GeekwithEnvy

Software

Valve’s Official Steam Machine Hardware Specs

by Leave a Comment

SteamLogo

If you’re not already aware, Valve is creating it’s own hardware to run Steam to try and create the ultimate gaming experience.

This hardware is just a prototype and the final product isn’t due until 2014, but 300 lucky Steam users will get to beta test the system sometime this year.  Currently, there are no images of the prototype hardware but in a recent post from the company they have provided us with some pretty serious specs.

Here are the specifications for Valve’s 300 prototypes:

  • The 300 prototype units will ship with the following components:
  • GPU: some units with NVidia Titan, some GTX780, some GTX760, and some GTX660
  • CPU: some boxes with Intel i7-4770, some i5-4570, and some i3
  • RAM: 16GB DDR3-1600 (CPU), 3GB GDDR5 (GPU)
  • Storage: 1TB/8GB Hybrid SSHD
  • Power Supply: Internal 450w 80Plus Gold
  • Dimensions: approx. 12 x 12.4 x 2.9 in high

As a hardware platform, the Steam ecosystem will change over time, so any upgrades will be at each user’s discretion. In the future we’ll talk about how Steam will help customers understand the differences between machines, hardware strengths and weaknesses, and upgrade decisions.

We aren’t quite ready to post a picture of our prototype – just because they’re not finished enough. Before they ship we’ll let you know what the prototype looks like. And we expect people to redesign the machine, too. Both from a technical perspective, deciding on different components, and from an industrial design perspective, changing the enclosure in interesting ways.”

How to Easily Shut Down Windows 8.1

by Leave a Comment

Win8_1StartScreen

In many ways Windows 8 is pretty awesome, but it has many flaws. One of these flaws is the lack of an intuitive UI. Many people have found that even performing the most common tasks, like shutting down the computer, are very difficult thanks to hidden menus and buttons.  Fortunately , Microsoft is looking to solve these problems with upcoming release of Windows 8.1, which is set to be available to the general public on October 17th.

We originally offered up a solution that allows you to quickly shut down your Windows 8 computer in one step but with the upcoming release of Windows 8.1, this process will no longer be necessary but you can still use it if you prefer. Instead, Microsoft offers it’s own solution, the Start Button.

With the new update, instead of opening the charms bar you can simply right-click the Start Button or press the Windows Key + X, which will open up a menu with the option to Shutdown or Sign Out.

How To Use Emoji Icons On a Mac

by Leave a Comment

Emoji icons are a popular set of ideograms that became available on the iPhone with iOS 5 and are commonly used to when sending messages. But did you know you can use them on the Mac as well?

Whether your writing yourself a note or using Messages to talk to a friend, you can easily add Emoji icons to your text by following these easy steps.

(*Please note that will will need to have OS X Lion or later to access Emoji Icons.)

  • First, open the application that you want to use an Emoji Icon with. (In this case we’re using Messages.)
  • Head to the menu bar at the top of the screen and click “Edit”.
  • Select “Special Characters” or press Option+Command+T on your keyboard.

EmojiHowToSS1

  • Select an Emoji from the list.

EmojiHowToSS2

  • Drag and drop the Emoji wherever your text is and your done!

GTA 5 Sales Hit $1Billion

by 1 Comment

 

gta5SS

According to a Take-Two Interactive press release, it looks like company estimates have Grand Theft Auto 5 sales hitting $1 Billion in the first three days of it’s availability.

Grand Theft Auto 5 features an open world environment for players to freely roam as they live an alternate life in Southern California. Not only is there work to be done, like going on heists, but there’s plenty of leisurely activities for you to participate in as well, including everything from yoga to taking chances on the stock market. GTA V also features amazing updated graphics and a solid storyline.

The Grand Theft Auto franchise has forever solidified it’s place in the video game world as it continues to deliver a better experience with each release. The Original GTA was released in October 1997 and offered a top-down view of Liberty city as you pursued your criminal career.

Grand Theft Auto is a cultural phenomenon and Rockstar Games continues to redefine what can be achieved in interactive entertainment,” said Strauss Zelnick, Chairman and CEO of Take-Two. “We are incredibly proud of the extraordinary critical and commercial response to Grand Theft Auto V.”

World of Warcraft Siege of Orgimmar

by Leave a Comment

Hey Warcraft fans, if you have been out of the loop or have been unsubscribed for a while you may have missed that earlier this week Blizzard went live with patch 5.4, Siege of Orgrimmar. This patch packs in a lot of new features and enhancements including:

  • A repeatable solo scenario for level 90 players called the “Proving Grounds”
  •  Flexible Raid Difficulty
  • Connected Realms- which will permanently link two realms together for a better overall experience for less popular realms.
  • A new pet battle tournament called the Celestial Tournament
  • A new land called the Timeless Isle
  • New Shiny Amor Sets

The tensions stoked by Garrosh Hellscream’s arrogance have reached a boiling point with the devastation unleashed upon the Vale of Eternal Blossoms. Now it’s time for leaders of the Alliance and Horde to lay siege to Hellscream’s capital and topple the ruthless Warchief once and for all!”

For complete feature overview on patch 5.4, head over to Blizzard’s official page.