This week the gaming console known as OUYA has appeared in the FCC as it enters the hands and desktops of users across the USA. This machine is an Android-powered gaming console packing a fabulously powerful NVIDIA Tegra processor under the hood, originally funded by no less than KickStarter by the masses. The device’s appearance at the FCC means it’s full steam ahead for users about to receive their units in the mail – soon and very soon!
Up top of this particular unit you’ll see a cool transparent power button while the sides are a toned-down silver with black accents. This version is ever-so-slightly different from the funder-friendly version being sent to users on the whole right this minute and is expected to be slightly closer to the edition that’ll be sent to final purchasers after the funded edition is up and running.
You’ll be working with this device soon if you’ve worked with the creators of OUYA through Kickstarter, while those looking to buy the device after the first edition is shipped will be picking one up just a bit later this year. This second edition – the standard edition – will be priced starting at $99 USD and will come with an 8GB drive capacity while it outputs video via full-sized HDMI.
You’ll be powering this device up with a standard power jack (included in the box) while you’ll have both microUSB and full-sized USB ports to work with your other mobile devices and peripherals. This device connects with Bluetooth as well, and will be rolling with wireless internet and ethernet – make it work for you!
Have a peek at the timeline below for other recent news surrounding the OUYA console and stick around SlashGear as the final units are shipped from the first edition!
Earlier this year during CES 2013, NVIDIA took to the stage to announce their next-gen SoC, the Tegra 4. A couple of manufacturers have since announcedtheir plans to ship Tegra 4 devices, with ZTE being one of them. Thanks to the folks at GSM Insider, they have managed to get their hands on a photo of what is allegedly the ZTE N988, possibly the world’s first smartphone to feature NVIDIA’s Tegra 4 chipset. According to the leaked specifications, the ZET N988 is an Android smartphone with a whopping 5.7” display, although it seems to be lacking in the resolution department as it only packs 1280×720, making this a HD display rather than Full HD which seems to be the trend these days.
Other specifications include 2GB of RAM, a 13MP rear-facing camera, a 2MP front-facing camera and presumably at the very least Android 4.1 Jelly Bean on board. Apart from that not much else is known about this handset, such as when it will launch, and if ZTE plans for it to launch in the Chinese market first before moving on to the rest of the world. Either way take this with a grain of salt for now, but we’ll keep our eyes peeled for more info.
If you thought the beast that was the Lenovo IdeaCentre Horizon was never going to see the light of day – that light being the open market – you were wrong! This lovely amalgamation of gaming coolness is up for sale now for $1,699 USD and will be available wherever fabulous Lenovo products are sold this week. Have a peek at the hands-on looks we’ve gotten with this device right this minute!
Is this monster worth the monstrous price it comes attached with? The device itself is one massive display that you can mount on your wall or sit flat on a table – or on a carpeted floor if you’re all about the cross-legged way of going about things. When you’ve got it all set up (when you’ve got it turned on, that is), you’ll be playing a collection of uniquely tuned games made specifically for this interface.
You’ll find Monopoly – the real deal! – Draw Race 2, Raiding Company, Air Hockey, and a whole heck of a lot more! Each of these games are either built-in to the PC or will be available for download in their full form for free. Not that you’ll be worrying about the cost of a piece of software after you’ve dropped the $1,700 USD you’re spending on this device, but it’s nice to know how simple it’ll all be.
Inside you’ve got a 27-inch 1920 x 1080 full HD display optimized for not just 10-finger touch, but a collection of accessories that come with the machine as well. Paddles for air hockey, game pieces for board games, and a unique 6-sided die that the computer can read with ease!
The most basic model you’ll be working with has a 3rd-gen Intel Core i5 processor with NVIDIA GeForce GT620M graphics and 2GB of memory. Along with 8GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive, you’ll be blowing up the finest of next-generation touch-friendly games. You’ll be given a stand to set the Horizon up if you wish, and higher-powered versions of the machine are in the pipeline – stay tuned for more!
It’s not the system Microsoft thought it’d be – Windows RT, the alternate to Windows 8 for lower-powered systems. It’s like the tablet version of Windows 8, but with many of the same bits and pieces of the full deal. This week Dell’s head of tablet and high-end PC business Neil Hand spoke with CNET, saying that based on what they’ve seen thus far, the Windows RT wave of machines hasn’t exactly been the success story they’d hoped it’d be.
With our reviews of Windows RT devices you’ll find that we’ve not been too impressed. Have a peek at the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 Review we did earlier this month and you’ll see that while the hardware is basically a masterpiece of bits and pieces, the system is less than spectacular. With a full Windows 8 we’d have given the machine much higher praise. It would appear that Dell has been seeing similar responses for their newest RT devices.
Dell’s first Windows RT device on the market is the Dell XPS 10, a machine we got some hands-on with with in Germany this past season at IFA 2012.
“Demand is not where I would like it to be at this point in time. The amount of market information about it is not good enough, and the market sentiment is still pretty negative.” – Neil Hand, Dell
It was added that the Windows app experience for Windows RT has “not been as strong as it needed to be.” If you’re looking at a machine with Windows RT vs a machine with Windows 8, you’ve got a number of apps that literally work on your machine that’s less than Windows 8 – and Windows 8 supports less apps than we’d like, too.
On the flip side, groups like NVIDIA have made an effort to boost the market with their own NVIDIA TegraZone for Windows RT, a system that, like it’s Android counterpart, shows users that work with their processors that there are fabulous apps to be had. With several Windows RT machines on the market today you’re working with an NVIDIA Tegra 4 quad-core processor – with that, you’ve got games that will blow you away, even if you’re working with less than Windows 8.
Have a peek in the timeline below for additional news about Windows RT as of late and let us know if you’ve got a Window RT machine at your desk right this minute!
It’s time to jump back in the big pile of mobile smart gaming device excellence with NVIDIA’s own Project SHIELD handheld monster. This little beast works with the NVIDIA Tegra 4 quad-core processor and will be able to both play Android games natively and stream higher-powered games from the NVIDIA GeForce GPU-powered PC you’ve got in your home. Here we’re seeing this little beast play an enhanced version of Arma Tactics.
The game you’re seeing here will be available on the Google Play app store as well as the TegraZone for Tegra-toting smartphones and tablets rather soon. For now you’ll be seeing the highest-powered version of the title on the machine we’re also not going to have in our hands for several months. You’ll be battling it out with battlefield tactics on a wide playing field with a set of controls that, on other devices, will only be available on-screen.
Here you’re able to use essentially every control button on the Project SHIELD hardware, those being the ABXY buttons, joysticks, directional pad, and four buttons near your pointer fingers. Triggers, in other words. You’ve got the touchscreen up front as well to change the direction in which you’re viewing the ground.
You’ll be running through randomly generated missions with randomized objectives on the fly – this game is everything you’ll have wanted as a big fan of the PC-bound Arma titles of the past. Here on Android you’ll be getting as close to possible without the full streaming connection to Arma’s PC titles.
Have a peek at the timeline below to see additional Project Shield hands-on bits and pieces from the past few months and get pumped up about the final drop!
Jen-Hsun Huang took to the stage during NVIDIA’s recent investor day to show off an interesting video, which VentureBeat fortunately managed to capture. It’s embedded after the break and consists of two contrasting parts: footage of a current “state of the art” iPad game that we don’t immediately recognize, and then footage of Battlefield 3 running on unknown tablet hardware containing a next-gen Kepler mobile GPU — possibly Logan. We’re not sure Huang picked the strongest iPad example for comparison, but it’s fair to say the difference is immediately obvious, with the Kepler section bearing dynamic lighting, particle effects, shadows and HDR lighting that appear to deliver a more console-level experience. All in all, it potentially looks like an NVIDIA chip to rival the coming breed of AMD Temash tablets, which we’ve already seen running Dirt Showdown at low wattages.
With the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11, we’ve got the smaller cousin of the IdeaPad 13, this 11-inch display-toting machine working with a size that’s not just smaller physically. Inside this device we’ve got the NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor paired with Microsoft’s Windows RT and a 5-point multi-touch display. This display exists on a hinge that allows this notebook to fold 360 degrees back and flat.
Hardware
This machine’s screen is an 11.6-inch TFT LCD with 1136 x 768 pixel resolution working with LED Backlit technology and 350 nits of brightness. This display has a 170 degree viewing angle both vertical and horizontal, and its certainly good enough to work long hours worth during the day. If you’re thinking about working with this device in the dark, you might want to take a test-drive in the store first.
With blacks this dark and a keyboard that’s not backlit, you’ll want a bright lamp over your shoulder at least. If you want to bring this device to the coffee shop, you’re looking at a winner. This machine is 11.7 x 8 x 0.61 inches small, and save the MacBook Air itself, we’ve never experienced a more portable system. With just 2.73 lbs to its name, this machine is ready to be tossed in your backpack or large purse without effort.
Because this machine is made by Lenovo, it’s extremely rugged. While when we’re working with essentially any other notebook this size, there’s always a thought of “ah, gotta make sure I’m not dropping it.” With the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11, we’ve got a machine that we’re as close to “lemme toss this to you across the room” as we’ve ever gotten with a computer. With soft-touch plastic around magnesium aluminum alloy both on the top and on the bottom – in a lovely set of colors, might I add – you’ve got what feels like a top-notch complete package.
Inside you’ve got a few more specifications you might want to hear about if you’re planning on using this device for anything other than word processing, internet browsing, and some basic gameplay. Have a peek:
• 2 GB std / 2GB max / PC3-12800 1600MHz DDR3L*, soldered to system board, no sockets *System automatically clocks down to 1500MHz for NVIDIA Tegra3 T30 processor • Audio: High Definition (HD) Audio, Realtek® ALC5642 codec / stereo speakers (0.5 watt x 2), microphone, microphone input and headphone combo jack (3.5 mm) • 64 GB / eMMC (embedded Multi Media Card) flash memory onboard • 2 x USB 2.0, HDMI, SD card reader, 3.5mm Mic/Headphone Combo • Ambient Light Sensor, Accelerometer, 3-axis gyroscope, Digital Compass • OGS Panel – Single piece of glass as both cover lens and sensor substrate
The hardware is solid and really, really high quality. You’ll be considering the software it’s paired with next – and more than likely last, too. Make sure you know what you’re working with here and follow the Windows RT news before you jump in, feet first.
Software
It’s not easy reconciling the fact that this beautiful machine is working with Windows RT. Having a touchscreen up front that’s able to be used in several different modes is awesome, but when you’re crippled by an operating system that looks and feels like Windows 8 but isn’t – that’s confusing.
Using Windows RT is almost like eating an off-brand cereal without seeing the box: it certainly looks like the real deal, but once you taste it, you get wise. You’ll be unable to run Google Chrome, Valve’s Steam for games, or Geekbench for benchmarking your system. With Windows RT, you’re getting what’s closer to what seems to be intended as a tablet system rather than a full-fledged notebook setup.
That said, you do get the option of ordering this system with the full Microsoft Office suite running right out of the box. Microsoft has been pretty good about making sure their own basic set of apps works on Windows RT, and you do have access to the NVIDIA TegraZone Windows RT Edition as well – however limited that may still be. If Judge Dredd VS Zombies and Hydro Thunder are enough to wet your whistle, then by all means go for it – NVIDIA is also growing this collection too as the NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor (found inside this device) stays strong through 2013.
Up against the Competition
Your big question might be at this point what the benefit is in having this device over any other – especially one so inexpensive as, say, a Chromebook. When it comes down to it, this device has that same acceptance curve as a Chromebook has – you just can’t run everything you run on your full-powered PC. We’d even thought about trying to work with this device as a sort of top-tier Chromebook too to test how it’d be, but again, Chrome doesn’t work on Windows RT.
If you’re comparing this device to a full Windows 8 Lenovo notebook, you’ll be in for a trick – working with Windows 8 on the IdeaPad Yoga 13 is a good enough to feel a bit left out with the Yoga 11′s relative lack of oomph – and it’s certainly not a device you’re going to want to compare to a MacBook Air unless you only need it for word processing and browsing the web (on Internet Explorer). The price for this machine does remain enticing: anywhere from $599 to $849 USD and you’ve got a real draw. Compare it to the relative greatness of the Yoga 13, on the other hand, and you might as well drop the extra few bucks to work with full Windows 8 and the larger display.
Wrap-up
You’ll have to think this one through – unlike the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13, you’ve not got a full-powered PC on your hands here. This device is made to be a traveler, and certainly not your one single machine if you’ve got a computer-based job. Should you want to use your PC for nothing but social networking and play, this is a good choice – it’s relatively inexpensive and it’s good for travel.
Lenovo has created a bit of a bitter winner here. While many devices in this category are pretty awesome from top to bottom save their end product, the IdeaPad Yoga 11 is rough and tough and is something I’d put in my backpack for a trip. If I were going on a business trip with my SlashGear compatriots, I’d have to leave it at home.
If you’re familiar with the Alienware X51, you know you’ve only had it available with Windows software out of the box until now – now you’ll find Ubuntu leading up the show. This machine brings on a rather small form factor you can use to replace your gaming console – if you dare – a possibility made even more real now that Valve’s Steam gaming interface works with Linux natively. You know good and well you’ve wanted to try it since that bit was announced.
Ubuntu is being pushed with this machine as an ideal environment for gamers of all kinds, specifically because of its low-weight abilities. You’ve got an extremely clean build with this operating system right out of the box, with only the basics loaded immediately – you choose what you want when you want it – you also get Ubuntu-specific interfaces through Ubuntu’s Software Center, with “thousands of free applications” at your fingertips.
Several builds are ready for gaming action with the Alienware X51 this week, the least expensive of these starting at a cool $599 USD. You’ll be able to ramp up to $1,049 with the largest of the collection – it’s still tiny, it’s just got a 3rd Gen Ivy Bridge Intel Core i7 processor under the hood instead of the smallest model’s Core i3. These systems also come with NVIDIA GeForce GTX graphics processing architecture for top-notch graphics delivery.
Have a peek at the Alienware X51 right this minute and consider Ubuntu for your next-generation gaming beast. Let us know if you’re planning on buying one of these builds now, and be sure to note if you’ll be jumping in with Ubuntu Linux or if you’ll stick with Windows for the foreseeable future.
It’s a given that NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 can handle 3D — unless you’ve been crafting a fully open source project around the chip, at which point you’ve been stuck in a flat world. Fresh contributions from Avionic Design’s Thierry Reding have brought that extra dimension back, albeit in limited form. His early patches for the Linux kernel enable support for 3D when using the Tegra Direct Rendering Manager driver. There’s also a matching Gallium3D driver for us regular users, although it’s still young: it can run reference 3D code as of a recent check, but can’t produce visible imagery. While it may take some months before everything falls into place, the officially-backed work should make the (slightly aging) chip that much more useful beyond the realms of Android and Windows RT.
While a good majority of gaming rigs then to be on the big, and borderline monstrous side, there are gamers who prefer a rig with a smaller footprint and choose to go for mini-ITX builds. If a mini-ITX build is something you’re interested in, it seems that the folks at ASUS might have a GPU that is right up your alley in the form of the GeForce GTX 670 DirectCU Mini. As you can see in the photo above, the particular variant of the GTX 670 is a lot shorter than the standard version, meaning that it should fit nicely into smaller computer casings.
Measuring 6.7” on its longest edge, the GTX 670 Mini will come with 2GB of VRAM and according to ASUS, they have introduced a copper vapor chamber placed directly on top of the GPU which is said to help with heat dispersal with 20% lower temperatures than the reference GTX 670. While not limited to mini-ITX builds, it will most definitely fit with regular cases, but we guess it was designed for smaller builds in mind. No word on how much the ASUS GeForce GTX 670 DirectCU Mini will cost, but if the regular GTX 670 is anything to go by, not to mention that it has since been shrunken down, don’t expect this to come cheap.
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Earlier this year during CES 2013, NVIDIA took to the stage to announce their next-gen SoC, the 
While a good majority of gaming rigs then to be on the big, and borderline monstrous side, there are gamers who prefer a rig with a smaller footprint and choose to go for mini-ITX builds. If a mini-ITX build is something you’re interested in, it seems that the folks at ASUS might have a GPU that is right up your alley in the form of the GeForce GTX 670 DirectCU Mini. As you can see in the photo above, the particular variant of the GTX 670 is a lot shorter than the standard version, meaning that it should fit nicely into smaller computer casings.
