A nearly unanimous Supreme Court told Lexmark it can’t use patent law to restrict printer cartridge buyers from doing what they want with the cartridges, including refilling them or even selling them to cartridge manufacturers. In an opinion by Chief Just John Roberts, “Lexmark exhausted its patent rights” once it sold the cartridge. The case was watched closely by more than printer makers. Lexmark had support from the biotechnology, drug, and agricultural industries. Tech companies, including Google and Intel, supported the cartridge re-manufacturer, Impression Products, as did makers of rebuilt or refurbished auto parts and medical devices.
Ever since news surfaced that VW had engaged in massive fraud and criminal misrepresentation of its TDI “Clean Diesel” products, there have been questions about how the company did what it did. It’s one thing to see the effects of the software code in action, and repeated real-world driving tests in a huge range of conditions across multiple vehicles confirmed the problem long ago — but that’s not the same as knowing where the code is or how it works. According to the at UC San Diego, the code in question was masquerading as if it was related to engine noise.
The TRAPPIST-1 star system is interesting to say the least. This solar system is , and astronomers have been watching it closely ever since the discovery was announced early this year. TRAPPIST-1 is particularly fascinating because it contains multiple planets that might be capable of supporting life. However, the outermost planet is not one of them. Astronomers have finally pinned down the orbit of TRAPPIST-1h and confirmed it’s far too chilly for life. Scientists have also confirmed many of the planets in the TRAPPIST-1 system have what’s known as “orbital resonance.” TRAPPIST-1 is a mere 39 light years away, which is basically right next door in astronomical terms.
For the past few years, Thunderbolt has been more of a curiosity than a standard-bearer for device connectivity. While the standard was meant to usher in a new era of high-speed peripherals and device interconnects, this was limited to a few high-end products and mostly marketed towards Mac users. Several years ago, Intel combined Thunderbolt support with the USB-C standard, creating the potential for systems that were compatible with the latest and greatest USB standard with reversible plug support, while simultaneously supporting the increased bandwidth of Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbit/s). Now, Intel is going : It’s making the Thunderbolt 3 standard royalty-free in a bid to attract attention for the standard and improve uptake from manufacturers.
Today, Dell is offering up a substantial discount on the Inspiron 15 5000 laptop. If you’re in need of a powerful 15.6-inch device, this is the perfect time to buy. With an HD display, a Kaby Lake CPU, and a sizable SSD, this laptop offers a complete computing experience wherever you go. • (List price: $899.99 — Coupon code: LT300) Inside, this model features a seventh generation dual-core 2.7GHz Intel Core i7-7500U CPU, integrated Intel HD Graphics 620, 8GB of DDR4 RAM (2400MHz), a 512GB solid-state drive, a DVD burner, Bluetooth 4.0, and 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi support.
Most commercial rockets have a carbo capacity measured in tons, but the new Electron launch vehicle from Rocket Lab is designed for lighter duty. This rocket can haul just 150 kg (331 pounds) into orbit, but it’s cheap and small — really, look how cute and little it is. Rocket Lab is still working out the kinks with the Electron, but it . There was no payload and the rocket didn’t quite reach orbit, but the company is still calling it a win. The rocket, dubbed “It’s a Test,” lifted off from the Mahia Peninsula on the North Island of New Zealand in the early afternoon of May 25th local time.
Intel and Samsung have both joined the FTC’s lawsuit against Qualcomm, accusing the smartphone SoC and wireless modem manufacturer of engaging in practices that violate antitrust law. Fair disclosure requires me to note that Intel’s brief is impossible to read without chortling. Anyone who recalls AMD’s antitrust lawsuits against Intel may have a similar problem, given Intel’s smug dismissal of AMD’s complaints at the time, compared with the outraged tone it takes in its own court filing against Qualcomm. According to Intel, Qualcomm has: [M]aintained an interlocking web of abusive patent and commercial practices that subverts competition on the merits.
AMD’s Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 5 processors have already punched holes in Intel’s product lines. The Ryzen 5 1600X is a six-core / 12-thread CPU at $250, compared with over $400 for its Intel counterpart, and the eight-core, 16-thread Ryzen 7 1800X ($500) compares well with Intel’s Core i7-6900K at $1,100. AMD’s financial analyst day yesterday wasn’t just a discussion of data center and deep learning workloads — enthusiasts got some serious love as well. Now, AMD is prepping a new, workstation-class CPU to take Intel on at the top of its market. Ryzen Threadripper will debut on an all-new motherboard platform with support for up to 16 cores, 32 threads, four memory channels, and (we suspect) a price point that’ll give Intel heartburn once again.
At its Financial Analyst Day on Thursday, AMD made a number of announcements about its upcoming product launches and where it will focus in 2017. The company has historically used these events to forecast its performance over the next few years and is riding high after the successful launch of Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 5. Investors, however, have been jittery about the manufacturer’s stock performance so far this year and AMD was also looking to calm the waters as it rolls out new hardware. We’ve known the codename for AMD’s server CPUs, Naples, but the company unveiled the actual brand name today.
