AMD's revenue drops 2% in 2013, but shows income and gross margin improvements

AMD's fourth quarter and yearly 2013 financial numbers have now been released, pointing at a general improvement over previous years. Although the company's revenue dropped by 2%, its gross margin and operating income are up quite significantly over the previous year.

The company posted $83 million in net income losses, which is actually a vast improvement over its $1.18 billion loss in 2012. Both a rise in gross margin by 14% and a booming Graphics and Visual Solutions group are likely the reasons the company is closing the losses gap. While the Computing Solutions group suffered a 22% dip last year in revenue, the Graphics and Visual Solutions group (responsible for PS4 and Xbox One chips) posted a 55% hike in revenue from $1.4 to $2.2 billion in 2012. AMD CEO Rory Read attributes the company's strong Q4 2013 results to the console SoCs and its other leading graphics solutions.

And a strong fourth quarter it was, the company posted $89 million in profit as well as improvements across the board including better income, revenue and gross margin numbers.

As for projections, the company sees revenue dropping about 16% sequentially (give or take 3%) in the first quarter of 2014. AMD locked in about $1.1 billion in revenue during Q1 2013, so even a significant dip of around 18 or 19% would still leave the company on top of last year's Q1 numbers.

'mso-b� = a k �� 8�� 54'>A version of the game for PC has been rumored for quite some time. Last October, multiple industry sources told Eurogamer that the hit title would arrive on the PC during the first quarter of 2014. What’s more, an Nvidia executive accidentally mentioned the game during an investor call and Intel said they didn’t expect the title to remain a console exclusive for very long.

But perhaps the most damning evidence arrived last week with the discovery of 150-page bug log purported to be from the PC version of the game. The log dated back to April 2009 with references to a PC version starting around June 2012. It contains multiple references to 32- and 64-bit versions of the game as well as DirectX 11 smog and more.

Thus far, Rockstar has remained silent on the matter but if past releases are any indication, there’s reason for hope. Every console exclusive game in the series since GTA III has eventually found its way to the PC so there’s little reason why the same won’t happen here. The only question really is, when will it happen, and furthermore, will we ultimately see versions launched on Microsoft and Sony’s next generation consoles?

Grand Theft Auto V for PC shows up on Amazon France & Germany

Grand Theft Auto V may be coming to the PC sooner rather than later as the title has shown up on the French and Germany versions of Amazon. The former listing has since been pulled but the German listing remains live as of writing which is certainly a good omen.

A version of the game for PC has been rumored for quite some time. Last October, multiple industry sources told Eurogamer that the hit title would arrive on the PC during the first quarter of 2014. What’s more, an Nvidia executive accidentally mentioned the game during an investor call and Intel said they didn’t expect the title to remain a console exclusive for very long.

But perhaps the most damning evidence arrived last week with the discovery of 150-page bug log purported to be from the PC version of the game. The log dated back to April 2009 with references to a PC version starting around June 2012. It contains multiple references to 32- and 64-bit versions of the game as well as DirectX 11 smog and more.

Thus far, Rockstar has remained silent on the matter but if past releases are any indication, there’s reason for hope. Every console exclusive game in the series since GTA III has eventually found its way to the PC so there’s little reason why the same won’t happen here. The only question really is, when will it happen, and furthermore, will we ultimately see versions launched on Microsoft and Sony’s next generation consoles?

Bill Gates predicts there will be very few poor countries by 2035

Microsoft co-founder turned philanthropist Bill Gates believes that by 2035, there will be almost no poor countries left in the world. By learning from their most productive neighbors and benefiting from innovations like new vaccines, better seeds and the digital revolution, nearly all countries will be what we now refer to as lower-middle income or richer according to an annual letter released by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The letter also tries to dispel what he says are three common myths about global poverty: poor countries are doomed to stay poor, foreign aid is a big waste and saving lives leads to overpopulation. Gates said they hear these myths raised at international conferences, at social gatherings and they even get asked about them by politicians, reporters, students and CEOs.

The World Bank defines poor as any country with a gross national income per capita of $1,035 or less per year in 2012 dollars. At present, 36 countries fall into this category but the good news is that it wouldn’t take too much additional income for some to rise above poverty.

For example, the income level per capita in the Kyrgyz Republic would only need to increase by five percent over the next 20 years to be considered a middle-income nation. Other regions, like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, would need to increase income by a factor of five to reach the same level, however.

While the forecast may seem lofty, Gates is a realist and knows that not all nations will make it by 2035. Some, he said, will be held back by war, politics or geography while inequality will still remain an issue for others.

Rumor points to GeForce GTX 750 Ti as Nvidia's first 'Maxwell' GPU

We've been treated to Nvidia's Kepler architecture for a few years now, forming the basis of the GTX 600 and 700 series. With graphics card refreshes occuring nearly every year, it makes logical sense that Nvidia would turn to their next-generation architecture, 'Maxwell', for their upcoming GPU line.

What isn't so clear, though, is what graphics card would be the first to incorporate Maxwell. The latest rumorpoints to the GeForce GTX 750 Ti as being the first Maxwell card, which may come as a surprise to some, especially as the card would replace the GTX 650 Ti in the $149 to $169 price range.

However it's expected that the 750 Ti would serve as a test platform for Maxwell on a TSMC 28nm process - the current process used for Kepler-based 700 series GPUs - before the architechture gets slimmed down to 20nm for higher performance parts, likely to be named under the GTX 800 series. No other details for the card, such as clock speeds, shader processor counts, or performance figures, were shared.

The 750 Ti will reportedly launch on February 18th, bringing new features as part of the shift to Maxwell. One such feaure is unified virtual memory (UVM), which allows the CPU and GPU to essentially share the same memory; other improvements in the architecture will focus on power optimization, and performance per watt.

Apple’s iPhone 6 will reportedly surprise us all and launch this summer

A 4.7-inch iPhone 6 model may enter production as soon as May, and launch in the following months, Chinese publicationTencent (via UnwiredView) reports. According to a Chinese analyst with a decent track record, the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 will oddly not have a higher display resolution display. A 5.7-inch next-generation iPhone model that will launch later this year will supposedly get a higher resolution screen, however.

However, screen resolution isn’t mentioned for either of these two rumored 2014 iPhone versions. The Chinese publication also mentions a DisplaySearch Taiwan report that said the 4.7-inch model may offer a 1280 x 720 resolution (HD), while a 5.7-inch model would offer 1920 x 1080 resolution (Full HD).

Other features for Apple’s upcoming iPhone 6 models are not mentioned aside from the main camera and size. In line with recent reports, Tencent says the iPhone 6 will have an 8-megapixel camera with optical image stabilization features and F1.8 lens. The iPhone is said to be quite slim, although heavier than predecessors.

Many reports from various sources have claimed that Apple will launch iPhone phablets this year, although the company is yet to confirm any of them. At the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c China Mobile launch last week, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook was asked whether the company was working on bigger handsets, but he refused to answer, saying instead that the company is working on “great things.”

95 percent of the world’s ATMs still run Windows XP

it’s interesting just how many of the world’s important computers still run on ancient software. Case in point – roughly 95 percent of automated teller machines around the globe are powered by Windows XP, an operating system that was released more than 12 years ago.

Considering the fact that Microsoft is set to discontinue support for the aging OS in just a few months, ATMs will need to be updated to a newer operating system in order to avoid security and compliance risks.

According to NCR, the largest supplier of ATMs in the US, most of the 420,000 units operating in the US run the full version of XP. Some use an embedded version that will see support through 2016 but either way you look at it, the industry has been slow to react to XP’s fast-approaching fate.

It should come as little surprise that most machines will eventually move to Windows 7 but don’t expect it to happen soon. According to ATM software firm KAL, only 15 percent of machines in the US will be running Windows 7 by the April 8 cutoff date for XP support.

It’s clear that others will need more time to migrate to a newer operating system and fortunately, there’s an answer. Companies can purchase custom support contracts through Microsoft to keep XP on life support for a bit longer. JPMorgan is reportedly doing just this with a one-year extension as they continue to deploy their Windows 7 solution.

Sony earns early victory in next generation console war

The numbers have all been tallied and it appears as though Sony’s PlayStation 4 has won the first battle in what will be a long running console war. Sony recently revealed at the Consumer Electronics Show that they sold 4.2 million PlayStation 4 consoles as of December 28, 2013 compared to just three million Xbox One systems sold by Microsoft through the end of the year.

There are a number of factors that could be analyzed as contributing factors to each systems' sales. Brand loyalty and launch titles aside, price and availability are perhaps the two biggest factors. Sony’s next generation system retails for $100 less than the Xbox One at $399 versus $499. Microsoft’s console does include a Kinect motion sensor, however, if that sort of thing matters to you.

The PlayStation 4 launched in North America on November 15 followed by the Xbox One a week later on the 22nd. Hitting the market a week earlier than the competition certainly helped Sony jump out to an early lead. As of writing, the PS4 is available in 53 countries and territories compared to just 13 for Microsoft’s system.

Sony may have dealt the first blow in the next generation console war but that doesn’t really mean too much at this point considering the battle is likely to carry on through most of the next decade. Ultimate success will likely come down to exclusive titles, online content and perhaps even some new features that haven’t even been conceived yet.

AMD's super thin Nano PC prototype debuts at CES

AMD is showing off a prototype build of its ridiculously thin, Mullins APU equipped Nano PC at this year's CES. The tiny PC, designed to sit atop your TV, is about as thin as a Galaxy Note 3 and capable of running Windows 8.1.

Along with Windows capability, it currently houses a camera, Bluetooth, WiFi and DockPort connectivity as well as a 256GB SSD. Reports say that it is handling Windows 8.1 fairly seamlessly and is capable of running EA's FIFA 14 in 1080p. It will also come with a mini breakout box (seen above) that provides USB and HDMI connections in order to beam the PC's output to your TV, among many other things. Basically, a PC the size of a smartphone with a sizeable SSD that can run Windows and AAA games in full HD.

As others have pointed out, the super thin PC is quite an impressive piece of technology to say the least. Unfortunately, it is just that --  a technology -- AMD likely won't be selling these things but rather using the prototype to entice other manufacturers to adopt its slick new HTPC design.

Galaxy S5 coming in March or April, Samsung studying eye-scan security

As the Galaxy S4 approaches its first anniversary on the market Samsung has begun dropping hints about its much anticipated successor. In a Bloomberg News interview at CES 2014, the company’s executive vice president of marketing Young-hee Lee claimed that they’re targeting the same March - April launch timeframe of their past few flagships, while briefly commenting on potential features and design changes.

On the latter, Young-hee aknowledges that physical similarities between the S3 and S4 left many feeling a little underwhelmed. The Galaxy S4 launch was strong but it didn’t quite replicate the success of the S3 launch. For the S5, the company says it will go back to basics, focusing on the display and the feel of the cover. He didn’t offer any further hints although past rumors have pointed to a metal chasis instead of plastic.

The executive also commented on rumors of an iris scanner feature saying that many people are ‘fanatical’ about it and that they are studying the possibility. This would of course be Samsung’s response to the fingerprint scanner in Apple's iPhone 5S but whether it makes it to the S5 in the March - April timeframe is uncertain.

Aside from its flagship smartphone, Young-hee says we can expect a successor to the Gear smartwatch to arrive around the same time with a less bulky design and more advanced features. A new Galaxy Note phablet for those who prefer massive screens is scheduled to arrive in the second half of 2014.