General Gaming Article

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• Microsoft's Newest Scroogled Ad is Another Misfire
• AMD Explains Performance Variance Among Retail and Press Sample Radeon R9 290X Cards
• Column: To the NSA Your Data Is Valuable Ore
• Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition Review (2013)
• Here's How You Can Snag a Dell Venue 8 Pro for $99
• Gateway Launches Line of Budget Touchscreen Laptops Starting at $330
• Newegg Daily Deals: Gigabyte G1.Sniper Z87 Motherboard, AMD FX-6300 Vishera, and More!

Microsoft's Newest Scroogled Ad is Another Misfire Posted: 06 Dec 2013 01:31 PM PST Make the bad man stop This whole "Scroogled" campaign Microsoft has going reeks of pettiness and misguided priorities. The latet ad has a company pitchman walking up to seemingly complete strangers with a Chromebook in hand and asking them what kinds of things they do on a laptop. He then uses their answers to explain why a Chromebook is a poor choice, be it because it can't install Microsoft Office (though he neglects to mention you can run Office 365) or whatever other specific app isn't supported. Some of the criticisms are fair, albeit not fully explained, the above Office example being one of them, and that doesn't even take into account Google's own productivity software. But whatever, if installing Office is a deal killer, then yes, a Chromebook is a terrible choice. The other big negative is that a Wi-Fi signal is required to get the most out of a Chromebook. You can still work on things offline, but it's not quite the same. So, if you're frequently without Wi-Fi, there's another reason a Chromebook isn't an ideal choice. However, the issue isn't whether or not the Chromebook is a good or even serviceable option -- user reviews left on Amazon suggest that not only is the Chromebook popular, but that buyers are generally happy with their purchase after the fact -- but Microsoft's approach to this whole thing. Near the end of the newest ad, Microsoft focuses on the Asus T100, a Windows 8/8.1 convertible. It's introduced at the 1min 09 mark, at which point the pitchman explains its features and functions for all of 10 seconds. TEN freaking seconds. That's how much time Microsoft spent promoting its own ecosystem in an advertisement that runs 1min 43sec long. Given how badly the original Surface bombed and the slow rate of adoption to Windows 8/8.1, Microsoft should think about spending less time disparaging Google and put more time and energy into showing off (and improving) it's own products, don't you think? In any event, here's a look at the ad: Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

AMD Explains Performance Variance Among Retail and Press Sample Radeon R9 290X Cards Posted: 06 Dec 2013 12:24 PM PST Some variance in performance is to be expected, AMD says Following the launch of AMD's Radeon R9 290X graphics card, a handful of sites noticed that the sample cards sent to the press were performing faster than their retail counterparts. It has been suggested by some that AMD essentially cherry picked the best cards for reviewers, though AMD says there's a valid reason for the performance gap. According to AMD, it has to do with the new PowerTune mechanism in the R9 290 Series. "Based on feedback from the enthusiast community, we've implemented an all new PowerTune mechanism in the AMD Radeon R9 290 series that exploits the full capability of the individual GPUs rather than clamping performance to a least-common-denominator type of capability level. This has the advantage of improving overall performance but does result in some degree of performance variability," AMD said in a statement to Legit Reviews. "These changes will also result in some degree of run-to-run test variability based on environmental and operational conditions in un-controlled test environments." AMD added that the performance variability of retail cards shouldn't be significantly different than press samples and that it should occur both above and below what reviewers recorded, "however it appears that most reported performances are biased towards the low side." That being the case, AMD said it is "actively investigating" the cause and promises to provide another update at the conclusion of its investigation. In the meantime, be sure to check out our benchmark run of the 290X. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Column: To the NSA Your Data Is Valuable Ore Posted: 06 Dec 2013 12:18 PM PST Whether you love it or hate it, the technology behind it all is here to stay Poor Edward Snowden. The former NSA subcontractor has sacrificed his career to expose US government surveillance programs that were revealed years ago. Except for minor details, data-mining operations like "PRISM" were outed in 2006, and have been underway since at least 2003. Newspapers may be dinosaurs, but they beat the Internet to this story by seven years. Outside Washington, D.C., perhaps the least surprised people were in Silicon Valley, where companies design much of the technology that enables data mining on this vast scale. In 2006, a whistle-blower revealed a secret room in a San Francisco AT&T central office where mysterious equipment had its own intravenous connection to the network. It had existed for three years. Also in 2006, USA Today detailed the data-mining operation we know today as Prism. That same year, I wrote about a prototype processor with 4,096 cores. It was designed for commercial video processing, but an early adopter was In-Q-Tel, a government-sponsored venture capital fund that promotes research and development for the CIA. Nobody would talk about the CIA's application, but I can make some good guesses. Keep in mind that intelligence agencies needn't collect and store the data they search. Private sector companies already do that. Those companies sell the data to each other and mine it for money. The government mines it for security threats. Both types of miners get lots of help from specialized processors designed for networking. We absolutely need these processors to scan Internet traffic for malware and to speed network packets to their destinations. That these chips can also be used for mass surveillance is either a bonus or a menace, depending on your viewpoint. But the technology is here to stay, because big data has become a profitable commodity for the private sector and an irresistible resource for cops and spooks.

Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition Review (2013) Posted: 06 Dec 2013 11:48 AM PST Spend lots of gold for minimal tweaks Brief personal confession: I've been a huge Baldur's Gate fan ever since I was a kid. I used to ceremoniously dump CD-ROM after CD-ROM into my not-so-impressive desktop PC in an effort to digitally recreate some of the crazy fun I used to have in ol' Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 2nd edition — you know, that real-life geek game that nobody ever admitted to playing (I swear, I didn't.)  Time to start creating a character.  Goodbye, afternoon. Baldur's Gate was, quite simply, a fairly sprawling title for its time. It allowed those who didn't always care for figuring out what THAC0 was to still have an enjoyable, D&D-themed experience without having to lug around five different tomes of rules, maps, and critical hit charts (my personal favorite). BioWare's isometric Infinity Engine presented some pretty visuals, the storyline was compelling and constructed in such a fashion as to draw players in without overwhelming them with options for equipment and powers, and you got to fight alongside a "miniature giant space hamster" and his larger, rage-filled companion. What's not to like? Now that the Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition has finally seen the light of day, we have a better answer to that question. And it's as we feared: The game is exactly what you expected it to be. It's Baldur's Gate II, done up fairly well to play on even the most advanced of modern-day systems (no small feat, we're sure, given how difficult it was to play legacy titles on one's souped-up PC prior to the rise of sites like GoG.com). Therein lies the problem, though. Even in a perfect world, which the Enhanced Edition comes close to presenting (minus some bugs here and there), there's not all that much that's actually "enhanced" about this title. Sure, you get some additional characters to play as — which you could conceivably roll up yourself, were you so inclined. Yes, you get the combination of both Baldur's Gate II games (Shadows of Amn, the primary title, and the Throne of Bhaal expansion). That's helpful. And, hey, some bonus combat questing in the form of an integrated side campaign called The Black Pits 2: Gladiators of Thay. Neat-o. One of our favorite Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition bugs: The "Where the Hell is the text that says what this spell does" bug... We don't mean to sound overly dismissive. If you're a fan of the series, you'll absolutely love the Enhanced Edition — which is a bit like saying if you like 1950s music, you'll love a new classic station on the radio. Maybe. The problem with said game is that it commands a pretty high asking price as of this article's writing ($25) for what amounts to the exact same game you played right around the turn of the century. For that kind of cash, roughly half the price or so of a modern, graphics-blasting title (or more than double that of similarly awesome role-playing games like Avernum: Escape from the Pit), we expected a bit more. For starters, we were hoping for a game that's completely free of any and all bugs (especially given that the Baldur's Gate modding community is almost fanatical about these fixes themselves). Beyond that, we looked for a better multiplayer experience than what the Enhanced Edition delivers — a simple online games listing with every single game password-locked in some capacity (so much for joining up random games, strange as the concept might be for a title like Baldur's Gate II). The Infinity Enhanced Engine — now tweaked to support resolutions of all kinds out of the box — still presents a classic Baldur's Gate look and feel. Interface? Resized, but still Baldur's Gate. Gameplay? Baldur's Gate. Menus? You get the idea. Firing up the Enhanced Edition worked seamlessly on our fairly formidable system, but that's about all this title really has to offer. You're basically paying $25 to ensure that you don't have to mod the game, nor fiddle with annoying settings, just to get it to work. We did have fun running our way through some of the game's more iconic opening scenes (oh, Irenicus, you Cowled Wizard-killer you). We also found ourselves a bit frustrated by the overall Baldur's Gate experience which, as overemphasized, remains the same. Your characters feel as if they're moving at a bit of a snail's pace throughout Shadows of Amn. Arranging your party on screen over, and over, and over can be a bit annoying, even with the tried-and-true "formations" that one can pick from. Baldur's Gate Survival Tip #14: Don't piss off the giant angel that can one-shot you and your friends. Inventory management continues to be a tedious process for power gamers (there's still no "pick up all" button!). Even figuring out the weapons your characters are best at wielding requires you to frequently jump and scroll between multiple screens' worth of information. Heaven forbid you don't memorize icons for your wizards, priests, and the lot, lest you have to hover, and wait, and read the appearing names of each of your spells or abilities whenever you might need to use them. Since Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition is a wee bit different than the other iterations of Baldur's Gate II that exist (including the more typical version one can find on GoG.com), the onus falls upon mod-makers to update their tweaks for the new title. That's a wee frustrating, especially if a particular mod you care for isn't one that's being actively worked on any more (or hasn't been for quite some time). Do we love Baldur's Gate II? Yes, yes we do; more as a result of the sheer nostalgia we have for a game that, at one point, sucked up a considerable amount of our free time (and increased the creativity of our curses whenever we were one-shotted by a lich, dragon, or mind flayer). And we'd greatly enjoy the no-fuss gameplay that the Enhanced Edition brings to the table; we just can't justify the price. At $10, recommending this classic game would be a no-brainer (we'd trade in a space hamster to be able to purchase it once and play it on all of our devices). Even $15 isn't that bad of a deal, given that you're plunking down $5 more than Gog.com's version for an experience that's much, much more seamless. At $25, however, we start to think that modding the version of the game from Gog.com doesn't sound like that bad of an idea — there are plenty of installation guides for the comprehensive number of mods that work for the game, and all you're really missing out on is the skippable Black Pits business. Heck, Gog.com even tells you how to mod the game yourself. That's pretty good service for a $10 asking price. Our recommendation? If you really need to relive your classic AD&D days, then you've already stopped reading this review and you're halfway toward rolling up your character stats. If you're on the fence, or have no idea what Baldur's Gate even is, go pick up GoG.com's title. Unless Beamdog's remake makes it to a Steam sale — which it surely will — you'll be more frustrated by how much you spent for an experience that's survived the test of time, but doesn't have all that much to show for it.

Here's How You Can Snag a Dell Venue 8 Pro for $99 Posted: 06 Dec 2013 08:57 AM PST Microsoft's 12 days of deals promotion kicks off on Monday If you're reading this, it means you're interested in finding out how to get a Dell Venue 8 Pro for $99. The answer is simple: Be fast. Starting Monday, December 9, Microsoft will begin its 12 days of deals promotion in which it will offer up a new item each day at a discount. Dell's Venue 8 Pro is kicking off the promotion, though you'll have to be super fast to snag one for a Benjamin. Here's how it works. According to CNET, Microsoft's retail stores will offer up the Windows 8.1 tablet for $99 to the first 20 buyers only. After that, it jumps to $199 for the rest of the day and/or until the store runs out of stock. Some stores will have as little as 10 units available at $199, others will have more. If you prefer to try your luck online, the $99 price tag will apply to the first 100 orders, after which it jumps to $199 until stock is depleted. Once Microsoft runs out of stock, it goes back to the normal selling price of $299. Considering the substantial discount, these tablets are likely to sell out quick at $99, and probably at $199 as well. Your best bet is to call your local Microsoft store and find out what time they plan to open on Monday. As for online sales, it's not yet clear what time the deal will go live. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Gateway Launches Line of Budget Touchscreen Laptops Starting at $330 Posted: 06 Dec 2013 08:25 AM PST Touch computing doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg If you spend enough time with a tablet or smartphone, you may find yourself instinctively wanting to tap at your notebook on occasion, too. More and more models are starting to support touch input, including ones with a low cost of entry. If that's the goal (touch computing for cheap), it doesn't get much more budget friendly than Gateway's new touchscreen models: 10.1-inch LT41P and 15.6-inch NV570P. Starting with the smaller model, the LT41P features a 1366x768 resolution powered by Intel Celeron processor options, 2GB of DDR3L memory, up to 500GB of storage space, 802.11n Wi-Fi, two USB 2.0 ports, a USB 3.0 port, SD card reader, HD webcam, and 5 hours of run time. It's obviously a basic laptop, but with a low starting price of $330. Gateway's NV570P starts at $450 and sports a 15.6-inch HD touch display, 3rd generation Intel Core processor options, up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM, up to 750GB of storage capacity, DVD burner, 802.11n Wi-Fi, two USB 2.0 ports, a USB 3.0 port, SD card reader, HD webcam, and Windows 8. "The new Gateway LT41P and NV570P lines are great mobile companions for people who want the convenience and enjoyment of a touch-screen display with the productivity of a built-in keyboard," said Eric Ackerson, Gateway product marketing manager. "The 10-point touch interface is a natural way to interact with the notebook, as it enhances so much of what busy PC users enjoy, such as educational apps, browsing websites, scrolling through reports and playing games. The new Gateway lines are ideal for customers who put a premium on productivity-enhancing technology that still lets them stay within their budget." Both models are available now. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Newegg Daily Deals: Gigabyte G1.Sniper Z87 Motherboard, AMD FX-6300 Vishera, and More! Posted: 06 Dec 2013 08:00 AM PST Top Deal: You had the foresight to pick out a case with a side window so you could show off your parts and epic cable management skills, now you need components worth gawking at. A solid foundation that's both sexy and well equipped is featured as today's top deal -- Gigabyte G1.Sniper Z87 motherboard for $160 with free shipping (normally $190; use coupon code: [EMCWVXR34]). This is a high-end board decked out with gold plated audio hardware,  Killer E2200 networking, and a host of other features. Other Deals: AMD FX-6300 Vishera 3.5GHz (4.1GHz Turbo) Socket AM3+ 95W Six-Core Desktop Processor FD6300WMHKBOX for $110 with free shipping (normally $120 ) WD Black Series WD1003FZEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5-inch Internal Hard Drive for $89 with free shipping (normally $100 ) G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBSR for $53 with free shipping (normally $75 ) Thermaltake Chaser Series Chaser MK-I (VN300M1W2N) Black SECC ATX Full Tower Computer Case for $115 with free shipping (normally $160; use coupon code: [EMdCWVXR33]; additional $25 mail-in rebate)

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