
Loading summary
Sponsor Voice
This episode is brought to you by Lifelock. It's tax season, and we're all a bit tired of numbers, but here's one you need to $16.5 billion. That's how much the IRS flagged for possible identity fraud last year. Now here's a good number. 100 million. That's how many data points Lifelock monitors every second. If your identity is stolen, they'll fix it, guaranteed. Save up to 40% your first year@lifelock.com podcast terms apply.
Riley
My mama used to feed me the tech news every morning with a spoon, but then TechLink came into my life. Mama was never the same. Nvidia has announced the RTX 5060 desktop family, which the company is heartlessly splitting up to launch separately. Mama Mama. No. There's no Founder's Edition cards, but OEM versions of the RTX 5060 Ti are out now, with MSRPs of $430 USD for the 16 gig version and $380 for the 8 gig version, with the vanilla non Ti $300 RTX 5060 coming in May alongside 5060 laptops. Now, reviewers could have emphasized that these cards offer about a 20% performance uplift, along with more features compared to their predecessors at an arguably inoffensive price, and left it at that. But no. Nvidia had to go and claim the 5060 Ti is 50 times faster than the GTX 1060, so reviewers had no choice but to talk instead about Nvidia's ridiculous marketing Again, why'd you make us do it? Nvidia says the 5060 family embodies the three pillars of modern gaming performance image quality, frame rate, and latency. But they Forgot about the fourth pillar, Gaslighting. If you can find a 16 gigabyte 5060 ti in stock for near MSRP, it's not the worst option. But it's also a great time to consider rehoming a used card instead. It will appreciate and love you more.
Co-host
It might have a smell to it.
Riley
We gotta give Nvidia credit where it's due, though. They did just release a new GPU driver that appears to fix many of the recurring glitches that have plagued RTX 40 and and 50 series cards lately. After first releasing the drivers that caused all those glitches. Hey, hey, maybe don't download the new one just yet. Wait for an eager redditor to do the troubleshooting for you and post the all clear. Nvidia's got some troubleshooting of their own to do, though, according to a filing the company made to the SEC, which revealed to the public the US government's new export license requirement for AI chips. Nvidia estimates that they could be out $5.5 billion thanks to the new policy, while in a similar filing, AMD reckons they're looking at a financial hit of 800 million. That's because, according to industry analysts, the export license requirement is effectively a sales ban, preventing chip companies from squeezing any profit out of all these chips they made. They're just gonna sit on shelves in the warehouse now for God knows how long. The license requirement obviously represents the US trying to hurt China's AI development, but China might not need American chips soon if Huawei's claim about their new cloud matrix systems are true. They reportedly match or exceed the performance of Nvidia's NVL7.2 systems, but require more power to do so. Oh no, what's the CCP to do? Funnel all their national energy resources to develop super intelligent AI before America does? Yeah, yeah, probably, probably that they got dams Speaking of AI, OpenAI's developing a social network because the world can get worse. According to company sources who spoke with the Verge, the prototype platform is reportedly designed to facilitate sharing images generated by ChatGPT. This is real, providing a safe space for users tired of posting that on other social platforms and getting flamed for being cringe. You know, they asked Grok about this and it confirmed they're being treated unfairly. There might be something to this report, Sam Altman tweeted. Okay fine, maybe we'll do a social app. In February, in response to Meta developing a standalone AI app to compete with ChatGPT, Sam went on to tweet lol. If Facebook tries to come at us, we just uno reverse them. It would be so funny. Crying, laughing emoji. Which is ironic because it would be even funnier to see Sam Altman display a human emotion other than anxious self importance. Hey, if Elon Musk can buy his social media company with his AI company, then OpenAI can build a new social network. Why not? In terms of official announcements though, OpenAI launched yet more models O3 and 04 mini. They're reasoning models, but they can now reason directly with images for the first time in what OpenAI calls a converging of their O&GPT series models. And it's about time, because there are too many damn models and not enough.
Co-host
Segues to our sponsor Vessi and their weekend sneaker like your phone keys and wallet, your Vessis are a travel essential with their lightweight design, all day comfort and ability to keep your socks dry no matter what this crazy world throws at ya. Sometimes during a city adventure I step in a puddle on purpose just to show it who's boss. Rain or shine. Vessi keeps you moving while pairing perfectly with with any outfit, so pack smarter and travel better with Vessi. Visit vessi.com techlink now for 15% off your first pair at checkout and start exploring with confidence.
Sponsor Voice
Rain or shine. Tariffs or no tariffs. The Shipstorm sale event will help you get a great deal. @lttstore.com we are offering free worldwide shipping on any order over US$150, so it's a great time to pick up some apparel or a commuter backpack or a screwdriver. And we are offering a never before seen price on our Magnetic Cable Management Essentials bundle. Don't miss it by heading to lttstore.com@the link in the video Description Back to you Riley.
Riley
I think about my mama's tech news sometimes, but she could, bless her heart, could never quite get the quick bits right. The U.S. department of Homeland Security pulled funding for the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures, or CVE, database yesterday, shocking the global cybersecurity industry who depends on the database for identification of vulnerabilities. Thankfully, another government entity, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or hisa, stepped in this morning to say, chill everyone, chill. We'll fund it. However, it's understandable that CVE board members moved to establish the CVE Foundation, a non profit that could keep the database alive if Uncle Sam randomly and drastically changes his mind, a normal and regular thing that occurs all the time. Now in other cybersecurity dystopian news, Doge pressured an entire Pentagon division focused on digital defense into resigning. Just a typical Wednesday with the Big man. Speaking of hacking the Internet's very own hive of scum and villainy, 4chan was taken down yesterday in what's being described as a pretty comprehensive owner and is still largely unavailable at the time of writing, is what we're hearing from other people. Anyway, members of Soyjack, a rival image board that Split off from 4chan some time ago, took responsibility for the hack, claiming to have leaked website code and emails between mods. Let this be a lesson, meme. War is hell and there are no soy boys in foxholes. Oh my God, a bomb. Speaking of websites being down, Zoom was down for a while today. Oh, I haven't heard that since the pandemic. Zoom granting remote workers a reprieve from attending web meetings. It's back up now, but I imagine those few precious hours were glorious. In other completely unrelated news, because I didn't know where else to put it, Google's giving Android phones their own version of iOS 18's inactivity reboot, which will force devices to restart after three days of inactivity, which should help prevent unauthorized access. And TikTok's jumping on the community notes train, calling their version footnotes so they're easier for TikTok users to ignore.
Co-host
Won't help at all.
Riley
And Asus has posted a confusing reveal of something called the Rog XG Mobile. The announcement video made it sort of look like a mini PC, but then they pop open the kickstand and we're back to square one. Some viewers didn't really know what to say, writing what is this? Can I connect monitor? It also looked kind of dirty, like they forgot to wipe the fingerprints off before you realize, oh, that's a semi transparent cover showing the electronics underneath. And, oh, this is an external GPU and Thunderbolt 5 dock. And the Rog XG Mobile is mobile if you put it in its stand, then in another stand, then in a box which goes in another box with a handle so you can carry it. Holy cow. Yeah, I mean, you have to plug it in. It's about as mobile as a Mac Mini, but at least I know what it is now. Get a long cable, we're all mobile. We'll get all tangled up like a Rat king. And you know what? Rat kings are, too. And if you don't know what a rat king is, come here on Friday for more tech news. That's what my mama used to say all the time. She loved Fridays.
Title: RTX 5060 Ti Launch, Chip Export Restrictions, OpenAI Social Network + More!
Host/Author: Linus Media Group
Release Date: April 17, 2025
In this episode of TechLinked, hosts Riley and their co-host delve into the latest developments in the tech and gaming world. From Nvidia’s new GPU releases to significant shifts in AI chip export policies, the episode covers a range of topics that are shaping the industry. Below is a detailed summary of the key discussions, insights, and conclusions from the episode.
Riley kicks off the episode with an in-depth discussion about Nvidia’s latest GPU offerings. The company has announced the RTX 5060 desktop family, which has stirred mixed reactions among enthusiasts and reviewers alike.
Product Splitting Strategy: Riley criticizes Nvidia for "heartlessly splitting up" the RTX 5060 series. Instead of offering a cohesive product line, Nvidia has launched separate models, prompting Riley to lament, “Mama Mama. No. There’s no Founder's Edition cards...” [00:32]
Pricing and Performance: The RTX 5060 Ti is available in two variants: a 16 GB version priced at $430 USD and an 8 GB version at $380 USD. Additionally, the non-Ti RTX 5060 is expected to launch in May for $300, along with laptop variants. Riley points out that these cards provide roughly a 20% performance uplift over their predecessors, but emphasizes that Nvidia's marketing claims, such as the Ti being “50 times faster than the GTX 1060,” are exaggerated. [00:32]
Driver Updates: Despite the criticisms, Riley acknowledges Nvidia’s release of a new GPU driver aimed at fixing recurring glitches in the RTX 40 and 50 series. However, Riley remains skeptical about the effectiveness of these updates, sarcastically advising listeners to “wait for an eager redditor to do the troubleshooting” before downloading the new drivers. [02:13]
The conversation shifts to a significant policy change affecting the semiconductor industry, particularly concerning AI chips.
Financial Impact: Riley discusses an SEC filing where Nvidia estimates a potential loss of $5.5 billion due to new US export license requirements for AI chips. AMD is also anticipating a financial hit of $800 million. Riley explains, “the export license requirement is effectively a sales ban, preventing chip companies from squeezing any profit out of all these chips they made.” [02:13]
Geopolitical Ramifications: The export restrictions are part of the US strategy to hinder China’s AI advancements. Riley highlights China’s potential independence from American chips, referencing Huawei’s new cloud matrix systems that reportedly match or exceed Nvidia's NVL7.2 systems, albeit with higher power consumption. [02:13]
Riley explores OpenAI’s latest endeavors, both in social networking and AI model development.
Social Network Initiative: OpenAI is reportedly developing a social network platform designed to facilitate the sharing of images generated by ChatGPT. This move aims to provide a safer space for users who may feel judged on existing platforms. Riley notes, “they’re being treated unfairly. There might be something to this report,” referencing Sam Altman’s confirmation of the social app’s development. [02:13]
AI Model Releases: OpenAI has launched models O3 and O4 mini, which are advanced reasoning models capable of interacting directly with images. Riley describes this as a “converging of their O&GPT series models,” addressing the issue of having too many disparate models in the market. [04:00]
The hosts delve into recent cybersecurity news, highlighting both governmental and hacker activities.
CVE Database Funding: Riley reports that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security withdrew funding for the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) database, a critical resource for identifying security vulnerabilities. This decision initially shocked the cybersecurity community, but the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) stepped in to provide funding. Riley explains, “the CVE board members moved to establish the CVE Foundation, a non-profit that could keep the database alive” in case of future funding issues. [06:12]
4chan Compromise: In a dramatic turn, 4chan was taken down due to a comprehensive hack attributed to members of Soyjack, a rival image board. Riley humorously remarks, “War is hell and there are no soy boys in foxholes,” underscoring the intensity of online rivalries and their real-world consequences. [06:12]
Pentagon Division Resignation: Riley briefly mentions that Doge, a high-profile figure or entity (context not fully clear), pressured an entire Pentagon division focused on digital defense into resigning, adding to the cyber turmoil. [06:12]
Beyond the major topics, the episode covers various other tech-related news items.
Zoom Outage: Riley recalls the days of the pandemic when Zoom became indispensable for remote work, noting a recent outage: “Zoom was down for a while today. Oh, I haven't heard that since the pandemic.” [06:12]
Android Inactivity Reboot: Google is introducing an inactivity reboot feature for Android phones, similar to iOS 18’s functionality. This will force devices to restart after three days of inactivity, enhancing security by preventing unauthorized access. Riley sees this as a positive step, stating, “it should help prevent unauthorized access.” [06:12]
TikTok Footnotes: TikTok is rolling out footnotes, an equivalent to Twitter’s community notes, allowing users to add contextual information to posts. Riley jokingly ponders their effectiveness, with the co-host adding, “Won’t help at all.” [06:12]
The episode concludes with a discussion about Asus’s latest hardware reveal.
Product Presentation: Asus unveiled the Rog XG Mobile, an external GPU and Thunderbolt 5 dock that aims to offer mobile GPU performance. Riley and the co-host express confusion over its design and practicality, noting the device resembles a mini PC with multiple stands and packaging layers. Riley quips, “it’s about as mobile as a Mac Mini,” highlighting the disconnect between the product’s name and its actual portability. [08:23]
User Reception: Viewers have reacted with perplexity, questioning the device’s usability and portability. The co-host adds humorously, “Get a long cable, we’re all mobile. We’ll get all tangled up like a Rat king.” [08:23]
Conclusion:
The episode of TechLinked offers a comprehensive overview of significant developments in the tech and gaming industries. From Nvidia’s strategic GPU launches and the ramifications of US export restrictions on AI chips to OpenAI’s foray into social networking and critical cybersecurity updates, Riley and the co-host provide insightful commentary peppered with humor and wit. The discussion on Asus’s Rog XG Mobile further illustrates the challenges tech companies face in balancing innovation with practicality. For listeners looking to stay updated on the latest tech trends and news, this episode delivers a rich and engaging narrative.