Month: October 2020

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Technology News

Intel Makes History With PhiSat-1, First-Ever AI-Controlled Satellite

PhiSat-1 intel

The PhiSat-1 is the name of history’s first space satellite designed to be fully controlled by artificial intelligence. This scientific and technological breakthrough was just presented with a short demonstration held at the Turin, Italy offices of space pioneers Tyvak International last month.

The demonstration saw a smallish satellite the size of a ceral box, as per Intel’s vivid descriptions, launched from a rocket dispenser as part of a larger ejection wave that included 45 other such contraptions.The experiment was a success, with the PhiSat-1 now traveling at a speed of over 27,500 km/h (17,000 mph) some 530 km (330 m) over Earth.

Intel used the opportunity to demonstrate how its CPU tech is already advanced enough to be entrusted with tasks as critical as spaceflight. Which is a far cry from the days in which we have sent a man to the moon on a rocket whose computer was less capable than your average calculator – from the ’90s.

There is still no word on whether Intel will be expanding into spaceflight in the immediate future however. As for the tech in question, the CPU powering the PhiSat-1 is called the Intel Movidius Myriad 2 Vision Processing Unit and is typically used in smart cameras and drones instead of spacecraft.

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Entertainment

Frozen Midquel ‘Once Upon A Snowman’ Debuts On Disney+

Once-Upon-A-Snowman

Disney+ subscribers in the United States can enjoy the latest spin-off based on the beloved Frozen franchise as of today. The release in question, titled “Once Upon A Snowman,” is only the second short film based on the said animated IP after “Frozen Fever” which released all the way back in 2015.

Unlike that short feature, this one isn’t a sequal but a somewhat less conventional midquel, which is 100% a real word, believe it or not. Much like its playful title suggests, this work is starring the popular Olaf, an energetic digital snowman voiced by “The Book of Mormon” star Joshua I. Gad. The very existence of this short film was a well-kept secret at Disney for quite a while, as the animation was only announced during an episode of Jimmy Kimmel’s ABC talk show which premiered last month.

Any other year and “Once Upon A Snowman” would have probably been treated to a limited theatrical release at the very least, but the current circumstances were not suitable for anything else but a direct-to-streaming debut. Needless to say, do not expect this featurette to make its way to any Disney+ alternatives anytime soon.

A month-long Disney Plus subscription is available to U.S. customers from $6.99 or $12.99 per month, depending on whether you want to bundle it along with access to other Walt Disney Co. properties.

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Amazingly Feature-Packed 1.5 Update Now Reaching GoPro HERO9 Black Units

GoPro Hero9 Update

Not even six weeks have passed since the official market release of the GoPro HERO9 Black in the United States, and the action camera company is now pushing out yet another firmware upgrade to its latest compact imaging powerhouse. As for the contents of the said over-the-air release, we are looking at a rather remarkable package.

Because this seemingly minor bump up to the version 1.5 of the native firmware will provide your 2020 GoPro with a vast array of new features, not to mention a decent chunk of comparably consequential improvements to some key system functionalities.

Looking at the changelog, you can expect improved touchscreen performance, more consistent still photography in virtually every scenario, color accuracy improvements to both video and photo capture modes, faster smartphone connectivity, a new Slow-Mo scene shortcut found on the rear display, an entirely new dimension of technical optimizations meant to benefit the new HyperSmooth 3.0 stabilization software, wireless offload support, bug-free scheduled captures, improved GPS accuracy, and so on.

Looking at this list, it’s almost difficult to avoid the thought that the vanilla version of the GoPro HERO9 Black was kind of underbaked, but that’s just the thing – it wasn’t. So, let us hope there is more after-sales support goodness where that came from.

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Nokia 3650 rumored for a 2021 reboot

The next Nokia phone might not be a smartphone, as new industry rumors suggest the iconic Nokia 3650 is getting rebooted this year.

What about the ‘new’ Nokia 3310?

HMD Global, the current owner of the Nokia Mobile brand, has been rebooting popular feature phones from the Finnish manufacturer since 2017. Its first attempt at doing so was also its most successful, by far. This shouldn’t be surprising, given how that move brought back the beloved Nokia 3310. The meme-level status this phone enjoyed has also been fueling its sales. While it’s unlikely that a new Nokia 3650 could mirror that kind of success, HMD management previously went on record to claim the company isn’t done remaking its classics just yet.

As for the original device, the Nokia 3650 debuted in 2003, aka the VGA mobile camera era. While its design wasn’t as iconic as that of the Nokia 3310 or some of the later rivals, the look of the phone is hardly set in stone. The same goes for its feature set, so assuming this rumor is legitimate, you can at the very least expect a capable browser, 4G LTE connectivity, and excellent battery life. The Nokia 3650 reboot would follow HMD’s attempts at revisiting the Nokia 8110, 2720, 5310, and 6300, on top of the aforementioned 3310.

Source: NokiaMob.net

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Technology News

Facebook is working on a smartwatch used mainly for messaging

Facebook is apparently ready to enter the smartwatch market since it’s developing a smartwatch that should hit the market next year.

What will it focus on?

It’s no news that Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s CEO, wants to target all computing platforms. Therefore, it wasn’t that big of a shock when the news about Facebook’s newest plans spread over the internet the last weekend: the company is building its first smartwatch. Although it’s still unsure whether it will run on Google’s Wear OS, it will definitely be Android-based. It will focus mostly on messaging, so it’s safe to assume that messaging on Facebook’s platforms – Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram – will be available. Besides that, the usual smartwatch features (the ones concerning fitness and health) shall also be included.

We can probably expect Facebook’s smartwatch next year if it all goes according to plans. Smartwatch will join Facebook’s hardware ecosystem which includes Oculus VR headsets and Portal video calling devices. In the meantime, Facebook is working on its’ ambitious projects such as Ray-Ban smart glasses and an AR research initiative called Project Aria. It all just goes to prove just how much the company is moving in the consumer products direction. How will the consumers react though, remains to be seen.

Source: Theinformation.com

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Technology News

AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT Announced With U.S. Pricing, Availability Details

AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT Announced

Advanced Micro Devices, or just AMD in short, today announced the official arrival of its newest series of high-end computer graphics cards in the form of the RXadeon RX 6800 XT. The said GPU will be joining the ranks of the standard RX 6800 and the RX 6900 XT, with all three now being confirmed for a nationwide release in the coming days.

More specifcially, the Radeon RX 6800 and its XT counterpart will both be hitting brick-and-mortar stores and e-commerce platforms alike on November 18th, with that release date being confirmed for the entire United States market. The Radeon RX 6900 XT, meanwhile, will be out a bit later, on the 8th of December, AMD said in a prepared statement from earlier today.

All three are meant to rival NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 30 Series announced in early September, with the $999 RX 6900 XT being the flagship model of this generation. Yet it is the $649 Radeon RX 6800 XT that is expected to make the most waves across the consumer electronics market as the ostensible best-buy option for most PC gaming rigs in the foreseeable future.

Granted, that title may also be scooped up by the RX 6800, an even more affordable solution set to retail at $579.

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Apple Starts Rolling Out macOS Big Sur Across The U.S.

macOS Big Sur finally out

Apple started rolling out a new major operating system upgrade for the Macs and MacBooks in the form of the macOS, release version 11.0. The deployment commenced hours ago across the United States, Canada, and other parts of the world, according to the company’s own disclosure.

A refreshed Control Center and even more robust customizability

While a major part of this release focuses on Apple’s very own M1 chips which the firm is now beginning to implement into the lower end of its portfolio, there are plenty of chip-agnostic features, improvements, and fixes on board of the said release, as well. Safari, Maps, and Messages constitute a trio of apps that stand to reap the largest benefits from the debut of the macOS Big Sur, as Apple itself has been claiming since earlier in the year.

Of course, this would not have been a true Apple upgrade had the company not tinkered with the design of its personal computer OS. A lot of the visual changes on board here originate from a completely refreshed Control Center promising to deliver even more robust customizability while simultaneously being easier to navigate in just a few clicks.

Ditto for Safari, which should also render pages more efficiently after a jump to 11.0 Big Sur, all the while offering more privacy-conscious user settings, better iCloud integration, and more. The Messages app is now part of the planetary popular ecosystem of Memoji stickers, whereas Maps have been refreshed to look in line with the rest of the flat design language permeating the entirety of macOS Big Sur.

On the privacy front, app-specific improvements play second fiddle to system-wide changes meant to make app permission reports more transparent, especially in terms of real-time feedback, as Apple is proud to highlight. A new version of Xcode 12 targeting the first-generation M1 CPUs from Apple completes this firmware package that should already be available for download on your end.

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Windows 365 Cloud Computing Service Has Arrived

Windows 365 Cloud Computing Service Has Arrived

After a couple of years in the rumor mill, Windows 365 has recently come to fruition. It is possibly one of the most significant Microsoft cloud service projects after Microsoft 365, looking into providing an affordable cloud computing service for private and enterprise use cases. The idea behind cloud computing is to allow for multiple hardware configurations to be rented and streamed over the Internet to a compatible display or monitor. This shift could significantly impact companies that employ many employees (over 1,000, for example), where every individual gets assigned to a physical laptop or a desktop computer. With Windows 365, these individual computers might get replaced with login credentials to the cloud computing service.

Windows 365 Benefits for Businesses

Getting the Windows 365 platform up and running, there is a single requirement for the device to have a running HTML5 browser and a DSL connection. The rest of the specifics, such as the required total bandwidth, depends on the workload above all else. However, Microsoft has published some general guidelines regarding hardware requirements, including at least a 1GHz processor, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of hard drive space, and a graphics card compatible with DirectX 9, running a resolution of at least 800×600.

With such humble minimum hardware requirements, Windows 365 has the potential to cut costs for medium to large businesses where remote access is a preferred option. In industries such as iGaming and sportsbooks websites, nearly all employees have their own assigned computers, creating additional expenses and downtimes, especially when the computers need servicing. This industry is currently experiencing a significant rise in popularity, and it is common to see classic casino games implemented into the games collection. With the increase in traffic and more casino-based games added to the bunch, Windows 365 can be used as the safety net for employees’ computers to stay operational at all times.

Windows 365 Options and Pricing

At the moment of writing, Microsoft offers Windows 365 in three subscription plans for businesses and enterprises. The basic plan costs US$31 per user per month, offering 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The standard program provides 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage for $US41 per user per month, while the Premium plan comes with 16GB of RAM and 128GB of storage and a 4vCPU for $US66 per month. Subscriptions can get cancelled at any time, and depending on the timing, and users are eligible for a partial refund for that month. In addition, if users might require more processing power for specific tasks, the subscription model can get seamlessly upgraded. With all that said, Windows 365 certainly has the potential for cost reduction, especially for businesses on the rise. Furthermore, running costs can get significantly reduced since it is possible to use Windows 365 over any platform with an enabled Microsoft Remote Desktop application (iOS, macOS, or Android) while still having more than sufficient processing power.

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IDC Confirms Apple iPad’s Dominance in the Tablet Market

IDC Confirms Apple iPad's Dominance in the Tablet Market

It is no secret that Apple has had the most success in the tablet market with the iPad series. One of the iPad’s most significant advantages over its competitors is its operating system, which caters to the tablet form factor. It is noticeable when put alongside a typical Android tablet, where applications and games are usually scaled up to fit the larger screen real-estate. The iPad has evolved quite significantly from the moment it was introduced on the market, even though there is only so much you can innovate with that form factor. Therefore, Apple’s focus is on software adaptation and continuous improvement. When paired with the premium feel and design of the unibody construction, the iPad is the true trendsetter in this niche market.

IDC Reports Apple’s Major Success in iPad Sales

The latest IDC report indicates that the last quarter has been the iPad’s most successful period in the previous decade, outselling the nearest competitor Samsung by over 60%. According to the report, Apple has sold 13 million iPads compared to Samsung’s 8 million units sold. In the grand scale of things, this situation is a good indicator of just how crucial appropriate tailoring of software design is and how much it reflects on the customer base. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S7 is a champion in hardware specifications, but it is held back with Android’s lack of adapted software design compared to the iPad’s ecosystem.

For general content consumption, a tablet (regardless of the make and model) offers a more comfortable and enjoyable experience for gaming especially. Enjoying a slow-paced classic casino game such as roulette is entirely different on a large, crisp screen like the one found on iPads. Slot machines are another excellent example of gaming on the tablet. There is little input required from the player while providing subtle thrills, all happening on that high-resolution display with responsive controls. The iGaming industry has never offered so many options for players to partake, especially when merging casino games with sportsbooks bets.

The Success of Tablet Market Indicates Consumer’s Habits

With the advancements of consumer technology we are currently experiencing, it is clear that consumers look for convenient, tastefully designed, and portable computing solutions for work and entertainment. The education industry is also adapting tablets to learn for children and adults, as the form factor goes right in the middle between a phone and a computer. An oddball in this bunch might be the Chromebook, which carries Google’s ChromeOS packed inside a compact portable computer housing. Lenovo is following the pace rather well, selling nearly 5 million units of Chromebooks and ChromeOS-powered tablets. The differences between the platform are pretty obvious, and there is not one that is better than the other in an absolute sense. Each type of device caters to a particular use case. Still, from the sales numbers, it is clear that consumers generally look for an Apple iPad for a casual portable computing experience.

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Intel Unveils Loihi Chip Allowing Computers To Smell Stuff

intels-new-self-learning-chip-promises-accelerate-artificial-intelligence

The concept of machine smell, much like machine vision, is not exactly new but that does not make it highly explored, by any means. Santa Clara, California-based Intel is hoping to begin changing that with the introduction of its latest technological advancement, however.

We are looking at the Loihi, a new kind of a neuromorphic chip that can power what is very close to our, human understanding of smell and aroma. The solution was detailed in the latest issue of a scientific journal called Nature Machine Intelligence, published earlier today. In the attached paper, Intel scientists reveal how they have partnered with their colleagues from the Cornell University, New York, in order to contribute to the stagnating field of machine smell.

The result of this effort is a chip that ended up being at the center of the Pohoiki Beach, which is how Intel calls its latest neuromorphic system for scientific research. The said platform actually utilizes not one but 64 Loihi chips. Naturally, do not expect consumer-level applications of this technology to emerge in the foreseable future, unless you can think of any that make sense.

Even so, it is going to be a while until the economies of scale make mass-production of these things somewhat viable, assuming that ever happens.

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4th-Gen iPad Air Is Basically An iPad Pro With a Napoleon Complex

This year is nearing its end, the iPhone 12 series just barely managed to launch after numerous delays several days ago, and yet the new iPad Air is the biggest story of the week by some margin. Because the fourth-generation addition to what was traditionally Apple’s mid-range lineup of iOS slates ended up featuring the very same A14 Bionic flagship chip from Apple that is powering those high-end iPhones.

It’s like Apple decided it can’t be bothered with figuring out the logistics of mass-producing a perfectly ordinary mid-range device in 2020 that will command a mediocre profit margin anyway and just continued churning out its best-ever silicon after the initial batch of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro was done.

This iPad Air outright beats the latest iPad Pro range which launched like, half a year ago. Sure, it still can’t compare in the GPU department but for a device starting at $599, this is some utterly ridiculous value. It’s like someone gave steroids to the smaller iPad Pro 11, then slapped a fresh coat of paint over it and called it a mid-ranger.

Except that this half-hearted attempt actually benefits consumers. Go figure.

The 4th generation of the iPad Air (2020) can now be purchased in the United States and you should absolutely consider doing so in case getting a new tablet is anywhere near your current list of priorities.

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Motorola Teases New Mobile Tech Catering To Photographers, Gamers

motorola Lenovo Tech World

As a subsidiary of Lenovo, Motorola could have hardly missed this year’s Lenovo Tech World, even as the circumstances outside of both companies’ control forced the show into an online-only format.

Fortunately, we were treated to plenty of intriguing announcements and teasers that made us forget about the less stellar things about this year, if only for a moment. Motorola, itself, played an important role in this achievement.

Because the company’s Lenovo Tech World camera revolved around teasing a whole group of new innovations and curiosities that it has in the works instead of focusing on any single thing, which is a strategy that always runs a significant risk of ending in accusations of gimmick-peddling.

That wasn’t the case this time around, though Motorola’s showing did have a strong debut, centering on enhanced video capture capabilities that it plans to start rolling out to its existing devices in the very near future, raising the bar in teleconferencing at a pretty convenient time for that to happen.

It went on to confirm a feature meant to project modern Android games to TV screens with no noticeable latency with the goal of enabling console-like entertainment experiences, then moved on to promises about even better multitasking support based on a new split-screen mode it has in the works.

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