Miss Windows 7? Here’s how it would look if Microsoft released it today
A new concept video for an imagined 2018 edition of Windows 7 has fans of the classic operating system wishing it would become a reality. The clean Windows 7 layout with Windows 10 aesthetics makes for a potent blend of simplicity and beauty and offers a great companion to the creator's other videos.
HPE’s 145,000-core supercomputer could help manage U.S. nuclear stock
HPE has developed a brand-new type of supercomputer built around efficiency of physical space and faster access to memory. The new ARM-based system has more than 145,000 cores across thousands of servers and could help accelerate simulations that aid with the management and handling of the United States' nuclear stockpile.
AMD will only release Ryzen APU graphics drivers every three months
An AMD representative has clarified that it only plans to update the graphics drivers for its Raven Ridge APU chips once every three months. This is less often than its discrete graphics cards, which for the past couple of years have received monthly updates and a yearly refresh of entire software suite.
Mozilla goes all-in on voice commands with its latest browser concept
A recent Mozilla Foundation talk saw it discuss the possibility and architectural requirements for a new kind of web browser that would have fully integrated vocal commands at its core. The new browser ideal would build on existing vocal systems to provide a platform that was intuitive for those with sight limitations.
You’ll want to perk up when it comes to the new ‘Lazy State’ Intel CPU bug
A new Intel CPU bug that's similar to Spectre and Meltdown exploits has been discovered. Although it is much easier to patch and has already been shored up on most operating systems, it still has the potential to do serious damage to a systems' security if left unpatced, especially on server systems.
FBI lands a big catch, busts 74 and shuts down $16 million phishing ring
The FBI and counterpart agencies around the world have arrested more than 70 people and recovered more than $16 million in a crackdown on phishing emails. The scam run by this group targeted companies and tricked employees into handing over financial details or sending money to fraudulent accounts.
Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 ‘urgent’ update calms noisy fans for quieter computing
A new BIOS update for Dell's XPS 15 2-in-1 should fix one of the most glaring issues with the system, namely that the fans spin up very fast and loud when the system is charging. Early reports suggest the problem is far less pronounced after the update, ticking off one of the few issues with the convertible laptop.
Intel “forgot” to mention its 28-core CPU demo was bogus
Intel's demonstration of an allegedly new CPU at Computex with 28-cores and running at up to 5GHz on all of them has proved to be an over-exaggeration of overengineering hardware. In comparison, AMD's Threadripper 2 announcement is very much real and makes for an exciting rest of 2018 in the consumer CPU space.
Net neutrality is dead, but it could make a comeback
The repeal of net neutrality has been enacted and the principle has been effectively killed off at the federal level. However, there is a glimmer of hope for its fans, as many local government officials have been pushing legislation and making demands that could help enshrine its principles for the foreseeable future.
Unify your PC and accessory lighting with Razer’s expanded Chroma support
Razer now supports Chroma integration through a new API with seven different PC manufacturers, making it possible for AMD, MSI, NZXT, Lian Li, and more, to leverage Chroma lighting control in their products. That should make gaming PCs with various accessories look far more uniform than they have before.
How 20th century check fraud is helping prevent 21st century data theft
Social engineering is as problematic today as it's ever been, and that's a scary concept when so much personal information is accessible to hackers and fraudsters. Yet that also means we can learn from the lessons of the past. That's why digital validation company Trusona uses Frank Abagnale of ‘Catch Me If You Can’ fame to future-proof its systems.
Yahoo Messenger will soon die as Squirrel lives on in its wake
Yahoo is closing the doors on its instant messaging application, Yahoo Messenger for good. Existing users have until July 17 to enjoy its features before they lose access to it forever. The only caveat to longtime fans is that any conversations saved on the platform can be downloaded and saved for posterity.
Intel Anniversary Edition 5GHz six-core CPU hits 7.2GHz in supercooled overclock
The Intel Core i7-8086 Anniversary Edition CPU, which boosts to 5GHz, will be on sale soon. The binned 8700K CPU made its first appearance on June 8, lining up with the 40th anniversary of its original 8086 CPU. The new chip is the fastest six-core CPU Intel has released and it's giving away thousands for free.
Shatter, crack, and pop — Apple Watch lawsuit alleges long-term screen defect
A new class-action lawsuit alleges that Apple has been negligent in its dealing with flaws with the Apple Watch, refusing to fix outstanding problems with screen damage and failing to redesign it to avoid the issue in the future. The plaintiffs are seeking $5 million in compensation for their troubles.
Microsoft dumps a 40-foot data center to the ocean floor off Scotland’s coast
Microsoft's Project Natick enters stage two by dropping a 40-foot prototype datacenter 117 feet below the ocean surface near Scotland's Orkney Islands. It contains 12 racks playing host to 864 servers, and connects to a single cable feeding it power and a fiber optic network connection.
Dell Inspiron Gaming Desktop 5676 packs AMD CPUs and graphics cards
Dell's new AMD-focused Inspiron Gaming Desktop 5676 builds upon its predecessor and installs a brand new Ryzen 2000-series processor at its heart. Combined with AMD RX 500 graphics, up to 32GB of RAM, and as much as 2TB of storage space, the redesigned desktop should be a capable and affordable gaming machine.
AMD Threadripper 2 with 32-cores and 64-threads one ups Intel
AMD stole all of Intel's high-powered CPU thunder at Computex this year, by debuting a 32-Core CPU just a day after Intel revealed its 28-core monster. The new Threadripper chip will be joined by a 24-core version and will fit the same sockets and motherboards as the last-generation Threadripper chips.
Samsung may be developing a Snapdragon 850-powered Windows 2-in-1
Qualcomm announced at Computex that one of the first companies to use its new Snapdragon 850 SoC will be Samsung, though in what capacity is currently unknown. Since the Korean manufacturer has previously made convertible Windows tablets, maybe soon we'll see a new Galaxy Book with an efficient Snapdragon chip.
Intel just showed how it can substantially increase laptop battery life
Intel has shown off a brand-new display power saving technology at Computex 2018, which it claims can greatly increase battery life. The new 1W display technology was shown running on a Dell XPS 13 laptop, which Intel claims can have its 13-hour battery life boosted by between four and eight hours.
Intel throws down a gauntlet with its 28-core extreme CPU
Intel is working on a new 28-core CPU, and in early testing at Computex, it looked to be far more powerful at multithreaded applications than its already monstrous Core i9-7980XE. Capable of hitting 5GHz on all cores, it could be the highest-performing consumer chip ever released when it debuts later this year.
Rumored six-core MacBook Pro could be the fastest Apple ever made
Apple may have a new MacBook Pro in the works that has a full six cores and with hyperthreading, support for 12 threads at once. Combined with 32GB of RAM, that Intel Core i7 chip could make this the most powerful laptop Apple has produced, especially when it comes to multitasking and heavy-duty software.
It’s still short of a billion, but Windows 10 adoption hits a big milestone
More than 700 million devices around the world are now running Windows 10. That might include desktops, laptops, Hololens headsets, Xbox One consoles, and Windows mobile devices, but that's still a hell of a lot of different Windows hardware. It should see Microsoft well on its way to a billion installs by 2020.
Nvidia could reboot its game bundle with ‘The Crew 2’ and GTX 1080s
Nvidia is set to start giving away free games with its graphics cards once again by offering the upcoming open-world racer, The Crew 2, to gamers looking to upgrade to its top-of-the-line 10-series graphics cards. New GTX 1080 and 1080 Ti purchases will come with a free copy of the upcoming game.
Intel Optane DC could boost Xeon servers with up to three terabytes of memory
Intel has debuted a new stick of RAM and storage on a single PCB that blurs the line between the two types of storage. Acting like a large-scale caching drive that slots into a DDR4 memory module, it speeds up access to data for servers and can have a big improvement for reboot times and analytics.
Think your GPU rig is fast? This Asus motherboard can handle 20 at once
Asus has a new generation cryptocurrency mining motherboard to debut at Computex in a week's time called the H370 Mining Master. It increases the number of supported graphics cards to 20, and simplifies their attachment through new, PCIe-on-USB connections, rather than standard PCIexpress x1 ports.
Nvidia’s mini supercomputer is the fastest single computer humanity has built
Nvidia built a new server platform known as HGX-2 that combines 16 Tesla V100 graphics cards in a single housing. What's extra clever though, is that it allows them all to work as a cohesive unit, making it more powerful than 300 CPU-driven servers when it comes to A.I. and high-level data processing.
Atari co-founder and video game pioneer ‘Ted’ Dabney dies at 81
Video game pioneer Ted Dabney has died at age 81 after a battle with cancer. Best known for his time at Atari, a company he co-founded with Nolan Bushnell, Dabney was instrumental in the creation of the first arcade cabinet and would go on to aid the development of the first popular arcade game, Pong.
Apple rejection means you can’t play Steam games on your iPhone after all
Apple has rejected Valve's Steam Link game streaming application as part of its approval process for App Store inclusion. That means that for the time being, if you want to stream your Steam library to your mobile handset or tablet, you will have to have an Android device, as the Steam Link app is not available on iOS.
IBM banned USB drives. Is it the future of security or a knee-jerk reaction?
With the implementation of the GDPR, more companies than ever are looking to better protect their data and that of their customers. But are they going about it in the right way? Kingston believes that the recent announcement of IBM's outright ban on physical media isn't taking the right tack in protecting digital information.
Samsung 2018 QLED TVs update adds FreeSync, but limits refresh rates
A new firmware update for a number of Samsung's QLED TVs has quietly introduced FreeSync frame synchronization making it so that gamers who play PC games with AMD graphics or an Xbox One X or S, can now eliminate screen tearing entirely. The only downside is that it's limited to just 1080P resolution.
Facebook’s revenge porn prevention tool now includes human review
Facebook is looking to help block revenge porn uploads before they can be shared, by asking users to pre-emptively upload their images. After initial testing, Facebook is expanding the tool by announcing more countries in the test and using specially trained review staff to examine the reports.
Dell rings the starting bell on its wide-ranging Memorial Day sale
Dell has reduced the prices of a number of XPS and Alienware products as part of its Memorial Day sales, and the company has also cut the prices of a number of accessories, monitors, and other peripherals. The discounts are wide-ranging and include both older hardware and newer products.
5 things the rumored Surface tablet will need to beat the iPad
Microsoft is rumored to be working on a brand new Surface tablet, but beyond that we don't know much about it. That doesn't stop us speculating though, so we've put together a wish list of features and design choices we want to see when it finally makes its debut. Here's what we want to see with the new Surface tablet.