Latest News - Page 2525

Announced in a recent press release, AMD has launched its new desktop processor cooler called Wraith alongside a slew of new near-silent operating CPUs and stock cooler packages.

The AMD Wraith cooler is designed to work in a whisper quiet way, further providing a white LED illuminated AMD logo on the black plastic shroud. Promising to operate at whisper-quiet sound levels, the Wraith is rated by AMD to clock only 39 decibels when operation.

Announced alongside the Wraith cooler are the all-new AMD 10-7860K and the Athlon X4 845 processors, both coming packed with a new 95W stock fan cooler. These two new processors are not the only models to share the updated cooler, with AMD A8 processors such as the 7670K and 7650K joining in the action alongside the Athlon X4 870K and X4 860K.

There's one app that I absolutely must have on my Android smartphone, and that's SwiftKey. SwiftKey is a predictive keyboard maker, that Microsoft has just acquired for $250 million.

Microsoft paying $250 million for the company will see SwiftKey founders Jon Reynolds and Ben Medlock receive $30 million or more each, which is pretty damn good for eight years of work being pumped into SwiftKey. SwiftKey itself has been installed on over 300 million devices, whether that's the free or paid versions on either iOS or Android.

What is Microsoft's interest in SwiftKey? Well, the artificial intelligence behind its super-accurate predictive text suggestions, which we should see baked into future iterations of Microsoft's mobile OS.

Virtual Reality Company (VRC) co-founder and the director of Maleficent, Robert Stromberg has teased that his company is working with legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg on a new project that is "solely for VR".

When he was asked about taking VR filmmaking to the next level, Stromberg replied: "it is about getting other filmmakers interested of course, from the independent level to getting major players involved as well... I can say here, my company - VRC - we're working with, for instance, Steven Spielberg on a project that's solely for VR".

Stromberg didn't say exactly what they were working on, but he did work on the movie tie in VR experience for The Martian most recently. Considering Ready Player One has been in the works for a while, with DreamWorks SDK (Spielberg helped create the company), it makes sense that Spielberg is stepping into the VR game at this period of time.

It's only been a few months since Amazon launched its first physical store in the United States, but according to retail sources, they're set to massively expand their presence in the coming months and years.

The Wall Street Journal has reported that General Growth Properties, Inc. CEO Sandeep Mathrani, whose company owns 120 regional shopping malls in forty states, has told investors that Amazon's "goal is to open, as I understand, 300 to 400 bookstores."

The house that Bezos built has yet to comment on the reports, but the billionarie founder had previously promised that "we hope this is not our only [storefront]. But we'll see". Looks like we will indeed.

Yahoo has just announced its new "aggressive strategic plan", where it has announced a slew of new products and a new way to tackle Google, Microsoft, and Apple. Wait, no they didn't - their strategic plan involves culling 15% of its workforce (1700 people) and closing down 5 offices around the world.

The company will be closing its offices in Dubai, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Madrid and Milan, with the layoffs leaving the company with 9000 staff by the end of the year. Yahoo's goal is to reduce operating costs by $400 million as we go into 2017. During its recent quarter, Yahoo pulled in $1.27 billion in revenue, but had a massive write-down of $4.5 billion. Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer said in a statement: "today, we're announcing a strategic plan that we strongly believe will enable us to accelerate Yahoo's transformation. This is a strong plan calling for bold shifts in products and in resources".

When Mayer took over at Yahoo, she said the company was full of legacy businesses and a declining revenue stream that had to be stopped. Its Mavens (mobile, video, native and social) side had a revenue source that had an "incredibly fast growth line of business". Mayer also noted that Yahoo needs to engage its users, and double down on its top businesses: Search, Mail and Tumblr.

It looks like we can expect some DirectX 12 visual upgrades for Elder Scrolls Online, with developer Zenimax Online Studios teasing the upgrade in their ESO Live stream on Twitch. We can also expect the 7th core on the PS4 to be used, which should increase performance on the PS4 version of ESO, which currently runs at 1080p 30FPS, but with the additional CPU horsepower, it'll keep at 30FPS during intense parts of the game.

During the Twitch stream, Zenimax said: "Yes, we are planning on a DX12 upgrade and expect that this will give us a number of graphics performance improvements. We cannot provide an ETA at this time, but it is something we're working towards". During the ESO Live show, Zenimax also talked about the fog and limited draw distance issues, saying that they're working on it - but it's at a lower priority than some of the other things they're working on.

They added: "In certain situations, the fog is intended to be heavy and thick to contribute to the mood and atmosphere of the region. Aldcroft in Glenumbra, for example, is a spooky and moody place - as are many areas of Tamriel. The fog distances do change based on weather and time of day, and yes, we are able to change them. But, we have set maximum fog distances in each environment to hide other immersion-breaking issues such as LOD (line of distance) transitions, and very low-detail terrain, the worst culprits being the mountains and large rock features in the geography. This is an old issue and something we have been slowly working on addressing".

If you've caught any of the red-band trailers for the eagerly awaited 'Deadpool' , you'd be well aware that the R-rated theatrical cut is going to push the boundaries of the MPAA rating system. And glory be - the Blu-ray version is apparently going to take it even further.

According to Latino-Review, 'Deadpool' director T.J. Miller has confirmed that the future release of the uncensored cut will be "even more raw" - although no confirmations yet on what form this will actually take.

But fans who can't wait to see the slightly less violent theatrical release can get their fill of the mouthy anti-hero when the film hits cinemas on February 11 in Australia and then the next day in the United States.

AMD has been in the headlines quite a bit this year, and we're only a month into 2016. According to the latest information, AMD is working on a new EHP (or Exascale Heterogeneous Processor) that has been confirmed by an AMD engineer, who has also confirmed the name of the processor, too: Zeppelin.

Zeppelin is a new Multi Chip Module, that features 32 Zen cores tied into AMD's impressive Coherent Fabric - which offers 100GB/sec of bandwidth - compared to PCIe that offers around 15GB/sec. The latency has also been reduced from 500ns to something much smaller, but the bigger question is whether Zeppelin refers to the Zen processor cluster or the MCM as a whole.

Digging into Zeppelin, we find the Vega 10-based MCM. Vega 10 will sport up to 4 GMIs (Global Memory Interconnects), which allow the CPU to talk to the GPU at 100GB/sec, courtesy of the Coherent Fabric. The MCM is also capable of communicating with the RAM at 100GB/sec too, which allows for a super-fast system with magnitudes more bandwidth than we have right now.

If you're playing the PC version of Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen with anything but 16:9 aspect ratio (mainly 16:10 and multi-monitor users), you'll notice a wonky aspect ratio correction, leading to unpleasant gameplay and interface navigation. Fortunately, the mod community has come to the rescue with the Agnostic Dragon mod, which corrects this issue and related others. This one comes especially recommended because it's from Kaldaien, who worked on the Tales of Zestiria 30 FPS fix.

Agnostic Dragon is in the early stages (current version number is 0.2.0), but it should get the job done much better than the default method, and will likely be updated frequently in the months ahead. Hit the source to grab it. There you can and should also take a look at the current known issues.

Tales of Zestiria was quite a solid PC port apart from the 30 FPS lock, but even that was rectified with a community-created fix eventually. Not so with follow-up Tales of Symphonia: user reports indicate the game is again locked at 30 FPS, but also the rendering resolution is fixed to 720p (it upscales if you select a higher resolution), there is missing text and typos, the interface often displays PS3 buttons even when using keyboard and mouse, the config and save menus can take 30 seconds to load on Windows 7 (this is being investigated), and it has DRM called VMProtect that creates a new .exe upon every boot. That last bit is concerning unto itself, but it also means you can't do things like force AA through your GPU settings.

To top it all off, the developer's username was "Lazy Mofo" on Steam, before he changed it following complaints. He also has a VAC ban from about 10 years ago. Perhaps this was a false positive, but it must be noted.

The creator of the 30 FPS fix for Zestiria says he'll get around to fixing Symphonia as well, but it won't be for awhile.

AMD recently launched a new open-source initiative called GPUOpen, a new philosophy backed by optimized software that's specifically designed to let developers harness more graphical power regardless of platform--PC or console. Team Red will discuss GPUOpen at GDC 2016 in March, and open up about the new project and how it'll shake up the world of gaming.

GPUOpen is essentially AMD's answer to NVIDIA's GameWorks, and will give devs more power over GPU integration and provide them with a wealth of tools, effects, SDKs, and a huge collaborative network of open-source software and connections with other developers. AMD also wants to use GPUOpen to remove the hardware limitation disparity between PC and consoles by giving "open and unrestricted access" to graphics hardware.

"GPUOpen is a new philosophy spearheaded by AMD that aims to bridge the gap between console and PC game development by allowing optimal access to the GPU for developers," reads a statement provided by AMD. "GPUOpen is a portal to effects, SDKs, libraries and tools that provides various levels of GPU access and functionalities for real-time graphics and content creation. GPUOpen marks the beginning of a new era where developers are able to achieve their artistic and technical vision via open and unrestricted access to the GPU."

While your child or smaller sibling may have no idea what they're used for, BIOSTAR has announced the return of PS/2 ports in its H170GT3 RACING motherboard.

Paired with features such as eight USB 3.0 and four USB 2.0 ports, BIOSTAR further promises four DDR4 slots, two PCI-E x16 3.0 ports, a single M.2 32GB/s port and more on this new model. If you're after a little bling, this product also comes fully optioned with BIOSTAR's Vivid LED DJ feature, further providing LED strips on the motherboard and one-touch mode selection for eco and performance boost profiles.

LAN is provided thanks to Intel's i219V technology and this motherboard operates around a H170 chipset, offering up compatibility with any LGA 1151 processor. If you're looking at graphics grunt, this new release will also support AMD Crossfire configurations, further allowing for extra spacing between the PCI-e X16 slots.

MD has just rolled its new Radeon Software Crimson Edition 16.1.1 drivers, bringing performance optimizations and long-overdue CrossFire support to a number of games.

The new Crimson drivers add CrossFire profiles for Fallout 4 and Rise of the Tomb Raider, allowing both games to leverage the power of multi-AMD video cards. Just four days ago AMD promised hotfix optimizations for Rise of the Tomb Raider, and it's great to see they've delivered.

Gamers instantly noticed the absence of CrossFire support in both games upon release, especially Crystal Dynamic's performance-demanding Rise of the Tomb Raider. Based on our Rise of the Tomb Raider PC analysis, AMD cards pushed their own muscle against NVIDIA's GPUs, despite the fact the game's engine was built with Team Green hardware.

While members of Korean StarCraft II professional team PRIME were arrested along with some auxiliary personel due to match-fixing and betting scandals recently, news has come to light of another arrest - this time being yet another Korean professional gamer, called 'Life' aka Lee Seung Hyun.

As announced by the same people who arrested YoDa, BBoongBBoong and former PRIME head-coach Gerrard late last year, the Changwon Prosector's office recently confirmed the nature and happenings of this new case.

Life has been arrested "on charges of receiving money for match fixing", stated the translation on Team Liquid, with a spokesperson from the prosecutor's office saying that they "can not reveal the specific allegations being called the Lee investigation" at this time.

We've known for a while that the physics-bending sensation Rocket League was coming to the Xbox One, but we didn't know exactly when. Until now, that is--the wacky, chaotically-fun sports zoomer will hit Microsoft's all-in-one system later this month.

In a recent Tweet, the developers at Psyonix revealed that Rocket League is currently in certification with the ID@Xbox program. The devs targeted a mid-February release, and since the game's such a popular spectacle, I don't see how Microsoft won't make it a priority and fast-track its approval.

The Xbox One port will release right in time for Rocket League's new loot update, which dramatically improves item drop rates and quality.

LG has been teasing its Super Bowl 2016 ad, but we now have the full thing to check out - starring none other than Taken star Liam Neeson. Check it out, below:

Neeson stars as a "man from the future", saying that he has knowledge of a world that is completely dominated by OLED screens. The ad was produced by Hollywood director Ridley Scott, and directed by his son Jake Scott. LG is expected to push their new Signature range of 4K OLED TVs during the Super Bowl, something we saw at CES 2016 and promptly had our jaws on the floor over. If you're in the market for a new TV and can afford it, LG has the best TVs money can buy.

With the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and Sony's PS4-powered PlayStation VR headsets on the way, all eyes are on virtual reality as the next big thing in gaming. Nintendo, however, has yet to embrace the new tech and remains skeptical of its lack of social interactions, but it looks like the Japanese console-maker is changing its mind about VR.

According to Kantan Games analyst Serkan Toto, Nintendo told its investors during a briefing that it's "looking into VR". The statement is quite vague, but could indicate a big shift in the company's future R&D plans. Or it could just be an affirmation meant to appease investors who see VR as a new lucrative platform.

Nintendo has traditionally been dubious about virtual reality over the past few years. Back at E3 2015, Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto said that because VR is an isolated, closed-off and personal experience, it "isn't a good fit" for NIntendo's current plans. The company's main ethos is to create social games that are dynamic, fun, and can be played by multiple people in a living room space, and VR seems to be the antithesis of that.

Windows 10 is continuing to jump up the adoption ladder, especially when we look at the latest figures from NetMarketShare, which show Windows 10 has a global OS market share of 11.85%, up from 9.96% in December.

If we compare Windows 10's global OS market share of 11.85% against Windows 8.1 and its 10.4%, and even Windows XP with 11.4%, we can see Windows 10 is doing quite well so far. Microsoft said last month that Windows 10 is the fastest growing version of its OS ever, with 75 million installations in the first month, and 110 million after 10 weeks. In December, Windows 10 had found its way onto 200 million active devices, which is getting closer to Microsoft's plans of having Windows 10 on 1 billion devices "in two or three years".

If you're like me, you've wondered why there isn't an official game for The Force Awakens. The expanded universe is just so ripe with gaming potential, and the soul-less Battlefront reboot doesn't count. Luckily we'll be getting an Episode VII game in June, and it'll be spun with the comical magic of the Lego Star Wars franchise.

Thanks to a premature Xbox listing, we know that Lego: The Force Awakens is genuine, and it's coming this June. We can pretty much expect a scene-by-scene rendition of J. J. Abram's blockbuster tinged with hilarity and whimsy befit of the Lego video game series. The screenshots show as much, and the quick 30-second trailer gives us a taste of the wacky humor that lays in store.

The Lego adventure will also serve as an important piece in the expanded universe canon: "The game will also feature exclusive playable content that bridges the story gap between Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi and Star Wars: The Force Awakens," reads the official description.

While the world waits in anticipation for the Galaxy S7 reveal from Samsung, the latest rumor is that Samsung will also unveil its new Gear 360 camera, a companion device for the Gear VR.

Samsung's purported Gear 360 camera would be a 360-degree camera that records video with two 180-degree fisheye lenses, making 360-degree content for the Gear VR headset, according to SamMobile. The Gear 360 would reportedly capture 1920x1920 from each camera, producing a much larger 3840x1920 panoramic image, capturing video for later use, but it can also blast the 360-degree video directly to a connected smartphone through the Gear 360 app.

We've heard about the Project Beyond 3D camera, so the Gear 360 could be a smaller, more mainstream evolution of this. We should expect it to be 100% compatible with the upcoming Galaxy S7, as well as the last couple of generations of Samsung's smartphones, too.