Is Apple in TROUBLE?

The episode opens with a lighthearted jab at the lack of tech news, then quickly pivots to hardware updates, starting with AMD’s RX 6700 XT reveal. The card is described as having 12 GB of memory and 40 compute units, with AMD estimating performance near an RTX 3070 at 1440p while carving out a $479 price point, though some fans view this as a price hike in a tight supply market. The discussion then shifts to AMD’s Smart Access Memory, which enables Ryzen 3000 CPUs to directly access GPU memory, potentially giving AMD an edge over Intel and Nvidia, though the real-world impact hinges on availability. The host notes the launch date of March 18 and riffs on the humor of product availability in the current market, underscoring that even great hardware can be hard to buy. The conversation moves to Chrome ending support for third-party cookies and the privacy implications for digital advertising, with comparisons to Firefox and Brave as privacy-forward alternatives, and a nod to Google’s claim that these changes won’t break advertising. They juxtapose this with Arizona’s new bill requiring open payment options in app stores, highlighting its potential to disrupt Apple and Google’s control over in-app payments, and connect it to Epic Games’ broader anti-DRM and fairness campaigns through the Coalition for App Fairness. The show then covers Epic’s recent acquisition of Mediatonic, the studio behind Fall Guys, framing it within Epic’s broader strategy to challenge walled-garden ecosystems. In quick bits, Intel drops its overclocking warranty plan, Microsoft announces a free Power Automate Desktop and previews a HoloLens driven future with a Pokemon Go style demo, and Twitter’s Spaces clone on Android appears as a response to Clubhouse. The DJI FPV drone makes an appearance as a blend of racing and cinematic flight, while a controversy around The Sinking City sees its developer using DMCA to remove the game from Steam, illustrating the sometimes tangled relationship between publishers and developers. The episode wraps with playful banter and a tease for the next show, promising more tech news that sticks to the ribs, not just bite-sized updates.

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