| Intel Shows Love for the Desktop at GDC, Unveils 8-Core Haswell-E Processor Posted: 19 Mar 2014 06:27 PM PDT  Power users needn't worry, the desktop is alive and thriving!
These days you can't flip on the Internet without being bombarded by tablet and smartphone announcements. Hey, we love mobile just as much as the next geek, but we're also stoked when major players take time to shower some love on the desktop, which is what Intel did at the Game Developer Conference (GDC) today. One thing Intel unveiled today is an 8-core Haswell-E CPU. Intel didn't go into detailed specifics on many of its announcements, though here's what we know about its Haswell-E launch. It will feature Intel's first 8-core desktop processor and it will be supported by the chip maker's X99 chipset, which is the first desktop platform to support DDR4 memory. Look for Haswell-E to make a grand entrance in the second half of the year. Arriving beforehand -- around the middle of the year -- will be an unlocked 4th Generation Intel Core processor line codenamed "Devil's Canyon." If you're into overclocking, these will be the Haswell parts you want to buy. In addition to an unlocked multiplier, they'll also sport an improved thermal interface material (TIM) for better cooling and updated packaging materials. These will be supported by Intel's 9 Series chipset. Around the same time, Intel will launch an Anniversary Edition Pentium processor. It too will be unlocked and work in both Intel 8 and 9 Series chipsets, and will also have Intel Quick Sync Video technology. 
Finally, Intel is planning to launch an unlocked 5th Generation Core processor with Iris Pro graphics built on a 14nm manufacturing process. It will be the first time Iris will appear on desktop socketed unlocked processors. Intel didn't say when it's planning to release this part. All of these launches are an attempt by Intel to reinvent and reinvigorate the desktop PC market. In addition to new hardware, Intel teased its new Ready Mode technology, which will make your PC turn on instantly and always be connected while sipping on power. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Oculus Rift Development Kit 2 Unveiled at GDC Posted: 19 Mar 2014 04:47 PM PDT  The kit will cost $350
The Oculus VR development team has announced at GDC the Rift Development Kit 2. The upgraded device implements features from the Crystal Cove prototype, which was unveiled at CES this year, such as the low persistence OLED display rather than the original's LED display. According to the development team, the low persistence OLED display for the DK2 eliminates motion blur and judder, two factors that attributes for simulator sickness when using virtual reality technology. The resolution is 960x1080 per eye with a 100-degree field of vision. There is also a built-in latency tester that will provide real-time, microsecond precision measurements to help optimize the VR experience. The DK2 features out-of-the-box engine integration for Unity 4, Unreal Engine 4, and the Unreal Development Kit as well. In addition, an external infrared camera is included for positional tracking. As for the external control box, that has been done away with and the DK2 can be connected directly to the PC via USB and HDMI. The Oculus Rift Development Kit 2 can be pre-ordered now for $350 and will be shipped in July. Follow Sean on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Epic Games Makes Unreal Engine 4 Available to Everyone for $19 Per Month Posted: 19 Mar 2014 10:25 AM PDT  A surprise announcement at the 2014 Game Developers Conference (GDC)
Have you dreamed about making an epic game if only you had access to the right tools? You're in luck. It just so happens that Epic Games is offering anyone and everyone an opportunity to tap into its next generation Unreal Engine 4 for $19 per month. In addition to the monthly subscription fee, you also agree to fork over 5 percent of gross revenue resulting from any commercial products you build using UE4. "This is our complete engine, with everything Epic provides to leading game developers, priced accessibly for teams of all sizes, budgets and aspirations," said Tim Sweeney, founder of Epic Games. Subscribers gain access to all of UE4's leading-edge tools, features, Unreal Editor in ready-to-run form, and complete C++ source code hosted on GitHub. The whole kit and caboodle, in other words, all wrapped in a convenient and affordable subscription plan. And for those who'd rather not share a 5 percent royalty, Epic Games says it will also license UE4 via custom-negotiated terms. "This is the complete technology we at Epic use when building our own games, forged by years of experience shipping games like Gears of War for Xbox and Infinity Blade for iOS, and now reinvented for a new generation," Sweeney added in a blog post. To help developers dive in, Epic Games is shipping a bunch of ready-made content, samples, and game templates, all of which you can find in the Marketplace in the Unreal Editor. Everything in there is free for the time being, though over time, Sweeney says it will grow into a complete ecosystem for sharing community-created content, both free and paid. Find out more and/or subscribe at unrealengine.com. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Dell and HP Have the Declining PC Monitor Market Figured Out Posted: 19 Mar 2014 09:52 AM PDT  IDC reports a slight drop in overall monitor shipments
It appears PC users are mostly content with their current monitors, hence why PC display shipments came in at just under 35 million units in the fourth quarter of 2013, representing a drop of 0.4 percent compared to the previous quarter, according to data released by IDC. That's also representative of a 3.8 percent decline over the same quarter a year ago, though HP and Dell must have missed the memo because both recorded gains in the monitor segment. Dell retained its spot at the top with a worldwide market share of 14.2 percent on shipments of 5 million monitors, while HP crept up into second place with an impressive quarter-over-quarter increase of 26.7 percent. Samsung, LG, and Lenovo all saw monitor shipments move in a negative direction. "Dell and HP both saw increases in unit shipments for the worldwide PC monitor market for the second time in a down year," said Jennifer Song, Research Analyst, Worldwide Trackers at IDC. "At a regional level, EMEA experienced the largest positive growth during the fourth quarter, with Italy and Spain posting the biggest gains." It will be interesting to see if Dell and HP can maintain their momentum. Looking ahead, IDC is forecasting a 9 percent decline in worldwide shipments to 31.7 million units in the first quarter of 2014. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| ESET: Hackers Hijack 25,000 UNIX Servers to Build a Malware Army Posted: 19 Mar 2014 09:24 AM PDT  Compromised servers attack over 500,000 PCs daily
Perhaps it should be called the world wild web to more accurately reflect a landscape fraught with danger, at least if you're taking an alarmist point of view. Sometimes it's hard not to. To wit, security outfit ESET said its research team, in collaboration with CERT-Bund, the Swedish National Infrastructure for Computing and other leading agencies, uncovered a massive cybercriminal campaign in which a backdoor Trojan was able to hijack more than 25,000 UNIX servers around the world. The infected systems are being used for all kinds of nefarious purposes. They're sending up to 35 million spam messages per day, stealing users login credentials, and redirecting web traffic to back alleys and other places innocent users typically try to steer clear from. Security experts have given the attack a name: Operation Windigo. At present, Windigo is responsible for redirecting half a million visitors to malicious content each day. The relentless assault is coming from servers located in the U.S. Germany, France, and the U.K., ESET says. Over 60 percent of the world's websites run on Linux, and with that being the case, ESET is urging system administrators to actively check their systems for malware. To help do that, ESET published a detailed technical report with guidance on how to determine if a system is infected, as well as instructions on how to remove the malicious code. Image Credit: Flickr (Beraldo Leal) Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Rig of the Month: Cold Winter V.3 Posted: 19 Mar 2014 08:15 AM PDT 
A scratch-built HTPC fit for Swedish winters With huge events like Dreamhack and powerhouse eSports teams like Ninjas in Pyjamas, the Swedes are no strangers to computers and video games. 21-year-old Johan Nyman created this month's Rig of the Month with version three of the Cold Winter HTPC. It's made from scratch with 8mm-thick acrylic and a steel backing. Nyman says he used a heat gun to bend the case's unique contours before stuffing it with mITX internals. It has AMD's A10 7850K APU on a mITX motherboard with a SFX PSU keeping things powered. He topped it all off with a front-mounted LCD to monitor temperatures, memory usage, and media information. It's gone through over 3 years of work and more than a few iterations, surviving vandalism at Dreamhack, and full-time use as Nyman's main computer. Check out the complete build log for all the intricate details. If you're a case modder with something that deserves the Rig of the Month title, let us know by dropping us an email at mpcrigofthemonth@gmail.com. Make sure to include your name, a 300-word description of why your PC is amazing along with specs (and how it was modified), and no fewer than three high-resolution JPEGs of the build. Please try and use a high-quality camera with good lighting and make sure to bust out your photography skills! We will not accept any blurry, low-res camera-phone grade images because we'd like readers to see your awesome rig in the best light possible! Here are some specific case-shooting photography tips: - Try to avoid using flash and opt for existing natural light. In addition, use things like white curtains to diffuse the bright sun.
- Make sure your case is in focus! Nothing ruins a picture of a nice-looking case than a blurry shot.
- Clean your case before you shoot it. No one wants to see all that nasty dust all over the place!
- Experimenting with shooting from multiple angles.
- Select the right backdrop. Your system could look cooler with a nice/clean background as opposed to on your messy floor with cables strewn about.
- When shooting, use a tripod or if you can't get one, shoot from a stable surface such as a box or even a pillow.
- If your camera has exposure compensation, try playing around with under-exposing or over exposing until you get the effects you want.
In addition to requiring pretty photos, we'll be judging the rigs based on creativity and craftsmanship. Follow Ben on Twitter and Google+. |
| G.Skill to Award OC World Cup 2014 Champion $10,000 Posted: 19 Mar 2014 07:29 AM PDT  Live finals held during Computex 2014
G.Skill is a company that's frequently involved in the overclocking scene, and to take things a step further this year, the memory and storage maker announced that it's giving away $10,000 to the winner of the G.Skill OC World Cup 2014 overclocking contest. According to G.Skill, this is the largest single cash prize in competitive overclocking history. Second and third place finishers will receive memory kits. The event is open to anyone and everyone around the world, though you'll have to be on top of your game. Online qualifiers will be held at HWBOT from March 24 to April 27. It will feature three benchmarks: highest memory frequency, SuperPI 32M, and 3DMark Fire Strike. Those who finish in the top 6 will be invited to attend the live finals at Computex 2014. "OC World Cup 2014 will be a great opportunity for extreme overclockers to showcase their skills to the world and a chance to take home the largest single cash prize in OC history, so overclockers better step up their game for a shot to win USD $10,000!," said Frank Hung, Product Marketing at G.Skill. You can find more information, including specifics on each of the three qualifying events, on a special page on HWBOT's website. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Newegg Daily Deals: AMD FX-8350 Black Edition, Intel Core i5 3570K, and More! Posted: 19 Mar 2014 06:31 AM PDT |
