How Half-Life 2's minimum specs led to the creation of the Steam Hardware survey

Technology has come a very long way since then, yet the latest results are still published every month. But why did Valve start the survey? It was to discover what minimum specs would allow most people to play Half-Life 2. “What CPUs and GPUs did they have? Which version of Windows? Unfortunately, they didn’t have the data either.” It’s been helping us and hopefully other developers make informed decisions ever since....

November 25, 2024 · 1 min · 74 words · John Flowers

How to Fix DNS Errors on Windows 10/11

Contents What Causes DNS Errors? Sometimes, a simple restart can resolve DNS issues. Turn off your router, wait for 30 seconds, and power it back on. kickstart your system as well to refresh the online grid connection. In addition, Connect another unit to the same internet to Ensure your internet connection is active and working. This is one of the most effective ways to fix internet connection problems on Windows 11 or 10....

November 25, 2024 · 1 min · 200 words · Renee Norton

Microsoft Edge's Game Assist wants to reinvent the Steam in-game browser

A game-aware feature to cheat and speedrun with ease? However, the final version should be able to work with any game. Installation of Microsoft Edge Beta 132 is also required. Featured on TechSpot

November 25, 2024 · 1 min · 33 words · Shelby Pierce

New Samsung ad mocks Apple (and its customers) over lack of foldable iPhones

How do you like them Apples? This time, it’s Cupertino’s lack of a foldable gadget that’s primarily being mocked. If you make a run at fit in, you won’t stand out. The ad finishes with the line “Nobody should wait for innovation.” The first Galaxy Fold when it didn’t have a Z in the name launched late in 2019. Reports of Apple working on a foldable iPhone go all the way back to 2018....

November 25, 2024 · 1 min · 121 words · Kyle Moore

Sony is developing a PS5 handheld device to compete with Nintendo's Switch

Sony will be building on the design of the PlayStation Portal unit for its handheld console, according toBloomberg. Bloomberg adds that Sony’s handheld is still in development and likely years away from launch. The company might even abandon the plans before then. Specifications such as the resolution and hardware can only be guessed at right now, too. It’s not surprising to learn that Sony is developing a dedicated gaming handheld....

November 25, 2024 · 1 min · 97 words · Carl Tapia

The OLED Burn-In Test: 9-Month Update

We’re now 9 months into this experiment, so it’s time for an update. We have purposefully been using a 4K OLED monitor in ways that will cause permanent burn-in. Now, at 9 months in, this is the state of play. There’s actually a bit of good news here. First, this vertical line is still only visible in mid to dark grey test patterns. The impact across the various subpixels is also relatively unchanged compared to previous months....

November 25, 2024 · 2 min · 261 words · Darrell Wood

Windows 11 24H2 update breaks Ubisoft games, fix still pending

Since 2014, millions of Insiders have been “testing” new Windows features. Microsoft has acknowledged yet another issue in Windows 11, version 24H2. The affected titles may become unresponsive or even display a “black screen” before crashing. Ubisoft has released a temporary fix for Star Wars Outlaws, but the patch may introduce additional performance issues. Microsoft has yet to explain why so many Ubisoft games are encountering these problems. The company is advising users to avoid manually upgrading their systems until the issue is resolved....

November 25, 2024 · 1 min · 136 words · Anthony Jackson

"The Mountain" from Game of Thrones sets world record by deadlifting 996 pounds of SSDs

For most people, even the empty bar would be a struggle. The event was part serious lifting and part promotional showcase of Phison’s game-changing D205V enterprise drives. The 996-pound “record” isn’t even the heaviest Bjornsson has deadlifted. In 2020, he set a world record by lifting 1,104 lb at Thor’s Power Gym in Iceland. They offer sequential read speeds up to 14,600 MB/s and sequential writes up to 3,200 MB/s....

November 24, 2024 · 1 min · 89 words · Gregory Yates

Solar Orbiter captures highest-resolution views of Sun's surface

The mission has already transformed our understanding of solar physics and its implications for our planet and space exploration. The probe’s latest scientific contributions are some stunning, high-resolution composite images. The European Space Agency-led Solar Orbiter mission hascapturedthe highest-resolution full views of the Sun’s visible surface. The images are composites of 25 individual captures taken on the same day. These latest images represent a significant step forward in achieving these objectives....

November 24, 2024 · 1 min · 107 words · Jennifer Austin DDS

Samsung and LG are working on the world's first "AI smartphone"

The technology works entirely on-gadget and is LG’s attempt to enter the burgeoning AI business. Despite being part of the LG conglomerate, LG Uplus will not make new smartphones. Instead, the company will provide its ixi-O agent to Samsung to integrate into select Galaxy devices. According to the insiders, the two companies are working on a tighter knit between AI capabilities and smartphones. With Samsung’s powerful Galaxy hardware, ixi-O will provide end customers with a “revolutionary” AI experience....

November 23, 2024 · 1 min · 101 words · Jennifer Wright

GlobalFoundries confirms $1.5 billion award from the US Chips and Science Act

The previously leaked decision toawardGlobalFoundries $1.5 billion in subsidies to manufacture chips in the US is now official. The $1.5 billion award follows a preliminary memorandum of terms signed in February 2024, according to GlobalFoundries. GlobalFoundries will use the $1.5 billion award to support three specific projects. This new technology is expected to provide a reliable supply of essential chips for the US automotive industry. Lastly, GlobalFoundries will build a completely new manufacturing plant within its Malta, New York campus....

November 22, 2024 · 1 min · 102 words · Jeffrey Woods

MIT offers free tuition for families earning under $200,000

This new threshold encompasses approximately 80 percent of American households. For families with incomes under $100,000, thebenefitsof the changes are even more dramatic. The income threshold for full coverage of expenses was raised from $75,000. For families with incomes between $100,000 and $200,000, MIT has implemented a sliding scale contribution system. MIT’s financial aid program has already had a significant impact on student finances. Those who did borrow graduated with a median debt of $14,844....

November 22, 2024 · 1 min · 124 words · Kaitlyn Richardson

New Android feature seamlessly transfers account credentials to new devices

A new feature for Android developers aims to remedy this annoyance. The functionality should significantly shorten the time required to set up a new phone or tablet. Developers can find the API using the Credential Manager Jetpack library. Keys are secured with end-to-end encryption and utilize the same server backend as FIDO-based passkeys. Although Restore Credentials supports older Android versions, its release coincides with theintroductionof Android 16’s first developer preview....

November 22, 2024 · 1 min · 107 words · Lauren Smith