- OFF THE HOOK via MP3 -

-=-------=--------=-------=--------=-------=-------=-------=




We've set up two ways to download our MP3 files:

Users with Lynx and browsers that don't support streaming audio can download the files and play them locally. Select the file marked "L".

Users with faster connections and support for streaming audio select the file marked "S".


 <-- Previous2025Januarynext -->

 | Back to archives |

- 01 / 01 / 2025 -

Alex has connectivity problems yet again, it's a New Year's Day show, sound effects for looking back over 2024 and looking ahead into the future, Facebook is planning on flooding its platform with AI-generated users, Alex describes why this could be seen as an act of desperation, how Gila detects fake people on social media, the symbolism of a burning Cybertruck outside a Trump hotel, an update on fundraising for WBAI, an update on Stephen King's radio stations in Maine, the importance of radio, "A Look Back at 2024 in Tech" with Alex, the massive CrowdStrike outage, "Prediction 2025" with Rob, the bursting of the AI bubble, "Prediction 2025" with Kyle, demanding better networks with more innovation and better tools, there's a slight hum, "A Look Back at 2024 in Tech" with Emmanuel, Google being found to be a monopoly, how people don't take precautions against Google spying on them, the issue of banning TikTok, an update on the recordings from the old 2600 Voice BBS, "A Look Back at 2024 in Tech" with Gila, protecting kids from AI, "Prediction 2025" with Alex, quantum computing threats and how they will affect our privacy, "Prediction 2025" with Emmanuel, how the dependence on AI will cause a true disaster, how Gemini has been malfunctioning lately, "A Look Back at 2024 in Tech" with Rob, a failure with AI and McDonald's, Emmanuel discovers that ice cream with bacon is a thing, more accusations from a listener of victim blaming, a discussion on whether this is actually happening, "A Look Back at 2024 in Tech" with Kyle, developments in brain computer interfaces, "Prediction 2025" with Gila, a wish for Elon Musk, an update on Virgil Griffith, there are 2600 meetings this Friday.


Overtime: Today is the day that copyrights run out for the 1920s, Emmanuel learns how recently Ravel's "Bolero" was written, Linux to the rescue, Rebel has difficulty making a haircut appointment, third party job applications, a false rumor about Google Voice going away, Volkswagen's automotive software company CARIAD exposed data collected from 800,000 electric cars, the CCC connection, why the release of this data could be really dangerous, Chinese state-sponsored hackers have breached the U.S. Treasury Department, Alex describes what was behind this hack, Kyle discusses STEM and how teaching about hacking has become "safe," Kyle's argument against burning it all down, using tools to stop being tricked by the system, a call from a very young listener concerning payphones, a question about magazine distribution in Canada, the impossibility of distributing to the United Kingdom, the distribution snafu last summer that had issues stuck in a warehouse for a month without any compensation, why it's a good thing that HOPE is now happening every year, the need for meetings to start up again in Canada, Zap has news about the U.K. meetings that are happening this week, the philosophy behind the meetings, updates on the mystery drones, the feeling that something has changed when it likely hasn't, the idea of a connection to bird flu, looking forward to 2025.

Download It Now!

January 1
Download MP3Stream MP3 16k mp3
Download MP3Stream MP3 128k mp3 (or download via bittorrent)

Off The Hook Overtime
Download MP3Stream MP3 16k mp3
Download MP3Stream MP3 128k mp3

Off The Hook Overtime is also available on the Channel2600 YouTube channel here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjFmUm5u0Eo

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

- 01 / 08 / 2025 -

Clarifying the "Elvis" recording that was just played, what 9901 recordings were all about, memories of the 212-279 exchange, some other fun facts about old phone numbers, an almost incomprehensible headline, how streaming services have gotten worse over the years, Emmanuel has an issue with "FX on Hulu," defining Fubo, what FAST is, introducing Roku and keeping Tubi out of the discussion, what Venu is, finally getting to the actual story, how Google has ruined YouTube with aggressive monetization, Emmanuel describes programming on Inuit TV, it's the 65th anniversary of WBAI going on the air, why WBAI will be an essential voice for whatever is coming next, examples of some of the craziness that's already becoming visible, the absolute evilness of Elon Musk in this reality, how Facebook is getting rid of fact checkers, the danger this poses, Alex describes how digital hate can spill over into actual violence, Emmanuel describes why it's important to do more than simply leave a distasteful platform, the sympathetic way the mass media is describing the person who blew up a Tesla in Las Vegas, why nobody should be surprised when people use AI to get bomb-making info, a soldier is arrested for selling hacked phone logs of Trump and Harris, why it makes a difference if someone is revealing a security hole or trying to make money, prosecution for accessing an unreleased Coldplay song, how money was once again the issue, using the phrase "dark web dealer" to describe these people, next week will be a call-in episode.


Overtime: North Korean music and interval signal, there won't be an "Overtime" next week, always assuming Alex is muted, a listener's issue with fact checkers, how facts aren't decided by popular vote, how people who believe the earth is flat are difficult to present facts to, Rob discusses new policies at Facebook that target trans people, what platforms devolve into without fact checkers, Trump is suing a newspaper and poll takers who showed he was behind Kamala Harris at one point, the platforming of Trump that helped get him elected, Rebel visits the telephone museum in Seattle, there's also a phone museum on Long Island, the "Telezonia" features on YouTube that reveal all kinds of internal phone company details from the past, it's really cold in New York, the ongoing fires in Southern California, the live feed of the destruction at ktla.com, ticket sales to HOPE_16 will be opening on the 16th, Rob's favorite thing about Hulu, sucking up to Trump, Johnny Fusion is on a train, Kyle tries to get a phone call, attempts to rehash an old story, a far-right government is on the verge of taking over in Austria, Emmanuel refuses to cast blame for the American election results, indications that Trump has truly lost it before even taking power, Gila explains why slow mode is being used on the chat, responding to an instigator, a way to lock Android phones with just a phone number, a listener mystery involving EAS, 2600 digital subscription formats have been combined.

Download It Now!

January 8
Download MP3Stream MP3 16k mp3
Download MP3Stream MP3 128k mp3 (or download via bittorrent)

Off The Hook Overtime
Download MP3Stream MP3 16k mp3
Download MP3Stream MP3 128k mp3

Off The Hook Overtime is also available on the Channel2600 YouTube channel here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rWEeCnna7A

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

- 01 / 15 / 2025 -

A late start, Alex is in London, Gila joins Bluesky, how starter packs work, Kyle shares his experience on this platform, it's the "farewell to democracy" show, the effect that Trump has already had on the country a week before taking office, how the big tech companies are already caving in, even the Village People are now on Trump's side and are pretending "YMCA" isn't a gay anthem, how WBAI will remain on the air without yielding, setting Kyle up for a comment about congestion pricing, instructions for people calling in, yesterday was World Logic Day, Inauguration Day is also Martin Luther King Day, a caller's recent conversation with an operator, remembering busy line verification and emergency interrupt, facts about operators in the past, a listener shares the need for donating blood along with the benefits, how people can do this, Gila's idea for the congestion zone, a suggestion for a real busy signal, the danger of using your fingerprint as security on your phone, how the fingerprint database could conceivably be used to unlock phones, discussing the advantages of passwords, trying to get more phone calls, the story of someone trying to dig up a hard drive to find a huge amount of Bitcoin, the idea of TikTok being sold to Elon Musk, there won't be an "Overtime" tonight.

Download It Now!

January 15
Download MP3Stream MP3 16k mp3
Download MP3Stream MP3 128k mp3 (or download via bittorrent)

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

- 01 / 22 / 2025 -

Assessing how everyone is, distinguishing between a podcast and a radio show, a letter that turns out not to be from a listener, a complaint about politics, how it would be impossible to ignore what is going on in politics today, Kyle explains why this content is both relevant and unavoidable, Gila's reaction to Elon Musk's Nazi salute at the Inauguration Day ceremonies on Monday, looking at Musk's behavior to reveal his true intentions, the guarded way that CNN addressed what happened, apologies for what's happening and what's going to be happening, Alex's promise on how perspective will be balanced, how many Reddit users are boycotting Twitter, Kyle's views on continuing a presence on Twitter, Emmanuel's remaining use for Twitter, the unfortunate effect that is occurring due to all of this, Kyle's issue with being known as a "podcast guy," trying to figure out the addresses for the show on various platforms, a listener's views on fact checkers at Facebook, how things have changed so dramatically in the world of social media, the old rules simply don't work anymore, a demonstration of how false info will continue to spread without fact checkers, the Trump administration fires members of a cybersecurity review board, why this doesn't seem to make sense, acronyms for acronyms.


Overtime: There was some choppiness on the stream, Alex wakes up, looking forward to a terrible flight, complaints about the sound, tonight's lag is extreme, a period of silence as things are reset, why people shouldn't listen to the YouTube archive, a confusing call with Rebel, another period of silence during a bigger reset, Rebel may be starting his own podcast, more info on the Connections Museum in Seattle, Emmanuel's recollection of Picturephones at the 1964 World's Fair, theorizing as to why computer terminals are known as teletypes, giving various commands to Rebel to try, how everyone doesn't know everything, Alex leaves early, a new command for Rebel to type, Kyle shares his philosophy on old machines, facts about fingerprints, Kyle suggests putting an iPhone in an air fryer, Emmanuel plays a trick on Kyle which backfires, Gila loses control while remembering getting trapped in an elevator, Gila tries to get through the story, taking issue with monkeys and typewriters, ways to face the challenges ahead, a caller's issue with a green card, the new issue of 2600 will be hitting the stands tomorrow, more news on HOPE.

Download It Now!

January 22
Download MP3Stream MP3 16k mp3
Download MP3Stream MP3 128k mp3 (or download via bittorrent)

Off The Hook Overtime
Download MP3Stream MP3 16k mp3
Download MP3Stream MP3 128k mp3

Off The Hook Overtime is also available on the Channel2600 YouTube channel here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEs-O2NGCVQ

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Off The Hook | Off The Hook Archive | 2600 |
*
COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS:

Webmaster
webmaster@2600.com

OFF THE HOOK
oth@2600.com