The WAN Show: "Sorry America" - April 11, 2025

In this episode of The WAN Show, hosts Linus Sebastian and Luke Lafreniere delve into a tumultuous week in the tech industry, discussing significant disruptions caused by tariff uncertainties, the impact on various tech companies, ongoing promotions at the LTTstore, and upcoming events. The conversation is lively, insightful, and peppered with humorous banter, making it both informative and entertaining for listeners unfamiliar with the episode.

1. Framework's Sales Pause Amid Tariff Uncertainty

The episode opens with Linus addressing the recent announcement from Framework, a company known for its customizable laptops. Due to uncertainties surrounding tariffs in the US, Framework has temporarily halted sales of some of its base models.

• [02:52] Linus Sebastian: "Framework investment disclosure has paused some US sales due to tariff uncertainty."

Linus emphasizes the razor-thin margins within the tech industry, highlighting how even a 10% tariff can render low-end products unprofitable.

• [04:10] Linus Sebastian: "I've talked for years on this show about how one of the biggest problems for the tech industry is that margins are tight, no margin in it."

2. Impact on Other Tech Companies

Following Framework's predicament, several other tech giants are also feeling the pinch:

• Razer has taken down pricing and pre-order pages for their new Blade laptops.
• HP, Dell, and Lenovo have suspended shipments of notebooks and related products to the US for at least two weeks.
• Nintendo has paused pre-orders for the Switch 2 in both the US and Canada.

Linus and Luke discuss the broader implications of these pauses, suggesting that such moves are indicative of a widespread industry struggle with margins and external economic pressures.

• [05:34] Luke Lafreniere: "I don't think there's a way to go about solving it."

3. LTTstore's "Beat the Shipstorm" Promotion

Anticipating potential price increases due to tariffs, Linus introduces the "Beat the Shipstorm" sale event at the LTTstore.

• [01:28] Linus Sebastian: "Free shipping on all orders over $150, plus a never before seen deal on the MCM Essentials solution with our magnetic cable management for almost 50% off."

The promotion aims to move inventory before tariffs take effect, offering free worldwide shipping on orders exceeding $150.

• [23:16] Linus Sebastian: "What’s going on? Special SoCal Tower of Power on heights."

4. Upcoming Events and Tech Fair

The hosts highlight upcoming events, including Jay from Jacetwocents hosting the SoCal Tech Fair on May 3rd and 4th. The fair promises industry panels, raffles, sim rig challenges, and a garage sale featuring certified refurbished hardware.

• [68:12] Linus Sebastian: "There’s going to be some industry panels, raffles, sim rig challenge and so much fun stuff."

5. Discussion on Civilization 7

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to the anticipation and critique of Civilization 7 (Civ7). Both hosts express concerns over UI changes and potential depth issues compared to Civ5 and Civ6.

• [10:00] Linus Sebastian: "Have you heard any news about Civ7? I heard it kind of flopped, and then the first update was supposed to make it a lot better."

Luke reminisces about his positive experiences with Civ1 and Civ2, questioning whether modern iterations can recapture that magic.

• [11:18] Linus Sebastian: "Civ has been very similar for many years. I understand the desire."

6. Secret Shopper Series Returns

The Secret Shopper series makes a comeback, where Linus and the team anonymously purchase mid-range PCs from top North American system integrators to evaluate them across various criteria. This year's theme remains undisclosed but promises thorough testing and reviews.

• [99:46] Dan: "Don't look."
• [100:07] Dan: "The theme this year is Lilac Holmes and his trusty partner."

7. Nvidia's Open-Source Move on PhysX and Flow SDKs

In response to issues with their RTX 5000 series, Nvidia has decided to make PhysX and Flow SDKs completely open-source. This move aims to empower the modding community to create wrappers for newer cards, potentially extending support beyond Nvidia's hardware.

• [101:13] Luke Lafreniere: "False promises."
• [102:21] Luke Lafreniere: "A good guy. A lot of companies would just abandon this."

8. Shipping Challenges and Solutions

Linus discusses the complexities of international shipping, particularly for US and Canadian orders. The reliance on shipping consolidators like Wismo has led to packages routing through unexpected hubs like Germany before reaching destinations in South America. In anticipation of potential tariffs, the LTTstore's free shipping promotion serves as a buffer against escalating costs.

• [158:07] Linus Sebastian: "It goes to the US first because we use a shipping consolidator called Wismo."
• [159:03] Dan: "Doesn't make a lot of sense."
• [159:05] Linus Sebastian: "But that is not uncommon."

9. Whale Land: Evolving LAN Events

The hosts share their experiences with organizing LAN events under Whale Land, emphasizing the challenges of balancing BYOC (Bring Your Own Computer) and curated gaming experiences. Linus advocates for a more structured approach to maximize engagement and minimize distractions during gaming sessions.

• [74:35] Luke Lafreniere: "This is what we did."
• [83:19] Dan: "We’re not able to handle that."

10. Fun and Banter

Throughout the episode, Linus and Luke engage in lighthearted discussions about personal anecdotes, merchandise mishaps, and playful exchanges about their professional dynamics. These moments add a humorous undertone to the technical conversations, showcasing the hosts' camaraderie.

• [135:37] Linus Sebastian: "Let's put him away."
• [141:03] Dan: "God, you really are a bad person."

11. Conclusion and Final Announcements

As the episode winds down, Linus reiterates the ongoing promotions at the LTTstore, urging listeners to take advantage of the "Beat the Shipstorm" sale while supplies last. The hosts also tease upcoming content, including reviews of the latest tech products and potential future events.

• [137:03] Dan: "Nice."
• [147:24] Luke Lafreniere: "Yeah."

Key Takeaways:

• Tariff uncertainty is severely impacting the tech industry's margins, leading to sales suspensions and price adjustments across multiple companies.
• LTTstore's proactive measures through the "Beat the Shipstorm" promotion aim to mitigate potential losses from impending tariffs.
• Discussions around Civ7 highlight the community's concerns over innovation versus maintaining beloved gameplay mechanics.
• Nvidia's decision to open-source PhysX and Flow SDKs reflects a shift towards community-driven solutions in addressing technical challenges.
• Whale Land events are evolving to enhance participant engagement, moving away from purely BYOC setups towards more interactive and structured gaming experiences.

Listeners are encouraged to visit lttstore.com to explore current promotions and support the Linus Tech Tips community.