Month: December 2023
Source-Based Gentoo Linux Goes Binary
While Gentoo Linux is best-known as source-based Linux distribution, “our package manager, Portage, already for years also has support for binary packages,” according to its web page. It notes that source- and binary-based package installations can be freely mixed.
But now…
To speed up working with slow hardware and for overall convenience, we’re now also offering binary packages for download and direct installation! For most architectures, this is limited to the core system and weekly updates — not so for amd64 and arm64 however. There we’ve got a stunning >20 GByte of packages on our mirrors, from LibreOffice to KDE Plasma and from Gnome to Docker. Gentoo stable, updated daily. Enjoy!
“We have a rather neat binary package guide on our Wiki that goes into much more detail…” the announcement points out.
The packages are cryptographically signed with the same key as the stages.
Thanks to Heraklit (Slashdot reader #29,346) for sharing the news.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
While Gentoo Linux is best-known as source-based Linux distribution, “our package manager, Portage, already for years also has support for binary packages,” according to its web page. It notes that source- and binary-based package installations can be freely mixed.
But now…
To speed up working with slow hardware and for overall convenience, we’re now also offering binary packages for download and direct installation! For most architectures, this is limited to the core system and weekly updates — not so for amd64 and arm64 however. There we’ve got a stunning >20 GByte of packages on our mirrors, from LibreOffice to KDE Plasma and from Gnome to Docker. Gentoo stable, updated daily. Enjoy!
“We have a rather neat binary package guide on our Wiki that goes into much more detail…” the announcement points out.
The packages are cryptographically signed with the same key as the stages.
Thanks to Heraklit (Slashdot reader #29,346) for sharing the news.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
The top spec OnePlus 12 phone may not be available to everyone
It looks as though those outside China will miss out on the OnePlus 12 model with the most RAM and storage.
The OnePlus 12 is a little bit in limbo right now, because it’s been officially announced but it’s not yet available outside of China – and a new rumor fills in some of the details for those who are eagerly awaiting its international release.
According to well-known tipster @ishanagarwal24 (via Android Police), the OnePlus 12 spec configurations that will be made available outside of China will be 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage, and 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.
If that’s correct, that means the very top spec configuration – 24GB of RAM and 1TB of internal storage – will be exclusive to China. That’s going to be something of a disappointment to power users who were planning to spend big on this handset.
We’re expecting both the OnePlus 12 and the cheaper OnePlus 12R to be launched globally on January 23, 2024, at which point we should get all the details about the spec options and the regional pricing for these handsets.
Exclusive: OnePlus 12R will again start with 8GB RAM + 128GB variant in ?? India to keep the prices in check. Other variant is 16/256GB. Blue & Gray colors.OnePlus 12 is getting an upgrade, now starts at 12/256GB in India & other is 16/512GB. Green & Black. Article below. pic.twitter.com/B1JgaiT7vJDecember 29, 2023
What we know so far
We’re assuming that the rest of the OnePlus 12 specs are going to be the same no matter which country you buy it in. Those specs start with a 6.82-inch AMOLED display running at a resolution of 3168 x 1440, and with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz.
Under the hood there’s a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor from Qualcomm running everything, and the phone is also fitted with a 5,400mAh battery offering 100W wired and 50W wireless charging (up from 5,000mAh on the OnePlus 11).
The cameras on the back are a 50MP primary camera, a 48MP ultrawide camera, and a 64MP telephoto camera that offers 3x optical zoom. On the front we’ve got a 32MP camera for taking selfies and making video calls.
We know much less about the OnePlus 12R, but it’s rumored to be running the older Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, and will be more affordable as a result. We will of course bring you all the announcements as they happen on January 23.
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Save Up to $150 on Bose Speakers, Earbuds and Headphones Right Now – CNET
Get top audio for less with these year-end deals from Bose. Pricing starts at just $99.
Get top audio for less with these year-end deals from Bose. Pricing starts at just $99.
The top 10 best-selling video games of 2023
2023 has been a remarkably successful year for video games. We have had some stunning achievements to enjoy, and have
The post The top 10 best-selling video games of 2023 appeared first on ReadWrite.
2023 has been a remarkably successful year for video games. We have had some stunning achievements to enjoy, and have been spoilt for choice by the high standard of what we have been offered.
It’s also a year where the industry has come down hard on itself with masses of layoffs across the board. It’s quite difficult to see things the way they are right now, another year like 2023 for the foreseeable future.
People still talk about 2007 as the last time gaming had a year as good as this, so if we are seeing the start of something like a 15-year cycle, it might be worth booking some time off work in 2038 to play whatever great titles are coming your way then.
So we tip our hats to all the people at the studios who have made this such a great year, especially those who have lost their jobs by the end of it. As gamers we have not had it so good for a long time, so let’s have a look at the games we went out and bought in 2023.
The best-selling games of 2023 in the US
We start with a caveat here. This is not as simple as it once was – best-selling does certainly not mean most-played. Game Pass and the like have muddied the waters. You can play a big game like Starfield without ever purchasing it, as long as you have a subscription to Microsoft’s library service.
We, (with stats from research company Circana) formulate this list with data up until the end of November 2023. We will finalize the list and make appropriate changes, once December’s data is finalized in early January.
YTD ending November 2023 Top 20 Best-Selling Premium Games – U.S. (Dollar Sales, Excludes add-on content) pic.twitter.com/XKp7H0JStA
— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) December 13, 2023
So for now, this is a best guess using the data available. It won’t be far off the mark and all the games listed here have performed remarkably well. So let’s start at number 10 to help keep the suspense building.
#10 Starfield
An Xbox / PC exclusive due to Microsoft owning Bethesda means no PlayStation sales here. Also, a Day One Game Pass arrival means that anybody with a Game Pass sub didn’t need to buy the game people had been waiting for years. Disappointing reviews and all the above don’t seem to have overly damaged things so Microsoft will be happy. It’s also likely Starfield will be around for a good deal of time yet if Bethesda’s Skyrim is anything to go by.
#9 Mortal Kombat 1
Another September release like Starfield, the return of the gory fighting franchise reignited fans of the original games, at least those who weren’t confused by the slightly odd naming convention. It is, of course, not Mortal Kombat 1, that came out in the 1990s, and this is not a remake. It’s already got a healthy discount in the Epic Game Store Holiday sale which might well pep its number up for December by the time it all shakes out for the full year.
#8 Star Wars: Jedi Survivor
One from earlier in the year, April’s Jedi Survivor was hotly anticipated and sold in decent numbers, despite perhaps not quite living up to expectations. Star Wars games based around Jedis traditionally do very well though, so it is no surprise to see this in the top 10- for the year.
#7 Call of Duty Modern Warfare II
Not to be confused with the most recent CoD that came out later in the year, this is the CoD that arrived in November 2022. Call of Duty games always sell well throughout the first part of the year and after Christmas when a host of new consoles find happy new forever homes to go to. Helped by the fact it reviewed, and played, very well, Modern Warfare II is the second of two Call of Duty games to hold a position in the Top 10.
#6 – Diablo IV
Released in the middle of the year but had been flirting with open betas to get people interested for a couple of months before, Diablo IV was a big return for Activision Blizzard (who are also now part of the Microsoft family). People had been craving a return to form for Diablo and they backed this latest incarnation in big numbers.
#5 Madden NFL 24
While the new EAFC 24 ruled sports games in Europe (it finished 12th in this list), Madden 24 sold by the bucketload for EA sports in the US. There is no sign of the Madden train stopping any time time with its annual reincarnations a regular occurrence in any top 10 list come the end of the year.
#4 Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
If Starfield and Microsoft can be pleased with a top 10 appearance despite console exclusivity, Insomniac Games and Sony will be delighted with the sales of Spider-Man 2 on the PlayStation 5. Building on a solid platform of the first game, the second wasn’t too far away from being the Game of the Year at the Game Awards in December.
#3 The Legend of Zelda – Tears of the Kingdom
What a game at number three. The follow-up to Breath of the Wild was everything Nintendo Switch owners wanted and more, and surely the majority of owners picked it up. Epic in every sense of the word, TotK captivated players and reviewers alike and deserves its place in the top 3.
#2 Call of Duty Modern Warfare III
It’s only been out for a month and a half but the CoD hype train keeps on running. This latest version wasn’t even particularly well received but Activision’s cash cow continues to blow away everything in front of it. Almost.
#1 Hogwarts Legacy
We covered the story in December that maybe, just maybe, a 15-year run of the best-selling game of the year being with Call of Duty or something by Rockstar might be about to end with the success story that is Avalanche’s Hogwarts Legacy. The final data is not in yet, but it’s hard to imagine Hogwarts, certainly on the Switch, not picking up decent December sales as people hunt for presents.
So there you have it. You might be wondering where the likes of Alan Wake 2 and Baldur’s Gate 3 are – two games that went neck and neck for the Game of the Year. Circana, who provides the data, does have a disclaimer that says, “Inclusion of digital sales date in the best-selling title charts is done at the discretion of the participating publisher.
You could therefore choose to assume that if the figures were transparent for all, those two games would indeed feature in the Top 10. That’s games publishers though – they like to keep us guessing.
The post The top 10 best-selling video games of 2023 appeared first on ReadWrite.
How ‘Digital Twin’ Technology Is Revolutionizing the Auto Industry
“Digital twin technology is one of the most significant disruptors of global manufacturing seen this century,” argues Motor Trend, “and the automobile industry is embracing it in a big way.”
Roughly three-quarters of auto manufacturers are using digital twins as part of their vehicle development process, evolving not only how they design and develop new cars but also the way they monitor them, fix them, and even build them…
Nvidia, best known for its consumer graphics cards, also has a digital twin solution, called Omniverse, which manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz are using to design their manufacturing processes. “Their factory planners now have every single element in the factory that they can then put in that virtual digital twin first, lay it all out, and then operate it,” Danny Shapiro, VP of automotive at Nvidia said. At that point, those planners can run the entire manufacturing process virtually, ensuring every conveyor feeds the next step in the process, identifying and addressing factory floor headaches long before production begins…
Software developers can run their solutions within digital twins. That includes the code at the lowest level, basic stuff that controls ignition timing within the engine for example, all the way up to the highest level, like touchscreens responding to user inputs. “We’re not just simulating the operation outside the car, but the user experience,” Nvidia’s Shapiro said. “We can simulate and basically run the real software that would be running in that car and display it on the screens.” By bringing all these systems together virtually, developers can find and solve issues earlier, preventing costly development delays or, worse yet, buggy releases…
Using unique identifiers, manufacturers can effectively create internal digital copies of vehicles that have been produced. Those copies can be used for ongoing tests and verifications, helping to anticipate things like required maintenance or susceptibility to part failures. By using telematics, in-car services that remotely communicate a car’s status back to the manufacturer in real-time, these digital twins can be updated to match the real thing. “By monitoring tire health, tire grip, vehicle weight distribution, and other critical parameters, engineers can anticipate potential problems and schedule maintenance proactively, reducing downtime and extending the vehicle’s lifespan,” Tactile Mobility’s Tzur said.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
“Digital twin technology is one of the most significant disruptors of global manufacturing seen this century,” argues Motor Trend, “and the automobile industry is embracing it in a big way.”
Roughly three-quarters of auto manufacturers are using digital twins as part of their vehicle development process, evolving not only how they design and develop new cars but also the way they monitor them, fix them, and even build them…
Nvidia, best known for its consumer graphics cards, also has a digital twin solution, called Omniverse, which manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz are using to design their manufacturing processes. “Their factory planners now have every single element in the factory that they can then put in that virtual digital twin first, lay it all out, and then operate it,” Danny Shapiro, VP of automotive at Nvidia said. At that point, those planners can run the entire manufacturing process virtually, ensuring every conveyor feeds the next step in the process, identifying and addressing factory floor headaches long before production begins…
Software developers can run their solutions within digital twins. That includes the code at the lowest level, basic stuff that controls ignition timing within the engine for example, all the way up to the highest level, like touchscreens responding to user inputs. “We’re not just simulating the operation outside the car, but the user experience,” Nvidia’s Shapiro said. “We can simulate and basically run the real software that would be running in that car and display it on the screens.” By bringing all these systems together virtually, developers can find and solve issues earlier, preventing costly development delays or, worse yet, buggy releases…
Using unique identifiers, manufacturers can effectively create internal digital copies of vehicles that have been produced. Those copies can be used for ongoing tests and verifications, helping to anticipate things like required maintenance or susceptibility to part failures. By using telematics, in-car services that remotely communicate a car’s status back to the manufacturer in real-time, these digital twins can be updated to match the real thing. “By monitoring tire health, tire grip, vehicle weight distribution, and other critical parameters, engineers can anticipate potential problems and schedule maintenance proactively, reducing downtime and extending the vehicle’s lifespan,” Tactile Mobility’s Tzur said.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.