The WAN Show - R9 390X UNBOXED! Also I guess Apple WWDC - June 12, 2015

The WAN Show episode from June 12, 2015 covers a packed slate of hardware news, software previews, and industry shifts, all filtered through Linus and his rotating guest host lineup. The show kicks off with a casual vibe, noting weather and vacation plans while setting the stage for a wide range of topics. The host introduces Wheels, a guest who has recently transitioned from NC Tech Tips to Linus Media Group, and the conversation quickly pivots to unboxings and early leaks around AMD’s R9 390X. This unboxing topic becomes a throughline for much of the episode as Linus analyzes rumored specifications, possible performance implications, and pricing leaks that paint the product landscape. The discussion then shifts to Sony’s A7R II, highlighting its high resolution, 4K video capabilities, and a back-illuminated sensor, with comparisons to existing options like the GH4 and the potential impact on pixel-level imaging. Throughout, the show interleaves WWDC 2015 coverage, noting Apple’s emphasis on software with notable introductions in OS X El Capitan, iOS 9, watchOS 2, and Apple Music, while evaluating the practical implications for developers and end users. The team notes Apple Pay integration with Square, loyalty program expansions, and the broader trend toward a more interconnected wallet ecosystem, including the role of loyalty cards in the possible Apple wallet future. In between topics, Linus provides updates on their production workflow, stressing the new policy of filming entire projects before editing to maintain a steady weekly cadence for Scrapyard Wars and other channels. The AMD unboxings generate a lively debate about product refresh cycles and market positioning, with speculation about Fiji XT versus Fiji, potential 256-bit versus 384-bit memory configurations, and the broader Nvidia-AMD competitive dynamic. The conversation remains rooted in practical consumer implications, including pricing leaks from Best Buy and the reality that 390X may be a rebrand with modest performance gains, prompting a broader discussion about product naming strategies and market messaging. The A7R II is analyzed in depth, with emphasis on its 42.4 MP stills, 4K video, and the potential of pairing the camera with Metabones speed boosters, which would push high-end Sony mirrorless capabilities into new territory. The discussion on iOS 9 focuses on Force Touch, improved search, proactive notifications, and API enhancements that open app search and deep linking, illustrating how developers can leverage new capabilities to deliver richer user experiences. The WWDC thread is praised for curation, while criticism touches on OS naming conventions (El Capitan) and the balance between cosmetic changes and meaningful performance improvements. The show wraps with broader industry commentary, including performance tweaks in El Capitan, the potential for Apple to pursue a custom CPU, and the broader ecosystem implications for developers and consumers, underscoring how platform choices can ripple through hardware pricing, software development, and accessory markets. The final segments emphasize community engagement, sponsor reads, and a call-back to ongoing content like Scrapyard Wars, signal-boosting a consistent weekly release cadence and ongoing experimentation with production workflows. Overall the episode blends hands-on hardware previews with strategic industry analysis, delivering both tangible product insights and a sense of how major tech players shape each other’s trajectories. The tone remains approachable and candid, inviting viewers to weigh rumors against confirmed details while keeping expectations grounded in what is demonstrably implementable today. In sum, the WAN Show offers a snapshot of a tech landscape in flux, where new cameras, GPUs, and software platforms collide with evolving payment ecosystems and development tools, creating a narrative that is as much about how technology is consumed as it is about what it can actually do tomorrow.

Topics · technology · consumer_electronics · hardware · software