I'd love to do Home Automation/IoT but worry devices are tethered, data-mining behemoths. There is likely a reason that X10 mechanicals are still around after 30+ years.
If you have the ability to analyse the traffic coming out of it, you might well be able to inform consumers on this point. I've often wondered about this and I know people who have taken the firmware apart to see what they do.
Just imagine if you could do for IOT what Anand did for IOPS on SSDs?
I bet you could do some kind of MITM magic and Bettercap / Wireshark it to see what data is flowing? I could imagine some very interesting data very relevant to consumers using these systems.
What on earth? So just block them from your network, use VPN/iptables. Actually, using anything that needs you to "log in" to a service in order to communicate with your own devices is for plebs. So what you'd want is a cheaper, better, faster version of X10 or something like that.
On that note, it's blatantly obvious that we should all be using open-source/free software Linux phones and computers, but we don't, simply because nobody has bothered to make a good version of Linux, or a good version of a Linux phone. Or has established regulations that require hardware to be free (unlocked bootloaders, open-source chips and so on) so that everyone can install a free version of Linux on any Android/iPhone.
Keep in mind that if you're "concerned about data mining" (as many tech-savvy people are now), the real concern is that the CIA/NSA alone, can intercept and record all traffic on the ISP level, and circumvent just about any encryption, through various novel methods like infiltrating the groups that create the encryption software, or automatically identifying and attacking endpoints that send encrypted data. So it's likely that everything's going to end up in a massive centralized database, but you're making it harder for them in the meantime. And at least your info won't be in EVERY corporate database.
GCHQ has been intercepting communications since the first undersea cables and radio towers. Their connections are still there in the little shed where cables landed in the UK. Radio intercept towers were one of the last great projects of the British Empire. This lot all work together and have been doing so for a long, long time.
But saying "there's no point because the government can see it" or saying "it's for plebs", just block the traffic, ignores the issue. You only ever find out the extent to which this spying happens if you look. Sometimes, an examination into this kind of thing is interesting and worthwhile for its own sake.
I’d love to see more exploration of the cloud gaming space. There’s a good few plug and play providers out there like GeForce Now, and slightly more involved semi-DIY options like PaperSpace, and then the truly hardcore are building cloud gaming VMs on Microsoft Azure / Amazon Web Services / Google Cloud.
Why buy a GPU for $1000 (when available) when you can rent the same quality GPU for $1 per hour and use it on any of your devices and screens?
Because all those services still have latency issues, and no matter how much marketing you throw at a problem you cant defeat physics.
There's also the small issue of image quality being terrible unless you have the top 1% of speeds in america. Given how networks are oversubscribed you'll be dealing with 720P low settings and 0 AA just to try to keep 30 FPS.
Even a budget computer from two generations ago gives a better experience. Multiple reviewers on youtube have demonstrated this, with gamer nexus being one of the more in depth ones. It doesnt even save you much in the way of money unless you spend all day gaming on a fixed price, even then it's highly suspect.
That's very parochial of you. Let's list the ways you're wrong:
* Are you suggesting that AnandTech should only report on American tech? Have you seen how much of the front page deals with tech from outside the USA?
* The story below this, on the Cerebras Wafer Scale Engine discusses a CPU with 850,000 cores, priced in the umpteen millions. I loved the story, but it's unlikely anybody in the Anandtech audience will program or even get near one.
* Many games don't need millisecond latency. Are you dismissing every game that isn't a FPS? And many people play FPS on cloud GPUs quite happily for fun as it's still better than the potato they have at home.
* Anandtech serves the world, much of which has better internet speeds than the USA. Even in the USA, many people use cloud GPUs. It's a new area of tech. Should AnandTech ignore it on your say so?
* Geforce Now tops out at 1080p. In my limited testing, I get 60fps quite easily from it, and 1440k 60fps from Paperspace. It does depend on the game and the level of GPU you're renting. I don't have a 4K monitor so I haven't tested 4k.
* Like many adults, I have kids and a job so I only game a few hours a week. $1 per hour suits people like me far better than explaining to my more sensible half why I spent $XXXX on a GPU for a computer that wasn't even broken.
It's horrible in just about every way, but it doesn't matter because most people are fundamentally plebs who cannot understand the issues no matter how many times they are explained to them, no matter the amount of detail.
For a business, cloud makes sense if your needs are very bursty or intermittent.
For consumers, what makes cloud services attractive is the low cost of entry. The cloud also offers better reliability, since most people cannot be bothered to make backups on their own.
> the Cerebras Wafer Scale Engine > ... it's unlikely anybody in the Anandtech audience will program or even get near one.
They offer a cloud service, of course. I think it's likely that a few readers might eventually use one. Depending on how successful the company is, it's more likely readers will use one of its successors or derivatives.
And it's not like Anandtech benchmarked or reviewed it, they just reported what the company said about it. Its relevance is that it fits into the broader category of tech trends. Plus, it's just fun to read about extreme tech, and (outside of quantum computing) this is pretty much the most extreme to date.
Haha, wanna explain what anti-aliasing has to do with network latency/bandwidth?
It does not matter WHEN it happens. It could be 20-50 years from now. The point is that it WILL happen. Eventually everyone will have 50mbit+, and we'll have slightly better compression tech, and people WILL NOT CARE about the inferior graphics, period, just like how they didn't care xbox360 games were really rendered at 576p.
>> Given how networks are oversubscribed you'll be dealing with 720P low settings and 0 AA just to try to keep 30 FPS.
> Haha, wanna explain what anti-aliasing has to do with network latency/bandwidth?
@TheinsanegamerN could've meant one of two things about "being oversubscribed". It could either refer to network bandwidth or available compute power. If the latter, then you *would* need to dial back the resolution & quality to get framerates up.
> Eventually everyone will have 50mbit+, and we'll have slightly better compression tech
But that doesn't solve latency. The ultimate solution for latency is for the provider to get into co-location sites near customers, which is not a viable solution for people living in area with lower population density. Therefore, I expect game streaming will never be a 100% solution.
Look closely at what I said, which is that there's at least one town or community within 100 miles of most major US cities. I did not say that there aren't plenty of rural towns that *do* have good connectivity, just that you don't have to get very rural before you start to see towns that lack broadband.
Because you do not own anything when you are paying for a service. End of story.
Anandtech name itself is saying it's all about Tech not consumerism and the business goals and practices. AT already has a lot of void in the GPU space and you want that bs service news coverage ? Ugh. What do you want to explore ? Go and watch GN video on how shitty Stadia is. Or read on how garbage PSN is due to cycling of games and lag on top of the 720P they just changed it to 1080P. Or read about why Gamepass is utter trash because it's having zero ownership and modding support or even basic overlay and even hiding .exes.
$1000 GPU is flagship that is not mass market price point, people buy a lot of GPUs from various pricebrackets
"Gamepass is utter trash because it's having zero ownership and modding support or even basic overlay and even hiding .exes."
Missing the point again. Gamepass has let me play a bunch of games with friends that I'd otherwise not have had the money to try out. Given that limitation, I don't *care* that I don't get modding support or full ownership, because *I never paid full price for it*.
Complaining that a cheap simple option is bad because it doesn't give you everything an expensive complex option gives you is an odd flex.
This has taken a weird tangent but I can see this from both sides. I dislike with a passion the route PC gaming has taken with launchers upon launchers and DRM that ruins games. I despise the cost of high end graphics and I really hate the idea of not even being able to just start a single player game and play for 20 minutes without being forced to update launchers and games. I hate that an account with steam could be closed for a TOS violation and you lose access to all your games. But, I do very much see the appeal of a service to let you try out games without buying them. Demos and shareware versions of games are a thing of the past.
These days, if I'm buying a game I assume I'm not really buying it. Someone else still has ultimate control over it. There are huge downsides to games streaming services but it is a great way of trying a game out. If you like it and want to mod it, there's nothing to stop you buying it if it means that much to you.
Operative phrase is "long as you're downloading and installing the game". In streaming you're not doing that. It's more like an interactive "watch me play" video.
its like using Spotify i don't own the music and i don't own the rights to rip it and do whatever i want with it but it makes sense bc i don't care about doing that kinda stuffs
None of the services I mentioned have gaming as a service as their main selling point. Geforce Now more or less only runs games you already own on other storefronts like Steam or Epic. If Geforce Now closed tomorrow,I'd still own all the games I've played through it. (Feel free to complain about Steam or Epic but that's a different issue.)
Paperspace sells access to a Windows VM with a beefy GPU, and you can run anything you like on it (apart from crypto). They don't do games as a service, they just configured some of their VM offers to be particularly suitable for installing and playing games.
Paperspace/Geforce Now are selling access to the GPU, no different to renting a taxi or renting other hardware. There are other similar services (Azure, Google Cloud (not Stadia!), Amazon Web services) but these two are the ones I have most experience with.
I agree, I'm not going near Stadia. Haven't even bothered looking at PSN or Gamepass. Your comment shows why we need articles about cloud gaming. There's so much more out there than the shitty examples you mentioned.
Hate to tell you this but all "tech reporters" are industry shills, they have to accept certain basic premises in order to remain "neutral", that's why there are surface criticisms but the overall tendency is towards just accepting whatever you're given from big corporations. "That's just how it is now."
I was listening to an AnandTech podcast with Brian Klug openly insulting and making fun of people who wanted microSD and removable batteries by saying "Stop whining, you got what you got, just accept it!" I was shocked that anyone could be so ignorant, obviously they are both incredibly useful features, you could have a 7500mAh phone with 512gb swappable storage, makes it useful as a mini 4k camera or mini TV... But corporations decided to eliminate those features, so everyone just accepts it. We have no influence into the actual product design whatsoever. They produce (in competition with Apple/eachother!), we can only decide what to buy, or not buy. Like plebs.
I've outlined my design for the "perfect phone" with good ergonomics, materials, battery, speakers, charging, cameras, storage, connectors, UI/software, etc. to a standard far beyond anything I've ever seen. When they see it, people mostly start panicking because it isn't made by Apple.
Reporters are allowed to have opinions, as long as it's clear when they're editorializing.
That said, you want them to be thoughtful and take well-considered positions. Might not be the most successful strategy, in today's media landscape, but at least there's a durable audience who will appreciate it.
I know you are already looking for help, but might as well add a Family Technology section. I've tested and rolled out probably a dozen different products throughout my home (and car) reflective of the times to help with technology demands while kids are home more. This is a broad spectrum of technology but I believe there is certainly a demand for focused family tech, like comparing monitoring ecosystems (Google, Microsoft, Apple, etc) to router safety suites (active packet monitoring\logging, web site reporting\timestamps, time restrictions, etc) to simply just getting proper wireless coverage and performance from multiple simultaneous data streaming nodes during hours-long video conferences. Even things like headset\webcam reviews are important because Amazon reviews are an outright shitshow of misinformation and bought reviews.
I'd say every publication needs a good copy editor, but no one really has them anymore. It seems that they're just to expensive to keep on staff these days.
Unfortunately, this is an accurate observation. For reference, AnandTech hasn't employed a separate copy editor since the Great Recession. Which is a shame, because I'd very much like to have one. But the value add from a business perspective just isn't there.
Instead, copy editing is one of my duties as EIC. Unfortunately, I don't have all day to dedicate to the task.
A few readers like to submit corrections, in the comments. Maybe you could contact the more reliable ones, through their forum registration details, and arrange to give them early access to articles and/or give them an email address for submitting their suggestions.
I was going to submit a motherboard review featuring one with a fantastic innovative cogwheel but someone already beat me to it.
Perhaps a perpetual motion + cold fusion machine to power a self-driving divining rod (rainbow LEDs, skull logos, rhinestones, fake anti-mining claims, and meaningless names rhyming with Horace —available in higher SKUs).
I look at it this way: they have to strike a balance between catering to the audience they have and the audience they want. And sometimes, the best way to do market research on what audience you have is to put out some product and see how it does.
Also: if you don't want to read reviews about glitzy motherboards, then don't! And if you click it by mistake, then you should ask for a refund!
Eh, it's a sort of critique I see somewhat frequently, in these forums, and it's not unreasonable. I though it was worth answering, since it's rather topical.
My apologies, if that's not the sort of response you were after. That's just a risk you take when attempting humor in these forums, I suppose.
Well, then put it in your own words: please tell us what Anandtech should do and how your post contributes to that, or what other effect you intended it to have.
In spite of its shortcomings, AT still has some really strong content. That's why we keep coming back. And I know the contributors put significant amounts of work into it. So, even though I'm sure they're as keenly aware as anyone how the site could be better, I'm sure it still doesn't feel good to see snarky comments by us freeloading readers about "how AT sucks now". I think we at least owe it to them to keep our criticisms constructive.
I hope you guys are advertising somewhere else, besides just here.
It'd be good if you found some way to reach out to some university journalism & comp sci departments. Or even maybe some online job sites and social media?
In the age of online... everything, I'd imagine it wouldn't be hard to post jobs to some online listings or even participate in an online career fair. And because it's online, you can reach out to better universities -- the needn't be local.
When I was a university freshman I worked as a copy editor at the student newspaper and there were a lot of us, all unpaid. Not so difficult to find, I would think.
We’ve updated our terms. By continuing to use the site and/or by logging into your account, you agree to the Site’s updated Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
65 Comments
Back to Article
Smell This - Friday, April 23, 2021 - link
I'd love to do Home Automation/IoT but worry devices are tethered, data-mining behemoths. There is likely a reason that X10 mechanicals are still around after 30+ years.
philehidiot - Friday, April 23, 2021 - link
If you have the ability to analyse the traffic coming out of it, you might well be able to inform consumers on this point. I've often wondered about this and I know people who have taken the firmware apart to see what they do.Just imagine if you could do for IOT what Anand did for IOPS on SSDs?
I bet you could do some kind of MITM magic and Bettercap / Wireshark it to see what data is flowing? I could imagine some very interesting data very relevant to consumers using these systems.
flyingpants265 - Tuesday, April 27, 2021 - link
What on earth? So just block them from your network, use VPN/iptables. Actually, using anything that needs you to "log in" to a service in order to communicate with your own devices is for plebs. So what you'd want is a cheaper, better, faster version of X10 or something like that.On that note, it's blatantly obvious that we should all be using open-source/free software Linux phones and computers, but we don't, simply because nobody has bothered to make a good version of Linux, or a good version of a Linux phone. Or has established regulations that require hardware to be free (unlocked bootloaders, open-source chips and so on) so that everyone can install a free version of Linux on any Android/iPhone.
Keep in mind that if you're "concerned about data mining" (as many tech-savvy people are now), the real concern is that the CIA/NSA alone, can intercept and record all traffic on the ISP level, and circumvent just about any encryption, through various novel methods like infiltrating the groups that create the encryption software, or automatically identifying and attacking endpoints that send encrypted data. So it's likely that everything's going to end up in a massive centralized database, but you're making it harder for them in the meantime. And at least your info won't be in EVERY corporate database.
philehidiot - Friday, May 7, 2021 - link
GCHQ has been intercepting communications since the first undersea cables and radio towers. Their connections are still there in the little shed where cables landed in the UK. Radio intercept towers were one of the last great projects of the British Empire. This lot all work together and have been doing so for a long, long time.But saying "there's no point because the government can see it" or saying "it's for plebs", just block the traffic, ignores the issue. You only ever find out the extent to which this spying happens if you look. Sometimes, an examination into this kind of thing is interesting and worthwhile for its own sake.
Linustechtips12#6900xt - Friday, April 23, 2021 - link
My submission will be soon! best of luck to all!Tomatotech - Friday, April 23, 2021 - link
I’d love to see more exploration of the cloud gaming space. There’s a good few plug and play providers out there like GeForce Now, and slightly more involved semi-DIY options like PaperSpace, and then the truly hardcore are building cloud gaming VMs on Microsoft Azure / Amazon Web Services / Google Cloud.Why buy a GPU for $1000 (when available) when you can rent the same quality GPU for $1 per hour and use it on any of your devices and screens?
TheinsanegamerN - Friday, April 23, 2021 - link
Because all those services still have latency issues, and no matter how much marketing you throw at a problem you cant defeat physics.There's also the small issue of image quality being terrible unless you have the top 1% of speeds in america. Given how networks are oversubscribed you'll be dealing with 720P low settings and 0 AA just to try to keep 30 FPS.
Even a budget computer from two generations ago gives a better experience. Multiple reviewers on youtube have demonstrated this, with gamer nexus being one of the more in depth ones. It doesnt even save you much in the way of money unless you spend all day gaming on a fixed price, even then it's highly suspect.
Tomatotech - Monday, April 26, 2021 - link
That's very parochial of you. Let's list the ways you're wrong:* Are you suggesting that AnandTech should only report on American tech? Have you seen how much of the front page deals with tech from outside the USA?
* The story below this, on the Cerebras Wafer Scale Engine discusses a CPU with 850,000 cores, priced in the umpteen millions. I loved the story, but it's unlikely anybody in the Anandtech audience will program or even get near one.
* Many games don't need millisecond latency. Are you dismissing every game that isn't a FPS? And many people play FPS on cloud GPUs quite happily for fun as it's still better than the potato they have at home.
* Anandtech serves the world, much of which has better internet speeds than the USA. Even in the USA, many people use cloud GPUs. It's a new area of tech. Should AnandTech ignore it on your say so?
* Geforce Now tops out at 1080p. In my limited testing, I get 60fps quite easily from it, and 1440k 60fps from Paperspace. It does depend on the game and the level of GPU you're renting. I don't have a 4K monitor so I haven't tested 4k.
* Like many adults, I have kids and a job so I only game a few hours a week. $1 per hour suits people like me far better than explaining to my more sensible half why I spent $XXXX on a GPU for a computer that wasn't even broken.
Machinus - Monday, April 26, 2021 - link
cloud service is horrible value for consumersflyingpants265 - Tuesday, April 27, 2021 - link
It's horrible in just about every way, but it doesn't matter because most people are fundamentally plebs who cannot understand the issues no matter how many times they are explained to them, no matter the amount of detail.Threska - Sunday, May 2, 2021 - link
Same argument people make about housing, renting vs buying, and yet here we are. Maybe they know something we don't.mode_13h - Sunday, May 2, 2021 - link
For a business, cloud makes sense if your needs are very bursty or intermittent.For consumers, what makes cloud services attractive is the low cost of entry. The cloud also offers better reliability, since most people cannot be bothered to make backups on their own.
mode_13h - Sunday, May 2, 2021 - link
> the Cerebras Wafer Scale Engine> ... it's unlikely anybody in the Anandtech audience will program or even get near one.
They offer a cloud service, of course. I think it's likely that a few readers might eventually use one. Depending on how successful the company is, it's more likely readers will use one of its successors or derivatives.
And it's not like Anandtech benchmarked or reviewed it, they just reported what the company said about it. Its relevance is that it fits into the broader category of tech trends. Plus, it's just fun to read about extreme tech, and (outside of quantum computing) this is pretty much the most extreme to date.
flyingpants265 - Tuesday, April 27, 2021 - link
Haha, wanna explain what anti-aliasing has to do with network latency/bandwidth?It does not matter WHEN it happens. It could be 20-50 years from now. The point is that it WILL happen. Eventually everyone will have 50mbit+, and we'll have slightly better compression tech, and people WILL NOT CARE about the inferior graphics, period, just like how they didn't care xbox360 games were really rendered at 576p.
mode_13h - Wednesday, April 28, 2021 - link
>> Given how networks are oversubscribed you'll be dealing with 720P low settings and 0 AA just to try to keep 30 FPS.> Haha, wanna explain what anti-aliasing has to do with network latency/bandwidth?
@TheinsanegamerN could've meant one of two things about "being oversubscribed". It could either refer to network bandwidth or available compute power. If the latter, then you *would* need to dial back the resolution & quality to get framerates up.
mode_13h - Wednesday, April 28, 2021 - link
> Eventually everyone will have 50mbit+, and we'll have slightly better compression techBut that doesn't solve latency. The ultimate solution for latency is for the provider to get into co-location sites near customers, which is not a viable solution for people living in area with lower population density. Therefore, I expect game streaming will never be a 100% solution.
Linustechtips12#6900xt - Thursday, April 29, 2021 - link
I have 1Gb at my home I do have to ask, however, who has less than 50Mbps internet?????? im not saying its bad but i do wonder whomode_13h - Thursday, April 29, 2021 - link
You don't have to go more than 100 miles from most major US cities to find at least one town or community that has sub-standard internet.Linustechtips12#6900xt - Monday, May 3, 2021 - link
i guess im an execpition i do believe you howevermode_13h - Monday, May 3, 2021 - link
Look closely at what I said, which is that there's at least one town or community within 100 miles of most major US cities. I did not say that there aren't plenty of rural towns that *do* have good connectivity, just that you don't have to get very rural before you start to see towns that lack broadband.Silver5urfer - Friday, April 23, 2021 - link
Because you do not own anything when you are paying for a service. End of story.Anandtech name itself is saying it's all about Tech not consumerism and the business goals and practices. AT already has a lot of void in the GPU space and you want that bs service news coverage ? Ugh. What do you want to explore ? Go and watch GN video on how shitty Stadia is. Or read on how garbage PSN is due to cycling of games and lag on top of the 720P they just changed it to 1080P. Or read about why Gamepass is utter trash because it's having zero ownership and modding support or even basic overlay and even hiding .exes.
$1000 GPU is flagship that is not mass market price point, people buy a lot of GPUs from various pricebrackets
Spunjji - Monday, April 26, 2021 - link
"Gamepass is utter trash because it's having zero ownership and modding support or even basic overlay and even hiding .exes."Missing the point again. Gamepass has let me play a bunch of games with friends that I'd otherwise not have had the money to try out. Given that limitation, I don't *care* that I don't get modding support or full ownership, because *I never paid full price for it*.
Complaining that a cheap simple option is bad because it doesn't give you everything an expensive complex option gives you is an odd flex.
philehidiot - Monday, April 26, 2021 - link
This has taken a weird tangent but I can see this from both sides. I dislike with a passion the route PC gaming has taken with launchers upon launchers and DRM that ruins games. I despise the cost of high end graphics and I really hate the idea of not even being able to just start a single player game and play for 20 minutes without being forced to update launchers and games. I hate that an account with steam could be closed for a TOS violation and you lose access to all your games. But, I do very much see the appeal of a service to let you try out games without buying them. Demos and shareware versions of games are a thing of the past.These days, if I'm buying a game I assume I'm not really buying it. Someone else still has ultimate control over it. There are huge downsides to games streaming services but it is a great way of trying a game out. If you like it and want to mod it, there's nothing to stop you buying it if it means that much to you.
flyingpants265 - Tuesday, April 27, 2021 - link
Side note, the subscription thing is also a way to stop piracy forever.mode_13h - Thursday, April 29, 2021 - link
Uh, you mean game streaming? Because as long as you're downloading and installing the game on your PC, someone can still crack it.GeoffreyA - Friday, April 30, 2021 - link
I believe Blizzard is one of the few that actually managed to thwart crackers by populating the world state on their servers for Diablo III.Threska - Sunday, May 2, 2021 - link
Operative phrase is "long as you're downloading and installing the game". In streaming you're not doing that. It's more like an interactive "watch me play" video.Linustechtips12#6900xt - Thursday, April 29, 2021 - link
its like using Spotify i don't own the music and i don't own the rights to rip it and do whatever i want with it but it makes sense bc i don't care about doing that kinda stuffsTomatotech - Monday, April 26, 2021 - link
None of the services I mentioned have gaming as a service as their main selling point. Geforce Now more or less only runs games you already own on other storefronts like Steam or Epic. If Geforce Now closed tomorrow,I'd still own all the games I've played through it. (Feel free to complain about Steam or Epic but that's a different issue.)Paperspace sells access to a Windows VM with a beefy GPU, and you can run anything you like on it (apart from crypto). They don't do games as a service, they just configured some of their VM offers to be particularly suitable for installing and playing games.
Paperspace/Geforce Now are selling access to the GPU, no different to renting a taxi or renting other hardware. There are other similar services (Azure, Google Cloud (not Stadia!), Amazon Web services) but these two are the ones I have most experience with.
I agree, I'm not going near Stadia. Haven't even bothered looking at PSN or Gamepass. Your comment shows why we need articles about cloud gaming. There's so much more out there than the shitty examples you mentioned.
flyingpants265 - Tuesday, April 27, 2021 - link
Hate to tell you this but all "tech reporters" are industry shills, they have to accept certain basic premises in order to remain "neutral", that's why there are surface criticisms but the overall tendency is towards just accepting whatever you're given from big corporations. "That's just how it is now."I was listening to an AnandTech podcast with Brian Klug openly insulting and making fun of people who wanted microSD and removable batteries by saying "Stop whining, you got what you got, just accept it!" I was shocked that anyone could be so ignorant, obviously they are both incredibly useful features, you could have a 7500mAh phone with 512gb swappable storage, makes it useful as a mini 4k camera or mini TV... But corporations decided to eliminate those features, so everyone just accepts it. We have no influence into the actual product design whatsoever. They produce (in competition with Apple/eachother!), we can only decide what to buy, or not buy. Like plebs.
I've outlined my design for the "perfect phone" with good ergonomics, materials, battery, speakers, charging, cameras, storage, connectors, UI/software, etc. to a standard far beyond anything I've ever seen. When they see it, people mostly start panicking because it isn't made by Apple.
mode_13h - Wednesday, April 28, 2021 - link
Reporters are allowed to have opinions, as long as it's clear when they're editorializing.That said, you want them to be thoughtful and take well-considered positions. Might not be the most successful strategy, in today's media landscape, but at least there's a durable audience who will appreciate it.
Machinus - Friday, April 23, 2021 - link
Prouper spelinge nout reqouiredBik - Friday, April 23, 2021 - link
I can read your sentence at ease so yeah totally!Linustechtips12#6900xt - Thursday, April 29, 2021 - link
duhhhhh its Anand tech bruh have u seen there editorial mistakes lmao XDSamus - Saturday, April 24, 2021 - link
I know you are already looking for help, but might as well add a Family Technology section. I've tested and rolled out probably a dozen different products throughout my home (and car) reflective of the times to help with technology demands while kids are home more. This is a broad spectrum of technology but I believe there is certainly a demand for focused family tech, like comparing monitoring ecosystems (Google, Microsoft, Apple, etc) to router safety suites (active packet monitoring\logging, web site reporting\timestamps, time restrictions, etc) to simply just getting proper wireless coverage and performance from multiple simultaneous data streaming nodes during hours-long video conferences. Even things like headset\webcam reviews are important because Amazon reviews are an outright shitshow of misinformation and bought reviews.supdawgwtfd - Saturday, April 24, 2021 - link
What about an editor?Or someone to do a basic spelling and grammar check?
Machinus - Monday, April 26, 2021 - link
No, they're English!Mr Perfect - Monday, April 26, 2021 - link
I'd say every publication needs a good copy editor, but no one really has them anymore. It seems that they're just to expensive to keep on staff these days.Ryan Smith - Monday, April 26, 2021 - link
Unfortunately, this is an accurate observation. For reference, AnandTech hasn't employed a separate copy editor since the Great Recession. Which is a shame, because I'd very much like to have one. But the value add from a business perspective just isn't there.Instead, copy editing is one of my duties as EIC. Unfortunately, I don't have all day to dedicate to the task.
mode_13h - Wednesday, April 28, 2021 - link
A few readers like to submit corrections, in the comments. Maybe you could contact the more reliable ones, through their forum registration details, and arrange to give them early access to articles and/or give them an email address for submitting their suggestions.Linustechtips12#6900xt - Thursday, April 29, 2021 - link
full on agree, but how was anand tech around during the great recession i do askGeoffreyA - Thursday, April 29, 2021 - link
"how was anand tech around during the great recession"Recession of 2008/9, not the Depression of the 30s.
Threska - Sunday, May 2, 2021 - link
Viewable on our steam powered internet. :-)Mr Perfect - Monday, April 26, 2021 - link
Are there any further requirements for submissions? A target length? Preferred file format? Should it include pictures and graphs?Ryan Smith - Monday, April 26, 2021 - link
I realize this is a less than concrete answer, but use your best judgement. If your article needs graphs and pictures, then you should include them.As for file formats, I'll take anything but Lotus!
Oxford Guy - Monday, April 26, 2021 - link
I was going to submit a motherboard review featuring one with a fantastic innovative cogwheel but someone already beat me to it.Perhaps a perpetual motion + cold fusion machine to power a self-driving divining rod (rainbow LEDs, skull logos, rhinestones, fake anti-mining claims, and meaningless names rhyming with Horace —available in higher SKUs).
mode_13h - Wednesday, April 28, 2021 - link
I look at it this way: they have to strike a balance between catering to the audience they have and the audience they want. And sometimes, the best way to do market research on what audience you have is to put out some product and see how it does.Also: if you don't want to read reviews about glitzy motherboards, then don't! And if you click it by mistake, then you should ask for a refund!
Oxford Guy - Thursday, April 29, 2021 - link
Buy a sense of humor.mode_13h - Friday, April 30, 2021 - link
Eh, it's a sort of critique I see somewhat frequently, in these forums, and it's not unreasonable. I though it was worth answering, since it's rather topical.My apologies, if that's not the sort of response you were after. That's just a risk you take when attempting humor in these forums, I suppose.
Linustechtips12#6900xt - Thursday, April 29, 2021 - link
wait..... best idea EVER lets make.... an RGB COG WHEEL ohh yeah million dollar idea right here babayyyyCellar Door - Monday, April 26, 2021 - link
Hopefully the complete lack of GPU reviews will be addressed - as is, Anandtech is missing out on a rather large reading audience.Frankly it's been puzzling to see this large segment completely ignored for a year now.
Oxford Guy - Tuesday, April 27, 2021 - link
Even years ago, GPUs like the 960 were never reviewed.flyingpants265 - Tuesday, April 27, 2021 - link
Obligatory comment about how AnandTech sucks now. Don't know the exact timing but it was definitely downhill after Anand and Brian left.I know it's hard to find good people, so it's not all your fault.
mode_13h - Wednesday, April 28, 2021 - link
Eh, so your point is they should just close up shop and not try to improve it? I don't think it's obligatory, at all!flyingpants265 - Tuesday, May 11, 2021 - link
Hmmmm... is that what I wrote in my post?mode_13h - Wednesday, May 12, 2021 - link
Well, then put it in your own words: please tell us what Anandtech should do and how your post contributes to that, or what other effect you intended it to have.In spite of its shortcomings, AT still has some really strong content. That's why we keep coming back. And I know the contributors put significant amounts of work into it. So, even though I'm sure they're as keenly aware as anyone how the site could be better, I'm sure it still doesn't feel good to see snarky comments by us freeloading readers about "how AT sucks now". I think we at least owe it to them to keep our criticisms constructive.
I look forward to your thoughtful reply.
Linustechtips12#6900xt - Wednesday, May 5, 2021 - link
that's really not true at all AT at its core is still great just with a few spelling errorsmode_13h - Wednesday, April 28, 2021 - link
I hope you guys are advertising somewhere else, besides just here.It'd be good if you found some way to reach out to some university journalism & comp sci departments. Or even maybe some online job sites and social media?
Linustechtips12#6900xt - Thursday, April 29, 2021 - link
not a bad idea i do have to say, aybe they could go to some local colledges for extra credit hrs or smthmode_13h - Thursday, April 29, 2021 - link
In the age of online... everything, I'd imagine it wouldn't be hard to post jobs to some online listings or even participate in an online career fair. And because it's online, you can reach out to better universities -- the needn't be local.Oxford Guy - Thursday, April 29, 2021 - link
They said they had more high-quality applicants in 2019 than they could even review.So, why would they need to do more outreach?
What I don't understand is why a copy editor is so hard to get, considering that unpaid interns can do it to pad their resumes.
Oxford Guy - Thursday, April 29, 2021 - link
When I was a university freshman I worked as a copy editor at the student newspaper and there were a lot of us, all unpaid. Not so difficult to find, I would think.mode_13h - Friday, April 30, 2021 - link
If they have a similar experience, then I'm sure they won't bother to broaden their search.I thought I'd seen more recent calls go out, and inferred from that a lack of applicant follow-through, if not good responses.