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Canada's spy agency needs a warrant when using a secretive type of technology that could help them "learn about an individual's private activities and personal choices" as part of its foreign intelligence gathering mandate, according to a recent Federal Court decision. Details of what exactly that technology is and how it's used were redacted in the June 2020 court ruling, which was posted online today. The Federal Court's findings would only say it concerns technology that allows the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) to collect certain information from mobile devices. The ruling grew out of a 2017 application for warrants to gather foreign intelligence on an undisclosed entity. "It then grew, becoming a vehicle for the consideration of a number of issues," wrote Justice James O'Reilly in his decision, which had entire paragraphs blacked out. Judge calls for review after CSIS fails to flag info likely obtained illegally CSIS use of geolocation data could be unlawful, says watchdog One of the questions he examined was whether this top-secret cellphone technology requires a warrant. CSIS argued some of the most valuable information it obtains in support of its intelligence mandate often comes from intercepted communications of "foreign persons who are associated with foreign states, groups of foreign states, or foreign corporations." "To obtain a warrant to carry out these interceptions, the service must present reasonable grounds to believe that a foreign person or persons will be sending or receiving communications over a particular [redacted] device that is owned or leased by them," said the court document. CSIS also argued that while the surveys it conducts with this technology are searches, they are "minimally intrusive." CSIS would be able to 'draw inference,' says justice However, O'Reilly ruled that CSIS's interception of this type of data "is more than minimally intrusive" and requires a warrant under a section of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protecting against unreasonable search and seizure. "Having access to this data would allow the service to draw inferences about an individual's personal lifestyle choices," he wrote. "Therefore, in my view, the information [redacted] may allow inferences to be drawn about lifestyle choices and private activities that individuals would wish to maintain and shield from state authorities. Their expectation of privacy in that information is reasonable." O'Reilly did say that CSIS is within its authority to use cellular site simulators (CSS) without a warrant. The devices can reveal the country where the user's cellular account is located along with the make, model, and serial number of the device. The decision said the agency's foreign intelligence gathering mandate provides "a sufficient and reasonable statutory basis" for these types of warrantless searches, so long as they are "minimally intrusive and conducted in a reasonable manner." John Townsend, spokesperson for CSIS, said the agency could not comment further on O'Reilly's decision regarding the technology. MPs' communications could be swept up under mandate The Federal Court justice also said CSIS should improve its policies around the collection of "incidental" information it gathers on Canadians, including elected officials, as part of its foreign intelligence gathering mandate. Under the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act, the agency can gather information about the "capabilities, intentions or activities" of foreign states or any persons other than Canadian citizens and permanent residents to assist the ministers of defence and foreign affairs. As part of the application for warrants, questions were raised about incidental interception of communications between members of federal or provincial legislatures and foreign actors. CSIS sees warrant process as 'burdensome' and a 'necessary evil': federal review For example, O'Reilly said a foreign target who is being watched under a court-approved warrant may telephone an MP to discuss a matter of mutual interest or concern. The member's comments could then be intercepted incidentally as a result of the warrant. O'Reilly called it "an inevitable consequence of foreign intelligence gathering." "I found the service's conduct generally to be appropriate and satisfactory. However, I suggest that the service should develop guidelines for distributing and unminimizing the identities of Canadians whose communications have been incidentally intercepted, and should provide the court an opportunity to comment on them," he wrote. "It should also specifically disclose when there is a possibility that the communications of an elected official or other public servant may be intercepted, allowing the court to impose any necessary terms and conditions on the execution of the warrants." Townsend said the agency has since developed guidelines with respect to the management of incidentally collected information and has provided them to the Federal Court for review. "CSIS welcomes the decision by the Federal Court with respect to matters concerning [section 16] of the CSIS Act," he said in a statement to CBC. "This decision further demonstrates how CSIS abides by its mandate and takes its responsibility to the Federal Court and to all Canadians very seriously." When it comes to elected officials' communications, the judge said his concern for more care grows out of the potentially secret nature of the information. "It is not parliamentary privilege itself that animates the need for extra care; indeed, few officials could mount any real claim to privilege. The concern about gathering information about public officials is that the service may be intercepting highly sensitive communications emanating from persons charged with the governance of Canada," he said. "That information, particularly information about the identity of the Canadian persons involved, must be carefully handled." O'Reilly said without better guidelines, decisions about the retention, disclosure, and distribution of that information is left to individual discretion

The best e-commerce platforms can enable your business to set up an online store that suits your needs. There is a huge variety of e-commerce platform packages from which to choose, so building an online store has never been easier. To begin, first you'll need ecommerce web hosting, which is to say hosting that will scale up with your business without interruption. Next you'll need shopping cart software to run with your ecommerce site. This will probably include a payment gateway for credit card processing, though if you're already established and have a decent enough credit rating you could apply for merchant services to reduce transaction costs. Your ecommerce website doesn't have to be expensive to design, either, as there are plenty of ecommerce themes available. Additionally, if you also have a bricks-and-mortar store than a Point of Sale (POS) system for mobile credit card processing can be particularly desirable. Which e-commerce software is best for your business depends entirely on your specific requirements. If you're an online-only outfit, then POS integration won't be necessary, but you may get a lot of business from overseas, in which case foreign currency support would be a requirement. In this article, we’re going to highlight some of the best e-commerce platforms available right now, before moving on to consider other options you might want to explore in terms of creating your own e-commerce solution. Wix is our top-rated website builder If you want a simpler alternative to some of the full-on web store building solutions here, check out Wix. It’s highly user-friendly, yet there’s still plenty of e-commerce power available to create a suitably impressive online store. Wix’s e-commerce plan starts from £11 per monthWe've also featured the best tax software. And the best accounting software. The best e-commerce platforms: Wix Shopify BigCommerce WooCommerce CoreCommerce Shift4Shop Wix may be better known for providing an all-purpose website builder, but it's not just templates and logos that Wix can provide, but also a fully-functional ecommerce platform. While other platforms are known for their complexity in being able to deliver an e-commerce platform for all needs, Wix offers a much simpler solution for small businesses who don't need all the bells and whistles of an online megastore. Additionally, because of the suite of website building tools available through Wix, setting up an ecommerce platform is really simple and easy to do, and just as easy to manage, with no coding skills required. The result is a platform that anyone should be able to use without too much difficulty. There are over 500 templates available to help you get the look and feel you need for your ecommerce site, and along with inventory management, you can also use Wix payments to choose from a global network of payment providers, including all major credit card companies, as well as other services such as Paypal and Stripe. Overall, if you want a simpler alternative to some of the full-on web store building solutions here, Wix delivers well. It’s highly user-friendly, yet there’s still plenty of e-commerce power available to create a suitably impressive online store. Shopify is perhaps the most well known e-commerce platform available. It was set up in 2006 by founders Tobias Lütke, Daniel Weinand and Scott Lake who, as the story goes, felt that there wasn't a simple-to-use e-commerce platform available and so built their own. The company claims that: "You don't need to have any technical or design experience to easily create a beautiful online store." According to Shopify, it's possible to get one of its online stores up-and-running within minutes. Users can choose from a wide range of templates, or they can design the look and feel of their store themselves. It accepts a comprehensive range of credit cards, has Level 1 PCI compliance and 256-bit SSL encryption for security, and it offers 24/7 support via phone, instant messaging or email. The platform provides a full CMS with which users can manage the functionality and layout of their online store. Users can manage their store on-the-go using Shopify's mobile apps, and the platform itself is fully responsive, meaning the store will be optimized for visitors regardless of whether they access it from a desktop computer or a mobile device. A live chat function is available which allows you to have a real time conversation with your customers. There's a built-in support for 3D models and video too. There's also an option to create customizable storefronts on Facebook and Instagram. One of the newer features is the store speed report. Shopify also offers users unlimited hosting for their stores, in-depth analytics of how visitors are using the store, and functionality for marketing such as SEO optimization, a discount and coupon engine, gift cards and email marketing tools. You can test out Shopify with a 14-day free trial. Shopify subscription options:

Intel recently unveiled one of the biggest chips we have ever seen and we instantly reached out to some of our sources for further details. While we had an idea of what to expect due to technical disclosures on Architecture Day we were still blown away by what we learned. You are looking at what is the first Intel 7nm die shot (of a packaged product) and courtesy of our sources, the full correct annotation for what you are seeing is finally here. Intel's Xe HPC 2-tile (PVC) GPU uses a blend of Intel 7nm, Intel 10nm ESF, and TSMC 7nm process technology brought together by Foveros Everything mentioned in this article has been confirmed and cross-referenced by at least two of our sources and represents the correct annotations for the Xe HPC die shot. The Intel Xe HPC 2-tile package (which is pretty much the Ponte Vecchio GPU in its early stages) shown off by Intel Chief Architect Raja Koduri is an absolute marvel in terms of the technology used. The die shot is nothing less than a technical showcase with some of Intel's most advanced process and packaging technologies - and no that is not an exaggeration. It shows not only the first-ever 7nm die shot (in a packaged product) of Intel's in-house 7nm process but also shows EMIB in use with Foveros 3D Packaging. You can also spot the promised mix and match philosophy with parts from TSMC and new features like Rambo Cache as well. Let's start from the top. The Xe Link/IO Tile can be seen in the top right and bottom right corners of the package and has been fabricated on TSMC's 7nm process. Interestingly, the die shot also contains two different sized HBM2 tiles which can be seen on either side of the main tiles. And yes, that is HBM2 and not simply HBM. The star attraction of both tiles is the compute die (16 in total) and was fabricated on Intel's own 7nm process. While a lot of people assumed that the vertical dies surrounding the compute die are either XEMF Scalable Memory Fabric or Rambo Cache - that is not actually true. The vertical dies on the right, left, top and bottom positions are actually passive die stiffeners that contain no logic on board. The Rambo Cache is actually in the middle and is fabricated on Intel's 10nm Enhanced Super Fin process. The 10nm base die is actually underneath the tiles you can see in the picture and the same goes for EMIB, which is under the passive dies and HBM2. Since this package utilizes Intel's 3D Foveros packaging, there is a lot happening which is out of sight and until we get a detailed 3D diagram with layers, it would be a bit hard to visualize just how complex this particular package is. Raja teased that there are 7 advanced technologies at play here, and by our calculation, these would be: Intel 7nm TSMC 7nm Foveros 3D Packaging EMIB Enhanced Super Fin Rambo Cache HBM2 Keep in mind, however, that the package you are seeing is simply the first iteration (read: prototype) of Intel's upcoming Ponte Vecchio chip. Considering it is due sometime in late 2021 or early 2022, the first power on is very very good news for Intel enthusiasts and shows that the company is coming along nicely as far as the roadmap goes. Ponte Vecchio will be utilized in the Aurora supercomputer and there were a lot of concerns on whether Intel would be able to meet the deadline. The answer to that, it seems, is yes.

While we sort of already know what to expect from amiibo functionality in Nintendo Switch games nowadays, it's always nice to know exactly what will happen when they're scanned in a certain game. In the case of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, it's a game divided into two different adventures. To use an amiibo in Super Mario 3D World, you need to bring up a little amiibo symbol and then scan your figure in. Here's the full explanation, courtesy of Destructoid: "Using amiibo in Mario 3D World portion is very straight-forward: you hold left on the d-pad while playing to bring up the amiibo symbol prompt when in a level, then scan. 99% of figures create random power-ups or a 1UP mushroom." As already stated on the official game site, Cat Mario summons an invincible White Cat suit, and Cat Peach can create randomised power-ups - but seemingly has no "special" functionality. In the new add-on adventure Bowser's Fury, the "two main figures" for this mode are Bowser and Bowser Jr, and "everything else will summon random power-ups". Once again, you hold left on the D-Pad to scan in figures. Here's the source's full rundown: "Using Bowser on the amiibo NFC point will immediately wake Fury Bowser from his slumber. While this is normally a hazard that needs to be managed and avoided, calling upon Bowser does have its perks, as certain walls/obstacles can only be destroyed by Fury Bowser's abilities. So if you need him to immediately appear to enter a specific area, you don't have to wait for him. We did test multiple Bowser amiibo, and figures like wedding Bowser will also perform the same functionality." "Bowser Jr. is special too, allowing you to unleash an explosion of sorts. You can't spam it as it has a cooldown: there's not much more to it!" It's worth noting the Bowser and Bowser Jr. amiibo are not classed as unique/special in Super Mario 3D World. So, there you go - that's how amiibo functionality works in Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury. If you would like to learn even more about the game, be sure to check out our own preview.

Qualcomm on Tuesday outlined a broad strategy to advance its Snapdragon platform in the auto industry as it aims to expand in the cockpit as well as a bevy of subsystems. The Qualcomm playbook for the automotive industry rhymes with its plans for IoT, artificial intelligence and compute. That strategy revolves around using 5G and the Internet of everything to consolidate compute platforms. In an event dubbed Automotive Redefined, Qualcomm outlined a new software defined architecture called E/E (electronic/electrical) that aims to put its platforms in everything from the cockpit to autonomous driving to sensors to electric charging infrastructure. As automobiles become more connected via 5G enabled C-V2X technology, Qualcomm ultimately sees cars as the "ultimate mobility platform" with new experiences updated over the air. Indeed, Qualcomm said it is extending its partnership with General Motors and plans to integrate Amazon's Alexa into its cockpit platform. Qualcomm said it will integrate Alexa Custom Assistant into its cockpit platform with customization with the Alexa Automotive Software Development Kit. "The digital cockpit has become synonymous the ever-growing need for automakers to create a unique, differentiated and branded experience for their customer," said Nakul Duggal, senior vice president and general manager for Qualcomm's automotive unit. ARCHITECTURE MATTERS Qualcomm's approach to its auto architecture is similar to what has happened in the data center. In fact, many folks refer to an automobile as a data center on wheels. Qualcomm's architecture reflects how auto manufacturers want to move from a decentralized approach to sensors and functions to one that's based on services. This auto stack would include a vehicle level, a multi-application and proximity level and a slice of the stack devoted to applications. There would also be a base that included node and sensors. Sample file: How to count individual cells within a row by their fill color in Excel This is the demonstration file to accompany the article, How to count individual cells within a row by their fill color in Excel, by Susan Harkins. Downloads provided by TechRepublic With this architecture, Qualcomm wants to use Snapdragon to play in everything from traffic services to telematics to autonomous driving, rear seat entertainment and the cockpit. All of these systems would be connected to the cloud and hyperscalers such as Amazon, Google and Microsoft. Qualcomm reckons it already has more than 150 million vehicles with its technology embedded. The company outlined the following: Its third generation automotive cockpit platform has been selected by more than 20 automakers with commercial production ramping in 2021. Qualcomm's Snapdragon platform for automotive cockpits will be available in the fourth quarter with a 5 nanometer design and the ability to handle multimedia, audio and video processing as well as cybersecurity, camera perception and system safety. The Snapdragon Rid Autonomous Stack aims to integrate deep learning, computer vision, vision perception, driver monitoring and other applications to integrate with smart city applications. Arriver, a driving policy and perception stack that creates a 360 model of the surrounding environment and combines various data and sensors. Systems on chips with Qualcomm's Kyro CPU and Adreno GPU as well as its AI Engine. AUTO COMPETITION INTENSIFIES Qualcomm has big ambitions for the auto industry, but so do a bevy of rivals. At CES 2021, a bevy of competitors outlined visions. For instance, Intel's Mobileye unit touted new processors for Lidar. Mobileye also is focused on autonomous driving as well as integrated maps, driving policies and safety and sensing systems. Harman also outlined concepts that would personalize cockpits in vehicles going forward. And Nvidia has its own autonomous vehicle platform called Drive that has gained traction. NIO teams up with Nvidia, Qualcomm in self-driving car development Hyundai taps Nvidia for future fleet AI, infotainment services

Target Corp. TGT, -1.29% is launching a lifestyle collection with Levi Strauss & Co. LEVI, +0.52%, Levi’s for Target, on Feb. 28. The exclusive collaboration will include 100 items, and marks the first home goods line for the iconic denim brand. Merchandise will include items for pets, as well as apparel. Target already carries Levi Strauss items through the Denizen brand and Levi’s Red Tab, which launched in 2019. Levi Strauss is scheduled to report its fourth-quarter earnings after the closing bell on Wednesday Target also announced this week that it will invest $200 million on additional worker bonuses to start off 2021. Hourly employees working in stores, distribution centers and offices will receive $500. Twelve thousand employees with titles including store directors, executive team leaders and salaried distribution center leaders will receive bonuses in the range of $1,000 and $2,000. This is the fifth bonus that Target has given its workers since the start of the pandemic. See: Target’s holiday sales show the importance of stores even as COVID-19 drives business online The retailer also raised the starting wage to $15 per hour. Target stock has rallied nearly 65% over the past year, outpacing the S&P 500 index SPX, -0.15%, which is up 17% for the period.

Home Secretary Priti Patel has defended using military barracks to house asylum seekers amid calls to close them. It comes after a Covid-19 outbreak at Kent's Napier Barracks, where a number of people were "removed" and put into isolation. It was claimed that some were moved out of the barracks in Folkestone at short notice over the weekend. The Home Office denied reports people were given just 15 minutes to leave. Coventry South MP Zarah Sultana said on Tuesday that "one in four people" at Napier Barracks had tested positive for Covid-19 as she called on Ms Patel to close the camp and "provide good, safe and liveable housing instead". But Ms Patel told Parliament the accommodation was of a "very strong standard" and "in line with PHE guidance". Ms Patel added: "The reason why we have removed a number of asylum seekers over the weekend is actually to protect others from catching coronavirus. That is absolutely the right thing to do." The ex-military site has been used to house about 400 asylum seekers since September. But concerns were further raised about its use after 120 people were suspected to have tested positive for Covid-19. Earlier this month a doctor at the Helen Bamber Foundation, which works with refugees, described conditions at the barracks as "inhumane", and some residents have slept outside in protest. Folkestone's MP Damian Collins has also called for the closure of the barracks, saying he had raised concerns about the suitability of using the site to accommodate so many people at the start of the process. One man, who has been living at the barracks, told the PA news agency "around 59 people" were transferred off site over the weekend. The Home Office has previously said the accommodation is "safe, suitable, and Covid-compliant".

Websites advertising pirated and cracked software are being used to deliver an updated version of the DanaBot banking Trojan, which can steal individuals' online banking credentials, according to security firm Proofpoint. See Also: The 2020 Bad Bot Report DanaBot, a malware-as-a-service offering, was first spotted by Proofpoint researchers in 2018. Cybercriminal groups have used the most recent version of the banking Trojan, which became available in October 2020, to target customers of financial institutions in the U.S., Canada, Germany, the U.K., Australia, Italy, Poland, Mexico and Ukraine, Proofpoint says. "DanaBot was one of the most prominent banking malware variants for two years," says Sherrod DeGrippo, senior director of threat research and detection at Proofpoint. "While DanaBot is newly returned with a few updates, we anticipate it will be featured in phishing campaigns in the next few months, and DanaBot's affiliate numbers will increase as well." Attack Tactics A Proofpoint report released Tuesday notes the latest version of DanaBot is spread through websites that offer pirated software keys as a free download. When victims download and execute a software key, two stealer components are loaded onto the compromised device. The first stealer is capable of collecting browser details, system information and cryptocurrency wallets. The second stealer is used to install a cryptocurrency miner as well as the main DanaBot payload, which can steal banking credentials, Proofpoint notes. "We caution users to avoid downloading pirated software, as those files might be hiding an array of malware, including DanaBot banking Trojans, which quietly steal online banking credentials," DeGrippo says. Affiliate Model The DanaBot operators run a global command-and-control server and its infrastructure and then sell access to cybercriminal affiliates, Proofpoint says. Two affiliates of the malware-as-a-service operation have already adopted the latest version, the company says. Dozens use earlier versions. The latest DanaBot version includes advanced anti-analysis capabilities and maintains persistence on compromised devices by adding Microsoft LNK shortcut files, according to the research report. The malware also has the capability to target cryptowallets. This new capability "might also signal that the threat actor is preparing for future campaigns aimed at stealing wallets or logins for po[CENSORED]r cryptocurrency sites, similar to their approach when targeting traditional banking credentials," DeGrippo says. Targeting Cryptowallets Over the last several months, researchers have been tracking several fresh malware variants targeting cryptocurrency wallets. For example, earlier this month, Intezer Labs researchers uncovered a remote access Trojan, dubbed ElectroRAT, that had been stealing cryptocurrency from digital wallets over the past year (see: ElectroRAT Malware Targets Cryptocurrency Wallets). In another recent report, security firm Group-IB found Raccoon - malware that has been known to target cryptocurrency wallets - is also being deployed by criminal gangs to target e-commerce sites and steal payment card details (see: Payment Card Skimming Group Deployed Raccoon Infostealer).

Intel's Chief Architect Raja Koduri has just revealed the first die shot of Intel's Xe HPC GPU (informally known as Arctic Sound), specifically the 2-tile variant. It is the first time we are seeing the insides of the package and the actual dies (although the exact picture appears to have been shaded over by Intel) and you can clearly see the EU clusters, cache and memory. Intel shows off massive Xe HPC 2-tile GPU with 8192 cores The monstrous package features 16 clusters with 128 EUs each for a total of 1024 EUs and 8192 cores (or ALUs if you prefer). Last we heard it was based on the Intel Graphics 12.5 architecture and will be clocked at 1290 MHz for a resounding 21.1 TFLOPs of horsepower. And this is not all, there is a 4-tile package in the works as well which will have a massive core count of 2048 EUs or 16384 cores and a graphics horsepower of 42 TFLOPs.Raja has also teased that you can see "7 advanced technologies" in this picture and while we can hazard a guess at HBM memory, the rest remains to be seen. According to Intel's original plan, the Intel HPC 2-Tile GPU will be made on 7nm process (compute tiles): Intel also launched their DG1 OEM-only graphics card today and it looks like they wanted to tease what the future holds as well considering DG1 is only an entry-level card that is meant to act as training wheels for the future as Intel gets a hang of shipping discrete GPUs. The company has previously benchmarked up to a 4-tile live with astounding results and almost perfect scaling during Architecture Day 2020. Here are the actual EU counts of Intel's various MCM-based Xe HP GPUs along with estimated core counts and TFLOPs:Intel Xe HP (12.5) 1-Tile GPU: 512 EU [Est: 4096 Cores, 12.2 TFLOPs assuming 1.5GHz, 150W] Intel Xe HP (12.5) 2-Tile GPU: 1024 EUs [Est: 8192 Cores, 20.48 assuming 1.25 GHz, TFLOPs, 300W] Intel Xe HP (12.5) 4-Tile GPU: 2048 EUs [Est: 16,384 Cores, 36 TFLOPs assuming 1.1 GHz, 400W/500W]It is clear that Intel is very serious about gaining a foothold in the graphics market and is making significant headway there. With Pat Gelsinger at the helm of Intel and Raja as Chief Architect, Intel is perfectly primed as far as talent goes and it already has the resources to deliver on its promises.

Speculation over a potential sequel to 2017's Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle has started to grow online following a social media username change. As spotted by Reddit user ThemeParkFan2020, the official Rabbids Twitter account, previously '@RabbidsOfficial', has been changed to '@MarioRabbids'. The account is using an image of Rabbid Mario as its profile picture, and while the name change appears to be recent, its most recent Tweet was posted way back in August of last year. Thanks to the spot, fans of the original game on both Reddit and Twitter have began to ponder the possibility of a new game. "A Mario + Rabbids sequel has definitely been on my wish list since the original released," one Reddit user says. "Please!!" pleads another. So, could the rebranding suggest that an announcement is on the way, or is it just an innocent tweak with no real meaning? Well, the original game launched around three-and-a-half years ago, with its Donkey Kong DLC releasing just a year afterwards. If the Rabbids team has been working on a sequel, the timing does seem to make sense, but we'll have to wait and see if an official announcement comes our way. Would you like to see a new Mario + Rabbids game? Do you think fans are getting hyped over nothing? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

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Companies plan to leverage software robots in the months ahead, as many grapple with strained resources and uncertain markets. Known as robotic process automation, or bots, the software is typically designed to handle a range of routine office tasks, such as processing payroll data or expense reports, and fielding call-center queries. More advanced bots can review more complex paperwork, including legal documents and contracts. Companies typically outsource development of bots to third-party software firms. There are also RPA platforms designed to enable businesses to make their own custom-made bots. Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. plans to accelerate its use of RPA over the next several months, said Mike Maresca, the drugstore chain’s global chief technology officer. The aim, he said, is to make operations more resilient to the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, while adapting to changing customer needs, among other goals. Mr. Maresca said the company has already deployed bots in several business areas, including finance, human resources, supply chain and information technology, using an RPA platform developed by Automation Anywhere Inc. The bots have helped streamline time-intensive processes, enabling the company to handle a growing volume of online orders and customer queries about Covid-19, he said. Junaid Ahmed, corporate vice president of finance at Applied Materials Inc., said the company last year began using bots to automate areas of financial accounting, aiming to free up staff from thousands of hours of repetitive number crunching. The Santa Clara, Calif.-based company, which makes gear for semiconductors, has experienced strong growth, but “key support functions have been stretched” during the pandemic, Mr. Ahmed said. To bolster productivity, he added, the company is aiming to have 255 bots in place for a range of workplace processes by the end of February. They are making them in-house using a bot-making platform created by UiPath Inc. Nearly 80% of some 440 global corporate executives surveyed by Deloitte LLP in mid 2020 said they had implemented some form of robotic process automation in the past year. Roughly 15% said they plan to in the next three years. The survey included chief information officers, heads of automation, IT directors and other executives. Fred Havemeyer, a senior software analyst at Macquarie Group, said the pandemic has acted like a business-resiliency test for many companies, accelerating the adoption of digital technologies, and especially smart automation. He expects robotic process automation to be “an enterprise priority within the wave of cloud software spend we see coming.” Gartner Inc., an information-technology research and consulting firm, expects worldwide spending on enterprise IT to grow 6.2% this year, to $3.9 trillion, compared with 2020. Spending declined last year, dropping by 3.2%, as companies redirected spending to mission-critical technology and services during the pandemic, the firm said in a report Monday. Spending will be led by enterprise software, which is projected to grow 8.8% to roughly $505 billion—much of it focused on RPA and other forms of automation, the report said. “The use of RPA increases our ability to react quickly to changes in market conditions,” said Michael Roseman, senior vice president of customer operations at IT services management company OneSource Virtual Inc. In March, the company was able to quickly build number-crunching bots designed to help corporate customers process new tax deferrals and credits set out in federal Covid-19 relief measures under the Cares Act, Mr. Roseman said. “The changes were announced on Friday and we moved our solution into production on Monday,” he said. Max Cheprasov, chief automation officer at global ad agency Dentsu Inc., said his goal is to provide a virtual assistant for every employee within the next five years. To do that, he said, the company plans to use a simplified computer-code platform, developed by RPA maker UiPath, that enables workers to build their own custom-made bots with only basic training. “We see that between 30% and 60% of what people currently do manually in the front office can be fully automated,” Mr. Cheprasov said. “Putting these kinds of tools in the hands of employees directly, instead of the software engineers or IT teams, removes the unnecessary bureaucracy and technical roadblocks,” he added.

Silverstone has announced a new addition to its Nightjar series of power supplies; this new edition features the highest power output of 700 watts and is promptly named NJ700. This power supply features a white color scheme and features 100% modular cables, with a 0 dBA noise level. The high-quality construction gives this PSU a rating of 80 PLUS Titanium and Cybernetics Titanium ratings. Silverstone has yet to announce any pricing information for the NJ700 or when this power supply will be available for purchase. The NJ700 features a white color scheme and a fanless design to ensure quiet operation even during heavy PSU workloads Silverstone's newest addition to the Nightjar series of power supplies all features a fanless design. This fanless design ensures that the power supply features a 0 dBA noise level even at the maximum workload. This newest addition features the highest maximum power output for the Nightjar power supply series, feature a maximum power output of 700 watts; this power supply is called the NJ700. This fanless design also gives this power supply the Cybernetic A++ rating.The design of the NJ700 is completely modular, eliminating a large amount of cable clutter. This reduction in cable clutter can increase the PC case's airflow for the PSU and other internal components. This PSU features a white color scheme, which would fit into a snow PC build. This power supply utilizes all Japanese capacitors to ensure high reliability and high power output. This power supply is rated for both 80 PLUS Titanium and Cybernetic Titanium, which ensures a high rating of efficiency of over 94% at a workload of 50%. This rating also shows that at 100% PSU workload, this PSU will still have at least 90% efficiency. This high efficiency makes this perfect for any content creator or streaming PC setup that needs to maintain a specific streaming schedule. The NJ700 Power supply features various protections, including Over Current, Over Voltage, Short Circuits, Over Power Protection, and Over Temperature. These protections ensure that the power supply will feature a high amount of reliability for its users. Silverstone has yet to announce any pricing information for the NJ700 or any information on when this power supply will be purchase.

For the first time in almost a year, Sony has updated the new releases segment of the PlayStation Store on the PS Vita. For those of you who haven’t touched the forgotten format in a while, you may not know that the ‘Latest’ section has been abandoned for 10 months, meaning although new software has been deploying on the device, it hasn’t displayed in the appropriate tab. However, fans noticed overnight that in the UK – and some other parts of the world, like Japan, Australia, and New Zealand – the new releases now actually show as they’re supposed to. We’ve been able to corroborate the tidbit on our console, and while there are still issues like broken profile icons, it does appear to be accurate as of the current date. Whether upcoming games like Habroxia 2 will also be added remains to be seen. While we appreciate that the PS Vita is a legacy system these days, it’s always been bizarre that Sony failed to do the bare minimum for the handful of developers still supporting the system. This, at the very least, helps the hardware’s remaining active users to see what’s new on the unit, which can only be a good thing, right?

Systemic racism is a huge and troubling issue, but one Canadian company has been specifically working to fight it for almost a year. In February 2020, Cox Automotive Canada launched its Black Employee Network (BEN), encouraging staff and others in the industry to take a stand against racism. The network predated June 6, 2020, which the New York Times noted was the peak of Black Lives Matter protests that had been rumbling across that nation – and around the world – since 2013. On that day, “half a million people turned out in nearly 550 places across the United States.” Cox Automotive is a global company with over 34,000 employees, and they work in partnership with more than 55,000 auto dealers. It is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, Inc., which has served the auto industry since 1926. Almost every aspect of how we buy, sell, and use cars is affected by work Cox does through its many arms, which in Canada includes technology platforms Clutch, Dealer.com, HomeNet, Modix, vAuto, VinSolutions, Xtime, and Dealertrack; vehicle evaluator Kelley Blue Book; auto auction company Manheim; credit company NextGear Capital; transport company Ready Logistics; analytics firm RMS Automotive; and collaboration with online automotive marketplace CarGurus. The company is a global powerhouse, and that makes Cox Automotive Canada’s dedication to rooting out anti-Black and systemic racism, and increasing diversity in its ranks, so important. Maria Soklis, president of Cox Automotive Canada & Brazil since 2015, is blunt about changes the company knew it had to make. The social unrest was too big to ignore. “We turned to our Black members for insight. We knew we had to have many difficult, often uncomfortable conversations, but we also knew we would be unwavering in our stance to providing the support networks to our team members.” The formation of the Black Employee Network led to intense dialogues where Black employees embraced the freedom to tell their stories. Emiliano Void, National Operations manager and co-chair of the BEN, knew systemic problems would require systematic solutions. He doesn’t mince words. “Unfortunately, all Black people, including myself, have experienced some form of anti-Black and systemic racism in their lives, and these experiences can never be turned into something positive. However, these experiences do lay a foundation that is driving important conversations to ensure that future generations will not face similar hurdles.” As the company was assembling its BEN and commencing what it called Real About Race conversations, the BlackNorth Initiative (BNI) was also gaining steam. Backed by 200 corporate leaders in Canada, including three of the big banks, the organization was running parallel goals to what Cox was already initiating in-house. Recognizing that, Soklis made Cox Automotive Canada the first automotive-industry company to sign that BNI pledge in November of 2020. Hyundai soon followed suit. While BEN was initiated by Cox’s Canadian arm, Void notes that while they were creating the first “Black-focused employee resource group (ERG) in any Cox Automotive market, the work that our BEN team is doing here in Canada is (now) leading some very important and meaningful conversations about anti-Black and systemic racism locally, but we are also very excited and proud that many of our colleagues from the U.S. and international markets have connected with us to collaborate on this subject.” This mining for ideas within the organization through ERGs is not new. In 2015, one of Soklis’ first inclusivity initiatives was bringing Women With Drive (WWD), originally an American Cox program, to Canada. Like the BEN, it seeks similar input from women who, increasingly, can find themselves leaving an industry that can be difficult to navigate. The resulting empowerment of women is definitely a contributing factor that has made Cox a GTA (Greater Toronto Area) Top Employer for two years in a row. Void acknowledges that the two initiatives, WWD and BEN, have overlapped for some women. “Black women absolutely face additional challenges as they battle both racism and sexism on a daily basis within their personal lives and professional careers,” he said. “In fact, data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that an average Black woman would have to work 591 days in order to earn what an average white man does in 365. We are planning on having some joint programming with Women With Drive, which will aim to highlight and showcase our strong, proud, and successful Black female employees and raise additional awareness about this specific issue.” Soklis and Void point out some easily-attainable wins to overcome the lack of diversity some don’t even see, and for Soklis, that’s marketing material. “There was a lack of representation, and while it’s not intentional to do the wrong thing, changing the focus and intention is something everybody can afford to do. Signing pledges is a first step, but that quickly led to more. We had dealers respond instantly, and the time is right to move the needle.”

In the first six months of 2020, nearly 80 percent of the Dutch po[CENSORED]tion aged 12 years and over used the internet to search for health information, book appointments with their general practitioner or specialist or buy medicines. The internet was also increasingly being used for online consultations, to view medical data or to search for health apps. This is evident from a survey on ICT usage by households and individuals in 2020, conducted by Statistics Netherlands (CBS). The survey on ICT usage by households and individuals is conducted annually by CBS in the months April through June. Last year, approximately 6.5 thousand people aged 12 years and over participated in this survey. With the available data, it is not possible to determine the effect of the initial measures in response to the coronavirus pandemic on online health activities. Appointments and medicine purchases increasingly often via the internet During the first six months of 2020, 72 percent of the Dutch po[CENSORED]tion aged 12 years and over went online to look up information about health and lifestyle, including information on diseases, nutrition and exercise. The share stood at 69 percent in 2019 and 58 percent in 2016. Last year, 31 percent of those aged 12 years and over used the internet to make appointments with a GP or medical specialist. This was still 28 percent in 2019 and 58 percent in 2016. Dutch people were also more likely to buy medicines online. In 2016, only 7 percent purchased medicines via the internet; this had doubled to 14 percent in 2020. Over one-quarter request online consultations More than one-quarter of Dutch people said they had used online services from their GP or health centre in 2020. This concerns requesting a repeat prescription or receiving an online consultation. In addition, 18 percent viewed their own or family members' medical records online. Four percent indicated they had purchased health or sports apps. Another 5.4 percent used health devices such as smart scales or smart blood pressure monitors last year. Mainly 25 to 44-year-olds frequently online for health Health-related online searches were made by 25 to 44-year-olds in particular; in this age category, 82 percent had done so in 2020. People aged 75 and over were least likely to look online for information (39 percent). The share of people aged 25 to 44 booking appointments online (37 percent) exceeds that in the other age categories. In the age group 25-44 years, 19 percent indicated that they had purchased medicines via the internet. People between the ages of 12 and 25 were least likely to buy their medicines online (8 percent). Higher-educated most likely to look up health information The way people use the internet for health-related matters varies not only between age groups but also between different levels of education. Looking up information about health is more prevalent among people with higher education (84 percent) than among those with a medium education level (76 percent). Likewise, a higher proportion of medium-educated people do so than low-skilled people (57 percent). More medium and low-skilled people searched the internet for health information in 2020 compared to 2019. The share of higher-educated booking appointments online (38 percent) is higher than the share of lower educated (21 percent). Last year, an increase in online booking of appointments relative to 2019 was mainly seen among the medium-skilled. Online purchases of medication were also more prevalent among the higher educated (20 percent) than among those with medium (14 percent) and lower (8 percent) education levels.

A doctor suggested hospice. Rosie was 2. Her parents sought second, third and fourth opinions, reaching out to specialists at three other children's hospitals. They found no consensus. "They didn't think there was much more they could do," said Lori Irvin, Rosie's mom. "She was just in so much pain and her quality of life was not good." Lori was about 25 weeks pregnant when a routine ultrasound proved to be far from ordinary. Several doctors came in to evaluate what they were seeing. That's when Lori first learned the term hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a condition that essentially means the left side of the heart is underdeveloped and doesn't work. "For the next 48 hours," Lori said, "I couldn't speak without crying." Hypoplastic left heart syndrome is treated by a series of three operations. Piece by piece, doctors rebuild the left side of the heart so that blood flows between the heart and lungs and to the rest of the body. Congenital heart defects are the most common birth defects, affecting nearly 1% of births – about 40,000 – each year. Of those, about 1 in 4 are considered critical and require surgery or other procedures within the first year of life. Lori, who also had 8-year-old daughter Shea and 1-year-old son Lee, spent the next few months reaching out to organizations focused on congenital heart defects, learning all she could and praying for her unborn child. Rosie arrived in June 2007. Two days later, Rosie underwent her first surgery. After two weeks at home, she went into heart failure and spent the next two months in the cardiac ICU. She had her second open-heart surgery in February 2008. Again, Rosie endured several complications and spent several weeks in the hospital recovering. "She never played by the rules," Lori said. "The typical treatments didn't work, and she always took longer to recover." In August 2009, the family moved to southern Maryland. Rosie's new team of doctors recommended doing the third surgery as soon as possible. So Rosie underwent her third surgery that October. The next six months were a downward spiral. Fluid built up around and in her lungs. This made it difficult to breathe and stressed her heart. It's what prompted the hospice recommendation. But, two days after bringing up hospice, Rosie's surgeon made a surprising suggestion: What if they reversed the procedure they'd done during the most recent operation? In March 2010, doctors did just that. This time, her condition improved. Over the next several years, doctors monitored her closely. In May 2018, at age 11, she had her fifth open-heart surgery. Rosie's body was now ready to tolerate the structural changes originally made in the third operation, but only with some adjustments. This time, the surgeon removed some of her lymph nodes to minimize drainage following surgery. Although all was finally stable medically, the experiences took a toll on her mentally. She developed post-intensive care syndrome, which can cause physical, mental and cognitive symptoms. Rosie still relies on a feeding tube at night to compensate for how much harder her heart works. Someday, she will need a heart transplant. Otherwise, she's a typical 13-year-old. She enjoys soccer, swimming and her pet hamster, Honey. "I remember (before the latest surgery) not being able to walk very far without having to stop and catch my breath," Rosie said. "I have a lot more energy now than I did before my last surgery. I'm able to swim for longer periods without having to get out of the water because I'm so blue." For now, she is enjoying her increased stamina and tries not to worry about getting a new heart. "Knowing someone will have to lose their life to save mine isn't something I like to think about," she said. "But that's my reality." Lori said continued medical advancements give her hope about Rosie's health in the future. "Without the advancements in medical research over the last 10 years, Rosemary would not be enjoying the quality of life she has now," she said. American Heart Association News covers heart and brain health. Not all views expressed in this story reflect the official position of the American Heart Association. Copyright is owned or held by the American Heart Association, Inc., and all rights are reserved. If you have questions or comments about this story, please email editor@heart.org. By Suzanne Marta

Bajaj Auto, which has been a standout performer on the export front in Q3 by notching handsome 26% YoY growth by shipping 608,398 units (Q3 FY2020: 484,183), could have performed even better had it not been for a shortage of shipping containers. The company is facing headwinds due to the lack of container unavailability at ports, which is resulting in about 50 percent of its export orders getting pushed over to subsequent months. This problem is unlikely to get resolved anytime soon and could take 2-3 months to subside. This is resulting in the inventory at dealer level lagging behind the retail sales, the company management informed investors recently. The ongoing container shortage, which is hampering exports of India Auto Inc as well as other industry, is a fallout of the export-import gap arising out of the Covid-19 pandemic over the past nine months. While exports have been on the rise, imports into India have seen a substantial fall. It is this gap which has created a shortage in available containers from shipping companies. Between July and October 2020, shipments from India in terms of volume rose by around 24% but imports reduced by 28% year on year. The importance of Bajaj Auto to the overall Indian two-wheeler industry’s performance can be gleaned from the fact that the company accounts for 57% of total Indian OEM shipments of 21,72,015 units (-19%) in the period under review (see table below). The No. 2 two-wheeler exporter is TVS Motor Co with 479,941 units (-6.86%), followed by Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India with 139,725 units (-44%) and India Yamaha Motor, with 119,471 units (-50%). For Bajaj Auto, the bulk of the exports are from the Boxer, CT, Discover and Platina which together account for 699,117 units or 56% of total exports for the company.

Although clinicians commonly recommend diet and lifestyle modifications to prevent gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms, few prospective data inform these recommendations. Researchers used Nurses' Health Study data to determine associations between dietary and lifestyle factors and risk for developing GERD symptoms in 43,000 women without baseline GERD. During 10 years of follow-up, 9,300 women reported new GERD symptoms at least once weekly. After adjustment for multiple variables, five antireflux lifestyle factors were associated independently with lower risk for GERD symptoms: not smoking; drinking ≤2 cups of coffee, tea, or soda daily; a "prudent" diet (i.e., high intake of fruits, vegetables, legumes, fish, poultry, and whole grains); ≥30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily; and normal weight (body-mass index, (25 kg/m2). Adherence to more of these antireflux factors was associated with less GERD risk. Women who adhered to all five factors had only half the risk for GERD as did women who adhered to none. Similar results were obtained for regular users of histamine-2 (H2)-blockers and proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs). Adherence to antireflux lifestyle factors was associated with lower risk for GERD symptoms in women — even among H2-blocker and PPI users. For patients with GERD symptoms, clinicians should recommend smoking cessation; avoidance of coffee, tea, and soda; a prudent diet; regular exercise; and weight loss, regardless of whether antireflux drugs are prescribed.

GCI is determined to pump more profits into its billion-dollar corporation. Unfortunately, it is willing to do so at the expense of its subscriber base. By now, GCI subscribers are painfully aware they no longer have the local FOX, ABC or The CW channels. For GCI subscribers, this means they are missing the NFL playoffs, important local news, “Dancing with the Stars,” “The Masked Singer,” “Riverdale” and all the other programs and shows exclusive to these three networks. Your Alaska Link is the home to all three of these channels. Until 5 p.m. on Jan. 1, all three stations were live on air for GCI subscribers. After months of ongoing negotiations with GCI to renew our contract, they abruptly terminated carriage. Why would GCI cut access to these channels and therefore block access to the shows and programs their subscribers paid to receive? Money. It is really that simple. GCI demanded we reduce our current rate by almost 30%. A reduction that large would drive our small businesses out of business. It would be impossible for us to continue offering our TV stations that provide a core service to all Alaskans. We have done everything possible to keep ourselves on the GCI lineup. However, we cannot allow our small businesses to be bankrupted by a billion-dollar corporation trying to improve its bottom line. To add insult to injury, GCI initially claimed we removed our channels because we did not receive a 40% rate increase. This is blatantly false. They are playing games that are typical of billion-dollar corporations when dealing with small businesses like Your Alaska Link. They are trying to starve us into submission. They can sit on their billions while denying us a conduit to deliver our channels to their subscribers, therefore drying up our ability to produce the revenue required to keep our businesses afloat. GCI’s continued false claims are astonishing. Their latest is that they offered Your Alaska Link an increase of $5 million for a total of $13.5 million completely lacks candor. If true, we would be signing paperwork right now. Incidentally, this would be a 59% increase from our previous contract. Read that again. It simply does not add up. On one hand, they claim they were protecting you against a 40% increase; on the other hand, they claim to have offered a 59% increase. They have either not read their own contract proposals, or they simply have misled their Alaskan subscribers with their lack of candor. Corporate greed has no boundaries. Your Alaska Link did not abandon our viewers, we were cut off. We will do everything in our power to be reconnected and back in your living rooms, providing the same great programming we have been proud to deliver for years. In recent days, we have been running a large-scale social media ad campaign targeting GCI subscribers to let them know what really happened. The response has been overwhelming. Nearly 10% of GCI’s Alaska subscriber base has already signed our petition demanding GCI put our channels back on. And the momentum of subscriber discontent is accelerating. It is past time for GCI to stop playing games with their customers’ channel lineup by giving them the programming they paid to receive. GCI: The people of Alaska deserve better. Do the right thing. Reconnect our local FOX, ABC and The CW channels. Scott Centers is the chief operating officer of Your Alaska Link and a 10-year Alaska resident. The views expressed here are the writer’s and are not necessarily endorsed by the Anchorage Daily News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary(at)adn.com. Send submissions shorter than 200 words to letters@adn.com or click here to submit via any web browser. Read our full guidelines for letters and commentaries here

Technology stocks soared this year. The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the profitability of technological advances. Those companies that offered solutions for consumers and businesses to cope during the pandemic were particularly successful this year. While technology stocks now report high price-to-sales (P/S) and price-to-book (P/B) ratios, there may still be some good stocks to buy in software. Here are three top Toronto Stock Exchange software stocks to consider buying in 2021. Constellation Software stock succeeded last year Constellation Software (TSX:CSU) rose from a 52-week low of $1,076.34 to a 52-week high of $1789.63. As of Friday, investors are trading the tech stock for $1,598.02 per share. Constellation Software released the following statement regarding the impact of COVID-19 on the firm. “The pandemic may also have an adverse impact on many of the Company’s customers, including their ability to satisfy ongoing payment obligations to the Company, which could increase the Company’s bad debt exposure. The future impacts of the pandemic and any resulting economic impact are largely unknown and rapidly evolving.” Technology’s success might not be over yet. Still, there is a risk of a bubble. Constellation Software’s P/S ratio is 8.92 and its P/B ratio is 37.93. For a stock with an annual dividend yield of only 0.31%, it might not be worth the risk. CGI trading lower than pre-pandemic high CGI (TSX:GIB.A)(NYSE:GIB) fell to $67.23 during the March market sell-off from a 52-week high of $114.49. Investors are trading the stock for $100.69 per share, just $13.80 less than the pre-pandemic high at the time of writing. President and CEO George Schindler had this to say about fourth-quarter earnings last year: “In the quarter, our trusted client relationships led to rising bookings and superior cash generation. We see a healthy pipeline of opportunities for profitable growth through both build and buy and we are well-positioned to continue creating value for our clients as they increasingly rely on technology to navigate these dynamic times.” CGI will announce fiscal 2021 first-quarter earnings on January 27. CGI has a P/S ratio of 2.12 and a P/B ratio of 3.57. It seems this stock is generating strong cash and hasn’t been drastically overvalued by the pandemic. Still, before you make a bet on one of the pandemic’s losing stocks, wait to see how last quarter’s earnings fared. Nuvei reports strong revenue growth Nuvei (TSX:NVEI) fell to $43.51 during the March market sell-off from a 52-week high of $82.04. Investors are trading the stock for $73.25 per share on Friday. Nuvei provides cloud-based payment platforms for merchants globally. Philip Fayer, Nuvei’s chairman and CEO, commented on the firm’s strong performance during the third quarter. “I am incredibly proud of all that we accomplished in the third quarter, as we embarked on our journey as a publicly-traded company. We believe our performance, which included total volume of $11.5 billion along with strong revenue growth, is a testament to the strength of our technology, business model and focus on high growth verticals.” Nuvei has a P/S ratio of 29.59 and a P/B ratio of 8.28, making this a less-overvalued stock. Just because these values are lower than Constellation Software doesn’t necessarily mean this is a better option for you. Like CGI, wait until Nuvei reports earnings before making the final decision to buy. Check out these other great TSX stocks to buy! Looking for the Next Potential Netflix? We’ve Got You Covered with These 3 Free Stock Picks Motley Fool Canada's market-beating team has just released a new FREE report that gives our three recommendations for the Next Gen Revolution. Click on the link below for our stock recommendations that we believe could battle Netflix for entertainment dominance.

The AORUS Gen4 7000s M.2 NVMe SSD features the second generation PCIe 4.0x4 controller, supporting sequential read speeds of up to 7 GB per second. This SSD comes in two different capacities, 1 TB and 2 TB, and comes in the form factor of M.2 2280. The AORUS Gen4 7000s M.2 NVMe SSD comes with a large SSD heatsink. The AORUS Gen4 7000s M.2 NVMe SSD offers rapid data transfer speeds with two different capacities, a 1 TB model and a 2 TB model The AORUS Gen4 7000s M.2 NVMe SSD offers some fantastic features which can easily set it apart from other SSDs. One of the main features of this SSD is the huge SSD cooler, which features two heat pipes. These two heat pipes go right into the center of the aluminum heatsink, which features a predominately black color scheme. This SSD cooler utilizes a 7 nm High compatibility heat spreader with an aluminum M2 baseplate, and this called also utilizes Dual-side high thermal conductivity pads.Jackson Hsu, Director of the GIGABYTE Channel Solutions Product Development Division, stated, "The storage devices are taking advantage of the PCIe 4.0 transfer speed that raised from 5 GB/s to almost 8 GB/s, which is great news for users who expect to optimize storage performance and reduce the bottleneck of system operation. AORUS Gen4 7000s SSDs further advance the standards set by our previous SSD products to provide users with breakthrough performance. After the OS is installed, uses can enjoy an unprecedented 7 GB/s read speed with 1 TB or 2 TB storage capability. The thermal solution and the double-sided thermal pad are designed to slow down the throttling that might occur at the high-speed operation of SSD, thus boost the system performance." The AORUS Gen4 7000s M.2 NVMe SSD offers some fantastic performance, and this performance is powered by the second generation PCIe 4.0x4 controller. This controller is called the PS5018-E18, which can provide sequential read speeds of up to 7,000 MB per second and provide sequential write speeds of up to 5,500 MB per second. This SSD is expected to have two different capacities, either a 2 TB model or a 1 TB model. These two different capacities ensure that gamers will purchase the SSD that best fits their specific PC setup.

There have been some suggestions the rumoured Switch 'Pro' absolutely needs to have slightly improved specs to ensure it can run certain games and improve existing ones but is it all that necessary? Perhaps not, according to one industry veteran. In a recent interview with Nintendo Everything, Engine Software's co-founder and vice president Ruud van de Moosdijk (who has worked on a handful of Switch games, including recent ports of No More Heroes 1 & 2) said as "nice" as it would be, a slightly improved model with some extra power could potentially go to waste. As long as it's part of the Switch ecosystem, this means games still have to (or at least should) run on every system already available, and for compatibility reasons, performance is benchmarked on the lowest specifications. As a result, upgraded systems with additional power never really get fully "utilized". "Truth be told, our opinion on this might be counter-intuitive for a lot of people, but we are not large subscribers of the “Pro” model. Sure, it would be nice to have more RAM or faster GPU/CPU compared to before, but if it is still considered the same platform you must make sure your game runs on every model. So, for compatibility reasons your performance gets benchmarked on the lowest specifications. We have seen with prior ‘upgraded systems’ that the additional power never really got utilized well for this reason." On the Nintendo front, one prior "upgraded" system that was arguably under-utilised was the New 3DS. One of the few games that took advantage of it was Xenoblade Chronicles 3D, but beyond that, developers didn't show interest in fear of abandoning the rest of the market. Similar situations have played out on rival platforms as well. At best, it seems a Switch Pro would feature a standard revision of slightly improved resolutions and frame rates (as rumoured), but "additional power" or added grunt is far less likely - especially when the current models (Switch and Switch Lite) have now sold a combined total of more than 68 million worldwide. That would be one sizable install base to exclude after all. You can learn more about the rumoured Switch Pro in our comprehensive guide. If this device does in fact exist, what are your own expectations? Do you think it needs to offer much more than improved frame rate and resolutions? Tell us down below.