Bring Your Own RAM, Samsung leaks, Nvidia acqui-hiring + more!

Duration: 08:09

Timestamps:

0:00 James and the Giant Tum

0:13 Maingear's "Bring Your Own RAM" program

1:29 Samsung deals with tech leaks

2:49 Nvidia acqui-hires Groq (not Grok)

3:50 QUICK BITS INTRO

4:01 Asus denies memory fab rumors

4:41 Google allows Gmail address changes

5:32 Old small nuclear reactors for data centers

6:21 iPhones better support earbuds in EU

7:07 Rainbow 6 Siege hack

NEWS SOURCES:

MAINS

BYOD-RAM

Maingear responds to DDR5 crisis with bring-your-own RAM program

https://www.techspot.com/news/110704-maingear-responds-ddr5-crisis-bring-own-ram-builds.html

Wccftech: https://wccftech.com/maingear-fights-ddr5-memory-crisis-by-letting-gamers-build-pcs-without-purchasing-ram-kit/

Maingear post: https://maingear.com/blogs/promotions/maingear-byo-ram-program

(If you can’t afford to buy it on your own, then why not just make it yourself?)

Russian enthusiasts planning do-it-yourself DDR5 memory amidst the worldwide shortage

https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ddr5/russian-enthusiasts-are-building-their-own-ddr5-ram-amidst-the-worldwide-shortage-as-easy-as-sourcing-your-own-memory-modules-and-soldering-them-on-empty-pcbs

Russian Telegram post(this is for the photo’s): https://t.me/prohitec/10862

SUPER SECRET SECRETS

Former Samsung engineer accused of giving 10nm DRAM data to China's CXMT, handwritten notes detailed over 600 process steps — gas flow ratios, photoresist settings and more critical stages detailed

https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/dram/samsung-engineer-accused-of-leaking-10nm-dram-process-data-to-chinas-cxmt

https://cm.asiae.co.kr/en/article/2025122311034625685

Twitter post: https://x.com/SemiAnalysis_/status/2005458750296256654?s=20

Yahoo Japan has the story from Hankyoreh (Editor please translate to English): https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/f2f6b69b1ba1395c51a0538a1b24328f776254de

Samsung Investigating Whether Employees Accepted Kickbacks for Memory Orders

https://www.pcmag.com/news/samsung-investigating-whether-employees-accepted-kickbacks-for-memory-orders

Chinese reporting(Editor please translate to English): https://www.digitimes.com.tw/tech/dt/n/shwnws.asp?CnlID=1&id=0000741430_QMI33TMU4AXG46L1XKNMF

GROQUISITION

Nvidia pays Groq $20B without technically acquiring it (Not AI Grok, the quirky chip making brother Groq)

https://www.techzine.eu/blogs/infrastructure/137532/nvidia-pays-groq-20b-without-technically-acquiring-it/

https://markets.financialcontent.com/stocks/article/marketminute-2025-12-26-nvidias-20-billion-strategic-move-licensing-groq-and-hiring-its-ceo-to-dominate-ai-inference

Croq Blog

https://groq.com/newsroom/groq-and-nvidia-enter-non-exclusive-inference-technology-licensing-agreement-to-accelerate-ai-inference-at-global-scale

Additional reporting

https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20251229PD211/nvidia-groq-ai-inference-demand-technology.html

Some say it’s a “masterclass” of a move

https://wccftech.com/no-nvidia-isnt-acquiring-groq-but-jensen-just-executed-a-surgical-masterclass/

Others say the Nvidia-Groq deal is structured to keep the ‘fiction of competition alive,’

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/12/26/nvidia-groq-deal-is-structured-to-keep-fiction-of-competition-alive.html

QUICKBITS

YOU WERE THE CHOSEN ONE!

Example of rumour that Asus is making ram

https://wccftech.com/asus-enter-dram-market-next-year-to-tackle-memory-shortages-rumor/

EDITOR: Scroll down from the above link to this update: https://wccftech.com/asus-enter-dram-market-next-year-to-tackle-memory-shortages-rumor/#:~:text=%5BUpdate%20%2D%2012/26/2025%5D%20%2D%20Taiwanese%20outlet%2C%20CNA%2C%20has%20received%20a%20statement%20from%20ASUS%20regarding%20the%20DRAM%20rumor%20and%20stated%20that%20it%20currently%20has%20no%20plans%20to%20invest%20in%20a%20memory%20wafer%20fab.

No, Asus isn't going into memory manufacturing — Taiwanese tech giant issues statement smashing rumor

https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/dram/no-asus-isnt-going-into-memory-manufacturing-taiwanese-tech-giant-issues-statement-smashing-rumor

Asus told CNA they’re not making the RAM

https://www.cna.com.tw/news/afe/202512260106.aspx

THE FALL OF THUNDERSPEEDO69

Google says it is ‘gradually rolling out’ option to change your @gmail.com address

https://www.techspot.com/news/110717-google-finally-letting-you-change-embarrassing-old-gmail.html

Original reporting: https://9to5google.com/2025/12/24/google-change-gmail-addresses/

(Editor please translate to English) Hindi blog post the feature was spotted on: https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/19870

AI GONE NUCLEAR

AI data centers may soon be powered by retired Navy nuclear reactors from aircraft carriers and submarines — firm asks U.S. DOE for a loan guarantee to start the project

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-12-24/nuclear-developer-proposes-using-navy-reactors-for-data-centers

Interesting Engineering: https://interestingengineering.com/energy/us-warship-reactor-data-centers

(And if that isn’t enough to get things rolling)

AI data centers are forcing dirty ‘peaker’ power plants back into service

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/ai-data-centers-are-forcing-obsolete-peaker-power-plants-back-into-service-2025-12-23/

PROXIMITY EFFECT

iOS 26.3 Brings AirPods-Like Pairing to Third-Party Devices in EU Under DMA

https://www.macrumors.com/2025/12/22/ios-26-3-dma-airpods-pairing/

Techradar: https://www.techradar.com/audio/earbuds-airpods/ios-26-3-adds-airpod-style-fast-pairing-for-third-party-earbuds-but-theres-a-major-catch

Gadgethacks: https://apple.gadgethacks.com/news/ios-263-opens-apples-ecosystem-to-third-party-devices/

TACTICAL ROBIN HOOD

Massive Rainbow Six Siege breach gives players billions of credits (13.33 Million USD value distributed for free by hackers)

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/massive-rainbow-six-siege-breach-gives-players-billions-of-credits/

Relevant tweet

https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2004901721336590703

Ubisoft Denies Data Breach Claims After Rainbow Six Siege Currency Hack

https://www.cgmagonline.com/news/ubisoft-rainbow-six-siege-hack-rumours/

Relevant tweets

https://x.com/Rainbow6Game/status/2004917731829948808

https://x.com/Rainbow6Game/status/2004943312390926740

Watch dogs end joke https://www.walmart.com/ip/Watch-Dogs-Aiden-Laminated-Poster-Print-24-x-36/474653111