Intel's mysterious Xe4 graphics architecture, codenamed Druid, has popped up again despite its absence from official roadmaps. Previous info only mentioned it inside upcoming Nova Lake CPUs for basic display duties, not as a discrete part. A recently found shipping manifest lists an Intel Data Center GPU Xe4 Subsystem, hinting it might be a real product moving through internal channels.
The plot thickened with a leak showing a related motherboard component lacking a CPU socket. This design usually indicates a dedicated accelerator for data centers, not a consumer graphics card. This suggests Xe4 could already be a discrete enterprise solution, developed separately from the main Arc lineup.
This discovery creates questions about...
Sapphire just showed off a special version of its top RDNA 4 graphics card, the Radeon RX 9070 XT Nitro+. This Phantom Link model is built for new cable-free PC designs, specifically systems using certain motherboards. The card can draw power directly through the board itself using a GC-HPWR connector, removing the need for visible PSU cables.
Understanding that those specialty motherboards are still uncommon, Sapphire made the card flexible. It includes both the new GC-HPWR port and a traditional 12V-2x6 power input. This dual design means it works in both upcoming cable-free setups and standard current systems.
Visually and thermally, it appears identical to the regular Nitro+ model, using the same cooler and shroud. No performance...
DirectX 12 launched a decade ago to provide developers with greater hardware control for improved game performance and visuals across platforms. Its evolution introduced features like DirectX Raytracing, enabling real-time cinematic lighting previously limited to offline rendering. The API also brought Variable Rate Shading and Mesh Shaders, allowing studios to prioritize graphical detail efficiently and manage complex geometry for stable frame rates.
Subsequent updates focused on enhancing the player experience directly. AutoHDR enriched colors in older titles without developer input, while DirectStorage significantly reduced load times by shifting decompression tasks to the GPU. More recent innovations include Work Graphs for...
FBC Holdings has received official approval to merge its banking and building society subsidiaries. The consolidation between FBC Bank Limited and FBC Building Society becomes effective at the end of December. Under the plan, the building society's banking assets and liabilities will transfer to the bank, while its property portfolio moves to FBC Properties.
The group stated that this internal restructuring aims to streamline operations and strengthen its financial services platform. Both entities were well capitalized prior to the merger, exceeding statutory requirements. Following the asset transfers, the building society will cease to exist as a separate legal entity.
Leadership emphasized that the merger does not change the...
Mobile operators in Zimbabwe saw their total revenue jump over eight percent last quarter, reaching nearly seven point three billion ZiG. The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority reported this growth was fueled by internet and data services, which now make up half of all income. Increased usage of apps like Netflix, YouTube, and TikTok drove data traffic up by more than ten percent to over one hundred forty-four petabytes.
The sector continued deploying next-generation infrastructure, adding dozens of new 5G base stations. Econet maintained a leading market share in data traffic, with NetOne also expanding its network coverage. Telecel's position remained minimal and stagnant. This infrastructure rollout aims to support...
Rainbow Tourism Group is aggressively expanding to become Zimbabwe's largest tourism company. CEO Tendai Madziwanyika stated the group is in a deliberate growth phase, using selective debt alongside internal cash and partnerships. Recent acquisitions include the Montclair Hotel and Casino in Nyanga and a Cape Town property, marking their entry into the South African market.
The Montclair purchase aims to develop the Eastern Highlands as a major domestic conferencing and leisure alternative to Victoria Falls. Madziwanyika highlighted growing local tourism and easier access via direct flights to Mutare. The Cape Town property will undergo a two-year conversion into a hotel, targeting international visitors and business travel for...
Convex Audio issued a major update for their Atrium plugin, launching version 1.2.0 with a free download for current users. The company also confirmed macOS support is nearing release, targeting availability by year's end for both Intel and Apple Silicon systems in AU and VST3 formats.
The update delivers significant interface improvements, including a new light mode option for different visual styling. It raises the limit for synchronized plugin instances from sixteen to thirty-two. A new binaural delay compensation feature addresses potential audio artifacts when exporting projects in mono, specifically for off-center sound sources.
Version 1.2.0 also introduces a demo mode for the software. These changes focus on improving...
Expressive E released a new preset collection for the Kontrast soft synth from Tracktion. The Kontrast Expressive Suite offers two hundred fifty MPE sound patches optimized for detailed per-note control. Designed initially for the Osmose instrument, these presets also work with other MPE controllers like the Ableton Push or ROLI Seaboard.
The collection is divided into three thematic banks. Void focuses on ambient and sci-fi textures with frozen pads and drones. Edges delivers rhythmic motion and evolving digital kinetics. Binary explores harsh, raw sounds with eight-bit sharpness and surgical attacks. Each bank contains over eighty individual presets.
This soundbank requires an existing license for the Kontrast synth plugin. It is...
The UK's music licensing group, PPL, announced a significant quarterly payout increase, distributing over fifty-four million pounds to performers and rights holders. That figure represents a nearly twenty percent jump from the same period last year. Leadership credited strong international collections from partner organizations across dozens of countries for the boost.
Payments reached more than a hundred forty-seven thousand individuals and entities, including thousands of first-time recipients. A separate fund for non-featured performers on older recordings also issued a multimillion-pound distribution, covering classic tracks from artists like Elton John. The annual total for payouts exceeded two hundred seventy-seven million...
