BioShock 6-Years Later Review
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Bioshock 2 3-Years Later Review
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Vine Launches New Website
Twitter, which owns and operates the popular Vine video service, has launched a new website that accompanies the mobile Vine application. The new website allows users to share their profiles with others and also allows for the sharing of past Vines, something that was previously unavailable unless using a third-party viewer. An interesting feature built into the new website, called TV Mode, allows videos from a specific user to continuously play in full screen. With the introduction of the new Vine website, which is accessible at vine.co, Twitter is making the service available to a more mainstream audience. Vine videos are still only able to be created from mobile devices however, reinforcing that the service continues to focus primarily on mobile platforms.
Source: TechHive
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CryptoLocker Ransomware Evolves
Previously a Trojan which relied on user interaction to spread the ransomware and infect a user's computer, CryptoLocker has morphed into a new worm variant. Researchers at Trend Micro have found that CryptoLocker is able to be spread from computer to computer by using a USB drive or by being downloaded from unsafe sites such as P2P file sharing websites. By utilizing a USB drive that is infected, the ransomware spreads to files on the computer that the drive is attached to and even looks for other computers on the network to infect, if connected. The ransomware can also spread itself by being a fake activator for software such as Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Office, which are generally shared on P2P websites. CryptoLocker encrypts various files on a computer system and makes users pay a ransom to unlock their files. Since the affected files are encrypted, removing the malware does not aid in retrieving the files for accessibility and one of the only ways to remove the ransomware at this time is by doing a complete system format.
Trend Micro is advising users to keep away from P2P file sharing sites in order to retrieve illegal copies of software. Additionally, Trend Micro is cautioning the use of USB drives, especially those of unknown origin.
Source: PC Magazine
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Acer Working on Android Powered PCs
Acer has announced a pair of all-in-one PCs powered by the Android operating system, the DA223 HQL and TA272 HUL. The DA223 HQL features a 21.5" capacitive touch screen capable of 1080p resolution, a Qualcomm Snapdragon quad core processor, and a battery making it almost like a very large portable tablet computer. The TA272 HUL has a 27" touch screen with 2560x1440 resolution, a quad core NVIDIA Tegra processor, 16GB of storage, and 802.11n Wi-Fi. Both devices are running the Jelly Bean version of Android. The DA223 has an MSRP of $699 while the TA272 will cost $1,099.
Source: Maximum PC
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Steam Reportedly Down After DDoS Attack
Two Twitter users today claimed responsibility for using a botnet in order to a takedown Steam servers with a Distributed Denial of Service attack. The Steam service, owned by Valve Corporation, was down for a few hours early this morning as the Holiday Sale came to an end. Steam was offering some of the most popular deals on games and software during the final hours of the Holiday Sale. Not only was the actual Steam service down, the community and support sites were also unavailable for access. Many users flocked to social media websites such as Facebook in order to voice their concern over the outage. The takedown of Steam by a DDoS attack comes just days after the sheer growth that Steam is experiencing was reported.
Source: PCWorld
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Facebook Allegedly Data Mines Private Messages
In a new suit filed by Matthew Campbell and Michael Hurley in a U.S. district court in Northern California, Facebook is being accused of data mining links and other information contained within private messages. This information can be sold to advertisers, and is taken from the private messages without adequate disclosure or consent of users. Campbell and Hurley both claim that as many as 166 million Facebook users could be eligible to join the suit if it was made class action and that the data mining violates the Electronic Communications Privacy Act. Both plaintiffs continue to note that the data mining done by Facebook violates California privacy and unfair competition laws as well. Although Facebook did not reply to a request for comment, the company did mention that the allegations have been made without merit.
Source: CNN
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TRENDnet Introduces New Wireless Router
As the IEEE 802.11ac standard gains popularity due to its sheer speed and network capability, more manufacturers are building wireless routers that take advantage of the 5GHz standard. TRENDnet is no exception, as it is announcing its AC1900 wireless router. The TRENDnet AC1900 will provide one AC network operating at 1.3Gbps along with an N network that will perform at 600Mbps. By broadcasting two separate networks simultaneously, the TRENDnet AC1900 allows newer wireless devices that support the AC standard to connect, along with older devices that make use of IEEE 802.11n to connect. The TRENDnet TEW-818DRU will also feature a 1GHz processor, high power radio amplifiers, all Gigabit Ethernet ports, a USB 2.0 port, and a 5Gbps USB 3.0 port. Available from retailers starting in February, 2014, the TRENDnet TEW-818DRU AC1900 Wireless Router will sell for $259.99 and include a 3 year limited warranty.
Source: techPowerUp
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Finding the Source of Superconductivity in Cuprates
Superconductors have the potential to change the world of electronics, as they can transmit currents without resistance. The problem is that superconductivity is not perfectly understood yet and limited to cold temperatures. Researchers at the University of British Columbia though have made a discovery that could significantly improve our understanding of one class of superconductors.
Superconductivity was first observed in certain materials at temperatures barely above absolute zero. Later it was found at higher temperatures in more complex materials, including some copper-oxides or cuprates. Though some cuprates may achieve superconductivity at the right temperatures, exactly why they do is not well understand, in part because of how complicated their electronic orders are. The researchers' discovery however indicates that all cuprates have a universal charge-ordering and that it is related to the emergence of superconductivity.
This work could lead to a better understanding of superconductivity, if only because it shows that two means of studying of cuprates can be used interchangeably; resonant X-ray scattering and scanning tunneling microscopy. Perhaps eventually this research could lead to more advanced superconductors that can operate at room temperature, but that would be in the future.
Source: University of British Columbia
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Microsoft Surface Pro 2 Receives Processor Upgrade
Although the Microsoft Surface Pro 2 tablet has been available now for two months since its release date, Microsoft has announced that the product has received a new processor. When the Surface Pro 2 was initially released, the tablet featured a 1.6GHz Intel Core i5 4200U processor. The processor has now been upgraded to a slightly quicker chip clocking in at 300MHz faster, a 1.9GHz Core i5 4300U. The Surface Pro 2 makes use of the U variant of the latest Intel Core processors over the Y variant, since the former offers better overall performance. Microsoft stated that it routinely changes internal components within its products during their lifetime and takes value, availability, and supply chain partnership into account beforehand.
Source: ZDNet
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Razer Announces New Adaro Audio Series Headphones
A new lineup of personal entertainment headphones has been announced by Razer. Dubbed the Razer Adaro family, four new models are being introduced and include bass-heavy earphones, analog stereo headphones, Bluetooth headphones, and DJ-style headphones. The base-heavy in-ear analog earphones feature high-performance 10 mm dynamic drivers, an anti-tangle cord, and a carrying case. The analog stereo headphones are fully adjustable and incorporate custom-tuned 40 mm dynamic drivers, an anti-tangle braided fiber cable, and leatherette ear cushions. The Bluetooth headphones allow for up to 20 hours of playback, have a lightweight form factor, and boast playback and volume controls. Lastly, the DJ-style headphones feature high-performance 50 mm dynamic drivers, a fully adjustable and foldable architecture, and included .25-inch audio adapter.
All four new models focus on comfort, durability, and sound quality. The Razer Adaro family of headphones are available for pre-order now and ship worldwide in February. Customers can order the bass-heavy in-ear analog earphones for $79.99, the analog stereo headphones for $99.99, the Bluetooth headphones for $149.99, and the DJ-style headphones for $199.99.
Source: Press Release
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ZTE to Introduce Multiple Smartphone at CES
Chinese telecommunications equipment and systems company, ZTE Corporation, plans to introduce five new smartphones at CES which starts on January 7, 2014. ZTE will display their Grand S II, Iconic Phablet, Nubia 5S and Nubia 5S Mini, and Sonata 4G. The Grand S II will feature new technology that will allow users to take pictures and unlock their phone by using their voice. The Iconic Phablet is a 5.7-inch Gorilla Glass device that features Dolby Digital Sound, a dual-core processor, and wireless charging. Both the Nubia 5S and Nubia 5S Mini will incorporate quad-core Snapdragon processors, though the screen sizes differ with the former having a 5-inch 1080p display and the latter featuring a 4.7-inch display. The Sonata 4G, which will be featured on Aio Wireless, will boast a 1.4GHz dual-core Snapdragon 400 processor, a 4-inch display, a 5 megapixel camera, and a 1,780mAh battery.
Souce: CNET
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Amazon Sales Tax Continues to Reach Additional Customers
Citizens within Indiana, Nevada, and Tennessee will now be plagued with sales tax on purchases made from Amazon. It is estimated that the new agreement will bring in over $50 million a year to the three states combined. The online retail giant made an agreement with Indiana and Nevada after issues rose concerning sales tax from state officials. Within Tennessee, Amazon will be building two new warehouses within the state due to the agreement being made. The total number of states paying sales tax on Amazon purchases is now up to 19 following the announcement. No other states are expected to be added to the list until 2016, when South Carolina residents will be charged sales tax on Amazon purchases.
Source: DailyTech
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Google to Enable 4K YouTube Streaming This Year
During CES that is to begin in less than a week, Google will display its new VP9 video codec, which enables high-resolution video such as 4K to be streamed using relatively little bandwidth. YouTube will be a major implementation for the VP9 video codec, and the video streaming service will see the integration of VP9 during this year. Multiple demonstration partners will be present at CES to help show off the new Google video codec and include LG, Panasonic, and Sony. A variety of hardware and software partners are already willing to commit to the VP9 video codec as well and include ARM, Broadcom, Marvell, Mozilla, NVIDIA, Qualcomm, SAMSUNG, and Toshiba.
Although H.265 which is being supported by entities such as Netflix, Francisco Varela, YouTube's platform partnership director, noted that it has not dismissed the technology. Both video codecs will allow for higher quality streaming while making use of much of the same bandwidth. Google noted that its VP9 video codec is royalty-free and will provide much benefit to schools, business startups, and programmers. Google is of course betting on its own video codec, and with the large amount of hardware and software supporters already present, may see VP9 used in other areas besides YouTube within the near future.
Source: CNET
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Samsung Announces LPDDR4 Mobile DRAM
2014 will be the year that DDR4 will slowly start to make its entrance. First to servers and then sometime in 2015 or 2016, it will start to make its way into consumer PCs. And of course mobile devices will not be left out as it is one of the biggests markets for DRAM. Samsung knows this and has therefore developed the industry's first eight gigabit, low power DDR4 (LPDDR4) DRAM. Executive vice president Young-Hyun Jun puts it like this, "This next-generation LPDDR4 DRAM will contribute significantly to faster growth of the global mobile DRAM market, which will soon comprise the largest share of the entire DRAM market."
The 8 Gb LPDDR4 is fabricated on 20 nm process technology. It currently allows up to 1 GB on a single die, which is the highest density available for DRAM today. Furthermore, the new LPDDR4 DRAM will use Low Voltage Swing Terminated Logic (LVSTL) I/O interface to allow for a data tranfer rate twice that of current LPDDR3 DRAM. All in all, the new LPDDR4 interface will provide 50 percent better performance than current LPDDR3 or DDR3 memory. Bear in mind that this is done while consuming roughly 40 percent less power at only 1.1 V.
Source: Samsung
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Marvel Games Pulled from Digital Stores After Licensing Deal Expires
I noticed that a number of games based around Marvel characters, such as Deadpool, were no longer available on Steam during the recent sale and the reason behind this move has been revealed. Games from Capcom and Activision have been removed from digital stores like Steam and Xbox Live after the expiration of the licensing contract behind the games. Other games hit by this move include those based around the X-Men, Spider-Man, and the Marvel vs. Capcom series of fighting games.
Source: IGN
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