Dutch government kicks off 'Operation Beethoven' to stop ASML from moving to another country

Anthony Garreffa | Business, Financial & Legal | Mar 12, 2024 7:02 PM CDT

ASML is the biggest company in The Netherlands, so it makes sense that the Dutch government is kissing the ring to ensure they don't move countries... or expand overseas.

Dutch government kicks off 'Operation Beethoven' to stop ASML from moving to another country

In a new report from Reuters, the outlet covers that the news of the Dutch government making its moves with ASML from newspaper De Telegraaf, citing -- as usual -- "anonymous sources" that said the Dutch ministries involved have called this project "Operation Beethoven".

Economic Affairs Minister Micky Adriaansens said that she wouldn't address every aspect of the paper's report, but during an interview with Reuters, she confirmed a meeting with ASML CEO Peter Wennick in The Hague on Wednesday. Adriaansens added: "I don't know if they would leave," the Netherlands, as "They want to grow. And they want to grow in such an amount, it puts a pressure on our infrastructure."

Continue reading: Dutch government kicks off 'Operation Beethoven' to stop ASML from moving to another country (full post)

Intel Lunar Lake multi-threaded performance without HT at 17W: 1.5x faster than Meteor Lake-U

Anthony Garreffa | CPU, APU & Chipsets | Mar 12, 2024 6:03 PM CDT

Intel's next-generation Lunar Lake CPU is expected to have a whopping 1.5x increase in multi-threaded performance over Meteor Lake-U, with Lunar Lake at 17W of power draw.

Intel Lunar Lake multi-threaded performance without HT at 17W: 1.5x faster than Meteor Lake-U

In a new post on X, "SquashBionic" posted that Lunar Lake at 17W will "almost" a 1.5x increase in multi-threaded performance in tests like Cinebench R23 when benched against Intel's new Meteor Lake-U laptop processor. Lunar Lake will not have any Hyper-Threading technology, so this rumor is juicy.

We don't have the full details of Intel's new Lunar Lake CPU, but we do know that the architecture itself was created from the ground up for thin and low-power laptops of the future. In this comparison, we're looking at the 15W TDP Meteor Lake CPUs, which feature up to 12 cores (2P + 8E + 2LP).

Continue reading: Intel Lunar Lake multi-threaded performance without HT at 17W: 1.5x faster than Meteor Lake-U (full post)

Sabrent's new Rocket 5 SSD is now available on Amazon, enjoy 14GB/sec reads today!

Anthony Garreffa | Storage | Mar 12, 2024 5:52 PM CDT

Sabrent's new rocket-fueled SSD, the Rocket 5 SSD, is now available on Amazon in 1TB, 2TB, and monster 4TB capacities.

Sabrent's new Rocket 5 SSD is now available on Amazon, enjoy 14GB/sec reads today!

The new Sabrent Rocket 5 SSD starts at $189 for the 1TB version, while the 2TB will set you back $339, and if you want the biggest 4TB capacity, you'll be looking at $729. You'll want a Gen5-capable motherboard to enjoy those wicked-fast 14GB/sec read speeds... and you won't need some gigantic heatsink to enjoy those huge speeds, either.

Sabrent's new Rocket 5 SSD is a benchmark chart destroyer, ushering in a new era of speed for gamers, content creators, and everyone in between. Our Storage Review Jon Coulter has already looked at the 2TB and 4TB versions of Sabrent's new Rocket 5 SSD, which you can check out in the links below. If you've just built or are about to build a high-end rig and don't know which M.2 SSD to purchase... this is the one.

Continue reading: Sabrent's new Rocket 5 SSD is now available on Amazon, enjoy 14GB/sec reads today! (full post)

Buying a new 11-inch OLED iPad Pro might not be as easy as you'd think, analyst warns

Oliver Haslam | Mobile Devices, Tablets & Phones | Mar 12, 2024 3:30 PM CDT

Apple has long been rumored to have plans to announce a new round of iPad Pro models with the end of March or the beginning of April now the most likely timeframe for that to happen. The company is expected to refresh both the 11-inch and 12.9-inch versions with a new display technology, new chip, and more - but those looking to buy the smaller model might find that getting one is harder than they expected.

Buying a new 11-inch OLED iPad Pro might not be as easy as you'd think, analyst warns

That's according to a new report that cites a paywalled post on the X social media website by Ross Young, a display analyst who has historically proven accurate when discussing such things.

According to Young, the 11-inch iPad Pro displays are currently being produced by Samsung Display while LG Display is also expected to begin producing the same displays later this month. LG Display is also producing displays for the larger 12.9-inch iPad Pro. However, Young reports that he believes the 11-inch displays are behind schedule when compared to the 12.9-inch displays, something that could then have a knock-on effect and cause the smaller iPad Pro to be available in more limited quantities.

Continue reading: Buying a new 11-inch OLED iPad Pro might not be as easy as you'd think, analyst warns (full post)

Apple is working on a big new AI feature, but you might not like it

Oliver Haslam | Mobile Devices, Tablets & Phones | Mar 12, 2024 1:30 PM CDT

Apple is strongly rumored to be working on bringing new AI features to the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and beyond in 2024 and expectations are high that these new features will be announced at WWDC in June. But the AI push is thought to be coming from an unexpected angle with a new report claiming that Apple is working on a new AI-powered ads platform.

Apple is working on a big new AI feature, but you might not like it

That report, courtesy of Business Insider, says that the AI tool that is currently being tested chooses where to place ads in the many App Store placement slots in order to try and maximize the performance of those ads. However, the report goes on to suggest that the AI technology could be used elsewhere as Apple seeks to expand its ad-supported services. One example of a potential place for that to pop up is Apple TV+ with Apple again recently rumored to be working on bringing a cheaper ad-supported tier to the streaming platform.

It's important to remember that Apple's plans can and do sometimes change which means that this news should be taken with a pinch of salt until more firm information is shared. Apple already allows developers tp pay to advertise in various corners of the App Store including the Today tab, at the top of search results, and even on the product pages of competing apps.

Continue reading: Apple is working on a big new AI feature, but you might not like it (full post)

Apple's iOS 18 and macOS 15 updates could finally make Freeform usable when they ship this year

Oliver Haslam | Software & Apps | Mar 12, 2024 1:00 PM CDT

If you're an avid user of the Freeform app on the iPhone, iPad, or Mac, you could be getting a big new update later this year if a new report is any indication. That report claims that the Freeform app is going to get a number of new features when the 2024 round of software updates is announced during the WWDC event in June.

Apple's iOS 18 and macOS 15 updates could finally make Freeform usable when they ship this year

We're expecting Apple to announce the iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS 15 software updates during the June WWDC event and now MacRumors reports that the outlet's industry sources say that there are big upgrades coming.

The Freeform app is a large whiteboard of sorts that allows people to collaborate and add just about anything including text, images, and more. It was announced in 2022 and is available for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac with Freeform boards syncing via iCloud.

Continue reading: Apple's iOS 18 and macOS 15 updates could finally make Freeform usable when they ship this year (full post)

Apple's answer to the Microsoft Surface Studio might have leaked in a new patent filing

Oliver Haslam | Computer Systems | Mar 12, 2024 12:45 PM CDT

Apple's iMac hasn't changed an awful lot in the last few years and while it's a good-looking, colorful all-in-one computer, it's probably time that it got a new lease of life. What that will look like is unclear right now, but a new report suggests that it could borrow heavily from Microsoft's Surface Studio.

Apple's answer to the Microsoft Surface Studio might have leaked in a new patent filing

The Microsoft Surface Studio is an all-in-one computer that can be folded almost flat and then used as a giant touch-screen device, including stylus support. The use cases are obvious and include architects and artists, and now it appears that Apple could launch a future iMac that follows somewhat in the Surface Studio's footsteps.

The patent, first spotted by Patently Apple, describes a device that appears similar to a Mac with a tilting touchscreen that can be used by artists and others. The patent doesn't specifically say that of course because they're notoriously vague, but the image that shows what such a device could look like is clearly similar to Microsoft's.

Continue reading: Apple's answer to the Microsoft Surface Studio might have leaked in a new patent filing (full post)

Players are exploiting Diablo 4's new 'Gauntlet' leaderboard mode with help from the open world

Kosta Andreadis | Gaming | Mar 12, 2024 8:12 AM CDT

Blizzard recently added a new end-game mode to Diablo 4 late into Season 3 called 'Gauntlet.' A weekly fixed dungeon challenge offers players rewards and the chance to have their names immortalized if they manage to top the leaderboards (broken down into various classes and group sizes).

Players are exploiting Diablo 4's new 'Gauntlet' leaderboard mode with help from the open world

It's a welcome addition to the game, especially for those players who have reached the 'end-game' or Level 100. A new Gauntlet dungeon to tackle goes live each week, with players vying for the top spot.

However, things aren't quite going as planned, with several players reporting others using exploits to boost their rankings. We're not talking about outright cheating with additional apps or tools, but instead using elements of the overworld and Sanctuary to get a head start - loopholes, if you will.

Continue reading: Players are exploiting Diablo 4's new 'Gauntlet' leaderboard mode with help from the open world (full post)

Microsoft scientist gets AI to play DOOM but then issued a warning

Jak Connor | Gaming | Mar 12, 2024 7:45 AM CDT

A principal applied scientist at Microsoft has "successfully" gotten OpenAI's multimodal variant, GPT-4V, to play DOOM, resulting in the researcher issuing a warning about the implications of advanced AI-powered systems.

Microsoft scientist gets AI to play DOOM but then issued a warning

The Microsoft scientist is Adrian de Wynter, who is also a researcher at the University of York in England, penned a recent research paper with the title "Will GPT-4 Run DOOM?". In short, GPT-4 cannot run DOOM as the large language model is unable to execute DOOM's source code directly. However, its multimodal variant, GPT-4V, or GPT-4 with Vision, which is a large language model designed to take in images and answer questions about them, was capable of acting as a "proxy for the engine".

To achieve this, Wynter designed a process that includes a Manager capturing screenshots of the game engine that are then sent to GPT-4V, which returns natural-language descriptions of those images. Those descriptions are then sent back to the Manager, which sends them to GPT-4, which replies with decisions based on the history it has been sent. Wynter combined that process with an Agent model that's designed to translate its responses into keystroke commands that are then entered into the game.

Continue reading: Microsoft scientist gets AI to play DOOM but then issued a warning (full post)

Accessibility could be a key iOS 18 and macOS 15 focus for Apple's 2024 launches

Oliver Haslam | Mobile Devices, Tablets & Phones | Mar 12, 2024 6:30 AM CDT

If Apple follows the release cadence that we're used to it will unveil the iOS 18 iPhone software and macOS 15 Mac software during an event in June before releasing them to the public this fall. And while Apple is yet to confirm anything about the new softwre releases, or indeed that they're even in the works, we're beginning to see leaks suggesting what iPhone and Mac owners should expect.

Accessibility could be a key iOS 18 and macOS 15 focus for Apple's 2024 launches

That report comes from MacRumors and cites industry sources when it says that Apple is working on a number of accessibility improvements as well as new fetures that should be part of the iOS 18 and macOS 15 software updates that are expected to be made available in or around September.

There are a number of improvements expected including Adaptive Voice Shortcuts. This feature allows users to map spoken phrases to an accessibility setting, including custom phrases. The idea is that people will be able to more easily toggle existing accessibility features on or off when neeed.

Continue reading: Accessibility could be a key iOS 18 and macOS 15 focus for Apple's 2024 launches (full post)