Sharp takeover stalls
Sharp shares dived after Taiwan multinational delayed its takeover on new information about the Japanese giant. Read More ...
Atlassian doesn’t fear tech wreck
The founders of software group Atlassian have welcomed the pull-back in the valuations of global technology companies. Read More ...
Black spot remedy hits phase two
The Coalition government gets the ball rolling on the second half of mobile black spot program, with $60m in play. Read More ...
Fresh look at the future of work
New report launched by the government identifies six megatrends affecting the future of Australia's workforce. Read More ...
Life as accidental billionaires
Welcome
to the new world of the family colloquially known as the nation’s
accidental billionaires. Not that they enjoy the label. Read More ...
Love in the age of Snapchat
Though public, teenage concerns remain the same. Read More ...
Israeli army trains drone pilots
Technology start-up Ninox is using Israeli army know-how to lure Australian former defence personnel. Read More ...
Build your own smartphone?
Modular design is a new concept in smartphones that would let you snap together components like Lego blocks. Read More ...
Charge your phone in 5 minutes
Fast charging you phone in 5 minutes while sipping a latte is on the way. Read More ...
Vocus to pay special dividend
Recently-merged telco Vocus has announced a special dividend and increased half-year payout, as interim profit fell. Read More ...
Horus GK2000 Gaming Keyboard Announced by ASUS ROG
ASUS
Republic of Gamers has officially announced the Horus GK2000 gaming
keyboard. The Horus GK2000 is a mechanical input device that features
Cherry MX Red switches, CNC-processed aluminum accents with a special
top coating, an anodized keyboard plate with a brushed finish, and red
LED lighting. The latest keyboard from ASUS ROG comes with an embedded
32-bit MCU as well as 4 MB of onboard memory, allowing gamers to store
settings such as lighting and macro functions. The onboard memory allows
for 10 user profiles to be stored, each containing up to 80 macro
commands for mouse, PC, and media-control functions. The Horus GK2000
also features 100 percent anti-ghosting with N-Key rollover technology, a
two port USB 2.0 hub, an audio and microphone pass-through, an 80 cm
braided cable, a removable palm rest, a detachable stand for mobile
devices, and two-way adjustable fold-out feet. ASUS ROG is even
providing customers with a specially designed neoprene carrying case for
the keyboard, allowing gamers to transport the Horus GK2000 and other
peripherals and accessories in a protective and well designed package.
Source: TechPowerUp
Hardware Roundup: Friday, February 5, 2016, Edition
The
end of the week has arrived, but before the weekend hits, we have a
couple items for you to check out. There's a look at the Logitech G810
Orion Spectrum RGB Mechanical Keyboard, which uses the company's own
Romer-G switches and a fairly clean look to deliver a keyboard that
should appeal to nearly everyone. Our other item is a new case mod that
forgets the case and builds it into something you can mount directly on
your wall. It still has all the components necessary, including a GTX
980 and a full water cooling setup, but in a fully exposed design. Keyboards/Mice
TrackMania Turbo Releases on March 22
The next game in the TrackMania franchise, TrackMania Turbo,
is releasing on March 22 for PC, Xbox One, and Playstation 4. The game
has over 200 tracks in four environments; Rollercoaster Lagoon,
International Stadium, Canyon Grand Drift, and Valley Down &
Dirty. The first is set in a tropical paradise while the latter three
are returning areas with reworked gameplay and graphics. If you want
even more tracks, the Trackbuilder Tool will allow you to build any
number of tracks to test your skills. The game also features dedicated
new car designs and a new artistic direction.
You can watch the Release Date trailer below, which shows off the game's matchbox cars speeding around the tracks.
BitFenix Introduces Alchemy 2.0 Modular Cables BitFenix,
a creator of hardware and peripherals that grant the user the utmost
control, strength, and performance to complete their computing tasks,
has officially released the Alchemy 2.0 modular cable. Alchemy 2.0
improves on the original Alchemy product line thanks to the feedback
received from some of the world’s most prolific case modders. The new
sleeved cables from BitFenix boast a premium ultra-dense weave, a unique
multi-sleeved construction, pure copper strand cables up to 16AWG
thick, and high current alloy terminals that provide maximum efficiency.
Alchemy 2.0, which comes in a multitude of colors and six models that
support six different modular power supply series, also features rubber
cable combs that prevent damage to the sleeve, thereby ensuring long
life.
Source: Press Release
AMD Releases Hotfix for Radeon Software Crimson Edition 16.1.1
AMD
has officially released a hotfix for version 16.1.1 of its Radeon
Software Crimson Edition, which the company pushed to Radeon users just
days ago. The hotfix release includes some important highlights, such as
Fallout 4 and Rise of the Tomb Raider AMD Crossfire profiles, as well as performance and quality improvements for Rise of the Tomb Raider.
Radeon Software Crimson Edition 16.1.1 hotfix also resolves some issues
for gamers, such as display corruption on systems with multiple
monitors, crashing of Battlefield Hardline when altering graphic
quality settings, brightness flickering in some games when AMD FreeSync
was enabled, and custom game profiles resetting back to default settings
after a system restart, just to name a few.
The hotfix version of
Radeon Software Crimson Edition 16.1.1, which is available for 32-bit
and 64-bit editions of Windows 7, 8.1, and 10, and can be downloaded
immediately from the source link below.
Source: AMD
Greetings, Commander; XCOM 2's Launch Trailer Has Arrived
The day has finally arrived, where all of humanity can rise up and take back the planet from the alien menace. XCOM 2
has officially arrived in all regions, and whether you're taking a
break from playing, waiting for it to download, or are on the fence
about it, the launch trailer gives you a taste at what to expect. It's a
little different, actually, as the ADVENT Speaker addresses us on the
20th anniversary of unification, where the aliens successfully took over
the planet and painted the XCOM defenders as the true threat. However,
his speech gets cut short, and you'll see exactly why in the trailer
below. We're treated to shots of the new XCOM squad, revamped and
revised alien threats, and some entirely new types that will require
some careful planning to survive. Oh, and lots of shooting, explosions,
and big action when your stealth plans go out the window.
XCOM 2 is available now exclusively on PC. Be sure to grab the three launch mods
from Long War Studios to give your game a bit of a boost, and be sure
to keep an eye on the Steam Workshop for everything else modders come up
with to enhance your experience. Good luck, Commander.
Source: YouTube
Hell Awaits You in the DOOM Campaign Trailer
Hell is coming and it's up to you to fight back. In DOOM,
that's exactly what we're up against, as you step back into the shoes
of the DOOM Marine to combat the rampaging horde of demons, imps, and
other hellspawn. Bethesda and id Software have revealed the game's
campaign trailer, which gives us a glimpse at what to expect when DOOM
arrives later this year. The Union Aerospace Corporation's facility on
Mars has been overrun with demons, and the fate of humanity rests in
your hands alone. It's the classic DOOM formula, where you and
your collection of weapons are all that stand in the way of the forces
of Hell. There's no cover, no health regen, and nothing else to make
things easy for you while fighting back the horde; just you, your guns,
upgrades, and an advanced melee system. You can see some of this and
more in the trailer below.
DOOM arrives on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in May on Friday the 13th. Quite fitting for DOOM, really.
Source: YouTube
Thermaltake Launches Website for 3D Printed Computer Components
The
"Maker Movement" and 3D printing are very popular topics these days
with several companies involved and an increasing number of resources
for aspiring makers. Thermaltake is launching a website geared towards people that want to 3D print their own computer components and describes it as "a platform established for DIY and Modding enthusiasts to share customized PC components ideas."
Users can download models uploaded by others or share their creations
with the world. Thermaltake feels that the designs offered on the site
fulfill its four core values which are "Excellent Quality, Unique Design, Diverse Combinations, and Boundless Creativity."
Source: Press Release Read More ...
Hardware Roundup: Thursday, February 4, 2016, Edition
The
first week of February is approaching its end, with a few things to
help get you through the day. We have a look at the Corsair Carbide 400Q
case, a small model with sound dampening material to give you a silent
build to place in any room of your home. If you need something just for
your living room, perhaps the Zotac NEN SN970 Steam Machine is for you,
which features an Intel Core i5-6400T, an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960, 8GB of
RAM, and a 1TB HDD to let you experience SteamOS and the included Steam
Controller from the comfort of your couch or favorite chair. Wrapping
things up today is a new podcast looking at the latest news and reviews
from the past week. Cases
Toshiba Expecting a Bigger Full-Year Loss Than First Predicted
It
is being reported that Toshiba is expecting its full year loss to be
greater than the $4.6 billion previously predicted. The new expectation
is that it will be a $6 billion dollar loss, and this is all following a
$1.3 billion accounting scandal from 2009. That scandal involved an
overstatement of profits and has led the company to restructure itself,
which is an ongoing process. The CEO has also announced 240 additional
job cuts or replacements as part of this restructuring effort, which is
already expected to hit 10,000 jobs. The CEO also repeated plans to sell
off the company's laptop and home appliance businesses, as both were
loss-making. While both Sharp Corp and Foxconn (which may be merging) could be the potential purchasers for the home appliance business, it could also go to a foreign manufacturer.
Source: Reuters
Sharp Reportedly Enters Exclusive Merger Talks With Foxconn
It's
looking like Sharp may soon have a new owner, as it has reportedly
entered exclusive takeover talks with Foxconn. Both Foxconn
and Innovation Network Corp. of Japan (INCJ) were the frontrunners to
purchase Sharp, but now it looks like Foxconn is the winner. Sharp was
put up for sale early last year to try and save the troubled Japanese TV
manufacturer, which saw its stocks drop 50% in 2015. The company was
supposedly leaning more towards INCJ in order to keep the company in the
hands of its fellow countrymen, despite Foxconn offering far more
money. Foxconn's CEO, Terry Gou, made a personal trip to Sharp HQ last
week to offer a $5.45 billion bid, with that bid being the winner. INCJ
only offered $2.54 billion, and despite having bailed out Sharp three
times in the last three years, it looks like Sharp is going with the
Taiwanese tech giant.
Sharp currently supplies the screens to
Apple's iPhone line, with Foxconn producing parts for Apple, Amazon, and
Xiaomi, among others. If Foxconn's deal goes through, it could
potentially lower production costs to those companies and more, while
also absorbing all of Sharp's current debt and retaining its top
management. Sharp has lost nearly $10 billion over the last several
years due to lost TV sales and market share to rivals in Korea and
China. Keep it tuned for updates on whether or not Sharp becomes a part
of Foxconn, and exactly what it means for potentially cheaper hardware
(or at least any that utilize an LCD screen).
Source: IBTimes
Thermaltake Kicks Off Modding Fighting Championship Thermaltake
is holding a new modding competition starting this month and running
through the middle of June called the Thermaltake 2016 Modding Fighting
Championship. Thermaltake has invited Suchao Prowphong, winner of the
2015 Thermaltake CaseMOD Season 1, and Jesse Palacio, winner of the 2015
Thermaltake CaseMOD Season 2, to compete for glory and prizes. The Core WP100 Super Tower Chassis is the medium of choice for this contest and is the "only chassis able to house more than 20 HDD cages and up to 10 expansion slots."
OCZ Announces Trion 150 Solid State Drives
Toshiba has added the Trion 150 series of SSDs to the OCZ brand, described as "an affordable performance upgrade for mainstream notebooks and desktops."
The drives have read and write speeds up to 550MB/s and 530MB/s,
respectively, and 91,000 Input/Output Operations per Second. Storage
capacities of 120GB, 240GB, 480GB, and 960GB will be available with the
drives rated for drive endurance of 240TB total bytes written. Vice
President and GM of SSD BU at Toshiba America Steve Fingerhut, Sr.
described the drives stating, "We are continually looking for ways to
improve both SSD real world performance and value to end users and are
pleased to introduce the new Trion 150 series which leverages the latest
Toshiba 15nm Triple-Level Cell NAND flash to deliver an even better
storage solution for value oriented mobile and desktop users."
Source: Press Release
Microsoft Acquires SwiftKey for $250 Million
SwiftKey,
maker of the iconic predictive smartphone keyboard, has been acquired
by Microsoft for $250 million. According to Microsoft, there are no
plans to halt development for iOS and Android platforms, but it will be
pushing for "integration of the core technology aross the breadth of our
product and services portfolio."
SwiftKey can be found on over 300 million devices and supports over 100
languages, as well as bilingual auto-correction. SwiftKey also has
GreenHouse, a type of beta testing environment for end users to try new
potential SwiftKey features. GreenHouse currently includes SwiftKey
Symbols, a symbol-based communication method to assist individuals with
special needs, as well as SwiftKey Neural, which is the world’s first
smartphone keyboard to use artificial neural networks to predict and
correct typing.
This buyout continues Microsoft’s trend of purchasing productivity
applications – it recently acquired Acompli, Wunderlist, and Sunrise. It
is believed that these acquisitions will be ported over to Windows
Phone in hopes to add some much needed features to the OS.
Source: Ars Technica
Hardware Roundup: Wednesday, February 3, 2016, Edition
The
middle of the week is here, with a few items along the way to help get
you over the hump. We have a look at the AMD Wraith cooler to see how
this redesigned model keeps AMD CPUs and APUs running cooler than the
typical stock model. There's also a guide on what parts to look for when
you're buying a gaming laptop, letting you get something that can
perform at whatever level you desire. Ending things for today is a look
at some of the worst PC setups seen last month. CPU Cooling
Foxconn bids $US5.3bn for Sharp
Innovation Network Corp. of Japan also has competing offer for electronics maker. Read More ...
Fans call the shots
Sports fans can now decide not only when to watch a replay, but from which angle. It’s better than being there. Read More ...
Netflix blocking battle
A website that unlocks US content says Netflix has begun trying to block Australian access to that content. Read More ...
Telstra to buy Kloud
Telco bolsters its IT business with $50 million acquisition. Read More ...
ATO probes Bitcoin ‘creator’
Craig Wright is under investigation by the ATO into fraud potentially worth millions of dollars. Read More ...
ICT flagship a ‘tour of duty’
The head of the flagship ICT research body says it is vital to build Australia as a research and development hub. Read More ...
Apple’s aid for songwriters
If you want to capture the first few bars of a potential chart-topper before it exits your brain, help has arrived. Read More ...
Citrix names new CEO
Interim CEO Robert Calderoni to remain executive chairman as former Microsoft executive Kirill Tatarinov steps in. Read More ...
Edge taps private equity
Edge Electrons is in talks with private equity firms to bankroll its expansion plans in Australia and internationally. Read More ...
Apple in India push
iPhone maker asks for approval to open its own retail stores in the country. Read More ...
Cheap 2nd monitor?
I'm
looking for a 2nd monitor, so I can play games on one screen and watch
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Mini ITX X79 Mobo?
Hey Gurus.
Does anyone know of any X79 Mini ITX Motherboards? if there are any?
Gonna go for X99 and i want to put my 3930k in my HTPC which... Read More ...
*Platforms*: PC, Xbox One & PS4
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Does it worth overclocking 4790K beyond its stock boost of 4.4GHz?
Hello,
I use my PC mainly for gaming (BF4 and GTA V mainly) plus some audio creating and mixing apps.
My 4790K can do 4.4GHz at 1.12v (I am... Read More ...
Question regarding i-gpu and dedicated Gpu.
Hi
guys I know bye now your probb sick of me but I have a small
problem....I went ahead and bought a used Gtx 780 for my main system so
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Computer turning off/on every 4 seconds, showing artifacts
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I
have some problems with my dell optiplex 780 i have been using as htpc.
While watching a video on it, it suddenly crashed and restarted.... Read More ...
Virtu MVP - Dead?
Is Virtu MVP about dead now?
I noticed it does not even support Windows 10.
I was just thinking about it as the last time I used it, it was... Read More ...
Upgrade path advice
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I'm looking for some advice on a monitor upgrade. I'd like to get something that will last me a while.
EK offers monoblock for ASUS® X99 motherboards
Designed
and engineered in cooperation with ASUS®, this monoblock uses award
winning EK-Supremacy EVO cooling engine to ensure best possible CPU... Read More ...
newbie help needed Eyefinity multi res, multi size screens
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Using a crude Grid Pattern as my screen... Read More ...
New Computer Program Solves Geometry Questions Like a High School Student
Scientists
at the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence (AI2) have developed
a new computer system that can solve geometry problems just like an
average high school student taking SAT. The...
Volkswagen Shares Fell by 23 % After Recall Over Diesel Emissions
Volkswagen
just revealed the statistics showing the drop in its shares. Volkswagen
shares fell by 23 percent. The drop occurred in late morning trading on
Monday. Volkswagen had announced it will...
2017 Porsche 911 Makes World Debut at IAA 2015 in Frankfurt
Porsche
has finally changed its engines after 50 years. The automaker has
finally downsized the engines in its latest models. The downsizing of
engines by Porsche has occurred to meet fuel and...
Mazda Team Working on Rotary Engines for RX Series
Mazda
engineers are still working on rotary engines. The focus on the rotary
engines is underway using the Wankel technology. The step indicates
Mazda still wishes to bring back its RX series of...
Room wins People’s Choice Award at Toronto Film Festival
The
drama film ‘Room’ by Lenny Abrahamson has won the highest prize at the
Toronto film festival. The film is about a woman who is abducted and
raped. The woman is then trapped in a room for years...
Jaguar and Land Rover Debut Bond Spectre Cars
The
stunt vehicles used in the new Bond film have been revealed. The Land
Rover and Jaguar cars were used as Bond cars in the film Spectre. The
upcoming Bond film Spectre is set to be released next...
Cheryl Henson on the Center of Puppetry Arts, Jim, and the Legacy's Future
Update:
According Center of Puppetry Arts representative Chelsea Bohannon, the
exhibit will include 450 objects and opens on November 14, 2015. The
article has been updated to reflect the changes....
Viola Davis Makes History at Emmy Awards 2015
Viola
Davis became the first African American female to win an Emmy Award
for her role in the TV drama “How to Get Away with Murder”. She graced
the stage at the Microsoft Theater every bit...
Jackie Collins Not Included in Emmys 2015 Memoriam Tribute
Jackie
Collins, 77, the author, socialite, producer and younger sister of
actress Joan Collins, 82, passed away. Her death came after a long
battle with breast cancer. Jackie is more famous for her...
Amy Schumer Photobombs Game of Thrones Cast at Emmy Awards
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Schumer was a multiple nominee on the Emmys this year. The comedian hit
it big when she did win the trophy. She also got to live her dream when
she presented with Amy Poehler and she commented...
Ancient Whale Fossil Discovered in Santa Cruz Can Provide Insight into Whale Evolution
Scientists
unearthed a huge fossilized skeleton at a construction site in Santa
Cruz County, California. The fossil reportedly belongs to mysticete
whale or whalebone whale, an ancestor of modern...
ISS Astronauts Watched “The Martian” in Space
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weekend, astronauts at International Space Station (ISS) entertained
themselves with the upcoming space travel movie “The Martian”. This was
the special screening of the movie for the...
Oldest African Coelacanth Found in Eastern Cape
Africa’s
earliest known coelacanth fossil has been found off the Eastern Cape.
The 360 million year old remains of the creature show that it was the
most ancient of amphibious fish. And it was found...
Sprint starts selling Apple Watch at 8am September 25
The
new iPhone 6S is almost here. 5 more days and the iPhone 6S starts
shipping. At the same time Apple is expanding the channels for the Apple
Watch to carriers. Sprint announced on Sunday that the...
Apple Stays Mum on iPhone 6S Sales Numbers
The
iPhone 6S ships on Friday, September 25. Apple has released a
press-release to announce the sales launch. There is nothing new Apple
has announced today. Apple stays mum on iPhone 6S pre-order...
Apple in talks with California DMV’S officials about self-driving car
A
new report from “The Guardian” claims that Apple met with a several
officials at California's Department of Motor Vehicles a month ago to
talk about self-driving cars.The DMV tells the paper that...
Malware in App Store Gives Away iCloud Password
Things
haven't been going so well for Apple and the iPhone team as of late.
First, there was a pretty severe flaw in the newest iOS operating system
that would have allowed malware to get into the...
Sharp LV-85001 is First 8K TV on Sale
Sharp
announced that it will sell the world's first 8K TV starting October
30th. The Sharp LV-85001 is an 85-inch monster with 8K Super High
Definition screen. 8K means that the new Sharp TV has...
$50 Amazon Fire Tablet Bursts onto the Scene
Amazon
has announced today the $50 Fire tablet. Unlike the rumors, the new
Amazon bargain tablet features a 7-inch screen and not just a 6-inch
one.The new Fire tablet includes a 1.3Ghz quad-core...
2019 Apple Car Planned
The
Apple iCar is scheduled for 2019 says a new report from the Wall Street
Journal. Looks like a WSJ journalist had beers on the weekend
with people familiar with the matter.The report claims...
Tatsumi Kimishima is new Nintendo President
Tatsumi
Kimishima is the new Nintendo President. He follows famous Nintendo
President Satoru Iwata who passed away in July. 65-year-old Kimishima
has his work cut out. Nintendo needs a big new...
Mind Controlled Exoskeleton - A Scientific Breakthrough
Earlier
this month a robot exoskeleton developed by UCLA made headlines. The
"Ekso" makes a paralyzed person walk again by stimulating leg muscles.
South Korean researchers take an even more...
