Technologies

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti, 40-Series Mobile GPUs and Everything Else It Announced at CES

Your next laptop may have these components. And you’ll probably want them if you create stuff or play games.

Nvidia delivered the first of the notable CES livestreamed announcements Tuesday — a day ahead of the primary marathon day of launches — with expected news about its GeForce 40-series mobile GPUs and the long-rumored RTX 4070 Ti desktop GPU. One notable surprise was the new GeForce Now Ultimate tier, which AT&T has already staked out for a six-months-free promotion. The company also gave some updates on its commercial tools for robotics, collaborative design and cars.

RTX 40-series mobile graphics

Nvidia launched a complete line of mobile GPUs, from the RTX 4050 (for barely-there cheap discrete graphics) to the RTX 4060 and 4070 (for mainstream or thin-and-light gaming and graphics laptops) up through the top-end RTX 4080 and 4090.

Thanks to the Ada Lovelace architecture, the new mobile chips are a lot more power efficient, which means a new generation of Nvidia’s Max-Q power-management technology: It incorporates ultra-low voltage DLSS 3, «tri-speed memory control» to drop to lower power memory states on the fly and more. My experience with the 4080 and 4090 showed quite an improvement in DLSS over the last gen. And finally gaining traction is the adoption of Advanced Optimus, Nvidia’s design for allowing the GPU to live on the same bus as the CPU, which lets you use G-Sync on the built-in display and switch to the integrated graphics for lower power use without a system reboot. (Every time the phrase «MUX Switch» is used, my soul dies a little more.)

It highlighted nongaming 14-inch laptops, such as the Lenovo Yoga Pro 14 and Asus ZenBook Pro 14 with RTX 4070, 4060 or 4050 mobile chips, shipping in late February starting at $999. Gaming laptops like the Alienware x16 with an RTX 4080 or RTX 4090 ship in early February, starting at $2,000.

Desktop GeForce RTX 4070 Ti

Nvidia first announced the 12GB card as a low-end RTX 4080, but people pointed out that its specs really didn’t match those expected of an xx80-class GPU, causing Nvidia to «unlaunch» the card. It’s subsequently been reborn as the RTX 4070 Ti, which starts shipping on Jan. 5, starting at $800.

What seems particularly interesting is that despite Nvidia’s generic renderings of the card, there doesn’t seem to be an Nvidia-branded Founders Edition version, which there usually is for this level of GPU. That means there’s no guarantee that there will be an actual card available at that entry-level price; we could always count on an Nvidia Founders Edition to be the one model that hewed to the announcement price. Even if it had a tendency to go out of stock and stayed that way.

Stay tuned for my review!

GeForce Now Ultimate

Nvidia has also upgraded its back-end cloud servers for its cloud-gaming service with RTX 4080-class GPUs from the RTX 3080-class models, which means its top-tier option for its cloud-gaming service gets an upgrade as well. By going with «Ultimate,» Nvidia doesn’t have to rebrand every time it upgrades, as it does from the previous «RTX 3080» membership.

For the same $20 per month, you get the same perks but the better performance afforded by the card. That can translate to effectively 240 frames per second up from 120fps (the details are unclear). Current RTX 3080 subscribers will automatically transition to the new plan when it becomes available. As usual, it will roll out incrementally across different regions.

You may also get GeForce Now as part of your car’s entertainment system if it uses Nvidia Drive technology. Now all you need is a way to create routes based on the quality of your cell signal to prevent interruptions.

Creator tools

Two notable software tools that run on RTX GPUs join the family. Nvidia Broadcast will get a beta Eye Contact effect — faking eye contact for videoconferences and presentations is the New Big Thing that I don’t like (Windows has it as well). I’ve never seen an implementation that’s not disturbing, and I think at least one of the presenters in the stream was using it because of the unblinking thousand-yard stare that didn’t so much look at you as through you. Maybe that’s just me, though.

The other potentially big feature is RTX Video Super Resolution, designed to improve video streaming on Chrome and Edge. It uses AI upscaling and artifact reduction to improve the look of 1080p video on higher-resolution screens. That will run on RTX 30- and 40-series GPUs.

And Nvidia’s Canvas generative-AI sketch tool, which can work on any RTX GPU, will go into beta this quarter.

Nvidia also provided some updates on its robotics and automotive development technologies. They include new features in its Isaac Sim environment, such as the ability to model multiple humans and arrays of robots (for AI training) and more. CES isn’t a big show for these back-end technologies — that’s more the purview of Nvidia’s designer- and developer-focused GTC and GDC conferences — so most of the news was about partnerships and updates on capabilities entering early access. If that’s what floats your boat, you can get all the details on Nvidia’s site rather than have me de-weed them for you.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Saturday, June 28

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for June 28.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It’s Saturday, so it’s extra-long, and might take you a while. Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Detachable parts of a dress form
Answer: ARMS

5A clue: Catering container containing caffeine
Answer: TEARUN

8A clue: Climbing structure offered in pet stores
Answer: CATTREE

9A clue: Gets into town
Answer: ARRIVES

10A clue: Frédéric Chopin or Ray Charles, notably
Answer: PIANIST

11A clue: They don’t hold water
Answer: SIEVES

12A clue: ___-jerk reaction
Answer: KNEE

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: With some chance of failure
Answer: ATARISK

2D clue: Prepare for a new job, maybe
Answer: RETRAIN

3D clue: Midday Broadway showing
Answer: MATINEE

4D clue: Goal of a noted reality show set on an island
Answer: SURVIVE

6D clue: Witherspoon who portrayed June Carter in «Walk the Line»
Answer: REESE

7D clue: Lodgings for larks
Answer: NESTS

8D clue: Souvenir from a baseball game
Answer: CAP

Technologies

Facing Billions in DMA Fines, Apple Lets EU iPhone Users Install Apps Outside the App Store

A last-minute rule change lets European iPhone owners download apps from rival stores and developer websites, while introducing new fees that Apple hopes will satisfy regulators in Brussels.

In a scramble to sidestep penalties that could soar into the billions, and with Brussels regulators watching closely, Apple has agreed to let Europeans download iPhone apps from outside its own App Store.

With just hours left before an EU compliance deadline, the company said residents of the 27-nation bloc will soon be able to grab apps from rival marketplaces or straight off a developer’s website. The change rolls out later this year with iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6, and also lets users set a different browser engine and choose a third-party wallet at checkout.

For everyday EU iPhone owners, that means the download button could pop up in more places than just Apple’s storefront. After you select the new setting, iOS shows a one-time permission sheet confirming you’re leaving Apple’s marketplace. The app then passes a quick notarization scan meant to weed out malware. Apple notes that off-store downloads work only inside the EU, and disappear if you stay outside the bloc for more than 30 days.

Cost to developers

Developers do gain fresh distribution freedom, but there’s a price tag. A new two-tier Store Services fee asks for 5% of outside sales in exchange for basic services like app reviews and support in what’s called Tier 1, or 13% for the full bundle of perks, including automatic updates and App Store promotions in Tier 2.

Apple will take a 5% «Core Technology Commission» on any purchase made outside its own payment system. That new cut will phase out the current €0.50-per-download fee and become the sole charge across the EU when a unified pricing model arrives on Jan. 1, 2026.

Apple insists «more than 99%» of devs will pay the same or less under the revamped math.

Why now?

In April, the European Commission fined Apple €500 million ($585 million) for blocking developers from steering users to cheaper payment options, and warned that daily penalties of up to 5% of global revenue could follow if it failed to comply.

Throughout the back-and-forth, Apple has accused the commission of «moving the goalposts» on what counts as compliance, with a spokesperson saying the company has invested «hundreds of thousands of hours» to meet the EU’s evolving demands.

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney blasted the 5% tier as a «malicious compliance scheme» that «makes a mockery of fair competition.»

If regulators decide Apple still hasn’t gone far enough, the iPhone maker could face steeper sanctions, or even be forced to separate its App Store business.

Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for June 27, #1469

Here are hints — and the answer — for today’s Wordle No. 1,469 for June 27. Some players need a new starter word now.

Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Wordle puzzle isn’t too tough, but somehow, it has a starting letter I never seem to guess. Some posters on Reddit say it was one of their starter words, so now they’re in the market for a new way to begin the game. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.

Today’s Wordle hints

Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.

Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats

Today’s Wordle answer has no repeated letters.

Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels

There are two vowels in today’s Wordle answer.

Wordle hint No. 3: First letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with P.

Wordle hint No. 4: Placement

The two vowels are next to each other.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer can refer to something that is not decorated and is simple.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Today’s Wordle answer is PLAIN.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, June 26, No. 1468 was OFFER.

Recent Wordle answers

June 22, No. 1464: THRUM

June 23, No. 1465: ODDLY

June 24, No. 1466: ELITE

June 25, No. 1467: COMFY

Will Wordle run out of words?

When Wordle began, creator Josh Wardle used a list of five-letter words he’d shared with his partner, picking only the words they recognized. While that’s more than 2,000 words, more than half of them have already been used.

Wordle editor Tracy Bennett admitted that the game will eventually have to come to grips with the fact that the word list is not eternal.

«One possibility is that we could recycle old words at some point, like when we get close to the end,» Bennett told a Wordle player on TikTok.

She also said the editors might throw all the words back in and reuse them, or allow plurals, or past tense, something that’s not done now.