With the release of its Q1 2022 financial results, AMD also revealed plans for its upcoming Ryzen 7000 Zen 4 series laptop CPUs, as seen in a slide tweeted by former Anandtech editor Dr. Ian Cutress. It's planning to target "extreme gaming laptops" with the new "Dragon Range" series, promising the "highest core, thread and cache ever for a mobile gaming CPU." It also unveiled the Phoenix series for thin and light gaming laptops.

The Dragon Range features a >55 watt TDP and is designed for laptops thicker than 20mm that are largely designed to be used while plugged in, The Verge reported. They'll feature a PCIe 5 architecture and DDR5 RAM, though some models could work with more efficient but lower performing LPDDR5, AMD told Cutress. 

As with the Ryzen 9 4900HS chip, the Dragon Range will use the "HS" suffix. Despite the relatively high 55 watt TDP, they'll be "notably more power efficient than other laptops in that competing timeframe," according to AMD's technical marketing director, Robert Hallock. 

Along with the Dragon Range, AMD will launch the Ryzen 7000 Zen 4 "Phoenix" series APUs designed for thin and light laptops under 20mm thick with 35-45 watt TDPs. Those will also use a PCIe 5 architecture, but come primarily with LPDDR5 RAM. As with the Dragon Range, some models could employ DDR5 memory, too.

Ryzen 7000 will launch first on desktop later this year with the the Raphael series, replacing the Ryzen 5000 lineup. Those will be the first Zen 4, AM5 platform chips using TSMC's 5-nanometer process node to come to the mainstream market. AMD didn't reveal other details about the Dragon Range and Phoenix laptop chips, but they're expected to launch sometime in 2023. 

On the earnings side, AMD beat market expectations with revenue at $5.89 billion, a 71 percent boost in sales year-over-year. It also said that starting next quarter, it will break out gaming into a separate financial segment showing sales of chips for consoles (PS5, Xbox Series X, etc.) plus Radeon graphics for PCs as part of a single gaming business, separate from Ryzen chips. The company will explain all that in more detail next month. 

A group of Apple employees have written an open letter to the company's executive team complaining about its new policy that only allows for two days of working from home, iMore has reported. They said that Apple's reasons for implementing the policy don't stand up, and that the policy is wasteful, inflexible and will lead to a "younger, whiter, more male-dominated, more neuro-normative, more able-bodied" workforce. 

"You have characterized the decision for the Hybrid Working Pilot as being about combining the "need to commune in-person" and the value of flexible work," the letter states. "But in reality, it does not recognize flexible work and is only driven by fear. Fear of the future of work, fear of worker autonomy, fear of losing control."

We tell all of our customers how great our products are for remote work, yet, we ourselves, cannot use them to work remotely? How can we expect our customers to take that seriously? How can we understand what problems of remote work need solving in our products if we don't live it?

In March, Apple announced that corporate employees would be return to the office, and need to be there two days a week at minimum by May 2nd. Starting May 23rd, it'll shift to a hybrid model with mandatory office days on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. CEO Tim Cook called in-person collaboration benefits "irreplaceable" and in an email, the executive team talked about the importance of "the serendipity that comes from bumping into colleagues" during in-person work. 

However, the letter counters those arguments saying that in-person collaboration is not even needed monthly in some cases. It also disputed the "serendipity" statement, saying that Apple's siloed office structure makes it difficult to bump into colleagues, adding that remote tools like Slack are better for collaboration. Furthermore, Apple's open-plan offices limit the concentration "required for creativity and... deep thought," they said. 

It noted that a daily commute "is a huge waste of time as well as both mental and physical resources." At the same time, it said that the policy favors people who can afford to live near the office and don't have to perform care-work. "In short, it will lead to privileges deciding who can work for Apple, not who’d be the best fit."

Perhaps the most compelling argument was that Apple was being hypocritical in the way it markets its own products. "We tell all of our customers how great our products are for remote work, yet, we ourselves, cannot use them to work remotely?" the letter states. "How can we expect our customers to take that seriously? How can we understand what problems of remote work need solving in our products if we don't live it?"

The letter is another sign of growing employee discontent at Apple, which often presents itself as progressive and inclusive in its ads. Employees recently started organizing a push for "real change" at the company, citing "a pattern of isolation, degradation and gaslighting," and even created an #AppleToo movement. The company is also facing a probe by the US National Labor Relations Board, which is looking into complaints over hostile working conditions.  

Splice, the popular music production service with a seemingly bottomless supply of samples, has just unveiled a new way to find inspiration from those sounds. CoSo is what it calls an "intelligent musical sketch pad" that lets you create "using your ear to find what appeals to you," the company wrote in a press release.  

CoSo allows you to you stack up to eight samples based on genre or instrument type to quickly create loops, with a big assist from AI. Everything stays in key, beats per minute (BMP) are synced, and you can swipe to delete a sample or swap in a new one automatically. You can also solo specific loops (or mute them) by pressing and holding. 

Once you create a loop, it's easy to share it on TikTok or export as an Ableton-ready project file. We've attached an example of what a creation looks like when shared via links, showing the final result and sounds used. 

Splice has countless millions of samples, so dredging through them for good stuff can be tedious, particularly if you're not sure what you're looking for or want to avoid overused samples. Still, the app could be a good way of sparking inspiration as a form of musical roulette, much like the novice-friendly Orba music device.  

"I believe we will hear a richer and more diverse selection of sounds bubbling up through this technology, that we might surprise creatives with new ideas," said Ale Koretzy, who heads the ML and Audio Science Innovation Team at Splice. "Some people will use it to discover sounds and others will use it to create music." CoSo is now available for Android and iOS devices.

We don't see deals on Apple's AirTags very often, but you can now pick up a four-pack at Amazon for $89, or $10 (10 percent) off the regular price. They've been slightly cheaper at Woot, but it matches the best Amazon deal we've seen so far — so it's a good time to act if you have multiple items to track. 

If you're an Apple user, AirTags offer some large advantages over Tile and other rival trackers. The ultra-wideband functionality offers precise tracking with iPhone 11 or later devices up close, so you can narrow your search between a couch and love seat in the same room. Over larger distances, the AirTag network enabled by all Apple device users lets you track down an object you might have misplaced in a café.

It offers a simple coin-sized design and seamless experience thanks to the Find My app. You can also force an AirTag to emit a chime to help you hone in an object's location, and Apple recently made that chime louder so the devices are easier to locate. 

It does lack a built-in keyring like rival trackers, so you'll need to pay an extra $35 for that. And it only works with Apple devices, so Android users will have to buy something else. However, if you're in Apple's ecosystem and have been waiting for a discount, now is the time to act. 

Scientists have made considerable progress with soft robots used for assistive wearables, rehabilitative technologies and more. Powered by compressed air, they offer advantages over regular robots like sensing capabilities, soft touch, and high power-to-input ratios. 

Designing and building them has been a challenge, however, due to the need for a manual design and fabrication pipeline that requires a lot of trial and error. Now, scientists from MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have come up with a new pipeline called "PneuAct" that uses computers and a special knitting process to design and digitally fabricate the soft pneumatic actuators. Their work could eventually lead to new assistive and rehabilitative devices. 

"PneuAct uses a machine knitting process — not dissimilar to your grandma's plastic needle knitting — but this machine operates autonomously," according to CSAIL researchers. The designer simply needs to specify the stitch and sensor design patterns in software to program actuator movements, which can be simulated before printing. The textile piece is then fabricated by the knitting machine, which is fixed to a rubber silicone tube to complete the actuator. 

The actuators use conductive yarn for sensing so they can essentially "feel" or respond to what they grab. As proof of concept, the team developed several prototypes including an assistive glove, soft hand, interactive robot and a pneumatic walking quadruped, as shown in the video above. 

The new devices are considerably improved over older designs, incorporating programmed bending when inflated and the ability to incorporate feedback. "For example, the team used the actuators to build a robot that sensed when it was touched specifically by human hands, and reacted to that touch," the team wrote. The glove could be worn to supplement finger muscle movement, adding extra force for grasping to help people with finger or hand injuries. 

The team plans to explore actuators with different shapes, and incorporate task-driven designs with target poses and optimal stitch patterns. "Our software tool is fast, easy to use, and it accurately previews users' designs, allowing them to quickly iterate virtually while only needing to fabricate once," said Harvard University's Andrew Spielberg, an author on the paper. 

Swedish game company Embracer Group has just made a blockbuster deal to acquire Crystal Dynamics, Eidos-Montréal and Square Enix Montréal for what seems like a bargain $300 million price, the company confirmed in a press release. The deal includes a "catalogue of IPs including Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, Thief, Legacy of Kain and more than 50 back-catalogue games from Square Enix Holdings," it wrote. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval. 

Those studios represent around 1,100 employees across eight global locations, the company noted. When the deal is finalized, Embracer will have 14,000 employees, 10,000 game developers and 124 internal studios. It has more than 230 games in development, with 30 of those being AAA titles. "This acquisition will bring additional scale to Embracer’s current AAA segment, and Embracer will have one of the largest pipelines of PC/Console games content across the industry, across all genres," it said. 

As part of the deal, Eidos Montreal plans to revive Deus Ex and use new Unreal Engine 5 technology, the studio said during the acquisition conference call, as Shack News reported. "At this time, we are crazy people who have decided to revive the Deus Ex IP as our first game," Eidos Montreal Studio Head David Anfossi said. "A new team, a very complex production, a new tech, and a new studio, an easy challenge." Anfossi noted that Deus Ex console sales have exceeded 12 million units. 

Last month, Crystal Dynamics announced that it was developing a new Tomb Raider game, also based on Unreal Engine 5, with plans to "push the envelope of fidelity." The studio also developed Marvel's Avengers, among other titles. Eidos Montréal created Thief 4, Deus Ex Human Revolution, Shadow of the Tomb Raider and more, and is "working on a host of AAA projects including both new releases from beloved franchises and original IP," according to the Embracer press release. 

As we detailed in a feature last year, Embracer is perhaps "the biggest games publisher you've never heard of," founded by Swedish entrepreneur Lars Wingefors. It made a string of acquisitions over the last couple of years, most significantly purchasing Saber Interactive for $525 million and Gearbox Software for $1.3 billion.

It now own quite a list of iconic franchises, particularly in the classic category. On top of the newly acquired IP, it controls Saints Row, Goat Simulator, Dead Island, Metro, TimeSplitters, Borderlands, Darksiders, MX vs ATV, Kingdoms of Amalur, Satisfactory, Wreckfest, Insurgency and World War Z. For some of those like TimeSplitters, the company has promised new titles from the original developers.

After Wikipedia editors voted to drop cryptocurrency as a donation option last month, the Wikimedia Foundation has confirmed that it will no longer accept Bitcoin or other forms of crypto, The Verge reported. As part of that decision, it's closing its Bitpay account to prevent any future donations. 

"The Wikimedia Foundation has decided to discontinue direct acceptance of cryptocurrency as a means of donating. We began our direct acceptance of cryptocurrency in 2014 based on requests from our volunteers and donor communities. We are making this decision based on recent feedback from those same communities. Specifically, we will be closing our Bitpay account, which will remove our ability to directly accept cryptocurrency as a method of donating," the WMF wrote in an update. 

"We will continue to monitor this issue, and appreciate the feedback and consideration given to this evolving matter by people across the Wikimedia movement. We will remain flexible and responsive to the needs of volunteers," it added. 

Wikipedia editor GorillaWarefare (aka Molly White) wrote a proposal for the foundation to stop accepting cryptocurrencies, calling them "extremely risky investments." She also pointed out that they may not align with the foundation's commitment to environmental sustainability, as annual crypto production uses more energy than entire countries. White also cited the Mozilla Foundation's change of heart in its decision to accept Bitcoin after facing a heavy backlash from users. 

Wikimedia welcomed requests for comments (RfC) to GorillaWarfare's proposal, with 232 voting in favor of it and 94 against. The WMF said it would take all that into account before making a final decision. "I’m really proud of my community for making what I feel was the ethical decision after a lot of thoughtful discussion," White told The Verge in a statement. "There are just too many issues with crypto for any potential donation revenue to be worth the cost of helping to legitimize it."

Amazon will permanently allow warehouse employees to keep their cellphones with them at work after temporarily permitting them during the pandemic, Vice has reported. "We recognize the desire for employees to keep their mobile phones with them inside facilities, and the last two years have demonstrated that we can safely do so," an internal message seen by Motherboard stated. "Therefore, we are making the temporary phone policy permanent worldwide, in all of our operations facilities."

Amazon planned to reinstate the mobile device ban following the COVID-19 pandemic. However, when its Edwardsville, Illinois warehouse collapsed in a tornado, killing six people, angry associates demanded permanent cellphone access for safety reasons. They delivered a petition to six Amazon warehouses in December, saying "taking our phones away isn't about safety, it's about controlling us." Workers who voted to unionize at Amazon's Staten Island facility also made cell phone access a key demand. 

Amazon subsequently backtracked on the idea "until further notice," and has now permanently removed the ban. Meanwhile, 1,500 workers at another Staten Island warehouse are voting on whether or not to unionize, with the vote counting set to start on May 2nd. Amazon avoided penalties in the warehouse collapse, but the US safety watchdog OSHA asked the company to review its procedures after discovering issues with its Emergency Action Plan (EAP).

For anyone building a PC or looking for accessories like monitors, storage or keyboards, Amazon is having a one-day sale that might be of strong interest. A host of desirable items are significantly marked down, including keyboards, headsets, power supplies, displays, cases and storage, with discounts as high as 48 percent. 

There are a few standout deals, but lots of other choice as well. First on the list is the 31.5-inch 2,560 x 1,440 Acer Nitro XV322QU IPS gaming display, with features like DisplayHDR 400, AMD FreeSync, up to a 170Hz refresh rate, 0.5 millisecond lag and 90 percent DCI-P3 color accuracy. With a large size and extreme speed, it's a highly desirable model and is at or near an all-time low of $299, for a savings of 45 percent or $250. 

Razer

Speaking of speed, Razer's Huntsman V2 TKS Tenkeyless gaming keyboard (above) offers that in spades, with the "fastest linear optical switches with sound dampeners and an 8,000Hz polling rate," the company says. In other words, it's fast and quiet while offering great durability thanks to the Doubleshot PBT keycaps. It's now on sale for $100, saving you $60 or 38 percent over the regular price. 

Finally, you'll appreciate this deal if you're a PC builder. Corsair's HX850 platinum-certified, fully modular power supply is on sale for $120, for a savings of 35 percent of $65. That 850-watt category is the sweet spot for most enthusiasts, and the $65 savings might let you upgrade your CPU or RAM. 

There are numerous other items, including a Toshiba N300 14TB NAS drive for $265 (37 percent off), be quiet!'s 1,500W BN647 power supply for $300 (33 percent off) and Sennheiser's GSX 1000 Gaming Audio Amplifier at $120 (48 percent off). Finally, while it's not a PC accessory, the best deal in the sale is on Samsung's 10.5-inch 256GB Galaxy Tab S6 for $300, a full 59 percent off. It's best to act soon, though, as the sale ends in less than a day. 

Elon Musk won't be able to get out of his agreement requiring oversight of his tweets about the company, Bloomberg reported. A judge has rejected his request to drop the 2018 deal made with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that required a company lawyer approve any Tesla-related tweets. The judge also denied Musk's request to block an SEC subpoena related to possible insider trading. 

"Musk cannot now seek to retract the agreement he knowingly and willingly entered by simply bemoaning that he felt like he had to agree to it at the time but now — once the specter of the litigation is a distant memory and his company has become, in his estimation, all but invincible — wishes that he had not," US District Judge Lewis Liman wrote.

Musk may wish it were otherwise, but he remains subject to the same enforcement authority — and has the same means to challenge the exercise of that authority — as any other citizen.

After Musk tweeted in 2018 that he had "funding secured" to take Tesla private at $420, the SEC sued saying that Musk had misled investors. The parties eventually settled, with Musk and Tesla agreeing to pay $20 million each and require lawyers to review Musk's Tesla-related tweets. 

However, last month Musk asked a federal court to terminate the deal, saying he felt "forced" to sign the consent decree during a period when Tesla's financial health was at risk. A self-described "free speech absolutist," he also claimed through his lawyer that the deal impinged on his his First Amendment rights. 

The judge also denied Musk's request to quash an SEC subpoena related to a Twitter poll he conducted asking users whether he should sell Tesla shares or not. Officials were concerned he might have told his brother Kimbal about the poll, leading the brother to sell 88,500 shares just a day before the November 6th, 2021 tweet. In response, Musk said that the Twitter poll in question was just meant to gather input and not a disclosure of information he'd have to report to the SEC.

"Musk may wish it were otherwise, but he remains subject to the same enforcement authority — and has the same means to challenge the exercise of that authority — as any other citizen," Liman wrote. "Indeed, to conclude otherwise would be to hold that a serial violator of the securities laws or a recidivist would enjoy greater protection against SEC enforcement than a person who had never even been accused of a securities law violation."

In response, Musk's lawyer Alex Spiro said that the court's ruling still means he can address SEC subpoenas on a case-by-case basis. "The court is simply saying we can move to quash these subpoenas when they are compelled," he told Bloomberg. "Nothing will ever change the truth, which is that Elon Musk was considering taking Tesla private and could have — all that’s left some half decade later is remnant litigation which will make that truth clearer and clearer."