Intel has just introduced a new desktop processor, the Core i9-13900KS, that can reach up to 6GHz without overclocking, making it the fastest desktop processor available. This is made possible by the processor's Thermal Velocity Boost feature, which allows the chip to run faster when it’s cool enough.
The i9-13900KS is an upgraded version of the i9-13900K, which Intel released last fall. The main differences between the two processors are that the older chip reached a maximum speed of 5.8GHz and had a lower base power of 125W compared to 150W in the new chip. However, the i9-13900KS has the same number of cores (24), amount of cache (36MB) and number of PCIe lanes (20) as the i9-13900K. In addition, the new processor is compatible with Z790 and Z690 motherboards; however, an updated BIOS is recommended.
The Thermal Velocity Boost is a feature in 11th Gen and later Intel Core chips that lets them run faster when they’re cool. It does this by increasing the clock frequency by 100 MHz when the temperature is below a threshold of 70 degrees C. However, you'll need a good cooling solution to get the most out of it.
This release comes before the launch of AMD's Ryzen 9 7950X3D, which is set to be released in February. The Ryzen 9 7950X3D can reach standard speeds of 5.7GHz and has 144MB of 3D V-Cache technology, which allows for more cache to be added to the CPU. The i9-13900KS is available starting today, with a suggested starting price of $699.
If you're determined to listen to high-resolution audio on your phone using high-end earphones, you'll want a DAC — and Astell & Kern thinks it has one of the better options. The company has introduced its third USB DAC, the AK HC3, and this one may finally nail enough features to satisfy most users. It promises very high-quality 32-bit, 384kHz audio like its HC2 predecessor, but you can finally use your headset's microphone. You won't have to choose between pristine sound and making phone calls.
The AK HC3 also uses ESS' newer ES9219MQ dual DAC. A built-in LED even shows if you're using a high-res audio format. The USB-C connection supports Macs, Windows PCs, Android phones and many tablets (including recent iPads), but there's an included Lightning adapter in the box for your iPhone. Android users get a dedicated app to fine-tune the output.
Astell & Kern will sell the AK HC3 for $229, with pre-orders starting January 20th and a release estimated for February 13th. This isn't the absolute highest-quality DAC (Fiio's Q3 can manage 768kHz), but it's better than many mobile options and is relatively easy to carry.
There are two similarly new headphone amps if you're more interested in quality than size. The Acro CA1000T is a second-gen "carriable" model that uses ESS' new high-end ES9039MPRO dual DAC and a triple amp system that lets you switch between dual vacuum tubes, normal amping and a hybrid that combines both technologies. It arrives alongside the HC3, although the $2,299 price will limit it to well-heeled audiophiles.
The AK PA10 portable, meanwhile, is Astell & Kern's first device with a Class-A amp. The choice promises the "best" linear output and a warm, natural sound for 12 hours of battery-powered use. It also won't be cheap when it arrives on February 13th for $599, but it may be worth considering if you want a balance between portability and raw technical prowess.
You now have an easy way to record movies with surround sound using your phone, provided you're immersed in the right ecosystem. Samsung is releasing an update for the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro that enables 360-degree audio capture while you're recording video. While this won't match professional surround (you're using a mic on each earbud), it could present a truer impression of what you heard during a concert or hike.
Only a handful of people will get to try this feature at first. The update is initially rolling out to Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Galaxy Z Fold 4 users, and it will be included with the "upcoming Galaxy smartphones" (read: Galaxy S23 series). You're out of luck if you own an S22 or other older hardware.
You'll have more success with an impending upgrade for Samsung's smartwatches. An update arriving in February will bring zoom to the Camera Controller app on Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 5 models. Make a pinch gesture or rotate the bezel and you can remotely steer your phone's camera zoom from your wrist. You won't have to return to your handset (or move closer) just to properly frame a group photo.
The new functionality will only be immediately useful if you're a fierce Samsung devotee. However, the company is undoubtedly hoping that the tighter integration will give you an incentive to buy more than just its latest phones. There will be perks you might not get from rivals, at least not for a while.
Apple Music and Apple TV apps have quietly arrived as preview versions on Microsoft Windows 11, according to a tweet from @ALumia_Italia seen by Thurrott. It's now possible to download the apps from the Microsoft Store, along with another preview app called Apple Devices that lets you "manage Apple devices from your Windows PC," according to the description.
At its 2022 Surface event, Microsoft announced that the apps would be coming to Windows 11 this year, so the news isn't a huge surprise. Apple's standalone Windows media apps have been a long time coming — it was recruiting engineers to build them as far back as 2019. Those apps replaced iTunes on Mac, and the aim is to eventually replace them on Windows as well.
Apple TV Preview, Apple Devices Preview and Apple Music Preview (for Windows) coming soon to the Microsoft Store pic.twitter.com/wcNYJlMdKK
All the apps appear to require Windows 11 Build 22621 or higher, but they seem to function well, according to 9to5Mac. Apple TV works much like the app on Xbox or Smart TVs, giving access to Apple TV+ and Apple TV Channels, along with movies and TV shows from the iTunes Store. Apple Music is missing the lyrics feature, but is otherwise the same as the macOS version.
As for Apple Devices, it also replaces iTunes for sync and backup. It'll allow you to back up Apple devices, sync local media and restore firmware without the need for iTunes.
When launching them for the first time, you'll be warned that iTunes for Windows will stop working (you need to uninstall the apps to continue using iTunes). That's not necessarily a bad thing, as iTunes for Windows doesn't exactly offer a terrific user experience.
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has recorded another inaugural milestone: its first confirmed discovery of an exoplanet. LHS 475 b is just 41 light years away and has a diameter 99 percent of Earth’s. But there’s more work to be done. The JWST should be able to figure out the atmospheres of Earth-sized exoplanets. The research team is still working to determine what, if any, sort of atmosphere the rocky mass may have. However, the planet's surface appears to be around 300 Celsius, more than a little warmer than Earth, so don’t expect colonies. If they discover cloud cover, it could mean a greenhouse world climate closer to our neighboring planet Venus.
– Mat Smith
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Apple may start replacing its mobile devices' displays with in-house screen technology as soon as next year. The tech giant will reportedly start with its highest-end Apple Watches in late 2024 and will swap the devices' current OLED screens with its own microLED technology. Bloomberg says Apple's homegrown display tech will also make its way to its other devices, including the iPhone.
Apparently, Apple was originally working to introduce its technology in 2020, but it was hampered by development costs and technical challenges. Back then, those same concerns also prevented the company from including larger displays in its plans.
It ordered airlines to pause all domestic flights until 9 AM ET.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered airlines to pause all domestic departures in the US, stopping all flights until 9 AM ET, because it had to restore its Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system. On early Wednesday morning, the agency issued a notice through an Air Traffic Control System Command Center Advisory that the US NOTAM system had failed. "Operations across the National Airspace System are affected," the FAA said in a tweet, then announced it was working to fix the outage. It’s the first time the US NOTAM system has failed.
OpenAI has shared a waitlist for an experimental ChatGPT Professional service that, for a fee, would effectively remove limits on the advanced chatbot. The AI tool would always be available, with no throttling and as many messages as necessary. The startup hasn't said when the pilot program might launch, and it's asking would-be participants for feedback on pricing.
As TechCrunch noted, the company said on its Discord server it's "starting to think" about how it will make money from ChatGPT and keep the technology viable in the "long-term." CEO Sam Altman recently pointed out that ChatGPT costs OpenAI a few cents for every chat.
Windows Central sources claim Microsoft has canceled a twin-screen Surface Duo 3, which was allegedly meant to launch late this year. The company has apparently switched to focus on a "true" foldable phone. The new device's specs and name aren't known, but it would have a 180-degree hinge with an outside cover display, like the Vivo X Fold. The canceled Surface Duo 3 was "finalized," according to the sources. It would have supposedly addressed some of its predecessor's shortcomings with narrower edge-to-edge screens and wireless charging. But now, we’ll probably never know.
In a 2022 report about VR fitness, The Washington Post cited a Forrester research that said 25 percent of American adults online are interested in buying a VR headset and 18 percent think they'd primarily use it for exercise. VR fitness is a growing space, and Meta has rolled out a couple of new health-related features for its Quest headset that could convince even more people to give it a try. In its latest update for the device, the company has rolled out Health Connect integration for Android users, and, as The Vergereports, the ability to pair Bluetooth heart rate monitors with it.
A Meta spokesperson told the publication that if paired with a compatible heart rate monitor, the Meta Quest Move overlay can display a user's heart rate on any game or app, alongside minutes exercised and calories burned. At the moment, the only known compatible monitors are the Garmin HRM-Dual and the Polar H10 chest straps, but other brands and models (even smartwatches) may be able to pair with the headset. Meta just can't confirm if they'll work with the Quest as it intended.
Meanwhile, Health Connect integration will give users the capability to automatically sync VR workouts with their Android device. Meta first made people's VR fitness stats viewable outside of their headsets when it gave iOS users the capability to sync their progress with Apple Health last year. Now, Android users can finally see their progress without having to put on the Quest, as well.
The Health Connect API enables health and fitness data sharing across devices and between apps, such as Samsung Health and MyFitnessPal. To activate the integration, users will first have to sync their Meta Quest Move stats with the Meta Quest mobile app. They can do so by going into the Move app in VR and clicking Settings. Users will then have to toggle on "Health Connect by Android" under the Connected Apps section inside the Meta Quest mobile app.
It's unclear if these features are also making their way to the first Quest model released under the Oculus branding. A few days ago, the company sent out emails to Quest 1 owners, telling them that their devices will no longer be getting new features going forward. Meta will also only be releasing critical security and bug patches for the device until 2024.
Google is making Meet more social with a new feature called in-meeting reactions. The idea is that users can send one of nine emoji reactions, including 💖👍 and 😂, which will appear on the recipient's window and be visible to all in the meeting. If multiple users send emojis, they'll appear as a burst on the left side of your screen.
To use the function, you select the smile icon in the control bar, and can hover on the bar that pops up to select the skin tone of your choice for all emojis. Google calls it a "non-disruptive way to engage and participate in meetings without interrupting the speaker," with "skin tones that best represent your identity." Reactions will be on by default and can be turned off in the Admin console. The feature arrives starting on January 16th to web, Meet hardware devices and mobile, for all consumer and paid users.
Another feature arriving in the coming weeks is 360 degree backgrounds. Users on mobile will be able to insert 360 degree backgrounds that shift around based on your device's gyroscope for a more immersive experience. Backgrounds include a beach to start with, then oasis, sky city, and mountain temples to follow. It'll be available on mobile for iOS and Android, to consumers and paid users.
Apple is working on an update to the AirPods Max headphones and developing an AirPods "lite" with a $99 target price, analyst Min-Chi Kuo wrote in a tweet spotted by 9to5Mac. The new products won't be coming anytime soon, however, with a target release date for the more affordable AirPods no earlier than the second half of 2024, according to Kuo.
With the AirPods lite (or LE, or whatever Apple decides to call them), Apple would likely be trying to claw back some market share from the many cheap wireless buds on the market. The current AirPods 2 sell for $129, while the AirPods 3 cost $169, though both are often discounted. Neither offers active noise cancellation, while rivals from companies like Oppo offer ANC for under $100.
(4/5) The next-generation AirPods will likely begin mass shipments in 2H24 or 1H25, including more affordable AirPods (with Apple targeting a price of $99) and new AirPods Max, which will be assembled by Luxshare ICT and Hon Teng.
Apple's focus on its AR headset will lead to a "muted 2023" for other products, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, so the new audio products won't arrive soon. Kuo tweeted that the next-generation AirPods, including the less expensive model will ship starting in the second half of 2024 or first half of 2025. He didn't say what date Apple is targeting for the AirPods Max, but they haven't had an update since their launch in December of 2020.
With the 3rd-gen 2021 AirPods , Apple introduced Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, along with an updated design, Adaptive EQ, IPX4 sweat and water resistance, longer battery life, improved speech quality and more. The main complaints with the product were around fit, sound quality and pricing.
Apple is reportedly working on touchscreen MacBooks. Although the plans aren’t finalized, Bloomberg’s sources say that touch-friendly Apple laptops could arrive in 2025.
For a company that has made a point of saying that touch is better on a product like the iPad, a touchscreen MacBook would be a big change — but don't expect a wild departure from traditional Apple laptop design. The alleged touchscreen MacBook Pro would “likely” still run macOS and include a standard trackpad and keyboard. But, similar to Windows laptops and 2-in-1s, it would incorporate display taps and gestures. The report says Apple may expand the touch input to include other Mac models over time, but it isn’t currently planning on combining macOS and iPadOS. (One can surmise that fear of cannibalizing iPad sales has been a factor in holding out this long.)
Additionally, the report reiterates that Apple is shifting its Mac displays to OLED as part of a broader MacBook Pro overhaul. Current Macs have LCDs, while iPhones (except for the iPhone SE) and Apple Watches use OLED displays.
Apple launched the Touch Bar in 2016 as a half measure towards full touchscreen capabilities on MacBooks. The strip above the keyboard included system and in-app shortcuts, spelling suggestions and other touch-friendly inputs. But it was never embraced by developers or Apple’s most loyal customers, and it was removed from Apple’s 2021 MacBook Pro redesign.
Although much has been made of Steve Jobs’s insistence that touchscreens don’t belong on Macs, this wouldn’t be the first time the company has evolved in ways that go against “the gospel of Steve.” For example, he mocked big iPhones, small tablets and iPad styluses; today, Apple will happily sell you an iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPad mini and Apple Pencil. Although Jobs’s vision is very much instilled in the company’s DNA, the computing world has changed slightly since 2011.
The Fitbit Charge 5 just dropped back down to its all-time-low price of $100. That's the same price we saw for Black Friday and a tidy $50 discount off its usual $150. We named the Charge 5 the best overall tracker in our 2023 guide and gave it an 82 in our review when the wearable debuted. Right now only the graphite case and black band combo is discounted to $100. Both the white and gold version and the blue band with the platinum case are 13 percent off, bringing those down to $130 each.
The GPS features on the Charge 5 are particularly impressive, giving you fast and accurate data on your runs and hikes. Since it's not a smartwatch, it's got a slimmer design and the battery lasts far longer, granting two and half days on a single charge in our tests — and that's with the always-on display enabled and daily GPS usage. The bright full-color AMOLED touchscreen display is a real improvement over the Charge 4, and while the Charge 5 isn't a smartwatch, you'll still get text and other notifications from your phone, plus contactless payment with Fitbit pay.
Where the Charge 5 really excels is as a health and fitness tracker. It will monitor your activity, sleep, stress levels and heart rate, giving you more in-depth data about all of it in the Fitbit companion app. The optional Fitbit Premium isn't necessarily required for the Charge 5, but it is the only way to access certain metrics like your daily "readiness score" as well as guided workouts and meditations. The subscription is currently $10 per month and a six month membership is included with your purchase of the tracker, so you can get a feel for whether the service is for you or not.
If you're looking to spend even less on a tracker, it's worth mentioning the Fitbit Inspire 3, which is our current favorite budget tracker, is on sale for $80. That's not the lowest price we've seen, but it's close. Probably the biggest feature missing from the Inspire 3 is built-in GPS, so you'll need to bring your phone along for GPS connectivity. But the tracker will still give you plenty of data about your daily activities and nightly sleep.
