If the tech scene were a motherboard, this week it would be sparking with the electricity of controversies and power struggles. From the fierce competition among graphics cards to the wild rumors surrounding the EVGA motherboards, the dynamics are as diverse as the multicolored cables inside a high-end gaming PC. Right now, the RTX 4060 Ti seems to be playing the role of a forgotten USB stick. It’s there, it’s useful, but nobody really cares. Is it a case of poor marketing or just lackluster performance? We’ll dig deeper.
Meanwhile, across the pond, the EU is wielding its regulatory hammer like Thor in a tiff with Loki, sending shockwaves through the tech giants who’ve long enjoyed their unchecked reign. And let’s not even get started on those EVGA motherboard rumors. Is it just me, or does it feel like we’re at the precipice of an overclocked processor ready to overheat? This week has served up a spicy circuit board of tech news that could potentially disrupt the industry. Buckle up, it’s time to power up this week’s juicy tech news update.
1) EVGA Motherboard Rumors
Alright, I’m gonna dive into the tech grapevine, folks. It’s buzzing louder than a server farm in July, and the name on everybody’s lips? EVGA. You know, that old warhorse in the PC component arena. Well, the word is they might be pulling the plug on their PC business. Yup, you heard that right. Now, are we having a sense of déjà vu here? It was around this time last year when they blew everyone away with their “adios” to the GPU manufacturing line.
Now let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. It’s worth noting that these are all whispers at the moment, but they’re not just vague hush-hush rumors, folks. Apparently, the whole EVGA motherboard crew in Taiwan has handed in their resignations. Ouch, right? Smells like trouble in paradise.
But, we’re not all about gossip here. I did some homework too. My buddies at EVGA Spain and their PR team are claiming this is all just noise. According to Tech PowerUp, it’s business as usual in sunny España. So, are we seeing a classic case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing?
Well, it’s a tough call. As I dug deeper, things didn’t get any clearer. The Taiwan team, according to the chatter, are still in their trenches. But then, the plot thickens when you notice that the warranty period for their Supernova XC power supplies suddenly got trimmed. Coincidence? Or a sign of choppy waters ahead? Your guess is as good as mine.
Now, to add a dash of ambiguity to this mystery stew, we’ve got Kingpin. The EVGA member drops a statement that’s got more interpretations than a Picasso painting. Some took it as a hint of team disbandment, while others are convinced it’s just a clever PR move.
Steve Burke from Gamers Nexus also got in on the action, snagging an interview with EVGA’s motherboard BIOS team. Now, the implications of Kingpin’s cryptic hint and Steve’s interview, they’re still unclear. The speculation among the community is rampant, like a bunch of over-caffeinated coders in a hackathon.
So, what’s the deal? Are we seeing the end of an era with EVGA or is it just the industry’s love for a dramatic plot twist? As always, we’ll have to wait for the dust to settle. But rest assured, dear tech heads, the moment there’s any solid news, I’ll be your first line of info.
2) Nvidia RTX 4060 Ti Is Unpopular
Here’s a truth bomb – not all tech is created equal, and not all tech gets the love and hype we anticipate. Nvidia’s latest release, the RTX 4060 Ti 16GB on July 29, 2023, perfectly illustrates this harsh reality. Despite being part of a prestigious line-up, it’s the odd one out. I mean, who loves the third wheel, right?
Word on the street (and by street, I mean the tech forums I frequent at ungodly hours) is that Nvidia’s partners aren’t exactly fawning over the 16GB version of the 4060 Ti. This tidbit comes straight from Andreas Schilling, Editor at Hardware Lux, who’s known for having his ear to the ground in the graphics card world.
I’ve done some detective work, and it seems like there are significantly fewer models of the 16GB version floating around compared to the 8GB version. Now, remember the saying, “less is more”? In this case, it’s just less. Both the RTX 4060 and the 4060 Ti 8GB versions were launched to a collective sigh of disappointment, which wasn’t quite the reaction Nvidia was aiming for.
What’s more, over at Cool Mod, a big-name Spanish retailer, they’ve started slashing prices for the 8GB 4060 Ti. And get this, the RTX 4060 also received a price cut just a week post-launch. Sounds like a fire sale to me!
Across the pond, in the US, whispers are getting louder that prices for Nvidia’s cards might be heading south too. Cards priced above the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) are already taking a nosedive. Now, I’m not saying we’re heading toward a tech apocalypse, but the signs don’t look too promising.
But why is this happening? The tech moguls I’ve talked to are wary about pushing these lower-margin cards. Because let’s be honest, who wants to back the horse that’s lagging behind in the profitability race? There’s a cloud of uncertainty hanging over the future profitability of these Nvidia cards, and it’s got everyone treading on eggshells.
So, Nvidia’s RTX 4060 Ti may be the latest tech toy, but right now it’s like the guest who showed up to the party without bringing snacks. Everybody sees it, but nobody wants to engage. A tough crowd indeed, folks.
3) French Bill That Empowers Police to Spy On YOU – The Thin Line Between Safety and Privacy
Right, so it’s time to jet off to France where privacy is taking a hit—or is it? Let’s dive into the latest French bill allowing police surveillance, a piece of legislation that’s inching its way closer to becoming law every day. Now, we’re not just talking about Big Brother’s CCTV cameras on every corner—we’re going deep into the matrix here.
This law ain’t small fry. It’s allowing the fuzz to utilize a suspect’s own devices for surveillance. That’s right, your smartphone or your laptop could be turned into a spy tool against you. Imagine, you’re scrolling through Twitter, laughing at memes, oblivious to the fact that there’s a detective on the other side taking notes. Spooky, huh? Now, before you label me a conspiracy theorist, this is just for the serious stuff. I mean, we’re talking heavy-duty crimes, not just your little cousin hacking his neighbor’s Wi-Fi.
But before they turn your phone into the latest crime-busting gadget, they have to get a thumbs-up from a judge. And that surveillance comes with an expiry date: a maximum of six months. The catch? Only serious cases qualify for this real-life spy thriller plot.
Okay, we’ve got a safety net, and that’s great news for doctors, lawyers, and MPs—they’re excluded from the surveillance spectacle. So, if you’re one of those, breathe easy. Your phone’s not going double-agent on you.
“Hey, Jonathan,” you might ask, “Isn’t this straight out of ‘1984’? Are we in a dystopian novel?” But French officials are shaking their heads vigorously to that one. They’re dismissing all Orwellian comparisons, assuring everyone that it’s not as ominous as it sounds.
4) Meta Launches Threads
Look, we’ve all seen the power shifts, the competition heating up, and the epic legal battles that characterize our tech world today. This Wednesday, things just got a tad more exciting—or complicated, depends on how you see it. Meta went ahead and dropped its latest brainchild, ‘Threads‘, a direct rival to Twitter. Bold move, I’d say.
Here’s the fun part, within just a snap of time, Threads has already raked in a whopping 70 million users. That’s right, 70 million! Just goes to show you how thirsty we all were for a little Twitter competition, huh? Or maybe it’s just the thrill of something new, the lure of the unknown, the rush of jumping on the bandwagon.
But hey, did you really think Xcorp, formerly Twitter, would sit quiet, watch, and sip coffee? Far from it. They shot a legal letter faster than you could say “tweet,” aimed straight at Mark Zuckerberg. And who do we see casually cc’d in the letter? None other than the man, the myth, the legend—Elon Musk.
Apparently, Musk had his own beef with Meta, accusing them of poaching ex-Twitter employees. Now that’s a hot tech soup right there. On top of that, the ex-Twitter folks have filed a lawsuit against Musk himself. You’d think it ends here, but no. The plot thickens. The former Twitterati are demanding Twitter/Xcorp foot the bill for the arbitration costs. I don’t know about you, but this sounds like a high-stakes poker game to me.
Now, remember when Musk, in a rare display of humility, apologized for an unspoken issue last year? Well, let’s just say he may have to dust off that apology template soon. Because Twitter’s not just demanding Musk pay fees, they’ve gone public with it. And boy, has it sparked a storm of criticism.
5) EU Gatekeepers – The New Power Play
This tech world is a wild ride, isn’t it? And the latest hairpin curve comes straight from the European Commission, who’s decided to play bouncer at the door of the digital market. They’ve just gone public with their highly anticipated “gatekeeper” list under the Digital Markets Act, and let me tell you, it’s quite the who’s who of tech titans.
On the list, we’ve got the usual suspects – Alphabet, Amazon, and Apple. No surprises there. But, you know what’s a head-scratcher? Online travel agency Booking.com is slated to join the club in 2023. Yeah, Booking.com, nestled in with the big boys. But hey, who am I to judge?
Now, I know you’re wondering – what does it even mean to be a “gatekeeper”? Well, strap in, because these heavy hitters are going to be facing some pretty hefty regulatory measures. Think of it as parental controls for the tech world. Or, maybe more aptly, the EU’s way of ensuring these behemoths don’t throw their weight around too much.
The menu of regulations includes – get this – interoperability of messaging apps. So, you might be able to send a WhatsApp message to your mate on Telegram, or maybe iMessage to Signal? Pretty wild, right? I mean, this isn’t the world peace treaty, but it’s something, huh?
And here’s the cherry on top – users will get to call the shots on preinstalled apps on their devices. Yep, you heard right. No more nodding off while you delete a ton of useless apps, only to download the ones you need.
But, like any great power play, this one’s a double-edged sword. With these new designations come possible regulatory changes that could significantly shift how these companies operate in the market.
It’s like that saying, “heavy is the head that wears the crown,” right? Except in this case, it’s “hefty is the hand that holds the gatekeeper key”. It’s going to be a wild ride, my friends. So, buckle up and keep those devices charged. This tech world’s spinning, and it’s not about to slow down.
6) Amazon Planned Purchase of iRobot In Hot Water
Let’s start with a simple premise – acquiring companies is nothing new for our tech giants, right? You’ve heard about it all, just like I have. Facebook snaps up Instagram, Google grabs YouTube – the list goes on. But I’ve got one for you that you may not have seen coming. Amazon, the digital marketplace behemoth, is planning to purchase iRobot. You know, the company that makes those fancy robot vacuums that cruise around your house like mini UFOs.
Now, let’s chat numbers. This isn’t your everyday acquisition. British Amazon is digging deep into its pockets, preparing to shell out a whopping $1.7B for this buyout. Yeah, you read that right. It’s quite the figure, isn’t it? But not everyone’s thrilled with this development.
The EU’s been raising its eyebrows, scrunching up its face, and voicing some concerns (but has been greenlighted by U.K antitrust regulator). They’re worried about the future of robot vacuum cleaner competition. With Amazon potentially steering the iRobot ship, what happens to the market? Will we start seeing Roombas just…everywhere?
But it’s not just about vacuum cleaners. This is where things get, well, a little more interesting. You’ve heard about iRobot’s home mapping feature, right? Well, that could potentially end up in Amazon’s lap. Now, I’m not saying Amazon is gearing up to have access to a bunch of 3D maps of your living room. But the possibility? It’s there. And yes, I can already see your raised eyebrow from here.
Now, before we start spiraling into conspiracy theories, let’s talk about data. The EU is—rather surprisingly—nonplussed about the prospect of Amazon getting ahold of the front-facing camera data that iRobot collects. They don’t see a repeat of the Cambridge Analytica debacle looming on the horizon. And they don’t seem to be losing sleep over the 2018 incident where Amazon shared user data with the police either.
So, where does this leave us? In a bit of a sticky wicket, if you ask me. It’s a controversial situation, riddled with potential power dynamics and regulatory challenges. Will the EU turn a blind eye, or will they put their foot down? Only time will tell.
7) Every Apple Vision Pro Purchase Requires In-Store Appointment
Okay, folks. You know I’ve been keen on the whole VR/AR scene for a while, right? Well, Apple’s upping the ante in ways we didn’t even see coming. Brace yourself—Apple’s forthcoming Vision Pro headset (launching next year, as per Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman) is taking us for a wild spin in their own rendition of the metaverse—’the orchard’. But here’s the kicker: you can’t just add this piece of tech wizardry to your online cart and call it a day. No, sir.
Apple, with Tim Cook steering the ship, has decided to toss in an intriguing twist. They’re making every single Vision Pro purchase an in-store affair. That’s right. To buy this next-gen device—which, by the way, comes with a hefty $3,500 price tag—you’ve got to physically step into an Apple store. Why, you ask? The answer is as fascinating as the product itself.
The Vision Pro isn’t a one-size-fits-all deal. Far from it. When you saunter into an Apple store, you’re not just handing over your credit card—you’re getting measured up for a custom fit. We’re talking optional prescription lenses, fitting light seals, adjusting head straps—the works.
I’m sure some of you tech-heads out there are raising an eyebrow right now. A little extravagant, isn’t it? But think about it. We’re entering a new reality, a shift in how we interact with our tech. It’s a head-mounted device, not a phone or a tablet. It needs to be comfortable, functional, and properly fitted. And if we’re shelling out a cool $3,500 for the first-generation product, we might as well make sure it fits like a glove, right?
So there you have it, my tech-loving friends. An in-store appointment is now on the must-have checklist for the Apple Vision Pro experience. It’s an unexpected twist in the tech narrative, and it’ll be interesting to see how this unfolds when ‘the orchard’ opens its virtual gates next year. Now, I want to hear from you. What do you think of this move by Apple? Innovation or inconvenience? Let’s discuss.