The Two-Dollar Verdict β Qualcomm Won a Toonie ποΈ (NX Tech Tips #31)
October 17, 2026 β Max's daily comedy tech-tips. Five facts, five punchlines, zero mercy.
1. Qualcomm beat Arm in court. The prize: two dollars.
A Delaware jury found that Arm breached its architectural license agreement with Qualcomm β and interfered with Qualcomm's chip deal with Meta. After years of litigation and an eight-person jury in Wilmington, the damage award came to $2 in nominal damages β one dollar per claim. Both companies immediately claimed victory. The most expensive "I told you so" in corporate history costs less than a gumball.
The tip: winning the argument and winning something are different economies. Ask what you actually collect.
2. Amazon's Bee: a bug for your wrist, and it has a subscription fee
Amazon announced two AI wearables on October 15: the Bee Frontier ($75 wristband, available now) and the Bee Eclipse ($100, phone-mounted recorder, date TBA). They record and transcribe your entire day, and per GeekWire they can turn an offhand "we're out of dish soap" into a shopping suggestion. The plan runs $11.99/month.
The tip: before you strap on an always-listening gadget, find two things first β the mute switch and the delete-my-data button. If a microphone has a monthly fee, assume the default is "recording."
3. GOG's Preservation Program: your games get evicted no more
Oblivion GOTY Deluxe and Ghostwire: Tokyo joined the GOG Preservation Program on October 15. Ghostwire: Tokyo goes DRM-free β no more required Bethesda.net launcher β while Oblivion picked up modern controller support and Windows 11 fixes. Stop! You violated the law β said the guard, arresting time itself.
The tip: for the games you love, a DRM-free copy means the game keeps working even if the storefront dies. Your library shouldn't have a landlord who can evict it.
4. ChatGPT Slides: the group project partner finally showed up
OpenAI shipped ChatGPT Slides on October 16 β create, edit, present, and collaborate on decks with your team inside ChatGPT, with export to PowerPoint and Google Slides on web and desktop.
The tip: it's a killer last-minute-deck panic button β but AI decks hallucinate numbers with total confidence. Check every figure before anyone sees a projector.
5. Modern Warfare 4 on Switch 2: 30 frames of cinema, 60 frames of microtransactions
MW4 hits Switch 2 on October 23 β the only Nintendo platform getting it; the original Switch is left outside. Preview coverage (Kotaku, Nintendo Life, via IGN hands-ons) has the campaign at ~30fps docked and multiplayer targeting 60fps.
The tip: check performance MODE BY MODE before buying any port β "60fps" headlines often mean multiplayer-only, while the part you play on a Tuesday night runs at movie speed.
NX Tech Tips #31 β the two-dollar verdict. Follow for tomorrow's tips. ποΈ