General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article

The Big Websites List 2012: 72 Sites You Don't Want To Miss

Posted: 02 Apr 2012 11:53 AM PDT

How big is the Internet, to you? No, we don't want to hear about all the billions of pages indexed by Google. We're talking about your Internet—the set of sites that you're aware of, that you might actually visit. If you're like most people, it's actually pretty small. Even if you spend a lot of time online, you're still missing out on tons of great content.

That's why we compile our annual list of websites. Not because we think that we've found the 72 best websites in the world, but because we know that the Internet is too huge for one person to explore by him- or herself, and that it is always growing. We do it because we know that everyone could use a yearly dose of fun, useful, and interesting new sites to add to their browsing repertoire. On the following pages we present 72 of our favorite new or unknown destinations on the Internet. Just don't blame us if you find you're spending more time than ever in front of your screen!

For previous years' websites list, check out the following links!

50 Kick-Ass Websites You Need To Know About

50 Websites to See Before You Die

 

EVGA Announces Waterblock-Sporting GTX 680 Hydro Copper

Posted: 02 Apr 2012 10:45 AM PDT

Now that the Nvidia GTX 680 has (finally) hit the streets, manufacturers are tripping over themselves to release cards that somehow stand out from the pack. A lot of the time, that means a custom cooling system; last week alone we saw new GTX 680s from Palit and Gainward covered in fans and heatsinks, respectively. Now, EVGA is getting in on the fun with the EVGA GeForce GTX 680 Hydro Copper, a card that comes equipped with a preinstalled waterblock and a big ole factory overclock.

The GTX 680 Hydro Copper includes 1150MHz (base) and 1215MHz (boost) clock speeds and an effective memory frequency of 6,300MHz. The EVGA card rocks a 5-phase PWM design, 8+6-pin PCI-E connectors, and DVI-I, DVI-D, HDMI and DisplayPort ports.

Sound familiar? That's because those specs pretty much match the ones on the Gainward GTX 680 Phantom. The difference lies in its cooling solution; EVGA claims that the card's operating temperatures can be reduced by up to 50 percent thanks the Hydro Copper waterblock, depending, of course, on your cooling setup. The full-cover waterblock features a chrome plated electrolytic C110 copper plate complete with an illuminated EVGA logo spiffying up the side.

The EVGA GTX 680 Hydro Copper card will set you back $700, while EVGA also offers the Hydro Copper waterblock alone for $160. Check out more information about both the graphics card and the stand-alone waterblock over at the EVGA website.

It's Official: Left-Handed Razer Naga MMO Mouse Coming Due To Popular Demand

Posted: 02 Apr 2012 10:09 AM PDT

Late last week, we told you that Razer offered to shine some love down on the left-handed stepchildren in the world and whip together a southpaw Naga MMO mouse if 10,000 people Liked the concept post over on Facebook by April 21st. Well, it didn't take long -- the same day we posted the news, the Facebook page shattered the 10K Like mark, and Saturday Razer announced that it was rolling up its left shirt sleeve and getting to work.

"That Facebook post generated more buzz than we could've ever imagined, which proves that there have been a number of gamers that have had their needs ignored for some time," said Razer boss Min-Liang Tan in the company's press release. "We pride ourselves on being gamers ourselves, and we all know that there is no substitute for gaming with your dominant hand."

Razer also took the time to toot its own horn and mention that the "latest Naga is only the second professional-grade gaming mouse designed specifically for left-handed users" -- the first, of course, being Razer's left-handed DeathAdder variant.

These things don't happen overnight, though -- Tan's original Facebook post warned that a left-handed Naga will take at least a year to develop. The good news: that gives you plenty of time to waltz over to our review of the Naga MMO mouse and see what all the hub-bub is about.

Second Hand Xbox 360 Consoles Still Contain Credit Card Info, Researchers Warn

Posted: 02 Apr 2012 08:01 AM PDT

So you're thinking about selling your Xbox 360 console, perhaps because you pre-ordered the Limited Edition Kinect Star Wars Bundle and want to offset part of the cost, or maybe you're going all-in with PC gaming. Whatever the reason for getting rid of your Xbox 360, there are some things you need to know before tossing it up on eBay or Craigslist, and it has to do with your credit card information.

Researchers at Drexel University told Kotaku in a phone interview that pretty much any armchair hacker can swipe another user's credit card details and other personal information from used Xbox 360 consoles without too much effort using commonly available tools.

"Microsoft does a great job of protecting their proprietary information. But they don't do a great job of protecting the user's data," researcher Ashley Podhradsky informed Kotaku.

You might be thinking, 'So what, I'll just restore the console to factory settings and I'll be good to go,' but that isn't enough. Podhradsky and her fellow researchers downloaded a readily available modding tool and cracked a refurbished Xbox 360 purchased from an authorized Microsoft retailer without too much fuss. Just like that, a console that had been factory refurbished forked over credit card numbers and other details.

"Anyone can freely download a lot of this software, essentially pick up a discarded game console, and have someone's identity," Podhradsky said.

That doesn't mean you have to keep your Xbox 360 forever or toss the hard drive into a fire pit before selling the system or giving it away. However, you definitely should disconnect the hard drive, plug it into a PC, and scrub it clean. Podhradsky recommends Darik's Boot & Nuke, though there are several free options out there that will 'zero-out' hard drives, such as Kill Disk.

Consumer Reports Downplays New iPad Heat Issue

Posted: 02 Apr 2012 07:18 AM PDT

For as popular as Apple products are, the Cupertino outfit can't seem to launch a product without some sort of scandal attached. With the iPhone 4, it was antennagate and the notion that poor signals were the result of owners holding their devices wrong, and with the new iPad (iPad 3, if you will), critics have been hot under the collar over the bigger battery's heat output.

Consumer Reports drew the most attention to the issue nearly two weeks ago when it said its engineers recorded temperatures as high as 116 degrees Fahrenheit (46.7 degrees Celsius) using a thermal imaging camera on the front and back while playing Infinity Blade II.

"When it was at its hottest, it felt very warm but not especially uncomfortable if held for a brief time," Consumer Reports noted at the time.

In a follow up report today, Consumer Reports reiterated that the new iPad runs hotter than the iPad 2, but downplayed the significance.

"Responding to consumer comments on the new device, and to coverage from other reviewers, we also carried out further tests that confirmed the new iPad is warmer in its hottest spots than the iPad 2. But we didn't find those temperatures to be cause for concern," Consumer Reports said. "

Not only is Consumer Reports unfazed by the additional heat output, or the fact that the third generation iPad device won't recharge when plugged in if playing a demanding game with the screen fully bright, the new iPad tops the company's tablet Ratings.

For those of you who own or have played with a new iPad, do you find heat to be an issue? Do you agree with Consumer Reports' tablet Ratings?

Image Credit: Apple

Samsung Giving Away Extended Life Battery Bundle to Galaxy Nexus Buyers

Posted: 02 Apr 2012 06:42 AM PDT

We just received an email from Samsung Mobile letting us know about a new promotion tied to the company's Galaxy Nexus. Beginning Thursday, March 29 and running six weeks through May 10 (or while supplies last), customers who purchase the Galaxy Nexus and sign a two-year service agreement will be eligible to receive a free battery bundle kit that includes an extended-life i515 2100mAh battery and back cover.

The 2100mAh battery is an upgrade over the stock 1750mAh unit included with the Galaxy Nexus and normally sells for $50 through Samsung (or around $34 street). Samsung didn't provide any battery life claims for the i515, though the additional juice can only help, especially considering the Galaxy Nexus is a 4G LTE device with a spacious 4.65-inch Super AMOLED display.

Samsung says in order to receive the promotional bundle, customers are "encouraged" to visit Samsung Direct to buy the Galaxy Nexus with free battery upgrade, though it's unclear if it's a requirement to go directly through Samsung.

Image Credit: Samsung

Internet Explorer Usage Climbs to a Six Month High, Has Chrome Lost Its Luster?

Posted: 02 Apr 2012 05:45 AM PDT

For the past few years, it looked like Microsoft's Internet Explorer was well on its way to being usurped by spunky fan favorites. Early on it was Mozilla's Firefox that presented the biggest threat to IE's reign in the browser market, but more recently it's been Google's shiny Chrome browser that appeared to be on its way to the top, perhaps taking the lead this year. But then a funny thing happened. IE's share started to rise while Chrome's has been eroding.

Overall IE usage is up for the second time this year, closing out March 2012 with a 53.83 percent of the browser market, according to data compiled by Net Applications. That's the highest it's been in six months, dating back to September 2011 when IE's share was 54.39 percent.

"With a gain of .99 percent last month and a net gain of 1.2 percent global usage share over the last five months, Internet Explorer has stabilized and even reversed its usage share declines of the last few years," Net Applications noted.

While IE has been slowly reasserting itself as the world's most popular browser, Chrome's share slipped for the third straight month. Chrome closed out March with an 18.57 percent share of the market, down from 18.9 percent in February and 18.94 percent in January. Google's browser has yet to post a gain in 2012.

Firefox, once the biggest threat to IE's browser dominance (and in terms of positioning, it still is), ended March with a 20.55 percent share of the market, down from 20.92 percent one month prior, and down from 22.75 percent from one year ago.

Which browser are you using these days?
Posted by Shri Krishna

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