In a press release for Apple’s new Tile-like AirTag tracker, the company has revealed that iOS 14.5 will officially arrive “starting next week” — as spotted by Wall Street Journal’s Joanna Stern. AirTags go on sale April 30th and will only work with devices running iOS 14.5 or higher. Likewise, watchOS 7.4 and macOS 11.3 will also launch next week, as they support new Apple Podcast feature updates.
Apple first launched the 14.5 beta to the public earlier this year in February alongside watchOS 7.4 beta (no word on whether that’s arriving soon, too). Along with AirTag support, it will implement Apple’s new App Tracking Transparency requirement, which mandates that developers ask for permission to track users for ad targeting. The feature was announced last year and met with sharp resistance from Facebook in particular, which argues that the move will harm small businesses that benefit from ad tracking.
iOS 14.5 also introduces some welcome inclusivity features, like the ability to change Siri’s voice and new skin tone options for some emoji. Another feature we’ve appreciated in our testing thus far is Siri’s ability to learn which audio-listening apps you prefer for certain activities. This stops short of letting you select a new default app, like picking Spotify for all of your streaming music requests, but it’s a helpful evolution in any case.
Of course, this feature may or may not make it to the final release, but we do know now when we can expect to find out which features made the final cut. Apple doesn’t say specifically which day we can expect 14.5, but when it does, iPhone users will be able to download the update in their phone’s settings as always.
Microsoft has started inviting Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers to test its Xbox Cloud Gaming (xCloud) service on iPhones and iPads today. The service works through web browsers, allowing it to also run on PCs and Macs on Edge, Chrome, or Safari. We’ve managed to get an early look at this beta and see how Xbox Cloud Gaming works on an iPhone or iPad.
The web interface for xCloud (yes, we’re going to keep calling it xCloud) is very simple to use. It scales across devices like the iPhone, iPad, or even a large monitor attached to a PC to provide quick access to games. Microsoft has even included a search interface, which is something that’s strangely missing on rival service Google Stadia.
You don’t need to install any apps or extensions; it works natively in Chrome, Safari, or Edge. All you need is a compatible USB or Bluetooth controller. Some games even work with Xbox Touch Controls, so a controller isn’t required if you’re happy to tap on the screen and play. I managed to quickly start games using an Xbox Elite 2 controller paired to an iPhone 11 Pro.
Once you launch a game, you’ll have to wait a fair amount of time for it to actually load. Much like xCloud on Android, the backend servers for Microsoft’s Xbox game streaming are actually Xbox One S consoles. This older Xbox hardware isn’t powered by a modern CPU or SSD, so game loads are affected as a result. Microsoft is planning to upgrade xCloud servers to Xbox Series X hardware at some point this year, though.
Microsoft’s Xbox Game Streaming on an iPhone.
I’ve only been playing xCloud via the web for a few hours, so it’s difficult to judge the experience, but I’ve certainly run into a lot of connection issues both wireless and wired with my desktop PC. Microsoft says it’s working on a routing issue with this beta, but it’s worth pointing out this is a test service, and it’s only just launched, so hiccups like this are to be expected.
Once the connection settles down, it’s very similar to xCloud on Android. If you run this through a web browser on a PC or iPad, you’ll even get a 1080p stream. It feels like I’m playing on an Xbox in the cloud, and there’s a dashboard that lets me access friends, party chats, achievements, and invites to games. This is all powered by Xbox Game Pass, so there are more than 100 games available — and even some original Xbox and Xbox 360 titles that can be streamed.
You can search and easily launch Xbox games in a browser.
Xbox Touch Controls can be used for certain games.
Microsoft hasn’t said when the company plans to roll this out more broadly yet, but given the early connection issues, there’s clearly still some work to be done until the web version is available for everyone. Still, it’s impressive how well this scales across multiple devices and opens up the ability to stream Xbox games to virtually any device that has a Chromium or Safari browser.
I also tried this xCloud browser version on the new Edge app for Xbox consoles, but it’s not fully supported yet. Both the service and the browser are in early beta right now, so full support might come at a later date. Either way, I imagine that xCloud will arrive on Xbox consoles through the ability to quickly stream a game while you’re waiting for it to download in the background. That’s really where xCloud makes sense on a console that can already play Xbox games.
This browser-based version of xCloud does open up the service to many more possibilities, too. Xbox chief Phil Spencer has previously hinted at TV streaming sticks for xCloud, and Microsoft has already committed to bringing the service to Facebook Gaming at some point. It’s easy to imagine Xbox Game Streaming apps for smart TVs, coupled with the ability to access the service from web browsers to ensure almost any device can access an Xbox Game Pass subscription. That’s clearly Microsoft’s goal here, and this beta feels like just the beginning.
The US Federal Trade Commission has warned companies against using biased artificial intelligence, saying they may break consumer protection laws. A new blog post notes that AI tools can reflect “troubling” racial and gender biases. If those tools are applied in areas like housing or employment, falsely advertised as unbiased, or trained on data that is gathered deceptively, the agency says it could intervene.
“In a rush to embrace new technology, be careful not to overpromise what your algorithm can deliver,” writes FTC attorney Elisa Jillson — particularly when promising decisions that don’t reflect racial or gender bias. “The result may be deception, discrimination — and an FTC law enforcement action.”
As Protocol points out, FTC chair Rebecca Slaughter recently called algorithm-based bias “an economic justice issue.” Slaughter and Jillson both mention that companies could be prosecuted under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act or the Fair Credit Reporting Act for biased and unfair AI-powered decisions, and unfair and deceptive practices could also fall under Section 5 of the FTC Act.
“It’s important to hold yourself accountable for your algorithm’s performance. Our recommendations for transparency and independence can help you do just that. But keep in mind that if you don’t hold yourself accountable, the FTC may do it for you,” writes Jillson.
Artificial intelligence holds the potential to mitigate human bias in processes like hiring, but it can also reproduce or exaggerate that bias, particularly if it’s trained in data that reflects it. Facial recognition, for instance, produces less accurate results for Black subjects — potentially encouraging false identifications and arrests when police use it. In 2019, researchers found that a popular health care algorithm made Black patients less likely to receive important medical care, reflecting preexisting disparities in the system. Automated gender recognition tech can use simplistic methods that misclassify transgender or nonbinary people. And automated processes — which are frequently proprietary and secret — can create “black boxes” where it’s difficult to understand or challenge faulty results.
The European Union recently indicated that it may take a stronger stance on some AI applications, potentially banning its use for “indiscriminate surveillance” and social credit scores. With these latest statements, the FTC has signaled that it’s interested in cracking down on specific, harmful uses.
But it’s still in the early days of doing so, and critics have questioned whether it can meaningfully enforce its rules against major tech companies. In a Senate hearing statement today, FTC Commissioner Rohit Chopra complained that “time and time again, when large firms flagrantly violate the law, the FTC is unwilling to pursue meaningful accountability measures,” urging Congress and other commissioners to “turn the page on the FTC’s perceived powerlessness.” In the world of AI, that could mean scrutinizing companies like Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, and Google — all of which have invested significant resources in powerful systems.
The embattled social network Parler is slated to reappear on iOS on the week of April 26th, following its re-acceptance into Apple’s App Store earlier today. However, the iOS app will block some content that’s available on the Android and web versions of Parler — a compromise that apparently satisfies Apple’s developer guidelines.
Parler announced the news in a press release. Interim CEO Mark Meckler said the company had “worked to put in place systems that will better detect unlawful speech and allow users to filter content undesirable to them, while maintaining our strict prohibition against content moderation based on viewpoint.”
Apple reaccepted Parler after a months-long ban under pressure from lawmakers, two days before a hearing on Apple’s App Store policies. The company said Parler — which promotes itself as a less strictly moderated alternative to Facebook or Twitter — had engaged in “substantial conversations” with Parler, resulting in a set of proposed changes that would meet Apple’s content policy.
According to Parler’s press release, that includes filtering some content on iOS. “While the App Store version of Parler will prohibit some posts that Parler allows, those posts will still remain visible on the web-based and Android versions of Parler,” the release notes. Parler didn’t elaborate on what kinds of content that would include, but Apple broadly requires a system for filtering “objectionable” material posted by users.
Apple, Google, and Amazon all banned Parler after the January 6th attack on the US Capitol, saying Parler had failed to police violent threats and hateful content. Parler sued Amazon, which it had worked with for web hosting, but the suit has so far fared poorly in court. Google has continued to bar Parler from its Play Store, but users can install the app directly on Android — making the ban far less of a liability.
Facebook is going all in on audio. The company announced multiple products on Monday that emphasize voice content over text, images, or video. The products will be released over the next few months and, in some cases, will start with a limited set of people.
Most notably, Facebook is indeed launching a competitor to the buzzy social audio app Clubhouse with a feature called Live Audio Rooms, which will be available this summer. It’ll first roll out to groups and public figures as a test, but it will eventually make its way to Messenger, too, so people can hang out with friends. Users will be able to record their conversations and distribute them, and eventually, people can charge for access to these rooms through either a subscription or one-time fee.
To get people to join, Facebook says it’s introducing an Audio Creator Fund to “support emerging audio creators.” All of these conversations can also be turned into “Soundbites,” a forthcoming feature that allows people to create and share shortform audio clips along with an algorithmic feed to promote them. Think TikTok, but with audio clips.
The Soundbite creation tool will let people put effects on their voices.Image: Facebook
Soundbites will live within the broader News Feed. Users will be able to record them in a separate tool within Facebook, which the company describes as a “sound studio in your pocket.” In a chat with Casey Newton, the author of Platformer and a contributing editor at The Verge, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg equated Soundbites to Reels, Instagram’s TikTok competitor, but for audio.
He also added that he likes audio over video or images because it allows people to multitask and host longer, nuanced conversations.
“The high-level picture here is that we think that audio is, of course, also going to be a first-class medium, and that there are all these different products to build across this whole spectrum,” Zuckerberg said.
Facebook also plans to take on a bigger role in podcasting. The company says it’ll start recommending shows and episodes based on people’s interests and that people can comment on them and recommend them to friends. The company says 170 million people on Facebook are connected to a page that’s linked to a specific podcast, and more than 35 million people are members of fan groups around podcasts.
Facebook wants to support podcasts with direct monetization.Image: Facebook
Zuckerberg says a partnership with Spotify is forthcoming, too, which will bring the company’s player over to Facebook, letting people stream music and podcasts from their News Feed. Zuckerberg emphasized that this feature is for music. But still, Facebook users will be able to share Spotify podcasts and let people listen without having to leave the Facebook world — they just have to link their accounts.
“Our ambition has always been to make Spotify ubiquitous across platforms and devices — bringing music and podcasts to more people — and our new integration with Facebook is another step in these efforts,” a Spotify spokesperson said in a statement. “We look forward to a continued partnership with Facebook, fueling audio discovery around the world.”
Finally, Facebook’s tipping system, Stars, will be coming to Live Audio Rooms as well as for individual creators and public figures.
How serious Facebook is about audio and whether users actually want it over other formats is still unclear. On one hand, the audio industry is hot right now, with most major tech companies wading into the broader podcasting industry. Clubhouse and other audio startups have also made live audio a popular way to interact, and already, multiple big platforms have integrated the format into their apps.
On the other hand, live audio has clearly found its moment during the pandemic, when everyone’s been starved of human interaction and mostly confined to their homes. Podcasting offers edited, on-demand conversations, which people have enjoyed for years, but whether the live formats will survive remains an open question. Facebook has also routinely gone all in on a format, only for it to languish. It went for longform video with IGTV but has since pivoted to a focus on Reels. It launched and subsidized Facebook Live content, which has since mostly fallen by the wayside. The same could happen for audio, but Facebook is clearly using its size to try to make its mark on the industry.
Facebook says it’s taking extra moderation measures around the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former police officer accused of murdering Minneapolis man George Floyd last year. As a verdict in the trial approaches, Facebook has designated Minneapolis a “high-risk location” where it will seek and remove calls to bring weapons to events. It will also remove content that “praises, celebrates, or mocks George Floyd’s death.”
Facebook content moderation VP Monika Bickert outlined preparations for a verdict in a blog post this morning. “We want to strike the right balance between allowing people to speak about the trial and what the verdict means, while still doing our part to protect everyone’s safety,” Bickert writes. Users can “discuss, critique, and criticize the trial and the attorneys involved,” but Facebook will remove content that violates its policies, and it “may also limit the spread of content that our systems predict is likely to violate our Community Standards.” And it will “remove events organized in temporary, high-risk locations that contain calls to bring arms.”
The company will delete “severe” attacks on Chauvin, although Facebook considers the former officer a public figure for “voluntarily placing himself in the public eye” — as opposed to Floyd, who is granted a higher standard of protection.
Much of Bickert’s post outlines steps Facebook is supposed to take with all content. But it indicates that Facebook could be particularly vigilant in, for instance, removing incendiary event pages around Minneapolis. Last year, the company was criticized for not removing a self-proclaimed militia’s “call to arms” in Kenosha, Wisconsin, until a fatal shooting took place during the event.
Facebook made a similar announcement last month around the mass shooting in Atlanta, Georgia, when it banned any posts that celebrated the attack or the alleged killer. However, Chauvin’s trial is a more potentially volatile situation, especially as footage of police violence — like the shooting of 13-year-old Adam Toledo — has spread on social media during it. Facebook says that “given the risk of violence following the announcement of the verdict, regardless of what it is, we remain in close contact with local, state and federal law enforcement” after the verdict.
Facebook is rolling out a new feature today, allowing users across the globe to have the option to archive their posts and notes created on the social media site and transfer a copy of that data onto Google Docs, WordPress, or Blogger. It’s expanding on a similar tool the company released last year that allows you to transfer photos from its platform onto Google Photos. In both cases, the tool allows users leaving Facebook to preserve a version of the content associated with their account.
Users can access the tool by opening Facebook settings and clicking on “Your Facebook Information,” then selecting “Transfer a Copy of Your Information.” There, you can select which destination to transfer the data to (Google Docs, WordPress, or Blogger), log in to the account you select, and confirm the transfer.
The new feature is part of the Data Transfer Project, a cross-company data-sharing initiative that launched in 2018 with the goal of allowing you to move data across various online services and platforms seamlessly. Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Twitter are also involved in the project, offering similar data-export tools.
The feature is convenient for users who want to share specific posts or notes they created through Facebook. Still, it is important to note that data ported will not archive comments from other users since those comments are seen as belonging to a separate account.
The new data export tools help bring Facebook in line with two recent tech regulation laws — California’s Consumer Privacy Act and the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation. Both laws require that companies provide personal information in a readily usable format upon request, although the specifics of the format and interoperability measures are left unspecified.
The What Hi-Fi? Virtual Show takes place this Saturday 24th April and, alongside new product launches, interviews and advice, we will also be hosting a live Q&A on Saturday afternoon.
We will be answering questions that have been posted by viewers during the event and you can also log your questions in advance. You can post a question below this article or head over to the thread on the What Hi-Fi? Facebook page.
The What Hi-Fi? Virtual Show will be a full day of sessions, across two virtual stages. We’ll be explaining how we review and the importance of our dedicated test rooms, giving advice on getting the best from your existing kit, whether that be your speakers or your TV, and dusting off our crystal ball to discuss the next big things in hi-fi and home cinema.
Visit the What Hi-Fi? Virtual Show page to register for this FREE event
We’ll also be building our own speaker and talking you through the DIY process, discussing our favourite products in the world right now – and choosing our all-time favourites.
For full details, head over to the What Hi-Fi? Virtual Show page. See you on Saturday.
Facebook, Twitter, and Snap are among the companies that will assist with the Biden administration’s promotional campaign for vaccine eligibility, Axios reported. The White House had set a date of May 1st for states to open coronavirus vaccine eligibility to all adults, but later pushed it to April 19th.
The White House is hoping to reach populations who may have higher rates of vaccine hesitancy with the effort. Anthony Fauci, the president’s chief medical adviser, will do video clips on Snapchat, according to Axios, and Facebook and Twitter will send out push alerts to notify users that they’re eligible to receive the vaccine. Vice President Kamala Harris will also be involved with the social media push.
Half of all US adults have received at least one COVID-19 vaccination, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), But the administration appears concerned that last week’s decision to pause the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine may have made people already hesitant to receive a vaccine even more wary.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and CDC recommended last week that the US pause the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after six people who received the shot experienced unusual blood clots. The agencies wanted time to investigate whether there’s a connection between the clots and the vaccine. Fauci said on Sunday that he believes the pause will be lifted by Friday, perhaps under some kind of restriction or warning.
Facebook, Twitter, Snap, and the White House did not immediately reply to requests for comment on Sunday.
NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter is slated to attempt the first-ever powered flight on another world at 3:30AM ET on Monday. The twin-blade rotorcraft will try to ascend 10 feet above ground and hover in place for 30 seconds while cameras on NASA’s Perseverance rover record the historic attempt from a distance.
The four-pound Ingenuity copter landed on Mars February 18th attached to the underbelly of Perseverance, NASA’s latest Mars rover whose main mission is to search for signs of ancient Martian life. Perseverance has set aside time to witness Ingenuity’s flight attempt and report the results back to Earth. Ingenuity’s Monday flight test is the first of five planned within a 31-day window that kicked off last week. If all goes well, engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California will start planning for the next four, which could see the craft soar higher and travel farther, depending the results of its first attempt.
JPL engineers have sought to set expectations for the test flight during recent press conferences: “This is really hard,” said Elsa Jensen, an operations lead for one of the cameras aboard Perseverance that’ll be fixed on Ingenuity. Tests have gone well over the last week, Jansen added. “But we know there’ll be surprises.”
How to watch
If the flight takes off as planned on Monday, NASA will have livestreams beginning around 6:15AM ET on Monday hosted on YouTube, its website, Twitter, Facebook, and Twitch.
Because of the long data delay between Mars and Earth, we won’t see live video of the flight attempt — it will probably take a few days to get that footage. Instead, NASA’s livestreams will show engineers gradually analyzing data from Mars that will confirm whether or not Ingenuity survived its attempt. Did it fly as expected, or did it get swept away by a gust of wind? Did an alien steal it? We’ll know as soon as engineers find out.
Tune in early on Monday to see how the historic flight goes.
What Happens Next
Ingenuity’s power supply will be exhausted upon landing, so it needs to beam data to Perseverance in the most efficient way possible. That landing data dump will include a few low-resolution black-and-white images captured by its down-facing navigation camera under its tissue box-sized body.
Sometime Monday, engineers will get other images captured by two cameras on Perseverance — Navcam and Mastcam-Z — with much higher resolution.
The images from Ingenuity, along with troves of summary data, will radio signals to a so-called Mars Base Station situated on Perseverance’s body, which will relay those signals to a satellite orbiting Mars, which will then shoot the data through NASA’s Deep Space Network all the way back to Earth. Ingenuity will go into sleep mode and re-charge its batteries for the rest of the day using the small cutting board-sized solar panel above its little rotor wings.
On the next Mars day, or sol, engineers will wake Ingenuity back up and retrieve the first 13-megapixel color images taken by its other, horizon-facing camera. More flight data will be sent throughout the following day — “that’s kind of the prize of this project,” Tim Canham, Ingenuity’s operations lead, said.
“This is definitely a high-risk, high-reward experiment,” MiMi Aung, Ingenuity project manager at NASA JPL, said Friday during a press conference. Based on several hours of tests, simulations and Martian weather analyses, Aung said “confidence is high” among the engineering team.
Ingenuity’s four-foot-long carbon fiber blades successfully unlocked last week after it planted its feet on the surface, and engineers were able to conduct a brief spin test at 50 rpm. For the craft’s actual flight, those blades will be spinning as quickly as 2,400 rpm — fast enough to achieve lift in Mars’ ultra-thin atmosphere.
How Ingenuity does on its first flight test will determine the parameters of its upcoming flight tests. Aung said the helicopter’s “lifetime will be determined by how well it lands,” suggesting engineers could be able to carry out more flight tests within the 31-day window if things are successful. After that window, however, it’s likely Ingenuity will retire.
GeForce RTX 3080 Ti (Image credit: Lok LOK/Facebook)
Facebook user Lok LOK has snapped various photographs of shipping boxes with MSI graphics cards that are reportedly heading to the U.S. One of the boxes seemingly contains MSI’s unreleased GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Ventus 3X 12G OC, lending credence to the rumors of GeForce RTX 3080 Ti’s arrival in May.
However, the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti isn’t the only SKU that MSI is sending to Los Angeles. Nvidia’s flagship GeForce RTX 3090 is also part of the shipment although we couldn’t see the exact model of the graphics card. The other photographs also showed a few boxes of MSI’s Radeon RX 580 Armor 8G OC and GT 710 2GD3 LP. Both graphics cards are outdated by today’s standards, but given the ongoing shortage, anything is better than nothing. Furthermore, the Radeon RX 580 is still the one of the best mining GPUs that money can buy.
According to the latest rumors, the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti could arrive with 10,240 CUDA cores, 80 RT cores and 320 Tensor cores. The leaked photographs paint the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti with 12 GB of memory, putting to rest the ongoing debate of hether it would come with 12GB or 20GB. The memory chips should be GDDR6X clocked at 19 Gbps. Across the rumored 384-bit memory interface, the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti should be good for a memory bandwidth up to 912.4 GBps.
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MSI GPU Shipment (Image credit: Lok LOK/Facebook)
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MSI GPU Shipment (Image credit: Lok LOK/Facebook)
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MSI GPU Shipment (Image credit: Lok LOK/Facebook)
There is strong but unverified information that Nvidia is reworking its Ampere silicon to put a halt to Ethereum mining. If that’s the case, the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, which is reportedly based on the GA102 die, will debut with Nvidia’s reveamped silicon with improved anti-mining mechanisms. Word around town is that once mining activity is detected, the algorithm slashes the hash rate down to 50%.
While Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3090 can go toe-to-toe with AMD’s Radeon RX 6900 XT, the Ampere offering also costs $500 more. Nvidia has a respectable Ampere lineup, but the chipmaker doesn’t have anything that competes in the $1,000 bracket. The reason for the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti’s existence is to face Radeon RX 6900 XT at the $999 price mark.
If you’ve been hunting for a high-end Ampere graphics card, we encourage you to keep your eyes peeled in the upcoming weeks. We don’t know just how many units are en route to the U.S. but they’ll likely sell out fast. The reality of the matter is that the graphics card shortage doesn’t look like it’ll improve anytime soon. What little of the graphics cards that make their way to U.S. retailers will in all probability sell out quickly.
NASA has rescheduled the first flight of its Ingenuity Mars helicopter to April 19th at 3:30AM ET, the agency announced Saturday.
The four-pound helicopter that arrived on Mars on February 18th with its parent rover Perseverance has seen its first flight delayed a few times. It touched the surface of Mars on April 4th, and has been undergoing tests and checkouts. It survived its first night alone on Mars’ frigid surface, passing a first test of its independence from Perseverance.
The craft was scheduled to take flight April 11th, but last weekend NASA said data from a high-speed rotor test showed the test sequence ended early, as Ingenuity’s computer tried to switch from pre-flight to flight mode The date was pushed back again after Ingenuity experienced a minor software glitch.
Engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory decided to modify and reinstall Ingenuity’s flight control software, a process that took several days. NASA tweeted Friday night that Ingenuity had completed a full-speed spin test and a decision about the next flight date was forthcoming. The little helicopter has been waiting on the surface of Mars’ Jezero Crater as NASA engineers tested and reinstalled the flight software.
While Ingenuity is not the main focus of Perseverance’s mission on Mars— which is to look for signs of life and take dirt samples— the little helicopter could provide a leap forward in human exploration of Mars and other celestial bodies. Rovers like Perseverance can only move so far and don’t have details about what may lie ahead in their paths. But a small craft like Ingenuity can become like a scout, flying ahead to help the rover navigate Mars’ surface, and get to areas that other vehicles may not be able to reach.
Once it does take off, Ingenuity will climb about 10 feet (3 meters), then hover in place for 30 seconds before turning in midair and descending back to the surface. The camera on its underside will take 30 photos per second of the ground. A larger camera will face the horizon and snap photos while in flight, and at the same time Perseverance’s cameras will take pictures of Ingenuity flying.
If you’re up for an early morning Monday (or late night, depending where you are), you can watch the live stream of Ingenuity’s flight starting at 6:15AM ET/3:15AM PT, on NASA Television, the agency’s website, and social media platforms, including YouTube and Facebook.
Mustafa Mahmoud 1 day ago Featured Tech News, Software & Gaming, Tech News, Virtual Reality
Resident Evil 4 is generally agreed to be one of the best titles in the franchise, with the game still standing the test of time. Just as how RE4 took advantage of fringe technologies at the time, the game is once again stepping into new territory, as a VR version of Resident Evil 4 has officially been announced.
Making the announcement at last night’s Resident Evil Showcase, Resident Evil 4: VR is a fully translated version of the original Resident Evil 4, but made to work entirely in VR. Unlike the original game, this VR port shifts the perspective to first person, immersing players into the world of RE4 in a new way.
Currently, the game has only officially be confirmed to be coming to the Oculus Quest 2, and while details are sparse at the moment, it has been confirmed that more of Resident Evil 4: VR will be shown off at the upcoming Oculus Gaming Showcase on the 21st of April – where hopefully we will hear about further platform support.
Resident Evil 4: VR now marks the second Resident Evil game to be translated to the medium – after RE7. It will be interesting to see what Capcom’s long-term plans for VR are, and whether all previous games will eventually get the VR treatment. Hopefully we get to hear much more at the upcoming Oculus Gaming Showcase.
Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.
KitGuru says: What do you think of this announcement? Do you own an Oculus Quest 2? What other classic games would you like to see brought to VR? Let us know down below.
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Christina Munro 1 day ago Featured Tech Reviews, Mouse, Reviews
Today we’re checking out ASUS’ latest lightweight wireless gaming mouse. The ASUS ROG Keris Wireless supports wired, Bluetooth and 2.4GHz wireless connectivity, while also sporting a PixArt PAW 3335 sensor with 400 IPS tracking and up to 16,000 DPI. Not only does it have hot-swappable switches, with spares included, you can also change the colour of the side buttons. Let’s see if this mouse is really worth the £89.99 asking price.
Watch via our Vimeo channel (below) or over on YouTube at 2160p HERE
Specifications:
Ergonomic, right handed design
Connectivity: USB 2.0
Bluetooth: RF 2.4GHz
Sensor ; PAW3335
Resolution ; 16000DPI
Max Speed ; 400IPS
Max Acceleration ; 40G
USB Report rate ; 1000 Hz
RF 2.4G Report rate:1000Hz
L/R Switch Type: ROG 70M Micro Switch
Button: 7 programmable buttons
Battery Type: 500mAh
Battery Life: 78 hours without lighting 52 hours with default lighting(Breathing)
Cable: 2.0m type-C ROG Paracord
Dimensions: 118(L)x62(w)x39(H) mm
Weight With Cable: 79g
Colour: black
You can purchase the ASUS ROG Keris Wireless from Overclockers UK for £89.99 HERE!
Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.
Pros
Lightweight.
Different coloured side buttons and spare switches included.
Built-in storage space for the USB dongle.
On the fly DPI adjustment.
Very comfortable in all grip styles.
Cons
Plastic attracts grease.
Not suited for those with larger hands.
KitGuru says: At £90 the ASUS ROG Keris Wireless certainly isn’t cheap but if you want a lightweight, wireless ergonomic mouse it’s definitely worth buying. Wireless performance is great, the shape is excellent for those with medium to small hands, and we love the hot-swappable switches.
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João Silva 2 days ago Featured Tech News, SSD Drives
Samsung is back with another PCIe 4 SSD – the PM9A1. The latest SSD is aimed at OEMs, but Samsung’s specifications suggest that it should offer very similar performance to the pre-existing 980 Pro SSD.
Similar to the 980 Pro, the Samsung PM9A1 uses the Elpis controller, DRAM cache, and V6 NAND memory (3D TLC). Available with up to 2TB of storage, it performs at about the same level as the 980 Pro, reaching speeds of 7,000MB/s in sequential reads and up to 5,200 MB/s in sequential writes. The rated 1,000,000 random 4K read IOPS are the same as the 980 Pro, but rated random 4K write IOPS are slightly inferior, set at 850,000 IOPS.
The PM9A1 SSD does not seem to come with a heat spreader, which is reasonable considering it has been designed to be used by OEMs. However, it features thermal control technology to prevent overheating and increase the drive’s lifespan.
Samsung’s new client SSD has been qualified by HP for its Z series of workstations, desktops, and laptops, and is already being shipped in these devices. Other OEMs should follow in early Q2. It’s unclear if these SSD drives will ever release to the DIY market, but given the fact that the similar 980 Pro SSD is widely available, this seems unlikely.
Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.
KitGuru says: If the Samsung PM9A1 were to hit the DIY market, it would probably be cheaper than the 980 Pro. Would you consider Samsung’s PM9A1 SSD if it was available at the usual retailers?
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