The Casual Dork Weekly #12

TECH

Google Dropped More Pixel Goodness

products on products…

Last week Tuesday 13 August, Google held it’s annual Pixel event and as always it was the usual; with the new Pixel 9 range of smartphones unveiled. There was also the announcement of the new Pixel Watch 3 and the Pixel Buds Pro 2.

The Pixel 9 smartphones all come with Google’s new Tensor G4 processor, which as the name eludes to is the fourth generation of Google’s own SoC (system on a chip). A lot has been said about the ability of this chip when stacked up against Snapdragon’s flagship chips inside other premium phones like the SD 8 Gen 3 in the Samsung Galaxy S24 or the A17 Pro in the iPhone 15 Pro.

Click below for a comparison between the 3 mobile processors:

Even though this was a product announcement event with phones, a watch and a new set of headphones being unveiled. There was one thing that Google chose to go all in on and this kind of overshadowed the product announcements. I am betting you can guess what it is.

Come now, say it with me:

The push for on-device AI in the Google Pixel 9 just further cements Google as a software-first company that just happens to make smartphones and other hardware.

If you want to see how crazy it is, watch this:

After all this Pixel fanfare we still aren’t getting it through our mobile providers here in SA! If you want it, you’re gonna have to import it yourself.

SADNESS ensues.

MUSIC

All That Glitters Is Not Gold Or Platinum

it doesn’t take much it seems…

I recently learned this piece of information and it hit me like a freight train when I heard it.

‘Okay, let’s give some context to what I am about to say.’

In the international music scene, more so in the US and Europe when they say an artist has a gold record or album. That usually means 500 000 units of that song or album has been sold. To take it even further, when an artist hit 1 000 000 sales they are certified as platinum selling by the recording industry body of that country.

Now that you have that context, let’s bring it home to SA. If you were to guess what would be considered a gold song/album, what number are you picturing in your head?

Well, according to RiSA (Recording Industry of South Africa) for a song to be considered gold it needs to have sold 20 000 units. Yes! You read that right 20 000 units!

For an album to be considered gold it needs to sell 25 000 units!

This information truly shook me because why is that number so low? Also, we have some truly amazing internationally recognised musical talent in this country and yet locally the music industry has such low standards for excellence.

I understand that locally our purchasing power has never been on the same level as most 1st world countries, but I feel like if want to compete more frequently on the world stage, we first need to take our own industry more seriously.

CROSSWORD #3

Diamond Certified Artists

they shine bright like diamonds…

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CASUAL FAVES

Sharing Is Caring

this week it’s podcasts…

Before I started this newsletter, I used to make record a podcast. It’s called The Casual Dork Podcast. I haven’t recorded anything in over a year 🫠

My love for podcasts still remains, maybe one day I will get back on the mic again.

I am still an avid podcast listener so I thought I would share some of my favourites with you.

Endless Thread

A podcast about internet stories.

Lateral With Tom Scott

A podcast with lateral questions and hilarious answers.

Song Exploder

A podcast where artists breakdown the creative process.

MEME OF THE WEEK

The Premier League Is Back

fpl 24/25 about to be wild ride…