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Rabu, 17 April 2019

The Morning After: Finally, Sony reveals some crucial PS5 details - Engadget

Tell me all about the PlayStation 5, you say? Well, we don't know everything just yet, but Sony has shared some crucial details in an unusual reveal-and-interview combo yesterday. Oh, and coincidentally, Xbox's digital-only console got priced and detailed, too. The hype starts today. In dryer news, the long-running Apple-Qualcomm royalty lawsuit has been settled, but with repercussions for other companies.

Next-gen is now.
Sony reveals first PlayStation 5 details

So what's next after the PlayStation 4 Pro? System architect Mark Cerny told Wired that the next PlayStation console will be powered by a third-generation AMD Ryzen CPU with eight cores built on the company's 7nm Zen 2 microarchitecture. A custom Radeon GPU will support ray tracing and 3D audio rendering, as well as resolutions up to 8K, and its SSD can load games in a flash.

The biggest news, otherwise, is that it'll be backwards compatible with the PS4 and current PS VR headset. Cerny also said it will continue to support physical media, but didn't confirm much else like a name or potential launch window other than not-in-2019.

What lawsuit?
Apple and Qualcomm settle royalty lawsuits with new patent agreement

The two companies have settled their patent-royalty dispute, ending all ongoing legal action (including with Apple's manufacturing partners). Apple has agreed to pay Qualcomm an unspecified amount, while both sides have struck a six-year patent-license deal as well as a "multiyear" wireless chipset supply deal. If you're wondering why they suddenly made up, Intel's announcement that it's giving up on trying to develop 5G modems for smartphones -- the 5G modems that were supposed to replace Qualcomm's chips in upcoming iPhones -- is a pretty big hint.

It's like an Xbox One S without the slot.
The all-digital Xbox One hits stores May 7th for $250

Yes, an Xbox One with no regard for physical media is real, and it's going on sale next month. It's discounted by $50 over the standard Xbox One S, comes bundled with Sea of Thieves, Forza Horizon 3 and Minecraft plus a special trial for Xbox Game Pass. Speaking of Game Pass, an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate offer ties the all-you-can-eat game bundle to Xbox Live features for $15 per month.

Like some robot reindeers or something.
Boston Dynamics' SpotMini robots are strong enough to haul a box truck

Boston Dynamics' new video shows 10 of its canine-inspired SpotMinis attached to a box truck like sled dogs, pulling it across the company's parking lot with a one-degree uphill slope. There was a driver behind the wheel during the demonstration, probably to prevent accidents, but the vehicle itself was in neutral.

It's one of several changes the social network has made to improve the service.
Twitter says new tools automatically flag 38 percent of abusive tweets

Twitter gave a status update on Tuesday on its plans to target online harassment, which, the company claims, appear to be working. The platform has made "meaningful progress" in moving towards its goal of cutting down on abuse of the platform, wrote Twitter Vice President Donald Hicks. Apparently, new tools that can proactively flag problematic content surfaced 38 percent of abusive tweets for review.

Spoilers are out there.
'Avengers: Endgame' footage and details leak online

Several minutes of blurry Avengers: Endgame footage have leaked, spread across Twitter, YouTube and Reddit. It included some significant plot details, GIFs, screenshots and descriptions (none of which we're sharing here), so be careful how deep you dive regarding Marvel's biggest movie event yet.

The key is breaking processors up into multiple chips -- we'll explain.
Upscaled: This is the year of the CPU 'chiplet'

Chips are still getting faster, but at a rate much slower than most predictions. 2019 might be the year that finally changes, though, and we're excited about a few developments that should be coming later this year.

But wait, there's more...

The Morning After is a new daily newsletter from Engadget designed to help you fight off FOMO. Who knows what you'll miss if you don't Subscribe.

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https://www.engadget.com/2019/04/17/the-morning-after-sony-talks-ps5/

2019-04-17 11:41:01Z
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Sony Says PS4 Games Will Work On PlayStation 5 - GameSpot

Sony has a patchy history when it comes to backwards compatibility, ranging from embracing the concept to more recently dismissing it as an unused feature. We've now seen the first details for the PlayStation 5, and they include backwards compatibility with PS4.

Mark Cerny, who was lead system architect for the PS4, says the next-generation PlayStation (which is still not technically named "PlayStation 5") uses a similar architecture to its predecessor, allowing for the feature. It will use physical discs as well, and Cerny expects some games to be released across both consoles.

However, the PS4 games will run a bit faster on PS5, thanks to the inclusion of a solid-state drive (SSD). As an example, Cerny compared the load times for fast travel in Spider-Man. The PS4 Pro load took roughly 15 seconds, but the same sequence took less than one second on the PS5 dev kit. So if you upgrade your hardware, you'll probably have a nice smoother experience in some respects.

We still don't know exactly how far away the next-generation PlayStation might be. Last year the head of PlayStation, John Kodera, suggested the new system was still three years away. That would mean it's still two years away now, so either Sony is preparing a long ramp to launch or the timetable has been accelerated considerably.

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https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-says-ps4-games-will-work-on-playstation-5/1100-6466282/

2019-04-17 11:37:00Z
52780269715879

The Morning After: Finally, Sony reveals some crucial PS5 details - Engadget

Next-gen is now.
Sony reveals first PlayStation 5 details

What lawsuit?
Apple and Qualcomm settle royalty lawsuits with new patent agreement

It's like an Xbox One S without the slot.
The all-digital Xbox One hits stores May 7th for $250

Like some robot reindeers or something.
Boston Dynamics' SpotMini robots are strong enough to haul a box truck

It's one of several changes the social network has made to improve the service.
Twitter says new tools automatically flag 38 percent of abusive tweets

Spoilers are out there.
'Avengers: Endgame' footage and details leak online

The key is breaking processors up into multiple chips -- we'll explain.
Upscaled: This is the year of the CPU 'chiplet'

But wait, there's more...

The Morning After is a new daily newsletter from Engadget designed to help you fight off FOMO. Who knows what you'll miss if you don't Subscribe.

Craving even more? Like us on Facebook or Follow us on Twitter.

Have a suggestion on how we can improve The Morning After? Send us a note.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.engadget.com/2019/04/17/the-morning-after-sony-talks-ps5/

2019-04-17 11:02:31Z
52780269715879

The PS5 price tag will be "appealing to gamers" says its lead architect... whatever that means - GamesRadar

In a surprise move that seemingly came out of nowhere yesterday, Sony casually announced key details about its next-gen console, the unofficially titled PS5, in a Wired interview with the system's lead architect Mark Cerny.

Throughout the conversation, Cerny confirmed that the PS5 would be backwards compatible, feature ray-tracing technology and 8K resolutions, and reduce loading times to the point of non-existence, but a detail suspiciously omitted from the interview was anything about the potential PS5 price point Sony is aiming for at launch.

However, the story's author Peter Rubin later confirmed on Twitter that he had asked Cerny about the potential cost of the PS5, and his answer was unsurprisingly cryptic. "I believe that we will be able to release it at an SRP [suggested retail price] that will be appealing to gamers in light of its advanced feature set", explained Cerny, before admitting "that's about all I can say about it" when Rubin asked if that meant a more expensive price tag than the PS4.

The newly released information about the PS5's internal tech, which will use AMD chip technology that currently goes on the market for upwards of £350 alone, does indeed suggest it will be a steeper investment for consumers looking to purchase the console on day one, but Cerny's words can be taken as a small assurance that it won't be completely unaffordable for the average gamer.

In other words, don't expect a price tag as ludicrously high as the PlayStation 3's back in 2006, but perhaps we should also be preparing to pay a little more than the consumer-friendly entry fee of the PS4's 2013 RRP. Meanwhile, Microsoft has just revealed its plans for E3 2019, and could be about to announce its own next-gen console, the rumoured Xbox Project Scarlet.

Find out what developers think about the future of gaming in the video below, or head over to our list of the biggest new games of 2019 on the way to see the titles worth keeping an eye on.

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https://www.gamesradar.com/ps5-pricetag-mark-cerny-appealing-to-gamers/

2019-04-17 10:46:00Z
52780269715879

Verizon's new activation fees cost more in-store, less in-app - Engadget

Verizon has simultaneously slashed and increased its activation and upgrade fees, depending on how you process the transaction. According to CNET and reports posted online, you now only have to pay $20 if you upgrade your device or activate a line on the carrier's website or the My Verizon app. That's down $10 from the previous $30 fee for either service. However, if you walk into a store or call the company's phone line for upgrade or activation, you'll now have to pay $40 instead.

A Verizon spokesperson described personal and over-the-phone transactions to CNET as a "full-service experience," perhaps suggesting that those channels deserve the extra $10. The company is probably hoping to discourage people who can do things on their own from engaging customer service and sales reps, though what the fee adjustments mean for employees remains to be seen. The Redditor who posted the news on the website claimed to work for an indirect store and said employees aren't getting a pay upgrade despite the higher fees. We've reached out to Verizon for confirmation and will update when we hear back.

Verizon owns Engadget's parent company, Verizon Media. Rest assured, Verizon has no control over our coverage. Engadget remains editorially independent.

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https://www.engadget.com/2019/04/17/verizon-new-activation-fees/

2019-04-17 05:31:47Z
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Selasa, 16 April 2019

First PS5 Details: Backwards Compatible, PSVR, SSDs, And More - GameSpot

Sony has revealed a bit of the information for its next-generation console, most likely named PlayStation 5. In an interview with Wired, Mark Cerny, lead system architect for the PlayStation 4, talked about his work on the PS4's successor.

In the interview, Cerny didn't name the console. The next-gen PlayStation is partially based on PS4 architecture, which means that it is backwards compatible. Cerny also revealed that it is not an all-digital device, and will accept physical discs. Wired's article describes the transition from PS4 to PS5, as indicated by Cerny, as a "gentle one," adding that numerous games will be released for both PS4 and the next-gen console.

Housed in the console will be an AMD chip that has a CPU based on the third-generation Ryzen. It'll have eight cores of the seven-nanometer Zen 2 microchip. Although the console will support 8K, displaying at this resolution will be dependant on TVs catching up.

The graphics, meanwhile, will be driven by a custom version of Radeon's Navi line. This graphics chip will support ray tracing, something which is starting to become popular in movies and video games. Although it is traditionally thought of as a lighting technique, Cerny says that there are implications beyond creating realistic environments.

"If you wanted to run tests to see if the player can hear certain audio sources or if the enemies can hear the players' footsteps, ray tracing is useful for that," he explained. "It's all the same thing as taking a ray through the environment."

In fact, audio is one the main improvements Cerny is keen to talk about. The AMD chip will enable 3D audio, and this, according to Cerny, is key to immersing players deeper. This naturally led to discussions of PlayStation VR, and while Cerny didn't confirm whether a new version of Sony's headset will be released, the existing one will be supported.

"I won't go into the details of our VR strategy ... beyond saying that VR is very important to us and that the current PSVR headset is compatible with the new console," he confirmed.

Another key leap the next PlayStation will make comes through its hard drive. According to Cerny, developers let Sony know that what they want solid-state drives in the new hardware, as opposed to the slower equivalents used in current consoles. These SSDs are relatively prevalent now in laptops, and what Sony is bringing to the next PlayStation is described as being specialized for the hardware.

Cerny demonstrated the change an SSD introduces to gaming by comparing a load sequence from Insomniac's Spider-Man on a standard PS4 Pro and a dev kit of the next-gen PlayStation. On the former, it was around 15 seconds, while on the latter it was 0.8 seconds. This, Cerny added, has implications on how the world can be rendered too, which in turn impacts how quickly Spidey can move through the world. On the new hardware, the camera moves through the city much quicker, as the hardware is capable of keeping up with rendering requirements.

Discussing the SSD, Cerny said "the raw read speed is important, but so are the details of the I/O [input-output] mechanisms and the software stack that we put on top of them. I got a PlayStation 4 Pro and then I put in a SSD that cost as much as the PlayStation 4 Pro—it might be one-third faster."

Cerny didn't provide any details on any of the services or a broader overview of PlayStation's vision for the next-generation of gaming, instead focusing on the nitty-gritty of its hardware. It is currently unclear when the console will be fully unveiled. Traditionally, Sony would has debuted its new PlayStations at E3, but the company will not have its usual press conference this year. This leaves PlayStation Experience, one of its new Nintendo Direct-like State of Play streams, or a standalone PS5 announcement event as possibilities--that is assuming it plans to reveal the PlayStation 5 this year.

It is also unclear when Sony plans to launch the PS5. In May 2018, Sony's head of PlayStation, John Kodera, said the new PlayStation was three years off. "We will use the next three years to prepare the next step," he said, "to crouch down so that we can jump higher in the future."

While Sony's plans are still largely unclear, Microsoft's are starting to come into focus. The company is set to have an E3 press conference this year, and head of Xbox Phil Spencer said it is going to go "as big at E3 as we've ever been." In 2018, Microsoft confirmed that a new Xbox was in development, and it is expected that we'll see this next-generation console at E3 2019. More immediately, it has been suggested that an all-digital Xbox One S will be announced soon. As the name indicates, this new console would not accept physical discs and designed around downloading and streaming.

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https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps5-first-details-specs-backwards-compatible-8k-ps/1100-6466281/

2019-04-16 19:39:00Z
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Apple, Qualcomm settle royalty dispute, and Qualcomm is spiking - CNBC

Apple and Qualcomm have settled their royalty dispute, the companies announced in a press release.

The settlement includes a payment from Apple to Qualcomm as well as a chipset supply agreement, suggesting that future iPhones may use Qualcomm chips. The companies did not say how much the payment will be.

Qualcomm stock rose over 17% after the news broke, boosting its market cap by about $14 billion to to more than $83 billion. Apple was up less than 1%. Intel, a Qualcomm competitor, sharply dipped on the news before recovering.

Qualcomm expects incremental earnings per share of $2 as product shipments ramp, Qualcomm said.

The two companies started proceedings in a trial in federal court in San Diego on Monday, which was expected to last until May. Both sides were asking for billions in damages.

The complicated legal battle centered around modem chips and related disputes been raging in courts around the world since 2016. For years, Apple bought modem chips from Qualcomm, but chafed under Qualcomm's prices and requirement that any company using its chips would also pay licensing fees for its patents.

Apple argued that Qualcomm was abusing its position as one of the only suppliers for cellular technology, and Qualcomm contended that Apple was withholding payments that the two companies had hammered out as part of a royalty agreement.

According to Qualcomm, the license between it an Apple as part of this agreement is six years, with a two-year option to extend. It includes a one-time payment from Apple to Qualcomm.

In November, Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf said that he believed that the two companies were on the "doorstep" to settling. Apple CEO Tim Cook contradicted him shortly after, saying that Apple hasn't been in settlement discussions since the third calendar quarter of 2018.

New iPhone models released in 2018 used Intel modem chips, instead of Qualcomm's technology.

Analysts had also worried that the dispute between Qualcomm and Apple could slow down Apple's plans to support next-generation 5G networks. Qualcomm is one of the top suppliers of chips that can connect to 5G networks.

Here is the full press release:

Qualcomm and Apple® today announced an agreement to dismiss all litigation between the two companies worldwide. The settlement includes a payment from Apple to Qualcomm. The companies also have reached a six-year license agreement, effective as of April 1, 2019, including a two-year option to extend, and a multiyear chipset supply agreement.

This story is developing. Please check back for updates.

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https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/16/apple-qualcomm-settle-royalty-dispute-sources-say.html

2019-04-16 18:55:40Z
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