Valve’s latest beta software update for the Steam Deck brings experimental support for controlling the screen refresh rate in games and allows the Linux-based operating system to control the fan speed as well as when the fan activates in the first place, which can cut down on unwanted noise in some circumstances.

Unfortunately there’s also a hardware issue affecting some Steam Deck units that causes a whining noise when the fan is running, and software updates alone will never resolve that issue. Some users have taken things into their own hands with a DIY fix, but Valve advises against taking that approach since it’s unknown what long term impact it could have on cooling performance. It’s possible that you may one day be able to buy a replacement fan that doesn’t whine though.

Here’s a roundup of recent tech news from around the web.

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2 replies on “Lilbits: Steam Deck software update, beginning of the end for the Pixel 3a, and Audacity in the Microsoft Store”

  1. I despise the Store, a perfect example of the worsening of Windows for marketing purposes. It serves MS to enure users to the notion of paying for software by collecting some of it and offering a uniform means of reviewing and installing (installing it outside of the traditional Program Files folders), but it isn’t being adequately tested or tested at all based on my recent experience with a purported video upscaler (that doesn’t work); MS gains the economic advantage of operating a store, but it isn’t really curating anything. Audacity — I’ve used it for a long time and always obtained it from SourceForge. My reaction to your tweet is that if there weren’t a Windows app store, there’s be no need to put Audacity in the Microsoft Store to cut down on fake copies of it in the former; considering the ease with which Audacity can be located and installed using any Internet browser, I fail to see what useful purpose (of any user) is served by placing Audacity in an online store of any description in the first place — believe the number of fake copies on SourceForge may be zero. Sure, a store aggregates software in one place, but if I simply type “free audio editor”, “free mp3 editor”, or the like into a browser, Audacity appears at or very close to the top of search results

    1. Unfortunately there are people who were first introduced to computers via smartphones, or quit owning a PC since a phone became enough for them. They will think it’s normal to only get software from sanitized repositories. Or think that only software from sanitized repositories can be trusted; everything else is “viruses”, which in some ways is worse, because they’ll react adversely to you just downloading something, as opposed to merely being surprised. Massive IT conglomerates have a vested interest in increasing the number of people who think this way.

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