WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.560 Okay, hey, sorry, yeah. 00:00:04.560 --> 00:00:07.760 I got winded from jogging over here because I stuffed myself fuller 00:00:07.760 --> 00:00:12.580 than a deep fried American turkey. And now I got sugar plums dancing in my tumtums. 00:00:12.580 --> 00:00:16.160 Anyway, here's the tech news. Custom PC company, Main Gear, 00:00:16.160 --> 00:00:21.920 has launched a bring your own RAM program, letting customers buy fully built gaming PCs 00:00:21.920 --> 00:00:25.040 without memory installed as a practical solution 00:00:25.040 --> 00:00:28.400 to the ongoing RAM crisis. We can call it a crisis. 00:00:28.400 --> 00:00:31.680 Yup, I'm crisis-ing. Hey, RAM's expensive. 00:00:31.680 --> 00:00:35.280 Have you considered not buying it? The idea is simple. 00:00:35.280 --> 00:00:38.520 DDR5 prices are high, availability is inconsistent, 00:00:38.520 --> 00:00:43.240 and a lot of buyers already have RAM on hand or want to shop around for a better deal. 00:00:43.240 --> 00:00:46.280 Instead of forcing customers to overpay or wait, 00:00:46.280 --> 00:00:50.000 Main Gear builds a system, tests it, and then leaves the memory slots empty 00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:53.120 for you to slide in and push until they click 00:00:53.120 --> 00:00:56.760 and finish the job. For people upgraded from an existing system, 00:00:56.760 --> 00:01:01.400 or for those willing to hunt for deals, it's a rare bit of flexibility in a PC market 00:01:01.400 --> 00:01:05.440 that usually insists you pay the markup or wait in line. 00:01:05.440 --> 00:01:09.520 Or, I suppose you could build your own RAM? 00:01:09.520 --> 00:01:12.920 The box of scraps. Some Russian enthusiasts are crazy over there. 00:01:12.920 --> 00:01:18.880 Reportedly started building their own DDR5 sticks by soldering memory chips onto blank PCBs. 00:01:18.880 --> 00:01:22.960 They may not be the fastest, and they definitely do not come with a warranty. 00:01:22.960 --> 00:01:27.600 But I feel like we're onto something with this. Scrappyard Wars with DIY memory, anyone? 00:01:29.600 --> 00:01:35.120 Samsung is dealing with a bunch of their ex-employees leaking trade secrets to China. 00:01:35.120 --> 00:01:39.120 One engineer is accused of smuggling handwritten notes to a competitor in China, 00:01:39.120 --> 00:01:42.840 though South Korea prosecutors could not confirm whether the note contained details 00:01:42.840 --> 00:01:45.920 about the company's DRAM tech, or simply a message reading, 00:01:45.920 --> 00:01:50.140 do you like me, circle yes or no? This alleged leak is part of a broader case 00:01:50.140 --> 00:01:54.800 where 10 ex-Samsung employees have been indicted for industrial espionage. 00:01:54.800 --> 00:01:58.800 Love that word. That prosecutor's claim enabled CXMT 00:01:58.800 --> 00:02:01.960 to mass produce 10 nanometer class DRAM, 00:02:01.960 --> 00:02:07.560 which may have cost Samsung and South Korea tens of trillions of won in lost revenue 00:02:07.560 --> 00:02:11.680 and national economic damage. That's a lot of won, but not a lot of winning. 00:02:11.680 --> 00:02:14.880 Ow! Yeah, you just- Ow! 00:02:14.880 --> 00:02:19.940 Samsung appears to be dealing with all kinds of corruption issues as the company is reportedly internally investigating claims 00:02:19.940 --> 00:02:25.320 that some of its staff may have taken kickbacks to steer memory chip orders and allocations 00:02:25.320 --> 00:02:29.920 with the company interviewing employees in Taiwan and reshuffling some sales and marketing personnel 00:02:29.920 --> 00:02:33.360 as part of the review. The RAM shortage is nuts, 00:02:33.360 --> 00:02:37.760 but hey, if enough information leaks, maybe China will help pull us out of these troubles. 00:02:37.760 --> 00:02:41.600 Or maybe they'll just take a bunch of money for their own AI data centers 00:02:41.600 --> 00:02:45.000 and set their robot army to auto invade. Who knows? 00:02:45.000 --> 00:02:48.640 There's no way to predict. They got robots and people. We'll take either of those. 00:02:48.640 --> 00:02:53.080 Best in both worlds. Speaking of AI, NVIDIA has dropped $20 billion 00:02:53.080 --> 00:02:56.520 to buy GROC without actually buying GROC. 00:02:56.520 --> 00:03:00.200 This is like that TikTok deal all over again. They're not actually buying it, one, 00:03:00.200 --> 00:03:05.800 because it's not the Twitter chatbot, but an AI hardware company called GROC with a Q. 00:03:05.800 --> 00:03:09.760 And two, because the deal brings GROC's founder and president, Jonathan Ross, 00:03:09.760 --> 00:03:14.520 along with other key engineers over to NVIDIA while GROC stays an independent company. 00:03:14.520 --> 00:03:17.240 They're kind of like a gelatinous Q rolling over GROC. 00:03:18.080 --> 00:03:21.840 The move effectively gives NVIDIA access to cutting edge AI inference chips 00:03:21.840 --> 00:03:25.880 and talent without formally buying the whole company. According to WCCF tech, 00:03:25.880 --> 00:03:31.280 this deal is a surgical masterclass on NVIDIA's part, but other analysts say the deal is just structured 00:03:31.280 --> 00:03:35.760 to keep the fiction of competition alive while sidestepping at Josh scrutiny, 00:03:35.760 --> 00:03:41.320 which just seems to be easier and easier every day. Now I'm imagining Jensen as some sort of cannibal war chief 00:03:41.320 --> 00:03:44.400 in a Mad Max scenario, cutting away the meat from other companies 00:03:44.400 --> 00:03:48.800 for NVIDIA to devour. You think his leather jacket is useful or too warm in that situation? 00:03:48.800 --> 00:03:53.400 Let us know in the comments. Probably not as useful as our sponsor would be. 00:03:53.400 --> 00:03:57.040 The quick bits ate so much Christmas dinner, but I think they could have kept going personally. 00:03:57.040 --> 00:04:00.960 Those freaks have got a faster metabolism than the Kobayashi or Joey Chestnut combined. 00:04:00.960 --> 00:04:04.160 Famous for their hot dog swallowing. Yes. 00:04:04.160 --> 00:04:08.000 ASUS was rumored to be planning to build its own DRAM memory chip fabs 00:04:08.000 --> 00:04:13.600 to help ease the global memory shortage, but those rumors have officially been shot down. 00:04:13.640 --> 00:04:18.400 Sorry y'all. ASUS told Taiwanese media outlets, CNA it has no plans to invest in memory 00:04:18.400 --> 00:04:23.520 wafer fabrication and will instead work with existing suppliers and tweak its product mix. 00:04:23.520 --> 00:04:26.600 CNA noted that building a fab takes at least two years 00:04:26.600 --> 00:04:30.120 and at least tons of money. So ASUS is sticking to its core strengths 00:04:30.120 --> 00:04:33.360 rather than trying to solve today's supply crunch itself, 00:04:33.360 --> 00:04:37.040 which is too bad ASUS, because we would really like it 00:04:37.040 --> 00:04:40.800 if you could have solved today's supply crunch. That would have actually been helpful. 00:04:40.800 --> 00:04:44.240 By the time it got solved. Making more X-box. There'd be a new crunch. 00:04:44.240 --> 00:04:49.800 Google is finally preparing to let users change their old at gmail.com email addresses. 00:04:49.800 --> 00:04:53.280 Something that's basically been impossible since Gmail first launched. 00:04:53.280 --> 00:04:59.400 The option will allow users to adopt a new Gmail username while keeping the old address as an alias. 00:04:59.400 --> 00:05:04.280 So you won't lose emails or account access. The feature was spotted early on a Google support page 00:05:04.280 --> 00:05:08.520 that appears only in Hindi, suggesting that this should be something on the way soon. 00:05:08.520 --> 00:05:11.600 Although why it appears in that language, God only knows. 00:05:11.600 --> 00:05:17.160 I'm just concerned that I'll never again get an email from adults still using addresses like Mel Gibson fan 99 00:05:17.160 --> 00:05:20.480 or the underscore thunders pants. 00:05:20.480 --> 00:05:24.400 Thunder Spants? It's what Mel Gibson wore in the Mad Max movie 00:05:24.400 --> 00:05:28.080 in the Thunderdome. The Spants. 00:05:28.080 --> 00:05:33.080 They can change our names, but they'll never take our memories. 00:05:33.080 --> 00:05:37.320 Different Mel Gibson movie, but yeah. AI data centers are getting so power hungry 00:05:37.320 --> 00:05:42.840 that US company HGP Intelligent Energy wants to repurpose retired Navy nuclear reactors 00:05:42.840 --> 00:05:46.280 from submarines and aircraft carriers to power them. 00:05:46.280 --> 00:05:49.880 The proposal could deliver roughly 450 to 520 megawatts 00:05:49.880 --> 00:05:53.560 of constant electricity, enough for about 360,000 homes 00:05:53.560 --> 00:05:57.960 and would rely on the Department of Energy support to get that off the ground. 00:05:57.960 --> 00:06:02.560 Finally, a solution that makes sense. And if nuclear warship leftovers isn't enough 00:06:02.560 --> 00:06:06.280 to roger your jollies, data center demand is also reportedly bringing back 00:06:06.280 --> 00:06:09.960 the use of fossil fuel peak or power plants to help alleviate the load. 00:06:09.960 --> 00:06:13.640 There's also rumors of an expedition to the bottom of the sea 00:06:13.640 --> 00:06:17.640 to acquire the mystical gems that powered Atlantis in the Disney movie, 00:06:17.640 --> 00:06:21.680 which sounds promising and James Cameron will probably be there. 00:06:21.680 --> 00:06:25.480 And will the hot girl be there too? Apple is allowing third party earbuds 00:06:25.480 --> 00:06:30.160 to use AirPod style proximity pairing with iOS 26.3, 00:06:30.160 --> 00:06:33.280 meaning you can just bring them close to your iPhone 00:06:33.280 --> 00:06:37.520 and tap to connect. At least in the EU, where the Digital Markets Act has forced Apple 00:06:37.520 --> 00:06:42.200 to open up its ecosystem just a little bit. Ah, the land of milk and honey. 00:06:42.200 --> 00:06:45.920 Watches from other companies will also be gaining limited notification support. 00:06:45.920 --> 00:06:51.680 So Luddites who insist upon circular watches can receive notifications on either their iPhone 00:06:51.680 --> 00:06:55.520 or their watch, but not both. You wanna round the corners 00:06:55.520 --> 00:06:59.200 of a much more functional square shaped watch? And for what? 00:06:59.200 --> 00:07:03.240 Nostalgia, tradition? You'll be tied to the tracks and trampled under 00:07:03.240 --> 00:07:06.000 the relentless engine of progress, you sad fool. 00:07:08.160 --> 00:07:12.040 Ha, ha, ha. And here's some bad news for Ubisoft. 00:07:12.040 --> 00:07:16.880 Apparently hackers massively abused Rainbow Six Siege taking over parts of Ubisoft systems 00:07:16.880 --> 00:07:20.360 to ban and unban players, unlock rare items, 00:07:20.360 --> 00:07:25.480 boost players' renown and inject accounts with roughly 2 billion R6 credits, 00:07:25.480 --> 00:07:30.020 valued at roughly $13.3 million. The hack forced Ubisoft to shut down the game 00:07:30.020 --> 00:07:33.320 and marketplace and roll back recent transactions. 00:07:33.320 --> 00:07:37.320 But they clarified that players won't be punished for using the bogus credits. 00:07:37.320 --> 00:07:41.360 They're like a bank. Ubisoft has denied any large scale leak of user data 00:07:41.360 --> 00:07:46.980 or source code, making it seem like this hack comes from an in-game exploit, which is ridiculous 00:07:46.980 --> 00:07:51.080 because isn't this the company that made Watch Dogs? The ultimate hacker game? 00:07:51.080 --> 00:07:56.760 They made Watch Dogs. And you should come back on Wednesday to watch these dogs hack your brain with more tech news. 00:07:56.760 --> 00:08:00.200 In the meantime, I've gotta finish this jog 00:08:00.200 --> 00:08:04.720 because I got more Christmas leftovers to work through before they spoil. 00:08:04.720 --> 00:08:06.320 Potatoes, baby!