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Rated T to M. Hey, wanna hear a PC game pass ad? I'll take your silence is a yes. Want new games on day one? Like Call of Duty, Black Ops 6 or S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
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I thought so. How about unlocking all the League of Legends champions when you link your Riot Games account, All for one low monthly price? Well, guess what? We got you. Learn more@xbox.com PCGame Pass or click the banner STALKER2. Available November 20, 2024. Game catalog varies by region and over time. And that's the end of the script.
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When I say it's time for tech news, I'm not screwing around. It's time. Right after I finish this little thing that I'm what? What is this? Valve might be working on something like a SteamOS powered set top box to compete with the Nvidia Shield, according to a Reddit post from the user coolbho3k, featuring an impressive level of research and reasonable speculation. He's a cool b ho in my book, but this mysterious device is also tied to Chrome OS in some way. See? Cool. Behold. 3K spotted a change to the Steam Deck kernel made by a Valve employee working on a device that includes the Chrome OS embedded controller, a chip that handles some background tasks in a Chrome OS device that's making some people think that instead of a steambox running steamos, it could be a Chrome box with special Steam integration. After all, Chromebooks already have official support for some Steam games. The device is associated with a platform codenamed AMD Lilac, which Geekbench listings indicate means some kind of Ryzen 5.8540U configuration. So whatever this thing is, it'll have some gaming chops, leading some to speculate that maybe this device isn't a box at all. It's the rumored SteamVR headset codenamed Deckard. Just wanna point out that would still be kind of a box you strapped to your face. Lotta different boxes in the world. It's fine. For the third day of OpenAI, the company gave to me Sora Yep, OpenAI has officially released a public version of the mind blowingly realistic video generator they first showed off in February. Although they didn't give it to me cause I don't have a ChatGPT or Pro subscription. If you do, then they gave it to you. Wow. But only after they gave it to professional Ultimate Frisbee player Marques Brownlee, who used it to fake himself making an amazing catch. This guy, you know, he's really gone downhill, you know, when it comes to the Frisbees anyway, OpenAI says they are releasing the turbo version of Sora, complete with a new interface with a variety of control and features like Remix, which will let you tweak specific parts of an existing generated video and Combine, which can bleed two clips into each other. There are a boatload of Sora clips out there now, so we can see that it's still really good at aerial landscape shots and surprisingly good at slow motion because the janky AI movements seem less alien in that medium. But of course Sora will also make videos with a bunch of errors, especially when there's lots going on, and will definitely pop a second phone into the hand of Marques's AI clone, only to vanish it a second later. Unless you're gonna tell me he's a pro magician too, which is frankly too many things to be a pro at. Although I guess he made up for it with the with the app thing. It's better now. They fixed a bunch of it Stop Reddit, the so called front page of the Internet, is tired of living in the shadow of the Googles and the OpenAI's of the world. So they're announcing Reddit Answers, a new AI powered search interface that will bring up curated summaries of relevant conversations and details from across Reddit, presenting it in sort of a perplexity AI style generated report. Now you might say, okay, well I can just search Google and add Reddit to the end. That's exactly the problem. That was Reddit that was being Reddit. In press interviews, Reddit representatives spoke about how a major way that people use the Internet now is just searching for Reddit posts. Their massive repository of posts by real humans looking for information from other real humans has become increasingly important as large swaths of the Internet slide downward in quality, like loosened chunks of earth sliding off a cliff into an ocean of AI slop. Of course, Reddit is not immune from this, announcing a number of unpopular changes in recent years. But Reddit's point is that maybe if you wanna search Reddit, you could search on Reddit. And maybe if you wanna keep your loved one's feet dry and cozy and stylish, you could get them Vessi's from our sponsor Vessi. They say their shoes are waterproof and are therefore the perfect gift to prepare someone for whatever weather they run into year round, like snow. Or if you live here in Vancouver, snow for an hour and then a slush apocalypse from hell. True story. Actually, we occasionally have what we call a snowpocalypse, primarily because no one here knows how to drive in snow and my Vessis couldn't save me from spending seven hours to get home from work. But hey, my socks were dry. So surprise your loved ones with the gift of not wet feet. Shop Vessi's collection at vessi.com or at the link in the description and now it's time for quick bits. But first I have to tell you that it's time. But do I have to? Google has apparently achieved two significant breakthroughs in quantum computing, which the tech giant shared while unveiling their new quantum processor Willow this morning. The first breakthrough is that Willow broke the quantum error connection threshold. Google was able to exponentially decrease the system's error rate by increasing the number of qubits involved, holding quantum information stable for an average of an hour. We can only manage like 10 minutes max. The second breakthrough is taking 5 minutes to run a benchmark that Google says would take one of the fastest supercomputers in the world 10, septillion years to complete. And by that point, I think you'd be ready for an upgrade. Nvidia is now being investigated for anti competitive behavior by China in a move that some analysts are characterizing as retaliation for the US Government imposing restrictions on the export of Nvidia chips to the country. And while the US has ramped up such restrictions recently, they're also investigating Nvidia for antitrust. Now both sides are gonna have to put their sunglasses on and puff up their chests and say this is my investigation. Well, I have a warrant. This is not gonna be pretty frickin Pat Gelsinger is tweeting through the pain of being ousted as intel CEO, congratulating new intel board members once they get appointed, and helping fellow Pat and industry analyst Patrick Moorhead to correct misinformation about Intel's yields on the 18. A process node being horrible, Pats together strong. You know what they say. Post firing Gelsinger's tweeted that he's very proud of the Foundry team and is even publicly praying for them to stay strong. I don't know how likely this is, but science says there's a slim chance Pat could actually tweet himself back into the CEO's office. I mean, Sam Altman did it. TikTok has filed for a temporary pause on the law that would see the company banned if its owner, ByteDance, doesn't sell it to someone else. Since with just over a month left to go until the deadline and a new presidential administration coming in, we should just pause everything until we figure out what the hell is going on. TikTok seems to think President Trump might save them, as he implied he will do. But in a Sunday interview with Meet the Press, Trump implied he might still want ByteDance to sell TikTok, saying the government has the right to ban it. Quote, if you can prove that Chinese companies own it, which they do. I think it's more about the Chinese government controlling things. You can't have Chinese companies okay, and Ubisoft has released patches for Star Wars Outlaws and Avatar Frontiers of Pandora, which fixed the crashing issues caused by Windows 11's 24H2 update. Players might still run into some performance issues, but at least they can play while Assassin's Creed, Origins, Odyssey and Valhalla are still properly borked. While Microsoft is partially to blame for the UBI issues, ask yourself why the original AC games with Desmond weren't affected. Why did they drop that storyline? May have helped this whole situation. We can't know. But I can know what would help me. You coming back here on Wednesday for more tech news. That is the next time at which tech news happens. I don't know why it skips days. I only know that the Desmond modern day storyline gave me a greater context that made those games more interesting. That's all I know.
TechLinked Podcast Summary
Episode: Mysterious Steam/Chrome Box, OpenAI Launches Sora, Reddit Answers + More!
Host/Author: Linus Media Group
Release Date: December 10, 2024
[00:30]
The episode kicks off with intriguing news about Valve potentially venturing into the hardware space with a new SteamOS-powered set-top box designed to rival the Nvidia Shield. This speculation originates from a detailed Reddit post by user coolbho3k, who presented substantial research and thoughtful predictions. Host B remarks, “Valve might be working on something like a SteamOS powered set top box to compete with the Nvidia Shield” ([00:30]).
Further analysis reveals that the mysterious device seems to integrate Chrome OS elements. A key piece of evidence is a modification in the Steam Deck kernel by a Valve employee, which includes a Chrome OS embedded controller. This leads to the hypothesis that the device could essentially be a Chrome box with enhanced Steam integration. Host B adds, “He’s a cool b ho in my book,” acknowledging coolbho3k’s contribution ([00:30]).
The device is linked to a platform codenamed AMD Lilac, suggesting it may feature a Ryzen 5.8540U configuration based on Geekbench listings. This hardware spec hints at robust gaming capabilities, fueling further speculation that Valve's project might not just be a simple set-top box but could potentially be the rumored SteamVR headset, codenamed Deckard. Host B humorously notes, “...a SteamVR headset codenamed Deckard. Just wanna point out that would still be kind of a box you strapped to your face” ([00:30]).
[03:00]
Transitioning to artificial intelligence, the podcast discusses OpenAI’s release of Sora, an advanced video generator that garnered attention earlier in the year. Host B explains, “OpenAI has officially released a public version of the mind blowingly realistic video generator they first showed off in February” ([03:00]).
However, access to Sora appears limited, as the host notes, “They didn't give it to me cause I don't have a ChatGPT or Pro subscription. If you do, then they gave it to you” ([03:00]). The release includes a "turbo" version with an updated interface and new features such as Remix and Combine, allowing users to tweak existing videos and merge clips seamlessly.
A notable moment involves professional Ultimate Frisbee player Marques Brownlee, who showcased Sora by generating a video of himself making an impressive catch. Host B humorously critiques the generated content, pointing out, “Sora will also make videos with a bunch of errors, especially when there's lots going on, and will definitely pop a second phone into the hand of Marques's AI clone” ([03:00]). Despite these flaws, Sora demonstrates strong capabilities in rendering aerial landscapes and slow-motion sequences, making it a powerful tool for video creation.
[07:00]
Reddit steps into the AI-powered search arena with the introduction of Reddit Answers, a new interface designed to deliver curated summaries of relevant conversations across the platform. Host B highlights, “Reddit is announcing Reddit Answers, a new AI powered search interface that will bring up curated summaries of relevant conversations and details from across Reddit” ([07:00]).
This initiative aims to enhance user experience by presenting information in a format reminiscent of perplexity AI-generated reports. Reddit representatives emphasized the platform's unique value, stating, “a major way that people use the Internet now is just searching for Reddit posts” ([07:00]). They argue that Reddit’s extensive repository of real human interactions offers a quality search alternative compared to the broader, often less reliable, internet content.
While Reddit has faced backlash for various unpopular changes in recent years, this move underscores their commitment to maintaining relevance and quality in the face of increasing AI-generated content online. Host B concludes, “Reddit's point is that maybe if you wanna search Reddit, you could search on Reddit” ([07:00]).
[12:00]
The episode wraps up with a series of brief tech news updates:
Google’s Quantum Computing Breakthroughs
Google has unveiled its new quantum processor, Willow, boasting two major achievements:
Nvidia Under Investigation by China
In a move perceived as retaliation for US export restrictions on Nvidia chips, China is now investigating Nvidia for anti-competitive practices. Analysts suggest this could escalate tensions as both nations scrutinize each other’s tech giants ([12:00]).
Intel’s CEO Shake-Up
Pat Gelsinger, recently ousted as Intel’s CEO, is actively engaging on Twitter, congratulating new board members and defending Intel’s Foundry team. Host B muses about the slim possibility of Gelsinger returning to his former role, referencing Sam Altman’s similar maneuver ([12:00]).
TikTok’s Legal Status
TikTok has filed for a temporary pause on legislation that threatens to ban the app unless its parent company, ByteDance, sells it. With the deadline approaching and a new presidential administration on the horizon, TikTok is seeking a hold on any final decisions. Former President Trump hinted at potential government action, adding uncertainty to TikTok’s future ([12:00]).
Ubisoft Patches for Star Wars Outlaws and Avatar Frontiers of Pandora
Ubisoft has released updates for Star Wars Outlaws and Avatar Frontiers of Pandora, addressing crashing issues caused by Windows 11's 24H2 update. While performance issues may persist, players can now enjoy these games with improved stability. Host B humorously connects this fix to the Assassin’s Creed series, pondering the impact of storyline changes on game performance ([12:00]).
Conclusion: This episode of TechLinked delivered a comprehensive overview of the latest developments in tech and gaming, from Valve’s potential new hardware ventures and OpenAI’s advanced video generation tool to Reddit’s innovative search interface and a host of quick updates in the industry. With engaging discussions and insightful commentary, listeners are kept well-informed on the cutting edge of technology and culture.