| Newegg Daily Deals: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3-1600, Intel Core i5 4690, and More! Posted: 13 Nov 2014 12:41 PM PST |
| Use 'Where to Watch' to Search for Legal Video Streaming Options Posted: 13 Nov 2014 12:21 PM PST  New video search site points you in the direction of legal feeds
The six member studios of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) have put together a new website that makes it easy to search for legal streaming sources for TV shows and movies. It's called Where to Watch and it's currently in beta form. It also works rather well for what it's intended to be, which you'll have to excuse us if we seem surprised -- Hollywood studios haven't exactly been streaming's biggest ally. "We created this website to make things easy for you. We have given you a way to access the creative content you love quickly, simply, – legally and in an ad-free environment," the site's About Us page reads. "Using our search tool, you can connect to your favorite films and television shows as they become available across a variety of different channels." If you want to fork over information about where you live, Where to Watch will also provide you with theater times and locations for all the newly released movies that are playing nearby. You can also search for availability in stores and at kiosks, as well as watch trailers and see what's happening behind the scens via original content that gets produced on a daily basis. At present, the search site is only available in the U.S. with no word on whether or not there are plans to go international with it. There's also no app available, though the creators say the site was designed to work well with any size device. As for the sources it runs through when looking for legal streaming options, they include Amazon, iTunes, Netflix, Hulu, Crackle, Flixster, Paramount Movies, Bravo Now, CNBC Full Episodes, E! Now, Esquire TV Now, Oxygen Now, Sprout Now, Syfy Now, ABC, ABC Family, Disney Movies Anywhere, Vudu, Xbox Video, Sundance Now, SnagFilms, Fandor, Wolfe on Demand, Target Ticket, Movies On Demand, Reelhouse, and IndieFlix. Click here to give it a test drive. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Don’t Count Out Chromebooks Just Yet, $149 Models May Be on the Horizon Posted: 13 Nov 2014 10:43 AM PST  Laptop limbo -- how low can they go?
Tis the season of the low cost laptop, and if you're looking for a portable system on the cheap, you have a growing number of choices. You won't find them in the Apple Store, of course, but you will find Windows laptops in the $200 range, including a recently reduced Asus X205TA model selling for just $170 at the Microsoft Store. In response, Chromebook models are expected to be even more affordable than they already are with Asus and Lenovo both reportedly planning to release $149 Chromebook models. At that price, don't expect to find Intel inside. Instead, they'll feature ARM-based System-on-Chip (SoC) options from China's Rockchip, a fabless semiconductor company, Digitimes reports. Following up on Lenovo's 10.1-inch Android notebook running Rockchip's RK3188 processor, it's expected the Chinese OEM will launch an 11.6-inch Chromebook built around the RK3288 chip either at the end of the year or by the first half of 2015, around the same time Asus is said to be releasing an 11.6-inch model. Both models will be priced at $149, or 25 percent lower than Acer's C720, Digitimes says. If that turns out to be true, it will be interesting to see where low-cost Windows-based laptops land. There might be some wiggle room left, though not a ton since they're already running Windows 8.1 with Bing for free. There's also the matter of how much performance consumers are willing to trade for a lower price. For example, a $125 Windows laptop would certainly draw eyeballs, but if the performance is on par with crappy first-generation netbooks, then it suddenly becomes a tough sell. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Humble Jumbo Bundle Offers Four Copies of Insurgency Posted: 13 Nov 2014 10:12 AM PST  More gaming goodness
It's a good week to be a PC gamer, isn't it? GOG.com just kicked off its autumn sale with deep discounts and free games, and if you still want to add to your collection, the Humble Jumbo Bundle 3 gets you a handful of titles, including four copies of Insurgency -- one for you to keep and three to share with others. Talk about good timing now that the holiday shopping season is virtually upon us! In addition to the Insurgency pack, you get Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure and Always Sometimes Monsters. And if you share a copy of Insurgency, you'll unlock Full Mojo Rampage. At the time of this writing, you can add GRID 2, Blackguards, Euro Track Simulator, and some unnamed games by paying more than the average of $6.10. Shell out $12 or more and you'll also receive Saints Row IV. And if you're into soundtracks, a few of those are available as well. Interested? If so, head over to the Humble Bundle website and name your price. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Facebook Updates Privacy Policy Using Plain Language Posted: 13 Nov 2014 09:56 AM PST  Understanding the fine print without the legalese
Our legal system being what it is, things like terms and conditions are often spelled out in legalese that are long, boring, and sometimes difficult to understand. It's the reason most people don't bother to read EULAs and other fine print. Would you have guessed that Facebook would be the one do things differently? Ironic, considering that Facebook is often criticized for privacy policies. Nevertheless, Facebook today introduced Privacy Basics, a plain language interpretation of its privacy rules, along with tips and a how-to guide to make sure things are the way you want them to be. The new Privacy Basics section uses bigger size text, colorful pictures, and easy-to-understand language to outline the social network's various privacy policies and controls. It includes tutorials on untagging, unfriending, blocking, and how to choose an audience for your posts, and other things. "We hope these updates improve your experience. Protecting people's information and providing meaningful privacy controls are at the core of everything we do, and we believe today's announcement is an important step," Facebook said. "We look forward to hearing people's feedback and continuing to build the trust people have in Facebook." The information is available in 36 languages. In addition, Facebook is giving users until November 20 to review and provide comments on the proposed changes before sharing its final updates. You can offer feedback here. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Bitdefender Offers Free Adware Removal Tool for Windows PCs Posted: 13 Nov 2014 07:57 AM PST  Free tool promises to bust a cap in uninvited browser add-ons and other adware
We've praised Bitdefender's Internet Security software on more than one occasion, as it typically performs well in our annual antivirus roundups. The company also offers a free antivirus solution for those who don't need a full fledged security suite, and adding to its pro bono portfolio, Bitdefender just launched a free tool to scan for and rid your system of various kinds of adware. The new tool is supposed to eliminate annoying apps, adaware, toolbars, and other unwanted browser add-ons, acting as supplementary protection to whichever antivirus solution you're running. It's a nice idea, given that so many installers try to sneak adware onto PCs these days. Do you really need it? That depends on your surfing habits, among other things. Citing a study published by Virus Bulletin, Bitdefender says one in three ad networks may serve malvertising. The research also revealed that almost 7 percent of advertising landing pages were misleading by doling out malware or tricking users with fraud, spam, and phishing tactics. "We decided to use our expertise to create our own adware removal tool, and to offer full-range protection against the whole series of adware-related threats," Bitdefender Senior Product Manager Jonas Selkala said. "The tool is backed-up by our #1 awarded anti-malware technologies. It helps users reclaim their computers, by keeping the apps they like, and getting rid of the numerous programs that bug them." The tool scans for things like Adware.SwiftBrowse and Adware.BrowseFox, to name just two. If it finds anything, it will ask your permission before deleting the offending program(s). It also looks for keylogger software and other cruft. We gave the tool a test run and it didn't find anything (no surprise -- we ran it on a somewhat mission critical system). And while it did hit us with an offer for 6 months of Bitdefender Internet Security, we like that it didn't generate misleading findings as a scare tactic into upgrading. As far as we can tell, there's nothing dubious here, just a free program that does what it says (how refreshing is that?). The free tool works with Windows XP on up -- you can grab it here. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Nvidia Announces Android 5.0 Lollipop Coming to Shield Tablet, Valve Bundle, and GRID Streaming Posted: 12 Nov 2014 08:51 PM PST  Half-Life 2: Episode One optimized for Shield
Owners of Nvidia's Shield Tablet will be in for a surprise soon. Nvidia is releasing a major software update and new capabilities for the Shield Tablet which will involve upgrading its OS to Android 5.0 Lollipop, refreshing the handheld's apps, and introducing the company's new GRID on-demand gaming service. The Shield Tablet, which features Nvidia's 192-core Tegra K1 chip, will receive an update that will allow the tablet to make use of Android 5.0 Lollipop later this month. Aside from a new interface with improved app performance, the update will also update the device's painting software Dabbler app that will offer support for layers and additional stylus functionality. Nvidia also plans to update the Shield Hub as well, which gives users the ability to stream their PC games over the internet to the Shield Tablet. Half-Life 2: Episode One will be making its way to the tablet and will be free for those who purchase the 32GB, LTE-enabled version of the Shield Tablet as part of the "Green Box" bundle which includes Half-Life 2 and Portal for $399. Joining the roster of Shield-optimized games, available through Google Play, are four new games; Pure Pool, Strike Suit Zero, Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath, and Turbo Dismount. Nvidia also revealed that its GRID game streaming service is also coming to Shield Tablets. The service comes with 20 triple-A games that includes Batman: Arkham City, Psychonauts, and Borderlands 2 with the company promising that new games will be forthcoming every week. The GRID service will be free on the Shield Tablet and Shield portable until June 30, 2015. According to Nvidia, GRID will be available in North America this month and become available for western Europe in December and Asia next year. If you are curious about the Shield Tablet, and would like to know what we thought of it, then be sure to check out our review. Follow Sean on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
