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Leaked Starfield image borrows John Berkey's exotic sci-fi style

Derek Strickland | Gaming | May 8, 2021 9:32 PM CDT

If this new Starfield leaked image is real, then Bethesda is taking inspiration from one of sci-fi's greatest artists.

Leaked Starfield image borrows John Berkey's exotic sci-fi style

A new bit of Starfield concept art may have accidentally been posted on Bethesda's content delivery network, giving us an idea of what to expect from the game. The image reveals quite a bit about Starfield's overall aesthetics. The game should blend a mix of old-school dazzling 1970s sci-fi splendor, paying homage to the likes of Kubrick and McQuarrie, but the biggest influence is clearly the legendary artist John Berkey.

The image shows a high-tech watch has the HUD from another purported Starfield leak alongside some very striking doodles. If these doodles are actual ships and crafts featured in the game then Bethesda has been inspired by John Berkey's exotic sci-fantasy art.

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PowerColor Radeon RX 6700 XT HELLHOUND Spectral White released

Anthony Garreffa | Graphics Cards | May 8, 2021 8:29 PM CDT

PowerColor revealed its Radeon RX 6700 XT HELLHOUND graphics card in March 2021, but now the company has unleashed the new Radeon RX 6700 XT HELLHOUND Spectral White. Check it out:

PowerColor Radeon RX 6700 XT HELLHOUND Spectral White released

The new Radeon RX 6700 XT HELLHOUND Spectral White graphics card is pretty self-explanatory, with PowerColor making the whitest graphics card ever. The custom PCB is white which looks fantastic just from the preview pictures, but the fans and entire cooling shroud are also white.

This isn't just some "hey guys, we've made a white-themed graphic card" but more like "let's make the whitest graphics card that has ever been made".

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Elon Musk hosting SNL has 40% chance of driving Dogecoin to $1 or more

Anthony Garreffa | Cryptocurrency & Mining | May 8, 2021 8:06 PM CDT

Elon Musk is sitting in Studio 8H in New York City right now preparing to host Saturday Night Live, which you can read about and stream it directly from SNL's own YouTube -- a first for the show.

Elon Musk hosting SNL has 40% chance of driving Dogecoin to $1 or more

We all know Musk will have to bring up cryptocurrency and more specifically Dogecoin at some point, with the price already skyrocketing over the last week or so and up around 20,000% this year alone. But now we have betting odds that there's a 40% chance that Dogecoin will skyrocket to the moon and up to $1 or more.

Online sportsbook MyBookie says there's a 40% chance that Dogecoin will reach $1 during Musk's hosting of SNL, even after Musk said in a video of himself from April -- where the Tesla boss said: "People should not invest their life savings in cryptocurrency, to be clear. That's unwise. If you want to speculate and have some fun - there's a good chance that crypto is the future currency of Earth".

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Final Fantasy VII Intergrade is PlayStation exclusive, 6 months on PS5

Derek Strickland | Gaming | May 8, 2021 7:35 PM CDT

Square Enix's new Final Fantasy VII Intergrade game is exclusive to the PlayStation 5 for at least six months, but could come to last-gen consoles, Xbox, and PC after that.

Final Fantasy VII Intergrade is PlayStation exclusive, 6 months on PS5

Like the first Final Fantasy VII Remake, the new FF7 Intergrade spin-off starring Yuffie is also PlayStation exclusive. Only this time the game is exclusive to the next-gen PS5, a very hard-to-get system. The deal wasn't formally announced by Sony or Square Enix but instead revealed in a recent gameplay trailer for Intergrade. "Available on PS5 at least six months earlier than any other format," the trailer reads.

The move makes sense as Sony probably made a long-term contract for timed exclusivity for the whole Final Fantasy VII Remake series. What's curious is how the original FF7R still hasn't shown up on PC or Xbox despite the one-year PlayStation exclusivity deal ending in April. Square Enix will likely reveal a re-release of FF7R on other platforms at E3 2021 and leave fans wondering when Intergrade will launch too.

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Battlefield trailer delayed over Chinese rocket about to hit Earth?

Anthony Garreffa | Gaming | May 8, 2021 6:36 PM CDT

The world is waiting for EA and DICE to unleash the new Battlefield trailer, with all forms of teases of the trailer already in the form of sketches, the purported trailer music, details of the trailer and so much more.

Battlefield trailer delayed over Chinese rocket about to hit Earth?

But now Battlefield leaker and a better and free marketing campaign manager, Tom Henderson, tweeted out some spoiler-heavy details of the trailer. I'm going to presume if you didn't want to read this news that you would've stopped by now but the Battlefield trailer could be delayed over... the impending Chinese rocket that is going to explode somewhere on Earth in the next couple of days.

Why is this an issue? Henderson says that the new Battlefield trailer has a "rocket in the trailer does explode and falls down and kills soldiers, so releasing the trailer (if a disaster happens) could be a bad move". Well, yeah... it would look bad, real bad for EA. A rocket hitting the ground and killing soldiers in a game, as a Chinese rocket blowing up somewhere on Earth in the real-world and possibly killing people.

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Continue reading: Battlefield trailer delayed over Chinese rocket about to hit Earth? (full post)

Here's how to watch Elon Musk host SNL from anywhere in the world

Anthony Garreffa | TV, Movies & Home Theatre | May 8, 2021 5:40 PM CDT

The Dogefather himself, or what the world knows as billionaire troll businessman Elon Musk, will be hosting Saturday Night Live tonight at 8:30 PT / 11:30PM ET -- but where can you watch it from anywhere in the world? Here's how.

Here's how to watch Elon Musk host SNL from anywhere in the world

I left the first paragraph but I had originally written a huge post about how to watch Saturday Night Live with Elon Musk hosting it with VPN recommendations and how to watch it in Australia, Canada, and the UK through various TV stations and online streaming services.

But then Elon Musk tweets out a link to a YouTube video, where NBC for the first time ever is making its stream of Saturday Night Live available to international users with an easy YouTube link. Yeah, it's that easy -- the stream goes live in 5 hours from now (at the time of writing) directly on YouTube to everyone around the world.

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CD Projekt may team up with modders for Witcher 3 next-gen release

Derek Strickland | Gaming | May 8, 2021 3:43 PM CDT

CD Projekt RED confirms it is discussing possible collaborations with Witcher 3 mod creators on its next-gen Witcher 3 port.

CD Projekt may team up with modders for Witcher 3 next-gen release

Witcher 3's upcoming PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X port could be created with the help of modders. CD Projekt has contacted Halk Hogan, the creator of The Witcher 3 HD Reworked Project mod on PC, to possibly work on the new next-gen version of Witcher 3.

Hogan said this in a recent update:

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Warzone to be next Metaverse stage with Rambo, Terminator crossovers

Derek Strickland | Gaming | May 8, 2021 2:31 PM CDT

Activision recently teased big things coming to Warzone soon. Now we have an idea of what's on the horizon.

Warzone to be next Metaverse stage with Rambo, Terminator crossovers

80s action star John Rambo is coming to Warzone. This move breaks the fourth wall and solidifies Activision's push towards its own unique Metaverse plan (the Metaverse is a concept where users connect in an online, persistent world complete with fictional and real-life pop culture icons showing up to create a melting pot of influences). Now sources say the Terminator will also show up in Warzone at some point.

With tons of crossovers from comics, films, and even platform-holders like Xbox and PlayStation set inside of a social monetized ecosystem, Epic's Fortnite is the most popular example of a Metaverse to date. Fortnite is more than a game, it's an experience that sees worlds converge in one interactive monetized medium. This kind of Metaverse model is a boon for business and Fortnite has earned over $12 billion to date with the help of licensed characters and franchises.

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Sony's PlayStation 5 refresh in 2022 won't be a PS5 Pro

Derek Strickland | Gaming | May 8, 2021 1:38 PM CDT

Note: The following reports have yet to be confirmed, and DigiTimes is noted to have a "spotty" record.

Sony's PlayStation 5 refresh in 2022 won't be a PS5 Pro

Sony is reportedly moving its PlayStation 5 SoC to TSMC's 6nm node (N6) in a effort to increase worldwide console availability, but this new SKU won't be a PS5 Pro model with enhanced power.

Like Microsoft, Sony has hit a wall with next-gen console stock. Demand has far exceeded supply. Sony plans to adapt by moving the PS5's 7nm+ SoC over to TMSC's 6nm process in 2022. This migration won't deliver a dramatic upgrade and gamers shouldn't expect a PlayStation 5 Pro.

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IBM announces world's-first 2nm chip technology, 50B+ transistors

Anthony Garreffa | Science, Space, & Robotics | May 7, 2021 9:30 PM CDT

IBM has come out swinging announcing their new 2nm process technology, with the latest marketing-hype-driven 2nm node achievement by IBM being heralded as the "world's first 2nm process".

IBM announces world's-first 2nm chip technology, 50B+ transistors

The company explains that its new 2nm chip technology will help "advance the state-of-the-art in the semiconductor industry, addressing this growing demand. It is projected to achieve 45 percent higher performance, or 75 percent lower energy use, than today's most advanced 7 nm node chips". Quite the marketing pitch there, IBM.

But how real is this 2nm technology, and how did IBM seemingly leap past industry-leader TSMC which is so ahead of the game that Samsung could take until 2030 to even catch up. Our friends at Wccftech break it down, saying that in comparison Intel's 7nm process would be about the same as TSMC's 5nm node -- with TSMC's 5nm node not even having a 50% improvement over 7nm.

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AORUS Radeon RX 6900 XT Xtreme WaterForce on the way, pre-binned GPU

Anthony Garreffa | Graphics Cards | May 7, 2021 8:50 PM CDT

GIGABYTE is working away on their biggest and most badass custom Big Navi graphics card yet, with the AORUS Radeon RX 6900 XT Xtreme WaterForce on the way. Check it out:

AORUS Radeon RX 6900 XT Xtreme WaterForce on the way, pre-binned GPU

We don't know the exact details about the AORUS Radeon RX 6900 XT Xtreme WaterForce, but we do know it'll rock a pre-binned Navi 21 XTXH GPU like the other super-premium Radeon RX 6900 XT graphics cards. GIGABYTE will be using a full custom PCB with 3 x 8-pin PCIe power connectors, and a pre-installed water block.

You will need a pre-existing liquid-cooled setup in your gaming PC if you want to use the AORUS Radeon RX 6900 XT Xtreme WaterForce, with the card looking quite dapper with its custom styling from GIGABYTE.

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Continue reading: AORUS Radeon RX 6900 XT Xtreme WaterForce on the way, pre-binned GPU (full post)

Geek out over this Intel Xe-HPG DG2-128EU GPU board diagram

Anthony Garreffa | Graphics Cards | May 7, 2021 8:21 PM CDT

Intel is still hard at work on its upcoming Xe-HPG based GPU with a new tease of the DG2-128EU GPU, with a proposed draft for a DG2-based laptop board design leaked by Igor's LAB. Check it out:

Geek out over this Intel Xe-HPG DG2-128EU GPU board diagram

The board diagram is pretty tasty with a tease of the Intel DG2-128EU (BGA1379 socket) as well as an Intel Tiger Lake-H CPU with 8 cores, which drops in a few days' time. This particular board packs 6 memory modules with 2 attached to the GPU, we should see 4GB of GDDR6 used here while the other 4 memory modules could be soldered system memory.

We saw a leaked board diagram last year for the higher-end Intel DG2-384EU version, with the DG2-384EU model having its 6 memory modules around the GPU versus the lower-end DG2-128EU having just 2 memory modules attached to its GPU. You can see that below:

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Continue reading: Geek out over this Intel Xe-HPG DG2-128EU GPU board diagram (full post)

PlayStation 5 refresh rumor: would pack tweaked AMD APU on 6nm node

Anthony Garreffa | Gaming | May 7, 2021 7:42 PM CDT

Sony is reportedly preparing a tweaked PlayStation 5 console, something that would be released sometime in 2023 and would feature a tweaked semi-custom AMD APU on TSMC's new 6nm node.

PlayStation 5 refresh rumor: would pack tweaked AMD APU on 6nm node

The new semi-custom APU would still feature the same Zen 2 CPU cores and RDNA 2 GPU cores as the PlayStation 5, but the chip would be made on TSMC's new N6 (6nm) process compared to the N7 (7nm) process that the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S chips are made on.

Digitimes is behind the report which teases that Sony shouldn't be redesigning the physical look and style of the PS5, but it would rather be inside tweaks through the system-on-chip being made on the 6nm node. Siliconware Precision Industries (SPIL), a part of ASE Technology Holding, and Tongfu Microelectronics are continuing on their mission of chip packaging services for Sony's assemply partners -- but nothing official about the tweaked PS5 just yet.

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There's a single Dogecoin holder with 28% of supply worth $23 billion

Anthony Garreffa | Cryptocurrency & Mining | May 7, 2021 7:05 PM CDT

The internet is waiting for Elon Musk to mention or discuss Dogecoin on Saturday Night Live on May 8, which just so happens to be exactly 6942 days since SpaceX was founded... you know, 69 + 42(0) and stuff.

There's a single Dogecoin holder with 28% of supply worth $23 billion

But when it comes to Dogecoin there is a single wallet out there in the world that has around 28% of all of the Dogecoin cryptocurrency in circulation, which at the current price (at the time of writing) of $0.64 would be worth over $23 billion. Yes... that's $23 billion with a really, really big B.

There are 129,489,119,200 Dogecoin in circulation, with around 23% of them working out to be 36,256,953,376 Dogecoin. 36,256,953,376 Dogecoin at the current price of $0.64 means that single Dogecoin wallet holder is sitting on a rather gigatic $23 billion -- or $23,000,000,000.

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Activision exec: Each of our franchises has to have a mobile presence

Derek Strickland | Gaming | May 7, 2021 11:21 AM CDT

It's no secret Activision wants to bring all of its franchises to mobile in a free-to-play capacity. Activision President & Chief Operating Officer Daniel Alegre outlines why this strategy is essential.

Activision exec: Each of our franchises has to have a mobile presence

Activision is using mobile gaming in two ways: A gateway for consumers to access franchises and content, and a path to monetization. The company wants its mobile games to be both self-contained but also spark interest in mainline games on PCs and consoles. The plan is working; Call of Duty Mobile has made over $1 billion with 500 million downloads worldwide. Activision-Blizzard wants all of its franchises to have a mobile title to replicate this kind of performance.

"Each of our franchises has to have a mobile presence, because that's how our players want to engage," Alegre said at the Collision Conference 2021.

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Dogecoin co-creator sold all his coins for a $10,000 Honda in 2015

Jak Connor | Cryptocurrency & Mining | May 7, 2021 9:03 AM CDT

Dogecoin, a cryptocurrency that was created based on the internet meme, has seen massive popularity in recent months, taking the coins market capitalization to a record $79 billion.

Dogecoin co-creator sold all his coins for a $10,000 Honda in 2015

Dogecoin co-creator Billy Markus did an interview with Benzinga back in March, and throughout that interview, he revealed that he sold his holdings of the Dogecoin back in 2015 for about what it costs to buy a used Honda Civic ($10,000). What is ironic about this transaction is that now Dogecoin is worth more than the entire Honda Motor Co. Ltd company. Honda has a market cap of $54 billion.

Here's what Markus said, "No one would have heard of (Dogecoin) in the first place if it wasn't a meme, (and) Elon wouldn't (have tweeted) about it. Dogecoin being a lighthearted, friendly, and amusing meme is the main thing that separates it from the pack - taking away its main differentiation and turning it into a generic crypto seems like a pretty bad idea."

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New study finds evidence that fungus can grow on Mars

Jak Connor | Science, Space, & Robotics | May 7, 2021 8:33 AM CDT

A new study has explored the possibility of microbe life, such as black mold fungus, being able to survive on Mars.

New study finds evidence that fungus can grow on Mars

A new study published in the journal Advances in Microbiology has suggested that recently taken images show a fungus-like specimen growing on Mars. The images show a white amorphous specimen that appeared to be able to change shape, grow, and move. The images were captured over three Earth days, and one of the photos revealed hundreds of mushroom-like specimens.

Interestingly, one of the specimens was crushed by the rover's wheels, but then later inspection revealed that new spherical specimens were beginning to "grow" back. Not only are these specimens "growing" on the Martian surface, photos show the presence of white fungus-like specimens in an open rover compartment. It should be noted that this study is showing evidence towards life being able to exist on Mars, and is by no means is confirming any extraterrestrial life has been found. More evidence is needed for a confirmation of that.

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Scientists say they may find alien life in the next 5 to 10 years

Jak Connor | Science, Space, & Robotics | May 7, 2021 7:33 AM CDT

Considering how large and vast the universe is, some scientists say that is inevitable that humans will find life on other planets.

Scientists say they may find alien life in the next 5 to 10 years

At a recent press conference at the 2021 APS April Meeting, scientists have said that humans may find life on other planets in only a matter of years. According to the scientists, the construction of the James Webb Space Telescope could give scientists the instruments they need to find signs of life on other planets.

Caprice Phillips, a graduate student at The Ohio State University and author of the study, said, "What really surprised me about the results is that we may realistically find signs of life on other planets in the next 5 to 10 years". Caprice also stated, "My research suggests that for the first time, we have the scientific knowledge and technological capabilities to realistically begin to find the answers to these questions." For more information on this story, check out this link here.

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Thousands may die if China's out-of-control rocket hits a city

Jak Connor | Science, Space, & Robotics | May 7, 2021 6:33 AM CDT

A part of China's effort to build its own space station, the country recently launched its first module on the back of its Long March 5B rocket.

Thousands may die if China's out-of-control rocket hits a city

The launch was a success, but unfortunately, the Long March 5B rocket is now spinning out of control around Earth. The rocket is currently traveling at 16,000 mph, and officials are having a hard time tracking exactly where it will land. Long March 5B has been estimated to make entry back down to Earth anywhere between New York in the northern hemisphere and New Zealand in the southern hemisphere - a massive area for a potential crash landing.

According to the US space command, the rocket is expected to reenter Earth's atmosphere on May 8, but unfortunately, officials won't be able to pinpoint its crash landing location until a few hours before it hits land. The rocket weighs 21 tonnes, and while the majority of it will most likely burn up in Earth's atmosphere upon reentry, some pieces of the rocket won't, which could cause devastation if it hits a populated area.

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US Army's new night vision goggles look like Predator's vision

Jak Connor | Science, Space, & Robotics | May 7, 2021 5:32 AM CDT

The United States Army will now be able to spot enemies in the night much easier with its brand new night vision goggles that have been described as "technology stolen from aliens."

US Army's new night vision goggles look like Predator's vision

Last month a short video was posted to the US Army's Lancer Brigade Twitter account that showed what was described as "enhanced night vision goggle-binoculars". These night-vision goggles immediately reminded me of John McTiernan's 1987 movie "Predator", which saw a team of commandos being hunted by an extraterrestrial alien warrior in the Central American jungle.

Gizmodo reported that these new night vision goggles are called ENVG-B and are different from traditional night vision goggles that show a green background. ENVG-B can quickly adapt to lighting changes and show a white background as well as an outline of the target. These new night vision goggles allow the wearer to see through things such as dust clouds and any other potential obstructions that would otherwise be difficult for traditional night vision goggles.

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Continue reading: US Army's new night vision goggles look like Predator's vision (full post)

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