More Details Revealed for Formula 1's OTT Platform, F1 TV

Back in February, Formula 1 released theirs over the top service subscription, F1 TV, during Mobile World Congress at Barcelona. Since then, the launch has been delayed a couple of months and everything quiets down until now. 

F1 TV is now planned to launch before May's Spanish Grand Prix, which is May 13th. And there are two service levels, the premium version being the F1 TV Pro and the less expensive F1 TV Access.

F1 TV Pro

This will feature live races and all 20 driver cameras. Subscribers will be able to personalize any way they like, you can mix and match different drivers' onboard cameras side-by-side, or a traditional broadcast feed with a driver's onboard camera, or just the traditional broadcast feed.

Subscribers can choose how and when to view the content. Initially launching only on the desktop, Apple, Android, and Amazon Fire mobiles and tablets versions will be launched shortly after. All of the practice, qualifying, and races will be offered, along with press conferences and pre- and post-race interviews. You can either watch them live or in the replay. 

Later in the season, lower tier FIA Formula 2 Championship, GP3 Series, and Porsche Supercup will be added to the service. 

Pricing will be offered on an annual basis of $70-$150, with monthly rates ranging from $8-$12 depending on the market. 

F1 TV Access

Only contains live race timing data, radio broadcasts, and extended highlights of each session. 

Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Reference Phone Benchmark

Since Qualcomm released their next generation Snapdragon chip December of last year, they have finally released the benchmark scores for the Snapdragon 845 just one week before Samsung Galaxy S9's launch at February 25 during MWC 2018 in Barcelona. As usual, Samsung will be the first phone to carry the new chip, then soon be followed by other manufacturers like Google, Sony, and LG.

Qualcomm promised last year the upcoming Snapdragon 845 is going to have a 30% increase in performance, 2.5x the display output and 30% less consumption compared to the Galaxy Note 8 which has an 835 chip. 

According to Geekbench 4.0, the Snapdragon 845 scored 2,439 for single core performance and 8,200 for multi-core performance. Both of the categories are 27% faster in performance. Better yet, the 845 graphics test shows a buttery smooth video quality for its customer devices as it completely wipes the competition. 

Minded, I have to tell you that the testing was done by on a reference phone built by Qualcomm, it is just a phone they build by themselves solely for the sake of testing. It is supposed to resemble a real phone as close as possible (see picture on the right). With consumer products, the benchmark will be better due to software optimization. 

More Details Unveiling Intel-AMD Processor and Graphics Combo

Welcome, I apologize for the lack of content for the past month.

As CES 2018 is finishing in Las Vegas, I'm hoping for more interesting topics to talk about. Now, we have learned more details about the unprecedented partnership between the two computer chip rivals, Intel and AMD.

This chip will be launched under the 8th generation of Intel H series Core chips sometime this year, manufacturers like HP and Dell have already been confirmed. Like we've been covered before, this new Intel-AMD processor and graphics combo utilize an Embedded Multi-Die Interconnect Bridge (EMIB) that combines Intel's CPU, AMD's GPU and graphics memory in a small factor that fits in ultrabooks, or at least thin and light laptops. 

Performance wise, it is expected to beat NVIDIA's GTX 1050 4GB but not exceed the Ti version. Truthfully, the performance is anything but groundbreaking, however, considering the overall package you are getting, it's an excellent offer. Here are some benchmarks Intel has released themselves, no independent testing has been allowed just yet. 

New Samsung Patents for Galaxy Display - Under-screen Fingerprint Sensor, Fully Curved Edges

It's definitely no secret that Samsung has been working on an under-screen fingerprint sensor for some time now, from its original rumors in early 2017 that set to be released on the S8, then later on the Note 8 device. But time has run out. Don't worry, new hopes awakens.

Recently, Samsung has been granted a patent by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which details the multiple layers within the phone display, featuring the fingerprint sensor and three pressure sensors. As the images suggest, the scanner can be used on any part of the phone's screen for a variety of security measures.

Also found in the patents from the WIPO, it shows a 180-degree curved display on the edges that go all the way to the back. Offering a "completely new user experience" and an "improved grip".

Links:

xda-developers.com: Samsung Granted Patent for Under-screen fingerprint Sensor

xda-developers.com: New Samsung Patent Shows a Fully Curved Galaxy Smartphone

iPhone X Face ID Unlocked by Mask and 10-Year-Old Son

When launched, Apple claimed this about its face recognition technology, "Face ID matches against depth information, which isn't found in print or 2D digital photographs. It's designed to protect against spoofing by masks or other techniques through the use of sophisticated anti-spoofing neural networks. Face ID is even attention-aware."

But such robust claim isn't so trustworthy when just earlier last week, a 10-year-old boy, who looks like his mother, unlocks her iPhone X without any use of mask or makeup. Then a security firm from Vietnam called Bkav defeats Face ID with a $200 mask made out of stone powder and 2D infrared images of eyes which can be accessed by anyone. And the image of a person can be taken from a distance then a 3D printer is used to create the mask.

Although this shouldn't concern most users, Apple should've given users choices on methods of unlocking, like Andriod phones, either with facial recognition or fingerprint. Their habit of forcing customers to like and use their changes has to come to a stop, if not, more will jump ship.

Fanboy-ism

Despite the name of fanboyism, this problem is definitely not gendered specific.

Fanboyism is the number one problem in the technological world. Either you only buy products from that company to be cool or fit in or whatever reason; most of the time, you are not maximizing your resources (money) or doing yourself a favor by blindly favoring a certain company. There are countless examples, but today, here's a few.

Apple is one gigantic example, this might be the fact that I live in the States, but the number of people buys iPhones and MacBooks year after year without even glancing over the spec sheet are astonishing. If people actually take the time to read through the numbers, they would quickly realize that they are getting ripped off. I would admit that there are aspects from Apple products that are better than competitors, but everything has their own strengths and weaknesses, it should really depend on you (the consumer) to realize what to compromise and what is a "must-have".

Next, Tesla. Oh yes, that meniscal company that many investors adore so much. However, I'm here to tell you that they aren't always rainbows and sun shines. Before going to social media and going wild over their 0 to 60 speed, question these:

How is it possible that there are rumors about Tesla trucks but not the roadster?
Is there something wrong with the truck by taking away attention?
Why does the acceleration time matter for a truck?
Is it nice to know that my cargo can be slammed to the back of the trailer?
Why is Elon Musk comparing a truck and a track focused Buggati Chion?
When are they going to start developing downforce instead of aerodynamics?
How can Tesla launch a truck without talking about reliability and longevity?
Have they addressed the overheating, craftsmanship, poor material, laggy electronic issues?
Where do most of our electricity come from?
What happens when you throw away a battery?
Where are the materials for batteries come from?
......

Okay, that came out like a rant, but it's really troubling to see the fanboys don't ever question, just follow; and worship Elon Musk like some kind of religious symbol. I am biased here because I love driving and cars. Driving fast is much more than 0 to 60 time in a straight line, it's a passion, it's feeling the engine rumble and hearing the exhaust crackle, that never gets old, unlike electric car's coil whine. There's a famous term racing enthusiast use, "man and machine" (I swear I'm not sexist), usually associates with man and machine fighting side by side to push through the limit, to find the impossible grip, to ruthlessly trying to control the traction.

When you are done with a gasoline car, it can be thrown in the ocean because it's a great source for coral reef, which the ocean desperately needs. Anyways, this is just my two cents, disagree with me all you want. But I think there will be a point in time that people will realize that electricity and battery aren't as pretty as many thinks, they still require limited natural resources to operate.

All in all, the purpose of this long post is to inform and encourage people to do the research themselves, don't rely on companies' press releases, their percentages and fancy marketing terms (except for initials) should mean nothing to you. Reading spec sheets require minimal time and brain power, save your money and buy products that truly satisfies you.

Lamborghini and MIT Working on Battery-free Electric Hypercar, Terzo Millennio

No battery on an electric car, achievable? Lamborghini and MIT sure think so. In the body of Lamborghini's latest concept for the future, Terzo Millennio, engineers from both sides of the team are racing to achieve exotic carbon nanotubes. It will be used as supercapacitor which can store and release energy. There are advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages:
By storing energy in the carbon eliminates the need for an extremely bulky and heavy battery. Supercapacitors are made with carbons and have the flexibility bend; which, a full frame of carbon fiber, is necessary for supercars and hypercars in order to save weight.

Also, supercapacitors can take in and release energy much more quickly than batteries, providing peak performance at all times. Batteries, on the other hand, can get really hot and suffer performance; that's why Tesla never finished one lap of Nurburgring.

With supercapacitors on the body panels, it can detect small cracks by the sensors and immediately refill through internal tubes, kind of like self-healing.

Disadvantages:
There's actually one huge drawback, as of this moment, supercapacitors can't store a large amount of energy long term, therefore they are mainly used for a short burst.

After all, Lamborghini is still hesitant to drop their beloved cylinders and signature sound so they will find a way to have a W or V badge. They admit that moving on to full electric or hybrid would be tough for them and their fans, but it's necessary.