| Project Christine “Definitely Still In The Works,” Says Razer Posted: 26 Mar 2014 05:18 PM PDT  Razer CEO Confirms Project Christine Continues
Razer has been having difficulty convincing original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to support its modular PC concept. However, Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan has stated that the company is still working on Project Christine. Maximum PC inquired whether or not Project Christine was dead and received a response from Tan who said, "Project Christine is a work in progress – which is why we called it a concept project in the first place. We do believe that for Project Christine to be a success, it will require global OEMs to come together to push innovation in the PC forward instead of obsessing over short term profits. Like the many other projects within Razer, we take a long term view on innovation and Project Christine is definitely still in the works." When asked for names of OEMs the company has approached, however, no answer was provided. Is Razer wasting its time and resources on Project Christine? Or is the concept of an easy-to-upgrade PC an idea the company should continue to pursue? Follow Sean on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook Maximum PC's Jimmy Thang had the opportunity to see a non-working prototype at CES and conducted an in-depth interview.
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| Razer's Student Discount Shaves 20 Percent Off 2013 Blade Gaming Laptops Posted: 26 Mar 2014 12:29 PM PDT  A sweet deal for students
Razer gave thin and light gaming a major kick in the pants when it introduced its Blade laptop last year. It earned a 9 verdict (and our respect) in our review of the $2,000 model, which offered up impressive gaming performance in a package measuring just 13.6 inches by 9.3 inches by 0.66 inches (that's 0.05 inches thinner than a dime when you stand it up) and weighing 4.1 pounds. This year's refresh upgrades the 14-inch QHD+ territory (3200x1800), so what do you do with 'old' models? Apparently you try offloading them on students for a 20 percent discount. For a limited time, K-12 and higher education students can receive a discount code good for 20 percent off the purchase of one Razer Blade 2013 laptop. The code doesn't apply to the Pro model, nor does it work with the 2014 model Razer Blades. Last year's Razer Blade laptops start at $1,800 and include a 14-inch display with a 1600x900 resolution, Intel Core i7 4702HQ processor, 8GB of DDR3L-1600 memory, Nvidia GeForce GTX 765M graphics, 128GB hard drive, 1.3MP webcam, built-in stereo speakers, backlit anti-ghosting keyboard, three USB 3.0 ports, HDMI output, Killer Wireless-N 1202 (802.11n + Bluetooth 4.0), 70Wh battery, and Windows 8.1 64-bit. There's also a $2,000 model with a 256GB SSD and a $2,300 SKU with a 512GB SSD. The 20 percent discount should work with any of the three configurations. If you're interested, you can register for your discount code on Razer's website. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Atari E.T. Cartridge Dig Hits an Environmental Snag Posted: 26 Mar 2014 11:52 AM PDT  Red tape stands in the way of finding out if millions of E.T. cartridges are buried in New Mexico
E.T. may have hitched a ride to another galaxy after phoning home in the 1980s, but the search for unsold Atari 2600 cartridges loosely based on the Extra-Terrestrial's Hollywood hit continues. Legend has it Atari dumped up to 20 truckloads of cartridges, consoles, and other electronics into a New Mexico landfill site, which is where many believe most of the 3.5 million unsold copies of E.T. for the Atari 2600 ended up. After all these years, production company Lightbox Entertainment decided to dig up the landfill as part of a documentary, but environmental concerns could delay the project. According to CNET, Lightbox's excavation plan was approved by city officials in Alamorgordo last June. However, environmental officials have the final say and they decided to reject the plan last month. Jim WInchester, a spokesperson for the New Mexico Environment Department, claims that Lightbox has yet to submit a new proposal. So, is it game over for E.T.'s resurrection? Not quite. According to an AP report, Lightbox is insisting that the search hasn't been halted. The company is working with a local waste-management consultant who filed an excavation permit and is working with the New Mexico Environment Department to address their concerns. E.T is considered to be one of the worst games of all time. It was only allowed a short window for development, and while it quickly sold 1.5 million copies piggybacking on the success of Steven Spielberg's film, sales came to a screeching halt, resulting in a $500 million loss for Atari. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Corsair's Obsidian Series 450D Mid Tower Focuses on Cooling Graphics Cards Posted: 26 Mar 2014 09:31 AM PDT  Dual front fans give graphics cards a steady stream of cool air
Corsair just expanded its Obsidian Series of computers cases with the 450D, a mid-tower chassis sporting a familiar brushed aluminum design but with increased attention on airflow. There are two 140mm AF140L intake fans behind the aluminum mesh grill on the front that provide direct airflow to where a graphics card would be, and a rear 120mm AF120L fan to expel hot air. If more cooling is needed, there are five additional fan mounts throughout the chassis. Alternately, you can go the liquid cooling route with room for up to a 360mm radiator in the roof (not many mid-towers support radiators that large), a 280mm radiator in front, and a 240mm radiator on the floor. In other words, you have options to play it cool. "From day one, our Obsidian Series has made our case lineup a force to be reckoned with." said George Makris, Product Manager at Corsair. "With Obsidian 450D we've now added a mid-tower case that has outstanding air cooling capabilities, but can house lots of water cooling parts, too." 
Other features include dust filters throughout, modular and tool-free 3.5-inch/2.5-inch drive mounts, two front mounted USB 3.0 ports, thumbscrews for the side panels and seven expansion slots, center-post standoff to hold the motherboard in place during installation, cable routing holes, and rubber grommets. Corsair's Obsidian Series 450D will be available in April for $120 MSRP. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Plextor Releases High Performance M6M mSATA Solid State Drives for Mini PCs and Tablets Posted: 26 Mar 2014 08:35 AM PDT  Desktop-grade performance in a tablet-friendly form factor
Remeber Plextor? The company built a reputation for itself during the era of optical drives, and as times have changed, so has Plextor's product lines. Plextor still builds optical drives, but its newest product is the M6M, a performance oriented mSATA solid state drive (SSD) that promises desktop-class performance in a smaller package suitable for NUC-style PCs, thin laptops, and tablets. The M6M family uses Toshiba Toggle NAND flash memory chips paired with Marvell's server-grade 88SS9188 controller. Plextor builds its own firmware in-house. The combination of the three results in sequential read and write speeds of up to 520MB/s and 440MB/s, respectively, and random 4K read/write speeds of 94,000 IOPS/80,000 IOPS. "The M6M is all about real-world performance. We've optimized this compact SSD to deliver the best possible computing experience. We used the latest generation of components, then included a new version of True Speed for even smoother long-term operation, and focused on increasing the random speeds to give the fastest everyday operating performance," said Product Manager, Yaping Zheng. 
Plextor also infuses its M6M series with True Protect technology to support advanced data integrity checks, and 256-bit AES full disk encryption. The new drives will be available in the second quarter of this year in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB capacities. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Avast Launches GrimeFighter PC Cleanup Utility Posted: 26 Mar 2014 07:27 AM PDT  Give your PC a deep cleaning
Security outfit Avast Software has spent the past two years developing GrimeFighter, a deep cleaning utility for PCs that's now available. According to Avast, what sets GrimeFigther apart from other PC cleaning software is that it follows through with its promise to increase PC performance when it's finished scrubbing your system. It's also unique in that it doesn't ask users what components should be analyzed. "Most PC-cleanup utilities don't really improve performance – some actually slow down PCs," said Avast Chief Executive Officer Vince Steckler. "Since they run in Windows, they are unlikely to find problems with files and registry entries that are locked, protected, or otherwise hidden. Ironically those are the ones most often robbing users of performance and stability. With Avast GrimeFighter, we didn't want to introduce another me-too product – we wanted to eliminate the problem of slow PCs." GrimeFighter works its magic by booting into Linux, which allows it to detect and remove files that can't be detected while Windows is running. There's also a bit of cloud play at work. Results of various scans are uploaded to the cloud, allowing Avast to build an intelligence database that, in theory, should result in better results over time. In addition, Avast says GrimeFighter can detect hardware components that are in danger of failing. You can download GrimeFighter and scan your PC for free. To actually use the program, you need a license, which runs $25 $40 per year. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Newegg Daily Deals: Corsair Carbide Series 500R Case, AMD FX-6300 Vishera, and More! Posted: 26 Mar 2014 06:02 AM PDT |
