| Newegg Daily Deals: Seagate 4TB Expansion HDD, MSI Radeon R9 380, and More! Posted: 16 Feb 2016 10:56 AM PST |
| Khronos Group Releases Vulkan 1.0 API, AMD and Nvidia Ready with Drivers Posted: 16 Feb 2016 10:45 AM PST Vulkan has landed  Remember AMD's proprietary Mantle API? It died an unceremonious death a year ago, but large bits and pieces of it were picked up by The Khronos Group, a non-profit industry consortium that promotes and develops open standard APIs. Those pieces formed the foundation of Vulkan, which itself is the next iteration of OpenGL, and version 1.0 of the Vulkan API is now available. One of the major appeals of Vulkan is that it's a low-level API, which gives developers deeper access to GPU and CPU resources. It's similar to the type of control developers have on game consoles, the result of which is the potential for big performance gains—it's especially good at tapping into multithreaded resources. Adding to its appeal, Vulkan also happens to be a cross-platform API. Of course, the other major appeal is that it's open source and royalty free, meaning anyone can use the code for whatever purposes they wish, and without worry of having to fork over funds if their creations become commercial successes. "We are extremely pleased at the industry's rapid execution on the Vulkan API initiative. Due to Vulkan's cross platform availability, high performance and healthy open source ecosystem, we expect to see rapid uptake by software developers, far exceeding the adoption of similar APIs which are limited to specific operating systems," said Gabe Newell, co-founder and managing director, Valve. Indeed, both Nvidia and AMD already announced beta drivers. For Nvidia's part, it's really stressing that it's shipping "fully-conformant Vulkan drivers for all GeForce boards based on Kepler or Maxwell GPUs running Windows (Windows 7 or later) or Linux." They're still considered beta drivers, but they've passed the initial version of Vulkan 1.0 conformance. You can grab those drivers here. Nvidia also boasts that GeForce owners can already play a game with Vulkan called The Talos Principle. "To be able to play a game like The Talos Principle on the same day an API launches, is an unheard of achievement," said Jon Peddie, president of Jon Peddie Research. "Nvidia's multi-platform compatibility and fully conformant driver support across many operating systems is a testament to the company's leadership role in Vulkan's development." As for AMD, it points out that it's been "participating in Vulkan's development since its inception and providing builds of our Vulkan-enabled driver to game developers for many months." Its beta drivers are available here. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Computer Glitch in Ohio Brought Gas Prices to 80+ Year Low Posted: 16 Feb 2016 10:01 AM PST Fill her up!  Some lucky motorists in Toledo, Ohio were able to purchase gas for less than 20 cents per gallon over the weekend due to a computer glitch. Most of the motorists who benefited paid around 17 cents to 19 cents per gallon of gas, though in some instances, the price dropped all the way down to a penny or two. "I got 22 cents in and I got 13 gallons so far. I can't complain," a motorist filling up at a Circle K gas station in Toledo told WTOL. Things took a turn for the cheap in the wee hours of Sunday morning. At around 2:30 AM, gas prices fell to 49 cents per gallon at a Pilot Travel Center, and by 4:00 AM, the price of a gallon of gas dropped even further to 19 cents. The clerk working the overnight shift blamed the problem on a computer malfunction, but continued to sell gas at the reduced rate. The computer glitch prompted Circle K across the street to respond by manually dropping the price of gas to 17 cents per gallon to compete with the frenzied activity. "I just filled my gas tank up from dead empty to 26 cents. I told her to put ten on it and shoe only gave me five bucks and now I need to go get my change. That's too funny," one customers noted. Unfortunately for motorists who weren't awake in the early hours of the morning, the glitch only lasted for about 3 hours. Prices since returned to normal, which for the area is about $1.51 per gallon. The last time gas ran around 17-19 cents per gallon was 1950, the same year that Alan Turing published a paper on human and computer intelligence that would later be called the Turing Test. And you'd have to go back 80 years or more for the last time gas sold for less than 10 cents per gallon. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Vaio, Toshiba, and Fujitsu May Merge PC Divisions Posted: 16 Feb 2016 09:18 AM PST Three-headed monster  It's been just over a year since Sony spun off its Vaio PC brand to a Japanese investment firm so that it could focus on its mobile business. At the time, it wasn't clear what the future would look like for Vaio, though as it turns out it could be a key piece of a three-way deal to create a very large Japanese PC company. According to Bloomberg, Vaio is close to inking a deal that would bring together the PC divisions of rivals Toshiba and Fujitsu. Vaio would own the biggest stake in the new venture, the result of which would be a rather large PC outfit that would be in position to be the top seller of PCs in Japan. Hidemi Mouse, CEO of Japan Industrial Partners Inc., the investment firm that bought Vaio from Sony, says "there are merits to working together" in a shrinking PC market. The way Mouse sees it, a three-way merger would help all three firms to "make the most of research, production volumes, and marketing channels," and they could do it "with minimal cannibalization." Not everyone is as optimistic as Mouse. One analyst that Bloomberg spoke with, Damian Thong at Macquarie Group Ltd. in Tokyo, said the merger mainly makes sense if the companies are looking to "build a niche consumer base in Japan," but that combining the three would "probably have little chance of success" in other countries. All three firms are in a bit of a rough spot. PC shipments are down, according to recent data by IDC and Gartner, and none of the aforementioned companies are among the top five vendors—Lenovo, HP, Dell, Asus, and Apple fill the list (in that order). Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Torrents-Time Plugin Said to Have Security Issues Posted: 16 Feb 2016 08:10 AM PST 
Last week, The Pirate Bay introduced a new "service" that allows visitors to stream movie and TV show torrents in a web browser, eliminating the need to install a standalone third-party BitTorrent client. This is made possible by the Torrents-Time browser plugin, the maker of which insists that its software doesn't break any laws because it's developed for streaming legal content. The anti-piracy group BREIN sees it differently. Legal or not, using Torrents-Time to stream content from the likes of The Pirate Bay is risky business, and not just from a legal standpoint. Last week, Andrew Sampson (the creator of the music streaming app Aurous) took a close look at the Torrents-Time plugin and discovered that it has a number of issues that should persuade potential users not to use it. According to a post, the plugin "abuses" cross-origin resource sharing, or CORS, which allows a resource like a web page to request a resource from another domain, such as an image. Typically, web pages will load resources like scripts, images, and CSS stylesheets that are served up from a different domain. In the case of the plugin, it exposes a CORS-enabled XHR object, allowing an attacker to inject a few lines of code. The result? Forced piracy. With just a single line, Sampson says he can force a user to torrent whatever he wants, even if the user had no intention of streaming that particular content. Hackers can perform this code injection with any content, and use any publisher ID in the process. Remember, the Torrents-Time plugin isn't just streaming a movie to your browser: it's sending torrent bits to other users. That means you're pirating illegal content if the hacker forces copyrighted content into the stream. Next up, he says that anyone with access to JavaScript on a website, such as an advertiser, can see the Torrents-Time plugin user and send that information using Torrents-Time's exposed XHR object. Even more, the Torrents-Time servers can log your IP address, country of origin, user agent, cookies, and more. Sampson says there's also a set of private keys that are masking something within the C code that's making HTTP requests. Other concerns Sampson has include the ability to redirect the download for the plugin, XSS vulnerability it brings to the hosting site, high CPU usage, and program crashes. For the latter, he said that sending random strings to crash the program indicated that a possible buffer overflow is "waiting to be exploited." As reported last week, The Pirate Bay isn't the only torrents-based site using this plugin. Kickass Torrents will be using Torrents-Time as well as Online.porntime.ws, Videomax.is, and Torrentproject.se. Sampson suggests that sites remove this plugin immediately, and if you've downloaded the plugin into your browser, remove it now. In response to the report, Torrents-Time said that the problem regarding starting torrents without the user's knowledge will be fixed in the latest update. The company also acknowledged that the plugin has root access on OS X, but this was needed to implement the VPN service; it also stated that the XSS vulnerability has nothing to do with the plugin, and solely relies on The Pirate Bay. "Andrew Sampson, creator of the Aurous music streaming app, which was shut down after a law suit leading to Sampson's shame and heavy losses, apparently decided that if he was pulled down from the scene of content sharing, nobody should exist there," Torrents-Time states in its letter to TorrentFreak. "Apparently being hateful to everything around file sharing, he invents false accusations against Torrents Time with an aim to have it blocked or uninstalled. Or maybe he just wants the publicity, so he can finally find a job." Ouch. The response letter is rather lengthy and colorful, but refutes every complaint made by Sampson. For now, it's probably best to hold off on streaming torrents. |
| Google Working on Second, Standalone VR Headset? Posted: 16 Feb 2016 07:33 AM PST 
Unnamed sources have informed the Wall Street Journalthat Google is working on a standalone VR headset focused in the midrange of the VR hardware spectrum, that doesn't require a phone, a game console, or a computer. Sources told the paper that Google's VR headset will consist of outward-facing cameras, high-powered processors, and a screen. The headset will also feature chips from startup Movidius, that will track the motion of the user's head by way of the built-in cameras. Movidius told the paper that it works with many companies in regards to augmented and virtual reality, and did not provide additional info. One source indicated that Google's VR headset will make its debut this year, while others stated that the device is in an early stage of development, and that Google could change its mind and not release the device. Unfortunately, additional details weren't provided, such as how the VR headset would receive power given that it's not tethered to a desktop or console. News of the standalone VR headset arrives after reports surfaced last week that Google was working on hardware to rival the Samsung Gear VR. This model will require an Android smartphone to be inserted in order to achieve the VR experience. It will also sport a "solid" plastic casing, better lenses, and more sensors that what's offered with Google Cardboard. Unlike the Samsung Gear VR, users donning Google's VR solution will be able to use a large number of Android smartphones rather than just a few. The company is also said to be putting VR technology directly into the Android platform so that the new VR headset will have native support rather than depend on special apps. Google's Cardboard successor is slated to be revealed during Google I/O this May, followed by a consumer launch in September. There's talk that Google will follow the "Nexus" distribution model by providing a "flagship" product and introducing features in Android that can be used in similar products offered by Google's partners. The price is expected to be similar to what we currently see with the Samsung Gear VR. Google first dipped its toes into the VR industry with the launch of Cardboard back in 2014. The device not only utilizes cardboard, but a single rubber band, two lenses and pieces of Velcro. To use the device, Cardboard owners simply slip their Android smartphone into place and load up the compatible apps. Google Cardboard is open source, meaning partners can create similar solutions and applications that fall under the "Works with Google Cardboard" label. 2016 will see several different classes of VR hardware hit the market. The Oculus Rift and HTC Vive will bring high-end virtual reality to the PC, and the Sony PlayStation VR will be released for the PlayStation 4 console. If Google launches its stand-alone VR unit, it will seemingly be the next step down based on the report, followed by Google's budget-friendly Cardboard successor. Microsoft is diving into the AR industry while Apple is said to be working on its own VR solution for iPhone owners. We'll keep our eye on Google I/O over the next few months to see if the company reveals one or two VR headset solutions. The idea of native VR support in Android is exciting to say the least, and could open the door to loads of mobile VR possibilities. |
| Razer Mamba Chroma Wireless Gaming Mouse Review Posted: 16 Feb 2016 12:00 AM PST Razer's flashiest snake to date, sans cordaT a GlanceSnakes on a Plane: Great wireless performance; excellent sensor; attractive design; tunable button pressure; fantastic build quality; very comfortable.
Snakes on your plane: High lift-off distance; battery life is meh; battery is non-replaceable, slow to charge; butt-heavy; pricey. Whoa, hold on. If you're ready to dismiss this review simply because it's about a wireless gaming mouse, please set aside the bias and dig a few lines deeper. We use wireless technology daily. But for some odd reason, wireless peripherals get a bad rap for being unreliable. Granted, there are lots of bad products out there that feed this idea, but a segregation of quality exists in almost every market. Razer is looking to prove that wireless mice can be equally, if not more adequate, than their wired counterparts with its Mamba wireless gaming mouse. The Mamba resembles the tried-and-true Razer DeathAdder in shape, but comes with a few of its own twists. The addition of the front grill and Razer's Chroma lighting elevates its prestigious aura. The construction is excellent, as it should be with a premium product. We especially like the grippy texturized matte finish. Since the Mamba is shaped like the DeathAdder, its comfort is a no-brainer. The top of the mouse is sloped heavily toward the right side to naturally cradle your hand. The left flank is slightly tapered in the middle to better hug the thumb. Lastly, the tall arc of its spine leaves plenty of room on the sides for a pair of spacious rubber grips and two large side buttons. Unfortunately, the Mamba is designed for right-handed users only. Sorry, lefties. The Razer Mamba is 5 inches long and 2.76 inches wide, making it a fairly large mouse. Its tall spine naturally guides the hand to sit in a palm grip style. Although you can still get away with using the claw grip, fingertip grip users may find its large body difficult to navigate. Though its 125g weight doesn't look too hefty on paper, the Mamba definitely feels heavy. That's due to the additional weight of the internal battery installed in the rear section. The uneven weight distribution makes lifting the mouse take extra effort. The Razer Synapse driver software is quite possibly the most complete driver software on the market. Its simplistic interface may appear bare-bones at a glance, but it has every setting you need to tune your Mamba to your liking. In addition to the usual DPI and polling rate settings, you can also program your own macro functions, change when the mouse goes to sleep, and when the low battery warning light flashes. It's even equipped with a "Tournament Drivers" function that creates an instance of its installation containing all your current profiles, macros, and settings that can be migrated to another PC. A gamble we make when purchasing a gaming mouse is the feel of the buttons. No matter how great the switch underneath them may be, you're screwed if you dislike the way it feels. To make sure this doesn't happen to you after you purchase the Mamba, Razer has made the actuation pressure of its left and right mouse button adjustable by the user. It takes a little trial and error to find the perfect setting, but it goes a long way in ensuring that you'll always perform at your peak. Sandwiched between the adjustable left and right buttons is the incredibly silent and responsive scroll wheel. The dimpled rubber and the distinct notches felt great to the touch. This is a feature we're particularly keen on as most of us have to scroll through pages of content every day (for research, of course!). Gamers who prefer to cycle through weapons using the scroll wheel will undoubtedly fall in love with it as well. At the heart of the Mamba is Razer's 16,000dpi 5G laser sensor. While Razer remains quiet regarding its manufacturer, its performance is top-notch. Contrary to a lot of laser sensors that produce jitter at higher DPI settings, Razer's 5G sensor remained as steady as a rock even at its max setting of 16,000dpi. Its lift-off distance can be adjusted after a calibration run in the Razer Synapse software. Razer claims that the sensor is sensitive enough to detect lift distance with a margin of error of just 0.1mm. In our experience, however, the Mamba's minimum lift-off distance is at least a few millimeters; quite high in comparison to other premium-grade mice. An unfortunate stigma associated with wireless peripherals is poor latency and susceptibility to radio interference. The Mamba's wireless performance exhibits neither attribute. It remained responsive and consistent through our numerous gaming runs. The charging dock doubles as the transceiver. A ring of LED lights surrounds its base. You can adjust the color pattern of its LED to match that of the mouse or have its own pattern. The dock charges the battery at a snail's pace, gaining around 0.6 percent charge per minute. That's not good news considering you'll need to charge the Mamba often. The battery is non-removable, meaning that you can't switch to a secondary set if it runs dry. Luckily, the scroll wheel blinks when the power level is below a certain threshold (default 5 percent) to warn you that its death is imminent. The Razer Mamba lasted about 19 hours of continuous use before it needed to be plugged into the wire. You can squeeze a bit more juice out of it by disabling the Chroma lighting and knocking back the polling rate, but we hate the idea of compromising, so we're going to have to dock a few points here. If you've been continuously throwing your money at your screen and are wondering why the Mamba still isn't appearing on your desk—don't worry, nothing is broken, you simply haven't tossed enough cash. When examining its cost, the Razer Mamba quickly turns into a Boa, as it carries a wallet-choking list price of $150. Although it stands as one of the most expensive options on the market, you get your money's worth in quality and performance. Whether you'd want to sink your teeth into your savings is up to you, because the Razer Mamba is ready to bite whenever you are. |
