| CyberPowerPC Sinks Its Fang Gaming PC into a Battle Box Posted: 07 Jan 2014 08:33 PM PST  A briefcase gaming rig
Update: Now with more pics from CES 2014! Business users typically tote a briefcase filled with all the necessary gear, things like pads of paper, a tablet, documents, TPS reports, pencils, calendars, and whatever else. What if you fancy yourself a professional or diehard gamer who likes to game on the go? Well, you could invest in a notebook, or you could check out CyberPowerPC's Fang Battle Box, a mobile gaming system that acts as a briefcase for your hardware. The Fang Battle Box is essentially a CyberPowerPC Fang system in a compact gaming case that's easy to carry from place to place. It's not for everyone, but if you attend a lot of LAN parties, this could be something that's right up your alley. Not only is it compact and portable, it's also decked out. CyberPowerPC brought a Fang Battle Box to CES. Inside sits a GeForce GTX 780 Ti graphics card, Corsair CX500 power supply, mini ITX motherboard, Corsair all-in-one water cooling loop, 16GB of G.Skill RAM, 120GB SSD, 1TB hard drive, and an Intel Core i7 4770K processor. The case has a handle on the top for easy transport, and when you need to poke inside, just lay it on its side and flip open the door like a briefcase. Have a look: CyberPowerPC says fully configurable Fang Battle Box PCs will be available to purchase in the first quarter of this year. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Corsair Launches Obsidian 250D Mini ITX Chassis and Full Tower Graphite Series 730T/760T Cases Posted: 07 Jan 2014 03:31 PM PST  New computer cases big and small
Corsair's been making computer cases for a long time, but up until now, the company didn't have a mini-ITX chassis on its resume. That changes with the introduction of the Obsidian Series 250D, a tiny enclosure designed specifically for users looking to build a small form factor (SFF) system. On the flip side, Corsair also unveiled a couple of full tower cases, the Graphite Series 730T and 760T. Starting on the small side of the things, the Obsidian Series 250D is Corsair's smallest case to date. It measures 11.4 inches (H) by 10.9 inches (W) by 13.81 inches (D) and weighs 9.7 pounds before crammed full of hardware. Inside you'll find two expansion slots, two tool-less 2.5-inch/3.5-inch combo bays, two 2.5-inch bays, two high-airflow fans (there's room for up to five), and enough elbow room for a front (120mm or 140mm) or side (120mm/240mm) radiator. On the front of the case are two USB 3.0 ports. "Thanks to the increasingly high performance of Mini-ITX boards, it is now possible to build an extremely powerful yet compact system," said Xavier Lauwaert, Director of Product Marketing at Corsair. "The Obsidian 250D is made for users who want a smaller PC but don't want to limit their hardware choices. With support for large liquid coolers, full-length graphics cards and full-size modular power supplies, 250D is Mini-ITX without compromise." The 250D will be available this month for $90 MSRP. If you'd rather go bigger -- much bigger -- the 730T and 760T offer lots of room to work in. Both share most of the same specs, except the 730T doesn't have a side window or integrated fan controller, while the 760T features both amenities. 
Other features include nine expansion slots, two modular drive drives with support for six 3.5-inch or 2.5-inch drives (so 12 altogether), four tool-free 2.5-inch side mounted drive cages, three tool-free 5.25-inch drive bays, three included AF140L high-airflow 140mm fans (there's room for 8), and radiator support in the top (360mm or 280mm), front (280mm or 240mm), bottom (120mm), and rear (140mm or 120mm). The 760T will be available in February for $180 (black) or $190 (Arctic White), while the 730T will sell for $140 (black only) MSRP, also in February. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Razer Shows Off Project Christine, a Funky Modular PC Concept Posted: 07 Jan 2014 11:58 AM PST  Is this the future of desktop design?
There's no need to try and reinvent the wheel, and some might argue the same applies to desktop PCs. Not Razer, a company that's best known for its PC gaming peripherals. Razer has set out to reinvent gaming desktops with a modular PC concept that's currently called Project Christine. The idea is to simplify the processing of setting up a PC, make future upgrades easy, and eliminate obsolescence. At a glance, the renderings look a little like Thermaltake's Level 10 line. Project Christine takes things to another level with a modular design that makes it super simple (in theory) to swap out modules on-the-fly. The way Razer explains it, a user can slot-in additional graphics modules and add more storage by either swapping out the existing storage drives or adding more modules, all on-the-fly. "Project Christine is a new concept design that will revolutionize the way users view the traditional PC. This is the first gaming system that is able to keep pace with technology and could allow consumers to never buy another PC, or gaming system, again," says Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder, CEO and creative director. "We have a history of bringing incredibly innovative concept systems to market and it's fair to say that Project Christine is a very exciting new prospect for future development." The modular design and plug-and-play upgradeability based on PCI-Express architecture make Project Christine perpetually customizable. Rather than replace entire systems or foundations, users can simply add or swap out modules, as needed. More info can be found on Project Christine's website. Check it out and then tell us if you think Razer is on to something, or perhaps literally on something. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Say Hello to Edison, Intel's Tiny Development Board for Wearable Computing Posted: 07 Jan 2014 10:48 AM PST  A full computer the size of an SD card
One of Intel's bigger announcements at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas is a physically small and ultra power-efficient development platform that resembles an SD card. It's called Edison and it's designed to work with just about any device, from computers and phones to things like chairs, coffee makers, and whatever developers can conceive. In the short term, however, expect to see Edison become a player in the wearable computing market. The Edison board features a low-power 22nm 400MHz Intel Quark SoC with two processing cores (x86). It has integrated Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, some LPDDR2 memory, a bit of NAND flash storage, and runs Linux. Given Edison's tiny size, there's a world of opportunity to construct wearable computing hardware and unique devices of all kinds. "Intel Edison board-powered devices can cooperate in highly customized and sophisticated ways. These devices don't have to be hardwired one-trick ponies; they can house multiple apps that can be downloaded and installed just like we do with phones and tablets," Intel explains. One example Intel gave is attaching Edison to a baby's onesie and using sensors to monitor his/her temperature, breathing, and motion. To keep the creative juices flowing, Intel also announced a "Make It Wearable" competition with $1.3 million worth of prizes up grabs for developers who come up with wearable tech powered by Edison. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Buffalo Unveils AirStation Extreme AC 1900 Wireless Router and Other 802.11ac Solutions Posted: 07 Jan 2014 10:21 AM PST  Wireless-AC is fast becoming commonplace
The transition to Wireless-AC networks is happening at a pretty brisk pace. We just recently wrapped up a roundup of several 802.11ac routers (you'll find it in the upcoming March issue of Maximum PC), and as CES kicks into full swing, even more AC routers are being announced. Buffalo just added three to the growing pile of options, including the AirStation Extreme AC 1900 Gigabit Dual Band Wireless Router WXR-1900DHP, AirStation 1200 Dual Band Wireless Router WHR-1166D, and the AirStation AC433 Wireless Travel Router WMR-433. "The increased availability of wireless devices has made it easy for consumers to access content online anywhere at any time. However, this trend has pushed previous Wi-Fi standards to their limits," said Matt Dargis, COO at Buffalo Americas. "We launched new models of Buffalo's AirStation 11ac routers to address these challenges of the modern day consumer by supporting the latest high performance Wi-Fi technologies available. With new solutions like the industry's first 11ac travel router, modern day travelers and vacationers now have the ability to easily setup fast personal wireless connections while away from the home or office." The big dog of the bunch is the AirStation Extreme AC 1900. It delivers wireless speeds of up to 1300Mbps on the 5GHz band and up to 600Mbps in Wireless-N mode. Bearforming is baked in to ensure strong connections to both AC and N devices, which is is aided by three wireless transmitters, and there's a 1GHz dual-core processor inside. Buffalo's other two routers aren't as feature rich or fast, though still embark on Wireless-AC territory. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Razer Nabu Smart Band is a Cross Between a Smart Watch and Fitness Band Posted: 07 Jan 2014 10:00 AM PST  Razer's first foray into the wearable computing market
Gaming peripheral maker Razer has proven on more than one occasion that it isn't afraid to step out of its comfort zone and try its hand at different types of products. This time the company is trying its wrist. Meet the Razer Nabu, a smart band device that "fits technology seamlessly into your daily life." It does this by communicating with your smartphone, but it's far from a one trick pony. It's actually an intriguing product on a number of levels. Razer won't be able to avoid the inevitable comparisons to Nike's FuelBand line, at least in style, but in function, the Nabu has more in common with a smart watch. According to Razer, it pushes critical notifications from your smartphone, such as incoming calls, texts, emails, app updates, and more. Beyond that, there's a world of opportunity for developers to get creative. The Razer Nabu can track your steps walked, distance traveled, stairs climbed, how long you've been sleeping, and other vitals that could come in handy for fitness applications, providing you opt-in to letting it record such data. 
There are two notifications screens (both OLED), one that's public (32x32 pixels) and one that's private (128x32 pixels), the latter of which provides detailed information of texts, emails, bio data, and other information that can only be viewed by the user. Razer says the Nabu works with iOS and Android. It has a battery life of up 7 days before needing recharged via USB, and is both rain and splash-proof. If all goes to plan, it will debut this quarter for $49 (to developers). Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| HP Announces World's First 27-inch All-in-One Workstation Posted: 07 Jan 2014 09:55 AM PST  A big size AIO with touch and Thunderbolt support
Even though Hewlett-Packard relinquished its spot as the top PC maker (in terms of shipments) in 2013, it isn't giving up on PCs. Instead, HP just announced the Z1 G2, the second generation of the world's first and only all-in-one (AIO) workstation with a 27-inch display, now available with touch support for Windows 8/8.1 and Thunderbolt 2 capabilities. According to HP, it's the most powerful and fully featured AIO in its lineup. HP is hoping to attract "knowledge workers and specialists in CAD, graphics arts, and university education" customers. Users can select from 4th Generation Intel Xeon and Core processor options along with RAID storage options, the latest Nvidia mobile Quadro GPUs, and other hardware. One thing that stands out in the spec sheet is the tool-less chassis. HP made a concerted effort to design its second generation Z1 so that users can change most parts and/or make upgrades without tools or a service technician. "Simply snap open the chassis and customize as needed," HP explains. The second generation Z1 will be available later this month starting at $1,999. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Sennheiser Launches G4ME ZERO and ONE Headsets for Gamers Posted: 07 Jan 2014 09:05 AM PST  A collaborative effort
Sennheiser is a name most audio enthusiasts are already familiar with, though it's not all that often that the German maker of audio gear specifically targets gamers. Now with the help of Io-Interactive (part of the Square Enix group and creator of games like Hitman and Kane & Lynch), Sennheiser has gamers directly in its sights with its new G4ME ZERO and G4ME ONE headsets. The marketing machine is in full operation here. According to Sennheiser, the G4ME ZERO and G4ME ONE represents a new era in professional gaming headset design. Ergonomics and "supreme comfort" take center stage, along with top-of-the-line noise cancellation technologies. Sennheiser's G4ME ONE sports an open design to deliver hi-fi sound as game developers intended while letting air through to keep your ears cool during long hours of game play, the company says. Comfort comes in the form of XXL-sized, plush velvet earpads, a cushioned headband, and lightweight design. 
The G4ME ZERO is a closed headset with multiple layers of padding and memory foam designed to shield the user from external sound. It also keeps the internal sound from leaking out and disturbing others. That's it for details, unfortunately. Sennheiser hasn't said when these headsets will launch to retail or how much they'll cost. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Asus Throws Down the Gauntlet, Unveils a 28-inch 4K Gaming Monitor for $799 Posted: 07 Jan 2014 08:49 AM PST  Gaming enthusiasts, this is your next monitor
It didn't take long for Asus to jump into the 4K monitor market and claim it as its own. If you thought the price of the Philips UltraClear was reasonable (compared to 30-inch panels with lower resolutions), take a gander at the Asus PB287Q, a 28-inch display with a 4K ultra high definition resolution (3840x2160), TN panel, and blazing fast 1ms response time for just $799. Business users should take note as well. On the ergonomics side, the stand supports tilt, swivel, height, and pivot adjustments. As for connectivity, you can hook up to the display via HDMI or DisplayPort, with the HDMI port supporting MHL (Mobile High-definition Link) for connecting smartphones and tablets. Other rated specs include 350cd/m2 brightness, earphone jack, built-in 2W stereo speakers, Picture-in-Picture and Picture-by-Picture support, and SplendidPlus Video Intelligence technology. One thing to note is that you'll need a burly graphics card to drive this monitor at its rated resolution. Those are becoming easier to come by these days, with both AMD and Nvidia pushing out high-end GPUs for 4K gaming. Asus says the PB287Q will be available in the latter part of Q2. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Philips Rolls Out 28-inch 4K Ultra HD Monitor for $1,200 Posted: 07 Jan 2014 08:25 AM PST  Finally, a 4K monitor at a reasonable price
Philips just waved a hand in front of professionals looking for a high resolution display and said, "This is the monitor you're looking for." The monitor in question is the Philips UltraClear, a 28-inch panel with a 4K ultra high definition (UHD) resolution (3840x2160) for $1,200. That might not be affordable for the budget buyer shopping a 24-inch 1080p display, but if you're looking to go big, that's a pretty aggressive price tag compared to the crop of 30-inch panels featuring 2560x1600 resolutions. This is a 10-bit panel with a rated brightness of 300 nits and viewing angles of 170 degrees horizontally and 160 degrees vertically. Connectivity options include HDMI (with MHL support), dual-link DVI-D, DisplayPort, two USB 2.0 ports, and two USB 3.0 ports. Rounding out the feature list is a pair of built-in 3W speakers. "Whether you require extremely detailed information for CAD-CAM solutions, use 3D graphic applications or are a financial wizard working on huge spreadsheets, this Philips display will provide UltraClear 3840x2160 pixel images to meet the visual demands of the most sophisticated power user," Philips said. "The 28-inch monitor (model 288P6) is also ideal for those seeking superb onscreen clarity and color accuracy for personal applications, and includes built-in stereo speakers for multimedia and MHL technology for easy mobile device connectivity." Philips was a bit short on other details, such as rated contrast ratio and response time. It's not clear if this is an appropriate panel for gamers, but it looks like we won't have to wait long to find out. Philips says the P288P6 will be available in Spring. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
