The Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket is billed as a "casual," accessible way for people to enjoy the fun of the Pokémon Trading Card Game, regardless of where they are in the world. That said, it looks like players will also have to endure the added fun of the financial burden of the real-world Pokémon TCG if they want to be able to play the game in any serious fashion. According to one gamer's analysis posted on Reddit, however, the amount of time you'd need to invest into Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket is anything but casual, clocking in at over two years of daily gameplay to unlock your first whole set.

The method used in the analysis was based on the likelihood of obtaining a new card needed to complete a card set in one of the two daily card draws available to non-premium players. Without optimizing gameplay using features, like the Points Shop or the Wonder Pick, both of which greatly increase the odds of drawing specific cards, players would need to play consecutively for 1843 days, opening a total of 3,687. Paying for a premium pass enables opening three packs a day, however, reducing that number to 1,229 days and resulting in a total bill of $404 for that period. It's only by making full use of the Wonder Pick and Points Shop that the total play time comes down to a little under two years, at a total of 655 days (around 1,310 packs). Upgrading to the premium pass reduces this, but will run up a total of $180 but reduce the amount of time significantly.

DIGIERA introduces the external SSD, a cutting-edge storage solution designed to meet the increasing needs of iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro users. With mobile content creation and data management evolving rapidly, this SSD delivers the perfect balance of speed, portability, and durability, making it ideal for high-resolution video capture, fast data transfers, and other demanding tasks.

Advanced Performance and Speed
At the heart of the DIGIERA external SSD lies its USB 3.2 Gen2x2 technology, delivering blazing-fast data transfer rates with read speeds of up to 2000 MB/s and write speeds of 1800 MB/s. This makes it six times faster than traditional external hard drives, ensuring users can seamlessly store and transfer 4K ProRes videos, high-resolution images, and large project files directly from their iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 16 Pro.

At an industry event in Austin today, Thundercomm announces RUBIK Pi, the first Pi built on Qualcomm SoC platforms for developers. RUBIK Pi is an innovative tool that aims to lower the barriers application development with AI inference, allowing developers to access high-performance, easy-to-deploy AI R&D tools.

The Pi product is a must-have for electronics enthusiasts and developers. It can be seen as a microcomputer, integrating a processor, memory, storage, and various interfaces on a credit card-sized board. Thundercomm, a world-leading IoT product and solution provider, building on its expertise in ICT technologies and developer workflows, launched RUBIK Pi, aiming to create the most user-friendly AI R&D tools.

Following Epic Games's recent victory over Apple, which effectively forced the iPhone maker to allow third-party apps on iOS in the EU, the game developer and distributor has won a similar case against Google, except in the US, this time. The ruling places several restrictions on what Google can and can't do when it comes to the Android operating system and how it positions its own apps and services on Android phones, including prohibiting Google from paying device manufacturers to include its Play software on their devices and forcing developers to use Google's payment platform.

The ruling (PDF) and its consequent restrictions will start on November 1, 2024, will last three years, and Google isn't particularly happy about the mandated changes, having already confirmed that it will appeal the decision, citing security concerns and arguing that the order would negatively affect developers: "these changes would put consumers' privacy and security at risk, make it harder for developers to promote their apps, and reduce competition on devices."

The Epic Games free weekly game giveaways have been an easy way for PC gamers to pad out their game library with aging games and help Epic Games draw gamers to its store, which is commonly thought to be inferior to the likes of Steam due to a lack of features. Now Epic Games is bringing that same free game giveaway program to its mobile storefront for iOS (in the EU, at least) and Android.

Announced at a round table discussion at the Seattle Unreal Fest earlier this week, the free mobile game giveaway will launch in Q4, 2024, and the publisher will add third-party apps to its mobile store at the same time. Epic Games Store's general manager, Steve Allison, who announced the program, was pretty up-front about Epic's intentions with the game giveaway: "The free games program will launch in Q4 along with the [first] third-party apps showing up, and we're gonna have some awesome stuff for players that will also be awesome for developers because it'll help us scale really quickly."

At the opening event of the Unreal Fest in Seattle, Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, addressed the recent commercial failures of ambitious, citing a "generational change" in the gaming landscape as part of the reason for their failures. Epic Games seemingly wants to address this shift in gamer priorities by relying more on in-game social features, although there was also a strong emphasis on getting indie game developers to sign on to use the Unreal Engine and the Epic Games Store.

In the same presentation, Epic Games announced a new collaboration between the Epic Games Store and Unreal Engine that should make it easier and more affordable for small development teams to market and publish their games to Epic Games and other storefronts. The new launch program, called Launch Everywhere with Epic, reduces Epic's revenue cut for any games developed with Unreal Engine and published on the Epic Games Store before or at the same time as any other platforms. Epic also announced new "indie spaces" for indie developers to share knowledge and make industry connections.

Samsung Electronics today unveiled the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra and Galaxy Tab S10+, Samsung's first tablets purposefully built for AI. The premium hardware includes 14.6-inch and 12.4-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X displays—the ideal canvas for the intuitive S Pen bundled with both models. Performance upgrades for the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra include an 18% increase in CPU, 28% increase in GPU and 14% increase in NPU compared to the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra.

This improved processing power enables faster and more responsive AI features, which are now easily accessible with written prompts using the new Galaxy AI Key on the Book Cover Keyboards to customize AI assistant. Cutting-edge software includes features such as Note Assist and Drawing Assist, optimized for the tablet form factor. The Galaxy Tab S10 series also acts as a home AI device, with a 3D Map View that gives a visual overview of the home and all connected devices to streamline device management across the SmartThings ecosystem. Robust Samsung Knox security ensures data privacy and control, while innovative materials underscore Samsung's commitment to a more sustainable future.

A new forecast from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker shows shipments of personal computing devices are expected to grow 2.6% year over year in 2024 to 398.9 million units. The traditional PC market will remain flat in 2024 with 261 million units shipped while the tablet market is forecast to grow 7.2% year over year as a refresh cycle and project investments are expected to drive the market.

For traditional PCs, the global market excluding China is expected to grow 2.8% in 2024 as China continues to suffer through a confluence of macroeconomic challenges, including high youth employment, deflation, and a tumultuous real estate market. However, China's economic concerns have largely impacted just the PC market as tablet demand has proven to be more resilient thanks to Huawei's efforts.

Gaming giant Valve appears to be venturing into uncharted territory. Recent findings on SteamDB have revealed that the company may be working on integrating ARM architecture and Android app support into its ecosystem. A mysterious application, codenamed "ValveTestApp3043620," has been spotted with an update that includes interesting changes. The update features new tags for several popular games, including Left 4 Dead 2, Garry's Mod, and Kerbal Space Program. These tags, such as "proton-arm64" and "proton-arm64e," indicate that Valve is testing a version of Proton specifically designed for ARM64-based systems. Proton, Valve's brainchild developed in partnership with CodeWeavers, is the magic behind running Windows games on Linux systems. By extending this technology to ARM64, Valve could be paving the way for PC gaming on portable Arm-based devices, potentially signaling a new hardware strategy.

The plot thickens with mentions of "proton_experimental" and "proton-arm64ec-vanguard" in the changelog, hinting at ongoing tests and experimental builds. Additionally, references to Waydroid, a tool enabling Android apps on Linux, suggest that Valve's ambitions may extend beyond gaming, possibly aiming to broaden software accessibility of its platform. This development has sparked speculation about the possibility of Steam games running on Android smartphones and tablets or even a possible Arm-powered version of the Steam Deck. However, a more likely scenario could be testing for Windows support on Arm-based chips. The timing of these experiments aligns with recent announcements of laptops featuring Qualcomm's ARM64-based Snapdragon X CPUs. These devices can run Windows-based games through Microsoft and Qualcomm's emulation layer, Prism. If Valve's Proton can provide superior performance or more stable emulation for Windows-based games on Arm devices, it could position itself as a strong competitor to Prism.

Logitech G, a brand of Logitech and leading innovator of gaming technologies and gear, introduced today at Logi Play the Logitech G ASTRO A50 5th Generation Wireless Gaming Headset and Base Station. It joins its bigger brother, the A50 X, to form the new A50 family of high-performance gaming headsets with advanced feature sets for multi-platform gamers.

The A50 Generation 5, now with PLAYSYNC AUDIO, is based on the same architecture as our award-winning A50 X, offering a streamlined and versatile feature set tailored for multiplatform gamers. The new PLAYSYNC AUDIO feature is designed specifically for players who want to use USB for seamless audio switching between console and PC platforms and don't require HDMI video switching.

A groundbreaking advancement in paper-like display technology will be revealed at IFA Berlin this September. With the ecoVISION Paper Display, e-readers can play full-colour video content, computer monitors can be used comfortably for reading, and digital signage can reach unprecedented levels of energy efficiency. HANNspree will showcase a new range of ecoVISION products, slated for release through late 2024 and early 2025, in IFA Next, stand H27-P20.

Introducing HANNspree ecoVISION
HANNspree, part of flat panel display manufacturer HannStar, has been pioneering LCD technology since 2003. The ecoVISION Paper Display represents their latest innovation. By reflecting ambient light, an ecoVISION panel can minimize its reliance on internal light sources and consume up to eighty percent less power than a traditional LED-backlit panel. It combines fast, full-colour performance with advanced energy efficiency to set a new standard for LCDs.

Primate Labs, the developer behind the popular Geekbench benchmarking suite, has launched Geekbench AI—a comprehensive benchmark tool designed to measure the artificial intelligence capabilities of various devices. Geekbench AI, previously known as Geekbench ML during its preview phase, has now reached version 1.0. The benchmark is available on multiple operating systems, including Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, and iOS, making it accessible to many users and developers. One of Geekbench AI's key features is its multifaceted approach to scoring. The benchmark utilizes three distinct precision levels: single-precision, half-precision, and quantized data. This evaluation aims to provide a more accurate representation of AI performance across different hardware designs.

In addition to speed, Geekbench AI places a strong emphasis on accuracy. The benchmark assesses how closely each test's output matches the expected results, offering insights into the trade-offs between performance and precision. The release of Geekbench AI 1.0 brings support for new frameworks, including OpenVINO, ONNX, and Qualcomm QNN, expanding its compatibility across various platforms. Primate Labs has also implemented measures to ensure fair comparisons, such as enforcing minimum runtime durations for each workload. The company noted that Samsung and NVIDIA are already utilizing the software to measure their chip performance in-house, showing that adoption is already strong. While the benchmark provides valuable insights, real-world AI applications are still limited, and reliance on a few benchmarks may paint a partial picture. Nevertheless, Geekbench AI represents a significant step forward in standardizing AI performance measurement, potentially influencing future consumer choices in the AI-driven tech market. Results from the benchmark runs can be seen here.

ADATA Technology Co., Ltd., the world's leading memory brand, launches its latest SC750 external solid-state drive (SSD) which supports the USB 3.2 Gen 2 transmission interface with read/write speeds up to 1,050/1,000 MB/s. Adopting the mainstream Type-C connector, the SC750 requires no data cable and can be directly connected to a mobile phone or tablet for plug-and-play access. It supports the latest iPhone 15 series and Android Type-C smartphones. The SC750 combines performance and portable design to meet the ever-increasing demand for transfer speed and storage produced by today's hectic lifestyles, making it a convenient companion for video creators who often venture outdoors to collect resources. The SC750 cuts down on wait time when transferring large files and improves efficiency when multitasking with several project files simultaneously.

The SC750 external SSD inherits the exterior design of the popular SE880, which sports a greatly reduced form factor and eliminates the need for an additional data cable. Users no longer need to worry about finding a matching data cable when busy working on a project. About the size of a flash drive, the SC750 is easy to carry, lightweight, and does not take up much space. It is perfect for work or travel. Slide out its Type-C connector to get started transferring large files instantly or edit and access these files directly on the SC750 to greatly improve work efficiency.

EasySMX, a leading manufacturer of gaming peripherals, is excited to announce the launch of the new EasySMX X05 Gaming Controller. Designed with cutting-edge technology and gamer-centric features, the X05 is set to redefine the gaming experience with its affordability and functionality.

EasySMX CEO, Stephen, shared his thoughts on the launch: "At EasySMX, we are committed to providing gamers with innovative and affordable gaming solutions. The X05 controller embodies this commitment by combining advanced technology with user-friendly features, all at an accessible price point. We believe that gaming should be an enjoyable and inclusive experience for everyone, and the X05 is a testament to our dedication to this vision."

Silicon Motion Technology Corporation, a global leader in designing and marketing controller solutions for display interface and NAND storage, today announced the launch of the SM770 USB display interface SoC for USB docking stations to simplify connectivity for multiple 4K Ultra-High Definition Displays, with low latency and low power consumption.

The new SM770 is a high-performance USB Display interface SoC that supports up to three concurrent 4K UHD (3840x2160@60p) displays, leveraging Silicon Motion's innovative CAT (Content Adaptive Technology) and employs multiple image and video processing algorithms to compress display data and minimize bandwidth usage to deliver ultra-low latency from the computer to the monitors. By transferring most of the compression work to a hardware accelerator, CAT technology operates more efficiently and reduces the CPU load.

In addition to its two new CPU cores, Arm has announced three new GPU cores, namely the Immortalis-G925, Mali-G725 and Mali-G625. Starting from the top, the Immortalis-G925 is said to bring up to 37 percent better performance at 30 percent lower power usage compared to last year's Immortalis-G720 GPU core, whilst having two additional GPU cores in the test scenario. It's also said to bring up to 52 percent better ray tracing performance and up to 36 percent improved inference in AI/ML workloads. It's also been given a big overhaul when it comes to ray tracing—due to it being aimed towards gaming phones—and Arm claims that it can either offer up to 52 percent increased performance by reducing the accuracy in scenes with intricate objects, or 27 percent more performance with maintained accuracy.

The Immortalis-G925 supports 50 percent more shader cores and it supports configurations of up to 24 cores, compared to 16 cores for the Immortalis-G720. The Mali-G725 will be available with between six and nine cores, whereas the Mali-G625 will sport between one and five cores. The Mali-G625 is intended for smartwatches and entry-level mobile devices where a more complex GPU might not be suitable due to power draw. The Mali-G725 on the other hand is targeting upper mid-range devices and the Immortalis-G925 is aimed towards flagship devices or gaming phones as mentioned above. In related news, Arm said it's working with Epic Games to get its Unreal Engine 5 desktop renderer up and running on Android, which could lead to more complex games on mobile devices.

JMicron Technology Corporation, in collaboration with Vinpower, Inc., have developed the first of its kind Enhanced 10Gbps Portable SSD (PSSD), using the collaboratively developed iVP817 IC Chip, that's compatible with Apple iOS devices supporting the iPhone iAP2. The PSSD offers super-fast Read/Write (R/W) data transfer speeds and is the first of its kind to provide Secure, High Powered, High-Speed backup and storage across all computing platforms, which includes the Apple iOS platform, as well as Android, PC, MacBook, Chromebook and more. While the R/W transfer speeds for USB flash storage devices compatible with smartphones and tablets typically range from 20 MB/sec to 80 MB/sec, the enhanced PSSD achieved verifiable R/W transfer speeds at more than 800 MB/sec with an iPhone 15Pro and 15Pro Max. That means, when using the enhanced PSSD with Vinpower's iAP2 based App, one could backup a 10 GB video, from an iPhone 15Pro or 15Pro Max, in around 12 seconds. On top of that, the PSSD will accommodate a range of NVMe SSD with varying form factor lengths and capacities up to and exceeding 8 TB of secure storage.

JMicron is a leading IC design company specialized in high-speed data and signal interfaces bridge controllers including NVMe to USB bridges, while Vinpower is a leader in designing IC chip firmware, circuit design, and manufacturing Apple iOS backup and storage devices and related Apps. The two companies recognized the enormous untapped market potential for a new solution that can perform smooth, fast, and secure data transfer and backup for portable mobile devices, especially for the Apple iOS platform, such as iPhones and iPads.

EasySMX, a leader in gaming accessories, is thrilled to announce the launch of its latest innovation, the EasySMX M05 mobile gaming controller, available starting May 7th. Designed with the needs of mobile gamers in mind, the EasySMX M05 brings unparalleled convenience and enhanced control to gaming on-the-go.

Following the announcement, the EasySMX team is eager to dive into the specifics of what makes the M05 a must-have for any serious mobile gamer. Designed with both casual and hardcore players in mind, the M05 merges comfort, technology, and versatility into one user-friendly device. This commitment to quality ensures that every gaming session is seamless and immersive.

Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today unveils the Razer Kishi Ultra, a groundbreaking addition to the world of mobile gaming. The Kishi Ultra, a USB C gaming controller compatible with Android, iPhone 15 series, and iPad Mini, marks a paradigm shift in mobile gaming by offering gamers console grade control with immersive haptics. Designed with meticulous attention to detail, the Kishi Ultra is a full-size console-class controller featuring high quality ergonomics, haptics, and Razer Chroma RGB to deliver a true console gaming experience without compromise.

"With the Razer Kishi Ultra, we're not just elevating mobile gaming; we're transforming it," says Nick Bourne, Head of Razer's Mobile, Console & Streaming Division. "We've taken the essence of console gaming and distilled it into a form factor that works with more devices than ever before, ensuring that the ultimate gaming experience is always within reach."

According to ChinaScope, an effort is currently underway to strengthen Huawei's HarmonyOS platform's presence. The local government of Shenzhen has unveiled an ambitious program aimed at supercharging the development of native applications for the operating system. The "Shenzhen Action Plan for Supporting the Development of Native HarmonyOS Open Source Applications in 2024" outlines several key goals to foster a more robust and competitive ecosystem around HarmonyOS. One primary objective is for Shenzhen-based HarmonyOS apps to account for over 10% of China's total by the end of 2024. To facilitate this, the city plans to establish at least two specialized industrial parks dedicated to HarmonyOS software development across various application domains.

Furthermore, the initiative calls for over 1,000 software companies in Shenzhen to obtain HarmonyOS development talent qualifications, underscoring the city's commitment to cultivating a skilled workforce for the platform. Perhaps most impressively, the action plan encourages eligible companies to ramp up their outsourcing services for HarmonyOS app development, with a lofty target of reaching 500,000 HarmonyOS developers. This would represent a significant influx of developer talent focused on the platform if achieved. The Shenzhen government's push aligns with China's broader strategy to reduce reliance on foreign technologies and promote the adoption of domestic alternatives like HarmonyOS. While initially launched by Huawei as a workaround for U.S. sanctions, HarmonyOS has since expanded to power many devices, including smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and TVs.

Intel's "Meteor Lake" mobile processor family launched last December, with an initial selection comprised of eleven "Core Ultra" SKUs. This week, internet sleuths have stumbled on some new additions—Team Blue has seemingly rolled out new models without much fanfare. Benchleaks discovered an intriguing Geekbench Browser entry that detailed a "Google Rex" Android device specced with an Intel Core Ultra 5 115U CPU. The benchmark database displays two errors—namely the incorrect detection of 10 cores and 10 threads. Team Blue's official product page lists 8 cores and 10 threads—specifically a configuration housing two P-Cores, four E-Cores, and two LP-Cores.

Amusingly, the official datasheet specifies that the Core Ultra 5 115U launched alongside the debut batch of Meteor Lake parts. VideoCardz posits that the chip's weaker iGPU specs separate it from the rest of the pack: "its designation as 'Ultra' might be misleading. In reality, even its graphics have been scaled down to 3 Xe-Cores, making it the sole SKU in the entire lineup with fewer than 4 Xe-Cores. The NPU is still intact and seems to be working at the same speed as the most powerful Meteor Lake chip. This suggests that the 115U could potentially excel as an AI accelerator, prioritizing AI tasks over other functions." This entry-level SKU is not fully out in the wild, but the existence of test platforms (via Geekbench Browser entries) semi-proves that Team Blue and its hardware partners are readying new portable products.

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. today announced the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 Mobile Platform, delivering the most sought-after 8 series capabilities to more Android flagship smartphones, for extraordinary, premium experiences. Marquee features of the latest premium-tier platforms include support for powerful on-device generative AI features, an always-sensing ISP, hyper-realistic mobile gaming, breakthrough connectivity and lossless high-definition sound. The platform supports a broad array of AI models including popular large language models (LLM) such as Baichuan-7B, Llama 2, Gemini Nano and Zhipu ChatGLM.

"With capabilities including on-device generative AI and advanced photography features, Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 is designed to enhance user experiences, fostering creativity and productivity in their daily lives." said Chris Patrick, senior vice president and general manager of mobile handsets, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. "We're elated to introduce the latest addition to our premium Snapdragon 8-series, our most premium mobile offering, bringing a host of exceptional specially selected capabilities to more consumers."

Lenovo has announced today that the Lenovo Legion Tab, an 8.8-inch Android tablet for the modern mobile gamer, is soon going to be expanding availability from China to select markets in EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) and Asia. The Lenovo Legion Tab bridges the gap between PC and mobile gaming, offering a solution for gamers seeking a high-performance gaming experience that is both accessible and convenient.

The Lenovo Legion Tab transcends the typical expectations of a tablet, delivering outstanding gaming performance thanks to its Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 4 nm processor and 12 GB of LPDDR5X memory all in a 76 mm thin Storm Grey tablet weighing in at just 350 grams. The Lenovo Legion Tab allows for even more gaming on the go owing to its 256 GB onboard storage—expandable with the microSD slot that supports up to 1 TB cards. The 144 Hz 8.8-inch QHD+ Lenovo PureSight gaming display brings visuals to vibrant life, allowing any Android compatible game to shine crisp and colorful. The tablet's integrated haptic system gives gamers a further level of immersion and feedback so they can truly get in the game.

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. unveiled its latest advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) at Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona. From the new Qualcomm AI Hub, to cutting-edge research breakthroughs and a display of commercial AI-enabled devices, Qualcomm Technologies is empowering developers and revolutionizing user experiences across a wide range of devices powered by Snapdragon and Qualcomm platforms.

"With Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for smartphones and Snapdragon X Elite for PCs, we sparked commercialization of on-device AI at scale. Now with the Qualcomm AI Hub, we will empower developers to fully harness the potential of these cutting-edge technologies and create captivating AI-enabled apps," said Durga Malladi, senior vice president and general manager, technology planning and edge solutions, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. "The Qualcomm AI Hub provides developers with a comprehensive AI model library to quickly and easily integrate pre-optimized AI models into their applications, leading to faster, more reliable and private user experiences."

Samsung Electronics America has announced the Galaxy Tab Active5, a business-ready ruggedized tablet built to handle the rigors of frontline work. Building on the power of the Galaxy Tab Active3, the Galaxy Tab Active5 delivers significant improvements in performance, durability and security to help businesses conquer their challenges and boost productivity in the field, even in harsh working environments. Additionally, the Galaxy Tab Active5 is available as an Enterprise Edition, making it easy for businesses to enroll, configure, manage and analyze hundreds of devices.

Designed with the needs of retailers in mind, the Galaxy Tab Active5 features a high-resolution camera, near-field communication (NFC) and push-to-talk functionality to enable more efficient barcode-scanning, mobile point-of-sale (mPOS), in-store communication and more. In addition to retail, the Galaxy Tab Active5 also delivers new capabilities in other industries that require a high degree of durability, including foodservice, manufacturing, transportation, construction and the public sector.