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Sony: On schedule to launch Project Morpheus during first half of 2016

Michael Hatamoto | Extended Reality (XR) | Jun 23, 2015 7:40 AM CDT

Virtual reality proved to be extremely popular during E3, with much attention on developments for the Oculus Rift and Sony's Project Morpheus. Sony is expected to launch Morpheus sometime during the first half of 2016 for consumers, and Sony said its on schedule.

"In terms of development, it's going very well," said Shuhei Yoshida, president of Sony's Worldwide Studios for Sony Computer Entertainment, in a statement to Engadget. "The hardware is near-complete."

Now that Sony says the team has hardware development locked in, there is more attention towards software development.

Continue reading: Sony: On schedule to launch Project Morpheus during first half of 2016 (full post)

Batman: Arkham Knight is a disastrous PC port, with a 30FPS cap

Anthony Garreffa | Gaming | Jun 23, 2015 7:31 AM CDT

Well... after Rocksteady Studios' kick ass work on Batman: Arkham Asylum, many gamers including myself, were excited to see the studio take control on Batman: Arkham Knight. Well, it looks like they've borked the PC port of it up, with the word 'disappointing' being a true understatement. The NeoGAF forums are filled with posts on Batman: Arkham Knight, with both AMD and NVIDIA owners both noticing issues.

Batman: Arkham Knight seems to be plagued witih multiple issues, with some gamers reporting their hitting a 30FPS performance wall. A workaround has been discovered, but what the hell is Rocksteady doing releasing a game like this with a performance cap of 30FPS in the first place? Did they not test it on PCs?

Other problems with the PC version of Batman: Arkham Knight are massive performance issues, with stuttering and audio glitches being noticed by many gamers.

Continue reading: Batman: Arkham Knight is a disastrous PC port, with a 30FPS cap (full post)

Europol trying to combat Islamic State social media recruiting efforts

Michael Hatamoto | Internet & Websites | Jun 22, 2015 11:40 PM CDT

Europol wants to combat the Islamic State online, trying to keep track of almost 50,000 Twitter accounts with suspected ties to the terrorist organization. The United States seems to doubt its own ability to fight IS online, and the group continues to recruit new fighters and young women into its ranks in Iraq and Syria.

If all goes according to plan, the new efforts would be able to shutdown Twitter accounts within two hours of creation - and is designed to be an "effective way of combating the problem," said Rob Wainright, director of Europol, in a statement to BBC.

However, trying to identify and track all social media accounts with suspected IS ties is not feasible. "We will have to combine what we see online, with our own intelligence and that is shared with us by European police services, so we can be a bit more targeted and identify who the key user accounts are... and concentrate on closing them down."

Continue reading: Europol trying to combat Islamic State social media recruiting efforts (full post)

Project Cars 2 announced, will be bigger and better than the first

Anthony Garreffa | Gaming | Jun 22, 2015 11:29 PM CDT

Slightly Mad Studios has officially announced a sequel to Project Cars is entering development, with Project Cars 2 to follow its predecessor in being crowdfunded. Project Cars 2 will hit the Xbox One, PS4, PC and Steam OS. You can check out all the details, and fund Project Cars 2 right here.

Project Cars 2 will be much bigger and better than the original, with 50 unique locations, 200+ courses, dynamic time of day and weather, 40+ different vehicle classes and a cooperative career. Slightly Mad Studios teases: "Building upon the huge success of Project CARS being one of the highest-rated and fastest-selling racing games of this generation, Project CARS 2 continues to expand, innovate, and dominate with:"

Continue reading: Project Cars 2 announced, will be bigger and better than the first (full post)

EUROCOM adds another beast laptop to the market, the P5 Pro Extreme

Chris Smith | Laptops | Jun 22, 2015 11:17 PM CDT

Complete with an Intel Core i7-4790K or i7-5775C desktop processor, an upgradable NVIDIA Quadro of GTX 900 series graphics chip, 32GB of RAM and with capacity for up to 5.2TB of total storage, Eurocom has come out of the blocks swinging once again with this amazing piece of technology.

There's also the option throw in an AMD Radeon R9-M290X if that is what you're more interested in. Set to power the highest available models 15.6-inch 4K QFHD screen, it will certainly look amazing either way.

With two M.2. SSD slots on hand to solve all of your storage needs, PCIe SSDs are further supported for optimal performance. If you're interested in more information, head to the official announcement here.

Continue reading: EUROCOM adds another beast laptop to the market, the P5 Pro Extreme (full post)

Gaming world seems to like virtual reality, but we need the content

Michael Hatamoto | Extended Reality (XR) | Jun 22, 2015 2:20 PM CDT

There is no question that virtual reality headsets could drastically change the gaming world - but if the Oculus Rift, Project Morpheus, and other products want instant success, there must be appealing content to win us over.

"You're in a store and you're looking at a display, and here's all the head-mounted displays and then it costs $200 or $300," said Tony Christopher, CEO of Landmark Entertainment Group, in a statement published by NPR. "Why would you ever buy it when you don't know why you're buying it? You wouldn't."

I've tested the Oculus Rift DK1 and DK2 in a number of different games, and the potential is clearly there. Playing a game like Skyrim, and walking through the towns - or engaging a bandit with a melee character - is spectacular. I've played a few racing games and flight simulators using DK1, and there is just so much potential here.

Continue reading: Gaming world seems to like virtual reality, but we need the content (full post)

Activision discusses news that Call of Duty is now 'home' with Sony

Michael Hatamoto | Gaming | Jun 22, 2015 1:25 PM CDT

Microsoft wasn't shocked when Activision announced Sony would become the new 'home' of Call of Duty, giving PlayStation 4 gamers the chance to receive all content first.

Not surprisingly, Activision wants to make sure its games have a good playing experience, regardless if a gamer is using a PC, Microsoft Xbox One or PS4 - however, now is the time to partner with Sony, as the company has "a lot of momentum" with the PS4.

"Maybe Sony's the one that made an interesting switch? The thing behind it, it was the right partnership at the right time, for the right reasons, for all parties involved," said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision, in a statement to GamesBeat. "I'd rather not talk about the inside baseball stuff. Both platforms matter to us. We want to create great experiences on both platforms. We're going to do that. No matter where you play Call of Duty or Destiny or any of our games, we'll deliver the best possible experience on each platform as we always have. In the case of Call of Duty, everyone gets all the content as well."

Continue reading: Activision discusses news that Call of Duty is now 'home' with Sony (full post)

Treyarch actually made AI in Black Ops 3 too good, had to limit it

Michael Hatamoto | Gaming | Jun 22, 2015 12:30 PM CDT

Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 will feature extremely developed artificial intelligence, so gamers will get to enjoy a more unique playing experience.

Ideally, AI is able to pose a challenge to gamers, and be a bit more dynamic - but the studio had to be careful not to make the AI too difficult to overcome:

"The enemies make a reasonable, intelligent choice at all times," said Jason Blundell, Black Ops 3 campaign director at Treyarch, in the latest issue of Edge magazine. "One soldier may have an SMG, but his mentality could be 'I want to keep my distance,' 'I want to protect this point' or 'I need to flank.' The problem was reining that system in so the AI agents weren't too good."

Continue reading: Treyarch actually made AI in Black Ops 3 too good, had to limit it (full post)

Cutting edge medical research includes VR, laser, mobile apps

Michael Hatamoto | Extended Reality (XR) | Jun 22, 2015 11:41 AM CDT

Everything from virtual reality and lasers to mobile apps are helping create new opportunities in the medical world - and some of those technologies were recently demonstrated at the Digital Health Summer Summit at the UCSF Medical Center.

UCSF wants to embrace possible disruptive technologies, such as a virtual reality tour of your own brain, or testing an app that mixes big data with 3D images. It will take significantly more time to work out possible bugs, but the use of mobile technologies, augmented reality and VR in the operating room in the past, so it will be a topic of discussion again in the future.

"We have people here on the front lines doing tremendously innovative things," said Dr. Aenor Sawyer, a UCSF Medical Center leader in digital health innovation, while speaking to attendees. "We hope to be part of the wave disrupting health care."

Continue reading: Cutting edge medical research includes VR, laser, mobile apps (full post)

Ex-Machina director Alex Garland shares his thoughts about AI

Michael Hatamoto | Science, Space, & Robotics | Jun 22, 2015 8:30 AM CDT

Screenwriter and director Alex Garland, the mastermind behind Ex-Machina, recently answered questions regarding artificial intelligence. Of particular interest was when Garland spoke regarding sentient and non-sentient technology - sentient is a term used to describe the ability to perceive or feel things.

When asked about the idea that non-sentient technology has the capacity for good or danger, he offered the following thoughts:

"No. It wouldn't be capable of good or evil in that way, because it is not sentient," Garland said during a recent conference call. " And [whether] they have a good or evil aspect [...] would be defined by the humans, the sentient things that are defining it, and controlling it and using it, essentially. [... Our] whole system of right and meaning [...] behind intention and in our action is based on [being] sentient."

Continue reading: Ex-Machina director Alex Garland shares his thoughts about AI (full post)

BIOSTAR announced its new N3150NH motherboard with an Intel N3150

Chris Smith | Motherboards | Jun 22, 2015 7:36 AM CDT

Complete with an Intel Celeron N3150 1.6G Quad-core CPU built in to the motherboard, BIOSTAR has enabled its N3150NH model to support up to 8GB of DDR3L-1600 or 16GB DDR3L-1066 memory.

Other features include one PCI-E 2.0 slot, a gigabit Realtek RTL8111H Ethernet controller, Realtek ALC662 6 Channel HD Audio, HDMI and VGA-out.

With gamers in mind, BIOSTAR added in a recent press release that this motherboard features Smart Speed LAN - allowing a program to monitor your "PC's network behavior," meaning you can prioritize what is important and limit whatever is not.

Continue reading: BIOSTAR announced its new N3150NH motherboard with an Intel N3150 (full post)

AMD Radeon R9 Nano is a tiny, HBM super-powered video card

Anthony Garreffa | Graphics Cards | Jun 22, 2015 3:41 AM CDT

Sure, the AMD Radeon R9 Fury X gets all of the attention, but I think one of the best video cards to be released this year is going to be the Fiji-based Radeon R9 Nano. I think we're going to see an entire new class of Mini-ITX-based PCs that will pack a serious performance punch, made possible by the R9 Nano.

The Radeon R9 Nano is a tiny little card, as long as the x16 PCIe port it goes into, and consumes just 175W of power from its single 8-pin PCIe power connector.

As you can see, it fits in my hand without a problem - which can't be said for any flagship video card on the market right now. Just imagine a super-powered Steam Machine or 4K-capable PC that can sit next to your PC, virtually silent, thanks to the HBM-powered R9 Nano.

Continue reading: AMD Radeon R9 Nano is a tiny, HBM super-powered video card (full post)

AMD's dual GPU version of the Radeon R9 Fury X will be out this year

Anthony Garreffa | Graphics Cards | Jun 22, 2015 3:19 AM CDT

Exclusive: I've just run back to my hotel room after being at the Australian launch of the new Radeon 300 and Fury line of video cards, where AMD teased their new Radeon R9 Fury X, R9 Nano, and the PCB of a dual-GPU based on two Fiji cores using HBM. When I pressed AMD about a release date for the dual-GPU solution, we were exclusively told that it would be "this year".

With only six months of the year left, we should see AMD until what I'm predicting will be the Radeon R9 Fury X2 in November. I also pressed them about the name, but they said they weren't confirming that at this time.

But it was the PCB of the dual-GPU that I wanted to run to first, so while the rest of the Australian media and partners walked to the rear of the room to check out the Fury X-powered PCs and Oculus Rift Crescent Bay prototype headsets, I rushed the stage to get my hands on the PCB. You can see the PCB packs two Fiji GPUs, both rocking High Bandwidth Memory which you can see quite clearly.

Continue reading: AMD's dual GPU version of the Radeon R9 Fury X will be out this year (full post)

PowerColor shows off its PCS+ Radeon R7 300, R9 300 video card range

Chris Smith | Graphics Cards | Jun 22, 2015 2:29 AM CDT

Adding to the myriad of AMD Radeon Radeon R7 300 and R9 300 releases is that of PowerColor and its PCS+ series announcement, marking a long stint of AMD graphics manufacturing ranging back to 1997.

PowerColor shows off its PCS+ Radeon R7 300, R9 300 video card range

The PCS+ R9 390X/390 models come complete with 8GB of GDDR5 memory and 2816 stream processors adding to a 1060MHz and 1010MHz core clock respectively. As for cooling, PowerColor claimed in its latest press release that "the anodized back plate is attached to the back of the card to protect the components as well as helping to lower the temperature" in addition to a fan controller which ensures minimal RPM is upheld in low-use environments.

Supporting Virtual Super Resolution, FreeSync, Liquid VR and 4K resolution applications, the whole range of cards is expected to be released soon with no pricing currently listed.

Continue reading: PowerColor shows off its PCS+ Radeon R7 300, R9 300 video card range (full post)

Google Chrome has snuck in an audio listener onto your PC

Chris Smith | Software & Apps | Jun 22, 2015 2:28 AM CDT

If you're a Google Chrome user, on the 17th of June your browser will have downloaded and installed an audio listener onto your computer as reported by We Are Change.

Google Chrome has snuck in an audio listener onto your PC

This was discovered by a user noticing that microphone and audio capture were now switched automatically to "Yes" on their PC, allowing Google to listen in to what's going on through the help of your beloved internet browser without consent.

Said to be added in order to ensure "Ok, Google" working quickly and efficiently, many users are upset about this claimed breach of their privacy as it basically means Google can listen in at any time without asking you to install this update.

Continue reading: Google Chrome has snuck in an audio listener onto your PC (full post)

NASA wants to find out if Jupiter's moon of Europa supports life

Michael Hatamoto | Science, Space, & Robotics | Jun 22, 2015 1:48 AM CDT

NASA wants to launch a mission to Jupier's moon Europa, as it seems like the most logical place in the Earth's solar system able to support life. Beneath Europa's icy surface, researchers believe they will be able to find liquid oceans.

NASA wants to find out if Jupiter's moon of Europa supports life

Despite being about half the size of our planet's moon, some scientists estimate there could be twice as much water as the Earth has. Based on the NASA Galileo Mission that studied Jupiter in the late 1990s, it would appear Europa has all the necessary ingredients for life: plenty of salt water, a rocky sea floor, and tidal heating that contribute necessary energy and chemistry.

If everything goes according to plan, NASA wants to launch a spacecraft sometime in the 2020s, which would take the several year journey. Orbiting the entire planet of Jupiter every two weeks, NASA researchers would have plenty of chances to capture data about Europa.

Continue reading: NASA wants to find out if Jupiter's moon of Europa supports life (full post)

ASUS develops 0 dBA idle Radeon video cards

Chris Smith | Graphics Cards | Jun 22, 2015 1:31 AM CDT

If silent is what you're seeking, ASUS has now shown off its Radeon R9 390 and Radeon R9 390X cards featuring an all-new triple-fan STRIX DirectCU 3 cooling setup - this technology ensures that all the fans are switched off when the card is at idle, quoted by TechPowerUp as "common desktop / light-3D loads."

ASUS develops 0 dBA idle Radeon video cards

With this air cooler said to be identical to that seen in the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti STRIX, ASUS has developed a giant aluminum fin-stack heat sink, attached to the GPU by four 10mm nickel plated copper pipes and cooled by three 100mm fans.

Complete with a 50MHz core overclock when compared to the 1000 MHz reference, the R9 390 STRIX is slightly edged out by the 390X which sits at 1070 MHz compared to 1050 MHz reference.

Continue reading: ASUS develops 0 dBA idle Radeon video cards (full post)

Researchers testing the limits of virtual reality for the real-world

Michael Hatamoto | Extended Reality (XR) | Jun 21, 2015 11:40 PM CDT

The Virtual Human Interaction Lab at Stanford University has the unique research task of seeing how virtual reality can be used so humans are able to improve our relationships in the real-world. The lab has studied VR for more than 10 years, but the past few years have provided great opportunities with the emergence of Oculus, Project Morpheus, and other hardware platforms.

The gaming potential for VR is huge, but there are other tasks that could be used to help educate and inform the public. One task is using VR so we can experience what it's like to be a refugee living in an active conflict zone, which would help improve human empathy. Another topic of focus is geared towards training and simulations that can be utilized prior to real-world work experience.

"Virtual reality is an experience. Your brain is saying to you 'This isn't real,' but the back of your brain says 'Wow, this feels real to me,'" explained Jeremy Bailenson, director of the Virtual Human Interaction Lab, in a statement to CBS News. "We like to say the brain is not yet evolve to know that a virtual experience is not real."

Continue reading: Researchers testing the limits of virtual reality for the real-world (full post)

Are you ready for GIGABYTE's AMD Radeon R9 300 and R7 300 Series?

Chris Smith | Graphics Cards | Jun 21, 2015 11:29 PM CDT

Adding to the range of video cards on offer is GIGABYTE with its AMD Radeon R9 300 and R7 300 Series, running off its very own WindForce air cooling technology.

Are you ready for GIGABYTE's AMD Radeon R9 300 and R7 300 Series?

With the whole G1.Gaming range being factory overclocked, its GV-R736OC-2GD brandishes core speeds of 1200 MHz out of the box cooled by a single 90mm fan. This sits alongside the GV-R737WF2OC-2GD/4GD (2GB and 4GB models) which sits at a factory overclocked core speed of 1015 MHz and is cooled by a WindForce 2X setup.

The top of the range is pictured through the R9 390 and 390X, featuring 2-slot designs complete with 2 fan WindForce 2X cooling and running at core speeds of 1025MHz and 1060MHz respectively.

Continue reading: Are you ready for GIGABYTE's AMD Radeon R9 300 and R7 300 Series? (full post)

Nintendo thinking of opportunities away from just gaming consoles

Michael Hatamoto | Gaming | Jun 21, 2015 10:30 PM CDT

Nintendo is best known as a gaming company with a focus on video game consoles and handhelds, but company officials want to embrace new technologies. It looks like Nintendo wants to help create a gaming ecosystem that combines gaming hardware, video games and the gaming community - and everything is on the table.

"We're a development-driven company," said Charlie Scibetta, senior director of corporate communications at Nintendo, in a statement to Forbes. "With the people that make the games back at NCL and our localization staff here, they're always thinking, 'Is this fun to play or not?' They're not thinking about increasing market share, trying to branch into new areas of entertainment. It really comes back to, 'Is this a fun experience?' If everything goes through that filter, then we think we're going to stay on the right course."

Nintendo has spoken publicly about its desire to focus more on mobile gaming opportunities, with at least five mobile game titles expected by March 2017.

Continue reading: Nintendo thinking of opportunities away from just gaming consoles (full post)

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