Latest News - Page 2868

It appears that yet another popular website will be closing its doors forever due to "business issues." Gamespy.com has just announced that it will be shutting down its website along with all of its PC gaming servers, effective May 31st. Gamespy has been a staple in the PC gaming community since 1999, and it appears that it will not make it past 14 years old.

"Just to be clear, we're not being shut down because PC gaming isn't a big, important, and growing thing -- because it is. That's not even debatable. It's not even because the GameSpy staff did a bad job of talking about it. Hell, from where I'm sitting we did an awesome job," said GameSpy's Dan Stapleton. "Why is this closure happening, then? It's a business thing, and like most business things it's not easy to explain or understand unless you spend all day crunching numbers and paying bills. Which I don't. So here's the simple version that even I can comprehend: Ziff Davis wants to run an efficient, focused company, and managing several different sites that all cover videogames isn't exactly the model of efficiency. "

Stapleton went on to say that the GameSpy staff will go on to write for other gaming media outlets such as IGN, and that they will continue to bring readers what they need to know about the current state of gaming. It's a sad day to see a staple like GameSpy fall, but such is the way of many sites that have been acquired by Ziff Davis over the years, and I am sure that this will not be the last to shutter its windows.

The USB 3.0 promoter's group have finalized its design for the next USB connector. The USB 3.1 Type C cable and ports are designed specifically for providing easier connectivity with notebooks, tablets and even smartphones such as Samsung Galaxy Note 3 which uses micro USB 3.0 port.

Another main feature is that the connectors are reversible. This way end users shouldn't be confused with which end of the connector goes to the device and the system. The newer connector is said to be as thin as micro-USB 2.0 made to be robust enough for notebooks and tablets, and even slim enough for mobile phones. It will also eventually replace existing micro USB 3.0 connectors.

The Type-C USB 3.1 connector also doubles up to 10 Gbps transfer speed. According to a spokesperson, the specification is scheduled to be completed by July, and products with the new connector should be out by end of this year.

Being one of those people who love to tear things apart to see what makes them tick, I look forward to iFixit's new device teardown every time something new is released. This weeks Amazon Fire TV was no exception, but it is a little disappointing to say the least. iFixit managed the teardown in no time at all, and what was reveled is a single-board design that leaves little repair room that a DIYer would be capable of.

Scoring just a 6 out of a possible 10, the Fire TV is nothing more than another board in a box, meaning that no other electronic components reside off of its PCB. This is the way most devices are being manufactured in modern times as components are continuing to shrink and SoC's are increasingly becoming more powerful and capable of multi-tasking. The device does feature a Qualcomm Processor, 2GB of RAM and 8GB of NAND flash. It's basically any smartphone produced in the last two years minus the screen.

iFixit also tore down the devices remote and optional video game controller since the main box provided little eye-candy for the post. Just like the Fire TV, its accessories are simple single board devices that are quite hard for the average consumer to repair. iFixit did manage to confirm that the microphone that has been utilized in the remote control is the same microphone used in the Kindle Fire HD table.

XYZ Printing has just unveiled two new 3D Printers to its da Vinci line of affordable 3D Printers. The new da Vinci 2.0 Duo, and da Vinci 2.1 Duo Plus bring several new features to the popular da Vinci 3D Printer. The new da Vinci 2.0 Duo and 2.1 Duo Plus are dual-nozzle 3D printers that are capable of printing in 2 colors at once, with the da Vinci 2.1 Duo Plus functioning as a completely stand-alone unit.

The da Vinci 2.1 Duo Plus features Wi-Fi connectivity, and allows remote access and printing through a remote app, and allows users to monitor the print via a built-in camera. An easy to use touch-screen panel is also present for added functionality. The new da Vinci 2.1 Duo Plus is capable of printing in two colors at once just like its counterpart, the da Vinci 2.0. The 5-inch touchscreen LCD panel runs a version of Android, and allows users to select models to print that have been placed on a USB thumb drive as well.

"da Vinci 2.1 Duo Plus provides a quality, hassle-free 3D printing experience for new and experienced users so that everyone from the average consumer to small business owners and hobbyists can easily print in 3D from the comfort of their own home," said Simon Shen, the chairman of XYZprinting, Inc. "Our free one year warranty and easy-to-use mobile apps show our commitment to building a superior printing experience. With the da Vinci product line, we are shaking up the industry by providing consumers with a cost-effective way to access high quality 3D printing technology."

A five-year-old boy named Kristoffer Von Hassel from San Diego was able to gain access to his father's Xbox Live account without inserting the right password.

All he had to do was put any wrong password to access second verification screen and then spam it using the space bar!

The incident came into light when a local news station KGTV reported the incident. The preschooler was obviously excited that he was able to gain access to Xbox Live, but then said that he got nervous thinking that his dad would find out. What's interesting is that his father, Robert, works in computer security. As one would imagine, he is very proud of his boy for discovering the flaw.

As far as I can see, one of the few compelling reasons to buy a Wii U is Mario Kart 8. If you are one of the many gamers that have been playing various iterations of this game for years, you will appreciate the latest details of the coming Mario Kart 8 game that have been revealed.

We already know some of the fun in store for the game, like the ability to drive on the ceilings and walls of some levels. Nintendo has now announced some more features for the game including a spin boost power up for when you are on those walks and ceilings.

Spin boost will activate when you bump other characters or certain obstacles on the track. Some new returning characters have also been revealed with Metal Mario, Lakitu, and Shy Guy returning as playable characters.

The United States Patent and Trademark office has raised two objections over Google's request to allow the trademark of the word 'Glass'. Google's application to trademark 'Google Glass' was already accepted and registered. But in the case of registering a common word 'glass', the one year old application raised objections by the application examiner.

The first objection was that the word 'glass' is too similar to other trademarks containing the same word, which would create confusion with the consumers. One of the companies with such trademark name 'Write on Glass' has filed a notice of opposition against Google in December.

But the main objection was that the US federal law does not allow the trademark of generic terms.

There are many people out there that wait eagerly for the latest DLC packs to land for Call of Duty: Ghosts. The new DLC pack for Ghosts has now launched and it brings new maps, weapons, and the latest episode of the Extinction story.

The DLC pack launches first for the Xbox One and Xbox 360. It includes the new tactical 2-in-1 Ripper SMG/Assault Rifle. The new Extinction story is Episode 2: Mayday and follows the fight between humankind and the Cryptids.

Perhaps the best news is that this DLC pack brings the Predator to the game. The DLC includes maps called Ruins, where you will be able to become the Predator. Collision is a map on a crashed ship, Behemoth is atop an excavation platform in South America, and Unearthed is an updated version of the map "Dome" from Modern Warfare 3. The DLC is available for $14.99 or as part of the season pass.

If this release had been published on April 1, I would have thought it was a joke. I see no indication that TigerDirect's latest announcement is anything but real. Tiger has been a place where PC enthusiasts could go to buy hardware since before there was an internet.

TigerDirect has now announced that it plans to expand its product offerings. This appears to be an effort to better compete with Amazon. TigerDirect has announced that it will begin selling home décor, furnishings, pool supplies, and luggage.

This means you can soon buy a new mainboard and video card and add a new comforter for your bed n a whim at checkout. This is the first time that the online and catalog seller will offer these product types. The new product offered will be from some of the big names in those industries. As long as they don't get away from the core tech products that we know them for, all is good.

If you are excited at the thought of getting a new smartwatch onto your wrist and use a Samsung smartphone, you may have an eye on one of the new offerings unveiled this year. The Samsung Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo, and Gear Fit are smartwatches that we have talked about before. One of the most notable things about those devices is that they have stepped away from Android.

All of those devices run the Tizen operating system. All of the watches are compatible only with select Samsung smartphones. This is one of the biggest drawbacks to the Gear line, limited compatibility. If they would work with any device, sales would be better.

All three of the devices are up for pre-order on Amazon right now. The Gear 2 sells for $299.99, the Gear 2 Neo sells for $199.99, and the Gear Fit sells for $199.99. All of them are set to launch on April 11. If you order form Amazon you may get the watch by launch date.

Next week on April 10 from 10am till 11am PST (GMT -8:00) we will be hosting a free webinar with Sandisk.

In this webinar, you'll learn how to boost your computer's performance by switching to a Solid State Drive (SSD). Our own SSD experts Chris Ramseyer and Paul Alcorn lay it all out-from faster games to longer battery life and lower power bills.

Topics Include:

Google has suspended its sales of Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide alarm due to a flaw where it can be disabled unintentionally.

Nest CEO Tony Fadell said in the company website,"During recent laboratory testing of the Nest Protect smoke alarm, we observed a unique combination of circumstances that caused us to question whether the Nest Wave could be unintentionally activated. This could delay an alarm going off if there was a real fire."

The devices are equipped with a feature called 'Next Wave' where you can disable by simply standing under the device and wave. However it was found out that there is a strong possibility of accidental deactivation because of this feature.

There are many electric vehicles on the market today and none of them is particularly popular. The EV isn't exactly feasible for many people as their main car. Limited driving range means you can't easily take long trips and if you forget to plug in one night, you are in trouble.

A Japanese firm called SIM-Drive has unveiled its latest EV car and it's a coupe. I hesitate to say that the car looks good, because it's just not that attractive to my eyes. The back end with the 80's style fins for the taillights is particularly unappealing. Looks aside, the EV system in the car is impressive.

Each of the wheels gets its own electric motor and each of those motors produce 87.17 hp and 457.28 lb-ft of torque. That means the EV has a total power output of 348.7 hp and an asphalt destroying 1829.15 lb-ft of torque total.

Square Enix opened up the PS4 beta for Final Fantasy XIV to PS3 and PS gamers a while back. Those gamers who also happened to have a PS4 were invited to participate in the beta on that new game console. That means that many PS4 gamers were left out of the beta action.

If you are a PS4 gamer and like the Final Fantasy franchise, you can now get in on the action. Square Enix has announced that the FF XIV beta is now open to all PS4 gamers. All you need to do to play the game is download the beta version from the PlayStation Store.

You will need a Square Enix account, if you don't have one you can create one easily. The open beta will run from now until 9am on April 7. Another bit of good news for gamers is that the progress you make in the game and characters you create will be saved for play when the full game launches thanks to the beta running on live game servers.

The European parliament has voted on a very important step for the European Union, where it would see roaming fees completely wiped away between EU member states - something that is being bundled as telecom reforms.

The new package was originally proposed by EU lawmaker Neelie Kroes, where it would see Europe move toward being a single market for the mobile world. This news comes on the heels of 4G LTE roaming agreements between European carriers. If the law passes with ministers from member nations, citizens of the EU could see roaming charges being a distant memory.

We could see this pushed in as early as the end of next year. The EU telecom reform package includes stronger protection for net neutrality, which will make it illegal for network providers to block or impose speeds on data based on the sender, or recipient.

The former Creative Director of Naughty Dog, the studio behind the immensely popular Uncharted series, has joined Visceral Games. Amy Henning will work on a new Star Wars project over at EA.

Visceral's Vice President and General Manager, Steve Papooutsis, announced the news through EA's The Beat blog, where he said: "Amy has long been recognized as one of our industry's top visionaries, and is coming off an amazing run as the Writer and Creative Director of the Uncharted franchise. But her contributions go beyond the games she helped create at Naughty Dog and at Crystal Dynamics, where we worked together many years ago".

"As both a colleague and friend, I've always admired her approach to creative development - focusing on nailing down the soul of a game first, and then making sure the writing, the gameplay, the design and the art comes together to form a unified, interactive experience for the player. This fits in perfectly with what we're trying to do here at Visceral and Amy's going to help us continue in our pursuit to make the most thrilling, immersive games in the world".

Video game streaming service, Twitch.TV has just added a new feature to its website today. Users can now enable private chat rooms that are accessible by invite only, which cuts down on the trolls who do what trolls do best. While Twitch already allows users to chat with broadcasters, this new group chat feature lets the broadcaster pick and chose who they wish to allow in their coatroom at any given time.

"One of the most beloved features on Twitch is the ability to chat with the broadcasters and your fellow gamers. In many ways, it's what makes Twitch, Twitch. It's where community memes begin," Twitch said in a blog post. "Where you express your glee, outrage, befuddlement, or amusement, as the case may be. Twitch is a social place, and chat is where the social exchange happens."

Unfortunately, the new group chat feature will remain in beta form, which means that only those who are part of the Twitch Partner Program will be allowed to setup and administer group chats. Normal Twitch members will still be allowed to enter the private group chats though, just not start any themselves. "The beta period is necessary to ensure that Group Chat is stable and scalable before we roll out room creation to everyone. We're always working hard on stability and shoring up the QoS of our chat service in general, and we are keen to roll out this new feature to the rest of the community as quickly as we can," the company concluded.

We know that the Radeon R9 295X2 is coming, very very soon, but VideoCardz.com has an exclusive piece detailing AMD's upcoming dual Hawaii-based GPU. It's quite the beast, so prepare your hearts, wallets and electric bills.

The Radeon R9 295X2 is the first dual-GPU card from AMD based on its impressive Hawaii architecture, where AMD has baked in two fully loaded Hawaii cores, instead of cutting them down for the usual thermal and power consumption issues. We have a total of 8GB of RAM spread across its impressive 512-bit memory bus.

The full specs you can see above, comparing it against the Radeon R9 290X, the just-announced GeForce GTX TITAN Z, and the slightly older but still very relevant GeForce GTX 780 Ti. The new R9 295X2 features two 8-pin PCIe power connectors, with a total TDP of 500W. This is quite high considering the R9 290X has a TDP of 250W, as does the GTX 780 Ti. But, we have two full Hawaii cores here, versus the usual cut down of cores that we see in most dual-GPU cards.

This morning, AOC announced a new 24-inch class monitor designed with serious gaming enthusiast in mind. The new GP2460PQU is a 24-inch 1080p monitor that features a 144Hz refresh rate and a response time of just 1ms. These features produce crystal clear visuals and smooth motion even under the most intense gaming scenarios.

"The AOC G2460PQU is the ultimate gaming monitor with ample connectivity options and a sleek design to meet your competitive gaming needs. The wall-mountable monitor has a black hairline textured design with a sleek red bar at the bottom bezel, and comes with Display Port, HDMI, DVI-Dual Link, VGA, with four USB 2.0 ports," AOC said in a release. "The USB hub includes a fast-charging port for mobile devices that is three times faster than a standard USB port. Plus the monitor's four-way adjustable stand allows gamers to change the monitor height by 130mm, swivel left and right, tilt the screen angle, and pivot 90 degrees to landscape or portrait view to maximize the gaming experience."

The all new AOC G2460PQU is capable of displaying 16.78 million colors across its 1920x1024 display, making it perfect for today's high-resolution games, and video playback. The monitor is capable of switching between several different sizes too, including: 17" Pillar Box (5:4), 19" Pillar Box (5:4), 19" Widescreen (16:10), 21.5" Widescreen (16:9), 22" Widescreen (16:10), 23" Widescreen (16:9) and 24" Widescreen (16:9). The monitor is covered by by AOC's three-year warranty as well as the EASE exchange program, and will retail for just $399.99.

Mozilla's co-founder and CEO, Brendan Eich has come under a lot of fire as of late over a $1000 donation he made to a political group that supported California's Proposition 8, and today he has announced that he will be resigning from the company he helped build. Mozilla says that it takes pride in being held to a different standard, and it knows that it did not live up to that standard over the past week.

"We know why people are hurt and angry, and they are right: it's because we haven't stayed true to ourselves," Mozilla's chairwoman, Mitchell Baker, said on the company's blog. "We didn't act like you'd expect Mozilla to act. We didn't move fast enough to engage with people once the controversy started. We're sorry. We must do better. Brendan Eich has chosen to step down from his role as CEO. He's made this decision for Mozilla and our community."

You will recall that earlier this week, Eich's personal beliefs took center stage when dating website, OKCupid, called him out over the small donation that he made a few years ago. While many feel that his personal beliefs should not be in question, the outcry from the internet seems to have taken its toll. "Hello there, Mozilla Firefox user. Pardon this interruption of your OkCupid experience. Mozilla's new CEO, Brendan Eich, is an opponent of equal rights for gay couples. We would therefore prefer that our users not use Mozilla software to access OkCupid," read a statement on OkCupid's website.