Tuesday, September 9, 2014

GOG 6th Year Birthday celebrations continue - 80% off on Video Game Classics from Year Two


In continuation of updates starting yesterday, GOG has a new list of Games on which they're offering up to an 80% off.

Featured on this list include gamer favourites Master of Orion (series), Might and Magic, Arcanum, Myst, Blood Rayne and Serious Sam, just to name a few. All games that you purchase on GOG are DRM-free.

Check out their SECOND promo HERE (Offers expire in 24 hours everyday)


(Please note that I am a GOG affiliate and by clicking this link to purchase games, you are not only getting the best classic DRM-free games, but also supporting my blog by helping me make a tiny fraction of those games sold via GOG. Thank you in advance :) )

I don't want to sound evil ha ha, but if you want to see what you missed yesterday, check this,
Check out their first promo HERE (Offers expire in 24 hours everyday)

Monday, September 8, 2014

GOG is celebrating its 6th Birthday with Massive Discounts on Classic Video Games


Good Old Games (GOG.com) has turned 6 years old and they're celebrating their birthday by offering up to 80% discounts on classic, indie and other games in their catalog. Happy Birthday GOG!

Since they started in the year 2008, the discounts begin with the games they added to their catalog in that year.

GOG has been moving ahead strongly with their DRM-free philosophy and all games purchased from their catalog are DRM FREE!

Check out their first promo HERE (Offers expire in 24 hours everyday)


(Please note that I am a GOG affiliate and by clicking this link to purchase games, you are not only getting the best classic DRM-free games, but also supporting my blog by helping me make a tiny fraction of those games sold via GOG. Thank you in advance :) )

Thursday, June 5, 2014

AMD Aims to Revolutionise Commercial PCs with New AMD PRO A-Series Line of APUs - Press Release

 
— AMD PRO A-Series APUs with HSA technology will power affordable, field ready and elegantly designed commercial PCs —
 

COMPUTEX TAIPEI — June 5, 2014 — AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced its new AMD PRO A-Series APUs, delivering rich computing experiences to commercial PCs. The innovative processor technology from AMD will enable a new class of powerful, sleek and sophisticated commercial Windows® PCs that integrate seamlessly into an existing IT environment. With impressive performance, the latest AMD PRO A-Series APUs with HSA features unlock true business computing performance and deliver outstanding reliability and manageability. The AMD PRO A-Series APU is one of the processors being offered in new HP Elite 700-Series notebooks.

“With the new AMD PRO A-Series APUs, AMD is looking to revolutionise commercial computing. Built around a solid offering of increased performance over our consumer products, increased product longevity and software image stability, AMD PRO processors give customers choice and affordability to meet their specific business needs,” said Bernd Lienhard, corporate vice president and general manager, Client Products. “And since every AMD PRO processor packs the latest Radeon™ Graphics, we are raising the bar for visual performance in business PCs.”

AMD recognises that the new challenge for IT is how to deliver the latest in user experiences without compromising their ability to manage and maintain a secure, stable and reliable environment. The new AMD PRO A-Series is purpose-built for business, delivering long-term value commercial enterprises can depend on including a 24-month lifecycle, 18-month image stability, and manageability features built with open standards. Comprehensive IT security and management tools are standard on all AMD PRO A-Series APUs.  AMD also solves for today’s graphics-intensive workloads by including award-winning AMD Radeon™ graphics with the AMD PRO A-Series APUs.  And with support for AMD Eyefinity technology, the AMD PRO processers provide the ability to connect up to four displays, improving productivity in visually- or data-demanding applications.

The addition of revolutionary HSA technology helps to increase processing efficiency, enabling the CPU and GPU to work in perfect harmony to accelerate system tasks and application performance. HSA takes processing performance to new extremes by granting the GPU equal access to the entire system memory, allowing the CPU and GPU to seamlessly share data.

AMD’s processors deliver high-quality experiences for the latest commercial applications such as high-definition collaborative tools, advanced multitasking performance and next-generation compute innovations. The APU combines high-performance serial and parallel processing cores enabling breakthroughs in visual computing, security, performance-per-watt and device form factor.

Product Details

AMD A-Series Commercial ULV APUs
  Compute Cores* (CPU + GPU) Max Turbo / CPU Base Frequency   L2 Cache GPU Frequency (Max) DirectX UVD Max DDR3 Speed PCIe Lanes  TDP
A10 PRO-7350B w/ Radeon™ R6 Graphics 10 (4 CPU + 6 GPU) 3.3 GHz/2.1 GHz 4 MB 553 MHz 11.2 4.2 DDR3-1600 1x8 Gen2 19 W
A8 PRO-7150B w/ Radeon™ R5 Graphics 10 (4 CPU + 6 GPU)  3.2 GHz/1.9 GHz 4 MB 553 MHz 11.2 4.2 DDR3-1600 1x8 Gen2 19 W
A6 PRO-7050B w/ Radeon™ R4 Graphics 5 (2 CPU + 3 GPU) 3.0 GHz/2.2 GHz 1 MB 553 MHz 11.2 4.2 DDR3-1600 1x8 Gen2 17 W
       *See AMD.com/ComputeCores

Availability
The AMD PRO A-Series APUs are available today through online resellers and are currently offered on select HP Elite 700-Series products.

Supporting Resources
•    Learn more about the 2014 AMD PRO A-Series APUs
•    What is a Compute Core? Read our whitepaper
•    Follow all the news from AMD at Computex
•    Become a fan of AMD on Facebook
•    Engage with us on Twitter @AMD
•    Learn more about the HP Elite products powered by AMD

About AMD
AMD (NYSE: AMD) designs and integrates technology that powers millions of intelligent devices, including personal computers, tablets, game consoles and cloud servers that define the new era of surround computing. AMD solutions enable people everywhere to realise the full potential of their favourite devices and applications to push the boundaries of what is possible. For more information, visit www.amd.com.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

How to reduce Gaming Mouse Sensitivity in Linux - Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Elementary OS, Arch Linux or others


I've been using a Razer DeathAdder for a long time now. I just recently installed Elementary OS on my new Laptop and I got my DeathAdder working fine. However, the sensitivity is so much, that you have to acquaint and adapt to use it to perfection.

After some searching on Google, I found that there are a lot of very simple solutions to fix this problem. The following simple commands can be used to reduce parameters of ANY MOUSE!

If you are running Ubuntu 10.04 - 14.04 OR Fedora 12-20

Step 1: Open a Terminal
Step 2: Run this command to find how Linux recognizes our mouse

xinput --list --short

It will output something like this,
Now we know what name Linux uses to refer to our mouse. In my case it is a "Razer Razer DeathAdder."

Step 3: Set the constant deceleration for the Mouse. Run the command to do so,

xinput --set-prop "Razer Razer DeathAdder" "Device Accel Constant Deceleration" 5

This command reduced my mouse sensitivity considerably. You can play around with the value to get the setting you're comfortable with.

Step 4: To make this setting remain, we need to add this to Gnome's list of startup applications.
Use the following script, save it with <anyfilename>.sh

 #!/bin/sh
xinput --set-prop "Razer Razer DeathAdder" "Device Accel Constant Deceleration" 5

Run chmod + x on the file above to give it permissions to execute.
Now, go to your System Settings -> Startup Applications and add this to your startup applications.

If you are on Arch Linux or other derivatives of Arch

Arch Linux has a wonderful Wiki page that tells you how to do it using razercfg if you own a Razer mouse.

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/razer

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Read how Soft Drinks (Coke and Alternatives) destroy Human Body - Esophageal cancer, Bone Softening, Tooth Decay and more

Coca-Cola or "Coke" is the most valuable brand today. The beverage is a poison to the Human System and the Evolution of Mankind itself. The level of acid in Coke is equivalent to the level of acid in a Battery - In tests, it shows that it can clean surfaces equivalent to or in most cases, better than a toxic household cleaner including Colins, bathroom bowl cleaners like Harpic and so on.

20 Practical Uses for Coca-Cola. Proof That It Should Not Be In The Human Body

It's getting cheaper and easier to buy Coke in India and many other countries than it is to get access clean water. Coke uses “public relations propaganda” to convince consumers and entire nations that it is an “environmental company” when really it is linked to pollution, water shortages, and disease.

People who consume soft drinks such as Coke have a 48% increase in heart attack and stroke risk, compared to people who did not drink the sodas at all or did not drink them every day. A study published in the journal Respirology reveals that soft drink consumption is also associated with lung and breathing disorders including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

The carbonation in Coke causes calcium loss in the bones through a 3-stage process: 

  1. The carbonation irritates the stomach. 
  2. The stomach “cures” the irritation the only way it knows how. It adds the only antacid at its disposal: calcium. It gets this from the blood. 
  3. The blood, now low on calcium, replenishes its supply from the bones. If it did not do this, muscular and brain function would be severely impaired.
But, the story doesn't end there. Another problem with most Coke is it also contain phosphoric acid (not the same as the carbonation, which is carbon dioxide mixed with the water). Phosphoric acid also causes a draw-down on the body's store of calcium.

So Coke softens your bones (actually, makes them weak and brittle) in 3 ways: 
  1. Carbonation reduces the calcium in the bones. 
  2. Phosphoric acid reduces the calcium in the bones. 
  3. The beverage replaces a calcium-containing alternative, such as milk or water. Milk and water are not excellent calcium sources, but they are sources.
Esophageal cancer was very rare two generations ago — now, it's common. The basic mechanism works as follows:
  1. Mechanical damage to cells is a huge risk factor for cancer. It's why asbestos particles, for example, cause lung cancer. 
  2. All soft drinks cause acid reflux (stomach acid rising up past the esophageal valve). This is more pronounced when the body is horizontal (as in sleeping), but the sheer volume of Coke and soft drinks consumed in the USA means the acid reflux is well past the danger point. Any time you ingest a gassy drink, you are going to get belching–and acid into the esophagus. How much is too much? The research doesn’t say where the limit is–it only shows that most of us are far, far, far past it. 
  3. Stomach acid dissolves tissue — that's its purpose. The stomach lining does not extend into the esophagus, so the lower esophagus gets damaged by acid far more frequently in soft drink users than in non soft drink users. This results in a radical increase in cell mutations, along with a far higher level of free radicals.
Coke acts as an acidic cleaner. The amount of acid in soda is enough to wear away at the enamel of your teeth, making them more susceptible to decay. In tests done on the acidity levels of soda, certain ones were found to have PH levels as low as 2.5. To put that into perspective, consider that battery acid has a pH of 1 and pure water has a pH of 7.


NOW - TO PROVE THAT COKE DOES NOT BELONG IN THE HUMAN BODY, THESE PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS WILL OFFER YOU PROOF!

  1. Removes grease stains from clothing and fabric 
  2. Removes rust; methods include using fabric dipped in Coke, a sponge or even aluminum foil. Also loosens rusty bolts 
  3. Removes blood stains from clothing and fabric. 
  4. Cleans oil stains from a garage floor; let the stain soak, hose off. Kills slugs and snails; the acids kills them. 
  5. Cleans burnt pans; let the pan soak in the Coke, then rinse. 
  6. Descales a kettle (same method as with burnt pans) 
  7. Cleans car battery terminals by pouring a small amount of Coke over each one. Cleans your engine; Coke distributors have been using this technique for decades. 
  8. Makes pennies shine; soaking old pennies in Coke will remove the tarnish. 
  9. Cleans tile grout; pour onto kitchen floor, leave for a few minutes, wipe up. 
  10. Dissolves a tooth; Use a sealed container…takes a while but it does work. 
  11. Removes gum from hair; dip into a small bowl of Coke, leave a few minutes. Gum will wipe off. 
  12. Removes stains from vitreous china. 
  13. Got a dirty pool? Adding two 2-liter bottles of Coke clears up rust. 
  14. You can remove (or fade) dye from hair by pouring diet Coke over it. 
  15. Remove marker stains from carpet. 
  16. Applying Coke, scrubbing and then clean with soapy water will remove marker stains. 
  17. Cleans a toilet; pour around bowl, leave for a while, flush clean. 
  18. Coke and aluminum foil will bring Chrome to a high shine. Strips paint off metal furniture. 
  19. Soak a towel in Coke and lay it on the paint surface.
Now can you imagine what it does to your stomach lining? 
Who needs the ‘household and cleaning’ section at the hardware store when we have Coke. Have you ever wondered what exactly Coca Cola is?

After 10 minutes: The sugar contained in a glass of Cola can cause a devastating “strike” on the body. The cause being the phosphoric acid which inhibits the action of sugar. 

After 20 minutes: A leap in insulin levels in bloodstream occurs.

After 40 minutes: Ingestion of caffeine is finally completed. The eye's pupils are expanding. Blood pressure rises because the liver disposes more sugar into the bloodstream. The adenosine receptors become blocked thereby preventing drowsiness. 

After 45 minutes: The body raises production of the dopamine hormone, which stimulates the brain pleasure center. Similar to the reaction Heroin creates. 

After 1 hour: Phosphoric acid binds calcium, magnesium and zinc in the gastrointestinal tract, which supercharges metabolism. The release of calcium through urine takes place. 

After more than 1 hour: Diuretic effects of the drink enters in “the game”. The calcium, magnesium and zinc are removed out of the body, which are a part of our bones, as well as sodium. At this time we can become irritable or subdued. The whole quantity of water, contained in a coca cola, is removed through urination.

When having a cold bottle of Coke and enjoying its undeniable freshness are we aware of what chemical “cocktail” we are putting into our bodies? The active ingredient in Coca-Cola is orthophosphoric acid. Due to its high acidity, cisterns used for transporting the chemical have to be equipped with special reservoirs designed for highly corrosive materials.

Let's have a look at “the anatomy” of one of the most advertised products of “Coca-Cola Co.” – Coca-Cola Light without caffeine. This drink contains Aqua Carbonated, E150D, E952, E951, E338, E330, Aromas, E211.

Aqua Carbonated – this is sparkling water. It stirs gastric secretion, increases the acidity of the gastric juice and provokes flatulency. Filtered tap water is what is primarily used. 

E150D – this is food coloring obtained through the processing of sugar at specified temperatures, with or without addition of chemical reagents. In the case of coca-cola, ammonium sulfate is added. 

E952– Sodium Cyclamate is a sugar substitute. Cyclamate is a synthetic chemical, has a sweet taste, which is 200 times sweeter than sugar, and is used as an artificial sweetener. In 1969 it was banned by FDA, since it, as well as saccharin and aspartame, caused cancer in rats.

E950– Acesulfame Potassium. 200 times sweeter than sugar, containing methyl-ether. It aggravates the operation of the cardiovascular system. Likewise, it contains asparaginic acid which can also cause an excitant effect on our nervous system and in time it can lead to addiction. Acesulfame is badly dissolved and is not recommended for use by children and pregnant women. 

E951– Aspartame. A sugar substitute for diabetics and is chemically unstable at elevated temperatures it breaks down into methanol and phenylalanine. Methanol is very dangerous as only 5-10ml can cause destruction of the optic nerve and irreversible blindness. In warm soft drinks, aspartame transforms into formaldehyde which is a very strong carcinogen. Symptoms of aspartame poisoning include: unconsciousness, headaches, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, palpitation, weight gain, irritability, anxiety, memory loss, blurry vision, fainting, joint pains, depression, infertility, hearing loss and more. Aspartame can also provoke the following diseases: brain tumors, MS (Multiple Sclerosis), epilepsy, Graves’ disease, chronic fatigue, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, mental deficiency and tuberculosis. Later, this substance was initially illegal due to its dangers but was again made legal in a suspicious manner.

E338– Orthophosphoric Acid. This can cause irritation of the skin and eyes. It is used for production of phosphoric acid salts of ammonia, sodium, calcium, aluminum and also in organic synthesis for the production of charcoal and film tapes. It is also used in the production of refractory materials, ceramics, glass, fertilizers, synthetic detergents, medicine, metalworking, as well as in the textile and oil industries. It is known that orthophosphoric acid interferes with the absorption of calcium and iron into the body which can cause weakening of bones and osteoporosis. Other side effects are thirst and skin rashes. 

E330– Citric Acid. It is widely used in pharmaceutical and food industries. Salts of citric acid (citrates) are used in the food industry as acids, preservatives, stabilizers, and in the medical fields – for preserving blood.

Aromas– unknown aromatic additives 

E211– Sodium Benzoate. It is used in production of some food products for anti-bacterial and anti-fungal purposes. It is often found in jams, fruit juices and fruit yogurts. It's not recommended for use by asthmatics and people who are sensitive to aspirin.  A study conducted by Peter Piper at the Sheffield University in Britain, found that this compound causes significant damage to DNA. According to Peter, sodium benzoate which is an active component in preservatives, doesn't destroy DNA, but deactivates it. This can lead to cirrhosis and degenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease.

Soft-Drinks from both Coca-Cola and all its competitors are undeniably useful to clean the household. Definitely not to drink. What people are not aware is that they are being killed slowly.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Say Hello to The Repopulation

Hailed as one of the most anticipated sci-fi MMORPG of 2014, The Repopulation is a sandbox MMORPG with features seen in games like Star Wars Galaxies and Ultima Online. The game won the 2013 PAX Prime Rising Star Award from MMORPG.com
Hailed as one of the most anticipated sci-fi MMORPG of 2014, The Repopulation is a sandbox MMORPG with features seen in games like Star Wars Galaxies and Ultima Online. The game won the 2013 PAX Prime Rising Star Award from MMORPG.com
 
What stood out for me, personally, is the way you could play the game. You can either choose to play it like an RPG or a Third-Person Shooter, to either advance character with fighting or adopt peaceful means. So, technically, I’d have all the freedom to harvest, craft and trade without being forced into combat. You could either choose to participate in PVP or ignore it completely.


Predestination adding 3D Ship Designer, Donate via Kickstarter

The indie games studio Brain and Nerd is expanding their 4X Space game by adding a new innovative 3D Ship Designer that will allow players to attach new elements to a spacecraft and offer massive scope of expansion.
The second Kickstarter campaign was lauched because the first campaign didn’t reach the stretch goal (over-funding limit) set by the developers for this feature to be added.
“The initial plan for Predestination was to have a customisable ship design feature much like Master of Orion II’s ship design. We really wanted to extend this into a full modular 3D ship designer in which you could create unique designs and see the weapons or other add-ons you install.” – The devs.
The developers were also awarded a £10,000 grant by the Creative Industries Innovation Fund managed by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. They however, need more funding to realize the full scope of their plans to expand the game.
Check out the game and help them out on Kickstarter.

Japanese Scientists believe Universe is a Giant Hologram - Evidence Provided

A group of Japanese scientists have concluded that the Universe is a Giant Hologram. They have also presented evidence to suggest that the Universe is nothing but a projection and a big hologram.
They’ve managed to come to this conclusion after analyzing the hypothesis of the theoretical physicist Juan Maldacena.
Juan
 was credited for finding the connection between the string theory and the gauge theory. According to the model published by Juan Maldacena, gravity in the universe arises because of the finest vibrating strings.

At the University of Ibraki, the team headed by Yoshifumi Hyakutake, calculated the the internal energy of the black hole, the position of its event horizon, which is a space-time boundary that separates it from the rest of the universe, and entropy. Corresponding calculations of the energy were made for open space. As a result, the calculations coincided. They’ve also published in their articles that Juan Maldacena’s assumptions are true.

Tesla Motors redefine Electric Cars - Model S Best Selling Car

Tesla Motors’ Model S is currently the first electric car to top sales rankings in any country. The Model S has also won numerous awards and recognition such as the 2013 World Green Car of the Year, 2013 Motor Trend Car of the Year, Automobile Magazine’s 2013 Car of the Year, Time Magazine Best 25 Inventions of the Year 2012 award, Consumer Reports’ top-scoring car ever!

The official Environmental Protection Agency (EPA-USA) range for the Performance Model S equipped with a 85kWh Lithium-Ion battery pack is a whopping 426km making Tesla Motors’ Model S the electric car with the the greatest range available in the market. (Also topping the Tesla Roadster).
The Model S has sold over 18,200 units globally that includes over a 1,000 cars sold in Europe, and over 4,900 cars sold in North America alone, ahead of the Chevrolet Volt (4,421) and the Nissan Leaf (3,695). The Model S was also the top selling car in Norway with a market share of 5.1% of all new cars sold in the country in September 2013, becoming the first electric car to top sales rankings in any country.
To check out the full features and specifications of the car, head to the official Tesla Motors website.

Play an Inventor, Travel in Time, Fix a Broken World in Chronology

Now on Steam Greenlight, Chronology is set in a post-apocalyptic world and lets you play as The Inventor who knows how to travel back and forth in time. Using this to your advantage, you’ll need to undo the destruction of the world by traveling back and forth in time accompanied by your time-stopping friendly Snail and prevent the destruction from happening.

Although this game reminds me of Braid, Chronology allows us to carry items back and forth in time to solve puzzles. You can also plant a seed in the past, come to the future and use the full grown tree to your advantage.
The game’s artwork and aesthetic looks are fantastic. The Inventor is being voiced by Brett Dunnelly and The Snail is being voiced by Nicki Rapp (The Walking Dead, Psychonauts, Broken Age). The music is also being composed in-house. The soundtracks are now available for preview and can be pre-ordered via Bandcamp for $7.
Chronology is developed by OSAO Games – A five man Danish development team. The game is scheduled to release in the first Quarter of 2014. The game is currently on Steam’s Greenlight. Vote for it to bring it on Steam.

Match Girl - Help her find her way through Dark Passage Ways
















Built by DDRKirby and xellaya and as one of the entries for the Ludum Dare 28, Match Girl seems to be raking up some likes. The game puts you in the shoes of a little girl trying to make her way through a dark maze. Although there are torches that offer some light, you’ll need to use your matches to see things around you.




In each room of the maze, you can fire up a match to illuminate the entire place, but Hurry! You only get a handful of seconds to memorize the entire place. Also, to stay in sync with the theme of Ludum Dare 28, you only get to use one matchstick in every room. There are false platforms and moving blocks, rooms occupied by monsters that you’ll need to avoid. Split between two difficulty modes, there are 50 stages available to play.
Ludum Dare 28 is an online jam event where people from around the world create a game in a weekend. Check out other entries at Ludum Dare 28. They’re fascinating!

Make Useable Pencils with this Awesome Waste Paper Processor

The P&P Waste Paper Processor is one of it’s kind. A sexy looking gadget with one simple objective – Convert your waste paper into usable pencils.
This waste paper processor takes any paper of prescribed size and produces pencils on the other side. All it needs to work is your regular power source, pencil lead and glue. You just have to refill it with lead/ graphite powder and glue when it’s running out. Also included is a slot for sharpening pencils when you need it! There are also two modes of operation – Auto and Manual.
This waste paper processor is so revolutionary that it also went on to win the Liteon Award.
Designers: Chengzhu Ruan, Yuanyuan Liu, Xinwei Yuan & Chao Chen

Have you seen the Jolla Phone yet?

Say hello to the Jolla Phone – A smartphone that runs on the all new Sailfish OS. The phone’s making has one thing right in the core – The Smartphone Community. The 90 man team that developed Jolla has offices in Helsinki and Tampere, Finland and Hong Kong, the SAR of China.

 

Phone Specs


iOS RPG Lili Coming to PC, Support on Steam Greenlight

BitMonster Games’ roaming RPG Lili is all set to come to the PC – if we can give it a nudge Steam Greenlight.
The iOS version of the free-roaming RPG received critical acclaim from many popular media outlet reviewers and critics – VentureBeat, Touch Arcade, Wired, Kotaku and many more. BitMonster games is bringing the game with enhanced graphics to the PC.


“On the mysterious island of Geos, Lili will meet a number of hilarious locals, explore beautiful environments, solve some puzzles, and even challenge an oppressive regime or two along her way. Lili uses an amusing “non-combat” system for dealing with enemies, and sorts out a few personal issues along the way” – BitMonster Games.