Samsung's Hwaseong Chip Plant Out of Order for 3 Days Due To Power Outage

None
(Image credit: Yonhap)

Yesterday Samsung's facility in Hwaseong, North Korea, suffered a one-minute long power outage, which has led to an estimated two- or three-day recovery time to get the production line back online, as reported by Yonhap . This factory produces DRAM and NAND memory. The power outage was caused by a power cable explosion at a nearby power substation.

Yonhap was informed that Samsung's machinery suffered no major damage, however, currently, the production line is under investigation


Intel

Intel's 'The Element' Appears Poised for Launch At CES 2020

XPG Gaia

XPG Gaia (Image credit: Adata)

Adata recently teased the brand's XPG Gaia gaming mini-PC, which looks suspiciously like a carbon copy of Intel's Ghost Canyon NUC (Next Unit of Computing). This little easter egg from Adata's announcement leads us to the suspicion that Intel will probably announce 'The Element' at CES 2020.

Adata developed the XPG Gaia in tandem with Intel, a hint that furthers our suspicions. Evidently, the XPG Gaia features a 5-liter


Pyra Device Prototypes Reach Testers

None
(Image credit: @EvilDragon1717)

It's the end of an era...or the start of a new one. The first prototype version of Pyra, a handheld gaming system based on open source technologies, started to reach pre-order customers on December 23 after more than five years in development.

Pyra's basic design closely resembles the Nintendo DS product line: it's a clamshell product with a 5-inch display on top and a directional pad, face buttons


Apple Silicon|Intel

TSMC Investing Heavily in 5nm Fabrication and Expanding 7nm Capacity

None
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Silicon manufacturer TSMC's capital expenditure will rise to between $14 and $15 billion USD in 2020, which is significantly higher than 2019's $10-$11 billion expenditure. The increase consists largely of investments in expanding the company's output of 7nm products, as well as creating a large 5nm production capacity, as reported by EXPReview . The publication's sources say that of the increase of $4


Asus ROG Zenith II Extreme TRX40 Review: Premium Board at a Premium Price

Our Verdict

A very nice overall product, the ROG Zenith II Extreme’s greatest challenge will be to win over $850 spenders with its (comparatively) sub-$700 feature set. Buyers who are wealthy enough to trivialize that difference should be very satisfied.

For

  • 10GbE plus Gigabit Ethernet plus 2.4Gb Wi-Fi
  • Supports up to five M.2 drives without blocking PCIe slots
  • Lower profile voltage regulator cooler for easier top-panel radiator placement
  • Dual front-panel Gen2
None
Continue reading...

Aukey KM-G6 Gaming Keyboard Review: Affordable, Cheerful Mechanical Keys

Our Verdict

A blue-switched beast offering a fantastic first step into mechanical keyboards for those who don't want to spend too much. Not perfect, but not a disaster either.

For

  • Solid, heavy construction
  • Full N-key rollover
  • Weighty, clicky mechanical switches
  • Incredible price

Against

  • Inconsistent key feel
  • Limited customization options
  • Flimsy cable
  • Basic, gaudy lighting
Continue reading...

Microsoft Seizes 50 Domains Used by North Korean Hackers

None
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Microsoft revealed yesterday that it received permission to seize 50 domains used by Thallium, a threat group believed to operate from North Korea, via a court order issued by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia earlier this year.

The company said that its Digital Crimes Unit (DCU) and the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC) have been "tracking and gathering information on Thallium" for some time. During that time, the group established a network of "


Huawei Thumbs its Nose at the US Government With Record High Revenues

Huawei
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Some think success is the greatest revenge. If that's true, Huawei practically became vengeance personified this year, because the company reported a record-high revenue of $122 billion in 2019 despite U.S. government efforts to bring it down.

By now you've probably heard about the conflict between Huawei and the U.S. government enough times to recite it in your sleep. Just in case you haven't, though, here'


Rockstar Games Reportedly Kills Red Dead Redemption PC Fan Project

cowboy on horse in front of American flag
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

It took Rockstar Games over a year to bring Red Dead Redemption 2 to PC. The game's predecessor has fared even worse--it's never made its way beyond consoles. A fan project called "Red Dead Redemption: Damned Enhancement Project" was supposed to change that, but Polygon reported Sunday that publisher Take-Two Interactive filed a lawsuit against its developer to prevent further work on it.

Red Dead Redemption was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in


The Worst Tech of the Last 10 Years

Worst Tech

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Looking back at a decade of bad tech can be a fun experience--so long as you didn’t spend your own hard-earned money on too many of the products and technologies below. But even if you did, say, buy a power-hungry under-performing AMD FX processor or a potentially exploding Samsung Note 7, time and better tech have likely come along to ease your pain by now.

But if you’re still stuck with an Apple

Continue reading...