Best Digital Foundry Podcasts (2026)

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DF Direct Special: Digital Foundry's Best Game Graphics of 2025 1:36:08

Play Pause

4d ago1:36:08

1:36:08

Need we saw more? As we draw to the end of another remarkable year in video games, the Digital Foundry team sit down to pore over the technological showcases of the last 12 months in an attempt to answer the immortal question: What were the best game graphics of the year? 0:00:00 Introduction0:02:09 Honourable Mentions: Kirby Air Riders, Mario Kart…

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Vjekoslav Krajačić on File Pilot and a return to fast UIs 33:44

7m ago33:44

33:44

By Scott Hanselman

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Loris Cro on the Rise of Zig 32:28

7d ago32:28

32:28

Why are so many developers suddenly talking about Zig? Is it just another systems language, or is something deeper happening? Scott sits down with Loris Cro, one of the community voices behind Zig, to explore why this relatively young language is getting so much attention from systems programmers, game developers, and performance-obsessed engineers…

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DF Direct Weekly #245: Half-Life 3 Steam Machine Launch Game? Skyrim Switch 2 Lag Patch, Marathon! 2:12:09

14d ago2:12:09

2:12:09

A critical mass of rumours is strongly suggesting that Half-Life 3 will be a launch title for Steam Machine - but how does that work when the RAM crisis is making any kind of hardware launch so challenging? Meanwhile, Oliver pops in to talk about an actual patch for the woeful Switch 1 port of Batman: Arkham Knight, while Tom makes a similarly came…

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Trusting Agentic AI with Dr. Dawn Song 35:36

7d ago35:36

35:36

In this partnership episode between Hanselminutes and the ACM Bytecast, Scott talks with Dr. Dawn Song, MacArthur Fellow and leading researcher in computer security and AI and co-director at the Berkeley Center for Responsible Decentralized Intelligence about how privacy-preserving computation, fairness, and accountability can help us design intell…

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DF Direct Weekly #244: The Game Awards Reaction, First PS3 Emu on PS5, FSR Redstone First Look! 2:06:03

21d ago2:06:03

2:06:03

It's that time of the year! The Digital Foundry team discuss the big reveals and the games that caught their eye at The Game Awards, with the traditional complaints about the volume of CG trailers. Beyond that, Rich shares his impressions on the first PS3 emulator for PlayStation 5, Alex gets to grips with the wobbly performance of FSR Redstone fra…

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Human Agency in a Digital World with Marcus Fontoura 34:51

14d ago34:51

34:51

Marcus Fontoura has led engineering teams at IBM, Yahoo, Google, and Microsoft...building the very systems that power our digital lives. Now, as the author of Human Agency in a Digital World, he’s asking a more profound question: how do we stay in charge of the technology we create? Scott and Marcus explore what it means to move from being passenge…

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Certified Letter Nerds with Alanna Munro of Arcane Type Foundry 37:38

17d ago37:38

37:38

Send us a text Today’s conversation is with Alanna Munro of Arcane Type Foundry. She is a certified letter nerd, designer, and educator. In this conversation you’ll hear about Alanna’s creative process for designing type, the importance of squinting, and common misconceptions about independent foundries. You’ll also hear helpful, actionable advice …

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DF Direct Weekly #243: Metroid Prime Switch 1 vs 2, The Witcher 4-6, Crucial RAM Dead, 32-bit PhysX! 1:57:38

28d ago1:57:38

1:57:38

Nintendo didn't release Metroid Prime 4 Switch 1 review code to journalists, so how does it stack up against Switch 2? Rich does some digging. Meanwhile, the team lament the end of the iconic Crucial RAM, but there's better news about the return of some kind of 32-bit PhysX support for RTX 50-series GPUs. Oliver talks Sonic Racing Crossworlds on Sw…

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Daniel Temkin and the Beauty of Esoteric Languages 35:12

1M ago35:12

35:12

What happens when code stops being useful and starts being art? Scott talks with artist and programmer Daniel Temkin about his new book Forty-Four Esolangs, a deep dive into the world of esoteric programming languages...systems designed not to ship software, but to provoke thought. They explore how absurdity, constraint, and humor reveal something …

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DF Direct Weekly #242: Ghost of Yōtei Big Upgrades, AC Shadows Switch 2, Death Stranding 2 PC Coming 1:34:15

1M ago1:34:15

1:34:15

In this week's Direct, Rich gets to grips with Ghost of Yōtei's unlocked frame-rate and balanced mode upgrades, discovering some excellent results. The team discuss the seemingly soon arrival of a PC port for Death Stranding 2, while mulling over Ubisoft's details on its upcoming Assassin's Creed Shadows Switch 2 port. John's highly excited by eXoW…

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The Digital Runway: IT at the Philadelphia Airport with Camille Tomlin 32:15

1M ago32:15

32:15

Scott sits down with Camille Tomlin, Head of IT at Philadelphia International Airport, to explore the intersection of aviation, technology, and leadership. They discuss how airports are transforming digitally — with IoT, data analytics, and smart infrastructure — and how Camille leads a team that bridges city government, airlines, and millions of p…

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Books as Art with Andrew Huot of Big River Bindery 28:12

28d ago28:12

28:12

Send us a text Today I’m joined by Andrew Huot, who is book making royalty: a book artist, bookbinder, printer, and conservator whose artists’ books are in collections across the US, from the Art Institute of Chicago to Yale University. In this conversation, you’ll hear what the term “book arts” means. You’ll learn what a typical day in Andrew’s st…

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DF Direct Weekly #241: Steam Machine Price Concerns, Win 11 Update Kills Perf, Proton FSR 4, RDR1! 2:04:54

1M ago2:04:54

2:04:54

A meaty new episode of DF Direct Weekly kicks off with a Valve double-header - reaction to news that Steam Machine may be heading for PC pricing, plus news of Linux FSR 4 support via Proton... including old GPUs. Meanwhile, Angry Alex is back and he's measured just how bad Windows performance in AC Shadows is impacted by a rogue update. Red Dead Re…

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Emerging Typeface Designers Ivana Vukmirovic & Mahrukh Saeed 24:08

1M ago24:08

24:08

Send us a text Meet emerging typeface designers, Ivana Vukmirovic and Mahrukh Saeed! Ivana designed a typeface called Lindworm and Mahrukh designed a typeface called Khabartoon. In the following conversation, you'll get to hear about each typeface, their perfect type pairings, sensory descriptions of each, as well as what each of these emerging typ…

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C++ is Still Here, Still Powerful with Gabriel Dos Reis 35:50

2M ago35:50

35:50

In a world of Rust, Go, and Python, why does C++ still matter? Dr. Gabriel Dos Reis joins Scott to explain how C++ continues to shape everything from GPUs and browsers to AI infrastructure. They talk about performance, predictability, and the art of balancing power with safety...and how the language’s constant evolution keeps it relevant four decad…

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DF Direct Weekly #240: Steam Machine - Pricing, Specs, VRAM, ARM Ambitions + More 1:37:14

2M ago1:37:14

1:37:14

Valve's reveal of the Steam Machine has proven phenomenally popular to the point where our coverage is by far and away the biggest DF video of the year. But there's more information emerging post-embargo we had to share, plus plenty of discussion points to wade through. How much will it cost? Does this really cause problems for Microsoft? What is t…

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Why Postgres? and why now? with Claire Giordano 36:11

2M ago36:11

36:11

Postgres has quietly become the world’s favorite database...running startups, governments, and global clouds alike. Scott talks with Claire Giordano, long-time Postgres advocate and technologist, about the database’s unlikely rise from academic roots to modern dominance. They explore its design philosophy, the open-source community that fuels it, a…

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DF Direct Special: Valve's Steam Frame VR Headset - Hands-On + Impressions, Specs + Tech Breakdown 44:17

2M ago44:17

44:17

While the new Steam Machine PC/console hybrid has taken centrestage, it's not the only major hardware launch revealed by Valve today. Steam Frame is a state-of-the-art VR headset that not only streams games from your PC but can actually run them on the headset itself, with an x86 to ARM translation layer working in addition to Proton. Oliver's been…

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Choose Your Own Adventure with George Wylesol 34:54

2M ago34:54

34:54

Send us a text Down the rabbit hole we go! Each conversation in this series connects in unexpected ways; each new episode spurring a new line of inquiry, like a tunnel turning off in a different direction, each with an origin that’s traced back to episode 273. This episode features George Wylesol who is an artist and author based in Baltimore, Mary…

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DF Direct Special: Hands-On With Steam Machine: Valve's Beautiful PC/Console - Specs, Impressions And More 51:47

2M ago51:47

51:47

It's the hardware we've been waiting for. Built on SteamOS, Valve's brand-new Steam Machine runs the same games that Steam Deck does, with 6x the graphics horsepower - all built into a super-cute, premium, cube-like design. Oliver visited Valve HQ to go hands-on with both the new PC/console hybrid and the new Steam Controller, reporting back with i…

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Humanizing the Experiences of Dementia Using Disappearing Ink Technology with Rachel Arthur of boom saloon 32:22

2M ago32:22

32:22

Send us a text Today’s guest and her team’s most recent book project is truly emotional and inspiring. In this conversation, you’ll hear from Rachel Arthur, Founder and Editor of boom saloon, “an independent publisher dedicated to democratizing creativity for good”. You’ll hear about their most recent publication (and deeply personal project) that …

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DF Direct Weekly #239: GTA 6 Delayed, Silent Hill 2 Xbox, Switch 2 Biggest Console Launch Ever? 1:52:15

2M ago1:52:15

1:52:15

Aside from the monumental release of our brand new website, it was looking like a quiet week until the gigaton news that Grand Theft Auto 6 was delayed again quote-unquote dropped. The team discuss the implications in this week's Direct, before moving onto PS Portal cloud streaming impressions and the AMD marketing debacle that is the RDNA 1/2 driv…

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PlayStation 5 Pro: Year One - Was It Worth It? The Best/Worst Games, PSSR + More - DF Direct Special 1:13:26

2M ago1:13:26

1:13:26

At the time of uploading this video, it has been one year to the day since PlayStation 5 Pro was available to buy. In a DF Direct Special, John, Oliver and Tom compare notes on a massive range of Pro-enhanced titles, putting them into buckets: successful, good but not great and straight-out bad. And with that out of the way, it's time to talk about…

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The Past Still Boots with the Interim Computing Museum's Stephen Jones 40:46

2M ago40:46

40:46

Scott talks with Stephen Jones of the new Interim Computing Museum, about the craft of bringing old computers back to life. From wire-wrapped boards to tape drives and terminals, this episode dives into why running the old systems — not just displaying them — matters for understanding how modern computing came to be. Support, Visit, and Donate to t…

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DF Direct Weekly #238: MGS Delta Fixed? Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2, AC Shadows Switch 2! 1:43:20

2M ago1:43:20

1:43:20

A new patch has "dropped" for Metal Gear Solid Delta and there are big performance and feature improvements in some areas, but is the game actually fixed? Meanwhile, Oliver gets to grips with Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 and comes away disappointed, while John is highly impressed with Lumines Arise. The team try to work their way through a …

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Cheat Codes for Junior Engineers with Kat Excellence 35:22

2M ago35:22

35:22

This week Scott talks to Kat who shares her tactical wisdom from her blog Katexcellence.io, where she decodes the early-career engineering experience with clarity and wit. From learning to build without motivation, to balancing depth and velocity, to navigating layoffs and early‑career uncertainty, Kat distills lessons from her own journey through …

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Making Time with Author Maria Bowler 35:08

2M ago35:08

35:08

Send us a text This episode features Maria Bowler, author of ‘Making Time: A New Vision for Crafting a Life Beyond Productivity’. In this conversation, Maria clarifies the way we orient to the world, either as “the producer” or “the maker”. She dives deep into the problematic ideas around productivity, the ways in which these ideas reinforce coloni…

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DF Direct Weekly #237: Halo Campaign Evolved Reaction, "Premium" Next-Gen Xbox, New DF Retro Show! 2:21:37

2M ago2:21:37

2:21:37

A gigantic new episode of DF Direct Weekly sees the team's reaction to the big Halo Campaign Evolved reveal - and some unfortunate Unreal Engine 5 issues already coming into view. Meanwhile, what does Microsoft actually mean by its "very premium, very high-end" next-gen comments and is the Xbox Ally X interface really the best way forward? Meanwhil…

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AI-Powered Migration plus Raw Experience with Mike Rousos 36:25

2M ago36:25

36:25

On this episode of Hanselminutes, Scott Hanselman talks with cloud migration and app modernization expert Mike Rousos about the challenges and opportunities of bringing decades-old applications into the modern era. They discuss practical strategies for app modernization, how AI and GitHub Copilot are reshaping developer workflows, and what it takes…

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On a Trip with Amanda Breeze of TRIPPER Magazine 49:55

2M ago49:55

49:55

Send us a text In this conversation, you’ll hear from Amanda Breeze, a cannabis writer based out of Toronto, Canada, who documents international cannabis culture and explores new smells. This year she launched Tripper Magazine, an adventure travel guide to the world’s cannabis friendly destinations. In this conversation, you’ll learn about the proc…

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DF Direct Weekly #236: Xbox Ally X Review-In-Progress, Next-Gen Spec Leak Comparisons, New PS5 Pro! 1:47:45

3M ago1:47:45

1:47:45

ROG Xbox Ally X is "in the house" and Rich describes his first couple of days in the review process. Alex answers the big question as to whether new PC games stutter more than older ones, while Oliver gets to grips with Black Myth Wukong's latest patch on PlayStation, complete with Lumen-free performance mode. Finally, next-gen Xbox and PlayStation…

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DF Direct Weekly #235: Microsoft Re-Confirms Next-Gen Xbox, Red Dead 2 Remaster Heavily Rumoured 1:31:44

3M ago1:31:44

1:31:44

In this week's DF Direct, Microsoft deny rumours that its next-gen console has been cancelled - but to what extent are its statements credible in the wake of the infamous "four games" messaging? The existence of ports of Red Dead Redemption 2 for PS5, Xbox and Switch 2 are confirmed by the most reliable leaker in the business, while John shares his…

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The Game Designers Workbook with Bobby Lockhart 34:43

2M ago34:43

34:43

On this episode of Hanselminutes, Scott talks with Bobby Lockhart, game designer and coauthor of The Game Designer’s Workbook. They explore the craft of game design, from turning ideas into playable experiences to balancing creativity with structure, and discuss how the principles in the workbook can help both aspiring and seasoned designers build …

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Living at the Intersection of Art, Design & Digital Media with Julian Brown 52:49

2M ago52:49

52:49

Send us a text Julian Brown is an independent motion designer and augmented-reality artist. In this conversation, you'll hear how Julian and his wife, Amy Shackleton, work together to merge the worlds of fine art and digital media to create interactive installations. You'll also hear how the design space and the fine art space differ in terms of ho…

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DF Direct Special: Sony/AMD Project Amethyst Update - Next-Gen Tech Revealed + Mark Cerny Q&A 32:01

3M ago32:01

32:01

Could this be the foundational GPU technology for the PlayStation 6? Mark Cerny's latest Project Amethyst update describes the building blocks of future graphics technology, with a strong focus on ray tracing and machine learning capabilities, along with bandwidth-enhancing features designed to reduce the need on massive memory controllers. John, R…

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Competence builds confidence with .NET Principal Engineer Safia Abdalla 36:00

3M ago36:00

36:00

On this special episode of Hanselminutes, Scott reunites with .NET Principal Engineer Safia Abdalla, nearly 500 episodes and a decade after her first appearance on the show. They reflect on the arc of her career and the evolution of the developer landscape, discussing how building competence fuels confidence, how anxieties can compound in high-pres…

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The Infrastructure Race: Bitcoin Mining Meets AI with Taylor Towler and Bill Schneider 1:19:50

3M ago1:19:50

1:19:50

This episode goes deep into the future of Bitcoin mining and AI-driven data centers with Taylor Towler of Solomon Data Systems and Bill Schneider, a global sourcing and energy strategist. Together with JohnPaul, they unpack the real economics behind power, infrastructure, and policy, from scaling megawatt projects to navigating utility politics and…

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Brave Creative Humans: Living a Brave Creative Humanity 19:42

3M ago19:42

19:42

Send us a text Welcome to the Brave Creative Humans series! This is the final episodes in the series featuring some of the many past Talk Paper Scissors guests who exemplify brave creative living: Allison MacKenzie, Kevin Shaw, Vincent Wanga, Meg Lewis, Emad Saedi, and Justine Abigail Yu. In this episode, the 6 answer this question: “In your opinio…

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Brave Creative Humans: Colouring Outside the Lines 23:11

3M ago23:11

23:11

Send us a text Welcome to the Brave Creative Humans series! This is the fifth of 6 episodes featuring some of the many past Talk Paper Scissors guests who exemplify brave creative living: Allison MacKenzie, Kevin Shaw, Vincent Wanga, Meg Lewis, Emad Saedi, and Justine Abigail Yu. In this episode, the 6 answer this question: “How do you ‘colour outs…

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DF Direct Weekly #234: Huge Game Pass Price Hike Causes Outrage, New PS5 Teardown 2:12:09

3M ago2:12:09

2:12:09

By Digital Foundry

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Push your ideas to the web with Netlify CEO Mathias Biilmann 34:13

3M ago34:13

34:13

On this episode of Hanselminutes, Scott Hanselman sits down with Netlify CEO Mathias Biilmann, who coined the term Jamstack, to talk about the future of web development in the age of AI. Recorded shortly before the announcement at Netlify Deploy, the conversation explores Netlify’s new AI Workflow, how it connects to the Jamstack philosophy, what i…

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DF Direct Weekly #233: Wolverine Gameplay, Forza Horizon 6, Xbox ROG Ally X Pricing, Saros! 2:03:55

3M ago2:03:55

2:03:55

Yes, it's another episode of DF Direct Weekly and yes, once again it's two hours of content discussing the latest gaming and technology news. Marvel's Wolverine, Saros, Flight Sim 2024 and Deus Ex Remastered cover off what we want to talk about from the latest Sony State of Play, while there's reaction to what was essentially the non-reveal of Forz…

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The Importance of Pair Programming with Tuple's Johnny Marler 33:50

3M ago33:50

33:50

In this episode of Hanselminutes, Scott Hanselman talks with Tuple engineer Johnny Marler about the craft and culture of pair programming. They explore how intentional collaboration can sharpen problem-solving, reduce context switching, and build trust between teammates—especially in remote environments. Johnny shares lessons from developing Tuple,…

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Brave Creative Humans: Comparison 32:00

3M ago32:00

32:00

Send us a text Welcome to the Brave Creative Humans series! This is the fourth of 6 episodes featuring some of the many past Talk Paper Scissors guests who exemplify brave creative living: Allison MacKenzie, Kevin Shaw, Vincent Wanga, Meg Lewis, Emad Saedi, and Justine Abigail Yu. In this episode, the 6 answer this question: “What is your approach …

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DF Direct Weekly #232: Dying Light: The Beast, Intel/Nvidia Partnership, Borderlands 4 Controversy 1:56:37

3M ago1:56:37

1:56:37

In the latest exciting episode of DF Direct Weekly, Alex and Oliver share impressions on the PC and PS5 versions of Dying Light: The Beast in the wake of review code problems stopping us from delivering a full review. Meanwhile, the shocking news of an Intel/Nvidia partnership demands attention from the team, before Rich shares his experiences of t…

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Brave Creative Humans: Failure (Part 2) 30:41

3M ago30:41

30:41

Send us a text Welcome to the Brave Creative Humans series! This is the second of 6 episodes featuring some of the many past Talk Paper Scissors guests who exemplify brave creative living: Allison MacKenzie, Kevin Shaw, Vincent Wanga, Meg Lewis, Emad Saedi, and Justine Abigail Yu. In this episode, the 6 answer this questions: “When is a time when y…

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Can AI save DevOps? with SystemInit's Adam Jacob 34:09

4M ago34:09

34:09

In this episode of Hanselminutes, Scott Hanselman sits down with Adam Jacob, co-founder of SystemInit and creator of Chef, to explore the provocative question: Can AI save DevOps? Together, they unpack the growing complexity of modern infrastructure, the limits of human-scale operations, and how AI-driven systems might reshape the way we build, dep…

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Power, Politics, and Progress: Building America’s Bitcoin Infrastructure with Matt Prusak 52:26

4M ago52:26

52:26

Dive into this conversation with Matt Prusak as he walks through his journey from USBTC and Hut 8 to launching ABTC. We cover strategy, treasury, risks, and why “maximizing Bitcoin per share” is the new gold standard for mining. Here are episode timestamps: 00:00:00 Intro and ABTC mission 00:01:00 Matt’s background and shift to Bitcoin mining 00:03…

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DF Direct Weekly #231: Borderlands 4 Perf Issues, Nintendo Direct, PS6 BD Drive, GeForce Now 5080! 2:22:20

4M ago2:22:20

2:22:20

In this week's gigantic DF Direct, Alex shares first impressions of Borderlands 4 PC performance, Oliver pops up for a guest appearance as the team summarise Nintendo's latest Direct, Rich enthuses about GeForce Now's new 5080 tier, while cloud coverage continues with a hands-on look at Microsoft xCloud's new 1440p streaming. Meanwhile, there's a c…