Latest News - Page 2876

Hardware maker Phanteks showed off a new color of one of its recent flagship products, the Enthoo Primo White Edition gaming PC chassis. The White Edition features touches of black on the largely white case, along with white LED lighting provides a unique look that many PC owners now expect. Proprietary mounting brackets make removing and installing new hardware easier, while cables are hidden from view with a reservoir bracket. There is major cooling potential for gaming and overclocking with the Enthoo Primo White Edition, with water cooling support and a PSU thermally isolated from the rest of the case.

The Phanteks Enthoo Primo White Edition will be released in February and have a $249.99 MSRP.

As hardware speeds continue to increase, many PC users are finding the need for a specific type of case, depending on room size, portability, cooling options, and other factors.

The Sony PlayStation 4 game console has reportedly racked up more than 4.2 million units sold worldwide since launch time in mid-to-late November to most major markets. Early last month, Sony said it sold 2.1 million units worldwide, with the company clearly having a successful 2013 Christmas shopping season.

"The momentum of the PS4 system keeps getting stronger, and we couldn't be more thrilled gamers worldwide are enjoying the incredibly immersive gaming experiences along with deep social capabilities and entertainment provided by our network," said Andrew House, Sony Computer Entertainment President and CEO, in a statement. "After a remarkable launch, we look forward to bringing even more exciting content and continuing to explore the power of the PS4 system by adding new features and services, including PlayStation Now, in 2014."

Meanwhile, the Xbox One reportedly sold 3 million units to close out 2013, as Microsoft is reportedly proud of the console's early success. Xbox One should outsell the PS4 in the United States, while the Japanese company is able to cater better to international gamers. More gamers want to use a single device in the living room, so the ability to support streaming content, social media, and more robust software is common.

CES 2014 - If you've been waiting for a new smartphone to be unveiled from Sony, the Japanese giant took the CES 2014 event in Las Vegas to announce its new Xperia Z1S smartphone.

The Xperia Z1S will be an exclusive to T-Mobile in the United States, but the smartphone itself is pretty identical to the Xperia Z1 with just a few changes. The first of which is the Z1S has an IP58 water resistance rating, which means it is completely waterproof. Normally a "waterproof" smartphone is simply "water-resistant", but the Xperia Z1S is the real deal.

Filling out the hardware side of things, we have a 2.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, 3000mAh battery, 5-inch 1920x1080-pixel "Triluminous" Sony display, a 20.7-megapixel rear-facing camera and Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. Sony Mobile US President, Ravi Nookala, has said: "As a waterproof smartphone complete with the best of Sony's technology, Xperia Z1s breaks the mold of not only what you can do with a smartphone, but where you can take it. Building on the momentum of the successful partnership for the launch of Xperia Z, T-Mobile's shared vision of delivering an uncompromised mobile experience makes them the perfect exclusive partner to bring Xperia Z1s to the U.S."

CES 2014 - Razer has just unveiled its first foray into the fitness tracking smartwatch world at CES 2014, by introducing the Razer Nabu. Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan said: "We are calling it a cross between a smartwatch and a fitness band. It's a wearable device focused on helping you live smarter."

Razer's Nabu is a mashup of the traditional fitness tracking band, and the latest smartwatches. Nabu features two notification screens, one that displays the usual watch face, with the opposite side displaying wellness data and smartphone notifications. Nabu tracks your steps walked, distance traveled, and it will monitor your sleeping patterns, too.

The gaming peripheral maker suggests a battery life of around 7-10 hours, and is rain and splash proof. The Nabu is available to developers right now at a cost of $49, but this price should increase considerably when it reaches consumers.

CES 2014 - Be Quiet made their push into the US Market back in 2012 with their release of its Dark Power Pro 10 line of power supplies, and its presence at CES 2014 is a testament to the company's commitment to bringing high-quality PC power supplies and cooling solutions to its US customers. Today we stopped by their suite to check out what new products they brought to the show.

Be Quiet's already expansive line of PSUs is slated to grow even larger in 2014 and with the addition of the new 1200 watt Dark Power Pro 10, the company has even more premium hardware to please hard-core and high-end PC enthusiast across the US who have power-hungry systems.

We spoke with Christoph Katzer about the new products that Be Quiet is showing off this year, and he appeared to be very excited about the new CPU coolers as well as PSUs. Katzer said that Be Quiet is dedicated to bringing high-quality products to the market while keeping things affordable.

CES 2014 - During ASUS' keynote speech at CES 2014, ASUS chairman and all-round cool guy Jonney Shih announced a new range of smartphones from the Taiwanese giant, the ZenFone series.

ASUS' ZenFone series comes in multiple products: ZenFone 4, 5, and 6. Starting with the ZenFone 4, which is a low-end smartphone with a 4-inch display and measly 800x480 resolution, it has a 5-megapixel rear-snapper, and is powered by Intel's Atom Z2520 CPU clocked at 1.2GHz. The ASUS ZenFone 4 will be priced at just $99 - a steal!

Moving onto the ZenFone 5, which features the Intel Atom Z2580 CPU clocked at 2GHz. It has a 1280x720-pixel 5-inch display, and an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera. The ZenFone 5 will retail for $149.

CES 2014 - Corsair has released countless other cases, but it has never dabbled in the mini-ITX market, until now. The company has just unveiled its new Obsidian 250D, a new mini-ITX case.

Even with its small footprint, Corsair's new Obsidian 250D is capable of taking full-sized water cooling units, full-length video cards, and full-sized PSUs. There are two fans inside of the Obsidian 250D, one 140mm and one 120mm, which should keep both noise and temperatures down. A full-sized 5.25-inch optical drive bay is included, as is a pair of 3.5/2.5-inch bays.

One of the more important parts: dimensions. Corsair's Obsidian 250D measures in at 11.4 x 10.9 x 13.81 inches, or 290mm x 277mm x 351.2mm. This all weighs in at 4.4 kg, or 9.7 lbs. The Obsidian 250D is available later this month for a suggested retail price of $89.99.

CES 2014 - Corsair is on a rampage today, unveiling its new AX1500i PSU and Hydro Series H105 cooler, but now we have two new cases to discuss with you. The new cases are part of Corsair's Graphite Series, known as the Graphite Series 760T and 730T.

Both the Graphite Series 760T and 730T cases are full-tower cases, with the 760T available in either black or Arctic White, and has loads of room for your high-end components. It has nine expansion slots which is great for multi-GPU setups, as well as six 3.5- or 2.5-inch HDD mounts, which can also be relocated to any of the four separate mounting locations - or if you're like me - you can remove them completely.

The 760T has one panel nearly transparent - which will look striking on your desk - and the other is opaque, so that you can peek inside of your rig. Both panels are hinged to the rear, allowing them to swing open to provide complete access to the innards of your PC. We also have two LED-lit AF140L 140mm cooling fans at the front, and another at the rear taking care of cooling duties inside of the Graphite Series 760T case. Liquid cooling is encouraged with the 760T, with it being capable of housing a 360mm top radiator and 280mm front mount.

CES 2014 - Corsair just announced its new AX1500i PSU, and have a one-two punch when it comes to the enthusiast with the announcement of its new Hydro Series H105 cooler.

The new H105 cooler features a dual-fan 240mm radiator, which is now 38mm thick. The thicker radiator will improve heat dissipation greatly, and the included high-performance SP120L PWM 120mm fans should keep the noise levels down, too. The new tool-free CPU mounting block will make installing the Hydro Series H105 cooler easier than ever - something enthusiasts should enjoy.

The Corsair Hydro Series H105 cooler is available immediately, for an MSRP of $119.99.

CES 2014 - Corsair has just outed its new AX1500i PSU, which is the "most technologically advanced, energy efficient, and customizable power supply available for extreme PC enthusiasts".

Corsair's new AX1500i is capable of powering 4-way NVIDIA and AMD multi-GPU solutions, with power to spare - something that can't be said for most of the high-wattage PSUs on the market today. Corsair's AX1500i has 94% efficiency at 50% load at 115V, features 8 PCI-E cables to drive 4 GPUs, a custom-designed fluid dynamic bearing 140mm low-noise fan, and a Silent Zero RPM Fan Mode, which drives the AX1500i at 450W without the fan spinning, as well as "ultra-quiet operation" at full 1500W output.

The high-end PC components maker has provided a brilliant 7-year warranty on its AX1500i, ensuring you'll be fine with it for nearly a decade, and a $449.99 MSRP. It will be available in Q2 2014.

CES 2014 - Broadcom has just unveiled its super-speed 5G Wi-Fi chips, which will be capable of tripling the typical bandwidth found in the average consumers' home.

Broadcom announced the new technology at CES 2014, where it will make it easier to stream video through routers, gateways, STBs, digital TVs, and much more in the home. The company is offering up two 5G Wi-Fi systems that will hopefully break through any walls in any home, with the chips capable of reducing interference when one person plays an online game, while another streams video content from one device to another.

The new Broadcom BCM43569 wireless networking chip will allow smart TVs to receive both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth signals, simultaneously. Better yet, the BCM43602 can offline processing from a CPU for Wi-Fi networking, with both chips offering support for beamforming, or taking advantage of noise to increase available bandwidth.

CES 2014 - Google has confirmed it is working with Audi, GM, Honda, Hyundai and NVIDIA to open the Open Automotive Alliance, or OAA, which will see the companies collaborating on innovation in the automotive sector.

Patrick Brady, Director of Android Engineering has said: "In this multi-screen world, switching between our different devices should be easy and seamless. Common platforms allow for one connected experience across our phone, tablet and PC, so we get the right information at the right time, no matter what device we're using. But there's still an important device that isn't yet connected as seamlessly to the other screens in our lives - the car."

What this will result in, is better use of in-car controls thanks to the Android OS, with improved hands-free control as a standard, and much more. Brady adds: "Together with our OAA partners, we're working to enable new forms of integration with Android devices, and adapting Android for the car to make driving safer, easier and more enjoyable for everyone. Putting Android in the car will bring drivers apps and services they already know and love, while enabling automakers to more easily deliver cutting-edge technology to their customers."

CES 2014 - LG has just unveiled the world's first flexible OLED TV, coming in at a massive 77 inches. What is good about a flexible TV? Well, you can use the included remote control to bend, and unbend the TV - pretty incredible.

LG has offered us an OLED display here, compared to fellow South Korean rival Samsung, who have only used LED - and even then, it was just a prototype from Samsung. LG's flexible OLED is production-ready, and will be hitting store shelves soon. Hyun-hwoi Ha, President and CEO of LG's Home Entertainment Company says: "LG's Flexible OLED TV is a product that has to be seen to be believed because it defies description. What curved is to flat, flexible is to curved. LG continues to lead the evolution of televisions into the next generation."

CES 2014 - Vizio is expanding its line up of 4K-capable TVs, with its first consumer-grade 4K TV. The new Vizio P Series of TVs will arrive in sizes between 50 and 70 inches.

Vizio says the P Series "is the culmination of advanced picture quality, powerful performance and a beautifully simple Ultra HD experience." What this translates to, is the P Series featuring advanced local dimming, a backlight that has 64 Active LED Zones, and Vizio's custom silicon.

Better yet, there's another set of TVs that Vizio will be pushing, the Reference Series. Vizio's Reference Series TVs are the best TV panels that the company has ever produced. With Vizio's Reference Series aimed at videophiles and "custom integrators". The Reference Series are also 4K-capable, but with High Dynamic Range (HDR) tech.

CES 2014 - Not to be confused with the guy who created Minecraft, but Notch is a new motion tracker that takes motion tracking to an entire new level.

Every single sensor in Notch collects accelerometer data, with 10 sensors pushing back the data to a user's smartphone at all times. The data collected is enough to allow skeletal tracking, as well as a much more detailed analysis on how your body is moving. Walking isn't a problem, but for physical movements like swinging a tennis racket, or a fly-kick, it will offer much more data into how the mechanics of the body are at that particular time.

Stepan Boltalin, CEO and co-founder calls it "symbolic muscle memory", which is a way of quantifying the motion of the body in a way that most professional athletes only know by physical feel. Boltalin explains: "Martial artists want to know the height of the kick, the amplitude, all of that."

CES 2014 - The director of smash hits like Transformers and Bad Boys walked on stage for a Samsung press event at CES 2014 to talk about its new curved 4K TVs, but what happens next is just awful.

Bay stumbles through his teleprompter, states it fails and then says he'll just "wing it". He fails to gain traction speaking again, turns around, and walks off the stage, leaving a Samsung EVP Joe Stinziano embarrassed, and alone on stage. Considering this was Samsung's biggest marketing event of the year, Bay walking out isn't a good start.

Bay has come out and talked about this, where he has said: "Wow! I just embarrassed myself at CES - I was about to speak for Samsung for this awesome Curved 105-inch UHD TV. I rarely lend my name to any products, but this one is just stellar. I got so excited to talk, that I skipped over the Exec VP's intro line and then the teleprompter got lost.

Set-top box maker Roku is innovating and will spend more time in 2014 focused on supporting streaming services with custom partnerships alongside TV manufacturers. Roku's shift from set-top boxes and moving directly into app support for HDTV makers is a smart strategy for long-term longevity. All content is available on the Roku TV home screen, with the platform currently supporting more than 1,200 apps - and includes partners such as Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Pandora, and Rdio. All updates will be implemented by Roku and rolled out directly into the connected smart TVs.

TV makers TCL and Hisense are the first two manufacturers to jump onboard with Roku, though better known, higher-end companies should eventually jump into the fun. HDTVs supporting Roku TV models will be available fall 2014, with TV sizing expected to range from 32" up to 55".

"Consumers will enjoy the ease and satisfaction of Roku TV while manufacturers leverage our design specifications, content relationships and software expertise," said Anthony Wood, Roku CEO, in a press statement. "At the same time the content community will gain additional distribution and revenues through an already popular and trusted streaming platform - now in the TV."

CES 2014 - We've already seen the Consumer Electronics Show 2014 start off, unofficially, with a bunch of 4K goodies being announced, with Qualcomm not being left out on its own - with the company announcing its new SoC, the Snapdragon 802.

Qualcomm's Snapdragon 802 SoC is destined for TVs, where it is a TV-specific quad-core SoC that borrows features from the Snapdragon 800 SoC, and the "Ultra HD" 805 chip for mobile video. The Snapdragon 802 is all about powering 4K content in your living room, with the processor capable of multi-tasking, where it can easily handle browsing the Internet, or switching things up and streaming a movie or playing four HD video streams on your TV.

The Snapdragon 802 also has HQV, or Hollywood Quality Video, a video-processing engine which upconverts 1080p content to a level "approaching Ultra HD." The actual specs of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 802 are: a quad-core 1.8GHz Krait CPU, Adreno 330 GPU, two-stream dual-band 802.11ac, AllJoyn integration and Snapdragon Studio Access content protection.

CES 2014 - Lenovo has just finished taking the wrapping off its new ThinkVision Pro2840m 4K-capable display, but now we're hearing about the new N308 all-in-one PC, and a new 4K display with Google's mobile OS, Android, on-board.

The Lenovo ThinkVision 28 is the first 4K monitor to feature Android, but is being pushed as a professional 4K display first, with the Android desktop when required. The new ThinkVision 28 display features three HDMI ports, one DisplayPort, and five USB 3.0 ports for connectivity. Matt Bereda, Lenovo's Marketing Director, said: "Now you get a very high resolution display that you can use for work situations, as well as being able to have an Android interface that can access applications."

Inside of the ThinkVision 28 is an NVIDIA Tegra processor, and stock version of Android. One of the standout features here is that there is no Lenovo UI being splashed over the stock Android OS - which is a nice surprise. Bereda added: "There are base Android apps installed, similar to what you'd get with your phone. You can expect a similar interface. Kind of the baseline video, camera type of apps, but then you will also be able to download others."

CES 2014 - Lenovo has just announced a brand spanking new display that should have the tech world excited: the new ThinkVision Pro2840m monitor, which is a 28-inch, 4K-capable display priced at the competitive price of $799.

The new 28-inch 4K display will push out 3840x2160, and is one of two 4K-capable displays Lenovo is showing off at CES this year. Lenovo wants to deliver 4K-capable displays to its customers as soon as it can, with aggressive prices, which it has hit easily at $799. Matt Bereda, Marketing Director for Lenovo's Think Business Group said: "It's an ideal device for someone working with high-end graphics".

Lenovo's ThinkVision Pro2840m features DisplayPort, mini DisplayPort and HDMI inputs, and has adjustable orientation. We also have MHL (mobile high-definition link) capabilities and is expected to ship in April.