Category: Tater News

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

AceMagic M5 Review: CPU Brawn, GPU Pawn

https://retrohandhelds.gg/acemagic-m5-review/

AceMagic M5 Review: A CPU Beast With a GPU Weakness — Great for Work, Not Play

AceMagic’s latest Mini PC, the M5, is a no-nonsense powerhouse built for raw CPU grunt — and it shows. Packing the Intel Core i9-14900HX (24 cores! 32 threads!) in a compact, upgrade-friendly chassis, it’s a dream for homelabbers, video editors, and server jockeys. But here’s the catch: Intel dials back the integrated GPU big time, making gaming and light graphics work surprisingly sluggish compared to AMD rivals.

### 🔧 The Good:

• Benchmarks don’t lie: Smashes older i9 models (and AMDs) in CPU tasks like encoding, compression, and multitasking.
• Expandability wins: Two RAM slots, dual M.2 bays, and a surprisingly easy teardown (just 4 screws + a lock switch — no duct tape required).
• Ideal for virtualization: Run Proxmox, spin up VMs, dedicate cores to home servers — this thing thrives on background hustle.

### 🎮 The Not-So-Good:

• GPU performance lags: Falls behind even older i9s in 3DMark and real-world gaming — not ideal if you want to dabble outside the command line.
• Fan noise spikes under load — not unbearable, but noticeable during heavy workloads.
• USB ports are stiff: One reviewer literally snapped a USB dongle trying to yank it out. Yikes.

### 💡 Bottom Line:

The M5 isn’t for gamers or portability seekers. But if you need maximum CPU juice in a tiny box, and don’t care about graphics, it’s a solid buy — especially at $689–$712. Just don’t expect to run Minecraft on it… unless you love low FPS and patience-testing.

[Check pricing & buy options](#)

📰 New article from TorrentFreak

Cloudflare Challenges Legality of Italy’s “Piracy Shield”, Appeals €14 Million Fine

https://torrentfreak.com/cloudflare-challenges-legality-of-italys-piracy-shield-appeals-e14-million-fine/

Cloudflare Slams Italy’s “Piracy Shield” as a Threat to the Open Internet — and Files Legal Appeal

Italy’s aggressive anti-piracy scheme, dubbed the “Piracy Shield,” has drawn fire from tech giant Cloudflare—not just for fines, but over what it calls a dangerous erosion of internet freedom.

Launched in 2024, the system promises rapid takedowns (within 30 minutes!) to curb live sports piracy, especially targeting Serie A broadcasts. But critics say it’s a blunt instrument that overblocks legitimate sites—including government portals, schools, and even Google Drive—raising concerns about collateral damage.

Cloudflare, whose public DNS resolver 1.1.1.1 refused to enforce the blocks, was hit with a €14.2 million fine (1% of global revenue) for non-compliance. The company argues this violates EU law: Italian fines for non-compliance should be capped at €140,000—based on local revenue—not 100x that amount.

Worse yet, Cloudflare alleges the system is a “black box”, developed by SP Tech—an arm of a law firm representing rights-holders like Serie A—and lacks transparency, oversight, or due process.

In a March 8 appeal filing, Cloudflare vows to keep fighting—not just the fine, but the legality of the whole scheme.

The stakes? Whether private interests can dictate internet infrastructure—and potentially compromise national security—without accountability. 🌐⚖️

📰 New article from RetroRGB

Neo Geo AES Replacement Shell

https://retrorgb.com/neo-geo-aes-replacement-shell.html

🔥 Retro Repair Renaissance!

Dennis van den Broek (a.k.a. Pointer Function) just dropped the full 3D-printable design for a Neo Geo AES replacement shell—yes, the entire casing. This isn’t just a quick fix; it’s the kind of meticulous, community-powered restoration work that makes retro hardware revival feel almost like a miracle.

💡 What’s included?

• Full shell model (ready for 3D printing)
• Previously released: cartridge door, power/reset buttons
• Memory card slot bracket (in progress—stay tuned!)

You can either grab the bracket and swap it in, or hold out for Dennis’ final piece. Either way, this opens the door to some seriously ambitious mods—like turning an MVS arcade board into a factory-perfect AES home console using the open-source AES 3.5 motherboard. Imagine: arcade-grade ROMs, crisp CRT output, and a pristine cabinet—all built from scratch (or near-scratch).

🎯 Bonus points if you find a print shop willing to do this at reasonable cost—this could be the holy grail for Neo Geo purists.

👀 Ready to see it in action? Check out Chrissy The Retro Scamp’s test print here—looks scarily authentic.

[Hat tip to RetroRGB for the heads-up!]

📰 New article from RetroRGB

Weekly Roundup #505

https://retrorgb.com/week505.html

RetroRGB Weekly Roundup #505: SNES Mods, Sonic Shells & the Ultimate C64 Deep Dive 🎮

This week on RetroRGB, Bob takes you behind the scenes (and inside the chips) of classic gaming tech—with a side of playful enthusiasm that only a true retro enthusiast can deliver.

We kick off with SNES digital audio mods from The Retro Channels, then jump into FPGA goodness: Lu’s latest MiSTer updates cover everything from Mat Mania to the Atari Jaguar, while an open-source NES PPU replacement promising RGB output makes hardware tinkerers salivate.

Sonic fans get a nostalgic treat with 35th-anniversary Dreamcast shells, and Ken dives deep (pun intended) into the Commodore 64 Ultimate—a modded powerhouse that redefines “retro, but better.” Meanwhile, retro modders will love Mcbazel’s GBS-C control mod and a clever downscaler project from Barco/Folsom Research, perfect for modernizing old CRT setups.

Oh—and yes, there’s also a dual-analog Dreamcast controller, the Flame Thrower (watch it here 🔥), and Bob’s usual heartfelt plea for support. Because let’s face it: retro preservation doesn’t happen on its own.

🎧 Want more? Find the video and podcast across all major platforms—or support the channel directly.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Nintendo Switch Update 22.0.0 Adds Enhanced Portable Mode, QOL, and More!

https://retrohandhelds.gg/nintendo-switch-update-22-0-0-adds-enhanced-portable-mode-qol-and-more/

Nintendo Switch Update 22.0.0 Brings Handheld Mode Boost—A Game-Changer for Switch 1 Games!

In a surprise March 2026 update, Nintendo dropped system version 22.0.0, packed with quality-of-life upgrades—and most excitingly, Handheld Mode Boost. This long-awaited feature lets compatible Nintendo Switch (original model) games run at up to 1080p in handheld mode, essentially giving them a docked-mode performance boost. Yes, seriously.

### 🔋 How It Works

Found under System > Nintendo Switch Software Handling, the toggle forces compatible titles to run like they’re docked—smoother framerates, sharper resolution. Think Xenoblade Chronicles 2, The Witcher 3, Octopath Traveler, and others that were stuck at 540p in handheld mode before. The catch? Battery life takes a hit, as expected—but for portable gaming purists, this is a huge win.

### 🎮 Bonus Improvements

• GameChat upgrades: Invite friends, better video quality, and voice-to-text translation in more languages (including Russian!).
• Airplane Mode finesse: Now lets you toggle Bluetooth/Wi-Fi/NFC individually while in Airplane Mode.
• Text-to-Speech expands: Reads album notes and setup prompts—great for accessibility.
• Friend notes & storage breakdowns: Finally, some organization tools!

With the Switch 2 on the horizon, this update feels like Nintendo’s way of squeezing every last drop out of the original library. What game are you hoping to see boosted? 🚀

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Retroid Announces Pocket G2 Discontinuation, Higher Pocket Classic Prices

https://retrohandhelds.gg/retroid-announces-pocket-g2-discontinuation-higher-pocket-classic-prices/

Retroid Throws a Curveball: Pocket G2 Discontinued, Classic Gets Pricier 🎮💥

Just when handheld gamers thought they had a moment to catch their breath, Retroid dropped a double whammy: the Pocket G2 is “temporarily discontinued,” and the Pocket Classic just got $20 heavier in price—now $149 for the 6GB/128GB model.

Why? Let’s break it down:

• The Pocket G2, launched last year with the niche Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 chip (a beefed-up 7+ Gen 3), never quite carved out a clear spot in Retroid’s lineup—sandwiched between the Pocket 5 and 6, with near-identical design and display.
• Meanwhile, the Classic—a budget-friendly favorite—is now more expensive, with only two color variants left in stock (Classic 6 and Classic 6 SG), pushing third-party buyers to pay extra elsewhere.

The silver lining? The Pocket 5 survives the chop and remains at $199, while the Pocket 6 continues shipping after its second pre-order batch. And yes—Discord is definitely buzzing about it.

In short: Retroid’s reshuffling the deck, and players are left wondering if this is a pivot… or a pause. 🔄

📰 New article from RetroRGB

Barco Folsom Research ImagePro for Downscaling to 240p

https://retrorgb.com/barco-folsom-research-imagepro-for-downscaling-to-240p.html

Barco ImagePRO: The Quiet(ish) 240p Hero (With Caveats)

Found in dusty server racks and resurrected by CRT-loving tinkerers, the Barco Folsom Research ImagePRO is a beast of a scaler—packed with analog I/O (RGB, component, S-Video, composite), rugged metal casing, and—drumroll—a hidden superpower: true 240p output.

Discovered by shmups legend KTown, this feature isn’t plug-and-play. You need the latest firmware (flashed via RS232), precise vertical timing tweaks (V Position 9, V Active 242), and patience. But once set, it delivers buttery-smooth downscaling from 480p/1080i/1080p sources to crisp 240p RGB—ideal for Dreamcast, arcade boards, or retro consoles.

But hey, it’s not all rainbows and RGBHV:

• 🌀 Fans? Oh yes. Three 12V fans run loud in ambient setups—swap them with Noctuas for near-silent operation (one-screw fit, but works).
• 🔁 Custom timings vanish when switching to 480i—reconfigure every time. Annoying, but fixable in ~60 seconds.
• 🎮 Latency ranges from 20–37ms, depending on Genlock mode. “Freerun” avoids tearing but adds lag; “Input Video” keeps sync tight at ~1 frame—but only if input matches 59.94Hz.

Still… for CRT purists chasing that elusive progressive 15kHz signal without a $2k Extron? The ImagePRO’s blend of flexibility, robust scaling, and analog I/O makes it a compelling—albeit grumpy—ally.

TL;DR: A niche, loud, finicky—but surprisingly capable—240p workhorse for the committed.

📰 New article from TorrentFreak

Court Dismisses Musi’s Apple Lawsuit, Sanctions Law Firm for “Baseless” Claims

https://torrentfreak.com/court-dismisses-musis-apple-lawsuit-sanctions-law-firm-for-baseless-claims/

Musi’s Apple Lawsuit Crumbles — and Its Lawyers Get Slapped with Sanctions

Remember Musi? The once-popular music streaming app that vanished from the App Store in September 2024 amid fierce pressure from major music industry players? Yeah, it tried to sue Apple to get back in — and lost hard.

Musi claimed Apple acted in bad faith, colluding with Sony, IFPI, and YouTube to remove the app without proper review. But U.S. District Judge Eumi K. Lee shut that down, ruling the Apple Developer Agreement gives Apple absolute discretion to remove apps — “with or without cause.” No implied covenant of good faith could save Musi here.

Even after two months of discovery and access to over 3,000 documents? Still no dice.

But the real zinger came in sanctions: The court fined Musi’s law firm, Winston & Strawn, after the appmaker falsely claimed Apple had admitted to using fake evidence — an “admission” that didn’t exist anywhere in the record. As the judge dryly noted:

> “Claiming that Apple admitted to knowingly relying on false evidence conveys damning proof… but it did not.”

And if that weren’t enough, Apple had previously accused Musi of faking a Universal Music Group email to get reinstated — using a non-UMG email address and even submitting fake copyright claims against another app.

Musi can appeal, but for now? The song is over — and the App Store stays closed. 🎵🚫

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

These Are the Best AliExpress Anniversary Sale Deals on Gaming Handhelds and Mini PCs

https://retrohandhelds.gg/these-are-the-best-aliexpress-anniversary-sale-deals-on-gaming-handhelds-and-mini-pcs/

AliExpress Anniversary Sale Delivers Jaw-Dropping Deals on Retro Handhelds, Android Gigs & Mini PCs

If you’ve been waiting for the perfect moment to upgrade your portable gaming setup, AliExpress’s Anniversary Sale is basically a gift from the emulation gods. With deep discounts—and stackable promo codes up to $90 off—this is one sale even your wallet will high-five you for.

Retro handhelds are having a moment, and prices are softer than ever. Think Anbernic’s RG35XXH for $44.70, Miyoo’s Mini Flip at $45.60, or the ultra-compact R36S for just $26.71—all with_CODES like `ASRHH7` or `5USAFF`. Perfect for snatching up a nostalgic pocket sized blast from the past.

Android-based powerhouses like the Retroid Pocket 6 (`$213.90`), AYN’s Thor Pro (`$375.11`), and Anbernic’s RG477M (`$211.62`) are also getting major cuts—some with specs that rival full-on handheld PCs.

And let’s not sleep on the mini PC section, where deals on GMKtec, Minisforum, and AceMagic machines drop hard (think UM790 Pro at $452.15). With RAM and storage prices still high, these savings feel almost illegal.

💥 Pro tip: Stack brand-specific codes (like `USAS90`) with AliExpress-wide ones (`RHMARCH25`, etc.) where allowed—and watch those cart totals hit discount thresholds fast.

🚨 Codes may expire or sell out—grab ’em while hot!

Check full details at Retro Handhelds

📰 New article from RetroRGB

Brazil is updating the Sega Dreamcast controller with Dream Color +

https://retrorgb.com/brazil-is-updating-the-sega-dreamcast-controller-with-dream-color.html

Brazilian Fan’s Dream Color+ Brings Color & Modern Flair to the Dreamcast VMU

What happens when a passionate Sega fan in Brazil decides to modernize one of the most iconic (and underappreciated) accessories of the Dreamcast—the Visual Memory Unit (VMU)? Enter the Dream Color+, a clever PCB upgrade that slots into your VMU port and adds color animation, SD card storage, and even homebrew app support. Yes, your VMU can now do more than flash a sad little black-and-white icon when you pick up a life in Sonic Adventure.

Right now, the Dream Color+ works with 22 games—including fan favorites like Sonic Adventure 2, Crazy Taxi, and GTA III—but developer Ângelo Pontes promises more titles are coming. And if that weren’t cool enough, there’s also a full controller option with dual analog sticks (handy for Android/Windows compatibility), making it nearly playable on modern platforms.

The crowdfunding campaign is live on a Brazilian site (yes, still only 7% funded on day one), but it ships worldwide—starting at ~$115 for just the PCB, up to ~$172 for a full controller. With two months left, it’s not too late to jump in if you’ve been dreaming of a VMU Renaissance. 🎮✨