WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:07.759 I once thought that the Monopoly man had a Monopoly, but then I remembered it's a 00:00:05.279 --> 00:00:13.840 fourplayer game, but then I remembered he's not even playing it. So, what is he 00:00:10.240 --> 00:00:15.679 doing there? Anyway, tech news. The US 00:00:13.840 --> 00:00:21.199 government has officially approved the sale of NVIDIA's H200 accelerator cards 00:00:18.320 --> 00:00:25.519 to China with a few caveats. Under the new rules, shipments are only allowed to 00:00:23.199 --> 00:00:30.960 be sold to approved customers, require third-party reviews of every unit sold, 00:00:28.000 --> 00:00:35.600 and come with a 25% kickback to Uncle Sam. On paper, this means it's all good 00:00:33.760 --> 00:00:39.520 news for Chinese companies that have been struggling for the last year to get 00:00:37.120 --> 00:00:44.160 them into the country, except for one very important piece of bad news. 00:00:41.760 --> 00:00:49.440 According to Reuters sources, Chinese customs were quietly told this week that 00:00:46.640 --> 00:00:54.160 H200 chips are not permitted to enter the country and domestic tech firms were 00:00:51.760 --> 00:00:59.280 summoned and warned not to buy them unless absolutely necessary. Officials 00:00:56.480 --> 00:01:04.479 didn't clarify if this is a full ban, a temporary pause, or something being 00:01:01.280 --> 00:01:06.720 stalled until an upcoming US China talk, 00:01:04.479 --> 00:01:12.400 but it is funny to see China blocking the same cards that the country was 00:01:08.880 --> 00:01:14.560 originally banned from buying. But why? 00:01:12.400 --> 00:01:19.040 China probably doesn't want to rely on Western tech, but you don't know. Maybe 00:01:16.799 --> 00:01:24.720 they're joining the ranks of the AI doomers that are really harshing NVIDIA 00:01:21.680 --> 00:01:27.119 CEO Jensen Wong's vibe lately. Mocking 00:01:24.720 --> 00:01:31.920 these hardworking tech bros is, according to Jensen, extremely hurtful, 00:01:29.840 --> 00:01:36.079 and it's even causing some of them to secondguess whether blindly investing 00:01:34.079 --> 00:01:40.560 our entire economy into an unproven technology that still hallucinates 00:01:37.840 --> 00:01:42.400 nonsense half the time is worth it at all. 00:01:41.360 --> 00:01:47.680 >> Extremely hurtful. >> They're thinking about morality and stuff. Icky. 00:01:46.159 --> 00:01:51.920 Speaking of investing our entire economy, Microsoft just announced a 00:01:49.759 --> 00:01:56.320 community first approach to AI data centers, pledging to pay their fair 00:01:53.680 --> 00:02:01.360 share of electricity costs so your power bill doesn't spike every time someone 00:01:58.479 --> 00:02:05.680 asks Co-Pilot how to uninstall Copilot. In a blog post by Microsoft President 00:02:03.520 --> 00:02:09.840 Brad Smith, the company outlined five commitments. First, they'll ask 00:02:07.759 --> 00:02:13.599 utilities to set electricity rates high enough to cover data center 00:02:11.440 --> 00:02:17.200 infrastructure costs. basically volunteering to pay what they probably 00:02:15.360 --> 00:02:21.440 should have been paying all along. Smith wrote that it's both unfair and 00:02:19.520 --> 00:02:25.520 politically unrealistic for our industry to ask the public to shoulder added 00:02:23.280 --> 00:02:29.599 electricity costs for AI. This is a guy that works for Microsoft. Are we sure? 00:02:27.440 --> 00:02:34.959 This came one day after President Trump posted on Truth Social that AI companies 00:02:32.239 --> 00:02:40.640 must pay their own way. He also reminded everyone that America is the hottest 00:02:37.519 --> 00:02:42.720 country in the world, which obviously. 00:02:40.640 --> 00:02:47.360 Have you ever even seen the Appalachian Mountains? They got got. I could hike 00:02:45.280 --> 00:02:51.040 the Cumberland Gap all day, if you know what I'm saying. I want to those 00:02:49.040 --> 00:02:55.360 mountains. Microsoft also committed to community development through providing 00:02:52.800 --> 00:03:01.280 training programs for AI technology, and achieving 40% better water efficiency by 00:02:58.000 --> 00:03:04.080 2030, funding $25 million in water 00:03:01.280 --> 00:03:11.280 infrastructure for Leburg, Virginia, and not requesting local tax breaks. Oh, 00:03:07.599 --> 00:03:13.360 good for you paying your taxes. Uh, now 00:03:11.280 --> 00:03:17.360 can you maybe I don't know, stop pumping Windows full of ads 00:03:15.599 --> 00:03:21.840 myself? Yeah. Yeah. Okay, that's fair. NVIDIA is reportedly cutting back on 00:03:19.360 --> 00:03:26.879 higher VRAM graphics cards and doubling down on 8 GB models as memory shortages 00:03:25.120 --> 00:03:31.360 continue to squeeze the [music] market. According to supply chain chatter from 00:03:29.040 --> 00:03:37.599 Chinese forum board channels, NVIDIA is expected to ramp up production of 8 GB 00:03:34.080 --> 00:03:40.400 RTX 5060 and 560Ti models this year 00:03:37.599 --> 00:03:44.159 while quietly scaling back the 16 GB variants. The reason should feel 00:03:42.080 --> 00:03:49.120 familiar by now. Ongoing memory constraints around GDDR6 and 7 are 00:03:46.879 --> 00:03:53.040 making larger VRAM configurations harder to source and significantly more 00:03:50.959 --> 00:03:57.519 expensive, especially in the low to mid-range markets where margins are 00:03:55.040 --> 00:04:02.159 apparently already tight. From NVIDIA's perspective, the move could be pretty 00:03:59.519 --> 00:04:06.239 pragmatic. Shipping more 8 GB cards would allow them to say they're trying 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:10.480 to keep prices lower, although the same post indicates that more price increases 00:04:08.799 --> 00:04:14.560 could be on the way, too. I just hope they're not cutting costs even more by 00:04:12.400 --> 00:04:18.239 claiming they've got 8 gigs when they've really got less. Like, are they 00:04:15.840 --> 00:04:21.680 measuring from the base or the bus interface? Sometimes when people are 00:04:20.160 --> 00:04:24.960 compensating for something, they pay for a bigger tool. I mean, hey, who who 00:04:23.199 --> 00:04:28.800 wouldn't take an extra gig or two? That's probably exactly what happened 00:04:26.479 --> 00:04:35.440 when 42 people found the deal of the century on RTX5090s listed at a 00:04:32.160 --> 00:04:36.880 measily,000 bucks on Amazon. Wow. 00:04:35.440 --> 00:04:41.840 Imagine their surprise when they received a package full of fanny packs 00:04:39.120 --> 00:04:45.040 instead. Mind you, a fanny pack would be a perfect thing to bring along on a 00:04:43.280 --> 00:04:49.520 journey with our sponsor. Thinking about getting an eim for something? Try SY. 00:04:47.600 --> 00:04:53.120 They freaking rule. It's the smarter way to stay connected while traveling. You 00:04:51.360 --> 00:04:58.240 download your eSIM once and use it across over 200 destinations. No weird 00:04:55.759 --> 00:05:02.000 local SIM cards and no roaming fees. I freaking hate roaming fees. SE's got 00:05:00.160 --> 00:05:06.960 global or regional plans that are compatible with both iOS and Android and 00:05:04.240 --> 00:05:10.960 let you enjoy 24/7 support so you can travel worry-f free. You're flying here, 00:05:08.960 --> 00:05:15.039 you're flying there, you got a good eim anywhere. With SY, you're always online 00:05:13.280 --> 00:05:19.440 affordably and securely. Plus, you can get an exclusive 15% discount on sale 00:05:17.360 --> 00:05:23.440 eim data plans right now. Download the SY app and use code tech at checkout. 00:05:21.919 --> 00:05:28.320 The Quickbits have a favorite board game, Hungry Hungry Hippos. It's all 00:05:26.560 --> 00:05:34.000 about speed and feral intimidation displays. Meta 00:05:31.199 --> 00:05:39.600 just laid off over 1,000 Reality Labs employees and shut down three VR game 00:05:36.880 --> 00:05:43.600 studios, Twisted Pixel, Szaroo, and Armature. A Meta spokesperson said 00:05:41.759 --> 00:05:49.440 they're shifting investment from metaverse stuff towards wearables and 00:05:46.560 --> 00:05:55.440 AI. The pivot is partially due to demand for Ray-B band meta glasses being on 00:05:52.160 --> 00:05:58.080 course for the moon, while Reality Labs 00:05:55.440 --> 00:06:02.720 has lost over 70 billion dollars since 2021. As they shift their priorities 00:06:00.560 --> 00:06:07.919 moving forward, they plan instead to lose that money on AI and more cool 00:06:05.680 --> 00:06:12.639 chains to make Zuck seem a little bit less like an alien. The music hosting 00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:18.080 and publishing site Band Camp has banned AI generated music entirely. Any use of 00:06:15.919 --> 00:06:22.319 AI to impersonate artists is also prohibited. And Band Camp reserves the 00:06:20.160 --> 00:06:26.319 right to remove content on suspicion of being AI generated. DID YOU HEAR THAT 00:06:24.560 --> 00:06:31.199 BREAKING RUST? You're going to have to get your millions OF LISTENS ON SPOTIFY. 00:06:28.639 --> 00:06:36.960 BAND CAMP DON'T WANT YOU. GOD, I WISH I COULD quit you. The policy also bans 00:06:33.919 --> 00:06:39.600 training AI models on Band Camp content. 00:06:36.960 --> 00:06:45.440 That's why all my experimental newwave Prague trash electronic disco funk pop 00:06:42.160 --> 00:06:47.360 music is only going on Band Camp. Cannot 00:06:45.440 --> 00:06:54.479 let these robots hear my bleeps and bloops lest they become too strong. GOG 00:06:51.280 --> 00:06:57.039 owner Mikal Kisinsk, I tried, announced 00:06:54.479 --> 00:07:01.360 his intent to go toe-to-toe with Steam this week, stating that Steam's market 00:06:59.120 --> 00:07:05.680 domination actually makes it easier to take market share from them, which makes 00:07:03.680 --> 00:07:10.960 total sense as long as you don't think about it at all. Kasinski isn't planning 00:07:08.160 --> 00:07:15.599 to challenge Steam on AAA releases like Epic tried to do. Instead, he's focusing 00:07:13.520 --> 00:07:20.639 on deals with smaller developers and publishers like indie devro lane, who 00:07:18.479 --> 00:07:26.560 announced that he is delisting his free roglike card game, Hardest from Steam on 00:07:23.599 --> 00:07:31.120 January 30th because it used AI art and his girlfriend of one month convinced 00:07:28.240 --> 00:07:35.120 him AI is unethical. We here at Techlink applaud the move and just want to say 00:07:33.120 --> 00:07:38.800 congratulations to Lane for getting a girl to listen to you talk about your 00:07:36.960 --> 00:07:42.960 computer card game long enough for her to have an opinion on it. Police 00:07:40.319 --> 00:07:47.280 departments using Flock Safety's license plate surveillance system accidentally 00:07:44.960 --> 00:07:51.680 leaked millions of surveillance targets by failing to redact license plate data 00:07:49.520 --> 00:07:56.319 in public records releases. The unredacted Flock safety audit logs have 00:07:54.240 --> 00:08:01.520 been compiled into a searchable website called have Ibenflock.com which now 00:07:58.879 --> 00:08:06.000 contains 2.3 million license plates and reveals sensitive information including 00:08:03.599 --> 00:08:10.240 search reasons, active investigations, and the surveillance targets. Flock 00:08:08.240 --> 00:08:14.240 responded by frantically trying to take the website down and threatening the 00:08:12.080 --> 00:08:18.319 website creator, claiming intellectual property violations and public safety 00:08:16.400 --> 00:08:22.639 concerns. Because as we all know, your license plate number and police data is 00:08:20.639 --> 00:08:26.720 in fact the property of an incompetent mass surveillance company. Fun fact. And 00:08:24.560 --> 00:08:34.320 you can now put a deposit on a hotel room on the moon. A startup called Grew 00:08:30.560 --> 00:08:37.120 Space is taking $1,000 non-refundable 00:08:34.320 --> 00:08:43.120 applications towards future lunar hotel reservations priced anywhere from 00:08:39.200 --> 00:08:45.839 250,000 to 1 million big ones. That 00:08:43.120 --> 00:08:52.959 those are refundable supposedly. Listen up. We are going to steal 00:08:50.000 --> 00:08:58.560 RENTAL DEPOSITS ON THE MOON. I don't know. The pitch is luxury accommodation 00:08:55.839 --> 00:09:05.120 in orbit adjacent real estate made from inflatable habitats and moon bricks 00:09:02.000 --> 00:09:08.560 constructed from lunar regolith formed 00:09:05.120 --> 00:09:10.720 by geopolymers whatever that means. It's 00:09:08.560 --> 00:09:15.760 the moon. Currently the goal is to do their first launch at some point in the 00:09:12.880 --> 00:09:19.839 next decade. Grrew is also hiring a single engineer to help design the 00:09:17.839 --> 00:09:26.279 entire lunar habitat because there's only one guy who could possibly do that 00:09:21.760 --> 00:09:26.279 job. Dr. Nefario. 00:09:26.560 --> 00:09:32.880 It's a reference. There's been a murder. Ha. Just kidding. That was just a clue 00:09:31.279 --> 00:09:38.160 for what would happen if you don't come back on Friday for more tech news. Clue. 00:09:35.440 --> 00:09:40.399 A board game. All right. But anyway, see you.