WAN Show Document - April 7, 2017

[Slick]

 

Soundcloud link: 

 

 

Nvidia releases the Titan Xp

Source 1: http://www.anandtech.com/show/11253/nvidia-announces-nvidia-titan-xp-full-gp102-for-1200

Source 2: Posted by kameshss https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/762770-updated-nvidia-release-a-new-titan-x-gpu-called-titan-xp/

• Compared to the last-generation GTX Titan X (Maxwell), NVIDIA has improved

  • GPU performance by 84%,

  • ROP throughput by 47%,

  • and memory bandwidth by 63%.

• Compared to the new 1080Ti, the Xp has:

  • 13% more memory bandwidth at 547.2GB/sec

  • 7% more shader/texture/geometry throughput and

  • 9% more ROP throughput.

• It’s $1200

 

Apple to begin making their own GPUs

Source 1: http://www.anandtech.com/show/11243/apple-developing-custom-gpu-dropping-imagination

Source 2:  https://www.wired.com/2017/04/apples-making-gpu-control-destiny/

 

• Apple has announced they will no longer be using their long-time GPU partner, Imagination, for new products 15 to 24 months from now.

• Apple is replacing Imagine’s GPU with “a separate, independent graphics design” built in-house

• But Imagine doubts that Apple will be able to make their own GPUs “without violating Imagination’s patents, intellectual property, and confidential information”

• Why does Apple need to make their own GPU? Apple is lagging behind competitors in GPU-heavy tasks such as:

  • Their Digital Assistant

  • Machine learning

  • Augmented and virtual reality.

• Imagination Technologies’ stock has crashed since the announcement; about half the company’s annual revenue came from Apple

Nvidia to Release Pascal Drivers for macOS

Source 1: http://www.anandtech.com/show/11254/nvidia-to-release-pascal-drivers-for-macos

Source 2: http://appleinsider.com/articles/17/04/06/nvidia-reveals-mac-pro-compatible-titan-xp-pci-e-gpu-macos-drivers-for-pascal-based-video-cards

 

• This is a surprising announcement since Apple hasn’t sold a Mac that can officially accept a PCIe video card in almost half a decade, locking NVIDIA out of the Mac video card market entirely.

• So who are these drivers for?

  • Within the Mac community there are small but vocal user groups based around unsupported external GPUs

    • While macOS doesn’t support external GPUs, it’s possible to use Macs with Thunderbolt eGFX chassis

  • It’s also possible to get macOS running on a custom-built PC

• Could this be the start of a grassroots campaign to get an NVIDIA GPU in the next iMac or Mac Pro?

 

YouTube updates Partner Program: 10,000 channel view minimum for Ads

Source 1:  Posted by WMGroomAK https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/762967-youtube-updating-partner-program-10000-channel-view-minimum-for-ads/

Source 2:  https://techcrunch.com/2017/04/06/youtube-will-now-block-ads-on-channels-with-under-10000-views/

 

• YouTube continues to take measures to help ensure ads aren’t placed next to questionable content

• Effective immediately, Youtube will not allow ads on channels that have fewer than 10,000 lifetime channel views (across all videos on that channel)

• A 10,000 view threshold means videos that are obscure and offensive enough to never find much of an audience won’t be included in the partner program.

• It’s also intended to block channels that steal content from other sources from deriving revenue from the platform.

• They’ve been working on this since November

 

Discuss Unskippable Ads

Source 1:  From Feb 2017

http://fortune.com/2017/02/17/youtube-unskippable-30-second-ads/

Source 2:

 

• YouTube will no longer play unskippable 30-second ads beginning in 2018.

• There's no suggestion the service will remove 15 or 20-second unskippable ads

 

UBC Researchers Create Sensors you can Fold and Stretch

Source 1: http://globalnews.ca/news/3312485/want-to-roll-up-your-smart-phone-canadian-technology-creates-foldable-sensor/

Source 2: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/ubc-researchers-touch-sensor-foldable-1.4026739

 

• Researchers at UBC have developed "the first transparent touch sensor that is still able to detect a touch while being actively deformed,"

• The technology could be used to help create devices such as foldable touch screens or wearable technology that conform to one's body.

• The sensor is made with widely available materials — gel and silicone.

• The researchers estimate it could cost as little as a dollar per square metre.

• Do our viewers want to see a tour of the lab?

 

Xbox Project Scorpio Specs Revealed

Source 1: posted by randomhkkid https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/762764-xbox-project-scorpio-revealed-mid-cycle-4k-console-revolution/

Source 2: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-04-07-project-scorpio-specs-games-vr-peripherals-backwards-compatibility-new-xbox

 

• Project Scorpio is a mid-generation upgrade to the Xbox One

• So all games and peripherals that run on an Xbox One today will work on the new system

• Other than VR games, there won't be any Project Scorpio exclusives

• It has:

  • Eight custom AMD CPU cores clocked at 2.3GHz

  • 326GB/s of memory bandwidth

  • 1172MHz GPU - with 40 customised compute units

  • 12GB GDDR5 memory

  • 1TB HDD

  • 4K UHD Blu-ray disc player

  • Native 4K gaming support

  • VR support

• It  also supports 1080P

  • developers won't necessarily have to use the extra processing power of Project Scorpio to hit 4K, and can channel it towards a better looking 1080p experience instead.

• Possible E3 2017 release for ~$499

 

Nintendo Switch consoles are warping when docked

Source 1: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/nintendo-switch-latest-users-warping-docked-extended-gaming-sessions-console-warps-a7664116.html

Source 2:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4378248/Nintendo-Switch-consoles-BENDING-docked-mode.html

 

• Reddit users have begun posting pictures of their Switches with slight bends in them after extended play sessions with the console docked.

• “Let’s just say it could spin on my desk easily because it is not flat”

• Nintendo support has been very responsive in trying to fix or replace the affected devices, providing pre-paid shipping labels.

• Some speculate that 3rd party docks with fans will become the norm

 

Google launches search results’ automatic “fact check” insertion globally

Source 1: https://arstechnica.com/business/2017/04/google-expands-automatic-fact-check-insertion-into-search-results/

Source 2:  https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/apr/07/google-to-display-fact-checking-labels-to-show-if-news-is-true-or-false

 

• Google has officially rolled out an automatic fact check tag program on its search pages.

• Small snippets display information about the claim made by a particular page and who made the claim, as well as the results of fact checking on the highlighted claim

• You’ll only see this if you specifically type in an oft-repeated claim.

  • For example if you search for the phrase "how many undocumented immigrants are in the United States," normal search results appear with a mix of answers and data points.

  • But searching specifically for "34 million undocumented immigrants" will bring up a fact-check box that credits President Donald Trump with that claim, along with a direct link to Politifact's "pants on fire" fact-check rating.

• The fact checks are not performed by Google, but by named trusted publishers and fact-checkers using an open system to mark claims as having been checked.

• The service has been rolled-out worldwide.

 

Facebook is trying to teach its users how to spot fake news

Source 1:  http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-tips-spotting-fake-news-2017-4

Source 2:  https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-04-06/facebook-starts-to-educate-users-on-how-to-spot-fake-news

 

• The social network is adding a box to the top of the newsfeed for users in 14 countries that offers to provide tips on "spotting false news."

• If the user decides to click on it, they're taken to Facebook's "Help Center," where it provides 10 tips for spotting fake news.

• It's not a permanent addition to Facebook — it'll only be there for a "few days," the company said in a blog post.

• They’re also working on more ways to flag to users that a post may be false, for example by making it easier for the community to report misleading content.

• Facebook is under particular pressure to deal with fake news in Europe. This week, Germany approved a bill to fine social networks up to €50 million if they don't remove fake news quickly enough.

 

Rapid Fire

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socks_and_sandals

 

Cyborgs at work: Swedish company offers employees microchip implants

Source 1: http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/cyborgs-at-work-swedish-company-offers-employees-microchip-implants-1.3352925

 

Source 2:  http://www.ndtv.com/world-news/some-swedish-workers-are-getting-microchips-implanted-in-their-hands-1678618

 

• The company offers to implant its workers with microchips the size of a grain of rice that function as swipe cards to open doors, operate printers, or buy smoothies with a wave of the hand.

• "The biggest benefit I think is convenience. It basically replaces a lot of things you have, other communication devices, whether it be credit cards or keys."

• The small implants use Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, the same as in contactless credit cards or mobile payments.

• While biologically safe, the data generated by the chips can show how often an employee comes to work or what they buy.

• Hackers could conceivably gain huge swathes of information from embedded microchips.

 

One-third of Americans are willing to eat lab-grown meat regularly

Source 1:  https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/04/one-third-of-americans-are-willing-to-eat-lab-grown-meat-regularly/

 

• Researchers are trying to get a sense of how big the market for InVitro Meat (IVM) is, so they asked 673 Americans.

• Roughly two-thirds of subjects said they’d be willing to try IVM

• One third thought it might become a regular part of their diets

• 79% of them were concerned that IVM would lack flavor or aesthetic appeal, though none of these subjects had ever eaten IVM before.

• ~25% had ethical concerns about eating IVM, which they worried was "unnatural."

• Men were slightly more likely to say they would try it than women

• Liberals and city-dwellers were more curious about IVM than conservatives, generally for ethical and environmental reasons.

• People with higher incomes thought IVM was "less ethical" and were less willing to try it than people with lower incomes.

• And though vegetarians and vegans were more likely to agree that IVM was ethical and better for the environment, they were also less willing to eat it than meat-eaters are.

 

U.S. Government drops its demand to reveal Twitter user’s identity

Source 1: https://techcrunch.com/2017/04/07/alt-uscis-twitter-homeland-security-cbp/

Source 2: http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/twitter-government-critical-account-1.4059550

 

• On March 14, Department of Homeland Security attempted to reveal the identity of the @ALT_uscis Twitter account, an account expressing opposition to U.S. President Donald Trump's immigration policies.

• The account is apparently run by at least one federal immigration employee

• Twitter responded by filing a federal lawsuit to block the order, citing freedom of speech as a basis for not turning over records

• Today in a filing, Twitter dropped its charges against the DHS after the government withdrew its request to the company.

 

America to take on Japan in Giant Mech Battle

Source 1: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/04/mega-bots-kuratas-battle-august/

Source 2: http://www.maxim.com/gear/megabot-robot-fighting-usa-japan-2016-9

 

• In 2015, a team of American engineers created the MegaBots Mk. II, a 15-foot-tall, 5,400kg, paintball cannon-armed mech.

• This prompted Japanese company Suidobashi Heavy Industries to issue a fight-to-the-death challenge with its own 13-foot-tall mech called Kuratas

• The Mk II was then upgraded by a $500,000 Kickstarter campaign

• This August, the revamped MegaBots Mk. III will battle Kuratas at an as yet undisclosed location

• The Mk. III stands 16ft tall, weighs 10,000kg, and will sport an arsenal that includes an over-sized chainsaw and ripsaw.

• A recent video shows the skeleton of Mk. III picking up a car and waving it around in what appears to be a terrifying first look at our apocalyptic future.

 

Android devices can be fatally hacked by malicious Wi-Fi networks

Source 1: https://arstechnica.com/security/2017/04/wide-range-of-android-phones-vulnerable-to-device-hijacks-over-wi-fi/

Source 2: https://smartphones.gadgethacks.com/news/project-zero-finds-iphone-android-open-bugs-broadcoms-wi-fi-chips-0176947/

 

• The vulnerability resides in a widely used Wi-Fi chipset manufactured by Broadcom and used in both iOS and Android devices.

• Apple patched the vulnerability with Monday's release of iOS 10.3.1.

• The Google Project Zero researcher who discovered the flaw said it allowed the execution of malicious code on a fully updated 6P "by Wi-Fi proximity alone, requiring no user interaction."

• Google is in the process of releasing an update in its April security bulletin.

  • The fix is available only to a select number of device models, and even then it can take two weeks or more to be available as an over-the-air update to those who are eligible.

• The proof-of-concept exploit uses Wi-Fi frames that contain irregular values. The values, in turn, cause the firmware running on Broadcom's wireless system-on-chip to overflow its stack.

 

Microsoft reveals just what Windows 10 Telemetry data is collecting

Source 1: Posted by GoodBytes https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/762353-microsoft-shares-what-it-collectes-in-windows-10-telemetry-data/

Source 2: https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/04/microsoft-opens-up-on-windows-telemetry-tells-us-most-of-what-data-it-collects/

 

• In the Windows 10 Creators Update, Microsoft made it so that the privacy related options are displayed when you install the OS for the first time

• The user must engage with their privacy settings: No more "Express" or "Custom" will be presented

• Microsoft has extended the documentation within the product and online to be clearer and more explicit about what each privacy option controls and what the consequences are of turning the options on and off.

• Microsoft also shared exactly what they collect in a lengthy Privacy Statement (see Source)

[Energycore]

The Apple making their own GPUs might be related to Raja Koduri working for them before joining RTG

[Gaurav S Rao]

Windows Vista Support Ends in 3 days,im still rocking windows vista 

 

[Daniel644]

12 minutes ago, Gaurav S Rao said:

Windows Vista Support Ends in 3 days,im still rocking windows vista 

 

[Cameron Turner]

What was the video that LTT did, that had the copyright claim on it, that they thought was fair use?

[Daniel644]

2 minutes ago, Cameron Turner said:

What was the video that LTT did, that had the copyright claim on it, that they thought was fair use?

His "is 4k HDR Worth it" or whatever it was titled where he compared 4k HDR movies on the super high end OLED LG sent him.

[jeetsagar]

24 minutes ago, Daniel644 said:

His "is 4k HDR Worth it" or whatever it was titled where he compared 4k HDR movies on the super high end OLED LG sent him.

When was it released? Was it the one with people playing chess in a movie?

[Daniel644]

12 minutes ago, jeetsagar said:

When was it released? Was it the one with people playing chess in a movie?

It was the reason I decided to get an Xbox One S (despite Linus's opinion on 4k in a living room scale), I had initially decided NOT to get one because it wasn't supporting Dolby Atmos, but in the video they said an Atmos update was coming so I decided to go ahead and get it.

[Granular]

What information that the world needs is Facebook the gatekeeper to? As someone who's never had a Facebook account, I'm curious.

[Master Disaster]

Apple have offered Kepler & Maxwell support through external drivers for years now, its not like the Pascal drivers will be new drivers, they'll simply be adding Pascal support to the existing drivers.

 

Also Apple are making a new Mac that will support swappable hardware, it will be released under the Mac Pro line at some point after mid 2018.

[kameshss]

dayum. got featured on WAN show again

[Deusrex]

I saw the whole free speech thing and I agree for the most part but the only question I would ask is how big does Facebook Google and Twitter have to be before they are the public square; At what point does it cross over to being censorship?

 

If I have a video with criticism of my government and Google deems it "fake news" then where else am I going to publish it? Liveleak, Vimmo, Pornhub? Not to say those platforms are bad but they're not for mass consumption, and not where those ideas will be seen or discussed.

 

Ultimately I don't like lies informing public opinion, but I don't want to squash public debate either, which is what I think the bigger problem is, this insulation of opposing ideas if everyone you know is on the same "team" no one us going to raise questions.

[Tieox]

I wonder if Apples next Mac Pro will have RGB? and if not will Linus add RGB? because RGB.