| Razer's Planning a Micro Console Powered by Android TV for Fall Release Posted: 26 Jun 2014 11:55 AM PDT  A little box with big ambitions
One of the (many) things Google announced during its opening keynote yesterday at its I/O developer event was Android TV, which is somewhat of an evolution of Google TV. This time around, however, there will be a much bigger focus on gaming, so it's no surprise that Razer already has something up its sleeve. That something is a micro console that Razer plans to release in the fall. Razer's micro console will be built around Android TV and be able to stream movies, music, and other apps for large-screen entertainment. However, the emphasis will be on gaming. While details are super light at the moment, Razer says its experience in building high-performance gaming systems, peripherals, and software will benefit the micro console's development. "This is a console of the future," says Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder and CEO. "Built on Google's incredible Android TV platform, the Razer micro-console incorporates not only hardcore and casual gaming, but music, movies and other entertainment and social applications, all on an affordable system." Razer didn't say how much it intends to charge for its upcoming micro console. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| SugarSync Simplifies Desktop App, Offers New Users 75 Percent Discount Posted: 26 Jun 2014 11:17 AM PDT  Try it free for 30 days
SugarSync lost a portion of its fan base when it decided to cease offering a free tier in favor of paid-only subscriptions. Since then, we haven't heard a whole lot from SugarSync, until today. SugarSync just retooled its desktop application to make it easier to use and more powerful than before, beginning with one-click access to folders, devices, and shared files, the company said. The cloud service now offers at-a-glance information about your files and folders across the app. Without having to click on anything, you can see who owns a folder, where it's located, and which files or folders are shared. SugarSync also promises better control over who edits or views your files and folders. You can distribute view-only files to others, or just post links to documents on the web. In the retooled desktop app, the "Public Links" and "Shared by Me" offer an easy way to view and manage what you're sharing. Finally, it's now easier to control which folders sync to which devices. For example, you can have all folders share with all your devices, or share your work folders with just your work PC. SugarSync is free to try for 30 days. After that, you have to pony up for a subscription plan -- for a limited time, you can save 75 percent off the first year if you're a first-time user. The cost after savings starts at $18.75 for 60GB/year for consumers, with business plans starting at $137.50 for three users and 1TB of storage per year. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Intel to Give Away Sweet Prizes as Twitch Streamers Compete in Online Reality Series Posted: 26 Jun 2014 10:12 AM PDT  Devil's Canyon and other prizes are up for grabs
Here's something a little bit different -- Intel is planning to give away a whole bunch of prizes as it seeks to discover the very best streamers on Twitch. It's part of a collaboration with GoodGame Agency (of Team Evil Genius fame) to offer the gaming community a reality web series dubbed "Intel's Next Top Live-Streamer." Contestants will compete to become an official member of the Intel Stream Team. There will be "hilarious and exciting challenges" along the way. The person who wins it all will receive a one-year talent contract and salary from GoodGame Agency, recognition as Intel's first "Next Top Livestreamer," and a decked out studio makeover complete with a Core i7 gaming/streaming system. Twenty streamers will compete in preliminary rounds -- 15 invited and 5 chosen by the fans. Fan voting will wittle the contestants down to 8 finalists. "These 8 finalists will compete in weekly challenges, stream to earn your votes, and contend for judges favor, all in the quest to become Intel's Next Top Livestreamer. All of this will be featured on the Intel's Next Top Livestreamer live broadcast Finals show on OneMoreGameTV starting July 30th," Intel says. Find out more at Intl.gg. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| 3D Printing is Fast Becoming a Hot Hobby Among Consumers Posted: 26 Jun 2014 09:12 AM PDT  Almost half of the 3D printers sold in Q1 of 2014 were to consumers
Have you considered buying a 3D printer? Maybe you poked around but got spooked by the price tags. 3D printing is a relatively new thing in the consumer sector, and even many of the lower priced models are still cost prohibitive. Be that as it may, there's definitely interest in the category. According to Canalys, 3D printing is gaining significant traction among consumers thanks in part to several crowdfunded efforts. "To date, the enterprise space has been the focus of 3D printing activities. Businesses from a range of industries have invested in the technology to experiment and test its potential, to expedite design and prototyping processes, or to enable local customized manufacturing," said Canalys Senior Analyst Tim Shepherd. "While enterprise engagement will continue to grow, it looks to be the consumer space that will drive shipments in the near future. We are already seeing significant numbers of early technology adopters and hobbyists investing in relatively cheap 3D printers. As prices continue to fall, the technology improves and use cases are tested, this trend is set to continue." It's already happening. Of the 36,800 3D printers that were shipped around the globe in the first quarter of this year, Canalys says consumers gobbled up 46 percent of them. That's up from 43 percent for the full year in 2013, which is indicative of falling prices. "In reality, there is a good number of basic printer models coming to market at sub-US$1,000 price points, and some crowdfunding projects promise sub-US$500 prices," said Canalys Research Analyst Joe Kempton. One example is the Micro 3D (M3D) printer. Following a successful Kickstarter campaign, the Micro is now available to pre-order for $349 for a limited time. The doesn't include to print with -- you can add a spool of colored PLA or ABS filment for $13 -- though it's still one of the cheaper 3D printers consumers can order. Barring any hiccups, it's expected to ship in February of next year. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Maxthon Browser Lets You Fast Forward Through Forced Advertisements Posted: 26 Jun 2014 08:22 AM PDT  New version of Maxthon focuses on video performance
Are you looking to try out a new browser? The latest release of Maxthon comes with a few tricks up its sleeve, including the ability to fast forward through any part of any video, even advertisements that you might be forced to watch. Maxthon makes this possible through what it calls Ad Skipper technology, which uses a combination of smart pre-fetching and a new approach to managing the browser runtime environment. "The growth of video streaming sites that are easily accessible on desktop and mobile is fueling the current wave of internet usage. Maxthon is focused on delivering superior features that address the changing habits of our users to ultimately enhance their online experience. Ad Skipper for Maxthon PC is our latest contribution to that effort," said Jeff Chen, founder and CEO of Maxthon. The new version of Maxthon is also supposed to do a better job with CPU and RAM management, especially compared to other browsers when watching video. It offers broad video codec support -- H.264, VP8, OggTheora, and WebM -- has a sharing option, and a boss key option in case Bill Lumbergh happens to wander by. If you want to give Maxthon a spin, you can download it here. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Newegg Daily Deals: MSI R9 280 Graphics Card, EVGA SuperNOVA 1300W PSU, and More! Posted: 26 Jun 2014 06:26 AM PDT |
