Tech Brew Ride Home - Thu. 10/20 – A Day Of Reviews

Episode Date: October 20, 2022

The big Solana challenger had a terrible first day of trading. Previews of the new Thunderbolt standard. Reviews of the new Raptor Lake chips. Uber takes a page out of the New York City taxi playbook. And the first hands-on, quasi-review of Meta’s high end VR headset. Sponsors: Zengo.com/ride and code ride Split.io/techmeme Links: Aptos Token Plummets 40% After APT Airdrop for 'Early Network Participants' (Decrypt) Android 13 (Go edition) announced with Material You, Google Play System Updates, and more (9to5Google) The next generation of Thunderbolt seems nice but less necessary than ever (The Verge) Intel Core i9-13900K review: an AMD Zen 4 beater (The Verge) Uber rolls out ad business to reach more riders (FT) I Tried the $1,500 Quest Pro and Saw the Best of the Metaverse (NYTimes) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On April 4th, 2023, around 2 in the morning, a man was found stabbed multiple times on a sidewalk in downtown San Francisco. Hey, who did this to you? What happened next turned the story into a political firestorm. Reports have identified the victim as Bob Lee, the founder of Cash App. From Bloomberg Podcasts, this is Foundering, the Killing of Bob Lee, beginning April 16. Welcome to the Tech meme right home for Thursday, October 20th, 2022. I'm Brian McCullough today. The big Solana Challenger had a terrible first day of trading. Previews of the new Thunderbolt standard reviews of the new Raptor Lake chips. Uber takes a page out of the New York City Taxi Playbook

and the first hands-on quasi-review of meta's high-end VR headset. Here's what you miss today in the world of tech. Let's see. Can I work in a Liz Truss analogy here? Liz Trust joke. I guess that's probably a bit thirsty, but still like a prime minister who can't outlast a head of lettuce, this is not the sort of launch you like to see if you're a big crypto project. According to Coin Gecko, the APDOS token fell 40 and a half percent on its first day of trading. Appdos's layer one blockchain was panned in the run-up to the launch for opaque tokenomics and a low transaction throughput. Quoting decrypt.

The native token for the so-called Solana Killer currently trades at $8.6 after dropping more than a third of its value since the platform captured the first trade at $13.73. Aptos' new Layer 1 blockchain launched on Monday but was widely panned for its opaque tokenomics, inconsistent communications, the Discord was briefly frozen, and a significantly lower transaction throughput than promised. APDOS did eventually release tokenomics for the APT cryptocurrency, but the reveal attracted even more criticism for the high allocation, 49% to developers and private investors, giving rise to quips that the network catered to venture capital.

APDOS co-founder Mo Scheik took to Twitter yesterday and explained that the transaction throughput is expected to increase once more applications go live on the blockchain. He also said the team muted the Discord for a few hours on launch day to protect the community against scams. APDOS also announced a 20 million APT token AirDrop last night, which a little over 110,000 people are eligible to receive. Quote, the APDOS Foundation has provided early network participants with APT tokens. If you are eligible to claim, you will receive an email from Airdrop at aptosFoundation.org in the next few hours, tweeted the project. Participants in the APDOS incentivized test net, or those who minted the APDOS zero

testnet NFT will get up to 150 APT tokens. And based on the timing, it looks like at least a few of them dumped their newly earned tokens on arrival, end quote. Quoting at Alpha underscore PLS on Twitter, Aptos raised at a $2 billion valuation and failed to make their tokenomics information available at launch. There is no way this was an oversight. This was intentional, end quote. Google has unveiled Android 13 Go Edition. You might recall. call that Go is the lightweight version of Android built to run on systems that are RAM and bandwidth constricted. Read here low-end phones, quoting 9 to 5 Google. The changes begin with material you and wallpaper-derived dynamic color generating four corresponding color schemes to choose from

instead of 16 on the full release. Google showed theming on the lock screen and quick settings, which is nearly identical to pixel phones. Last year's Go launch skipped out on the design aspects to focus on adding a slew of user-facing features. On the home screen, swiping right now takes you to a Discover feed. It's unclear if it will be identical, but this could make for a sizable expansion for the curated list of articles and other content. That's a staple on all other devices. Other key features from the full version include notification permissions and app language preferences. Under the hood, Android 13 Go Edition adds support for Google Play system updates, project mainline, that helps, quote, ensure devices can regularly receive important software updates outside of the major Android release via the Play Store.

Google says this will not compromise storage availability on the device. Another big change is Google requiring at least two gigabytes of RAM for Android Go hardware. Google also shared today that, quote, there are now over 250 million monthly active devices powered by Android Go, and that to expect new Android 13 Go devices in 20. end quote. Intel has previewed the next generation version of Thunderbolt, based on USB 4 version 2, with up to 80 GPPPS both ways, or 120 GPPPS one way and 40 the other way for, quote, video intensive usages, quoting the verge. According to the company, its upcoming standard will be capable of, speeds up to 80 gigabits per second both ways, support for display port 2.1, two times,

faster PCIE throughput, compatibility with existing Thunderbolt 4 cables up to a meter long, a special mode that allows for 120 GbPS speeds up with 40 GbPS down if you need to drive several high-end monitors with a single cable. If these specs sound familiar, it's because they're very similar to the ones the USB promoter group announced last month with the reveal of USB4 version 2.0. The official specification for that standard released on Tuesday shows that it's also capable of the 120 to 40 GbPS communication that Intel says makes next-gen Thunderbolt great for video intensive usages, read powering a bunch of high-resolution, high-refresh rate displays. The similarity isn't a secret. Intel's press release says that

its next Thunderbolt spec will be, quote, built on the USB 4 version 2 specification, and it says that its demo is aligned to the USB implementers forum's official release. This raises an obvious question, why bother making another version of Thunderbolt if it's basically going to be the same as the latest and greatest USB spec? The advantage used to be obvious. Thunderbolt was faster and carried PCIE and display port signals. But since Intel allowed Thunderbolt to become the basis for USB4, it's been harder to care about it as its own standard. According to Intel, the answer is, basically, assurance. Quote, many portions of the USB 4 version 2 specification are optional leading to variability in implementation. Thunderbolt defines a higher bar and delivers the most complete solution,

said Jason Ziller, a general manager at Intel's client computing group, in an email to the verge. Basically, a device with USB 4 version 2 can operate up to 80G BPS both ways and can support DisplayPort 2.1 and PCIE tunneling. If you're making something with the next gen Thunderbolt, then it must support those things. Said another way, if you pick up a Thunderbolt device, you know what it'll do, but if it's USB, you may have to do a little digging. The body managing USB is trying to make that easier, though. Last month it announced that it was shaking up its branding and trying to make it more obvious what level of speed and power delivery USB devices support.

The new logos could definitely help make it easier to identify what a USB port or cable is capable of, but there are some limitations. They don't show any info about tunneling and the like, nor are they required to do so. While the clarity Thunderbolt provides is definitely still an advantage, I do still think there's a trend where USB is getting better, while the advantages Thunderbolt has over it are going away. I used to just automatically buy Thunderbolt accessories because they were simply better. Now I'm taking the time to check and see if there are any less expensive versions that use USB because the price savings are sometimes worth the extra

few minutes of research, end quote. Speaking of Intel, reviews of the new Raptor Lake chips are out. As always, we turn to the verge for reviews. Quoting Tom Warren, I said in my aim, AMD. Risen 9-7900x review last month that 2022's Intel versus AMD CPU battle had only just begun. And now, less than a month later, Intel is back on top. While AMD's Zen 4 generation brings big gains over its previous Zen 3 desktop chips and the 12th gen beating performance, Intel's 13th gen has regained the overall performance crown. The flagship Core I9-13900K is priced at $589 and includes, 24 cores, 32 threads, and clock speeds of up to 5.8 gigahertz.

While base clocks have dropped this year, the boost clock speeds of up to 5.8 gigahertz seem to make all the difference for performance alongside the extra efficiency cores. Intel has promised up to 15% better single thread performance on its core I913900K over the previous 12,900K and up to 41% better multi-thread performance. I've been testing a core I913,900k over the past week, and it largely delivers on Intel's promises with some big multi-thread performance gains that really speed up the heaviest workloads. But this might not be the best option for gaming. While the 13900K beats AMD's top 7,950X, Ryzen 7,000 CPU and the majority of my gaming tests at 1080p,

AMD's impressive 5800X3D still looms large over both the Zen 4 and Intel's 13th gen chips when it comes to gaming. The great thing about Intel's 13th gen chips is that they work. work on existing motherboards that support 12th-gen processors. That means there are plenty of affordable motherboard options to choose from, which hasn't been the case with AMD switched to its new AM5 socket just yet. Intel's Core I913900K comes out on top in nearly every creator task I tested and even in most of the gaming benchmarks. It delivered around a 6% performance boost in most games over the 12-900K and comfortably improves games like Shadow of the Tomb Raider from 230 frames per per second on the 7950x at 1080p to 244 frames per second on the 13900K.

Gears 5 also sees a big boost with an average of 167 frames per second on the 795X at 180p and a bump up to 187 frames per second on the 13900K. I'm now expecting to see a 7800X3D down the line for AMD to really push gaming performance with its Zen 4 chips. It might have temporarily taken the gaming performance crown with Zen 4, but Intel's response is a strong one, and at $589, the $13,900K is priced more than $100 less than AMD's $699, Risen 9-7950X. Until then, Intel's top 13th-gen processor beats out the best that AMD has to offer with its new Zen 4 architecture, with rumors that AMD could reveal its X3D lineup for Zen 4 in January at CES. 2022's CPU battle looks like it's about to spill over into 2023, end quote.

We've spoken a lot about Netflix's pivot to ads recently, though I have neglected to talk to you about all the rumors and whispers going on about Apple's supposed new push into advertising itself. But I have something more tangible for you today from Uber. Uber has launched a global advertising unit targeting $1 billion in hoped for annual gross ad bookings by the end of 2024. This includes adding display ads within its apps and on top of cars, quoting the Financial Times. The new ads division led by former Amazon advertising executive Mark Grether was formed earlier this year to build on its current ad business, which mostly consists of ads within its Uber Eats app, as well as car top billboards in a few markets. Uber's chief executive Darikos Roshahi has said the company was targeting $1 billion in gross ad bookings by 2024 on an annualized basis. In the second quarter of this year, the existing ad business had an annual gross bookings run rate of 350 million, Kershahi said during an investor conference last month. Uber said its advertising platform was live in dozens of countries and would expand its international footprint over the next year.

The new ad formats which have been piloted in some markets include displaying promotions within the Uber app to customers as they book or complete a journey. Brands will also be able to have emails sent to Uber's 122 million active users globally or place ads on the homepage of the Uber Eats app. The company is piloting a scheme in Los Angeles and San Francisco in which tablets attached to the back of car seats are used to display trip information and advertising. Writers would have, quote, full control over any ads with sound, Uber said, end quote. Ironically, that's something that the New York City taxi regime pioneered two decades ago, And for all its disruption, I'm surprised it's taken Uber this long to get there. Finally today, since it's been a bit of a day of reviews and such, let's end with this. It's not a full review per se, but Brian X-Chen got to play around with that new $1,500

Quest Pro VR headset for meta, and he says what I guess we expected. Let me just get to quoting. It's video games. Mr. Zuckerberg and other tech executives want us to buy these gadgets to live out their fantasy that the Metaverse will be an immersive virtual world where we shop, socialize, and work. But consumers shouldn't necessarily follow the whims of business leaders. Gaming has been the most compelling use of these headsets since the Oculus Rift arrived in 2016. The introduction of that contraption, a clunky headset that plugged into a personal computer,

marked the debut of mainstream virtual reality, and the early wave of applications was focused on this kind of entertainment. Based on extensive testing of that device, along with the myriad competitors that came after, and the new MetaQuest Pro set for release next week, it seems safe to conclude that the tech has found its sweet spot. The headsets are wearable, immersive video game consoles. People should buy them for the same reasons. They get PlayStation and Nintendos to be entertained and to find brief escapes from the real world,

not to live out the outlandish dreams of tech leaders. Meta envisions that high-resolution headsets, new business-focused software, and super-fast internet connections will transform the way we work, collaborate, and create art. In the company's own jargon, the Quest Pro could unlock, quote, net new use cases. Yet when asked, the products leaders couldn't name a killer app for the fancy new headgear. There's a valuable lesson amid all the hype surrounding virtual, augmented, mixed, whatever you want to call, dorky-looking goggles. We shouldn't spend our

dollars on a company's hopes and promises for what a technology could become. We should buy these headsets for what they currently do. And based on what I saw, for the foreseeable future, the MetaQuest Pro will primarily be a gaming device. I predict the... same outcome for Apple headsets expected for an unveiling next year. At Meta's Burlingame Office, I strapped on the Quest Pro to see what was new. Meta highlighted three features, the headset's higher definition picture, which is receiving quadruple, the number of pixels of its predecessor, the $400 Quest 2. The array of cameras embedded into the headset, which can now create a real-time rendering of your facial expressions and eye movements, and new motion controllers with improved

pressure sensitivity so you can squeeze a virtual object gently or grab it aggressively. I found the improved graphics and controllers impressive and my animated avatar a bit creepy, but after I removed the headset and returned to reality reality, I could only imagine wanting to use these new features to play games. None of this, a first impression that the Quest Pro will be great for playing games and primarily be used for entertainment, is a bad thing. The fact that we can get visually stunning immersive gaming in a lightweight wireless headset means virtual reality has come a long way in less than a decade. For now, that's the only reason to buy one of these, end quote. Tonight, 9 p.m. Eastern, 6 p.m. Pacific, a Twitter space with Chris and I and the great Parker Thompson. We're going to

go deep on the seeming AI revolution that's happening all of a sudden, a little bit from the strategic investment perspective. Fibibhift, anyone. But probably, probably. Probably we're going to go much, much deeper into the cultural, legal, and social perspective. Like, who wins if this technology takes over? Who loses? Whither the human artists, that sort of thing? I think it's going to go deep. Other than that, guess who's in the room with me today?

Lisa? Hello? It's been a while since Archie and I had a co-worker in our podcast cave. Feels like old times. Feels like COVID times? I hope not. Anyway, talk to you tonight and tomorrow.