- Now you listen here, okay?
If you don't give me that tech news right now,
I am walking off this set and I am never coming back.
- [Director] Lioness, you're supposed to give them the tech.
That's not-- - Oh shoot.
Microsoft and GameStop made some kind of deal last week
to have the retail chain use Microsoft's
cloud infrastructure in its backend,
and have its employees use Surface products that work.
But GameStop investors were also told by the company
that the deal included GameStop getting a share
of the revenue from all digital sales
on Xbox console units sold by GameStop.
Now, the exact details of the deal are unclear
with some insiders saying that the percentage
of sales Gamestop will get might be as low
as 1%. - Ha!
- But hey, if your Gamestop, that might be enough
to make it worthwhile. - It's something!
- As Gamestop's physical stores have been struggling
for quite some time and Sony is predicted
to sell more next gen consoles than Microsoft.
So then maybe with this little bit of encouragement,
Gamestop will be inclined to push Xboxes a little harder
than PlayStations, even if the target audience consists
of a few confused grandmas just try
to get the kid something for Christmas.
(jingling) - Christmas?
- Wow Microsoft, targeting grandmas?
What happened to, "Don't be evil."
Wait, that was Google. - That's Google, Lioness.
- You can't script mistakes for me,
then correct me. (laughs)
The Oculus Quest 2 launched this weekend.
Enthusiast concerns about the headset's
Facebookenning have apparently pretty much come true.
Quest 2 users without Facebook accounts had to create one,
in order to log in, a new requirement with this headset.
But once some of those users linked their Facebook
and Oculus accounts, they were banned for unknown reasons,
turning their fancy new VR gadget
into an inconveniently shaped bookend.
Facebook says they're trying to help those
that are affected, but the incident does serve
as vindication for those who do not like the fact
that what is basically the coolest piece
of mainstream VR tech out there is owned
and operated by Zuckerberg and co.
Reviews of the headset from those who are not bothered
by such privacy concerns have been generally positive.
It does have a sharper screen, more powerful chip,
and a cheaper price, after all.
Not to mention that it's lighter, but is all that worth it
if you know that Mark is watching you sweat
through your underwear, playing Beat Saber?
(ominous, maniacal laugh)
Just something to think about.
- Watch me.
- Oo. - No, no, no.
Lioness, no.
- And that is, for those holding on
to their Google play music subscriptions for dear life,
like me, the ship is going down.
Not later, but currently.
The service has stopped working
on smart speakers that use Google assistant
and users can no longer purchase music
from the Google Play store. (simple, playful music)
Now, if you're determined to keep getting music
from a Google service, then YouTube music is meant
to be your new home and Google did just release an app
for the service on Apple Watch.
But then confusingly, not on their own smartwatch platform,
Wear OS, showing that the company's attitude
towards supporting its own products is as confusing as ever.
- What do you want!? - But hey,
at least if you want to identify a song
that you hear playing on a service other
than Google Play music, you can hum or sing it
into search now and get a presumably fairly accurate answer.
I wonder if it'll recognize the Techlinked theme song.
- How does that go? - I wonder
if they'll make family sharing work
on YouTube Music. - Okay.
- I have a family plan and because YouTube doesn't let
kids use it, they can use Google Play music,
but they can't use YouTube Music.
- [Director] It's coming later, Lioness.
- Now it's time for you (stammers and babbles)
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Silly rabbit, quack butts are for kids and for other people.
A leaker on Twitter claims that a Core-i7 part
from Intel's upcoming Rocket Lake-S lineup can turbo
up to 5.2 gigahertz, while the Core i9 can reach up to 5.5.
(whistles) In a separate leak,
an Alder Lake-S CPU is pictured,
which will use a larger LGA 1700 socket.
And everyone knows, the more pins you've got,
the more performance you get. - That's just math.
- Well, maybe not but hey, if you can't beat 'em,
make your socket bigger. - That's what my grandma used
to say.
- According to political insiders, the US justice department
and the European union are looking at whether
to force Google to sell off Chrome, since Chrome based
browsers account for over 70% of the market.
But in fairness, what are we supposed to do, use Firefox?
- Lioness. - Actually,
that is a real option, I'm sorry Firefox users.
(groans empathetically) We love you guys.
YouTube is joining Facebook and Twitter in taking steps
to crack down on content related to the QAnon conspiracy.
Is that you pronounce it, or is it Q an-on?
I don't know, It doesn't matter, it's stupid.
Now this doesn't mean a ban on all QAnon unrelated content,
but just that any content that targets individuals or groups
with conspiracy theories that have been used
to justify violence will be prohibited.
Because you're allowed to think
that NASA is made of cheese all you want,
really, as long as you don't try to blow it up.
- That would be bad. - After facing a lawsuit
over faulty Xbox controllers experiencing joystick drift,
Microsoft has extended the warranty
for the Elite Controller Series 2
to one year, up from 90 days.
I mean, how'd they get away with a 90 day warranty
on a controller in the first place?
- That's pretty short. - Even though,
joystick drifting does actually sound
like a super cool move in from a "Fast and Furious" movie.
- [Director] Oh my God, he's joystick drifting.
- He's joystick drifting.
And in a year that saw Doom running
on a pregnancy test and a smart fridge,
of course someone would not only run the game
on a graphing calculator, but would also power
that calculator with room full of moldy potato batteries.
The metaphors are simply too real.
We better just end this episode
before we get even more real and I start getting sick
from mold inhalation.
Yeah, so come back on Monday for more tech news.
I promise it'll taste at least as good as moldy potatoes.
- [Director] That's the Lioness guarantee.
(tooth dings)