IT-Code-News: IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 19/07/2012

TiVo purchases media marketing and analytics software company, TRA, for a cool $20 million
The company behind that very popular digital video recorder, TiVo, announced that they have agreed to acquire media marketing an analytics software company, TRA. The deal will see TiVo pay approximately $20 million for TRA.

TRA offers a platform that matches 2 million households of TV-tuning data with consumer purchase data, which enables its clients to find the program audience that actually buys the advertised products. In a nut shell, they improve TV advertising effectiveness, which is why TiVo is very interested in them, and plonking down $20 million for them.

Once the acquisition is complete, TiVo have said they will create a new unit called 'TiVo Research and Analytics' (TRA). Works out well, don't you think? This new unit should be opened later this month, when the deal is closed.

Windows Phone 7's US market share still doesn't fare well
Nielsen, an analyst firm, have their latest numbers for the U.S. smartphone market in Q2 2012, with numbers showing that for Q2, smartphone adoption continues to increase with 2 in 3 new customers grabbing a smartphone.

But, the Windows Phone 7 numbers are the most interesting bit of this new data, where the mobile OS holds just 1.3-percent of the market. Nokia itself has only 1.2-percent of smartphone owners, and that's considering the amount of marketing that Nokia have pushed with their Lumia series of devices.

We have RIM's BlackBerry handsets having a nice 9-percent of the US smartphone market, with Motorola, HTC and Samsung enjoying 11-, 14- and 17-percent, respectively. Apple takes the crown by enjoying a nice 34-percent of the US smartphone market pie. If we look at operating systems, Android takes the crown, with a hefty 51.8-percent of the market, and 54.6-percent of new customers taking an Android-based handset.

iOS is in second place, with 34.3- and 36.3-percent of the market, and new customers, respectively. RIM is way behind with 8.1-percent of the market, and 4.0-percent of the market, and "others" which would be everyone else is a slither of the pie at just 5.9-percent of the market, and a low 5-percent of the market.

Battlefield 4 beta arrives in fall 2013
Yesterday we reported that the Battlefield 4 beta was teased on Origin, where it would be released with Medal of Honor: Warfighter. But now EA has stepped in and confirmed that those who pre-order Medal of Honor: Warfighter Limited Edition, will receive beta access to Battlefield 4 in fall 2013.

Frank Gibeau, President of EA Labels says:

Though Battlefield and Medal of Honor Warfighter each offer players a completely unique experience, they are united by their underlying technology base - Frostbite. These are two of the hottest shooters, coming together to deliver a one-two punch of action, intensity and shooter entertainment.

This may disappoint some, but now we have some serious confirmation of Battlefield 4. Let's hope that EA really amp the game up, and don't just release some new maps, and guns and re-polish Battlefield 3. Excited yet?

Dishonored has some great PC customization options
Back in April, Arkane Studios' teased the debut trailer to Dishonored. Then, it was only last month that Arkane Studios talked of the PC standards being "a religion", and that the PC version will get its own interface. Now we're hearing more of the fruits of this developers labor.

We can now see just how much Arkane Studios' passion for PC gamers has leaked into Dishonored. The official Bethesda blog offers a look into Dishonored PC's customization options, and there is quite a lot of them. In the above screenshot, you can really see the length to which Arkane Studios have gone. UI options allow the gamer to disable HUD elements one by one. This allows the best balance between hand-holding, and immersion.

Arkane are also offering the following:

The FOV slider for changing your field of view. (PC Only)
Controller and mouse sensitivity options, as well as four different options related to auto aim strength and aim assist.
The mouse smoothing/acceleration slider and enable/disable options. (PC only).
Graphics options for the full spectrum of monitor resolutions, anti-aliasing, and various other graphical toggles. (PC only).

PC gamers also luck out with an exclusive "shortcut bar", which will pop up when shortcut keys (which are mapped to 1-10 by default). The shortcut bar also gives players "a more familiar interface to select your powers and gadgets". You'll also be able to select items through a console-style "Quick Access Wheel", which will pop up when you press the middle mouse button.

All of this news of Dishonored, and its PC love, will definitely get a day-one purchase from me.

Microsoft announces that Office Home and Student 2013 will be bundled on all Windows RT tablets
Microsoft unveiled the new Office yesterday, and also announced that all tablet or hybrid devices that feature Windows RT will receive a copy of the new Office 2013 (Word, Excel, Power Point and OneNote) for free.

This is a great deal, and should secure Microsoft millions upon millions of sales of new hardware. It helps those who were, or are hesitant of upgrading, and scared that the new tablets won't run legacy programs written for Intel's x86 platform.

Microsoft's move to offer Office 2013 for free on all Windows RT-based devices is just a very slick move. We haven't seen anything like this from the company before, and I'm pretty sure none of the competition (I'm looking at you Apple, and Google) offer full-fledged productivity suites, for free, on their devices.

ASRock Z77E-ITX Mini-ITX (Intel Z77) Motherboard Review

Introduction

Moving back onto the Intel Z77 motherboard pile again we're going to be looking at a board that took my fancy a while ago. The ASRock Z77E-ITX is as the name might suggest a Mini-ITX based motherboard which of course means it comes in at a very small size.

With companies like BitFenix releasing Mini-ITX cases like the Prodigy, we're seeing a shift in where people can now have these tiny little systems that still have room for large dual slot video cards. No longer does having a small PC mean that you have to be contempt with a slow PC.

Today we're going to find out just how this ASRock Mini-ITX board goes against some larger ATX based motherboards to see what we're losing when we move to such a small form factor, if we are losing anything at all.

The first thing we're going to do is take a look at the box, cover some of the main features that are present on the board and move inside to see what's going on with the bundle. Once we've done that we'll take a closer look at the board itself to see what this small board is able to offer us.

From there it's time to check out the BIOS to find out what our options look like and we'll of course check out the overclocking area before we move into the testbed and then the overclocking capabilities of the board. First, though, as we mentioned let's check out the package and see some of the main features that are offered from the ASRock Z77E-ITX.

Package

On the front we can see it's all about the 555 XFast technology that ASRock has been promoting for a while. Turning over we can see that the 555 XFast technology is expanded upon.

Along with that you can see we've got Lucid Virtu MVP technology, Intel Smart Connect and Rapid Start Technology along with Premium Gold Caps, something we've seen ASRock offer on more and more of their boards. You can also see some of the other main features include Digi Power, Internet Flash, mSATA and WiFi 802.11 b / g / n.

Moving inside the box you can see we've got the normal line up of paperwork along with some more information on 555 XFast and Lucid VIRTU MVP alongside the driver CD. In the cable department you can see we've got two SATA cables along with a DVI to VGA connector and the standard I/O panel.

Finally we finish up with a WiFi antenna that goes into the back of the motherboard. We'll cover that a little more later on, but you get a good idea looking above what exactly we're dealing with.
... Read the rest in your browser!

Sharkoon Launches X-Tatic S7 Headset with Dolby Pro Logic II Support
With the Sharkoon X-Tatic S7, Sharkoon has thankfully updated the sound format by providing two additional sound channels for authentic and room-filling 7.1 surround sound. The headset supports the new "Dolby ProLogic" version IIx, which combined with "Dolby Headphone" technology generates authentic and room-filling 7.1 Sound for stereo headsets from analog stereo signals and digital 5.1 Dolby Digital signals.

In addition, Sharkoon has replaced the previous USB2.0 cable for an included USB2.0 Y-cable, providing a stable energy supply to the headset via a second USB port for current or weaker sound sources.

The Sharkoon X-Tatic S7 also includes its predecessor's proven features.

With its versatile Sound Control Unit and extensive cable set, the headset is designed for use on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and supports the voice chat feature on both consoles. But in addition to PCs, Notebooks and - in the absence of a USB interface with optional USB power adapter - DVD players, tablet PCs, smartphones and MP3/MPV players it also includes high-quality 40 mm neodymium speakers, a cable integrated amplifier and Dolby Headphone audio experience with a diverse sound options. The flexible, detachable microphone, the cushioned, rotating and pivoting ear cups, the adjustable headband and the more than four meter long cable ensure a flexible operation and a high-level of wearing comfort. On top of everything else, the color scheme of black with red applications gives the Sharkoon X-Tatic S7 an exciting look.

End customers will find the Sharkoon X-Tatic S7 available for the suggested retail price of 119.90 euros from authorized retailers.

ZOTAC Unveils GeForce GT 630 and GT 640 ZONE Series Silent Graphics Cards
ZOTAC International, a global innovator and channel manufacturer of graphics cards, mainboards and mini-PCs, today ushers in a new era of quiet computing with the ZOTAC GeForce GT 640 ZONE Edition and GeForce GT 630 ZONE Edition graphics cards. The ZOTAC GeForce GT 640 ZONE Edition redefines quiet computing with a new video processing engine and supercharged architecture to create the perfect card for home theater PC and everyday use while the ZOTAC GeForce GT 630 ZONE Edition delivers an outstanding value to quiet computing users.

Packing a new enhanced video processing engine, the ZOTAC GeForce GT 640 ZONE Edition takes the home theater PC to the new 4K era with 4K video decoding capabilities for stunning details and smooth playback of high-resolution video up to 4096x2160 resolution. A new NVEnc video encoding engine integrated in the ZOTAC GeForce GT 640 accelerates video encoding tasks for lightning-fast video conversions and transcoding, with compatible software.

"The new ZOTAC GeForce GT 640 ZONE Edition is our new silent powerhouse graphics card perfect for home theater PC usage," said Carsten Berger, marketing director, ZOTAC International. "By coupling 4K video decoding capabilities with the new NVEnc encoding engine, we're able to deliver a completely silent graphics card that lets users connect to 4K displays and view native 4K video content flawlessly - there's also extra power available to accelerate video transcoding to quickly put your video content on portable media devices and smartphones."

Triple-display support with NVIDIA Surround technology makes the ZOTAC GeForce GT 640 ZONE Edition a productivity booster by maximizing computing efficiency and enabling simultaneous displays of multiple application windows. NVIDIA CUDA technology accelerates compatible video and image editing applications on the ZOTAC GeForce GT 640 ZONE Edition to quickly and smoothly apply effects without making a single fan-whisper.

The ZOTAC GeForce GT 630 ZONE Edition is available for less demanding users that desire silence, adequate performance and outstanding features at an excellent value.

It's time to play with the ZOTAC GeForce GT 640 ZONE Edition and GeForce GT 630 ZONE Edition.

For more information, visit the product pages of GT 630 ZONE Edition and GT 640 ZONE Edition

SteelSeries Sensei [RAW] Gaming Mouse Available Now
SteelSeries, the leading manufacturer of premium-quality, competitive gaming peripherals, today announced that the SteelSeries Sensei [RAW] Glossy and Rubberized Editions are available now online for $59.99/ €59.99 in the SteelSeries Web Shop.

The SteelSeries Sensei [RAW] features the core essentials of a premium-quality gaming mouse, but for users that may not require all of the customization that the 32 bit ARM processor inside of the SteelSeries Sensei has to offer. The Sensei [RAW] will provide users with the same Sensei shape and size as well as:

● BEST-IN-CLASS HARDWARE

From tournament-grade switches for intense clicking, to a pro-grade laser sensor and a CPI range from 1-5,700, the SteelSeries Sensei [RAW] delivers the best in gaming performance. Flip it over to find XL-sized UPE material feet for a smooth and consistent glide. Give it a tug or roll over it with your desk chair; the 6.5ft anti-tangle black and white cord is braided nylon.

● ILLUMINATION

Its bright-white LED illumination is featured in 3 zones and can be configured with multiple levels of pulsation. Powered by the SteelSeries Engine software suite, users are equipped with advanced customization options and the ability to create and store an unlimited number of profiles.

● GRIP OPTIONS

The SteelSeries Sensei [RAW] has an ambidextrous, all-grip design and is available in 2 different versions, each offering a very distinct feel for the user. For gamers who worry about sweaty palms, the SteelSeries Sensei [RAW] Rubberized features a rubberized black, hand-sweat resistant coating that allows for an exceptional grip and soft-touch comfort even during the most frantic gaming sessions. The SteelSeries Sensei [RAW] Glossy features a glossy black, smooth exterior that both looks and feels sleek.

EVGA Celebrates its 13th Anniversary with $70k+ Sweepstakes
EVGA is celebrating its 13th Anniversary and the way we like to do that is by thanking our community and giving away tons of prizes for participating in tons of games. We have so many prizes to giveaway that the list is too long to include here...but they all add up to more than an incredible $70k!

Our 13th Anniversary Grand Prize that will see three lucky winners sent undercover to Florida, USA, for an unforgettable 007 Mission Experience. Each of our Secret Service agents will be swept away in limos, scooped up in helicopters, sent tumbling in stunt planes and thrust through the waves in offshore raceboats.

To find out if '13' could prove lucky for you, make sure you join in all the fun. Here's a summary of the sweepstakes we've organized to celebrate:

(1) EVGA's 13th Anniversary Scavenger Hunt
Find 10 Gold Ribbons, answer 10 questions, and if you attain all 10 'checked' Gold Ribbons then you're eligible for the random drawing for the 007 Mission Experience Grand Prize. But that's not all - we've also lined up SEVEN top-of-the-range, complete system prizes to give away, plus gaming PCs, cases, graphics cards, motherboards, tablets, memory kits, gaming headsets, and much, much more! For details, visit: http://www.evga.com/13/scavenger/

(2) EVGA's 13th Anniversary YouTube Contest
Calling all budding filmmakers and animators. Create an EVGA and GeForce GTX themed spot for a chance to win an EVGA GeForce GTX 670, Acer 23" 3D-Ready Monitor, NVIDIA 3D Vision Kit and an Acer 10" Tegra Tablet. Plus, we have lots more Acer Tegra Tablets for runners up prizes. To find out more, visit:
http://www.evga.com/13/youtube/

(3) EVGA Anniversary Wallpaper Contest
Flex your design skills and create a wallpaper with an EVGA and GeForce® GTX theme, then comment on your favourite entries at EVGA's Flickr page http://www.flickr.com/photos/teamevga/. You could win an Acer 23" 3D-Ready Monitor and NVIDIA 3D Vision kit. Plus, there are lots of fantastic runners up prizes. To sign up and find out more, visit:
http://www.evga.com/13/wallpaper/

(4) EVGA Gaming All Server Anniversary Event
Sign up and play Battlefield 3 on EVGA's game servers at any time between 16 July and 31 July 2012 to qualify. This is not a competition or tournament, we just want our community to have a great time gaming with other members and to have a chance at winning some cool prizes from Intel®, Razer and EVGA. To find out more, visit http://www.evga.com/13/gaming/ and then start gaming at the official EVGA Gaming site, at: http://www.evga.com/gaming/

(5) Thumbs Up Anniversary Event
Like EVGA and Intel on Facebook anytime from now until the end of July, and enter our Thumbs Up Anniversary Event for a chance to win even more great prizes from Intel® and EVGA. To find out more, visit: http://www.evga.com/13/facebook/

Then go to EVGA's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/TEAMEVGA and click on the EVGA 13th Anniversary Event app.

For more information on the sweepstakes, visit EVGA's 13th Anniversary Event homepage, and also see a full list of our generous sponsors: http://www.evga.com/13/

Intel Reports Second-Quarter Revenue of $13.5 Billion
Intel Corporation today reported quarterly revenue of $13.5 billion, operating income of $3.8 billion, net income of $2.8 billion and EPS of $0.54. The company generated approximately $4.7 billion in cash from operations, paid dividends of $1.1 billion and used $1.1 billion to repurchase stock.

"The second quarter was highlighted by solid execution with continued strength in the data center and multiple product introductions in Ultrabooks and smartphones," said Paul Otellini, Intel president and CEO. "As we enter the third quarter, our growth will be slower than we anticipated due to a more challenging macroeconomic environment. With a rich mix of Ultrabook and Intel-based tablet and phone introductions in the second half, combined with the long-term investments we're making in our product and manufacturing areas, we are well positioned for this year and beyond."

Business Outlook

Intel's Business Outlook does not include the potential impact of any business combinations, asset acquisitions, divestitures or other investments that may be completed after July 17.

Q3 2012 (GAAP, unless otherwise stated)

Revenue: $14.3 billion, plus or minus $500 million.

Gross margin percentage: 63 percent and 64 percent Non-GAAP (excluding amortization of acquisition-related intangibles), both plus or minus a couple of percentage points.

R&D plus MG&A spending: approximately $4.6 billion.

Amortization of acquisition-related intangibles: approximately $80 million.

Impact of equity investments and interest and other: approximately zero.

Depreciation: approximately $1.6 billion.

Full-Year 2012 (GAAP, unless otherwise stated)

Revenue up between 3 percent and 5 percent year over year, down from the prior expectation for high single-digit growth.

Gross margin percentage: 64 percent and 65 percent Non-GAAP (excluding amortization of acquisition-related intangibles), both plus or minus a couple points.

Spending (R&D plus MG&A): $18.2 billion, plus or minus $200 million, down $100 million from prior expectations.

Amortization of acquisition-related intangibles: approximately $300 million, unchanged.

Depreciation: $6.3 billion, plus or minus $100 million, down $100 million from prior expectations.

Tax Rate: approximately 28 percent, unchanged.

Full-year capital spending: $12.5 billion, plus or minus $400 million, unchanged.

Available Tags:Market Share , Windows Phone , Windows , Microsoft , ASRock , ZOTAC , GeForce , Gaming , EVGA , Intel ,

Thursday, July 19, 2012

IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 19/07/2012

Introduction

Package

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