EVIL BABY.

2Compute, a retailer over in Belgium, recently added Intel's approaching 11th Generation Rocket Lake-S processors to its product catalog. The store has reportedly revealed the basic specifications and pricing for the 14nm chips. As is customary, we recommend approaching listings about unreleased hardware with caution, even if the listings come from a trusted retailer. It's also important to highlight that computer hardware is typically more expensive outside the U.S. As evidenced by the F-series, Intel will continue to offer iGPU-less models for this generation. In the case of Rocket Lake-S, the processors arrive without the 12th-generation Xe LP graphics engine. Logically, the F-series and KF-series SKUs will cost less than their counterparts due to the lack of an iGPU. If 2Compute's pricing is even close to Intel's official MSRP, we could be looking at a price difference up to $29. Rocket Lake-S debuts with the Sunny Cove microarchitecture and maxes out at eight cores. Therefore, it's not really fair to compare it to Comet Lake-S, which is based on the aging Skylake microarchitecture and wields up to 10 cores. However, with every new generation, consumers logically want to know how much they're paying for new technology. Intel 11th Generation Rocket Lake-S Pricing Processor Pricing (Excl. VAT) Cores / Threads Base Clock (GHz) L3 Cache (MB) Part Number Core i9-11900K $604 8 / 16 3.5 16 BX8070811900K Core i9-11900KF $575 8 / 16 3.5 16 BX8070811900KF Core i9-11900 $493 8 / 16 2.5 16 BX8070811900 Core i9-11900F $464 8 / 16 2.5 16 BX8070811900F Core i7-11700K $455 8 / 16 3.6 16 BX8070811700K Core i7-11700KF $426 8 / 16 3.6 16 BX8070811700KF Core i7-11700 $370 8 / 16 2.5 16 BX8070811700 Core i7-11700F $341 8 / 16 2.5 16 BX8070811700F Core i5-11600K $293 6 / 12 3.9 12 BX8070811600K Core i5-11600KF $265 6 / 12 3.9 12 BX8070811600KF Core i5-11600 $250 6 / 12 2.8 12 BX8070811600 Core i5-11500 $227 6 / 12 2.7 12 BX8070811500 Core i5-11400 $205 6 / 12 2.6 12 BX8070811400 Core i5-11400F $176 6 / 12 2.6 12 BX8070811400F We'll use 2Compute's Comet Lake-S pricing as a reference for an apples-to-apples comparison to Rocket Lake-S. In the interest of keeping it simple, we only compared the three principal K-series models from both processor families. 2Compute sells the Core i9-10900K, Core i7-10700K and Core i5-10600K for $555, $398 and $282, respectively. Therefore, the Core i9-11900K and Core i7-11700K could cost up to 8.8% and 14.3% more, respectively, while the Core i5-11600K may arrive with a 3.9% higher price tag. Intel 11th Generation Comet Lake Refresh Pricing Processor Pricing (Excl. VAT) Cores / Threads Base Clock (GHz) L3 Cache (MB) Part Number Core i3-10305 $172 4 / 8 3.8 8 BX8070110305 Core i3-10105 $140 4 / 8 3.7 6 BX8070110105 Core i3-10105F $94 4 / 8 3.7 6 BX8070110105F Pentium G6605 $109 2 / 4 4.3 4 BX80701G6605 Pentium G6405 $79 2 / 4 4.1 4 BX80701G6405 So far, rumors have pointed to Intel refreshing its Comet Lake processors for Core i3 and below SKUs. If you're after PCIe 4.0, you'll ultimately have to look at the Core i5 and above models. In terms of Comet Lake Refresh, the recipe will be the same except that the reheated chips will come flaunting improve clock speeds. The Core i3-10300 and Core i3-10100 are available at 2Compute for $161 and $134, respectively. The rewarmed versions are seemingly 6.8% and 4.5% more expensive, respectively. Although we can't speak for all models, Rocket Lake-S may cost up to 14% more expensive than Comet Lake-S. Of course, Intel has promised IPC gains up to 19%, and there's also the matter of PCIe 4.0 support. However, we have to be aware that Rocket Lake-S is most likely the last wave of processors to pass through the LGA1200 socket so an upgrade right now does require a bit of meditation.

Genshin Impact‘s Hypostatic Symphony event is now live, and it’s quite challenging to boot. Here’s our guide to help you out. Note: For more information, check out our Genshin Impact guides and features hub. Genshin Impact: Hypostatic Symphony event guide Genshin Impact‘s Hypostatic Symphony event introduces Pure Hypostasis bosses for you to fight. You’ll be able to choose from several modifiers and difficulty levels, earning you points once you complete the encounter. Anyway, you can refer to the pages below for the mechanics that you need help with: The basics – Hypostatic Symphony event modifiers/variations, solo vs. co-op, and general tips. Rewards and high scores – The stuff you can get after finishing the challenge successfully. Day 1: Violet Lightning Concerto I – Pure Electro Hypostasis Day 2 update: Storm Butterfly Intermezzo I – Pure Anemo Hypostasis Note 1: Genshin Impact‘s Hypostatic Symphony event runs from January 16 to January 31. You do need to reach Adventure Rank 20 before you can start it. Note 2: More bosses will get unlocked in the coming days (a total of seven for this entire event), so make sure to bookmark this guide since I’ll update it frequently. Let’s discuss the basics of the Hypostatic Symphony event. As mentioned in the main page, you’ll need to reach Adventure Rank 20 first. If you meet the requirement, simply open the event panel and teleport to the location. You’ll spot a domain marker that’ll let you start the fight. Gen Pct Hypsymph 2a Only one boss/challenge, Violet Lightning Concerto I: Pure Electro Hypostasis, is available for now. The rest will be added each day until a week has passed. You’ll also notice that each boss/challenge will have several boosted characters (they’ll have buffs for that particular encounter only). Gen Pct Hypsymph 2b Next up, you’ll see the variations screen. These are the modifiers and difficulty levels that you can select. Difficulty levels: Easy – x1 score multiplier; boss level 20. Normal – x1.5 score multiplier; boss level 40. Hard – x2.5 score multiplier; boss level 60. Expert – x4.5 score multiplier; boss level 80. Modifiers/variations: You can choose from several modifiers (a majority of which will make the encounter tougher). These include the time limit, extra enemy health, enemy elemental resistance, damage, and more. You can mix and match accordingly to find the perfect combination, one that’ll give you a high score (based on the difficulty multiplier) while not being too much of a hassle. Moreover, there are some positive modifiers, too. Examples include an increase to your shield strength as well as crit damage and crit rate. Since these provide benefits, these will deduct from your overall score and they’re also affected by the multiplier. Note: Since we’ve just started this Genshin Impact event, I’ll mention the boss modifiers separately in their own pages. As of now, I’m unsure if the modifiers will be different for future Hypostasis bosses. Gen Pct Hypsymph 3a Co-op vs. solo and encounter tips Although the Hypostatic Symphony event appears in your world, it’s also possible to invite your friends (or randoms) or, conversely, join their worlds. You may also join Genshin Impact‘s Discord to look for players in your server who are tackling the event. Then again, if you’ve leveled up your characters and you’re confident in your abilities, you can attempt some solo runs. At best, you’ll have characters you’ve geared out completely, and you can perfectly time any elemental combos that are necessary. Gen Pct Hypsymph 3b Don’t forget that Genshin Impact‘s Hypostatic Symphony event acts as a domain encounter, but with a couple of unique twists: The Hypostasis bosses have unique attacks. If you need to practice, you can choose the “Hard” difficulty first before trying out “Expert.” Before you start the battle, wait until every character’s elemental burst has been fully charged (it’ll be done within seconds). You can use multiple food and potion buffs, including those that reduce the damage taken from a particular element. You can equip the NRE Menu gadget to have healing food ready. It’s possible to revive dead characters during the fight. If any of your characters die or if the attempt isn’t going your way, just leave the domain. Once you go back in, your team will be fully healed. The only minor annoyance is that you’ll need to select your modifiers again since there’s no retry button. The event is also a good way to keep your party in tip-top condition (in terms of HP and bursts) in case you just want to do other activities in Genshin Impact.

By its own admission, Mazda has arrived somewhat late to the SUV party, the company that’s famed for the light and lithe MX-5 roadster perhaps being a little unnerved by the ever-increasing clamour for these larger, heftier and less efficient vehicles. But like many slow starters, it’s making up for lost time and has launched an array of rugged crossovers in the past few years, including the electric MX-30. Yet arguably the most important addition is this: the CX-30, which represents Mazda’s first foray into the fiercely fought family crossover class. It’s here that the big sales numbers are racked up, and it’s also where the competition is at its stiffest, with talented contenders such as the Volkswagen T-Roc, the Seat Ateca and, of course, the Nissan Qashqai – the car that started it all and is a more-or-less permanent fixture in the top 10 sellers chart. So, has the wait for the CX-30 been worth it, and does it deserve to take a significant slice of the crossover cake? That’s what we will be finding out over the coming months. What are its chances? Well, Mazda claims to have injected the CX-30 with both a healthy dose of its trademark diverting driving dynamics and a generous dollop of desirable design. And based purely on looks, our mid-range Sport Lux model should be in with a shout of significant sales success. Effectively a jacked-up derivative of the handsome 3 hatchback, the CX-30 features similarly attention-seeking style, with an arresting blend of curves and creases. Of course, there’s the obligatory black-plastic cladding for the wheel arches (filled with standard 18in alloys on our car) and a raised ride height, although at 1540mm tall the CX-30 is a little lower than most, which no doubt helps in delivering its sleek profile. It’s on the outside that you will find the only optional extra we’ve specified: the £550 Deep Crystal Blue Mica metallic paint. It’s an interesting shade, looking almost black in dull conditions and only at its deep, shimmery best when exposed to direct sunlight.Although the exterior is completely different from that of the donor car, the two are more or less identical inside. That’s no bad thing, though, because the 3’s roomy cabin comes close to matching more expensive premium models for slick design and classy finish. Some of the plastics lower down are of the look-but-don’t-touch variety, but everywhere else it’s soft-touch materials, knurled metal knobs and glossy TFT screens.The dashboard is particularly easy on the eye, with the cowled surround for the dials looking quite a lot like the one you get in the Porsche 911. No really, it does. And the instruments it contains look great too, with clear white-on-black graphics and delicate needles. Importantly, for me at least, the infotainment screen is ideally sited on top of the dashboard and is operated by a rotary controller set on the transmission tunnel, making it easier to use on the move than the usual touchscreen. If there’s an oddity, it’s that the controls for the heating and ventilation are angled slightly away from the driver and towards the front seat passenger instead. Still, you’re not left wanting for kit, with a headup display, heated seats, adaptive LED headlights, keyless entry and, well, the list goes on. It’s easy to see why the options list is so short. What about under the bonnet? We’ve already run Mazda’s novel Skyactiv-X engine (a petrol unit that uses spark plugs as well as diesel-style compression ignition) in the 3, so this time we’ve plumped for the 120bhp 2.0-litre Skyactiv-G unit, complete with cylinder deactivation and Mazda’s mild-hybrid system.Essentially, this extends to a powerful starter-generator that harvests lost energy during braking and ploughs it into a compact 24V battery, from where it can be used to provide a small amount of electrical torque-fill at low engine speeds. Mated to this technology-packed four-pot is a good old-fashioned six-speed manual gearbox that transmits drive to the front wheels (it may look slightly rugged but, like most crossovers, this Mazda is made purely for taming Tarmac). So what’s it like to drive? Well, in these movement-restricted times, I’ve managed to put only a few miles under the CX-30’s wheels in the weeks since it arrived, but initial impressions are good. Mazda has a hard-won reputation for delivering cars that are engaging to drive, and even in the first few metres behind the wheel you can tell there has been a determined attempt to infuse the CX-30 with at least a semblance of the MX-5’s spirit.You obviously don’t sit as low (although your behind feels closer to the ground than in other crossovers), but the driving position is spot on, the gearshift has a deliciously mechanical feel and the steering is precise and well-weighted. It’s also quiet and composed at speed, the ride being noisily upset only by sharp ridges and gnarlier potholes. With only a few hundred miles on the clock, the engine is still bedding in, but it’s impressively smooth and refined, plus that mild-hybrid system delivers just enough assistance to offset the low-speed lethargy that afflicted non-electrified versions of this unit. You still need to work the 2.0-litre hard for the best results, but it revs so keenly and without any harshness that extending it is never a chore. It’s a positive start for the CX-30, then, which on first acquaintance feels like it has been designed to appeal to people like us in a way that many rivals don’t. It hasn’t got my blood racing just yet, but there are signs that it could prove to be a very satisfying family chariot.Second Opinion I was really rather fond of the CX-30 when I first drove it last year. The interior was stylish, the control weights were good and the driving position was spot on. It steered really quite sweetly too, although its ride could be a bit fussy at times. I’m sure that James will get along with it just fine – provided its relatively gutless engine doesn’t drive him up the wall. Simon Davis Back to the top Mazda CX-30 Skyactiv-G MHEV Sport Lux specification Specs: Price New £25,540 Price as tested £26,090 Options Deep Crystal Blue Mica metallic paint £550

The Australian Open has been thrown into disarray after four people tested positive for Covid on two flights that brought tennis players to the tournament. Others on the flights, including at least 47 players, have gone into hotel isolation for 14 days. One of the positive cases, a coach, said he was "sorry for the consequences now on everyone's shoulders". A fourth case linked to the tournament in Melbourne was confirmed on Sunday. Players had to test negative before boarding flights and were then placed in designated Australian Open quarantine hotels in Melbourne and Adelaide. They are allowed out for up to five hours a day to practise on court, except for those on the two offending flights who have been confined to their rooms. The confinement period has angered some players, who said the rule was not made clear to them. "If they would have told us this rule before I would not play Australia... I would have stayed home," Romanian player Sorana Cirstea wrote on Twitter. Top players such as Victoria Azarenka, Sloane Stephens, Kei Nishikori, Angelique Kerber and the UK's Heather Watson are also among those affected, badly impacting their preparations. But Australian Open director Craig Tiley insisted the tournament - the first Grand Slam of the year - would go ahead as planned on 8 February. "We always knew there would be significant risk with this pandemic, you can never tell," Mr Tiley told the Channel Nine TV station.Organisers of the Australian Open have been arranging chartered flights for players and their teams to be transported to Melbourne ahead of the tournament. These flights have frustrated many Australians, who have not been able to return home because of travel restrictions during the pandemic. The Australians who are trapped in the UK 'Crushed' on Melbourne's path to Covid success The four coronavirus cases connected to the Australian Open were on two flights, one arriving from Los Angeles in the US, and another from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Three people - a crew member, a tennis coach and a member of a broadcast team - tested positive on the flight from Los Angeles. Sylvain Bruneau, the coach of 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu, said he was the positive case on the flight from Abu Dhabi. The Canadian coach said he had followed all the safety protocols, including testing negative for Covid-19 within 72 hours before the flight's departure."I am extremely saddened and sorry for the consequences now on everyone's shoulders sharing my flight," he said in a statement tweeted by Tennis Canada. "The rest of my team is negative, and I sincerely hope that any further disruption is kept to a minimum." Tournament organisers quashed rumours about a positive case on one of the two flights that brought the game's biggest names into Adelaide. While most players touched down in Melbourne, superstars including Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka instead flew into the South Australian city. The Australian Open had already been hit by the withdrawal of injured Roger Federer, while three-time major winner Andy Murray tested positive for the virus before departure so did not fly to Australia.

Welcome

What’s apparently a near-final build of Windows 10X for single-screen laptops – the initial incarnation the operating system is arriving in – has been leaked, and it’s looking nicely polished on the whole. Although that said, there are some aspects highlighted here (and rumors seemingly proved right) which will doubtless disappoint some… Zac Bowden over at Windows Central took the pre-release build of the OS for a spin, presenting the results in an 8-minute video which is well worth a watch. Windows 10X could jazz up your desktop with dynamic wallpaper Windows 10: how good it is really these days? How to work smarter from home with Windows 10 Windows 10X, for the uninitiated, is a stripped-back and lightweight version of Microsoft’s desktop operating system, so as you might expect, the interface is much more minimalist than the Windows 10 we know. As you can see in Bowden’s video below, the Start menu is now a centred panel (as opposed to being over on the left) and it’s a simplified list of installed apps (and websites), with recently used files and applications listed below, and a web search box on top. Gone are the live tiles and other complications seen in Windows 10, replaced by something more akin to the streamlined launcher system Chromebooks employ. Similarly, the taskbar icons (for running or pinned apps) are now centred (instead of left-aligned). The system tray over on the right has been cut back to just the barest of info and clock/date, with other icons shifted to a new Quick Settings panel, which nestles beneath the Notifications panel in what is the new Action Center (which also boasts a handy music playback control panel). The Quick Settings panel, as the name suggests, allows for quick access to commonly used settings, such as Bluetooth devices for example. It also provides some convenient touches like a volume and display brightness slider. It’s worth noting that there are some neat touches on the animation front with Windows 10X, such as when you click on an app in the taskbar to open it, the icon presses in slightly to acknowledge the click (while you wait for the program to open). This avoids scenarios where you’re not sure whether your click actually registered or not. File Explorer has also been simplified, and is very basic indeed now, just offering a straightforward method of accessing files with no trimmings. Note that OneDrive integration is a big thing here: everything is synced to the cloud, with the only exception being the Downloads folder. Also, you must sign into a Microsoft Account – there’s no getting round that with Windows 10X, with local accounts being ditched. All this could be pain points for some folks, that’s for sure… Another potential one of those is the fact that apps only run full-screen, which is a reflection of the fact that the initial incarnation of Windows 10X is designed to run on low-cost and low-power single-screen laptops – that will likely change down the line, though. You can still snap two apps together in a side-by-side view, though, so there’s a basic level of multitasking here – but the sort of machines that Windows 10X will be shipped on initially won’t be capable of handling major multitasking anyway. Furthermore, as is made clear in the video clip, Windows 10X doesn’t support traditional Windows apps (Win32 applications), at least not at launch, meaning you’ll be limited to universal (UWP) and web apps. We’ve heard this before, and the hope is that the functionality to run Win32 apps will be introduced before too long – but possibly not until 2022 going by the rumor mill. The sweetener is that here, it looks like the implementation of web apps is pretty slick, as Bowden illustrates with Spotify.

There are a number of GeForce RTX 30-series graphics cards with a hybrid all-in-one liquid cooling system on the market today (well, kind of). Many of these products use custom designs, but their cooling systems are mostly standard, tailored for a particular printed circuit board (PCB). MSI decided to team up with Asetek to design a custom cooling system for its GeForce RTX 30 Sea Hawk graphics cards that the company introduced at CES, and we spoke with MSI about the new cards on our Tom's Hardware Live CES stream. MSI's GeForce RTX 30-series Sea Hawk graphics cards based on Nvidia's GA102 GPU announced at CES will use a proprietary PCB design as well as an all-new hybrid closed-loop cooler developed by MSI and Asetek. So far, MSI has only said that the LCS will be used exclusively on the GeForce RTX 3080 Sea Hawk and the RTX 3090 Sea Hawk graphics cards, but something similar could be adopted for other products. The custom hybrid liquid cooling system uses a special copper cold plate with micro fins that covers not only the GPU, but also GDDR6X memory (albeit using thermal pads), which could help with VRAM overclocking. The copper base is equipped with Asetek's low-profile pump that circulates warm liquid back to the 240mm radiator with two MSI Torx 4.0 120-mm fans. The third fan — which is located on the graphics card itself — helps to cool down the board's voltage regulating modules (VRMs) to further improve overclocking potential of the product. all the fans support MSI's Zero Frozr technology and stop when the GPU is under light load and its temperature is low. Meanwhile, even when the fans are idling, the pump keeps operating, whicking the heat away from the graphics processor. In addition, the custom LCS has a backplate that strengthens the PCB and improves design of the graphics card. MSI has not announced the pricing and availability timeframe of its GeForce RTX 30-series Sea Hawk graphics cards, which is not particularly surprising given scarce supply of Nvidia's latest Ampere GPUs and overpriced graphics boards. We expect them relatively soon (within a few months), but customs and shipping are also a factor.

It all started with Take-Two Interactive making a nearly $1 billion USD offer to purchase Codemasters, the developer of many beloved racing games. Codemasters’ board was, understandably, very open to this, and recommended that the deal be taken. And then EA showed up with a bid for $1.2 billion USD. Afterward, said recommendation was rescinded as the board began to eye the significantly more lucrative EA deal. While this was no doubt a bit worrisome to fans of the venerable racing studio, Take-Two announced yesterday that it has removed itself from the equation entirely. Now, nothing stands in the way of EA’s bid to purchase Codemasters. The developer holds the rights to, and is behind titles in multiple major racing series, including Dirt, Grid, and the F1 games. Most recently, the company released Dirt 5 to solid reviews, albeit highly mixed fan response. Our review found the game to be entertaining and packed with content. As a developer, it’s had a long history of high-quality racing games that have been enjoyed by fans of sim and casual racers alike. As such, I hope to see Codemasters continue onward normally with minimal changes, as it’s been a veritable rock for the racing scene. Through the darkness of future past Of course, if EA does acquire the studio, the risk of that not happening increases significantly. EA famously purchased another excellent company, Criterion Games, and took it off its own franchise and put it on the Need For Speed games. Eventually, EA ended up gutting the studio and splitting it between its original name and Ghost Games, before eventually removing both from the playing field and giving the franchise to another developer. Obviously, any statement that the same awful fate will befall Codemasters would be purely speculation, but the concern still remains. Here’s to hoping that we keep getting great Dirt games for years to come.

Toyota's Gazoo Racing banner is set to buck the electrification trend with the upcoming GR Corolla. Although it has yet to be confirmed and is unlikely to be launched until 2023, Toyota filed a trademark for the GR Corolla name last year. Insiders have told Autocar that such a car will “inevitably” be offered alongside the rally homologation special GR Yaris, introduced last year to critical acclaim, and the the straight-six petrol GR Supra.This would make it the second Japanese manufacturer to skip electrification for a new performance model, with Honda set to retain a high-output turbocharged petrol engine for its next Civic Type R. A hot Corolla would also allow Toyota to leverage its substantial investment in the bespoke chassis and powertrain used in the GR Yaris, which makes use of some platform elements from the Corolla. If that is the intention, expect the 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbo unit to return with a similar (and reportedly understated) 257bhp claimed output and a four-wheel drive system with rear-biased torque distribution. Limited-slip differentials on both axles could also be an option. It remains to be seen if such a car would be priced in line with full-on 4WD hot hatch rivals such as the Golf R, given the high-spec version of the GR Yaris already tops £33,000. Another direction Toyota could take, to allow the car to compete on price with cars such as the Ford Focus ST, would be to ditch the rear driven axle and retune the chassis and sophisticated multi-link suspension of the existing Corolla. This would make it slower than its sibling but reduce complexity and boost both profitability and customer affordability. While some car makers are scaling back their combustion-engined performance operations to avoid CO2 fleet average fines, Toyota’s strong hybrid sales mix has enabled it to reduce its average emissions. This, Toyota Europe executive vice-president Matt Harrison previously told Autocar, allows it to make more “CO2-heavy” cars that serve the brand by adding desirability and performance credentials.

North Korea has unveiled a new type of submarine-launched ballistic missile that state media described as "the world's most powerful weapon". Several of the missiles were displayed at a parade overseen by leader Kim Jong-un, reported state media. It follows a rare political meeting where Mr Kim decried the US as his country's "foremost principal enemy". The show of military strength comes days before the inauguration of Joe Biden as US president. Images released by North Korean state media showed at least four large black-and-white missiles being driven past flag-waving crowds. Analysts noted it was a previously unseen weapon. "New year, new Pukguksong," tweeted North Korea expert Ankit Panda, using the North Korean name for their submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs). Clad in a leather coat and fur hat, Mr Kim is pictured smiling and waving as he watched the display in Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung Square that also included infantry troops, artillery and tanks. "The world's most powerful weapon, submarine-launch ballistic missile, entered the square one after another, powerfully demonstrating the might of the revolutionary armed forces," the official Korean Central News Agency said.

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Visa has abandoned plans to acquire Plaid, the financial technology company for $5.3bn as reported by TechRadar Pro back in January of last year. The companies announced they were ditching the idea yesterday, citing regulations as the barrier to completing a deal. In November the US Department of Justice filed a suit to block the deal on the basis of anti-competition interests, placing a wall of regulatory obstacles in place. While Visa appeared to think that a purchase could have eventually been completed the litigation involved in getting it over the line was simply too complex. Both parties agreed to mutually terminate the merger process yesterday, almost a year to the day that the deal was first announced. “We are confident we would have prevailed in court as Plaid’s capabilities are complementary to Visa’s, not competitive,” said Al Kelly, Chairman and CEO of Visa Inc in a statement.Here's our list of the best UK tax software around We've built a list of the best billing and invoicing software on the market Check out our list of the best US tax software around “We believe the combination of Visa with Plaid would have delivered significant benefits, including greater innovation for developers, financial institutions and consumers. However, it has been a full year since we first announced our intent to acquire Plaid, and protracted and complex litigation will likely take substantial time to fully resolve.”Finance apps Had it gone ahead the deal would have allowed Visa to get a better foothold in the burgeoning fintech space. Plaid lets users connect their bank counts to finance apps, including the likes of Venmo and Betterment. Visa could have utilised the technology to boost their ability to process online payments and bolster financial investments. Meanwhile, Plaid is enjoying continued growth thanks to booming demand for its services as consumer hunger for the likes of stock trading apps and neobanks continues to rise.

Supermicro has announced its first workstation based on AMD's Ryzen Threadripper Pro processor. The new system can pack a CPU with up to 64 cores, up to 2TB of RAM, and up to four double-wide graphics cards or accelerators. The machine is designed for AI/DL, digital content creation, and engineering simulations. Historically, AMD has been quite keen on winning designs with server makers, but when it comes to workstations from professional suppliers, the company has never been truly profound. Perhaps because high-end/corporate workstations is not exactly a high-volume business and spending resources on winning servers is always more fruitful. Yet, with its Ryzen Threadripper Pro 3000WX-series, AMD clearly wants to enter this market. The Supermicro A+ SuperWorkstation 5014A-TT is the industry's second workstation based on AMD's Ryzen Threadripper Pro 3000WX-series processor after Lenovo's ThinkStation P620 machine and it actually has an edge over its only rival as it supports more dual-slot PCIe 4.0 x16 cards, according to its manufacturer. The A+ SuperWorkstation 5014A-TT workstation is based on the AMD WRX80 platform with all of its advantages, such as an eight-channel memory subsystem that supports up to 2TB of DDR4-3200 SDRAM with or without ECC as well as 128 usable PCIe 4.0 lanes. The M12SWA-TF motherboard that powers the workstation carries six PCIe 4.0 x16 slots, four M.2-2280/22110 slots for SSDs, two U.2 sockets, one GbE port (Intel I210AT), one 10GbE connector (Marvell AQC113C), an ASpeed AST2600 baseboard management controller, a TPM 2.0 header, multiple USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A & Type-C ports, and a 7.1-audio codec. The machine itself measures 535×222×573 mm and is equipped with an up to 2000W 80Plus Platinum-certified PSU, so it will handle virtually all combinations of AMD's Ryzen Threadripper Pro CPUs with any graphics cards, compute accelerators, SSDs, and memory modules available today. Meanwhile, since the A+ SuperWorkstation 5014A-TT is listed as 'coming soon', Supermicro does not disclose which add-in cards and storage devices it will offer with the system.

in a video message to the “gamers,” CD Projekt Red co-founder Marcin Iwiński apologized for the broken, unfinished state Cyberpunk 2077 was in at launch. Specifically, the message was aimed at those who purchased the game on Xbox One and PlayStation 4. In the message, Iwiński promised that improvements are on the way to both console and PC. However, the renewed imperative on said fixes will now push the free DLC for Cyberpunk 2077 to make way for critical updates. We don’t normally report on console news and happenings, but not even us PC owners could have missed the furor on launch day. The game was nearly unplayable on the aging consoles, forcing Sony to remove the game from its online marketplace and start issuing refunds. Iwiński explained the mistakes CD Projekt Red made with the console release. He said that the team was focused on making the game “look epic on PCs and then adjusting to consoles — especially the old gens.” However, he admitted the developer “underestimated the task.” The console version of Cyberpunk 2077 did not meet the quality standard we wanted it to meet. I, and the entire leadership team, are deeply sorry for this and this video is me publicly owning up to that. Please don’t fault any of our teams for what happened. They all are incredibly talented and hard-working. Myself and the board are the final decision makers and it was our call to release the game. Although, believe me, we never ever intended for anything like this to happen. I assure you that we’ll do our best to regain your trust. You can watch the entire video below, which runs at just over five minutes. CD Projekt Red apologizes, Cyberpunk 2077 DLC takes a back seat The video was hosted on Cyberpunk 2077‘s web page, along with a Q&A and a new roadmap. Cyberpunk‘s 2021 roadmap shows the immanent release of patch 1.1, which Iwiński said will drop in around 10 days. It will be followed closely by patch 1.2, and then the game will receive “multiple updates & improvements” throughout the year. The two aforementioned patches supersede CD Projekt Red’s plan for the free DLCs, which will now release early 2021, but not before the major fixes. Many people have criticized CD Projekt Red’s development practices, notably on the subject of crunch. In the Q&A portion of the website, the company addressed crunch, saying it’s no longer on the menu. Of course, remember that same company said this before and went back on its word. We’ll see if this latest promise has any teeth, but I’m not going to hold my breath. “The team is working to bring relevant fixes to the game without any obligatory overtime,” the page said. “Avoiding crunch on all of our future projects is one of our top priorities.”

Honda has ended production of the HR-V crossover, several months before its radically different successor is expected to be unwrapped. The Nissan Juke rival has been taken off Honda's website after seven years on sale, leaving the brand with four models - the Civic, CR-V, E and Jazz - in its UK line-up until the next HR-V goes on sale, likely late this year or in early 2022. The HR-V was taken out of production late last year in accordance with changes to real-world driving emissions regulations (RDE2) that came into effect from 1 January 2021. New examples are now available only from dealer stock. The HR-V was available with either a 1.5-litre petrol engine or a 1.6-litre diesel engine, neither of which will return for the next-generation car, which will be available with exclusively electrified powertrains in line with Honda's promise to phase out all ICE-only models in Europe by 2022. Recent spy shots of a prototype point to a dramatic design overhaul for Honda's small SUV, with a rakish coupé-style roofline and a Civic-aping front end among the most obvious changes. Inside, the SUV can be expected to follow the next-generation Civic in adopting a more minimalist dashboard layout with new driver aids and technology across the line-up. Honda has yet to indicate how many variants of the new car will be available from launch, but the warmed-up HR-V Sport will likely make a return in some form, given a recent market influx of performance-oriented compact SUVs. European sales of the HR-V steadily declined since its mid-life facelift in 2015, dropping from more than 33,000 units in 2016 to fewer than 21,747 in 2019. The crossover segment, into which the first-gen HR-V was an early entrant, has swelled in recent years with new arrivals such as the Ford Puma and Skoda Kamiq, and consistent big-sellers including the Juke and Renault Captur have recently been substantially updated.

The US House of Representatives has impeached President Donald Trump for "incitement of insurrection" at last week's Capitol riot. Ten Republicans sided with Democrats to impeach the president by 232-197. He is the first president in US history to be impeached twice, or charged with crimes by Congress. Mr Trump, a Republican, will now face a trial in the Senate, where if convicted he could face being barred from ever holding office again. But he will not have to quit the White House before his term ends in one week because the Senate will not reconvene in time. Mr Trump leaves office on 20 January, following his election defeat last November to Democrat Joe Biden. The Democratic-controlled House voted on Wednesday after several hours of impassioned debate as armed National Guard troops kept watch inside and outside the Capitol. The FBI has warned of possible armed protests planned for Washington DC and all 50 US state capitals ahead of Mr Biden's inauguration next week. In a video released after the vote in Congress, Mr Trump called on his followers to remain peaceful but he did not refer to the fact that he had been impeached. "Violence and vandalism have no place in our country... No true supporter of mine would ever endorse political violence," he said, striking a sombre and conciliatory tone. What was Trump charged with? Impeachment charges are political, not criminal. The president was accused by Congress of inciting the storming of the Capitol with a speech on 6 January to a rally outside the White House. He urged his supporters to "peacefully and patriotically" make their voices heard, but also to "fight like hell" against an election that he falsely told them had been stolen. Following Mr Trump's remarks, his supporters broke into the Capitol, forcing lawmakers to suspend certification of election results and take shelter. The building was placed on lockdown and five people died. Did Trump's words at rally incite the riot? A visual guide to the Congress riots Can Trump be removed or banned from politics? The article of impeachment stated that Mr Trump "repeatedly issued false statements asserting that the presidential election results were fraudulent and should not be accepted". It says he then repeated these claims and "willfully made statements to the crowd that encouraged and foreseeably resulted in lawless action at the Capitol", leading to the violence and loss of life. "President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of government, threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of government." Last week, 139 Republicans voted against accepting the result of the 2020 election and Mr Trump's defeat. What did lawmakers say during the debate? The lawmakers made statements for and against the vote in the same chamber where they hid under chairs and donned gas masks as rioters tried to force their way inside last week. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, said on the House floor: "The president of the United States incited this insurrection, this armed rebellion against our common country. "He must go. He is a clear and present danger to the nation that we all love." Democratic congressman Julian Castro called Mr Trump "the most dangerous man to ever occupy the Oval Office". media captionHow did Republicans defend Trump - and who voted to impeach? Most Republicans did not seek to defend Mr Trump's rhetoric, instead arguing that the impeachment had bypassed the customary hearings and calling on Democrats to drop it for the sake of national unity. "Impeaching the president in such a short time frame would be a mistake," said Kevin McCarthy, the House's top Republican. "That doesn't mean the president's free from fault. The president bears responsibility for Wednesday's attack on Congress by mob rioters." Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican, accused Democrats of recklessly dividing the country to pursue a political vendetta. "This is about getting the president of the United States," said Mr Jordan. "It's always been about getting the president, no matter what. It's an obsession." Among members of the president's party who voted to impeach him was the third-ranking House Republican Liz Cheney. The Wyoming representative, who is the daughter of former Vice-President Dick Cheney, said of the Capitol riot that "there has never been a greater betrayal by a president". 2px presentational grey line Trump makes history once again Analysis box by Anthony Zurcher, North America reporter Donald Trump has made history once again, this time as the first president to be impeached twice. A year ago, the move was opposed in lockstep by the Republican Party. This time, a handful of conservatives backed the move. It is a reflection not only of the gravity of the moment, but also the president's declining influence in the final days of his administration. Impeachment sets up a Senate trial for Mr Trump that now appears destined to stretch into the early days of Joe Biden's presidency, creating yet another challenge for the incoming president. It also will stoke an ongoing debate among Republicans over the direction their party takes in the days ahead. The party is on a path that splits in two very different directions. On one side is continued allegiance to the president's brand of politics - one that created a new coalition of voters that delivered the White House and Congress in 2016, but lost both in 2020. On the other is an uncertain future - but one free from the president's unique style of heat and rhetoric - unfiltered invective that even many Republicans now believe contributed to last week's Capitol riot What this means for Trump, Biden and America 2px presentational grey line What happens next? The impeachment article will head to the Senate, which will hold a trial to determine the president's guilt. A two-thirds majority is needed to convict Mr Trump, meaning at least 17 Republicans would have to vote with Democrats in the evenly split, 100-seat upper chamber. As many as 20 Senate Republicans are open to convicting the president, the New York Times reported on Tuesday. If Mr Trump is convicted by the Senate, lawmakers could hold another vote to block him from running for elected office again - which he has indicated he planned to do in 2024. But the trial will not come during Mr Trump's remaining week in office. Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement: "Given the rules, procedures, and Senate precedents that govern presidential impeachment trials, there is simply no chance that a fair or serious trial could conclude before President-elect Biden is sworn in next week." He said it would best serve the interests of the nation if Congress focused on a safe and orderly transition of power for the incoming Biden administration. Mr McConnell also said in a note to colleagues that he had not made a final decision on how he would vote. No US president has ever been removed from office through impeachment. Mr Trump was impeached by the House in 2019 but acquitted by the Senate. So was Bill Clinton in 1998 and Andrew Johnson in 1868.

thank you for your interest ! there is no have pushed but i liked to start from again as well know no one can return to his grade, you should start from 0 so i liked to start from it.

V1 text, blur, light brush

A security researcher has discovered a new vulnerability in the VPN service SaferVPN that could allow for local privilege escalation on Windows systems. The local privilege escalation vulnerability was discovered by a researcher known as nmht3t who previously disclosed the fact that SaferVPN silently fixed a DoS vulnerability in its VPN client last September. In a new blog post on Medium, mmht3t revealed why he chose to publicly disclose his latest discovery, saying: “SaferVPN does not fix this vulnerability even after a 90-day disclosure deadline. Therefore, there is no patch available at the moment for this product. In order to inform the users of the vulnerability, I decided to publicly disclose the vulnerability.” We've put together a list of the best secure VPN providers Secure your entire network with one of the best VPN routers Also check out our roundup of the best antivirus software around Security researchers often give companies a 90-day deadline to fix any vulnerabilities before they disclose them publicly. As SaferVPN failed to patch this latest vulnerability in a timely manner, mmht3t felt it was in the best interest of the company's users to warn them about it. Local privilege escalation flaw According to mmht3t's vulnerability summary, when SaferVPN attempts to connect to a VPN server it spawns the OpenVPN executable in the context of NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM. The service's VPN client then tries to load an openssl.cnf configuration file from a non-existing folder (C:\etc\ssl\openssl.cnf). However, as a low-privileged users is able to create folders under C:\ on Windows, it's possible for them to create the appropriate path and place a crafted openssl.cnf file in it. Once OpenVPN starts in SaferVPN, this file can load a malicious OpenSSL engine library which results in arbitrary code execution as SYSTEM. SaferVPN versions 5.0.3.3 to 5.04.15 are vulnerable to this local privilege escalation flaw tracked as CVE-2020–26050. Mmht3t first discovered this vulnerability earlier this year and they sent the details of the vulnerability to SaferVPN in July. After a follow up with no response from the company and informing them that the 90-day disclosure deadline was approaching, mmht3t decided to make their findings public in January.

In line with Nvidia's RTX 3060 announcement today; Colorful is releasing three new GeForce RTX 3060 graphics cards, all with beefy triple-fan coolers and a wide variety of color themes to choose from. The RTX 3060 will be Nvidia's new mid-ranged product priced at around $329. Nvidia says the card should be around 10-15% faster than the RTX 2060. This is Nvidia's official word though, so take it with a grain of salt. Once we can get a 3060 to test, we'll know where it lands in our GPU hierarchy. Colorful GeForce RTX 3060 NB Colorful's baseline RTX 3060 card is called the NB, and seems to be more about functionality than anything else, with a nice two-toned black-and-red look, but no lighting to speak of. For cooling, the NB features a large triple-fan cooler design, with dual 90mm side-fans and a single 80mm in the center. The shroud itself looks very efficient, with plenty of ventilation along the sides that will help improve airflow. On the back, the NB includes a metal backplate for extra rigidity and a premium look. Colorful iGame GeForce RTX 3060 Ultra W The iGame RTX 3060 Ultra W is Colorful's only white-themed RTX 3060 card in the lineup so far. It features the same fan layout as the NB, a triple-fan cooler design with two 90mm fans and a single 80mm fan in the center. But unlike the NB, the Ultra W has a more unique aesthetic, with a matte-white finish accompanied by an iridescent material that changes color from purple to blue when you change your viewing angle. cards should look nearly identical. The RTX 3060 Advanced OC features a red, black, and silver color scheme with the red accent being a large red ring around the center fan that also lights up. The cooler is a triple-fan design like its siblings and features four 8mm heat-pipes for heat dissipation. Colorful RTX 3090 Neptune Colorful is also showing off a new RTX 3090 SKU called the "Neptune," a beefy card with a 240mm AIO. Like previous RTX 3090 models. the Neptune is equipped with a dual-slot GPU block that cools the entire GPU and PCB components. The radiator is equipped with RGB fans and the center of the Neptune waterblock features an RGB ring as well.Colorful's RTX 3060 cards should be arriving in February along with the rest of the RTX 3060 cards from Nvidia and its partners. However, we can't be sure of when the RTX 3090 Neptune will arrive on the scene. But don't get your hopes up, as graphics card availability is still a problem in early 2021. We'd be shocked it that substantially changes with the RTX 3060.

In order to prove himself worthy of the throne, Arthur needed to pull the legendary sword Excalibur from the stone. The legend is iffy on exactly how long this took him, but a game bearing his name is going to take a bit longer in development. King Arthur: Knight’s Tale, an upcoming turn-based tactical RPG from Hungarian developer NeocoreGames, was set to launch today. Alas, the company needs a bit more oomph before it’s ready to pull the sword free on January 26. The game will then enter the mystical period of Early Access while it awaits its future coronation. Why the delay, though? The developer didn’t offer much detail aside from the usual suspects. NeocoreGames simply wants more time to polish and squash bugs, and then polish the squashed bugs to add to its polished squashed bug collection. The issues don’t appear to be that threatening, however, seeing as it’s only asking for an additional couple of weeks to work on things. Back from the dead As it’s 2021 and everything is required to be grimdark, King Arthur: Knight’s Tale is inspired by the classic tale but with dark fantasy tropes. In true grimdark fashion, you don’t play as Arthur at all. Instead, you take control of Mordred, Arthur’s archenemy, after the two have both died while fighting each other. However, Mordred is returned to life by the Lady of the Lake, and she asks him to once again kill Arthur, who has risen as the puppet of something evil and unmentionable. King Arthur: Knight’s Tale seems to operate like a cross between X-Com and a CRPG. There will be many moral choices, as well as a rogue-lite structure. You’ll have your team fight their way through complex battlegrounds while Mordred tries to make his way to Arthur and end the knightmare ASAP. There’s no word on how long the game will remain in Early Access, but it’s sounding like it’ll be quite the adventure.

Bristol Cars, the company that won post-war fame for its fast and plush grand tourers but was liquidated last year, is to be revived by a British entrepreneur. Jason Wharton, an Essex-based property developer and Bristol enthusiast, wants to reinstate traditional manufacturing of Bristol cars quickly, and to build an “atelier-style” division around the new business that will sell, restore and support Bristol models of all ages. If all goes to plan, the new concern will be based near the company’s original home at Filton, on the outskirts of Bristol.Wharton’s idea is to launch “remastered” versions of the Fighter two-seater and the 411 four-seater during 2022, before unveiling an all-new Buccaneer (reinstating a name previous owners used for a stillborn new model) around the middle of the decade. “Our all-new car will be a four-seater very much in the traditional Bristol mould,” said Wharton, “but it will make extensive use of modern technology and materials.” Wharton recently completed the purchase of the intellectual property rights needed to begin making his improved versions of existing designs, along with a collection of useful equipment, such as chassis jigs and body parts. He hopes to gain access to the Bristol company archive, currently for sale, although he believes that would be better owned and managed by the Bristol Owners’ Heritage Trust.The remastered Fighter and 411 models will each be hand-built in batches of eight. They will be comprehensively re-engineered where needed – for instance, the 411’s old-fashioned live rear axle will be replaced by an independent rear suspension. Both will use a version of Chrysler’s 6.4-litre petrol Hemi V8 engine, driving through an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Bristol had a long relationship with Chrysler, mostly using V8s, although the original Fighter had an 8.0-litre Dodge V10. Wharton says he is on the brink of appointing a head of engineering (“somebody experienced in low-volume OEM manufacturing”), whose first major task will be to build and develop a prototype of each remastered model ready for the road by the end of 2021. The latest 411 will be dubbed the Series 8. The model had reached Series 6 when production stopped in 2011, but Wharton feels a two-model jump will best reflect the extent of the car’s modernisation. Rumours of Bristol’s revival plans have already reached the ears of some owners and enthusiasts, with the result that Wharton has begun collecting “expressions of interest” even before potential owners have learned much about the price or specification. When the first manufacturing phase is complete, Wharton says he will “take time” to decide the specification of the new Buccaneer, although some kind of Chrysler powertrain link, a Bristol tradition reaching back to the 1960s, looks probable.

Hundreds of alleged members of Italy's most powerful mafia group are set to face justice in the country's biggest organised crime trial in decades. The 355 suspected mobsters and corrupt officials were charged following a long inquiry into the 'Ndrangheta group. More than 900 witnesses are expected to give evidence, and the charge sheet includes murder, drug trafficking, extortion and money laundering. The trial begins on Wednesday and is expected to last more than two years. It will take place in a specially modified building in the southern region of Calabria, which is at the heart of 'Ndrangheta territory. The building, formerly a call centre in the town of in Lamezia Terme, has been converted into a fortified courtroom to make space for the hundreds of people likely to attend the proceedings. No mafia trial has been held in Italy on such a scale since the 1980s. Who are the defendants? Unlike the earlier trial, which ran from 1986 to 1992 and targeted a large number of Cosa Nostra families in Sicily, Wednesday's trial is aimed at just one group, the Mancuso family, which forms a powerful section of the sprawling 'Ndrangheta mafia. Although the 'Ndrangheta are now bigger than Cosa Nostra, the Mancuso clan are said to operate mostly in the Calabrian province of Vibo Valentia. During a recent pre-trial hearing it took more than three hours to read the names of the defendants, AFP news agency reports. They include politicians, police officers, civil servants as well as alleged members and accomplices of the mob. The highest-profile defendant is the alleged clan boss Luigi Mancuso, 66, also known as "The Uncle". Other defendants are said to go by nicknames such as "The Wolf", "Fatty" and "Blondie". The number of accused increases to more than 400 when the 92 suspects who chose a separate fast-tracked trial are factored in. These include Giancarlo Pittelli, a lawyer and former senator for ex-Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia party. Mr Pittelli denies connecting the 'Ndrangheta to the world of politics and other powerful institutions such as the courts. Most of the defendants were detained in pre-dawn raids in Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Bulgaria in December 2019. What are the charges? The 'Ndrangheta are believed to control the supply of huge amounts of cocaine entering Europe from South America and elsewhere. But the lengthy charge sheet for the hundreds of defendants goes far beyond drug crimes. It includes mafia association, murder, attempted murder, extortion, loan sharking, disclosure of official secrets and abuse of office."This trial shows how deeply rooted the 'Ndrangheta is in society," Federico Varese, professor of criminology at Oxford University, told AFP. "It's shocking that you have a criminal group so rooted in the territory you have to put hundreds of people on trial." entral to the case is Italy's most famous anti-mafia prosecutor, 62-year-old Nicola Gratteri, who has lived under police protection for more than three decades. He has vowed to take down "this asphyxiating 'Ndrangheta, which truly takes the breath and the heartbeat from the people". But Prof Varese has warned that the trial will not mark the end of the group. "You can throw them in jail but if you don't take away the root causes of why they exist, they'll just reproduce," he said.