Nintendo Wii U, everything U need to know, Wii tell it
E3 2011 - That title is rockin', if I may say so myself. Next order of business? Nintendo's next-gen console announcement! As the dust settles from various Microsoft and Sony announcements, sans-next-gen consoles (BOO), Nintendo walk out of the rubble, dust and glare with their next-gen console, previously codenamed "Project Cafe". Wii U. Nintendo's Wii U is their next-gen console ready to change things up.
Nintendo changed things up with their motion-based controllers with the Wii, but now they've kicked it up a notch, or twenty. Included is a tablet-based 6.2-inch touch screen controller which has the usual array of buttons inclusive of a d-pad, four face buttons, four shoulder triggers, a power button and a camera. The controller features two analog sliders at the top of the controller versus the traditional sticks. IGN reports after a hands-on that it is remarkably light for its side, given that it's quite large for a controller.
The Nintendo Wii U is also backwards compatible with Wii controllers, which is a great thing considering how many Wii's are in the market now. The controller incorporates some pretty amazing capabilities such as acting like a camera in-game, with a demo of live footage of Japan being shown, the camera moving down a crowded street hovering above vehicles. The tablet shows the same footage from the television but as the controller is moved, you're able to see more of the city around you without altering what is being displaced on the TV.
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PNY and Asetek team up for Liquid Cooled GPU solution
E3 2011 - E3 is not just about games, but graphics that power them also require cooling, this is where the teams at PNY and Asetek have teamed up to provide consumers with a high-end Liquid Cooled Graphics solutions that is geared towards gaming enthusiasts. Enter the XLR8 GeForce GTX liquid cooled graphics system with a combination GPU/CPU version available as well.
Engineered with a closed loop system and built with an Asetek sealed water cooler already attached, it gives PNY the great pleasure of offering consumers and out-of-the-box ready, simple to install and reliable product. Not to mention, much cooler than traditional cooling systems. This new cooling solution delivers up to 30-percent cooler temperatures, quieter acoustics and faster performance versus the stock reference designed NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580.
Because the GPU is liquid cooled, there is obviously much more headroom for overclocking and because of the lower temperatures that headroom only expands. On top of the overclocking headroom there is also less noise and for gamers this is quite important. A GTX 570/580 GPU can get quite loud when it hits 97C and those of us with SLI know this too well.
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Chrome gets a new stable release, safer and snazzier
Google have today released a new stable release of Chrome which they say brings improvements in security, privacy and graphics to the 160 million Chrome users. Chrome is now more secure thanks to enhancements that Google have made to their Safe Browsing technology. In addition to protecting users from certain malware and phishing websites, Chrome now warns you before downloading some types of malicious files.
Google have also added more control over the data that websites store on your computer through Chrome. Included is Flash Player's Local Shared Objects (LSOs) which were previously only manageable using an online settings application on Adobe's website. Google have worked with Adobe to integrate Flash LSO deletion directly into Chrome which makes it easier to manage your online privacy.
Finally, Google Chrome's graphics capabilities continue to improve; support for hardware-accelerated 3D CSS has been added which for some websites will give a "snazzier" (Google's word, not mine!) experience in some web pages and web apps that choose to implement 3D effects. If you'd like to check out the hardware-accelerated 3D CSS in action, take a look at this Chrome Experiment on Windows Vista / Mac OS X 10.6 or above which feature clips from Aardman Studio's "Shaun the Sheep." In this experiment, you can rotate the video, scale it up and down, toggle the reflection on and off and activate a rotating carousel of videos.
Continue reading: Chrome gets a new stable release, safer and snazzier (full post)
MSI X-Slim X370 13.4-inch AMD E-350 based notebook hands-on
Computex Taipei 2011 - It wasn't all about just netbooks and tablets for Nicole, also at the MSI booth on the floor she managed to get some hands-on time with the MSI X-Slim X370 notebook. We know, we know - it's not a tablet, these shows get really crazy.
The X370 is based on AMD Fusion technology implementing the E-350 APU dual-core processor along with AMD Radeon HD 6310 graphics. It comes from the X-Slim series from MSI and is very lightweight and slim with it coming in at 1.4kg and it is just 22.8mm thick. It gets a Windows performance rating of 3.8, which is pretty good for a notebook in this class and price range.
Nicole loves the appearance of the notebook and the chiclet keyboard, but after using it wasn't very pleased with the usability of the keyboard. It comes with a range of ports including VGA, HDMI, card reader and so on.
Continue reading: MSI X-Slim X370 13.4-inch AMD E-350 based notebook hands-on (full post)
Futuremark throw up a 3DMark 11 Update
The guys and gals over at Futuremark have thrown together a new update for 3DMark 11 that comes in at just under 17MB. The main happenings behind the update are just some upgraded compatibility features.
The latest update won't affect your score, so if you're hoping for some extra Marks, you're out of luck unfortunately. You can grab the 1.0.2 update directly from the Futuremark website here.
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iOS 5 includes new notifications, Newsstand, Twitter integration
Apple have finally unveiled the goodness that is iOS 5 which is the next firmware slated for iOS-powered devices like the iPod, iPhone and iPad. iOS 5 is a major overhaul, which includes a completely revamped notification system which is very Android-like. Notifications are no longer temporary, but are viewable in the Notification Center which is accessed by swiping down from the top of the screen. The notifications are no longer pop-up bubbles, but text bubbles that temporarily swivel down while users are busy in another app.
iOS 5 also includes Newsstand which is poised to be a one-stop location for buying, downloading and reading magazines and newspapers. Issues that are acquired within Newsstand are downloaded automatically in the background and available for offline reading.
Big news to come from iOS 5 is integration throughout the OS in the form of Twitter. Yes, Twitter! It uses a single sign-on that can be shared by any app that requests it. Twitter functions are visible throughout all default apps such as Camera, Photos, Safari and Maps. This allows people to post media, web links and map locations. Safari has also received enhancements including tamps, a streamlined Reader view and a Reading list for viewing pages later. The Reading List is capable of being synched across multiple iOS-based devices.
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Sony announce Playstation Vita, next-gen PSP gets named but not shamed
E3 2011 - Sony's Next-Generation Portable has had a fair bit of presence on the internet lately and today Sony has officially unveiled what the NGP will be: Playstation Vita. Playstation Vita will include what we've all heard rumors of; dual touchscreens, ARM Coretex A9 core CPU (4 cores), tilt-sensitive SIXAXIS controls, front and rear facing cameras, etc. All of the previously rumored specs are pretty much spot on but now we're seeing the actual branding and a set of the launch games.
Uncharted: Golden Abyss is being shown off and from what I've seen it actually looks phenomenal. Price wise it seems Sony have really hit a home run with the WiFi model setting you back $249 and the 3G model at $299.
Seriously, I've never been into portable gaming - but Sony has done an incredible job on the Vita. Uncharted: Golden Abyss looks hands-down, amazing. It has a damn smooth frame rate, touchscreen fighting, the option of using the sticks and buttons for climbing walls and in places where it makes sense, the SIXAXIS power comes into play, as well as touchscreen tapping. Very intuitive and Sony say you can "play the way you want" instead of having just one mode of controls.
Continue reading: Sony announce Playstation Vita, next-gen PSP gets named but not shamed (full post)
AMD debuts FX brand once more, E3 gets first taste
E3 2011 - AMD's FX series was once the top end for any enthusiast or high-end gamer and AMD are hoping to reignite the same flame by reintroducing the FX series into play. The FX brand is associated with AMD's fastest processors and most powerful platforms - those designed for unrestrained PC performance for the ultimate gaming and HD entertainment experiences.
In addition, the FX series processors and platforms drive rich visuals for graphics intensive application and super high-resolution AMD Eyefinity configurations. The first platform to run with the FX title will be the "Scorpius" platform. Scorpius will feature the now-available AMD 9-series chipset motherboard and the AMD Radeon HD 6000-series of graphics card, plus the upcoming "Zambezi" unlocked, native eight-core processor.
AMD is also committing themselves to PC gaming innovation and promoting an open and advanced experience for gamers, AMD continues to add members and grow relationships in the second year of the Gaming Evolved program. AMD are focused on working with the best software developers to maximize the user experience. Gaming Evolved has multiple PC-based tech supported such as DirectX 11, AMD Eyefinity multi-monitor configurations and native AMD HD3D support for 3D gaming and multimedia.
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Microsoft E3 details, Xbox 360 to get new Halo trilogy, Crytek-exclusive, Minecraft and more
E3 2011 - E3 is here once again and it's time for a barrage of gaming-related news. Microsoft is out of the gate with news of a bunch of Kinect-compatible titles and additional video streaming services. Microsoft have said we should look forward to over 12 games that are Kinect-powered; EA franchises (Tiger Woods, FIFA, Madden and The Sims), Mass Effect 3, Disneyland Adventures, Kinect Sports Season Two, Dance Central 2 and as well as all future Tom Clancy games starting with Ghost Recon: Future Soldier.
Minecraft is coming this winter, as well as Crytek's long-rumored Xbox 360 exclusive which was formerly known as "Codename: Kingdoms", now has a name; Ryse. A first-person action adventure game set in Ancient Rome. Fable: The Journey is a new entry in the Fable universe that takes place after the age of Heroes (sans Hayden Panettiere, save the cheerleader, save the world). All of these titles will feature Kinect use.
Microsoft as also unveiled plans for it's much-loved Halo franchise. November 15 will see an anniversary edition of Halo: Combat Evolved for $39.99. The new release will be powered by the Halo Reach engine and will feature six revamped multiplayer maps from Halo and Halo 2, players will also "uncover never-before-revealed backstories told in motion-graphic form that foreshadow new mysteries in the story of Halo 4". A new Halo trilogy is set to begin with Halo 4 in Q4 2012.
Evolve III unveils products, triple-booting tablet and cordless desktop
Evolve III have had plans for their Maestro range for a while now but details are surfacing and it sounds like a winner. Firstly we have the Maestro S which is a triple-booting slate that is promising to bring Android, Windows 7 and Meego OS. Sporting a 10.1-inch, 1024x600 capactive touchscreen, it is powered by an Intel Z670 Oak Trail processor clocked at 1.5GHz and runs on a battery that Maestro is promising will give ten hours charge when running Windows 7 or up to 18 hours when in Meego mode.
The Maestro C gives you the above but with a swiveling kickstand and is designed for flyers, a convertible tablet that comes with a wireless keyboard that can serve as a protective, hardshell case.
Finally we have the NGen, a next-gen, all-in-one PC powered by an Intel Core i7 Sandy Bridge CPU. The WiDi-enabled desktop includes a 21.5-inch, 1920x1080 LED, Intel HD graphics and a 2.0-megapixel front-facing camera. When on the scales, 13-pounds. Being cordless, it can be folded up and transported quickly or even mounted on a wall. Content is able to be synced between all three devices with a Wormhole account.