Oracle wants to Tok, Nvidia Arms Up
This week we talk about how software updates and data flows might work if Oracle acquires Tik Tok. Later on, we chit chat about Nvidia acquiring Arm, and what this means for the future of GPUs and programming, from personal computers to massive machine learning rigs.
Oracle is in the midst of trying to negotiate and get approved a deal that would allow it to acquire Tik Tok's US Operations, and allow Tik Tok to avoid a ban on its service in the United States. For US citizens, software being banned over geopolitical concerns is a new reality.
What will happen to the code if the deal goes through? Is there a clean room where software updates are inspected before rolling out? Is data segregated to local servers, and if so, will it be siloed from the rest of Tik Tok's global user base?
Tik Tok users have thoughts on what is really happening with their private data.
In the second half of the episode we talk about Nvidia's purchase of Arm from Softbank. Paul and Sara speculate about what this means for our personal computers and mobile devices, as well as its implications for GPU programming, which has found new homes in burgeoning fields like machine learning and crypto mining.
If you're a reader looking to spend some quality time with other book worms, check out this Kickstarter from our friend Jeffrey Zie.
No lifeboats this week, but be sure to check out this amazing question on the math behind spider webs.