Update 14H49 GMT: As of time of writing, major cryptocurrency exchanges Coinbase and Binance are down, due to "network congestion" issues. This follows a precipitous fall in the global cryptocurrency markets, with trillions of dollars in value and total market cap having been wiped clean in less than 24 hours. Bitcoin is down 30%, Ethereum 40%, and memecoin Dogecoin has fallen by 45%.



The deployment of PoS (Proof of Stake) in Ethereum - called The Merge - has been a target for the development teams for a while now - and yet it still hasn't see the light of day. However, we have been slowly clambering towards it, and the Ethereum team has issued a blog post that places that transition "in the coming months", which likely means a hard PoS fork closer to years' end. Of course, the timeline still gives miners some time make up for hardware investment costs, but perhaps some of them (the smallest ones at least) will start offloading their graphics cards soon so as to enjoy the higher, current second-hand pricing for the latest and greatest GPUs.



The implementation of PoS in Ethereum is expected to reduce power consumption by a ridiculous 95,95% - from a country-sized 44.49 TWh with the current PoW (Proof of Work) technology down to a comparably measly 2.62 megawatt estimate. The Merge should therefore aid Ethereum in not only becoming greener, but also increasing network security, reducing likelihood of 51% attacks, and allowing for further operational scaling of the network. The more skeptical of you will say that miners will just choose another profitable coin to mine, but we have to consider Ethereum's market cap and current valuation - there is currently no other coin that seems to be able to absorb the hashing power currently devoted to Ethereum without crashing its profitability for any and everyone involved. We might be looking at a relatively healthy second-hand graphics card market by the end of the year. Wouldn't that be nice?

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(PR) The Best Just Got Better: Lypertek Announces the PurePlay Z3 2.0
KS Distribution is pleased to announce the release of the new Lypertek PurePlay Z3 2.0 true wireless earphones. This update to the multi award-winning PurePlay Z3 adds features such as the new Qualcomm QCC3040 chipset, Bluetooth 5.2, wireless charging, Hear Through mode and the new PureControl app compatibility - all this and more while keeping the price at £99/$99/€99.



Successor to the multi award-winning PurePlay Z3 (TEVI), the PurePlay Z3 2.0 takes the performance of Lypertek's first true wireless earphones to a whole new level. Utilising Qualcomm's latest QC3040 chipset allows for Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity and superior connection quality thanks to its TrueWireless Mirroring technology. Added features including wireless charging, Hear Through mode and compatibility with the new Lypertek PureControl app guarantees to offer an outstanding and customisable audio experience.
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(PR) NVIDIA to Deliver a Keynote on The Transformational Power of Accelerated Computing at COMPUTEX 2021 Hybrid
TAITRA (Taiwan External Trade and Development Council) announced today that NVIDIA will be delivering a keynote, entitled "The Transformational Power of Accelerated Computing, from Gaming to the Enterprise Data Center" at COMPUTEX 2021 Hybrid. Jeff Fisher, Senior Vice President of NVIDIA's GeForce Business Unit, will present on June 1 at 1:00 pm Taiwan time on the massive opportunities that GeForce PC gaming represents for the Taiwan ecosystem.



Manuvir Das, Head of Enterprise Computing at NVIDIA, will then address "The Coming Democratization of AI." He will share three shifts driving this trend and explain how enterprises that embrace them can thrive in the coming years.
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(PR) LED Market Revenue for 2021 Projected to Reach US$16.53 Billion Mainly Due to Automotive/Mini LED Applications, Says TrendForce
Owing to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, not only did LED revenue experience a downward trajectory, but this decline also reached a magnitude rarely seen in recent years, according to TrendForce's latest investigations. However, as vaccinations begin taking place in 1H21, the LED market's long-stifled demand is expected to rebound from rock bottom. Hence, global LED market revenue will likely undergo a corresponding recovery this year as well, with a forecasted US$16.53 billion, an 8.1% increase YoY, in 2021. Most of this increase can be attributed to four major categories, including automotive LED, Mini/Micro LED, video wall LED, and UV/IR LED.
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Redesigned Apple MacBook Pro Coming This Summer with up to 64 GB of RAM and 10-Core Processor
According to Bloomberg, which first predicted the arrival of Apple custom processors in MacBooks, we have another piece of information regarding Apple's upcoming MacBook Pro lineup, set to arrive this summer. As you are aware, MacBook Pro right now comes in two different variants. The first is a smaller 13-inch design that is powered by Apple's M1 chip, while the second is a 16-inch design powered by an Intel Core processor. However, it seems like that will no longer be the case when the next-generation lineup arrives. Starting this summer, all of the MacBook Pro models will have Apple's custom silicon powering these devices, which bring Intel's presence to an end.



And the successor to the now-famous M1 chip seems to be very good. As per the report, Apple is upgrading the architecture and the total core count. There are two different chips, codenamed Jade C-Chop and Jade C-Die. Both are 10-core designs, equipped with two small and eight big cores. The difference between the two is the total number of graphics cores enabled. The smaller version will have 16 graphics cores, while the bigger one will have 32 graphics cores. On the SoC, there will be an updated Neural Engine, for better AI processing. These new processors will come with up to 64 GB of RAM in selected configurations as well. The report also notes the arrival of HDMI port, SD card slot, and MagSafe for charging.

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(PR) NVIDIA Adds DLSS Support To 9 New Games Including VR Titles
NVIDIA DLSS adoption continues at rapid pace, with a further 9 titles adding the game-changing, performance-accelerating, AI and Tensor Core-powered GeForce RTX technology. This follows the addition of DLSS to 5 games last month, and the launch of Metro Exodus PC Enhanced Edition a fortnight ago. This month, DLSS comes to No Man's Sky, AMID EVIL, Aron's Adventure, Everspace 2, Redout: Space Assault, Scavengers, and Wrench. And for the first time, DLSS comes to Virtual Reality headsets in No Man's Sky, Into The Radius, and Wrench.



By enabling NVIDIA DLSS in each, frame rates are greatly accelerated, giving you smoother gameplay and the headroom to enable higher-quality effects and rendering resolutions, and raytracing in AMID EVIL, Redout: Space Assault, and Wrench. For gamers, only GeForce RTX GPUs feature the Tensor Cores that power DLSS, and with DLSS now available in 50 titles and counting, GeForce RTX offers the fastest frame rates in leading triple-A games and indie darlings.
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(PR) Intel Announces COMPUTEX 2021 Opening Keynote: Innovation Unleashed
Join Intel Executive Vice President Michelle Johnston Holthaus for Intel's first virtual COMPUTEX keynote and a firsthand look at how the strategies of new CEO Pat Gelsinger, along with the forces of a rapidly accelerating digital transformation, are unleashing a new era of innovation at Intel — right when the world needs it most.



Johnston Holthaus will welcome Intel's Steve Long, corporate vice president of Client Computing Group Sales, and Lisa Spelman, corporate vice president and general manager of the Xeon and Memory Group, to outline how Intel innovations help expand human potential by expanding technology's potential. This includes collaborating with partners to drive innovation across the technology ecosystem — from the data center and cloud to connectivity, artificial intelligence, and the intelligent edge.
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(PR) QNAP Launches Single Bay Budget TS-130 Home NAS
QNAP Systems, today launched the snapshot-ready, intelligent, and budget-friendly TS-130. Adorned with a refreshing baby blue hue, the TS-130 is the ideal home NAS, providing centralized storage, backup, multimedia management, and sharing. The contents of a TS-130 are securely protected using Snapshots, a powerful backup feature which is uncommon in Home NAS of this price range. Coupled with a wide range of feature-rich and multimedia apps, the TS-130 can build smarter homes and a personal cloud for greater productivity and boundless entertainment.



The TS-130 uses a Realtek RTD1295 quad-core 1.4 GHz processor with built-in 1 GB DDR4 RAM for running various personal and home NAS applications. A Gigabit Ethernet port and SATA 6 Gbps drive support provides exceptional performance for home usage, while AES-256 encryption support allows users to secure their data without impacting system performance. With an energy-efficient processor and smart cooling, the TS-130 provides dependable performance without any distracting noises or unexpected utility bills. Users unfamiliar with installing a NAS can also take advantage of the TS-130's simple toolless design, where the system can be set up easily and without even needing a screwdriver.
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