IT-Code-News: IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 20/09/2012

Google software developer would like a world with no logins on the Internet
Remembering all of the login and password details to your various accounts, e-mail, websites, social networks, banking details and countless other sites can be tiresome, annoying and repetitive. A Google software developer has opened up, hinting at a world without multiple logins.

Tim Bray, a Google software developer, mentions that logging in is annoying and slows you down, through his blog post. Bray says that his work with the company is pegged on getting rid of the annoying, time waster for two reasons. The first point, is that logging into various websites takes time, which makes a user less productive. Reduced login time makes more time available to improve the overall experience.

Secondly, Bray makes a point that most people begin a new search for a product, or service, they don't immediately head to a search engine. They type in the address of a large retail chain, bookstore, or even Craigslist. Bray says that these people don't want to go through the hassle of registering a new account, or create a new set of login credentials to find the product they're after with a new merchant.

Personally, Google is pretty much my first stop when I'm looking for anything I'm not familiar with, or have no idea where to find it. My passwords are all remembered pretty much, and if I forget them, I reset them and set them up again - it's quite simple, really. It takes less than 30 seconds most of the time to recover a password, or reset it. But, I definitely understand where Bray is coming from. A world without multiple logins is great, but then we're looking at a security issue, too. I'd really be pushing for hardware-based security in systems, something Google could possibly push with Android, and Chromebooks, for example.

Sony announces redesigned, slimmer PlayStation 3 - released next week in Japan
We knew it was coming, but Sony have confirmed the news at the Tokyo Game Show just now. A slimmer, redesigned PlayStation 3 console will arrive in two colors, Black and Classic White, with the Black having two storage options - 250 and 500GB, with the Classic White arriving in just 250GB.

The redesigned PlayStation 3 is an amazing 50% slimmer than the original PS3 console, and 25% slimmer than the already-slim second version of the PS3. Sony has plans to launch the smaller PlayStation 3 in Japan next week on September 25.

The Black model will arrive on September 25 in the 250GB size, including Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception - Game of the Year Edition for $269.99, with the "Classic White" version not hitting shelves until November 22. The 500GB model will be available on October 30 to coincide with the release of Assassin's Creed III but hasn't had a price announced just yet.

Facebook's new mobile ad network reaches beta
Facebook has advertisements right now, down the sides of its website, as well as mobile apps - but now the social networking site will push ads on other handset-optimized websites and smartphone apps.

It has been reported by TechCrunch that Facebook have entered into beta testing of a new ad network that uses user data to display hyper-relevant ads on third-party territory. Normally they would rely on normal tracking cookies to get info on visitors' interests, but this platform scoops up information such as age, gender, likes, location, which apps your friends have used and other data points that get taken when a user logs into a site, or application with their Facebook credentials.

Facebook's new mobile ad solution lets advertisers bid on certain demographics, and uses existing networks like iAds and AdMob to push out appropriate ads based on anonymous ID's linked to Facebook accounts. Right now, Facebook are only pushing these ads to the mobile market, but don't be surprised if you see them hit your monitor in the near future.

BioWare co-founders retire from not just their company, but the gaming industry
You might not know them by name, but Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka are the co-founders of BioWare. Both men have announced their retirement not just from BioWare, which they founded close to 20 years ago, but from their positions at Electronic Arts.

On top of this, they're also heading out of the game industry completely. Muzyka is entering philanthropy, with Zeschuk heading into craft brewing. Muzyka took to his blog, where the now ex-game developer reflected on his years in the industry:

It's not often that you can truly say you were able to pursue and achieve your dream job; I know how lucky I am to be able to say that now, in my early 40s.

Zeschuk said:

Building BioWare over the years with Ray and the many other people involved was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I'll cherish it always.

Microsoft wants more original Xbox content, hires ex-CBS executive
Microsoft is pushing for original content on their Xbox 360, where they're hired a former CBS Network Television Entertainment Group president, Nancy Tellem. Tellem will be responsible for a new production studio in Los Angeles that will be creating interactive and linear content for the 360.

Tellem's role at Microsoft will be as President of Entertainment & Digital Media, meaning that she will also be in charge of pushing the Xbox more toward a consumer destination, rather than just a gaming console. Tellem has said:

The Xbox is already a consumer favorite, and we now have a tremendous opportunity to transform it into the center of all things entertainment - from games, music and fitness to news, sports, live events, television series and movies - so consumers have one destination for all their entertainment needs. I look forward to building a studio team that embraces the challenges of creating true interactive content that the Xbox platform supports and to work with talent to create content that will change the way entertainment content is experienced and delivered.

ASUS Nexus 7 Tablet (Android 4.1 Jelly Bean) Review

Introduction

I've been salivating at the thought of getting a Nexus 7 for quite some time, as I really just wanted to test out Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Do you remember when the 3DFX Voodoo Banshee video card came out, and it arrived with Half-Life: Day One? I was one of those people that literally rang every single retailer in my state (this was really pre-Internet) to get my hands on it. When I want something, I want it bad. This is how I felt with the Nexus 7.

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I didn't want a review sample of the Nexus 7, I wanted my own, so I purchased one last week and I have been having the time of my life since. ASUS worked very closely with Google on the Nexus 7, as Google wanted to get a tablet onto the market that could chomp into the sales of Amazon's Kindle Fire, at the $199 range.
What most people didn't expect is that it would hit the market sporting specs better than tablets priced over $500. It was also a surprise that this cheap $199 tablet featured Google's latest OS, Android 4.1 'Jelly Bean'. Jelly Bean really is the star of the Nexus 7 show, and I've come to absolutely fall in love with the deliciously-named OS since.
Jelly Bean has a bunch of new features built-in, as well as the usual fixes and improvements. We cover the important parts of it from a technical and software point of view.

Specifications, Pricing and Availability

For one of the cheapest tablets on the market, ASUS have packed in quite the feature set into the Nexus 7. If someone had said to me just six months ago, that we'd be seeing a company like ASUS building a 7-inch, quad-core tablet for under $200, I would've laughed. ASUS' Nexus 7 is definitely no laughing matter; it's more of a forced to be reckoned with.

Starting with the heart of the Nexus 7, we find NVIDIA's quad-core Tegra 3 SoC, a 7-inch 1280x800 backlit IPS display with scratch-resistant Corning glass, 8GB or 16GB of internal storage, a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera, 1GB of RAM and a 4,325mAh battery. We have the usual network connectivity found in Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, a micro USB port for charging and syncing the tablet, a microphone, NFC (Android Beam), and the commonly found accelerometer, GPS, magnetometer and gyroscope. This all finds its way into a package weighing in at 340g and measuring in at 198.5x120x10.45mm.
One of the jewels in Nexus 7's crown is its operating system, Google's latest Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Jelly Bean is the absolute bleeding edge of Google's Android OS, and truly is beautiful. Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is nice, but Jelly Bean feels like a very polished, very well thought-out upgrade to ICS. When I took the Nexus 7 out of the box, there was already an update to Android 4.1.1, which you should experience, too.
Pricing on the Nexus 7 is what makes it really stand out from the crowd, with the 8GB and 16GB models selling for $199 and $249, respectively. They're made available through Google's Play store, or your local retailer and e-tailers. There are no 3G or 4G options just yet, but there have been rumors of a model sporting 4G LTE support coming soon.
This is where ASUS and Google really have the Nexus 7 wrapped up, is with its low, entry-level pricing. Apple's closest pricing would be their older iPad 2 and even that is close to double the Nexus 7's asking price for their equivalent model.
You might find it hard getting your hands on a Nexus 7 depending on where you live, I couldn't get my hands on one until just recently as they had sold out - but there seems to be more stock floating around now. Another thing to remember is Google didn't quite expect the explosion of customers wanting these bad boys. This changes from city to city, country to country, as usual.
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MyDigitalSSD Announces SuperSSpeed TweakTown Edition SSD
MyDigitalSSD has teamed up with SuperSSpeeds to offer the fastest and top performing solid state drives on the market today. Utilizing the SandForce SF-2281 controller and SLC NAND flash, the SuperSSpeed boasts incredible speed for advanced gaming, multitasking, and multimedia computing power. Rated at 550MB/s Read and 520MB/s Write, the SuperSSpeed is proof that in this day and age, you get what you pay for, being arguably 20 times better than its nearest MLC rival at only twice the expense including accessories.

As with all MyDigitalSSD drives, the SuperSSpeed runs cool and quiet with no moving parts to create heat. Coupled with being shockproof, meaning that dropping your SSD or notebook no longer means losing your data, the SuperSSpeed it a far more durable and reliable upgrade to a traditional spinning hard drive (HDD).

Why choose SLC? SLC flash chips are rated at 100K Read/Write/Erase Cycles and offer virtually zero distinction between compressible and incompressible data. Conversely, MLC flash is rated at 3-5K read/write/erase cycles and gets quite choked up when incompressible data is tossed at it.

The SuperSSpeed is backwards compatible with SATA II applications and supports most major operating systems including Windows XP, Vista, 7, Mac OS10.X, and Linux.

Features:

Unparalleled price to performance ratio

Easy remove and replace installation

Large storage capacity - 128GB

High-Speed SATA 6 Gb/s Transfer Speeds

Compatible with SATA 1.5G/s, 3Gb/s interface

Original Intel SLC Flash Chips

Supports S.M.A.R.T.

Supports TRIM

Supports Garbage Collection

Backed by a 5 year warranty

Includes dual 2.5" HDD/SSD desktop mounting bracket that holds 2 drives.

Pricing and Availability

Availability limited to 50 pieces, priced at US $275.00.

GIGABYTE Unveils its First Windows 8 All-in-One PC
GIGABYTE introduces the GB-AE21T, its latest barebone All-in-One PC based on the Thin Mini-ITX standard. It is also its first model being fully compliant with the touchscreen experience of the upcoming Windows 8, which will unleash at last the long awaited potential of All-in-One computers. Optimized for touchscreen usage, the new operating system will bring a unique experience to All-in-One users with many new software and applications tailored for this fine combination of the power of a desktop PC and tablet interactivity.

Of course, this new model is fully upgradable with an easy access to all the internal components, and offers options such as TV tuner, 3G connectivity and internal backup battery. It is therefore an ideal multimedia PC for families, as well as a comfortable and stylish work machine for the office.

Windows 8 Compliant

The Windows 8 compliance for touchscreen devices relies in the quality of their panel to guarantee a consistent and optimal user experience with the new operating system.

The GB-AE21T is ready with its sensational 21.5" edge-to-edge full HD touchscreen that supports up to 10 contact points, and that will allow users to interact with the new Metro interface with top reactivity and sensitivity.

95W CPU Support

GIGABYTE pushed the limits of the Thin Mini-ITX standard and brings you in exclusivity on the All-in-One market the support of 95W 3rd generation Core CPUs. Why does it matter? Simply because at equal performance, a 95W CPU is much cheaper than a 65W one. With this exclusive feature, you simply get a bigger bang for the buck.

Optional Internal Backup Battery

Protect your files and avoid losing what you were doing in case of power outage or accidental power cord removal with an internal battery that will give you enough time to save your data before returning to normal conditions.

3G Support Available

If you are in an area where the cable is not well developed, access the internet over 3G networks with our optional 3G antenna & SIM card slot module.

TV Tuner Card

The GB-AE21T can be equipped with TV tuner cards and an IR receiver (to use remote controls), allowing the computer to be used as an HD TV as well. The screen size makes it perfect to be used as a secondary TV, in a bedroom or a kitchen for instance. Worldwide options are available (Europe, North & South America, Middle East, Asia).

Planar Helium Display Lights Up the Windows 8 Touch Experience
Today, Planar Systems, Inc., a global leader in digital display technology, announced of the introduction of the Planar Helium family of multi-touch desktop monitors designed to bring the touch experience alive when paired with a Microsoft Windows 8 device such as an Ultrabook, tablet or desktop PC.

The Planar Helium family debuts with a 27-inch model (model PCT2785), capturing the Microsoft Windows 8 touch experience without costing thousands of dollars for an all-in-one solution. To use touch-enabled features, customers simply plug the monitor directly into their Ultrabook, tablet or desktop PC. The monitor includes a sleek, easily-adjustable, and ergonomically-friendly Helium Stand for a comfortable and controlled user experience. It also comes with a built-in webcam for video communication such as Skype, Microsoft Lync, and other webcam-based collaboration or video conferencing tools.

"The desktop of the future is touch, and the Planar Helium multi-touch monitor delivers the ultimate touch experience," said Cris Derr, product marketing director for Planar Systems. "This feature-rich monitor brings out the best in Windows 8 and with the touch technology, unique stand design and webcam, it facilitates user productivity and collaboration."

Designed to Improve User Productivity

The Planar Helium multi-touch monitor is ideal for software developers, enterprise users and individual technology enthusiasts. Software developers, test engineers and designers will benefit from the ability to build and test touch-enabled applications right from the desktop. Businesses will benefit from high-quality presentations, easier data analysis, and collaboration features for improved decision making. Consumers, gamers and technology enthusiasts will enjoy the robust touch experience on a large display.

"The giant 27-inch Planar Helium display really brings out the best in Windows 8," says David Kelly, Principal UX Architect & Microsoft MVP of [wire]stone. "As a firm focused on touch experiences with numerous touch-enabled applications for Windows 8, we're using the monitor to develop and test our all of our applications. The high quality touch experience and combined feature set of the Planar Helium monitor has really improved our development time to market, as well as our overall workflow with Windows 8."

The Ultimate Touch-Screen Experience at an Affordable Price

The Planar 27-inch Helium multi-touch monitor offers the following advantages:

Affordable price: With a manufacturer suggested retail price of $899, the low-price 27-inch Planar Helium monitor lets users capture the Windows 8 touch experience without the expense of all-in-one solution. Customers can plug the monitor into practically any work environment including workstations, Ultrabooks and tablets to light up the benefits of the touch enabled Windows 8 operating system.
Controlled and comfortable use: The ergonomically-friendly and easy-to-adjust Helium Stand helps users avoid touch-screen fatigue. With very light pressure from the user, the unique, easy-to-use stand is easily adjustable from 15° to 70° and can also be laid flat or mounted on a wall.
Improved productivity: The Planar Helium monitor provides a 27-inch bright display designed to increase productivity. It offers a built-in full HD webcam and microphone for video communication and a built-in USB hub that allows users to connect other peripherals directly to the monitor. The display can also be paired with other non-touch monitors.
The ultimate touch-screen experience: Using the same projected capacitive touch technology found in smart phones, the Planar Helium monitor delivers 20 simultaneous touch points that recognize touch input from finger, thin gloved hand or conductive stylus.
A stylish, personalized look: The monitor provides a super sleek, modern design. And with Planar Select, customers can select from several different patterns and colors to achieve a unique and personalized look.

The Planar Helium 27-inch monitor will be available in early October 2012 through Planar's network of authorized resellers. For more information, please visit http://www.planar.com/helium.

EK Working on Full-Cover Water Block for EVGA's GeForce GTX 680 FTW
EK Water Blocks will be releasing their fourth fifth-cover water block for GeForce 680 GTX series graphics card, this time for EVGA's GeForce GTX 680 FTW series graphics graphics cards:

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The upcoming EK-FC680 GTX FTW water block will directly cool the GPU, RAM as well as VRM (voltage regulation module) as water will flow directly over these critical areas thus allowing the graphics card and it's VRM to remain stable under high overclocks. EK-FC680 GTX FTW+ water block will also features a very high flow design therefore it could easily be used in liquid cooling systems using weaker water pumps.

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Base of the water block will be made of nickel plated electrolytic copper while the top will be made of quality satin finish acrylic material. Up to four EK-FC680 GTX FTW series water blocks could be interconnected with EK-FC Bridge & Link system, additionally the water block will line up with the EK-FC680 GTX CSQ, EK-FC680 GTX+ and EK-FC680 GTX SOC series water block thus ensuring maximum expandability. The correct connection link for this water block will - of course - already be enclosed with the product.

The water block will be available for purchase through EK webshop and its reseller network by late October.

Cooler Master Also Debuts the CM Storm Recon Gaming Mouse
Cooler Master, an industry leading chassis, thermal solution, peripheral, and accessory manufacturer, today adds a formidable new tool of war to its arsenal, the Recon Ambidextrous Gaming Mouse by CM Storm.

Built for All

Sporting an ergonomic design with a Super Grip coated mouse body; Recon delivers a comfortable grip no matter if you are right or left-handed. It features a masterfully crafted body and ultra smooth Teflon mouse feet that provide a natural grip and motion, delivering a truly immersive gaming experience.

Recon incorporates the latest Avago 3090 optical sensor that provides a range of movement speed that spans both precise and swift movements - 800 to 4000 DPI. Expanding on the ever rising popularity of on-the-fly adjustments, Recon takes it to a whole new level by supporting not only DPI, but also liftoff distance and USB polling rate changes through software "quick button pres". USB data rate boundaries have been pushed to reduce response times.

Long-life switches ensure that the Recon will keep up with even the most extreme actions per minute. In addition, a multi-color mouse wheel light makes identifying the currently active profile a simple task - storing up 5 profiles and 36 macros within the mouse. These features are all accentuated by an imposing design that channels the heart of a gamer.

Take on all opponents with the flexibility and capability of the CM Storm Recon Ambidextrous Gaming Mouse.

Recon will be available 18th September, 2012. Price and availability may vary by region.

Expected M.S.R.P without VAT - 42€

Available Tags:Google , Sony , gaming , Microsoft , Xbox , ASUS , Tablet , TweakTown , SSD , Windows 8 , GIGABYTE , Windows , Windows 8 , GeForce , GTX , Cooler Master ,

Thursday, September 20, 2012

IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 20/09/2012

Introduction

Specifications, Pricing and Availability

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