General Gaming Article

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• Alienware Alpha Review
• Reinvigorated Monitor Makers See Opportunities in Niche Markets
• IBM Refutes "Ridiculous" Rumor of Heavy Handed Layoffs
• Logitech's $500 ConferenceCam Connect is a Portable All-in-One Solution
• Panasonic Toughbook 31 Now More Rugged, Faster, and Longer Lasting
• Google Explains Decision to Leave 930 Million Android Handsets Unpatched
• Newegg Daily Deals: AMD A10-5800K, OCZ Vertex 460A 240GB SSD, and More!

Alienware Alpha Review Posted: 26 Jan 2015 02:21 PM PST A great console-sized PC stuck in the alpha stage As great as PC gaming is, let's face it, when it comes to gaming in the living room, consoles have the PC beat. Alienware and the Steam Machines were supposed to change that, but considering Valve delayed its hardware initiative, Alienware decided to releases its box early as a small Windows 8.1 PC, dubbed the Alienware Alpha. While the PC does an admirable job of attacking the PC's problem areas in the living room, as the name implies, it's still (unfortunately) in a bit of an alpha stage. The chassis is black and small. Measuring 2.1x7.8x7.8 inches, the Alpha is closest in size to Nintendo's Wii U console. At 4.5 pounds, Alienware's little PC is also extremely portable. We had an easy time lugging it around to friends' apartments with four controllers inside a backpack. Speaking of controllers, the unit comes with a black wireless Xbox 360 controller. Ports on the Alpha include two USB 3.0, three USB 2.0, one S/PDIF, and two HDMI (one for output and another for input). It is a little disappointing that there isn't an analog headset port, but Alienware told us it was one concession it had to make to produce such a small form factor. The box's aesthetics aren't very flashy. It's got some sharp angles, akin to Alienware's gaming laptops, a glowing triangular LED, and a glowing Alienware power button. You can also customize the LEDs through Alienware's UI. Overall, it will look nice sitting next to your TV. Inside the box, the Alpha is running a mobile GPU based on Nvidia's GeForce GTX 860M, which was the same graphics card used in the HP Omen gaming laptop we reviewed last month. Since this box has such a unique setup, the Omen seemed like the fairest candidate for a zero point to test against. Its GPU runs at 1,020MHz and has 2GB of GDDR5 VRAM clocked at 1,253MHz. Compared to our ZP, however, the Alpha's performance was a disappointing 11 percent slower in our Metro: Last Light and 3DMark 11 benchmarks. It did perform 7 percent better in BioShock Infinite, however. Overall, the Alpha is nowhere near the most powerful gaming PC out there, but it should be able to run most AAA games on medium to high settings. It will, at the very least, be competitive with the next-gen consoles.  One aspect of the Alpha that we feel isn't up to snuff is system RAM; our unit only offered what we feel is a minimal 4GB. Sure, the majority of games should run fine on 4GB, but that's beginning to change with newer titles. We think Alienware should up the Alpha's base RAM to 8GB. Luckily, you can upgrade the RAM to 8GB, though you'll need laptop RAM to do so. You can also upgrade the storage with any 2.5-inch drive. If you're like us, you'll really want to do this. Our unit came with a 500GB 5,400rpm hard drive, which was embarrassingly slow. It took the Alpha one minute and 35 seconds to boot up, and then another 35 seconds to boot up into Steam Big Picture Mode. If you're loading a really big game, it's only going to lengthen the wait. At the heart of the console is the Alpha's i3-4310QT CPU. Despite the box's size, it's actually a quad-core desktop CPU running at 2.9GHz. You can upgrade this to a quad-core i7, too. And you may want to, considering this i3 gets beat up by 30–54 percent compared to the HP Omen's mobile i7-4710HQ processor. While dual-core CPUs are fine for the majority of games, for a little more future-proofing, we would have preferred at least a quad-core i5 chip. Of course, the hardware means very little if the software isn't properly optimized to take over the living room. While the Alpha is running Windows 8.1 underneath, Alienware has wrapped its own user interface around it, which you can navigate with a controller. The Alpha UI also allows you to launch directly into Steam Big Picture Mode, which comes pre-installed. Because some Steam games only offer partial controller support, Alienware has done some super-nifty software tweaks to allow you to use an Xbox controller like a mouse in a pinch. You can do this by pressing down on all four shoulder buttons and pressing down on the left stick. This will allow you to navigate past any pop-up window boxes. The Alpha isn't perfect, however. One of the taglines Alienware is using for the Alpha is that it "combines the freedom of PC gaming with the ease of a console," but the slogan doesn't always ring true. We encountered some resolution issues. For instance, in Shadow of Mordor, it defaulted to 1280x1024 resolution on our 1080p TV and had no in-game option to adjust it to 1080p. Some games that allowed us to adjust the resolution ended up blacking out the screen when we cranked it up to 1080p. Meanwhile, some games would open up off-center in a windowed mode by default. When we tried to boot up Skyrim, it gave us an error message that read, "Failed to initialize renderer. Your display doesn't support the selected resolution." The consoles also allow you to watch Netflix, and the only real good way to do that on the Alpha at the moment is to boot it up to the desktop mode, but here you'll need to have a keyboard/mouse plugged in. Because of that, we really recommend getting something like Logitech's wireless K400 keyboard, which pairs well with the Alpha. Another area in which the consoles have at a little easier than PC gaming is that console gamers don't have to tweak their settings. Nvidia has a solid workaround to this problem with its GeForce Experience, but unfortunately the Alpha does not support GeForce optimal playable settings, which is a shame considering many console noobs might not know which graphical knobs to twist. At $550, the Alpha certainly isn't cheap, especially when you look at its specs and compare it to the consoles. And the Alpha has a bunch of little software hiccups to overcome. Despite these problems, however, when the Alpha works, it's awesome. Steam has a surprising number of fun local co-op games like Broforce, SpeedRunners, and more. Alienware's box does a great job of bringing PC games to the living room. Sure, you could build a cheaper, more powerful system, but Alienware has spent a decent amount of R&D trying to solve the software/UI issues. Yes, the box is in a bit of an alpha stage right now and isn't the console-killer it set out to be, but we hope that Alienware continues to make future iterations of the Alpha. As it stands, the Alpha is a good machine for the PC vet, but not a perfect solution for the console noob. Alienware Alpha Specs

Reinvigorated Monitor Makers See Opportunities in Niche Markets Posted: 26 Jan 2015 10:14 AM PST Monitor market is transforming For the longest time, it seemed as though the monitor market was frozen in time. While CPUs and graphics cards became increasingly advanced and faster with each new generation, monitor makers were content to stick with Full HD 1080p panels of varying sizes for mainstream users, and 30-inch panels checking in at 2560x1600. Ah, but the landscape is changing, so don't be shocked if monitor makers test the market with bigger size and higher resolution displays. According to Digitimes and whatever "industry sources" it spoke with, panel makers (including those that make touchscreens) are seeing opportunities in the 34-inch WQHD (2560x1440) UltraWide category to be the new high-end option. At present, high-end solutions still consist of 30-inch panels at 2560x1600 and, more recently, 32-inch 4K displays. There are less pixels in a WQHD display, though it's still visually appealing, easier on the GPU for pixel-intensive tasks (primarily gaming), and offers tons of horizontal screen space for those who like that sort of thing. However, that's not the only segment monitor makers will toy with. They will also experiment in niche categories with high-resolution and curved displays taking center stage. These panels will feature wide color gamuts and, in some cases, 10-point touch features. Finally, monitor makers will also push out 24-inch, 27-inch, and 28-inch models with 4K Ultra HD and even 5K resolutions in 2015. In short, it's going to be a wild year for monitors, versus what's mostly been a stagnant market up until recently. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

IBM Refutes "Ridiculous" Rumor of Heavy Handed Layoffs Posted: 26 Jan 2015 09:36 AM PST Setting the record straight A Forbes report last week indicated that IBM was preparing for a "bloodbath," one that would see the dismissal of about 26 percent of its workforce, or as many as 112,000 employees. That would indeed be a bloodbath, expect that the actual number of pink slips IBM plans to hand out will be much lower. Instead of 112,000 employees being shown the door, IBM said layoffs will number in the several thousands, or a "small fraction" of what Forbes reported. By its own admission, IBM doesn't address rumors, a policy that's common in the tech industry. But even with that being the case, the company couldn't help but, well, address the rumor, taking a jab at the initial report in the process while offering up a clarification. "IBM does not comment on rumors, even ridiculous or baseless ones," IBM told Reuters in an email. "If anyone had checked information readily available from our public earnings statements, or had simply asked us, they would know that IBM has already announced the company has just taken a $600 million charge for workforce rebalancing. This equates to several thousand people, a small fraction of what's been reported." The "rebalancing" effort IBM references is intended to make room for incoming employees with new skill-sets. In addition, an IBM spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal that it currently has around 15,000 job openings as part of the rebalancing process. Areas it's looking for new blood include cloud, analytics, security, and social and mobile technologies. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Logitech's $500 ConferenceCam Connect is a Portable All-in-One Solution Posted: 26 Jan 2015 09:03 AM PST Built for small groups Logitech today announced its new ConferenceCam Connect, a portable all-in-one videoconferencing solution with a cylindrical design and flexible compatibility that slips in between the company's entry-level BCC950 ($250) and high-end ConferenceCam CC3000e ($1,000). It works with any computing device with a USB port (PC, Mac, Chromebook) and plays nice with just about every videoconferencing software, such as Microsoft Lync and Skype, Cisco Jabber and WebEx, Citrix GoToMeeting, Blue Jeans, and more. The cylindrical design is aimed at making the device more portable and is intended for small groups consisting of 1-6 people. It's more affordable (and flexible) compared to high-end videoconferencing systems built for large rooms, and much more practical for smaller groups than trying to cram everyone in front of a webcam, thus revealing who forgot to put on deodorant - awkward! Logitech's ConferenceCam Connect sports a 90-degree field of view with digital pan and tilt, along with 4x digital Full HD zoom. It also features Zeiss optics with autofocus, a speakerphone with support for both mobile and USB audio calling, Bluetooth, NFC, 360-degree full-duplex sound, and acoustic echo and noise-cancelling technology. Plus it comes with fancy remote. The Logitech ConferenceCam Connect will be available in March for $500 MSRP, or "about the cost of an office chair," the company says. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Panasonic Toughbook 31 Now More Rugged, Faster, and Longer Lasting Posted: 26 Jan 2015 08:30 AM PST Two batteries are better than one We love that laptops are getting slimmer, lighter, and overall more portable than ever before (have a look at Michael Dell introducing a new notebook 25 years ago), but if your work (or pleasure) takes you off the beaten path into some extreme environments, a thin and light machine probably isn't your best bet. That's where systems like Panasonic's upgraded Toughbook 31 comes in. Key upgrades include an 18-hour battery life (or up to 27 hours with an optional second battery), a new 5th Generation Intel Core i5 5300u vPro processor (3MB cache, 2.3GHz-2.9GHz) with Intel HD Graphics 5500, and a revised design that can now withstand a 6-foot drop and is certified to pass 19 different MIL-STD-810G tests. Other rugged and fancy bits of interest include a magnesium alloy case, sunlight-viewable touchscreen, reinforced locking port covers, and a quick-release hard drive with its own heater for cold weather operation. It all adds up to a system that Panasonic sees being ideal for emergency service professionals, utility workers, and anyone else who needs to be connected in extreme environments. As for the other hardware specs, they include 4GB to 16GB of DDR3L-1600 RAM, 500GB 7200RPM HDD with heater, SSD options (128GB to 512GB), 13.1-inch display with a 1024x768 resolution, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, optional backlit keyboard, USB 3.0 (x1) and USB 2.0 (x3) ports, GbE LAN, and various other odds and ends. The Toughbook 31 won't come cheap -- Panasonic says it will be available in February starting at around $3,700. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Google Explains Decision to Leave 930 Million Android Handsets Unpatched Posted: 26 Jan 2015 08:00 AM PST Don't expect a patch for WebView in pre-KitKat Android devices If you own an Android handset running a version of the open source operating system that predates Android 4.3 KitKat, you won't be the recipient of a patch for WebView, a component of Android that developers use to display web content in their apps. WebView is also the backbone of Android's built-in browser in all versions up to KitKat. Nevertheless, Google won't spend time plugging up any security holes for WebView in older Android devices because it's "no longer practical." That may seem like sour grapes to anyone who owns one of the more than 930 million pre-KitKat Android devices in the wild, especially since researchers recently discovered a new vulnerability in WebView. Regardless, once notified of the bug, Google made it clear that no patch was coming. More recently, the company offered up an explanation as to why. "Until recently we have also provided backports for the version of WebKit that is used by Webview on Android 4.3 and earlier," Andrew Ludwig, Google's lead engineer for Android security, said in a Google+ post. "But WebKit alone is over five million lines of code and hundreds of developers are adding thousands of new commits every month, so in some instances applying vulnerability patches to a 2+ year old branch of WebKit required changes to significant portions of the code and was no longer practical to do safely." In contrast, Ludwig says that one of the improvements in KitKat is that OEMs can quickly deliver updates of WebView provided by Google, and in Android 5.0 Lollipop, those updates are delivered through Google Play, so OEMs can wipe their hands of them completely. "With the advances in Android 4.4, the number of users that are potentially affected by legacy WebKit security issues is shrinking every day as more and more people upgrade or get new devices," Ludwig added. So, what can you do if you own an older Android device to avoid being a sitting duck? Ludwig recommends using an alternative browser, one that's updated through Google Play. There are various options, including Chrome (supported on Android 4.0 and up) and Firefox (supports Android 2.3 and up). Image Credit: Flickr (Travis Wise) Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Newegg Daily Deals: AMD A10-5800K, OCZ Vertex 460A 240GB SSD, and More! Posted: 26 Jan 2015 05:22 AM PST Top Deal: If you're building a rig for Aunt Mabel for surfing the web and poking around Facebook, you're probably not going to select a top end processor and multiple graphics cards. On the flip side, you don't want to stick her with your 10-year old system that's collecting dust in the basement -- you know, the one that was making clicking noises and spitting out BSoDs before you retired it. A budget build will do, and if you need a place to start, check out today's top deal for an AMD A10-5800K Trinity Quad-Core FM2 APU for $88 with free shipping (normally $100 - use coupon code: [EMCAKNP47]. This quad-core chip runs at up to 4.2GHz and sports integrated AMD Radeon HD 7660D graphics. Other Deals: Dell 23.8-inch 8ms (GTG) HDMI Widescreen LED Backlight LCD Monitor IPS 250 for $210 with free shipping (normally $230 - use coupon code: [EMCAKNP44]) OCZ Vertex 460A 2.5-inch 240GB SATA 3 6Gb/s MLC Internal Solid State Drive for $100 with free shipping ;additional $10 Mail-in rebate G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory for $117 with free shipping (normally $130 - use coupon code: [EMCAKNP36]) Thermaltake Level 10 GT Snow Edition White and Black SECC / Plastic ATX Full Tower Computer Case for $150 (normally $180; additional $30 Mail-in rebate)

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MMORPG News

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• PlanetSide 2: Players Break Guiness World Record
• General: Five MMORPG Sequels I'd Like To See
• World of Tanks: 8-Bit Battles to Arrive Today
• General: Roccat Ryos TKL Pro Mechanical Keyboard
• Warframe: Celebrates the Arrival of "Wyrmius"
• General: One Piece Online Beta Begins
• Defiance: New Developer Q&A, Elite Lock Box Sale
• H1Z1: Exclusive Interview with Adam Clegg and Jimmy Whisenhunt

PlanetSide 2: Players Break Guiness World Record Posted: 26 Jan 2015 06:55 AM PST PlanetSide 2 players broke a nearly-three year old Guiness World Record on January 24th when over eleven hundred players took part in a single FPS battle. The event was co-sponsored by Sony Online Entertainment and fan site PlanetSideBattles.

General: Five MMORPG Sequels I'd Like To See Posted: 25 Jan 2015 07:08 AM PST The concept of sequels is very familiar to anyone who plays video games, so much so that we basically expect any hit to spawn one, if not more. In the MMO space, the situation is somewhat different because the titles continue to grow and evolve over time. Accordingly, follow-ups aren't nearly as common. That said, it wasn't hard to come up with a handful that would potentially be of significant interest for me.

World of Tanks: 8-Bit Battles to Arrive Today Posted: 26 Jan 2015 04:39 AM PST World of Tanks players have a new event in which to participate with the arrival of the 8-Bit Battles. Fights will take place in wintery locations in one of three special new tanks. Included in the update are new ways to platoon, special gold rounds that heal friendlies and a new medal for participation.

General: Roccat Ryos TKL Pro Mechanical Keyboard Posted: 25 Jan 2015 10:33 AM PST Being a PC gamer means rising to the challenge. Whether you casually play MMOs or are a competitive e-sports aficionado, at some point you've looked at your hardware and wondered whether it was time to upgrade. Most of us overlook the keyboard, or maybe make our choices based on the lighting options. That's a problem, as the Roccat Ryos TKL mechanical keyboard so easily proves.

Warframe: Celebrates the Arrival of "Wyrmius" Posted: 23 Jan 2015 07:08 PM PST What's been missing from cooperative third-person shooter, Warframe? Why, a retro, side-scrolling minigame of course! Developer Digital Extremes remedies that lack this week with the addition of "Wyrmius," a 1980's-arcade-style minigame that gives players the chance to blast enemies with Wyrm's signature laser rifle.

General: One Piece Online Beta Begins Posted: 23 Jan 2015 07:21 PM PST Open beta for One Piece Online began this week, and to celebrate, developer JoyGames has a slew of activities planned.

Defiance: New Developer Q&A, Elite Lock Box Sale Posted: 23 Jan 2015 07:34 PM PST Sci-fi MMO Defiance this week tossed some of its community's most pressing questions at the developers (things like "Will the Bay Area zone expand?" and "When will we have more character customization?") and the devs lobbed back some answers. Also, now's the time to stock up on gear since Elite Lock Boxes are 50% until the end of Sunday, January 25.

H1Z1: Exclusive Interview with Adam Clegg and Jimmy Whisenhunt Posted: 25 Jan 2015 06:40 AM PST We all know SOE is a huge company with tons of MMO experience. For a company like that to not have a scalable system in place for quickly handling unexpected numbers of players on the launch of a new IP after all these years is really mind-blowing. That's why I went hunting for someone to crucify at PAX South earlier today.

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