Sunday, May 10, 2015

IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 5/11/2015

TweakTown



KFA2 (Galaxy) showcases new NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 EXOC in white
KFA2 has announced its new white NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 EXOC video card to the public, boasting this new color scheme covering the shroud, fans and back plate, but not on the PCB.

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Featuring a factory overlocked core at 1279 MHz, 1367 MHz GPU Boost and 7 GHz of memory, this provides a little extra boost when compared to reference speeds of 1127 and 1187 MHz respectively.

As for cooling, an aluminum fin-stack heat sink combined with 8mm thick nickel-plated copper heat pipes ensures your card stays cool. The display options include one DisplayPort 1.2 port, two DVI and a single HDMI 2.0 option.

This card has been released at $235.19 (209.90 Euro) including tax.

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Ubisoft calls in reinforcements for The Division from another studio
Since its inception, The Division has had three studios working on it. Massive Entertainment are leading development, while Red Storm and Reflections have been putting their long weeks and months into the open world RPG. Massive Entertainment has now partnered up with a fourth studio, Ubisoft Annecy, which will help out on all things The Division.

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Managing Director of Massive Entertainment, David Polfeldt, has talked about this collaboration, where he said: "We are very happy that Ubisoft Annecy is part of The Division's family. They are highly experienced and talented developers, adding much value to the project. Being able to work with other studios offers fantastic creative opportunities during development and, in the end, strongly benefits the overall quality of the game".

Studio Manager at Ubisoft Annecy, Rebecka Coutaz, said: "The team in Annecy is delighted to be collaborating with Massive, Red Storm and Reflections on Tom Clancy's The Division. We are bringing our previous experience in multiplayer online games and this project is allowing us to build our technical knowledge in other areas and become experts on this incredible brand. The collaboration with the other studios is going very smoothly, and we're working together to ensure we meet and exceed the high expectations players have for this new title".


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NVIDIA CEO says 'every new human is a gamer'
NVIDIA posted their latest financial report recently, with CEO Jen-Hsun Huang saying: "I think it is also pretty clear that almost every new human is a gamer".

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The NVIDIA CEO continued: "The previous generation before me, very few were gamers. My generation, I would say, probably is 25% gamers. My kids' generation is probably 75% gamers, and the generation after that is got to be 100% gamers. Video games is no longer a niche. Game is really a pop culture now, and we expect that gaming to continue to expand".

Now whether you agree with that statement, teh larger picture is popping up and it's showing that gaming is really mainstream. If we look at the sales of franchises like Call of Duty, which generate over $1 billion with each release, gaming is far bigger than Hollywood. League of Legends enjoys tens of millions of players each day, which is a number that would've been laughed at just 10 years ago now.


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Samsung releases the new Gear VR for the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge
With the Oculus Rift not shipping until the first quarter of 2016, the VR game is up in the air until HTC and Valve can get their Vive headset to the market. That is, however, unless you go for mobile VR thanks to Samsung's Gear VR headset.

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The mobile giant has released its new Gear VR headset that works with the new Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge handsets, versus the old Gear VR which was locked to the Galaxy Note 4 smartphone. The new Gear VR is said to be much better than the previous iteration, with a smaller 'tunnel vision' experience in some apps courtesy of the smaller 5.1-inch display found on the new S6 handsets.

The new Gear VR can be purchased from Samsung's website, or from Best Buy starting on May 15.


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Advisor to the Australian PM says climate change is a 'hoax'
Maurice Newman, the chairman of Australia's Business Advisory Council has said that climate science is mostly "dud predictions", adding that "The real agenda is concentrated political authority. Global warming is the hook. It's about a new world order under the control of the UN".

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Newman reports to Tony Abbott, the Australian Prime Minister, and was appointed by Abbott himself to chair the Business Advisory Council, and has been a critic of climate science for quite sometime. Newman has put out a few false statements, including "95 percent of the climate models we are told prove the link between human CO2 emissions and catastrophic global warming have been found, after nearly two decades of temperature stasis, to be in error".

While this might sound like a crazy tinfoil hat conspiracy post, scientists don't exactly have all the answers when it comes to weather. Especially when there's trillions of dollars of trade at stake in virtually every industry thanks to 'climate change', and with YouTubers like Suspicious0bservers showing us that our Sun can influence the weather here on Earth, maybe this is something we need to be talking about?


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The latest trailer for Batman: Arkham Knight teases dual-hero combat
With Batman: Arkham Knight close to release, Rocksteady Studios has released a new community-focused trailer that is detailing the "Dual Play" part of the game, and more details on the story.

The new trailer is embedded above, called "All Who Follow You" and breaks it down to explain everything in great detail. The new gameplay feature Rocksteady has introduced is called "Dual Play" which lets gamers switch between Batman, Robin, Nightwing and Catwoman for specific fights in Arkham Knight.

Lead scriptwriter on the game, Martin Lancaster, explains: "It's fantastic, because we're able to build these relationships not just in the cinematic sequences, but right through the gameplay, through every aspect of the game".

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Some stores are selling The Witcher 3 early, be careful of spoilers
The Witcher 3 won't be officially released until May 19, but that hasn't stopped some retailers from releasing CD Projekt Red's latest game early.

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This means that some gamers have been playing The Witcher 3 over a week early, with Twitch stepping in and not allowing any broadcasting of The Witcher 3 before May 19, 2015 as it's "subject to DMCA guidelines". So while there might not be Twitch streaming of The Witcher 3, there is plenty of screenshots, videos and details of the game floating throughout the Internet.

If you don't want to be spoiled by anything from the game, we suggest not clicking anything related to The Witcher 3 until May 19.


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Google's next-gen Nexus made by Huawei, powered by Snapdragon 810
We heard about Huawei reportedly making Google's new Nexus handset that will be unveiled at Google I/O next month, but now there's some new information on the upcoming smartphone.

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Google will reportedly tap Qualcomm for its Snapdragon 810 processor, but with the Snapdragon 820 said to be made available soon, it would be a strange move by Google unless it was going to be thinking clearer this year and price the new Nexus more competitively than the ridiculosu pricing on the Nexus 6.

The new Nexus should feature a 5.7-inch QHD (2560x1440) display, but other than that, we don't know what else we'll find inside of the handset. I'm sure we'll be greeted to Android 6.0 at Google I/O, which should be used first on the new Nexus. But what will Google call the new Nexus? We have had the Nexus 4, Nexus 5 and Nexus 6 smartphones, while we've had the Nexus 7, Nexus 9 and Nexus 10 tablets. With a 5.7-inch display, we can't expect Google to name it the Nexus 5.7, or Nexus 6. Here's hoping for something different, like Nexus X or Nexus 2.


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The PS4 and Xbox One versions of GTA V will get the Rockstar Editor
After they said that it would be a PC exclusive feature, it looks as though Rockstar Games will be releasing the Rockstar Editor for Grand Theft Auto V on the consoles.

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The Rockstar Editor will not be reaching the Xbox 360 or PS3 consoles, but it will be released for the Xbox One and PS4. Rockstar is hoping to have the Editor ready this summer, or as they've put it: "as soon as it is ready", which could mean 2018. Are you excited for the Rockstar Editor? Or have you been enjoying the PC version of the game, which has it baked in already.


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Turok: Dinosaur Hunter rumored for a remake
One of my biggest memories of being a younger gamer was when Turok: Dinosaur Hunter was released on the Nintendo 64 and PC back in 1997, as it had some of the slickest graphics at the time, with a huge fog of war to hide it all and get the performance up to relatively normal numbers.

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Well, Turok: Dinosaur Hunter is being remade by Level Designer Samuel Villarreal. Villarreal has designed levels for games like FEAR: Perseus Mandate, Section 8, Aliens: Colonial Marines (I wouldn't want that on my resume...) and he has reportedly been working on rebuilding Turok: Dinosaur Hunter in his free time.

Villarreal talked with TechRaptor, where he said: "I was originally working on remaking N64 Turok (called Turok EX) but it got put off to the side. Since now Night Dive Studios has picked up the rights to re-release it, Turok EX will resume development later this year".

Are you excited about the possibilities of a Turok: Dinosaur Hunter remake?


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UMTRI: Motion sickness could be problem in autonomous vehicles
Autonomous vehicle development receives a monumental amount of press these days, but there are overlying issues that must be addressed. One such issue is motion sickness, though it's a phenomenon that hasn't received a lot of widespread coverage.

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Viewing video and reading are expected to cause motion sickness among some autonomous vehicle passengers. To make matters worse, 37 percent of US adult passengers in fully autonomous vehicles are expected to engage in activities "that increase the frequency and severity of motion sickness."

"Motion sickness is expected to be more of an issue in self-driving vehicles than in conventional vehicles," according to the "Motion Sickness in Self-Driving Vehicles" report from the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI).

Passengers can take medication and engage in behavioral countermeasures, such as sleeping or closing their eyes and resting while commuting.

"The reason is that the three main factors contributing to motion sickness (conflict between vestibular and visual inputs, inability to anticipate the direction of motion, and lack of control over the direction of motion) are elevated in self-driving vehicles. However, the frequency and severity of motion sickness is influenced by the activity that one would be involved in instead of driving."


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Fake renders of the Radeon R9 390X tease a smaller, next-gen VGA card
According to our sources, AMD will be announcing its new Radeon R9 390X at E3 2015 in mid-June, while some of our other sources have told us that HBM yields are extremely low, so the Radeon R9 390X that features HBM will be in extremely limited availability. We have been told that AMD has some "surprises" in store for the Radeon R9 390X, which is exciting. But what about these leaked photos of the HBM-powered Radeon R9 390X? Well, let's talk about that.

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The above image is reportedly photoshopped, with WCCFTech reporting that the image is "completely fake and are essentially a Photoshop recreation of the image by an artist on Chiphell forums". But for me, I don't think it's as "fake" as people think.

With AMD using High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) it will save so much room on the PCB that the usual GDDR5 takes up, and thanks to it running cooler than GDDR5, it will remove much of the last third of the PCB and associated cooling, VRMs, and more. This could give AMD the opportunity to make a shorter VGA card, but will the shorter card just be the HBM version? With our sources teasing multiple Radeon R9 390X models being released, with one being the premium HBM model, and another running GDDR5. If this happens, it's going to be good, and very bad for AMD.

On one hand, AMD can send the media the Radeon R9 390X 8GB watercooled model, which is the one that I think is the closest to the model above, and then the other cards that will be released into the market will be the 4GB models, possibly with HBM, or GDDR5. We know that HBM is in seriously low numbers right now, so much so that one of our sources said they'd be "surprised if it even happens this year". Some harsh words, but if HBM is in short supply, what would AMD do?

We should expect to hear so much more about the Radeon R9 390X in the coming weeks, so keep your eyes peeled to TweakTown.


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Nintendo expected to release five mobile games by March 2017
Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata says his company plans to release five mobile games by March 2017, as Nintendo tries to expand its business operations.

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There is no word what characters will be featured, or which titles gamers can expect, but Nintendo promised it wouldn't simply port content for smartphones and tablets.

"You may think it is a small number... but when we aim to make each title a hit, and because we want to thoroughly operate every one of them for a significant amount of time after their releases, this is not a small number at all - and should demonstrate our serious commitment to the smart device business," Iwata said during a meeting with investors.

Nintendo isn't giving up on creating game consoles, but wants to add revenue streams moving forward. It could prove to be a valuable asset, with mobile gaming continuing to be a major business.


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Samsung breaks ground on new semiconductor fabrication facility
Earlier this week, Samsung broke ground on its new semiconductor fabrication facility at the Godeok Industrial Complex in Pyeongtaek, Korea.

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The electronics company is the No. 2 chip maker based on revenue, and it's unknown what will be specifically manufactured at the facility. Some Korean news sources say DRAM memory chips will be the focus of manufacturing, with space allowed for mobile processors depending on global demand.

The new industrial complex will have more than $14 billion invested by Samsung, which is the largest amount it has invested in a single facility.

"The added fabrication capabilities will enable Samsung to solidify its industry leadership in the expanding mobile and server sectors, as well as respond to growing need for semiconductor components in the Internet of Things (IoT) marketplace," the company said in a public statement.


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Report: Spotify sets its sights on streaming video service
Spotify has taken over the streaming music world, and the company is reportedly trying to expand into online video, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report. Spotify has approached a few different digital media companies, gauging interest in partnerships, in an effort to launch created material and acquire videos.

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Time Inc, Maker Studios, Fullscreen and Tastemade are speaking with Spotify, with a possible announcement coming as soon as May 20.

"So many companies have doubled down in this space that differentiation and monetization are going to be increasingly difficult," said Paul Verna, analyst at eMarketer, in a statement to WSJ. Verna believes Pandora, one of Spotify's numerous rivals in the streaming music business, could also try for a streaming video service.

Spotify has 15 million paying subscribers - and 60 million total users - but hasn't turned a profit, largely due to insane licensing agreements with record labels.


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EasyAcc USB 3.0 Storage Enclosure Review
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Storage enclosures, while being rather simple devices, serve a large purpose for many users and with so many different solutions on the market, you certainly need a bit of help finding the solution fit for your needs. EasyAcc may not be too familiar of a brand for many of you, but they aren't a "fly by night" company, in fact, they have been around since 2008.

The EasyAcc USB 3.0 enclosure is a 2.5" solution catering to those wanting to use an existing drive for external storage. This solution is compatible with both the 9.5mm and 7mm sized form factors and offers an easy plug and play connection to your data. While appearing to be a simple enclosure, the EasyAcc incorporates several features to ensure data integrity including shock protection, overcurrent and overvoltage protection.

Operating system compatibility includes Windows 7+, Mac OS X 10.2+ and Linux kernel 3+. MSRP of the EasyAcc USB 3.0 Enclosure is listed at $29.99 with a one-year warranty.

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Scope of delivery includes the enclosure, USB cable, and reading materials.

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The front edge of this solution houses the USB connection and the activity LED, as seen above.

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Internally, one side of the enclosure carries shock proof foam padding, while the other allows direct contact with the aluminium exterior for additional cooling.

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For testing the EasyAcc enclosure, I loaded the Intel 730 SSD into the enclosure.

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Performance testing starts off with Windows 8.1 where we found the enclosure capable of 429 MB/s read and 364 MB/s write.

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Switching over to OS X 10.10, performance slowed a bit. As you can see above, results came in at 389 MB/s read and 272 MB/s write.

The EasyAcc enclosure, even being such a simple device, is one of the better solutions I have seen come through testing. The build quality is fairly good, with plastic being the main material used. The aluminium cover offers both added aesthetic appeal, along with a direct contact surface for dissipating heat. In addition, the foam lined bottom tray does snug up to the installed drive so it's not moving freely inside the chassis.

Performance of this solution was rather good as well. In our testing, it came out on top in both Windows and OS X, providing 429 MB/s read with our Intel 730 SSD. Performance did suffer within OS X, but as we touched on above, it did reach 389 MB/s read. Write performance for both operating systems tested showed similar results where Windows was able to outperform OS X by 90 MB/s.

With so many of these solutions on the market, the EasyAcc is one of the best values for your hard earned dollars, with an MSRP of just $29.99.

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GIGABYTE P55K Gaming Laptop Announced w/ GTX 965M Graphics
GIGABYTE revealed the first unit of its new generation of power gaming laptops-the 15.6" P55K, featuring ravishing performance and sporty design as well as monstrous 3DMark 11 score above P7000. The muscular yet gorgeous outlook is absolutely stunning, infusing more punches into the thrilling beast. Its shiny orange stripes brim against the dark chassis, breathing dynamic notes into this powerhouse. A pair of sinking hinges adorns the futuristic vehicle design, adding aggressive touches to the surface. Powered by GTX 965M, the newly born P55K arms every gaming soul with the latest spells and forces for unchartered dimensions.

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Gaming-class GTX 965M Graphics: Unleash Your Gaming Souls

P55K features a speedy NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M graphics processor. A total package of 2GB VRAM handles higher frame refresh rate with ease and is capable of rendering more detailed graphics when running resource-demanding titles. Scoring P7000+ in 3DMARK 11, P55K with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M giving you a solid edge over other competitors in gaming.

Speedy & Punchy: Versatile Dual Storage

The dual storage incorporates one rapid mSATA SSD up to 512GB and a massive HDD up to 2TB for extra storage. The blistering responsiveness and storage convenience is perfect for either heading for any LAN gathering with a huge collection of games or backing up data and system without cloud access. The impressive performance as well as solid features promises users all-round gaming experiences.

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Captivating Moments: More Pixels & Details

P55K sports a 1080p Full HD display delivering vivid colors and contrast for viewing from different angles. When used outdoors or in a bright room, the matte screen with anti-glare coatings eliminates reflections and guarantees excellent comfort for long gaming sessions. Dolby Digital Plus Home Theater optimizes sound clarity and effects for a high-fidelity audio, creating the most realistic yet thrilling experience when gaming. The built-in Blu-ray Rewritable Drive* supports all the latest media in crystal clear HD quality yet records data to BDXL format as much as 128GB. Backing up large amounts of data without Internet access or cloud services will never be an issue. *optional

Effortless Gameplay: 0.09 inch key travel & LAN Optimizer

P55K boasts 0.09 inch key travel, ensuring crisp and responsive typing on the move; the full-range chiclet keyboard with independent numeric pad makes desktop-like experiences for intuitive gameplay and maximized productivity. The integrated hardware and innovative software makes for an intuitive interface. LAN Optimizer eliminates network latency and improves online gaming and/or web browsing by prioritizing the desired type of packets according to user settings. P55K brings amazing gaming performance with a stack of features, delivering undeniable simplicity and style for enjoying mobility gaming on the move.

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P55K Features and Specs

  • NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M GDDR5 2GB
  • Efficient 4th gen Intel Core i7-4720HQ Processor
  • Brilliant Full HD Wide View Matte Display
  • 16GB RAM/ 1TB HDD/ DVD
  • Full-sized Backlit Keyboard
  • USB(3.0)*4, HDMI, D-sub, RJ45, Mic-in, Earphone-out, SD Card Reader, DC-in Jack
  • Dimensions: 15(W) x 10.6(D) x 1.1 ~ 1.3(H) inch
MSRP: $1,249

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AMD Unveils New 7000 Series APUs and New Radeon Graphics Products for OEM PCs
AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) today at their 2015 Financial Analyst Day is unveiling new AMD 7000 Series Accelerated Processing Units (APUs), AMD Radeon 300 and M300 Series Graphics, and AMD A-Series desktop APU updates, delivering a robust lineup of products in 2015 that reinforce AMD's surround computing leadership.

"We're excited about the experiences our latest APU and GPU technologies will bring this year for tech enthusiasts, gamers and mainstream consumers alike," said Matt Skynner, corporate VP and general manager, Computing and Graphics Business Unit at AMD. "AMD's commitment to graphics and compute performance is evident in the newly available 7000 Series APUs and the Radeon 300 Series graphics that deliver superior gaming experiences, premium entertainment streaming and innovative computing features."

AMD Product Updates:

New AMD 7000 Series APUs: Formerly codenamed "Carrizo-L" and part of the "Carrizo" platform in the 2015 AMD Mobile APU family roadmap, the mainstream system-on-a-chip (SoC) 7000 Series APUs deliver innovative computing to improve how you work, play and relax, all at an unbelievable value. Now available in Greater China and rolling out globally, these APUs combine a power-efficient CPU, an advanced GPU, an AMD Secure Processor and system I/O on a single energy efficient chip to prolong battery life and enable uninterrupted video streaming. Notebooks and All-in-Ones featuring new AMD 7000 Series processors enable best-in-class gaming and great entertainment. With support for Microsoft DirectX 12 and Microsoft's upcoming Windows 10 operating system, AMD 7000 Series APUs deliver the experiences consumers expect plus security protection built into the processor.

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AMD Radeon M300 Series Graphics for OEM notebooks: AMD is proud to announce the launch of the AMD Radeon M300 series of mobile graphics processing units (GPUs) in key partner systems delivering outstanding discrete graphics performance to a variety of notebook designs. The AMD Radeon M300 series graphics are based on the award-winning AMD Graphics Core Next (GCN) Architecture, which offers full support for Direct X 12 for outstanding game and compute performance, while also offering intelligent power technologies utilizing AMD Enduro Technologies. Designs are currently shipping from Alienware, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Toshiba plus additional OEMs shipping soon.

AMD Radeon 300 Series Graphics for OEM desktops: Additionally, AMD announced the availability of AMD Radeon 300 Series desktop graphics, available only through OEMs. The AMD Radeon 300 Series GPUs feature AMD's revolutionary GCN Architecture with full support for DirectX 12. The product stack will offer a great experience on new Windows 10 platforms and represents AMD's commitment to provide the smoothest, high-quality graphics solutions for everyday desktop users. Designs are currently shipping from HP plus additional OEMs shipping soon.

AMD A-Series Desktop APU update - Starting May 10, AMD's A-Series desktop APU products will be available at new price points and deliver new features and benefits to end users than ever before. The AMD A-Series Desktop APUs now offer Windows 10 readiness including DirectX 12 Multiengine and Multiadapter features. Combined with existing support for AMD FreeSync, AMD Mantle, HSA features heterogeneous queuing (hQ) and heterogeneous uniform memory access (hUMA) as enabled by OpenCL 2.0 applications, and OpenGL 4.4, AMD A-Series APUs stand ready to increase value to end users for popular gaming titles and mainstream productivity applications today and tomorrow.

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THE NEXT GENERATION OF RACING SIMULATION STARTS NOW WITH PROJECT CARS!
Famous UK developer Slightly Mad Studios & leading interactive entertainment developer and publisher BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe S.A.S. today released Project CARS on PC via Steam, for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and for Xbox One all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft. The ultimate racing adventure starts now: with a strong lineup of cars, tracks and features to satisfy weekend drivers to road warriors.

Project CARS aims to deliver the most authentic, beautiful, intense and technically-advanced racing game ever developed - crowd-funded by a passionate community that has been involved in the development process from day-one to create their ultimate racing experience. Project CARS invites players to become a racing legend in a freeform career mode that has them chasing specific goals as they work their way through the standings in a multitude of disciplines. Race though one of the largest track rosters in any recent racing game with dynamic weather, pit stops, and world-class graphics running 60 frames per second with up to 45 drivers on-screen.

"We're thrilled to announce that our fans can now get their hands-on the ultimate racing experience they've all been waiting for" said Alberto González Lorca, VP Third Parties, BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe. "Collaborating with Slightly Mad Studios on this exciting title, which truly brings the racing experience to a whole new level, was a great adventure."

"Four years ago we had a vision for a racing game that was bold and dared to take on the two big contenders in this genre. By including the community who would ultimately be playing the game from day one of the development process, we've worked tirelessly to create a game that not only has best in class features but continues innovating in the racing genre, shatters long-standing traditions, and breaks new ground both visually and technically" said Ian Bell, Head of Studio at Slightly Mad Studios. "And now, after that unique combination of our own expertise, the wishes & desires of the community, and the input from real racing drivers, we're humbled to see that the existing approval from gamers is now also being reflected in overwhelmingly positive reviews and excitement from the racing community at large. It's been a long journey but ultimately that journey is now in the hands of the players and we can't wait to see your own career paths, your own stories you share on social media, and your own battles online. Thank you all so much."

Team up and take down racing enthusiasts around with world with a multitude of multiplayer options that serve to build a solid community around Project CARS fans. Up to 16 players can race against each other in public or private races with the option to customize races to suit the room's playstyle. While those who may not like the veracity of head-to-head racing can enter Driver Network Challenges. These challenges include regularly scheduled community events that allow players to complete specific scenarios to climb the ranks and gain bragging rights. Players can also compete against others in asynchronous time trials. Compete for record times across all the different tracks in the game, and if a little help is required, download ghost data from particular players to see just how they managed to shave off those precious seconds.

For more information regarding Project CARS please visit http://www.Facebook.com/projectcarsgame , http://www.twitter.com/projectcarsgame , and http://www.instagram.com/projectcarsgame . For more information about BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment, please visit the BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe official website at http://www.bandainamcoent.eu


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Halfbrick launches Fruit Ninja Academy: Math Master
Halfbrick (Fruit Ninja, Jetpack Joyride) and Krome Studios ( TY the Tasmanian Tiger) have today released a new addition to the Fruit Ninja family, marking the team's first foray into educational apps with Fruit Ninja Academy: Math Master.

Set in the beloved and colorful world of Fruit Ninja, Math Master is the perfect companion to classroom learning, teaching Grade 1 math skills to children aged 5 to 7 years old.

Keeping with the simple Fruit Ninja gameplay that fans know and love, players slice their way through different math challenges presented in an engaging comic-style format.

Students will master a number of key learning areas along the way, including addition, subtraction, skip counting (multiplication), numbers, sequences and shapes. The objective? To find the Lost Tablets of Fruitasia, rescue Truffles the Pig, and prove that learning can be fun!

All challenges are graded, and players will be encouraged to hone their skills in order to unlock extra content for performing well. Progress is also logged directly within the game, allowing parents and teachers to easily track development over time.

With fresh features such as interactive mini games, unlockable rewards, and collectible stickers, Math Master provides a fun and appealing platform for children to practice, reinforce, and improve their understanding of simple math concepts with the time-tested Fruit Ninja formula.

Fruit Ninja Academy: Math Master is also a Halfbrick Child-Safe app, meaning it contains no analytics or data gathering functionality, requires no online account or social media login to play, and does not include advertising or other promotions of any kind.

"Striking the perfect balance between fun and education was incredibly important," said Shainiel Deo, chief executive at Halfbrick. "With this release, it's our belief that even the most reluctant students will feel engaged and supported from beginning to end."

Fruit Ninja Academy: Math Master is now available for USD$4.99 on the App Store, Google Play, and Amazon Appstore for Android. For further details, please contact press@halfbrick.com

Download Links

App Store: apple.co/1GShfFU

Google Play: bit.ly/1zPZsCg

Amazon Appstore: amzn.to/1RkjMko

Media Assets

Trailer:

Official Website: fruitninja.com/academy

Press Kit: bit.ly/1P5pSqd

Information Pamphlet for Parents and Educators: bit.ly/1F2D1K3


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GOG.com Restores Iconic Star Trek Games
GOG.com and Interplay Entertainment Corp., under license by CBS Consumer Products, will beam in Star Trek to DRM-free computers worldwide. In cooperation with the historic publisher, the DRM-free distributor is set to launch these iconic Star Trek games:

Star Trek: 25th Anniversary - a digital distribution premiere - $5.99

The classic point-and-click adventure complete with voice acting, sound effects, and music from the classic TV show.



Star Trek: Judgment Rites - a digital distribution premiere - $5.99

An all-around improved point-and-click sequel to the 25th Anniversary classic.



Star Trek: Starfleet Academy - a digital distribution premiere - $5.99

Learn the basics of piloting a starship to become a captain of your very own vessel.

"It's Star Trek's turn to shine on GOG.com. Our Sci-Fi fans should now be pretty much covered." said Oleg Klapovsky, VP of Business Development, "We're always excited for the chance to restore lost video games to modern PCs. There are very few that deserve the GOG.com treatment more than the Star Trek classics, and we've done everything to make sure they work flawlessly."

GOG.com and Interplay plan to unveil additional Star Trek classics in the near future, including Digital Premieres.


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PAYDAY 2 CRIMEWAVE EDITION LAUNCHES THE ULTIMATE HEIST EXPERIENCE ON JUNE 12
Hit co-op shooter, payday 2, takes over Xbox One and PlayStation 4 with value-packed bundle including more than a year's worth of DLC packs and updates in Crimewave Edition

505 Games and OVERKILL - a Starbreeze Studio, today announced that PAYDAY 2: Crimewave Edition will be available across Europe on 12th June.

The new edition is loaded with over a year's worth of DLC packs and content updates including the popular Big Bank Heist, and even the addition of "Clover," the first female heister. Action filled crime sprees look better than ever on next-gen consoles with improved frame rate, better textures and 1080p resolution.

PAYDAY 2: Crimewave Edition introduces new high-octane heists and new contacts The Dentist, voiced by actor Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad), and The Butcher, voiced by Mira Furlan (Lost and Babylon 5). In addition to new jobs and multi-stage contracts, a wider range of weapons such as shotguns, sniper rifles and grenades deliver an explosive kick to the new enemy archetypes that players will face.

New characters, more masks and brand new perk system bring a whole new level of customization to the experience along with a fifth skill tree for seriously stealthy players. The all-new preplanning stage has also been added, providing everything that perfectionist players need to pull off their dream crime spree.

By pre ordering PAYDAY 2: Crimewave Edition from participating retailers, consumers will unlock the special Hard Time Loot Bag digital content including:

  • Red dot weapon sight modification available for use on all rifle weapons
  • Exclusive Skull mask
  • PlayStation 4 or Xbox One exclusive mask
  • Unique mask pattern titled "I LOVE OVERKILL"
  • Unique colour pattern, only available with this unlock
  • Bundle of in-game cash
Follow PAYDAY 2 on http://www.Facebook.com/PaydayGameOfficial and Twitter.com/paydaygame


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TONY HAWK'S PRO SKATER 5 COMING TO CONSOLES
The Birdman is back with Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 for the PlayStation 4 computer entertainment system and Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, expected to release later this year. The game retains the timeless, combo-driven energy and tightly designed levels of the Pro Skater games while expanding the experience with seamless online play.

"Skateboarding has always been about the freedom of ripping with your friends, and creating a game that captures that feeling has been a vision of mine since the Pro Skater series began over 15 years ago," said Tony Hawk. "I'm beyond excited to see that dream finally come true with Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 , which takes the old-school attitude of the original games online in a big way."

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 rekindles the signature style of classic Pro Skater games in a brand-new set of levels with the same infamous focus on daring objectives, fine-tuned controls and high-score tricks - including manuals and reverts - for endless shredding. New items like power-ups and projectiles change up the core skating experience in a variety of fresh and entertaining ways. Tear up the pavement as one of today's top pros, including Tony Hawk, Nyjah Huston, Riley Hawk, Aaron "Jaws" Homoki, Ishod Wair, Leticia Bufoni, Chris Cole, David Gonzalez, Andrew Reynolds, and Lizzie Armanto - or customize your own character.

Online multiplayer is where Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 truly takes off, letting players drop in and out of online skate sessions with friends and challengers from around the world for the first time. Complete missions, unlock new content and level up online or offline, or go head-to-head on-the-fly against all takers in competitive matches. Players can also build their own imaginative skateparks to share with the community.

Robomodo and Disruptive Games are developing Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The game is also coming to the Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system soon after the next-gen versions. The exact release dates for the various versions will be shared in the upcoming weeks. For more information, please visit http://www.tonyhawkvideogame.com , and join the community on Facebook at Facebook.com/TonyHawkGames and on Twitter and Instagram at @tonyhawkgames.


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EK Releases FB Water Block Kit for GIGABYTE X99 SOC Champion
EK Water Blocks, Ljubljana based premium liquid cooling gear manufacturer, is proud to introduce motherboard water cooling solution, this time for GIGABYTE X99 SOC Champion motherboard. The EK-FB KIT GA X99-SOC Champion is a complete water cooling solution for GIGABYTE X99 series motherboards consisting of two separate water blocks. Please check our Cooling Configurator online compatibility system for detailed compatibility list.

ek-releases-fb-water-block-kit-gigabyte-x99-soc-champion
The water blocks directly cools Intel X99 southbridge (PCH) chip and power regulation (VRM / MOSFETs) module. Please note this water block cools exactly as much heat generating components as GIGABYTE factory cooling solution. It is a high flow water block that can be easily used with systems using weaker water pumps.

ek-releases-fb-water-block-kit-gigabyte-x99-soc-champion
Base of the water block is made of nickel-plated electrolytic copper while the top is made of quality POM Acetal or acrylic glass material (depending on the variant). The screw-in standoffs are already pre-installed and allow for easy and trouble-free installation by utilizing original motherboard backplates. This water block kit is already available for purchase through EK Webshop and Partner Reseller Network.

Price (MSRP, including VAT): 114.95€

ek-releases-fb-water-block-kit-gigabyte-x99-soc-champion


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Bohemia Interactive Weekend Sale and Arma 3 Free Weekend on Steam
o kick off the weekend in style, Bohemia Interactive just launched a Free Weekend on Steam for its award-winning tactical military shooter Arma 3, accompanied by a Publisher Weekend Sale offering massive discounts up to 80% on titles such as Arma 2, Arma Tactics, and Take On Helicopters. The studio's Early Access titles are also included in the sale, with a 15% discount on massively popular DayZ, and a 33% discount on Bohemia Interactive's Take On Mars - the space exploration game in which players start out as a Rover operator and finish by establishing the first human colony on Mars, alone or together with their friends in multiplayer.

Throughout the weekend, from May 7th up until May 10th, all Steam users are able to play Arma 3 for free, with access to all content except for the second and third campaign episode. Providing a true combat gameplay experience in a massive military sandbox, Arma 3 features a wide variety of single- and multiplayer content, over 20 vehicles and 40 weapons, and limitless opportunities for content creation. New recruits are recommended to start with the Bootcamp singleplayer campaign and/or VR training courses, or they can simply jump into one of the many official and unofficial multiplayer modes. The series' trademark Scenario Editor is another great place to explore the Arma 3 sandbox at your own pace.

In celebration of the Free Weekend, and to introduce Arma 3's brand new multiplayer mode, End Game - which was recently released in a free platform update, the Arma 3 devteam will be hosting a special livestream this evening at 18:30 UTC. The session will be streamed live from Bohemia Interactive HQ onto the official Arma 3 Twitch channel. Special guests include End Game's Multiplayer Designer Nelson Duarte and Arma 3's Creative Director Jay Crowe, while other members of the Arma 3 devteam as well as Arma community members will make up the rest of the teams.

For more information about Bohemia Interactive's projects, and to keep track of all the latest news, please visit http://www.bistudio.com and/or follow Bohemia Interactive on Facebook and Twitter.


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Next-Gen Space RTS Starfall Tactics Debuts on Kickstarter
Snowforged Entertainment's Starfall Tactics is now on Kickstarter! A space combat RTS with a wargame feel, Starfall Tactics is built on Unreal 4 and

delivers truly next-gen graphics on PC.

Kickstarter video

Only three days into the crowdfunding campaign, the developer has already secured $5,294 from Kickstarter backers. Snowforged is seeking a total of $45,000 to complete development on Starfall Tactics to expand from a session-based, head-to-head title to a living, breathing galaxy.

Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2099269382/starfall-tactics

Every ship in Starfall Tactics is fully customizable: Players can replace the weapons, engines, armor, shields, or add new modules like a Cloak System -- or a Self Destruct mechanism! Gameplay is split between using fleets to conquer the galaxy or saving mankind from an impending alien threat. Players can team up with other players by taking ownership of different sectors, mining asteroids, or establishing outposts on faraway planets -- in a prelude to mind-blowing, beautifully rendered space battles.

Combat is epic, incredibly detailed, and gorgeous beyond measure -- thanks to the power of Unreal Engine 4. The game will feature some of the best graphics ever seen in the RTS genre.

Starfall Tactics will be free to download and play, and it follows the Hearthstone model with booster packs as microtransactions . Booster packs are made of a number of different blueprints that can be used to craft almost anything in the game -- from the hull of the ship down to individual engines. Each booster pack contains a set of randomly assorted blueprints, like new ship modules and even the occasional spaceship. There will be no pay-to-win. Sticking to CCG conventions will allow the developers to keep everything fair for everyone while considerably lowering the barrier to entry.

"We've been working full-time for eight months now. The community's reaction to Starfall Tactics has been beyond anything we could have imagined," says Vasiliy Tedeev, lead project manager at Snowforged Entertainment. "We already have the core gameplay finished. The Kickstarter funding will allow us to expand the game's universe to merge our favorite aspects of the wargame and RTS genres into a combination that will leave a lasting impression. We are huge tabletop and wargaming fans, and we hope we can do both genres justice with Starfall Tactics."

Key Features

  • Tactical combat: Battles can feature a variety of ships -- from discreet frigates to deadly cruisers and heavy dreadnoughts.
  • In-depth customization: From the hull to the individual engines, everything is created using blueprints. Players can easily customize and outfit ships -- adapting their tactics for a variety of situations. Every choice matters!
  • Epic combat: Balls-to-the-wall explosions, intense action, and stunning visuals delivered via Unreal Engine 4.
  • Galaxy conquest: Players can freely travel and explore the confines of known space. A variety of activities are available: from fending off pirates to trading, discovering new planets, and gathering intel on a new threat to humanity.
  • High stakes: Players can unite as a clan and take ownership of different sectors, mine rare types of asteroids, and establish outposts on various planets. Whether it's territory, scarce resources, or the respect of others, the pressure is on. Players have something of real value to lose.
  • The Starfall Tactics Kickstarter campaign will end on June 11, 2015. If successful, the official beta is planned for early 2016.
Assets

Kickstarter video

YouTube

Gameplay videos and dev diaries

YouTube

Screenshots

IMGUR

http://imgur.com/a/qMNyi

Logos

Download

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9186800/logos_Starfall_Tactics.zip

Social Media

Facebook (Snowforged Entertainment): https://www.Facebook.com/pages/Snowforged-Entertainment/378921085614435

Facebook ( Starfall Tactics): http://www.Facebook.com/starfalltactics

Twitter (@ StarfallTactics): http://www.twitter.com/starfalltactics

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/snowforged-entertainment

YouTube:
Website: http://starfalltactics.com/

Forums: http://forum.starfalltactics.com/


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Gartner names CoolIT Systems a Cool Vendor in Data Center Management, Power and Cooling Report
CoolIT Systems, Inc., the leading provider in Direct Contact Liquid Cooling (DCLC) solutions, today announced that it has been named as one of four 'Cool Vendors in Data Center Management, Power and Cooling' in a May 6, 2015 analyst report by Gartner, the world's leading information technology research and advisory company.

The report is part of an annual series of research reports, in which Gartner analyst's offer insight on a variety of innovative and impactful IT solutions and evaluate "Cool Vendors" in key areas of technology.

The 'Cool Vendors in Data Center Management, Power and Cooling' report "highlights four emerging vendors offering products designed to help infrastructure and operations leaders and data center managers to monitor, manage and control energy use and other critical data center resources."

Key report findings include:

  • As energy demands and density continue to increase in the data center, infrastructure and operations (I&O) leaders and data center managers are looking for new solutions, such as liquid cooling systems, as options.
  • Liquid cooling solutions are more cost-effective than traditional air cooling solutions as power-per-rack-density increases (beyond 20 kilowatts per rack, for example).
The Gartner report evaluated that "CoolIT Systems should be of interest to those who manage IT and/or facilities for high-performance computing environments and Web-scale data centers, especially customers with ambitions for higher heat densities."

"We consider our inclusion in Gartner's 'Cool Vendors' report a major confirmation of CoolIT's success in providing innovative and energy efficient solutions that address today's data center challenges," said Geoff Lyon, CoolIT Systems CEO & CTO. "This recognition from Gartner highlights the contributions CoolIT has been making to advance data center performance with Direct Contact Liquid Cooling technology."


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Exercises with stock options of Nokia Corporation
Based on Nokia Corporation's 2011 Stock Option Plan a total of 147 311 Nokia shares were subscribed for between January 2 and May 4, 2015. The subscription price was EUR 5.76 per share for 58 311 shares and EUR 4.58 per share for 89 000 shares. The total amount of the subscription price, EUR 743 491.36, will be recorded in the fund for invested non-restricted equity and, consequently, the share capital of the company does not increase.

The amount of Nokia shares after registration of the shares in the Trade Register is 3 678 328 858 shares. The new shares carry all the shareholder rights as of the registration date May 8, 2015. The shares are subject to trading in Nasdaq Helsinki together with other Nokia shares (NOK1V) as of May 8, 2015.


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AMD Outlines Sharpened Focus at 2015 Financial Analyst Day
Today, at its 2015 Financial Analyst Day taking place at Nasdaq MarketSite, AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) provided details on the company's multi-year strategy to drive profitable growth based on delivering next-generation technologies powering a broad set of high-performance, differentiated products across the key areas of gaming, immersive platforms, and the datacenter.

"We see strong long-term growth opportunities across a diverse set of markets for the kind of high-performance compute and visualisation capabilities only AMD can provide," said AMD President and CEO Dr. Lisa Su. "We are focusing our investments on our strongest opportunities to enable our customers to create great products that push the boundaries of what is possible and allow AMD to achieve profitable growth in the years to come."

IP and Core Technology Updates

AMD showcased a number of engineering innovations at the event, including details on its next-generation 64-bit x86 and ARM processor cores, future graphics cores expected to deliver a 2x performance-per-watt improvement compared to current generation offerings1, and breakthrough modular design methodology that reduces system-on-chip (SoC) development costs and accelerates time to market.

Technology-related announcements included:

  • Development of a brand new x86 processor core codenamed "Zen," expected to drive AMD's re-entry into high-performance desktop and server markets through improved instructions per clock of up to 40 percent, compared to AMD's current x86 processor core. "Zen" will also feature simultaneous multi-threading (SMT) for higher throughput and a new cache subsystem.
  • Updates on the company's first custom 64-bit ARM core, "K12" core. These enterprise-class 64-bit ARM cores are designed for efficiency and are ideally suited for server and embedded workloads.
  • AMD's plans to extend its graphics technology leadership by offering the first high-performance graphics processing unit (GPU) in the industry featuring die stacked High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) using a 2.5D silicon interposer design. AMD plans to introduce this innovative packaging solution this year with its latest GPU.
In addition to discussing software, security, and other key platform enablers, AMD highlighted its new high-performance network-on-chip (NoC) technology, a modular design approach that leverages re-usable IP building blocks to maximise design efficiency. This breakthrough design approach is expected to lower cost and time-to-market for both AMD's standard and future semi-custom products.

"We are doubling down on our IP core investments in alignment with our traditional development strengths to address key market needs for performance and customer choice through high-performance, scalable 64-bit x86 and ARM CPU cores and continued graphics leadership," said Mark Papermaster, senior vice president and chief technology officer, AMD. "In addition, we have built a system for modular design around our new network-on-chip technology designed to substantially increase development agility."

Computing and Graphics Segment Updates

Additionally, AMD announced updates to its Computing and Graphics (CG) product roadmaps for accelerated processing unit (APU), central processing unit (CPU), and GPU products planned for introduction in 2016 and beyond. The upcoming products address key customer priorities, including increased performance, longer battery life, and improved energy efficiency. AMD also provided further details and publicly demonstrated its 6th Generation A-Series APU, formerly codenamed "Carrizo," as well as its next-generation GPU offerings launching in the coming months.

AMD's updated CG product roadmap includes:

  • New AMD FX CPUs based on the "Zen" core and built using FinFET process technology. Featuring high core counts with SMT for high throughput and DDR4 compatibility, these CPUs will share the AM4 socket infrastructure with AMD's 2016 Desktop APUs.
  • 7th Generation AMD APUs will enable a discrete-level GPU gaming experience and full HSA performance in the FP4 Ultrathin Mobile Infrastructure.
  • Future generations of high-performance GPUs will be based on FinFET process technology, which will contribute to a doubling of performance-per-watt.1 These cutting-edge discrete graphics will include second generation HBM technology.
Enterprise, Embedded, and Semi-Custom Segment Updates

AMD detailed the long-term strategy for its Enterprise, Embedded and Semi-Custom Business Group (EESC) to grow across a number of high-priority markets based on leveraging high-performance CPU and GPU cores that allow customers to build differentiated solutions. The near-term will bring continued focus on enabling scalable, semi-custom solutions and growth in the embedded pipeline. Looking ahead, next-generation "Zen" and "K12" cores will bring high performance to the datacenter, a space where AMD plans to regain share with a portfolio that includes x86 and ARM processors, increased power efficiency, and a renewed presence in the high-performance x86 server market.

"AMD's high-performance IP, efficient modular design methodology, and evolved semi-custom business model will fuel strong growth opportunities across multiple markets," said Forrest Norrod, senior vice president and general manager, EESC. "In addition to driving sustained growth in our semi-custom and embedded businesses, we're reaffirming our commitment to high-performance server computing based on our strong set of new product offerings."

AMD's EESC roadmap details include:

  • Next-generation AMD Opteron processors, based on the "Zen" core targeting mainstream servers that will enable a broad spectrum of workloads with significant increases in I/O and memory capacity.
  • Building off of the expected availability of "Seattle"-based systems later this year, AMD detailed plans for its next-generation ARM processors featuring the upcoming "K12" core.
  • AMD also provided a glimpse into its new high-performance APU targeting HPC and workstation markets that is intended to deliver massive improvements to vector applications with scale-up graphics performance, HSA enablement, and optimised memory architecture.
Supporting Resources

  • View the FAD webcast replay and updated product roadmaps on AMD's Investor Relations Page
  • Find more details on AMD's blog
  • Become a fan of AMD on Facebook
  • Follow AMD on Twitter
  • Learn more about AMD CEO Lisa Su
1 Based on internal AMD estimates for 2016 Graphics Core Next GPU compared to previous generation GPU


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