Bioshock Infinite Review
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Purchase a NVIDIA GTX 660 or Better and Receive Metro: Last Light for Free
If you are or soon going to be in the market for a new video card, NVIDIA has an offer for you. NVIDIA announced earlier today that all purchased GeForce GTX 660 and higher video cards will include a copy of Metro: Last Light. Deep Silver and 4A Games' sequel to smash hit Metro 2033 arrives on May 14 in the U.S. and May 17 in Europe, so you'll need to wait a little bit before venturing back into the Russian post-apocalyptic landscape. Thanks to the NVIDIA Kepler technology, Metro: Last Light should look positively stunning on your new GTX 660 or better card. Anyone fortunate enough to get a GTX Titan should be in for an especially beautiful treat, but really, there isn't a wrong choice depending on your budget. Just try not to be too scared while exploring the deadly yet stunning environments in Metro.
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Sapphire Introduces AMD HD 7790 with 2GB of RAM
Sapphire has gone and pushed the envelope once again, as it has just introduced a 2GB version of the AMD Radeon HD 7790. This card, dubbed the HD 7790 2GB OC Edition, comes factory overclocked to 1050MHz on the core and 1600MHz (6400MHz effective) on the 2GB GDDR5 RAM. The HD 7790 is based on the Bonaire chipset and Graphics Core Next (GCN) architecture on the 28nm process, yet previous versions all had 1GB of RAM. Sometimes more memory is necessary on a video card, which is where Sapphire's 2GB HD 7790 comes in. Other specifications, like the 128-bit memory bus, 896 stream processors, Crossfire and Eyefinity support, two DVI ports, one HDMI, and one DisplayPort, are all the same as the lower memory versions. However, the 2GB card does feature a metal backplate to help with cooling of the extra memory chips.
The Sapphire HD 7790 2GB OC Edition should be available now, though no price was mentioned. Participating retailers are including a copy of BioShock Infinite with every purchase.
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Using DNA to Carve Graphene
Deoxyribonucleic acid, better known as DNA, is a very special kind of molecule as it is able to contain all of the information needed to grow an organism. Because of this power, it has been studied extensively and researchers have found many ways to manipulate it. Now researchers at MIT and Harvard University have discovered a means to use DNA to etch structures into graphene.
Graphene is an atom-thick sheet of carbon with many extraordinary properties, which is why many are working to incorporate it into electronics. One challenge with this effort though is creating the necessary graphene structures, such as ribbons. One method is to use electron beams to cut out the shapes, but this is an expensive and slow process. What the researchers decided to do was place pieces of synthetic DNA that form special shapes onto graphene and then coat the DNA in metal. The metallized DNA protected the graphene beneath it from plasma lithography, which burned away the uncovered graphene. After washing away the DNA, the researchers were left with the desired graphene structure.
This discovery could have a profound impact on many efforts concerning graphene as it could greatly ease fabrication efforts. One issue though is that the graphene structure left behind is not perfect, so this method is a little lacking in precision, but with more time, that may change.
Source: MIT
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Windows Blue Update for Windows 8 May Add Desktop Booting and Start Menu
A number of new rumours have surfaced that suggest Microsoft may provide an option to allow users to boot straight to the desktop in Windows 8, instead of booting to the 'Modern UI'. Microsoft may also add a traditional Windows start menu in order to allow users to bypass the UI entirely. These changes would come as part of the Windows Blue update for Windows 8, which is due for release in August this year. It is worth noting, however, that these changes were not initially noted as being part of the Windows Blue update when information about the update was leaked back in 2012.
This report has not been confirmed by either Microsoft or any of its its affiliates, but Microsoft's hand may have been forced in the light of reportedly poor sales of the operating system last year. Adding the start button to Windows 8 would not be the first time the Windows development team has modified the OS based on user feedback. Microsoft changed the UAC feature in Windows 7 based on complaints from its Windows Vista user base.
Source: CNET
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Hardware Roundup: Tuesday Edition
Trion Worlds recently launched a new MMORPG called Defiance that ties in with a TV show on Syfy. This tie-in game is available on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360, and if you're wondering if you should take the plunge, we have the review for you. If you're in the market for a new video card, perhaps to get Defiance looking even better, there's an ASUS Radeon HD 7850 DirectCU II that could fit the bill. For something a little different, we have a Vantec NexStar WiFi hard drive dock. Instead of relying just on a USB 3.0 connection, Vantec added WiFi capabilities to the dock so you can browse all your media on an Android or iOS device. See how it fares in the review below!
Video Cards
ASUS Radeon HD 7850 DirectCU II @ [H]ardOCP
Gaming
Defiance @ LanOC Reviews
Storage/Hard Drives
Vantec NexStar WiFi Hard Drive Dock @ Think Computers
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Self-Healing Artificial Leaf Created
It can be easy to forget just how amazing plants are since they are everywhere around us. By tapping into the energy of Sunlight, plants are able to produce sugars in one area that then feed the entire plant. Researchers have been trying to recreate plants' photosynthesis and now, as reported by the American Chemical Society, a new design could revolutionize the use of artificial leafs.
The typical artificial leaf is a solar cell coated in catalysts that split use the energy from the cell to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. These gases can then be stored and recombined later to release energy, like a battery. These designs however tend to be complicated, use expensive materials, and require pure water. The new leaf design however uses a new, self-healing catalyst which can be used in simple drinking water. Other leafs would have films of bacteria form on them, impairing performance, but this catalyst will break apart, destroying the surface needed for a film to form, and then repair itself to continue operating.
While the self-healing ability may seem exotic, this new design is actually simpler and cheaper than previous artificial leaf designs, but it is still quite effective. From a single quart of drinking water, roughly 100 watts of power could be provided to a home over a full day.
Source: American Chemical Society
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Corsair Goes MATX with the Obsidian 350D
Corsair continues its penetration of the chassis market with its latest enclosure, the micro-ATX based Obsidian 350D. The Obsidian mini has not yet been officially announced, although it has been speculated to measure 450 x 210 x 440 mm, with a brushed aluminum front panel. A 140mm fan can fit in the front, with enough room for two 240mm radiators (top and front), along with the ability to install up to five fans in total. It has also been reported that its hard drive cage has modular support for 2.5 SSDs, although this won't obstruct long graphics cards. A SLI / Cross Fire setup can be readily configured, with the front fan providing direct airflow to cool the cards. The Obsidian 350D also features a maximum CPU cooler height support of 160mm, and PSUs of up to 180mm in length. The Corsair Obsidian 350D is expected to be available by May 2013.
Source: TechPowerUp
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Kickstarter Project Combines Raspberry Pi and Arduino to Form Affordable Android/Linux PC
The Raspberry Pi has received a ton of attention over the past year, as it's an inexpensive way to jump into computers or provide a great HTPC in an incredibly small space. Arduino boards have been around even longer, about a decade, and can power all manner of electronic devices and even robots. It makes perfect sense to combine the two, which is exactly what the UDOO (pronounced "you do") project aims to accomplish. This Raspberry Pi/Arduino combo is capable of running either Linux or Android all on the same board, in a size that's comparable to a 3" x 5" notecard. The UDOO comes in at 4.33" x 3.35", yet packs the power of four Raspberry Pis and an Arduino DUE.
At the heart of the UDOO Is an ARM i.MX6 Freescale processor (either dual or quad-core) for Android and Linux, plus the ARM SAM3X from the Arduino DUE. The idea behind the project is to provide a cost effective way to get people of all ages into the world of engineering, software development, and more. UDOO is perfect for educators and the do-it-yourself crowd, too. It's also a great way to make your own projects, like a new game controller, an LED light controller, or anything else you can think of.
UDOO has been on Kickstarter for about a week, yet already blew past its initial $27,000 goal. At press time, it's nearly to $118,000, which is mighty impressive for this little machine. A $99 pledge nets you a dual-core version with WiFi and Ethernet plugs, but there's only 100 spots left for that early tier. Pledges of $129 net the quad-core version with WiFi and Ethernet plugs, with 825 spots still available there. Otherwise you're looking at a pledge of $149 for the dual-core starter kit, which includes a power adapter localized for your country, a two meter HDMI cable, and two microSD cards with Linux and Android 4.0 already loaded. The quad-core starter kit is just a bit more at $169, with the same components as the dual-core one.
Once the computer ships in September of this year, the dual-core version will start at $109 and the quad-core at $129. The Kickstarter project runs until June 8, but don't delay too long or else those limited tiers will be all filled up. More information on the UDOO can be found at its Kickstarter page, and in the video below.
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