General Gaming Article |
- AMD's Piledriver To Break 4GHz Clock Barrier, Use New Resonant Clock Mesh Tech
- Eee Pad Transformer Receiving OTA Ice Cream Sandwich Update
- Google Voice Gets Nifty Customization Options Thanks To G+ Circles
- Study: Data Throttling is a Money-grubbing Ploy
- Fatal1ty Endorses New X79 Professional Motherboard from ASRock
- Higher Labor Costs at Foxconn May Prompt Price Hikes from HP, Dell
- Dell XPS 13 Manuals Leak Out Ahead of Launch
- Google to Give Chrome Users a Do-Not-Track Button
- Microsoft Releases 'Windows 8 Touch Guidance' for Developers
- This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar
| AMD's Piledriver To Break 4GHz Clock Barrier, Use New Resonant Clock Mesh Tech Posted: 24 Feb 2012 11:14 AM PST
The Cyclos technology fit right into the standard design and manufacturing processes AMD already had established for Piledriver, so its implementation shouldn't delay the new core in any way, according to a press release by Cyclos. The company says its technology will "reduce clock distribution power up to 24% while maintaining the low clock-skew target required by high-performance processors." Here's Cyclos' Cliff's Notes version of how the resonant clock mesh tech works: Cyclos resonant clock mesh technology employs on-chip inductors to create an electric pendulum, or "tank circuit", formed by the large capacitance of the clock mesh in parallel with the Cyclos inductors. The Cyclos inductors and clock control circuits "recycle" the clock power instead of dissipating it on every clock cycle like in a clock tree implementation, which results in a reduction in total IC power consumption of up to 10%. Basically, the tech can be used to hit higher clock speeds or higher power efficiency. Dan Ganousis, a VP from Cyclos Semiconductor, explained the technology more in-depth to the deep minds over at SemiWiki.com. Check out the link to learn about the nitty-gritty details. |
| Eee Pad Transformer Receiving OTA Ice Cream Sandwich Update Posted: 24 Feb 2012 10:24 AM PST
Good news for readers whose coins bear the Queen's likeness; Engadget reports that Canadians and Brits are sharing the delicious new Ice Cream Sandwich with U.S. owners. It's also been confirmed in Spain, Taiwan and other locations by members of the XDA forums. Some users are reporting a few app stability issues and other kinks that will need ironing-out, but overall, upgraded Transformers seem to be running pretty smoothly. Have any of you received the update? How's it taste? |
| Google Voice Gets Nifty Customization Options Thanks To G+ Circles Posted: 24 Feb 2012 10:15 AM PST
Google engineer Tom Ford announced the new feature on the Google Voice blog yesterday. His brief post sums up the possibilities pretty well: To help make it even easier for you to organize your contacts, today we're adding Google+ Circles to Google Voice. Circles give you more control over how you manage your callers; for example, calls from your "Creepers" circle can be sent straight to Voicemail, only your "College Buddies" circle will hear you rap your voicemail greeting, or you can set your "Family" circle to only ring your mobile phone. If you're a Google Voice user with a G+ account, head into the "Groups & Circles" tab of your Voice settings to give the customization a whirl. Image credit: wisdomtalks.com |
| Study: Data Throttling is a Money-grubbing Ploy Posted: 24 Feb 2012 07:12 AM PST
Validas, a company that analyzes cell phone bills for a living, combed through data from over 55,000 mobile phone bills in 2011. What it found was that data throttling appears to have little impact on easing network congestion. "When we look at the Top 5 percent of data users, there is virtually no difference in data consumption between those on unlimited and those on tiered plans -- and yet the unlimited consumers are the ones at risk of getting their service turned off," Valipas states in a blog post. "So it's curious that anyone would think the throttling here represents a serious effort at alleviating network bandwidth issues. After all, Sprint gets by fine maintaining non-throttled data to its customers."
One thing that's interesting to note is that Verizon Wireless customers subscribed to an unlimited plan use less data than those rocking a tiered plan, according to Validas. The same isn't true for AT&T, though the disparity is less than a gigabyte. |
| Fatal1ty Endorses New X79 Professional Motherboard from ASRock Posted: 24 Feb 2012 06:37 AM PST
"This Fatal1ty motherboard was designed to bring your gaming performance to the highest level. The Fatal1ty X79 Professional comes with a Fatal1ty Mouse Port that delivers the precise control needed to elevate your game," said Fatal1ty. "In addition to gaming functions, the board packs 4 PCIe 3.0 slots, supporting up to 4-Way SLI and 4-Way CrossFireX. This combination will make you deadly and feared in the battlefield." Marketing jargon and Fatal1ty branding aside, there's a high-end board beneath it all. The X79 Professional features a 16+2 power phase design to help with overclocking. It uses premium gold all-solid capacitors made in Japan, supports up to DDR3-2600+ memory (OC), has eight USB 3.0 ports (four each up front and on the back), six SATA 6Gbps ports, a UEFI BIOS, and more. Fatali1ty X79 Professional Product Page Image Credit: ASRock |
| Higher Labor Costs at Foxconn May Prompt Price Hikes from HP, Dell Posted: 24 Feb 2012 06:15 AM PST
According to Reuters, HP and Dell are already working with razer-thin profit margins, and both companies have spoken out on the matter. "If Foxconn's labor cost go up, their product cost to us will go up," HP's Chief Executive Officer, Meg Whitman, told Reuters in an interview. Whitman said it would affect the entire industry, not just HP, though the world's largest PC maker would still "have to decide how much do we pass on to our customers versus how much cost do we absorb." Dell was equally non-committal when speaking with Reuters, saying it doesn't know how it all will play out in terms of costs. However, Dell Chief Financial Officer Brian Gladden did say that his company will continue to watch how it unfolds, adding that labor costs account for a "very, very small piece" of the overall cost of Dell products. |
| Dell XPS 13 Manuals Leak Out Ahead of Launch Posted: 24 Feb 2012 06:03 AM PST
At the time of its official unveiling at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last month, it was announced that the XPS 13 ultrabook would be available in the States at the end of February. The timing of this leak suggests that the "enterprise-friendly" XPS 13 remains on track to hit the U.S. market next week. Dell has already revealed that the ultrabook will have a starting price of $999. The XPS 13 has the following specs:
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| Google to Give Chrome Users a Do-Not-Track Button Posted: 24 Feb 2012 05:50 AM PST
The Obama administration on Thursday said that leading Internet companies and online advertising networks are committing to act on DNT technology in most major Web browsers, which is only half of the equation. For it to be effective, browser makers have to ensure that DNT technology is baked in, is accessible, and that it works. "We're pleased to join a broad industry agreement to respect the 'do-not-track' header in a consistent and meaningful way that offers users choice and clearly explained browser controls," Google Senior Vice President of Advertising Susan Wojcicki wrote in an email to Bloomberg. Google's decision comes on the heels of a public backlash over its decision to unify privacy data from 60 Web services. |
| Microsoft Releases 'Windows 8 Touch Guidance' for Developers Posted: 24 Feb 2012 05:41 AM PST
The above-mentioned document includes some basic advice and guidelines for developers on ensuring that their Metro style apps are easy to learn and use. It advises them on a number of different things, including the best ways of using gestures and the optimization of apps for different kinds of grips and postures. The software giant wants Metro style apps to "feel familiar to what users already know" from their experience with other touch-centric platforms. The four-page PDF document can be found here. |
| This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar Posted: 24 Feb 2012 04:40 AM PST It's been an exciting week, especially for gamers. That's because the highly-anticipated Sony PS Vita has finally landed on UK and US shores. It's an excellent handheld gaming console and we had tons of fun reviewing it. But will the wobbly battery life and lack of polish with some of the software put gamers off? Elsewhere we've also had our paws on the latest mobile handset from Motorola, the Droid 4. In our eyes it could well be the stand-out best QWERTY phone out there right now, but sadly it's only out in the US for the time being. Netflix has also been heavily on the radar this week, and Philips has launched a very interesting little streamer designed especially for users of this service. We love the PS Vita - it's everything you could want in a modern handheld console. It's super-powered by quad core CPU and GPUs. It has a stunning OLED display. Control inputs are plentiful including dual analogue sticks, accelerometer, capacitive touchscreen and of course that unique touch-sensitive rear of the year. And what this means is that you can play touchscreen minis like Angry Birds if you want (that one's not available on the platform yet though) but you can also play full-blown gaming juggernauts like Uncharted and FIFA Football. We don't even think it's expensive when you take a look at the prices of other mobile gadgets out there. The biggest question mark comes in the form of battery life – 4 hours of full-on gaming will see you drain the battery to nothing. This won't concern some, while others will find it a hindrance. But one thing's for sure, for hardcore gamers, there is simply no better mobile device out there. And you know what, we think the softcore gamers are going to like it too… The first thing anyone will notice about the phone is how sleek and Razr-esque it feels in your hand. It's a QWERTY phone with a slide-out keyboard, but upon first handle it felt a bit like a slightly chunky touch phone. That's because at .5-inches it's surprisingly thin - thin enough for Motorola to bill it as the world's thinnest LTE QWERTY phone. But all that wouldn't much matter if the keyboard was garbage, and we're happy to report that we were able to quickly type on it, without having to relearn much of anything. It's a truly excellent keyboard and the keys are edge lit so you can type in the dark with rounded keys that help you find the tiny buttons you're looking to type. The phone comes running Android 2.3.5, but should get a bump to Android 4.0 in the coming months. It's slightly more powerful than its predecessor as well, with a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM on board, and we tested a variety of intensive apps and each were smooth and fast. In terms of usability, Netflix has a good little service. While we like the simplicity of sign up and how easy it is to use, we can see that the catalogue issue is going to be a real sticking point for a lot of people – there's a lot of stuff missing. If Netflix doesn't have the films and TV shows you want right now, you could do worse than to check back in a few months and see how it's getting on, the only way is up after all. We'd advise home cinema buffs to hang on to the Blu-rays they've amassed – Netflix's currently patchy HD streaming won't keep you satisfied. But once Netflix has a few more content deals in place (and we've no doubt that it will) and with a price tag of only £5.99 a month, you could pretty much replace that DVD collection if you wanted. If you're just getting onboard with Netflix and want an easy way to throw it up onto your TV, the Philips HMP2000 could be the box for you. It's teeny tiny and easier to set up than one of those a self-erecting tents. It'll also play YouTube and digital files from a USB stick, but that's it. There are no more features. So if you think that's enough for you, it's £50 well spent. But for others with more complicated needs, it could be a bit too simple. And the remote control is just ghastly. Priced at £699 (RRP) in the UK and $799.99 in the US, the Canon PowerShot G1X costs more than some entry-level DSLRs, so Canon's really taking a gamble when it comes to estimating the level of appeal this unprecedented new compact camera will have. Thankfully, however, the manufacturer has backed up the Canon G1 X's price tag with a whole host of high-end features that go a long way towards justifying its cost. You'll need deep pockets to invest in this prestigious camera, but - if you can stretch to it - you'll be glad you did. That's because it impresses on all fronts, delivering excellent handling and great results across its comprehensive range of exposure modes. Pricey it may be, but this camera's real-world performance goes a long way towards justifying its price tag. This week's other reviews...Camera accessories Lastolite TriGrip 1-stop Diffuser review Lastolite VH Flip Bracket review Lastolite Ezybox Hotshoe review Integral UltimaPro SDXC 64GB review Camera lenses Kenko Teleplus Pro 300 AF DGX 2x review Cameras Hands on: Olympus OM-D E-M5 review CCTV Headsets Steelseries 7H Fnatic Limited Edition review Keyboards Memory AMD Memory Entertainment Edition 8GB review Mobile phone accessories Mobile phones Hands on: Panasonic Eluga review Storage Samsung SSD 830 512GB (Notebook Kit) review Tripods |
Has it already been almost five months since AMD's Bulldozer chips launched? Somehow, it has -- and that means it's time for the old info train to start rolling about Bulldozer's follow up, better known as "Piledriver." AMD has apparently been paying attention to our pleas for better, faster, MOAR because this week the company announced it was licensing new resonant clock mesh technology from Cyclos Semiconductor to help push Piledriver's clock speed over the 4GHz barrier.
You have to give Asus props; the company definitely doesn't leave their customers hanging after releasing a product. Its engineers have been busy little beavers in recent weeks, releasing both an Ice Cream Sandwich update and a bootloader unlocking tool for the Tegra 3-packing Transformer Prime, but don't let the focus on the new and shiny tablet fool you -- buyers of the original Eee Pad Transformer aren't being left behind. In fact, owners of Wi-Fi Transformers started getting fresh over-the-air ICS updates of their own today.
The Plus-ification of Google continued yesterday as the company announced it was offloading G+ features onto yet another Google service. But unlike the incredibly annoying (both in name and use) 
Wireless carriers will have you believe that data throttling is a necessary evil to prevent a small number of bandwidth hogs from ruining the data party for everyone else. But is that really the case? A new study suggests that data throttling might be nothing more than a ploy to get grandfathered unlimited users to ditch their plans and switch to a tiered plan instead.
Love him or hate him, Fatal1ty (or Johnathan Wendel, as his mother calls him) continues to have his gaming moniker plastered throughout the do-it-yourself (DIY) scene on a wide range of peripherals, and somebody's buying all these products up. Apparently still relevant, the famous Fatal1ty brand has found its way onto the new ASRock/Fatal1ty X79 Professional motherboard for gamers.
Technology bigwigs Hewlett-Packard and Dell are keeping a watchful eye on the labor situation in China, the one in which Foxconn (Hon Hai Precision Industry Company, Ltd.) has doled out major wage increases to workers who build Apple devices in an attempt to improve much criticized working conditions, and may end up hiking prices if labor costs go up across the board.
Another ultrabook release seems to be close at hand, with 
Google's privacy policies have come under fire in the past, but when it comes to the 'do-not-track' feature mentioned in the Obama administration's online "
By including the touch-specific Metro UI alongside the traditional Windows desktop in its next desktop operating system, Microsoft is trying as hard as it has ever done to appeal to the tablet crowd. But its newfound enthusiasm for touch will not mean a lot if developers fail to respond just as enthusiastically. It's important that developers deliver a consistent and easy-to-use experience across the Metro app ecosystem. To this end, Microsoft has just released a four-page PDF titled Windows 8 Touch Guidance for developers.
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