hardware
Latest
Nvidia Shield slashed to $199 for April, getting remote game streaming
Nvidia's Android-based handheld game system, Shield, will receive a temporary price drop for April, cutting the system by $50 to $199 for the month. The price cut is accompanied by new features arriving in a software update for the system next week, including a new user interface for the Shield's button-mapping feature. The addition lets players use the Shield's physical buttons for touch-based games on the Google Play store. The hardware company will also add a beta version of its away-from-home game streaming support feature. Players will be able to remotely play PC games on their Shield, waking up and logging in to locked PCs while on the go. Additionally, the update will add bluetooth keyboard and mouse support for those that want to hook their Shields up to a TV to play on a bigger screen. Lastly, the Nvidia Shield will receive the latest version of the Android operating system, nicknamed KitKat (version 4.4.2). Nvidia also recently revealed that Valve's popular first-person puzzler Portal will receive a full PC port on Android with full Shield support. [Image: Nvidia]
Rumor: Microsoft also developing 3D virtual reality devices
Microsoft may unveil its own 3D virtual reality device in the future, providing that sources close to The Wall Street Journal are accurate. "People familiar with the project" reportedly confirmed that the hardware manufacturer developed virtual reality devices and has already filed one patent for the project. The technology has seemingly been developed concurrently with a project called "Fortaleza," which translates to "fortress" in Portuguese. The projects are expected to result in a "suite of experiences unique to Microsoft's Xbox products," the report reads. This follows another rumor from last week that indicated Sony might announce its own virtual reality headset, as well as news from today showing Valve's continued support of VR through Steam. One version of Microsoft's apparent foray into virtual reality uses augmented reality technology, which projects computer-generated visuals onto real-world images. Augmented reality devices have gained some traction recently: Ex-Valve employees managed to earn over $1 million on Kickstarter in November for their Cast AR headset, $400,000 of which came from just two days of funding. [Image: Microsoft]
Xbox One rolling to 26 new regions in September
Microsoft plans to bring the Xbox One to 26 more markets in September, eight of which were in the original plans for the console's November 2013 launch. Those eight territories, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Sweden and Switzerland, were cut from the first run in August, at which point Microsoft scaled its launch plans back to 13 regions. Head past the break to see the list of the other 18 regions the system will arrive in come September.
Today is Hardware Freedom Day, go learn how to build stuff
Looking for something to do on a lazy Saturday? You could always learn a little more about Open Hardware initiatives. Today, March 15th, is Hardware Freedom Day -- an annual celebration of open-source gadgetry and unrestricted hardware collaboration. The Digital Freedom Foundation created the event in 2012 to promote the idea of Open Hardware and give local hackerspaces a chance to interact with their communities. Local events are being hosted on almost every continent, exposing everyday folks to fabrication tools, Arduinos, Rasberry Pi hacks, 3D printers and more. Check out the official website at the source link below for details and event locations.
Behold: Valve's updated Steam Controller
Valve offered up a clearer side-by-side image of its updated Steam Controller today. The second iteration of the SteamOS gamepad was revealed in January, and peeled away the center touchscreen in favor of more traditional face buttons. The new buttons consist of a directional pad and standard A, B, X and Y buttons, the latter formerly located around the touchscreen. Valve left the large circular trackpads on the device, but also added a Steam icon button in the center with start and select-like buttons on either side with what appear to be stop and play icons. The Steam Controller was announced alongside SteamOS and Steam Machines in September 2013, and was followed up by a hardware beta program that already excluded the controller's touchscreen. We spent some time with Valve's beta hardware in early January and found the experience lacking on the previous version of the controller with Hotline Miami and Portal in particular. Head past the break for a closer look at the updated controller.
Rumor: Sony to reveal VR hardware at GDC
Sony will reveal its virtual reality headset at GDC next week, during its "Driving the Future of Innovation" panel, Edge reports, citing developers that have the hardware in-hand (or on-head). The panel takes place on Tuesday, March 18 at 5:45PM PT, and it features SCEA R&D Senior Director Richard Marks, SCEA R&D Senior Software Engineer Anton Mikhailov and SCE Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida. Marks and Mikhailov worked on the PlayStation Eye and Move controller. The headset doesn't offer much software at the moment, but the developers expect to see a game or demo from one of Sony's first-party studios at GDC, the site reports. Sony has been looking into virtual reality since 2011 at least (that's where the above image comes from), and last year rumors hinted that Sony was preparing imminent hardware announcements. Oculus Rift has recently dominated the virtual reality gaming space, and the company is working with Valve to create better prototypes, such as the LED-laden Crystal Cove, and it's opening an office in Seattle, near Valve HQ. Oculus has ceased production on its current dev kit, after shipping more than 60,000 units. There's no word on a launch date for a consumer version.
Microsoft 'working on a resolution' for Xbox One chat adapter issues
Microsoft has addressed user concerns over distorted Xbox One voice chat stemming from its recently issued stereo headset adapter, noting that it's "working on a resolution" for reported issues. Users report distorted audio when using the Xbox One's stereo headset adapter with legacy Astro, Turtle Beach, and Polk headsets. According to Game Informer, audio distortion appears to be isolated to in-game and party voice chat. Skype and Upload Studio audio is apparently unaffected. "We've heard about a small number of users experiencing intermittent issues," a Microsoft representative told Game Informer. "We're actively investigating and are working on a resolution." [Image: Microsoft]
Flickr find: A mischief of Apple mice
Flickr user Damien Ward has shared this collection of old-school Apple mice. How many can you name? Current models are missing, like the Magic Mouse, but many of us will recognize the good old "hockey puck." Recognize and shudder, that is. You can contribute to our Flickr pool here. We'd love to see your photos.
Whistle is like Fitbit for your dog
Whistle is a Fitbit for your dog, and more. This unobtrusive, durable and waterproof device attaches to Spot's collar and records data on his activities, day or night. Gather precious information for your vet, track progress towards fitness goals, view peaks and valleys in activity and even share photos with family and friends, all with the Whistle wearable monitor and companion iPhone app. My Boston Terrier Batgirl and I had a good time testing this out, and I'm very impressed. Here's our look at Whistle. Last June we sat down with Ben Jacobs, CEO and co-founder of Whistle. At that time, his company had begun taking preorders for its namesake product: a wearable activity monitor for dogs. Today, my dog and I have spent some time with a Whistle monitor and the companion iPhone app. Not only is it an effective monitor, it supplies a wealth of data that you can share with your vet, which is vastly superior to the mostly anecdotal evidence that owners usually bring to an appointment. How it works The Whistle device itself is about the size of a US half dollar. It fits into a small holder very securely, which in turn can be attached to a dog's collar via the supplied, adjustable strap. The unit charges over USB in about an hour (USB cable also provided), and a full charge will get you about a week's use. It uses a three-axis accelerometer to determine if your dog is idle, walking around, playing briskly or running. The Whistle weighs just 16 grams and feels solid and well-made. While I wasn't able to test its claim of being waterproof with a dip in the lake, it did trudge through the snow without a problem. Finally, LED indicators make you aware of various states, like charging (red), connecting to Bluetooth (blue, of course) and ready to go (green). It's also quite nice that a charging base, USB cable and collar attachment piece are all well-made. Nothing feels cheap here. Even the packaging is attractive. Setup Setup is easy. Once the Whistle is charged, all you need to do is launch the app and follow the on-screen instructions. First you must connect it to your phone via Bluetooth, as that's how it shares its data. Next, connect it to your Wi-Fi network, as that's how it syncs data to the cloud. The next step is to create a profile for your dog, including age, weight, breed, and some info on his/her human (that's you). Finally, set an activity goal for Spot. The default is 30 minutes per day. The app notes most vets recommend between 30 and 60 minutes of activity per day. Once that's done, an animation shows you how to attach/detach the Whistle from its mount, and you're good to go! Use Ah, the fun part! I really wanted to see what the Whistle could do so Batty got a workout. Of course, you'll get an accurate, representative baseline of your dog's activity if you let her have about a week of typical days. Once that's done, you can compare that data to subsequent days to compare and contrast. At the end of the day, you can view a chart of our dog's activity. It's easy to spot his most active time and most restful. A pattern emerges the more you use the Whistle. Eventually you can see his total time spent active per day across five days at a glance. Simply swipe left or right to view newer or older data. The "Trends" view offers additional detail. This beautiful presentation is what I'd show the vet. You'll see the number of days your goal has been hit, active minutes per day in an attractive scatter plot and trends in daily activity (percentage up or down). Finally, you can review trends in resting. In addition, you'll find a "+" icon. Click it to reveal four options: Food. Record what and when your dog ate. Record any medication(s) taken, when and what dose. Add a note. Add a photo. I should point out that you can attach a photo to any of the above. Not only is this fun, it can be quite useful when sharing information with a doctor, dog sitter and so on. I was skeptical about this device at first. A FitBit for my dog? But now I'm a convert. It does provide useful information with no effort from me, setup is easy and the app is useful and pretty. I can recommend Whistle to gear-loving dog owners. You can buy yours online or at your local Petsmart retailer.
Xbox One Media Remote emerges from cushions, coming early March
The Xbox One Media Remote has been officially revealed by Microsoft's Major Nelson. The Media Remote will launch in early March for $24.99. The small remote looks just like the one leaked on a recent Amazon Canada listing, and all of its buttons glow in the dark, a true bonus for those that don't care for lamps. It includes dedicated back and OneGuide buttons, and also controls TV and receiver power and volume via the Kinect. [Image: Microsoft]
PS4 firmware update to unlock use of 7.1 surround sound Pulse headsets
A new system software update for the PS4 will open the range of options for compatible headsets for the console, Sony announced. Firmware version 1.60 will add support for Sony's Pulse and Pulse Elite Edition wireless stereo headsets for PS3, which feature 7.1 virtual surround sound and voice chat. The update is expected to land "late tonight." Sony also mentioned that its next PS4 and Vita-compatible headset, the Gold Wireless Headset, will arrive early this month for $99. The headset also includes 7.1 virtual surround sound in addition to "custom sound profiles" created by PlayStation developers. One of the developers to optimize a sound profile for the headset is Infamous: Second Son creators Sucker Punch. Sony will offer a Headset Companion App on PS4 for free, so players with either Pulse headset can access the sound profiles. Sony's description of the Gold Wireless Headset notes that it uses a wireless adapter, which makes sense given the PS4's limited recognition of bluetooth devices. It also includes a folding design and customizable face plates, which is pretty nifty. [Image: Sony]
Backblaze stats on 27,000 hard drives show which ones keep on ticking
When your business value proposition is delivering inexpensive, reliable cloud backup for thousands of customers, you're going to learn a thing or two about drive reliability. The Backblaze team has been sharing that HDD savvy (gleaned from several years' experience and more than 75 petabytes of storage) in a series of blog posts over the past couple of months, and we've been fascinated to note their discoveries. Now Brian Beach at Backblaze has addressed the eternal question: What hard drive should I buy? BB's StoragePods are packed with consumer-grade hard drives just like the ones you'd buy at Costco or Best Buy, so it's reasonable to use Backblaze's failure stats as a proxy for how these drives might perform on your very own desk with your very own Mac. Granted, drives in a StoragePod are in more continuous use and subject to more vibration than a home-use drive, so your mileage may vary. Of the 27,000-plus drives running in Backblaze's server racks, the vast majority (almost 13,000 each) are Seagate or Hitachi models. There are only a couple of drives that Backblaze won't buy or try -- WD's Green 3TB drives and Seagate LP (low power) 2TB models -- because the BB StoragePod environment doesn't agree with them, possibly due to vibration sensitivity on spin-down/spin-up. Other than that, the company buys drives on a commodity basis, going with the best GB/$ ratio available at a given point in time. Best of the BB batch? Hitachi/HGST's Deskstar 2 TB, 3 TB and 4 TB models. Beach says, "If the price were right, we would be buying nothing but Hitachi drives. They have been rock solid, and have had a remarkably low failure rate." At the moment, due to price fluctuations, the drives of choice are a Seagate HDD.15 4 TB unit and the Western Digital 3 TB Red. As Beach notes, however, Hitachi's storage unit (originally purchased from IBM in 2002) has been bought (and split) in the past two years, with the 3.5-inch business going to Toshiba and the 2.5-inch product line going to WD. Although HGST is still marketing and making the Deskstar line, it's likely that technology will settle under the Toshiba brand in the future.
Alienware Steam Machines will be upgradable
Hardware manufacturer Alienware has clarified earlier statements it made regarding the moddability of its upcoming Steam Machines lineup, revealing that component upgrades will be possible but difficult. "Upgrading the internal components will not be as easy as compared to other platforms [...]," company general manager Frank Azor explained in a statement to Eurogamer, "but we will not prevent a customer from upgrading." Azor cited the small physical size of Alienware's Steam Machine as a specific factor impeding hardware upgrades. Azor recommends that users who approach PC hardware with upgrading in mind should stick with pre-built setups like the Alienware X51. Previously, Azor implied that Alienware's Steam Machines hardware would not be moddable at all, noting that "this particular product is restricted in its upgrade options." Alienware announced this week that new models of its Steam Machines hardware will be issued yearly as the company updates internal components and specifications. Alienware's first Steam Machine will launch in September.
TiVo reportedly lays off industrial design team, sees its future in DVR software (update)
According to a rumor from Wired, the network DVR prototype TiVo showed off at CES is much more than a dream, and could be a big part of its future. The unnamed internal sources claim TiVo laid off 5 employees that make up most of its hardware team (which just celebrated its four Emmy awards), leaving just two engineers to handle support for its current devices, and those yet to come from third parties. We contacted TiVo and received the same response as Wired (available in full after the break), saying it's going to "allocate resources where strategic growth opportunities exist...we expect growth in the cloud-based delivery aspects of TiVo's business." TiVo has talked up the possibility of delivering a cloud-based DVR experience since last fall. After releasing the highly-regarded Roamio line, it's possible the company feels there's little growth left in set-top box DVRs, especially considering the current state of FCC regulations and CableCARD. Microsoft's Media Center project appears to be over, and very few new third-party devices have shipped recently. We pinged investor Sam Biller for ideas on what other plans TiVo might have, and he pointed to a lack of detailed forecasts for the company's nearly $1 billion in cash, seeing the possibility it could acquire another company to build hardware. Whatever TiVo does from here, it's finally delivered on the promise of a capable do-it-all box with the Roamio -- hopefully that essence remains in future products. Update: In a phone conversation, VP of PR Steve Wymer told us the company remains "fully committed" to Roamio, and called it the crown jewel of TiVo. In his view, it's not accurate to say that TiVo is exiting the hardware business as it continues to expand current products and plan future ones, but that it is reallocating resources with an eye towards the future -- a future that hopefully includes both the sweet nDVR prototype, and even better set-top boxes for those that want or already have them.
Microsoft explored 75 Xbox One prototypes before deciding on final console
Microsoft's senior industrial design manager Carl Ledbetter revealed that the company examined more than 75 sketched and 3D-printed prototype Xbox One designs before settling on the console's final look. The Xbox One's Kinect sensor additionally saw more than 100 drafted designs before Microsoft decided on a physical shape for the console's camera peripheral. The Xbox One's controller was even more painstakingly crafted, requiring designers to draft more than 200 potential gamepad designs during development. "We were extremely thorough," Ledbetter said, speaking for a Microsoft-published profile feature. "We were trying to push boundaries, to do something new and inventive, but there was so much at stake that we had to be really careful as well. The reason why there was so much at stake is that people really, really care about Xbox."
Valve: Consumer-priced virtual reality headsets feasible for 2015
During a Steam Dev Days talk last week, Valve Research and Development leader Michael Abrash said he expects virtual reality to hit big in the coming years, and that it "could transform the entire entertainment industry," USA Today reported. "Compelling consumer-priced VR hardware is coming, probably within two years," Abrash said. With Oculus VR leading the way, virtual reality headsets aren't anything new to those that have been watching their growth in recent years. The key words here are "compelling consumer-priced VR hardware" then, which Abrash thinks can be built to the following specs in 2015, per a slide (PDF) in his presentation: 110-degree field of vision, 95 Hz refresh rate, 1K x 1K resolution per eye, three millisecond pixel persistence and 20 millisecond latency. Abrash said a VR headset with those specs is "doable with relatively minor tweaks of existing technology; no breakthroughs or miracles are needed, just solid engineering." In fact, Valve has built prototypes of head-mounted displays with those specifications already, and will "share what we've found with PC companies that want to develop VR hardware." Valve has already built a working relationship with VR hardware manufacturers, working directly with Oculus VR on consumer-level virtual reality options and launched its SteamVR beta just ahead of its Steam Dev Days conference. We went hands-on with Oculus VR's latest internal prototype hardware "Crystal Cove" at CES 2014.
China drafting new rules for consoles, disallows products 'hostile to China'
Roughly one week after China temporarily lifted its ban on foreign-made video game consoles, the government is looking to draft new rules for regulation, Bloomberg reported. Among the principles that govern the distribution of game consoles under the rules of the free trade zone, head of China's Ministry of Culture Cai Wu said "things that are hostile to China, or not in conformity with the outlook of China's government, won't be allowed." "We want to open the window a crack to get some fresh air, but we still need a screen to block the flies and mosquitoes," Wu added. Whether that indicates further regulation in China on the distribution of games based on their content is unknown. China started its plans last year to revoke the console ban, which began in 2000. Following the ban's temporary suspension last week, the stock prices for both Sony and Nintendo saw small increases.
Mad Catz developing R.A.T. professional gaming mouse
Gaming accessory manufacturer Mad Catz has announced development of the R.A.T. Tournament Edition, a mouse designed for the eSports-minded player. The R.A.T. TE features tracking speeds up to 8200 DPI, decreased weight, dynamic surface detection, lift-off height calibration, programmable button mapping and is designed for Mac as well as PC. We stress that the R.A.T. TE is not to be confused with a tournament edition rat. Rats do not have configurable buttons. And if your rat does, please do not bring your cyborg rat to a gaming tournament. You may, however, bring your R.A.T. TE after it releases in early 2014.
Alienware announces Valve partnership, Steam Machines
Alienware will beam a Steam Machine down to Earth in late 2014, the Dell subsidiary announced today. No spec details or price was given, but the Alienware Steam Machine will, according to a statement by Gabe Newell given in a press release, encapsulate "the full potential of what a Steam Machine should be." If by "full potential" Newell means that it looks pretty, well, we can't argue there. Sleek! "We have been working with Alienware since we began defining our vision of the Steam Machine," Newell said. "Alienware's historic commitment to gaming, their design and engineering capabilities and their global reach made them an ideal partner for us on our Steam Machine project." Alienware will also be offering a Steam Machine version of their X51 desktop PC in late 2014.
Origin PC launching two 'Chronos' Steam Machines this year
Origin PC, not to be confused with EA's Origin service, announced two of its own Steam Machines today. Dubbed the "Chronos" line, the Steam boxes will run Valve's SteamOS operating system, first announced in September 2013. Origin will launch both the normal and SLI-Edition versions of Chronos this year for an undetermined price. Both versions are customizable, though the noteworthy differences between the two is the 32 GB of memory, up to 14 TB of combined solid-state and hard drive space, as well as a 40-in-1 card reader in the SLI-Edition compared to the normal version's 16 GB of memory, and up to 6 TB of storage space. Both Chronos systems will include the ability to dual-boot a version of Windows 7 or Windows 8 in addition to SteamOS.
