   

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