| Sign-Ups for Evolve PC Alpha Being Accepted Now Posted: 03 Jul 2014 02:04 PM PDT  Steam account required
If you have been curious about Evolve, a co-op shooter that pits four players against a player-controlled monster, then you might get your chance. Developer Turtle Rock Studios has announced that sign-ups are being accepted for the Evolve alpha test. The alpha will be limited to players living in the continental United States and Canada with a Windows PC and working Steam account and will last from July 11-13. The developer, who was responsible for creating Left 4 Dead, also requires that participants refrain from disclosing details of the alpha. In order to take the survey, users will need to provide a password (happyhunting) and referral code (JoinTheHunt) which was provided on the game's official Twitter account. Once done, potential participants will need to take a brief survey about their PC hardware specs, their experience with shooters, and what game platforms they own. Turtle Rock Studios says that it expects to have the Evolve alpha participant list completed by July 5. Evolve, one of our 20 most anticipated games of 2014, will be released on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC platforms on October 21. Are you looking forward to Evolve and will you sign up for the Alpha? Sound off in the comments below! Follow Sean on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Lindsay Lohan Smacks Take-Two with Lawsuit Over Character in Grand Theft Auto V Posted: 03 Jul 2014 09:01 AM PDT  Lohan takes exception to a character in GTA V that bears her likeness
At only age 28 years old, Lindsay Lohan has gone from that adorable child actress who starred in Disney's remake of The Parent Trap to an adult who's been in trouble with the law on more than one occasion. She's had her share of legal issues, but this time she's the one suing -- Lohan is taking Take-Two Interactive and subsidiary Rockstar Games to court for allegedly using her likeness for an in-game character in Grand Theft Auto V. According to the Associated Press, Lohan's lawsuit contends that the character named Lacey Jonas is a dead ringer for the actress who had roles in Herbie: Fully Loaded and Freaky Friday, to name just two of her past films. The suit claims it copied just about everything -- her image, voice, and even her style from her clothes line. The game also features the hotel Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood, a place where Lohan lived during the summer in 2012 and was ultimately banned from for allegedly running up an unpaid bill of $46,000. GTA V launched in September of last year and generated over $800 million in sales on the first day. It will ship to the PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 this fall. Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| HTC Posts Rare Profit on Flagship Phone Sales Posted: 03 Jul 2014 08:33 AM PDT  HTC One (M8) sales helped get the company back in black
It's been several years now since HTC was on top of the world as the most active player in the Android space. During that time, it seemed HTC had a license to print money as each quarter yielded a bigger profit than the last. But the good times came to an end when Samsung rose to prominence in the Android space, and more often than not, HTC posts a loss these day. Not last quarter though. HTC is once again profitable and it has its One (M8) handset to thank for that. HTC collected NT$65.06 billion (around US$2 billion) in revenue for its fiscal 2014 second quarter ended June 30, 2014. After paying the bills, HTC was left with a net profit after tax of NT$2.26 billion (around US$75.6 million), the company announced today (PDF). That's an 80 percent bump from the same quarter in 2013. Those figures are still far behind the likes of Samsung and Apple, though HTC has to be happy with getting out of the red. The company was banking on its One (M8) handset to deliver solid financial results, which it did, even if only temporarily. HTC has little room for error, however, and must continue to launch smartphones that rival flagship handsets from its competitors. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| PC Supply Chain Reportedly Optimistic Heading into Second Half of 2014 Posted: 03 Jul 2014 08:02 AM PDT  There's reason to believe PC demand will pick up in the next several months
We've heard the gloom and doom predictions time and again by market research firms, but more recently, there's been a bit of optimism from several corners of the web. Research firms have thrown around the term "rebound" in regards to upcoming PC shipments, and evidently players that make up part of the PC's upstream supply chain are seeing things that are making them optimistic about the second half of the year. According to Digitimes and its sources, the PC industry is regaining momentum with Intel, AMD, and upstream component suppliers all making aggressive preparations for potential demand in the next six months. All the players are expecting both notebook and desktop sales to rise. For Intel, it's banking on enterprise desktop demand, while AMD is excited about its several new processors, such as its high-end Volan, mainstream Kaveri, and entry-level Kabini and Beema parts. AMD's also been talking with first-tier PC players like Lenovo about using its parts in gaming and enterprise systems. Going even beyond the next six months, a recently leaked roadmap shows that Intel is planning to launch Broadwell and Skylake-S parts in the second quarter of 2015. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Asus Upgrades Transformer Book T100 Windows 8.1 Hybrid Laptop Posted: 03 Jul 2014 06:47 AM PDT  Now with a faster processor and more color options
In case you missed it, you can click back in time to see our review of the original Asus Transformer Book T100 2-in-1 laptop. Though it had some faults, it scored a respectable verdict for its Bay Trail Atom processor, full version of Windows 8.1, and relatively affordable price tag ($400 for the 64GB we reviewed). Looking to raise the bar, Asus's Transformer Book T100 now comes with a faster CPU and two new color options. Whereas the original Transformer Book T100 came with an Intel Atom Z3740 quad-core processor clocked at 1.33GHz to 1.86GHz, the new models sport an upgraded Z3775 quad-core chip clocked at 1.46GHz to 2.39GHz, Fudzilla reports. A modest bump, but a bump nonetheless. Other specs remain unchanged and include 2GB of RAM, 32GB or 64GB of eMMC storage, or a 500GB hard drive SKU. There are also new color options -- you can now get the Transformer Book T100 in red or glossy white, depending on where you live. As of right now, these models appear to only be available in Germany. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Newegg Daily Deals: Asus 27-inch Full HD LED Monitor, Intel Core i7 4930K, and More! Posted: 03 Jul 2014 05:39 AM PDT  
Top Deal: Is your smartphone nearly as big as your computer monitor these days? Give it a couple of years and you might not be able to tell one of the other. That is, unless you upgrade your monitor. One option to consider is today's top deal for an Asus VE278Q 27-inch Full HD LED Monitor for $200 with free shipping (normally $240 - use coupon code: [EMCPCPW29]; additional $20 mail-in-rebate). It has a fast 2ms response time, 10,000,000:1 ASCR (Asus Smart Contrast Ratio), 300 cd/m2 brightness, built-in speakers, and robust input options (DisplayPort, HDMI, D-Sub, and DVI). Should something go wrong within its 3-year warranty period, Asus will cover shipping both ways as part of its Rapid Replacement program. Other Deals: Intel Core i7-4930K Ivy Bridge-E 6-Core 3.4GHz LGA 2011 130W Desktop Processor for $550 with free shipping (normally $580 - use coupon code: [EMCPCPW25]) MSI Z97-GD65 Gaming LGA 1150 Intel Z97 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard for $160 with free shipping (normally $170 - use coupon code: [EMCPCPW26]) G.Skill Trident X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 2400 (PC3 19200) Desktop Memory for $165 with free shipping (normally $190 - use coupon code: [EMCPCPW92]) Kingston HyperX 3K SH103S3/120G 2.5-inch 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) for $75 with free shipping |
