Latest News - Page 697

X, the social network previously known as Twitter, has rolled out support for passkey authentication via its iPhone app. While the feature is currently only available on the iPhone we can of course expect it to roll out to other platforms, but the Eloon Musk-owned social network has not confirmed when we should expect that to happen.

The move comes shortly after it was confirmed that the SEC's account was compromised via SIM-swap hack and the lack of any multi-factor authentication but it isn't clear whether this move to add passkey support is related to that.

Passkeys are seen by some as a long-term replacement for usernames and passwords because they don't require that users remember any credentials. Instead, a passkey is generated by the user's device and stored and protected locally. Passkeys are then authenticated using biometric security such as Face ID or Touch ID.

If you're someone who is currently paying $11.99 per month for Netflix's cheapest ad-free tier you're going to have to find an alternative sooner rather than later. That's after the company confirmed that it plans to ditch the subscription for people who are already on it.

Netflix previously started to prevent new or returning customers from using the $11.99 per month tier in some countries last year but it had told customers who were already on it that they could continue to use it until told otherwise. Now, that's about to happen as Netflix confirms that Canada and the UK will be the first countries to see their users forced to switch. Following that, we can expect other countries to go the same way.

The move will mean that people will then have the $15.49 per month tier as the cheapest option if they don't want to watch ads, while the Premium option will remain at the very top of the pile at $22.99 per month.

A Taiwanese research institute has connected to the internet what is being reported as the nation's first home-grown quantum computer.

The announcement of the successful connection occurred on January 19 and details Taiwan's first domestically built quantum computer that will be used as a test bed for researchers both on-site and elsewhere around the world. Collaborators on the project include the University of California, Santa Barbara, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Industrial Technology Research Institute, the National Changhua Normal University, the National Central University, and the National Chung Hsin University.

Academia Sinica's website states the quantum computer was completed back in October last year, but it was only connected to the internet in January this year, marking a milestone in Taiwan's exponential development into quantum computing. The intent of this step forward in the quantum computing industry is to demonstrate the capabilities of the new technology by solving basic problems. After that has been successfully demonstrated, researchers can move on to the next breakthrough application.

Intel has just pushed out some new updates for the Linux kernel, which take care of the new Xeon "Sierra Forest" and "Clearwater Forest" CPUs, and now we have some more details on the all-E-Core CPUs.

The next-gen Intel Xeon "Sierra Forest" CPUs are expected to launch later on in 2024, while "Clearwater Forest" won't show its head until sometime in 2025, with both of them featuring their first basic patches that add model numbers. The new patches confirm something that was leaked: Intel will be using Darkmont E-Cores for "Clearwater Forest," while "Sierra Forest" and "Grand Ridge" both use Crestmont-based cores.

Phoronix reports that these new patches were labeled "urgent" and should roll out in perfect timing for Linux 3.8 kernel merge windows, showing that Intel is beginning its journey with its new Xeon "Sierra Forest" and "Clearwater Forest" processors, with more patches expected in the future. The new Linux 6.8 kernel has just reached the RC stage (Release Candidate), while the final version should hit sometime in March 2024.

Intel announced its next-gen Thunderbolt 5 standard last year, codenamed Barlow Bridge, with some monster specifications that we'll see introduced later this year inside of its next-gen Arrow Lake CPUs.

Now we've got some more information on Intel's plans with Thunderbolt 5 from hardware leaker "YuuKi_AnS" on X, who shared some new slides for the Barlow Bridge controller for Intel's next-gen Arrow Lake-S platform, so now we know Thunderbolt 5 connectivity will be featured on at least some next-gen Intel 800 series motherboards.

Intel will have support for the PCIe Gen4 x4 interface, offering up to 64Gbps of bandwidth... that's double the 32Gbps of bandwidth that is maxed out with Thunderbolt 3 and 4 while enabling users to use their Thunderbolt 5 connector for external GPUs of the future.

AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 24.1.1 is here, and it's a big one, with the latest Radeon graphics driver not only adding support for the brand new AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT 16GB (stay tuned for our full review), but it marks the official release of AMD Fluid Motion Frames (AFMF) - the driver-based frame generation technology for all Radeon RX 6000 and RX 7000 owners. Plus, Radeon 700M mobile cards too.

AFMF can be enabled in all DirectX 11 and 12 games globally on a per-game basis, and when paired with upscaling technology like FSR 2, it can "boost FPS up to 97% for a smoother gaming experience." AMD highlights the new Radeon RX 7600 XT specifically in the release notes while adding that AFMF preserves image quality by automatically disabling when fast movement is detected.

Like all frame generation, a baseline performance of around 60 FPS is recommended before turning it on - in addition to enabling AMD Radeon Anti-Lag to reduce in-game latency.

Pocketpair could have made over $130 million profit on Palworld.

Palworld, the smash-hit indie sensation that's taking over gaming, has become wildly successful with 6 million sales in 4 days. It's not just sales volume and revenue that's envied by billion-dollar publishers, though. Palworld also enjoys an incredibly high profit margin.

According to our calculations, Pocketpair could have made $130 million of profit on Palworld's game sales. Reports indicate that Palworld had a production budget of 1 billion yen. That's roughly $6.7 million in current yen-> USD exchange rates. For context, big-budget AAA games often have budgets in excess of $100 million, and these projects can go on to sell around 4-5 million copies and be considered a success.

AMD has teased its next-gen "Strix" and "Strix Halo" APUs inside of its open-source platform for CPU computation: ROCm. Check out the mentions of the new monster APUs below:

We've heard about "GFX1150" and "GFX1151" codes before, but now AMD is openly referring to them in ROCm commits. The new posts are based on the first Strix Point silicon that's called "STRIX1," which follows the naming scheme along with "PHOENIX1" APUs.

AMD's next-gen Strix Point APU is a mainstream silicon aimed at next-gen laptops, while Strix Halo will be the monster APU that will compete directly with Apple's new M-series processors.

Dragon's Dogma 2 game director wants to see more devs commit to engaging travel mechanics in RPGs.

Fast travel is one of the most convenient features in gaming, but what if you didn't have it? The game would have to be pretty compelling to keep your attention as you traveled through its world in real-time. The lack of fast travel something that Capcom's fantasy RPG series Dragon's Dogma is known for, and the game provides a unique experience as a result.

As Dragon's Dogma 2 director Hideaki Itsuno notes, RPGs could do a better job with how they approach traversal across the world. Just look at the robust discovery and engagement enjoyed in the modern Zelda duology and in Elden Ring as prime examples. If the worlds were more interesting, perhaps players may not even want to use fast travel.

Death Stranding Directors Cut is coming to the iPhone, iPad, and Mac on January 30, 505 Games has confirmed. The title, from Kojima Productions, was announced in 2023 but is only now getting an official release date and will lad before the month comes to an end.

Gamers will be able to play the new game on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max as well as any iPad or Mac that has an Apple M-series chip inside. That means that all modern machines will be good to go.

In the case of the iPhone, only devices with Apple's latest A17 Pro will be able to run Death Stranding which is why the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will be the only models capable of playing the title.

Apple has found itself in more hot water over the way it runs its iPhone App Store after it was forced to pay Russian regulators $13.4 million as a result of an antitrust fine. The move comes as Apple recently changed its App Store policies surrounding payment methods and this press release suggests it's Apple's previous stance that led to the fine.

That previous stance meant that App Store developers were not able to link to payment options outside the App Store or even inform customers that they might exist. The press release says that Apple also required that

"Apple forced Russian developers of iOS apps to use the company's payment tool in their apps," the regulator said in a report published by the Russian News Agency. "App Store rules prohibited iOS app developers from informing customers inside the app about the possibility of paying for purchases outside the App Store and using alternative payment methods," it continued.

Apple has long been rumored to have plans to launch a new 12,9-inch iPad alongside a refreshed 10,9-inch model, and now a new leak appears to have shared the gargantuan tablet. The leak comes in the form of new CAD renders which show the tablet from all angles including a rear that has a single camera and LED module.

The leak, which comes via 91Mobiles, shows the tablet will not have a Home button as you'd expect, while a camera will be placed at the top of the device. There is no indication that there is Face ID included in the iPad AIr with Touch ID instead being built right into the sleep/wake button just as is the case with the current 10.9-inch variant.

The new iPad Air will be powered by USB-C as you'd expect from a modern iPad, while the speaker grilles ar relocated at the top and bottom which should suggest stereo audio will be offered.

We've been hearing more from the rumor mill about AMD's next-gen GPUs courtesy of Moore's Law is Dead (MLID).

The YouTube leaker outlined some further thoughts and theories regarding AMD's incoming RDNA 4 graphics cards in his latest video (see above).

Apparently what we're going to get is the top RDNA 4 GPU targeting around RTX 4080 or 7900 XTX performance, but making this far more attractive by upping the value proposition considerably.

Ever since the iPhone was first released in 2007 the only way to install apps has been via the App Store, unless you went down the jailbreaking route of course. But that's all expected to change soon with customers in the EU likely to be allowed to sideload apps as soon as March.

That's the case thanks to an EU Digital Markets Act requirement for Apple to allow sideloading by March 6, and it's believed that Apple is getting ready to add support for sideloading in the upcoming iOS 17.4 release. That update hasn't begun beta testing yet, but MacRumors reports that it expects the first beta to be released as early as next week.

Apple CEO Tim Cook famously said that allowing app sideloading on the iPhone "would destroy the security of the iPhone and a lot of the privacy initiatives that we've built into the App Store." But that's a stance that is going to have to change by March 6. It isn't yet clear exactly how Apple will handle sideloading however, and it's likely that the company will still require that app developers pay it a commission based on sales made via iPhone apps. Apple recently began to allow developers to direct users to payment methods outside of the App Store, but it still requires a 27% commission on those sales, and something similar could be enforced with sideloading, too.

While Sony has adapted PlayStation Plus to be more like Xbox Game Pass, the Japanese company identifies potential issues with competitor tactics like day-one releases.

Sony Corp. CEO Kenichiro Yoshida has a very nuanced and level-headed approach to video game subscriptions. Rather than go all-in on subscriptions and services, Sony has kept its more traditional business models alive: Selling hardware at a profit with multiple revisions over time, relying on full game sales, and doubling-down on big AAA blockbusters sold at a premium on day one. This has led to a balanced business that delivered a record-breaking $26.9 billion revenues in FY22.

While Sony has broken from its traditions by bringing its games to PC and mobile (with cloud gaming already offered on PS Plus), the company has no plans to break one rule: No day-and-date releases. Sony is not eager to launch big PS5 games like Spider-Man 2 as part of PS Plus. Multiple sources (FTC v MSFT, Xbox docs, etc) have proven that day one Xbox Game Pass releases can "cannibalize," or jeopardize the sales of full games--Game Pass subscribers can avoid paying $69.99 per game.

If you own an older Honda Accord and have your eye on Apple CarPlay but don't want to have to buy a new car to get it, you might be in luck after it was reported that a retrofit option could be in the cards. What's more, Honda is thought to be adding wireless CarPlay, allowing people to use the feature without connecting any cables.

AutoBlog reports that while people are keeping their cars for longer than ever, Honda wants to find a way to give people a chance to use CarPlay without having to buy an entirely new vehicle. The report says that Honda will offer a retrofit option for the Accord model year 2018 to 2022 and that owners will be able to visit a website by the end of this month to schedule the service at one of its dealers.

However, Honda has not yet shared details about how much the new retrofit service will cost, although the report notes that Mazda offers a similar program for $199. That isn't an extortionate amount for people who want to be able to use a first-party solution rather than buy an aftermarket headset or display that they stick to their dashboard. The addition of wireless CarPlay rather than standard wired CarPlay is also a big boost here.

If you're an iPhone or Mac owner you might want to consider downloading new software updates that are available as of yesterday with Apple confirming that they both include security fixes. What's more, those security fixes relate to a vulnerability that may have been actively exploited in the wild.

The two software updates in question include iOS 17.3 for the iPhone and macOS 14.3 for the Mac, with both software updates now available for download via their respective software update mechanisms.

MacRumors reports that the fixes themselves both relate to a WebKit bug that could potentially allow maliciously crafted content to cause arbitrary code to be run on the devices in question. Apple's security webpage notes that it is aware of reports that the vulnerability could have been exploited which makes it all the more important that people update their devices as as soon as possible.

Apple's Vision Pro first went up for preorder on Friday, January 19 after it was first announced way back in June of 2023, but it won't go on sale until February 2. The headset is set to be a huge deal for Apple as it marks the company's first entry into a new market since the Apple Watch back in 2014. And now it appears that people who were able to get their preorders in quickly are already starting to see their headsets ship from Apple's factories.

That's according to a new report by 9to5Mac which notes that people who check their Apple Store order status will continue to see that it is preparing to ship. But as is the case with iPhone buyers around launch time people can instead head over to the UPS website and check their tracking there. Entering the orderer's phone number, sans the last two digits, as the reference number is often enough to find their order's delivery status. However, the 9to5Mac report does note that using the USPS My Choice platform is instead the better way to go thanks to unspecified changes to the normal tracking system.

In the case of the order checked by 9to5Mac, the Vision Pro order departed an Apple facility in Shanghai and weighed more than 10 pounds. However, this doesn't mean that anyone should expect the headset to start to arrive any time sooner than the February 2 release date. Apple often ships its preordered products out early like this before having couriers hold them locally to their delivery destination to ensure that they are available in good time.

Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida said in an interview with Norges Bank Investment Management that the PlayStation gaming experience will be expanded to PC, mobile, and cloud gaming.

If you ever believed that Sony, for whatever reason, would stop bringing titles over to other platforms such as PC, you can stop worrying; as Sony's CEO of Subscriptions has said during an interview, the company plans on expanding its efforts to bring PlayStation to as many gamers as possible.

PC ports of Sony titles began back in August 2020 with the release of Horizon Zero Dawn on PC and has continued with many titles such as God of War in 2022, Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, The Last of Us and many more. With these comments from Yoshida, and Sony's continuous effort to port titles over to PC, I believe it's quite safe to say that PC gamers will soon get many more PlayStation titles.

Last week Apple made pre-orders available for its highly anticipated Vision Pro mixed reality headset, and while the price is certainly high-end that didn't stop hundreds of thousands of people pre-ordering the device.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has estimated that Apple sold between 160,000 and 180,000 Vision Pro units over the weekend, a truly astonishing number considering the headset is priced at $3,499, and $4,000 with extras. While Apple is undoubtedly very happy with the number of pre-orders for its first-generation device, the company reportedly only has between 60,000 and 80,000 units in stock at launch on February 2.

The demand for the Vision Pro has resulted in delayed shipping times, with customers now being informed they will have to wait between five and seven weeks to receive their order, while in-store pick-up will also be unavailable. Notably, analysts believe that Apple will be able to reach 500,000 units in 2024, but after those orders are filled Vision Pro demand will begin to taper off.