Daily Tech News 16 June 2024

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Voyager 1 is communicating again. (The Register)

The probe launched in 1977 and completed its primary mission - flybys of Jupiter and Saturn - in 1980, and since then it has been travelling deeper into space just chilling (literally) and enjoying the view.

Only four of the original eleven instruments on board are still operational, but that's enough for it to return interesting data for a little longer.

Both Voyager probes are powered by short-lived radioisotope generators, and within the next decade the power output will have been reduced to a point where none of the instruments will work. Shortly after that they will pass beyond the range of the Deep Space Network and we will lose contact until 2270.

Tech News

Tuxedo Computers has shown off a prototype of its new laptop based on the Qualcomm X Elite chip that powers Microsoft's new Copilot Plus laptops. (Beta News)

Tuxedo's version comes without Copilot Plus, though, because it runs Linux by default rather than Windows.

It includes 32GB of RAM, a 2560x1600 14" display covering 100% sRGB colour, USB4, and one M.2 slot.

And also the Four Essential Keys, which I didn't see on any of the Copilot Plus laptops being launched.

I'm not sure of the exact state of Linux on this chip, but it is officially supported by Qualcomm so this might be a good option if you don't absolutely require Windows.
The integrated graphics on AMD's latest laptop chips are about as fast as an RTX 2050. (WCCFTech)

I have little idea how fast an RTX 2050 is, so I looked it up.

It's only a little slower than the RX 580 I was running up until a couple of years ago, and about eight times faster than the Radeon 4850 I used to play Dragon Age and Mass Effect back when computer games were still good.

For integrated graphics that's pretty impressive.

This is from AMD's Strix Point chips. They have another model called Strix Point Halo on the way, with twice the memory bandwidth and two and a half times the graphics hardware, which should put it roughly in line with a current-generation RTX 4060.
Western Digital has announced its 2 terabit flash memory chips, the world's first chips at that capacity. (WCCFTech)

These stack the memory cells 218 layers deep. We take this for granted now, but not so long ago flash memory was facing disaster: Manufacturers couldn't make memory cells any smaller without making them too unreliable for use.

The solution was to build higher rather than smaller, and flash memory cells now are actually larger (and hence more reliable) than they were at that turning point.
Asus has announced its new line of compact Nvidia GPUs for small form factor PCs. (Tom's Hardware)

Someone's been editing the dictionary again because these are full-height full-length cards that take up two and a half slots. They are small compared to, say, NASA's Vertical Assembly Building, but many things are.
The iPad should fold in half. (The Verge)

It does. You just need to make the effort.

Disclaimer: Laugh while you can, monkey boy!

Posted by: Pixy Misa at 04:00 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 G'Day

Posted by: Skip at June 16, 2024 04:01 AM (fwDg9)

2 BOING!

Posted by: Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey, at June 16, 2024 04:03 AM (LGZQv)

3 Throw away your TVs:

x.com/mazemoore/status/
1801660256273010989

Mika, Mika, wherefore art thou, Mika?

x.com/TheRifleman11/status/
1801800672574071066

Posted by: Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey, at June 16, 2024 04:03 AM (LGZQv)

4 For the record, FJB on defying congressional subpoeanas:

x.com/WesternLensman/status
/1801718715156992037

Posted by: Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey, at June 16, 2024 04:04 AM (LGZQv)

5 Morons should learn and start these new political terms in comments and in their SM accounts:

x.com/_emergent_/status
/1801721912353317101

x.com/therealZNO/status
/1801719515849626016

And here's a new acronym for all of us. It rhymes with DEI:

x.com/alexandr_wang/status/
1801331034916851995

Posted by: Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey, at June 16, 2024 04:04 AM (LGZQv)

6 Here's a movie trailer. We will all miss 2023-2024 compared to what's coming:

x.com/kingmakerseries/status
/1797408838246682927

Posted by: Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey, at June 16, 2024 04:04 AM (LGZQv)

7 Saw a YouTube commercial with dozens of people in government saying No one is above the law. It was a anti-Trump commercial.

No one except Biden, Garland,

Posted by: Skip at June 16, 2024 04:09 AM (fwDg9)

8 Biden's Dog,

You are blowing the margins with those links.

Use a url shortening app or don't use links.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at June 16, 2024 04:10 AM (d9fT1)

9 The Dildo never sleeps!

Posted by: All Hail Eris at June 16, 2024 04:11 AM (FkUwd)

10 CBD - what phone are you using? I'm not seeing the issue on mine, though those links are pretty close to the limit.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at June 16, 2024 04:12 AM (BLOW1)

11 And thanks breaking them up.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at June 16, 2024 04:13 AM (BLOW1)

12 Posted by: Pixy Misa at June 16, 2024 04:12 AM (BLOW1)

Samsung S22

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at June 16, 2024 04:14 AM (d9fT1)

13 Shortly after that they will pass beyond the range of the Deep Space Network and we will lose contact until 2270.

What happens in 2270 that we will gain contact again?

Posted by: Bruce at June 16, 2024 04:18 AM (KBZ5e)

14
I'm running Firefox at 200% at those links aren't close to the edge of the box. Mono-spaced font might put it close but who would use such a thing?

Posted by: Divide by Zero at June 16, 2024 04:20 AM (RKVpM)

15 In 2270 the Aliens will upgrade it

Posted by: Skip at June 16, 2024 04:29 AM (fwDg9)

16 In 2270 the Aliens will upgrade it
Posted by: Skip

HA!

Posted by: Bruce at June 16, 2024 04:29 AM (KBZ5e)

17 Voyager was launched 3 years before my son was born. Now I have 3 grandchildren. The oldest will be a sophomore in H. S. this year. Kind of amazing when you think about the, what is now, "primitive" tech.

Posted by: Tuna at June 16, 2024 04:29 AM (oaGWv)

18 Oh good grief, the Tuxedo tidbit is coming from Brian Fagioli whose is arguably the worst tech writer on the planet. Most of the time all he does is lightly cut/paste/edit/reformat company press releases. Of course this time he has done something better. The Tuxedo PC is in its alpha stage. Don't hold your breath for this or you will turn blue and pass out.

I did read somewhere that Linux on QC Elite CPUs is a work in progress between the two organizations. If I remember correctly, highly suspect, there was no timeline for this to be completed.

Posted by: Altaria Pilgram at June 16, 2024 04:30 AM (K89t5)

19 What happens in 2270 that we will gain contact again?
Posted by: Bruce

Yeah, I wondered that too. What does happen in 2270?

Posted by: Tuna at June 16, 2024 04:32 AM (oaGWv)

20 AMD's next generation of integrated graphics. Holy moly, up to 4060ish...that is impressive, right? What is the likelihood these things set you PC on fire? The thermals on these have to be lit. Still...

Posted by: Altaria Pilgram at June 16, 2024 04:36 AM (K89t5)

21 19 What happens in 2270 that we will gain contact again?
Posted by: Bruce

Yeah, I wondered that too. What does happen in 2270?
Posted by: Tuna

https://youtu.be/9ykc3jhoGSs

Posted by: Pixy Misa at June 16, 2024 04:38 AM (BLOW1)

22 20 AMD's next generation of integrated graphics. Holy moly, up to 4060ish...that is impressive, right? What is the likelihood these things set you PC on fire? The thermals on these have to be lit. Still...
Posted by: Altaria Pilgram

That chip is expected to run up to 120W, which is a lot for a laptop CPU but with 16+ cores and 4060-class graphics is only to be expected.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at June 16, 2024 04:40 AM (BLOW1)

23 What happens in 2270 that we will gain contact again?
Posted by: Bruce

Yeah, I wondered that too. What does happen in 2270?
Posted by: Tuna

https://youtu.be/9ykc3jhoGSs
Posted by: Pixy Misa

Duh. Smacks hand on head. How could I have forgotten that.?

Posted by: Tuna at June 16, 2024 04:42 AM (oaGWv)

24 18 Oh good grief, the Tuxedo tidbit is coming from Brian Fagioli whose is arguably the worst tech writer on the planet.

In this case I was just taking it for a press release, so no major harm.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at June 16, 2024 04:54 AM (BLOW1)

25 Some 1977 things besides Vger.

Elvis croaked. Star Wars caused a ruckus. Apple and the Apple II happened. The Atari 2600 happened. The Pet Commadore happened. Jimmy Carter handed over the Panama Canal to the Panamanians, effective 1999, so the Panamanians could had it over to the Chicoms. The Trans-Alaska pipeline started delivering oil; this was before the Hamas-Marxist-BLM-Gaia anti modern lunatics made oil a crime. Roman Polanski was arrested for sex crimes. Australia had a national election with compulsory voting and only managed a 95% turnout - if that was the US the Dems would have made sure the turn out was 110%.

Posted by: Altaria Pilgram at June 16, 2024 04:58 AM (K89t5)

26 Oh good grief, the Tuxedo tidbit is coming from Brian Fagioli whose is arguably the worst tech writer on the planet.

In this case I was just taking it for a press release, so no major harm.
Posted by: Pixy Misa

You post so many interesting articles that this one completely caught me off guard. Remarkably in this case BF wrote a good article which also caught me completely off guard.

Posted by: Altaria Pilgram at June 16, 2024 05:02 AM (K89t5)

27 Evening and morning, Sunday risers and toilers (you know who you are. I hope). I'm up about :15 ahead of the alarm with a plan to go work out . . . but the heat index out there is 93 F. No, I am not kidding. It's 83 at four o'clock in the morning and humidity of 80%. We're supposed to see rain today, but not until about 9 am.

This is a climate fit only for alligators and cockroaches.

I might hold my workout down to just a fast walk today!

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at June 16, 2024 05:14 AM (omVj0)

28 >> and we will lose contact until 2270.

You need to specify that in Stardate.

Posted by: publius, Rascally Mr. Miley (w6EFb) at June 16, 2024 05:15 AM (w6EFb)

29 For me, 1977 was the year I went to work for a radio station about forty miles from my house, so I had a long commute and a long day. When they fired me in early December, I was almost relieved.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at June 16, 2024 05:16 AM (omVj0)

30 25, Farrah Fawcett, Kristy Mcnicholl, and California had deep red areas, as red as they get.

Posted by: Quint at June 16, 2024 05:18 AM (RAUB3)

31
Both Voyagers are now well "off-plane". Their last flybys were such that they were thrown off the ecliptic (and invariable plane) by a good inclination.

Voyager 1 went "up", north of the ecliptic, and Voyager 2 went down.

See here for the current location of Voyager 1 in the sky:
https://tinyurl.com/2dgucoaf

It's in the constellation Ophicus, sort of in the middle of a triangle formed by three stars which you can see there.

Voyager 1 transits here about 1AM give or take.

Posted by: publius, Rascally Mr. Miley (w6EFb) at June 16, 2024 05:20 AM (w6EFb)

32 I saw an arcade in a mall recently, and it was ridiculous joke. This is in A slightly more rural part of the country, but in the city in that rural area and they still have malls and lots of people go to them. But the arcade was horrible. I’m not sure why they do it. That way they were three or four arcade games but nothing from the 70s or 80s. If I could talk to that guy, I’d tell him obviously put in Galaga, Centipede, etc. It is a literal no-brainer.

They have a drive-in theater here, so it is not as if we are too advanced. But the mall arcade is awful. It is like they wanted to fail.

Posted by: Quint at June 16, 2024 05:23 AM (RAUB3)

33 Miss Linda is dragging me to Walmart again this morning. We have to return the cordless blinds I'd bought last week. Though they fit within it, there really is no way to mount them within this window recess. Plus I have to buy the Shark steam mop that I was supposed to have delivered ten days ago, which went astray, and which I've received the refund for. (This is the last time I listen to her about such things.)

On the good hand: I received my most recent order of two new pipe tobaccos yesterday, two days early. I'll try one of them this morning.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at June 16, 2024 05:23 AM (omVj0)

34 Bleah. I'm tired. And broke. Good news: Ophthamologist appointment Monday morning.

The new computer is working, but I have frustrations: the connector on the motherboard for plugging in a SATA drive is flaky. I do not have money for a 2tb nvme drive.... I do have a 1 tb bx500 sata drive I can't use on here, with the linux installation from the old drive. Unless it's plugged into the USB port, the grub menu won't even come up, just the "tab for completion" BS. Windows 10 is on the old 256gb nvme drive from the old computer. It works kinda ok.

Does anyone have any hints on fixing a 10 pin .5mm pitch ssd motherboard connector?

Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain at June 16, 2024 05:25 AM (gHSfI)

35 If I could talk to that guy, I’d tell him obviously put in Galaga, Centipede, etc. It is a literal no-brainer. . . . But the mall arcade is awful. It is like they wanted to fail.
Posted by: Quint at June 16, 2024

***
I miss Battlezone, the one with the tank combat, and Major Havoc, where the spaceman (you, the player) sets off the bomb in the station and has to get out past a bunch of hazards before it goes off.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at June 16, 2024 05:27 AM (omVj0)

36 35, battle zone was awesome. I would’ve never pulled the name but when you mentioned it as that tank game, I knew it for sure, Memories there.

Posted by: Quint at June 16, 2024 05:28 AM (RAUB3)

37 Haha, arcade games...

Was a young adult, living on my own back then. Little money to spare. Had to pay my own *everything* on the small paycheck, ya know.

Worked in a 'classy' restaurant in those days. Closing crew. There was a console-model Asteroids game in our lobby. Found out that, instead of quarters, if you spun pennies down the coin slot "just so"-- they would rack up as quarters on the play counter. LOL.

Spent many hours in that lobby, after clocking out

Posted by: JQ at June 16, 2024 05:32 AM (njWTi)

38 35, battle zone was awesome. I would’ve never pulled the name but when you mentioned it as that tank game, I knew it for sure, Memories there.
Posted by: Quint at June 16, 2024

***
I learned how to defeat it. As the enemy tank came toward you, you backed up, fast. Eventually you outdistanced the enemy, it disappeared from the screen, and you could go forward again.

There was a similar one where you were flying a WWI fighter biplane. It was disorienting when you went into a turn or dive, and the horizon and sky changed places. I could never beat that one and often had an enemy plane fly straight into me. You could see the propellor whirling as it barreled right at you.

And each play in 1982 was a quarter! Whee!

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at June 16, 2024 05:32 AM (omVj0)

39 >>>Voyager 1 is communicating again.

That's so cute!

Posted by: m at June 16, 2024 05:33 AM (NHMTR)

40 Major Havoc was fun because the escape route was a small maze, and you had to think a bit to get out. That was probably why it didn't do well and got yanked from arcades here. The average IQ of local people is probably about the same number as the actual current temperature I mentioned above.

The programmers had a sense of whimsy. Your space suit was running out of air, too, and if you stood still in the maze as the clock ran, eventually the little figure would stand, arms folded, tapping a foot. Then he'd put his hands to his helmet, shake his head desperately, and then collapse; Game Over.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at June 16, 2024 05:36 AM (omVj0)

41 You are blowing the margins with those links.

Use a url shortening app or don't use links.
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at June 16, 2024 04:10 AM (d9fT1)
-

Sorry, CBD. I thought those were short enough. Should not happen again.

Posted by: Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey, at June 16, 2024 05:44 AM (LGZQv)

42 13 What happens in 2270 that we will gain contact again?
Posted by: Bruce at June 16, 2024 04:18 AM (KBZ5e)

Bruce, I hate to be the one to break this to you, but "we" in 2270 won't include us.

Posted by: m at June 16, 2024 05:46 AM (NHMTR)

43 G'morning, all.

74 degrees in the back yard.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at June 16, 2024 05:48 AM (a1415)

44 I should get moving

Posted by: Skip at June 16, 2024 05:49 AM (fwDg9)

45 I remember the ww1 game. My favorite was Galaga. I remember when dragons quest(or whatever it was called came out) to me it was more like watching a movie.

Posted by: Quint at June 16, 2024 05:50 AM (RAUB3)

46 G'morning Horde. Loved the disclaimer for the day. Buckaroo Banzai references always make me smile.

Now coffee. Definitely coffee.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at June 16, 2024 05:50 AM (O7YUW)

47 The Honda Trail 125 I bought this week has been a hoot. The Mesilla Valley, which follows the Rio Grande River, here the Las Cruces area is highly dependent upon a network of irrigation canals. Now that I am putt-putting around I am always looking for ways to avoid traffic and for shortcuts. Much to my delight there are dirt access roads long the canals and I am quickly turning them into my own private road system. And I still haven't spent any significant time chasing around on the trails in the mountains/hills around here. Now all I need is for the annual June global warming climate catastrophe to calm down; this 105 degree stuff is getting old.

Posted by: Altaria Pilgram at June 16, 2024 05:59 AM (K89t5)

48 Shouldn't we be talking about Boeing - AGAIN?!

https://x.com/stillgray/
status/1802146678545293355

Posted by: Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey, at June 16, 2024 06:00 AM (LGZQv)

49 Nood

Posted by: Jamaica at June 16, 2024 06:04 AM (IG7T0)

50 this 105 degree stuff is getting old.
Posted by: Altaria Pilgram at June 16, 2024 05:59 AM (K89t5)

And the poof-dirt moon-dust getting into everything. There’s sticky dressing for the foam air intake filter that traps the fine dust.

Posted by: 13times at June 16, 2024 06:08 AM (n/VGw)

51 Good morning Horde and Pixy.

Posted by: uniparty, Raping and Mutilating the Children They Do Not Kill at June 16, 2024 06:08 AM (gxokI)

52 There Is Nothing More Important Than Being Gay.

Posted by: There Is Nothing More Important Than Being Gay at June 16, 2024 06:33 AM (JKPiI)

53 Both Voyager probes are powered by short-lived radioisotope generators, and within the next decade the power output will have been reduced to a point where none of the instruments will work. Shortly after that they will pass beyond the range of the Deep Space Network and we will lose contact until 2270.

Voyager 6 was launched in 1989, you Star Wars fan.

Posted by: Star Trek snobbery at June 16, 2024 06:34 AM (JKPiI)

54 What are you talking about? Voyager 1 launched in 1985! Everyone knows that!

Posted by: Prof. Victor Bergman at June 16, 2024 06:40 AM (JKPiI)

55 Buckaroo Banzai!

Posted by: Soulless at June 16, 2024 07:11 AM (FqXrB)

56 "Does anyone have any hints on fixing a 10 pin .5mm pitch ssd motherboard connector?"

I am assuming it's the motherboard connector.

You could order a new connector from Digikey or Mouser and get a solder sucker and some solder wick, assuming you have a decent soldering iron with a fine tip.

Might want to practice on a scrap board a bit unless you've done this before but it's not that hard.

Posted by: Joe Everyman at June 16, 2024 07:24 AM (QB+5g)

57 when you look at the Voyager 1 costs per mile (or, per year)..
It's doing Pretty Good, for a government program

Posted by: gilbar at June 16, 2024 07:27 AM (Zqpvb)

58 "It's not my damn planet, monkey boy!"

Posted by: Luger Axhandle at June 16, 2024 10:05 AM (4sooX)

59 oops
should be:
"It's not my &#$damn planet. Understand, monkey boy?"

Posted by: Luger Axhandle at June 16, 2024 10:21 AM (4sooX)

60 59 "It's not my &#$damn planet. Understand, monkey boy?"
Posted by: Luger Axhandle at June 16, 2024 10:21 AM (4sooX)

He seems nice.

Posted by: m at June 16, 2024 10:34 AM (NHMTR)

61 Voyager 6. Not 1 in 2270.

Posted by: Drunken Yoda at June 16, 2024 01:26 PM (ilHZO)

62 Luger Axhandle is pretty obscure but he's no John Bigboot.

"Big friendly doggy eyes"

Posted by: Joe Everyman at June 16, 2024 04:09 PM (QB+5g)

63 té! té! té!

Posted by: Luger Axhandle at June 16, 2024 06:54 PM (4sooX)

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