TechPowerUP NEWS

[NextPowerUP]

Sabrent USA was in a boastful mood yesterday, and proceeded to gloat on Twitter about an upcoming gargantuan storage solution: "At Sabrent, we run on the cutting edge of technology. Working with Apex, we received one of these new cards and currently running it through tests. We call this the Sabrent Apex X21 Destroyer. 21X 8 TB SSDs for 168 TB of storage on single card!" The company has revealed that it is collaborating with Apex Solutions on the single PCIe card offering, but the smattering of text and two photos uploaded to Twitter are just teaser material for the moment. There have been no reports of preview units getting sent to potential testers or hardware influencers. Sabrent and Apex will continue to tweak and evaluate.

The Destroyer is formed of already existing parts, namely Apex Solution's own x21 NVMe mounting platform card, and twenty-one of Sabrent's Rocket 4 Plus SSD 8 TB NVMe 4.0 Gen 4 PCIe M.2 Internal SSD model (SB-RKT4P-8TB). A single Apex x21 card will set you back $2800, and the 8 TB Rocket 4 Plus SSD is currently discounted to $1099 (from $1499). That grand total comes to a whopping $25,879, and extra expenses are expected in the form of adequate cooling solutions and a hardware controller capable of managing that unruly gang of SSDs. Sabrent is expected to post updates about finalized fittings, features and exact pricing in the near future.

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Elon Musk AI-Powered Empire Expands Again, X.AI Startup Incorporated in Nevada
Elon Musk has formed a new AI-focused company, as reported by the Wall Street Journal yesterday. The entity dubbed with the name X.AI was incorporated via a filing in Nevada last month, and Musk appears to be listed as the company's only director with Jared Birchall joining him under the role of secretary. Birchall heads the Musk family office, Excession LLC, and he serves as CEO of Neuralink - a neurotechnology company that was co-founded by Musk back in 2016. It is widely speculated that Birchall serves as a type of fixer - go watch the TV series "Ray Donovan" if you would like to observe a crude example - in corporate affairs.

Reports emerged earlier this week, with Musk being at the forefront of a massive purchase of GPUs destined to arrive shortly at his data centers - this impressive chunk of hardware is speculated to power AI-related number crunching at Twitter in the near future. The founding of X.AI could provide another home for a portion of the 10,000 GPU order, but industry insiders firmly believe that Twitter will need to tool up quickly for its new AI-driven endeavor - the GPUs will likely be set to work on a ChatBot system to underpin the social media platform. Musk has already recruited researchers from DeepMind and setup a lab for them at one of his operations. It remains to be seen how the X.AI startup will run alongside efforts at other Musk-owned companies - it is theorized that he wants to beat OpenAI at their own game, and compete with similar undertakings at Google, Microsoft and Amazon.

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Activision, Bungie and Ubisoft Cracking Down on Input Device Hardware Modifications
The Call of Duty RICOCHET Anti-Cheat team announced earlier this month that their newly updated system was capable of detecting "third-party hardware devices that alter the Call of Duty gameplay experience" - this makes reference to a plethora of gaming input modification devices including the Cronus Zen/Max, XIM Apex and FPS Boost Strike Pack. All readily available from direct stores, Amazon and various e-tailers. These hardware modules are hooked up to a gamepad or mouse plus keyboard combination, and allow the user to bypass the legitimate control input detection on the host hardware, be it a games console or PC. Stock scripts and macros can be utilized - for example - to boost in-game aim assist to unprecedented levels, mitigate weapon recoil, and add support for mouse and keyboard in otherwise non-compatible games. Anti-cheat software suites have been unable to detect the extra layer of code, since it runs on an external device - until now.

CoD's security team elaborates on their cheat spotter: "Since our previous progress report, TeamRICOCHET has developed and tested a detection for third-party hardware devices that alter the Call of Duty gameplay experience. These devices act as a passthrough for controllers on PC and console and, when used improperly or maliciously, can provide a player with the ability to gain an unfair gameplay advantage, such as reducing or eliminating recoil. Testing is complete: This detection is deployed globally on all platforms. Users across PC or console who are detected to be using third-party hardware devices to impact the Modern Warfare II or Warzone 2.0 gameplay experience will first see a warning about the improper use of these devices..."
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Intel Compares Arc A750 with RTX 3060 With Latest Driver Update
Intel has released a couple of new performance slides for the Arc A750, claiming better performance per dollar than RTX 3060 with the latest driver update. Intel has been pushing hard to improve its Arc GPU drivers, both fixing issues, bringing Game On support, and performance improvements. The latest Arc GPU Graphics Drivers 101.4311 beta update brought several Game On optimizations as well as some performance uplifts, mostly focused on the Arc A750 and DirectX 12, ranging from 4 percent up to 63 percent, depending on the game and the resolution.

Although the Arc A750 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory has less memory than the RTX 3060 which comes with 12 GB of GDDR6 memory, bear in mind that the Arc A750 has a 256-bit memory interface compared to a 192-bit one on the RTX 3060 12 GB graphics card, leaving it with a higher 512 GB/s maximum memory bandwidth. The Intel Arc A750 is also less expensive, retailing at $249, compared to RTX 3060 12 GB, which sells at around $350.
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The Last of Us Part 1 Gets New v1.0.3.0 Patch
Naughty Dog has released the newest patch for the PC version of The Last of Us Part 1, v1.0.3.0, mostly focused on audio, UI, and visual fixes. It adds new Audio Compatibility options, with audio output mode and latency setting, and fixes quite a few issues that were noticed in the game.

Surprisingly it fixes some issues on Steam Deck, and also issues seen with AMD FSR 2 and NVIDIA DLSS. There is an extensive list of fixes for various issues. Naughty Dog was keen to note that they are still watching reports for future improvements and patches and actively optimizing, working on game stability, and implementing additional fixes.
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Anker Emergency Power Supplies and Solar Power Generators: Why You Need Them, and Why They're Better than Engine-Gensets
An unexpected power outage can be your worst experience as it disrupts your daily routine. We live in an era where we cannot imagine life without electricity. However, power blackouts can be commonplace during natural disasters or other scenarios. Such a situation leaves you to be without power for long periods. The best defense in such a situation is to have your own power backup solution. So, in this article, we would like to teach you about what is emergency power supply and why you may need it during a power cut.
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ASUS ROG Ally Could Launch Sooner Than Expected
ASUS is keeping the hype up for its upcoming ROG Ally handheld console, and now it has confirmed the worldwide release and teased that it could come sooner than anyone expected, which is pretty impressive. Announced on April 1st, the ASUS ROG Ally has impressive specifications, running on yet to be detailed AMD 4 nm custom APU based on Zen 4 CPU and RDNA 3 GPU architecture.

The ASUS ROG Ally measures at 280 x 133 x 39 mm and weighs 608 grams, making it shorter, narrower, thinner, and lighter than its competitor, Valve's Steam Deck. It has a 7-inch display with 1920x1080 resolution, 120 Hz refresh rate, 5 ms response time, and 500 nits of brightness. According to earlier hands-on previews of the prototype from Dave2D and LinusTechTips, ASUS did a great job with the dual-fan cooling solution, making it very quite. It will also have a dedicated PCIE Gen 3 x8 XG connector, which allows it to connect to the recently launched XG Mobile GPU, an external RTX 4090 GPU which retails at $1999.99 in the US. Linus also noted that the ROG Ally will offer 50 percent higher performance at 15 W and twice the performance at 35 W, compared to the Steam Deck. As noted, ASUS has now confirmed that the ROG Ally will launch worldwide, and that it might be sooner that we expect, linking to Best Buy for those that live in North America.

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[NextPowerUP]

Noctua has showcased its NH-U14S DX-4677 air cooler in action, cooling down Intel's 56-core Xeon W9-3495X at full load and drawing 700 W of power. While all-in-one (AiO) liquid coolers are popular these days, Noctua aim to show that air coolers are more than capable on handling even the most high-end CPUs, even at continuous load and without throttling.

While the video does not show the full details of the CPU settings, it is still an impressive feat, especially considering the high power draw, which suggest that the CPU was pushed way beyond its default settings for demonstration. The setup includes the aforementioned Intel's 56-core Xeon W9-3495X CPU, running on ASUS Pro WS W790E-SAGE SE motherboard with SK Hynix DDR5 EC8 RDIMM, and powered by Seasonic's PX-1600 PSU.
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The Lord of the Rings: Gollum Official PC System Requirements Revealed
Daedalic Entertainment has published the official PC system requirements for The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, and these are quite high, especially considering that the game has been delayed several times and that it will be available for Nintendo Switch. Even though game has opened up pre-orders on Steam earlier today, many users are wary that the game might be another unoptimized PC port, specifically due to its high RAM and graphics card requirements.

Developed by Daedalic Entertainment and co-published by Daedalic Entertainment and NACON, The Lord of the Rings: Gollum will be available on May 25, 2023 on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and at a later date on Nintendo Switch. As far as PC system requirements are concerned, you'll need at least an Intel Core i7-4770 or AMD Ryzen 5 1600 CPU, 16 GB of RAM, and either an GTX 1080 or RTX 2060 graphics card, and this will get you 1080p resolution at medium preset and no ray tracing. For recommended requirements that will run the game at 1440p with ray tracing and DLSS Quality, you'll need an Intel Core i3-6100 or AMD Ryzen 2600 CPU, a hefty 32 GB of RAM, and an RTX 3080 graphics card. The game will have both DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 support, and need 45 GB of storage space.
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KeysOff Big Software Sale Rolls On, Some of the Lowest Prices on the Web for Genuine Software
KeysOff Big Software Sale rolls on into the Spring. Refresh your home or small-office IT setup with some of the lowest prices on the web for genuine software. Get Genuine Windows 11 Pro at just $10.45, or as low as $10.32 a pop in multi-key packs. Pair it with the most powerful productivity suite, Genuine Office 2021 Professional Plus, at just $26.25 on its own, or as low as $13.85 in 5-PC multi-key pack. Check great deals on other editions of Windows and Office to save even more!

Buy Office 2021 Professional at $26.25 | Buy Office 2021 Professional 2-PC at $41.25 | Buy Office 2021 Professional 3-PC at $58.25 | Buy Office 2021 Professional 5-PC at $69.25 | Buy Office 2019 Professional Plus at $24.25 | Buy Office 2016 Professional Plus at $20.25 | Buy Office 2021 Home and Business for Mac at $37.99 | Buy Office 2019 Home and Business for Mac at $33.99 | Buy Windows 10 Pro at $7.35 | Buy Windows 10 Pro 2-PC at $12.45 | Buy Windows 11 Pro at $10.45 | Buy Windows 11 Pro 2-PC at $20.65 | Buy Windows 10 Home at $7.25 | Buy Windows 10 Home 2-PC at $12.41 | Buy Windows 11 Home at $10.25 | Buy Windows 11 Home 2-PC at $20.48

Please use the coupon code SKK62 on the following items to avail the prices you see here.
Buy Windows 11 Pro + Office 2021 Professional Plus at $34.99 | Buy Windows 11 Pro + Office 2019 Professional Plus at $31.99 | Buy Windows 10 Pro + Office 2021 Professional Plus at $31.76 | Buy Windows 10 Pro + Office 2019 Professional Plus at $28.69 | Buy Visio Professional 2021 at $22.97 | Buy Project Professional 2021 at $25.70

Please use the coupon code SKK50 on the following items.
Buy Windows 10 Enterprise 2019 LTSC at $9.14 | Buy Windows 10 Enterprise 2021 LTSC at $12.81 | Buy Windows Server 2019 Standard at $16.05 | Buy Windows Server 2022 Standard at $35.36
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(PR) Square Enix Exhibits 25 Minutes of Final Fantasy XVI Gameplay Footage
In just over two months, players will finally get their hands on Final Fantasy XVI, the next mainline installment of the Final Fantasy series. The game follows Clive Rosfield as he harnesses powerful Eikons to overcome his tragic destiny. Today's State of Play not only explores intricate details of the story and world lore, but also gives a first glimpse into the game's party combat and colossal battles with new Eikons.

We hope today's broadcast was exciting for everyone, both for fans keeping up with Final Fantasy XVI updates, and those who are hearing about the game for the first time. Get a deeper look at combat, stunning Eikon battles, and the world of Valisthea before FFXVI arrives on PS5 June 22.
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NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang Confirmed as Headline Speaker at Computex 2023
Taiwan's External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) has announced the keynote speaker for Computex 2023 - NVIDIA co-founder and current CEO Jensen Huang is confirmed as the main host of the opening ceremony event. The forthcoming computer trade show will have a general opening on May 30, with a keynote address delivered by Huang scheduled for the day before. Computex 2023 is set to be hosted at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center (Hall 1 & Hall 2) until June. Co-organizer TAITRA boasts that 1000 exhibitors (from 17 nations) will participate in show floor activities. 3000 individual booths will be setup for exploration by prospective attendees.

Huang is one of several key electronics company CEOs announced as participants in conference events. He joins key representatives from firms such as Qualcomm, Acer, NXP Semiconductors and Supermicro. NVIDIA's leader was named in Time's 100 List of Most Influential People for the year 2021, and is a winner of numerous other awards, so it is no wonder that he gets top billing at Computex 2023. Attendees have a lot to look forward to, not limited to a (potentially) dynamic keynote speech delivered by Huang, since this year's show will be an open door affair. A return to proceedings last experienced in 2019, prior to global shutdowns.

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(PR) The Lord of the Rings: Gollum Open for Pre-Orders, Premium Precious Edition Revealed
Hello everyone, today we are thrilled to announce that Steam pre-orders have started! We are also happy to share more about The Lord of the Rings: Gollum : Precious Edition, which includes some premium perks for fans of Tolkien's Middle-earth. You can join Gollum's unshakeable quest for the One Ring on May 25th, 2023.

The Precious Edition was put together with Tolkien fans in mind. Daedalic Entertainment and NACON have gone above and beyond to curate a captivating package that includes over 100 stunning art pieces, a lore compendium to deepen your Middle-earth knowledge, additional Sindarin lines for the game's Elves, which will make you feel like you are properly east of the Misty Mountains, and more! With a focus on immersing players in the world of Middle-earth, this edition is sure to delight fans and gamers alike.
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Component Suppliers Suggest That NVIDIA is Taking a Relaxed Approach with RTX 40-Series Production
Two of NVIDIA's providers of Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) services are of the opinion that Team Green is happy to stay the course with its Ada Lovelace GPU production schedule. The backend providers Siliconware Precision Industries (SPIL) and King Yuan Electronics (KYEC) have not been given any new instructions with regard to shifts (up or down) in component assembly output. It is theorized that NVIDIA is aiming to clear any stock backlogs of graphics card models featuring previous generation architecture - namely the second gen GeForce RTX 30-series, built on Ampere.

The retail demand for the newly released GeForce RTX 4070 cards has been mild, to say the least - with plenty of inventory remaining on the shelves in the States. Critical reception of the midweight GeForce RTX GPU has also been middling - many have advised that budget conscience buyers should potentially look elsewhere. The market for discrete graphics card is in a fairly healthy state at the moment, with major production issues and fractured supply chains becoming lesser concerns for electronics manufacturers. NVIDIA has the advantage of being a market leader, and seems to be quite content with proceedings - but their analysts are very likely keeping an eye on the RTX 4070 sales figures. Its products are out and readily available - no need to change direction too sharply.

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(PR) Warframe|The Duviri Paradox Arrives April 26 on All Platforms
The Duviri Paradox is an entirely new way to play Warframe - no matter where you are in your journey. Whether you're a seasoned Tenno or entering the Origin System for the very first time, an astonishing new experience awaits you April 26 on all platforms. The most astonishing chapter in Warframe's sprawling cinematic narrative now has an official release date. Open to all players - regardless of where they're at in their journey - The Duviri Paradox is more than just an open world, it's a brand new way to experience Warframe

Assume the role of The Drifter and explore the vast, color-shifting Planes of Duviri through a gritty new Cinematic Quest. But be careful, Tenno. Your attempts to wrest control of this new open world will not go unnoticed by the despotic Dominus Thrax, whose emotions transform the fabric of Duviri itself. Fly high atop your loyal Kaithe solo, or Squad up with fellow Tenno to take on spectacular new threats like the fearsome Orowyrm. Will you restore Duviri before the next Spiral?
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[NextPowerUP]

Western Digital has declared that its My Cloud online service has been compromised by a group of hackers late last month: "On March 26, 2023, Western Digital identified a network security incident involving Western Digital's systems. In connection with the ongoing incident, an unauthorized third party gained access to a number of the Company's systems. Upon discovery of the incident, the Company implemented incident response efforts and initiated an investigation with the assistance of leading outside security and forensic experts. This investigation is in its early stages and Western Digital is coordinating with law enforcement authorities."

The statement, issued on April 4, continues: "The Company is implementing proactive measures to secure its business operations including taking systems and services offline and will continue taking additional steps as appropriate. As part of its remediation efforts, Western Digital is actively working to restore impacted infrastructure and services. Based on the investigation to date, the Company believes the unauthorized party obtained certain data from its systems and is working to understand the nature and scope of that data. While Western Digital is focused on remediating this security incident, it has caused and may continue to cause disruption to parts of the Company's business operations."
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(PR) ASUS Announces ProArt GeForce RTX 4080 and RTX 4070 Ti Graphics Cards
Graphics cards are most famously used for gaming, but gamers are far from the only folks who eagerly anticipate each new generation of GPUs. The highly specialized hardware in graphics cards offers potent parallel processing power, and professionals put it to work in fields like artificial intelligence, finance, game development, manufacturing, and robotics. While creators in these fields often use the same hardware as gamers, the needs of these two groups of users aren't identical.

To give these professionals options better suited for their lines of work, we're excited to announce the very first ProArt graphics cards: the ProArt GeForce RTX 4080 and ProArt GeForce RTX 4070 Ti. Tuned for quiet operation, styled for professional contexts, and slimmed down for wide chassis compatibility, these graphics cards are built from the ground up to serve the needs of creators.
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(PR) ASUS Shows New ProArt Products at 2023 NAB Show Centennial
ASUS today announced the ASUS ProArt Power Up Next-Gen Production exhibition at the 2023 NAB Show Centennial in the Las Vegas Convention Center, Nevada from April 16-19. ASUS ProArt will be announcing several new products at the show, including the ProArt Cinema PQ07 and ProArt Display PA24US professional monitors, as well as the first ASUS ProArt graphics cards.

There will also be product demos of cutting-edge ProArt on-set, VFX, post-production, and video editing solutions at the booth. Attendees at the 2023 NAB Show Centennial will also be able to attend ProArt Masters' Talks featuring industry experts from Portrait Displays, Glassbox Technology, and Puget Systems. The sessions will cover a wide range of topics, including color management, virtual production workflows, and computing power behind next-generation productions.
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Half Life 2 Path Tracing Mod Highly Praised for Adding Extra Visual Flair
A Half Life 2 modder, Igor Zdrowowicz, has managed to integrate path tracing into the game - with striking results, even at an early stage in development. His project - codenamed "HL2RTX" - has been in-progress for a handful of months, and the modder has managed to integrate a ray tracing system into Valve's classic shooter (sort of) via NVIDIA's RTX Remix SDK. That package has become open source only very recently, so Zdrowowicz stated that a Portal RTX-derived binary was the tool of choice.

NVIDIA's Lightspeed Studios has already created an impressive RTX conversion of Valve's fan favorite puzzle-platform game Portal (2007), and modders have been poring over the underlying technology and update technique processes. A number of old favorites, running on past iterations of the Source Engine (DirectX 8 and 9), are getting the amateur mod community sprucing up treatment. It is posited that Zdrowowicz will have an easier time with his current conversion project, thanks to an official release of NVIDIA's RTX Remix toolkit (albeit in early access).
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(PR) Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores Arriving April 19 on PS5
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores launches April 19 on PS5! This expansion sees Aloy pursue a sinister threat in the untamed wilds of Los Angeles, now a treacherous volcanic archipelago. Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores takes Aloy to the ruins of Los Angeles. The past millennia has seen the metropolis wracked by tectonic and volcanic activity. The result: a dangerous archipelago populated by deadly machines. Among these islands, a large settlement of Quen fight to survive.

Aloy's journey continues in Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores - an expansion which sees the fierce Nora hunter pursue a sinister threat in the untamed wilds of a far-future, volcanic Los Angeles which has been wracked by violent tectonic activity. Pre-orders for Burning Shores, which launches on the PlayStation 5 console on April 19, 2023, are available as of today.
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[NextPowerUP]

BLUETTI, the leader in the clean energy storage industry, will launch its new AC60 & B80, the smallest solar generator with expandability, in the middle of May, 2023. The latest innovation comes as BLUETTI noticed a gap in its market: Though there are many power stations, small ones comes with less capacity while high capacity comes in big and heavy structure. What about a power station that combines flexibility and extensible capacity to meet different needs in different scenarios? Enter the BLUETTI AC60 and B80!

The BLUETTI AC60 is a solar generator with a 600 W inverter and a 403 Wh LFP battery that can add B80 for capacity boosting. With a compact size (11.4 x 8.1 x 9.2 inches) and lightweight (18.9 lbs), it is portable enough to carry outdoors. Equipped with 7 different outlets including two AC outputs, one USB-C port with Power Delivery with up to 100 W, one cigarette lighter port, two USB-A ports and a wireless charging pad, the AC60 can charge various devices. While it features a 600 W pure sine wave inverter, it is able to carry a device of 1200 W for a short period in its Power Lifting Mode.

Unleash Outdoor Possibilities with the BLUETTI AC60 Solar Power Generator
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(PR) MINISFORUM Unveils the New Venus Series Mini PC UM560XT with Ryzen 5 5600H
MINISFORUM, a leading provider of compact computing solutions, is proud to announce the launch of the Venus series UM560XT Mini PC, powered by the AMD Ryzen 5 5600H mobile processor. With its small form factor of only 128 x 126.6 x 46.5 mm, the UM560XT is a truly compact Mini PC that is perfect for various usage scenarios.

Featuring built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities, the UM560XT allows users to connect wirelessly, providing convenient connectivity options. The device is equipped with two HDMI (4K@60hz) ports and a USB Type-C (4K@60hz) port, enabling high-definition video output for an immersive visual experience. Moreover, the UM560XT comes pre-installed with Windows 11 Professional, allowing users to quickly get started with their computing tasks. The UM560XT supports dual-channel DDR4 memory and three-screen display, providing users with a seamless and efficient computing experience. Its small size combined with powerful performance makes it an ideal choice for various scenarios such as home office, entertainment, and gaming.
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(PR) Capcom Details Full Content for Exoprimal Ahead of July Launch
Exoprimal is an online, team-based action game that pits humanity's cutting-edge exosuit technology against history's most ferocious beasts - dinosaurs. Exosuits are grouped into different roles, and players will pilot these exosuits to hold firm against overwhelming dinosaur swarms in online-only, team-based action game modes. The year is 2040...Sudden dinosaur outbreaks have engulfed the globe in a crisis that threatens humanity's very existence. Dino Survival, the main game mode, sees two teams of five players competein a variety of PvE and PvP missions. Players will be transported to the scene of the latest dinosaur outbreak and follow the new generation AI known as Leviathan's guidance to complete objectives. The team that completes the mission first will emerge victorious.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Exoprimal open beta test. Our team gained a great deal of data from exofighter survey responses and social media. We'll put this feedback to good use and make Exoprimal the best game it can be! While the open beta allowed players to experience some of the missions available in the Dino Survival mode, Exoprimal's full release will feature the following content for players to enjoy.
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(PR) ZOTAC Debuts ZBOX Edge MI351, First Slimline Mini PC to Pack N100/Alder Lake-N Chipset
Introducing the ZBOX Edge MI351, a compact low-profile mini PC that delivers the essential performance for everyday computing at home, office, or business. With its included VESA mounting bracket, the MI351 provides the flexibility needed to mount the system nearly anywhere. Powerful at its thinnest - At only 28 mm (1.12 inches) thin, the ZBOX Edge MI351 provides the performance while leaving a lot desk space left to use. Despite its compact size, the ZBOX Edge MI351 comes equipped with a versatile array of ports to take on a wide range of connectivity and add-ons.

PERFORMANCE OVER THE EDGE
Featuring an Intel N-Series (formerly Alder Lake-N) Processor and fast DDR5 memory support, the ZBOX Edge MI351 is responsive to everyday tasks, and its low power draw makes it a perfect gateway to power anything from IoT-enabled applications and POS systems to home theaters.
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Windows 11 File Explorer Gets Extra Photo Gallery Layer
Microsoft has introduced a handy new feature within the Windows 11 File Explorer application - an update was released last week (Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23434), and it adds a Photo Gallery feature layer. It does not look too far removed from the operating system's standard photo/picture viewer, as well as the discontinued (as of 2012) Windows Photo Gallery app - although the latter offered a wide range of image organization, photo editing and photo sharing functionalities.

Microsoft's Amanda Langowski (Head of Insider Program) and Brandon LeBlanc (Senior Program Manager) go into further detail about the latest addition in an official Windows blog: "We are introducing Gallery, a new feature in File Explorer designed to make it easy to access your photo collection. The set of content shown in Gallery is the same as what you'll see in the All Photos view in the Photos app."
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TechPowerUp GPU-Z v2.53.0 Released
Today, we are releasing the latest version of TechPowerUp GPU-Z, the popular graphics sub-system information and diagnostic utility. Version 2.53.0 adds support for a large number of new and rare GPUs. Among the NVIDIA GPUs support is added for include the GeForce RTX 4070, RTX 4090, RTX 4080, RTX 4060, and RTX 4050; pro-vis RTX 6000 Ada, RTX 3060 Laptop GPU (based on GA104), RTX 3050 Laptop GPU 6 GB, RTX 2050; and compute accelerators Hopper H100 PCIe AIC, and a rare engineering sample of the RTX 2080 Ti. From the AMD camp, support is added for Radeon RX 7600S, Radeon Pro W6900X, Pro V620, and the iGPU of Ryzen "Mendocino" laptop processors. From the Intel side, we've added support for Intel "Raptor Lake-HX," "Alder Lake-N," "Alder Lake-U," and the UHD P750 iGPU found with certain "Rocket Lake" processors.

DOWNLOAD: TechPowerUp GPU-Z v2.53.0
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[NextPowerUP]

Deep Silver's intended hype train, has been derailed slightly today, for its forthcoming zombie splattering blockbuster ARPG shooter Dead Island 2. A launch trailer was uploaded to the game's official YouTube channel this afternoon, in hope of generating more pre-release internet interest. The uptick in marketing efforts has gained some gaming community attention, but leaked gameplay footage was uploaded to YouTube only hours before the debuting of the official launch video. A streamer identifying as Lucas Cosmico is reported to have played a pre-release version of Dead Island 2 last night, and proceeded to stream the opening moments of the single player campaign - 30 minutes of gameplay footage is still accessible on their YouTube channel at the time of writing, but potential legal action is likely to result in a takedown order.

The Dead Island 2 development cycle has not been a pleasant experience for those involved, according to multiple news pieces reported across the project's lifespan of more than a decade. Several studios have worked on the game, but publisher Deep Silver sought to remove the involvement of Yager and Sumo Digital at different stages of development. Dambuster Studios was declared, by THQ Nordic back in 2019, as the final resting place for Dead Island 2's production push. The Nottingham, UK-based studio happens to be a subsidiary of Deep Silver - the studio was offloaded to D.S. by Crytek in 2014, following substantial financial difficulties.
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Report Suggests Samsung and LG Pushing Wider Adoption of LED Wall Displays at Cinemas
Samsung and LG are among an number of tech companies reportedly pushing for radical changes in the cinema viewing experience. In a piece published by the Hollywood Reporter last week, new behind-the-scenes information has come to light about an effort to replace the (some will say tried and true) traditional cinema theater projection system with LED walls. The vast majority of international theater chains rely on a front projection method (via a back of the booth), and very few locations have a more state-of-the-art LED display-based system in place. The Culver Theater (naturally located in Culver City, CA) is one of a hundred cinemas worldwide to possess a Samsung Onyx LED display - although the tech on show is said to be of an older standard. Industry insiders have been invited to attend demonstrations of a newer generation LED wall technology destined for cinemas in the future, and early impressions are purported to be mixed.

A cinema-based LED wall display functions in a similar way to how a modern LED-based flat screen TV works - although on a much greater massive scale - with particular benefits of the technology resulting in fantastic performance in terms of high dynamic range and peak brightness. The main downside of having a tightly packed array of large LED panels is the resultant heat output - critics of the technology state that it will be difficult to implement an adequate cooling system (through air conditioning) to tame the wall's temperature increasing properties. The power required to operate the LED panel array (plus required cooling solution) is said to be much higher than that of an old-fashioned projector's relatively modest draw from the electricity supply. An LED wall will also completely negate the traditional placement of loudspeakers behind a cinema's front-placed screen - and sound engineers will need to explore a different method of front audio channel output within the context of a next generation LED theater room.
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(PR) GameSir Launches New T4 Kaleid Transparent Wired RGB Gaming Controller
GameSir, a leading provider of innovative, high quality gaming peripherals today announces the launch of its new T4 Kaleid RGB gaming controller. Equipped with special motion aim/steer technology, users can enjoy their favourite games with motion control, or through regular analogue stick gameplay. The GameSir T4 Kaleid is available on the GameSir website now at a discounted rate of $41.99/£41.99 (RRP £41.99) and AliExpress for £37/$43. It will also be available on Amazon.com and Amazon UK at the end of April for $41.99/£41.99/€57.99.

Boasting Hall-Effect magnetic sensing joysticks providing anti-drift technology, the T4 Kaleid is a durable controller that retains its precision over the course of its use. Joy-con drift can greatly impact gaming, so users of the T4k can rest assured that their controller will not be affected by the wear down caused by continued heavy usage.
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Sega Purchases Angry Birds Game Developer for $776 Million
Today Japan's Sega Sammy Holdings Incorporated declared its intention to fully acquire Finnish development studio Rovio Entertainment Oyj in a buyout valued at a cool $776 million. The Helsinki-based developer, responsible for creating the Angry Birds video game franchise, has agreed to Sega Sammy's terms - and Rovio share values have climbed as a result of this announcement. The deal is expected to be finalized in the late summer or early autumn of this year, and signals an ambition on Sega's part to gain prominence in the mobile gaming world. Rovio had previously turned down a proposed takeover by Playtika - an Israeli company specializing in digital entertainment - for $735 million, late last month.

Angry Birds was the first mobile game to be downloaded one billion times, according to figures released by Rovio, so Sega has acquired a solid intellectual property that has also expanded into the movie world (two animated features) and endless merchandising avenues (toys, clothing and other accessories). Commenting on the buyout, Haruki Satomi, President and Group CEO, Representative Director of Sega Sammy Holdings Inc. said: "Among the rapidly growing global gaming market, the mobile gaming market has especially high potential, and it has been Sega's long-term goal to accelerate its expansion in this field."
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(PR) Kingston Technology Ships 100 Million Overclockable Memory Modules
Kingston FURY, the high-performance division of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., a world leader in memory products and technology solutions, today announced it has shipped more than 100 million overclockable modules. In 2002, Kingston entered the enthusiast market with a line of high-performance memory modules under the Kingston HyperX name. Over the next 19 years Kingston grew the HyperX name within the enthusiast and gaming space until its sale of the peripheral line to HP in 2021. Continuing the incredible success of the HyperX memory products, Kingston rebranded its high-performance component lines into Kingston FURY, investing resources and knowledge from its core business to create the next generation of enthusiast products. Today, the engineering expertise behind the numerous overclocking records and awards continues into a new era of leading-edge, high-performance, enthusiast and gaming solutions.

Since its inception, Kingston has taken pride in its testing innovations and industry-leading product reliability. Back in 2005, Kingston was granted a U.S patent on a proprietary, first of its kind, dynamic burn-in tester. This ensured the utmost reliability in server memory modules used in the world's largest data centres. Earlier this year, Kingston broadened its portfolio by adding the Kingston FURY Renegade Pro DDR5 RDIMM which provides overclockable server-class DDR5 memory for creators, engineers, and data science professionals to meet the requirements of the latest applications. Its award-winning line of Kingston FURY Beast DDR5 and Renegade DDR5 memory modules also received a makeover with the introduction of white heat spreaders to empower users to choose the colour that best fits their individual style.
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(PR) SimplyNUC Unveils Everglades 2 Rugged NUC Starting at $299
Introducing Everglades 2, the latest rugged NUC from Simply NUC. Loaded with Intel's N5105 Celeron Processor, support for up to 32 GB of DDR4 memory, and up to 16 TB of storage, Everglades 2 is here to raise the bar in cost-effective performance, delivering feature-rich technology, where you need it, when you need it.

The Everglades 2 NUC from Simply NUC comes equipped with an Intel Jasper Lake Celeron N5105 processor, providing reliable, cost-effective performance in a lightweight, space-saving form factor, making it perfect for many usages. Despite its small size, Everglades 2 is loaded with I/O. From its two HDMI ports and single DisplayPort to its six Type-A and single Type-C USB ports, Everglades 2 supports all the peripherals you need to get the job done.
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[NextPowerUP]

Wartales 1.0 is out now! Wartales launches out of Early Access with a new region, new content, community requests and more! Attention mercenaries! The 1.0 Release update has finally arrived, but before we get into the fun stuff we just wanted to take a moment to thank you, our wonderful community, for your support throughout the Early Access period.

From our AMAs to Q&As together, hearing your thoughts and feedback, as well as seeing our vision and plans for the game evolve thanks to your involvement, we've thoroughly enjoyed our journey with you and are incredibly proud to be able to share this moment with you all. We really can't thank you enough! Now let's jump into what's new…
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Anker Emergency Power Supplies and Solar Power Generators: Why You Need Them, and Why They're Better than Engine-Gensets
An unexpected power outage can be your worst experience as it disrupts your daily routine. We live in an era where we cannot imagine life without electricity. However, power blackouts can be commonplace during natural disasters or other scenarios. Such a situation leaves you to be without power for long periods. The best defense in such a situation is to have your own power backup solution. So, in this article, we would like to teach you about what is emergency power supply and why you may need it during a power cut.
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AMD 96-Core EPYC 9684X Zen 4 Genoa-X CPU Shows Up for Sale in China
The second-hand market in China is always full of gems, but we never expected to see an unreleased 5 nm 96-core EPYC 9684X Genoa-X CPU with 1152 MB of L3 cache. According to the seller, the CPU is "almost new" and in working condition.

In case you missed it earlier, AMD is working on 5 nm Genoa-X EPYC CPUs which will feature up to 96 Zen 4 cores in 5 nm with over 1 GB of L3 cache per socket. These are scheduled to release this year, optimized for technical computing and databases. AMD is also working on Siena CPUs, which should also come this year, featuring up to 64 Zen 4 cores with optimized performance-per-watt, meant for intelligent edge and telco markets.

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AMD Phoenix APU Laptops Launching in Late April/Early May
According to the latest information, it appears that first laptops with AMD Ryzen 7040 series APUs, code name Phoenix, will launch in late April, with U-series coming in May. AMD has previously delayed the Phoenix APUs in order to "align with platform readiness and ensure the best possible user experience," the first notebooks powered by Ryzen 7040HS series processors are expected in April.

According to Golden Pig Upgrade from Bilibili, at least the Ryzen 7840HS will launch on April 30th, and the 7840U SKU is probably expected on May 1st. As noted, AMD has announced the 7040 HS- and H-series SKUs, and has previously briefly mentioned the 15 W U-series SKUs, but has not officially unveiled any specifications. So far, three 7040 U-series SKUs have leaked online. Hopefully, AMD will share a bit more details by the end of this month.

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(PR) HyperX Announces New Chargeplay Charging Station for Switch Joy-Con Controllers
HyperX, the gaming peripherals team at HP Inc. and brand leader in gaming and esports, today announced the new ChargePlay Quad 2 Charging Station for Nintendo Switch. Designed specifically for the Nintendo Switch, the ChargePlay Quad 2 Joy-Con Charging Station offers improved charging time, making it an ideal choice for charging Joy-Cons.

"HyperX continues to enhance its range of console accessories to provide better gaming experiences for players across different platforms," said Aurelius Martinez, global category manager - cloud and console gaming, HyperX. "The new HyperX ChargePlay Quad 2 ensures players' equipment is fully charged and ready for lengthy gaming sessions."
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(PR) Sharkoon Launches 20-Year Anniversary Limited Edition Mouse Mat
In 2023, the PC-gaming manufacturer Sharkoon celebrates its 20-year anniversary. Since the founding of Sharkoon on 17 April 2003, the fast-paced PC and gaming industry has seen constant change, with countless trends that have come and gone. It was this flow of trends that inspired Sharkoon to always respond flexibly, with a constantly fresh range of products, in order to meet the prevailing needs for the growing scene of gaming and case modding. Thanks to this flair for innovation and its continual responsiveness to its customers, the manufacturer from the German region of Hesse is now present across the whole world. The 20-year success story began with a small glow in the PC cases of enthusiastic modding pioneers: an illuminated PC case cable that was soon to become the first commercial Sharkoon product known as the "Luminous IDE Round Cable".
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(PR) Cooler Master Hyper 212 Halo Edition CPU Cooler and MasterFan MF120 Halo² Fan Now Available
Over the years, the Cooler Master Hyper 212 series has established itself as a leading choice for aftermarket CPU cooling, earning a reputation as one of the most popular custom CPU coolers available. The company has continuously modernized the series by integrating advanced heatsink and fan technologies. With the introduction of the Hyper 212 Halo, Cooler Master has implemented a significant design and technology overhaul, taking the series to new heights.

The Hyper 212 Halo Series boasts the innovative Halo² fan, a refined version of its predecessor. The hardware is adorned with color accents, available in black or white options. The 4 heat pipe tower now sports a matching color treatment and a coordinating top cover showcasing the signature logo, creating a cohesive and stylish design.
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(PR) Seagate Announces Strategic Collaboration with QNAP
At the NAB 2023 conference, Seagate Technology, a world leader in data storage infrastructure solutions, and QNAP Systems Inc., a leading network attached storage (NAS) vendor, announced their integrated portfolio of edge to cloud enterprise storage solutions. Developed to help small-to-medium sized businesses (SMBs) and content creators manage data from edge to cloud, the portfolio delivers a range of innovative enterprise-scale solutions that include Seagate's IronWolf Pro Hard Drives (HDD), QNAP's high-capacity NAS solutions with Exos E series JBOD systems and Seagate Lyve Cloud.

"Businesses that use data at the edge often rely on NAS devices to store their data. As that data capacity increases and requires optimal protection, businesses are faced with the challenge of backing up data off site," said BS Teh, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at Seagate. "Seagate and QNAP have come together to address this challenge with an entire portfolio of secure mass capacity data solutions to help SMBs address pain points and address the rising costs of data storage and management."
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[NextPowerUP]

The Penitent One awakens as Blasphemous 2 joins him once again in an endless struggle against The Miracle. Dive into a perilous new world filled with mysteries and secrets to discover, and tear your way through monstrous foes that stand between you and your quest to end the cycle one and for all. The second scripture in the Blasphemous series portends the return of The Penitent One, with a story that continues from the free Wounds of Eventide DLC for the original game, where The Heart in the sky heralded the return of The Miracle and foretold the birth of a new miracle child.

Awakened in a strange new land, and displaced from his final resting place, The Penitent One is thrust back into the endless cycle of life, death, and resurrection, with no other option than to explore this perilous new world and uncover its long-forgotten secrets. Hordes of grotesque enemies stand in your way, awaiting final judgement by the brutal hand of the Penitent One, with titanic twisted bosses also lurking in the darkness, waiting for their chance to return you to the grave from whence you came. Taking them down won't be easy, but with Blasphemous 2 offering more chances to customize and improve your skill set, along with several new unique weapons to wield with righteous zeal and unending fury, victory might just be within grasp. Ultimately, only one thing is certain… Penance Never Ends
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AMD Radeon 780M RDNA 3 iGPU Gets Benchmarked
A tech reviewer, ETA PRIME, managed to get its hands on the ASUS TUF A15 laptop, based on the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS APU, and run some benchmarks on the integrated Radeon 780M RDNA 3 iGPU, showing that it is capable of delivering playable framerates in some popular games at 1080p resolution. The Ryzen 9 7940HS is an 8-core/16-thread Zen 4 APU with a base clock of 4.0 GHz and a maximum boost clock of 5.2 GHz. It features the Radeon 780M RDNA 3 iGPU with 12 CUs (768 stream processors) working at 2800 MHz. The APU in the ASUS TUF A15 laptop was paired up with 32 GB of DDR5-5600 memory. The system comes with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, but the review was focused on the AMD Radeon 780M.

In 3DMark Fire Strike and Time Spy benchmark, the Radeon 780M GPU was 12 and 15 percent faster than the Radeon 680M, despite the other system being equipped with faster LPDDR5 memory. ETA PRIME was also keen to note that the early driver was obviously not ready, and it did crash in some games, so the performance could be even higher when the official driver is released. ETA PRIME benchmarked a couple of popular games with the CPU limited to 80 W, resulting in playable framerates in most of the games at 1080p and medium to high graphics settings. Bear in mind that the system was tested in Performance Mode set via ASUS Armory Crate software. According to ETA PRIME, the integrated GPU was easily overclocked up to 3 GHz, and it would crash at 3.25 GHz, which shows great promise and might be more stable with the final launch driver.
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(PR) Gigabyte Extends Its Leading GPU Portfolio of Servers
Giga Computing, a subsidiary of GIGABYTE and an industry leader in high-performance servers, server motherboards, and workstations, today announced a lineup of powerful GPU-centric servers with the latest AMD and Intel CPUs, including NVIDIA HGX H100 servers with both 4-GPU and 8-GPU modules. With growing interest in HPC and AI applications, specifically generative AI (GAI), this breed of server relies heavily on GPU resources to tackle compute-heavy workloads that handle large amounts of data. With the advent of OpenAI's ChatGPT and other AI chatbots, large GPU clusters are being deployed with system-level optimization to train large language models (LLMs). These LLMs can be processed by GIGABYTE's new design-optimized systems that offer a high level of customization based on users' workloads and requirements.

The GIGABYTE G-series servers are built first and foremost to support dense GPU compute and the latest PCIe technology. Starting with the 2U servers, the new G293 servers can support up to 8 dual-slot GPUs or 16 single-slot GPUs, depending on the server model. For the ultimate in CPU and GPU performance, the 4U G493 servers offer plenty of networking options and storage configurations to go alongside support for eight (Gen 5 x16) GPUs. And for the highest level of GPU compute for HPC and AI, the G393 & G593 series support NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPUs. All these new two CPU socket servers are designed for either 4th Gen AMD EPYC processors or 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors.
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(PR) Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed Arriving Next Week, Fanbase Shocked by Expansion's Early Release
The final DLC in the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Expansion Pass launches for the Nintendo Switch system on April 25. The trailer gives viewers a glimpse into the scenario of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Expansion Pass Vol. 4 - Future Redeemed. Set before the events of the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 game, players join a cast of new and familiar characters in an original story scenario that connects all three installments in the Xenoblade Chronicles series. Future Redeemed also features new battle mechanics, such as Unity Combo, where two characters can attack in unison.

In Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Aionios is the backdrop to an endless conflict between two opposing nations: Keves and Agnus. Through a chance encounter, a group of six soldiers hailing from both rival nations resolve to put aside their differences and work together to expose a new threat - far greater than that of their ceaseless battle. Players can join Noah, Mio and their friends as they traverse epic landscapes, battle ferocious creatures and fight to break the never-ending cycle of violence that binds their homelands.
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Reports Suggest MacBook Air Models Rocking M3 Chipset Incoming, But Delayed Beyond WWDC 2023
Conflicting reports are flying around about Apple's next generation MacBook Air lineup, mostly surrounding suggestions of a firm release date or debut reveal at WWDC 2023. 9to5Mac claims that its insider sources have pointed to a new range of M3 chipset powered MacBook Air extra thin laptops offered up in two different screen sizes: 13-inch and 15-inch. An insider claimed last month that Apple's upcoming laptop lineup was in an advanced stage of production, and was far along enough to warrant an "imminent" launch window. A Taiwanese publication has presented new evidence this week, and it posits that Apple could drop M3 chipset-based laptops from announcement presentations organized for this year's Worldwide Developers Conference, which is set to take place from June 5 to 9.

According to the financial section of Taiwan's UDN news site, Apple's key decision makers could be in favor of fielding laptops based on its current generation M2 SoC, instead of an entry-level M3-based range, due to delays and changes in priority for the N3B node at TSMC foundries. This is seen as an odd move given reports from earlier this month of Apple requesting for a reduction in factory output for its M2 chips, following a slump in demand. Apple could be changing its strategy with regards to the alleged surplus of M2 silicon - the article theorizes that the company will spend more time fitting the older generation chipsets into a new range of laptops and desktop computers. An M3-based product line could be delayed into late 2023, and it is alleged that TSMC has been instructed to concentrate mostly on the manufacture of Apple's Bionix A17 mobile chipset via the cutting edge 3 nm FinFet technology process (N3B) - earmarked to debut on the iPhone 15 Pro in autumn 2023.

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(PR) EK Water Blocks EK-Pro Line Gets New Barb Fittings
EK, the premium water-cooling gear manufacturer, is continuing the path of expanding the EK-Pro Line of products aimed at workstations and servers. The EK-Pro Barb fittings allow users to quickly and easily interconnect their water-cooling products in their work computers. These fittings come in G1/4 and G1/8 thread sizes and are compatible with 6 and 10-mm inner diameter soft tubes. EK-Pro Barb G1/4 fittings are soft-tube fittings designed for use with soft tubings like EPDM, PVC, Norprene, or silicon. They are available in two dimensions, one compatible with 6-mm and the other with 10-mm inner diameter soft tubing. They feature G1/4 threads that are typically used in PC and workstation water-cooling. These fittings are made of nickel-plated CNC-machined brass with quality O-rings. They can be tightened down by hand or using a spanner/wrench.
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[NextPowerUP]

New store page, new trailer... new EVERYTHING for our upcoming puzzle-adventure game Firmament...Firmament will release on May 18th! Firmament is a new puzzle-adventure game by the legendary game studio behind the best-selling games Myst and Riven. Featuring deep storytelling and world-building, discover the story of this seemingly abandoned world as you explore and unlock the mysteries of 3 unique Realms… and beyond!

EXPLORE THE WORLD
Featuring a unique steampunk aesthetic, Firmament invites you to explore the legendary deep world-building Cyan Worlds is known for. Firmament is a fantastic visual feast, with thrilling new sights to see around every corner. At the same time, the world of Firmament feels completely plausible; as though it were constructed with a bigger purpose in mind… A purpose you will be compelled to discover as you play.
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NVIDIA Stock Value Climbs Due To Rising Interest in AI Hardware
Financial analysts at HSBC, the largest bank in Europe, have become very excited this week about NVIDIA's stock prospects. They have established that the American multinational technology company is set to grow due to an increased demand globally for hardware relating to artificial intelligence (AI) processing. HSBC's team of analysts have raised the recommendation on Nvidia stock (NASDAQ:NVDA) to "Buy" from "Reduce" - the reason being that AI business segments are on the rise and NVIDIA is well positioned to meet demand which: "more than offsets our previous concerns over a datacenter slowdown and rising inventory levels."

HSBC's price target on NVIDIA stock has more than doubled to $355 per share (from the previous $175), and the analysts claim that their past estimates were wrong and undervalued because of wider market trends in the server business: "We were too focused on the slowdown in datacenters, but what really surprised us was its pricing power on AI chips." Hence the analysts' call to double the NVIDIA stock target, in anticipation of excellent fiscal performance going into 2024. News reports point out an immediate 4.1% jump in stock following HSBC's recommendations. The chipmaker's shares have surged up to 140%, its highest position in a year, from a low period in October 2022.

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Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Differing Core Clusters Revealed in Leak, Phoenix-Based Gen 4 Hinted
A technology tipster has been dropping multiple tidbits this week about Qualcomm's upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 mobile chipset - this follows a leak (from a different source, going back to mid-April) about the next generation Adreno 750 GPU getting tuned up for a battle against Apple's Bionic A17 in terms of graphics benchmarks. The latest leak points to the GPU being clocked at 900 MHz, rather than the rumored higher figure of 1.0 GHz speed (garnered from tests at Qualcomm's labs). The focus has now turned to the next generation flagship Snapdragon's CPU aspect, with information emerging about core clock speeds and multiple cluster configurations.

Revegnus suggests that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (SD8G3) chipset will be packing a large primary core in the shape of Arm's Cortex-X4 CPU with a reported maximum clock speed of 3.40 GHz. Leaks from the past have posited that the SD8G3 would feature a fairly standard 1x Large + 5x Big + 2x Small CPU core layout (with clocks predicted to be: large Cortex X4 at 3.2 GHz, big Cortex-A720, at 3.0 GHz and small Cortex-A520 at 2.0 GHz). An insider source has provided Revegnus with additional information about two different CPU core configurations - 1+5+2 and 2+4+2 - it is theorized that smartphone manufacturers will be offered the latter layout as an exclusive option for special edition flagship phones. The more powerful 2+4+2 variant is said to sacrifice a big core (A720) in favor of a dual Cortex X4 headliner, although the resultant thermal output of twin large cores could prove to be problematic.
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(PR) Intel Dives into the Future of Cooling
Extending Moore's Law means putting more transistors on an integrated circuit and, increasingly, adding more cores. Doing so improves performance but requires more energy. Over the past decade, Intel estimates it has saved 1,000 terawatt hours of electricity through the improvements its engineers have made to processors. These advances are complemented by cooling technologies - fans, in-door coolers, direct-to-chip cooling - that further manage heat, conserve energy and reduce carbon emissions.

These cooling features require up to 40% of a data center's energy consumption. As Intel looks to increase performance in the future, improvements need to be accomplished in an energy-efficient way, and air cooling may not be the solution. Fortunately, Intel is working with the liquid cooling industry - from tank vendors to fluid providers to its own labs - to create innovative solutions where computing components are in direct contact with a heat-conducting fluid. Some of the solutions seem squarely in the realm of science fiction, like 3D vapor chambers embedded in coral-shaped heat sinks. Or tiny jets, adjusted by artificial intelligence, that shoot cool water over hot spots in the chip to remove heat. All are being explored in thermal labs at Intel.
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(PR) NZXT Announces New-Generation Kraken and Kraken Elite Coolers and RGB H Series Cases
NZXT, a leader in PC gaming hardware and services, today announces the release of the Kraken and Kraken Elite. This new generation of popular coolers offers NZXT's coveted design and high-quality cooling while displaying essential data via NZXT CAM, a free software allowing users to monitor, control, and customize their NZXT products.

These new products are the latest versions of their award-winning all-in-one liquid CPU coolers series, the Kraken X-3 and Kraken Z-3 series. The Kraken Elite offers a 2.36" LCD screen with higher resolution and frame rate, better viewing angle, and higher color accuracy. This screen can display data from NZXT CAM and static or animated images with more clarity. The Kraken features a 1.54" LCD screen that can display system temperatures and static images from NZXT CAM.
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(PR) ASML Announces 2023 First Quarter Financial Results
Today, ASML Holding NV (ASML) has published its 2023 first quarter results.

The company reported Q1 net sales of €6.7 billion, with gross margin of 50.6%, and net income of €2.0 billion. Quarterly net bookings in Q1 2023 were at €3.8 billion of which €1.6 billion is EUV. ASML expects Q2 2023 net sales between €6.5 billion and €7.0 billion and a gross margin between 50% and 51%. ASML expects 2023 net sales to grow over 25% compared to 2022.
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(PR) AMD Joins AWS ISV Accelerate Program
AMD announced it has joined the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Independent Software Vendor (ISV) Accelerate Program, a co-sell program for AWS Partners - like AMD - who provide integrated solutions on AWS. The program helps AWS Partners drive new business by directly connecting participating ISVs with the AWS Sales organization.

Through the AWS ISV Accelerate Program, AMD will receive focused co-selling support from AWS, including, access to further sales enablement resources, reduced AWS Marketplace listing fees, and incentives for AWS Sales teams. The program will also allow participating ISVs access to millions of active AWS customers globally.
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(PR) Origin PC Unveils Bespoke Workstations and GPU Servers Powered by Intel Xeon W-3400 Series
ORIGIN PC, a leader in custom high-performance systems, announced today the availability of new Intel Xeon W-3400 processors for their L-Class and R-Class systems. Improve your productivity and workflows with top of the line workstations crafted with the latest premier hardware. Whether it's for anything from content creation to artificial intelligence work, bring in the versatile power of Intel's advanced computing speed and efficiency. Access clock speeds up to 4.8 GHz with Intel Turbo Boost Max, up to 56 cores in a single socket, 105 MB of L3 cache, support for up to 4 TB of memory capacity, and up to 112 CPU PCIe Gen 5.0 lanes.

Get up to 28% single thread or 120% multi thread increased performance, when compared to the previous generation of Xeon processors, and deliver the best results for your business or profession. The Intel Xeon W-3400 processors push forward with various new technologies, DDR5 memory support, and security features. Stay up to date and stay prepared - customize your ORIGIN PC so that it's ready for any future needs within your industry or increases in workload demand.
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[NextPowerUP]

The European Union yesterday (April 18) has announced a substantial investment of $47 billion (€43 billion) as part of its already established plan to support native semiconductor industries. The European Parliament and EU member states have agreed upon new measures to boost the supply of semiconductors in Europe, as the bloc navigates a solution to reduce its dependency on manufacturers located in Asian territories. Thierry Breton, Commissioner for Internal Market of the European Union, released his own statement about the agreement: "We have a deal on EU Chips Act! In a geopolitical context of de-risking, Europe is taking its destiny into its own hands. By mastering the most advanced semiconductors, EU will become an industrial powerhouse in markets of the future."

China and Taiwan are currently the dominant nations in the field of manufacture and export of semiconductor products. The European Union is also playing catch-up with North America, where the United States Chips and Science Act has been effect since last summer - around $280 billion in new funding will be meted out over time to boost domestic research and development, as well as manufacturing of semiconductors in the USA. Governing bodies around the world are shoring up domestic silicon-based manufacturing efforts in order to reduce reliance on products sourced from Asia - where supply chain issues and manufacturing delays have caused global shortages of essential electronic goods.
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InnoLux Goes IGZO for its Upcoming Gaming Display Panels
IGZO or Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide is a type of semiconducting material that has been used in displays by Sharp since 2012, although mainly for mobile devices courtesy of being more power efficient compared to standard IPS panels. There doesn't seem to have been much interest by other players in the display industry to use the material. However, at Touch Taiwan, InnoLux showed off no less than two new display panels relying on IGZO, both targeting gamers. Both panels measure 27-inches and support HDR 600. The 2560 x 1440 model is capable of a massive 480 Hz, a refresh rate that was only possible using TN panels to date.

The second display panel offers 3840 x 2160 resolution at 240 Hz, which isn't unique on the market, but as these IGZO panels are based around IPS rather than VA technology, they shouldn't suffer from the dreaded ghosting that many VA panels suffer from. InnoLux was very sparse on other technology details, but both panels have a 98 percent DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage and the QHD display has a grey to grey response time of 3 ms, whereas the 4K variant is a bit higher at 5 ms. Both panels looked stunning and this might be what many gamers have been waiting for, at least as a stop gap before OLED displays become more affordable.

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MSI Releases GeForce RTX 3060 Ti SUPER 3X with SUPRIM Cooler
MSI released the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti SUPER 3X graphics card. This is basically the company using up left over inventory of its TriFrozr SUPRIM cooling solutions with an SKU that's likely to sell in higher volumes. Underneath the cooler is a GeForce RTX 3060 Ti "Ampere" GPU with GDDR6X memory type, instead of the GDDR6 that's standard to the RTX 3060 Ti. The board design of the SUPER 3X is identical to that of the MSI RTX 3070 SUPRIM, which means the company is reusing both the cooler and PCB to create this product. The backplate of the card even features leftover SUPRIM branding.

The MSI RTX 3060 Ti SUPER 3X offers identical clock speeds to the company's RTX 3060 Ti G6X Gaming X Trio graphics card, with 1845 MHz boost frequencies, compared to 1665 MHz reference. The GDDR6X memory ticks at 19 Gbps, which over the 256-bit memory interface yields an impressive 608 GB/s memory bandwidth that's on par with the RTX 3070 Ti. From the looks of it, the MSI RTX 3060 Ti SUPER 3X is a China-exclusive product.

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AUO's 17.3-inch Micro LED Display is Not Consumer Ready
Micro LED displays are being touted as something akin to the holy grail of display technology, but it seems like we still have some way to go before the first consumer devices are ready to launch, at least based on what we saw today at Touch Taiwan. AUO actually had multiple Micro LED displays on display at the trade show, but it appears as if there are still some technical hurdles to overcome before we'll see these products in retail. AUO was demoing a laptop prototype with a 17.3-inch Micro LED display, although the display lacked a read cover and depending on the mode used, the entire display ended up being semi transparent. This somewhat depended on the angle you looked at the display, but the idea here was to use for some kind of AR applications, or to take advantage of bright lights behind the display, courtesy of its high transmittance of up to 50 percent.

The fly in the ointment here is that the display, as well as a smaller 14.6-inch sibling—that's foldable—only supports 1280 x 720 resolution. It doesn't matter how good the technology is, if we're going to be limited to a display resolution from the early 2000's, as it simply won't sell in a modern device today. Unfortunately, this doesn't seem to be the only issue with AUO's Micro LED displays, as the display on the demo laptop also had a lot of dead pixels. We're not talking five or six here, but more like 50 or 60 and due to the low resolution of the display, they were very easy to see, as they showed up as dark dots when certain graphics were displayed. It's not all that noticeable in the pictures below, but it was very obvious when looking at the display. We were told that this is something AUO is working on solving, alongside bringing higher resolution displays to market. As such, it seems like we might still be a few years away from getting Micro LED displays in any real products.

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AUO Shows Pair of AmLED Gaming Notebook Displays at Touch Taiwan
It wasn't just desktop displays that AUO was having on display at Touch Taiwan, as the company was also showing off a pair of brand new AmLED gaming notebook displays at the show. AmLED is AUO's version of mini LED and the first of the two displays is a 16-inch unit with 2560 x 1600 resolution, a 240 Hz refresh rate and a brightness of up to 1000 cd/m². Unfortunately it was impossible to get a good photo of it, as no matter what we tried, we ended up getting flicker on the final photos.

The second AmLED gaming display on show, was a larger 18-inch model, with the same 2560 x 1600 resolution, but an unspecified refresh rate, albeit with the same 1000 cd/m² brightness. Here AUO also claims a million to one contrast ratio and a 100 percent coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut, the latter something the 16-inch model also sports. As per the pictures below, the 18-inch model was only running at 60 FPS at the show, but it's unclear if this is the maximum refresh rate of this panel or not.

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(PR) The Callisto Protocol Gets Extremely Gory Dismemberment Mode, Update Also Adds Cutscene Skipping Function
Striking Distance Studios introduces the latest content update for The Callisto Protocol: "We're thankful for all of the feedback our community has shared with us! Starting today, with Update 5.01, you can skip cutscenes, improving replayability and making speed-runs even faster. We're also introducing Dismemberment Mode with Update 5.01! Introducing the new Dismemberment Mode! Get ready to tear your enemies apart limb by limb and feel the excitement of seeing instant dismemberment as you fight your way through Black Iron Prison."

The Callisto Protocol, a new sci-fi survival horror game from the creator of Dead Space, is available now on PC and Consoles. Built by a team of industry veterans led by iconic game director Glen Schofield, The Callisto Protocol is a next-generation take on survival horror that fuses brutal combat with a deeply human story in a terrifying sci-fi world. Set on Jupiter's dead moon Callisto in the year 2320, The Callisto Protocol challenges players to escape the maximum security Black Iron Prison and uncover the terrifying secrets of the United Jupiter Company. Players will need to search their surroundings and adapt their tactics, using a unique blend of shooting and close-quarters combat to survive a mysterious outbreak that has thrown Callisto into chaos.
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[NextPowerUP]

Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC ("SIE") announced today it has entered into an agreement with ProbablyMonsters Inc. to acquire Firewalk Studios, a studio of industry-leading creatives developing an original AAA multiplayer game for PlayStation 5 (PS5) and PC. Firewalk will collaborate alongside world-class development teams, including Bungie and Haven Interactive Studios, to define a new generation of live service experiences for PlayStation gamers.

Based in Bellevue, WA, Firewalk was formed in 2018 as part of ProbablyMonsters, an independent AAA game company founded by CEO Harold Ryan (former CEO, President and Chairman at Bungie) that builds sustainable game teams focusing on original AAA games. Firewalk's team of best-in-class developers, led by industry veterans Tony Hsu (Studio Head, previously GM and SVP of Destiny at Activision) and Ryan Ellis (Game Director, previously Creative Director at Bungie), have years of collective expertise on some of gaming's most successful and impactful multiplayer titles. ProbablyMonsters and Firewalk announced an exclusive publishing partnership with SIE in April 2021 and now Firewalk will be the 20th studio to join PlayStation Studios.
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(PR) Cooler Master's Hyper 622 Halo Provides Double the Cooling
Cooler Master, a global frontrunner in cutting-edge cooling technologies, today announced the Hyper 622 Halo, a new entry in the longstanding Hyper Series that propels Cooler Master's innovative and high-performance technology to new heights.

"I am thrilled to introduce the Hyper 622 Halo, a true testament to Cooler Master's commitment to innovation and uncompromising quality," said Jimmy Sha, CEO of Cooler Master. "This groundbreaking dual tower design not only doubles the cooling power, but also exemplifies our mission to empower enthusiasts and gamers with the ultimate performance and customization options."
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Immortals of Aveum Gets Gameplay Trailer, System Requirements Detailed
Immortals of Aveum just got a nice gameplay "first look" trailer, showing some impressive graphics and gameplay for this fantasy first-person magic shooter from Electronic Arts and Ascendant Studios. EA has also published a new blog post detailing the technology used in the game, as well as revealing first PC system requirements.

Immortals of Aveum will be one of the first AAA games developed on Unreal Engine 5.1, featuring some impressive lighting, video, and physics effects. It uses Nanite and Lumen features of the UE 5.1, new micropolygon geometry and global illumination and reflections systems. It also makes use of World Partition, UE 5's method of loading segments of the environment, which will allow for larger play areas.
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Intel XeSS Provides 71% FPS Uplift in Cyberpunk 2077
CD Projekt RED, the developer of Cyberpunk 2077, has advertised including various super sampling technologies like NVIDIA DLSS, AMD FSR, and now Intel XeSS supersampling. With the inclusion of XeSS version 1.1, Intel's Arc Alchemist graphics cards can record a significant performance uplift. Thanks to the Intel game blog, we compare XeSS enabled versus XeSS disabled, measuring the ability to play Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p Ultra settings with medium ray tracing enabled. The FPS comparison was conducted with Intel Arc A750 Limited Edition GPU, which was paired with Intel Core i9-13900K and 32 GB of RAM.

With XeSS off, the A750 GPU struggled and only reached 39 FPS. However, with XeSS set to performance, the number jumped to 67 FPS, making for a smooth user experience and gameplay. This is a 71% performance uplift, enabled by a new update in the game. Interestingly, Intel XeSS is computed on Arc's XMX Units, while NVIDIA and AMD compute their super sampling on shader units.

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(PR) Acer to bring Redfall to Predator Gaming PCs Through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on May 2
Acer today announced it has worked with Bethesda Softworks and Microsoft to bring the much-anticipated action title Redfall to all new Acer Predator Windows 11 gaming laptop and desktop owners via a free, one-month offer of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

Redfall is an open-world, single player and co-op FPS from Arkane Austin, the award-winning team behind Prey and Dishonored, that brings the studio's signature gameplay to this story-driven, action shooter and will be available on Predator gaming PCs beginning May 2, 2023, through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
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(PR) Acer Adds Aspire Vero Laptop and Vero Projector to the Vero Line
Acer today announced the latest offerings in its eco-friendly Vero range of products, including the Acer Aspire Vero 15 (AV15-53P) laptop and the Acer Vero PL3510ATV laser projector, both of which are designed to equip businesses and consumers with high-performing, power-saving technology while providing more options to reduce their carbon footprint.

The Aspire Vero 15 laptop is powered by 13th Gen Intel Core processors with Intel Iris Xe graphics, engineered to let the Intel Evo laptop do even more at once. The multi-awarded Aspire Vero line reduces CO2 emissions through the use of post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastics in its chassis without sacrificing durability. It also features a 15-inch FHD IPS display, Acer VeroSense for battery management, and a 1440p QHD webcam that comes with Acer PurifiedView and Acer PurifiedVoice collaboration technology. Acer also launched the Acer Vero PL3510ATV projector, built with a Full HD resolution, 4,800 ANSI lumens diode, and a 30,000-hour lamp life for long-lasting brightness. The laser projector's power-saving design also saves up to 48% more energy compared with lamp-based projectors, ultimately reducing its total cost of ownership and carbon footprint through an extended product lifespan. In line with Acer's Earthion platform, the latest Vero products integrate PCR plastic on their chassis and utilize recyclable packaging.
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Google Merges its AI Subsidiaries into Google DeepMind
Google has announced that the company is officially merging its subsidiaries focused on artificial intelligence to form a single group. More specifically, Google Brain and DeepMind companies are now joining forces to become a single unit called Google DeepMind. As Google CEO Sundar Pichai notes: "This group, called Google DeepMind, will bring together two leading research groups in the AI field: the Brain team from Google Research, and DeepMind. Their collective accomplishments in AI over the last decade span AlphaGo, Transformers, word2vec, WaveNet, AlphaFold, sequence to sequence models, distillation, deep reinforcement learning, and distributed systems and software frameworks like TensorFlow and JAX for expressing, training and deploying large scale ML models."

As a CEO of this group, Demis Hassabis, a previous CEO of DeepMind, will work together with Jeff Dean, now promoted to Google's Chief Scientist, where he will report to the Sundar. In the spirit of a new role, Jeff Dean will work as a Chief Scientist at Google Research and Google DeepMind, where he will set the goal for AI research at both units. This corporate restructuring will help the two previously separate teams work together on a single plan and help advance AI capabilities faster. We are eager to see the upcoming developments these teams accomplish.

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AMD Software Adrenalin 23.4.2 WHQL Released
AMD today released the latest version of its Adrenalin drivers. Version 23.4.2 WHQL adds optimization for "Dead Island 2" and "Boundary." With "Dead Island 2," one can expect up to 14 percent improved performance at when measured with RX 7900 series GPUs; and up to 15% increase in performance at 4K when measured with RX 6000 series GPUs. Among the handful issues fixed with this release include blocky water corruption with "Red Dead Redemption 2" when using the Vulkan API, missing text in Google Earth VR, intermittent application crashes after enabling render previews in Unreal Engine 5, and an installer bug that caused a black screen to appear on some display configurations after a driver update.

DOWNLOAD: AMD Software Adrenalin 23.4.2 WHQL
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[NextPowerUP]

We've known from a recent report that "Meteor Lake" introduces an L4 cache, and now we are learning that it is codenamed "Adamantine," and serves functions resembling that of a passive interposer. Intel's upcoming "Meteor Lake" microarchitecture will power the company's first disaggregated processor for the client segment.

A disaggregated processor is different from an MCM (such as "Clarkdale"), since finer components that make up the processor that otherwise can't exist on their own packages without extreme latency, are made to share a single package via a high-speed interconnect. This disaggregation is purely for economic reasons, so the company needn't use the latest (and most expensive) foundry node for the entire processor, but ration it to the specific components that benefit the most from it. Unlike AMD client processors that disaggregate the CPU cores and the remaining processor I/O into two kinds of chiplets, Intel "Meteor Lake" will see the breaking up of not just CPU cores (compute tile), but also the iGPU on its own tile, besides the platform I/O on separate tiles still.
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(PR) Warframe|The Duviri Paradox Showcased by Digital Extremes
The PARADOX UNFOLDS BEFORE YOU. A Mad King, a mysterious Drifter, and a color-shifting unreality as sublime as it is deadly combine in the latest addition to Warframe's ever-expanding universe, The Duviri Paradox! A landscape out of time and space - whether you are just starting with Warframe or have been playing for years, The Duviri Paradox will be available to all players. From the very beginning of your journey, all Tenno can choose to begin at the ending and play The Duviri Paradox. Experience it for yourself this April on all platforms and play through a brand new Cinematic Quest, a whole new space in the Origin System and Endless Mission varieties, as well as loads of new Customizations to personalize your Operator, Drifter and Warframes!

Depending on the mood of its ruler, Dominus Thrax, the color-shifting world of Duviri will appear differently - painting the swirling skies a poisonous green shade for Envy, or unleashing a wrathful red firestorm in Anger. As The Drifter, you are suspended in a never-ending cycle of life, death and rebirth for Thrax's entertainment. Each Spiral will present you with its own set of unique challenges, and lead you across some of the most varied and beautiful landscapes ever seen in Warframe.
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Samsung Hit With $303 Million Fine, Sued Over Alleged Memory Patent Infringements
Netlist Inc. an enterprise solid state storage drive specialist has been awarded over $303 million in damages by a federal jury in Texas on April 21, over apparent patent infringement on Samsung's part. Netlist has alleged that the South Korean multinational electronics corporation had knowingly infringed on five patents, all relating to improvements in data processing within the design makeup of memory modules intended for high performance computing (HPC) purposes. The Irvine, CA-based computer-memory specialist has sued Samsung in the past - with a legal suit filed at the Federal District Court for the Central District of California.

Netlist was seemingly pleased by the verdict reached at the time (2021) when the court: "granted summary judgements in favor of Netlist and against Samsung for material breach of various obligations under the Joint Development and License Agreement (JDLA), which the parties executed in November 2015. A summary judgment is a final determination rendered by the judge and has the same force and effect as a final ruling after a jury trial in litigation."
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(PR) Square Enix Unearths Old Crime Puzzler - The Portopia Serial Murder Case, Remaster Features AI Interaction
At the turn of the 1980s, most PC adventure games were played using only the keyboard. In those days, adventure games didn't use action menus like more modern games, but simply presented the player with a command line where they could freely input text to decide the actions that characters would take and proceed through the story. Free text input systems like these allowed players to feel a great deal of freedom. However, they did come with one common source of frustration: players knowing what action they wanted to perform but being unable to do so because they could not find the right wording. This problem was caused by the limitations of PC performance and NLP technology of the time.

40 years have passed since then, and PC performance has drastically improved, as have the capabilities of NLP technology. Using "The Portopia Serial Murder Case" as a test case, we'd like to show you the capabilities of modern NLP and the impact it can have on adventure games, as well as deepen your understanding of NLP technologies.
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FT Claims Arm Engineers Working on Proprietary Chip
The Financial Times this weekend has published details about an interesting development project that is currently in-the-works at British semiconductor specialist firm Arm Ltd. The article states that several executives in the industry have divulged (anonymously) that Arm's engineering team is designing a proprietary chip - these insider sources opine that this new creation could be one of the company's most advanced undertakings. The SoftBank-owned chipmaker is having a bumper year in terms of financial success and has invested in its future - it is speculated that their own semiconductor design will be showcased as a prototype product to potential new clients - with the main goal being to drum up more business and growth. Parent group SoftBank is likely pushing for maximum profit margins as it prepares Arm for an initial public offering (IPO) this year.

Arm's modus operandi involves partnering up with other chip manufacturers in order to license out its semiconductor intellectual properties. In turn these partners are expected to deal with the overall design and manufacturing processes of chips (plus sales of). Arm has teamed up with foundries TSMC and Samsung in the past to create prototypes for software testing purposes, but not much has been heard about those proofing projects in the following years. In an unusual turn (from certain industry perspectives) from its traditional working methodologies, it seems that Arm is embracing a different approach by producing its own compelling designs, with the hope of demonstrating greater potential to customers. FT's sources have provided evidence that Arm has expanded its operations and that a newly formed "solutions engineering" team is focused on prototyping new silicon for usage in mobile hardware and related devices.
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This Week in Gaming (Week 17)
As we're heading into the last week of April, we have a much anticipated AAA title launching, which involves light sabres and thus shouldn't be too hard to guess. Other games this week include forest rangers, lights and shadows, dead things that are evil and much more. Something for almost everyone in other words, we hope.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor / This week's AAA title / Friday 28 April
The story of Cal Kestis continues in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, a third person galaxy-spanning action-adventure game from Respawn Entertainment, developed in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. This narratively-driven, single player title picks up five years after the events of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and follows Cal's increasingly desperate fight as the galaxy descends further into darkness.
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(PR) Paradox Interactive Presents Victoria 3 - Voice of the People Expansion, Out May 22 on PC & Mac
Voice of the People adds more Radicals, Reactionaries, and Reformers. In a century of dramatic political upheaval, many world leaders had to deal with influential and charismatic figures - dynamic political personalities who forcefully advocated for social and economic progress or tried to resist the tides of history in favor of tradition. Voice of the People, a new Immersion Pack for Victoria 3, challenges you to handle some of history's greatest political agitators, coming May 22.

In Voice of the People, the new Agitator system is highlighted with the addition of dozens of historical figures who break convention and build political power behind the force of their personality. Meet intellectuals like Mikhail Bakunin, conservative militarists like Georges Boulanger, and voices for freedom like Frederick Douglas in this addition to Paradox Interactive's critically acclaimed historical society simulation.
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[NextPowerUP]

Seagate is celebrating the debut shipment of very sophisticated storage solutions to a preferred client (dealing in the cloud data center sector). These 30+ terabyte hard drives are based on heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) technology - the American data storage company is setting up its next generation Corvault range with the thermal magnetic recording methodology. The first shipment of HAMR-based drives is reported to consist of final qualification samples, but Seagate is anticipating that fully verified equipment - after trial customers give this new product lineup a thumbs-up - will be generating revenue in the coming weeks.

According to a transcript of a recent Seagate financial meeting conference call, CEO Dave Mosley mentioned a dip in business as well as a costly legal settlement, but expects company fortunes to rise due to client uptake of breakthrough storage technologies: "Beyond this cycle, we remain excited about the long-term opportunities presented by the secular growth of data and the relevance of mass capacity storage as new data-centric applications emerge and more workloads migrate to the cloud. We continue to make strong progress on our industry-leading technology road map, including launching HAMR-based products this quarter, which we believe put us in outstanding longer-term position."
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(PR) Atari Adding More Classics to its Retro Games Library
Atari - one of the world's most iconic consumer brands and interactive entertainment producers - announced, on April 19, the acquisition of more than 100 PC and console titles from the 1980s and 1990s. The collection includes notable games from the Bubsy, Hardball, Demolition Racer series, as well as the 1942: Pacific Air War, F-117A, and F-14 air combat series. Atari will seek to expand digital and physical distribution of the classic titles, create new games based on the IP, and explore brand and merchandising collaborations.

"This is a deep catalog that includes groundbreaking and award-winning titles from Accolade, Infogrames and Microprose," said Atari CEO Wade Rosen. "Many of these titles are a part of Atari history, and fans can look forward to seeing many of these games re-released in physical and digital formats, and in some cases, even ported to modern consoles." Atari also acquired the trademark to the Accolade and GTI brands. Accolade was a well-respected US-based video game developer and publisher from 1984 until 2000.
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Japanese Retailer Runs Fascinating Promo, Free Intel A750 GPU With Purchase of GeForce RTX 4090
NTT-X, a retailer in Japan is advertising a strange promotion to its moneyed customers - a free Intel Arc A750 Limited Edition GPU with every purchase of an ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4090 24 GB OC Edition graphics card. You would normally expect a couple of extra digital download codes for video games as some sort of bonus incentive, but NTT-X has chosen a non-traditional approach to getting fancy silicon into clients' hands. The shop is selling the high-end ASUS card for just over $2300 (converted from the value in Japanese Yen), and mid-range Intel board will set you back roughly $350 (when sold separately). It seems that PC hardware prices in Japan tend to be higher when compared to USA market trends.

It is not really clear if this particular hardware outlet is experiencing slow sales for top-end RTX GeForce 40 series cards simply because of high asking prices, or it is having difficulty in shifting the Alchemist card due to wavering hardware buyer perception. Super enthusiasts with plenty of cash to spare on cutting edge tech will tend to purchase the best stuff available - perhaps NTT-X are offering their target audience a chance to construct a secondary or tertiary computer. These additional PCs could host the promotional Intel Arc A750 graphics card, with the retailer gaining further sales via customers buying more components for another build, be it for a compact computer or home theater/media center PC.

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Google Bard AI Chatbot Smart Enough to Assist in Software Coding
Alphabet Incorporated's Google AI division has today revealed a planned update for its Bard conversational artificial intelligence chatbot. The experimental generative artificial intelligence software application will become capable of assisting people in the writing of computer code - the American multinational technology company hopes that Bard will be of great to help in the area of software development. Paige Bailey, a group product manager at Google Research has introduced the upcoming changes: "Since we launched Bard, our experiment that lets you collaborate with generative AI, coding has been one of the top requests we've received from our users. As a product lead in Google Research - and a passionate engineer who still programs every day - I'm excited that today we're updating Bard to include that capability."

The Bard chatbot was made available, on a trial basis, to users in the USA and UK last month. Google's AI team is reported to be under great pressure to advance the Bard chatbot into a suitably powerful state in order to compete with its closest rival - Microsoft Corporation. The Seattle-based giant has invested heavily into Open AI's industry leading ChatGPT application. Google's latest volley against its rivals shows that Bard's has become very sophisticated - so much so that the app is able to chew through a variety of programming languages. Bailey outlines these features in the company's latest blog: "Starting now, Bard can help with programming and software development tasks, including code generation, debugging and code explanation. We're launching these capabilities in more than 20 programming languages including C++, Go, Java, Javascript, Python and Typescript. And you can easily export Python code to Google Colab - no copy and paste required." Critics of AI-driven large language models have posited that the technology could potentially eliminate humans from the job market - it will be interesting to observe the coder community's reaction to Google marketing of Bard as a helpful tool in software development.

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Microsoft Xbox Marketing Exec Responds to Accusations of Unsatisfactory Hi-Fi Rush Sales
Video game industry expert Jeff Grubb made some interesting remarks during a live recording of his Game Mess Decides podcast - yesterday's episode included plenty of talk about the Xbox and PC platform exclusive Hi-Fi Rush, a rhythm-based action game. The Tango Gameworks developed title was first announced on January 25 of this year, and in an unusual move for Xbox (plus Bethesda Softworks) the colorfully cel-shaded action adventure experience was released worldwide that same day. According to Grubb this obtuse bit of marketing strategy has not paid off well, in pure unit sales figures, from the parent company's perspective: "(Hi-Fi Rush) didn't make the money it needed to make." Bethesda has stated that the game had achieved a maximum player base number in the 2 million range (by March 1) - this likely includes a significant chunk of customers accessing Hi-Fi Rush through the Game Pass subscription service. Exact sales figures for Japanese studio-developed title in terms of digital sales have not been divulged.

Grubb continued his stream of inside knowledge: "Based on what I've heard, it just straight up didn't make the money it needed to make. It got good reviews, and the buzz was good, so where do you put the blame for something like that?" Several online publications and games industry tipsters on social media have since pounced to spread Grubb's words - so much so that it was enough to grab the attention of one Aaron Greenberg, vice president of Xbox Games marketing. In a response to criticisms aimed at the gaming divisions poor marketing effort he stated: "Hi-Fi Rush was a break out hit for us and our players in all key measurements and expectations. We couldn't be happier with what the team at Tango Gameworks delivered with this surprise release." Greenberg was thanked for providing a response, yet hindsight is 20/20 - could a traditional physical release of the game have helped boost paying customer uptake? The sensitive matter of a wider console release is another interesting topic of conversation - Tango Gameworks has multi-platform development experience and Hi-Fi Rush would appear to be a very suitable game for a PlayStation-oriented audience. Microsoft has received criticism for making (over time) its Bethesda game lineup exclusive to the Xbox ecosystem (Game Pass and Windows included).

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(PR) Diablo IV Final Beta Test Announced, Server Slam Event Starting May 12
HELP US GEAR UP FOR LAUNCH DURING THE DIABLO IV SERVER SLAM - Calling all wanderers! In preparation for the launch of Diablo IV on June 6, we must enlist your demon-cleansing services for one final task: Server Slam. From May 12, 12 p.m.-May 14, 12 p.m. PDT, everyone can come to Sanctuary's defense on Windows PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4—along with couch co-op for consoles and cross-play and cross-progression for all platforms—against the armies of the Burning Hells to help us test the durability of our servers.

WHAT TO EXPECT DURING SERVER SLAM
Server Slam will give players one final weekend in Hell to experience a fraction of what Diablo IV has to offer, while simultaneously testing the capabilities of our servers prior to launch. The Prologue and entirety of Act I will be your canvas to paint with the remains of slain demons. Fractured Peaks, the first Zone, is yours to navigate as you please. Traverse its rugged landscape as Barbarian, Druid, Necromancer, Rogue, or Sorcerer, unleashing devastating power upon foes, and honing your unique skillset in the process.
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[NextPowerUP]

SAN FRANCISCO, April 21, 2023 -- The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization enabling mass innovation through open source, today announced the launch of the TLA+ Foundation to promote the adoption and development of the TLA+ programming language and its community of TLA+ practitioners. Inaugural members include Amazon Web Services (AWS), Oracle and Microsoft. TLA+ is a high-level language for modeling programs and systems, especially concurrent and distributed ones. TLA+ has been successfully used by companies to verify complex software systems, reducing errors and improving reliability. The language helps detect design flaws early in the development process, saving time and resources.

TLA+ and its tools are useful for eliminating fundamental design errors, which are hard to find and expensive to correct in code. The language is based on the idea that the best way to describe things precisely is with simple mathematics. The language was invented decades ago by the pioneering computer scientist Leslie Lamport, now a distinguished scientist with Microsoft Research. After years of Lamport's stewardship and Microsoft's support, TLA+ has found a new home at the Linux Foundation.
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Report Suggests Microsoft to Demo Xbox Products at UK Government Endorsed Event, Coincides with Competition Watchdog Verdict
The Sky UK news network has gathered intel from industry and government sources about an industry event that is due to take place next week at a very famous location - 10 Downing Street - the residence of the UK's Prime Minister. Sky News has been informed that Microsoft has been invited to attend the showcase by the UK Interactive Entertainment (UKIE) industry organization - best described as the main trade body for the nation's games and interactive entertainment sector. The American technology behemoth is expected to display and demonstrate their Xbox gaming product range in front of top politicians and key entertainment industry figures. There is no mention of representatives from Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) being invited to attend in a similar capacity. The timing of this UKIE organized event (to take place on April 26) is highly controversial as it will coincide with the UK's Competition and Markets Authority's statutory deadline to deliver a Phase-2 verdict on Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) regulatory body has already delivered a provisional approval of the aforementioned deal, but stated that it required more time to investigate the potential for irregularities in competition within the cloud gaming sector. The Phase-2 verdict, due to be delivered next week, is anticipated to include the antitrust watchdog's finalized judgement on cloud gaming market affairs. Sky's insider sources in the city of London have speculated that Microsoft could face a humiliating situation at the 10 Downing-hosted party, if by coincidence the CMA changes its opinion on the Activision Blizzard takeover bid. If the competition regulator stays consistent with its (earlier) provisional decision, Microsoft could be criticized for its extensive courting of government organizations - not only in the UK, but around the world.

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(PR) Valve's DOTA 2 Becomes Jumbo-Sized with New Frontiers Update
Sometimes Dota gameplay patches are small. Sometimes they can get pretty big. This one... is huge. It's got all the things you were probably expecting - balance changes, new items, hero reworks, UI improvements. But we also included a few changes you probably weren't expecting, like a new hero attribute type and - brace yourself - the map is now 40% bigger.

But all these new gameplay features won't matter if the match you get into isn't a good one. So we're also shipping some much-needed matchmaking improvements. Excited? Confused? Head on over to the New Frontiers update page for all the details. But don't head over just yet, read this sentence first: The Berlin major is on April 26th, and Fantasy/Player Cards are now available. Okay, now go. Here's the link again.
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(PR) Unrecord Police Bodycam Tactical FPS Revealed, Dev Team Claim Preview Gameplay Footage is Authentic
Unrecord is a single-player FPS that tells the story of a tactical police officer from the perspective of his body camera. As you work to solve a complex case, you'll need to use your tactical and detective skills to succeed. Unrecord is a tactical shooter where players can expect an immersive and narrative experience. Unrecord features complex dialogues, innovative gameplay mechanics, tough moral dilemmas, and a unique shooting system. The storyline in Unrecord can be compared to a detective novel or a thriller. The player will have to investigate several criminal cases and confront a diverse cast of characters. The game's plot and presentation will be central to the gameplay experience, and players can anticipate a range of gameplay sequences as well as numerous plot twists. Wishlist Unrecord now to stay up to date on the latest news and updates! Read on for a post-reveal and response to questions and concerns from players. Yes, it's a game.

1. Scam or Real Gameplay Footage?
There have been many doubts raised about the authenticity of the gameplay. The game is developed on Unreal Engine 5, and the game footage is captured from an executable and played using a keyboard and mouse. It is not a VR game. In reality, it seems rather flattering to compare the graphics of Unrecord to reality, but fortunately, we know that a game first focuses on gameplay and universe on which we primarily concentrate. Considering the high production costs of a video game and our global reputation at stake, if Unrecord were a scam, it would be a blockbuster scam. Therefore, it is logically not one. We do not use any real videos or external rendering to Unreal Engine for the creation of Unrecord. Unrecord is (un)real.
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GoDeal24 Software Flash Sale: Prices of Genuine Software You Need at Prices You Want
GoDeal24 introduces the Summer Software Flash Sale: Get sizzling discounts on genuine, globally-valid software you need, at some of the lowest prices on the web. Get Genuine Windows 11 Pro at just $10.25, or as low as $10.12 in multi-key packs. Pair it with the powerful Office 2021 Professional Plus productivity software which is $24.25 on its own, as low as $13.05 in multi-PC packs, or $29.99 in combination with Windows 11 Pro. Check out other great deals on the various editions of Windows and Office.

Buy Office 2021 Professional Plus at $24.25 | Buy Office 2021 Professional Plus 2-PC at $39.25 | Buy Office 2021 Professional Plus 3-PC at $56.25 | Buy Office 2021 Professional Plus 5-PC at $66.25 | Buy Office 2019 Professional Plus at $22.25 | Buy Office 2016 Professional Plus at $19.25 | Buy Office 2021 Home and Business for Mac at $37.99 | Buy Office 2019 Home and Business for Mac at $33.99 | Buy Windows 11 Pro at $7.25 | Buy Windows 10 Pro 2-PC at $12.25 | Buy Windows 11 Pro at $10.25 | Buy Windows 11 Pro 2-PC at $20.25 |Buy Windows 10 Home at $7.15 |Buy Windows 10 Home 2-PC at $12.01 | Buy Windows 11 Home at $9.98 | Buy Windows 11 Home 2-PC at $19.25 | Buy Windows 10 Pro + Office 2021 Professional Plus at $27.69 | Buy Windows 10 Pro + Office 2019 Professional Plus at $25.69 | Buy Windows 11 Pro + Office 2019 Professional Plus at $29.99 | Buy Windows 11 Pro + Office 2019 Professional Plus at $28.99

Please use the coupon code SGO50 on the following items to avail the prices you see here.
Buy Windows 10 Enterprise 2021 LTSC at $12.81 |Buy Windows 10 Enterprise 2019 LTSC at $9.14 | Buy Windows Server 2019 Standard at $16.06 | Buy Visio Professional 2021 at $30.23 |Buy Project Professional 2021 at $33.82
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[NextPowerUP]

SK hynix Inc. (or "the company", www.skhynix.com) today reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2023. The company recorded revenues of 5.088 trillion won, operating loss of 3.402 trillion won (with operating margin of negative 67%), and net loss of 2.586 trillion won (with net profit margin of negative 51%) in the first quarter of 2023.

"As the memory chip downturn continued through the first quarter, the company posted a sequential drop in revenues and widened operating loss on sluggish demand and falling products prices," SK hynix said. "But we expect revenues to rebound in the second quarter after bottoming out in the first, driven by a gradual increase in sales volume."
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(PR) Microsoft Flight Simulator World Update Adds Regions of Oceania & Antarctica
Experience the vast regions of Oceania and the magnificence of Antarctica in Microsoft Flight Simulator's latest World update. Explore some of the most exotic regions on Earth in World Update XIII. Microsoft Flight Simulator is thrilled to add to the beauty of the simulator with fascinating new landscapes. Known as both a continent and a geographic region, and straddling the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Hemispheres, Oceania is comprised of remote coral islands, long stretches of white sand beaches, towering volcanoes, vast interior sweeps of uninhabited rainforest, and populated cities boasting modern architectural wonders. Antarctica is a dream destination for aviators with adventure, intrigue, and boundless vistas of pristine coastal and inland glaciated terrain.

Microsoft Flight Simulator's World Update XIII includes Polynesia (Hawaii and Easter Island), Melanesia (Fiji, New Caledonia, New Guinea, Indonesia's West Papua, and the Solomon Islands), the Galapagos Islands and key regions of Antarctica, notably the Antarctic Peninsula. The update provides a total of 13 countries and 28 non-sovereign territories, many with improved resolution that will allow pilots to experience stunning new vistas throughout these regions. The release is based on the latest aerial photographs, satellite imagery, and digital elevation modelling data. There is an updated height field for Hawaii and features the city of Honolulu with dozens of handmade buildings.
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(PR) Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition - Return of Rome Ready to Pre-Order
Where were you in 1998? Perhaps listening to Cher's Believe, watching Titanic, playing with your Tamagotchi and relaxing on your inflatable couch? Or were you playing the Age of Empires DLC The Rise of Rome? This beloved evolution of the first Age of Empires game has taken on a new form and joined the Definitive Edition era in the Return of Rome DLC for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition.

Yes, you read that correctly, Age of Empires content available in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. Bringing the civilizations and action of ancient worlds to AoE II: DE. Purchasers will be able to switch to Return of Rome in the game's main screen and take on fresh challenges.
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Nier: Automata Sold 7.5 Million Copies, Creator Evasive Over Possible Sequel
The official NieR Series Twitter account declared a sales milestone this week, and showed a great appreciation for its fanbase: "You'll be delighted to hear more than 7.5 million copies of NieR: Automata have been sold or shipped to date. Thank you for your love and support!" PlatinumGames' action role-playing game has accumulated very decent numbers over a six year period - NieR: Automata first arrived on PlayStation 4 and PC back in March of 2017. Thanks to highly favorable reviews from the computer game press, and word of mouth spread throughout the gaming community, the unlikely spin-off (from the Drakengard series) has become an enduring classic. It also helps that NieR: Automata broke free from being a PS4 and PC timed exclusive, and later on found its way onto the Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.

It is probably safe to assume that NieR: Automata has made a return on its production budget, so talk naturally turns to the prospects of a hypothetical third entry in the series. PlatinumGames and the game's creator, Yoko Taro, have remained very tight-lipped about a possible continuation. The normally eccentric video game director took a more straightforward approach when sharing good news about his game's healthy sales figures: "It seems that 7.5 million copies have been sold. It's so awesome that it makes me dizzy. I can't exceed this number for the rest of my life…I can only thank everyone who supported me!" Taro has taken a more evasive stance when dealing with questions regarding a third Nier title.

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Intel Meteor Lake Desktop CPUs Spotted in Presentation, Leak Indicates Core i3 and i5 Only
Following on from yesterday's news of Meteor Lake's "Adamantine" L4 cache another leaky bit of information has popped up. A tipster on Twitter, Bionic_squash, has uploaded a slide from a supposedly official Intel presentation document, and it shows a small selection of Meteor Lake-S and Arrow Lake-S desktop CPUs, as well as the refreshed Raptor Lake-S series. The majority of recent leaks have pointed to laptop variants of Intel's fourteenth generation Core lineup, and not much has emerged about a desktop-dedicated range in a while - prompting further murmurs about Team Blue canning that side of things. The Meteor Lake-S family is still in the works according to the leaked chart and industry experts reckon that a product launch is due later in the year.

By looking closely at the chart, it shows that the Meteor Lake-S desktop processors are limited to 35 and 65 W TDPs, meaning that Core i3 and i5 lines are the only offerings within the 14th generation desktop lineup. Performance enthusiasts will need to look at the 15th gen Arrow Lake-S lineup - where the big i7 and i9 CPUs (up to 125 W) sit, or the refreshed Raptor Lake lineup which also offers a wide range of options - from i3 up to i9. Industry experts are a bit puzzled about Meteor Lake's prospects in the desktop processor sector - when considering a (speculated) skew to more entry-level and mid-range minded customers. Will Intel lose out by not offering more powerful variants, or are they working on a refreshed 14th generation product lineup for 2025?

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NetEase Not Taking Blizzard to Court, One Man Seeking $43.5 Million Settlement
According to a recent news article released by Chinese news group Sina Technology, NetEase has filed a lawsuit against its former publishing partner Blizzard Entertainment, to the tune of (around) $43.5 Million. The Chinese Internet technology company is seeking compensation, in the form of a very large refund, following Blizzard's total exit from the nation's online gaming sector - its server infrastructure in China was shut down in January of this year. The closing of Blizzard-related services represented a very abrupt end to a 14-year long relationship between the two online gaming specialists - press coverage at the time presented a tense situation involving many major disagreements - the partnership was broken because of unfavorable terms on Blizzard's part.

NetEase posits that it had to compensate its customer base through refunds from its own reserves, after the sudden shutdown of Blizzard's hugely popular MMO - World of Warcraft, and other online multiplayer game series including Overwatch, Hearthstone, Diablo and Starcraft. A significant chunk of the $43.5 million settlement is said to cover the company's cost in refunding part of its customer base - somewhere in the range of 1.12 million players - for discontinued games and services. NetEase is also reported to be seeking damages for broken license agreements, unsold merchandise inventory and the loss of access to future Blizzard intellectual properties.

Update Apr 25th: According to an article from PC Gamer, published today, NetEase is not taking Blizzard to court. It turns out that a serial litigator, Yang Jun, has included NetEase as an appellant in his filed legal documents - under another company name, The9, an apparently defunct former licensing partner. PC Gamer has been informed that Yang Jun has sued NetEase in the past, and that his latest batch of legal documents have been amended to reflect that he is the lone party in demanding a financial settlement from Blizzard.

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(PR) Razer Announces Collaboration With Roblox, Themed Hardware Collection Launching April 28
Welcome to an immersive experience that is ever-changing—and yours for the making. Explore infinite worlds, connect with friends, and discover new things with an exclusive line of Razer | Roblox gear as you take the plunge into a new horizon of endless possibilities. Launching on 28 April, 4PM BST.

ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES. LIMITLESS PERFORMANCE
Welcome to an immersive experience that is ever-changing—and yours for the making. Explore infinite worlds, connect with friends, and discover new things with an exclusive line of Razer | Roblox gear as you take the plunge into a new horizon of endless possibilities.
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(PR) Returnal and The Lord of the Rings: Gollum Get NVIDIA DLSS 3 Support
Each week we're bringing you the latest news on games launching with NVIDIA DLSS and advanced ray tracing. Last week, the list of supported DLSS games and apps surpassed 290, and this week we're adding even more games! Today, Returnal upgrades its DLSS integration to DLSS 3, giving GeForce RTX 40 Series players even higher frame rates in the fast-paced shooter, The Lord of the Rings: Gollum shows off its DLSS and ray tracing tech in a new trailer, and another 3 games add support for DLSS 2. Read on to learn more.

The Returnal: DLSS 3 upgrade launches today. Returnal, Sony and Housemarque's critically acclaimed third-person roguelike shooter, launched on PC in February, featuring out of the box support for DLSS 2 and ray tracing. After crash-landing on a shape-shifting world, players must guide astronaut Selene through the barren landscape of an ancient civilization for her escape. Isolated and alone, she finds herself fighting tooth and nail for survival. Again and again, she's defeated - forced to restart her journey every time she dies.
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[NextPowerUP]

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) is proud to announce the ROG Ally, an incredibly powerful new Windows 11 gaming handheld. Powered by a cutting-edge AMD Ryzen Z1 series processor, the Ally can breeze through AAA games and indie titles with ease. A bright and high-refresh-rate touchscreen ensures that gamers see their content clearly even when gaming outdoors. The Ally is easy to carry and handle all day, thanks to its lightweight 608 g design and ergonomic handholds.

Featuring an all-new purpose-built APU - an AMD Ryzen Z1 series processor with RDNA 3 graphics - the ROG Ally is primed to deliver never-before-seen levels of handheld gaming performance. Gamers who enjoy lighter indie titles, or more graphically intensive AAA games, can do it all with the Ally. Making all this possible is also ROG's Zero Gravity thermal system, which uses a dual-fan system with ultrathin heatsink fins and high-friction heat pipes to ensure the Ally stays cool in any orientation.
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A Plague Tale: Requiem Verified on Steam Deck
Asobo Studio and Focus Entertainment have announced via Twitter that their smash hit survival adventure game - A Plague Tale: Requiem - is now officially verified on Steam Deck. Valve has bestowed a verified badge upon the critically acclaimed sequel to A Plague Tale: Innocence (2019), and the official Twitter for the series posted about that confirmation yesterday, along with a witty tagline: "They say "keep your friends close but keep your enemies closer", so make sure to bring the rats with you wherever you go!"

A Plague Tale: Requiem has been granted "Great on Deck" status, but early user feedback indicates that the survival horror game is still not fully optimized for Steam Deck's hardware - stuttering in-game performance and crashes are being reported by early adopters. Asobo's flagship title has been quite demanding on home console systems and PCs alike - so it is not surprising that Valve's handheld is struggling through the technical showcase. Many hope that the development team will get onto optimization work, pronto.
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Intel Sapphire Rapids Sales Forecasted to Slow Down, Microsoft Cuts Orders
According to Ming-Chi Kuo, an industry analyst known for making accurate predictions about Apple, we have some new information regarding Intel's Sapphire Rapids Xeon processors. As Kuo notes, Intel's major Cloud Service Provider (CSP) client, Microsoft, has notified the supply chain that the company is cutting orders of Sapphire Rapids Xeons by 50-70% in the second half of 2023. Interestingly, Intel's supply chain has notified the company to cut chip orders by around 50% amidst weak server demand. This comes straight after Intel's plans to start shipping Sapphire Rapids processors in the second quarter of 2023 and deliver the highly anticipated lineup to customers.

Additionally, Kuo has stated that Intel isn't only competing for clients with AMD but also with Arm-based CPUs. Microsoft also plans to start buying Arm-based server processors made by Ampere Computing in the first half of 2024. This will reduce Microsoft's dependence on x86 architecture and induce higher competition in the market, especially if other CSPs follow.

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ASUS ROG Ally Powered by AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme Clocks 71 FPS in DOOM Eternal
ASUS ROG Ally, the company's handheld game console that started out as an April Fool's joke before being announced as a serious product development and ASUS's answer to the Steam Deck, is a lean-mean gaming machine powered by the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor. Announced earlier today, the Z1 Extreme is a highly power-optimized version of the 4 nm "Phoenix" silicon that packs an 8-core/16-thread CPU based on the "Zen 4" microarchitecture, along with its full-config iGPU based on the latest RDNA3 graphics architecture, with 12 CU (768 stream processors), and an LPDDR5 memory interface.

On the ROG Ally, the Z1 Extreme is configured with a 1.70 GHz CPU clock-speed, along with a 2.10 GHz iGPU engine clock. Multiplayer Italy went hands-on with the ROG Ally, and showed off a gameplay of "DOOM Eternal," where the ROG Ally pumps out 71 FPS, with an SoC power-draw of 25.7 W, and an SoC temperature of just 56°C. ASUS and AMD are expected to give the ROG Ally the full spectrum of software-level optimizations suitable for the device, such as dynamic resolution (Radeon Boost), which should hold frame-rates above 60 FPS at all times.

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(PR) Cadence and TSMC Collaborate on N16 79 GHz mmWave Design Reference Flow to Accelerate Radar, 5G and Wireless Innovation
Cadence Design Systems, Inc. today announced that it has collaborated with TSMC to optimize the Cadence Virtuoso platform for the 79 GHz mmWave design reference flow on TSMC's N16 process. With this latest development in Cadence and TSMC's long history of collaboration, joint customers now have access to a complete 79 GHz mmWave design reference flow on the N16 process for developing optimized, highly reliable, next-generation RFIC designs for use in radar, 5G and other wireless applications for the mobile, automotive, healthcare and aerospace markets. Customers have already started using the corresponding TSMC PDKs for RFIC design work.

The Cadence RFIC solution that supports TSMC's N16 process technology features automation capabilities to help customers spend less time integrating critical RF functionality into their designs. The solution supports all aspects of RF design, including passive device modeling, assisted layout automation, block-level optimization and EM signoff simulations.
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MSI Releases UEFI Update for its X670 and B650 Motherboards That Cuts Boot Times in Half
It seems like the long boot times that have plagued MSI's X670 and B650 motherboards might soon be nothing but a bad memory, as the company has issued UEFI updates for its motherboards that are said to cut the boot times in half. The company has added what it calls "Memory Context Restore" in the new UEFI releases, which speeds up the boot times significantly. MSI didn't provide any details as to what the feature does, but according to a post on MSI's forum, it is meant to avoid retraining of the RAM and is a feature that MSI had offered on past AMD platforms.

The chart below shows the boot times using two 16 GB DDR5-6000 modules from Kingston with EXPO and with Memory Context Restore enabled, the boot time goes from 43 to 22 seconds. The specific test system was using MSI's own MAG X670E Tomahawk WiFi motherboard, paired with an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPU.If you have an MSI X670 or B650 motherboard and want to take advantage of the new improved boot times, head over to MSI's website and downloaded the latest UEFI version for your motherboard.

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AOC Q24G2A QHD 24-Inch Gaming Monitor Coming to European Markets
The Q24G2A/BK is an apparent best selling model in the Chinese gaming monitor market, and AOC has decided to make its popular 23.8-inch 1440p gaming-focused screen available to European customers. It is slightly unusual for a small monitor to feature such a high pixel density (123 pixels per inch), thanks to the 2560×1440 QHD specification - but buoyant sales figures in China indicate that the region's gamers favor higher resolutions within a compact frame. AOC is now motivated enough to bring the IPS-based Q24G2A to a western audience - where tastes could be different - although there is no word about any upcoming availability in North American territories.

The western equivalent of China's popular Q24G2 model (launched in that region last year) has been updated and fitted with a pair of internal stereo speakers (rated at 2 W each), and the overall aesthetic is quite familiar - the Q24G2A/BK looks to share the same chassis (plus stand) with the cheaper/lower spec 24G2U/BK model. AOC is touting an MSRP of €249 for its European customers, and that pricing is a bit eyebrow raising - larger 27-inch IPS QHD gaming monitors sit comfortably in this price bracket. Pixel density enthusiasts could favor the smaller AOC since it beats out the twenty-seven inchers in terms of sharpness (123 vs 108 PPI). It is speculated that AOC has sourced the Q24G2A/BK's IPS-ADS panel from BOE Technology.
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NVIDIA Wants to Set Guardrails for Large Language Models Such as ChatGPT
ChatGPT has surged in popularity over a few months, and usage of this software has been regarded as one of the fastest-growing apps ever. Based on a Large Language Model (LLM) called GPT-3.5/4, ChatGPT uses user input to form answers based on its extensive database used in the training process. Having billions of parameters, the GPT models used for GPT can give precise answers; however, sometimes, these models hallucinate. Given a question about a non-existing topic/subject, ChatGPT can induce hallucination and make up the information. To prevent these hallucinations, NVIDIA, the maker of GPUs used for training and inferencing LLMs, has released a software library to put AI in place, called NeMo Guardrails.

As the NVIDIA repository states: "NeMo Guardrails is an open-source toolkit for easily adding programmable guardrails to LLM-based conversational systems. Guardrails (or "rails" for short) are specific ways of controlling the output of a large language model, such as not talking about politics, responding in a particular way to specific user requests, following a predefined dialog path, using a particular language style, extracting structured data, and more." These guardrails are easily programmable and can stop LLMs from outputting unwanted content. For a company that invests heavily in the hardware and software landscape, this launch is a logical decision to keep the lead in setting the infrastructure for future LLM-based applications.

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