Ubisoft also noted today that a temporary Internet connection will be necessary for a onetime product registration through its Uplay service. After that, a broadband connection is not required, except for online modes.
Ghost Recon: Future Soldier
The future of Ghost Recon will arrive in June for PC players. The Windows version of Ghost Recon: Future Soldier will hit retail and digital distribution outlets on June 12, Ubisoft announced today. Previously, the PC version of the upcoming squad-based shooter was only slated for sometime after the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 iterations arrive on May 22.
Ubisoft also noted today that a temporary Internet connection will be necessary for a onetime product registration through its Uplay service. After that, a broadband connection is not required, except for online modes.
Ubisoft also noted today that a temporary Internet connection will be necessary for a onetime product registration through its Uplay service. After that, a broadband connection is not required, except for online modes.
PS4 and Xbox 720 Graphics Specs Toe-to-Toe
The PlayStation 4 and Xbox 720 will be on par with each other on a graphics level. IGN reports that the PlayStation 4, aka Orbis, may feature custom chips based on AMD's A8-3850 APU and Radeon HD 7670 discrete GPU. According to the APU's off-the-shelf specs, it packs a quad-core 2.9 GHz processor an an integrated HD 6550D graphics core. The APU will work in tandem with the dedicated HD 7670 GPU which is clocked up to 1 GHz, supports DirectX 11, and is accompanied by 1 GB of dedicated VRAM.
On a discrete graphics level, sources say that the PlayStation 4 will be "toe-to-toe" with Microsoft's Xbox 720, as the latter console will reportedly use AMD's HD 6670 card. The HD 7670 is actually a re-branding of last year's HD 6670 featuring the same specs across the board. It's an entry-level GPU by today's standards, costing around $74.99 USD, but capable of cranking out just over 30 FPS in Metro 2033 and Crysis 2 with the settings at high and the resolution cranked up to 1920 x 1080.
The PlayStation 3 will reportedly have the edge over Microsoft's new console thanks to the APU's built-in graphics core. But performance will likely be better on both systems because of their lightweight operating system and games that are optimized for one specific hardware set. Like Apple's iOS, game studios tend to gravitate to consoles because it's cheaper to develop thanks to a limited number of hardware sets, and because they simply generate better revenue.
Previous reports indicated that the PlayStation 4 will feature two GPUs, but they would work separately instead of in CrossFire mode. Yet this latest rumor makes more sense, as the discrete HD 7670 GPU and the HD 6550D graphics core in the APU can still work together in rendering detailed visuals on the fly. The HD 6550D will likely run games at baseline specs and lower resolutions without the need for the discrete HD 7670 GPU. But when heavy rendering is needed, both will be in use.
Naturally this is all speculation based on stock AMD components. However Sony is reportedly using custom chips, and could change its plans before the system reportedly goes on sale next year. If anything, all this AMD talk could mean that both consoles will be more PC-like than ever before. As previously reported, the new Xbox's OS will be based on Windows 8, making it one of many screens across a wide Windows 8 platform. But with Sony wanting the same "One Sony" platform experience, what will the PlayStation 4 bring? Are both companies finally erasing the line between console and desktop PC? Will we finally see full mouse and keyboard support in our shooters?
On a discrete graphics level, sources say that the PlayStation 4 will be "toe-to-toe" with Microsoft's Xbox 720, as the latter console will reportedly use AMD's HD 6670 card. The HD 7670 is actually a re-branding of last year's HD 6670 featuring the same specs across the board. It's an entry-level GPU by today's standards, costing around $74.99 USD, but capable of cranking out just over 30 FPS in Metro 2033 and Crysis 2 with the settings at high and the resolution cranked up to 1920 x 1080.
The PlayStation 3 will reportedly have the edge over Microsoft's new console thanks to the APU's built-in graphics core. But performance will likely be better on both systems because of their lightweight operating system and games that are optimized for one specific hardware set. Like Apple's iOS, game studios tend to gravitate to consoles because it's cheaper to develop thanks to a limited number of hardware sets, and because they simply generate better revenue.
Previous reports indicated that the PlayStation 4 will feature two GPUs, but they would work separately instead of in CrossFire mode. Yet this latest rumor makes more sense, as the discrete HD 7670 GPU and the HD 6550D graphics core in the APU can still work together in rendering detailed visuals on the fly. The HD 6550D will likely run games at baseline specs and lower resolutions without the need for the discrete HD 7670 GPU. But when heavy rendering is needed, both will be in use.
Naturally this is all speculation based on stock AMD components. However Sony is reportedly using custom chips, and could change its plans before the system reportedly goes on sale next year. If anything, all this AMD talk could mean that both consoles will be more PC-like than ever before. As previously reported, the new Xbox's OS will be based on Windows 8, making it one of many screens across a wide Windows 8 platform. But with Sony wanting the same "One Sony" platform experience, what will the PlayStation 4 bring? Are both companies finally erasing the line between console and desktop PC? Will we finally see full mouse and keyboard support in our shooters?
Blind Guy Drives Google's Self-Driving Car
Even though this was a "carefully" programmed route, it is still pretty amazing. Sure it isn't like the time I turned my blind mom loose in the parking lot with a 550hp car, but still pretty damn cool.
Next PlayStation Called Orbis
The source also provided some specs, but we've heard these before: an AMD x64 CPU and an AMD Southern Islands GPU. Now let's point out one other small detail that may have not cropped up in the PlayStation 4 rumor mill before: AMD's support for BlueStacks. For the uninitiated, BlueStacks is an Android emulator for Windows 7 that allows the user to purchase and use Android apps from four markets, or import installed apps from their smartphone.
That said, given Sony's familiarity to Android, it's possible the company may be working with BlueStacks for a PlayStation version so that developers aren't required to create a PS4-specific version. This is speculation of course, but there's an underlying circle going on that may not be coincidental: Sony producing Android phones, AMD supporting an Android emulator, Sony using an AMD CPU and GPU in its console. The AMD GPU will reportedly support games at a resolution of up to 4096 x 2160, far exceeding the needs of most current HDTVs -- but obviously prepared for compatible 4K HDTVs which will eventually become standard in or sometime after 2013. It will also be capable of playing 3D games in 1080p.
So when is this console expected to arrive? Select developers supposedly received dev kits since the beginning of 2012, with revised and improved versions distributed during GDC. Finalized beta units are expected to be shipped to developers towards the end of the year, whereas the actual console may arrive on the market just in time for the 2013 holiday season. That means we'll probably see both the Xbox 720 and PlayStation 4 make their debut during E3 2013.
That said, given Sony's familiarity to Android, it's possible the company may be working with BlueStacks for a PlayStation version so that developers aren't required to create a PS4-specific version. This is speculation of course, but there's an underlying circle going on that may not be coincidental: Sony producing Android phones, AMD supporting an Android emulator, Sony using an AMD CPU and GPU in its console. The AMD GPU will reportedly support games at a resolution of up to 4096 x 2160, far exceeding the needs of most current HDTVs -- but obviously prepared for compatible 4K HDTVs which will eventually become standard in or sometime after 2013. It will also be capable of playing 3D games in 1080p.
So when is this console expected to arrive? Select developers supposedly received dev kits since the beginning of 2012, with revised and improved versions distributed during GDC. Finalized beta units are expected to be shipped to developers towards the end of the year, whereas the actual console may arrive on the market just in time for the 2013 holiday season. That means we'll probably see both the Xbox 720 and PlayStation 4 make their debut during E3 2013.
16-year-old Makes Working Scientific Calculator in Minecraft
Case in point: 16-year-old "MaxSGB" has created a working scientific/graphic calculator inside Minecraft. On a virtual scale, the functional device is enormous -- enough so that anyone in the real world would become a red blot of meat and bone staining the road if they fell from the very top. Honestly, his virtual machine looks more like a giant cargo ship ripped from a sci-fi movie than a working calculator. Yet type your problem out on the keypad, and the answer appears on a large white display mounted on the side of the monstrous brick structure. No spaceship can do that... can it?
"The screen and keypad were always meant to be the main feature of this machine," he writes on YouTube. "The main display boasts 25 digits. Square root signs are displayed and can change to accommodate any number of digits. Square root signs, add, minus, multiply and divide signs are displayed at appropriate times, and there is a full fraction display.
"The screen and keypad were always meant to be the main feature of this machine," he writes on YouTube. "The main display boasts 25 digits. Square root signs are displayed and can change to accommodate any number of digits. Square root signs, add, minus, multiply and divide signs are displayed at appropriate times, and there is a full fraction display.
Battlefield 3 Case Mod
If there are two things any Battlefield 3 player needs for a long night of mowing down their enemies, it's a cold energy drink and a chain gun. Knowing this, master case modder Brian Carter has created the perfect Battlefield-inspired case mod for a competition run by the Raptr gaming community. Equipped with its very own tiny fridge and spinning chain gun, this case should be enough to make any Battlefield gamer drool.
Before starting the project, Carter had the choice of making a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 themed case or a Battlefield 3 one. In the end, he chose to go with the Battlefield design, featuring an airbrushed Battlefield 3 image on one side, a custom crosshair intake fan, and a decorative chain gun. Our favorite part about the case is the med pack themed mini-fridge that perfectly fits one energy drink. Check out the video below to see the case and rotating chain gun in action.
Before starting the project, Carter had the choice of making a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 themed case or a Battlefield 3 one. In the end, he chose to go with the Battlefield design, featuring an airbrushed Battlefield 3 image on one side, a custom crosshair intake fan, and a decorative chain gun. Our favorite part about the case is the med pack themed mini-fridge that perfectly fits one energy drink. Check out the video below to see the case and rotating chain gun in action.
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