Backyard Data Center | Compute This

Mother's Day scams, a backyard data center experiment, and a 4GB AI model Google Chrome is quietly installing on your computer top this week's Compute This podcast. Host Thor Schrock breaks down Apple's $250 million Siri settlement that could put up to $95 per device back in iPhone owners' pockets, and explains how to spot the Mother's Day scams hitting inboxes and phones right now.

Listeners will learn how to vet suspicious messages, what to save in case they qualify for the Apple payout, and why their next computer needs more horsepower than they think. It's for anyone who owns a smartphone, runs Chrome, or wants to stay a step ahead of scammers and silent software changes.

In this episode:

• The Span, Nvidia, and PulteGroup partnership putting miniature data centers in residential backyards
• Mother's Day scam patterns making the rounds, from fake flower deliveries to "Hi Mom" texts and gift card demands
• Google Chrome's silent rollout of a 4GB Gemini Nano AI model and how to remove it
• Apple's $250 million Siri settlement: who qualifies, what to save now, and when the claim site goes live

Anyone who wants plainspoken answers about the tech changes hitting their devices, inbox, and wallet this week will enjoy this episode.

When background AI installs itself without permission and scammers tailor attacks to the holiday on the calendar, having a local team in your corner matters. Schrock Innovations has been the technology company built for Nebraska and Iowa families and businesses since 1999, with locations in Papillion, Omaha, Lincoln, and Des Moines. Reach out to any location for free suspicious email vetting.  All May, get Sophos Intercept X for the $100 promotional price on our website.  

Show Notes:

• Mini data centers in your backyard: https://www.pcmag.com/news/fancy-a-data-center-in-your-backyard-start-up-wants-distributed-data-centers
• Mother's Day scam roundup: https://www.bitdefender.com/en-us/blog/hotforsecurity/mothers-day-scams-2026
• Chrome's 4GB AI model report: https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/cyber-security/google-chrome-silently-downloads-4gb-ai-model-to-your-device-without-permission-report-claims-researcher-says-practice-may-violate-eu-law-waste-thousands-of-kilowatts-of-energy
• Apple Siri settlement details: https://9to5mac.com/2026/05/05/apple-reaches-250m-settlement-over-siri-delays-users-could-get-up-to-95-per-device/
• Schrock open positions: https://schrockinnovations.com/jobs