componentplanet

[componentplanet]

ET Deals: $50 Off Apple Watch SE 44mm Smartwatch, Dell Alienware Aurora R11 Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming Desktop for $1,763

Apple’s new Watch SE comes with many of the same features as Apple’s more expensive Watch Series 6, but with a significantly lower price tag. Now you can get the 44mm version of this smartwatch discounted with a $50 discount, which makes it that much more affordable and an excellent deal.

Apple Watch SE 44mm GPS Smartwatch ($259.99)

Apple’s Watch SE is a more affordable alternative to the new Watch Series 6. It’s more than twice as fast as the old Apple Watch Series 3 and comes loaded with useful features to track your fitness activity. By default this watch is priced over $100 lower than Apple’s Watch Series 6, but now you can get one from Amazon marked down from $309.99 to just $259.99.

Dell Alienware Aurora R11 Intel Core i7-10700F Gaming Desktop w/ Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080, 8GB DDR4 RAM and 1TB HDD ($1,763.99)

If you’re looking for a gaming desktop, you can’t go wrong with one of Dell’s newly redesigned Alienware Aurora R11 PCs. This version of the Aurora features an Intel Comet Lake Core i7-10700F CPU as well as an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 graphics card. This GPU is currently one of, if not the fastest single graphics card in the world, and it’s able to run games with maxed settings with exceptional ease. Currently, with promo code SAVE10AFF, you can get this system from Dell marked down from $1,999.99 to just $1,763.99.

Samsung 970 Evo 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD ($142.49)

Reading data at 3,500MB/s, this SSD hits the limits of what the M.2 interface is capable of when connected using PCI-E 3.0 lanes. With a total of 1TB of storage capacity, this drive removes any need to have a second drive to store files as it can hold more data than the average user typically needs. The drive was built using Samsung’s V-NAND 3-bit MLC NAND, which offers excellent performance. The drive is also rated to last for up to 1.5 million hours before failing. Right now you can get it from Amazon marked down from $249.99 to $142.49 with a clickable coupon.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Wireless Earbuds ($89.99)

Samsung’s Galaxy Buds were made to compete with Apple’s Airpods headphones and they have many similar features, including a fully wireless design and Bluetooth support. The Galaxy Buds also features up to 6 hours of battery life on a single charge and they can charge enough to play for an entire hour in just 15 minutes. Right now you can buy these high-end earbuds from Amazon marked down from $129.99 to just $89.99.

Featured Deals

Apple Watch SE 44mm GPS Smartwatch for $259.99 from Amazon (List price $309.00)

Dell Alienware Aurora R11 Intel Core i7-10700F Gaming Desktop w/ Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080, 8GB DDR4 RAM and 1TB HDD for $1,763.99 from Dell with promo code SAVE10AFF (List price $1,999.99)

Samsung 970 Evo 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD for $142.49 from Amazon (List price $249.99)

Samsung Galaxy Buds Wireless Earbuds for $89.99 from Amazon (List price $129.99)

Dell XPS 8940 SE Intel Core i5-10400 Gaming Desktop w/ AMD Radeon RX 5600 GPU, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 256GB NVMe SSD and 1TB HDD for $749.99 from Dell with promo code DTXPSAFF11 (List price $1,329.99)

Motorola Moto G Power Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 64GB 6.4-Inch HD+ Smartphone for $179.99 from Amazon (List price $249.99)

Roku Premiere 4K HDR Media Player for $29.00 from Amazon (List price $39.99)

Apple MacBook Air Intel Core i3 13.3-Inch Laptop w/ 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD for $849.99 from Amazon (List price $999.00)

iRobot Roomba 981 Wi-Fi Robot Vacuum for $399.99 from Amazon (List price $589.00)

Dell Vostro 3670 Intel Core i5-9400 Desktop w/ 8GB DDR4 RAM and 256GB HDD for $499.00 from Dell (List price $998.57)

Microsoft Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S Gaming Consoles for $499.99 and $299.99 respectively from Microsoft

Apple AirPods Pro for $194.00 from Amazon (List price $249.00)

Note: Terms and conditions apply. See the relevant retail sites for more information. For more great deals, go to our partners at TechBargains.com.

Now read:

This Pre-Black Friday Sale Includes must-have AirPod Accessories

ET Deals: Sony PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Digital Edition Now Available, Dell XPS 8940 SE Intel Core i5 and AMD Radeon RX 5300 Gaming Desktop for $649

Snag these Apple Watch Accessories at Killer Pre-Black Friday Sale Prices

from ExtremeTechExtremeTech https://www.extremetech.com/deals/317359-et-deals-50-off-apple-watch-se-44mm-smartwatch-dell-alienware-aurora-r11-nvidia-geforce-rtx-3080-gaming-desktop-for-1763 from Blogger http://componentplanet.blogspot.com/2020/11/et-deals-50-off-apple-watch-se-44mm.html

#ET Deals: $50 Off Apple Watch SE 44mm Smartwatch #Dell Alienware Aurora R11 Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080

[componentplanet]

Snag these Apple Watch Accessories at Killer Pre-Black Friday Sale Prices

Whether an Apple Watch is on your wrist or your Christmas list, there are dozens of accessories that make life with the fun gadget even sweeter. And if someone on your list is a big fan of their Apple Watch, we bet they’d love to see any of these additions underneath their tree.

Thanks to this pre-Black Friday sale there’s 15 percent off sitewide on these handy Apple Watch gadgets. And since they’re only available for a limited time, it might be smart to snag some of these perfect stocking stuffers ahead of the holiday rush.

HEDock Apple Watch Dock

Let’s face it, Apple Watch chargers aren’t all that aesthetically pleasing. That’s where HEDock Apple Watch Dock comes in, providing a stylish place to simultaneously charge and display your Apple Watch. Its urethane coating prevents scratches and the sleek design hides the charging cable behind the dock for minimal clutter.

Get the HEDock Apple Watch Dock for $11.89 (Reg. $15) with promo code SAVE15NOV.

NightStand for Apple Watch

Want a place to keep your Apple Watch that isn’t an eyesore? NightStand for Apple Watch, the brainchild of a group of engineers and designers, is a super sleek charging dock that’s both convenient and aesthetically pleasing. Suction sticks to your desired surface to keep your Apple Watch safe, and a simple design makes it easy to dock and undock at anytime. 

Get the NightStand for Apple Watch Dock for $12.74 (Reg. $29) with promo code SAVE15NOV.

Oakywood iPhone And Apple Watch Charging Dock

If you’re hoping to keep a certain aesthetic going in your bedroom and have been dreaming of a pretty place to charge up your gadgets, look no further. The Oakywood iPhone and Apple Watch Charging Dock is hand-shaped from solid wood and features a detailed finish that adds a little pizazz wherever you place it. It also has an adjustable backing to fit your iPhone and a sleek design that reduces unsightly cable clutter. 

Get the Oakywood iPhone and Apple Watch Charging Dock for $50.99 (Reg. $79) with promo code SAVE15NOV.

BatteryPro Portable Charger for iPhone and Apple Watch

If you’re often taking your gadgets on the go, the BatteryPro Portable Charger for iPhone and Apple Watch is your go-to companion to keep your devices powered up. It features an integrated MFi-certified Apple Watch magnetic charger and a smart high-speed USB output, giving you the ability yo charge anytime and anywhere. And with its 8,000 mAh capacity, it can provide over two weeks of Apple Watch charging or 3 days of iPhone charging. 

Get the BatteryPro Portable Charger for iPhone & Apple Watch for $67.99 (Reg. $99) with promo code SAVE15NOV.

OMNIA Q2 True Wireless 2+1 Fast Charging Stand

Sometimes you just need your devices powered up quickly. That’s where the OMNIA Q2 True Wireless 2+1 Fast Charging Stand comes in. It’s compatible with Apple’s 7.5W fast-charging specification and allows a maximum power of 10W to allow for rapid charging. Its trickle-charging mode enables optimized charging, and thanks to its overvoltage protection, multiple circuit protection, and overheating protection, you can recharge with 100 percent safety. 

Get the OMNIA Q2 True Wireless 2+1 Fast Charging Stand for $64.56 (Reg. $89) with promo code SAVE15NOV.

Portable Keychain Apple Watch Charger

Since our electronics are our lifelines, it’s always nice to have an emergency charger on hand. The Portable Keychain Apple Watch Charger can just pop on your keyring and deliver a fast original wireless charging speed in less than 2.5 hours. It comes equipped with a USB tip that allows you to plug the charger into your laptop or device with a USB port, and then just place your Apple watch on top for easy wireless charging.

Get the Portable Keychain Apple Watch Charger for $14.44 (Reg. $29) with promo code SAVE15NOV.

Apple Watch Wireless Charger Keychain

Keychain chargers are among the handiest way to power up your devices, and the Apple Watch Wireless Charger Keychain can tag along wherever you go. It features a microcomputer electronic system that wirelessly charge your Apple Watch — all you need to do is place the watch on the black magnetic charger. Its 950 mAh lithium-ion battery lets you charge up any iWatch series. 

Get the Apple Watch Wireless Charger Keychain for $16.99 (Reg. $49) with promo code SAVE15NOV.

Triple Dock: 3-in-1 Apple Device Charging Station

Eliminate cable clutter with the  highly rated Triple Dock: 3-in-1 Apple Device Charging Station. It scored a 4.8/5 Editor’s Rating on GadgetFlow thanks to its micro-suction tape technology that allows one-hand operation and its adjustable backing that makes it compatible with any phone case. Made of real solid wood and finished with ecological oils, it’s not only convenient, but nice to look at as well!

Get the Triple Dock: 3-in-1 Apple Device Charging Station for $57.79 (Reg. $79) with promo code SAVE15NOV.

Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Cable

When it comes to convenience, having a little extra flexibility with a lengthy charging cable makes all the difference. The Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Cable is a 1-meter cable that combines Apple’s MagSafe technology with inductive charging, giving you wiggle room when you need it. All you have to do is hold the connector near the back of the watch, and the magnet will snap it into place and start powering up automatically. And there’s also a 2 meter option available for even greater flexibility!

Get the Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Cable (1m) for $22.09 (Reg. $31) with promo code SAVE15NOV. The Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Cable (2 meter) is available for $22.94 (Reg. $59) with promo code SAVE15NOV.

Griffin WatchStand Powered Charging Station for Apple Watch + iPhone

If you’re the owner of different Apple gadgets, it’s hard to find the perfect product to power them all up at once. That’s where the WatchStand comes in, serving as an all-in-one powered charging station for both the Apple Watch and the iPhone or iPad. It has a built-in power supply with two dedicated USB ports that free up a wall outlet, while simultaneously removing cable clutter and offering the perfect amount of charging power for the devices.

Get the Griffin WatchStand Powered Charging Station for Apple Watch + iPhone for $14.44 (Reg. $65) with promo code SAVE15NOV.

QUAD Wireless Charging Station

This sleek QUAD Wireless Charging Station is more than meets the eye. With a 5-coil full surface area, built-in MFI-certified Apple Watch charger and an integrated Lightning port, you can charge multiple Apple devices simultaneously. And there are two different options to go with your aesthetic — as you can select a wood or black base to fit your design needs.

Get the QUAD Wireless Charging Station in wood or with a black top and base for $127.49 (Reg. $154) with promo code SAVE15NOV.

Porta 3-in-1 Power Bank for Phone, Apple Watch, and AirPods

We love a good multi-tasker, and the Porta 3-in-1 Power Bank for Phone, Apple Watch and AirPods does just that. With an 8,000 mAh capacity, it delivers a 100 percent charge to your iPhone Apple Watch or AirPods. And you can bring it along anywhere thanks to its lightweight and compact design.

Get the Porta 3-in-1 Power Bank for Phone, Apple Watch & AirPods for $42.49 (Reg. $119) with promo code SAVE15NOV.

Note: Terms and conditions apply. See the relevant retail sites for more information. For more great deals, go to our partners at TechBargains.com.

Now read:

ET Deals: Apple MacBook Air for $849, iRobot Roomba 981 Wi-Fi Robot Vacuum for $399

This Pre-Black Friday Sale Includes must-have AirPod Accessories

ET Deals: Sony PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Digital Edition Now Available, Dell XPS 8940 SE Intel Core i5 and AMD Radeon RX 5300 Gaming Desktop for $649

from ExtremeTechExtremeTech https://www.extremetech.com/deals/317358-snag-these-apple-watch-accessories-at-killer-pre-black-friday-sale-prices from Blogger http://componentplanet.blogspot.com/2020/11/snag-these-apple-watch-accessories-at.html

#Snag these Apple Watch Accessories at Killer Pre-Black Friday Sale Prices

[componentplanet]

Time to Update: Google Patches 2 Severe Zero-Day Chrome Vulnerabilities

A spate of zero-day attacks have hit Google’s Chrome browser in the last few weeks, and you can add two more to the list. Google released a patch this week to fix the security flaws in its browser, but we don’t know exactly what the flaws are. Unlike the last few zero-days, Google didn’t find these security holes itself. Instead, it was tipped by anonymous third-parties, and the problems are severe enough that it hasn’t released full details. Suffice it to say, you should stop putting off that update. 

Google’s internal security team is constantly trying to break Chrome in order to uncover potential bugs before they become the basis for a harmful malware campaign. And indeed, Google catches a lot of glitches and pushes out patches before anyone outside the company notices. A zero-day exploit is one that Google and the developer community didn’t catch, and could therefore leave millions of machines open to attack. 

We usually get details on patches in Chrome, but Google has temporarily withheld details of these latest flaws because both have been used in the wild as attack vectors. One of the flaws, CVE-2020-16013, is related to Google’s V8 JavaScript engine. The second is CVE-2020-16017, and this one is a “use after free” problem in memory management that allows code to leak out of Chrome’s Site Isolation sandbox. 

Without more details, we can’t say if these bugs are any more severe than the others we’ve seen lately. However, they could have a much greater impact simply by virtue of the fact that internet ne’er-do-wells figured out how to exploit them before Google even knew there was a problem. 

You’re protected as long as you’re on Chrome version 86.0.4240.198 or higher. You can check on that in Settings > Help > About Chrome. If you haven’t updated yet, you might have a nagging “update” badge at the top of Chrome right now. Just give in. These are serious bugs that are being actively used to take over computers. Granted, high-value vulnerabilities like these are usually used to target a specific set of individuals. This still isn’t a chance you want to take, and the details of these vulnerabilities won’t stay secret forever. You don’t want to be running an old version of Chrome when the details are widely known.

Now read:

Chrome Might Not Eat All Your RAM After Adopting This Windows Feature

Mozilla Fires 250 Employees, 25 Percent of Existing Workforce

Google Warns Edge Users Who Install Extensions From Its Web Store

from ExtremeTechExtremeTech https://www.extremetech.com/internet/317352-time-to-update-google-patches-2-severe-zero-day-chrome-vulnerabilities from Blogger http://componentplanet.blogspot.com/2020/11/time-to-update-google-patches-2-severe.html

#Time to Update: Google Patches 2 Severe Zero-Day Chrome Vulnerabilities

[componentplanet]

Nvidia Will Mimic AMD’s Smart Access Memory on Ampere: Report

We haven’t even gotten to talk about the results of features like AMD’s Smart Access Memory, and Team Red’s competitors are already lining up to pledge support for an equivalent feature. SAM is AMD’s first-ever method of taking advantage of the fact that it owns its entire IP stack — CPU, GPU, and platform. According to AMD, it can use this fact to boost system performance when you combine an RDNA2 card and a Ryzen CPU with an X570 motherboard.

Specifically, AMD claims that it can give the CPU full access to GPU RAM rather than limiting the system to a 256MB aperture window for data transfers. We don’t know if the large Infinity Cache integrated into RDNA2 plays a part in this. No one has stuck a 128MB cache in a GPU before, so the idea that it could play a role in boosting data transfers in and out of VRAM isn’t crazy, especially since cache latency is presumably quite a bit lower than the time it takes to go out to GDDR6.

According to GamersNexus, Nvidia is capable of doing something similar:

Hard to fit in a tweet, but basically, they're working on enabling the same feature as AMD Smart Access Memory (AMD GPU+CPU=Perf uplift) on both Intel and AMD. No ETA yet. Doesn't look like it'll be ready before RX 6000 launch, but we'll keep an eye on development.

— GamersNexus (@GamersNexus) November 12, 2020

Nvidia claims that the feature is part of the PCIe specification, that it has the capability working internally, and that it is already seeing similar performance results. There’s no ETA on when the feature might be available in-driver.

AMD has not publicly disclosed whether Smart Access Memory depends on features beyond the ability to adjust the size of this aperture (Intel refers to this as the IGD Aperture Size), or if it is additionally enhanced by capabilities of Zen 3 or the B550 / X570 chipset. It would definitely change the framing of the feature if Nvidia were capable of activating it on both Intel and AMD systems — but if it is, the likely end result would be AMD activating the capability for Intel systems as well.

Historically, in order for capabilities to become common, both GPU manufacturers have to agree to use a common standard. Nvidia introduced ray tracing using Microsoft’s DXR, for example, but it was only when AMD added the capability to next-gen consoles and its own GPUs that it really began taking off in the mass market. If Nvidia and Intel can both take advantage of a feature that AMD currently only enables for AMD customers, the company will likely enable it on Intel platforms as well, or risk losing match-ups to its biggest rival.

AMD is unlikely to want to risk that outcome. It’s one thing for the company to enable additional performance by leveraging commonalities within its own ecosystem and another to artificially limit performance on competitor platforms.

No matter what, though, the end result seems to be a consumer win. If Nvidia successfully adds this feature, game performance goes up for Nvidia customers. If AMD responds by enabling it for Intel as well, performance goes up for AMD + Intel customers. If, on the other hand, Nvidia (or hypothetically, Intel) can’t match AMD’s gains or fundamental capabilities, we’ll have evidence that the company really is taking advantage of its cross-product IP in new and interesting ways.

Now Read:

Which Is Faster, the Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5? Early Data Says It’s Complicated

AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT, 6800 XT, and 6900 XT GPU Details Leaked

AMD’s New Radeon RX 6000 Series Is Optimized to Battle Ampere

from ExtremeTechExtremeTech https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/317344-nvidia-will-mimic-amds-smart-access-memory-on-ampere from Blogger http://componentplanet.blogspot.com/2020/11/nvidia-will-mimic-amds-smart-access.html

#Nvidia Will Mimic AMD’s Smart Access Memory on Ampere: Report

[componentplanet]

Jose Mourinho: Tottenham boss given suspended one-match European ban

Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho is given a suspended one-match ban in European competition over the late kick-off at Royal Antwerp. from BBC News - London https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54936058 from Blogger http://componentplanet.blogspot.com/2020/11/jose-mourinho-tottenham-boss-given.html

#Jose Mourinho: Tottenham boss given suspended one-match European ban

[componentplanet]

National League: Wealdstone v Dover Athletic postponed

Saturday's National League match between Wealdstone and Dover is postponed under Covid-19 protocols. from BBC News - London https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54850655 from Blogger http://componentplanet.blogspot.com/2020/11/national-league-wealdstone-v-dover.html

#National League: Wealdstone v Dover Athletic postponed

[componentplanet]

Western Digital Changes Its Reported Drive Speeds to Reflect Reality

Western Digital has made some changes to how it brands its WD Red Plus hard drive family after taking heat for its decision to mislabel its hard drive speeds earlier this year. At the time, individual customers performed some rather clever acoustic analysis to confirm that the hard drives Western Digital claimed were 5400 RPM drives were actually 7200 RPM drives.

Western Digital protested that this labeling was fine, because “5400 RPM class” isn’t the same as “5400 RPM”, but it ignored the fact that 5400 RPM and 7200 RPM drives typically have different power and thermal requirements, and that products designed explicitly for 5400 RPM products might have trouble with 7200 RPM drives. The idea that communicating honestly about its products is the best way to cultivate and maintain consumer trust doesn’t appear to have occurred to anyone, either.

The company has now announced that it will retire certain WD Red Plus model numbers and launch new ones to replace them. Nothing is changing about the drives themselves; Western Digital is just being honest about the fact that these are 7200 RPM drives instead of 5400 RPM drives. Heise.de reports that the new model numbers are:

8 TByte: WD80EFBX (-68AZZN0) instead of WD80EFAX (-68KNBN0) 10 TByte: WD101EFBX (-68B0AN0) instead of WD101EFAX (-68LDBN0) 12 Tbytes: WD120EFBX (-68B0EN0) instead of WD120EFAX (-68UNTN0) 14 TByte: WD140EFGX (-68B0GN0) instead of WD140EFFX (-68VBXN0)

Heisse reports that WD has also updated its WD Red Pro product sheet to read “7200 RPM” instead of “7200 RPM class.”

  The actual WD Red Plus product sheet hasn’t been updated yet, but presumably that’ll happen soon.

Why Did Western Digital Do This in the First Place?

The big question it’d be nice to have an explanation for is why on Earth WD did this at all. When Western Digital introduced performance classes with its Green drives, it did so as a way of hiding the fact that they spun at less than 5400 RPM, not to cleverly imply they had a slower spindle speed than they actually did.

I can imagine a scenario in which it just became easier for WD to run every drive at 7200 RPM. Back when the hard drive market was crippled by extensive flooding in 2011, one of the expected outcomes that came true was the disappearance of smaller SKUs. When companies replaced their damaged equipment, they phased out smaller and older products that had been cost-effective to produce so long as old factory equipment was still in play. Maybe WD decided to standardize all of its production on 7200 RPM motors — but why not just run the same motor at a slower speed? Alternately, why not just advertise that you now ship 7200 RPM drives standard in all product lines as a way of thumbing your nose at the competition?

It’s not strange for a company to sell a component variant that compensates for lower performance in one category with higher performance in another, such as compensating for slower spindle speeds with larger caches, or clocking a CPU with a smaller L2 at a higher frequency to compensate. But why did Western Digital go to such lengths — to the point of programming its hard drives to misreport their own SMART data — to fake the speed of its hard drives? Was it trying to prop up artificial market segmentation because it believed margins would drop if it sold mostly 7200 RPM drives?

The chances that consumers were injured by this misrepresentation are small, but WD has yet to explain its thinking.

Now Read:

HDD Manufacturers Turn to New Technologies to Drive Capacity

Western Digital Caught Misrepresenting HDD RPM Speeds, Too

Western Digital Releases First EAMR Disks in 18TB, 20TB Capacities

from ExtremeTechExtremeTech https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/317327-western-digital-changes-its-reported-drive-speeds-to-reflect-reality from Blogger http://componentplanet.blogspot.com/2020/11/western-digital-changes-its-reported.html

#Western Digital Changes Its Reported Drive Speeds to Reflect Reality

[componentplanet]

Croydon police shooting: Man arrested over Sgt Matt Ratana murder

A 23-year-old man is arrested on suspicion of shooting dead Sergeant Matt Ratana at a custody centre. from BBC News - London https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-54935429 from Blogger http://componentplanet.blogspot.com/2020/11/croydon-police-shooting-man-arrested.html

#Croydon police shooting: Man arrested over Sgt Matt Ratana murder

[componentplanet]

Couple found guilty of shaking baby daughter to death

One-month-old Eva Sanders died a day after she was admitted to hospital. from BBC News - London https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-54935431 from Blogger http://componentplanet.blogspot.com/2020/11/couple-found-guilty-of-shaking-baby.html

#Couple found guilty of shaking baby daughter to death

[componentplanet]

London raids: Celebrities lost £26m of property to 'burglary team'

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard and socialite Tamara Ecclestone were among those whose homes were raided. from BBC News - London https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-54917570 from Blogger http://componentplanet.blogspot.com/2020/11/london-raids-celebrities-lost-26m-of.html

#London raids: Celebrities lost £26m of property to 'burglary team'

[componentplanet]

Wembley gang shooting: Men jailed for mistaken identity murder

Kwasi Mensah-Ababio was shot dead in a Wembley park after he had just finished a shift at work. from BBC News - London https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-54928353 from Blogger http://componentplanet.blogspot.com/2020/11/wembley-gang-shooting-men-jailed-for.html

#Wembley gang shooting: Men jailed for mistaken identity murder

[componentplanet]

TSMC Will Open $3.5 Billion Semiconductor Fab in Arizona

Credit: Laura Ockel/ Unsplash, PCMag

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, known more commonly as TSMC, has announced a major expansion in an unexpected place: the USA. TSMC says it will build a new semiconductor fab in Arizona. The project should get off the ground next year with funding from TSMC, the state of Arizona, and the federal government. 

TSMC says it will found a wholly owned subsidiary in the US with $3.5 billion in resources. While building will get underway next year, jobs at the site will be mostly limited to construction until the facility goes into production in 2024. In all, TSMC expects to spend $12 billion on the Arizona fab between 2021 and 2029. Eventually, the fab will employ about 1,600 people, and it could compete for those employees with Intel, which has several fabs in Arizona. That’s good news for skilled workers in the state, as well as for TSMC. Intel’s presence means it won’t have to build a supply chain from scratch — there are already numerous local suppliers with whom TSMC can partner. 

That’s just an estimate, of course. Delays could push the high-volume launch further out. TSMC hopes to be churning out 20,000 wafers per month in 2024 with a 5nm process. That’s the current top-of-the-line, but the company’s planned 4nm process could be available by the time the fab is done. Still, 5nm chips are happening now, and we’re talking about 2024. 

Inside a TSMC foundry facility. The yellow light is required to ensure safe wafer processing.

TSMC expects it will have a 3nm process up and running by late 2022. However, it plans to keep that production in Taiwan rather than roll it out to the US subsidiary. Most of the company’s high-profile customers such as Apple, Samsung, and Qualcomm want TSMC’s most advanced process to make the fastest and most efficient chips possible. 20,000 wafers sounds like a lot, but it wouldn’t be enough to supply TSMC’s high-volume customers, even just those in America. That’s why it relies on “gigafabs” in Taiwan to manufacture the latest (and most popular) semiconductor designs. Come 2024, this fab might be churning out the kind of chips you see in embedded smart devices and budget phones. 

Getting a foothold in the US is important for TSMC as it aims to compete with GlobalFoundries. With a US-based factory, the company might be able to bid on US government and military contracts that would require careful oversight and US manufacturing. That’s all still a long way off — we expect to hear more details about the Arizona facility early next year, but then news should dry up until it’s ready to come online in 2024.

Top photo credit: Laura Ockel/ Unsplash

Now read:

Apple Books TSMC’s Entire 5nm Production Capability

TSMC Plots an Aggressive Course for 3nm Lithography and Beyond

TSMC Celebrates as Its One Billionth 7nm Chip Rolls Off the Line

from ExtremeTechExtremeTech https://www.extremetech.com/electronics/317329-tsmc-will-open-3-5-billion-semiconductor-fab-in-arizona from Blogger http://componentplanet.blogspot.com/2020/11/tsmc-will-open-35-billion-semiconductor.html

#TSMC Will Open $3.5 Billion Semiconductor Fab in Arizona

[componentplanet]

Massive ‘Kilonova’ Might Signal First Observed Birth of a Magnetar

Magnetars are some of the most extreme objects in the universe, and that’s saying something. These stellar remnants are neutron stars, but whereas most neutron stars are quiet and keep to themselves, magnetars have magnetic fields billions of times more powerful than Earth’s, and they may be the source of the mysterious Fast Radio Bursts astronomers have been tracking in recent years. We’ve never seen a magnetar come into being, but a new high-energy event several billion light-years away might be the first — a kilonova that signals the merging of two neutron stars. 

Neutron stars, white dwarfs, and black holes are all stellar remnants that we hear about on a regular basis. The fate of a main-sequence star to become one of these objects is primarily a function of its mass. The largest stars become black holes, while slightly smaller ones become neutron stars. A star like the sun will eventually collapse into a white dwarf. A neutron star can also end up as a pulsar or magnetar, depending on its properties. Other neutron stars can merge with each other to become magnetars, and that’s what astronomers think they’ve spotted. 

Scientists believe magnetars produce their ultra-strong magnetic field thanks to superconducting material sloshing around inside. The effects of magnetic fields this powerful are almost unfathomable, so naturally, the formation of such an object is a highly energetic event. The leading theories claim magnetars can come into being when two small-ish neutron stars collide. If they’re too large, the resulting object is a black hole, but with just the right mass, you end up with a magnetar. 

Last May, astronomers detected a gamma-ray beacon from an object over 5.5 billion light years away. This matched the theoretical signature of a magnetar formation, so teams around the world turned their most powerful instruments toward the source, including NASA’s Swift Observatory in space, the Very Large Array in New Mexico, and the Keck Observatory in Hawaii. The best data came from none other than the always-reliable Hubble Space Telescope.

Hubble successfully detected the infrared emission (see above) from the formation of heavy elements like gold, platinum, and uranium. That’s another thing astronomers expect to see in a neutron star collision, sometimes known as a kilonova. The team notes that the IR signal was much brighter than anyone expected — 10 times brighter, in fact. For some, this could be confirmation of magnetar formation. If the neutron stars had formed a black hole, the IR emission would have been within expected ranges.

This research still needs to be vetted by other teams, but it’s available on the preprint arXiv.org server. If confirmed, this would be the first time we’ve seen a magnetar born, and the massive energy output recorded by Hubble could reveal a great deal about how these bizarre objects work.

Now read:

Astronomers Might Finally Know the Source of Fast Radio Bursts

Brightest supernova ever could be key to measuring the universe

Scientists Detect First-Ever Collision Between Black Hole and Neutron Star

from ExtremeTechExtremeTech https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/317308-massive-kilonova-might-signal-first-observed-birth-of-a-magnetar from Blogger http://componentplanet.blogspot.com/2020/11/massive-kilonova-might-signal-first.html

#Massive ‘Kilonova’ Might Signal First Observed Birth of a Magnetar

[componentplanet]

Jamie Murray & Neal Skupski miss out on ATP Finals in London

British pair Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski see their bid to claim the last spot at the ATP Finals ended by a victory for their nearest rivals. from BBC News - London https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/54932953 from Blogger http://componentplanet.blogspot.com/2020/11/jamie-murray-neal-skupski-miss-out-on.html

#Jamie Murray & Neal Skupski miss out on ATP Finals in London

[componentplanet]

Children in Need: 'I lost my mum when I was three'

Eleanor, who lost her mum when she was a child, has been helped by counselling funded by Children in Need. from BBC News - London https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-54920613 from Blogger http://componentplanet.blogspot.com/2020/11/children-in-need-i-lost-my-mum-when-i.html

#Children in Need: 'I lost my mum when I was three'

[componentplanet]

Edmonton police station car crash: Man charged

A 45-year-old man is due to appear at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court. from BBC News - London https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-54928348 from Blogger http://componentplanet.blogspot.com/2020/11/edmonton-police-station-car-crash-man_13.html

#Edmonton police station car crash: Man charged

[componentplanet]

Mary Phillip: Former England captain on managing Peckham Town's men's team

England women's first black captain Mary Phillip speaks to BBC Sport about her role managing non-league men's side Peckham Town. from BBC News - London https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54911242 from Blogger http://componentplanet.blogspot.com/2020/11/mary-phillip-former-england-captain-on.html

#Mary Phillip: Former England captain on managing Peckham Town's men's team