| Valve Says Steam Machines Won’t Be Exclusive to Nvidia Posted: 09 Oct 2013 04:45 PM PDT Valve confirms Steam boxes will also support Intel and AMD When Valve finally unwrapped the specs of the 300 beta Steam Machines last week, many assumed that Nvidia would have a lock on Valve's Linux-based gaming machines. Today though, Valve broke cover yet again telling us that Steam Machines would support the three primary graphics vendors today. "Last week, we posted some technical specs of our first wave of Steam Machine prototypes," said Valve spokesman Doug Lombardi. "Although the graphics hardware that we've selected for the first wave of prototypes is a variety of Nvidia cards, that is not an indication that Steam Machines are Nvidia-only. In 2014, there will be Steam Machines commercially available with graphics hardware made by AMD, Nvidia, and Intel. Valve has worked closely together with all three of these companies on optimizing their hardware for SteamOS, and will continue to do so into the foreseeable future." 
The statement ends speculation that Nvdia had an exclusive on the highly-anticipated gaming platform. The first 300 beta Steam Machines were all based on GeForce based including the Titan, GTX 780, GTX 760 and GTX 660. The machines would also feature mostly Intel Haswell CPUs, hybrid SSHDs, and 450 watt power supplies. |
| Archos Announces GamePad 2 with 7-inch IPS Display, Quad-Core Processor Posted: 09 Oct 2013 11:19 AM PDT  Better looking and faster than before
Archos on Monday unveiled its GamePad 2, the company's second generation handheld tablet made for gamers. The Archos 2 features a 7-inch HD (1280x800) In-Plane Switching (IPS) display powered by an A9 generation quad-core processor built on a 28nm manufacturing process and clocked at 1.6GHz. The CPU is coupled with a quad-core Mali 400 graphics processor and 2GB of system RAM. The other big improvement is battery life. By pairing a 28nm chip with a 50 percent bigger battery, Archos claims its GamePad 2 lasts significantly longer than its first generation handheld. Other features include 8GB or 16GB of internal storage, microSD card slot, front-facing webcam, micro USB 2.0 port, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, two analog sticks, 6 front-facing buttons, 4 should buttons, a D-Pad, HDMI output (via mini HDMI), built-in speakers, and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. "Following the success of the GamePad 1, we knew that we could take the gaming-tablet concept further. With our GamePad 2 we have included an HD screen, better controls, a larger battery and a faster processor," said Loic Poirier (PDF), Archos CEO, "We're excited to be working with a leading games company like Gameloft to pre-install two visually stunning titles for an amazing gaming experience." 
The GamePad 2 will be available at the end of October for €179.99 (around $243) in the U.K. No word on when it will land stateside. Update A spokesperson for Archos tells Maximum PC the GamePad 2 will be available in the U.S. in the fourth quarter for $200 MSRP. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Lian Li's PC-D600 is a Double Wide Aluminum Case for Water Cooling Posted: 09 Oct 2013 09:58 AM PDT  Ideally suited for water cooling
Not all computer cases can accommodate a water cooled setup. That isn't a problem for Lian Li's new PC-D600 case, however, as it sports a double wide brushed aluminum design with "tremendous water cooling support," the company says. To elaborate, there's oodles of elbow room inside the dual-compartment chassis, and if you're so inclined, you can install a 240mm radiator on the left side of the case, and on the right side 360mm/420mm radiators in push/pull are supported. Water cooling is really what the PC-D600 is ideally suited for, though if you're just looking for a spacious enclosure, it answers the call with support for graphics cards up to 12.9 inches long and CPU coolers up to 7 inches high, along with room for up to six 3.5-inch hard drive and two 2.5-inch solid state drives, all of which are tool-lessly mounted. Lian Li claims the PC-D600 is easy to break down for assembly. It features pop-off side panels and front bezel, the aforementioned tool-less installation of storage drives, and clip-in dust filters. If you need to remove the entire HDD rack on the right side, you can do so by removing a couple of thumb screws. The PC-D600 will be available after October 20 for $349 MSRP. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Samsung Galaxy Round is First Smartphone to Feature a Curved Display Posted: 09 Oct 2013 09:32 AM PDT  The Galaxy is Round!
We've been hearing about curved displays for a long while now, and putting lip service into motion, Samsung today introduced the Galaxy Round, the world's first curved display smartphone. The Galaxy Round features a Super AMOLED flexible Full HD 1080p (1920x1080) display measuring 5.7 inches, which is in the vicinity of phablet territory. So, what can you do with a curved display? "As a result of its unique curved design, users can take advantage of round integration experiences like the Roll Effect that enables user to check information such as date, time, missed call and battery easily when home screen is off, and the Gravity Effect for creating visual interaction with the screen by tilting the device," Samsung explains. "For music, the Bounce UX enables users to control their music. When the Galaxy Round's display is off while the music player is running, a short press to the left of the device will play the previous track while a short press to the right will play the next track. For pictures and videos, the Side Mirror feature enables users to gain access to list of the album content with a left and right tilt." The phone is 7.9mm thick and weighs 154g. Other hardware and features consists of a Quad Krait 2.3GHz processor (MSM 8974), 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, microSD card slot, 13MP rear-facing camera with autofocus and flash, 2MP front-facing camera, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 3.0 support, 2,800mAh battery, and Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. 
Samsung has chosen to launch the Galaxy Round in Korea in "Luxury Brown," noting that more color options will be available soon. No word yet on when the Galaxy Round will ship to other markets, which carriers will have it, or how much it will cost. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Intel Thinks GTA V Will Land on PC Soon Posted: 09 Oct 2013 06:30 AM PDT  Here's hoping Intel knows something we don't
Oh Rockstar Games, why must you tease PC gamers by forcing them to watch their console brethren play Grand Theft Auto V on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the only two platforms it's currently available for? It's not being cocky to point out that today's PC hardware is leaps and bounds more advanced than what the Xbox 360 and PS3 are toting, so why not match the brilliant open world of GTA V with the awesome hardware that's out there? Well, history tells us that Rockstar Games will eventually do exactly that, and according to Intel, it probably won't be long. Dave James from our sister magazine PC Gamer sat for a spell at the Intel Developer Forum (IDF) with Chris R. Silva, the Director of Marketing for Intel's Premium Notebooks, and the last topic that came up was how damaging it would be for GTA V to skip the PC. According to Silva, Microsoft hurt the Halo franchise by initially trying to keep it a console exclusive, and then making a crappy console port. "At least with Grand Theft Auto, I don't think it'll be console exclusive very long. But that's what happens when you have a brand new launch with two companies that have lots of money trying to make sure they have content," Silva said. Call it a conspiracy theory or the insight of a man who knows the industry better than most, but as far as Silva is concerned, "Somebody paid a lot of money to make sure that [GTA V] was exclusive [to consoles]." At the same time, launching first to consoles and then to PC several months later is hardly a new blueprint for Rockstar Games, which has been doing business that way for the last few GTA titles. What's a little different this time around is that we're on the cusp of a couple of new console launches, and hopefully that doesn't delay the inevitable PC port longer than usual. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| LaCie and Porsche Design Tag Team a Sleek USB 3.0 Thumb Drive Posted: 09 Oct 2013 06:00 AM PDT  Slim, secure, and fast
What do fast cars and fast storage have in common? We're not sure, but let's not bemoan the pairing of LaCie and Porsche Design, a German design studio founded by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, grandson of the Porsche founder and designer of the Porsche 911. These two firms decided to collaborate on a USB thumb drive and what they came up with is a slim, sleek, and secure stick that's made of steel. LaCie says it's one of the smallest USB 3.0 keys available, though don't mistake that to mean it's also slow. The "LaCie Porsche Design USB Key" offers file transfers at up to 95MB/s, provided you plug it into a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 port. "Porsche Design's electronics series is an elite group of products that represent timeless design and influential technology," says Dr. Juergen Gessler, CEO of the Porsche Design Group. "The LaCie Porsche Design USB Key embodies that by combining high-speed performance with a compelling and usable design." 
LaCie says it's a durable thumb drive thanks to its steel construction and scratch-resistant connector. It comes with LaCie's Private/Public software to protect confidential data, as well as AES 256-bit encryption and password protection in the case of loss or theft. The LaCie Porsche Design USB Key is available in 16GB and 32GB capacities starting at $30. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Newegg Daily Deals: Don't Miss Out on This Stellar MSI 27-inch Touchscreen All-in-One with Extras! Posted: 09 Oct 2013 05:30 AM PDT |
