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Nothing teases its new premium smartphone and it's coming to the US
The Nothing Phone (2) is coming and while we still don't exactly know when it'll arrive, we do now have more information than we did before. Like the fact that we can expect an announcement this summer.
That's what Nothing is saying on a teaser webpage that also shows us a little bit of a look at what the phone will look like. Not that we can see all that much, it's a severe close-up of what is likely the phone's back panel. We do see what appears to be a red notification light as well, but knowing Nothing it's possible that the light could do more than just tell you when you've got a new unread email.
As for the phone itself, we're expecting a premium device based on what we've been told so far. That's going to start with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip, which is as much as we have learned about the specs of this thing so far. There are some out there who remain disappointed that Nothing isn't using the latest flagship chip in the form of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, but the chip being used here should still be more than enough to make apps and games fly.
Continue reading: Nothing teases its new premium smartphone and it's coming to the US (full post)
First-party PlayStation PC games contributed to $2.5 billion earnings
Sony's PC gaming initiative is paying off big time, with its appropriate PlayStation games segment generating a record-breaking $2.5 billion in FY22 on the backs of five major PlayStation 5 titles.
PlayStation generated nearly $27 billion revenue in FY22, a new all-time high for console gaming's top platform-holder. This success was driven by multiple PlayStation segments delivering record-breaking revenues, including hardware ($8.3 billion), full game software sales ($6.4 billion), and the segment that includes Sony's PC gaming revenues.
According to Sony's latest earnings report, PlayStation made a considerable $2.51 billion from its Other segment, representing an increase of $842 million from last year. Sony had previously said that it expects to make $300 million from PC games in FY22, and its unknown how much of these total revenues are from PC games.
Continue reading: First-party PlayStation PC games contributed to $2.5 billion earnings (full post)
WhatsApp is fixing a longstanding problem on the iPhone
WhatsApp has long allowed people to move their chats from one device to another, but it required that they use iCloud as the middleman for that data. And that was fine for people who had the iCloud storage to spare or didn't have a ton of chats with a lot of media. But for everyone else, it was a problem.
Now, it seems that WhatsApp is working on fixing that by giving people another option entirely.
According to the WhatsApp watchers at WABetaInfo, the latest beta version of the iPhone WhatsApp app allows people to transfer their chats directly, without the need for any intermediaries. Instead, they simply scan a QR code on the donor iPhone and the chats automatically begin to sync to the new device.
Continue reading: WhatsApp is fixing a longstanding problem on the iPhone (full post)
Xbox Direct is 'the day gamers have been waiting for,' Microsoft promises
On the heels of Redfall's controversial release, Microsoft reminds us that the Xbox Direct is the big one we've been waiting for.
Just a bit ago, Microsoft released its debut $70 first-party game with Redfall. Things didn't go well and the game is being grilled by reviewers and players. Redfall's launch woes have reinforced the age-old belief that Xbox is on the brink of ruin due to its lack of hit games (one look at Xbox's financials tells a different story).
In an effort to seemingly curb these talks and reaffirm fans, Microsoft reminds everyone that the Xbox Games Showcase in June is "the day gamers have been waiting for," strongly indicating the June 11 stream could be the big blowout show that redeems the brand's image. Microsoft today confirmed that the Xbox Games Showcase will kick off on June 11 at 1PM EST on YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook.
NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti retailer leak gives us another clue about the GPU's spec
NVIDIA's RTX 4060 Ti graphics card has been spotted listed at an online retailer, with the Russian outfit spilling a couple of spec details that back up what we've already heard on the grapevine.
As VideoCardz spotted, well-known leaker @momomo_us flagged this up on Twitter, with the Russian retailer listing four Palit models of the RTX 4060 Ti. Those graphics cards show the much-rumored (and maligned) VRAM loadout of 8GB (GDDR6) and that the 4060 Ti will have a 128-bit memory bus.
Naturally, we should still be very cautious about accepting this as the truth about the spec of the RTX 4060 Ti, but as mentioned, it lines up with the previous chatter from the GPU grapevine.
NVIDIA RTX 3070 GPU finally drops well below MSRP - should you be tempted?
NVIDIA's RTX 3070 has finally sunk below its MSRP in the US and Europe, and those waiting for a more affordable Lovelace GPU - with the RTX 4060 Ti supposedly now on the horizon - might just be tempted to instead pull the trigger on this older mid-range Ampere graphics card.
Would that be a wise decision? We'll come back to that, but first, let's look at the recent price drops NVIDIA's RTX 3070 has witnessed.
As German tech site 3DCenter reports (via VideoCardz), over in Germany at retailer Caseking, there's a Zotac RTX 3070 for €449, which is €50 under the recommended price of €499.
NVIDIA says its AV1 video encoding on GeForce is better than AMD and Intel
Popular streaming tool OBS Studio just got a new release with version 29.1, bringing AV1 streaming to YouTube over Enhanced RTMP. As per NVIDIA's latest post, this is perfect for the GeForce RTX 40 Series line-up that features real-time AV1 hardware encoding as standard across desktop and laptop variants.
NVIDIA notes that not only does AV1 offer better image quality using the same bitrate as H.264 encoding on previous generation GeForce RTX GPUs, but the new GeForce RTX 40 Series is also 40% more efficient, meaning that you can stream at 4K using roughly half the bitrate to get the same result as using H.264.
NVENC, short for NVIDIA Encoder, puts all hardware encoding onto the GPU versus the CPU. With AV1 designed and becoming the standard for streaming, NVIDIA's latest graphics cards are ideal for content creators on platforms like YouTube and Twitch.
Colorful launches the watercooled iGame GeForce RTX 4070 Neptune OC-V
The GeForce RTX 4070 is the latest addition to the 40 Series line-up, representing the first affordable option ahead of the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti and RTX 4060 debuts in the coming months.
Per our reviews for the Founders Edition and MSI Ventus 3X models, we were impressed by the small and lightweight two-slot design - at least compared to beefier GPUs like the GeForce RTX 4080 and RTX 4090.
This makes the launch of the new Colorful iGame GeForce RTX 4070 Neptune OC-V, an all-in-one water-cooled RTX 4070 with a 240mm radiator, a little odd. The GeForce RTX 4070 in all four versions we tested was an exceptionally efficient GPU that rarely hit its 200W TGP, with fan speeds below 40%. And with that, temperatures were still the lowest for the GeForce RTX 40 Series.
Continue reading: Colorful launches the watercooled iGame GeForce RTX 4070 Neptune OC-V (full post)
Elon Musk reveals when SpaceX is expected to launch Starship again
Slated to be the mode of transportation that will put humans on the surface of Mars, Starship, SpaceX's newest rocket, maybe taking to the skies again for its second orbital launch attempt sooner than you might think.
SpaceX's Starship launch vehicle is the world's biggest and most powerful rocket, with the company only recently conducting the 394-foot-tall rocket's very first orbital test launch. Starship took to the skies on April 20, with its 33 Raptor engines generating a stunning 16.5 million pounds of thrust, which pushed the behemoth rocket above its launch tower and to an altitude of 24 miles before it was intentionally blown up by SpaceX engineers. SpaceX's objective was to see Starship's upper stage separate from its lower booster stage, which would send its upper stage on a quick journey around Earth that would result in a splashdown near Hawaii.
Unfortunately, SpaceX's first orbital test didn't go as planned as Super Heavy, Starship's lower stage booster failed to separate from its upper stage, causing the entire rocket to start tumbling and lose altitude. The malfunction made the mission objective impossible, and SpaceX employees were forced into initiating Starship's rapid disassembly protocol. Explode the rocket mid-air. Despite the failure to reach the objective, both SpaceX and company CEO Elon Musk celebrated the launch as the rocket achieved much more than they expected, with many predicting that Starship wouldn't even be able to get off the launch pad.
Continue reading: Elon Musk reveals when SpaceX is expected to launch Starship again (full post)
NASA's Webb telescope closes in on major breakthrough in discovering alien life
A group of researchers may be on the cusp of a major breakthrough in exoplanet science, which by extension, assists the search for life outside of Earth.
Astronomers have pointed NASA's James Webb Space Telescope's highly advanced instruments at the distant exoplanet called GJ 486 b, which orbits a red dwarf star in the Virgo Constellation 26 light-years away from Earth. This exoplanet has the mass of three times Earth, but is less than a third of our planet's size and orbits its host red dwarf star in less than 1.5 Earth days. Notably, GJ 486 b is likely tidally locked to its host star, which means that it will forever show one face of the planet to its host star, similar to how we can only see one side of the Moon.
So, why has GJ 486 b become of such interest to astronomers? Astronomers have observed GJ 486 b and discovered water vapor around the exoplanet, which could indicate the presence of an atmosphere on the planet. If this is proven to be true, it would be a massive discovery for exoplanet science as it would change how astronomers approach searching for habitable worlds in the universe, and, thus, the search for life outside of Earth. However, astronomers say that GJ 486 b's host star may be the culprit behind the water vapor and not the exoplanet's possible atmosphere.
Scientists say Earth is leaking signals that advanced aliens may soon detect
Humans have been searching for any evidence of life outside of Earth for many years now, and so far, we have drawn up a big blank. But what if alien life has already found us?
A team of researchers from two universities, The University of Manchester and the University of Mauritius proposed the question of if aliens are aware of life on Earth, how would they have become aware of it in the first place. More specifically, the team of scientists looked at how global radio signal leakage may be planetary flares for advanced alien civilizations to detect, which would essentially mean that currently, Earth is shining a spotlight out into pitch-black space.
The new study was published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society journal, and according to its results, the team found that only advanced alien civilizations would be able to detect Earth's radio signal leakage.
This viral AI-generated beer commercial is nightmare fuel you need to see
With the rise of artificial intelligence and its exponentially impressive capabilities, many individuals are worried their jobs will be at risk of replacement. Here's an example of why that future may not necessarily be right around the corner.
A video created entirely with AI-powered tools has gone viral on Twitter, and surprisingly, it's a commercial for a beer. The clip called "Synthetic Summer" is a 30-second long video that showcases an AI-generated house party with many people enjoying the advertised beverage. The commercial was created by Helen Power and Chris Boyle from the London-based production company Privateisland.tv.
According to Ars Technica, who wasn't able to reach Power or Boyle for comment before publishing, the video was seemingly created using Runway's Gen-2 AI model, which the publication says is able to generate short video clips based on user prompts in the same way OpenAI's ChatGPT provides responses to text prompts. The 30-second clip was paired with the iconic Shrek song "All-Star" by Smash Mouth, which played over a backyard barbecue scene.
Elon Musk fans deem the Twitter CEO '8-Bit Elon' after his hilarious livestream
Tesla, SpaceX, and Twitter CEO Elon Musk has tested out an old Twitter feature in front of his nearly 140 million followers.
Musk began a Twitter livestream from what appears to be Twitter HQ in San Francisco, and the Tesla CEO can be seen laughing at the quality of the livestream, the fact that people are able to see him, and that "hearts" kept appearing on the screen, presumably people liking the livestream. Musk can also be heard explaining to the viewers that they are simply testing out Twitter's livestreaming feature and identifying areas of improvement, such as the resolution.
Musk goes on to say that despite the resolution, the feature "works," which is quickly followed up by a Twitter staff member saying the livestream is using code from Periscope. Notably, Twitter acquired Periscope in 2015, and much of the popular apps' video/streaming code was integrated into Twitter. According to Musk's fellow Twitter engineers, this code has never been updated, and given the quality of the livestream, that seems to be true.
AMD reports a sizable operating loss as Ryzen revenue plummets in Q1 2023
Quarterly reports and financial documents for large tech companies are often a mix of numbers and figures that require digging to find some of the most interesting takeaways. And that's still certainly the case with AMD's latest Q1 2023 financial results, but with the current state of the PC market, it's hard not to see the historic operating loss of USD 145 million as a cause for concern.
Especially when you compare that to the last year's operating income of USD 951 million, making it a 115% decrease and the first overall loss for AMD in years. As AMD's business encompasses several sectors, the Client Segment covering AMD Ryzen products looks to have seen the most notable decline, with revenue down 65% year on year, from over USD 2 billion to USD 700 million.
This segment alone reported an operating loss of USD 172 million, a stark contrast to the rapid growth seen in the Embedded Segment, which saw massive growth with revenue up 163%. This is reflected in the following statement from AMD Chair and CEO Dr. Lisa Su, who notes that AMD will prioritize its data center and embedded portfolio.
People are emulating the new Zelda game on PC a week before its official release
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is one of the biggest game releases for 2023, with the Nintendo Switch exclusive set to launch globally on May 12. As a direct sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the hype is huge for this one - and that excitement has filtered into the emulation and hacking space.
It's no secret that Breath of the Wild was hacked and quickly became playable on PC after its 2017 debut, where in a few short years, we've seen several videos of the game running in 4K and even 8K with custom ray-tracing mods. With physical copies of the game being sold in some markets, the question of whether or not The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will be hacked or emulated when it launches has been answered. With a resounding, 'Oh, it'll be online before then.'
Although the popular Nintendo Switch emulator Ryujinx has been shown running the game on PC with a frame rate of somewhere between 20 to 30 fps, the platform maintains a strict anti-piracy stance (alongside fellow Switch emulator Yuzu), so any sort of official support or performance tweaks won't arrive until after the game debuts.
New GeForce drivers push Redfall performance into triple digits with DLSS 3
Xbox's first-party title Redfall is available now on Xbox Series X|S and PC, and as per our report earlier today, the overall reception has been pretty negative. With performance on PC and Xbox being highlighted by several reviewers as a significant issue, GeForce RTX 40 Series owners might be in the clear thanks to DLSS 3.
NVIDIA has just released GeForce Game Ready Driver 531.79, which adds support for Redfall, including DLSS Super Resolution, DLSS Frame Generation, and NVIDIA Reflex. According to NVIDIA's benchmarks, with the help of DLSS 3, Redfall performance across the entire GeForce RTX line-up hits over 100 frames-per-second in 4K. And with the aid of Reflex, latency is kept low.
The flagship GeForce RTX 4090 sees performance of up to 188 fps at 4K, an increase of over 71% compared to playing the game with DLSS disabled. The GeForce RTX 4080 managed up to 148 fps with DLSS 3, followed by the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti with up to 119 fps and the GeForce RTX 4070 with up to 104 fps.
PlayStation 5 to overtake PS4 in launch aligned sales by March 2024
The PlayStation 5 is still behind the PlayStation 4 in launch-aligned sales, but that will change by March 2024.
Sony's PlayStation 5 is on a hot streak. The console helped Sony generate record-breaking hardware revenues of $8.3 billion and the system also significantly contributed to a new all-time high of $27 billion for PlayStation revenues. Sony isn't done yet, and plans to ship 25 million consoles throughout Fiscal Year 2023 (April 2023 - March 2024), representing the largest production and shipment cycle in PlayStation history.
If Sony is able to achieve this goal, then the PlayStation 5 will overtake the PlayStation 4 for the first time ever. Sony had shipped a strong 19 million PS5s throughout last fiscal year, driving total PS5 unit shipments to 38.4 million. The current figures are still shy of the PS4's shipments across an aligned 10-quarter period (PS4 had 40.2 million vs the PS5's 48.4 million).
Continue reading: PlayStation 5 to overtake PS4 in launch aligned sales by March 2024 (full post)
New refer a friend program offers free 14-day PC Game Pass trials
Microsoft may have cancelled the popular $1 Game Pass trial promo, but a new deal has taken its place.
Microsoft today announced a new Game Pass refer a friend program that allows current Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Game Pass PC subscribers to share a 14-day free trial with up to 5 friends.
The trials are limited to PC Game Pass, so you won't be able to try the console version of Game Pass for free, and it's likely that Microsoft is trying to boost engagement, in-game spending, and games subscription adoption on Windows platforms. Microsoft management had recently announced that Game Pass and other subscriptions had generated nearly $1 billion from Jan - March 2023.
Continue reading: New refer a friend program offers free 14-day PC Game Pass trials (full post)
Xbox's first $70 game gets ridiculed by gamers
Xbox's debut $70 first-party game is here...and the game's reception is going as badly as it possibly could.
Redfall, one of the three main first-party Xbox games planned for 2023 behind the highly-anticipated Starfield and a new Forza entry, was released yesterday. Sadly, the game really didn't have much of a chance because it launched right into a controversy spawned from its 30FPS performance at launch.
Reviews gave players an idea of what to expect from Arkane Austin's middling live shooter, with many publications criticizing many of its core aspects including RPG content, badly-optimized multiplayer, unncessary loot grinding, and outrageously bad enemy interactions. Some YouTube reviewers even went so far as to say Redfall was one of the worst games of 2023. "Redfall has so many bugs that for more than two hours, we thought that the one of the bugs was a feature," ACG said.
Continue reading: Xbox's first $70 game gets ridiculed by gamers (full post)
Nintendo ordered to testify before FTC in Microsoft-Activision Merger case
Nintendo has been ordered by the FTC's chief administrative law judge to testify in the ongoing Microsoft-Activision merger lawsuit.
FTC Administrative Law Judge D. Michael Chappell has denied Nintendo of America's motion to quash a subpoena for testimony, and ruled that Nintendo executive Steve Singer must testify before the FTC's Complaint Counsel in the agency's lawsuit against the Microsoft-Activision merger.
Steve Singer serves as Nintendo of America's vice president of publisher and developer relations, and had directly negotiated the terms of the 10-year Call of Duty licensing deal with Microsoft and Activision on the behalf of Nintendo.






















