Tech News

• Crytek responds to Crysis 2 leak

  Published: Monday, February 14, 2011 | By: Dennis

  In case you are nowhere near the gaming pulse a BETA of Crysis 2 was leaked out to the interwebs as a single player only campaign.  I guess someone at EA felt like pulling a Sam Flynn and share their hard work.

  'Crytek has been alerted that an early incomplete, unfinished build of Crysis 2 has appeared on Torrent sites,' the statement reads.
  
  'Crytek and EA are deeply disappointed by the news. We encourage fans to support the game and the development team by waiting and purchasing the final, polished game on 22nd March.
  

  Leaks like this really damage the industry, not only from a financial standpoint but from a social one considering that most gaming developers are overworked and underpaid.  Then again that is a perfect recipe for disgruntled disaster.  

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• Intel to Start Shipping B3 Stepping 6-Series Chipsets by February 14

  Published: Friday, February 11, 2011 | By: Dennis

  New B3 revision chipsets by mid Febuary, at least that is what this PDF says.  Here is a breakdown of what is in the PDF.

  • Revision ID will change from 04h to 05h
  • BIOS Update (Revision 1.1.4 of the BIOS Specification Update and Reference Code)
  • B3 stepping package is pin compatible with B2 stepping package
  • Minor metal layer change from B2 to B3 improving lifetime wear out with no changes to functionality or design specifications 

  This will be a good way to figure out what board you have once they go back on sale.  I wouldn't expect there to be product available until the March/April timeframe.  The actual time will depend on how mobo makers choose to resolve the issue, the rumor from Gigabyte is a full line of new SKUs.

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• Sapphire Pure Black P67 Hydra motherboard preview @ Hexus

  Published: Thursday, February 10, 2011 | By: Dennis

  As we reported shortly after CES Sapphire is getting into the enthusiast motherboard business and doing so using Intel technologies, namely X58 and P67.  This is exciting news for sure since it means we have another big player in the extremely small enthusiast board market.

  Unexpected problems with Intel's latest chipset may have stifled the momentum behind Sandy Bridge, but that admittedly major hitch is only temporary.
  
  Look forward a few months to late March or early April, and the introduction of Intel's revised B3 silicon will re-open the door for partners to unleash their take on the chip giant's latest desktop ecosystem.
  
  One of the surprise names hoping to do just that is Sapphire, a long-standing AMD partner that is hoping to also establish itself as a producer of high-quality, high-end Intel mainboards.
  

  We have some first thoughts about this board as well, but you'll have to wait for the review to know everything.  Until then check the forums for sample photos and performance number leaks.

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• Facebook and Google size up takeover of Twitter: report

  Published: Thursday, February 10, 2011 | By: Dennis

  Twitter became famous by not only providing a free service to its members but also allowing access into the API so that custom applications could be built specifically for it.  The best part is they did all of this without running ads on the site or begging its users for money.
  
  Makes you wonder how it can now be valued at $10 billion.
  

  (Reuters) - Google Inc and Facebook Inc, plus others, have held low level takeover talks with Twitter that give the Internet sensation a value as high as $10 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported.
  
  In December, Twitter raised $200 million in financing in a deal that valued it at $3.7 billion. The company, which allows users to broadcast 140-character messages to groups of followers, had 175 million users as of September.
  

  
  The value in Twitter is with its user base and how those users use the system.  It is a delicate balance that once disturbed could cause at least a few of its 175 million users to call foul and jump ship.

  The best part of this story? The fact that none of the principles involved were available for comment.

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• WikiLeaks crippled by ex-associates, sources say

  Published: Thursday, February 10, 2011 | By: Dennis

  How about some real news for once?

  Anyone who has developed a web application knows that NOTHING on the web is totally anonymous, there is always a trail.  Now, while this trail does exist, the difficult part is linking it to a single person and is where authentication comes into play.  For instance when I login to Ninjalane to post news items my website knows it's me based on my credentials.  If I wanted I could choose not to store this information or change the code so it doesn't show my name or associated information.

  In the case of illegal activities a certain level of anonymity needs to be secured else you will not get many people participating in your operation.  This is the case with Wikileaks and it would seem the programmer responsible for "hiding" the source of the "leak" removed the feature from the website.

  (Reuters) - WikiLeaks's ability to receive new leaks has been crippled after a disaffected programer unplugged a component which guaranteed anonymity to would-be leakers, activists and journalists who have worked with the site say.
  
  Details of the breakdown are contained in a book by estranged Assange collaborator Daniel Domscheit-Berg which is due to be published on Friday, a source familiar with the contents of the book told Reuters.
  

  Is anyone the least bit surprised there is a book deal associated with this?  Ya, didn't think so.

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• Intel to unveil 22nm Ivy Bridge CPUs at Computex 2011

  Published: Tuesday, February 8, 2011 | By: Dennis

  Good news for those of us feeling the heat from Sandy! 

  Intel reportedly has completed the design of its 22nm Ivy Bridge processors and will showcase the new CPUs at Computex Taipei 2011 in June, according to a Chinese-language Commercial Times report.
  
  Meanwhile, AMD has also accelerated the production of its Llano APUs and is expected to begin shipping the APUs to ODM/OEM makers in May at the earliest instead of the original schedule set in the third quarter, the paper noted.

  This is a rumor but seemed to be a well informed one.  Another rumor is that Ivy Bridge will work on P67 so when those new 6-Series chipsets come out we'll have an upgrade path.

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• Intel doesn't wait for fixed 6 Series chips, resumes some shipments

  Published: Tuesday, February 8, 2011 | By: Dennis

  TechConnect has a interesting 6-Series news post today claiming that Intel is resuming chipset sales, but with a condition.
  
  

  According to Intel, it will only deliver bugged chips to PC makers who will build systems that would not be affected by the issue. This likely means we'll be seeing Sandy Bridge laptops back on sale soon as they can use the two SATA 6.0 Gbps ports unaffected by the bug. Of course, some desktops may qualify for shipping too, if they only have an optical drive and a hard/solid state drive, but their maker will have to tell customers the free SATA 3.0 connectors available are troublesome.
  

  So what does this mean? Well, basically it means that "everyone" blew things way out of proportion in an attempt to calm angry consumers. (darn you consumers)  It also means that level headed mfgs like Foxconn were smart to stay quiet while other mobo makers like Gigabyte and MSI were left scrambling to make a TON of extra noise.
  
  From a business standpoint it is proper for Intel to issue the recall in an attempt to make things right.  Gigabyte, MSI and others were also correct in establishing RMA processes to replace products affected by the faulty chip.  However when you look at the timeline the warranty on most motherboards is 1 to 2 years and fault often occurs over time and may not be seen for 3 years.  Sounds like business as usual, especially since the way around the whole issue is to avoid using the "slower" SATA2 port(s) or just ride it out.
  
  Overall this hurts Intel more than anyone but with Ivy Bridge just around the corner their mistake will be short lived.

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• FyreTV BoXXX Adult Media Streamer @ Techgage

  Published: Tuesday, February 8, 2011 | By: Dennis

  It is not every day you find pr0n on a hardware review site but it does happen.  FyreTV is a widely popular way to get streaming adult media to your living room without resorting to a HTPC.

  For those who want to be able to rent and watch the latest Hollywood blockbusters without leaving their couch, there are options. For those who want to do the same with adult content, there's few. We're taking a look at the FyreTV BoXXX, a set-top device that sets out to be the best video-on-demand service in existence.

  Fyre had a rather large booth at AVN a few years ago which really helped sell the name.  For us having some electronic gear on display in the midst of a plethora of adult film stars was reason for a second look.

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• Cooler Master Spawn Gaming Mouse

  Published: Monday, February 7, 2011 | By: Dennis

  Gaming mice are not something I normally pay much attention do but with so many different and specific styles on the market they are becoming difficult to ignore.
  
  CoolerMaster has launched a new product to the CM Storm gaming line called the Spawn.  This little red number comes with a 3500dpi image sensor and can process 6400fps for superaccurate motion tracking.

  

  One of our photos from CES

  Some reviews of this mouse
  - Cooler Master Storm Spawn Gaming Mouse Review @ OCIA
  - CM Storm Inferno Gaming Mouse @ Bjorn3D
  
  Funny thing I use a Logitech G5 and typically have the DPI turned down to the middle setting, any higher and it becomes difficult to control.  This is all personal preference for sure.
  

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• NL: Review Block - Cases and Memory

  Published: Monday, February 7, 2011 | By: Dennis

  Cases and Memory are the un-sung heroes of the system integrator and enthusiast builders arsenal and if you pick wrong you may be left with an ugly system that can't break 10min in SuperPi.

  Cases
  - Lian Li PC-A04 @ techPowerUp
  - In Win IronClad Case Review @ Tweaknews
  - InWin Dragon Rider Case Review @ GeekInvaders
  - Antec Dark Fleet Series DF-85 PC Case Review

  Memory
  - Crucial Ballistix 4GB DDR3-2133 @ PureOverclock
  - Patriot Viper Xtreme Division 2 Memory Kit Review @ ThinkComputers
  - G.Skill Ripjaws-X Series PC3-17066 4GB Kit @ TweakTown
  
  There are a couple of familar names on this list. heck one of them I drive by every morning.

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