Qualcomm-powered devices ruled Mobile World Congress this year
MWC 2014 - Mobile World Congress has come and gone for another year, but now that the mobile extravaganza is all wrapped up and finished, we can reflect on the show that was. Moor Insights & Strategy, a technology analyst company, walked around the event taking notes on what companies were showing off.
What they saw was surprising, with Qualcomm powering a considerable chunk of the mobile devices at MWC 2014. You can see in the image above, that Qualcomm powered significantly more devices than Intel, with MediaTek powering nearly the same as Intel, another surprising take on things. This of course doesn't represent all devices, but just the ones that Moor Insights & Strategy had taken note of.
Intel is only starting to rev its mobile engine, but from the looks of things Qualcomm is definitely has a massive head start. We can see that Qualcomm is powering some of the most popular, best-selling and future best-sellers on the market, such as the upcoming Galaxy S5 from Samsung, the Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 from LG and Google, as well as the LG G Pro 2, and many, many more.
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City of Detroit hit by data breach, former and current employees hit
Detroit city officials confirmed as many as 1,700 current and former city workers are at risk following a data breach that targeted "personal identifying information."
"Our initial investigation shows not like many other places, it was malware that came through e-mail and somebody clicked a link,"
City, county, state, and federal departments have varying levels of IT support, and should work with the internal team or outsourced IT support to beef up security.
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Netflix phishing scam tricks subscribers to steal data from their PC
There's a new phishing scheme which involves Netflix and using the fear of having your account suspended unless you call the company's 'tech support'. Jerome Segura of Malwarebytes Unpacked uncovered 'Tech Support' scammers where they try to use Netflix account suspicion scare to steal its victims' photos, name, address, passwords and even credit cards.
Segura said that the error from Netflix urged him to call the 1-800 number on the screen, which was not the official support number and therefore prompted deeper investigation. Upon contacting the fake tech support, the representative made him download a 'Netflix Support Software' which turned out to be Teamviewer. After the remote connection was made, the scammer said that his account was suspended because of 'illegal activity' and showed 'proof' using a 'Foreign IP Tracer' which was a custom-made Windows batch script.
What was strange is that the tech support scammer advised him to connect with a Microsoft Certified technician. He also went ahead and drafted a bill for installing network firewall, AVG antivirus cleanup followed by a $50 fake Netflix discount coupon and offered a discount. What was later found out that the scammer was trying to buy time and distract the victim. In the meantime, the scammer was going through his personal files and stealing data of his interest, as found in TeamViewer file transfer eventlog.
The fake support wanted his credit card credentials, but asked for a picture of his ID card and credit since 'the internet is not secure and needed proof of his identity'. Since he didn't have it, they tried to activate his webcam so that he can show the cards, but the author disabled his webcam, and that's where the call ended.
After tracing the IP address that was available from Teamviewer's logfile, it was found that the connection originated from India, and the download file was from a newly registered domain. Though a lot of people would eventually know that its a scam, many may not- or be distracted as their Netflix account was suspended due to suspicious activity. Its important that one does not use their login credentials on their unknown website and always best if you contact official customer support and verify such claims of account suspension.
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Gabe Newell skips on Reddit AMA on 3/3... Half-Life 3 confirmed?!
Rewinding back to January, Valve boss Gabe Newell promised that he would do an AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Reddit, if $500,000 or more was donated to charity through The Heart of Racing. The amount was reached, and today was the day that Newell was meant to do his AMA... but he didn't.
Using uber math skills, we know that 3/3 and that Valve is scared of using the number three - but is Newell scared of stepping anywhere near it? Is this the reason why the AMA was not done today, and seems to have been pushed back until tomorrow? We should hopefully hear something tomorrow, but I highly doubt it'll be what people really want to hear about: Half-Life 3.
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Popular event notification site, Meetup, down for days due to DDoS
Meetup is one of those websites that almost everyone has used at some point, and with more than 12 years of an online presence it is no surprise that many have grown to depend on the service for spreading the word about their meetings. Unfortunately for the last several days, Meetup has been experiencing a massive Distributed Denial of Service attack (DDoS) that has crippled its servers and rendered the service unusable.
While the attack lessens from time to time, I have only noticed the service up twice over the last 4 days with it being back down within an hour of it coming back online. The attack is non political, and is purely designed to extort money from the company behind Meetup. An email arrived in CEO, Scott Heiferman's, inbox shortly after the attack began that read; "A competitor asked me to perform a DDoS attack on your website. I can stop the attack for $300 USD. Let me know if you are interested in my offer."
Meetup chose not to pay the extortionist even though the amount demanded was extremely small as it has a policy not to negotiate with criminals. At the time of this writing Meetup was back up, but has been down on and off for most of the day. The company says that it is working on restoring stability, and hopes that things will return to normal shortly.
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Nintendo's Zelda and Pokemon franchises getting Monopoly games soon
Monopoly is one of those games that you either love or hate, but Nintendo's Legend of Zelda and Pokemon franchises are loved by everyone. Imagine a world where those franchises were mashed up with the Monopoly franchise, and I guarantee that the word epic will come to mind. Fortunately you will not have to imaging a Zelda or Pokemon Monopoly game existing for much longer as Nintendo and Hasbro have teamed up to make them a reality.
This September, Pokemon and Zelda will arrive in Monopoly form with the Pokemon game taking place in the Kanto region of the popular turn-based video game. Each game will retail for $45 and will be released by licensing company USAopoly at major retailers everywhere. No information was released about if premium editions will be available, but I am keeping my hopes high for a premium edition of Zeldaopoly in a wood case and painted figurines.
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Kickstarter surpasses $1 billion in pledges since first launching
Today Kickstarter announced that it has surpassed over $1 billion in crowd-funding pledges since the site first launched on the 28th April of 2009. Speaking of that date, users pledged a mere $1084 to just 7 featured projects in the first 24 hours the site was live. Fast forward to March 13th, 2013, just 4 years later, and more than 54,187 backers committed to more than $4,029,585 to 1,985 projects in a single day.
To celebrate this milestone in Kickstarter's history, the company released a nifty micro-site that unveils some interesting facts about the crowd-funding websites biggest and best days as well as its most popular backers. Wednesday has been the most popular day of the week to back a project with more than $160 million pledged. Sunday seems to be the least popular day to back projects with just over $100 million pledged. $619 million of the $1 billion was pledged by returning backers, and 1,689,979 people have backed more than one project. Interestingly enough 15,932 people have backed more than 50 projects on Kickstarter.
As far as countries go, the United States leads the pack with the most funding with $663,316,496 in pledges. The United Kingdom comes in second with $54,427,475, while Canada and Australia round out the top five with $44,913,678 and $31,776,566 pledged respectively. Another interesting insight is that the majority of the $1 billion milestone was pledged in the last 12 months alone. As for myself I have managed to back a total of 16 projects and while I wont give an exact figure, it is close to $1500 in pledges made to open source projects over the last 3 years.
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Samsung's new Chromebook 2 looks quite dapper in its new leather skin
When Samsung first introduced its $250 Chromebook, there were some who thought it would never make it to revision 2, but despite the naysayers, the Chromebook was a major success. Today the Samsung is once again banking on the success of a cheap, but high quality internet only device and has unveiled its all new Chromebook 2 in both 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch form factors.
The 13.3-inch Chromebook features a full HD 1920x1080 display, 4GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage space. The device is powered by Samsung's latest Exynos 5 Octa SoC and boast 8.5-hours of battery life thanks to the chips new low-power design. Weighing in at just over three pounds the 13.3-inch Chromebook 2 is one of the most high-end Chromebooks ever made. Its 11.6-inch little brother features a 1366x768 resolution display as well as a slower processor. 4GB of RAM remains as does the battery life, and number of USB ports. Both models feature a stitched leather back similar to that featured on Samsung's Galaxy Note devices, with the larger model sporting both black and white trim while the smaller version only comes in grey. The 13.3-inch Chromebook 2 retails for $399.99 with its smaller counterpart arriving at a pricing point of $319.99.
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Microsoft to inform Windows XP users of end of support via popup
Microsoft plans to notify current Windows XP users of the April 8 end of support by onscreen pop-up notifications starting on Saturday. XP is almost 13 years old and has proven to be a great success, but Microsoft wants users to upgrade to newer OSes, which are more secure - and provide easier integration and compliance.
Microsoft is using the PCmover Express service designed to copy data and settings from XP machines to a newer version of Windows. There are a number of different software tools available that should help make switching easier, though businesses hopefully have some type of migration plans of some sort in place.
Users either refusing - or are unable - to upgrade from XP to Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 face an even higher number of potential security threats.
XP still controls almost 29 percent of the worldwide desktop OS market, indicating a large number of users are about to upgrade to a newer OS.
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Scientist use laser beam to control the mind of a fly
Research into remote mind-control took another step forward this week when scientist from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute managed to use a laser beam to convince a fly to mate with a ball of wax. The experiment, dubbed Fly Mind-Alternating Device (FlyMAD for short), utilizes a laser beam which is projected onto the fly's head and stimulates the fly's brain which has been altered with heat-activated proteins.
By using FluMAD to warm the fly's brain, researchers were able to cause the fly to instantly court the closest object nearby and then proceed to mate with it. The study says that the effects of the laser were so effective that it took an entire quarter of an hour for the fly to calm back down and return to normal. A similar study took place with mice and used normal white light to stimulate neurons in the rodent's brains, but the white light was ineffective on flys as it is unable to penetrate the insects exoskeleton.
Despite what you may think (I'm Looking at you Anthony), this research is not being conducted to bring forth mind control, but rather is being used to help researchers determine what happens when two neurons of opposing effects are activated simultaneously. This will help researchers map how the brain prioritizes neuron traffic, as well as finally understand how decision making parts of the brain function in different people, animals, and insects.
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Security company FireEye lists most targeted countries, industries
PC and mobile users are under constant threat from increasingly advanced types of malware, with attack servers handing out malware attack commands in 206 countries across the world, according to security company FireEye.
The United States, South Korea, Canada, Japan, and United Kingdom lead all countries targeted with advanced persistent threats (APTs). The government, services/consulting, and technology verticals most targeted, as cyberattacks are increasingly used to spy on rivals and steal information.
"The increasing frequency at which cyber attacks are happening illustrates the allure of malware to those with malicious intentions,"
said Dr. Ken Geers, FireEye senior global threat analyst, in a press statement. "Across the board, we are seeing a global expansion of APTs, malware, CnC infrastructure, and the use of publically available tools to facilitate the attack process. The global scale of threat has put cyber defenders in the very difficult position of not having any clue where the next attack will come from." During the RSA Conference 2014 last week, multiple vendors were showing off software solutions designed to limit - and eliminate - malware from infected PCs and hardware. In previous years, RSA was focused on antivirus and Trojan defense, though with the vast increase of malware deployment, users must now deal with new threats.
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Bill Gates is once again the richest man in the world says Forbes
Forbes has just released its annual report that list the richest people in the world. If everyone is accounted for, the list shows that there are 1,565 people on Earth with a net-worth of $1 billion or more, with the entirety of the list totaling $6.4 trillion. In 2011, The Atlantic reported that the combined wealth of the world was a staggering $200 trillion, meaning that this list from Forbes accounts for about 3.2-percent of the entire world's wealth.
Microsoft's founder and worldwide philanthropist Bill Gates has returned to the top of the list with more than $76 billion in net-worth, while Carlos Slim Helu, Amancio Ortega, Warren Buffet and Larry Ellison round out the top five.Michael Bloomberg, Larry Page, Jeff Bezos, Sergey Brin, and Mark Zuckerberg make up numbers 16, 17, 18, 19, and 21. Carl Icahn, Steve Ballmer, Phil Knight, and Michael Dell made the top 50 with more than $17.5 billion each.
It's been four years since Bill Gates was last listed as the richest man in the world, and when you consider that he has already given away more than $28 billion through The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the staggering amount of wealth Gates has earned in his life is simply mind boggling. To put that into perspective, it would take someone who earns $25 per hour about 1,120,000,000 hours or 46,635,685 days, or 10,647 months, or 127,769 years of hard work before they would even earn the amount of money Bill Gates has given away.
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Gartner: Global tablet sales soared 68 percent, Android leads
Google Android tablets saw 127 percent growth in 2013 and reached the No. 1 position, as consumers and businesses embrace the mobile technology, according to the Gartner research firm.
Tablet sales saw a 68 percent growth in 2013 when compared to the year before, selling 195.4 million units. Although iOS tablet sales grew during 2013 Q4, Apple's share of the market dropped to 36 percent - and will continue to battle against Android-powered devices.
The tablet market continues to mature, and the emergence of lower-cost models from well-known electronics brands will continue to put pressure on Apple.
"In 2013, tablets became a mainstream phenomenon, with a vast choice of Android-based tablets being within the budget of mainstream consumers while still offering adequate specifications,"
said Roberta Cozza, Gartner research director, in a press statement. "As the Android tablet market becomes highly commoditized, in 2014, it will be critical for vendors to focus on device experience and meaningful technology and ecosystem value - beyond just hardware and cost - to ensure brand loyalty and improved margins." Android has almost 62 percent market share, Apple controls 36 percent, and Microsoft now has 2.1 percent of the market - though Windows-powered tablets also are expected to grow in 2014. On the hardware front, Apple still controls with 36 percent, ahead of No. 2 Samsung, with ASUS, Amazon, and Lenovo fighting it out for the No. 3 spot.
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DICE officially addresses Battlefield 4's net code issues
Today DICE released an official response to all of the complaints it has been receiving about issues revolving around Battlefield 4's "netcode." While the term netcode is made up by the community, the issues in Battlefield 4 are quite real and very much a nuisance. For some players lag, rubber banding, and pre-mature deaths are causing the game to be unplayable and it all seems to revolve around network connection issues.
DICE says that it is currently working on problems ranging between faulty networking latency compensation, to glitches in the game-play simulation itself. Before DICE went into any of its fixes, it described how the game actually works. "The game receives updates from the game server and displays these to the player using a system called latency compensation - this system makes sure players move around naturally on your screen when network updates arrive. We have found and fixed several issues with latency compensation, and thereby decreased the impressions of "one hit kills" in the game."
DICE has also fixed issues that cause rubber banding in the form of server optimization and is planning several more client-side fixes to reduce packet loss in an upcoming patch. This patch will also fix the Kill Cam animation from popping up prematurely and causing players to think they died before their health was deplenished. Additionally fixes for damage not registering for some users as well as a rare glitch that catapults some players at high speeds across the map resulting in death will be fixed as well.
New trouble shooting icons have been added to the Battlefield 4 UI as well, these icons help lend insight into why their game is lagging, or becoming buggy. These icons appear at the top and bottom of the players HUD and help identify server lag and packet loss. DICE suggest that these issues are caused by poor connection between you and the server or from someone else in the home using excessive bandwidth, for example, watching a movie on Netflix.
"The first icon, seen at the top in the shape of a clock, indicates that your connection to the server is lagging. There can be several reasons for this. For example, it could mean that someone else is using your connection while you are playing, but it could also mean that there is a network problem that occurred somewhere between you and the server. The effect of such lag is that it will take a bit longer for you to see what is happening in the game world. If this icon is frequently blinking, you might want to try a different server or see if you can decrease the load on your Internet connection.
The second icon, at the bottom, shows four squares that indicate packet loss. When you see this icon, your connection to the server is experiencing lost packets, which means that information is failing to reach its destination, either when your game client sends it to the server or when the server sends the information to you. Please keep in mind that packets always get lost on the Internet and that you should not be alarmed if you're seeing this icon blinking once or twice. If you have a large amount of packet loss and see the icon often, you will probably experience game "hiccups" sometimes - action will stop for a moment, then speed ahead to catch up."
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Keurig will use DRM in new coffee machines to stave off refill market
Keurig's single cup coffee system is one of the hottest trends in both the home and office today, and as a result hundreds of third-party K-Cup refill brands have popped up all over the US and Canada. Much like the inkjet printer market or even gaming consoles, the profit is not in the main system, but is in the refills of coffee, ink, or game licenses. With refill competitors offering refills that are cheaper by up to 25-percent Keurig is not making as much money as it would like.
It appears that Keurig is looking to remedy this problem in a similar way that the software industry has attempted to thwart off piracy. In official documentation from an on-going lawsuit between TreeHouse Foods and Keurig, the plaintiff (TreeHouse Foods) says that Keurig is working on a DRM system that would only allow its K-Cups and officially licensed refills to work with the system. While no information was given on exactly how this DRM system will work, I expect that it will be RFID tag based.
During its quarterly earnings call, Keurig's CEO confirmed that it was working on a system that will not work with unlicensed refill cups, and that the next generation of coffee machines from the company will be "game-changing." Industry analyst suggest that the Keurig 2.0 will launch this fall, and that if a DRM system is introduced customers can expect a rise in price for both the machines and the "official refills." What do you think about this? Is Keurig shooting themselves in the foot, or will officially licensed refill cups make you more apt to buy a Keurig?
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Apple announces CarPlay, 18 car companies committed to use this iOS
Today, Apple officially made an announcement about its brand new iOS specifically made for cars- CarPlay. The company first talked about its car iOS version during the developer conference last year and the cars with this Car specific iOS integration will be shown in an auto show at Geneva. This required partnership with car companies as it requires the manufacturers to provide the suitable hardware/interface setup for the in-car touch panel on the dashboard.
Via a statement, Apple VP Greg Joswiak said,"CarPlay has been designed from the ground up to provide drivers with an incredible experience using their iPhone in the car. Iphone users always want their content at their fingertips and CarPlay lets drivers use their iPhone in the car with minimized distraction. We have an amazing lineup of auto partners rolling out CarPlay, and we're thrilled it will make its debut this week in Geneva."
CarPlay allows drivers to access their iPhone content and maps via the car's entertainment display that's integrated on the car's dashboard. Once your iPhone is connected to the car, you can make and receive calls, message, use Apple maps for navigation, use the inbuilt display or Siri for whatever you require it to do. As of now, CarPlay has limited app integration, but one can easily assume that eventually a lot of apps will be available by the time cars with this iOS version rolls out from its factories.
What's also interesting is that this announcement was made today, and it was being recently found out that Mercedes-Benz is looking for a software engineer to integrate an Android alternative. But Apple listed its collaboration with many car brands: BMW, Ford, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, KIA, Mitsubishi, Nissan, PSA Peugeot Citroen, Subaru, Suzuki and Toyota. Six car brands will be revealing new models with CarPlay this year, whereas others will show its commitments 'in the near future'.
CarPlay can connect with Iphone 5 and above with iOS7. The car specific iOS can communicate with Apple devices via lightning cable.
In-car system is what a lot of companies seem to be working on, and its not just Apple and Google. Microsoft and few others showed interest, whereas NVIDIA and Qualcomm have said in the last the connected car is a key growth area.
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Recent leaks shows more Titanfall images, maps and modes
Information and images from upcoming game 'Titanfall' is still being leaked. This time it contained a lot of information about the game which was present on the files of the BETA version of the Windows version of the game. The leak was done by 'FallenFusion' in Reddit's Titanfall sub-reddit section.
The game's campaign will have nine matches: five rounds of death match called 'Attrition' which can be played as either Intersteller Manufacturing Corporation or Militia. There's also 'Capture the Flag' and 'Last Titan Standing'. The 5th game type is called 'Pilot Hunter' mode where killing every pilot (human) is killed, but killing the AI opponents would lower the time to earn titans and the ability to regenerate the titan core.
The leak contained a total of 10 screenshots which shows different maps and more. One of them was about 'Generations' where once the players reaches the level up cap, they can reset their progress. It will reset the player's experience, unlocks and completed challenges. What will not be reset is their Burn Card collection. What's more is that second generation pilots can earn experience 10% faster than the player's first gen counterpart. It was also revealed that the rate of experience boost increases as your player resets its experience and crosses to another generation.
The leak also contained information about 15 maps with 'ziplines' where pilots can use it to traverse the land. Some areas will contain heavy turrets, but it can be hacked by either teams. Titanfall by Respawn Entertainment will be released by March 11 on PC and Xbox one, followed by March 25th on Xbox 360 with Electronics Arts as publisher.
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Sands casino hit with cyberattack, customer and employee data stolen
Customers at the Las Vegas Sands Corp. are at risk from a successful data breach on February 11, which stole customer Social Security and driver's license numbers, credit card and bank account information, and other confident information, the company said. Specifically, the breach hit the Sands location in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and it doesn't appear any other Sands locations were hit by the cyberattack.
The casino didn't disclose how many customers were affected by the data breach, though impacted customers have been contacted. Following the breach, it took the casino almost one week to fix its defaced website, remove sensitive employee data, and relaunch the site.
From the company's website:
"We have determined that some employee and customer data at our Sands Bethlehem property has been compromised. We are committed to ensuring the security of all data that our guests and team members entrust to us, and are providing free credit monitoring and identity theft protection service through Experian to identified customers by the data breach."
Following the data breach at Target, Neiman Marcus, and reportedly Sears, the focus of sophisticated cyberattacks have been on retailers - but any large business with customer data is at risk, federal cybersecurity experts have stated.
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LeakedTT: The next-gen HTC One gets outed in new comparison video
With Samsung's Galaxy S5 having very little "WOW" factor everyone's eyes have now turned to HTC in hopes that the upcoming refresh of its flagship will raise the bar to something worth upgrading to. While several leaks have appeared in recent weeks, today is the first time we have seen an actual side-by-side comparison video of the new HTC One and its predecessor that was released last year.
The video shows the slight size difference with the new HTC One being 5-inches, as well as an aluminum bezel now wrapping the screen on the sides. Additionally, the headphone jack has been moved to the bottom of the phone, and a microSD slot is now present. The leakster in the video says that the new BlinkFeed is now "actually really cool," and he also calls the camera spectacular. From previous leaks, BlinkFeed does appear to be more refined, and since the update back in December, I actually like the current BlinkFeed. While I would prefer a pure Android experience, at least HTC is listening to its customers and tailoring its Sense UI to feature better functionality.
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At the moment it appears that the HTC One 2014 edition will be sold at ATT, T-Mobile and Verizon, but no mention has been made of Sprint, one of HTC's largest retailers. With the current HTC One being such a popular phone with Sprint customers, I can not expect that the carrier would not offer it on launch day. HTC is scheduled to unveil the next-gen flagship during an event it is holding later this month on March 25th in London and New York City.
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Outgoing NSA chief General Keith Alexander calls for reform
After being exposed by former IT contractor Edward Snowden last year, the NSA has the difficult task of trying to regain trust among the American people.
It's not impossible for the NSA and federal government to earn trust back, but without a sign of good faith, people will likely remain skeptical.
"I think we need to step back, set a framework for discussion with the American people,"
outgoing NSA chief Gen. Keith Alexander said during a recent Senate Armed Services Committee. "This is going to be absolutely important in setting up what we can and cannot do in cyberspace to protect this country. And from my perspective, that's going to be one of the big issues that we move forward. I think a precursor to that is getting the NSA issues resolved. We have to get those resolved because, ironically, it operates in the same space." The NSA and President Obama's administration can promise reform and future changes, but it's likely a lot of people just believe the government will cover its tracks better. In addition to leaving the NSA with egg on its face, foreign governments accused of hacking and cybercrimes have leverage to say the U.S. cannot criticize anyone else.
Only 48 percent of RSA attendees think the NSA overstepped its boundaries, so the spy agency should focus on rebuilding relationships with corporate partners first.
Even if the NSA is able to undergo reform, Alexander also wants to see Congress expand authority of the NSA and the Cyber Command, in an effort to try and better defend private networks from cyberattacks.
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Disney hit new critical and financial benchmarks with Frozen
Disney's 2013 animated hit Frozen crossed two separate creative and financial milestones for the company in the past 24 hours. Yesterday, the company announced Frozen had become first animated feature film to cross the $1 billion mark in international grosses, putting it at number 18 on the list of the highest grossing films of all time, inching above The Lion King and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
In a separate win today, the film also marked the Disney studios first animated feature to take home the Oscar for best animated film, since the category was created in 2002. These two events are seen to be extremely significant for the animation arm of the company, which has languished behind competitors such as DreamWorks and Blue Sky Animation in recent years.
Whilst live action features leveraging Marvel characters in The Avengers and Iron Man 3 have been extremely lucrative for Disney, costly misfires including The Lone Ranger, and John Carter in recent years have bitten hard into the companies bottom dollar.
Frozen is set to launch theatrically in Japan shortly, before releasing on home video in the coming weeks which will add further money to the soon-to-be franchise.
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Android Jelly Bean, Kit Kat vulnerable to security flaw
A new flaw was recently found in the Google Android Jelly Bean and Kit Kat OS flavors, with the "critical flaw" compromising the virtual private network (VPN) in the Android OS.
Compromised devices allow cybercriminals to monitor communication after VPN traffic is sent to a different network address.
The flaw, which was found in India, can be successfully remedied by installing updates from OEM manufacturers, the CERT-In team says. Installing anti-virus and anti-malware protection on the device should help add additional layers to prevent Android exploits from causing problems.
"A critical flaw has been reported in Android's (virtual private network) VPN implementation, affecting Android version 4.3 and 4.4 which could allow an attacker to bypass active VPN configuration to redirect secure VPN communications to a third party server or disclose or hijack unencrypted communications,"
said the Computer Emergency Response Team of India (CERT-In).
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Mercedes-Benz possibly leaked its car's onboard android system
Mercedes-Benz has recently put up a job listing for a 'software engineer' who require help to 'seamlessly integrate' Google's upcoming in-car system called 'Google Projected Mode'.
The German car maker said in a job advert that it would require to integrate android smartphones in the car's dashboard's head unit. The unit would most likely have a larger than smartphone display and would probably have a simplified version of Android UI. Google did use the word 'projected' but its difficult to speculate what does the company has in mind.
Since its only job listing, it doesn't give a lot of information. As of now, its unknown how does Mercedez-Benz plan to make such an integration. The company requires an engineer who can safely implement media playback, messaging, calls and navigation through its car's control system. Another information that was revealed is that Google Projected Mode will be in all Mercedes-Benz vehicles and sold world-wide.
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Mt. Gox trying to make amends, sets up support call center for users
Bitcoin exchange service Mt. Gox plans to open up a call center to help customers as the company continues to deal with bankruptcy and 750,000 lost customer bitcoins.
After hackers successfully compromised the company's computer network, almost $500 million of bitcoins were stolen from Mt. Gox and its customers. Mt. Gox reportedly has around $31 million in assets, but now has $63.6 million in debt.
In a recent post on the Mt. Gox official website:
"A call center has been established to respond to all inquiries. The call center is planned to start on March 3, 2014. All inquiries to MtGox Co., Ltd. should be made to the following telephone number: Telephone number: +81 3-4588-3921. Working hours: Monday to Friday (10AM to 5PM) Japan Time"
The Japanese government believes it is up to international governments to work together to create some type of bitcoin - and other cryptocurrencies - legislation to help consumers and businesses.
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Google includes restaurant menus in its search results
Ever wanted to know what's there in the menu of a restaurant you haven't been before? Google search engine will now show menus anytime you search for a restaurant in the United States. This announcement was made officially via Google+ post.
Google said,"Next time you're planning a brunch or a date night, check to make sure the menu has something to satisfy everyone in your group, without having to browse through several restaurants' websites". As of now, this feature is available in United States and wasn't clear if they will make this feature available in other countries. Some say that the move is made you try to compete with services such as Yelp.
But the search engine giant doesn't its own database of menus from a large amount of restaurants spread through United States, and therefore has to rely in data from a third party. Google didn't reveal any information, nor it provided any information of how many restaurant menus they have so far.
The Search option will show you the menu of the place you plan to go and 'often' its prices. There is also an option to use a voice command or Google search questions 'What's on the menu at [insert restaurant's name]?' or 'show me the menu as [insert restaurant's name]'.
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GamerStorm Dracula 7970 VGA Cooler Review
Introduction
From what we have gathered in the past about GamerStorm, while they may be newer to the game than most other cooling companies, we have seen they definitely know what they are doing when it comes to cooling components inside of the chassis. Coolers like the Assassin, Lucifer, and Gabriel shows us that GamerStorm is a contender in the dual-tower coolers, large single tower coolers, and even a low-profile solution for those that don't want the larger coolers currently on the market.
In all three segments, not only do GamerStorm products do well, the company has gone from a relatively unknown company to one that has become synonymous with great performance and low noise in cooling in a very short time. For a big box store brand, color us impressed.
While we have seen the three basic CPU cooling designs produced by GamerStorm, we have yet to see where their limitations are ending. After doing a few of the CPU coolers, we were asked to take a look at something to cool our HD 7950. Knowing what we did about their previous cooling solutions, we jumped at the chance to have a look at what they bring to the table in this market as well.
Since this newer company has no issues thinking outside of the box, along with employing a few of the better tricks of the trade when developing coolers under their name, we are somewhat excited to see what this latest creation offers those who want aftermarket cooling for their GPU. Now users have the option to match the branding of their CPU air cooler and GPU air cooler.
Today, we will be looking at the Dracula from GamerStorm, and while taking on the name of a sci-fi monster, we have found that this product neither bites nor flies, and, no, it does not turn into a bat when we go to sleep. What we are given is one of the largest VGA air coolers we have ever seen. Not so much in the cooler itself, but as you all will soon see, the Dracula comes fully equipped to not only take on the cooling of almost any video card, but it is also almost a full five slots deep depending on the specific configuration of your fan setup.
With this in mind, we can only hope that the Dracula is a top contender because with a cooler this large it just has to be great, doesn't it? Well, stick around and find out as we put the Dracula from GamerStorm through its paces.
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Mach Xtreme SATA DOM MX-DIY Series Review
Introduction
We use SATA DOMs a few times a month in many of the NAS products we test. I've pulled two SATA DOMs in the past to run tests on their performance, but both times we killed the drive. SATA DOMs are not built for high write environments, and CrystalDiskMark's 4K write test is all it takes to kill a regular SATA DOM.
Anytime you have "extreme" in your company name you have to do things a little differently, a little better, and stand behind the claims. Mach Xtreme has made a name for itself in Europe for selling reliable performance SSDs. The company has limited penetration on this side of the pond, but with the SATA DOM, we think that will change with a select group of customers.
SATA DOMs are essentially SSDs in a very small form factor package. The drives are usually 4GB to 8GB, but some go all the way to 64GB in capacity. Their purpose is to have a space large enough to hold an embedded operating system for devices like NAS, routers, firewalls, and so on. New motherboards from ASRock and Supermicro that use Intel's latest SoC Atom have increased interest in DIY NAS products.
NAS products are just the starting point though; software like Pfsense and Smoothwall can turn an old computer into a very powerful router and firewall. While a full size hard drive will work for the task, why use that much power to store what is normally just a couple of hundred megabytes?
DOMs are very low power, very small, and offer enough storage if needed to install Windows Server 2012 R2. Now, they also come in an Xtreme version!
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Top 10 TweakTown Content from the past week [03 March 2014]
Here are our top 10 articles, reviews and guides from the past week!
- SSD Consistency Testing - 18 Drives Tested for Real-World Performance
- Supermicro X9DR7-TF+ (Intel C602J) Server Motherboard Review
- Intel 730 Series 480GB SSD Review - the Skulltrail of SSDs?
- Enterprise Flash Virtualization: Flash In The Pan or Here to Stay?
- Last Vegas (2014) Cinema Review
- Hands-on with the Lightpack TV Lighting System from Kickstarter
- Cooler Master Elite 130 SFF Chassis Review
- Toshiba MG03SCA300 6Gb/s SAS HDD RAID Performance Analysis
- RAVPower Bolt RP-UC07 Four-Port USB Wall Charger Review
- Netis Systems WF2710 AC750 Wireless Router Review
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Transcend StoreJet 35T3 2TB External HDD Review
If you have ever found yourself in the position where you're trying to recover massive amounts of data, then you surely know how important an external storage solution can be to maintaining a scheduled backup. Whether they are large DAS arrays or simple single drive enclosures, these devices can save your life if you ever have a drive failure.
In for review today, we have the latter, a single drive external solution in the 3.5" form factor. The StoreJet 35T3 features capacities of 2TB and 3TB, and connects via USB 3.0. Compatibility extends to OS X 10.5+, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and 8, along with Linux Kernel 2.6.3+. The cost of the 35T3 in the tested 2TB capacity lands at $129.99 with a one-year warranty.
Opening the packaging, we found everything packed together securely.
Scope of delivery gives us the power adapter and the USB 3.0 cable, along with various reading materials.
The front of the 35T3 includes a large button with a blue LED ring around it. The button serves as the one touch backup for the device.
The back of the enclosure houses the USB 3.0 and the power connection.
Here, you can see the enclosure sports quite a few ventilation holes; since this is a fan-less unit, this should allow heat to escape.
The first piece of software preloaded on the 35T3 is the StoreJet Toolbox. This allows you to format the device, and even low-level format if needed.
The second piece of the software is Transcend's Elite Data Management software. With this you can backup and restore your files; it also provides you with the ability to encrypt with AES 256-bit if you so choose.
Our first test for the 35T3 was to read and write a 4GB file to the device. As you can see, the StoreJet did quite well, garnering 164 MB/s read, and 173 MB/s write.
4K random performance came in at 159 IOPS read, with 306 IOPS write.
Sequential performance was quite admirable as well. Here we have 174 MB/s read, and 175 MB/s write.
To be honest, I have always loved Transcend's products, and the StoreJet 35T3 is no exception. Even with the enclosure being made from plastic, the unit feels quite durable. Even further, all ports line-up correctly, which is something we don't always see from other vendors. There are no interesting loose parts rattling around inside the enclosure; everything is put together securely.
Performance of the 35T3 in the 2TB configuration was quite remarkable for a HDD based unit. Thanks to the Seagate Barracuda used inside the unit, we were able to touch 175 MB/s read and write via USB 3.0.
In addition to the drive itself, Transcend has put together a software package to help you backup your data, and with an encryption option if you so choose to use it. Furthermore, you can use the one touch backup button on the front of the unit to start your backup without the need for software.
One thing that did concern me with the 35T3 was the lack of a power button. While the unit does have a sleep function, it's hard to tell when the drive is going to spin up and start working. There were a few times the unit woke up when I was moving or getting ready to disconnect it.
Sale price of the Transcend 35T3 in the 2TB capacity sits at $129.99 with a one-year warranty. Of course, market pricing and availability may differ at certain times, so we invite you to check current pricing below.
PRICING: You can find the Transcend StoreJet 35T3 for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing, but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.
United States: The Transcend StoreJet 35T3 (2TB) retails for $129.00 at Amazon, and the Transcend StoreJet 35T3 (3TB) retails for $159.00 at Amazon.
Canada: The Transcend StoreJet 35T3 (2TB) retails for $144.14 at Amazon Canada, and the Transcend StoreJet 35T3 (3TB) retails for $201.91 at Amazon Canada.
Germany: The Transcend StoreJet 35T3 (2TB) retails for EUR 116,66 at Amazon DE, and the Transcend StoreJet 35T3 (3TB) retails for EUR 147,60 at Amazon DE.
France: The Transcend StoreJet 35T3 (2TB) retails for EUR 111,60 at Amazon France, and the Transcend StoreJet 35T3 (3TB) retails for EUR 142,80 at Amazon France.
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Gravity (2013) Blu-ray Movie Review
Released on the eve of the 2014 Academy Awards, which are expected to grant more than a few to this film, Gravity comes to Blu-ray with none of the surprise that accompanied the whispered campaign of brilliance during its initially low-key theatrical release. Instead, Warner has included a superb video and audio transfer and added in some superb bonus features.
During a routine maintenance procedure on the Hubble space telescope, Astronauts Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) become caught up in a satellite debris field that rips apart their shuttle, the Endeavour, kills the remainder of their crew, and leaves them stranded and floating out into the blackness of space and separated from mission control (voice of Ed Harris).
Utilizing a thruster pack, Stone and Kowalski attempt a nail biting journey to the nearby International Space Station. With oxygen supplies rapidly dwindling and the debris field making a return trip under gravitational forces, the only chance they have of getting home alive doesn't look promising.
Much has been made of the technical brilliance of Gravity--in the same vein that Douglas Trumbull's effects in 2001: A Space Odyssey wowed audiences in the 1960s (and continues to do so). The effects are utterly convincing and not once did I stop to think "nice digital matte" or "beautifully rendered skylines". No, George Clooney and Sandra Bullock are truly floating in zero gravity.
However as good as the effects are, Clooney and Bullock are even better; they really sell the effects. Whilst Clooney has formerly appearing in Steven Soderbergh's space thriller Solaris in 2002, I had much more concern for Bullock in the role of a high achieving astronaut, especially after being subjected to her whiny tones in the films theatrical trailer so many times.
Suffice to say, she is utterly superb and carries the weight of the film on her shoulders through large patches with aplomb. It's amazing that twenty years after her star making role in Speed she continues to develop and grow as an actor.
Video
Gravity is presented in the aspect ratio of 2.40:1 and encoded with AVC MPEG-4 compression.
Filmed digitally with the Arri Alexa camera system and finished with a 2K digital intermediate, Gravity doesn't come much better than what you'll find with this Blu-ray release. But that's certainly not a bad thing because it is a treat to be savored indeed.
The image is sharp--super sharp and infinitely detailed. Colors are contrasty (albeit heavily blue toned) and pop appropriately. Thankfully, for a film which plays out almost completely in the blackness of space, the contrast isn't so high as to crush the blacks--there is a lot of detail in the shadows.
Warner traditionally utilizes lower bitrates with its encodes, and, despite a significant amount of features sharing space on the one disc, there is no visible toll on the image. This is top tier stuff.
Audio
Gravity is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 at 24 bits.
Fittingly, a reference quality video transfer joins a reference quality audio transfer. The sound design of the picture is heavily weighted to be scientifically accurate to the vacuum of space, which also amps up the isolation that the characters are enduring. To be sure, you won't be hearing any Star Wars-esque explosions, but there are some extremely impressive audio tricks to be enjoyed.
For a film that relies quite heavily on dialogue, this is crystal clear and sync-locked and no intelligibility issues were noted. The surrounds are kept quite active throughout, although not as much as the subwoofer whose output I would term as "cooked". That is, probably a little too extreme in my honest opinion.
Still, this is a really pleasing and appropriate audio track that space nerds and home theater aficionadas alike will appreciate.
Extras
In a time when compressed release schedules mean that new release films often come to video with lackluster bonus feature collections, Warner Brothers have assembled a truly impressive package of bonus features that befits the status of the film. Let's take a look at what's included.
First up is the Gravity: Mission Control documentary, which over nine parts and nearly two hours in length touches upon just about every element of the film's production. A particular highlight was seeing firsthand how the utterly convincing zero gravity shots were produced so transparently, along with the aforementioned decision to retain a semblance of accuracy to the sound design.
Next up are five Shot Breakdowns featurettes, which spend a bit more time explaining the processes of producing key effect sequences throughout; in totality, these add up to around 30 minutes of behind the scenes material.
Aninjaaq: A Short Film by Jonas Cuaron is a fascinating little gem that takes an alternate perspective on one of the pivotal moments in the film. I don't want to ruin the surprise, so I will say no more.
Finally, we have a 20 minute documentary, Collision Point: The Race to Clean Up Space, which is concerned with the real life scenario of floating space junk, the threat of which is the inspiration for the events in the film.
PRICING: You can find Gravity for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing, but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.
United States: Gravity retails for $22.99 at Amazon.
Canada: Gravity retails for CDN$24.99 at Amazon Canada.
France: Gravity retails for EUR 20,00 at Amazon France.
Germany: Gravity retails for EUR 14,99 at Amazon Germany.
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Wolf Creek (2005) Blu-ray Movie Review
Despite punching well above our weight with successful TV productions, and with the availability of significant funding by Government organizations, tax breaks, and a lenient critic industry that runs a protection racket for local productions, it's an ongoing surprise there are so few Australian made movies that truly breakout to become successful domestically, let alone internationally.
One of the more notable films to come out of the country in the last decade, Wolf Creek, made on a shoestring budget of around million dollars, went on to gross $22 million; hardly a gigantic money spinner, but a respectable return on investment, and it did breathe much needed life back into the local feature industry.
When Ben Mitchell (Nathan Phillips) and British backpackers Liz (Cassandra McGrath) and Kristy Earl (Kestie Morassi) become broken down in the sparse outback of Wolf Creek, Mick Taylor (John Jarratt) masquerading as a good Samaritan comes to their assistance. However, the three unknowing victims will soon be the play thing of a particularly brutal and sadistic serial killer.
Loosely based on a composite of real life Australian outback murderers, the success of Wolf Creek hinges almost solely on the performance of Jarratt, who has imbued Taylor with a chillingly odd set of characteristics. However, his risky performance pays off, making him one of the most memorable screen villains ever seen in an Australian motion picture.
Wolf Creek certainly isn't high-brow entertainment; its script is predictable and the three young lead actors are not overly convincing and interchangeable. However, it is infinitely entertaining and, on that basis, serves as a benchmark to the industry, which other home grown features should seek to rise to.
Video
Wolf Creek is encoded with AVC MPEG-4 compression and presented in the aspect ratio of 1.78:1, which represents a slight opening up of the mattes from the original 1.85:1 aspect ratio.
Filmed digitally with the Sony HDW-F900 digital camera at a resolution of 1080p (the same camera that lensed Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones) this Blu-ray represents the film at its optimal quality. I was prepared to accept a few deficiencies that have been identified with digital cameras of this vintage, namely in the way of increased video noise in low light sequences (which do feature significantly), but this has been kept to a minimum, probably by way of the increased contrast that has resulted in slightly crushed blacks.
Establishing shots of the Australian outback are superb, with beautifully rich colors and tones, and this is mostly carried over to shots in full light. There are two brief shots towards the film's conclusion that are upscaled from a standard definition source and whilst these are noticeable, they don't interfere too much. I didn't see any evidence of aliasing or pixilation despite the film's modest bit rate.
Overall, this is a very pleasing video transfer that well and truly exceeded expectations.
Audio
Wolf Creek is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 at 16 bits.
The subject matter of the film is one that is not necessarily conducive to a rollicking surround channel, but I was pleasantly surprised at how effective the track is. Naturally, the audio track is punctuated by a cacophony of screams and blood curdling shrieks, but there are a lot of impressive directional effects and general ambience, which accentuate the isolation of Taylor's outback hideaway.
There is not significant scope for the low frequency channel, but it is called upon every once in a while.
Extras
Sadly, despite significant extra features having been produced and released on the previous 2-disc DVD edition, for example a one hour long documentary, interviews and deleted scenes, all of these have been jettisoned for this Blu-ray release. If this was done in order to squeeze the data down to fit on a single layer Blu-ray disc for cost considerations, I'm not sure why Roadshow couldn't have just included the second disc from the DVD set in this package. A head scratcher indeed.
The sole extra feature is an Audio Commentary by Writer/Director Greg McLean, Producer Matt Hearn, and actresses Cassandra Magrath and Kestie Morassi. In the absence of any documentary footage, the commentary does a good job of telling the stories of the low budget production and the creative and financial compromises that were necessary.
PRICING: You can find Wolf Creek for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing, but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.
United States: Wolf Creek retails for $4.48 at Amazon.
France: Wolf Creek retails for EUR 5,58 at Amazon France.
Germany: Wolf Creek retails for EUR 5,62 at Amazon Germany.
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Interview with Greg McLean, Co-writer and Director of Wolf Creek 2
Interview with Greg McLean
Greg McLean has been writing, directing, and producing for over 10 years. His experience extends across theatre, film, and television. After training as a Fine Artist specializing in painting, Greg attended the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and went on to complete a graduate diploma in directing.
His first feature film as writer, director, and producer was Wolf Creek in 2004, and, four years later, he went on to direct Rogue, a low-budget monster movie. Greg has recently expanded into Executive Producing, establishing Wolf Creek Pictures to assist aspiring directors in the horror thriller genre working within Australia. The company has been involved in the western thriller Red Hill, directed by Patrick Hughes (who will next direct The Expendables 3, and Justin Dix's sci-fi feature debut Crawlspace.
We asked Greg McLean (GM) a few questions about his latest film, Wolf Creek 2.
TT: How long have you been thinking about a sequel to Wolf Creek?
GM: We were thinking about a sequel while we were making the first one. The idea was to create an ongoing horror character like a Freddy Krueger or Michael Myers from Halloween and then if Wolf Creek worked, which it did, keep him going on through other movies. So, he's always had the potential of being a sequalised character.
TT: In what way does Wolf Creek 2 differ from the original?
GM: The first film operates almost entirely on the idea of implication. Most of the horror and all of Mick's character is implied to the audience. You only see the edges, and things get hinted at. So, for the sequel, I thought it was really important to show these things--so in this film, we show where he lives and what he's been doing. You need to demonstrate all those things we implied to really demonstrate the scale of the horror. For example, we see his home, the lair, which is essentially a twisted play room for a psychopath.
Because you know Mick is the bad guy, you have to structure the film in a different way. You need to say "he's back" and let the next story unfold. Like the first, the tone of this film feels authentic and believable, but it's much more cinematic. This film does things that are much more heightened. Throughout, we continue to play within the genre. Some parts are like a Western, some are a chase film.
TT: Tell us a little about the character of Mick Taylor.
GM: John Jarratt is a crucial part of Wolf Creek. He's the other half of the equation to the landscape. Mick is the kind of Australia that used to exist. In reapproaching the character and reviving the film, it was important to develop him further. Because the character of Mick exists in a very taboo area, it actually allows people making the film to access an area that they don't normally let out. The set is definitely affected by that. Mick has a tendency to permeate the attitude of production. Everyone's different. You have to access a darker space to create a character and a film like this.
TT: What were some of the difficulties encountered with shooting on location?
GM: This was shot in South Australia like the first one. Again, we really wanted to show the epic landscape. We shot in Hawker for a few weeks. It's a great town, like the gateway to the outback. It's uniquely positioned so that every direction you travel there is a completely different landscape--mountains, fields, forest, desert--so within half an hour drive you can have half a dozen different locations. The main challenge was the heat. It was hot in a way that I haven't experienced before. The whole area is also a wildlife park, so there were thousands and thousands of kangaroos that caused different kinds of problems. Then we shot in Port Parham for two weeks of night shoots, which were challenging in their own way.
The other great location we found was the old farmhouse in Port Wakefield. We were just driving along the highway to another location and in the middle of nowhere there is this glorious and slightly dishevelled farm house. It was a real find. Plus, there is Mick's lair, which is a network of real underground tunnels in Burra that a lot of the locals said were haunted. Then, we scattered Mick's dead prey in them, so they felt pretty eerie. Then after about five weeks of locations, we made our way back to the city of Adelaide and ended up at the old Hendon Studio where we shot the first movie.
TT: Much was made about the first movie being based on a true story. Could you elaborate a bit on the inspirations?
GM: There are some unusual parallels in terms of what the film is dealing with socially at the moment. The horror at the heart of the film is an old world form of racism, where people are terrified of people from other places in the world. At the moment in the media, there are an enormous amount of stories dealing with the very same concept. There are extremely intense race related issues happening all over the world.
The film at its heart is about a character from one kind of world meeting a group of characters from another type of world. The old meets the modern, the city meets the country. All of these quite primary notions colliding. The comedy version of this, of course, is City Slickers, the horror version is Wolf Creek or Deliverance. A story in which these world's collide is either comedic or horrific and, in Wolf Creek's case, it's horrific--these two things cannot coexist, one has to die. This film also has an intense magnifying glass on that concept--what's at the heart of the Australian xenophobia. What really is the essence of intense racism in Australia? The first film only hinted at this, while Wolf Creek 2 really is a chance to explore what's at the heart and take audiences inside that.
TT: Could you briefly run us through the new protagonists in Wolf Creek 2?
GM: Paul is, in a sense, the main character of the film. He has the challenge of arriving half way through the film to an already emotional story. He has to take over and command the movie. It's a tough challenge, so we needed a supremely confident and talented actor, someone who is likeable and who can communicate without a lot of dialogue. Ryan had all those qualities as well as maintaining a level of truth in his performance in very intense situations.
Much like the first film, all the actors had to have realism to their performance. It was a real challenge to find two actors who spoke both English and German and were fluent in both. In Shannon and Philippe, we found two extraordinary actors who fit that criteria, plus they had worked together before so they had an immediate connection.
TT: Like the first film, you've worn a few hats in production of Wolf Creek 2. Could you briefly discuss the writing process?
GM: The first screenplay I wrote myself, this one is co-written by Aaron Sterns and it worked very well. I usually have the bigger ideas and Aaron is very disciplined about playing within the rules, setting up the rules, and being consistent. They're completely opposite skills. It was fun working together and a very good process. It's been an ongoing collaborative development of the idea and it doesn't stop until the film is finished.
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Netis Systems WF2710 AC750 Wireless Router Review
Introduction
When we did our very first 802.11ac router review in late November, we discussed the new markets that AC technology has opened up. With products ranging from AC600 to AC1900 technology, this leaves the end-user with a wider array of choices when building or upgrading their home network.
In-house today, we have the Netis Systems WF2710, a dual band AC router capable of 450Mbps on the 5GHz band, and 300Mbps on the 2.4GHz band. Along with the WF2710's capabilities as a router, Netis has also allowed the device to be used in a WDS network, or as a wireless repeater, offering more flexibility in your network setup.
Additionally, the Netis is capable of broadcasting multiple SSIDs for each band. The WF2710 conforms to IEEE 802.3 10Base-T, IEEE 802.3u 100Base-TX specifications, and offers Omni-directional 5dBi antennas for increased range and throughput.
Pricing and Availability
MSRP of the Netis Systems WF2710 is listed at $29.99 with a one-year warranty.
Availability of the router is very slim at this point; in fact, I was unable to find it anywhere outside of China.
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StarTech 15U 19-inch Black Server Rack Cabinet 2636CABINET Review
Introduction
Choosing the right server rack can be difficult, and there are a number of different parameters that can create compatibility concerns. Finding a server rack or cabinet that can handle very heavy loads narrows the choices significantly. Add in the requirement for mobility and the selection becomes quite restrictive.
In our lab, we need to maximize space effectively, while also retaining portability. Our requirement for portability is the result of the need to swap servers in and out of the platform on a regular basis. A wide array of servers, JOBDs, power filtering units, and networking equipment make the rounds through our lab on a steady basis.
This vast range of equipment also introduces a requirement for wide compatibility. The StarTech 2636 is EIA RS310-C compliant, and its compatibility with standard 19-inch equipment allows the cabinet to support a large range of equipment.
We also require a solid unit that can withstand the abuse of frequent component installations. The solid steel construction of the 2636 adds durability and strength that can handle the wear and tear of our hectic lab environment. A lifetime warranty on the unit also speaks to the durability of its design.
Sufficient space is also important, and the StarTech 2636 provides a capacity of 15U. The heavy weight loading of up to 2210 pounds can handle dense deployments easily.
A great advantage of utilizing a closed cabinet instead of an open rack is the benefit of noise reduction. The StarTech Cabinet will find its home in many SMB, SOHO, and home user environments. Those with 1U and 2U racks are all too familiar with excessive noise generation from server equipment. The benefits of closeable doors on the front and rear of the unit go a long way to helping contain screaming fan noise. For users with home labs, the attractive finish is also a big selling point. While all cabinets and racks are utilitarian at their roots, the extra attention to the appearance of this unit is a nice touch.
There are many racks and cabinets on the market that are not suitable for our environment, and finding the right fit was a bit daunting. There are numerous pitfalls to avoid when selecting server racks. Thorough research is always important to ensure the rack meets or exceeds the requirements of the installed equipment. Today, we will walk you through why we chose the StarTech.com 2636 cabinet as our go-to solution.
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SilverStone Fortress FT04 Full-Tower Chassis Review
Introduction
We all know that if you want the best of the best of what SilverStone has to offer, there are only two real choices for gamers: the Temjin series, and the Fortress series. While I have seen around three variations within the Temjin series, for the Fortress series, it is time to start to even that case count. The last and only chassis from the Fortress series that we looked at was the FT03 Mini, and let me tell you, what we are about to see today has nothing to do with that SFF chassis that we saw then.
This time things have been super-sized and enlarged back into the full-tower lineup, as well as seeing the latest and greatest of what the engineers at SilverStone are able to pack into this design. Things to look out for are the removable motherboard tray, CPU and video card support systems, modularity of the drive bays, ducted airflow to the video cards, and a layout that is unlike anything any other manufacturer on the market is currently offering.
Others advantages lead us to a pair of AP180 fans placed in the front that will supply a mini hurricane worth of air flow, modularity in the fan mounting there, and a styling unlike previous Fortress releases, while still keeping within the lines of its heritage.
The Fortress FT04 comes in four variations, in silver or black, and then again in both versions with or without a window in the right side panel. As you can tell already, there is a lot that we are going to be taking in, and hopefully we will see if SilverStone is designing for success with modularity enough to contend with cases that have been to the labs lately, which seem to really be pushing the envelope of what a chassis in 2014 should bring to its owners.
I personally liked the concept I saw over a year ago at CES, but with the real deal in our hands, it is time to get busy and find out what this full-tower chassis has to offer.
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Intel 730 Series 480GB SSD Review - the Skulltrail of SSDs?
Introduction
Intel has a history of bringing datacenter products to market as high-end prosumer products. The first time this occurred to my knowledge was Skulltrail, a special dual socket LGA771 motherboard paired with two QX9775 processors for the ultimate, at the time, performance experience. The Intel Extreme Edition Skull was born.
It's not a secret that LSI's SF3700 controller is late or will be late to market, depending on who you talk to. Companies in the LSI camp are loyal for the most part. This is because either they really love the SandForce technology, lack the experience to write custom SSD firmware or they put all of their eggs in one basket. Intel is rarely in a single basket position, but when it became clear that SandForce wouldn't have a PCIe based offering ready for CeBIT, the company only had a few options ready to come off the burner.
The Intel 730 Series is the same drive Intel displayed at a gaming event a few months back with an overclocking option. Everyone was buzzing about the world's first overclocking SSD and just days ago another news report hit the web about overclocking the 730 Series. Too bad it was wrong - and for good reason. If every drive could hit the 600MHz controller speed and 100MHz NAND speed, who would run the drive at a lower speed? Thus, the 730 Series does not get the knobs and switches, but instead every drive ships with a 600MHz controller and 100MHz NAND flash - no knobs, no switches, and no fuss.
What we get instead is a performance SSD based on Intel's DC S3500 datacenter SSD with higher clock speeds, lower price and a really cool graphic that pays tribute to Intel's Extreme heritage. Although Intel calls this Tisdale, I call it the "Skulltrail of SSDs". Let's take a close look now.
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Netis Systems High Power 802.11n Wireless USB Adapter Review
Wireless networking is one the great technologies of the past decade. It gives us the freedom to move about in our lives while staying connected to the things we love. While wireless networking has typically been implemented in notebook and mobile devices, there are those that also enjoy it with their desktop systems.
Today, we have the Netis Systems High Power 802.11n USB Adapter in-house. This adapter features a 500mW high gain design, utilizing the 2.4GHz frequency.
Compatibility of the adapter extends to Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7 and 8, with additional support for Mac OS and Linux. Pricing for the WF2503 is set at $23.53, with a one-year warranty.
Scope of delivery for the WF2503 includes the quick installation guide, driver disc, and the adapter itself.
The adapter utilizes a USB 2.0 connection. On top there is a green LED for activity, along with a WPS button for quick wireless setup. On the other side there is the connection for the high gain antenna.
To test the capabilities of the Wireless adapter, we setup the test system twenty feet from our base station. Utilizing Ixia IXChariot, we loaded the high performance throughput script. Comparable adapters for this review are the Atheros AR9285, and the ASUS USB-AC56. All adapters connect to the same 2.4GHz network for testing.
Above, you can see the Netis did quite well, pulling more throughput than our integrated solution. Additionally, the Netis was the most stable adapter in our testing thanks to the high gain antenna keeping a clean signal.
While the Netis WF2503 doesn't offer the latest and greatest in wireless technology, it does offer increased range due to the 500mW amplifier and high gain antenna. The build quality of the adapter is quite good; the plastics feel durable and the antenna fits securely with no issues.
Performance of the adapter was on par with expectations for the 2.4GHz network. In testing, we found it slightly quicker than our integrated solution in the HP Probook. Peak throughput came in at 55 Mbps from a distance of twenty feet, with plenty of range left over if you wanted to move further from your base station.
MSRP of the Netis WF2503 is set at $25.99 with a one-year warranty.
PRICING: You can find the Netis WF2503 High Power 802.11bgn USB Adapter for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing, but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.
United States: The Netis WF2503 High Power 802.11bgn USB Adapter retails for $23.53 at Amazon.
Canada: The Netis WF2503 High Power 802.11bgn USB Adapter retails for $42.14 at Amazon Canada.
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CalDigit T3 Thunderbolt RAID Enclosure Review - Three Drive Thunderbolt Storage for your Mac or PC
Introduction
In the last decade there have been few technologies that have excited me like Thunderbolt. The ability to potentially have higher storage performance with external devices can be puzzling, yet at the same time, amazing. With Thunderbolt in its basic format being an extension of the PCIe interface, the possibilities for this interface are endless.
Since the introduction of Thunderbolt, Macintosh devices have largely been the sole systems supported by the interface. While Thunderbolt II may change this, Microsoft doesn't support the hot plugging of Thunderbolt without a driver.
CalDigit has specialized in creating storage solutions for creative professionals for over ten years, and was the first to provide external PCIe storage, and also the first to bring USB 3.0 devices to the Mac with the AV Drive.
Today, we have the latest from CalDigit in-house in the form of the T3 Thunderbolt RAID. With the Thunderbolt interface, the T3 has at its disposal 10 Gb/s bandwidth, delivering up to 550 MB/s with hard drives or 850 MB/s using solid state drives.
RAID features include support for RAID 0, RAID 1, and JBOD. Compatibility of the T3 Thunderbolt extends to OS X 10.6.8+ and Windows 7+.
Pricing and Availability
The CalDigit T3 Thunderbolt comes in many variations, including 3TB, 6TB, 9TB, and 12TB hard drive based models, with MSRPs coming in at $449.99, $749.99, $899.99 and $1199.99 respectively. Solid State based models are available in 2.88TB capacity, with a MSRP of $2799.99.
All CalDigit T3 RAID models come with a one-year warranty.
PRICING: You can find the CalDigit T3 Thunderbolt for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing, but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.
United States: The CalDigit T3 Thunderbolt (9TB) retails for $899.00 at Amazon, and the CalDigit T3 Thunderbolt (12TB) retails for $1,199.00 at Amazon.
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Cooler Master Elite 130 SFF Chassis Review
Introduction
As the trend in computing has taken us to smaller and smaller components, they also require much less space to house said components. Now, while the Prodigy, and Aquila, and other offerings will get the idea across, a lot of users out there are looking for even smaller cases to house their components in. There are two major reasons for this line of case builds.
First, and most importantly, is portability. By this we mean the ability to take a system to a neighbor's house, take it with you on the job if need be, or even to build a gaming system to take to a LAN. The second benefit to this idea is to be able to pack quite a bit of computing power in as little space as really needed, without having to go to a mini-tower or midi-tower design.
Don't get me wrong, things inside of cases like this are quite cramped, and usually the airflow is somewhat limited, mostly due to the amount of stuff crammed into such a small chassis. Wiring, big video cards, and lack of locations for air flow in most designs are what cause people to shy away from these types of cases. The thing is, Cooler Master has been at this SFF chassis game for quite some time now, and even in earlier Elite series cases, we have seen improvements with each design; we hope that that pattern does not stop with the latest of additions to that series.
As we have a look at the Elite 130 SFF chassis from Cooler Master, we will be looking for all of the obvious things like fit, compatibility, features, and the layout, but after seeing what Xigmatek just dropped off, our eyes are wide open. This may be a bit unjust to Cooler Master, but in our minds, a good case design is a good case design whether looked at from ten feet away, or from under a magnifying glass.
In the end, I think you will see that Cooler Master may have another success on their hands with what the Elite 130 has to offer those in search of a small form factor build.
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RAVPower Bolt RP-UC07 Four-Port USB Wall Charger Review
With the increasing amount of mobile devices we all enjoy, the need to charge and maintain these devices has been a bit of a challenge. With each device coming equipped with its own wall charging solution, having the space to plug in all those chargers comes at a premium.
With the growing popularity of smart devices, and even mobile storage, we watched as the industry transitioned from standard wall chargers with direct wired cables to using the USB standard for both charging and data connections. This move opened an entire new industry for third party vendors to design devices around the standard, to combine multiple chargers into one device.
The RAVPower Bolt Four-Port Charger is one of these solutions. Featuring four ports with a total of 6A of output power, the Bolt is capable of charging the most demanding devices in our lives. The MSRP of the RAVPower Bolt comes in at $19.99, with a one-year warranty.
Scope of delivery for the RAVPower Bolt includes the charger, reading materials, and power cord.
The RAVPower Bolt comes in a square form factor measuring 3.6" x 3.5" x 1.2". On the top of the unit, you will find the power output shown above each port.
The back of the unit houses the power input.
The front of the unit houses each of the four USB ports. The first two being 5v at 2.1 amps, with the next two offering 5v at 1 amp. To the far right, the LED lights up blue when power is applied.
The RAVPower Bolt is a rather simple solution to the growing need for power to charge our mobile devices. The build quality is pretty solid, with all four ports allowing easy connection of charging cables. In addition, the included power cord allows you to extend your charging away from the outlet by a good four feet, mitigating any outlet blocking.
In my experience with the Bolt, I found it to be a quite capable charger. I was able to plug in my iPad, iPhone, Nokia Lumia, and Bluetooth headphones, and charge them all at once. I have also found it quite capable at charging PS4 controllers rather quickly; though, if you choose to do so, use the 1A ports so you don't destroy your battery.
Pricing of the RAVPower Bolt sits at $19.99, and comes in a choice of white or black. The Bolt carries a one-year warranty.
PRICING: You can find the RAVPower Bolt for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing, but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.
United States: The RAVPower Bolt (Black) retails for $19.99 at Amazon, and the RAVPower Bolt (White) retails for $19.99 at Amazon.
Germany: The RAVPower Bolt (Black) retails for EUR 15,99 at Amazon DE, and the RAVPower Bolt (White) retails for EUR 15,99 at Amazon DE.
France: The RAVPower Bolt (Black) retails for EUR 19,99 at Amazon France, and the RAVPower Bolt (White) retails for EUR 18,99 at Amazon France.
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SSD Consistency Testing - 18 Drives Tested for Real-World Performance
Introduction
I posted a blog last week that illustrated how time between each benchmark test can affect performance results. To show what we wanted, we used a small portion of a new benchmark that is built into Futuremark's PCMark 8 2.0. The new Consistency and Adaptivity (yes, I know, it's not really a word) tests add additional features to an already good benchmark.
We've stated before that the key to a good benchmark isn't just the test you are running, but the preconditioning involved before the test. SSD FOB (Fresh out of Box) performance is always great and very close to the limits of SATA III, but real-world performance has days, weeks, and months of data on the drive.
In the past, we've simulated prior stress with our Data on Disk testing by adding data on the drive and running PCMark Vantage's Storage Tests. Futuremark took that test and worked up a better method to show what we consider a better representation of real-world performance.
The following was provided by Futuremark:
Consistency Test
The PCMark 8 Consistency test measures the performance consistency and degradation tendency of a storage system.
The Storage test workloads are repeated. Between each repetition, the storage system is bombarded with a usage that causes degraded drive performance. In the first part of the test, the cycle continues until a steady degraded level of performance has been reached.
In the second part, the recovery of the system is tested by allowing the system to idle and measuring the performance with long intervals.
The test reports the performance level at the start, the degraded steady-state and the recovered state, as well as the number of iterations required to reach the degraded state and the recovered state.
Adaptivity Test
The Adaptivity test measures the "learning" capabilities of the storage system.
The Storage test workloads are repeated and the results are observed. The test continues until a steady state of performance has been reached.
The benchmark reports the performance level at the start and in the steady state, as well as the number of iterations required to reach the state. Today, we're publishing a handful of products that we've run through the new Consistency test and expanding upon the information used in the blog post.
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Toshiba MG03SCA300 6Gb/s SAS HDD RAID Performance Analysis
Introduction
The Toshiba MG03SCA is a 3TB 6Gb/s SAS Enterprise HDD that has been the lynchpin of general storage for entry-level server workloads and capacity-intensive Tier 2 networked storage systems. The MG03 series, in both SATA and SAS flavors, has made its way into cloud, file, and object-based storage and disk-to-disk data protection applications.
We initially took a close look at the 4TB SATA variant, the MG03ACA400, in August of last year. This model features a 6Gb/s SATA connection, unlike the SAS model we are testing today, but shares many of the same performance characteristics.
The MG03SCA300 features an MTTF of 1.2 million hours and a load/unload cycle rating of 600,000. This should provide plenty of durability to last through the five-year warranty period, even under the most demanding 24/7 workloads.
One of the hardest aspects of recommending storage products to our readers is that we cannot accurately test reliability specifications. Warranty periods are a good reliability indicator; manufacturers have to place plenty of faith into their product to guarantee it with replacement. However, the nature of product evaluations does not allow us to use every product for an extended period of time. The MG03SCA300 series is actually an exception.
Toshiba allowed us the use of an array of eight of these drives for the last several months. During this time, these drives have been constantly subjected to heavy workloads as we build out our upcoming application testing. These drives have also served as one of our base arrays for several caching articles we have in progress.
The MG03SCA300 spins at 7,200 RPM and features an average latency of 4.17ms. Four 750GB platters hold user data, and a 64MiB FIFO ring buffer provides optimized caching to smooth out performance in heavy random workloads. A sustained transfer rate of 155 MB/s for the 1, 2, and 3TB versions, and 165 MB/s for the 4TB model, keeps it within the same performance envelope of the SATA variants.
Power consumption is always a big concern, especially when storing large amounts of bulk data. The MG03 series consumes 11.3 watts during read/write operations and features a low power idle of 6 watts. The low power idle keeps the drive in a ready state, so it can respond to data requests at any time.
The MG03SCA family of HDDs also features models with a MG03SCP product number. These models feature enhanced encryption capabilities. TT10 Sanitize crypto-erase and TCG-Enterprise SSC protect data and offer the option of wiping the drive in seconds. This can also help during drive retirement or repurposing by providing a fast means of data destruction that does not require the additional, and costly, step of physical destruction.
Today, we will examine the performance of the MG03SCA series utilized in a RAID environment. First, let's take a quick glance at the internals and the specification sheet.
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Enterprise Flash Virtualization: Flash In The Pan or Here to Stay?
Introduction
This time last year, you would have been hard pressed to find an article, seminar, or tech commercial that was not about "the cloud." Cloud storage, cloud services, apps in the cloud, security of the cloud. The word cloud has been so completely overhyped since then that I am to the point where anytime someone even mentions it, I feel like giving them my best impersonation of Marcellus Wallace from Pulp Fiction. "Say cloud one more time!"
As we are getting a new year underway, I am curious to see what phrase will end up taking the top spot for 2014. So far, I would have to say my money is on "flash." There are more array vendors than possible to keep track of, each pitching their version of a better mousetrap: all-flash using SSDs, all-flash with custom boards, or the hybrid route of some flash and some spinning disk.
PURE, Tegile, Tintri, Nimbus, Nimble, Skyera, Whiptail, Violin, XtremIO...the list goes on. Then there are the PCIe players: FusionIO, PMC, LSI, and who knows how many upstarts. Now, there are the flash virtualization players like Pernix Data, Sandisk's FlashSoft product, or VMWare's vFlash.
There is no doubt that flash arrays and accelerator cards have staying power, but what about this last bunch of software defined storage solutions?
To answer this question, we need to first define what exactly these products do.
Implementations
Traditionally, a single physical server houses multiple VMs that all compete for a share of flash resources. As shown in the image below, each of the three virtual machines share the SSD and flash controllers in their respective individual physical servers.
The drawback to this implementation is that a hungry application can suck up the limited available resources inside a single server, choking the performance of other applications that reside in that same server.
Of course, infrastructure architects think of this ahead of time and attempt to align applications to servers with the appropriate specifications, but it is difficult to anticipate unforeseen spikes. Not to mention, VMs are moved around so often now that predicting what application traffic will be where is becoming increasingly difficult.
This is where virtualizing the server side flash comes in. The bottlenecks that exist with the traditional server implementation can be overcome by creating a flash hypervisor, in which a new shared pool of flash is created and is presented across all VMs, thus removing the per server resource allocation issue.
Extrapolate this across a data center and there is now a large pool of fast flash storage that can be utilized by VMs on an as-needed basis, with no limitation to where the VM resides. The result is an increased flexibility that will flatten the rollercoaster of application workloads as they blend across the infrastructure.
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Supermicro X9DR7-TF+ (Intel C602J) Server Motherboard Review
Introduction
We have had many server motherboards in the lab recently, most ranging from general purpose boards to some focused on storage. The Supermicro X9DR7-TF+ makes its way in as a heavy hitter that can handle GPU/Xeon Phi applications with ease.
This board is powerful enough to run huge databases directly from RAM and number crunch at the same time. Throw in robust storage capabilities with room for top-end network cards and this motherboard takes center stage for advanced server infrastructures.
Supermicro breaks this down into two main systems that can use the Supermicro X9DR7-TF+ motherboard.
The first is the SuperServer 6027R-72RFT+, which is a 2U system that can handle 2x PCI-E 3.0x16 and 4x PCI-E 3.0x8 low-profile expansion cards.
Next up is the SuperServer 6037R-72RFT+, which is a 3U system that can have 2x GPU/Xeon Phi cards installed.
A third possible configuration is a 3U storage box based on the SuperChassis 836BE16-R1K28B case that can hold up to 16 drives.
There are also many other cases that can use this motherboard, so please refer to the product page to see the full list. We only received the motherboard for our review. According to Supermicro's website, you should receive the following:
Parts List (retail)
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Top 10 TweakTown Content from the past week [24 February 2014]
Here are our top 10 articles, reviews and guides from the past week!
- AMD Mantle Radeon R9 290X CrossFire at 4K Preview - Is It All That It's Cracked Up To Be?
- be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 CPU Cooler Review - A winner in terms of performance and quietness?
- GIGABYTE Z87X-UD4H (Intel Z87) Motherboard Review
- TYAN S7053GM2NR (Intel C602) Server Motherboard Review
- Larkooler SkyWater 330 Liquid Cooling System CPU Cooler Review
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Reference Card Video Card Review
- CRYORIG R1 Ultimate CPU Cooler Review
- Buffalo BS-G2124U 24 Port Business Gigabit Switch Review
- Battlefield 4 Second Assault Maps vs. Battlefield 3 Maps - 116 Glorious Comparison Screenshots
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Hands-on with the Lightpack TV Lighting System from Kickstarter
Home entertainment has evolved dramatically in the last 10 years, and it's still a long way from finished. Home theatre setups now include large HDTVs, 7.1 surround sound, game consoles, set-top boxes, and the fun doesn't stop there. Lightpack is a project that was funded on Kickstarter and is now reaching consumers. Lightpack works by placing LED lighting strips on the back of the TV and connecting them to a central control box that also gets mounted to the back of the display.
These LED lights take the movie watching experience and enhances it by extending the light past the edge of the screen. On larger displays--50+ inches--you'll need multiple Lightpacks, and as the owner of a 52-inch display, I backed the project with a Multipack that delivered 2 controllers that come with 10 LED lights each. The light is emitted from the multicolored LED lights at the rear of the display and are reflected on to the wall behind. Each light color is set based on a sampling of the pixels at the perimeter of the video source going to the display and is sent over USB cables to the controllers.
The controller units really serve as connection points rather than brains. The brain comes from your laptop or device that runs software that drives the controllers and the attached lights. The image on the screen is sampled multiple times per second so the lights will accurately match the screen. However, the speed will have a performance impact on your processor.
The software that drives the Lightpacks is called Prismatik and does take some time to setup when you have multiple controllers and 20 light strips, but spending the time here is definitely worthwhile. If you don't accurately map the location of where you placed the light strips with the configuration in the Prismatik, the lights behind the TV won't match the edge of the screen, which breaks the experience.
Matching the video output from an HDMI cable is one thing and will surely impress your friends, but the real reason you want this is the incredible possibilities. The software actually runs on Windows, OSX, Linux, and even an Android 4.0 device. Those willing to put in a bit more effort can get it running on XBMC and RaspberryPi.
Don't think for a second that this technology just works with video; it also works with games and the most interesting apps. That's right, developers get the code to write apps to control the lights. The software needs to be running on the device that is producing the video, so this counts out consoles that are locked down, although the Xbox One may open to apps that would allow Lightpack to play.
It's easy to imagine scenarios where this can get awesome really fast. Imagine watching a movie and having the top-right LED glow red when you have a new email, a download finishes, or a contact from your favorite list calls you. Imagine configuring the lights to increase in brightness to wake you up in the morning or connect with a weather service and change based on the forecast. This really is much more than a bunch of lights that look pretty. This is a platform that could facilitate notifications and information that fundamentally changes the way we think about displays.
Lightpack will work just as well on a desktop monitor, which is great if you're working well into the night or if you decide you'd like some lighting effects to match that Spotify playlist. Connect it to a motion detector like the Belkin WeMo and it could act as a security system. With the software and openness, the possibilities really are endless. With Lightpack just reaching the early backers, it's certainly still in its early days, as some features like control via an Android app is still in beta. It works, but there are some serious limitations right now like the limitation of controlling up to 10 lights or, in my instance, half the display.
The visual appeal of Lightpack is one thing, but the makers of the product say there's some science behind it. When that glow of a TV screen is the only source of light in a dark room, it can be hard on your eyes. When scenes are switching very fast during a movie, your pupil reacts to the level of light by dilating and contracting as much as 1 to 8 millimeters.
When switching from a dark to a light scene, it takes about 5 sec for a pupil to narrow, and up to 5 minutes to increase the size of a pupil when it gets darker. That's why the muscles of an eye are in constant tension, which can lead to vision problems. The theory is that Lightpack increases overall light in a room reducing the variations and reducing eye strain. I couldn't say this worked, although my eye strain is typically due to the clock being past 1am rather than lighting issues.
If you didn't get in on the Kickstarter, Lightpack is now available through their website for $119.00 each. This comes with the main controller unit, 10 LED modules with 70 cm cable length, Micro USB cable, AC adaptor with a plug for US, EU, and UK, as well as some cable ties to deal with the spaghetti octopus on the back of your display. The product also comes with some extra adhesive strips should you decide to upgrade your TV or change the Lightpack to another display. While these are a nice inclusion, the product is definitely not designed to move between screens frequently.
The setup isn't simplified, and for that reason, it's hard to see regular everyday people considering Lightpack, but for business displays or enthusiasts, and especially home theatre geeks, the Lightpack is awesomely packed full of potential.
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Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Nintendo Wii U Review
For years, people had wondered what Retro Studios was up to. With the release of the Wii U and nary a word about what one of Nintendo's premier first party studio was up to, gamers clamoured for information about what the people behind Metroid Prime and recent Donkey Kong games were doing. Nintendo made us wait and wait before finally confirming that Retro was working on a new Donkey Kong game. The announcement was met with deflation. Having now played the final game, though, Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze is quite possibly the best game released on the Wii U system to date. Retro yet again shows why they are one of the best around.
Tropical Freeze picks up with Donkey and his family sitting around for a family meal of bananas and generally enjoying life. Cranky, Dixy, Donkey, and Diddy are then rudely interrupted by the Penguin army who take over the homeland and freeze everything in sight, including Kong's precious banana stack. Being a monkey of adventure, Kong was never going to put up with this, and so the adventure begins with you tasked to free the homeland of the penguins and unfreeze Kong's banana stack. It's a fairly cliché story, but really it's not the story you play this game for so it gets the job done.
The gameplay in Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze very much mimics that of previous Donkey Kong titles, though there are a few exceptions that mix the gameplay up enough to make it seem fresher than it actually is. The main aim of the game is to get from point A to B, as with most platforming titles, but there are a number of side quests to complete, including finding jigsaw pieces and the letters of the word Kong. Again, this is nothing new, but it does give players a reason to keep coming back to the game a few times to try and unlock the secret world that is on offer for those who collect all the items.
And when you look on paper at the game's features, it most definitely is something you would think it needs. Only six world's are featured, but we are going to go out on a limb here and say it is likely you will take longer to finish this game than most other platform games on the Wii U even though they have more levels. This game is brutally difficult. This is a game that will make you want to smash your Wii U tablet to smithereens in frustration, but it's also a game that screams utter perfection in-game design at almost every moment. You won't want to smash your tablet because of frustrating gameplay; it will be because you have made a silly mistake over and over again.
This game punishes mistakes harder than most, and, in the initial stages of playing, you will feel that it is unfair and a cheap game design. We certainly did, but, after reflecting on it a few hours after our first session with the game, we began to realise that this wasn't frustrating, bad gameplay, but actually stunning game design that challenged us just enough to make us want to play it again and again to beat it. Finishing a level in Tropical Freeze, especially towards the end, is a matter of getting a perfect run in that level.
There is a significant amount of 'level learning' required, and it is highly unlikely you will finish a level the first time. This is because you need to learn each level's different quirks. For example, the first time you make a large jump in a mine cart, you are probably not going to expect having to duck in the cart almost right away to avoid some spikes on the ceiling. This is the kind of thing you learn as you play the missions over and over again.
There is one area where we think the game may go a little bit far in this regard and that is the boss fights. These significantly ramp up the difficulty level of the main levels and are quite long. Again, it's all about getting a perfect run, but these boss characters generally have three or more shape shifting forms. It's as if they have been pulled directly out of retro games with the main task of these boss battles being to learn their combat pattern and then counter it. We haven't seen boss battles like this for a while--and with good reason--they feel frustrating and cheap. Unlike the main levels, this doesn't feel like good game design but instead just cheap difficulty spikes.
Another issue we have with the game is the controls occasionally don't respond very well. The tablet is not designed for such twitch gameplay in our opinion, and it shows in Donkey Kong. This is a game where precision is everything and there is nothing more frustrating in this game than getting a perfect run only for the analogue stick to not register you pushing down in time.
Unfortunately, the game won't let you use the DPAD to move Donkey Kong, so it is not easy to fix this. Our recommendation is that you get a pro controller to play with this game. The game also doesn't display on both the TV and the tablet at the same time, so you are not missing out on much by giving up that second screen. Given this is a first party game, it is absolutely unbelievable that this game does not use the second screen at all. If Nintendo isn't putting in effort to the second screen, then why would third party developers?
The changes that have been implemented to the game this time around are welcome and add positively to the gameplay on offer. For example, when you run across a barrel to find more Kong characters as Kong, you now have a choice as to who to unlock. The barrel randomly changes between each character's initials and the one that unlocks is determined by which initials are displaying when you choose to shatter it. There is also strategy to this with some characters being more useful in different missions and boss fights.
For example, Crankey Kong has the ability to pogo on his walking stick, which can stop you from being damaged by enemies on the ground, and Candy Kong uses her hair to give you a double jump. Each has his/her own pros and cons and is balanced well.
From a visual perspective, this is one of the best looking games on the Wii U. We are now truly starting to see the visual increase over the Wii system that we expected, and Nintendo is starting to compete in the visual games. The Wii U might be underpowered on paper when compared to the new consoles, but, in the visual department, it's definitely starting to show some grunt.
This is an absolutely gorgeous game that uses its cartoon style visuals to the absolute max, and, most importantly, there was not one frame rate issue to be found as we played through the game. Just looking at the detail on Kong's fur will give you an indication as to how good this game looks, and each world offers a significantly different visual style. In a way, it's a shame this game is so brutally difficult because you have to concentrate one hundred percent of the time as opposed to soak in the stunning visuals. The soundtrack is also a masterpiece, but, given the recent DK games, this should be of no surprise.
Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze was a game that, when first announced, was derided as yet another Donkey Kong game, but it's clear Nintendo and Retro knew what they were doing. Tropical Freeze is a stunning Wii U game that quite simply every gamer must play. If we were more confident in the future release schedule of the Wii U system, we would say it's enough to buy a Wii U for, but we can't say that just yet.
For those who have a Wii U, games like this are the reason you purchased the console. The fact it doesn't use the second screen at all is an interesting move on Nintendo's part, but perhaps it's just an acknowledgement that everyone is just using the gamepad for off TV gameplay anyway. Tropical Freeze will be up there come game of the year time, and Retro has yet again delivered a stunning masterpiece.
PRICING: You can find Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing, but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.
United States: The Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze retails for $49.96 at Amazon.
Canada: The Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze retails for CDN$54.96 at Amazon Canada.
France: The Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze retails for EUR 39,99 at Amazon France.
Germany: The Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze retails for EUR 42,51 at Amazon Germany.
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Top 10 TweakTown Press Releases from the past week [03 March 2014]
Here are our top 10 posted press releases from the past week!
- Patriot Unveils New FUEL Active Portable Batteries to Power Up Outdoor Enthusiasts
- HighPoint Unveils RAID 5 and RAID 6 Thunderbolt Storage Solution
- Announcing the ASUS Chromebox
- Toshiba Completes Acquisition of OCZ SSD Assets, Launches New Subsidiary
- GIGABYTE Launches BRIX Gaming Mini PC Barebone
- HighPoint Rolls Out Auto-Compiling #Linux Drivers for its #HBAs
- PNY Launches Two Custom-Cooled GeForce GTX 780 Ti Cards
- Sharkoon Vaya II Cases Now Available
- MSI Radeon R7 260 1GD5 OC Now Available
- Kingston Presents "Flying Horse Limited Edition" USB Drive
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Top 10 TweakTown Press Releases from the past week [24 February 2014]
Here are our top 10 posted press releases from the past week!
- Patriot Unveils New FUEL Active Portable Batteries to Power Up Outdoor Enthusiasts
- Toshiba Completes Acquisition of OCZ SSD Assets, Launches New Subsidiary
- HighPoint Unveils RAID 5 and RAID 6 Thunderbolt Storage Solution
- SanDisk Announces Release of the ULLtraDIMM SSD
- Announcing the ASUS Chromebox
- EK Unveils the Indigo XS Ultra-Performance Engineered Thermal Interface
- GIGABYTE Launches BRIX Gaming Mini PC Barebone
- AMD Debuts New 12- and 16-Core Opteron 6300 Series Processors
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