TikTok: The Everything App (We Don’t Want) - TechLinked Sept 15, 2023

[JakobRush]

 

 

GEN Z: THE EVERYTHING APP

TikTok fined $368m for mishandling child data

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/9/15/eu-regulator-slaps-tiktok-with-368m-fine-for-violating-privacy-laws

https://www.dataprotection.ie/en/news-media/press-releases/DPC-announces-345-million-euro-fine-of-TikTok

https://www.axios.com/2023/09/15/tiktok-fine-europe-children-data-privacy

Which isn’t good especially because young people are using TikTok for everything

https://techcrunch.com/2023/09/12/tiktok-shop-officially-launches-in-the-u-s/

https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/introducing-tiktok-shop

Searching stuff there instead of Google – TikTok added Wikipedia blurbs

https://searchengineland.com/tiktok-wikipedia-snippets-search-results-431962

https://www.insiderintelligence.com/content/tiktok-elevates-its-search-game-gen-z-by-integrating-wikipedia-results
 

AI IS TAKING OUR CARDS

Rumors suggest there won’t be Radeon RX 8800s or 8900s

https://www.techspot.com/news/100112-leaks-suggest-there-wont-radeon-rx-8800-or.html

Focusing on mid-range market https://www.techradar.com/computing/gpu/amd-could-be-shifting-to-focus-on-the-mid-range-gpu-market-heres-why-thats-a-good-thing

According to credible GPU leaker Kepler https://twitter.com/Kepler_L2/status/1687388515670056960

Reason may be focusing on AI accelerators; limited fab space https://twitter.com/BitsAndChipsEng/status/1700089047656395084

Probably no reason to panic; soon there will be more fab space, GPUs falling back a node might not be too bad; Nvidia stuck to the same node with Maxwell in 2014 and it was good https://www.pcgamer.com/amd-rumoured-to-favour-future-ai-chip-production-over-gpus-but-its-probably-no-reason-to-panic/

 

LIAN LI IS NOT A PHAN

Lian Li launches patent infringement lawsuit against Phanteks

https://www.tomshardware.com/news/lian-li-vs-phanteks-pc-brands-battle-over-rgb-fan-connector-patent

Lian Li patent on “An illumination fan connectable with at least one illumination fan for a computer” https://patents.justia.com/patent/10690336

Basically they take issue with daisy-chaining RGB fans without cables

https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/lian-li-files-patent-infringement-lawsuit-against-phanteks/

Phanteks denies the allegations https://www.pcmag.com/news/phanteks-denies-stealing-pc-fan-design-approach-from-lian-li

 

QUICK BITS

 

WE DON’T FIXIT

Google iFixit partnership has some failings, though there are parts for Pixel tablet

https://www.engadget.com/google-expands-its-ifixit-partnership-by-offering-parts-for-pixel-tablet-repairs-122600528.html

Nothing for pixel watch https://gizmodo.com/google-wont-offer-pixel-watch-parts-for-repairs-1850842733

Not only are there no parts, Google can’t even repair them https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/09/11-months-after-launch-googles-pixel-watch-still-has-no-path-to-repair/

owners are told they have to buy a new one if the screen cracks https://support.google.com/googlepixelwatch/thread/221719013/pixel-watch-cracked-screen?hl=en

 

E-WASTE DELAYED SLIGHTLY

Google giving Chromebooks 10 years of updates

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/09/google-extends-chromebook-support-from-8-years-to-10-after-heightened-backlash/

Google’s announcement https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/education/automatic-update-extension-chromebook/

https://9to5google.com/2023/09/14/chromebook-10-years-updates/

 

COMPUTER EQUIVALENT OF A SPORF

$5,000 HP Spectre Fold

https://gizmodo.com/hp-spectre-fold-5000-foldable-tablet-laptop-desktop-1850835921

It’s a laptop! It’s a tablet! It’s a…desktop? https://press.hp.com/us/en/press-releases/2023/hp-spectre-foldable-pc.html

Specs https://lmg.gg/Wzn7e  (CNET)

https://www.pcmag.com/articles/first-look-hps-spectre-foldable-wants-to-be-your-laptop-tablet-and-desktop

 

ALMOST A MODERN PROCESSOR

Nintendo Switch 2 rumors

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Controversial-Nintendo-Switch-2-chip-manufacturing-process-claimed-by-reputable-leaker-in-T239-reaffirmation.750881.0.html

Kepler tweeted Nvidia GitHub repo https://twitter.com/Kepler_L2/status/1701315596384657727

contains codename of chip allegedly for Switch 2 https://github.com/NVIDIA/open-gpu-doc/blob/919c4fbec89bfcaea2ccfef20fa2be4825bd72ee/classes/3d/README.txt#L100

Fellow leaker kopite7kimi corroborates the T239, states node is Samsung 8nm https://twitter.com/kopite7kimi/status/1702159285743227169

Apparently a custom Orin chip; they’re typically for automotive applications https://www.techpowerup.com/313564/nintendo-switch-2-to-feature-nvidia-ampere-gpu-with-dlss

Many people think Sept 14^th Nintendo Direct lineup confirms Switch 2 release next year https://screenrant.com/nintendo-direct-confirmed-switch-2-2024-realease-date/

 

 

VOMIT FREE SINCE 2023

US Military HoloLens moves onto next phase

https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/virtual-reality/hololens-for-the-us-military-isnt-dead-thanks-to-next-phase-approval

Worked well in new test

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/microsoft-s-tweaked-army-goggles-worked-well-in-new-test-us-says-1.1970912

No barfing https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/13/23871859/us-army-microsoft-ivas-ar-goggles-success-new-contract-hololens