The latest Darwin Award winner has emerged out of Minnesota: Pedro Ruiz III thought it would be a great idea to let his girlfriend, Monalisa Perez, fire a Desert Eagle round at his chest to determine whether it would be powerful enough to pierce the book he was holding. Who will play them in the inevitable biopic?



As part of a young couple’s quest for YouTube fame, a 19-year-old woman shot at a book her boyfriend was holding against his chest, killing him at close range outside their northwestern Minnesota home. Ruiz held up the book – described by County Attorney James Brue as a hardcover encyclopedia – and Perez pulled the trigger on a .50-caliber Desert Eagle pistol, trying to see whether the bullet would go through, according to the criminal complaint. The Desert Eagle is described by retailer Cabela’s in an online ad as “one of the world’s most powerful semiautomatic handguns.”

Discussion

Source: [H]ardOCP – Minnesota Woman Fatally Shoots Boyfriend in Failed YouTube Video Stunt

In a nice change of pace from recent drama between fans and publishers/developers (e.g., Take-Two and the GTA mod ordeal), the team behind Installation 01 (a fan-made artistic tribute to Halo that recreates the multiplayer experience of the Bungie-era games) has announced in a blog post titled “Friends in High Places” that Microsoft and 343 Industries has no plans to derail their work in any way, so long as no profit (donations, merchandise) comes from it. Installation 01 has been in development since the end of 2013, but no release date has been announced.



…we have been ensured that Installation 01 is not under imminent legal threat, provided we remain non-commercial in nature and scope, and continue to follow Microsoft’s Game Content Usage Rules to the letter. We are now able to say with certainty that Installation 01 will never be accepting donations. We also will not be selling i01 or Halo related merchandise. This is to keep a respectful distance between us and Microsoft’s intellectual property. It is also important to note that these rules and assurances from 343 are specific to Installation 01 as a project, and should not be interpreted to apply elsewhere.

Discussion

Source: [H]ardOCP – 343 Industries Gives Legal Blessing for Fan-Made Halo Game “Installation 01”

Data from Ventro Analytics suggests that Mac envy is rife: results from a survey show that over 20% of Windows users are planning to jump ship to Apple. In contrast, 98% of current Mac owners intend to remain on that platform. A look at different income brackets also reveals that those who earn over $150K are most likely to switch.



…no less than 25% of those with Windows desktop computers were planning to migrate to a macOS machine – and to do so within the next six months. Yes, you read that right: a quarter of all folks who were quizzed by the firm. And the figure wasn’t much smaller when it came to Windows laptop owners, with 21% saying that they intend to switch to a Mac (again within the next six months). On the flipside, and in marked contrast, 98% of those who currently own a Mac plan to stay with an Apple computer for their next purchase. So just 2% are intending a switch to Windows.

Discussion

Source: [H]ardOCP – Survey: Nearly a Quarter of Windows PC Owners Plan to Switch to Apple

Overclocker der8auer is contending that X299 boards have bad VRM coolers: temperatures reached as high as 100C on the board he tested. He estimates that the VRM modules are probably at Tjunction max, and the single 8-pin connectors on PSUs can hit 60C when overclocking the 10-core models. “If I take off the heat sink and just put a fan over it, there’s no problem whatsoever.”



Discussion

Source: [H]ardOCP – X299 VRM Coolers Are Being Described as a “Disaster”