Latest News - Page 1673

I can only imagine what it would be like to be a fly on the wall inside of Microsoft right now, with the Xbox team working overtime this year leading into the launch of the biggest, meanest, and best Xbox console yet -- Xbox Series X.

Xbox boss Phil Spencer has come out swinging on Twitter as he normally does, replying to a question from someone asking about how all of the E3 2020 planning was going. Spencer replied: "Next E3 meeting is today, tons to talk about between now and E3 & deep portfolio of XGS games for E3". He added: "Console launch years are just special" -- yes, yes they are, Mr Spencer.

Spencer also added that Xbox marketing boss Aaron Greenberg is leading the E3 2020 planning team, who recently tweeted out on February 11 about a meeting with Taco Bell. This could mean Microsoft is going to do something with Taco Bell during the E3 2020 launch of the Xbox Series X console, but we'll have to wait and see.

Just imagine your $150,000 new Porsche Taycan electric car exploding while parked, stationary and turned off, in your garage. I can't imagine it, and it is a scary thought but it has happened to one Porsche Taycan owner in Florida.

There are only 130 of them in the US so far, with the German premium car maker seeing one of its Taycan electric vehicles exploding, catching on fire and burning to a crisp in a garage in South Florida on February 16. Electrek reported with a video from Twitter, saying that "the electric car was burned down to the some parts of the frame, and the garage sustained significant damages".

Porsche has confirmed with Electrek that they are "aware of the incident and that no one was hurt". There's also one fact that Electrek drives home, and that's the bit where they say "Electric car fires often get a lot of attention from the mainstream media, despite the fact that they happen far less frequently than gasoline car fires".

Sony will have its next-gen PlayStation 5 console out in time for Santa Claus to have it under Christmas trees, where console gamers will get their proper first taste at 4K gaming -- as well as 60FPS, and beyond, gaming. It's also not the first time crazy stuff has been teased by Gran Turismo boss Kazunori Yamauchi, where he talked about 8K gaming on the PlayStation 5 back in 2017.

But, we should be excited as Gran Turismo series producer Kazunori Yamauchi is teasing that while 4K gaming will be awesome and all -- as well as 60FPS gaming on the PlayStation 5, he wants to see 120FPS or even 240FPS on the next-gen PS5 console. I'm totally with him there, and I think we could see backwards compatible (older PS1, PS2, PS3, PS4) games running at 120FPS all the way up to 240FPS.

In a recent interview with GTPlanet, Yamauchi said:

AMD launched its insane Ryzen Threadripper 3990X processor recently, rocking 64 cores and 128 threads but what operating system do you need to squeeze everything out of the 128-threaded CPU? AMD has the answer.

Now that reviewers have had their time with the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X processor, a few questions have been raised -- something that saw the 128 threads on the CPU being split into two groups of 64 threads each which saw a hit on performance. This is where reviewers and enthusiasts recommended higher-end versions of Windows 10 (Windows 10 Pro for Workstations and Windows 10 Pro for Enterprise) as well as Linux.

But now AMD has come out and addressed it, saying: "We wanted to clarify that AMD officially recommends Windows 10 Professional or Linux for the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X. Higher editions/versions of Windows 10 confer no additional performance or compatibility benefits to the processor. We do understand that this suggestion has been made in some articles, and our team is presently testing this further, but this is the official recommendation".

NVIDIA teased something breathtaking yesterday, but today has made it official -- the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Cyberpunk 2077 Edition graphics card. Check it out in all its glory in the video below:

NVIDIA has teamed with Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt RED on the new GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Cyberpunk 2077 Edition graphics card, with just 200 made -- but NVIDIA is giving 77 of them away in their 2020 #RTXOn sweepstakes. The 2020 #RTXOn sweepstakes run through to February 28, 2020. In order to win yourself one, all you have to do is:

An art cover for FF7 Remake was recently leaked in Korea, showing the game's astronomical install size.

Like most modern games released today, Final Fantasy 7 Remake is absolutely huge and could take up to 100GB of free PS4 hard drive space to install. A new Korean game cover suggests the Remake will claim at least 1/9th of a stock PS4 Pro's 1TB hard drive. Square Enix has confirmed the game ships on two Blu-ray discs which clock in at 50GB each. Remember, this is just the first chapter in the multi-volume series.

If the install size is accurate, here's how FF7 Remake stacks up against other gigantic game install sizes:

The PlayStation 5 will sell roughly 1.5 million less units than the PlayStation 4 at launch, Ace Securities analyst Hideki Yasuda predicts.

Ace Securities just published a letter to investors outlining PlayStation 5 hardware sales forecast from launch up until March 31, 2021. The firm expects the PS5 will sell 6 million units in that period, as opposed to the 7.5 million PS4s Sony sold at launch, representing a 20% decline.

This number is actually pretty high considering the relatively higher cost of the console's expected retail pricing (Sony is spending about $450 to make every PS5) and the availability of lower-cost PS4s on the next-gen system's launch.

Sony is currently working on a next-generation PlayStation VR headset to complement its new PlayStation 5 console, sources tell Bloomberg.

The news of an upgraded PS5-powered PSVR headset isn't a surprise. The headset has sold over 5 million units to date, making it one of the leading VR HMDs in sales, driven by its comparatively lower cost and hardware accessibility.

Sony has also filed numerous experimental VR headset patents over the years, many of which show inside-out tracking, wireless connectivity, and advancements to curb motion sickness.

Modern Warfare's new Warzone battle royale mode is coming in March, and will be offered as a standalone free-to-play download as well as a game mode in Modern Warfare, sources tell Video Game Chronicle.

It looks like our suppositions were right about Call of Duty's ambitious new Warzone battle royale mode.

Warzone will be available in two forms: A free-to-play version that anyone can download and play on PC, PS4, or Xbox One, and baked right into Modern Warfare itself as another gametype. Everyone who owns Modern Warfare will be able to play Warzone without downloading anything extra--the assets, textures, and files were included in the massive new 68GB update.

Key industry trends give us major clues on how gaming's billion-dollar titans will approach next-gen game releases, including backwards compatibility, PS5 and Xbox SX ports, and other key business models.

Ubisoft, EA, Activision-Blizzard, Capcom, Take-Two Interactive--all the major publishers are gearing their projects for next-gen consoles. So what can we expect with upcoming games? Nearly every major publisher says they're working on next-gen games. But will they also come to current-gen systems? Most likely yes. Will every current-gen game get re-released? Probably not. But then again every publisher loves the opportunity to re-release and re-sell their games (the Switch is proof of this, as is the early remaster fusillade that accompanied the PS4 and Xbox One).

To make the most out of next-gen without disrupting current-gen, devs have to occupy both the present and the future at the same time. This could mean many things, whether it be launching their games simultaneously on both generations, embracing layered cross-play, and picking and choosing which titles get re-released on the PS5 and Xbox Series X.

According to key sources familiar with Nintendo's manufacturing plans, Switch supply could be stalled in overseas regions like the U.S. and Europe in the coming months.

Despite Nintendo's assertions the coronavirus won't interrupt Switch production, sources close to the supply chain tell Bloomberg console shipments in the United States and Europe may be affected in the coming months. Nintendo had recently announced the coronavirus has constrained Switch supplies in Japan.

The coronavirus outbreak is expected to interrupt the supply chain between Chinese manufacturing facilities and Nintendo's Vietnam branch, the latter of which supplies Switch shipments to North America and Europe. Internal sources now say Switch inventory could be affected as early as April, restricting stock to these critical regions. Nintendo pulls in most of its sales from the U.S. and Europe--the company made 77.8% of its total net revenues from overseas sales in Q3'19.

Researchers have created a new 3D printing technique that could replace traditional 3D printers that take far to long to create desired objects.

The problem with traditional 3D printers is that they work in horizontal layers. This process is the bane of 3D printing, as it means that, depending on the size of the object, it will take time to construct. What if the printer could build the entire model all at once, instead of layer-by-layer? Researchers from Switzerland's Ecole polytechnique federale de Lausanne (EPFL) have done just that with their new invention.

This new printing technique uses lasers to project an image onto the photosensitive resin. To put it simply, the researchers use a rotating chamber that is filled with the resin, and an image that the laser blasts onto the chamber to quickly start the building process. The chamber spins in tandem with the laser, activating the entire model of the object all at once, building it in seconds. In the above video, it's explained that this new form of 3D printing can be used for the construction of softer materials such as organ shapes and hydro-gels.

NASA has announced that Rocket Lab will be the company to provide launch services to get their 55-pound satellite to the Moon's orbit.

More specifically, Rocket Lab will be taking the Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE), or CubeSat to the Moon's cislunar orbit. Once it has arrived, it will learn the Moon's seven-day cislunar orbit cycle, and relay valuable information back to Earth that will allow engineers and NASA to better prepare for future missions.

The CubeSat will be aboard the Electron rocket and blast off from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. At the moment, the mission is targeted to launch sometime in early 2021, and the firm-fixed launch contract is valued at $9.95 million. If you are after anymore information regarding this new contract, check out the official NASA press release here.

Amazon is currently shooting their massive Lord of the Rings TV show, and unfortunately, while production was originally going smoothly, mistakes do happen out of the blue.

The New Zealand Herald has reported that a stunt performer has sustained a head injury while on set, and was later taken to hospital to be examined. The stunt performer was Australian actress Elissa Cadwell, who also did stunt roles for Nicole Kidman in Aquaman.

Amazon has since commented on the matter, saying, "While rehearsing a stunt on set, one of our talented stuntpersons was injured and sustained a cut on her head. She was immediately transported to a hospital, where she was seen by a specialist and went home to recover shortly after. We are happy to report she is doing well and we plan to have her back at work soon. The health and safety of our cast and crew is our top priority, and we are reviewing the accident to ensure we are maintaining the highest levels of safety on our production."

The court for Berlin-Brandenburg has officially ordered Tesla to stop all forest clearing and building preparations for their coming gigafactory.

According to a recent report from Reuters, U.S electric car manufacturer, Tesla has been ordered to stop all forms of preparation for their planned construction of a gigafactory. The court has ordered this after it gave Tesla the green light to remove 92 hectares of forest for the construction of the building.

This decision by the court has come after environmental activists (Green League of Brandenburg) have expressed their concerns over the de-forestation being a threat to wildlife and water supplies. It should be noted that Tesla was only three days away from completing the forest clearing, but the court states "It should not be assumed that the motion seeking legal protection brought by the Green League lacks any chance of succeeding." At the moment, Tesla has two gigafactories, one located in the United States and the second in Shanghai, China.

Marques Brownlee has sat down with Microsoft founder Bill Gates to give a quick overview of Gates Annual Letter 2020.

The above video was released onto Marques Brownlee's YouTube Channel, and it's basically an overview of Gates' 2020 annual letter that was released onto his website. The letter that Gates and his wife wrote, Melinda Gates, details their 2020 plan on how they are going to tackle issues such as global health (vaccines), education, climate, and more.

Gates and his wife discuss in detail that their strategies for 2020 and how some of his endeavors for creating new solutions are 'high-risk' and might cost a lot of money, but it would be worth it if it paid off. In the video, Gates talks in detail about bringing the 'green premium' (the extra cost in using green alternatives) of using environmentally friendly alternatives down to zero. If you are interested in what Gates' plan is, check out the above video or the annual letter here.

This is not a joke. A group of people are attempting to sell DNA samples of the global elites, and some of the names on the list will surprise you.

I wouldn't blame you if you thought this was a joke, because I certainly did until I read the website as well as the press release. According to the website, a mysterious group that has called themselves the Earnest Project is scheduling in an auction for items that were collected during the 2018 World Economic Forum at Davos. Some of the items are as follows: glassware, cigarettes, paper cups, cutlery, jars, serviettes, hair, and more.

The press release by Earnest Project says, "Third-party verification of EARNE$ T's attendance at Davos will be made available prior to the auction date. Past Davos attendees may also be consulted to verify the plausibility of the collection-action. Many attendees may recall enjoying a muesli parfait (lot #402) in the Central Lounge for instance. Page 10 of The Collection Catalogue provides further details on collection sites."

Astronomers around the world have their observational eyes fixed on the red giant Betelgeuse, as they are patiently awaiting any signs of detonation.

If this is the first time you are hearing about Betelgeuse, don't stress we aren't in any immediate danger. Betelgeuse is located around 650 light years away, and astronomers have estimated that due to it's dimming cycles the star could explode anytime within the next 100,000 years. What's concerning, and what has caused astronomers from around the world to focus their attention on Betelgeuse is the fact that the red giant seems to be dimming at an unprecedented rate.

Betelgeuse is currently sitting at around 35% of it's normal brightness, which has moved it from it's normal position of the 11th brightest star in the sky to the 24th bright star in the sky. These variations in Betelgeuse's brightness are normal, as the internal temperatures inside the star rises and falls. What isn't normal is how rapidly it's doing it. Astronomers used the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope instrument called 'SPHERE', SPHERE allows astronomers to capture polarized infrared light of objects.

Deepfake technology is getting uncomfortably good, and while most of what you have probably seen from deepfakes is movie-related, check out this video game one.

Above we have a video from BabyZone who used Deepfake technology to include various celebrities in Mortal Kombat 11. Using the deepfake tech, BabyZone was able to successfully replace Sub-Zero with Keanu Reeves from John Wick, Terminator with Bruce Campbell, Kabal as Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, Johnny Cage as Jean-Claude Van Damme, Kung Lao with Jackie Chan, Liu Kang with Bruce Lee and finally The Joker with Joaquin Phoenix.

I think Keanu Reeves as Sub-Zero and Jackie Chan as Kung Lao are the two that are particularly good out of the set. Unfortunately, you cannot download these to play as BabyZone used his own facesets, and the footage that you are seeing was edited in post. Regardless of not being able to download them, these deepfakes are extremely impressive.

Well, well, well... what do we have here? Oh, just the Tesla Motors self-titled 'Anti-Handbook Handbook' for new employees which is actually ridiculously awesome. Check out the Tesla Anti-Handbook Handbook right here.

The purported Anti-Handbook Handbook is filled with regular-sounding explanations of everything, and not a bunch of stuff that is corporate speak. It's actually very refreshing, with Tesla starting off the Anti-Handbook Handbook with: "We're Tesla. We're changing the world. We're willing to rethink everything. We're different and we like it that way. Being different allows us to do what no one else is doing; to do what others tell us is impossible".

Tesla also says that anyone at Tesla can and should email or talk to anyone else "according to what they think is the fastest way to solve a problem for the benefit of the whole company". Tesla staff can talk to their managers, their manager's manager, to a VP in another department, or even Elon Musk himself -- the Anti-Handbook Handbook adds that "you can talk to anyone without anyone else's permission. Moreover, you should consider yourself obligated to do so until the right thing happens".