GeekwithEnvy

Electronics

How to Fix Lag With Diablo III and More on Macbook Pro Retina

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OS X Version 10.8.2 brought a few unwanted features to Macbook Pro Retina display owners. The main issue seems to be serious lag in many games, most notably Diablo III. Another issue  users were reporting seems to be the fan not running correctly, and that’s never good.

There’s Good News

Apple has released an update along side OS X 10.8.3 that corrects these issues. You can get more information on that update here. If your not interested in that update for some reason or are unable to update, you can follow the instructions below for a temporary fix, otherwise this issue should be resolved.

There’s a quick fix for this issue that will get your Macbook Pro Retina (MBPr) back to it’s peak performance in no time. All you should need to do is reset the System Management Controller (SMC). For the best instructions on how to do this I recommend just going straight to Apple’s documentation which you can find here.

*This should speed up everything, from Desktop UI to gaming!

*Be sure to follow the instructions specifically for your type of computer. In this case it seems that only the MBPr is having issues.

 

 

A Quick Guide to IPv6

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In order to better understand what IPv6 is and why it’s important to the internet’s future, we should briefly discuss what Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) is and what the main problem with it is.ipv6Illustration

IPv4 addresses are comprised of a 32-bit value. This system is what the majority of the internet has been using for Internet Protocol (IP). A standard IPv4 address looks like this:

(192.x.x.xxx)

This 32-bit integer system allows for a possible combination of up to 4,294,967,296 (232) addresses. Yes, that’s a lot of addresses but we have run out of them, in fact we ran out of them in early 2011. Keep in mind that there are over 20 billion active devices connected to the internet.

The Problem:

Every single device that connects to the internet is assigned an IP address. As we mentioned earlier, there are billions of devices out there and that number keeps getting higher every day. The internet needs to be able to keep up with that incredible pace, but it can’t. IPv4 has already run out of addresses and all we can do with IPv4 addresses now is reclaim them and re-assign them.

The solution

Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) is the next step forward in internet address assignment. IPv6 uses a 128-bit address system and that means a possible combination of up to 3.4×1038  addresses, yes, that’s 340 trillion trillion trillion! Clearly this is the format we wan’t to be using in a world that’s constantly adding more and more devices to the internet.

A common address for IPv6 is formatted like this:

(2001:0db8:85a3:0042:1000:8a2e:0370:7334).

What are some other benefits that IPv6 has?

IPv6 is far more efficient when it comes to sending data and it even offers up auto configuration capabilities that don’t exist with IPv4. The new protocol is also much more secure and offers true end-to-end connectivity, which eliminates the need for Network Address Translation (NAT). NAT helped reduce problems with the IPv4 model as it began to run out of addresses by allowing you to hide multiple private IP addresses behind one IP address. Without it, we would have had a lot more trouble with IPv4 in the past.

So when do we switch and how long will it take?

Well the transition to IPv6 is going to take quite a while but it has already begun. The world IPv6 Launch occurred on June 6, 2012 and we continue to make progress as internet providers and websites make the change.

Am I on IPv6 Already?

Chances are that you aren’t but if you want to be sure, Google can help you figure that out by heading here.

 

 

How To Fix Your Windows 8 Master Boot Record (MBR)

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openHarddrive

If you’ve been playing around with Linux or some other type of OS installation on your PC and you want to go back to Windows, but you get a MBR (Master Boot Record) error, then don’t worry there’s hope. This error can also happen for other reasons like a virus but the fix is usually the same.

The problem is just as the error message states, you have a problem with your MBR. The MBR contains important information about partitions and files that are needed to boot up your PC. Without an intact MBR, your PC will fail to boot properly and therefore it’s important that you get it back in working shape.

Here’s a step-by-step process on how to fix your MBR:

  •  Find your Windows 8 DVD and insert it into your computer.
  • Make sure your computer is set to boot from the DVD drive first ( You may need to enter the BIOS for this, See your PC’s documentation).
  • Boot your computer from the Windows 8 disc.
  • The first screen that will popup after the DVD boots your machine is the Language selection screen, click “Next”.
  • On the “Install Now” screen go to the lower left hand section of the window and click “Repair Your Computer”.
  • Now Click “Troubleshoot”
  • Click “Advanced Options”
  • Click “Command Prompt”
  • You will now see a black command window, type  BOOTREC /FIXMBR and then press enter.
  • After you press enter you should see the message “The operation completed successfully.”. Now you can type  EXIT and press enter. Now you can select “Turn off your PC”.

Once you turn your PC back on you should see that your issue has been resolved!

Playstation 4 Will Stick To Blu-Ray

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As the popularity of digital downloads has increased over the years many of us were wondering if the next-gen consoles will focus less on actual discs. We keep seeing more and more content available for download and some games aren’t even shipping manuals anymore, instead they are available in a digital format.

However, the Playstation 4 will still rely on Blu-Ray as it primary game delivery medium. In a recent interview with IGN, Sony’s Jim Ryan mentions this about the format.

Clearly, and this applies not just to games but to pretty much every form of entertainment, there is a trend to increased digital consumption, and that is happening now on PS3 and will continue and will probably accelerate on PS4, but the primary delivery mechanism for the big games on the PS4 platform will continue to be Blu-Ray discs, for the foreseeable future.

I’m not surprised by this at all and actually I’m quite thrilled to hear that they are sticking with Blu-Ray. First of all, our broadband still lacks the bandwidth that’s necessary to make digital downloads attractive. With some games possibly being as large as 40 gigabytes and up, something Jim Ryan says he’s encouraging developers to do, there’s no way you can download that in a reasonable amount of time. The Blu-Ray disc is still reaching it’s peak potential and has plenty of years ahead of it.

I’m still quite fond of having the case and actual game disc. I never feel like I should have to pay full price for a digital download, it feels like I’m not getting the whole game. It’s a strange thought to imagine that one day we may not be using discs at all. Let’s not forget to mention that if we go all digital that will also be the death of the used game business.

At least for now we will be living in a hybrid world of both digital and physical content for not just our games, but movies and music as well. One thing I am wondering about now is whether or not Microsoft will be using Blu-Ray or some other type of proprietary media.

 

Playstation 4 Details and Quick Thoughts

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Dual Shock 4 Controller
Dual Shock 4 for the Sony Playstation 4

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “leave them wanting more” but the Playstation 4 announcement from Sony was lacking pretty much everything. Fortunately, we did get a little bit of information about the new console. So here is a quick breakdown of what we learned about the Playstation 4.

-The Playstation 4 is designed like a gaming PC and will feature a custom x86 CPU, custom PC graphics hardware that utilizes GDDR 5 (very fast memory), 8GB of Unified Memory, and of course a hard drive. All of these hardware choices were made in order to make it as developer friendly as possible, unlike the PS3 which is notoriously difficult to program for.

PS4GraphicsDemo
A rendering showing off the graphics capabilities of the Playstation 4.

-The new console will allow you to pause and instantly resume gameplay without having to wait for the console to boot up. It will go directly where you left off, much like sleep mode for your computer. This is a great feature and I can’t wait to see it in action.

-The new PS4 Controller has a touch pad and offers up a share button that quickly uploads your best or worst gameplay moments to social media. The new controller does feature a 3.5 mm headphone jack which confirms earlier rumors. There is an additional stereo camera system that will work with the Dual Shock 4 for added interaction with your favorite games; it reminds me of a larger version of the Wii(U) sensor bar. The top of the Dual Shock 4 has a light on top of it which looks similar to the  PS Move controller, this is what the camera system uses to track the controllers motion.

-The PS4 will be coming “Holiday 2013”

Unfortunately, that’s about all we know for right now and we never actually got to see the console it self. I don’t want to completely trash the new console and I know it hasn’t even been released yet, but I have to admit that I’m not blown away with the PS4. It feels a lot like a PS3.5 and not a PS4. The hardware is solid and it looks like it’s going to be the most powerful console this generation but it’s still missing that “WOW” factor. We will just have to wait for more details from Sony.