G.Skill Trident X 2400MHz Review
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Watch Nanoparticles Grow Into Chains
Nanoparticles are at the forefront of many emerging technologies. These particles can often be designed with certain properties and can be used to create elaborate nanoscale structures. There is a debate in the scientific community however about how they assemble into these larger structures. Some theories describe the nanoparticles as 'artificial atoms' that form molecular-type structures. Researchers at Berkeley Lab have recently performed an experiment that watched nanoparticles to see just what it is that they do.
To perform the experiment two important hurdles had to be overcome. One was finding a way to keep the nanoparticles in view of the microscope. The second was to keep the liquid from getting too viscous and preventing the nanoparticles from moving. These were both overcome by using capillary action to draw platinum and iron molecular precursors to a liquid cell, which was then sealed with an epoxy. The smaller cell kept the particles in view and the epoxy seal prevented the liquid from drying and thickening.
Using transmission electron microscopes, including the powerful Transmission Electron Aberration-corrected Microscope (TEAM) with half-angstrom resolution, the particles were watched for hours. Previous experiments only allowed for minutes of observations. The resulting data showed the nanoparticles shaking around a bit as they attach to each other. At first the linked particles are all twisted up but eventually they straighten out to nanorods. This evidence supports the theory that nanoparticles behave like artificial atoms during crystal growth, which is important to know for designing and creating complex nanomaterials in the future.
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Getting Around Visual Impairment With Advanced Goggles
I have worn glasses for as long as I can remember, and I suspect I am not the only spectacled OCC member. I and many of us are fortunate that our vision problems can be corrected with prescription lenses because there are many people who have lost at least part of their visual field. Glaucoma, retinal pathologies, and more can all cause people to lose the ability to see certain things, which then causes them to run into objects and people.
Researchers at Carlos III University of Madrid have built a device to help these visual handicaps by highlighting objects and displaying depth information in a manner they can better view. Sometimes there is not enough contrast between an object and its background for the patient to see, which causes them to run into it. The intelligent goggles the researchers developed identify objects in the patient's view and highlight the edges, to overcome the lack of contrast. The silhouette is then colored based on how far away the object is, because the microdisplays do not currently give 3D images.
The next step for the goggles is to develop a more ergonomic and convenient design. Before the current or new design can be used though, the technology has to be approved for use, which the Instituto de Oftalmología Aplicada (Institute for Applied Ophthalmology) is going to determine through clinical tests.
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Ultimate Editions of Various PS3 Games Arrive on PlayStation Store
If you own a PlayStation 3 and have yet to check out the PlayStation Store today, you may want to do so. Sony has gathered nine different PS3 games and released them as Ultimate Editions on the PlayStation Store. These Ultimate Editions include all released downloadable content in one convenient download. There are discounts on the titles for everyone, but PlayStation Plus members receive an even larger discount. Now is your chance to own inFamous 2, Mortal Kombat, Red Dead Redemption, L.A. Noire, BioShock 2, Just Cause 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Mafia II, or Motorstorm Apocalypse without having to break the bank. The Ultimate Editions will only be discounted until June 5th, so act fast to pick them up!
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Physics Demo for CryENGINE 3 Appears - Most Realistic Vehicle Damage Yet
Racing games or even just any game that features vehicles typically make some concessions when it comes to damage. Sometimes if there are licensed cars then the manufacturer does not want its product ruined, while created cars do not show the best damage. Sure, the cars in Grand Theft Auto IV appear similar to real-world versions and even get some damage, but often times how the damage is portrayed is just a little lacking. New game engines present a way to bump up that portrayal, but only if the physics is calculated properly. Crytek has been talking about the new features of CryENGINE 3 for a little while now, and recently a video was released showing off a soft-body physics system that can make use of CryENGINE 3. The video is of early in-game tests done by the team behind Rigs of Rods, but it is still impressive regardless. A pickup truck behaves properly when going over uneven bumps and then has a crash eerily reminiscent of actual crash test videos, with plenty more to follow. The team is still working on shading and collision issues (like body panels going through others), but once those are ironed out I hope to see this system implemented in as many driving games as possible.
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New Star Wars Game Franchise to be Revealed Ahead of E3
It was earlier this month when some filings for a Star Wars 1313 appeared, which included one for a video game. This lead to some speculation on what exactly the new series could be about, including one focused on Boba Fett. In a story from the bounty hunter's younger days, Fett went by the name CT-1313 in order to find out information. Star Wars 1313 would seem to go along with that, but we will not have to wait long to know for certain. Spike TV will unveil the new Star Wars game franchise ahead of E3 this year, with an exclusive reveal set for May 31st. If you happened to be watching any of the Star Wars movies on Spike during this past weekend, you no doubt saw the banner scroll across the bottom of the screen. The new game will be revealed on May 31st during the Game Trailers TV show, but LucasArts will show off gameplay during E3 on June 4th. So, will this new Star Wars game franchise be about Boba Fett, a specific year in the Star Wars universe, or is it simply a release date? We just have to wait to see.
Source: GameSpot and Neoseeker
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Could PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale be Arriving on Vita?
Last month, Sony confirmed the development of its Super Smash Bros.-inspired brawler, PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale. Based on a recent domain registration by Sony, it seems the game may find its way onto Sony's latest portable, the PS Vita. BattleRoyalTheGameVita.com and BattleRoyaleTheGameVita.com were apparently registered by Sony on May 24. This is after a sound designer for Sony updated his LinkedIn profile last week to include his current work on the game, listing it as a "PS3, Vita" title. With E3 looming just a week away, it's likely we'll get an official announcement then.
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Sophisticated 'Flame' Malware Discovered
Normally the discovery of a computer virus is not big enough news to warrant coverage by large media outlets, but in the past few years there have been some too important to not cover. First it was Stuxnet, a Trojan of uncertain origin that attacked the nuclear facilities in Iran and destroyed equipment there. Another Trogan named Duqu was found later and it shows a higher level of complexity than Stuxnet, though many believe the two are related. Unlike Stuxnet though, Duqu has not been activated yet, so no one knows what its purpose is, except for those who wrote it. Now another virus has been found and it, like its predecessors, has been found attacking targets in Iran and the Middle East.
As researchers at Kaspersky Lab analyzed Duqu they found it had some coding in it that they were not familiar with. After asking for help from the Internet the solution was found, and it indicated that whoever made the malware is very experienced with programming. This new virus, named Flame, surpasses both Stuxnet and Duqu in complexity and size.
Most computer viruses are small, making it easy for them to go undetected. Duqu and Stuxnet at 500 KB were heavyweights, but Flame comes in at an astounding 20 MB, with one module alone 6 MB in size. Considering the large scope of what Flame can do, this is not entirely surprising. The virus not only is capable of stealing your passwords as it records keystrokes, but it can also activate and record voices with a computer's microphone, take screenshots, monitor network traffic, and communicate with BlueTooth devices.
This level of complexity has led every research group that has analyzed it to the same conclusion about Flame's origin. The virus was likely written by a nation-state because the level of expertise required for this piece of malware would necessitate a large budget. Also, as English text was found in the code, the researchers believe it was created by native English speakers. Both Duqu and Stuxnet are alleged to have been made by nation-states, but it has not been conclusively proven.
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The Witcher: Rise of the White Wolf Finally Hitting Shelves?
Over three years ago, I reported that The Witcher: Rise of the White Wolf (RotWW), was put on hold. If some recent retail listings are accurate, it seems the day of its release may finally be approaching. RotWW is the console port of the original The Witcher RPG, which had been a PC-exclusive up until this point. Due to financial issues, CD Projekt put its development on indefinite hold to focus on other things, most notably the sequel. Although nothing official has been announced, due to The Witcher 2's success, despite the apparent rampant piracy on the PC, it seems the company may have finally found the money to finish RotWW's development and bring it to market. Of course the real question is whether Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 owners still want to play the original nearly five years after its initial PC release (nearly four years after the Enhanced Edition hit the market). Regardless, it's nice to see the company hadn't forgotten about this project, despite working on two other big projects.
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Pre-Production of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning 2 Had Begun
Over the past couple weeks, we've reported on the unfortunate demise of 38 Studios and Big Huge Games, which has also resulted in the public never getting an official Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning patch to fix the game's remaining problems. It seems the lack of patch release is not the only repercussion of the studios' closings. Joystiq is reporting that several sources informed the site that a sequel had been in pre-production prior to all the layoffs. Speaking under anonymity, sources told Joystiq that the studios carefully listened to fans and critics, and that the sequel would have offered better graphics, no loading screens between zones, expanded and improved combat animations, fewer branching quests, and the ability for players to have a greater effect on the world.
Although 38 Studios technically still owns the IP, technology, and code, it is highly likely the Rhode Island government will seize all that due to the studios' defaulting on the loan. Unfortunately, the state's asking price to release those assets is apparently too high, which means we most likely will never see a proper sequel. Former BHG employees state that the government loan was for an MMO project and not Reckoning, but at this point, that may not matter. This is unfortunate, because despite the collapse of the studios, Reckoning actually received a lot of critical acclaim, hovering around the 80 mark on metacritc for all three platforms. Its selling of 1.2 million copies in its first 90 days is also impressive for a brand new IP, but sadly it wasn't enough to keep the studios afloat.
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