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The space race to get paying tourists to space has officially begun, and according to recent announcements, Richard Branson will beat Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to space.

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic are in a race to be the first viable company that can provide space tourism flights. Paying customers will be able to see Earth like they have never seen it before, as well as experience weightlessness for several minutes. Bezos positioned himself to beat other billionaires that are behind competing tourism companies by announcing that he was going to space on July 20, the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.

However, the Federal Aviation Administration recently gave Virgin Galactic the all-clear to fly passengers on its next test flight. Now, Branson has announced that he will be a passenger on Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity rocketplane when it launches to perform an up-and-down test on July 11. Branson tweeted the following, "I've always been a dreamer. My mum taught me to never give up and to reach for the stars. On July 11, it's time to turn that dream into a reality."

Since the release of US Navy officials' now-viral UFO sighting videos, many Americans have been speculating if alien life truly exists somewhere out there in the deep dark void of space.

The US intelligence report put forward by the Pentagon was highly anticipated to reveal the existence or at least confirm the presence of extraterrestrial life. However, the report did no such thing and more so concentrated on how unidentified aerial phenomena are a national security risk, regardless of their origin. A survey conducted by the Pew Research Center has found that most Americans believe aliens exist, and the viral videos are the proof.

The survey involved 10,417 American adults, and according to the results, approximately 65% of Americans believe that extraterrestrial life exists, and 51% believe the videos released by the US military show proof that intelligent alien life has visited Earth. Additionally, the survey found that 76% of Americans aged between 18 and 29 believe in alien life, compared to 69% of Americans between 30 and 49. Furthermore, 58% of Americans aged between 50 and 64 were believers in alien life.

China has made its mark in the nation's space history as two astronauts conducted the first spacewalk outside of the new space station.

The two Chinese astronauts are Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo, and on Sunday, they both took a "walk" outside of China's new orbital station to set up cameras and other essential equipment. The astronauts used a 50-foot-long robotic arm to orientate the equipment into place, and from the video that was shown by Chinese state TV, we can see that the third astronaut, Nie Haisheng, stayed inside to mind the station.

Liu and Tang were outside of the new station for 7 hours, and in total, the astronauts plan on staying aboard the new station for a total of three months. China launched the first module of the new station on April 29. Following the first module launch was a second launch with the Shenzhou capsule. The capsule arrived on June 17, and inside was all three astronauts, food, and fuel. For more information on China's ambitious plans for space exploration, check out this link here.

Seagate Japan is giving away one of its super-fast and super-stylish FireCuda 520 Cyberpunk 2077 SSD.

You're getting 1TB of capacity with PCIe 4.0 speeds, with the Seagate FireCuda 520 Cyberpunk 2077 PCIe 4.0 SSDs offering up to 5GB/sec (5000MB/sec) reads and up to 4.4GB/sec (4400MB/sec) writes. There's some customizable RGB lighting on the Seagate FireCuda 520 Cyberpunk 2077 PCIe 4.0 SSD, too.

Seagate only made 2077 of its Seagate FireCuda 520 Cyberpunk 2077 PCIe 4.0 SSDs -- 2077 of them... geddit? If you're a huge Cyberpunk 2077 fan then I hope you're got yourself some Cyberpunk 2077 peripherals, and especially Secretlab TITAN 2020 Cyberpunk 2077 Edition gaming chair.

We thought AMD's interesting 4700S desktop kit was based on the Xbox Series X APU, but it's not -- it seems it's based on the PlayStation 5 SoC instead.

Thanks to new photos by Bodnara, the new AMD 4700S desktop it is based on the Sony PlayStation 5 SoC which packs a CPU based on the AMD Zen 2 architecture with 8 cores and 16 threads of CPU power. There's also Hynix GDDR6 memory that is physically soldered onto the back of the Mini-ITX motherboard.

The AMD 4700S APU itself is on the AMD A77E Fusion Controller Hub (FCH) which is also used on the AMD A9-9820 system which is based on the Xbox One APU codenamed "Durango". VideoCardz explains that this is the reason everyone thought the AMD 4700S was based on the Xbox Series X APU.

We've been hearing more and more about Intel's new Sapphire Rapids platform, which was destined for beyond the consumer markets -- but not anymore, according to the latest rumors.

VideoCardz is reporting that Intel's new Sapphire Rapids HEDT platform will be succeeding Cascade Lake on the Glacial Falls platform, with the new Sapphire Rapids HEDT platform dropping somewhere in late 2022. But the more interesting fact here is that Intel is dumping the "X" chipset codenames with the new "W" series chipset.

Intel could launch its next-gen Sapphire Rapids HEDT platform for consumers alongside the release of the Raptor Lake CPU family, which will be dropping in the second half of 2022. The new W790 chipset could be a monster, but we're going to have to wait and see how that goes in at least 12 months from now.

Qualcomm and TSMC worked together on the next-gen Snapdragon 885 SoC and now it seems the company will be moving away from Samsung and its 4nm process for the warm arms of TSMC's next-gen 4nm node for its Snapdragon 895+ SoC.

In a new tweet, Ice Universe says that Qualcomm will use Samsung 4nm for its Snapdragon 895, but the overclocked Snapdragon 895+ will be made on TSMC 4nm. This makes sense as Samsung might have more allocation to give Qualcomm for the regular Snapdragon 895 -- which will be in many more phones than the higher-end overclocked Snapdragon 895+ SoC -- TSMC handling that on its 4nm node.

We should expect Qualcomm to unveil its next-gen Snapdragon 895 later this year during its Snapdragon Tech Summit, which is normally held in Maui, Hawaii -- but will be virtual this year. The overclocked Snapdragon 895+ should be unveiled 6-9 months later, and find its way into overclocking gaming smartphones of the future by the end of 2022 or so.

ASUS is readying a new Zenbook 15 OLED laptop, which will pack a super-fast AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX processor and a beautiful 4K OLED display.

Inside, the new ASUS Zenbook 15 UM535QE laptop can be configured with AMD's flagship Ryzen 9 5900HX processor, but only up to NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics card. You'll get a 15.6-inch Nano Edge OLED display that has 100% DCI-P3 coverage and Pantone calibration, with up to 440 nits of brightness -- which means it hits the DisplayHDR 400 standard.

The listing explains: "ZenBook Pro 15 OLED is built to break away from conventions and inspire you to create. It is equipped with a pixel-proof 4K NanoEdge OLED touchscreen that you never want to stop using. The computer is powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 5800H processor that provides improved performance for all creativity along with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics that provide high performance for video editing or working with digital images".

MSI looks to be working on a new custom graphics card, with the GeForce RTX 3070 SUPRIM SE x GODZILLA teased -- and it looks incredible.

But I think the biggest interesting fact is here that MSI managed to get the word "sex" into the graphics card name, "SUPRIM SE x GODZILLA" -- I mean, LOL. Anyway, the new MSI GeForce RTX 3070 SUPRIM SE x GODZILLA is part of the Lite Hash Rate (LHR) series which has its crypto mining powers gimped.

The custom theme that MSI has used on the GeForce RTX 3070 SUPRIM SE x GODZILLA looks fantastic, with the front cooler getting a red/black theme treatment -- but man-oh-man the backplate is something I need in my gaming PC as soon as humanly possible.

ASUS has just announced a list of compatible motherboards that are ready for Windows 11 -- with the key player here being the TPM 2.0 (Trusted Platform Module) as it is a requirement of Windows 11.

ASUS updated their FAQ a couple of days ago to include a list of motherboards that are compatible with Windows 11, ready to rock and roll with TPM 2.0 and all. Before you begin, ASUS warns its users:

"Windows 11 has not been officially released and there might be stability issues with the Insider Preview build as it has not passed formal hardware validation and qualification. The installation or upgrade to the Windows 11 Insider Preview or any third-party software is done at your own discretion and risk. You will be solely responsible for any damage to your system or loss of data that results from that activity. ASUS will not be liable for any losses and damages in connection with the use of Windows 11".

Sony's new push to $69.99 next-gen PlayStation 5 games has already caught hold in the industry, but now the games-maker could set a new precedent: Charging extra for next-gen releases of current-gen titles.

Ghost of Tsushima is coming to PlayStation 5 not as a free upgrade for users who bought the PS4 version, but as a new $69.99 SKU. Sony is re-releasing Ghost of Tsushima on PS4 ($59.99) and PS5 ($69.99) in a GOTY-style Director's Cut SKU, which comes with all DLC, extra content, a new Iki Island expansion, and next-gen upgrades. The extra content ensures Sony isn't charging PS5 owners $10 extra just for next-gen optimizations and serves as extra justification for the price jump.

What if you already bought Ghost of Tsushima for $59.99 on PS4 when it came out, and now own a PS5? You have two options: Upgrade to the Director's Cut PS4 version for $20 extra and play the game in backward compatibility mode on the PS5, or you can buy the next-gen upgrade for $30 that unlocks faster load times, haptic feedback, and enhanced visuals. Yes, Sony is partly paygating next-gen features in an older PS4 game. Gamers aren't too happy about this.

UPDATE:These projects were on Bloober Team's website all along.

The European Commission has revealed Bloober Team's upcoming game plans, and one of them could be the new Silent Hill game.

Layers of Fear developer Bloober Team recently signed a deal with Konami to work on a new game, corroborating past reports that the Polish dev will make a Silent Hill title. New findings on the European Commission's Creative Europe page may shed light on what Bloober Team is working on.

Playground Games captured 75TB worth of pictures of skies over Mexico to ensure Forza Horizon 5 delivers ultra-realistic gameplay.

A lot of work is going into Forza Horizon 5. Playground Games traveled to Mexico to snap an enormous amount of visual data for the game's skies. The developers use a specialized capture rig made up of three cameras that are capable of taking 8K resolution images. These cameras can be programmed to take pictures every 30 seconds for the entire day--that's 2,880 pictures a day. Playground says they capture photos for 400 hours, which is roughly 16.6 days. That equals to over 48,000 pictures of skies.

"We have three cameras that can take a third of the sky each and we take that back and stitch it together and then we have up to a 12K image that we can use for our sky domes," said Playground Games senior lighting artist Adan Currey.

Trusted games industry reporter Jason Schreier corroborates some of the recent GTA 6 rumors, namely the years-away release date and updated in-game world.

There's always tons of GTA 6 rumors floating around, and while specific details remain unknown, tidbits from trusted sources like Bloomberg's Jason Schreier have surfaced. According to Schreier, the recent GTA 6 info from Tom Henderson matches up with what internal sources have said.

Schreier says that GTA 6 should feature an evolving in-game map that gets updated over time, as per his Kotaku report from April 2020. Back then, as the pandemic was starting to ramp up, one of Rockstar's plans to alleviate crunch was to release a relatively smaller in-game world that would expand with updates, DLC, and expansions.

Like Microsoft, Xbox is a service-first business. Everything serves the platform ecosystem that isn't locked to any one device. Console hardware is a gateway to game sales, Xbox LIVE, and most importantly Game Pass, the service that has transformed the Xbox business.

We've long known that Microsoft emphasizes engagement over all other things. Xbox's billion-dollar digital empire is built around careful sustained engagement across all facets of the ecosystem, whether it's Xbox LIVE multiplayer or Xbox Game Pass, all pieces are designed to complement/synergize with one another but also operate in parallel. It's a good strategy: Xbox has consistently earned record revenues for four years running, with $8.1 billion earned in FY21 already so far.

Read Also: Game Pass defines entire Xbox generation, drives year-by-year revenues

Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6 aren't just new games: They represent a new era for Bethesda Games Studios.

Bethesda is going all out for Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6. The studio's creatives have been waiting decades to make Starfield--it was never possible before because the tech simply didn't exist. Now with the GPU/CPU and RAM synergy of next-gen PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S hardware, the tech is not only here, but better than expected, New hardware demands new engine optimizations, though, and Bethesda is up to the challenge.

To ensure Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6 make the most out of the Xbox Series X/S, Bethesda is making the largest engine overhaul since the gigantic leap from Morrowind to Oblivion. Bethesda's new next-gen Creation Engine 2 is being tooled specifically to leverage next-gen SSD, GPU, CPU, and GDDR6 RAM tech. For the first time console components have been equalized in a way that unlocks a unshackled synergy and Bethesda is eager to exploit them.

Microsoft is hiring new software engineers to help create new machine learning algorithms that will push next-gen game on Xbox Seires X/S consoles.

Microsoft is doing fairly advanced work with Xbox hardware, namely with the software stack that optimizes next-level gaming performance like 120FPS, ray tracing, and 4K 60FPS. The system is powered by its new DirectX 12 suite of software APIs, which includes DirectStorage, Sampler Feedback Streaming, and DirectML, a feature that allows machine learning support on Xbox consoles. DirectML is a game-changer that helps run ultra-demanding games like Flight Simulator on comparatively lower-end console APUs.

The company is currently hiring to push DirectX 12's hardware-accelerated machine learning to new heights and continue balancing performance targets with ML algorithms.

Take-Two Interactive plans to release 62 games in the next 3 years. The company is buying up studios, talent, and tools in order to meet this lofty goal.

Microsoft, Sony, Tencent, EA, and other major publishers are snapping up dev teams left and right. Grand Theft Auto parent company Take-Two is no exception; they've made four big purchases for mobile, 2K Sports, Rockstar Games, and motion capture tech that will power a multitude of future games. The billion-dollar games-maker is planning more strategic acquisitions to fuel its next five years of gaming products across the premium and free-to-play markets.

According to Private Division's Head of Corporate Development & Independent Publishing Michael Worosz, Take-Two's buyout spree will continue. "This is Take-Two's third M&A transaction in the last nine months," Worosz said LinkedIn of the Dynamixyz buyout, "and we're still just getting started."

Art comes in all different shapes and sizes, and sometimes when you come across an extraordinary piece of art, it can almost appear as "magic".

Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon posted to his personal Instagram a set of images that show off a real-life Rick from Rick and Morty. The artist behind these incredible model paintings is jrahmier, and if you check out his Instagram page, you will find many other models of notable movie characters, cartoons, actors, and celebrities - all painted in the same fantastic quality.

Dan Harmon quoted Arthur C. Clarke, who said, "sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic". Harmon says he feels the same way about art, saying, "I don't understand how people can draw anything other than garfield. but this is literally magic to me. disturbing magic, too." For those that don't know, Rick and Morty began as a parody of Back to the Futures Doc and Marty, which means that the real-life Rick is actually Christopher Lloyd.

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is moving closer and closer to finally being able to launch and reveal secrets of the universe.

According to Peter Rumler, the European Space Agency's (ESA) project manager for the JWST, the final mission analysis for the telescope has been conducted, and the telescope has passed. Rumler also says that the analysis confirmed that the telescope was fully compatible with the Ariane 5 rocket from Webb's launch service provider Arianespace.

"We are thrilled to have passed this important step towards the launch of Webb and to have received the green light from Arianespace and NASA", says Rumler. The Ariane 5 rocket will carry Webb out of Earth's atmosphere and disconnect itself from the telescope after it has successfully put in on its four-week journey to the second Lagrange point where it will be stationed. The second Lagrange point is located 932,056 miles away from Earth in the opposite direction to the Sun.