Month: March 2022

Intel’s Core i7-12700 tested: Top speeds or power efficiency—pick one

This CPU performs well, but its peak speeds mean high power draw and extra heat.

Intel's Core i7-12700.

Enlarge / Intel's Core i7-12700. (credit: Andrew Cunningham)

Intel’s K-series desktop CPUs always get the most attention from enthusiasts because they represent the best performance that new Intel processors are capable of when money, heat, and power are no object. But more people will end up using the cheaper, non-overclockable versions of these processors, whether it’s in an office desktop PC, a budget gaming desktop, or a price-conscious home video editing workstation.

Today, we’re taking a look at the Core i7-12700, a 12-core, 20-thread CPU that retails for around $340 (or $315 without integrated graphics). That’s anywhere from $75 to $100 cheaper than the overclockable Core i7-12700K, plus whatever money you save by buying a cheaper H670 or B660 motherboard rather than a pricey Z690 model.

We came away impressed with the i7-12700's performance but mixed on its power efficiency, as was the case when we reviewed some K-series CPUs last year. The good news is that home PC builders can usually decide for themselves whether they want to maximize performance or prioritize power efficiency and heat output. Using Intel's recommended power settings, the i7-12700 can actually be quite well-behaved. Just know that most motherboard makers' default power settings prioritize performance even if it makes your desktop hotter and more power-hungry.

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EUFA Wants Ukraine to Increase Anti-Piracy Protection, After The War

European football federation UEFA wants Ukraine to offer effective protections against live streaming piracy. Ideally, pirated streams should be taken offline within 105 minutes, before “the damage is fully inflicted.” The comments were made while many Ukrainians fight for their lives. UEFA is aware of the situation and notes that the requests are subject to a resolution of the military conflict.

From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.

fairplayAfter more than two weeks, news and images of the Russian invasion of Ukraine continue to shock the world.

The conflict has caused a humanitarian crisis, affecting millions of innocent citizens who have to flee their homes in search of safety.

In response to the aggression, Governments and companies around the world have imposed tough sanctions on Russia. This also includes many sports organizations, which stopped their broadcasts in Russia.

The European Football association UEFA also took action. Late last month, it suspended Russian football clubs from participating in its international competitions. At the same time, the national team is not allowed to qualify for the World Cup that will be held later this year.

The Russian soccer federation has appealed the measures at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which is yet to rule on the matter. Meanwhile, EUFA has turned its attention to another topic in the region.

Ukraine’s ‘Weak’ Copyright Laws

Many rightsholders see Ukraine as a problematic country when it comes to copyright enforcement; EUFA is no exception. A few weeks before the Russian invasion started, the football organization urged the US Trade Representative (USTR) to keep Ukraine on its annual piracy watchlist.

“Ukraine has very weak laws in relation to copyright protection, and in particular with respect to imposing obligations on internet hosts to limit the copyright infringement facilitated by their service,” UEFA wrote in January.

This recommendation doesn’t come as a surprise as various rightsholder groups have called out Ukraine over the years. However, while Ukrainian cities are still being bombed, UEFA took the opportunity to reiterate its stance; asking for help in its war against online piracy.

‘Ukraine Should Help Fight Piracy’

In a follow-up to UEFA’s initial letter, the USTR asked the football organization to clarify what it means by “weak laws” and how Ukraine can address this issue. On March 3, UEFA replied, providing some detailed pointers.

The football organization stresses that it’s crucial for them to have legal and practical tools to shut down pirated streams while an event is being broadcasted. For football matches, that’s typically 105 minutes.

“Therefore, unless pirated content can be stopped at an early stage of that 105 minute period of a football match, the damage is fully inflicted,” UEFA told the USTR.

“In view of the above, UEFA would like Ukraine to provide rightsholders with effective remedies that would enable us to effect the immediate real-time removal of illegal pirate content as soon as that content can be detected by our monitoring programmes,” the football organization added.

uefa ukraine

While it’s totally understandable that rightsholders have to protect their own interests, the timing of these comments is rather unfortunate. It should by crystal clear to everyone that Ukraine has other problems to deal with at the moment.

UEFA is not completely oblivious to this. The organization notes that its requests are subject to the war that’s completely destroying the country at the moment.

“[W]e are obviously aware of the current situation in Ukraine and so our foregoing requests are, of course, subject to what we hope will be a prompt resolution of the conflict and a return to a peaceful and stable Ukraine,” UEFA concludes.

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A copy of EUFA’s answers to the US Trade Representative, which includes the Ukraine comments, is available here (pdf).

From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.

TI-Bastelprojekte: Zelda auf dem Taschenrechner

Dass sich mit grafikfähigen Taschenrechnern nicht nur rechnen lässt, zeigen die Hacks von Texas-Instruments-Geräten. Auch ein Game-Boy-Emulator ist dabei. Von George Hilliard (DIY – Do it yourself, Texas Instruments)

Dass sich mit grafikfähigen Taschenrechnern nicht nur rechnen lässt, zeigen die Hacks von Texas-Instruments-Geräten. Auch ein Game-Boy-Emulator ist dabei. Von George Hilliard (DIY - Do it yourself, Texas Instruments)