Forget ray tracing. The biggest upgrade to the Xbox Series X will be storage
There's a lot of jargon floating around Microsoft's just-revealed Xbox Series X console. Sure, ray tracing is great, but it's not fun when load times seemingly last forever. The biggest feature packed into the upcoming console, in our opinion, is the solid-state drive. We explain why.
AMD’s insane 64-core Ryzen Threadripper 3990X processor to arrive in 2020
AMD confirmed that a third new Ryzen Threadripper chip will arrive in 2020. Called the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X, it will pack 64 cores and 128 threads. The company will provide additional information sometime next year. Meanwhile, the 3970X and 3960X chips are available now starting at $1,399.
Get paid in cryptocurrency for viewing ads in the new Brave browser
Brave Software officially launched Brave v1.0 on Wednesday. It’s based on Google’s Chromium browser and relies on Basic Attention Tokens (BAT) to generate revenue. Users can earn tokens by viewing ads and use those tokens to tip their favorite websites. 300,000 sites participate in the program.
AMD’s next-gen Navi 23 graphics chip may support ray tracing
AMD’s next-generation graphics chip code-named Navi 23 will reportedly feature hardware ray tracing. That an important ingredient missing in AMD’s current GPU lineup. Hardware-based ray tracing surfaced in Nvidia’s RTX 20 series this time last year. AMD’s next-gen GPUs are expected around June 2020
Mass Effect skins breathe new life into Anthem — for a limited time
As part of BioWare’s annual Mass Effect celebration, N7 Day, the developer now offers four themed Javelin skins in Anthem, two of which BioWare pulls from Mass Effect 3. You’ll also find a new emote in the in-game store along with an Andromeda-themed wrap. You can grab these items for a limited time.
Gamers spent a staggering $9.18 billion in the third quarter of 2019
The video game industry is big business, and the latest report reveals that gamers spent $9.18 billion in the third quarter of 2019. That's up slightly compared to the same quarter in 2018. Digital sales were the biggest winners, along with gaming services and mobile games. Hardware sales declined.
Dell’s new monitor for content creators has a built-in colorimeter
Dell introduced the UltraSharp 27 4K PremierColor Monitor during the Adobe MAX 2019 convention. The company claims it’s the world’s first 27-inch 4K monitor with a built-in colorimeter paired with Thunderbolt 3 connectivity. This CalMAN-ready display arrives in January 2020 at a starting price of $2,000.
This mechanical keyboard attaches directly to your MacBook or Surface
NuPhy kicks off a new crowdfunding campaign next month to produce the "world's first" mechanical keyboard designed specifically for MacBooks. It will sit above a MacBook's built-in keyboard and "click" into place using special grooves. It will be compatible with all Bluetooth-enabled devices.
Apple says developers shouldn’t need a separate Mac team, thanks to Catalyst
With the launch of MacOS 10.15 Catalina arrives a new tool called Mac Catalyst. It aims to bring MacOS and iOS closer together. allowing developers to easily port their apps from the iPad to MacOS devices. The initiative already sees Twitter's return along with apps from Rosetta Stone, Post-It, and more.
Google declares quantum supremacy in its latest research paper
Google published a research paper in the scientific journal Nature stating it achieved quantum supremacy. Google's CEO compares the breakthrough to the first flight, indicating that real applications taking advantage of quantum computing — like developing new drugs — won't happen for another 10 years.
Microsoft Stores can’t upgrade Surface Laptop 3 SSDs — for now
Technicians in Microsoft's brick-and-mortar stores say that, for now, they cannot upgrade the SSD inside Microsoft's new Surface Laptop 3. Technicians can, however, swap out the SSD with an identical storage capacity, or transfer the SSD to a new Surface Laptop 3 replacement if the original unit fails.
Intel’s Core i5 Comet Lake-S CPU spotted in SiSoftware database
An Intel Core i5 processor recently appeared in SiSoftware's SANDRA database. It's possibly a Comet Lake-S CPU packing six cores and 12 threads. It appeared on a motherboard using a chipset designed for Intel's Comet Lake-S desktop parts. The listing follows a Core i3 model from the same family.
NordVPN confirms an attacker breached a rented Finland server
NordVPN confirmed that an attacker breached a server it rented from a Finland-based data center. The company says the breach took place in March 2018, but the attacker did not retrieve any customer information. NordVPN didn’t disclose the breach immediately due to its lengthy investigation.
Microsoft cautions against installing the latest Windows 10 update
Microsoft released the KB4520062 cumulative update on October 15 but is warning businesses not to install it. The update could break Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection, preventing this service from running and sending report data. There's no cause for alarm on mainstream Windows 10 PCs.
Leak shows AMD’s new Threadripper CPUs will start appearing November 5
Leaked documents show that AMD plans to reveal its third-generation Ryzen Threadripper HEDT CPUs on November 5, 2019. Two chips will supposedly go on sale on November 19 while the third has a January 2020 release window. This schedule may change given the documents are several weeks old.
MacOS Catalina already has a supplemental update, and you should download it now
Apple released a supplemental update for MacOS 10.15 Catalina on Tuesday. Saving Game Center data is now more reliable when playing Apple Arcade games offline. It also improves installation reliability on Macs with low disk space and addresses Setup Assistant and the iCloud Terms and Conditions.
MacOS Catalina might be deleting your emails, adding to the list of issues
Mac owners running macOS Catalina report that Apple's Mail app wipes and deletes emails. Users appear to see a successful update to the Mail app’s data store but discover incomplete or missing messages once they open the Mail app. The problem could spread to other devices and accounts.
Pixelbook Go: 4 things we know and 1 big feature we’re still missing
Google is expected to reveal its Pixelbook Go Chromebook during the "Made by Google" event in New York City. A possible final prototype now appears in pictures showcasing a "Not Pink" design similar to the Pixel 3. These pictures also showcase the Pixelbook Go's keyboard and USB-C ports. But still, one important spec is still missing.
Intel denies claims that 10nm on desktop is dead
The latest rumor sees Intel ignoring 10nm desktop processors altogether and launching chips based on 7nm process technology in 2022. They could be based on Intel's "revolutionary microprocessor core" currently in the works in Oregon called Ocean Cove. These 7nm chips could be the Meteor Lake-S family.
The redesigned 16-inch MacBook Pro may have been delayed to 2020
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims Apple's overhauled MacBook Pro won't arrive until the first quarter of 2020. The same goes for the next iPad Pro that will supposedly have a Time of Flight sensor that creates a 3D map of the surrounding area. The new MacBook Pro ditches problematic butterfly keys.
The new Logitech G Pro Hero looks familiar, but plays better than ever
After two years of research and testing with more than fifty professional gamers, Logitech G now offers a new family of “Pro” mice consisting of one wired and one wireless mouse. Both models are based on the company’s latest optical sensor, the Hero16K, while the wireless version is ambidextrous.
MSI targets pros with a thin and light laptop packed with GeForce Max-Q graphics
MSI introduced the P65 notebook during the IFA 2018 convention. Targeting content creators and professionals, it will arrive in two flavors: A White Limited Edition model and a Silver Edition version. Both will be similar yet offer slightly different discrete graphics configurations and ports.
Microsoft confirms Redstone 5 as Windows 10 October 2018 Update
Microsoft confirmed during the IFA 2018 show that the next major update to Windows 10 will officially be called Windows 10 October 2018 Update. Internally dubbed as Redstone 5, the update will bring a new set of features, including a retooled Game Bar and a revamped version of Notepad.
Firefox mobilizes a three-pronged attack against ad-based tracking
Mozilla's Firefox browser will eventually block ad-based tracking by default. To get there, the company plans to roll out new features over the next several months, such as an ad-blocking component already available in Firefox Nightly. If this component works, it will go mainstream with Firefox 63.
Intel’s Whiskey Lake CPUs include hardware fix for Meltdown, Amber Lake does not
Intel launched new eighth-generation processors slated for laptops this week: Ultra-low power 15-watt Whiskey Lake U-series chips and extremely low power five-watt Amber Lake Y-series chips. After the launch, Intel was asked if these two processor families include hardware fixes for Meltdown and Spectre.
Asus taps into Intel’s new ‘Whiskey Lake’ CPUs to power its latest ZenBooks
Asus introduced three new ZenBooks during the IFA 2018 conference in Berlin. All three are based on eighth-generation Intel Core processors released this week along with discrete Nvidia graphics. They also sport super-thin profiles measuring up to 0.70 of an inch and infrared cameras.
New Asus ZenBook S promises up to 20 hours of life without a Snapdragon chip
Asus introduced the latest ZenBook S model during the IFA 2018 convention in Berlin. This version will ship in variants based on two eighth-generation Intel Whiskey Lake processors that made their debut this week. It promises up to 20 hours of use on a single charge without a Snapdragon chip.