Tech

• Meta announces paid subscriptions for both Instagram and Facebook in the UK
• Meta won’t allow users to opt out of targeted ads based on AI chats – Ars Technica
• Neon app to sell your audio calls says it will return after massive security breach
• Disney reportedly lost 1.7 million paid subscribers in the week after suspending Kimmel
• F-Droid says Google’s new sideloading restrictions will kill the project – Ars Technica
• Tile trackers reportedly have a security flaw that can let stalkers track your location
• Red Hat Investigating Breach Impacting as Many as 28,000 Customers, Including the Navy and Congress
• Apple’s latest software updates fix this lone security vulnerability – 9to5Mac

Gaming

• Asus’ new ROG Xbox Ally X set to break the bank at $999.99
• Costco reportedly comments on removing Xbox stock | Windows Central
• Microsoft increases price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, despite record subscription profits last year | Eurogamer.net
• EA Sold To Saudi Arabia And Trump’s Son-In-Law For $55 Billion – GameSpot
• Just Cause developer Avalanche Studios is the latest game company to announce layoffs
• Starbreeze has cancelled its Dungeons & Dragons game and is laying off 44 staff as it focuses on Payday | VGC

Content Creation

• You Can Now Rewind Twitch Live Streams, But There’s A Catch – GameSpot
• MrBeast defends trapping man in burning building for chance to win $500,000

Hardware/Software Updates

• iOS 18.7.1 now available for iPhone, here’s what’s new – 9to5Mac
• Apple Releases macOS Tahoe 26.0.1 With M3 Ultra Bug Fix – MacRumors
• Apple Releases watchOS 26.0.2, visionOS 26.0.1 and tvOS 26.0.1 – MacRumors
• Apple releases iOS 26.0.1 for iPhone, here’s what’s new – 9to5Mac
• Microsoft’s Windows 11 2025 update starts rolling out today (but don’t expect anything new)

Deals

• Steam Autumn Sale 2025 is live now with tons of discounts | GamingOnLinux

Managing Mayhem

• A rant (and a plea) re: platforms for artists

Please check out the shows live on Twitch, Thursday at 8:00pm ET!

If there are any topics you’d like to see covered, email us at ttt@majorshouse.com or join the MajorsHouse Discord server!

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The post Tech Talk Thursdays Episode #150 (10/02/2025) appeared first on Desk Chair Analysts.

Tech

• Verizon is increasing prices while removing its Google Play Pass perk
  • Verizon Ending Free Apple Arcade Access and Loyalty Discounts – MacRumors
• AT&T to pay $177 million in data breach settlement. Here’s how to claim up to $5,000
• Microsoft’s Satya Nadella says job cuts have been ‘weighing heavily’ on him
• Israel is reportedly storing millions of Palestinian phone calls on Microsoft servers
• Amazon splits up the Wondery podcast network and lays off about 110 employees
• OpenAI is removing ChatGPT conversations from Google
• Perplexity is allegedly scraping websites it’s not supposed to, again
• Illinois is the first state to ban AI therapists
• Home Depot and Lowe’s Share Data From Hundreds of AI Cameras With Cops
• Trump tells states they’ll lose out on broadband fund if they try to dictate rates
• Tim Cook gifts Trump with 100% US-made piece of glass on a 24k gold base
• NVIDIA say no to adding backdoors and killswitches in their GPUs | GamingOnLinux

Gaming

• Valve reveal the Steam sales and events for the first half of 2026 | GamingOnLinux
• PSA: Steam will soon stop supporting macOS 11 Big Sur – 9to5Mac
• Nintendo Increasing Price Of Switch And Other Devices In The US – GameSpot
• Everything announced at Nintendo’s new Indie World
• Developer of PlayStation 1 emulator DuckStation threatens “removing Linux support entirely” but not yet | GamingOnLinux
• Peak developers would rather you pirate its game than play Roblox “microtransaction-riddled ripoff slop” | Eurogamer.net
• Itch begins “re-indexing” free adult NSFW content, as it seeks alternative payment processors | Eurogamer.net
• Mastercard release a statement about game stores, payment processors and adult content | GamingOnLinux
• Raven Software gets its union contract with Microsoft three years after voting to organize

Please check out the shows live on Twitch, Thursday at 8:00pm ET!

If there are any topics you’d like to see covered, email us at ttt@majorshouse.com or join the MajorsHouse Discord server!

You can follow us at:
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The post Tech Talk Thursdays Episode #146 (08/07/2025) appeared first on Desk Chair Analysts.

Tech

• Apple announces AppleCare One multi-device bundle with simplified pricing
• Report: Apple alerted Iranians to spyware attacks in lead-up to war with Israel
• Grindr Won’t Let Users Say ‘No Zionists’
• A power utility is reporting suspected pot growers to cops. EFF says that’s illegal.
• OpenAI partners with Oracle to built out 4.5 gigawatts in data center capacity
• Trump’s AI Action Plan targets state regulation and ‘ideological bias’
• FCC to eliminate gigabit speed goal and scrap analysis of broadband prices
• California backs down to Trump admin, won’t force ISPs to offer $15 broadband
• A Startup is Selling Data Hacked from Peoples’ Computers to Debt Collectors
• Uber will help pair women riders and drivers in the US
• Intel confirms it will cut a third of its workforce by the end of 2025

Gaming

• Final Fantasy 14 ending support for Windows 10 OS alongside Microsoft
• ZeniMax employees discuss chaos of Microsoft’s “inhumane” mass layoffs in new report
• Splitgate 2 ‘unlaunches,’ studio to cut staff ahead of 2026 rerelease
• Supermassive Games is delaying Directive 8020 and laying off staff
• Still Wakes the Deep developer The Chinese Room regains its independence
• Gabe Newell Is A Big Believer In AI, Calls It A “Cheat Code”
• Itch.io has hidden its entire NSFW games library, as payment providers pressure stores
• Assassin’s Creed Shadows Hits 5 Million Players, 2 Billion Stealth Kills

Hardware/Software Updates

• New PS5 system update beta previews DualSense wireless controller pairing across multiple devices

Please consider supporting the channel and the MajorsHouse network at https://ko-fi.com/majorlinux

Please check out the shows live on Twitch, Thursday at 8:00pm ET!

If there are any topics you’d like to see covered, email us at ttt@majorshouse.com or join the MajorsHouse Discord server!

You can follow us at:
@MajorLinux
@SynxiecBeta
@kevikevshow

Sub to the audio podcast here

The post Tech Talk Thursdays Episode #145 (07/24/2025) appeared first on Desk Chair Analysts.

Tech

• Trump’s sanctions on ICC prosecutor have halted tribunal’s work
• Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) is now open source
• “Microsoft has simply given us no other option,” Signal says as it blocks Windows Recall
• Microsoft acknowledges it supplied AI technology to Israel’s Ministry of Defense, but claims “no evidence” it’s been used to “target or harm people in the conflict in Gaza”

• New Orleans police secretly used facial recognition on over 200 live camera feeds
• Chicago Sun-Times prints summer reading list full of fake books
• A huge unsecured credential database discovery is a great reminder to change your passwords

Gaming

• Bungie accused of plagiarizing art (yet again), but blames all the alleged Marathon art theft on a former employee
• French trade union says Ubisoft CEO will be summoned at harassment trial of three former execs
• Stellar Blade On PC Has Been Blocked In Over 130 Countries, Catching Its Developer By Surprise
• GOG add support for authenticator apps for two-factor authentication (2FA)
• An AI James Earl Jones returns as Darth Vader in Fortnite, with permission
  • SAG-AFTRA challenges Epic Games over Darth Vader AI in Fortnite
• Fortnite returns to the App Store for iPhone and iPad in the US

Content Creation

• Adobe to automatically move subscribers to pricier, AI-focused tier in June

Hardware/Software Updates

• Apple releases new version of iPadOS for older models, including important security updates

Please consider supporting the channel and the MajorsHouse network at https://ko-fi.com/majorlinux

Please check out the shows live on Twitch, Thursday at 8:00pm ET!

If there are any topics you’d like to see covered, email us at ttt@majorshouse.com or join the MajorsHouse Discord server!

You can follow us at:
@MajorLinux
@SynxiecBeta
@kevikevshow

Sub to the audio podcast here

The post Tech Talk Thursdays Episode #142 (05/22/2025) appeared first on Desk Chair Analysts.

Tech

• Patreon Planning iOS App Update to Skirt In-App Purchases
• Refurbished iPhone 15 Models Now Available From Apple’s Online Store in U.S. and Canada – MacRumors
• Microsoft’s new “passwordless by default” is great but comes at a cost – Ars Technica
• TeleMessage, a Signal clone the Trump administration uses, has been hacked
• Jury orders NSO to pay $167 million for hacking WhatsApp users – Ars Technica
• Musk’s politics see Tesla sales collapse in Europe – Ars Technica
• USPTO refuses Tesla Robotaxi trademark as “merely descriptive” – Ars Technica
• DOGE software engineer’s computer infected by info-stealing malware – Ars Technica
• Open source project curl is sick of users submitting “AI slop” vulnerabilities – Ars Technica

Gaming

• Polygon has been sold to Valnet, with the majority of staff laid off | VGC
• Prime Gaming members get 22 more games in May | Eurogamer.net
• GTA 6 delayed to 2026 | Eurogamer.net
• EA suggests it has no plans to raise game prices yet despite others doing so | VGC
• Epic Games Store completely eliminates revenue fees for smaller developers – Ars Technica
• Nintendo is suing the accessory brand that flaunted Switch 2 mockups ahead of its reveal
• Palworld devs confirm game changes due to the Nintendo / Pokemon lawsuit | GamingOnLinux
• Gears Of War: Reloaded Remaster Coming To PS5, Xbox, And PC In August – GameSpot

Please consider supporting the channel and the MajorsHouse network at https://ko-fi.com/majorlinux

Please check out the shows live on Twitch, Thursday at 8:00pm ET!

If there are any topics you’d like to see covered, email us at ttt@majorshouse.com or join the MajorsHouse Discord server!

You can follow us at:
@MajorLinux
@SynxiecBeta
@kevikevshow

Sub to the audio podcast here

The post Tech Talk Thursdays Episode #140 (05/08/2025) appeared first on Desk Chair Analysts.

Tech

• Most Americans think AI won’t improve their lives, survey says – Ars Technica
• TikTok Gets Another 75-Day Reprieve From Ban – MacRumors
• DOGE is reportedly using AI to monitor government comms for anti-Musk and anti-Trump chatter
• Microsoft reportedly fires staff whose protest interrupted its Copilot event

Gaming

• Palestinian-led BDS movement adds Microsoft’s Xbox as priority boycott target | Polygon
• Nintendo Switch 2
  • Switch 2 has “10x the graphics performance of the Nintendo Switch”, claims Nvidia | Eurogamer.net
  • The Switch 2 will have a Piranha Plant camera, because of course it will
  • Nintendo’s Official Switch 2 Camera for GameChat Is 1080p, Hori’s Piranha Plant Switch 2 Camera Is 480p – IGN
  • Nintendo Outlines Switch 2 Accessibility Features – GameSpot
  • Switch 2 Treehouse: Live viewers have very clear message for Nintendo | Eurogamer.net
  • Nintendo Confirms Switch 2 Uses DLSS and Ray Tracing, but Is Being Super Vague About the Details – IGN
  • Nintendo Switch 2 Preorders Go Live April 9 – GameSpot
  • Nintendo Switch 2 Game-Key Cards Won’t Be Tied To Your Account – GameSpot
  • Nintendo finally addresses the Switch 2 and Mario Kart World price controversies, and says those pesky new US tariffs weren’t behind the $449.99 price point | VG247
• Actors union stages BAFTAs protest, seeking improved conditions for performers | Eurogamer.net
• Ubisoft holds firm in The Crew lawsuit: You don’t own your video games

Content Creation

• Path of Exile 2 players bully Elon Musk during eerie airplane stream | Polygon
• Twitch makes deal to escape Elon Musk suit alleging X ad boycott conspiracy – Ars Technica

Deals

• Amazon Prime Members Get These 23 Free Games In April – GameSpot

Please consider supporting the channel and the MajorsHouse network at https://ko-fi.com/majorlinux

Please check out the shows live on Twitch, Thursday at 8:00pm ET!

If there are any topics you’d like to see covered, email us at ttt@majorshouse.com or join the MajorsHouse Discord server!

You can follow us at:
@MajorLinux
@SynxiecBeta
@kevikevshow

Sub to the audio podcast here

The post Tech Talk Thursdays Episode #138 (04/10/2025) appeared first on Desk Chair Analysts.

Tech

• Razzlekhan, crypto’s most embarrassing rapper, is going to prison – The Verge
• Amazon and SpaceX attack US labor watchdog in court – The Verge
• X adds Twitch to its advertising boycott lawsuit
• Apple Adds iPhone XS Max and More to Vintage/Obsolete Product Lists – MacRumors

• Microsoft made a $349 hardware client to connect to Cloud PCs
• Porch pirates appear to be accessing AT&T data to track iPhone deliveries
• Trump names commission member Brendan Carr as FCC chairman

Gaming

• The Game Awards announces Game of the Year 2024 nominees
• Devs of chill arcade freeriding game SNØ: Ultimate Freeriding use the Steam Deck as their performance target | GamingOnLinux

• SteamWorld Creators Announce Incoming Layoffs And Focus On Third-Party Games – GameSpot
• Unknown 9: Awakening developers report layoffs | Eurogamer.net
• Xbox cloud streaming expands beyond Game Pass to games you own – The Verge

Content Creation

• Twitch faces boycott calls after labelling ‘Zionist’ hate speech

Hardware/Software Updates

• Apple releases iOS 18.1.1 with ‘important security fixes’ for iPhone – 9to5Mac
• Apple releases macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 with security fixes – 9to5Mac

Please consider supporting the channel and the MajorsHouse network at https://ko-fi.com/majorlinux

Please check out the shows live on Twitch, Thursday at 8:00pm ET!

If there are any topics you’d like to see covered, email us at ttt@majorshouse.com or join the MajorsHouse Discord server!

You can follow us at:
@MajorLinux
@SynxiecBeta
@kevikevshow

Sub to the audio podcast here

The post Tech Talk Thursdays Episode #130 (11/21/2024) appeared first on Desk Chair Analysts.

Tech

• Black people across the country have been getting racist texts about slave plantations
• Bluesky crosses the 15 million user mark – The Verge
• Bluesky apparently acted up today because of a cut fiber cable – The Verge
• Stopping the TikTok ban is reportedly a Trump priority – 9to5Mac
• Tesla Cybertruck hit with sixth recall this year, this time over a bad inverter – The Verge
• Apple Releases iPhone 16 and 16 Pro Parts for Do-It-Yourself Repairs – MacRumors
• A new iOS 18 security feature makes it harder for police to unlock iPhones – The Verge
• These are the passwords you definitely shouldn’t be using – The Verge
• Amazon can’t force employees into anti-unionization meetings
• 23andMe is ending its cancer research program and slashing over 200 jobs – The Verge
• AMD lays off 4 percent of its global workforce
• The Onion just bought Infowars – The Verge

Gaming

• Hundreds of ZeniMax workers strike over Microsoft outsourcing, remote work policies | Eurogamer.net
• Discord leaker Jack Teixeira gets 15-year sentence for sharing classified documents
• Palworld dev details the patents Nintendo and The Pokemon Company are suing for | GamingOnLinux
• Valve accused of “allowing the proliferation of hate” as report finds 1.8m instances of extremist or hateful content on Steam | Eurogamer.net

Hardware/Software Updates

• Nvidia’s new app replacement for GeForce Experience is now out of beta – The Verge

Deals

• Nintendo Officially Announces Black Friday Switch Deals for 2024 – IGN

Please consider supporting the channel and the MajorsHouse network at https://ko-fi.com/majorlinux

Please check out the shows live on Twitch, Thursday at 8:00pm ET!

If there are any topics you’d like to see covered, email us at ttt@majorshouse.com or join the MajorsHouse Discord server!

You can follow us at:
@MajorLinux
@SynxiecBeta
@kevikevshow

Sub to the audio podcast here

The post Tech Talk Thursdays Episode #129 (11/14/2024) appeared first on Desk Chair Analysts.