Dota 2 will be Free-to-Play, but with 'Some Twists'
Gabe Newell has been a busy man lately, as he shot down the rumor of Apple CEO Tim Cook visiting Valve and talked about Dota 2. Newell confirmed that Dota 2 will be a free-to-play title, but it will have "some twists" in the formula. Anyone will be play to play Dota 2, but Valve is looking into rewarding good behaving member's of the community. Newell said there are always people everyone wants to play with and others want to avoid entirely, especially those who do nothing but complain about every little thing. Rewarding good behavior is a novel idea and would certainly be a way to make sure everybody gets along in Dota 2. While Newell did not go into specifics on what he and the team at Valve are thinking of, he did mention individual games do not need separate communities. You can look at Steam's item trading for ideas in that regard, where people can trade Team Fortress 2 hats for entire games if you find the right person. I think we will need for Newell and Valve to spill more information, since speculation on the twists can go in any number of directions.
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Full Version of Sniper Elite V2 is Not Linear
PC gamers have finally received the chance to check out Rebellion's Sniper Elite V2 with the new demo. I am sure many of you have tried it out by now, but if you are feeling a little uneasy based on the demo mission, Rebellion is here to reassure you. The developer took to its forums to tell gamers the full version of Sniper Elite V2 will not be linear like the demo, as the game has been tweaked since the demo was finalized. Rebellion said the mission is right after the tutorial, so it wanted something to show off as an introduction with just a little choice. In fact, the next mission is far more open, with a massive space to navigate right from the start. Other missions will be similar, so do not be worried about the linearity of the demo. It makes sense to give gamers something to ease into, especially with the run-and-gun nature of so many other games.
Sniper Elite V2 arrives on May 1st (May 4th in Europe) for the PC, PS3, and 360.
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Gabe Newell Says Meeting Between Valve and Apple Never Happened
Late last week, some reports surfaced saying Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, was up in the state of Washington visiting Valve headquarters. Some speculated Apple and Valve were working together on some form of game console, among other ideas. Today, Valve co-founder Gabe Newell spoke out about those reports and said Tim Cook was never at Valve last week. Newell says no meeting took place between the two, but he wishes Apple would talk to Valve. He went on to say Valve has a "long list of things" it wishes Apple would do for gaming and to support it better, but no meeting has taken place so far. Newell had kind words to say about Cook, but the two have never met. Maybe one day they will, but not yet.
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Casimir Force Reversed for Quantum Levitation
Physicist Hendrik Casimir, over fifty years ago, discovered that if one were to put two mirrors in a vacuum and had them facing each other, they would attract. This is because virtual particles are spontaneously forming and annihilating within the vacuum, and create a field which causes the attraction.
As reported by the American Institute of Physics in its Journal of Applied Physics, changing the geometry and material properties of one of the plates can change this force to one of repulsion. This means it is potentially possible to have one object float above another, due to the formation and destruction of virtual particles.
The work has just been theoretical thus far, but parts of the final experiment will be tested in the future. This will probably never lead to flying cars, or flying anything, because the force is very weak. However, it could be useful in microelectromechanical systems as a means to keep components from sticking.
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Crysis 3 Teaser Trailer Launches, Full Trailer on April 24
When Crysis 3 was announced, we could read information on the game (and pre-order bonuses), but we could not see what it looked like. Sure, Crytek has shown off the CryENGINE 3 SDK 3.4.0, but there is not direct footage available of Crysis 3. That will soon change, as today a short teaser trailer of Crysis 3 is available, with a full trailer landing on April 24th. The trailer available today is the very definition of a teaser trailer, as it is just long enough to give us some glimpses at the game. What we can see is the Nanodome covering New York City and the jungle environments inside, with all the action happening at night (at least in this trailer). Our Nanosuited warrior shows off the new composite bow, we can see there are weather effects inside the dome, but there is not a whole lot else to go on. We just have to wait a few more days for the full trailer to launch.
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Neuroprosthesis Bypasses Spinal Cord to Control Paralyzed Hand
Northwestern University has some good news for persons with spinal cord injuries. A recent experiment gave monkeys the ability to control a temporarily paralyzed hand directly with their brain, bypassing the spinal cord.
The experiment started as the researchers monitored the neurons in the monkeys’ brains to identify the signals involved with picking up a ball and dropping into a tube. Later a neuroprosthesis was installed to connect 100 neurons to a computer, which then connected to the muscles in the monkeys’ arms. The computer was used to translate the brain signals into electrical pulses the muscles will understand. With an anesthetic applied to block communication between the spinal cord and muscle, the monkeys were given the task up picking up and dropping the ball. The motions were not as perfect as before, but the monkeys were successful, and the imperfections are likely something that can be worked out with practice.
Prostheses to return the ability to grasp to a spinal cord injury patient have existed for some time, but none have the potential of this design. By directly monitoring neurons in the brain to control the muscles, a wide variety of actions beyond simple grasping should be possible. Obviously more work will have to be done but the work is very promising right now.
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Codemasters Shows Off Arcade Side with DiRT: Showdown
When you think of Codemasters, you picture Colin McRae's rally games, like DiRT. These games do a pretty accurate job of recreating rally racing in a digital format, even incorporating some of the newer events like gymkhana. Codemasters has something a little different planned for the next entry in the DiRT series, as it is foregoing the simulation for arcade. When DiRT: Showdown lands next month, arcade racing takes center stage with a variety of events, but no rally racing. DiRT: Showdown is not to be confused with DiRT 4, the true sequel to DiRT 3, which will arrive sometime next year. Showdown is all about having fun on the racetrack, like in the Destruction Derby mode. There are several different races in the Derby mode, such as Knock Out, where eight cars try to shove the others off a circular piece of road, and 8-Ball, which is set on a figure-eight track. The derby cars all feel and handle like they should, which should help to keep you on the right track for as long as possible.
DiRT: Showdown arrives for the PC, PS3, and 360 on May 29th in North America, but May 25th in Europe. A demo will be available on May 1st.
Source: Neoseeker and Gamespy
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Solar Cell Efficiency Record Broken with Luminescent Cell
Counterintuitive is one word to describe this discovery, and groundbreaking is another. As reported by the Optical Society of America, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley have broken the record for single junction solar cell efficiency by reaching 28.3%. The prototype takes advantage of some new math the researchers worked out that shows a link between absorption and emission, which no one has used before.
Just about everyone would think the best way to make a solar cell is to make it capture as much light as possible and not letting any escape. What the researchers found when examining the mathematical link between a materials ability to absorb and emit light is that the better a material is at emitting light, the higher a voltage it can produce when absorbing light. Higher voltage means higher efficiency.
While setting the efficiency record is definitely good news, what may be the best part of this discovery is that it impacts all solar cells. Every kind of semiconductor solar cell could have its efficiency improved this way. Perhaps not all the way to the Shockley–Queisser limit of 33.5%, but every bit helps.
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Play Diablo III This Weekend
If you've been itching for some Diablo III action, you'd best cancel any plans over the weekend as Blizzard is opening the floodgates for the much-awaited RPG sequel's open beta. Don't have a Battle.net account? Just sign up for a new profile, set up your BattleTag name, and download the Diablo III game client now. Blizzard has made the open beta available worldwide, starting from April 20th 12pm (Pacific) until April 23 10am (Pacific). Lucky closed beta testers get to play with Diablo III until May 1, though. Either way, the beta provides the public a terrific firsthand glimpse of the game which is nearing its May 15 release. So go ahead and help Blizzard stress test the heck out of the game servers with five available classes - be it a demon hunter, wizard, witch doctor, monk, and the brawny barbarian. It's been 12 twelve long years since we cleansed the Diablo universe of demons, time to flex those twitchy fingers and get ready to mouse click the weekend away.
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Terahertz Chips May Allow Cellphones to See Through Walls
The entire electromagnetic spectrum is very wide and orders of magnitude larger than the visible light area we perceive. The entire spectrum is not used though, such as the frequencies in the terahertz range. Terahertz radiation has many useful properties, such as being able to pass through most materials but reacts to organic material. This makes it ideal for medical applications and searching for chemicals. Controlling this radiation is complicated though.
Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas however have discovered a way to simplify the control of terahertz radiation. This accomplishment removes the need for multiple lenses within a device, which drastically miniaturizes the technology. Another related discovered is a means generate and receive terahertz radiation with CMOS chips. This technology is already used to produce a wide variety of electronics, including cellphones and computers.
The combination of these two discoveries may allow cellphones to harness terahertz radiation to see through walls and even perform some medical scans. There is not much need to worry about privacy though, as the researchers have only been working at a range of about four inches.
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Hardware Roundup: Friday Edition
As we get to the end of another week we managed to pull in some motherboard reviews. First on the list is an X79 socket 2011 board from Biostar for those looking to build a Sandy Bridge-E system. For those looking to build a system based on the upcoming Ivy Bridge processors, or perhaps just upgrade an existing Sandy Bridge system, we have a roundup of four boards featuring Intel's 7-series Panther Point chipset. We also snagged another review on the Corsair Vengeance M90 gaming mouse. Neoseeker returns with a look at the Thermaltake eSports Isurus in-ear headset. We also have articles on the Arctic Cooling Alpine 64 Plus CPU cooler, the Dell XPS 15z notebook and more.
Cooling
Arctic Cooling Alpine 64 Plus Heatsink @ Frostytech
Input Devices
Corsair Vengeance M90 Laser Gaming Mouse @ Benchmark Reviews
Motherboards
Biostar TPower X79 @ LanOC Reviews
Intel Z77 Motherboard Round-up: Asrock, ECS, Gigabyte & Intel @ TechSpot
Notebooks
Dell XPS 15z Notebook Review: Kinda Luxurious @ PC Perspective
Speakers/Headphones
Thermaltake eSports Isurus In-ear Headset @ Neoseeker
Miscellany
Podcast #198 @ PC Perspective
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Silicon Coming Back for Future Computers
Graphene has some competition for the future material computer circuits are made of from the element it was expected to replace, silicon. Multiple groups have recently claimed to have created silicene, a nearly two-dimensional sheet of silicon, analogous to the two-dimensional sheet of carbon that is graphene. This could combine the best of both materials by being a semiconductor with extremely high electron mobility.
Carbon and silicon belong to the same family on the periodic table, which means they have many properties in common. This includes their ability to bond in a hexagonal pattern. While carbon does so in a completely flat sheet, to form graphene, silicene is bumpy, as it were. Some of the atoms are above others, because of how the electron bonds repel each other. This creates a band gap, which is needed for transistors, but not present in pure graphene.
Luckily, what makes graphene so special for electronics, its high electron mobility, is more a property of the molecular structure, than of the carbon atoms. This means silicene should have at least similar electronic properties as graphene. To be sure though, larger samples will have to be made which may take some time. A first step will be to create it on a substrate other than silver, which conducts electricity.
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Eidos Montreal Discusses Thief 4, Continues Reboot Idea of Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Eidos Montreal knows a thing or two about reviving game franchises thanks to the success of Deus Ex: Human Revolution. The studio is currently at work on Thief 4, with general manager Stephane D'Astous saying it is part of the kick-start of new series that Deus Ex began. The challenge with Thief 4 is to strike a balance between the new and the familiar. Eidos Montreal wants the game to appeal to fans and newcomers alike, so the classic gameplay should get a refresher. Thief 4 will be "more than just stealth," however D'Astous did not elaborate further aside from saying more international staff are working on the game. A good mixture of nationalities should help diversify the game, but scant few details are available on just what Thief 4 will bring to the table. Hopefully Eidos Montreal starts showing the game off soon, as it has already been eight years since Thief: Deadly Shadows launched.
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Watch Platinum Nanocrystals Form in a Real-Time Movie
Platinum is an important metal because it does not tarnish or corrode and is an excellent catalyst. Researchers are constantly trying to understand why it is such a good catalyst, in the hopes of finding or making something as good or better. As a step towards this understanding, researchers at Berkeley Lab have made the first atomic-scale real-time movies platinum nanocrystals growing in solution. The keys to making this video were the Transmission Electron Aberration-corrected Microscope, or TEAM I, and newly created graphene cells.
TEAM I is the most powerful electron microscope man has built and can reach down to half-angstrom resolutions, or 0.05 nm. This is less than the size of a hydrogen atom. As powerful a microscope as TEAM I is though, this could not have been accomplished without the graphene cells.
Electron microscopes only work in high-vacuums, because air molecules can disrupt the electrons being shot at a target. Liquid solutions, like the one the platinum nanocrystals grew in, evaporate in high-vacuums, so a sample must be perfectly sealed in a container. Traditionally these containers have had a viewing window made of silicon nitride or silicon oxide. These windows have to be made somewhat thick though, which disrupts the electrons. The researchers decided to try making a cell out of graphene, which is one of the thinnest materials known to exist.
After making the graphene and transferring it to the stage used in the electron microscope, the researchers wetted the layers of graphene with the solution. The solution was wicked in between the layers, which then sealed around it, perfectly protecting the solution from the vacuum. As graphene is only as thick as a carbon atom, and electrons travel straight through it, the electron microscope had no trouble peering in and watching the crystal grow.
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Humble Botanicula Debut Launches
The Humble Bundle team is at it again, this time with the debut of a brand-new game. Developer Amanita Design has teamed up for the launch of the Humble Botanicula Debut, which contains the title game and a few others. Included with your purchase is Machinarium and Samorost 2, and if you beat the average you receive Windosill. You will also receive the full-length film Kooky if you beat the average, which features Amanita Design founder Jakub Dvorsky's art direction. Currently the average is sitting at $8.69, which is a little higher than past bundles but still a bargain all things considered. Like other Humble Bundles, you name your own price in order to get the games. This time you can choose to put your money towards the developer, the World Land Trust, the Humble Bundle team, or any combination you see fit. However, you must pay at least five dollars in order to get Steam keys for the games (most likely to avoid people paying one cent for multiple Steam accounts). There are a little under two weeks remaining on this deal, so act quick!
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