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Toshiba's 2016: fastest growing storage device vendor
Toshiba has had a great year in the storage world throughout 2016, with the company becoming the fastest growing vendor in the world with $25 billion in HDD sales, and $17 billion in SSD sales.
In two IDC reports, they state: "Toshiba's broad HDD and SSD portfolio enabled them to participate in nearly all market segments for storage devices, a key factor that helped to underpin Toshiba's strong year-over-year revenue growth in CY2016. With successful launches of new HDD and SSD products over the next few quarters to address demand from cloud service providers and the traditional IT market, Toshiba should be well positioned to sustain further HDD and SSD revenue growth in 2017".
Toshiba's hard work in the HDD market saw 9% increase in unit market share in Q4 2016, with Toshiba now taking a large 24% stake in the market - a 60% increase over Q2 2015, where they had just 15%. Interestingly, Toshiba was the only HDD maker that saw total revenue increase in 2016, and increase in revenue share in every product segment: mobile, desktop, performance-optimized enterprise, and capacity-optimized enterprise for the year.
Continue reading: Toshiba's 2016: fastest growing storage device vendor (full post)
Twitch will be selling games through streamers soon
Twitch is planning to sell games via streamers this spring.
The games bought on Twitch will be downloaded to an upcoming Twitch launcher or to an existing platform such as Uplay. There are several developers who are already on board with this project such as Raw Fury, Ubisoft, Digital Extreme, Telltale and many more.
Developers will be able to earn a 70% cut from the game sales on Twitch - which is the same as Steam. On the other hand, streamers will be earning 5% when sales happened on their channel.
Continue reading: Twitch will be selling games through streamers soon (full post)
Super Bomberman R to run at 30 FPS in full resolution
The newest entry in the Super Bomberman series might not run at its rumored 60 fps on the Nintendo Switch.
According to Just Pause, Konami has confirmed that Super Bomberman R will run at 30FPS and full resolution in each of the Nintendo Switch modes - that means 1080P in TV mode and 720P in handheld mode.
Personally, I don't think it's a major issue as long as Konami delivers a solid 30 FPS experience without frame rates dips and some fun-looking explosions. Bomberman was always known for its smooth gameplay even in its self-induced chaotic mayhem. We hope this game will be, at least, on par with the standard it predecessors set.
Continue reading: Super Bomberman R to run at 30 FPS in full resolution (full post)
Windows 10's new insider build has mixed reality support
Inside the latest Windows 10 build, we are starting to see Microsoft provide mixed reality developers with support for MR headsets, inside of Windows 10 build 15048.
The latest build provides Mixed Reality developer kit owners to check out a simulation of the demo, but not an actual mixed reality experience. It's also not available easily, as you'll need to enable "Developers Mode" on Windows 10 that will enabled the "Mixed Reality Portal" that includes the demo.
If you've got the latest Windows 10 build, you can run the simulation - but without a mixed reality headset, it's kind of useless right now. Interestingly enough, the new "Windows Mixed Reality" portal app removes any reference to HoloLens.
Continue reading: Windows 10's new insider build has mixed reality support (full post)
NVIDIA's GTC 2017 will have $30K prizes for VR content
NVIDIA's GPU Technology Conference is always a massive technology overload, something I love more and more every year - but at GTC 2017, the company will be awarding $30,000 in cash and prizes for the winners of its VR Content Showcase.
NVIDIA's upcoming VR Content Showcase will see submissions of VR content that isn't gaming, and either has plans to - or already uses NVIDIA GPU technology, including GameWorks, DesignWorks, or VRWorks. Submissions will be accepted for another week, ending on March 15.
There will be 10 teams participating in NVIDIA's VR Content Showcase, with each developer receiving space on the show floor to show off their VR content at GTC 2017 - not only that, but they will need to make a presentation in front of a set of judges, for the consideration to win the prizes on offer.
Continue reading: NVIDIA's GTC 2017 will have $30K prizes for VR content (full post)
Jared Leto for a 'Tron' reboot? That's what the MCP says
Fresh from last week's announcement from 'Tron Legacy' director Joseph Kosinski that the plans for a third sequel were in "cryogenic freeze" comes a report that the wheels are back in motion for more 'Tron' adventures.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, it seems that Jared Leto has been offered an unspecified role in a new film, as well as an executive producer title. The report's sources say this film isn't a direct sequel to 'Tron Legacy', but it being sculpted from the aborted 'Tron 3' script. There's currently no word on whether 'Tron Legacy' actors Garret Hedland and Olivia Wilde will join the project, or director Joesph Kosinski.
Continue reading: Jared Leto for a 'Tron' reboot? That's what the MCP says (full post)
How to hold the Nintendo Switch handheld properly
Nintendo's new handheld Switch hybrid does feel awkward at first, and I've seen lots of people not sure how to actually hold it while they play. So we fired up this quick guide to help everyone out.
When you first slap in the JoyCons into the Switch and play a game, things feel weird. Since the joysticks are aligned on a non-linear axis like an Xbox 360 or Xbox One controller, and the back is flat instead of contoured, gamers will try to hold it like they would a Wii U. Remember the JoyCons detach into two separate controllers that can be used by two people, and if the joysticks were on the same axis, one player would have the joystick and face buttons on the wrong side.
Now I have to say that the Wii U's linear joystick axes combined with a contoured backing made a quite comfortable tablet-controller. The Switch, however, might not be so user friendly to everyone at first. But there's a trick to the Switch handheld: your hands aren't meant to be equally placed.
Continue reading: How to hold the Nintendo Switch handheld properly (full post)
Switch JoyCon specs reveal exact Bluetooth range
While scouting the Nintendo's European website for Switch manuals I noticed something interesting: a spec sheet that identifies the maximum radio frequency power of the system's JoyCon controllers.
A bunch of Nintendo Switch owners are having problems with their left JoyCons disconnecting. Luckily we don't have that problem. As reported in our JoyCon distance evaluation test, our JoyCons can stretch to an impressive 37 feet away from the system while docked or in handheld mode before disconnecting. Now we know why.
As per the Nintendo Switch operating manual on the Nintendo UK site, the Switch's left and right JoyCons both operate at a max Bluetooth 3.0 radio frequency of 6dBm (decibel-milliwats), which equates to 3.98 milliwatts, putting it in the Class 2 range category.
Continue reading: Switch JoyCon specs reveal exact Bluetooth range (full post)
Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ release pushed back
Samsung has announced that they will unveil the Galaxy S8 and S8+ on March 29th at 11:00 AM EDT in New York. There are a lot of rumors about the upcoming phones floating around, and we pretty much know what to expect.
Earlier rumors suggested that the devices will be available on April 21st. However, it now appears that the Korean giant has postponed that date for a week.
Evan Blass tweeted that the new date for the release of the S8 duo is April 28th.
Continue reading: Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ release pushed back (full post)
New Halo game in the works, story not written yet
343 Industries is making a new Halo game, and they're hiring a narrative director to help pen it's story. Let's just hope it's a lot (lot!) better than Halo 5: Guardian's lackluster story.
I recently predicted that 343i has been working on Halo 6 for quite some time, and that it'd release on Microsoft's new "monster" 4K-ready Project Scorpio console. Alas I was proven wrong, as Phil Spencer recently confirmed that Halo 6 won't be a Scorpio launch game, and based on a new job listing at 343i, it appears they might not have started Halo 6 just yet. Or it could be another Halo game entirely.
"343 Industries is looking for an experienced, passionate and highly creative Narrative Director to create engaging, compelling narrative content combined with thrilling gameplay experiences in Halo's epic environments and universe," the job listing states.
Continue reading: New Halo game in the works, story not written yet (full post)
Nintendo Switch warranty hints at game save backups
As of right now, Nintendo Switch owners have absolutely no way to back up save game data. So if your system bricks, gets zapped by lightning, or your internal memory fails, you'll lose out on all of your progress. But that will assuredly change sometime soon.
While it may be obvious to think that Nintendo would have to provide a backup method, I've uncovered a bit of interested snippets from the Nintendo Switch warranty document that strongly suggests the feature will eventually be available. After all, if you send it in for repairs there's a chance your data will be wiped, essentially punishing you for needing your system fixed.
"By sending the Product to Nintendo you accept and agree that Nintendo will not be responsible for any loss, deletion or corruption of your files or data that has not been deleted or removed," the warranty states.
Continue reading: Nintendo Switch warranty hints at game save backups (full post)
How to autosave Switch screenshots to SD cards
The Nintendo Switch is great for taking in-game screenshots of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's amazingness, but what if you want to back those screenshots up or want to keep your system storage free of thousands of Zelda pics? Here's an easy way to do it.
If you're like me, then you love sharing screenshots. The Switch lets you take screenshots by pressing the capture button on the left JoyCon, and share screenshots individually on Facebook and Twitter. But you can only share one at a time. What if you want to share multiple pics, or make a massive album? Then you need a micro SD card.
Sadly, the Switch does not allow you to back up screenshots to a USB stick because USB devices can't be attached while the Switch is in Handheld Mode. So get a micro SD card and a SD card adapter--any will do, I'm using an incredibly ancient 2GB micro SD card from like 2007--and slide it into the Switch underneath the kickstand. Now that you've expanded the Switch's usable 25.9 GB of memory won't have to worry about filling your precious data, go to the main menu and check under system settings.
Continue reading: How to autosave Switch screenshots to SD cards (full post)
Sandisk's 256 GB Drive expands your iPhone/iPad storage
MWC 2017 - Sandisk has announced two new products at MWC 2017, one is their Sandisk iXpand Flash Drive, and the other is their Sandisk Connect Wireless Stick. The Sandisk iXpand is a physical drive that inserts into an iPhone or iPad through the lightning connector.
However, it also has a USB 3.0 connector for connecting to computers and other devices as an intermediary between the iPhone or iPad. The device also comes with an app that helps to improve the user experience through features like automatic camera roll backup including tagged photos posted to social media. Sandisk also offers optional encryption and TV streaming via Chromecast or Amazon Fire directly from the iOS device.
The Sandisk Connect Wireless stick has all of the capabilities of the iXpand Flash Drive but without the physical connection. It accomplishes this via a password-protected Wi-Fi connection that allows for the streaming of music, movies or other videos. It allows for more than just iPhone connectivity, which means you could treat it as the central storage for your life, no matter where you go.
Continue reading: Sandisk's 256 GB Drive expands your iPhone/iPad storage (full post)
ZTE's Gigabit LTE phone is almost 5G
MWC 2017 - ZTE has unveiled their Gigabit concept phone in Barcelona, as expected. The Chinese company describes the phone as a "forward-looking smartphone" for the 5G era, although we won't see the successor to 4G LTE in wide usage until 2019.
The phone will allow for up to 1 gigabit per second download speeds, and the company had the phones display at their booth, showing the capabilities of the device. ZTE believe that this feature will improve 360 VR videos, HD streaming, and more.
Continue reading: ZTE's Gigabit LTE phone is almost 5G (full post)
Moto G5 and G5 Plus are affordable mid-range phones
MWC 2017 - Lenovo and Motorola have announced the Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus in Barcelona, mid-range phones that didn't cause as nearly as much excitement as the Nokia 3310 did.
During MWC, I got my hands-on both phones, and the first hands-on impression is that they don't feel like premium phones, but then again - they aren't supposed to compete with Apple's iPhone or Huawei's latest P10.
The Moto G5 Plus is the bigger and more powerful device out of the two. It comes with 5.2-inch display and is powered by Snapdragon 625. The Moto G5 Plus will come in versions with 2/3/4GB of RAM and 32/64GB of internal storage, expandable with a microSD card.
Continue reading: Moto G5 and G5 Plus are affordable mid-range phones (full post)
Nintendo Switch dock can charge your phone
Nintendo's new Switch console-and-handheld hybrid system sports a dock with three USB ports in it, so we couldn't help ourselves from stuffing tons of devices into it to see what works. We already found out that USB keyboards are supported by the Switch, and now we see the dock can actually charge your phone.
The Switch dock is actually a kind of nexus for power and video signals. The Switch tablet nestles into the dock's USB Type-C plug transferring a video signal out while power flows in to recharge the tablet's 4310mAh battery. The dock also transfers power to its three USB ports (2x USB 2.0 and 1x USB 3.0 that hasn't been activated yet), meaning whatever you plug into it will be able to leech off of the power output.
I plugged both my Nexus 4 and Nexus 6 Android smartphones into the Switch dock, and they both charged. Then I tried a LG G2, a Sony Xperia XA, a Nexus 10 tablet, a 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab tablet, a Nexus 5, and a Kindle Fire/Fire HD, all of which charged. The devices charged both with the Switch docked and undocked from the cradle.
Continue reading: Nintendo Switch dock can charge your phone (full post)
Nintendo Switch can't download games in sleep mode
Although Nintendo's new Switch handheld-and-console hybrid supports remote game downloads via Wi-Fi, it actually won't download digital eShop games in Sleep Mode.
Earlier tonight I bought Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment from the Nintendo Switch's eShop, expecting the console to auto-download the game while it's sleeping in its cradle. However I soon found out that the Switch tablet's Sleep Mode functionality isn't the same as the PS4, and it won't download games while asleep.
According to the status message sent by Nintendo, the Switch has to be awakened out of Sleep Mode before it will download digital eShop games. "Your download will begin once you wake your Nintendo Switch from Sleep mode. The time required to download may vary. You can check the status of your download via the icon displayed on the Nintendo Switch HOME Menu," read the message.
Continue reading: Nintendo Switch can't download games in sleep mode (full post)
Nintendo Switch supports USB keyboards
The Nintendo Switch's included dock cradle features three USB ports, and on a whim we decided to plug a bunch of stuff into it to see what works and what doesn't. Interestingly enough USB keyboards will work.
You might be asking yourselves what good a USB keyboard is when the Nintendo Switch doesn't have an actual web browser. That's absolutely true, but we did find one good use for a USB keyboard: making memes writing clever words over screenshots to share on Facebook, Twitter, and our SD cards.
Just like Sony's PlayStation 4, the Switch lets you take screenshots of any game at any time. The left JoyCon controller has a dedicated screenshot button (video coming soon!) that quickly immortalizes any game scene with a snap. If you're anything like me then you've taken tons of screenshots of Zelda: Breath of the Wild already, and maybe even shared a few or two of the best ones with text overlays.
Continue reading: Nintendo Switch supports USB keyboards (full post)
Inno3D's upcoming GTX 1080 Ti iChill X3, X4 teased
Inno3D is the latest to be showing off its upcoming GeForce GTX 1080 Ti graphics cards, with a tease of their new GTX 1080 Ti iChill X3 and X4 graphics cards, each featuring the tweaked 11GB of GDDR5X clocked at 11Gbps.
The new Inno3D GTX 1080 Ti iChill X3 and X4 will feature the company's flagship iChill cooling solution, which provides cooler temperatures and a quieter operating card. Inno3D will be using the Herculez Armor backplate for cooler temps and protection from any damage on the back of the card.
Ken Wong, Inno3D's Product Manager explains: "I believe gamers will love our new iChiLL gaming GPU. The entire series of GeForce GTX 1080 Ti comes with extreme performance, and we have used the highest quality components worthy of such a product. The iChiLL cooling solution makes the INNO3D custom-built graphics card to be the perfect weapon for every gamer".
Continue reading: Inno3D's upcoming GTX 1080 Ti iChill X3, X4 teased (full post)
EVGA's new GTX 1080 Ti FTW3 teased, new style on show
We're slowly getting introduced to the AIB partner GeForce GTX 1080 Ti graphics card, but EVGA has put some serious work into its upcoming GTX 1080 Ti FTW3 with a slick new look.
EVGA will be using its new ICX cooler on the GTX 1080 Ti FTW3, which is why we have a totally new look - with many different technologies inside that provide you with higher stability and thermal monitoring of EVGA's card. There's a fully custom design here with modified power delivery, so expect some great overclocks on the GTX 1080 Ti FTW3.
EVGA's upcoming GeForce GTX 1080 Ti FTW3 rocks 2 x 8-pin PCIe power connectors, ready for those higher GPU and GDDR5X clocks - remember, we have Titan X beating speeds here, too.
Continue reading: EVGA's new GTX 1080 Ti FTW3 teased, new style on show (full post)



















