{"video_id":"fp_0s9XHUyFQ3","title":"CS2 item market implosion, Clippy returns,  Xbox issues (Halo on PS5) + more!","channel":"TechLinked","show":"TechLinked","published_at":"2025-10-25T04:38:00.043Z","duration_s":496,"segments":[{"start_s":0.0,"end_s":4.08,"text":"The most precious substance in the universe is tech news.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":4.08,"end_s":7.36,"text":"He who controls the tech news controls the universe.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":7.36,"end_s":13.68,"text":"The tech news must flow. Valve has pushed out what they described as a small update","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":13.68,"end_s":17.36,"text":"to Counter-Strike 2 that wiped out nearly $2 billion","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":17.36,"end_s":22.0,"text":"from the game's player-driven economy overnight. The October patch quietly changed","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":22.0,"end_s":26.14,"text":"how trade-up contracts work. Instead of having to buy expensive stuff,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":26.14,"end_s":30.14,"text":"you could just trade in a bundle of cheap crap for ultra-rare knives.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":30.14,"end_s":35.04,"text":"This deen-deen-deen-deen-deen-deen update single-handedly detonated the steam community market","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":35.04,"end_s":38.12,"text":"overnight sending the value of long-horted items","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":38.12,"end_s":43.38,"text":"into freefall. Bloomberg reports total losses of over $1.75 billion","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":43.38,"end_s":47.32,"text":"in under 24 hours. In perhaps the greatest redistribution of wealth","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":47.32,"end_s":52.52,"text":"NVIDIA game history, well-to-do players on social media are showing several thousands in losses","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":52.52,"end_s":58.92,"text":"whilst the little guys are actually coming out ahead. One lucky user's inventory of previously low-tiered skins","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":58.92,"end_s":62.48,"text":"is currently being valued at three million US dollars.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":62.48,"end_s":67.2,"text":"But why did Valve do this? Well, this would stimulate a bunch of transactions","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":67.2,"end_s":70.28,"text":"and they do make a kickback off of each sale,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":70.28,"end_s":73.48,"text":"but Valve wouldn't do that, right?","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":73.48,"end_s":78.52,"text":"No, no. Literally no, they must have some other reason.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":78.52,"end_s":82.8,"text":"But maybe. Microsoft just pinched off its fall co-pilot release","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":82.8,"end_s":90.0,"text":"and amongst a handful of updates for Edge, they introduced Miko, a new optional visual presence.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":90.24,"end_s":95.08,"text":"It didn't take long for every tech news site to draw parallels between Microsoft's blobby new mascot","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":95.08,"end_s":98.08,"text":"and Clippy, Microsoft's old office assistant.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":98.08,"end_s":102.28,"text":"I'm not sure Miko can become as beloved or memed on as Clippy,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":102.28,"end_s":105.56,"text":"but Clippy never changed colors to reflect your interactions.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":105.56,"end_s":109.36,"text":"For an amorphous blob, Miko's grown on me.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":109.36,"end_s":113.6,"text":"Wouldn't be the first. And another thing that's growing is Microsoft's Edge browser,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":113.64,"end_s":118.28,"text":"which finally got a bunch of AI features that were announced back in July.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":118.28,"end_s":123.96,"text":"In Edge's new co-pilot mode, you can use co-pilot actions to set up AI-assisted","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":123.96,"end_s":127.04,"text":"multi-step tasks for the browser to complete.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":127.04,"end_s":132.68,"text":"And the journeys feature lets you save projects without bookmarks, relying on co-pilot's memory","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":132.68,"end_s":135.84,"text":"of your searches to jump back into a project.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":135.84,"end_s":142.6,"text":"Like with OpenAI's recently released Atlas browser, co-pilot does require permission to access your private data","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":142.68,"end_s":146.0,"text":"and you'll see queues when co-pilot is active in your browser.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":146.0,"end_s":149.04,"text":"Speaking of Atlas, the timing of these Edge updates coincides","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":149.04,"end_s":152.16,"text":"with OpenAI trying to make AI browsing cool,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":152.16,"end_s":157.28,"text":"but they're not off to a great start as Atlas is being called agonizingly slow.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":157.28,"end_s":160.72,"text":"Atlas was supposed to bring about vibe-living,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":160.72,"end_s":165.04,"text":"but by not letting you do online banking or visit the New York Times,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":165.04,"end_s":168.48,"text":"people are thinking it's more of a vibe killer.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":168.48,"end_s":172.36,"text":"Not chill, Atlas. I'm going back to Boomer Browsing.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":173.2,"end_s":177.52,"text":"In other Microsoft news, we may have found the smoking gun","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":177.52,"end_s":183.08,"text":"that led to Xbox's recent price hikes. According to a report from Bloomberg's Jason Schreyer,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":183.08,"end_s":187.4,"text":"in fall 2023, Microsoft's Master Chief Financial Officer","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":187.4,"end_s":192.48,"text":"Amy Hood told the Xbox division to target 30% profit margins","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":192.48,"end_s":195.8,"text":"or accountability margins, as they apparently call them.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":195.8,"end_s":200.08,"text":"This is an eye-watering number considering gaming companies reportedly maintain profit","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":200.08,"end_s":203.88,"text":"margins closer to 17 to 22% most of the time.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":203.88,"end_s":208.8,"text":"The aggressive targets apparently compelled Xbox to introduce significant policy changes to keep up,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":208.8,"end_s":212.2,"text":"which has resulted in layoffs and price hikes.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":212.2,"end_s":216.6,"text":"If they really wanted to make some money, they should release Halo 1 PlayStation,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":216.6,"end_s":220.4,"text":"which is exactly what they announced literally right before we started shooting this video,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":220.4,"end_s":226.1,"text":"which is so cool of them. We didn't have time to dive deep, but essentially a full remake of the Halo 1 campaign","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":226.14,"end_s":231.42,"text":"is coming to the Xbox Store, Steam, and PlayStation 5 in 2026.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":231.42,"end_s":235.26,"text":"As Phil Spencer probably said, please buy multiple copies, please.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":235.26,"end_s":238.82,"text":"He probably said that. It's not all bad looks for Xbox though,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":238.82,"end_s":244.1,"text":"as old Phil and Miss Spence just told Japanese gaming publication, Femitsu,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":244.1,"end_s":248.54,"text":"in the last year, Xbox's playtime has increased by around 20% in Japan,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":248.54,"end_s":254.54,"text":"a region notorious for hating Xbox. Unfortunately, it's still mostly bad looks for Xbox though,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":254.58,"end_s":258.94,"text":"because some YouTubers claim the new ROG Xbox Ally handheld systems","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":258.94,"end_s":264.3,"text":"perform better and smoother with the Steam OS like Bazlight Linux OS","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":264.3,"end_s":267.42,"text":"instead of the Windows OS that comes pre-installed.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":267.42,"end_s":272.58,"text":"CyberDopamine and ETA Prime both have videos on the subject with similar findings.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":272.58,"end_s":276.38,"text":"Windows just isn't quite comfortable on handhelds yet,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":276.38,"end_s":281.66,"text":"but you know where you may be more comfortable, you will be on our sponsor.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":281.66,"end_s":285.34,"text":"Don't fear, QuickBits. QuickBits are the mind-filler. I will face my QuickBits.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":285.34,"end_s":290.26,"text":"I will permit them to pass through me and over me and in me.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":290.26,"end_s":293.3,"text":"Apple says its beloved app tracking transparency feature,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":293.3,"end_s":298.98,"text":"the one that stops apps from following you around like a clingy ex, might soon be disabled in Europe.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":298.98,"end_s":304.18,"text":"The company claims intense lobbying efforts in countries like Germany and Italy","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":304.18,"end_s":309.26,"text":"could force it to withdraw the privacy tool to the detriment of European consumers.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":309.26,"end_s":312.34,"text":"This statement comes after a probe launched by German,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":312.34,"end_s":317.02,"text":"they love their probes. Back in 2022 and fines from France's competition authority","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":317.02,"end_s":320.62,"text":"back in March of this year. When will these socialists stop?","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":320.62,"end_s":324.74,"text":"Don't you people want the freedom to be exploited? The American way?","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":324.74,"end_s":330.94,"text":"Yeehaw! Yeehaw! And in what might be the most shocking Apple news this week,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":330.94,"end_s":334.26,"text":"the company is developing a new app migration kit,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":334.26,"end_s":339.26,"text":"a framework to help users move their data from iOS to Android.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":339.38,"end_s":344.78,"text":"You know, the opposite of what they usually want their customers to do? The tool, quietly detailed on Apple's developer site,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":344.78,"end_s":348.54,"text":"would let apps securely transfer user data between platforms.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":348.54,"end_s":352.22,"text":"The reason? Likely EU regulatory pressure.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":352.22,"end_s":356.18,"text":"That's what causes all good things in this world. Though Apple hasn't said that outright.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":356.18,"end_s":361.9,"text":"Either way, Apple removing their head out of their ass a little bit more is good news for everybody.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":361.9,"end_s":366.9,"text":"Forget what I said at the end of the last story. Samsung and SK Hynix are reportedly raising memory prices","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":366.9,"end_s":370.94,"text":"by up to 30% according to Trend Force and Hang Yung.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":370.98,"end_s":376.18,"text":"This increase hits both DRAM and NAN Flash, the stuff that powers your RAM and SSDs.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":376.18,"end_s":380.46,"text":"The reason? Surging AI demand and long-term data center contracts","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":380.46,"end_s":384.24,"text":"gobbling up supply. Great news for chip makers, but terrible news","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":384.24,"end_s":388.02,"text":"for anyone planning a PC upgrade. At this rate, your next 16 gigs of RAM","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":388.02,"end_s":391.66,"text":"might end up costing more than the game you bought it for.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":391.66,"end_s":396.58,"text":"Just joking, those are going up in price too. Nike has revealed Project Amplify,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":396.58,"end_s":399.6,"text":"a new line of powered footwear designed to enhance leg","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":399.64,"end_s":403.16,"text":"and ankle movement. The shoes feature built-in actuators","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":403.16,"end_s":408.56,"text":"and motion sensors to assist with every step. But the design is giving Marty McFly mags","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":408.56,"end_s":414.52,"text":"crossed with your dad's prescription knee brace. Nike's cinematic pro-mo shows glowing futuristic athletes,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":414.52,"end_s":420.24,"text":"but explains nothing about how they work. I assume over-the-air updates.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":420.24,"end_s":423.44,"text":"Nike Air, I'll see myself out.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":423.44,"end_s":427.16,"text":"Thank you. An FBI investigation is alleging that NBA players,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":427.16,"end_s":432.08,"text":"coaches, and alumni were involved in a nationwide poker conspiracy,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":432.08,"end_s":435.72,"text":"straight out of a heist movie. The scheme involved leering wealthy people","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":435.72,"end_s":441.8,"text":"who wanted to play cards against celebrities, such as 2004 NBA finals MVP, Chauncey Phillips,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":441.8,"end_s":445.68,"text":"into underground poker games, where everyone else was in on the plot","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":445.68,"end_s":449.08,"text":"to take the target's money. Aren't NBA players rich enough?","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":449.08,"end_s":454.24,"text":"The FBI alleges that the perpetrators relied on technology like rig-shuffling machines,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":454.24,"end_s":459.08,"text":"cards with marks on them that could only be seen using special sunglasses or contact lenses,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":459.08,"end_s":462.68,"text":"and naturally x-ray friggin' tables to cheat.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":462.68,"end_s":466.52,"text":"Apparently, the victims were hustled out of at least $7 million.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":466.52,"end_s":470.48,"text":"I guess you could say these gamblers were really ballin' out.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":472.16,"end_s":473.68,"text":"Now, seriously, I should leave.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":475.44,"end_s":480.44,"text":"But you should stay, or come back again, on Monday for more tech news.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":480.44,"end_s":484.84,"text":"I know there's another episode coming, because oddly enough, my co-writer quoted Lynch's dune","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":484.84,"end_s":490.68,"text":"when he told me to restore tech news production or live my life out in a pain amplifier.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":490.68,"end_s":495.48,"text":"I've gotta call HR about that. No gum, Jabar, is that work, pinball?","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":495.48,"end_s":496.32,"text":"Darn.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0}],"full_text":"The most precious substance in the universe is tech news. He who controls the tech news controls the universe. The tech news must flow. Valve has pushed out what they described as a small update to Counter-Strike 2 that wiped out nearly $2 billion from the game's player-driven economy overnight. The October patch quietly changed how trade-up contracts work. Instead of having to buy expensive stuff, you could just trade in a bundle of cheap crap for ultra-rare knives. This deen-deen-deen-deen-deen-deen update single-handedly detonated the steam community market overnight sending the value of long-horted items into freefall. Bloomberg reports total losses of over $1.75 billion in under 24 hours. In perhaps the greatest redistribution of wealth NVIDIA game history, well-to-do players on social media are showing several thousands in losses whilst the little guys are actually coming out ahead. One lucky user's inventory of previously low-tiered skins is currently being valued at three million US dollars. But why did Valve do this? Well, this would stimulate a bunch of transactions and they do make a kickback off of each sale, but Valve wouldn't do that, right? No, no. Literally no, they must have some other reason. But maybe. Microsoft just pinched off its fall co-pilot release and amongst a handful of updates for Edge, they introduced Miko, a new optional visual presence. It didn't take long for every tech news site to draw parallels between Microsoft's blobby new mascot and Clippy, Microsoft's old office assistant. I'm not sure Miko can become as beloved or memed on as Clippy, but Clippy never changed colors to reflect your interactions. For an amorphous blob, Miko's grown on me. Wouldn't be the first. And another thing that's growing is Microsoft's Edge browser, which finally got a bunch of AI features that were announced back in July. In Edge's new co-pilot mode, you can use co-pilot actions to set up AI-assisted multi-step tasks for the browser to complete. And the journeys feature lets you save projects without bookmarks, relying on co-pilot's memory of your searches to jump back into a project. Like with OpenAI's recently released Atlas browser, co-pilot does require permission to access your private data and you'll see queues when co-pilot is active in your browser. Speaking of Atlas, the timing of these Edge updates coincides with OpenAI trying to make AI browsing cool, but they're not off to a great start as Atlas is being called agonizingly slow. Atlas was supposed to bring about vibe-living, but by not letting you do online banking or visit the New York Times, people are thinking it's more of a vibe killer. Not chill, Atlas. I'm going back to Boomer Browsing. In other Microsoft news, we may have found the smoking gun that led to Xbox's recent price hikes. According to a report from Bloomberg's Jason Schreyer, in fall 2023, Microsoft's Master Chief Financial Officer Amy Hood told the Xbox division to target 30% profit margins or accountability margins, as they apparently call them. This is an eye-watering number considering gaming companies reportedly maintain profit margins closer to 17 to 22% most of the time. The aggressive targets apparently compelled Xbox to introduce significant policy changes to keep up, which has resulted in layoffs and price hikes. If they really wanted to make some money, they should release Halo 1 PlayStation, which is exactly what they announced literally right before we started shooting this video, which is so cool of them. We didn't have time to dive deep, but essentially a full remake of the Halo 1 campaign is coming to the Xbox Store, Steam, and PlayStation 5 in 2026. As Phil Spencer probably said, please buy multiple copies, please. He probably said that. It's not all bad looks for Xbox though, as old Phil and Miss Spence just told Japanese gaming publication, Femitsu, in the last year, Xbox's playtime has increased by around 20% in Japan, a region notorious for hating Xbox. Unfortunately, it's still mostly bad looks for Xbox though, because some YouTubers claim the new ROG Xbox Ally handheld systems perform better and smoother with the Steam OS like Bazlight Linux OS instead of the Windows OS that comes pre-installed. CyberDopamine and ETA Prime both have videos on the subject with similar findings. Windows just isn't quite comfortable on handhelds yet, but you know where you may be more comfortable, you will be on our sponsor. Don't fear, QuickBits. QuickBits are the mind-filler. I will face my QuickBits. I will permit them to pass through me and over me and in me. Apple says its beloved app tracking transparency feature, the one that stops apps from following you around like a clingy ex, might soon be disabled in Europe. The company claims intense lobbying efforts in countries like Germany and Italy could force it to withdraw the privacy tool to the detriment of European consumers. This statement comes after a probe launched by German, they love their probes. Back in 2022 and fines from France's competition authority back in March of this year. When will these socialists stop? Don't you people want the freedom to be exploited? The American way? Yeehaw! Yeehaw! And in what might be the most shocking Apple news this week, the company is developing a new app migration kit, a framework to help users move their data from iOS to Android. You know, the opposite of what they usually want their customers to do? The tool, quietly detailed on Apple's developer site, would let apps securely transfer user data between platforms. The reason? Likely EU regulatory pressure. That's what causes all good things in this world. Though Apple hasn't said that outright. Either way, Apple removing their head out of their ass a little bit more is good news for everybody. Forget what I said at the end of the last story. Samsung and SK Hynix are reportedly raising memory prices by up to 30% according to Trend Force and Hang Yung. This increase hits both DRAM and NAN Flash, the stuff that powers your RAM and SSDs. The reason? Surging AI demand and long-term data center contracts gobbling up supply. Great news for chip makers, but terrible news for anyone planning a PC upgrade. At this rate, your next 16 gigs of RAM might end up costing more than the game you bought it for. Just joking, those are going up in price too. Nike has revealed Project Amplify, a new line of powered footwear designed to enhance leg and ankle movement. The shoes feature built-in actuators and motion sensors to assist with every step. But the design is giving Marty McFly mags crossed with your dad's prescription knee brace. Nike's cinematic pro-mo shows glowing futuristic athletes, but explains nothing about how they work. I assume over-the-air updates. Nike Air, I'll see myself out. Thank you. An FBI investigation is alleging that NBA players, coaches, and alumni were involved in a nationwide poker conspiracy, straight out of a heist movie. The scheme involved leering wealthy people who wanted to play cards against celebrities, such as 2004 NBA finals MVP, Chauncey Phillips, into underground poker games, where everyone else was in on the plot to take the target's money. Aren't NBA players rich enough? The FBI alleges that the perpetrators relied on technology like rig-shuffling machines, cards with marks on them that could only be seen using special sunglasses or contact lenses, and naturally x-ray friggin' tables to cheat. Apparently, the victims were hustled out of at least $7 million. I guess you could say these gamblers were really ballin' out. Now, seriously, I should leave. But you should stay, or come back again, on Monday for more tech news. I know there's another episode coming, because oddly enough, my co-writer quoted Lynch's dune when he told me to restore tech news production or live my life out in a pain amplifier. I've gotta call HR about that. No gum, Jabar, is that work, pinball? Darn."}