PlayStation 5 goes AMD, The Ray Tracing Slideshow, Google sabotaging Firefox?

[TechSpot Weekly Newsletter] Latest in tech April 18 Browser Wars [Google accused of sabotaging Firefox, again]( Jonathan Nightingale, former General Manager and Vice President of the Firefox group at Mozilla, revealed all on Twitter over the weekend. He writes that Google was the company’s biggest partner during his eight years at Mozilla. “Our revenue share deal… Jonathan Nightingale, former General Manager and Vice President of the Firefox group at Mozilla, revealed all on Twitter over the weekend. He writes that Google was the company’s biggest partner during his eight years at Mozilla. “Our revenue share deal… DXR On? [The Ray Tracing Slideshow: DXR on Nvidia Pascal Tested]( During this year's GDC, Nvidia announced that GTX graphics cards would be getting [basic ray tracing support]( with a driver update. For putting together this test we took the most powerful Pascal GPU we had on hand - the Nvidia Titan X - and pitted it against Nvidia's RTX line-up in the three games that support ray tracing thus far. During this year's GDC, Nvidia announced that GTX graphics cards would be getting [basic ray tracing support]( with a driver update. For putting together this test we took the most powerful Pascal GPU we had on hand - the Nvidia Titan X - and pitted it against Nvidia's RTX line-up in the three games that support ray tracing thus far. Hardware [Intel Core i5-9400F vs. AMD Ryzen 5 2600X]( Intel's been having some trouble competing with the wave of Ryzen processors, forcing the chip maker to be a little more creative. Today we have [the Intel Core i5-9400F on hand](, which is basically a refreshed i5-8400 with a 100 MHz clock speed boost, no integrated graphics and a lower price point. Intel's been having some trouble competing with the wave of Ryzen processors, forcing the chip maker to be a little more creative. Today we have [the Intel Core i5-9400F on hand](, which is basically a refreshed i5-8400 with a 100 MHz clock speed boost, no integrated graphics and a lower price point. Zen 2 Powered [Sony confirms PlayStation 5 details such as backwards compatibility, 8K graphics and SSD storage]( In an exclusive with Wired, Sony's lead system architect Mark Cerny talked shop about the upcoming PlayStation 5 -- although it's been made clear Sony hasn't committed to the name. Sony's next-gen console is already in the hands of developers… In an exclusive with Wired, Sony's lead system architect Mark Cerny talked shop about the upcoming PlayStation 5 -- although it's been made clear Sony hasn't committed to the name. Sony's next-gen console is already in the hands of developers… Super-Ultrawide [Dell UltraSharp U4919DW Monitor Review]( Dell's UltraSharp U4919DW is a 49-inch monitor with a 5120 x 1440 resolution, giving it a 32:9 aspect ratio. This display is [equivalent to two 27-inch 1440p displays side by side]( without a bezel in-between. So if you were planning to run with a dual-screen 1440p setup, something like the U4919DW might be a better choice. Dell's UltraSharp U4919DW is a 49-inch monitor with a 5120 x 1440 resolution, giving it a 32:9 aspect ratio. This display is [equivalent to two 27-inch 1440p displays side by side]( without a bezel in-between. So if you were planning to run with a dual-screen 1440p setup, something like the U4919DW might be a better choice. Gaming [The Unexpected Success of No Man's Sky]( Sean Murray, lead developer of No Man's Sky, has [seen the best and worst of it]( since the game's incredible first trailer was shown in 2013. But after a failed launch, No Man's Sky has flourished in recent years. While he won't release sales figures, Murray said that "last year we sold the kind of numbers a AAA game would be happy with at launch," using the industry jargon for big budget games. Sean Murray, lead developer of No Man's Sky, has [seen the best and worst of it]( since the game's incredible first trailer was shown in 2013. But after a failed launch, No Man's Sky has flourished in recent years. While he won't release sales figures, Murray said that "last year we sold the kind of numbers a AAA game would be happy with at launch," using the industry jargon for big budget games. Snow Tech [Winter is coming, and researchers have found a way to generate electricity from it]( Clean energy is all the rage nowadays, but current technology is limiting its widespread adoption. Hydro and wind power are tough for the average person to make use of, and solar energy, though more accessible, can still be quite expensive… Clean energy is all the rage nowadays, but current technology is limiting its widespread adoption. Hydro and wind power are tough for the average person to make use of, and solar energy, though more accessible, can still be quite expensive… Ryzen [Ryzen CPU prices fall as third-generation chips draw closer]( The cheapest Ryzen processor you can grab is the Ryzen 5 1600, which is available for $119— $69 below the original MSRP—on Amazon and Newegg. Released in 2017, the 6-core/12-thread chip has a base clock of 3.2GHz and a turbo… The cheapest Ryzen processor you can grab is the Ryzen 5 1600, which is available for $119— $69 below the original MSRP—on Amazon and Newegg. Released in 2017, the 6-core/12-thread chip has a base clock of 3.2GHz and a turbo… Industry [Apple and Qualcomm agree to drop all litigation worldwide]( Apple and Qualcomm squared off in a San Deigo courtroom yesterday in what many thought would be a protracted trial. Inexplicably nonetheless they have agreed to settle all of their ongoing litigation worldwide. Apple and Qualcomm squared off in a San Deigo courtroom yesterday in what many thought would be a protracted trial. Inexplicably nonetheless they have agreed to settle all of their ongoing litigation worldwide. Culture [Notre Dame's post-fire restoration could be aided by a digital replica]( If you haven't been tuning in to non-tech news lately, you may not be aware that Notre Dame Cathedral -- one of France's most well-known historical landmarks -- was recently the unfortunate victim of a major fire. Earlier today, the… If you haven't been tuning in to non-tech news lately, you may not be aware that Notre Dame Cathedral -- one of France's most well-known historical landmarks -- was recently the unfortunate victim of a major fire. Earlier today, the… Opinion [Opinion: Samsung Galaxy Fold unfolds the future]( I have seen the future. I have touched the future. I’ve experienced the future. And I love it. I have seen the future. I have touched the future. I’ve experienced the future. And I love it. Smartphone [Some Galaxy Fold devices are already breaking]( Members of the tech press have only had the Galaxy Fold for a couple of days and are already experiencing issues. According to The Verge, their review unit somehow got a piece of debris stuck underneath the screen causing a… Members of the tech press have only had the Galaxy Fold for a couple of days and are already experiencing issues. According to The Verge, their review unit somehow got a piece of debris stuck underneath the screen causing a… [Microsoft Office is increasingly a choice target for cybercriminals]( Kaspersky at its recent Security Analyst Summit (SAS) shared a trend that surprised even its own researchers. [NASA's exoplanet-hunting TESS has found its first Earth-sized planet]( Last year, NASA launched its latest planet-scanning probe, known as the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). as the name suggests, the TESS' primary mission is to discover and survey exoplanets, which are planets outside our solar system. [AI has been used to create a brand new sport called Speedgate]( Digital agency AKQA recently commissioned a recurrent neural network to craft an entirely new sport. The Design Week Portland project processed data from over 400 sports around the globe, outputting more than 1,000 concepts. Humans then combed through the candidates… [Microsoft's $250 'All-Digital' Xbox One S is now available for pre-order]( In terms of design, there really isn't much to say about the disc-less Xbox One S. The device is completely identical to its normal counterpart, but -- as you might expect -- the disc tray is missing. [OnePlus 7 Pro with 90Hz Quad HD+ Super AMOLED display, 48MP rear camera reportedly coming in May]( OnePlus reportedly has at least three new smartphones in the works including the OnePlus 7 Pro. Unlike earlier devices from the company, this handset will supposedly ship with a 6.64-inch curved Quad HD+ Super AMOLED display boasting a refresh rate… [Intel exits 5G smartphone modem business in wake of Apple/Qualcomm settlement]( The battle between the tech giants started two years ago when Apple sued Qualcomm for $1 billion over claims it was abusing its position as the leader in cellular technology—using Qualcomm’s chips also required customers to pay licensing fees for… [Apple's 2nd-gen Pencil could stop you from unlocking your car]( According to an updated support document, charging the second-generation Apple Pencil, which arrived late last year, with a third-generation iPad Pro might result in signal interference that stops key fobs from unlocking cars. [UK porn sites will be required to implement advanced age-verification systems beginning July 15]( In theory, there's nothing all that concerning about this concept. Most semi-reputable porn websites already have "age gates" that require users to confirm that they are 18 or older in order to visit. However, what the UK is proposing is… [Facebook admits to "unintentionally" uploading 1.5 million new users' email contacts without permission]( The revelation comes after a security researcher discovered Facebook was asking some new signups to enter the passwords for their emails accounts as a way of verifying their identities. [Boost your laptop's gaming aptitude with Razer's new Core X Chroma external GPU enclosure]( The new Core X Chroma now includes a 700W internal power supply capable of driving power-hungry cards from Nvidia and AMD. Qualified Nvidia cards include the RTX, GTX and Quadro series; on the AMD side, Radeon and Radeon Pro cards… [Smart speakers set to overtake tablets by 2021]( Market analyst firm Canalys reports that after ending 2017 with 114 million active units, the number of smart speakers will increase to 207 million devices by the end of this year. Most of this astronomical growth will come from East… [Capcom's Home Arcade is a plug-and-play stick with 16 pre-installed classics]( The Capcom Home Arcade features a pair of competition-class Sanwa JLF-TP-8YT sticks with 8-way GT-Y directional gates and OBSF buttons. As you can see, this is a two-player board on a base shaped like Capcom’s logo. It’s powered by USB… [A firefighting robot called Colossus helped battle the Notre-Dame blaze]( Trying to put out the 15-hour inferno that started at Notre-Dame on Monday presented some unique challenges. US firefighter Gregg Favre explained how old churches have few, if any, passive fire protection systems, and that the heavy 2.5-inch fire hoses… [Microsoft is reportedly planning to roll out its own Surface-branded AirPods alternative]( Regardless of how you feel about Apple as a company, it's tough to deny that their AirPods were fairly innovative for their time. Wireless earbuds have existed for years, of course, but few are as long-lasting, convenient, and compact as… [Ubisoft launches Assassin's Creed Unity giveaway and donates €500,000 to aid in Notre Dame's restoration]( One of France's most popular national monuments, the Notre Dame Cathedral, was struck by tragedy this week when a massive fire erupted along the building's roof. The exterior damage was significant, and the building's middle spire eventually collapsed despite the… Software Downloads - [WhatsApp for Android Beta 2.19.109]( - [Amazon Shopping App 18.8.0.100]( - [Brave Browser for Android 1.0.91]( Drivers - [AMD Radeon Adrenalin 2019 Edition Graphics Driver 19.4.2]( 2019-04-16 15:40:21 - [MSI Live Update 6.2.0.56]( 2019-04-17 09:12:24 Tech Pic of the Day [Cloud]( Credit: [Reddit]( Hot discussion [News and Comments]( [Windows updates are at it again, reportedly hanging and slowing down systems]( [News and Comments]( [Nepal bans PUBG at the request of schools and parents]( Follow TechSpot TechSpot: [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [RSS]( [Instagram]( [Steam]( [Flipboard]( [YouTube]( Feeds: [News](, [Reviews & Features](, [Downloads](, [Drivers]( [View this email in your browser]( This email was sent to {EMAIL} [We only send these emails with your permission after you've registered on TechSpot.com]( [Click here to unsubscribe]( © 2019 TechSpot, Inc.