Vega
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AMD unveils its first Ryzen 5000 CPUs with built-in graphics
AMD has unveiled its first Ryzen 5000-series chips with built-in graphics, and it's promising a leap in performance over Intel equivalents.
AMD's efficient Ryzen 9 CPUs target Intel's gaming laptop crown
While AMD is winning over the workstation market, Intel still dominates laptop gaming. However, AMD aims to change that in a hurry with the Ryzen 9 4900HS and 4900H Zen 2 mobile processors, launching soon on laptops like the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14. They pack eight cores and 16 threads, along with up to 8 cores of integrated Vega graphics, and run at overclocked speeds up to 4.4 GHz. Best of all, the 7-nanometer 4900HS chip consumes just 35 watts of power, boosting battery life for gaming and entertainment apps.
Lenovo's latest ThinkPads last even longer between charges
Lenovo has announced the newest additions to its ThinkPad line-up, each boasting improved battery life and increased performance neatly packaged in slim models under three pounds. The T495, T495s and X395 come with up to the 2nd gen AMD Ryzen 7 Pro mobile processors and integrated AMD Vega graphics, Radeon FreeSync for a stutter-free display and, for the AMD series, a brighter 14-inch full HD display at 400 nits.
AMD's latest Ryzen Pro chips bring Vega graphics to work laptops
Now that AMD has unveiled second-gen Ryzen chips for everyday laptops, it's turning its attention to the pro crowd. It's releasing a new wave of Ryzen Pro processors aimed at "premium" (but still highly portable) work machines. The four-core Ryzen 3 Pro 3300U, Ryzen 5 Pro 3500U and Ryzen 7 Pro 3700U all take advantage of the updated 12-nanometer design and Vega graphics to deliver reasonably speedy 3D modelling and other tasks that aren't always practical on thin-and-light machines. The "pro" part mostly comes through their sheer resilience -- they have a security co-processor and are designed for "commercial-grade" reliability.
Atari VCS gets a spec boost and another delay
The nostalgic Atari VCS console has been delayed yet again, but at least this time you're getting more for your money. The creators have pushed back the system's launch to the end of 2019 in return for an upgrade to an as yet unannounced embedded AMD Ryzen chip, complete with Vega-based graphics. It'll offer more power for games, of course, but it'll also pull off feats you might not expect in a retro box, like native 4K video playback and support for protected streaming video services like Netflix.
Apple adds faster AMD Vega graphics options for 15-inch MacBook Pro
Apple has acted on its promise to give the 2018 MacBook Pro a much-appreciated graphics performance boost. You can now configure the higher-end 15-inch laptop with Radeon Pro Vega 16 or 20 GPUs that, if you ask Apple, deliver up to 60 percent faster processing power for tasks like 3D modeling and GPU-accelerated video edits. Both options come with 4GB of memory, so your choice boils down to the level of computational power you want.
The largest-ever solid rocket engine is ready for its first static fire
This week, the European Space Agency (ESA) will perform a hot fire test on the P120C rocket engine. It is the largest-ever solid rocket motor ever built in one piece. The ESA plans to use it on the Vega rocket, replacing the current first stage booster, as well as the upcoming Ariane 6, scheduled to launch in 2020.
AMD returns to high-end gaming graphics with Radeon RX Vega
AMD has been content to cater to budget gamers with its graphics cards over the past couple of years, but it's ready to play in the big leagues once again. After plenty of leaks and no shortage of hype (Apple even name-dropped AMD at the iMac Pro debut), the chip giant has unveiled GPUs based on its high-end Vega architecture. The Radeon RX Vega series touts processors with numerous tweaks that promise to finally give AMD performance comparable to NVIDIA's higher-end offerings, including updated geometry and pixel engines, a high-bandwidth cache controller and support for multiple data operations per cycle. Overall, Vega promises twice the throughput per clock cycle and twice the memory bandwidth per pin of earlier Radeon hardware -- not the highest bar to clear given AMD's recent lack of top-end cards, but still a huge improvement.
Surprise: Samsung is building a Bixby-powered AI speaker
Samsung is developing its own voice-activated smart speaker incorporating its Bixby virtual assistant, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. Codenamed 'Vega', the AI-powered speaker will be Samsung's offering in a market already crowded by the likes of Amazon and Google, with Apple and Microsoft recently announcing their plans to get in on the action too, through HomePod and Invoke.
Europe's cutting-edge wind satellite should launch in 2017
Humanity is about to deepen its understanding of Earth's winds. The European Space Agency has secured a rocket launch deal for its wind-tracking Aeolus satellite, which is now expected to enter orbit before the end of 2017. The once-problematic spacecraft (technical issues postponed its 2015 launch) will be the first to profile wind on a worldwide scale thanks to the novel use of ultraviolet lidar in space. By bouncing laser light off of atmospheric air, dust and water, Aeolus will measure everything from cyclones to the presence of aerosols.
Watch ESA explain how it plans to find gravitational waves
In just under a week the European Space Agency (ESA) will launch its LISA Pathfinder spacecraft on a Vega rocket. Buried within the vessel are two cubes made of gold-platinum which, scientists hope, can lay the groundwork for measuring gravitational waves in space. The theories and testing procedures can be tricky to wrap your head around, but thankfully the ESA has made some explainer videos (below) to help you out.
Exploring the ZX Spectrum's glorious rebirth as a gaming keyboard
I remember it like it was yesterday. I'm sitting there, in my parent's lounge, as my dad comes down the stairs with what looks like a black box. He peels back the paper sleeve to reveal a polystyrene insert that houses a small black keyboard with stubby rubberized keys, a huge power brick and a handful of cassette tapes. I quickly learn that the keyboard is a Sinclair ZX Spectrum, an 8-bit personal home computer that relies on a cassette deck to load and save games. I played it off and on for a year, getting to grips with games like the The Hobbit and Horace Goes Skiing, but my interest waned when I finally got a Sega Master System and immersed myself in the world of Sonic and friends. The Spectrum was returned to its polystyrene home and placed back in the attic, where it remains to this day.
Vega, Chun Li figurines ready for pre-order from Tsume-Art
Ultra Street Fighter 4 will stoke the flames of rivalries in June, but perfecting frame-perfect combos isn't the only way to appreciate the newest entry to the Street Fighter series. Actually, you don't even need to have played SF4 to appreciate these - Tsume-Art's Chun Li and Vega figurines should work just fine for any Street Fighter fan. While Tsume-Art notes that fans should expect "full availability" of both figurines in the second quarter of 2014, you can put your quarter up to claim your place in line right now. Each figurine is 1/8 scale, leaving the tribute to Vega's wall-climbing tendencies at 35 centimeters and Chun Li's soaring kick at 28 centimeters. Both are sculpted from PVC and are available for preorder at €119.90 each ($162). They're pricey, no doubt, but both fighters make a great first impression. If we bought both, we could probably reenact the dozens of times Vega taunted us from the walls of SF2 ... right before he slaughtered us in midair.
Pantech adds another fingerprint-scanning handset to its Vega Secret line
Pantech's latest secret has just been revealed in the form of this 5.6-inch smartphone that's packing similar gear to the company's Secret Note. Like its predecessor, the new Vega Secret Up boasts a fingerprint sensor, LTE-Advanced data connection and a 13-megapixel rear camera. Based on the slightly reduced specs, however, it sounds like a less costly version of its older sibling, ditching the stylus and sporting half (16GB) of the internal storage and 2GB, instead of 3GB, of RAM. Inside the device, which works on WCDMA/GSM bands, you'll find the same 2.3GHz MSM8974 Snapdragon 800 chip and a 3,150 mAh battery. The company won't divulge pricing or availability, but we imagine it'll come in under the price of the Vega Note, which goes for $839 in South Korea.
UK retailer offers 7-inch tablet with speedy Tegra 4 chip for £180
Hey, do you remember Advent? It turns out that the Dixons-owned brand has slapped its logo all over NVIDIA's Tegra Note reference design tablet in preparation for the holidays. Packing a 7-inch 1,280 x 800 display, the Advent Vega Tegra Note comes with a Tegra 4 paired with 1GB RAM, 16GB storage and Jelly Bean. 'Round back, you'll find a 5-megapixel primary camera and a 2-megapixel webcam up front, and there's micro-USB, micro-HDMI-out, Bluetooth 4.0 and 802.11 b/g/n WiFi finishing off the spec list. As with the original, the slate comes with a stylus, which NVIDIA promises will be incredibly responsive thanks to its DirectStylus know-how. Pre-orders begin tomorrow, and the hardware will start hitting doorstops on November 15 for the rather reasonable sum of £180.
Pantech Vega LTE-A flaunts fingerprint recognition, 5.6-inch 1080p display
Few phones can take advantage of South Korea's freshly-launched LTE-Advanced networks, but Pantech's just given speed demons a new option: the Vega LTE-A. Though full details haven't trickled out from overseas just yet, the available specs paint an impressive picture. A 5.6-inch full HD display graces the front of the handset while a quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor helps the device run Android 4.2.2. What's more, it's toting an area for fingerprint recognition on its back. Come mid-August, folks in the hardware maker's homeland will be able to pick up the handset for use on SK Telecom's network. If the LTE-A variant of the Galaxy S 4 doesn't strike your fancy, Pantech's newest piece of kit might just be worth a look.
The biggest 1080p phone so far: Pantech's 5.9-inch Vega No. 6
It's been such a mighty, mighty long time since the Vega No. 5 came out to tug on the Dell Streak 5's coattails, but Pantech has just announced the next installment in its phablet series: the 5.9-inch Vega No. 6. The Android 4.1 handset opts for an IPS LCD display, alongside a 13-megapixel rear camera capable of 1080p30 video and a hefty 2-megapixel front-facer. The battery is pretty big too at 3,150mAh, and it's powering a Snapdragon S4 Pro, which means the only thing we're missing right now is some concrete release info -- the official announcement has so far been entirely Korea-centric.
ESA's Vega rocket takes flight, delivers low-tonnage objects to high places
On Monday, the European Space Agency (ESA) conducted a successful test of its newest projectile, the Vega rocket. Designed to carry up to nine objects totaling less than 2.5 metric tons ("tonnes," for those in the know) into orbit, the four-stage vehicle stands 30 meters tall and weighs in at just under 140 metric tons when fully loaded. The rocket aims to solve a key -- if slightly humdrum -- problem: at present, European researchers send their instrumentation into space on retrofitted Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM). The Vega platform should provide greater launch flexibility and reduce the delay (which can be months) scientists experience while waiting to hitch a ride on an ICBM. Although still in the testing stage, Monday's maiden voyage was a promising first step for the new spacecraft. Hit the source for more rocket-related excitement.
Pantech Vega LTE gets official for South Korea, dual-core 1.5GHz CPU and 4.5-inch HD display
Pantech holds no punches in its home nation, where the company's latest handset, the Vega LTE, has just become very official. In addition to 4G support, the phone features a dual-core 1.5GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM and a 4.5-inch display with a whopping 1280 x 800 resolution. Take a moment to savor that last part. Gingerbread is at the core of this large-and-in-charge beauty, which also includes an 8 megapixel auto-focus camera that captures video at 1080p, an LED flash, a 1.3MP front-facing shooter and 16GB of built-in storage. An 1830mAh battery powers the slab, which measures just 9.35mm thin and weighs 135.5g (4.8oz). Rounding out the internals, users will benefit from A-GPS, 802.11n, NFC and terrestrial DMB -- that last one is specifically for the home crowd. With specs like these, we can only hope a domestic version makes its journey across the Pacific. If you're looking for some mental exercise, a translated PR follows the break.
Advent Vega gets unofficial, GPU accelerated Android 3.2 port (video)
The surprisingly cheap, Tegra 2-powered Advent Vega just keeps getting better and better, thanks in large part to a dedicated community of developers and hackers. In May the £199 (about $329) tablet got its first taste from the Honeycomb pot, now Android 3.2 has been ported over and it's sporting full, native GPU acceleration. (Hip, hop, hooray!) There are some bugs, neither Bluetooth nor the camera are working yet, but for the most part it seems like a worthwhile hack for a slate that packs impressive hardware, but ships with a depressingly outdated OS. Check out the video of it in action after the break and hit up the source link to download the ROM.
