Blog

Razer’s Blade Stealth gets Intel’s 10th-gen CPUs and NVIDIA’s GTX 1650

[ad_1]

Notably, Razer is the first company to stuff the GTX 1650 into a 13-inch laptop. Up until now, that’s mainly been relegated to budget 15-inch gaming laptops. It should offer a healthy upgrade over the NVIDIA MX150 GPU in the last model. During my brief demo, I was able to fly through Doom in 1080p with high graphics settings and still get framerates beyond 60FPS. The added horsepower in the GTX 1650 means you’ll be able to push those settings much higher. It should feel more like a genuine gaming laptop, instead of an ultraportable that just happens to have decent graphics.

The base Stealth Blade 13, which comes in a fetching Mercury White finish, includes the next-generation Iris Plus graphics from the 10th Gen Core CPUs. While playing Overwatch in 1080, I was able to get more than 60 FPS by setting the graphics to “low.” You can expect to run other 3D games with reduced graphics settings, but really, it’s a GPU that’s more meant for things like less demanding RTS titles. There’s one major benefit to the Iris Plus model: Up to 10 hours of battery life. We don’t know how the GTX 1650 models will fare in that respect, but you can expect a far lower figure.

Razer stuck with the basic design of the last Blade Stealth: the new models still have slim bezels, measure a sleek 15.3 millimeters thin and feature large glass touchpads. This time around though, every Blade Stealth model includes 16GB of DDR4 RAM, which is what I’d recommend for any gaming notebook. You’ll get 256GB of PCIe M.2 SSD storage with the white model (a healthy bump from before), and 512GB with the GTX 1650 versions. And when it comes to screens, you’ve got a choice between 1080p matte displays with 100 percent sRGB accuracy, or a 4K touchscreen covered in Gorilla Glass.

The Razer Blade Stealth 13 will start at $1,500 when it arrives at the end of September. It’s a shame it’s not coming before the school season kicks off, but the specs alone make it seem like an intriguing option for students who want to play some games.

[ad_2]

Source link

What’s on TV this week: ‘NBA 2K20,’ ‘Wu-Tang: An American Saga’

[ad_1]

This week is a big one already for gamers, with Final Fantasy VIII Remastered arriving on multiple platforms. It will keep rolling on Friday, once NBA 2K20 and Gears 5 Ultimate Edition roll out. For movie fans, Amazon Prime has Late Night coming up, while on Blu-ray there’s Booksmart, Ma and Men in Black: International.

Hulu premieres its Wu-Tang: An American Saga series this week for the group’s second feature of the year, while DC Universe kicks off season two of Titans. The Overwatch League playoffs are all over ESPNews, while the NFL season is starting and FIBA World Cup basketball is streaming on ESPN+. Look after the break to check out each day’s highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).

[ad_2]

Source link

You can block images on Gmail for iPhone now

[ad_1]

Even if you’re old enough to remember when Gmail asked permission before loading external images, you still might not have noticed that they stopped doing this by default back in 2013. Email providers that year started cutting down on displaying attachments to stop the spread of malware. Gmail instead elected to serve images through Google’s own proxy servers. From that point forward, all images were shown automatically. Unless you elected to block images by default, that line of blue text that read “Display images below” was wiped from Gmail’s interface.

Disabling automatic images isn’t just useful if you want to avoid trackers– it’ll come in handy if you’re relying on a slow or unreliable connection. It will also ensure that your email loads faster, uses less data and may even save you battery power. So if you’re in need of all those things, make sure you have the latest version of the Gmail app installed and opt-out of displaying external images. A black-and-white, text-heavy future awaits you.

[ad_2]

Source link

Apple cancels dark Richard Gere drama ‘Bastards’

[ad_1]

Apple was reportedly looking for more “aspirational programming” that focused on the friendship, while Gordon and studio Fox 21 preferred to center on the “darker elements” of the show. The two sides couldn’t find common ground, and Apple was apparently willing to pay a hefty sum to release the project. It hasn’t found another home so far, according to the report.

Apple and Fox 21 have declined to comment.

This wouldn’t be the first show Apple has rejected. It put the kibosh on Dr. Dre’s semi-autobiographical Vital Signs, ostensibly over its excesses of drugs, sex and violence. That show would have premiered in 2017 on Apple Music, though, and had never been formally announced. Bastards was different — Apple ordered the series in late 2018 after a fierce bidding war, undoubtedly with TV+ in mind. The tech giant clearly wants to ensure a warm reception (and avoid controversy) with its video streaming service, and it’s willing to pull entire shows rather than risk a backlash.

[ad_2]

Source link

NASA and ESA will team up to deflect Earth-bound asteroids

[ad_1]

NASA will provide the collider, the Double Asteroid Impact Test (DART). It should launch in summer 2021 and will smack into the smaller of the two Didymos asteroids at about 14,764MPH. An Italian cubesat, LICIACube, will study the moment of impact. After that, the ESA will launch a Hera probe in October 2024 to study the target asteroid, including the impact crater, mass and a radar probe (the first ever for an asteroid). Hera will take roughly two years to arrive.

Scientists chose the asteroid pair precisely because it was easy to test. The smaller rock orbits slowly enough that it should be realistic to change its orbit in a noticeable way. That wouldn’t be an option with an asteroid flying solo in a solar orbit, the ESA said.

Of course, there’s a big difference between a test like this and a true crisis. While the target asteroid could do serious damage at about 525 feet across, it’s still small and slow. A future deflection system may have to knock far larger and faster asteroids out of their collision courses. This is an important step toward a proper defense system, though, and might be enough to protect humanity against many potential impacts.

[ad_2]

Source link

‘Red Dead Online’ players can pick up work as bounty hunters next week

[ad_1]

As Rockstar revealed in early August, you’ll be able to play as a bounty hunter, trader or collecter. Each role offers unique abilities, equipment and clothing. Whenever you complete a task or mission tied to each role, you’ll receive experience points. Depending on your Frontier Pursuit, tracking down a bounty or finding a collectible item will help your progression through the ranks. Over time, you’ll unlock more skills and upgrades as well as access to free roam events that are unique to each role.

'Red Dead Online'

If you’d like to play as a bounty hunter, you can purchase a license for said role from the Legendary Bounty Hunter in Rhodes for 15 gold bars. Alternatively, Rockstar is offering the license for free if you have a Twitch Prime subscription and link your Twitch and Rockstar Games Social Club accounts by September 8th. Once you reach rank 12, you’ll have the option to hunt down other players who have a bounty of at least $20 on their heads.

Among the abilities you’ll be able to take advantage of as a bounty hunter are Focus (through which targets glow red when you use the Eagle Eye focusing option) and a reinforced lasso. You can also use a bola to tie up your targets’ legs and Eagle Eye+, which allows you to track enemies when you’re galloping on your horse or sprinting.

PS4 players will get free access to the Butcher’s Table (which also usually costs 15 gold bars). That unlocks the trader path. In this Frontier Pursuit, you’ll help your camp companion Cripps set up a trading post by, for instance, hunting animals for pelts and transporting goods. You’ll also be sent to “acquire additional necessities through less-than-savory tactics,” Rockstar said.

'Red Dead Online'

Trader skills include an ability to identify rival trader wagons from further away and training your dog to warn you when thieves are trying to raid your camp. You’ll also get access to a storage locker for weapons, a stew pot that unlocks recipes and a satchel upgrade to store more ingredients.

To set forth on the collector’s Frontier Pursuit, you’ll need the Collector’s Bag. Again, that’ll cost 15 gold bars — unless you’ve found all 54 hidden playing cards in GTA Online. In this career path, you’ll search for valuable items and buried treasure. You’ll unlock more skills that’ll help with your hunt for items as you progress.

Outside of the Frontier Pursuits (which Rockstar will add more of in the future), the developer is refining combat and movement, while introducing some Red Dead Online quality-of-life updates. For instance, you’ll be able to redesign your character’s appearance without progress being reset and earn more money when you sell jewelry. There’ll be less reliance on headshots in player vs. player combat, while Rockstar will try to keep things fresh with more daily challenges, including ones tailored to each role.

[ad_2]

Source link

Lamborghini’s first hybrid supercar is the 819HP Sián

[ad_1]

The Sián is also noteworthy in how it stores and recharges power. Rather than rely on lithium-ion batteries like most other hybrids and EVs, this car uses supercapacitors that are three times more powerful than batteries of similar weight and three times lighter than batteries with similar power. The approach not only helps keep the overall weight down, but allows the storage to fully charge every time you brake. You shouldn’t have to worry about losing that hybrid boost when you’re completing a lap on the track.

The design has some roots in the Terzo Millennio concept from 2017, including both a handful of design cues (such as the Y-shaped headlights) and the supercapacitor storage, although it’s not a pure EV and omits particularly exotic elements like the self-healing carbon fiber.

There’s just one problem with the Sián, apart from its likely astronomical (but unspecified) price tag: it’s already spoken for. Lamborghini is making just 63 units, and all of them have been sold. While this is an honest-to-goodness production hybrid, it’s more a peek at Lamborghini’s long-term strategy than anything. It doesn’t have much choice. With Europe and other regions pushing for stricter emissions and fuel economy targets, the brand will have trouble relying solely on monster gas engines going forward — and it can’t rely on VW’s electric cars to compensate.

Lamborghini Sian

[ad_2]

Source link

‘LEGO Star Wars Battles’ is a competitive strategy game for mobile

[ad_1]

The games is a joint effort by Warner Bros, LEGO Group and Lucasfilm. It promises to blend LEGO Star Wars characters, vehicles and locations with real-time, one-on-one multiplayer battles. You’ll be able to build your deck with light side or dark side forces, and you’ll find content from all nine saga films, Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Rogue One: A Star Wars. As you might expect, you’ll build LEGO towers on the battlefield as you fight to defend and capture territory.

The game should arrive in 2020 in the App Store and Google Play. It’ll be available as a free download with in-app purchases.

[ad_2]

Source link

Facebook stops scanning faces by default

[ad_1]

There may be reasons to turn facial recognition on. Facebook warned that Photo Review, which alerts you when someone uploads a photo of you even if you aren’t tagged, also switches off if you decline or disable the Face Recognition setting. It’s potentially useful if someone uploads a photo of you without consent.

The tweaks also makes the settings update clearer and lets you change them in the notice, rather than the having to visit a separate screen. All changes are applicable worldwide.

The new approach may be welcome by people concerned that Facebook was using facial recognition too aggressively. It may be too little too late, though. Facebook recently lost its bid to block a lawsuit alleging that it captured millions of users’ face data for its tag permissions feature without permission, allegedly violating Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act. These latest changes don’t address previous behavior — Facebook could still have to compensate up to 7 million people if it loses.

[ad_2]

Source link

Google could soon face another antitrust investigation

[ad_1]

Both Democrats and Republicans have expressed concerns that just a handful of companies control the internet and technology at large. Earlier this summer, a House antitrust subcommittee grilled executives from Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google. In May, we learned that the Justice Department was considering an antitrust investigation into Google, and as far back as 2013, Google agreed to a settlement following a FTC antitrust investigation. The European Union has slapped Google with its own fines and violations.

In a statement, Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda said:

“Google’s services help people every day, create more choice for consumers, and support thousands of jobs and small businesses across the country. We continue to work constructively with regulators, including attorneys general, in answering questions about our business and the dynamic technology sector.”

While Congress seems committed to reigning in big tech, it appears unsure of exactly how to do so. It’s unclear why the attorneys general are investigating Google specifically, or if they’ll investigate Amazon, Apple or Facebook, too. We’ll have to wait for more details, expected on September 9th.

[ad_2]

Source link