No, AMD’s new Vega-powered APUs don’t make sense for PC builders

AMD rolled out its latest Ryzen APU chips this morning, and these things aren’t your typical processor. They come with integrated Vega graphics, meaning that these bite-sized 2400G and 2200G are more capable at running games than a typical CPU. But let’s get real: That’s not saying much. Sure they’re quick enough to run Overwatch and Battlefield 1 on Low settings with some serious caveats, but as a PC component they don’t fill any particular niche — and that’s a problem.

Let’s step back from their impressive (for a CPU) game performance for a second and really examine these things. AMD’s line has always been that APUs are for budget gaming rigs, and there might be a case for manufacturers to use them in pared-down builds in the $400 to $500 range, sure. Manufacturers can defray costs in a number of ways unavailable to an individual PC builder. As stand-alone components for a prospective custom builds, these chips don’t make much sense.

Let’s run the numbers real quick. For an inexpensive motherboard socketed for AMD chips, you’re looking at $100. Let’s say another $100 for 8GB of RAM. For gaming you’re going to want at least 256GB of storage space, and you can find a good M.2 drive for $100 at that size. Moving on to power supply, let’s err on the side of caution and go with 500 Watts, in case you want to expand your build in the future, that’s $50 right there. We’re at $350, so let’s just say another $50 for a cheap case and round it up to $400.

That’s not bad so far! We’re looking at a decent little gaming rig, now we just need to choose a CPU. If we go with an AMD Ryzen APU like the 2400G, we’re adding another $170 to the overall price and we’re at a cool $570. This imaginary computer we’ve just built can run Overwatch at low settings at 1080p. With the render scale set at one hundred percent and hit about 30 FPS on average. That’s not bad — not bad at all. The problem is we can do a lot better for just a little more.

Let’s rewind. We’re back at $400 for the basics, we still need a processor and a GPU. To give AMD the benefit of the doubt here, let’s go with a Ryzen 3 1200. That’s $100. Grab an Nvidia GTX 1050 for $150, bringing our total to $650. So, to recap, this imaginary gaming rig is $90 more than the APU-based one we built. The comparison in games performance between these imaginary builds isn’t even close.

In 3DMark’s Fire Strike benchmark, the Ryzen 5 2400G achieved a score of 2,021. The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 triples that number, hitting 6,344. So, for an extra $90, you can just about triple your gaming performance. In Battlefield 1, the GTX 1050 doubled the Ryzen 5 2400G’s average framerate at both Medium and Ultra presets. Clearly the more expensive build is better in the long run too. It’s going to see you through a couple years before you really see that GTX 1050 start to show its age — and when it does you’ll be equipped to just swap it out.

On their own, the Ryzen 5 2400G and Ryzen 3 2200G are impressive steps toward a future where an APU could one day replace a low-to-mid-range graphics card. Unfortunately for AMD, that future isn’t quite here yet.

Editors’ Recommendations

• AMD Ryzen CPUs With Vega Graphics Review
• Poll: Is AMD’s new APU fast enough to make a graphics card unnecessary?
• CPU, APU, WTF? A guide to AMD’s processor lineup
• Acer’s new laptops include a liquid-cooled 2-in-1, $250 fanless Chromebook
• AMD vs. Intel: How does tech’s oldest rivalry look in 2018?

U.S. Cellular gives you unlimited data on four lines, but read the fine print

U.S. Cellular is finally starting to take unlimited data a little more seriously. The company has largely lagged behind the so-called “big four” carriers to date, but its latest offering could make it a serious option for those that want a little more data — especially those in a family or with a group of friends willing to sign up with them. The U.S. Cellular Total Plan now comes at a $140 for new subscribers with four lines and offers unlimited data. That is a tiny $35 per line.

You need four lines to reach $35 per line, but those with fewer lines can still get a pretty good price. One line comes at $45, while two lines cost $43 per line, and three lines $39 per line.

“We want our customers to have the freedom to use their phones however they want at a price that doesn’t break the bank,” Grant Leech, vice president of brand marketing at U.S. Cellular, said in a statement. “But unlimited data doesn’t mean anything unless you have a network that keeps up with it, so we provide an award-winning, fast network that works when and where our customers need it.”

All these prices are great, but there are a few caveats to consider. For starters, U.S. Cellular’s data speeds aren’t the best. The company notes in the fine-print that download speeds cap out at 1.5Mbps for streaming, and speeds will shift to 2G speeds after 22GB of data. According to Speedtest, the average mobile download speed in the U.S. is 22.69Mbps, and T-Mobile is the fastest option, with an average download speed of 23.17Mbps.

Also, while U.S. Cellular doesn’t note an expiration date, it does say that the cheaper pricing is only available for a limited time. Also, you have to jump through quite a few hoops to sign up too — the company says you are required to purchase a qualified phone, sign up for its Device Protection+ service, sign up for Autopay, and paperless billing. And if you do not do those things? It’s likely the price will be a little more on-par with what the other carriers are offering.

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Microsoft brings Windows 7 and 8.1 into the Defender fold, but there is a catch

Microsoft said on Monday, February 12 that its Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) subscription service for the enterprise is coming to Windows 8.1 and Windows 7. Previously an exclusive for Windows 10, the company is now offering the service on older platforms due to the slow transition to Windows 10 in the corporate environment. There is still a mixture of Windows-based devices, thus a need for a single security platform across Microsoft’s three operating systems for the best protection possible. 

This is not the version of Windows Defender installed on mainstream Windows 10 PCs. Instead, Windows Defender ATP is an all-in-one subscription service with several components: Intelligence-driven security analytics, application control, anti-virus, firmware protection, exploit defense, and so on. It’s a loaded package that covers multiple devices in the corporate environment and managed by the company’s security team using a cloud-based interface. 

Windows Defender is a native component of Windows 10, but the upgrade process from Windows 7 and 8.1 within the corporate environment costs both time and money. Large companies simply can’t upgrade all PCs to Windows 10 in one huge swing. The transition will take time, so Microsoft is now responding to requests for a Windows-based solution that covers all thee operating systems. 

The catch is that these customers must be in the process of moving their PCs to Windows 10. That means all PCs with Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 are scheduled to receive the Windows 10 upgrade. Throwing Windows Defender support onto these two platforms is more of a temporary fix so that corporate IT can better manage multiple devices with the three operating systems until the upgrade process is complete. 

Specifically, Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 machines will only have Windows Defender ATP Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) functionality. According to Microsoft, this component provides “comprehensive monitoring tools to help you spot abnormalities and respond to attacks faster.” All events are made visible in the cloud-based console for Windows Defender ATP subscribers. 

“Security teams benefit from correlated alerts for known and unknown adversaries, additional threat intelligence, and a detailed machine timeline for further investigations and manual response options,” Microsoft says. 

This endpoint solution for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 can run side by side with third-party anti-virus products, but the company suggests Windows Defender Antivirus, aka System Center Endpoint Protection for the enterprise. Microsoft will provide a public preview of Windows Defender ATP for the two older platforms this spring followed by a full launch sometime during the summer. 

Microsoft introduced its Windows Defender ATP service in March 2016 built specifically for the enterprise. It provides attack detection, attack analytics (who/how/why), response recommendations, network analysis, and so on. It’s continuously updated by Microsoft and works alongside other native services including Microsoft Advanced Threat Analytics and Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection. 

Editors’ Recommendations

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• Older Windows 10 devices susceptible to Windows Hello face spoofing
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• Nvidia will no longer publish new drivers for 32-bit systems
• Microsoft selling a commercial version of its Surface Laptop with Windows 10 Pro

Poll: Is AMD’s new APU fast enough to make a graphics card unnecessary?

AMD has always pitched its APUs as good options for people who want to play games on a budget. They’re entry-level processors that have on-board graphics — no graphics card necessary. At least, that’s always been the promise.

Hoping to finally fulfill that promise, we’ve now got the new $169 Ryzen 5 2400G processor, and the smaller $99 Ryzen 3 2200G, both powered by Vega graphics. The question with these APUs is whether or not they can actually replace a discrete graphics card. AMD claims they can, but our tests haven’t been quite as positive.

What they can do, however, is play games like Overwatch at 30-40 frames per second with Low settings. But is that enough for you?

.@AMD has a new Vega-powered #APU. Would you be willing to play games at 30fps if it meant not having to buy a #graphicscard?

— Digital Trends (@DigitalTrends) February 12, 2018

The new Vega graphics easily outpace other onboard solutions like Intel HD graphics, but don’t get close to replacing something like a GTX 1050. As we’ve pointed out, it would only cost $90 more to pair a 1050 with a Ryzen 3 1200 — and see much better game performance.

Based on the results of our poll so far, it looks like many of agree with us. For those of you who are cool with getting a lower framerate, we’ll have to wait to see if some PC manufacturers can utilize these APUs in dirt-cheap desktops. For now, they just aren’t what you want to base a cheap gaming PC build on.

Editors’ Recommendations

• AMD Ryzen CPUs With Vega Graphics Review
• AMD talks details on second-gen Ryzen chips, teases Vega for mobile
• The best AMD CPUs on any budget
• CPU, APU, WTF? A guide to AMD’s processor lineup
• AMD CEO shows off first laptop packing a Ryzen-branded chip at Best Buy

Thanks to Bitmoji Deluxe, my Bitmoji now gives me anxiety

When Bitmojis first started to become popular, I jumped at the opportunity to create a cartoon version of myself.

I distinctly remember opening the app, and lackadaisically choosing features that looked like me: Brown hair and eyebrows to match, blue eyes, glasses, a bit of makeup here, a cute outfit there, and voilà. I didn’t obsess over the minor details, not because there weren’t many choices, but because Bitmojis are just silly cartoon avatars. These avatars can be added to your Snapchat Stories, Snapchat messages, or as stickers in your snaps — adding a little personalization to your Snapchat experience.

“There’s no escape from feeling like I’m always looking myself under a microscope.”

Fast forward almost two years, and now we have Bitmoji Deluxe. Bitmoji Deluxe is your classic Bitmoji on steroids. I find myself taking days to perfect my avatar, because I’ve started to question physical looks I never noticed before. Bitmoji Deluxe gives you far more customization options, from old and new categories. Not only can you pick from different hair treatments, but there’s also various foreheads, cheeks, and eye lines thrown into the mix.

In theory, adding more options to further customize your avatar sounds great. You no longer have to settle for a Bitmoji that looks sort of like you, because now it can look exactly like you. But my experience with the new feature was filled with far more anxiety than whimsical fun.

The quest to create the perfect Bitmoji

I assumed the experience would be similar to how I created my first Bitmoji. Boy was I wrong. I couldn’t just choose any random feature; it had to be extremely accurate. The pressure only grew when I received a text message from my friend of her new Bitmoji, which looked absolutely beautiful. It had defined cheekbones, tan skin, two-toned blonde hair, and bright blue eyes – yes, I’m still describing a cartoon here. It really looked exactly like her.

So I decided to get to work. But since I was starting with a clean slate, I found myself taking more than 20 minutes to choose just one physical attribute. I was second-guessing each decision, and took almost an hour on only the first half of my face.

Have you ever spent time looking in the mirror to determine how far apart your eyes are from one another all in the name of Bitmoji? Well, me neither because Bitmoji Deluxe conveniently lets you stare at a selfie of yourself while creating your new character. So I got to analyze my face in the corner of the app, while also pulling up selfies from my Instagram and Facebook profiles, to pinpoint other features like the size of my nose from all sorts of angles.

Once I was finally done choosing everything down to the proper shape of my mouth, I felt like my avatar was coming together. I was confident with the way it looked, until I got to my hairstyle. It was disappointing to see the absence of medium-length hairstyles, so I had to go for the longer styles instead. That’s when I was forced to choose between what I actually wanted, and what looked more accurate.

“Bitmoji Deluxe is your classic Bitmoji on steroids.”

I decided to send both versions to my friend for her opinion on which resembled me more. Naturally, she chose the one I didn’t want. I must have switched them back and forth for another half hour before I realized it was 11 p.m. and I was sitting on my bed obsessing over what is literally a caricature of myself.

But it makes sense obsessing over these details. With the Snapchat integration, your Bitmoji is a complete representation of your persona on the app. Not only do I use my Bitmoji in my Snapchat Stories and Snapchat messages, but I also add it to texts.

Will I freely send my Bitmoji through texts anymore? Probably not. Before, I never thought about which ones were too weird because everyone’s looked equally as goofy. It’s what made them so fun to use.

I’m now worried about whether or not someone will point out my Bitmoji looks nothing like me, or if my own portrayal will make them see me differently. It’s exactly what happened with selfies on Instagram — I’ve now posted far fewer specifically because of how anxious I would get, over how many likes it would receive.

I could stop using Bitmoji and delete the app completely, but it’s hard when all my friends use it to communicate on a daily basis. I’ve become too reliant on it. With Bitmoji, it was nice having an app that encouraged me not take myself so seriously. I considered it a break from the “selfie” culture I’m constantly immersed in, which forces me to constantly analyze my features. But with the deluxe version, there’s no escape from feeling like I’m always looking at myself under a microscope.

After choosing my final looks, I sent it to the same friend – who was basically on this journey with me the entire time. Underneath, I texted her “Ugh, is this really what I look like?” Her response: “It’s just a Bitmoji, Brenda.”

Editors’ Recommendations

• With a selfie, Bitmoji Deluxe makes avatars look more like you
• New to Snapchat? Follow our guide and go from newbie to pro
• Here is what users are saying about that new Snapchat redesign
• Shopping at Amazon’s Go stores feels like a heist. And we love it
• Joss Stone tossed the script (and recorded her dogs) for ‘Project Mama Earth’

Snapchat continues to seep outside the app with Snap Map on the web

First comes Stories, then comes Snap Maps — Snapchat is continuing its push for new users by opening up select options to live outside the app on the web. On Monday, February 12, Snapchat launched the Snap Map URL that allows web browsers to access a map of Snapchat Stories.

Unlike most social networks that have both an app and a dot-com access point, Snapchat was entirely app-based until the company launched Stories Everywhere in January. The feature allows Snapchat’s stream of short video clips or photos to be shared on the web through a link. Now, Snapchat is applying the same idea to the Snap Map.

Now, visiting map.snapchat.com allows access to the geotagged Stories previously only accessible from the mobile app. Using the map, users can find Snaps shared nearby, or use a location to follow an event, like New York Fashion Week or the Olympics, or a travel destination. Like in the app, the map shows hotspots by color coding where the most Snaps are coming from. Clicking on one of those hotspots will automatically play the Stories one after another.

The Snap Map that lives online isn’t entirely algorithm generated either — Snap staff select featured Stories to add, while an algorithm decides what others to add.

Along with accessing the Snap Map from a URL, Snapchat is also now allowing the interactive map to be embedded in other websites as well, which looks something like this:

Tapping the share icon generates the embed code for whatever section of the map is currently on your screen. In keeping with the Snapchat’s ephemeral nature, the embed doesn’t last forever, but with a 30-day expiration, the map lasts longer than Stories. After the embed expires, the map will be replaced with a notice that the content is no longer available.

When Snap Map first launched, the tool brought with it privacy concerns, with many users opting to turn the geo-tagging off. In the web-based version of the Snap Map, the username is left out of the content, so if the content itself doesn’t give away the sharer, the identity of just who was at that location at that time is left out.

Snap is currently pushing to find more users to please investors, offering potential new users a glimpse at the social network online could spark additional app downloads for the company. While embedding a Snap Map may add socially curated content to any webpage on a local event, for Snapchat, the same feature could help more non-Snapchatters understand what the app is all about.

The Snap Map currently has 100 million users every month out of Snapchat’s entire 187 million user base.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Snapchat update abandons that white border on uploaded Stories photos
• Could Snapchat finally get a web browser version? Leak suggests the possibility
• New to Snapchat? Follow our guide and go from newbie to pro
• Snapchat now lets you create custom, wacky AR Lenses with new fee-based tool
• Relive your top Snapchats of the year with a Story for all of 2017

The ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ movie will be directed by Chris Columbus

Almost a year ago, Blumhouse Productions — the studio that followed the wild success of Paranormal Activity with hits like Insidious, Whiplash, Split and Get Out — secured the film rights for the video game Five Nights At Freddy’s. Today, the company announced who’d be helming the movie adaptation, and it’s…Chris Columbus, best known for directing Home Alone, Home Alone 2, Mrs. Doubtfire and the first two Harry Potter films.

Five Nights At Freddy’s is a horror game franchise following nighttime employees trying to survive Chuck E. Cheese-style enterprises where animatronic robots run amok trying to murder the player. It’s a weird fit for Columbus, who’s most known for tame films about families and magic.

True, Columbus has had a broad career in Hollywood beyond just kid-friendly films: He wrote Gremlins and The Goonies, directed Adventures in Babysitting and the film version of the Broadway hit Rent, and produced The Help and The Witch. He could surprise us all with a great adaptation of Five Nights At Freddy’s, which Columbus is slated to write, direct and produce. Of course, he’s also responsible for directing the universally-panned Pixels, so we’ll hope cautiously.

Via: io9

Source: Deadline

Researchers use nanorobots to kill tumors in mice

Our current methods of fighting malignant tumors are wildly inadequate. Chemotherapy and radiation treatments, while sometimes successful, come with massive side effects, mainly because every other cell in the body is also getting bombarded with chemicals and radiation even though the main targets are the tumor cells. Finding a way to specifically target tumor cells while leaving healthy cells alone is something that many researchers are working towards and a new study out today demonstrates that nanorobots made out of DNA could be an effective option.

The research team took DNA from a virus and turned it into a sort of DNA sheet. That sheet was then loaded with an enzyme called thrombin — a chemical that can clot blood — and the sheet was then rolled into a tube, with the thrombin kept protected inside. To the ends of that DNA tube, the researchers attached small bits of DNA that specifically bind to a molecule found in tumor cells, and they served as a kind of guide for the DNA nanorobots. The idea is that once the nanorobots are introduced into an organism, they’ll travel around and when those guiding bits of DNA come into contact with those tumor-associated molecules, they’ll attach. Then, the DNA tube will open up, exposing the thrombin within. That thrombin will then clot the blood supply to the tumor, effectively cutting off its nutrients and ultimately killing it.

To test their nanorobots, the researchers injected them into mice infected with human breast cancer cells and human ovarian cancer cells as well as mouse models of human melanoma and lung cancer. In each case, the nanorobots extended the life of the mice and slowed or reversed tumor growth. Further, in the case of the melanoma model, the nanorobots appeared to be able to prevent the spread of melanoma to the liver and with the lung cancer model, the lungs even showed an ability to begin repairing themselves once the tumor growth had slowed.

Of course, the ability to treat tumors would be moot if the nanorobots themselves posed a risk to people. But the team showed that the bots didn’t clot blood outside of the tumors and they didn’t trigger any significant immune responses in either mice or pigs.

While they’re still experimental and haven’t been tested in humans, these nanorobots show a lot of promise for treating cancer. “Our research shows that DNA-based nanocarriers have been shown to be an effective and safe cancer therapy,” Guangjun Nie, one of the researchers on the project, said in a statement. “We are currently working with a biotech firm to translate this revolutionary technology into a viable anti-tumor therapeutic.”

The research was published today in Nature Biotechnology.

Source: Nature Biotechnology

Boston Dynamics’ robots are the politest ‘pets’ you’ll meet

We hope you weren’t planning on sleeping tonight. Boston Dynamics has posted a video showing that its SpotMini robot can hold the door open for its fellow automatons. If one bot needs a helping hand, it’ll signal to another machine nearby that can pry the door open and let it through. It’s very polite… and more than a little unsettling, especially since it’s not clear they’ll extend the same courtesy to humans. At least the robots will have manners when they take over.

If you’re a tad more trusting, this is good news. Robots have typically only had limited cooperation with each other, and this hints at more advanced team-ups where robots can supplement each others’ abilities and accomplish more than they would by themselves. That could be helpful for search and rescue missions, or any situation where it would be impractical to equip every robot with the same features. It’s a positive move — so long as the robots remain friendly.

Source: Boston Dynamics (YouTube)

PicoBrew Z series is a modular all-in-one setup for serious homebrewers

After introducing Keurig-like pods for brewing beer at home, PicoBrew is back with a more traditional all-grain setup. The new Z Series allows brewers to use their own loose grains and hops instead of the company’s own pre-packed ingredients. There are also four models, from 2.5 gallons up to 10 gallons — each one increases brew capacity by 2.5 gallons. Like the Zymatic these units replace, PicoBrew designed these devices for pros, especially since a 5, 7.5 or 10 gallon batch would be enough to put on tap in a tasting room — for pilot batches, at least. However, experienced homebrewers can also use their expertise for the Z Series.

Like all of PicoBrew’s devices, the Z Series centers on a clear drawer that holds all of your grains and hops. Add your ingredients, select the recipe and hit start. The machine does all the heavy lifting with a connected brew keg that acts as both boil kettle and fermentation vessel. As long as you’ve input your recipe correctly (or selected one from PicoBrew’s library), the Z Series will heat the water to the proper temp, steep the grains, boil the wort and add the hops at the correct time(s). All you have to do is wait a few hours to add the yeast to begin fermentation.

The Z Series also wields a WiFi connection so similar to previous Pico models, you can monitor the brewing process from a computer, phone or tablet. That internet connection can also help you tap into PicoBrew’s “extensive” library of recipes.

If you want to brew a batch with less fuss or based on an existing beer, the Z Series can also be used alongside those PicoPaks the company developed for its Pico Pro and Pico C devices. If you’re not familiar, you basically pick a beer or use your own recipe to order packets of hops and grains that come in biodegradable containers. All you have to do is place them in the drawer and Pico’s brewing gear automatically detects the Pak, pulls in the recipe info and does the rest while you enjoy a cold one.

Of course, the only downside to a PicoPak is having to wait for it to arrive. With the Z Series, you can just run down to your local homebrew shop and pick up ingredients whenever you get the urge to brew. You also have to consider the fact that both the Pico Pro and Pico C, two brewing set-ups that only use PicoPaks, are also a lot cheaper than even the most affordable option in the Z Series.

For each additional 2.5 gallons of brewing capacity, the Z Series adds an extra gain drawer. This means that if you opt for the 10-gallon option, you essentially have what looks like a brewing file cabinet as the mash drawers stack on top of each other. It looks a little wonky, but it makes sense in terms of a modular brewhouse. Speaking of modular, PicoBrew says that after the Z Series launches, it will offer customers add-on kits to increase that capacity should the need arise. There’s no word on pricing yet, but the option is nice, and it means you don’t have to spend several hundred dollars extra right now if you don’t need to.

PicoBrew is also announcing an option for avid homebrewers to make money off of their best recipes. Through the PicoBrew Network (PBN), you can upload recipes that will be used to build PicoPaks. When other PicoBrew owners make a purchase, you’ll get royalties. The company didn’t offer specifics on rates in its announcement, but it did say over 800 homebrewers have already signed up for PBN with plans to publish beer recipes for others to try.

The PicoBrew Z Series is made for serious homebrewers and for professional brewers who need a realtively compact setup to experiment on. That said, it comes with a pro-grade price tag: the 2.5 gallon unit will cost you $2,500, the 5 gallon model is $4,000, 7.5-gallon capacity is $6,000 and the 10-gallon behemoth will set you back a whopping $8,500. The good news is the company is offering some huge discounts during the pre-order period that reduce cost by half on the 7.5- and 10-gallon options. The limited-time price cut takes $1,000 off the 2.5-gallon model and $4,500 off the 10-gallon stack. And if you splurged for the $1,999 Zymatic, PicoBrew will offer a trade-in program so you can get a break on the latest model.

Source: PicoBrew