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MediaTek announces new Dimensity 9000 chipset

It looks overpowered on paper

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Dimensity 9000

MediaTek just dropped a bombshell in the form of a brand spanking new chipset called the Dimensity 9000 at the MediaTek Summit 2021.

Why should you care? This chip will likely power a new generation of smartphones. It’s a TSMC N4 (4nm-class) production — the most advanced and power efficient chip-making process ever. This means performance unlike any we’ve seen before:

  • Ultra-Core- 1x Arm Cortex-X2 up to 3.05GHz
  • Super-Cores – 3x Arm Cortex-A710 up to 2.85GHz
  • Efficiency Cores – 4x Arm Cortex-A510
  • LPDDR5x 7500Mbps support in smartphones
  • Up to 4X power efficiency upgrade vs last generation
  • Leading performance in AI (ETHZ benchmark)

The last two indicate a significant improvement in in AI- multimedia, -gaming, -camera, and social video experiences.

Speaking of gaming, the Dimensity 9000 is built with the latest Arm Mali-G710 graphics processor. They’re also introduing a new raytracing SDK that will enable developers to bring exciting new graphics techniques and visual enhancements to their Android titles.

  • World’s 1st Arm Mali-G710 MC10 graphics processor
  • Industry’s 1straytracing SDK using Vulkan for Android
  • 180Hz FullHD+ display support

Improved imaging

It also affects the aspect of smartphones that many care about which is mobile imaging. Its 18-bit HDR-ISP design gives users the first opportunity to capture 4K HDR video on three cameras simultaneously, while also assuring exceptional power efficiency.

  • Most Powerful 9Gpixel/s ISP
  • World’s 1st simultaneous triple camera 18-bit HDR video recording (three cameras recording
    with three exposures per frame)
  • World’s 1st 320MP camera support for smartphones

Leading mobile connectivity

Naturally, the chip is all set for the next generation of mobile connectivity which is 5G. It integrates the only 5G smartphone modem with 3GPP Release-16 standard technology into the chip, amplifying sub-6GHz performance to go faster and further than ever before.

  • World’s 1st 3CC Carrier Aggregation (300MHz) 7Gbps downlink — incredible peak performance
    exclusively from sub-6GHz
  • World’s 1stUL Tx Switching — the only 5G smartphone modem to support R16 UL Tx Switching
    for both SUL and NR UL-CA based connections
  • Leading MediaTek 5G Power Saving Technology — new generation power saving enhancement
    suite

Other connectivity features also get a boost.

  • World’s 1st Bluetooth 5.3 support in smartphones
  • Wi-Fi 6E 2×2 (BW160): up to 2X better performance efficiency than previous generation and
    support for the latest 6GHz connectivity
  • Bluetooth LE Audio-ready technology with Dual-Link True Wireless Stereo Audio
  • New Beidou III-B1C GNSS support

Entertainment

Max vs 100 will feature Max Verstappen race against 100 go-karters

The live event will stream at midnight on September 17.

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As a child, one of my favorite thought experiments is to imagine who would win in a fight between my favorite characters at the time and a number of other random beings. For example, will Superman prevail against 100 Magnetos? Those are the ways I kept my young mind occupied. Now, as a former child, I still do the same thing but with more realistic people, like imagining if Steph Curry can win against 100 high schoolers. This week, ESPN and Disney+ are making one of those imaginary fights real: Formula 1 legend Max Verstappen versus 100 go-karters.

In an upcoming live event streaming exclusively on Disney+, Max vs 100 will pit the four-time world champion against 100 go-karters from everywhere in pop culture. This gaggle of 100 will include popular content creators such as Twitch streamer ExtraEmily, car photographer Larry Chen, and NBA shooting coach Chris Matthews.

All 101 drivers will race around one of the most iconic tracks in Formula 1 history, Silverstone in England. The track will be reconfigured to match the special race.

Of course, this is more than just a parade of go-karts. Max Verstappen will start at the back of the grid, meaning he has to overtake all 100 racers to win. Now, the Dutch driver is no stranger to winning from the back. In 2024, he won the Sao Paulo Grand Prix despite starting from P17 (out of 20 racers). Max vs 100, though familiar for the driver, presents a different challenge. Can he overtake 100 times to win the race?

Max vs 100 will stream live through Disney+ on September 17, 12:00am PHT.

SEE ALSO: Disney+ is moving to a global app experience

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Apps

Apple’s best feature to cure motion sickness is finally on Android

Google copies a good page from Apple’s playbook.

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As an Android user, I’ve been jealous of iPhone users for a while now, but it’s not for the reason you might think. See, I’m ridiculously prone to motion sickness when I’m not driving. So, when I discovered that Apple has a software-based cure called Vehicle Motion Cues, I wanted it immediately. Now, Android does have third-party apps that do the same thing, but they’re not as good as a fully native version. Well, those dark, nauseating days are about to come to an end. Android 17 is finally getting a similar tool called Motion assist.

Before that, let’s rewind for a bit. What do these features do? How can they cure motion sickness?

Whenever you open Vehicle Motion Cues or Motion assist, the interface spawns a series of dots on the screen. These dots respond to movement. For example, if the vehicle turns to the left, the dots also go to the left, mimicking the movement. Without cues like this, the stationary nature of the screen clashes with our brain’s perception of movement. The disparity creates that feeling of nausea. Basically, our eyes are desperately trying to focus on the static screen, but our brains are telling us that we should be seeing motion. Having moving dots reorients our brain and places the phone inside our perception of movement.

Now, you can enable the same feature on your Android 17 device through Settings > All services > Motion assist under Personal & device safety. You can also set it so that the feature turns on automatically when the phone detects that you’re in a moving vehicle. Finally, you can also tweak the shape, color, and opacity of these dots.

Android 17’s Motion assist is rolling out now to compatible devices.

SEE ALSO: These are the best Android 17 features (if you hate AI)

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Gaming

Valve unveils price of the Steam Frame

The VR headset starts at US$ 1,059.

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The trifecta is complete. Almost a year after announcing their new hardware, Valve has finally unveiled the price tag of the Steam Frame, complementing the Steam Machine and Steam Controller revealed a few months ago.

Whereas the Steam Machine is a console of its own, the Steam Frame is a traditional VR headset with a pair of controllers for both hands. Unfortunately, despite being in a different segment, the headset is not immune to the rising prices of technology. The Steam Frame will start at US$ 1,059 for a 256GB model and can go up to US$ 1,299 for the 1TB model. On the plus side, each box will come Half-Life: Alyx packaged along with the headset.

Here’s a more detailed rundown of what you’re getting. The Steam Frame will ship with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, paired with 16GB of RAM. Each eye comes with a 2160 x 2160 LCD screen, putting out images at up t0 a 144Hz experimental refresh rate. As mentioned above, the headset will start with 256GB of storage but can go up to 2TB. It will come packaged with SteamOS 3 and a rechargeable 21.6Wh battery.

This might be a hard buy for some. The industry currently has more affordable options, for one. Also, virtual reality isn’t the most thriving segment of gaming today.

If you’re still decided on buying one, however, Valve is using its lottery system. Interested customers can sign up from now until September 17. The company will then randomize the purchasing order. Those who draw the first ones in the lottery can get a purchase email as soon as September 18. Meanwhile, anyone who registers after September 17 will automatically be put at the back of the queue.

SEE ALSO: Valve announces its own console called the Steam Machine

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