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Report: Valve is secretly building a Switch-esque portable gaming PC

Nearly a decade after introducing an ill-fated line of Linux gaming PCs dubbed “Steam Machines,” PC gaming giant Valve is reportedly trying its hand at hardware again — with its own handheld gaming computer a la the Nintendo Switch. That’s the word from Ars Technica’s Sam Machkovech, who claims to have multiple sources attesting that… Read more

Mockup of AMD’s Zen 4 Raphael CPU Appears With Potential Specs

Home News AMD Zen 4 Processor (Image credit: ExecutableFix/Twitter) Hardware leaker ExecutableFix has provided further details on AMD’s next-generation Zen 4 processor. This new information comes in hot on the heels of the recent sneak peek at the AM5 socket. The AM5 socket has been rumored to shift over to a Land Grid Array (LGA)… Read more

Electric vehicle startups hit speed bumps after raising tons of cash

Electric vehicle startups have raised an absurd amount of money in the last year by merging with special purpose acquisition companies, or SPACs. That money — billions of dollars, collectively — was supposed to be enough to help each of them start fighting for space in a market dominated by Tesla. But many of these… Read more

Microsoft teases a ‘next generation of Windows’ announcement ‘very soon’

Microsoft isn’t talking about its big Windows plans at Build 2021 this week, and that’s because the company is preparing to detail what’s next for its PC operating system separately. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella teased this announcement during his Build keynote this morning, revealing he has been testing “the next generation of Windows” in recent… Read more

Many of the best Nintendo Switch games are $40 at GameStop right now

If you’re a Nintendo Switch owner, you’re probably already familiar with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. It remains one of the most ambitious and charming Zelda titles to date. But like most first-party Nintendo games, it’s one that rarely receives a sizeable discount. Right now, though, you can purchase a physical edition… Read more

Terrible news, everyone: AI is learning how to post cringe

People like to argue that technology is value neutral; that it’s neither inherently good nor inherently bad, but can simply be put to different uses. As a rebuttal, I’d like to direct the court’s attention to exhibit a), a video of “digital humans” rapping using AI-synthesized voices, that is intrinsically awful. Indeed, I’d argue that… Read more

Rotel RC-1590MKII and RC-1572MKII preamps benefit from raft of upgrades

Home News (Image credit: Rotel) Following the recent announcement of its second-generation 14 and 15 Series amplifiers, Rotel has now taken two of its preamplifiers into their next generation. The new RC-1590MKII (pictured top) and RC-1572MKII (below) replace the original, 2015- and 2017-released models, elevating the designs with performance upgrades that include “over 75 critical”… Read more

Intel’s LGA1700 CPUs Will Need New Coolers, or at Least New Mounts

Home News (Image credit: Noctua) Intel’s transition to LGA1700 will not only mark Intel’s changeover to a new socket for mainstream PCs (something the company does rather often), but also to all-new dimensions of its CPU socket, something that has not happened for over 15 years. The new dimensions will entail new mounting mechanisms, which… Read more

Sonos wireless earbuds spotted in new US patent filing

Home News (Image credit: Sonos / USPO) Still waiting for the Sonos wireless headphones to appear? They’re expected by the end of 2021, but it seems the Californian tech giant might have another surprise up its sleeve. A recent US patent filing (spotted by zatznotfunny) appears to depict Sonos’ first ever pair of wireless earbuds…. Read more

Elon Musk called lidar a ‘crutch,’ but now Tesla is reportedly testing Luminar’s laser sensors

A Tesla Model Y was photographed in Florida sporting rooftop lidar sensors made by buzzy sensor manufacturer Luminar. The sighting caused a bit of a stir among Tesla watchers, given Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s well-established disdain for the laser sensors commonly used by autonomous vehicle companies to create 3D maps of their environment. Even more… Read more

How to remove your account from someone else’s Twitter list

Twitter lists can be a wonderful resource: they can help you categorize different companies, track what’s happening with your friends or family, follow accounts that you enjoy, or keep up with news sources you like to follow. And being on others’ Twitter lists can help amplify your own tweets. However, occasionally, you could find yourself… Read more

Microsoft has turned the Surface Duo into a handheld Xbox

Microsoft teased the potential for an Xbox handheld-like experience with the Surface Duo during its unveiling nearly two years ago, and it’s finally appearing today. Microsoft is updating its Xbox Cloud Gaming (xCloud) app for Android, and it includes dual-screen support for the Surface Duo. The app update allows Surface Duo owners to use a… Read more

Metro Exodus on PC adds support for PS5 controller’s amazing adaptive triggers

Metro Exodus has become one of the first PC games to support the PS5 DualSense controller’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers thanks to a recent patch. Although many PC games already support the PS5 controller’s basic features, with Valve adding support for it to its Steam Input API last year, Metro Exodus now supports its… Read more

CircuitPython Powers TI-84 Plus CE Python Graphing Calculator

Home News (Image credit: Mr. Posnanski) Math class just got even more fun! If you’re lucky enough to get your hands on the new TI-84 Plus CE Python Graphing Calculator from Texas Instruments, you now have the opportunity to tinker with CircuitPython! That’s right, it’s not just for the Raspberry Pi Pico and other microcontrollers…. Read more

Time, money, and the new vaccination push

In the US, COVID-19 vaccines are free, but it turns out that money is still a big barrier to vaccination. See, even though the vaccines don’t cost a thing, it still takes time to go and get a shot and potentially recover from any side effects. For working adults, that may mean taking time off… Read more