IT-Code-News: IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 14/04/2014

Monday, April 14, 2014

IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 14/04/2014

TweakTown

NSA used 'Heartbleed' to help snoop on Internet users
A recent report published by Bloomberg says the NSA was familiar with Heartbleed and used the flaw to collect intelligence, choosing to stay silent not to compromise a valuable spying asset.

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Around two-thirds of websites on the Internet have been affected by Heartbleed, and websites are scrambling to improve security.
Meanwhile, the federal government is denying using Heartbleed: "Reports that NSA or any other part of the government were aware of the so-called Heartbleed vulnerability before April 2014 are wrong," said Caitlin Hayden, National Security Council Spokeswoman, in a statement. "The Federal government was not aware of the recently identified vulnerability in OpenSSL until it was made public in a private sector cybersecurity report."
The NSA has received a large amount of criticism for its widespread, sophisticated spying activities - and this report might rekindle a fierce debate.

James Cameron talks VR movies, still hasn't tried out Oculus Rift
James Cameron is pretty much a household name thanks to directing movies like The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgement Day, oh and Avatar. Cameron was asked some interesting questions during his Reddit AMA session.

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Cameron was asked on whether he would be making any movies using VR devices, such as the Oculus Rift, where he said: "I personally would be very interested to find a way to incorporate VR and a narrative-filmmaking experience. So a narrative directed experience that has individuated pathways where you have choices that you make in real-time, I think that would be a lot of fun. I think it would be very technically daunting and expensive, to do it as the same quality level as a typical feature, but it would be fun to experiment with".
He continued, saying: "It sounds like a lot of fun. I don't think it would take over the feature film market though. I'm very familiar with VR, but I haven't seen the specific Oculus Rift device". Cameron will be getting his hands-on Oculus VR's headset soon enough, where the director of Avatar said: "I'm interested in it. I'm meant to see it some time in the next month or so, but I've been familiar with VR since its inception. In fact, virtual reality is a way of describing the way we work on Avatar, we work in a virtual workspace all day long. We use a 'virtual camera' which is how I create all the shots that are CG in the film, a window into a virtual reality that completely surrounds me".

Civilization: Beyond Earth looks to the stars, supports AMD's Mantle
Civilization fans will need to be cooled down after hearing about Civilization: Beyond Earth's announcement. Where Beyond Earth changes things up, is by lifting off from Earth, and taking off to the stars.

Civilization: Beyond Earth is more sci-fi, where players can visit other world's, universes and alien planets where we will see humans using their environment, and all sorts of other things against each other. Not much in terms of detail on Beyond Earth has been discussed, but AMD's Mantle API will be supported.
This means we'll see lower-end PCs playing Civilization: Beyond Earth at better frame rates, and those with beastier machines enjoying much higher resolutions and on-screen goodies at once.

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IRS missed Windows XP deadline, pays millions to Microsoft for support
The US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) didn't migrate from Microsoft Windows XP before the April 8 end of support deadline, and will pay millions to Microsoft for extended support.

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Microsoft pulled the plug on its popular 13-year-old operating system, urging users to migrate to Windows 7 or 8/8.1. However, millions of PCs are still running XP and haven't been migrated, including many business PCs.
"Now we find out that you've been struggling to come up with $30 million to finish migrating to Windows 7, even though Microsoft announced in 2008 that it would stop supporting Windows XP past 2014," said Rep. Ander Crenshaw (R-Fla), chairman of the House Financial Services and General Government subcommittee, in a statement. "I know you probably wish you'd already done that."
In addition to the IRS, utility companies also have struggled to upgrade from XP, with companies still buying XP-powered systems as of late 2013.

Iranians are increasing their cybercriminal activities, report says
The Iranian government is increasing its cyberattack capabilities and wants to target government rivals, according to security company Mandiant. The country still doesn't have modernized cyber weapons at the moment, but is willing to invest time and energy into expanding its digital weapons.

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Iran was reportedly behind malware attacks that infected Saudi Aramco and RasGas, in retaliation following the suspected infection of an Iranian nuclear facility by the United States and Israel.
"Although Iran has long been considered a second-tier actor behind China and Russia, recent speculation has focused on Iran's interest in perpetrating offensive network attacks against critical infrastructure targets," the Mandiant report says.
However, Iran is willing to recruit highly-trained hackers outside of the country, and reportedly has discussed cybercrime ability with North Korean sources, US security advisers say.

Phishing cybercriminals find most success with midweek attacks
The majority of phishing emails are sent during the work week, amounting to 93 percent of activity, with the most popular day Wednesday, according to cybersecurity company Mandiant. The use of clever social engineering techniques, in which cybercriminals create unique attack methods to compromise unsuspecting users, continues to be a leading strategy that helps find success.

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Mandiant studied clients in more than 30 different business industries, with 15 percent of attacks hitting the financial market, with 13 percent aimed towards media and entertainment, according to the company.
Companies trying to protect employees must teach them the basic threats that phishers use, especially in financial intuitions, which receive one-third of all phishing attempts.

Universities struggle to keep personal data safe from theft
It seems likely colleges and universities could face a higher number of cyberattacks and data breaches, as security vulnerabilities and other challenges remain a problem, according to HALOCK Security Labs.

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University IT staff need to prioritize their networking and security budgets to address the most glaring security threats - and separating sensitive systems from public systems can be a good start. PCs and servers with sensitive information can be supervised by IT staff, while student employees can manage public systems, according to HALOCK.
"Universities in general have limited budgets for information security, and therefore struggle to comply with the numerous laws and regulations regarding the data in their custody," said Terry Kurzynski, HALOCK Senior Partner, in a press statement.
To make matters worse, there are multiple layers of convoluted bureaucracy that must be successfully navigated to get anything done.

Members of the 'Jabber Zeus Crew' indicted by Department of Justice
Nine men behind the "Jabber Zeus Crew" have been indicted for charges including conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity, multiple counts of bank fraud, conspiracy to commit computer fraud and identity theft, and aggravated identity theft.

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The group allegedly used the Zeus Trojan to collect bank account numbers, account passwords, PIN numbers, and other significant information. Conviction could lead to a monetary fine that would total at least $70,000,000, the DOJ said in its indictment.
"It was further part of the conspiracy that [defendants] used 'money mules' residents of the United States who received funds transferred over the Automated Clearing House ('ACH') network or through other interstate wire systems from victims' bank accounts into the money mules' own bank accounts, and then withdrew some of those funds and wired the funds overseas to conspirators," the indictment stated.
The US federal government is cracking down on organized cybercriminal groups responsible for stealing money and compromising personal data - but it's a continued uphill battle, especially with many criminals residing outside of the United States.

Department of Homeland Security offers advice to fight 'Heartbleed'
The recent revelation of the "Heartbleed" OpenSSL bug has made it an extremely hectic week for Internet users, technology companies, banks, and the U.S. government. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently issued a public advisory about "working together to mitigate cybersecurity vulnerabilities."

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The DHS offers this advice to Internet users: verify the website has patched the vulnerability, then change passwords; closely monitor email, bank and social media accounts to spot suspicious activity; and become more vigilant to ensure websites are using HTTPS for all data exchanges.
"While there have not been any reported attacks or malicious incidents involving this particular vulnerability confirmed at this time, it is still possible that malicious actors in cyberspace could exploit unpatched systems," the DHS noted in a recent news release. "That is why everyone has a role to play to ensuring our nation's cybersecurity. We have been and continue to work closely with federal, state, local and private sector partners to determine any potential impacts and help implement mitigation strategies as necessary."

Nikon's AF-S DX Nikkor 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G ED VR takes zoom on a diet
Today Nikon released a new super-zoom telephoto lens to its legendary Nikkor lineup. The new AF-S DX Nikkor 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G ED VR packs in a 16.7x optical zoom which makes it equivalent to a 27-450mm on a full-frame sensor. The new 18-300 is a much more compact 300mm-class telephoto lens than previous Nikkor 300mmm models and is designed for photographers who want a lightweight solution when shooting long-range on the go.

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The new AF-S DX Nikkor 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G ED VR is equipped with Nikon's Vibration Reduction system which aids photographers to capture blur-free images even at extreme focal lengths. The lens also features Nikon's compact Silent Wave Motor technology that allows for quick and noise free autofocusing. Additionally, the lens is built out 16 elements in 12 groups, of which three are comprised of extra-low dispersion glass and three aspherical elements.

Razer pumps the brakes on its Nabu wearable to check for allergens
When Razer announced its Nabu wearable wrist band, gamer geeks everywhere rejoiced as there was finally a wearable that was geared towards their hobby. Unfortunately, wearable wrist bands have made headlines of late with outbreaks of skin irritation and resulting recalls that cost companies millions.

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Razer says that it has decided to delay the launch of its Nabu in order to see if it is safe to wear long-term. "While we're 100-percent confident that there won't be any problems with the Nabu, we've engaged medical professionals and are running medical tests to make doubly sure that by the time the Nabu gets on your wrists, it is fully certified hypoallergenic," advises said Razer's co-founder, Min-Liang Tan.

The first in-game footage of Star Citizen teased, prepare yourselves
PAX East 2014 has kicked off, where the gaming show has had the pleasure of being the event that Roberts Space Industries and Chris Roberts shows off the CryEngine 3-powered Star Citizen. There's some actual, real in-game footage for your viewing pleasure below:

It looks gorgeous thanks to CryEngine 3, with the crowd going absolutely wild during the video - showing that fans are really begging for this game to be released. Remember that this is a quick show, and that when we see the true multiplayer side of things with full squad communication, multi-screen setups and insane joystick and controller rigs, that's when Star Citizen will truly take flight.

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New LMGT Bill seeks to force government to use internet for searches
A new bill is making its rounds on capitol hill that aims to change the way congress and other government employees search for information. The new Let Me Google That For You Act (No joking here), was introduced by Senators Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and aims to make the internet the governments number one search tool when researching information.

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At the moment the government utilize a search tool named "The National Technical Information Service (NTIS), and it is quickly becoming outdated and less relevant by the Internet. Queries to the NTIS system cost taxpayers a minimum of $100 per search and that adds up to tens of thousands of dollars every day. If the bill passes, NTIS will cease to exist and will force government workers to use the internet (much cheaper) for their searches, and that saves everyone a ton of money.

IDC: Wearable market expected to boom over next four years
The wearable computing market is expected to boom over the next four years, with an estimated 19.2 million units shipped in 2014 up to 112 million in 2018, according to research firm IDC. Manufacturers are using a mix of complex accessories, smart accessories, and smart wearables to help garner interest from consumers, including the use of products such as Nike+, Fitbit, and Google Glass to gain attention.

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Looking ahead, casual consumers will find a variety of affordable, functional wearables that can be used for everything from fitness bands to communication devices for mobile phones and smartphones. The new generation of wearables often are designed to operate independently of other devices, though can be easily paired to smartphones, tablets, PCs, and other electronics - a trend that will continue in the future.
"Complex accessories have succeeded in drawing much-needed interest and attention to a wearables market that has had some difficulty gaining traction," said Ramon Llamas, IDC Mobile Phones Research Manager, in a statement. "The increased buzz has prompted more vendors to announce their intentions to enter this market. Most importantly, end-users have warmed to their simplicity in terms of design and functionality, making their value easy to understand and use."

Micron licenses Avago's 28nm 30Gbps Serializer / Deserializer
Today Miron Technology announced that it has secured a licensing deal with Avago Technologies to utilize its 28nm Low Power 30Gbps Serializer/Deserializer (SerDes) IP for use in Micron's next generation Hybrid Memory Cube (HMC) devices. Micron's Hybrid Memory Cube technology is recognized throughout the industry as a breakthrough technology that had changed the landscape for future memory solutions.

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"Avago is an established leader in the development and delivery of high-speed SerDes cores with an offering that is very well suited for integration into our HMC product line," said Tom Eby, vice president of Micron's Compute and Networking Business Unit. "Based on its advanced performance and low power, we are confident that our customers will benefit from the presence of the Avago SerDes on both sides of the memory channel."
"Micron HMC devices use advanced through-silicon vias (TSVs)-vertical conduits that electrically connect a stack of individual chips-to combine high-performance logic with Micron's state-of-the-art DRAM," Micron said in a release. "HMC has been recognized by industry leaders and influencers as the long-awaited answer to the growing gap between the performance improvement rate of DRAM and processor data consumption rates. In 2013, Micron's HMC device was named Memory Product of the Year by EE Times, EDN and other leading electronics publications."

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"We are pleased that our SerDes technology plays a vital role in Micron's next generation HMC offering," said Frank Ostojic, vice president and general manager of the ASIC/ASSP Product Division at Avago. "We are excited about participating in the major shift in memory technology that HMC represents."

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"With over 350 million SerDes channels shipped, Avago has an established history of delivering reliable, high-performance cores that support a wide range of industry specifications such as PCI Express, Fibre Channel, XAUI, CEI, 10GBASE-KR, SFI, and IEEE 802.3ba. The SerDes cores feature unique decision feedback equalization (DFE), resulting in lower overall power usage. Additional key differentiators include best-in-class data latency, noise immunity, jitter, and crosstalk performance," said Avago.

Amazon offering $5000 to any of its staff who quit their job
If your boss walked up to you today and offered you $5000 to quit your job and never look back, would you take the offer, or would you realize that $5000 is just a drop in the bucket over the long-term? Many Amazon employees are experiencing that exact scenario right now. Amazon says that it is offering its warehouse workers $2000 to quit their jobs, and increases the price by $1000 every year to those who refuse until the amount reaches $5000.

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Amazon says that it makes this offer to employees as an effort to see who really wants to work for Amazon, and to weed out those who are just there for the job. The idea is not new though, and was pioneered by Zappos who made similar offers to its employees. In his earnings call to investors Amazon's CEO, Jeff Bezos, elaborated on the idea behind offering employees rewards for quitting their jobs.
"The second program is called Pay to Quit. It was invented by the clever people at Zappos, and the Amazon fulfillment centers have been iterating on it. Pay to Quit is pretty simple. Once a year, we offer to pay our associates to quit. The first year the offer is made, it's for $2,000. Then it goes up one thousand dollars a year until it reaches $5,000. The headline on the offer is "Please Don't Take This Offer," Bezos said "We hope they don't take the offer; we want them to stay. Why do we make this offer? The goal is to encourage folks to take a moment and think about what they really want. In the long-run, an employee staying somewhere they don't want to be isn't healthy for the employee or the company."

Amazon acquires digital comic book platform ComiXology
Amazon is looking to expand its digital reading material offerings very soon by announcing its acquisition of the popular digital comic book distribution service known as ComiXology. The service offers up most of Marvel's best-selling series and boast more than 100,000 issues and more than 200 million downloads since launch.

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No word was given on how much Amazon paid for ComiXology, but we would assume that it is in the hundreds of millions if not more. ComiXology is the largest digital comic book distribution services on the internet, and has been dubbed "The iTunes of comic book sales" in the past by the New York Times. Amazon says that ComiXology will continue to operate as a separate company and will be able to continue down its path, but will be able to do so faster, better, and stronger.

Hackers hit South Korea users, stealing credit card data on customers
Cybercriminals have compromised at least 200,000 credit card owners in South Korea, with forged credit cards and fraudulent charges being reported. South Korean police authorities have identified more than 250 cases of fraudulent charges, and expect that number to increase as customers are notified to look for suspicious activity.

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The hacker successfully breached a company in South Korea responsible for managing card payment processing terminals, collecting credit card numbers, expiration dates, and loyalty card passwords, according to the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS).
The FSS found credit information from three credit card companies and one bank were leaked, with two of the credit card companies already publicly punished for significant data breaches. Earlier in the year, more than 100 million South Korean credit card and bank accounts were compromised, with bank officials resigning and facing heavy scrutiny from government officials.

Microsoft drops UK Xbox One Titanfall bundle price to 349 pounds
The Xbox One Titanfall Bundle just keeps getting cheaper and cheaper in the UK. Thanks to an ongoing price war between Sony's PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One, the Xbox One Titanfall bundle has just gotten cheaper by 50 pounds at both Amazon and Asda. The price drop was first noticed by Engadget, and it appears that the price-drop may be permanent.

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The Xbox One Titanfall pack comes with a Titanfall edition Xbox One, The Titanfall game, and a Titanfall-themed controller. The 50-pound price drop brings the once 429-pound Xbox One down to just 349-pounds. Microsoft is continuing to lower prices on the console in an attempt to play catch-up with Sony's PS4 which is still continuing to lead the way in units sold since launch.

RumorTT: Amazon to launch its own smartphone later this year
Amazon reportedly plans to enter the crowded smartphone market during the third or fourth quarter of 2014, in an effort to compete with the Apple iPhone and Samsung Galaxy Google Android-powered devices, according to early reports from the Wall Street Journal.

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The prototype device has been secretly tested in San Francisco and Seattle over the past few weeks, with an official company announcement slated before July - and the phone could be available as early as September.
It's unsure what type of operating system the device would use, though would likely be some type of modified Android OS.
Amazon wants to include 3D technology making use of four front-facing sensors to display something like a hologram for phone owners. Previous rumors indicated Amazon would include a feature so phone owners can take a picture of items and easily find the product for sale through Amazon.
Amazon is continually looking to expand its business to keep consumers more engaged, including talks about a set-top box and video streaming service.

LinkedIn announces its new Internal Job Notification feature
As more and more people search for better paying jobs, or an advancement in their career, many of them forget to look internally in the very company they work for. LinkedIn is looking to make internal jobs more visible, and has today announced a new feature to its service that will display job openings within a user own company.

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The new Internal Job Recommendations feature is designed to help companies display their job listing to their current employees better because it says that most companies assume their job listings are viewed by its employees more than they actually are. "We not only received more internal applicants coming from LinkedIn, we also saw them moving through the process. And it's been unbelievably simple," said Recruitment Sourcing Manager Lee Robinsonfrom the Westpac Group.
In a blog posting about the new feature, LinkedIn said that: "It increases employee awareness of internal job opportunities by placing jobs in front of relevant employees as they're networking or beginning to look externally. Internal Job Recommendations will appear in the "Jobs You May Be Interested In" module on LinkedIn.com, corresponding emails, and even on your intranet via our new Internal Job Recommendations widget."

'Heartbleed' vulnerability found in Cisco, Juniper Networks routers
Security experts recently issued a statement saying the Heartbleed computer bug doesn't just hit Internet web servers, and can be found on PCs, email servers, mobile phones, and firewalls. To date, both Cisco and Juniper Networks noted that they are working to ensure their products are secure.

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Unfortunately, it can be a difficult task to fix security issues with networking equipment, and Cisco has to test dozens of products to verify they are secure. Meanwhile, Juniper is busy also trying to check security and release patches as needed:
"A subset of Juniper's products were affected by the Heartbleed vulnerability including certain versions of our SSL VPN software, which presents the most critical concern for customers," a Juniper spokesperson said in a statement. "We issued a patch for our SSL VPN product on Tuesday and are working around the clock to provide patched versions of code for our other affected products."
Banks have been instructed to fix any OpenSSL issues to ensure Heartbleed isn't a threat to sensitive customer data.

Facebook finally decides to begin curtailing "Like Bating" post
Scamming the system via "like baiting" on Facebook post has been a problem for a long time and today Facebook has announced plans to put an end to these confusing and annoying post once and for all. For those who do not know what "like baiting" is, let me explain. Like baiting is when a person or page or group post an image or post and ask you to "like" the post if you agree, or "share" the post if you disagree, and to "comment" if you agree and disagree. This format changes from post to post, but the basic concept is the same.

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Additionally, these post often contain links to nefarious websites, or websites that are aimed at causing the user to accidentally click on advertisements. Facebook is using algorithms to measure how many times people who visit links, like the original post, and is using this data to determine whether or not a post is a "like baiting" spam post. Facebook says that it is punishing posters who frequently publish these type of post by decreasing their reach over a period of a few months. This will result in Facebookers seeing less of these post on their news feed and that is something I think we can all appreciate.

Samsung announces global release of its Galaxy S5 smartphone
It's been a couple of months since Samsung unveiled its new flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S5. While the S5 was not a far departure from its predecessor, the Galaxy S4, it does feature some cool and innovative fitness tracking apps that set it apart from the rest of the Android community. Today Samsung announced the release of the Galaxy S5 and has begun shipping the phone to retailers globally.

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"The refined design and technological innovation of our new Galaxy S5 and Samsung Gear devices are the direct result of Samsung listening carefully to what consumers wanted in the next generation of mobile technology," Samsung's mobile boss JK Shin said in an announcement on Samsung's blog. "We carefully crafted each device to offer a sophisticated, superior mobile experience that let consumers stay connected in their own way to focus on what really matters to them." Samsung says that the Galaxy S5 is available in most US carrier stores beginning today and will retail for $199 on a new two-year contract.

Oppo R1 crosses the FCC with US LTE support tucked inside
Oppo has been selling unlocked smartphones around the world for a long time. Not too long ago its Find 7a went up for pre-order and had some nice bonuses with it for those that purchased early. Another Oppo smartphone has found its way to the FCC to get the approvals needed to go on sale here.

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This phone is the Oppo R1 and the little beast has LTE connectivity supporting US carriers inside. The Phone will reportedly work on T-Mobile and AT&T in the US with support for some Canadian carriers as well. It's worth noting that no network branding has surfaced with the FCC filings indicating it's likely coming with carrier support.
That will mean it's most likely an unlocked device. One of the key features of this smartphone is its camera aimed at taking quality photos in low light. That camera has an f/2.0 aperture. In China, the sales price of the R1 is around $400, but there is no word on US pricing.

The Lego Movie (2014) Cinema Movie Review

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The Lego Movie (2014)

Just a decade ago, the Lego Company was on its knees and literally months from bankruptcy. Despite the relative success of Star Wars tie-ins, fuelled by the release of the prequel trilogy starting in 1999, a perfect storm of issues coalesced for the Danish company, including the development of complex and costly new products, reduced sales, and the introduction of a series of ill-advised toy-lines that strayed precariously too far from the company's core products.
Flash forward to today and with yearly revenues of nearly $5 billion, it seems Lego is now more popular than ever before. Nothing exemplifies the company's renewed success more than the premiere of The Lego Movie.

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In a land where creativity has been oppressed by the evil Lord Businessman (Will Ferrell), happy-go-lucky construction worker Emmett (Chris Pratt) is recruited by fringe dwellers Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks) and Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman) and hailed as the prophesied "special," the hero destined to thwart Lord Businessman's plan to freeze the world with the terrifying power of the super glue 'Kragle.' Teaming up with the master builders of the Lego world, including Batman (Will Arnett), Metalbeard (Nick Offerman), and Unikitty (Allison Brie), Emmett offers the denizens of Cloud Cuckoo Land the best chance of defeating the forces of evil, but what hope do they have if the prophecy proves incorrect?

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Whilst it's easy to dismiss The Lego Movie as a cynical, $100m advertisement for the minuscule slabs of plastic, there's no denying the entertainment value and theatrical opportunities that the line offers, probably surpassing that of other products whom have transitioned quite well, including Transformers and G.I. Joe.
The CG animation is unique and features a lot more attention to detail than might be instantly obvious, taking on an almost stop-motion style, with the characters movement carefully emulating that of the Lego figures themselves.
Writer/Directors Chris Miller and Phil Lord have produced a whip smart script full of in-jokes, pop culture references, and other irreverent humor with breezy abandon, and the film manages to enthrall for three quarters before disappointingly stalling towards the finish line. Having cut their teeth on animated and live action productions such asCloudy With A Chance of Meatballs and 21 Jump Street, their attempts to bridge the animated and live action world's in The Lego Movie simply to deliver a schmaltzy message about the importance of play and creativity proves unnecessary. A disappointment to be sure, but it seems that others might just have enough goodwill stored from the sheer fun of the first 90 minutes to overlook this.

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For the second time in as many months, I can't overlook the film's glaring Australian release delay, which comes some nine weeks after the release of the film in the U.S. Sure, I can see the appeal of leveraging off school holidays and the onset of Easter, but in this day and age of digital distribution, there's no excuse whatsoever to treat Australians as third-class citizens. Worse, this is a film that was significantly produced in this country (and presumably with generous tax breaks). I'm a huge supporter of intellectual property rights, but it's hard to defend and feel empathy for a studio system that is culpable in such anti-consumer behavior.

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Facebook acquiring Oculus VR could do wonders for VR

The Acquisition - Shock Followed by Sadness, Followed by Intrigue

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Oculus VR popped up onto my radar as soon as it hit Kickstarter asking for $250,000 in funding to get a virtual reality headset built for consumers. Between then and now, we've seen them receive over $100 million in funding, which led to the company being acquired by the largest social network known to mankind: Facebook.
The news broke toward the end of March as I was sitting at a bar in San Jose writing some content for NVIDIA's GTC 2014 conference. I was really taken aback by the news, and I was filled with pure anger that Oculus VR allowed itself to be consumed by Facebook.
Now, I'm not fully against Facebook as I'm a daily (or even minute-by-minute) user of Facebook. I use it every single day, hundreds of times a day. Personally, professionally, I'm connected to Mark Zuckerberg's social network like it is oxygen. But as a company, it doesn't really do much for the world other than keep people connected, consuming petabytes of personal data for various government spy agencies of the world (that's an entirely different story).
So when I heard the news of Facebook acquiring Oculus VR, it made me angry. For the entire day, it felt like I heard news that my wife had cheated on me with my best friend, or at least that's how it felt for me. I've had a few sit downs with some of the guys with Oculus VR, shooting e-mails back and forth every now and again. This has given me the unique feeling of having a personal connection with Oculus VR, which is great.
After the news of the acquisition, I walked around in a near zombie-like stance for a few hours. I couldn't believe that Palmer Luckey would 'sell out' like this. It felt like everything he built up for the last year or so had been thrown out the window. This is where I entered the sadness stage.

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The sadness stage didn't last as long as the shock stage, as I became more and more critical and less personal over the news. I was sad because the analytical side of myself let its guard down, and it felt like a personal attack on me--the fact that Facebook acquired Oculus VR.
Until this point, I had looked at, and referred to, Oculus VR-again, both personally and professionally--as the "Valve of the VR world." Valve is a private company who doesn't need to bend and move for its shareholders, being able to hold off a game like Half-Life 3 for over ten years. This wouldn't happen if Valve were answering to EA or Activision.
The sadness I felt was strong, but it was quickly diminishing, as intrigue began to set in.
The intrigue was that Facebook has billions of dollars, as well as a name that billions upon billions of people know. There are nearly a billion monthly active users on the social network, with Facebook being a household name. A household name now owns Oculus VR, but that household name isn't all sunshine and rainbows.
Facebook has the money and influence to do wonderful things with Oculus VR, but we don't know the scope of it so far. What's intriguing is that Oculus VR is still a separate company, something that its founder, Palmer Luckey, has come out and confirmed to the world.
But with this tornado of emotions swirling around inside of me, I still have a mountain of doubt to climb over--something that isn't going to be an easy task. Most people are quite hurt by the news, and rightly so--we don't know what the future holds for Oculus VR, but this is why I'm here to convince you that it's going to be great.

VR is Quickly Becoming a Mainstream Topic, and It's About Time

Since consoles became the target of game development, high-end PC gaming has suffered. Sure, we have NVIDIA and AMD releasing kick-ass GPUs, multi-GPU technology, multi-monitor technology with NVIDIA's Surround Vision and AMD's Eyefinity, and countless other technologies.

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But, the problem is that games are built around consoles--and not just their limited, ageing hardware. They're developed with controllers in mind and not keyboard and mice; they're developed for sitting X feet away from the TV, and not arms reach away from your monitor. This waters down the gaming experience, something I feel has happened in the last decade.
Virtual reality, on the other hand, is the first time that technology has been truly exciting, because it's a truly new direction for technology. VR, and more specifically, Oculus VR (and well now, Facebook) are going to be the new Apple--in the way that the iPhone truly did change everything for the entire tech world.
The original iPhone made every competitor on the market at the time stand up and take notice, but before it came out, most companies either laughed, saying that a company like Apple couldn't make it in the phone business, or continued chugging along--companies like Nokia, RIM, and Sony Ericsson, champions at the time, are either gone, or struggling.
The same thing is happening with Oculus VR right now, before it has even delivered a product to consumers. The first development kit, DK1, was a very basic device, but still blew minds when used. It had a pathetically low resolution of 1280x720, which provided a "screen-door" effect in front of you, as well as the heavy lag associated with the display.
DK2, the second development kit, has a Full HD (1920x1080) display, with multiple technologies that make it a huge leap over DK1. DK2 features a 100-degree field of view, a refresh rate of 75Hz, and an OLED panel. Positional tracking was a big part of DK2, where an included camera picks up points on the Rift headset, which provides a much more real, you're-in-the-world feel.
This is all before we know the final specifications on the consumer version, which I suspect will use a 2560x1440 (or 2.5K) panel and even more technology baked in for lower latency.
Oculus VR has delivered the VR subject to the masses, prompting a technology giant like Sony to unveil a VR headset--showing off Project Morpheus at CES earlier in the year in Las Vegas. VR being a mainstream topic is a very big deal as it means that companies are spending large sums of money behind the scenes, because they see it as the next big thing.
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Acer S241HL bmid 24-inch 5ms Full HD Monitor Review

Introduction

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Welcome to TweakTown's return to regular display reviews. I will be your guide and host on this wonderful trip through display heaven. To start our return back to display reviews, I have in the lab a general purpose monitor from Acer.
We will be looking at the 24-inch S241HL bmid monitor from Acer. As part of this review, we will be introducing our testing regimen that will be used to test and rank monitors. As we are just starting back at this, the regimen is subject to change.

Specifications and Pricing

The S241HL bmid is a 24-inch LCD widescreen display. The panel features the standard 1920 x 1080 resolution that most have come to expect from a monitor of this size. The panel itself is of the Twisted Nematic Film (TN Film) variety, which means that color reproduction will not be as strong as an IPS monitor, but the cost of the monitor will be quite a bit less than an IPS display.
Being of the TN variety, viewing angles are not as good as other monitors on the market, specifically IPS-type monitors. The more off-center you view the monitor, the darker and more off the colors will become. Acer says that this panel has a horizontal viewing angle of 170 degrees and a vertical viewing angle of 160 degrees.
The stand for the monitor is capable of articulating the viewing angle, but it does not feature the ability to pivot or change height. The monitor is backlit with white LED light, which makes this monitor fairly efficient and bright.
Regarding the technical specs, the S241HL bmid features a maximum refresh rate of 60Hz, a response time of 5ms, a contrast ratio of 100,000,000:1, a rated brightness of 250 Nits, and support of 16.7 million colors. On the connector front, it features VGA, DVI, and HDMI inputs. The monitor also has built-in speakers.
Acer lists the monitor at $179.99, but you can find current market pricing below.
PRICING: You can find the Acer S241HL bmid monitor 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 Acer S241HL bmid monitor retails for $158.50 at Amazon.
Canada: The Acer S241HL bmid monitor retails for CDN$264.38 at Amazon Canada.
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Seagate Backup Plus Fast 4TB USB 3.0 External HDD Review

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For the longest time, I have been waiting for someone to take 2.5-inch external storage to new heights in terms of capacity. Late last year, we finally were able to reach 2TB in a 12.5mm z-height, and now with the Seagate-Samsung division, we have the M9T, the thinnest 2.5-inch 2TB hard drive at only 9.5mm.
From what I have read and researched, the M9T is an OEM-only design, so you will have to start harvesting drives if you want one for another purpose. Here today, we have one such storage solution carrying the M9T, the Seagate Backup Plus Fast.
For those that want this drive for its intended design, you will be happy to know it features a bus-powered USB 3.0 design, of course, and features 4TB capacity, which is the most density on the market in this portable form factor.
Compatibility of the Backup Plus Fast extends from Microsoft Windows XP through 8.1 and OS X 10.6+. MSRP for the 4TB capacity is set at $269.99 with a three-year warranty.

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Scope of delivery for the Backup Plus Fast includes two USB 3.0 cables, one being a Y cable for extra power.

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The enclosure for the Backup Plus Fast is available in any color as long as it's black and carries a sleek design with the Seagate branding in the lower corner.

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On the edge of the enclosure, you will find the USB 3.0 connection.

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As stated in the introduction, the Backup Plus Fast houses dual Samsung M9T drives at 2TB each.

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The PCB for the Backup Plus Fast appears to be a custom design from Seagate that utilizes the ASMedia 1090R and 1053 to combine the capacity of the drives so the host OS sees them as one unit.

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No Seagate external storage solution is complete without the Dashboard software. Above, we find ourselves on the landing menu with the firmware version and capacity usage listed.

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Next we have the option to setup a backup plan for the drive.

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There is the additional option of setting up mobile backup via Seagate Agent.

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A unique feature here, the ability to share or download media to and from social media sites is present.

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Above, we have our first set of results from sequential testing. As you can see, the Backup Plus Fast is a very quick drive coming in at 244 MB/s read.

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Write speeds for the Backup Plus Fast came in at 267 MB/s.

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Price/Performance had the Seagate at the top of our chart here thanks to the great sequential performance.
Build quality for the Seagate Backup Plus Fast is pretty good; the enclosure carries durable materials and certainly feels like it could take a drop if it were to happen, but I am slightly concerned that having the drives back-to-back in the enclosure could cause issues in the event of a drop on a hard surface.
Performance of the Seagate Backup Plus Fast is quite impressive, and it takes top honors in our charts as the quickest 2.5-inch external solution coming in at 244 MB/s read and 267 MB/s write. Price/Performance also put the drive at the top of our charts due to the overall performance of the unit.
MSRP of the Seagate Backup Plus Fast is set at $269.99 with a three-year warranty. Current market pricing can be found below.
PRICING: You can find the Seagate Backup Plus Fast (4TB) 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 Seagate Backup Plus Fast (4TB) retails for $269.99 at Amazon.

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Crucial M550 256GB SSD Review

Introduction

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You've seen the 128GB and the 1TB M550 reviews, and now it's time to fill in the gap. Today, we're looking at the 256GB capacity size that, like the 128GB model, uses 64Gb die to increase parallelism in Crucial's RAIN feature.
Just days ago, we saw the ADATA Premier Pro SP920 128GB with the same Marvell controller that's in the Crucial M550. The difference between the SP920 and the M550 is the NAND flash in the two smallest capacity drives.
In the SP920 128GB review, we clearly saw how the increased number of die per package increased performance. In the 256GB M550 review, we expect to see the performance increase over the SP920.
The flash, paired with the new Marvell 88SS9189 controller, puts the M550 in the top tier of performance with the fastest consumer SSDs in the world today.

Specifications, Pricing and Availability

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The Crucial M550 hit the market in four capacity sizes, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and the flagship 1TB model. All four models use the same Marvell SS889189 controller and pair it with 20nm Micron flash. The two smaller drives use 64Gb die, while the two larger capacity size models use 128Gb die.
Crucial rates the 256GB M550 at 550 MB/s sequential read and 500 MB/s sequential write speeds. Random performance is 90k read and 80k write. The M550 goes beyond just performance, though. The new flagship brings host power loss protection to the consumer market as well as TCG Opal and eDrive support for hardware encrypted data security. The M550 also supports DEVSLP for newer systems, which is a very nice power saving feature that can increase notebook battery life.
Newegg has all four capacity sizes in stock. At the time of writing, the 128GB was at $99.99, the 256GB at $168.99, the 512GB model at $334.99, and the large 1TB model at $529.99. All M550 models have a three-year manufacturer's warranty, ship with a 7mm to 9.5mm adapter bracket, and Crucial also provides Acronis data migration software via a download.
PRICING: You can find the Crucial M550 (256GB) SSD 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 Crucial M550 (256GB) SSD retails for $168.99 at Amazon.
Canada: The Crucial M550 (256GB) SSD retails for CDN$168.99 at Amazon Canada.
Australia: The Crucial M550 (256GB) SSD retails for $284.99 AUD at Mighty Ape Australia.
New Zealand: The Crucial M550 (256GB) SSD retails for $299.99 NZD at Mighty Ape NZ.
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XFX Radeon R9 280X 3GB Double D Black Edition OC Video Card Review

Introduction

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It's been a while since we've seen anything from XFX in the video card area; with AMD launching a whole mess of video cards, though, we knew it wouldn't be too long before we saw the company start to release models under popular series like the Double D Edition. The first card we're looking at is the popular R9 280X 3GB.
Priced at the mid $300 region, the R9 280X 3GB has become a popular card for gamers who are looking for something high-end, but don't quite want to go to the extreme end of the scale with the R9 290 4GB variants, which start at around $500 and go into the mid $600 realm for the R9 290X 4GB variant.
We've already covered so many versions of the new R series video cards from AMD, so we won't go into a whole lot more here. What we will say, though, is the particular version of the R9 280X 3GB we're looking at today from XFX is the Double D Black Edition, which in the past has brought with it strong performance in both the out of the box clock department and cooling area.
Let's leave it there, though, and get into the package to see just what XFX is bringing to the table with this video card.

Package

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Taking a look at the box, you can see the overall design is similar to what we've seen before. We've got the brand and model on the front clearly, and you can see some of the main features listed on the box, including 3GB GDDR5, Double Dissipation Cooling, 90MM fans, Unlocked Voltage, and an out-of-the-box overclock via that Black Edition label.
Turning the box over, you can see we're just greeted with AMD specific features like Eyefinity, CrossFire support, GCN architecture, and PCIe 3.0 to name some of the main ones.

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Moving into the package, you can see we've got a fair bit of paperwork going on, which is pretty standard for an XFX card as they often include a lot of leaflets. You can see we've got some advertising the power supplies along with the connectors. You can also see the install guide, quick install guide, and information regarding the registration of the product.
We've got the standard Driver CD and CrossFire bridge along with a dual Molex to 6-Pin PCIe power connector and a dual 6-Pin to 8-Pin PCIe power connector to round things off.
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Inateck FEU3NS-1 USB 3.0 External Storage Enclosure Review

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As far as storage enclosures go, most people want something that looks good, has ample performance, and can take the impact if they happen to drop their drive on the ground. Luckily, most enclosures on the market today are designed to do all three. In this review, we will take a look at the Inateck FEU3NS-1 and see how it stacks up.
The Inateck FEU3NS-1 is an external storage enclosure for 2.5-inch hard drives and SSDs featuring USB 3.0 connectivity. Compatibility of the enclosure extends to modern Windows operating systems, including Vista, 7, and 8. Of course, you will also want an available USB 3.0 port to get the most out of your enclosure, but it does retain backwards compatibility. MSRP is listed at $17.99 with a one-year warranty.

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Scope of delivery for the FEU3NS-1 enclosure includes a USB 3.0 cable, foam pad for spacing the drive inside the enclosure, and reading materials.

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The enclosure carries a rounded design with a LED setup at the bottom.

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Internally, a plastic housing protects the PCB.

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The front edge of the drive houses the USB 3.0 connection and power switch.

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Above, we have our testing of the Inateck FEU3NS-1 using our very capable SanDisk X110 SSD. As you can see, the Inateck did quite well with read performance but fell off quite a bit in write testing.

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Above, we have the read performance comparison results with the Inateck next to the NexStar 6G from Vantec. As you can see, the Inateck and Vantec both follow the same curve throughout testing.

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Write testing was a different story; the Inateck again showed pretty poor write performance across the entire range.
The Inateck FEU3NS-1 is a solid enclosure with excellent build quality. The plastics used in construction feel quite durable and could handle a few drops if they were to happen.
Performance is a bit of a wash; the enclosure did really well with read speeds touching 420 MB/s then turned around and peaked out at 45 MB/s write. In testing, I went back quite a few times double and triple checked performance, even swapping SSDs at one point, and still came out with similar performance numbers. I'm not sure if it's an issue with the controller used in the enclosure, or maybe the enclosure just doesn't like solid state drives.
MSRP of the FEU3NS-1 is listed at $17.99 with a one-year warranty. Current market pricing can be found below.
PRICING: You can find the Inateck FEU3NS-1 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 Inateck FEU3NS-1 retails for $14.99 at Amazon.

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Greenliant Now Shipping mSATA ArmourDrive SSDs
Greenliant Systems, a leader in energy-efficient, highly secure and reliable solid state storage products, has begun volume production of its mSATA ArmourDrive solid state drives (SSDs). Measuring 29.85 mm x 50.80 mm x 4.85 mm (JEDEC MO-300), all GLS86 series products operate between -40 to +85 degrees Celsius, making them ideal for various industrial, networking and computing systems that require robust data storage able to withstand extreme temperatures.

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mSATA ArmourDrive is available with 2-bits-per-cell (MLC) NAND flash memory in 8, 16, 32 and 64 GByte for applications that require dependable, industrial temperature SSDs. For applications that require high-endurance, long-life SSDs, mSATA ArmourDrive is also offered with 1-bit-per-cell (SLC) NAND in 8, 16 and 32 GByte capacities.
GLS86 products are based on ball grid array (BGA) form factor SATA NANDrive (GLS85LS series) SSDs, using Greenliant's internally developed NAND flash memory controller. Dedicated power failure detection and backup power circuitry are built-in to prevent data integrity issues due to sudden power interruptions.
"mSATA ArmourDrive has the functionality and compatibility of a SATA hard disk drive, while surpassing HDDs with its small size, security and low power consumption," said Arthur Kroyan, vice president, business development and marketing, Greenliant Systems. "We started sampling mSATA ArmourDrive last year and have received interest from a wide range of customers for applications such as factory automation, flight data recorders, portable video surveillance, servers and telemetry."
Availability
GLS86FB 8, 16, 32 and 64 GByte industrial temperature MLC and GLS86FA 8, 16 and 32 GByte industrial grade SLC mSATA ArmourDrive SSDs are available to order now through Greenliant authorized sales channels.

ASUS Announces New Additions to Its Desktop PC and All-in-One PC Line-up
ASUS today announced exciting new additions to its commercial ASUSPRO PC range, with the launch of the ET1620 all-in-one PC, EeeBox EB1036 and EB1037 space-saving desktop PCs, and the ultra-small form factor (USFF) BT1AD and BT1AE desktop PCs.

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All models feature the very latest Intel processors for optimum performance and power efficiency. Designed for small-to-medium businesses, public sector and enterprise customers, these new ASUSPRO PCs offer enhanced productivity, space-saving design, and advanced management and security features - including the new and exclusive ASUS Business Manager - tailored to enhance productivity with minimal impact on operating and maintenance costs.
ASUSPRO for advanced management and security
All the new ASUSPRO models include special hardware and software features designed to make them secure yet easy to manage.
ASUS Business Manager is a set of software tools that simplifies routine maintenance and optimization tasks such as software and system updates, physical and password security, backup and recovery, plus power management configuration.
Configuration and monitoring of system management features such as hard disk password protection, I/O port locking and asset tagging is made easier with the intuitive mouse-controlled UEFI BIOS.
ASUS commercial desktops and all-in-one PCs also feature a Kensington Lock slot that provides added physical anti-theft protection in sensitive or public-facing environments.
An additional security option for ASUSPRO desktop models is a Trusted Platform Model (TPM) chip, which ensures that sensitive information like keys, passwords, and digital certificates remain safe from external attacks, physical theft, and other types of intrusion.
ET1620 - the flexible and secure all-in-one for your business
Designed to meet the needs of applications such as point-of-sale (POS), self-service machines, educational or digital signage, the ET1620 is an all-in-one PC with a 15.6-inch capacitive 10-point multi-touch display. It is powered by a next-generation Intel Celeron quad-core processor that is significantly faster than previous generations for smooth multitasking performance. With its multiple I/O ports - including two serial ports, two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports - ET1620 is the perfect partner for a wide range of business uses, allowing the attachment of a wide range of business peripherals such as barcode scanners, credit card terminals, printers or document scanners. Its dual video outputs (HDMI and VGA) allow ET1620 to be connected to any external monitor or large-screen TV if necessary. Additionally, an optional NFC (Near Field Communication) module can be installed for even more flexibility, allowing customers to develop their own applications based around ET1620, such as retail POS solutions.
ET1620's slim and stylish space-saving design, with an attractively slim 1.3 cm bezel, make it ideal for public-facing use or where space is at a premium, and its light 2 kg weight mean it's easily transportable. ET1620 can even be wall-mounted, thanks to its VESA-mount-compatible design, making it an excellent choice for digital signage, information point or kiosk applications.
EeeBox EB1036 and EB1037 - the smart space savers
EB1036 and EB1037 are the latest additions to the successful ASUSPRO EeeBox range of ultra-compact PCs, a product family ideally suited for use in thin client and digital signage applications. Despite their tiny one-liter volume, 0.7 kg weight and low power consumption, the EB1036 and EB1037 can easily handle even the most demanding multitasking applications, thanks to the significantly increased performance and power efficiency of their next-generation Intel Celeron processors. Featuring both HDMI and VGA video outputs, EB1036 and EB1037 support dual simultaneous displays for increased productivity and outstanding flexibility. EB1036 additionally features a built-in serial (COM) port that allows the easy connection of versatile business peripherals such as barcode scanners, serial printers and LED text displays.
Consuming up to 70% less power than a standard desktop PC, the energy-efficient EB1036 and EB1037 can help to reduce operating costs while protecting the environment. They meet some of the industry's highest environmental standards, including EPA ENERGY STAR and EPEAT Gold level certification.
BT1AD and BT1AE - built for business
Businesses requiring outstanding manageability and security in an ultra-small form factor desktop PC need look no further than the new ASUSPRO BT1AD and BT1AE, a new addition to the comprehensive ASUSPRO desktop PC family. Designed around supremely powerful 4th-generation Intel Core processors, BT1AE also incorporates Intel vPro technology and an embedded TPM chip to provide hardware-based malware protection, data security and remote manageability. As with all ASUSPRO desktop PCs, BT1AE has the option to include ASUS Inventory and Out-of-Band Management, which helps reduce the cost of identifying and managing hardware and software throughout the enterprise, and throughout the product lifecycle.
With DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort and VGA video outputs, BT1AE has the remarkable ability to run up to three independent external displays simultaneously without the need for extra hardware, making it an ideal solution for multi-screen applications or to enhance productivity in the workplace. BT1AE has a modular, tool-free design that ensures easy maintenance, and its extensive range of I/O ports - including USB 2.0, USB 3.0, plus optional serial and parallel ports - make it highly expandable, allowing it to grow with your business.
For customers requiring a budget-friendly version of BT1AE that maintains its excellent performance, space-saving design and expandability, ASUS recommends the companion BT1AD model.
ASUS desktops - leading in satisfaction with reliability
ASUS computers reflect a tradition of the finest quality, innovation and longevity. Based on the PC World USA 2012 reader survey of tech satisfaction, reliability, and service, users ranked ASUS as a leading choice for desktop PCs, citing high satisfaction with their value, connectivity, ease of use and reliability. The survey also found ASUS desktop PCs were one of the most likely to be recommended to others. Additionally, PC Mag has recognized ASUS as the leading brand of choice with its Reader's Choice award.

AMD Introduces New Socketed AMD Sempron and AMD Athlon APU Products
AMD today announced global availability of its new AM1 platform featuring quad-core and dual-core variants of the AMD APU codenamed "Kabini" into the component channel for system builders. The AM1 platform, branded with the AMD Athlon and AMD Sempron APU brands, will deliver award-winning Graphics Core Next (GCN) architecture and "Jaguar" CPU cores on motherboards from the leading manufacturers. AMD Athlon 5150/5350 and AMD Sempron 2650/3850 APUs provide consumers a balanced computing experience on a socketed upgradable platform.

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"AMD consistently builds on its industry leading technology by continuing to offer a diversified product stack which is proven today with the availability of the AM1 platform with 'socketed' AMD Sempron and AMD Athlon APUs designed for the mainstream market," said Bernd Lienhard, corporate vice president and general manager, Client Business Unit, AMD. "With quad-core performance and AMD Radeon graphics the AM1 platform is an affordable solution that provides great flexibility due to an infrastructure built to deliver a multitude of options to our end users and system builders."
AMD Athlon and AMD Sempron APUs deliver a quad-core solution to consumers that includes two SATA 6 Gbps ports, two USB 3.0 ports, eight USB 2.0 ports, PCIe 2.0 lanes for video card upgrades, and a trio of video outputs (DisplayPort, HDMI, and VGA) starting at under $40 USD. The AMD AM1 platform provides up to 3x more compute performance than its competitors, as well as balanced computing with DirectX 11.2 and Windows 8.1 support to mainstream markets.
"The new 'socketed' Sempron and Athlon products from AMD provide our customers outstanding value and performance at low power that was previously unavailable for buyers in emerging markets looking to build systems at home," said Patrick Choy, Director of CPU Product Management, Newegg. "We're thrilled to see the large number of motherboard manufacturers supporting the platform using the FS1b socket and the flexibility it provides with microATX and MiniITX motherboards for sleek and power-efficient small form factor PCs."
The new AMD AM1 platform will be available from the following e-tail and retails outlets in North America:
Amazon
NCIX
Newegg
TigerDirect

Linksys Starts Shipping the WRT1900AC Router
Linksys today announced that it has started shipping the new WRT1900AC, which will be available for sale at Best Buy stores throughout the US or at the Linksys.com store. The new WRT features four external antennas for optimal wireless coverage throughout the home and has been certified for the new 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard. The new wireless standard delivers best-in-class performance and includes intelligent technologies such as beamforming to further improve the wireless signal range. The design of the new Linksys WRT1900AC Dual Band Wi-Fi Router is inspired by the iconic WRT54G that was introduced 11 years ago. The new WRT has been equipped with powerful hardware such as a dual-core 1.2 GHz processor, 128 MB flash memory, eSATA and USB ports. The new WRT ships with Linksys Smart Wi-Fi setup and management tools, and Linksys has also been collaborating with OpenWrt to make sure that an open source alternative is available in the coming weeks.

TweakTown image linksys_starts_shipping_the_wrt1900ac_router

"The WRT is a cornerstone in the history of Wi-Fi and synonymous for many people with going wireless at home since it was their first wireless router. Since the introduction of the original WRT, we have sold more than 50 million units worldwide and are still selling it very successfully even with wireless technology advancing rapidly," said Mike Chen, vice president product management for Linksys. "The WRT has a cult status for many because of the open source aspect that made it so immensely popular. We are honored to have collaborated with OpenWRT to ensure the open source readiness of the product and building a WRT-worthy successor with cutting-edge hardware and iconic design."
OpenWRT Ready
Over the past months Linksys and the OpenWRT project have been collaborating to ensure open source readiness and continued development for the new WRT.
"The history of OpenWrt goes back more than a decade when it all began with a project to hack and modify the Linksys WRT54G. A lot has changed since then," said Gregers Petersen, relationship manager at OpenWrt. "Today OpenWrt is a complete embedded Linux distribution that enables users to be innovative and create new solutions and functions. Other key elements of OpenWrt are source code transparency, security and extensive package repositories. We see it as a very positive development to have collaborated directly with the Linksys engineering team on the new WRT1900AC router. As a result of that consumers will have the freedom of choice between the Linksys default firmware and OpenWrt. The OpenWrt developers recognize the potential of the collaboration with Linksys, and the opportunities it brings for more devices and solutions."
New Features
Additional features have been added to the new WRT in the development process after the initial announcement at CES. Next to the extremely powerful router functionality, the new WRT now can be configured as a range extender or wireless bridge. Software features have also been added including support for the No-IP dynamic DNS service. Linksys is also planning to add Wi-Fi Scheduling and an OpenVPN-based VPN server to the WRT in a future firmware update to enable users to establish a secure remote connection to the router from anywhere in the world.
Better Range Through Antenna Diversity
Like other 802.11ac routers, data is transmitted to wireless clients by the WRT using three spatial streams. Unlike other 802.11ac routers the new WRT is equipped with four adjustable and removable antennas. The router automatically selects and utilizes the best three out of the four antennas to transmit and receive data to connected devices, depending on their location in the home. This antenna diversity technology helps provide greater range and coverage compared to more traditional three-antenna devices, so all connected devices can achieve the best performance wherever they are located.
Linksys Smart Wi-Fi
Linksys Smart Wi-Fi is a setup and management software tool that gives users access to their connected devices from a browser or mobile app so they can easily manage their home network. Users can access their home network from anywhere from a browser on a PC or app on their iOS or Android smartphone or tablet to check the connection status of their devices, provide guest access to visitors or prevent kids from accessing social networks.
With the launch of the new WRT, Linksys has added a new Smart Wi-Fi tool called Network Map in the browser interface of Linksys Smart Wi-Fi. Network Map is a visual representation of the home network displaying the router and its connected devices. The tool enables users to see what devices are using the most bandwidth, how strong the signal is to a device or to which wireless band it is connected. Network Map provides a more intuitive and graphical approach to monitor and manage a home network.
WRT1900AC Hardware Specifications

802.11ac Wi-Fi (backward-compatible with 802.11a/b/g/n)
Speeds up to 1300 Mbps on the 5 GHz band
Speeds up to 600 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band
GbE WAN & LAN ports
1 x eSATA/USB 2.0 port
1 x USB 3.0 port
1.20 GHz dual-core ARM processor
128 MB flash memory
256 MB DDR3 RAM
Four exchangeable external antennas

WRT1900AC Software Features

Browser-based setup for installation from device PC/Mac, smartphone or tablet
Can be configured as: router, range extender (aka repeater) or wireless bridge
Ability to hide SSID broadcast
Setup wizard sets up two SSIDs, one per radio band
Linksys Smart Wi-Fi can be accessed from a browser or the Linksys Smart Wi-Fi app for iOS and Android
Share printers or storage devices through USB or eSATA
Built-in DLNA-certified media server and FTP server to share files
Drag-and-drop media prioritization to prioritize bandwidth for devices, applications or games
Parental controls to prevent access to websites or block access during certain hours
Dynamic DNS services supported: No-IP, DynDNS and TZO
Built-in speed test to test broadband upload and download speed
OpenWRT ready

Pricing and Availability
The new Linksys WRT1900AC Dual Band Wireless-AC Router will be available starting April 13, 2014, at an MSRP of US $279.99.

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