The WAN Show – "We Know Why No One's Watching LTT"

Date: September 19, 2025
Hosts: Linus Sebastian, Luke Lafreniere, Dan

Overview

This episode of The WAN Show dives into some of the most current (and contentious) happenings in the technology world, opening with the “YouTube viewpocalypse” saga—an unexplained drop in YouTube viewership affecting tech creators—and digging into the impact of ad blockers, speculation on Reddit, major industry moves like Nvidia’s $5 billion investment in Intel, ASUS laptop firmware woes, hands-on with Windows handheld gaming mode, and more. Linus and Luke trade stories, frustrations, and laughs, sharing direct, candid takes with listeners throughout.

Major Topics and Timestamps

1. The "YouTube Viewpocalypse" – What Happened to LTT's Views?

[12:54–37:47]

• What’s going on:
  Linus and Luke address recent catastrophic drops in YouTube traffic (“viewpocalypse”) amongst tech creators, digging into speculation that it was caused by YouTube, ad blockers, or various algorithm changes.

• YouTube’s response:
  On September 15th, YouTube published a blog post denying widespread systemic issues, noting view drops may just be cyclical, but quietly referencing ad blocker list changes as a possible factor.

• Ad blocker theory proves true:
  GitHub user “Scratchy” found a change to the Easy Privacy List (used by many ad blockers) was blocking YouTube’s view counter, meaning views weren’t being registered from users with ad blocking enabled.

• Impact:
  This disproportionately hurt creators with tech-savvy audiences (who are more likely to use ad blockers), causing view data to collapse, affecting sponsorship, revenue, and even pushing smaller creators to consider quitting.

• Resolution:
  The block was removed Sept. 17th, but the situation remains in flux. Uncertainty persists as some block list maintainers deny causing the problem.

• Memorable quote:

  • Linus:

    “By posting it to Reddit, the crappy thing about the way that platform works is that all it takes is for a bunch of people who are realistically not reading very carefully to go, I don’t know. Yeah, that seems like kind of plausible and it adds credibility to it. But there was no credibility.” [05:00]

  • Luke:

    “I talked to a non insignificant amount of people that reached out because they were like, I really hope you have some information because if you don’t, I might be quitting this as a profession.” [23:55]

Additional insights:

• The “get good” response:
  Linus and Luke joke about how YouTube often responds to creators with declining views by telling them, basically: “improve your content”—which isn’t always possible when the actual cause is technical.

• Difficult choices:
  Revenue at LMG is now mostly from LTT Store, but small creators remain incredibly vulnerable to disruptions like this.

• On ad blocking:
  Linus:

  “The very, very simple fact that ad blocking is circumventing the method of payment that exists for the content. So is functionally piracy. And you need to understand the impact of your actions.” [21:40]

2. Community Speculation, Misinformation, and the Reddit Vortex

[02:48–12:54]

• Frustration with Reddit:
  Linus vents about rampant speculation on Reddit threads—especially a claim that the LTT Mod Mat’s delay was due to “pending legal action,” which was completely made up but highly upvoted. Attempts to clarify were downvoted.

• The problem:
  Wild speculation quickly becomes “accepted fact,” and negative rumors gain traction independent of reality, harming reputations and community well-being.

• Notable quote:
  Linus (on irresponsible speculation):

  “Just because you think does not therefore mean you are. It just means that you had a keyboard…. You are a random person who knows literally nothing about the situation and just said a random thing that you pulled out of your ass. And now, now that's a thing that exists.” [05:00]

• Policy temptation:
  Linus contemplates stricter moderation to curb speculation, especially around sensitive company matters, but laments the persistent issue.

• Example: Luke’s travel:
  Luke shares a story about a Reddit thread flaming his travel choices based on a misunderstanding—a mistake only corrected deep in the thread, after misinformation had already “gone viral.” [08:10]

3. Nvidia Invests $5 Billion in Intel

[37:47–53:41]

• What happened:
  Nvidia invested $5 billion in Intel common stock, joining the US government (who recently invested $8.9 billion) as a major Intel shareholder.

• Why it matters:
  This move will see Nvidia and Intel co-develop new x86 CPUs (with Nvidia GPU chiplets) for the data center and consumer markets. Speculation runs wild on whether Nvidia seeks a route to x86 product access or is just shoring up Intel to preserve competition.

• AMD impact:
  Jokingly described as “bad news for AMD” as Nvidia and Intel collaborate where neither could beat AMD alone.

• Industry health:
  Both agree this is akin to Microsoft investing in Apple in the 90s, keeping competition alive for a healthier tech ecosystem.

• Notable moment:
  Linus:

  “The tech industry is healthier when Intel is healthy. There is no question, no question of that whatsoever.” [47:04]

4. ASUS Laptop Firmware Scandal

[122:42–130:13]

• The issue:
  For years, users have reported stuttering, freezing, and audio hiccups on ASUS Strix, Scar, and Zephyrus laptops—across Windows and Linux. Traditional fixes did nothing.

• The investigation:
  Researcher Zefkek’s deep-dive: Found high DPC latency within the firmware’s ACPI system, caused by a scheduled handler running every 30-60 seconds. The culprit: A task scheduler inside an interrupt handler that holds CPU cores “hostage,” with damaging, redundant power management routines.

• Scope:
  Affects millions of devices since 2021. Fixing will require sweeping firmware updates, even for out-of-warranty machines.

• Notable quote:
  Luke:

  “Zefkek extracted and decompiled the ACPI tables…finding code he says violated several fundamental principles of firmware and kernel programming. Oof.” [125:47]

• ASUS response:
  Official statement: “We’re investigating.”

5. Hands-on: Windows Handheld Gaming Mode

[70:02–85:06]

• Hands-on demo:
  Linus navigates the new Windows handheld gaming mode on an ROG Ally X. The UI is console-style, snappy, and integrates both Xbox and Steam libraries fluidly. Cloud gaming works well; switching between games and the desktop is quick and seamless.

• Notable moment:
  “That was a very Xbox console-like experience. So if I had an Xbox button, it would be that quick to go back home. That's pretty cool. I like that.” [79:02]

• Summary:
  The feature, in preview for Windows 1125H2, delivers on making Windows feel truly convenient for portable gaming devices.

Other Significant Segments

Debating Smart Glasses and Privacy

[95:32–103:27]

• Meta Ray Ban Display:
  New smart glasses offer high-brightness AR, neural wristband control, and live caption/translate.
• Privacy debate:
  Both hosts are wary due to Meta’s track record. Linus remarks that only companies like Facebook have enough data to power features like facial recognition Rolodex—“Would you actually use it if it came from them?”

“Eggshell” Paint Rant

[11:26–12:54]
Linus explodes on a floatplane chat comment misusing “eggshell” as a paint color, not a finish.
Quote: “Eggshell is not a fucking color. Have you ever seen an egg? …Eggshell is a paint finish. It is a surface sheen.”

Community Showcases

[67:18–69:47]
Highlighting small creators, like Just James Channel, who create inventive hardware mods.

Merch & Store Sale

[53:54–57:56]

• “Defragging” warehouse sale; a chaotic ad-libbed segment highlighting steep discounts and a warehouse clear-out.
• Explanation of “merch messages” for live interaction.

Reddit and Speculation Rant

[02:48–12:54]
Linus rails against Reddit speculation and the spread of misinformation, echoing themes of digital responsibility and community moderation.

Q&A Highlights / Aftershow Topics

[131:40–end]

• How LTT/Floatplane approaches platform upgrades, creator requests, and operational tradeoffs.
• Ruminations on security, privacy, and user friction within tech companies.
• The sustainability of digital media, floatplane’s platform philosophy, and more.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On rumor mill speculation:
  “You are a random person who knows literally nothing about the situation and just said a random thing that you pulled out of your ass. And now, now that's a thing that exists.” – Linus, [05:00]

• On ad blocking:
  “Ad blocking is circumventing the method of payment that exists for the content. So is functionally piracy. And you need to understand the impact of your actions.” – Linus, [21:40]

• On Nvidia–Intel deal:
  “The tech industry is healthier when Intel is healthy. There is no question, no question of that whatsoever.” – Linus, [47:04]

• On smart glasses:
  “Would you buy the product that you want…if it came from Facebook? Bearing in mind…almost no other company on earth would have enough personal information from everyone to build it.” – Linus, [100:59]

• On ASUS laptop findings:
  “Zefkek extracted and decompiled the ACPI tables provided by the BIOS to the operating system, finding code he says violated several fundamental principles of firmware and kernel programming. Oof.” – Luke, [125:47]

Tone and Style

• Direct, irreverent, unscripted—Linus and Luke’s authentic banter, candid frustration (with big tech, speculation, community drama), humor (frequent asides and self-roasts), and a healthy mix of deep technical dives and “off-the-rails” energy.
• Highly interactive—integrates chat commentary, Q&A, and on-the-spot rants.
• Community-minded—highlights creators, addresses real problems for tech workers and enthusiasts.
• Long-form—topics are explored in depth, often looping back to broader industry and cultural trends.

Conclusion

If you haven’t listened, this WAN Show is a lively, deep, and sometimes chaotic journey through both tech news and community culture. Expect strong opinions, inside baseball on creator economics, hard truths about misinformation, and practical windows into the lives of those running large public tech communities. The episode weaves together breaking news, industry insight, and a sense of fun, holding both YouTube and its own audience to a high standard—even while treading through existential platform-wide crises.

Want to skip to a topic?

• Reddit/Community Speculation: [02:48–12:54]
• YouTube Viewpocalypse: [12:54–37:47]
• Nvidia/Intel Industry Shake-Up: [37:47–53:41]
• Windows Gaming Mode Demo: [70:02–85:06]
• ASUS Laptop Firmware Disaster: [122:42–130:13]

Note: Ads, full intro/outro, and some lighter product plug sections have been omitted from this summary for clarity.