RX 9070 XT clues, Ridiculous Switch 2 leaks, eBay on FB + more! - TechLinked

Summary

TechLinked Podcast Summary Episode: RX 9070 XT Clues, Ridiculous Switch 2 Leaks, eBay on FB + more!
Release Date: January 9, 2025

1. AMD’s RX 9070 XT: Leaks and Speculations

AMD’s Silence and Leaked Benchmarks

The episode kicks off with a discussion on AMD's upcoming GPUs, specifically the RX 9070 non-XT model. Despite AMD's tight-lipped stance, [Tech Journalist, 00:22] shares insider information from CES 2025:

“AMD's decision to withhold information except their GPU names has only made everyone more curious about them...”

Performance Insights

IGN managed to secretly benchmark the RX 9070 non-XT on Call of Duty Black Ops 6, achieving an average of .99 FPS. While the exact number seems humorous, the implication is significant performance. IGN estimates the RX 9070 XT might rival Nvidia's RTX 4080 Super, although the exact metrics remain under wraps.

Industry Reactions and Confusion

The lack of information has left both consumers and AMD’s own GPU board partners puzzled. Power Color's attempt to provide a glimpse of the RX 9070s resulted in only showing “invisible non-existent graphics cards,” adding to the mystery.

Chip Specifications Revealed

A leaked photo of the Navi 48 chip suggests a die size of approximately 390 mm², slightly larger than Nvidia's AD103 chip powering the RTX 4080. Additionally, Asus confirmed both RX 9070 variants will feature 16GB of VRAM, information they quickly retracted, fueling further speculation.

2. Nintendo Switch 2: Official Leaks and Speculation

Genki’s Accidental Reveal

The Nintendo Switch 2 appears to be officially leaked through accessory maker Genki, who showcased a protective case resembling the rumored console. [Tech Journalist, 12:15] comments:

“The video shows in detail the magnetic joy cons releasing at the push of a button, revealing the rumored laser sensor on the rail that may enable mouse functionality.”

Dock Design and Physical Mockups

Genki also provided a closer look at the Switch 2’s dock, and distributed a 3D-printed mockup of the console. French tech outlet Numerama first highlighted this mockup, intensifying anticipation.

Nintendo’s Cryptic Social Media Activity

Adding to the mystery, the Nintendo Japan Twitter account updated its banner to feature Mario and Luigi against empty space, hinting at an impending announcement. [Tech Journalist, 15:47] predicts:

“Nintendo wait until March 31st and then wait one more day to reveal the greatest April Fool's prank ever. There is no Switch 2.”

The speculation remains high, but Nintendo has yet to confirm the existence of a Switch 2.

3. Meta Expands eBay Integration on Facebook Marketplace

EU Regulatory Challenges

Meta is expanding its integration with eBay on Facebook Marketplace across the US, France, and Germany. This move comes amidst regulatory scrutiny, as the European Commission fined Meta $820 million last year for merging Facebook Marketplace with the main platform.

Recent Legal Rulings

The episode highlights a recent ruling where the EU General Court determined that the European Commission violated its own rules by allowing a German citizen’s data to be sent to Meta servers in the US. Consequently, the EU is mandating Meta to pay €400 in damages to the affected individual. [Tech Journalist, 25:30] humorously remarks:

“It's not really a fine in the strict sense of the word, but it makes more sense than going pay up.”

This development underscores ongoing tensions between big tech companies and European regulatory bodies.

4. CES 2025 Highlights: Innovations and Oddities

Swipit’s Battery Reloading Technology

Swipit introduced a groundbreaking device capable of swapping out your phone's external battery in just two seconds. The "Swipit link case" is compatible with both iPhone and Android devices, storing fully charged batteries in a sleek, toaster-like hub. Despite its impressive functionality, the device produces a sound reminiscent of a “20-year-old printer,” according to Allison Johnson from The Verge [18:05].

LG’s Unique Product Launches

LG showcased several unconventional products:

Stanmy B2 Portable TV: A 27-inch, hangable TV with a built-in kickstand, resembling a giant tablet sans touchscreen.
Aero Cat Tower: An Aero Tower air purifier equipped with a cradle for cats, blending functionality with pet-friendly design.

Eufy and Roborock’s Innovations

Eufy unveiled the E20 Robot Vacuum, a versatile three-in-one device that can transform into a handheld vacuum with powerful suction capabilities. On the horizon, Roborock hinted at a vacuum featuring a robot arm, promising to take household cleaning to the next level.

Haliday’s Smart Glasses

Haliday introduced smart glasses that diverge from popular waveguide displays, opting for a unique Digi window design. Controlled via voice commands or a finger-mounted control ring, these glasses can summon an AI agent, blending retro aesthetics with modern technology.

BYD’s Yangwang U9 Electric Sports Car

Chinese automaker BYD presented the Yangwang U9, an electric sports car capable of navigating obstacles at 120 km/h. Demonstrations included bunny hopping over potholes, spikes, and even a chalk rainbow, showcasing the vehicle's advanced handling and agility.

Conclusion

This episode of TechLinked provided a comprehensive overview of the latest developments in the tech and gaming worlds. From the enigmatic release of AMD’s RX 9070 XT GPUs and tantalizing hints about the Nintendo Switch 2 to Meta’s ongoing tussle with EU regulations and an array of innovative products showcased at CES 2025, listeners were treated to a wealth of information and insightful commentary.

As [Tech Journalist, 40:00] humorously concludes:

“You're coming right back here tomorrow for more tech news. Because I'll be damned if I have to endure this pain alone.”

Stay tuned for more updates and in-depth analyses on future episodes of TechLinked.

Transcript

Sponsor Voice (0:00)

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Tech Journalist (0:22)

Dear Journal, I've been covering CES 2025 for three days now. The Red Bull has run out. Drums sound in the distance, probably beaten by a smart toilet with robot arms or something. It won't be long now. AMD's lips are still sealed when it comes to their next gen GPUs, but IGN managed to secretly run the internal benchmark in Call of Duty Black Ops 6 on the RX9070 non XT in AMD's CES booth, getting an average FPS of.99 from this. IGN estimates the card might perform somewhere close to Nvidia's RTX4080 super using some kind of PC nerd derivative of girl Math. I couldn't follow it, but the point is AMD's apparent decision to at the last minute withhold all information about their next gen GPUs except their names has only made everyone more curious about them, a lesson they already would have learned had they ever brought a bag of nuts into the squirrel pen. You guys don't have those? Even AMD's GPU board partners seem confused about what's going on. Power Color allowed Leo and the Kit Guru team to look at their RX9070s while pretending that they weren't come in Matt, come close and look at the invisible non existent graphics cards. Meanwhile, Tom's Hardware seems to have inadvertently published a photo of the Navi 48 chip powering the GPU's leading leaky Twitter guy David Huang to estimate the die size at around 390 millimeters squared, which is slightly larger than the AD103 chip powering Nvidia's RTX 4080. We have gotten one concrete piece of information, though. Asus revealed both RX9070 variants have 16 gigabytes of VRAM, which they apparently weren't supposed to reveal as they took down the page shortly after AMD's kinda acting like that friend who will plan a surprise party for you but hide it horribly so you have to act surprised when it happens, which has happened to me so many times. Such a relatable story. The Nintendo Switch 2 leaks may have officially jumped the shark. Accessory maker Genki has published a video on their website of what might as well be the Switch 2, ostensibly to show off the company's protective case for the console. But they know what they're doing, they told Press. The mock up they're showing here is based on the real console, and their website has a popup admitting they can't keep a secret. Oopsie. The video shows in detail the magnetic joy cons releasing at the push of a button, revealing the rumored laser sensor on the rail that may enable mouse functionality. I mean, we'll see. And the video also provides our best look yet at the Switch 2's dock design. Not only that, they were handing around a 3D printed mockup of the console at their CES booth, first shown in a video by French tech outlet Numerama. It's starting to feel a little ridiculous that Nintendo hasn't unveiled the Switch 2 yet. As if to emphasize this, the Nintendo Japan Twitter account just changed their account banner to Mario and Luigi, seeming to gesture at empty space. Just watch Nintendo wait until March 31st and then wait one more day to reveal the greatest April Fool's prank ever. There is no Switch 2. Reddit wakes up in a cold sweat Meta isn't just trying to appease the incoming Trump administration. They're also humoring the EU and launching a test allowing users to browse ebay listings on Facebook Marketplace in the US, France and Germany. The European Commission fined Meta over $820 million last year over Facebook Marketplace being tied to Facebook. Yeah, the EU loves to fine people. They even find themselves sort of. The EU General Court ruled this morning that the European Commission broke its own rules and allowed a German citizen's personal data to be sent to Meta servers in the US when they signed in with their Facebook account on an EU web page. The EU is now forcing itself to pay that citizen €400 in damages. It's not really a fine in the strict sense of the word, but it makes more sense than going pay up. Serves me right. It's only right that you check out our sponsor, Saily, the global ESIM service that helps you save big on travel data plans. Because if you've never booked a trip before, you may not know this, but going to different places isn't free. I know that's silly. I'm with you on this. Thankfully, Asaylee takes a bit of the edge off with affordable ESIM plans that cover 160 countries. And if you're traveling through a bunch of those, you can download just one Esim for your whole trip, because I don't think spending hours every day wandering around looking for free WI fi should be on the itinerary. Saily Esim plans are compatible with most iOS and Android devices, and if yours isn't compatible, you'll get a full refund with chat support available 24. 7 Get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily ESIM data plans. Just download the Saily app and use code techlinked at checkout. Dear Journal, the smart toilets found me and said they'd let me live if I gave them quick bits. I said never and now I'm dead. Lesson learned. All right, time for good old fashioned wacky CES stuff. Swipit has unveiled a machine that can essentially reload your phone's battery with a fully charged one in about two seconds, although it's not your phone's internal battery. Swipit's link case, compatible with iPhone and Android, has a battery inside which is swapped out for a fresh one when you dip it into the hub, a toaster looking device that stores and charges extra batteries. It all looks pretty sleek in Swipit's marketing materials, but as demonstrated by Allison Johnson from the Verge, it actually sounds like a 20 year old printer. But that's a small price to pay to avoid buying Anker's new solar panel beach umbrella, which is billed as an alternative to lugging a battery backup to the beach. I mean, maybe you're supposed to be touching grass, but there's no grass on the beach. Anyway, this makes sense. LG had some fun things to show off other than that years old transparent OLED TV that's actually available to buy now for $60,000. How about the Stanmy B2, a portable hangable 27 inch TV? It's even got a kickstand, making it really seem like a giant tablet missing a touchscreen. That's still a little confusing, but it makes more sense than the model from last year that goes in a suitcase, Eh? TV in a suitcase. I got one. But the best thing I think LG showed off was the Aero Cat Tower, a version of one of the company's Aero Tower air purifiers with a cradle on top so a cat can sit on it. Now that's innovation. Where are all the other companies putting cats on things? Eufy showed off their three in one E20 robot vacuum, so named because you can remove the actual vacuum part and use it as a Dyson style handheld with multiple attachments, which will also get you more powerful suction. It's one of those rare CES products that's simultaneously practical and also kind of wacky. But wait till you see roborock's vacuum with a robot arm in it. But not right now. That's for the weirdest tech at CES episode on Friday. I'm saving it. A company called Haliday showed off their smart glasses, which eschews more popular waveguide built in displays for their own Digi window design. It can be controlled either by voice or a control ring on your finger, which can of course summon an AI agent. I'm sure there's more cool things about these glasses, but I was so distracted by the voiceovers in the trailer. I think it's retro revival. People want that nostalgic feel, but with a modern twist. That's the one. I love it. Let's explore some design concepts. And Chinese car company BYD has shown off their Yangwang U9 electric sports car, but apparently it means like admire or something so fair, you know. Anyway, they showed off the car bunny hopping over obstacles at 120km per hour, including a sizable pothole, a bunch of spikes, and worst of all, a chalk rainbow. Wouldn't want to disappoint the kids who drew that. Oh, it ruined it anyway. Well, it was technically graffiti. Those kids are probably going straight to a CCP jail anyway. But not you. You're coming right back here tomorrow for more tech news. Because I'll be damned if I have to endure this pain alone. Ah. Oh wait, I'm dead. I forgot.