Detailed specs on the Xbox One, is the PS4 the superior next-gen console?

Anthony Garreffa | Gaming | May 21, 2013 10:32 PM CDT

Last night we bought you a live blog of the Microsoft Xbox One event, where we shared some details at the time of the specifications of Microsoft's next-gen console. Now we have some more details, not all, but more details on their console, which we'll show you below:

So, we have an AMD-made custom APU which features an 8-core processor and undisclosed DirectX 11.1-capable GPU. We have Blu-ray capabilities this time around as Microsoft chose to not push an all-digital console, and a very capable next-gen Kinect camera which captures 1080p video at 60 FPS. How does that directly compare against Sony's PlayStation 4?

So comparing them against each other, we find both the Xbox One from Microsoft, and Sony's PlayStation 4 are pretty much on par. We have 8-core CPU's, 8GB of RAM, and a DX 11.1-capable GPU. Connectivity wise we have USB 3.0 on both consoles, Wi-Fi 802.11n, new controllers, new cameras and 4K support.

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Xbox One's new Kinect raises privacy concerns over always-on listening

Trace Hagan | Gaming | May 21, 2013 5:27 PM CDT

The new Xbox One is quite the machine, especially its new Kinect sensor. The Kinect sensor, which is now included and a required part of the Xbox, will respond to voice commands, even when off. It was pretty cool when the Xbox One turned on simply by saying "Xbox on."

But then reality set in. This means that the Xbox is always listening to you, even when off. It has the ability to understand and process what you're saying when the device is off. And this is where the privacy concerns set it. Now, let's be clear: We aren't saying Microsoft is recording everything that the Xbox One hears, but it isn't out of the realm of possibility.

We highly doubt that Microsoft would ever use the Kinect to spy on consumers. We're more worried about a possible virus or malicious actor gaining access to the Kinect sensors that will be on every Xbox One. After all, the new Xbox uses a PC architecture and runs a Windows kernel so it's not beyond the realm of possibility that this could happen.

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EA announces Battlefield 4 for newly unveiled Xbox One, PlayStation 4

Trace Hagan | Gaming | May 21, 2013 3:11 PM CDT

Today has been a big day for gaming news! First we got to take a look at the new Microsoft Xbox One and now Electronic Arts has confirmed Battlefield 4 will be coming to both the PlayStation 4 and newly announced Xbox One. This wasn't a completely unexpected announcement and we expect to see more of Battlefield 4 at Microsoft's E3 event June 10.

DICE, a studio of Electronic Arts Inc.,today announced that the highly-anticipated action blockbuster Battlefield 4 will be available this holiday for early-adopters of the next-generation hardware systems: Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, and the PlayStation 4. Powered by the advanced Frostbite 3 engine, Battlefield 4 delivers a genre-defining all-out war experience brought to life with unmatched visual and audio fidelity, superior character animations and dynamic destruction that ensures no two matches are alike. Battlefield 4 will be available October 29 for the Xbox 360 game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system and PC. Battlefield 4 will also be available for the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4.

EA notes that players who pre-order Battlefield 4 will be treated to the Battlefield 4 China Rising premium digital expansion pack for free. China Rising DLC brings with it four multiplayer maps with new vehicles and hgih-tech military equipment. If you're a true die-hard, EA is offering hte Battlefield 4 Digital Deluxe with bonus in-game items, China Rising, and access to the BF4 mutliplayer beta.

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Microsoft talks gaming on the Xbox One

Anthony Garreffa | Gaming | May 21, 2013 12:45 PM CDT

Microsoft of course want to take the time during their next-generation console, the Xbox One, to talk games. FIFA, Madden NFL, NBA Live and UFC are all to launch on the Xbox One from EA and will be "revolutionary" and "fundamentally change the way you play".

EA Sports Ignite, an all-new gaming engine is unveiled from EA for the Xbox One. The graphics are getting ramped up, and now we're going to see some next-generation gaming from EA and their sports games. Ignite features 'true player motion' for some fluid looking characters in-game, the advanced processing power in the Xbox One allows the games from Ignite to have much smarter artificial intelligence (AI).

Microsoft Studios' Phil Spencer took the stage to unveil Forza Motorsport 5 for the Xbox One, which looks so delicious you could lick the rubber directly off the road within the game. Forza 5 will be available at launch, and will be teased further at E3 next month.

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ScienceTT: NASA looking to bring Star Trek replicator to life, funding 3D printer capable of printing food

Charles Gantt | Science, Space, Health & Robotics | May 21, 2013 11:16 AM CDT

"Tea, Earl Grey, Hot" It's the classic line from TV's Star Trek: The Next Generation, where Captain Picard walks up to the Replicator in his living quarters and orders a cup of tea. While some have likened that scene with the consumer level 3D printers of today, we are still unable to replicate food from thin air. NASA is looking to change that.

With 3D printers growing cheaper and more popular by the day, it only makes sense for NASA to investigate the use of RepRap style 3D printers for making a hot slice of pizza, right? Mechanical engineer Anjan Contractor received a $125,000 grant from the agency to build a prototype 3D printer with the aim of automating food creation.

The idea behind the project is to take a RepRap Mendel 3D printer and convert the extrusion head to print a mixture of "nutrients" that will form the basis of the food product you wish to eat. Contractor says the nutrient cartridges will have a lifespan of 30 years, making them stable enough for space travel. The project will begin with a proof of concept test where he will print chocolate and the plan is to ramp up from there.

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Fractal Design unveils Node 304 chassis, now in 100% more white

Charles Gantt | Cases, Cooling & PSU | May 21, 2013 9:56 AM CDT

This morning high-end PC chassis manufacturer Fractal Design unveiled its newest chassis, the Node 304 in white. This sleek, and modular PC chassis continues to adhere to Fractal's "simplistic" design by keeping external features to a minimum.

The Node 304 features accommodations for up to six hard drives, comes equipped with three hydraulic bearing fans, and easy to clean filters on all the air intakes. The front of the chassis bears minimalist design cues with the dual USB 3.0 ports and audio jacks being placed on the right side of the case.

Also featured is a fan controller that is capable of adjusting fan speeds on all chassis fans. This makes the Node 304 the perfect solution for those in need of a refined HTPC chassis, or simply want a uniquely minimalist desktop PC. The Node 304 is capable of fitting Mini-ITX and DTX motherboards with the white version being available in July for about $90.

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Apple escaped $44 billion in taxes according to Senate investigators

Anthony Garreffa | Business, Financial & Legal | May 20, 2013 11:31 PM CDT

Apple are in the news once more, with Senate investigators accusing the iPhone maker of piecing together a complicated system to hide billions of dollars in international profits from both US and foreign tax collectors.

What puts Apple in hot water is a report that has been released ahead of Apple CEO Tim Cook's inaugural Capitol Hill appearance on Tuesday, which alleges that Apple took advantage of numerous US tax loopholes and avoided taxes of up to $44 billion in offshore, taxable income between 2009 and 2012 - something that Apple rejects completely. The Senate investigation also charges, for the first time, that Apple's established foreign entities don't have tax-resident status there, or anywhere else.

Apple conducts most of their international business in the European country in order to use the lower tax rates, according to the congressional report. The Senate have said that Apple's tax conduct isn't exactly legal, but they aren't looking at the situation with compassion, pressing against Apple for their tax avoiding tactics.

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Jolla unveils their first Sailfish OS-based smartphone

Some ex-Nokia staffers have created a company called Jolla, who have just unveiled their first smartphone designed to run an OS called Sailfish. Sailfish is a Meego-inspired OS, with Jolla believing that their self-titled mobile phone will be one of the hot new mid- to high-end smartphones.

Jolla will feature a 4.5-inch Estrada display, a dual-core processor which we don't know of yet, 16GB of internal flash storage, microSD for expandable storage, and an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera. On the front we have a front-facing camera of course, and 4G LTE support in some countries. Jolla will feature no buttons on the front whatsoever, and will arrive with a two-tone removable back shell that the company calls The Other Half.

The Jolla is available for pre-order, with pre-order customers to receive a voucher worth 100 euros that will be taken off of the totla price of the phone once it ships. Jolla will go on sale in Q4 for around $513 (399 euros) and will drop in Europe before jumping over to other countries.

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Mega launches new Event Notifications and Zipped Downloads

I use services like Dropbox, Box and Google Drive every day, and each one has a specific use case for me. Fox example, Box is my personal cloud storage, while Dropbox is used for syncing files to my phone, PC and tablet, and Drive is my place to collaborate on files with co-workers. For personal storage of files that I share with friends regularly, I have begun to rely on Mega, and today things just got better for Kim Dotcom's file hosting service.

This morning Mega announced that it has launched two new features to its cloud based file locker service. First up is Event Notifications, which collects and shares with you "relevant activity" data on what others are doing with the files you shared with them. Up next is maybe my most wanted feature, Zipped Downloads. That's right, now you can zip and share entire folders with your friends - users can simply select "download as zip" when viewing files, and Mega will package everything up and deliver it in a neatly wrapped package.

The company clarified the Event Notifications feature on its blog:

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Futuremark announces PCMark 8, includes new battery tests and native app benchmarks

Charles Gantt | Software & Apps | May 20, 2013 11:40 AM CDT

Futuremark announced the next version of the PCMark benchmarking software this morning. The new PCMark 8 has long been anticipated in the custom PC world, and Futuremark did not let us down. The new benchmark includes several long awaited features such as battery life and native application testing.

This marks the first time Futuremark has combined battery life testing with performance testing in PCMark. The new test can measure power consumption during benchmarks and estimate battery life, or testers can use the Battery Life Loop Mode to loop a test until the battery is almost dead, for more accurate results.

PCMark is known for its tests that are based on common use scenarios such as web browsing, photo editing, video chat and gaming. PCMark 8 steps this game up considerably by now featuring new testing based on productivity and creativity apps from Adobe and Microsoft.

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