Summary
Overview
This TechLinked episode covers major tech updates including Microsoft's long-awaited improvements to Windows 11 search functionality, AMD bringing FSR 4 upscaling to older GPUs, Meta's launch of cheaper smart glasses without displays, and several quick bits about motherboard price drops, Meta's employee surveillance controversy, bot-detection technology, Wikipedia drama, and a new ultra-black car coating that absorbs light.
Microsoft Finally Fixes Windows 11 Search
After years of user complaints, Microsoft is introducing toggles that let users disable web searches and Microsoft Store results from Windows 11's search function, allowing it to focus solely on local files. The company has also enhanced the underlying search indexing to make it faster and more reliable, with features like finding files with just two characters and substring searching for partial file names. While this functionality was already forced upon Microsoft in Europe due to regulations, there's no firm release date for when it will reach users in other regions.
- New toggles in Settings allow users to turn off web searches and Microsoft Store results from Windows search
- Enhanced indexing makes search faster and can find files with as little as two characters
- New substring search feature helps find files when you only remember parts of the filename
- Bing-less search was already launched in Europe due to regulatory requirements
" If Windows users pull together and unite behind a common cause, we can achieve incremental and delayed successes. "
" They took the good stuff out so that they could put it back in now. It's like the 90s. "
AMD Brings FSR 4 to Older GPUs
AMD surprised users by bringing its latest FSR 4 AI upscaling and frame generation technology to previous generation RX 7000 series GPUs, despite earlier implications that the older hardware couldn't support it. The upgrade delivers performance nearly on par with NVIDIA's DLSS, with the RX 7900 XTX seeing frame rates jump from 43 to 64 FPS. The technology supports over 300 games, with an override option available through Adrenaline software for games with FSR 3.1 support, and AMD also promised a lightweight version for integrated RDNA 3 graphics.
- FSR 4 now available on RX 7000 series GPUs despite AMD's earlier implications it wouldn't work on older hardware
- Performance boost example: RX 7900 XTX goes from 43 FPS to 64 FPS
- Over 300 games supported with Adrenaline override option for FSR 3.1 games
- RDNA 3 integrated graphics will receive a lightweight diet version of FSR
" Claiming AMD is on par with NVIDIA is a fast way for Lisa Su to get uninvited by Jensen from the Thanksgiving family dinner that I'm pretty sure they don't have because they're more distant cousins than that. "
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