AMD rolled out the latest version of its Catalyst software suite. Much like two of NVIDIA's recent "Game Ready" driver releases, the new Catalyst 14.11.1 beta is launched specifically for two of the hottest game releases of the season, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, and Assassin's Creed Unity. Since neither title supports less than 4 GB of system memory, or even Windows XP, AMD's release is highly specific, and only covers 64-bit Windows 8.1 Update 1, Windows 7, and Windows Vista. Grab it from the link below.DOWNLOAD AMD Catalyst 14.11.1 beta

Toshiba's Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today introduced 4TB and 5TB1 capacities of the Toshiba Desktop 3.5" 7200 RPM Internal Serial ATA 3.0 Hard Drive, a device that provides a convenient and reliable way to upgrade your desktop computer. With this product, Toshiba combines its proven and reliable hard drive technology with a Serial ATA interface to provide increased performance, capacity and compatibility.

"Toshiba has been developing and manufacturing hard drives for more than 20 years," said Maciek Brzeski, Vice President of Branded Storage Products, Toshiba Digital Products Division. "The time is right to upgrade our offerings not only to meet, but to get ahead of consumers' expectations by expanding our offering of our internal 3.5" hard drives to 4TB and 5TB sizes."

Alienware, a leader in high-performance gaming systems, is announcing details and availability for the legendary return of the Alienware Area-51 gaming desktop and the portable powerhouse Alienware 13 gaming laptop. Alienware also revealed the innovative Alienware Graphics Amplifier, giving gamers desktop graphics performance at home and high-performance mobile gaming with the Alienware 13. A truly no compromises approach to gaming.

When combining the new Alienware 13 and Graphics Amplifier, gamers no longer need to choose between a portable performer for fragging on the go or the fantastic FPS of a gaming desktop. The Alienware Graphics Amplifier boosts the already potent gaming performance of the Alienware 13, providing desktop graphics quality gaming at home while continuing to offer the same high-performing experience that road warriors demand.

AMD rolled out its second beta-marked Catalyst drivers, since its late-September Catalyst 14.9 WHQL, Catalyst 14.9.2 beta. The driver enables AMD Mantle API support for Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth, the month's biggest PC game launch. The release doesn't include any other notable changes. Grab the driver for Windows 8.1, Windows 7, and Windows Vista, from the links below.DOWNLOAD: AMD Catalyst 14.9.2 beta for Windows 8.1/7/Vista 64-bit | Windows 8.1/7/Vista 32-bit

Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS) is pleased to announce that the most attractive Mini PC, LIVA, now preloads Windows 8.1 with Bing operation system to deliver more benefits and convenience to its users.

Windows 8.1 with Bing is a version of the Windows NT operating system and an upgrade for Windows 8 and will come with Internet Explorer installed and Bing Smart Search, enabled by default, to find things across Web, Apps, and your PC. Windows 8.1 with Bing is also perfect for touch experience with familiar desktop that people can easily be associated with. Besides faster startup times, users can download Apps from the Windows Store and keep your customized settings and Apps on all your PC and devices. With such benefits of Windows 8.1 with Bing preloaded, the palm-size full featured LIVA Mini PC brings ultimate convenience and shows the determination of living a better life.

TechPowerUp rolled out the latest version of GPU-Z, the popular graphics subsystem information, diagnostic, and monitoring app, which no enthusiast can leave home without. Version 0.8.0 introduces support for a large number of new GPUs, and fixes several bugs. To begin with, GPU-Z 0.8.0 adds full support for GeForce GTX 980 and GTX 970, including a reliable method of extracting BIOS from GeForce "Maxwell" GPUs. Support is also added for Quadro K420, K620, K2000D, K2200, K4200, K5200; and Radeon R5 M240, R5 M255, FirePro W2100, W4100, W8100, FireStream 9270, FirePro 2450. Preliminary support is added for AMD "Topaz" GPU.

GPU-Z 0.8.0 now accurately measures dedicated and dynamic memory usage on Windows 8 and 8.1 systems. A system hang is fixed on systems with AMD "Hawaii" GPUs, when GPU-Z is running alongside an accelerated video playback. GPU-Z now correctly reads the ROP and stream processor counts of AMD "Tonga" GPU, with updated die-size info. Stuttering on systems with CrossFire ULPS is fixed. The change-log details other relevant changes.DOWNLOAD: TechPowerUp GPU-Z 0.8.0 | GPU-Z 0.8.0 ASUS ROG Themed

The change-log follows.

Toshiba's Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today announced the Satellite Radius 11, a value-priced 2-in-1 convertible PC with a two-axis hinge that rotates 360-degrees, allowing the device to easily convert from laptop to tablet by just pushing back the 11.6-inch touchscreen. Powered by Intel and Windows 8.1, the Radius 11 starts at $329.99 MSRP.

"We expect Satellite Radius 11 to make the grade with consumers and students looking for a highly-portable PC that gives them a bit more flexibility than a traditional clamshell laptop without cutting corners," said Philip Osako, senior director of product marketing, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Digital Products Division. "Our device is sleek, lightweight and delivers plenty of power to handle everyday tasks. The fact that it has a rotational screen just further opens up the range of possibilities for what you can do with it."

Shortly after the launch of its Catalyst 14.9 WHQL driver, AMD released a follow-up Catalyst 14.9.1 Beta driver, to address some immediate issues found with the driver. It addresses an intermittent black-screen or BSOD issue caused after driver installation of Catalyst 14.9 WHQL, Catalyst Control Center crash, random crash when enabling or disabling 4-way CrossFireX, and Battlefield 4 instability on systems with 4-way CrossFireX. It also fixes a system crash issue found with Sniper Elite III, on systems with 4-way CrossFireX.DOWNLOAD: AMD Catalyst 14.9.1 beta for Windows 8.1/7/Vista 64-bit | Windows 8.1/7/Vista 32-bit

CyberPower Inc., a global manufacturer of custom gaming PCs, gaming laptops, and performance workstations, today announced the Fangbook Edge, a slim notebook gaming system that packs revolutionary processor technology from Intel and NVIDIA into a slender enclosure that is less than one inch thick. Equipped with a powerful Intel Core i7-4870HQ processor with Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M graphics card, the Fangbook Edge packs a lot bit of muscle inside a 0.78-inches thick enclosure that weighs 4.36 pounds.

The Fangbook Edge is as lean as high-end gaming notebooks get, but does not compromise energy efficiency over high performance. The 4th Generation Intel Core i7-4870HQ processor sips power when idle or under general workloads, cruising at 2.5GHz, and then kicking up to 3.7 GHz when you need it. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M outperforms previous generations by a wide margin and features all-new technologies that enhance the overall gaming experience. Combining the groundbreaking efficiency of NVIDIA's Maxwell GPU architecture with NVIDIA Optimus Technology, the GTX 970M provides high-end desktop level performance in games, while the integrated Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200 takes over when high-end performance is not required. Support for the next-generation DirectX 12 graphical API means the Fangbook Edge is ready to take on the super-detailed games of the future.

DisplayLink, the leading provider of USB graphics technology and Plugable Technologies, a leading provider of USB, Bluetooth, and charging devices today announced availability of a USB 3.0 to DisplayPort 4K UHD (Ultra High Definition) Video Graphics adapter using DisplayLink's latest DL-5500 Chipset.

"We've been experiencing considerable interest from users and IT managers since announcing the DL-5000 series chipsets, so it's exciting to see Plugable's solution now available for both North America and European markets," said John Cummins, Senior Vice President Sales and Marketing at DisplayLink. "The ability to connect the latest 4K UHD displays to non-4K capable notebooks or computing platforms enables a rapid transition to high resolution monitors. Connecting your new 4K monitor over USB couldn't be easier."

HP today expanded the innovative HP Stream line-up of thin and light Windows products that leverage the cloud and make it easy to work and play from more places with the addition of two new notebook PCs and two new tablets.

"Today's consumers demand mobile products that fit their personal style and allow them to work and play wherever they are," said Mike Nash, vice president, Product Management, Consumer Personal Systems, HP. "The HP Stream products announced today hit the mark with sleek design, portability, access to free cloud storage, and the familiarity of Windows and Office 365."

Toshiba's Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today introduced the TransMemory ID USB 3.0 Flash Drive, a simpler storage solution for people who are on the go and need a better way to organize their ever-growing collection of digital files.

The slim design, unique space for labeling and wide range of colors and storage capacities make the TransMemory ID USB 3.0 Flash Drive a smart, simple way for students, families and business professionals to organize, personalize, and store their growing collection of digital files with fewer devices. The dedicated label area makes it easy to organize files by category, family member, event, class or project. With USB 3.0, this device transfers videos, photos and other large files quickly and conveniently with any USB 3.0 compatible device. With built-in plug-and-play, for both Mac and PC, up to 64GB of storage capacity and a slim, space-saving design that will facilitate the use of multiple TransMemory ID USB 3.0 Flash Drives (even where USB port placement is side by side), the TransMemory ID USB 3.0 is an easy solution for all storage needs.

Here are some of the first benchmarks of Intel's ambitious Core M processor, a performance-segment dual-core processor with a thermal envelope of just 4.5W, making it ideal for tablets, ultra-portables, and mainstream desktops. At IDF 2014, Intel showed off a 12.5-inch tablet running a Core M 5Y70 chip. An MCM of the CPU and PCH dies, the CPU die features two "Broadwell" 64-bit x86 cores, a large new graphics processor with 24 execution units and 192 stream engines, 4 MB of shared L3 cache, a dual-channel LPDDR3 memory controller, and a PCI-Express 3.0 root complex. The PCH die wires out the platform's various connectivity options.

The 12.5-inch Core M tablet was put through three tests, Cinebench R11.5, SunSpider 1.0.2, and 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited. With the multi-threaded CPU-intensive Cinebench R11.5, the Core M scores a respectable 17 FPS in the GL bench, with 2.48 pts CPU. That's about 60 percent the performance of a Core i7-870. Significantly higher than anything Atom, Pentium, or AMD E-Series. With SunSpider, the Core M put out a score of 142.8, under Internet Explorer 12 running under Windows 8.1. With 3DMark IceStorm Unlimited, the Core M sprung up a surprise - 50,985 points. That over double that of a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, and faster than the IGPs AMD E-Series APUs ship with. Color us interested.

At IFA 2014 ASUS summoned the spirit of the netbook and announced an 11.6-inch notebook that starts at just $199. Named EeeBook X205, this entry-level laptop is 0.7 inches thick and has an HD (1366 x 768) screen, a 1.33 GHz Atom Z3735 (Bay Trail) chip, 2 GB of RAM, 32 GB or 64 GB worth of NAND-based storage, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, a microSD card slot, a micro HDMI output, and a 38 Whr battery enabling up to 12 hours of operation per charge.

The EeeBook X205 runs Windows 8.1 with Bing and will be available in Q4 in four color versions - black, white, red and gold.

In addition to debuting the Chromebook 2, Toshiba today revealed another low-cost mobile machine, the Satellite Radius 11 convertible laptop running Microsoft's Windows 8.1. Seen below, Toshiba's device features a 11.6-inch display with a native resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels and 10-point touch support, an Intel Celeron and Pentium processor, 4 GB of DDR3L memory, a 500 GB hard drive, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, an SD card slot, and a HDMI output.

The Satellite Radius 11 is said to cost £329.

Microsoft's Windows 8.1 operating system has overtaken its older sibling Windows 8 for the first time in terms of internet usage worldwide, according to StatCounter, the independent website analytics company. The company's research arm, StatCounter Global Stats also finds that despite Microsoft's ending of support in April this year, Windows XP refuses to die and remains the world's second most popular operating system version. However, for the first time globally, the combined total of Windows 8 and 8.1 (14%) overtook XP (12.9%) in August.

CyberPower Inc., a global manufacturer of custom gaming PCs, gaming laptops, and performance workstations, today unleashed its all-new Raven X6 - a powerful and stylish gaming notebook featuring NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M graphics cards and the 4th Generation Intel Core i7-4710HQ mobile processor. By leveraging the latest processor technology from Intel and NVIDIA, the Raven X6 sips very little power from the socket until you need it. That's when NVIDIA Optimus Technology, and Intel Turbo Boost 2.0 Technology kick in to send your computer into overdrive to power through games and applications that require more performance.

Raven X6's gaming merit is shown on the brilliant 15.6-inch Full HD (1080p) IPS panel display, featuring accurate color reproduction and crisp image quality. Incredibly detailed, high-resolution frames are pushed to the display by the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M graphics card with 4GB of GDDR5 memory. The GTX 860M uses all of the great NVIDIA technologies, like TFXAA, Adaptive VSync, and PhysX to tear through the latest demanding games. Even on the road, NVIDIA Battery Boost technology will kick your GTX 860M into a reduced power mode, so you can still get your game on without instantly draining your battery.

Super Talent Technology, a leading manufacturer of NAND Flash storage solutions and DRAM memory modules, presents its enterprise and education Windows To Go drives.

Super Talent's Windows To Go drives are widely used for bring your own device (BYOD) services. Currently the USB 3.0 Express RC4 is a very popular enterprise choice among companies who choose to implement the route of BYOD mass deployment. A USB 3.0 device, the size of car keys, is able to boot a sandboxed version of Windows 8.1 Enterprise on any computer that allows booting from a USB device. This allows for our government, education and all enterprise sector clients to significantly reduce operational TCO, while still keeping their human resources mobile.

MSI, the leading gaming computer innovator and manufacturer, now announces the latest S100 3-in-1 tablet, a windows 8.1 tablet featuring a keyboard and a protective cover, making it the best multi-functional tablet in creativity and productivity. With the 3-in-1 design, MSI S100 is a 10-inch tablet that offers top value by new Intel Bay Trail-T quad-core processor, 1280 x 800 IPS display, and dual 2 megapixels camera system.

Powerful Quad-core Processor
The MSI S100 is powered by the latest Intel Atom Bay Trail-T quad-core processor with high performance yet lower power consumption. With up to 10 hours battery life, S100 can easily handle multiple tasks and deliver an immersive entertainment experience. The 2 GB memory and 64 GB storage plus the compatibility with MicroSD card, you get all the space you need for apps, files, photos, or even videos. Windows 8.1 with all new touch friendly UI allows to buy and use any WinOS app by switching between Modern Interface and traditional desktop.

Even though nothing much about ASRock's next generation Intel X99 series motherboards can be revealed yet, we simply can't restrain ourselves from spilling out the good news that ASRock's X99 Extreme4 is the world's first Intel X99 chipset based motherboard to pass Windows 8.1 hardware certification. So, yeah, users may be ensured that ASRock's X99 Extreme4 will support the latest operating system from Microsoft without any problems, and bear in mind that it's coming to you real soon! Kudos to ASRock again!

Not only focusing on developing the most advanced hardware technology, ASRock also keen on bringing the latest software applications to PC users. ASRock pioneers in Windows 8.1 logo submission, and the company's offerings are the best in the overall market. So, why settle for second best? Be the first to lay your hands on the X99 Series computers with ASRock!

Acer today announced the Acer Extensa 15 notebook series designed to meet the essential needs of professional users, SMB and SOHO users looking for portability, productivity, and efficiency. Available in two models, EX2510 and EX2509, this notebook series is equipped with a sharp 15.6-inch display and a powerful 4th Gen Intel Core (EX2510) or Intel Celeron/Pentium Quad Core (EX2509) processor running on Windows 8.1, allowing smooth multitasking and simplified searching both on- and offline.

All details have been fine-tuned by Acer to ensure maximum portability, with one of the longest battery life in its segment, the Extensa 15 will last for up to 7 hours. Moreover, the Extensa 15 series boasts one of the slimmest form factors in its category, as well as an easy-grip design that helps users grab their laptop firmly and securely when pulling out of a bag. These unique factors, paired with its weight of only 2.5kg, make for a device that is both easy and pleasant to carry. Finally, every Extensa 15 notebook comes with built-in AcerCloud, which allows access to documents and multimedia files wirelessly and simultaneously on all devices, anytime and anywhere.

Panasonic, an industry leader in reliable and innovative mobile computers since 1996, today announced upgrades to the Toughbook 53 semi-rugged laptop. With a 4th generation Intel Core i5 vPro processor, up to 15 hours of battery life, Windows 8.1 Pro Update or Windows 7 Professional (available through downgrade rights from Windows 8.1 Pro), and enhanced wireless connectivity, the Toughbook 53 now more than ever serves as a reliable and versatile tool for mobile workers in demanding markets such as insurance, construction and the military.

In 1998, Panasonic created the first semi-rugged mobile computer, and the Toughbook 53 continues this legacy today with enterprise-grade durability and purpose-built features beyond those of a consumer-grade laptop. With features such as a 14" sunlight-readable optional touchscreen, anti-reflective and anti-glare HD display, and optional 4G LTE multi carrier mobile broadband with satellite GPS - as well as a magnesium alloy case with handle, spill-resistant keyboard and certification from an independent third party to survive a 3-foot drop - the semi-rugged Toughbook 53 is built to assure a high long-term return on investment for a diverse range of users in enterprise and government. The Toughbook 53 is available in two models - a model with a 500GB 7200rpm hard drive, optional touchscreen and up to 15 hours of battery life depending on usage conditions; and another model with a 320GB 5400rpm hard drive and up to 10 hours of battery life depending on usage conditions.

Fujitsu today announced the development of the FUJITSU Tablet ARROWS Tab Q335/K, an easy-to-hold and operate 8-inch Windows tablet for enterprise customers. The new model is planned to be rolled out in stages worldwide from October 2014.

The ARROWS Tab Q335/K, a compact and lightweight 8-inch tablet, is ideal for business use as it comes with the latest Intel Atom processor Z3735F and the latest Windows 8.1 Pro operating system. While being portable, it can also come with Microsoft Office as an option enabling users to read documents or create materials on the go.

AMD rolled out version 14.7 RC (beta) of its Catalyst software suite. With this version, AMD discontinues support for Windows 8 (WDDM 1.2), and expects you to upgrade to Windows 8.1 (WDDM 1.3) for free, to continue receiving driver support. Older versions of Windows, namely Windows Vista and Windows 7, are unaffected. Catalyst 14.7 RC adds all the improvements of 14.6 RC, with added CrossFire performance for Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare, improved CrossFire scaling at Ultra HD resolution for Assassins Creed IV. The driver also comes with a workaround for an issue faced by users of AOC U2868PQU display, who notice flickering on Radeon GPUs. In addition to the workaround, AMD recommends that you apply the latest firmware for your displays.

DOWNLOAD: AMD Catalyst 14.7 RC (beta)

Microsoft is expected to introduce a radical new software activation system with its next major release of Windows, in a bid to stem piracy. According to BetaNews, citing a Russian source with a reasonably good track-record in leaking stuff out of Redmond, the company is planning to do away with software keys, 16-character alphanumeric passwords unique to each copy of the software, which let you prove the validity of your purchase, and unlock the software. The next Windows will use a system in which having a Microsoft Store account - which isn't necessarily the same as a Microsoft Account - is mandatory, and acquiring machine-specific images of the Windows installation disc from the store.

The way we understand it, it works like this. After paying for your license while logged into the Microsoft Store, you're made to download a generic install disc image. After its installation, your machine's details (usually just motherboard-related details) are logged with Microsoft, and the software stays activated on your machine. When you need to install your OS on another machine, you untie your current machine from your licence online, and install your software on the new machine. The software will stop working on the older machine, ensuring that only one single-user license is running on a machine at a given time. The concept can be suitably adapted for 3-user and 5-user family licenses.