PCWorld February 2017

Watch the video at go.pcworld.com/amdces17 AT THIS POINT, we know a lot about AMD’s hotly anticipated Ryzen processors, which look to be AMD’s best chip family in a decade. We know some basic specs. We know every Ryzen CPU will be overclockable. We know the chips will have a ton of hardware support at launch—and that AM4 motherboards will last until 2020 at least. The list goes on and on. One thing we don’t know? Launch date details beyond a vague “first quarter.” At CES, AMD representatives told PCWorld that the target was not the end of the quarter. But a slip-up in a Game Developers Conference session listing gives greater clarity into Ryzen’s arrival timing. The session’s entitled “Optimizing for AMD Ryzen CPU (Presented by AMD)” and it’s all about introducing game…

IN 2009, MICROSOFT enflamed the minds of consumers with Courier, a foldable phone/tablet (go.pcworld.com/mscourierf) concept that was eventually cancelled. Years later, a sort-of new patent implies Microsoft hasn’t (or hadn’t) totally given up on the idea. According to the new patent, which was approved on recently, Microsoft envisions a mobile device with a continuous viewing area that extends across the foldable region—similar in spirit to the dual-screen Courier concept. It’s an exciting idea, but there’s one major caveat: This is a patent from 2014 that the U.S. Patent Office finally approved, not one that Microsoft applied for more recently. As such, it shows that Microsoft was eyeing ambitious, foldable mobile devices at a time when the landscape for mobile computing was much more favorable for Microsoft than it is today. (Remember how…

MICROSOFT HAS PUT another nail in the coffin of Windows 10 Mobile, confirming that it has stopped development of its hit game Minecraft for Windows phones. Recently, Windows Central reported that Microsoft had halted development of Minecraft: Pocket Edition for Windows phones. When asked for comment, a Microsoft representative referred PCWorld to a Minecraft support document that indicates the platform won’t receive future updates. The official FAQ states (go.pcworld.com/minecraftpefaq): “Is the 1.0 Ender Update coming to Minecraft: Pocket Edition on Windows Phone? Why not?” It goes on to answer: “The 1.0 Ender Update will not be available on Windows Phone 8.1 or Windows Phone 10. Every Minecraft platform has different needs and our priority is to focus on long-awaited features for as many players as possible.” Microsoft’s decision means that Minecraft development has…

HARDWARE VENDORS SOMETIMES publicize their visions of the future. So do automakers. Now Opera Software is getting into the game with Neon, the company’s first concept browser. Opera’s new Neon browser (opera.com/neon) for Macs and Windows PCs isn’t game-changing—in fact, rather than a “concept,” it feels more like applying a fresh coat of paint. But Opera also succeeds in paring down the browsing experience to a few select tasks. It’s a refreshingly attractive design, as Neon’s background blends into your desktop, and circular tabs consciously contradict the sea of rectangles that rival browsers employ. With that said, Opera Neon won’t replace the existing Opera browser. In fact, Neon is arguably less full-featured than Opera’s existing browser, which includes native capabilities like ad blocking (go.pcworld.com/operablock). Opera did say, however, that it plans to…

Watch the video at go.pcworld.com/braviaxbra1evid THERE'S BEEN A fair amount of discussion about the two key technologies in Sony's new Bravia XBR-A1E series of OLED smart TVs, so we reached out to Sony for clarification. A company spokesperson confirmed that Sony does not manufacture the A1E-series' OLED panel, but declined to say where the panels are being sourced from. Declining to identify suppliers is not an uncommon practice in any industry, but it doesn't take much imagination to speculate that Sony is sourcing its OLED panels from LG Display, which also provides the OLED panels for Panasonic's THX-certified Viera TX-65CZ950 smart TV. (go.pcworld.com/vierathx) LG Display started out as a joint venture between LG Electronics and Philips Electronics and is now an independent, publicly traded company. The Sony spokesperson went on to say that…

VALVE FOUNDER GABE Newell took to Reddit recently for another hour-long AMA/Ask Me Anything (go.pcworld.com/gnewell ama) session. Among the topics broached: Is Valve still working on singleplayer games? What are its plans for the future? And the perennial “What is up with Steam support? Why is it so bad?” The timing is pretty fortuitous. Recently Game Informer published an interview with an alleged Valve insider, one who subsequently claimed Half-Life 3 would never happen. And as per usual, Half-Life 3 was the topic of many dodged questions, though Newell did say “I personally believe all unidentified anonymous sources on the internet” when asked about the article. Good ol’ sarcasm. Despite the absence of Half-Life 3, Newell did confirm that Valve hasn’t abandoned its game development roots, responding to “Is Valve still working…