What happens when technology grows faster than the rules meant to guide it? We toast the season finale by tackling that question head-on—starting with a bold move to centralize AI regulation at the federal level and preempt state-by-state rules. We lay out what a single national framework could fix, what it could break, and how lobbying from the biggest AI players complicates the path forward. Uniform standards might speed innovation and reduce compliance chaos, but local expertise matters, and trust depends on safeguards that balance industry power with public interest.Then we shift from policy to pavement. Waymo keeps making headlines for the wrong reasons: riders passing out in driverless cars, a recall tied to passing stopped school buses with flashing lights, and a bizarre three-car standoff that jammed a steep San Francisco street for nearly an hour. We unpack what these incidents reveal about human behavior in autonomous systems, the limits of remote intervention, and the public’s patience when “driverless” becomes neighborhood gridlock. Safety updates and voluntary recalls are essential, but accountability, transparency, and resilient design are how this technology earns the right to scale.Not everything is caution tape and traffic cones. We spotlight the AirFly Pro 2 from Twelve South, a small Bluetooth transmitter that lets two people share audio from any 3.5 mm jack—perfect for flights, older TVs, and road trips. It’s simple, reliable, and exactly the kind of travel tech that quietly improves your day. We also marvel at a $380,000 “human washing machine”—part luxury, part lab experiment—hinting at future wellness and eldercare tech where biometrics and comfort meet. And we raise a glass to a standout Jack Daniel’s single barrel heritage barrel release, trading tasting notes on char, sweetness, and that long, confident finish.Along the way we nod to Perl’s enduring place in internet history, reminding ourselves that the tools that last aren’t always the flashiest—they’re the ones that solve real problems again and again. As we wrap season seven, the through-line is clear: when tech outruns law, human behavior fills the void. The best builders anticipate that gap, and the best policy keeps pace without strangling the spark. If that balance excites you as much as it challenges you, you’re our kind of listener.Enjoyed the season? Subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review to help others find us. Your support helps us bring sharper stories, better gear picks, and smarter conversations in the year ahead.Support the show

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