Lab Naming Controversy - WAN Show August 26, 2022

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The WAN Show covered LTT Labs rebranding fallout with Sarah Dietschy’s Lab 22, internet provider customer-service frustrations, VESA’s new ClearMR motion-blur certification, Valve’s Steam Deck booklet and its nod to Linus, LTT screwdriver launch and warranty details, Apple’s self-repair expansion and ad/privacy issues, Starlink-to-cellphone connectivity, and broader gaming hardware price volatility. Throughout, the hosts emphasized better standards, more transparent testing, and consumer-friendly repair and purchasing options.

Main Topics: Lab branding collision: LTT Labs vs. Sarah Dietschy’s Lab 22 (Priority: 5/5): The hosts discussed the awkward overlap between their planned Lab 32 branding and Sarah Dietschy’s newly launched Lab 22 Kickstarter. They praised her professionalism, compared branding drafts, and considered whether to pivot or keep the name. Consumer internet service and loyalty-discount frustrations (Priority: 4/5): Luke described being overcharged by TELUS after a loyalty discount expired without a renewal call, sparking a broader conversation about ISP billing practices, retention calls, and how companies use auto-renew/discount cycles to trap customers. VESA ClearMR and clearer display certification (Priority: 5/5): The show analyzed VESA’s ClearMR certification as a replacement for vague response-time marketing, with discussion of its methodology, how it compares to HDR certifications, and concerns about disabling blur-reduction features during testing. Steam Deck booklet, Valve culture, and Linus cameo (Priority: 4/5): Valve’s booklet for Steam Deck’s expansion into Asia was praised as a window into Valve’s philosophy and PC openness. Linus was delighted to discover he appears in the booklet, and the hosts discussed Valve’s hardware repairability and SteamOS plans. LTT screwdriver production, warranty, and backorder timing (Priority: 5/5): A detailed update covered screwdriver manufacturing, QC, shipping to Project Farm, the limited lifetime warranty, bit set pricing, and a community poll on whether backorders should begin during the live demo event or days later. Apple self-repair expansion, privacy, and ad strategy criticism (Priority: 4/5): The hosts corrected a prior Apple ad/privacy take, then discussed Apple’s broader ad business, system-level prompts, and the newly expanded self-repair program for M1 MacBooks, including the practicality and high cost of parts. Starlink direct-to-phone and gaming hardware price shifts (Priority: 4/5): They reviewed Starlink V2’s planned direct-to-cell capability with T-Mobile and used the broader segment to note falling GPU prices, Sony’s PS5 price increases, and mixed trends across game hardware markets.

Key Arguments: Sarah Dietschy was genuinely first with Lab 22; the overlap with Lab 32 was accidental, and her response was gracious enough that the hosts may keep their branding. Loyalty-discount systems that silently expire are unfair because customers are effectively overpaying unless they remember to renegotiate; automatic renewal should be paired with functional no-call/no-ride lists. ClearMR is better than opaque response-time numbers because it focuses on visible clarity rather than synthetic timing metrics that can be gamed with overdrive or blur-reduction tricks. Independent reviews remain necessary even with standards like ClearMR, because certifications can only cover part of the real-world display experience. Valve’s booklet and Steam Deck repairability are examples of better hardware openness, and its inclusion of practical modding/repair notes reflects a healthier relationship with the PC community. The screwdriver launch should prioritize transparency about warranty, shipping, and limitations on bits; the community should decide whether immediate backorders or delayed backorders are more appropriate. Apple’s repair-part availability is a meaningful step forward, but the company’s ad expansion and ecosystem control still raise fairness and monopoly concerns. Starlink-to-phone connectivity could meaningfully improve rural and emergency communications, but billing, coverage, latency, and international policy questions remain unresolved. Gaming hardware pricing is being pulled in opposite directions by inventory overhangs, currency effects, and strategic price hikes, making the market unusually unstable.

Data Points: Lab 22 Kickstarter funding: 340,000 Canadian rubles - Sarah Dietschy’s Lab 22 campaign had already far exceeded its target. VESA ClearMR range: ClearMR 3000 to ClearMR 9000 - The new certification tiers are based on ratios of clear to blurry pixels. ClearMR 7000 example: 65 to 75 times more clear pixels than blurry pixels - Used as an example of how the ratio-based standard works. HDR certification threshold: HDR 400 / HDR 600 / HDR 1000 - The hosts discussed VESA’s existing HDR tiers and their practical limitations. Steam Deck Asia markets: Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong - Valve’s booklet introduced Steam/Steam Deck to these new markets. LTT screwdriver warranty: Limited lifetime warranty - Warranty covers defects in materials/workmanship for the usual life of the tool. Project Farm shipment: 1 screwdriver unit shipped - Linus said they shipped a screwdriver from current inventory to Project Farm. Backpack sales: Over 20,000 backpacks sold - The backpack product was cited as a success and a milestone toward break-even. Lab staffing: Close to 10 people - The lab team headcount was discussed as the facility expanded. Automated used GPU test time: 4 hours - The new automated used-GPU testing suite can fully test a card in about four hours. ClearMR testing conditions: Native resolution, maximum refresh rate, no backlight strobing - VESA’s method includes standardized testing conditions and limits on enhancement tricks. Starlink cell service speed: 2 to 4 megabits per cell zone - Elon Musk said the direct-to-cell service is meant for text and voice more than high bandwidth. PS5 price increase: Up to 20% - Sony said price increases would affect major markets outside the U.S. Quest 2 price increase: £100 / 33% - Meta raised the headset’s price substantially, cited as part of the broader hardware-price discussion. Apple self-repair toolkit rental: $49 for 7 days - Apple’s self-service repair program includes a rentable toolkit.

Pivotal Quotes: "your main product is pretty far off" — Sarah Dietschy: Sarah’s reply to Linus about the Lab 32 / Lab 22 branding overlap, showing remarkable goodwill. "The bigger the number, the more better." — Luke / hosts: A humorous shorthand for VESA’s ClearMR tiers and how to interpret them. "I want to see that stuff. I want to know that stuff." — Linus: Linus on why Labs exists: to democratize access to testing data that is usually hidden behind marketing.

Implications: Listeners can expect more transparent hardware testing, a more public-facing LTT Labs, and likely better consumer repair/right-to-repair signals from major brands. The show also underscored how pricing, standards, and platform control increasingly shape tech ownership.