GEEKOM has another incredible deal for TweakTown readers, this time for its GEEKOM A7 Mini PC Ryzen 7000. Powered by the AMD Ryzen R9-7940HS processor, it features RDNA 3 AMD Radeon 780M Graphics to deliver blistering fast 120+ FPS frame rates for games like League of Legends, Counter-Strike, and DOTA 2.

It also has 32GB of dual-channel DDR5 5600 MHz memory, 2TB of PCIe Gen4 SSD storage, Bluetooth 5.2, and Wi-Fi 6E wireless technologies. All this is in a slim, compact form factor measuring 112.4 x 112.4 x 37 mm, or 0.47L, to deliver exceptional speed and performance - small enough to carry around in your pocket!

The GEEKOM A7 Mini PC Ryzen 7000 normally retails for $849, but right now, it's just $649! Enter the coupon code tweaktownA7off (also available for UK customers) at checkout to save a massive $200 on this exceptional Mini PC.

Entering the digital future, I have had the chance to explore BioMatrix's cutting-edge blockchain platform. As a technology enthusiast, the idea of the Proof of You (PoY) token caught my attention at first, especially with its pledge to "distribute wealth in a fair and equitable manner."

The selling point of the PoY token is that it is not just a digital asset, but it is an integral part of the company's Universal Basic Income (UBI) distribution strategy, which is designed to connect the user's biological identity to blockchain technology - an important development that could help bridge financial divides around the world.

At its recent launch in Dubai, the BioMatrix platform showcased its potential to redefine the UBI landscape. Like many other secure platforms, BioMatrix is built with user empowerment in mind, and leverages advanced AI and blockchain technology to facilitate its ecosystem growth and expansion. However, the key difference that sets BioMatrix apart from other UBI platforms is using newer cryptography solutions like Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKP) to protect user privacy and security.

Here's some good news for those of you with an older Android smartphone wanting to use Google's Gemini assistant, as the AI is now available for earlier versions of the mobile platform - plus a new 'conversation mode' is inbound for the app.

Previously, you needed a handset running Android 12 or better to use the Gemini app, but now, that has been pushed back to include phones with Android 10 or 11 installed on them.

Leaker @AssembleDebug on X (formerly Twitter) made this clear, as reported by Android Authority (via TechRadar).

The head of NASA appeared before the House committee to warn of a secret growing military presence in space and how the US is "in a space race" with China for the goal of arriving on the Moon first.

NASA administrator Bill Nelson testified before the House appropriations committee on NASA's 2025 budget, and said the space agency has reason to believe China is increasing its presence in space, especially within the last 10 years. However, China's space presence remains "very, very, secretive", and that a lot of the nation's civilian space program is actually China's military space program in disguise.

Nelson said he hopes Beijing will "come to its senses and understand that civilian space is for peaceful uses", but added: "We have not seen that demonstrated by China." Furthermore, Nelson said that the US is expecting to land on the Moon again before China, and the US is in a space race against China for landing on the Moon again as there is concern that Beijing could land before the US and say, "OK, this is our territory, you stay out,'" said Nelson.

The latest build of Windows 11 has reduced the total number of CPUs that Microsoft's latest operating system can run.

According to reports, the latest version of Windows 11 will not boot on PCs that have a CPU that doesn't support the SSE4.2 instruction set, which is a way for Microsoft to reduce the number of ancient PCs using old hardware from running the latest Windows operating system. Notably, the SSE4.2 instruction set arrived in the first generation of Core i5 and i7 processors, which was more than 15 years ago.

Microsoft's Windows 11 hardware requirements list does reveal a long list of supported CPUs, but this move has made that list smaller. Why does Microsoft do this? There are several reasons, some hardware may have limited security capabilities that don't meet Microsoft's current security standards for its latest operating system, while another reason could be an architectural limitation of the microchip itself, as Windows 11 may require a more advanced architecture to precisely draw resources from.

Windows 11 is getting a new feature called AI Explorer - or at least, AI PCs running the OS will be - and some fresh clues have been spotted that give us a hint of what it might do.

As you can see in the above and below tweets, a couple of regular leakers on X (formerly Twitter) have pointed out a few strings and hidden bits of code pertaining to AI Explorer that they've dug up in recent Windows 11 preview builds.

PhantomofEarth highlights some strings relating to 'screen understanding' being either on or off, and the following dialog: "Screen understanding is paused. Models are not available and need to be downloaded."

Windows 11 just had its latest update pushed out in preview form, and the bad news is that this is carrying additional adverts.

Yes, Microsoft has been more broadly experimenting with ads here and there in Windows 11 of late - as you may have noticed - and the preview update for April (KB5036980), which will be the Patch Tuesday release for May, comes with fresh adverts in the Start menu.

What kind of ads and where? Microsoft explains: "The Recommended section of the Start menu will show some Microsoft Store apps. These apps come from a small set of curated developers. This will help you to discover some of the great apps that are available."

If you're an Apple Vision Pro owner you can expect to be able to download the visionOS 1.2 software update in the near future, with Apple currently testing the third beta release with developers. Those who are registered developers can now download and install the software on their Apple Vision Pro via the usual Settings and app, although they will of course need to be signed into the relevant Apple ID account in order to be given the option to do so.

This release is expected to be made available to the public within weeks and comes just a week after the arrival of the second beta. It isn't yet clear just how many more betas we can expect to be released, but it normally doesn't reach too high of a number.

The Apple Vision Pro's visionOS 1.2 software update isn't expected to bring with it too many changes, and there are no big new features anticipated either. However, there are some tweaks to the Personas, EyeSight, and other features built into this current beta and it's possible that more tweaks could be made before the update rolls out to the public.

Apple regularly releases new software updates to the public and as part of that, it also releases earlier beta updates to developers as well. The current wave of betas is for iOS 17.5 and the company has now made the third beta version of that update available for registered developers to download.

Those who are registered developers can sign in using their Apple ID and then choose to download the latest beta via the usual Software Update mechanism within the Settings app. However, we would always suggest that only developers who have a spare device should do that - as good as Apple's betas currently are, they can still prove problematic and installing the releases on a mission-critical device can still cause unexpected issues further down the line.

The lack of a need to install this beta on most devices is driven home by the fact that there are no huge new features in this beta, especially if you don't live in the European Union. The most notable change in this release is the option for app developers to offer their apps for download directly from their own websites, not just the App Store or authorized third-party app marketplaces.

Razer has announced a new gaming mouse for esports and competitive gamers, the Razer Viper V3 Pro. Created in collaboration with esports pros, including recent Valorant champions, it's an ultra-lightweight wireless gaming mouse with some serious hardware under the hood.

Powered by the Razer Focus Pro 35K Optical Sensor Gen-2 (rated at 90 million clicks), which can poll up to 8000 Hz wirelessly, Razer touts 99.8% resolution accuracy. Players can make 1 DPI incremental adjustment, which is impressive. Razer claims that the Viper V3 Pro can match the DPI sensitivity of any mice gamers might be used to, so there's no awkward 'getting used to it' period.

Available in Black and White editions, it weighs only 54 grams and ships with the Razer HyperPolling Wireless Dongle.

Xbox has been toying around with the idea of entering the VR gaming space for years. When it was on the cusp of launching the Xbox One X console (codenamed Project Scorpio), the head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, touted it as powerful enough to handle VR gaming. At the time, Sony had the PlayStation VR, a niche but successful add-on for the PlayStation 4.

Fast forward to 2024, and Xbox is more than a console platform, with cloud gaming, PC Game Pass, and the new owners of Activision Blizzard and all of its PC and mobile properties. Although Sony released a PlayStation VR2 refresh for the PlayStation 5 console, it has failed to meet sales expectations or reach the heights of the original.

In many ways, outside of PC and the success of the Meta Quest 2 and the SteamVR platform, virtual reality is not on the minds of all gamers. So, with news that Xbox is finally getting in on VR gaming, how it is doing so is not what you'd expect. Instead of a dedicated headset for console and PC, Xbox is partnering with Meta to launch "a limited-edition Meta Quest, inspired by Xbox."

Sega Toys has a line of robot cats as part of its 'KIMIT Ragdoll' line, which attempts (arguably creepily) to recreate the look of a real cat. This means it has synthetic fur, so you can cuddle and pet it like the real thing. It even purs, though the eyes lighting up is a little strange.

Unfortunately, two months after their February 29th, 2024 debut (priced at around $215 USD), these robot cats are being recalled due to a 'burning smell.' At this point, you can probably put two and two together - electrical components mixed with synthetic fur lead to heat issues and an unpleasant plastic-burning smell.

As of writing, there aren't any reports of cat robots catching on fire, but Sega has issued an immediate recall of all models (including white and brown robot cats). Sega also asks users to turn them off immediately and go through the refund and returns process.