Careful connecting to those pub WiFis

Subject: General Tech | May 24, 2013 - 05:53 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: cell phone, security, wifi, PNL

A security expert recently reminded people that the Preferred Networks List Bug which was identified in 2004 has only ever been addressed by Microsoft.  All other mobile OSes, from Apple to BlackBerry can accidentally expose their PNL to an eavesdropper who can then spoof it.  If you like setting up autoconnect on your devices you might want to double check the name of your active connections occasionally; if you are connected to your home WiFi while you are out you might have a problem.  Catch more at The Register.

"Security expert Raul Siles has warned that years after it was first identified, the Preferred Networks List (PNL) Wi-Fi bug remains unaddressed on many an iPhone, Android phone, and Windows or BlackBerry handset."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Tech Talk

• IT bloke publishes comprehensive maps of CALL CENTRE menu HELL @ The Register
• AMD Launches Its 2013 Mobile APU Products @ Kitguru
• AMD Temash, Kabini, Richland: new chance? @ Hardware.info
• Spam and the Byzantine Empire: How Bitcoin tech REALLY works @ The Register
• Canadian regulators welcome US Bitcoin refugees with open arms @ The Register
• Mac malware found with valid developer ID at freedom conference @ The Register
• The Best Activity Trackers for Fitness @ TechReviewSource
• Sumo Lounge Emperor @ Phoronix
• Beginners Guides: Crash Recovery & The Blue Screen of Death @ PCSTATS
• Sitecom Wi-Fi Router X6 N900 (WLR-6100) Review @ Madshrimps
• Netgear XWNB5201 500Mbps Powerline WiFi Access Point @ eTeknix
• SlimPort Summit 2013 Coverage - What is SlimPort? @ Tweaktown
• Sandberg iConheli Bluetooth Helicopter @ NikKTech
• Google Play Music Review @ TechReviewSource
• Jabra Drive Bluetooth In-Car Speakerphone Review @ ModSynergy
• Understanding Email Bounce Messages @ Hardware Secrets
• Intel Linux OpenGL Driver Leading Over Apple OS X @ Phoronix
• HGST packs 1.5TB into 9.5-mm, three-platter Travelstar 5K1500 notebook drive
• A year later: Transformer Prime @ LanOC Reviews
• Balder BD-1P T6 LED Flashlight @ 3DVelocity
• SuperSpeed RamDisk Plus 11 Software @ Tweaktown
• Removing and Wiping Drivers Guide @ OCC
• Gigabyte Shows Off Upcoming Intel Z87 Motherboards @ Legit Reviews
• Xbox One: Entertainment Hub First, Gaming Console Second -- But Could It Disrupt TV? @ TechSpot
• Xbox One - Just what is Microsoft thinking?! @ Tweaktown
• Oregon Scientific ATC9K Action Camera @ NikKTech
• SteelSeries Joint Giveaway - Three 6Gv2 Mechanical Gaming Keyboards Up For Grabs @ NikKTech

Epic Games is disappointed in the PS4 and Xbox One?

Subject: Editorial, General Tech, Graphics Cards, Systems | May 23, 2013 - 06:40 PM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: xbox one, xbox, unreal engine, ps4, playstation 4, epic games

Unreal Engine 4 was presented at the PlayStation 4 announcement conference through a new Elemental Demo. We noted how the quality seemed to have dropped in the eight months following E3 while the demo was being ported to the console hardware. The most noticeable differences were in the severely reduced particle counts and the non-existent fine lighting details; of course, Epic pumped the contrast in the PS4 version which masked the lack of complexity as if it were a stylistic choice.

Still, the demo was clearly weakened. The immediate reaction was to assume that Epic Games simply did not have enough time to optimize the demo for the hardware. That is true to some extent, but there are theoretical limits on how much performance you can push out of hardware at 100% perfect utilization.

Now that we know both the PS4 and, recently, the Xbox One: it is time to dissect more carefully.

A recent LinkedIn post from EA Executive VP and CTO, Rajat Taneja, claims that the Xbox One and PS4 are a generation ahead of highest-end PC on the market. While there are many ways to interpret that statement, in terms of raw performance that statement is not valid.

As of our current knowledge, the PlayStation 4 contains an eight core AMD "Jaguar" CPU with an AMD GPU containing 18 GCN compute units, consisting of a total of 1152 shader units. Without knowing driving frequencies, this chip should be slightly faster than the Xbox One's 768 shader units within 12 GCN compute units. The PS4 claims their system has a total theoretical 2 teraFLOPs of performance and the Xbox One would almost definitely be slightly behind that.

Back in 2011, the Samaritan Demo was created by Epic Games to persuade console manufacturers. This demo was how Epic considered the next generation of consoles to perform. They said, back in 2011, that this demo would theoretically require 2.5 teraFLOPs of performance for 30FPS at true 1080p; ultimately their demo ran on the PC with a single GTX 680, approximately 3.09 teraFLOPs.

This required performance, (again) approximately 2.5 teraFLOPs, is higher than what is theoretically possible for the consoles, which is less than 2 teraFLOPs. The PC may have more overhead than consoles, but the PS4 and Xbox One would be too slow even with zero overhead.

Now, of course, this does not account for reducing quality where it will be the least noticeable and other cheats. Developers are able to reduce particle counts and texture resolutions in barely-noticeable places; they are also able to render below 1080p or even below 720p, as was the norm for our current console generation, to save performance for more important things. Perhaps developers might even use different algorithms which achieve the same, or better, quality for less computation at the expense of more sensitivity to RAM, bandwidth, or what-have-you.

But, in the end, Epic Games did not get the ~2.5 teraFLOPs they originally hoped for when they created the Samaritan Demo. This likely explains, at least in part, why the Elemental Demo looked a little sad at Sony's press conference: it was a little FLOP.

Update, 5/24/2013: Mark Rein of Epic Games responds to the statement made by Rajat Taneja of EA. While we do not know his opinion on consoles... we know his opinion on EA's opinion:

RT @developonline: EA: Xbox One and PS4 a generation ahead of PC develop-online.net/news/44289/EA-… <-no they’re not. I call bullshit on this one.

— Mark Rein (@MarkRein) May 23, 2013

Podcast #252 - Z87 Motherboards, Xbox One, Lenovo Y500 Gaming notebook and more!

Subject: General Tech | May 23, 2013 - 01:00 PM | Ken Addison
Tagged: z87, Y500, xbox one, xbox, video, Temash, Richland, podcast, pcper, msi, Lenovo, Kaveri, Kabini, Jaguar, Intel, hgst, gtx 650m, Giagbyte, ECS, asus, APU, amd

PC Perspective Podcast #252 - 05/23/2013

Join us this week as we discuss Z87 Motherboards, Xbox One, Lenovo Y500 Gaming notebook 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, Josh Walrath, Allyn Malventano, and Morry Teitelman

Program length: 1:17:01

1. Week in Review:
   1. 0:02:40 ASUS Z87 Motherboards
   2. 0:07:40 Gigabyte Z87 Motherboards
   3. 0:15:15 MSI Z77A-GD65 Gaming Motherboard
   4. 0:19:30 Lenovo Y500 Gaming Notebook
2. 0:23:00 This week we thank you for IGG support!
3. News items of interest:
   1. 0:26:30 ECS has Z87 motherboards too
   2. 0:27:50 Xbox One Announced
   3. 0:39:50 MSI Launches Laptops based on Richland
   4. 0:42:45 HGST 1.5TB Mobile Drive - 500 GB per platter
   5. 0:45:00 2013 AMD Mobility Platforms
      1. Jaguar + GCN Architecture
      2. Kabini A4-5000 System Performance Testing
4. 1:04:30 Hardware/Software Picks of the Week:
   1. Ryan: MSI GeForce Ti 4200 Graphics Card - 128 MB of RAM!
   2. Josh: Nice monitor, cruddy stand, but cheap!
   3. Allyn: Stardock Start8/ModernMix bundle (for $8)
   4. Morry: Dark - Vampire RPG
5. 1-888-38-PCPER or podcast@pcper.com
6. http://pcper.com/podcast
7. http://twitter.com/ryanshrout and http://twitter.com/pcper
8. Closing/outro

PCPer Live! GeForce GTX 780 3GB Graphics Card - 2pm EDT / 11am PDT

Subject: Editorial, Graphics Cards | May 23, 2013 - 12:08 PM | Ryan Shrout
Tagged: video, live, gtx 780, gk110

Missed the LIVE stream?  You can catch the video reply of it below!

Hopefully by now you have read over our review of the new NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 graphics card that launched this morning.  Taking the GK110 GPU, cutting off some more cores, and setting a price point of $650 will definitely create some interesting discussion. 

Join me today at 2pm ET / 11am PT as we discuss the GTX 780, our review and take your questions.  You can leave them in the comments below, no registration required. 

GTX 780 Stream - PC Perspective Live! - 2pm ET / 11am PT

Samsung 840 Series 500GB SSD for $277

Subject: General Tech | May 23, 2013 - 12:03 PM | PCPer Staff
Tagged: deals

SSD deals just keep getting better and today's is no exception.  You can pick up a 500GB version of the Samsung 840 series SSD, powered by TLC NAND memory, for just $277.49! 

You can read over Allyn's original review of this product if you'd like or just click the link below to get the offer before it runs out!

Samsung 840 Series 500GB SSD for $277

EPI Announces New High-Resolution Philips Desktop Monitors

Subject: Displays | May 23, 2013 - 01:08 AM | Tim Verry
Tagged: quad hd, philips, epi, 2560x1440, 2560x1080, 21:9

Envision Peripherals Inc. (EPI), a company that sells Philips monitors in North America recently announced three new high resolution IPS desktop monitors. The company is releasing one 29” 21:9 monitor for consumers and two high resolution displays for professionals.

Philips Brilliance 29” UltraWide Monitor

This Philips monitor is of the 21:9 variety and offers up a resolution of 2560 x 1080 on its AH IPS display. The monitor features a narrow bezel, built-in speakers, and comes bundled with SmartControl software to adjest settings via a PC software application.

It has DL-DVI, DisplayPort, HDMI, and (optional) Thunderbolt video inputs. It supports MultiView technology, which allows the monitor to accept multiple video inputs and display them simultaneously on the screen.

The Philips Brilliance 29” UltraWide display is available now at online retailers like Amazon. While it has an MSRP of $599 according to the press release, Amazon is actually charging $667.90 for the monitor currently.

While the Brilliance 29” UltraWide is aimed at consumers, the following two monitors are intended for professionals doing CAD, finance, and art/design work.

P-Line 29” UltraWide Monitor

The P-Line 29” UltraWide is a 21:9 monitor for professionals. It features a 2560 x 1080 resolution AH IPS display with MultiView technology and a “ultra narrow” bezel. EPI claims that the display has both a 178-degree vertical and horizontal viewing angles. There are four USB 3.0 port as well as a height-adjustable stand.

Video inputs include DisplayPort 1.2a ports that allow daisy chaining monitors. The MultiView technology also allows the display to show two display inputs simultaneously.

The monitor is available now to business customers from resellers like CDW for $699.

P-Line 27” Quad HD Monitor

Finally, the P-line 27” Quad HD monitor is the final new professional series display. It has the highest resolution at 2560 x 1440 (109 PPI). This IPS display supports 8-bit color and has a professional price to match. The monitor itself has a height-adjustable stand, built-in speakers, a 2MP webcam with microphone, USB 3.0 ports, and a PowerSensor which detects when the user leaves the computer and automatically dims the display. EPI claims that the PowerSensor results in up to 80% power savings. It would be useful for businesses, though less crucial for home users.

Like the P-line 29” UltraWide, this monitor can daisy chain other monitors to the PC video output via DisplayPort connectors. Video inputs include DL-DVI, DisplayPort, HDMI, and Thunderbolt.

It is available now from resellers with an MSRP of $799.

You can find the full press release below.

The PS4 and Xbox One Hardware Revealed, Console Makers Have Different Goals

Subject: General Tech | May 22, 2013 - 10:33 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: xbox one, semi-custom business unit, ps4, microsoft, amd

Microsoft took the wraps off of its upcoming Xbox One console earlier this week, and it is now possible to compare Microsoft and Sony's next-generation hardware.

Prior to the Xbox One launch, Forbes contributor Paul Tassi postulated that Microsoft would be going a different route than Sony with its next Xbox. Specifically, that Microsoft would focus more on media playback and applications rather than purely gaming (unlike Sony, which is doing the opposite). At the time, I found myself agreeing with his sentiment, and now that the console as launched I believe Mr. Tassi was absolutely correct. Microsoft wants the Xbox One to be the center of your living room and the device you use for all of your media (and gaming) needs. The new console integrates the Windows kernel and can do multitasking of applications and media in a Metro-UI like fashion (2/3, 1/3 split screen).

On the other hand, Sony is positioning its console as the best gaming device for the living room, and is focusing on integrating all things gaming with media as more of an afterthought. Like previous PlayStation consoles, it will likely play back media files and Blu-ray movies just fine, but it is a gaming box at its core.

Interestingly, the hardware that both companies have chosen seems to line up nicely with those goals. Both the Xbox One and PS4 are based around a semi-custom AMD APU with eight Jaguar CPU cores, but they have gone in different directions from there.

PlayStation 4 hardware:

As a refresher, Sony's PS4 has the following hardware specifications.

• CPU:  Eight core AMD “Jaguar” CPU
• GPU:  AMD GCN GPU with 1152 shader units (in 18 CUs)
• Memory:  8GB of GDDR5 clocked at 5500MHz
• HDD:  At least a spindle hard drive
• Bandwidth:  176 GB/s

Sony has changed directions from the PS3 by going with a simpler design that provides more graphical horsepower and higher system memory bandwidth versus the Xbox One. The PS4 uses a semi-custom AMD chip that has saved Sony a great deal of R&D money while also being easier for developers as it is that much closer to a traditional PC with its x86-64 APU (GDDR5 memory is unusual though). The PS4 is aimed at gamers and Sony's choice of hardware and memory reflects that.

Xbox One hardware:

Microsoft was not as forthcoming as Sony as far as touting specific hardware specifications, but based on the announcement and additional information acquired by AnandTech, the Xbox One features the following hardware:

• CPU:  Eight core AMD “Jaguar” CPU
• GPU:  AMD GCN GPU with 768 shader cores (within 12 Compute Units)
• Memory:  8GB of DDR3 system memory at 2133MHz as well as 32MB of on-chip eSRAM
• HDD:  500GB
• DDR3 Memory Bandwidth: 68.3 GB/s
• eSRAM Memory Bandwidth: 102GB/s

Microsoft took a different approach with the Xbox One. Instead of going for DDR5 like Sony did, Microsoft opted for a hybrid approach that uses a small but high-bandwidth and low latency embedded SRAM on the same chip as the CPU and GPU paired with a larger 8GB of traditional PC DDR3 system memory. This approach is interesting because it gives Microsoft a system that has access to low latency memory at the expense of the higher bandwidth that the PS4 enjoys with its single pool of DDR5 memory. Developers will need to become familiar with the embedded RAM to take full advantage of the latency benefits, however.

These hardware choices work out such that the PS4 has a distinct advantage when it comes to gaming performance. It has more GPU horsepower and high-bandwidth memory for feeding the processor high resolution textures. On the other hand, while Microsoft's console still has a respectable GPU (for a console), it seems to be optimized for lower latency memory access and just enough graphics oomph to enable the company to have a multimedia and home entertainment machine that can run multiple applications simultaneously while also satisfying gamers by giving them a decent graphical upgrade over the Xbox 360 for games. 

This next generation of consoles should be interesting, as will the ensuing "flame wars" between fans. Both Microsoft and Sony have learned from the past (current) generation of consoles and are focusing on what they are good at to differentiate themselves. Microsoft is tapping into its Windows ecosystem of PCs and mobile devices and providing an app machine that the company hopes will be the hub of your living room entertainment needs. Sony, who does not have that expertise or existing infrastructure is also focusing in on what it excels at and that is gaming.

I'm looking forward to seeing how the consoles co-exist and how the market shakes out over 2014 and into the future as the hardware stays the same but software changes. Sony definitely has the hardware advantage to stay in the game longer when it comes to games and graphics, but Microsoft has a box that can do more than games and can find purchase in your media rack even after it is surpassed in gaming graphics quality by PCs and the competition.

What do you think about the split between the Xbox One and PS4's hardware?

NVIDIA's i500 SDR LTE Modem Achieves 150Mbps Throughput During CITA 2013 Demo

Subject: Mobile | May 22, 2013 - 07:46 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: Tegra 4i, software defined radio, SoC, nvidia, i500, 4g lte

NVIDIA's Tegra 4i System on a Chip includes a software defined radio that works as a LTE modem. This i500 LTE modem uses general purpose deep execution processors (DXP) and is as much as 40% smaller than a hardware LTE modem according to the company.

At Mobile World Congress earlier this year, the modem was able to reach 100Mbps throughput. After a recent software update, the Tegra 4i SoC in NVIDIA's Pheonix reference platform achieved 150Mbps throughput in a demo at CITA 2013 in Los Angeles this week.

The reference phone was connected to a test network during the demo rather than a live cellular network. The cellular network test equiptment showed the Pheonix platform was connected at the full 150Mbps link speed. In addition to this, NVIDIA showed the Tegra 4i-powered Pheonix phone connected to a live AT&T LTE network streaming video and making voice calls.

The interesting bit about the i500 modem in the Tegra 4i is its software defined nature. NVIDIA was able to upgrade the modem's capabilites through software rather than needing to redesign the hardware. This would be a big plus to consumers as they would be able to take advantage of the faster network speeds as they become available without needing to replace their phones. NVIDIA did note that in addition to the LTE Cat 4 support, the i500 is also backwards compatible with LTE Cat 3, 3G, and 2G networks. I'm interested to see what the power consumption of thei500 is like compared to LTE modems implemented in specialized hardware. The i500 is smaller and more flexible, but SDR can use more power due to its general purpose hardware units.

Read more about NVIDIA's Tegra 4i SoC at PC Perspective!

Fractal Design's Node 304 White Mini-ITX Case Is Coming In July

Subject: General Tech | May 22, 2013 - 06:27 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: fractal design, mini-itx, case, Node 304

Fractal Design is launching a new version of its existing Node 304 computer chassis. The new Node 304 White comes in white and supports Mini-ITX motherboards. The case measures 250 x 210 x 374mm and weighs 4.9kg.

The Node 304 is constructed of aluminum and has a white painted exterior. There are two mesh air vents on either side of the case as well as two 92mm Silent Series R2 fans working as front intakes behind filters to keep dust out of the case. Front IO includes two USB 3.0 ports and two audio jacks. The rear of the case features two expansion slots, a space for an ATX power supply, and a single 140mm Silent Series R2 exhaust fan.

Internally, the Node 304 White can fit standard ATX power supplies, a Mini-ITX motherboard, and up to six 3.5" or 2.5" hard drives. Alternatively, with two of the hard drive mounts removed, the case can accommodate graphics cards up to 310mm in length.

It is a minimalist design,but one that works well. Airflow should not be a problem even for high-end components, and the inclusion of the three fans, filters, and a fan controller is nice to see. The case will be available in July with an MSRP of $89.90 in the US and 69.90 EURO in Europe.

Seagate Barracuda 2TB SATA 6G Hard Drive for $91

Subject: General Tech | May 22, 2013 - 10:22 AM | PCPer Staff
Tagged: deals

Hard drives; we all need them.  And some of us need BIG ones.  Today's deal offers up a 2TB Seagate Barracuda SATA 6G hard drive for $91 with FREE shipping.

Also, if you select it via the drop down box, you can get the 4TB Seagate ST4000DM000 for $149 with FREE shipping.

Seagate 2TB Barracuda SATA 6G - $91 with FREE shipping!

You know that thing you trust to accept untrusted data...

Subject: Editorial, General Tech | May 22, 2013 - 01:53 AM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: antivirus, antimalware

They might be a good means of guarding you from momentary lapses of judgment, but security is not equivalent to antivirus packages. You always need to consider how much your system is exposed to untrusted and even unsolicited data. Any software which accepts untrusted data has some surface with potential vulnerability to attack.

This, inherently, includes software which accepts data to scan it for malware.

Last week was host to Patch Tuesday, and one of its many updates fixed a vulnerability in Microsoft's Malware Protection Engine (MPE). The affected code is only present in applications which run the 64-bit version of the engine. For home users, these applications are: Microsoft Security Essentials (x86-64), Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool (x86-64), and all varieties of Windows Defender (x86-64). For enterprise users, MPE is also a part of Forefront and Endpoint applications and suites.

Despite the irony, I will not beat up on Microsoft. As far as I know, these vulnerabilities are semi-frequently patched in basically any antimalware application. At the very least, Microsoft declares and remedies problems with reasonable and appropriate policies; they could have just as easily buried this fix and pushed it out silently or worse, wait until it becomes actively exploited in the wild and even beyond.

But, and I realize I am repeating myself at this point, the biggest takeaway from this news: you cannot let the mere presence of antivirus suites permit you to be complacent. No scanner will detect everything, and some might even be the way in.

Thermaltake Announces Haswell-Compatible Power Supplies

Subject: Cases and Cooling | May 21, 2013 - 11:52 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: be quiet, Power Supplies, haswell, Intel, c6, c7

In addition to Be Quiet!, Thermaltake has announced its own list of Haswell-compatible PSUs. The majority of high end Thermaltake power supplies will work with Haswell and its new sleep states. Further, all of the current generation high-end and mid-range Thermaltake power supplies are compatible with the new CPUs.

Power supplies in the Toughpower, EVO, and Smart M family are compatible with Haswell. Specifically, the chart below details which specifc models are compatible with Haswell and the new C6 and C7 low power sleep states.

The following companies have also listed Haswell-compatible power supplies:

• Be Quiet!
• Corsair
• Enermax
• Seasonic

German PSU Manufacturer Be Quiet! Lists Its Haswell-Ready Power Supplies

Subject: Cases and Cooling | May 21, 2013 - 10:50 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: sleep state, PSU, Power Supplies, haswell, c7, c6, be quiet

Be quiet!, a power supply manufacturer based in Germany, has announced that almost all of its recent power supply lineups are fully compatible with Intel's upcoming Haswell processors. The PC Perspective team has talked in-depth about the new C6 and C7 sleep states used by Haswell CPUs. However, for the uninitiated, the new Intel processors have two new low power sleep states. The lowest state, C7, draws as little as 0.05A from the 12V PSU rail. That is a good thing, but not all power supplies will be compatible with the new sleep states as such low load on the 12V rail was not a concern when the PSUs were designed and manufactured. Notably, even incompatible power supplies will still work in Haswell systems, but those computers will not be able to enter the lower-power C6 and/or C7 sleep states.

There is good news for users of Be Quiet! Power supplies, however. The following power supplies are fully compatible with Haswell and the new sleep states:

• Dark Power Pro 10 Series (all models)
• Straight Power E9 Series (all models)
• Pure Power L8 Series (all models)
• System Power 7 Series (all models)
• Pure Power L7 Series (the 630W and 730W models only)

Older Be Quiet! power supplies will still work in Haswell systems, but use of the lowest power C7 state is not recommended. Fortunately, most desktop users can live without the new low power states (which, while nice to have, the new sleep states are more beneficial to laptop users).

As the launch of Haswell approaches, more and more PSU manufacturers are releasing compatibility information. So far, the following companies have put together compatibility lists.

• Corsair
• Enermax
• Seasonic

HP Slate 7 Android Jelly Bean Tablet for $169

Subject: General Tech | May 21, 2013 - 10:12 PM | PCPer Staff
Tagged: deals

If you are on the look out for a low cost Android tablet in the 7-in form factor, we have a great deal for you this afternoon.  HP's latest Slate 7 offering, powered by a dual-core ARM Cortex A9 SoC running at 1.6 GHz, brings the price down even lower with our deal; you can pick it up for just $169 with FREE shipping.

HP Slate 7 Android Tablet for $169!

HGST Develops 1.5TB 2.5" Mobile Drive With 500GB Platter Tech

Subject: Storage | May 21, 2013 - 10:01 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: hgst, western digital, 500GB platter, 1.5tb drive, mobile hard drive

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies (HGST, which is now owned by Western Digital) has developed a new 2.5” mobile hard drive called the Travelstar 5K1500. The hard drive uses three 500GB platter drives for a total capacity of 1.5TB. HGST claims that the drive is the highest capacity 9.5mm mobile drive on the market. Additionally, the company has stated that the new drive is faster than its existing two-platter hard drives according to the PCMark Vantage and PCMark 7 benchmark suites.

The 1.5TB Travelstar 5K1500 is a 5400 RPM hard drive with 32MB of on-board cache, a 6Gbps SATA III interface, and shock protection features.

The new mobile drive will be used in external hard drives, all-in-one systems, and notebooks where storage space is valued more than pure performance. It will be available sometime in June for an as-yet-unannounced price point. Another version of the Travelstar 5K1500 that offers automatic encryption of data will be available in Q3 2013.

MSI Launches GX70 and GX60 Gaming Notebooks Powered By AMD Richland APUs

Subject: Systems | May 21, 2013 - 08:21 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: Richland, msi, gx70, gx60, gaming notebook, gaming, APU, amd

MSI announced two new gaming notebooks powered by AMD's latest Richland APUs today called the GX70 and GX60. Both gaming notebooks use AMD A10-5750M processors, a discrete AMD graphics card, 8GB of RAM, and a 750GB (7200 RPM) hard drive. Other shared specifications include a Killer E2200 NIC, Blu-ray drive, THX certified speakers, a headphone amp, and a large 9-cell battery.

The GX70 is the largest of the two gaming notebooks at 8.6 pounds and packing a 17.3” display. The GX70 uses the A10-5750M APU and a Radeon 8970M discrete mobile GPU to deliver gaming performance to the 1080p display. The system is also capable of outputting to multiple displays over HDMI and supports AMD's Eyefinity 3D technology. On the outside, the MSI GX70 features a 17.3” 1920 x 1080p display with an anti-reflective coating as well as a SteelSeries gaming keyboard.

Meanwhile, the MSI GX60 is a 15-inch notebook that weighs 7.7 pounds. This gaming notebook uses an AMD A10-5750M APU and a Radeon 7970M mobile discrete GPU. Further, the GX60 has a 15.6” 1080p anti-reflective display and SteelSeries gaming keyboard.

MSI claims that the new AMD Richland APUs will give its gaming notebooks much better battery life. The new GX70 and GX60 will have up to 40% better graphical performance compared to previous generations thanks to the new APUs and discrete cards. According to MSI VP of Sales Andy Tung, “the GX70 and GX60 deliver the ultimate sensory experience for both professional and amateur gamers.” More information on the new gaming notebooks can be found on this MSI press release.

Xbox One announced, the games: not so much.

Subject: Editorial, General Tech, Graphics Cards, Processors, Systems | May 21, 2013 - 05:26 PM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: xbox one, xbox

Almost exactly three months have passed since Sony announced the Playstation 4 and just three weeks remain until E3. Ahead of the event, Microsoft unveiled their new Xbox console: The Xbox One. Being so close to E3, they are saving the majority of games until that time. For now, it is the box itself as well as its non-gaming functionality.

First and foremost, the raw specifications:

• AMD APU (5 billion transistors, 8 core, on-die eSRAM)
• 8GB RAM
• 500GB Storage, Bluray reader
• USB 3.0, 802.11n, HDMI out, HDMI in

The hardware is a definite win for AMD. The Xbox One is based upon an APU which is quite comparable to what the PS4 will offer. Unlike previous generations, there will not be too much differentiation based on available performance; I would not expect to see much of a fork in terms of splitscreen and other performance-sensitive features.

A new version of the Kinect sensor will also be present with all units which developers can depend upon. Technically speaking, the camera is higher resolution and more wide-angle; up to six skeletons can be tracked with joints able to rotate rather than just hinge. Microsoft is finally also permitting developers to use the Kinect along with a standard controller to, as they imagine, allow a user to raise their controller to block with a shield. That is the hope, but near the launch of the original Kinect, Microsoft filed a patent to allow sign language recognition: has not happened yet. Who knows whether the device will be successfully integrated into gaming applications.

Of course Microsoft is known most for system software, and the Xbox runs three lightweight operating environments. In Windows 8, you have the Modern interface which runs WinRT applications and you have the desktop app which is x86 compatible.

The Xbox One borrows more than a little from this model.

The home screen, which I am tempted to call the Start Screen, for the console has a very familiar tiled interface. They are not identical to Windows but they are definitely consistent. This interface allows for access to Internet Explorer and an assortment of apps. These apps can be pinned to the side of the screen, identical to Windows 8 modern app. I am expecting there to be "a lot of crossover" (to say the least) between this and the Windows Store; I would not be surprised if it is basically the same API. This works both when viewing entertainment content as well as within a game.

These three operating systems run at the same time. The main operating system is basically a Hyper-V environment which runs the two other operating systems simultaneously in sort-of virtual machines. These operating systems can be layered with low latency, since all you are doing is compositing them in a different order.

Lastly, they made reference to Xbox Live, go figure. Microsoft is seriously increasing their server capacity and expects developers to utilize Azure infrastructure to offload "latency-insensitive" computation for games. While Microsoft promises that you can play games offline, this obviously does not apply to features (or whole games) which rely upon the back-end infrastructure.

And yes, I know you will all beat up on me if I do not mention the SimCity debacle. Maxis claimed that much of the game requires an online connection due to the complicated server requirements; after a crack allowed offline functionality, it was clear that the game mostly operates fine on a local client. How much will the Xbox Live cloud service offload? Who knows, but that is at least their official word.

Now to tie up some loose ends. The Xbox One will not be backwards compatible with Xbox 360 games although that is no surprise. Also, Microsoft says they are allowing users to resell and lend games. That said, games will be installed and not require the disc, from what I have heard. Apart from the concerns about how much you can run on a single 500GB drive, once the game is installed rumor has it that if you load it elsewhere (the rumor is even more unclear about whether "elsewhere" counts accounts or machines) you will need to pay a fee to Microsoft. In other words? Basically not a used game.

Well, that has it. You can be sure we will add more as information comes forth. Comment away!

Outbound Phone Call Support Coming to Hangouts (Within Gmail Interface) Soon

Subject: General Tech | May 20, 2013 - 03:42 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: google voice, google talk, google hangouts, google

One of the neat features of the chat application built into the Gmail web interface is the ability to receive and place phone calls to and from your Google Voice number. And unlike the Google Voice interface, calls placed using the Gmail Talk chat widget are completely free.

Unfortunately, the new Hangouts replacement (currently not mandatory) brought over from Google + does not support the calling features of Google Talk. As such, users wanting to call phones and not just video chat with other Google + users will need to stick with the old Google Talk chat or use Google Voice and pay for outbound calls.

The good news is that the phone call features will be rolled into the new Hangouts feature eventually. According to Google employee Nikhyl Singhal, “outbound/inbound calls will soon be available.” He also indicated that future versions of Hangouts will further integrate the feature set of Google Voice (which likely refers to SMS). Unless you particularly want video chatting, I would recommend sticking with Google Talk until the new version of Hangouts is more fleshed out.