General Gaming Article

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• Logitech Wireless Headset H820e Promises Enterprise-Grade Audio for Every Worker
• Virus Protection Guide
• Microsoft's Refreshed Artist Series Mice Bring Flair to the Desktop
• Newegg Daily Deals: SSDs Galore
• Asus Rolls Out ROG Xonar Phoebus Solo 7.1 Gaming Sound Card
• Intel Wants to Tweak the All-in-One Form Factor for Portability
• Adata Launches a DDR3 2600MHz Memory Kit, Tells Games 'Come Get Some'
• Microsoft Dismisses Study That Claimed Bing Delivers Five Times More Malware Than Google

Logitech Wireless Headset H820e Promises Enterprise-Grade Audio for Every Worker Posted: 22 Apr 2013 02:08 PM PDT The H820e boasts 10 hours of talk time on a single charge. It's not just gamers and music buffs who need a solid pair of headphones, office workers trying to collaborate across the globe and close sales can benefit from a high quality headset, too. It's with that in mind that Logitech built its new Wireless Headset H820e for unified communications and PC-based soft phones. In an attempt to deliver the best of all worlds, Logitech claims the H820e brings together "enterprise-grade audio and innovative features in an affordable package" for every type of work environment, from traditional cubicles to open and/or home offices. Logitech says the H820e isn't fazed by noisy work environments, which it counters with a noise-cancelling microphone, acoustic echo cancellation, and a built-in digital signal processing. It's optimized for Microsoft Lync and is compatible with all major unified communication and soft phone applications, including Cisco platforms, Logitech says. Utilizing the DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications) standard, Logitech says the H820e has a range of up to 300 feet and is better suited for high-density work environments than most Bluetooth headsets. There's also a wide band/narrow band switch for a bit of fine grain control in finding a balance between audio quality and density. Logitech says the H820e will be available worldwide starting in May for $180 (mono) and $200 (dual). There's also a corded USB model (H650e) that's available now for $80 (mono) and $90 (stereo). Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Virus Protection Guide Posted: 22 Apr 2013 02:07 PM PDT Best free antivirus programs and virus propection tips  So you got caught with your pants down on the Internet (figuratively, folks) and contracted a virus. That sucks. Or maybe you were wearing protection but still fell victim to some nasty bit of code that managed to slip by your antivirus software undetected. That sucks even more. Either way, it's nothing to feel ashamed about. The web is a dangerous place and even the most tech savvy users sometimes slip up. You can even get a virus through no fault of your own simply by visiting a reputable website that, unbeknownst to you, has been compromised by a hacker with malicious intent. The web is a war zone, and even if you're not a target, you can still end up a casualty. That's not to say you can't stack the odds decidedly in your favor, because you can. And you should. To help you do that, we've put together a comprehensive guide on how to protect your PC from malware. We cover everything from smart (and not so smart) computing habits, the best free antivirus programs, and what tools work best for removing an infection when all else fails. Don your hazmat suits and let's get started! If your PC looks like this, you're doing something wrong. Virus 101 If you're reading this, it's safe to assume you already know what a computer virus is, and certainly the majority of Maximum PC readers are well informed. So, we won't spend a ton of text dissecting the different kinds of viruses, but we do want to quickly cover the basics. Strictly speaking, a virus is a program that can replicate itself and is designed to spread from one computer to another, doing things the end-user doesn't want and/or doesn't know about. A broader term is malware, short for malicious software, and there are many different forms, including viruses, Trojan horses, keyloggers, worms, adware, and spyware, to name a few. These days, malware is most often spread through web browsers. According to Kaspersky, there were nearly 1.6 billion browser-based attacks in 2012, up from 946 million a year prior. A common misconception is that only Windows users need to concern themselves with malware, but that isn't true. Malware writers have traditionally focused their efforts on Windows, but have started targeting other platforms as they become more popular, including mobile. Even Mac users have to be on the lookout. "In early 2012, the Flashfake botnet was discovered, consisting of 700,000 computers all running under Mac OS X," Kaspersky states in its most recent security bulletin. The bottom line is, if you use the Internet, you're a target. Safe Computing is a Start Your best line of defense is still you, the end-user. The less risks you take, the lower your chance of becoming just another statistic, and it all starts with developing smart computing habits. Here are five easy ways you can remove yourself from the line of fire: Never open unexpected email attachments, even if you know the recipient. If a PC belonging to someone else is infected, it could be auto-generating malicious emails with dirty attachments or booby-trapped URLs. It's easy to spoof URLs within emails. Instead of clicking on email links, type the URL directly into your browser, especially if you receive a notice that appears to come from your banking institution or PayPal. This exponentially decreases your risk of falling for a phishing scam. You know what they say about a fool and his money... Stay diligent with updating and patching your software. These updates often patch security holes that malware writers can otherwise exploit. If a program has the option of automatically checking for updates, enable it. We also recommend running Secunia's Personal Software Inspector (PSI) on occasion, which is a free security tool that scans for and identifies vulnerabilities in many third-party programs. Avoid visiting shadier sides of the web. We're in no way trying to play the part of moral police, but sites that serve up illegal downloads or triple-X rated content are popular places to set digital landmines. Use Alt-F4 to close suspicious pop-up ads instead of clicking on the X button. Why? Sometimes the X button is really a part of the ad, and clicking it could redirect you to a malicious website. A Word About Passwords As much as you might love your significant other, using his or her name as your password is a really dumb idea. It's far too easy to guess, just like "123456," "iloveyou," "letmein," and others found on SplashData's list of worst passwords. A good password will be at least eight characters long and will use a mix of letters, numbers, symbols, and capitalization. For example, "Ey3LMpC!" which stands for "I love Maximum PC" is relatively easy to remember and much more secure than a word or phrase that can be broken with a brute force dictionary attack. You also should be using multiple passwords for different websites so that if one account is compromised, your others are still safe. The downside to this approach is that it can be difficult to remember multiple passwords, especially strong ones. An alternative to remembering them all is to use a password manager like LastPass or KeePass, both of which are free. RoboForm is another option, and though it isn't free, it also fills in forms and allows you to access RoboForm Logins and Identities on all your devices, including mobile. The same is true of 1Password, though it doesn't fill in forms. Second Line of Defense: Antivirus Software Whenever the topic of security software comes up, inevitably someone chimes in that it's completely unnecessary so long as you surf the web safely. They'll then provide anecdotal evidence based on their own personal experience, and while it's true you can get by without AV protection, it's a constant roll of the dice. And for what? To save a few CPU cycles? It's simply not worth the risk, and certainly not the cost when there are free options out there. Let's focus on those first. -Avast Free Edition (Free, www.avast.com/en-us/index) Every year we run a roundup of security software and you can read the latest one in the April issue of Maximum PC magazine. In it we tested three free antivirus programs -- Avast, Microsoft Security Essentials, and AVG -- and out of those three, we found Avast to be the best free antivirus software. We like Avast because it scans for viruses and spyware, has a built-in remote support tool that allows you to dish out (or receive) assistance to other trusted Avast users, which is extremely handy if you're the IT guy for family and friends. It also offers tons of fine grain control. One of our few complaints is that Avast doesn't guard against Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUPs) by default. To change that, click on Security > File System Shield > Settings > Sensitivity and check the box underneath "PUP and suspicious files." We also recommend doing a full system scan at least once a month. If you keep your PC on 24/7, it's not a bad idea to schedule nightly scans when you're asleep. This ensures that any potential threats are caught before they have much chance to do any harm, provided they get past Avast's real-time scan engine to begin with. -Second Opinions No virus scanner is capable of catching and neutralizing every single threat; it's simply not possible due to the sheer number of new malware that is created on a daily basis. For this reason, it's in your best interest to solicit a second and/or third opinion on occasion using a dedicated spyware scanner. How often depends on how risky your online behavior. If all you're doing is surfing Maximum PC, sports sites, and updating your Facebook feed, quarterly scans should be sufficient. One of the best programs out there is Malwarebytes. It's free (there's also a paid version) and it does an excellent job of detecting deeply embedded threats that other scanners miss. Malwarebytes is also great at cleaning up remnants left behind after you've eradicated a virus, such as lingering registry entries. Another popular program is SuperAntiSpyware, which is also available in free and paid flavors. Scanning with both Malwarebyes and SuperAntiSpyware on occasion is a potent one-two combo to supplement your daily AV program. -Internet Security Suites If you're willing to pay for security software, an Internet security suite offers more robust protection than what's available in any single free program. One of the best available is Norton Internet Security. Put your pitchforks away, if you haven't taken Norton for a test drive in several years, then you have no idea what you're missing. It's not the same bloated program that it was prior to 2009. That's when Symantec re-wrote the software from the ground up with an emphasis on performance. These days it offers top-notch protection with little impact on system performance Click the next page to see what you should do when your computer has already been infected!   Stick Your Head in the Cloud   A substitute for installing security software is to tap into the cloud. There are several cloud scanners at your disposal, but only a select few will go the extra mile and actually disinfect your machine if it finds something wrong, while others try to upsell you. Panda Security's Panda Active Scan detects and removes, though it only works with Internet Explorer. There's also an option to install a small front-end, but even if you go that route, it's still a cloud-based scanner that won't suck up your system resources. Another handy bookmark is VirusTotal, a free, on-demand online scanner with a twist. Let's say you downloaded a file or email attachment, but are suspicious of its contents. Before you open it up, just upload it to VirusTotal and it will be put under the microscope of dozens of scan engines. It's the ultimate second opinion for single files and URLs, albeit the maximum file size is 32MB. Hide Behind a Virtual Machine Have kids that share your PC? You're a brave soul. Kids have a tendency to click on pop-up requests willy-nilly, but there are steps you can take to mitigate any potential headaches. Here they are: Teach them smart computing habits. It's never too early to learn, and since their brains are like little sponges, they may surprise you with how much they retain. Set up a different user account. It won't save your PC from nasty infections, but hey, do you really want to login and find that your Windows theme has been changed over to Spongebob or Dora the Explorer? We didn't think so. Install Sandboxie, a free application that runs selected programs in an isolated environment. You can configure Sandboxie to run any time a browser is opened, so when your kids inevitably download something they shouldn't have, the changes aren't permanent. This is also a wonderful tool for installing on PCs belonging to friends and family. It works with any browser, too. If you're particularly reckless on the web, a full-blown virtual machine is the next best thing to a dedicated web box. A virtual machine isn't completely fool proof, but it's close to it. Microsoft's Virtual PC works relatively well, especially if you're mostly interested in surfing the web, and so is VMWare's Player. Another thing VMs are good for is installing suspicious programs and beta software. If something turns out to be malicious, the damage is contained away from your OS. I'm Already Infected, Now What!? Despite your best efforts, sometimes the bad guys win. If that happens, or if a family member drops off a badly infected PC, follow these steps to clean it up. -Scan, Scan, and Scan Again First, try installing a free antivirus program. If it works, great, proceed to scan the system, and then follow that up with Malwarebytes and SuperAntiSpyware sweeps. This three-pronged approach should rid the system of most, if not all malware, unless it's a particularly nasty infection. If it doesn't, don't worry, we're not ready to throw in the towel. Before we proceed, are you even able to install security programs? Some malware detects when security software is being installed and stops it dead in its tracks. If that's happening to you, try to disable the offending program. Hit CTRL+ALT+DEL to start the Task Manager and look for any suspicious entries in the Processes tab. Anything that's gibberish -- for example, "mgbelwisfl" -- is probably up to no good. Highlight the entry and press End Process. Are you now able to install AV scanners? If not, you'll need to boot into Safe Mode, which only loads the bare minimum drivers required to run Windows. To do that, hit the F8 key during boot (press it repeatedly during during bootup if you have trouble with the timing). When prompted, select Safe Mode with Networking. Now try installing/running your security software. -HiJackThis If your system's still displaying malware symptoms (slowed performance, random pop-ups, etc), you may need to dig deeper. HiJackThis is a free utility that generates an in-depth report of registry and file settings, but be warned it doesn't discern between good and harmful settings. If you don't know what the settings are, solicit outside help by posting a HiJackThis log to a computer forum like one here at Maximum PC. Alternately, you can post the contents of the log on HiJackThis.de Security and/or I Am Not a Geek for quick and basic parsing, though you should still seek outside help before nuking an entry you're unfamiliar with. Running HiJackThis is simple. Just click the "Scan" button and wait for it finish scanning your system (it only takes a few seconds). When it's finished, click on "Save Log" to save the contents to a Notepad file, which you can then copy/paste into any of the sites mentioned above. Assuming you recognize an obvious malicious entry, check the appropriate box(es) and click "Fix checked." -Comodo Cleaning Essentials At this point, we're starting to run out of options, but all is not yet lost. Comodo Cleaning Essentials (CCE) is a tool that any geek should be toting around in his/her tool chest. It doesn't require any installation, meaning you can run it direct from a USB key, which is perfect for making house calls. CCE digs deep for a variety of infections, including rootkits, making it an indispensable tool. It even scans the Master Boot Record (MBR), so to say it's thorough is an understatement. Inside the CCE directory, you'll also find an entry called KillSwitch.exe. It's much better version of the built-in Task Manager because it provides a bunch of additional information, and will even tell you if a program that's running is safe or known to be malicious. If you can't get into the Task Manager to kill an offending program, try using KillSwitch. If you want, you can even have it replace the Task Manager by enabling the setting in the Options menu. -TDSSKiller Persistent infections that manage to evade your best efforts to eradicate could be indicative of a rootkit. A rootkit is particularly stealthy, though not entirely invisible. Download and run Kaskperky's TDSSKiller if you think you might have a rootkit. Like CCE, this utility doesn't require installation and can be carried on a USB stick. -ComboFix When you're at your wit's end and ready to reinstall Windows, that's when you should try ComboFix, a powerful cleanup tool that can either save the day or leave your PC unable to operate correctly. Before downloading and running ComboFix, backup any data as if you're reinstalling Windows, because in the end, you might have to anyway. Before you proceed, you should also read through the extensive usage guide on Bleeping Computer. If you've gotten this far and your system is still infected, throw in the towel and start with a fresh Windows installation. Sure, you could keep plugging away in hopes of cleaning up your system, but by the time you're done, you could be rocking a fresh Windows install with no trace of malware. Know of any tips we missed or have software recommendations of your own? Let us and other readers know by posting them in the comments section below!

Microsoft's Refreshed Artist Series Mice Bring Flair to the Desktop Posted: 22 Apr 2013 11:17 AM PDT Underneath the new designs sits a Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500. Looking to add a little style to your home or work office environment? If so, you may find something that tickles your fancy from Microsoft's latest batch of limited edition Artist Series mice. Microsoft said it tapped some of the best artists from the around the world to use its Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500 as a canvas to bring their designs to life, and they responded with seven custom pieces of art. Featured artists this time around include Dana McClure, Deanne Cheuk, Kustaa Saksi, Matt Lyon, Joy Deangdeelert Cho, Si Scott, and Liu Qing, each of which brought a decidedly unique design to the desktop. Saksi, for example, went with a liquid landscape motif, while Lyon made use of various shapes and patterns. "These Artist Series mice bring an array of choices and are perfect for those who want to add some color and flash to their mobile computing setup," Microsoft told Maximum PC in an email. Whether you like the designs or not, Microsoft deserves kudos for leaving the MSRP intact. There's no pricing premium attached to the Artist Series SKUs; they run $30 each, same as a standard Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Newegg Daily Deals: SSDs Galore Posted: 22 Apr 2013 10:21 AM PDT Top Deal: Do you remember when SSDs were crazy expensive? Well, today's top deal exemplifies how you can now get an SSD GB for less than a buck. Intel's 520 Series 2.5-inch 240GB SATA III SSD is running for $230 with free shipping (normally $300 - use coupon code: EMCYTZT3329). We really liked it when we reviewed it last year and gave it a 9 for its speed and reliability.   Other Deals: Crucial M4 2.5-inch 256GB SATA III SSD for $170 with free shipping (normally $210 - use coupon code: EMCYTZT3329)  Mushkin Enhanced Chronos 2.5-inch 240GB SATA III SSD for $153 with free shipping (normally $200 - use coupon code: EMCYTZT3329)  OCZ Vertex Plus R2 2.5-inch 240GB SATA II SSD for $136 with free shipping (normally $190 - use coupon code: EMCYTZT3329)  Corsair Force Series GT 2.5-inch 240GB SATA III SSD for $204 with free shipping (normally $240 - use coupon code: EMCYTZT3329)

Asus Rolls Out ROG Xonar Phoebus Solo 7.1 Gaming Sound Card Posted: 22 Apr 2013 09:06 AM PDT Who says discrete sound cards are dead? The death of discrete sound cards may have been greatly exaggerated. Yes, it's true, today's onboard sound is far more capable than it was some 10 years ago, and with multi-core processors now the norm, there's really no need to invest in a discrete card for improved frame rates when gaming. However, discrete sound cards still push cleaner, crisper sound than onboard solutions, and that's exactly what Asus promises with its new ROG Xonar Phoebus Solo solution. It's a 7.1 channel PCI Express sound card marketed towards gamers, though anyone with a decent set of speakers and a love for audio should be able to benefit. The Xonar Phoebus Solo offers a 118dB signal-to-noise ratio, 600ohm headphone amplifier, Dolby Home Theater v4, and DTS UltraPC II surround sound. The card also boasts an EMA shield and special "Hyper Grounding" technology that Asus claims will significantly reduce detrimental effects of electromagnetic interference. "Hyper Grounding technology brings the considerable motherboard expertise of Asus to audio products, with a multi-layer PCB and high-quality power supply that help eliminate electrical noise from nearby components, resulting in cleaner, less distorted audio," Asus says. "Together with the high-fidelity PCM1796 digital-to-analog converter, the ROG Xonar Phoebus Solo delivers clear and crisp sound with a 118dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), which means gamers will hear and experience every audio detail." As for gamers specifically, the Xonar Phoebus Solo features four different genre-optimized audio profiles for first person shooters, real time strategy, role playing, and racing simulation games. Asus hasn't yet announced how much the card will cost or when it will be available to purchase. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Intel Wants to Tweak the All-in-One Form Factor for Portability Posted: 22 Apr 2013 08:48 AM PDT Even all-in-one systems are getting a new look. Windows 8 is giving birth to all kinds of new designs, especially in mobile, where notebooks and tablets are blending into hybrid devices that can function as either one. But it's not only laptops and slates that are starting to look different. Intel is reportedly pushing PC makers to build adaptive all-in-one systems with internal batteries so that users can tote them from place to place. News of Intel's desire for a new kind of AIO comes from Digitimes, which itself is hearing about this from sources within the upstream supply chain. By tweaking the design for semi-portability, Intel hopes it can boost AIO PC sales in 2013 to triple the number sold in 2008. The new adaptive AIO PCs will feature high-end components and large-size panels anywhere from 18.4 inches to 27 inches. It's hard to imagine someone carrying around a 27-inch AIO, though it's not necessarily about taking these things on a train or bus across town, it's also about being able to lay flat to take advantage of table top computing. We suppose the idea is that when you're done with work, you can plop the AIO on the living room table and play games with the kids, or something like that. Some of these designs already exist, such as Sony's Vaio Tap 20, Dell's XPS 18, and Lenovo's Horizon Tablet PC, Digitimes says. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Adata Launches a DDR3 2600MHz Memory Kit, Tells Games 'Come Get Some' Posted: 22 Apr 2013 08:22 AM PDT Adata may be targeting the wrong audience. The folks at Adata announced an insanely fast DDR3 memory kit that can hit speeds up to 2600MHz, though it's interesting the company is taking aim at gamers instead of overclockers. It's true that PC gamers have a played a pivotal role in driving demand for increasingly faster components, but it seems to us this is the kind of kit a professional overclocker would have more interest in. Regardless of the target audience, Adata's new XPG Gaming v2.0 Series DDR3 2600G DRAM 8GB modules come in dual-channel kits "designed and engineered to bring optimum performance" to Intel's Ivy Bridge processors and the Z77 platform, Adata says. The modules support Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) verson 1.3 and are rated to run at up to 2600MHz with latency timings of 11-13-13-35 at 1.66V (XMP Profile 1). These 16GB kits (2x8GB) feature 2-ounce copper 8-layer printed circuit boards (PCBs) and Adata's Thermal Conductive Technology (TCT) to keep cool. No word yet on price or availability, though as a point of reference, you can find Adata XPG Gaming v2.0 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3-2400 kits selling for $160 street. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Microsoft Dismisses Study That Claimed Bing Delivers Five Times More Malware Than Google Posted: 21 Apr 2013 11:43 PM PDT Expresses faith in search engine's malware warning system while questioning the study's methodology Microsoft is no stranger to seeing Security Essentials come up woefully short in German security and antivirus research firm AV-TEST's bimonthly antivirus certification tests, but last week it was Bing, and not Security Essentials, that had the honor of being thoroughly trashed in an AV-TEST study. A recent AV-TEST study "Search Engines as Malware Providers", which involved over 40 million sites and spanned 18 months, concluded that Bing was responsible for delivering "five times as many websites containing malware as Google." Published on April 12, AV-TEST's findings did not prompt an immediate response from Microsoft despite their alarming nature. The software giant waited until April 19 to refute the German company's claim regarding the world's perennial number two search engine's affinity for malware. In a post on the official Bing blog Friday, the company responded by calling into question the technique deployed by AV-TEST for this study, arguing that the security research firm's results are not reflective of the actual threat posed to a real user, as it did not do any actual searching on Bing, but instead "used a Bing API to execute a number of queries and downloaded the result to their system for further analysis." "By using the API instead of the user interface, AV-TEST bypassed our warning system designed to keep customers from being harmed by malware," wrote David Felstead, Senior Development Lead, Bing,  "Bing actually does prevent customers from clicking on malware infected sites by disabling the link on the results page and showing the below message to stop people from going to the site," he further wrote, adding that the company preferred warning customers over the outright suppression of such malicious content for the sake of "both completeness and educational reasons." According to Felstead, the company's data shows that Bing's malware warning system is able to dissuade users from clicking through to sites with malware in the vast majority of instances (94 percent). "We show results with warnings for about 0.04% of all searches, meaning about 1 in 2,500 search result pages will have a result with a malware warning on it.  Of those, only a small proportion of malicious links ever get clicked and the warning therefore triggered, so a user will see the warning only 1 in every 10,000 searches. In any case, the overall scale of the problem is very small." Follow Pulkit on Google+

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Latest Gaming and MMORPG Updates

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• Dead Island Riptide Review
• Peer Inside The Evil Within's Live Action Trailer
• Canada Awards Its Favorite Video Games Of 2012
• Lego City Undercover: The Chase Begins 3DS Review
• Facebook Home Hits 500K In Five Days, Pales In Comparison To Instagram's Android Shift
• MBAx.me Wants To Help Non-Technical Professionals Learn Key Technical Skills Online
• Dawn Of The Digilante
• Hey Apple, What The Next iPhone Really, Really Needs Is A Much Better Keyboard
• Inhon Unveils the Worlds Thinnest and Lightest Ultrabook
• CrunchWeek: Facebook's Weird Home Commercial; Our Experiences With Google Glass, And Fibermania

Dead Island Riptide Review Posted: 22 Apr 2013 09:30 AM PDT Some of this generation’s most beloved open-world games are riddled with bugs. Even the truest fans of Skyrim, Fallout: New Vegas, and Assassin’s Creed III must concede their lack of polish. Deep Silver’s 2011 hit, Dead Island, also falls into this camp. The sequel, Dead Island Riptide, suffers the same affliction. The changes to its [...]

Peer Inside The Evil Within's Live Action Trailer Posted: 22 Apr 2013 09:30 AM PDT Last week, Bethesda and Tango Gameworks revealed the name of Shinji Mikami’s new game, The Evil Within. They also showed a disturbing live action montage of horrific images enough to make any horror fan’s blood-soaked day. Now, that trailer is available for us to share with you. The man behind the short, Kyle Cooper, is [...]

Canada Awards Its Favorite Video Games Of 2012 Posted: 22 Apr 2013 09:30 AM PDT Last night, the fourth annual Canadian Video Game Awards were held Vancouver, British Columbia. Below you will find the list of what Canada considers to be the best games of the year. Far Cry 3 was the big winner taking home Game of the Year, Best New Character (Vaas), The Fan’s Choice Award, Best Animation, [...]

Lego City Undercover: The Chase Begins 3DS Review Posted: 22 Apr 2013 09:00 AM PDT Lego City Undercover: The Chase Begins systematically dismantles all of the parts I loved about the Wii U game to the point where I wonder why Nintendo even bothered. Compartmentalized tracts of land replace the original’s large open world. Missions are simplified beyond even Lego standards. And in its biggest crime, hero Chase McCain and [...]

Facebook Home Hits 500K In Five Days, Pales In Comparison To Instagram's Android Shift Posted: 21 Apr 2013 04:05 PM PDT It would appear that Facebook Home has just surpassed 500k downloads on Google Play since launching on the platform five days ago on April 16. The app’s Google Play listing notes the milestone, and Ben Evans confirmed on Twitter. Facebook Home isn’t so much of an app as a user interface for the phone, putting [...]

MBAx.me Wants To Help Non-Technical Professionals Learn Key Technical Skills Online Posted: 21 Apr 2013 04:05 PM PDT It’s not often that a guest post on TechCrunch turns into a startup Earlier this year, Googler Aditya Mahesh published a guest post on TechCrunch, which addressed what skills business students should take the time to learn before they start working in tech. As he writes, he wishes he had learned certain skills before entering [...]

Dawn Of The Digilante Posted: 21 Apr 2013 04:00 PM PDT It’s hard to say with any conviction where we are in the process of, shall we say, crowd-sourcing justice. Like most things, it is a process, not something achieved, and while some question its utility, it’s no good to question its existence. Some will see the events this week in Boston as the moment digilantism [...]

Hey Apple, What The Next iPhone Really, Really Needs Is A Much Better Keyboard Posted: 21 Apr 2013 04:00 PM PDT What the next iPhone really really needs is not an even bigger screen, flatter icons, flexible widgets or live tiles, or even crystal-ball-gazing cards. Or Facebook Home. That list is just garnish compared to the biggie: the iPhone needs a better keyboard. The iOS keyboard remains the most offensive piece of skeuomorphism across Apple’s faux realistic, lavishly textured user interface estate. [...]

Inhon Unveils the Worlds Thinnest and Lightest Ultrabook Posted: 21 Apr 2013 11:25 AM PDT Never Heard of Inhon? Don’t be embarrassed, neither had we. Inhon might not be a household name when it comes to Notebooks, but they sure have pulled off something impressive. This small Taiwanese based computer maker is officially announcing the Blade 13 Carbon laptop, and its form factor propels Apple’s Macbook Air well into the [...]

CrunchWeek: Facebook's Weird Home Commercial; Our Experiences With Google Glass, And Fibermania Posted: 20 Apr 2013 04:03 PM PDT The weekend is here, and so is another episode of CrunchWeek, the TechCrunch TV show where a few of us writers sit down for some real talk about the stories that dominated the tech world over the past seven days. This week, Ryan Lawler, Greg Kumparak and I talked about Facebook Home’s weird new commercial [...]

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MMO Updates

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• Leaderboard: Bless vs. Black Desert vs. Blade & Soul vs. ArcheAge
• Dragon's Prophet EU opens guild registration with contest for floating island
• The Nexus Telegraph: Dissecting WildStar's surprise patch notes
• Name this Repopulation zone, win a $100 Kickstarter pledge
• The Stream Team: Spring has sprung edition, April 22 - 28, 2013
• ArcheAge may be F2P in China
• The Daily Grind: Which devs would you like to see in the MMO space?
• MMO Week in Review: Expansions and revamps
• EVE Evolved: Five years of EVE Evolved
• Four minutes of this week's episode of Defiance
• Rise and Shiny: The Aurora World

Leaderboard: Bless vs. Black Desert vs. Blade & Soul vs. ArcheAge Posted: 22 Apr 2013 10:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Opinion, Blade & Soul, ArcheAge, Sandbox, Leaderboard, Black Desert There are plenty of interesting MMOs coming out of Korea these days, and whether we're talking sandboxes like Black Desert, themeparks like Bless, or hybrids like ArcheAge, I'm pretty excited to try all of them. Let's not forget Blade & Soul, either, and even Aion has a new expansion on the way that's introducing a couple of game-changing classes. For today's Leaderboard, let's pit these games against one another and see which one will claim the title of Massively's most anticipated Korean import. Vote after the cut! Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard! Continue reading Leaderboard: Bless vs. Black Desert vs. Blade & Soul vs. ArcheAge Leaderboard: Bless vs. Black Desert vs. Blade & Soul vs. ArcheAge originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Dragon's Prophet EU opens guild registration with contest for floating island Posted: 22 Apr 2013 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Contests, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, Housing, Dragon's Prophet If you're an EU player with thoughts of creating a guild in Dragon's Prophet, now's a good time to act. In conjunction with launching a new guild registration page, Infernum Productions is holding a contest that will grant one lucky guild a floating island to call home! The grand prize includes a mansion for the guild leader, five housing plots for officers, four medium houses, an exclusive in-game title, early access to open beta, and a year's subscription to Enjin guild hosting. All registered guilds will receive early access to closed beta and 30 days of Enjin premium hosting. To enter, register your guild on the site and tell Infernum why your guild should get access to closed beta, and then have 10 others activate the guild code you provide. Only guilds with 10 or more members will qualify for the contest. Want a glimpse of the housing to whet your appetite? Then check out the trailer after the break. [Source: Infernum Productions press release] Continue reading Dragon's Prophet EU opens guild registration with contest for floating island Dragon's Prophet EU opens guild registration with contest for floating island originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Nexus Telegraph: Dissecting WildStar's surprise patch notes Posted: 22 Apr 2013 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Patches, News Items, Opinion, Sandbox, WildStar, The Nexus Telegraph After I penned my last installment of The Nexus Telegraph, two things happened in very quick succession. The first is that a set of beta patch notes for WildStar were leaked to the internet by some unscrupulous individual, which prompted me and many other players to immediately shout that we wouldn't have leaked the notes if we had been selected. And there's an entire article to be written about why such an action isn't cool, how it harms the game, and why the persion responsible is a particularly toxic form of "fan." But then the second thing happened. The powers that be over at Carbine Studios, being infinitely cool themselves, decided to save people the trouble of deciding whether or not to look at the leaks. They posted the notes themselves, which means that I can now read the notes and actually write a column about them. Of course, as with any patch notes, we've been given an incomplete picture and can make only a few haphazard guesses about how the game will look. We also know that this is not even close to the final state of the game. But there's still interesting stuff here worth analyzing and speculating about. Continue reading The Nexus Telegraph: Dissecting WildStar's surprise patch notes The Nexus Telegraph: Dissecting WildStar's surprise patch notes originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 22 Apr 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Name this Repopulation zone, win a $100 Kickstarter pledge Posted: 22 Apr 2013 07:30 AM PDT Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Contests, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Sandbox, The Repopulation Want to leave your mark on Above & Beyond Technologies' new Repopulation sandbox? You can via a contest that will allow players to name a newly created zone in the sci-fi game. Entries must be submitted via a forum thread or Twitter, and finalists will go into a pool of five from which the winner will be selected by a poll. Said winner will receive a $100 Kickstarter pledge to the game or a bump if you're already an early adopter. Full details are available at The Repopulation's official site. Name this Repopulation zone, win a $100 Kickstarter pledge originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 22 Apr 2013 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Announcement

The Stream Team: Spring has sprung edition, April 22 - 28, 2013 Posted: 22 Apr 2013 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: Video, Events (Real-World), Previews, Massively Meta, Humor, Livestream, Miscellaneous, The Stream Team, Music If you live in the Northeast, chances are you ignore both the calendar and the furry little four-footed weatherman when it comes to anticipating the arrival of spring. In fact, you just don't believe it until you see it! Plenty of kids in that region are pros at gathering Easter eggs in a snowsuit. Although some might argue that the four seasons are actually Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter, and Road Construction, I contend that they can experience an actual spring. And after a week of sunshine and non-frosty temperatures, I say it's finally made an appearance! Doh! I spoke to soon: It's back to the 20s. Tricksy weather, you almost fooled me. Oh well, I guess I can dive back under some blankets and watch more Massively TV instead of venturing into that thing called "outdoors." You, too, can take refuge from the never-ending winter by watching The Stream Team visit virtual lands of sun, warmth, even lava. Whom am I kidding? They will probably taunt us in another world of snow! Continue reading The Stream Team: Spring has sprung edition, April 22 - 28, 2013 The Stream Team: Spring has sprung edition, April 22 - 28, 2013 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 22 Apr 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

ArcheAge may be F2P in China Posted: 22 Apr 2013 06:30 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Business Models, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, ArcheAge, Sandbox ArcheAge launched with a subscription model in its native Korea, but XLGAMES founder Jake Song says that a free-to-play model may be better for the title's Chinese release. Song's comments came as he attended a recent awards ceremony, according to MMO Culture, but there is no official word from the company as of yet. Similarly, no plans have been announced for ArcheAge's Western business model. The game is being published by Trion in America. [Thanks Dengar!] ArcheAge may be F2P in China originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: MMO Culture

The Daily Grind: Which devs would you like to see in the MMO space? Posted: 22 Apr 2013 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: MMO Industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Crowdfunding We've seen a number of big-name game gurus make headlines in recent months with various MMOish development projects. Whether we're talking Chris Roberts, Mark Jacobs, or Richard Garriott, there's plenty of star power on display in both the MMO and crowdfunding arenas these days. Are there any other well-known devs you'd like see turning (or returning) to the MMO ranks? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind! The Daily Grind: Which devs would you like to see in the MMO space? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

MMO Week in Review: Expansions and revamps Posted: 21 Apr 2013 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Massively Meta, Week in Review, Miscellaneous At the end of every week, we round up the best and most popular news stories, exclusive features, and insightful columns published on Massively and then present them all in one convenient place. If you missed a big MMO or WoW Insider story last week, you've come to the right post. This week, Massively was focused on two MMO expansion releases whose status was once in question. First, Darkfall's Unholy Wars revamp finally launched, after repeated delays that turned the game into a punchline for many months during its extended beta. We sent in Darkfall veteran Jef Reahard to investigate; he was impressed by its immersive world, PvE, and crafting but not so impressed with its animations, UI, and economy. Second, Star Wars: The Old Republic's Rise of the Hutt Cartel expansion officially launched. We posted a general impressions piece to complement our critique of the update's daily quests, while BioWare contented itself with explaining reworks of all eight of the game's classes. Read on for a look at the rest of this week's top MMO stories. Continue reading MMO Week in Review: Expansions and revamps MMO Week in Review: Expansions and revamps originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 21 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

EVE Evolved: Five years of EVE Evolved Posted: 21 Apr 2013 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, EVE Online, Contests, Culture, Expansions, Game Mechanics, Lore, PvP, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Massively Meta, Hands-On, MMOFPS, EVE Evolved, DUST 514, Guides, Sandbox, Anniversaries About five years ago, on April 27th, 2008, I joined the Massively team and wrote the very first issue of the EVE Evolved column. Five years later, the column is still going strong and delivering its weekly dose of EVE Online to thousands of readers. I used to worry about running out of ideas to write about, but regular game updates and hilarious player shenanigans mean there's always something interesting going on in New Eden. When EVE hits its 10th anniversary in May, this column will have been running for just over half of the game's lifetime. In that time, I've written over 250 in-depth articles, guides, in-game stories and opinion pieces on EVE Online and a few on DUST 514. As usual, I'll be celebrating this anniversary by rounding up this year's column highlights and giving away two 30-day Pilot's License Extensions to two lucky readers. To enter the competition, write a comment explaining which EVE Evolved articles from this year you liked best and what topics you'd like to see covered in the coming year. You will need an active EVE account to claim the prize, so be sure to include your character name in your comment if you want to be in with a chance. If you'd rather not give out your character name or don't have an EVE account but would like to give the game a go, you can sign up a new trial account and use the name of your new character. In this week's EVE Evolved, I look back at the highlights from the column's fifth year! Continue reading EVE Evolved: Five years of EVE Evolved EVE Evolved: Five years of EVE Evolved originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 21 Apr 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Four minutes of this week's episode of Defiance Posted: 21 Apr 2013 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-Fi, Video, Previews, MMOFPS, Post-Apocalyptic, Defiance, Buy-to-Play Did you enjoy the first episode of Defiance last Monday? We thought so. If you can't wait to see what's happening in the first four minutes of the next episode, then we have you covered. Tensions are rising as central characters Nolan and Irisa come head-to-head with ancient laws and religions within the city of Defiance, and we're sure that what happens next is going to impact the ragtag community for many episodes after. Nolan has donned the star of the local lawman and stepped right into the middle of a Castithan ceremony, something that does not sit well with Datak Tarr, the local crime boss. Even after they fought in battle together, is it be possible for these two headstrong characters to bury the hatchet for good? Can't they all just get along? It's TV, so no, no they cannot. Click past the cut to watch the video! Continue reading Four minutes of this week's episode of Defiance Four minutes of this week's episode of Defiance originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 21 Apr 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Defiance official site, Defiance YouTube video

Rise and Shiny: The Aurora World Posted: 21 Apr 2013 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Game Mechanics, Previews, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Hands-On, Humor, Rise and Shiny, Livestream There are a lot of MMOs out there. A lot. Sometimes I rattle off a list of MMOs during a conversation with fellow fans and they look at me as if I have butter pouring from my fingertips. They don't believe it, but they know it's happening. There are that many MMOs out there? Yes, there are. There are literally thousands in the world, hundreds in the United States. Out of all of those many different titles that I have played and come across, I like to say that most aren't really bad or horrible, but just... the same. Bland, boring, vanilla, dull. I like to throw the figure "80 percent" around to represent how many of them are just ugh. The Aurora World is an MMO. It has systems. It has skills to learn, and pets and monsters and quests and all of those trademarks that have, unfortunately, given MMO developers blanks to fill in on a checklist that is titled "MMORPG." There are a few tricks up the game's sleeves, but only a few. Actually, The Aurora World reminds me of one of my favorites, Zentia, but it lacks the soul that made me love Zentia. Continue reading Rise and Shiny: The Aurora World Rise and Shiny: The Aurora World originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 21 Apr 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

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