Technology News

AMD’s Zen 5 microarchitecture

In the face of pressure from Intel, AMD has decided to accelerate the development of its Zen 5 processor microarchitecture in order to gain market share.

In its various 2022 presentations, AMD has publicly positioned the launch of Zen 5 in the course of 2024. However, a recent announcement from Gigabyte indicates changes to this schedule.

When discussing the future of its server rigs powered by relatively inexpensive Ryzen desktop processors, Gigabyte clarified

The next generation of AMD Ryzen desktop processors, due later this year, will also be supported on current AM5 platforms, giving customers who buy these servers today the opportunity to upgrade to the successor to the Ryzen 7000 series.

There are no details, of course, but the press release talks about next-gen Ryzen CPUs. These are probably the “Zen 5” chips. Also, since AMD uses the same “CCD” approach for its “consumer” and “server” solutions, it’s likely that the company will consider upgrading to both of these market segments, particularly through new EPYC solutions that come with the Xeon competes Scalable “Emerald Rapids” and Ryzen “Granite Ridge” to face Intel’s next cores “Raptor Lake Refresh” and “Meteor Lake-S”.

Rumor has it that TSMC plans to fine-engrave at 3 nm for the “Zen 5” and increase the number of cores per CCD, currently limited to 8.

Good news, WhatsApp will soon allow you to edit the images or videos you send with text and emojis, like Instagram or Snapchat.

Photo credits: alexruhl/123rf

After revealing the arrival of short video messages, or the ability to pin important messages to the top of your conversations, WABetaInfo has just revealed what WhatsApp’s next feature will be, and This one will be largely inspired by Instagram.

Indeed, WhatsApp will soon have a text editor very similar to that of Instagram or Snapchat. On the new beta version 2.23.3.4 on Android, WhatsApp added features to edit images, videos and GIFs with new tools and fonts.

WhatsApp copies Instagram and Snapchat

In the new version of WhatsApp, which is currently only available in beta to a very small number of users, it is now possible to add text to the images you send.

You can easily switch between fonts by tapping one of the font options that appear above the keyboard. like in other social networks. It was already possible to change the font of a text, but WhatsApp now makes it easy to quickly choose the font you want.

In addition, WhatsApp has a left, center, or right text alignment button for more control over the formatting of your annotations. Unsurprisingly, it’s also possible to change the background color of the text, making it easier to distinguish the important text from the rest.

Finally, note that new fonts such as Calistoga, Courier Prime, Damion, Exo 2, and Morning Breeze have been made available to beta testers. It is currently unknown whether this feature will be available to all users soon or not. Some features will remain in beta for many months. However, we hope that it will be rolled out quickly on the stable version so that WhatsApp can finally catch up with its competitors. In the meantime, we remind you that WhatsApp also plans to give you better control over your ephemeral messages, another feature that Meta has stolen from its competitors.

Naughty Dog continues its optimization work around the title The Last of Us Part I. Patch 1.0.1.6, awaited by many players, is finally available. He targets the PC version of the game.

Its content deals with several things. We find the solution to various performance problems. Since its launch on PC, The Last of Us Part I has been the target of many criticisms on the subject. Reports of crashes, optimization and gameplay issues have multiplied enough to affect the title’s overall rating on the Steam distribution platform.

The situation has been well known since Naughty Dog posted an official statement on Twitter stating

The Last of Us Part I PC Players: We heard your concerns and our team is actively investigating several issues you have reported. We’ll continue to update you, but our team is prioritizing updates and will fix issues in upcoming patches.

Two Steam updates are now available. The first allowed the game to evolve to version 1.0.1.5. It fixes several performance issues and adds additional diagnostic information to help investigate crashes related to shader builds and other commonly reported stability issues.

The second update, available for a few hours, advances The Last of Us Part I in version 1.0.1.6. It decreases the size of the PSO cache to reduce memory requirements and limit outages due to out of memory. Naughty Dog also fixed a bug that caused a save file-related crash on launch and added additional diagnostic information for developer tracking purposes. We also get a performance boost during gameplay and cutscenes by increasing animation streaming memory.

American scientists have just released a global map showing the distribution of volcanoes on the surface of Venus. And surprisingly, the hellish planet would have a lot more to offer than we thought: up to 85,000 buildings, old and new, have been identified on its surface.

The recent confirmation of active volcanism on the surface of Venus shows that Earth’s twin planet is very much alive from a geological point of view. A new study completes this information and is intended to provide a research basis for future analyzes of Venusian volcanism.

Two Washington University scientists have actually created a map summarizing all the volcanic structures identified so far on the planet’s surface. A mapping work highlighting the importance of volcanism on Venus. In fact, no fewer than 85,000 volcanoes have been identified. That’s a lot more than previously assumed. They have been grouped into several categories intended to allow a better understanding of the volcanic processes that have taken place or are currently taking place on the planet. The buildings are in fact represented or not according to their size and the presence of deformations.

An overwhelming majority of small volcanoes

We find that 99% of the identified volcanoes are small, less than 5 kilometers in diameter. Large volcanoes with a diameter between 5 and 100 kilometers or more than 100 kilometers are therefore relatively rare. Analysis of the data also shows that there are very few buildings with diameters between 20 and 100 kilometers, an important point that can be interpreted as limited magma supply or rather short eruption duration.

The study, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research, also shows the correlations between the distribution of volcanic structures and certain geophysical data, such as crustal thickness.

An indispensable database for future investigations

Future studies will thus be able to observe the distribution of these structures on a planetary scale and draw conclusions about past and current volcanic activity, as well as about the magmatic processes at the origin of these volcanoes and, more generally, about the geology of Venus and its dynamics.

This map, which is publicly available to facilitate use by scientists, was created from Magellan probe radar imagery data from the 1990s, old data with insufficient resolution to depict smaller structures per kilometer. It is therefore very likely that the actual number of volcanoes on the surface of Venus is much larger. To verify this we will have to wait until the 2030s for the launch of two missions, one by NASA (Veritas orbiter and DaVinci probe) and one by ESA (EnVision), aimed at mapping the surface of Venus image in high resolution.

PS5 Tutorial: How to Install an SSD Easily

Published on 03/31/2023 at 10:20 am

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If the PS5 has one big problem, it’s its storage space… 1TB is clearly not enough for some gamers. Between the games that weigh more and more and the premature updates that take up a lot of space, it’s difficult not to run out of available GB… Fortunately, Sony gives you the possibility to add an SSD to your console, all without voiding the warranty!

The criteria that an SSD must meet to be installed on PS5

The SSD is a faster and more robust storage space than our good old classic hard disk drives (HDD). Since this generation of consoles, Sony has decided to install an M.2 NVMe type SSD in their computer by default.. Issue ? The 1TB limit is clearly not enough for gamers who want to multiply the experiences. Add to that some unlucky people who have to re-download games with a slow connection, and you’ll quickly understand why Sony is giving us the freedom to install a second SSD in the PS5.

Of course, like any machine, the SSD you are going to buy must meet some conditions to work on your PS5:

Characteristics :

• Interface: M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen4 x4
• Capability : 250GB to 4TB
• Sequential read speed : At least 5500 MB/s recommended. This matches the speed of the PS5’s SSD. Sony recommends buying an SSD with the same speed. If you go for a lower speed one it will work, you just have slightly longer load times (nothing serious though).
• Authorized Formats : 2230 / 2242 / 2260 / 2280 / 22110 (M.2 type)
• Approved lengths : 30mm / 42mm / 60mm / 80mm / 110mm
• Allowed width : 22mm / 25mm with the cooling structure.
• Maximum allowable overall dimensions with cooling : Length: 110mm / Width: 25mm / Height: 11.25mm
• cooling : Important point about cooling. This SSD must have a high quality heat dissipation system. In fact, it is strongly recommended to choose an SSD already equipped with a temperature regulation system or to buy a heatsink in addition.
• socket type : Socket 3 (Key M) The socket to remember is the Type 3 socket known as Key M, meaning single-sided and double-sided M.2 SSDs are compatible. And finally, regarding the height of the SSD and the space distribution between the heat sink and the SSD itself, this rule must be observed: Above the SSD, the heat sink must be less than 8 mm and below the SSD should be within 2.45 mm.

Example of M.2 SSD (Samsung 980 Pro)

To make sure you choose a good SSD for your PS5, don’t hesitate to consult our dedicated buying guide

accuracy

To install an SSD in your PS5, first remember to turn off your console and unplug it before beginning any maneuver.

First you must have one Phillips screwdriver size 1.

Example of a #1 Phillips screwdriver

Next, make sure you’re working on a flat, stable surface, it would be foolish to damage your PS5.

Your first mission is to take off your PS5’s top cover (the disc input part for the standard versions). For that VAll you have to do is pull gently on the shell to remove it from the console and you’re in the gut of your machine!

Now you can notice a small white cover right in front of you. Arm yourself with your Phillips screwdriver and unscrew the small screw holding the connector for the SSD as well as the screw used to hold your SSD.

Grab your SSD and Slide it into the connector by bringing the gold part to the inside of the console.

Make sure you have your SSD in place and use your screwdriver to screw the end on the fan side into placeto service your M.2 SSD.

NOW, You can replace the cover in its original placemake sure to screw it back on before going about your business.

Replace the shell of your PS5and there you have it, congratulations: you just increased the storage space on your PS5.

But beware ! It’s still not over!

Plug in your console and turn it on. If your SSD is well recognized by the console, Upon power up, a menu should appear offering to format the SSD.

In your menu Settings ==> Storage, you can see the available space on your brand new SSD! Enjoy!

Install games on your new SSD

You can go to the tab at any time “installation location” to change the installation directory of one of your games. After loading briefly, your game will be transferred to your new storage location.

In the same menu you can choose the default installation SSD. Basically which SSD will hold your newly downloaded games (PS4 games and apps and PS5 games and apps).

Everything you need to know about SSDs for PS5

What hard drive format does the PS5 need?

The PS5 can only accommodate M.2 type NVMe Gen 4×4 SSDs. The allowed formats are as follows: 2230 / 2242 / 2260 / 2280 / 22110. The console can also use external storage such as HDD or SSD for PS4 games or to store your PS5 games. Please note that PS5 games installed on external storage will need to be transferred to a compatible NVMe SSD or to the console’s internal storage afterwards.

How do I install an internal SSD on the PS5?

You will need a #1 Phillips screwdriver to do this. After making sure the console is unplugged, lay it down and position it in front of you. Remove the cover, and then unscrew the SSD expansion slot cover. Remove screws, insert SSD and screw. All you have to do is close the cover of the space dedicated to the SSD and replace the outer cover. Plug the console back in and follow the PS5 format utility instructions to be able to use your new SSD. For more information, see this link!

Why is it necessary to have a heatsink on SSDs for PS5?

In order for your NVMe SSD to be compatible with the PS5, several properties are required. One of them is the presence of a heat sink. It reduces the temperature of your memory, thus improving performance. A poorly cooled SSD will actually lower its performance to avoid overheating, which is all the more important since the expansion slot doesn’t benefit from ventilation.

A small selection to change.

The months follow one another and look the same to Microsoft program-wise Games with gold. Because, as one might fear, these are, once again, just two games that will continue to be “offered” to subscribers Xbox One And Xbox Series X|S. Two games that don’t deserve the fun. That’s it.

First of all, those who appreciate the space will be pleased to know that they can move in with their friends. Because game more or less resumes the fashion of Overcooked! followed by titles like Moving Out, Ship of Fools and Company, out of the room offers to set foot in a space station to face many problems and this, up to 4. Maintenance, gardening, improvements, technological developments, scuffles with aliens… Out of Space is a game that deserves its luck . On condition of supporting his neighbor’s mistakes. We say that… we say nothing…

Then, in a much less cartoonish setting, and with room for a whole different kind of violence, Peaky Blinders: Mastermind gives you the opportunity to treat yourself to a trip to the famous BBC series. The program is a kind of puzzle game in which you have to synchronize the actions of your group in order to complete your misdeeds in the best possible way and above all in the given time. In short, what will become of an outlaw in the company of a title that is a bit too short and not shocking over time, but that deserves to be discovered for its presence in the Games With Gold offer.

And so it will stop there, with a Games with gold which is now struggling to convince against the PlayStation Plus, which has been more convincing lately, even in April, so…

This unprecedented product, which represents a real technical and commercial challenge, seems to be postponed again. This situation does not bode well for this product, which perhaps creates too many expectations.

Rumors have been circulating for years about Apple’s mixed reality headset, which has been in development for a long time and whose presentation has been postponed several times. However, according to Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, the presentation of this helmet would eventually take place during WWDC 2023, which is scheduled for June 5, 2023. This is not the opinion of another specialist, Ming-Chi Kuo, who announces another postponement.

As Apple is not very optimistic that the AR/MR headset announcement will replicate the amazing “iPhone moment”, the mass production schedule has been pushed back another 1-2 months to mid to late Q3 23. The delay also increases uncertainty as to whether the new device…

— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) March 30, 2023

The industry needs a breath of fresh air

The mixed reality, augmented, and virtual reality industry needs a breath of fresh air, and Apple’s entry into the field could spark renewed interest. In fact, Apple could redefine the concept of VR and AR thanks to its mastery of the value chain of its products and its market dominance. However, an immediate revolution is not to be expected.

Apple doesn’t seem ready to get started, headset prices remain high and applications are still few and far between. Especially since Apple is unlikely to manage to change the game from the first generation of its headphones. Virtual and augmented reality has yet to reach the general public outside of video games, and the failure of Meta doesn’t reassure anyone.

An announced outage?

The Apple Reality Pro/Glass headset, as it would be called, could try to follow the same path. It is likely that Apple will present a product atypical for the brand. We’re talking about a product that isn’t necessarily pretty, with a few flagship applications at the start and a steep price (according to reports, around 2,000 to 3,000 euros). All this raises doubts about the effective presentation of the helmet and its commercial success.

Apple’s first-ever mixed reality headset is not only a significant technical challenge, but also creates a lot of excitement within the Cupertino-based company. Internal disagreements have intensified in recent months, particularly over the commercialization plan for this novel product.

The general atmosphere surrounding the Apple Glass project would be very different from other projects that are usually developed: the enthusiasm and determination of the teams seem to have been seriously shaken, partly due to deep and legitimate questions. Some employees are reportedly raising concerns about the final price of the device, which is said to cost around $3,000. Even more worrying would be that the usefulness of such a product would be questioned by some employees who are skeptical about the real value of Apple Glass and the tangible contribution of mixed reality.

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