Xbox Handhelds are Here, But Should You Pay? - DTNS 5113

And of course, we talk about what we do and do not know about the US TikTok deal.

Starring Tom Merritt, Jenn Cutter, and Dr Niki.

TOM: This is the Daily Tech News for Friday, September 26, 2025. We tell you what you need to know, follow up on the context of those stories, and help each other understand.

JENN: Today, should you eat Teflon? Before you answer, let Dr Niki tell you about one of the winners of the Ignobel Prize, and the Xbox Handheld is here, and it is EXPENSIVE.

I’m Tom Merritt,

I’m Jenn Cutter.

TOM: Let’s start with what you need to know with the big story.

[[BIG STORY]]
[[SOLO story of the day. Basic details, monitor commentary and sound when possible.]]

ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X price and pre-orders detailed; Ally X costs $1000
The ROG Xbox Ally X handheld gaming device will cost you $1,000
Microsoft Announces the Handheld Compatibility Program for Xbox - Thurrott.com
You Can Preorder the ROG Xbox Ally Now! - Thurrott.com
Microsoft and Asus open Xbox Ally preorders — the X costs $999 | The Verge

TOM: A handheld Xbox is now available for you to buy. The ROG Xbox Ally is up for preorder for $599, and the Xbox Ally X is $999. Both ship on October 16th. That's $799 and $1299 Canadian.

ASUS makes the hardware, and Microsoft provides a customized version of Windows that's optimized for running games.

Both models have a 7-inch HD display with a 120 Hertz refresh rate. The more expensive one has more RAM, more storage, and a bigger battery.

[[16-24 GB RAM, 512 GB - 1 TB storage, and 60-watt-hour to 80 watt-hour battery, Ryzen Z2 A - Ryzen AI Z2]]

The handheld plays PC versions of games, but you use a console-style controller. To that end, Microsoft has now launched the Handheld Compatibility Program, which tests, optimizes, and verifies games for play on Xbox handhelds.

That makes it easy to see which PC Games are customized to work well on Xbox Handhelds. Games with the "Handheld Optimized" badge are ready to go. "Mostly Compatible" may require the player to change a few in-game settings, but will work well. There's also a Windows Performance Fit indicator of "Should play great" and "Should play well."

But most people are talking about that $600 - $1000 price. ASUS's comparable non-Xbox ROG Ally systems are priced from $500 to $800. And the Switch 2 is $449.

Jenn, tell me why this is worth the money.

JENN: DTNS is made possible by you the listener. Thanks to
Jony Hernandez
High Tech Okie
Kris Zaragoza
And Allison Sheridan

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TOM: There’s more we need to know today, let’s get to the briefs.

[[BRIEFS]]
[[3-9 more solo reads with sound to complete the day in tech news. These are informational with minor commentary.]]

Viral call-recording app Neon goes dark after exposing users' phone numbers, call recordings, and transcripts | TechCrunch

JENN: Hey, remember that app Neon we talked about on Thursday? The one that paid you to record your phone calls and share them with Neon? Well, later Thursday, TechCrunch discovered by analyzing network traffic (using a tool called Burb Suite) that it could get an unprotected link to the audio files it had sent to Neon. Techcrunch says it could also get the servers to give it access to other users' recorded audio as well as metadata, including phone numbers and more. After TechCrunch alerted Neon that this was possible, the company's founder sent an email to customers alerting them of a temporary takedown to add extra layers of security.

Saving TikTok While Protecting National Security – The White House
Trump signs executive order supporting proposed deal to put TikTok under US ownership | AP News
Trump approves TikTok deal through executive order at $14 billion
TikTok’s $14 Billion Valuation in Trump Deal Stuns Investors - Bloomberg
China stays conspicuously quiet after Trump’s TikTok deal declaration
ByteDance to Get About 50% of TikTok US Profit Under Trump Deal - Bloomberg
Oracle, Silver Lake & MGX main investors in TikTok U.S., sources say

TOM: Thursday, the President of the United States signed an executive order that declares that a forthcoming deal for ByteDance to divest the US operations of TikTok meets the criteria of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. It says a new ownership group will take over and Bytedance will retain less than 20%. Software updates will be monitored and the algorithm will be under the control of the new venture and retrained on US user data. The order applies to all Bytedance apps, including CapCut and Lemon8. The order directed the Attorney General not to take any enforcement action for 120 days (January 23, 2026) in order to give the deal time to complete.

There were no other details about the actual sale in the executive order, but other sources have reported the following.

• Vice President JD Vance says the deal values the US TikTok business at $14 billion. Quite a bit lower than others expected. So it's a bargain. Bytedance as a whole is valued at $330 billion.
  
  

• Bloomberg reports that Bytedance will receive a fee based on all revenue generated from using its algorithm, which could end up being 50% of overall profit.
  
  

• CNBC's sources say that Oracle, Silver Lake, and the Abu Dhabi-based MGX investment fund will be the main investors and hold about 45%. Bytedance's non-Chinese investors, like Susquehana, and some other new investors will get 35%. Bytedance itself will get 19.9%. Those new investors are rumored to include Michael Dell and Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch.
  
  

• Oracle will continue to host and oversee the security of US TikTok data as it does now.
  
  

• LastPost said Bytedance will create a new US company responsible for e-commerce, brand advertising and managing ties with TikTok’s international operations.
  
  

China has not yet commented on the deal.

This Dedicated AI Laptop From Humain and Qualcomm Is Like No PC I've Ever Seen Before - CNET

JENN: At Qualcomm's Snapdragon Summit, Saudi Arabian company Humain showed off its Horizon Pro PC running on a Snapdragon X Elite chip. It runs on a custom operating system called Humain One, which focuses all interactions on a generative Agent, rather than apps. The interface gives you options like chat, generate image, knowledge retrieval, and doc summarizer. Humain plans to sell the machine on a subscription basis, with models for students, consumers, and enterprise.

New digital ID will be mandatory to work in the UK
The UK announces mandatory digital ID plans | The Verge

TOM: Thanks to RW for tipping us off to this one in the DTNS Subreddit. The UK government announced its intention to create a Digital ID that would be mandatory to work in the UK. It would be meant to be stored on phones, but the government intends to make sure it can work for those who cannot use a smartphone. There will be no requirement to carry it, and it is expected to include name, birthdate, nationality, residency status, and a photo. The UK government will launch a consultation about the digital ID later this year and expects it will be mandatory at the latest by the end of 2029. The EU is planning to introduce a similar Digital Identity Wallet next year

Meta Set to Launch Paid Version of Facebook and Instagram for UK - Bloomberg
Meta unveils new AI video feed Vibes | Reuters

JENN: Meta plans to offer a paid version of Facebook and Instagram in the UK, which will not contain ads. It will cost £2.99 a month on the web, or £3.99 for iOS or Android apps. Meta also released a new feed of generated videos in the Meta AI app, called Vibes. It's like Reels but generated.

Raspberry Pi 500+ puts the Pi, 16GB of RAM, and a real SSD in a mechanical keyboard - Ars Technica

TOM: You can now order the Raspberry Pi 500+, an improved version of a Raspberry Pi inside a keyboard. It has 16 GB of RAM instead of 8, a 256GB NVMe SSD instead of microSD storage, and a fancier keyboard with mechanical switches (low-profile clicky Gateron Blue KS-33 switches, if you must know), replaceable keycaps, and individually programmable RGB LEDs. It's available now for $200, twice the price of the Pi 500.

TOM: And finally, a few quick headlines that are just good to know if you want to understand the news in the future.

CISA orders agencies to patch Cisco flaws exploited in zero-day attacks

JENN: The US Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency, aka CISA - issued an emergency directive ordering federal agencies to secure Cisco firewall devices against two zero-day attacks.

Google DeepMind’s new AI models can search the web to help robots complete tasks | The Verge

TOM: Google DeepMind released Gemini Robotics 1.5, which can use Google Search to help carry out complex tasks and learn from the world around them, including from other robots.

OpenAI says GPT-5 stacks up to humans in a wide range of jobs | TechCrunch

JENN: OpenAI released a benchmark called GDPval, which attempts to compare models to human professionals in various industries, and found Anthropic's Claude Open 5.1 model ranked highest.

Anthropic to triple international workforce in global AI push

TOM: Anthropic, whose CEO has previously said AI might wipe out 25% of jobs, announced that it will triple its international workforce this year.

Perplexity launches massive search API to take on Google’s dominance | VentureBeat

JENN: In a direct challenge to Google, Perplexity launched a Search API that gives developers direct real-time access to its web index.

Microsoft releases the final Windows 10 22H2 preview update

TOM: Microsoft released the final non-security update for Windows 10, version 22H2, into preview.

Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser Steps Down

JENN: Bowser will go down on December 31st. That is, Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser will retire then, and 20-year veteran Devon Pritchard will take over.

TOM: Those are the essentials for today. Let’s dive a little deeper.

[[SEGMENT A - FROM SCHEDULE]]

JENN: The IgNobel prizes were awarded September 19th. These are always fun. Dr. Niki joins us to explain what they are, why you should care, and whether you should eat teflon.

[TRT - 10:15]

[[PROMO]]

TOM: Need a snazzy gift for a co-worker or colleague? We got dozens of ideas at dailytechnewsshow.com/store! Pick up a mug, t-shirt or mouse pad with our new DTNS Logo! They're great gifts and a great way to support the show!

[[BREAK]]
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[[HELPING EACH OTHER UNDERSTAND]]
[[Short missives from people with experience. Could be written email or pre-recorded from the person.]]

JENN: We end every episode of DTNS with some shared wisdom. Today Mike has a pertinent question related to Penske Media’s suit against Google.

TOM:
Mike writes:
Hi DTNS crew,
Long-time fan and patron here! I’ve been hearing the discussions about Google’s AI summarizing articles so people don’t have to visit the original source. I’m curious — how is that different from what shows like DTNS do? You read the stories and share the main points too, though of course you also add your own opinions and perspective, which we really appreciate.
Just wondering what you see as the distinction.
Thanks,
Mike

[[DISCUSS]]

JENN: What are you thinking about? Got some insight into a story? Share it with us feedback@dailytechnewsshow.com

TOM: Thanks to Dr Niki and Mike for contributing to today’s show. And thank YOU for being along for Daily Tech News Show. You can keep us in business by becoming a patron, at Patreon.com/dtns