Tech News
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Sharks Cove: A Raspberry Pi-style mini-PC for Windows 8.1
Back in the early days IBM figured that the money to be made in the computer world was with the hardware. History tells us that software was the big money maker and offered reoccurring income. Of course software was largely dependent on hardware so it was a nice symbiosis. It would seem that Microsoft has rediscovered disposable hardware and for that to work they need developers to write the software bits.
Hoping to show that Windows can run on just about anything, Microsoft has teamed with Intel and product manufacturer CircuitCo to announce a Windows-compatible development board, which is now available for pre-order, as ArsTechnica first reported.
Dubbed the Sharks Cove, this tiny PC features a "Bay Trail" 1.33GHz Intel Atom processor with integrated graphics, 1GB of RAM, 16GB onboard storage, a microSD slot, HDMI, a MIPI connector, a single USB 2.0 port, and a micro-USB port for power. There's no Ethernet or Wi-Fi card onboard, so you'll need to use USB adapters to connect the board to the Internet or any other network.
I'm all for these little mini machines and this one looks cool. However, I'm with the author in saying it is best to wait for some of the low cost laptops and such if you want a small form factor machine.
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Logitech Illuminated Living Room Keyboard K830 Review @ Techgage
We highlight a lot of the newest gaming gear hitting the streets on these pages, but today we'll be spotlighting something a little different. As micro-builds continue to get more exposure and become increasingly affordable, PC's are starting to muscle in on what was typically the console's domain, and vie for space in the living room. Now we're starting to see more interface periphreals changing as well to adapt to new UI's in this environment. This new Logitech keyboard is a nice example of "bringing the desk to you" by giving you full mouse and keyboard control, along with full illumination to work in a "theatre" environment.
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Finding a “great” keyboard for an HTPC is tough. It seems that most models do a lot of things right, but then miss the boat on the others. With its Illuminated Living Room K830, Logitech is hoping to deliver an option that hits all of the marks, and on paper, the chances look good. Let’s see if it manages to pull it off.
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What's Next for Advanced Micro Devices?
I know the Haswell refresh, and the upcoming Broadwell release has been the talk of the town lately as Intel continues to drive their 9 Series chipsets, but in all this talk - what's AMD been up to? Currently they've been sustained selling chips to Sony for the PS4s, but once sales start to slow down as saturation takes hold, what then?
AMD's stock has fallen nearly 20% in a two-day span following an earnings report that missed expectations to compliment weak guidance. Clearly, the company's weak performance in the PC and server space was in-focus, as this was an area where many investors thought AMD would be strong, especially following Intel's quarter just days before.
Howeve
r, when it comes to PCs and servers, AMD and Intel are obviously on different ends of the spectrum. Thus, AMD investors are left hoping that strong sales from graphics and visual chips are sustainable. Yet, according to its CEO, Rory Read, those wishes may not be a reality.
The full article is in the link section at the bottom of the report. -
Google’s $1B purchase of Twitch confirmed
It would appear that the rumors are true, Twitch.tv is now part of the Google Empire and they paid 1 billion dollars for the opportunity.
Google has signed a deal to buy game-livestreaming firm Twitch for $1 billion, confirmed sources familiar with the matter.
We don’t know everything about this deal, such as when it will be announced and the exact purchase price.
We do know that Twitch investors who participated in past rounds are pleased that they will be getting significant returns that are multiple times the amount they originally invested. The deal underscores the value of live Internet streaming and the rise of competitive gaming as a spectator sport — something that draws millions of viewers, can offer prize pools that surpass pro golf’s marquee events, and provides a multibillion dollar opportunity for advertisers.I've been doing some twitch research lately learning about what it takes to stream and finding out what streamers do to get attention. The real benefit for them is the chance to make playing games a real business. Of course the same could be said for "cam girls" but that is a different story.
Of course, now that Google is running the show you can be assured that almost every aspect of twitch will be better from the advertising money to streamers to the connection for viewers.
With any luck and a DSL upgrade you may even see some Hardware Asylum stuff on twitch so cross your fingers.
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Sapphire Radeon R9 290 Vapor-X 4 GB @ techPowerUp
Sapphire's R9 290 Vapor-X comes highly overclocked out of the box, matching R9 290X in performance. The card's triple fan, triple slot cooler manages temperatures very well and offers a unique feature: you decide whether the card idles with one or three fans running, letting you focus on temperature or noise.
Looking at the spec sheet, the Vapor-X 290 looks to be a marked improvement over the base reference model, both in improved cooling, to performance from the factory overclock, which can hopefully outshine the pricetag and the size of this triple-slot swallowing beast. The fan control to switch which fans run when idle are located on the card itself. Think we'll ever see the option to be able to make those adjustments on the fly through the software someday?
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Asylum: Review Block - Kitchen Sink Edition
It has been awhile since I posted a review block so, here goes.
Storage
- Thecus N5550 Network Attached Storage Review @ Modders-IncThe Illustion of Control
- BitFenix Recon 5-Channel Touchscreen Fan Controller Review @ HiTech LegionSending Packets
- Linksys WRT1900AC Router Review @ Hardware CanucksCooling With Liquid
- XSPC DDC Photon 170 Reservoir/Pump Combo @ PureOverclockCapture Your Components
- In Win 904 Case Review on Technic3D
- SilverStone Precision PS10 Computer Case Review @ APH NetworksStay tuned for more review site antics with Hardware Asylum
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Gigabyte Z97X-GAMING G1 WIFI-BK (Intel LGA 1150) @ techPowerUp
Duing Computex I was given the opportunityto see the Black Edition testing room at the Gigabyte factory. The whole process makes sense from a marketing standpoint since you get a longer warranty and the peace of mind that the motherboard and video card you are buying has already been stress tested.
Of course on the flip side you have to get over the fact that you are buying a used motherboard. So when you see a BK in the name that is why you are paying extra.
Black is really an absence of color, or light, all there was before time began. Now, there is the Z97X-GAMING G1 WIFI-BK, Gigabyte's top-tiered Black Edition board. So powerful it can create black holes itself, the Gigabyte Z97X-GAMING G1 WIFI-BK is here to take your gaming experience to a whole new level.
Another cool thing about the new Gigabyte Gaming motherboards is 4-way SLI support, Killer NIC and high-end audio like on previous G1 boards. They really are some of the best AIO gaming boards out there.
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PowerColor Devil 13 Dual GPU R9 290X @ Guru3D
OMG, dual R9 290X Devil 13 card!?!
We review the beast, the dual Radeon R9 290X based PowerColor Devil 13. It's hotter than hell, demonic and hinted as a disciple of the Devil himself, yes, as we review the PowerColor Radeon R9 295x2 Devil13 with 8 GB graphics memory. The card is a dual-GPU based graphics card that comes with two Hawaii XT GPUs, these two GPUs are fully enabled on all Shader Processors and run up-to a cool 1018 MHz each.
These cards may be super exclusive and not much better than a Lightning but, damn the marketing is cool.
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SilverStone Raven RV05 Rotated Computer Chase Review @ [H]
I have been a huge fan of the Raven series since the introduction of the Raven 1 back in the day. Since then they have released four different versions of the case with the Raven 2 being one of the most popular.
The Raven 5 uses the same rotated motherboard layout so the cables and heat exit out the top but removes the external 5.25" drive bays and attempts to make the case smaller and more compact. When I saw this case at CES I was a little shocked at the design direction but realized that the Raven series isn't about keeping with tradition but rather exploring the possibilities.
Lets hope it pays off.
The SilverStone Raven series of cases long ago broke the mold when it comes to "normal" computer chassis. Its design execution has always been good and the Ravens' airflow characteristics are excellent. Today SilverStone pushes the new Raven RV05 out there a little bit further in terms of design and function.
Be sure to read the editor notes at the end of the review, For once both Kyle and I are in full agreement.
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Tegra K1 Gaming is Near: NVIDIA SHIELD Tablet & Controller Preview @ Techgage
It seems I'm never in the right place or on the right meeting to get the scoop on NVIDA SHIELD and by the looks of it, I'm missing out!
I made a prediction a couple of months ago that the next SHIELD release we’d see would be an upgrade to the original – but with a dose of Tegra K1. As it turns out, I was wrong. However, like the SHIELD portable, NVIDIA’s just-announced SHIELD Tablet and Controller are two products that portable gaming fans should get excited about.
The nice thing about SHIELD devices is that they can take on any form factor and still kick some serious gaming arse.
