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NVIDIA is gearing up to end 32-bit OS support
The time of the 32-bit OS continues its slow descent into obsolescence. NVIDIA announced that Version 390 of its graphics card driver would be the last to support 32-bit Windows, Linux and FreeBSD systems.
Google Earth iOS update saves it from App Store removal
One of iOS 11's big changes (and there are many) is that it will no longer support 32-bit-only apps. This has left developers scrambling to make sure their apps will be able to launch on the software update arriving in September. It's understandable that smaller developers might make it just under the wire, but it's a little surprising that a company with the resources of Google would wait until the last minute. Today, the tech giant finally released a new version of Google Earth that has 64-bit support.
PINE A64 is a $15, 'high-performance' take on the Raspberry Pi
Thanks to boards like the Raspberry Pi, DIY computing projects are no longer reserved for enthusiasts who can afford to sink hundreds of dollars into them. As the new $5 Pi Zero demonstrates, picking up on a new project now costs the same as a cup of coffee. It also means that if a new entrant wants to make an impact, it needs to include a better range of components or beat its competition on price. Or both. And that's exactly what PINE64 Inc. is looking to do.
Apple wants all iOS apps to use 64-bit code starting in February
Apple may have only introduced 64-bit computing to iPhones and iPads a little over a year ago, but it's already preparing for the day when legacy 32-bit code is gone for good. The Cupertino crew is now telling developers that their iOS apps must include 64-bit support from February 1st onward. While the company won't kick out existing titles, both new apps and updated releases will have to make the switch. Theoretically, this is easy -- developers just have to build apps using the most recent tools and standard settings.
Google's Android emulator is ready to help developers make 64-bit apps
There's a lot to look forward to in Android's next major update, but hardware nerds are focusing in one one key feature: official support for 64-bit mobile chips. It's the mobile OS' inevitable future, and chip-makers have been preparing for it for quite awhile. Now app developers can jump in, too: Google announced today that a x86 64-bit Android L developer preview emulator image is available for developers that want to take their apps to the next generation. Not every dev will need to rebuild, however -- apps built in Java will automatically benefit from the 64-bit release's increased accessibility to memory and registers. Choose another language? Well, you'll need to recompile: head over to the source to start testing your apps in 64-bit.
HTC is teasing a high-powered eight-core, 64-bit handset for China
Looking forward to 64-bit smartphones, but not sold on Sprint's incoming budget handset? HTC has another phone for you -- an unnamed device that it claims will be the very first 8-core 64-bit smartphone on the market. HTC teased the smartphone on its Weibo page, showing a mock-up of the device's corner featuring a camera, some proximity sensors and a metallic-looking blue outline. The octa-core processor probably means this is a mid to high-end devices (unlike the model outed for Sprint), probably with a Qualcomm-sourced processor like the Snapdragon 615. Curious? You'll find the teaser image after the break.
Firefox 64-bit development for Windows gets 'turned off' by Mozilla
Looking to browse with the full weight of your 64-bit hardware? Well, if you're a Firefox and Windows user, you're going to have to look elsewhere, as Mozilla has announced it's closing the development of Firefox for the bigger computer architecture. Mozilla manager, Benjamin Smedberg outlined several reasons for the decision, including limited access to 64-bit plugins, a higher propensity for the browser to hang when using available plug-ins and difficulty distinguishing between 32- and 64-bit versions when dealing with stability complaints. After posting the announcement at Bugzilla, it riled plenty of nightly testers, with one Mozilla dev suggesting that around half of them were currently using the now defunct 64-bit version -- presumably due to the fact that an official release never made it out of the gates. What are the options then, if you need your browsing 64-bit? You could return to Internet Explorer or give Opera a try -- both offer a higher bit version, or make a switch to either OS X or Linux, both of which have fully-fleshed versions of the 64-bit web browser. Check out some of the (surprisingly vigorous) debate at the source below.
DICE to require 64-bit OS for some 2013 games, that Windows ME box in the den isn't cutting it
We're entering a world of mainstream 64-bit computing -- whether we like it or not. Just weeks after Adobe started requiring 64-bit Macs for CS6, DICE's Rendering Architect Johan Andersson has warned that some of his company's 2013 games using the Frostbite engine will need the extra bits as a matter of course. In other words, it won't matter if you have a quad Core i7 gaming PC of death should the software be inadequate; if you're still running a 32-bit copy of Windows 7 come the new year, you won't be playing. The developer points to memory as the main culprit, as going 64-bit guarantees full access to 4GB or more of RAM as well as better virtual addressing. Andersson sees it as a prime opportunity to upgrade to Windows 8, although 64-bit Vista and 7 (and presumably OS X, if and when Mac versions exist) will be dandy. Just be prepared to upgrade that Windows XP PC a lot sooner than Microsoft's 2014 support cutoff if you're planning to run the next Battlefield or Mirror's Edge.
Vail is now Windows Home Server 2011, Drive Extender's officially dead
Microsoft announced months ago that the artist formerly known as Vail -- now officially known as Windows Home Server 2011 -- was dropping Drive Extender functionality. Though we were given hope that the feature might be reinstated, the release candidate of WHS2011 went out to testers today... sans Drive Extender's 'drive pooling for dummies' capability. In its place, Microsoft has included a Move Folder Wizard that alerts you when a new hard drive has been added (for those who were visited by the HDD fairy without their knowledge, no doubt) and walks you through formatting and partitioning your new drive. However, partition size is limited to 2TB for it to work with the server backup feature, so your massive collection of ripped Blu-rays will require a veritable alphabet of drive letters. Not all the news is bad though, as the dev team has enabled Shadow Copy in the OS to allow data time traveling in case you accidentally delete something. If that sounds good to you, hit the source link below and get your download on.
Snow Leopard shipping August 28th for $29, order now
Well, it's not September, but we're not going to hold an early launch of its performance-focused Snow Leopard OS against Apple. The Apple store has come back online bearing an order page for OS X version 10.6 in Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Pro... oh wait, it's just $29 as an upgrade from 10.5. August 28th, that's when, now go 'n get it.While you wait for that order to ship, Apple wants you to know that Snow Leopard's Finder is more responsive, Mail loads messages twice as fast, Time Machine will complete initial backups 80 percent faster, and a 64-bit version of Safari 4 is 50 percent faster than its predecessors. There's even QuickTime X with a redesigned player that lets users view, record, trim and share video. Of course, this release also includes Grand Central Dispatch, a new way for devs to take advantage of multi-core processors as well as OpenCL support to accelerate apps with the help of that idling graphics processor. Oh, and out of the box support for Microsoft Exchange too. All in all, a worthy update, especially for the price.P.S. Requires Intel-based Mac.
Leaked Snow Leopard image potentially indicates a 32 / 64-bit divide
Apple's said it's taking a break from adding flashy features to OS X to focus on the foundations and stability of the system with Snow Leopard, and this latest leaked screenshot might indicate that those foundations are moving to 64 bits -- it shows System Preferences saying it needs to restart in 32-bit mode to open the Network panel. That's certainly interesting, given the rumors that Apple's dropping support for non-Intel machines and maybe even 32-bit Intel processors with this release, but it could also just mean that whoever took this screenshot doesn't have a 64-bit-friendly version of that preference pane installed. (We're guessing the latter, since there are a lot of 32-bit only Core Duo Intel Macs out there.) Restarting apps to change modes seems pretty clunky, though -- shades of System 7 and the 32-bit Enabler, for the olds -- so we're hoping Apple's got a more elegant solution in the works. Macworld's just around the corner, we're sure we'll hear more from Steve Phil soon.
NBC Olympics on the Go adds 64-bit Vista Media Center support
Looks like Wavexpress heard your complaints, adding a 64-bit version to its free NBC Olympics on the Go Windows Vista Media Center application. Personally, we'd have been checking out the Opening Ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games last night, but the TVTonic developers were still cranking away, so get with the downloading. Already available are soccer clips and the full opening in SD, with HD highlights of the IOC prez speaking last night.
Bonjour for Windows 1.0.4 released
Apple has released a new version of Bonjour for Windows, 1.0.4, just in case you're zero-configuration networking with any Windows PCs in the area. There's no changelog available, but this version dropped as a preview onto the ADC page last month, and apparently "includes Windows Vista support and various other bug fixes and enhancements." The release is good, of course, not only for Vista, but also for Windows 2000/2003 and XP. Additionally, Apple's covering their 64-bit bases as well-- they've got a 64-bit compatible release ready too. Like it or not, we can't all be on a Mac all the time, and fortunately, Bonjour makes networking without the hassles possible on both platforms.[via Ars Technica]
Windows still in 32-bit post-Vista
Calm down, first-gen Core Duo owners -- the rumors aren't true. Microsoft made some waves earlier today when Bill Laing, one of the general managers of the Windows Server division, was quoted at WinHEC saying that "Windows Server 2008 is the last 32-bit operating system (for desktops and servers) that we'll produce." While many took that "desktops and servers" part to include non-server OSes and assumed Vista was Microsoft's last 32-bit OS, Microsoft has since clarified the announcement, saying that while the future of Windows Server is indeed 64-bit only after 2008, no decision has been made about client versions of Windows, which is what most of us run. Whew. Although we've got to say we didn't really understand all the fuss -- if the next version of Windows takes as long to ship as Vista did, there aren't going to be too many 32-bit machines left anyway.[Via Slashdot]
Half-Life 2: 64-bit versus 32-bit. Are more bits better?
Valve gave gamers an early Christmas present last Thursday when they released a fully 64-bit native port of their mega-hit Half-Life 2. Steam will be able to determine if you are running Windows x64 and download the appropriate files to upgrade your installation. Techage ran the two head to head to see how the new version ran and it wasn't pretty. The problem is the 64-bit version doesn't offer anything new, and the performance improvements one would expect are absent, replaced by slowdowns and bugs. They write, "the 64-Bit version of HL2 is buggy, as is Lost Coast. There have been numerous reports of various bugs on the Steam forums, and I have experienced a few myself." Regarding speed improvements they say, "The 32-Bit had better overall frame rates than the 64-Bit" while the load times on the 64-bit version were quicker. The major problem with the upgrade is that it is apparently necessary if you're running Windows x64. The promising, albeit much-maligned, Steam platform automagically upgrades your installation. Unless you have no other choice than to game in 64-bits, you might want to wait until Valve polishes this mess up.[Via Evil Avatar]
