General Gaming Article

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• Google Acquires AI Developer DeepMind
• Google Play Music All Access vs. Spotify
• Nvidia GeForce 334.67 Beta Drivers Now Available to Download
• Leaked Screenshots Supposedly Show Left 4 Dead 2 Rebuilt Using Source 2.0 Engine
• CyberPowerPC Jumpstarts Zeus Mini SFF Series with Eight Pre-Built Configurations
• Angry Birds Maker Denies Knowingly Sending User Data to Spy Agencies
• Newegg Daily Deals: Gigabyte GP-H11 Aluminum In-Ear Headphones, Intel Core i5 4670K, and More!

Google Acquires AI Developer DeepMind Posted: 28 Jan 2014 05:22 PM PST Google continues to grow one company at a time Google has purchased DeepMind and confirmed the business transaction to technology website ReCode, though declined to reveal the amount of money paid. According to the website, though, an initial amount of $400 million was offered for the London-based company.  DeepMind was founded in 2011 by computer game designer and neuroscientist Demis Hassabis along with Shane Legg and Mustafa Suleyman. The purpose of this compay is to combine "the best techniques from machine learning and systems neuroscience to build powerful general-purpose learning algorithms."  Unfortunately, information about DeepMind and its projects are shrouded in secrecy and Google has refused to offer up any information as to its plans for the company's projects that include applications for simulations, e-commerce, and games.  The purchase of DeepMind follows a couple weeks after Google obtained Nest Labs, a company that develops thermostats and smoke alarms connected to the internet, for $3.2 billion. Then there was the acquisition of companies involved with robotics such as Boston Dynamics. Could it be that Google is developing an army of robots? Let us know what you think of these acquisitions in the comments below.

Google Play Music All Access vs. Spotify Posted: 28 Jan 2014 04:37 PM PST Google Play Music All Access vs. Spotify Rocky Marciano never lost a bout during his professional career, and so far in our own sanctioned cage fights, neither has Spotify. The spunky streaming music service handily dispatched Rdio when we tossed the two in a ring two years ago, and more recently, Xbox Music took a beating, losing four out of five rounds. Google, however, has come out swinging with a promising music service of its own: Google Play Music All Access. Will there finally be a new champ? For an in-depth comparison of all the different music streaming services, click here to read our best music streaming services roundup.  Round 1: Music Library Let's cut right to the chase—the real reason to consider subscribing to a streaming music service is for the music catalog. Size matters, and the bigger and more robust the selection of tunes, the better. At last count, Spotify was sitting pretty with around 20 million tracks and deals with all three major music labels (Universal, Sony, and Warner). Google also brought the big three on board and boasts 18 million–plus songs. With both services having lured the big fish to their respective ponds and both offering a similar number of tunes, we directed our attention to indie artists and obscure bands to see if either had an advantage over the other. It turns out they don't. Artists and bands like Ted Hawkins, Psychostick, and Apples in Stereo lie in wait, as do indie favorites like The National and Passion Pit. For all intents and purposes, this category's a draw. Winner: Tie Round 2: Pricing Google Play Music All Access (an unnecessarily long and clumsy name for a subscription service, by the way) burst into the streaming scene with an introductory price of $8 per month for anyone who signed up for a free trial by June 30, 2013. That deal will be long gone by the time you read this, so if you didn't hop on board, the price is now $10 per month. What that gets you is unlimited ad-free listening to Google's entire music catalog along with a Pandora-like radio service with unlimited skips. Spotify's Premium tier also runs $10 per month, but it's not the only option available. If you just want to access music on your PC without the ability to download tunes for offline listening, the price is cut in half. Alternately, you can get on-demand access to songs for free on your PC if you're willing to tolerate ads. Spotify's desktop client still has a tendency to feel cluttered, though it's relatively easy to navigate. Winner: Spotify Round 3: Platform and Device Support Spotify launched over four years ago (over two years ago in the United States) and is now available on just about every platform you can think of. Surprisingly, in-browser listening is a feature that was only recently added, but it's there, along with support for Android (including Kindle devices), iOS, Windows Phone, BlackBerry (select devices), Symbian (also on select Nokia phones), PC, and Mac. In stark contrast, Google's relatively new minted streaming music service is only available on Android, though an iOS app is in the works and may be available to download by the time you read this. While casting a net over Android and iOS catches the majority of mobile users, it won't come as any consolation to Windows Phone 7/8 or BlackBerry users. We suspect it's only a matter of time before Google invites more mobile users to the party, but for now, this is another round that belongs to Spotify. Winner: Spotify Round 4: Audio Quality Today's mobile devices aren't equipped with speakers that would delight an audiophile, but they're not total garbage, either. Audio quality matters, especially if you're plugging a high-end headset or earphones into your phone's audio jack, so it's up to Google and Spotify to serve up streams that don't sound like they're traveling across string from one tin can to another. Fortunately, both belt out tunes at up to 320Kb/s. By default, Spotify assumes you're more concerned with your data cap than with the highest quality stream available, so you'll have to go into Settings to change things. The Low setting equates to 96Kb/s, High translates to 160Kb/s, and Extreme quality is 320Kb/s. Google doesn't offer as much fine-grain control and instead chooses a bitrate based on your Internet connection, though you can insist on only receiving 320Kb/s streams regardless of available bandwidth. Winner: Tie Round 5: Interface Though it's the new kid on the block, Google has amassed an army of tunes ranging from mainstream artists to obscure bands. Spotify's desktop application is a far cry from a fine piece of art, and as we've lamented in the past, it can feel cluttered at times. The latest version is a slight improvement from the last time we examined it, but it still lacks the modern UI feel with larger tiles that's becoming so prominent. The mobile app, however, is less busy and generally much easier to navigate. Even so, Google's implementation is a bit slicker overall. Swiping from the left brings up a menu giving quick access to things like your library, playlists, and the radio feature. Google also takes advantage of tiles at every turn and it just feels like a more modern platform than Spotify. We also like that you can add artists to your library, which Google then uses to make recommendations based on who and what you like to listen to. Winner: Google Play Music All Access And the Winner Is… Google Play Music All Access is a slick-looking service with a lot of promise and eventually it's going to give the competition a serious run for its money, but today is not that day. For now, Spotify remains the undefeated champ, a sure sign of a mature contender that knows the ropes. Most notably, Spotify recognizes the importance of supporting multiple mobile platforms, and it doesn't hurt to offer multiple pricing tiers, either. Note: This article originally appeared in the September 2013 issue of the magazine.

Nvidia GeForce 334.67 Beta Drivers Now Available to Download Posted: 28 Jan 2014 10:31 AM PST Includes several new and improved 3D Vision profiles Itching to try out some new graphics drivers? You're in luck, provided you own Nvidia hardware and don't mind tempting fate by installing beta code. That's because Nvidia has made available its new GeForce 334.67 beta drivers, which introduce a variety of new SLI and 3D Vision profiles. Nvidia also baked in the obligatory performance and system stability tweaks that typically accompany each new driver release. New SLI profiles include HeartStone: Heroes of Warcraft and Gass Guzzlers. On the 3D Vision side, Nvidia added or updated a dozen titles, including Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Bioshock Infinite, Hitman: Absolution, Assassin's Creed III, Sniper Elite V2, Battlefield 4, Splinter Cell: Blacklist, Saints Row 4, Need for Speed: Most Wanted, Far Cry 3, Total War: Shogun 2, and Warframe. The driver is bundled with GeForce Experience version 1.8.2, which includes support for Nvidia's GameStream technology. Also included is the beta version of GeForce ShadowPlay with "several highly-requested features" ranging from quality customizations (resolution, capture frame rate, capture bitrate) to support for microphone recordings and 5.1 audio. You can download the beta drivers direct from Nvidia. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Leaked Screenshots Supposedly Show Left 4 Dead 2 Rebuilt Using Source 2.0 Engine Posted: 28 Jan 2014 10:10 AM PST Real or fake, these are some snazzy looking screenshots The gaming community is abuzz with what are claimed to be leaked screenshots contained in a confidential PowerPoint presentation from Valve showing portions of Left 4 Dead 2 redrawn with the next generation Source 2.0 engine. While we'll temper our excitement until if or when Valve makes an official announcement, giving some credence to the leaked photos is that they were posted by Neogaf user "CBOAT" (crazy buttocks on a train), who despite the silly nickname has a history of leaking confidential information to the masses. He's also made inaccurate predictions on a number of occasions, so keep that in mind when viewing the L4D2 screenshots. Disclaimer aside, one of the screenshots shows the Plantation level in L4D2 as you've never seen it before. It's much more detailed and makes better use of lighting effects than the current version. Slide 20 on the supposedly leaked PowerPoint gets into some of the technical details of Source 2.0, though it's unfortunately only partially visible. It discusses redesigned tools and workflow with the following: Powerful GUI front end for content authoring (can be easily extended with custom and pre-game assets) Browser for quickly finding, managing, editing assets Simple, automatic compiling of content The PowerPoint slide has gamers dreaming about Left 4 Dead 3 and Half Life 3, both of which would be obvious candidates to show off Source 2.0. However, there's no mention of either title in the slides. If this ends up being real, it's entirely possible that Valve is simply working on an updated L4D2 release and nothing more. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

CyberPowerPC Jumpstarts Zeus Mini SFF Series with Eight Pre-Built Configurations Posted: 28 Jan 2014 08:35 AM PST A new crop of small form factor gaming PCs starting at $599 Don't have room for a hulking desktop tower but still want to get your gaming fix? CyberPowerPC may have a solution. The boutique system builder today rolled out eight pre-built Zeus Mini Small Form Factor (SSF) Series PCs ranging in price from $599 to $1,479. In an attempt to cater to all preferences, you'll find Intel and AMD systems rocking AMD and Nvidia graphics solutions. According to CyberPowerPC, the Zeus Mini more than doubles the cooling performance over standard SFF gaming systems with its ability to install 240mm liquid cooling solutions. Beyond cooling, all Zeus Mini models feature three USB 3.0 ports (two in front, on in back), HDMI 1.4 output, S/PDIF, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity. The Zeus Mini-A 100 is the least expensive at $599 and includes an AMD A10 A7850K APU (Kaveri) with Radeon R7 graphics, 8GB of RAM, 500GB hard drive, 8x slim DVD burner, and Windows 8.1 On the other end of the spectrum, the most expensive model is the Zeus Mini-I 780 with an Intel Core i7 4770K foundation. It also features Nvidia GeForce GTX 780 graphics, 16GB of RAM and 2TB hard drive, along wtih the same DVD burner and Windows 8.1 OS. CyberPowerPC's customizable Zeus Mini PCs are available now. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Angry Birds Maker Denies Knowingly Sending User Data to Spy Agencies Posted: 28 Jan 2014 08:11 AM PST Rovio responds to reports of NSA taking advantage of leaky apps Several news agencies on Monday reported that the National Security Agency and its U.K. counterpart (Britain's Government Communications Headquarters) have been working together to collect data from dozens of so-called "leaky" smartphone apps, including Rovio's popular Angry Birds game. Top secret documents claim these apps transmit all kinds of user information over the web, which spy agencies scoop up and store. Having been called out specifically by several reports, Rovio issued a statement denying it collaborates with any spying organization. To be clear, the classified documents don't suggest that these agencies are necessarily working directly with app makers. As it pertains to Rovio, the NSA and its U.K. cohort are tapping into third-party advertising networks to collect personal data transmitted by the Angry Birds app. Rovio denies it's been working with these agencies and says if advertising networks are indeed being targeted, then no Internet-enabled devices that visits ad-enabled websites or uses ad-enabled apps is immune to such surveillance. "Our fans' trust is the most important thing for us and we take privacy extremely seriously. We do not collaborate, collude, or share data with spy agencies anywhere in the world. As the alleged surveillance might be happening through third party advertising networks, the most important conversation to be had is how to ensure user privacy is protected while preventing the negative impact on the whole advertising industry and the countless mobile apps that rely on ad networks", Mikael Hed, CEO of Rovio Entertainment, stated in a blog post today. "In order to protect our end users, we will, like all other companies using third party advertising networks, have to re-evaluate working with these networks if they are being used for spying purposes." According to reports published by The New York Times, The Guardian, and other news outlets, intercepted data can include information such as age, gender, location, and even sexual orientation, depending on the app. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Newegg Daily Deals: Gigabyte GP-H11 Aluminum In-Ear Headphones, Intel Core i5 4670K, and More! Posted: 28 Jan 2014 07:07 AM PST Top Deal: Whether you're a fan of pop music, rock, or off-the-beaten path genres as belted out by the likes of Gangstagrass (who just dropped a new album today), it's more fun to listen to music with a pair of earphones while belting out lyrics at an inappropriate volume (your co-workers may disagree). And while it may be tempting to pick up a cheap pair at the checkout line in K-Mart, don't be surprised if your impulse purchase translates into crummy sound and crappy construction. That doesn't mean you need to spend a fortune on a set of ear gear -- check out today's top deal for set of Gigabyte GP-H11 3.5mm Aluminum In-Ear Stereo Headphones for $8 with free shipping (normally $20 -- use coupon code: [EMCPWHF222]). These earphones feature chamber absorbers to enhance bass performance, two different size ear pads, and aluminum construction headsets. Other Deals: Adata XPG V2 16GB (2x8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 2400 Desktop Memory for $140 with free shipping (normally $150 - use coupon code: [EMCPWHF33]) Kingston HyperX Black 16GB (2x8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 for $145 with free shipping (normally $160 - use coupon code: [EMCPWHF35]) Corsair CXM series CX500M 500W Modular Power Supply for $55 with free shipping (normally $65 - use coupon code: [EMCPWHF52]; additional $20 Mail-in rebate) Intel Core i5-4670K Haswell 3.4GHz LGA 1150 84W Quad-Core Desktop Processor for $220 with free shipping (normally $240 - use coupon code: [EMCPWHF44])

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