AMD FX 8370 & FX 8370E Review
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Google Ventures Into Quantum Computing
Google has announced a partnership with the University of California Santa Barbara with the goal of building "new quantum information processors." Google's Quantum Artificial Intelligence team will be working with UCSB researchers led by physicist John Martinis, who recently won the London Prize for work in the field. The Google team is currently "studying the application of quantum optimization to difficult problems in Artificial Intelligence." Google director of engineering Hartmut Neven described the partnership saying, "With an integrated hardware group the Quantum AI team will now be able to implement and test new designs for quantum optimization and inference processors based on recent theoretical insights as well as our learnings from the D-Wave quantum annealing architecture." Google hopes to develop an advanced artificial intelligence system that will be capable of solving advanced problems and analyzing complex patterns.
Source: PC Magazine
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CES Founder Dead at 92
It was recently revealed that the founder of the Consumer Electronics Show, Jack Wayman, died over the weekend at the age of 92 from natural causes. The first CES was organized by Wayman in 1967 when he was part of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and featured 100 exhibitors and 17,000 attendees. The event has since grown to 3,600 exhibitors and 160,000 attendees. Wayman was also involved in the Sony-Betamax case which "paved the way for the introduction of breakthrough technologies," was elected to the Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame, and received the Electronics Industries Association Distinguished Service Medal. CEA President and CEO Gary Shapiro said, "Jack’s contributions to our association and our industry are numerous and momentous. We stand on his shoulders. From leading the creation of the association that eventually became CEA to founding the International CES to leading the fight for critical legislative and public policy victories that helped drive industry growth, Jack truly was one of the fathers of the contemporary CE industry."
Source: Press Release
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Play as T-Bone When Watch Dogs Bad Blood DLC Arrives on September 23
When Ubisoft unveiled the Watch Dogs Season Pass, the highlight was undoubtedly the inclusion of a new single-player campaign that put players in control of eccentric hacker T-Bone. Today, Ubisoft unveiled that said DLC, entitled Watch Dogs Bad Blood, will be released to Season Pass holders on September 23 and available for purchase for all other players on September 30. Bad Blood takes place shortly after the events of the main campaign, and "explores T-Bone's story through 10 new missions set in new locations throughout Chicago." As T-Bone, you'll have access to exclusive weapons, perks, and outfits, including the remote-controlled car "Eugene", which can be upgraded with offensive and defensive perks. Oh, and you'll be able to play as T-Bone in the online modes "Hacking" and "Tailing", as well as the ctOS Companion app.
Source: Press Release and UbiBlog
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Firefox 32 Adds Public Key Pinning
In an effort to prevent attacks that involve invalid SSL/TSL certificates, Firefox 32 has incorporated Public Key Pinning. According to Sid Stamm, the senior manager of security and privacy engineering at Mozilla, key pinning allows website operators to specify which Certificate Authorities are able to issue valid certificates. Within Firefox 32, a normal lock icon will be displayed if a certificate is able to be matched with a pinned certificate. If the certificate cannot be verified, Firefox will reject the connection with a pinning error. This provides an additional layer of security for Firefox users by preventing connections to illegitimate website, in which a hacker could intercept critical data.
The first stage of pinning roll-out includes protection for Mozilla sites and Twitter, while later Firefox versions will include protection for Google sites, Tor, Dropbox, and others.
Source: Mozilla Security Blog
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Android App to Test Notifications' Impact on Stress
Everybody is stressed at some point and for some reason, and how we manage that stress can be very important for our health. To help reduce stress, researchers at the University of Southampton have created an Android app to see if managing notifications can help manage stress.
The app is named Healthy Mind and will periodically provide the user with a notification about stress management, and, if opened, will provide more information. Exactly when the notification will appear is based on time of day, physical activity, and location, which is data the app monitors. The app is currently available on the Google Play store in the My Life Guide Toolbox and those who install it will be asked to join the five month study. For those that agree, they will be placed into one of three groups. One group will receive up to three notifications a day, based on the collected data, while the other two groups will receive one a day from 5 PM to 8 PM, or two a week, again from 5 PM to 8 PM.
Part of the thinking behind this app and study is that most people who are stressed do not seek professional help, but have their smartphones with them constantly. By leveraging the technology at our fingertips, the researchers hope to help people with stress.
Source: University of Southampton
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HyperX Announces Savage Memory
HyperX, the high-performance product division of Kingston Technology, has recently announced HyperX Savage memory which replaces HyperX Genesis memory. This latest memory by HyperX features a low-profile design as well as a unique, red aluminum die-cast heat spreader with a diamond cut finish. While HyperX Savage memory is aesthetically appealing, it also boasts unparalleled performance. HyperX Savage is available in high-speed frequencies including 1600MHz, 1866MHz, 2133MHz and 2400MHz, and features timings of CL9 and CL11.
HyperX Savage memory is available immediately for purchase in 4GB and 8GB single modules, as well as 8GB to 32GB dual-channel or quad-channel kits, and comes with a lifetime warranty and free technical support.
Source: Press Release
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Facebook's Auto-play Video Feature Killing Phone Bills
If you're a smartphone user who doesn't have an unlimited data plan, but who loves to check Facebook constantly, you may want to keep reading. By default, videos in your Newsfeed play automatically when they get into view. This isn't much of a problem when browsing on a PC, but when browsing on your phone, such an action can quickly wrack up the data usage if you're on 3G/4G instead of Wi-Fi. Many mobile phone users have reported data overage charges and are blaming this Facebook feature, especially because of the influx of ALS Ice Bucket Challenge videos over the past couple months.
Thankfully, auto-play can be set to only activate when on Wi-Fi or even disabled completely. For iOS devices, go to Settings > Facebook > Settings, and then select either "Auto-play only on Wi-Fi" or "Off". For Android devices, go to your Facebook account Settings > App Settings, and then under General Settings select between those same two options.
According to MoneySavingExpert.com, users who feel they've been hit with unfair overage charges should contact their mobile provider explaining the situation and asking for a refund. "If this doesn't work, you can take your complaint to the Communications and Internet Services Adjudication Scheme (CISAS) or to the Ombudsman Services – which one depends on who your provider is signed up to."
Source: MoneySavingExpert
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NZXT Introduces S340 Chassis
NZXT, a leading manufacturer of computer cases and accessories, has officially introduced the Source 340, or S340. While the case is perfect for value oriented consumers, it manages to boast plenty of premium offerings, such as an all steel construction with extra thick side panels, filtered intakes, and a power supply shroud. Plenty of cable management options are available as well, as the case features twenty cable management points, and the unique interior layout of the NZXT S340 ensures that its compact size provides nothing short of absolute efficiency. Connectivity wise, the S340 comes with two USB 3.0 ports as well as HD audio.
The NZXT S340 is available in glossy black and glossy white and can be purchased immediately from the NZXT Armory Store for $69.99.
Source: Press Release
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Whack Your Friends in the Face With Oversized Weapons in Swordy
Frogshark, a three-person independent game studio based in New Zealand, has revealed its debut game Swordy, and it's quite the visual spectacle. According to the studio, "Swordy is a tribal couch-multiplayer physics based brawler." As seen in the PAX AUS Announcement Trailer below, up to four players slam, bash, slice, punch, throw, block, and stab their way to victory with various oversized weaponry. Of course, with a name like Swordy, there are swords, but the trailer also shows giant hammers and maces. Frogshark states that the game features "expressive local-multiplayer fun, fluid and weighty physics based combat, realistic exploding flaming weapons, and beautiful low poly art." Oh, and when you kill someone, they explode in a shower of colorful pixely goodness.
Source: Official Site via PC Gamer
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Lian Li Announces PC-V1000L Chassis
Lian Li has announced its new PC-V1000L Special Edition full tower chassis. The new case is made of brushed aluminum and supports motherboards up to E-ATX and 9 removable HDD bays, with room for two 2.5" or one 3.5" drive behind the motherboard, if you still need more storage. Naturally it also sports four USB 3.0 ports and HD audio connections on the front I/O panel. The ventilated front has room for three 120 mm fanes, which are mounted to a removable bracket for easy access. The bottom of the case has another removable bracket for another two 120 mm fans or a 240 mm radiator. Similarly the top panel can also hold that hardware, two 140 mm, or a 240 mm radiator. The back panel has room for a 120 mm exhaust fan and two grommeted holes. For easy transport, the chassis has a set of wheels on the bottom, and a locking mechanism for the back two.
There will be three versions of the case, one that is silver, one black, and one black with a window. The MSRP will be $345 and $389, depending on the version and will be available soon at Newegg.
Source: Lian Li
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Mushkin Launches Unbuffered DDR4 "Essentials" Modules
Mushkin, a leading designer and manufacturer of high-performance computer innovations and solutions, has just launched a new lineup of unbuffered DDR4 "Essentials" modules. All Mushkin DDR4 Essentials modules and kits ship with a speed of 2133MHz (PC4-17000) at a latency of 15-15-15-35, while only requiring 1.2 volts (a 20% improvement over DDR3). They are available from 4GB to 32GB in the following configurations: 4GB, 8GB, 2x4GB, 4x4GB, 2x8GB, and 4x8GB.
Mushkin's DDR4 Essentials modules will be available in limited quantities mid-September, with full production volumes available in Q4. For more information, visit the DDR4 Products Page.
Source: Presss Release
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Ancient Space Gameplay Revealed in New Developer-narrated Video; Arrives September 23 on Steam
Last month, publisher Paradox Interactive unveiled a new single-player, story-driven real-time strategy game called Ancient Space. Today, Paradox published a new video narrated by several members of developer CreativeForge Games, which shows off the gameplay for the first time. Ancient Space is a space RTS with full 3D movement on all three axes and smooth zooming. The video also shows off the ship upgrade/equip screen, which allows players to customize their ships based on their needs. The game looks absolutely gorgeous, but don't take my word for it, watch for yourself:
Source: Press Release
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Halting Molecules for Quantum Computers
In general, things are easier to manage when they are not moving but getting things to stop is not always that easy. This is as true of quantum mechanical particles as it is cars and children on a sugar-high, but you cannot grab onto a molecule and hold it still. Researchers at Northwestern University though, have found a way to start the tumbling of molecules, which could have implications for future quantum computers.
Over the decades, researchers have gotten pretty good at controlling atoms, but larger, more complex molecules are a different matter. Typically when you trap molecules, they will continue to rotate as though they were still freely moving, and some methods to stop them require cryostats to bring the temperature down to nearly absolute zero. The Northwestern researchers have instead developed a broadband laser that can stop a molecule in a fraction of a second. The key was in selecting the correct frequencies to cool the aluminum monohydride molecule down to just 4 K and its ground state, from room temperature. Shining a laser on molecules may not seem like a way to reduce the molecules' energy, but because of how the light frequencies interact with molecules, it is possible.
This new and elegant solution for bringing molecules to their ground state will likely see some use in quantum computing, but it does have other applications. Ultracold quantum-controlled chemistry could use the ability to control molecular rotors like this, and ground-state molecules could be used for testing if fundamental constants are constant throughout time.
Source: EurekAlert!
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Hardware Roundup: Wednesday Edition
We have come to the middle of the week, with a nice selection of items to keep you occupied. There is another review on the AMD FX-8370E processor, which is the company's newest refresh of the FX lineup, and one that looks to deliver a pretty nice package. We also have a look at the Scythe Mugen MAX CPU cooler, a rather large model that just may be able to help keep those new AMD and Intel processors from burning a hole in the motherboard. Nokia's Lumia 930 gets put to the test to see how it stacks up to the competition, and considering it's basically the international version of the Lumia Icon, it should do quite well. Lastly one of our affiliates is raising money for a local children's hospital, so please do what you can to support them.
CPUs
AMD FX-8370E @ Benchmark Reviews
CPU Cooling
Scythe Mugen MAX @ ThinkComputers
Mobile
Nokia Lumia 930 @ TechSpot
Miscellany
LanOC to raise money for Parkview Children's Hospital @ LanOC Reviews
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ECS USA Launches the "Design Your Own LIVA" Competition
Another contest is going down, as ECS USA is launching a "Design Your Own LIVA" competition running from now until the end of September. Participants have to take the ECS LIVA system and design their own artwork that will fit on it. The LIVA is a Mini PC with 118x70x55mm dimensions, so it's incredibly small and compact, yet surprisingly powerful thanks to its Intel Bay Trail-M CPU. It is a small area you'll be working with, but it just means an endless amount of possibilities for what you can put on it. All entries have to show a front and back side view, a left and right side view, a 45 degree view, and a 3D view, along with whichever view gives the best look at your artwork.
Once your entries are submitted to ECS by September 30, the top ten with the most "likes" on Facebook move onto the next round, where you turn your artwork into reality. The top ten are given a white LIVA case to put their artwork on, and must take photos of that to send off to ECS by October 31. At that point ECS judges will look everything over, and select a winner no later than November 7. Grand prize winner receives $1,000, second place gets $500, and third place $300, with the remaining seven getting some nice parting gifts.
If you want to get your creative juices flowing and have a chance to win that $1,000, head on over to the ECS USA Facebook page to get started. This contest is only open for residents in the US and Canada, so please take that into consideration. Remember to get your entries in by September 30, and good luck to all participants!
Source: Press Release
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