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Huawei reveals their new high-end phones, the P9 and P9 plus

Jeff Williams | Mobile Devices | Apr 6, 2016 8:52 PM CDT

Huawei might be a relative newcomer in the US given their presence is only just recently more popular due to their design-win with Google and the Nexus 6P, but they're actually one of the largest phone makers in the world and are making more waves with the announcement of their newest phones at an event in London, the P9 and P9 Plus.

Huawei reveals their new high-end phones, the P9 and P9 plus

These new phones are being targeted squarely at the high-end market, and have the specs to match. The P9 has a 5.2-inch screen, a Leica partnered 12-megapixel camera, 3,000mAh battery, USB-C port for connectivity, 3GB of RAM, and the company's own octa-core Kirin 995 processor inside of a very nice looking aluminum body. The P9 Plus has all of the above except has a much larger 3,400mAh battery, 4GB of RAM and a 5.5-inch screen instead. Both of them will have a fingerprint sensor located on the back of the chassis.

The most interesting spec is the camera, even though the resolution is rather normal at 12-megapixels, it's the partnership with Leica that means it could potentially be a powerhouse of a secondary, or dare I say, primary photo-taking device. There's a second 12-megapixel monochrome sensor that's supposed to be able to improve contrast within photos, and likely add a few more levels of dynamic range by tripling the amount of light that the whole camera can take in.

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Continue reading: Huawei reveals their new high-end phones, the P9 and P9 plus (full post)

Lian Li PC-J60 is a case that helps you organize those pesky cables

Jeff Williams | Cases, Cooling & PSU | Apr 6, 2016 7:46 PM CDT

Lian Li just announced a new mid-tower case that's part of a new line of cases coming from them. The new aluminum case from them keeps the general classic lines that they're known for but modernizes it with a nice red accent on the side, a subtle but nice touch. It's designed around helping keep cable clutter under control in an easy to do fashion.

The J60 is a mid-tower chassis that can fit up to an ATX-sized motherboard inside. It has room inside for a full 210mm PSU's in the bottom and can accommodate seven 410mm (16.1-inches) GPU's, which means that there's no GPU too long to fit inside. To help with airflow and keeping things cool, the PSU and HDD's are contained in a compartment that's sectioned off below, with a 140mm fan that brings in air from the main case to be exhausted out of the PSU. That shroud is what's there to help any build look immaculate on the inside, even if it's a bit messy underneath that. The idea is that you can hide the PSU and the cables coming from it to have a much more clean look.

Two 120mm fans are on the front and the top panel can fit an additional three 120mm fans, or maybe even be a good place to put a radiator, up to 430mm in length. That flourish on the edge? It actually serves a purpose other than helping to look good, it's slotted to help bring in air from the outside. In the compartment below you can mount two HDD cages that can each hold five 3.5" drives and one 2.5" drive. The new case can be had with or without a window, though if you're going to great lengths to tidy up inside, why not show it off?

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Continue reading: Lian Li PC-J60 is a case that helps you organize those pesky cables (full post)

'Star Wars' fan builds full scale AT-ST from 'Return of the Jedi'

Ben Gourlay | Celebrities & Entertainment | Apr 6, 2016 6:36 PM CDT

I love 'Star Wars' just as much (if not) more than your average nerd, but my lack of any real life skills means I have to passively consume media, while some dedicated fans have the capacity to build. And that's what someone has done in building a full size replica of the Empire's AT-ST walker seen in 'Return of the Jedi'.

According to The Verge, the builder requested to remain anonymous, but allowed some video and photos to be taken of his impressive creation. Standing at over 8 metres tall and constructed from "timber, plastic, and bits of scrap metal" the walker has a ladder which leads to a cockpit built for two, its own movable turrets and, in a nice touch, movie quality sound effects.

The owner also doesn't seem to have any Ewoks on the premises - this AT-ST must have finished them off.

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Continue reading: 'Star Wars' fan builds full scale AT-ST from 'Return of the Jedi' (full post)

DOOM getting an open beta next week for those that missed it

Jeff Williams | Gaming | Apr 6, 2016 6:04 PM CDT

The new DOOM's multiplayer beta was only available for a limited number of people who pre-ordered Wolfenstein: The New Order, which came out two years ago, so it wasn't exactly a "closed" affair, though it wasn't that inclusive either. Thankfully id Software and Bethesda are about to be open to anyone who dares from April 15th through the 17th.

So far the beta hasn't exactly been the most enjoyed or successful of tests. The general consensus is a a bit mixed about it, likening it either to the fast-paced rocket-powered FPS action of Quake 3 or even comparing it favorably to the Halo franchise, but there's also been plenty of complaints. Specifically when it comes to a lack of PC specific features and how smoothly it runs. This is a beta test, meaning that it won't exactly be the best or final representation of the revitalization of DOOM, but we expect it to at least be somewhat of a showcase. There's also concern that this isn't a DOOM game, and strays from the usual formula that's made it so successful.

Opening up the game to more people will let them test that network infrastructure and any new fixes on a much larger scale, which is good, and something all fans of the originals should at least take a look at, to see for yourself whether it does indeed follow the DOOM idioms of yesteryear, or even those from Doom 3. You'll get to play through two levels and two different modes; Heatwave, Infernal and team deathmatch and warpath respectively.

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Continue reading: DOOM getting an open beta next week for those that missed it (full post)

DOTA 2 getting an alluring VR capable spectator mode

Jeff Williams | Gaming | Apr 6, 2016 5:02 PM CDT

VR is here to stay and definitely a large part of the future of gaming. Not only can you get more into a game than ever before, but VR is also being used in non-standard ways to help re-define what being a spectator of an eSports match might be. Valve teased what might just be a cool new VR interface for spectating DOTA 2 matches, in VR.

Inside you'll be able to see the game itself unfold right in front of you, but if you happen to look around you then you'll get to interact with the stats for each competitors heroes. It also looks like there's a dynamic map that updates with more info than you could ever possibly need. The whole setup looks very well done and ups the ante for how we watch games. This could just be the beginning of a movement to do similar things for other spectator sports, even other more physical sports too.

Being a part of Steam, this might require the use of the HTC Vive to actually work, but the idea is still incredibly interesting concept. This combined with 360-degree footage of the event might let you transport yourself to the event without actually having to fly all the way out. And it might end up being a better experience the just being there anyway.

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Continue reading: DOTA 2 getting an alluring VR capable spectator mode (full post)

Latest Windows 10 Preview build adds dark mode, tons of other features

Sean Ridgeley | Software & Apps | Apr 6, 2016 4:28 PM CDT

Last month, the Windows 10 Twitter app offered up a dark mode, and now the whole OS is doing it. If you're a Windows Insider, you can grab the new 14316 build and try it out for yourself now. Note that some UWP apps won't be affected by dark mode.

That's far from all: also included is notifications customization (choose priority level and amount of notifications per app), native Bash support (for you Linux lovers), more cross-device Cortana syncing, a 'Find my phone' feature (locate your phone with your PC), a slew of bug fixes, and much more.

If you want the nitty gritty, hit the source.

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Continue reading: Latest Windows 10 Preview build adds dark mode, tons of other features (full post)

Bernie Sanders wishes Apple would manufacture locally, pay all taxes

Sean Ridgeley | Business, Financial & Legal | Apr 6, 2016 3:33 PM CDT

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders -- sounding off on corporate America in an interview with the New York Daily News -- had some frank words for Apple this week. While he doesn't believe the company is destructive on the scale of JPMorgan and General Electric, he does take issue with a couple of its key practices.

"No, Apple is not destroying the fabric of America," he explains. "But I do wish they'd be manufacturing some of their devices, here, in the United States rather than in China. And I do wish that they would not be trying to avoid paying their fair share of taxes."

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Continue reading: Bernie Sanders wishes Apple would manufacture locally, pay all taxes (full post)

iPhone SE demand outstripping supply

Sean Ridgeley | Mobile Devices | Apr 6, 2016 2:27 PM CDT

Apple's iPhone SE -- effectively an upgraded 5s -- wasn't full-blown hyped, but it seems to be selling like it anyway: demand for the 4'' device is outstripping supply as most stores are now posting stock-outs and delays, saying that new orders won't ship for as long as a few weeks from now. This includes both online and retail outlets (including Apple stores), not just nationally but internationally.

The fastest you get can one as of press time is April 12, and there you're likely limited to the smaller $399 16GB models. If you want a $499 64GB model, you'll have to wait until April 20-27. This is all assuming you're willing to pay for faster shipping, mind you.

The iPhone SE launched March 31.

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Continue reading: iPhone SE demand outstripping supply (full post)

HBM2 is incredibly small when compared to GDDR5, and even HBM1

Anthony Garreffa | Graphics Cards | Apr 6, 2016 2:04 PM CDT

GTC 2016 - On day two of NVIDIA's GPU Technology Conference, we walked around the exhibition halls with the super-awesome Dimitry from Hardware Canucks and ran into the SK Hynix booth. What did we see? HBM2. HBM1 was there side-by-side with a 1GB chip, while the HBM2 chip was a much larger 4GB chip.

Last year at GTC 2015, we did the same thing and walked into HBM1 - because at the time it was only becoming available, and was still months away from AMD using it on their Fiji-based Radeon R9 Fury X. Fast forward a few months, and HBM1 made its way onto the Fury X.

NVIDIA announced its new GP100-based Tesla P100 video card yesterday, which is the first video card to feature the Pascal architecture, and HBM2. Seeing HBM2 at GTC 2016 was great, as we could see how small it was in person, but we weren't allowed to get close to it - which is why the image isn't exactly up close. If we get closer later in the day, we'll take another photo and update the article.

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Continue reading: HBM2 is incredibly small when compared to GDDR5, and even HBM1 (full post)

Overwatch finally gets a competitive mode, wanna know how it works?

Jeff Williams | Gaming | Apr 6, 2016 1:03 PM CDT

Overwatch has been in a beta state for some time now though it's been missing a competitive, ranked system of play a they continue to bring everything online and the game running smoothly. A new patch has been released that'll enable competitive league play, well before the final release.

Overwatch finally gets a competitive mode, wanna know how it works?

But how does it work? In a pretty logical way actually. There are different tiers and divisions so that skills are adequately divided and matched to those in the same group; normal matchmaking. In order to queue you'll need to be level 25 and above. Groups will be matched with other groups of similar size, if possible. Really it's normal matchmaking but taking in account the fat that you don't always have to fight in strict group size.

Winning competitive matches will get you some different cosmetic rewards but otherwise, the focus will be solely on winning, or needing to practice and get better so you can win next time. They want you to be able to enjoy the underlying game instead of focusing on winning skins, new weapons or any other rewards. All in all it looks like a very logical and well implemented system.

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Continue reading: Overwatch finally gets a competitive mode, wanna know how it works? (full post)

Facebook Live expands with Group and Event support, invites, more

Sean Ridgeley | Internet & Websites | Apr 6, 2016 12:28 PM CDT

Facebook Live is being expanded in a big way starting today, with all kinds of new features and functionality.

A big one is support for Groups and Events: now you can stream live to select people, for a select event, or make the stream the event. Facebook imagines a few specific scenarios: streaming live from a birthday party for someone those that can't make it, taking fans who RSVP "backstage", or scheduling a Q&A session.

Other exciting features include invites (which allow you to watch live streams together with a friend) and discovery options (including a map that shows you broadcasts from all over the world), to name a couple.

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Continue reading: Facebook Live expands with Group and Event support, invites, more (full post)

Survey says iPhone users have better credit than other device users

Jeff Williams | Mobile Devices | Apr 6, 2016 11:03 AM CDT

You know when you click agree to a privacy policy without reading it? Well, sometimes they're allowed to share your information, though very anonymously. WalletHub lets you check your credit score for free, and they've come to some very fun conclusions about credit score and devices used.

These are more of a correlation at the moment and don't at all indicate anything other than mere observations of the customers that use their website. But they did notice that iPhone users tend to have excellent credit, with 56% holding that score range. Only 19% have bad credit and 15% have good credit. BlackBerry users seem to have the worst ratings with 46% of those users being put into that category. Windows Phone users tend to have excellent or good credit scores as well. Perhaps because of the proliferation of devices, nearly 44% of people on Android-based phones have bad credit.

In their survey they have a lot of other fun facts that really mean absolutely nothing, but are pretty interesting observations in their own right. More data and a proper study would need to be conducted to actually conclude anything, but these are "fun facts" anyway. Take a look at their full infographic below and see if you follow the same trends.

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Continue reading: Survey says iPhone users have better credit than other device users (full post)

Final Fantasy VII Remake will be a trilogy with 90 hours of gameplay

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Apr 6, 2016 10:28 AM CDT

According to the latest issue of Game Informer, Square Enix says that the new Final Fantasy VII Remake will be made up of a trilogy of three game-discs with 30 hours of content each, totally up to 90 hours of gameplay.

Final Fantasy VII Remake will be a trilogy with 90 hours of gameplay

The magazine notes that the Square Enix dev team, which consists of the original Final Fantasy VII developers Yoshinori Kitase, Tetsuya Nomura, and Kazushige Nojima, used the three-part Final Fantasy XIII saga as inspiration for the Remake's release structure. As such, each game will be 30+ hours in length, and make up a three-part trilogy.

Kitase, Nomura, and Nojima also say that they feel they have "full liberty" to add or change the content found in the 1997 original, so the Remake could be quite different from the landmark JRPG that changed the history of gaming. Square Enix has already revealed the new action-based combat system for the FFVII Remake, showing a "dramatic change" from the original's Active Time Battle system. We could see major story plots and elements changed or even nixed, but the devs affirm that they still want to make the fans happy--isn't that the whole point of making the FFVII Remake?

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Continue reading: Final Fantasy VII Remake will be a trilogy with 90 hours of gameplay (full post)

See the magic of VR without wearing an HTC Vive

Derek Strickland | Extended Reality (XR) | Apr 6, 2016 9:50 AM CDT

Virtual reality is a magical doorway to another dimension--a dimension where just about anything is possible. But unless you've actually tried a VR headset for yourself, it's hard to fully grasp the scope of the new platform. Thankfully, Valve has us covered.

See the magic of VR without wearing an HTC Vive

Valve has just published a brand new video that shows everyday people what it's like to wear an HTC Vive headset--and the best part is that you don't need to actually strap one to your face. Using special green screen tech, Valve allows us to see everything that the Vive wearer is seeing--but of course, it's stuck in 2D for us. Even still the video is jam-packed with enchanting wonder and whimsy, and reveals a unique world of delightful entertainment.

The video shows off footage from a huge assortment of HTC Vive's SteamVR launch games including The Lab, Job Simulator, theBlu, Everest VR, Budget Cuts, and Elite Dangerous. If you're thinking about picking up a Vive, or any VR for that matter, the footage is a great crash course into what you can expect from this new generation of hardware. But the Vive isn't just about gaming--Valve asserts that the platform will be used for tons of entertainment, scholastic endeavors like historical representations throughout time, and even medical treatment.

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Continue reading: See the magic of VR without wearing an HTC Vive (full post)

Gears of War 4 release date officially revealed, beta test incoming

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Apr 6, 2016 8:38 AM CDT

Microsoft today announced that Gears of War 4 will release on October 11, 2016 across Xbox One. A PC version hasn't been officially announced, but it's a possibility.

Gears of War 4 release date officially revealed, beta test incoming

Xbox spokesperson Major Nelson also revealed that an open Gears of War 4 beta test will be held later this month. If you own the Gears of War: Ultimate Edition on Xbox One, you'll get early access to the Gears of War 4 beta on April 18. Xbox LIVE Gold members will get into the beta starting April 25.

Coalition Games has confirmed that Gears of War 4 will have split-screen co-op, but the gameplay will drop down to 30FPS in this mode. "Any way you can play Gears of War you can play split-screen," said Coalition's Rob Fergusson. As for the beta test, Fergusson says that beta will quite impressive: "Honest to God, it's a technical beta," he said. Gears of War 4 will run at 1080p 30FPS in singleplayer, but multiplayer will hit up to 60FPS.

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Continue reading: Gears of War 4 release date officially revealed, beta test incoming (full post)

Final Fantasy 15 has skill trees, dynamic dialogue, over 200 quests

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Apr 6, 2016 8:13 AM CDT

In the latest issue of Game Informer magazine, the publication delves into the mythical world of Final Fantasy 15 to unveil a bunch of new content for the game. From the coverage we know that Final Fantasy 15 will have a dynamic dialogue system that allows players to choose answers and paths to specific scenarios, and the game may react to player choices. Noctis may also receive special status effects based on his dialogue choices, which could affect quest outcomes as well.

Final Fantasy 15 has skill trees, dynamic dialogue, over 200 quests

There will be over 200 quests in the game, and Square Enix wants to boost that number before the September launch. There are four different types of quests: main story quests, mini-game quests (think fishing and Chocobo racing), monster-hunting quests (like the Deadeye hunt in Episode Duscae), and specific regional quests that vary from location to location. Don't forget that FF15 will have a NewGame+ mode, and the main story will be at least 50 hours long.

Interestingly enough, Final Fantasy 15 will have a skill tree for each of the four main characters so that players can customize their party. After every level up, Ignis, Gladio, Prompto, and Noctis will each receive an Ability point. Ability points can be spent on new unlockable skills as well as passive bonuses like boosting your auto-dodge ability. As we've seen in the Platinum Demo, the game treats magic like a usable item--that is you need a specific item to cast spells. Luckily you'll be able to recharge your magic usage at special points.

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Continue reading: Final Fantasy 15 has skill trees, dynamic dialogue, over 200 quests (full post)

The Division's game-breaking backpack glitch gets fixed next week

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Apr 6, 2016 7:23 AM CDT

Ubisoft has officially acknowledged The Division's game-breaking backpack glitch, and announces that a fix is coming.

The Division's game-breaking backpack glitch gets fixed next week

In a recent forum update, Ubisoft's community manager Natchai Stappers says that a fix for the high-end backpack glitch will roll out alongside of The Division's new 1.11 update on April 12. "We will be deploying a fix in update 1.1 on April 12th that should resolve instances of the infinite loading/backpack issue. Due to this fix requiring a client patch, we cannot deploy it at an earlier date. We thank you for your patience."

If you're unfamiliar with The Division's backpack glitch, that's probably a good thing. The bug has kept thousands of PS4, Xbox One and PC gamers locked out of the game's servers for weeks, just for crafting a high-end backpack. That's right, just crafting an in-game item in The Division can block you from playing, and keep you locked out of the servers.

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Continue reading: The Division's game-breaking backpack glitch gets fixed next week (full post)

New Mafia 3 screenshots showcase the Big Easy's vice-ridden streets

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Apr 6, 2016 5:30 AM CDT

It's been quite some time since 2K Games has said anything about Mafia 3, but now we have a new batch of screenshots that highlight the Crescent City's seedy underbelly.

New Mafia 3 screenshots showcase the Big Easy's vice-ridden streets

The new Mafia 3 screenshots were taken from a pre-alpha build of the game, and were featured as part of a GDC 2016 presentation entitled "Adding Life to Your Level". The screens highlight a distinct visual style that matches the colorful flair of the Big Easy and shows us the kind of atmosphere that the devs at Hangar 13 are shooting for.

Mafia 3 takes place in 1960's Louisiana and follows the story of Lincoln Clay, a Vietnam vet who returns home and starts working for the city's underground crime organization. After his friends and family are slaughtered by the Italian mob, Lincoln's life turns upside down, and players spend their time building up an empire to take revenge on the mafia.

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Continue reading: New Mafia 3 screenshots showcase the Big Easy's vice-ridden streets (full post)

Sony's PS4 to PC game streaming not compatible with Windows 7

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Apr 6, 2016 4:44 AM CDT

The PS4's new Masamune v3.50 firmware update is now live, but Windows 7 owners won't be able to get in on the Remote Play action.

Sony's PS4 to PC game streaming not compatible with Windows 7

In a recent post on the PlayStation Blog, Sony unveiled a host of details on the PS4's huge new update. Using v3.50, PlayStation gamers will be able to stream PS4 games to their PC in up to 720p 60FPS with Remote Play. This is a pretty momentous occasion that sees Sony directly responding to Microsoft's plans to unify Xbox and Windows 10 PC gaming.

Sadly, Windows 7 users will be left out. The Masamune update only supports Windows 8.1 and Windows 10, as well as OSX 10.10 and OSX 10.11 on Mac, so those of you who opted not to upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10 won't be able to take part in the game streaming.

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Continue reading: Sony's PS4 to PC game streaming not compatible with Windows 7 (full post)

Paramount Pictures announce first 4K UltraHD Blu-ray titles

Ben Gourlay | Celebrities & Entertainment | Apr 5, 2016 6:52 PM CDT

With Warner Bros, Twentieth Century Fox and Sony Pictures already launching their first wave of titles for the 4K UltraHD Blu-ray format, Paramount Pictures has now decided to dip their toes in the water and have announced their first two titles.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of 'Star Trek' and to help promote the upcoming 'Star Trek Beyond', Paramount have announced plans to release the first two films third film in the rebooted franchise 'Star Trek' and 'Into Darkness' in 4K. Both titles will feature upscaled 4K video with High Dynamic Range passes, newly remixed immersive Dolby Atmos soundtracks and a bonus disc of Blu-ray supplements. Both titles will be released in the United States on June 14th, ahead of 'Star Trek Beyond's theatrical release at the end of July.

Disney is now the sole holdout of the major studios who have not yet announced titles in the format, but are expected to firm up plans by the end of the year.

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Continue reading: Paramount Pictures announce first 4K UltraHD Blu-ray titles (full post)

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