Dell UltraSharp U2713H 27" 2560 x 1440 IPS @ $765

Subject: General Tech | June 18, 2013 - 07:42 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 $765 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.

Top Deal

• 27-inch Dell UltraSharp U2713H 2560x1440 IPS-panel LCD Monitor (Flagship 2013 Model) for $764.99 with free shipping (normally $999.99 - use BOTH coupon codes $PX1BGTSZ3G635 and W7HWC5Q9S4V6VH ).

Additional Deals

• HP ENVY 700-030qe 4th-gen Intel Core i7 "Haswell" Desktop w/12GB RAM, 2TB Hard Drive, Radeon HD 7670, 2-year warranty, Photoshop Elements 11 Bundle, Beats Audio & Windows 8 for $849.99 with $9.99 shipping (normally $999.99 - use 15% coupon code DT6382 ).
• Dell XPS 14 Core i5 + 900p Gorilla Glass, Windows 7 Ultrabook for $849.99 with free shipping (normally $1,199.99).
• Sony HDR-AS15 HD Action Camcorder for $199.99 with free shipping (normally $269.99 - use coupon code SONYACAM ).
• 27-inch HP Pavilion 27xi 1080p IPS LED-backlit LCD Monitor for $271.99 with free shipping (normally $339.99 - use coupon code MT2617 ).
• Serta Ergonomic Leather Multifunction Managers Chair (Black) for $159.99 with free shipping (normally $209.99).

Second Opinion: Intel i7 4770K Desktop CPU (Haswell)

Subject: General Tech, Processors | June 17, 2013 - 08:11 PM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: haswell, Intel, Second Opinion

Ryan reviewed the Core i7 4770K earlier in the month and found it an impressive product. He was not able to properly test the CPU paired with a discrete GPU because of time restraints; we value results measured from direct monitor output, which takes longer than FRAPS and other software results. Still, Ryan believes that the boost in raw CPU performance justifies its existence in desktops without a funky "-E" tagged along for good luck.

For a second opinion, you could check NitroWare to see what a cynical Aussie thinks of Intel's latest offering. Of note, they compare software-measured frame rates between the on-chip GPU and those measured from a GTX 460 on Sandy Bridge, Ivy Bridge, and Haswell. He is nothing if not thorough, collecting his findings over 20 pages.

Ultimately he finds that if you are running Ivy Bridge, you will not benefit too much from the upgrade; Sandy Bridge users and earlier, on the other hand, might want to consider this platform... unless they are wanting to jump into the enthusiast-slot offerings coming up late this year and Haswell-E late the following year.

Also be sure to check back when we have our frametime measurements complete!

Clover Trail+ versus ARM, the results may surprise you

Subject: General Tech | June 17, 2013 - 02:37 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: arm, clover trail, tegra 3

ARM might be in for more of a fight than we had thought if they want to keep their market share for the next generation of cellphones, assuming of course that they are sold in North America.  The Register posted about research recently done contrasting performance and power efficiency between several phone CPUs; the Lenovo K900 with a 2.0GHz Atom Z2580, a a Samsung Nexus 10 with a dual core 1.7GHz Cortex-A15, a Galaxy S4 phone running a "big.LITTLE" Exynos Octa with paired quad-core Cortex-A15 and Cortex A7 and even a Asus Nexus 7 with an Nvidia Tegra 3.  Those phones give a good representation of current generation technology and it seems that while the performance for the top phones was very similar, Intel's new ATOM did it with 2/3 the amperage, specifically an average of 0.85A  as opposed to the 1.38A of the second lowest competitor.  ATOM seems to have finally found a market segment it can do very well in as long as the price is right.

"The industry analysts at ABI Research pitted a Lenovo smartphone based on Intel's Atom-based Clover Trail+ platform against a quartet of ARM-based systems, and Chipzilla's system not only kept pace with the best of them, but did so using less power."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Tech Talk

• Optimized Binaries Provide Great Benefits For Intel Haswell @ Phoronix
• Samsung releases PCI-Express SSD for ultrabooks @ The Inquirer
• Intel 2014 Haswell-E to pack 8 cores, DDR4, X99 PCH and more @ VR-Zone
• Microsoft unleashes wave of Azure mobile updates @ The Register
• Critical Java SE update due Tuesday fixes 40 flaws @ The Register
• Blackberry 10.2 will support Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean apps @ The Inquirer
• Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie to come in late October, also optimized for older phones @ VR-Zone
• Letting Bluetooth take the wires out of your headphones @ Hack a Day
• Adding WiFi to a kid’s tablet @ Hack a Day
• Intel bakes smaller, slower flash memory. Aah, now that's progress @ The Register
• TRENDnet AC1200 Dual Band Wireless USB Adapter (TEW-805UB) Review @ Madshrimps
• Computex 2013 Madshrimps Style @ Madshrimps
• AMD Today & Beyond Event @ SilverSpoon, Publika @ TechARP
• ModSynergy 10-Year Celebration Contest - USA and International Edition

50" Sharp Aquos LC-50LE442U 1080p LED HDTV @ $548

Subject: General Tech | June 17, 2013 - 01:28 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: deals

The prices of large format 1080p TVs have dropped sharply from their initial release, however with an additional $200 off the 50" Sharp Aquos is an exceptional deal.  For those with a room large enough this deal from LogicBuy and Dell is a great excuse to finally get that big TV you have dreamed about.  Those wanting 3D support or a higher resolution are going to have to wait, or spend a wee bit more money for their TV.

Top Deal

• 50" Sharp Aquos LC-50LE442U 1080p LED HDTV + $200 Gift Card for $548 with free shipping (normally $748).

Additional Deals

• 14" HP ENVY 4t-1200 Core i3 Ultrabook for $401.24 with $9.99 shipping (normally $474.99 - use coupon code SVD8492 ).
• Dell Vostro 270s 3rd-gen Core i5 Quad-Core Slim Desktop w/1TB Hard Drive, Win 7 Professional for $499 with free shipping (normally $599 - use coupon code).
• 27" HP ENVY 27 IPS-panel LED-backlit LCD Monitor w/ Beats Audio for $375.99 with free shipping (normally $469.99 - use 20% coupon code MT2617 ).
• Dell Precision M4700 Mobile Workstation starting $1,019 with free shipping.
• Realspace Dorra Leather Task Chair for $59.99 with free shipping (normally $99.99).

E3 2013: Microsoft can ban your Xbox One library

Subject: Editorial, General Tech, Systems, Shows and Expos | June 17, 2013 - 03:16 AM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: xbox one, microsoft, ea, E3 13, E3

Update: Microsoft denies the statements from their support account... but this is still one of the major problems with DRM and closed platforms in general. It is stuff like this that you let them do.

Electronic Arts knows that they need to shake their terrible public image.

Welcome to Microsoft's PR strategy for the Xbox One.

Consumers, whether they acknowledge it or not, fear for the control that platform holders have over their content. It was hard for many to believe that having your EA account banned for whatever reason, even a dispute with a forum moderator, forfeited your license to games you play through that EA account. Sounds like another great idea for Microsoft to steal.

@dohertymark If your account is banned, you also forfeit the licenses to any games that have licenses tied to it as listed in the ToU. ^AC

— Xbox Support (@XboxSupport1) June 14, 2013

Not stopping there, later on in the thread they were asked what would happen in the event of a security breach. You know, recourse before destroying access to possibly thousands of dollars of content.

@KillerRamen Ensure your account security features are enabled, and security proofs details are correct. ^ML

— Xbox Support (@XboxSupport1) June 15, 2013

While not a "verified account", @xboxsupport is.

They acknowledge ownership of this account in the background image there.

Honestly, there shouldn't have been any doubt that these actually are Microsoft employees.

... Yikes.

At this point, we have definitely surpassed absurdity. Sure, you typically need to do something fairly bad to have Microsoft stop charging your for Xbox Live. Removing access to your entire library of games, to me, is an attempt to limit cheating and the hardware community.

Great, encourage spite from the soldering irons, that works out well.

Don't worry, enthusiasts, you know the PC loves you.

Gaming as a form of entertainment is fundamentally different than gaming as a form of art. When content is entertainment, its message touches you without any intrinsic value and can be replaced with similar content. Sometimes a certain piece of content, itself, has specific value to society. It is these times where we should encourage efforts by organizations such as GoG, Mozilla and W3C, Khronos, and many others. Without help, it could be extremely difficult or impossible for content to be preserved for future generations and future civilizations.

It does not even need to get in the way of the industry and its attempt to profit from the gaming medium; a careless industry, on the other hand, can certainly get in the way of our ability to have genuine art. After all, this is the main reason why I am a PC gamer: the platform allows entertainment to co-exist with communities who support themselves when the official channels do not.

Of course, unless Windows learns a little something from the Xbox. I guess do not get your Windows Store account banned in the future?

Intel is not slowing down, exclamation exclamation. Haswell-E for Holiday 2014 question mark.

Subject: Editorial, General Tech, Processors | June 15, 2013 - 07:02 PM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: Intel, Ivy Bridge-E, Haswell-E

In my analysis of the recent Intel Computex keynote, I noted that the displayed confidence came across more as repressing self-doubt. It did not seem, to me, like Intel wants to abandon the high-end enthusiast but rather catch up with their low performance and high efficiency competitors; they just know they are secure in that market. Of course, we could see mid-range choices dwindle and prices stagnate, but I cast doubt that Intel wants to exit the enthusiast market despite their silence about Ivy Bridge-E.

All Images, Credit: VR-Zone

And Intel, now, wants to return some confidence to their high-end consumers comma they are not slowing down exclamation point exclamation point.

VR-Zone, the site which published Ivy Bridge-E's lazy release roadmap, are also the ones to suggest Haswell-E will come before mainstream Broadwell offerings. Once again, all is right with the world. Slated for release around holiday 2014, just a year after Ivy Bridge-E, Haswell-E will come alongside the X99 chipset. Instead of Broadwell, the back to school window of 2014 will by filled by a refresh of 22nm Haswell products with a new 9-series chipset.

Seriously, it's like watching the face of Intel's Tick-Tock while a repairman is tweaking the gears.

In terms of specifications, Haswell-E will come in 8 and 6-core offerings with up to 20MB of cache. Apart from the inclusion of DDR4 support, the main advantage of Haswell-E over the upcoming Ivy Bridge-E is supposed to be raw performance; VR-Zone estimates up to 33-50% better computational strength. A depressingly novel area of improvement as of recent...

Lastly, with recent discussion of the awkwardly hobbled K-series parts, our readers might be happy to know that all Haswell-E parts will be unlocked to overclocking. This, again, leads me to believe that Intel is not hoping to suffocate the enthusiast market but rather sort their users: mid-range consumers will take what they are given and, if they object, send them on the bus to Funk-E town.

Note, while the headlining slide definitively says "All Processors Unlocked"...

... this slide says "For K and Extreme series products." I will assume the latter is out of date?

Which begs the question: what does our readers think about that potential strategy? It could lead to mainstream performance products being pushed down into BGA-territory, but cements the existence of an enthusiast platform.

Share your personal audio device with UE Boom from Logitech

Subject: General Tech | June 14, 2013 - 07:24 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: audio, speakers, logitech, UE Boom

Ignoring the unfortunate PR image accompanying the product, a wireless speaker which can connect to your MP3 player allows a group of people to listen to music in a much more social way than earbuds.  Standing 7.25" tall with a 3" diameter the speaker is big enough that you won't lose it but small enough to be easily portable.  According to the review from TechGage it is also large enough to provide quality sound, even at high volume.  The next time you are out and want to share your music you won't need to blast your car stereo as it seems this device will handle the duty commendably; pity it will sell for $200.

"The UE Boom from Logitech boasts an impressively hip advertising campaign and a promise to make music more "social" again. But past all of the buzzwords and pretty packaging, is this cylindrical speaker worth all of the hype? We take a close look... and can't help but be blown away."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Audio Corner

• alienvibes EP02 Elite HD Noise Cancelling Headphones @ NikKTech
• QPAD QH-90 Gaming Headset @ techPowerUp
• RHA MA450i Earphones @ Kitguru
• Tt eSPORTS SHOCK Dynamite Orange Gaming Headset @ NikKTech
• AIAIAI TMA-1 DJ Headphones With Mic Fools Gold @ NikKTech
• QPAD QH-90 Headset @ XSReviews
• Jabra SPEAK 510 Bluetooth And USB Speakerphone @ NikKTech
• Cooler Master Sonuz Headset @ Modders-Inc
• Logitech G430 7.1 Surround Sound Gaming Headset Review @ Techgage
• Tt eSPORTS Shock Gaming Headset @ Kitguru
• Genius SP-U115 Colorful USB Powered Stereo Speakers Review @ ModSynergy

A brief outline of what to expect from Apple in the near future

Subject: General Tech | June 14, 2013 - 03:55 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: apple, wwdc

If you still want more news about Apple then The Tech Report is your place to be as they've just assembled an overview of the announcements which were made at WWDC.  From OS X 10.9, also know as Mavericks to the new 2D iOS7 they have a bit of coverage on everything.   While Airport Extreme Base Stations might not be overly interesting to the PC crowd, the new Mac Pro and Macbook Air models might be as you can easily re-purpose them into very expensive Windows machines.  They've even joined the Cloud crowd, though if you really want to learn about that you should have been there.

"If there's one thing I learned from Monday's (June 10, 2013) keynote at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, it's that demonstrations of technology are soooo much better than talking about technology. I know this because one of the main presenters, VP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi, told me so at least 39 times during his unveiling of OS X 10.9 Sea Lion. I can't argue with the man or his hair. Well played."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Tech Talk

• Tulsa’s Community Collaboration Model for Supercomputing @ Linux.com
• The IT Crowd special wants you @ The Inquirer
• Blackberry Q5 goes on sale at Orange and T-Mobile @ The Inquirer
• N-trig DuoSense Pen2: Who Needs a Stylus? @ AnandTech
• Pegatron to start shipments of inexpensive iPhone, next-generation iPad mini in August, say Taiwan makers @ DigiTimes
• Big browser builders scramble to fix cross-platform zero-day flaw @ The Register
• PCMark 8 Review @ OCC
• MySpace zaps millions of teens' tearful rants, causes wave of angst @ The Register
• NETGEAR XS708E ProSafe Plus 10GbE Switch @ Benchmark Reviews
• Comparison: GoPro Hero 3 vs Sony Actioncam vs Isaw A2 ACE @ Hardware.info
• Wet spill vacuum cleaner attachment @ Hack a Day
• Violin Memory shuffles out 'half-price' PCIe flash cards to eager tech channel @ The Register