Blockchain Explained, FFXV Mega CPU Battle, Windows S Is Dead, Spotify vs. Apple Music

[TechSpot Weekly Newsletter] Latest in tech February 5 Tech Culture [Blockchain Explained: How It Works, Who Cares and What Its Future May Hold](.Q_9tBJmlBNxrAS8hFIsgF5WD6k9wDyF1B3oJj4rFpmQ) Best known as the immutable database that runs underneath cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, [blockchain is poised to play a critical role](.k4woIeWnJlc2jnd9BR8yoz5UF1MxBmkVhS3IZ28AGXk) in every industry imaginable as businesses seek ways to cash in on the distributed ledger technology's promise of enabling a "trustless" consensus to validate transactions. .ddtNAElhQ9yDPbLw1V-pl-4F7-V-sN9iKaE6HFv18JA .3QtAqd2hB0TZeffrjr297_TzkqJoOAZmbynAdvK3FhM Best known as the immutable database that runs underneath cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, [blockchain is poised to play a critical role](.zgeGWTdrrAlLwVkUsIloXJdJM0lYuioUJB0fES81xdA) in every industry imaginable as businesses seek ways to cash in on the distributed ledger technology's promise of enabling a "trustless" consensus to validate transactions. .B9CRWOZlfcvu4G5tgLdEIZ7dXLWTDMNgxpPiRw4qCig Benchmark Time [Final Fantasy XV Mega CPU Battle](.zT82YWDC0PDuuSNxul_9hNIojjtUDmsExFOhIXaR4Nk) Today we're checking out Final Fantasy XV CPU performance using the new standalone benchmark released ahead of next month's PC launch. The reason we want to look at [CPU performance](.mHgnuEHBBc3juow4bw7IngLBOrfyzbhHOCkRhzt_YGk) first is because the game is extremely CPU intensive, far more so than we were expecting. .hGvrR5hOL0NlCsD02huxBEgTW2LteZKh9EsE4OlVgEQ .s53ZCfNlE2xYKiBqFp1rCGN1OE9_egHUCkzxnAufIaw Today we're checking out Final Fantasy XV CPU performance using the new standalone benchmark released ahead of next month's PC launch. The reason we want to look at [CPU performance](.IWxLP2s6QUaUvovV1y1Mi_dY5zzeoQc1v3SGrMy1RCE) first is because the game is extremely CPU intensive, far more so than we were expecting. .pu0E7Vw2xl78k55o2Vc-8SZqDXb1z5wP65w5LMBQjjM Tech Culture [Social media's early creators are banding together to fight tech addiction](.PZDkIUzNPMXhqS4vfuSRNHmJ-ur1RHlDtrSSAIszXXg) I’m young by most standards but I’ve been around long enough to witness some significant moments in human history. Many of them happened in an instant and will leave a lasting mark but it’s arguably the events that snuck up… .7f-iAHx5HnQRh-C9NefnvcxCnf4cU-QG24VThBWm1eg I’m young by most standards but I’ve been around long enough to witness some significant moments in human history. Many of them happened in an instant and will leave a lasting mark but it’s arguably the events that snuck up… Featured Story [Here's the full trailer for Solo: A Star Wars Story that Disney teased during the Super Bowl](.pOzqSIUXdMgF65nNg_z2FPbpgTjhocf1RuoyvAPJfqQ) Disney on Sunday during Super Bowl LII debuted a teaser for Solo: A Star Wars Story, the next film in the legendary franchise. The teaser ended with the promise that a proper trailer would launch today and sure enough, Disney… .laLWI6lreUJZzxolIfryrAjZIYH-H3jfBcEdR_E_zO0 Disney on Sunday during Super Bowl LII debuted a teaser for Solo: A Star Wars Story, the next film in the legendary franchise. The teaser ended with the promise that a proper trailer would launch today and sure enough, Disney… [Microsoft kills off Windows S as a stand-alone product, replaces it with 'S Mode'](.scP0Dvr7u4BeezvzsWn5ZTaOIlZ2MsDbz8IO_JitZQg) .7LNxkcQrBlTIclm9Ftk2a3m6KElPjGZBWFKoLWAsjrY It was back in May last year when Microsoft announced Windows S—a stripped down version of its operating system—as it attempted to take on Google’s Chrome OS in the education market. But the company is now dropping Windows S as… [Apple Music reportedly set to overtake Spotify in the US](.8ZpJAAPYmZedQnA-L7AMKjBSJljze_VXw0QskKyKPP4) .gxnVKcQHf8jGhSYD-MWTwJE3J4_XmeXXkMwJMSo4670 Following reports of a government investigation and another battery fire at one of its stores, there was some welcome good news for Apple last week: it overtook Samsung in the global smartphone market, and Apple Music is now on track… ['Black Ops 4' will be this year's entry in the Call of Duty franchise](.wqZKafvTvCoy6sfLgQjzMehNmNN-K5UBcBZ8aEpd0v0) ._rxmAaf2YqUNGDSU_h6ffODh_fxeWyfrKMvfQxmvQ_E The 2018 entry in the long-running Call of Duty franchise – not due out until November, mind you – will be Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 according to industry insider Marcus Sellars as recently reported by Game Rant. [SpaceX's 64-ton Falcon Heavy rocket is ready for launch](.j_BrBMRD2g0SREVyKwiaakTVBeZ7sDmVha6feArnOVw) .j2KFXHCDRWikrAyobsPfbvDadE6XsVf_K8QsmAq3NCk Despite problems with the previous launch of a classified payload designed by Northrop Grumman, SpaceX has put that in the past and is readying the world's largest rocket ever built. The Falcon Heavy is set for launch on February 6… [Arcade legend Billy Mitchell accused of using emulator in record Donkey Kong run](.s-np4U4-_RNrmVOFkopwHayqkccBj-8MhB4a4zm0kO0) .5Jo-0e91iiZy4ODIbPoW5yCXLzOL3gWOaou58JC0ap0 The competitive retro gaming scene has been rocked by scandal once again. Less than a week after Todd Rogers was stripped of his world record time in the Atari 2600 game Dragster over claims that his score of 5.51 seconds… [LG is quitting the Chinese smartphone market](.S-k1HinJrrohQqLhI2WpFLd6HwmY03V6lL4kjWcgbdk) .Wp-f-ueT6qOIdds29b1m6KpbHSYPCGN9AtUcpDdnNEU Even though LG posted record revenue of $55.4 billion last year, marking a 10.9 percent YoY increase, its smartphone division continues to struggle. Now, the Korean company is reportedly exiting the largest phone market in the world: China. [Airbus completes first 'Alpha One' autonomous drone taxi flight](.hSSD8JzF1QOUsldgQuek6b3-27uIaaCJeGbz2foNjEM) .toHgnMnhqc-Qzfgwm1g94_fDjM-Qv6j2arFiz83MnVw Airbus is well-known for setting some pretty ambitious goals. In early 2017, for example, company CEO Tom Enders promised to show off the company's first flying car by the end of the year. While they missed this target, the company's… [Open Forum: Which games are you looking forward to the most in 2018?](.vlvjWigc0o0xyuc9JEhRfafIkproOKbzBJ4U-JcWAZs) .qFPRXDY5ffHsbi1e3fIPk0vIwMlyD9kC2QsDYBGhjag Though the recent GPU price hikes resulting from the cryptomining boom might make it difficult to actually play upcoming titles (if you're a PC gamer), most gamers probably have at least a few games on their 2018 watch list. Trivia [If 1024 Gigabytes is equal to 1 Terabyte, 1024 Terabytes is equal to 1 Petabyte; How many Gigabytes are in a Petabyte?](.9hjcAbKKjRd6wewqixii103WXIWoONfiahLBPBIuX_g) [- 200,480 Gigabytes - 1,000,000 Gigabytes - 40,096 Gigabytes - 2,048 Gigabytes](.KENY-cCjVKom3WuvQU-8SWFnUiewBQN0tFpCAk34-w8) [Broadcom makes its "best and final offer" for Qualcomm](.rzkvvsGuTXwjamBch__TYnAPFcWVmOQwPB10qoOEPJQ) .c-AvtQFZtaW7TdU2h7GLe1WqNAvviWifw66yURDxpX0 Broadcom isn’t giving up on its bid to purchase rival chipmaker Qualcomm. The company’s first offer in November – $60 per share in cash and $10 per share in Broadcom stock – wasn’t enough to get Qualcomm excited.… [PUBG to implement countermeasures against cheat software today](.Q-7YMXDcj3GOvo8gzxU1gXyP_RfMgS5EhS_wMFENWWM) .e2y_9S5gqOnMQz83EqlxYCnM36mqKX98gAW2ZVyrHL4 PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds developers have reported that they will be implementing anti-cheating measures into the game today at 6:00 p.m. PST. The update will be minimally invasive since it will only require installing and will not result in any server downtime.… [Huawei opens up Mate 10 Pro pre-orders to US-based customers](.dDxlkQaWfrXML-SX02IWiouWdlmtqzHmMD-Yscn1NzM) .fO-LldqdFwkm1pGJvSKM7uwJPRaGtJyCFNY6wrQhAzg Government concerns regarding Chinese spying on US citizens may have prompted Verizon and AT&T to avoid selling upcoming Huawei phones -- including the Mate 10 Pro -- but that doesn't mean US-based citizens won't be able to get their hands… [Diamonds could be key to indestructible smartphone displays](.0kTVOfTo60fQH9OZpjxLk36zlaLa1H3frcra1bucGMQ) .GvpbGwKWnMlfeSdVdfs8oArYDvcEZfpEtgdP239E7p4 The promise of a virtually indestructible smartphone display came and went without much fanfare. Apple’s struggle to build sapphire glass at scale is well documented and although Motorola more or less delivered on handsets like the flagship Moto Z2 Force,… Tech News - [Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong freed from prison following suspension of corruption sentence](.PsG6_voVHdnvIS7ayxku9TYxZ43sKo3ZXwfaHTrHA9o) - [Apple may ditch Qualcomm LTE chips in favor of Intel's for upcoming iPhones](.YmbMEUq0hQG1vIjVctjYT0SOQzHp7uzfep2lTpzqWsE) - [Corsair launches T2 Road Warrior gaming chair](.6xaSd9FuTLn7JV2jwzBaDZswXl7jH53K8532dbRJM7A) - [Twitter user demos 'Break & Enter dropbox' for Amazon Key](._-dddCjthPrEJjN5CXV9yvrDJfQ9u2bGE7nN-VxwfnM) - [Chinese national pleads guilty to selling over 40,000 fake Apple products in the US](.w5qBq6WIwbhnTnKF1JmaxrjIX_LjLhkNcLXkijFYnIo) - [Score these noise-cancelling headphones for nearly half-off](.2_-HXFV9n9_lWYqNY_IFHdHARfomMdAPb1mJlW81fnw) - [Telegram was pulled from the App Store last week due to child pornography](.ntndXJqY96IwUtBS7TieKCX51bcydUfTIyusKcJ5Rbo) - [Discord and Spotify bring shared listening to your gaming sessions](._xq3xePCPVE3KUOuMiRFw1QmOn-egRs6mUNyFDdjCA0) - [Tesla will begin selling their Powerwalls and solar panels at 800 Home Depot locations in the US](.gZwU412TdZpw4Hu9onY6DgpKJCZshF3DiblWnehRvjo) - [The US military might use marine organisms to detect ocean-bound threats](.Zl8OP8jfVsSFHEQPQPdJVynxa1GBfnVMPRvWdtP4WTc) - [Some iPhone X owners report that it struggles to answer incoming calls](.155hXFjhjidM_JvVhvW7FwtS5RZHYY-HxwyzqJ1HYUI) - [Facebook is considering taking on YouTube with user-created content and ad revenue sharing](.ZdNtIME2Z9-4DL-XeNRf9B4A9Y6EOxiE9ftXINM9nlE) Software Downloads - [Uber for Android 4.194](.W1NIHncTWnckTIAI6jnqZxFA3VobuFJJ0AknDhvOsYY) - [Samsung Smart Switch 4.2.18014.6](.BoeZe8SWmAfuHoD-J5O5IbptDKbedu5EDueGykB82r8) - [WhatsApp for Android Beta 2.18.37](.OhZZjv5x_iajp-tFj2O8tFrpcvP6jYMpU1UIfvgcF38) Drivers - [TP-Link TL-WR841ND Wireless Router V9 Firmware 150310](._p_aM8CrX9xsVI_lH_KLF3p_nx4FueGuP8wqUZQaFAg) 2018-02-05 10:48:38 - [AMD Radeon Adrenalin Edition Graphics Driver 18.2.1 Hotfix](.-06MA_j2_J3MxNR-RYJdR-Uaxdi8nBuSGr0t9uBoqr4) 2018-02-02 16:43:29 Tech Pic of the Day [Nostalgia: 1998's Gaming Rig](.-FsmJE1dVWf13WBwGz8tpc5W-x456wSWKclDibkMArk) .RcgB2y7hH4LqTatvQyz64t8YSqiMosa6V3v-6hCq2gc [Credit: Reddit](.wyNT2Uiw3YEX4om_4cMhwYZ4ZBxhbMC68uuYBWYL_gI) Hot discussion [News and Comments](.Z3gL3EB4k6fhrJPYmv4JWlIK6Qw_BPNu_BmSOft_2Lg) [All 20,000 Boring Company flamethrowers have sold out in just four days](.qW9nA7JlJkYWGAMIZ3_MOI8P2YA2zcNZfRQ340IlhGQ) [News and Comments](.OfYuvteeQCvCtYufjCa_ByzYlhp1uxIL7XR42tLgOsM) [California politician wants to ban the sale of Elon Musk's flamethrower in the state](.mtvyV2_4ajl_q-k7YyAL2hC99kidmgiV-GGr99vCVWw) Follow TechSpot TechSpot: [Facebook](.m0h-rOAhfBFNCQ25xfanuY6zDOx6xqNNnP_pDNwOurk) [Twitter](.hEPaDwYMpuK6G75g4ccxIzsVbpH_lpUTr_nMBfqfLw0) [RSS](.5nZt3NKSQCv7Nrgd9UxmgHYxVy7XkiHwei3Fkd2oSjI) [Google+](.VRaGvOnWp6Xd4OWkVBC-xJnmzRLy2QZXCmc93U4snVA) [Instagram](.QMDYdFSrMYqnRtrJCuoCwg38oVlG4UCmyW38mD2lnss) [Steam](.kVKKCuEIqoZD1jyr1FcvT0CHnKdjhn6qHlzeqMiEFq4) [Flipboard](.V-_tcgM9XTAd-WQAddPjv8lQXEVxBdi-NbJf99giF2A) [YouTube](.5Fc87ChqWh48HJJcHuKSpWsJzhozRYi6LmaDEgUGHqY) Feeds: [News](.r7QaL3vHmm3JKg54eWeI1pbarKMTSgXeJ3yAMXAJmNQ), [Reviews & Features](.PhXBwA9uJJdcAbHk4L74k0-00zwP5zMO8q4l-3LUeL8), [Downloads](.54fiIgXb9QrjqVu0M7409eVvgTYvJVVAKfyxBQ1uMDw), [Drivers](.5mdaKnsDm0MSNo_okSFHT7Fyw2QcAW_asuvDB42VS_s) [View this email in your browser](.to7rR55G4mAe8RyrnON43prpkTto7_GTgVkMN57xxrA) This email was sent to {EMAIL} [We only send these emails with your permission after you've registered on TechSpot.com](.4DDKzo9DUjni4UVf7px4Y9y7pzxszfp3A_6p74IBws0) [Click here to unsubscribe](.pCb_FFQlhlKlMLYzYeI1f4GI960Rg2ekGRCQj-1tYB0) © 2018 TechSpot, Inc. 2018 © TechSpot Inc If you no longer want to receive emails from us, you can [unsubscribe](.pCb_FFQlhlKlMLYzYeI1f4GI960Rg2ekGRCQj-1tYB0).