Javascript + Adobe; you got your exploit in my vulnerability ...

Subject: General Tech | February 21, 2013 - 12:27 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: Adobe, firefox, pdf, javascript, fud

What could possibly go wrong by combining two of malwares most favourite security holes into one?  With FoxIt recently sprouting leaks and Adobe's continual duct taping of it's Reader, reading PDFs online is a great way to catch something nasty. Then again, there is always malformed Javascript commands and links which are another very popular way to give your PC a cybernetically transmitted disease.  The new Firefox combines the two in their latest version, 19.0, which is currently in beta testing and it uses an open sourced Javascript add on to open PDFs online, which will likely improve the responsiveness and loading time of PDF links.  The real question won't be answered until use of this new add on becomes commonplace and we find out if the two combine into some a gaping new hole into your PC or if somehow mismatched vulnerabilities will combine to create an actual secure way to read PDFs.  Then again, maybe it will not introduce anything new at all.  More at The Register or grab the latest Firefox and try it yourself.

"Mozilla's Firefox web browser now includes a built-in PDF viewer - allowing users to bin plugins from Adobe and other developers.

The move to run third-party PDF file readers out of town comes after security holes were discovered in closed-source add-ons from FoxIt and Adobe. The new built-in document viewer is open source, just like Firefox, and is written in JavaScript."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Tech Talk

• Seagate joins OpenStack foundation and Open Compute Project @ The Register
• BlackBerry squashes W-TIFF-F bug that's ripe for malware squirters @ The Register
• Nikon D7100 hands-on preview @ Hardware.info
• Giveaway at Rbmods together with Cm Storm

Podcast #239 - NVIDIA GTX TITAN, PlayStation 4 Hardware, SSD Endurance and more!

Subject: General Tech | February 21, 2013 - 02:58 AM | Ken Addison
Tagged: titan, Tegra 4i, tegra 4, ssd, ps4, podcast, nvidia, Intel

PC Perspective Podcast #239 - 02/21/2013

Join us this week as we discuss NVIDIA GTX TITAN, PlayStation 4 Hardware, SSD Endurance and more!

You can subscribe to us through iTunes and you can still access it directly through the RSS page HERE.

The URL for the podcast is: http://pcper.com/podcast - Share with your friends!

• iTunes - Subscribe to the podcast directly through the iTunes Store
• RSS - Subscribe through your regular RSS reader
• MP3 - Direct download link to the MP3 file

Hosts: Ryan Shrout, Jeremy Hellstrom, Josh Walrath and Allyn Malventano

This Podcast is brought to you by MSI!

Program length: 0:59:53

Podcast topics of discussion:

1. Week in Reviews:
   1. 0:01:20 Crysis 3 Live Game Stream - Win Free Stuff!!
   2. 0:03:20 Gigabyte GA-F2A85X-UP4 FM2 Motherboard Review: Overkill for Trinity?
   3. 0:09:25 NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Preview - GK110, GPU Boost 2.0, Overclocking and GPGPU
   4. 0:24:15 Taking an Accurate Look at SSD Write Endurance
2. 0:27:20 This Podcast is brought to you by MSI!
3. News items of interest:
   1. 0:28:50 AMD wants to set the record straight on its future GPU strategy
   2. 0:36:05 A Crowd Funded Mini-ITX Case, the NCASE M1
   3. 0:38:30 Sony's Fourth Playstation (PS4) Specs Revealed
      1. Next Generation Consoles Likely Not Compatible
   4. 0:45:15 NVIDIA Releases Tegra 4i: Mini-Me!
4. Closing:
   1. 0:49:00 Hardware / Software Pick of the Week
      1. Ryan: Excel 2013.. or not.
      2. Jeremy: WobbleWorks $75 Pen-Sized 3D Printer on Kickstarter
      3. Josh: Sweet lookin Monitor... not without quirks
      4. Allyn: Gunnar

1. 1-888-38-PCPER or podcast@pcper.com
2. http://pcper.com/podcast
3. http://twitter.com/ryanshrout and http://twitter.com/pcper
4. Closing/outro

Be sure to subscribe to the PC Perspective YouTube channel!!

Sony's Fourth Playstation (PS4) Specs Revealed

Subject: General Tech, Systems | February 20, 2013 - 06:53 PM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: sony, ps4

We're currently in the middle of Sony's Playstation announcement and right off the bat they discussed system specifications.

(Update 2: Press conference was over a few hours ago, and we now have an official press release.)

The Playstation 4, as it will be titled, is very similar to a mid-range gaming PC. When discussing with developers, they requested for Sony to stick with a typical x86-based architecture. Of course that does not stop Sony from describing it as a “Supercharged PC architecture”. Still, they do seem to have quite a decent amount of hardware in this box.

• 8-core x86 CPU
• 2 Teraflops GPU integrated on same die (update: chip).
• I did not hear AMD mentioned, but it totally is.
• 8GB GDDR5 RAM (shared)
• Stereo Camera on the controller with a light bar, like the Wii, to judge distance to TV.
• Also touch sensor in the controller.
• (Update/correction: At least a ...) Spindle-based Hard Drive

While these specifications have been sufficiently leaked in the recent past, we have not been able to pin down exactly how much RAM is provided. We found the development kit contained 8GB of system memory. The problem is that development kits require more RAM than the system it pretends to be to account for development tools and unoptimized assets.

As it turns out, the system itself will contain 8GB of GDDR5 shared between the CPU and GPU, which is quite a lot. Developers will need to finally push the PC platform past the 4GB RAM+VRAM 32-bit barrier in order to keep up with the next generation consoles.

Most of our gaming limitations were due to art assets being limited by memory constraints. Thanks to the new Sony console, PC releases could finally be taken off the 512MB-long leash of Sony and Microsoft.

(Update 2, cont.: The press release has official tech specs as below but are "subject to change")

So clearly Sony was slightly rounding up when they claimed it was a 2 Teraflop GPU. Still, this looks to be a healthy computer.

We now have the official confirmation we needed that AMD Jaguar cores will power the PS4. Given AMD's big wins in the console platforms, I would wonder if game developers would be able to take some of the tricks they will learn in a few years and be able to start optimizing PC gamers for AMD CPUs.

GPUs too for that matter... this could mean a lot for AMD's PC gamers.

JDSLabs O2+ODAC for the discerning audiophile

Subject: General Tech | February 20, 2013 - 05:50 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: audio, JDSLabs, O2, ODAC, amp

If swappable op-amps, an Objective DAC for proper analog sound and a frequency range of 10hz - 19Khz not only makes sense to you but gets you a bit hot and bothered, JDSLabs has an interesting product for you.  Built around the open source Objective2 amplifier this pre-amp and DAC is designed to attempt to produce professional quality sound without the price tag attached to that level of gear.  The suggested price is $285 which might seem high for a headphone amp but is actually much less expensive than professional level kit.  TechPowerUp were very impressed with the quality of the sound and the tweaks possible to make to the DAC but thought that perhaps a bit more thought could have been put into the aesthetics of the device.

"JDSLabs's O2+ODAC combination combines two designs by NwAvGuy with excellent build quality and a sturdy enclosure. The O2+ODAC sells at just $285 which, performance considered, is a bargain. We test whether this amplifier and DAC combination is really the giant slayer it is made out to be!"

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Audio Corner

• Eagletech Arion Foldable Bluetooth 3.0 Headset Model:ARHP200BF @ TechwareLabs
• ASUS Orion Pro Headset Review @ Neoseeker
• House of Marley Redemption Song On-ear Headphones Review @ TechwareLabs
• Razer Star Wars: The Old Republic Gaming Headset Review @ Madshrimps
• AZiO Levetron GH808 Gaming Headset Review @ Custom PC Review
• Asus Orion Pro @ LanOC Reviews
• Mad Catz F.R.E.Q.5 Red Stereo Gaming Headset Review @ NikKTech
• HiFiMAN RE-400 In-ears @ techPowerUp
• Ineo Alienvibes S101 2.0 Desktop Speakers Review @ Hi Tech Legion
• Wavemaster Moody 2.1 Speaker System @ eTeknix

Torment: Tides of Numenera lives!

Subject: General Tech | February 20, 2013 - 02:47 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: planescape, torment, numenera, gaming

Planescape:Torment 2, aka the Tides of Numenera now has a website to whet your thirst for this project.  It will not be a direct sequel or clone of the first game, it will not even use AD&D rules, instead being an adaptation of the existing Numenera RGP which you can check out here.  Rock, Paper, SHOTGUN has been following the early development of this game, from its first crowdfunded inception to the latest and greatest news from the developers.  Check out the new webpage and news at Rock, Paper, SHOTGUN.

"Numenera’s Ninth World is a fantastic vision of a world in which massive civilizations have risen and fallen – disappeared, transcended, overwhelmed, or destroyed – and left their cities, monuments, and artifacts behind. As each rose and fell, their achievements became part of the accumulated detritus of eons… but much of it did not decay. And now this assortment of ancient power is there for the taking, ever-present, underfoot. The humans of the Ninth World take and use what they can. They call these wonders (and horrors) the numenera."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Gaming

• Why You Can’t Make A Game About Montreal’s Metro @ Rock, Paper, SHOTGUN
• Dead Space 3 @ The Inquirer
• BioShock Infinite goes gold, new trailer released @ HEXUS
• Chris Roberts On Life After Crowdfunding, Games Vs Film @ Rock, Paper, SHOTGUN
• Lakes Boil: Ubisoft And EA To Sell Each Others Games @ Rock, Paper, SHOTGUN
• MS-DOS Screenshot Challenge @ Starfield
• Aliens: Colonial Marines Xbox 360 @ Tweaktown

LucidLogix Virtu MVP 2.0 Software Suite Now Available

Subject: General Tech, Graphics Cards | February 20, 2013 - 12:49 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: lucid, virtu MVP, virtu, hyperformance

As promised at CES, Lucidlogix has released their Virtu MVP 2.0 for purchase to anyone who wants to buy it.  Their GPU Virtualization software for SandyBridge and IvyBridge based systems with a discrete card allows you to jump back a forth between the embedded GPU on your processor and the graphics card without needing to move monitor cables or reboot.  That allows you to save your laptops battery life when the discrete GPU is not needed but to instantly enable it the second you fire up a compatible game, the list of which has grown since the release of their original Virtu MVP.  They have also improved their Virtual VSync and Hyperformance features which we reviewed last summer on an Origin laptop. 

The move to selling the product directly to consumers is beneficial as previously you could only get the software and updates from the manufacturer of your motherboard or your laptop.  As anyone who has dealt with the infrequency graphics driver updates from manufacturers is well aware, the updates are few and far between.  It is much better to be able to acquire the software from the vendor who creates it in the first place.  Head over to Lucidlogix to read more and perhaps buy one of the three versions available.

"The optimal system specifications Virtu MVP 2.0 include an Intel® Core™ i5 (Sandy Bridge) on an Intel Sandy Bridge or Ivy Bridge motherboard with an NVIDIA® Geforce 460GTX or similar or better AIB and 2GB or more memory running Windows® 7 or Windows 8 in either 32-bit or 64-bit modes.

With special launch prices, Virtu MVP 2.0 is now available in three models: Basic with GPU virtualization for $34.99 (USD), Standard with Virtual Vsync for $44.99 and Pro with Hyperformance and Virtual Vsync for $54.99."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Tech Talk

• Tilera etches '*ss-kicking' 72-core system-on-chip for network gear @ The Register
• Samsung develops a programmable mobile GPU @ The Inquirer
• Canon PIxma MG6320 Review @ TechReviewSource

Western Digital’s WD TV Play Brings Steaming Media to Your Television For Under $100

Subject: General Tech | February 20, 2013 - 12:26 AM | Tim Verry
Tagged: western digital, streaming box, media player, DLNA

Western Digital may primarily be a hard drive manufacturer, but it also dabbles in media streaming boxes. Last week, a new product called the WD TV Play joined the existing lineup as a cheaper alternative to both the WD TV Live and Live Hub boxes.

The WD TV Play measures 4.17” x 4.13” x 1.07” and is black with a blue outline. Unlike the other streaming boxes, the Play ditches the rectangular shape for one that resembles a trapezoid (where the base is wider than the top). The WD TV Play has support for a number of streaming media services, including Netflix, Hulu Plus, Youtube, Spotify, and Pandora. Notably absent is Amazon Video on Demand and Vudu, but otherwise it is a decent lineup of the popular internet media sources.

Additionally, the WD TV Play can playback local media from a flash drive or from a DLNA server. It support a variety of video and audio formats, but unlike the more expensive WD TV Live it does not support MPEG-2 or DTS Audio. That is the necessary compromise in order to get an approximately $20 cheaper device.

Rear IO on the WD TV Play includes a composite video output, HDMI, Ethernet jack, and Optical audio output. The media player reportedly also supports Wi-Fi and a USB 2.0 port for loading up media files. It comes with an infrared remote control, but you can also download the WD TV app to your smartphone and control the box using your phone's touchscreen.

In fact, the new case design and removal of certain codecs are the only real differences between the new Play and existing Live streaming box. The WD TV Play has an MSRP of $69.99 USD. For comparison, the WD TV Live is $99.99. If you do not need MPEG-2 or DTS audio, the Play can easily save you a few bucks.

More information can be found on the WD TV Play product page.

WobbleWorks Launches $75 Pen-Sized 3D Printer on Kickstarter

Subject: General Tech | February 19, 2013 - 05:04 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: drawing, art, 3d printer

3D printers have become much cheaper in the last couple of years with big pushes from systems like MakerBot to bring 3D printers to the home. Those printers are much cheaper than previous designs, but are still into the thousands of dollars. A new company called WobbleWorks has launched a Kickstarter campaign for a new 3D printing pen–called the 3Doodler–that costs a mere $75. Resembling a hot glue gun, the 3Doodler can melt ABS or PLA plastic and allows users to draw plastic parts on surfaces or even in three dimensions.

The 3Doodler pen measures 180mm x 24mm and weighs approximately 200 grams. Up to 2ft of 3mm ABS or PLA plastic can be fed into the pen, where the tip heats up to 270°C to melt the plastic. It has two temperature settings and two speed settings that allow it to use either ABS or PLA plastic and feed it through slowly for intricate drawings or faster for filling in areas (like bases for figures and 3D models).

The Kickstarter campaign has a goal of $30,000, but it has blown past that goal with current contributions of $207,734 and 33 days remaining. Needless to say, it has been much more popular than WobbleWorks expected!

The designers have teamed up with a couple of Etsy artists to showcase what the 3Doodler pen is capable of. So far, they have created wire-frame artwork and miniature 3D animal figures. The WobbleWorks team has also created stencils for putting together an Eiffel Tower replica. The Eiffel tower is created by drawing out the various pieces on paper, and then welding them together with more plastic to assemble them into a 3D model. The designers further claim that the pen is capable of drawing in the air, provided you have the patience and steady hand to do so.

As of now, the 3Doodler is expected to launch sometime in October 2013. No word yet on retail availability or price, but if you want a 3D printing pen, you can get in on the Kickstarter for $75 and get a free pen if it launches.

More information is available on the 3Doodler Kickstarter page.

Intel's embedded GPU might finally be 'good enough' according to JPR

Subject: General Tech, Graphics Cards | February 19, 2013 - 01:38 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: Q4 2012, NVIDA, jon peddie, Intel, amd

Jon Peddie Research have released their findings on the state of the discrete and integrated graphics market, not counting servers, smartphone nor ARM based systems.  While the overall PC market showed a negligible gain of 2.8% over the final quarter of 2012, discrete graphics sales saw a decline of 8.2%, which JPR attributes to a noticeable increase of purchases of systems with only an Intel or AMD embedded GPU.  When you break the quarter down by manufacturer the news is not good.  For AMD the last quarter did see an increase of less than 1% on desktop CPUs but declines of 19% in laptop CPU sales and 13.6% in discrete GPU sales.  Intel saw desktop CPU sales up 3% but lost over 6% on laptop sales with their overall decline compared to last quarter sitting at about 3%.  NVIDIA was hit the hardest at the end of 2012 with only their discrete GPU sales applying to this survey, a loss of 15% on the desktop and a loss of 18% on mobile GPUs lead to an overall decline of 16%.

Compared to the final quarter of 2011, AMD lost 29.4%, Intel 5% and NVIDIA 4.6%, reflecting the difficulty of making sales in the past year; the total discrete GPU market dropped almost 10% or about 3 million units.  Even with the companies making profits, in some cases significant profits, the entire GPU market is depressed with ARM based devices and smartphones starting to erode the market that is already shrinking thanks to Intel and AMD shipping CPUs with embedded GPUs that are good enough for many users needs.

"The news was disappointing for every one of the major players. AMD dropped 13.6%, Intel slipped the least, just 2.9%, and Nvidia declined the most with 16.7% quarter-to-quarter change, this coming on the heels of a spectacular third quarter. The overall PC market actually grew 2.8% quarter-to-quarter while the graphics market declined 8.2% reflecting a decline in double-attach. That may be attributed to Intel's improved embedded graphics, finally making "good enough" a true statement."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Tech Talk

• Ubuntu? Fedora? Mint? Debian? We'll find you the right Linux to swallow @ The Register
• HDMI breakout lets you sniff HDCP crypto keys @ Hack a Day
• Nvidia announces Tegra 4i : Tegra 4's smaller sibling @ Hardware.info
• AMD: Star Trek holodecks within reach @ The Register
• Kingston Joint Giveaway @ NikKTech

You can run x86 programs on WinRT thanks to this beta tool, but don't expect miracles

Subject: General Tech | February 18, 2013 - 01:52 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: winRT, arm, x86 emulator

While there was a previous hack which allowed you to run unsigned applications on WinRT devices it would not survive a reboot and so needed to be reapplied.  A programmer at XDA Developers has created a similar and improved tool which functions as a limited 32bit x86 emulator on WinRT.  Once you unlock your device and install the software, which is still in beta, you will be able to run a number of older games and a number of simple applications.  One thing it cannot do at this point is launch an x86 program from within an emulated x86 program so some installers will not function if they rely on decompressing and launching a second program.  Check out the latest version of the software and the FAQ by following the link from Hack a Day.

"It seems with a lot of black magic, [mamaich] over at the XDA Developers forum has a solution for us. He’s created a tool for running x86 Win32 apps on Windows RT. Basically, he’s created an x86 emulator for ARM devices that also passes Windows API calls to Windows RT."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Tech Talk

• Microsoft’s Office 2013 software licence can’t be transferred to another PC @ The Inquirer
• Ready or not: Microsoft preps early delivery of IE10 for Windows 7 @ The Register
• Interactive Tool Visualizes Tolkien's Works @ Slashdot
• NVIDIA Free-to-Play Reviewed @ OCC
• Canonical will release Ubuntu smartphone software on 21 February @ The Inquirer
• Light Virtualization and Instant Recovery Software: A great overall safety net for your computer @ Tweaktown
• Survey shows Americans treat mobile devices as best friends, says Citrix @ DigiTimes

Next Generation Consoles Likely Not Compatible

Subject: Editorial, General Tech | February 16, 2013 - 02:08 AM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: consoles, consolitis, pc gaming

If you really enjoy an Xbox or Playstation game, better hope your console does not die: it is likely that nothing else will play it. This news comes from a statement made by Blake Jorgensen, CFO of Electronic Arts. Clearly EA is a trusted partner of all console developers and not just an anonymous tipster.

You mean, Devil May Stop Crying?

I tend to rant about this point quite often. For a market so devoted to the opinion that video games are art, the market certainly does not care about its preservation as art. There is always room for consumable and even disposable entertainment, but the difference with art is that it cannot be substituted with another piece of content.

There would be a difference if someone magically replaced every copy of Schindler’s List, including the vaulted masters, with The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. I could safely assume that the vast majority of the audience for either film was not just browsing the Holocaust movie genre. I would expect the viewer was seeking out the one or the other for a specific reason.

This is incompatible with the console ecosystem by its design. The point of the platform is to be disposable and its content is along for the ride while it lasts. They often deliver the console for less than their parts and labor fees: research, development, and marketing costs regardless. The business model is to eliminate as many big fees as possible and then jack up the price of everything else ten bucks here and there. Over time you will not be given a bargain, over time you will give them more than they made you think you saved. They then spend this extra money keeping content exclusively under their control, not yours. Also, profits... give or take.

Again, there is always room for consumable entertainment. The consoles are designed to be very convenient, but not cheap and not suitable for timeless art. Really, the only unfortunate element is how these impairments are viewed as assets and all the while examples such as this one dance around the background largely shrugged off without being pieced together.

As for your favorite game? Who knows, maybe you will get lucky and it will be remade on some other platform for you to purchase again. You might be lucky, it might even be available on the PC.

Some Stakeholders Yell, "Oh... DELL No!"

Subject: Editorial, General Tech | February 16, 2013 - 01:19 AM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: dell

There have been some groups opposed to the planned deal to cease publicly trading Dell and release their shares. It would seem that for many, a short-term payout of 25 percent over trading price is insufficient and, they believe, undervalues the company. I mean, the price is totally not derived from the value you gave it when you just finished trading stocks at 80 percent of what Dell is offering you or anything. Yes, I am making a joke: some investors were almost definitely going long on Dell. I still suspect that some are just playing hardball, hoping that a quarter on the dollar raise is just a starting bid.

Buckle in, I will separate stockholders opinions into two categories: investment firms and employees.

Ars Technica clearly had football on the mind when they wrote a very Superbowl-themed editorial. Early in the month, Southeastern Asset Management sent a letter to Dell management expressing their stance to vote against a deal to go private. The investment firm controls 8.5 percent of Dell which means their opinion has a fair amount of sway. A short few days later, T. Rowe Price stepped up to likewise oppose the deal. This firm owns 4.4 percent of Dell, which means combined they have roughly a 13 percent vote.

Factor in a bunch of smaller investors and you are looking at almost a fifth of the company wanting to keep it public. That combined voting power slightly overtakes the 16 percent control owned by Micheal Dell and could hamper the festivities.

Employees, meanwhile, are upset all the same. Again, according to Ars Technica and their vigilant coverage states that some employees were force to sell their stock acquired as a part of their 401k at $9 per share – substantially lower than the 13.65$ being offered to investors.

There are several other ways which employees get their stake in the company reduced or hampered, but I would direct you to the Ars Technica article so I do not butcher any details.

Unfortunately these sorts of practices are fairly commonplace when it comes to investment deals. It would appear as if this deal trots on common ground instead of taking the high road.

God, I hate mixed metaphors.

Deals for February 15th - Dell UltraSharp U2711 27" 2560 x 1440 LCD Monitor for $649

Subject: General Tech | February 15, 2013 - 06:14 PM | PCPer Staff
Tagged: deals

Top deal

Dell UltraSharp U2711 27" 2560 x 1440 LCD Monitor for $649.00 with Free Shipping (normally $1000 - use coupon code: RDSVHG$9FHDJ44).

Laptops

HP Pavilion Sleekbook 14z-b100 AMD Dual-core Laptop w/ Windows 8 for $384.99 (normally $720 - use coupon code: 15LOGICBUY).

Desktops

Dell XPS 8500 Core i7 Quad-Core Desktop w/ 8GB RAM, Radeon HD 7570 for $649.99 with Free Shipping (normally $720 - use coupon code: PJHNV2JD13PHC$).

Mobile

Samsung Focus S 1.4GHz Windows Phone 7.5 smartphone [AT&T] for $1 with Free Shipping

AT&T RoundUp: Refurb Galaxy S III $30, iPhone 4 for $1, Lumia 900 for $1 with Free Shipping

Freebies

Free Juice It Up Smoothie for joining EClub

Maxim Magazine Subscription (1 Year Print) for Free!

Reader's Digest Magazine (Digital Issues) for Free!

Gadgets

zBoost YX545 SOHO Dual-Band Cell Phone Signal Booste for $189.99 (normally $230).

ZAGGkeys FLEX Bluetooth Tablet Keyboard & Stand for $34.99 with Free Shipping (normally $80).

ZAGGkeys iPad Mini Bluetooth Keyboard Case & Cover for $44.99 with Free Shipping (normally $100).

Jawbone BIG JAMBOX Wireless Bluetooth Speaker in Graphite (J2011-03-US) for $262.98 with Free Shipping (normally $300).

UNIGINE's Newest Valley Benchmark Features Huge, Open-Space Expanses

Subject: General Tech, Graphics Cards | February 15, 2013 - 01:43 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: UNIGINE, valley benchmark

Move over Heaven, there is an uncanny new benchmark in town from UNIGINE called Valley, which takes your GPU on a journey to Siberia and forces it to labour on wide open spaces with full DX11 scenery.

Valley Benchmark is a new GPU stress-testing tool from the developers of the very popular and highly acclaimed Heaven Benchmark. The forest-covered valley surrounded by vast mountains amazes with its scale from a bird's-eye view and is extremely detailed down to every leaf and flower petal. This non-synthetic benchmark powered by the state-of-the art UNIGINE Engine showcases a comprehensive set of cutting-edge graphics technologies with a dynamic environment and fully interactive modes available to the end user.

Editions of Valley Benchmark

Alongside a completely free Basic edition, Valley Benchmark provides in-depth performance reviews in the Advanced and Pro editions for hardware manufacturers, graphics driver developers, industry professionals and all individuals involved with video card stability testing.

Advanced Edition
Targeted mainly towards overclockers and hardware reviewers, the Advanced Edition allows for stress-testing under different conditions and thorough reports outputted into a flexible format.

The Advanced Edition exclusive features:

• Command line automation for full control over run tests S
• tress testing mode (benchmark looping)
• Highly customizable reports in CSV format

The Valley Benchmark Advanced Edition is available for purchase in the official UNIGINE online store.

Professional Edition
The Professional Edition is a comprehensive benchmarking tool for hardware manufacturers and graphics driver developers as it is bestowed with the complexity of top-level gaming technology.

The Professional Edition exclusive features include:

• Licensed for commercial use (for one PC, site licensing option is available on request)
• Command line automation for full control over run tests Stress testing mode (benchmark looping)
• Highly customizable reports in CSV format Per-frame deep analysis
• Rendering of a specified frame Software rendering mode in DirectX 11 for reference purposes Technical support

The Valley Benchmark Pro Edition is available for purchase in the official UNIGINE online store.

 

Want some Raspberry Pi with a side of hashes?

Subject: General Tech | February 15, 2013 - 01:27 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: WPAD, security, Raspberry Pi, fud

On this weeks Podcast, Ryan wondered what he could do with his new Raspberry Pi and Hack a Day has an idea for him, though it is a wee bit nefarious.  It seems that Travis over at MADSEC is using a Raspberry Pi in penetration testing, using the NetBIOS Name Service to get responses from the Web Proxy Auto-Discovery Protocol (WPAD); responses which can include LM hashes from Windows machines.  With the use of Rainbow tables you can crack those hashes and take control of existing accounts on the PCs.  This type of attack is well know, but automating the attack on something as small and easily modifiable as a Raspberry Pi adds a new layer.  Whether you use it for good or evil, you can read more about it at Hack a Day.

"Plug in the power and Ethernet and this Raspberry Pi board will automatically collect Windows hashes from computers on the network. With a couple of RPi boards on hand [Travis] was searching for more hacks to try with them. This made a great little test to see how the board performs with the well established attack."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Tech Talk

• Traceroute reveals Star Wars Episode IV 'crawl' text @ The Register
• Your own head-mounted display for under two bills @ Hack a Day
• Apple: iOS 6.1 network overload caused by our Exchange SYNC OF DOOM @ The Register
• Doped nanotubes boost lithium battery power three-fold @ The Register
• SSDs at the Office – Trials, Tribulations and Still Worth It @ Techgage
• Nvidia revenues fight the PC tide, but annual profits pinched @ The Register
• Valve releases its Steam client for Linux @ The Inquirer

A4Tech might have trouble with mouse aesthetics but not with functionality

Subject: General Tech | February 14, 2013 - 07:29 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: input, gaming mouse, A4Tech, Ultracore3 V7 Gun3, HoleLESS engine

While the name and the bloody hand motif of the A4Tech Ultracore3 V7 Gun3 gaming mouse might be a little questionable there is one thing on this mouse which makes it stand above the competition, the so called HoleLESS engine.  Instead of an open area on the bottom of the mouse for the sensor and laser, there is a tinted covering protecting those components which means you will no longer have to pick hair or gunge out of your mouse.  Benchmark Reviews had no problems whatsoever with interference from the lack of an open hole during their testing and they had a bit of fun bumping mice together during the Q-Shoot tool in the driver.  This mouse comes with an impressive bundle, functions well and costs less than $30 ... not a bad deal at all.

"Being an enthusiast doesn't necessarily mean pouring an incredible amount of money into a hobby. While going to a web site that sells computer components, sorting by "Highest Price" and just adding everything at the top of the list to your cart will probably result in a fast computer (probably...) I'm not sure if that is what defines an "enthusiast." Sometimes finding those products that ride that price/performance line, getting the absolute most for the money spent - that's where enthusiasm can be found. A4Tech, a company with 25 years of experience with mice and other peripherals, has just released a new line of gaming mice that Benchmark Reviews is going to take a look at today. First up, the A4Tech Ultracore3 V7 Gun3 wired gaming mouse - let's see what A4Tech has in store for gaming enthusiasts..."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Tech Talk

• AZiO Levetron GM2000 Gaming Mouse Review @ Neoseeker
• ROCCAT Lua Classic 3-Button Gaming Mouse Review @ Madshrimps
• Thermaltake Level 10 Mouse Review @ OCIA
• Roccat Kone XTD Gaming mouse @ Rbmods
• Zowie Gear EC1 Evo Black Competitive Gaming Mouse @ Tweaktown
• Cooler Master CM Storm Sentinel Advance II Gaming Mouse Revisited @ Madshrimps
• GX Gaming Gila MMO/RTS Professional Gaming Mouse @ Tweaktown
• GX-Gaming Gila @ LanOC Reviews
• FUNC MS-3 Gaming Mouse @ Kitguru
• Leetgion El'Druin RPG Gaming Mouse @ techPowerUp
• Cooler Master CM Storm QuickFire TK Compact Mechanical Keyboard Review @ Pro-Clockers
• Eagle Tech Bluetooth Mini Keyboard with Speakerphone ET-KB100B-BK @ TechwareLabs
• Razer Orbweaver Mechanical Gaming Keypad Review @ Custom PC Review

Podcast #238 - Thinkpad Tablet 2, Raspberry Pi, Nonvolatile DIMMS and more!

Subject: General Tech | February 14, 2013 - 04:07 PM | Ken Addison
Tagged: podcast, NVDIMMS, Raspberry Pi, Thinkpad, tablet 2, nvidia, amd, southern islands, Solar System, Crysis 3, Intel

PC Perspective Podcast #238 - 02/14/2013

Join us this week as we discuss the Thinkpad Tablet 2, Raspberry Pi, Nonvolatile DIMMS and more!

You can subscribe to us through iTunes and you can still access it directly through the RSS page HERE.

The URL for the podcast is: http://pcper.com/podcast - Share with your friends!

• iTunes - Subscribe to the podcast directly through the iTunes Store
• RSS - Subscribe through your regular RSS reader
• MP3 - Direct download link to the MP3 file

Hosts: Ryan Shrout, Jeremy Hellstrom, Josh Walrath and Allyn Malventano

This Podcast is brought to you by MSI!

Program length: 1:13:52

Podcast topics of discussion:

1. Week in Reviews:
   1. 0:02:00 Crysis 3 Live Game Stream - Win Free Stuff!!
   2. 0:04:10 Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 Preview
   3. 0:09:15 Rosewill Tachyon Series 1000 watt power supply
   4. 0:12:00 Gigabyte GA-F2A85X-UP4 Preview
2. 0:16:18 This Podcast is brought to you by MSI!
3. News items of interest:
   1. 0:17:50 Reports of no new AMD cards for 2013
   2. 0:26:40 Windows is feeling "blue"
   3. 0:32:15 Nonvolatile DIMMs
   4. 0:38:08 Raspberry Pie 5MP camera module
   5. 0:43:55 NVIDIA bundles credits for free to play games
   6. 0:49:30 Corsair Acquires Simple Audio
   7. 0:53:00 Intel confirms upcoming set top box
4. Closing:
   1. 0:56:45 Hardware / Software Pick of the Week
      1. Ryan: A Raspberry Pi device
      2. Jeremy: ping -p 32 -s 1110 x.x.x.x
      3. Josh: System Shock 2 on GOG.com
      4. Allyn: ioSafe N2

1. 1-888-38-PCPER or podcast@pcper.com
2. http://pcper.com/podcast
3. http://twitter.com/ryanshrout and http://twitter.com/pcper
4. Closing/outro

Be sure to subscribe to the PC Perspective YouTube channel!!

Deals for February 14th - Dell Inspiron 15R Special Edition 15.6" Core i5 Laptop w/ 2GB HD 7730M for $549

Subject: General Tech | February 14, 2013 - 02:23 PM | PCPer Staff
Tagged: deals

Top deal

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Laptops

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Mobile

AT&T RoundUp: Refurb Galaxy S III $30, iPhone 4 for $1, Lumia 900 for $1 with Free Shipping

Freebies

Maxim Magazine Subscription (1 Year Print) for Free!

eMusic: 14 Day Trial plus $10 Music Credit for Free!

Gadgets

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