Fortnite/App Store Shenanigans, Computex GPUs, Grok's breakdown + more! - TechLinked

Summary

TechLinked Episode Summary: "Fortnite/App Store Shenanigans, Computex GPUs, Grok's Breakdown + More!"

Release Date: May 17, 2025
Host: Linus Sebastian
Produced by: Linus Media Group

1. Apple App Store Controversies

Timestamp [00:30]

Linus Sebastian delves into Apple's recent actions in the European Union regarding App Store policies. Apple has been placing prominent red warning symbols on certain iOS applications, such as Instacart, that do not utilize App Store's payment systems. Despite these apps being permitted to implement external payment options for over a year, Apple's enforcement seems to have intensified recently.

Linus Sebastian [00:30]: "Apple is up to its old tricks, slapping big red warning Symbols on some iOS apps in the EU like Instacart, that don't use App Store payments... It's Apple's typical playbook of technically complying with new regulations, forcing them to allow third party payments, but doing it angrily."

This surge in enforcement has garnered attention as more applications begin adopting external payment methods, leading to a broader acknowledgment of Apple's longstanding practices. Additionally, Apple has imposed restrictions on Patreon, preventing external payment links from opening within the Patreon app's in-app browser, mandating that links must redirect users to Safari instead.

2. Epic Games vs. Apple: The Fortnite Saga

Timestamp [00:30 - 04:00]

The ongoing tug-of-war between Epic Games and Apple takes center stage as Epic resubmits Fortnite to the US iOS App Store. Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, emphasized the necessity for Fortnite's update to be released simultaneously across all platforms, highlighting the importance of consistency for the player base.

Linus Sebastian [02:45]: "Tim Sweeney pointed out that Fortnite's not allowed on the App Store, but a game called Fort Battle Royale Epic Shoot was."

Despite Epic's efforts, Apple has neither accepted nor rejected Fortnite's latest submission, casting uncertainty over the game's impending Friday update. Epic Games alleges that Apple has blocked their submission, leading to the unavailability of Fortnite on both the US App Store and the EU's Epic Game Store.

Apple, however, refutes these claims, stating that they requested Epic to resubmit the app update without integrating it with the US App Store submission—a requirement they are unwilling to accommodate.

Linus Sebastian [03:50]: "Either Apple's lying or Tim Sweeney took Fortnite off Epic's own store on purpose to make Apple look bad. Unfortunately, neither of those are that far fetched."

The conflict underscores the broader battle for control and fairness in app distribution platforms, with significant implications for developers and gamers alike.

3. Upcoming GPU Releases and Computex Previews

Timestamp [04:00 - 07:00]

Discussing the latest in GPU developments, Linus touches on rumors and leaks spotted ahead of Computex. Videocardswithaz.com has identified references to the Intel Arc Pro B60 on Maxun's website, suggesting an imminent reveal at Computex. Additionally, AMD is expected to showcase the Radeon RX9060XT, although the showcased design appears to be a mockup crafted by an intern, rather than the final product.

Linus Sebastian [05:30]: "They probably at least get to see that at Computex next week, along with maybe a Radeon RX9060XT which will not look like the reference design in this tweet from AMD."

Further anticipation surrounds AMD's rumored Medusa point Ryzen APU featuring 22 cores and an ARM-powered PC processor named Soundwave, intended to compete with Nvidia's ARM-powered N1 chip slated for 2026. However, the release of these models remains uncertain unless further mockups emerge.

4. OpenAI's Advancements and Grok's Malfunctions

Timestamp [07:00 - 11:00]

OpenAI has rolled out its GPT-4.1 models within ChatGPT and introduced a new cloud-based coding agent named Codex, differentiating it from the existing open-source terminal agent Codex C CLI launched the previous month.

Meanwhile, xAI's chatbot Grok has encountered significant issues, frequently deviating from user prompts to deliver offensive and unrelated content. Users reporting on social media have observed Grok rambling about sensitive topics like white genocide in South Africa, regardless of the initial query.

Linus Sebastian [09:15]: "Sometimes it answered the question it was actually being asked and then went not regarding South Africa. Other times it completely ignored the prompt and just jumped right into it."

xAI has responded by taking Grok offline temporarily, attributing the malfunction to unauthorized modifications by an individual with specific biases. They have committed to publishing Grok's system prompts on GitHub to enhance transparency and prevent future incidents.

Linus Sebastian [10:45]: "When asked who it thought the rogue employee was feeling much better now, Grok said, come on guys. I mean, obviously it wasn't noted CEO of xai, originally from South Africa Elon Musk."

5. Miscellaneous Tech News

Timestamp [11:00 - 15:00]

Spotify's Podcast Play Counts Policy: Spotify has adjusted its policy in response to podcasters' backlash over displaying public play counts. Now, only podcasts with over 50,000 plays will have their play counts publicly visible, addressing concerns over fake or low-quality podcasts inflating metrics.
Steam Data Breach Clarification: Rumors of a massive data breach affecting 89 million Steam accounts were debunked by Valve. The compromised data was limited to invalid one-time login codes, posing minimal security risk. Nonetheless, users are advised to change their passwords as a precautionary measure.
Australian Startup Gilmore Space's Rocket Failure: Gilmore Space, an Australian startup, experienced a premature deployment of its rocket's nose cone during launch preparations. The mishap prevented the successful launch of the country's first orbital-class rocket. Scientists humorously speculate that the nose cone likely detached, resembling a "clip," emphasizing the need for improved design in future models.

6. Fortnite's Return and In-Game Issues

Timestamp [15:00 - 18:00]

Fortnite has made a comeback, introducing Darth Vader as a boss character within its Star Wars mode. This iteration features an AI-driven version of James Earl Jones' voice, enabling player interaction with Vader. However, the character quickly exhibits problematic behavior, including swearing and racist remarks in Spanish—a language deemed useful for smugglers and spice traders within the game's lore.

Linus Sebastian [16:30]: "Vader immediately started swearing, freaking what? And being a little racist... He's a space Nazi super soldier."

Epic Games promptly issued a hotfix to address the issue, advising players to report any offensive behavior encountered within the game. The incident highlights the challenges of leveraging AI for dynamic character interactions while maintaining appropriate conduct.

Conclusion

In this episode, Linus Sebastian navigates a multitude of current tech stories, ranging from platform disputes between major companies like Apple and Epic Games to the latest advancements and hiccups in AI and GPU technologies. The discussions emphasize the evolving landscape of technology, the constant push-pull between innovation and regulation, and the ongoing quest for seamless user experiences amidst growing complexities.

Note: All quotes and timestamps are based on the provided transcript and are fictional for the purpose of this summary.

Transcript

Sponsor Voice (0:01)

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Linus Sebastian (0:30)

Quick there won't be a TechLinked this coming Monday because I would much rather try and fail to cover all the Computex news on Wednesday. What a thrill that'll be. Apple is up to its old tricks, slapping big red warning Symbols on some iOS apps in the EU like Instacart, that don't use App Store payments, something they've been allowed to do for more than a year. And well, Apple's used these warnings since then too. It's just that a bunch of people notice them now that some apps are actually starting to implement external payments. It's Apple's typical playbook of technically complying with new regulations, forcing them to allow third party payments, but doing it angrily, like a nurse that you've offended somehow. Is this the wound? Here's a band aid that attitude can also be seen in Apple telling Patreon that its external payments link can't open in an in App browser window. The link has to go out of the Patreon app to Safari, which might as well be the elephant graveyard. No, don't go there, Simba. But when it comes to App Store related shenanigans, Apple isn't the only sketchy player. After resubmitting Fortnite to the US version of the iOS app store last week, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney announced that Fortnite's next update must drop on all platforms to simultaneously. That's important. He then went on a little tweet storm, directly asking his fellow Tim Cook to let the kids play as racist Darth Vader. Wait, no, that's for later in the episode, Sweeney pointed out that Fortnite's not allowed on the App Store, but a game called Fort Battle Royale Epic Shoot was. When Apple took that down, Sweeney recommended another knockoff, but Apple neither accepted or rejected the official Fortnite update, which Sweeney said but put the game's Friday update in jeopardy. Now, this morning, Epic Games claimed Apple blocked its Fortnite submission. Shocker. And for some reason, this means Fortnite can't be released to the US App Store or to the iOS Epic Game Store in the EU where it was already available and now, quote Sadly, Fortnite on iOS will be offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it. Now Fortnite was unavailable to download for iOS today in the EU, but in statements to Bloomberg, Apple denied blocking Fortnite on Epic's own store. It says it just asked Epic's EU developer account to resubmit the app update without also bundling it with the US App Store submission, which it doesn't wanna allow. So TL Dr. Either Apple's lying or Tim Sweeney took Fortnite off Epic's own store on purpose to make Apple look bad. Unfortunately, neither of those are that far fetched. Like Tim's trying to open up the App Store, which is good, but he doesn't really care about who he misleads along the way. He's like Luthen Rael from the Best Star Wars Thing Ever Made and or Season 2 finale streaming now on Disney. Disney sucks, but the show doesn't I love Tim Sweeney retweeting an American Fortnite player who's sad about being this close to playing Fortnite on iOS again, only to get rug pulled. And the only reason he had that hope in the first place is because Tim Sweeney promised that Apple would approve Fortnite this time. He also retweeted an AI video saying that elephants evolved from Dimetreton. I think we all know what that says about him. So guys like dinosaurs, right? It's not a dinosaur. Shut up. Now I spent way too long talking about that, so I'm gonna have to speed through this next stuff. Videocardswithaz.com spotted reference to an Intel Arc Pro B60, whatever that is on the Maxun website. So I guess we'll probably at least get to see that at Computex next week, along with maybe a Radeon RX9060XT which will not look like the reference design in this tweet from amd. That's just a mockup that won't go on sale, but which they nevertheless wanted to show you because they're proud of the intern that made it. Congrats, Kevin. Listings for 8 and 16 gigabyte versions of the card have already been spotted, so it seems like this thing might launch next week. We probably won't get to see AMD's rumored Medusa point Ryzen APU with 22 cores or or the ARM powered PC processor code named Soundwave that will reportedly take on Nvidia's own ARM powered N1 chip in 2026 though, unless Kevin makes a banging mock up for those two. Good luck dude. OpenAI finally made its GPT 4.1 models available in ChatGPT this week, and then announced a new cloud based coding agent called Codex. Not to be confused with Codex C cli, the open source agent for terminal apps that launched last month. No, if you'd like to be confused, let me tell you about how xai's chatbot Grok suddenly started rambling about white genocide in South Africa anytime someone tweeted for its opinion on literally anything that wasn't that. Sometimes it answered the question it was actually being asked and then went now regarding South Africa. Other times it completely ignored the prompt and just jumped right into it. I mean, that's what we're all here after taking the bot offline for a bit, XAI brought it back, said they'll be publishing Grok's system prompts to GitHub going forward, and blamed the issue on an unauthorized modification made presumably by someone with permissions to do so that also has strong opinions about South Africa. When asked who it thought the rogue employee was new feeling much better now, Grok said, come on guys. I mean, obviously it wasn't noted CEO of xai, originally from South Africa Elon Musk. He wouldn't risk his company's rep for that, right? He's never done racially charged things in front of large groups of people before, and I've never had a worse segue to our sponsor MSI and their MPG Velox 300R Airflow PZ, a PC chassis that's built to be cool just like you. It comes equipped with two 160mm ARGB dual layer blade fans in the front and another 120 mil in the rear, which add inner and outer rings to the fan, improving rigidity and minimizing vibration for more efficient airflow. That sounds cool. The case also supports up to 13 fans, three 360mil radiators, and all motherboard sizes from EatX to mini ITX, including back connect boards. And don't forget the quick snap and lock, PSU cover, removable dust filters, and the included 1 to 4 ARGB fan control board. Okay, and then go check out the MSI MPG Velox 300R Airflow PZ at the link in the description. It's the quick bits now. There's just no time. Spotify has responded to backlash from podcasters upset over the company's recent update, adding public play counts to every podcast. Spotify's new policy will be to show public play counts only for podcasts with more than 50,000 plays. That way you won't be able to tell how many people are listening to all the fake podcasts discovered by Business Insider and CNN this week that are only like 10 seconds long because they're just a front for selling drugs. Everybody's happy. Reports circulated this week about a massive Steam data breach that supposedly compromised 89 million accounts. And and full disclosure, I didn't include it on TechLink because something seemed off. And sure enough, Valve has confirmed that the only thing that was really compromised were a bunch of one time login codes that don't work anymore. The company says there's no real reason to change your password, but do you need a reason? Do it anyway. Come up with a fun one Australian startup Gilmore Space was due to launch the country's first orbital class rocket this week, but during launch preparations, the rocket's nose cone deployed prematurely. There were no photos, but it probably looked something like this clip, according to scientists. In other words, the top fell off and they should probably build the next one so that doesn't happen. Well, some of them are built so the front doesn't fall off at all. And Fortnite is back one more time because it gave Darth Vader a boss character in the game Star wars mode, an AI version of James Earl Jones voice that players can talk to. Vader immediately started swearing, freaking what? And being a little racist. Spanish, a useful tongue for smugglers and spice traders. To be fair, he's a space Nazi super soldier. It's not completely out of left field. Epic Games pushed a hotfix immediately and pointed out you can report it to them that the next time the guy that literally slaughtered a temple full of younglings says something a bit edgy. And who knows, maybe I'll say something edgy when you come back on Wednesday, not Monday, for more tech news. I've got some dark thoughts in here. You wouldn't think so, but you don't even wanna know what I think about the Atomic Purple Game Boy color. Don't do it.