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Skylake for desktops: New socketed processors from Core i7 to Pentium

It’s been over two years since Intel’s entire lineup of socketed desktop processors got a true refresh. We got a smattering of high-end Broadwell chips this year and a small speed bump to the Haswell lineup last year , but it’s been a while since system builders and desktop buyers had much to be excited about. We’ve already looked at a couple of these CPUs, particularly the high-end unlocked i7-6700K. But today Intel is announcing (alongside many mobile CPUs) a more comprehensive desktop refresh that also encompasses mainstream dual- and quad-core CPUs, a few low-power options for smaller systems, and wallet-friendly chips from the Pentium line if you’re trying to build a modern system on a budget. Intel tells us that all of these should be available for purchase before the end of the year. Before we get into it, you should familiarize yourself with the features of the new 100-series chipsets , since we won’t be covering that ground again in this article. You should also know that ultra-low-end Skylake Celeron chips are coming, but won’t be released until early 2016. Read 10 remaining paragraphs | Comments

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Skylake for desktops: New socketed processors from Core i7 to Pentium

How to Maximize Battery Life on Windows 10

Whether you’ve upgraded to Windows 10 on your laptop or bought a brand new machine, you’re going to want to eke out as much battery juice as you can while you’re on the go. Microsoft’s shiny new OS includes a new native battery saver feature — and there are a few other tricks you can pull to make sure your laptop lasts until you can find a power socket. Read more…

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How to Maximize Battery Life on Windows 10

Google is working to make 4K video less of a data hog

Ultra HD 4K video is still in its infancy, but there’s no doubt the format will become increasingly popular in the next year or two. Huge players like YouTube and Netflix already support it, but delivering such high bandwidth video content remains a challenge. Google’s trying to do its part to solve that problem by developing a more efficient video compression codec called VP10. The new codec has been in the works for nearly a year, but the company gave some details about how effective it can be over the VP9 format it’ll eventually replace. In an interview with CNET , Google product manager James Bankoski said that VP9 uses half the bandwidth needed to deliver the same quality video as the popular H.264 format — and with VP10, the company is trying to cut it in half again. Reduced bandwidth usage isn’t the only thing VP10 has going for it — it should also provide shaper images, better color, and a better dynamic range between lights and dark. But despite some strong technical credentials and the backing of Google, widespread adoption of VP10 is hardly a foregone conclusion. H.264 is still the dominant video compression standard, and its successor (HEVC / H.265) will likely see widespread support. Still, this is a battle that isn’t yet won, and the dominance of YouTube means that VP10 will have a fighting chance against HEVC. The fact that VP10 is open source is another point in its favor; the licensing for HEVC could add red tape and costs for developers and devices makers. It’ll be a while before this conflict comes to a head, however: Google said it hopes to hit its performance targets for VP10 by the end of next year. Filed under: HD , Google Comments Source: CNET Tags: 4k, google, h264, h265, hdpostcross, hevc, vp10, vp9, youtube

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Google is working to make 4K video less of a data hog

Algorithm turns any picture into the work of a famous artist

A group of German researchers have created an algorithm that basically amounts to the most amazing Instagram filter ever conceived: a convolutional neural network that can convert any photograph into a work of fine art. The process takes an hour (sorry, it’s not actually coming to a smartphone near you), and the math behind it is horrendously complicated, but the results speak for themselves. The algorithm leverages how complex neural networks process object recognition to help it rebuild photographs in the style of specific artists. On a very basic level, the network treats the art style of a source image as a “texture, ” and filters the target image through several layers of computational units to create a representation of it that agrees with the features of the original art. It’s a pretty neat trick, but not the actual point of the group’s research — the art project is simply an example that shows that convolutional neural networks are now capable of separating the content and style of an image. That said, researchers admit that content and style have to be careful balanced if the output image is to make any sense — too much focus on style, and the output image won’t look anything like the original photograph. The group plans to publish an additional paper on the algorithm in Nature later this year — but you can read the original report at the source link below. Filed under: Science Comments Via: Washington Post Source: Corell University Tags: art, imagerecognition, NeuralNetwork, picasso, vangogh

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Algorithm turns any picture into the work of a famous artist

Guild Wars 2 Is Free To Play Starting Today

Since its release in August of 2012 playing the subscription-free PC MMORPG Guild Wars 2 has been a simple matter of purchasing the initial game. Starting today you don’t even have to do that. Read more…

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Guild Wars 2 Is Free To Play Starting Today

LAPD’s body cameras roll out Monday, but footage won’t be public

Come Monday the Los Angeles Police Department begins its deployment of body cameras for officers. The initial rollout is limited — only 860 of the proposed 7, 000 cameras will hit the streets at first — and the SWAT team won’t get them until sometime after mid-September, according to The Los Angeles Times . The LAPD “doesn’t plan on” making the recordings public unless a criminal or civil court case attached to them, though. The American Civil Liberties Union says that this blanket refusal to make all captured video public means that police departments can cherrypick what footage they do choose to distribute and essentially use it as PR for good deeds while keeping less-than-applause-worthy footage out of the limelight. Of course, one way around that would be setting up a YouTube channel like Seattle did , but that brings about its own set of critics. [Image credit: Associated Press] Filed under: Cameras Comments Source: The Los Angeles Times , American Civil Liberties Union Tags: aclu, bodycameras, cameras, cops, lapd, latimes, LawEnforcement, losangeles, police, rollout

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LAPD’s body cameras roll out Monday, but footage won’t be public

Slack ties in with Windows 10’s notification center

Communication / productivity tool Slack is starting to blend in with Windows 10 after its latest update. In version 1.2.0 , notifications show up in the desktop OS’ Action Center, and clicking them links directly to the appropriate conversation in the app. Many Windows applications never updated to take advantage of new features in Windows 8, or even to become fully compatible with how it worked with hardware like touchscreens, so it’s encouraging to see some support. It’s not a Windows 10 Universal app yet, but the company has a Windows Phone version in beta , just months after it came out of beta on the desktop. There’s also a fresh new icon for Windows 10, and color-coded notification icon in the tray. If you use Slack in the workplace (like we do), it should probably auto-update with the latest features, or you can download it here . Filed under: Internet , Software Comments Source: Slack Changelog , Slack Apps Tags: 1.2.0, actioncenter, notifications, Slack, update, Windows10

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Slack ties in with Windows 10’s notification center

Perform Quick Calculations and Conversions in Windows 10’s Taskbar

Quick: How many grams are in an ounce? How many Euros is $1 worth? What’s the square root of 65? Windows 10’s search in the taskbar can answer these and similar questions. Read more…

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Perform Quick Calculations and Conversions in Windows 10’s Taskbar

The Tesla Model S P85D Is So Good It Broke The Scale At Consumer Reports

Every so often, a car comes along that is so good it re-defines what “good” is. Consumer Reports just found that the Tesla Model S P85D is just that car, as it scored an absolutely incredible 103 points on their 100-point scale. Read more…

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The Tesla Model S P85D Is So Good It Broke The Scale At Consumer Reports