Summary
Overview
A tech news episode covering Valve's major hardware announcements (Steam Controller, Steam Machine, and Steam Frame VR headset), AI copyright issues in Germany, the rise of AI-generated music, and various quick hits including revived Nest thermostats, Microsoft's AI OS plans, Sony's region-locked PS5, injectable brain chips from MIT, and humanoid robot developments.
Valve's Hardware Announcements: The Triple Threat
Valve surprised the tech community by announcing three new hardware products simultaneously. The new Steam Controller takes the Steam Deck's controls and improves them with magnetic joysticks and an innovative controller puck that serves as both a wireless transmitter and charging station. The Steam Machine is a cube-shaped SteamOS PC with AMD Zen 4 CPU and RDNA 3 GPU capable of 4K60 gaming with FSR enabled, featuring interchangeable faceplates and programmable LED lighting. The Steam Frame VR headset rounds out the trio with 2160x2160 per eye resolution, 110-degree FOV, and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, emphasizing wireless streaming while also functioning as a standalone PC.
- Valve announced three new hardware products: Steam Controller, Steam Machine, and Steam Frame VR headset
- New Steam Controller features magnetic joysticks and a controller puck that doubles as wireless transmitter and charging station
- Steam Machine is a cube-shaped PC with AMD Zen 4 CPU and RDNA 3 GPU, capable of 4K60 gaming with FSR enabled
- Community already dubbed the new Steam Machine the 'Gabe Cube'
- Steam Frame VR headset has 2160x2160 per eye resolution, 110-degree FOV, powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
- Steam Frame runs SteamOS and can play games independently, not just as a streaming device
- New controllers use inside-out tracking, making Valve Index's external tracking stations obsolete
- No pricing or release date announced, only vague promise of 'early 2026' shipping
" So come up with something else. "
" Please don't hurt us, Gaben. "
AI Copyright Battle and Music Industry Disruption
Germany ruled that OpenAI violated copyright law by training ChatGPT on song lyrics and reproducing them, establishing that even short excerpts count as infringement. This ruling comes as AI-generated music gains alarming traction in the mainstream, with a fake AI country band called Breaking Rust hitting number one on Billboard's digital song sales chart. A Deezer survey revealed that 97% of listeners couldn't distinguish AI-generated songs from human-made ones, suggesting the AI music revolution may be inevitable despite the legal pushback.
- Germany ruled OpenAI violated copyright law by training ChatGPT on song lyrics and reproducing them
- Music industry takes lyrics distribution seriously; even short excerpts generated by ChatGPT count as infringement
- AI country band 'Breaking Rust' hit number one on Billboard's digital song sales chart with 'Small Town Dreams'
- Deezer survey found 97% of listeners couldn't tell AI-generated songs from human ones
" Small Town Dreams, what does AI know about small towns? It lives in a data center surrounded by concrete and the soothing roar of jet turbines nowadays. "
" So I guess we all deserve the slop. "
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