This is a budget spin on the Google Pixel 6, judging at least by the 'a' in its name and the conventions of the series. So far, though, we're waiting to hear more about the phone.
It has a surprising amount of its big siblings' features, though some downgrades in select areas do mean the Pixel 6 will remain a key member of the line.
The release date for this phone is quite a way away, but before we get our hands on it, here's everything you need to know about the Google Pixel 6a.
Google has only just confirmed the Pixel 6a's existence, and it's still currently unveiling the new Android phone. This is a breaking story and we're constantly updating it with new information as it's provided, so refresh this page for up-to-date details.
Price and availability
The Google Pixel 6a costs $449 - that converts to around £360, AU$650, though we're waiting to hear about when the thing will go on sale.
Pre-orders in the US start on July 21, though we don't know when it'll actually go on sale. That's quite a way away, so it's surprising we're hearing about it so soon.
It comes in white, green and black.
Design and display
The Google Pixel 6a has a 6.1-inch screen, with a punch-hole cut-out like the other Pixel 6 phones. It has FHD+ resolution, but only a 60Hz refresh rate, which may disappoint some.
It has a similar design to its siblings with the same camera bar, but with smaller lens cut-outs - this makes it look a little more discrete, in our eyes.
We haven't heard what material the phone is made of, but guessing based on previous a phones, it's likely plastic. That does make it more resistant to drops, at least.
(Image credit: Future)
Cameras and battery life.
The Google Pixel 6a cameras are a 12MP main, and 12MP ultra-wide, sitting in that chunky bar. We didn't hear about the front-facing camera at the Google IO keynote.
Some camera features are carried over from the Pixel 6 including Magic Eraser for removing annoying extras in photos, and Real Tone for more accurately balancing portrait mode for people with non-white skin.
What's the battery capacity here? We didn't hear - we'll update you on that, and the charging speed, when we find out.
Performance and specs
The Google Tensor chip is carried over from the older phones to the Pixel 6a - this should make the Pixel 6a just as powerful as those other devices, and explains why they get the same camera features.
Beyond that, we haven't heard about the RAM or storage of the phone, so we'll need to update this article when we hear.
The software is Android 12 - the handset is too early for Android 13, unfortunately, though it'll likely receive that update in due time.
AMD is adding three new graphics cards to its Radeon RX 6000 series: the 6650 XT, 6750 XT, and the 6950 XT.
These new models are direct upgrades to older models as evident by the “50” in their name. The 6650 XT is an upgrade to the 6600 XT, the 6750 XT refines the 6700 XT, and so on. Despite being upgrades, the performance on the new cards really isn’t all that different except for the new features and a bigger price tag.
All three cards are built on top of the AMD RDNA 2 architecture, but they’ve all been tweaked to perform better than the older cards while sharing all of the same features.
AMD Smart Access Memory (SAM) Technology is a feature that can boost a rig’s performance when paired with a Ryzen CPU and has an AMD 500 motherboard. If the 6950 XT is paired with a Ryzen 7 5800X3D processor, that performance can go as high as 14 percent according to AMD.
And then there’s AMD Infinity Cache which reduces latency and power consumption.
Analysis: a rather minor upgrade
The new AMD Radeon RX 6X50 XT cards announced today are modest upgrades to their base 6000-series counterparts and mostly stick to tweaks to the cards' game and boost clock speeds..
The 6650 XT now has a game clock and boost clock of 2,410 MHz and 2,635 MHz, respectively.
The 6750 XT has a game clock of 2,496 MHz and a boost of up to 2,600 MHz, while the 6950 XT has a 2,100 MHz game clock, with a boost up to 2,310MHz. This makes it the slowest of the bunch, but it has a substantially higher TGP and both the 6950 XT and 6750 have the same memory speed of 18 Gbps, with the 6650 XT being a little lower at 17.5 Gbps.
These aren’t bad numbers by any means; just not a big increase. For example, the older 6600XT has a game frequency of 2,359 Mhz and a boost clock of 2,589 Mhz, which isn't very far behind the 6650 XT at all.
But if you want that slight boost, the 6950 XT and 6750 XT are currently on sale at AMD's website. The 6650 XT is not on sale from AMD, however, but all cards are available from AIB partners like Gigabyte and Asus through various retailers. The RX 6950 XT starts at $1,099, the RX 6750 XT starts at $549, and the RX 6650 XT starts at $399, though third-party cards can cost you more depending on the additional features they offer.
TechRadar Pro is live in Las Vegas to report all the key updates from Beyond 2022, where this year's theme is centered around dominating the decade of data.
This morning's session kicks off with an opening keynote session by ThoughtSpot CEO, Sudheesh Nair, who identifies the massive wave of change set to happen in the next decade, with data at the core of it all.
We've heard of space-based manufacturing and the metaverse, but even deeper than this is the 2.5 quintillion bytes of data that will be produced, causing a huge power shift driven by data.
For all the latest updates from Beyond 2022, keep refreshing our live blog over the next two days.
(Image credit: Future)
Incoming... Beyond 2022 opening keynotes
ThoughtSpot's CEO Sudheesh Nair takes center stage with opening notes addressing just how impactful data will be over the next decade.
There's already lots of new product launches from the company for its customers to bring the modern analytics cloud to their products and services.
Through the use of cloud, ThoughtSpot is planning on transforming how their employees and customers take advantage of data.
Modern analytics cloud expanded
ThoughtSpot, the Modern Analytics Cloud company, today announced a significant update to the organization’s platform during the Beyond 2022 conference.
These new capabilities include ThoughtSpot Sync, CodeSpot, Bring Your Own Charts, new Liveboard capabilities, and multiple new SpotApps.
ThoughtSpot Sync lets companies operationalize insights by using automatic trigger actions in other applications and services through APIs.
Bring Your Own Charts is for users that want to engage and see their insights in new ways with charts, graphs, or visualization capabilities.
“With today’s new capabilities, we’re answering the call of customers. Whether they’re looking to bring insights to everyone in their organization, build products and apps with Live Analytics, or launch new use cases, we’re ready to help them make that possible with the Modern Analytics Cloud," said Ajeet Singh, cofounder & Executive Chairman, ThoughtSpot.
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Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger has once again called for the US House and Senate to reach an agreement over the CHIPS Act as a matter of urgency.
The CHIPS Act is a piece of US legislation designed to facilitate the onshoring of a larger proportion of the semiconductor supply chain in the face of rising tensions with China. As it stands, just over 10% of chip manufacturing takes place in the US.
Once passed, the act will unlock tens of billions of dollars in federal funding for semiconductor research and manufacturing, much of which will land in Intel’s pocket. The US House and Senate agree on the need for the legislation, but have been slow to iron out the specifics.
Inside an Intel fabrication facility.(Image credit: Intel)
Speaking to the press during a Q&A session at Intel Vision 2022, Gelsinger explained the company’s current fab building and expansion projects are “either on track or ahead of schedule”. However, he also warned that the CHIPS Act is necessary to “accelerate the industry”.
“It’s super important for the US House and Senate to finish the CHIPS Act. Just get that freakin’ thing done,” he said.
Intel’s manufacturing strategy
In early 2021, Intel announced a reworking of its integrated device manufacturing strategy, which the company called IDM 2.0. The broad objective is to position Intel at the bleeding edge of chip design and manufacturing during a period of unprecedented demand and rising geopolitical tensions.
Under IDM 2.0, Intel established a new business arm called Intel Foundry Services (IFS), a pure-play foundry division that competes directly with the likes of TSMC, manufacturing semiconductors designed by other firms.
In support of the new strategy, the company revealed in January that it would splash $20 billion on a state-of-the-art manufacturing campus in Ohio. This 1,000 acre “mega-site” will house up to eight separate fabs, which would make it one of the largest facilities in the world.
Intel's D1X factory, which is set for a $3 billion expansion.(Image credit: Intel)
In Europe, meanwhile, Intel has pledged to spend €80 billion ($88 billion) over the next decade, across a litany of projects. The most significant pledge was perhaps a €17 billion ($18.5 billion) investment in a massive new facility in Germany, nicknamed Silicon Junction.
During the keynote address at Intel Vision, Gelsinger explained that he is proud of the investment made to date in ramping up manufacturing capacity in Europe and the US. However, he also hinted there is plenty more to come.
“The world doesn’t just need more chips, it needs a better supply chain - a diversified, secure and geographically balanced supply chain,” he said.
“Intel is bringing new manufacturing capacity online as fast as we can. But we’re just getting started delivering that balanced and resilient supply chain.”
Memorial Day TV sales will be here before you know it, with deals on a range of 4K, QLED, and OLED displays from Best Buy, Walmart, and Amazon. To help you find all the top offers, we've created this guide with everything you need to know about the 2022 Memorial Day TV sales event, plus today's best deals.
The Memorial Day sales event is a great opportunity to score huge savings on last year's best-selling TVs and first-time discounts on 2022 displays. Due to rising consumer prices, we know that finding a cheap TV deal is more important than ever, which is why we'll be focusing on TV deals that offer the absolute best value and include price history information.
Memorial Day falls on Monday,May 30 this year, which means we should see official TV deals start to pop up in the coming weeks. Our Memorial Day TV sales guide will be covering all the best bargains as soon as they drop, so make sure to bookmark this page for all the latest offers.
Today's best TV sales ahead of Memorial Day
We should start to see official Memorial Day TV sales popping up in the next couple of weeks, but if you're looking to score a bargain right now, we've listed today's TV sales and stand-out deals below from retailers like Best Buy, Amazon, Walmart and more.
Insignia 24-inch F20 Series HD Smart Fire TV (2020):$169.99$99.99 at Amazon
Save $70 - One of today's best cheap TV deals ahead of Memorial Day is the best-selling Insignia 24-inch HD TV on sale for just $99.99 at Amazon. While the F20-Series display lacks 4K capabilities, the HD TV does include smart features with the Fire operating system and hands-free control with Amazon Alexa.View Deal
Amazon Fire TV 55-inch Omni Series 4K UHD Smart TV:$559.99$369.99 at Amazon
Save $190 - If you're looking for a mid-size display, ahead of the Memorial Day TV sales event, you can get this 55-inch Omni Series TV on sale for a record-low price of $369.99. The 4K Ultra HD TV includes Dolby Vision, HDR 10, the Fire TV operating system for seamless streaming, and works with Alexa for hands-free control.View Deal
TCL 70-inch 4 Series LED 4K UHD Smart TV:$829.99$549.99 at Best Buy
Save $280 –One of our favorite big-screen cheap TV deals is this massive 70-inch 4K TV from TCL on sale for just $549.99 at Best Buy. An incredible price for a big-screen 4K TV - you're getting 4K UHD resolution, the Google Assistant and Chromecast built-in for seamless streaming, and a handy voice remote.
Samsung 55-inch 4K Smart TV:$499$409.99 at Samsung
Save $62 – Samsung has this 55-inch 4K smart TV on sale for $409.99. That's the lowest price we've ever seen and $10 less than last week's price. An incredible value, you're getting a stunning 4K Crystal display and smart capabilities, so you can easily stream all your favorite movies and TV shows from apps like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and more.View Deal
Sony 43-inch X80J Series 4K UHD Smart TV:$599.99$499.99 at Best Buy
Save $100 - Best Buy has a $100 price cut on this stunning Sony 43-inch 4K smart TV, bringing the price down to $499.99. Sony's X80J series set delivers a brilliant picture with rich colors and detailed contrasts thanks to the powerful X1 4K HDR processor and has the Google Assistant built-in for hands-free controlView Deal
Toshiba 65-inch M550 Series 4K UHD Smart Fire TV (2021):$999.99$599.99 at Amazon
Save $400 - This 65-inch 4K Fire TV from Toshiba is getting a massive $400 discount ahead of the Memorial Day TV sales event. The 2021 display comes with Dolby Vision HDR and HDR10+, DTS Virtual: X, the Fire OS, and hands-free control with Amazon Alexa.View Deal
Vizio 55-inch OLED TV:$1,199.99$806.54 at Amazon Save $351 - Amazon has this 55-inch OLED TV from Vizio on sale for just $804.54. That's the lowest price we've ever seen and an incredible deal for a premium OLED display. The 55-inch set features 4K HDR, an OLED panel, Dolby Vision and HDR10+, HDMI 2.1, and a 120Hz panel.View Deal
LG 50-inch UP7000 Series 4K UHD Smart TV:$459.99$339.99 at Best Buy
Save $120 - If you're looking for a mid-size premium TV deal ahead of Memorial Day, this LG 50-inch 4K TV is on sale for $339.99 at Best Buy. The 50-inch set packs an excellent 4K processor for top-notch upscaling, LG’s fantastic WebOS smart platform, and a handy Game Optimizer mode to reduce input delays should you want to hook up your favorite console.View Deal
Insignia 50-inch 4K UHD Smart Fire TV (2021):$399.99$299.99 at Amazon
Save $100 - Our favorite cheap TV deal from Amazon is this 50-inch 4K smart TV from Insignia on sale for a record-low price of $299.99. The 2021 50-inch TV includes the Fire OS for easy streaming, 4K Ultra HD resolution, DTS Studio Sound, and voice control with Amazon Alexa.View Deal
LG C1 OLED (65-inch):$2,499.99$1,696.99 at Amazon Save $803 - Amazon has the brilliant LG C1 OLED TV on sale for a record-low price of $1,696.99 at Amazon - $50 less than last week's price. It's one of the best TVs you can buy, thanks to the stunning OLED display, Alpha a9 Gen. 4 processor, and virtual surround sound audio. If you're after the best price-to-performance ratio, the C1 OLED comes with our highest recommendation – especially now that it's getting a massive $800 discount.View Deal
When is Memorial Day 2022?
Memorial Day is an American federal holiday that always falls on the last Monday in May to honor the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military.
This year, Memorial Day falls on Monday, May 30, with the long weekend kicking off on Friday, May 27.
Memorial Day TV sales: what to expect
The Memorial Day TV sales are always a popular category during the holiday weekend, with a range of 4K, QLED, and OLED displays on sale. May is already a fantastic time to score a cheap TV deal thanks to spring clearance sales from retailers like Best Buy and Walmart. We typically see TV bargains from last year's sets - which means you can find a great TV from brands like Samsung, LG, and Vizio at a super cheap price.
Retailers also typically offer impressive discounts on newer TV sets, but these discounts are few and far between and won't last long. We recommend that if you see a price you like on a 2022 display, you should add it to your cart and check out before it's too late.
Memorial Day TV sales: last year's top deals
Looking back at last year's Memorial Day TV sales can give us an idea of what deals we can expect come May. We saw several budget sets on sale from brands like TCL, Insignia, and Toshiba from Walmart and Amazon. We did spot some premium displays on sale from Best Buy, but those bargains didn't drop till Memorial Day proper.
TCL 32-inch HD LED Roku Smart TV:$199.99$145 at Walmart
Save $55 - If you're working with a small space, Walmart has this TCL 32-inch HD TV on sale for just $145. You're getting smart capabilities with the Roku experience built in, so you can stream your favorite content from the home screen of your TV.
Toshiba 32-inch 4K UHD smart Fire TV:$199.99$159.99 at Best Buy
Save $40 - Best Buy has this 32-inch HD TV from Toshiba on sale for just $159.99. This budget set comes with the Fire TV OS and Alexa voice remote, so you can stream from apps like Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube, Hulu, HBO, and more.
TCL 43-inch HD LED Roku Smart TV:$429.99$288 at Walmart
Save $142 - For just $288, you can pick up this TCL 43-inch HD TV at the Walmart Memorial Day TV sales event. This cheap TV deal comes with the Roku experience for seamless streaming and works with Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant for voice control.
Toshiba 50-inch 4K UHD Smart Fire TV:$429.99$349.99 at Best Buy
Save $80 - One of our favorite TV deals this week is this Toshiba 50-inch 4K set that's marked down to just $349.99. The smart TV has the Fire experience built in for easy streaming and includes an Alexa-enabled voice remote.
Insignia 55-inch 4K UHD Smart Fire TV:$429.99$389.99 at Amazon
Save $40 - You can pick up this 55-inch 4K TV for just $389.99 at Amazon's Memorial Day sale. This smart TV deal has the Fire experience built in, so you can stream your favorite apps like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Video from the home screen of your TV.
TCL 50-inch 5-Series 4K UHD Roku QLED TV:$599.99$498 at Walmart
Save $100 - Packed with premium features, Walmart has this TCL 50-inch 4K QLED TV on sale for $498. You're getting a cinema-like picture experience thanks to the Quantum Dot technology, plus voice control and the Roku experience built-in.
LG 55-inch 4K UHD Smart webOS TV:$599.99$569.99 at Best Buy
Save $30 - A fantastic Memorial Day TV deal, Best Buy has this LG 55-inch 4K TV on sale for $569.99. The smart TV comes with ThinQ AI technology which allows your TV to become a smart home hub.
Sony 55-inch X800H Smart 4K Ultra HD TV:$999.99$698 at Walmart
Save $300 - You can get this stunning Sony 55-inch TV for $300 off at Walmart's Memorial Day TV sales event. The 4K TV delivers an exceptional viewing experience with an ultra HD picture that features 4K X-Reality PRO to provide incredible accuracy and brilliant colors.
Hisense 65-inch H65 SeriesSmart HD TV:$599.99$529.99 at Best Buy
Save $70 - This Hisense might be on the cheaper end of things, but that doesn't mean it's not packed to the brim with great features, and with a $70 discount, you're also getting a fantastic price. With Google Assistant and a voice remote, you're off to a great start, and you're also getting Motion Rate 120 and DTS Sound Studio.
JVC 70-inch 4K UHD Roku Smart TV:$899.99$548 at Walmart
Save $352 - A fantastic Memorial Day TV deal, this JVC 70-inch 4K TV is on sale for just $548 at Walmart. The smart TV has the Roku experience built in, which gets you seamless access to over 500,000 movies and TV shows from apps like Hulu, Netflix, Disney Plus, and more.
Samsung 70-inch 6 Series 4K UHD Smart TV:$749.99$649.99 at Best Buy
Save $100 - One of our favorite Memorial Day TV deals, you can get this brilliant Samsung 70-inch 4K TV on sale for $649.99 at Best Buy. The 70-inch set delivers a premium picture experience with brilliant colors and sharp contrast thanks to the powerful 4K crystal processor.
Samsung 70-inch 7 Series 4K UHD Smart Tizen TV:$749.99$679.99 at Best Buy
Save $70 - Best Buy's Memorial Day sale has this Samsung 70-inch 4K TV on sale for $679.99. You're getting a cinema-like picture experience thanks to the Crystal Processor 4K and the PurColor technology delivers bright, bold images with sharp contrast.
Vizio 65-inch OLED TV:$1,899.99$1,499.99 at Best Buy Save $400 - This OLED TV has a massive $400 discount for anyone visiting Best Buy's Memorial Day sale. The premium 65-inch Vizio TV features 4K HDR, an OLED panel, Dolby Vision and HDR10+, HDMI 2.1, and a 120Hz panel.
Sony 75-inch X950H Series 4K UHD Smart TV:$2,599.99$1,999.99 at Best Buy
Save $600 - This premium Sony 75-inch 4K TV has a massive $600 price at Best Buy's Memorial Day sale. This Sony X950H set delivers a cinema-like experience thanks to the 4K HD resolution and Dolby Vision and works with the Google Assistant for hands-free control.
To help organizations combat ransomware and other cyberthreats, Microsoft is launching a new line of managed security solutions that combine human-led services with expert-trained technology.
Last year alone Microsoft Security blocked over 9.6bn malware threats and more than 35bn phishing and other malicious emails while actively tracking over 35 ransomware families and 250 unique threat actors around the world. However, technology by itself isn’t enough to defend against the continued rise of cybercrime.
This is why Microsoft’s corporate VP of security, compliance, identity and management, Vasu Jakkal has announced in a new blog post that the company is expanding its existing service capabilities under a new service category called Microsoft Security Experts which combines expert-trained technology with human led services.
All in all, the company aims to deliver this new category of services across security, compliance, identity, management and privacy.
Microsoft Security Experts
Based on input from its partner ecosystem, Microsoft has designed three new managed services that allow organizations to scale their team of experts to fit their needs without the challenges of hiring and training new staff.
First off, Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting is designed for organizations that already have a robust security operations center but want Microsoft to help them proactively hunt for threats across Microsoft Defender data including endpoints, Office 365, cloud applications and identity. In addition to being able to consult one of the company’s experts about a specific incident, nation-state actor or attack vector with the click of a button, customers will also get specific recommendations to help them understand and improve their security posture.
Microsoft Defender Experts for XDR meanwhile is for organizations that need to extend the capacity of their security operations center with a managed extended detection and response (XDR) service that goes beyond endpoints to provide detection and response across Microsoft 365 Defender.
Finally, Microsoft Security Services for Enterprise is a comprehensive, expert-led service that combines proactive threat hunting and managed XDR. With this service, the company’s dedicated security experts manage onboarding, daily interactions, practice modernization and incident response for organizations to help save them time and resources.
While Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting will be available this summer and is now in preview, Microsoft Defender Experts for XDR will move into preview this fall. Microsoft Security Services for Enterprises on the other hand is available now and enterprise customers can contact their Account Executive to learn more.
Instagram head Adam Mosseri has announced that much to our dismay, NFTs are finally coming to Instagram this week in order to “help creators make a living doing what they love.” To make matters worse, Facebook is getting the feature “soon,” too.
As showcased in a Twitter video, NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) that are shared on Instagram, either by the feed, stories, or messages, will come with a new tag named “digital collectibles” to prove that the post is the real deal. Users who tap on the digital collectible tag will be able to see information such as the collectible’s current owner and its creator.
As some small mercy, this feature is only being given to a limited number of creators in the US to start with, however, Instagram is planning to roll out the feature with more functionality over time, so it may not be long before our entire Instagram feeds are nothing but NFTs.
Following Mosseri’s announcement, Mark Zuckerberg confirmed in a Facebook post that, after NFTs have been sufficiently tested and implemented across Instagram, Meta will be bringing similar functionality to Facebook, as well as its other Meta-owned apps, so soon there may be no escape from the plight of NFTs.
Analysis: Why Instagram, why?
While some may argue that NFTs are a perfect fit and harmless for Instagram and its content, especially since the current implantation appears to only be adding metadata on top of images, the technology is far from innocent, as transacting an NFT requires a huge amount of energy thanks to its connection with the blockchain.
Beyond the inherent energy costs that make NFTs bad for everyone not shilling them, social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter have no incentive beyond greed to endorse this technology, as users could already state they owned an NFT in the text of a post and have the blockchain prove them right.
With Mosseri claiming on Twitter that “there will be no fees associated with posting or sharing a digital collectible on [Instagram],” the company has literally nothing to gain from pushing this technology beyond laying the groundwork for the potential future of digital collectibles.
NFTs on Instagram 🎉This week we’re beginning to test digital collectibles with a handful of US creators and collectors who will be able to share NFTs on Instagram. There will be no fees associated with posting or sharing a digital collectible on IG.See you next week! ✌🏼 pic.twitter.com/VuJbMVSBDrMay 9, 2022
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While this is obviously exactly what Meta wants, this hypothetical future should be kept at least a few years out of reach for everyone’s benefit, as the last thing the world needs right now is another drain of its resources.
Once the blockchain can be made to run on entirely renewable energy and be carbon-neutral, or better yet carbon positive, only then, it will be time to embrace NFTs with open arms as at least vaguely useful technology.
