VR: Helping sports fans get an up close & personal experience

Golden State Warriors owner Peter Guber, an outspoken supporter of virtual reality (VR) technology, hopes to see VR help sports fans enjoy the viewing experience in a new way. There are a number of different uses for VR, but finding ways to include it to enhance viewer experience of sports could be a great long-term money maker.

"It doesn't replace being here. That's still a different experience," Guber recently told CNBC. "But it is a phenomenally new and exciting method to bring basketball to disparate communities all over the country."

As CEO of the Mandalay Entertainment Group and investor in NextVR, Guber said the live, on-demand VR content from NextVR should be available within the next year. Pricing details are still being worked out, and while content distribution agreements must be completed, there is a great opportunity to push sports entertainment to the next level.

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Watch: Another glimpse of 'The Peanuts Movie' trailer

Michael Hatamoto | Celebrities & Entertainment | Jun 16, 2015 5:42 PM CDT

20th Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios have released the second movie trailer for The Peanuts Movie, introducing the "little red-haired girl." The computer animated 3D movie is based on Peanuts, created by Charles Schulz, which has been syndicated in 75 countries across the world. The Peanuts Movie will hit the big screen on Nov. 6.

Watch: Another glimpse of 'The Peanuts Movie' trailer

It looks like Charlie Brown is ready to chase around the little red-haired girl, while Lucy is rather mean, and Sally is her usual jolly self.

It turns out there is a lot of early skepticism of the new movie, with some viewers questioning the music choices - while others claim it "feels like a huge money grab." We'll just have to wait and see.

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Introducing the Razer Mamba, world's most advanced gaming mouse

Michael Hatamoto | Peripherals | Jun 16, 2015 4:33 PM CDT

E3 2015 - Gaming peripheral and hardware company Razer has introduced the Razer Mamba, the most advanced gaming mouse in the world.

The mouse has a new 5G laser sensor that can track up to 16,000 DPI, and is being promoted by Razer as the most precise laser sensor in the world. In addition, the Razer Mamba has the Adjustable Click Force Technology, so each individual player can adjust the level of click force needed on the left and right mouse buttons.

The Razer Mamba will be available during Q3 with a $149.99 MSRP.

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AMD recommends the Radeon R9 290 and above for VR gaming

E3 2015 - During the PC Gamer powered PC Gaming Show 2015 at E3, AMD took the stage to announce that you'll need a Radeon R9 290 or higher to game in VR without a problem.

The new Fiji architecture is nearly here, but AMD is saying that the best Oculus Rift experience will take place using a Hawaii-based Radeon R9 290 or above. Of course, the new Radeon 300 series is nearly here, with the new Radeon R9 390X and Radeon R9 Fury X nearly upon us.

Earlier today, SKHynix teased the Radeon R9 Fury X through an official press release. We'll update this post to show you the official news from AMD that the Radeon R9 Fury X exists.

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North Korea cracking down on uncensored mobile Internet access

It appears the North Korean government has cracked down on mobile phone access to foreigners living inside the reclusive country. Foreign residents have been blocked from accessing 3G networks, while North Korean citizens remain unable to visit Internet websites outside of the country. Foreign visitors have the ability to purchase 3G mobile SIM cards, with access only lasting about the same amount of time as their visit.

"Unfortunately we are facing Internet service outage from the local Internet provider's side with no estimated time, we will keep you posted once the service is back to normal," according to a memo sent to subscribers of the Koryolink mobile provider.

The block started on Friday local time, and it's unknown what caused the sudden restriction. Of the country's 24 million residents, about 2.5 million of them are currently phone subscribers. There is concern that users with access to the Internet will find unrestricted information, which can be shared with other residents.

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SKHynix slips, announces the AMD Radeon R9 Fury X with HBM1

Anthony Garreffa | Video Cards & GPUs | Jun 16, 2015 5:00 AM CDT

During Computex 2015, we delivered the world exclusive news that AMD would be calling its HBM-powered next-gen video card the Radeon R9 Fury X, something that SKHynix just confirmed through a press release.

SKHynix said that the new HBM1 used on the Radeon R9 Fury X is made on their advanced 20nm-class DRAM process technology, offering a 1024-bit memory interface, with 128GB/sec. Not only that, but it will consume over 50% less power than traditional GDDR5 used on today's video cards. Thanks to four chips being stacked on top of one another, that 1024-bit interface turns into 4096-bit on the Radeon R9 Fury X, with 512GB/sec of memory bandwidth being made available.

In the press release, SKHynix said: "AMD announced the Radeon R9 Fury X, the world's first video card with HBM technology in Los Angeles on June 16th. The AMD Radeon R9 Fury X video card utilizes 4GB HBM1 to achieve up to 512GB/second memory bandwidth performance while reducing memory subsystem power by up to 85%".

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Guerrilla Games unveils its open world RPG Horizon: Zero Dawn at E3

Anthony Garreffa | Gaming | Jun 16, 2015 3:33 AM CDT

E3 2015 - After months of teasing, Killzone developer Guerrilla Games has unveiled their open world RPG at E3, known as Horizon: Zero Dawn.

Guerrilla Games unveils its open world RPG Horizon: Zero Dawn at E3

Horizon: Zero Dawn is a PS4 exclusive action RPG, set in a world after humanity has fallen to shreds, with the cities of the world turned into wastelands, filled with foliage, trees and life. In Horizon: Zero Dawn, you'll play as Aloy, a killer hunter, where you'll be able to explore the vast environments that are filled with mysterious mechanized creatures that pose a considerable threat. There are tribal societies to mingle with, ancient artifacts, and advanced technologies that you'll be introduced to in Horizon: Zero Dawn.

A full list of features is available below:

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Ubisoft's 'For Honor' lets you play as a Knight, Viking or Samurai

Anthony Garreffa | Gaming | Jun 16, 2015 1:32 AM CDT

E3 2015 - Ubisoft has announced a new IP franchise at E3 2015, something known as For Honor. For Honor will let you play as one of the three great warrior legacies: a Knight, Viking, or a mysterious Samurai.

For Honor lets you step into the huge war between these three warriors, with Ubisoft describing the game as a "fast-paced, competitive experience mixing skill, strategy, and teamplay with visceral melee combat". For Honor's innovative control system is called 'The Art of Battle' giving you total control over your heroes. Each hero has their own specific skills and weapons, too.

Ubisoft's ambitious game will be available on Xbox One, PS4 and PC with some slick key features:

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Crytek unveils Robinson: The Journey, their first VR game

E3 2015 - We've been hearing rumbles about Crytek's VR game, where we got some eyes-on time with Back to Dinosaur Island thanks to NVIDIA at Computex earlier this month.

Well, Crytek has officially unveiled Robinson: The Journey, their first venture into the world of virtual reality gaming. Robinson: The Journey will drop the player into the role of a young boy who has crash landed onto a mysterious planet, where dinosaurs roam. Crytek is filling the virtual world with 360 degrees of content, where gamers can play with the detailed ecosystem around them.

Crytek's Director of Production, David Bowman, has said: "Ever since Crytek was founded, we have been striving to build the most realistic, believable worlds we possibly can for players. Today's VR technologies are enabling us to bring together CRYENGINE's capabilities and our legacy in creating immersive gaming experiences like never before. The time we're spending in Robinson: The Journey as we develop it is transforming the way we think about games, and we can't wait until everyone has the chance to set foot in this universe for themselves".

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Memo: Concern US cannot counter Islamic State's social media efforts

Michael Hatamoto | Internet & Websites | Jun 15, 2015 10:40 PM CDT

The US State Department recently issued an internal memo that shows growing frustration in the effort to combat the Islamic State on social media. The US has tried launching "countermessaging" campaigns that have only been "trumped" by recent IS efforts, according to officials.

"The memo is an assessment not of the larger counter-ISIL messaging effort, but how the small group of coalition members communicates internally and externally, said John Kirby, State Department spokesman, while speaking to the New York Times.

There is concern that the Obama Administration is leading a failed effort to combat IS in Iraq, with the extremist group trying to solidify its so-called caliphate.

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