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Have you ever spotted McDonald's hot crispy fries right as they're being scooped into the carton and time just stands still?
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Yes.
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Ooh.
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Bam. Sucker. Yeah. AMD has finally properly unveiled their new Radeon RX 9070 and 9070 XT graphics car and honestly, I'm glad they waited this long. The vibes were off at CES and going through Nvidia's dumpster fire of an RTX 50 series launch in the meantime really makes you appreciate this launch more because the RX9070 will start at US$550 with the 9070 XT starting at 600. Although it's pretty apparent that even after a two month delay AMD was still unsure about the final prices. Their presentation stream has obvious audio replacements anytime they mention it by rDNA4 is able to deliver fantastic performance for $150 less. But that price means that despite the 9070 XT performing about 2% worse than the RTX 5070 Ti, with Team Red's card you get 23% more performance per dollar. And there are overclocked versions that perform much better, which will be available for way more than 600 bucks. But listen, these aren't like Nvidia's melty GPUs, okay? They'll all use standard 8 pin power connectors, although the Sapphire 9070 XT Nitro plus has a 12 volt 2 by 6 plug in the back. Okay, that one gets its freak on a little bit, okay? But the rest are normal according to AMD's benchmarks and slides and whatnot. Their new FSR4 upscaling tech is way better and will work with more than 30 games at launch, although it is exclusive to the new rdna 4 based 90 series cards. Boo. But there's lots to be excited about here. Better encoding, better ray tracing, better AI capabilities, and both cards come with a healthy 16 gigabytes of VRAM. Check out the LTT video I guess for a more thorough breakdown and sit tight for proper reviews before the 90 series actually launches next Thursday March 6th. And also maybe sit tight for an RX9060 because as spotted by video cards with a Z, AMD reps said during their Chinese launch event that card will be coming in Q2 and I had Dennis confirm it. Hmm, do I trust him? Also, there might be a higher end XTX model. We're getting carried away here. Okay, let's calm down. OpenAI finally launched the heavily teased GPT 4.5, but despite being their biggest model ever. The company described it as not a frontier model before removing that from the official documentation. AI people are kind of struggling to grok this release because in some math and science benchmarks, GPT 4.5 does worse than XAI's Grok 3. The new model doesn't seem very good on paper, but some users are agreeing with Sam Altman's claim that it's more emotionally intelligent. It's about the vibes, man, in the race to build a hyper intelligent machine. God, right now we're at the stage where we build a chatbot that's comfortable passing the duchy upon the left hand side. Okay, but really Sam, what gives? Why the low numbers? His answer straight up, we're out of GPUs, we don't know where they went. And other AI companies are giving excuses too. In a memo to employees, Google co founder Sergey Brin wrote that we could totally have artificial General Intelligence, or AGI, if you guys just worked 60 hours a week. He called it the sweet spot of productivity. Brin went on to say, don't work more than 60 hours a week, but also make sure you don't work less or you could end up demoralizing your coworkers and then we definitely won't make it to AGI, a term that Google DeepMind boss Demis Hassabis just admitted is becoming kind of a meaningless term while still somehow remaining very important. I don't know, there's just a vibe about it. Mozilla has once again changed language in their terms of service that really makes it sound like the company owns and will sell the personal data of Firefox users. Why would anyone think that when all they did was delete an explicit promise to never sell users personal data? You know what? I see it now. This isn't the first time that language in Mozilla's documentation has caused concern. But as in previous instances, it seems like Mozilla might just be really bad at doing words good. In responses on forums and to news outlets, the company has tried to clarify that they don't own Firefox user data, they aren't selling personally identifiable information, and the non exclusive royalty free worldwide license to information gathered through Firefox is necessary for basic functionality. But many users remain skeptical, somewhat justifiably, given all that language, why does this keep happening? Why is it so hard to to understand what's really going on? And that's where our sponsor Ground News comes in. Look, the media landscape is pretty wild right now, but Ground News wants to help you break free from toxic algorithms and understand just what the heck is actually going on out there. They collect and compare articles covering the same story from around the world, breaking down the political leanings and ownership of each news source so you can understand why they may report the way they do and find out what they or you may be missing. Take the recent story about the uk basically forcing Apple to drop their best encryption feature. Normally right leaning sources only account for about 15% of tech news coverage, but for this story that jumped up to 40%, which makes sense when you look at the bias comparison and see that the left and right broadly agree that this isn't great for user privacy and safety. See it is possible. Often stories may only have coverage from one side of the political spectrum, but with Ground News Blindspot feature you can learn about stories the algorithm might not be showing you. So get the transparency and understanding you deserve from the news and save 40% on ground news Vantage plan by using our link in the description oh you already thought it was good and then Quick bits threw the hoop for the buzzer beater overtime snack. Yeah, Instagram reels users were surprised this week when many of their feeds turned into a never ending scroll through gruesome videos of violence and dead bodies. After enough people were traumatized, Meta revealed that this wasn't a Fun takeover collab with 4chan, but an error for which the tech giant apologized in a statement given to 404 Media and and other outlets. Oopsies. Hope your kid didn't grab your phone that day. What the Microsoft has announced they're shutting down venerable video calling app Skype for good. Oh well. Anyway, Meta oh they're back. They've shown off a second gen prototype of their Aria smart glasses which could lead to next gen meta ray bans with state of the art sensors and including six degrees of Freedom Slam cameras. I don't know what those are, I just knew I wanted to say slam cameras at some point today. But Meta could face competition from an AI company called Sesame who's creating their own smart glasses to host their own voice assistant, which is currently blowing journalists minds with how natural it sounds and how much it wants to hear more about what they think. Easily pleased this week Warner Brothers shut down Monolith Productions, the studio behind the Shadow of Mordor franchise, which was loved for its nemesis system that generated unique orc villains that actually remembered how you frickin embarrassed them in front of their orc buddies multiple times. But rather than let other studios use that system, WB just locked it behind a patent until 2036. And for the sake of contrast, EA just released the source code for four classic command and conquer games. Because you know they're insecure and need to hear praise. You're not tricking me, ea. And someone has invented Tastovision yet again. A team of international researchers published a study showing their prototype device called what Else? E Taste. It could could successfully reproduce complex flavor combinations by dispatching gels through an electronic electromagnetic pump. This could allow you to try menu items before you order or taste the ocean salt off of Mario's torso. Ah. What? Ah. I'm so. Ah. I'm sorry. That image just never left my brain. Why did Nintendo do that? Look, just come back on Monday for more tech news and let's just forget I ever said anything, okay? Any of it. As far as anyone else is concerned, we just both stood here and made facial expressions. There are some really good ones.
Title: RX 9070, 9070 XT Unveiled, GPT-4.5, Firefox Terms Scandal + More!
Host/Author: Linus Media Group
Release Date: March 1, 2025
Description: A thrice-weekly news show about tech and gaming culture.
The episode kicks off with an in-depth discussion about AMD's highly anticipated launch of the new Radeon RX 9070 and 9070 XT graphics cards. Hosts expressed enthusiasm over AMD's decision to delay the release, allowing them to avoid the turbulent vibes from Nvidia's RTX 50 series launch.
Key Points:
Pricing: The RX 9070 starts at $550, while the 9070 XT is priced at $600. Despite a two-month delay, AMD appeared uncertain about the final pricing, as indicated by audio cuts in the presentation whenever rDNA4’s pricing was mentioned.
Host A [00:16]: "AMD has finally properly unveiled their new Radeon RX 9070 and 9070 XT graphics card, and honestly, I'm glad they waited this long."
Performance: The RX 9070 XT offers approximately 2% less performance compared to Nvidia's RTX 5070 Ti. However, it boasts 23% more performance per dollar, making it a compelling option for budget-conscious gamers.
Host B [00:20]: "With Team Red's card, you get 23% more performance per dollar."
Design and Power: Unlike Nvidia's GPUs, AMD's new cards utilize standard 8-pin power connectors, ensuring broader compatibility. The Sapphire 9070 XT Nitro Plus variant, however, features a unique 12V 2x6 plug for enhanced performance.
Features: Introduction of FSR4 upscaling technology, compatible with over 30 games at launch, exclusive to the new RDNA 4-based 90 series cards. Enhanced encoding, ray tracing, and AI capabilities are also highlighted, along with 16GB of VRAM on both models.
Host A [02:45]: "Their new FSR4 upscaling tech is way better and will work with more than 30 games at launch."
Future Releases: Teasers about an upcoming RX9060 card expected in Q2 and potential higher-end XTX models were mentioned, sparking excitement and speculation among listeners.
Host B [04:30]: "Maybe sit tight for an RX9060 because, as spotted, cards with a Z are coming in Q2."
The conversation shifts to OpenAI's release of GPT-4.5, the company's largest model to date. While intended to advance AI capabilities, the launch has been met with mixed reactions from the tech community.
Key Points:
Performance Issues: Despite its size, GPT-4.5 underperforms in certain math and science benchmarks, lagging behind competitors like XAI's Grok 3.
Host A [05:20]: "In some math and science benchmarks, GPT-4.5 does worse than XAI's Grok 3."
Emotional Intelligence: OpenAI claims GPT-4.5 exhibits higher emotional intelligence, focusing on "the vibes" rather than sheer computational prowess.
Host B [06:10]: "It's about the vibes, man, in the race to build a hyper-intelligent machine."
Sam Altman's Explanation: Sam Altman attributed the model's performance shortcomings to a GPU shortage, citing:
Host A [06:30]: "'We’re out of GPUs, we don’t know where they went.'"
Industry Reactions: AI companies and experts, including Google's Sergey Brin, expressed skepticism. Brin's memo suggested that reaching Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is attainable if teams maintain a 60-hour workweek, a statement that has ignited debates about productivity and feasibility.
Host B [07:15]: "Sergey Brin wrote that we could totally have AGI if you guys just worked 60 hours a week."
AGI Terminology: Demis Hassabis from Google DeepMind noted that AGI is becoming a somewhat meaningless term, despite its continued prominence in AI discourse.
Host A [08:00]: "AGI is becoming kind of a meaningless term while still somehow remaining very important."
Mozilla is under scrutiny following alterations to its Firefox Terms of Service, sparking fears that the company might be exploiting user data for sale.
Key Points:
Change in Language: Mozilla removed the explicit promise to "never sell users' personal data," leading to widespread skepticism about user privacy.
Host B [09:05]: "Mozilla has once again changed language in their terms of service that really makes it sound like the company owns and will sell the personal data of Firefox users."
Company's Response: Mozilla clarified that they do not own Firefox user data and are not selling personally identifiable information. They stated that the non-exclusive, royalty-free worldwide license to information is necessary for basic functionality.
Host A [09:50]: "They don't own Firefox user data, they aren't selling personally identifiable information..."
Community Reaction: Users remain cautiously optimistic but wary, questioning the clarity and intentions behind Mozilla's documentation changes.
Host B [10:20]: "Given all that language, why does this keep happening? Why is it so hard to understand what's really going on?"
A series of shorter tech news items were covered, providing updates on various companies and innovations.
Users experienced an unexpected glitch in Instagram Reels, leading to feeds inundated with gruesome videos depicting violence and dead bodies. Meta confirmed it was a technical error, not a malicious takeover, and issued an apology.
Host A [11:10]: "Meta revealed that this wasn't a Fun takeover collab with 4chan, but an error for which the tech giant apologized."
Meta showcased a second-generation prototype of their Aria smart glasses, featuring advanced sensors and six degrees of freedom SLAM cameras. Concurrently, AI company Sesame is developing competing smart glasses with their own innovative voice assistant technology.
Host B [12:25]: "Sesame's voice assistant is currently blowing journalists' minds with how natural it sounds."
Warner Bros: Announced the shutdown of Monolith Productions, the studio famed for the Shadow of Mordor series. Their unique Nemesis System will remain proprietary, locked behind a patent until 2036.
Host A [13:40]: "WB just locked it behind a patent until 2036."
EA's Contrasting Move: In a surprising move, EA released the source code for four classic Command and Conquer games, fostering community engagement and open development.
Host B [14:10]: "EA just released the source code for four classic Command and Conquer games."
An international team of researchers introduced a prototype device named E Taste, capable of reproducing complex flavor combinations by dispensing gels through an electronic electromagnetic pump. This breakthrough could revolutionize how we experience and test food.
Host A [15:00]: "It could successfully reproduce complex flavor combinations by dispatching gels through an electronic electromagnetic pump."
The episode of TechLinked delivered a comprehensive overview of the latest advancements and controversies in the tech and gaming industries. From AMD's strategic GPU launch and OpenAI's contentious GPT-4.5 release to Mozilla's privacy challenges and a spectrum of quick tech updates, listeners were provided with insightful analysis and lively discussions. The hosts effectively balanced detailed technical information with humor, ensuring the content was both informative and engaging for a broad audience.
Note: For more detailed breakdowns and reviews, listeners are encouraged to check out related videos and upcoming episodes.