Google's new AI breakthrough is a 'big step forward' to creating 'life-saving treatments'

Jak Connor | Artificial Intelligence | Sep 24, 2023 11:07 PM CDT

Google DeepMind has created a new AI system that is capable of detecting genetic mutations that may lead to diseases.

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A new study published in the journal Science details a new AI model called AlphaMissense, which is an improvement on the AI model AlphaFold that DeepMind announced it achieved in 2020. As you can probably imagine, this AI model has been "fine-tuned" with genetic data from humans and primates, giving it its ability to detect what is called "missense" mutations, which are mutations that occur within a single letter of the DNA code.

Notably, these missense mutations can lead to illnesses such as cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, and cancer, but currently, levels of genetic disease hunters have only identified 0.1 percent of missense genes as good or bad. DeepMind's AI tool has now identified 71 million missense mutations, and of those has been able to classify 89% of the total variants as "either likely benign or likely pathogenic." This AI data has been released to the wider public in an effort to assist physicians around the world.

Continue reading: Google's new AI breakthrough is a 'big step forward' to creating 'life-saving treatments' (full post)

iPhone 16 Pro to get upgraded camera that may raise costs by 30%

Jak Connor | Mobile Devices, Tablets & Phones | Sep 24, 2023 10:20 PM CDT

In classic Apple fashion, the iPhone 15 Pro Max's tetraprism telephoto camera is expected to make its way into the next-generation iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max next year. However, there will be some changes, according to one industry analyst.

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It's typical of Apple's flagship Pro Max model to debut a new technology that eventually ends up in its cheaper models of iPhone once manufacturing and cost of that new technology reaches an appropriate level. According to industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in a new Medium post, he has heard news that Apple has asked its supplier of the iPhone 15 Max's new tetraprism telephoto lens to increase specifications for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max in order to keep up with demand.

The analyst says that Apple is asking its supplier to increase specifications in order to boost yields, but there is a problem that may fall back on consumers. This purported increase in specifications is said to come with a price increase of about 30%, taking the original cost of the telephoto lens from $6 to $6.50. It's unclear if this price hike will fall back on consumers.

Continue reading: iPhone 16 Pro to get upgraded camera that may raise costs by 30% (full post)

GeForce RTX 4090 is limited to 120 Hz on the dual 4K 240 Hz Samsung Odyssey G9 Neo monitor

Kosta Andreadis | Displays & Projectors | Sep 24, 2023 10:02 PM CDT

Recently, we had the chance to go hands-on with Samsung's Odyssey Neo G95NC, an impressive 57-inch 32:9 aspect ratio ultrawide gaming monitor. With its 1000R curvature, Quantum Matrix Technology (mini-LED) for brightness and contrast, 240Hz refresh rate (over DisplayPort 2.1 and HDMI 2.1), and 1ms response time, it's no wonder we called it "simply mind-blowing."

The GeForce RTX 4090 is unable to support the Samsung Odyssey Neo G95NC's maximum 8K 240 Hz output.

The GeForce RTX 4090 is unable to support the Samsung Odyssey Neo G95NC's maximum 8K 240 Hz output.

Throw in a resolution of 7,680 x 2,160, and Samsung is touting it as the world's first dual-4K gaming display - essentially two high-end 4K monitors Frankenstein-ed into a brand new monster. With a price tag of USD 2,499, the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 is a luxury item destined for the most lavish dedicated PC gaming spaces.

And with that, you'd assume that an incredible over-the-top beast of a gaming monitor would demand to be paired with the most powerful GPU currently available - the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. Well, it turns out there is one major problem. Connecting NVIDIA's flagship gaming GPU with Samsung's Odyssey Neo G9 limits the 8K (or dual 4K) output to 120 Hz.

Continue reading: GeForce RTX 4090 is limited to 120 Hz on the dual 4K 240 Hz Samsung Odyssey G9 Neo monitor (full post)

Here's how much titanium is actually in the iPhone 15 Pro and what it's worth

Jak Connor | Mobile Devices, Tablets & Phones | Sep 24, 2023 9:47 PM CDT

A YouTuber has taken apart Apple's recently released iPhone 15 Pro Max to see exactly how much titanium is present in the new chassis.

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Apple announced that its latest generation of iPhone Pro models will feature a new and improved titanium chassis that the company describes as an "aerospace-grade titanium design" that uses "the same alloy that spacecraft use for missions to Mars." Notably, Apple also states that due to the adoption of titanium, the latest Pro model devices are the lightest iPhone Pros ever released.

JerryRigEverything has put those statements from Apple and others to the test by completely dismantling a new iPhone 15 Pro Max. After removing the front glass and the myriad of tiny screws, the YouTuber uses an angle grinder to cut the chassis in half. The cross-section of the chassis reveals that Apple has used approximately 1mm of titanium to overlay an aluminum chassis. The titanium is on the outside, while the aluminum is on the inside.

Continue reading: Here's how much titanium is actually in the iPhone 15 Pro and what it's worth (full post)

Game Pass to make $8 billion revenue by 2030, Microsoft hopes

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Sep 24, 2023 3:03 PM CDT

Microsoft expects Xbox Game Pass to deliver nearly $8 billion in revenue by 2030.

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New leaks from Microsoft reveal ambitious plans for its $16 billion games division. The tech giant not only wants to make Xbox the top gaming console on the market, but it also wants to radically transform Xbox Game Pass into the leading and revenue-dominant gaming subscription available today.

Microsoft estimates that Xbox could by worth $36 billion by 2030, driven primarily by games sales, microtransactions, and purchases made on console, PC, and the cloud--in fact, Microsoft expects Xbox to make $16.9 billion from transactions by 2030, which is more than the total amount that Xbox makes today.

Continue reading: Game Pass to make $8 billion revenue by 2030, Microsoft hopes (full post)

Google, Apple, and Valve game revenues revealed in Xbox leaks

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Sep 24, 2023 1:59 PM CDT

New details from the Xbox leaks show how much revenue that the top 10 biggest video games companies make from all platforms.

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A bit ago, Microsoft accidentally leaked a wealth of valuable info about earnings, upcoming console plans, and games. It's the biggest leak in games history, and while Microsoft says that "a lot has changed" since the documents were new and present day, there's still some extremely interesting details that are worth exploring.

One of these details is a ranking of the top video games companies in terms of revenues. Microsoft's findings highlight some of the more cryptic data points in gaming, including both Google's and Apple's mobile gaming revenues. We've already seen how much money that Apple and Google make in 2022 and now we have figures for 2021.

Continue reading: Google, Apple, and Valve game revenues revealed in Xbox leaks (full post)

Sony is going all-out to sell more PlayStation 5 consoles

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Sep 23, 2023 4:31 PM CDT

Sony is doing all it can to persuade consumers to buy a PlayStation 5 console.

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Sony wants to ship 25 million PlayStation 5 consoles by April 2024. This is the largest console shipment in the history of gaming, and is one of the most ambitious targets that PlayStation could hope to accomplish. There's just one issue: Consumers are paring back their spending due to economic constraints, and Sony isn't selling as many PS5s as it would like.

Sony has responded by pulling out the big guns. We've seen price promotions with the PS5's MSRP dropping down to $449 across multiple stores like Best Buy, Target, and Walmart. That may have not been enough. Sony wants to maximize its chances in hitting that 25 million shipment target, so now all new PlayStation 5 owners will get a free first-party game to complement their new console.

Continue reading: Sony is going all-out to sell more PlayStation 5 consoles (full post)

Embracer spends more on platform fees than it does on games development

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Sep 23, 2023 3:43 PM CDT

Embracer Group CEO Lars Wingefors tells investors an interesting factoid: The company spends more on paying platform fees than it does to develop its own games.

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Now is a pretty challenging time for the Embracer Group. Like most publishers in 2023, Embracer is trying to stave off increased spending costs to offset what CEO Lars Wingefors calls "weaker consumer buying power". Making games is an expensive endeavor in the best of times, but today's economic situation makes things so dire that studios can almost close down soon after a game bombs on the market.

Platform fees are a big part of these higher costs. Publishers must pay specific amounts in order to have their games made available and sold on platforms like PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, Steam, and the Epic Games Store, as well as the more standardized 30% royalty fee per every game sold on consoles, PC, and mobile (Steam and Epic are flexible on this, with Epic taking a 15% cut, and Steam reducing its cut based on how much revenue is made).

Continue reading: Embracer spends more on platform fees than it does on games development (full post)

The Google Pixel 8 leaks continue with new renders and color options

Oliver Haslam | Mobile Devices, Tablets & Phones | Sep 23, 2023 9:47 AM CDT

It's no secret that Google is getting ready to announce its new phones in the coming weeks and while the models have never been a secret, they're starting to leak more and more. The latest leak comes via MySmartPrice and a number of high-resolution images that appear to confirm the colors of the unannounced handsets.

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We're already pretty sure that the new Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro will be announced in October and now this leak gives us our best look yet at what those phones will look like while confirming the colors that people will get to choose from. And those colors are a sight for sore eyes for anyone who doesn't like the rather muted look of Apple's new iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro lineups.

As the report notes, it now looks like the Google Pixel 8 will sell in Peony Rose, Grey, and Obsidian Black color options while people going for the Pro models can expect to choose between Sky Blue, Porcelain, and Black Obsidian.

Continue reading: The Google Pixel 8 leaks continue with new renders and color options (full post)

Apple explains why you'll need USB-C AirPods Pros to get lossless audio on your Vision Pro

Oliver Haslam | Audio, Sound & Speakers | Sep 23, 2023 9:28 AM CDT

When Apple announced the new iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max they also announced the terribly-named "AirPods Pro (2nd generation) with MagSafe Charging Case (USB‑C)." We're just going to call the USB-C AirPods Pro, but the real story is that they are the only earbuds that will support lossless audio when connected to the upcoming Apple Vison Pro headset. Nobody knew why given the fact that, bar that USB-C port, they weren't thought to be any different from the old earbuds. Turns out, they are.

Apple explains why you'll need USB-C AirPods Pros to get lossless audio on your Vision Pro

Now, Apple has confirmed exactly why you'll need those new USB-C AirPods Pro to be able to enjoy lossless Vision Pro audio. And it appears that they are more different from the older Lightning model than you might think.

According to Apple's VP of Sensing and Connectivity Ron Huang, speaking in a YouTube video from Brian Tong, you will indeed need the new USB-C AirPods Pro 2 to get the best audio from Vision Pro. The reason? While both second-generation AirPods Pro models have the H2 chip inside, the newer USB-C model comes with something a little extra - support for 5GHz connectivity.

Continue reading: Apple explains why you'll need USB-C AirPods Pros to get lossless audio on your Vision Pro (full post)