Arm’s future CPU designs may finally catch up with Intel in laptops by 2020
Arm publicly disclosed its CPU road map for the first time on Thursday, covering chip designs that will be released through 2020. Typically disclosed under an NDA, the company came forward with its plans to show how its CPU designs will advance the always-on, always-connected laptop experience.
AMD Threadripper 2990WX hits 6GHz under liquid nitrogen overclock
An overclocker has managed to push AMD's new Threadripper 2990WX 32-core, 64-thread CPU to 6GHz with the help of a lot of liquid nitrogen. Supercooling made it possible to take the chip almost 50 percent higher than its standard boost clock and double its stock base clock, though it was only on one core.
Intel teases new dedicated graphics card slated for 2020 release
Intel doubled down on its plans to release its first dedicated graphics card in 20 years. Teased during a short video at the Siggraph 2018 conference, Intel promised to "set our graphics free" with a brand-new graphics card silhouetted amid talk of all of Intel's advancements in graphics technology over the years.
Asus claims ‘world’s thinnest’ title with its new Zephyrus S gaming laptop
The Republic of Gamers arm at Asus is claiming “world’s thinnest” with the introduction of its new Zephyrus S gaming laptop measuring just 0.58 inches at its thinnest point. The company also revealed the Strix SCAR II that crams a 17.3-inch screen into a 15.7-inch chassis.
Intel serves up ‘Bean Canyon’ NUCs revved with ‘Coffee Lake’ CPUs
Looking for a super-compact PC for streaming media that doesn’t break the bank? Intel updated its NUC family with its new “Bean Canyon” kits. Currently, there are five with a starting price of $300 packing eighth-generation Intel Core CPUs. But you’ll also still need memory, storage, and an operating system.
The Andromeda botnet still lingers as nations struggle to clean infected PCs
A report published by Fortinet suggests that although the FBI and European law enforcement ended the Andromeda botnet’s reign in late 2017, there are still systems infected with the malware. The process of cleaning up the infected PCs isn’t progressing at the same pace across various regions.
Steam survey shows PC gamers are still mostly playing in 1080p and lower
Valve Software’s latest hardware and software survey for July reveals that 63.72 percent of Steam’s registered members still play games with a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution. Even more, 13.33 percent of Steam’s gamers play at 1,366 x 768 while only 1.14 percent are playing at 3,840 x 2,160.
The browser-based Monero miner Coinhive generates around $250,000 each month
A report reveals that despite a dramatic fall in cryptocurrency mining, the Coinhive JavaScript-based miner is still highly active, generating around $250,000 worth of digital Monero coins each month. Coinhive also contributes 1.18 percent of the total mining power behind the Monero blockchain.
Nvidia’s Turing chip reinvents computer graphics (but not for gaming)
Nvidia introduced its latest graphics chip design called “Turing” during the SIGGRAPH 2018 conference. Rumored to be the foundation of Nvidia’s next family of GeForce cards, the company instead showcased its new design in Quadro RTX-branded cards: The Quadro RTX 8000, the RTX 6000 and the RTX 5000.
Nvidia teases new GeForce RTX 2080 launch at Gamescom next week
Nvidia posted a YouTube video teasing that gamers may have something exciting to look forward to at Gamescom 2018. There are hints that Nvidia will launch its flagship GeForce RTX 2080 graphics chip at the event, and the teaser follows news of Nvidia's launch of the Quadro RTX 8000 GPU.
Pricing and lack of content are still barriers against the adoption of VR
A recent survey questioned 595 VR and AR professionals about their business growth in the consumer and enterprise markets. It shows that 24 percent of the respondents report strong sales in the enterprise market while only 18 percent show strong sales in the consumer market.
Researchers hack John McAfee’s ‘unhackable’ Bitfi cryptocurrency wallet
John McAffee had teamed up to promote the security of Bitfi's cryptocurrency wallet by inviting hackers to attempt to break in with a bug bounty reward. It seems that researchers took the bait, and McAffee's Bitfi wallet can now be deemed successfully hacked.
Apple preps production of updated MacBook Air for a 2018 launch
Apple is expected to rely on Quanta to manufacture its low-cost Mac laptop, and production is expected to begin soon for the device to launch before the year is over. Previous rumors suggest that the MacBook Air replacement could ship with Intel's eighth-gen chips and a Retina display.
Google may launch two Pixelbook 2 laptops in October
Google may show off its second-generation Pixelbook laptop in October, with a new rumor suggesting there will be two variations. While both may be built on a Kaby Lake, eighth-generation platform, one may launch with a new keyboard design, currently code-named Whiskers, and both should have thinner bezels.
AMD’s new 32-core Ryzen Threadripper chip is out, and you can get one for free
AMD’s new 32-core Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX desktop CPU is now available for a hefty $1,800. It’s compatible with motherboards packing the TR4 socket and the X399 chipset. The only other new Threadripper chip arriving this month will be the 16-core Threadripper 2950X, which costs half the price.
Intel’s ninth-generation CPUs could launch on October 1
New rumors suggest that Intel could launch its new-generation CPUs as soon as October 1, bringing the 9900K, 9700K, and 9600K chips to consumers eager for more power and better multithreaded support. This rumor backs up slides seen earlier this year that suggested Intel's new chips would debut in late 2018.
At Def Con, children show how easy it can be to hack an election
How hard is it to hack a voting machine or government website? Well, it turns out that it is literally child's play. Def Con, an annual hacker's convention meeting in Las Vegas, tasked a group of children with hacking replica government websites -- and many proved successful.
Lenovo’s new mobile workstations pack a punch with Xeon CPUs, Quadro graphics
Lenovo introduced two new mobile workstations arriving at the end of August that are based on eighth-generation Intel Core and Xeon processors. The ThinkPad P1 is the thinnest of the two, measuring 0.7 inches while the bigger ThinkPad P72 is thicker at 1 inch. Both support huge amounts of system memory.
Why stop at one? Nvidia’s rumored GTX 1180 might double down on cooling fans
A rumor stemming from the leaked printed circuit board for the GeForce GTX 1180 graphics card claims that Nvidia redesigned the drum fan to accommodate a dual-fan design. This rumor specifically focuses on the Founders Edition model, which would make it the first Founders Edition card with two fans.
A brand-new Mac can be hacked remotely during its first Wi-Fi connection
Although Apple has since patched a security vulnerability with MacOS 10.13.6, companies issuing Macs to employees will want to be wary of a flaw that allows hackers to inject malicious software when a Mac connects to Wi-Fi for the first time during setup and eventually penetrate a corporate network.
Hacker plays ‘Doom’ on John McAfee’s ‘unhackable’ BitFi Bitcoin wallet
A hacker has managed to get Doom running on John McAfee's allegedly unhackable Bitcoin wallet by rooting the device. Although that didn't qualify him for the $250,000 award for stealing the coins from the wallet's storage, it does suggest that hackers aren't far from completing that supposedly impossible feat.
Microsoft uses fish cams to monitor undersea Project Natick data center
Microsoft added two new undersea cameras to help it track and monitor the environmental conditions near its Project Natick data center. The results could help Microsoft evaluate plans to locate more data centers along the seafloor. For now, internet users can enjoy the calming fish imagery.
Intel’s ruler-shaped SSD packs 32TB of storage, aims to redesign servers
Intel now provides what it deems as the world’s densest and totally silent solid-state drive, but you’ll never install it in your desktop PC. Instead, it’s a long device resembling an old 12-inch ruler that’s designed to bring 32TB of speedy storage to data centers. It joins two other “ruler” SSDs.
Google Chrome now shows browser notifications in Windows 10 Action Center
With the latest Chrome 68 update, Windows 10 users who rely on Google's Chrome browser will begin to see a change on how Chrome displays notification. Google will be switching away from its custom notification engine and instead display browser notifications in Windows 10's Action Center.
Georgia under fire for lax voting security after precinct’s 243-percent turnout
A federal lawsuit against the state of Georgia has revealed a number of curious events that took place during the primary election in Mayh 2018. Voters were sent to the wrong precincts, voting machines crashed, and in one case voter turnout was 243 percent of the total residents of that precinct.
Microsoft finishes turning File Explorer dark in latest Windows update
Microsoft has a new Build 17733 of Windows 10 for members of the Windows Insider program. Insiders who download the latest release will get to experience Microsoft's completed work on bringing a dark theme to File Explorer. There are a number of improvements, but the update also introduces some known bugs.
Network routers with roaming enabled are likely susceptible to a new attack
Jens Steube discovered a new method to break into network routers. He was researching new ways to attack the WPA3 security standard but stumbled onto an attack technique capable of cracking hashed passwords based on the Wi-Fi Protected Access Pre-Shared Key (WPA-PSK) security standard.
Facebook takes aim at Tinder and Bumble with its own dating service
When Mark Zuckerberg took the stage at Facebook's F8 developer conference to discuss the future of Facebook and its properties -- like Instagram -- one of the first new features he announced was a surprise. Facebook is going to get into the dating game. Now, we've learned more about the service.
BenQ’s curvy new QHD display for gamers supports AMD’s FreeSync 2 tech
Gamers looking for a monitor supporting AMD’s FreeSync 2 technology now have a new option from BenQ: The EX3203R. Available now for $700, it’s a 32-inch curved display with a QHD resolution, an 1800R curvature, and a 144Hz refresh rate. It's DisplayHDR 400-certified, too.
Programmer trains artificial intelligence to draw faces from text descriptions
Programmer Animesh Karnewar wanted to know how characters described in books would appear in reality, so he turned to artificial intelligence to see if it could properly render these fictional people. He used machine learning to train the A.I. using 400 random images and their text descriptions.
Canon drops 5 new printers to round out its PIXMA lineup
Canon doesn't appear interested in streamlining its printer lineup. In this round of updates, Canon has released five new printers for its PIXMA lineup, from craft-focused models to robust machines designed for small business offices. Check out the latest Canon has to offer.
AMD’s new 32-core Ryzen Threadripper desktop CPU rips into wallets at $1,800
AMD now provides a new batch of Ryzen Threadripper desktop processors for enthusiasts based on its refreshed Zen design. Leading this second wave is the 32-core chip AMD teased in June that uses the same TR4 motherboard socket seating the first Threadripper chips but consumes a bit more power.
Razer heads to Kickstarter to create its Naga Trinity gaming mouse for lefties
When it comes to computer mice, scissors, spiral notebooks and more, lefties are a neglected crowd. Peripherals and tools catering to southpaws are few and far in-between. Luckily Razer wants to help fix that -- at least for the left-handed MMO gamer -- by creating a left-handed Naga Trinity mouse.
New laptops may see more storage as SSD prices expected to fall through 2019
The prices of solid-state-drives may continue to fall through the second half of 2018 and well into 2019 as oversupply leads to increased competition. This could also lead to greater density storage offered in consumer devices of all sorts, including laptops, tablets, and smartphones.