Overview
It's no secret that streaming video games on the internet is immensely popular now due to the rise of services dedicated to game streaming like Twitch and Mixer. A combination of commodity capture cards and software capture solutions have made it easier than ever to start streaming.
As internet speeds increase (at least in some parts of the world) combined with newly available capture hardware, it's only a matter of time before we start to see more of a push towards 4K streaming in the coming years.
However, until now, one of the biggest emerging trends in both console and PC gaming, HDR, has been ignored by capture gear.
Today, we're taking a look at two 4K HDR products from Avermedia, the Live Gamer 4K, and Live Gamers Ultra.
Click here to continue reading our review of the Avermedia Live Gamer 4K and Live Gamer Ultra!
Podcast #520 - Threadripper Processors, BPX Pro SSDs, and more!
Subject: General Tech | November 1, 2018 - 02:46 PM | Ken Addison
Tagged: Threadripper, ssd, podcast, MyDigitalSSD, BPX Pro, 2970wx, 2920x
PC Perspective Podcast #520 - 11/01/18
Join us this week for discussion on the new Threadripper Processors, BPX Pro SSDs, 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 (audio only)
- Google Play - Subscribe to our audio podcast directly through Google Play!
- RSS - Subscribe through your regular RSS reader (audio only)
- MP3 - Direct download link to the MP3 file
Hosts: Jim Tanous, Jeremy Hellstrom, Josh Walrath, Allyn Malventano, and Ken Addison
Peanut Gallery: Alex Lustenberg
Program length: 1:26:22
Podcast topics of discussion:
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Week in Review:
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News items of interest:
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1:08:45 Vega claims the new MacBook Pro
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Picks of the Week:
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Jeremy: Total Chaos - A spooky DOOM 2 mod for Halloween
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Josh: New Center Speaker!
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Jim: Spacedock
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Open the pod bay doors Google ...
Subject: General Tech | November 1, 2018 - 01:56 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: google, security, iot, Home Hub
There is an undocumented web API in Google's Home Hub which is causing a bit of concern over at The Register and elsewhere. This mysterious connection is available to anything on the same WiFi network as the Home Hub and it does not check for any authentication or tokens which means anyone connected to your WiFi can successfully connect and start to play with your settings. Currently there is code which is capable of rebooting the device or to completely delete the current configured network, requiring you to rebuild it from scratch. That could be very annoying if the delete command is coming from malware already inside the house, as it were.
Hopefully there will be some basic authentication added ASAP, as that is a very blatant oversight.
"A spokesperson for Google confirmed that any device, computer, or smartphone on the Wi-Fi network of a Home Hub can command the assistant as described above – that includes mischievous malware on a PC, for example."
Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
- Apple's iOS 12.1 lockscreen can be bypassed using FaceTime group call exploit @ The Inquirer
- iOS 12.1 Extends Controversial Processor Throttling Feature To the iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and X @ Slashdot
- Apple Kernel Code Vulnerability Affected All Devices @ Hack a Day
- TSMC opens 12-inch fab in Nanjing @ DigiTimes
- Spectrum-starved Wi-Fi vendors look at DSRC band, sharpen knives @ The Register
The West Virginian Wasteland is getting a bit crowded
Subject: General Tech | October 31, 2018 - 04:53 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: gaming, fallout 76
Those with poor impulse control who still pre-order games will now be getting access to Fallout 76's beta, assuming the entire 47GB pre-loaded download did not self destruct on them. Rock, Paper, SHOTGUN gave it a twirl, though with only a few people able to access the game it doesn't really represent what the final launch will look like. Even so, expect to find yourself in a small crowd of people all performing the same initial tasks to solve the initial tasks, some with rather interesting handles. On the plus side, the game itself looks quite pretty from the screenshots.
"That sea of autumnal trees and distant storm clouds are lovely. Having winced at the wonky footage of the Xbox One beta last week I’m genuinely surprised at how pretty West Virginia is. Well, the bits of it that aren’t CocktimusPrime."
Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
- Video: 8 cowboy games to play on PC while everyone else plays Red Dead Redemption 2 @ Rock, Paper, SHOTGUN
- Red Dead Redemption II review: Getting muddy in the wide-open frontier @ Ars Technica
- Steam Play Linux compatibility list grows a hundredfold @ HEXUS
- Humble WB Games Bundle
- Halloween 2018 Special: Some lovely games! @ Rock, Paper, SHOTGUN
Vega claims the new MacBook Pro
Subject: General Tech | October 31, 2018 - 04:33 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: apple, amd, Vega
Among the various Apple announcements this week was a win for AMD, as Apple has renewed their agreement and will be using Radeon Pro Vega GPUs in it's soon to be released MacBook Pros. We aren't expecting any more big surprises from the release, such as the iPad Pro now sporting USB C, the updated GPU may be the largest change this generation but it will be appreciated by some content creators. You can read more about the various announcements over at The Inquirer.
"AMD GPUs are nothing new in Mac machines, given the MacBook Pros have previously rocked the Radeon Pro 560X, but Cupertino is now bringing AMD's Vega-based GPUs to its expensive laptops."
Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
- Helium implicated in weird iPhone malfunctions @ Ars Technica
- 50 ways to leave your lover, but four to sniff browser history @ The Register
- It's been a week since engineers approved a new DNS encryption standard and everyone is still yelling @ The Register
- OCC Reveals Its Best AMD Motherboard Picks 2018OCC Reveals Its Best AMD Motherboard Picks 2018
- Guru3D Rig of the Month - October 2018
Is Intel thinking of hooking up with TSMC again?
Subject: General Tech | October 30, 2018 - 03:05 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: TSMC, Intel
It has been a while since Intel last used TSMC to fab some of their chips apart from some FPGA lines but rumours that DigiTimes have heard suggest that could change. The current theory is that Intel may move Atom production, and possibly chipset fabrication as well, to an outside provider. TSMC would be the only fab capable of switch production in a meaningful amount of time, leading to speculation their might be a deal in the works. If TSMC is agreeable then theoretically Intel could use the freed production capability to increase production of Xeon and Core chips, which they currently desire as they are unable to meet demand.
That's not the only rumour floating around today as we have seen hints of AMD's new RX 590 as well as reported issues from those who secured an RTX 2080 Ti. More on those as they develop.
"As its processor supply continues to fall short of demand, Intel reportedly has begun planning to outsource production for its entry-level Atom processors and some of its chipsets while keeping its high-margin Xeon and Core CPU production in-house, according to sources from the upstream supply chain."
Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
- AMD's Radeon RX 590 set to make official debut on 15 November @ The Inquirer
- Nvidia's GeForce RTX 2080 Ti cards are reportedly failing in high numbers @ The Inquirer
- Pain in the brain! Kaspersky warns of hackable brain implants @ The Register
- Another Windows 10 bug lets UWP apps have access to all your files @ The Inquirer
- Microsoft teaches a 10-year-old Red Dog new tricks and the Windows 10 1809 delay hits Exchange 2019 @ The Register
- 5 Days of Awesome Wallpapers: Geometric Wallpapers @ Techspot
10nm is great, but so is $19.2 billion
Subject: General Tech | October 26, 2018 - 03:41 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: quarterly earnings, Intel
Intel's earnings do not seem to have been hurt by their lack of 10nm processors nor the departure of Brian Krzanich, their revenue is up 19% from this time last year and represents the best quarter they have ever had. Of that $19.2 billion in income, net income was $6.4 billion; no wonder they could afford to take Ryan away!
The two stand out business units were the Intel Data Center Group and the relatively new IoT division, signifying their plan to prioritize data center products is fairly effective at producing profit. The Register has more detailed breakdowns on the numbers here.
"On a conference call for investors, Swan said, "This quarter was the best in our 50-year history," adding: "We expect 2018 to be the best year ever, and our third record year in a row."
Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
- Shingled-minded Western Digital insists its latest hard drive sets disk capacity record @ The Register
- Asustek may be world's only maker to ship over 10 million motherboards in 2019 @ DigiTimes
- Easy-to-exploit privilege escalation bug bites OpenBSD and other big name OSes @ Ars Technica
- China Telecom Hijacks US, Canadian Internet Traffic On a Regular Basis, Report Says @ Slashdot
Samsung is the next to say they are launching a bendy phone
Subject: General Tech | October 25, 2018 - 12:28 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: Samsung, foldable
You still shouldn't hold your breath, as we have seen announcements like this before, but it is possible Samsung will be showing off a foldable phone next month. Even more ambitious is their announcement that they will also be developing a foldable laptop screen. We have seen numerous other companies work on this before, but so far none have released a working model. If they can pull it off there are numerous applications which could benefit from this technology; with current hybrid tablet/laptops becoming truly foldable and eReaders offering a much more paper-like feel. The Inquirer has links to the rumours here.
"While the South Korean tech giant is supposedly set to unveil a smartphone with a foldable display next month, the company is apparently going to push that tech to laptops, reported The Verge."
Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
- Grumbling about wobbly Windows 10? Microsoft can't hear you over the clanging cash register @ The Register
- British Airways admits mega-breach hit additional 185,000 customers @ The Inquirer
- Cathay Pacific Data Breach Hits 9.4 Million People @ Slashdot
- Finally, someone takes a stand against Apple, Samsung for slowing people's phones. Just a few million dollars, tho @ The Register
- IPC makers suffering from processor supply shortfall @ DigiTimes
- With 5G, You Won't Just Be Watching Video. It'll Be Watching You, Too @ Slashdot
Podcast #519 - Core i9-9900K, Changes at PCPER, and more
Subject: General Tech | October 25, 2018 - 11:32 AM | Ken Addison
Tagged: turtle beach, seasonic, Samsung, podcast, Intel, Core i9-9900K, amd, 7nm
PC Perspective Podcast #519 - 10/25/18
Join us this week for discussion on the Core i9-9900K, Changes at PCPER, 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 (audio only)
- Google Play - Subscribe to our audio podcast directly through Google Play!
- RSS - Subscribe through your regular RSS reader (audio only)
- MP3 - Direct download link to the MP3 file
Hosts: Jim Tanous, Allyn Malventano, Jeremy Hellstrom, Josh Walrath, and Ken Addison
Peanut Gallery: Alex Lustenberg, Ryan Shrout
Program length: 1:48:01
Podcast topics of discussion:
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Merch! http://joshtekk.com/
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Week in Review:
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0:07:25 Beginning of a new journey
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News items of interest:
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Picks of the Week:
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1:35:35 Jeremy: It’s about damn time, and of course it is Motorola
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1:37:30 Josh: Bigger is better… so is 144/FreeSync
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1:40:05 Ken: T-Force Delta RGB SSD 500 GB
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1:42:20 Allyn: Something to watch - M.2 Optane 905P coming soon
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Closing/outro
Unite LA 2018: Unity Presents MegaCity Demo
Subject: General Tech | October 24, 2018 - 08:04 PM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: Unity, pc gaming
Near the end of their keynote at the Unite LA conference, Unity showed off “MegaCity”. This scene, created by their internal Demo team, contains about 4.5 million rendered objects and plays at 60 FPS. About 5,000 moving vehicles are present in the environment as well. They also added 100,000 audio sources, because why not. Spoiler: They then pulled out a (high-end) phone and launched it there too.
This demo was designed to show off two things: Prefab Workflows and ECS.
The Prefab Workflows portion showed attendees, who are developers of Unity-based apps and games, how to cleanly maintain large scenes. The prefab editor allows components to be manipulated in isolation. Nesting allows that “isolation” to be tiered into a hierarchy. Variants allows the artist to override parts of prefabs to tweak without starting from scratch. The punchline is that the entire scene was made in about two months with just two artists.
The ECS side, on the other hand, showed that Unity’s new framework will soon make it a serious performance contender. The programming paradigm diverts from object-oriented principles, instead operating on combinations of lists of thin slices of data that, altogether, represent your system. This is good for CPUs because it allows linear memory access and massive parallelism, including vectorization, which keeps your processor at peak efficiency.
Note that, in terms of draw calls, the system does a lot of instancing to submit them to the GPU together, so this post isn't "Unity does millions of draw calls!" because that's not true. It's distinct objects in the scene that are indexed and sent to the driver in groups. That said, it's still a strong point that ECS is fast enough to effectively batch, LOD, and cull millions of objects into something the driver can handle; the GPU driver just got a lot of attention with Mantle, Vulkan, and DirectX 12. (And yes that's important too!)
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