The WAN Show: Minecraft makes you a killer, Android cheating & GUEST Elric Phares - Oct 5, 2013

The WAN Show episode dated October 5, 2013 features Linus and Slick welcoming a special guest Elric Phares from Tech of Tomorrow to discuss a broad slate of tech topics. The hosts preview the show with a light tone, promising a mix of industry news, community questions, and guest-driven analysis. The initial segment riffs on Minecraft and its unintended cultural impact, noting a perceived alignment in release timing with GTA 5 that amplifies the joke about violent gamer stereotypes. The conversation pivots to Android benchmarking, where cheating in benchmarks is framed as a recurring issue across platforms, and potential implications for consumers and manufacturers are explored. This sets a recurring theme of how measurements and perceptions in tech media influence public opinion and purchasing behavior. The Bill Gates “Ctrl+Alt+Delete was a mistake” anecdote is introduced as a meme-like tangent, with discussion about the historical purpose of the shortcut and its evolution. The Verge’s original reporting is cited, and the hosts reflect on why certain legacy keyboard cues persist in modern systems despite changes in hardware and software. The EU’s roaming charge plans are analyzed with practical anecdotes about current Canadian and US pricing, highlighting regulatory push as a path toward more affordable mobility. The discussion also touches on universal charging standards and the EU’s potential micro USB mandate for mobile devices, framing it as a complex balance between consumer convenience, device design, and industry readiness. The hosts share personal experiences with battery life on phones, the cost of roaming abroad, and the social commentary around the way telcos structure pricing. The EU policy angle is explored in depth, including potential market consolidation, regulatory hurdles, and cross-border cooperation possibilities with North American markets. The show moves to a humorous aside about a fictional “betting room” scenario for roaming charges, illustrating the intense price sensitivity among travelers and the public debate surrounding telecom regulation. The Silk Road bust and related security news are touched upon as part of the broader tech and security landscape, illustrating how geopolitics intersect with consumer tech. The episode then navigates toward hardware-focused content, including the long-awaited Steam Machine prototype specs as released by Xi3 and Valve, and what those specs imply for future living-room computing. The conversation about graphics cards returns with Radeon 290X benchmarking chatter, price-point expectations, and the competitive dynamic with Nvidia’s lineup, including discussion about pricing strategies and pre-order incident at NewEgg. Elric offers his professional perspective on AMD’s strategic positioning, the potential impact on the holiday shopping season, and what real-world performance channels might look like beyond pre-release numbers. The talk shifts to the broader ecosystem of hardware reviews and the role of independent content creators, using Elric’s career as a case study for building audiences through passionate, high-quality content rather than pure corporate alignment. The guest emphasizes collaboration in the technical community and rejects the notion of direct competition among tech reviewers, underscoring the value of diverse voices contributing to informed consumer choices. A reflective segment follows about the Warcraft movie and the fantasy-to-film adaptation trend, with comparisons to past cinematic attempts at complex game universes and the potential for Blizzard to deliver a compelling, story-driven CGI experience. The hosts and Elric speculate about potential casting and production directions, including the idea that Blizzard could leverage its IP to craft a faithful and expansive cinematic universe, possibly aligning with a broader media strategy beyond games. The show closes with a sense of optimism about collaborative opportunities among tech media creators, and a call for continued experimentation in formats, topics, and cross-channel partnerships to keep technology content engaging for a wide audience. The pacing remains energetic, with transitions between news segments, audience interaction, and the guest interview aimed at delivering both entertainment and technical insight. In sum, the episode offers a snapshot of a vibrant tech culture in 2013, balancing policy, hardware, and media commentary with guest expertise to illuminate how technology, media, and consumer expectations intersect.

Topics · technology · video-podcasts · hardware-news · consumer-electronics · software-and-platforms · industry-analysis