WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.520 Ah, don't you just love computers with the plastic and the wiring and they got lights 00:00:05.520 --> 00:00:08.600 and stuff? I don't know, I just think they're cute. 00:00:08.600 --> 00:00:14.280 Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney finally has his first big win after spending three years 00:00:14.280 --> 00:00:18.160 crusading against Apple and Google's app stores instead of making the Epic Game Store 00:00:18.160 --> 00:00:21.840 not suck so it wouldn't depend on exclusive games. Hey, but to each their own. 00:00:21.840 --> 00:00:27.200 On Monday, the jury in the Epic v. Google trial unanimously agreed with Epic's argument 00:00:27.200 --> 00:00:32.440 that Google illegally used monopoly power and anti-competitive business deals to ensure 00:00:32.440 --> 00:00:37.440 the Play Store remains dominant in the Android app distribution market, thereby crushing 00:00:37.440 --> 00:00:44.760 Epic's plans to bypass the Play Store tax. Now this may be confusing, given that Epic lost in court, making basically the same 00:00:44.760 --> 00:00:49.560 argument against Apple, who bears a much stronger resemblance to this guy. 00:00:49.560 --> 00:00:54.840 But Epic's case against Google was actually made easier, since Google does allow third 00:00:54.840 --> 00:00:59.080 party app stores on Android, while doing everything they can behind the scenes to ensure 00:00:59.080 --> 00:01:05.040 those all fail. Google was also hurt by the fact that its executives wrote things down, allowing incriminating 00:01:05.040 --> 00:01:09.400 documents to be obtained by Epic's covert task force of elite Fortnite hackers. 00:01:09.400 --> 00:01:12.440 This security system is mid, no cap. Bruh. 00:01:12.440 --> 00:01:16.520 If you want a full deep dive on this, I did a full deep dive in this tech clonker. 00:01:16.520 --> 00:01:22.240 I think it's pretty good. Now this development could fundamentally change the app store landscape for both Apple and 00:01:22.240 --> 00:01:27.120 Google. Of course, Google will appeal the ruling, and if it sticks, it'll be years before 00:01:27.120 --> 00:01:32.040 the changes affect end users. But Tim Sweeney is good at the long game. 00:01:32.040 --> 00:01:36.640 Fortnite has survived, and as evidenced by a recent launch of games within a game like 00:01:36.640 --> 00:01:41.160 Lego Fortnite, which is actually Minecraft, it's actually blossoming into a metaverse 00:01:41.160 --> 00:01:46.160 of its own, one that won't have to hand over a cut of its Android revenue to Google. 00:01:46.160 --> 00:01:52.240 So what's next? Well, according to Tim, he's taken the fight back to Cupertino so he can lose again. 00:01:52.240 --> 00:01:57.240 Speaking of antitrust and Apple, early next year, EU regulators are likely to serve Apple 00:01:57.240 --> 00:02:02.160 with a ban on app store rules that block music services from steering users away from the 00:02:02.160 --> 00:02:09.520 app store and towards other subscription options. It's also theoretically possible that the European Council could fine Apple up to 10% 00:02:09.520 --> 00:02:14.120 of annual sales as part of the decision, but a fine of that scale would be extremely 00:02:14.120 --> 00:02:18.240 unusual. After all, the mark of a good threat is that you never have to follow through. 00:02:19.240 --> 00:02:26.440 EU regulators are also investigating how Apple restricts access to mobile payment features 00:02:26.440 --> 00:02:32.960 on its devices, prompting Apple to offer opening up its tap and go system to Apple pay competitors. 00:02:32.960 --> 00:02:37.720 For some reason. Meanwhile, the right to repair movement is gaining traction in North America, and the 00:02:37.720 --> 00:02:43.640 European Parliament recently voted near-unanimously to pass new, aggressive right to repair legislation. 00:02:43.640 --> 00:02:48.880 Apple, by pure coincidence, is expanding its self-repair program to more devices, including 00:02:48.880 --> 00:02:52.600 the iPhone 15 and newer M2 MacBook models. 00:02:52.600 --> 00:02:58.120 M-DOO. It's also released a relatively sophisticated web-based diagnostic tool that will give users 00:02:58.120 --> 00:03:02.680 access to the same testing abilities as Apple authorized service providers. 00:03:02.680 --> 00:03:06.960 This diagnostic tool is currently available only in the US, but will be expanding to 00:03:06.960 --> 00:03:10.320 Europe next year… or else. 00:03:10.320 --> 00:03:15.400 The California Department of Motor Vehicles is accusing Tesla of false advertising regarding 00:03:15.400 --> 00:03:21.600 its so-called full self-driving feature, a feature that does not and cannot fully automate 00:03:21.600 --> 00:03:29.880 a car, but sure does sound like it can. In response, Tesla's lawyers are arguing that the DMV implicitly condoned its marketing, 00:03:29.880 --> 00:03:35.920 because Tesla started using the term autopilot in 2014 and full self-driving in 2016, and 00:03:35.920 --> 00:03:39.200 the DMV chose not to take action until 2021. 00:03:40.200 --> 00:03:46.920 Tesla also claims that California's false advertising rules for autonomous vehicles 00:03:46.920 --> 00:03:53.160 inappropriately restrict constitutionally protected speech that is truthful and non-misleading. 00:03:53.160 --> 00:03:57.880 That might be relevant if it weren't for the fact that unprotected speech that is dishonest 00:03:57.880 --> 00:04:01.480 and very misleading is exactly what they're currently accused of. 00:04:01.480 --> 00:04:06.400 Tesla recently escaped a class action lawsuit for alleged false advertisement, but that's 00:04:06.400 --> 00:04:10.720 largely due to a forced arbitration clause embedded in Tesla's terms and conditions. 00:04:10.720 --> 00:04:17.200 Today, Tesla also issued a recall of over 2 million cars, which is basically all of them 00:04:17.200 --> 00:04:22.640 in the US, for a partial defect in Tesla's autopilot controls, which the Highway Traffic 00:04:22.640 --> 00:04:26.960 Safety Administration found didn't sufficiently ensure that drivers were paying attention 00:04:26.960 --> 00:04:30.440 and then prevent them from using it under inappropriate conditions. 00:04:30.440 --> 00:04:36.000 Of course, by recall, regulators just mean an over-the-air patch to the infotainment system. 00:04:36.000 --> 00:04:39.640 In case you weren't already worried that automated safety regulators are dangerously 00:04:39.640 --> 00:04:45.080 behind the times. It was recently discovered that every quick bit emits low-level radiation. 00:04:45.080 --> 00:04:49.600 Don't worry, you folks at home are perfectly safe. I, however, have six months to live. 00:04:49.600 --> 00:04:56.160 I've been doing this a while. In response to a concerned post by a Chinese user, AMD has clarified that while yes, overclocking 00:04:56.160 --> 00:05:01.120 Horizon Threadripper 7000 does blow a hidden fuse to indicate that the chip has been used 00:05:01.120 --> 00:05:08.360 with overclocking, but that doesn't necessarily void its warranty. 00:05:08.360 --> 00:05:13.480 According to AMD's standard terms of sale, damage that directly results from overclocking 00:05:13.480 --> 00:05:18.640 may not qualify for repair under warranty, but an overclocked chip is still covered by 00:05:18.640 --> 00:05:21.960 warranty for replacement or repair for other issues. 00:05:21.960 --> 00:05:26.960 Nothing has changed, so overclockers can relax and keep overing those clocks. 00:05:26.960 --> 00:05:40.000 The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has hit Google subsidiary Fitbit with a 7.3 00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:48.760 million USD fine for making misleading claims to at least 58 customers about its warranties. 00:05:48.760 --> 00:05:55.240 While the fine is only 3.8% of Fitbit's $190 million net income last year, it's also over 00:05:55.240 --> 00:05:59.000 $120,000 per customer lied to. 00:05:59.000 --> 00:06:03.440 Fitbit representatives reportedly told several customers they only had 45 days to return 00:06:03.440 --> 00:06:08.200 a faulty device. They told another that they couldn't receive a refund because the device wasn't purchased 00:06:08.200 --> 00:06:14.320 directly from the Fitbit website. According to Australian law, goods sold in the country must hit a certain threshold of 00:06:14.320 --> 00:06:18.840 quality and fit to purpose, or the customer must be offered a repair, replacement, or 00:06:18.840 --> 00:06:32.280 refund. The FTC has released a warning advising citizens to be cautious when scanning QR codes, given 00:06:32.280 --> 00:06:36.320 their increased use in scams and distribution of malware. 00:06:36.320 --> 00:06:41.280 Pictures of QR codes embedded in phishing emails can easily bypass normal security checks, 00:06:41.280 --> 00:06:44.960 where a direct link to a malicious site would be quickly detected. 00:06:44.960 --> 00:06:49.080 You're also likely to find QR codes on restaurant tables, shop Windows, posters, and parking 00:06:49.080 --> 00:06:53.360 lot kiosks, which just makes it easy for a scam artist to just paste their own code 00:06:53.360 --> 00:06:56.360 over the authentic one. Also, why do we call them scam artists? 00:06:56.360 --> 00:07:00.840 This is like sandwich artists all over again. It's just mustard, dude. 00:07:00.840 --> 00:07:09.080 You're not Picasso. Valve has asked Steam Deck owners to please stop inhaling the device's exhaust fumes. 00:07:09.080 --> 00:07:13.560 A writer for Kotaku has elected to ignore the health and safety advice, because they 00:07:13.560 --> 00:07:18.680 can't stop, quote, smelling the hot, plastic-y, almost fruity scent. 00:07:18.760 --> 00:07:23.360 Apparently, a non-zero amount of people on Reddit feel strongly about the scent, with 00:07:23.360 --> 00:07:27.280 one commenter lamenting the day their deck stopped smelling. 00:07:27.280 --> 00:07:31.000 Or maybe his olfactory nerve finally died of deck poisoning. 00:07:31.000 --> 00:07:35.440 I'm so happy I had to write that. Why do we love what's bad for us? 00:07:35.440 --> 00:07:40.400 And an AI companion robot has been dividing New York's elderly community. 00:07:40.400 --> 00:07:43.400 What show is this? Is this local news? Alright, here we go. 00:07:43.480 --> 00:07:48.360 Early Q has been given out to hundreds of lonely seniors as part of an initiative by the New 00:07:48.360 --> 00:07:55.760 York State government's Office for the Aging. While many seniors seem to enjoy the company, others liken to the robot's reminders and 00:07:55.760 --> 00:07:59.920 prompts to nagging, and even call the device's tone rude. 00:07:59.920 --> 00:08:07.600 Man, if one of them says kids these days, I'll finally win elderly catchphrase bingo. 00:08:07.600 --> 00:08:11.960 And you'll win more tech news if you come back on Friday for another episode of TechLinked. 00:08:11.960 --> 00:08:18.640 Don't forget, this is me reminding you, better see you there, okay.