| Amazon Reportedly Working With HTC On New Smartphones Posted: 15 Oct 2013 02:26 PM PDT 
Amazon-branded smartphones could be on the way HTC has been in a bit of trouble after the launch of the HTC One, but things might be looking up for the Taiwanese phone manufacturer. According to a report by the Financial Times, Amazon is partnering with HTC to get into the smartphone market, but we probably won't be seeing a completed phone for a while. Although one of the three devices being considered is "at an advanced state of development," the FT states that the launch timeline has already been changed once and that Amazon might not even release the device. The entire agreement is remarkably similar to Google's partnership with LG which resulted in the Nexus 4 and might have continued over to the unreleased Nexus 5. It's also the first time that Amazon has worked with a well-known phone maker like HTC. All of Amazon's Kindles have been designed in-house. This isn't HTC's first attempt at a partnership. The HTC First—otherwise known as the Facebook phone—was a collaboration between the hardware designers at HTC and the developers at Facebook. What do you guys think about Amazon and HTC getting together to make branded Android phones? Let us know in the comments! Follow Ben on Twitter! |
| Fractal Design XL R2 Review Posted: 15 Oct 2013 01:38 PM PDT Bigger, bulkier, and slightly better Fractal Design is a big fan of small, subtle modifications within its various lines of computer cases, or so it seems. At first glance, you might assume we are simply blowing some dust off the ol' Fractal Design Define R4 and giving it a re-review. And we wouldn't blame you for thinking so—the two cases look nearly identical. 
The Fractal Design XL R2 looks a lot like the Define R4 unit before it. As the "XL" in its name implies, the Define XL R2 is a taller, slightly fatter version of Fractal's Define R4 chassis. The "embiggening" allows the XL R2 to support E-ATX and XL-ATX motherboards, for those of you looking to stuff your system full of video cards. At just over 1.8 feet tall, the XL R2 doesn't feel like that much of a monster underneath a typical desk. Its perfectly rectangular design helps keep its overall footprint smaller than cases with curvier panel designs. Fractal covers nearly every bit of the XL R2's surface with sound-dampening foam of varying thickness. It works to keep the noise down, but not as well as the system's included three-fan controller, which we're glad Fractal still throws into the mix. Slapping the case's three included 14cm fans onto a medium speed setting, combined with the sound-dampening foam, does much to quiet this system to a dull hum. However, all of the fans and test system components spinning full-bore does manage to get a bit noisy. 
The XL R2 distinguishes itself from the nearly identical Define R4 by supporting larger motherboards. We're pleased to see that Fractal has opted to double the amount of available 5.25-inch bays in the XL R2 versus the Define R4, which gives enthusiasts a bit more room to play with. We still wish that they were screwless, but we appreciate the extra space. The XL R2's eight drive bays are split into two drive cages of four trays each, and both are moveable (or removable) to make room for bulkier front-panel radiators—or better still, unhampered airflow. The case's considerable cable management capabilities continue to impress us. Seven huge, rubberized holes on the motherboard tray deliver plenty of space to string cables between the tray's rear and the case's (heavy) side panel, which includes connections for the system's two front-mounted USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports. The cables for the system's front-panel connectors (power light and power button only) could stand to be a bit longer. 
Fractal Design XL R2 chassis We only had two big qualms when building a system in this chassis. First, we would have much preferred to have the case's motherboard standoffs already built into the tray (or a guide peg for helping us to align the motherboard itself). Fractal Design also does something weird with the power supply installation, in that it opts to stick two triangular pieces of rubber on the bottom of the case that the PSU should, in theory, be able to rest on. In practice, our power supply knocked these rubber pegs completely off the case's bottom. Even when they stayed put, we still had a bit of a fuss screwing our PSU into the chassis. We would have preferred some mechanism that keeps the PSU level on all four of its sides. Fractal Define's XL R2 is a wee pricier than the Define R4; you're paying a surcharge for the slight reworking and roomier interior. Minus the omission of the Define R4's two motherboard tray SSD mounts, the XL R2 is a pleasant (albeit minor) upgrade to Fractal Design's smaller chassis. $140, www.fractal-design.com |
| Column: Stop the Windows 8 Hate Posted: 15 Oct 2013 11:47 AM PDT  Or how I learned to stop worrying and accept Windows 8
After six months of using it (including the previews), I've fully mapped out the five stages of Windows 8 adoption: Denial. Confusion. Anger. Depression. Acceptance. First comes denial. "I mean, really, the Start button isn't really gone, is it? It can't be. Medic! Don't die on me you son of…! Nooo!!!" Confusion then sets in. Whether you're an octogenarian octocore-overclocker or a skinny-jeaned hipster sitting in a café with an Ultrabook, confusion will reign. "Wait, why does it keep going to full screen? How do I get this to dock? How do I shut down the PC? How come the app controls aren't uniform? How do I close apps? Wait, Modern apps are different than desktop apps? Huh, what?" The longest stage is anger, which I'm betting the vast majority of users are still in. It lasts for months and will occasionally simmer over into bouts of screaming at the screen, murderously gripping your mouse, and pounding on that innocent victim—your keyboard—until keys pop off. "Why is it so hard to reboot my computer?!" "If I had an actual Windows 8 disc, I'd smash it to bits! Wait, I'll actually burn a Windows 8 ISO to disc and then smash it!" 
Anger is the longest stage of Windows 8 adoption Eventually, depression sets in. Hell, what else explains dismal PC sales this last quarter? Many analysts (and PC makers) blame Windows 8 for putting the plane into a nose dive. The good news, I'm happy to report, is that eventually acceptance sets in. I spent months in the anger stage and additional time wallowing in despair and depression. On a recent new desktop box at home, though, I had the option of going with Windows 7 or Windows 8, and actually opted for Win8. I installed the Enterprise version and didn't initially activate it because I wanted to see if I could stand it on my primary gaming and content-creation box without a touchscreen. In the end, however, I committed, and, amazingly, I'm OK with my choice. I even opted to stick with the much-hated Modern UI because I wanted to suffer as others have. While I'm a bigger fan of Windows 8 when paired with a touchscreen, the lack of a touchscreen on this gaming box hasn't been a deal-breaker. How did I go from foaming-at-the-mouth anger and deep despair over Windows 8 to a level of acceptance? I've really started to appreciate all the little things Microsoft has done to the OS. The Windows Task Manager, for example, is one of the more accurate tools for determining my machine's current clock speed. I've put it against Intel's own utilities and it's been spot on. Switching back to the Windows 7 Task Manager feels like I'm in Windows XP or Vista. My new SSD needs to be Trim'd? Not a problem with Windows 8, either. There are enough improvements to Windows 8 that at this point in my life, I've decided to accept it, and maybe even prefer it. |
| Buying an Xbox One Console Requires Waiving Right to Class Action Suits Posted: 15 Oct 2013 10:45 AM PDT  No class action suits for you!
Microsoft has already received a bunch of negative press over various aspects of the Xbox One, much of which has been addressed to gamers' satisfaction (such as removing the requirement to dial home every 24 hours). However, there remains a point of possible contention that you'll find on Microsoft's Xbox One Pre-Order Production Information website. Among the list of requirements to use the Xbox One, gamers must waive their right to participate in a class action lawsuit against Microsoft. This isn't the first we've seen of this behavior. Sony also sought to protect itself from class action lawsuits by introducing a mandatory wavier to its terms and conditions for its PlayStation Network after it was hacked a couple of years ago. In this case, Microsoft may have been influenced by the so-called Red Ring of Death (RRoD) that affected several early Xbox 360 models. Should something similar happen with the Xbox One, gamers would have to sue Microsoft individually rather than in a class action suit. According to Paul A. Herman, an attorney and consumer advocacy expert, the matter is "completely objectionable," IBTimes reports. Herman said clauses like the one Microsoft is using gives them a "totally stacked deck" that makes it easy to screw customers. "Arguments can be made that would not even be considered evidence in a real court of law," Herman told IBTimes. "If they pick the arbitration company, it's easy to skew the judgment in their favor." Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| HAF Stacker Microsite Demonstrates Case's Unique Features Posted: 15 Oct 2013 10:22 AM PDT  See how the HAF Stacker stacks up
At the end of August, Cooler Master announced the HAF Stacker, the world's first stackable mod tower. It's actually a series of individual cases consisting of the HAF 935, HAF 915R, HAF 925, M-ITX HAF 915R, and M-ITX HAF 915F, but with the modular concept Cooler Master is shooting for, you can stack them up in various configurations and create something truly unique. Wondering how it all works? Cooler Master dishes up the details on a new HAF Stacker microsite broken up into 10 parts covering specs for each chassis and how they all go together, including some of the build options that are available. There are plenty of pictures and a video to digest, The site is a work in progress and heavy on scrolling, though you can click on any of the 10 parts in a strip on the side of the webpage to jump straight to that section. Give it a glance and let us know what you think of the site and case. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Intel Iris Pro Graphics Makes History at Comic Con in New York Posted: 15 Oct 2013 08:20 AM PDT  Earning street cred for CPU graphics
When it comes to gaming, we've always held firm that you could pry our discrete graphics cards from our cold, dead hands, and for the most part, we feel the same way today. However, we have to give props where they're due, and right now Intel deserves kudos for its Iris Pro 5200 graphics, the embedded graphics found on select 4th Generation Core processors (Haswell). At Comic Con over the weekend, two popular StarCraft II gamers went toe-to-toe in what's believed to have been the world's first professional gaming match played entirely on systems with CPU graphics. CyberPower's Zeus Hercules gaming notebooks featuring Haswell processors with Iris Pro graphics played a pivotal role earning some street cred for integrated graphics. "The competition was streamed live on Twitch.tv (and archived here) so StarCraft II fans all over the world were able to get into the action. Another advantage of Intel Iris Pro graphics is that streaming on Twitch.tv with Intel Quick Sync Video enabled results in up a 60 percent reduction in CPU utilization, freeing up more resources to play your game," Intel's Dan Snyder explained in a blog post. Specifically, both StarCraft II players got their gaming groove on with an Intel Core i7 4750HQ processor with Iris Pro 5200 graphics Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Microsoft Outlines Windows 8.1 Support Lifecycle Policy Posted: 15 Oct 2013 07:52 AM PDT  Start making contingency plans for 2023
We missed this one when it was first announced, but in case you're wondering, Microsoft has stated that it plans to support Windows 8.1 up until January 10, 2023. Mainstream support will cease a little sooner, expiring on January 9, 2018, after which time the "Extended Support" phase kicks in. What's the difference between Mainstream Support and Extended Support? Here's what you need to know. Mainstream Support covers the following: - Paid support (per-incident, per hour, and others)
- Security update support
- Non-security hotfix support
- No-charge incident support
- Warranty claims
- Design changes and feature requests
- Product-specific information that is available by using the online Microsoft Knowledge Base
- Product-specific information that is available by using the Support site at Microsoft Help and Support to find answers to technical questions
Extended Support covers all of the same, minus the entries that have been bolded. There is an option to extend non-security hotfix support, though it requires an extended hotfix agreement, purchased within 90 days of Mainstream Support ending, Microsoft says. The other interesting tidbit is that Microsoft is mandating an upgrade to Windows 8.1. "Windows 8 customers will have two years to move to Windows 8.1 after the General Availability of the Windows 8.1 update to continue to remain supported under the Windows 8 lifecycle," Microsoft says. For more info, visit Microsoft's Support Lifecycle Policy FAQ. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Keep Your Eyes Peeled for Deals on AMD's Dual-GPU Radeon HD 7990 Posted: 15 Oct 2013 07:17 AM PDT  How low will it go?
For a brief time yesterday, we noticed that Newegg had the MSI Radeon HD 7990 (R7990-6GD5) dual-GPU graphics card on sale for $550 after a $30 rebate card. The price has since gone back up to $890, but there are still a few deals to be found, and perhaps more on the way. That's pretty impressive when you consider these cards were hovering around $1,000 just a little while ago. While the MSI deal seems to have expired (doesn't hurt to keep checking), the next lowest price is for a VisionTek card. The VisionTek Radeon HD 7990 is going for $600 with free shipping and no rebates to play around with. There are a few others around the same price (and even a little less after rebate), all of which come with free games as part of AMD's Never Settle promotion. Anyway, consider this a heads up in case you're in the market for one of these cards. In the meantime, check out our First Look of the Radeon HD 7990 as well as our review of PowerColor's Devil 13 Radeon HD 7990. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Newegg Daily Deals: Serving Up Pizza and Gaming Bargains Rolled Into One! Posted: 15 Oct 2013 06:46 AM PDT |
