GPU beatdown, Metro Last Light edition

Subject: General Tech | May 29, 2013 - 02:47 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: gaming, metro last light

Metro 2033 quickly gained a reputation as a game which can take everything a modern GPU could throw at it and still want more.  Now we have not only a new generation of Metro but also some new hardware to test it with, namely the TITAN and the GTX 780 which are now in [H]ard|OCP's test bed.  They tried out the new game at 2560 x 1600 with high tessellation enabled and found the TITAN to be the overall winner thanks to its ability to support PhysX at these high settings, with the GTX 780 a very close second and perhaps a better choice for those not planning on using PhysX.  Their testing also backs up the developers statement that in order to enable SSAA you will need a second GPU.

"Today we look at 4A Games Metro: Last Light. Running the 4A Engine it supports modern DX11 effects including tessellation, and NVIDIA PhysX, providing realistic simulations of particles, water, cloth and fog. We'll evaluate this game using today's latest video cards including GTX TITAN and GTX 780, for a total of eight video cards."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Gaming

• Metro: Last Light @ LanOC Reviews
• Metro: Last Light PC @ Tweaktown
• Metro: Last Light Performance, Benchmarked @ TechSpot
• Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon Review @ OCC
• Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon @ Tweaktown
• Defiance Review: Resistance is Not Futile @ Techgage
• Wot I Think: GRID 2 @ Rock, Paper, SHOTGUN
• Endless Space Now Even More Endless Than Before @ Rock, Paper, SHOTGUN

Beiber can be used for evil

Subject: General Tech | May 29, 2013 - 02:31 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: cell phone, security, fud

If you are feeling safe and secure using your cellphone in public, some research out of the University of Alabama will shatter that confidence for you.  It seems that it is possible to use sound as a trigger to activate malware from a distance, even over low quality speakers.  You already know about Shazam and other apps you can use to identify songs simply by holding up your cellphone and have it successfully connect to a remote database to get the song data, even in a loud room.  This research shows that a previously infected phone could have dormant malware installed which can be remotely activated simply by music with a hidden message contained within it, inaudible to human ears.  Pair this with the known Autoconnect to Saved WiFi Profiles vulnerability and your phone could very easily start leaking information you would much rather keep private.   Follow the links from The Register to read the research paper and reactions to it.

"Security researchers have discovered that specific music, lighting, vibrations or magnetic fields could all be used as infection channels to trigger the activation of mobile malware on a massive scale.

The paper, titled Sensing-Enabled Channels for Hard-to-Detect Command and Control of Mobile Devices, was presented in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou earlier this month by researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Tech Talk

• Nvidia's Geforce GTX 770 comes close to the Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition @ The Inquirer
• Intel nabs mobile GPS business of moribund ST-Ericsson @ The Register
• Apple reportedly to release 2 new iPhones in 3Q13 @ DigiTimes
• Mediatek releases quad-core 1.5GHz ARM Cortex A7 chip for tablets @ The Inquirer

Alienware M17x r4 Core i7 Gaming Laptop w/ 2GB GeForce GTX 660M @ $1345

Subject: General Tech | May 29, 2013 - 02:04 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: deals

A gaming laptop is not the least expensive way to get powerful performance but it is certainly the most mobile and perfect for LAN parties thanks it only needing a power cord.  The Alienware M17x is on special right now, a Core i7-3630QM, 6GB DDR3 and a GTX 660M will provide serious gaming power and the included SoundBlaster Recon3Di will ensure your audio is crisp and clean as well.

Alienware M17x r4 Core i7 Gaming Laptop w/ 2GB GeForce GTX 660M

1. Start here at Dell Home direct store
2. Configure as per needs (optional), click Review & Checkout button
3. Apply coupon code ?SWK4RL9BTX1MD in-cart and proceed to checkout

Now even your mouse can minimize your game window

Subject: Editorial, General Tech, Cases and Cooling | May 29, 2013 - 02:03 PM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: Windows key, mouse, microsoft, I Hate This Key

Has this ever happened to you while playing a shooter? You need to get to a position so you mash the alt key to sprint and... aw crap I hit the Windows key... well, now I am dead. Have you ever considered purchasing software or a gaming keyboard which allows you disable that button?

Have you ever considered purchasing a mouse which also has that button to give both hands something to fear?

Definitely not a member of their Sidewinder product line.

Okay, so I should be fair: the Microsoft Sculpt Comfort mouse is not designed for gaming and Windows 8-like user experiences revolve heavily around the start button. The mouse button is also more useful than a redundant Windows key; the blue pad also has swipe functionality for extra functions. According to how it is described on its product page, slide gestures are bound to respond to the computer as mouse buttons 4 and 5.

So you can probably bind them to game functions, if you feel daring.

But, in the end, I still need to congratulate Microsoft for trying to innovate computer hardware. This is more than just trying to graft touch functionality to a mouse surface, as both Apple and Microsoft have tried in the past, and tries to make the classical mouse experience better. I doubt it is for most of our audience, but not everything needs to be.

Dell UltraSharp U2713H 27" 2560 x 1440 IPS @ $850

Subject: General Tech | May 28, 2013 - 06:43 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: deals

Whether you are looking for a professional level display with 99% Adobe colour gamut or a large 1440p display (sorry not quite 4k) to game on, at $850 the Dell UltraSharp U2713H 27" IPS display is a great deal.  The USB 3.0 connectors are a nice touch but they do add to the size of the bezel for those with enough lucre to consider running more than one of these displays.

Dell UltraSharp U2713H 27" 2560 x 1440 IPS-panel LCD Monitor (Flagship 2013 Model)
Dell Home is offering 27-inch UltraSharp U2713H 27" 2560 x 1440 IPS-panel, LED-backlit LCD Monitor for $849.99 with FREE shipping. Use $150 instant savings to get final price.

MSI Z87-GD65 GAMING - The No. 1 and Only Best Choice Golden Awarded Motherboard

Subject: General Tech, Motherboards | May 28, 2013 - 02:58 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: Z87-GD65 GAMING, msi, z87

[May 28th, 2013/ City of Industry, California] In its 33rd year and as Asia’s largest B2B (Business to Business) computer exhibition, COMPUTEX TAIPEI 2013 is kicking off on June 4. Today, the winning list of Best Choice Award, the official award of COMPUTEX TAIPEI, is unveiled. MSI’s Z87-GD65 GAMING motherboard and Funtoro HD MOD (Media on Demand) vehicle infotainment system have proudly stood out from over 400 competitions. The only Golden Award winner in the IC & Components category, the Z87-GD65 GAMING motherboard literally sparkles in every way and proves MSI to be a true pioneer of mid-range/high-end motherboards.

The Best Choice Award has always focused on Functionality, Innovation and Market Potential as the main judging guideline. Bringing the Z87-GD65 GAMING to global gaming enthusiasts’ attention, the Best Choice Golden Award also highlights the industrial and official affirmation toward MSI’s technical innovation and design capabilities. Specifically designed for operators and passengers of long-distance coaches and high-end tour buses, the HD MOD System integrates infotainment and telematics in one pack and is clearly the top choice for multimedia entertainment on mass transportation.

Z87-GD65 GAMING, the No. 1 and Only Best Choice Golden Awarded Motherboard

The Z87-GD65 GAMING motherboard is the latest joint effort of MSI and FNATIC, the world-renowned gaming champion team. Consolidating the cutting-edge Intel 8 series chipset and Killer E2205 Game Networking, the Z87-GD65 GAMING effectively eliminates latency-induced errors and automatically prioritizes game traffic. Gamers will experience smooth gameplay even in heavily loaded networks. As for sound, the innovative Audio Boost technology significantly enhances sound clarity. To give gamers the edge in speed, the OC Genie 4 one-second overclocking technology boosts the system performance in no time.

Mageia 3, a new flavour of Linux to try

Subject: General Tech | May 28, 2013 - 01:13 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: linux, mageia

If you've been looking around for a different OS for a laptop or PC that doesn't spend all of its time gaming you have probably taken a look at some of the more famous Linux distros but one may have escaped your attention.  Mageia 3 has just arrived, the successor to the Mandriva project and as it offers both Gnome and KDE desktop versions you can chose the interface which you are most comfortable with.  As it comes as a Live DVD you can boot to  it on a current machine without having to go through the process of a full install and can leave your current OS intact.  Perhaps you have a family member or friend that spends their time browsing that you support and are looking for an alternative to Microsoft or are even just looking to avoid the cost of a new license on an inexpensive mobile device; if so drop by The Inquirer for the links to download Mageia 3.

"LINUX DISTRIBUTION Mageia launched its third and latest release Mageia 3 a few days ago, and that's now available to download directly from the Mageia website and many of the well known mirrors like kernel.org and many university supported mirrors via either Bittorrent, http or ftp."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Tech Talk

• The TR Podcast 134: Xbone, Kabini, and not quite a Titan
• Redefining the ampere with the help of graphene? @ Nanotechweb
• Investor Icahn needs a loan of $7bn to tick off Mike Dell @ The Register
• Fedora 19 Beta Released: Alive, Dead, or Neither? @ Slashdot
• ARM releases dual-core Cortex A15 hard macro for TSMC's 28nm HPM process node @ The Inquirer
• Whatever happened to Comodo Time Machine? @ Tweaktown
• MSI Gaming Notebook Event Interview With Steve Clark @ eTeknix
• Migrating to Apache 2.4 @ Hardware Secrets
• Xbox One and Playstation 4: Which Promises Will be Broken? @ hardCOREware
• Seiko SNE093P1 Solar Watch @ NikKTech
• A Stroll Down Memory Lane: Best 3dfx Glide Games @ Techspot

Console manufacturers don't want much, just the impossible.

Subject: Editorial, General Tech, Systems | May 27, 2013 - 03:08 AM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: xbox one, ps4, consolitis, consoles

So, as Wired editorial states it: hardcore console gamers don't want much, just the impossible. They want a "super-powered box" tethered to their TV; they want the blockbuster epics and innovative indie titles; they want it to "just work" for what they do. The author, Chris Kohler, wrote his column to demonstrate how this is, and has for quite some time been, highly unprofitable.

I think the bigger problem is that the console manufacturers want the impossible.

Console manufacturers have one goal: get their platform in your house and require their hand be in the pocket of everything you do with it. They need to make an attractive device for that to be true, so they give it enough power to legitimately impress the potential buyer and price it low enough to catch the purchasing impulse. Chances are this involves selling the box under cost at launch and for quite some time after.

But, if all of this juicy control locks the user into overspending in the long run, then it is worth it...

... right?

But Microsoft should be thankful that I cost them money to be acquired as a customer.

Well, looking at the Wired article, not only are console gamers ultimately overspending: it is still not enough! Consoles truly benefit no-one! The console manufacturers are not doing any more than maybe breaking even, at some point, eventually, down the line, they hope. Microsoft and Sony throw obnoxious amounts of money against one another in research, development, and marketing. Redundant technologies are formed to pit against their counterparts with billions spent in marketing to try to prove why either choice is better.

All of this money is spent to corral users into a more expensive experience where they can pocket the excess.

Going back to the editorial's claims: with all of this money bleeding out, Microsoft wants to appeal more broadly and compensate the loss with more cash flowing in. Sure, Microsoft has wanted a foothold in the living room for decades at this point, but the Xbox Division bounces between profitability and huge losses; thus, they want to be an entertainment hub if just for the cash alone.

But think back to the start, these troubles are not because it is impossible to satisfy hardcore gamers. These troubles are because Microsoft and Sony cannot generate revenue from their acquired control quicker than they can bleed capital away trying to acquire that control, or at least generate it more than just barely fast enough.

The other solution, which I have felt for quite some time is the real answer (hence why I am a PC gamer), has a large group of companies create an industry body who governs an open standard. Each company can make a substantial profit by focusing on a single chunk of the platform -- selling graphics processors, maintaining a marketplace, or what-have-you -- by leveraging the success of every other chunk.

This model does work, and it is the basis for one of humanity's most successful technology products: the internet.

As a side note: this is also why PC gaming was so successful... Microsoft, developers, Steam/GoG/other marketplaces, and hardware vendors were another version of this... albeit Microsoft had the ability to override them and go in whatever direction they wanted. They didn't, until Windows RT.

And the internet might even be the solution. The web browser is capable, today, of providing amazing gaming experiences and it does not even require a plugin. It is getting more powerful, even faster than the rate at which underlying hardware has evolved.

You could, in some browsers today, plug a USB flash drive into your computer; browse to some "index.html" file on it; and run an Unreal Engine 3 (and as Epic stated in a recent interview, soon Unreal Engine 4) game that is programmed in Javascript and is stored on that USB device. Never an internet connection required -- although if you wanted online features, web browsers are kind-of good at that, go figure.

To end on an ironic note, that makes a web browser more capable of offline play than our current understanding of the Xbox One (and Sony has said nothing either way, for that matter).

I guess the takeaway message is: love the web browser, it "just works".