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Yes of course, 5G gaming laptops are on the way

Anthony Garreffa | Gaming | Jul 31, 2019 11:23 PM CDT

Lenovo looks like it could be the first with a 5G-powered laptop with the latest rumor from 91mobiles teasing a Lenovo rep that wanted to stay anonymous, that 5G laptops are coming later this year.

Yes of course, 5G gaming laptops are on the way

The source said that the company is working on multiple 5G-ready products for a big launch in Q4 2019, just in time for another big reveal by Qualcomm at its annual Snapdragon Tech Summit. We should expect the next big chip from Qualcomm that will succeed the Snapdragon 855 and Snapdragon 855+ and what should resemble a proper line up of 5G devices, of which Lenovo will have plenty of.

Keep in mind that 5G isn't an instant standard, so don't go expecting these things to drop into the market and be dominant. But slowly over time, 5G will make its way into the mainstream like every other big push with 3G, 4G, 4G LTE, and so on.

Continue reading: Yes of course, 5G gaming laptops are on the way (full post)

NVIDIA can turn RTX 2070 non-SUPER into RTX 2060 SUPER?!

Anthony Garreffa | Graphics Cards | Jul 31, 2019 10:59 PM CDT

One of the hottest rumors in the GPU world has just dropped, with TechPowerUp writing up an article that explores the lid on Pandora's Box for the Turing GPU architecture... flashing NVIDIA graphics cards might have just become a possibility.

NVIDIA can turn RTX 2070 non-SUPER into RTX 2060 SUPER?!

In its efforts adding support into GPU-Z for NVIDIA's new GeForce RTX SUPER graphics cards, W1zzard from TPU said he "noticed something curious". He continued:

Continue reading: NVIDIA can turn RTX 2070 non-SUPER into RTX 2060 SUPER?! (full post)

400-player battle royale game cancelled, developer bankrupt

Anthony Garreffa | Gaming | Jul 31, 2019 10:27 PM CDT

Mavericks: Proving Grounds will never get to prove itself, with the game cancelled in the aftermath of its UK-based developer Automaton Games going out of business.

400-player battle royale game cancelled, developer bankrupt

The game was meant to show off the abilities and power of the new cloud tech called SpatialOS, which was meant to see the game running on multiple dedicated servers, all at once. But nope, we won't see that now -- nor will we see the larger 1000-player MMO shooter 'Project X' in a single world. Gone.

The official Automaton Games website has a post, which reads:

Continue reading: 400-player battle royale game cancelled, developer bankrupt (full post)

LG's new UltraFine 5K monitor will now work with an iPad Pro

Anthony Garreffa | Displays | Jul 31, 2019 9:34 PM CDT

LG teased and then pulled its UltraFine 5K display from the market over issues, but the newly-released and now-updated 5K monitor also includes a new feature: it'll work with the new iPad Pros thanks to their new USB-C output.

LG's new UltraFine 5K monitor will now work with an iPad Pro

Apart from acting like a huge secondary display for your iPad Pro, the new LG UltraFine 5K monitor rocks its native 5120x2880 resolution and P3 wide color gamut. It has a single Thunderbolt 3 cable that will connect to your MacBook Pro, as well as three USB-C connections (each with 5Gbps) that will power various devices like smartphones.

The 27-inch 5K monitor has 500 nits of brightness, and with its native 5120x2880 resolution it has 77% more pixels than a 4K monitor. The difference between 4K and 5K and 4K and 8K (and even 5K and 8K) gets more and more incredible as you scale resolutions. 5K is perfect for content creators, especially thanks to its ease-of-use with a single Thunderbolt 3 or USB-C cable.

Continue reading: LG's new UltraFine 5K monitor will now work with an iPad Pro (full post)

Galaxy Note 10 drops 3.5mm jack, but that might be OK

Anthony Garreffa | Mobile Devices | Jul 31, 2019 8:35 PM CDT

Samsung will be removing the 3.5mm headphone jack from its upcoming Galaxy Note 10, the first flagship handset that Samsung is making the move with -- but it won't be completely screwing new Note 10 customers, though.

Galaxy Note 10 drops 3.5mm jack, but that might be OK

According to new reports we should expect Samsung to launch the new Galaxy Note 10 with a set of wireless Galaxy Buds earphones, a move the company did with the Galaxy S10 earlier this year. Samsung will be launching different accessories for the Note 10 includign the Galaxy Buds, Galaxy Watch, and a new wireless charger.

We can expect some of those to be bundled with the Galaxy Note 10 depending on the region, and in some regions the choice between two or three of them. Speaking of the new Galxay Buds, the above image is from the new Buds that have been listed on Samsung's own website that have the same gradient coloring that the purported Note 10 has.

Continue reading: Galaxy Note 10 drops 3.5mm jack, but that might be OK (full post)

AMD confirms it's working on high-end Navi GPUs

Anthony Garreffa | Graphics Cards | Jul 31, 2019 7:52 PM CDT

AMD has just unleashed a plethora of products on the new 7nm node including its new Zen 2 architecture (Steve's reviews on Ryzen 3000 CPUs) and the Ryzen 3000 series of CPUs, launching alongside the new Navi-based Radeon RX 5700 XT and RX 5700 graphics cards (my review on those here).

AMD confirms it's working on high-end Navi GPUs

In a recent Q&A session AMD CEO Dr. Lisa Su was asked about the existence of high-end 7nm Navi GPUs and mobile 7nm CPUs, to which she replied: "I would say they are coming. You should expect that our execution on those are on track and we have a rich 7-nanometer portfolio beyond the products that we have currently announced in the upcoming quarters".

This means we can expect a competitor to NVIDIA's new GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER (my review here) and the higher-end RTX 2080 Ti in the near future, which should arrive as the Navi 20 (although I'm seeing Navi 12 online). I've heard from some industry sources that 'Navi 20' is a 'beast' and really where 4K and high FPS gamers are wanting, a competitor to the RTX 2080 Ti.

Continue reading: AMD confirms it's working on high-end Navi GPUs (full post)

ASUS tease new PRIME X590-PRO and ROG STRIX X590-E boards

Anthony Garreffa | Motherboards | Jul 31, 2019 7:29 PM CDT

ASUS is reportedly preparing two new motherboards based on AMD's unannounced and so far unofficial X590 chipset.

ASUS tease new PRIME X590-PRO and ROG STRIX X590-E boards

The new rumor is from VideoCardz and their exclusive sources, which said the "PRIME X590-PRO and ROG STRIX X590-E are being mentioned in confidential documents that we have seen".

We don't know what to expect with the new X590 chipset, with previous rumors pegging it to have more PCIe 4.0 lanes than the current X570 boards. Another thing to remember is that AMD is soon launching its Ryzen 9 3950X, a beasty 16C/32T chip that would launch perfectly with the new X590 chipset.

Continue reading: ASUS tease new PRIME X590-PRO and ROG STRIX X590-E boards (full post)

Sony to raise PS5 cost thanks to U.S. tariffs

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Jul 31, 2019 6:31 PM CDT

At a recent press event in Japan, Sony's corporate executives warn that console prices will rise to offset incoming trade tariffs.

Sony to raise PS5 cost thanks to U.S. tariffs

A bit ago I predicted the PlayStation 5 could end up being pretty expensive. It's specs alone speak of a premium system. The new PlayStation will have an AMD SoC with next-gen Navi GPU and Zen 2 CPU architectures for 4K gaming, 120Hz playback, and 8K output. Sony says it'll target enthusiast gamers, and that it won't replace the existing PS4 lineup.

The U.S.-China trade war could inflate prices even more. Sony previously delivered a joint letter with Nintendo and Microsoft who all warned the tariffs would massively disrupt the complex supply lines of the games industry. As a result, the Big Three said, games console hardware would likely rise in price.

Continue reading: Sony to raise PS5 cost thanks to U.S. tariffs (full post)

Respawn has a third team working on new projects

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Jul 31, 2019 5:55 PM CDT

Thanks to the mega-popular Apex Legends, EA sure is getting its money's worth with Respawn. The publisher is returning the favor in kind by giving the team as many resources as they need--including help from its varied stable of studios.

Respawn has a third team working on new projects

Shortly after being acquired by EA for $315 million, Respawn launched its titanic battle royale sensation Apex Legends. The Titanfall spin-off is so potent that it's now one of EA's core franchises. The company says Apex has anywhere from 8-10 million players every month and its engagement levels are off the charts. It's so important to EA that the publisher plans to invest in Apex Legends for the next 10 years. But there's just one issue here: how can Respawn keep the content flowing? With the assistance of a myriad of other studios of course.

In a recent first quarter FY2020 earnings call, EA confirmed that Respawn has three teams dedicated to separate projects. Respawn isn't one entity developing multiple games at once, but instead is segregated off into different groups focused on one set game. Right now Respawn has three teams: one working on Apex Legends, one developing Jedi: Fallen Order, and the other is making "some new things" (the new AAA VR game).

Continue reading: Respawn has a third team working on new projects (full post)

EA to revive dormant franchises, work on new IP

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Jul 31, 2019 3:54 PM CDT

EA's big breadwinners are annualized live service games with lots of time- and money-spending hooks. Series like Madden, FIFA, The Sims, and even Battlefield are all billion-dollar earners designed to keep you playing (and paying) over long periods of time. But that's not all EA is about, and the company pledges to return to older franchises in the future.

EA to revive dormant franchises, work on new IP

EA might have some surprises in store for this fiscal year, namely a revival of dormant franchises like Skate, Command and Conquer (that terrible mobile game doesn't count), and even a fourth Mass Effect game (remember, BioWare is working on it). In a recent Fiscal Year Q1'2020 earnings call, EA CEO Andrew Wilson affirmed the company has a diversified games pipeline that isn't just online-based sports or action games. After all, Jedi: Fallen Order is a purely singleplayer-only Star Wars game, offering a sharp contrast to the lootbox furor of Battlefront II.

"Our pipeline is full of innovative new projects for our current franchises, new IP and plans to revisit some of our fan favorite brands as we continually work to bring more high-quality games to our players across a growing number of platforms and devices," Wilson said in the call.

Continue reading: EA to revive dormant franchises, work on new IP (full post)

Apex Legends could last another 10 years

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Jul 31, 2019 3:22 PM CDT

EA plans to mine Respawn's free-to-play battle royale sensation for all it's worth, and wants to support the game for the next decade or so.

Apex Legends could last another 10 years

In its recent FY Q1'2020 earnings call, key EA executives outlined the future of the company's focus. Live services are massively important (they made EA $504 million in the quarter, and $2.46 billion in the last 12 months) so games like Apex Legends are huge opportunities for long-term monetization. It's all about building engagement, and that means roadmaps. Lots of roadmaps with lots of updates and new content. Apex is already set up for recurring revenues with its huge battle royale focus and innovative FPS mechanics, and EA will use these features as a vehicle for microtransactions. It's the EA way, after all.

But how long will EA carry Apex Legends? Season 2 was somewhat soft in reception. There's some big things in the pipeline for season 3, EA says, and this precedent could reinvigorate the shooter now and into the future. According to EA Chief Financial Officer Blake Jorgensen, the company is invested into Apex Legends for the long haul. EA is treating the popular Titanfall spin-off kind of like a yearly title, but instead of selling a retail copy every year, they'll roll out a smorgasbord of updates and content.

Continue reading: Apex Legends could last another 10 years (full post)

Doom Eternal will be a long, grindy, replayable FPS

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Jul 31, 2019 9:09 AM CDT

While watching a recent Doom Eternal gameplay demo from Quakecon, I noticed two major things: the sequel is kind of like an RPG, and id Software is really pushing the engagement hook.

Doom Eternal will be a long, grindy, replayable FPS

Doom Eternal is shaping up to be a grindy experience that's meant to be played for a long, long while. Eternal sports runes, upgrades and perks, and creative director Hugo Martin confirms we'll be farming enemies quite a bit in the game. The levels are open-ended sort of like an RPG with lots of secrets to uncover, and the enemies take some careful planning an execution to kill. Everything's designed to last longer than it normally would in a shooter. Sure it's linear and story-based, but there's lots of things to do along the way.

In a way Doom Eternal is a kind of FPS hybrid that fits perfectly into Bethesda's recent focus on long-winded experiences capitalizing on engagement. In fact, engagement was a huge keyword in the demo. Both Marty Stratton and Hugo Martin tossed it around quite a bit in the footage.

Continue reading: Doom Eternal will be a long, grindy, replayable FPS (full post)

Apollo 11's glass Moon prisms is science we still use today

Jak Connor | Science, Space, & Robotics | Jul 31, 2019 5:00 AM CDT

NASA's Apollo 11 mission was not only a pivotal point in human history, but also a gift that keeps on giving as the work the astronauts did aboard the massive space rock still is helping us out today.

Apollo 11's glass Moon prisms is science we still use today

In 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin blasted off to the surface of the Moon, after a successful landing and an adventure out onto the wasteland-like surface, science needed to be conducted. One of the experiements the two astronauts did was the installation of glass prism arrays on the Moon's surface. These prisms were placed there so scientists back on Earth could fire lasers at them and measure the distance between Earth and the Moon.

While those prisms were placed there back in 1969, they are still being used today and have delivered an extraordinary amount of valuable information. Observatories on Earth have fired lasers at these prisms and waited for the light to return back to Earth to measure the distance between the two floating objects. It was discovered that the Moon is actually moving 1.5 inches away from Earth each year, and that at the moment the Moon is currently 384,400km away from Earth.

Continue reading: Apollo 11's glass Moon prisms is science we still use today (full post)

Borderlands 3's new character 'Zane' is an Irish hitman

Jak Connor | Gaming | Jul 31, 2019 4:00 AM CDT

Gearbox Software has released a new character trailer video for Zane, an extremely seasoned espionage trained solider who is also a semi-retired corporate hitman.

Borderlands 3's new character 'Zane' is an Irish hitman

Right off the bat we discover that Zane is Irish, and has had plenty experience with numerous different occupations in his time. One thing has stayed consistent through all of that though - Zane has been alone for most of his life. Halfway through the trailer we see Zane use one of his gadgets to block a bunch of bullets from some advancing enemies.

Then at the end we see him chatting to a clone of himself which can be assumed will be used to deceive enemies in combat. Gearbox will be releasing more of these character trailer videos to get that hype train chugging along towards the September release. Borderlands 3 will be releasing on Xbox One, PS4 and PC on September 13th. More information on Zane can be found here.

Continue reading: Borderlands 3's new character 'Zane' is an Irish hitman (full post)

100 million American's credit card data/info hacked & leaked

Jak Connor | Hacking, Security & Privacy | Jul 31, 2019 3:00 AM CDT

A recent announcement has come out from Capital One, who has admitted that there servers experienced a breach recently that has disclosed roughly 100 million American's personal information.

100 million American's credit card data/info hacked & leaked

According to the announcement by Capital One, credit card information that they contained between the years of 2005 and 2019 has been disclosed. This potential of this information leak includes: "names, addresses, ZIP codes/postal codes, phone numbers, email addresses, dates of birth, and self-reported income, credit scores, credit limits, balances, payment history, contact information."

On top of that information leaking, the report also says that Capital One is also estimating that roughly 140,000 Social Security numbers were potentially compromised in the U.S, as well as 80,000 linked bank account numbers. The U.S Department of Justice has said that Seattle engineer, Paige A. Thompson has been arrested and indicted on accounts of having a connection to the breach.

Continue reading: 100 million American's credit card data/info hacked & leaked (full post)

Lord of the Rings TV production team is cherry-picked fame

Jak Connor | TV, Movies & Home Theatre | Jul 31, 2019 2:00 AM CDT

Amazon is in fully gearing up towards their upcoming Lord of the Rings TV show and the massive company is sparing no expense, as a star-studded production team has now been selected.

Lord of the Rings TV production team is cherry-picked fame

According to the announcement, JD Payne and Patrick McKay will be the showrunners while the writing will be controlled by Gennifer Hutchinson known for her work onBreaking Bad and Better Call Saul. Helen Shang will also be involved and is known from her work on Hannibal. Justin Dohle from Stranger Things, Bryan Cogman from Game of Thrones, and finally Stephany Folsom from Toy Story 4 will also be apart of the writing team.

The first and second episodes of the first season will be directed by Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom's J.A Bayona. Kate Hawley will be the shows costume designer, she previously worked on the costumes for Edge of Tomorrow and Suicide Squad. Rick Heinrichs will be taking the reins of production designer. Jason Smith who worked on The Avengers and Revenant is the shows visual effects supervisor. A Tolkien scholar named Tom Shippey will also be involved within Amazon's show, as well as Lord of the Rings movie trilogy illustrator and concept artist John Howe.

Continue reading: Lord of the Rings TV production team is cherry-picked fame (full post)

EA to host $500,000 Apex Legends Invitational eSports event

Jak Connor | Gaming | Jul 31, 2019 1:00 AM CDT

Respawn Entertainment, the developers for the highly popular battle royale shooter Apex Legends have announced that they will be holding a Preseason Invitational eSports event.

EA to host $500,000 Apex Legends Invitational eSports event

The announcement has come from the official Apex Legends Twitter account, and it says that 80 global teams will face off against each other in an epic battle for $500,000. In total there will be 240 players competing in the competition and the tournament will be held in Krakow, Poland, from the 13th of September until the 15th.

If you are interested in testing your luck against some of the best players around the world, you can sign up here which will cost $150. There is also a bunch of terms and agreements that must be signed for you to enter the competition, as well as an age requirement of 16 years old. Apex Legends is currently available on the PS4, Xbox One and PC.

Continue reading: EA to host $500,000 Apex Legends Invitational eSports event (full post)

Facebook wants to READ YOUR MIND with AR glasses

Anthony Garreffa | Extended Reality (XR) | Jul 30, 2019 11:49 PM CDT

Facebook already knows the smallest nitty gritty details about our lives, but anyone who knows more about the company would know they're working on some freaky Black Mirror level stuff in their R&D labs.

Facebook wants to READ YOUR MIND with AR glasses

In a huge update for its brain-computer interface, the social networking giant talked about the strides its made in its push towards being able to "decode silent speech" without the need of implanting electrodes into the brain. Facebook first unveiled its brain-computer interface research initiative at its F8 conference in 2017, and has since worked with researchers at the University of California, San Francisco.

The researchers have published a new paper in Nature that details they've been working with people who have had brain surgery for epilepsy, creating an algorithm that can "decode a small set of full, spoken words and phrases from brain activity in real-time".

Continue reading: Facebook wants to READ YOUR MIND with AR glasses (full post)

Apple Card: a 'new kind of credit card created by Apple'

Anthony Garreffa | Business, Financial & Legal | Jul 30, 2019 11:24 PM CDT

Apple has confirmed it is releasing its own credit card in August, after first revealing it at its services event earlier this year. Yeah, a credit card, from Apple.

Apple Card: a 'new kind of credit card created by Apple'

Apple CEO Tim Cook said during Apple's recent 2019 third fiscal quarter earnings call: "Thousands of Apple employees are using the Apple Card every day in a beta test and we will begin to roll out the Apple Card in August". The new Apple Card will arrive in both a digital form, as well as a physical titanium card.

Where the new 'Apple Card' will do things differently is that it won't have a normal 16-digit number, CVV code, expiration date, or personal ID on it like a traditional credit card. Apple Card will generate these numbers on-device, with Apple teaming with Goldman Sachs, randomly each time at the time of transactions to keep purchases secure.

Continue reading: Apple Card: a 'new kind of credit card created by Apple' (full post)

Sony's WEARABLE air conditioner launches in 2020 for $117

Anthony Garreffa | Wearable Computing & Fashion | Jul 30, 2019 9:42 PM CDT

Sony is aware that the future will be similar to the jacket that Marty McFly wore in Back to the Future II, with the Japanese electronics giant stepping into the world of wearable air conditioners. This is the Sony Reon Pocket, check it out:

Sony's WEARABLE air conditioner launches in 2020 for $117

Sony launched a crowdfunding campaign for a wearable AC that sits in the back of your shirt to keep you cool, with the product ending up in the Reon Pocket. The upcoming Reon Pocket can be configured with an app that you have on your smartphone, where it will reduce the temperature of your back from 97F to 73F which is a big difference.

The new Reon Pocket will reportedly sell for around $117, with the portable and wearable AC to launch in Japan first. The first iteration will have a battery that will last for around one hour, and a release window of March 2020 -- perfect for the Tokyo 2020 summer Olympics. If it launches in Japan in March 2020 we should expect it in the US and other regions in late-2020 and into 2021.

Continue reading: Sony's WEARABLE air conditioner launches in 2020 for $117 (full post)

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