Granite Rapids comprises several server and workstation CPUs, led by the Xeon 698X. The flagship is expected to feature 86 cores and 172 threads – substantially more than the 60 cores found in the W9-3595X Sapphire Rapids Refresh CPU, but still fewer than AMD's Zen 4-based Threadripper Pro 9995WX, which......
Missile-grade magnets at risk as China tightens grip on rare earths
As Beijing's new licensing rules on samarium and related materials restrict exports of these heat-resistant magnets, America's ability to produce precision-guided munitions has come under pressure. That squeeze has prompted the Trump administration to rely on a short-term workaround built around a French samarium stockpile, while racing to secure new......
The global robotaxi rollout is accelerating faster than expected
The goal, shared by nearly all major players, is to scale operations that reduce labor costs and human error while keeping fleets available at all hours. Progress remains closely tied to regional regulatory approvals and local partnerships that determine how far autonomous driving technology can advance commercially. Read Entire Article
Star Citizen’s single-player spin-off is now playable start to finish, still set for 2026
In a recent year-end assessment, Cloud Imperium Games founder and CEO Chris Roberts revealed that Squadron 42, the story-based portion of Star Citizen, is content-complete and quickly approaching beta. The ambitious space simulation action game has suffered multiple delays spanning over a decade. Read Entire Article
Microsoft wants to fix BitLocker’s slowdown with hardware acceleration
Microsoft will soon start "accelerating" input/output (I/O) operations for BitLocker-encrypted volumes on PC systems with compatible hardware components. The company initially introduced the change at the Ignite conference last month, and has now provided some important details about how hardware-accelerated encryption will actually work. Read Entire Article
Why some video games improve brain function – and others don’t
Aaron Seitz, professor of psychology and director of the Brain Game Center for Mental Fitness and Well-being at Northeastern University, told The Washington Post that when people play video games, they are practicing complex skills in simulated environments, in contrast to conventional brain games, which he described as designed to......
AMD Zen 6 and Intel Nova Lake could clash with massive 288 MB 3D V-Cache designs
Current AMD Ryzen desktop processors that use stacked 3D V-Cache top out at 128 MB of L3 from a single die. However, a recent post from hardware leaker HXL claims that Zen 6 will move beyond that limit. Read Entire Article
Samsung’s next Odyssey monitors push refresh rates to 1,024Hz
Samsung will showcase five new Odyssey gaming monitors at CES in January. Although three are relatively straightforward updates to the G8 series, the other two push new boundaries in stereoscopic and high-refresh-rate technology. Read Entire Article
Maingear responds to DDR5 crisis with bring-your-own RAM program
With Maingear's BYO RAM Builds program, customers can are essentially ordering one of the company's desktop PCs without purchasing RAM as part of the build. Read Entire Article
Android’s Bluetooth car audio problem has gone unfixed for over a year
Unfortunately, Google has been slow to deliver a fix. The bug has affected an unknown number of users for more than a year, with no resolution so far. Read Entire Article