According to DigiTimes, a Taiwanese technology rumor website, Apple has already placed orders with TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) for their new iPhone 8 processors.

While we still don't actually know whether or not Apple will call their new phone the iPhone 7S or iPhone 8, DigiTimes is already claiming to know that TSMC has taken orders from Apple for their newest phone using TSMC's upcoming 10nm process.

Currently, TSMC only produces chips for most of their clients at 16nm, while they introduced only this week their new 12nm process for NVIDIA's Volta GPUs. It seems that 10nm will be used for phones primarily because Apple is accompanied by HiSilicon and Mediatek as additional customers for TSMC's upcoming 10nm process.

It seems as though Microsoft is making some very interesting moves with its upcoming release of Windows 10 S, which is a more restricted version of the full Windows 10 for the education market, something Microsoft is looking to combat Google's Chromebook/Chrome OS combo with.

Microsoft is placing restrictions on the software you're allowed to install with Windows 10 S, with one of those caveats being that the software will only be available on the Windows Store - meaning no third-party browsers. This means we won't be seeing Google Chrome, Firefox, Opera, or Safari on Windows 10 S, ever.

Windows Store policy 10.2.1. states: "Apps that browse the web must use the appropriate HTML and JavaScript engines provided by the Windows Platform".

HTC is preparing for its big launch on May 16th and they have announced a new teaser for the upcoming flagship.

The company posted a short video which doesn't reveal much, but the caption, "360 real-life recording", might tell us something. Since the number 360 most likely indicates that we are talking about 360 degrees, this leaves us with two options - video or audio.

The Galaxy Note7 was discontinued back in October last year, but earlier this year we learned that Samsung plans to release a refurbished version of the device.

The most recent rumors claim that the refurbished Galaxy Note7 could cost 50% less than the original, meaning around $400. While Samsung still didn't comment on the date of the release, sources from China believe that the phone could hit markets within a month.

A Chinese retailer's website has already listed the Note7R (R for refurbished) on their site at a price of $520-$580. This is a little more than the latest rumors have suggested, but still significantly less than the original Note7 and previous rumors which suggested a $620 price tag.

Before the company has released a product, or even shown the general public details on what they'll eventually release in what should be the most amazing leap forward in mixed reality HMD technology, Magic Leap is worth up to $8 billion.

The news is coming from an upcoming D round of financing that will see the Florida-based mixed reality company valued at $6-8 billion. Chinese e-commerce behemoth Alibaba will lead the D round of financing, with some of the largest companies in the world leaping into the mixed reality investment of Magic Leap. It was only 15 months ago that the company raised $793.5 million on a $4.5 billion valuation, adding to the $592 million it had raised earlier.

There have only been a few people outside of the company and its investors and closest partners that have tried the mixed reality tech from Magic Leap, and if you look into the nitty gritty of the next level technology the company is working on, you'll understand why Magic Leap is so secretive. They're wanting to be "the Apple of AR" and with what they're working on, and the billions of dollars they're raising and the talent and help they've got behind them, Magic Leap could very well be a household name in a few years time.

AMD will be launching a next-gen 16C/32T processor next month according to the latest rumors, with the new Ryzen processor teased as ThreadRipper - something we reported when we unveiled the Ryzen brand name months ago. This news runs right on the heels of the super-hot Core i9 processor from Intel, and news of AMD's next-gen Starship platform with 48C/96T of CPU insanity.

But now there are new rumors from Bitsandchips.it that point towards a new processor called ThreadRipper, and it'll be compatible with a modified version of AMD's current SP3 server socket, which will be deployed with Naples. The new ThreadRipper CPU will be launching with the Whitehaven platform, something we've been hearing rumbles of over the last couple of days.

The new ThreadRipper CPUs will rock 16C/32T of enthusiast power, with quad-channel DDR4 support, 180W max TDP, and comes on the huge 4094-pin SR3 socket. The difference between Naples and the new SR3r2 chip that ThreadRipper arrives as, Naples will support more than one CPU. So you can only imagine a single board with two or more 32C/64T processors powered by Zen CPU cores on the huge Naples platform, which also supports 8-channel DDR4, too.

AMD has been getting all of the CPU spotlight lately with their Ryzen 7 1800X processor and its 8C/16T of power, with the tease of their next-gen Naples platform and even Starship: rocking 48C/96T of CPU grunt.

Well, now it's Intel's turn with yet another HEDT family of processors, with a next-gen Core i9 family on the way. Right now Intel has the Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 processors - but they will be joined by the high-end Core i9 family led by the Core i9-7920X processor reportedly launching in August. Intel's purported Core i9 processor will come in up to 12C/24T, matching the rumored next-gen Ryzen processors with 12C/24T of power.

Intel's upcoming i9-7900 series processors will support up to 44 PCIe lanes, while the i9-7800 will have 28 lanes, and the i7-7700/7600 have up to 16. We should expect TDPs in the 112-160W range, depending on the chip, while the i9 processors will rock a third clock state that Intel will call Turbo Clock 3.0, something that will allow the new CPUs to reach much higher clock speeds than Broadwell-E is capable of.

Xbox is no longer just about gaming--in fact, it hasn't been for a long time, the same way the games industry is less about actual gaming and more about recurrent profits via live services, engagement, and social infrastructures. Xbox is more diverse now and offers a more widespread social ecosystem via Xbox LIVE where players meet up, interact, play, share and feel rewarded, and even enjoy cross-platform features via Windows 10 PCs. At Microsoft's Financial Analyst Briefing 2017, Xbox division head Phil Spencer reveals how Xbox LIVE's social ecosystem serves as the core for Xbox business as a whole.

Microsoft's Xbox LIVE marketplace doesn't just make its money by selling games. In fact, the network sells something more important than digital content: digital engagement, also known as the bread and butter for juggernaut publishers like EA, Activsion, and Ubisoft. In its own way, engagement is a form of currency as it directly feeds a tried and true turntable formula that consistently generates revenue streams.

Microsoft has tapped its own games as a service model via Xbox LIVE, and has incorporated it within both consoles and PCs for maximum effect. But this model isn't just about peddling digital content--it's about selling an experience, bottling an online digital experience that keeps the wheel-cycle turning, and social interactivity as at the core of this. This is something that all digital games providers strive to achieve, and Microsoft has honed this advantage to a fine edge. Outside of Windows integration, this is Xbox LIVE's major asset over Sony's PlayStation Network: a wide over-arcing social network that incorporates the engagement cycle, which rotates game experiences, social interactions, monetization via advertisements, and millions of active users in a lucrative subscription plan that has a life of its own.

Huawei has added two new color options for its Mate 9 - Agate Red and Topaz Blue.

The Mate 9 was announced in November last year, and up until now, it was available in seven colors - Space Gray, Moonlight Silver, Champagne Gold, Mocha Brown, Ceramic White, Black, and Obsidian Black. The two new colors options bring the total number to nine.

Aside from the colors, the new models remain identical to the already available devices, meaning that both specs and the price remain the same.

Square Enix plans to use its original IPs and backward compatible content to pursue "games as a service" initiatives in an effort to supplement its lucrative digital sales.

Like most publishers in the games industry, Square Enix makes most of its earnings via digital sales in the form of full game downloads, in-game purchases, and other live service content across consoles, PC, and mobile. In its Fiscal Year 2017 earnings report, the Japanese games publisher says it will launch a "Square Enix digital sales global website" that will "create a libraty of catalog titles and eliminate backward compatibility issues."

This strongly suggests Square Enix will roll out its own dedicated Steam-like games marketplace to sell digital content, possibly complete with a proprietary uPlay-like games launcher; but unlike Steam, Square Enix's website or service should cater to all platforms.

We recently reported that Chinese smartphone manufacturers are growing, especially Huawei, OPPO, and vivo. One of those companies has another reason to celebrate.

If asked "what was the best selling Android smartphone in Q1 2017", many would think of Samsung's smartphones, but they would be wrong. The clear winner, when it comes to Android phones, is OPPO with its R9s device.

According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, OPPO R9s was the star performer in the first three months of this year with 8.9 million shipped units.

If you haven't played Alan Wake yet, you'll want to grab it soon--starting Monday the game will effectively be extinct on digital stores.

Celebrated thriller Alan Wake will be pulled from all digital multi-platform storefronts such as Xbox LIVE, PlayStation Network, Steam, and GOG.com, starting Monday, May 15, Remedy Entertainment today announced. The developer explains that Alan Wake's music licenses are expiring next Monday, and rather than renew or re-negotiate the licenses, the game will simply disappear from the marketplace.

Remedy affirms the game will only be scrubbed from the storefront, not games libraries, so if you already own Alan Wake you've nothing to worry about. To ensure as many people play the game before it gets nixed, Remedy is holding the Alan Wake Sunset Sale on Steam, which discounts the franchise by 90%. The sale will start on Saturday, May 13.

As most of you probably know, the iconic Nokia 3310 is coming back. HMD Global decided to launch a modern version of the popular device. It will still be a pretty basic phone, but re-designed. Of course, to keep the integrity of the device, the Nokia 3310 will come with the Snake game.

The company unveiled the device in Barcelona during MWC, stating that the suggested price would be 49 euros, or around $50. However, they didn't mention when the phone will be hitting markets.

Back in March, Tomislav Himbele, HMD's Head of Marketing for Eastern Europe, said that the Nokia 3310 would arrive in mid-May to early June, at least in Europe.

If you've read any of my recent Halo articles, you know I'm not a fan of 343 Industries--I personally believe they are butchering the franchise--but it appears the company might get a chance to redeem itself with shifts in management.

Dan Ayoub, who's been involved with the Halo universe for over 7 years, has left the series--and 343 Industries--behind to work on Microsoft's Mixed Reality initiatives. Ayoub's presence with Halo started back in 2010 with his role as executive producer of Halo: Reach, and then took the title of 343 Industries Studio Head of External Development for almost three years. Ayoub's departure marks the second high-ranking exec to leave the company this year, with ex-Chief Operating Officer Matt McCloskey leaving back in January.

"Today we're sad to be saying bon voyage to one of our own, as Dan Ayoub - who's worked on Halo games since Halo: Reach all the way back in 2009, bids us, and the gaming industry, a fond adieu. Dan is set to begin a new adventure within Microsoft in Mixed Reality, where he'll be pursuing one of his passions...the empowerment of education through technology. Although Dan will be staying in the Microsoft family, and won't be heading too far, our 343 family will miss his wit, wisdom and effort throughout the years. But Halo Wars 2 and its forthcoming DLC are in the safe hands of Dan's team, with some wonderful DLC and other surprises still to come," 343i said in an official blog post.

Apple's iPhone SE was announced in March of last year, and the company still hasn't released its successor. The sources indicate that the company is working on a worthy successor, rumored to be announced as soon as next month.

According to the latest leak from China, accompanied by a photo of the alleged iPhone SE (2017), Apple will switch from metal to glass for the new model's back.

The photo indicates that the company may be using Ion-X glass, the same material used in the Apple Watch Sport.

A new installment of the Thief franchise is in development to coincide with an upcoming movie adaptation, production company Straight Up Films affirms.

Following the success of Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed movie, Square Enix plans to adapt its popular long-running dark action Thief franchise into a feature-length film. Los Angeles-based production company Straight Up Films will make the Thief movie, and recently said that a new Thief game is currently in development for launch alongside the film's theatrical release.

"Originally released in 1998 by Eidos Interactive (Deus Ex) and distributed by Square Enix (Tomb Raider, Final Fantasy), the Thief series has spanned over fifteen years and four sequels continually retaining loyal audiences and attracting new fans with each iteration. Widely considered to be one of the greatest games ever created, a fifth sequel is currently in development to be released in step with this motion picture adaptation," Straight Up Films said in a recent website post.

Earlier this year, Samsung confirmed that the Galaxy Note7 isn't quite dead yet. The company announced plans to bring back the device as "refurbished or rental phones."

A source close to the company confirmed that the phone will be back with certain adjustments. Of course, the battery will be one of them.

Read also: Samsung confirms that the Note7 isn't quite dead yet

The South Korean government has announced that they will open the K-City in October this year. What's special about this 'city' is that it won't have any living citizens, but it will serve as the world's biggest test track for self-driving cars.

The K-City is currently under construction, and when finished, it will have bus-only lanes, expressways, and zones for autonomous parking. The entire area will occupy 360,000 square meters.

The project will cost around $9.7 million, and the self-driving cars can be tested there with or without the temporary operation permit from the government.

Computex 2017 - AMD is already locking in May 31 for its Computex 2017 press conference, with VideoCardz reporting that AMD are sending out emails for their event.

The email reads: "Computex 2017 is fast approaching so we wanted to share a save-the-date for the AMD press conference, scheduled for May 31st from 10 a.m. - 11 a.m". It continues: "Hosted by AMD CEO, Dr. Lisa Su and other key AMD executives, you will have the opportunity to hear more about the latest products and leading-edge technologies coming from AMD in 2017. The past year has seen AMD bringing innovation and competition back to the high-performance desktop market with the release of Ryzen™ processors and we look forward to providing new details on 2017 products and the ecosystems, both OEM and channel, that will support them".

It looks like we're only weeks from something big being unveiled, and I'm sure we'll hear how well Ryzen has been doing for AMD in the last few months - but it's the "latest products and leading-edge technologies coming from AMD in 2017" that I want to hear more about.

Update: After writing this news and it going live, I was informed that Sokolovsky received a suspended 3.5-year jail sentence, and was temporarily confined to a pre-trial detention center. Sokolovsky's lawyer said that he most likely won't appeal the verdict.

I'm sure there have been gamers that have played Pokemon GO in some of the weirdest places imaginable, but now there's been a Russian blogger who was arrested for playing Pokemon GO in a Russian church.

The blogger was slapped with charges that ranged from "violating religious feelings" to illegal possession of a pen that had a camera inside, with Ruslan Sokolovsky receiving a sentence of 3.5 years behind bars. Sokolovsky posted a video of himself playing Pokemon GO in the church, with Russian authorities saying that he showed "disrespect for society".