Profits were a bit of a theme this week in the world of tech news. Prime Day and Anti-Prime Day deals dominated much of the headlines, as companies raced to present the best deals of the season to shoppers. Many would consider deals on highly rated products good news, but we also saw the dark side of chasing profits this week. A Nobel Prize winner argued that Sam Altman and OpenAI placed profits over AI safety.
🎃The best early Black Friday deals🦃
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- 💻Dell XPS 14 (Core Ultra 7) | $1,449.99 at Dell (Save $550!)
- 💻HP Envy 2-in-1 14 (Ryzen 7) | $649.99 at Best Buy (Save $400!)
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Nobel Prize winner calls out Sam Altman
OpenAI's Sam Altman was accused of placing profits above safety when it comes to developing AI; priorities which led to his firing by Ilya Sutskever (Altman was later reinstated). I doubt many are surprised to hear Altman prioritizes profits over developing safe AI, since it's a common accusation shared online. The weight of the quote comes from the fact that it was made by Nobel Prize winner Geoffrey Hinton, who used to be a Sutskever's teacher.
"I'm particular proud of the fact that one of my students fired Sam Altman," said Hinton. The Nobel Prize winner went on to discuss how OpenAI was set up with a large focus on safety, but that its leaders have gone in a different direction.
"Over time, it turned out that Sam Altman was less concerned with safety than with profits."
Altman is a polarizing figure. OpenAI are on the forefront of artificial intelligence, which places a burden of responsibility on the shoulders of OpenAI leaders. Many, including Sutskever, believe OpenAI has placed profits over safety.
Steam says you don't own games
Purchasing games through Steam now looks a bit different. A recent addition to Steam will display text clearly stating that you are purchasing a license of a product rather than owning a game you buy.
To be entirely honest, I'm not sure the change by Steam will be impactful. I appreciate honesty and transparency, even if done ahead of law changes, but Steam's message to consumers does not change the fact that people now license games rather than owning them. I suppose it's better to be upfront about what someone is buying than to hide the licensing set up.
Surface Duo is dead
This disappointing story of Microsoft-made phones fizzled out this week. After just one Android OS upgrade, Microsoft pulled the plug on the Surface Duo 2. The final security update for Surface Duo 2 shipped to the device and the foldable will reach its official end of support on October 21, 2021.
Microsoft has received plenty of criticism for its strategy around Surface Duo, but the fact that the phone only received a single Android OS upgrade is particularly damning. Smartphones in the $1,500 price range, which is where there Surface Duo 2 launched, almost always receive multiple Android OS upgrade. Generally, phone makers ship three Android OS upgrade to flagship devices. Our Senior Editor Zac Bowden called the single Android OS upgrade "pitiful," and I agree with him.
The writing has been on the wall about Surface Duo for quite a while. Microsoft chose to cut back on the Surface device portfolio, which factored into the departure of ex-Windows and Surface boss Panos Panay.
Now, the Surface Duo line is dead. Microsoft famously stepped back from smartphones when it killed Windows Phone and Lumia in 2017. While the Surface Duo and Surface Duo 2 ran Android, enthusiasts enjoyed Microsoft's novel approach to smartphone hardware.
Halo Infinite's Helldivers 2 mode
Halo Infinite players will soon have an exciting new game mode to enjoy. Helljumpers will become available on October 25, 2025, and we got to see a gameplay trailer recently. When the mode launches, it will be available to play on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, and PC.
Inspired by Helldivers 2, the game mode made by The Forge Falcons features Banished and Covenant enemies, custom-scripted stratagem call-ins, randomized objectives, and dynamic enemy spawns. It also has a massive Halo 3: ODST-inspired map.
Since Halo Infinite's multiplayer is free, you won't have to pay any extra to enjoy Helljumpers multiplayer.
Reviews
★★★★⯨ ASUS ProArt P16
★★★★⯨ Windows 11 2024 Update
★★★★⯨ Samsung T7 SSD
★★★★⯨ Alienware Pro Headset
★★★★ Titan Army monitor
★★★⯨ Razer Seiren V3 Chroma
★★★⯨ Deltahub Carpio 2.0 wrist rest
Our team took a look at the latest tech and shared their thoughts over the past week. Several items earned nearly perfect scores, including the Samsung T7 SSD, ASUS ProArt P16, and the Alienware Pro Headset. Windows 11's 2024 Update also received praise.
"The ASUS ProArt P16 (2024) is a gorgeous and immensely powerful laptop aimed directly at creatives, artists, and engineers. It packs the latest AMD and NVIDIA hardware and AI capabilities, the 4K OLED display is wonderful, and the hardware is incredibly refined," said our Zachary Boddy about ASUS' powerful laptop for creators. "This is an excellent laptop no matter how you look at it, but it is very expensive and still suffers from the inconsistent endurance we've come to expect from such powerful PCs."
Our Richard Devine was equally effusive about the Samsung T7, stating, " The Samsung T7 portable SSD is every bit as good as the T7 Touch but at a lower price. It makes it a brilliant all-purpose portable SSD that can be used for both computers and the latest Xbox consoles. "
Deals
Prime Day and Anti-Prime Day ran throughout much of this week, slashing the prices of PCs, consoles, games, and accessories. We covered dozens of deals and have updated pieces focused on discounts that are still live, so make sure to check out our deals hub. Below are some of the best deals that are still live.
