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PCI Express 7 will be eight times faster than PCI Express 5
The PCI-SIG committee has unveiled the latest PCI Express 7.0 standard with blazing speeds, even as we wait for PCIe 5 devices to arrive.
Sony will limit PlayStation download speeds in the US
Earlier this week, both Sony and Microsoft announced that they would follow the lead of many streaming companies and limit the bandwidth of their gaming services in Europe amid the coronavirus pandemic. Today, Sony updated PlayStation fans, saying that it will take similar measures in the US. By capping download speeds, the company hopes to maintain network stability as more and more people resort to gaming to pass the time while social distancing. Sony says gamers should expect slower game downloads, but assures them that they will experience the same robust gameplay as normal. In other words, it sounds like Sony isn't planning on throttling traffic for online games -- just file downloads.
Xbox and PlayStation networks adjusted due to surging demand
As internet usage around the world soars due to the effects of the coronavirus, tech companies are taking steps to ensure their services remain as unaffected as possible. Services such as gaming are seeing record levels of engagement, but two major names -- Microsoft and Sony -- have assured players they're watching the situation closely.
FCC gives Verizon extra mobile capacity to manage emergency demand
Earlier this week the FCC granted T-Mobile access to additional spectrum to cope with extra demand fuelled by the coronavirus outbreak -- now it's done the same for Verizon. The STA (special temporary authority) will allow the carrier to operate for 60 days in spectrum licensed to Northstar and SNR, in order to provide extra capacity to Verizon customers across the US.
Opera's gaming-focused GX browser comes to macOS
If you're one of the many people that play games on your Mac, one thing you may not appreciate is a resource-hog browser. The answer might be Opera's GX, unveiled earlier this year on PC, which is finally available on macOS in early access mode. Opera said that it solves resource problems via limiters on CPU, RAM and network bandwidth. "What this means in practice is that everyone's machines are left with more resources for running games," the company said.
Google’s Curie undersea cable now connects the US and Chile
Curie, a 10,500-kilometer-long undersea cable, now connects Google data centers in the US and Chile. Today, Google announced that the fiber optic cable has been successfully installed and tested. It is expected to begin transmitting data in the second quarter of 2020, and Google is already working on a branch into Panama.
MIT experts find a way to reduce video stream buffering on busy WiFi
Is there anything more annoying that trying to watch a video on a slow internet connection shared with a bunch of other users? Skips, endless buffering, and ugly pixelation can ruin the experience of watching a movie or TV show when everyone in your house is trying to stream at the same time.
DisplayPort 2.0 supports 8K monitors
With 8K displays in the pipeline and Apple's 6K Pro Display XDR on its way, the DisplayPort standard was in need of an update. Today, the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) addressed the demand for increased bandwidth and revealed DisplayPort 2.0. It's the standard's first major update since 2016, and it will provide up to a threefold increase in bandwidth over the previous version. It will support 8K monitors, higher refresh rates, HDR support at higher resolutions and improved support for multiple display set-ups. It could also give AR and VR displays a boost.
Eero lets you test new Mesh WiFi features in its app
Eero really upped the ante with its debut WiFi system. Its mesh network promised to blanket your home in coverage and get rid of dead spots once and for all, so it wasn't a surprise that the company soon saw competition from the likes of Google and Linksys. Now, in a bid to continue setting itself apart from the masses (and avoid future layoffs), it's launched Eero Labs, an "innovation playground" for your Eero network. Through Labs you'll be able to tinker with all the features the company is testing -- they're disabled by default, just toggle them on or off through the Eero Labs menu in the app.
New laser technology could improve how scientists study molecules
We use lasers for a lot of things, from cutting metal to improving eyesight, but lasers have their limitations. One major holdup is that they can only emit certain types of light. Researchers have gotten around this particular limitation by using what are known as optical parametric oscillators, which allow regular laser light to be converted into other wavelengths of light that may be useful for certain areas of research. One example is studying how molecules behave. However, these gadgets have their limitations too. They typically have weak outputs and they require extreme stability and precision, making them hard to use outside of highly controlled lab environments. But researchers at Stanford may have found a way around this issue and their work could make these systems more efficient and easier to use.
Netgear’s new Nighthawk router is built for pro gamers
Netgear is rolling out two new products designed for hard-core gamers. Launched today at CES 2018, the Nighthawk Pro Gaming WiFi Router (XR500) and Nighthawk Pro Gaming SX10 10G/Multi-Gig LAN Switch (GS810EMX) have been designed for heavy-duty, uninterrupted gameplay, offering best-in-class features neatly packaged in formidable black casing.
AT&T to conduct 5G streaming tests with DirecTV Now
In a simultaneous test of wireless broadband and net neutrality, AT&T will test its upcoming 5G tech with DirecTV Now video streaming. Trial customers in Austin, Texas will be able to stream the services on a variety of devices over fixed 5G connections at several sites. The goal, the carrier said in a press release, is to see how "wireless millimeter wave technology handles heavy video traffic.
Qualcomm plans to bring gigabit data speeds to your car
Remember last year, when Qualcomm pulled back the curtain on its X16 LTE modem? At the time, the chipmaker touted peak download speeds of up to 1Gbps for smartphones, even though gigabit speeds were (and are) basically impossible to experience in the wild. Still, the age of super high-speed wireless data is fast approaching, which is why Qualcomm just announced that it's bringing that X16 modem to cars. It will be a while before you get to torrent movies in a flash from the comfort of your Chevy, though: The modem is baked into a new module reference design that carmakers will likely adopt further down the line.
Netflix updated its video encoding to make downloads look better
From time to time, Netflix updates the technology it's using to convert and compress each of the digital copies of movies it streams to customers. Because people watch from so many different platforms, in so many different situations, it has to be ready for any number of possibilities. Late last year, it revealed the use of a smarter way to apply compression, recognizing that different types of content (animation like Bojack Horseman vs. dark action scenes in Daredevil) need different levels of bitrate or resolution to look their best. Now it's focused on enhancing the efficiency of compression, starting with the video it delivers to mobile devices.
Netflix launches Fast.com, a dead-simple speed test
For obvious reasons, Netflix is obsessed with the speed and quality of your internet connection. To help keep you up to date on how your connection is doing, it's launched Fast.com, a trademarked webpage that simply loads and runs a speed test, no user intervention necessary. While it also links to speedtest.net to help those looking for more details and control, Fast.com is pared down with no ads, no plugins, no configuration and not even an option to check upload speeds.
Netflix is the one limiting its video quality on AT&T and Verizon
Last week as T-Mobile CEO John Legere announced that his company's Binge On program would expand to cover YouTube, he mentioned a strange point: that even the "mobile optimized" 480p Netflix streams T-Mobile offers were higher-res than what you get streaming via AT&T or Verizon. Executives from those companies said they don't reduce the resolution of videos on their networks, although tests revealed that Legere was right -- Netflix does only stream at 360p on AT&T and Verizon. Now the Wall Street Journal has reported that the culprit behind this restriction was actually Netflix itself.
Netflix's new video approach looks better, uses less data
The last time we noted Netflix extensively discussing how it stores video for the best streaming performance, its HD quality maxed out at 720p, surround sound was still a pipe dream and tablets weren't a thing yet. A Variety report explains that after extensive testing it's going through and re-encoding the entire library with a process that applies compression in a smarter way to maximize quality and save a ton of bandwidth. Soon, when you press play Netflix's servers will do a better job of recognizing what kind of device you're watching on and, depending on the connection speed available, pick a stream that fits its capabilities.
AT&T and Verizon are upping bandwidth on select data plans
These days we could all use a little more mobile bandwidth, and the folks at AT&T and Verizon are giving us some. Let's break it down, shall we? If you're on an AT&T single-line plan or have two to three devices, the company is now offering 3GB of data as opposed to the prior 2GB for $40 per month. And now, the carrier's $70 tier will net you 6GB of bandwidth instead of 4GB. This new allocation starts November 2nd, and as Gigaom points out, the double-data promo for higher-tier plans runs until November 15th. Verizon has a sorta similar deal going, but it's for plans that have higher bandwidth to start. Big Red is bumping its $80 per-month customers from 6GB to 10GB and the previous 10GB, $100 per-month tier is getting a bump to 15GB of data. This is apparently a limited-time offer, but, hey, at least it extends to both new and existing customers starting this Saturday.
Verizon FiOS gets a speed boost: now uploads go as fast as downloads
Before Google Fiber, Verizon FiOS was the speedy internet service everyone wanted in their neighborhood. The arrival of 1Gbps connections, a slowed rollout, and an ongoing battle with Netflix that's slowing streams to a crawl has slightly dulled the cachet, but it's still one of the fastest providers out there. Now it's getting even faster, but Verizon isn't boosting download speeds again -- those will stay the same as customers get matching upload speeds on every plan. On the fastest tier (previously 500Mbps down / 100Mbps up), speeds will increase by 5x to 500Mbps, and most customers will see their speeds double. New customers can get the symmetrical speeds right away, and they'll roll out to existing customers throughout the fall. To go immediately to the front of that list FiOS subscribers can sign up for the MyRewards+ customer loyalty program, which is free, and pretty much just requires inputting your birthdate. [Image credit: Mark Von Holden/AP Images for Verizon]
Google takes American ISPs to task over video buffering
You don't like when YouTube videos pause during playback, and neither does Google. More often than not, your internet connection is to blame, shifting the responsibility to provide consistent performance from Google to your ISP. In an effort to increase transparency (and perhaps highlight your own service provider's bandwidth limitations), Google's making its Video Quality Report available in the US. The tool launched in Canada earlier this year, and should be making its way to other countries within the next few months, detailing streaming quality and local consumption trends, graphed by time of day. Google's also endorsing certain providers as "HD Verified," making it clear which ISPs meet YouTube's standards, and which do not.
