Jeri Ellsworth talks CastAR VR and why Valve let her go
Today Jeri Ellsworth released a new video on her YouTube channel that gave us a look into what has been going on in her world since she was let go from Valve. Jeri says she has been working on a project that was started about two years ago when she was recruited by Valve to develop an all new way to play video games using augmented reality and virtual reality.
     |
Read More ...
LeakedTT: PR Images of Sony's A7 and A7R full frame cameras surface
Earlier today two photos surfaced on the internet of two of Sony's upcoming A series mirrorless cameras. The A7 and A7R are set to be the flagship middle ground cameras between Sony's NEX line and its Alpha line of DSLRs. The A7 and A7R both feature full frame sensors and boast a mirrorless design.
[img]2][/img]
| |
Read More ...
Move over Google Fiber, worlds fastest Wi-Fi clocked at 100Gbit/s
Everyone knows that a Wi-Fi network connection is going to be slower than a modern day wired connection. Up until today that statement was considered to be true, but a new report is suggesting that Wi-Fi could be, on the order of magnitudes, faster than even a fiber connection.
That is 100 times faster than Google's Fiber Internet service. So fast that you could transfer an entire Blu-ray ISO in just 2 seconds. Unfortunately you should not expect to see this technology arrive in your home anytime soon as high frequencies such as the ones used in this experiment, do not pass through walls very good. They must rely on a line of sight between devices to even function at all.
| |
Read More ...
Microsoft shows off Xbox One Friends app, feels very Twitter-like
Microsoft has just posted a video that gives us insight to how the friend system will work in the new Xbox One ecosystem. Microsoft says that users will be able to add over 1000 friends now and that all of your Xbox 360 friends will be automatically imported. The coolest new feature is however, the ability to simply "follow" other players.
| |
Read More ...
RumorTT: Toshiba considering buying OCZ's Consumer division
2013 has not been kind to flash memory manufacturer OCZ, and it appears that that is just what some companies were holding out for. Sources close to the company have told TweakTown that electronics giant Toshiba is taking a serious look at buying the floundering companies consumer storage division.
Honestly, I have to agree with him, and I have not seen anything exciting come out of OCZ on the consumer side of things in many months now, and I feel that Toshiba could take the IP from OCZ and create a new product that would greatly improve their Laptop, Tablet, and PC business, not to mention what this would allow them to do with future Smart-TVs.
| |
Read More ...
DICE says it will support Linux, could see Battlefield 4 on SteamOS
During a recent interview, DICE's Director, Lars Gustavsson alluded to the company officially supporting Linux with a port of the new Frostbite Engine 3. He said that all it will take is for a single killer game (such as Battlefield 4) to be ported to the free OS and the platform would become as popular for gaming as Windows.
| |
Read More ...
HTC says Sense 5.5 will arrive on the HTC One in a few weeks
HTC has confirmed that Sense 5.5 will be making its way to HTC One handsets in the coming weeks. This announcement comes shortly after this mornings launch of the new HTC One MAX which featured the new Sense 5.5 skin. Sense 5.5's major improvement lies in the customization options for its popular BlinkFeed feature.
HTC Zoe has also been given some much needed updates and bug fixes, with the largest improvement being easier to locate highlight reels, and the ability to add in music stored on the device. HTC says that the entire One family will be getting Sense 5.5 in the coming week and as a happy owner of an HTC One, I can not wait! In the beginning I was a little skeptical about BlinkFeed, but now I use it more than I use Facebook for news updates.
| |
Read More ...
Nintendo's 2DS handheld console goes live in the US, EU & Australia
Nintendo has just launched its budget-friendly handheld gaming console, the Nintendo 2DS. The 3D top screen featured on the 3DS is gone and the device does not fold up like its predecessor. Along with the deleted screen and hinges, the 2DS also managed to delete quite a chunk of cash off of its price as well.
| |
Read More ...
Futuremark now featuring 3DMark benchmarking for Windows RT
Benchmarking junkies will now be able to get their fix by benchmarking Windows RT devices thanks to Futuremark. The company announced today that it has now included support for Windows RT in its 3DMark for Windows benchmarking software. The 3D Benchmarking suite includes three tests based on the "Ice Storm" test scene, namely "Ice Storm," "Ice Storm Extreme," and "Ice Storm Unlimited."
| |
Read More ...
Sonos' new Play:1 wireless speaker is the audio device that could
Today, Sonos announced the release their all new Sonos Play:1, a powerful and extremely compact wireless speaker designed for streaming music throughout your home. The Play:1 is a portable speaker that utilizes Wi-Fi to stream music and is designed to sync harmoniously with other Sonos wireless HiFi devices.
Sonos says that the Play:1 has been designed with minimalism in mind, and that the unit was designed with a single play/pause button on top of the device to minimize clutter as much as possible. Users can also combine a pair of Play:1 units to the Sonos PLAYBAR and SONOS SUB to create a powerful HiFi 5.1 surround system for the home theatre. The Sonos Play:1 will retail for $199 and is available now.
| |
Read More ...
Microsoft unveils Windows Phone GDR3 update brings in 1080p support
Microsoft has finally released the GDR3 update for Windows Phone 8, something we have been reporting about for several months now. The update brings forth official support for 1080p displays, with those in the 5-inch and 6-inch classes being highlighted. The update also allows for the system to support faster processors such as the Snapdragon 800 from Qualcomm.
| |
Read More ...
HTC One MAX arrives with a 5.9-inch screen, Android 4.3 and Sense 5.5
After weeks of build-up, leaks, and speculation, HTC this morning announced the launch of the HTC One MAX. The One Max is the Phablet version of the HTC One, and does not sacrifice power for a larger screen unlike many of the phablets on the market today. HTC has also kept to their word, and retained the aluminum unibody chassis its flagship One is so famous for.
"The addition of the HTC One max means that we now have an HTC One phone for everyone. The family has been built on quality and game-changing innovations and the HTC One max is certainly no exception," said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation. "The upgrade to HTC Sense 5.5 will provide our most amazing mobile experience yet, with the HTC One max delivering the size and power required to do everything you want, and more, without compromise."
For months we heard rumors of a fingerprint scanner being added to the One MAX, and those rumors were confirmed today. The built-in sensor is located on the back of the phablet directly under the camera lens. HTC says that the sensor can be used to unlock the phone quickly and that up to 3 apps can be launched by assigning individual apps to specific fingers. While Apple's fingerprint sensor is cool, it does not allow you to open apps with different fingerprints.
HTC has also launched it's new Sense 5.5 user interface / launcher. The new Sense 5.5 features a more customization including the ability to quickly and easily remove BlinkFeed from the homescreen. Android 4.3 is also present from the factory, and HTC has included the same UltraPixel imaging sensor that is found in the Original HTC One. The new One Max is only available in Glacial Silver at the moment and should begin a worldwide rollout at the end of this month.
| |
Read More ...
Top 10 TweakTown News Stories from the past week [14 October 2013]
Here are our top 10 news posts from the past week!
- AMD unveils Gaming Evolved Control Center, makes PC gaming 'easier'
- Nexus 5 gets Bluetooth 4.0 certified ahead of next weeks launch
- Apple joins Google in quest for BlackBerry engineers
- RumorTT: Apple halving the daily production of iPhone 5C units
- Nintendo Wii U sees 685% sales increase thanks to Zelda: Wind Walker
- Lian Li shows off a new stunning double-wide brushed aluminum PC case
- YouTube offline viewing mode could be something quite big for Google
- Sapphire launches new line of AMD R-Series video cards
- Fairfax Financial fails to secure funding to buy BlackBerry
- Instagram for Android to roll out, will include some needed fixes
| |
Read More ...
mamta_Testing
mamta_Testing
| |
Read More ...
LG to launch its G Flex smartphone next month, 6 inches of flex
We've already heard about the G Flex, something that LG was supposed to announce next month, which looks to be on track. Engadget has landed a bunch of press renders of the upcoming flexible smartphone from LG.
| |
Read More ...
Latest 'Only in Battlefield' video captures the best moments of BF4
Battlefield 4 is only a few weeks away, and to whet out appetites that much more, DICE has released another video for the first-person shooter named 'Only in Battlefield.'
Battlefield 4 is released on October 29 in most countries, and hits next-gen consoles a few weeks later when they launch.
| |
Read More ...
iPhone 5C case becomes useful, developer makes Connect 4 game with it
It looks like the odd case for the iPhone 5C has a use thanks to an Australian iOS developer who has used the case to make a Connect 4 game. Yes, a Connect 4 game for the case you use on your iPhone 5C.
| |
Read More ...
Angry Birds take over lounge room screens with its Blu-ray release
Following the announcement earlier this year that Sony Pictures has picked up the rights for the debut Angry Birds feature film, comes the announcement of the Australian Blu-ray release of the first volume of Angry Birds Toons, previously accessible through the Angry Birds app, or on pay TV.
| |
Read More ...
RumorTT: Apple to launch 'budget' iMac model next year
If there's one thing that Apple's iMacs aren't, it's cheap. This is all set to change according to an analyst with KGI Securities. Ming-Chi Kuo says that Apple will be more aggressive with its iMac pricing in 2014, where it will introduce a new "budget" model.
The analyst believes that Apple priced it too high, which has forced Apple's hand to prepare a budget iMac that will help shipment numbers in non-US markets.
| |
Read More ...
Watch Dogs character models look much better on next-gen platforms
We haven't seen many comparisons between current and next generation platforms with some of the newer games coming out, but there's a comparison of Watch Dogs on the current generation consoles, put up against the next-gen platforms.
| |
Read More ...
Major Internet organizations moving away from US government control
The day has come: every single major Internet organization has pledged to free themselves of the influence of the US government's control at a summit in Uruguay.
Right now, the US department of commerce has oversight in the operations of ICANN, but not for long. During a separate part of the statement, the group "expressed strong concern over the undermining of the trust and confidence of Internet users globally due to recent revelations of pervasive monitoring and surveillance."
| |
Read More ...
Cooler Master HAF Stacker 915F Chassis Review
Final Thoughts
In the aspect of just being a chassis capable of running Mini-ITX based systems, it is one of the longest we have seen, but there is more than enough room for all of your components to make a tiny motherboard based power house. With just one fan pumping air out of the back of the chassis, the PSU pumping out the front of the chassis, and the sides allowing for passive airflow to creep in and get pulled by the rear exhaust fan, thermals inside of the chassis are very reasonable for the way the chassis is delivered. We could have also added some fans to the right side of the chassis to elevate the cooling efficiency and still used the same components. We just would have moved the drive to the floor of the chassis and removed the support to allow room for them there. There is the one sticking point about the expansion slots, but with some force and a bit of struggling, I was able to eventually get my card secured into the 915F, but it was much more work than it should have been to mount my video card.Then there is the whole other aspect of what this chassis will do. Even with the front bay still in place, and with room for a smaller PSU like the one we used for this build, there is room for a pair of radiators, one on either side. You can use the PSU to power pumps and lighting, have plenty of room in the middle of the chassis for a tube reservoir, pumps, fan headers, and excess wiring all to go in and stay tidy when it's built. While it is entirely possible to house thick radiators with fans on both sides, you do limit the space in the middle for other components, but the large grommet at the back and the smaller ones in the middle allow you to set up any sort of configuration of 140mm and 120mm based radiators. While the HAF Stacker 915F is intended to be used with the rest of the HAF Stacker components, I see no reason why you can't be a bit creative and use this with any chassis that is nine inches wide and near 23 inches deep.
As a standalone SFF chassis that can also be used to support additional water cooling to almost any other chassis where external water cooling is your only option left, the fact that this chassis is going to sell at $69.99 is great value to be had in my opinion. Having the ability to stack two or three of these high could make an office setup like mine much cleaner than my two main rigs and a laptop all spread across the room. With a design like this, you have one central location for many systems, and at a glance, you can see if the entire array is running and doing what they should be doing. Then of course you can add this to the HAF Stacker 935 for even more space for whatever you desire, is a handy feature as well.
I really think that Cooler Master did a great job on the HAF Stacker 915F as a standalone M-ITX based chassis, and in the review of the HAF Stacker 935 that will go online soon, you will see how it plays into that design as well. As long as you are aware of the expansion slot struggle and are willing to try your hand with it, I don't see why you would pass up on this design, where you can get bored with it one way, and completely readdress the design and still have a pedestal on hand. With just a tiny bit of modding, I want to turn this into a portable water cooling kit that I can just have a pair of quick disconnects and use this for benching purposes next to my open air test rig - the options are truly only limited to your imagination with the HAF Stacker 915F.
| |
Read More ...
Thecus N4510U Rackmount NAS Review
Introduction
The N4510U actually has two different versions. The first is the model we're looking at today, model number N4510U-S with a single PSU. Thecus also sells a dual PSU model, N4510U-R. Our model also uses the current front face plate. Thecus will soon have a new face plate for the N4510 model name, but we're not sure what changes Thecus made.
Thecus' rackmount products are all all-inclusive unlike many other rackmount NAS. The unit ships with drive rails for 4-post racks. Nothing irritates me more than getting in a new NAS and finding that I can't properly install the NAS in a rack. Making matters worse, some rack rail systems cost as much as $200! Thecus includes rails with all of their rackmount NAS and we applaud them for doing so.
Let's take a look at the hardware specifications, then the software and finally run performance tests.
... Read the rest in your browser!
| |
Read More ...
GIGABYTE P25W Gaming Laptop Review
Introduction
Despite having a similar appearance, the hardware featured inside is completely revamped to include the latest hardware from NVIDIA and Intel, making this one powerhouse of a machine.
Can it take over the performance crown from the recently reviewed ASUS G750 or MSI GT70? Keep reading to find out.
Specifications, Configurations and Pricing
Coupled with the 4700MQ is 16GB of DDR3L SDRAM. 16GB of RAM is a pretty standard amount to expect on a gaming machine, though GIGABYTE could have probably gotten away with just 8GB to save costs.
Graphics are provided via a discrete NVIDIA GTX 770M with 3GB of vRAM. The GTX 770M is a very capable video card and will perform somewhere between the older GTX 675M and GTX 680M. It offers a total of 960 CUDA cores. It also requires less power, is clocked faster, and features GPU Boost 2.0 to increase performance when additional thermal headroom is available.
Despite being equipped with Windows 8, the GIGABYTE P25 does not feature a touch-enabled screen. It does, however, come with a full HD 1920x1080 panel with a matte surface coating.
Windows 8 is installed upon a pair of 128GB mSATA SSDs in RAID 0, providing for speedy read and write speeds, though for some things, such as Windows booting, a single larger SSD can be faster. The 256GB of SSD storage is complemented by a 1TB 5,400RPM HDD.
Packaging
You can check out the GIGABYTE P25W packaging in the unboxing video below.
| |
Read More ...
Sapphire Radeon R9 280X 3GB TOXIC Video Card Review
Introduction
Today we get to step it up in two ways. First we get to see the model that sits above the just looked at R9 270X. Along with that, we also get to look at our first retail card, and we've got to say that from first glance, we've started off with quite the looker.
The Sapphire R9 280X 3GB TOXIC is a great looking card as you can see above in our introduction image. You shouldn't judge a book by its cover, though, as they say, so we won't read into it too much. If past experience is anything to go by, though, we should have quite the card on our hand.
Mentioning again that this card is our first retail one it also means that instead of going straight into the card like our previous R series cards, we'll be checking out the bundle that Sapphire is offering. So, let's get into that before we get into the real fun stuff and see just what the brand new Sapphire R9 280X 3GB TOXIC is capable of achieving.
Package
... Read the rest in your browser!
| |
Read More ...
Top 10 TweakTown Content from the past week [14 October 2013]
Here are our top 10 articles, reviews and guides from the past week!
- SanDisk Extreme II 120GB RAID 0 SSD Report
- AMD Radeon R7 260X 2GB Video Card Review
- Corsair Force LS 240GB SSD Review
- QNAP TS-669 PRO 6-Bay SMB NAS Review
- WD Red and WD Se NAS HDD Enterprise RAID Report
- Thermaltake Toughpower DPS 850-Watt 80 PLUS Gold Power Supply Review
- Prolimatech Armageddon Blue Series CPU Cooler Review
- LUXA2 P2 5000mAh Aluminum Portable Battery Review
| |
Read More ...
Beyond: Two Souls PlayStation 3 Review
A few years back, Cage announced Beyond, a game that was going to use real-world actors and actresses and a game that would focus on how gaming could be an emotional experience. It is Cage's opinion that gaming has not explored emotionally enough, and the possibilities it can bring to the industry. Beyond: Two Soul begins to explore this further than his previous games, but the failure to take more out on the cutting room floor keeps this game from being a classic.
Beyond takes place during 15 years of the life of Jodie (played by Ellen Page). During her infantile years, it is discovered that Jodie has a gift and that she has a special connection to an entity known as Aidan. Aidan can assist her and protect her and can also be controlled by the player. Her parents leave her with a secretive government department early on in her young life, and from there she has trained under lock and key to ultimately become a weapon for the United States in their various wars around the globe.
Here's an example. In one scene, you are on a date with Jodie in her apartment. The game tasks you with choosing a dinner, and then preparing the meal. This means cutting up vegetables, then moving the vegetables into the pan and finally flipping the pan to cook them. Need I go on? It is things like this that really harm the game. There are times where the interactions within the world are extremely important and very interesting to play, but when there is other elements which ask you to do mundane tasks, it leaves a sour taste.
Aside from the mundane tasks and lack of cohesion to the story, the gameplay can be interesting, especially when taking control of Aidan. As Aidan, you can float about the environment and assist Jodie in her tasks. It may be that you choke an enemy out, or smash a wall into them or even something as simple as flash lights to show that Aidan is around to other characters. Funnily enough, this is somewhat where the game works. This also represents the multiplayer component where two players can work together - one as Jodie and one as Aidan.
To call this game a bunch of QTEs in a row is a bit harsh, but overall that is pretty much the case. The only area where the game starts to diverge from this is Aidan, but also when Jodie is involved in combat. When in combat, you need to move the analogue sticks in the direction that Jodie is leaning. For example, if it looks like she wants to duck, pull the sticks down.
This also leads us to the next interesting part of the game, and that is there is no real consequences for failing QTEs. The game carries on, but you will see different outcomes. The game never really punishes the player for doing something wrong, which is one of the reasons why it can be such a boring experience to play through.
The game also encourages exploration and most of the ten hours you will spend playing this falls into exploration. At the start of each scene, you are generally just placed into the center of an environment and tasked with what to do next. That's not to say the game doesn't give you hints as to what may be the goal, it does, but it very much encourages exploration. It is almost impossible to get stuck in this game because there is generally always something to interact with.
The other focus on Beyond is trying to get casual gamers involved and playing. Cage should be commended for this, because consoles can be quite inaccessible and so to assist with this a Beyond app is available on Android and IOS to actually play the game. Once connected, instead of using a regular controller, you can control the game with a simplified control scheme. As well as this an easy mode has been included that simplifies the controls and also gives a bit more hints as to where Aidan can interact.
There is one thing that stops this game from being instant bargain bin, three out of ten status, and that is Ellen Page. Her performance throughout is unbelievably good, perhaps some of the best performances of a virtual character in a game to date. If you want an argument as to why game studios should go after Hollywood talent more often and that it can work, then Beyond: Two Souls is the new benchmark.
There is flashes of brilliance in this game that shows that Quantic Dream can actually put together stunningly beautiful titles. I will admit that there are emotions I felt playing this game I generally do not feel when playing games, and in that regard Beyond is a huge success. This is a game that focused on emotions and emotional connections and in that regard this is a David Cage master class. This is why it is such a shame that the rest of the game really is close to a mess. If Cage can take this emotional investment that you have in Beyond and pair it with some very interesting gameplay, he will really be onto something big. It's a simple fact though that this isn't what Beyond: Two Souls is.
| |
Read More ...
Top 10 TweakTown Press Releases from the past week [14 October 2013]
Here are our top 10 posted press releases from the past week!
- Toshiba Updates Versatile Portégé R30 Ultraportable Laptop
- PowerColor's New R9/R7 Series Offers Users a Complete Solution
- Toshiba Also Unveils High-Performance, Thin and Light Enterprise Product Lineup
- ASUS Republic of Gamers Announces Matrix R9 280X Graphics Cards
- ASUS Announces R9 280X, R9 270X, R7 260X DirectCU II Graphics Cards
- Toshiba Introduces the Tecra W50 Mobile Workstation
- ASUS Announces R7 250 and R7 240 Graphics Cards
- LG Launches Two New Ultra-Wide LED Monitors
| |
Read More ...
Available Tags:Valve , Google , Microsoft , Xbox , Toshiba , HTC , HTC , Windows , wireless , Windows Phone , Android , TweakTown , LG , smartphone , iPhone 5 , iPhone , Blu-ray , Apple , Cooler Master , GIGABYTE , Gaming , Sapphire , Radeon ,
No comments:
Post a Comment