Microsoft Introduces the Surface Book Laptop
Microsoft has had its Surface tablet for quite some time, proving to people that a powerful Windows tablet is possible, and one that is also starting to be imitated by the competition. Today Microsoft has a new product that is sure to get collective mouths watering, as it unveiled the Surface Book. This is the company's first laptop and it comes loaded with features, starting with a Maxwell GPU from NVIDIA. It also has either an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, integrated Intel HD 520 graphics on models without the NVIDIA GPU, an SSD ranging in size from 128GB to 1TB, and 8 or 16GB of RAM. The Surface Book features a 13.5" PixelSense display with a 3000x2000 resolution touchscreen, which supports ten point multi-touch. It can be used like a regular laptop, making it the first ever true laptop in the Surface line; flip the screen around to take advantage of the Surface Pen and the pen-first mode; or completely detach the screen and use it just like a tablet. Yes, the Surface Book is a laptop, but it still holds true to its heritage and becomes a fully functioning tablet at the push of a button.
Also on the Surface Book is 802.11ac WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, a five megapixel front camera, eight megapixel rear camera, dual microphones, front-facing speakers with Dolby audio, and a TPM chip for enterprise security. Connectivity options include two USB 3.0 ports, a full-size SD card reader, SurfaceConnect, a headset jack, and mini DisplayPort. Battery life is stated to reach 12 hours with video playback, but that can always change based on how much or little you're doing on it.
The Microsoft Surface Book arrives on October 26 for $1,499, with the price bumping to $1,899 if it has the NVIDIA Maxwell GPU. Each Surface Book comes with the Surface Pen, the keyboard, a power supply, and a one-year warranty. Pre-orders are now live from Microsoft's online store.
Sources: Microsoft and NVIDIA Blog
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Cyberpunk 2077 Will Be Bigger Than The Witcher 3
Cyberpunk 2077 is the next project from CD Projekt Red, the studio behind The Witcher trilogy. Not much has been revealed about the game up to this point, other than that the studio has switched its focus from The Witcher to the new game. Visual effects artist Jose Teixeira has revealed some rather large, though vague, details about the game stating "Cyberpunk is far bigger than anything else that CD Projekt Red has done before. We're really stepping into the unknown in terms of complexity and size and problems we encounter." He also believes that the size of The Witcher 3 will help the studio going forward adding "If anything, working on The Witcher 3 was a really good and often brutal learning experience. Cyberpunk is going to benefit greatly from it. I can almost guarantee it." Unfortunately Teixeira and the studio remain silent on a release date, but the latest expansion for The Witcher 3 should hold you over for now.
Source: MCV UK
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be quiet! Announces Silent Base 600 Case
German company be quiet! has announced its newest case, the Silent Base 600. The company followed the design motto "Form Follows Function" in creating a case that "combines excellent cooling efficiency with perfect air circulation" providing users with "whisper-quiet operation." The cooling in the case is based around a pair of pre-installed Pure Wings 2 and a three step fan controller that allows users to adjust cooling performance and noise to suit their needs. The case has mount points for an additional five fans and can also accommodate water cooling solutions. Graphics cards up to 413mm in length and CPU coolers up to 170mm in height can be installed. The case is available now in orange, black, and silver at an MSRP of $109.90 for the standard case or $119.90 for a windowed model.
Source: Press Release
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Geralt's New Adventure Awaits in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Hearts of Stone Launch Trailer
It's nearly time to step back into the shoes of professional monster slayer Geralt of Rivia when the Hearts of Stone expansion arrives next week for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Hearts of Stone sees Geralt captured and forced to work for the Merchant of Mirrors to defeat the bandit captain Olgierd von Everec. Unfortunately, Geralt is marked by some type of magic on his face that doesn't seem all that pleasant, so it isn't like he could deny the Merchant of Mirrors if he wanted. This bandit captain won't be entirely easy to bring down, as he's been cursed with immortality, which you can see in the Hearts of Stone launch trailer below. He's going to present a new challenge for Geralt, one that he's hopefully up to the task of defeating. All is not quite as it seems, however, so choose carefully when the time comes.
Source: YouTube
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Ubisoft Announces Far Cry Primal
Yesterday some of us watched an unusual reveal by Ubisoft for an upcoming title the gradually revealed cave paintings. Now we know this was the announcement event for Far Cry Primal, the next game in the Far Cry franchise.
Like other games in the franchise, Primal is an open world sandbox game, but instead of being in a remote, lawless environment, you will be playing in the year 10,000 BC, the Stone Age, when humans are fighting to survive as a species. You will play as Takkar, the last member of his hunting game that has arrived in the land of Oros, and eventually become the first human to tame the wilderness. On your way to that victory, you will have to hunt for food, deal with predators and other tribes, craft weapons and tools, and master fire. The game is being developed by Ubisoft Montréal in collaboration with Ubisoft Toronto, Ubisoft Shanghai Studio, and Ubisoft Kiev Studio.
Far Cry Primal is scheduled to release February 23, 2016 for both the Xbox One and Playstation 4, with the PC release coming in March. Until then you can check out our reviews of Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon and Far Cry 4.
Source: Press Release
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Squad Creation and Tactics Can Make All The Difference in Wasteland 2: Director's Cut
The journey back to the revised and revamped wastes is nearly here, as the Wasteland 2: Director's Cut launch is a week away. To help prepare you for the journey, be it new or familiar, is a new video covering squad creation and tactics narrated by game creator Brian Fargo. Creating the right squad is of utmost importance in Wasteland 2, as the variety of encounters, enemies, and choices mean your squad must have a range of abilities. It is up to you to decide who makes up your squad, as they can be one of the pre-made squaddies from inXile, or custom creations by you. If you go the custom route, you can alter everything about the squad member, from their appearance and clothing style, to the skills, attributes, and weapon specializations. Try to go with a balance of different abilities, as like I said before, the right squad can make all the difference in the wastes.
In addition to choosing the perfect squad for your journey to save the people in the area, it is just as important to use sound tactics to overcome any encounter. This is where a range of abilities and specializations can come into play, as it can influence how you approach each encounter. Not all of them are solved by combat, as the correct dialogue choices can eliminate a fight, or make it a whole lot easier. Sometimes you need safe cracking or computer hacking to get out of the siutation or present a new pathway, so your choices in who to bring can prove invaluable.
Source: YouTube
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Hardware Roundup: Tuesday, October 6, 2015, Edition
A new day is upon us, with some new items for your viewing pleasure. There is a review of the BitFenix AEGIS mATX case, a smaller model that features a 2.8" LCD display on the front and room for seven case fans inside. An SSD from a relatively unheard of company in the consumer landscape called Centon gets tested, as its C-380 480GB model is compared to the competition. A WiFi Audio Extender from D-Link is reviewed to see how much of a boost it can be to your wireless network, as well as helping with audio streaming. Finally we have a build log for a new test bench system, covering all the components that makes it up and the reasons behind each choice.
Cases
BitFenix AEGIS @ Neoseeker
Storage/Hard Drives
Centon C-380 480GB SSD @ Benchmark Reviews
Networking
D-Link Wi-Fi Audio Extender @ ThinkComputers
Miscellany
Building the Bench: A New System for Cases and Cooling @ PC Perspective
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Two-Quantum Bit Logic Gate Build in Silicon
For decades silicon has been used to construct the various electronic devices we rely on, and while silicon is approaching its end for these devices, using silicon is actually a goal for quantum computers. This is because we already have a robust infrastructure for manufacturing silicon devices, so realizing quantum computing components with the material will make them easy to produce. Researchers at the University of New South Wales have recently created the final piece in the silicon quantum computing puzzle by building a two-qubit logic gate.
Like in a traditional computer, the logic gate is what performs the logical operations on inputs, but instead of working on electronic bits, it will instead work on quantum bits, or qubits. While electronic bits can exist as either a 0 or 1, qubits can exist as both 0 and 1 at the same time, thanks to a phenomenon called superposition. Exploiting superposition like this is what will allow a quantum computer to perform highly parallel tasks no modern computer can. As this is a two-qubit logic gate, it can operate on four values at a time, while a three-qubit gate would operate on eight. To create this new device, the researchers modified the design of electronic transistors so that each one would only be associated with one electron, and then the data is encoded onto the electrons as spin.
All the other components necessary to construct a quantum computer have been made of silicon previously, so this discovery provides the final piece to the puzzle. The next step for this research is to find industry partners for manufacturing full-scale quantum processor chips.
Source: University of New South Wales
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Build 10558 of Windows 10 Brings Additional Features and Refinements
Windows 10 preview build 10558 has leaked over the weekend and includes some additional features and refinements that further polish the operating system. Some of the new features include new Messenger and Skype Video applications, tab previews within the Microsoft Edge browser, and the ability for users to install applications to various drives. The Start Menu features a redesigned context menu that is available to utilize upon right-clicking a tile within the menu, and build 10558 of Windows 10 also ushers in redesigned icons for various components such as sound devices.
The first major update to Windows 10 is expected to arrive sometime next month, and should provide users of the latest Microsoft operating system with an improved experience overall.
Source: WCCFtech
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