General Gaming Article

Shuttle XH Series: 3-Liter Barebones With Enough Room for Core i7, Up to Three Drives

Posted: 14 Sep 2014 07:41 PM PDT

New barebone PCs measure just 240 x 200 x 72 mm

Taiwan-headquartered Shuttle is at it again, doing what it does best. The company, which specializes in small form factor (SFF) computers and barebones, has announced two new diminutive barebones. The new XH81 and XH81V are, per the company, "compact 3L media players" that are ideal for kiosks, vending machines, digital signage and POS applications.

In terms of specs, both models are nearly identical. Looks-wise, the only real difference is the fact that the XH81V has its front ports hidden behind a removable panel, whereas on the XH81 they are all fully exposed.

Both models support Haswell processors — right from Celeron to Core i7 — and up to 16GB of RAM (2 DDR3 SODIMM slots). Other specs include two USB 3.0 ports, six USB 2.0 ports, DisplayPort, HDMI, Gigabit Ethernet, two Mini-PCIe slots, and up to five COM ports (only two on XH81V). Further, both come with a 90W external power supply and heatpipe cooling with two 60mm fans.

"Both systems support 4K and are designed to operate in a range of ambient temperatures, from 0-50 ⁰C. The XH series is based on an Intel H81 express chipset and designed for current Intel processors with an LGA 1150 socket and up to a TDP of 65W," Shuttle said in a press release Thursday.

"The XH series is highly customizable for either workplace or home environments as users can configure the systems with up to three storage drives. There are installation options for three 2.5" HDD/SSD drives or alternatively two 2.5" HDD/SSD drives plus an optical slimline drive. A 3.5" drive can also be installed using a PHD4 accessory which is sold separately."

Follow Pulkit on Google+

Leaked Videos Show Key Windows 9 Features

Posted: 14 Sep 2014 04:56 PM PDT

See Windows 9's Notification Center, Start Menu and multiple desktops in action

Microsoft may not have officially lifted the curtain on Windows 9 (a.k.a "Threshold") but if sites like WinFuture continue to have their way, the Redmond-based company will have very little new to show us when it finally does get down to unveiling its next desktop operating system. (We don't have an issue with these leaks, though.) The German site, which recently posted a bunch of allegedly leaked screenshots of the rumored-to-be-upcoming Windows 9 Technical Preview, has now taken to posting videos that showcase some of the upcoming OS's features.

Four such videos have been released thus far by the German outfit. It is clear from the two videos dedicated to the returning Start Menu that in its latest avatar this iconic UI element will give the user a lot of say over its overall look and feel. You can not only pick and choose which Live Tiles you want your Start Menu to have, but it is also possible to have no Live Tiles at all and have a Smart Menu that is not too different from the one found in Windows 7.

As for the remaining videos, one shows the all-new Notification Center in action while the other sheds light on the upcoming operating system's multiple desktop functionality.

MMORPG Blog: Online Games MMO