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Samsung Ballie is described as a "home AI companion robot" that will arrive in the United States and Korea this summer. The company confirmed this week that Google Cloud's generative AI technology will power the AI side of the cute robot. This will allow owners to communicate with Ballie using natural conversational language for all their companion robot needs.

Suppose you're wondering what Ballie is about outside of rolling around and looking like a cute robot from a Star Wars or Pixar film. In that case, it's essentially a range of generative AI tools and functionality paired with an inbuilt projector. Plus, it can do things like greet guests, adjust smart home things like lighting and cooling, and set reminders for appointments and things. A robot butler that doesn't serve food or do any cleaning.

Samsung's description of how Ballie will use cloud-based AI is vague - though it provides some examples. Yongjae Kim, Executive Vice President of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics, states that Ballie "moves with users, anticipates their needs, and interacts in more dynamic and meaningful ways than ever before," thanks to generative AI.

SK hynix has significantly increased the yields of its next-generation 1c DRAM, which was hovering at around 60% in 2024 but has reportedly reached over 80% recently.

In a new post by Korean media outlet Hanhooki, we're learning that SK hynix's new 1c DRAM yields have reached 80% with all of the South Korean memory giants' firepower being focused on HBM. SK hynix announced in August 2024 that it had successfully developed the world's first 1c process-based 16GB DDR5 DRAM, with DRAMs developed in the order of 1x, 1y, 1z, 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d depending on the circuit line width, with 1c being the most advanced tech. 1c = around 11-12nm.

As always, capacity is the issue and with SK hynix prioritizing its equipment and manpower to respond to the unstoppable demand of HBM for AI GPUs, it has been a hard road for the company to improve 1c DRAM volume. SK hynix will be the first memory manufacturer to mass produce HBM4 memory, far ahead its HBM competitors in Samsung and Micron.

China has officially responded to President Trump's newly announced trade tariffs with its own tariff on American goods, with the nation now hitting the US with an 84% retaliatory tariff.

China has now officially imposed an additional 84% tariff on all US-imported goods as a response to the US imposing a 104% tariff on all Chinese imports. The trade war between the US and China, and not to mention the rest of the world, has reached new heights with this recent announcement from China being the latest in growing tensions between the two nations. Moreover, China's Central bank has instructed state-owned banks to reduce their US dollar purchases, which is a move that indicates the country is moving away from its reliance on the US dollar.

China is the only country preparing relalitatory tariffs against the US as European Union member states have also approved retaliatory tariffs on $23 billion in goods in response to Trump's 25% tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. The response from China comes after Trump announced the US was raising its tariff on China to 104%, with the president of the United States recently saying the following:

Amid President Trump's recently announced trade tariffs, an artificial intelligence-generated video of Americans working in factories has gone viral on Chinese social media. The video has now made its way to Western social media platforms, where it has garnered quite a lot of attention.

The video has been copied and reshared on various social media platforms and shows a satirical take on what American people look like working in factories. The video was titled "Make America Great Again," a clear nod to President Trump's campaign slogan. It depicts overweight people working in what appears to be sweatshops, making various items of clothing and smartphones. The AI-generated people in the video also look miserable.

The timing of the AI-generated video mocking Americans comes only days after President Trump announced heavy tariffs on China, along with numerous other countries. Trump's goal of the tariffs is to make better deals with its trade partners and ultimately bring manufacturing back to the United States. It appears China is attempting to show Americans what the future holds for them with this satirical AI generated video.

NVIDIA has reportedly started using GDDR7 memory modules from SK hynix, with the first GPU of choice being the mid-range GeForce RTX 5070.

In a new post on X by leaker "MEGAsizeGPU" we're hearing that NVIDIA has started shipping GeForce RTX 50 series "Blackwell" GPUs with new SK hynix GDDR7 memory modules, marking a change from using fellow South Korean company -- Samsung -- and its GDDR7 memory chips on RTX 50 series GPUs shipped so far.

SK hynix has been providing the best of the best in the HBM industry with its HBM3 and HBM3E memory chips for NVIDIA's dominant H100, H200, and new B200 AI GPUs and AI servers. SK hynix is also close to mass production of its next-gen HBM4 and HBM4E memory, expected to debut on NVIDIA's next-gen Vera Rubin AI platform in 2026.

Dell has just announced that it will be offering Solidigm's massive new 122TB SSD inside of its PowerScale systems, and is the first infrastructure provider to offer storage systems with 122TB SSDs.

Solidigm released its D5-P5336 122TB SSDs in late 2024, offering an astronomical capacity that enabled customers access to close to 6 petabytes (PBs) of storage per server node. Using far larger SSDs is a big business for servers and data centers, minimizing hardware requirements, operational expenses, and energy consumption.

Dell is the first infrastructure provider to offer a storage system with 122TB SSDs. PowerScale's recent updates address key issues related to storage capacity, cost-effectiveness, energy consumption, and system adaptability - helping businesses thrive in a data-centric environment.

NVIDIA's scheme to thwart scalpers, and push genuine buyers of Blackwell GPUs to the front of the queue, hasn't been discontinued as some chatter on the grapevine suggested.

You may recall that in February 2025, NVIDIA resurrected its Verified Priority Access (VPA) program for the Blackwell generation, a scheme previously enacted with Lovelace GPUs to prevent (or at least cut back on) scalping with its GPUs.

Note that this is only for US buyers, and the scheme means those folks who already have an NVIDIA account (created before January 30, 2025) can register their interest in purchasing a Founders Edition RTX 5090, 5080 or 5070 GPU at the MSRP direct from Team Green.

You aren't in Kansas anymore, you're in Las Vegas - or you might be in August, watching an AI-revamped version of The Wizard of Oz that'll likely blow you away hurricane-style.

The iconic movie has been jazzed up with generative AI for screening on the 16K monster LED canvas of the Las Vegas Sphere, and we're betting it'll make quite an impact when the film starts showing on August 28 (as Neowin spotted, and FOX5 Las Vegas reports above).

Google tells us:

Microsoft is celebrating its 50th anniversary, a significant milestone for a tech company still at the forefront of the industry. Like other software and hardware giants, Microsoft is pivoting toward AI for its cloud-based computing business, Windows, and devices like Xbox gaming consoles.

As part of its Windows strategy, all of the software's AI features fall under the Copilot banner. Copilot+ PCs are mobile devices that can use AI tools locally using powerful NPU hardware. From image generation to chatbots, summarizing documents, and transcribing audio live, Microsoft's AI endgame for Windows is to create a Copilot companion for everyone - one that will get to know you and with whom Windows users will form a relationship.

"We're really trying to land this idea that everybody is going to have their own personalized AI companion," said Mustafa Suleyman in an interview with The Associated Press. Of course, there's no timeline for this, but AI is quickly becoming a part of Microsoft's present and near future.

A Minecraft Movie has taken over cinemas around the world and quickly became the most successful opening weekend for a video game adaptation, knocking off The Super Mario Bros. Movie. A sequel is already in discussion.

The new theatrical release starring Jack Black as Steve and Jason Momoa raked in a staggering $300 million for its opening weekend, and now, unsurprisingly, considering how much money was made, director Jared Hess has revealed discussions are already underway for a sequel.

In an interview with Deadline, Hess was asked how he would approach a sequel, which the director said the film's creators were overwhelmed with how big the game universe is, and that "there were so many things" they weren't able to include -- meaning there is plenty of content for a sequel.

Although it has been leaked and teased, PowerColor has officially announced its new Radeon RX 9070 XT Red Devil Spectral White Edition graphics card. According to the company, "every component has been precision-engineered in pure white," including the PCB, heatsink, power connectors, and cooler shroud. The card also includes the large 'Hellstone' RGB element on the end, which can be customized to deliver a more heavenly light than the deep red of the standard all-black Red Devil.

The PowerColor Radeon RX 9070 XT Red Devil Spectral White Edition is a premium GPU designed for overclocking AMD's flagship RDNA 4 offering. It ships with an out-of-the-box overclock, dual BIOS modes, and an advanced VRM design to support additional tweaking and OC action. The triple-fan system is also described as "whisper-quiet."

This limited edition GPU includes a Red Devil Metal Keycap in its custom packaging. Now, you're probably wondering about the price. Although the Radeon RX 9070 XT has an MSRP of $599, very few models have been available at this price point. Most 9070 XT cards are OC variants, with prices jumping up 30% in most cases. As a limited edition all-white version of its flagship model, PowerColor's new Red Devil Spectral White Edition carries quite the price tag.

Colossal Biosciences made headlines yesterday when it announced the resurrection of the dire wolf, a species of wolf that hasn't roamed Earth for more than 10,000 years.

The resurrection of the dire wolf species occurred on October 1, 2024, when three dire wolves were born into captivity. How was this scientific achievement made? Researchers at Colossal used ancient dire wolf DNA of the species and combined it with the genes of a grey wolf, which is the closest living ancestor of the dire wolf. The result is a hybrid of both species that has an extremely similar appearance and structure to its extinct ancestor. However, researchers are questioning the labeling of this new species and whether or not its accurate to say the dire wolf has been de-extincted.

The problems with these claims. Grey wolves and dire wolves were initially thought to be closely related due to their physical characteristics, but as New Scientist reports, a 2021 study of their ancient DNA found they last shared a common ancestor around 6 million years ago. In fact, animals like jackals, African wild dogs, and dholes are genetically closer to grey wolves than dire wolves are - even though dire wolves look more like grey wolves.

AIDA64 is a popular PC diagnostic, monitoring, and benchmark tool. It's one of those solid apps that has been around for several years. The latest update, AIDA64 v7.65, brings several additions to the app, including support for the nVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti. AIDA64 has existed for so long that it still spells NVIDIA as "nVIDIA."

It's no secret that the GeForce RTX 5060 Ti is coming very soon; months of leaks, rumors, and listings point to a mid-April launch, with NVIDIA set to launch GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB and GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB models. The only thing is that with all of the GeForce RTX 5060 Ti chatter, including AIDA64 developer FinalWire confirming the existence of the GPU in its latest patch notes, NVIDIA has yet to announce or even tease the RTX 5060 Series formally.

AIDA64 v7.65 also supports the new AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE while improving support for Intel Panther Lake CPUs and Zhaoxin KX-6000G and KX-7000 Series processors. And if you're in Greece, AIDA64 has finally added Greek localization. Here's the list of new features as part of the update.

The original Hades, from indie studio Supergiant Games, is one of the modern era's most critically acclaimed and beloved action roguelikes. It's one of those games that has inspired a new generation of indie games, and its sequel is on track for release later this year. Already available to play in Early Access on PC, Hades 2 is also coming to PlayStation, Xbox, and the Nintendo Switch 2.

As part of a new developer deep dive into the game's creation and how the team at Supergiant Games has approached developing the sequel, we also learn that the game's console debut will be exclusive to the Nintendo Switch. This surprising revelation was posted on Nintendo's official YouTube channel because most people expected the full release to debut on all platforms simultaneously.

Hades 2 is still on track for an Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 release; however, the timed exclusivity for Nintendo Switch hardware could mean those versions might not arrive until sometime in 2026. Naturally, PC gamers won't have to wait. In addition to being able to play the game right now on Steam, the full release will also arrive as a big Version 1.0 patch sometime later this year.

Blizzard has unveiled its first roadmap for Diablo 4, with 2025's 'The Age of Hated' roadmap including information on upcoming seasons and new features while teasing what's in store for 2026. The forthcoming 'Belial's Return' season is set to run from April until July, and it will overhaul the Lair Boss system while bringing one of the franchise's major villains to the game - Belial.

The roadmap notes that this season will bring the first cross-franchise "IP collaboration" to the game. "We can't shed light on them currently," Blizzard writes. "But we're extremely excited to meld the Diablo universe with universes that complement its dark themes." The first thing that comes to mind is Dark Souls, Elden Ring, or The Witcher - which would be an interesting addition to Diablo. More than one "IP collaboration" is coming, which is exciting.

This upcoming 'Belial's Return' season also overhauls the Battle Pass and Season Journey system with The Reliquary. Other highlights in the roadmap include some information on the rest of the seasons set to arrive in 2025, including one focusing on the game's Nightmare Dungeons. Also, console players will get keyboard and mouse support, and leaderboards will finally be a thing.

During the Nintendo Switch 2 close-up, Nintendo showcased a surprise addition to the new console, a camera designed for GameChat.

Nintendo revealed GameChat during the presentation, which is a Switch 2 exclusive feature that enables players to join a chat room to play games together, or simply hang out while players enjoy titles separately. However, GameChat also comes with video feed support, which is why Nintendo is launching a camera alongside the Switch 2.

The newly announced camera is a dedicated 1080p camera specifically designed for the Nintendo Switch 2, while technical specifications for the device haven't been fully revealed, such as the sensor it uses, any motion tracking capabilities, etc, another Switch 2 camera has popped up. But this one features the aesthetics of a Piranha Plant. The standard Switch 2 camera is priced at $49.99, while the Piranha Plant camera is currently only available on the Nintendo UK store for £33.99, or $43 USD.

During the Nintendo Switch 2-focussed Direct, gamers were quick to notice that one of Nintendo's main features for the Switch 2 wasn't working as smoothly as the company may have wanted. This feature is GameChat, specifically the game screen sharing option.

The presentation showed a group of players enjoying a game of Mario Kart World, with Nintendo then saying if a player wants to share the screen of their game, they simply need to press the new C button (GameChat button) and select the share screen option. This feature works across titles, meaning players don't have to be in the same game to share their game with other players in what appears to be a Discord-like room that players can join.

Unfortunately, it appears these shared screens, which during the presentation can be up to four at one time have a significantly reduced frame rate. In a recent interview with GameSpot, Nintendo Switch 2 hardware director Takuhiro Dohta explained why these shared screens have a reduced frame rate, saying Nintendo wants game screen sharing to be useful but not get in the way of the main game that's being played.

G.SKILL has just introduced its first 64GB modules of DDR5 memory, with the first 128GB DDR5-8000 memory kit also unveiled (with dual 64GB modules).

The company has introduced its new Trident Z5 Royal memory which has been optimized for 8000 MT/s at CL44, with dual 64GB modules for a huge 128GB DDR5-8000 memory kit. This is a big deal, as until now we have been limited to (still huge) 48GB modules, with a maximum of 96GB kits -- and in between, 24GB modules for 48GB kits -- but now we have a huge 128GB kit for "capacity-hungry applications".

The new DDR5-8000 memory kits were running on CL44-58-58 timings on an ASUS ROG CROSSHAIR X870E APEX motherboard and AMD Ryzen 9 9950X processor. The company also showed off its new Trident Z Royal DDR5-8000 memory in 32GB x 2 (64GB total) with DDR5-9000 speeds at CL48-64-64, on an ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 APEX motherboard and Intel Core Ultra 7 265K processor.

AMD is reportedly gearing up to add "AI" to the name of its new gaming handheld APU, with rumors of the new Ryzen Z2 family of processors seeing a flagship Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme APU.

In a new post on X by leaker Hoang Anh Phu, we're hearing that the Ryzen Z2, Ryzen Z2 A, Ryzen Z2 Go, Ryzen Z2 Extreme, and Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme APUs will take the gaming handheld processor battle to Intel and its Core Ultra 200V "Lunar Lake" series of processors.

Each of the Ryzen Z2 series APUs will have a mix of Zen 3, Zen 4, or Zen 5 processor cores with integrated GPUs that range between RDNA 2, RDNA 3, and RDNA 3.5. The flagship Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme APU will reportedly feature Strix Point silicon with up to 8 cores, and 16 threads of Zen 5/c cores, and up to 16 cores of RDNA 3.5-based GPU... and we can't miss out on that XDNA 2-based NPU for AI workloads.

GPMI is here as a Chinese alternative to HDMI, with a consortium of over 50 companies in China -- including Chinese tech giants like Huawei, Hisense, and TCL -- introducing General Purpose Media Interface (GPMI) which offers up to 192Gbps of bandwidth, and up to 480W of Power Delivery.

The new GMPI standard is available in two varieties: a smaller Type-C model with 96Gbps of bandwidth and up to 240W of power, while a larger Type-B model offers the full 192Gbps of bandwidth and 480W of power.

GPMI has been developed as a third-generation audio and video interface, leaping over the limitations of older standards like DVI and VGA, and blowing away HDMI 2.1 and its 48Gbps of bandwidth, and DisplayPort 2.1 with 80Gbps of bandwidth with its blistering 192Gbps of bandwidth... enough for any display in the forseeable future.