General Gaming Article

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• Best Web Browser
• Leaked Documentation Sheds Light on Rumored Windows 8.1 with Bing Release
• Gigabyte Unveils Single 2011 Socket Motherboard with 10GbE LAN
• DRAM Makers Reach $310M Settlement in Price Fixing Case
• Trendnet AnnouncesTEW-818DRU AC1900 Dual Band Wireless Router
• Newegg Daily Deals: Asus Black 24-inch LCD Monitor, Logitech G600 MMO Gaming Mouse, and More!

Best Web Browser Posted: 07 Mar 2014 03:20 PM PST A ferocious free-for-all among the top web browsers The landscape is evolving and you can either change with it or be left behind. This is the position browser makers find themselves in as cloud computing and touch interfaces take center stage, as Windows 8 with its vastly overhauled UI continues to wiggle into more homes and businesses around the world, and as web developers push increasing amounts of rich content at site visitors. Assuming all browsers handle online content reasonably well, you might be asking yourself why your choice of browser matters, since they're all free to use. Don't sell yourself short—you and every other computer user with an Internet connection matters to browser makers. More than just having an effect on your personal online experience, the browser you select is essentially a vote in favor of which company wields the most control over emerging and evolving web standards, which itself directly impacts how you see and experience the web. Secondly, there are advertising dollars at stake. The majority of Mozilla's funding for Firefox comes from Google, which pays the open source browser maker an obscene amount of cash (around $300 million annually) to have its search engine the default option. There's a lot at stake, and on the following pages, we'll weigh in on each browser's strengths and weaknesses. When evaluating a browser, we look for standout features, security protocols, privacy options, and raw speed. The stage is set, but which will emerge the victor: Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, or Opera? Mozilla Firefox 23 Fast and nimble, but no longer the pack leader In the little more than two years that elapsed since our last major browser brouhaha, Mozilla has taken Firefox from version 4 all the way to version 23, which itself is likely to be a version or two behind by the time you read this. That's because Mozilla adopted a rapid release schedule that sees a new build around every 6 weeks. Mozilla felt pressured to keep up with fast evolving web standards like HTML5 and decided it was best to push out new features as quickly as possible. As a result, Firefox never gets outdated, though new builds end up feeling more like micro-updates rather than major revisions. What's New If we focus solely on Firefox 23, there's not a lot that's new compared to the previous release. Mozilla removed some of the shine from the logo, added a button to the toolbar to share websites with participating social networks like Facebook, and beefed up security. Over the course of the last several releases, however, Firefox added a built-in PDF reader, gained a social API, added support for Retina displays on Mac OS X 10.7 and up, and made a few other tweaks. Somewhere along the line, Mozilla finally managed to plug the infamous memory leak issue that plagued earlier versions. Security Mozilla diligently patches security holes in each new release. In Firefox 23, Mozilla shored up its browser's defenses by injecting a mixed-content blocking mechanism. When a secure HTTPS page loads non-secure, unencrypted content over HTTP (known as mixed content), you're susceptible to man-in-the-middle attacks. Mozilla's mixed-content blocker doesn't let non-secure, active content through by default, thereby providing a layer of protection against these attacks. Cool, right? What's not so cool is that Mozilla made it unnecessarily difficult to disable JavaScript by removing the option from the Contents tab in the Options menu. To flip the switch, you either have to install a third-party extension or poke around about:config settings. Privacy One feature we hoped Firefox would have added by now is turning on the Do Not Track (DNT) setting by default. Much to the chagrin of advertisers who serve up tracking cookies, Mozilla has long planned to do this, but it keeps getting delayed for one reason or another. Still, it's there as an option, and so is the infamous private-browsing, which lets you surf the web without leaving any trace of your whereabouts once you close the browser. Performance Firefox 23 flexes a fair amount of web-rendering muscle, but it no longer has the quickest draw of the bunch. Out of the five browsers tested, Firefox 23 came in third in its own Kraken JavaScript benchmark, losing to Chrome and Opera. Not by much, mind you, but losing on its home turf underscores the changing of the guard that's taken place since our last browser roundup (June 2011). Power-User Tips 1. Since it's not enabled by default, manually turn on Firefox's Do Not Track feature by clicking on the Firefox menu and navigating to Options > Options > Privacy. Select the radio button that reads, "Tell sites that I do not want to be tracked." 2. To disable JavaScript, type about:config in the URL bar. Find javascript.enabled, right-click, and select Toggle to change the value to False. 3. Need more real estate? Click Firefox > Options > Toolbar layout and check "Use Small Icons." 1) New to Firefox 23, you can now share websites on Facebook by clicking a button in the toolbar. Other social sites plan to integrate this function, too. 2) To poke your head underneath the hood, type about:config in the URL bar and explore the underlying parts. Be careful though, changing settings can bork your browser. 3) Other than the optional sidebar, Firefox 23 is virtually identical in appearance to Firefox 4 from two years ago. Now that Windows 8 is here, we suspect Mozilla will tweak the UI for touch navigation. 4) Whoops, did you accidentally close a tab? Bring it right back by pressing Ctrl+Shift+T. If you want even more control over tabs, hunt down the Tab Mix Plus add-on. Click the next page to read about Opera and Chrome.   Opera 15 If you can't beat 'em, join 'em For years, Opera's development team championed strict web standards through their own rendering engine called Presto. Maintaining a relevant rendering engine is a massive undertaking, so for version 15, Opera Software made the decision to swap out Presto for Google's Blink engine, which is a fork of Webkit and the same one driving Chrome. It's a significant change and one that allows the Norwegian browser maker's small team to narrow their focus on Opera's complementary features and security. What's New A new rendering engine is just one of the many changes in Opera 15, not all of them positive. Bookmarks have vanished (Opera Software plans to return them in a future release), and the integrated M2 email and news client played a disappearing act just like Presto. In their place is an overhauled UI that more closely resembles Chrome, along with a combined address and search bar. Opera's Speed Dial feature lists thumbnails of saved web pages on new tab windows, and new to Opera 15 is the ability to group and search entries. Also new are Stash and Discover entries in new tab windows. When you click the heart icon in the address bar, Stash will take a snapshot of the website, while Discover lists news clips from around the web. Finally, Opera 15 introduces an Off-Road mode that adopts server-side compression technology found in Opera Mobile. Security By making the transition to Blink, Opera 15 becomes the beneficiary of security protocols included in the Chromium project, such as running tabs in separate processes and sandboxing. Opera also adopts a rapid release schedule for more frequent security updates, both as it pertains to Blink as well as parts of the browser not related to Chromium (everything but the engine). Privacy Opera 15 retains the ability to open a private-browsing window, which you can run alongside a non-private session. The feature is more easily accessible in Opera's main drop-down menu. Opera 15 also supports Do Not Track requests, though the feature is turned off by default. Performance The Blink rendering engine gives Opera an instant speed boost that puts the browser nearly on par with Chrome. In our benchmark tests, Chrome 29 still edged out Opera 15 in most tests, though Opera was faster in Microsoft's Lawn Mark 2013 test. Furthermore, neither browser ever left the other one in the dust. That's an impressive testament to Opera's upgraded code, since Chrome ended up being the fastest of the bunch. Opera 15 does away with traditional bookmarks, but you can "Stash" websites with screenshot previews that appear on the Start page and new tab windows. Chrome 29 All hail the new king Chrome recently celebrated its fifth birthday, and though it required a few coats of polish to really shine, most users today couldn't or wouldn't want to fathom a world without Google's quick and nimble browser. To wit, Chrome did what no other browser could do—it dethroned Internet Explorer in market share, at least according to StatCounter's data. NetMarketShare still has IE in the lead, but the mere fact that Chrome is even in the discussion is a remarkable achievement for such a young browser. What's New Google decided early on that a rapid release schedule made the most sense, so like Firefox, individual updates typically lack hordes of killer features to make you pump your fist in excitement. Over time, however, the experience gradually changes. In Chrome 29, Google added an immersive mode that hides the toolbar and shelf in full-screen mode until you hover over the top. There's also a "Reset browser settings" to restore Chrome to its original state. If you're in love with Windows 8's touch-friendly interface, you'll also adore running Chrome in Windows 8 Mode, which replaces IE as the default browser in the process. Security Chrome 29 came with more than two dozen security patches, an unusually large amount. Part of the reason is because Google routinely rewards external security researchers with financial bounties for discovering bugs. Combined with Chrome's automatic updates and sandbox approach to browsing, you're about as protected as you can get outside of a virtual machine. Privacy Up until version 23, one of the few criticisms you could make about Chrome was that it didn't have a Do Not Track feature like IE and Firefox. Google took its sweet time adding DNT code to Chrome, but it's there, only you have to hunt down the setting and manually turn it on just like in Firefox. Even when you do, the effectiveness of DNT hinges on whether websites honor your request or essentially tell you to go fly a kite. For browsing on the sly, Chrome's Incognito mode erases the past more efficiently than Stephen King's Langoliers. Performance Even Michael Jordan didn't win every game he played in, and though it wasn't a clean sweep for Chrome either, Google's browser had the best score in more benchmarks than any of the other four contenders in this roundup. And unlike in our browser cage fight from two years ago, Chrome now boasts hardware acceleration. Power-User Tips 1. Install the Omnibox Timer extension to set reminders in the Omnibar while you're at your PC. Once installed, activate a timer by typing TM in the Omnibar and then something like, "15 stand up and take a break" to be reminded in 15 minutes to move around. (Protip: Sitting for long stretches is bad for your health.) 2. Google isn't your only search option in Chrome. Type Amazon in the Omnibar followed by the Tab key and then type in your search query. You'll see the option to bring up search when you start typing in websites you've previously visited. Alternately, type the name of a site followed by a colon and then your search query (e.g., MaximumPC: Intel). 3. Fancy yourself a code junkie? Right-click a website and select "Inspect element" to spy a site's code. 1) If you're not digging Internet Explorer in Windows 8's Modern UI, you can swap it out for Chrome. Once you do, it always runs that way, even if you launch Chrome from the desktop. 2) There's no need for a dedicated search bar in Chrome. The Omnibar (or address bar) also functions as a search bar. 3) Type chrome://flags in the Omnibar to bring up a wealth of experimental features to play around with. As always, be careful flipping switches willy-nilly, lest Chrome start acting in unexpected ways. 4) Signing into Chrome allows you to sync your settings and data from one PC to another. Just sign into the same account when you get home to bring up your work PC's Chrome session. Click the next page to read about Safari and Internet Explorer.   Safari 5.1.7 Apple abandoned it, and so should you The last time Apple updated its Safari browser for Windows desktops was in May 2012, and that was just a minor housekeeping patch. Apple left Windows users behind when it introduced Safari 6 for Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, and while the Cupertino outfit hasn't explicitly stated Safari will never make a return to Microsoft's OS, there's little reason to believe it will. Safari was never able to carve out a significant share of the browser market anyhow, though both NetMarketShare and StatCounter agree that there are more web surfers on Safari than Opera, so leaving Windows users behind might not have been the best long-term decision. What's New Though Apple has turned a blind eye to Windows users, the latest version of Safari is still available to download. Prior to abandonment, Safari's Reading List feature alone was reason to consider the browser. What it does is let you save web pages you don't have time to read and return to them later, online or offline. Think of it as a temporary bookmarks feature that self-destructs once you've brought up a saved page. Safari Reader is another element of the browser we liked. It strips web pages to the bare essentials, removing most ads and preventing pop-ups. Security Safari's biggest security feature is running web processes in a restricted environment, otherwise known as sandboxing. Pretty snazzy, except that it only runs that way on Mac OS, so it's a feature that's of absolutely no benefit to Windows users—boo! On the plus side, it's rather easy to disable JavaScript, pop-up windows, and plugins from the Security tab in Preferences. Safari will also warn users when visiting a website it deems fraudulent. Privacy Safari blocks third-party cookies by default, a feature that's found in the browser's Privacy panel. It also contains an option to remove all website data with a couple of mouse clicks. In the same panel is an option to limit website access to location services. Some websites use information about your location to enable certain features and services, but if you'd rather keep that information private, you can disable it altogether or be prompted when a website requests your whereabouts. Performance In the majority of benchmarks, Safari came in dead last, especially when testing for JavaScript performance. The dated browser supports limited hardware acceleration in Windows, but it wouldn't even run two of the three Microsoft test demos. Click the Reader button in the address bar to de-clutter noisy websites and side-step pop-up ads. Internet Explorer 11 An old browser reborn and bred for Windows 8 It wouldn't make sense for Microsoft to rebuild Windows without also revamping the parts that integrate with it, and so what we have in Internet Explorer 11 is a vastly different browser compared to previous releases. Yes, it will probably be available for Windows 7 by the time you read this, but it's really intended to complement the vision Microsoft set out for Windows 8, which includes a heavy dose of touch interaction and interoperability across a range of Windows devices and screen sizes. While the version we're testing is a Preview release, it's very close to what the final build will be like, unlike an early beta, which could be missing key features and/or suffer from stability issues. What's New When firing it up from the Start screen, IE11 looks and feels like a brand-new browser rather than an upgrade of an existing one. That's not really surprising since the same could be said of Windows 8 compared to previous versions. The first thing you'll notice is that Microsoft moved the address bar to the bottom of the browser. It hides out of view to give you a full-screen browsing experience, though you can bring it back up with a right-click or swipe up from the bottom. If you have a touchscreen, you'll also use swiping gestures to navigate forward and backward. Outside of touch controls, the feature we're most excited about is side-by-side browsing. While Windows 8 insists on running applications in full-screen mode, the side-by-side feature in IE11 allows you to view multiple websites at the same time, and you can resize the width of each one. This is handy for comparison shopping, among other uses. We're only scratching the surface here. Microsoft lifted the limit of open tabs from 10 to 100 per window, which appear as scrollable tiles just above the address bar. Non-active tabs are suspended so they don't drag down your PC's performance or adversely affect battery life. Microsoft also implemented hardware-accelerated 3D web graphics through WebGL, plug-in-free HTML5 video support, and the ability to pin websites as live tiles on the Start screen—phew! Security By default, IE11 turns on Enhanced Protected Mode (EPM), which only allows compatible add-ons like toolbars, browser helper objects (BHOs), and extensions to load. Furthermore, EPM shoves untrusted web content into a restricted environment sort of like a sandbox. Instead of letting WebGL content run wild, it's put through a pre-screening stage in IE11. It also runs on top of DirectX, so if malicious content bombards the GPU and takes it out, it will reset rather than crash the entire system. Privacy Microsoft was the first browser maker to turn on its Do Not Track feature by default, and that setting is retained in IE11. New to IE11, however, is a User-Granted Exceptions option so that users can grant permission to websites to use cookies that request it. InPrivate browsing mode is still available in IE11, though it's not obvious when surfing from the Start screen. You can use the keyboard shortcut (Ctrl+Shift+P) or bring up the Tabs menu and press the Tab tools button on the right-hand side. Performance IE11 posted the best SunSpider score in this roundup, which measures JavaScript performance. It was also the fastest in Microsoft's 3D demos, especially Lawn Mark 2013, a benchmark Microsoft claims "uses emerging HTML5 techniques." We're a bit skeptical of the discrepancy in scores, as are Chrome developers, one of which stated in a Chromium forum that the benchmark is "running intentionally slow JavaScript in all browsers besides IE." Still, it shows that IE11 is able to render 3D graphics at a fast clip, and surfing the web certainly feels fast as well. Power-User Tips 1. To add a website as a live tile, click the Star icon (Favorites) and then the Pin icon. 2. You can pin the address bar permanently to the bottom of the screen by bringing up the Charms menu (swipe or press Windows Key+C) and selecting Settings > Options. Under the Appearance heading, flip the dial to On. 3. Sites not showing up correctly? Fire up IE11 in Desktop and press Alt. Select Tools > Compatibility View settings. 1) Side-by-side allows you to view multiple pages in separate, resizable Windows. 2) It's not the least bit obvious, but those three dots designate the Tab tools option. Click or tap to initiate an InPrivate browsing session. 3) You're no longer limited to just 10 open tabs. In IE11, you can have as many as 100 per window. Equally cool is the preview view of each one, which you can scroll through. 4) Microsoft relocated the address bar to the bottom of the browser where it's better optimized for touch. Just swipe up from the bottom (or right-click your mouse) to make it appear. Click the next page to see what our overall pick for best web browser is!   The Straight Dope With all due respect to diehard Firefox fans, the spunky browser is no longer our favorite vehicle for surfing the web. That distinction now belongs to Chrome, the sleekest and fastest browser available. Our primary gripe with Chrome in our last browser roundup two years ago was that it didn't support hardware acceleration without mucking around with secret code. That's long been addressed and our only lingering concern is that Google may cater to advertisers a bit too much, hence it being the last of the major browsers to implement Do Not Track technology, which still isn't turned on by default. We also have to give props to Microsoft for its work with Internet Explorer 11. If you're rocking a touchscreen in Windows 8/8.1, you may prefer to use IE11 over Chrome simply because it's better suited for touch navigation. It's also fast, though we're calling shenanigans on Microsoft's own tech demos, which seem to heavily favor its own browser over the competition, even though others also boast GPU acceleration. Still, it's the best version of IE yet, and we especially like the side-by-side browsing feature when launching the browser from the Start screen. Where does that leave the others? Firefox is still a great browser with a rich catalog of extensions, and Opera is one to keep an eye on now that it shares DNA with Chrome. That leaves Safari as the odd man out, a decision Apple ultimately made for the masses by discontinuing support for Windows. Note: This article was originally featured in the December 2013 issue of the magazine. Benchmarks   Firefox 23 Chrome 29 Internet Explorer 11 Opera 15 Safari 5 Futuremark Peacekeeper 2,348 3,760 WNR 3,536 1,803 SunSpider 1.0.1 (ms) 179.8 194.4 159.1 205.8 244.7 Google Octane v1 14,227 15,075 9,965  14,919 3,188 NonTroppo Table Rendering (ms) 527 338 589  383 190 GUIMark 3 (fps) 62.56 61.66 59.98 59.85 60.68 Mozilla Kraken 1.1 (ms) 1,994.9 1,727.5 3,182.5 1,749.5 12,493.7 Acid3 100 100 100 100 100 Microsoft Beta Fish IE Demo (fps) 60 60 60 60 60 Microsoft Penguin Mark Demo 168 185 9,479 66 WNR Microsoft Lawn Mark 2013 (sec) 488.35 543.05 11.17 514.31 WNR HTML5Test.com 428 476 361 451 280 ClubCompy 10,128 10,128 16,656 20,324 13,384 Best scores are bolded. Our test bed is an Intel Core i7 930, Asus P6X58D Premium, 12GB Corsair DDR3/1866 RAM, Radeon HD 7970, OCZ Vertex 3 240GB SSD, and Windows 8.1 64-bit.

Leaked Documentation Sheds Light on Rumored Windows 8.1 with Bing Release Posted: 07 Mar 2014 09:55 AM PST What to expect from Windows 8.1 with Bing Until Microsoft makes a formal announcement, we're still filing the possible release of Windows 8.1 with Bing under "R" for "Rumor," though it's looking more and more likely it's a real product. Following up on various sources claiming last week that Microsoft might offer a free version of Windows 8.1 bundled with Bing, new documentation leaked to the web offers some insight on what to expect from the upcoming OS. Based on what's contained in the documentation, as posted on Bav0.com, Windows 8.1 with Bing will indeed be targeted at low-cost devices. As expected, the default search engine is Bing, and while end users will be able to change this, OEMs will not. "Windows 8.1 with Bing is a new Windows edition that helps OEMs add Windows to low-cost devices while driving end user usage of Microsoft Services such as Bing and OneDrive. Windows 8.1 with Bing is similar to other editions of Windows and should be imaged, updated, and deployed the same as any other Windows edition," Microsoft explains. The documentation also states that Windows 8.1 with Bing is based on the feature set available in Windows 8.1 Core with all of the latest updates. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Gigabyte Unveils Single 2011 Socket Motherboard with 10GbE LAN Posted: 07 Mar 2014 09:27 AM PST The only board in the world with a single LGA 2011 socket Home networking demands seem to be increasing by the day -- 4K video streaming, anyone? -- which might explain why Gigabyte is launching a single LGA 2011 socket motherboard featuring an integrated 10 Gigabit Ethernet LAN controller. It's the worlds first motherboard to sport just one LGA 2011 socket, a move we suppose could help drive the price down while still offering home users 10GbE. That said, this is still a workstation-class motherboard. The GA-6PXSVT supports Intel Xeon E5 1600 V2 and E5-2600 V2 processors and has eight RDIMM/UDIMM slots for up to 256GB of ECC memory. It also features two GbE LAN ports (in addition to the 10GbE port), 10 SATA 6Gbps ports, and 4 SATA 3Gbps ports. With the memory slots and PCI-Express slots all facing the same direction, Gigabyte says the GA-6PXSVT is designed to deliver optimal airflow performance, and is therefore suitable for both rack and tower integration. No word yet on price or availability. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

DRAM Makers Reach $310M Settlement in Price Fixing Case Posted: 07 Mar 2014 09:10 AM PST Here's how to collect your bounty You can now submit claims for your piece of a $310 million settlement reached between a dozen different Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) makers in a federal class-action lawsuit accusing the companies of price fixing shenanigans. That may be putting it lightly -- in court documents, the Department of Justice (DoJ) called it "one of the largest cartels ever discovered." According to the lawsuit (PDF), various DRAM makers colluded in 1998 to drive up memory prices, which prompted a criminal investigation in 2002. To date, four manufacturers -- Samsung, Hynix, Infineon, and Elpida -- plus 12 individuals have all pleaded guilty to price fixing charges and paid over $730 million in fines, the DoJ said. The class action suit was filed in a bunch of different U.S. states. Eplida, Hitachi, Hynix, Infineon, Micron, Mitsubishi, Mosel, Nanya, NEC, Samsung, Toshiba, and Winbond are all part of the settlement, which will see $200 million of the $310 million to paid back to affected consumers and businesses. Up for grabs for eligible purchasers is a minimum of $10, though that number could balloon to the $1,000s depending on the amount of DRAM purchased and claims received. Pretty much anyone who purchased DRAM or a product containing DRAM in the U.S. anytime from January 1, 1998 to December 31, 2002 is eligible. If you think you might qualify and want to submit a claim, head over to DRAMclaims.com for more information. Image Credit: Flickr (Daniel Dionne) Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Trendnet AnnouncesTEW-818DRU AC1900 Dual Band Wireless Router Posted: 07 Mar 2014 05:55 AM PST Another high performance router option in the 802.11ac space If you've been putting off upgrading your home network, now is a good time to finally upgrade your hardware, starting with your router. Wireless-AC is here (still in Draft form, but we've run into very few quirks with the routers we've tested to date) and it can make a world of difference in your home network, even if you own a Wireless-N router. You have a growing number of options to choose from, including Trendnet's new TEW-818DRU dual-band router, which is the company's new flagship consumer model. Beyond the affordable price tag, we weren't overly impressed with Trendnet's TEW-812DRU (AC1750), however the TEW-818DRU is a faster model, at least on paper (we don't have one in-house to test just yet). It bears the AC1900 designation -- router makers like to add the speeds of the Wireless-N and Wireless-AC bands together even though you can't actually combine them into a single connection. Nevertheless, that breaks down to 1300Mbps Wireless-AC and 600Mbps Wireless-N, both of which are the fastest speeds currently available for the respective bands on consumer routers. Trendnet says the TEW-818DRU sports a 1GHz processor, high power radio amplifiers, and beamingforming technology, the latter of which concentrates the highest wireless signal strength to each devices' specific location. As for wired connectivity, you'll find both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports (one each) with file and printer sharing, and four Gigabit Ethernet ports. Retailers will begin selling the TEW-818DRU sometime this month for $260 MSRP. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Newegg Daily Deals: Asus Black 24-inch LCD Monitor, Logitech G600 MMO Gaming Mouse, and More! Posted: 07 Mar 2014 05:19 AM PST Top Deal: As soon as 4K monitors offer 120Hz refresh rates in price friendly packages, we'll be all over them. In the meantime, you might find that spending significantly less on a Full HD 1080p panel is the way to go, especially if you're rocking a entry-level or mid-range graphics card. If that's the case, have a look at today's top deal for an Asus VX248H Black 24-inch Widescreen LCD Monitor for $175 with free shipping (normally $200 - use coupon code: [EMCPGPD67]). This is an LED-backlit panel with a Full HD 1080p resolution, fast 1ms gray-to-gray response time, and 80,000,000:1 contrast ratio with dual HDMI ports and a single D-Sub port. Other Deals: Seagate Backup Plus 4TB USB 3.0 3.5-inch Desktop Hard Drive for $140 with free shipping (normally $150 - use coupon code: [EMCPGPD23]) Logitech G600 MMO Gaming Mouse 20 Buttons Tilt Wheel USB Wired Laser 8200 dpi Mouse for $55 with free shipping Titanfall Pre-Order for $60 with free shipping (Additional $10 Newegg Gift Card with Purchase) Cooler Master All-In-One CPU Liquid Water Cooling System with 120mm Radiator and Fan for $40 with free shipping (normally $50; additional $10 Mail-in rebate)

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MMO Updates

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• 32-team TERA PvP tourney starts Saturday, March 9
• C9 introduces the Nightstalker
• War Thunder Golden Battles event starts March 9
• The Daily Grind: Do you turn MMOs into work?
• The best of Massively's Guild Counsel column
• RIFT, ArcheAge, Defiance, and Trove acquire new community managers
• Pirate101 explains the making of its combat system
• Wurm Online talks new ship model and revamped tutorial
• Player housing is en route to Star Wars: The Old Republic
• EVE Source hardcover edition now available
• Dark Age of Camelot trims up paths, docks, and portals with a new patch
• Diablo III welcomes you to the Blood Marsh
• Today's EQN Landmark patch expands horizons with new biomes, attached claims
• The Think Tank: The things that keep us coming back to MMOs
• Elite: Dangerous discusses alpha plans and docking procedures
• Ship painting is coming to EVE Online
• Allods Online transfers operations back to Mail.Ru, merges population
• Here's the sixth episode of PlanetSide 2's war correspondent video series
• Black Gold dungeons to feature 'consequential death,' traps, and more

32-team TERA PvP tourney starts Saturday, March 9 Posted: 07 Mar 2014 08:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Events (In-Game), Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, TERA TERA fans, you've now got some weekend plans -- assuming you didn't already have weekend plans, of course. En Masse is hosting a three-vs.-three PvP tournament in Champions' Skyring starting on Saturday, March 9th. This will be a single-elimination event composed of 32 teams, with 3,000 En Masse cash shop points going to the winners alongside a premium ninja costume bundle. The second place team gets the costume bundle and a thousand EMP, while third and fourth place finishers will take home the costumes. All participants will receive an afro head slot accessory. If you're not much for PvPing, you can view the shenanigans via En Masse's Twitch channel. The event runs from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. EST on Saturday and 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday. Click past the cut for the full press release. [Source: En Masse press release] Continue reading 32-team TERA PvP tourney starts Saturday, March 9 32-team TERA PvP tourney starts Saturday, March 9 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Mar 2014 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

C9 introduces the Nightstalker Posted: 07 Mar 2014 07:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Classes Webzen announced a new advanced class for its dungeon-based MMO Continent of the Ninth Seal, today. The Nightstalker is a mid-range class that can summon companions and absorb them for added boosts and skill gain. To help celebrate the Nightstalker's launch, the publisher is giving away an item code that can unlock free in-game rewards "including 10 Resurrection Scrolls, 5 Extreme Training Potions (100%) (one hour), Town Travel Level 1 (three days) and School look gear set (seven days)." Special prizes are also reserved for anyone who can get their Nightstalker to level 50. Both of these promotions run from now until March 26. Check out the Nightstalker in action during the video after the jump. [Source: Webzen press release] Continue reading C9 introduces the Nightstalker C9 introduces the Nightstalker originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Mar 2014 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

War Thunder Golden Battles event starts March 9 Posted: 07 Mar 2014 06:00 AM PST Filed under: Historical, Real-Life, Video, Events (In-Game), Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, PvP, News Items, War, Free-to-Play, Player-Generated Content If you haven't played Gaijin's War Thunder World War II combat simulator in a while, it's a good time to return and check out some of the changes implemented over the last couple of months. Beginning Sunday, March 9th, players may receive up to 600 pieces of premium in-game currency per day as part of the Golden Battles promotion. Your second, fifth, and seventh victory over opposing players will each count for 100 golden eagles, and the event takes place twice per day. Gaijin has also released its plans for the next update, including a huge upgrade to the game's player generated content capabilities. If you're new to War Thunder, click past the cut to view a video detailing the game's 1.37 update. Continue reading War Thunder Golden Battles event starts March 9 War Thunder Golden Battles event starts March 9 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Mar 2014 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Announcement

The Daily Grind: Do you turn MMOs into work? Posted: 07 Mar 2014 05:00 AM PST Filed under: EVE Online, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous, Sandbox, Crafting Confession time: I like spreadsheets. I can turn any MMORPG into a spreadsheet, into what most folks would consider work. I made fun of Warehouse and Logistics Simulator on Steam, but I admit to a twisted urge to buy it and play with numbers management all the same. It's a sickness. So while I join in the mockery of EVE Online as "Spreadsheets Online," it's mostly disdain for the game's falderal than for the gamers who genuinely enjoy making elaborate crafting and production spreadsheets, long lists of character plans, and auction hall arbitrage notes. You themeparkers can keep your level grind; I've got my own right here in Excel. How about you guys? Do you turn MMOs into a multiplayer version of Warehouse and Logistics Simulator? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind! The Daily Grind: Do you turn MMOs into work? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Mar 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The best of Massively's Guild Counsel column Posted: 06 Mar 2014 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Guilds, MMO Industry, Opinion, Massively Meta, The Guild Counsel, Miscellaneous Karen Bryan is a seasoned MMORPG gamer and guildleader who cut her MMO teeth on EverQuest and went on to run guilds in Vanguard, Star Wars: The Old Republic, and beyond. That made her the perfect choice to pen Massively's Guild Counsel column, through which Karen dispensed advice to guild leaders, guild members, raiders, and even guild-less gamers for over three years. In honor of her column's long run, today we round up the very best of her Guild Counsel articles, those saturated in her trademark wry humor, wisdom, and timeless advice for MMO players old and new. Enjoy. Continue reading The best of Massively's Guild Counsel column The best of Massively's Guild Counsel column originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Mar 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

RIFT, ArcheAge, Defiance, and Trove acquire new community managers Posted: 06 Mar 2014 04:30 PM PST Filed under: Events (Real-World), MMO Industry, News Items, RIFT, Miscellaneous, ArcheAge, Defiance, Trove Three weeks after the departure of Trion Worlds Director of Global Communications Elizabeth Tobey comes the news that Trion has appointed two new community managers to helm its core MMOs RIFT, Defiance, Trove, and ArcheAge. Evan "Scapes" Berman, whom gamers might recall from his days on the TERA community team, will take over the Defiance and ArcheAge communities, while Eric "Ocho" Cleaver of City of Heroes fame will defend Trove and RIFT players from waves of angry trolls. May the planar gods have mercy on their souls. RIFT, ArcheAge, Defiance, and Trove acquire new community managers originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Mar 2014 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: RIFT announcement

Pirate101 explains the making of its combat system Posted: 06 Mar 2014 04:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, Free-to-Play, Kids, Family, Dev Diaries, Pirate101 If you're the type of player that likes to know how the sausage is made, then strap on a peg leg and wobble over to a pair of dev diaries explaining the making of Pirate101's combat system! "One of the systems that reviewers feel stands out the most in Pirate101 is the combat. Combat in Pirate101 has been described as 'deceptively simple' and 'really fun,' but it took years of iteration and changes to finally arrive at the experience that players have today," the devs wrote. The diaries go through the early prototype of the system, how the team figured out combat sequencing, and the difficulties of getting the camera placement just right. The devs said that once the basic system was in place, adding the extra elements such as reflex talents and bullet time was a blast to do. Pirate101 explains the making of its combat system originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Mar 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Making of Combat I, Making of Combat II

Wurm Online talks new ship model and revamped tutorial Posted: 06 Mar 2014 03:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, Wurm Online, Free-to-Play, Sandbox The latest dev blog from the Wurm Online team shows off some features we can expect to see in the near future, including an improved model for the Knarr ship, improved foliage, and a revamped tutorial. New Wurmians can now enjoy a more modern tutorial zone with more accessible signage. Anyone who chooses to skip the tutorial will still have the help info stored in the Book of Wisdom for later reference. And interestingly enough, the new wagons introduced with a recent update can now pass through one-tile spaces. So they don't need to be stuck in your house any longer. Wurm Online talks new ship model and revamped tutorial originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Mar 2014 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Wurm Online Week 10 dev blog

Player housing is en route to Star Wars: The Old Republic Posted: 06 Mar 2014 03:10 PM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, Screenshots, Game Mechanics, Previews, Free-to-Play, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Housing During a livestream on Twitch today, BioWare Community Manager Eric Musco teased players with what appears to be a video of player housing in Star Wars: The Old Republic. Massively's Larry Everett snapped the above screenshot during the video, showing a character inside what appears to be a Coruscant apartment with the words "Welcome Home" appearing on-screen. A bed, mailboxes, and other housing items populate the room. The tease might confirm what dataminers have been publishing on Reddit in recent weeks. We'll keep you posted as we learn more. [Update: BioWare has released the trailer; we've embedded it below.] Continue reading Player housing is en route to Star Wars: The Old Republic Player housing is en route to Star Wars: The Old Republic originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Mar 2014 18:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: BioWare Livestream

EVE Source hardcover edition now available Posted: 06 Mar 2014 03:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, EVE Online, Lore, Comics, Sandbox First introduced at last year's FanFest, EVE Source aims to be the largest official illustrated guide to the EVE Online universe and its history. The full-color, 200-page hardcover edition is now on sale for $39.99 at brick-and-mortar comic book stores and online for both the seasoned vet and the complete noob. If you're heading out to the Emerald City Comicon in Seattle at the end of this month, you might be happy to hear that 200 copies of the previously sold-out EVE Source Limited Edition ($89.99 retail) are waiting for you at the Dark Horse booth. [Source: CCP press release] EVE Source hardcover edition now available originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Mar 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Dark Age of Camelot trims up paths, docks, and portals with a new patch Posted: 06 Mar 2014 02:30 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Dark Age of Camelot, Game Mechanics, Patches, News Items, Subscription Are you looking to take a trip to scenic Agramon in Dark Age of Camelot? Then you'll definitely want to check out the latest patch notes. Agramon has been somewhat revamped with new docks and new paths into the center of the land, both from these new docks and from the milegates of each realm. And those aren't the only dock-based changes in the patch, at that; merchant docks have been moved further inland and renamed mainland docks, center keep docks are gone, and the rules for capturing mainland docks are different. Strength Relic Towns have also seen the addition of a new portal ceremony as well as various protections to keep the towns from being too easily captured. Players can also pick up new quests from the Agramon dockmasters involving killing players within Agramon... assuming, of course, that your realm controls one of the docks in Agramon. For the full details, read up on the official patch notes. Dark Age of Camelot trims up paths, docks, and portals with a new patch originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Mar 2014 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Patch 1.115b

Diablo III welcomes you to the Blood Marsh Posted: 06 Mar 2014 02:00 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Expansions, Lore, Previews, Diablo III, Buy-to-Play Blood Marsh: That doesn't sound too inviting, does it? But it does sound like something that would fit right in with Diablo III's cheery locales. It probably crushed the interview when it applied to be a zone in the game. Diablo III has a fetid and murky blog post today spotlighting the Blood Marsh region from the upcoming Reaper of Souls expansion. According to Blizzard, the Blood Marsh is "a massive, swampy stretch of land, split by rivers and tributaries often utilized for passage and trade." The theme of "blood," both the red substance and lineage, is integral to the zone's story. Adventurers in the region will discover signs of an ancient civilization, battle creatures like the bogans and blood golems, and unlock the mysteries of the Ruins of Corvus. Diablo III welcomes you to the Blood Marsh originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Mar 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: First look at Blood Marsh

Today's EQN Landmark patch expands horizons with new biomes, attached claims Posted: 06 Mar 2014 01:30 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, New Titles, News Items, Free-to-Play, EverQuest Next, Crafting, Player-Generated Content When the EverQuest Next Landmark servers come back up from today's update, alpha players will have more places to build on, more things to build with, and more room to build in! Twelve new islands are opening on each world, each one featuring one or both of the brand-new biomes: Tundra and Old Growth Forest. And with new biomes come new building materials; players will be able to test out the new smoothing tool on the likes of snow and ice sculptures. Plant, rock, and tree prop recipes have also been temporarily added so players can craft the items needed to complete (and finally use) templates including them. Although there are plenty of bug fixes also included in this update, perhaps the most significant news for space-starved architects is the fact that attached claims are finally being added with this update. Players will be able to craft additional claim flags and place up to two alongside their current claim to expand their property. Today's EQN Landmark patch expands horizons with new biomes, attached claims originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Mar 2014 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Patch notes

The Think Tank: The things that keep us coming back to MMOs Posted: 06 Mar 2014 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Opinion, Massively Meta, Miscellaneous, The Think Tank Last weekend, Massively columnist Beau Hindman penned a Free for All article titled Five reasons to continue loving MMORPGs, a tribute to the heart and soul of games in what can sometimes seem like a snark-filled, cynical industry. He mentions value, variety, accessibility, and sociability as being among those reasons he still adores the genre. I wanted to find out what the rest of our team members thought, so I posed the question to them: What one thing keeps you coming back to MMORPGs above all else? Continue reading The Think Tank: The things that keep us coming back to MMOs The Think Tank: The things that keep us coming back to MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Mar 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Elite: Dangerous discusses alpha plans and docking procedures Posted: 06 Mar 2014 12:30 PM PST Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Game Mechanics, Previews, News Items, Sandbox, Crowdfunding, Elite: Dangerous Did yesterday's hands-on preview of Elite: Dangerous get you excited for a chance to play the game yourself? Good news -- the game's most recent newsletter confirms that the third stage of alpha testing is arriving in mid-March, meaning the game is that much closer to a wider release. And you can still jump in on the development process if you'd really like to. But the newsletter isn't just about the continued test process; it's also about docking. As simple as that might sound, docking is a very involved portion of the game, requiring careful positioning for a proper lock. It's so complex that the most recent build of the game has actually simplified the process with an improved docking interface, making it easier for players to line up their ships correctly. Take a look at the newsletter for more details, and if you really can't wait to get in on the experience, consider supporting the game on the official site. Elite: Dangerous discusses alpha plans and docking procedures originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Mar 2014 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Elite: Dangerous newsletter

Ship painting is coming to EVE Online Posted: 06 Mar 2014 12:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, EVE Online, Previews, News Items, Sandbox, Subscription For some people, the idea of painting the outside of your ship in EVE Online is pointlessly frivolous. For others, it's the cue to immediately get out some swatches and start talking about how nice a battlecruiser would look in hot pink and safety orange. The bad news for players in the latter camp is that those aren't available colors, but an early test version of ship painting will be introduced with the game's next major patch. Nine total paint schemes are being introduced: eight available for Aurum and one available via in-game acievements. This is an intentionally narrow field, as the developers want to see what kind of player interest exists and whether or not having custom-painted ships will affect play patterns. For more details on exactly how you can space-pimp your space-ride, take a look at the full rundown on the pilot program. And be sure to ask for that pink-and-orange number with the next wave. Ship painting is coming to EVE Online originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Mar 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Ship Painting Pilot Program

Allods Online transfers operations back to Mail.Ru, merges population Posted: 06 Mar 2014 11:30 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, MMO Industry, Patches, Free-to-Play, Allods Online Allods Online is on the cusp of reverting operations from Webzen back to the original owners, Mail.ru. The firm has a couple of posts up to answer questions about the transfer. The transfer will happen sometime this month and it will involve both European and North American accounts. The creators will be merging these populations due to popular demand: "One of these [suggestions] was the desire to join the European servers: New Frontier and Goblin Republic. So we thought, why not use this great opportunity to finally unite all of our European and North American players on the same server? There are no more technical issues or other obstacles in our way, so right after we merge Webzen EU and US communities on March 18th, we will organize a migration of our players from Italy and Turkey to the same servers (it will happen two weeks later)." Allods Online will be synchronizing client versions across the board (except in Russia, which will remain ahead of the pack) due to this change and will not be supporting Polish localization going forward. The game will transfer regional accounts separately to avoid any conflicts. Allods Online transfers operations back to Mail.Ru, merges population originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Mar 2014 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Transfer FAQ #1, Transfer FAQ #2

Here's the sixth episode of PlanetSide 2's war correspondent video series Posted: 06 Mar 2014 11:00 AM PST Filed under: Sci-Fi, Trailers, Video, MMO Industry, PvP, News Items, Free-to-Play, MMOFPS, PlanetSide 2 Have you watched SOE's latest war correspondent video for PlanetSide 2? If not, you'll want to click past the cut for a look-see at some heart-thumping MMOFPS gameplay presented in a news documentary format. Cinematic designer Robert Stoneman narrates the action which includes footage of The Crown and a handful of PS2's 36,000 player outfits. Continue reading Here's the sixth episode of PlanetSide 2's war correspondent video series Here's the sixth episode of PlanetSide 2's war correspondent video series originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Mar 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: YouTube

Black Gold dungeons to feature 'consequential death,' traps, and more Posted: 06 Mar 2014 10:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, PvE, Free-to-Play, Dungeons, Steampunk, Black Gold Snail has updated its Black Gold website with a look at the steampunk title's dungeons and instances. The post highlights groupfinder functionality as well as several gameplay mechanics including "difficult maps with no clear path," consequences in the form of respawning at the dungeon entrance after a death, and "hidden perils" like static and dynamic booby traps. The update also features a few dungeon-centric screenshots, which you can see by clicking the links below. Black Gold dungeons to feature 'consequential death,' traps, and more originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 06 Mar 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Announcement

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