From 8-bit beginnings to the executive boardroom—this podcast brings you grounded, real-world tech insights from a 30-year IT veteran.
Hosted by Mike Madole, a lifelong technologist who got his start on a TI-99/4A and went on to lead IT strategy at startups, Fortune 100 companies, and private equity-backed firms.
Each episode blends personal stories with practical commentary on AI, cloud, cybersecurity, career growth, and the evolving IT landscape.
Whether you're just starting out in tech or making executive-level decisions, Tech It From Me delivers clear, no-hype advice from someone who’s been there.
Animating Holiday Lights to Music: Behind the Scenes of Rusty Griswold’s Light Display
Every December, my Burlington home transforms into Rusty Griswold’s Light Display — over 14,000+ LED pixels choreographed to music. In this episode, I take you behind the scenes: the tech backbone with xLights and controllers, the creativity of sequencing songs across decades, the not-so-magical moments of yard chaos, and why I keep coming back year after year to share the magic with my community.
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🌟 Rusty Griswold’s Light Display: https://rustygriswold.ca
🌟 Doug Musson’s Christmas Display: http://christmasdisplay.ca
🌟 Halton Women’s Place: https://haltonwomensplace.com
🌟 xLights Software: https://xlights.org
#RustyGriswold #ChristmasLights #HolidayLightShow #xLights #Podcast #TechItFromMe
SpaceX just made a $17B spectrum play — acquiring AWS-4, H-Block, and S-band/MSS rights from EchoStar to accelerate direct-to-cell service.
In this episode of Tech It From Me, I break down what was bought, why spectrum is the real currency of wireless, how direct-to-cell could change coverage forever, and who should be nervous (telcos, cloud giants, satellite startups). I also take a hard look at the risks ahead — regulation, debt, technology, and timing.
📌 What you’ll hear in this episode:
Why spectrum is like “real estate” for wireless
How direct-to-cell works (and what it could mean for your phone)
The competitive shake-up for carriers and cloud providers
The technical and regulatory hurdles SpaceX still faces
What this deal signals about the future of connectivity
7 Sept 2025
The Rise of AI-Generated Scams in 2025
AI is making scams look real—voices, video, even “your CFO.” Here’s what to watch for and how to protect your family and business.
In 2025, scammers are using generative AI to clone voices, fake live video, and craft perfect emails that look like they came from your boss. In this episode, I explain why this year is the tipping point—cheap, powerful models, “scam-as-a-service,” endless breached data, and our comfort with synthetic media—and walk through real cases and a practical defence plan for individuals, families, and finance teams. You’ll leave with a checklist you can implement today.
22 Aug 2025
Meta’s $10 Billion Bet on Google Cloud: What It Means for AI and the Cloud Wars
Meta just signed a six-year, $10 billion deal with Google Cloud to power its AI ambitions. This surprising partnership brings two rivals together and reshapes the balance of power in the cloud wars between AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud.
In this episode of Tech It From Me, I break down:
Why Meta needs Google’s AI infrastructure (and its custom TPU chips)
Why this is a breakthrough moment for Google Cloud
How AWS, Azure, and Google are competing in the next phase of the cloud wars
What this deal reveals about the future of AI infrastructure spending
The irony of “coopetition” as Meta and Google work together despite being ad rivals
If you’re curious about how AI is driving record-breaking cloud deals — and what this means for the future of technology — this is an episode you won’t want to miss.
18 Aug 2025
Do Certifications Really Help Your Career? The Truth About Credentials in 2025
Are job certifications worth it in 2025? In this episode of Tech It From Me, Mike breaks down when credentials actually help your job search—and when they don’t. He looks at cloud & data analytics certifications (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud), why prestige alone often fails to deliver, how ATS systems screen your resume using certification keywords, and a practical checklist for choosing the proper credential.
Mike also shares a personal note about earning the AWS Cloud Practitioner certification—how it boosted credibility, opened doors, and gave him the confidence to take on bigger projects.
You’ll learn:
When certifications do pay off (cloud, data, cybersecurity)
Why brand-name programs can disappoint if they’re not job-relevant
How ATS filters work—and how certs help you get past them
A step-by-step plan to pick and certifications that tell a clear career story
If you’re considering your next certificate—or wondering whether one you have is pulling its weight—this episode gives you an honest, data-driven guide.
15 Aug 2025
Open-Source AI vs. Big Players: Can Mistral, Ollama and LLaMA Compete?
💡 Open-source AI is no longer a niche experiment—it’s a movement. In 2025, models like Mistral , Ollama, and Meta’s LLaMA are stepping into the ring with industry heavyweights like GPT-5, Claude 3.5, and Gemini Ultra. But can they really compete?
In this episode of Tech It From Me, Mike dives into:
⚖️ Head-to-head comparisons of open-source and proprietary AI models
💰 The true costs of running your own AI vs. paying for API access
🔍 Transparency & trust—why open weights matter for privacy and ethics
🚀 How community-driven development is pushing innovation faster than ever
🛡️ The security risks no one talks about when anyone can fine-tune a model
We’ll explore the advantages, limitations, and future potential of open-source AI—and why the next few years could shape a hybrid ecosystem where both open and closed models thrive.
🎧 Whether you’re an AI developer, IT leader, or just AI-curious, you’ll walk away with a clear view of where the AI race is headed.
13 Aug 2025
The Real Cost of AI: Who’s Paying for the Compute Arms Race?
The AI boom isn’t just about innovation — it’s a compute arms race with billion-dollar cloud bills, scarce GPUs, and a massive environmental footprint.
In this episode of Tech It From Me, Mike pulls back the curtain on the hidden price tag of building and running today’s most powerful AI models. From skyrocketing hardware costs and cloud provider lock-in, to the staggering electricity and water demands of data centers, this is the side of AI you don’t hear about in press releases.
Drawing on over 15 years of experience in the Engineered Environmental sector, Mike explains how these costs trickle down to businesses, consumers, and even local communities — and what can be done to make AI cheaper, greener, and more sustainable.
If you’ve ever wondered who’s really footing the bill for artificial intelligence — and how it might come back to you — this episode is a must-listen.
7 Aug 2025
The Case for Personalized Superintelligence: Zuckerberg vs the AI Mainstream
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg just unveiled a bold new AI vision—and it’s not about one centralized superintelligence ruling the world. Instead, he’s imagining a future where each of us has our own personalized super-AI: a digital companion tailored to our needs, habits, and goals.
In this episode of Tech It From Me, I explore what that means, how it compares to strategies from Microsoft, Apple, Google, and OpenAI, and what it could mean for privacy, control, and everyday life. From Meta’s closed-source pivot to Microsoft’s Copilot push, we break down the competing AI philosophies shaping your digital future.
Whether you’re excited, skeptical, or a bit of both, this episode will help you make sense of the AI arms race we’re all living in.
🎧 Topics covered:
Zuckerberg’s AI manifesto: personalized super-AIs vs centralized AGI
Why Meta is walking back open-source AI
Comparing AI strategies: Meta vs Microsoft vs Google vs Apple vs OpenAI
What “personal superintelligence” could look like in real life
The risks, rewards, and reality of trusting one company with your digital twin
6 Aug 2025
Tech It to the Bank: How Cybercriminals Really Get Your Info
Think you’re safe online because you don’t click shady links or fall for obvious scams? Think again. In this episode of Tech It From Me, I break down how cybercriminals actually get your info—and why you might be more exposed than you realize.
From credential stuffing and phishing to sketchy Wi-Fi and reused passwords, we unpack the real-world tactics behind modern cybercrime. I'll share stories from my own experience as an IT leader, explain why behaviour is often the biggest security risk, and offer five practical things you can do today to protect yourself, without needing to be a tech expert.
Learn how to:
Spot and stop phishing attacks
Use a password manager like 1Password (not sponsored!)
Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA)
Stay safe on public Wi-Fi using VPNs like Cloudflare WARP
And why security isn’t just about software—it’s about habits
If you’ve ever said “I’m not important enough to hack,” this episode is for you.
2 Aug 2025
Chasing the $4 Trillion Club: Microsoft’s Moonshot & the Tech Power Shift
Microsoft just became the second company in history to close a trading day with a $4 trillion market cap, right behind Nvidia.
In this episode, I break down what drove Microsoft to this historic milestone and why it signals a new era in tech leadership. We’ll explore the four pillars behind Microsoft’s rise—Azure, Copilot, OpenAI, and enterprise trust—and how its strategic alignment with Nvidia is powering the future of AI.
This isn’t just about valuation. It’s about who controls the infrastructure of intelligence—and who’s building the future everyone else will run on.
🔹 Why Azure + AI is Microsoft’s power play
🔹 How Copilot is changing how we work
🔹 Nvidia’s behind-the-scenes role as the engine under the hood
🔹 What does this all mean for Apple, Google, and Amazon going forward
If you’re an IT leader, technologist, or want to understand the business of AI at scale, this episode is for you.
29 Jul 2025
Behind the Buzzwords: What Is a Large Language Model (LLM), Really?
We hear the term “large language model” everywhere these days—GPT-4, Claude, Gemini—but what does it actually mean? Are LLMs just next-gen autocomplete machines? Are they intelligent? And how do they really work under the hood?
In this episode, I break it all down in plain English—no math degree required.
✅ What LLMs actually are (and what they aren't)
🧱 How tokens work like building blocks of language
🧠 What transformers do—and why they changed everything
📍 How embeddings create a map of meaning
🔧 Why size isn’t everything when choosing an AI model
💼 Real-world business use cases across IT, HR, marketing, and more
⚠️ And why understanding these models is essential for leaders today
Whether you’re a tech veteran, a business executive, or just curious about AI, this episode will leave you smarter and better equipped to lead in the age of generative AI.
25 Jul 2025
Why Wi-Fi Still Sucks in 2025
It’s 2025. We’ve got mesh networks, gigabit plans, Wi-Fi 6—and even Wi-Fi 7 breaking through the horizon. So why does your video still buffer, your Zoom call still freeze, and your smart home still feel… not so smart?
In this episode of Tech It From Me, Mike Madole breaks down what’s really going on with Wi-Fi today—and why it still frustrates so many people. From invisible interference to overloaded devices, he unpacks the biggest culprits behind poor performance and shares practical fixes you can apply right now.
✅ Why Wi-Fi isn’t the same as your internet speed
📡 How signal interference and poor placement wreak havoc
🔌 The power of Ethernet backhaul—and why it’s a game-changer
🧠 What IP passthrough is and when to ask your ISP for it
🛠️ The tools Mike uses to diagnose and optimize his own home network
🚫 Why you should never run Ethernet through your cold-air return
Whether you’re tech-savvy or just tired of buffering, this episode gives you the insight—and the checklist—to finally make your Wi-Fi work the way it should.
21 Jul 2025
From Y2K to AI: The Evolution of IT Departments
What happens when you spend nearly 30 years in IT — and live through every major shift from dial-up to […]
16 Jul 2025
The Real History of AI: From Turing to Transformers
Artificial Intelligence didn’t start with ChatGPT — and it’s not all sci-fi and speculation. In this episode, we take a […]
12 Jul 2025
Watermarking AI: The End of Undetectable AI Text?
OpenAI has begun piloting watermarking technology to identify AI-generated text — a move that could reshape content creation, education, and […]
10 Jul 2025
Nvidia Hits $4 Trillion – How the AI Gold Rush Changed Everything
Nvidia just became the world’s first $4 trillion publicly traded company. A company that started out making graphics cards for […]
8 Jul 2025
Tech Layoffs: How to Protect Your Career and Stay Relevant
Host IAN FERGUSON shares personal layoff experiences and strategies for tech professionals to safeguard their careers, maintain relevance, and cultivate resilience amidst industry uncertainty.
3 Jul 2025
Canada’s Digital Tax Backtrack: Fair Play or Policy Fail?
The host discusses Canada's decision to backtrack on its proposed Digital Services Tax for tech giants due to U.S. pressure, examining the implications for Canada's digital future in this episode.
1 Jul 2025
Will AI Really Replace All Mundane Jobs?
Host discusses Geoffrey Hinton's prediction that AI will replace mundane intellectual work, exploring which jobs are at risk and why human skills still matter in an AI-driven world.
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