This video from The Friday Checkout covers three main tech news stories: Seagate's new laser-based hard drive technology, Lenovo's upcoming handheld gaming console potentially running SteamOS, and the potential US ban on TP-Link routers due to security concerns. The video also includes a release monitor segment and a brief section summarizing other tech news.
Seagate's Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR) technology: Seagate launched a new hard drive using nanophotonic lasers to heat and cool small areas of the disc, enabling significantly increased storage density (32TB initially, with a roadmap for 4-5TB in the future). This new technology addresses magnetic field instability issues.
Lenovo's potential SteamOS handheld: Lenovo will announce a successor to the Legion Go handheld at CES, potentially running SteamOS, marking a possible shift towards SteamOS as a standard for handheld gaming. Microsoft's involvement is also noted, adding complexity to the situation.
Potential US ban on TP-Link routers: US departments are considering banning TP-Link routers due to frequent, unaddressed security flaws, and evidence of their use in botnets by state-sponsored Chinese hackers. This is despite TP-Link's high market share and popularity.
Release Monitor: Several new products were highlighted, including Nvidia's Jetson Orion Nano, Corki's Time Capsule, a modular SSD adapter for the Framework Laptop 16, Blackmagic's immersive camera for Apple Vision Pro, a transparent OLED TV, and a high-end G-Shock watch.
The Brief: Apple reportedly abandoned its iPhone hardware subscription service. Leaks suggest Samsung's Galaxy S25 series will have four models and Lenovo will launch a laptop with a rollable display at CES. The EU is developing its own satellite network (IRIS²), Intel fixed some Arrow Lake CPU performance issues, Waymo robotaxis are coming to Tokyo, and Motorola might face a US market ban due to a patent dispute.
