General Gaming Article |
- Samsung Intros Monitor With Wireless Charging, FreeSync
- Newegg Daily Deals: AVG AntiVirus 2015, Linksys EA9200 Wireless Router, and More!
- Security Firms Warns of Texting Vulnerability Affecting 95 Percent of Android Phones
- OUYA CEO Leaves, Confirms Razer Purchase
- Intel May Bring Skylake to Compute Stick and NUC Devices
- Microsoft Utility Allows Windows 10 Home Users to Block Unwanted Updates
- Ask the Doctor: New Builds, SSD Decisions, Power Woes
- Microsoft's Win10 Xbox Social Network
- Leaked Skylake Slides Point to Significant Graphics Performance Gains
| Samsung Intros Monitor With Wireless Charging, FreeSync Posted: 27 Jul 2015 12:37 PM PDT Built-in Qi wireless charger and AMD FreeSync technologySamsung launched on Monday the "world's first" monitor, the SE370, that offers built-in wireless charging for phones and tablets. The company is offering the SE370 in two sizes, 23.6 inches (S24E370DL) and 27 inches (S27E370DS), that are compatible with the Qi wireless charging standard developed by the Wireless Power Consortium. Outside the difference in sizes, both monitors provide the same features: a 1920x1080 resolution, a 4ms response time, 178-degree viewing angles, and a typical contrast ratio of 1000:1. Connectivity options include one HDMI 1.4 port, one DPI 1.2 port, and one D-Sub port. However, these two monitors have different brightness levels: 250 cd/m2 (23.6 inch model) and 300 cd/m2 (27 inch model). "Through the integration of wireless mobile charging technology, our innovative SE370 monitor dramatically improves efficiency, convenience and connectivity at home and at work—representing another significant milestone in our long history of industry—firsts," said Seok-gi Kim, Senior Vice President, Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. These two monitors throw out the integrated USB charging ports for a circular wireless charging area that's built into the monitor's base. Customers with a compatible device merely place it within the circular area. Once a connection is established, an LED will light, signaling that charging has commenced. Additional information about Qi wireless charging can be found here. In addition to the wireless charging feature, Samsung also pointed out on Monday that the SE370 includes an eye-saver mode that reportedly reduces eye strain by turning down the amount of blue light. There's also a flicker-free function that the company says reduces eye strain when the monitor is set at certain refresh rates. For AMD-based PC gamers, Samsung has thrown in FreeSync technology. For the uninitiated, this built-in hardware syncs with the machine's AMD GPU or APU and adjusts the refresh rate to match the game's framerate. This eliminates screen tears, reduces input latency, and allows for a more fluid experience. "The monitor's game mode detects changes in scenes and instantly corrects blurry images, enhances colors, and alters contrast for improved visibility," the company said on Monday. Unfortunately, Samsung did not provide pricing or availability. However, the company acknowledged that these two monitors are Windows 10 certified. Image by Samsung Tomorrow |
| Newegg Daily Deals: AVG AntiVirus 2015, Linksys EA9200 Wireless Router, and More! Posted: 27 Jul 2015 11:28 AM PDT Top Deal:Pay for security software? PAY for security software!? It's a foreign concept to many savvy PC users, and true enough, you can protect your PC for free. However, paid AV solutions bring additional features to the table, and when the right deal comes along, you barely have to open your wallet or purse. Case in point, today's top deal for AVG AntiVirus 2015 for $10 with free shipping (normally $40 - use coupon code: [EMCAVNR83]). This will cover three PCs for one year. It's a robust solution that, in addition to AV protection, includes identity theft protection, anti-spyware controls, Wi-Fi guard, a file shredder, and more. Other Deals: Linksys EA9200-4A Wireless AC3200 Tri-Band Smart Wi-Fi Router for $160 with free shipping (normally $210 - use coupon code: [EMCAVNR44]) Acer Aspire T Intel Core i5 4440 4GB DDR3 500GB HDD Windows 8.1 64-Bit for $340 with free shipping (normally $350 - use coupon code: [EMCAVNR43]) Adata Value-Driven S102 Pro 32GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive for $13 with $1 shipping (normally $15 - use coupon code: [EMCAVNR52]) Orico 30W 4 Port White USB Car Charger for $10 with free shipping (normally $18 - use coupon code: [EMCAVNR69]) |
| Security Firms Warns of Texting Vulnerability Affecting 95 Percent of Android Phones Posted: 27 Jul 2015 11:16 AM PDT Major flaw in Android A mobile security firm is sounding the alarm on a flaw in Android that could potentially allow an attacker to gain control of a smartphone simply by sending a text message. What's scary about the threat is that in many cases, it doesn't require any interaction on the part of the victim -- in theory, an attacker could send a specially crafted media file by way of MMS to an Android phone while the owner is sleeping, take control, and delete the message before it can be seen. The user would continue to use his or her smartphone the next morning, not knowing that it's been compromised. That's according to Zimperium, which has dubbed the exploit Stagefright. The firm said its VP of Platform Research and Exploitation discovered the flaw deep in Android's code base, and while it hasn't been exploited yet, the firm says it affects 95 percent of Android devices. Pretty scary when you consider than nearly 80 percent of all the smartphones in the world run Android. "Android and derivative devices after and including version 2.2 are vulnerable. Devices running Android versions prior to Jelly Bean (roughly 11 percent of devices) are at the worst risk due to inadequate exploit mitigations. If 'Heartbleed' from the PC era sends chill down your spine, this is much worse," Zimperium stated in a blog post. Zimperium says it reported the vulnerability to Google along with patches, and that Google promptly applied those patches to internal code branches. However, it could take a long time before the majority of Android users are safe from the exploit. "For the mobile devices without zIPS protection, fixes for these issues require an OTA firmware update for all affected devices. Such updates for Android devices have traditionally taken a long time to reach users," Zimperium added. Furthermore, devices older than 18 months may never seen an update at all. Android device owners who use Google's Hangout app for text messaging are the most vulnerable. As Zimperium explained to NPR, an attacker could hide malware inside a short video and text it to an Android device. When it's received, Hangouts instantly and automatically processes the video so that it's ready for viewing in the phone's gallery. This is how malware can sneak in without any user interaction. For Android device owners using the default messaging app, they'd have to view the text message, though still wouldn't be required to play the video for the malware to be installed. |
| OUYA CEO Leaves, Confirms Razer Purchase Posted: 27 Jul 2015 10:30 AM PDT Razer announced on Monday that it has acquired the software assets of OUYA, the Android console that hit the retail chain in June 2013 after an amazingly successful Kickstarter campaign that churned out $8.6 million. Former OUYA CEO Julie Uhrman also confirmed the acquisition on Twitter, saying that she's now pursuing her next project. According to Razer, the company has acquired OUYA's developer relations personnel and the technical team. Both departments now serve Razer under its software arm. The company also plans to re-launch the OUYA store as Cortex for Android TV, the store that serves up games and other content for Razer's Forge TV set-top-box. So what does this mean for current OUYA console owners? The company said on Monday that it will provide OUYA owners with "deep discounts" on OUYA hardware. There will also be "a spate of freebies, giveaways, and promotions" on newly purchased Forge consoles. Even more, these customers will be able to bring their accounts, controllers and games over to the Forge console. "In the near future, Razer will be providing existing OUYA users with a clear path of migration to the more advanced Forge TV micro-console and Serval controller bundle," the press release stated. "While Razer is not retaining interest in OUYA hardware or related other assets, it does plan to publish Android TV content and Android-based TV console games under the OUYA moniker as a separate interest." As the Kickstarter project illustrated, the OUYA console showed promise. It was the first of many Android consoles, but its biggest flaw was that it didn't allow customers to bring their games over from Google Play. Instead, the company relied on a catalog of games developed exclusively for the OUYA. While this was great for indie game developers, the move likely turned away many potential customers. Introduced in January during CES 2015, Razer started taking pre-orders for its Forge TV set-top-box back in April 2015. The device will come packed with Qualcomm's quad-core Snapdragon 805 clocked at 2.5 GHz and the Adreno 420 GPU. Other ingredients include 16 GB of internal storage, 2 GB of RAM, Gigabit Ethernet, dual-band Wireless AC and Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity, USB 3.0 ports and HDMI 1.4 output. The big selling point with Forge TV is that it allows PC gamers to stream their favorite games from a PC to the set-top-box. The device is also based on Android TV, meaning customers will have access to all of their Android games: there's no re-purchasing titles going on here. "Razer has a long-term vision for Android TV and Android-based TV consoles, such as the Xiaomi Mi Box and Alibaba Tmall Box, to which OUYA already publishes," says Razer Co-Founder and CEO Min-Liang Tan. "OUYA's work with game developers, both triple A and indies, went a long way in bringing Android games to the living room and Razer intends to further that work. This acquisition is envisaged to usher more developers and content to the Android TV platform." Razer stated in its press release that the acquisition closed on June 12, 2015. Financial details were not provided. |
| Intel May Bring Skylake to Compute Stick and NUC Devices Posted: 27 Jul 2015 10:05 AM PDT Big upgrades for little PCs The tiny PC movement gains steam with each new generation of hardware, as they become more powerful and capable machines. Today's options are already viable alternatives to bigger PCs, at least in the right setting -- if your mom and pop only surf the web and fire off emails, they might be content with something like a NUC or even a Compute Stick. They're not appropriate for power-hungry applications like gaming and content creation chores, but they are about to get more powerful (and power efficient) if reports are true that next generation solutions with Skylake inside are true. According to Digitimes, Intel will roll out Skylake-based Compute Stick and NUC solutions in October, while companies like ECS, Gigabyte, Asus, and ASRock all have plans to launch related products. Analysts like to harp on declining PC growth, though apparently these little systems are winning favor among consumers and seeing a continuous rise in sales. Adding Skylake to the mix will make them even more attractive than they already are. One of Intel's upcoming refreshes is a Compute Stick with a Core m3-6Y30 processor, due out in October. It will also have 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, and Windows 10. Another version will sport a Core m5-6Y57 vPro processor, though it won't come with an operating system, Digitimes says. With the improved microarchitecture and graphics, both look to be decent upgrades over today's solutions. As for the NUC, Intel is reportedly prepping versions that will feature Skylake-based processor options codenamed Swift Canyon that are specifically designed for NUCs. There will also be performance-based Core i7 CPUs options sometime in the first quarter of next year. |
| Microsoft Utility Allows Windows 10 Home Users to Block Unwanted Updates Posted: 27 Jul 2015 09:28 AM PDT Taking back control Microsoft appears to be backtracking on its decision to force automatic updates on Windows 10 Home users. The controversial policy came to light with the release of the 10240 build of the Windows 10 Technical Preview and its accompanying EULA. In it, Microsoft made it known that automatic updates would be mandatory, whereas Windows 10 Pro users would have the option to delay them for up to eight months. One of the fears with that policy is that Microsoft could inadvertently break compatibility with an update or cause instability issues. Microsoft's track history isn't spotless in this regard, so some users prefer to wait a bit before installing updates to make sure they're aren't any issues, especially on mission critical machines. They may get their wish. A recently released and "well-hidden" troubleshooter package (KB3073930) that was first spotted by ZDNet gives Windows 10 Home users the option of hiding or blocking Windows Updates and driver updates. The latter is especially good news to the Windows 10 testers who recently complained that a forced Nvidia driver doled out by Windows was causing trouble. The knowledge base article for the troubleshooting utility acknowledges that " in rare cases, a specific driver or update might temporarily cause issues with your device, and in this case you will need a way to prevent the problematic driver or update from reinstalling automatically the next time Windows Updates are installed." After installing the optional utility, users will have access to an interface that allows them to hide or show updates. The ones that are hidden will not be installed. It's not clear if the utility will work with the final version of Windows 10, though chances are it will since it works just fine with the RTM. |
| Ask the Doctor: New Builds, SSD Decisions, Power Woes Posted: 27 Jul 2015 09:21 AM PDT This article was published in the July 2015 issue of Maximum PC. For more trusted reviews and feature stories,subscribe here. The Doctor answers your questions about Windows 10, building PCs, and waiting for SSDsWindows 10 32-bit?My business requires I use older software that will not run on any 64-bit OS. This program runs very well on Windows 7 when it's installed as a 32-bit OS. Will Windows 10 be available in 32-bit trim for those of us who helped the PC industry get started? —Dennis Quicker The Doctor Responds: Yes, Dennis. Win10 will be made available as a 32-bit OS. Right now, Microsoft's saying you need 1GB of RAM to run the 32-bit preview version or 2GB for 64-bit. There's another option you might consider, particularly if you're on a machine with lots of memory that isn't getting used by your 32-bit OS. Install the 64-bit build and virtualize your 32-bit workload with Hyper-V. That line-of-business program can run in its own 32-bit world, while the rest of your software enjoys the benefits of a 64-bit environment. Hyper-V is already included as part of Windows 8.1, and it'll be improved in Windows 10. If you want to learn more about it, check out http://bit.ly/1HjQAqF. Time to UpgradeHi, your magazine is great! It's actually the first PC-oriented publication that caught my interest (I've been a console gamer since Pong). WoW got me into the world of PCs, and I'm loving SWTOR. Anyway, on to my query. I have an Asus G60VX laptop with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 260M, 4GB of RAM, and Windows 7 64-bit. I bought it at Best Buy for a song back in '09, and it still runs like new. Is there any way for me to upgrade the hardware, or should I just sell it and buy a new one? Thanks, you have a new subscriber! —Eric Buck The Doctor Responds: Talk about a blast from the past, Eric. That system sports a Core 2 Duo processor and its GeForce graphics module includes 1GB of DDR3 memory. While the Doc considers himself an enthusiast and is always eager to swap out mechanical storage for solidstate, in this case it's probably better to enjoy your machine the way it sits and consider saving up for something a little more modern. If you enjoy The Old Republic now, on a G92b-based GPU, just imagine jumping forward three generations to something like a GeForce GTX 965M or 970M. The Do-It-All BuildI'm looking to build a new PC for somewhere between $1,500 and $2,000. It'll mostly be for gaming, but I'll also be compiling software on it. Do you have any recommendations on what to use? I see builds in your magazine all of the time, but they aren't tailored to the way I want to go. —Viper Locc The Doctor Responds: As I'm sure you can imagine, the Doc receives a lot of requests for build help. You'd think they would be easy to answer. But they aren't. Particularly when they're light on important information. Does form factor matter? Do you care more about looks than speed? How much data does this machine need to house? So, the Doc will answer your question as if he were building a new PC between $1,500 and $2,000. Balance is the most important concept to consider as you pick your parts. A bottleneck imposed by any one component will limit performance and detract from an otherwise enjoyable experience. Because you specifically called out software development, Viper, the Doc would start with an Intel Core i7-5820K sporting six cores and 15MB of shared L3 cache. It's an unlocked processor, so you have the opportunity to overclock beyond 4GHz with a good cooler. That CPU needs to drop into an X99-based motherboard. Take your pick—they range from under $200 to over $600, though you don't need to spend big. Asrock, Gigabyte, and MSI all have affordable options the Doc would recommend. Of course, you need a quadchannel DDR4 memory kit to maximize bandwidth, and those get pretty pricey. G.Skill sells four 4GB modules for around $175. They're rated for 2,400 MT/s, though higher data rates are typically easy to achieve through overclocking. Next up is graphics. A GeForce GTX 980 will give you amazing performance at up to around 2560x1440 in even the most demanding games. A couple of GeForce GTX 970s should handle 4K well. The storage subsystem is a matter of personal preference. You definitely want an SSD in there, and I'd consider the 250GB Crucial MX200 to be a baseline for just over $100. Add a 2 or 3TB mechanical disk for less than $100 and you have a fairly capable tiered storage setup able to hold your response-sensitive apps (like games) and user data (like movies and music). Back all of that hardware up with a high-quality power supply in the 750 to 800W range. Corsair's CX750 would get the job done for around $80. Don't forget a capable cooler for the CPU—closed-loop liquid and big air solutions are equally viable, though you can expect to pay more for the former. That takes you up to around $1,600, assuming you go the GTX 980 route, leaving a bit of wiggle room to figure out if you need a new chassis, optical drive, operating system, or monitor. If that well-balanced configuration isn't tailored to the way you want to go, you'll need to send the Doc more specific guidance. SSD Waiting GameHello Doctor, I have a new (to me) Toshiba P55-A5312 laptop with a fourth-gen Core i5 processor and 750GB hard drive with 16GB RAM and Windows 8.1 (with Linux as the other OS). It's very quiet except for the disk making noise and running slowly. I have another Toshiba laptop with an older third-generation Core CPU and Samsung 840 Pro inside. It's wonderful. Now I find myself wanting to upgrade the newer notebook's hard drive to an SSD. Should I wait for the next generation of SSDs to upgrade it, or will Samsung's 850 Pro be more than enough? Can old laptops even take advantage of the speed offered by new M.2 SSDs? I know it's much easier to upgrade a desktop using higher-bandwidth PCIe cards. —Adam The Doctor Responds: Don't wait, Adam. From what the Doc can see, Toshiba's P55-A5312 only has a SATA interface. The fastest SSDs available (including the 850 Pro you mentioned) already saturate 6Gb/s links, and that's when you benchmark with a high-end desktop platform. The Core i5-4200U in your machine is one of Intel's low-power 15W parts. It won't push the kind of I/O needed to expose a modern SSD's performance ceiling anyway. But the notebook assuredly would benefit from a move to solid-state storage instead of that 5,400rpm disk. There's one other thing to keep in mind as you shop for future upgrades: M.2 doesn't necessarily translate to faster storage. The specification facilitates legacy SATA connectivity, which isn't any faster than existing 2.5-inch drives, SATA Express using AHCI, which at least puts the device on a PCI Express link, and SATA Express with NVMe. That last option is where you'll see the next revolution in storage. Unfortunately, the ecosystem isn't quite ready. Whitelist WoesI sure miss the Dog. Perhaps he would have warned me about the whitelist on my HP Pavilion DV7 4080US laptop. I wanted to replace its Intel 802.11n card with a newer accapable wireless device. Piece of cake, right? But it can't be done because the BIOS doesn't have the card I want in its list of approved options. How do I go about removing that check without bricking my laptop? —Frank Miller The Doctor Responds: The Doc is sure that HP has its reasons for limiting the cards you can swap into its laptops (compatibility issues, perhaps?), but he agrees this is an unfortunate approach on an open PC platform. Don't feel singled-out though—other OEMs employ similar strategies to prevent customers from adding untested hardware. There are ways around the whitelist, though they are by no means trivial. You've likely found the forum threads online that describe how to either add your card's device ID to the whitelist or remove the check process altogether. Many of the folks who try modifying their firmware do damage them in the process. What's more, the Doc cannot find a single example of someone successfully modding the DV7 4080US. Proceed with this one at your own risk. An Upgrade GotchaDear Doc, I've an aging HP 6000 Pro small form factor PC that my family uses for gaming and other tasks. Though it's a bit long in the tooth, I hope to get another year or so out of it before I shell out the cash for a replacement. I realize its current specs are holding performance back, but I'm looking for your opinion to gauge whether I should install a few upgrades to try extending its life. Currently, it's running Win7 Pro x64 and has an Intel Core 2 Quad Q9400, 4GB of DDR3 (in a single-channel configuration), a 1TB Hitachi hard drive, GeForce GT 610 with 1GB of DDR3, and a 240W power supply. I am thinking about buying a Zotac GeForce GTX 750 card with 1GB of GDDR5. It seems to be the fastest low-profile card out there that doesn't need an external power connector. Along with the GPU, I'd also add another 4GB memory module for dual-channel operation. Do you suppose the power supply has enough maximum output to support this setup? Would the upgrade be worthwhile? —Jason Grant The Doctor Responds: Your head is definitely in the right place, Jason. Adding a little more graphics horsepower and system memory would have a positive impact on that machine's gaming performance. Nvidia's GeForce GT 610 is rated for 29W, while the GeForce GTX 750 is a 55W card. Your Core 2 Quad is a 95W processor, so it'd be natural to guess that a 240W power supply could handle all of the hardware, even under full load. And the motherboard does in fact support a second 4GB DIMM. |
| Microsoft's Win10 Xbox Social Network Posted: 27 Jul 2015 08:00 AM PDT Microsoft's Xbox app for Windows 10If you want to be a serious player in the PC gaming arena, you need to have the funds to back the hardware requirements. Sure, you can play on outdated hardware and get 20 frames per second. Sure, you can save a few bucks and purchase discounted hardware to meet the minimum system requirements. But deep down inside, PC gamers simply don't want to cut corners. They want the best imagery the current gaming engines can provide, just like their fellow console owners. So, where are we going with this? Good question. Looking back over the last decade, it appeared that Microsoft really didn't care for the PC gamer. The company's primary focus, it seems, has been on the Xbox console owner. The thing is, Microsoft knows PC gamers feel this way, which is why we're hearing so much about the upcoming Windows 10 serving as a gaming platform. The company wants to right the wrongs, and is doing so with one small step forward: the Xbox app for Windows 10. The Xbox app is broken down into ten components: the gamer's profile, Home, My Games, Messages, Activity alerts, Achievements, Game DVR, Store, Connect, and Settings. The menu to access these components is provided on the left and can be expanded by clicking on a small button with three lines at the top of the app. The Xbox app also provides a main window where users get all of their information and a list of friends, followers, and recent players lined up on the right. Honestly, the layout reminds me of Facebook. For starters, the user's Profile page includes information such as recent activity, achievements, game clips that are shared with friends, and an option to see what everyone else on your friends list is doing; users can also follow any game they want from any game hub. For instance, click on a friend and you'll see his/her last game played, achievements that were unlocked, and more. To show support, you can "like" a post by clicking on a heart icon, share the post in a message or your activity feed, leave a comment, and make a report if the post is inappropriate. Again, I'm reminded of Facebook. Essentially, Microsoft has created a game-focused social network that only Windows 10 and Xbox console owners can access. The Home page seems to back up that idea, showing the activity feed front and center along with a list of games the player recently launched, a list of Featured Games such as Halo: Spartan Strike that is linked to the Windows Store, and so on. There's even a space at the top of the activity feed for updating the gamer's status, just like Facebook. Moving on, the "My games" section lists all games installed locally on the Windows 10 PC as well as games installed from Windows Store. Essentially, gamers really don't need to keep shortcuts on the desktop as they can load up the Xbox app, locate their game (Steam, EA Origin, etc.) and press Play. There's really nothing special going on here; this section is merely a launcher and at this time really doesn't play into the Xbox achievements and sharing aspect of the Xbox app, unless the game was purchased in Windows Store, that is. That said, let's skip down to the meat of the Xbox app: the Game DVR. Here you can record videos and take screenshots of games played on Windows 10. As of this article, the function isn't working as expected. I tried to share three games to my Xbox buddies: Diablo III: Reaper of Souls, BioShock Infinite, and my current obsession, Wolfenstein: The New Order. I know for a fact that all three are offered on Xbox One, so these games should be easy to share, right? For starters, typing Win + G on the keyboard will bring up a bar overlay. This bar doesn't sit on the screen for very long and provides quick access to functions like recording a video and taking screenshots. The problem is that for some reason the Xbox app functions don't always work. For Diablo III: Reaper of Souls, the only way the overlay would work was if the game was set in Fullscreen/Windowed mode. The same was true for BioShock Infinite. Note that for both games, I disabled Steam's overlay just in case there would be a conflict. Unfortunately, I couldn't get the Xbox overlay to work at all in Wolfenstein: The New Order. What's also unfortunate is that I can't share my Diablo III and BioShock Infinite screens to my friends. According to the Xbox app, these two games "can't be shared because we don't recognize the game." The app confirms that clips and screenshots from games can indeed be shared on Xbox Live and that I should try a newer game. I didn't find a newer game, but I did manage to get a Halo: Spartan Assault screenshot to share to all of my Xbox buddies. That said, because Wolfenstein: The New Order could be considered a "newer" game, I decided to cheat. I re-enabled the Steam overlay and grabbed a screenshot. I located the image locally and then copied it over to the folder where Game DVR stores all the images and clips. I renamed the image, gave it a PNG extension, and went back into the Xbox app. Did the screen show up in the app? No. So, what's the deal? According to Microsoft's Brandon LeBlanc, "you can upload your local game clips and screenshots for Windows Store games to your shared collection on Xbox Live… You can capture game clips and screenshots for non–Windows Store games and access them via Game DVR." There you go. Mystery solved: You can share games if they're purchased from Windows Store. Perhaps one day Microsoft will expand this feature to all PC games that are installed on a Windows 10 PC and have identical copies in the Xbox One library such as Diablo III and BioShock Infinite. As for connecting the Xbox app to the Xbox One console, it's rather easy—just make sure that you're on the same access point. In other words, if you have a network extender installed, make sure both the Windows 10 PC and the console are connected to that device or connected to the network router. Once connected to the console, the app provides controls including an on-screen game controller, a remote control for watching TV, and a volume button. As for the streaming options, users have a choice of testing the Xbox One connection, disconnecting, connecting automatically, turning off the console, and forgetting the console. Unfortunately, I couldn't get the streaming aspect to work. "To continue, sign in on your console using this account," the Xbox app kept telling me even though I signed in to the Xbox One and the Windows 10 Xbox app using the same gamertag. A call to Microsoft revealed that an update to the Xbox One will be released around July 29 when Windows 10 is officially released. Right now, the only streaming going on seems to be within the company's private beta. Moving on, the next components on the Xbox app list should be self-explanatory. In the Messages section you'll see all messages sent back and forth to those on the Friends list. "Activity alerts" show the most recent activity on the account such as adding a friend or playing a game, and the Achievements section shows your achievement progress on all compatible games. The Store link simply pulls up the Games section in Windows Store. Finally, we have the Settings section, which is broken down into three sub-sections: General, Game DVR, and Game Streaming, the latter of which allows the user to encode video at High, Medium, and Low resolutions. Under General, gamers can switch on or off a number of features such as the Live Tile, notifications stating that your favorite friends have jumped online, when friends begin a Twitch streaming session, and when a new message is received. There's also a Privacy section that takes you to Xbox.com. The Game DVR has a number of settings starting with Keyboard shortcuts. There are five that can be used to record: Open Game bar, Record that, Start/stop recording, Take screenshot, and Show/hide recording timer. All five of these have a default setting that includes the Windows key but the app allows the user to change these if needed. In addition to the keyboard settings, players have an option to allow the Game DVR to record in the background while he/she is playing a game. A maximum recording time can also be set, although by default a clip can last an hour (the maximum is two hours and the minimum is 30 minutes). Finally, users can set the location where clips are stored, how the video is encoded (standard or high), and whether audio will be recorded. If the user chooses capture audio, the quality settings can range from 96Kb/s to 192Kb/s. As mentioned earlier, the new Xbox app feels like a social network for gamers. What we'd like to see is Facebook integration so that gamers can post their screenshots and clips on the popular social network. But right now, it seems that Microsoft is (understandably) focused on bridging the gap between its Xbox and Windows PC communities. Hopefully, that bridge will grow to the point where we see Twitter and Facebook support. All in all, Microsoft is taking a huge step forward in recognizing the wallets of serious PC gamers with not only the Xbox app, but the Windows 10 platform itself, which will play exclusive host to DirectX 12. Will these two solutions be enough to recapture the eyes and hearts of the dedicated PC gamer community, or will these players continue to stick with Windows 7 and Windows 8.1? Only time will tell. With this report, keep in mind that we tested the Xbox app and Windows 10 Build 10240 before the actual launch that takes place later this week. We'll take the Xbox streaming bit for a hands-on ride once the launch dust settles and both Windows 10 and Xbox One are ready to play nice with each other. What you need to run Windows 10 |
| Leaked Skylake Slides Point to Significant Graphics Performance Gains Posted: 27 Jul 2015 01:40 AM PDT Intel is expected to unveil Skylake at next month's Gamescom trade showIntel's soon-to-be-unveiled Skylake microarchitecture could deliver significant performance improvements over its predecessor, particularly in the graphics department. That is if a series of purportedly leaked slides published by Fanless Tech are genuine. According to one of the slides (included above), the highest all-round gains will be seen in Y-Series (mobile) chips, which will apparently deliver up to 41 percent faster graphics and up to 17 percent faster CPU performance than their previous-generation counterparts. As for other variants, we could see up to 34 percent faster graphics and up to 10 percent faster CPU performance with the U-Series (mobile); up to 16 percent faster graphics and up to 11 percent faster CPU performance with the H-Series (mobile); and up to 28 percent faster graphics and up to 11 percent faster CPU performance with the S-Series (mobile). A "tock" in Intel's tick-tock release cadence, Skylake is a completely new microarchitecture and not a mere die-shrink of a previous generation. Intel is expected to officially unveil the 14nm chips at Gamescom in early August. |
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