IT-Code-News: IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 7/29/2013

Sunday, July 28, 2013

IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 7/29/2013

TweakTown

Google's Chromecast sells out online in under 36 hours
When Google first announced Chromecast, I instantly knew it was going to be big. The $35 media streaming dongle has become an instant hit among technophiles everywhere in the US. When originally launched, Google offered the device for $35 and included three months of Netflix for free, which essentially made the device cost a total of $11 if you are already a Netflix subscriber.

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Today, we found out that device has sold out on every online outlet it was being offered at. In just 36 hours, so many units were sold on the Google Play Store that shipping times were eventually listed as 6 to 8 weeks. Amazon and Best Buy's online store have both sold out, but Best Buy says that they still have some units available in-store.
I placed my order for the Chromecast just an hour or so after it was announced and selected two-day shipping, but Google has still not sent any shipping info to me, so tonight I'm going to head to my local Best Buy and see if they have any units in stock so I can bring all of you readers a wonderful review the first of next week.

Google follows Best Buy's lead, opens up sale of Nexus 7 in Play Store
Earlier this morning, I reported that Best Buy had decided to skip Google's previously announced launch date for its second generation Nexus 7 and had started selling the devices in-store and online today. Apparently Google has decided to forgo their own words as well, and has just now listed the new Nexus 7 for sale in the Google Play Store.

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Google made the announcement on Twitter via its @GooglePlay account. Originally, the device was not supposed to hit the retail market until July 30, but apparently Best Buy, Amazon, Game Stop, and Walmart have all decided to go ahead and start selling the new 7-inch tablet.

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Intel to block Haswell overclocking on non-Z87 chipsets with new microcode update
Apparently, Intel does not like its customers overclocking their new Haswell chips on non-Z87-equipped motherboards. Several of the large motherboard manufacturers have released workarounds that allow their customers to overclock their Haswell processors on motherboards that did not feature a Z87 chipset.

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Unfortunately, those workarounds will only function for just a little bit longer as Intel prepares a microcode update that will firmly lock overclocking abilities to only the Z87 hardware. The update appears to be scheduled for this coming week and it's not clear yet on how the update will be pushed to your system. Intel has also not released word on if the microcode update has already been implemented on new retail processors, but we're sure that they will begin pushing it to them soon.

RumorTT: Intel Haswell-based Apple Macbook Pro's scheduled to arrive in October
A new report from the China Times is suggesting that we may see Haswell-based Apple MacBook Pros arriving in stores and online in October. The report claims that supply chain sources said the production has been moving forward at a steady pace and everything is on schedule for the devices to arrive in the fall.

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The update to Haswell will not offer much in terms of a performance gain, but users will see a massive increase in battery life over the previous generations of MacBook Pro. These rumors seem to confirm an earlier report from Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI securities who said that:

Retina MacBook Pro to be slimmer slightly, along with a camera upgrade. We expect the 13" Retina MacBook Pro will have a slightly slimmer form factor for increasing its portability. Also, we think the camera spec will be upgraded from HD to full HD. This will improve Facetime and video conference quality in the high resolution Retina display.

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RumorTT: Nintendo is said to be planning a The Legend of Zelda: Wind Walker HD hardware bundle
Nintendolife.com is reporting today that a source who has access to the inventory system at a "major systems retailer" has informed them that Nintendo is putting together a Wii U hardware bundle that will feature The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Walker HD. The report comes in the form of a tweet which says the bundle will retail for $199, but no release date was given.

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NintendoLife seems to think that this report is credible and Nintendo releases major title bundles for its flagship console every year just before holiday season. Additionally, the tweet alluded to a red and blue PokÃ©mon X&Y bundle that would retail for the same price. Interestingly enough, the tweet also mentioned a 12 GB PS3 that would retail for $199 as well.

Pinterest unveils enhanced tracking, allows users to opt-out
Pinterest announced today a new addition to its popular image collecting service that allows users to edit their feed to provide them with content that is related to what they have been pinning. Dubbed the "Edit Home Feed" option, users can now opt out of letting Pinterest track your activity on other sites.

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Pinterest now tracks you on sites that have a "Pin It" button whenever you pin something from that website. It then uses this data to suggest boards based on your interests. Opting out is a simple as ticking a box in your account settings. Pinterest added this feature to help ease concerns over online tracking which is been at the forefront of the news for the past few months now.

Final renders of the Moto X leaked, shows molded glass front
Motorola's Moto X is expected launch on August 1 at an event being held by Motorola and Google, but new leaks today show off the final renders for the device as well as what appears to be a "Magic Glass" molded front.

This so-called "Magic Glass" is said to be a sheet of Gorilla Glass that has been molded to create a one-piece continuous surface that wraps around the entire front of the device including the edges. In some leaked images, we can see that this appears to be true and the glass even includes molded clips to hold it to the phone chassis.

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Additionally, we saw today the final PR renders for the device leaked by everyone's favorite leakster @evleaks. The devices appear to have lost the carbon fiber backing we saw on the original renders and appears to have adopted a more original Nexus 7 like finish on the back plate. Stay tuned to TweakTown next week for full coverage when Motorola and Google officially unveil the Moto X.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer admits the company built too many Surface RT tablets
Earlier this week, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer admitted that the company had in fact built too many Surface RT tablets and that they were not selling as many as previously expected. The announcement came during an internal town hall event where Ballmer and COO Kevin Turner attended to address concerns over the $900 million write off Microsoft recently had to make on its Surface tablets.

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"We built a few more devices than we could sell," admitted Ballmer. "We're not selling as many Windows devices as we want to." In an attempt to shore up losses, Microsoft recently cut the price of all of its Surface RT tablets by 30 percent worldwide, but we will not know if this has had any effect on sales for quite a few months.
With Apple's iOS devices, and all of the many of the companies with Android devices posting record numbers, it is beginning to look like Microsoft's foray into the mobile devices market may have become one of the biggest mistakes in the company's history.

LeakedTT: Sony's 20-megapixel Honami smartphone images leak alongside Xperia Z
Today, more images leaked of the upcoming Sony Honami, a 20-megapixel smartphone that could challenge Nokia's Lumia 1020. In the image, Sony's Xperia Z was placed side-by-side for comparison. The leak comes from website GadgetHelpline, and the device is said to have a 20-megapixel Cybershot imaging sensor in the back.

The Honami appears to share the same design cues as the Xperia Z but features a larger and thicker frame to accommodate the larger screen and extra imaging hardware. Rumored specs for the device include a Snapdragon 800 processor from Qualcomm, 2GB of RAM, and a 5-inch 1080p Triluminos Opticontrast display. Water and dust protection are also said to be present and a 3000mAh battery should keep things powered up for many hours. Sony is said to have chosen Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean as the operating system of choice. No word has yet leaked on a possible release date, but stay tuned to TweakTown for all the updates on this new phone from Sony.

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Nokia's 41-megapixel Lumia 1020 arrives for sale at AT&T
Today, Microsoft announced that Nokia's Windows Phone-based 41-megapixel Lumia 1020 is now available for both online and in-store purchases. Microsoft says that the 4G LTE smartphone will cost customers $299 with a standard 2-year contract and is available in yellow, white, and black.

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The Lumia 1020 features a 41-megapixel camera that sports a lens aperture of f/2.2 and a super wide focal length of 6.2mm. The device also features a true Xenon flash for amazing illumination of low-light scenes. A 1.5GHz dual-core QUALCOMM Snapdragon S4 handles the processing duties, while 2GB of RAM keeps things running smooth. 32GB of internal storage is also present which should allow for quite a few photos to be stored on the device. The screen is a 4.5-inch AMOLED PureMotion HD+ unit comprised of Gorilla glass.

ScienceFriday: Hubble captures breathtaking image of Comet ISON, one of the greatest comets humans will ever see
It has been several months since I have made a Science Friday post here at TweakTown and I have been wanting to bring it back. So many of you have mentioned how much you enjoyed them, so I am going to attempt to make 1-2 science related posts every Friday. Today, NASA released a breathtaking image of Comet ISON taken with the Hubble Space Telescope back on April 30. The image shows ISON streaking through our solar system with many stars and faint galaxies in the background.

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The image is comprised of five photos that the researchers at NASA stitched together to form such a wide field of view. "The result is part science, part art," Josh Sokol of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Md., which operates Hubble, wrote in a blog post last week. "It's a simulation of what our eyes, with their ability to dynamically adjust to brighter and fainter objects, would see if we could look up at the heavens with the resolution of Hubble."
Comet ISON, is a sungrazing comet discovered on September 21, 2012, by Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok. The discovery was made using a 0.4 meter--16 in--reflecting telescope. As the comet warms as it moves closer to the sun, its rate of sublimation (a process similar to evaporation in which solid matter transitions directly into gas) will increase. The comet will get brighter and its tail will grow longer. The comet is predicted to reach naked-eye visibility in November.

Apacer shows off new ARES DDR3-3000 series RAM
Today, Apacer introduced us to some new RAM that they say will "once again bring overclocking techniques to a new level." The new ARES DDR3-3000 series is the same APACER RAM that broke records at Computex Taipei 2013 with a pair of modules reaching 3225MHz. The series includes 2800MHz, 2933MHz, and 3000MHz modules that are available in two different capacity packages. A 2x4GB and a 2x8GB kit are available to bring extreme overclocking to extreme players.

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In order to achieve the most excellent and stable effect of overclocking, Apacer's ARES series overclocking memory adopts professional cooling system specially designed for overclocking which uses pure copper with thermal conductivity to conduct waste heat. Highly efficient cooling liquid would be vaporized after absorbing heat, and conduct waste heat to the large cooling fins through capillary action and the phase change principle of function. ARES series' advanced cooling system not only provides outstanding and permanent cooling effect, with no need to clean and no operating noise, thereby creating a perfect overclocking environment for game players!

Apacer says that every module of ARES RAM has been thoroughly checked to ensure that they conform to the highest standards. The ARES series features an 8-layer PCB that was specifically designed for overclocking efficiency and to provide better noise and interference reduction which can otherwise prevent world class overclocks from happening.

T-Mobile updates its "Un-Carrier" strategy to stay ahead of the competition
T-Mobile USA announced today that it is updating its popular Un-Carrier strategy tomorrow to now offer all devices for $0 down. This means that customers can now upgrade their smartphones for free without signing a contract and just pay a monthly payment on the phone for 24 months. For example, you could upgrade to a new Samsung Galaxy S4 tomorrow for $0 down and just pay $25 per month over the next 24 months. That works out to $600 for the phone with 0% APR.

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"The number of reasons not to switch to T-Mobile this summer is ZERO," said John Legere, president and chief executive officer, T-Mobile US. "This is a fantastic offer and we're making it easier than ever for customers to get the latest amazing devices. Adding Zero Down in addition to JUMP!, and Simple Choice with no contract is all about making wireless work for consumers and shaking up this industry."
From the release by T-Mobile:

The hottest devices of the summer at the lowest upfront cost combined with T-Mobile's Simple Choice Plan, unlimited data on a nationwide 4G network and no annual service contracts gives customers an opportunity that's tough to beat. The promotion will be available nationwide at participating T-Mobile retail stores, via customer care, and online athttp://www.T-Mobile.com. A selection of the devices included in the promotion is as follows.

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ASUS ROG unveils RAIDR Express PCIe-based SSD
Today, ASUS ROG launched the first PCIe-based SSD in the world that works with either Legacy or Modern UEFI BIOS. The RAIDR Express is geared towards hardcore gamers and PC enthusiasts who demand nothing but the best performance possible for their PC. ASUS says that the new PCIe-based SSD combines the best compatibility with incredible performance and durability.

We have seen many other PCIe-based SSDs, but what makes the RAIDR Express so unique is a hardware switch that allows users to switch to either Legacy BIOS or use the more modern UEFI BIOS that is found on more modern high-end motherboards. The switching is made possible because ASUS has included dual BIOS chips on the board, something that has never been done in the SSD world until now.

The RAIDR Express features the latest-generation dual LSI SandForce controller, Toshiba-made 19nm 16K-page size multi-level cell (MLC) sync-NAND flash, 100,000 4K read/write input/output operations per second (IOPS), and 830/810 MB/s sequential read/write speeds, meaning RAIDR Express truly lives up to its name.
[Editor's Note: We first saw this at CES 2013 in ASUS' suite.]

Google to add Google TV to Chromecast, says employee
Chromecast may just be the kick in the pants that Google TV needs. According to one employee, Google will be providing Google TV support for Chromecast. With all the talk of a new Google TV set-top box being readied for launch, this could mean that you would be able to plug your Chromecast into this new box, or it could mean that Google is bringing a Google TV app to Chromecast.

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Warren Rehman, an employee of Google said that "Google TV isn't dead" and went on to confirm that Google will be integrating Chromecast into Google TV in some form. Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal reported that earlier this year at CES, they got a closed doors, private demo of Google's upcoming set-top box. The new Google TV box is said to feature a built-in camera, motion sensor, and have support for Google Hangouts.

The UK's Sky TV releases $9.99 rebranded Roku 2 XS as new set-top box
This seems to be the week for cheap home theater streaming devices. Two days ago, Google launched its Chromecast in the US and today, the UK's Sky TV has announced their own low-cost set-top box. Dubbed the NOW TV, the set-top box is essentially a rebranded Roku 2 XS with modified software that allows it to stream content from Sky's IPTV platform.

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The device also features built-in apps for iPlayer, Demand Five, Spotify, Facebook, and several other Sky channels. From what we can tell, users are not able to add any additional apps, and there is no app store in which you can buy new apps. For some, this may not be that big of a deal as the low cost of entry--about 10 euros--offsets the lack of features and apps.

SanDisk announces world's fastest 64GB microSDXC card
This morning, SanDisk has announced what they are billing as the "world's fastest" 64GB microSDXC card. Designed for the latest generation of smartphones and tablets, the 64GB microSDXC card boasts speeds of 80MB/s read and 50MB/s write.

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The card features UHS-1 and is a Class 10 card, so video recording and playback even at the highest bit rates should perform exceptionally well. SanDisk says that the card is even fast enough to handle super high bitrate 4K Ultra HD video. The card is waterproof along with the usual compliments of being x-ray proof, shock proof, and can handle temperature extremes from -25 Celsius all the way to 85 Celsius.

Best Buy begins selling Nexus 7 four days early
Best Buy seems to enjoy beating Google to the punch on the second generation Nexus 7. The electronics retail giant opened pre-orders for the device before Google had even confirmed its existence, and now those pre orders have began to ship to customers four days before Google releases the device to the public.

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During the Nexus 7 launch event, Google said that the device would begin hitting retail shelves and shipping to customers on July 30, but The Verge has confirmed that Best Buy has started shipping out pre-ordered units. They have also confirmed that the Union Square Best Buy in San Francisco actually has stock for in-store purchases today.
Google's second-gen Nexus 7 features a 1920 x 1200 pixel display, a 5-megapixel camera, and a much faster processor than the first-gen model. RAM has also doubled to 2GB, and the device is overall thinner and lighter. It features Google's latest version of Android Jelly Bean, version 4.3. The 16GB model is retailing for $229, while the 32GB version will set you back $269.

What if Superman punched you? Other than it destroying you, you'd be surprised at the science behind it
There has been a lot of discussion about the destruction of Metropolis in Zack Snyder's reboot of Superman, Man of Steel. Sure, there's insane amounts of destruction, but when two God-like (fictional) beings fight each other in an otherwise realistic portrayal of a city, what do you think would happen? Other than it causing an estimated $700 billion worth of damage, it would be an intense few nanoseconds.

The video above goes into the science of what would happen if Superman punched you, and has so many numbers and facts that it'll make you laugh out loud at how ridiculous it would be if Superman really did punch someone in real life. The punch itself would be so quick, you wouldn't even see it for one. Secondly, it would have so much force it would create a 1km deep crater in the ground.

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It would take just a few nanoseconds for it to happen, before a blast radius of several kilometers engulfed into fury and flames. So, what we see in Man of Steel is more 'realistic', but it could've been so much worse. I loved the destruction in Man of Steel, and thought it was one of the more realistic superhero movies to depict God-like beings fighting in a city.

Apple could be slapped with $490 million bill for eBook price-fixing debacle
Apple have been caught conspiring to fix eBook prices, something that might cost the iPhone maker $490 million. A lawyer from Hagens Berman, the lead class action firm involved in the case told GigaOM that Apple could pay three times' the publishers' total liabilities.

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This is minus the $166 million that the publishers have agreed to pay in separate settlements, but brings the total to be sucked out of Apple's cash piles to be $490 million. Considering they have just spent $16 billion buying their own shares - because, you know, they've been tanking pretty hard lately - this is nothing but a drop in the ocean to them.
Kind of like one of us mere mortals dropping $1 on the street from our wallet filled with $100 notes.

Intel have been building custom processors for big companies such as eBay and Facebook, are now looking at the datacenter market
Some interesting information is coming out from Intel engineer Ronak Singhal, who has spent most of his 17-year career at Intel developing relationships with the top computer experts in the world.

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The experts he has worked with include huge companies such as Amazon, eBay, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and more. Singhal spoke with EE Times during a break in a press briefing in regards to Intel's latest Xeon and Atom server chips, where he said: "When three of them all tell you they want the same thing, you know you are on to something."
But, as you can imagine, some companies don't want the same thing and want a CPU that is custom-made to their specific needs. In the last couple of years, Intel have been providing some of their biggest customers like eBay and Facebook, with custom versions of their CPUs. Intel is taking this slow, and isn't rushing into custom-made processors for companies just yet, though.
For the big customers, Intel can support unique requirements such as power levels, the CPUs frequency, or reliability with some tweaks made in the firmware, or deep in the manufacturing process. These custom chips can have higher, or lower clock speeds, or super-high turbo modes disabled so that they can have more years squeezed out of them - making them much better investments over the long term for big customers.
Where to from here for Intel? Datacenters. If they can create custom logic for some of the world's biggest datacenters, Intel will be sitting in on meetings with Don Draper himself.

Activision Blizzard breaks up with Vivendi in a deal worth $8.2 billion
Activision Blizzard have just broken off their relationship with Vivendi in a deal worth $8.2 billion. Activision will be purchasing $5.83 billion worth of shares back, combined with a share purchase totaling $2.34 billion from an independent investor group led by Activision CEO, Bobby Kotick and co-chair Brian Kelly.

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This might just sound like yet another move for a big company, but Activision Blizzard own quite a lot of hot gaming properties, such as Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Diablo, and more.
What will this mean for gamers? Well, Activision CEO Bobby Kotick has said that his company "should emerge even stronger -- an independent company with a best-in-class franchise portfolio...The transactions announced today will allow us to take advantage of attractive financing markets while still retaining more than $3 billion cash on hand to preserve financial stability".
Kotick will continue steering the Activision ship as CEO, where Kelly will serve as chairman. Both men have contributed a combined $100 million toward the deal - you know, chump change. Kotick adds: "We are grateful for Vivendi's partnership through this period, and we look forward to their continued support".

Ouya: 73% of Ouya owners haven't purchased a game yet
I received my Ouya console a few weeks ago, but it just hasn't excited me that much. I feel like it's just a half-baked product, and it seems like I'm not alone. Ouya CEO, Julie Uhrman, has said that the console is performing well, but game sales are very slow.

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Slow enough, that only 27% of Ouya owners have purchased a game, leaving the other 73% playing the free titles. I'm in that group of 73%, as there's nothing that has caught my fancy on Ouya just yet. Uhrman, when talking to The Verge, said: "Monetization on Ouya is so far better than we expected. It takes time to build what traditional consoles have had decades to build."
She continued: "There are a lot of social and mobile app developers that would kill for an eight percent attach rate on a platform that's 30 days old. These numbers will grow as more gamers pick up consoles, and as we attract more developers, and I believe that by the end of the year, we'll see a few developers telling us they've made more than a million dollars on Ouya."

We finally get some more details on Battlefield 4's second screen abilities
I'm waiting for Battlefield 4, but I really didn't expect them to go this far with its second screen functionality. In the video below dubbed "Battlefield 4: Official Battlelog Features Video" we get a much better look at the second screen abilities of Battlefield 4.

Players will be able to use their mobile devices, such as an iOS- or Android-based smartphone or tablet, as a huge accessory to BF4. Not only that, you could use your tablet as a second display, which would show your map with gamers being able to use them for in-game tactical moves, such as tapping your tablet screen to set a meeting/bomb drop point.

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Commander Mode would make the best use of the second screen, but I can't wait to just have a large-sized map to the side of my monitor.

Intel provides some details on their SSD 530 Series of drives, includes four M.2 form factor models
Intel have provided some details on their new SSD 530 Series of drives, which include some M.2 form factor models. There will be four M.2 form factor models, coming in at 80GB, 120GB, 180GB and finally, 360GB. The 80GB drive will be capable of up to 540MB/sec sequential read speeds, and up to 480MB/sec writes. We'll have 24,000 IOPS for random 4K reads, and up to 80,000 IOPS for writes.

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When it comes to the 120GB, 180GB, and 360GB drives, Intel kicks it up a notch by offering up to 540MB/sec sequential read speeds, and up to 490MB/sec writes. As for random 4KB read/writes, we can expect 41,000 IOPS and 80,000 IOPS for the 120GB and 180GB drives, and we see a big drop to 37,000 IOPS for random 4KB writes on the 360GB model.
There will be plenty of other models, with four mSATA-based models coming in at 80GB, 120GB, 180GB and 360GB and six models in the usual 2.5-inch flavor. We should expect the 2.5-inch form factor to see 80GB, 120GB, 180GB, 240GB, 360GB and the biggie: 480GB. All six of these drives are capable of 540MB/sec and 490MB/sec for sequential read/writes and 41,000 IOPS and 80,000 IOPS for random 4KB read/writes, respectively.

This Is the End (2013) Cinema Review

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The apocalypse comedy is reasonably rare, but not necessarily a totally new genre, but I think Hollywood has broken new ground with This Is the End; an apocalypse comedy that has the film's stars essentially playing exaggerated versions of themselves.

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When a sinkhole opens up in Los Angeles, right outside the newly finished home of James Franco, which engulfs guests such as Rihanna and Michael Cera, others including Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill and Craig Robinson must reign in their egos and band together for mutual benefit, in order to survive from the environmental threats and monsters that are amassing outside the diminishing security of their fortress.
Their plan to pool their resources is foiled by the arrival of the unpredictable Danny McBride, who cooks himself a large feast with their remaining food and wastes their hard fought for water by pouring it judiciously over his head. With their resources dwindling, attempts to leave their fortress are complicated when Jonah Hill is raped by a massively endowed demon and turned into a demon himself, whilst others curiously descend to heaven.

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Full of dick jokes, drug references, nods and winks to career mistakes and riffs on other, better movies, such as The Exorcist, Rosemary's Baby and Terminator 2: Judgment Day to name but a few, This Is the End becomes an enormous and self-indulgent in-joke, which serves as an inflated Saturday Night Live skit that probably would have worked better kept as such. Frequent celebrity cameos from the likes of Michael Cera, Channing Tatum, the Backstreet Boys and even Emma Watson provide much needed diversions and opportunity for mirth, the latter of which delivers one of the biggest and genuinely hilarious set-ups of the entire film.

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While This Is the End will likely do little to widen the gang's appeal from the already initiated, it would seem that the film's scant budget of around $30 million was a good investment for Sony Pictures, having well and truly returned that from domestic U.S. sales alone.
To be sure, This Is the End is no instant comedy classic, nor is it bound for cult success. It's vulgar, obnoxious and jokes land with hits and thuds alike, but overall I found This Is the End to be a reasonable Friday night funny, although I dare say it will work infinitely better at home surrounded by friends, a few pizzas and a metric ton of alcohol, than it does at the cinema.

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Pacific Rim (2013) Cinema Review

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For those that constantly deride the lack of risk and the dearth of big budget sequels in Hollywood today, I'd point you in the way of Pacific Rim. It's neither based on an existing franchise, doesn't feature any big name stars, it's written by a screenwriter with just three films to his name, it's directed by a known figure, but one who's failed to transition his talents into successful, big budget features. It would seem that the odds are stacked against Pacific Rim, but I don't doubt that the film will be a solid success, partially because of the films stunning visuals, and partially because we've never seen such an audacious event like it before.

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Pacific Rim opens to a history of the waves of attacks unleashed on the world by giant beasts dubbed 'Kaiju', after a portal rift opens at the base of the Pacific ocean, allowing for monsters to burst through their dimension into ours. After being pummeled by the Kaiju for some years, countries come together and pool resources to construct a worldwide force of giant robots, manned by twin human pilots in order to protect what is left of humanity. One scientist, Dr. Newton Geiszler (Charlie Day), has a dangerous theory which could lead to a breakthrough in the battle, but with the attacks increasing in both ferocity and frequency, humanity is on course to be fast eclipsed as the dominant species on Earth.

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I'm in two minds about how this review goes. I've criticized recent releases such as The Lone Ranger for being light on plot, predictable and in need of some editorial nip and tuck. All these criticisms can be leveled at Pacific Rim, and more. But it's so difficult to be hard on a film that wears its lack of depth as a badge of honor.
This is a movie whose core concept is one of giant machines repeatedly belting the living crap out of oversize monsters. It's not so much eye candy, as it is destruction porn. It's the sandbox action figure battles played out on the big screen, in 3D, with a huge budget and mind blowing visuals. It also happens to be a rollicking romp and the most fun I've had in a cinema for a very long time.

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Director Guillermo del Toro is a hugely inventive and accomplished director in his own right, helming titles like Pan's Labyrinth and Hellboy alike with visual aplomb. He's not so much slacking with Pacific Rim, as he is with bringing his keen visual eye and a new spin on such a basic plot outline. The acting is solid, even if human play a secondary and almost perfunctory role, although Australians will be a little taken aback by quite possibly the worst faux Australian accent yet committed to film.

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Pacific Rim is a film that doesn't make one ponder the meaning of life, but certainly reminds about the possibilities afforded by modern digital technology. Really, our imaginations are truly the limit.

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Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 (2009) Blu-ray Review

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Recent seismic activity has led many Tokyo based scientists to suggest that a 'big one'; that is a large quake could occur in the region at any time - in fact, one is well overdue. As such, Japan lives under the constant shadow of imminent disaster, a growing concern following the 2011 quake. After my trip to Tokyo, where I was swept up in a quake drill, I can certainly attest to their seriousness in dealing with such issues. However, preparedness does not lessen the fear and traversing the cavernous subway tunnels provided plenty of opportunity to ruminate on. Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 is a 2009 anime series which deals with this very issue, which many western audiences will likely only have been recently introduced to, following worldwide video releases this year.
Young siblings Mirai and Yutaka are separated in Odaiba when a massive earthquake strikes the Tokyo mainland, which brings down bridges and buildings and damages the high tech infrastructure that brings the city together. Assisted by a kindly young woman named Mari, the children must brave the obstacles before them to be reunited with their parents a few suburbs away.

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Over 11 episodes and some 300 minutes, the series aims to accurately depict how the country would respond to a natural disaster of this size. While the series has been criticized by some for its depiction of the science, no one can criticize its depiction of the kindness and strength of the Japanese people in times of adversity.
Video
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 is presented in the series original aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with AVC MPEG-4 compression.
With solid blocks of color and relatively simple animation, anime generally encodes well with modern MPEG4 codecs and in this regard Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 is no exception. Compared to SD versions, the 1080i transfer is much sharper and features better color reproduction, along with the absence of artifacts, such as mosquito noise and general fuzziness.
Sadly however, there are a few issues with the use of interlaced video. Most are admittedly only obvious when the image is paused (obtaining screen shots for this review was extremely tedious), but take the form of combing and motion artifacts. It would seem that no region has received a 1080p transfer, so potentially the series was only produced for 1080i, but that would seem an odd choice.
Overall, a solid transfer that is seemingly accurate to the source, but doesn't reach the heights of other animated offerings.

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Audio
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 is presented with two dubs; the original Japanese encoded with DTS HD Master Audio 2.0 at 24 bits, and an English dub encoded in lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 at 448 kb/s.
I sampled the U.S. produced English dub, but chose to watch the series with the original Japanese language. It's a bit of a shame that the audio mix was prepared for stereo, rather than surround, foregoing the obvious opportunity to provide some reference quality effects. The absence of low frequency effects underscoring quake sequences is sorely missed. Once Pro-Logic mode is engaged on your receiver, the algorithm will do a reasonable job of extrapolating surround data, but it's clearly an inferior solution compared to a native surround mix.
Audio sync is pretty good, although unsurprisingly better for the Japanese audio track. Sound effects are reproduced with what I can only assume are faithful to the source.

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Extras
The discs packaging makes no mention of extra features, so it's a pleasant surprise to find a few are indeed included.
If you are reticent on watching the entire series, you can opt for the Digest Version, which condenses the entire series into one 60 minute featurette, in 1080i, to boot. Unsurprisingly, much of the drama and character beats are dropped for brevity, but it's still a nice overview of the series to potentially re-watch in the future.
Next is a Animation Slideshow featuring character portraits and scenes from the series, and a Trailer in window-boxed, up-scaled 1080i.

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Transcend Ultimate 16GB Compact Flash Memory Card Review

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If you are in the market for the ultimate in compact flash memory, today we have a treat for you. Aimed at the digital professional, Transcend's latest line-up of Compact Flash cards aims to please with its 1000X speed rating.
In house today, we have the latest in Compact Flash technology, out of the stables at Transcend. The Ultimate Compact Flash carries a rather impressive speed rating of 1000x, which means read speeds up to 150MB/s. Even further, the Transcend Ultimate Compact Flash cards carry a video performance guarantee, enabling quality video recording without dropping frames. The Ultimate line-up of Compact Flash cards is available in 16GB, 32GB, 64GB and 128GB capacities. For our review today, Transcend sent over the 16GB capacity card model.

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Above we have the scope of delivery, which includes the warranty card, Transcend product guide and 16GB Compact Flash inside its usual protective casing.

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Looking over the card, we find the UDMA7 and 1000x speed ratings listed above the capacity, set at 16GB. In the lower left corner, the video performance guarantee logo.

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The back of the card allows for labelling the card for storage.

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The interface used on the Transcend Ultimate is a Type I 50 Pin.
To test Compact Flash cards we utilize the same benchmarks we use for Flash Drives. These include CrystalDiskMark, ATTO and DiskBench. The card reader utilized in these test is the SanDisk ImageMate AIO.

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Our first look over the card shows its storage capacity of 14.9GB formatted in the FAT32 file system.

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Running the Transcend through ATTO netted us 151MB/s read, followed by 125MB/s write.

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Results with CDM were similar to what we found with ATTO. Sequential read and write coming in at 150MB/s and 123MB/s, respectively. Random read and write followed at 65MB/s read and 20MB/s write.

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In our chart above, we have for comparison several cards from competing manufacturers. Above you will notice the Transcend in the 16GB capacity slightly faster than the Lexar Professional in the 128GB capacity; this could be due to the use of Toggle Mode NAND compared to the Micron MLC in the Lexar. Another thing to note is the difference in write speed between 667x and 1000x, about 20MB/s.
The Transcend Ultimate Compact Flash is as visibly appealing as a memory card can get, with its rainbow and gold tones. The flashy exterior of the card should be plenty to catch your eye in a retail situation.
Performance of the Transcend Ultimate was on par with what I expected in terms of read performance, where we did hit marketing specs of 150MB/s. On the write portion of testing, I was a bit surprised by the performance, where marketing guaranteed 70MB/s, we were able to surpass that by quite a margin - 120MB/s. We can also add here that with capacity increases, we can expect write speeds to increase, so it is quite possible that Transcend has figured out the formula for the quickest 1000x rated Compact Flash card.
At the time of writing, I was able to find the 16GB capacity for $63.99. If you would like slightly more you will be looking at $222.99 for the 64GB and $406.99 for the 128GB capacity. Transcend offers a lifetime warranty with each capacity.

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Seagate Laptop Ultrathin (ST500LT032) 500GB HDD Review

Introduction

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About a month ago, Seagate launched their latest drive aimed at ultrathin computing. Dubbed the Laptop Ultrathin, Seagate has taken all of the technology from the previous Momentus Thin and packed it into a 5mm Z-Height.
Over the last few years the need for portable storage has grown exponentially, leading Seagate to see tremendous value in designing and building 5mm hard drives. Devices like portable USB 3.0 storage, ultrathin netbooks, notebooks and tablets further this demand putting value in high capacity low cost storage options.
In April, we watched as Western Digital launched the Ultra Slim HDD. Built from the ground up using its proprietary edge connector, the success of the new WD Blue hinges largely on OEMs that are willing to design and build around this new connector. Seagate on the other hand has chosen the proven route, the route of the standard SATA connection, allowing for mass compatibility between old and upcoming devices. Like the days of Betamax vs. VHS and HD-DVD vs. Blu-ray, there can be only one for the most part, and Seagate has placed their bets on the SATA standard.
The Seagate Laptop Ultrathin at launch is available in 320GB and 500GB capacities; additionally Seagate has set aside a self-encrypting model ST500LT033 in the 500GB capacity that complies with TCG Opal standards.

Specifications, Pricing and Availability

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Specifications for the Laptop Ultrathin have Seagate using a SATA 6Gb/s interface, with 16MB of cache complimenting the drive. Further, we have Average Seek times of 13ms for read operations and 15ms for write. The Maximum Sustained Data Rate is set to 100MB/s with 4K Advanced Format Sectors. Load/Unload Cycles match what we found with the NAS HDD at 600,000.
Power Consumption has the Laptop Ultrathin using just 1A during startup, with Seek and Idle coming in at 1.4W and 0.48W, respectively.
The Seagate Laptop Ultrathin will be offered at an MSRP of $89.99 in the 500GB capacity. Seagate adds to this by including a two year warranty.
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Transcend RDF8 USB 3.0 Memory Card Reader Review

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As we touched on earlier in our review of the SanDisk ImageMate, card readers have taken on many shapes, sizes and form factors. For those of you that want something for your desktop PC, there is no shortage of units available with internal USB 3.0 headers. For those of you that want something with a touch of portability, we have devices such as the ImageMate and of course, the unit we have today, the Transcend RDF8 USB 3.0 card reader.
Transcend has been an innovator and global leader in flash memory technology since their humble beginnings, so it comes as no surprise that their latest take on the portable card reader would make use of all modern memory card form factors. Included in this we have SD, microSD, Compact Flash and Memory Stick. With the purchase of this card reader, Transcend offers a free copy of their exclusive RecoverRX software. The RDF8 carries a two year warranty.

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Included in the scope of delivery, we found a 2ft USB 3.0 cable and of course the reader itself.

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On the front of the reader we have slots for microSD, Secure Digital and Compact Flash.

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The backside of the RDF8 includes the USB 3.0 connection and Memory Stick slot.

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For a quick size comparison, I laid each card reader out in our photo booth. Here we can see the Vantec internal reader being the largest, with the SanDisk and Transcend having the option of portability.

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For testing card readers, I utilize memory cards from SanDisk's Extreme line-up. These cards utilize the latest technology for their respective format.

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In testing the Compact Flash capabilities of the RDF8, we found the reader to do quite well. Random read results had the RDF8 out in front of both of our previous readers, while remaining results were tight between the ImageMate and RDF8.

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Secure Digital testing had all three of our readers fighting for position in random write. After this, we found the Transcend RDF8 slightly quicker in sequential write.

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MicroSD testing had the RDF8 slightly quicker in all read testing, while write testing had all three readers linear.
The Transcend RDF8, with its rather small form factor, doubles as both a desktop unit as well as offering the ultimate in portability while travelling. Even with its small footprint and use of plastics, the RDF8 feels quite durable.
Performance of the RDF8 was exceptional, in all testing we found it slightly quicker or on par with competing products. The USB 3.0 interface allows full speed transfer of your video and photos, and support of UHS-I and UDMA7 memory cards insures the RDF8 will be compatible with successive generations of memory cards for years to come.
At the time of writing, I was able to find the Transcend RDF8 for an amazing low price of $15.99 at Amazon, and at that price it's really hard to go wrong with this product.

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Patriot FUEL+ 9000mAh Mobile Rechargeable Battery Review
I absolutely love mobile rechargeable batteries, and truly live on them when I'm out and about. I use various smartphones being the Mobile Devices Editor for TweakTown and find myself constantly running low on battery at the worst of times.

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Just before Computex kicked off, I received an e-mail about Patriot Memory's new FUEL+ mobile rechargeable battery. I was intrigued when it mentioned it had an insane 9000mAh battery rocking inside of it, and I had to have it.

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One of our other editors, Shawn Baker, had a meeting with Patriot Memory during Computex, so I asked him to get me in contact with them about getting a sample. He did, and a few days after I landed back in Australia, I had a FUEL+ charger in for testing.

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The FUEL+ charger looks slick, with its white and red design. It features two USB ports. One is 2.5 amps, which charges devices very quickly, while the other is just 1 amp. The 2.5A port can charge up an iPhone 5 in less than two hours from ~10% battery, and can charge up a Galaxy S4 in around the same time, at around 10% battery.
The results are impressive, and better yet, with two USB ports, you can charge two devices at the same time. The 2.5A port would be used for the bigger, badder device, such as a tablet, while you used the 1A port for your smartphone. This can all be done while the FUEL+ itself is being kept at full charge, with its microUSB port on the back of it.

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I actually use this method myself, keeping it on my desk at all times, fully charged and I keep my current smartphone - Samsung's Galaxy S4 - plugged into it to keep both devices at 100%. I took Patriot's FUEL+ with me on my trip to Melbourne for PAX Australia 2013, where I was impressed with it.
Sure, you always hear about these mobile rechargeable batteries that can charge your devices, or more than one, or over and over for days and days - but this is the first of which where I could actually do it, and test it on the road.

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I left on a Thursday night, with my S4 and FUEL+ with me, and charged my S4 at around 60% on Thursday night. It was at 100% in the morning, and I went into PAX snapping pictures, using Facebook, and the usual applications and phone calls I make on a day-to-day basis.
I charged it back at the hotel once it hit 40% or so, and charged it back up to 90% before I headed out for a few drinks that night with a friend. When I got back, at 4am (ugh), I charged it once more to 100%. Back to day two of PAX AU, and I used my S4 once more.

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Back to the hotel again, I had 35% charge left on my S4. I charged it up once again and left for Saturday shenanigans at PAX AU with 100% battery. I got back at around 8pm that night, and put my S4 on charge when it was at 30% battery. It charged up to 85% and the FUEL+ was flat.
My flight was at 8:30am the next morning, and I'd be home by 11am, so I knew I didn't need 100% battery to last until I got home.

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This means that the FUEL+ kept my S4's charging needs without an issue, from Thursday night through to Sunday morning. This achievement in itself, blew me away. I didn't need to plug my Galaxy S4 into a power outlet whatsoever, which makes the FUEL+ charger the perfect device for someone who is travelling for a few days.
No need for a pesky power connector and cable, just bring your FUEL+ with its smaller microUSB cable and away you go.

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It looks great, doesn't weigh that much, and it was the absolute champion accessory for my weekend at PAX Australia 2013. Patriot Memory, you won me over with your FUEL+ charger - you really did. If you're after a mobile device charger, look no further than Patriot's FUEL+ charger, with 9000mAh, you won't be running out of battery anytime soon!

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Samsung 840 EVO 750GB SSD Review

Introduction

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Our final launch day review from the new Samsung 840 EVO product family is of the 750GB capacity size. Priced at $529.99 and sold in a drive only kit, the 750GB costs a little more than some high-end 512GB drives from other manufactures, yet packs more storage capacity. Since the 500GB EVO costs just $369.99 and the leap to 1TB costs $649.99, the 750GB capacity size, and price, make for a nice stop gap between large and mega.
Performance wise, the 750GB size shares all of the specifications with the 1TB EVO. On paper at least, aside from the 250GB capacity reduction, the 1TB and 750GB models should perform the same. We tend to look at SSDs under a microscope, so we expect there to be some small differences, since each NAND package has an extra die inside. With EVO though, the NAND isn't really the driving force for most of the performance.
Don't get me wrong, 840 EVO is a helluva drive on its own, but the bundled RAPID Mode, part of Samsung's Magician suite, is the star of the show. Working in conjunction with the 840 EVO SSD is a software cache layer with up to 1GB of system DRAM sitting in front of the SSD. We're not going to dismiss the downside of a massive 1GB buffer without a battery backup, but we really like the performance. My mouth is Kool-Aid Orange right now.
If you missed our Samsung 840 EVO Overview article, now would be a good time to read it. We covered all of the new features of the 840 EVO, most of which we'll just lightly touch on in this review of the 750GB model. We've also published a review of the 250GB EVO this morning as well.
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Samsung 840 EVO 250GB SSD Review

Introduction

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If you missed our opening article over the new Samsung 840 EVO product family, it's a good idea to go back and read through the pages. The Overview Editorial covers some of the fine details that we're only touching on in this review of the Samsung 840 EVO 250GB.
While not the most exciting product in the EVO family, an honor that goes to the 1TB model, Samsung must think the 250GB capacity size will attract the most buyers. The EVO 250GB is the only capacity size to ship in all three package configurations - Basic Drive, Notebook Kit and Desktop Kit. The 250GB EVO, priced well for 2013, competes with Crucial's M500, Seagate's 600 Series and various Team LSI SandForce players in the $175 to $200 price category.
In the overview article, I wrote about several different user groups who could look toward the 840 EVO as their next SSD. The 120GB and 240GB drives fit into the 'upgrade to OEM' market, notebook users and such. The larger drives overlap into that category, but are clearly more enthusiast / prosumer type products, due to the higher cost and capacity sizes.
With that in mind, let's take a look at the Samsung 840 EVO 250GB and see how it performs against other mainstream drives and how it compares against the best SSDs on the market regardless of price.
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Samsung 840 EVO Overview - New SSDs with Interesting Rapid Mode Cache Tech

Introduction

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Last week Samsung held their 2013 SSD Global Summit and invited roughly 150 technology journalists along for the ride. We posted several videos from the conference in our news, but we couldn't publish everything. Although several new products were on display, many from the enterprise side, the new 840 EVO was the main attraction.
The Samsung 840 EVO is the successor to the original 840 SSD, the world's first retail SSD to use TLC (triple-level cell) NAND flash. At the time of writing, the EVO model sits between the original 840 and 840 Pro. Armed with a new controller that's 100MHz faster than that of the 840, the EVO is a faster product that also utilizes new second-generation TLC NAND flash, now at 19nm.
One of the hottest topics at the conference didn't actually come from the hardware solution, but rather a software focused topic from Samsung's recent acquisition of NVELO. Built into the Magician suite, RAPID Mode adds another layer of system cache, much like Superfetch to the storage system. When enabled, RAPID will utilize up to 1GB of system memory for a tier 0 like read and write cache. There are several performance benefits to using DRAM for storage cache, but there is also a possibility of losing data due to the volatile nature of DRAM.
Let's take a deep dive into the Samsung 840 EVO architecture and features and then later in the day look at the actual reviews.
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AMD A10-6800K Overclocked To 8.2 GHz, Breaks And Sets World Record
A Finnish group of Overclockers who call themselves 'The Stilt' have managed to score a world record using AMD's newest Richland architecture based A10-6800K APU and using the Asus F2A85-V Pro motherboard. Back in June, The Stilt had managed to score 8000.48 MHz with a bus clock of 126.99 MHz and applying 2.008 volts to the CPU. The new world record, set by the same group, managed to score an applaud-worthy 8203.01 MHz with a bus clock of 130.21 MHz, multiplier set at 63x and a, believe it or not, lower core voltage of 1.968 volts. The recently discovered x87 patch was also applied, which allowed the poor A10-6800K to post better SuperPi scores.

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Enermax Launches Five New Fan Models
Enermax is pleased to announce their launch of the latest advanced series of fan models equipped with their all-new patented technology, APS (Adjustable Peak Speed) Control. As the name implies, the peak speed of these fans can be adjusted as preferred, and the speed will be regulated automatically by pulse-width modulation (PWM) or by an integrated thermal sensor after selecting the particular RPM range.

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New Twister Advance Series with APS Control: Cluster Advance, Everest Advance, Magma Advance
While the current Twister Series have been introduced into the market for more than 5 years, Enermax decided to add a refreshing twist to the series by adding the new Twister Advance series offering three different RPM modes which can be selected with a small switch at the fan hub. Users can then easily adapt the Enermax fans for various applications. For instance, the new Cluster Advance 12cm version fan runs within the ranges of 500 to 1200, 500 to 1500 or 500 to 1800 RPM, so that users can select the best combination for their chassis. Other features such as the patented Twister http://www.enermax.com/userfiles/image/close-up.JPGBearing, carved halo frame and batwing blades are still retained to offer users the best cooling performance.

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New Vegas LED Fan with APS Control and Carved Halo Frame: T.B.VEGAS QUAD, T.B.VEGAS
On the basis of the design of the APS control that allows end users to have different RPM settings and specifications, Enermax releases two new Vegas fans, the 4-color LED (blue, red, green and white) and single-color LED models coming in blue, red or white. These two series have 48 LEDs and 18 LEDs respectively, and each contains 6 lightening modes. These LED specifications truly make Enermax Vegas fans the brightest and shiniest fans in market. In addition, this is the first time that Enermax Vegas fans have the patented carved halo frame that allow for increased airflow and enhance the overall cooling performance.
Furthermore, just like all other Enermax fans, all of the above five new models utilize the ENERMAX patented Twister Bearing, a magnetic bearing technology, which helps prevent the abrasion that mechanical bearings such as Sleeve or Ball-Bearings have. This design helps give these ENERMAX fans a superb lifespan usage of more than 100k hours.

Intel Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend
Intel Corporation's board of directors has declared a quarterly dividend of 22.5 cents per share (90 cents per share on an annual basis) on the company's common stock. The dividend will be payable on Sept. 1, 2013, to stockholders of record on Aug. 7, 2013.

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Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) is a world leader in computing innovation. The company designs and builds the essential technologies that serve as the foundation for the world's computing devices. Additional information about Intel is available here.

ZOWIE GEAR Releases Limited Edition White Celeritas Keyboard
ZOWIE GEAR is releasing a limited edition version of the successful ZOWIE CELERITAS in white, equipped with Cherry MX-Red switches. ZOWIE GEAR understands that there are gamers that prefer to use MX-Red switches. The limited edition ZOWIE CELERITAS WHITE is an answer to gamers that look for that and, at the same time, want to have a keyboard with a different look.

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ZOWIE GEAR understands that every gamer has their own style and preference for the gaming gear they use. After listening to the community we have produced a limited edition version of the ZOWIE CELERITAS in white with MX-Red switches.

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The limited edition ZOWIE CELERITAS WHITE will also come with two sets of key caps using different materials. The black key caps are nylon and the white key caps are ABS so gamers can choose the most comfortable keys for them.
The ZOWIE WHITE CELERITAS is available in the following layouts: American, German, French, English, Japanese and Taiwanese.
Features:

6 keys Anti-Ghosting through USB
18K Gold Plated mechanical switches and USB connectors
Ability to change the "Windows"-key to "Ctrl"
Multimedia controls
Highly durable metal inner chassis
Ergonomic design saves space and offer full comfort during use
2 sets of key caps (black in nylon and white in ABS)
Special coating that provides additional comfort to the keyboard

Through the PS/2 connector:

Full Anti-Ghosting
ZOWIE RTR technology provides 4 levels of repeat-response (normal, 2x, 4x, 8x)

MSRP:

US$ 129.99
EUR 129,99

Available Tags:Google , Intel , Apple , Macbook , Nintendo , hardware , Microsoft , CEO , smartphone , ASUS , SSD , Google TV , TV , Other , eBay , Activision , Blu-ray , Seagate , HDD , USB 3.0 , USB , Samsung , Samsung , Samsung , AMD , Keyboard ,

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