IT-Code-News: IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 10/03/2014

Sunday, March 9, 2014

IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 10/03/2014

TweakTown

Seagate wants tablets with proper HDDs inside of them this year
Seagate expects that tablet storage will change this year, with a normal hard disk drive instead of NAND flash being the storage found inside some tablets that will arrive on shelves later this year.

seagate_wants_tablets_with_proper_hdds_inside_of_them_this_year

Mr. O'Malley said at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecom conference this week: "There will be devices other than [Chromebooks with hard disk drives] that you will see - tablets - that have [hard] drives in. We really do believe there is an opportunity." The CFO of Seagate also chimed in, saying "We could penetrate with our 5mm [HDDs] into some of these tablets over the course of the year, and even leveraging the seven millimeter hybrid [hard drives] through that space as well."

Leaked cover for HTC One successor looks awesome
HTC is expected to unveil the successor to its One smartphone on March 25, but between now and then, we can take a look at a new leaked photo of its upcoming new accessory - a beautiful, yet strange new cover.

leaked_cover_for_htc_one_successor_looks_awesome

@evleaks is behind the picture, posting on its Twitter page a press image of the new One smartphone with its new cover installed. The new case looks like a new Lite Briight, but sees information littered across the back of it along hundreds of dots. It looks like it could be a real eye-catching cover, something that will definitely have the One successor stand out from the rest.
Now all we need is Robert Downey Jr. rocking this smartphone and cover in a new ad. If the cover is customizable, where you could have your own words, logo or basic picture on the back, this could really be something worth talking about.

AMD's dual Radeon R9 290X rumored to launch very soon
All the way back in November last year, we reported on AMD building a dual Hawaii XT GPU - the same core used on its flagship Radeon R9 290X... but this new video card would feature two of those Hawaii XT cores.

amd_s_dual_radeon_r9_290x_rumored_to_launch_very_soon

The dual Radeon R9 290X became a little more real this week, with a tease of the ARES III GPU by ASUS. ASUS' ARES line of GPUs is its dual-GPU video cards, some of the most respected and most-wanted GPUs on the market. Talking specs, the dual Radeon R9 290X card would feature three 8-pin PCI-E power connectors, with a massive 500W TDP.
We should see 8GB of RAM total, 4GB per GPU. Personally, I think the 4GB limitation is going to be the letdown on a dual Radeon R9 290X card, as SAPPHIRE has teased a beautiful Radeon R9 290X VAPOR-X which features 8GB of RAM, on a single GPU.

Galaxy S5 will protect parents' bank accounts with 'Kids Mode'
Samsung must know that thousands, if not millions of parents own Galaxy-branded smartphones, so with its upcoming Galaxy S5 flagship device, it is baking in a new 'Kids Mode' function. Kids Mode will allow parents to let their kids use their flashy new Galaxy S5, but it will be locked down to certain functions, including access to Samsung's pre-loaded apps.

galaxy_s5_will_protect_parents_bank_accounts_with_kids_mode

galaxy_s5_will_protect_parents_bank_accounts_with_kids_mode

These pre-loaded apps include a basic drawing app, a voice recording app, special camera and gallery apps, and finally, a karaoke app. There will also be a Kids Store built into the Galaxy S5, which will provide parents with access to more apps for their kids. Parents will be able to add more apps to the Galaxy S5 in Kids Mode, which should keep kids across the world busy for hours on end when needed.
Kids Mode seems to be aimed at kids under 10 years old, with the "approach is fun and very cartoony," according to Pocket-lint, who took a closer look at the new function. The Kids Store is apparently the same, which has vibrant colors bursting everywhere, and includes app categories such as Special, Learning, Play, Store and others.

Apple has reportedly ordered 90 million iPhone 6's from Foxconn
Apple has reportedly ordered some 90 million iPhone 6 smartphones from Foxconn Electronics, with those 90 million handsets orders for just 2014 alone. It looks like Apple is quite confident its next smartphone will be a smash hit, ordering that massive quantity of devices.

apple_has_reportedly_ordered_90_million_iphone_6_s_from_foxconn

Taiwan-based Commercial Times newspaper has said that its sources of Citigroup Global Markets analysts have said that Foxconn is expected to receive the massive orders from Apple for the new iPhones this year. The market observers believe that iPhone shipments should increase 23% in 2014, compared to the 13% growth seen last year.
90 million iPhoness sounds like a lot, but considering Apple sold around 85 million iPhones in the second half of last year, this shouldn't be that hard of a task for the company.

Beats Music makes its API public, is now open to developers
Beats Music is catching up on its competitors Rdio and Spotify by making its API public. Up until this point, the company only gave its API out to a few select partners so that they could create integrations with compatible devices.

beats_music_makes_its_api_public_is_now_open_to_developers

Now that developers have access to the API, they have access to Beats' catalog of over 20 million tracks, as well as metadata, artist and album art, personal recommendations, and the company's own curated content. The curated content is what Beats believes will make its service stand out against the streaming music crowd.
Opening up its API has Beats in a more competitive nature, as it will allow developers to get elbows deep in its code, making the service available on more platforms.

Google was attacked by the Chinese, NSA according to its chairman
During his speech at the SXSW technology conference in Austin, Texas, Google chairman Eric Schmidt had some damning words to say about the Chinese, and the NSA. SChmidt said that government attacks from China, and the US, forced Google to boost its security protocols.

google_was_attacked_by_the_chinese_nsa_according_to_its_chairman

Schmidt said that governments around the world have come to the realization that trying to block Internet access to its citizens are futile, and that they have moved onto other methods of control. He said: "You don't turn off the Internet: you infiltrate it. The new model for a dictator is to infiltrate and try to manipulate it. You're seeing this in China, and in many other countries."
The Google chairman was pressed about the role of technology in uprisings, such as the one in the Ukraine right now, where he said that the spread of mobile devices has allowed people to organize much more easily, but although "revolutions are going to be easier to start," they'll also be "harder to finish."
Schmidt seemed concerned that countries could choose to edit what their citizens could find on the Internet, where he said: "Imagine if the Arab world decides to delete all references to Israel? It looks like people are going to use child safety as the starting point. Russia just passed a law nominally about child safety which pretty much allows arbitrary takedown of videos...There's something strange, or at least duplicitous, at starting from something where we all agree, and then using it for other purposes."

NC State researchers create compromised Android detection software
Researchers from North Carolina State University have created the Practical Root Exploit Containment (PREC) tool aimed to look for root exploits in malicious apps.

nc_state_researchers_create_compromised_android_detection_software

Since most malicious apps targeting Google Android are based on C programming, not Java, researchers can compare apps with a database that describes how apps are expected to operate. Software anomaly detection isn't new, but researchers focused strictly on C code, greatly reducing the number of false positives by searching for C only.
"We have implemented PREC and evaluated our methodology on 140 most popular benign applications and 10 root exploit malicious applications," researchers wrote in their paper. "Our results show that PREC can successfully detect and stop all the tested malware while reducing the false alarm rates by more than one order of magnitude over traditional malware detection algorithms."
There is a heavy amount of research in mobile and app security, with sophisticated malware plaguing users worldwide.

Europol warns public Wi-Fi users of privacy, security risks
European Union law enforcement agency Europol is urging citizens to be careful using public Wi-Fi hotspots, due to an increase in the number of cybercriminals trying to steal information.

europol_warns_public_wi_fi_users_of_privacy_security_risk

There is even greater concern when people use these hotspots to log into social media, make online purchases, or use online banking. However, the majority of consumers don't tend to focus on security, and aren't aware of the risks.
"We should teach users that they should not address sensitive information while being on an open insecure Wi-Fi Internet," said Troels Oerting, head of the Europol cybercrime unit, in an interview with BBC Click. "They should do this from home where they know actually the Wi-Fi and its security, but not if you are in a coffee shop somewhere you shouldn't access your bank or do all of these things that actually transfer very sensitive information."
Even though sophisticated Internet spying departments from the NSA and British intelligence have shaken trust - users should be more concerned of personal data being stolen, including when using public Wi-Fi hotspots to access information.

Snowden raised concerns within the NSA before blowing the whistle
During his testimony to the European Parliament released on Friday morning, NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden said that he reported policy or legal issues related to the NSA's far-reaching spying programs to more than 10 officials. But, as a contractor, he had no legal leg to stand on in order to pursue further whistleblowing.

snowden_raised_concerns_within_the_nsa_before_blowing_the_whistle

Snowden was asked specifically if he had felt like he had exhausted all of his options before deciding to leak the classified information to the public, where he responded with: "Yes. I had reported these clearly problematic programs to more than ten distinct officials, none of whom took any action to address them. As an employee of a private company rather than a direct employee of the US government, I was not protected by US whistleblower laws, and I would not have been protected from retaliation and legal sanction for revealing classified information about lawbreaking in accordance with the recommended process".
US President Barack Obama said back in an August news conference that Snowden had "other avenues" to pursue, referring to Snowden "whose conscience was stirred and thought that they needed to question government actions". Obama referred to Presidential Policy Directive 19, a system setup for questioning classified government actions under the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
But, since Snowden was a contracter to the NSA and not an official US government employee or officer, he was outside of the protection of this system. Snowden said: "The result, was that individuals like me were left with no proper channels".
Snowden talked about the reaction he received from his co-workers and superiors during his testimony, where he said the responses fell into two categories: "The first were well-meaning but hushed warnings not to 'rock the boat,' for fear of the sort of retaliation that befell former NSA whistleblowers like Wiebe, Binney, and Drake. Everyone in the Intelligence Community is aware of what happens to people who report concerns about unlawful but authorized operations".
The other responses were somewhat similar, suggesting that Snowden "let the issue be someone else's problem". The NSA whistleblower said that he brought up issues with what he considers unlawful government programs before, but the NSA disputes his account. Snowden talked with The Washington Post, where he said: "after extensive investigation, including interviews with his former NSA supervisors and co-workers, we have not found any evidence to support Mr. Snowden's contention that he brought these matters to anyone's attention".
All is well though, as both President Obama and his National Security Advisor, Susan E. Rice, have both said that Snowden should return to the US and face criminal sanctions for his whistleblowing. After Snowden fled the United States for Russia, he was charged with three felonies.

Epic Games is officially finished with the Gears of War franchise
Microsoft Studios has owned the rights to Gears of War franchise for a little over a month now, but as of March 10, 2014 at 12:00pm Pacific Standard Time (PST), Epic Games will be shutting down and archiving the Gears of War forum.

epic_games_is_officially_finished_with_the_gears_of_war_franchise

Epic Games will also be handing over the Facebook and Twitter accounts to Gears of War over to Black Tusk Studios. Epic Games said on its Facebook page for Gears of War that "Black Tusk Studios asks for your patience and support as they set up new forums for the Gears of War community, and encourage you to communicate with them over Facebook (this page) and Twitter (http://Twitter.com/GearsofWar) during this forum transition over the coming weeks".

Remedy scores Gravity movie talent for its upcoming Quantum Break
Remedy Games has worked on some pretty special games, including Max Payne and Alan Wake, but its upcoming title Quantum Break is looking like yet another winner for the Finnish-based studio.

On Remedy Games' website, the staff congratulated Greg Louden for his work at the London-based effects studio Framestore, which took an Academy Award home for its Best Visual Effects for Alfonso Cuarón's 'Gravity'. Louden's resume touts that he oversaw shots of Gravity's computer-generated interiors, with a focus on the free-floating objects that surrounded Sandra Bullock's character.
Quantum Break will see Louden use his talent on scripting and designing events as part of the game's level design. He will also be tackling some of the visual effects for Remedy's upcoming Xbox One-exclusive third-person shooter.

remedy_scores_gravity_movie_talent_for_its_upcoming_quantum_break

The next Angry Birds game looks to have a medieval theme
The next installment in Rovio Mobile's Angry Birds series looks like it might don some metal armor, with a trailer teasing a knight's suit of armor posted to Rovio Mobile's YouTube channel.

The new game will be released in Australia, Canada and New Zealand first, with the video description teasing: "Perhaps the most Epic soft launch ever - whatever that means!?" There's no more information on it right now, but you can check back here at TweakTown for more information on the new Angry Birds title as it breaks.

the_next_angry_birds_game_looks_to_have_a_medieval_theme

Vladimir Putin's body language is being studied by The Pentagon
The situation between Russia and the Ukraine is heating up, but could the US government know what Vladimir Putin's next move is, all by studying his body language over the years?

vladimir_putin_s_body_language_is_being_studied_by_the_pentagon

The Pentagon has spent considerable sums of money studying the body language of foreign leaders, to hopefully predict future behavior. An article was recently published by USA Today reporter Ray Locker, who worked with documents uncovered by RT that provided a look into a subject that isn't talked about often. The military has been using the expertise of body movement analysts to interpret the nonverbal projections of important heads of state, including one in the spotlight right now, Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Locker reported: "US policymakers are seeking any advantage they can find". He added that the United States Office of Net Assessment, which is a division of the Department of Defense, has employed Naval War College research fellow Brenda Connors. Connors has been involved since 1996, and is one of just a few movement pattern analyst practitioners in the world to be sanctioned by the Motus Humanus organization.
Connors has been working on the ONA's Body Leads project since 2009, according to Locker, which is something he believes has cost the Pentagon upwards of $300,000 in the last five years as officials increase their efforts on gathering foreign intelligence. Connors began working on Putin himself as far back as at least 2004, but by 2008, she had found herself working on a report for the ONA dubbed "Movement, The Brain and Decision-making, the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin".
Since then, Locker said that the Body Leads project has moved on to study the physical traits of some of the most powerful foreign leaders in the world. He wrote: "Since July 2011, the war college had paid $165,735 to Richard Rende, a Brown University psychiatrist and specialist in the field of movement pattern analysis, federal spending records show. Timothy Colton, a Harvard University expert on Russia, has been paid $113,915 since 2009 for his research with Connors, military contract records show".
You can read more on Body Leads, and Locker's thoughts at the source.

KINGMAX unveils its all new Pro Extreme SDXC line of memory cards
Today KINGMAX, a manufacturer of flash-based storage, announced that it has released a new PRO Extreme line of SDXC / SDHC SD memory cards. The new Pro Extreme line adheres to UHS-I Speed Class 3 specifications ensuring that users get the fastest experience possible when used in compatible devices. KINGMAX says that the UHS-I rating allows the card to transfer images from the users camera's image buffer to the SD card much faster than non UHS cards.

kingmax_unveils_its_all_new_pro_extreme_sdxc_line_of_memory_cards

"In order to record with high quality at any time and during important moments, a good memory card has become an important accessory for photographers! Everyone now can use the PRO Extreme SDXC/SDHC to access ultra-high quality Full HD (1080p), Ultra HD (2160p), 3D or 4K2K videos on D-SLR, D-SLM, digital camcorders and other high performance models. The PRO Extreme SDXC/SDHC memory card is compatible with SDHC and SDXC devices, and currently comes in 32 GB and 64 GB capacities for consumers to choose from. More excitingly, the 128 GB and 256 GB are also about to be released, so to use one memory card to record all scenarios of a micro-film is no longer a dream," the company said in a release.

Features - KINGMAX PRO Extreme SDXC/SDHC

Support UHS-I Speed Class 3 (Write speed > 30 MB/s)

SDA Standard 3.0

Provides sufficient bandwidth to record and playback 4K2K videos

Applicable for Full HD (1080p), Ultra HD (2160p) and 3D video accessing

Speed: Read-Up to 90 MB/s; Write-Up to 40 MB/s

File format: exFAT (SDXC)；FAT32 (SDHC)

Supports CPRM, ECC, wear leveling technologies and etc.

Dimension: 32 mm x 24 mm x 2.1 mm

Compatible: With SDHC&SDXC host devices; SDXC cards are not compatible with SDHC devices/readers

Operating Temp.:-25℃~85℃

Voltage: 3.3V

Warranty: 5 Years

DRAM price fixing case settled for $310 Million, you can file a claim
A federal court in California has concluded a case against 12 DRAM manufacturers as they accused of price fixing between 1998 and 2002. The court calculated that the manufacturers will have to do a settlement that totals up to $310 million.

dram_price_fixing_case_settled_for_310_million_you_can_file_a_claim

The case was filed by a group of US attorney generals against DRAM manufacturers including Samsung, NEC, Infineon, Hynix, Micron and Toshiba in 2007. The DRAM makers have any wrongdoing of any price fixing during those years, but have agreed to make a settlement. The attorney generals have agreed to $310 million settlement package where the money will be distributed to the public.
Earlier, Samsung had to cough out $300 million in 2005 as a settlement with US department of Justice.
The good news is that you could get a very small slice of the $310 million cake. US residents (only) and companies who have indirectly purchased (via retail stores) can file a claim from here. This not only includes memory kits, but practically any electronic devices that uses DRAM that you've purchased between 1998 and 2002. The minimum recovery is $10 and up to $1,000. Those who have made the purchase through the companies do not qualify for this recovery.
According to DRAM claims' website, you do not require to provide purchase proof when filing a claim, but its recommended that you find your invoices between those period just in case if its required to grant the claimed amount.

Apple updates OS X Mavericks with Pixel Doubling in prep for 4K
Recent reports are suggesting that a beta version of the upcoming update to OS X Mavericks has been pushed out to developers, and contains options for them to upscale their applications to 4K Ultra-HD resolutions. If true, this would allow Macbook Pro owners to connect their device to an external 4K display without any distortion, or blurry-ness messing up the image quality.

apple_updates_os_x_mavericks_with_pixel_doubling_in_prep_for_4k

The reports suggest that the code update will also usher in 4K at a 60Hz refresh rate, something that has been limited to just 30Hz for a while now. The beta update is said to be OS X Mavericks 10.9.3, but no information was given on when it may release to the public, and if 4K will be supported on every application or if Apple is leaving it up to the developers to code their apps for 4K.

Nokia's upcoming Lumia 630 ousted in new leaked image
Today Nokia saw its upcoming Lumia 630 windows phone leaked by the infamous leakster @evleaks via his Twitter account. If true the new Lumia 630 brings back the vivid and rich hues that Nokia was famous for in its earlier Lumia smartphones. The leak shoes the Lumia 630 in a very bright orange, yellow, and green with white and black also being present.

nokia_s_upcoming_lumia_630_ousted_in_new_leaked_image

The Lumia 630 is not much to get excite about though as it features a 4-inch screen, 1GB of RAM, and a dual-core processor. If recent rumors are true, then Nokia will also release a 635 variant that has provisions built-in for a dual-SIM setup, but nothing has been confirmed as of this writing. We expect for Microsoft and Nokia to launch the Lumia 630 during Microsoft's upcoming Build Conference where many expect Microsoft to map out the future of Windows Phone.

Microsoft using Xbox one gamer's data for political ads on Xbox Live
Microsoft is trying to convince politicians to use its Xbox Live, Skype, MSN and other of its platforms for running targeted ads. It was found that Microsoft officials were handing out promotional material to several politicians at the annual conference for conservatives.

microsoft_using_xbox_one_gamer_s_data_for_political_ads_on_xbox_live

Mid-term elections are around the corner, and many companies are making a move to attract politicians in this 'political ad market'. Microsoft plans to use this opportunity of this business idea by displaying such ads on Xbox Live's dashboard. Political ad campaigns can be set according to preferred demographic made by interested candidates.
Xbox Live has about 25 million subscribers in United States alone. According to the stats, 38% are women, 40% are married and more than half have children. These numbers will be important to a number of politicians as it would help them to set an ad campaign according to demographic categories. Since politicians will be tempted to micro-targeting for online ads, Microsoft's existing product lineups and Xbox's vast subscriber base with detailed demographics.
Microsoft didn't make any statement about this, yet. There is another point of whether people would like demographics being used to push political ads via their gaming console.

Motorola adds NCAA college themes to Moto Maker
With March Madness in full swing, Motorola has just created a way for you to show off your favorite NCAA team with its Moto Maker software. Now you can customize your Motorola Moto X smartphone in your alma mater's colors and include the mascot on the rear of the phone. Beginning today Motorola has opened up its College Collection design gallery and will allow customers to select pre-configured school color combos from over 40 NCAA colleges.

motorola_adds_ncaa_college_themes_to_moto_maker

"Moto Maker lets you express yourself and your style through your phone. Now, you can express your school spirit too! Just in time for the tournament, we're introducing the College Collection, a range of college-inspired Moto X customization options that allow you to showcase your favorite school colors," said Motorola. "We took a look at college colors across the board and added nine new back colors and three new accents to our Moto Maker palette so you can create the ultimate fan phone."

motorola_adds_ncaa_college_themes_to_moto_maker

Customized Motorola Moto X phones retail for just $399.99 off-contract or just $49.99 with a new two-year contract, but college students or anyone with a .edu email address will be given a $60 discount on new Moto X phones in collegiate colors, bringing the price down to just $339.

Malaysian Airlines loses contact with a plane carrying 239 passengers
Malaysian Airlines has announced it has lost flight MH370 bound for Beijing, with air traffic controllers losing contact with the plane carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members just a few hours ago.

malaysian_airlines_loses_contact_with_a_plane_carrying_239_passengers

The company has released a media statement confirming the news, saying that it had lost contact with Subang Air Traffic Control at 2.40am. Malaysian Airlines said on its Facebook page: "Flight MH370, operated on the B777-200 aircraft, departed Kuala Lumpur at 12.41am on 8 March 2014. MH370 was expected to land in Beijing at 6.30am the same day. The flight was carrying a total number of 227 passengers (including 2 infants), 12 crew members".
Malaysian Airlines has said that it is working with authorities who have activated their Search and Rescue team to locate the lost aircraft. The company has also stated that it will provide updates on the situation when it can, with the public who are concerned able to contact the company for more information on +603 7884 1234.

Watch Dogs is 1080p on PS4, 960p on Xbox One and 4K and beyond on PC
We now know why Ubisoft delayed Watch Dogs, but today is a new day, and today brings news of the resolution and frame rate that Watch Dogs will run along at on next-gen consoles on PC.

watch_dogs_is_1080p_on_ps4_960p_on_xbox_one_and_4k_and_beyond_on_pc

On the PS4, Watch Dogs will run at 1080p/30FPS, but will drop to 960p/30FPS on the Xbox One. On PC, you can drive Watch Dogs right up to 4K (and beyond) at variable frame rates of course. The PC version of Watch Dogs has seen Ubisoft team up with NVIDIA, so we should see some special details added to an already pretty game.
You can bet your bottom dollar we'll be running Watch Dogs through our multi-monitor, multi-GPU hoops here at TweakTown. We'll have it tested at 4K, and triple 1440p, too.

Benchmarks and screenshots of NVIDIA GTX 860M leaked
NVIDIA will be using the GM107 silicon well known by its codename 'Maxwell' for notebooks. The GTX 860M is said to have an identical setup of a desktop GPU card based on Maxwell core: GTX 750 Ti.

benchmarks_and_screenshots_of_gtx_860m_leaked

It will feature 640 CUDA cores, 40 TMUs and 16 ROPS paired with 2GB GDDR5 memory clocked at 5 GHz on a 128-bit interface. Benchmarks of the GTX 860M was also published in a notebook enthusiast forum.
Benchmarks included 3DMark 11 performance and extreme preset:

benchmarks_and_screenshots_of_gtx_860m_leaked

benchmarks_and_screenshots_of_gtx_860m_leaked

With performance preset, the GTX 860M made a graphic score of 5339 and with extreme preset, GTX 860M was able to score 1662. In comparison, GTX 660M's performance score is 2563 and extreme score is 774, whereas GTX 770M's performance score is 5023 and extreme score is 1747. Performance wise, the GTX 860M 'Maxwell' falls between GTX 660M and GTX 770M.

Club 3D unveils its Radeon R9 290 and 290X royalAce GPUs
Club 3D has just announced the launch of two new flagship video cards to its PokerSeries GPUs. The cards are based on AMD's "Hawaii" architecture reference design Radeon R9 290 and R9 290X GPUs. The all new royalAce Radeon R9 290 features 2560 stream processors and 4GB of GDDR5 RAM making it one of the fastest GPUs on the market today.

club_3d_unveils_its_radeon_r9_290_and_290x_royalace_gpus

The royalAce Radeon R9 290X is the king of the castle with 2816 stream processors, 4GB of GDDR5 RAM, and a tripple fan cooler that ensures gamers achieve the highest-level of performance possible. The royalAce R9 290 features a core clock speed of 1040MHz while the royalAce R9 290X is 10MHz faster at 1050MHz. Both cards are said to be much faster than the reference design and can easily compete with the best custom Hawaii designs on the market today.

club_3d_unveils_its_radeon_r9_290_and_290x_royalace_gpus

Visiting Chicago? Use cash instead of credit or debit to pay for cabs
First American Bank sent out a public memo warning members to be on alert when paying for taxicabs in Chicago using debit or credit cards - and urge those traveling in the Windy City to use cash payments.

visiting_chicago_use_cash_instead_of_credit_or_debit_to_pay_for_cabs

First American Bank made the issue public almost three weeks after it was alerted of fraudulent behavior in Chicago cabs. To date, more than 200 new cards have been issued and at least $62,000 in suspected fraudulent activity has been flagged by the bank.
"We have become aware of a data breach that occurs when a card is used in Chicago taxxis, including American United, Checker, Yellow, and Blue Diamond and others that utilize Taxi Affiliation Services and Dispatch Taxi to process card transactions," said Tom Wells, First American Bank chairman, in a statement.
If you're visiting Chicago in the near future, it's highly recommended to use cash only when paying fares.

3 Days to Kill (2014) Cinema Review

3_days_to_kill_2014_cinema_review

Director 'McG', otherwise known as Joseph McGinty Nichol, has a career littered with bombs such as This Means War, disappointments like Terminator Salvation, and downright clunkers, including Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle. It's a real shame, too, because the former music video director has an obvious eye for visuals and good sensibilities for action.
It's just that short of his first film, the hyperkinetic Charlie's Angels some 15 years ago, he hasn't really found a vehicle to channel his talents all that successfully. However, in 3 Days To Kill, which just happens to be his lowest budgeted film ever (at just under $30 million) and coupled with Writer and Producer Luc Besson, McG finally seems to be suitably matched.

3_days_to_kill_2014_cinema_review

Despite nearly capturing an internationally wanted terrorist known only as the Albino (Tomas Lemarquis) in a foiled plot, CIA Agent Ethan Renner (Kevin Costner) has been felled by cancer that has left him with a decidedly negative prognosis: only a few months to live. Ejected from the agency, Renner shuns his formerly nomadic life to return to his wife Christine (Connie Nielsen) and young daughter Zoey (Hailee Steinfeld) to spend his remaining time.
Connecting to the young teenager proves difficult when it is obvious he knows little about her, as he missed almost all her life milestones. Just when his affairs begin to come into order, Renner is approached by sultry CIA agent Vivi (Amber Heard) promising an expensive and experimental drug that could extend his life in return for completing his final mission and bringing the Albino to justice.

3_days_to_kill_2014_cinema_review

3 Days To Kill has been knocked around a bit critically, at this point enjoying the dubious honor of a 31 percent rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Whilst I'm cognizant of standing out amongst my compatriots, I feel the need to break rank on this one. I found 3 Days To Kill to be overwhelmingly entertaining of the heavily salted popcorn variety. The hand of Luc Besson is more than noticeable, with much of the action harkening back to the likes of The Transporter and Lockout.
Coming just a few months after the disappointing Jack Ryan reboot (which also featured Kevin Costner), it's interesting that 3 Days To Kill features a similar concept with a wildly divergent tone. Whereas Jack Ryan illustrated the outlandish with stony-faced seriousness, Ethen Renner is just as quick to offer a comedic quip as he is to take out a villain or focus on family life for an extended period as he is to blow up a building in spectacular fashion.

3_days_to_kill_2014_cinema_review

Kevin Costner is, of course, an old hand at the type of material, but he sure looks like he is having fun. Hailee Steninfeld does an admirable job at coming around to her formerly absentee father. However, the highlight of the cast is the downright gorgeous Amber Heard, whose career seems to be on an upward trajectory. Every scene she is in instantly grabs the interest and keeps the film kicking along.
3 Days To Kill isn't an action classic for the ages and probably resides towards the bottom of Kevin Costner's filmography, but for an infinitely entertaining Saturday night actioner, you can do much, much worse.

3_days_to_kill_2014_cinema_review

What do TweakTown awards and ratings mean? Click for details!

... Read the rest in your browser!

Leef Pro 16GB MicroSDHC Memory Card Review

leef_pro_16gb_microsdhc_memory_card_review

Like the new craze around OTG hybrid drives, microSD cards have had a long and fruitful life without our smartphones. Along with smartphones, microSD cards live in our cameras, camcorders, and even tablets, offering enhanced storage capabilities in a very small form factor.
Leef is a rather new company to the market, with beginnings around 2010. Today, we have the distinct opportunity to look at one of their latest products, the Leef Pro 16GB microSDHC card. This card features UHS I compatibility along with a Speed Class of 10.
Available in capacities ranging from 16GB to 64GB, the MSRP of the Leef Pro is listed at $24.99 for the 16GB and up to $84.99 for the 64GB capacity. Each of these drives come with a five-year warranty.

leef_pro_16gb_microsdhc_memory_card_review

The Leef Pro came packaged in the standard plastic retainer for the card.

leef_pro_16gb_microsdhc_memory_card_review

Here we have our first look at the card and included adapter. The front of the card carries a design that would certainly grab your attention in a retail situation.

leef_pro_16gb_microsdhc_memory_card_review

The Leef Pro is factory formatted with the FAT32 file-system. Usable capacity after formatting is 14.6GB.

leef_pro_16gb_microsdhc_memory_card_review

Above, you can see the Leef Pro did quite well. We were able to reach 51MB/s read and 12MB/s write.

leef_pro_16gb_microsdhc_memory_card_review

In our price/performance chart, we found the Leef Pro coming in second to the Strontium Nitro we reviewed a few months back.
With this being my first product from Leef as a company, I came away pleasantly surprised with the level of design and overall aesthetics put into their SDHC card. When a company pays enough attention to design their products to catch your eye, more often than not it's going to be something above the standard.
Performance of the Leef Pro microSDHC card was well within expectations and would be a great solution for point-and-shoot cameras and, of course, smartphones and tablets.
MSRP of the 16GB Leef Pro microSDHC card comes in at $24.99 with a five-year warranty. Current market pricing can be found below.
PRICING: You can find the 16GB Leef Pro microSDHC card 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 16GB Leef Pro microSDHC card retails for $24.99 at Amazon.

What do TweakTown awards and ratings mean? Click for details!

leef_pro_16gb_microsdhc_memory_card_review

... Read the rest in your browser!

Rosewill AC1200UBE 802.11ac USB Wireless Network Adapter Review

rosewill_ac1200ube_802_11ac_usb_wireless_network_adapter_review

There is no doubt 802.11ac is the largest jump in wireless technology since we went from 802.11g to 802.11n. If you are one that is in the market for an adapter to take advantage of the new technology, then you will quickly find there are many more options with ac than we ever had before.
The Rosewill AC1200UBE is a dual-band network adapter with 2.4GHz capabilities up to 300Mbps and 5GHz up to 867 Mbps. Based on the Realtek RTL8812AU chipset, the AC1200UBE supports USB 3.0, which is needed to get the most out of your 802.11ac network. Additional features include WPS support via a button on the side of the adapter and 128-bit security via WEP, WPA, and WPA2.
Compatibility of the AC1200UBE extends to modern Windows operating systems, Mac OS, and Linux. MSRP of the AC1200UBE is set at $49.99 with a one-year warranty.

rosewill_ac1200ube_802_11ac_usb_wireless_network_adapter_review

Scope of delivery for the AC1200UBE includes the adapter, utility DVD, and reading materials.

rosewill_ac1200ube_802_11ac_usb_wireless_network_adapter_review

Looking at the adapter, we find a black plastic design, with the antenna tucked away into the body.

rosewill_ac1200ube_802_11ac_usb_wireless_network_adapter_review

The side of the adapter houses the WPS button for quick connectivity to your network.

rosewill_ac1200ube_802_11ac_usb_wireless_network_adapter_review

With the antenna flipped up, the AC1200UBE has a good balance to it. As you can tell, the antenna isn't so big that it will get in your way, and it's not so small as to lose connectivity.

rosewill_ac1200ube_802_11ac_usb_wireless_network_adapter_review

Here we have the USB 3.0 port.

rosewill_ac1200ube_802_11ac_usb_wireless_network_adapter_review

To test network adapters, we utilize the very fast and stable Netgear Nighthawk R7000.

rosewill_ac1200ube_802_11ac_usb_wireless_network_adapter_review

In our first, test we have the 2.4GHz band. The Rosewill did quite well here keeping right with the AC56 from ASUS. Peak throughput came in at 119 Mbps.

rosewill_ac1200ube_802_11ac_usb_wireless_network_adapter_review

Now, we have switched over to the 5GHz band. Peak throughput for the AC1200UBE came in at 320 Mbps.
While network adapters come in many shapes and sizes, the Rosewill falls into the more compact design category. The foldaway antenna aids in this by allowing you to tuck it away for safe keeping. The build quality of the AC1200UBE was quite good: the plastic felt durable, the hinge pin for the antenna felt secure, and the USB 3.0 connection felt secure.
Performance of the adapter was on par with expectations. It offers a decent amount of throughput on the 2.4GHz band but really ramps up when you connect to its native 802.11ac. In our testing, we saw the unit touch near 320 Mbps of real-world throughput while connected to our 5GHz ac network on the R7000.
As far as drawbacks are concerned, there was one with a bug in the driver, but Rosewill seems to have resolved that with the latest update.
MSRP of the Rosewill AC1200UBE sits at $49.99 with a one-year warranty. Current market pricing for the adapter can be found below.
PRICING: You can find the Rosewill AC1200UBE 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 Rosewill AC1200UBE retails for $34.99 at Amazon.

What do TweakTown awards and ratings mean? Click for details!

rosewill_ac1200ube_802_11ac_usb_wireless_network_adapter_review

... Read the rest in your browser!

Sapphire Radeon R9 290X TRI-X 4GB OC Overclocked Video Card Review

Introduction

sapphire_radeon_r9_290x_tri_x_4gb_oc_overclocked_video_card_review

The other day, we got the chance to have a look at an R9 290X 4GB from MSI and found ourselves quite impressed with the Twin Frozr Gaming OC variant of the model. Today, we've got another R9 290X 4GB on our hands. This time it's from Sapphire. The particular version of the R9 290X 4GB we're looking at today comes in under the TRI-X name, which is one we've seen in the past.
The TRI-X and Dual-X series are two of the more recent additions to the Sapphire line up, and they've both done a great job of impressing us. The latter series is reserved for more mid-range models. There isn't a whole lot for us to say about the R9 290X 4GB or just the R series in general. Since the launch of the series last year, we've found ourselves extremely impressed with what AMD has been offering us.
The company has been able to offer not only cards with excellent performance and a fantastic set of features, but they've also managed to do this at an excellent price point. Today, we'll be finding out if Sapphire is able to keep that trend going with the TRI-X version of the card.
While normally we'd move from here to a look at the box, today we don't have the cover for the outside of the box. Saying that, though, we do have the full bundle. So while we won't be looking at what the exterior of the package offers us, we will be able to dive into the bundle to see just what Sapphire is offering. So with that all said and done, let's see just what's going on with the Sapphire R9 290X TRI-X 4GB OC bundle.

Package

sapphire_radeon_r9_290x_tri_x_4gb_oc_overclocked_video_card_review

Checking out the bundle, you can see all the standard inclusions that you'd expect to get. We've got our Sapphire registration card along with a Quick Install Guide and Driver CD to round off the normal paperwork.
From a cable perspective, you can see we've got a Dual-Molex to 8-Pin PCIe power connector along with a Molex to 6-Pin PCIe power connector. Along with that, you can also see the standard HDMI cable that Sapphire includes on a lot of their mid-range and up models.
... Read the rest in your browser!

Vantec NexStar HX External Storage Enclosure Review

vantec_nexstar_hx_external_storage_enclosure_review

Storage enclosures are one of the hottest items when it comes to backing up data or taking data with you on the go. It also happens to be one of the most saturated markets, as nearly every manufacturer is catering to the needs of end users.
In the lab today, we have the NexStar HX from Vantec. As stated in many reviews in the past, the NexStar name is the bread and butter of Vantec. With the HX, though, things have changed slightly. While older NexStar storage enclosures were typically made of plastic, the new HX uses a metal outer shell, which adds durability to the solution. On the back, you will find eSATA and USB 3.0 connections.
Compatibility of the HX extends to modern Windows operating systems and OS X 10.4+. Warranty is listed at one-year.

vantec_nexstar_hx_external_storage_enclosure_review

Scope of delivery includes both eSATA and USB 3.0 cables along with the power adapter and reading materials.

vantec_nexstar_hx_external_storage_enclosure_review

Looking over the enclosure, notice we now have a brushed metal exterior with a large cooling fan to maintain drive temperature.

vantec_nexstar_hx_external_storage_enclosure_review

The front of the unit houses a light bar down the center that illuminates a steady blue for power and blinks with drive activity.

vantec_nexstar_hx_external_storage_enclosure_review

Over on the back, we have eSATA and USB 3.0 connections, a switch for the fan, and, of course, the power connection below.

vantec_nexstar_hx_external_storage_enclosure_review

Removing two screws from the side of the enclosure allows you to open it up for drive installation. Internally, the layout is rather simple: flip up the retainer, slide in your drive, and flip down the retainer to lock the drive in.

vantec_nexstar_hx_external_storage_enclosure_review

Above, we have installed our SanDisk X110 SSD into the HX for testing. In ATTO read, you can see the enclosure peaked around 275 MB/s, quite enough performance for any standard 3.5-inch HDD you would install.

vantec_nexstar_hx_external_storage_enclosure_review

Write performance for the HX was similar. We found the unit touching just over 250 MB/s.

vantec_nexstar_hx_external_storage_enclosure_review

Something new I will be adding to all reviews is price/performance. This should aide in purchase decisions. It takes into account the price for the enclosure and its relative performance. As you can see above, thanks to the excellent MSRP of the HX, the Vantec enclosure comes out on top by quite a margin.
I must say after spending a few weeks with the NexStar HX, it is quite the enclosure. Having installed many different drives into the device, including the 4TB WD Black, the fan installed in the enclosure does do a good job at keeping the unit cool. I found overall build quality to be equally impressive, and the outer metal shell, while adding durability to the unit, also adds a professional appeal.
Performance in our testing was decent; nothing too extreme, but it would do the job perfectly for its intended use with 3.5-inch hard drives.
MSRP of the Vantec NexStar HX sits at $39.99 with a one-year warranty. Current market pricing for the storage solution can be found below.
PRICING: You can find the Vantec NexStar HX 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 Vantec NexStar HX retails for $38.99 at Amazon.
Canada: The Vantec NexStar HX retails for CDN$44.85 at Amazon Canada.

What do TweakTown awards and ratings mean? Click for details!

vantec_nexstar_hx_external_storage_enclosure_review

... Read the rest in your browser!

Leef Bridge 3.0 Hybrid OTG USB 3.0 Flash Drive Review

leef_bridge_3_0_hybrid_otg_usb_3_0_flash_drive_review

In our last OTG, or hybrid flash drive, review of the UD320 from ADATA, I commented how I would like to have a little more write performance for transferring movies to the drive for viewing on my phone. Leef may just have the solution to this with their offering, the Bridge 3.0
The Bridge 3.0 from Leef is not like the standard OTG flash drives. While most use a basic USB 2.0 connection, this new drive utilizes USB 3.0 connectivity on the full connector and USB 2.0 for the OTG setup. The drive is designed as a slider but not in the conventional manner. With the Bridge 3.0, we have what I like to call an open face design.
Compatibility of the Bridge 3.0 extends to modern Windows operating systems and OS X. Leef manages a list of supported Android devices on their website. MSRP of the 16GB Bridge 3.0 is set at $19.99 with a five-year warranty.

leef_bridge_3_0_hybrid_otg_usb_3_0_flash_drive_review

The Leef Bridge 3.0 carries branding on the backside of the drive.

leef_bridge_3_0_hybrid_otg_usb_3_0_flash_drive_review

On the top of the drive, you can see the open faced sliding design. The center button controls the locking and unlocking of the sliding mechanism.

leef_bridge_3_0_hybrid_otg_usb_3_0_flash_drive_review

Above, you can see the USB 3.0 port of the Bridge 3.0.

leef_bridge_3_0_hybrid_otg_usb_3_0_flash_drive_review

The Leef Bridge 3.0 is factory formatted with the FAT32 file-system. Usable capacity after formatting is 14.9GB.

leef_bridge_3_0_hybrid_otg_usb_3_0_flash_drive_review

Above, we have our results from testing. Here the Bridge 3.0 came in at 82MB/s read and 11MB/s write.
When I first read about the Leef Bridge 3.0, I was really surprised to see them include USB 3.0 support in a hybrid solution. This is something I was truly excited about, but, after testing, I find myself slightly disappointed to find that write speeds were pretty dismal at best.
The issue with OTG drives is they have terribly slow write speeds that lead to longer waits when loading files to take with you on the go. For me, I could care less how fast my Android phone can read the files as long as it's capable of playing video.
This leads me to build quality, where again Leef continues to surprise me with their unique designs. I really enjoy the quality of the device itself; the sliding mechanism felt very solid and locked into place, so there was no movement when plugging in into my PC.
MSRP of the 16GB Leef Bridge 3.0 comes in at $19.99 with a five-year warranty. Current market pricing can be found below.
PRICING: You can find the Leef Bridge 2.0 (NOT 3.0) 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 32GB Leef Bridge 2.0 (NOT 3.0) retails for $34.99 at Amazon.

What do TweakTown awards and ratings mean? Click for details!

leef_bridge_3_0_hybrid_otg_usb_3_0_flash_drive_review

... Read the rest in your browser!

Rosewill RGS-1016 16-Port Gigabit Switch Review

Introduction

rosewill_rgs_1016_16_port_gigabit_switch_review

Not everyone has the need for a massive 24 or 48 Port switch; luckily, switches come in many shapes and sizes. If you're one that is building up a network and you don't have too many PCs, then something simple like a five, eight, or twelve port switch would do the job and give you room for expanding later on.
In the lab today, we have the Rosewill RGS-1016 16-port unmanaged gigabit switch. Unmanaged switches have maintained their popularity by offering simplicity in design, and plug-and-play operation. The Rosewill RGS 1016 is a non-blocking switch design, which means we have a full 32 Gbps switching fabric. Additionally, the switch conforms to 802.1p QoS and 802.3az Energy Efficient Ethernet and houses 16 Auto-MDIX sensing ports.
Additionally, the RGS-1016 carries an 8K MAC address table, with a 2MB Data RAM buffer and supports 9K Jumbo Frames. The Rosewill uses a store and forward architecture, which keeps traffic flow efficient and consistent

Pricing, Availability and Specifications

The Rosewill RGS-1016 carries an MSRP of $109.99. Also included is a three-year one to one replacement warranty. Availability of the switch is high at the moment, as many retailers having the unit in stock ready to ship.
PRICING: You can find the Rosewill RGS-1016 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 Rosewill RGS-1016 retails for $79.99 at Amazon.
Canada: The Rosewill RGS-1016 retails for CDN$142.30 at Amazon Canada.

rosewill_rgs_1016_16_port_gigabit_switch_review

... Read the rest in your browser!

Available Tags:Seagate , HTC , Radeon , Galaxy , iPhone 6 , Apple , iPhone , Google , Android , security , Microsoft , Xbox , gamers , Xbox , Motorola , NVIDIA , GTX , 3D , USB , Wireless , Sapphire , USB 3.0 , USB ,

No comments:

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)