‘Destiny 2’ players spent 25.6 years combined deleting their unwanted shaders
Bungie's latest Destiny 2 statistics reveal that players deleted 807,635,124 shaders in the 77 days spanning between the launch of Warmind and the final Season 3 Faction Rally. At a one-second-per-shader deletion rate, that number tallies up to a combined 25.6 years across all active Guardians.
Microsoft’s latest patent application hints to ‘page flipping’ on Andromeda
A patent application describes a two-screen pocket-sized device that's likely tied to Microsoft's Andromeda project. Labeled “Navigational Aid for a Hinged Device via Semantic Abstraction,” it describes how the hinge can be used to locate specific sections of content displayed on the screens.
Pictures of a blank GeForce GTX 1180 card reveal connectors and memory slots
Pictures of the upcoming GeForce GTX 1180 graphics card have supposedly surfaced on Baidu showcasing only the card’s printed circuit board. Based on the certification logos, it’s a final design and likely a reference board used by Nvidia’s hardware partners to create their own GTX 1180 cards.
Microsoft’s two-screen Andromeda may arrive in 2019 with Productivity Mode
A clue regarding Microsoft’s Andromeda device was recently discovered inside a Windows 10 driver, indicating that the device will have a productivity mode. It’s used in a class -- a set of attributes that Windows 10 uses to make a window -- called MultiTaskMode. The driver handles display settings.
Attacker stole user data from Reddit through employee accounts
An official update posted by Reddit reveals that an attacker broke into a few systems on the company’s network and stole user data. The theft consisted of a 2007 database backup containing salted hashed passwords along with “some” current email addresses. Reddit is currently working with law enforcement.
Earn up to $10,000 by squashing printer-based bugs in HP’s bounty program
HP is calling an “industry first” in launching a print security bug bounty program providing rewards up to $10,000. It’s backed by Bugcrowd, a crowdsourced security platform that manages bug bounties, vulnerability disclosures, and more. The program will focus on bugs related to printers.
SamSam ransomware has generated $5.9 million from victims since 2015
Sophos reports that the SamSam ransomware has done more financial damage than previously believed, generating $5.9 million from its victims since it appeared in December 2015. Hackers use SamSam in attacks about once per day, but the typical web surfer will likely never experience its devastation.
Leaked Android app shows message scheduling is coming to Google’s Gmail
A recent build of Google’s Gmail Android app reveals the service will eventually support email scheduling. Evidence appears within a line of the app’s code, assigning the “menu_schedule_send” command to a “Schedule send” menu entry. An excerpt from an XML file also refers to this specific command.
Use your face or finger to log into accounts using Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Edge now supports the Web Authentication specification for password-free logins. Support actually appeared in Build 17723 for Windows Insider Fast Ring participants and Build 18204 in the Skip Ahead program last week, but Microsoft didn’t mention the feature until this week’s report.
Microsoft patent points to a 2-screen device for 3-way video calls
Although Microsoft’s two-screen pocket-sized Andromeda device appears to be dead in the water for now, the company apparently still has multi-screen devices on its radar. A patent application published earlier this month describes a hinged multi-screen device that supports three-way video calling.
Microsoft will take charge of your Windows 10 device in a monthly lease
Microsoft is supposedly gearing up to launch a subscription service for Windows 10 that will see customers paying a monthly fee for leasing the entire PC, not just the operating system. Dubbed as Microsoft Managed Desktop, the company would manage the device on an operating system level.
Intel’s 10nm ‘Cannon Lake’ processors won’t arrive until the 2019 holiday season
Intel chief engineering officer Venkata Renduchintala said the company’s 10mn processors won’t appear in products until the 2019 holiday season. He revealed the new launch window during Intel’s second quarter 2018 financial results conference call, reporting that the yields are improving.
New Spectre attack lets hackers steal data without having to run local code on PCs
A new white paper by researchers at the Graz University of Technology reveals a new attack called NetSpectre. Unlike the internet-based Spectre attack that requires a hacker to run code locally on the target PC, this version can steal data from the target PC’s memory without running any local code.
Updated Apple patent suggests MacBook Pro will eventually sport touchscreens
A patent application indicates that the MacBook Pro may eventually include a touchscreen. The hint stems from a patent describing wireless charging between two or more devices. Illustrations show a mobile phone and smartwatch physically resting in a laptop’s touchpad area, receiving a charge.
Reality shines into your ‘Minecraft’ escape via Windows Mixed Reality Flashlight
What’s great about VR is that you can get the full building experience in Minecraft given the blocky world consumes your entire view. The drawback is that you don’t have visual access to the real world without lifting the headset or completely removing the device altogether. Microsoft has a fix.
Apple’s MacBook Pro throttling fix seems to be working
A recent benchmark showed Intel’s Core i9-8950HK CPU in Apple’s latest 15-inch MacBook Pro severely throttled in performance presumably due to cooling issues. Apple has since confirmed the problem and released a software fix which appears to have cleared up most users problems, restoring the MacBook Pro's performance.
Apple’s T2 chip may be causing issues in iMac Pro and 2018 MacBook Pros
Many iMac Pro owners have reportedly suffered kernel panics since they hit the market at the end of 2017. You can find a handful of threads on Apple’s community forums detailing the trials and tribulations customers are experiencing, speculating that the T2 security chip may be the culprit.
Leak shows Intel’s 9th-gen Core i7 desktop CPU won’t have hyper-threading
A supposed leak listed on a Chinese forum (now removed) suggests that Intel will not provide hyper-threading technology on its ninth-generation Core i7-9700K processor. This news is notable because this would be Intel’s first Core i7 part in recent history served up without hyper-threading.
Microsoft provides free lessons for quantum computing basics
Want to learn more about quantum computing and how to program in the Q# language? Microsoft just launched Quantum Katas, an open source project that provides you with tutorials for learning at your own pace. According to Microsoft, these exercises are based on three learning principles.
Google bets on blockchain technology with two new Google Cloud partnerships
Google will support distributed ledger technology, aka blockchain, on the Google Cloud Platform. The reveal arrives by way of the company’s announcement regarding the Google Cloud Next ’18 conference in San Francisco. Google will have a 50-minute session talking about developing blockchain apps.
The Apple T2 chip in the latest MacBook Pros offer a deeper level of security
Apple surprised customers with a sudden (but expected) hardware refresh of its 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pros without an on-stage introduction. The updated models include the T2 security chip first introduced in 2017’s iMac Pro providing a secure boot, encrypted storage and live “Hey Siri” commands.
Email shows Nvidia’s GTX 11 Series will start being released in late August
A leaked email purportedly written by a Nvidia graphics card partner for a retailer provides the release dates of the upcoming GeForce GTX 11 Series. The letter also confirms what we’ve heard over the last several months: That Nvidia pushed back the launch due to unsold GTX 10 Series stock.
Turn your Surface Pro into a cheap Surface Studio with Kensington’s dock
Want a Surface Studio but don’t want to pay the premium price? Kensington can make your dream come true through a new docking station built for the cheaper Surface Pro. It essentially holds Microsoft’s detachable in an all-in-one-PC-style configuration while expanding the device’s connectivity.
AMD’s Ryzen desktop CPUs for 2019 may double the core count
Although we’re still waiting for AMD to release new low-end second-generation Ryzen processors, AMD appears to be betting big on 2019. If current rumors are correct, Ryzen 3000 Series mainstream desktop processors arriving next year will sport up to 16 cores based on its Zen 2 design.
Congressman says we should be banned from mining, using cryptocurrency
Congressman Brad Sherman believes the government should prohibit U.S. citizens from mining and using cryptocurrency. He made the statement Wednesday, adding that as a medium of exchange, cryptocurrencies accomplish nothing except facilitating narcotics trafficking, terrorism, and tax evasion.
Microsoft promises to show off new Xbox bundles during Gamescom
Microsoft is heading to Gamescom next month to showcase all-new Xbox bundles and accessories. The company isn’t revealing any details prior to the show, but merely states that gamers should expect “a few surprises." The big reveal will take place during a special broadcast of Inside Xbox.
Dell’s refresh of the XPS 13 2-in-1 series dips its toes into Intel’s Amber Lake
Intel said its eighth-generation “Amber Lake” Y-series processors would arrive later this year. One month later, the Chilean arm of Dell leaked an upcoming 13-inch XPS 2-in-1 device sporting five processor options, two of which are Amber Lake CPUs: the Core i5-8200Y and the Core i7-8500Y.