General Gaming Article

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• Skype’s Group Video Calling Feature is Now Free
• How to Physically Clean Your PC and More
• AOL Discovers Security Breach During Spam Investigation
• Stephen Elop Kicks Off New Position at Microsoft with a Q&A Session
• Testing the Speed Limit: Sapphire Launches First Overclocked Radeon R9 295X2 Graphics Card
• New Mexico Dig Unearths E.T. Cartridges and Other Atari 2600 Hardware
• AMD Catalyst 14.4 Drivers Snag WHQL Certification, Now Available to Download
• Newegg Daily Deals: Asus Radeon R9 270 Graphics Card, Intel Core i7 4771 Haswell, and More!
• Microsoft Warns of Zero-Day Bug in Internet Explorer

Skype’s Group Video Calling Feature is Now Free Posted: 28 Apr 2014 03:38 PM PDT It's free I tell you Skype's group video calling service is now free, according to Skype's official blog. The feature is available, at no cost, on Microsoft Windows, Mac, and Xbox One platforms. But for those platforms that have been left out, Skype general manager of consumer marketing Phillip Snalune addressed the issue and said, "And, in the future, we'll be enabling group video calling for all our users across more platforms – at no cost." Prior to the announcement, Skype users could pay a monthly subscription of $8.99 for the Skype Premium service or pay $4.99 for an individual day pass in order to use the group video calling feature. The feature itself would allow video chats with up to 10 people who were using PCs or Macs.  While late to the party, Google's own Google Hangouts offered video chat for free for a long time, it is nice to see Microsoft finally get rid of the pricetag. Will you start taking advantage of group video calling? Follow Sean on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

How to Physically Clean Your PC and More Posted: 28 Apr 2014 01:45 PM PDT It's time for some hardware spring cleaning! Spring is in the air and it's time to do some spring cleaning. This means cleaning your house, room, and most importantly, your PC! Of course, keeping your PC clean isn't just a matter of aesthetics; it also helps keep your system from overheating.  As a computer runs, it generates static electricity, which attracts dust and hairs. These nasty bits clump together and gunk up the heatsink, case fans, and other computer components. It's not only gross but also ends up blocking airflow, which causes overheating. So beyond annual spring-cleanings, it's important to routinely clear out any messy buildups in your rig. Without further ado, let's start scrubbing down our PCs! PC cleaning tools Tools of the trade • Compressed air can • Isopropyl rubbing alcohol or Vodka in a pinch • White vinegar • Distilled water • Microfiber cloths • Q-tips • Scotch tape PC cases We'll go ahead and start with the biggest and most important item that needs cleaning, your gaming rig. If your PC has been sitting around all winter, it's probably packed with dust even with filters in front of every intake fan. PC Outside 1) Take it outside The first step will be to take it outside because it's a bit pointless to blow out all that dust indoors just to have it all settle back down in the same room. But before we do that, disconnect the computer entirely. This includes Power cable, USB peripherals, and whatever audio equipment you have hooked up. Don't forget to discharge the remaining power in the computer by grounding yourself while touching the power supply and pressing the power button. Wipe it down 2) Wipe it down The next step is giving the outside of the case a good once over, wiping down the entire exterior and even cleaning its dirty feet.  Clean those dust filters 3) Clean those dust filters Next up detach any dust filters on the case and wipe off the accumulated dust bunnies. Doing this by hand is fine but give it a quick blast with your compressed air can for good measure. Meanwhile, for foam filters give them a quick rinse under the sink. In both cases make sure to clear the dust out so that it blows out away from the clean side, otherwise you'll end up dirtying both sides. Prepping the patient 4) Prepping the patient Before you go dual wielding air cans on the inside of your case, you should know that will just cause a big mess. So it's important to first wipe down the inside manually—yes, by hand. It's an opportune time to disconnect big components like the graphics card, RAM modules, and even the heatsink if you have some replacement thermal paste lying around.  Clean the graphics card There's always bound to be dust hidden between the cracks and removing these components will make it easier to clean off the motherboard. Before you go blowing off the GPU and other case fans, use a pen to hold the fan in place as it prevents it from spinning too fast and potentially damaging the motor. Cleaning 5) Cleaning  Additionally, if there are any big clumps of dust it would be best to grab them up and wipe them away with a damp (not wet!) isopropyl rubbing alcohol-laden cloth first. After that, go ahead and pull the air can trigger on any nooks and crannies you might have missed as well as the motherboard itself. For any truly stubborn dust particles hanging around the case's expansion slots, use dampen Q-tips with alcohol to rub it out. Packing it up 6) Packing it all up Once you're all done inside, put everything back where it belongs. You might also want to check over your wiring. Just in case you're still using the old pack-your-wires-at-the-bottom-of-the-case strategy, check out our guide on how to wire like a pro. Click the next page to get tips on how to clean up accessories like keyboards, mice, and more!   Keyboards and Mice Dirty Mouse After you're all done with cleaning out your tower you should polish up your peripherals too. These can be especially gross since you end up touching them all the time. Plus there are so many tiny spaces for dust, Cheetos cheese, and other gunk to get into.  Cleaning the Keyboard First we'll start with wiping the keyboard down with a damp cloth. Since regular old plastic is a less sensitive than microchips we can use anything from a micro fiber cloth, to a rag, and even a (clean) old sock. After you've wiped all the greased and dust off the top, flip the keyboards over and give it a good shake to get rid of any loose bits of material in between the keys. Follow up with a blast of air to clear out hair, dust, and food particles. Removing the keys This should take care of at least 80-percent of the problems but for a truly deep clean, you can also pop off the keys to get to the keyboards backboard. Most mechanical keyboards come with a key puller. If you lost it or are using a membrane switch keyboard, gently wedging a flathead screwdriver or letter opener underneath the keys works in a pinch. Just remember to take a picture of the keyboard beforehand for reference when putting it back together. Cleaning the Mouse Cleaning your mouse is largely the same as a keyboard in that the whole thing needs a good wipe down. Pay particular attention to the non-stick pads on the bottom as a lot of gunk can accumulate on and around the edge of the mouse's feet.  Cleaning the sensor If there's anything caught in the scroll wheel, simply turn the whole clicker over and turn the wheel or hit it with a blast of air to dislodge anything caught inside. Finally for the optical sensor, we suggest wiping the area with a damp cloth and a Q-tip to finely remove any leftover crud. Monitor Monitor Cleaning monitors, and screens in general, are extremely sensitive and require some of the gentlest cleaning methods. Windex is completely NOT okay to use. Ammonia- or alcohol-based cleaners should also be avoided because they can strip the anti-reflective coating applied to screens, cause clouding, and otherwise damage the display. While it may seem like there are but a few solutions worth wiping your screen with, it's actually easier to just make your own cleaning solution. All it requires is equal parts white vinegar and distilled water. cleaning solution But before we start damping anything, we're going to wipe down the surface to get rid of any dust or grit that might scratch the screen later on. Another ground rule is to never pour or spray liquid directly onto the screen because drops can seep into the panel through gaps around the bezel. Instead drip a little bit of the solution into the cloth and then wipe the display in a circular motion to prevent streaks. Headsets wipe headset Moving onto potentially the grosses part of our gadget cleanup, headsets. Mmmm sweat and earwax. One good general rule about cleaning headset is liquid cleansers are a big no-no. Instead, for leather, pleather, and vinyl cups, use a simple microfiber cloth. Tape headset Alternatively, for headset with cloth and foam ear cups scotch tape works wonders on pulling off dust and lint without tearing fabric.  Smartphones and tablets Dirty Smartphone Tablets, and especially smartphones can be a complete biohazard nightmare of bacteria and germs. All the loose food and dust that accumulates on your keyboard pales in comparison to the smartphone you touch with your hands all day. Given that this device also touches your face, it's probably the most important thing you'll want to sanitize.   Wipe Smartphone While we wish we could use bleach or use acid to scour phones clean, touchscreens are the finickiest thing to clean because of their sensitive oleophobic (oil phobic) coating. These coatings can be easily damaged by alcohol and ammonia solutions. Instead just like your monitor, it's best to clean it with distilled water and white vinegar. Although technically vinegar is still an acid that will degrade the oil repelling coating on smartphones, it's much weaker than alcohol. For a truly sanitizing clean, you can buy a cleanser like iKlear, which is actually recommended by Apple. Alternatively for a completely liquid-free solution there are UV sterilizers specifically designed for smartphones—think of it as an UV-powered Easy Bake oven for technology—that run around $40. Done

AOL Discovers Security Breach During Spam Investigation Posted: 28 Apr 2014 12:29 PM PDT AOL says encrypted passwords and other user data compromised hacker attack AOL today said it's investigating a "security incident" involving unauthorized access to its network and systems that resulted in the possible theft of user data, including email addresses, postal addresses, address book contact information, encrypted passwords, encrypted answers to security questions that AOL asks when a user resets his or her password, and certain employee information. External forensic experts and federal authorities are helping AOL in its investigation. AOL said it started looking into things after noticing a "significant increase" in spam appear as spoofed emails from AOL Mail addresses. The company believes that spammers used used stolen contact information to send spoofed emails that appeared to come from about 2 percent of its email accounts. "Importantly, we have no indication that the encryption on the passwords or the answers to security questions was broken. In addition, at this point in the investigation, there is no indication that this incident resulted in disclosure of users' financial information, including debit and credit cards, which is also fully encrypted," AOL said. Nevertheless, AOL is strongly encouraging users and employees to reset their passwords, along with their security questions and answers. More information can be found on a special FAQ page AOL posted in relation to the security breach. Image Credit: Flickr (lazzarello) Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Stephen Elop Kicks Off New Position at Microsoft with a Q&A Session Posted: 28 Apr 2014 11:51 AM PDT Microsoft is planning to do away with the Nokia branding on smartphones Today is the first business day with Stephen Elop serving as Executive Vice President of the Microsoft Devices Group, which now oversees an expanded devices business that includes Lumia devices from the Nokia acquisition. As part of the deal, Microsoft is free to use the Nokia brand for the next 10 years, though Microsoft is fairly eager to drop the brand from its smartphone offerings. Stephen Elop revealed as much (and more) and in a Q&A today. "The Nokia brand is available to Microsoft to use for its mobile phones products for a period of time, but Nokia as a brand will not be used for long going forward for smartphones. Work is underway to select the go forward smartphone brand," Elop stated. When asked when we might see the first Microsoft branded smartphone, Elop explained that the marketing and product people are working on whatever brand the company will use going forward. "While we are not ready to share precise details, I can assure you that it will not be the 'Nokia Lumia 1020 with Windows Phone on the AT&T LTE Network'... too many words! That somehow doesn't roll off the tongue," Elop said. Speaking of the 1020, while Elop wasn't ready to announce a successor, he did mention that imaging will be a big differentiator for Microsoft in future devices. You can read the entire Q&A here. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Testing the Speed Limit: Sapphire Launches First Overclocked Radeon R9 295X2 Graphics Card Posted: 28 Apr 2014 11:10 AM PDT When two stock-clocked GPUs just isn't enough Kudos to AMD for releasing a monster dual-GPU graphics card that comes standard with a liquid cooling setup, and props to Sapphire for having the gems to overclock AMD's two-headed beast. Available as a limited edition part, Sapphire said it's now shipping the R9 295X2 OC, which features two goosed GPUs running at 1030MHz (core) with 8GB of GDDR5 memory pushed up to 5200MHz (effective). Sapphire's also shipping a vanilla version (if you can call it that) of the R9 295X2 that isn't overclocked. Either one will drive your 4K gaming needs, or get you ready for 4K gaming if you're holding out for an ultra-high definition monitor that isn't plagued with goofy issues. As a reminder, AMD just recently refreshed its Never Settle Forever game bundle with new titles and also the ability to save codes until a later date. Just bear in mind that you have to purchase your card from a qualifying vendor, details of which you can find on AMD's Never Settle Forever page. We've spotted Sapphire's stock clocked model online for around $1,500 (MSRP and street) but have yet to dig up the OC version. No word from Sapphire on how much it's supposed to cost. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

New Mexico Dig Unearths E.T. Cartridges and Other Atari 2600 Hardware Posted: 28 Apr 2014 08:12 AM PDT An urban legend in video game lore turns out to be true! After sitting in a landfill covered with concrete for 30 years, numerous unsold "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" cartridges for the Atari 2600 console have been dug up, confirming reports of their fate form the 1980s. Largely considered by many the worst game of all time, legend had it that truckloads of E.T. cartridges, along with other Atari 2600 hardware, were dumped in the landfill, but the story was never confirmed until now. Filmmakers working on documentary and excavators received permission to dig up the Alamogordo landfill, which took place over the weekend. Twitter updates kept the Internet community in the loop, and interest heated up when an old and dusty Atari 2600 joystick turned up. After that, the excavators found an E.T. cartridge, box, and manual, followed by several more. According to Microsoft's Xbox Wire blog, there are "a lot more down there," though the exact number isn't yet known. "But at this point, we can safely report that those long-buried cartridges are actually, 100 percent there. Crazy, isn't it!? And it sounds like some other games are down there, too: Centipede, Space Invaders, Asteroids, and possibly more. 'Lots of boxes' is what we're hearing," Xbox Wire says. The working title for the documentary featuring the dig is "Atari: Game Over." It will focus on the rise and fall of Atari, the latter of which E.T. may have a played a role. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

AMD Catalyst 14.4 Drivers Snag WHQL Certification, Now Available to Download Posted: 28 Apr 2014 07:39 AM PDT AMD's latest drivers get rid of in-game flickering in Titanfall when running a CrossFire configuration It takes a little longer for AMD to release driver updates since deciding to abandon a monthly refresh cycle. As such, it's been a little more than four months since the last batch of WHQL-certified Catalyst drivers hit the web, and if you've been getting antsy, you'll be happy to know the wait is over. AMD's Catalyst 14.4 drivers have gone gold and are now available to download in 32-bit and 64-bit flavors for Windows and Linux. If you're sitting pretty on a Windows box, the Catalyst 14.4 software suite requires Windows 7 Service Pack 1 to be installed (or a later version of Windows). In return, the new driver package adds support for AMD's dual-GPU Radeon R9 295X2 graphics cards. The driver package also addresses a handful of issues and offers a few performance bumps, such as flickering in Titanfall when running a CrossFire configuration and increasing CrossFire scaling by up to 34 percent in Anno 2070. There are a couple of known issues AMD is working to fix. One is that you might see a blue screen of death when encoding with Power Director 11, and the other is that driver installation could result in a black screen when installing on a dual AMD Radeon R9 295X configuration under Windows 8.1 (AMD suggests rebooting if this happens). You can download the drivers here and read the release notes here. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Newegg Daily Deals: Asus Radeon R9 270 Graphics Card, Intel Core i7 4771 Haswell, and More! Posted: 28 Apr 2014 06:15 AM PDT Top Deal: Have you ever heard that people who own discrete graphics cards live longer, have better luck, and increase their chances of winning the lottery by 63 percent? Neither have we, but why take the unnecessary risk of not owning one when today's top deal is for an Asus Radeon R9 270 graphics card for $190 with free shipping (normally $220 - use coupon code: [EMCPFHF224]). Other Deals: Intel 730 Series 2.5-inch 240GB SATA 6Gb/s MLC Internal Solid State Drive for $225 with free shipping (normally $230 - use coupon code: [EMCPFHF26]) G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory for $72 with free shipping (normally $80 - use coupon code: [EMCPFHF33]) Intel Core i7-4771 Haswell 3.5GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 1150 84W Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics for $300 with free shipping (normally $320 - use coupon code: [EMCPFHE44]) Adata S102 Pro Advanced 64GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive for $30 with free shipping (normally $35 - use coupon code: [EMCPFHE35])

Microsoft Warns of Zero-Day Bug in Internet Explorer Posted: 27 Apr 2014 10:19 PM PDT All versions affected Microsoft has warned Internet Explorer users of a remote code execution vulnerability (CVE-2014-1776 ) that is present in versions 6 through 11. The company is aware of limited, targeted attacks aimed at exploiting the vulnerability, the Redmond outfit said in a security advisory issued on Saturday. According to FireEye, the security firm that brought the bug to Microsoft's notice, it is aware of an ongoing attack targeting the said vulnerability in Internet Explorer 9 through Internet Explorer 11. The firm also pointed out that the targeted versions alone accounted for over a quarter of the overall browser market in 2013. "Threat actors are actively using this exploit in an ongoing campaign which we have named 'Operation Clandestine Fox,'" FireEye said in a blog post Saturday. "However, for many reasons, we will not provide campaign details. But we believe this is a significant zero day as the vulnerable versions represent about a quarter of the total browser market. We recommend applying a patch once available." Microsoft says that it is still investigating the issue and will, upon the completion of its probe, either release a fix as part of its monthly security update release process, or issue an out-of-band security update. In the meantime, IE users could use the workarounds suggested by Microsoft to thwart the attack. These include: deploying the Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit (EMET) 4.1; setting Internet and Intranet security zone settings to "High", unregistering VGX.DLL; modifying the Access Control List on VGX.DLL to be more restrictive; and enabling Enhanced Protected Mode for IE11 and enabling 64-bit processes for Enhanced Protected Mode. "An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the current user. If the current user is logged on with administrative user rights, an attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights," Microsoft said in the security advisory. "An attacker could host a specially crafted website that is designed to exploit this vulnerability through Internet Explorer and then convince a user to view the website. The attacker could also take advantage of compromised websites and websites that accept or host user-provided content or advertisements. These websites could contain specially crafted content that could exploit this vulnerability. In all cases, however, an attacker would have no way to force users to view the attacker-controlled content." Follow Pulkit on Google+

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