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The first DDR5 RAM modules promise faster, more efficient PCs
Korean chip manufacturer SK Hynix has unveiled the world’s first 64GB DDR5 RAM modules, marking a big step away from DDR4 SIMs that have dominated PC memory since 2013.
Samsung first to market with 10-nanometer DRAM
Intel may have delayed its 10-nanometer CPUs, but all systems are go for Samsung's 10-nanometer-class DRAM chips. The company is now mass producing the first DDR4 chips using the tech in 8Gb sizes, ahead of competitors SK Hynix and Micron.It will produce SIMM modules this year varying from 4GB for laptops up to 128GB for enterprise servers. Samsung also promised to reveal 10-nanometer mobile DRAM "in the near future."
littleBits' synth kit plays nice with analog gear and audio software
littleBits and Korg first teamed up on a kit for aspiring musicians back in 2013, and now the duo is at it again. This time around, the two companies collaborated on MIDI, CV and USB I/O modules, adding to the existing Lego-like DIY audio collection. With the MIDI module, you can control the Synth Kit from a compatible instrument (like Korg's MS-20 mini), or use a littleBits setup to wrangle sounds from gear and software, too. Connecting the USB I/O module adds a way to capture your homemade instrument with recording software (DAW). And as you might expect, it'll allow littleBits controllers, sequencers and effects to tweak any audio coming from a computer.
Star Citizen's Chris Roberts looks back on a year of growth
2014 was a pretty big year for Star Citizen, and not just because the Arena Commander module went from its first release version to 1.0 over the course of the year. A recent letter from project head Chris Roberts states that over 2014 the studio has gone from having 70 employees in one location to 180 employees in four locations across the globe. He also notes the huge increases in funding that the game has seen from both new backers and old. So what's in store for 2015? Big stuff for backers. The first episode of Squadron 42 and the beginnings of the game's persistent universe will be reaching backer hands, along with the first iterations of the FPS module. There's no exact timetable given, but the developers are certainly planning big for the year ahead. Take a look at the full letter for more statistics on the year past and the one just begun. [Thanks to Cardboard for the tip!]
EVE Evolved: Features coming in Oceanus and beyond
It's been almost four months since EVE Online switched from publishing two major expansions per year to releasing ten smaller updates, and so far it looks like the new schedule has been a huge success. Rather than forcing the industry overhaul out the door in Kronos before it was ready, CCP was able to push it forward to the Crius release window seven weeks later and the extra development time meant the feature launched in a very polished state. It may be too early to tell if the new schedule's success can be seen in the concurrent player graph for Tranquility, but the numbers have remained steady for the past few months in what is typically the annual low-point for player activity. The Oceanus update is scheduled to go live in just two day's time, adding several graphical upgrades, more difficult burner missions, an experimental new notification feature, and other small improvements. The scale of the update seems to be on par with the recent Hyperion release, consisting of mostly small features and minor iterations on gameplay. While we're told that CCP is still working on large projects behind the scenes, the new release schedule means they won't be rushed out the door and so we may not see them for some time. In this edition of EVE Evolved, I summarise everything we know about Tuesday's Oceanus update, and take a look at what's to come in further releases.
EVE Online nukes named modules
One thing that we're becoming increasingly convinced about the purpose of EVE Online's dev diaries is that they are secret recruiting and training grounds for future CCP employees a la The Last Starfighter. If you're willing to chew through thousands of words and a dozen or so charts on something called "Module Tiericide," then you should be awarded with a salary plus benefits. That theory aside, today's new Oceanus dev diary explains (at great length) how the team is retuning its approach to module balance in order to give all ships significant strengths and weaknesses and purposes. One such change is that named modules are on their way out: "Our solution to this problem is to replace the meta-based named module system with a new role-based system." CCP promises that this is but part of the overall and continuing effort to balance ships and prepare for new additions to the game.
Neverwinter unveils the Dragonborn Pack
Were you worried that Neverwinter's fourth major update, Tyranny of Dragons, would feature too few dragons? We're not sure how you could have been worried about that, but the good news is that you can bring even more dragon into your play experience by playing a Dragonborn. No, not that kind of Dragonborn; the kind that's literally half-dragon. Or all dragon, but... humanoid dragon. You get the idea. And you can play one. Buying the game's Dragonborn Legend Pack unlocks the new race as well as a set of cosmetic armor for your new man-dragon, the special Heart of the Red Dragon artifact, and a variety of other rewards including a race change token. The pack is on sale until August 18th, allowing players a chance to get in on the race at a discount. Whether you want to just one-up roleplayers claiming to be half-dragon or can't get enough lizards in your gameplay, you can pick up the pack now if it's your sort of fun.
Neverwinter shows off the Scourge Warlock for Tyranny of Dragons
Do you want to fight some dragons? The next expansion to Neverwinter is all about fighting dragons, hence the title Tyranny of Dragons. Would you prefer to do so whilst conjuring up forbidden and evil magic from beyond to help smite your foes and empower your party? Then the Scourge Warlock is right up your alley. You can check the new class out in the trailer just past the break. Scourge Warlocks are casters who can summon a Soul Puppet from the beyond, using their magical prowess to leech health and empower allies while leaving enemies as shambling shells. They also have access to a new paragon path, Hellbringer, which... well, it doesn't summon bunnies and stomach rubs. Take a look at the official development blog for a clearer picture of what these casters are capable of, and watch the trailer to see the class in action before Tyranny of Dragons goes live on August 14th. [Source: Cryptic Studios press release]
EVE Evolved: Retribution expansion highlights
EVE Online's PvP-focused Retribution expansion goes live in just a few days on December 4th, bringing with it a whole series of balance changes, UI updates, and new features. In addition to a whole new bounty hunting mechanic, we can look forward to a new combat UI, some serious ship rebalancing, and a new crimewatch system that puts players in the driving seat of antipiracy. Faction warfare is also due for a bit of a revamp, and a new safety system will help newer players stay within the bounds of the law. CCP has been releasing torrents of information on the expansion this month in the run-up to release, covering everything from the new UI updates and ship balancing to kill rights and corp hangars. There are some interesting changes on the way that might affect your everyday life in EVE. If you haul ships and items around EVE inside an Orca's ship and corp hangars, be aware that the hangars will no longer be immune to cargo scans and their contents will now drop as loot when you're destroyed. Expect suicide attacks on Orcas to spike immediately following the expansion's release, and keep your expensive toy out of harm's way. In this week's EVE Evolved, we'll dig into this week's Retribution expansion and look at a few of the highlights in depth.
PAX Prime 2012: World of Warplanes
Tanks are old news. This is the time for warplanes -- World of Warplanes, in fact. Happily, we can talk about just that because we took some time at PAX and sat down with some Wargaming.net folks to take a look at the upcoming game.
Intel shows off wireless keyboard that re-juices via resonant charging (video)
Imagine this: Intel hosts an event with dozens of Ultrabooks arranged on tables. All the tech writers in attendance rush past them, and instead swarm around... a keyboard. That was the scene at one of Intel's Computex press events today, where the company demoed an interesting use of inductive resonant charging using a concept all-in-one PC and wireless keyboard. As you'll see in our walk-through video, the 'board starts charging as soon as you press it against the base of the PC. Now, we know, we know: wireless charging is hardly new, but what impressed us here was that the presenters didn't even need to rest the keyboard flat on top of something else; even making contact from the side was enough. According to an Intel rep staffing the event, the company has considered porting this technology over to other accessories. No word on how soon you'll be able to try any of this at home, but for now we've got photos below, along with that video we mentioned. Update: The wireless charging technology in use here is resonant, not inductive charging.
PlayStation Vita torn down, deemed easily repairable due to modular design
We here at Joystiq like modules quite a bit. As you'll see to your right, our website is adorned with more than a few of them, so we were glad to hear about just how modular the PlayStation Vita's design is, as discovered in a teardown of the device by iFixit. In fact, due to its modular design (among other things), the device was given an 8 out of 10 "repairability score" by the site.Beyond the thrilling news about the Vita's internal architecture, the site also points out that, despite needing a fancy baby screwdriver, the Vita's internal battery is "definitely serviceable by the average user." It also doesn't hurt that the internals won't cost a ton of coin to replace, if something does break. Should you be interested in all the gory details regarding the Vita's internals -- gory details that our dummy brains can't properly contextualize -- iFixit is more than happy to accommodate you right here.[Image credit: iFixit]
MechWarrior Online previews BattleMech upgrades and pilot skill trees
A couple of days ago, Piranha Games -- the studio behind the upcoming MechWarrior Online -- gave us a look at the role-based warfare and character progression we can expect from the robot-fighting title. As we reported last week, players in MWO will fall into of four roles: scout, assault, defense, or command. Today's update on the game's official site gives us a closer look at the various ways that players can earn XP and on what they can spend it. For instance, every 'Mech will have an upgrade tree, which is divided into tiers. Players must spend experience in order to purchase all of the upgrades on a given tier before they are able to access the subsequent tier. To get a look at the various abilities and skill trees through which players will be progressing when they finally find themselves in the cockpit, just click on through the link below to the official MechWarrior Online site.
MechWarrior Online delves into the art of role warfare
Last week, we got to take a look at MechWarrior Online's freshly introduced CN9-A Centurion BattleMech. This week, however, the folks at Piranha Games want to give you some insight on what to do once you're seated in the cockpit of your giant robot, so they've dropped a new blog post titled Role Warfare for fans' consumption. The post first introduces players to the various roles available to MechWarrior Online players: scouting, assault, defense, and command. The roles are exactly what they sound like. Scouts gather intel, while assault 'Mechs assault and defense 'Mechs defend. Command mechs, believe it or not, command their respective teams. But how do you customize your 'Mech to fill one of these roles? As players progress through their matches, the BattleMechs that they use in battle will gain XP according to their battle performance. This XP can be spent to unlock upgrades in the BattleMech's tech tree. Each BattleMech will have its own distinct tech tree, and therefore its own distinct upgrade options. At certain points within the Tech Tree, players will receive Pilot Points, which are assigned directly to the player's pilot avatar and are used to purchase pilot abilities in the Pilot Skill Tree. Finally, players can purchase BattleMech modules with their C-Bills, which allows for the final layer of specialization on the customization cake. For the full details on the game's customization and upgrade system, and to get a run down of some recommended loadouts for various roles, click on through to MWO's official site below.
MechWarrior Online Q&A gives you six devs for the price of none
MechWarrior Online continues to unleash a steady barrage of new information with today's newly released developer Q&A. Piranha Games has outdone itself with the latest post, which brings you answers from not one, not two, but six MWO developers. The devs begin by giving fans some insight into how BattleMech modules will work to augment pilot abilities; for example players can sacrifice night-vision distance for higher visual detail. The remainder of the Q&A covers a great wealth of different topics, such as intelligence-gathering, the BattleGrid, and -- most importantly -- hula girls. For the full Q&A, just click on through the link below to the MechWarrior Online official forums.
MechWarrior Online fights with knowledge as well as lasers
In any combat situation it is key to be as well-informed as possible: to know where your enemy is (hopefully not right behind you), what resources you have on hand (dual Twinkies), what you're up against (spouse aggro), and so on. The makers of the upcoming MechWarrior Online have devoted their second dev blog to the importance of information -- or as they put it, "knowledge is power!" To aid with information warfare, the designers will provide to players a key tool called a BattleGrid, which will function like a pumped-up interactive map during in-game conflicts. Through the BattleGrid, players will be able to get a good idea of what's going on in the field quickly and what orders are coming through for the attack. The blog post also mentions the concept of "modules" that allow pilots to customize their 'Mechs, and it gives a brief overview of the line-of-sight targeting system and how players can work together to share battlefield information as well as how they can confuse the enemy. Hiding and seeking in the game will require a good combination of both detection and "spoofing" modules to keep your team alive while exposing the opposite one. [Thanks to Nimsy for the tip!]
Perpetuum adding distress beacons, relaxing trial restrictions
If you've ever wanted to prank-call a mob in an MMORPG, Perpetuum just might be your game. The sci-fi sandbox from Avatar Creations has unveiled a new distress beacon mechanic that basically allows the player to lure a few of the game's alien forces into an ambush. The new gameplay adds a bit of PvE flavor to what is otherwise a PvP-focused title (or at least, a title in which the vast majority of the playerbase PvPs in some fashion), and Avatar is also adding new module tiers, which may be looted from the officers and commanders who respond to the distress beacon calls. Finally, Avatar's latest Perpetuum dev blog brings some good news for those of you looking to partake of the game's free trial. Most of the trial's restrictions are being lifted, and you'll now be able to do just about everything in the game with the exception of founding your own corporation and sending money to other players. Check out the game's website for all the details, and don't forget to have a look at the distress beacon video after the break.
Steel Legions opens up a can of Warfare on all declared enemies
For all those out there who boast about how uber their show pony mount is, Steel Legions horde of tanks, artillery and other weapons of awesome mass destruction begs to differ. The free-to-play title is bringing more explosive firepower to the battlefield with its Warfare update. In this patch, players can upgrade their tanks with a variety of new modules, starting with experience modules. These do pretty much what you'd expect: increase the rate of XP gained as you plow through the chaos of the fight. The Warfare update is also adding a marketplace for players to purchase better goods for their machines, new weapon systems like the Kinetic Deflector and Mazer Cannon, and an oil refinery that can be fought over for control of the liquid black gold. Steel Legions is a free-to-play browser-based MMO that takes place in an alternate timeline when steam-driven tanks clash for control over the world. You can watch the trailer for the Warfare update after the jump.
WIMM Labs introduces tiny wearable computer platform, we go hands-on
<div style="text-align:center;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/02/wimm-labs-introduces-tiny-wearable-computer-platform-we-go-hand/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/08/wimm-wearable-platform01.jpg" style="border-width:0px;border-style:solid;margin:4px;"/></a></div> Tablets and smartphones might rule the present, but if you ask the folks at WIMM Labs, the future of data consumption is a one-inch by one-inch square. The Los Altos startup just revealed its new, wearable computing platform, developed, in part, through a partnership with <a href="http://www.engadget.com/tag/foxconn/">Foxconn</a>, that it hopes will change the way we look at computers. Currently known as the WIMM wearable platform, this new modular device packs a full-color 160 x 160 touchscreen, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, an accelerometer and magnetometer, and runs on good old Android. What's more, it's waterproof. Basically, it's a tiny, multifunctional computer, packed with "micro apps" that can make it anything from a smart watch to a health monitor, from a mobile payment device to an all-in-one remote. As of now, the company doesn't have plans to market it direct to consumers, but says it has a few partnerships in the works that could bring a WIMM-powered <em>something</em> to market by year's end; a developer kit will go on sale in the next few weeks for an undisclosed price. If you're itching to ditch that tired old <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/02/diamond-encrusted-lunatik-ipod-nano-watch-is-as-superfluous-as-i/">diamond-encrusted nano watch</a>, check out the galleries below and hop on past the break for our first impressions, video, and full PR. %Gallery-129730%%Gallery-129731%
4G netbook onslaught imminent as Verizon clears Novatel LTE radio to run on its network
Xoom owners might still be waiting for an LTE upgrade, but it does look like 4G netbooks and tablets could be hitting Verizon's network pretty soon. The carrier, known for its stringent testing standards, has cleared Novatel Wireless' E362 module to run on its network, paving the way for devices with embedded 4G radios. In addition to LTE, the module is compatible with CDMA and HSPA+ / UMTS technology -- a safety net for people outside the 55 markets (soon to be 147) where Verizon is serving up 4G service. Okay, so with no word on pricing or product launches, an onslaught isn't exactly imminent, but when it happens we'll try not to say "told you so."
