IT-Code-News: IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 3/20/2012

Sony have a Tegra 3-powered tablet on the way? Already waving goodbye to their Tablet S
Sony's Tablet S and dual-screen Tablet P were released not long ago, featuring NVIDIA's Tegra 2 system-on-a-chip (SoC). Now it seems that Sony are working on their next-generation tablet, which should sport NVIDIA's Tegra 3 SoC. The new doesn't stop there, as it seems that a developer has run Nenamark 1 and the results have been unearthed by Japanese site, Ambelo.

If the news is true, it's called the Sony V150, according to the specifications of the Nenamark benchmark. The new Sony tablet rocks the quad-core Tegra 3, and is running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The display resolution seems to be the same as the Sony Tablet S, at 1280x752. The device was tested just once, and scored a total of 59.70.

Now we just have to decide, or hope, that this is something new from Sony and will make an appearance soon. In a sea of tablets with higher resolution displays such as the newly-released iPad, or ASUS' Transformer range.. it's strange to only sport 1280x752. Maybe it will hit a different price point ($350 and lower), we should know soon enough.

Pre-crime detection system being trialled in U.S., Tom Cruise is not involved
Minority Report fans, check in, please. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has started up a new initiative, Future Attribute Screening Technology (FAST), where it aims to use sensor technology to detect cues "indicative of mal-intent", as defined by the DHS, as intent or desire to cause real harm, "rapidly, reliably, and remotely". They would use it to, "fight terror".

What is the FAST system capable of? Well, it has the features to monitor physiological and behavioral cues without contact. This means it is capable of capturing data such as your heart rate and steadiness of gaze of passengers that are about to board a plane. With said cues, FAST can then run through algorithms in real-time to compute the probability than an individual is planning to commit a crime.

According to the science journal, Nature, the first round of field tests for the program was completed at an "undisclosed location" in the northeast several months ago, where in lab tests, FAST reported a 70-percent accuracy rate. Not too damn bad for what would be a first-gen attempt/device.

There is one "improvement", if you want to call it that, where the system's sensors are now "culturally neutral", according to the DHS. This is said to help eliminate racial profiling which is allegedly allowed by the TSA screening process in American airports today. I think the difference here is that the actual people working for the TSA are the racist ones, where a 'system', 'program', or 'A.I', would not be. It would most likely be able to pull down all of the information on the person from retina scans at a distance.

pre_crime_detection_system_being_trialled_in_u_s_tom_cruise_is_not_involved

Pulls down the persons details, scans through e-mail history, Facebook history, GPS data, all in real-time all with perfect algorithms so by the time you've checked in, it knows everything about you. More than you'd know about yourself, in exquisite detail.

Another major earthquake to happen on 22nd March?
This is something that I've been looking into for over 2 years now, and is mainly considered a "conspiracy theory". Conspiracy theories are interesting, until you start to find patterns, and facts, and science. These things cannot be just proven false, because what does the information mean if it's right here in front of you?

another_major_earthquake_to_happen_on_22_3

We have had, strangely enough, a 188-day cycle of earthquakes for quite some time now. Going back just 2 years, we've had:

9/15 - Fiji - 7.3

3/11 - Japan - 9.0

9/4 - NZ - 7.1

2/27 - Chile - 8.8

These events are scarily, 188 days apart. "Terral" is someone who is quite famous on YouTube and various conspiracy sites, where people like to rip him apart when he's wrong. But, we can't deny these earthquakes, and the fact they're happening 188 days apart. What he expects to happen, is the Earth's axis to actually shift five to six inches... which is quite the big event.

In the last big earthquake in Japan of 2011, we experienced a 9.0-magnitude earthquake, following tsunami, a nuclear event from Fukushima, and countless deaths. This caused a four-inch shift in the Earth's axis, where a three-inch shift happened in Chile. This means a five to six-inch axis shift would be quite catastrophic for wherever it hits.

Keep in mind that the differences in magnitude when you go up from 9.0 to 9.1 or 9.2 are absolutely intense. It's not like saying you're at 9.0MHz and you go up to 9.1, it's a 30-times more intense event. So it's like comparing 9MHz to 270MHz... quite the difference. And do a country that isn't prepared for a large-scale, super-destructive earthquake - this could be an absolutely gigantic event.

Where does he think it'll hit? He expects a "Pacific Ocean Event" when we (the Earth) align with our Sun, and this "heavy-mass object". This HMO, has been explained as the mysterious "Planet X" or "Nibiru" and has been the talk of the Internet for quite some time. Most people just throw it away, "oh it'll never happen", or "we'd see it by now", but if this thing was so cold that it didn't capture or reflect light, well then it could be very real indeed.

This means it would be invisible to the human eye, and only visible with a very powerful infrared telescope. Like the one in Antarctica. Could this explain why we've been seeing huge increases in solar activity? Huge increases in CMEs, Solar Flares, and the pathetic excuse of "Global Warming"? Is something coming, which we haven't been told of?

It is 2012 after all, and for as many people who will read this and think it's crazy and it cannot happen - all I ask is you do the research. Look up the numbers, believe that what you've been told isn't the 100-percent truth... what if this year there is a huge change? We're staring down the barrel with a war with Iran, a looking economic collapse that'll make the 2008 GFC look like a party in comparison.

I've been predicting (from countless hours of research) to my friends, and posting on my Facebook that we should expect something on March 22, but how does one prepare for such an event? You can't. But being aware of it is the biggest thing you can do. Being aware lets you get out. This is simply a message to be careful. Spread it to everyone you can - if we can save just a single life, isn't that better than doing nothing at all?

PayPal unveils 'PayPal Here' service, sports a free card processing app and card reader
PayPal have had the thirst for business for quite sometime now, and aren't just content with staying online, and so they should be. The company revealed their latest PayPal service: PayPal Here.

With PayPal Here, the service includes a free card processing app, as well as a unique triangle-looking thingo that attaches to most Android and iOS-based devices. From here, you can swipe a credit card at literally any location in the world, as long as you have Internet access.

This isn't something new in itself, but PayPal's transaction fee is: just 2.7-percent with no monthly fees. The 2.7-percent is universal to boot, which means you could use any card you like, including American Express, and you'll be charged just 2.7-percent of the total. At the moment, mobile card processing pioneer, Square, charges a universal 2.75-percent transaction fee.

Another competitot, Intuit's GoPayment charges 2.7-percent, but has higher fees if you're swiping an AMEX card. PayPal Here is being made available to the U.S., Canada, Australia and Hong Kong, but hasn't officially launched yet. At the moment, the new service is being tested by a couple of companies.

Lenovo wants to be the first out of the gate with a Windows 8 tablet, could release one as early as October
It is being reported that Lenovo will be the first manufacturer to release a Windows 8-based tablet, according to insiders at the company, says The Verge. Lenovo reportedly want to release a Windows 8 tablet as soon as Microsoft unleash Windows 8, and they believe it will happen in October.

The yet-unnamed tablet would sport an Intel-powered chip, but specifications beyond "it'll use an Intel chip" are unknown. CNET believe we could see Lenovo release their first Windows 8 tablet, IdeaPad Yoga, which is a prototype device that first popped up at CES 2012, which I was very impressed with. It sported a 13.3-inch display with a resolution of 1600x900 with 10 touch points.

What makes the Yoga stand out from the crowd is its flexibility (see what I did there?), where its display can flip over, letting the user either opt to use it as a full-blown notebook, or a full-blown touchscreen tablet. It's electronic heaven!

Into the Universe with Steven Hawking (2010) Blu-ray Movie Review

What happens when you take arguably the world's smartest man, some cutting edge CG animation, and the funding of the Discovery Channel? Well you get Into the Universe; one of the most thought provoking and engrossing documentary series' that has ever graced our television screens.

Combined, the three episodes Aliens, Time Travel and The Story of Everything total just on three hours, but there is rarely a dull moment to be endured. I braced myself for the likelihood that the material would be dry, or just go completely over my head, but I am pleased to say that my primitive cerebrum handled most of the concepts, even if it did hurt to think so deeply. A mind as complex as Steven Hawking would be relatively difficult to distill to the ordinary lay man, let alone in three brief hours, but Into the Universe is intriguing and thoroughly engrossing.

Whilst the brevity of the series does not allow for much in the way of in-depth (again, in the context of Hawking's mind), I'd like to think that the series will introduce some to the key concepts which can be expanded upon in Hawking's further materials, including the bestselling novel "A brief History of Time" should they be willing. I'd certainly like to, but I'm not sure I have the requisite mind to follow through.

For those wishing to look at the universe with their eyes widened just that little bit more, I couldn't recommend Into the Universe any more highly.

Video

Into the Universe is presented in the aspect ratio of 1.78:1 (its original aspect ratio) and encoded with AVC compression. Note that the transfer is presented in 1080i, as opposed to the usual 1080p.

The shot-on-digital transfer scrubs up well. Many scenes feature some level of digital tinkering (which reminds me - I should learn Adobe After Effects too), and the outright CGI sequences encode nicely.

My only real complaint is that it seems a slight toll has been taken to squeeze the three hours of footage onto a single layer disc, with semi-frequent compression artefacts and a few other nasties, including aliasing (probably a result of the interlaced origins). It really would have been preferable to let the series breathe over a dual layer 50GB disc.

Certainly, this is no demonstration worthy documentary like Planet Earth or Frozen Planet; but at most points it exceeded my expectations.

Overall, a fine enough transfer.

Audio

The main audio track is encoded with DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 at 24 bits.

Based on the subject matter, I hope I could be excused for under-estimating the sonic abilities of this audio track. Far from being a centre channel narrator, along with some basic, documentary worthy synthesized music, Into the Universe sounds really quite nice on Blu-ray. Whilst the majority of the soundstage is confined to the front, there are from time to time some impressive examples of surround use, especially to accompany some of the CG sequences.

The music composed by Sheridan Tongue does a good job of piquing interest and is mixed in well.

For a documentary series, what is on offer is fairly impressive and certainly more than adequate.

Extras

Unfortunately, there are no bonus features on the single disc release.

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Lumines: Electronic Symphony PlayStation Vita Review

When it comes to musical rhythm games, Q entertainment knows what they are doing. First launching with the PSP, Lumines has become a classic gaming hit due to its addictive gameplay, fantastic soundtrack and suitability for portable gameplay. With the launch of the PlayStation Vita, Q? entertainment have gone back to the well along with Ubisoft and crafted Electronic Symphony. Whilst the core of the Lumines franchise remains the same, there is enough in this package to justify yet another purchase of this fantastic series.

For those who may have never played a Lumines game, the aim is to build blocks of the same colour that will then eliminate them. It works a bit like Tetris aside from the fact that you are matching colours not building lines. As those colours match, the lines will eliminate and the music may change, depending on how far into the level you are.

Lumines: Electronic Symphony introduces touch gameplay for the first time. Whilst most of the game can be controlled by the regular controls of the PlayStation Vita, you can if you wish move the blocks via the touch screen. This sometimes can feel a bit more intuitive than the regular controls, but we found a combination of both was the best solution. One frustrating aspect about this is that the menus force you to use the touch screen.

Lumines: Electronic Symphony also introduces game modes other than the main journey mode. In the journey mode you continue through various themes and soundtracks until you fail. As you reach those songs, they are unlocked for use in other game modes and to say Lumines: Electronic Symphony has a brilliant soundtrack is an understatement. Songs include the brilliant "Played-A-Live by Safri Duo" (which fits the Lumines world incredibly well), "Hey Boy Hey Girl" by the Chemical Brothers and "Yesterday when I was Mad" by the Pet Shop Boys to name just a few.

As well as the journey mode, Lumines: Electronic Symphony includes some unique game modes that are new to the series. One of the more interesting modes is the world block. Each day, the game will generate a huge block full of Lumines blocks. As players are online and playing the game, the block reduces in size until it disappears. If you contribute to the destruction of the block, you gain experience that can unlock new weapons for you to use in the journey mode.

There is also the ability to play through the themes by themselves to up your score and also against the clock where you try and score as many points as possible in the time frame that you set. These modes are perfect for pick up and play. Whereas with the journey mode you can be going for half an hour or more if you get on a roll (making it not the most suitable for mode for short trips), you can set a limit of say six minutes so you know when the game will finish. And if you want to take the game to the next level it also has a master mode where the blocks come faster and the chains are not as easy to create.

Visually Lumines: Electronic Symphony is impressive. Although the PSP game did very well for the technology, the PlayStation Vita takes this to the next level with some visual effects that really bring home the visual and aural experience of the game. It's as much about how the game looks as to how it sounds which leads to the addictive nature of the game. The soundtrack as mentioned before is one of the game's best features and even if you don't like the soundtrack when looking at a list, it will probably grow on you over time, especially once the addictive gameplay gets to you.

Lumines: Electronic Symphony is very much like the old games and in some ways that can be seen as a negative. However, Lumines has always been a game that relies so much on its addictive nature and familiarity that it's hard to see where they could have improved the game. The changes on Vita including the world block and the touch screen controls may not be enough to consider the game value enough if you already have the old games, but on its own, Lumines: Electronic Symphony is a fantastic PlayStation Vita game.

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MSI Announces the All-New Intel 7 Series Motherboards
World renowned computer manufacturer MSI announces today motherboard products based on Intel's Z77/H77/B75 series chipsets, with support for the new generation of 22 nm process CPUs featuring PCI Express Gen3 specification. The all-new Military Class III products utilizes high-specification components that meet MIL-STD-810G's seven rigorous testing standards, and have passed certification by credible third party laboratories, providing the best quality and stability.

The complete product line includes the high-end Z77 chipset: Z77A-GD80, Z77A-GD65, Z77A-GD55, Z77A-G45, Z77A-G43, the intermediate H77 chipset: ZH77-G43, H77MA-G43 and also the mainstream B75 chipset B75A-G43 and B75MA-P45. All products are equipped with MSI's exclusive one second overclocking tool, OC Genie II, and the UEFI / Windows-based dual-graphical interface ClickBIOS II, allowing enthusiasts to easily establish high performance and enjoy a hassle-free operating experience. Also found on the MSI 7-series motherboards is native USB 3.0 support, with better performance than external controllers. Additionally, the Z77A-GD80 is equipped with the all-new Thunderbolt interface from Intel, allowing multiple connections to monitors, storage devices, and even graphic cards, easily meeting the demands of various types of professional enthusiasts! The MSI 7-series motherboard's rich product line supports the newest specifications and components, making it the consumer's best choice!

Highest stability and quality components-Military Class III components

Continuing MSI's commitment to the product's stability and durability, MSI's 7 series motherboards also imported Military Class III components. In addition to importing Highly-conductive Polymerized Capacitors (Hi-c CAP), Super Ferrite Choke (SFC) and Solid Capacitors (Solid CAP), there is also the next generation DrMOS - DrMOS II. It is embedded with fully automatic dual-thermal protection; when the operating temperature reaches to about 115℃, an indicator on the motherboard will light up, warning the enthusiast to check MOSFET's cooling status; if the operating temperature reaches to about 130℃, the system will automatically power off, ensuring the motherboard will not be damaged from high temperature! These components all passed rigorous testing conducted by third party laboratories: extreme temperature, humidity, pressure, vibration and dropping; and have received the MIL-STD-810G Military Class certification, making MSI's Military Class III components the synonym for the highest quality and stability.

The easiest one sec overclocking technology - OC Genie II

MSI's exclusive OC Genie II technology only requires one second to generate amazing performance increase, and also release the CPU, iGPU and memory performance at the same time. Once enthusiasts have activated the OC Genie function on MSI's motherboard, it allows the iGPU's performance to increase by over 36%! In addition, OC Genie II decreases the PC booting time along with Intel Smart Response Technology, maximizing under the most stable situation and considerably saving enthusiast's time for system adjustment. The brand new My OC Genie function allows users set the overclocking settings manually for better performance.

Exclusively developed dual-interface integrated UEFI BIOS system tool - Click BIOS II

This is the world's first system tool that integrated UEFI BIOS and Windows application programs; it allows you to adjust system settings under different environments through the mouse or even the LCD touch panel. Click BIOS II is also the world's first BIOS that allows overclocking settings to be saved onto USB flash drives, and even allows overclocking enthusiasts to upload it to the internet and share it for other enthusiasts to use. It supports as many as 15 languages and is optimized for dozens of commercially available gaming mouse models. Such convenient and thoughtful functions are new technologies developed for MSI motherboards based on enthusiast needs.

New generation 32GB per second bandwidth - PCI Express Gen 3

MSI Intel 7 series mainboards support the latest PCI Express Gen 3 standard to deliver a staggering 32 GB/s of bandwidth, double that of the previous generation, as well as the next generation 22 nm processors. It allows users enjoy the latest standard for better use experience.

Advanced transfer specification - built-in USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt

The MSI 7-series motherboards' native USB 3.0 has better performance than 3rd party controllers, and offers greatly improved data transfer speeds! The MSI Z77A-GD80 even supports the newest Thunderbolt transfer interface. The bilateral bandwidth reaches as high as 10 Gbps, and with power able to be supplied, only one cable is required to connect peripherals such as high resolution monitors and large capacity external storage devices. It can conveniently and quickly backup large multimedia data, completely satisfying the needs of professional workers and computing enthusiasts.

Thoughtful overclocking design - Multi-BIOS II and Control Center II

MSI 7-series motherboards are equipped with the newest Multi-BIOS II technology; they have two complete built-in BIOS chips, allowing enthusiasts to use the switch on the motherboard to switch and boot up with the second BIOS when the first BIOS is lost or corrupted. Customized BIOS profiles can even be saved on individual chips, providing a safe and convenient design. Additionally, included on all 7-series boards is the Control Center II software, which monitor the operating speed, voltage and status of various components such as CPU/RAM/PWM and the system fan from one single intuitive interface. Control Center II also allows adjustment of the CPU voltage and frequency, completely opening up the overclocking potential! Monitoring tools such as V-Check Points - which can directly measure the voltage on the board - and Debug LED allows you to quickly grasp the motherboard's overall health and information, and the special HeatPipe thermal design can effectively eliminate high temperatures caused by overclocking.

High Fidelity multimedia specifications - THX TruStudio ProTM and Lucid Virtu MVP

The MSI Z77/H77/B75 series motherboards have built-in THX TruStudio Pro surround sound technology that enables the best audio quality reproduction, allowing you to have the most realistic dynamic sound field effects when watching Blu-ray movies, playing other multimedia or playing 3D games. Also, the MSI Z77-series motherboards support Lucid's Virtu MVP technology that can dynamically switch between the built-in graphics onboard the CPU and an add-in discrete graphics card, distributing system resources based on the user's performance needs.

If you want to know more details about MSI 7 series mainboards, please visit the website: http://event.msi.com/mb/7Series/.

SEGA to Offer Top Games on Origin
Electronic Arts (EA) Inc. announced today that SEGA will bring its most popular PC game titles to Origin, EA's direct-to-consumer gaming platform. SEGA's Total War Shogun 2: Fall of the Samurai is now available for pre-order to PC gamers on Origin.

In addition to SEGA, other new publishers joining Origin today include Team 17 Software Limited, Rebellion, Kalypso Media Digital Ltd. and more, bringing the number of game publishers and developers on Origin to 35 partners. PC downloadable titles from each of these partners will be available on Origin in the coming months.

"By partnering with publishers like SEGA, we're able to bring even more of the industry's best games to players on Origin," said Craig Rechenmacher, Vice President of Business Development and Marketing for Origin at EA. "With 11 million registered users around the world, Origin is fast becoming the destination for consumers looking for fresh new content to play with their friends."

"We're delighted to be partnering with Origin. The PC Market is continuing to grow and the prospect of offering the Total War franchise and the SEGA range of PC titles to the Origin audience is very exciting," commented John Clark, UK Managing Director and PC Digital Distribution Director at SEGA.

Origin offers fast and safe game downloads for many of the industry's most popular PC titles, including Mass Effect 3, Battlefield 3, Star Wars: The Old Republic, FIFA 12, Batman: Arkham City, Saints Row: The Third and Rift. In addition, Origin features provide a more dynamic and convenient play experience for the gamer. Beyond the fast download capability, automatic log-in and built-in customer service, Origin in-game overlay and chat features make for a more lively social experience, and cloud saves let gamers save and continue games from any computer, anytime, anywhere. Live streaming demos on Origin also allow gamers to try some games before they buy.

For more information about Origin, please visit http://www.origin.com.

New iPad Arrives in the US & Nine Additional Countries on Friday
CUPERTINO, California―March 14, 2012―Apple® today announced the new iPad®, the third generation of its category defining mobile device, will arrive at Apple's retail stores and the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com) on Friday, March 16 at 8:00 a.m. local time in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland and the UK; along with Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

The new iPad features a stunning new Retina display, Apple's new A5X chip with quad-core graphics and a 5 megapixel iSight® camera with advanced optics for capturing amazing photos and 1080p HD video and still delivers the same all-day 10 hour battery life* while remaining amazingly thin and light. iPad Wi-Fi + 4G supports ultrafast 4G LTE networks in the US and Canada, and fast 3G networks around the world including those based on HSPA+ and DC-HSDPA.** Additionally, iPad 2 is available at a more affordable price starting at just $399.

Every customer who buys a new iPad at an Apple retail store will be offered free Personal Setup service, helping them customize their iPad by setting up email, loading new apps from the App Store and more, so they'll be up and running with their new iPad before they leave the store. Personal Pickup, available at Apple retail stores in the US and a feature of the free Apple Store® app, lets iPad customers shop and buy from anywhere they are, then pick up their purchase at any Apple retail store. In the US the new iPad will also be available at Best Buy, Radio Shack, Sam's Club, Target and Walmart.

Pricing & Availability

The new iPad Wi-Fi models will be available in black or white starting on Friday, March 16 for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for the 16GB model, $599 (US) for the 32GB model, and $699 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad Wi-Fi + 4G for ultrafast 4G LTE networks in the US and Canada and fast 3G networks around the world including those based on HSPA+ and DC-HSDPA, will be available for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad will be sold in the US through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple's retail stores, and select Apple Authorized Resellers. Additionally, the incredible iPad 2 is now offered at a more affordable price of $399 (US) for the 16GB Wi-Fi model and just $529 (US) for the 16GB Wi-Fi + 3G model. iOS 5.1 and iTunes® 10.6 are currently available as free software updates. iPhoto®, iMovie® 1.3 and GarageBand® 1.2 are now available for $4.99 (US) each from the App Store (www.itunes.com/appstore). Keynote® 1.6, Pages® 1.6 and Numbers® 1.6 are available for $9.99 (US) each from the App Store. Updates are available for free to existing customers.

Starting March 23 the new iPad will be available in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macau, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

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Tuesday, March 20, 2012

IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 3/20/2012

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