Latest news with #Notebookcheck
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Yahoo
The Nintendo Switch 2 may face steeper repair costs — Japanese listings show up to a 92% increase in prices for replacement parts
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Nintendo's long-anticipated and likely most leaked handheld, the Switch 2, is set to hit shelves today. If you plan to purchase one, handle it with care, as replacement parts are expected to become more expensive, via Notebookcheck. Nintendo Japan's pricing indicates a massive surge of up to 92% for replacement parts, affecting components like the mainboard, LCD, dock, Joy-Cons, and even the new Pro Controller. Since Nintendo has only disclosed these prices on their Japanese storefront, a direct comparison for U.S. customers is not possible. We have, however, drafted a table outlining the replacement parts for the Switch 2 alongside those for the Switch OLED, Switch V1 (HAC-001), and the Switch Lite from Nintendo Japan. With some expected variations, we may probably see a similar spike globally as well. (U.S. prices are conversions purely for reference) Replacing the main board, which houses the Tegra T239 SoC along with 12GB (2x6GB) of LPDDR5x-8533 RAM, and 256GB of TLC-based UFS 3.1 storage, will run you 27,500 Yen ($175), or about 67% more expensive than the original Switch V1 from 2017. Even with an IPS panel, the Switch 2's display costs 30% more to repair than the Switch OLED (or 60% more than the Switch V1), attributable to its 120 Hz, HDR10, and VRR capabilities. To Repair Nintendo Switch 2 Nintendo Switch OLED Nintendo Switch Lite Nintendo Switch V1 CPU Board 27,500 Yen ($175.76 USD) 16,500 Yen ($105.46 USD) 14,300 Yen ($91.49 USD) 14,300 Yen ($91.49 USD) LCD 15,400 Yen ($98.44 USD) 12,100 Yen ($77.38 USD) 9,900 Yen ($63.31 USD) 9,900 Yen ($63.31 USD) Other Parts 9,900 Yen / 7,150 Yen ($63.31 USD / $45.71 USD) 6,050 Yen ($38.70 USD) 6,050 Yen ($38.70 USD) 6,050 Yen ($38.70 USD) Dock (Cover Damage) 880 Yen ($5.63 USD) 550 Yen ($3.52 USD) N/A 330 Yen ($2.11 USD) Dock (No Video Output) 6,930 Yen ($44.30 USD) 3,960 Yen ($25.33 USD) N/A 3,300 Yen ($21.10 USD) Joy-Cons 3,960 Yen ($25.33 USD) 2,860 Yen ($18.29 USD) N/A 2,860 Yen ($18.29 USD) Pro Controller 6,490 Yen ($41.50 USD) 4,290 Yen ($27.44 USD) 4,290 Yen ($27.44 USD) 4,290 Yen ($27.44 USD) Replacement for parts excluding the CPU board and LCD were consolidated into a single package previously, but now Nintendo will charge different prices depending on the affected components. A faulty game card slot, Type-C port failure, or a battery replacement will cost Japanese consumers around 9,900 Yen ($63), or 65% more. Meanwhile, audio-related issues or a broken SD card reader are priced at 7,150 Yen ($45), or 18% more expensive than previous models. Similarly, resolving video-output issues with the new dock will cost $44, a 76% increase compared to the Switch OLED dock's $25 repair fee. Despite not featuring hall-effect joysticks, the new Joy-Cons will cost $25 to repair, making them 40% pricier than their Switch OLED/V1 counterparts. Lastly, the Switch 2 Pro Controller will set you back $41.50 in repair costs, making it 50% more expensive than its predecessor. Most of these changes can be attributed to increased manufacturing costs and new features, but the clear takeaway is the importance of carefully handling your console. Given the Switch 2's MSRP increase from $299 to $449, higher repair costs were almost a guarantee. Aside from authorized repair, iFixit has lowered the original Switch's repairability score from 8/10 to 4/10, citing issues with parts availability, repair manuals, and design challenges. It remains to be seen if the Switch 2 will improve upon this or achieve an even worse rating. Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nvidia's 120W APU leak could mark the beginning of the end for laptop GPUs
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A new, credible leak suggests Nvidia is cooking up something that could transform gaming laptops as we know them: A 120W Arm-based APU that combines CPU, GPU, and NPU into a single chip. If early reports are accurate, this could deliver RTX 4070–level performance in a slimmer, cooler, and more efficient package and see Nvidia take pole position in laptop chip primacy. Let's be clear—this wouldn't just be another performance play that we frequently see with new hardware iterations, but a potential design revolution that could change everything. Or nothing. The leak, first reported by YouTube channel Moore's Law Is Dead and later verified by Notebookcheck, shows an engineering sample of the chip surrounded by eight LPDDR5X memory modules. The chip integrates a custom Arm CPU and a next-gen Nvidia GPU on the same die, likely codenamed Blackwell. There's also a powerful NPU onboard, positioned to handle heavy AI workloads. What's particularly impressive is that this unified chip reportedly runs at a 120W TDP and still manages to compete with the RTX 4070 Laptop GPU in benchmarks. Sources claim Nvidia is internally comparing its new APU to a 65W-tuned 4070, suggesting near parity in gaming performance with far better power efficiency. According to Moore's Law Is Dead, the chip is scheduled to hit the market between Q4 2025 and early 2026, and Nvidia is reportedly working with Dell to bring this architecture to life in future Alienware laptops. If Nvidia's APU lives up to its potential, the entire idea of separating CPU and GPU in a gaming laptop could become obsolete. Combining the two allows for tighter integration, lower latency, and shared access to high-bandwidth memory. Thermal design also benefits since there's only one hot zone to manage instead of two. This could mean fewer fans, thinner chassis, and better battery life, all without sacrificing AAA gaming performance. Those in the know will recognize this as a similar design philosophy to Apple's M-series chips, but unlike Snapdragon or Apple silicon, this chip might bring actual desktop-class frame rates to the table. Nvidia's closest competitor here is AMD, which is preparing its own monster chip: The Strix Halo APU. AMD's APU is expected to pair up to 16 Zen 5 cores with 40 RDNA 3.5 GPU compute units, pushing as much as 120W as well. In theory, it should be a beast. But Nvidia may have a leg up with its more efficient GPU architecture and early adoption of on-package memory. Notebookcheck notes that Nvidia's sample includes LPDDR5X soldered around the die, enabling high memory bandwidth without a separate graphics memory pool. That unified design is a big win for energy efficiency, which matters more than ever as gaming laptops strive to balance power and portability. A 120W chip still requires serious cooling, so we're not talking about fanless devices. But without the need for a separate GPU and VRAM modules, OEMs have a chance to rethink their internals. One configuration might resemble a MacBook Pro in weight but pack gaming performance that rivals today's bulkier rigs. Keep in mind that we're just speculating and thinking about what could eventually be. It would be surprising to see a dedicated Nvidia gaming laptop SoC right out of the gate, but the rumored APU could well be a starting point. That said, anything can happen, and the quoted sources do directly reference the APU as being earmarked for gaming laptops. The most likely initial application for the APU is AI. With the likes of upscaling, frame generation, real-time voice effects, and creative tools becoming more common, a strong on-chip AI engine could be the killer feature that separates Nvidia's solution from AMD and any future moves by Intel (though Intel is conspicuously absent from the APU race at the moment, with nothing in its roadmap suggesting a full-on AI or gaming APU.) With sources claiming that the chip includes an NPU powerful enough to run modern generative models and assist with GPU-accelerated workloads without the cloud, it's hard to think of any applications where it wouldn't shine, gaming or otherwise. For Dell and other partners, this is essentially an invitation to innovate, perhaps eventually leading to the first wave of 'all-Nvidia' laptops, with unified software and hardware tuned for peak efficiency. AMD Strix Halo APU could make low-end discrete GPUs obsolete — Nvidia's RTX 4060 is on notice Nvidia's affordable RTX 5060 is coming soon, but that's not the GPU I have my eyes on Dell's new laptop ditches the GPU for a discrete NPU — here's why that's a big deal
Business Mayor
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Mayor
Nintendo Switch 2 GameChat will require a mobile number
Nintendo Switch 2 GameChat will require a phone number to use This will presumably help prevent children from accessing the service without permission It offers voice calls out of the box or video calls with the optional Nintendo Switch 2 camera accessory The Nintendo Switch 2 GameChat feature will require a mobile phone number to use. As spotted by Notebookcheck, this was disclosed on the 'Ask the Developer Vol. 17, GameChat – Chapter 1' interview on the Nintendo website. 'Mobile phone number registration required to use GameChat. Children must get approval from a parent or guardian via the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app to use GameChat,' a small notice towards the top of the page reads. The US GameChat section of the site expands on this a little further, explaining that 'as an additional security measure, text message verification is required to set up GameChat.' This is the same phone number registered to your Nintendo account. Presumably, those who are banned from using GameChat for poor behavior would be unable to use the same phone number to access it on another account. The requirement is also likely intended to help prevent children from accessing the service without parental permission, which is required for those under the age of 16. Children that young are unlikely to have access to a mobile phone, potentially easing some parental concerns that GameChat could be used to communicate with strangers online. Although it can be used via the console's in-built microphone, GameChat is also compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2 camera accessory. Sold separately, the Nintendo Switch 2 camera allows for video chat functionality. You are only able to start GameChat sessions with people on your Nintendo friends list, who must be invited to the session. The Nintendo Switch 2 launches globally on June 5. UK pre-orders and US pre-orders are now live. You might also like…
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
New Samsung tri-fold leak gives us another hint about how big the 'G Fold' phone might be
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Another Samsung tri-fold leak has emerged The main screen size is said to be 9.9 inches It seems the phone will be launching this year Samsung has confirmed that it's working on a tri-fold foldable phone, and while we don't have too many details about it yet, the latest leak around the handset gives us some more information about the screen size. This tip comes from well-known leaker Digital Chat Station (via Notebookcheck), who says that we're looking at a main screen size of around 9.9 inches. That's a little smaller than the 10.2-inch display sported by the Huawei Mate XT tri-fold. It also lines up rather neatly with previous rumors around this Samsung device: those rumors have predicted a main screen size of 9.96 inches and an outer screen size of 6.49 inches, which also indicates a key difference from the Huawei Mate XT. Whereas the three panels of the Mate XT fold back on each other, leaving a third of the screen visible when it's closed, the Samsung tri-fold is expected to fold inwards – so all of the main display gets covered up when it's shut, and a second display is needed. This same leak suggests that the Samsung tri-fold will be launching this year. It may show up sometime in July, which is when the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 are expected to be unveiled. Other whispers we've heard around this Samsung tri-fold are that it'll offer 2,600 nits of brightness on its screens, which is a very decent figure and matches up with what's already offered by the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6. There's also been talk that the tri-fold might end up being called the Samsung Galaxy G Fold. That's by no means official yet, but that moniker would fit in neatly with the other foldable phones that Samsung already manufactures. It's going to be interesting to see how Samsung prices this phone. Obviously, it's going to have to cost a lot because of the tech, but we're hoping that it's not prohibitively expensive – and that it goes on sale worldwide. Why this tri-fold concept phone is my new favorite thing 5 key rumored features of the Galaxy tri-fold Samsung may have solved the tri-fold naming problem
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Yahoo
Popular Chrome extensions hijacked by hackers in widespread cyberattack — 3.2 million at risk
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Just like you should with the apps on your phone, you also want to periodically go through your browser extensions and check to see which ones you have installed and what permissions you've given them access to. The reason for this is that you could have a malicious extension (or even several) installed in your web browser and not even know it. As reported by Notebookcheck, a number of popular extensions that enable things like dark mode and adblocking in Google's browser have been hijacked by hackers, putting 3.2 million Chrome users at risk. Although a malicious extension might not sound as dangerous as a malicious app on your phone, we store all sorts of personal and sensitive data in our browsers. From our browsing history and cookies to passwords and even payment information, all of this data can be stolen and used against us by hackers in their attacks. Here's everything you need to know about this latest batch of malicious extensions along with some tips and tricks on how you can protect your devices and your data. As is often the case with campaigns like this one, all of the malicious extensions in question are utilities designed to improve your browsing experience. From add-ons for YouTube to emoji keyboards and adblockers, each one of these extensions likely seemed useful enough that the Chrome users who installed them didn't think twice before doing so. One thing that did stand out to the security researchers at GitLab Threat Intelligence that discovered these malicious extensions though is the permissions they requested access to. For instance, all of these extensions use permissions that allow them to interact with any website a user visits but they also let them inject and execute code on web pages. While all of the extensions listed below have since been removed from the Chrome Web Store, you will still need to manually delete them if they're currently installed in your browser: Blipshot (one click full page screenshots) Emojis - Emoji Keyboard WAToolkit Color Changer for YouTube Video Effects for YouTube and Audio Enhancer Themes for Chrome and YouTube™ Picture in Picture Mike Adblock für Chrome | Chrome-Werbeblocker Page Refresh Wistia Video Downloader Super Dark Mode Emoji Keyboard Emojis for Chrome Adblocker for Chrome - NoAds Adblock for You Adblock for Chrome Nimble Capture KProxy Normally with malicious extensions or apps, they're made from the ground up with the sole purpose of stealing data and their advertised functionality is an afterthought or just tacked on so that they can be listed in an official store. With the extensions above though, this wasn't the case at all. Instead, these were actual, legitimate extensions that went bad as a result of having malicious updates injected into them. The way in which the hackers gained control over these extensions is also a bit different. While some of their developers fell victim to phishing attacks which led to their extensions being outright hijacked, others willingly transferred control of their extensions over to the hackers behind this campaign. So what was the purpose behind gaining control of these extensions in the first place? Well, some were used to inject harmful scripts into the browsers of unsuspecting users, others stole their data and some engaged in search engine fraud to drive clicks (and ad revenue) to hacker-controlled sites. If you have any of these extensions installed in Chrome, you should remove them immediately and use one of the best antivirus software solutions to scan your computer for signs of malware or other viruses. In a similar way to how plug-ins can enhance your favorite software, browser extensions can make using the web more more convenient while also giving you the ability to customize certain aspects of your favorite sites. The problem though is that few browser extensions aren't as big or as popular as the apps on your smartphone. In fact, many extensions are made by solo developers or smaller companies which can make it more difficult to tell whether or not they are legitimate. This is why you want to carefully examine all of the permissions an extension requests access to before installing it and especially before granting access to them. Unnecessary permissions can be found in loads of extensions and apps which is why you need to ask yourself if this particular extension or software really needs access to them in the first place. The permissions an extension requests can also serve as a major red flag and help you decide whether or not it's malicious. Reading reviews and looking at ratings can help weed out the bad ones but you also want to take both of these with a grain of salt since they can be faked. It may be difficult to find but it's always a good idea to look for an external review — or better yet a video review — on an extension you want to install first before you add it to your browser. As I covered in the campaign described above, even good extensions can go bad which is why you should periodically audit which extensions you have installed in your browser. If you haven't used a particular extension in some time, it's better to remove it from your browser than to keep it installed. Likewise, by limiting the number of extensions you have installed, you can lower your chances of having a malicious one in your browser significantly. Whether its extensions or apps, hackers and other cybercriminals aren't going to stop spreading malicious software anytime soon. This is why it's up to you to practice good cyber hygiene, limit how many you have installed and think carefully when granting a particular extension or app access to the permissions it requests upon installation. Billions of Chrome users at risk from new browser-hijacking Syncjacking attack Thousands of WordPress sites hijacked to spread Windows and Mac malware More than 3.3 million people hit by employee screening data hack — what you need to know
