(Credit: Backblaze)Cloud backup company Backblaze has become well-known for its hard drive and SSD failure rate reports. The interval of time it uses for its reports varies, as sometimes it’s quarterly, annual, or both. The company is using the longest reporting timeline we’ve ever seen this time. It’s shown the failure rates of all its SSDs since it began using them in 2018. It’s also offering insight into the  SSDs’ operating temperatures over time. This answers the question of whether they run cooler than HDDs. Most of the SSDs fared quite well, with an annualized failure rate of less ..read more

Our connected world makes it simple to send documents around the world in the blink of an eye, but heaven have mercy if you ever need to print one of them. Printers are perhaps even more frustrating than they were in the pre-internet era, thanks to the way companies like HP have chosen to increase profits. Despite customer backlash and a series of lawsuits, HP has stepped up the rollout of “Dynamic Security” features that block printing with third-party ink cartridges. According to HP, Dynamic Security is all about “[protecting] the quality of our customer experience.” What it actually means ..read more

ASML machine being shipped in container slots in a 747 Credit: ASML)The Netherlands government has unveiled new export restrictions on China. The new rules will prevent China from purchasing its most advanced semiconductor equipment. The world’s largest manufacturer of machines that make the actual chips, ASML, is located in the Netherlands. The new rules apply only to its Deep Ultra Violet (DUV) immersion lithography and deposition tools. The move will see the Dutch join the US in controlling what technology China can acquire. It comes after more than two years of talks between the two countr ..read more

7th Gen Intel Core processors are manufactured on silicon wafers at Intel production facilities. New 7th Gen Intel Core processors deliver richer experiences, incredible performance and responsiveness, and true ultra HD 4K entertainment in stunning new devices. (Credit: Intel Corporation) (Credit: Intel)Over the past year, Intel has announced aggressive plans to increase the number of fabs it operates while spreading them across Europe (and America). This plan would help it achieve its “five nodes in four years” IDM 2.0 goal and offer the company some resiliency. Intel announced plans for new ..read more

(Image: Asus)Since the first transparent side panel appeared on a PC case, some people have wanted their PC’s wires to remain out of sight. That movement gained strength when RGB lighting became a thing. However, it’s not easy in the cramped quarters of a PC case to perfectly tuck the cables out of the way. To combat this scourge on our glorious rigs, hardware manufacturers have developed custom hardware that makes it easier to hide cables. Previous attempts by motherboard manufacturers were usually prototypes, but Asus has announced a real product you can (theoretically) buy. It’s an Intel-ba ..read more

(Credit: Eteixido/Wikimedia Commons)Whether you frequent Chuck E. Cheese or haven’t had to think about the sticky children’s arcade chain for a while now, you’ll probably be surprised to learn that what’s bossing around those creepy animatronics isn’t a digital file or even a CD—it’s a floppy disk. A Chuck E. Cheese employee has shared that 20-year-old technology is powering every move made by the mouse from your nightmares. Stewart, a young employee with the username @showbizpizzaman on TikTok, often shares behind-the-scenes videos at Chuck E. Cheese. Combined with his mullet and mustache, St ..read more

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger holds an 18A SRAM wafer. (Credit: Intel) Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger holds an 18A SRAM wafer (Credit: Intel)In today’s edition of “Intel Roadmap Watch,” we’re learning the company has finalized plans for its most advanced nodes. If you recall, the company’s roadmap ends with 18A, an evolution of 20A. That’s when the company finally says goodbye to FinFET and moves into the Ångström Era of transistor design. Intel’s President and Chairman for China, Rang Wui, confirmed to Chinese media outlet UDN that it’s completed the prep work on these two nodes. That includes figuring o ..read more

Step aside AI; a new buzzword is in town: Video Super Resolution (VSR). It’s a new technology that uses your GPU’s hardware to upscale video content viewed in a browser. Nvidia was first out of the gate with RTX Video Super Resolution, which launched a week ago. Then it was discovered that some Intel GPUs also support a version of it. Now Microsoft has announced a version, too. Notably, Microsoft’s version works on Nvidia and AMD GPUs, including older ones–with several caveats. Microsoft made the announcement in a blog post about new features in the Canary version of its Edge browser. This ve ..read more

(Credit: PCMag)Apple’s elves are reportedly working on a slew of new Macs for 2023. The company is churning out computers with its “stopgap” M2 silicon. That word is used because the M1 and M2 are manufactured on TSMC’s 5nm process. The M3, however, will likely be fittingly named as it will be a 3nm product. One of the first Macs to feature the M3 will reportedly be an all-new iMac. It’ll still be 24 inches and come in a bevy of colors like the current model, but it will be redesigned internally. Apple’s entry-level Mac hasn’t been updated since it was announced in 2021. It was reported that A ..read more

Nvidia made waves recently by launching RTX Video Super Resolution (VSR) for Chromium browsers. It can upscale low-resolution video content using the tensor cores built into Ampere and Ada Lovelace GPUs. For example, it can upscale a 1080p video stream to 4K, which is excellent for those with high-res panels on their desks. Nvidia says 90% of the video streamed today is at 1080p or lower, so this is useful technology. When Nvidia announced RTX VSR, we immediately wondered if AMD would attempt something similar. However, Intel has beaten AMD to the punch. It’s already possible with some Intel ..read more