Hardware News and Reviews

No more Flash in 2020

Adobe will reportedly stop making the once-popular Flash plugin in 2020, thanks to the combined efforts of major browsers to block this plugin by default, thanks to the number of vulnerabilities over the years. It was once a huge leap in web technology, but it is long past its best:

A number of gaming, education, and video sites still use Flash, and Adobe says it remains committed to supporting the technology until 2020 alongside partners like Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and Mozilla. Microsoft says it plans to disable Flash by default in Edge and Internet Explorer in mid to late 2019, with a full removal from all supported versions of Windows by 2020. Google will continue phasing out Flash over the next few years, while Mozilla says Firefox users will be able to choose which websites are able to run Flash next month and allow Firefox Extended Support Release (ESR) users to keep using Flash until the end of 2020. Apple is also supportive of the 2020 end of life for Flash, and Safari currently requires explicit approval on each website even when Mac users opt to install Flash.
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Read more at the Verge:
https://www.theverge.com/2017/7/25/16026236/adobe-flash-end-of-support-2020
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by Ian, Jul 25, 2017 at 7:26 PM

HyperX's Alloy Elite mechanical gaming keyboard

Tech Report take a look at the HyperX Alloy Elite - a minimalist gaming keyboard that comes with mechanical MX Blue, Brown or Red keys:

Like the Alloy FPS before it, the Alloy Elite is fashioned from a dull-coated steel deck filled with Cherry MX switches. As it did with the Alloy FPS, HyperX will offer the Elite with MX Blue, Brown, or Red switches. My review unit sports Browns, which are tactile but not clicky. While the Alloy FPS was just barely large enough to fit a standard 104-key layout, the Alloy Elite is more generously proportioned. The extra real estate let HyperX's designers include a light bar containing 18 red LEDs, as well as a trio of buttons to control the onboard red backlighting and a bank of dedicated media keys. Users with desk space to spare can attach the included wrist rest if they like.
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Read the review here:
http://techreport.com/review/32236/hyperx-alloy-elite-mechanical-gaming-keyboard-reviewed
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by Ian, Jul 19, 2017

Apple iPhone laser-based AR

CNET report that Apple is working on a 3D laser based augmented reality system for the iPhone 8:

Although Apple has been hush-hush about its next iPhone, we're 99 percent certain it will feature some form of AR. Last month at its yearly WWDC conference, Apple unveiled its ARKit, the company's software for developers to overlay virtual objects in the real world using AR. ARKit uses hardware that's already built into certain iOS devices, but it could get even better with technology like the dual cameras in the iPhone 7 Plus or whatever Apple decides to put into the next round of iPhones.

AR is the next frontier of smartphone smarts, with companies like Apple and Google vying to get their AR systems on phones. Google has its Tango software on two phones, including the ZenFone AR. Although the iPhone 8 would be Apple's first entry into AR, CEO Tim Cook has said that AR is "huge," claiming that its ARKit software will make Apple's the biggest AR platform overnight.
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Read more here:
https://www.cnet.com/uk/news/iphone-8-ar-3d-laser-rumor/
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by Ian, Jul 14, 2017

Oculus Rift Price Drop

Oculus have dropped the price of the Rift VR headset to $399/£399 - a phenomenal drop compared to just a few months ago. Does this mean there is a new version coming out soon, or do sales need a boost? Ars Technica take a look:

Such a severe price reduction, coming so soon after the company's first price drop in March, could signal that Oculus is having trouble moving Rift headsets and/or Touch controllers in sufficient volume (even if Oculus advertises the new price as being for a "limited time"). While the Rift was back-ordered for months as early adopters snapped up initial pre-orders at $599 last year, anecdotal reports suggest retail interest has waned in recent months.

Analysts at SuperData estimated the Rift had sold about 240,000 units through the beginning of February, well behind sales estimates for both the cheaper PlayStation VR and the more expensive HTC Vive (not to mention less powerful mobile-based competition).
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Read the rest here:
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017...for-second-time-this-year-now-399-with-touch/
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by Ian, Jul 10, 2017

Photobucket Disables Hotlinking

The popular image hosting site Photobucket has suddenly disabled the ability to link to images from other websites - having a huge impact on forums, ebay listings and websites that have used this service for many years. It now costs a whopping $399 to enable this previously free service:

Thousands of images promoting goods sold on Amazon and other shopping sites have been removed after a photo-sharing service changed its terms. Ebay and Etsy have also been affected, in addition to many forums and blogs.

The problem has been caused by Photobucket introducing a charge for allowing images hosted on its platform to be embedded into third-party sites.

The company caught many of its members unaware with the change, prompting some to accuse it of holding them to ransom.

Denver-based Photobucket is now seeking a $399 (£309) annual fee from those who wish to continue using it for "third-party hosting" and is facing a social media backlash as a consequence.
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Read more at the BBC:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-40492668
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by Ian, Jul 6, 2017

Google EU antitrust ruling

The EU have slapped Google with a €2.4 Billion fine for allegedly manipulating search results in favour of the search engine giant. It now has 90 days to comply with the ruling to give equal treatment to competing services within its search results:

The decision specifically addresses how Google treats shopping comparison services, but experts say it could set a precedent for how the company’s search engine — the core of its business — operates as a whole. Peter Whelan, an associate law professor at Leeds University, says in an email that while the decision does not touch upon other Google search functions such as images or maps, the fact that Google was found to be in a dominant market position “will now pave the way for possible future cases… in other areas of its search services.” Google is also facing antitrust probes in Brazil, and has been under investigation by antitrust regulators in South Korea.
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Read move at The Verge:
https://www.theverge.com/2017/6/28/15885368/google-eu-antitrust-fine-search-impact
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by Ian, Jun 29, 2017

E3 2017 - Game Announcements

GI have a great roundup of all of the industry gaming launch dates from E3 2017 in a single list - worth a read to see what is coming in the next year or two:

Whether you're on the show-floor or watching from a distance, E3 week can be an overwhelming experience: dozens of publishers with hundreds of games, all jostling for position and hungry for your attention.

For most people, though, the press conferences that kick the whole thing off are a focal point, providing a blueprint for the next year or more of the (for the most part) console business. This year, to make sure that nothing escapes your notice, we've compiled a list of every game showcased announced or dated at the E3 conferences this year. You'll find the games organised by their publisher or, in the case of indie games, the host of the conference in which they featured.
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Read the list here:
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2017-06-23-e3-2017-every-announcement-and-release-date
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by Ian, Jun 27, 2017

HDR and video games

ArsTechnical have an interesting article on their impressions of HDR gaming, since there was a distinct lack of HDR showcases at E3:

I expected either of the console makers to use E3 as an opportunity to declare very loudly that their pricier "upgrade" consoles could combine 4K and HDR in ways that their standard consoles cannot. The above video shows off how little they did so. For starters, Microsoft's booth had zeropanels set up to show off an HDR-versus-SDR comparison. I wound up asking a total of nine representatives, including game developers from two Microsoft-affiliated studios and a group of American PR staffers. None of them was sure which, if any, of the screens at Microsoft's E3 booth had HDR-10 turned on.
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Read the rest here:
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017...s-leaves-e3-with-more-questions-than-answers/
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by Ian, Jun 21, 2017

Microsoft Surface Pro (2017) Review

Anandtech take a look at the latest edition of the Microsoft Surface tablet, an increasingly popular choice for high-end portable computing:

The Microsoft Surface Pro has undeniably carved out a new segment in the PC space. But what was once a powerful, but heavy, thick, and unwieldly tablet when it was first launched, has become a thin, light, and even more powerful tablet in the following years. It was really the launch of the Surface Pro 3 that finally changed Microsoft’s fortunes in the hardware game. This was the first Surface Pro that was able to bring the weight and thickness into check, and the 3:2 aspect ratio screen was a revelation in this product category where 16:9 or 16:10 displays were really all that was offered in the Windows world.

In October 2015, Microsoft launched the refreshed Surface Pro 4 which was a bigger improvement than you would have guessed. The overall dimensions and look of the tablet were similar to the Pro 3, but the display was a big step forward, offering 267 pixels per inch, and outstanding color reproduction. The new keyboard launched with the Surface Pro 4 was really one of the biggest highlights though, offering an edge to edge keyboard with island keys, and a far more useable trackpad as well.
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Read the review here:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/11538/the-microsoft-surface-pro-2017-review-evolution
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by Ian, Jun 19, 2017

Corsair TX-M Series 750W PSU Review

PC Perspective have a review of the Corsair TX-M Series 750W PSU, which comes with an impressive 7-year warranty:

Corsair recently refreshed their TX Series power supplies which now include four new models: the TX550M, TX650M, TX750M, and TX850M. The new TX-M Series sits right in the middle of Corsair’s PC power supply lineup and was designed to offer efficient operation and easy installation. Corsair states the TX-M Series power supplies provide industrial build quality, 80 Plus Gold efficiency, extremely tight voltages and come with a semi-modular cable set. In addition, the TX-M Series power supplies use a compact chassis measuring only 140mm deep and come backed by a 7-year warranty.
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Read the rest here:
https://www.pcper.com/reviews/Cases-and-Cooling/Corsair-TX-M-Series-750W-Power-Supply-Review
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by Ian, Jun 15, 2017

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