Month: July 2024
Thinking of buying an Nvidia GPU? Rumored price hikes inbound for RTX 4070 and upwards mean you might want to act soon
Nvidia may scale back production of RTX 4000 graphics cards, and stock levels could be affected in a big way.
Nvidia’s current-gen graphics cards could soon be in relatively short supply from the mid-range and up, as rumors are now buzzing on the grapevine around potential changes for RTX 4000 GPUs ahead of the launch of next-gen Blackwell – and one possible alteration in particular for the RTX 4070.
We should underline that all of this is speculation, and starting with the latter nugget about the RTX 4070, according to Chinese tech site Benchlife, Nvidia could possibly switch from GDDR6X video RAM to slightly slower GDDR6 modules with this Lovelace graphics card.
RTX 4070 12GB “GDDR6” may be on the wayThe old yellow knife method is about to reappear… Of course, this is definitely not “clearly” saying that RTX 4070 will launch a GDDR6 version, but “speculation” that NVIDIA is likely to use this revision to launch a GDDR6 RTX 4070.…July 30, 2024
PC Gamer spotted this flagged up on X by leaker Harukaze5719, with Benchlife citing a report from the Board Channels forum that insists Nvidia is having a problem with shortages of GDDR6X VRAM.
So, when it comes to the RTX 4070 and above, due to that VRAM shortage, these graphics cards are going to see lower production levels. The report notes that stock of the RTX 4070 and 4080 models, plus the RTX 4090, may be scarcer in August 2024 than is the case currently in July.
Benchlife then jumps to the conclusion that Nvidia may prioritize its remaining reserves of GDDR6X for Lovelace graphics cards above the RTX 4070, and could switch to plain GDDR6 for the RTX 4070 as an alternative tactic.
Now, on top of this, we also have a report from Taiwanese news outlet, UDN, that claims Nvidia is about to slash current-gen GPU production (as flagged by TweakTown).
Specifically, this could be a drop in stock rolling off the assembly lines for the RTX 4070 and higher (4080, 4090) of 30% up to 50%, which if realized at the more extreme end of that spectrum, would clearly cause major waves in terms of the supply of these current-gen graphics cards. This is supposedly set to happen as of August, aligning with the rumor aired on the Board Channels.
(Image credit: Future)
Analysis: Buy GeForce now – don’t wait?
Clearly, there’s some persistent chatter about production levels being scaled down for Lovelace GPUs, and equally clearly, this makes some sense ahead of the Blackwell launch. Especially if RTX 5080 and 5090 GPUs are set to turn up later this year (though the rumor mill doesn’t seem to be quite as sure of this of late).
While we can accept the general premise here, then – Nvidia will always wind down a generation when the next is coming through – we wouldn’t read much into the specific rumor about the RTX 4070 being downgraded to GDDR6 video RAM. Yes, this too would make sense in giving breathing room to supply the higher-end Lovelace GPUs with GDDR6X, if there really is a shortage, but the way Benchlife reports this makes it seem like pure theorizing. (As much as we can tell from the translated article, which always makes the nuances of a report trickier to discern).
Entertaining the possibility that this does happen, what would it mean for the RTX 4070? Well, it’d be slightly slower, although where its performance might land would depend on what other changes Nvidia applied to the theoretical new spin on this mid-range graphics card. Dropping the performance of the VRAM, and only that, wouldn’t have too much of a major impact in all honesty – but it would obviously mean the RTX 4070 would be a touch slower overall.
Would this slightly slower model be cheaper than the current RTX 4070 then, given that GDDR6 RAM is certainly cheaper, and would reduce the bill of materials (cost of production)? Well, we think that’s unlikely, as with stock of all Lovelace graphics cards dwindling, there won’t be much room for price drops we’d imagine – indeed, we might even see price hikes at retailers as these current-gen GPUs get thin on stock.
So, if you want an RTX 4070, or higher-end Lovelace GPU for that matter, the time to move might be now. Especially in the case of the former, considering that the RTX 5070 is likely to be a long way off yet, with only the RTX 5090 and 5080 on the horizon for the nearer-term, in theory.
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Thank Goodness You’re Here! reviews hail it as 2024’s ‘funniest’ game by critics
While the gaming industry is filled with a plethora of AAA titles that take the attention of most casual gamers… Continue reading Thank Goodness You’re Here! reviews hail it as 2024’s ‘funniest’ game by critics
The post Thank Goodness You’re Here! reviews hail it as 2024’s ‘funniest’ game by critics appeared first on ReadWrite.
While the gaming industry is filled with a plethora of AAA titles that take the attention of most casual gamers out there, sometimes a surprise game comes along that’s just wacky enough to take the limelight.
Just like the Untitled Goose Game of days gone by, it looks like there’s a new wacky indie experience on the block that not only takes the crown of the ‘funniest’ game of 2024, but also potentially one of the most decorated.
Enter Thank Goodness You’re Here!, a game developed by Coal Supper, that injects a plethora of British comedic elements into a puzzle-like experience.
You can secure your copy on August 1st for PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PS5 at just $19.99 but before you do so, here’s a review roundup for the game so you can get an idea of what’s making it really stand out.
What are reviewers saying about Thank Goodness You’re Here!?
As previously alluded to, reviewers are loving Thank Goodness You’re Here! with glowing write-ups all around.
But why is this? Let’s take a look at some snippets of what the critics are saying.
Gamespot
Richard Wakeling takes on Gamespot’s review of Thank Goodness You’re Here!, describing it as “consistently funny”, and those who gel with the humor and gameplay mechanics won’t find another game this year “anywhere near as joyous”.
It’s not just the core of the game that is brilliant though, the whole voice cast is “excellent”, “breathing further life” into each of the characters, only amplifying the comedy.
The art design is fantastic too, again, only adding to the hilarity by providing a plethora of “visual gags” with its “mashup between Adventure Time and classic British comics” aesthetic.
The only bad points Wakeling could really pull out of the experience were that progressing between areas was “a little clumsy” and if you’re not from the UK, some of the jokes could “go over your head”.
Score: 9/10
Eurogamer
Matt Wales, Eurogamer’s reviewer of Thank Goodness You’re Here! describes the game as an “impeccably constructed masterclass in gag-telling” which is some pretty strong praise but definitely appears to be warranted.
He describes the in-game town of Barnsworth as a “wonderful creation” that is vibrant, while also offering an “affectionate” reimagining of British town spaces akin to something out of a picture book.
Gameplay-wise the loop is a fascinating one that has “some clever stuff” as you progress through and around the town which “slyly subvert(s) expectations” just when you think you have it all figured out. Considering it is a game you can complete in just two or three hours, this is really good to hear.
Score: 5/5
Video Games Chronicle (VGC)
In VGC’s review of Thank Goodness You’re Here!, taken on by Jordan Middler, he goes as far as saying Coal Supper’s creation is “the new high watermark for a comedy game” which again, is very strong messaging but a view that’s seemingly shared throughout.
He also praises the art direction, similar to that of others, suggesting that it is a “visual treat”, taking inspiration from the likes of The Ricky Gervais Show and Terry Gilliam. It also evolves as you progress through the experience, with each new area being “more geographically impossible” than the one before it, keeping your playthrough fresh and interesting.
Again, like other reviewers, Middler does suggest that even though it’s an overall hilarious escapade, the humor is very British, and there is “no way that you’ll understand all of the jokes”.
With this being said though, things like a pig pie exploding are just “universally funny” and something that will give everyone a little giggle.
Score: 5/5
The post Thank Goodness You’re Here! reviews hail it as 2024’s ‘funniest’ game by critics appeared first on ReadWrite.
Meet your new AI Friend, it will go everywhere with you
Having an imaginary friend can now become a reality, as a startup launches an AI friend which is only slightly… Continue reading Meet your new AI Friend, it will go everywhere with you
The post Meet your new AI Friend, it will go everywhere with you appeared first on ReadWrite.
Having an imaginary friend can now become a reality, as a startup launches an AI friend which is only slightly less creepy than you might think.
It sounds like something from a Black Mirror episode, especially as you have to wear your Friend around your neck. The company behind the product (which is also named ‘friend) has created an AI wearable that is in the form of a pendant necklace. One that is always listening.
The pendant is a small puck that is home to the AI chatbot that has been created to keep people company.
How does Friend AI work?
The friend sends you messages about the latest gossip, engages in conversations, and can even provide you with some motivation when you need it most. This works through connecting to an iOS device as it functions over Bluetooth and requires an internet connection.
The AI friend is powered by Anthropic AI’s Claude 3.5 large language model. It also has an onboard microphone to listen to all the juicy details.
On the company’s website, the ‘how it works’ section details three steps – all of which are relatively easy. Firstly, users are asked to speak their minds or gossip about what was overheard.
Secondly, the AI friend “will think for a moment and come up with something good to say.” Thirdly, simply check your phone as a message will be sent to your device where you can see the response from your new friend.
The friend is already available for preorders for $99.
The AI Friend aims to be a companion in a time when it’s needed most
While many companies have been scrambling to address productivity needs, the founder of this tool Avi Schiffmann told Wired: “Productivity is over, no one cares.
“No one is going to beat Apple or OpenAI or all these companies that are building Jarvis. The most important things in your life really are people.”
While the thought of an AI friend sounds strange, a loneliness epidemic is sweeping countries worldwide, exacerbated by aging populations (particularly in countries like South Korea).
At the end of 2023, the World Health Organization declared loneliness a ‘global public health concern’ and said it was as bad for people’s health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
“I’ve never felt more lonely in my entire life,” said the 21-year-old founder, who spent $1.8 million to acquire the friend.com domain.
“And in that moment, I was looking at the Tab prototype, and I was like, it’s not that I just want to talk to this thing. I want to feel like this companion is actually there with me traveling.”
Featured Image: Via Friend
The post Meet your new AI Friend, it will go everywhere with you appeared first on ReadWrite.
Microsoft 365 went down after a cyberattack — but don’t worry, it’s not another CrowdStrike-esque outage
DDoS cyberattack took down a number of Azure services, as well as Microsoft 365, but it’s back up now.
Microsoft 365 and a number of Azure services were taken offline for users following an attempted cyberattack on the company’s systems, it has confirmed.
Users around the globe saw services disrupted after a Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack triggered Microsoft’s internal protection systems.
However in an embarrassing confession, the company admitted these systems actually seem to have “amplified the impact of the attack rather than mitigating it”.
Azure attack
“Between approximately at 11:45 UTC and 19:43 UTC on 30 July 2024, a subset of customers may have experienced issues connecting to a subset of Microsoft services globally,” an update on the official Azure status hub noted.
“Impacted services included Azure App Services, Application Insights, Azure IoT Central, Azure Log Search Alerts, Azure Policy, as well as the Azure portal itself and a subset of Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Purview services.”
The company noted how an “unexpected usage spike” hit Azure Front Door (AFD) and Azure Content Delivery Network (CDN), causing them to under-perform, resulting in outages, timeout and latency spikes.
Microsoft says that after the attack was detected, it began investigating immediately, and the effects were under control around an hour and a half later. Following an initial rollout of a fix across the Asia Pacific and European networks, a global rollout took place and the issue appeared too be under control around right hours after the initial reports.
The issue came days after a flawed CrowdStrike security update led to potentially millions of Microsoft devices around the globe being taken offline, so the company is understandably on edge about any further issues.
Microsoft says it will now carry out a full internal investigation to “understand the incident in more detail” and pledged to publish an initial report within the next few days, with a full report coming within 14 days.
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The Borderlands movie could finally reveal the meaning behind the franchise’s name
Ahead of the Hollywood blockbuster adaptation making its way to the big screen in a week, the CEO of the… Continue reading The Borderlands movie could finally reveal the meaning behind the franchise’s name
The post The Borderlands movie could finally reveal the meaning behind the franchise’s name appeared first on ReadWrite.
Ahead of the Hollywood blockbuster adaptation making its way to the big screen in a week, the CEO of the video game publisher explains how the Borderlands movie is “part of the whole journey.”
Randy Pitchford is the CEO and President of Gearbox Entertainment Company which developed and published the Borderlands series, the first dating back to 2009.
While any new variations of a video game are usually welcomed by fans, the trailer, age rating, and casting choices have left people worried.
Although the games are all rated M and have become known for being crude and lewd, the movie has received a PG-13 rating leaving fans scratching their heads.
And if the trailers are anything to go by, the film appears to be a loose interpretation of the game. Some fans have even branded the teasers as being an ‘insult to the Borderlands fans.’
In contrast, Pitchford explained in an interview with Game Rant how he believes the movie succeeds in its aim.
“Because it’s a video game adaptation, we get to live in a new borderland between video game and film, and I love that.
“It’s part of the whole journey of what Borderlands is to me — finding that weird spot between things that don’t go together and having fun there, and I think this movie succeeds at that.”
Will Borderlands movie reveal the meaning behind the franchise’s name?
The CEO also hopes the movie will help fans ‘figure out what Borderlands means, as the name of the game has been discussed for decades.
“I don’t know what the main takeaway is going to be, but I have this weird hope that people might figure out what Borderlands even means because, for me, the name has been about taking things that don’t belong together and living in the space between them.
“You know, the borderland between role-playing game and shooter, the borderland between science fiction and western, the borderland between comedy and drama, and the borderland between who characters think they are, who they wish they are, and who they actually are: living in that weird, uncomfortable space between two things that don’t go together.”
Featured Image: Via Borderlands Film on X
The post The Borderlands movie could finally reveal the meaning behind the franchise’s name appeared first on ReadWrite.
The Morning After: Google dismisses Elon Musk’s claim that autocomplete interfered in the election
Google has responded to allegations it “censored” searches about Donald Trump after Elon Musk baselessly claimed the company had imposed a “search ban” on the former president. Google explained the bugs in its autocomplete feature caused the issues. But Musk’s tweet, viewed more than 118 million times, has forced the search giant to publicly explain one of its most basic features.
Google added that the strange suggestions for “president donald” were due to a “bug that spanned the political spectrum.” It also affected searches related to former President Barack Obama and other political figures.
— Mat Smith
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Perplexity will put ads in its AI search engine
And share revenue with publishers.
Perplexity will start sharing revenue with some publishers as part of an advertising platform it plans to launch around the end of September. The Perplexity Publishers’ Program comes less than two months after the startup, valued at $3 billion, came under fire from Forbes, Wired and Condé Nast for allegedly scraping content without permission.
Continue reading.
Samsung tests its Galaxy Z Flip phones as police bodycams
A pilot scheme is expanding to 25 metro police departments across five states.
Samsung
A new blog post from Samsung highlights how law enforcement is adopting its Galaxy Z Flip series devices. The line of foldable mobile devices was part of a pilot program, two years ago, in Kimberling City Police and Indian Point Police in Missouri, to test how the phones might improve daily operations. According to Samsung, the program was the first time police used a foldable device as a bodycam. The foldables were customized in collaboration with Visual Labs, a company that repurposes mobile devices as body and dash cameras.
Continue reading.
This robot dog has a vacuum to clean up trash
It uses AI to pick cigarette butts up from Italy’s beaches.
IIT
Italian scientists have built a quadruped robot that can identify litter and pick up the smaller bits with its leg-mounted vacuums. The group published a paper in April’s Journal of Field Robotics on VERO’s development. Discarded butts release toxic chemicals and microplastics into the ocean as they break down. It’s also the “second most common undisposed waste worldwide” in areas that are hard to reach for most robots. VERO picked up 90 percent of the cigarette butts identified in testing.
Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-google-dismisses-elon-musks-claim-that-autocomplete-interfered-in-the-election-111558485.html?src=rss
Google has responded to allegations it “censored” searches about Donald Trump after Elon Musk baselessly claimed the company had imposed a “search ban” on the former president. Google explained the bugs in its autocomplete feature caused the issues. But Musk’s tweet, viewed more than 118 million times, has forced the search giant to publicly explain one of its most basic features.
Google added that the strange suggestions for “president donald” were due to a “bug that spanned the political spectrum.” It also affected searches related to former President Barack Obama and other political figures.
— Mat Smith
The biggest stories you might have missed
The Senate just passed two landmark bills to protect minors online
I really want to like Star Wars Outlaws
You can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!
Perplexity will put ads in its AI search engine
And share revenue with publishers.
Perplexity will start sharing revenue with some publishers as part of an advertising platform it plans to launch around the end of September. The Perplexity Publishers’ Program comes less than two months after the startup, valued at $3 billion, came under fire from Forbes, Wired and Condé Nast for allegedly scraping content without permission.
Samsung tests its Galaxy Z Flip phones as police bodycams
A pilot scheme is expanding to 25 metro police departments across five states.
A new blog post from Samsung highlights how law enforcement is adopting its Galaxy Z Flip series devices. The line of foldable mobile devices was part of a pilot program, two years ago, in Kimberling City Police and Indian Point Police in Missouri, to test how the phones might improve daily operations. According to Samsung, the program was the first time police used a foldable device as a bodycam. The foldables were customized in collaboration with Visual Labs, a company that repurposes mobile devices as body and dash cameras.
This robot dog has a vacuum to clean up trash
It uses AI to pick cigarette butts up from Italy’s beaches.
Italian scientists have built a quadruped robot that can identify litter and pick up the smaller bits with its leg-mounted vacuums. The group published a paper in April’s Journal of Field Robotics on VERO’s development. Discarded butts release toxic chemicals and microplastics into the ocean as they break down. It’s also the “second most common undisposed waste worldwide” in areas that are hard to reach for most robots. VERO picked up 90 percent of the cigarette butts identified in testing.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-google-dismisses-elon-musks-claim-that-autocomplete-interfered-in-the-election-111558485.html?src=rss
OnePlus Buds could get an AI call-summary feature, beating the iPhone and AirPods to the punch
OnePlus’s AI features appear to be expanding into the company’s earbud options.
With manufacturers happily shoving AI into everything, we’re starting to see more devices offering features such as automatic summaries of text and audio – so for example iOS 18 will bring AI-powered call transcription and summaries to the iPhone 16 later this year, and some of the best Android phones will soon be packing similar summarization features. And now a new leak suggest that the feature could be supported by OnePlus’ earbuds too, having already been added as a feature to its phones in China (but not elsewhere yet).
The news comes via Android Authority, whose investigation into the code of the OnePlus wireless earbuds app has revealed evidence that strongly suggests AI call summaries are coming to the expected future OnePlus Buds Pro 3 model, and possibly more OnePlus models too. The feature would enable you to start or stop a call summary by triple-tapping the stem of your earbuds.
When will you get the OnePlus Buds’ new AI features?
That’s a very good question, because OnePlus’s existing AI call assistant feature, which is what the earbuds really control, rather than having the tech built into the buds themselves, hasn’t been launched outside China yet.
As for the OnePlus Buds Pro 3, they haven’t been launched either: at the moment the most recent earbuds from the firm are the OnePlus Buds 3. A successor to the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 is widely anticipated but as yet hasn’t been confirmed, so as yet we have no indication as to when the earbuds-controlled AI feature will be available. We also don’t know which other OnePlus Buds, if any, will be able to summon the summaries.
Although this feature will be exclusive to OnePlus phones it’s not the only option on Android: Google is reportedly bringing the very similar Call Notes to its Pixel 9 phones in the next two weeks, and Samsung has its own AI transcription features in Samsung Notes for Galaxy phones. That latter option isn’t quite as seamless as Call Notes – Samsung’s transcriptions need you to provide a recording rather than creating one itself – but bringing that to live calls is surely just a matter of time.
We don’t if Apple’s version of this tech can be activated via AirPods, but with Apple Intelligence seemingly delayed until after the launch of iOS 18, OnePlus might be the first to offer the convenience of earbuds-activated AI note taking in calls.
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