General Gaming Article |
- EVGA Expands SuperNova T2 80 Plus Titanium Power Supply Line
- IBM Leads Patent Grab in the U.S. for 23rd Consecutive Year
- Plea to Analysts: Stop Ignoring Detachable 2-in-1 PC Sales
- Technolust: On the Move
| EVGA Expands SuperNova T2 80 Plus Titanium Power Supply Line Posted: 13 Jan 2016 11:38 AM PST Lower wattage optionsIf you own an 80 Plus certified power supply, chances are you have a high quality unit (not always, of course). However, if you're shooting for the moon, 80 Plus Titanium is as good as it gets, and EVGA now has more SuperaNova T2 80 Plus Titanium PSUs to choose from. Initially only available in a 1,600W model, EVGA just added three new wattage options, those being 1,000W, 850W, and 750W. Like the initial 1,600W model, these are all 80 Plus Titianum certified featuring 94 percent (or higher) efficiency at typical loads (less energy is wasted as heat, resulting in less electricity use, is the short explanation here). These are fully modular units right down to the main 24-pin ATX power connector. You're not going to run a PC without it, but being able to detach all cables can help with tricky builds where maneuvering a PSU into place might not be easy. EVGA also says its SuperNova T2 line is "whisper silent" thanks to an Eco mode that keeps the fan at idle during low and medium loads. It only kicks on when necessary. Exact specs range by model, though all use a single +12V rail (83.3A on the 1,000W model, 70.8A on the 850W model, and 62.4A on the 750W model). All are also backed by a generous 10-year warranty. Pricing breaks down as follows: The 1,000W and 850W models are available now direct from EVGA; the 750W will be soon (you can have EVGA notify you when it's in stock). And of course you can still purchase the 1,600W model, which EVGA sells for $430. |
| IBM Leads Patent Grab in the U.S. for 23rd Consecutive Year Posted: 13 Jan 2016 11:16 AM PST Playing the patent gameNo other company files for and is granted more patents in the United States each and every year than International Business Machines (IBM). That's been true of the past 23 years, with IBM leading the way again in 2015 by claiming 7,355 patents. That's a fraction of the nearly 300,000 utility patents (298,407, to be exact) granted in total last year, according to IFI Claims Patents Services. However, it's the biggest fraction. IBM isn't the only notable technology firm adding to its ever expanding patent portfolio. Here's a look at the top ten:
Apple wasn't far behind at the 11th spot, the same position it occupied last year. The number of U.S. patents granted last year actually decreased for the first time since 2015, though only by a small amount. "After seven straight years of prolific patent growth, 2015 saw the first sign of de-acceleration," said Mike Baycroft, CEO, IFI Claims Patent Services. "I wouldn't suggest though that the patent train is losing momentum as many companies continue to crank out more patents than the previous year. That historic seven-year run was remarkable especially when you consider that IBM, Samsung and Canon each generate more than twice as many patents now as they did a decade ago." More importantly, they continue to be the basis of legal battles and can serve as business models for so-called patent trolls, or firms that sue for royalties and damages rather than use patents to actually innovate products. Apple and Samsung are currently engaged in a patent war, one that may extend all the way up to the Supreme Court. After nearly five years of litigation, Samsung recently paid Apple $548 million as part of a partial judgement that was decided by an appeals court earlier this year. Apple had initially sought $2.75 billion in damages and was awarded a little over $1 billion when the case first went to court. Many in the technology industry have called for patent reform. More than just lip service, Microsoft and Google somewhat recently agreed to dismiss some 20 lawsuits against one another over various patent infringement claims. |
| Plea to Analysts: Stop Ignoring Detachable 2-in-1 PC Sales Posted: 13 Jan 2016 10:22 AM PST Better accounting is needed Here we go again, both Gartner and International Data Corporation (IDC) released some ugly numbers about how the PC market fared in the final quarter of 2015, along with some doomsday commentary. But what's not reflected by either market research firm is the number of detachable 2-in-1 PC shipments. Let's start with IDC's accounting and analysis because it's the more dire of the two. According to IDC, worldwide PC shipments reached 71.9 million units in the fourth quarter of 2015, a number that represents a 10.6 percent year-on-year decline. IDC goes on to say that even though the market performed as expected with conservative estimates, 2015 ended up being the first year since 2008 that PC shipments fell below 300 million units with the largest year-on-year decline in history. Well, we might as well declare the PC market dead, right? Not so fast. First, one thing I like to remind people when these reports come out is that hundreds of millions of PCs are still being introduced into the market every year. For 2015, IDC noted over 276.2 million PC shipments. Secondly, these numbers don't take into account detachable PC shipments. To IDC's credit, it points this out, though it comes several paragraphs after talking about how 2015 was pretty much crap for PCs Adding detachable PCs, which IDC says "are growing quickly from a small base," would add 6 percentage points to the fourth quarter and 3 percentage points for the full year, bringing the year-on-year decline to 7.5 percent. "The impact for 2016 will be larger as detachable tablet volume grows, boosting earlier forecasts of PC growth in 2016 from -3.1 percent to growth of 1 to 2 percent," IDC adds. Gartner paints a similar picture with the same general brush strokes, only with less dramatic commentary. According to Gartner, PC shipments in the fourth quarter of 2015 totaled 75.7 million units, a decline of 8.3 percent compared to the same quarter a year prior. And the total number of shipments for the entire year exceeded 288.7 million units. "The fourth quarter of 2015 marked the fifth consecutive quarter of worldwide PC shipment decline," said Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner. "Holiday sales did not boost the overall PC shipments, hinting at changes to consumers' PC purchase behavior. On the business side, Windows 10 generally received positive reviews, but as expected, Windows 10 migration was minor in the fourth quarter as many organizations were just starting their testing period." Like IDC, Gartner doesn't factor in detachable 2-in-1 PCs, or at least that's my understanding. Instead, it counts "desk-based PCs, notebook PCs, and ultramobile premiums," and in doing so, it arrives at a similar number of PCs and conclusion as IDC. Here's the thing, the detachble PCs these firms are ignoring are the very ones that Microsoft is trying so hard to promote. The market is evolving and now includes fancy systems like the Surface Pro line and the more recent Surface Book, along with similar devices from Microsoft's hardware partners, but research firms haven't evolved with it. As a result, the reported declines are inflated at best, or just plain wrong. I'm not saying it's easy to know where to draw the line -- some would go so far as to argue that those things we call smartphones should be classified as PCs -- but I think at minimum, research firms should take into consideration 2-in-1 devices that run Windows or Linux. Agree? Disagree? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section! |
| Posted: 13 Jan 2016 12:00 AM PST A desk worthy of my desktop, an electric skateboard, and a 4K TVIn case you didn't know, the Maximum PC office has moved from South San Francisco to San Francisco proper (South San Francisco is actually a different city altogether, and is located, well, on the southern edge of San Francisco). While this doesn't sound like a huge change on paper, the move made my rough commute even rougher; so much so that I decided I would move closer to the office next month. And for me, having a new apartment means wanting to furnish it with some fancy new gear. A new desk worthy of my desktopWorking at Maximum PC, I've got a pretty nice desktop PC. Unfortunately, the table that it resides on is a cheap, old Ikea desk that's falling apart, and I'd like to discard it before my move. So, I'll need a new desk to replace it, and I couldn't help but hear Tuan raving about the NextDesk Air. Considering he gave it a Kick Ass seal of approval in his review, I want it. While I haven't seen the desk in person, judging from pictures, it's real beautiful. It's also made of high-quality aluminum, comes with a 12-outlet surge-protected power splitter, and just looks to be super solid and sturdy. Perhaps the most uplifting news about the desk is that it... well... lifts itself so that you can use it as a standing desk. You can raise and lower the desk with the table's built-in buttons, or you can use the table's Desk Control app to adjust the height from your PC. It also tells you how many calories you're burning when standing, too! If that's not Kick Ass, I don't know what is. So, what would the NextDesk Air provide me that I'm not getting now?Well, with it, I'd be able to discard my old table, which is damned near a decade old. It would also allow me to deck out my new digs with a beautiful table that is as functional as it is beautiful. I really like that you can hide your cables underneath the table to free up the clutter, and I also like the idea of being able to use it as a standing desk whenever I want. There are a lot of studies that show that prolonged periods of sitting down isn't good for you, and while I like to try and live an active lifestyle, the truth of the matter is that in my waking hours, I spend most of my time sitting on my bum. The NextDesk Air would help alleviate that issue for me, which would allow me to live a more healthy lifestyle. It's not a hoverboard, but I'll take itWhile my new place will take me closer to the office, public transit in San Francisco only takes you so far, and I'll generally have to make up two miles or so on foot round trip each day in between bus/ferry rides. The Inboard M1 would deal with that problem nicely. Revealed at this year's CES, the electric skateboard has motors in its wheels and goes up to 24 miles per hour! It purportedly can also provide 10 miles on a single charge, which is more than enough for my needs. In case I forget to charge it and it dies, however, one great perk about the board is that I'll be able to use it as a regular longboard. Why don't I just buy it? Well, because it costs $1,400! While my checkbook can't take the hit, its value does make it fit snugly in my Technolust column. So, what would the Inboard M1 Electric Skateboard provide me that I'm not getting now?It would cut down on my commute time and it would allow me to do so in style. While I could try and lug a bicycle around San Francisco, bikes are heavier and are harder to carry on trains and boats. Plus, I'd have to park it outside the office, where there's always the worry that thieves might jack it. With the Inboard M1 being so portable, I'd be able to bring it into the office with no issues. VIZIO M-Series 75" Class Ultra HD Full‑Array LED Smart TVSince I'm moving into a new place, a nice, new TV couldn't hurt, and it would be awesome to get one of the nicest panels out there. That's why I'm lusting after Vizio's 75 inch M-Series UHD TV. Not only is it huge, but it's also a 4K TV that offers built-in apps for Netflix, Hulu, and more. You can also stream to it from your phone, and it offers five HDMI ports and has a USB port to boot. But, at the end of the day, it comes down to picture quality, and from what I hear, this Vizio panel is thought best in class. Cnet did award it the highest rated TV of 2015, after all. I would purchase it myself, but I don't quite have three grand to spare…. So, what would the VIZIO M-Series 75" Class Ultra HD Full‑Array LED Smart TV provide me that I'm not getting now?Well, first up, it would be my first 4K panel. I'm still using a 1080p HDTV from Samsung right now. Also, while my current TV isn't small at 50 inches, 75 inches is in a whole other league of huge. While it isn't cheap by any means, perhaps it will save me the cost of movie tickets, since I'll basically have my own movie theater. |
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