Samsung is Helping Manufacture Nintendo Switch 2 Chips on 8nm Node – Rumour Nintendo is seemingly ramping up production of the Switch 2 by partnering with Samsung to fabricate more chips for the console. Posted By Joelle Daniels | On 21st, May. 2025 It should come as no surprise that the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 is one of the most hotly-anticipated events in gaming to happen this year. Nintendo has likely foreseen the incredible demand for the console, as a report now indicates that the company will be working with Samsung to manufacture more Switch 2 units. According to Bloomberg, Samsung will reportedly make chips for the Switch 2 using its 8-nanometer node. While neither company has confirmed this as of yet, according to the report, anonymous sources have indicated that with Samsung’s help in making more chips for the Switch 2, Nintendo will be able to stock 20 million units of the console by March 2026. The report also points out that, with this deal with Nintendo, Samsung will be able to better invest in its chip making divisions in order to compete with TSMC – the company that has been largely behind the fabrication of most major chips in the world – on a larger scale. Going by the report, chip manufacturing may not be where the partnership between Samsung and Nintendo ends. While the Korean company has also made memory modules for Nintendo, another source has said that Samsung is trying to convince Nintendo to go with OLED displays when it decides to release a refresh of the Switch 2 down the line. During a recent earnings report, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa stated that the forecast for Switch 2 unit sales was set at 15 million. During a Q&A session with investors, Furukawa also spoke about how the company might decide to raise the console’s price later on depending on how the situation with the US tariffs on imported goods plays out. The priority for now, however, will be to popularise the console. “At this time, the top priority is to quickly popularize the Switch 2 hardware,” said Furukawa. “If the assumptions regarding tariffs change significantly, we would like to consider what price adjustments we should make and implement them after considering various factors.” Furukawa also noted that the relatively conservative sales forecast for the Switch 2 happened because the company is aware that its higher price tag over its predecessor might end up being an obstacle to wider adoption during the console’s first year in the market. “Since the Switch 2 is priced higher than the original Switch, we recognize that there will be considerable hurdles in achieving the console’s widespread adoption in the early stages,” he said. When it comes to production runs causing stock shortages, however, Furukawa said that it was essentially a non-issue. “We’ve set projected sales for the Nintendo Switch 2 in the ongoing fiscal year at 15 million units,” he said. “This figure is based on a target comparable to sales of the original Nintendo Switch during the 10-month period from its launch in March 2017 to the end of December the same year.” The Nintendo Switch 2 will be coming out on June 5. Industry analysis firm DFC Intelligence has gone as far as to say that it might be the most important console launch ever. Tagged With: Elden Ring: Nightreign Publisher:Bandai Namco Developer:FromSoftware Platforms:PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4, Xbox One, PCView More Borderlands 4 Publisher:2K Developer:Gearbox Entertainment Platforms:PS5, Xbox Series X, PCView More Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Publisher:Sony Developer:Kojima Productions Platforms:PS5View More Amazing Articles You Might Want To Check Out! Samsung is Helping Manufacture Nintendo Switch 2 Chips on 8nm Node – Rumour Nintendo is seemingly ramping up production of the Switch 2 by partnering with Samsung to fabricate more chips... Metaphor: ReFantazio and The Division 2 are Coming to Game Pass in May Monster Train 2, Tales of Kenzera: Zau, to a T, Symphonia, and Spray Paint Simulator will also roll out in the... Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is Coming to PS5 This Summer Ninja Theory's action-adventure will support PS5 Pro and includes "exciting new features" that are also coming... RoadCraft is Out Now on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S RoadCraft, newest off-road driving game by Saber Interactive, is out now on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Simil... Read More The Witcher 4 – Geralt Voice Actor Says Fans Complaining About Ciri Should “Read the Damn Books” Voice actor Doug Cockle spoke about how the journey of Geralt was meant to end with The Witcher 3's Blood and ... Kojima Productions CTO Believes Efficiency of PS5 Allows For More Artistic Freedom Over PS4 According to Akio Sakamoto, along with the reduction of loading times, the new consoles have allowed artists t... View More

AMD has unveiled its 9060 XT GPU at Computex 2025. The midrange GPU will be the clear competitor to Nvidia’s 5060 Ti and goes toe-to-toe with it on almost every spec. Built on AMD’s 4-nanometer RDNA 4 silicon, the 9060 XT will pack 32 compute units, along with 64 dedicated AI accelerators and 32 ray-tracing cores. AMD Notably, the RX 9060 XT will ship in 8GB and 16GB GDDR6 versions, whereas Nvidia’s RTX 5060 Ti uses faster 28 Gb/s GDDR7, delivering roughly 40 percent more bandwidth (448 GB/s vs. approximately 322 GB/s) on the same 128-bit bus. We’ll have to wait for some side-by-side performance comparisons before drawing any strong conclusions from those specs. AMD has listed the 9060 XT’s boost clock at speeds up to 3.13 GHz. The GPU boasts 821 TOPS for AI workloads and will draw a modest 150 to 182 watts from the board. The card will connect via PCIe 5.0 x16 and supports the now-standard DisplayPort 2.1a and HDMI 2.1b. Based on these initial specs, the 9060 XT should be a solid entry for games running at 1080p and a decent option for those at 1440p. Those wishing to play at 4K should still opt for the Radeon RX 9070 or 9070 XT. Pricing and exact release timelines have not yet been announced.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/amd-unveils-radeon-rx-9060-xt-at-computex-2025-030021776.html?src=rss

Google’s family of “open” AI models, Gemma, is growing. During Google I/O 2025 on Tuesday, Google took the wraps off Gemma 3n, a model designed to run “smoothly” on phones, laptops, and tablets. Available in preview starting Tuesday, Gemma 3n can handle audio, text, images, and videos, according to Google. Models efficient enough to run offline and without the need for computing in the cloud have gained steam in the AI community in recent years. Not only are they cheaper to use than large models, but they preserve privacy by eliminating the need to transfer data to a remote data center. During a keynote at I/O, Gemma Product Manager Gus Martins said that Gemma 3n can run on devices with less than 2GB of RAM. “Gemma 3n shares the same architecture as Gemini Nano, and is and is engineered for incredible performance,” he added. In addition to Gemma 3n, Google is releasing MedGemma through its Health AI Developer Foundations program. According to the company, MedGemma is its most capable open model for analyzing health-related text and images. “MedGemma [is] our […] collection of open models for multimodal [health] text and image understanding,” Martins said. “MedGemma works great across a range of image and text applications, so that developers […] can adapt the models for their own health apps.” Also on the horizon is SignGemma, an open model to translate sign language into spoken-language text. Google says that SignGemma will enable developers to create new apps and integrations for deaf and hard-of-hearing users. Techcrunch event Join us at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot for our leading AI industry event with speakers from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Cohere. For a limited time, tickets are just $292 for an entire day of expert talks, workshops, and potent networking. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you’ve built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | June 5 REGISTER NOW “SignGemma is a new family of models trained to translate sign language to spoken-language text, but it’s best at American Sign Language and English,” Martins said. “It’s the most capable sign language understanding model ever, and we can’t wait for you — developers and deaf and hard-of-hearing communities — to take this foundation and build with it.” Worth noting is that Gemma has been criticized for its custom, non-standard licensing terms, which some developers say have made using the models commercially a risky proposition. That hasn’t dissuaded developers from downloading Gemma models tens of millions of times collectively, however. Updated 2:40 p.m. Pacific: Added several quotes from Gemma Product Manager Gus Martins. Topics

Sharks don’t have bones. Instead, their skeletons are made from mineralized cartilage that helps them constantly move through water. To understand the internal “sharkitecture” that helps keep these animals strong and graceful, researchers are putting sharks under the microscope. A new study, published in ACS Nano, found some surprising results. After analyzing shark cartilage, there appear to be two different regions within it. And each appears to have vastly different structures. These structures have shown a resistance to destruction and could inspire strong, flexible materials for the future. Analyzing a Shark Skeleton An X-ray nanotomography reconstruction of the intermedial cartilage of a blacktip shark. The colors indicate the thickness of the struts, with red representing thicker areas and blue indicating thinner ones. (Image Credit: Florida Atlantic University)Sharks are powerful and efficient creatures. Thanks to their skeletal frame, made of mineralized cartilage, their spines can act like a spring, which stores and releases energy as they move their tails, according to a press release. Wanting to better understand how this cartilage helps keep sharks atop the ocean’s food chain, researchers from the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science and the College of Engineering and Computer Science at Florida Atlantic University (FAU), in collaboration with the German Electron Synchrotron (DESY) in Germany, and NOAA Fisheries, have analyzed blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus) and mapped out their internal structure. The team used synchrotron X-ray nanotomography with detailed 3D imaging and in-situ mechanical testing to create the map. The results showed that on a nano level, the blacktip shark’s cartilage had two distinct regions, the corpus calcareum and the intermediale. Though both of these regions are made up of densely packed collagen and bioapatite, they have vastly different internal structures. Strong Microscopic Structures According to the study, in each region, the cartilage is porous and also has thick struts that help the skeleton with strain from multiple directions. This is a key adaptation as sharks are continuously moving and putting pressure on their spines.  Researchers also found microscopic needle-like bioapatite crystals, similar to those in human bones, that were lined up with strands of collagen. This is another factor that gives shark cartilage extra strength and flexibility. Along with that, the research team also noted helical fiber structures, also with collagen, which suggests the cartilage is designed to prevent any cracks from spreading, and help to distribute staring and force. “Nature builds remarkably strong materials by combining minerals with biological polymers, such as collagen – a process known as biomineralization. This strategy allows creatures like shrimp, crustaceans, and even humans to develop tough, resilient skeletons,” said Vivian Merk, senior study author and an assistant professor in the FAU Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, in a press release.“Sharks are a striking example. Their mineral-reinforced spines work like springs, flexing and storing energy as they swim. By learning how they build such tough yet adaptable skeletons, we hope to inspire the design of next-generation materials,” Merk added in the release. Shark Inspiration for MaterialsThe research team applied pressure to microscopic pieces of the shark’s vertebrae and found deformations, smaller than one micrometer. The team only noticed fractures in the vertebrae after a second round of pressure was applied. But even then, the fractures were only found within one mineralized plane, proving how strong the material was. “After hundreds of millions of years of evolution, we can now finally see how shark cartilage works at the nanoscale – and learn from them,” said Marianne Porter, study co-author and an associate professor in the FAU Department of Biological Sciences, in a press release. “We’re discovering how tiny mineral structures and collagen fibers come together to create a material that’s both strong and flexible, perfectly adapted for a shark’s powerful swimming. These insights could help us design better materials by following nature’s blueprint,” Porter added in the release.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:A graduate of UW-Whitewater, Monica Cull wrote for several organizations, including one that focused on bees and the natural world, before coming to Discover Magazine. Her current work also appears on her travel blog and Common State Magazine. Her love of science came from watching PBS shows as a kid with her mom and spending too much time binging Doctor Who.

New print jobs How 3D printing is personalizing health care Prosthetics are becoming increasing affordable and accessible thanks to 3D printers. Anne Schmitz and Daniel Freedman, The Conversation – May 20, 2025 5:43 pm | 20 German Chancellor Olaf Scholz shakes hands with the prosthetic hand of a worker of the German med-tech company Ottobock. Credit: JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP via Getty Images German Chancellor Olaf Scholz shakes hands with the prosthetic hand of a worker of the German med-tech company Ottobock. Credit: JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP via Getty Images Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only   Learn more Three-dimensional printing is transforming medical care, letting the health care field shift from mass-produced solutions to customized treatments tailored to each patient’s needs. For instance, researchers are developing 3D-printed prosthetic hands specifically designed for children, made with lightweight materials and adaptable control systems. These continuing advancements in 3D-printed prosthetics demonstrate their increasing affordability and accessibility. Success stories like this one in personalized prosthetics highlight the benefits of 3D printing, in which a model of an object produced with computer-aided design software is transferred to a 3D printer and constructed layer by layer. We are a biomedical engineer and a chemist who work with 3D printing. We study how this rapidly evolving technology provides new options not just for prosthetics but for implants, surgical planning, drug manufacturing, and other health care needs. The ability of 3D printing to make precisely shaped objects in a wide range of materials has led to, for example, custom replacement joints and custom-dosage, multidrug pills. Better body parts Three-dimensional printing in health care started in the 1980s with scientists using technologies such as stereolithography to create prototypes layer by layer. Stereolithography uses a computer-controlled laser beam to solidify a liquid material into specific 3D shapes. The medical field quickly saw the potential of this technology to create implants and prosthetics designed specifically for each patient. One of the first applications was creating tissue scaffolds, which are structures that support cell growth. Researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital combined these scaffolds with patients’ own cells to build replacement bladders. The patients remained healthy for years after receiving their implants, demonstrating that 3D-printed structures could become durable body parts. As technology progressed, the focus shifted to bioprinting, which uses living cells to create working anatomical structures. In 2013, Organovo created the world’s first 3D-bioprinted liver tissue, opening up exciting possibilities for creating organs and tissues for transplantation. But while significant advances have been made in bioprinting, creating full, functional organs such as livers for transplantation remains experimental. Current research focuses on developing smaller, simpler tissues and refining bioprinting techniques to improve cell viability and functionality. These efforts aim to bridge the gap between laboratory success and clinical application, with the ultimate goal of providing viable organ replacements for patients in need. Three-dimensional printing already has revolutionized the creation of prosthetics. It allows prosthetics makers to produce affordable custom-made devices that fit the patient perfectly. They can tailor prosthetic hands and limbs to each individual and easily replace them as a child grows. Three-dimensionally printed implants, such as hip replacements and spine implants, offer a more precise fit, which can improve how well they integrate with the body. Traditional implants often come only in standard shapes and sizes. Some patients have received custom titanium facial implants after accidents. Others had portions of their skulls replaced with 3D-printed implants. Additionally, 3D printing is making significant strides in dentistry. Companies such as Invisalign use 3D printing to create custom-fit aligners for teeth straightening, demonstrating the ability to personalize dental care. Scientists are also exploring new materials for 3D printing, such as self-healing bioglass that might replace damaged cartilage. Moreover, researchers are developing 4D printing, which creates objects that can change shape over time, potentially leading to medical devices that can adapt to the body’s needs. For example, researchers are working on 3D-printed stents that can respond to changes in blood flow. These stents are designed to expand or contract as needed, reducing the risk of blockage and improving long-term patient outcomes. Simulating surgeries Three-dimensionally printed anatomical models often help surgeons understand complex cases and improve surgical outcomes. These models, created from medical images such as X-rays and CT scans, allow surgeons to practice procedures before operating. For instance, a 3D-printed model of a child’s heart enables surgeons to simulate complex surgeries. This approach can lead to shorter operating times, fewer complications, and lower costs. Personalized pharmaceuticals In the pharmaceutical industry, drugmakers can three-dimensionally print personalized drug dosages and delivery systems. The ability to precisely layer each component of a drug means that they can make medicines with the exact dose needed for each patient. The 3D-printed anti-epileptic drug Spritam was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2015 to deliver very high dosages of its active ingredient. Drug production systems that use 3D printing are finding homes outside pharmaceutical factories. The drugs potentially can be made and delivered by community pharmacies. Hospitals are starting to use 3D printing to make medicine on-site, allowing for personalized treatment plans based on factors such as the patient’s age and health. However, it’s important to note that regulations for 3D-printed drugs are still being developed. One concern is that postprinting processing may affect the stability of drug ingredients. It’s also important to establish clear guidelines and decide where 3D printing should take place – whether in pharmacies, hospitals or even at home. Additionally, pharmacists will need rigorous training in these new systems. Printing for the future Despite the extraordinarily rapid progress overall in 3D printing for health care, major challenges and opportunities remain. Among them is the need to develop better ways to ensure the quality and safety of 3D-printed medical products. Affordability and accessibility also remain significant concerns. Long-term safety concerns regarding implant materials, such as potential biocompatibility issues and the release of nanoparticles, require rigorous testing and validation. While 3D printing has the potential to reduce manufacturing costs, the initial investment in equipment and materials can be a barrier for many health care providers and patients, especially in underserved communities. Furthermore, the lack of standardized workflows and trained personnel can limit the widespread adoption of 3D printing in clinical settings, hindering access for those who could benefit most. On the bright side, artificial intelligence techniques that can effectively leverage vast amounts of highly detailed medical data are likely to prove critical in developing improved 3D-printed medical products. Specifically, AI algorithms can analyze patient-specific data to optimize the design and fabrication of 3D-printed implants and prosthetics. For instance, implant makers can use AI-driven image analysis to create highly accurate 3D models from CT scans and MRIs that they can use to design customized implants. Furthermore, machine learning algorithms can predict the long-term performance and potential failure points of 3D-printed prosthetics, allowing prosthetics designers to optimize for improved durability and patient safety. Three-dimensional printing continues to break boundaries, including the boundary of the body itself. Researchers at the California Institute of Technology have developed a technique that uses ultrasound to turn a liquid injected into the body into a gel in 3D shapes. The method could be used one day for delivering drugs or replacing tissue. Overall, the field is moving quickly toward personalized treatment plans that are closely adapted to each patient’s unique needs and preferences, made possible by the precision and flexibility of 3D printing. Anne Schmitz, Associate Professor of Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Stout and Daniel Freedman, Dean of the College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Management, University of Wisconsin-Stout. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Anne Schmitz and Daniel Freedman, The Conversation The Conversation is an independent source of news and views, sourced from the academic and research community. Our team of editors work with these experts to share their knowledge with the wider public. Our aim is to allow for better understanding of current affairs and complex issues, and hopefully improve the quality of public discourse on them. 20 Comments

Macworld Throughout its history, Apple has introduced many industry-changing technologies, some of which are still present in today’s devices, like MagSafe on MacBooks. However, some of the technologies introduced by Apple have been discontinued over time for different reasons. While most of these decisions are understandable, some technologies were ahead of their time, and I really miss them today. Let’s look back at some of Apple’s best ideas that were discontinued but ahead of their time and deserve to come back. 3D Touch Although 3D Touch was first introduced with the original Apple Watch as “Force Touch,” Apple later added it to the iPhone. I remember seeing the iPhone 6s introduction video in 2015 with Jony Ive explaining how 3D Touch worked, and it sounded impressive. Indeed, it was. Essentially, Apple put pressure sensors under the iPhone’s screen so that it could distinguish a soft press from a hard press with extreme precision. 3D Touch could be used in many ways, such as pressing harder on an icon to reveal more options or gently pressing a link on a webpage to see a preview of it. Game developers could also adopt 3D Touch for custom controls. You can still perform the 3D Touch action on today’s iPhones, but the result is different.Filipe Esposito The technology blew my mind, and I loved how precise it was. Not only that, but 3D Touch worked very well with the iPhone’s haptic feedback. It was so satisfying. But in practice, only a few apps added support for 3D Touch, and it was a very complex and expensive technology to build. Apple ended up discontinuing 3D Touch, starting with the iPhone XR, and replaced some of the actions with a simple long press on the screen. I still dream of future iPhones having 3D Touch back. Luckily, the trackpads on MacBooks still have Force Touch, so that’s something. AirPort AirPort was Apple’s lineup of wireless routers. First introduced in 1999, AirPort devices always had a futuristic design and made it easy for users to plug in an internet cable and have a Wi-Fi connection at home. While the first version looked like a spaceship, one of the most interesting versions of the AirPort was the model that looked like a giant MacBook charger that had an ethernet port on it. There was also the sleek and modern AirPort Extreme, which was essentially a mini-tower made of polished white plastic. That thing was beautiful. The AirPort line once had a tower form factor (left) and a design that was like a MacBook power adapter (left).Apple Apple’s AirPorts gained many cool features over time. For example, you could plug a USB stick, printer, or external hard drive into it, and all your Apple devices would have wireless access to it. It could also turn wired sound systems into AirPlay speakers. AirPort also resulted in another product called Time Capsule, which had an internal hard drive to wirelessly back up your Mac. Apple stopped selling AirPorts in 2018, and while rumors suggest that Apple has no plans to introduce another Wi-Fi router anytime soon, the company has reportedly been exploring the idea of making Apple TVs and HomePods work as Wi-Fi signal extenders. I really hope that’s true. iPod A lot has changed since Apple introduced the first iPod in 2001. iPod wasn’t just a good product, it also made anyone using it look cool. I remember upgrading from a Discman to an iPod, and I felt like I was in the future. “A thousand songs in your pocket,” as Apple’s slogan went. The third-generation iPod nano. Filipe Esposito There have been many different versions of the iPod over the years, including the iPod touch, but the most iconic ones will always be the iPods with a Click Wheel. There was a unique and satisfying feeling in turning your finger on that wheel to navigate the interface. It was unlike anything else at the time. And although the product was once a hit, it ended up losing the battle to smartphones. Apple knew this, which is why the company has always promoted the iPhone as “the best iPod ever.” Suddenly, our phones could also work as great iPods, so having a dedicated music player no longer made sense for most people. Apple stopped selling the iPod shuffle and iPod nano in 2017, while the iPod touch remained in the lineup until 2022. The company said at the time that the iPod still lives on in its other products, and that’s true. Thanks to the iPod, we now have the iPhone, AirPods, and the HomePod. While some people are nostalgic about the iPod and want it back, I really believe that it served its purpose and that there are better alternatives now, like using an Apple Watch with AirPods if you want to listen to music without having your phone nearby. Cover Flow How could I forget Cover Flow? The cool iPod interface that lets users explore their music library by its art covers? Interestingly, Cover Flow was created by a third-party developer, and the idea was so good that Apple acquired it to implement it in iTunes. The feature was eventually added to the iPod, iPhone, and even Finder on the Mac to browse files with large previews. I remember using the original iPod touch for the first time, rotating the screen with the Music app open, and seeing the Cover Flow interface. That was probably the moment I fell in love with that product. Cover Flow on an iPod touch.Filipe Esposito Cover Flow went away with iOS 7, when Apple completely redesigned the iPhone’s operating system in favor of a flat-design interface with less skeuomorphism. But Apple should bring Cover Flow back. It would be a good feature to reintroduce with iOS 19, as the company is rumored to be changing the user interface all over again. Front Row Similar to Cover Flow, Front Row was an interface that Apple created to use the Mac as a multimedia center. The app made it easier to navigate between the user’s music, videos, and photos. The experience of using Front Row was really cool, especially when the Mac was connected to a big monitor or TV. With Front Row, it was easy to imagine what a multimedia device (like a DVD player) from Apple would look like. Apple never launched a DVD player, but it did announce the first Apple TV in 2007–it had the same interface as Front Row, but now in a standalone device. Front Row was later removed from the Mac, probably because Apple wants you to buy an Apple TV instead. Still, I miss Front Row, especially now with Apple Music and Apple TV+. Front Row provided an easy-to-use interface for using your Mac as an entertainment center.Apple iSight camera Pretty much every Apple device today has a built-in front-facing camera, but there was a time when that wasn’t a thing, and Apple had to create its own webcam for the Mac. Called iSight, Apple’s webcam had a beautiful design for its time (which still looks modern). It was definitely something you’d look at and think, “that’s an Apple product.” The iSight had decent specs for a 2003 webcam, with a three-element lens with autofocus and 480p resolution at 30fps. It also had built-in microphones with noise cancellation and a cool way to cover the lens for better privacy. We now have 1080p and even 4K webcams built into our devices, but there’s still a market for external webcams with larger sensors and better microphones for those who videoconference every day. Although this would be very niche, I would like to see Apple reintroduce iSight with a large 4K sensor for vloggers. Unfortunately, this seems quite unlikely to happen since Apple itself has released a feature that lets users turn their iPhone into a webcam for their Mac or Apple TV. The iSight webcam design would look great in today’s Apple lineup.Christopher Phin Back to the future Apple is known for not reviving things from the past very often, even when it’s something its users really love. Still, we can dream of some of these things coming back in the future–just look at MagSafe, which was removed from MacBooks and then added back years later. And even though some of these technologies may not seem relevant these days, they certainly contributed to improving the Apple ecosystem at the time.

There’s a common misconception that influencer marketing works best for brand awareness campaigns - but according to Ryan Silberman, CEO at Webfluential, it’s increasingly being used to drive performance. At Appfest 2022, Ryan explained how you can leverage influencer marketing to increase installs. Read the summary or watch the video below.The original ad recipeAccording to Ryan, creating engaging ads has historically been built on using two basic ingredients: context and personalization.Advertisers first use what they learn in different environments (context clues) to offer relevant information to consumers (personalized content). For example, let’s say a woman comes into a store soaked from the rain. When the store keeper offers her an umbrella, he’s using context clues (the woman soaked from the rain) to give her an item.Leveraging trust: Nano influencersHowever, even when you implement context and personalization into your ads, there’s a key ingredient still missing in the mix: trust. By incorporating trust into your ads, you can generate higher consumer confidence in your product - that’s because when we trust someone, we’re more likely to believe what they say.Consumers are more likely to trust people who feel accessible and relatable. For example, someone touring a new city likely trusts a local’s recommendation over a celebrity that’s getting paid to give those recommendations. Even though a celebrity is more well known and has a higher reach, a local would seem more credible. Another word for a person with a smaller reach, but a higher engagement rate? Introducing nano influencers.Nano influencers are influencers that have fewer than 3,000 followers. The graph below illustrates how leveraging nano influencers shows huge promise: the smaller someone’s audience size, the higher their engagement rate is.Improving performance at scaleEngagement rate is one thing, but can it translate to actual transactions like sales and installs?Looking to garner more sales, Elysium Health, an American health company that sells vitamins, partnered with nano influencers who were passionate about cycling, to drive traffic that resulted in sales. They used that content at scale by running ads on Facebook and Tiktok and managed to improve the CPA by 2x.Beyond sales, nano influencers can also improve sentiment towards your app. That’s because you’re creating an authentic narrative with your audience, while also showing your product in a positive light. In fact, Chef, a restaurant tycoon game, teamed up with nano influencers to create sponsored content that showed a 10x uplift in sentiment.Referrals with resultsIn addition to traditional social channels like Instagram and TikTok, here’s another way nano influencers can share your ads - dark social.Dark social includes more intimate channels like WhatsApp or email, in which nano influencers can simply copy and paste a link and share it directly with friends - producing extremely high conversion and engagement rates. In fact, Ryan says 84% of sharing is in dark social. So while it’s not tracked or spoken about, it’s a huge opportunity to leverage with nano influencers.Tips for influencers becoming a performance channelRyan gives us the 4 key pillars that make a successful influencer program.1. Technology platformHaving the right platform saves time and money for recruiting and contracting the right influencers. An added benefit is that it also manages your workflow.2. InventorySome people may think you need a lot of influencers on stand-by but according to Ryan, that’s actually not the case. What’s important is that your influencers are opt-in, meaning that they’ve linked their social channels, have agreed on contractual terms, and are fully ready to work - getting you a faster campaign turnaround.3. Strategy (on demand)You’ve got your technology and the right influencers, and now it’s time to decide what the influencers should do. Ryan’s suggestion? Bring your influencers into your world and ask them what the strategy should be, because they know their audience best.4. Execution + paidEven if you hit the other 3 pillars perfectly, Ryan says this is the most important pillar to ensure success. If you can’t execute at scale then it means nothing and organic isn't big enough. You need to integrate into ad networks and social platforms to scale up.Wrapping upIf there’s one thing to remember with influencer marketing, Ryan encourages you to remember these key points.Apply trust, context, and personalization to engage users Use low cost nano influencers as opposed to high cost celebrities or branded contentFigure out how to leverage dark social and use your ad networks through Paid Retention is built into the community - use this to your advantageWatch the recording here: https://youtu.be/-lN_RX4gj8c

Nintendo Switch 2 OLED Model is happening if Samsung gets its way GameCentral Published May 20, 2025 3:14pm Updated May 20, 2025 3:47pm How long till we get an OLED Model? (Nintendo) Nintendo has teamed up with Samsung to boost Switch 2 production but their long term hardware partner also wants to help them make an OLED Model. At £395.99, the Nintendo Switch 2 is considerably more expensive at launch than its predecessor, which started out at £279.99. That’s not unsurprising, given inflation and the more powerful innards, and, unlike game prices, has not been the subject of much consternation amongst fans. What has been though, is the fact that the new console is back to only having an LCD screen. It’s bigger than any previous Switch console but a lot of fans have got used to the superior quality of the OLED Model. However, using the same tech in the Switch 2 would’ve pushed it over the £400/$450 mark. Nintendo evidently doesn’t think that’s a good idea but following the signing of a new partnership with Samsung, for the first time the prospect of OLED Model for the Switch 2 has been brought up. Officially, the deal is for Samsung to make the main processor chips for the Switch 2, as part of Nintendo’s attempt to increase production. The console has already begun to run out of stock in Japan but while some companies would consider that a positive thing, Nintendo’s original plan was to have plenty of stock available from the start. According to a Bloomberg report, the new goal is for Nintendo to hit 20 million console sales by March 2026, which is higher than its initial projections of 15 million. It’s rumoured that Samsung is working on an 8 nanometre custom chip for the Switch 2, rather than using their more advanced 5 nanometre technology. This is apparently Nintendo’s idea, because it’s quicker and cheaper to manufacture. Korean company Samsung has worked with Nintendo before, especially in terms of providing NAND flash memory, but sees the deal for the Switch 2 as a chance to compete with Taiwanese firm TSMC. More Trending As a result, it’s suggested that Samsung is pushing for Nintendo to use OLED panels in a Switch 2 refresh in the future. This would presumably be the equivalent of the current OLED Model, which is more expensive than the other two. An OLED Model does seem inevitable at some point but, naturally, Nintendo has made no mention of it so far. The Switch 1 OLED Model was released in October 2021; the same wait would mean a Switch 2 OLED Model in January 2030. The implication is that Samsung is pushing for a release much earlier than that, but it’s still unlikely to be any quicker than the 30 months it took the Switch Lite to be launched, following the Switch 1’s initial release. Analyst predictions for the Switch 2 were already higher than Nintendo’s, with many expecting it will be the fastest selling console launch in history. One recent report has even suggested it will overtake the PlayStation 5 as the primary third party format. The Switch OLED Model is bound to have a Switch 2 equivalent (Nintendo) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. Arrow MORE: Games Inbox: What is Rockstar Games’ best game? GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy