| Gmail is First Android App to Boast 1 Billion Downloads Posted: 16 May 2014 11:30 AM PDT  No other Android app has been downloaded more times than Gmail
High fives are in order for Google's Gmail team, as Gmail is the first Android application to notch 1 billion downloads in its belt. The feat, which actually occured a few days ago, was announced today by Google VP Sundar Pichai, who posted the achievement on his Google+ page. It was a succinct (albeit excited) recognition, though crossing 1 billion downloads doesn't mean there are a billion people using Gmail. According to The Inquirer, the ticker on Gmail's Google Play page indicates the total number of installs instead of the total number of devices that have the app. That means a single person using Gmail on his or her Android phone, tablet, and perhaps even all-in-one gets counted as a separate download for each device. The ticker also doesn't take into consideration inactive or duplicate accounts. This is important because Gmail comes preinstalled on almost all Android devices, so the download number is artificially inflated. Nevertheless, reaching 1 billion downloads is still an impressive feat, even if the actual number of Gmail users isn't quite as high. Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Best Games to Play on a Deserted Island Posted: 16 May 2014 11:15 AM PDT Replayability is the name of the game here Imagine you are stranded on a desolate island, isolated from the rest of humanity with only a PC for company and some games to choose from. What PC games would you choose? League of Legends? Dota 2? Well tough luck, because this island unfortunately does not have Internet (but somehow provides power via generators...or something). What now?... How will you fill your time? What would be the games you pick to occupy the days, weeks, and possibly years before your rescue? To help you solve this conundrum in the unlikely event this sitution ever arises (hey, it's better to be prepared!), we came up with the following list of games to help you out. Which titles would you pick if you were stranded on an island? And yes, we'll allow you to update the game to the latest version or pack any mods on to it before you get shipwrecked. |
| CyberPowerPC Turns Attention to Workstations, Unveils Power Mega Pro Series Posted: 16 May 2014 11:06 AM PDT  Boutique builder stretches beyond its gaming roots
CyberPowerPC is probably best known for its line of gaming systems comprised of off-the-shelf parts that you could otherwise buy yourself at places like Newegg and Amazon. However, don't cast the company as a one-trick pony. The boutique builder actually offers a variety of systems, and today CyberPowerPC introduced its new Power Mega Pro Series of workstation systems with professional graphics card options and choice of AMD or Intel inside. Depending on your budget, you can configure a Power Mega Pro with anywhere from 8 processing threads all the way up to 40 threads (dual Intel Xeon E6-2690 v2 processors). While gaming isn't the goal here, a typical Power Mega Pro system should be adept at video editing and 3D design and rendering. There are seven different baseline configurations to begin with, which start and end with the following configurations: Power Mega Pro 2000
CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K
Cooling: Liquid cooled CPU
Memory: 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 1866MHz
Graphics: NVIDIA Quadro K600
Motherboard: Intel Z97 Express Chipset
HDD: 128GB SSD + 2TB HDD
Chassis: NZXT H440
OS: Win 8.1 Pro 64-bit
Starting: $1,299 Power Mega Pro 3D Modeling
CPU: 2x Intel Xeon E5-2620 v2
Cooling: Liquid cooled CPUs
Memory: 32GB (4x8GB) DDR3 1866MHz
Graphics: Nvidia Quadro K5000
MB: ASUS Z9PE-D8
HDD: 500GB SSD + 2x 2TB 7200RPM HDD in RAID 1
Chassis: Corsair 900D
OS: Win 8.1 Pro 64-bit
Starting: $4,811 If you want to go with an AMD setup, pricing starts at $1,419 and includes an AMD FX-8320 processor, 16GB of DDR3-1866 RAM, AMD FirePro V5900 graphics card, Gigabyte 990FXA-UD3 motherboard, 128GB SSD, 2TB HDD, NZXT H440 case, and Windows 8.1 Pro. All Power Mega Pro systems are available to configure and order now. Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Roccat Teases Tyon Tool for FPS Gamers Posted: 16 May 2014 09:11 AM PDT  Take a sneak peek of Roccat's Tyon ahead of its Computex 2014 unveiling
Fancy yourself a diehard FPS gamer? Gaming peripheral maker Roccat has something you might be interested in, but whatever it is, it won't be fully known until the full unveiling at Computex in Taipei this June 3-7, 2014. In the meantime, Roccat posted a teaser video of "Tyon," a new tool that's supposed to give FPS gamers more control and options in their FPS titles. Here's Roccat's description: "The Roccat Tyon, a new tool in the war for battlefield supremacy. An instrument custom designed to give FPS gamers more control, more options, and a dominant grip on every dimension of play. Land, sea, air -- the Tyon is engineered for complete command of the FPS world. Your opponents will know what hit them" Roccat says. Your guess is as good as ours on this one -- Roccat's keeping tight-lipped on the details. It could be a software tool of some sort, or a new gaming peripheral. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Far Cry 4 Will Transport PC and Console Gamers to the Himalayas on November 18 Posted: 16 May 2014 07:41 AM PDT  A brand new Far Cry experience is coming this fall
Enjoy the warm summer, folks -- once it's over, you might find yourself dodging bullets and other dangers in Kyrat, a "perilous and wild region of the Himalayas" where the natives are struggling under the regime of a despotic self-appointed king. That's the setting for Far Cry 4, which Ubisoft announced will ship to PC and game consoles on November 18 in the U.S. and November 20 in the EMEA territories. You'll have several different types of weapons, vehicles, and even animals to help you along the way. Though the setting is different than any previous Far Cry title, you'll be thrust into an open-world landscape where you can supposedly write your own story. "Following the success of Far Cry 3, we wanted to take the franchise to the next level and create a game that will surprise players and exceed fans' expectations," said Dan Hay, Executive Producer. "Given the unique setting, we feel Far Cry 4 will stand out as a top first-person shooter and we're eager to reveal more about the game in the coming months." Eager beavers who pre-order Far Cry 4 will receive a free upgrade to the Limited Edition -- it includes Hurk's Redemption, a series of three single-player missions featuring Hurk from Far Cry 3's DLC. It also includes Hurk's harpoon gun, "The Impaler." You can pre-order Far Cry 4 now. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Newegg Daily Deals: Seagate Barracuda 2TB HDD, Intel Core i7 4790, and More! Posted: 16 May 2014 07:21 AM PDT |
