Author: Ian Johansen

 Siggraph 2016 I had the opportunity to visit Siggraph 2016 (short for Special Interest Group on Computer GRAPHics and Interactive Techniques ) in July of this year (2016) Even though the show was a while ago, it still remains fresh in my mind. It was that impactful. Siggraph’s attended by tens of thousands of computer professionals annually. Highlights of the conference include its Animation Theater and Electronic Theater presentations. Recently created CG films are often screened here. On the large exhibition floor, several hundred companies set up elaborate booths. They all compete for attention and recruits. Most of the companies are from the…

ForgeFX VR training simulators at #Siggraph2016. Yup, virtual reality job simulators. Huh, why does a company need that? Well, that’s pretty much what I said when I came across their booth. Why ForgeFX VR or 3D simulators? According to technical director Adam Kane,”There has been an increased interest in technical training simulators. Companies are willing to develop simulated job training scenarios, instead of letting an employee loose with expensive equipment causing potentially expensive damages”. Such as in the case of the plane DE-icing simulator featured at the show. One wrong move by a trainee could result in the write off…

NASCAR HEAT EVOLUTION,  a new NASCAR licensed title that is looking to be coming to a next gen console AND Windows PC near you (via Steam). After Dusenberry Martin Racing acquired the NASCAR’s simulation video game license for console from  Eutechnyx Limited, there’s been hope amongst us in the racing game genre that a quality NASCAR game will once again be born. On May 20, DMR officially announced the game at Charlotte Motor Speedway, partnering with Monster Games, who had developed NASCAR Heat and NASCAR: Dirt to Daytona. NASCAR Heat Evolution is a racing video game developed by Monster Games and published by Dusenberry Martin…

Rosewill RX202 Review – This year I had the privilege of touring the Rosewill Inc. booth at CES (2016) The reason I put it that way is because I’ve been a long time customer of theirs. As the “house” brand of Newegg per say, I’ve always had great success with their stuff and much of what they produce appeals to me from an aesthetic standpoint as well as a financial one. Introductions were made, hands were shook and at the end of it all, I was offered various products* to test & review. Today I’m looking at an aptly named armor looking enclosure.…

AMD’s AM3+ Socket design had been around for a long time. A modification of the original AM3 socket introduced in 2009, it first fired up in 2011. That’s over 5 years ago (as of this writing). Almost antique in the PC world. Technology changes at a heartbeat. Generally more efficient, faster and advanced processors will normally render a chip socket obsolete with 2 to maybe 3 years tops. But the 900 series chipsets for the AM3+ platform just keep handling more features every year. That’s good news if you are an AMD fan or have invested in their tech. It means that Phenom…

Monoprice Medium Tactical Backpack review (PID 14340). I received this knowing that I would be relying on it heavily for an upcoming electronics trade show where I would be lugging around my camera equipment, as well as chargers, fluids, munchies, and numerous other necessities. Thus, I was excited to put this through a vigorous few days of testing. The pack arrived in no-frills packing (not that it needed any) and was pre-stuffed with paper in some areas. Monoprice Medium Tactical Backpack Review The Monoprice Tactical backpack has a serious, all-business appearance. Exterior The first thing to notice is the 5…