Latest News - Page 676

If you own an iPhone and want to install the iOS 17.3 update, you're now unfortunately out of luck. Apple is no longer allowing people to do that which means that iPhone owners have just a single release to choose from - it's iOS 17.3.1 or nothing, at least for now.

The change comes a week or so after Apple released iOS 17.3.1 to the public, an update that didn't bring any new features to the mix but did add a bug fix. That fix was related to a situation that could reportedly cause unexpected duplication or overlapping of text when typing, an issue that could be particularly irritating for those who suffered from it.

However, those who would prefer to install iOS 17.3 are now unable to do so after Apple stopped signing the update. Installing a version of iOS requires that it be authenticated by Apple and if that isn't the case, it can't be installed. Apple regularly stops signing older versions of iOS to ensure that people cannot install older, less secure versions of the iPhone's software. That can be vital to stopping people from jailbreaking or simply exploiting an old bug to gain access to an iPhone and its data.

NVIDIA has officially taken the wraps off of its new Eos supercomputer, which is an incredibly powerful new system that's aimed at AI applications. Check it out:

The new NVIDIA Eos supercomputer features 576 x NVIDIA DGX H100 systems; each of the individual DGX H100 systems has 8 x NVIDIA H100 AI GPUs, delivering a grand total of 4608 x NVIDIA H100 AI GPUs inside powering them. NVIDIA is using its in-house Quantum-2 InfiniBand architecture to connect them all, delivering some truly mind-blowing performance.

NVIDIA's powerful new H100-powered Eos AI supercomputer features 18.4 exaflops of FP8 AI performance, providing NVIDIA with a continued edge against the competition regarding AI performance. NVIDIA first revealed its new Eos supercomputer at the Supercomputing 2023 trade show in November 2023, but now it's here and ready to take on AI workloads.

We're witnessing a fairly steady flow of rumors around NVIDIA's RTX 5000 GPUs of late - or whatever Blackwell ends up being called - and the latest batch comes from a YouTube leaker.

This is RedGamingTech (RGT) who has been tapping sources to get fresh info on purported specs for Blackwell graphics cards, as well as news on the likely release timeframe.

Obviously as with any rumor, take all this with plenty of seasoning, and the caveat that even if these are NVIDIA's current plans being relayed back accurately, the relevant specs and other details may change as Blackwell is further developed.

RBO is a new game that's popped up on Steam and it's a sort of PvP version of Home Alone in a nutshell, from the maker of, and very much in the same vein as, Hello Neighbor.

Home Alone is a classic film (meaning it's terrible, like a good few classic films - though not all by any means, of course), but it looks like it'll translate into a rather smart multiplayer game.

The setup is, well, Home Alone, with one person, the 'protector' cast as the homeowner, and the others are 'intruders' who are trying to steal loot from the house.

No Man's Sky has a new update and the game will be free to play over the coming weekend, if you've never tried it, and wondered what all the fuss was about.

The expansive survival game set in space actually launched way back in 2016 - can you believe it was that long ago? - but has just got an expansion.

And with this Omega update, the publisher of No Man's Sky has made it so anyone can jump on and play, for free, from now until February 19. So you've got the entire weekend to get stuck in, see as much as you can, and work out whether this game is for you.

Another big for The TT Show, with Jak and Kosta going through a wide range of tech and science topics this week, kicking off with a look at the world's first AI desktop workstations with NIVIDA's Grace Hopper CPU and GPU Superchips. What does close to $50,000 get you? Basically, a supercomputer that can fit on a desk.

The duo also looked at fresh RDNA 4 specs and what to expect with the next-generation flagship Radeon GPU. It is a card that won't match the current Radeon RX 7900 XTX in performance but gets close enough on a more efficient and cost-effective node.

There's also a deep dive into Apple's plans to release foldable devices, what's inside an ancient intact chicken egg discovered by scientists, Windows 11's new DLSS-like AI features, and a recent experiment that put AI in war game scenarios. Yes, a few LLMs - including GPT - went nuclear.

NVIDIA's GeForce Now streaming service just added the usual bunch of games, and this week's crop includes some high-profile titles.

First up, we have support for Skull and Bones, the new open world coop epic for budding pirates (nautical pirates, that is, not software thieves). Earlier this week, NVIDIA announced DLSS support for Skull and Bones, to boot (albeit DLSS 2 rather than DLSS 3 frame generation, but it's still going to provide a nice frame rate boost).

Another major addition to the GeForce Now library this week is Halo: Infinite, the shooter which has been around for a few years now. It still has a thriving multiplayer community, in case you were wondering.

The portable storage solution market is stacked with viable options, but if you're after pure performance, look no further than the new Lexar Professional SL600 Portable SSD - which delivers up to 2,000MB/s read and write speeds - maximizing its USB 3.2 Gen2x2 interface.

Available in 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB capacities, Lexar's latest is all about catering to photographers, videographers, and content creators looking for speed, and it's available now at retailers like B&H, Adorama, and Best Buy Canada. And, as it's compatible with any device with a modern USB port, it's also great for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox gamers looking to expand storage without sacrificing overall speeds.

As a portable SSD, the Lexar Professional SL600 is designed to be taken on the go and features a durable aluminum case/enclosure that's shock and vibration-resistant. And for those conscious about transporting and transferring data, you've got access to Lexar DataShield 256-bit AES encryption software to protect files.

ASUS first showcased the new Zenbook Duo (2024) UX8406 at CES last month, where it immediately turned heads and garnered attention as a new one-of-a-kind device-a dual-screen laptop with a detachable keyboard designed to deliver a versatile and cutting-edge portable productivity experience.

It can be configured and used in multiple ways, with the ASUS Zenbook DUO having a traditional single-screen and keyboard setup that can also turn into two portrait displays in a book-like orientation with touchscreen functionality to a modern productivity setup with the dual screens and keyboard arranged to maximize comfort and use.

Hardware-wise, you've got the new AI-ready Intel Core Ultra 9-185H processor with Intel arc graphics, 1TB of PCIe 4.0 SSD storage, and 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM. As for the displays, you're looking at two 14-inch ASUS Lumina OLED displays with a 2880x1800 resolution, 500-nit HDR peak brightness, 120Hz refresh rate, and 100% DCI-P3 color accuracy.

OpenAI has just announced its latest tool -- Sora -- which will generate videos from text prompts, and it has truly incredible videos out before the new tool has been officially released. Check it out:

OpenAI posted on X about Sora, teasing: "Sora can create videos of up to 60 seconds featuring highly detailed scenes, complex camera motion, and multiple characters with vibrant emotions". The new model is named "Sora" after the Japanese word for "sky" and can produce impressive video results up to 60 seconds long just from a text prompt.

OpenAI explained on its website: "We're teaching AI to understand and simulate the physical world in motion, with the goal of training models that help people solve problems that require real-world interaction".

With countless headsets designed for PC gaming and audio, there's seemingly only a fraction of that attention placed on PC desktop speakers - those two (or more) portable speakers you sit on either side of your display or desk. If you're in the market for some portable desktop speakers for gaming and other media, you might want to check out the new Creative Pebble X and Creative Pebble X Plus desktop speakers.

The latest iteration of the circular and stylish Pebble series of speakers features enhanced and custom-tune 2.75-inch drivers angled at 45 degrees; they're small but can deliver big sound. Each speaker offers up to 15W for a peak of 30W while connected to a USB-C port - which increases to 30W and a peak output of 60W when connected to a power adapter.

This dual functionality is excellent, with the Creative Pebble X Plus including a cube-shaped 3.5-inch subwoofer compact enough to sit on a desk.

Samsung has reportedly won a contract from a Japanese startup, building their new chips on Samsung's fresh 2nm process node... taking the 2nm battle to TSMC's doorstep in 2025 and beyond.

Japan's Preferred Networks (PFN) is a startup that specializes in research and development of deep learning for IoT applications and is often referred to as the most advanced firm in Japan through its resources and expertise in developing custom software and supplying various customers with supercomputers.

In a new report from Seoul Economic Daily, Samsung has reportedly inked a new deal with PFN that would see both companies benefitting. PFN gets its hands on the latest chip technology that allows it to have an advantage over its competitors, while Samsung gets to talk up its foundry business pumping out 2nm chips against TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company).

Dune: Part Two is one of the most anticipated movie releases of the year, with the epic sci-fi sequel set to hit theatres and IMAX screens on March 1, 2024. Microsoft has partnered with Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures to celebrate the release, and there are a couple of cool treats for fans on the horizon.

First, Microsoft Flight Simulator is getting a Dune-themed update, taking players beyond its incredible 1:1 recreation of Earth for the first time. Players can pilot a realistic recreation of the insect-like Royal Atreides Ornithopter on the iconic spice-filled planet of Arrakis. The Dune expansion includes three new tutorials covering take-off, landing, freefall flying, and six activities, including "a daring rescue mission where aviators must save their flight instructor before a massive sandstorm engulfs him."

Which is reminiscent of that tense rescue scene from Dune: Part One. In addition to the Microsoft Flight Simulator expansion, Microsoft is giving away a custom Xbox Series S with an elaborate Ornithopter Stand and the "world's first floating Xbox controller."

Lian Li recently hosted its 2024 Digital Expo event on YouTube, sharing updates on prototype cases, a standing desk, new concepts for all-in-one (AIO) coolers, and new power supplies that are on the way.

The new prototype Lian Li SUP-01 is a new case that experiments with a front GPU layout, while the new AIO cooler is the GALAHAD II LCD SHIFT that the company minimizes the tubing with, while a new EDGE Series PSU is a new form factory power supply that solves cable access in dual chamber cases.

Lian Li also unveiled its new DK-07 standing desk with a glass top covering the component chamber, surrounded by aluminum panels, and a built-in 30-inch LG transparent OLED display as a secondary monitor without obscuring the system. It looks beautiful, and I'd love to see what it'd be like in the flesh.

AMD's Ryzen 9 7900X3D processor has just dropped in price, down from $459 to just $409 right now... a damn good deal considering the CPU launched for $599.

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D processor launched for $599, rocking 12 cores and 24 threads of Zen 4 processing power with second-gen 3D V-Cache technology. The 12 cores and 24 threads boost up to 5.6GHz and rock 140MB of cache, all sitting on a power-sipping 120W TDP (compared to Intel's upcoming Core i9-14900KS special edition CPU pushing 400W+ and some).

Throughout 2023, pricing on the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D was pretty steady at around $500, but then in January 2024, we saw a discount bringing the price of the CPU down to $460, and now there's another $50 discount, dropping the 7900X3D to just $409.

AMD's FSR 3 or FidelityFX Super Resolution 3 with frame generation launched in September 2023 alongside the Radeon RX 7700 XT and Radeon RX 7800 XT. However, with support in just two games on day one, and only a handful more added by the year's end, adoption for AMD's answer to DLSS 3 has been slow... to say the least.

The good news is that January 2024 saw more games add FSR 3 support than the first four months of the technology. The adoption looks to be picking up steam thanks to FSR 3's improved performance in games like Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and AMD confirming that its latency reduction tech Anti-Lag + (a key component of frame generation) is finally coming back.

And with that, AMD has updated its list of games with FSR 3 and FSR 2 support, and those 'coming soon.' FSR 3 includes both Super Resolution upscaling and Frame Generation, with FSR 2 including Super Resolution only. Here's a look at the current slate of PC games with FSR.

NVIDIA released its GeForce RTX 2080 Ti graphics card five years ago, launching with 11GB of VRAM, but now modders are doubling that to 22GB of VRAM and selling them on eBay as AI GPUs.

The US sanctions on China have stopped high-powered graphics cards from entering the country, with the likes of the GeForce RTX 4090 banned, which is why we saw the introduction of the modified GeForce RTX 4090 D sent to China. We've seen modders in the country taking apart gaming graphics cards and turning them into AI GPUs, and now we've got modded RTX 2080 Ti cards hitting the market. Oh boy.

The modded consumer-based gaming-ready GeForce RTX 2080 Ti has been modded, rocking 22GB of VRAM, which is far better than 11GB for AI workloads. The VRAM acts as a high-speed buffer for those huge AI datasets, complex models, and calculations that are needed for AI workloads. Interesting move, modders.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has pushed out new guidance on inventorship for AI-powered inventions, stating that only humans can hold patents.

The USPTO said that AI systems can help out during the creative process, but only natural persons (human beings) who make significant contributions to the conception of an invention can be named as inventors. This means that AI models can't just pump out patent ideas without considerable human input, stopping patent hoarding by AIs.

An AI model can't be named as an inventor, or even a joint inventor, on a patent. But, an AI helping out in the creation of that invention doesn't mean that the human being working on it can't hold the patent. The USPTO explains: "While AI systems and other non-natural persons cannot be listed as inventors on patent applications or patents, the use of an AI system by a natural person(s) does not preclude a natural person(s) from qualifying as an inventor (or joint inventors) if the natural person(s) significantly contributed to the claimed invention".

Microsoft gaming CEO Phil Spencer discusses some of the reasons why Xbox games are coming over to other platforms.

Gaming is at crossroads right now. Games have grown far beyond consoles, and now platform-holders like Microsoft and even Sony are eyeing expansion. Microsoft has expanded through content and services, keeping the bulk of its first-party games exclusive to Xbox. But with Xbox consoles hitting saturation levels, Microsoft now wants to expand to other platforms--even rivals like PlayStation and Nintendo.

Microsoft has announced plans to release previously-exclusive Xbox games to PlayStation and Nintendo Switch. On paper, this decision makes sense: The PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch have a combined shipment base of nearly 200 million units, compared to the estimated 27 million Xbox Series installed base.

Intel's upcoming flagship Core i9-14900KS isn't too far away now, rocking incredible 6.2GHz boost CPU clock speeds and over 400W of power consumption... yeah, you read that right: over four hundred watts of power.

The new limited edition processor will be the first CPU in the world with a clock speed surpassing 6.0GHz, with the previous Core i9-13900KS special edition CPU hitting up to 6.0GHz as well as the current Core i9-14900K hitting the 6000MHz frequency barrier.

Intel's new Core i9-14900KS processor will be the fastest consumer-focused CPU in the 14th Gen Core "Raptor Lake Refresh" CPU family until we get next-gen processors later this year and into 2025. We recently saw the full specifications of Intel's upcoming Core i9-14900KS through leaked OCCT tests, getting all the details we need before the big launch in March.