Latest News - Page 2580

Marc Laidlaw, the man responsible for writing Valve's magnum opus Half-Life series, has officially left the company after 18 years of work.

Valve has just lost one of its key talent juggernauts. Marc Laidlaw not only penned the legendary shooter that changed PC gaming forever (Half-Life) all by himself, but helped shape the continuation of the series by writing Half-Life 2 and its duo of episode expansions.

The news was confirmed by a string of emails between Laidlaw and a fan, wherein the Half-Life writer expressed a need to move out of the game's mighty shadow.

A new app just made it onto the Windows Phone app store that might point towards the future of data services for Windows Phones. It looks like this app is going to pave the way for an in-house data connection solution much in the same vein as Google's Fi.

The new app allows for a persistent data connection of cellular, but only with a Microsoft branded SIM card. Such cards aren't quite in existence just yet. The cellular data service is also only available on certain devices though how one gets the aforementioned Microsoft SIM cards is still a mystery.

Google's Fi service has proven to be a reliable and great alternative to the typical way of paying for cell service. It was far more convenient and ended up being reasonable in price compared to actual competing cell companies. You pay for what you use, and it's all an integrated experience that was streamlined into the Nexus phones itself. Perhaps Microsoft wants to capitalize on that ease of use as well as the potential cost savings, which could end up bringing them huge business as people switch to a pure Microsoft solution. What bands and providers will be the back-end are unknown at this time.

CES 2016 - Enermax has just unveiled a new duo of DIY case fans aimed at merging high-performance cooling with stylish lighting, adding a bit of futuristic flair to PC builds.

Enermax's new case fans consist of the D.F. Pressure and D.F. Vegas models, and represent a "giant leap forward" in chassis fan design. Both models utilize a combination of existing designs including Dust-Free Rotation, which allows the fan to spin in reverse for a small period upon system start up. Using DFR tech, Enermax's new fans are able to "greatly reduces the dust of the internal PC system or the fan blade".

The D.F. Pressure model is based on Enermax's existing TwisterPressure series and sports a static pressure of 3.845mm-H20. Adjustable Peak Speed PWM side controls ensure safety and easy cleaning.

After making a big splash at this year's CES, the UltraHD format is now ready for primetime with the first batch of movies becoming available for pre-order on Amazon to roll out from March.

The initial titles include last summer's hit 'The Martian', and popular catalogue titles such as 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2', 'X-Men: Days of Future Past' and 'Exodus: Gods and Kings'. However in the first batch of titles, only 'Chappie', 'The Smurfs 2' and the forgotten Angelia Jolie actioner 'Salt' were mastered in 4K throughout - the rest come from 2K digital intermediates, and will feature a less stunning upgrade from Blu-ray than these three. All titles include a standard Blu-ray inside, along with HDR ehancement.

Hit up Amazon here for all the UltraHD Blu-ray titles on offer so far.

CES 2016 - Wrapping up some crazy announcements for EVGA in Las Vegas this year is its new 'Gaming Case', joining the 4K Gaming laptop, gamer and audiophile sound card and quick release CPU and video card closed loop coolers as part of a stellar press release.

Once again EVGA says that this product hasn't gotten an official name just yet, but promises that it's the "first PC gaming case designed for GPU cooling," aiming to keep your pride and joy components nice and cool. Boasting direct airflow pathing sent directly to the video card itself, this case has been "Specifically designed for extreme gaming enthusiast[s]."

The chassis contains a flexible cooling design for air or water applications and a modular design system - possibly similar to the CoolerMaster Master case. Unfortunately, this is all we know right now, stay tuned for updates.

CES 2016 - Joining the announcement of a 4K gaming laptop and audiophile-grade sound card is EVGA's tease of a quick release CPU and GPU cooler.

Closed loop in design, EVGA promises that its new QRC and QRG products (CPU and GPU, respectively) will offer quick connect and disconnect features for overclockers and enthusiasts alike, supporting up to 4-Way SLI systems and multiple CPU setups.

With not much information supplied, the press release mentioned that users will be able to monitor and control this closed loop cooling system through provided software, while also offering support for additional radiators.

CES 2016 - Another interesting announcement from the trade show in Las Vegas this year comes in the form of EVGA's new 'Pro Audio card'.

Joining the recent announcement of a laptop that was designed fully in-house, EVGA says that this card targets gamers and audiophiles, but the name isn't finalized just yet. It's likely that the specifications aren't finalized as the name isn't even decided just yet , so stay tuned for updates.

We do have a little bit of info on this card though, with EVGA saying that this card is set to contain "State of the art audio fidelity" and "True analog engineering for lifelike audio reproduction." As for specifications and form, the company says it will providing a 130dB+ signal to noise ratio and being released in two modes - as a PCI Express x1 add-on card and an external USB.

CES 2016 - You read it right, EVGA has just announced a laptop of its very own. Devoid of in-depth information, the recently issued press release came out just today and mentions a plethora of other interesting first-time releases for this company.

Described as "100% EVGA in-House design from the ground Up," the SC17 gaming laptop is 4K ready and comes packaged with G-SYNC technology, USB 3.1 Type-C support, a unibody design that measures in at only 1.05 inches, a RJ45 LAN connection, and complete overclocking support.

Paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M is an Intel Core i7 6820HK K unlocked processor and a 17.3-inch 4K display with external G-SYNC support. Wrapping up the features list is a full HD webcam - and that's all we know right now.

If you're always losing screws, cable ties and more, SilverStone may now have the solution for you - announcing its CA02 computer screw and parts pack recently, costing only $12.58 (11,5 EUR).

Inside the plastic organizer (compartmentalized case) you'll find thumb screws for your side panels or power supply, a bunch of standard case screws, self-tapping fan screws, smaller screws for SSD mounting, scratch-prevention washers and cable ties in order to keep your whole system neat.

Set to hit the global market on January 12, this organizer and parts pack seems to be a great way for a home builder to categorize easily losable parts while keeping everything wrapped up neatly. More information on this product can be found here.

CES 2016 - If you're looking for the experience of RGB lighting but aren't interested in dishing out for a mechanical keyboard, Tt eSPORTS has just announced its Challenger Prime RGB membrane gaming combo, featuring a keyboard and mouse package in one box.

The keyboard comes packed with multimedia and macro keys, shortcut keys, poll rate adjustments, Tt eSPORTS control software and RGB lighting. As for the mouse, expect to see a PIXART optical sensor, Omron switches, 3200DPI and a lifetime rating of up to 10 million clicks.

Available for a suggested price of $59.99, the mouse looks quite similar to the original Tt eSPORTS Black, moulded together with the Tt eSPORTS Talon. More information on this combo can be found here.

CES 2016 - At the big electronics showcase in Las Vegas, we were able to sneak the world's first glimpse of Patriot Memory's new RGB mechanical keyboard.

According to our sources, the keyboard is so new it doesn't have a name just yet, but this brilliantly-lit mecha proudly wears the serpentine Viper Gaming badge telling us its another peripheral in Patriot's performance gaming lineup. As you can see from the pictures, the keyboard is full-sized and outfitted with what appear to be macro buttons and color switches.

The keys are outlined with flavorful chromatic backlighting, but we still don't know what kind of tactile switches the keyboard uses, as Patriot has "yet to determine" the switch type. Patriot Memory's Viper Gaming V760 keyboard leverages Kailh Brown switches, so we may see this type used in the new unnamed mecha.

Facebook is looking ahead to all of 2016 in its latest blog post, and in it, it spells the death knell of the ubiquitous phone number.

"Think about it: SMS and texting came to the fore in the time of flip phones," writes VP of Messaging Products David Marcus. "Now, many of us can do so much more on our phones; we went from just making phone calls and sending basic text-only messages to having computers in our pockets. And just like the flip phone is disappearing, old communication styles are disappearing too."

CES 2016 - Oculus opened up pre-orders on the Rift yesterday, with gamers split on the thought of $599 for their VR headset.

Oculus founder Palmer Luckey took to Reddit, where he said: "To be perfectly clear, we don't make money on the Rift". He added: "The Xbox controller costs us almost nothing to bundle, and people can easily resell it for profit. A lot of people wish we would sell a bundle without "useless extras" like high-end audio, a carrying case, the bundled games, etc, but those just don't significantly impact the cost".

Palmer continued, where he said: "The core technology in the Rift is the main driver - two built-for-VR OLED displays with very high refresh rate and pixel density, a very precise tracking system, mechanical adjustment systems that must be lightweight, durable, and precise, and cutting-edge optics that are more complex to manufacture than many high-end DSLR lenses. It is expensive, but for the $599 you spend, you get a lot more than spending $599 on pretty much any other consumer electronics devices - phones that cost $599 cost a fraction of that to make, same with mid-range TVs that cost $599. There are a lot of mainstream devices in that price-range, so as you have said, our failing was in communication, not just price".

CES 2016 - With an expansive array of VR-ready games and a possible $400 price point, Sony's PlayStation VR contender could become a force to be reckoned with.

The Big Three of VR tech was in attendance at CES 2016, but Sony's presence was notably quieter than its rivals. Oculus VR finally revealed the Oculus Rift's $599 price tag, and HTC showed off its new Vive Pre configuration with its new camera that combines the real-world with VR. While Palmer Luckey feels that the RIft's $599 price tag is "obscenely cheap for what you get", gamers are divided, and are now looking towards Sony's PlayStation VR headset as a more affordable virtual reality solution.

Will Sony's PSVR be another disappointment, or will it be adequately priced to beat the Rift? Sony hasn't unveiled any specifics, but said in the past that the headset would be "priced as a new games console". SuperData estimates that the PlayStation VR could cost anywhere from $400 to $600, which is a fair estimate considering the Rift's somewhat hefty price.

CES 2016 - Following the success of BlackBerry's unfortunately-named but highly-esteemed new Priv smartphone, company CEO John Chen confirmed that a new BlackBerry handset will release in 2016, with the possibility of a second model depending on sales.

Remember when BlackBerry's CEO said that it might exit the smartphone business if the Priv didn't take off? Well BlackBerry's gambit on their new Priv smartphone paid off in dividends, and now the company is looking towards future Android-powered handsets. While the company will continue to make new handsets, the beloved BlackBerry OS will be traded off for Google's mobile OS, meaning BB 10 will be the last iteration of the proprietary software.

Chen didn't deliver any specifics in the keynote, instead just affirming that BlackBerry will continue down this new Android-centric path for the foreseeable future. So we don't know much about the Priv's successor other than it'll be on Android OS, but Chen previously said that the next phone would "focus on the high-end, probably closer to the mid-range."

Ubisoft has confirmed that the upcoming open-world caveman action game Far Cry Primal won't feature co-op or multiplayer, and will instead be entirely focused on story-driven gameplay.

"We are focusing entirely on creating the best possible Far Cry experience for our fans. Bringing the Stone Age to life and providing players with a strong gameplay experience based off of the Far Cry legacy meant we had to reinvent our core gameplay loop. This was definitely not a small undertaking. Our focus was on delivering this fantasy which required clear priorities for the team. Therefore, in the early stages of the project, we made the difficult choice of focusing our efforts on the single player experience," an Ubisoft developer wrote on Steam.

Personally, I'm torn by this news. When Far Cry Primal was unveiled, I had a clear image of hunting a mighty mastodon with a team of online friends in order to feed the rest of the tribe. Other scenarios whirled in my mind--taking on a streak of vicious sabertooth tigers, or even going dino-hunting just like ARK: Survival Evolved. Sadly these fantasies won't manifest.

When Oculus VR finally announced the $599 price tag of its commercial VR headset, it opened a rift in the potential VR market. On one side is the enthusiast crowd, who isn't fazed by spending $600 on new tech, and on the other is the crowd who feels cheated and mislead by Palmer Luckey's previous statements. After all, $600 is much different than Luckey's previous "north of $350" price tease, and that's not including the requisite PC hardware needed for VR.

In an attempt to set things straight, Luckey explained some things about the Rift, including the fact that the company isn't making money on the hardware. "To be perfectly clear, we don't make money on the Rift," the VR pioneer bluntly pointed out.. The founder went on to say that the extras bundled with the Rift--Xbox One controller, audio headset, carrying case--didn't impact the cost at all.

So why is it so much? The Rift's internal components, which include custom VR OLED displays with blazing refresh rates--among other high-grade materials--are the main culprits.

Online retail giant Amazon will soon sell its own brand of silicon on its digital storefront.

According to reports from Bloomberg, Amazon will start selling its own custom platform-on-chip and semiconductor line as part of its move into the data-center market.

The chips--called Alpine--are based on ARM's 32-bit v7 and 64-bit v8 chips, and are being manufactured by the Israel-based Annapurna Labs facility which Amazon acquired in January 2015 for an estimated $360 million. The Seattle-based retailer purchased the facility to bolster its Amazon Web Services and fold in IC technology into its ever-expanding brand.

If you've been overwhelmed by the sheer amount of press releases and news articles to come from CES 2016 in las Vegas, soothe your eyes on this slightly old yet stunning build called Project Grey.

Created by Malik Customs, this build was spotted on the Ocaholic Facebook as part of its 'Rig of the day' series, featuring a Phanteks Enthoo Primo Ultimate chassis, housing an ASUS Z97-AR motherboard.

This grey and blue highlighted system is simplistic and packs a cooling punch thanks to EK Water Blocks fittings throughout, further incorporating an ASUS Xonar Essence STX II 7.1 sound card to ensure it's not only just for looks, it would make a stellar gaming PC too.

Apple Mac upgrades certainly aren't cheap, but users should know that they're purchasing a system without many upgrade possibilities being given.

Other World Computing (OWC) are a zero emission Mac and PC technology company and are one of the global experts when it comes to pimping out your Mac system. Its latest offering is the 4.0TB Aura SSD upgrade for the 2013 Apple Mac Pro, set to cost a cool $2,128 for anyone who wants the privilege.

If you're not prepared to spend that kind of cash, $895 will get you the 1.0TB version or you can spend $1,447.99 on the 2.0TB kit instead. Packed within these kids are the SSDs themselves, an Envoy Pro SSD USB 3.0/3.1 enclosure for the existing 2013 Mac Pro SSD (so you can transfer files or use it in the future), a complete installation kit for the Aura SSD and a three year OWC warranty.