Latest News - Page 648

Intel's new special edition Core i9-14900KS processor is now out in the wild, but in the hands of legendary overclocker "Der8auer," it has been pushed to an all-core 6.0GHz using direct die cooling.

In its stock form, a CPU's die is found underneath a metal heat spreader, aka IHS (integrated heat spreader), with the heat generated by the processor transferred through a thermal interface material (TIM). We'll usually see thermal paste as the TIM, but the new special edition Core i9-14900KS processor uses indium.

Removing the IHS and then cooling the die directly offers greater thermal abilities, but direct die cooling isn't something special, as it's used for GPUs and non-socketed CPUs inside of laptops.

NVIDIA will unveil its next-generation Blackwell GPU architecture at GTC 2024... tomorrow, if you can believe it, detailing its new B100 AI GPU and giving us a tease at the beefed-up B200 AI GPU expected in 2025.

In a new post on X by "XpeaGPU," we hear that NVIDIA's new B100 is truly a monster: 2 x GPU dies on the latest TSMC CoWoS-L (Chip-on-Wafer-on-Substrate-L) 2.5D packaging technology, which allows companies to design and manufacture larger chips. NVIDIA's next-gen B100 will have up to 192GB of ultra-fast HBM3E memory on 8-Hi stacks, while the beefed-up B200 AI GPU will feature a huge 288GB of HBM3E memory.

NVIDIA's current H100 AI GPU ships with 80GB or 141GB of HBM3 memory, while its competitor, the AMD Instinct MI300X, ships with 192GB of HMB3 memory. The release of the B100 AI GPU will see NVIDIA match AMD for the amount of HBM memory, but NVIDIA's new B100 will have the new ultra-fast HBM3E memory and will be the first GPU with HBM3E to market.

There's been a lot of talk about the European Union and its Digital Markets Act in recent days and weeks, mostly surrounding Apple and the way the DMA has forced the company to begin offering support for third-party app stores and more within the bloc. Now, the latest mention of the DMA comes over in the world of Android with the news that the Google Pixel Launcher is rolling out the option to choose a new search provider in the EU.

The move means that people will be able to choose a new search option other than the default Google Search for the first time, something that is being done in order to better comply with the new DMA requirements that came into effect this month.

The new roll-out was first reported by people on the X social network who saw Google, DukDuckGo, and Ecosia as search options with some receiving a notification that offered the option to change the default search engine. This of course all relates to the search bar on the Home Screen.

WhatsApp is already one of the world's most popular instant messaging apps and parent company Meta continues to make steady improvements to the list of features that the app has to offer across a wide range of platforms. Now we're hearing that one of the improvements still being developed is the ability to pin more than three different chats for the first time.

The news comes via the WhatsApp beta watchers over at WABetaInfo and sure enough, it's the latest Android beta version of the WhatsApp app that has given us our first look at the feature in action.

The feature is currently live in the WhatsApp 2.24.6.13 beta release that's available for download by beta testers via the Google Play Store and the ability to pin more than three chats is working currently. There's a screenshot showing the feature above and the screenshot does suggest that there is still a limit with five being the maximum number of chats that can be pinned in this version.

When Apple announced the new M3 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air laptops the company took the decision to keep the M2 13-inch model around as the new entry-level option, priced at $999. That meant that there was no space in the lineup for the older M1 MacBook Air with Apple choosing to discontinue it entirely. However, those who still want to pick up the older 2020 model still can, and it's at an incredible price from an unlikely source.

That source is Walmart, making this the first time that the MacBook Air has been available from the company as a first-party sale. There were third-party sellers offering the laptop via the Walmart website but this is a first for Walmart proper. But that isn't even the most interesting part here - that distinction goes to the price that buyers will pay. At just $699, the M1 13-inch MacBook Air is a bargain and one that might be enough to get more than a few people to switch.

Switching from Windows to macOS is of course easier to do when you can get your hands on a bargain laptop at this kind of price and that could be a real benefit to Apple here. But this special price could also prove to be just low enough to get any Intel stalwarts to upgrade from their older model to a new Apple silicon Mac for the first time.

If you're in the market for a new smartwatch in 2024 you might have an unexpected option to consider if a new report is any indication. The report claims that while we already knew that there would likely be two new Samsung Galaxy Watch models to look forward to, there might actually be a secret third option in the mix.

That's according to a post on X by the known tipster @kro_roe that was spotted and then picked up by 9to5Google. Details are extremely hard to come by right now, but the report claims that there will be three models of Galaxy Watch 7 to choose from rather than the more familiar two.

As the 9to5Google report notes, there had already been reports of an additional square display-equipped version being launched to go with the normal Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch 7 Pro, but at this point, it's difficult to be sure what Samsung's plans really are.

Apple has agreed to pay a whopping $490 million to bring an end to a class action lawsuit that was led by a UK local council over the way its CEO Tim Cook described the demand for iPhones in a key market. It was argued that Cook misled investors by suggesting that demand was stronger than it really was and as a result. the UK's Norfolk County Council lost money.

The council had invested money as part of a pension fund that it administered and in a statement reported by the BBC it said that it would, where warranted, take decisive action to recover losses when pension holders are harmed by what it deemed fraud.

That fraud came about after an investor call on November 1 2018 when it was noted that there was so-called "sales pressure" in some countries. However, Cook reportedly told investors that he "would not put China in that category," a comment that seems to have been enough to convince investors like Norfolk County Council to buy shares in Apple. However, things soon proved to not be quite the way Cook had suggested that they were.

The Apple Vision Pro has now been on sale for a few weeks and the headset is reportedly expected to debut in additional countries beyond the United States within the next few weeks. This being such a new product for Apple the headset continues to undergo a number of changes with the latest being a new way for people to browse its App Store.

Previously, the only way to browse Apple Vision Pro apps and the App Store's various stories and promotions was to buy an Apple Vision Pro, something that isn't always viable for a variety of reasons. Now that's changed after Apple released a web-based version of the visionOS App Store for people to peruse at their leisure and on any device of their choosing. 9to5Mac was the first to spot the addition of a web-based App Store.

Visiting the visionOS App Store via a web browser gives you quick access to everything that you would likely need including a rundown of all of the new apps as well as the ability to go through a collection of curated apps as well as categories. Each app page includes screenshots and all of the details that you would expect to find, too.

Since the release of Tesla's Cybertruck, we have seen many owners put Tesla's toughness claims to the test by firing bullets at its stainless steel exterior, burning it, breaking windows, and more.

Wes Morrill, the lead engineer for the Cybertruck has had enough of these durability tests and has taken to X to ask owners to stop breaking the new EV as it has already lived a "tortured life for entertainment". Morrill wrote that Cybertruck has already been jumped on, kicked, burned, and shot at multiple times, which the engineer says is enough to soundly say "we've confirmed its tough".

Morrill is right. There have been many toughness tests popping up on YouTube, with my personal favorite being YouTuber JerryRigEverything deciding to fire a .50 caliber bullet at the metal exterior. Notably, most people who are purchasing a $100,000 vehicle aren't going to be doing a durability test, which means that the vast majority of owners aren't trying to break their new Cybertruck for entertainment - it's just the few who want to benchmark the vehicle for reviewing/reporting purposes.

In December, Ninja Theory, the developers behind the award-winning Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, released a trailer for the next installment in the series.

The trailer for Senua's Saga: Hellblade II was released at The Game Awards 2023 and showcased what I'm now considering to be the gold standard for video game trailers. The teaser showcased next-gen graphics, intense gameplay, phenomenal cinematic sequences, epic sound design, and incredible motion capture technology. Hellblade 2 will be set in "Viking Iceland," where Senua will journey to save those who have fallen victim to tyranny while attempting to overcome the darkness both within her and around her.

Notably, the in-game shots seen in the trailer were captured using the Xbox Series X, which is a testament to both the capabilities of Microsoft's flagship console and the work Ninja Theory has put into the title. Just like the in-game shots of the trailer, Ninja Theory's recently released screenshots were captured using "photo mode", which Ninja Theory says will be returning in Senua's Saga: Hellblade II.

SpaceX has recently conducted the third orbital test flight for Starship, launching the world's largest and most powerful rocket from Starbase, Texas, on March 14.

The launch was deemed an overall success as Starship, with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk taking to his personal X account to announce "Starship reached orbital velocity". Notably, the launch of Starship occurred on 22nd anniversary for the founding of SpaceX. While the third orbital test flight was a success, both the Super Heavy booster and Ship didn't make it back down to Earth, where it was scheduled to splash down in the Indian Ocean.

SpaceX decided to execute its RUD protocol, or Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly, or boom, due to communications with the rocket being severed. The nearly 400-foot rocket fired all 33 first-stage Raptor engines in the early morning hours on March 14, creating a massive plume of smoke and then a speedy ascent into the clouds.

The leaked PlayStation 5 Pro specs appear to be accurate, according to a new report from Insider Gaming.

Sony's new PS5 Pro sounds like a heavy upgrade over the original console. Recent reports from Moore's Law is Dead sparked debate among gamers, as the YouTuber outlined substantial power jumps with the Pro model. Now Insider Gaming's Tom Henderson says the leaks were real. Henderson, who has close ties with the going-ons in the industry, has since been proven trustworthy with his reporting.

Insider Gaming claims to have seen the leaked PS5 Pro documents and that the information came from a verifiable PlayStation developer portal. According to Henderson, the PS5 Pro codenamed "Trinity" will have 33.5TFLOPs of power, representing a 225% increase in raw performance over the base PlayStation 5 model. Apart from the sizable performance increase, the Pro is said to utilize two new advanced proprietary technologies: a built-in AI accelerator, and something called PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution Upscaling (PSSR), which is Sony's in-house answer to NVIDIA's DLSS and AMD's FSR upscalers.

The Embracer Group has divested another company, this time one of its biggest revenue-generating divisions.

Just years after the Great Expansion from COVID-19 spending, the games industry is now facing a Great Contraction. Companies are laying off workers en masse, cutting production budgets, and essentially stocking firewood for a harsh winter. This financial pressure has led Embracer Group, a once-mighty gaming empire with dozens of games in development at any one given time, to sell pieces of itself off in order to stabilize its accounts.

The reports were right. Embracer has chosen to sell Saber Interactive, one of its best-earning games divisions. The rationale is simple: Embracer wants to reduce its spending, and divesting a group will eliminate that group's production costs while also delivering a premium in the process. Saber Interactive CEO Matthew Karch bought Saber's independence, as well as the rights of 12 other studios for a total purchase price of $247 million. Karch opened a new company, Beacon Interactive, a Florida-based LLC for the rights buyout, and Beacon now owns the rights to these studios.

You may have heard a recent rumor about Intel's freshly arrived Core i9-14900KS processor which sounded improbable and concerned owners delidding the CPU.

Specifically, this was the idea that Intel was considering officially supporting delidding the 14900KS in its warranty for the chip - and well, it turns out that was true. Sort of.

By this we mean that as Moore's Law is Dead, the source of that rumor, has pointed out in a new video (above), overclocker Der8auer (below) has highlighted that there is warranty support for delidding, but with a big old catch.

The Apple Watch's primary mode of interaction is of course touching its display while Siri is also an option for those who aren't infuriated every time they use it. But when Apple released watchOS 10 and the new Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra last year it also added a new option: gestures. The Double Tap gesture allows people to tap their fingers together to interact with on-screen menus in much the same way they can when using the Apple Vision Pro, but it seems that Apple isn't finished. New gestures could be on the way.

That's according to a new report that points to an Apple patent that offers an array of different types of gestures that could potentially be used to interact with the Apple Watch without having to touch it. That could be hugely beneficial for a variety of reasons including a really simple one - using your Apple Watch when it's cold and you're wearing gloves.

In the case of this new patent, Apple includes a few different options including a flat palm with fingers outstretched and then moving the fingers from side to side horizontally. Apple hints that such a gesture could be used to answer calls or reply to messages, while another example is a clenched fist that could also trigger specific features or menus. Other examples of gestures mentioned include rotating the hand and holding it in a specific position while it's possible that Apple could generate more gestures in the future.

NVIDIA's Blackwell graphics cards of the GeForce variety are on target for later this year, and are set to offer the "biggest ever" generational performance lift from Team Green, if a new rumor is to be believed.

This comes from AGF on X (formerly Twitter), a leaker who has been quiet for some time, but has just appeared back on the scene.

In a fresh tweet (highlighted by RedGamingTech over on YouTube), AGF claims the gen-on-gen performance boost will be the largest stride forward NVIDIA has ever taken - at least in the contemporary era of GPUs, we assume - mainly because Blackwell was initially designed to go up against a monster RDNA 4 MCM flagship graphics card.

While Apple continues to refuse to enter the foldable smartphone market companies like Samsung and Huawei are going all-in. We're getting ever closer to the expected launch of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 lineup, and while there has previously been a single phone there will likely be two this time out. Now, a new report claims that one of those phones won't have a key feature that has previously been a cornerstone of the Galaxy Z Fold family.

With Samsung expected to try and make one of the two Galaxy Z Fold 6 devices cheap enough to appeal to a whole new audience, it's now been said that the company intends to drop support for the S Pen on that model. The stylus will continue to be supported on the high-end version, thought to be called Ultra, but those who look to save some cash are going to have to make do with stabbing at their phone screen with their finger rather than the S Pen which will be available to buyers of the more costly model.

That's all according to an ETNews report which also notes that a report by the display analysts at DSCC expect Huawei to surpass Samsung in the first quarter of the year in terms of global foldable smartphone market share. That's a big deal for Samsung and would mark the first time that there has been such a thing in the cards. The Huawei Mate is thought to be the reason behind the switch, but Samsung will hope that the launch of its Galaxy Z Fold 6 lineup can swing things back in its favor. That might explain the two-pronged approach here.

The Apple Vision Pro definitely isn't an impulse purchase for most people thanks to its $3,499 starting price. But that price could well turn out to be cheap when compared with the price that will likely be charged for a special 18-karat special edition version that is already being offered by Caviar.

Caviar is of course the Russian outfit that has built itself a reputation for launching custom phones and other devices the likes of which few can realistically afford. The company takes high-end iPhones and covers them in gold and leather as a matter of course, but things have been taken to a whole new level with this special Apple Vision Pro.

This Apple Vision Pro is what Caviar is calling a Rolls-Royce experience thanks in part to a new headband that is made from the legendary Connolly leather, the same outfit that supplies the British Royal Court and yes, Rolls-Royce. That leather is apparently soft yet durable and is considered by some to be one of the finest that money can buy. And now you can get it attached to Apple's spatial computer.

Unlike competitors like Samsung and Google, Apple is yet to enter the foldable phone market, but that is surely going to change sooner or later. Reports have so far suggested that the first foldable device to come out of Apple Park will be something similar to a 20-inch laptop device, but a new report suggests something more iPad-like is in the air.

That's according to a report by The Elec citing Omdia Kang Min-soo. They were speaking at the 2024 Korea Display Conference and when attention turned to Apple's foldable plans, they made it clear that we might not have to wait too much longer for Apple to enter the foldable fray.

According to the report Apple is expected to launch a foldable iPhone in 2026 with a display size of around seven or eight inches. Such a size would make the unfolded iPhone into something more akin to an iPad mini - the current iPad mini has an 8.3-inch display. It's thought that Apple could use the fact that the iPhone can turn into an iPad mini-like device as a key differentiator, especially when compared to competing foldable devices from the companies mentioned earlier. It remains to be seen whether iPad-like features, such as Stage Manager, would make the move to iOS as part of that move, however.

Apple patents tons of ideas all of the time and even incentivizes its employees to apply for patents as well. But not every patent turns into a product that you will eventually buy in the Apple Store, and a lot of them never do. One patent that has so far not launched first surfaced back in 2021 and allowed for a new AirPods case with a touchscreen display on the front. Now, it seems while Apple didn't launch such a thing, someone else did.

Counterfeit Apple accessories and devices are nothing new of course, and the United States says that it deals with hundreds of thousands of counterfeit AirPods reaching its shores every year. But there's so far been nothing quite like this.

The fake AirPods case was posted to the X social network by leaker @lipilipsi and spotted by MacRumors. There's a video that shows the touchscreen in use with various different kinds of information displayed when swiping from side to side.