Month: September 2023

Mortgage Interest Rates Today for Sept. 29, 2023: Rates Climb – CNET

This week, some notable mortgage rates ticked up. If you’re in the market for a home loan, see how your future mortgage payments could be affected by interest rate hikes.

This week, some notable mortgage rates ticked up. If you’re in the market for a home loan, see how your future mortgage payments could be affected by interest rate hikes.

Read More 

Apple to buck layoff trend by hiring UK AI staff

The tech giant’s chief executive, Tim Cook, said he expects to increase investment.

The tech giant’s chief executive, Tim Cook, said he expects to increase investment.

Read More 

Another leak suggests Nvidia’s RTX 5090 could be a stupidly powerful GPU

Yet more from the rumor mill about how Nvidia’s next-gen flagship could be a stormer of a graphics card.

A well-known hardware leaker has spilled a bit more info about Nvidia’s next-gen graphics cards known as Blackwell.

As VideoCardz spotted, Kopite7kimi has shared a leak on Blackwell’s GB202 GPU, what will in theory be the RTX 5090 and successor to AD102 (that powers Lovelace’s current-gen flagship, the RTX 4090).

As I mentioned before, GA100 is 8*8, and GH100 is 8*9. GB100 will have a basic structure like 8*10. GB202 looks like 12*8.September 28, 2023

See more

The key info imparted is that the RTX 5090 may run with 24,576 CUDA cores – or at least that’s Nvidia’s current plan (and not the first time that figure has been floated).

That would be a chunky uplift from 18,432 CUDA cores with the AD102 chip, indeed it would represent an increase of a third, no less. However, it should be noted that the RTX 4090 tops out at 16,384 CUDA cores (and there’s no sign of a 4090 Ti that might push the full core allocation yet).

On top of this, Kopite7kimi reasserts a previous leak with a claim that the RTX 5090, or GB202, will employ a 512-bit memory bus.

As VideoCardz adds with its spec guesses, we could well be looking at GDDR7 video memory for Nvidia’s next-gen, and clocks that push up towards 3GHz, all of which should make for a surefire entry in the best graphics card list on the performance chops alone.

Analysis: Elevated top-end expectations

We are still a long way from next-gen Blackwell, so at this point, leaks very much need to be treated with even more seasoning than normal. Yes, go crazy with that saltshaker, because the RTX 5090 and siblings may not arrive until 2025 (most likely). Although some corners of the rumor mill have suggested earlier, the grapevine whispers still feel at a very early stage here.

However, hearing Nvidia is planning to ‘go big’ with the RTX 5090 is not exactly a surprise.

For one thing, we’ve already heard rumors of a 70% gen-on-gen performance increase for the next-gen flagship. Just dump the entire contents of the saltshaker on that one, you think? Although, in fairness, it’s true enough that given how much of a generational leap the RTX 4090 made, Nvidia has kind of set up expectations for huge uplifts at the top end of its GeForce line-up (with smaller upgrades down the line).

With great performance, though, will doubtless come a greatly eye-watering price. Nvidia may well want to squeeze profits for all they’re worth, given that there is so much money to be made on the AI side of the GPU market.

And then come the inevitable questions about how much frame rate juice a top-end desktop graphics card really needs. Isn’t the RTX 4090 already more than enough?

We wouldn’t argue with that assertion, but sometimes the very highest-end GPUs are not about what gamers need, so much as what they can brag about – and wallets get pretty deep at the enthusiast end of the scale, even for gaming rigs.

You might also like

What is a graphics card? Here’s everything you need to knowWant the best 4K graphics card? These are our picksOn the other hand, here are all the best cheap graphics card deals

Read More 

LG’s 2024 OLED TVs could get a serious jump in picture quality thanks to a next-gen chip

Planning to buy a state of the art OLED TV? LG’s 2024 OLEDs could be the TVs you’ve been waiting for.

With any kind of TV, the panel is clearly crucial, but the processor powering it is just as important when it comes to the best OLED TVs. The difference between otherwise very similarly specified TVs can be dramatic if one has a better chip than the other, and LG is reportedly preparing to introduce its most advanced processor yet. 

It’s the successor to the Alpha 9 pictured above, and it sounds very interesting. The new processor, most likely called the Alpha 10, is a significantly more powerful processor than the current Alpha 9. And that means it could deliver a serious upgrade to what LG’s OLED TVs can do. 

What can we expect from LG’s 2024 OLED TVs?

According to Korean newspaper Etnews, as reported by FlatPanelsHD, the new processor features a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) that will “significantly improve its ‘on-device’ performance” compared to existing AI-based chips. In plain English that means the kind of processing we’re becoming used to seeing in the best phones, with the heavy lifting happening on the device rather than remotely in a far-away data center.

The reports says the new processor will deliver significant improvements in its ability to analyse images, reduce noise, recognize and prioritize objects and apply smart audio enhancements too, so there should be audible as well as visible improvements across the 2024 LG range. 

One of the most tantalising bits of the report is the suggestion that the Alpha 10 will also enable new, motion-based services where the TV knows where you are and reacts accordingly. It doesn’t go into detail but there are possible uses in gaming, in gesture control, in object-based audio positioning and possibly in video calling too, although for now its unclear whether this is a case of potential new features or something LG is actively working on. And it’s worth bearing in mind that the chip isn’t just intended for TVs, so the motion stuff might be for more interactive devices rather than Smart TVs.

LG usually unveils its new TVs for the year to come in January, so we’ll be able to see for ourselves how well this new chip performs then.

You might also like

LG unveils the brains behind its 2019 OLED TVsNew LG OLED TV update will give owners a huge Dolby Vision boostLG G3 OLED review: LG’s brightest OLED TV ever delivers elite pictures

Read More 

The iPhone SE 4 could be an affordable iPhone 14 with an Action button

Fresh iPhone SE rumors have suggested that the next version of the affordable phone will be based on the iPhone 14.

Speculation about the rumored iPhone SE 4 has taken a lot of twists and turns over the past 18 months, but some fresh rumors have painted the clearest picture yet of what we might get from a follow-up to the aging iPhone SE (2022).

According to an unnamed MacRumors source, the iPhone SE 4 will jump from the its current 4.7-inch screen to a 6.1-inch one, thanks to its design being based on the base model iPhone 14.

But the fourth-gen iPhone SE also apparently won’t just be an affordable version of the iPhone 14 – surprisingly, the MacRumors source (which is based on pre-production information) also claims the phone will get the iPhone 15 Pro‘s Action button, plus a USB-C port.

The inclusion of USB-C wouldn’t be a surprise, but the Action button would be more unexpected considering that isn’t even available on the iPhone 15 or iPhone 15 Plus. This could hint at how far away the iPhone SE 4 launch is, as it may only arrive when the Action button becomes a standard feature.

Elsewhere, the rumors claim that Apple’s next affordable phone will get a single 48MP camera with a flash, plus a new OLED screen from the iPhone 14 with Face ID (rather than Touch IS). This has been concluded from references to ‘Pearl’ in the iPhone SE 4’s early development, which is apparently Apple’s internal codename for Face ID.

While this all sounds that a pretty compelling phone for iOS fans who don’t want to spend megabucks on one of the best iPhones, one of the many stumbling blocks in the way of an imminent release could be phone’s modem. MacRumors says that Apple is testing its new in-house 5G modem in the iPhone SE 4, but there are now strong rumors that this will be delayed until 2026 (or potentially the iPhone 18).

That doesn’t mean that Apple couldn’t switch the iPhone 4 SE back to a Qualcomm modem (which are being supplied to Apple until 2026), but right now there’s sadly no suggestion that a new iPhone SE is imminent.

Analysis: A compelling idea that’s still a way off

The iPhone 13 mini (above) was effectively retired in this year’s iPhone 15 refresh. (Image credit: Apple)

Given that the iPhone mini has effectively been retired and the current iPhone SE (2022) feels like a relic from the past, there is definitely a gap in the iPhone lineup for a model like the rumored iPhone SE 4 – but we may still have to wait until at least 2025 to see it.

Despite the compelling details in this MacRumors report – a stripped-down iPhone 14 with an Action button and USB-C would surely sell by the bucketload – there’s no suggestion about a possible release date, and the details could well change from these early development prototypes.

On the plus side, it does look increasingly likely that an iPhone SE 4 is at least in development and isn’t just a testbed for Apple’s new 5G modem. In April 2023, the leaker Jeff Pu also predicted that Apple could release the iPhone SE 4 in 2025, though this was quickly contradicted by the usually reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who said it isn’t in Apple’s plan for 2024 or 2025.

If that’s true, the iPhone SE 4 could instead well come with Apple’s new 5G modem in 2026. Either way, this means the advice for those looking for an affordable iPhone is still to check out the best iPhone deals or check our Apple’s refurbished iPhones, alongside the many second-hand iPhone options.

You might also like

Check out our guide to the world’s best small phonesiPhone 14 report confirms Apple was right to kill the iPhone 13 miniWhy I’d like to see an iPhone 14 Pro mini

Read More 

Netflix mails its final DVDs to subscribers

Netflix is shipping its final DVD rentals, marking the end of an era that helped make the company the streaming behemoth it is today. “Netflix will mail its final DVD on September 29, 2023,” the company said in a post on X yesterday. “But the red envelope remains an enduring symbol of our love of entertainment.”
Netflix announced in April this year that it would shut down its DVD rental business on September 29, saying the shrinking demand for physical rentals is making it “increasingly difficult” to offer the quality of service it wants. The company shipped its first disc (Beetlejuice) in 1998, and has since shipped 5.2 billion movies in those red envelopes to more than 40 million customers. 
Netflix will mail its final DVD on September 29, 2023. But the red envelope remains an enduring symbol of our love of entertainment. pic.twitter.com/vVdjuhJvrb— Netflix (@netflix) September 28, 2023

DVD rentals paved the way for Netflix to introduce streaming on-demand in 2007, and it quickly grew to become the company’s most popular offering by 2009. The rest is history, as Netflix gradually expanded to produce its own streaming content and now counts over 238 million subscribers. Meanwhile, DVD rentals (which shifted to DVD.com) have gradually become a minor part of Netflix. And while video purists still love DVDs and Blu-rays, sales worldwide dropped 19 percent from 2021 to 2022 alone. In one recent blow, Disney announced that it was halting DVD and Blu-ray production in Australia.   
While it’s sadly the end of an era, there is one silver lining. This summer, Netflix announced that anyone who still has a rental will be able to keep their discs, and can even request up to 10 more movies so that the company can clear out its stock. “Please enjoy your final shipments for as long as you like,” the company posted on X. 
Netflix
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/netflix-mails-its-final-dvds-to-subscribers-113557572.html?src=rss

Netflix is shipping its final DVD rentals, marking the end of an era that helped make the company the streaming behemoth it is today. “Netflix will mail its final DVD on September 29, 2023,” the company said in a post on X yesterday. “But the red envelope remains an enduring symbol of our love of entertainment.”

Netflix announced in April this year that it would shut down its DVD rental business on September 29, saying the shrinking demand for physical rentals is making it “increasingly difficult” to offer the quality of service it wants. The company shipped its first disc (Beetlejuice) in 1998, and has since shipped 5.2 billion movies in those red envelopes to more than 40 million customers. 

Netflix will mail its final DVD on September 29, 2023.

But the red envelope remains an enduring symbol of our love of entertainment. pic.twitter.com/vVdjuhJvrb

— Netflix (@netflix) September 28, 2023

DVD rentals paved the way for Netflix to introduce streaming on-demand in 2007, and it quickly grew to become the company’s most popular offering by 2009. The rest is history, as Netflix gradually expanded to produce its own streaming content and now counts over 238 million subscribers. Meanwhile, DVD rentals (which shifted to DVD.com) have gradually become a minor part of Netflix. And while video purists still love DVDs and Blu-rays, sales worldwide dropped 19 percent from 2021 to 2022 alone. In one recent blow, Disney announced that it was halting DVD and Blu-ray production in Australia.   

While it’s sadly the end of an era, there is one silver lining. This summer, Netflix announced that anyone who still has a rental will be able to keep their discs, and can even request up to 10 more movies so that the company can clear out its stock. “Please enjoy your final shipments for as long as you like,” the company posted on X

Netflix

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/netflix-mails-its-final-dvds-to-subscribers-113557572.html?src=rss

Read More 

Scroll to top
Generated by Feedzy