In a camp for Yazidi refugees, near what was the Iraqi-Syrian border, the father who had to abandon his disabled child has learned that his son has died.

This LAPD patrol car is equipped with a LPR unit, mounted just in front of the light bar on the roof of the vehicle. Steve Devol

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge will not force local law enforcement to release a week’s worth of all captured automated license plate reader (ALPR, also known as LPR) data to two activist groups that had sued for the release of the information, according to a decision issued on Thursday.

In May 2013, the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California and the Electronic Frontier Foundation sued the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD) in an attempt to compel the agencies to release a week’s worth of LPR data from a certain week in August 2012. The organizations have not determined yet whether they will file an appeal.

The organizations had claimed that these agencies were required to disclose the data under the California Public Records Act. In late July 2012, the ACLU and its affiliates sent requests to local police departments and state agencies across 38 states to request information on how LPRs are used.

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Antonio TwizShiz Edward

Just two days after a controversial trademark application by the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association (ALSA) was made public, it has been dropped.

The group has made nearly $100 million from donations related to viral videos of people doing the "ice bucket challenge," in which ice water is dumped on a person's head. In the last month, ALSA has made far more money from the campaign than the association made in all of 2013.

Last week, ALSA filed an application with the US Patent and Trademark Office seeking to trademark the term for use in charity fundraising. That move quickly sparked an outcry, since ALSA didn't invent the phrase "ice bucket challenge" and the concept has been used to raise money for other charities before.

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We heard it in 2011 and again the following year, but this time it's (maybe) true—the new iPhone will reportedly come equipped with a near field communication system that powers a brand-new payment platform. On Friday, Wired reported that "sources familiar with the matter" have confirmed that a mobile wallet will debut on the new iPhone and that its inclusion will be treated as a "hallmark feature" during the phone's reveal event on September 9.

This news follows a report from The Information in July that linked Apple to credit card and payment processing companies, suggesting that such conversations were building the retailer backbone necessary for a wide "iWallet" launch this fall. The company's growing iBeacon push may also factor into how new iPhones' mobile payment information would be gathered.

The iPhone has long lagged in the smartphone-NFC department, an issue that could be thanks to Apple's insistence on wireless-unfriendly aluminum casings. According to our last rumor roundup, that technical issue may have been fixed with a number of plastic cutouts in the new phone's design, but it also stands to reason that a mobile-wallet rollout was probably slowed more by Apple working to secure any such communication protocol. As Wired's report notes, an Apple patent filed in January could be the final key in resolving such security worries; in it, the company described coupling NFC with either Bluetooth or Wi-Fi as a second check in the protocol.

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JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said attacks were "going to be non-stop." It looks like he was right. Steve Jurvetson

The electronic attack on JPMorgan Chase’s network, now under investigation by federal law enforcement, apparently spanned months, according to a report by Bloomberg News. Starting in June, hackers used multiple custom-crafted bits of malware to infiltrate the bank’s infrastructure and slowly shipped bits of bank transaction data back out through computers in several countries before it was sent onward to Russia.

The attack, which went on for more than two months before being detected by JPMorgan in a security scan, bears the fingerprints of similar long-game attacks against corporate targets by cybercriminals from Eastern Europe, some of whom have developed capabilities more advanced than state-sponsored hackers. While the details obtained by Bloomberg’s Jordan Robertson and Michael Riley are sparse, the information provided by their sources is consistent with attacks on a number of European banks earlier this year.

While the FBI and National Security Agency are reportedly investigating whether the attack came from Russian state-sponsored hackers—or at least state-sanctioned ones—in retaliation for sanctions against Russia, making that connection will be difficult at best. It seems more likely, based on recent security reports, that the attacks were criminal in nature—but relied on tools and techniques that may have a mixed provenance, using methods honed in attacks on other banks and on government targets for financial gain.

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The last trace of Microsoft's once-dominant Messenger network will disappear at the end of October, reports TechNode. After October 31st, Chinese users chatting on the instant messaging network will have to use Skype, not the Live Messenger client, for their communication.

In late 2012, Microsoft announced that it would discard the Messenger brand for its instant messaging client in favor of the Skype client and brand. The company started blocking the official client early in 2013.

But one part of the Messenger user base was left behind: Chinese users. The Messenger service in China was operated by a separate company and wasn't part of the initial Skype transition.

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Mother Parkers is getting in on Keurig's new brewing machines, whether Keurig likes it or not. sarkasmo

Back in March, Keurig announced plans to lock down its popular coffee pod system in an effort to make third-party pod makers pay for a license. But the company's plans may be foiled. A press release last week from Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee suggests that the Keurig "DRM" used to lock out third parties has been cracked and that Mother Parkers is now making coffee pods that can work in Keurig's brewing machines.

New Keurig machines reportedly require pods to have a special "ink marker" on their foil top, according to The Verge. If that marking isn't detected, the machine will display an "Oops!" message and refuse to do anything further.

The Mother Parkers press release states that the company "will launch a new version of the RealCup capsule that is compatible with Keurig Green Mountain's K2.0 brewer scheduled for launch later this year." The release quotes Bill VandenBygaart, Mother Parkers' vice president of business development, as saying that the company's "new technology" means that "consumers will be the ultimate winners by having the best tasting coffees and teas available."

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In previous generations, GIGABYTE has often been ambitious with the number of models it produces and supports. X99 is no different, so while the other manufacturers have four or five models coming through launch and September, GIGABYTE is starting with eight. These are split into three categories: Gaming, OC and Ultra Durable (aka ‘channel’).

The gaming line will be headed by the X99-Gaming G1 WiFi, an E-ATX motherboard aimed at four-way GPUs and as much functionality as possible. This means dual network ports (Intel + Killer), 2T2R 802.11ac WiFi, the Creative Sound Core 3D audio codec, AMP-UP audio, ten SATA 6 Gbps ports, twelve USB 3.0 ports, two M.2 ports (One 2.0 x4, one 3.0 x4), dual DAC-UP for clean USB power and the styling to complement GIGABYTE’s brand of gaming graphics.

Interestingly enough GIGABYTE is going with sockets and slots with a higher gold content than standard. In previous generations we saw 15-micron gold pin connectors being advertised, however for X99 the advertising point has doubled to 30-micron. The aim of more gold in the socket and pins is to stave off corrosion in extreme environments as well as provide a path of lower resistance for signalling.

Also in the gaming line up are the Gaming 7 WiFi and the Gaming 5, which are both cut down versions of the Gaming G1. The Gaming 7 is still E-ATX but cheaper due to the lack of heatpipes connecting the heatsinks, and the Gaming 5 uses a single Killer network interface with fewer USB 3.0 ports and no WiFi connectivity.

There is only one model in the for GIGABYTE’s X99 OC range so far, the X99-SOC Force. This is designed by GIGABYTE’s in-house overclocker HiCookie, with help from overclockers like Sofos and Dinos22 to add in more support for extreme system builds. The SOC Force keeps the orange and black color scheme, using an Intel NIC with Realtek ALC1150 audio with AMP-UP. The main functionality for the overclocking boards is with the add-in buttons on the side allowing for easy adjustment under extreme conditions:

Going by HiCookie’s facebook page, it would also seem that an LN2 (liquid nitrogen) version is in the works for DDR4 memory overclocking. These OC versions also include features like the 30 micron gold connectors, M.2, SATA Express and USB 3.0 support. Previous OC boards have incorporated a USB connector on the board itself, however due to the chipset SATA ports this is not possible. GIGABYTE is experimenting with a new feature to help users attach the board to the case, by expanding the clean area around the screw holes:

In the Ultra Durable line, GIGABYTE plan to release four models: the X99-UD7 WiFi, the UD5 WiFi, the UD4 and the UD3. As you can imagine this is a scaling from high end to low end, with the UD3 sporting single DIMM per channel but still focused on four-way gaming platforms. The WiFi models use dual Intel NICs along with 2T2R 802.11ac solutions, while the UD5/UD3 are single Intel network port enabled only. All four boards have dual M.2 and SATA Express as well as Realtek ALC1150 audio.

The main differences between the models will be in the WiFi/network connectivity, USB ports, heatpipe design and power delivery. All GIGABYTE models should be coming with an ‘ambient LED’ rear panel which causes the rear bracket to light up:

We are waiting on a full list of MSRPs for the North American market, and will update when we have the information.

The launch today is one of the biggest in the last few years, with DRAM, CPU and Chipset all getting a refresh. Understandably ASUS is getting in on the action, and they sent over their PRs detailing what they have in store. The primary mainstream model is the X99-Deluxe, which we have in for our initial X99 coverage (stay tuned for that), but it takes a significant detour from previous ASUS color schemes. Rather than the gold or grey of recent times, here we go with a black and white livery.

Aside from dual SATA Express, dual Intel NICs, a vertical M.2 x4 arrangement and the Crystal Sound 2 shield around the audio and rear panel we also get a tri-stream 802.11ac setup included. This makes the X99-Deluxe the first consumer motherboard to come with a 3T3R shipped, and makes sense given that the Deluxe is to be the flagship ‘mainstream’ X99 model.

One of ASUS’ new features is a patent-pending OC socket that contains extra pins to connect to normally unused pads on the Haswell-E CPUs. Via propriatery circuitry, ASUS is expecting this innovation to lead to higher memory frequencies, lower latencies and stability while overclocking.

Due to the large space requirements of M.2, ASUS has decided to turn it vertical with an included bracket to support up to full length M.2 cards. For most users in a case this should not be an issue, but it is a good way to save precious PCB space for other features. The system also comes with an M.2 to PCIe converter card, allowing users to add a second M.2 card:

Also out on an extra daughter board are a series of fan headers on a controller card, useful for placing them where you need them in a case. These extra fan headers, like those on board, will be DC and PWM compatible.

Another new feature that ASUS likes to mention is the multi-GPU switch on board. For those users who have two or three GPUs, this switch will light up an LED next to the ports you need to use. It is a simple idea that negates having to look at the manual. We have the X99-Deluxe in for review, so check that out when it gets published. The ASUS X99-Deluxe will be available from launch at an MSRP of $400.

ASUS is planning to launch their X99-A at $280 in early September, and the X99-Pro in October, price still to be determined. For both of these boards we are waiting on images to see what they will be like.

Gallery: ASUS X99-Deluxe

Also on the cards for launch day is the highly anticipated ASUS ROG Rampage V Extreme motherboard. Users who follow the industry will know that Z97 never received a Maximus VII Extreme model, and the Rampage V Extreme is the reason why: because ASUS sees the Extreme line as the top of the top, when a major socket release comes around it requires extra time and effort to ensure day one satisfaction.

Aside from the big EXTREME on the rear panel, the red and black make the system look relatively normal. We see an eight-phase power delivery with a full assortment of DRAM slots. Next to these on the right is an M.2 slot, supporting full side 110mm drives. The SATA ports look extensive due to the dual SATA Express included.

There is the header for the included ROG OC Panel on the bottom of the motherboard, as well as the Thunderbolt header and a button for ASUS’ new Keybot system. At the top of the motherboard are the voltage check points, an LN2 mode header, a slow mode switch, the MemOK button, a Retry button and the usual array of power/reset buttons alongside a two-digit debug. ASUS is keen to point out that the power delivery has been upgraded to a PowIRstage IR3555 design with user-controllable VRM switching under Extreme Engine DIGI+ IV.

ASUS has equipped the motherboard with SupremeFX audio and their SoundStage functionalisty.  Additional PCIe power comes via a molex connector, and the system has two extra USB 3.0 headers for good measure.  The TPU and EPU custom ICs from ASUS feature on the Extreme, making good use of the 5 Way Optimization software included.

The X79 based Rampage IV Extreme was a best seller for that platform, and ASUS is hoping that the Rampage V Extreme can do similarly well.  ASUS is also reaching out to aid overclockers, especially with fine-tuning the recently announced Corsair DDR3-3300 Dominator Platinum modules specifically for motherboards like the Rampage V Extreme.

The Extreme should be out today at an MSRP of $500.

Gallery: ASUS ROG Maximus V Extreme

It is safe to say that all the motherboard manufacturers have been ambitious for the X99 launch. While I recently gave kudos to one of the others for supporting eight motherboards at launch, it would seem that ASRock is keen to top that with nine models, including two microATX sized motherboards.

One of our most popular X79 reviews was the comparison between the X79 Extreme4 and the X79 Extreme4-M. ASRock has continued this duality trend by offering an X99 Extreme4 and an X99M Extreme4 (notice the small nomenclature change).  This microATX part pairs off with the X99M Killer we wrote about in the last week.

The top of the mainstream range will be the X99 WS, a motherboard designed to support 160W Xeon E5 v3 CPUs as well as up to 128 GB of ECC/RDIMM memory. In light of other workstation boards from other manufacturers, the WS will be an E-ATX form factor with dual Intel network ports, extensive heatsink arrangement, eSATA, Ultra M.2, a twelve phase 60A power delivery and support for five-way PCIe 3.0 devices.  The WS naming should be indicative of extensive testing with prosumer add-in cards, such as RAID, Thunderbolt and others.  ASRock has also kept the z-height to a minimum to allow the motherboard to fit into a 1U chassis.

It would seem that ASRock is avoiding SATA Express for their X99 products, in contrast to MSI who is putting it on every model.  Similarly to MSI though, the overclocking range also gets an update from ASRock, with the X99 OC Formula we reported on previously:

Aside from the superhydrophobic Conformal Coating that makes its way over from previous generations, ASRock’s in house overclocker Nick Shih has designed the motherboard to support up to 1300W of CPU power.  In our overclock tests with the i7-5960X, we found the CPU can consume around 350-400W when approaching 4.7 GHz, so understandably for extreme overclockers moving above 5.5 or 5.7 GHz, the extra headroom will be needed.  The OC Formula is also aimed at 24/7 overclocked builds, with support for ten SATA devices, two M.2 devices (one PCIe 3.0 x4, one PCIe 2.0 x4) and four-way GPU arrangements.

ASRock’s Gaming range seems to have dropped the Fatal1ty part from the SKU name, but still adorns the motherboard with the logo:

The gaming range will have three models at the start – the X99 Professional, the X99X Killer and the X99M Killer. These are aimed at the gaming crowd for 4-way, 3-way and micro-ATX respectively, with the last one having one-DIMM per channel due to the reduced motherboard size.  All these boards will support dual network ports, one Intel and one Killer, as well as the Fatal1ty mouse gaming port, 15 micron-gold connectors, 2oz copper PCB inner layers and extra-large aluminium heatsinks.  Each Gaming motherboard will also come with a 3-month subscription to the XSplit broadcasting software.

ASRock’s X99 microsite is currently live, and US pricing is as follows:

X99 WS: $324
X99X Killer: $290
X99 Extreme6: $280
X99 Extreme4: $241
X99M Extreme4: $224

The other motherboards are set to launched thought September.

While the JEDEC standard for DDR3 slowly creeped up from 800 MHz to 1600-1866 MHz, the new DDR4 modules will come out of the gate at DDR4-2133 CAS 15. Similarly with DDR3, the JEDEC specifications seemed a little slow for the memory manufacturers who are all keen to get more market share than anyone else. To that extent, Corsair in conjunction with ASUS is launching today the highest specification DDR4 announced to date.

The king on the plate is a DDR4-3300 Dominator Platinum kit, designed to work with all motherboards but especially with the ASUS X99 Deluxe and Rampage V Extreme motherboards. Corsair and ASUS have formed a partnership to expedite validation on ASUS’ high end motherboards along with fine tuning: I imagine we might see a specific memory profile or two on the Extreme for users wanting to overclock these particular modules.

One of the interesting things to note is that DRAM module manufacturers all bid on batches of JEDEC or near-JEDEC specification ICs. It is then up to them to bin the ICs (either automated or by hand) to place on the modules. The higher the specification of module, typically the more ICs (or the more batches) the system has to go through, which in turn puts more pricing pressure on the kits. Pricing for these modules will be higher than most, and due to their timings will initially only be available in 4x4 GB kits. We will find out the pricing and the sub-timing when Corsair puts the kits on its website.

The 3000 and 3200 MHz kits will play up against the modules from other DRAM manufacturers, but it would seem that Corsair is first to market with the 3300 MHz modules. We plan on testing a fair amount of DDR4 in the next month, especially as it forms a significant cost of a Haswell-E build.

Gallery: Corsair Launches DDR4-3300, DDR4-3200 and DDR4-3000 Memory Kits

Additional: Specifications for the 4x4GB kits have just come in, giving:

DDR4-3000 at 15-17-17-35, 1.35V (CMD16GX4M4B3000C15)
DDR4-3200 at 16-18-18-36, 1.35V (CMD16GX4M4B3200C16)
DDR4-3300 at 16-18-18-36, 1.35V (CMD16GX4M4B3300C16)

With the X99 and Haswell-E platforms being launched today, MSI is coming to market officially with four models on sale with another coming soon. We took a look at the MSI X99S SLI PLUS when it was leaked earlier this month, and I have since learned that the release price will be $230, making it a very attractive model at the lower end of the X99 pricing bracket.

The other models from MSI are the X99S Gaming 9 AC, the X99S Gaming 7, the X99S XPower AC and the X99S MPower (the MPower being released later). You may notice that all these names start with ‘X99S’, which MSI says indicates the presence of SATA Express. It may be one of their defining naming characteristics going forward, but it seems that MSI is keen to support this storage technology in advance of retail drives coming to the market. MSI is also supporting ‘Turbo M.2’ on all its models, which means PCIe 3.0 x4 connectivity for future drives. Some motherboards will support up to 2280 sized drives, whereas others will go all the way to 22110. MSI is also keen to point out that all its motherboards will come with dual USB 3.0 headers.

The X99S MPower and X99S XPower AC are both members of the ‘overclocking certified’ motherboard segment that MSI has been developing over the past 12-18 months. Features for X99 XPower AC include a modified back plate for sub-zero copper-pot overclocking, a direct USB Type-A connector on the motherboard so users do not have to reach around to the rear, a set of easy buttons for fine tuning adjustments and PCIe disable switches to reduce unwanted electronic jitter. Interestingly MSI has included its Delid Guard should anyone want to de-lid their Haswell-E CPU, though this is short sighted as de-lidding Haswell-E will usually break the processor due to the bound epoxy being used.

The Gaming range will start with two models, both aiming at the high end. The gaming range for MSI has boosted its sales in more ways than one, particularly because as a company they adopted a styling that appealed to the gaming community. With aesthetics in mind, these motherboards will be using a cleaner PCB look with the Gaming 9 AC using protective covers to keep the feel of the board consistent. The Gaming 9 AC is the more interesting model of the two here, with its inclusion of an AVerMedia Streaming Engine in a mini-PCIe slot. The goal of this add-in card is to provide an FPGA like device that handles streaming data conversion rather than relying on the CPU which might take away the frame rate of the game being played.

MSI is claiming that this add on has a $150 value, and it is an interesting thing to see on a motherboard straight out of the box. The Gaming 9 AC will come with a 2 year Premium Licence to XSplit, and the Gaming 7 will have a six month equivalent. The WiFi module will be a 2T2R 802.11ac implementation, alongside a Killer network port with bundled traffic shaping software.

The sole member of the ‘classic’ range from MSI at launch will be the aforementioned X99S SLI PLUS, which will be one of the first X99 motherboards we review for the platform. MSI is keen to point out that the SLI PLUS, the MPower and XPower AC are all certified with a number of Xeon E5 v3 processors for prosumers. The SLI PLUS has also been put through its paces by extreme overclockers and hit 6253 MHz:

The final pricing list at launch is as follows:

MSI X99S Gaming 9 AC: $430 / £300

Gallery: MSI X99S Gaming 9 AC

MSI X99S XPower AC: $400 / £280

Gallery: MSI X99S XPower AC

MSI X99S Gaming 7: $290 / £200

Gallery: MSI X99S Gaming 7

MSI X99S MPower: $NA / £190

Gallery: MSI X99S MPower

MSI X99S SLI PLUS: $230 / £160

Gallery: MSI X99S SLI PLUS

I kind of want MSI to come to market with a micro-ATX motherboard as well, and I have no doubt that a Gaming 3 or Gaming 5 might be on the way. It would be interesting if we saw an ECO MSI X99 board, in white or green, although power efficiency is not one of Haswell-E’s strengths.

We hope to review most of these motherboards during their life cycle, particularly that Gaming 9 AC. First up will be the SLI PLUS, so stay tuned for that review.

Most of Intel's announcements lately have focused on low-power chips, but every now and again it throws a bone to its high-end desktop users. Today we're getting our first look at Haswell-E and a new Core i7 Extreme Edition CPU, a moniker reserved for the biggest and fastest of Intel's consumer and workstation CPUs (if you want something faster than that, you'll need to start looking at Xeons).

We already got a little bit of information on these chips back in March, when Intel made announcements related to refreshed Haswell chips ("Devil's Canyon") and a handful of other desktop processors. Though much of today's information has already leaked, we'll run down the most important stuff for those of you who don't follow every leaked slide that makes its way to the public.

The CPUs

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Today marks the release of Intel’s latest update to its Extreme processor line with a trio of Haswell-E models including Intel’s first consumer socketed 8-core product. This is the update from Ivy Bridge-E, which includes an IPC increase, a new X99 chipset, the first consumer platform with DDR4 memory, and a new CPU socket that is not backwards compatible. We managed to get all three CPUs ahead of launch to test.

Flights may resume as alert over Iceland volcano is lowered from red to orange.

Bill Bradford / flickr

The majority of patent lawsuits today are brought by "patent trolls" that do nothing but sue—but suits between actual competitors do still happen.

Case in point: AT&T has sued Cox Communications, saying that Cox has infringed seven AT&T patents covering everything from DVRs to methods for hiding "packet loss or frame erasure" over a network.

In its complaint (PDF), AT&T claims it "provided a detailed explanation" of how Cox's products infringe its patents during meetings that took place in 2009 and 2010.

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That grey blob on the right side is actually a second analog stick.

Continuing its tradition of splitting its portable hardware partway through its lifecycle, Nintendo today announced that a new version of its 3DS line, simply called the "new Nintendo 3DS," will be coming to Japan on October 11.

The new model features a number of internal and external hardware improvements. Much like the Game Boy Color before it, the new 3DS has a slightly improved CPU from the version that preceded it, though Nintendo didn't say specifically just how much more powerful. While the new revision will still support all existing 3DS and DS games, it will also be required to run some exclusive games, such as a newly announced port of the Wii's Xenoblade Chronicles.

The new 3DS sports some new features on the outside as well. A smaller, second analog nub, dubbed the "c-stick" in a nod to the old Nintendo GameCube, sits on the right side of the system, just above the face buttons. This addition removes the need to buy a bulky analog pad attachment for certain games, such as Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate.

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The songbook of the damned—or at least of the employed. CN.dart.call("xrailTop", {sz:"300x250", kws:["top"], collapse: true});

"For thirty-seven years," reads the opening passage in the book, "the gatherings and conventions of our IBM workers have expressed in happy songs the fine spirit of loyal cooperation and good fellowship which has promoted the signal success of our great IBM Corporation in its truly International Service for the betterment of business and benefit to mankind."

That’s a hell of a mouthful, but it’s only the opening volley in the war on self-respect and decency that is the 1937 edition of Songs of the IBM, a booklet of corporate ditties first published in 1927 on the order of IBM company founder Thomas Watson, Sr.

The 1937 edition of the songbook is a 54-page monument to glassey-eyed corporate inhumanity, with every page overflowing with trite praise to The Company and Its Men. The booklet reads like a terribly parody of a hymnal—one that praises not the traditional Christian trinity but the new corporate triumvirate of IBM the father, Watson the son, and American entrepreneurship as the holy spirit:

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The United Nations Refugee Agency says Syria is the "the biggest humanitarian emergency of our era", with almost half of all Syrians forced to flee their homes.

Every quarter, Jon Peddie Research analyzes the market for graphics and gives us a chance to see where the industry is at. The market for discrete graphics is seasonal, much like other segments of technology, so it is important to compare them not only to the most previous quarter, but more importantly to the same quarter from last year. Q2 is often a weak time in the discrete graphics industry, and 2014 was no exception. For the quarter, the market for graphics cards dropped 17.5% compared to Q1 even though the desktop PC market actually grew 1.3%. On a year-to-year comparison, the discrete graphics market dropped 17.6%, as compared to the desktop PC market as a while which fell only 1.7%. The seasonal drop was higher than the ten year average.

The total number of Add-in boards (AIBs) shipped in Q2 was 11.5 million units, with AMD decreasing 10.7% from last quarter and NVIDIA decreasing 21%, however overall market share still shows NVIDIA holding strong at 62% compared to 37.9% for AMD. Remember this is for discrete graphics only with AIBs, so we will need to examine more data to get a feel for the entire market.

Discrete Graphics Market   AMD Matrox NVIDIA S3 Total Q2 2014 Shipments (Millions) 4.36 0.01 7.13 0.00 11.50 Q1 2014 Shipments (Millions) 4.90 0.00 9.10 0.00 14.00 Q2 2013 Shipments (Millions) 5.32 0.00 8.68 0.00 14.00 Q2 2014 vs Q1 2014 -10.7% flat -21% flat -17.5% Q2 2014 vs Q2 2013 -18% flat -17.9% -0.1% -17.5%

The attach rate of GPUs including integrated and AIBs was 139% which is up 3.2% from last quarter. 139% may seem too high, but practically all desktop, notebook, and x86 tablets ship with some form of integrated GPU, but many desktops and notebooks also have extra graphics, and some have more than one AIB attached as well, which is why the number is over 100%. 32% of PCs have discrete GPUs which means 68% of PCs sold are relying on integrated graphics.

Looking at the total market for all PCs, the numbers shift quite a bit. Intel, which has all of zero discrete graphics cards for sale, commands an amazing 67.34% of the total GPU market. AMD, who trailed NVIDIA in the discrete GPU market owns 17.94% of the market once you combine in the integrated graphics. NVIDIA, being that they only sell discrete graphics, and based on only 32% of PCs even having discrete graphics, falls to third with 14.72%.

Another data point we can use though would be the Steam Hardware and Software Survey. Steam, with over 75 million users, is far and away the largest gaming network on the planet. Every month, they collect opt-in anonymous data to get a feel for where the gaming industry is at. These kinds of data points would be very useful for developers to get a sense for where they can target the graphical fidelity of their upcoming games in order to hit their target market. On the Steam survey, the GPU manufacturer changes dramatically, with NVIDIA holding 50.93% of the market, Intel falling to 18.89%, and AMD holding the middle ground at 29.8%.

GPU Market   AMD Intel NVIDIA All Graphics 17.94% 67.34% 14.72% Discrete Graphics 37.9% 0% 62.0% Steam Users 29.8% 18.89% 50.93%

From the data, we can see some interesting trends. Integrated GPUs are unsurprisingly the bulk of the market. Intel is the volume king here, even though their integrated solutions are not as powerful as AMD APUs for graphics, but by the market share it appears that people are choosing CPU power and efficiency over GPU power for most devices. The majority of users who do not play any sort of graphical game can get by on just integrated graphics alone whether they are from AMD or Intel. Once you move to discrete cards, NVIDIA is a 2:1 seller of discrete graphics over the only other rival AMD. The greater than normal drop in AIBs when the PC market actually grew can most likely be attributed to an upswing in business PC sales which seems to be bringing the PC market back for the time being.

Sources:

Jon Peddie Research AIB Market

Jon Peddie Research GPU Market

Steam Hardware & Software Survey