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Bethesda optimizing games for AMD's Ryzen and Vega tech

Anthony Garreffa | Gaming | Feb 28, 2017 9:43 PM CST

During AMD's Capsaicin & Cream event today, the company had lots to talk about - teasing Radeon RX Vega, but they also announced a huge partnership with gaming giant Bethesda.

AMD's new long-term strategic partnership with Bethesda is an interesting one, as Bethesda will better optimize their games for AMD's new Ryzen CPUs and upcoming Radeon RX Vega graphics cards. This means we'll get better PC ports of Bethesda's upcoming games, and since they're the publisher of games like DOOM, Fallout, and the Elder Scrolls series - it means that AMD are now positioned incredibly well heading into the future.

The companies will be pushing to develop and accelerate the adoption of APIs like Vulkan, which means we'll see the full power unleashed from Ryzen and Vega in upcoming Bethesda-made games.

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AMD announces Radeon RX Vega, next-gen GPU coming soon

Anthony Garreffa | Graphics Cards | Feb 28, 2017 3:43 PM CST

AMD has finally announced the name of its next generation graphics card family: Radeon RX Vega. AMD announced the news during their Capsaicin and Cream event at GDC 2017.

Radeon RX Vega will have some incredible technology powering it, with AMD's next-gen Vega GPU architecture, as well as what I'm most excited for: High Bandwidth Cache. HBC will be providing some huge performance improvements versus "traditional VRAM mode" - something RTG boss Raja Koduri showed off on stage with Deus Ex: Mankind Divided.

Koduri also talked about the Packed Math compute performance of Vega, saying that "doing FP16 and FP32 units" are "like having twice as many shader units" for specific tasks.

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Continue reading: AMD announces Radeon RX Vega, next-gen GPU coming soon (full post)

YouTube announces streaming TV service, $35 per month

Anthony Garreffa | Software & Apps | Feb 28, 2017 3:29 PM CST

So YouTube has just made a major announcement, with a new streaming TV service called YouTube TV with a monthly cost of $35 - offering broadcast TV channels, some cable channels, and of course the near unlimited library of videos on YouTube.

YouTube is aiming at AT&T's DirecTV Now service, and Hulu and Sling - but there will be iOS and Android apps, as well as support for set-top products like Chromecast. Google won't be providing a massive lineup of channels, but YouTube TV will be offering up Fox, ABC, CBS, and NBC, as well as a bunch of cable channels like ESPN, Fox News, and Bravo.

YouTube TV will have an unlimited cloud-based DVR, a spiffy Google-powered recommendation system, and more. The question is: will you pay $35 for YouTube TV?

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Continue reading: YouTube announces streaming TV service, $35 per month (full post)

Sony pulling underhanded tricks to sell $70 games

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Feb 28, 2017 12:40 AM CST

UPDATE: Sony has fixed this issue and the $59.99 version of Horizon: Zero Dawn can now be added to your cart on the PlayStation Store. Glad it was fixed so soon!

Sony pulling underhanded tricks to sell $70 games

Original story is as follows.

Sony is apparently playing some dirty tricks to get users to buy the $70 deluxe version of Horizon: Zero Dawn.

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Shadow of Mordor sequel optimized for Project Scorpio

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Feb 27, 2017 8:30 PM CST

Shortly following the leak, Warner Bros. Games today announced Shadow of War, the sequel to Shadow of Mordor, will be optimized for Microsoft's "monster" 4K-ready Project Scorpio console when the system releases this holiday.

Shadow of Mordor sequel optimized for Project Scorpio

Microsoft has made a deal with Warner Bros. Interactive to make Shadow of War a cross-buy Play Anywhere title on Windows 10 PCs and Xbox consoles, but the agreement apparently doesn't end there: the game will almost certainly leverage the full brunt of Project Scorpios 6TFLOPs of raw GPU compute power to enable native 4K gaming.

As written on the Xbox Wire mainsite, Shadow of War "will also be available for Project Scorpio following the console's launch this holiday season." Since Project Scorpio is backwards compatible will all existing Xbox One games, why would Microsoft explicitly call this one out? This tells me one thing: Shadow of War will be specifically enhanced to tap Project Scorpio's full high-end 4K console hardware.

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Continue reading: Shadow of Mordor sequel optimized for Project Scorpio (full post)

Nintendo Switch will have handheld-only mobile games

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Feb 27, 2017 6:27 PM CST

Although the Switch is billed as a "home console first and foremost," the system will have ports of smartphone mobile games that can only be played on-the-go.

Nintendo Switch will have handheld-only mobile games

The Nintendo Switch's namesake is derived from its ability to seamlessly switch between dual form factors; two JoyCon controllers attach to the sides of the table to transform it into a handheld in Mobile Mode, and then the tablet can be docked and transformed into a console in TV Mode. It was originally believed that any Switch game would have to support both modes, however that was wrong: the Switch will have games exclusive to Mobile Mode.

The first mobile-only Switch game is VOEZ, a rhythm-based iOS and Android game that uses touchscreen controls. The Switch port of VOEZ will be the same and utilize the console's 10-point capacitive touchscreen.

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Continue reading: Nintendo Switch will have handheld-only mobile games (full post)

Samsung introduces Gear VR with Controller

Lana Jelic | Extended Reality (XR) | Feb 27, 2017 5:34 PM CST

MWC 2017 - Samsung has announced the next generation of their VR headset powered by Oculus.

The new Gear VR comes with a Controller (yes, capital "C"), similar to the one that is used in Google's Daydream. The company stated that the Gear VR with Controller expands Samsung's virtual reality ecosystem and makes it easier for consumers to enjoy Gear VR experiences.

The Controller has a touchpad and a number of buttons (trigger, home key, back key, volume key) allowing the user to "point, drag and drop, tilt, shoot, among other actions, while the Trigger allows for enhanced gaming experiences."

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Continue reading: Samsung introduces Gear VR with Controller (full post)

Nintendo Switch battery lasts 5 hours at max brightness

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Feb 27, 2017 5:25 PM CST

Battery life of Nintendo's new Switch handheld-console hybrid is always a concern, but a recent test shows that the Switch can last more than 5 hours at full brightness before it dies--provided you stay only on the homescreen and don't play any games.

Nintendo Switch battery lasts 5 hours at max brightness

The Nintendo Switch has a decently sized 4310mAh internal battery that Nintendo says can provide up to 6 hours of life on a single charge. We've seen that the Switch can last over 3 hours while playing Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but what about when you're not gaming? YouTuber FamilyGamerTV conducted a recent test to find out.

The test saw 20 mobile devices all with varying battery life, power efficiency and process architectures face off to see which lasted the longest. All of the devices were connected to Wi-Fi and turned up to maximum brightness.

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Continue reading: Nintendo Switch battery lasts 5 hours at max brightness (full post)

Take a walk with 'Billy Lynn' and win a 3D Blu-ray on us

Ben Gourlay | Contests & Giveaways | Feb 27, 2017 4:10 PM CST

To celebrate this week's release of 'Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk' on 4K Blu-ray, 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD, we have 10 Blu-rays to give away thanks to our friends at Universal Sony Home Entertainment.

Two-time Academy Award winner Ang Lee brings his extraordinary vision to Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, based on the widely-acclaimed, bestselling novel. The film is told from the point of view of 19-year-old private Billy Lynn (newcomer Joe Alwyn) who, along with his fellow soldiers in Bravo Squad, becomes a hero after a harrowing Iraq battle and is brought home temporarily for a victory tour. Through flashbacks, culminating at the spectacular halftime show of the Thanksgiving Day football game, the film reveals what really happened to the squad - contrasting the realities of the war with America's perceptions. The film also stars Kristen Stewart, Chris Tucker, Garrett Hedlund, with Vin Diesel, and Steve Martin. Lee used new technology, shooting at an ultra-high frame rate for the first time in film history, to create an immersive digital experience helping him dramatize war in a way never seen before. Lee directed and produced the film, from a screenplay by Jean-Christophe Castelli and based on the novel by Ben Fountain.

To go into the running to win a prize, simply correctly answer the following question:

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Continue reading: Take a walk with 'Billy Lynn' and win a 3D Blu-ray on us (full post)

Sandisk expands superfast MicroSD lineup

Lana Jelic | Storage | Feb 27, 2017 4:00 PM CST

MWC 2017 - Sandisk's MicroSD card lineup has expanded to include more of their top-tier A1 microSD cards.

These cards are designed to have better IOPS of 1,500 read and 500 write and are designed to accelerate application usage when apps are installed to SD card.

One way that Sandisk is expanding this line is by introducing a new capacity to the A1 line of microSD cards with a 256 GB model. This is one of the biggest microSD cards available today and allows for very large file transfer speeds of up to 100 MB/s. This includes storing large 4K videos or 4K movies as well as large VR apps that can take up hundreds of megabytes per application and gigabytes per 360 video.

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Continue reading: Sandisk expands superfast MicroSD lineup (full post)

LG partners with Valve to make next-gen VR headset

Derek Strickland | Extended Reality (XR) | Feb 27, 2017 3:48 PM CST

Valve's Doug Lombardi today announced that LG has partnered with the Vive-maker to craft a next-gen virtual reality headset.

LG partners with Valve to make next-gen VR headset

LG is aiming to make quite a splash with its first-ever VR HMD. The VR HMD is "designed to deliver high fidelity, next generation VR experience," and a prototype will be showcased and demoed at GDC 2017. LG has partnered with Valve and the new headset will leverage the company's established Steam VR platform.

Technically this isn't the first VR device LG has made: the company rolled out the LG VR 360, a mobile-powered entry-level virtual reality headset, but this new prototype will be a dedicated head-mounted display versus a slot-in style device.

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Continue reading: LG partners with Valve to make next-gen VR headset (full post)

Official 'Alien Covenant' prequel short released online

Ben Gourlay | Celebrities & Entertainment | Feb 27, 2017 3:26 PM CST

Fans excited for the first new entry in the 'Alien' series since 2012's 'Prometheus' can go and get their fill a little early, in the newly released prequel video which helps fill the gaps before 'Alien Covenant'.

'Alien: Covenant' is set to strengthen the connective tissue between the 'Prometheus' and 'Alien' movies - with the classic Xenomorph alien set to scare a new generation of film goers, and featuring the return of the malevolent android David (Michael Fassbender).

'Alien: Covenant' will hit 3D and 2D cinemas on May 19 2017.

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'Moonlight' wins Best Picture Oscar in huge screw up

Ben Gourlay | Celebrities & Entertainment | Feb 26, 2017 11:09 PM CST

EDIT: As it turns out, 'La La Land' hasn't actually won despite initially being announced by presenter Warren Beatty. The honour has gone to 'Moonlight', in an unprecedented screw up!

In a surprise to absolutely no one, the 2016 hit 'La La Land' has just taken out the Best Picture at this year's Academy Awards.

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Continue reading: 'Moonlight' wins Best Picture Oscar in huge screw up (full post)

Switch handheld battery lasts over 3 hours playing Zelda

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Feb 26, 2017 10:15 PM CST

YouTubers and press have gotten their hands-on early Nintendo Switch consoles, and now the million dollar question has been answered: the Switch can play Zelda: Breath of the Wild on-the-gomore than three hours on a full charge.

Switch handheld battery lasts over 3 hours playing Zelda

Nintendo has confirmed that the Switch's battery can last anywhere from 2.5 to six hours on a full charge while in handheld or tabletop mode depending on the game and mode. The Switch's internal 4310mAh battery takes 3 hours to fully recharge, and Nintendo estimated that the Switch would last about 3 hours while playing demanding games like Breath of the Wild.

It turns out that Nintendo's estimates were spot-on. YouTuber Arekkz conducted a quick Switch handheld battery life test and concluded that we can play Breath of the Wild for approximately 3 hours, 2 minutes and 52 seconds with a full charge. This is almost three minutes longer than Nintendo's battery life estimates.

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Continue reading: Switch handheld battery lasts over 3 hours playing Zelda (full post)

Hack 'Mr Robot' and win a Season 2 Blu-ray on us!

Ben Gourlay | Contests & Giveaways | Feb 26, 2017 10:00 PM CST

To celebrate this week's release of 'Mr Robot: Season 2.0' on Blu-ray and DVD, we have 15 Blu-rays to give away thanks to our friends at Universal Sony Home Entertainment.

Control Is An Illusion. Winner of the Golden Globe for Best TV Drama, Mr. Robot follows Elliot Alderson, a young cyber-security engineer who becomes involved in the underground hack group fsociety, after being recruited by their mysterious leader. Following the events of fsociety's 5/9 hack on multi-national company Evil Corp, the second season explores the consequences of that attack as well as the illusion of control.

To go into the running to win a prize, simply correctly answer the following question:

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Continue reading: Hack 'Mr Robot' and win a Season 2 Blu-ray on us! (full post)

Samsung teases the Galaxy S8 and confirms launch date

Lana Jelic | Mobile Devices | Feb 26, 2017 9:10 PM CST

MWC 2017 - Samsung has confirmed the date for the Galaxy S8 and S8+ announcement - March 29th. The date was previously rumored, and now the Korean giant confirmed that we would see the Snapdragon 835 powered device at the end of March.

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2017 will take place at 11:00 AM EDT in New York, but the live streaming of the event will also be available on the companies website.

There are a lot of rumors about the upcoming phones floating around, and we pretty much know what to expect.

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Continue reading: Samsung teases the Galaxy S8 and confirms launch date (full post)

Samsung's Galaxy Tab S3 with stylus introduced at MWC

Lana Jelic | Mobile Devices | Feb 26, 2017 8:05 PM CST

MWC 2017 - We already knew that the Galaxy S8 wouldn't see the light of the day at in Barcelona, but Samsung still had something to show.

Samsung's Galaxy Tab S3 with stylus introduced at MWC

As expected, the company has introduced a 9.7-inch tablet - the Galaxy Tab S3, which comes with an S Pen.

The tablet is powered by a Snapdragon 820 processor, and it comes with 4GB of RAM, and 32GB of internal storage expandable with a microSD card. Other features include a 6,000 mAh battery, and dual-band Wi-Fi ac.

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Continue reading: Samsung's Galaxy Tab S3 with stylus introduced at MWC (full post)

Did you want a Nokia Android smartphone? Here are three!

Lana Jelic | Mobile Devices | Feb 26, 2017 6:27 PM CST

MWC 2017 - Alongside the Nokia 3310, which caused the most excitement at HMD Global's press event at MWC, the company has announced three Android smartphones - the Nokia 6, 5, and 3.

Did you want a Nokia Android smartphone? Here are three!

The Nokia 6, HMD's first Nokia-branded Android smartphone, was launched in January and has attracted a lot of interest. The device was, until now, available only in China, but the company has introduced a global version of the phone.

The Nokia 6 comes with a 5.5-inch 1080p display and is powered by Snapdragon 430 processor. It has 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage expandable with microSD. The company also launched a special edition Arte Black color of the device which comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.

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Continue reading: Did you want a Nokia Android smartphone? Here are three! (full post)

Huawei unveils the Watch 2 and Watch 2 Classic

Lana Jelic | Wearable Computing & Fashion | Feb 26, 2017 5:52 PM CST

MWC 2017 - As expected, Huawei has announced the Huawei Watch 2 in Barcelona along with the P10 and P10 Plus.

Huawei unveils the Watch 2 and Watch 2 Classic

The original Huawei Watch was launched in 2015 and other than the women's version of the watch, we haven't seen any upgrades. Now, the company has unveiled two new versions of the watch - the Huawei Watch 2 and Huawei Watch 2 Classic.

The Huawei Watch 2 has a sporty design while the Classic version is a bit fancier. Both watches are running the recently-introduced Android 2.0, and they have Google Assistant on board.

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Continue reading: Huawei unveils the Watch 2 and Watch 2 Classic (full post)

Enter the 'Doctor Strange' world in our Blu-ray giveaway

Ben Gourlay | Contests & Giveaways | Feb 26, 2017 4:57 PM CST

To celebrate this week's release of 'Doctor Strange' on 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD, we have 5 Blu-rays to give away thanks to our friends at Disney Home Entertainment.

Open your mind. Change your reality. From Marvel Studios comes "Doctor Strange," the story of world-famous neurosurgeon Dr. Stephen Strange whose life changes forever after a horrific car accident robs him of the use of his hands. When traditional medicine fails him, he is forced to look for healing-and hope-in an unlikely place: a mysterious enclave known as Kamar-Taj. He quickly learns that this is not just a center for healing but also the front line of a battle against unseen dark forces bent on destroying our reality. Before long Strange-armed with newly acquired magical powers-is forced to choose whether to return to his life of fortune and status or leave it all behind to defend the world as the most powerful sorcerer in existence.

To go into the running to win a prize, simply correctly answer the following question:

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Continue reading: Enter the 'Doctor Strange' world in our Blu-ray giveaway (full post)

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