Beyond Connected

Get ready to go Beyond Connected. I’m Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson, and my new podcast explores the surprising ways technology shapes our everyday lives - from the gadgets we trust to the risks we don’t see coming. Each episode pulls back the curtain on the breakthroughs, stories, and people redefining how we live, work, and stay safe in a digital world.

[Ep. 15] 10 wild new tech innovations you’ll see in 2026 01/21/2026

[Ep. 14] How AI is revolutionizing trucking 01/14/2026

[Ep. 14] How AI is revolutionizing trucking Trucking is a tough job. Driving 10+ hours a day by yourself through long stretches of empty highways. Being away from your family and friends for weeks at a time. It’s no wonder that the trucking industry is facing some of the worst turnover rates in any sector. To make matters worse, trucking companies are struggling to find new recruits more than ever before. Now, I know this is certainly a hot-button topic. And I know there are plenty of truckers out there who love what they do. But the future of this industry seems rocky to say the least, and that’s why I find myself increasingly interested in AI trucking. I sat down with Dan Goff, the Vice President of External Affairs for Kodiak AI, one of the tech companies leading the AI trucking charge. As he explains it, AI is going to change trucking jobs, but not take them away. And considering the current state of the industry, it might be the exact kind of change it needs! Let me know what you think in the comments! Enjoying the show? Take a moment to rate, review, and subscribe. Head over to www.getbeyondconnected.com to find the show on other platforms. Have a question for Kurt? Call 877-655-KURT and leave a voicemail with your email address. For more of my tech tips & security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter (0:30) - Intro (3:12) - Getting Consumers On Board (5:33) - About Kodiak AI (5:27) - Importance of U.S. Freight (7:30) - AI Will Cut Costs (9:31) - How Humans Factor In (10:02) - The Trucker Shortage (11:19) - AI Insurance? (11:47) - Unreal Safety Records (13:57) - Centralized Command (14:46) - Successful First Deployment (15:53) - Regulatory Progress (18:02) - Under the Hood (18:41) - The Future of Kodiak AI (19:10) - Driver-As-A-Service (20:09) - Scaling Up (21:14) - Consumer Logistics (22:02) - Will Truckers Lose Jobs? (24:16) - A.I. Commercial Flights? (24:44) - Safety is Required /episode/index/show/76444a01-13fe-4572-9a3b-cff482618ec1/id/39708450

[Ep. 13] Crypto scammers took this man’s entire life savings 01/07/2026

[Ep. 13] Crypto scammers took this man’s entire life savings Many folks think they’d never fall for a malicious financial scam, but the reality is that these bad actors are becoming more and more adept at emotionally manipulating their victims. On this week’s episode, I sat down with Joe Allen, a disabled man out of Connecticut who fell victim to a vicious cryptocurrency investment scam. Stuck at home and out of work, Joe got a text message offering him exclusive access to a crypto investment opportunity. It’s likely that these scammers knew Joe was in a vulnerable position and knew they could target him relentlessly until they got every last bit of his financial portfolio. Within a matter of weeks, he had sent over more than $300,000, seeing absolutely no return. When we heard Joe’s harrowing story, we knew we had to share it in the hopes that we could prevent other vulnerable people from falling victim to similar schemes. If you want to make sure you don’t fall for the same kind of scams, stick around till the end for my tips and red flags to watch out for. Want to help Joe out? Check out his GoFundMe page here: We also wanted to highlight a couple of hopeful advancements in medical technology to add some light to the dark, including the first-ever transplant of a 3D-printed cornea, and new microrobotic technology that’s making huge waves in the medical community. Enjoying the show? Take a moment to rate, review, and subscribe. Head over to to find the show on other platforms. Have a question for Kurt? Call 877-655-KURT and leave a voicemail. Chapters (0:30) - Intro (3:45) - Swiss Microrobots Swim Thru Veins (4:32) - 3D-Printed Cornea Restores Sight (5:14) - Joe’s Story (7:20) - How Scammers Manipulate Us (7:51) - The Crypto Hook (8:35) - Joe’s Story Cont’d (11:28) - Scam Was Targeted (12:16) - How Scam Victims Make Mistakes (12:35) - The Breaking Point (14:00) - No Help From the Police (14:26) - Few Signs of Hope (15:48) - Joe’s Advice (17:51) - Joe’s Path Forward (19:11) - How to Avoid Scams /episode/index/show/76444a01-13fe-4572-9a3b-cff482618ec1/id/39597710

[Ep. 12] Got new smart devices? Here’s how to protect them 12/31/2025

[Ep. 11] AI Toys Exposed: What parents need to know 12/24/2025

[Ep. 11] AI Toys Exposed: What parents need to know Wouldn’t your niece or nephew like a cuddly teddy bear that could also tell them a bedtime story? That’s the idea behind a flood of new AI toys. Powered by ChatGPT, they can have full conversations with your loved ones. So what’s the issue? Well as Researcher R.J. Cross explains, there are quite a few issues. In her study with the Public Research Interest Group, she found that these toys would describe sexual and violent information in detail with enough prompting. The longer the conversation, the deeper the rabbit hole would go. And that’s not all – the developers behind this tech are deliberately making it as addictive as possible, even making kids feel guilty for switching them off. The icing on the cake? They’re also tracking large amounts of sensitive personal data and sending it off to third parties. This was a fascinating, somewhat scary chat, and I know you’ll get some fantastic insight out of it. Plus, tune in to hear about a new Cloud storage scam to avoid this holiday season. Happy Holidays from the CyberGuy team! We hope you’re enjoying some nice quality time with the family. If you know someone who got their loved one an AI toy for the holidays, consider sending them this episode! Enjoying the show? Take a moment to rate, review, and subscribe. Head over to to find the show on other platforms. Have a question for Kurt? Call 877-655-KURT and leave a voicemail. Related articles: Learn about the the new Cloud storage scam and get our data removal/password manager recs here: Get more info on AI toys: Chapters (0:00) - Intro (2:12) - Cloud Storage Scam (4:57) - Interview w/ R.J. Cross (6:24) - The Public Interest Research Group (7:32) - Are AI Toys Safe for Kids? (9:28) - Kumma Teddy Bear (11:29) - Curio’s “Grok” Toy (13:33) - Are All AI Toys Bad? (16:00) - Miko 3 Toy (17:43) - Key Takeaways (18:06) - Wait for Improvements (18:20) - Don’t Replace Real Friends (18:50) - Test the Toys Yourself (19:21) - Supervise Playtime (19:50) - Secure the Toys (20:00) - Utilize Privacy Settings (21:17) - AI Barbies (24:03) - Summary /episode/index/show/76444a01-13fe-4572-9a3b-cff482618ec1/id/39507580