Latest News - Page 1246

There's a new crypto farm in town, and she's making a pretty penny. The new GPU crypto mining farm has some serious silicon in its hands, with up to 3.91 TH/s mining hash rate at its peak and an average of 2.47 TH/s.

If you don't know about these numbers, let's break it down into money: this crypto farm is mining around 5 ETH every 3 hours at a price of $4100+ at the time of writing. 5 x $4100 is $20,500 per 3 hours or $164,000 per day... and per month, well that's over $4.9 million per month.

Not too shabby at all, no matter the power bills at that cost -- even if you're paying $1 million a month in electricity, $3.9 million profits isn't anything to sneeze at. We don't know what GPUs or ASIC miners are powering this new crypto mining farm, but what we do know is that it is new... new, new, new -- like, 12-days-old new.

Man, someone is trolling hard -- with active workers in crypto mining farm Flexpool teasing they're playing with NVIDIA's next-gen GeForce RTX 4090 Ti and AMD's next-gen Radeon RX 7900 XT graphics cards... but there's a slight problem... those cards don't exist yet, and won't for another year.

Still, headlines are written that these cards are being used -- so here's some clarification. Firstly, the "GeForce RTX 4090 Ti" is capable of up to a mind-melting 1.3 TH/s which absolutely destroys every bit of silicon on the planet for crypto mining. NVIDIA's current flagship GeForce RTX 3090 only pushes around 110 MH/s on average, so that is 13,000x the RTX 3090... righty-o.

The new crypto mining farm can't be running shelves of next-gen GeForce RTX 4090 Ti graphics cards, so it's also not running AMD's new RDNA 3-powered Radeon RX 7000 series graphics cards either. Still, the "Radeon RX 7000" control test has it at 657 GH/s and the "Radeon RX 7000" overclock test at 579 GH/s... yeah, no.

The Walking Dead is the latest franchise to get transformed into a blockchain game, complete with NFT land ownership,

The Walking Dead: Empires is a new blockchain-based MMORPG from indie mobile game developer Ember Entertainment, and published by Gala Games, the same company that's publishing Peter Molyneux's new Legacy blockchain game and Certain Affinity's new play-to-earn shooter The Last Expedition.

The new Walking Dead Empires game is centered around the major driving forces of any live game today--collecting, crafting, survival action with co-op or PVP play in a world filled with zombies and characters from the comic series. There's just one twist: You can buy digital in-game land with cryptocurrency and place your settlement there. Land currently isn't available for purchase, but it will have different rarities including uncommon, rare, and legendary.

Sony is introducing new colorful PS5 faceplates one year after the PlayStation 5 console's launch.

It's official: Sony is releasing multi-colored PS5 faceplates to finally allow customization of the towering next-gen console. The new colorful faceplates fit both the digital and disc-based PS5s, are coming in 2020, and include the following colors:

These plates do not feature the RGB color strips like dbrand's plates, but retain the distinct PS5 casing design that's made specifically to direct airflow both in and out of the console. It's worth noting that the bulk of the colors have no set release date throughout next year.

Keanu Reeves delivered one of the most iconic performances in video game history as Johnny Silverhand in Cyberpunk 2077. But Reeves hasn't actually played the game yet.

In a recent interview with The Verge, beloved megastar Keanu Reeves says he doesn't play video games--not even a game he starred in. When asked if he's played Cyberpunk 2077, Reeves said: "No, I mean I've seen demonstrations but I've never played it."

Silverhand's role in Cyberpunk 2077 is so monumental that CD Projekt RED considered him "almost a second protagonist." There's lots of spoilers dealing with Keanu's character so we'll leave it at that.

Ubisoft's new blockchain-based NFT platform is amplifying FOMO (fear of missing out) through artificial digital scarcity...but it could actually pay off.

A cursory analysis of Ubisoft Quartz shows just how much potential there is for NFTs in gaming. The games industry's current business model is actually a great ramping point for NFT integration; right now monetization is mostly predicated on cosmetics and gear earned through engagement and natural progression of a game. Heavy-hitting live service games like Destiny 2 employ FOMO, fear of missing out, on a regular basis to keep players logging in to experience events and earn loot lest they miss out on the content forever.

It looks as if Ubisoft Quartz' NFT program is a natural evolution to the current model. Right now Ubisoft is experimenting with an admittedly egregious "free" model where players earn digital NFTs for completing in-game challenges. Some of these NFTs, or "Digits" as Ubisoft calls them, have incredibly high requirements. There's a Wolf Helmet that requires over 600 hours of playtime in Ghost Recon Breakpoint.

One of the best meteor showers of 2021 is scheduled to happen later today, as Earth's orbit passes through debris from an asteroid.

In a recent video posted to the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory YouTube channel, the space agency explains that the meteor shower viewing is highly dependant on the brightness of the Moon, and this year the Moon will be at 80% full during the peak on December 13 - 14. However, at 2 am the Moon will set, leaving some hours for meteor showering viewing before sunrise. If you are planning on seeing some meteors, you will need to look out towards the

The Geminid meteor shower is an annual meteor shower that happens in December when Earth's orbit passes into a debris field created by an asteroid called Phaethon. NASA says that Phaethon is stretching the definitions of what a comet and an asteroid are, as it was discovered that Phaethon emits fizzing sodium that plays the same role as vaporizing ice on a comet. Below you will find some advice from NASA on viewing meteor showers.

A team of researchers observed a galaxy for forty hours and didn't detect any trace of dark matter being present, breaking current theories.

A team of researchers published the results of the study on the pre-print server arXiv, and it's expected to be published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, details the galaxy named AGC 114905, located around 250 million light-years from Earth. For some time, dark matter has been one of the main mysteries of the universe, and while researchers can directly see it, they can detect it by measuring the interaction between celestial objects.

If an object behaves in a way that normal matter can't explain, researchers infer that dark matter is present. As Science Alert reports, an example of this would be stars spinning at velocities higher that can't be explained with normal matter. According to the researchers behind the recent paper, previous measurements of AGC 114905 suggested that the galaxy didn't contain any dark matter, which their forty-hour observation only confirmed, only deepening the mystery of dark matter.

NASA space probe sent to investigate the planet Jupiter has relayed back some incredible images of gigantic storms.

NASA's Juno mission launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on 5 August 2011 and arrived at its destination in 2016. Recently, Juno sent back a batch of images to Earth that it snapped using its visible-light camera called JunoCam. The images showcase storms so massive they are difficult to comprehend. The SETI Institute, a not-for-profit research organization founded by Carl Sagan, explained that Earth could likely fit in the white storm located in the bottom left-hand corner of the image.

Universe Today reports that citizen scientists behave as the JunoCam's virtual imaging team by making suggestions for what area of the planet the camera should be pointed at and doing post-processing image work. If you are interested in checking out the images in full resolution, head on over to the JunoCam website, where you will find a gallery of images showcasing Jupiter's regions from a range of different angles.

Researchers have penned a study that surveyed centuries of planet literature and found that the decision to demote Pluto should be reversed.

Researchers from the Florida Space Institute at the University of Central Florida (UCF) published the study in the astronomy journal Icarus, and it details an examination of hundreds of years of planet literature that revealed a timeline of events that led up to the demotion of Pluto. According to the researchers under definitions created by Galileo, widely considered the "father" of observational astronomy, Pluto would have been defined as a planet between 1600 and 1900 as it had geological activity.

The researchers write that the definition began to change when there was a decline in planetary science papers and an increase in the printing of almanacs. Futurism reports that the Galilean definitions changed due to astrology requiring a set number of planets in the solar system in order to make predictions, as well as "astrologically-derived weather forecasts of almanacs". Under the Galilean definitions, many moons and asteroids could be considered planets, as they would be geologically active.

A new sleeping bag has been developed that may prevent one of the most serious medical issues that come from prolonged stays in zero gravity.

A study published in 2011 in the journal American Academy of Ophthalmology detailed that astronauts who had prolonged stays of six months or more could risk having their vision impacted with flattened eyeballs, swollen optic nerves, and a general decrease in eyesight quality. The study details that a lack of gravity causes a build-up of fluid pressure around the brain, which can put pressure on the eyeballs and results in a medical condition called neuro-ocular syndrome.

As a way to solve this problem, researchers have developed a sleeping bag that is essentially a large vacuum. In a new study published in the journal JAMA Ophthalmology, researchers detail testing on a dozen participants over three days with and without the sleeping bag, and according to the study's results, the new hi-tech sleeping bags were found to prevent the body fluids from building up and changing shape of eyeballs.

Sky-watchers around the world will be able to see Comet Leonard safely pass by Earth in a once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event.

Comet Leonard or C/2021 A1 was first discovered in January 2021 by astronomer and research specialist Gregory J. Leonard. The comet has been making a 35,000-year journey towards the Sun and will soon be making its closest approach to Earth on December 13. After Leonard makes passes Earth, it will make its closest approach with Venus on December 18.

During the two aforementioned dates is the best time to view Leonard, which will be found just below the Bigger Dipper constellation and the star Arcturus. It's recommended that if you are planning on viewing Leonard, to come equipped with a decent pair of binoculars as the comet will be difficult to locate depending on weather conditions and visibility from your location. The below images were captured by photographers based in the UK and Texas.

A comet that no one currently alive will ever see again will soon be passing by Earth, with it being brightest over the weekend and following days.

For the last 35,000 years comet Leonard has been traveling towards the Sun at a ridiculous speed of 158,084 miles per hour, and as it makes its way closer it will begin to appear brighter to observers as the crust on the large ice ball increasingly vaporizes. After it passes the Sun it will be ejected from our solar system for millions of years, making this viewing opportunity a truly once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event.

The comet will make its closest approach with Earth on December 12, and on December 18 it will make its closest approach with Venus. If you are interested in viewing the rare comet, looking just below the Bigger Dipper constellation and the star Arcturus. It's also recommended to have a pair of binoculars (10x50 preferably), as viewing Leonard with the unaided eye may be difficult depending on your location and weather. Comet Leonard is renowned as the best comet for 2021, but something is "wrong" with it.

Sony has published its dual-GPU PlayStation console and cloud network patent to the World Intellectual Property Organization, securing the design in the worldwide market.

Back in 2020, Sony published an interesting patent for "scalable game console CPU/GPU design for home console and cloud gaming" that could be used in a high-end PS5 Pro. The document outlines a wide array of designs, embodiments, and permutations, but the most interesting is a PlayStation console design with two GPUs, which begs the question: What if Sony releases a mega-powerful PlayStation 5 Pro with two 7nm Zen 2 SoCs, effectively doubling GPU and CPU power?

In a world with massive chip restrictions, thermal limitations, and intimidating manufacturing costs, the idea seems fanciful. The patent itself outlines different design ideas including a console with two built-in GPUs on the same die, two SoCs connected together internally, or even an external GPU design that can hook up to the PS5 to supercharge graphics performance. The patent recognizes there's significant hurdles to tackle such as frame buffer management for rendering, and even offers solution like multi-plex rendering.

Only 1% of NFT assets are sold for over $1,500, a new study has found.

NFTs could be the next paradigm shift for gaming, especially when it comes to in-game collectibles, cosmetics, and overall monetization. In an attempt to demystify the NFT market researchers Matthieu Nadini, Laura Alessandretti, Flavio Di Giacinto, Mauro Martino, Luca Maria Aiello and Andrea Baronchelli have published a thorough study on the current NFT scene. The results are pretty surprising.

The scientists start out by first defining what an NFT is: "An NFT is a unit of data stored on a blockchain that certifies a digital asset to be unique and therefore not interchangeable, while offering a unique digital certificate of ownership for the NFT. Several types of digital objects can be associated to an NFT including photos, videos, and audio. NFTs are now being used to commodify digital objects in different contexts, such as art, gaming, and sports collectibles."

CD Projekt Group may settle its class-action securities fraud lawsuit and avoid a trial.

CD Projekt Group is being sued for potential securities fraud over Cyberpunk 2077's disastrous launch. Investors allege that CD Projekt willfully misled shareholders by not divulging Cyberpunk 2077's awful performance on PS4 and Xbox One--a controversy that tanked CD Projekt's share value. Investors suffered losses and sought legal counsel to sue the company on the grounds of securities fraud.

The lawsuit is currently ongoing, but CD Projekt now says that its legal counsel has "entered into negotiations concerning a potential settlement" with investors. If the case is settled then it wouldn't go to trial. Over 13 law firms sought to represent investors against CD Projekt Group and four separate securities fraud lawsuits were filed by claimants. Only four of these went to court, and they were combined into one single lawsuit.

Almost every franchise is going open world, and Sonic will have his big Breath of the Wild transformation in 2022.

SEGA has announced Sonic Frontiers, a new "open-zone" 3D action-adventure game that may do for Sonic what Breath of the Wild did for Zelda. Frontiers is the biggest game in the beloved Sonic The Hedgehog series thanks to its new Starfall Islands setting, which features massive expanses to zoom around in that are replete with ancient relics, mystical artifacts, and beautiful forests, roiling waterfalls, and sun-lit seacoasts lifted straight out of a New Zealand travel catalog.

Analysts have dropped their sales projections for Cyberpunk 2077 by more than half, reports from Bloomberg indicate.

Financial analysts now estimate that Cyberpunk 2077 has sold roughly 17.3 million copies from launch until present day, down from the lofty 30 million target that was originally made. This drop is due to the ongoing maintenance of the game and the disastrous launch performance on PS4 and Xbox One that has only slowly been fixed with patches and updates. Despite multiple major patches, Sony warns consumers not to play the game on base PS4 hardware: "Purchase for use on PS4 systems is not recommended."

Cyberpunk 2077 sold 13.7 million copies during its controversial launch period and the bulk of those were made on PC; sales on PC made more than PS4 and Xbox One combined. Despite these lofty sales and a massive surge in Q3 launch timing earnings, CD Projekt's overall stock has dropped by over 60% in the year after Cyberpunk 2077's launch.

Ubisoft's new Splinter Cell game will be an open-world game with live services and monetization, reports indicate.

The beloved Splinter Cell franchise may be the latest IP to get transformed by Ubisoft's digital-first business model. Sources have told Tom Henderson that the new Splinter Cell game will now have an open-world evolution that's "a more stealthy version of Assassin's Creed." This matches up with the company's current focus, which sees all of its franchise being molded into engagement-driven games with live services, monetization, and long-term play.

It's also possible that the Splinter Cell game could fall into the emerging games-as-a-platform model. This particular model was pioneered by MMORPGs over the last decade and has proven to be the natural evolution for digital-based games.

Slayer is finally coming to Halo Infinite in a few days, 343 Industries has officially confirmed.

Halo Infinite was the first Halo PVP game to release without a slayer playlist. Strange, right? 343 Industries is fixing the mistake with a big multiplayer update coming December 14 that adds slayer, free-for-all, fiesta, and SWAT modes as separate playlists.

Halo community director Ske7ch also says challenges are getting updated. Each new playlist will have its own set of challenges and 343i is adjusting the tedious grind from other challenges.