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World's first Android desktop robot launches for $250 and it comes with a pet mode

Jak Connor | Science, Space, & Robotics | Jun 19, 2023 11:23 AM CDT

A company founded by a former founding member of Xiaomi has introduced the world to the very first Android desktop robot.

World's first Android desktop robot launches for $250 and it comes with a pet mode

The founding member of Xiaomi is Li Ming and under his company JoyfulRobotics he has launched the world's first Android desktop robot that comes with a $252 price tag. The small desktop robot features a 2.1-inch circular screen that has ear-like extensions on either side of the 'head'.

According to Li Ming, the world's first desktop robot uses JoyfulRobotics' own software called GeeUI, running on Android, that gives the robot interactive capabilities such as moveable legs that allow for left and right movement, an electronic pet mode, function mode, and a hybrid mode. Notably, the robot will receive over-the-air updates that will enable users to download Android applications and personalize their experience with their desktop buddy.

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Continue reading: World's first Android desktop robot launches for $250 and it comes with a pet mode (full post)

The Nothing Phone (2) is getting a naked cable and we want one

Oliver Haslam | Mobile Devices | Jun 19, 2023 11:08 AM CDT

The Nothing Phone (2) will be officially unveiled during an event on July 11 but you don't have to wait that long to see what the cable that it'll ship with looks like. And as far as cables go, this one's gotten our attention more than most.

The Nothing Phone (2) is getting a naked cable and we want one

If you're at all familiar with Nothing you'll know that it's a company that likes to make see-through products. It's done it with accessories in the past, like its wireless earbuds, and its phones have a see-through aesthetic as well. Now, so does its cable.

The cable appears to be your standard USB-C to USB-C affair, except you can see through the part that is normally covered in plastic. There's a rather lovely NOTHING text and a collection of what appears to be six holes. It isn't clear what they actually are, although some on the internet have suggested that they might be LEDs of some sort. We're not sure that we'd subscribe to that ourselves, but we wouldn't put anything past Carl Pei and the folks at Nothing.

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Continue reading: The Nothing Phone (2) is getting a naked cable and we want one (full post)

These leaked Pixel 8 display specs promise some big upgrades ahead

Oliver Haslam | Mobile Devices | Jun 19, 2023 10:49 AM CDT

If you're planning on picking up a Google Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro you're probably going to like what you're about to read, with both phones set to get some notable improvements in the display department.

These leaked Pixel 8 display specs promise some big upgrades ahead

In fact, some of these display changes will be noticeable even if you're upgrading from a Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro, with Android Authority reporting that this year's phones will have some big improvements.

Perhaps at the top of the list of improvements will be a new flat display for the Pixel 8 Pro, removing the slight curve that the Pixel 7 Pro offered. The display is going to drop in resolution slightly, however, but there is good news - the maximum brightness is increasing from 2,000 nits to a more impressive 1,600 nits.

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Continue reading: These leaked Pixel 8 display specs promise some big upgrades ahead (full post)

NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti GPU has dropped well below MSRP already

Darren Allan | Graphics Cards | Jun 19, 2023 10:00 AM CDT

NVIDIA's RTX 4060 Ti has been on shelves for less than a month, but this graphics card has already fallen considerably below its recommended retail price (MSRP) - or at least one model has.

NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti GPU has dropped well below MSRP already

That would be a version of the graphics card from MSI, to be precise, the company's Ventus GeForce RTX 4060 Ti OC (and yes, as the name indicates, this is an overclocked model).

Despite not being a base card, you can now get the MSI Ventus 2X for $380, which is a 5% discount or $20 off (as VideoCardz spotted).

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Continue reading: NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti GPU has dropped well below MSRP already (full post)

This 15-inch MacBook Air teardown confirms what we already knew - it's a bigger MacBook Air

Oliver Haslam | Laptops | Jun 19, 2023 9:12 AM CDT

When Apple announced the 15-inch MacBook Air during the WWDC 2023 event on June 5 it brought to an end months of rumors and speculation. And it gave us exactly what we expect it to give us - a MacBook Air that was just like the 13-inch model but butter.

This 15-inch MacBook Air teardown confirms what we already knew - it's a bigger MacBook Air

Now, the folks at iFixit have taken a new 15-inch MacBook Air apart to confirm just what's going on inside and then ascertain just how easily that laptop can be repaired. Apple hasn't done too well on that front in recent years, and as expected, the 15-inch MacBook Air is not going to change that anytime soon.

The iFixit teardown ultimately comes to the conclusion that the new MacBook Air is pretty poor in terms of repairability. The reasons all revolve around that M2 chip that's used to power the new laptop. Not only can that not be replaced, but the same goes for the RAM and storage because they're all so intricately connected to the chip itself. The RAM is actually part of the chip these days, making it impossible to upgrade.

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Continue reading: This 15-inch MacBook Air teardown confirms what we already knew - it's a bigger MacBook Air (full post)

This iPhone 15 upgrade is all about the Vision Pro headset

Oliver Haslam | Mobile Devices | Jun 19, 2023 8:57 AM CDT

The iPhone 15 lineup of phones will be announced later this year, assuming the rumors and Apple's previous release schedule are to be trusted. Now, a new report suggests that there is one specific upgrade the new phones will benefit from that's designed specifically to help build an ecosystem for the Vision Pro headset.

This iPhone 15 upgrade is all about the Vision Pro headset

That upgrade will be a new ultra wideband (UWB) chip, according to supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The upgraded chip could allow for a better connection between the iPhone 15 and the Vision Pro headset, making for improved performance and a better user experience.

Kup says that the iPhone 15 will likely get an upgraded UWB chip that will see the production process move from one that was based on a 16nm format to a new more advanced 7nm one. That would allow for improved performance but also reduced power consumption when working with other, nearby devices. Those devices could include other iPhones, HomePods, Apple Watches, and of course, the Vision Pro headset.

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Continue reading: This iPhone 15 upgrade is all about the Vision Pro headset (full post)

The iPhone 16 could get a huge Wi-Fi upgrade, analyst claims

Oliver Haslam | Mobile Devices | Jun 19, 2023 8:41 AM CDT

Sure, the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models aren't all that old yet and we still haven't had Apple confirm the existence of the iPhone 15 and Iphone 15 Pro, but attention is already starting to turn to what comes after that. And what comes after that is the iPhone 16.

The iPhone 16 could get a huge Wi-Fi upgrade, analyst claims

Now, supply chain analyst and altogether well-connected guy Ming-Chi Kuo has shared more details about what the next-next big thing will have to offer, specifically in terms of the iPhone 16's connectivity. According to him, the iPhone 16 series of phones will likely feature an upgraded Wi-Fi, likely Wi-Fi 7.

The upgraded Wi-Fi will obviously allow for faster app and game downloads as well as make it quicker to deal with iCloud for photo and video storage. But beyond that Kuo suggests that there might be another motive behind the speed bump - Apple's ecosystem.

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Continue reading: The iPhone 16 could get a huge Wi-Fi upgrade, analyst claims (full post)

Intel's faster Raptor Lake Refresh CPUs might be just around the corner

Darren Allan | Processors | Jun 19, 2023 8:35 AM CDT

Intel's Raptor Lake Refresh CPUs, which will presumably be labeled as its 14th-gen processors, could turn up in October, according to the latest buzz from the rumor mill.

Intel's faster Raptor Lake Refresh CPUs might be just around the corner

This comes from ECSM, a Chinese hardware leaker on Bilibili (so add plenty of seasoning with this one), who reckons that pepped-up Raptor Lake models will arrive in October, starting with 'K' models (unlocked chips).

The vanilla non-K CPUs from the 14th-gen will turn up in the following month, November, or maybe December, ECSM asserts. The leaker also informs us that there'll be a new 8+12 SKU (with 8 performance cores and 12 efficiency cores) to slot between the 8+16 flagship and 8+8 processors.

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Continue reading: Intel's faster Raptor Lake Refresh CPUs might be just around the corner (full post)

Stunning AirPods Max 2 concept borrows heavily from Vision Pro

Oliver Haslam | Audio | Jun 19, 2023 8:26 AM CDT

The AirPods Max are the best headphones that Apple makes today, and that includes the headphones that are made by the Apple-owned Beats brand as well. But they're due a refresh and while rumors of that happening have been hard to come by, this concept shows just how awesome it might be if it happens.

Stunning AirPods Max 2 concept borrows heavily from Vision Pro

What makes this concept so impressive is the way it borrows ideas from the Vision Pro AR/VR headset which itself also borrowed some ideas from the original AirPods Max. With that in mind, take a look at what Parker Ortolani has managed to create. Because it's stunning.

Ortolani says that his new AirPods Max 2 concept takes the Hs and H1 chips to offer new software capabilities that aren't currently available for the AirPods Max, nor will they be when Apple ships iOS 17 to the masses later this year.

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Continue reading: Stunning AirPods Max 2 concept borrows heavily from Vision Pro (full post)

US government to spend nearly $1 billion on upgrading America's high-speed internet

Jak Connor | Business, Financial & Legal | Jun 19, 2023 8:04 AM CDT

The Biden-Harris administration has announced $930 million will be thrown into expanding and strengthening America's high-speed internet access.

US government to spend nearly $1 billion on upgrading America's high-speed internet

The US Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced $930,021,354.34 to expand high-speed Internet infrastructure across 35 states. According to the Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, internet access is "no longer a luxury," and through the Middle Mile program, nearly a billion dollars will be invested in providing the infrastructure needed to "connect communities, military bases, and Tribal lands to the Internet, lower the cost of access, and increase bandwidth."

According to the release on the US Department of Commerce website, there are more than 260 applications that total $7.47 billion in funding requests. Additionally, the projects are expected to result in an additional 12,000 miles of new fiber cable being laid across the country. Notably, these new miles of fiber cable will be laid in the rural areas of Alaska, Texas, and dozens of other places where large gaps in connectivity exist.

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Continue reading: US government to spend nearly $1 billion on upgrading America's high-speed internet (full post)

Elon Musk reveals there's a Twitter app coming to Smart TVs that'll solve a major problem

Jak Connor | Business, Financial & Legal | Jun 19, 2023 7:09 AM CDT

Twitter is attempting to make a calculated shift into adopting video content, and the platform has recently shown this by enabling long-form content to be posted.

Elon Musk reveals there's a Twitter app coming to Smart TVs that'll solve a major problem

Twitter owner Elon Musk has previously discussed Twitter's push into video content while he was CEO of the company, and the general goal was echoed again during an investor presentation by Twitter's new CEO, Linda Yaccarino, who outlined the company's strategy to prioritize video content, along with more creator collaborations, and commerce partnerships. These strategies are designed to increase Twitter's overall revenue, which took a massive hit when Musk took over the company in October 2022.

Musk recently revealed in an interview that advertiser demands are costing Twitter about $2 Billion in ad revenue a year, with the Twitter owner quipping, "Freedom of speech is pretty expensive".

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Continue reading: Elon Musk reveals there's a Twitter app coming to Smart TVs that'll solve a major problem (full post)

xQc signs biggest streaming contract, now getting paid more than Lebron James

Jak Connor | Business, Financial & Legal | Jun 19, 2023 6:38 AM CDT

It was only a few days ago that Kick.com announced it signed Félix Lengyel (xQc), the world's most-watched streamer, in a new non-exclusive contract worth $100 million.

xQc signs biggest streaming contract, now getting paid more than Lebron James

Kick.com launched in 2022 and has been making waves in the streaming space by slowly picking up massive creators and pulling them away from Twitch with lucrative non-exclusive contracts. xQc announced that the recent deal with Kick.com promises as much as $100 million, including incentives, and according to xQc's agent Ryan Morrison, who spoke to The New York Times, this deal is bigger than most contracts signed by pro athletes.

Morrison is right, as xQc's deal means he's getting paid more than the likes of NBA superstars Lebron James and Steph Curry, who receive salaries of $44.47 and $48.07 million, according to ESPN. So, how can Kick.com afford to shell out $100 million to xQc? Kick.com is run by part-owner of Stake.com, Ed Craven, who has pushed Stake, the online casino, to a global gross revenue of $2.6 billion (2022). Kick.com is seemingly funded through the popularity of Kick.com, a correlation that is actually openly discussed by Craven in his Medium column.

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Continue reading: xQc signs biggest streaming contract, now getting paid more than Lebron James (full post)

Microsoft confirms it was attacked, causing an outage that may have affected millions

Jak Connor | Business, Financial & Legal | Jun 19, 2023 5:46 AM CDT

Microsoft has confirmed that an outage to its cloud servers was a result of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack and that the attack can be traced back to a malicious hacking group called Anonymous Sudan.

Microsoft confirms it was attacked, causing an outage that may have affected millions

Microsoft's servers experienced an outage earlier this month that knocked out key Microsoft services such as Outlook and OneDrive, while also affecting other areas of Microsoft's Azure cloud computing platform. While the servers were rocked, Microsoft kept quiet about the situation until it spoke out over the weekend, confirming the attack was a DDoS attack and that it appears Anonymous Sudan's claim of being responsible is true.

Microsoft has yet to say how many customers were affected by the outage, but with services such as Outlook and OneDrive offline, you can expect it to be at least in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions. Microsoft explained that it tracked the activity of what it identified as "Storm-1359" and found that the perpetrator appeared to be "focused on disruption and publicity".

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Continue reading: Microsoft confirms it was attacked, causing an outage that may have affected millions (full post)

Justin Roiland won't be returning to Rick and Morty despite charges being dismissed

Jak Connor | TV, Movies & Home Theatre | Jun 19, 2023 3:38 AM CDT

On January 25, 2023, Adult Swim announced that Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland would no longer be voicing Rick or Morty, following a myriad of serious incriminating allegations that have since been dropped.

Justin Roiland won't be returning to Rick and Morty despite charges being dismissed

Roiland was accused of domestic battery, corporal injury, and false imprisonment by menace, fraud, violence, or deceit against his former girlfriend in 2020. These accusations led to Roiland being dropped by Adult Swim, and the show announcing that Rick and Morty would continue and that staff are still continuing to work on season 7.

Roiland's lawyer at the time this matter was on track to being dismissed by the district attorney's office, then in late March, California prosecutors dropped the charges against Roiland, citing "a lack of sufficient evidence beyond a reasonable doubt".

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Continue reading: Justin Roiland won't be returning to Rick and Morty despite charges being dismissed (full post)

Scientists create world's first synthetic human embryo model that doesn't need sperm or an egg

Jak Connor | Science, Space, & Robotics | Jun 19, 2023 3:15 AM CDT

Scientists have used stem cells to create the world's first synthetic human embryo, raising important scientific and ethical questions among fellow researchers and the public.

Scientists create world's first synthetic human embryo model that doesn't need sperm or an egg

A new report from The Guardian revealed that a team of researchers from the University of Cambridge have manipulated stem cells to create the first completely synthetic human embryo. The researchers were able to grow the human embryonic stem cells into cells that lead to the creation of a placenta and a potentially functional human embryo, completely bypassing the need for sperm and eggs.

Notably, this scientific achievement raises important ethical as well as legal questions, especially in the US as there currently isn't any laws or regulations specifically for stem cell derived models of human embryos. It should be noted that these synthetic human embryo models were in the very earliest stages of development, meaning there was no beating heart or brain. Additionally, international law currently states that the embryo's can't be grown for more than 14 days.

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Continue reading: Scientists create world's first synthetic human embryo model that doesn't need sperm or an egg (full post)

Google warns its own staff about using the AI chatbot they created

Jak Connor | Artificial Intelligence | Jun 19, 2023 2:50 AM CDT

A new report claims Google is warning its employees about the dangers of AI-powered chatbots and how they should go about using them.

Google warns its own staff about using the AI chatbot they created

Reuters has reported that four people familiar with the matter have informed the publication that Google is warning its employees about chatbot dangers, which includes the company's own AI-powered chatbot, Bard. The warnings from the company are similar to what other companies have told their employees, which is to refrain from entering any confidential information, whether that be personal or company IP, into any chatbot as the information.

Why is entering confidential information into an AI chatbot a bad idea? Researchers have found that confidential or personal information entered into AI chatbots can and is read to by human reviewers and that the chatbot is also capable of bringing up this information when prompted appropriately. These facts mean that any AI chatbot is a potential information leak risk.

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Continue reading: Google warns its own staff about using the AI chatbot they created (full post)

MSI's GeForce RTX 4060 lineup revealed, with twin-fan compact Ventus and Gaming X models

Kosta Andreadis | Graphics Cards | Jun 19, 2023 2:02 AM CDT

With the GeForce RTX 4060 non-Ti GPU set to launch on June 29, MSI has revealed its line-up of cards ranging from the MSI GeForce RTX 4060 VENTUS 2X BLACK 8G OC to the premium MSI GeForce RTX 4060 GAMING X 8G.

MSI's GeForce RTX 4060 lineup revealed, with twin-fan compact Ventus and Gaming X models

Both options sport twin fans using MSI's latest cooling, TORX Fan 5.0 for the Gaming X and TORX Fan 4.0 for the Ventus, as well as a minimal two-slot look that is compact and tailor-made to fit in most cases and builds. Plus, very little in the way of RGB lighting.

The MSI GeForce RTX 4060 Ventus 2X comes in two flavors, representing the entry-level models from MSI sporting the black and grey look of the Ventus line-up. You're getting ample cooling with large fans, a heatsink, and a reinforced backplate - with the OC model featuring a 2490 MHz boost clock that can go up to 2505 MHz via MSI Center.

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Continue reading: MSI's GeForce RTX 4060 lineup revealed, with twin-fan compact Ventus and Gaming X models (full post)

Zotac's new flagship GeForce RTX 4090 PGF OC GPU is huge, it's 38 cm long

Kosta Andreadis | Graphics Cards | Jun 19, 2023 12:32 AM CDT

The new ZOTAC GeForce RTX 4090 PGF OC Edition, where the PGF stands for Prime Gamer Force, is the company's most premium RTX 4090 model and, at this stage, looks exclusive to the Chinese market. With a physical design reminiscent of Zotac's AMP Extreme series with the use of funky curves, it also happens to be one of the biggest GeForce RTX 4090 models to date.

Zotac's new flagship GeForce RTX 4090 PGF OC GPU is huge, it's 38 cm long

Length-wise, you're looking at 381mm or 38.1cm, which makes it one of the biggest GPUs to date - and that's saying something considering that most, if not all, GeForce RTX 4090 graphics cards are massive. The bigger size does reflect the new cooling deployed by Zotac, which includes three 110mm or 11cm fans, a vapor chamber, and a 24+4 phase VRM design delivering a total of 525W via a single 16-pin power connector.

The full dimensions for this monster are 381mm x 154mm x 74mm.

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Continue reading: Zotac's new flagship GeForce RTX 4090 PGF OC GPU is huge, it's 38 cm long (full post)

ASUS ROG Ally 319 firmware update lowers performance so ASUS says to hold off on updating

Kosta Andreadis | Gaming | Jun 18, 2023 11:57 PM CDT

The Ryzen Z1 Extreme-based ASUS ROG Ally has had a lot of eyes on it of late, with the impressive Windows PC gaming handheld giving Valve's extremely popular Steam Deck a run for its money in terms of performance and capabilities. Though, if you're one of the early adopters, you might want to hold off on updating the device to the latest 319 firmware - as reports out there point to it lowering in-game performance.

ASUS ROG Ally 319 firmware update lowers performance so ASUS says to hold off on updating

The update, available via the MyASUS app, fixes some bugs concerning the ASUS ROG Ally and its software, causing issues regarding everyday gaming on the handheld. In fact, the 319 update was intended to improve performance when using the 9W low-power preset.

Instead, you're getting overall performance degradation with the latest firmware, with the YouTube channel The Phawx showcasing that even across the various power modes, the benchmark results are noticeably worse, especially when it comes to things like 1% Lows, which are great for gauging the overall stability of a game.

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Continue reading: ASUS ROG Ally 319 firmware update lowers performance so ASUS says to hold off on updating (full post)

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 world record overclock hits an incredible 3.93 GHz

Kosta Andreadis | Graphics Cards | Jun 18, 2023 11:34 PM CDT

Overclocker CENS has pushed the clock speed on a GeForce RTX 4090 to new heights, passing the 3900 MHz barrier to hit an impressive 3930 MHz and sustain that for over 46 seconds. The number surpasses the previous best set by CENS of 3825 MHz and now sits in the top spot in HWBOT's GPUPI 3.3 32B ranking.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 world record overclock hits an incredible 3.93 GHz

The GPUPI benchmark isn't about pushing graphics or visuals but about observing peak frequency through complex mathematics. Interestingly, the Top 10 results are all GeForce RTX 4090 overclocks, pointing to NVIDIA's flagship GPU as the most powerful in raw performance and potential boost clock speeds. AMD is basically nowhere to be seen here.

Still, it's an impressive showing and another step towards a single GPU hitting 4 GHz, which this result is just 70 MHz shy of!

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Continue reading: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 world record overclock hits an incredible 3.93 GHz (full post)

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