Welcome to The Compiler, a daily curation of tech news.

Valve just cracked open the handheld gaming market. They're letting anyone install SteamOS on non-Valve devices starting in April. This isn't just about gaming – it's a brilliant open-source play that could reshape the entire portable computing landscape. Imagine a world where your handheld runs the same OS as your gaming rig. The implications for game developers and hardware manufacturers are massive. Plus, it's a clever way for Valve to expand its ecosystem without manufacturing more hardware. The real kicker? This move puts serious pressure on Nintendo's upcoming Switch successor. Game on.

Read more about Valve's SteamOS strategy

VLC's AI Subtitles: Accessibility or Privacy Nightmare?
VLC just demo'd automatic AI subtitling and translation at CES. It's impressive tech – running locally, offline, supporting 100+ languages. But let's talk about the elephant in the room: What happens when this inevitably gets abused for real-time surveillance? On the flip side, this could be a game-changer for accessibility and breaking down language barriers in media. The open-source nature is both exciting and terrifying.

More on VLC's AI subtitling feature

Nvidia's 575W GPU Monster: Impressive or Irresponsible?
Nvidia somehow crammed 575 watts of graphics power into a two-slot card with the RTX 5090. It's an engineering marvel, but at what cost? As we push towards increasingly power-hungry hardware, are we ignoring the environmental impact? There's a non-zero chance this thing could double as a space heater. Still, you have to admire the sheer audacity of it. Your move, AMD.

Check out Nvidia's monstrous RTX 5090

• Amazon's letting other retailers use its ad tools. Prepare for more ads... everywhere. Details here
• Google's testing AI-generated personalized podcasts based on your search history. Clever or creepy? Learn more
• Xocean raised €115M for uncrewed ocean data vessels. The robot navy is coming. Full story

If AI can now generate subtitles in real-time, how long until we have universal translators that work offline? The Tower of Babel might finally be coming down.

Thanks for reading!