Did you miss it? The 6th Generation Intel Skylake NUC specs are here

Chris Smith | Computer Systems | Jun 1, 2015 5:53 AM CDT

Set for release in Q3 (i3) and Q4 (i5), the 6th Generation Intel Core NUC isn't far away from hitting the market.

Featuring fanless technology when used in conjunction with rumored cases to be released by Akasa, HDPLEX, Streacom and cirrus7, this new technology will be paired with Dual-channel DDR4 memory of up to 32GB and features four total USB 3.0 ports.

There's Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Fedora and OpenSUSE operating system support and this NUC release is being claimed as a great solution for photographers and content creators alike.

Continue reading: Did you miss it? The 6th Generation Intel Skylake NUC specs are here (full post)

ASUS adds a new keyboard and mouse to its ROG selection

Anthony Garreffa | Peripherals | Jun 1, 2015 4:08 AM CDT

Computex 2015 - ASUS has added two more peripherals to its growing list of Republic of Gamers products with the new ROG Spatha and ROG Claymore.

ASUS adds a new keyboard and mouse to its ROG selection

The ASUS ROG Claymore is a new Cherry MX based keyboard with RGB switches which are individually customized backlit keys, offering 16.8 million colors. ASUS has provided N-key rollover, and a passthrough USB 3.1 port. There's also a detachable macro keyboard which allows for a fully custom setup.

Moving onto the ASUS ROG Spatha is an MMO mouse with 12 buttons and wired/wireless modes with a magnesium alloy chassis. We have an 8200DPI laser sensor with 30g acceleration and a 2000Hz polling rate. It features an exclusive customizable socket design which looks super slick, and customizable 16.8 million color light effects.

Continue reading: ASUS adds a new keyboard and mouse to its ROG selection (full post)

ASUS unveils the ZenFone Selfie, the phone for selfie addicts

Computex 2015 - At the ASUS Zensation event, the Taiwanese giant unveiled its latest foray into the smartphone world in the form of the Zenfone Selfie, which you guessed it - is aimed at selfie addicts.

The ASUS Zenfone Selfie packs a 5.5-inch 1080p display with 403PPI and a 178-degree IPS-based panel with 400 nits of brightness. Inside, we have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor, with a 13-megapixel camera on the front, and rear with dual LED real tone flash.

But what if your arm is too short, or you're trying to get a few friends in the shot? Never fear: Zenfone Selfie Swing will give you that extra bit of room to get everyone in the shot.

Continue reading: ASUS unveils the ZenFone Selfie, the phone for selfie addicts (full post)

'Jurassic World' director won't be back for fifth instalment

Ben Gourlay | Celebrities & Entertainment | Jun 1, 2015 2:24 AM CDT

The eagerly awaited 'Jurassic Park' sequel 'Jurassic World' is still a little over a week away from release, and with expectations for a massive opening week, talk is already turning to fifth entry in the series. But one man that won't be part of it is 'Jurassic World' director Colin Trevorrow.

Speaking to Bad Taste at the French world premiere, Trevorrow likened the film series to 'Star Wars' in that "Different directors can give a different taste to each movie. I would be involved in some way, but not as director."

'Jurassic World' hits hits in 3D, 2D and IMAX screens worldwide on June 12.

Continue reading: 'Jurassic World' director won't be back for fifth instalment (full post)

NVIDIA wants to apply G-Sync to laptops and more

Chris Smith | Laptops | Jun 1, 2015 1:29 AM CDT

Computex 2015 - Looking to improve our portable technology, NVIDIA has mentioned that it is interested in adding G-Sync to laptops.

As G-Sync sets out to increase frame rates and improve an overall gaming experience, laptops designed with gamers in mind are becoming more popular as technology makes advancements. There is no shortage of Intel i7-toting, NVIDIA 980m wielding 17" beasts on the market and it only makes sense that G-Sync should be added to the arsenal.

NVIDIA's director of technical marketing, Tom Peterson, claims that this technology will be flexible - further claiming that we could see it soon added to mobile phones and Virtual Reality applications.

Continue reading: NVIDIA wants to apply G-Sync to laptops and more (full post)

Researchers teaching robots to play a role in even more industries

Researchers are creating robotic technology that can help faster automate food processing, using technology that could have major long-term ramifications. Working with the FTNON food-processing equipment manufacturer, new technology could be used in chillers to help process lettuce, cabbage, and other vegetables prior to packaging.

"In industry, only humans can do that at the moment," confirmed van der Linde, co-founder and CEO of Lacquey, in a statement published by the MIT Technology Review.

One robot can successfully manipulate a chicken, able to slice shoulder tendons before breasts and wings are cut in a processing plant. The new automated system can match the same speed as humans, and developers want to see the speed increase. Also inside of a food processing facility, the Baxter robot from Rethink Robotics are tasked with putting chicken carcasses onto a holder before they are shipped elsewhere in the plant.

Continue reading: Researchers teaching robots to play a role in even more industries (full post)

Jay-Z still struggling to make Tidal into streaming music giant

Michael Hatamoto | Business, Financial & Legal | May 31, 2015 10:30 PM CDT

Rap industry icon Jay-Z has had many success stories throughout his career, but his multi-million-dollar decision to purchase Tidal still needs a lot of work.

"We're gathered... with one voice, in unity, in the hopes that today will be another one of those moments in time, a moment that will forever change the course of music history," artist Alicia Keys said during the Tidal press conference earlier in the year. While the record industry struggles in trying to generate revenue from streaming services, it looks like Tidal is struggling even more.

In a changing landscape that is dominated by Spotify and Pandora, it looks like music listeners don't have many reasons to bother giving Tidal a shot. Despite Jay-Z previously saying the service is "just fine," it remains to be seen how he will help win over music listeners.

Continue reading: Jay-Z still struggling to make Tidal into streaming music giant (full post)

Patriot includes 64GB, 128GB DD4 RAM to its Viper 4 series

Michael Hatamoto | RAM | May 31, 2015 10:05 PM CDT

RAM manufacturer Patriot has announced it is adding 64GB and 128GB DDR4 memory kits to its Viper 4 series, designed for the Intel X99 DDR4 platform and Haswell-E processor. The kits are expected to launch during Q3 2015.

The 64GB (4 x 16GB) and 128GB (8x16GB) kits are designed for use in gaming and other PCs where RAM will be under heavy load. Both kits start at 2400MHz 1.2V, and higher speeds will be launched in the future, Patriot says. The Patriot Viper 4 has been built to support a custom heat shield to promote cooler and more stable operations.

"The addition of the 64GB and 128GB DRAM to the Viper 4 line will help to propel our already well established catalog of gaming memory," said Les Henry, VP of Engineering at Patriot. "Patriot is committed to further developing its gaming line of memory in order to meet the ever growing demand of today's high-end PCs."

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GIGABYTE ramps up the server game with a new board

Chris Smith | Motherboards | May 31, 2015 9:59 PM CDT

Computex 2015 - The MT70-HD0 is certainly a server board to behold - featuring dual socket ARM support and coupled with an associated 2U rack mount, the H270-T70.

This new release is based on the Cavium ThunderX ARMv8 processor and are designed to utilize the full power of Cavium's 48 core ARMv8 2.5GHz ThunderX chip.

The half-width MT70-HD0 motherboard is designed for this 48 core beast, with GIGABYTE's recent press release showing off the sheer amount of processing power on offer by explaining that "each server node combines up to 96 cores with up to 1TB of high speed 2400MHz DDR4 memory, two 40Gb/s LAN ports directly controlled by the SoC processors.

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Ford wants to support wearables, mobile tech in its vehicles

Michael Hatamoto | Electric Vehicles & Cars | May 31, 2015 9:30 PM CDT

Ford CEO Mark Fields recently spoke regarding his desire to see the automaker support wearables, smartphones, and other connected tech in vehicles. Embracing technology helped the once-struggling automaker turn around a few years ago, and Ford wants to make sure it doesn't shy away from emerging technologies.

During a recent visit to Ford's new Palo Alto research center, Fields mentioned the "intersection between cars and wearables" that only seems to be accelerating:

" Yeah. Absolutely," Fields said during a recent interview with the San Jose Mercury News. "A lot of the research that we're doing down here is working with companies on wearables and sensors and things of that nature and what would that mean for cars. And is there is an experience on that that makes sense to integrate into our cars?"

Continue reading: Ford wants to support wearables, mobile tech in its vehicles (full post)