Top 10 Best Gaming Laptops ...

Want to take your PC gaming mobile? Then check out the top 10 best gaming laptops out there today.
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Even though companies like Razer may be fighting the cold hard truth that, when it comes to gaming, the platform of choice goes to the consoles. But enthusiasts know that if you want to experience the true quality that a game has to offer, then PC gaming is the way to go. Desktops will give you that extra oomph, but sometimes portability is a necessary factor for LAN party-goers or traveling pros. For those looking to take their game mobile without sacrificing too many frame rates, PCMag has rounded up the best gaming laptops.

Most gaming laptops aren't what we in the business call "ultraportable" (the Acer Aspire AS3830TG-6431 is one exception). The smallest designated gaming rig I've ever encountered is Alienware'sM11xr3; a 3.3-pound laptop. It packs quite a punch, managing 55.6 frames per second (fps) on our Crysis (DirectX 10) benchmark test—a respectable score considering its 11-inch size. However, if you want to bump up your frame rates high-end components need room, which is why its 17-inch brother, the Alienware M17x (Sandy Bridge), can pump out Crysis at 93.3fps on medium quality.

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It's important to remember that what a laptop lacks in high-end components, it makes up for in battery life. Big GPUs and CPUs require lots of power to keep running. That's why the Alienware M11xr3 will give you 8 hours 3 minutes of relative computing life and the Alienware M17x will give you a mere 2:24. Unless you're the type to carry around an extra battery or two, road warriors may want to factor this in when considering what gaming laptop to buy.

For those looking to game on the lighter end of the 3D graphics spectrum there are laptops with lower-end GPUs that cost a little less than the higher-end stuff out there. If you're a World of Warcraft enthusiast, fan of games like Torchlight, or into older titles like Team Fortress 2, you might go for a laptop like the Dell Inspiron 17R (N7110) or Acer Aspire AS3830TG-6431.

Below are 10 of our best gaming laptops. All have gone through our Crysis test and all have come out around 30 frames per second or better. Pick one that will help you get your game on.

Featured in this Roundup:

Dell Inspiron 17R (N7110)
$1,039.98 direct

The Dell Inspiron 17R (N7110) gives you some 3D performance through its Nvidia GeForce GT 525M graphics chip, creative control of both your virtual media and the laptop's physical appearance, and features to make this desktop replacement laptop pop.

Acer Aspire AS3830TG-6431
$750 street

The Acer AS3830TG-6431 is one of the most powerful ultraportables on the market, equipped with an Nvidia GT 540M graphics chip. This laptop will not only play Crysis, it has enough battery power to get you through a coast to coast flight.

Asus K53SV-B1
$990 street

The Asus K53SV-B1 desktop replacement laptop packs high-end performance without the price tag, offering quad-core Intel Core i7 processing and powerful Nvidia GeForce graphics for under $1,000.

Acer Aspire AS8950G-9839
$1,499.99 street
 
Gamers will love the Acer Aspire AS8950G-9839 laptop's big 1080p-resolution screen, built-in Blu-ray drive, and crisp-sounding speaker system. The AMD Radeon HD 6850M powering the system impress, with playable frame rates on Lost Planet 2 and Crysis.

Dell XPS 15z (Microsoft)
$999 direct
 
The XPS 15z (Microsoft) is available from Microsoft's Store and every bit as luxurious as the Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch, but it won't cost you nearly as much.

Asus G74SX-BBK7
$1,199 list

The Asus G74SX-BBK7's huge exterior speaks volumes: Intimidating to the casual consumer, but speaks to the gamer saying, "The bigger I am, the better I game."

Alienware M17X (Sandy Bridge)
$2,254 direct
 
With outstanding gaming scores and the most wicked design, the Alienware M17X (Sandy Bridge) is the best gaming laptop, period.

Alienware M11xr3
$1,099 direct
 
Need a portable gaming device to keep you sharp while you're on the road? Look no further than the Alienware M11xr3.

Asus G74SX-A2
$2,000 street

The Asus G74SX-A2 holds its own against top gaming laptops with its quad-core processor and Nvidia graphics, and its stealthy cooling system kicks in when those components get hot.

Samsung QX411-W01
$799.99 list

The Samsung QX411-W01 is a mainstream laptop that includes top-notch battery life and a sturdy design among its features. It's Nvidia GT 520M won't get you far when it comes to high-end titles, but for those who like to play games like World of Warcraft, Portal, and Indie games like Limbo and From Dust, the QX411-W01 will suit your needs.

iOS 5 update released - Includes battery fix ...

Apple has released it's first iOS 5 update which patches a high-profile security bug and fixes the short battery life experienced by some users.
The security issue addressed a kernel vulnerability whereby, according to Apple, “an application may execute unsigned code. A logic error existed in the mmap system call's checking of valid flag combinations. This issue may lead to a bypass of code-signing checks.”
The 55MB iOS 5.0.1 is also the first update released by Apple which will be delivered over it's new built-in free updating service available vis iTunes.
The update also addresses a bug with documents in Apple's iCloud service, a panorama mode in their camera application and a new auto correct menu in the keyboard.

Steve Jobs nominated for Time Person of the Year

Steve Jobs, who died last month at the age of 56, has been nominated as Time Person of the Year.

(Credit: James Martin/CNET)

Technology and social justice ruled the nominations for Time magazine's 2011 Person of the Year.

Apple's co-founder Steve Jobs was nominated by "NBC Nightly News" anchor Brian Williams to be Time magazine's Person of the Year. If selected it would be the first time the distinction would be awarded to a person posthumously.

"One guy, who changed our world, and I said to Seth Meyers as we walked across Sixth Avenue, 'Just look with me on this one block walk at how he changed the world around us. Look at how he changed the world.' Not only did he change the world, but he gave us that spirit again that something was possible that you could look at a piece of plastic or glass and move your finger-- that's outlandish. You could make things bigger or smaller like that. 'Oh the places you'll go' and oh the way you will change forever the music and television industries. So may he rest in peace, Steve Jobs, and the spirit he represents, are my nominee for Person of the Year," said Williams during his nomination speech.

Along with Williams, the panel of six included "Saturday Night Live" head writer Seth Meyers, actor Jesse Eisenberg, Chef Mario Batali, attorney Anita Hill, and conservative lobbyist Grover Norquist.

Other notable nominees included populists, U.S. Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren, Tunisian fruit vendor credited for kicking off the Arab Spring Mohamed Bouazizi, and "angry people."

Facebook restores chronological setting to News Feed

Facebook is bringing back the chronological setting for News Feed.
Users can now once again see the "most recent" stories first atop their News Feeds, Facebook noted in a blog post this afternoon.
As of late September, the chronological option was removed as Facebook moved to fully automate the News Feed with stories the company's algorithms deemed "most important." Facebook said the tweaks were designed to "help you see more of what you care about, and less of what you don't."
Clearly, Facebook's loyal user base wasn't thrilled by Facebook's complete handling of their news stream and wanted to take back some element of control or personalization.
Once the updates go live, users will see a "sort" button at the top of their News Feed and can choose to see either "highlighted" stories or "most recent stories" first.

IBM open sources messaging client for embedded devices

Nov 03, 2011 03:17 pm | IDG News Service

In honor of the 10th anniversary of Eclipse, IBM has launched an initiative to standardize the proverbial 'Internet of Things'
by Joab Jackson

In a move to bring network connectivity to a wider range of devices, sensors and appliances, IBM has donated the source code of its machine-to-machine messaging software to the Eclipse Foundation, the company announced Thursday.
The messaging client, called Paho, runs the Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT), a protocol developed by IBM and Eurotech in 1999. The protocol was originally designed for sensor devices that monitor pipelines, and has subsequently been used in many other embedded devices and smartphones. Recently, Facebook used the protocol for its mobile messaging platform.
"We hope that MQTT will become a core protocol in building the Internet-of-Things, and it fits nicely with the work we've been doing with Eclipse," said Andy Piper, an IBM distinguished engineer.
The company submitted the code to the Eclipse Foundation now in order to dovetail with the 10th anniversary of IBM's open sourcing of its Eclipse IDE (Integrated Developer Environment). IBM, along with Eurotech and Sierra Wireless, also started a new Eclipse Foundation working group that will focus on developing more standards and tools for machine-to-machine messaging.
The protocol could be an essential component in what is increasingly called "The Internet of Things," or low-powered networked sensors and other devices that could communicate operational and sensor data to servers, such as bridge sensors, automobile components and monitors for household appliances.
IBM plans to be deploying a lot of machine-to-machine systems in the years to come, as part of its Smarter Planet initiative to instrument more mechanical systems and analyze the resulting data to improve efficiencies.
IBM is hoping developers use Paho as a reference implementation and reuse the program's code, which was written in both Java and C, Piper said. A number of open-source MQTT servers, or brokers, have already been developed, and could communicate with Paho clients.
MQTT offers a few specific advantages over HTTP, the currently favored protocol for relaying Web data across the Internet, Piper argued
.
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Windows set to arrive on IBM mainframes

 

IBM mainframes are on the verge of managing Windows applications, crossing one of the last big system divides in data centers.
IBM, which had previously announced its intent to deliver this capability as part of its zEnterprise 196 mainframe , said the Windows management function will become available on Dec. 16.
The need for the new capability has been sought in data centers -- there are many Windows-based applications, including many made by IBM, that interact with mainframes to access data. Such applications must now be managed separately.
IBM said the new support for Windows will boost the security and speed of mainframe-based corporate environments. It will provide users with the ability to connect systems on a private network, to avoid other network hops, and to have integrated management.

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Forget Windows: Midori is coming ...

WINDOWS is a name that has ruled the whole computer world since its first launch in November 1985. Since then it is like a trademark ofMicrosoft Corporation.

With many advanced versions of Windows available today such as Windows XP, Windows Vista, it is the most used operating system in the world. In 2010, Microsoft is going to launch WINDOWS 2007, but now here is time to experience a yet another technology of operating systems.

Yes, MICROSOFT is working on a new generation of operating systems called Cloud-Based Operating System and rumors are there that MIDORI will be their first such operating system, which will replace Windows fully from computer map.

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE 

MIDORI is an offshoot of Microsoft Research's Singularity operating system. In this the tools and libraries are completely managed code. MIDORI is designed to run directly on native hardware (x86, x64 and ARM), will be hosted on the Windows Hyper-V hypervisor, or even be hosted by a Windows process.

MIDORI can be also seen as MICROSOFT'S answer those competitors who are applying "Virtualization" as a mean to solving issues within contemporary computing.

The main idea behind MIDORI is to develop a lightweight portable OS which can be mated easily to lots of various applications.

IMPORTANCE OF MIDORI

For knowing the importance of MIDORI you have to think about, how an operating system is loaded on a computer. Actually operating system is loaded onto a hard disk physically located on that machine. In this way, the operating system is tied very tightly to that hardware. As Windows is dependent on hardware, it might face opposition from contemporary ways of working because people are extremely mobile in using different devices in order get diverse information.

Due to this trend installing different applications on a single computer may led to different compatibility issues whenever the machine require updating. The new operating system will solve these problems by the concept of Virtualizing. This will solve problems such as widespread security vulnerabilities, unexpected interactions among different applications, failures caused by errant extensions, plug-ins, and drivers and many more.

ERIC RUDDER, Senior Vice President, Technical Strategy

The importance of this project for MICROSOFT can be understood by the fact that company choose Eric Rudder , former head of Microsoft's server and tools business and a key member of Chairman Bill Gates' faction of the company, to handle it.

WHEN WILL IT BE LAUNCHED 

Just Wait and See. Microsoft has not declared any such date about launching of MIDORI, but there are rumors that this project is in incubation phase.

New Blackberry Bold - With Interesting Features ...........

BLACKBERRY LATEST MOBILE PHONE:

Blackberry Curve (8300) is one of the most popular latest phones since its launch. But since its launch, mobile industry has experienced many advances in technology. So to keep them update wit latest technology Blackberry family has launched its latest edition called BLACKBERRY BOLD.

WHAT'S NEW ?

Blackberry Bold is a blend of greatest features of Windows Mobile and the quality and reliability specific to Blackberry brand.

With the help of new Blackberry Bold now it is possible to edit your Microsoft Word and PowerPoint documents. These updates can be moved over onto main PC or Mac. So now you can update and improve speeches and presentations during practice runs or when still on the road.




SOMETHING MORE INTERESTING:

Blackberry Bold is one of the most media-friendly release yet with the inclusion of Wifi which allows you to access the Internet from virtually millions of locations worldwide (the GPS and mapping functions can help you locate a site). And even outside of hot-spot areas, theBlackberry Bold utilizes HSDPA technology to access nearly 3G download speeds.

In new Blackberry Bold streaming videos are also available, complementing the mp3 player. And with the Media Sync application, you can easily transfer media files from itunes to your handset very easily.

BlackBerry Bold Touch 9900

            Features

Also known as BlackBerry Dakota, BlackBerry Magnum

GENERAL	2G Network	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
	3G Network	HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100 / 800
		HSDPA 900 / 1700 / 2100
	Announced	2011, May
	Status	Available. Released 2011, August

SIZE	Dimensions	115 x 66 x 10.5 mm
	Weight	130 g

DISPLAY	Type	TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
	Size	640 x 480 pixels, 2.8 inches (~286 ppi pixel density)
		- QWERTY keyboard - Touch-sensitive controls - Optical trackpad - Proximity sensor for auto turn-off

SOUND	Alert types	Vibration, MP3 ringtones
	Loudspeaker	Yes
	3.5mm jack	Yes

MEMORY	Phonebook	Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall
	Call records	Yes
	Internal	8GB storage, 768 MB RAM
	Card slot	microSD, up to 32GB, buy memory

DATA	GPRS	Yes
	EDGE	Yes
	3G	HSDPA 14.4Mbps, HSUPA 5.76Mbps
	WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, dual-band
	Bluetooth	Yes, v2.1 with A2DP, EDR
	Infrared port	No
	USB	Yes, microUSB v2.0

CAMERA	Primary	5 MP, 2592x1944 pixels, LED flash, check quality
	Features	Geo-tagging, face detection, image stabilization
	Video	Yes, 720p, check quality
	Secondary	No

FEATURES	OS	BlackBerry OS 7.0
	CPU	1.2 GHz QC 8655 processor
	Messaging	SMS, MMS, Email, Push Email, IM
	Browser	HTML
	Radio	No
	Games	Yes + downloadable
	Colors	Black
	GPS	Yes, with A-GPS support, BlackBerry Maps
	Java	Yes, MIDP 2.1
		- NFC support - BlackBerry maps - Digital compass - Document viewer - MP4/WMV/H.263/H.264 player - MP3/eAAC+/WMA player - Organizer - Voice memo/dial - Predictive text input

BATTERY		Standard battery, Li-Ion 1230 mAh
	Stand-by	Up to 307 h (2G) / Up to 307 h (3G)
	Talk time	Up to 6 h 30 min (2G) / Up to 5 h 50 min (3G)
	Music play	Up to 50 h

MISC	Price group

Disclaimer. We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct.