
Microsoft also made a bid on Twitch, but Twitch chose Google
When the news broke that Twitch was being acquired by YouTube - which is owned by Google - for $1 billion, it shocked most. But, did people really think that Twitch only had a single offer? No, no it did not.

Twitch has the aim of being the definitive platform for watching and streaming live video gaming, where it thinks Google can provide the means to get there.
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New phishing scam targets Bank of America Merrill Lynch customers
Another day, another phishing scam targeting online banking users. This time around, cybercriminals are targeting Bank of America Merrill Lynch customers, tricking users to install malware designed to steal personal information. The scam email includes a PDF attachment which has a malware link that initiates a download of a "SecureMessage.zip" file - packaged with the Spyware/Win32.Zbot Trojan.

One-third of phishing attacks are aimed at financial institutions, and because of the large amount of attacks, banks have to follow new guidelines to better defend against distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks.
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Oculus VR founder Palmer Luckey makes the cover of WIRED magazine
Palmer Luckey is set to become a household name over the years, but to us, he already is. Well, reaching the cover of WIRED magazine will surely speed that process up, with the founder of Oculus VR gracing the June 2014 cover.

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EA will be unveiling six new games at E3 next month
During EA's press conference at E3 2014 in just a few weeks time, the company will be unveiling six new games. The press conference takes place on June 9 at 3PM ET, where the six new titles will be unveiled during the one-hour conference.

We should expect to see Star Wars: Battlefront, as well as The Sims 4.
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Night Trap, the FMV video game from the Sega CD days is being remade
Some of you might remember FMV games, with it all really kicking off with Night Trap on the Sega CD all those years ago. Well, it looks like Night Trap might be coming back on modern platforms according to the full-motion video game pioneer, James Riley.
For those who don't remember Night Trap, it was an interactive B-movie that had players engaging in switches between multiple camera feeds in order to capture vampiric creatures that were stalking a slumber party. It had some very questionable content for the time, with the US Senate removing the game from store shelves temporarily, and then the introduction of a content ratings system for video games.

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Fight with the 47 Ronin in our latest Blu-ray giveaway
To celebrate this week's release of 47 Ronin on home video formats, our friends at Universal Home Entertainment Australia have supplied us with copies of the film on 3D Blu-ray to give away to five lucky readers.
An update of the ancient Japanese tale, 47 Ronin stars Keanu Reeves in a slam-bang fantasy action adventure with amazing visual effects and a whole lot of swords.

What does 'Ronin' mean?
To enter, simply 'like' this post and share via Facebook or Twitter and send your answers, along with your postal address to ben at TweakTown.com before the competition closes on May 23rd. The total prize pool is approximately $249.75.

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Crytek says that 8GB of RAM might not be enough for upcoming games
According to Crytek's US Engine Business Development Manager, Sean Tracy, the 8GB of RAM in the next-gen consoles isn't that much. Tracy has said that the 8GB of RAM in the Xbox One and PS4 isn't impressive.

"[8 GB of RAM] will be one of the limiting factors surely in this generation," added Tracy, he also added: "As hardware gets stronger the complexity of scenes can be increased and the dynamism within them. However, with that said it's not the raw power alone that will allow for photo-realistic graphics but technology that intelligently scales and utilizes all that the hardware has to offer".
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Assassin's Creed Pirates now playable in Web browsers
Assassin's Creed Pirates is now available for play in Web browsers, with Microsoft and Ubisoft providing support for Internet Explorer, Opera, Firefox, Chrome, and Safari. To make it even better, the game runs full-screen and can be played using keyboard and mouse or touch interface. The game only works on desktop browsers and is a racing game instead of the regular shoot-em-up experience that the mobile versions provide.
From the Microsoft: "Today, we're excited to announce a new partnership with Ubisoft to launch the first ever Assassin's Creed title on the modern web with HTML5, 3D WebGL graphics, and JavaScript. The Assassin's Creed Pirates web-based experience is available today for free play in five languages worldwide. New gameplay based on the popular iOS Assassin's Creed Pirates game allows you to step into the shoes of Alonzo Batilla, a young captain, racing his ship through the Caribbean seas, evading mines and other hurdles, amidst searching for treasure."

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Cybercriminal investigation leads to 80 arrested in 16 countries
Cybercriminals responsible for creating and using the "BlackShades" malware have been arrested, with police authorities in 16 different countries arresting at least 80 people reportedly involved. The custom malware was sold to thousands of clients, and led to more than 500,000 PCs being infected, giving criminals the ability to remotely access PCs.

International police authorities are trying to crack down on organized cybercriminals, but tend to get to those responsible after
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WhatsApp has pulled from Windows Phone Store
Today, WhatsApp's developers made the decision to pull the popular text messaging application from Microsoft's Windows Phone Store due to a major incompatibility with Windows Phone 8.1. The company says that the incompatibility was discovered during recent beta testing and proved to be detrimental to the apps functionality on Windows Phone 8.1.

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Worms Battlegrounds is headed to Sony's PlayStation 4 next month
The Worms saga is one of those game series that has managed to hold on for more than a decade and still remain relevant to new generations of gamers. Today Team 17 Digital Ltd announced via Sony's official PlayStation blog that the series' latest installment, Worms Battlegrounds, will be heading to the PlayStation 4 on June 3rd of this year.

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Cisco sends letter to President Obama, criticizing NSA surveillance
Cisco CEO John Chambers has written a letter to President Barack Obama urging him to curtail spying by the National Security Agency (NSA), in an effort to rebuild bridges and stop eroding trust. Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden turned the security world upside down when he disclosed organized mass surveillance against U.S. and foreign citizens.

Cisco believes Internet security is absolutely paramount, and wants to ensure its customers and users that nothing is being done to deceive its customers. In a previous company blog post, Mark Chandler, Cisco General Council, had this to say regarding the company's business practices, noting that Cisco does "not work with any government, including the United States government, to weaken our products. When we learn of a security vulnerability, we respond by validating it, informing our customers, and fixing it."
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Google's Nexus 6 won't be arriving in 2014, but Android Silver might
Today several reports have began surfacing on the web that suggest that Google may be pumping the breaks on its Nexus line of Android smartphones much earlier than first believed. The rumors state that Google has decided not to release its next-generation Nexus 6 phone this year, but will focus efforts on its upcoming Android Silver line of pure Android devices.

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US Department of Justice charges Chinese army personnel for hacking
The U.S. Justice Department has filed charges against five members of the Chinese Army, saying they are responsible for launching cyberattacks to compromise American companies. This is a notable announcement, as it's the first time charges have been issued against foreign countries. Furthermore, industries targeted include nuclear, solar and steel companies, with hackers trying to give a competitive advantage to Chinese companies.

President Obama's administration has long accused the People's Liberation Army of launching cyberattacks targeting western companies, in an effort to steal intellectual property. Security experts are quick to point their fingers at China as the top foreign-based threat of organized cyberattacks against the United States.
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OwnFone goes on sale as the world's first 3D printed Braille phone
A company based in London has launched the world's first Braille phone for the visually impaired. The phone is called the OwnFone and the front and back of the device were constructed using 3D printing techniques. The cases can be customized since they are made with a 3D printer.

The device sells for £60 and the man behind the OwnFone, Tom Sunderland, says that 3D printing was used to keep the cost of the device down. The phone supports two or four Braille buttons that can be pre-programmed to call friends, family, or emergency services.
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Cricket Wireless rolls out new unlimited plans starting at $35
More and more mobile phone users are getting away from standard providers with contracts and going to providers like Cricket Wireless where no contract is needed. Many of these people purchase cheaper phones outright, but some still out to pay outright for a high-end smartphone or bring their own device to the network.

To get the $35 monthly rate you do have to choose automated billing for the additional $5 off each month, otherwise plans start at $40. Prices go up from there to $45 monthly, $55 monthly with the extra $5 off with the autopay credit.
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Top 10 TweakTown News Stories from the past week [19 May 2014]
Here are our top 10 news posts from the past week!
- Bungie's Destiny could top GTA 5 as most expensive game ever
- Jupiter's Great Red Spot is shrinking after 100 years of domination
- Crysis 3 has been hacked to play at 8K, a massive 8000x3333 resolution
- Huawai boss says QHD screens on smartphones are "stupid"
- MSI launches its Z97 XPower AC motherboard, aimed at enthusiasts
- Google acquires Quest Visual, possibly for use with Google Glass
- Microsoft to unveil Halo 5, Battletoads, and much more at E3 2014
- Nike's latest LeBron James-branded shoes exclusive to NBA 2K14 gamers
- Walk With Dinosaurs in our Blu-ray giveaway from 20th Century Fox
- Samsung rumored to release a 'super-tablet' in its Galaxy Tab S range
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Google Now will remind you to pay bills with new update
Users of Google now will be able to take advantage of a new update that enables the service to remind you when it's time to pay bills. Forgetting to send in a bill is easy to do if you are very busy and don't rely on automated payments.

The card will feature the name of the biller, the amount, due date, and the ability to look at the email that was sent with the bill. This feature is another way for Google to set its Now service apart from similar offerings out there. Google added a location-based shopping service to Now earlier this month.
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Rumors suggest Microsoft Surface Pro 3 tablet could land May 20
Rumors continue to swirl about a Microsoft press event that will be held on May 20. That event is expected to have some new tablets that are brought to the mix in the Surface line. One of the main rumors is that Microsoft will be unveiling the Surface Mini to better compete with the iPad mini.

Sources suggest that Microsoft will roll out five different versions of the Surface Pro 3 with a basic unit offering an Intel i3 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage for around $800. Higher-end models will use Intel i5 processors, 8GB of RAM, and 245GB of storage. A version with an Intel i7 CPU is also expected.
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Xbox One update allows users to control app sound levels
Over the weekend, a new update for the Xbox One started rolling out to users. The update adds in a nice new feature that allows the user to control the sound level of snapped apps. That means that the user can decide which of the two snapped apps is louder than the other.

Data tracking is an optional feature that sends voice samples to Microsoft to allow them to add more data to the algorithms that are used for voice control. "The more voice samples we have to input into our algorithms, the better and more responsive Xbox One can be to our fans," Larry Hryb explains.
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AT&T to buy DirecTV under definitive purchase agreement
We mentioned not long ago that AT&T and DirecTV hoped to announce a purchase agreement as early as today. That purchase agreement has now been announced with AT&T and DirecTV entering into a definitive agreement that will see AT&T buy the satellite provider. The deal will see AT&T pay $95 per share for DirecTV.

Once completed, the deal will allow the companies to offer consumers bundles that feature video, high-speed internet, and mobile service through its sales channels. AT&T says that DirecTV will continue to be headquartered in El Segundo, California after the deal closes. The breakdown on the purchase price sees DirecTV shareholders get $28.50 per share in cash and $66.50 per share in AT&T stock. The equity value on the deal is $48.5 billion and a total transaction value is $67.1 billion when DirecTV's net debt is included.
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ProtonMail, an 'NSA-proof' email service from Harvard and MIT students
If you're worried about someone snooping through your e-mail, you might want to take a look at ProtonMail. The new e-mail service is being heralded as being "NSA-proof," something that was created by a group of Harvard and MIT students.

Andy Yen, one of ProtonMail's creators, spoke with Bostinno, where he said: "Even we don't have the ability to read that email. If we can't read it, we obviously can't turn it over to any government agencies". There's also a SnapChat-like feature built into ProtonMail, where users can program their e-mails to self-destruct once they have reached the recipient's inbox, or after a certain amount of time.
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Amped Wireless REC15A Compact AC Wi-Fi Range Extender Review

Today, we will be taking a look at one of the latest solutions from Amped Wireless, and as you know, we have seen the RTA15 and REA20 come through the lab here at TweakTown. It will certainly be interesting to see how well the REC15A fits into the market and lineup from Amped Wireless. The REC15A is a 500mW "High Power" wireless range extender with capabilities of 150Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 433Mbps on the 5GHz band.
MSRP for the Amped Wireless REC15A Range Extender is set at $99.99 with a one-year warranty.











As far as range extenders are concerned, the Amped Wireless REC15A is one of the more complete units I have seen come through. While I haven't been able to get my hands-on everything in the market, I would say the REC15A is just as good as, and maybe better than, the REA20 from Amped Wireless…that is if you don't need the extra gigabit ports and top-tier speed from your extender. If you do, then you may want to look into a full solution rather than a compact unit such as this.
The build quality of the REC15A is quite good; plastics are secure and don't feel flimsy, and the firmware on this unit was solid with no hiccups like we experienced with the REA20.
Performance of the REC15A was as advertised. I was successfully able to maneuver through testing without losing a signal, and even more, I feel that I could have went out further from the standard 40ft that I stop at during testing. In addition to the wireless extending capabilities of the REC15A, the unit does also offer a single fast Ethernet port if you want to extend and then plug in the extender to a PC or maybe a switch.
MSRP of the Amped Wireless REC15A is set at $99.99 with a one-year warranty. Current market pricing can be found below.
PRICING: You can find the Amped Wireless REC15A 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 Amped Wireless REC15A retails for $99.99 at Amazon.
Canada: The Amped Wireless REC15A retails for CDN$145.44 at Amazon Canada.

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Top 10 TweakTown Content from the past week [19 May 2014]
Here are our top 10 articles, reviews and guides from the past week!
- Enermax ETS-N30-HE CPU Cooler Review
- Rapoo E2700 Wireless Multimedia Touchpad Keyboard Review
- Sentey Crimson Pro Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Review
- ASUS SABERTOOTH Z97 MARK 1 (Intel Z97) Motherboard Review
- Enermax Liqmax 120S AIO Liquid CPU Cooler Review
- ASRock Z97 Extreme4 (Intel Z97) Motherboard Review
- ADATA Premier Pro SP920 512GB SSD Review
- Transcend SSD340 256GB SSD Review
- Icy Dock ToughArmor Series Overview Review
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Sapphire Radeon R9 290 4GB Tri-X OC Video Card Review (with 4K tests)
Hitman Absolution
Version and / or Patch Used: Latest Steam Update

Tomb Raider
Version and / or Patch Used: Latest Steam Update

... Read the rest in your browser!
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Top 10 TweakTown Press Releases from the past week [19 May 2014]
Here are our top 10 posted press releases from the past week!
- Greenliant Now Shipping mSATA ArmourDrive SSDs
- AOC Releases Two IPS Monitors with ONKYO Speakers
- ASUS First in the World to Unleash Full SATA Express Performance
- ADATA Launches the Premier SP610 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive
- CYBERPOWERPC Announces Power Mega Pro High-Performance Workstations
- Intel Reports First-Quarter Revenue of $12.8 Billion
- Toshiba Announces Completely Redesigned Performance Laptops
- ASUS Announces New Additions to Its Desktop PC and All-in-One PC Line-up
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Available Tags:Microsoft , Google , EA , Sega , Blu-ray , Windows Phone , Windows , Cisco , Android , 3D , Wireless , TweakTown , Rumors , tablet , Xbox , Sapphire , Radeon ,

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