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TechSpot •

Microsoft introduces game hubs for PC gamers

Why it matters: Microsoft game hubs provide a way to consolidate information about PC games (at least on the Xbox side). They will soon offer some consolation to PC gamers worried that Microsoft's push to multi-platform gaming may leave them somewhat shorted.

Microsoft is rolling out a "game hubs" feature for Windows PC users. Game hubs centralize data about different games in one spot, eliminating the need to search the internet for specific information (e.g., completion times, achievements, a
TechSpot •

GeForce Now cloud gaming gets G-Sync, Day Pass option - also: G-Sync Pulsar tech introduced

Bottom line: GeForce Now has emerged as a reasonably attractive option for those who either lack a gaming PC or wish to experience Nvidia's top GPU offerings without a significant financial commitment. The addition of G-Sync to the service enhances its value, allowing gamers to utilize high refresh rate monitors they already own.

The Consumer Electronics Show is in full swing, and in addition to new Super GPUs, Nvidia has announced new features for the GeForce Now cloud gaming service. The comp
TechSpot •

Meta Quest owners can now play Xbox games on their headsets

Bottom line: Good news for owners of the Meta Quest 2, 3, or Pro headsets. Meta is adding support for Xbox Cloud Gaming for those who are subscribed to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. The app is currently in beta, but is downloadable from the Meta Quest Store. Xbox Cloud Gaming is a huge value-add to existing Quest owners, further legitimizing the Quest 3 as a formidable player in the mixed reality market.

One of the most popular features in recent Quest headsets is the "Passthrough" ability to displa
TechSpot •

A new internet standard called L4S aims to lower latency, bring more speed to the web

Forward-looking: A new internet standard is being developed to drastically reduce network latency, boosting applications such as gaming and video streaming. While the standard can provide a measurable difference, many consumers may not even realize it's there.

For most people with decent Internet connection speeds, latency isn't usually that big of an issue... until it is. Trying to stream your favorite movie or play that critical match in Fortnite can be an exercise is futility if there's a lo
IGN •

Apple to Allow Alternative App Stores on iPhones in EU

Apple has long since prevented third-party apps from being installed on their mobile devices unless it came through their official App Store. However, new European Union regulations have prompted Apple to begin overhauling its services to allow outside app stores.

According to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, Apple's software engineering and services teams are making massive changes to Apple's platform to allow "alternative" app stores. This would allow customers to download applications to thei
Digital Trends •

Cooler Master CK720 review: a keyboard enthusiast's paradise

There are some who prefer keeping things simple when it comes to keyboards. They just prefer a no-frills, well-built keyboard that gets the job the done.

Then, there are those who want maximum customizability with the ability to make every part of the keyboard an expression of their creativity and personality. If the latter describes you, the Cooler Master CK720 is a mechanical keyboard that deserves serious consideration.

The CK720 is a 65% keyboard that is refreshingly compact, yet robust. I
Digital Trends •

Apple launches unprecedented price cuts to MacBook Pros

Apple’s top of the line MacBook Pro 16-inch and 14-inch models are some of the best laptops the company has ever made — but they’re extremely expensive machines that rarely come down in price.

However, Apple has quietly dropped the price on these sought-after laptops with some surprising price cuts.

Spotted by MacRumors, Apple slashed pricing on the refurbished 14 and 16-inch models with both the M1 Pro and Max variants. Specifically, the prices have been reduced by about 15% off the regular p
Digital Trends •

Das Keyboard 6 Professional review: for the typists

We review many keyboards, with a good bit of them being gaming keyboards. What if you’re not a gamer and primarily use your keyboard for work and productivity? Sometimes a well-made keyboard that excels at the basics is best.

The Das Keyboard 6 Professional is one of the best keyboards I’ve used and adds a few quality of life features that make it an outstanding choice. However, the $200 price tag might be a bit much to swallow when there are other outstanding mechanical keyboards available for
Digital Trends •

Corsair K100 Air Wireless review: too expensive to recommend

Smaller 60% or tenkeyless gaming keyboards have become popular in recent years, but there will always be room for a full-sized gaming keyboard that gives you every button or key you could ever need.

The Corsair K100 Air Wireless is an excellent mechanical keyboard in that vein, boasting superb performance and a slick design. At $280, though, it’s too high of a price to pay, especially when it’s missing some features we’ve come to expect at that price.

From a design perspective, the Corsair K10
Digital Trends •

Meta made DALL-E for video, and it's both creepy and amazing

Meta unveiled a crazy artificial intelligence model that allows users to turn their typed descriptions into video. The system is called Make-A-Video and is the latest in a trend of AI generated content on the web.

The system accepts short descriptions like “a robot surfing a wave in the ocean” or “clown fish swimming through the coral reef” and dynamically generates a short GIF of the description. There are even three different styles of videos to choose from: surreal, realistic, and stylized.
Digital Trends •

Alienware Aurora R15 updates to RTX 4090, Intel 13th-gen

Alienware is unveiling a bevy of gaming-centered devices that are sure to please quite a few PC gamers out there. The Aurora R15 is a powerful gaming desktop that includes Nvidia’s new 40-series GPUs and 13th-gen Intel Raptor Lake chips, while the AW420K is a tenkeyless (TKL) gaming keyboard for those who prize desk space.

Let’s start with the updated Aurora R15, a fully updated desktop for those who prefer a prebuilt gaming machine. Dell says the Aurora R15 has a new thermal strategy by means
Digital Trends •

Here are all of the games that will support Nvidia DLSS 3

Nvidia has unveiled its next-generation RTX 4080 and RTX 4090. With that announcement came a new version of Nvidia’s Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) upscaling technology.

The company announced More than 35 games (some of them being Nvidia demos or game engines) that will support DLSS 3, with more sure to come.
• The Lord of the Rings: Gollum

Nvidia’s new DLSS 3 differs from previous iterations by implementing a new algorithm called Optical Multi Frame Generation that predicts whole frames
Digital Trends •

The rumors about the Surface Pro 9 may have been true

Details of Microsoft’s upcoming Surface Pro 9 have finally emerged via documents the company submitted to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). It looks like it may be a successor to the ARM-powered Surface Pro X, complete with 5G capabilities.

Spotted by Windows Central and Notebookcheck, the FCC documentation references a “portable computing device.” The filing itself doesn’t contain any specific specs, but Windows Central believes it may be the Surface Pro 9 5G.

There are references
Digital Trends •

Intel just proved how powerful Thunderbolt 5 really is

Intel just demoed its next-generation Thunderbolt 5 technology during a Technology Tour in Israel. The demo seems to confirm that Thunderbolt will be capable of 80 Gbps speeds and it marks the first time that Intel has publicly shown off the speed.

This recent demo didn’t seem to show any additional features of the new Thunderbolt 5 other than the speed. However, we do know a little bit more based on pictures posted by former Intel exec Gregory Bryant.

Bryant tweeted out since-deleted pictures
IGN •

iPhone 14 vs iPhone 14 Pro Models: What are the Differences?

Apple has finally unveiled the new iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro. The Apple cynical may think that there probably isn't a huge difference between them. Indeed, many components are the exact same between the two, but the Pro models have a few nifty features that set them apart from the base models announced at Apple's event.

Let's start with the exterior of both models. Apple kept it simple and kept the "smaller" iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro at 6.1-inches screens and the larger iPhone 14 Plus and 1
IGN •

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Writer Reveals Scrapped a Fantastic Four Post-Credits Scene

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness satisfied many with its cameo appearances. But even with the big screen debut of (alternate universe) Mr. Fantastic in the Doctor Strange sequel, writer Michael Waldron might've added more of the Fantastic Four to a post-credits scene.

Spoilers for Multiverse of Madness below

In an interview with Empire, Waldron spoke about one of the most talked about scenes in Multiverse of Madness. That, of course, being the Illuminati getting absolutely wrecked b
IGN •

New Tech Could Stop Your Wi-Fi Being Blocked By Pesky Walls

Many people invest in mesh wireless networking solutions to get rid of dead spots caused by walls and other barriers. However, what if you could effectively eliminate the walls as an obstacle?

Originally reported in Newsweek, Austrian scientists at the Vienna University of Technology and Rennes University detail a method of removing reflections caused by dense materials. The scientists revealed their findings in a paper entitled "Anti-reflection structure for perfect ransmission through complex
IGN •

Blizzard Reveals When Overwatch 2 Loot Boxes Will End

Blizzard has announced when loot boxes will be phased out of Overwatch in anticipation of the new Battle Pass system.

The announcement was quietly mentioned in a blog post about the Overwatch Anniversary Remix Volume 3 event. The company confirmed that the loot boxes would "no longer be available for sale" come August 30th.

However, the post notes that you'll still be able to earn standard loot boxes after the Remix event.

This Anniversary Remix event is Blizzard's way of "cleaning house" of
Digital Trends •

Glorious' customizable mechanical number pad looks amazing

Sometimes you just need a good number pad for those intense number crunching sessions. Glorious has unveiled a new mechanical number pad simply called the GMMK Numpad that matches the company’s regular mechanical keyboards — and can be a good companion for those with ten keyless (TKL) keyboards.

The compact accessory is made of anodized aluminum and has the standard 17-key layout of a number pad, but also a configurable rotary knob and slider that the company says offers “unparalleled versatili
Digital Trends •

Asus' new 4K HDMI 2.1 gaming monitor looks like a beast

Now that GPU prices are actually affordable again, those with powerful GPUs have another monitor to consider. Asus has officially introduced the ROG Strix XG32UQ (via NotebookCheck), a 32-inch 4K gaming monitor with many of the bells and whistles gamers expect of a high-end monitor, including those who own an Xbox Series X or PS5.

Starting off, the panel itself is, of course, a 4K IPS screen offering a 160Hz refresh rate for fluid movement and a 1ms response time for twitchy in-game actions.

T
IGN •

PlayStation Is Reducing Its Customer Support On Twitter

PlayStation is removing direct support via Twitter starting August 1st. Instead, those who need help will have to browse support websites in lieu of direct messaging on Twitter.

The announcement was made on the official @AskPlayStation Twitter account and included links to various support sites including the official PlayStation Support Youtube channel.

Contacting an actual human is still possible through the support websites, but Sony would rather you search for any existing solutions before
IGN •

The Matrix Awakens Demo Is Leaving Soon So Get It While It Lasts

The Matrix Awakens, an impressive display of Unreal Engine 5's capabilities, was a demo released in December for PlayStation and Xbox consoles. However, the demo is leaving stores on July 9th so grab it while it's still available. Once you have the demo, you will be able to redownload it at your leisure.

The original release of the demo roughly coincided with the release of The Matrix Resurrections. Both Neo (Keanu Reeves) and Trinity (Carrie Anne Moss) appear in the demo and show off just how
IGN •

An AI Was Trained To Play Minecraft With 70,000 Hours Of YouTube Videos

OpenAI, the artificial intelligence research organization founded by Elon Musk, has trained an AI to play Minecraft almost as well as humans. It only took about 70,000 hours of binging YouTube videos.

A blog post detailing the feat reveals that researchers used a technique called "Video PreTraining (VPT)" to train a neural network on how to play Minecraft. This involved gathering 2,000 hours of sample dataset from actual humans playing Minecraft to include not just the raw video, but also exact
Digital Trends •

Intel's upcoming Raptor Lake may hit the enviable 6GHz mark

Intel’s 13th-generation Raptor Lake chips may be capable of boosting past the 6GHz mark if one tipster is to be believed. The company’s current Core i9-12900 CPUs are already capable of maxing out well over 5GHz.

The rumor comes courtesy of tipster @OneRaichu on Twitter, who claims at least one SKU of the CPU will be capable of a 6GHz turbo boost due to Intel’s Efficient Thermal Velocity Boost (ETVB) technology. That would make it the first x86 chip to reach that level of performance.

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