TechAmok News Archive
Why it Was Almost Impossible to Put a Computer in Space - [briefly]
03:49 PM EDT - May,28 2024 - post a comment It's really hard to put a computer into space...so hard in fact that laptops on the international space station are treated as effectively disposable. So when the folks at HPE wanted to put a SERVER on the ISS, people were a bit skeptical… and it turned out even with the help of KIOXIA's fast and reliable storage devices, to be harder than they thought.
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Linux vs Windows: Malware - [security]
03:34 PM EDT - May,28 2024 - post a comment Linux vs Windows: Malware. Is Linux immune to Malware? Nope, there's a ton of malware on Linux and in this video we will compare the respective ecosystems from a malware and security perspective.
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Dare Me to Take This "Laptop" to Starbucks? - [briefly]
08:55 AM EDT - May,27 2024 - post a comment Have you ever thought "Laptops sure are great, but I wish they had 3 monitors, desktop components, and weighed 20 times as much"? Good news! With the MaCase B43 chassis your PC can go from a portable, reasonably powered slate that lives in your backpack to a monstrously huge Frankenstein machine capable of running several instances of Crysis. This thing games so hard you'll totally forget about the disc you slipped in your back while trying to get it up onto the table.
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Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra - FIRST LOOK - [gadgets]
04:56 AM EDT - May,25 2024 - post a comment Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra will have a totally new design. The first look reveals a Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra that's neither fully round nor completely square-it's like Samsung couldn't decide, so they went, 'Why not both?' The Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra will also bring some positive additions to the Galaxy smartwatch lineup which are explained in the video.
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Access Your Kali Linux from Browser Only! - [security]
04:55 AM EDT - May,25 2024 - post a comment Learn how to access your Kali Linux environment directly from a web browser using Docker Compose. This setup includes a container running Kali Linux with NoVNC, allowing full desktop access remotely. Perfect for security professionals and enthusiasts needing quick, secure access without complex installations.
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The ICQ instant messaging service is shutting down for good on June 26 - [internet]
04:52 AM EDT - May,25 2024 - post a comment ICQ, an instant messaging service that was at one time very popular in the US and other parts of the world in the early days of the consumer PC internet, is officially closing up shop. The official ICQ site now has a message that says the service "will stop working on June 26".
ICQ was first launched in November 1996 by Israel-based Mirabilis. In a 2003 interview with the Israel21c website, one of the co-founders of the company, Yair Goldfinger, stated that he and two friends developed the idea for ICQ (which is supposed to stand for "I Seek You) in about two months, The father of Goldfinger decided to invest a few hundred thousand dollars to the group.
While the ICQ program was developed in Israel, the Mirabilis founders launched the service in a small apartment in San Jose, California, because, according to Goldfinger, internet access in the US was cheaper.
It didn't take long for ICQ to start becoming a popular PC app. After launching in November 1996 for free, ICQ had 850,000 users in May 1997, and by April 1998, the user base had grown to nine million, of which 2.5 million were using it every day.
It's easy to see why. ICQ focused on one-on-one chats rather than on chatting in groups, which you would find on services like AOL or even in IRC. ICQ certainly influenced other chat and messaging services like AIM, which launched about six months after ICQ,
Indeed, AIM's owner AOL eventually acquired Mirabilis and ICQ in June 1998 for $287 million, with an additional $120 million to be paid if certain goals were reached. By 2001, ICQ had reached a peak of 100 million registered users.
As the rise of other instant messaging services, and later social networks like Twitter and Facebook became more popular, many users in US and other parts of the world abandoned ICQ, In 2010 AOL sold off ICQ to Russia's Digital Sky Technologies, where the service was still popular, for $187 million.
The company was later renamed VK, and this week's shutdown announcement of ICQ recommended that users switch to either VK Messenger or VK WorkSpace |
De-Google Your Life - Part 1 - [briefly]
11:01 AM EDT - May,24 2024 - post a comment Google owns or has access to almost everything - search, email, even your web browser! Unless you like being the product, how can you opt out and still live a connected life?
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My BIGGEST PC BUILDING CHALLENGE... - [hardware]
02:20 AM EDT - May,23 2024 - post a comment Linus accidentally said he wanted to increase his screwdriver size... Creator Warehouse took that as approval and rapid prototyped a 3X Screwdriver that not only works, but used Metal 3D printing to help complete some of the parts. Will Linus be able to finish this PC?
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Intel Battlemage Handheld, AMD RDNA5 GPU Rumors (Already), NVIDIA Handheld - [hardware]
02:02 AM EDT - May,22 2024 - post a comment This hardware news episode talks about Intel Battlemage appearing in a new handheld gaming device (officially, not a rumor!). It'll be shown at Computex by Weibu, featuring Lunar Lake from Intel, which will be formally at a future date. Additionally, we're covering US tariffs on lithium-ion batteries and semiconductors, rumors of NVIDIA & MediaTek working on a gaming handheld (allegedly), and more.
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AMD Ryzen Mini PCs are just GREAT! - [hardware]
10:23 AM EDT - May,21 2024 - post a comment Don't you just love a powerful mini PC, here's one that's much better than ANY Mac Mini Apple can offer. Would you go for this AMD mini PC or Apple Mac mini?
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This Computer Shipped With Malware Already Installed!! - [security]
10:44 AM EDT - May,20 2024 - post a comment I received a review sample for a mini PC that came preinstalled with a virus. I wasn't expecting this and that's why this video had to be made. Do we really need to be worried about malware being loaded on PC's from the factory? I guess we do.
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Intel Releases Arc GPU Graphics Drivers 101.5522 WHQL - [briefly]
10:29 AM EDT - May,20 2024 - post a comment Intel released the latest version of Arc GPU Graphics Drivers. The latest version 101.5522 WHQL brings mostly game ready support for titles like Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, Starfield May Update, Wuthering Waves, and XDefiant. With the support for Starfield May Update, Intel has prepared performance improvements when the game runs on DirectX 12 API. This brings up to 8% average FPS uplift at 1080p with Ultra settings and up to 7% average FPS uplift at 1440p with High settings, which is a notable improvement coming only from the driver. |
Nvidia's New Computer Has Released A Terrifying WARNING To The Entire Industry! - [hardware]
02:54 AM EDT - May,20 2024 - post a comment Nvidia's new Blackwell GPUs could blast past tech titans like Apple and Microsoft, which were revealed at the GTC conference. These chips are the core of Nvidia's bold move to rule AI computing, blending top-notch hardware with powerful software. This mix is set to flip data centers on their head, boosting efficiency to new heights. Are we teetering on the edge of an AI revolution that could reshape the tech world? Let's dive into what this means for anyone eager to get in on this ground-breaking tech early.
The recent GTC conference has convinced many that Nvidia, known for its pioneering work in GPUs, is on a trajectory to outpace giants like Apple and Microsoft. Enthusiasts point to Nvidia's new Blackwell GPUs as a game-changer, suggesting a significant shift in how Wall Street values tech companies. This shift is less about traditional financial metrics and more about a deep understanding of the company's innovative products.
Let's delve deeper into the claims surrounding Nvidia. The company isn't just making strides in hardware; it's building a comprehensive AI computing platform. This expansion into software is meant to support its hardware innovations. For those who attended GTC, it was clear that Nvidia aimed to show off software capabilities as much as hardware advancements.
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You Can Still Bypass Microsoft Account on Windows 11 - [software]
04:19 AM EDT - May,18 2024 - post a comment You Can Still Bypass Microsoft Account on Windows 11 23H2 and Windows 11 24H2, but for how long, who knows. Microsoft are clamping down hard or Microsoft account bypass methods and are basically forcing you to use a Microsoft Account during the installation process.
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The Ultimate Gaming Monitor? - Alienware AW3225QF Review - [hardware]
05:53 PM EDT - May,17 2024 - post a comment The Dell AW3225QF is a 4k, 240Hz QD-OLED gaming monitor with a curved screen. It's the first model available in North America featuring this high-resolution QD-OLED panel, competing with other monitors with the same panel, like the ASUS ROG Swift PG32UCDM and the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8/G80SD. It has typical gaming features like support for all common variable refresh rate (VRR) formats and HDMI 2.1 bandwidth. However, what makes it different from most monitors is that it also supports Dolby Vision and has an eARC port to connect a compatible soundbar easily. As OLEDs like this one risk permanent burn-in, Dell also offers a three-year warranty on the monitor, including against burn-in.
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ASUS... Why are you the way that you are?! - [hardware]
10:45 AM EDT - May,17 2024 - post a comment Well... ASUS is at it again... now that Intel has had to get involved with Motherboard manufacturers killing CPUs by not following their spec requirements for "out of box" settings, ASUS apparently still cant read a F*CKING chart...
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Nvidia SHATTERS Quantum Computing! Mind-Blowing CUDA-Q Centers Unveiled - [technology]
03:24 AM EDT - May,17 2024 - post a comment How does quantum computing work? What is quantum computing used for? What are the benefits of quantum computing? How to learn quantum computing? Find out the answers to these burning questions and more in this captivating exploration. Make sure you watch all the way through to not miss anything.
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Your PC Can Look Like THIS Now! - [briefly]
04:28 PM EDT - May,16 2024 - post a comment We've seen a lot of 3D printed supports for soft tubing to make it look cleaner, but finding 3D printed hardline was a challenge. So naturally, we decided to try it ourselves. Any guesses as to how long it will last under pressure?
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Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra - 4 BIG Updates - [mobile]
04:44 PM EDT - May,15 2024 - post a comment Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra might do something that no other smartphone was able to. We also have 4 big updates about the Galaxy S25 Ultra today revealing information about its camera, GPU, and more. Samsung is expected to bring a major design change to the Galaxy S25 Ultra this time.
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NEW GPT-4o: My Mind is Blown - [technology]
11:57 AM EDT - May,14 2024 - post a comment Give the Plus version Scarlett Johansson voice and it will have more subscription than every service out there combined lol
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Apple is close to deal with OpenAI to bring ChatGPT integration to iOS 18 - [briefly]
10:02 AM EDT - May,11 2024 - post a comment Apple aims to improve iPhone's AI capabilities with iOS 18. To achieve this, the company is in talks with OpenAI and Google. Recently, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman claimed that Apple is close to an agreement with OpenAI to bring ChatGPT to the iPhone.
According to Mark Gurman, Apple is very close to finalizing an agreement with OpenAI. While how ChatGPT would be implemented remains unclear, this deal would enable Apple to integrate AI features into iOS 18.
Sources close to Apple say that negotiations with OpenAI are progressing well. Apple wanted to reach an agreement with other artificial intelligence companies during this process. Most importantly, according to Bloomberg, there are talks with Google about licensing the Gemini chatbot. However, it has not reached an agreement so far.
Apple's CEO Tim Cook has previously said that he personally uses ChatGPT. However, he emphasized that some concerns need to be addressed before implementing such technologies into Apple's ecosystem.
Meanwhile, recent rumors are surfacing that iOS 18 will include AI transcription and summarization. This feature will see the primary benefit within Notes and Voice Memos. The feature will be in real-time and system-wide within iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS 15.
The introduction of AI power into Apple's ecosystem has been a matter of 'when' rather than 'if' given the progress that has been made by its competitors, such as Microsoft with Copilot and Google with Gemini.
Apple's annual WWDC, scheduled for June 2024, is anticipated to be the stage for unveiling these new AI features. Apple will share more information about WWDC 24 in the coming weeks.
On the other hand, OpenAI did announce it will be streaming some announcements on May 13 related to ChatGPT and GPT-4 updates. However, Sam Altman later posted a message on his X account that stated a search engine would not be among those announcements, nor would it be something related to GPT-5. |
NVIDIA Releases Game-Ready GeForce Graphics 552.44 WHQL Drivers - [gaming]
12:27 PM EDT - May,09 2024 - post a comment NVIDIA has just released its latest WHQL driver update labeled 552.44. In this driver update, the company is introducing a few additional game-ready titles, which are now supposed to run smoothly on the NVIDIA GeForce hardware. This includes the upcoming Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut game, which is supposed to launch on May 16 next week. The act set in the 13th century will be accompanied by many technologies like NVIDIA DLSS 3, AMD FSR 3, and Intel XeSS. NVIDIA Reflex and image quality-enhancing NVIDIA DLAA are also supported, which this driver update ensures. This driver also has an ironed-out bug of the resizable BAR profile in the Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut edition, providing a smooth experience on launch day. Another big release for next week is the Homeworld 3 strategy game, which NVIDIA also includes in this driver release. GeForce Experience (GFE) is also getting an update, which you can check out below in the complete list of updates and GFE-supported games.
Game Ready
Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut
Homeworld 3
GFE Optimal Settings
Content Warning
Gray Zone Warfare
Manor Lords
No Rest for the Wicked
Outpost: Infinity Siege
Fixed
Ghost of Tsushima DIRECTOR'S CUT: Resizable BAR
profile [4597841]
Known Issues
Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition: Lower GPU
utilization when Reflex is set to "On + Boost" [4412035]
Tekken 8 may randomly crash during gameplay on
GeForce GTX 10-series graphics cards. [4503216]
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Google Pixel 8a is a Modest Update to the 7a - [mobile]
10:37 AM EDT - May,09 2024 - post a comment Google has announced the Pixel 8a, this year's more-affordable Pixel model. It offers several small hardware improvements over last year's 7a, and new AI software features, but is otherwise quite similar to the 7a. The design has more rounded corners. The "Actua" display is 40% brighter and the refresh rate gets a bump from 90 to 120 Hz. There's also a new 256 GB storage option. An upgrade from a Google Tensor G2 processor to the newer G3 chip enables new software features like Best Take for group photos, Magic Editor for photos, and Audio Magic Eraser for video. Circle To Search is also available, and Gemeni AI can summarize emails. Pixel 8a also makes official the controversial Audio Emoji feature revealed last week. The battery is also slightly larger at 4,492 mAh vs. 4,385 mAh. Other features and specs remain the same as the 7a, including FHD+ display, 64 megapixel main camera, 13 megapixel wide camera, 8 GB RAM, storage starting at 128 GB, IP67 water resistance, 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, 18W fast charging, and wireless charging. The launch price is also unchanged at $499. As before, a version with mmWave 5G is available for Verizon but priced a little higher, at $550. The Google Pixel 8a is available for pre-order today, shipping May 14th. It's available in four colors at launch: Porcelain (off-white), Obsidian (black), Bay (blue), and a limited-edition Aloe (mint green).
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TikTok Sues to Stop 'Forced Shutdown' in US - [crime-law]
10:34 AM EDT - May,09 2024 - post a comment TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance have filed suit against the US government to challenge the constitutionality of a recently-signed law that the companies say will "force a shutdown of TikTok". The law technically gives the companies the option of selling or spinning off TikTok so it is no longer Chinese-owned. However ByteDance says this "is simply not possible: not commercially, not technologically, not legally." This is in part because the Chinese government "has made clear that it would not permit a divestment of the recommendation engine that is a key to the success of TikTok in the United States." The lawsuit says the law runs afoul of First Amendment free speech protections. The law was created over concerns that TikTok holds a large volume of personal data on US citizens, and Chinese companies must cooperate with the Chinese government if it requests access to such data. |
Intel is a Cluster, NVIDIA Blackwell Boosts Production, Sony "Still Learning" - [hardware]
10:20 AM EDT - May,09 2024 - post a comment This hardware news recap includes the last couple weeks of interesting stories, with a heavier focus on the Intel CPU x Motherboard power configuration situation and "default" vs. "baseline" vs. "spec" settings. Intel demonstrates it has absolutely no idea how to balance boosting performance and stability without compromising either in its marketing or its reliability. The company has provided a formal statement now.
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I'm Selling This PC for $2... I Hope It Sucks - [briefly]
02:21 AM EDT - May,09 2024 - post a comment
Are ya feeling lucky? Today Linus is once again rolling dice to decide what goes into a computer... that we're selling for $2. WORST case for Linus the computer will be over 20 THOUSAND DOLLARS, best case it will be less than five hundred bucks. What a Budget.
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The Boys - Season 4 Official Trailer - [off-topic]
12:06 PM EDT - May,07 2024 - post a comment In Season Four, the world is on the brink. Victoria Neuman is closer than ever to the Oval Office and under the muscly thumb of Homelander, who is consolidating his power. Butcher, with only months to live, has lost Becca's son and his job as The Boys' leader. The rest of the team are fed up with his lies. With the stakes higher than ever, they have to find a way to work together and save the world before it's too late.
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They Ruined my Favorite Laptop - ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024) Review - [hardware]
11:56 AM EDT - May,07 2024 - post a comment The ROG Zephyrus G16 was supposed to be the best 16" gaming laptop of 2024. That's what I had hoped because of the Zephyrus G16's battery life, claimed performance, size and weight. Especially when it comes to performance versus the Blade 16 from 2024. But this G16 review proves you can have all the specs in the world but still fail.
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We Made the Perfect CPU Cooler | Intel vs. AMD Curvature & Coldplate Engineering - [hardware]
01:39 PM EDT - May,06 2024 - post a comment This video attempts to make the best CPU cooler coldplate for Intel LGA1700 (such as 14th Gen) and the best CPU cooler for AMD AM4 and AMD AM5. We're focusing our efforts entirely on coldplate shape today to isolate variables -- maybe we can bin heatpipes in the future. This uses a 3D laser scanner to evaluate the surface curvature of an Intel and AMD IHS (Integrated Heat Spreader) when clamped under the ILM (Independent Loading Mechanism) force for the CPU socket. It's an engineering experiment for fun with some science mixed in, but maybe this can help guide CPU cooler design in the future. For this testing, we're using the Scythe FUMA 3 air coolers (successor to the famous FUMA 2). We were originally inspired to do this at Computex last year, where we met with Scythe to discuss the possibilities of a better coldplate. Arctic's Liquid Freezer III this year brought the topic up again, and now it's back.
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Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra - A Blessing In Disguise - [mobile]
01:37 PM EDT - May,06 2024 - post a comment Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra may get a significantly bigger battery as its chip might require more power than its predecessor. I think it's gonna be a game-changer for the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra as this can push Samsung to get creative. Maybe we'll see some cool new battery tech come out of this.
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I shouldn't have kept the $1,000,000 computer - [hardware]
04:21 PM EDT - May,04 2024 - post a comment We still have the $1,000,000 Computer, a cluster of over a petabyte of NVMe storage that can run at speeds in excess of 100GB/s! The problem is, it draws a RIDICULOUS amount of power, and subsequently generates a RIDICULOUS amount of heat... so much that its overwhelming the AC in our server room. Today we fix that... at least we hope.
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