| Apple Mac Sales Hit All Time High, Contribute to Record $51.5 Billion Quarter Posted: 27 Oct 2015 04:16 PM PDT Another record quarter  Apple capped off its "most successful year ever" with a record fourth quarter that saw $51.5 billion in revenue and $11.1 billion in profit, or $1.96 per diluted share, the company announced today. Those figures are up from $42.1 billion in revenue and a net profit of $8.5 billion, or $1.42 per diluted share, in the same quarter a year ago. The biggest contributor was the iPhone. Apple sold more than 48 million iPhone devices during the quarter, a record number that translated into $32.2 billion, up 36 percent year-over-year and 3 percent sequentially. Those figures only include two days worth of iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus sales, so we'll have to wait a little longer to know how Apple's newest handsets are faring. Apple also kept mum on how many Apple Watch devices it sold, though noted an all-time high in Mac sales (more than 5.7 million units for nearly $6.9 billion in revenue) and revenue from services (over $5 billion). The iPad added another $4.2 billion to the pile of revenue, though sales dropped to 9.9 million units, down from 12.3 million a year ago. "Fiscal 2015 was Apple's most successful year ever, with revenue growing 28 percent to nearly $234 billion. This continued success is the result of our commitment to making the best, most innovative products on earth, and it's a testament to the tremendous execution by our teams," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. "We are heading into the holidays with our strongest product lineup yet, including iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, Apple Watch with an expanded lineup of cases and bands, the new iPad Pro and the all-new Apple TV which begins shipping this week." Looking forward, Apple expects to kicks off its fiscal 2016 with between $75.5 billion and $77.5 billion next quarter. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| New Zotac ZBOX Units Have USB 3.0 Type-C Posted: 27 Oct 2015 02:38 PM PDT 
Zotac International on Tuesday introduced the ZBOX BI323 and the ZBOX CI323 nano packed with Intel "Braswell" quad-core processors and USB 3.0 Type-C ports. They're also capable of pumping out graphics to three displays each, thanks to the included DisplayPort 1.1a, VGA, and HDMI 1.4b ports. According to a list of specifications, the ZBOX BI323 has two slots for DDR3L-1600 memory for up to 8GB, and one 2.5-inch SATA bay for an HDD or SSD. The compact PC is powered by a quad-core Intel N3150 processor clocked at 1.6GHz (2.08GHz with TurboBoost), Intel HD graphics, and an SD card/USB 3.0 port combo. This is a "Braswell" part, so performance expectations should be kept in check. Other features include gigabit Ethernet, Wireless AC and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, two USB 3.0 ports on the back, one USB 2.0 port on the top, and a USB Type-C port on the front. This model is served up without memory or storage unless you purchase the "Plus" version, which includes 4GB of RAM and a 120GB SSD. There's also a Windows 10 Home Edition model packing 2GB of RAM and a 32GB m.2 SSD with the OS preinstalled. 
The ZBOX CI323 nano is similar in hardware, sporting the same memory slots, processor, GPU, and display options. However, this model doesn't have the SD/USB combo, providing just a 3-in-1 SD card reader instead. There are also two gigabit Ethernet ports, one USB Type-C port on the front, two USB 3.0 ports (front and rear), and one USB 2.0 port on the rear. According to Zotac, this model is passively cooled (fanless) while the ZBOX BI323 has an active SmartFan to keep the innards chilly. As with the ZBOX BI323, the CI323 nano has a "Plus" model packing 4GB of RAM and a 120GB SSD. This model also has a Windows 10 Home version with the m.2 SSD and 2GB of memory preinstalled as well. The company didn't provide pricing or a date for when these ZBOX units will become available. Gamers looking for a mini PC solution may want to check out other models, as these two units seem best suited for the home theater scenario. Still, the ability to drive three displays from such a small form factor should be a win for any consumer who needs a compact solution and only light processing demands. |
| MSI Intros Cubi N Mini PCs with Intel "Braswell" CPUs Posted: 27 Oct 2015 02:02 PM PDT 
Earlier this year, MSI introduced the Cubi line of small bare-bones desktop computers to compete with Zotac's ZBOX units and Gigabyte's BRIX mini PCs. Currently, there are 10 configurations based on Intel's "Broadwell" processors, and now the company is adding even more to the mix with the launch of the MSI Cubi N line. These are based on Intel's 14nm "Braswell" processors for even more lower power requirements, in a palm-sized form factor. Note however that Braswell will not offer the same level of performance as Broadwell or any recent Core processor. "Smaller than a lunchbox and less volume than a large soda can, MSI Cubi N is the smallest mini PC in its kind," MSI said on Tuesday. "With a 0.45 liter case that still provides all the elements of a desktop-worthy PC. With curved edges, a wavy surface, a fanless design, and conveniently positioned I/O ports, the MSI Cubi N is not only the smallest, but also the smartest in its kind." 
A short list of specifications show that the Cubi N sports an Intel Celeron N3150 processor, Intel HD graphics, and 4GB of DDR3L memory (up to 8GB). There's also one built-in mSATA SSD and support for an additional 2.5-inch SSD/HDD with an extension bay that fits on the bottom. Connectivity consists of Wireless AC (Intel 3165) and an optional Bluetooth 4.0 component. But that's not all. The super-small Cubi N comes packed with a 3-in-1 card reader, four USB 3.0 (Gen1) ports, one HDMI output port, and one D-sub output port. For the SSD model, the overall dimensions are 116x112x44.47mm, whereas the HDD model measures 116x112x55.5mm. MSI indicates that the palm-sized Cubi N is ideal as a home theater PC, supporting Ultra High-Definition content. But the company indicates it's also ideal for businesses that need the performance of a desktop but not the physical bulk. The Cubi N is VESA compliant, meaning it can be mounted on the backside of a monitor, underneath a desk, or on the wall. The company did not provide pricing or availability on Tuesday. VIA: TechPowerUp! |
| Newegg Daily Deals: 49-Inch TV + Chromecast Bundle, EVGA 850W PSU, and More! Posted: 27 Oct 2015 11:20 AM PDT |
| Asus Brings Wave Control to Google’s OnHub Router Series Posted: 27 Oct 2015 10:25 AM PDT Another OnHub router  Google's trying to reinvent the home router with its OnHub line of comparatively stylish models that needn't be hidden from sight in a closet or other inconspicuous place. The newest one is from Asus and it's available to pre-order today. The Asus OnHub brings the number of OnHub models to two, with TP-Link offering the only other unit. Like TP-Link's model, the one from Asus is shaped like a cylinder, though it's wider at the bottom than at the top (the opposite is true of the TP-Link OnHub). So, what's different between the two? That isn't immediately obvious -- both are dual-band routers offering speeds of up to 600Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and up to 1300Mbps on the 5GHz band (thus its 1900AC rating). They both also have 4GB of internal storage, 1GB of DDR3L RAM, a USB 3.0 port. and a GbE LAN port. The differences come down to a pair of features. The TP-Link model has a front-facing antenna for greater range while the Asus OnHub introduces a proximity sensor with Wave Control. "With the Asus OnHub, we're also introducing Wave Control, which lets you boost the Wi-Fi speed for a particular device by simply waving your hand over the top of the Asus OnHub—great for busy houses," Google states in a blog post. It's an interesting feature, though if you find yourself frequently fighting for bandwidth, you might have bigger problems than a router can solve. Whether you roll with TP-Link or Asus, Google promises an easy setup along with ongoing feature and performance upgrades through future software updates. In fact, Google says it's getting ready to roll out its first software update next week. It will include several improvements, such as a new smart antenna algorithm that intelligently selects the best combination of antennas to direct Wi-Fi to your device based on its location and orientation. The Asus OnHub is available to pre-order now for $220, whereas the TP-Link OnHub sells for $200. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Corsair Katar Gaming Mouse is Simple, Ambidextrous, and Affordable Posted: 27 Oct 2015 09:38 AM PDT A mouse for lefties and righties  It seems that the blueprint for a gaming mouse these days is that it has to sport more buttons than you can count on one hand, have a funky design, leave out left-handed gamers, and cost a king's ransom. None of those are true of Corsair's new Katar gaming mouse. Corsair is pitching the Katar as a "simple and deadly choice for gamers" involved in competitive multiplayer games. Supposedly the top pro-gaming teams from the around the world helped design the final product, which is a compact and ultra-light (85 grams) rodent with an ambidextrous profile. To keep things simple, the Katar has just four programmable buttons. It also boasts an 8,000 DPI sensor with on-the-fly DPI tuning, 1,000Hz polling, and a pro-player mode that configures the rodent the same way that some pro gamers prefer.  "Pro Player Mode allows gamers to take advantage of pre-configured performance and tuning settings used by the world's top players, giving them the professional edge without years of practice," Corsair explains. "For those who want to play their own way, four fully programmable buttons allow you to take control with extensive customization options, for anything from a simple re-map, to applying complex multi-stage macros." Let's be real, the Katar isn't going to turn a rookie gamer into a professional player just like a pair of LeBron XIII kicks from Nike won't get you in the NBA if you can't hit a jump shot. However, the Katar won't put the squeeze on your wallet, either -- it's priced at $40 MSRP, making it one of the more affordable gaming mice out there. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| New Biostar Motherboard Supports DDR3 and DDR4 Posted: 27 Oct 2015 08:37 AM PDT 
Biostar introduced the Hi-Fi Z170Z5 on Monday, a new motherboard based on Intel's Z170 chipset that supports both DDR3 and DDR4 memory modules. The company says that customers can install up to 16GB of DDR3L-1866(OC)/1600/1333 (2 DIMMs) or up to 32GB of DDR4-2133/1866 memory (2 DIMMs). Compatible with Windows 7, 8, and 10, Biostar's new motherboard seems aimed at the PC gamer, with out-of-the-box support for DirectX 12 and SmartSpeedLAN. The latter is free software supplied with the board that allows the user to monitor and manage the network chip's behavior, such as prioritizing different types of network traffic. This easy-to-use feature should help maximize the PC gamer's online experience. The new board also comes packed with other Biostar technologies such as BIOS Flasher and BIOS Online Update for upgrading and restoring the BIOS, and Charger Booster II for quick-charging a connected smartphone or tablet. BIO-Remote2 technology (another proprietary Biostar technology) allows an iOS or Android device to remotely control the PC, or become a touch-based mouse. 
"There are several design features that work toward providing a more durable motherboard on which to build a system," the company said on Monday. "Low RdsOn P-Pak MOS is a low resistance design that can significantly reduce the current in energy loss.The Hi-Fi Z170Z5 also comes with the best quality solid state capacitors with ultra-low ESR design, these Super Durable Solid Caps doubles the lifespan of the capacitors. Not only that, this board features a 'Moistureproof' PCB design. That means that even in rural or coastal areas with high humidity the board will be resistant to moisture." According to the company, the board also features PCIe 3.0 technology, offering twice the bandwidth of PCIe 2.0. For the audio lover, Biostar's Pure Hi-Fi technology consists of an "integrated independent audio power design" and a built-in amplifier, which helps eliminate electronic noise for a fuller, richer sound. There's also USB Overcurrent Protection for preventing electrical USB port failure, and special circuit designs scattered across the board called OVER-Current Protection, OVER-Voltage Protection, and OVER-Heat Protection. For more information about the new Hi-Fi Z170Z5 motherboard, head here. In the States, Biostar distributors include Allplus Computer Systems Corp, ASI, Ma Labs and Symonds. Unfortunately, pricing was not provided in the announcement. |
| Apple Sued over iOS 9's Wi-Fi Assist Posted: 27 Oct 2015 08:30 AM PDT  The idea probably looked good on paper. If the iOS customer's Wi-Fi connection craps out for some reason, the iOS 9 device could kick in the cellular connection to finish the job, whether it's downloading an app or streaming a movie on Hulu. Actually, the idea sounds somewhat decent if the consumer willingly pays for loads of data. But if you're like the millions of consumers who aren't willing to pay for large amounts of data, Wi-Fi Assist could be a nightmare. No matter the conceptual intentions, it's a bad idea, especially for users who have no clue that the feature even exists. Those unknowing people are out there, and likely are unaware that their cellular connection is finishing up that 2GB download until they get their bill and see the overage charges. Lasers may shoot from their eyes and fire from their throats, but these customers will be forced to pay for data they didn't want in the first place, no matter what kind of tantrum they throw. So, if you have an iPhone or iPad and just upgraded to iOS 9, let's stop right here and turn that feature off. Go into the Settings app, choose Cellular, and scroll down to the bottom, where you'll find the Wi-Fi Assist setting. If you don't care about data usage, then simply leave it be. If you're worried that the device is eating up more than what you want to pay for, turn it off and walk away feeling confident about your data usage. When iOS 9 made its debut, there was some grumbling about the Wi-Fi Assist feature. That's because Apple didn't fully explain what was going on, so news began to spread that many consumers were racking up the data usage. Not cool. Apple eventually updated its website to explain how Wi-Fi Assist works, but it was too late: cellular bills were skyrocketing. On Friday, one couple decided to speak for all those affected by Wi-Fi Assist and filed a class-action lawsuit against Apple, claiming that the company violated California's False Advertising Law, the Unfair Competition Law, and accused the company of "negligent misrepresentation." The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court (Northern District of California San Jose Division), was uncovered by AppleInsider on Friday. The lawsuit was filed by plaintiffs William Scott Phillips and Suzanne Schmidt Phillips who claim that the Wi-Fi Assist feature has cost consumers over $5 million since iOS 9's debut. As previously mentioned, Apple allegedly didn't explain the feature properly when the platform was released. The plaintiffs claim they had two iPhone 5s that racked up overuse charges, but they haven't said how much those charges were. Should there be a lawsuit? Is Apple in the wrong? Also, wasn't Wi-Fi meant to assist cellular data? Don't we have wireless connection so we're not shelling out crazy amounts of money to the likes of Verizon and AT&T? As previously stated, Wi-Fi Assist probably sounded good on paper, but there's a good chance many iOS device owners will switch it off—once they learn about it, that is—and never look back. That said, Apple may be forced to email every iOS 9 device owner about the controversial feature, letting them know it exists and how to turn it off. Whether Apple should pay damages is a different question, and will presumably be answered in the courts. |
| Gigabyte Updates Mobos with Free Thunderbolt 3 Posted: 27 Oct 2015 08:18 AM PDT 
There's nothing like a free upgrade, even more so when it means you don't have to yank out the hardware and send it in for a new model. This week's free offering arrives by way of Gigabyte to customers who own the GA-Z170X-Gaming G1, GA-Z170X-Gaming GT, or GA-Z170X-Gaming 7 motherboards. By downloading the latest version of each board's firmware, customers will be treated to a free upgrade to Thunderbolt 3. Once upgraded, Thunderbolt 3 will be made available over the board's USB Type-C connector on the back I/O panel. This is an important upgrade, as customers will see theoretical bandwidth speeds of up to 40Gb/s, twice as fast as Thunderbolt 2, which is only capable of 20Gb/s. Thunderbolt 3 also supports DisplayPort 1.2 for 4K resolution displays at 60 frames per second, the ability to daisy-chain up to six devices per USB Type-C port, and power delivery up to 36 watts. "Users that wish to upgrade their motherboard can download an updated version of the firmware from Gigabyte's website. Once the user installs the updated firmware, Thunderbolt 3 support will be enabled on the motherboard," Gigabyte said on Monday. Looking for a new motherboard for your PC gaming rig? These three boards support Intel's sixth-generation Core processors, dual-channel DDR4 (4 DIMMS), USB 3.1 via the USB Type-C port, and HDMI 2.0 thanks to an integrated HDMI port. Other features include dual PCIe Gen3 x4 M.2 connectors, three SATA Express connectors, Creative gaming audio, Killer and Intel networking, and a multi-color LED trace path. News of Gigabyte's firmware update arrives after the company introduced the GeForce GTX 980 WATERFORCE graphics card last week. The card comes with an AIO closed-loop liquid cooler comprised of a pre-installed water cooling unit, a radiator, and a pair of connected 45cm SFP tubes. The cooling module not only covers the GPU chip, but the MOSFET and VRAM as well, keeping the card nice and cool even during the most strenuous gameplay. Gigabyte customers wanting to upgrade their GA-Z170X-Gaming G1, GA-Z170X-Gaming GT, or GA-Z170X-Gaming 7 motherboard can click on the links below to head straight to the updated firmware. |
| Zotac GTX 980 Ti Amp! Extreme Posted: 27 Oct 2015 12:00 AM PDT At a Glance(+) Bigfoot: Awe-inspiring performance; massive overclocks; great cooling. (-) Smartcar: Pricey; requires lots of space; higher power requirements. Taking a triple-wide GPU for a spinRemember the days when graphics cards were called video cards, they used to spit out a whopping 256 colors (or 16 or even 4 colors/monochrome if you go back far enough), and they occupied a single expansion slot? Sure, smaller cards continue to exist even today, but the last halo GPUs to launch in single-slot variants were Nvidia's 7800 GTX and ATI's Radeon X800 XT. People complained when we went from single-wide to double-wide about the loss of an expansion slot, but today, just about every GPU in the midrange or higher performance bracket will occupy two expansion slots. This has all been done in the name of keeping things cool and quiet, since adding a larger heatsink and fan generally makes it easier to keep temperatures and noise in check. And when we consider the latest GPUs can require up to 275W of power, that's no mean feat. Zotac takes things one step further, with their triple-wide Amp! Extreme series. The latest addition is a 980 Ti GPU, though Zotac first used triple-wide coolers as far back as the GTX 580. There's only one real question: Does the added bulk provide more performance? In a word, yes. Not everyone is going to want a triple-wide GPU, but if you have no intention of running additional expansion cards and you want the fastest factory clock around, Zotac appears to win that contest (by 50MHz, if you're wondering). Their Amp! Extreme comes with a 25 percent GPU overclock, which is actually higher than we were able to push our reference 980 Ti card. As if that's not enough, Zotac bumps the GDDR5 clocks up three percent over stock as well, making this one of the few 980 Ti cards to ship with overclocked RAM. If you're looking at the pictures of this mammoth card and thinking they look a bit tame, we agree! We have a monster GPU cooler just waiting to be pushed to the limit, and 1253/7220 is most definitely leaving some untapped potential for us to explore. Bearing in mind that end-user overclocking results will vary, we pushed the fan speed up to 100 percent (which still isn't overly loud) and managed to run through all of our gaming benchmarks with settings of 1300/8250 (with a +87mV bump to voltage). [Note: GPU Boost is still enabled, which means the Boost clock is typically at 1400MHz or more.] Now that's an overclock worthy of three slots! Wait until you see the resulting performance…. Here's a quick overview of the current high-end GPU specs from Nvidia, with Zotac's card for comparison: | Zotac vs. Nvidia High-End GPU Specs |
| Zotac 980 Ti
Amp! Extreme | GTX Titan X | GTX 980 Ti | GTX 980 | GTX 970 | | Generation | GM200 | GM200 | GM200 | GM204 | GM204 | | Core Clock (MHz) | 1,253 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,216 | 1,088 | | Boost Clock (MHz) | 1,355 | 1,075 | 1,076 | 1,317 | 1,228 | | VRAM Clock (MHz) | 7,220 | 7,010 | 7,010 | 7,000 | 7,000 | | VRAM Amount | 6GB | 12GB | 6GB | 4GB | 4GB | | Bus | 384-bit | 384-bit | 384-bit | 256-bit | 256-bit | | ROPs | 96 | 96 | 96 | 64 | 56 | | TMUs | 192 | 192 | 192 | 128 | 104 | | Shaders | 2,816 | 3,072 | 2,816 | 2,048 | 1,664 | | SMs | 22 | 24 | 22 | 16 | 13 | | TDP (watts) | 275 | 250 | 250 | 165 | 145 | | Starting Price | $670 | $1,000 | $620 | $470 | $290 | One thing worth pointing out before we continue is that pricing on all of Nvidia's high-end GPUs has dropped quite a bit over the past few months. It's amazing what a little competition can do, eh? We can thank AMD's R9 Fury X, R9 Fury, and R9 Nano for pushing things below MSRP on virtually all high-end GPUs. If you're willing to deal with mail-in rebates, in some cases you can go even lower. While we wait for the 16nm FinFET GPUs to roll out next year, the current crop of cards will happily provide great gaming performance. Taking a closer look at the Zotac card, there are a few items of note. First, of course, is that triple-slot GPU cooler we've already discussed. The expansion port bracket still uses two slots, but the cooler itself pushes well into the adjacent space and makes installing anything in the third slot impossible. That means for multi-GPU use, your options are pretty limited. If you have cards spaced far enough apart, you can still do 2-way SLI, which would eat up the space of six slots. The only way you're going to manage 3-way or 4-way with the Amp! Extreme is if you're willing to use PCIe extension cables with a custom case, neither of which is something we'd recommend for most users. The second thing to point out is that Zotac has equipped the Amp! Extreme with two 8-pin PEG connectors, ensuring adequate power delivery for the card and providing the additional overclocking headroom we've already discussed. Trust us: you need the added power. Our reference 980 Ti under load used 380W in our power testing, while at factory clocks the Zotac Amp! Extreme pulls as much as 456W. With our aggressive overclocks, things are even more intense, peaking at over 500W. Considering the rest of the system accounts for roughly 220W of power use under load, the move to dual 8-pin connectors may not have been absolutely necessary, but for the target market of overclocking enthusiasts it was definitely smart. Monster GPU Madness We've talked about the high factory overclock as well as our even more aggressive overclocks. Now it's time to see what that actually means when it comes to playing games. We're using our standard GPU test bed, running a healthy overclock on the CPU as well to eliminate other potential bottlenecks (as much as possible). Here are the specs for our test cards, followed by the benchmarks: The two fastest GPUs right now are from Nvidia: the GTX Titan X and GTX 980 Ti. In many cases, the difference between the two in raw performance is negligible, which means clock speeds can really shake things up. With a 25 percent factory overclock, the Zotac 980 Ti Amp! Extreme easily takes the crown as the fastest GPU we've tested. It beats the stock-clocked 980 Ti by 14 percent on average, or the stock GTX Titan X by 12 percent. With additional overclocking, we're able to tack on another eight percent. Cycling through our games doesn't affect things; with dirt spewing from its oversized tires, Zotac's monster truck of a GPU crushes the competition flat. Guzzling GasOne thing we've learned recently with the release of the Mad Max video game is that, when the world ends, having the biggest, brawniest engine possible will be the difference between life and death. Max would definitely appreciate Zotac's GPU, and he'd use it to set his enemies on fire. The only real issues with the Zotac card are its sheer size, which requires not just three slots but twelve inches to fit the card into your case. Needless to say, there are plenty of standard ATX cases that simply won't have room for the Amp! Extreme, though most full-size ATX cases should be okay—make sure the card will fit before buying, though. Power requirements are also higher, and we'd recommend having at least a 750W PSU to be safe, but those are readily available. Zotac's beastly GPU ends up being the antithesis of AMD's R9 Nano. Where AMD's engineers targeted making the smallest GPU possible, Zotac wonders how big enthusiasts are willing to go. This is the fourth time the company has trotted out its supersized cooler, which indicates there's enough of a market niche here that it's worth the efforts. We've already awarded Nvidia's GTX 980 Ti a 95/Kick-Ass, and that applies to all of the 980 Ti cards out there (provided they don't fail miserably in some fashion). The Amp! Extreme will be more GPU than many people need or even want, but if you have space in your case and you only intend to use a single GPU (or at most two), it takes the crown for out-of-box as well as overclocked performance. Follow Jarred on Twitter. |
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