Hot News - July 18th, 2024

AI and Copilot Plus PCS

• Microsoft's AI Rollout:
  • Currently exclusive to Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chips.
  • No confirmed release date for other platforms (AMD, Intel, Nvidia).
  • Expecting availability in the latter half of 2024 (24 H2 update).
  • AMD's new AI 300 series and Intel's Q3 CPUs capable yet excluded.
• Qualcomm & Microsoft Partnership:
  • No clear reason for the exclusion of other capable hardware vendors.

Valve's Employee Structure and Compensation

• Employee Compensation Data Leak:
  • Valve's profitability per employee: ~$15 million.
  • Hardware engineers pre-Steam Deck launch: ~$450,000/year.
  • Post-Steam Deck launch compensation details are not disclosed.
• Company Metrics:
  • 350 employees as of 2021.
  • More profitable per employee than Google, Amazon, Microsoft.

Tech Deals by UFT

• HyperX Cloud 2 Wired Gaming Headset: $47.49.
• Be Quiet Pure Loop 2 FX 360mm Aiio CPU Liquid Cooler: $92.22.
• XFX Speedster Merc 310 AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX: $869.99.
• Fractal North Raspberry Pi Case: 3D print files available; self-manufacturing needed.

AMD Running CUDA

• Nvidia's Antitrust Issues in France:
  • Facing 10% global revenue fine.
• Scale's Native CUDA App for AMD GPUs:
  • No need to port CUDA programs; works as is.
  • Not open source, free tier available, professional plans likely paid.
  • Potential to boost AMD's GPU market share.

Commentary and Insights

• AI Content and Consent:
  • Creators' content taken by AI firms without explicit consent.
  • Contractual issues involving content created for platforms like YouTube.

ARM-based Laptops and x86 Compatibility

• Prism Emulator Issues:
  • x86 apps do not always run on ARM laptops.
  • Potential workarounds exist but are not user-friendly.
  • Frustration for early adopters due to lack of seamless integration.

Community Comments

• Competition and Market Dynamics:
  • Intel integrating new tactics to stay competitive.
  • Debian software and support discontinuations discussed.
  • Qualcomm's market penetration and challenges for ARM adoption.

Conclusion

• Milestone for Hot News:
  • Approaching 1 million subscribers.
  • PC building stream planned to celebrate the milestone.