F.E.A.R.

Microsoft reveals today the Surface Duo. Microsoft first Android phone powered by dual OLED screen.
Microsoft approach was not to rely on foldable screen for an expandable phone screen device, but rather rely on dual screen approach. As we saw with foldable devices, the screen technology has many durability flaws. Microsoft solution is to have 2 OLED screen with a glass front (like a normal phone), but that of course leads to have a border between the 2 screens. In order to help reduce this, they moved the screen at the very edge of the hinge. In addition, they have made a 360degree hinge that permits the device screen to fold all the around, allowing to have an single screen phone format to allow for example, to answering phone calls
 
What makes this device a bit more special, is that Microsoft has been working closely with Google to develop and have official Android API support for dual screen support, avoid custom ones that is phone specific. This will help app developers add support for their apps for such form factored device.
 
 
Microsoft previously revealed the Surface Duo back in October, but is finally got its specs defined, and is now available for pre-order. As mentioned, the phone runs Android (not Windows), more specifically it will lunch with Android 10, with version 11 coming out later.
 
Microsoft Android version is stock Android with its poplar Microsoft Launcher, and of course, includes Microsoft apps. If you wonder, the optional search bar on the launcher is defaulted to Google search engine rather than Bing, but that has to do with Google Play policy. It also includes Microsoft required drivers, (also found on select Samsung Galaxy phones), to allow to wirelessly stream the device screen and run Android apps (streamed) ones Windows 10 PC via Your Phone app.
 
The Launcher also support the ability, from 1 tap, to launch 2 programs at once, each on one display (you can specify which app opens on which display, and easily swap them around).
The device also gives you the ability to drag apps around, switching between displays or expanding an app between the 2 displays. If the app has dual screen support, it would know the state of the device and adjust its content to properly display on both screen.
 
Specs
Display: 2x: 5.6-inch OLED displays (1800 x 1350 -- 4:3 each), making a grand total of: 2700 x 1800 with a 3x2 aspect ratio. Active Digitizer: Supports Surface Pen, including the new small pen revealed with the Surface Pro X. Display Glass: Gorilla Glass CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 RAM: 6GB Camera: Only 1 camera is included (as you can turn the device to take pictures on either sides when the device is open). 11-MP f/2.0 camera, featuring: auto modes for low light, HDR multi-frame captures, 7x digital zoom (branded as "super zoom". I guess it has an algorithm to make the zoomed image better looking). Camera support 30 and 60fps recording on both 1080p and 4K video recording. And features, software image stabilization. Storage: Up to 256GB is available  Modem: Up to 4G LTE support. No 5G support Charging Port: USB Type-C Battery: 3577mAh. Microsoft says that the device will deliver all-day battery life.  Accessories: The device comes with a protective bumper case for those who want a case for their phone. Charger and USB Type-C cable. NFC Support: None Wireless charging: None Rear surface: Glass Hinge system: All metal, 360 degree hinge.
 
As expected by myself, the device is only available in select market. Mainly US.
The device can be purchased in full at Microsoft Store. Or if you want it part of a plan, your option is AT&T only at the moment. The device will work with T-Mobile and Verizon networks.
 
 
The Verge reports:
 
Release date: September 10th.
 
Price: Starting at 1,399$ USD for 128GB, add 100$ more for the 265GB model
For reference: Samsung Galaxy Fold was released with a price tag of: 1,980$ USD
 
 
Source
https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/12/21364633/microsoft-surface-duo-release-date-pricing-features-specs
 
I think it is a great effort by Microsoft. Obviously they know it is a niche product, which is good, and is being sold as such.
I think the next generation of this device will be more interesting. I suspect now the focus would be on refinements, such as better camera, larger displays, and work with app developers to push support for dual screen support. Then again, Surface has never been about mass volume sales. Its roots has always been about innovation including creating new form factors to move the market forward.
 
While dual screen phone is technically not new, it is definitely the first that actively tries to do a full and proper implementation and not slap a second screen as an after thought, on and call it a day, making the dual screen completely useless.

Oh yeah this looks like a very practical device. 
 

 
Even she appears to be asking herself: "What the hell am I doing with my life?"

$1400 USD Doesn't include the pen but supports it No NFC(???) No wireless charging(??????) No 5G Relatively tiny camera compared to other offerings in that price range "Great effort" this isn't IMO. I fail to see how hard it would be to include an NFC coil or Qi coil in that bulk of a device. Also no 5G will be a severe limiting factor on the lifespan of the device (if the hinge isn't a big enough one already...) I'm glad it's not a """flexible""" screen but still... that's a lot for not at all that much.

Summary
 On Sunday, Huawei CEO of Consumer BG, Yu Chendong (a.k.a. Richard Yu), announced that "chipset finishing within the company's dedicated HiSilicon facilities" will end before September 15th. Simply put, this means they will run out of their Kirin processors.
 Unlike most other phone manufacturers, Huawei designs their own chips. However, they still rely on others to make the chips. It was previously TSMC, however that stopped when the US banned the involvement of US companies with Huawei. They have tried to setup their own manufacturing plants, but have been unsuccessful so far. They might turn to MediaTek to manufacture the chips as MediaTek is already making many mid-level devices for Huawei. Once, they run out of chips, Huawei will not be able to produce mobile devices anymore.
  However, the day before this announcement, Qualcomm started lobbying the US Government to remove the restrictions on selling components to Huawei. They are looking to be able to sell chips that Huawei will use in their 5G phones. This is likely the Kirin processors that they are running out of. This is initiative by Qualcomm is following the settlement of a dispute with Huawei which ended with Huawei having to pay Qualcomm $1.8 Billion in catch-up payment.
  There have been no developments in the US's restrictions on Huawei yet.
 
Quotes
 
My thoughts
 I highly doubt the US Government is going to ease restrictions on Huawei to allow Qualcomm to sell them processors. I think that if Huawei cant find a manufacturer quickly, their product lines will be in serious danger. I could very easily see this being the reason that Huawei goes down.
 
Sources
 Reuters
 Notebook Check

that's a shame. i have a toshiba laptop from 2010 lying around. it's been disassembled probably 5 times, has had the screen swapped with a display from a completely different laptop but by some miracle it fit, the screen itself is held together with tape and glue, it's missing it's battery, it's been dropped from a table by the previous owner on to a stone floor (the reason i had to swap the screen, the original one was smashed), etc... 
 
and yet, it still works just fine, i even made a review of it. 
 

Quotes
Source
https://wccftech.com/exclusive-nvidia-ampere-graphics-cards-partial-specs-and-tentative-launch-schedule/
 
Source
https://www.gamersnexus.net/news-pc/3609-hw-news-rtx-3000-release-date-amd-x86-marketshare-intel-leaks
 
Added 10 Aug:

nvidia official geforce twitter just updated their banner image as above. It is the 10th right now, so the countdown ends August 31st. This may be some kinda of initial announcement, with availability to follow later in the month.
Credit to @AlexAfterwork and @illegalwater for posting this.
 
Summary
If WCCFTech's sources are correct we have some timing for availability, with the 2080 Super successor appearing first, and the 2070 Super and 2080Ti successors close behind in mid-late September. The top model comes with a whopping 24GB vram, and the lower models are expected to come in two vram configurations, one with an amount that would be typical for today (8GB or more) and another with double that.
 
Update: GamersNexus report an announcement is expected on the 9th September.
 
My thoughts
Everyone (except perhaps the most hardcore AMD fanboys) have been wondering when we might see nvidia's next gen GPUs come out, with September being thrown around most often. If this information is correct, we should set expectations for later in that month, assuming supply constraints don't also affect availability too much given the built up demand for more performance.
 
The increase in vram offerings is also interesting and may signal a shift in what games can use. Will game devs make use of that e.g. for better texture packs if you have the higher models?
 
This also raises the question if there will be a Titan card, since it may be harder to differentiate on vram quantity now, and a small core count difference is usually neither here nor there.
 
Edit: In a scan of other recent rumour posts on Ampere, those mostly point to a 12GB 2080Ti successor but timing seems roughly similar. So maybe there is still room for a high vram Titan model and more traditional amount on the mainstream card. More vram is nice if you can use it, but it doesn't come for free. You still have to pay for it.
 

Apple does not sell camera covers. Apple did not design this camera cover. 
 
Don’t 👏 use 👏 webcam covers 👏 on 👏  Macs 👏 

silly news is silly

Muricans are hilarious. They fuck up shit themselves and instantly it's "gate" this and "gate" that and demanding compensation. LMAO

It's not Apple's job to account for every possible accessory.
 
Think about it: let's say you had a Dell XPS 15 and bought a snap-on cover for it, only to find out that the cover hurt the thermals and made your laptop overheat.  Would you blame Dell for not factoring in all permutations of laptop covers into its thermal design, or would you blame the cover maker for not testing the design in real-world circumstances?  Exactly.

So this is some sort of natural selection?

webcam covers are stupid anyway. 
 
regardless this isn't apple's fault. these machines are made with super tight tolerances and if you have debree under the screen then it can damage it. i wouldn't slam a macbook shut with a small stone lying on the keyboard and then blame apple when the display shattered would i?

Hot take: covering the webcam is unwarranted paranoia. If someone has access to your webcam they already have full control of your computer and them watching your face while you browse facebook is the least of your concerns.

Not Apple's fault imo.
 
you know it's not their fault when they address it as soon as it happens

intel, how about actually making good products rather than doing weird things nobody asked for or wants...

Summary
 The new line of Intel CPUs first seen two weeks ago (discussed in this tech news post) using the letters KA has been announced as a promotion with Avengers featuring Intel 10th gen processors. 
 These new processors have been seen on a few retailers website already. Prices appear to be about the same as the k versions with some even being cheaper. The listed specs are identical to those of the k series processors.
 Not much is known about this new line other than that they will be coming in an Avengers themed box (shown above) and will likely include a copy of the upcoming Avengers game which is set to be released on September 4th.
 
Quotes
 
My thoughts
 I think this is just meant to get rid of some of the 10th gen processors Intel has. I think it will either only have the themed box or include a code for the game but will ship before the game's release on September 4th. I could see some people buying this as a collectors item instead of using it. I also didnt see any US, UK, or Canada retailers mentioned in the list of those that already have listings for this so it might not be available in those countries.
 
Sources
 tom's hardware
 pcmag
 pcgamer
 

Please write if this has already been posted 
 
While AMDs Zen2 processors for desktop and laptop are selling like sliced bread , intel is still pretty much the only option for ultra low power mobile processors 
now AMD wants also to expand into that sector 
 
 
AMD made a press Release 
 
with two new combo processors ( APUs ) mainly targeted at the  educational market 
 
3020E and 3015E
 
they have none of AMD‘s brand names but belong to the Zen line of processors 
 
 
both are using two cores 
Three  Vega  compute units ( 192 shader cores )
 made with Globalfoundries 14nm 
the TDP is 6 Watts 
 
3020E has a baseclock of 1,2 GHz
and a max boost of 2,6 GHz
no SMT
and uses dual channel memory up to ddr 4  2400mhz 
The Vega 3 iGPU runs at 1000mhz
TDP 6 W
 
 
3015E has a baseclock of 1,2 GHz
and a max boost of 2,3 GHz
and with SMT
but only single channel ddr4 1600mhz
the Vega 3 GPU runs at 600mhz
TDP 6 W
 
Not included in the press release but already on AMD‘s website:
 
Athlon 3050E
 
https://www.amd.com/de/products/apu/amd-athlon-silver-3050e
 
base clock unknown 
max boost of 2,8 GHz
with SMT
and uses dual channel memory up to ddr 4  2400mhz 
The Vega 3 iGPU runs at 1000mhz
TDP 6 W
 
 
 
Original source:
https://www.heise.de/news/AMD-Kombiprozessoren-fuer-Schul-Notebooks-Sparsamste-Zen-Zweikerner-4863221.html
 
 
Lenovo notebooks start at $ 220
this is not directly about the processors but rather in what devices you can expect them
 
 

Summary
A top Industry Official told Korea Times on Monday, August 3rd, that Samsung is joining the race to buy at least a slice Arm Holdings, the British Chip Designer, from Japan's SoftBank, if not like an all out acquisition bid like the one from Nvidia. The Korea Times reported that the Korean Chip maker, which is also an Arm licensee like Nvidia, is eyeing a tiny 3 to 5 percent take in Arm Holdings. A top industry official on the condition of anonymity told the Korea Times that Arm is likely to be acquired by a consortium of multiple companies from the semiconductor industry, given the complex shareholding pattern of Arm Holdings. It is hence why that Nvidia isn't Samsung's direct rival but rather an amorphous consortium that includes it. At the very least Samsung's buying of stakes in Arm Holdings can be a factor for the Chip Designer to increase in value making it that much more difficult for Nvidia.
 
Quotes
 
My thoughts
Well this is certainly very interesting. I think that it is more likely for a consortium consisting of Samsung and other Arm licensee's like Apple and Qualcomm to each buy multiple stakes in Arm Holdings rather than for Nvidia to acquire the whole Chip Designer at once.
 
Sources
Korea Times
 
TechPowerUp

Everything above the 2060 Super has been discontinued, and the last batch of chips for the 2070 Super have been sent out. Ampere is getting close.
 
I'm interested to see how the 30 Series pans out, hopefully we'll get a 2-3x increase of ray tracing performance, that and some real gains in rasterization performance this time.
 
Source
https://videocardz.com/newz/report-nvidia-geforce-rtx-2070-super-has-been-discontinued

Slap da Shit Outcha by Redman
Motherfucker said these hands are rated E for Everyone

Summary
Lenovo has hosted an event for Investors presumably this past week to not only talk about financials but also to show off the new 2020 Redesign of the Motorola Razr. The Photos which have been published on the Chinese Social Media Network Weibo show a fresh design overhall of the Razr, removing some of it's bulk from the previous Version which was announced in 2019 and was heavily critized by Tech YouTubers and the Press for it's bulky and unhandy feeling. The new Version is not only rumored to come with a new Redesign but it's also believed to pack a 5G Modem and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765, also they removed the front facing Fingerprint reader which was Housed in the Chin of the 2019 Model.
 
Photos:
 
2019 Motorola Razr:

 
 
2020 Redesign:



 
Quotes
 
My thoughts
To me the 2020 Redesign looks much slimmer and sexier but Foldables like this too will just be as fragile and vulnerable to accidental scuffs, scratches and bends that went too far back. Keen to see if they figured out a better solution to protect the Plastic OLED Screen from scratches and fingernail imprints. Also this has been my first Tech News post so feel free to also give me feedback on that.
 
Update:
MKBHD is the first to release a video of the Razr 2 and it is exactly what you've seen in the pictures above:
 
Sources
https://www.notebookcheck.net/A-new-leak-may-confirm-the-Motorola-Razr-2020-5G-s-design.483852.0.html
 
https://www.androidheadlines.com/2020/07/this-is-the-motorola-razr-2020.html

Man, i thought if anyone can do it, it's gonna be Intel. I guess not. 
 
Oh..

 

Which is sad because entering a new market like that it should be accepted that short term anything isn't possible or be a priority.