Thermaltake BigTyp Revo CPU Cooler Review
Thermaltake Big Typ Revo CPU Cooler Review
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Saints Row IV Review
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Transparent, Stretchy, Ionic Speaker Made
I love music and am almost always listening to some, so speakers are important to me. While some speakers sound better than others, most operate the same way, with an electrical signal triggering mechanical vibrations. Researchers at Harvard University however have designed a new kind of speaker that operates with ionic signals, a technology that brings many interesting properties with it.
Electrical signals carry information with electrons, a subatomic particle. Ionic signals however carry information with ions, which are charged atoms or molecules, and are thus much larger than electrons. This difference has made ionic technology hard to develop, as ions can be hard to move as quickly as needed. The Harvard researchers decided to prove they could be move very quickly by designing an ionic speaker, which consists of a sheet of rubber sandwiched between layers of a conducting, saltwater gel. With this configuration, the researchers realized that instead of having to move the ions, they could instead change their distribution, a much faster option. In fact, it is fast enough to respond to audible frequencies by 20 Hz and 20 KHz, so the researchers played some Peer Gynt on it.
Now that these researchers have demonstrated a way to make ionics respond rapidly to a signal, without burning out, we may see great growth for ionic technology. Potentially it could be used to make displays that play music or provide localized haptic feedback, or even windows with active noise cancellation.
Source: Harvard University
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Razer Partners with Grinding Gear Games for Path of Exile
Razer has announced a partnership with Grinding Gears Games on the upcoming action RPG game Path of Exile. The game is currently in Open Beta and will be released in October 2013. Over three million players are registered for the free-to-play online game that the company says is not pay-to-win. The first example of the partnership at work is "in-game footprints, made available exclusively for Razer fans, with the iconic Razer triple-headed snake logo in Path of Exile." Razer has also given the company access to the SDKs for a number of its products and hopes to unveil more partnership benefits in the coming months. Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan said, "Partnerships such as this see game developers making use of both our hardware and software technology. This is the key to our goal of enhancing the game experience and performance while supporting the creative visionaries that are the lifeblood of our business."
Source: Press Release
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Gaming with NVIDIA at PAX Prime 2013
The PAX Prime 2013 show is currently taking place in Seattle, WA and NVIDIA has an array of gaming attractions for those in attendance. Several upcoming games will be on display, including Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist, and Command & Conquer: Generals 2. The NVIDIA SHIELD will also be on display, with gamers able to play Android games like Dead on Arrival 2 and Virtua Tennis. The finals of the NVIDIA GeForce eSports World of Tanks Open Tournament will also take place on Sunday, with matches shown live in person and streaming on TwitchTV.
Source: Press Release
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Cooler Master Unveils the HAF Stacker Series at PAX Prime
Many people probably have fond memories of the Cooler Master Stacker cases, but those haven't exactly been readily available for some time. The High Air Flow line has surged in popularity ever since the HAF 932 burst onto the scene, so Cooler Master did the only thing logical: it merged the HAF and Stacker lines into one case. Dubbed the HAF Stacker, it combines the storage capabilities and large interior space of the Stacker line with the extreme cooling potential of the HAF line, and adds in some modular features. It means the HAF Stacker is the perfect case (really cases) for any number of PC users, from the modders to the DIY builders to the newbies and everything else.
The CM HAF Stacker comes in three different models to better fit your needs. There's the full tower HAF Stacker 935, which combines both the 915R and 925 to form one unique case. You also have the 915R available separately, as well as the 915F, with the only difference between the two being a rear PSU or a front PSU. Both 915 cases are Mini-ITX, while the 925 supports ATX motherboards (and potentially larger). All three models can be combined into one massive tower for the ultimate PC potential. Cooler Maser has developed an intuitive rail system similar to the military's picatinny rail to allow for the cases to attached in two simple steps. It's a secure process that means the cases won't move on their own, which is definitely a good thing when they're all loaded up with hardware.
Cooler Master's HAF Stacker series will be available later this year, although prices and exact date aren't known at this time. Everyone attending PAX Prime this weekend can check the HAF Stacker out in person, and try not to drool while thinking of all the different possibilities.
Source: Cooler Master
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Evidence Supporting Theory that Life Originated on Mars Found
The saying, 'Men are from Mars and women are from Venus,' may be correct than a lot of people think. While modern Earth seems unique in its ability to support life, pre-historic Earth was almost certainly not so friendly, so how could the fragile, early forms of life developed here? Some scientists believe it did not and now researchers at the European Association of Geochemistry and Goldschmidt Conference have found evidence to support that idea.
About three billion years ago, the Earth was a very different place with far more of its surface covered in water, and very little oxygen in its atmosphere. This poses some interesting problems as RNA, which is believed to be one of the first genetic molecules, is damaged by water. Also organic molecules have the tendency of turning into tar when energy is added to them, though some materials like boron and oxidized molybdenum can inhibit this, but they are not common in wet environments. Mars three billion years ago though had less water on its surface and did have boron and oxidized molybdenum, as has been recently discovered through the analysis of a Martian meteorite.
If this interpretation of the evidence is correct, then the first genetic molecules needed for life likely formed on Mars, and then were caught on a rock which left the fourth planet for the third, apparently at a time more supporting of life. From then on these earliest forms of life adapted to the Earth and Earth adapted to them, eventually having the oxygen-rich atmosphere we all breathe today.
Source: European Association of Geochemistry via EurekAlert!
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BitFenix Shadow Unveiled
BitFenix
is known for producing quality computer cases, often with interesting
designs. Now the company is adding a new case to its lineup, namely the
Shadow. The case is all black and features the company's SoftTouch
surface treatment to give it a nice matte finish that's pleasant to the
touch. It is a mid-tower case that measures 190 mm wide x 440 mm tall x
506 mm deep. These dimensions allow for graphics cards up to 320 mm in
length, CPU coolers up to 165 mm in height, and allows ATX, micro ATX,
mini ITX motherboards.
The
front is covered by a door that is held shut by two magnets. Behind the
door the user will have access to three 5.25 inch optical drive bays,
and opening the door will also allow the front fan to suck in more air
should it be needed. Under the door there is an LED strip that glows red
or blue; however, you can turn it off on the I/O panel if needed. The
case will include support for up to seven 3.5 inch drives and one 2.5
inch drive; it supports USB 3.0, and has seven PCI slots. There is room
for four fans: two in the front, one in the back, and one on the bottom.
It will come with two 120 mm Spectre fans installed.
The BitFenix Shadow should be available in October, but there is no word on price yet.
Source: MaximumPCRead More ...
Potentially Replacing Electricity with Light for Pacemakers and Defibrillators
A somewhat common event in movies, television, and even some video games is a character pulling out a pair of paddles to shock someone back to life. While the media may not represent defibrillators very accurately, the devices do save lives by shocking hearts into a better rhythm. These shocks can be damaging to the body though, and are certainly painful, so researchers at Johns Hopkins University are looking into replacing them with light pulses.
For about a decade now, researchers have been developing the field of optogenetics, which involves inserting light-responsive proteins into living cells. These proteins, called opsins, allow streams of ions, which carry an electrical charge, to pass through their host cell when exposed to light. As the field is still young, and thus needs more study, the Johns Hopkins researchers have only be testing it on virtual hearts.
If this technology does eventually make it into defibrillators and pacemakers, we would see these devices being less harmful to the bodies they are implanted in, and they would be more efficient than their electrical counterparts. The researchers estimate that we could see such light-based devices within a decade.
Source: Johns Hopkins University
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Corsair Launches New Gaming Headsets, Keyboard, and Mouse Pads at PAX Prime
The Penny Arcade Expo is kicking off this weekend up in Seattle, Washington, and various companies are debuting new gear at PAX Prime. Corsair has a plethora of gaming headsets at the show, as well as a keyboard and two mouse pads. The headsets cover the Vengeance and Raptor lines, with the Vengeance 2100, 1500 v2, and 1400 alongside the Raptor HS40 and HS30. The Vengeance 2100 is a wireless headset with Dolby 7.1 Surround, the 1500 v2 also has Dolby 7.1 Surround and various improvements over the older model, while the 1400 is a stereo headset with 3.5mm analog connections. The Raptor HS40 features 7.1 Surround sound in a circumaural design, while the HS30 is an analog model with a circumaural design.
As for the keyboard, it's part of the Raptor line: the Raptor K30. It's a rubber dome keyboard with red LED backlighting, six dedicated gaming keys that can have macros for 18 total combinations, multimedia keys, onboard memory to save profiles, and a Windows lock key to prevent you from going to the desktop during a game. The two mouse pads are in a couple of different sizes, with the MM20 Extended coming in at 930mm x 300mm (36.6" x 11.8"), while the MM40 Compact is a nice 310mm x 235mm (12.2" x 9.25") .
All the products can be viewed at PAX Prime this weekend, with retail launches for them in September. The Vengeance 2100 is priced at $149.99, the 1500 v2 at $99.99, and the 1400 at $89.99. The Raptor HS40 is $59.99 and the HS30 only $49.99. The Raptor K30 keyboard comes in at $59.99, while the MM20 Extended mouse pad is $34.99 and the MM40 Compact is $19.99.
Source: Press Release
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New Element Confirmed
The word atom is derived from the Greek would for 'indivisible,' because at the time John Dalton developed atomic theory, he believed they were the simplest building blocks of the Universe. We now know that atoms are made of still smaller particles, and one of the best examples of this knowledge is when we create a new element. A team of researchers, led by those at Lund University, have recently confirmed the discovery of element 115.
What elements we can find in the Earth today can be traced back to the nuclear fusion occurring within the core of a star. To create more elements can require even more exotic situations. In this case the recipe involves firing calcium atoms at a film of americium, which is itself a man-made element. The results of this procedure include the release of X-ray photons, which can be used to identify the decaying atomic nucleus they came from. In this case, the energy levels are consistent with a nucleus of 115 radioactively decaying.
Before the new element can be officially added to the Period Table of Elements, or even named, a committee of physicists and chemists will have to decide if the current evidence is enough to prove the element's creation. Even if the committee does not acknowledge the element at this time, the Lund researchers have gained new insight into the nuclear physics of super-heavy atoms.
Source: Lund University
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Tying Liquid Crystal in Knots
Though you may not think of it when you tie your shoes, knots are very useful and important structures in math and science. Now we are finding knots in many places in reality, and these structures are bring out interesting properties. Researchers at the University of Warwick recently studied how to make liquid crystals form knots to potentially bring out new properties in them.
Liquid crystals are a decidedly useful technology in today's world with how they dominate display technology. A close look at the crystals reveals they are long, thin molecules that can be made to align, and it is by changing this alignment that pixels in a monitor are controlled. The researchers were interested in non-linear shapes though, so using a theoretical model, they looked at how the crystals behave with molecules of particular shapes, such as a Mobius strips. The researchers found that the crystals would align along these shapes to form knots.
Currently the work is just theoretical, but someday we may see it applied in designs for metamaterials and photonic devices.
Source: University of Warwick
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Nintendo Unveils New Handheld Console
Nintendo has announced the upcoming release of its next handheld gaming device, the 2DS. The 2DS is billed as an entry level device and will be backwards compatible with more than 2,000 games from the DS and 3DS devices. The 2DS abandons the clam shell form factor and returns to a single faced design. As the name implies, the 2DS will not support three dimensional viewing. The 2DS will be available on October 12 at an MSRP of $130. In addition to the new handheld, the Wii U Deluxe Set will see a $50 price drop, giving it a new price of $299.99. IDC research manager for gaming Lewis Ward believes that, "The price drop, coupled with new game card launches, such as "Pokémon X" and "Pokémon Y", which will arrive the same day as 2DS, will help lift Nintendo's holiday season results relative to 2012."
Source: PC World
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NASA 3D Prints Component for Rocket Engine
If there is one technology field that requires the utmost reliability, it is the space field. Every part of a rocket must work perfectly to protect human lives, especially when operating under extreme conditions, so parts are rigorously tested before humans could be at risk. A recently tested component designed by NASA, is an injector for a rocket engine, but unlock many other components, this one was 3D printed.
Also called additive manufacturing, 3D printing builds an object up, layer by layer, as opposed to starting with a block of material and removing unnecessary pieces. Such subtractive manufacturing though can ensure the finished part is very strong, as it is a single piece, while additive manufacturing may have points of failures at the layers. In this case the component was manufactured using selective laser melting to fuse nickel-chromium alloy powder into the necessary structure. To increase the likelihood of success, NASA designed the component to be comprised of just two parts, compared to comparable injectors made from 115 parts.
When tested, the rocket engine exposed the injector to pressure as high as 1400 pounds per square inch and temperatures reaching almost to 6,000 ºF, but the injector worked perfectly and has shown no sign of failure. Of course more testing is going to be done to confirm how well the printed injector performed, and if it is as successful as is hoped, we may see other rocket components 3D printed, as a means to reduce costs.
Source: NASA
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