Sean Hollister

Senior Editor

Sean HollisterApr 23, 2025

Intel’s new CEO will imminently announce 20 percent layoffs, Bloomberg reports.

Intel had over 120,000 employees after its 2022 layoffs, and its 2024 layoffs brought that total down to 108,900, but the company may downsize again. Bloomberg’s single “person with knowledge of the matter” says new CEO Lip-Bu Tan will cut 20 percent more.

Last month Reuters reported Intel would make unspecified cuts to address “a slow-moving and bloated middle management layer.” If legit, Intel will likely announce the cuts by Thursday’s earnings call.

Bloomberg

[bloomberg.com]

Sean HollisterApr 22, 2025

Ayn, like Anbernic, is pausing retro handheld shipments to the US.

Unlike Anbernic, it’s not indefinite. “The current plan is to ship to 25th, then pause for a week, and try to choose a new channel for shipping after May 5th,” reads a customer support message from the company via Ayn’s Discord. Ayn currently offers 4PX and DHL.

But what if Ayn doesn’t find a new shipping channel? (HK postal service is suspending US shipments too.) No wonder the retro handheld community is worried about its formerly inexpensive hobby.

AYN is Latest to Pause Handheld Shipments to the U.S. - Retro Handhelds

[retrohandhelds.gg]

Game Boy clone maker Anbernic suspends all shipments to US

Sean HollisterApr 21, 2025

Windows for the Game Boy, with playable Minesweeper and Paint.

Tap the video to watch! It looks glorious, and I’m so sorry to say this batch is already sold out. Hat tip to Time Extension. P.S. there’s even a Blue Screen of Death!

Sean HollisterApr 17, 2025

Looking Glass finally has a typical-monitor-sized screen.

The glasses-free 3D display company has gone small, and it’s gone as big as a 65-inch TV. Now, the company also has its first monitor-sized 27-inch model, with 16 inches of perceivable depth according to the company.

At $10,000 ($8,000 till May) it’s way pricier than a 3D gaming monitor like Samsung’s new 3D Odyssey, but also not really for gaming. It’s “a must-have for malls, stadiums, and storefronts,” boasts one customer, to give you an idea.

Sean HollisterApr 17, 2025

Here are my five favorite USB-C cables, all with tricks up their sleeves.

Literally! Some have magnetic sleeves, some have power meters up the sleeves, and some have excellent charging and data speeds. But five different cables... can someone please make the one to rule them all?

Cables: $29 SuperCalla 60W, $34 SuperCalla 100W, $60 Magtame Thunderbolt 240W, $10 Toocki SG-C-C 100W, $15 Central Computers USB 4 240W.

Sean HollisterApr 17, 2025

Is the Nintendo Switch 2’s price... fair?

Another day, another Nintendo livestream, and yet we’re still in limbo about when we can pay for a Switch 2 and what it will cost in the US. Viewers chanted “DROP THE PRICE” in the YouTube chat!

But how unfair is that price, really? The Verge’s awesome video team asked me to explain it on camera. I can’t say I love the price or want to pay it, but I do feel a tad better after this!

Sean HollisterApr 17, 2025

Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti: not a disappointment, yet.

Reviewers were appalled by lack of value in Nvidia’s RTX 4060 and 4060 Ti last year, but the new “$429” 5060 Ti is a solid “it depends.” In every review I’ve consumed so far (e.g. Digital Foundry, Tom’s Hardware, Guru3D, PCGamer) it looks like a real upgrade over the five-year-old 3060 Ti... if you don’t have to pay over $500 for it.

While it might be only 20 percent faster than 4060 Ti in pure raster, it’s more like 35-45 percent over the 3060 Ti. In some games, it beats the RTX 3080 and RX 6800. In others, it’s closer to a 3070 Ti. If you tolerate fake frames, you can apparently get north of 60fps in games like Alan Wake 2 at 4K with full path tracing and 4x frame gen.

Sean HollisterApr 16, 2025

I can’t believe how many Japanese adults spent their rent money on gacha pulls.

In a 1,000 person survey of 20–29 year olds by a major Japanese bank, nearly 20 percent admitted: they once spent so much money on in-game purchases that they couldn’t cover living expenses.

We — and regulators — have long known these games can potentially be addictive, even if you’re aware of the risk. There are dozens of billion-dollar games as a result; now, an entire generation may have “gambled my rent away on cute digital characters” as a shared cultural touchstone.

Almost 19% of Japanese people in their 20s have spent so much money on gacha they struggled with covering living expenses, survey reveals - AUTOMATON WEST

[automaton-media.com]