| SteelSeries Extends Headset Portfolio with Siberia Family Starting at $60 Posted: 29 Sep 2014 09:00 PM PDT  Snazzy looking headsets for different types of gamers
SteelSeries today announced the launch of its new Sibera headset family consisting of several different models. Each one takes aim at gamers (as opposed to music and movie buffs) with a variety of options and price points ranging from $60 MSRP (Sibera RAW Prism) all the way to $200 MSRP (Sibera Elite Prism), the latter of which is an an upgraded version of the Sibera Elite. How so? It has a new, slimmer microphone and upgraded sound card to improve clarity. SteelSeries also said the Siberia Elite Prism has been issued fine-tuned ear cushions for superior comfort. Other features include Dolby Headphone and Dolby Pro Logic IIx for up to a virtual 7.1-channel surround sound experience, customizable illumination and audio settings, and a swappable cable system for use across PC, Mac, PlayStation 4, and mobile devices. Sitting below the Sibera Elite Prism is the Sibera v3 Prism. It runs $140 and boasts customizable lighting on the outer mesh-pattern earcups, digital audio quality with custom EQ, microphone noise suppression and auto compression technologies, and unlimited profile settings that can be saved and accessed via SteelSeries CloudSync. Moving down the ladder, next up is the Siberia v3 for $100. According to SteelSeries, it has an "insanely comfortable" suspension design. As for the audio, the headset's been redesigned with a new set of drivers. The headset has a single plug along with a dual-jack extension for use on all types of gaming devices from PCs to laptops, along with mobile gadgets and consoles. Finally, there's the Sibera RAW Prism referenced above for $60. Gamers can customize and backup audio profiles, tweak the illuminated ring on each earcup with up to 16.8 million color options, and chat via the built-in microphone. 
All of the new headsets are available to pre-order today. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| May 2014: Refresh Your PC! Posted: 29 Sep 2014 04:21 PM PDT  In the PDF archive of the May 2014 issue, you can find:
- Refresh Your PC
- Budget GPU roundup
- Nas Unit roundup
- Dell 4K
- Build It: 4K Gaming Rig
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| Visceral Director Confident Battlefield: Hardline 'Will Work' at Launch Posted: 29 Sep 2014 02:30 PM PDT  Cross your fingers the launch goes smoother than BF4's did
Battlefield 4's launch went about as smooth as the Andrea Gail's trip out to sea in the nonfiction book-turned-movie The Perfect Storm. Hey, at least BF4 didn't sink -- the developers eventually ironed out most of the bugs and server issues, though it's understandable that some gamers are worried about Battlefield: Hardline going through similar growing pains. There's no need to be, according to Ian Milham, creative director for Visceral Games, who says that Battlefield: Hardline is in "great shape." Heath Hindman, a journalist for Game Revolution, caught up with Milham at the Tokyo Game Show and had a short chat about the upcoming game. Hindman said he expressed concern over Hardline's ability to fully function at launch considering that BF4 had several issues. "What you're basically asking is, 'Is your gaming going to work?' and the answer is yes, it's gonna work," Milham said, adding that his development team began work more than a year before Battlefield 4 was released. "We've been working with the DICE guys for a long time; some of our engineering work is actually in Battlefield 4 and things they've been doing since then. It's in pretty great shape now and all that work is gonna come into what we're doing doing." That's not to say there won't be some hiccups. In fact, Milham readily admits that bugs are virtually unavoidable when dealing with a game as big as Hardline, especially when planning for five different platforms. However, he doesn't foresee any major issues like there were with BF4. "We taking shipping a working game pretty seriously," Milham said. "So yes, the game will work." Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Graphics Porn (September 2014): Remember Me, Mass Effect 2, and More Posted: 29 Sep 2014 01:21 PM PDT  Showcasing the sexiest, most photogenic game screenshots this side of the Internet
We're short on submissions for this month's Graphics Porn so we've reached out to some more of the folks from r/GameScreens to supplement the gallery. We've got some amazing screens from Remember Me, Skyrim, Metro Last Light, Euro Truck Simulator, and more! Whether you've been using Steam's nifty screenshots feature or simply print screening some beautiful wallpaper-worthy game moments, we want to be able to share your captured works of art with the world. If you think you can do better than the pictures submitted below, please email your screenshots to mpcgraphicsporn@gmail.com so we can show them off. Make sure to include the name of the game, a title for the screenshot, and a description of what's happening on-screen. |
| Microsoft Founder Bill Gates is (Still) the Richest Man in America Posted: 29 Sep 2014 11:50 AM PDT  Software guru turned philanthropist tops Forbes 400 list for 21 years straight
You know the saying about how the rich get richer? Well, if going by the numbers, the saying is true -- in order to make the Forbes 400 list of the wealthiest Americans, you'd need a net worth of $1.55 billion, the highest it's been since Forbes started tracking American wealth in 1982 (last year it required $1.3 billion to make the list). And speaking of long-term trends, Bill Gates tops the list as the richest American for the 21st year in a row. The Harvard dropout and co-founder of Microsoft has a net worth of $81 billion. Interestingly, his stake in the company he built into an empire accounts for less than 20 percent of his total net worth, Forbes says. That stake is still lucrative, however, as he added $9 billion to his net worth last year due in part to a rise in Microsoft stock. Having retired from daily duties at Microsoft, Gates spends most of his time with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which has given away $30 billion since 2000. If that money belonged to a single person, he or she would be the 16th wealthiest person in America. Some other tech figures on the list include Oracle founder and CEO Larry Ellison (No. 3, $50 billion), Facebook whizkid Mark Zuckerberg (No. 11, $34 billion), Google chief Larry Page (No. 13, $31.5 billion), Google co-founder Sergey Brin (No. 14, $31 billion), Amazon head Jeff Bezos (No. 15, $30.5 billion), and former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer (No. 18, $22,5 billion). Image Credit: Flickr (IssacMao) Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Samsung Throws PC Gamers a Curved LED Monitor Posted: 29 Sep 2014 11:17 AM PDT  A curved display with a narrow bezel
Display makers have been trying to sell consumers on the benefits of curved panels, hence why there are a handful of curvacious TV models to choose from. That same concept is now being applied to computer monitors -- Samsung today unveiled the SD590C, a curved monitor with a "super narrow bezel", built-in stereo speakers, and a specialized mode optimized for gaming. "As a leader in the display industry, Samsung is committed to pushing the envelope on both monitor design and technology to offer consumers the best experience possible," said Ron Gazzola, vice president of marketing at Samsung Electronics America. "The SD590C represents that vision, with a curved design that was carefully engineered to draw you into the display and truly make you feel a part of the content." The SD590C is a 27-inch display with Full HD 1080p 1920x1080 resolution, 350 cd/m2 brightness, 3000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 4ms response time (G2G), 60Hz refresh rate, 178 degrees viewing angle (both horizontal and vertical), and three display input options (D-sub, HDMI, and DisplayPort). Why bother with a curved panel? According to Samsung, curved displays offer a more enveloping experience. They're also supposed to be more comfortable for long sessions because peripheral vision clutter is reduced. 
As for the special Game Mode, with just a single click, the monitor adjusts settings for what Samsung considers optimized play -- it will detect changes in scenes, enhance the color, alter the contrast to make the darks daker and the lights lighter, make it so that gamers can see the action at all times, and enrich the sound. The SD590C will be available on October 1 for $430 (MSRP). Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Are Touchscreen Laptops Long for this World? Posted: 29 Sep 2014 09:31 AM PDT  Consumers aren't getting touchy-feely with their notebooks
The emergency of tablet PCs and smartphones taught everyone the value of touch computing, and with Windows 8, Microsoft tried to carry that momentum over to traditional PCs. It didn't take, or least it hasn't so far, because if it had, we'd all be owners of touchscreen monitors and touch-enabled laptops. However, it looks like that ship may have sailed for certain segments -- because demand for touchscreen laptops has been weaker than expected, vendors have reportedly stopped developing them. According to Digitimes and its sources within the upstream supply chain, consumers are showing a strong preference for mouse (or trackpad) and keyboard operation on laptops versus tapping at the screen (no big surprise there). In addition, smartphone and tablet demand have combined to weaken overall notebook sales, touch or otherwise. Since adding a touch panel adds to the production cost and carries over to the retail price, vendors feel it just doesn't make sense to continue making touch-capable laptops. That decision applies to traditional laptops, including Ultrabooks, gaming notebooks, and standard laptops. Vendors will still add touchscreens to 2-in-1 hybrid devices that pull double duty as tablet PCs. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Microsoft to Open Flagship Store on Fifth Avenue Posted: 29 Sep 2014 08:10 AM PDT  Just a few blocks away from Apple's flagship store
Microsoft on Monday announced that it signed a lease to open its first flagship store at 677 Fifth Avenue in New York City, which will serve as the centerpiece of its Microsoft Stores experience. This is something Microsoft has wanted to do ever since it opened its first retail store back on October 22, 2009, but it had to be the "right location." As it turns out, that ideal location is only blocks away from Apple's flagship store. At present, there are 104 physical Microsoft retail store locations in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico, along with online stores in 189 countries. Microsoft says its footprint has grown to a scale where 80 percent of Americans are within 20 miles of a physical store location. "Our Fifth Avenue location will be much more than just a Microsoft Store. In addition to retail, there will be experiential space for Microsoft as a company to further engage with our customers and partners in new and innovative ways," Microsoft stated in a blog post. "This is an important milestone for Microsoft overall, our Stores team and millions of our current customers, as well as the millions to come. We could not be more excited to join one of the most visited streets in America." According to The Wall Street Journal, the Fifth Avenue location is currently home to a Fendi shop in a "glitzy shopping corridor." The average rent in the area is $2,749 per square foot -- an exorbitant price, but one that retailers are willing to pay because of the high volume of foot traffic. Microsoft's Fifth Avenue spot will open sometime in 2015. In the meantime, the company plans to open 10 more locations in time for this holiday season. Image Credit: Flickr (Dru Bloomfield) Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Newegg Daily Deals: Asus GeForce GTX 780 Ti Graphics Card, AMD FX-6300 Vishera, and More! Posted: 29 Sep 2014 06:22 AM PDT  
Top Deal: Have you ever thought about all the wonderful things can do with a discrete graphics card? The possibilities are near-endless. Use one as a paperweight, play catch, send notes to coworkers (just shove a note between the fan blades and toss the card to the appropriate cubicle), defend yourself from thieves by using a card as a blunt object, and so much more! If any of these appeal to you, or if you simply want play high-end games with the eye candy cranked up, then check out today's top deal for an Asus GeForce GTX 780 Ti Graphics Card for $456 with free shipping (normally $480 - use coupon code: [EMCPAHD82]; $30 mail-in-rebate available). Custom cooled and overclocked, this card is cooler, quieter, and faster than Nvidia's reference design. To sweeten the deal, Nvidia is throwing in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel for free. Other Deals: AMD FX-6300 Vishera 6-Core 3.5GHz (4.1GHz Turbo) Socket AM3+ 95W Desktop Processor for $100 with free shipping (normally $110 - use coupon code: [EMCPAHD22]) Intel 530 Series 2.5-inch 480GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive for $230 with free shipping (normally $250 - use coupon code: [EMCPAHD28]) G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 2133 (PC3 17000) Desktop Memory for $79 with free shipping (normally $87 - use coupon code: [EMCPAHD29]) Asus PB Series 27-inch 5ms (GTG) WQHD HDMI Widescreen LED Monitor for $440 with free shipping (normally $460 - use coupon code: [EMCPAHD48]) |
| Nixie is a Drone You Can Wear Like a Wristband Posted: 29 Sep 2014 01:14 AM PDT 
Powered by Intel Remember Edison, the SD card-sized computer Intel unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show with wearables and Internet of Things (IoT) devices in mind? Ever since the company began selling the tiny development board earlier this month (for $50 a pop), we have been keeping an eye out for cool and innovative implementations that showcase some of the great things that are possible with Edison. Fortunately, we didn't have to wait too long. Nixie is one such cool and innovative Edison-based project. Touted as the "world's first wearable camera that can fly", Nixie is a wristband that unfolds into an aerial selfie-taking quadcopter. Although there is little in the way of product information is available at this early stage, we do have this video for you: Follow Pulkit on Google+ |
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