Mr. Fred's Tech Talks
by Fred Aebli ("Mr. Fred")
Latest episode
AI, Our Kids, and Why I Still Have Hope
AI, Our Kids, and Why I Still Have Hope
About this podcast
Mr. Fred’s Tech Talks is your backstage pass to the world of coding, tinkering and technology made simple, fun, and family-friendly. Hosted by Mr. Fred (a former Marine officer turned college professor and lifelong tech tinkerer), each weekly, 10–15 minute episode breaks down real-world tech topics into bite-sized lessons you can use today.
Whether you’re a parent trying to understand what “JavaScript” really means, a teacher looking for fresh STEM activities, or a kid who dreams of building your own game or robot, Mr. Fred’s Tech Talks delivers:
• Clear, jargon-free explanations of coding languages, tools and AI
• Behind-the-scenes stories from tech history (like the 64 KB computer that landed on the Moon)
• Hands-on project ideas and step-by-step tips you can try at home or in the classroom
• Inspiring interviews and sound bites from the pioneers who built our digital world
Come for the “Tech Tip of the Day,” stay for the celebratory sound bites and community call-outs. Subscribe now on Acast and join a growing community of curious minds because at GetMeCoding.com, I believe that everyone can learn to code, explore technology, and build confidence…one byte at a time.
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Episodes
The newest 20 of 45 episodes
- AI, Our Kids, and Why I Still Have Hope · 16 min · Season 2 Episode 33AI can do the assignment. But can the student? After speaking at the CIU AI Summit in Pennsylvania, Mr. Fred left with his concerns about AI and learning reinforced—and a…
- The Scam That Knows Where You Have Been · 17 min · Season 2 Episode 32I had every intention of releasing this episode last week. Then the Momentum Workshop with Lou Mongello, a trip to Washington, D.C., for the Marine Corps Marathon, and everyday…
- AI Can Do It for You. Should You Let It? · 17 min · Season 2 Episode 31An AI assistant that can organize your plans and handle tasks sounds pretty helpful. But when it asks for access to your email, calendar, or credit card, how much permission…
- Code Girls: The Women Who Helped Break WWII Codes · 16 min · Season 2 Episode 30What happens when a classroom codebreaking challenge leads to a remarkable piece of history? Mr. Fred explores Code Girls by Liza Mundy, the story of American women whose secret…
- Blocky to Beautiful: How Video Games Went From Pixels to Worlds · 24 min · Season 2 Episode 29How did video games go from a handful of colored blocks to worlds filled with realistic faces, reflections, shadows, and light? In this episode of Mr. Fred’s Tech Talks, we…
- What’s Really Inside a QR Code? · 18 min · Season 2 Episode 28You probably scanned a QR code this week. Maybe it opened a restaurant menu, a ticket, a payment page, or a website. Point your phone at a strange collection of black-and-white…
- My AI Interviewed Me About the First Week of College · 19 min · Season 2 Episode 27What happens when the technology on Mr. Fred's Tech Talks actually... talks? This week, I'm handing the questions over to Milo, the name I've given the AI assistant I use inside…
- Why Does Turning It Off and On Again Actually Work? · 18 min · Season 2 Episode 26“Have you tried turning it off and on again?” It may be the most famous piece of tech advice ever given. It is also surprisingly effective. In this episode of Mr. Fred’s Tech…
- You Don't Have to Be a Tech Expert · 18 min · Season 2 Episode 25Someone hands you a phone, laptop, controller, or some other piece of technology and asks, “Do you know how to make this work?” And you have absolutely no idea. Even after…
- AI Is the Launchpad. Your Kid Is the Rocket. · 19 min · Season 2 Episode 24Can artificial intelligence actually help get kids away from screens? In this episode of Mr. Fred’s Tech Talks, Mr. Fred explores a different way to think about AI and…
- The AI School Supply List: What Students Actually Need Now · 24 min · Season 2 Episode 23Pencils? Check. Notebooks? Check. Four mysteriously specific black pens? Check. But as students return to classrooms with artificial intelligence at their fingertips, they need…
- From Apollo to Artemis: The Next Giant Leap · 17 min · Season 2 Episode 22On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 landed on the Moon. And then, just a few years later, humanity stopped going. So what happened? Did we forget how to get there? Did the technology…
- The Invisible Internet: What Happens When You Press Send? · 22 min · Season 2 Episode 21The fastest thing Mr. Fred has ever watched happen had no engine, no wheels, and no wings. In fact, he never actually saw it happen. He only pressed a button. In Season 2…
- From 1776 to the Lock Icon · 20 min · Season 2 Episode 20The American Revolution should not have worked. The British had professional soldiers, experienced commanders, better supplies, and the most powerful navy in the world. The…
- From Atari to AI, Part 3: The Doorway Moment · 31 min · Season 2 Episode 19Before Wi-Fi, smartphones, and AI tools that answer in seconds, getting online meant connecting a computer to a modem, plugging into a phone line, and hoping nobody picked up the…
- From Atari to AI, Part 2: Programming the Machine · 27 min · Season 2 Episode 18In Part 1 of From Atari to AI, we talked about Atari, arcades, joysticks, cartridges, and the magic of playing the game. But in Part 2, something changes. This episode is about…
- From Atari to AI, Part 1: When Technology Came Home · 18 min · Season 2 Episode 17Before smartphones, apps, YouTube, and AI chatbots, there was a box connected to the family television, a joystick with one button, and a generation of kids discovering that…
- Memorial Day Is Different: Remembering Those Who Never Came Home · 15 min · Season 2 Episode 16There is a funny thing we do with our phones. We back up everything. Photos. Videos. Contacts. Documents. Messages. Voice memos. The random screenshots we forgot we even took…
- The Email That Got Me: Canvas, Phishing, and Social Engineering · 31 min · Season 2 Episode 15It was finals week. Students were trying to submit work, check grades, finish projects, and prepare for graduation. Then Canvas, the learning management system used by many…
- Code, Curiosity, and the Courage to Keep Building: A Conversation with Dr. Hal Smith · 1 h 19 min · Season 2 Episode 14What does it look like when someone has spent decades writing real software, then walked into a classroom to help the next generation figure it out? In this episode, Mr. Fred…
