The WAN Show: iPhone 6 Rumours, Oculus DK2 & Project Morpheus, Moto 360 - March 21, 2014
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Promos
WAN Show Document: linustechtips.com Squarespace Link: squarespace.com - Offer code Linus to save 10% Join Dollar Shave Club: dollarshaveclub.com TOPIC TIMETABLE 0:06:13 - TOPIC: Ohio Car Dealers Block Tesla Direct Sales - 0:08:38 - Senator being paid off? - 0:11:39 - We hate car shopping - 0:29:05 - Viewer experiences with car dealerships 0:13:55 - TOPIC: Android Wear for Smartwatches and Wearables - 0:15:37 - Basic features - 0:16:12 - They need to look good - 0:17:18 - The merits of calculator watches - 0:17:46 - ETA for more information 0:18:04 - TOPIC: Moto 360 Smartwatch previewed - 0:20:34 - Do specs matter for wearables? - 0:22:26 - Images & feature summary - 0:22:46 - Not going to get too hyped... Toq letdown 0:23:33 - Fitness Wearables: Fad or Longterm? - 0:24:25 - Who is buying them? - 0:25:12 - Ideal fitness wearables discussion - 0:27:50 - Augmented reality gaming fitness?? - 0:28:18 - Badminton is real exercise 0:31:54 - TOPIC: Amazon Smartphone Coming? - 0:32:25 - Gesture based interaction - 0:33:15 - Is now a good time to enter the smartphone market? 0:34:33 - TOPIC: iPhone 6 - 0:34:40 - Some rumoured specs - 0:35:33 - iPhone 6 size discussion - 0:36:43 - iPhone 4 with iOS 7.1 is much better - 0:38:25 - Liquid metal casing rumours and advantages - 0:41:26 - Sapphire crystal screen rumours & advantages 0:44:40 - TOPIC: Apple iHome with Siri - 0:45:00 - The importance of devices working together - 0:46:10 - But they'll have all your data... - 0:46:55 - The ideal personal cloud 0:48:20 - TOPIC: Google is Encrypting Gmail Data - 0:49:22 - Your personal data - give it to corporation or government? - 0:52:16 - Challenge coins 0:55:15 - TOPIC: Valve In-Home Streaming Updated Again - 0:55:22 - My conversation with Valve employee slouken - 0:57:18 - What it's like to work at Valve - 0:58:25 - New feature summary - 1:01:00 - Gaben uses an iPhone and iPad and he's okay 1:02:53 - TOPIC: Valve Updated the STEAM Controller Again - 1:03:21 - Why are D Pads so hard to make? - 1:03:50 - Touchpads - Still not sold on them - 1:05:10 - What I would change about the STEAM controller 1:05:56 - TOPIC: Random NVIDIA Shield discussion - 1:06:58 - Shield is a tablet - 1:07:43 - Using the buttons to navigate the OS 1:09:18 - Squarespace Sponsor Spot - Visit squarespace.com - For 10% off use the code: LINUS 1:11:18 - Dollar Shave Club Sponsor Spot - Visit dollarshaveclub.com to sign up -
Channels and socials
Check out their amazing ad here: youtube.com - 1:17:13 - Butt wiping 1:17:50 - TOPIC: Valve Free to Play Documentary - 1:18:03 - Who should watch it? - 1:18:34 - Was the film just a commercial or was it interesting aside from that? - 1:20:02 - The problems with being a pro gamer - 1:22:33 - Parents. Should they approve of their kids aspiring to be pro gamers? - 1:24:08 - Why it's important to have a backup plan - 1:28:19 - Shots fired at Ryan Shrout 1:30:19 - TOPIC: CPU News from Intel - 1:30:38 - Good stuff coming! Intel listening to the enthusiasts! - 1:05:40 - ISP Ads - 1:08:00 - Not 100% Secure 1:31:29 - TOPIC: DirectX 12 is coming - 1:32:41 - The benefits of DX12 vs DX11 - 1:33:03 - Microsoft, why did you wait so long to improve DX? - 1:34:05 - Do we still need Mantle? - 1:34:43 - DX11 graphics card will work with DX12! 1:35:20 - TOPIC: OpenGL Improvements - 1:35:54 - Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA all agree driver overhead could be reduced to near-zero! - 1:36:22 - Why are OpenGL performance improvements so exciting? 1:37:07 - TOPIC: Snowdrop Engine Demo - 1:37:40 - It looks amazing! - 1:38:09 - It's easy to work with - 1:38:09 - It's easy to work with 1:38:46 - TOPIC: Unity 5 Engine with Support for Plugin-Free Browser Games - 1:39:22 - The main features & ease of use 1:40:15 - TOPIC: Mantle and TrueAudio Released for Thief - 1:40:38 - Tom's Hardware benchmarks with Mantle - 1:41:24 - Positional audio worth another try? It was bad before, but perhaps better now? - 1:08:00 - Not 100% Secure 1:42:53 - TOPIC: Project Morpheus (Playstation VR) - 1:43:06 - Specs & Features - 1:44:30 - Oculus employees' opinions of Morpheus and rumoured collaboration between Sony and Oculus - 1:45:43 - What kind of games will run in VR on PS4? Just basic stuff? 1:48:01 - TOPIC: Oculus Rift Development Kit 2 (DK2) Released - 1:48:26 - More Specs - 1:48:56 - Faster refresh rates & low persistence REALLY matter. - 1:50:01 - Built in latency tester - 1:50:51 - Challenges with tracking IR LEDs - 1:51:25 - Consumers, please don't buy this... better stuff is coming. 1:54:09 - TOPIC: Wal-Mart Offers Game Trade-Ins
The WAN Show episode dated March 21, 2014 covers a broad spectrum of upcoming and speculative technology topics, anchored around mobile devices, wearables, virtual reality, and computing APIs. The hosts kick off with discussion about Android Wear as Google's wearable operating system, highlighting Motorola’s Moto 360 as a prime example of a round-faced smartwatch and the aesthetic direction wearables might take. They contrast design priorities with technical spec considerations, emphasizing that battery life and elegant form factors may trump raw horsepower in early wearables. Throughout the segment they reference hands-on expectations, potential integration with Google Now, and the importance of fashion-conscious collaboration with brands to drive mainstream adoption. Subtopics touch on broader wearable strategy, possible future collaboration between Android and hardware makers, and the role of software in shaping user experience. The conversation then shifts to augmented reality and VR, discussing Project Morpheus from Sony, the Oculus DK2, and Valve’s involvement, with emphasis on what kinds of content and hardware constraints will define early VR experiences on consoles and PC. They debate timing, developer ecosystems, and the potential for VR to influence gaming, fitness, and immersive media, while noting the hype versus realistic outcomes in the near term. The show then transitions to a round of hardware and software news including DirectX 12, OpenGL improvements, and Mantle, with a focus on how these APIs could reduce driver overhead and improve cross-vendor performance as well as how larger engines like Snowdrop and Unity 5 might influence future PC and browser-based gaming. The host team also digs into Valve related topics, including Steam in-home streaming, the Steam Controller, and insights into Valve’s company culture and project choices, offering candid commentary on the evolving landscape of living room gaming and PC-to-TV streaming. A lengthy discussion on VR continues with a review of what Morpheus might bring to PS4, the potential collaboration between Sony and Oculus, and what kinds of games and experiences VR on PS4 could enable. The DK2 and its improved refresh rates, low persistence, built-in latency tester, and tracking challenges are covered in depth, highlighting consumer cautions and expectations about buying early hardware. The show closes major segments with a look at the Amazon smartphone rumors, gesture-based interaction concepts, and the broader implications of entering the smartphone market during a period of industry transition. The iPhone 6 rumors are weighed, including potential screen sizes, a thinner form factor, and the possibility of a faster A8 processor, along with speculative discussion about sapphire screens, liquid metal casing, and the iHome with Siri. The hosts reflect on the challenges and benefits of device ecosystems that share data and services, debating personal data ownership, cloud considerations, and the balance between openness and privacy. The episode then covers Google encryption efforts for Gmail and the implications for personal data governance, before pivoting to gaming hardware discussions around the Valve STEAM Controller and NVIDIA Shield as part of a broader look at how input methods and form factors influence PC and console experiences. Throughout the show, the hosts pepper in sponsor content, including Squarespace and Dollar Shave Club, interleaving practical demonstrations of services with their usual tech banter. The pacing remains brisk, with the team frequently looping back to earlier topics to provide updates or clarifications and occasionally injecting humor about everyday tech annoyances, old hardware nostalgia, or personal experiences with devices. In sum, this WAN Show provides a snapshot of late-2013 to early-2014 tech trajectories, emphasizing how fast hardware, software, and platforms are mutating while highlighting the enduring questions about user experience, battery life, and the balance between innovation and practicality. The discussion closes by reaffirming the show’s commitment to exploring both established products and emerging ideas, inviting viewers to weigh in with personal experiences and questions for future episodes.
Topics · technology · gadgets · vr · wearables · pc_gaming · mobile_devices · hardware_news
Questions answered
- What is Android Wear and which early smartwatch is highlighted in this episode?
- Android Wear is Google’s operating system for wearable devices, and the Moto 360 is highlighted as a prime example of a round-faced smartwatch.
- What VR hardware is discussed in this WAN Show?
- The Oculus Rift Developer Kit 2 (DK2) and Sony's Project Morpheus are discussed, along with expectations for their features and potential collaboration.
- What are some potential iPhone 6 rumors mentioned?
- Rumors include a thinner form factor, possible sapphire screen, faster processor in the A8 line, and multiple display size options.
- Which APIs and technologies are covered in relation to PC gaming?
- DirectX 12, OpenGL improvements, Mantle, and engine/porting implications for games and drivers are discussed.
- What is the general stance on wearables in this episode?
- Wearables are seen as a growing category with design as a key driver for adoption, combined with software features like voice control and Google Now, while battery life remains a critical constraint.