Microsoft has announced some major changes for a selection of integrated Windows 11 productivity apps—yesterday's preview piece declared that: "The new Outlook for Windows brings the latest features with a modern and simplified design to your Windows 11 PC. You can tailor it to your style and do more with the new Outlook for Windows! Learn more about the new Outlook for Windows here." Many W11 users are not fans of the current and very neglected set of Mail, Calendar & People applications, but forthcoming updates will provide some joy since the next version of Outlook is set to replace this messy arrangement entirely. A longer and more in-depth Insider article demonstrates the shape of things to come, including a dark mode! A trial version can be accessed via a toggle within the Windows 11 Mail & Calendar app.

Microsoft's roadmap/timeline indicates that new devices running Windows 11 will have the brand new Outlook app pre-installed, starting in early 2024: "The new Outlook for Windows (will be available) as the default mailbox application free for all to use. The Mail and Calendar applications will continue to be available via download in the Microsoft Store through the end of 2024. On existing devices, users can switch to the new Outlook for Windows from a toggle in the Mail and Calendar applications." The company's software engineers are alleged to be working on a project dubbed "Hudson Valley," which is rumored to be the next major version of Windows - aka 12 - arriving September 2024, which coincides with the removal of the improved Outlook app from Microsoft's store. The updated web-based client could be built into Windows 12, and positioned as the default email handling program.

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Digital Foundry Claims Xbox Series X Initially Designed as a Mid-Gen Console Refresh
According to main members of the Digital Foundry team, Microsoft had informed them during Xbox Series console preview sessions (prior to the November 2020 launch) that plans for the more powerful variant had changed. Richard Leadbetter, John Linneman and Alex Battaglia discussed this puzzling notion during yesterday's DF Direct Weekly videocast (episode number #116): "Microsoft told us this back when we saw the Series X for the first time that the Series X is their mid-gen refresh. They just decided to do it, ahead of time, I guess you could say...The Series S is what they consider the standard machine and then Series X is, you know, that's getting ahead of the cart there and this is what you might get from a mid-gen console." They compare the current offerings to predecessors, and propose that Microsoft simply "transplanted" and repeated model hierarchy from the past, albeit with a simultaneous launch—Series S is the newer answer to Xbox One S, and Series X is a current-gen equivalent to the One X.

The debate touches upon (Xbox Chief) Phil Spencer's recent declaration that a more powerful Xbox Series console is not necessary, despite Sony allegedly working on a PlayStation 5 "PRO" model. The DF team reckons that game developers are yet to extract the most from current offerings—Battaglia agrees with Spencer's observation and suggests that only a loud minority of hardcore console gamers are demanding more powerful refreshes. Linneman thinks that the Series X is still a "great box" despite headlines focusing on restrictive 30 FPS performance, and its full potential has not been unleashed. Games running on Unreal Engine 5 are still a rarity on home consoles, but the guys acknowledge that AAA development is taking longer and becoming more expensive, so truly next-gen visuals are not arriving soon. Leadbetter estimates that it takes about four years to hash out console hardware, so the current generation's lifespan could be extended if refreshed hardware turns up.

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(PR) Syntech Unveils 6-in-1 Docking Station for ASUS ROG Ally
Syntech, an innovative manufacturer of quality and affordable electronic accessories and consumer technology products, is thrilled to announce that its recently launched 6-in-1 USB-C Docking Station is compatible for ASUS ROG Ally users. Providing users with 6 different ports to meet most needs, and the ability to output to a 4K monitor or TV at 60 Hz, it is a handy and ergonomically designed gadget to complement the new ASUS ROG Ally handheld gaming console. The Syntech 6-in-1 Docking Station for ASUS ROG Ally and Steam Deck is available for £36.99/$39.99 on Amazon UK and Amazon US

An ideal companion for the ASUS ROG Ally, the Syntech docking station is equipped with a HDMI 2.0 4K@60 Hz output, a Gigabit Ethernet input, 3x USB-A 3.0 output, and a USB-C 3.0 for full speed charging. This allows it to not only expand connectivity for portable gaming consoles, but also tidy up cabling, and provide a stable base for the device when not in use. Designed to add extensibility to a gaming setup, it helps to connect the device to a wide variety of monitors, controllers and peripherals - or can be set up on a work deck or charge on a nightstand. With an impressive 4K@60 Hz output, gamers can enjoy a HD visual gaming experience in the comfort of their own home and the Gigabit Ethernet allows the download and playing of games without any hindrance. Easily making any gaming setup neater by minimising messy cables, it can also be used as a base for other devices that use a USB-C port such as a smartphone, tablet or a Nintendo Switch. Perfect for ensuring there are no distractions, and everything is within easy access.
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(PR) Age of Wonders 4: Dragon Dawn Expansion Out Now
Paradox Interactive and Triumph Studios have released Age of Wonders 4: Dragon Dawn, the first expansion for the hit fantasy strategy game that sold more than 250 thousand copies in its first week. Dragon Dawn enhances gameplay with a distinct leader type, a physical appearance for factions, more Tomes of Magic, and even a fresh realm. Dragon Dawn is now available for a suggested retail price of $9.99/£8.49/€9.99 on PC, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5. Players who purchased the Premium Edition of Age of Wonders 4 or the Expansion Pass will receive Dragon Dawn at no additional cost.

In Age of Wonders 4: Dragon Dawn, players delve into the realm of dragons, embracing their mythical allure and ascending as mighty Dragon Rulers. Create dynamic empires, lead reptilian armies, and wield draconic magic as players burn their way through the battlefield.
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WD Blocking My Cloud Access for Devices Running on Old Firmware
News reports about Western Digital's implementation of new security measures started appearing online last week—My Cloud product owners were puzzled upon discovering that their access to cloud services had been blocked. Devices not updated with the latest firmware - version 5.26.202 (My Cloud) and 9.4.1-101 (My Cloud Home, SanDisk ibi) - were and continue to be barred from the start date effective June 15. This relatively new measure has been implemented in order to prevent further exploits of security vulnerabilities. WD is likely shoring up its online defenses following a major cyber attack on its My Cloud back in March, a hacker group demanded a hefty ransom fee for the return of private customer data. WD restored My Cloud services by mid-May, and released several software updates and security fixes.

According to a company security bulletin (issued last week): "Devices on firmware below 5.26.202 will not be able to connect to Western Digital cloud services starting June 15, 2023, and users will not be able to access data on their device through mycloud.com and the My Cloud OS 5 mobile app until they update the device to the latest firmware...Users can continue to access their data via Local Access." The latest fixes should protect customers from unauthorized access and ransomware attacks, but WD has not provided any further news about any ongoing negotiations with the hacker group behind the Spring data breach.
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(PR) Lam Research Introduces World's First Bevel Deposition Solution to Increase Yield in Chip Production
Lam Research Corp. (Nasdaq: LRCX) today introduced Coronus DX, the industry's first bevel deposition solution optimized to address key manufacturing challenges in next-generation logic, 3D NAND and advanced packaging applications. As semiconductors continue to scale, manufacturing becomes increasingly complex with hundreds of process steps needed to build nanometer-sized devices on a silicon wafer. In a single step, Coronus DX deposits a proprietary layer of protective film on both sides of the wafer edge that helps prevent defects and damage that can often occur during advanced semiconductor manufacturing. This powerful protection increases yield and enables chipmakers to implement new leading-edge processes for the production of next-generation chips. Coronus DX is the newest addition to the Coronus product family and extends Lam's leadership in bevel technology.

"In the era of 3D chipmaking, production is complex and costly," said Sesha Varadarajan, senior vice present of the Global Products Group at Lam Research. "Building on Lam's expertise in bevel innovation, Coronus DX helps drive more predictable manufacturing and significantly higher yield, paving the way for adoption of advanced logic, packaging and 3D NAND production processes that weren't previously feasible."
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NVIDIA H100 Hopper GPU Tested for Gaming, Slower Than Integrated GPU
NVIDIA's H100 Hopper GPU is a device designed for pure AI and other compute workloads, with the least amount of consideration for gaming workloads that involve graphics processing. However, it is still interesting to see how this 30,000 USD GPU fairs in comparison to other gaming GPUs and whether it is even possible to run games on it. It turns out that it is technically feasible but not making much sense, as the Chinese YouTube channel Geekerwan notes. Based on the GH100 GPU SKU with 14,592 CUDA, the H100 PCIe version tested here can achieve 204.9 TeraFLOPS at FP16, 51.22 TeraFLOPS at FP32, and 25.61 TeraFLOPS at FP64, with its natural power laying in accelerating AI workloads.

However, how does it fare in gaming benchmarks? Not very well, as the testing shows. It scored 2681 points in 3DMark Time Spy, which is lower than AMD's integrated Radeon 680M, which managed to score 2710 points. Interestingly, the GH100 has only 24 ROPs (render output units), while the gaming-oriented GA102 (highest-end gaming GPU SKU) has 112 ROPs. This is self-explanatory and provides a clear picture as to why the H100 GPU is used for computing only. Since it doesn't have any display outputs, the system needed another regular GPU to provide the picture, while the computation happened on the H100 GPU.

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