iPhone 8 to start at $850; 256GB model priced at $1000

Lana Jelic | Mobile Devices, Tablets & Phones | Apr 5, 2017 6:34 PM CDT

Apple's 10th-anniversary phone is set to see the light of day sometime in September this year. There are a lot of expectations from Apple, especially considering that this year's phone will mark ten years since the launch of the first iPhone.

iPhone 8 to start at $850; 256GB model priced at $1000

Previous rumors have suggested that the iPhone 8 (assuming it will be named the iPhone 8) will cost $1000, but UBS analyst Steven Milunovich believes that the prices won't be that insane. According to him, the base 64GB model could start at $850 to $900 in the US, which is similar to the price of Samsung Galaxy S8+.

Milunovich explained that the iPhone 8 could start at under $1000 cause he believes that the 5.8-inch device will be competing at a screen size disadvantage compared to the 6.2-inch Galaxy S8+.

Continue reading: iPhone 8 to start at $850; 256GB model priced at $1000 (full post)

Samsung confirms foldable smartphones for 2019

Lana Jelic | Mobile Devices, Tablets & Phones | Apr 5, 2017 5:27 PM CDT

We've heard numerous rumors about Samsung launching foldable smartphones this year, with some reports suggesting that these devices might arrive before the Galaxy Note8.

Samsung confirms foldable smartphones for 2019

However, Samsung Display Principal Engineer Kim Tae-woong killed those rumors today. Tae-woong said that bezel-free display currently sells well and there is no need to rush the development of the foldable display. According to him, this technology will be ready for commercial launch in 2019.

During Display TechSalon held in Seoul, Chung Won-seok, an analyst at HI Investment and Securities, confirmed Tae-woong's point of view.

Continue reading: Samsung confirms foldable smartphones for 2019 (full post)

Harry Potter RPG possibly in works by Avalanche Software

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Apr 5, 2017 4:40 PM CDT

Warner Bros. Interactive's Avalanche Software is currently hiring for some interesting positions for a new British-based triple-A game, and it could be a Harry Potter RPG.

Harry Potter RPG possibly in works by Avalanche Software

NeoGAF user Nirolak spotted the job listings, and speculates the studio may be crafting a next-gen Harry Potter RPG for PS4, Xbox One and PC. There are actually three job listings that give us evidence of the new project: a listing for a senior game writer, an Unreal Engine lead animator, and a senior environment artist.

The first clue comes from the writer position: "We are looking for a talented storyteller with a deep understanding of British culture and grammatical presentation," reads the listing, and "provide British authenticity to the tone of the project," is listed as a key responsibility.

Continue reading: Harry Potter RPG possibly in works by Avalanche Software (full post)

Samsung Galaxy S8+ with 6GB RAM will cost over $1000

Lana Jelic | Mobile Devices, Tablets & Phones | Apr 5, 2017 3:16 PM CDT

Samsung recently announced their new phones - the Galaxy S8 and S8+. Both phones come with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. However, there's also a version of the Galaxy S8+ with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.

Samsung Galaxy S8+ with 6GB RAM will cost over $1000

There are strong indications that this model will only be available in China. According to a new report, this version od the S8+ will cost KRW 1,155,000 or around $1,030.

Read also: Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+: Everything you need to know

Continue reading: Samsung Galaxy S8+ with 6GB RAM will cost over $1000 (full post)

Twitch sells games, desktop app required to play them

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Apr 5, 2017 1:38 PM CDT

PC gamers don't typically like clients, and I don't blame them. In the world of PC gaming we have a sea of publisher-made clients: Origin, uPlay, Bethesda.net, Blizzard (aka Battle.net), and storefronts like Xbox Game Store, GOG.com, and the mega-popular grand-daddy Steam. Now Twitch is consolidating its games-sales business by folding a game-launching client with its desktop app.

Twitch sells games, desktop app required to play them

The Amazon-run streaming giant Twitch.tv now sells PC games, and like any digital distribution service, specific games can only be played in a specific client. Using Twitch, Amazon wants to get in on Valve's mega-earning distribution business model.

Right now the list of games requiring the Twitch.tv client are basically indies and double-AA titles like Telltale series games, and Ubisoft games still require uPlay. The company affirms the catalog will grow, and this is just the beginning.

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How Atlus' draconian Persona 5 streaming rules hurt fans

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Apr 5, 2017 11:31 AM CDT

Persona 5's release is a massive day for Atlus, but instead of celebrating, the publisher rolled out some draconian and outlandish streaming rules for gamers to follow, proving whoever is in charge simply doesn't understand the current generation of media content consumption.

How Atlus' draconian Persona 5 streaming rules hurt fans

Atlus has a tight stranglehold over Persona 5 content. Not only did Atlus block Persona 5 screenshots, video recordings, and streams on the PS4 itself, but now the publisher has rolled out some pretty harsh restrictions for streamers who circumvent the block with capture cards. If you break the rules, the publisher has threatened to deliver a copyright strike on your YouTube channel, which can lead to account suspension.

So what are the rules, and why are they so bad? Remember that weird agreement Warner Bros made YouTubers sign with Shadow of Mordor? The one that controller what YouTubers could say and show? Atlus is treating every single Persona 5 gamer and streamer the same way, upholding them to this weird phantom agreement.

Continue reading: How Atlus' draconian Persona 5 streaming rules hurt fans (full post)

Project Scorpio reveal may have Crackdown 3 gameplay

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Apr 5, 2017 9:26 AM CDT

Microsoft's "monster" native 4K Project Scorpio console will be revealed tomorrow, and we should see major Xbox exclusives like Forza 7 and Crackdown 3 exemplifying the console's raw power.

Project Scorpio reveal may have Crackdown 3 gameplay

Eurogamer's Digital Foundry has confirmed that it will reveal Microsoft's Project Scorpio tomorrow at 9AM EST / 6AM PST, but what about the games? Windows Central previously reported that the monster 4K console would showcase high-end native 4K gameplay in major Xbox exclusives such as Forza 7, as well as third-party games like Shadow of War, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Battlefront 2. We're not sure if Microsoft will show off any third-party games during tomorrow's reveal, but it's highly likely we'll see a game that's been MIA for quite a while: Crackdown 3.

Crackdown's official Twitter recently teasedsome new info on the horizon, and we're pretty sure Crackdown 3 will be shown off alongside the system's big spec reveal. "2017 is shaping up to be great! #Crackdown3 info is on the horizon, and we're ready to bring the boom!" the Twitter post reads.

Continue reading: Project Scorpio reveal may have Crackdown 3 gameplay (full post)

AMD's new drivers support 8K 60Hz over dual DP cables

Anthony Garreffa | Video Cards & GPUs | Apr 5, 2017 6:23 AM CDT

AMD has just unleashed its latest Radeon Software Crimson ReLive 17.4.1 drivers, with new driver-level VR features, new display technologies, bug fixes, and more. You can grab the new drivers here.

AMD's new drivers support 8K 60Hz over dual DP cables

Inside, Crimson ReLive 17.4.1 includes support for Oculus tech Asynchronous Spacewarp (ASW) for the Radeon R9 Fury series, Radeon R9 390 series, and Radeon R9 290 series - as well as support for SteamVR Asynchronous Reprojection on the Radeon RX 480 and RX 470 when you've got Windows 10.

The bigger deal here is that the new 17.4.1 drivers feature DP1.4 HBR3 support, and some 8K monitor goodness with 8K 60Hz with 2 x DP cables, and 8K 30Hz with a single DP cable. This is the big thing for me, as AMD is planting the 8K seeds for its upcoming Radeon RX Vega graphics card, that will make good use of its new HBM2 tech and High Bandwidth Cache.

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Apple's next-gen iMac: 5K display and Kaby Lake CPU

Anthony Garreffa | Computer Systems | Apr 5, 2017 1:35 AM CDT

Apple is planning new iMac models for later this year, with the 2018 refresh reportedly including a high-end 5K model, with the new iMac powered by Intel's latest Kaby Lake family of processors.

Apple's next-gen iMac: 5K display and Kaby Lake CPU

Apple marketing boss Phil Schiller along with engineering head Craig Federighi have confirmed new iMacs are indeed coming out this year, but they didn't tease any of the internals or the displays Apple would be using. Apple could release a new iMac with a native 5K resolution, while Intel's latest Kaby Lake family of CPUs will surely be on offer - with up to the Core i7-7700K available.

USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 will most likely be the default connectivity, and since Apple has already debuted the TouchBar - something they unveiled on their enthusiast MacBook Pro. The new iMac could feature a TouchBar of some sorts, but I'm sure we'll be filled in with all of the nitty gritty details in the coming months.

Continue reading: Apple's next-gen iMac: 5K display and Kaby Lake CPU (full post)

Radeon RX 580, RX 570, RX 550 benchmarked leaked

Anthony Garreffa | Video Cards & GPUs | Apr 4, 2017 10:33 PM CDT

AMD will be rebooting their Radeon RX 400 series graphics cards with the new Radeon RX 500 series, with a slight bump in performance, and a nice dent off the price. Now we have some leaked benchmark results on the new RX 580, RX 570, and RX 550 cards.

Radeon RX 580, RX 570, RX 550 benchmarked leaked

First off, the Radeon RX 580 will have a faster GPU clock compared to the RX 480, with 2304 stream processors, 144 TMUs, 32 ROPs. The GPU will be clocked at 1340MHz boost on the reference Radeon RX 580, capable of 6.17 TFLOPs of compute performance, in both 4GB and 8GB models - with GDDR5 clocked at 8Gbps on a 256-bit memory bus.

AMD will price the Radeon RX 580 4GB at $199, and the Radeon RX 580 8GB at $249 - compared to the $299 price of the RX 480 8GB when it launched last year. This will provide AMD with a huge win in the $199-$249 market, especially against the GTX 1060.

Continue reading: Radeon RX 580, RX 570, RX 550 benchmarked leaked (full post)