AMD is showing off more of its own Radeon RX 6000 benchmarks, edging out the GeForce competition - TechSpot

Cutting corners: AMD claims that their upcoming Radeon RX 6000 series GPUs are, on average, faster than their Nvidia counterparts, and they’re willing to back that up with raw data... of their own. That means AMD may be painting the RX 6000 GPUs on their best possible light, picking popular games that are likely already optimized at the driver level, and benchmarking using Ryzen 5000 series processors, which are said to give them an extra boost by enabling Smart Access Memory.

In case you’ve been living under a rock: the Radeon RX 6000 series is AMD’s response to Nvidia’s RTX 3000 graphics processors. Namely, the RX 6900 XT ($999) targets the RTX 3090 ($1,500), the RX 6800 XT ($650) targets the RTX 3080 ($700), and the RX 6800 ($580) targets the RTX 3070 ($500).

In addition to the benchmarks AMD showed during the cards' launch, AMD has posted new more detailed benchmarks they ran in-house using the following games: Battlefield V, Borderlands 3, CoD: Modern Warfare, The Division 2, Doom Eternal, Forza Horizon 4, Gears 5, Resident Evil 3, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and Wolfenstein Youngblood. Ten games in total running at 1440p and 2160p at the highest quality presets. They included the RTX 3090, RTX 3080, and RTX 2080 Ti for comparison and all those results are posted on AMD's website.

We're due to testing Ryzen 5000 CPUs next week, as well as the new Radeons when they become available later in November and December. Meanwhile, AMD's test bench used the yet unreleased Ryzen 9 5900X and 16 GB of 3200 MHz memory. The processor’s unique Smart Access Memory feature was enabled, which reportedly boosts the system’s overall performance by sharing resources between the processor and graphics card.

Average Framerates

	RX 6900 XT	RX 6800 XT	RX 6800	RTX 3090	RTX 3080	RTX 2080 Ti
1440p (2K)	188	178	154	175	163	129
2160p (4K)	112	103	88	109	99	76

Averages compiled using the geometric means of the framerates in each game, using AMD's data.

Onto the data itself. These are bold claims from AMD, though once again, they are using a specific test bench that may favor their GPUs which may lack balance but that doesn't make the testing or results inaccurate.

At 1440p, on average, the RX 6900 XT seems to beat the RTX 3090 by 7%. The RX 6800 XT is 9% faster than the RTX 3080 and the RX 6800 outdoes the RTX 2080 Ti (an near equivalent to the RTX 3070) by 19%.

In 4K benchmarks the margins tighten a little. The RX 6900 XT beats the RTX 3090 by 3%, the RX 6800 XT is only 4% faster than the RTX 3080 and the RX 6800 can handily beat the RTX 2080 Ti by 15%.

There are a few other interesting results that the averages don’t reveal:

• Although the RX 6900 XT is the fastest card on average, it only beats the RTX 3090 in half the games.
• Forza Horizon 4 and Battlefield V favor AMD cards in a more overwhelming manner. In both titles, at 1440p, AMD’s cards came first, second, and third.
• The only time the RTX 3080 was able to beat the RX 6900 XT was in The Division 2 at 4K.
• The RTX 2080 Ti came last in every benchmark. This GPU's performance is close to the new $500 RTX 3070.

Although conclusions can’t be properly drawn until the reviews are in, it looks like choosing the best graphics card will come down to what games you play and whether you place some value on ray tracing (AMD has not said much about ray traced performance), DLSS or features like Smart Access Memory.

Overall, AMD’s Big Navi GPUs look impressive on paper and we can only rejoice about having them compete hand to hand against Nvidia's best once again.

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2020-10-31 18:08:00Z
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Hitman 3 requires the PS4 version to play on PSVR - even on PS5 - Eurogamer.net

Hitman 3 requires the PlayStation 4 version to play on PSVR - even on PlayStation 5, it has been revealed.

It's a similar deal with No Man's Sky, UploadVR reports.

It means if you buy the PS5 versions of Hitman 3 or No Man's Sky, you don't get access to either game's PSVR support in the PS4 versions. This is because PSVR works as a backwards compatible device. Sony told UploadVR it has yet to announce PS5 titles for PSVR.

The PS4 versions of Hitman 3 and No Man's Sky include a free next-generation upgrade if you play on PS5, so you'll be able to play the enhanced versions when not playing in VR. However, as UploadVR points out, there are still a number of unanswered questions. For example, will you have to install both the PS5 and the PS4 version of PSVR-supporting games to enable easy access to PSVR for when it takes your fancy? Will you be able to easily share your progress between both versions, going from current-gen to next-gen and back again?

We talk a lot about free next-gen upgrades. What about a free current-gen downgrade, so you can play with PSVR?

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The news comes hot on the heels of comments from PlayStation boss Jim Ryan, who said the technology to really make VR "meaningful" is still years away.

Speaking to the Washington Post [paywall], Ryan reflected on the current PlayStation VR headset as a way Sony had gained "experience" in developing VR games and hardware. But it also sounded like we shouldn't expect a new PSVR model anytime very soon.

"I think we're more than a few minutes from the future of VR," Ryan said. "PlayStation believes in VR. Sony believes in VR, and we definitely believe at some point in the future, VR will represent a meaningful component of interactive entertainment. Will it be this year? No. Will it be next year? No. But will it come at some stage? We believe that.

"And we're very pleased with all the experience that we've gained with PlayStation VR, and we look forwarding to seeing where that takes us in the future."

Instead of creating a new PSVR model for PlayStation 5, the upcoming console supports the existing headset - though you'll need to send off for a free PS5 PSVR adapter, which you can request directly from Sony.

Sony last gave an update on PSVR sales back at the beginning of this year. As of 31st December 2019, 5m units had been sold worldwide - no small number, though nowhere near the PS4's then-106m console userbase.

Some PSVR users had hoped VR graphics would benefit from the power of the PS5. It seems that will not be the case - at least until a next-generation headset is released.

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2020-10-31 15:16:14Z
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What do the new generation's controllers mean for accessibility? - Eurogamer.net

It's an exhilarating time to play games. The Xbox Series X and PS5! The next generation of consoles is almost in our hands! It's time to say goodbye to loading screens and hello to fun new possibilities.

New consoles have historically meant new controllers, though. As a disabled gamer with accessibility requirements, the news of a next-generation controller creates fear and uncertainty, and these emotions are echoed by many disabled gamers. I've experienced this fear during the previous generation's move to the Dualshock 4. For a while, I thought my only option was to hang up my gaming gloves. But in fact, that was when I discovered the gaming accessibility community and realised that the gaming industry was working to become more inclusive.

And it has. This generation has given us games with ground-breaking accessibility settings like Gears 5, Shadow of the Tomb Raider and The Last of Us 2. And now, these next-gen consoles will be the first generation where accessibility thinking is truly present from the start, ready for game developers to innovate further.

It makes a difference. I have spent years of effort to create an optimal gaming setup using an adapted PS4 controller. With muscle weakness or mobility issues your hands form into the specific shape of a preferred controller, so granular alterations have significant consequences on muscle function.

In this generation, Xbox has made huge accessibility advances by creating the revolutionary Xbox Adaptive Controller (XAC). To continue supporting accessibility, the Xbox Series X can seamlessly transition your current XAC setup so disabled gamers can play straight out of the box.

Equally, the new Series X controller has been designed to give players a better experience, but Microsoft clearly didn't want to change things just for the sake of change. So, the designers improved on aspects of the current Xbox One controller such as the d-pad, while ensuring the muscle memory players have built up over the years remains intact. Players are not restricted to upgrade to the new Series X controller, and can continue using their existing Xbox One controller too. Basically, your preferred Xbox controller or accessibility setup is the one consistent piece of hardware as an access point to your whole Xbox game library.

The Series X allows backwards compatibility, allowing players to access past games that they have invested money and time in whilst enjoying new releases. However, I wish Xbox would go further by expanding this backwards compatibility to allow compatibility with controllers from other consoles. I can't use Xbox controllers because I don't have enough strength to pull the triggers. It would be beneficial to combine the advanced features of the XAC with your preferred controller.

What about Sony? The Playstation 4 was the first console to implement system-level button remapping, and it led to PlayStation game developers like Naughty Dog upgrading accessibility features. Sony likes to add new technologies to their controllers each generation - the Dualshock 4's touchpad was an unexpected accessibility gem, allowing The Last of Us 2 to add swipe directions as four more remapping inputs. So, hopefully, the PS5 can continue this legacy of breaking new ground for inclusion.

From what I've seen so far, the DualSense PS5 controller has been designed with two new features intended to improve immersion: adaptive triggers and haptic feedback. If I didn't have accessibility requirements, I would welcome the addition of adaptive triggers and haptic feedback without an issue, as I can see the benefits for how games feel. However, with things like this, giving players a choice to adapt and adjust their gaming experience to suit their abilities is vital more than ever.

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Haptic feedback provides vibrational dimensionality so that players can feel the force of gameplay actions or sense the direction of enemy attacks. In a PlayStation blog, Brian Horton, the creative director of Spider-Man: Miles Morales, stated that "as you hold down Square to do a Venom Punch, you can feel Spider-Man's bio-electricity crackle across from the left side of the controller, culminating in the right side on impact." These features will have a great accessibility benefit for players without sight! However, for players with muscle weakness, haptic feedback vibrations can be quite uncomfortable. They can impair muscle function and cause fatigue. As a result, I was delighted to learn that accessibility features allow haptic feedback to be adjusted or turned off.

Adaptive triggers were the most concerning new feature on the DualSense controller for disabled gamers. These triggers allow developers to alter trigger tension. My adapted Dualshock 4 has easier-to-press triggers as I find regular tension triggers difficult to press or hold. Thankfully, as with haptic feedback, adaptive triggers are no longer a barrier for accessibility because they can be adjusted or turned off.

Even so, the biggest issue for me is having to swap to the DualSense controller in the first place. I would find it difficult to use because it has a different shape and weight, and the grips are wider. The frustrating issue is that you can still use your Dualshock 4 to play PS4 games on the PS5. Many disabled players would prefer to have the option to use their current controller setup instead of having to spend time and effort starting the process again.

As I write all this, I trust that Sony will have a plan to continue its legacy of breaking new ground for accessibility. After all, accessibility is bigger than the next-generation consoles - it's all-encompassing. The future of games will have to include accessibility, breaking down previous barriers and creating beautiful new worlds ready for exploration.

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2020-10-31 08:08:52Z
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Google Home users need try these fa-BOO-lous Halloween tricks …if they dare! - Express

Google has gone all-out to celebrate Halloween this year. If you have any Google Home-enabled gadgets in your home, like a Google Nest, Lenovo Smart Clock, or Nest Hub, there are plenty of new voice commands to test out as the witching hour draws close…

The new voice commands are available now and will work with any Google Assistant-enabled device, including an Android smartphone or an iPhone with the Google app installed. As always, you’ll need to start every request with the wake phrase “OK, Google” or “Hey Google”. If you’re using a Google Home gadget with a display fitted, you can ask the Google Assistant to find something scary to watch. Unlike Amazon, Google Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max are able to stream from Disney+ as well as Netflix – ideal if your favourite Halloween movie is only on the Walt Disney streaming service.

If you want to test out the voice-only responses, here are some of our favourites… be prepared for some 24-carat Dad jokes, some genuinely eery sound effects playing throughout your house, and more…

Hey Google, are you celebrating Halloween?

Hey Google, BOO!

Hey Google, do you know any scary stories?

Hey Google, Happy Halloween!

Hey Google, scare me!

Hey Google, trick or treat?

Hey Google, what are you going to be for Halloween?

Hey Google, what should I wear for Halloween?

Hey Google, do you have any monster fighting tips?

Hey Google, I want to hear something spooky….

Hey Google, give me a Halloween sound…

If you’ve got a good number of smart gadgets around the house, including smart lightbulbs, you can use the Google Assistant to trigger a spooky atmosphere around your house. Not only can you dim LIFX or Philips Hue bulbs with a quick voice command, but you can also change the colour of the bulb.

Better yet, if you’ve got a spare five minutes, you can set-up a Personal Routine within the Google Home app on Android or iOS.

This lets you trigger a number of different actions throughout the home with a single, customised voice command. So, you can set “OK Google, what happens when the midnight hour is close at hand?” to trigger a reply from Google to say that “creatures crawl in search of blood to terrorise your neighbourhood”, followed by all of the bulbs in the home turning red and Thriller blasting from any of your smart speakers.

Happy Halloween.

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2020-10-31 07:31:00Z
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Inside the UK's oldest Porsche garage - Autocar

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31 October 2020

Modern Porsche dealerships look like a cross between a spaceship and a slick motorhome lifted straight from the Formula 1 paddock. Not when I was growing up they didn’t. They were built into three old converted cottages in the middle of town. Or at least Porsche Centre Kendal – aka Parker & Parker – was. I’d gawp at cars in the window, not realising this was actually the oldest Porsche dealership in the country and that the same family had run it the entire time. It still is, they still do, but next year it’s all change, with a shift to all-new premises.

“Our history dates back to my grandfather selling motorbikes in the early 1920s,” says Ian Parker, today’s centre principal. “We began selling cars with Volkswagens in 1953, then added Porsche in 1957. I remember going to car meetings in a Porsche 356 as a child when my dad ran the business. Porsche has always been in my blood.”

When Parker & Parker began selling Porsches in 1957, the official importer, AFN, had been bringing in 356s for only three years, so Ian’s childhood and almost five-decade-long career is not just fascinating in its own right but also mirrors the story of Porsche in the UK: he has helped the business survive the downturns of the early 1970s and 1990s and the financial crises of the late noughties and has seen Porsche embrace front-engined sports cars and usher in the mid-engined era, then the supercars, saloons and SUVs and now electrification. And through it all, he’s kept on selling 911s.

With a head for figures – and a push from his dad to do something different first – Ian worked initially in banking after school but joined the family business aged “19 or 20”.

He says: “I started on the sales side, then moved to aftersales, and that was always my main love.” He became dealer principal in 1990.

The Beetle-based 356 overlapped with and was eventually replaced by the all-new 911, which was launched in 1963, but volumes remained so small that Parker & Parker were still operating as both a VW and a Porsche dealer when Ian joined in 1972, not long before the mid-1970s recession. Perhaps ironically, it was the arrival of the Porsche 924 in 1977 – another four-cylinder Porsche again partly derived from VW parts – that helped Parker & Parker recover and flourish.

“In the recession of the early 1990s, you could sell at a price, but in the 1970s, no one wanted to know. The 924 was much maligned, but it was half the price of a 911 and a very good car. We sold about three of them for every 911,” recalls Ian.

Business continued to thrive with the 944 and the 928 (“they were good after the first couple of years”) until the recession of the early 1990s bit, and eventually the Porsche range dropped to just the 993-era 911. “That was tricky and ultimately a harder period than the 1970s. Not every dealer made it through,” says Ian, “but the Boxster really got things going again. It was so good from day one. I remember the launch in Arizona, everyone coming back absolutely beaming.”

Of course, the Boxster precipitated the 911’s switch to water cooling, a big break with Porsche tradition, for the 996-generation model. “The 996 911 took off extremely well from day one, but for some diehards – and I count myself as a bit of a diehard – the end of air cooling was the end of an era,” remembers Ian. “But then look back to the 911 replacing the 356: some people said it was too big!”

The Boxster’s strong sales helped Parker & Parker concentrate purely on Porsche for the first time in 1997, and in 2000 it moved to a slicker new site round the corner from the three converted cottages in time for the Cayenne SUV to supercharge sales once more. Overall, annual new sales have hovered around the 200 mark in recent years, alongside 100 or so used sales, with strong return trade hidden in the figures.

“Aftersales is key and we have a real variety of customers – some could buy 10 cars at once, others have saved all their life to own a Porsche – but if you don’t look after them, they don’t come back,” says Ian. “You have to first think about how you’d like to be treated, perhaps in a first-class hotel or restaurant. It’s easy to talk about it, but you can only do it with the right attitude and a strong team.” Seven years ago, with the Cayenne, Cayman and Panamera well established and the Macan SUV incoming, Ian realised another move was inevitable and settled on an all-new site in 2016. Today, much of the £5 million building work is complete.

It’s an impressively modern building in the UFO/F1 motorhome style, three times the size of today’s dealership, equipped with all the latest charging infrastructure and with room for future expansion.

Sixteen miles south of the dealer’s current location, it can no longer be sensibly called Porsche Centre Kendal. Instead, it’s Porsche Centre South Lakes. Just a slip road and roundabout off junction 35 of the M6, it’s perfectly placed to snare moneyed day trippers heading for the Lakes.

The plan is to open in July 2021 and, over the following two years, Ian will gradually hand the baton to son Simon, who’s been in the business for 14 years after joining from uni. He’ll ultimately become centre principal.

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2020-10-31 06:08:26Z
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PS5 Fans Are Very Concerned About Ubisoft's Comments on PS4 Backwards Compatibility - Push Square

There’s been a rollercoaster unfolding on social media and enthusiast forums today, after Ubisoft included a throwaway comment in a blog post suggesting that several of its Assassin’s Creed and PlayStation VR titles would not be playable on the PlayStation 5 via backwards compatibility. “Most of our back catalogue of games will have backward compatibility between the next and current generation of consoles, with a few exceptions,” a spokesperson for the French firm said.

These games, allegedly, include: Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, Assassin’s Creed Chronicles Trilogy Pack, Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India, Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China, Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: Russia, Risk, Star Trek: Bridge Crew, Werewolves Within, and Space Junkies. It’s a considerable assembly of titles, particularly when you consider Sony recently said that only 10 PS4 games would not work on PS5.

We contacted both Sony and Ubisoft representatives for a comment on this, but we’re yet to hear back from either company. A spokesperson for the latter firm did, however, provide Gematsu with the following comment: “We have pulled the Ubisoft Connect article and forum post regarding backwards compatibility for the time being as there may be inaccuracies involving the Ubisoft titles that will be playable on PS5.”

On the PlayStation Store, releases like Assassin’s Creed Syndicate include a disclaimer explaining that the “game may exhibit errors or unexpected behaviour and some features available on PS4 may be absent”. However, there’s no mention of it being unplayable. Perhaps Ubisoft is simply unhappy with the abovementioned titles’ performance in backwards compatibility – or perhaps this is just a big ol' mix-up. We’ll update if we learn more.

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2020-10-31 01:00:00Z
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Apple Says Record 2020 Mac Sales Attributed Primarily to MacBook Pro - MacRumors

Apple on Thursday reported its earnings for the fourth quarter of the 2020 fiscal year, including Mac revenue of $9 billion, a new quarterly record. Apple ended the year with annual Mac revenue of $28.6 billion, an all-time high.

In its annual Form 10-K report [PDF], filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission today, Apple said increased Mac sales in fiscal 2020 compared to fiscal 2019 were primarily due to higher sales of the MacBook Pro. Apple introduced a new 16-inch MacBook Pro in the first quarter of the fiscal year, followed by a refreshed 13-inch MacBook Pro in the third quarter, both with faster Intel processors and a more reliable Magic Keyboard.

Apple's financial chief Luca Maestri said the company also saw "amazing customer response" to the new MacBook Air during the back to school season.

Apple has thrived during the pandemic in spite of economic uncertainty, with both Macs and iPads recording strong sales as many people continue to work, learn, and connect with family and friends from home. During its earnings call Thursday, Apple said that its products outside of the iPhone grew a combined 30 percent last quarter, despite supply constraints impacting the iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch throughout the quarter.

Apple's Form 10-K also revealed the following details:

• As of September 26, 2020, Apple had approximately 147,000 full-time equivalent employees, an increase of 10,000 employees from one year prior.
• Apple spent $18.75 billion on research and development in the 2020 fiscal year, up approximately 16 percent from $16.21 billion in the 2019 fiscal year. Apple said this increase was primarily due to "headcount-related expenses."
• Apple spent $2.95 billion on warranty claims in the 2020 fiscal year, down approximately 23 percent from $3.85 billion in the 2019 fiscal year.
• Amid mounting scrutiny over its App Store practices, Apple acknowledged that if the commission it collects on certain purchases were to decline, the company's financial results could be "materially adversely affected."

For more, see our coverage of Apple's earnings report.

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2020-10-30 19:24:00Z
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Sapphire reveals its AMD Radeon RX 6800 (XT) reference cards - Graphics - News - HEXUS

Yesterday Asus released some details and images of its AMD Radeon RX 6800(XT) graphics cards. It showed off four designs under the ROG and TUF gaming brands it nurtures. There were two Radeon RX 6800 XT boards - one with an AiO liquid cooler, and two RX 6800 boards. All four of the samples it showed off were custom designs using ROG Strix and TUF niceties, and they were all overclocked 'OC' models. However, Asus wasn't allowed to divulge tech specs such as GPU and memory clocks.

Sapphire

I expected some other AMD partners to show their wares after Asus did but even a full day later there isn't a great deal of info forthcoming. However, I think it is worth covering the headlining Sapphire branded products as today it has provided a fully formed blog post about its first Radeon RX 6800(XT) graphics cards.

Sapphire's initial salvo of cards is based upon the AMD reference design which will be familiar to those keeping an eye on the news in mid-September, when this design featured in a Fortnite Battle Arena.

As Sapphire's cards are reference designs the blog post doesn’t do much more than regurgitate AMD's news release from earlier in the week. It reminds us that the "RDNA 2 gaming architecture provides up to 2X higher performance in select titles with the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT graphics card compared to the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT graphics card built on AMD RDNA architecture," for example. Another big improvement is the touted 54 percent more performance-per-watt when comparing the Radeon RX 6800 XT and the RX 5700 XT.

For further AMD reference design analysis please read through the HEXUS editor's write up of the 'Big Navi' announcement.

Gigabyte, MSI, and PowerColor

Gigabyte hasn't published any news release about its new AMD Radeon RX 6800(XT) graphics cards but you can find them listed in its product pages here. At the time of writing it is listing just two such cards; the GV-R68XT-16GC-B, and the GV-R68-16GC-B. Both of these boards are reference designs.

MSI has shown off a custom design 'Radeon RX 6800 XT Gaming X Trio'. In an increasingly common move from the company it offered a first glimpse of this new hardware via its MSI Insider streaming show on YouTube. VideoCardz picked this up and took a couple of screenshots, like the one below.

VideoCardz comments that MSI's triple-slot triple-fan design looks very similar to its Ampere GPU-based Gaming series cards. In the video it was revealed that these are renders rather than photos of production models.

PowerColor teases that it is preparing Red Devil Radeon RX 6800 (XT) graphics cards in a video on its Twitter social media page. The video doesn't reveal such more than that, and it doesn’t even have renders to share - instead we are shown something being drafted with a pencil and paper. Nevertheless, you have the chance to win one of these cards when they are ready by ReTweeting the post.

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2020-10-30 13:51:00Z
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It looks like AMD may have just ended Nvidia's long-running graphics dominance - TechRadar UK

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 has been out for about a month, and it's set a new bar for what we can expect out of our graphics cards. High frame rate 4K gaming is now a possibility and now AMD wants a slice of that pie. The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, and to a greater extent the Radeon RX 6900 XT, are being positioned to be 4K flagship heavyweights, and for the first time in years Nvidia might actually have a fight on its hands. 

It's been a while since AMD could compete at the very top end, which has led to Nvidia being able to dramatically raise prices with its Turing-based RTX 2000-series graphics cards, spearheaded by the ridiculously expensive Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti. 

And while Nvidia's prices haven't come down – and even went up if you look at the RTX 3090 against the RTX 2080 Ti – some actual competition should prevent Nvidia from raising prices even more. And, who knows, we might see prices fall across the board – we're not getting our hopes up, though. 

(Image credit: Nvidia)

Everyone can get in on the 4K action

AMD hasn't released the pricing on its Radeon RX 6000 graphics cards quite yet, but it looks like we're basically getting an equivalent for each Nvidia Ampere graphics card. The Radeon RX 6900 XT is going for the RTX 3090, the Radeon RX 6800 XT is going for the RTX 3080 and the Radeon RX 6800 is going for the RTX 2080 Ti, or in reality, the RTX 3070 – which is about as fast in our testing. 

Unless something wild happens and AMD really pushes Nvidia on price, this means PC gamers will get a choice of two 4K60-ready graphics cards at the $499 (£469, AU$809) price point that the GeForce RTX 3070 has launched at. Over the last few years graphics cards in this price segment and above were only offered by Team Green, which has led to higher and higher prices. 

We're not going to be completely tone-deaf and suggest that a $499 (£469, AU$809) graphics card is cheap or even attainable by a vast majority of people. But the fact that a level of performance that you needed to spend $1,199 (£1,099, AU$1,899) just a couple months ago is available for less than half the price is definitely a move in the right direction. 

With both AMD Big Navi and Nvidia Ampere, we're going to be able to start seeing a ton of mid-range PCs that are capable of playing the latest and best PC games at 4K, which is a good thing for everyone.  

(Image credit: Future)

What about everyone else?

Just a few months after the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT launched in July 2019, we got the Radeon RX 5600 XT. A couple months after that, we got the Radeon RX 5500 XT. After that, we had a whole lineup of AMD graphics cards going all the way down to the budget segment. The Nvidia Turing lineup, especially after the launch of the GTX 1650 Super, looked very similar. 

This time around, if the generation-on-generation performance gains are similar throughout each product stack, we could end up with budget cards that can take on high-end 1440p PC gaming. Just imagine – an AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT that can play Red Dead Redemption 2 maxed out at 1440p without having to settle for Console-esque performance.

And when it comes to 1080p, we would love to see Nvidia support its RTX technology in cheaper graphics cards this time around, so folks that can only afford something in the realm of the GTX 1650 Super can get something that will let them take advantage of technology like DLSS. 

DLSS especially is a no-brainer inclusion in lower-end graphics cards. We get that in low-end hardware, the level of silicon required to push a lot of pixels with quality settings cranked up is a big ask. However, as DLSS has proved in way more expensive graphics cards, the technology can make higher resolutions way more accessible, without users having to invest in a much more powerful graphics card. 

So, while it's definitely exciting that AMD and Nvidia are competing at the high end again, what we want more than anything is the budget segment getting a much larger uplift than it's seen in the past. 

Powercolor Radeon DUAL 8GB,...

PowerColor Red Devil Radeon™...

Gigabyte Radeon RX 5500 XT OC...

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2020-10-30 13:00:00Z
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Call of Duty: Warzone will let you choose to play with a Black Ops Cold War loadout or a Modern Warfare loadout from December - Eurogamer.net

Friendly fire.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War will begin integrating with Warzone in December, Activision has said.

Speaking during an investor call last night, Activision's chief operating officer Daniel Alegre said this integration kicks off with Black Ops Cold War's first season. Black Ops Cold War comes out on 13th November.

It is unclear exactly how Black Ops Cold War will work within Warzone, but we do know all new Black Ops Cold War weapons and operators you unlock will be usable in both Black Ops (as you'd expect) and Warzone. Content within the Black Ops battle pass, as well as new Black Ops store content, will also work across Black Ops and Warzone.

But Modern Warfare players can continue to use their Modern Warfare content in Warzone when Black Ops launches, too. Players can choose either their Black Ops loadout or their Modern Warfare loadout for Warzone, Activision said.

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"We'll bring Black Ops Cold War's characters and weaponry into the free-to-play experience," Alegre said. "Along with substantial new content ensuring that Warzone remains both a terrific experience and a powerful on-ramp for the franchise's premium content."

Activision president Rob Kostich then added: "... core Black Ops Cold War progression will build upon the success and will work similarly to how it did in Modern Warfare.

"So for example all the awesome new Black Ops weapons and operators you unlock and your level one to 55 progression will be usable in Black Ops and in Warzone just like they work in Modern Warfare. Black Ops battle pass content and store content will also work across Black Ops and Warzone.

"Now players of course can continue to use their Modern Warfare content in Warzone once Black Ops launches. And as a result, one cool feature that players will see is that they'll be able to choose either their Black Ops loadout or their Modern Warfare loadouts in Warzone for their gameplay. And this is just one example on how Warzone is going to expand and evolve over time.

"Now players can also expect a ton of free post-launch content from the Black Ops Cold War premium experience across multiplayer and zombies. I think we did a great job on this for the community for everyone with Modern Warfare and we'll do the same with Black Ops. So 13th November really is just the beginning for this game and I think it's a great game. And just like Modern Warfare, this game is going to get bigger and better and more fun as the year goes on."

Infinity Ward and Raven Software's free-to-download battle royale is currently balanced for Modern Warfare loadouts, so it'll be interesting to see how the game is affected by having Black Ops Cold War loadouts thrown into the mix.

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2020-10-30 11:49:26Z
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You can turn off the PS5 DualSense haptic feedback and adaptive triggers - Eurogamer.net

Sony confirms accessibility features.

Sony has announced the accessibility features of the PlayStation 5, confirming you can turn off the DualSense's haptic feedback and adaptive triggers.

In a post on the SIE (Sony Interactive Entertainment) website, the company confirmed you can reduce or disable the force of haptic feedback and adaptive triggers on the DualSense wireless controller.

The DualSense's haptic feedback and adaptive triggers are pitched as two of the PS5's more significant new features (Digital Foundry's John Linneman is certainly impressed). The tech locks down the triggers when your weapon gets jammed in Arkane's upcoming immersive sim Deathloop, simulates the fatigue of the athletes on the court when playing NBA 2K21 (as players get more tired, you get more resistance when pushing on the sprint trigger), and the controller even imitates the feeling of spider-sense in Spider-Man: Miles Morales.

But the tech had sparked accessibility concerns from some, so confirmation it can all be turned off is welcome.

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Meanwhile, Sony said the PS5 also includes improved audio enhancements to give players better spatial awareness. The PS5 has a voice dictation feature that lets users quickly input text without the need for a virtual keyboard. All you need to do is speak the words and they appear on-screen.

The PS5 also has a screen reader, which provides blind and low vision users with options to hear on-screen text. Deaf and hard of hearing users can type text messages that are then spoken out loud to other party members.

And finally, the PS5 supports colour correction in addition to the PlayStation 4's button assignments and closed caption.

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2020-10-30 11:20:23Z
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PSA: Apple One Premier Bundle Only Available in US, UK, Canada, and Australia - MacRumors

Apple's new Apple One series of services bundles launches on Friday in over 100 countries and regions, but the top Premier tier will be limited to the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada.

The limited rollout of the $29.95 Premier tier is down to the fact that Apple News+ is currently only available in the above countries. Apple News+ is exclusive to the Premier tier, along with Apple Fitness+, which isn't expected to arrive until later in the year.

Here's how the Individual, Family, and Premier tiers stack up:

• Individual: Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and 50GB of iCloud storage for $14.95 per month
• Family: Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and 200GB of iCloud storage for $19.95 per month, can be shared among up to six family members
• Premier: Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, Apple Fitness+, and 2TB of iCloud storage for $29.95 per month, can be shared among up to six family members

Apple One's Individual tier offers savings of $6 per month, while the Family plan offers savings of over $8 per month, and the Premier plan offers a savings of over $25 per month, compared to standard monthly pricing. Apple One includes a 30-day free trial for any services that customers do not already have.

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2020-10-30 09:39:00Z
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Apple's new services subscription bundle, Apple One, launches today - What Hi-Fi?

Apple is launching its services subscription bundle today, according to a Bloomberg report.

Apple One, which was announced during the firm's iPad and Watch event last month, packages Apple Music, Apple TV+, iCloud storage, Apple Arcade, Apple News+ and the 'coming soon' Apple Fitness+ digital workout service into a single subscription that starts from £14.95 ($14.95, AU$19.95) per month. Apple fans should be able to take advantage of a 30-day free trial when sign-ups open, which will presumably be later today.

The report also states that Fitness+ will launch this quarter (i.e. before the year's out.)

There are three tiers of Apple One: Individual (£14.95, $14.95, AU$19.95 per month) offers Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and 50GB of iCloud storage; Family (£19.95, $19.95, AU$25.95 per month) expands that iCloud storage to 200GB and can be shared with up to six family members; and Premier (£29.95, $29.95, AU$39.95 per month) adds Apple News+ and Apple Fitness+, takes the iCloud storage limit to 2TB, and can also be shared among six family members. 

The Premier plan – which offers the biggest monthly saving (£25, $25) of the three – will only be available in Australia, Canada, the UK and the US, where Apple News+ is available. Individual and Family plans, meanwhile, will launch in more than 100 countries.

MORE:

New iPhone 12: price, release date and specs

iPhone 12 vs iPhone 11: which should you buy?

Best Apple deals and early Black Friday deals

AirPods 3 and AirPods 2 Pro expected next year with possible redesign

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2020-10-30 09:22:00Z
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Buy them before we do: second-hand picks for 30 October - Autocar

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5 mins read

30 October 2020

Small sports coupés are an endangered species. The modern economic implications of developing a bespoke two-door body for production on a relatively limited scale means there just isn’t enough money in the game any more.

Long rumoured to be next for the chop is the Audi TT, which became an immediate favourite when it arrived in 1998 and is no less adored now, 22 years and two generations later.

Each iteration and variation of this curvy coupé has impressed on the road, even including the seemingly out-of-place diesel introduced in 2008, but few more so than the top-rung RS version of the Mk2, pitched as a spiritual successor to the formidable S2 Quattro.

Its specially developed 2.5-litre turbo engine pumps 335bhp and 332lb ft to all four wheels, so the RS takes care of the 0-62mph sprint in 4.7sec; its Porsche Cayman S cousin needs nearly an extra half a second. Plus, its four-wheel drive system is so adept at dishing out varying amounts of torque to each axle that it is nigh-on impossible to shake the RS off course through a fast bend.

So performance is a high point, but it nearly pales into insignificance compared with the sheer aural joy wrought by that five-pot engine. It doesn’t have the baritone punch of the contemporary RS6’s 5.0-litre V10 nor the ear-splitting snap of the RS4’s V8, but it’s unmistakably rally-honed in its crackling sharpness, conjuring dramatic images of Walter Röhrl pushing his Sport Quattro sideways through snowy hairpins at 90mph.

By now you’re probably chomping at the bit to get away and browse the classifieds for your own example of this overlooked performance gem, but consider this attractive 2011 car first. Listed at £16,975 and painted in the Sepang Blue that’s intrinsically associated with hot Audis of this era, it has a fresh MOT, most if not all of the options you could want and, fantastically, a manual gearbox.

The RS gained a dual-clutch option in 2010 and the latest model ditched the manual entirely, so it’s definitely worth seeking out on a used example.

Porsche Cayman GTS, £40,950: Until fairly recently, the Cayman GTS was powered by a dull-sounding 2.5-litre flat-four, so values of its six-cylinder predecessor held strong. This tastefully specified 2014 car will keep up with the latest model while saving you around £25,000.

BMW Z4 M Coupe, £21,000: If you want a new six-cylinder BMW Z4 with a fixed roof, you have to buy a Toyota Supra, but it wasn’t always this way. The original (E85) Z4 could be had as a coupé and, in M guise, with the same 338bhp straight-six engine that powered the E46 M3.

Nissan 370Z Nismo, £26,000: Sadly, you won’t be able to buy the new 400Z in Britain. Instead, you will have to get your fix through one of the finest engines ever put into series production: the naturally aspirated 3.7-litre V6 in the 370Z, which is best experienced in 339bhp Nismo form.

Lotus Evora 410, £54,995: More supercar than sports coupé but still well worthy of your consideration is the Lotus Evora. More specifically, the 70kg-lighter 410 version that was introduced in 2016. With 309bhp per tonne, it’s good for 0-62mph in 4.0sec and a top speed of 190mph.

Auction watch

Mercedes-Benz 560 SEC AMG: What you’re gawping at here is one of the last cars modified by a little-known independent tuner called AMG before it started selling its wares in Mercedes-Benz dealerships. Based on the already-potent 560 SEC coupé, the Widebody conversion bumps the V8 from 5.6 to 6.0 litres, power from 270bhp to 380bhp and torque from 317lb ft to 410lb ft. So this is a seriously quick car, and its eye-catching split rims, flared arches and aggressive bumpers give it undeniable presence. One of four South African exports, this car needed light recommissioning but was still a snip at £38,500.

Future classic

Subaru Brat, £6200: What’s the coolest 1990s Subaru? The original Impreza WRX STi, right? Wrong. This is the lesser-known Bi-drive Recreational All-terrain Transporter (Brat for short), and it’s quickly becoming one of the rarest and most sought-after small pick-up trucks on the market. Its 1.8-litre engine is of the flat-four variety so shares that link with the famous rally racer, but with less than 90bhp on tap, you won’t need a roll-cage. Just £6200 nabs this low-mileage 1994 example, and the seller will even throw in a rustier – but still running – Brat for spares.

Clash of the classifieds

Brief: Can £10,000 buy me a four-wheel-drive convertible for winter?

Alfa Romeo Spider, £9995

Audi S4 Cabriolet, £7495

Max Adams: The market for four-wheel-drive convertibles seems to be awash with Audis, so I’d rather have a pretty little Alfa Romeo Spider, thanks. You’ll hear its fizzy V6 all the more with the top down and four-wheel drive will give the additional traction you need in slippery conditions. Plus, this 2008 one is gift-wrapped in vinyl, so you simply peel off the dirt in spring to reveal the original red paint underneath. No washing required.

Felix Page: But why would you want to cover up such glorious paintwork? Something smells fishy here – and the chips won’t be the kind you want, either. My Audi S4 Cabriolet from 2006 is the obvious choice, I’ll concede, but that’s just because it makes so much sense. Reliable? Yup. Practical? For sure. Potent? Ask my 335bhp 4.2-litre petrol V8. And hey, what are those? Oh, just three usable back seats.

MA: You can only go as fast as the conditions allow, so there’s no sense bragging about excessive power when everything’s covered in ice. My car has a manual gearbox for better control of the performance available. Also, haven’t Audis of this period been criticised for being ‘anodyne steers’? I’ll take the more involving helm of an Alfa any day.

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2020-10-30 06:07:13Z
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Apple beats revenue expectations despite iPhone 12 delay - Financial Times

Apple posted record top-line results for the September quarter despite a 21 per cent fall in iPhone sales as people working from home during the pandemic increased the demand for Macs and iPads.

The technology group reported $64.7bn of revenue in its fiscal fourth quarter ending in September, compared with expectations of $64bn.

Revenue from iPhone sales last quarter amounted to $26.4bn, versus $33.4bn a year ago, as a result of the delayed launch of the iPhone 12. Usually Apple’s latest smartphone begins selling in the final two weeks of the September quarter, but this year two of the four models are still not available for sale.

“We expect iPhone revenue to grow during the December quarter, despite shipping the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro four weeks into the quarter, and iPhone 12 Mini and 12 Pro Max seven weeks into the quarter,” chief financial officer Luca Maestri told analysts.

Apple’s shares fell 5 per cent in after-hours trading, reflecting disappointment that the company did not offer a projection for the holiday quarter — its most important period.

Mr Maestri told the Financial Times the impact of Covid-19 made it too difficult to be specific but he was confident Apple would grow holiday quarter revenue from the record $91.8bn a year ago.

“There’s lots of uncertainty in the short-term about rising cases in Europe, very high level of cases in the United States,” he said. But “we are very confident . . . we will be growing revenue during the December quarter”.

Thanks in part to so many people working from home, sales of Mac computers grew 29 per cent to $9bn and sales of iPad tablets rose 46 per cent to $6.8bn.

“The September quarter was an all-time high for Mac in the history of the company. And not by a little bit — by $1.6bn,” Tim Cook, chief executive, told analysts.

He argued that Mac and iPad sales are likely to be more important for the company as the impact of Covid lingers, compelling consumers to upgrade. “The remote work thing is not something that’s going to snap back to how it used to be anytime soon.”

Wearables, a category that includes headphones and smart watches, grew 21 per cent to $7.9bn. Services, an ever-increasing array of entertainment, warranty and App Store offerings, grew 16 per cent to a record $14.5bn.

“Outside of iPhone, the company grew 25 per cent year over year,” Mr Maestri told the FT. “If you think about the macro environment we’re in and the sheer size of our company, it’s just spectacular.”

For Apple to beat expectations in spite of the delayed iPhone launch “clearly underlines the breadth and diverse product offering”, said Paolo Pescatore, analyst at PP Foresight.

The report contained two big disappointments. Net income fell 7.4 per cent to $12.7bn and revenues in greater China fell 28.6 per cent to $7.9bn.

Mr Maestri said both were a result of the delayed launch of the iPhone 12. “We had new iPhones in China a year ago, this year we didn’t,” he said. “We’ll be growing in China in the December quarter.”

Analysts are expecting a record quarter in December thanks to the four iPhone 12 units introduced this month by Mr Cook, who said they signalled a “new era”.

“Despite the ongoing impacts of Covid-19, Apple is in the midst of our most prolific product introduction period ever,” Mr Cook said in a statement on Thursday. “The early response to all our new products, led by our first 5G-enabled iPhone line-up, has been tremendously positive.”

For the full fiscal year, Apple revenues grew 6 per cent to $274.5bn and earnings per share grew 10 per cent to $3.31. Mr Maestri said the full-year results included new records for revenue, earnings per share and free cash flow.

Critics can point out that Apple revenues are up only 17 per cent over a five-year period — a startling juxtaposition to its market value quadrupling over the same period. However, the company is now less dependent on the iPhone, and subject to fewer cyclical swings, thanks to its growing emphasis on hardware and services.

Last quarter iPhone sales accounted for 41 per cent of total revenue, versus 52 per cent a year earlier.

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2020-10-29 23:02:00Z
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Apple’s Mac and services businesses hit new records in Q4 earnings - The Verge

Apple today announced its fiscal fourth quarter earnings, reporting $64.7 billion in revenue and earnings per share of $0.73 in a quarter that was “led by all-time records for Mac and services,” according to CEO Tim Cook.

Like last quarter, Apple’s Mac and iPad lines showed strong performance as people continue working and learning from home due to the continued COVID-19 pandemic. The Mac had its biggest quarter ever, tallying $9 billion in sales.

Apple introduced the latest iteration of its entry-level $329 iPad in September, increasing the device’s performance. The mid-tier iPad Air got a more significant makeover with a new design — now matching the iPad Pro — and a much faster processor. iPad sales were up 46 percent from the year-ago quarter.

Unlike in recent years, and because the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro didn’t go on sale until mid-October, these earnings don’t include a jolt of early sales for Apple’s latest smartphones. As a result, iPhone sales in the quarter were soft. But the Q4 numbers do include early sales of the Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE, which launched in September. The iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 12 mini will go up for preorder on November 6th and start shipping a week later.

Apple has ceased providing guidance or earnings forecasts over the last two quarters due to uncertainty around the pandemic. That has continued today, as Apple isn’t giving any guidance for the quarter that will end in December, either. So the company isn’t offering up any clues for how big it expects the iPhone 12 upgrade cycle to be.

The company will launch its “Apple One” bundle of subscription services tomorrow, combining Apple Music, Apple TV Plus, Apple Arcade, and added iCloud storage for a single monthly price. A “premier” tier adds in Apple News Plus and the upcoming Apple Fitness Plus service. Apple One will start at $14.95 per month for an individual plan or $19.95 for a family plan. Apple One is expected to further propel the company’s already-booming services division, which earned $14.5 billion in revenue this quarter.

Apple is widely expected to announce its first Mac computers powered by the company’s own silicon in November, which will kick off a transition away from processors made by Intel. Apple announced the move during its Worldwide Developers Conference back in June and distributed a development kit to help app makers prepare for the big switch. Old apps designed to run on Intel hardware will continue to work by way of Apple’s Rosetta 2 software. Cook alluded to coming products on Thursday afternoon’s earnings call. ““This year has a few more exciting things in store,” he said.

In the background of all this, Apple continues to face scrutiny from lawmakers and investigations focusing on the company’s powerful grip over the App Store. It’s also in a high-profile legal battle with Fortnite developer Epic Games.

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2020-10-29 20:47:59Z
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Cyberpunk 2077 Dev 'Not Comfortable, but Confident' in December Release Date - Push Square

Words from CD Projekt Red co-CEO Adam Kiciński don't exactly inspire confidence in the new release date for Cyberpunk 2077. In case you somehow haven't heard, the open world role-playing game was recently delayed again across all platforms. It was meant to arrive on the 19th November, but it's been pushed back three weeks to the 10th December so that the team can focus on optimising the current-gen versions of the game.

Indeed, there's growing concern over how Cyberpunk 2077 will run on PS4, but that's a whole different story. The topic at hand is that new release date, which, unsurprisingly, people don't seem to have a lot of faith in.

Speaking during CD Projekt Red's latest call with shareholders, Adam Kiciński said: "We feel — maybe not comfortable, but confident [in the new release date]." Again, not the kind of comment that you want to hear if you're betting on Cyberpunk hitting its new date.

Even Michal Nowakowski, vice president of business development, doesn't seem totally sold on the idea. When asked if the game would definitely launch on the 10th December, he replied: "That's more or less what I'm saying, I guess — yes."

The delay is something that CD Projekt Red clearly wasn't planning on until very recently. The game's marketing machine was already in full swing, with all kinds of adverts highlighting the previous 19th November release date. Hell, some ads even had Keanu Reeves star in them.

So, do you think Cyberpunk 2077 will arrive on the 10th December? Or do you think another delay is inevitable? Place your bets in the comments section below.

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2020-10-29 17:15:00Z
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Coronavirus: NHS contact tracing app to stop sending 'false alarms' after update - Sky News

The NHS contact tracing app will stop sending "false alarms" telling people they have been near someone who has tested positive for coronavirus, bringing an end to one of the biggest issues for the software in England and Wales.

Government officials have confirmed that Google and Apple, which make the technology underlying the app, would update their software to stop the "ghost" messages, which have been causing widespread confusion and anxiety among the 19 million people who have downloaded the app.

The update also means more people will be asked to self-isolate by the contact tracing app after they have been in contact with someone who has tested positive - a move officials claimed would "keep more people safe".

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COVID app cash claim function flawed

The change comes as a result of a refinement of the app's algorithm, made possible by Google and Apple's update.

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Officials responsible for the app, which operates in England and Wales, said the change - which they believed would make the app more accurate - was necessary to reduce the spread of the virus.

In a blog post on the government website, Gaby Appleton, director of product for Test and Trace, and Randeep Sidhu, head of product for the NHS COVID-19 app, said: "We believe lowering the threshold is necessary to reduce the R rate and break the chain of transmission."

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Yet low-paid workers asked to self-isolate by the app still cannot claim the government's £500 support payment, even if they are entitled to it, as Sky News revealed last week. Officials confirmed they were looking at solutions.

The news of the change to the app's algorithm comes at a moment when the government is under increasing pressure to introduce a national lockdown, after similar measures were brought in France and Germany.

When it was first introduced ministers said the app would replace blanket lockdowns with targeted ones, although as yet there is little evidence that the app is playing a significant role in reducing transmission.

The change to the algorithm has been made because an update to Google and Apple's system makes it possible for NHSX, the NHS innovation unit behind the app, to use more accurate data on the proximity of devices.

Previously, Google and Apple's system put data into one of three "buckets": low, medium and high.

Now it supplies more granular data, meaning scientists at the Turing Institute can make the app more accurate, allowing them to distinguish between low, medium and high-risk situations.

Officials used this information to lower the "risk threshold", the level at which the app's algorithm determines that a user needs to self-isolate.

With cases rising around the country, this meant that the app would ask more people to self-isolate -- but fewer people would be told to do so unnecessarily.

"Compared to when we first launched the pilot of the app in August, this update reduces the chance of telling you to isolate when you're at low risk, without reducing the number of people at high risk who are notified to self-isolate," said Ms Appleton and Mr Sidhu.

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Why did the contact tracing system fail?

The news that the app will no longer send "exposure notification" messages will be welcomed by many users, who have complained to Sky News about the alerts.

Unlike apps in other countries, the app in England and Wales used a custom algorithm developed by scientists at the Turing Institute. This triggered a feature in Google and Apple's system which sent "exposure notifications" warning people they had been near someone with coronavirus.

Although they were meant to be ignored, these "false alarms" caused a considerable degree of confusion and anxiety, with Sky News finding at least one person who had wrongly gone into self-isolation after receiving one.

"By removing these notifications, users can have the confidence that if they have a contact notification, they know it is from the app itself," said Ms Appleton and Mr Sidhu in their blogpost.

The app for England and Wales is also set to work alongside contact tracing apps in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Jersey and Gibraltar. Officials said an update meaning data could be shared between the apps was expected to be released in early November.

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2020-10-29 15:09:04Z
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