NVIDIA wants you to 'GET AMPED' for Ampere GPU reveal on May 14

Anthony Garreffa | Video Cards & GPUs | Apr 24, 2020 7:34 PM CDT

So I laid my head down last night after a huge day, to read an email from NVIDIA that opens with "Get Amped for Latest Platform Breakthroughs in AI, Deep Learning, Autonomous Vehicles, Robotics and Professional Graphics".

NVIDIA wants you to 'GET AMPED' for Ampere GPU reveal on May 14

Yes everyone -- GET AMPED for the Ampere GPU architecture unveil at the now-heavily-delayed GPU Technology Conference with NVIDIA boss and CEO Jensen Huang. The company will be hosting its GTC 2020 keynote with Huang and his legendary opening keynote on May 14, at 6AM PST -- all on YouTube thanks to coronavirus.

Huang will "highlight the company's latest innovations in AI, high performance computing, data science, autonomous machines, healthcare and graphics during the recorded keynote".

Continue reading: NVIDIA wants you to 'GET AMPED' for Ampere GPU reveal on May 14 (full post)

Fallout 76 glitches caused by outdated NPC scripts from older games

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Apr 24, 2020 5:10 PM CDT

Fallout 76 has a bunch of new nefarious glitches are deleting and stealing players' gear, ammo, and power armor pieces.

Fallout 76 glitches caused by outdated NPC scripts from older games

Fallout 76 is a mess right now. The new update, Wastelanders, was supposed to fix Fallout 76 by adding new human NPCs. But the massive expansion seems to have made things worse by sabotaging players' hard-earned gear.

Reddit user RosalynJeffries put together a comprehensive list of Fallout 76 bugs that include:

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Tesla patents a new NCA electrode for its EV batteries

Shane McGlaun | Electric Vehicles & Cars | Apr 24, 2020 4:02 PM CDT

Tesla has patented a new type of electrode to be used inside of the battery cells that builds in house. The goal of the new battery electrodes is to be longer-lasting and cheaper to produce. The new NCA electrode in the patent is expected to be used in those battery cells.

Tesla patents a new NCA electrode for its EV batteries

Tesla previously patented an electrode using a new generation "single-crystal" NMC 532 cathode and a new advanced electrolyte. The team was able to show over 4000 cycles in battery cells made using the novel cathode. Tesla believes that the battery cells could last for over a million miles when used in electric vehicles.

Tesla's new patent is titled "Method for Synthesizing Nickel-Cobalt-Aluminum Electrodes." The inventors have devised a two-step synthesis process pairing single-crystal nickel-cobalt-aluminum (NCA) electrodes. The patent says that in certain embodiments, the two-step synthesis process includes two lithiation steps. As with most patents, much of it is heady science that doesn't make a lot of sense to those outside of the industry.

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Huawei MatePad 10.4 Android tablet launches in China

Shane McGlaun | Mobile Devices, Tablets & Phones | Apr 24, 2020 3:03 PM CDT

Huawei has launched a new mid-range tablet for its home market of China called the Huawei MatePad 10.4. The tablet has a 10.4-inch screen and runs on a Huawei Kirin 810 octa-core processor. The Chinese company has also wrapped in support for pen input, four speakers, four microphones, and a microSD card reader.

Huawei MatePad 10.4 Android tablet launches in China

The tablet was unveiled in China with availability set for April 26 starting at 1899 yuan. That is equivalent to about $270. The base version of the tablet includes 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage. A mid-range version of the tablet features 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage selling for the equivalent of $310.

The high-end version of the tablet will feature 6 GB of RAM, 128 GB of storage, and 4G LTE connectivity for around $350. All versions of the tablet share the same 10.4-inch screen with 2000 x 1200 resolution and up to 470 nits of brightness. Power comes from a 7250 mAh internal battery. The front and rear cameras are both 8MP. All versions of the tablet feature 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS, and USB 2.0 Type-C ports. The Huawei MatePad 10.4 measures 245.2mm x 155mm x 7.4mm and weighs 450g.

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How long do Hard Drives and SSDs last? How do they die over time?

Sponsored Content | Storage | Apr 24, 2020 2:33 PM CDT

Having data backed up and stored is always a wise thing to do, as information or data is wealth in today's world. Previously for long-term storage, organizations relied on compact disks or magnetic tapes for archiving data. Data archiving is the process of storing data which is not actively used on storage devices for long term retention. Although these conventional storage devices served their purpose of storing data on a long-term basis, accessing the information from these drives takes a lot of time.

How long do Hard Drives and SSDs last? How do they die over time?

Modern storage drives such as Hard Disks and SSDs not only can store large amounts of data but can also operate at a faster speed. Hence, accessing information is a lot faster and easier. Having said that, it is to be noted that they are not shielded from pedestrian electronic problems like any other device. The performance of storage drives such as hard drives and SSDs can degrade over time and abruptly result in hard drive failure.

Keeping aside the fiscal loss, data loss is the biggest agony when it comes to failing storage drives. Data loss could occur due to system crash, malware infection, file system corruption, or any other reasons. However, it is possible to recover data using Remo data recovery tool very safely. But if you are using the drive to archive data and store them for a longer period, data degradation can happen majorly due to bit Rot.

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Horizon Zero Dawn 2 to have online co-op, HZD trilogy planned

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Apr 24, 2020 2:32 PM CDT

Horizon Zero Dawn 2 is coming to PlayStation 5 and may feature online co-op, sources tell VideoGameChronicle.

Horizon Zero Dawn 2 to have online co-op, HZD trilogy planned

Guerrilla Games' new Horizon Zero Dawn sequel is pretty ambitious. Sources say it'll feature the scrapped co-op feature that was originally planned for the original 2017 release, and that the studio is targeting the PS5. The latter is pretty obvious as Sony wants to make a big splash on PS5 with high-profile exclusives, but the co-op part is rather interesting. This info was actually in front of us the whole time.

Just yesterday I reported on Guerrilla's huge hiring spree. The games-maker put up 16 job listings in the last month and currently has 24 openings. Back in 2019, Guerrilla had a whopping 64 openings available. It's been clear for some time the studio is ramping up for something big.

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Apple is reportedly targeting 2021 for Macs with its own chips

Shane McGlaun | CPU, APU & Chipsets | Apr 24, 2020 2:02 PM CDT

A new report is making the rounds that claims sources close to Apple are saying that the company is on track to launch Mac computers running Apple-made CPUs and GPUs in 2021. The report originated with Bloomberg and cites sources close to Apple claiming to know what it is working on. According to the sources, the chips that Apple is working on are codenamed Kalamata.

Apple is tipped to be at work on three different systems-on-a-chip for Macs. All of them are reportedly based on the A14 chip the company developed for its next-generation flagship iPhones. The chips that will land for Macs, to begin with, will include an eight-core high-performance chip and SoC with a quartet of energy-efficient cores under codenames Firestorm and Icestorm, respectively. The report also indicates that Apple is looking into chips with more cores for future products.

With Apple working on multiple chips for the Mac computer line, it would appear that the company is thinking about rolling out its chips across its entire Mac line, not one device alone. One unclear thing is if Apple intends to replace the Macs in its current line with machines running its chips. Replacing them would seem like a likely thing for the company to do if it wants to break its reliance on Intel.

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Details on the LG Velvet 5G smartphone leak

Shane McGlaun | Mobile Devices, Tablets & Phones | Apr 24, 2020 1:11 PM CDT

LG has found it difficult in the last several years to compete in the high-end smartphone market as both Samsung and Apple have created devices that consumers want more. Details of a new mid-range LG smartphone called the LG Velvet 5G have now leaked, and the device appears to be an interesting mid-range smartphone.

What we know is that the LG Velvet 5G will measure 167.1 x 74 x 7.85mm and weigh 180 grams. One tidbit that hasn't surfaced in the leaks is precisely how large the screen will be. Considering the measurements, scuttlebutt suggests somewhere around the 6.7-inch mark.

Rumors suggest that the screen will have a 21:9 aspect ratio and use OLED technology. Resolution is expected to be somewhere around the same 2460 x 1080 offered in the LG V60 ThinQ. Power is listed in the leak as coming from a 4300mAh internal battery. The device is also said to be IP68 rated to survive water exposure. The chipset is said to be a Snapdragon 765, which supports 5G connectivity in all bands.

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Instant messaging service Telegram reaches 400 million active users

Shane McGlaun | Business, Financial & Legal | Apr 24, 2020 12:09 PM CDT

Much of the business world has seen business plummet during the coronavirus pandemic. Some segments of the technology world have seen business boom. Among the technology businesses that are growing rapidly with coronavirus are instant messaging and videoconferencing companies. Many schools and businesses around the US, and the world, have turned to videoconferencing and instant messaging to keep groups working from home.

Instant messaging service Telegram reaches 400 million active users

Instant messaging service Telegram has announced that it has 400 million monthly active users. The company gained 100 million active users since October 2019. The company announced to the SEC via a disclosure in October that it had 300 million active users. Telegram founder Pavel Durov says the service is adding about 1.5 million users each day.

Durov says that the app is the most downloaded social media application in over 20 countries. Telegram is also working on upgrades to its application to allow it to be more useful to those trying to work and learn from home during the coronavirus pandemic. One of those features is the addition of a secure video call feature that the company intends to roll out this year.

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Visible has the New iPhone SE for under $200

Shane McGlaun | Mobile Devices, Tablets & Phones | Apr 24, 2020 11:02 AM CDT

Today marks launch day for the all-new and highly anticipated iPhone SE. Those needing a new smartphone have been holding out for something that wouldn't break the bank will want to check out a deal that Visible has going right now. At Visible, the normal price for the 64 GB Apple iPhone SE 2020 is $384. Currently, some versions of the device appear to be sold out, which is not uncommon on launch day for an Apple device.

Visible has the New iPhone SE for under $200

If you purchase the base version, it's currently available in white or red colors, and the $384 purchase price represents a slight $16 discount off the MSRP. The big savings comes in that when you purchase the phone and port number to Visible; you also get a $200 prepaid MasterCard. The prepaid card brings the total purchase price of the phone down to $184, which is a smoking deal.

If you want more storage, the $200 prepaid MasterCard deal is good on the 128 GB and 256 GB smartphones as well. The catch is that the 128 GB model is sold out. However, the 256 GB version is available in white or red for $528. That means you can get the biggest 256 GB version for a bit less than the regular MSRP for the 64 GB smartphone after the card.

Continue reading: Visible has the New iPhone SE for under $200 (full post)