Intel has revealed ambitious plans to stake a major claim in the data centre chip landscape going forward.
The chipmaker has revealed its multiyear Xeon roadmap for the next few years, which includes the forthcoming Sapphire Rapids, built on Intel's 7 process, coming in Q1 2022, which it says will boost AI performance by 30x.
This will be followed by Emerald Rapids, also built on Intel 7, in 2023, and Sierra Forest built on Intel 3, in 2024, with the company also planning to move its Granite Rapids offering from Intel 4 to Intel 3 on the same timeframe.
Moore's Law redux
The various Rapids versions are aimed fairly and squarely at the top of the CPU market, with performance leaps across AI and ML workloads especially.
Sapphire Rapids, especially, is focused on data centres, one of the most important areas of computing right now, as everything switches to being in the cloud.
According to Intel, Sapphire Rapids offers better performance across a multitude of workloads useful to data centres and next month Intel will begin shipping the processor class.
The timeframe for the others – Emerald Rapids, Sierra Forest, and Granite Rapids – are more glacial, which is likely a factor in just how long next-generation technology takes to develop.
Unfortunately for Intel, however, the competition is moving at pace and the company risks being left behind, especially as Amazon begins to explore developing their own silicon for data centres. It's not all bad news: Intel is working with Google on chips for Google Cloud.
"Today we're giving the world a clear view of our industry-leading Xeon roadmap, which will fuel our growth and leadership through 2024 and beyond,” said Intel's Sandra Rivera. “This diversified product portfolio has been developed in tight partnership with our customers, based on their diverse needs, aligned to their timelines and designed to fuel even more innovations with their developer ecosystems.”
All in all, Intel hopes this is a compelling plan to turnaround the company's sagging fortunes and dominate the growing data centre markets.
Intel has been in a bit of a lull over the past few years. Once the dominant player in computing chips, others have overtaken it: AMD, TSMC, Nvidia, Arm, Apple, the list goes on. Everyone seems to be expanding into making and designing their own chips, many of which are better than Intel's.
The Umbrella Academy season 3: everything we know so far
The wait is over, Brellies: The Umbrella Academy season 3 has finally received a release date. The superhero-drama show will return to our screens on June 22, 2022 and, truth be told, we cannot wait for its arrival.
By the time The Umbrella Academy season 3 lands on the streamer, it'll be nearly two years since the hit Netflix show 's last instalment aired. Of course, that's down to a pandemic-induced delay to its production, so we were only too happy to wait for the third season to arrive. Now that we know it's coming in just a few months time, though, we can't contain our excitement – and we're sure you can't either.
Season 3's launch date isn't the only thing that's been revealed, though. Netflix has also treated us to an official plot synopsis for The Umbrella Academy season 3, which teases another daunting villain that the Hargreeves family will have to face. They won't be tackling this adversary alone, however, as it sounds like the Sparrows will give them a helping hand. That is, once the two superhero groups are done fighting each other.
Below, you'll find out even more information about The Umbrella Academy season 3., including the titles of its episodes, returning and new cast members (one of whom has undergone a character change), brief teaser trailers, other plot points (including TechRadar-exclusive quotes from star Robert Sheehan), and more. Spoilers follow for The Umbrella Academy's first two seasons, as well as the graphic novel series.
The Umbrella Academy season 3 release date: June 22, 2022
The Umbrella Academy season 3 will launch exclusively on Netflix on June 22, 2022 . Curiously, that's a Wednesday, which means Netflix will forego its traditional Friday release day for the show's next instalment.
Announced during SXSW 2022, the launch date unveiling was accompanied by a brief teaser, which suggests that the Umbrella and Sparrow academies will fight it out during the season 3 premiere. Place your bets on who'll win out (though we suspect it'll be the Sparrows. Sorry, Brellies):
On the surface, it seems odd that Netflix is releasing The Umbrella Academy season 3 on a Wednesday. As we mentioned, the streaming giant usually releases new content on Fridays, so what's the reason for the midweek change?
It's most likely down to Stranger Things season 4 part 2. Netflix's wildly popular series is being released in two parts this year, with the first batch of episodes landing on May 27. Meanwhile, the second half of its episodes will arrive on July 1 – just nine days before The Umbrella Academy's return.
It seems, then, that Netflix doesn't want two of its heavy hitters to compete for viewers' attention. Which would be fine, other than the fact that there's only a nine-day gap between The Umbrella Academy's third season and Stranger Things season 4 part 2.
Still, we're glad that The Umbrella Academy is returning soon. It's high time we were reunited with the Hargreeves family, and we'll take getting it on June 22 if it would've meant not getting it until later in the year instead.
The Umbrella Academy season 3 trailer: is there one?
Not unless you consider the 15-second teaser above to be a proper trailer. With the show's launch date revealed, though, it shouldn't be too long before one is released. We'll keep you posted on that front.
The Umbrella Academy season 3 plot: what can we expect?
Here's the official plot synopsis, courtesy of Netflix's Tudum website : "The last time we saw the Umbrella Academy, they had just stopped 1963’s doomsday. Convinced they prevented the initial apocalypse and fixed this timeline for good, they return home to the present day. However, the celebration is short-lived when the crew realizes things aren’t exactly (okay, not at all) how they left them.
"Enter the Sparrow Academy. About as warm as a sea of icebergs, the Sparrows immediately clash with the Umbrellas in a violent face-off that turns out to be the least of everyone’s concerns. Navigating challenges, losses and surprises of their own — and dealing with an unidentified destructive entity wreaking havoc in the universe — the Umbrellas need to convince Dad’s new family to help them put right what their arrival made wrong.
"Will they find a way back to their pre-apocalyptic lives in the upcoming season? Or is this new world about to reveal more than just a hiccup in the timeline?"
So yes, a world-ending apocalypse is the order of the day again. It sounds like the Umbrella and Sparrow academies will initially clash with each other, which isn't surprising to hear. The groups will be vying for their fathers' attention (and affection) throughout, but we can expect them to put their differences aside and team up to save the world as the season progresses.
Woah, back up a moment – who exactly are The Sparrow Academy? They were introduced in the final pages of The Umbrella Academy's most recent graphic novel volume – i Hotel Oblivion. They aren't an original, exclusively-developed superhero group for the show, but it'll be great to see them make their live-action debut nonetheless.
We'll dive into how The Sparrow Academy could factor into season 3 in another section but, for now, let's briefly recap season 2's ending.
Having spent the first season in their native 2019 before time traveling to the 1960s in season 2, the Hargreeves family now find themselves in a parallel dimension. Surprisingly, Sir Reginald Hargreeves – the surrogate dad whose death begrudgingly brought the siblings back together in season 1 – is alive. Well, in this reality, at least, and it doesn’t take long for his famously cold style of parenting to re-emerge, as he reveals that the familiar-looking house “isn’t your home”. It is, in fact, the headquarters of The Sparrow Academy.
Normally, The Sparrow Academy's floating cube would grab Luther and company's attention (more on this in a bit). However, to the group's surprise, Ben Hargreeves – the family's deceased brother who gave his life (again) to save Diego, Allison, Klaus, and Vanya in season 2 – is revealed to be The Sparrows' vice-captain.
It isn't the lovable Ben that fans are used to either; rather an impertinent narcissist who only looks out for himself. Justin H. Min, who portrays Ben, has revealed that he didn't expect to return after season 2. Given that Ben isn't part of the Sparrows in the comics, it was an equally surprising turn of events for Min and viewers:
We could get some flashbacks to when The Umbrella Academy's members were children in season 3, too. Ethan Hwang, who has portrayed a young Ben Hargreeves in the past two seasons, posted an Instagram photograph that showed him reuniting with Min, which implies he's returned in some capacity for the show's next instalment:
Sure, the duo could just be hanging out but, in our opinion, it's too much of a coincidence that they met up while season 3 was being filmed. If young Ben is returning, it presents us with two possible explanations.
The first is that we're getting flashbacks to Ben's childhood as an Umbrella Academy member, either on an individual basis or as part of the group. Could we find out how he died? It's something that would answer some longstanding questions we have about the fan favorite.
If that isn't the case, we could see a young Ben as part of the Sparrow Academy. This would allow us to see how the Sparrows' version of Ben grew up and why he's the antithesis of the Ben we knew from seasons 1 and 2.
As for what the Hotel Oblivion is, we'll be checking into it sometime in season 3. For the uninitiated, this is a hotel-style space prison where the galaxy's worst supervillains have been incarcerated (in the comics) by The Umbrella Academy and other superheroes. Given the "unidentified destructive entity" line in the synopsis, we can expect a daunting foe to behind the show's next apocalyptic-style event. We dig into this in more detail later, so jump ahead to our 'questions to answer' section if you want to find out who the season 3 villain could be.
Meanwhile, Emmy Raver-Lampman, who plays Allison, recently told Collider that The Umbrella Academy TV show is stepping away from its source material and forging its own narrative path.
"We're running adjacent to the graphic novels," she said. "But I don't think Steve is beholden at all to the graphic novels, by needing it to be something that's verbatim, it needing to reflect exactly what's happening in the graphic novels and what's happening on screen.
"But I do know that Gerard and Steve are in constant communication. So, I don't doubt that they both know what the other has ideas in what the other is thinking. I think there will always be a connection there, but the further we get into The Umbrella Academy, the TV show, I think it's finding its own way. It's finding its own route, which is exciting. I feel like we start every season and I never really have any idea where it's going... This third season, we're really, really doing our own thing, and I think the show has found some really cool plots to follow and explore."
Finally, TechRadar chanced its hand and asked Robert Sheehan, who plays the fan favorite Klaus, about what he could say about season 3. Speaking exclusively to us as part of his latest Netflix project The Last Bus, Sheehan said: "Netflix have a little red light trained between my eyes as I talk, and if I told you what Klaus is up to in season 3 they’re authorised to go ahead and take the shot... [but there'll be] more Hargreaves’ family dysfunction on an apocalyptic scale.”
The Umbrella Academy season 3 episode titles: what are they?
The titles for each of season 3's episodes were revealed by showrunner Steve Blackman during Day 2 of Netflix Geeked Week in June:
Fans of the comics (ourselves included) know what some of those titles are referencing. As for us, we took a deep dive into the comics to see what they could tease about season 3's titles, and you can read that article here .
The Umbrella Academy season 3 cast: who is returning?
The series' eight main cast members will be back for season 3:
The biggest news concerning the show's returning cast is that Elliot Page will no longer be playing Vanya Hargreeves, who fans will recognize from seasons 1 and 2. Instead, Page will now portray a revised iteration of the character called Viktor.
The move comes after Page came out as transgender in December 2020. And, per IGN , Page's character will similarly come out as transgender in season 3. Given the inclusivity that Netflix, The Umbrella Academy's cast and crew, and the show promotes, it's a welcome and heart warming move to see that Page will portray a male character moving forward.
Colm Feore (Sir Reginald Hargreeves) should be back as the surrogate father of both superhero groups. Adam Godley (Pogo the chimpanzee) and Jordan Claire Robbins (Grace Hargreeves/Mom) may also return as alternate-dimension forms of their Umbrella Academy counterparts but, again, we're yet to see an announcement on their returns.
Ritu Arya will be back as Lila Pitts, too. The Humans and Last Christmas actress, who first appeared in season 2, confirmed that she's back via her Instagram story on season 3's filming end date. And, judging by new Umbrella Academy season 3 posters (which you can see below), she'll be joining forces with her former adversaries this time around.
Meanwhile, Euphoria star Javon Walton's hiring has been confirmed by Netflix. The young actor had suggested he'd be part of season 3's cast in a chat with Complex , but the streaming giant has since confirmed he'll feature in the show.
Could he be part of The Sparrow Academy's line-up? The smart money says yes, which leads us nicely onto...
The Umbrella Academy season 3: who has been cast as The Sparrow Academy?
Spoilers for The Umbrella Academy comic book volume 3: Hotel Oblivion.
Hotel Oblivion's ending only gives us one real name and one moniker, with the latter being the group's leader aka Number One. In the comics, the only other Sparrow Academy name we learn about is Carla, who takes Vanya to meet the group before they rescue The Umbrella Academy from being defeated by numerous supervillains.
Unfortunately, it doesn't look like Carla will feature in season 3 – unless her reveal is being held back – as Netflix has already confirmed The Sparrow Academy's cast and their names. Here is who you can expect to see in each role:
According to Netflix (as reported by IGN ), The Sparrow Academy members will differ from some from their Umbrella Academy counterparts.
Marcus is said to be a born leader who is "as smart as he is strong", while Ben is a "Machiavellian tactician" who is focused on usurping Marcus as leader. Fei is a misanthrope who, despite her tough exterior, longs for friends, and Alphonso is a pizza-loving, beer-swilling humorous individual who bears physical and mental scars from years of fighting crime.
Sloane is a "romantic" who "feels a higher cosmic being" calling to her, while Jayme is a lone-wolf who enjoys giving out "fear-inducing snarls" at anyone she deems below her. We'll also be getting Christopher/Number Seven, who is the group's existential dread-inducing psykronium cube, but there's no word yet on who will be voicing this team member.
Blackman recently posted a video of one of the Sparrows in action, too. In footage that appears to show David's Jayme flying into, and then levitating in, the air using a harness and some well placed blue screen technology. Does it give us an indication of her powers? Here's hoping.
And, on January 1, 2022, Netflix released character posters for each Sparrow Academy member. That includes Christopher the telekinetic cube, though there's no word on who is voicing this object yet. Could it be Euphoria's Javon Walton? We'll have to wait and see:
It seems that some Sparrows have been injured or scarred throughout their various crimefighting escapades, too, judging by Fei and Alphonso's posters. That may speak to how the Sparrows are more powerful, vicious or dedicated to keeping the world safe, which showrunner Steve Blackman alludes to with a "be very afraid" tagline in his own Instagram post containing the character posters.
Based on some new one sheets that dropped in mid-February, it seems like they will be more dangerous than The Umbrella Academy:
In her interview with Collider, Raver-Lampman teased how the two superhero groups would react to another stepping onto their turf. "It feels like there's some epic rivalry that's about to happen," she said. "And I think The Umbrella Academy, they've never truly been matched before. They struggle and they have their moments, but that's all exciting, and you never know if they're going to rise to the top. But then they always do, and I don't know that they've ever been matched in this kind of way where they're staring at a different version of themselves. So, that is really, really exciting. I'm excited for everybody to see what happens there."
The Umbrella Academy season 3: what questions need answering?
Spoilers for The Umbrella Academy comic books, as well as seasons 1 and 2.
The Umbrella Academy has built up an intriguingly complex mythology, and that means there are plenty of questions that viewers need answering.
Fans of the TV series still don't know why 43 children were unexpectedly born on October 1, 1989, to mothers who weren’t pregnant when the day began. Or even what happened to most of those kids. Way and Bá's comics reveal how this came to be in the opening pages of volume one – Apocalypse Suite – but, in case this revelation comes to light in the show, we won't divulge it just yet.
In the comics, 13 of that number are known as The Umbrella and Sparrow Academy members. However, the show also introduced Lila as a potential 14th who we haven't seen in the graphic novels yet.
That means that there are still 29 or 30 – depending on the medium of your choice – who are yet to be revealed. The problem now, of course, is that the TV series could move ahead of the comics (like Game of Thrones did) and unveil those individuals, or plot points that may come to the comics in the future. Either way, we might see more superheroes (or supervillains) emerge as part of season 3.
Then there’s questions over season 2's other big reveal. Since he removed his human mask, we now know that Sir Reginald Hargreeves is an alien. Again, the comics reveal his true identity in Apocalypse Suite's first few pages, and this one we can spoil due to the finale's revelation.
In the comics, Sir Reginald is a world-renowned scientist, entrepreneur, inventor, and Olympic gold medalist. Oh, and a space alien. His true form hasn't been revealed in the graphic novels yet, but it's nailed on that the TV series will show that at this point.
Harlan, Missy's kid who is shown to have telekinetic powers at the end of season 2, is also a major mystery. If – and it's a big if – he has an alternate version in The Sparrow Academy's universe, he could end up being a friend or foe to them and The Umbrella Academy. But we don't expect him to appear in the show's third season.
There's also the fact that we don't know who the villain is. With The Commission under new, friendlier leadership following The Handler's supposed death in season 2, they shouldn't be the primary antagonists again. The season 3 plot synopsis teases a powerful villain is on the way, but there's no word on who it'll be.
How about, then, if season 3 starts introducing the comics' supervillains into its TV adaptation? It's possible that The Sparrow Academy are dealing with a threat far bigger than any that The Umbrella Academy has – you know, discounting two apocalypses – which means the Sparrows would need the latter's help.
What could that threat be? Well, any number of the superpowered bad guys in the comics. Doctor Terminal, The Perseus Corporation or even a fellow superhero like The Scientific Man would be major adversaries for the teams. Something of that ilk that would require them to eventually set their differences aside and team up would make for a pleasing season 3 plot line. Either way, we don't have much longer to find out.
Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX is a solar cell-clad EV with huge range and a 47.5-inch 8K display
The covers have been taken off the Mercedes Vision EQXX at CES 2022 , a new concept (or "road-legal research prototype" as it's referred to in official comms) that shows us how Mercedes imagines the future of electric cars.
And it's the range of Mercedes' new concept EV that is the real headline-grabbing stat, with the German manufacturer claiming the Vision EQXX can travel over 1,000km (over 620 miles) on a single charge - a market leading figure.
To give you an idea of the distance you could theoretically drive on a single charge of the EQXX, the range is equivalent to a trip from Berlin to Paris, from New York City to Cincinnati, Ohio, or from Beijing to Nanjing.
Update: we've updated this article to include more information about the Vision EQXX, including more details on its battery, that massive 47.5-inch display and exclusive details on its top speed and 0-100km/h specs .
Mercedes claims, based on average distances driven per year, Vision EQXX drivers in the US and China would - on average - only have to recharge twice a month, while European drivers would typically only have to recharge once a month.
What's more, the firm says it has squeezed the energy of its flagship Mercedes-Benz EQS into the dimensions of a compact car, with this technological breakthrough aided by the firm's Formula 1 know-how.
A concept close to conception
As this is a concept, the EV won't actually go on sale, but Mercedes says it's very close to a production car, with a number of technologies featured here set to make their way into an electric car from the brand in 2024 or 2025.
During an exclusive press briefing with Daimler AG's Chief Technology Officer for the Vision EQXX, Markus Schafer said a "number of elements of the car are close to moving into [a] production [vehicle]. We're very close to a serious car we'll see in 2024."
That includes its new battery technology with offers up the car's massive range, as well as the upgraded MBUX operating system splashed across the mammoth display inside the car.
Electric efficiency
Mercedes is keen to make its electric cars as efficient as possible, as Schafer explains. "We think range matters for our customers, and efficiency matters. This program is all about efficiency and reducing electrical consumption.
"We want to have the lowest possible consumption", and the Vision EQXX certainly showcases that desire.
Battery chemists at Mercedes have managed to produce a battery with a capacity of 100kW in a package that is 50% smaller and 30% lighter than the comparable battery in the EQS.
"Ultra high efficiency will be our goal, as will increased range, at least for a period of time where we have to deal with a challenging charging network for quite some time."
What this means is EV development is moving rapidly, and smaller electric vehicles now have the opportunity to benefit from increased range - something that has mainly been reserved for larger vehicles, until now.
Another aspect that helps the Vision EQXX gain so much range is its aerodynamics. The EQS holds the world record as the first production car in the world with a Cd value of 0.20 (beating out the Lucid Air with its 0.21 score), but the EQXX bests that value, with a drag coefficient rating of Cd 0.17.
There's even a 'lightweight F1 subframe' at play here, which Mercedes says "brings racing efficiency to the road."
We hoped this would translate to some pretty impressive acceleration and top speed stats, but that's not the case. In fact, the Vision EQXX top speed is just 140km/h (around 87mph), which Mercedes exclusively revealed to TechRadar - that's the kind of top speed you'd expect from a budget family car, rather than an ultra-premium Mercedes.
However, this concept wasn't built with speed in mind, it's all about efficiency and range, and it's certainly achieved in those areas.
For those who are curious, Mercedes says that the Vision EQX can do 0-100km/h (0-62mph) in 7 seconds - again, hardly blistering, but that's really not the point here.
The Vision EQXX also features a retractable rear diffuser that folds down and out under the rear end of the car at 60km/h (and then retracts at 30km/h) to further enhance the efficiency profile of the back end.
All of this helps the Vision EQXX achieve its market-leading 1,000km (around 620 miles) range on a single charge, and it also supports fast charging that can see 300km (roughly 186 miles) replenished in 15 minutes.
Super solar
We've seen a number of electric car manufacturers dabble with solar panels on their vehicles already, and the Vision EQXX joins the crowd with 117 solar cells on its roof.
Unlike other EV solar-panel-systems however, the setup on the EQXX could be far more useful, with Mercedes claiming that the ultra-thin roof panels "can add up to 25km (around 15 miles) of range on long-distance journeys in a day."
Now, that is the absolute best-case scenario in "ideal conditions", but it's significantly better than Hyundai's quoted 5-6 miles per day on the solar-panel clad Ioniq 5 .
Energy gained via the solar cells is stored in a separate battery, which is used to power the climate blower, lights, infotainment system and other ancillaries - leaving more juice in the main battery for actual driving.
And this technology isn't just reserved for the Vision EQXX concept, with Schafer saying the company has "made a very efficient panel not just for EQXX" and confirming it will feature "in future vehicles".
Substantial sustainability, supersized screen
Inside the Vision EQXX you'll find a range of sustainable materials, from a verified vegan leather alternative made from mycelium in the detail of the seat cushions to high-strength, biotechnology-based and certified-vegan silk-like fabric used for the door pulls.
Meanwhile, the carpets are made from 100% bamboo fiber, and recycled PET bottles feature in the cabin materials.
What dominates the interior however, is the screen Mercedes uses. This is the first time the firm is offering a completely seamless display in a car - the 'Hyperscreen' in the EQS is actually three separate displays in one curved glass unit.
The Vision EQXX one-ups Hyperscreen with its own 47.5-inch mini-LED display, which stretches from pillar to pillar, across the entire dash, and features an eye-popping 8K resolution.
On-screen you'll find a real-time 3D navigation system, an enhanced 'Hey Mercedes' voice assistant and even an efficiency assistant to help you get the most range from your charge.
Not that you'll necessarily be using all of the screen at the same time. As Zane Amiralis, Head of Advanced Experience Design at Daimler AG explain to TechRadar:
"Just because we have a large screen, doesn't mean we have to use all of it all of the time - and that's the approach we're using here.
"We have an intelligent assistant who is managing the smart display. We're hoping to not overload the driver or passengers with information they don't need.
"We still have traditional separation where needed between displays, but at other times it can act as one large seamless display."
The EQXX also has dedicated sound systems built into each of its seats, creating personal sound zones for each person.
This allows the front-seat passenger to watch a movie on their portion of the screen and listen to it without the need for headphones, while the driver wouldn't hear any of the audio from the film, thus reducing any possible distraction.
As we've already said, the Mercedes Vision EQXX is a concept electric car, so it's never going to hit the market.
However, the advancements made here will translate to future Mercedes EVs - be it extended range, better battery efficiency, the introduction of more solar panels or just massive screens. There's plenty to get excited about.