Disputed award includes provisions for cloud computing, hardware-as-a-service.
Enlarge/ An aerial view of the NSA. (credit: nsa.gov)
Amazon Web Services (AWS) has been named the winner of a $10 billion cloud computing contract, called “WildandStormy,” for the National Security Agency. But Microsoft, no doubt still salty about Amazon’s successful challenge of Redmond’s $10 billion JEDI contract with the Pentagon, filed a formal bid protest with the Government Accounting Office last month.
Microsoft says that if the NSA had properly evaluated the bids, Microsoft would have won. The GAO will decide the outcome of the protest by the end of October. The news was first reported by the trade publication Washington Technology.
The award and protest come as US intelligence agencies have been looking at overhauling their computing and storage resources over the last several years. Currently, many of the agencies' cloud operations use so-called GovCloud products from various vendors, including Amazon’s AWS and Microsoft’s Azure. The initial move to the cloud was spurred years ago by the exponential increase in data that intelligence agencies were gathering and analyzing. That increase was outpacing the agencies' ability to store it all in-house. AWS was an early winner and secured a $600 million contract with the CIA in 2013.
Schon vor den aktuellen militärischen Erfolgen der Taliban waren Geflüchtete aus dem Land meist erfolgreich, wenn sie vor Gericht gegen Ablehnungsbescheide klagten
Schon vor den aktuellen militärischen Erfolgen der Taliban waren Geflüchtete aus dem Land meist erfolgreich, wenn sie vor Gericht gegen Ablehnungsbescheide klagten
Samsungs Galaxy Z Fold 3 und Galaxy Z Flip 3 sind beeindruckende Smartphones – sie sind aber einfach nicht praktisch. Ein IMHO von Tobias Költzsch (IMHO, Samsung)
Samsungs Galaxy Z Fold 3 und Galaxy Z Flip 3 sind beeindruckende Smartphones - sie sind aber einfach nicht praktisch. Ein IMHO von Tobias Költzsch (IMHO, Samsung)
Chinese device maker GPD has made a name for itself in recent years with a series of handheld gaming PCs that run Windows. But GPD actually got its start making Android devices, and the company is sort of going back to its roots with the new GPD XP handheld game system… but it’s also looking […]
Chinese device maker GPD has made a name for itself in recent years with a series of handheld gaming PCs that run Windows. But GPD actually got its start making Android devices, and the company is sort of going back to its roots with the new GPD XP handheld game system… but it’s also looking to the future.
It’s an Android-powered device with support for 4G LTE, a 6.81 inch touchscreen display sandwiched between game controllers, and a modular design that lets you swap out the right controls for different input methods. First announced in August, the GPD XP is now available for purchase for $341 from GPD’s AliExpress store.
Here’s a run-down of some key specs:
GPD XP Specs
Display
6.81 inches
2400 x 1080 pixels
338 ppi
60 Hz
84% NTSC color gamut
IPS LCD
500 nits
10-point multitouch
Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Processor
MediaTek Helio G95
2 x ARM Cortex-A76 CPU cores @ 2.05 GHz
6 x ARM Cortex-A55 CPU cores @ 2 GHz
ARM Mali-G76 MC4 GPU @ 900 MHz
While the processor, memory and storage should be good enough to handle most Android games, the console’s design could also make it an attractive option for use with game streaming platforms like Stadia or GeForce Now, which allow you to stream console-quality games to a mobile device over the internet. And of course there are emulators – the GPD XP seems to be able to handle GameCube emulation pretty well.
The active cooling fan should help prevent overheating. And the built-in controllers will allow you to play native Android games or use emulators or streaming without the need to place your hands on the screen, covering the action.
GPD also includes button-mapping software, which will allow you to play Android games that might not normally support physical controllers, by mapping on-screen functions to hardware keys.
The company says its modular controllers connect to the body of the GPD-XP via physical pins and offer no latency since they’re not using a wireless connection. They’re held firmly in place by magnets.
But perhaps the most interesting thing about the GPD XP controllers are that you have three options, allowing you to switch controller styles depending on the games you’re playing. The left controller is permanently attached, but the right controller can be swapped out.
GPD’s Xbox style controller gives you all the keys you’d expect from a console, including X, Y, A, and B keys, a second analog stick, shoulder buttons, and start and select keys.
The FPS controller features five face keys that can be programmed to perform different functions, plus two shoulder buttons.
The MOBA controller isn’t really a controller at all. It’s just a cap that magnetically attaches to the port on the right side of the device, covering it up. This allows you to use your right thumb with the touchscreen while you play, while you use your left hand for physical controllers.
The device is designed as a handheld game console rather than a phone, so there’s no earpiece mic or speaker and no support for phone calls or SMS. But if you do pop in a SIM card you can use it for 4G data and the device does support instant messaging apps like WhatsApp, Skype, Facebook Messenger, and WeChat.
There’s also a front-facing camera that you can use for video calls or to record video messages.
Initially, GPD acknowledged that the reason it selected a display with a hole-punch camera opening was primarily because most of the displays available in this size are designed for phones rather than handheld game consoles. But it seems the company did at least decide to equip the device with a camera, even if it’s something that mobile gamers might not need.
At a time when you can pre-order Valve’s Steam Deck for $399 and up, it’s interesting to see competitors in the handheld gaming space come up with new ways to differentiate their products. I don’t know if a $341 Android model with a modular controller system is going to be enough to tempt anyone away from Valve’s offering, but it is always nice to have options.
This article was originally published August 12, 2021 and last updated November 5, 2021.
Watchdog provisionally finds competition concerns after probe into acquisition.
Enlarge/ The CMA said Facebook could deny other platforms access to GIFs because of the tie-up. (credit: Anadolu Agency | Getty Images)
The UK competition regulator has called for Facebook to sell online image platform Giphy, which it bought for $400 million last year, after provisionally finding competition concerns following an in-depth investigation.
The move is a rare example of an overseas regulator trying to unwind a Big Tech deal, as antitrust scrutiny of Silicon Valley’s acquisitions has intensified around the world.
The Competition and Markets Authority on Thursday said it believed Facebook’s tie-up with Giphy would harm competition between social media platforms and remove a potential competitor in the display advertising market.
Nach Ablauf der Gewährleistungsfrist können Reparaturen unterhalb der Glasfaser schnell sehr teuer werden. Trenching sei keine alternative Verlegemethode, lautet die Kritik. (Glasfaser, Kabelnetz)
Nach Ablauf der Gewährleistungsfrist können Reparaturen unterhalb der Glasfaser schnell sehr teuer werden. Trenching sei keine alternative Verlegemethode, lautet die Kritik. (Glasfaser, Kabelnetz)
In Deutschland und anderen Ländern sollen mehrere Filialen von Media Markt und Saturn geschlossen werden. Es sind aber neue Marktformate geplant. (Media Markt, Wirtschaft)
In Deutschland und anderen Ländern sollen mehrere Filialen von Media Markt und Saturn geschlossen werden. Es sind aber neue Marktformate geplant. (Media Markt, Wirtschaft)
Samsungs Galaxy Z Fold 3 und Galaxy Z Flip 3 sind beeindruckende Smartphones - sie sind aber einfach nicht praktisch. Ein IMHO von Tobias Költzsch (
Nach Ablauf der Gewährleistungsfrist können Reparaturen unterhalb der Glasfaser schnell sehr teuer werden. Trenching sei keine alternative Verlegemethode, lautet die Kritik. (
Der Entwicklungschef von Diablo 4 verlässt Blizzard, das Team des Action-Rollenspiels steht vor einem Umbruch. (
Die bisherige Direktor der Medienanstalt Hamburg/Schleswig-Holstein soll Hamburgs Beauftragter für den Datenschutz werden. (
In Deutschland und anderen Ländern sollen mehrere Filialen von Media Markt und Saturn geschlossen werden. Es sind aber neue Marktformate geplant. (
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