Computers

Microsoft's new Xbox One was unveiled Tuesday, with the company touting it as the "new generation" of entertainment. The system runs three operating systems in one, combining the Xbox system, Windows and Kinect, which gives the device the ability to display live television, movies, video games, internet browsing and video calling. In the video above, Bloomberg Television's Cory Johnson gets an exclusive inside look at how Microsoft designed and tested the new Xbox, using everything from robots…

Crytek's gladiatorial first person action game Ryse has been confirmed as an Xbox One exclusive. On top of that, gameplay has been confirmed to be controller-based, but "enhanced" by the Kinect, where at its initial announcement at E3 2011 Ryse appeared to be a completely Kinect experience. A new countdown on the site implies that more information will be available at E3. Yes, it has been two years since Ryse was announced during E3 2011 to a myriad of responses. Generally speaking, at the time the Kinect wasn't the most popular peripheral in existence, but a game like Ryse made from guys like Crytek was confusing. Are developers of core experiences finally getting behind this thing? Should we expect some solid games from Kinect soon? The answer then was no. Yet with the announcement of the Xbox One it appears Ryse has finally found the tech it required to become a real game. Promising news? It's hard to say at this point. Microsoft's Xbox One announcement was positively dripping in marketing speak and spin. Until we get some hands with the console and games like Ryse we best not say anything at all. Again, however, just like in 2011, it's intriguing to see Crytek openly supporting a motion control "enhanced" experience. PS, that rumor about Microsoft having four major launch titles for Xbox One, which included Forza and Ryse, looks a little more truthful now, eh?Comment on this article (0)

Toshiba's newest Ultrabook is a slim, light, touchscreen called the Kirabook. It has a lot of powerful specs including a stunning high-resolution display that rivals Apple's Retina technology. You can read the full review of the Kirabook right here and check out our gallery of hands-on photos below.The Kirabook has some impressive specs, including an Intel i5 processor (upgradable to an i7), a 256GB solid-state drive, 8GB of RAM, Bluetooth 4.0, HDMI out, an SD card slot, and three USB 3.0 ports. The Kirabook's most impressive feature is its high-definition touchscreen. It's gorgeous. Windows 8 is standard, and the experience is just like you would expect with any other PC. See the rest of the story at Business Insider Please follow SAI on Twitter and Facebook.

Toshiba's latest laptop is the Kirabook, a high-quality 13.3-inch Ultrabook. Toshiba is known for its good design and affordable price, its trying something new its Kira-branded products. These are Toshiba's new premium line of Windows 8 computers, and they come with a hefty price tag to match. Let's get this out of the way: the Kirabook is expensive. It starts at $1,599.99, but that's not even for the touchscreen model. The touchscreen Kirabook retails for $1,799.99 and the most expensive model with a more powerful processor is $1,999.99. And since Windows 8 is pretty annoying to use if you don't have a touchscreen, you'll want to buy one of the latter two models. But for some, the price may be worth it. To compensate for the high price tag, Toshiba has bundled a two-year limited warranty that includes 24/7 phone support, two years of Norton Online Backup, Norton Internet Security, and Norton Anti-Theft. You also get Adobe Reader, full versions of Adobe Photoshop Elements 11, and Adobe Premier Elements 11. If you add up the retail value of all that software, you're getting a bargain. The Kirabook's main staple is its high-resolution screen. It's one of the first Windows 8 laptops available with a display comparable to the super-sharp one on the MacBook Pro. The touchscreen is very durable too because it uses the same Gorilla Glass found on many smartphones and tablets. Some other important specs: all models come with 256 GB of storage, 8 GB of RAM, Bluetooth, HDMI (for connecting to your TV or HD monitors), a SD card slot for more storage, and three USB 3.0 ports. In short, it's best to think of the Kirabook as a cross between the thin and light MacBook Air mixed with the power of the MacBook Pro. The Kirabook is crafted from a magnesium alloy, and Toshiba says this material is over 100% stronger than the aluminum alloy used in the MacBook Air. Unfortunately, it doesn't feel as good. That magnesium is closer to plastic than metal. The keyboard is comfortable to type on and the keys are back lit. Battery life clocks in at six hours and 10 minutes. In real world use we got around five hours, which isn't bad considering that high-resolution display probably uses up a lot of power. Included with the $1999.99 model we tested is an Intel Core i7 processor that pushes up to 3.1GHz, coupled with integrated HD graphics. Also included with the top-tier model is Windows 8 Pro, a beefier version of Windows 8 that boasts many addition features like enhanced data protection, and other features the average user will never notice. Windows 8 Pro on the Kirabook operates as you would expect, just like any other Windows 8 device. <div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div> The high-resolution screen means you get crisp text and amazing HD video, but a ton of available apps are not optimized for the screen so they end up looking pixelated and frankly, not good. Toshiba really poured a lot of effort into the Kirabook's design, but it still looks a lot like Apple's MacBook Air, something that many Windows laptops fall prey to. When compared to Apple's laptops, the Kirabook seems extremely expensive. Yes you get an extra USB 3.0 port (all the MacBooks only have 2 USB 2.0 ports), and a touchscreen, but that's really the only real difference. The MacBook Air is lighter and its resolution isn't bad at 1,440 by 900. It's also nearly $1,000 cheaper. If you really want a high-quality screen, Apple's Retina MacBook Pro, while not as light, has a higher resolution than the Kirabook measuring 2,560 by 1,600 with 220 pixels per inch. That will only set you back $1,499.00. A major downfall with the Kirabook is its speakers. Toshiba packed in Harman/Kardon stereo speakers and DTS Studio Sound, but these names mean nothing because the speakers are placed on the bottom of the device, so the sound is pretty muffled when using the computer on your lap or a flat surface. Overall, the

Western Digital's HGST subsidiary today announced what it is calling the industry's densest mobile hard-disk drive, with capacities of up to 1.5TB in a 9.5mm (.37-in.) high form factor. The 2.5-inch-wide disk drive contains three platters—a first for the company in that form factor and an achievement in shock resistance. Currently, the highest capacity for slimmer 7.5mm and 5mm height mobile drives are 500GB. The new Travelstar 5K1500 is being targeted at a variety of market segments, including notebooks, external hard drives, gaming consoles and all-in-one desktop PCs. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

1sockchuck writes "Robotics are beginning to be integrated into data center management, creating the potential for a fully automated, robot-driven data center. What might a robot-controlled 'lights-out' data center look like? The racks will be taller, as robotics systems can reach higher to manage servers. Robotic equipment would be mounted on rails that allow them to find and move hardware. Early examples of this are seen in tape libraries, but the concepts could be applied to other data center equipment. Amazon and Google are said to be among those looking at ways to create a fully automated data center. AOL says it has already built an unmanned data center. Data Center Knowledge looks at the challenges and opportunities in robot-controlled data centers, including how staff roles would evolve." Read more of this story at Slashdot.

G.SKILL partners with Intel, ASUS, EVGA, GIGABYTE, and MSI for a G.SKILL Official OC World Record Stage at Computex 2013, Nangang Exhibition Center – Booth IO118. Please enjoy the event teaser: G.SKILL...

A few days ago when hanging out a friend, I got a chance to play around with HTC One, the newest and shiniest Android phone on the market (of course until it wasn’t when Sony launched its Experia Z.) I was quite impressed by the build quality, the industrial design and the beauty of the device. Despite its supersize — I have normal people’s hands — it did feel like something I would want to buy, especially if I was picking amongst the ever increasing array of Android smartphones. Maybe, I thought to myself, HTC was going to make a comeback. I mean, these were the guys who jumpstarted the Android smartphone ecosystem in partnership with Google and T-Mobile USA. These were the guys who innovated fast and even came up with their own skin for Android. They pushed the design and speed envelope. They had edgy marketing. They were the first movers and their early sales were red-hot. And yet, when they spent $300 million on headphones maker Beats by Dre, it became obvious that this company was going to run into a some stormy weather. Of course, it was an idea that didn’t go down well with many of its fans and its investors — HTC eventually sold back half its stake. This (relatively) tiny Taiwanese company was going to get squeezed by cheaper Android phones on one end and Samsung on the other. In fact, as far back as 2010 we have argued that the real smartphone battle was going to be between Apple and Samsung. And when it comes to hardware, nothing really has changed. It is Apple vs Samsung. According to Strategy Analytics, Samsung now accounts for about 95 percent of the total operating profits of the global Android business. During the first quarter of 2013, Samsung had an operating profit of $5.1 billion, while LG made $100 million and all other vendors (HTC, ZTE, Huawei, Sony and no-name brands) collectively made $100 million in operating (not net) profit. It is hardly surprising to see that HTC is in trouble. A report in The Verge suggested that HTC’s chief product officer, Kouji Kodera, has left the company. The report also implied that other senior executives are leaving the company. The most recent high-profile bet — the HTC First, which was launched in partnership with Facebook — has been a flop and one wonders if the company really has the wherewithal, both intellectual and financial, to undertake such experiments. I am not sure if people remember, but Motorola was another company that found itself on a Sysephian quest and eventually found a $12 billion bailout from Google. The trouble with the smaller Android players is that despite all the talk about a PC-like ecosystem of sourcing components and using others to assemble their products, it is fundamentally not true. Apple has used all the billions in the bank to lock up supplies for processors, memory chips, radios, displays and other such components at favorable prices. It has worked out long term manufacturing arrangements with the likes of Foxconn. It has its own retail outlets. While most of us try and focus on Apple’s hardware and software integration, we forget that it is software, hardware and supply chain integration that allows the company to sell 37.5 million phones in the most recent quarter. It allows the company to make phones that meet the needs of different carriers. Samsung too is an integration beast. It owns memory chip plants. It makes its own processors. It makes displays and it owns the factories. It has the unique ability to churn out new products faster than anyone else in the consumer electronics business and thus overwhelm the market with dozens of models. Just look at the many flavors on its latest Samsung S4 device and you start to see that this is a game only for big boys. The only other company with Apple and Samsung-like manufacturing oomph was Nokia. I say was, because they are losing a grip on the phone business. However, their supply chain and manufacturing was legendary. It still

NVIDIA announced its support today for the Microsoft Xbox One game console with its popular NVIDIA PhysX and NVIDIA APEX software development kits (SDKs). Together, PhysX and APEX provide solutions...

Sony Mobile has announced that Xperia Tablet Z is now available to buy across the globe through Sony’s retail and operator partners as well as online channels. Xperia Tablet Z is available...