| No BS Podcast #216: Katherine Departs, CES Gear Discussion, and More Posted: 16 Jan 2014 03:02 PM PST 
We pour one out for Katherine, then discuss all the sweet gear we spotted at CES. The No BS Podcast has returned, both from the holiday break, and from CES, and we've recorded Episode #216. Sadly, things are starting off on a somber note, as Editor-in-Chief Katherine Stevenson has announced she is leaving the magazine to pursue other interests here at Future US. She will be sorely missed, and we wish her the best of luck at her new gig. Since we must carry on, we did, so we jumped into a discussion of all the hardware we saw at CES, including the Steam Machines, 4K panels, Razer's Project Christine, and Oculus Rift. Gordon had his ear to the ground for CPU news at CES too, and discusses what Intel told him at the show. We also all have a chat about AMD"s new Kaveri APU. We finished the proceedings with our Editors' Picks, and the Gordon tackled the controversial topic of comic books being made into movies and wearable computing.   
Editor's Picks Tom MacNamara: Timely Alarm Clock App
Gordon Ung: Thermal Detonator
Jimmy Thang: Corsair Vengeance 2000 Headset Josh Norem: Battlefield 4 Tips and Tricks Stalk us on the following networks: Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes Become a fan on Facebook Tweet us on Twitter Subscribe to us on Youtube Check out our Windows 8 app in Microsoft's app store Subscribe to our RSS feed If you have any feedback or questions feel free to: Email us at maximumpcpodcast@gmail.com or Leave us a voicemail at 877-404-1337 x1337 Subscribe to Maximum PC in print or on Google Play, iTunes, Kindle, Nook and Zinio. Thanks for listening! |
| Check Out Eurocom's Armadillo, a 14-inch Multi-Touch Ultrabook Posted: 16 Jan 2014 11:48 AM PST  An Armadillo without the leathery armor shell
You may have let cats, dogs, fish, lizards, and even snakes into your home, but have you ever adopted an Armadillo? Now you can, though it's not the kind that waddles around Texas weighing up to 130 pounds. This particular Armadillo comes from the Eurocom family measuring 13.6 inches (W) by 9.6 inches (D) by 0.91 inches (H) and weighing in at 4.4 pounds. That's Ultrabook territory. Indeed, Eurocom advertises the Armadillo as a 14-inch light and multi-touch enabled Ultrabook. It features a 14-inch Full HD 1080p (1920x1080) display with 10-point multi-touch support and has a sleek brushed metal exterior that Eurocom fashioned after the real-life mammal. "The Eurocom Armadillo is a perfect complement to our line of thin and light notebooks from 11.6-inch to 15.6-inch as it focuses on the pleasure of computing combined with a beautiful 14-inch design. The Eurocom Armadillo has the power, speed and slim build that can't help but turn heads, who knew an Armadillo could be so beautiful!," said Mark Bialic, Eurocom President. 
It comes configured with an Intel Core i7 4500U processor, up to 16GB of DDR3L-1600 memory (two memory sockets), two drives (mSATA + HDD/SSD/SHDD), 6-in-1 memory card reader, two USB 3.0 ports, HDMI output, headphone and microphone jacks, GbE LAN port, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, 1MP webcam, and a 4-cell battery. The Eurocom Armadillo is available now starting at $917 sans OS. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Microsoft Reverses Course, Vows to Update MSE for Windows XP Until July 14, 2015 Posted: 16 Jan 2014 10:51 AM PST  Good news for diehard Windows XP users
It's been a long time coming, but effective April 8, 2014, Microsoft will finally drop support for Windows XP. What that means is no more security patches , nor will you be able to receive tech support from Microsoft for any issues that arise on Windows XP systems. Initially, Microsoft also planned to pull the plug on its free Security Essentials software for XP by ceasing to offer it as a download and cutting off definition updates, but that's no longer the case. Instead, Microsoft is giving XP users a 15-month reprieve. Though support for XP ends in early April, Microsoft will continue to update Security Essentials on XP through through July 14, 2015. If you're an enterprise customer, you'll also receive updates for System Center Endpoint Protection, Forefront Client Security, Forefront Endpoint Protection, and Windows Intune on XP. "Microsoft has announced the Windows XP end of support date of April 8, 2014. After this date, Windows XP will no longer be a supported operating system. To help organizations complete their migrations, Microsoft will continue to provide updates to our antimalware signatures and engine for Windows XP users through July 14, 2015," Microsoft stated in a blog post. "This does not affect the end-of-support date of Windows XP, or the supportability of Windows XP for other Microsoft products, which deliver and apply those signatures." What isn't clear is whether or not Microsoft will still offer Security Essentials for download on XP systems past April 8. Even if it doesn't, however, it won't be hard to find on third-party download sites. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Target Offering Protection Through Experian to Customers Affected by Breach Posted: 16 Jan 2014 09:41 AM PST  Additional customer information obtained in December attack
Target's massive data breach in mid-December was frustrating enough as it is without tossing additional personal identifying information into the mix, but personal emails sent out yesterday to Target shoppers confirm that the names, mailing addresses, phone numbers, and even email addresses of customers were obtained in the attack. Much like Sony during their very similar hacking situation, Target's looking to make things right. If you shopped at Target during the afected timeframes, you will be eligible for protection through Experian. If you want a little more insurance when it comes to protecting your assets and identity, Target is offering one year of free credit monitoring with Experian's ProtectMyID service, which also includes theft insurance. If you want to redeem your code for free service, you can head over to creditmonitoring.target.com and register before April 23, 2014. Once you've gotten your code, it must be redeemed by April 30, 2014. Additionally, you can read up on more information about the data breach at Target's official site. Did you receive Target's email as well? Are you going to be taking advantage of this offer? |
| Supreme Court Helps Newegg Slay a Patent Troll Posted: 16 Jan 2014 09:30 AM PST  Supreme Court effectively sides with Newegg
It's the end of the road for software firm Soverain Software LLC in a patent infringement case filed against Newegg. Rather than fork over funds to a company perceived as being a patent troll attempting to extort cash by enforcing weak and obvious patents. Newegg let the U.S. legal system run its course as the case went all the way up to the Supreme Court, which refused to listen to Soverain Software's claims. Let's back up a moment. According to Reuters, Soverain Software sued Newegg for infringing three "shopping cart patents," which are patents that describe a way to buy products on the web and pay for them. Soverain won its case in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, but then lost at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on the basis that the patents were obvious. Soverain sought to overturn the ruling by taking its case to the Supreme Court, while Newegg argued that it should be upheld, saying that all the patent does is apply the common sense concept of a shopping cart to the Internet. It was such a weak case on the part of Soverain that the Supreme Court opted to ignore it altogether. "The witch is dead, hurray," Newegg's chief legal officer, Lee Cheng, said in reaction to the decision. "We are very, very pleased that the Supreme Court has recognized...these patents should never have been granted in the first place. What we have showed in the Soverain case is the fighting back works." As expected, Soverain was disappointed with the decision. "It's a really tough time to be a patent owner," Soverain president Katharine Wolanyk said. Image Source: Flickr (aka Jens Rost) Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Klipsch Ventures into Gaming Headset Territory with KG-200 and KG-300 Wireless Posted: 16 Jan 2014 08:31 AM PST  Klipsch's first foray into gaming headsets
We were bummed when Klipsch stopped making new speaker lines for PCs. To this day, we're fans of the ProMedia 2.1 and 5.1 Ultra speaker sets, both of which deliver crisp audio and hard hitting bass. Maybe one day Klipsch will re-enter the PC speaker market, but in the meantime, the company will try its hand at gaming headsets starting with the launch of the KG-200 and KG-300 Wireless. "Following the success of our bestselling ProMedia 2.1 multimedia speakers, we have undoubtedly gained the necessary expertise to bring new products to the gaming market," said Chris Aiello, headphone product manager for Klipsch. "For years the focus has been on the evolution of gaming graphics, but developers and studios are now emphasizing a quality audio experience. With decades of industry-leading audio developments, our new headsets will be the quintessential audio accessory that best brings the gaming experience to life." The KG-200 is a wired headset with "athletic mesh" earpads for long-term comfort and breath-ability without sacrificing noise isolation. Inside are 40mm precision-tuned drivers. Ear mounted controls give gamers access to four selectable EQ presets: - Fidelity: Clear, balanced sound for any situation
- Combat: Optimized bass enhances explosions, gunshots, and vocals
- Stealth: Clean highs and clear mids enhance very detail around you
- Sport: Bass and mids tuned to enhance big hits and clutch plays
There's also a digital amplifier and precision-flex boom mic that's adjustable and detachable. The KG-200 will be available next month for $130 MSRP. 
The KG-300 Wireless is a similar looking headset with mostly the same specifications in wireless form. It uses three AAA batteries and adds Dolby Digital Decoding and proprietary Klipsch SphereSpace Surround technology to the mix. Look for it to ship next month as well, for $200 MSRP. Klipsch says both headsets are designed for use with Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Newegg Daily Deals: Asus Sabertooth AMD 990FX Mobo, WD Red NAS 3TB HDD, and More! Posted: 16 Jan 2014 08:07 AM PST |
| Valve's Steam Dev Days Conference Begins in Seattle Posted: 15 Jan 2014 10:51 PM PST  Steam is as profitable as we all imagined
With its announcement of the continued growth of Steam today, Valve kicked off the first iteration of the Steam Dev Days Conference. More than 1,200 attendees to the fledgling conference were treated to inside information about Steam's 2013 geographic performance, and the numbers within were certainly awe-inspiring. Steam's publishing team was on hand to give those at the conference a look at the geographic breakdown of revenue in 2013, seen above. There was a near-tie between North America and Europe, but the rest of the world is certainly closing in, with Russia and Brazil experiencing the largest year's growth (2013 over 2012) and increasing 128% and 75%. Those are definitely some impressive figures, but no wonder, with how Steam lures users in with sales and discounts. We're guilty of some impulsive spending there ourselves. 
Steam Dev Days is held in Seattle, Washington, and you can learn more about the conference here. |
