Author: batteryforpc

The Atari VCS finally has a launch date. Pre-orders for the retro console are available now at GameStop, Walmart, and directly from Atari, with units scheduled to ship in March 2020.

Those who backed the project through the crowdfunding site IndieGoGo can expect their units later this year.

Starting at $249.99 for a console with 4 GB RAM, Atari’s new device costs quite a bit more than the NES Classic or PlayStation Classic did at launch ($59.99 and $99.99 respectively, though Sony’s console has seen several price drops). In fairness, though, it’s a much more powerful system. Rather than just sticking an emulator in a hunk of plastic and calling it a day, Atari outfitted its new device with an AMD processor and 4K and HDR support. It’s essentially a Linux PC loaded up with old Atari games.

Atari is also releasing a classic joystick and modern controller alongside the console. The base model, the Atari VCS 400 doesn’t include either gamepad, nor does the $279.99 Atari VCS 800 (with 8 GB RAM). Sold separately, the joystick is $49.99 and the controller is $59.99. Atari is offering an “All In” bundle with the VCS 800 and both the joystick and controller for $389.99.

While the stand-alone consoles only come in black, each retailer has a different exclusive color console included in the All In bundles. Walmart’s is a “Kevlar gold”, GameStop’s is the standard “onyx”, and Atari itself has the very retro-looking “black walnut”.

Atari will be showing off the new console during this year’s E3 conference, so expect hands-on impressions to start trickling out soon. In the meantime, check out more images of the console and gamepads below.

Apple is reportedly looking into acquiring Intel’s German smartphone modem business. The acquisition could help Apple’s attempts to develop its own 5G chip for the iPhone, The Information said Tuesday, citing four people briefed on the Apple-Intel discussions.

Apple had originally used modems from Germany’s Infineon when it launched the iPhone 10 years ago, before switching to Qualcomm in 2011. Intel then bought Infineon in 2011, but those chips weren’t used again until the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in 2016 after a dispute over Qualcomm’s licensing fees.

When Apple and Qualcomm settled their legal battle and reached a multiyear 5G chip deal in April this year, Intel exited the 5G phone modem business. CEO Bob Swan confirmed to The Wall Street Journal that the decision was due to Apple and Qualcomm.

Intel told CNET it has seen “significant interest” in its 5G modem business, but did not confirm which companies have been in contact.

“We have hired outside advisors to help us assess strategic options for our wireless 5G phone business,” the emailed statement said. “We have created value both in our portfolio of wireless modem products and in our intellectual property.”

The news follows reports last month that Apple may not have a homegrown 5G modem ready for its iPhones until late 2024 or early 2025.

Chipsets are one of the most complex and expensive parts of a smartphone. By producing its own, Apple could reduce reliance on outside companies.

Even with Qualcomm’s help, Apple isn’t expected to launch a 5G iPhone until 2020, despite 5G Android phones from Samsung, Huawei, LG, OnePlus, Lenovo/Motorola, ZTE, Xiaomi and Oppo already announced or available.

Already launched in the US by Verizon, by AT&T and by Sprint, 5G is the next-generation network being used by smartphones to provide faster speeds and more capacity.

Apple didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Today, Apple is pushing out a new update to iOS, its software for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch—but this update is targeted at fixing an issue on just one device: the iPhone 8 Plus.

iOS 12.3.2 doesn’t seem to do anything else worth remarking upon. Apple’s notes simply say:

iOS 12.3.2 resolves an issue that could cause Camera to capture Portrait mode photos without depth effect on some iPhone 8 Plus devices.

Updates don’t get much more minor than this. Apple typically releases updates that contain new features for macOS, iOS, watchOS, and tvOS simultaneously. But sometimes the company updates only one operating system at a time when deploying a targeted bug fix, as is the case here. If you don’t have an iPhone 8 Plus, this update isn’t for you.

Portrait Mode is Apple’s camera feature that uses machine-learning-based techniques and the dual cameras on some iPhone models to analyze photos and create a depth-of-field effect. It’s related to Portrait Lighting, which only works on the iPhone X, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR. Portrait Lighting lets you change the lighting, depth of field, or other features via various presets after the photo has been taken. We’ve been consistently unimpressed by it in our reviews—it fails to address glasses frames, it leaves strange artifacts around frizzy hair, and so on. Machine-learning-based features like this are still not perfect.

Apple last updated iOS with iOS 12.3.1, which hit supported devices two weeks ago. That update fixed a bug related to VoLTE calls, addressed a problem that allowed unknown senders’ messages to appear even if you have enabled “Filter Unknown Senders,” and fixed an issue that prevented some users from reporting junk texts. Apple last released a major update with new features just shy of a month ago: iOS 12.3 added a completely overhauled TV app, implemented AirPlay for new devices like Samsung TVs, and fixed numerous bugs.

Remember how Samsung said it would narrow down its plans to relaunch the Galaxy Fold sometime in mid-May? Well, it’s been a month — and now those rumors of an extended delay appear to be coming true. A spokesperson has reiterated to CNET that a new release date is still due sometime in “the coming weeks,” suggesting that you might not get a new release date until July or later. Given that the phone was originally supposed to be in customer’s hands in late April, would-be buyers might just face a delay of three months or more.

Not that Samsung necessarily wants to rush. The original version was inherently fragile, with a screen layer that was all too tempting to peel off and gaps that made it easy for debris to damage the foldable display. If Samsung is going to sell the Fold, it has to reassure buyers that their $1,980 wonder phone isn’t going to break because of a wayward crumb, and that means ensuring a high level of fault tolerance. Those extra weeks could prove worthwhile if they prevent additional headaches.

The continuing Fold delays aren’t likely to hit Samsung’s bottom line. Unlike the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco, the Fold isn’t a high-volume device. However, there is a matter of prestige here. Samsung wants to prove that it can make foldable display technology a practical reality, and it can’t do that until there’s finally a device in someone’s pocket.

Apple introduced two pricy and powerful pieces of pro-targeted hardware at its developer conference last month: the modular desktop tower Mac Pro, and the creative-focused Pro Display XDR. Although Apple said the devices would come this fall when discussing them during its keynote stage last week, the industry giant didn’t get any more specific than that. But an apparent mistake in the Apple Store may have narrowed down the date.

Earlier today, MacRumors and 9to5Mac discovered that, when you clicked on the option to “Notify Me” of availability for the products, they were presented with text that said “coming in September.” This was while other parts of the website all said “coming in the fall.” Since the news broke, Apple quietly changed the copy in the “notify me” panel to also say “coming in the fall.”

September would make sense as a narrower launch window. Apple often holds an event focused on the iPhone and Apple Watch around that time each year, so the company could announce final public availability of the Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR there.

For background, the Mac Pro is a desktop tower that borrows elements of the classic “cheese grater” design from Mac towers of yore—though the design also has a heat-management function. It offers a sort of half-measure for those who wanted a PC-style upgradeable desktop: you can replace many key components, but you’ll likely have to buy many of them from Apple or its partners directly. The Mac Pro offers up to 1.5TB of up to 2933MHz and up to a 28-core Intel Xeon CPU.

GPU options range from the fast-but-comparatively-modest AMD Radeon Pro 580X to the beefy, workstation-class AMD Radeon Pro Vega II—or even two of the latter. There are up to eight PCIe expansion slots. This monster starts at a whopping $5,999, ensuring it will live on pro video-editing bays and on 3D animators’ desks but not many other places.

Also niche is the Pro Display XDR, which addresses a market that has a lot of computer monitors focused on response time but not image quality. Priced at $4,999 and up (with a $999 stand), the Pro Display XDR is intended for use by a narrow set of professionals, such as those who do post-production color grading and HDR on film and TV content. Despite consumer demands, Apple did not launch a consumer display at the event last week.