IT-Code-News: IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 12/12/2013

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 12/12/2013

TweakTown

Autodesk is working with Oculus Rift, Autodesk and VR? Interesting
One of the more interesting companies working with Oculus VR's Rift headset, is Autodesk. The developer has held its Autodesk University in Vegas, where it showed off some impressive Rift projects to the crowd.

Autodesk noticed one thing about Rift: it "generates buzz, draws crowds around your booth, with people waiting in line just for the chance to look at your product or service. If your business does trade shows, Arch Virtual can definitely help build a Rift app for your next show." Better yet, when you actually want to show someone your product within Rift, it gets even better.

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autodesk_is_working_with_oculus_rift_autodesk_and_vr_interesting

Autodesk teases: "We could even place the viewer on an animated path that shrinks them down to travel directly inside a massive version of your product. The opportunity to tell a story and show off the best features your product or service has to offer is a tremendous, unprecedented opportunity." This is a big selling point of the Rift, is that it creates the world for you - something you simply cannot do on a computer screen, or a TV.

Microsoft to possibly bring back the Start menu in 'Threshold' update
We heard about the Threshold update not long ago, something that might include more than we expect from Microsoft. Now we have Microsoft expert, Paul Thurrott, chiming in, where he believes we might see a return of the Start menu to Windows.

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The Start menu would return to an optional desktop-only version of Windows, something that would be included in desktop versions of the OS. Touch-based versions of the OS will completely rid themselves of the desktop component, and will not feature the Start menu, and will only use the Start screen as its one, and only UI.
I think this makes much more sense, and is something I've talked about in various articles. Splitting the OS up into two: one with a Start menu/destined for desktop, one for touch-based devices/notebooks. I'm sure you could still get your hands on the desktop-based OS with the Start menu, and install it onto your notebook/Ultrabook, which is something I will be doing in the near future.

Google announces the launch of its new Open Gallery initiative
It's widely known that Google would like to see the entire world digitized and uploaded to the web, and its newest initiative brings us one step closer to that reality. Today Google launched its Open Gallery service that enables museums and art galleries to easily upload photos and build online exhibits for the world to see.

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The new Open Gallery Initiative is part of Google's Cultural Institute, and allows museums and galleries to enhance their existing website, or create a new one for free. Open Gallery will help parties develop extremely high-resolutions images of their exhibits so that visitors can zoom in on paintings and see each individual brush stroke the artist left behind. Entry into the program is on a Google-selected basis at the moment, and interested parties can visit the source link below to sign up to be considered.

Corsair rolls out its Airflow memory coolers for Vengeance Pro RAM
Corsair has released its Airflow memory coolers, which attach to the top of its Vengeance Pro line of RAM. There are multiple colors to choose from, so your RAM will look stylish in more ways than one.

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Corsair have used a 60mm PWM-controlled fan on the Airflow cooler, which can spin right up to 3500RPM if needed, pushing a nice 14.5CFM. So if you're overclocking your Vengeance Pro RAM, and you're finding it too hot, then the Airflow will be the best accessory for you. Not only that, but it'll look awesome sitting in your PC, too.
The three colors mentioned, are silver, red and blue. I'm sure there'll be more colors in the future, but for now this is it.

AOC unveils an all new 27-inch 2560x1440 monitor
In today's world, a serious gamer, developer or designer needs to have a serious monitor and that is where AOC comes into play. Today, the company released its latest 27-inch high-resolution beast, the q2770Pqu. The monitor is a 27-inch WQHD unit that features a resolution of 2560x1440.

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The new Ultra-HD monitor boast a wide viewing angle of 178 degrees and a response time of just 5ms. A built-in USB 3.0 hub is present to add more connectivity to the desktop, while Dual-Link DVI, D-Sub, and HDMI handle the video input. AOC says that the monitor draws only 29W of energy while in Eco-Mode, and we can expect it to retail for around $500.

National Geographic partners with Google to offer over 500 maps
Today Google announced that National Geographic will be the first of many companies to contribute its custom maps to Google Maps via the new Public Data Program for Google Maps. National Geographic will upload more than 500 historic and educational maps to the service for everyone to freely access.

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National Geographic does plan on offering high-resolution prints of each map however, and copies can be purchased by clicking on those maps once the feature has been implemented. The company says that this will generate revenue back to its non-profit efforts and will allow it to add more custom maps and interactive content as time passes.

Codeacademy launches new app to help people learn to code
Today Codeacademy launched a new app for iOS users that allows them to continue their coding education even when on the go. The new app features lessons that are designed to take less than an hour each to complete and gradually teach the users the basics of coding.

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Codeacademy timed the launch with Computer Science Education week, and hopes that the app can play a role in helping 10 million students to participate in one hour of coding. At the moment the app only features one lesson, but the company's CEO says that it will eventually become a stand-along code learning platform much like its website is now. No word was mentioned on when we might see an Android version of the app released.

DICE introduces Top Issue Tracker for Battlefield 4
Today DICE announced that they have just unveiled a new Top Issue Tracking page for Battlefield 4. The issue tracker is designed to display the top issues that are being reported in Battlefield 4 by gamers across all platforms. DICE says that the tracking system is the same as it use internally and that this is just a way to display the top issues to its customers.

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DICE says that the list is not comprehensive and only list the major top issues that are being experienced by gamers. Users can check the list to see of a bug they have been experiencing is listed, and see what its status is on each of the consoles or PC. Battlefield 4 is in my opinion the best shooter ever made, and this new list shows just how dedicated DICE is to keeping it that way!

Samsung's Galaxy Note 3 sales top the 10 million milestone
Today Samsung announced that it has surpassed a major sales milestone with its Galaxy Note 3. Samsung says that channel sales of the Galaxy Note 3 have rocketed past 10 million unit sales in under the two months that it has been available for sale to the public.

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The Note 3's predecessor, the Note 2 took over 120 days to reach 10 million units sold, and is just ten days longer than the 50 day total it took to sell 10 million Galaxy S4 smartphones. With phablets like the Galaxy Note 3 growing in popularity almost as fast as the Samsung Galaxy series itself, I am willing to bet that the next generation of phables that we see in 2014 will sell even faster.

Plex and 10 more apps finally make their way to Google Chromecast
If you have ever ready any of my articles here at TweakTown that involve multimedia streaming, you know that I regard Plex as the best media streaming server and app combo out on the market today. You can imagine my excitement when Google announced this morning that Plex has finally made its way onto the Chromecast along with ten other third-party apps.

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"I'm happy to tell you that over the last few months, we've been working closely with Google to bring Plex to the Chromecast," said founder Elan Feingold. "It's an honor for us to be among the first handful of apps on the device, and it's been great working with Google - we've never met a smarter or more energetic group of people to work with."
For those of us with substantial libraries being served up by Plex, this news is great, and the the addition of other apps such as Songza, Red Bull.TV, Revision 3, and Avia make Chromecast an even more affordable streaming device for anyone. With today's additions, Google has shown that it fully intends to support Chromecast well into the future, and now lets hope to see a Spotify, Vimeo, Amazon Instant, and Redbox Instant join the party soon. Read my full review of Google's Chrome cast here, and check out the full list of apps that were added today below.

Songza
Vevo
Plex
Red Bull.TV
Revision 3
PostTV
Viki
BeyondPod
RealPlayer Cloud
Avia

3DMark for Windows gets updated and adds Ice Storm Unlimited testing
Today Futuremark announced the release of an update to its 3DMark benchmarking software for Windows. The update adds in support for Ice Storm Unlimited testing which will allow users to compare scores from mobile devices with their PC. The update also integrates the GPU-Z library which improves hardware detection and restores clock speed and temperature monitoring during testing.

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With the integration of Ice Storm Unlimited, I am curious to see how some of the new Surface Pro 2 tablets and convertibles stack up against some of the desktop CPUs with integrated GPUs. With mobile connectivity and productivity becoming a bigger necessity with every passing day, the ability to run powerful apps such as those in Adobe's Creative Cloud, or even AutoDesk programs is more important than ever. With a benchmark that can compare mobile devices to desktop's figuring our what works with what just got easier.

ThePirateBay.sx is dead. Long live ThePirateBay.ac
When it comes to online entities, there are few who change domain names as often as ThePirateBay, and this morning we are learning that the infamous BitTorrent tracking site has moved yet again. After Caribbean authorities were bullied into to seizing the .sx domain name TPB had used over the last six months, the pirates have moved to Ascension Island and now lay claim to thepiratebay.ac.

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Unfortunately the website will not have much time to rest in its stay on Ascension, as the pirates are planning a more permanent stay in Peru and its .pe top level domain. If Peruvian authorities choose to let the RIAA and MPAA bully them into seizure as well, then TPB officials say that they have dozens of TLD's that they can move to at any time.

Did the Galaxy S5 just pop up on Browsermark? Packs quite the punch
If some results on Browsermark are anything to go by, and they usually are, it looks like an early build of the Galaxy S5 has just been spotted. It turned up on Browsermark in position 3, to only be beaten by Apple's iPhone 5S, and Samsung's Galaxy Note 3.

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But, there is one big difference: the device that is now number 3 on Browsermark, is the Samsung SM-G900F, which was running Chrome 28. Chrome 28 is four months old, so if it were running the latest Chrome 31, we might have a new speed champion with the Galaxy S5. We shouldn't expect anything less from the Galaxy S5, which should be unveiled in the first few months of the new year.

Facebook 'like' button to be joined by a 'sympathize' button, finally
How long has it taken Facebook to get to this position? I don't understand how hard it is for the tens of thousands of coders, designers and employees at the world's largest social network to not have implemented a 'dislike' or what its rumored to be called, 'sympathize' button onto Facebook.

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The Telegraph is reporting that Facebook is working on a 'sympathize' button that would be used to 'dislike' or not 'like' a post. The new sympathize button is thanks to a recent hackathon event, and will be tied to emotions tagged within updates to indicate your 'dislike' in the post, so it might not roll out in the way we think it will. Time will tell.

LG's G2 smartphone sells below the company's high expectations
When I reviewed LG's G2 smartphone, I fell in love with it - it is one of the best Android smartphones on the market, without a doubt. But, the South Korean giant hasn't seen that much success in it, with it selling below its expectations.

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Up until now, LG has sold just 2.3 million units of its G2 smartphone, with an expectation of selling over 3 million units in the third quarter of this year alone. Not every company can be Samsung or Apple, maybe LG's expectations on the G2 smartphone were too high? What do you think?

Remedy teases time breaking and much more in Quantum Break
If there's a studio that can pump out some quality digital art, it's Remedy. The developer is responsible for some truly magical games, such as Max Payne and Alan Wake, and is back with another game: Quantum Break.

Max Payne himself, or the guy Remedy used to model him from, Sam Lake, Creative Director of the game, explains Quantum Break in the video above. The world of Quantum Break is all about time, and how it is broken, which introduce isolated anomalies, freezing time in place. It looks interesting to say the least, and I can't wait to see more of it.

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Our System Builders Guide has been updated, our new sub-$1000 PC
Something that hasn't been updated for quite sometime was our System Builders Guide, but over the next couple of weeks, we're going to revamp all three of our systems. Today, we've started with our ~$1000 'Sub-lieutenant' PC.

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We've decided to add an SSD in by default (which will be featured in all of our PCs), a better CPU, GPU, 16GB of RAM, and much more. This is the first edit we'll do, and we'll continue to keep them more up-to-date going into the future. If you have any suggestions, do let us know, and we'll get them baked into the system specs!

Protostack ATmega32A Development Kit Review

Introduction

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One of my favourite things to do on a cold winter night is to heat up my soldering iron and sit down at my workbench for an hour of circuit board building. Unfortunately, many of the development boards I use in my projects and experiments are pre-assembled from the manufacturer and as such, I do not get to solder as much as I like to. Fortunately, Protostack still understands that many of the makers out there still love to melt some solder from time to time.
Protostack's ATmega32A Development Kit is the first 40-pin AVR development board from the company, with all of its other boards being based on a 28-pin AVR design. The 40-pin ATmega32U is a low power, high performance Atmel 8-bit AVR RISC-based microcontroller featuring 32KB self-programming flash program memory, 2KB SRAM, 1KB EEPROM, 8 channel 10-bit A/D converter and JTAG interface for on-chip-debug. The device achieves 16 MIPS throughput at 16 MHz at 2.7 to 5.5V operation.
These features allow the ATmega32A to execute powerful instructions in a single clock cycle, and the result is throughputs approaching 1 MIPS per MHz, allowing users to optimize power consumption versus processing speed.
Why would you choose this kit over something like an Arduino though? That answer is as simple as: Why wouldn't you. With an Arduino you must utilize a breadboard or various shields when prototyping, and then when it is all over, you will have to either have a custom PCB manufactured, or you will have to etch one yourself.
With a Protostack board, you can simply populate the prototyping space the same way you did your breadboard. Then all you have to do is solder things into place, and connect the proper leads with solder bridges and wire. Then you can leave your project on the board. Alternatively, you can use the Protostack Development board in the same way you would an Arduino, and "stack" additional development boards or prototyping boards on top.
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Feenix Nascita 2014 Laser Gaming Mouse Review

Introduction

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Looking around, even though I had never heard of the Feenix branding, it seems this company has been around out in the wild delivering customers peripherals. So long in fact, that they are now offering new editions of older products, at least by name. It is easy enough to search around the internet for images and read the opinions of various reviewers, but with companies that are new to me, I try to put the blinders on and not let what I see influence the time and results we get from their products. Not so much that I did not read anything, but it all comes with a pinch of salt. With that said, here is to hoping for a great start between us and Feenix.
From reading the information provided on the website, Feenix is well aware of the basic company issues, and is striving to rid themselves of the negative stereotypes of some of the bigger makers to end up with a company that will not only deliver top notch products, but they are all hand inspected, they run in a limited production pushing quality over quantity, and are stating that they want to offer the best customer service out there.
Feenix seems to realize the important parts of what will make fresh upstart successful, and as long as they adhere strictly to their own plan, Feenix should be able to stay in the market for a long time delivering top tier solutions to gamers' needs. It also seems like everything is kept in-house as much as possible, and with limited production numbers and the human cost to hand screen the finished product before it leaves Feenix has to come with a pretty severe cost added to each device.
Today we will be looking at two of the three products that Feenix is currently offering. They have delivered the Nascita laser gaming mouse that is free from drivers, looks amazing, and is designed to deliver great precision and a great feel in the hand. Most companies will also offer a mouse surface that is specifically designed to enhance the aspects of their mice, and here Feenix has sent us the hard plastic Dimora to take on that task. While they do currently offer a mechanical keyboard, what looks to be a future product in audio, and are even developing a game called Dragon, we will have to wait for a later date and see if we can complete the set.
For this moment in time, let's take an in depth look at the Nascita mouse, and in that time we can see if the Dimora is something that you need to buy, or if it is something that any other pad will deliver. By the time we are finished here today, Feenix will definitely be on the radar of a lot of potential customers, who at this time, had no idea this company even existed, let alone being able to deliver products of this caliber.
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Kanex Micro USB ClipOn Cable Review

The Review

One of the things I love about this job is receiving an e-mail from a company asking if I'd like to review their product/s. I never say no, even to the smallest companies, because that's how everyone starts out, right?

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Kanex is no different, and until my e-mail correspondence with them, I had never heard of them. Kanex asked if I'd like to review its Micro USB ClipOn Cable, and of course I agreed. I didn't know what to expect, but from the name of the product, you can begin to form a picture.

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kanex_micro_usb_clipon_cable_review

Kanex's Micro USB ClipOn Cable is a portable Micro USB to USB-A cable that measures at 4 inches when stretched end-to-end. The best bit is that it's a small cable that clips onto items you might take around with you on your daily travels (your backpack, luggage, handbag, or even your keys).
I decided to put it on my bag for the first day or so, but that felt like I was tethered to my bag for the day so I ended up putting it on my keys, which was a much better place for me. The best bit about Kanex's Micro USB ClipOn Cable is that you can clip it on anywhere!

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kanex_micro_usb_clipon_cable_review

Kanex has priced the Micro USB ClipOn Cable at $9, which is just insane. Something for under $10 can be made from extremely good materials. It feels good, but isn't too heavy. The clip-on part of the product is actually straight forward, and quite secure.

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kanex_micro_usb_clipon_cable_review

I was able to take one of my many portable rechargeable batteries with me in my bag without its included cable. My smartphone could run dry, and I would have the cable ready to go by my side, and just plug it into the charger, and my smartphone -simple!
The quality Kanex has put into the Micro USB ClipOn Cable is nothing short of impressive, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing what else it can do with a simple product like a USB cable. Kudos, Kanex!

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NETGEAR Announces New Generation of ProSAFE Gigabit Plus Switches
NETGEAR, Inc., a global networking company that delivers innovative products to consumers, businesses and service providers, has expanded its fast growing family of ProSAFE Gigabit Plus Switches. With three new Power-Over-Ethernet (PoE) models, the enhanced ProSAFE Plus Switch Family now includes eight switches that combine improved management capabilities with Gigabit speeds and enhanced performance, making them an ideal, cost-effective upgrade from NETGEAR plug-and-play Unmanaged Switches for small organizations with growing networks. NETGEAR is the industry-leading provider of both Unmanaged and Smart Switches, offering a comprehensive portfolio of switches for business of all sizes.

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Today's growing businesses are putting more network traffic and applications on their Ethernet infrastructure, requiring more than simple plug-and-play connectivity. Network intelligence from NETGEAR switches separates and prioritizes voice and video traffic from data, at an affordable price point.
Designed for networks that support 20 or more employees with growing network needs, the second-generation NETGEAR ProSAFE Plus Switches offer Gigabit speeds on all models, and new web-based management capabilities available for 16- and 24-port models and available soon for 5- and 8-port models. They enable customers to build multiple user groups, prioritize voice and video traffic through Quality of Service (QoS), monitor and troubleshoot, and set up easily with multiple deployment options such as desktop placement, undertable mount, wall mount and rackmount - all within a ten percent premium over the cost of an Unmanaged Switch.
Along with the existing first-generation 8-port PoE model, NETGEAR has added new 5-, 16-, and 24-port PoE switches to the ProSAFE Gigabit Plus Switch family. PoE switches are ideal for powering devices such as IP phones and cameras, wireless access points, and Ethernet switches, eliminating the need for separate electric lines. With half of the ports PoE-capable and supporting the appropriate PoE power budget, the NETGEAR PoE Plus Switches are the most cost-efficient Gigabit Ethernet solution for converged SMB networks where PoE support is needed, yet controlled costs are a concern.
"The NETGEAR ProSAFE Gigabit Plus Switches are built with essential management features for the most common real-world applications," said Paul Williams, vice president of security and communications products at Control4, a leading provider of personalized automation and control solutions. "They suit small businesses and organizations nicely where network intelligence is needed to improve performance, while cost-efficiency is a must. The fact that NETGEAR is now offering PoE options as well as web management capabilities makes these switches an even better value."
A unique feature of the five-port NETGEAR PoE switch is that the power is supplied solely via a PD (PoE Powered Device) port. As a result, it does not need an external power adapter and is truly free from requiring proximity to AC power outlets, for maximum deployment flexibility. In addition, it offers pass-through functionality to deliver power to other connected devices such as WiFi access points, IP phones and IP cameras.
NETGEAR's ProSAFE Plus Switches meet the growing need for more intelligence in SMB networks by providing features that help optimize performance. ProSAFE Plus Switches offer traffic monitoring that enables network managers to observe traffic behavior. If there are connectivity issues, these switches can identify and locate connection problems via a cable diagnostic test. To optimize traffic, ProSAFE Plus Switches offer both port and tag-based prioritization to keep latency-sensitive traffic moving ahead of less critical packets.
"For our channel partners and their SMB customers, performance, manageability, reliability and flexibility of their networking equipment is just as important as it is in enterprise-scale networks, but they are more sensitive to high-value solutions," said Maggie Wu, the senior product line manager for NETGEAR Switching Products. "The switches we're announcing today round out our portfolio of Gigabit Plus switches to address growing requests for more solutions with PoE capability to carry video, voice and data, as well as additional management options. We're happy to offer these at a price point that's a reasonable step up from our Unmanaged Switches for companies looking to upgrade their networks."
The second-generation family of NETGEAR ProSAFE Plus Switches are packed with enhanced features and real-world benefits:

Full network configuration and management at the price point of Unmanaged Switches
Gigabit connection delivery up to 2000 Mbps of dedicated, non-blocking bandwidth per port
VLAN support for traffic segmentation
Quality of Service (QoS) for traffic prioritization
Auto "denial-of-service" (DoS) prevention
Troubleshooting capabilities via cable test
Loop prevention and broadcast storm controls
IGMP snooping v1, v2 and v3 support for multicast optimization
Rate limiting for better bandwidth allocation
Port mirroring for network monitoring
Port trunking for bigger uplink bandwidth
Flexible management options via PC-based Utility Tool or web-based GUI (available on select models now and coming soon for all models)
Energy Efficient Ethernet (IEEE802.3az) support for maximum power savings

Pricing and Availability
NETGEAR ProSAFE Gigabit Plus Switches are available worldwide through a broad variety of NETGEAR PowerSHIFT partners and authorized reseller and DMR channels. While pricing for the end customer may vary depending on the reseller, below are the manufacturer's suggested retail prices (MSRP) in the U.S.

5 port desktop Gigabit switch (GS105Ev2), U.S. MSRP $80, available now.
5 port desktop Gigabit switch with 2 PoE ports and one PD port (GS105PE), U.S. MSRP $112, available now.
8 port desktop Gigabit switch (GS108E), U.S. MSRP $107.50, currently available only in the first generation.
8 port desktop Gigabit switch with 4 PoE ports (GS108PE), U.S. MSRP $200, currently available only in the first generation.
16 port desktop Gigabit switch (GS116Ev2), U.S. MSRP $254, available now.
16 port rackmount Gigabit switch with 8 PoE ports (JGS516PE), U.S. MSRP $300, available now.
24 port rackmount Gigabit switch (JGS524Ev2), U.S. MSRP $320, available now.
24 port rackmount Gigabit switch with 12 PoE ports (JGS524PE), U.S. MSRP $420, available now.

Micron's High-Density 45nm Serial NOR Flash Doubles Programming Speed
Micron Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq:MU), today announced the availability of 45nm Serial NOR Flash memory samples in 512Mb, 1Gb, and 2Gb densities with a standard SPI interface. These new MT25Q SPI NOR devices offer a cost-effective solution with high performance, enhanced security and drop-in compatibility with legacy NOR devices, enabling high-density SPI NOR adoption in consumer, automotive, industrial and networking applications.

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Micron's MT25Q devices satisfy embedded application requirements with best-in-class 2 MB/s programming speed. In addition, MT25Q devices offer improved erase performance and 66 MB/s read performance, enabling fast updates and boot performance for embedded systems. The MT25Q family also offers the industry's first serial NOR 2Gb device in a 6mm x 8mm BGA package, which is the smallest package available in the market today.
"The introduction of our new SPI NOR family reconfirms Micron's commitment to NOR technology and further enables us to continuously meet customer needs," saidJeff Bader, vice president of Micron's Embedded Solutions Marketing. "As customers increasingly move to higher-density NOR designs, our MT25Q product line, with 2 MB/s programming speed, supports the need for improved performance, higher manufacturing efficiency and a small footprint."
MT25Q SPI NOR devices will also maximize design flexibility and minimize redesigns thanks to Micron's long lifecycle support.
Micron partners with major ecosystem players to enable the MT25Q SPI NOR solutions and help make them the best choice for new and existing application designs.
Samples of the MT25Q devices are available today in BGA and SO16W packages.

Synology Launches the RackStation RS3614xs+ NAS Server
Synology America Corp. announces the launch of the RS3614xs+, the latest of the XS+ line. The new RS3614xs+ continues to deliver Synology's award-winning storage solution, providing enterprise features at SMB prices. Small businesses can now take advantage of performance, scalability, and the virtual storage options of: VMware, Citrix, and Hyper-V, all while offering general-purpose storage that businesses need.

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The latest XS+ RackStation accommodates 12-bays natively, with the ability to expand up to 36-bays when paired with two RX1214(RP) expansion modules. The combined solution can mount up to 144 TB of raw capacity. Additionally, Synology's new optional tool-less rail kits, the RKS1314, makes installation for the XS+ fast and easy.
The XS+ includes a 6 Gb/s SATA III interface. With dual Gen3 x8 PCIe slots the RS3614xs+ can now support up to two 10 GbE NICs - in addition to its four native gigabit Ethernet ports. With both PCIe ports populated, throughput can exceed 3,200 MB/s; and with solid-state storage, benchmarks can reach up to 620,000 IOPS, for network environments that need raw performance. For those who need SAS, Synology does provide a SAS solution in their flagship RS10613xs+.
With the RS3614xs+, you can:

Take advantage of the award-winning DiskStation Manager OS and its business feature offerings
Maintain a company's storage uptime through Synology's High Availability
Be able to expand storage as your business grows
Reduce cost and complexity of high-throughput data management through a configurable architecture that is easy to use and install.
Attain streamlined high performance, with low latency, high bandwidth, and IOPS.

"The RS3614xs+ is an ideal midpoint between a NAS and a SAN solution," said Jason Bonoan, Product Marketing Manager at Synology America Corp. "For a mere fraction of the cost, SME customers can deploy enterprise class features at utterly attainable prices."
Availability: Synology RackStation RS3614xs+ are now shipping globally, and will be available in the United States in the next couple of weeks.
MSRP:

RS3614xs+ = $4999.99
RX1214 = $1699.99
RX1214RP = $2,399.99
RKS1314 = $129.99

SAPPHIRE R-Series Graphics Go Mainstream
Continuing the roll-out of the exciting new generation of graphics cards based on the latest GCN (graphics core next) architectures from AMD, SAPPHIRE Technology is now delivering the first members of the R7-Series, bringing many of the features of the R9-Series to users on a more limited budget.

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The new R7 260X from SAPPHIRE has the budget gamer firmly in its sights as well as having many advanced features for the home or professional user. With 2 GB of the latest GDDR5 memory clocked at 1650 MHz (6.6 GHz effective), 896 stream processors and core clocks of 1150 MHz this card is no slouch. Support for DirectX 11.2 means the architecture is built to support the latest applications and to play even the very latest games at HD resolutions and above. Performance can be further enhanced by using multiple cards in AMD CrossFire on a suitably enabled mainboard.
The SAPPHIRE R7 260X features the exciting new TrueAudio from AMD, first introduced in the flagship R9 290X model. AMD TrueAudio technology brings a heightened level of audio immersion, surrounding gamers with realistic audio environments whether it is through stereo headsets or speakers. A dedicated audio processor in the GPU enables the SAPPHIRE R7 260X graphics card to deliver a richer and deeply immersive soundscape, including true to life echoes, convolution reverbs and incredibly realistic surround sound environments.
Display can also be extremely immersive, with support for three monitors in AMD Eyefinity without the need for additional active adapters. Output configuration includes Dual-link DVI-I (with VGA adapter bundled), Dual link DVI-D, Displayport 1.2 and HDMI. The HDMI 1.4a interface supports Stereoscopic 3D and both the HDMI and Displayport outputs can support the latest 4K Ultra HD displays.
The SAPPHIRE R7 260X delivers all the features of the AMD GCN architecture, including App Acceleration, AMD Image quality enhancement technology, AMD Powerplay Power management technology, AMD PowerTune technology with Boost and AMD ZeroCore Power technology.
The SAPPHIRE R7 260X is on sale now from SAPPHIRE's etail and retail partners.

Micron and Rambus Sign License Agreement
Rambus Inc. and Micron Technology, Inc. today announced they have signed a broad patent cross license agreement. Under the agreement, Micron gains the right to use any Rambus patent for the manufacture of specified integrated circuit products, including any memory integrated circuit products. Certain of these memory products will enjoy a perpetual, paid-up license after the end of the initial term. The agreement requires quarterly royalty payments to Rambus over the next seven years capped at $10 million per quarter, with a rolling twelve-month cap fixed at $40 million, or $280 million during the initial term. In addition, Micron will have the option to extend the initial term of this agreement for additional renewal periods. As part of this agreement, the two companies have settled all outstanding patent and antitrust claims, and the agreement covers both Micron and Elpida products. Other terms and details of the agreement are confidential.

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"This milestone agreement puts years of legal disputes behind both companies and opens doors for future cooperation," said Dr. Ron Black, president and chief executive officer at Rambus. "We continue to focus on developing innovative technology and furthering our more open, collaborative relationship with the broader industry."
"The industry is at an important juncture with the emergence of memory systems and solutions, and Micron is ideally positioned to capitalize on this trend," said Micron CEO Mark Durcan.
Rambus management will host a conference call tomorrow, December 10, 2013 at 5:30am PT to discuss this agreement and settlement. The call will be available online at investor.rambus.com. A replay will be available following the call on the Rambus Investor Relations website for one week at the following numbers: (855) 859-2056 (domestic) or (404) 537-3406 (international) with ID# 23087430.

D-Link Announces Wireless AC1750 Dual-Band PoE Access Point
Network administrators can cope more easily with the ever increasing demands from more devices, higher traffic levels and greater performance expectations, thanks to D-Link. It has unveiled a new addition to its range of Wireless AC products, the Wireless AC1750 Simultaneous Dual-Band PoE Access Point (DAP-2695).

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The DAP-2695 provides enhanced dual-band performance to deliver a more stable, secure and faster wireless connection. Furthermore, it can be configured to work in a number of modes for added deployment options.
"Wireless AC provides a range of benefits to users. As well as speeds comparable to a Gigabit wired network, Wireless AC ensures better coverage, more stable connectivity and enables more devices to be connected to the network. As such, it is starting to gain traction throughout homes and now businesses are starting to look for ways to harness these benefits for themselves," said Andrew Mulholland, Head of Business Solutions, D-Link UKI Ltd.
"Access points like this can benefit network administrators of small and medium sized businesses by delivering all the benefits of Wireless AC to their network, allowing larger files to be transferred faster and data to be backed up wirelessly. Also the various deployment options mean that this device can be used in a variety of scenarios - making it versatile and ensuring it can be adapted as business needs change."
The flagship Wireless AC1750 Simultaneous Dual-Band PoE Access Point allows network administrators to deploy a highly manageable and extremely robust simultaneous dual-band wireless network. All six antennas are detachable and can provide optimal wireless coverage with maximum speeds of up to 450 Mbps over the 2.4 GHz band and 1300 Mbps over the 5 GHz band.
It can also be used in multiple operation modes: as an access point, wireless distribution system (WDS) with access point, WDS/bridge or as a wireless client with WDS support. Network administrators are able to set up multiple units throughout a facility and configure them to bridge with one another while also providing network access to individual clients. As such the Wireless AC1750 Simultaneous Dual-Band PoE Access Point can be used to join networks between different buildings without the need to lay additional wiring.
This access point also incorporates advanced features such as load balancing when multiple units are deployed and as it supports Power other Ethernet (PoE), it can be connected and powered with a single Ethernet cable.
Administrators have the ability to virtually pool these devices, using the D-Link AP Manager II or D-View SNMP management module to configure, check and maintain multiple access points from a single location.
The Wireless AC1750 Simultaneous Dual-Band PoE Access Point (DAP-2695) is available now for an RRP of £236.91 + VAT.

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