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Each OLED pixel can be a sound source tooNo need for conventional speakers and no increase in thicknessCould be used for in-car displays, smartphones and headsetsFor years now the TV industry has been thinking about pixels: how to make them brighter, how to make them smaller, how to put them together in the best possible way. And now there's a new push: how to make them sound.As spotted by Science Daily, researchers at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH for short) have created a 13-inch OLED panel where every pixel makes sound as well as light.And that tech could one day deliver multi-channel sound with incredible precision – without requiring speaker drivers.Pixels should be heard as well as seen(Image credit: Wiley / POSTECH )As Science Daily reports (hat tip to Notebookcheck), the team have called their invention 'Pixel-Based Local Sound OLED technology'. And as they explain, the problem with TV audio is that it's really hard to get accurate positional sound with conventional speakers."The core issue is that traditional exciters – devices that vibrate to produce sound – are large and heavy, making it difficult to deploy multiple units without interference or compromising the OLED's thin design," the researchers say. "Additionally, sound crosstalk between multiple speakers leads to a lack of precise control over localized audio."Their solution was to embed piezo-electric exciters within the OLED display frame. "These piezo exciters, arranged similarly to pixels, convert electrical signals into sound vibrations without occupying external space. Crucially, they are fully compatible with the thin form factor of OLED panels."That enables each pixel to become an independent sound source, and the team says that they were able to completely eliminate crosstalk – so that sounds coming from different parts of the display didn't interfere with one another.The applications of the technology go beyond TVs. One suggestion is that in-car displays could send different audio to different people, for example by giving vocal directions to the driver while the passenger listens to music. And in phones or headsets the audio could change as the head, hand or device moves.According to Professor Su Seok Choi, "This technology has the potential to become a core feature of next-generation devices, enabling sleek, lightweight designs in smartphones, laptops, and automotive displays – while delivering immersive, high-fidelity audio."The "has the potential" bit is key, however: this is a proof of concept, not a product – and there's a big difference between producing audio and producing excellent audio. And of course what works in a 13-inch prototype may prove much more difficult to achieve in panels of larger sizes.There's also the question of cost – so while the announcement is definitely exciting I think the best soundbars can breathe easy for a good few years yet.You might also likeShould you buy a new TV in 2025?The TV tech to watch out for in 2025, from even brighter OLEDs to better LCDsThe best TV 2025, chosen by our reviewers for all budgets

Fake AI video editor ads are targeting Facebook usersThreat group UNC6032 has been identified spreading malwareThe ads have reached over 2 million usersGoogle’s Mandiant Threat Defense group has identified a campaign, tracked as UNC6032, which “weaponizes the interest around AI tools” - specifically tools used to generate videos based on user prompts.Mandiant experts identified thousands of postings of fake “AI video generator” websites that actually distribute malware, which has led to the deployment of payloads, “such as Python-based infostealers and several backdoors.”The campaign sees legitimate AI generator tools like Canva Dream Lab, Luma AI, and Kling AI impersonated in order to trick victims, which have collectively reached “millions of users” across both LinkedIn and Facebook - although Google suspects similar campaigns may be targeting users on multiple different platforms too.Save up to 68% for TechRadar readers! TechRadar editors praise Aura's upfront pricing and simplicity. Aura also includes a password manager, VPN, and antivirus to make its security solution an even more compelling deal.Preferred partner (What does this mean?)View DealAI tool risksThe group, UNC6032, is thought to have ties to Vietnam, but EU transparency rules allowed researchers to see that a sample of 120 malicious ads had a total reach of over 2.3 million users - although this does not necessarily translate to that many victims.“Although our investigation was limited in scope, we discovered that well-crafted fake “AI websites” pose a significant threat to both organizations and individual users,” the researchers confirm.“These AI tools no longer target just graphic designers; anyone can be lured in by a seemingly harmless ad. The temptation to try the latest AI tool can lead to anyone becoming a victim. We advise users to exercise caution when engaging with AI tools and to verify the legitimacy of the website's domain.”Be sure to thoroughly vet any adverts on social media, and manually search any software deals into a search engine before downloading anything in order to properly verify the source.We also recommend checking out the best malware removal tools to keep your devices secure.You might also likeThis dangerous new phishing scam spoofs a top Google program to try and hack Facebook accountsCheck out our choice for best antivirus softwarePowerSchool hit by cyberattack which saw student and teacher data stolen

Their creators might be gone, but OlliOlli World and Rollerdrome are finally back on Steam, based on listings spotted by Eurogamer. Both games were delisted from storefronts like Steam and the Xbox Games Store following publisher Take-Two's decision to shutdown developer Roll7, Intercept Games and publishing label Private Division a little over a year ago.

OlliOlli World and Rollerdrome represent diverging, but equally great examples of what made Roll7 special. They're thoughtful, visually stylish games about skateboarding and rollerblading that capture the zen-like state you can enter pulling off multiple tricks in a row (plus or minus a mascot costume and a shotgun).

Eurogamer notes that Take-Two always planned to put both games back on sale when it originally delisted them, it just took a lot longer to bring them back than expected. 2K, another Take-Two subsidiary, is now serving as the publisher.

When the company closed Private Division, not every game stayed at Take-Two. The publisher continues to back games like No Rest for the Wicked from the developer of Ori and the Blind Forest, but a collection of other in-development projects were sold to Haveli Investments, Bloomberg reports. The investment firm brought on former Annapurna Interactive staff to manage the slate following the implosion of that indie-focused publisher and developer in September 2024.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/roll7s-olliolli-world-and-rollerdrome-are-back-on-steam-193536731.html?src=rss

It seems that Apple is giving its operating systems a significant overhaul this year, and not just on the visual and usability fronts. It was expected that the next major versions of iOS and iPadOS would be followed by the number 19, Macs would move onto macOS 15 and so on. That would continue the numbering system Apple has used for many years.

That could be about to change, according to Bloomberg. The next versions of the operating systems may be earmarked by the year, according to the publication's sources. That means we could soon see the debut of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26 and visionOS 26.

The numbers would align with the year after each major OS release, since Apple typically rolls out the first public versions of those each fall. So the versions of iOS, iPadOS and so on that arrive this September or October may be named after 2026.

We'll know for sure whether this shift is happening on June 9, when the keynote of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference takes place. It's widely expected that Apple will be giving its operating systems a major user interface overhaul to deliver a more unified experience across various devices.

It seems like a wise move to align the branding of all of the various operating systems. The software powering Apple Watch devices is currently up to watchOS 11. Apple Vision Pro is running visionOS 2. It's a little messy as is. Applying the same numbering to all of the operating systems and aligning it with the release year should make things easier for everyone to keep up with. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apple-may-switch-its-os-numbering-system-to-match-the-release-year-turning-ios-19-into-ios-26-193424796.html?src=rss

Acer accidentally listed RTX 5050 GPUs in some gaming laptopsThe spilled details showed power usage and clock speedsWe didn’t get any other specs shared, though, and chatter about the desktop variant of the RTX 5050 has gone quiet, tooAcer has leaked the Nvidia RTX 5050 mobile GPU, giving us a glimpse of some of the key specs of this laptop graphics card.Not so long ago, Nvidia introduced RTX 5060 models (the 5060 Ti spin came first), and before those arrived, there were rumors flying around about them and the RTX 5050, too.While the RTX 5050 hasn’t been officially announced, we’ve been seeing numerous leaks about it recently. VideoCardz reports that the latest leak comes from Acer, courtesy of a list of GPU specs for Predator and Nitro gaming laptops.This mentioned an RTX 5050 in quite a few of the Nitro notebooks, and I use the past tense there because Acer has caught the error and deleted the offending listings – but not before VideoCardz took a screenshot as evidence. Other sources have also taken note, so this is likely genuine – although still take it with a grain of salt, as with all rumors.We can see from this screengrab that Acer is set to offer the RTX 5050 in five different power options, ranging from 50W up to 100W, with correspondingly faster clock speeds for each, from 1500MHz up to 2550MHz. Note that there’ll also be an ‘Acer OC’ (overclocked) boost of 15W with these models, meaning the most powerful model will be able to provide 115W in a pinch.Sadly, we don’t see any specifications other than power usage and clocks, which are tied together in a direct relationship – the faster the clocks are pushed, the more wattage the GPU will consume.Analysis: A laptop RTX 5050 feels imminent – but what about the desktop model?(Image credit: Peter Hoffmann)The specs we see here don’t give us much of a clue as to how powerful the RTX 5050 will theoretically be. That said, the maximum power envelope advertised is quite substantial at 115W, but we don’t know enough about this mobile GPU to draw any definitive conclusions. Key factors will include the core count, which isn’t disclosed, and the type of video memory (VRAM) used.I should note that on the latter front, there were rumors that Nvidia could opt for slower GDDR6 VRAM, rather than the GDDR7 employed elsewhere with the Blackwell generation. However, more recent rumors have suggested Nvidia will stick with GDDR7 (8GB of this VRAM, which is an expected configuration for an entry-level GPU).At any rate, what this apparent mistake from Acer does indicate is that the RTX 5050 laptop graphics card could be close to arriving, otherwise it wouldn’t be popping up on spec sheets – and this is backed up by the fact that we’ve had a lot of leaks around this GPU recently. Indeed, one of those mentioned a planned launch date of Q2 for the RTX 5050, and so a June release appears to be a distinct possibility at this point.In other words, we might be seeing the revelation of the Nvidia RTX 5050 for laptops in the next week or two. What about the desktop RTX 5050? Yes, it’s rumored Nvidia is going to produce a desktop flavor of this bottom-tier Blackwell GPU, which runs counter to what happened with the previous Lovelace generation (there was no desktop RTX 4050, only a laptop variant).However, any gossip around the desktop RTX 5050 seems to have dried up, giving me pause for thought on whether Nvidia might have abandoned that idea, at least for the time being. Or maybe it was never happening in the first place; we never know with rumors.I’m really hoping Nvidia can provide a more affordable desktop GPU for budget gaming PCs this time around, though, but whether that’ll actually happen is something I’ve always been doubtful about. Simply because of how Nvidia has neglected the budget end of the graphics card spectrum in more recent times.You might also likeNvidia confirms another black screen bug, and it’s a nasty one hitting RTX 5060 GPUs this time – but a fix has been rushed outRumored Nvidia RTX 5080 Super specs disappoint some gamers, but I don’t think there’s anything to worry about with this GPUAMD could be working on a faster RX 9070 Extreme graphics card