Apple offers new build-to-order configuration options for Retina MacBook Pro
Apple have today expanded the available options for configuring a new Retina MacBook Pro. The company is now offering a heap of individual upgrade options on the base model that starts at $2199. Previously, if you wanted a base model rMBP, you were stuck with the 2.3GHz Core i7 model with 256GB of SSD storage, with the only configurable onboard option being a RAM upgrade from 8GB to 16GB for $200.
The CPU options can also get upped from the base 2.3GHz Core i7 to the 2.6GHz model for $100 extra, or for $350 extra you can get it ramped up to 2.7GHz. Memory options stay the same with an upgrade option to 16GB for the same $200. Apple still has a 1-2 week shipping estimate for the rMBP, as they try to keep up with demand. I really want one, but dumping down that much moola on a single product is hard.
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Google launches official Android blog, finally
Google have finally opened up an official Android blog, as up until now, all of the Android-based news had to find its home in the Google Mobile blog. Now, it has its own home, its own man cave, dungeon and experimental lab. Call it what you will, but Android has its own home within a blog.
A few months ago, we asked what content you wanted to see more of on the Google Mobile Blog, and the answer was quite clear: more Android! We launched +Android on Google+ and now we've launched the Official Android Blog, a new place for you to find all the latest news from the Android team.
Going forward, the new Android Blog will be a must-read for anyone interested in the latest news like today's Google Wallet announcement. Thanks for being such a great audience over the years.
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T-Mobile close to inking deal that will see them sell 7,000 cell towers for approximately $2 billion
If reports floating around are true, T-Mobile are close to inking a deal that would see them selling 7,000 cell towers for approximately $2 billion. Crown Castle International is the current lead bidder for the cell towers, reports the Wall Street Journal.
T-Mobile could also use some of the $2 billion to help build their 4G LTE infrastructure as part of a program that will see the company spend roughly $4 billion over the next few years. Rival bidders for the 7,000 cell towers are lead-bidder Crown Castle International, American Tower Corp. and Global Tower Partners. Once the deal is done, we should hear again and we'll keep you updated.
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Facebook release their 2011 energy usage report detailing your carbon footprint
You know what? I love numbers. I think this is why I love technology so much, specs, GHz, core clocks, frame rates, power consumption, I could go on forever. Social networking site, Facebook, have released their energy usage report for the year of 2011, with some interesting details.
Facebook's total energy usage from office space, data centers, and other facilities was approximately 532 million kWh. Greenhouse gas emissions, also known as our carbon footprint, comes from many different areas: data centers, office space, employee commuting, employee air travel, data center construction and server transportation totaled approximately 285,000 metric tonnes of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent, which includes greenhouse gases CO2, CH4, N2O, and HFCs).
Facebook expect to see an increased presence of clean and renewable sources powering their data center operations. The social network have set a company goal to derive at least 25-percent of their energy mix from clean and renewable sources by 2015.
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Minecraft's Notch joins in on the anti-Windows 8 campaign
So it looks like its not just Valve's Gabe Newell, or Blizzard who are against Microsoft's Windows 8, which just hit RTM, by the way. Minecraft developer Notch is cautious of the shift to the Windows Store, and third-party outlets.
If Microsoft decides to lock down Windows 8, it would be very, very bad for Indie games and competition in general. If we can keep open platforms around, there's going to be a lot of very interesting games in ten years, mixed in with the huge AAA games that we all love.Remember it wasn't that long ago that Valve founder Gabe Newell called Windows 8 a "catastrophe" for everyone in the PC space, and shortly after we had Blizzard's Rob Pardo saying that Windows 8 "is not awesome for Blizzard either". Notch's thoughts on Windows 8 seem to mirror those from Valve and Blizzard, two very PC-centric developers.
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COUGAR Introduces the Challenger Gaming Case
COUGAR, leading German PC case and power supply brand, officially announces their latest high-end PC gaming case, the COUGAR Challenger. The CHALLENGER mid-tower case is particularly targeting gamers demanding for huge upgradeability capacity, best airflow and optimized ventilation characteristics.
COUGAR's specific black and orange color combination paired with the large metal-mesh front bezel lend it an aggressive yet stylish appearance. But the ultimate design high-light is to be found right on the top of the case: to power up your computer you first have to lift a cover lid just like a pilot unlocks the missile button to fire. A safety feature to prevent accidental touch, which at the same time makes you feel in gaming mode right away. To play even most advanced games, the COUGAR CHALLENGER offers sufficient space for powerful graphics cards of up to 410 mm length.
To play even most advanced games, the COUGAR CHALLANGER offers sufficient space for powerful graphics cards of up to 410 mm length. This is achieved by a unique 3-Mode drive cage concept. In standard mode there is 300 mm of space, by using a special HDD track mechanism you can relocate the drive cage to you gain another 30 mm, and when removing it entirely you get the maximum of 410 mm.
It's already a given for COUGAR to provide for vented PCIe slots at the back, and have advanced ventilation options on the front bezel. But now the German brand goes one step further. Innovative air filters on the bottom PSU cover and the side panel prevent dust from entering the inside and piling up there, BUT on top of things, COUGAR made things much more effective and convenient. These filters are now attached on the outside with a magnetic mechanism, allowing for easiest assembly and disassembly. This way it is incredibly easy to take the dust filters off at any given time, without the need to open the case, and simply clean them under your water standpipe for a minute, dry them and put them back on. Deal done, and your ventilation has been re-optimized within minutes a not efforts at all. A large 20 cm intake LED-fan in the front and an 12 cm rear Turbine exhaust fan come pre-installed and therefore provide for excellent ventilation characteristics right out of the box.
As PC enthusiast and gamers are constantly working on improving and upgrading their systems, it is of utmost importance to always have easy and clean access to the entire system. Therefore the COUGAR Challenger comes with a huge cutout on the motherboard backplate, allowing for spacious room to install or exchange CPU coolers. In addition, the newly designed cable management keeps cables away from the setup and tunnels them in a way so users can easily keep track of their hardwares' lifelines and change them conveniently at will. As a matter of course, this also is precondition for optimized ventilation characteristics of the overall setup.
As liquid cooling is strongly coming back these days, COUGAR is taking these needs fully in account, giving users the thumbs up for highly advanced cooling solutions. A total of three liquid cooling hose holes on the rear panel allows for a maximum of accessibility. By default, COUGAR implements rubber protection of these holes, so users don't need to worry about potentially sharp edges cutting into the hoses by un-careful handling.
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Thecus Presents New Model N4510U 4-Bay Eco 1U Rackmount NAS
The new Thecus N4510U powered by Intel Atom with 2GB DDR3 RAM is a versatile 1U unit that offers enhanced performance, 4-bays for multiple RAID function, and link aggregation for easy expansion. It's perfect for the user who seeks a smaller NAS unit but requires the ability to integrate into a rack system.
The embedded Intel Atom CPU provides over-the-top performance to power on hungry NAS demands. In fact, utilizing a 64-bit driver allows the N4510U NAS to perform at its best. With HDMI output, USB 3.0 and hot-swap ability, the N4510U NAS packs powerful and dynamic features despite its 1U size. Attaching a TV tuner to the N4510U allows the ability to watch TV via your Thecus NAS. The flexibility of Thecus NAS elevates the user experience. In fact, not only watch TV but also record what you are watching directly to you NAS for instant media playback.
The N4510U is designed for users who require to attach their servers to a rack, opposed to stand alone units. Furthermore, the availability of advanced RAID functions really makes this device flexible. With 4-bays, this 1U NAS supports RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10 and JBOD, to offer advanced disk configuration and ensure data security.
As the N4510U offers HDMI output capability, it's no wonder playing multimedia files from the NAS is without a doubt, convenient. The N4510U supports local display module and third-party media players such as XBMC.
McAfee antivirus protection
Adding an antivirus to the already comprehensive software bundle will provide the necessary software protection by scanning the files on your NAS and defending it against possible threats. McAfee is the world's largest dedicated security technology company and shares Thecus' spirit of dedication and quality. By establishing a strong partnership with them, Thecus will allow users the benefit of McAfee's powerful software on their NAS entirely for free.
VMware Ready
VMware Ready certification means that Thecus products are fully compatible with VMware and are ready to run in a production environment to carry out mission critical business applications and operations. As data systems become larger and more complex, the importance of consolidation and simplification, efficiency and energy conservation will continue to grow.
iSCSI Thin-Provisioning
Get the most out of your storage space with the extreme speed of iSCSI and the efficiency of iSCSI thin-provisioning. Connect through iSCSI for the fastest data transfer speeds available and make wasted disk space a thing of the past with thin-provisioning flexible storage functionality.
Acronis, Data Guard and cloud backup
Thecus brings the best to the table with Acronis's advanced backup software. Back up all your data with One-click Protection or pick and choose only your most important files. Acronis sports a slick interface, user-friendly design, and comprehensive features to keep your data safe.
Data Guard backup solution is the ultimate software as it provides both local and remote parts. Currently, data is backed up across RAID volumes, external USB drives, and eSATA. In addition, Data Guard uses innovative technology to sync data across the network to other NAS and servers. More importantly, Thecus Data Guard is the total backup solution which makes managing NAS user-friendly and convenient.
The private and public clouds meet with Thecus' new DropBox, ElephantDrive and Amazon S3 cloud backup functionality! Guard your data with RAID at home and an additional level of protection in the Cloud. Just drag and drop files into the folder on your NAS and access them on any computer or mobile device with DropBox, ElephantDrive or Amazon S3.
Optional power, single or redundant
The N4510U is offered in two models, users can opt for a single powered (N4510U) or redundant powered (N4510U-R) unit. The choice provides flexibility for all users alike, regardless of requirements.
The new N4510U offers a powerful Intel Atom CPU to drive performance; users can ensure that their server is dependable when multitasking. The rackmount design is for users who utilize a rack to store units; 1U NAS are flexible for users who require a little more capacity space while not being restricted to larger eight or twelve bay rackmounts. In this era, data management has a new meaning; users accumulate so much data where link aggregation is a solution to foster more bandwidth. Thecus N4510U is the newest 1U device that is offered at Thecus, which packs high tech hardware and innovative software to offer a convenient and complete network-attached storage solution.
For more information on the N4510U, visit the product page.
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Integral Launches Crypto Series SSDs with 256-bit AES Encryption
Memory and storage specialist Integral has launched Crypto SSD, its first range of solid-state drives (SSDs) to feature military-level, AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) 256-bit hardware encryption. As well as the secure, convenient and low-cost protection of sensitive data, the new drives offer all the benefits of solid-state storage. This includes low-power operation, silent running, rapid boot time and, as there are no moving parts, higher reliability and enhanced resistance to shock and vibration.
Protecting sensitive data through encryption is becoming a mandatory requirement for a wide range of organisations as bodies such as the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) impose increasingly severe penalties for data protection breaches resulting from lost and stolen computers. Crypto SSD is a 'fit and forget' solution with a low total cost of ownership (TCO) that will allow banks, law firms, educational establishments, healthcare professionals, local government and a variety of other business and public sector organisations to meet their data protection obligations.
With Crypto SSD all of the data on the drive, including the operating system, is 256-bit AES encrypted at system shutdown. The security system is BIOS-independent and a user can only access the disk and initiate Windows® boot-up by entering the correct high-strength 8-16 character alphanumeric password. In the event of a brute force password attack all encrypted data is automatically erased after a pre-set number of failed password attempts. The data and encryption key are securely destroyed and the Crypto SSD is reset. In addition, once encryption has been set, it is not possible to clone the Crypto drive.
Offering a multi-lingual interface that significantly simplifies global deployments, the SSDLock program supplied with Crypto SSD provides an easy-to-use, intuitive interface for system configuration. Using the SSDLock program the number of failed password attempts that are allowed can be set at between 6 and 20 and administrators have the option to create both a user password and a master override password. This allows the administrator to unlock the Crypto SSD in the event that the user forgets their password.
Unlike other drives where the disk identifier is factory set by the manufacturer, Crypto SSD, via the SSDLock program, also gives administrators the flexibility to allocate each disk a unique or company-wide identifier. This significantly simplifies the implementation and management of endpoint security solutions in which only certain computers and devices may be allowed on the network, or where administrators want to limit and control certain users' access to company data and applications.
Samik Halai Integral's security product manager, comments: "As recent actions by the UK ICO clearly illustrate, companies and public sector bodies face significant penalties for even the smallest data protection breach. In an environment where simply locking away a computer is no longer deemed an adequate defence against negligence, it is becoming essential to encrypt data on laptops and PCs containing sensitive data. As a 'fit and forget' solution, Crypto SSD allows organisations to meet their obligations under data protection laws, provides many advantages over software alternatives, and delivers all the benefits of SSD technology ranging from improved productivity to increased battery life."
Developed to be both tamper-proof and rugged, Crypto SSDs feature a design in which all drive electronics are sealed in epoxy resin and then shielded by a metal outer case.
Crypto SSDs are compatible with Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows Vista and Microsoft Windows 7 and are available now from a number of leading UK resellers including Insight, Equanet, Computacenter, Misco and SCC. Suggested retail prices (ex-VAT) are £128.99 (32GB), £169.99 (64GB), £230.99 (128GB) and £301.99 (256GB). A two-year warranty is standard for all models.
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TP-Link Announces N600 Wireless Dual Band USB Adapter
TP-Link, a global provider of networking products, today announced its TL-WDN3200 N600 Wireless Dual Band USB Adapter, which gives users the ability to access 5GHz connections or legacy 2.4GHz connections at 300Mbps.
With wireless connections transmitting over the 5GHz band, users needn't worry about interference from neighboring wireless devices or even household appliances that may interfere with their wireless signal. With the N600 Wireless Dual Band USB Adapter, users are assured of high-quality connections ideal for bandwidth-intensive applications such as HD video streaming and online gaming.
With its, USB 2.0 interface, bundled wireless setup utility and WPS button for wireless encryption, the TL-WDN3200 is very easy to setup and secure, even for novice users. The adapter supports Windows XP 32/64bit, Vista 32/64bit, and Windows 7 32/64bit. MSRP is $29.99.
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Lenovo and EMC Team Up in Strategic Worldwide Partnership
Lenovo and EMC Corporation today announced a broad partnership that enhances Lenovo's position in industry standard servers and networked storage solutions, while significantly expanding EMC's reach in China and other key, high-growth markets. The new partnership is expected to spark innovation and additional R&D in the server and storage markets by maximizing the product development talents and resources at both companies, while driving scale and efficiency in the partners' respective supply chains.
The partnership is a strong strategic fit, leveraging the two leading companies' respective strengths, across three main areas:
- First, Lenovo and EMC have formed a server technology development program that will accelerate and extend Lenovo's capabilities in the x86 industry-standard server segment. These servers will be brought to market by Lenovo and embedded into selected EMC storage systems over time.
- Second, the companies have forged an OEM and reseller relationship in which Lenovo will provide EMC's industry-leading networked storage solutions to its customers, initially in China and expanding into other global markets in step with the ongoing development of its server business.
- Finally, EMC and Lenovo plan to bring certain assets and resources from EMC's Iomega business into a new joint venture which will provide Network Attached Storage (NAS) systems to small/medium businesses (SMB) and distributed enterprise sites.
In the joint venture, Lenovo will contribute cash, while EMC will contribute certain assets and resources of Iomega. Upon closing, Lenovo will hold a majority interest in the new joint venture. During and after the transition from independent operations to the joint venture, customers will experience continuity of service, product delivery and warranty fulfillment. The joint venture is subject to customary closing procedures including regulatory approvals and is expected to close by the end of 2012.
The partnership described here is not considered material to either company's current fiscal year earnings.
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