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Episode Summary: Will and Brandt reunite to kick off a new season by unpacking their favorite and most practical takeaways from CES, from stair climbing robot vacuums and smart mobility devices to breakthrough display tech and unexpected innovations. Along the way, they reflect on Brandt’s career transition, changing media coverage at CES, and how emerging tools like vibe coding and home lab setups are empowering individuals to build exactly what they need. Discussions Include: Brandt Krueger’s departure from his full time production role at EideCom and what comes nextCES trends around robots, AI, and devices that genuinely improve daily lifeNotable tech highlights including Roborock’s stair climbing vacuum, smart mobility aids, next-generation TV displays, and E-Ink signageVibe coding, Raspberry Pis, and why building small personal tools may be the future of softwareQuotable Quotes (Should you choose to share): “I feel like usually CES gets a lot more mainstream coverage, but it definitely didn’t feel like that this year.” - Brandt Krueger “I want to talk about the things that I think actually really are cool, not just everything that happened.” - Will Curran “The future of coding is make your own stuff, scratch your own itch and make it do exactly what you want.” - Brandt Krueger Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ on TWiT, along with some other great coverage of CES 2026:https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech/episodes/1066?autostart=false

Brandt just popping in to say "We're still here!" and will have exciting news shortly. Stay tuned!

Episode Summary: We kick off with an impressive AI-generated intro from Suno's newly released V5 model, showcasing how far AI music creation has come. The conversation quickly shifts to hands-on hardware reviews, with Will sharing his one-week impressions of the iPhone 17 Pro Max (in orange) and both of us discussing the new AirPods Pro 3. From iOS 26 performance quirks to the practical realities of running beta software on production devices, we cover the full spectrum of Apple's latest releases. The episode wraps with an extended discussion on electric vehicle charging strategies, vehicle-to-grid technology, and why Brandt might finally be warming up to those Rivian headlights. Discussions Include: Suno's V5 model release and whether the $20/month subscription is worth it for better AI music generationReal-world impressions of iPhone 17 Pro Max and iOS 26 after a week of daily useAirPods Pro 3 features, including hearing aid functionality and adaptive transparency modeElectric vehicle charging economics and the future of vehicle-to-grid technologyQuotable Quotes (Should you choose to share): "You handed a caveman a flame- and then took it away from him." - Will Curran"I noticed that iOS 26 just runs better on it. This is what I'm noticing- with my being in the iPhone upgrade program is that I'll do the beta, I run it on my 16 Pro or Pro Max, whatever it is, and I notice slight performance issues." - Will Curran"Every time [a Rivian] drives by me and I'm like, well, it's actually not that bad looking. It's like, it's wearing me down... I can't get past the headlights. Weeelllll, I might be able to get past the headlights." - Brandt Krueger"So the guy basically insinuates 'I'm on the employer's dime. I'm going to be charging my car and then I'll just go back and sell it back to the grid and make a profit,' heheh..." - Will Curran

Episode Summary: Brandt and Will kick things off with more AI-generated podcast music experiments, comparing Suno and Eleven Labs for creating that perfect intro sound. The conversation shifts to Meta's latest copyright controversies involving torrented content, then lands squarely in Apple territory as Will unboxes his brand new iPhone Pro Max live on the podcast. Between discussions of Colorware customization options for black AirPods, and iOS 26 installation regrets, we explore the tension between AI creativity and copyright protection, all while celebrating (and occasionally lamenting) our gadget obsessions. Discussions Include: The challenges of getting AI music generators to understand style without naming specific artistsMeta's latest copyright troubles and what they might mean for AI training on musicWill's live unboxing of the new AirPods Pro 3 in orange, complete with first impressionsColorware customization pricing and the eternal quest for black AirPodsWhy you shouldn't install iOS 26 on production devices (Will learned this the hard way)Quotable Quotes (Should you choose to share): "I love music and all of this kind of stuff. And I get it, right? We don't want to be able to just type in, make a Fatboy Slim song... But I'm just trying to say, I like the style of Fatboy Slim. I'm not trying to pass anything off as being a Fatboy Slim song." - Brandt Krueger "It is crazy how smart the AI is getting now though, if you ask it to describe the music, it pulls out specific instruments and notes and stuff like that." - Will Curran "Do not install it on your production machines. I made a really dumb decision." - Will Curran (regarding MacOX Tahoe) "I've never liked the [AirPod] design with that stick sticking out. Like as dorky as my Bose look... I mean, on the plus side, you can see it sticking out of a tech's ear from 20 feet away." - Brandt Krueger

Episode Summary:Brandt Krueger and Will Curran break down Apple's latest iPhone 17, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and AirPods Pro 3 announcements, finding the keynote more ordinary than expected after two years of blockbuster reveals. The conversation explores whether Apple's product lines are converging toward price point differentiation rather than feature distinction, examines the surprisingly pro-level camera capabilities that could replace traditional rigs, and debates the durability of the impossibly thin iPhone Air. Along the way, they discuss vapor cooling, the "plateau" (not a camera bump), concert etiquette, and why Brandt still refuses to wear white electric toothbrush heads in his ears. Discussions Include: The iPhone 17 Pro's cinema-grade camera features like GenLock and multi-camera sync that are targeting professional videographers and content creators, potentially replacing traditional camera rigs in tight spacesWhether the ultra-thin iPhone Air can survive "BendGate 2.0" and if sacrificing camera capability for sleekness makes sense when you'll just throw a case on it anywayApple's product differentiation strategy shifting from features to price points, with specs becoming more similar across the lineup except for camera count and storage tiersThe AirPods Pro 3's heart rate sensing feature raising questions about redundancy in the Apple ecosystem when most users already have an Apple Watch for fitness trackingQuotable Quotes (Should you choose to share):"It's not a camera bump, ladies and gentlemen. It's a plateau." - Brandt Krueger "I am not going to stick an electric toothbrush head in my ear. Just not. I'm just not." - Brandt Krueger (on AirPods) "I started thinking to myself, I'm looking at my studio and I'm going like, maybe I just put up iPhones. Like- in the end they all wirelessly communicate to my Mac." - Will Curran "They said something that really made me sad and I hope to God it's not right. They said 'This feature is great for concerts where you can record your reaction and the stage' and I go no no no no no." - Will Curran "It felt kind of ordinary, to be perfectly honest." - Brandt Krueger (on the overall keynote)

Episode Summary:
 In this episode of “Where’s the Future?”, Brandt Krueger and Will Curran experiment with podcast intros, share hard-won lessons in AI-driven task automation, and reminisce about the wild west of search engines. The conversation shifts from the quirks of cloud storage and the pitfalls of syncing, to an in-depth look at new Philips Hue product announcements, culminating with palpable excitement for upcoming smart home innovations. Sprinkled throughout are community shoutouts, tech rants, and nimble pivots between AI fatigue and genuine gadget enthusiasm. Discussions Include: • Experimenting with AI-generated podcast intros and the search for a unique theme sound - HELP US!! • The practical frustrations and promise of agentic browsers, scheduling tasks, and project-based GPT memory • Cloud storage headaches with Google Drive and OneDrive, and why more physical storage is always a safe bet • Upcoming innovations and leaks in the Philips Hue smart lighting ecosystem, including smarter, cheaper bulbs, string lights, and expanded hub capabilities Quotable Quotes (Should you choose to share): “Just take to the bridge...” – Brandt Krueger“I was so frustrated that something that was so consistently good at, ‘Hey, you put it in a folder, have a Google Drive save it for you, and it will be there,’ just turned into this nightmare. And I’m realizing now I’ve got to pay so much money for storage on Google cloud that used to be free” – Will Curran“[Person detection being added to Hue bulbs is] going to be something I think is super duper exciting to see what ends up happening from it. But is it going to, you know, work?” – Will Curran“You’re never going to regret having too much storage space. Right? You’re never going to regret that.” – Brandt Krueger 

Episode Summary:This inaugural episode of the WTF (Where’s the Future?) podcast features Brandt Krueger and Will Curran discussing their transition from the Event Tech Podcast, exploring early experiments with AI agentic browsers like Comet and Dia, their frustrations and hopes for AI tools, and the evolving landscape of the open web amid new AI data challenges. They also discuss the approaching potential AI bubble and industry consolidation, as well as the democratization of app and tool creation through no-code platforms. Be sure to joint the WTF community to stay in touch between episodes! https://wtf.community Discussions Include: • Early experiences and challenges using AI agentic browsers to automate web tasks • Current concerns around web scraping, data privacy, and the open web’s future • The outlook on the AI bubble, industry hype, and the need for specialization in AI tools • The rise of no-code app development and democratizing technology creation • Highlights from the WTF community on emerging tech like Apple Watch updates and smart home devices Quotable Quotes (Should you choose to share): • “At first I was like- this is amazing! Then, my God, this is terrible. My God, you are so dumb! Wait, no, what? No. Actually? No. This is pretty cool? Nope, you’re just dumb.” - Brandt Krueger • “We can see what it could be… It’s kind of like glimpsing out a window and seeing all the kids playing outside and you know that you could be that kid playing outside, but Perplexity and Comet Daddy won’t let you go out because you’re grounded.” - Will Curran • “I think the opportunity is if we have leveled off on these Uber GPTs, that’s good because now we can focus on specialty- on unitaskers that do one thing really well.” - Brandt Krueger • “The internet’s becoming more like a city with complex rules and less like free land where you could build whatever you wanted.” - Will Curran • “The AI bubble means tons of money thrown at it, lots of people hired, then a collapse where the lower level people lose their jobs, but the big players get their guaranteed payouts.” - Brandt Krueger

Episode Summary: In this bittersweet installment, Will Curran and Brandt Krueger close the book on the Event Tech Podcast- at least as we’ve known it. After years of stretching topics to fit the confines of “event tech,” they’re rebranding and broadening the focus to Where’s the Future? (conveniently, WTF). With a wider lens on technology, gadgets, innovation, and how they all connect to real life, the duo reflect on their favorite episodes, industry shifts post-COVID, and the future of both the show and the community. It’s equal parts nostalgia, industry critique, and excitement for what’s ahead. Discussions Include: • Why the Event Tech Podcast is winding down and evolving into Where’s the Future? (WTF) • The changing pace of innovation in the events industry post-COVID • Memorable episodes, rants, and recurring themes from the show’s history • How the new community and live podcast recordings will work Quotable Quotes (Should you choose to share): “We were promised jetpacks… where’s my flying car? Where’s the future?” - Will Curran“If you liked what we were doing before, I’d like to think you’re going to continue to like what we’re doing... it's just broader.” - Brandt Krueger“Sometimes I think our listeners already knew how things tied into events. They just wanted to know what’s GOOD and we’d figure out the rest.” - Will Curran“We moved the ball down the field ten years in one year… and then we went backwards.” - Brandt Krueger“Let’s be honest. Will and I are going to talk even if no one’s in the room.” - Brandt KruegerBe sure to check out the WTF community! Conveniently located at http://wtf.community ;)

Episode Summary: This time on the Event Tech Podcast, Brandt and Will welcome industry veteran Matthew Byrne to unpack the pains and progress of event content management. Byrne introduces ShowSync, a new solution designed to streamline the collection, synchronization, and distribution of event content- eliminating versioning headaches, USB thumbdrive chaos, and other PPT nightmares. The episode explores the real-world challenges that inspired ShowSync, how it works across multiple production environments, and the future possibilities for integrating with other industry tools. Discussions Include: The origin story of ShowSync and the persistent problems it solves in event productionHow ShowSync manages real-time content syncing, version control, and secure uploads across multiple machines and locationsTechnical insights into hardware integration, cloud syncing, and InfoSec compliance for sensitive client dataThe roadmap for ShowSync, including potential integrations and expansion into new event and retail environmentsQuotable Quotes (Should you choose to share): "Essentially what it does is it seamlessly syncs all of content across production for events- and then on the back end leverages out the content that's created at an event in a much more cost effective and efficient way." - Matthew Byrne "If then on machine one, you delete slide one, every version number 29 in that package on every machine just starts to lose slide one. Like as fast as the 10 gigabit connection can make that happen." - Matthew Byrne "We always say that a live event is a content machine. If we can cut down the expense and time to be able to leverage that value out, I think that that solves a lot of problems." - Matthew Byrne "It's always nice when someone's able to go, 'how about we put it all together into one thing and make it go?' It's wonderful." - Brandt Krueger Learn more about ShowSync at https://byrneproductionservices.com/showsync/

Episode Summary: This episode of the Event Tech Podcast explores the real-world performance of OpenAI's Operator, the agentic AI tool that promises to automate browser tasks on your behalf. Will shares his hands-on experience running Operator through its paces—from sending personalized Twitch messages to attempting LinkedIn research and even trying to buy festival tickets. Brandt and Will dissect what works, what doesn't, and why Operator currently feels less like a job-stealing super-agent and more like a well-meaning, but exasperating, digital intern. The conversation also touches on the future of agentic AI, the importance of user data, and the quirks of modern AI assistants. Discussions Include: What “agentic AI” actually means and how Operator fits the billReal-world Operator use cases: Twitch messaging, LinkedIn research, and online purchasesThe current limitations, quirks, and slowdowns of agentic AI toolsBroader implications for the future of work and the data arms race among tech giantsQuotable Quotes (Should you choose to share):"Once again, Will's taking the hit so that we don't have to, right? He's letting us know that it's not there yet." - Brandt Krueger"I think we're potentially in this world where I do think agents are starting to do things that we never would have comprehended." - Will Curran "It's like a really, really dumb intern. You show someone a task once and at least they get it, right? But this thing constantly forgets." - Will Curran "The tasks that you’ve given it are very close to the examples we gave when we first started talking about operator and agentic AI. It doesn't sound like it can do that yet." - Brandt Krueger

Episode Summary:This episode of the Event Tech Podcast brings listeners up to speed on Will Curran’s latest role at Voxo, a Swedish company shaking up event technology with real-time AI session summaries. Brandt Krueger and Will explore how Voxo’s platform captures, analyzes, and packages event content into instantly branded reports, LinkedIn-ready carousels, and live displays. The conversation covers the technical magic behind speaker identification, the marketing potential of AI-generated assets, and the future of personalized attendee experiences. Discussions Include: Will Curran’s joining Voxo and the company’s mission in event techHow Voxo uses AI to generate instant, branded session summaries and reportsThe technical process of capturing audio, identifying speakers, and producing content assetsThe future of personalized event reports and AI-driven attendee recommendationsQuotable Quotes (Should you choose to share): "I just started up a new gig at Voxo, which is the Swedish company... If you were at Event Tech Live London, you will definitely recognize the  "At the base level, essentially, we're summarizing every session... capturing all the audio... and in real time, we're creating these reports and transcriptions and all that fun stuff, and then branding it." - Will Curran "The thing that blew my mind the most about it is... you walk off stage, man, you as speaker walk off stage instantly, you have this PDF report, available to you as an audience." - Will Curran "One of the most powerful things about this AI report that gets generated is... and it also comes in a LinkedIn version... a one-by-one carousel because we all been there ... We get done with a session and we're like lucky if we remember to take a selfie!" - Will Curran "We not have the ability to completely remember everything that happened at an event? ... There's no reason why that can't be offloaded somewhere else." - Brandt Krueger

Episode Summary: Brandt Krueger and Will Curran return with a lively breakdown of the latest trends spotted while judging the Eventex Awards, offering a behind-the-scenes look (within NDA limits) at where event technology is headed. From lightning-fast badge pickup and GDPR-compliant facial recognition to hyper-personalized attendee journeys and the resurgence of event bots, this episode unpacks the innovations shaping conferences, registration, AI, and event apps. The conversation also explores the tension between niche solutions and global platforms, the creative uses of Generative AI, and the growing importance of deep integrations between proprietary tools and third-party event apps. Since recording, the winners of the Global Eventex Awards have been announced, so be sure to check out the winners!https://eventex.com/winners2025 Discussions Include: • How AI is transforming attendee journeys, reporting, and real-time event analytics • The rise of hyper-personalized registration flows and niche event tech providers • Creative uses of generative AI for art installations and next-gen word clouds • The return of event chatbots and the push for deeper, more meaningful event app integrations Quotable Quotes (Should you choose to share): “Speed, right? That was one of the things- it was all about how quickly can we get thousands of people registered, get them their badges and things like that.” – Brandt Krueger “Most of these high-end registration platforms have the ability to really customize the journeys that your attendees will take. We’re used to having a few different buckets for attendees… Well, now you can have 50 buckets.” – Brandt Krueger “Let’s be honest, no one in planning space wants to learn to be a data analyst. That was the thing that I looked at for so long, especially when we were doing Klik and like there’s so much data available to planners who just don’t want to look at data.” – Will Curran “I just couldn’t believe that finally, two years into this AI blooming that we’re seeing, we’re finally getting back to having good, decent event bots that can help us out with these things.” – Brandt Krueger

Episode Summary: This week on the Event Tech Podcast, Brandt Krueger and Will Curran unpack the latest leaps in AI-powered image generation, focusing on new capabilities within ChatGPT and Midjourney. From photorealistic hands and seamless text rendering to transparent backgrounds and continuity across images, the conversation explores how these advancements are transforming event production, branding, and creative workflows. The hosts also touch on the evolving landscape of video generation tools and share a few candid lessons learned from the trenches of AI experimentation, including an apology to Perplexity. Discussions Include: The evolution of AI image generation: photorealism, hands and body parts finally look rightContinuity and consistency: generating series of images with persistent elements and stylesText and logo integration: AI’s newfound ability to handle crisp, accurate signage and brandingTransparent backgrounds and practical applications for event production and designMidjourney’s new draft mode, voice prompting, and the speed gap in creative iterationReflections on the future of video AI and lessons learned from using AI tools in real-world projectsQuotable Quotes (Should you choose to share): "I have some of the worst short-term memory of all time and all I can do is blame the 90s." - Brandt Krueger "This ability to do continuity between images makes me feel like this is going to be great for brands who are like, I need to make the announcement image for my event...and now I need to say that I'm announcing that Seth Rogen is going to be the keynote speaker." - Will Curran "It's a very talented intern. Or I think somebody once described it as like your cousin-in-law's nephew who you've been using to do graphics design and maybe does a little too many drugs." - Brandt Krueger "I continue to be really excited by where these things are going. All that video is- is a thousand pictures. So we're going to get there really soon." - Brandt Krueger

Episode Summary: In this special episode of the Event Tech Podcast, Brandt Krueger and Will Curran have some exciting news to share, followed by some fun chatting about the FAR future of events- robots, AI, and beyond. The duo explores the possibilities—and limitations—of automation in the events industry. They discuss everything from robot bartenders and holographic keynotes to automated floor-chalking Roombas and AI-driven video production. Along the way, they reflect on the irreplaceable human touch in events and share their thoughts on how technology will continue to shape the industry. Discussions Include: An announcement about the new AI hosts and [SPOILER] acquiring the podcastThe role of robots in events: from bartenders to exhibit booth assistantsHow AI could enhance AV production, from auto-ducking audio to sentiment analysisThe balance between automation and preserving human artistry in event productionQuotable Quotes (Should you choose to share): "There are lots of possible futures of event technology, many of which could be very interesting." – Robotic Host (Brandt)"I think there’s always going to be a call for both—the quick-and-dirty automation and the high-touch human interaction." – Brandt Krueger"Imagine a world where a glass breaks, and a camera spots it, sending a Roomba to clean it up. That’s coming in five years!" – Will Curran"A good camera op can tell when someone is about to move—it’s an art that AI hasn’t quite mastered yet." – Brandt Krueger"We wouldn’t just drop news like that on you—or replace ourselves with AI—without telling you first!" – Will CurranLet us know what you think about the future of robots and AI in events, and if this episode may have lived up to its release date :)

In this "Another Mini-Brandt Rant" episode, Brandt and Will discuss the progress made in event accessibility during the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has feels like it regressed. They highlight the importance of captioning services, which became more accessible and affordable with AI advancements. However, they note that these technologies have fallen out of favor as events returned to in-person formats, leaving behind some of the inclusivity gains made during the pandemic. The conversation emphasizes the broader benefits of accessibility features which can aid not just people with disabilities but frequently improve the event for the majority of attendees as well. Discussions Include: Progress and Regression in Accessibility: The hosts reflect on how COVID accelerated the adoption of accessibility technologies like captioning but lament that these practices have largely been abandoned in the return to in-person events.Technological Advancements: They discuss how AI has improved captioning services, making them more affordable and efficient, though still not as reliable as human transcription.Broader Benefits of Accessibility: The conversation highlights that features like captioning benefit a wide audience, including those with hearing difficulties, language barriers, or simply preferring visual aids.Future-Proofing Events: The hosts suggest investing in technologies that can capture and stream content from events, enhancing accessibility and providing valuable resources for attendees.Quotable Quotes: "I think one of the things that during COVID, we started to see, you know, every platform put in at least some basic level of captioning, whether it was auto-generated or otherwise." - Brandt Krueger"People with difficulty hearing would literally call these services 'craptioning' at the time because they were so bad." - Brandt Krueger"For the first time, a lot of people with accessibility issues felt like they were on even ground with all other attendees, right? Because we were all attending from our living rooms and our bedrooms." - Brandt Krueger"Like a lot of attendees, I might want to turn it on just because of the fact that like, you know, every once in a while there's a word I might miss." - Will Curran