IT-Code-News: IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 8/14/2014

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 8/14/2014

TweakTown

The next Xbox One update will provide MKV support, and much more
Microsoft seems to be having a big time at Gamescom, with some big titles being talked about for the Xbox One, including Quantum Break from Remedy Entertainment, the studio which made Alan Wake and Max Payne, and Rise of the Tomb Raider, which is an Xbox One exclusive.

The company has announced that they are adding many more options to the Xbox One in a future update, which will turn the Xbox One into a much more feature laden media player. Microsoft will be adding the ability to play media files from a USB drive from the Xbox One, as well as teasing that it will be providing support for the very popular MKV format, as well as DLNA network support. Major Nelson has promised that the Xbox One will receive support for new file types, including MPEG2 TS, animated GIF and of course, MKV. There should be a preview version of the app that will include USB support, but DLNA and MKV abilities will be baked into a later update.
Microsoft will also be making the Xbox One a better device for controlling your TV, with a new update to soon let you boot directly to your TV from standby mode, something that will make things easier for non-gamers who want to watch TV and not play games at that particular time. SmartGlass TV streaming is also coming, something that will allow you to be in another room and watch your shows over your home network with your SmartGlass-powered tablet or smartphone, on either Windows Phone, iOS or Android.

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This feature will let you change channels, pause, play and rewind TV shows, all while you are playing games on your Xbox One. This feature will first drop in European countries receiving the new Xbox TV tuner before the year wraps up. But what about gaming? That's what a game console does, right?
Well, gamers will see a new Friends section rolled out, something that early access members have been enjoying for a while now. The new feature will keep you up to date with your friends' activities, showing you which games they're playing, and a Gamerscore leaderboard. A new Snap Center will find its way onto the Xbox One, something that will let you view messages, parties, friends and achievements, all in a single place without having to leave the game.
Microsoft has also said that it is still going full steam ahead launching its Xbox One into 29 new countries, and that it is still all good for the Japanese release of the Xbox One "in the coming weeks", as well as Russia and Switzerland.

Security firm Trend Micro finds threats plague consumers, companies
The first two quarters of 2014 again revealed cyberthreats, data breaches and high-risk cyber vulnerabilities that companies struggle to keep up with, according to a new report from security firm Trend Micro.

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Consumers face issues such as data theft of customer names, passwords, email addresses, home addresses, phone numbers, and birth dates. Cybercriminals are finding ways to steal this type of information directly from consumers, or compromising companies.
"Organizations must treat information security as a primary component of a long-term business strategy rather than handling security issues as a tertiary, minor setbacks," said Raimund Genes, Trend Micro CTO, in a press statement. "Similar to having a business strategy to improve efficiency, a well-thought-out security strategy should also improve current protection practices that achieve long-term benefits. The incidents observed during this quarter further establish the need for a more comprehensive approach to security."
Company decision makers understand there is a desperate need to try to keep their infrastructure secure - but largely struggle to do so in an effective manner.

Group wants to help automakers keep connected vehicles safer
The "I am the Calvary" security group hopes to bridge the gap between automakers and security researchers, in an effort to keep connected vehicles more secure. The group wants to see the following: design security, development and testing phase, collaboration with researchers, and helping automakers provide assurance of connected security updates.

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"We don't need to wait for bad things [to happen] before starting to take safety into our design [considerations]," said Joshua Corman, Sonatype CTO and I am the Calvary co-founder, in a statement. "It takes a very long time to develop technologies and get them in the market. What we start today may not manifest for several years."
As newer vehicles rely on connected features, such as GPS, radio, and other Internet-based solutions, there is growing concern cybercriminals will be able to exploit these new features.

Rise of the Tomb Raider is an Xbox One exclusive, arrives in 2015
When the first rumbles started about the next Tomb Raider game, we heard it would reach both the previous generation and current generation consoles, as well as the PC. Well, at Gamescom which is cranking along in Cologne, Germany, Microsoft has announced that Rise of the Tomb Raider will be an exclusive to the Xbox One.

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Rise of the Tomb Raider will reach the Xbox One in Holiday 2015 to Microsoft's console, but that exclusivity might not last too long - hopefully. Crystal Dynamic, the studio behind the game, has come out explaining why the game is an exclusive to the Xbox One:

Dear Tomb Raider Community,
As you may have seen, we've just announced that Rise of the Tomb Raider, coming Holiday 2015, is exclusively on Xbox. We consider all of you to be the lifeblood of Tomb Raider and the work we do at Crystal. I'd like to give you some insight into this decision, and why we feel this is the very best thing for the Tomb Raider sequel we're creating at the studio.
Tomb Raider in 2013 was a success due in large part to your continued support. Our goal has always been to deliver something truly special with Rise of the Tomb Raider. Today's announcement with Microsoft is one step to help us put Tomb Raider on top of action adventure gaming. Our friends at Microsoft have always seen huge potential in Tomb Raider and have believed in our vision since our first unveil with them on their stage at E3 2011. We know they will get behind this game more than any support we have had from them in the past - we believe this will be a step to really forging the Tomb Raider brand as one of the biggest in gaming, with the help, belief and backing of a major partner like Microsoft.
This doesn't mean that we're walking away from our fans who only play on PlayStation or on PC. Those are great systems, with great partners, and amazing communities. We have Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris coming to those platforms this December, and Tomb Raider: The Definitive Edition is available on PS4.
We know that there are probably many more questions and concerns. Please do send them to us, and we'll answer to the best of our ability. Meanwhile we're going all out to try and make something truly special - the most ambitious Tomb Raider game ever built.
Thanks,
Darrell Gallagher
Crystal Dynamics Head of Studios

Quantum Break is like Alan Wake, but with the ability to control time
For the first time since E3 2013, Remedy Entertainment has shown off gameplay footage of its upcoming Xbox One exclusive, Quantum Break. If you haven't heard about Quantum Break, it's Remedy's time manipulation game, a game that comes off of its success with Alan Wake.

Sam Lake, Remedy Entertaiment's Creative Director, and the constipated face of Max Payne, walked up on the stage of Microsoft's Gamescom press conference to show off Quantum Break. Quantum Break sees Jack Joyce as the main character, who has some unique abilities. Joyce can control time for a limited period, where he can freeze enemies in ice-like time crystals, and then dive from cover to cover.
Quantum Break's world is in peril, as the end of time is happening, with the stutters in the game representing the world itself. These stutters are the outcome of time itself breaking, with bodies, debris, and fire frozen in its tracks. One of these stutters sees Joyce climbing onto a highway, where he sees a frozen semi truck, with its front hanging off of the egde of the highway. Joyce can walk through these stutters, as if they are Matrix-like museums, with people, objects and everything in between frozen in time.

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Monarch Corporation, the enemy in Quantum Break, has technology that also allows them to take advantage of these stutters in time. This means that agents that work for Monarch will meet Joyce within these stutters, where battles will take place - a different environment than what most games have on offer these days. Speaking of gameplay, Quantum Break will be offering gameplay similar to what it offered with Alan Wake, which required gamers to shine a light on enemies before shooting or attacking them.
Quantum Break is a little different, as you will use the time bubbles to attack, freezing enemies so that they can be shot. There will also be live-action TV episodes that will be part of Quantum Break, which we should hear more about before the game is released next year.

Sony says more than 10 million PlayStation 4 game consoles sold
Since its launch in November 2013, the Sony PlayStation 4 game console has topped 10 million units sold globally, the company recently said. Just four months ago, the company said there were 7 million units sold, and Sony was struggling to keep up with strong demand.

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"The responses we have received for the PS4 system's unique gameplay experiences powered by the network, along with its vast game portfolio has been phenomenal, and I am absolutely delighted that PS4 was able to reach this commemorative milestone in less than nine months, said Andrew House, SCE CEO, in a statement. "We're so grateful for the enormous support from PlayStation gamers worldwide, and we look forward to bringing even more exciting content and services in the months ahead."
During the same April timeframe, Microsoft sold five million game units - and this should set up a rather entertaining showdown during the 2014 Christmas holiday shopping season.

Chinese smartphone makers mixing enhanced features, low cost
The global smartphone market might be dominated by the U.S.-based Apple and Korea-based Samsung, but a growing number of Chinese smartphone manufacturers are making their name heard. No. 1 global PC manufacturer Lenovo is reportedly the leader of Chinese market, but is facing intense pressure from increasingly popular companies.

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In their respective domestic market, Lenovo and Xiaomi are battling it out - with Lenovo holding a slight 12.5 percent lead over 12.4 percent held by Xiaomi - but both companies have other rivals closing in. It will take some time before Xiaomi and Huawei become better recognized names in the United States, but will continue to garner fans in China - and in select emerging markets.
Samsung and Nokia both were dominant in the Chinese market, but with the country's more than 700 million active smartphone users looking for cheaper options, Chinese-made devices are rising in popularity. Expect to see Apple and Samsung push heavily in China, but if pricing isn't right, then sales and marketing efforts will struggle.

FMS 2014 - Chris looks at the Plextor M6 Pro and PlexTurbo in action
Flash Memory Summit 2014 - Since Computex 2014 last June the SSD market has been buzzing about Plextor's upcoming M6 Pro SSD. The drive is Plextor's long awaited SATA III flagship product, replacing the M5 Pro Xtreme, a product that launched in January 2013.

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Plextor has always billed the brand as a premium product with deep ties to Japan, where the company was founded. Some of that foundation made it's way into the M6 Pro. The drive design uses champagne tinted aluminum. This particular color is a big hit in Japan and has been for more than a decade. the color is so popular in fact that several home audio receiver and component makers use the finish for products sold only in Japan. Being Japanese only products, they demand big money in the US from collectors and those of us that like rare pieces.

The Plextor M6 Pro also carries another rare feature. Plextor developed a special cache software that duplicates the SSDs hot data, data that is frequently access, in the systems DRAM. The data is kept on both the SSD and DRAM so users don't have to worry about data loss. The software can also cache data writes but the data is quickly flushed to the SSD. At FMS 2014 we shot a quick video of PlexTurbo in action.

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There hasn't been a lot of talk about what components Plextor used in the new M6 Pro but we have some images to hold you over until the review hits in a few days. The drive uses a Marvell 88SS9187 controller and pairs the controller with DRAM for an onboard buffer and the latest Toshiba flash.

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The flash uses a 4-plane interface, double that of Micron's 20 and 16nm flash that's often used on lower priced SSDs. Plextor aimed for a premium product and from what we've seen so far the company managed to hit it's mark.

FBI investigating spear phishing attack against Clearview Credit Union
A new spear phishing attempt posing as a message from the Clearview Federal Credit Union has led to an investigation from the FBI, with messages asking both members and non-members about their accounts. The attacks include phone calls, emails and text messages, warning of debit card suspensions because of "an error of (Clearview's) internal processors."

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Spear phishing attacks targeted selected groups with custom attacks, as cybercriminals try to compromise users as quickly and efficiently as possible. The stolen data is quickly sold or traded online, with criminals moving on to other targets.
"It's important to be cognizant of ways to protect your individual identity," said Christianne Gribben, Clearview spokeswoman, in a public statement. "If anyone has submitted their personal information through these avenues, member or not, they should contact their financial institutions immediately."

Hackers having their way with Eastern Bloc political leaders
Organized cybercriminals are targeting Eastern Bloc politicians and embassies, and it's still unknown who is behind the attacks, according to security firm Symantec. The attack began with a former Soviet Union country infected, which led to 60 other computers being compromised - and the infections spread throughout the rest of the year and into 2013.

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"Because of the targets chosen and the advanced nature of the malware used, Symantec believes that a state-sponsored group was behind these attacks," according to Symantec. "The current campaign is the work of a well-resourced and technically competent attack group that is capable of penetrating many network defenses. It is focused on targets that would be of interest to a nation state, with spying and theft of sensitive data among its objectives."
There is growing concern of state-sponsored attacks against political rivals, with China and Russia typically blamed - but groups stemming from Iran and other foreign governments have stepped up their cyber initiatives to conduct cyberespionage.

FMS 2014 - LiteOn announces PCIe M.2 enterprise SSD lineup
Flash Memory Summit 2014 - LiteOn isn't accustomed to the SSD limelight even though they have been in the OEM SSD business since 2008. In many ways they should receive more recognition in the SSD market. LiteOn is known for their ODD (Optical Disk Drive) offerings, such as CD and DVD players. However, they are also the brains behind the Plextor SSD brand, which gives them quite a bit of experience in the retail space with Plextor, and on the OEM side as LiteOn.

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LiteOn is expanding into the datacenter with a new line of enterprise SSDs that are tailored for enterprise applications. They are developing both 2.5" and M.2 form factor SSDs with enterprise-centric features. LiteOn is currently working on a 1TB M.2 SSD with power loss protection that was being demo'd in their booth at the show. The SSD features a PCIe 2.0 x2 interface and blistering sequential speeds of 600 MB/s read and 520MB/s write. Jeffrey Chang, the Technical Product Manager at LiteOn, stopped by the booth to talk about the latest enterprise SSDs from LiteOn.

The N9S will serve the 2.5" market with capacities up to 2TB, and are also available in the small 1.8" form factor. LiteOn is initially using AHCI for their new M.2 SSDs, with NVMe solutions coming next year. Stay tuned to TweakTown for future product evaluations as the new SSDs become available.

Apple making stronger play in the healthcare market with HealthKit
Tech giant Apple is promoting its HealthKit personal health-tracking application for iPhones, speaking with several companies specializing as health organizations and electronic record companies. Apple already works with Allscripts, Nike and Mayo Clinic, while speaking with Johns Hopkins, Cleveland Clinic and Mount Sinai about its service.

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HealthKit will be released on the iPhone 6 next month, and will provide instant access to blood pressure and other critical medical data available - which can be monitored by patients and easily shared with doctors.
"Apple is going into this space with a data play," noted Skip Snow, Forrester Research health care unit analyst, in a statement. "They want to be a hub of health data."
Apple, Google, Samsung, and other tech companies are sharing focus in the medical world, using their wireless solutions to enter an expanding and lucrative market.

FMS 2014 - SanDisk speaks with us about their latest acquisitions
Flash Memory Summit 2014 - The SSD market has been consolidating at a dizzying pace over the last year. Large storage vendors have completed a flurry of acquisitions to acquire high-value IP, such as controller technology and software solutions. One of the hottest stories this year was the sale of Fusion-io to SanDisk for $1.1 billion. Fusion-io was one of the first flash innovators, and were the catalyst that sparked the move to PCIe SSDs in the datacenter. The fusion of the two companies (pun intended) brings several advantages for both companies. Fusion-io brings established hardware and software expertise, and SanDisk brings direct access to flash.

Lee Caswell, the former VP of all-flash appliances at Fusion-io, has assumed the position of VP of Marketing in the IO Memory Solutions division at SanDisk. John Scaramuzzo is the Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Enterprise Storage Solutions division at SanDisk. In their first joint interview they share insight on the future path of SanDisk and their vision of the all-flash datacenter.

FMS 2014 - DriveSavers Data Recovery discusses latest projects
Flash Memory Summit 2014 - It's always fun to catch up with DriveSavers, simply because of the interesting stories from the latest data recovery projects they are working on. We were lucky enough to take a tour of the DriveSavers labs in April, and we recently crossed paths with Chris Bross again at the Flash Memory Summit.

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Chris detailed the recovery of some of Gene Roddenberry's (the creator of Star Trek) lost files, which were stored on 100 x 5.25" floppy disks. These very old disks held a number of files, which are not yet released, and there will be a public disclosure of the content in the future. This highlights some of the varied storage technologies that DriveSavers encounters every day. While staying up to date with helium and SMR HDDs, they also have to continue to extract data from old devices as well.

Chris also discusses the need for data recovery services for the datacenter, and a word of caution for those using cloud data storage. For instance, when Hurricane Sandy struck five datacenters were literally underwater, so users are cautioned to always keep multiple copies of their data. Of course, if you should lose data DriveSavers will be there to help recover it, and you can take a closer look at our tour of the DriveSavers facility here.

FMS 2014 - Viking Technology demos the ArxCis-NV NVDIMM technology
Flash Memory Summit 2014 - NVDIMM was a hot topic at the Flash Memory Summit, and Viking Technology is leading the way in the NVDIMM space with their ArxCis-NV solution. NVDIMM allows the use of DRAM memory as a persistent memory. In the event of a power loss the NVDIMM flushes data from the DRAM down to NAND that is embedded on the device. This allows users to leverage the ultra-fast speed of DDR3 (and DDR4 in future versions) as a block storage device, yet still recover from any power loss event with the data intact.

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Users can also leverage the ArxCis-NV as a memory space with their software applications. One of the advantages of using an NVDIMM from Viking is that it can be integrated into industry standard x86 servers via the DDR sockets. The ArxCis-NV is a DDR3 240-pin JEDEX pin compatible ECC registered DIMM with an integrated SSD for data backup. The speed of the device far outstrips any 12Gb/s or 6GB/s products, even when they are aggregated behind a RAID controller or HBA.

The ArxCix-NV can be used for the most bleeding-edge applications, such as a write cache or buffer, and also boosting metadata performance. We have a device in the lab now, and look to these pages soon for a performance breakdown!

FMS 2014 - PLX Technology talks about the latest in PCIe technology
Flash Memory Summit 2014 - Avago Technologies recently acquired LSI and their SandForce division, and then scooped up PLX Technology as well. The merger with Avago isn't complete yet, so we couldn't discuss the details of the acquisition with Larry Chisvin, the VP of Strategic Initiatives at PLX Technology. PLX Technology is a right in the middle of the datacenter evolution with the advent of NVMe, and also the need for a new interface for converged server architectures. NVMe is currently a new interface that is still developing to offer multipath and fail-over features which will lean heavily on PCIe switches.

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We visited PLX's office and took a tour through the ExpressFabric architecture, which can replace or augment networking infrastructure in the datacenter. The advent of hyperscale and cloud computing has spurred a re-imagination of datacenter architecture. Disruptive technologies and Open Compute initiatives are challenging the old way of thinking and delivering designs purpose-built for optimum efficiency. The emergence of software-defined datacenters (SDDC) and software-designed storage (SDS) requires new designs that allow total control of resource allocation. Using ExpressFabric's PCIe connections as a rack-level interconnect allows for new exciting datacenter designs that will pool server resources in separate chassis for optimum performance.

Integration with Avago will allow for access to a much larger company with a large IP portfolio to accelerate PLX Technology's initiatives.

Motorola G2 tipped to ship September 10 packing only 8GB of storage
Motorola launched its slick smartphone called the Moto G a while back and a rumor claims that the successor to that smartphone is coming soon. According to a source who claims to have been given launch details straight from a Motorola rep, the next device will be the Moto G2 and it will launch on September 10.

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The devices are tipped to hit dealers by August, but sales won't kick off until September 10. The smartphone is said to sell for around €250, not exactly an inexpensive handset. We have heard spec rumors for the device in the past.
The smartphone is tipped to have a 5-inch 720p screen, Snapdragon 400 chipset, 1GB of RAM, and an 8MP rear camera. The front camera is a 2MP unit and the smartphone will run Android 4.4.4 KitKat out of the box. Internal storage is tipped at a paltry 8GB; presumably, the smartphone will have storage expansion.

FMS 2014 - Intelliprop announces new 8TB Apache SSD controller
Flash Memory Summit 2014 - Intelliprop develops ingenious designs to aggregate the performance of several SSDs into one unit. We took a look at the Hydra with four Intel DC S3700 SSDs back in February. Intelliprop has also released a new version of the Hydra that works with only two drives.

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Intelliprop also announced the Apache, a new SATA SSD controller that can reach up to 8TB of capacity on a single SSD. Intelliprop uses FPGA's instead of ASICs for their SSD controller, which allows for fast reprogramming and re-purposing in the field. These new SSDs can be used for normal applications in the datacenter, and also are compliant with MIL-Spec for military applications. Larry Cleland from Intelliprop stopped by the booth to chat with us about the latest from Intelliprop.

We are in the midst of securing a sample for testing, so stay tuned to TweakTown for updates!

FMS 2014 - Skyera discusses the skyHawk All-Flash Array
Flash Memory Summit 2014 - Ray Pang, Director of Marketing at Skyera, stopped by our booth to discuss the skyHawk All-Flash Array (AFA). Skyera aims to bring the price of AFA down below $3 per GB, a similar price to disk-based storage subsystems. Skyera accomplishes much of the cost reduction by using their own design that doesn't rely upon traditional form factors. The end result is a remarkably slim 1U device that boasts up to 44TB of screaming flash storage.

skyHawk delivers 88 times more storage density at 1/10th of the power consumption of a like-priced HDD solution. Another key benefit of skyHawk is its converged storage architecture, which unifies block-based iSCSI and NAS file systems (NFS v3). The slim package provides up to 2.4 GB/s of bandwidth and 400,000 IOPS. skyHawk also employs compression and de-duplication technologies to boost the amount of use-able SSD space, but has base configurations before data reduction of 12, 22, and 44 TB.

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Delivering all of this performance requires either 40 x 1GBe connections, or only 3 x 10GBe connections. The total package weighs under 20 lbs and pulls less than 350W, which is insanely efficient for a datacenter storage system.
skyHawk is Skyeras second AFA, a follow-on to the skyEagle storage system.

FMS 2014 - Contour Semiconductor displays $10 million DTM wafer
Flash Memory Summit 2014 - As we reach the end of planar (2D) NAND scaling we will begin to see more disruptive products emerge with futuristic technology such as PCM and magnetic and carbon nanotubes, the only question is which will rise to the top as the premier after-NAND technology. These new technologies will initially emerge as complimentary technologies to the existing NAND used in SSDs. Saul Zales, the Chief Executive Officer of Contour Semiconductor, brought along a wafer of their DTM (Diode Transistor Memory)that is valued at nearly $10 million, due to its early design and rarity. DTM is a phase-change based memory (PCM)that reduces the mask and process costs by up to 65% compared to NAND.

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The 4F2 self-aligned structure uses a vertical epitaxial diode as the select device. In the future, Contour Semiconductor could include magnetic or carbon nanotube storage elements. The wafer is built on the CMOS process with a cross-point array architecture that supports word, sector, and page-level erase commands, which are very similar to NAND's design and fucntion. This will allow the use of the DTM packages with NAND controllers. We were lucky enough to see one of the only DTM wafers in existence, and had a quick chat with Saul Zales in the booth.

What does all this mean? Up to a billion P/E Cycles, which would be nearly immeasurable endurance compared to current SSDs. Using this type of memory as a cache for less-durable NAND could boost performance and endurance exponentially, and eventually new storage devices could use this type of memory.
Stay tuned to TweakTown for more details as this new technology emerges!

Uber employees allegedly ordered and canceled over 5000 Lyft rides
Competition is fierce in the car hailing app realm with Uber and Lyft among the two most popular firms in the market. Lyft is claiming that Uber is resorting to underhanded tactics in the effort to come out on top. According to Lyft, Uber employees have ordered and canceled over 50000 rides using the Lyft app since last October.

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Some may think that only a couple employees are doing this, but according to Lyft over 177 Uber employees have booked and cancelled rides during that time frame. By booking and cancelling rides using the app, it reduces the avialbitiy of Lyft drivers. Presumably, that could make real riders looking for a Lyft ride look to Uber instead.
Lyft drivers also report that when the Uber workers do actually get in the car and ride, the rides are short and unprofitable. Lyft workers go so far as to say that the main crux of the ride isn't to get somewhere for Uber workers, but to try to talk the drivers into coming to work for Uber. Lyft says that the data was gleaned by cross-referencing a list of known Uber recruiters with cancelled Lyft rides.

Apple iPad production starts with two new models says source
Apple rumors are a dime a dozen and another new one has surfaced this week that says Apple suppliers have begun production on two new iPad models. These same sources claim that both new iPad models are set to land in time for Christmas shopping this year.

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The sources claim that Apple is manufacturing a 9.7-inch iPad, which is thought to be the next generation iPad Air. Launch for the device is expected to come this quarter or early in the next quarter.
The new iPad mode is also expected to have an anti-reflection coating on the screen that will improve readability in sunlight, but that special coating is expected to limit production capability for the new tablet. The other new model tipped to be in production is a 7.9-inch iPad mini expected to launch late this year.

Google gives support to faster trans-Pacific cable for internet
Google is adding its support behind a project that aims to install a faster trans-Pacific cable on the ocean floor to increase internet speeds. The cable will link the west coast of the US with Japan and promises to improve global internet connectivity. The cable project is estimated to cost somewhere in the $300 million range.

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Google is now one of six different companies that are working together to fund the project, the other companies include China Mobile International, China Telecom Global, Google Transit, Google, KDDI, and Singte. NEC is participating in the project as a system supplier.
The cable will run form two locations in Japan - Chikura and Shima - across the Pacific to the US where it will connect to hubs in LA, San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle. The cable will offer up to 60Tbps over six fiber-pair cables.

Florida-based TotalBank informing customers of data breach
Florida-based TotalBank is informing around 72,500 of its customers of a data breach that involves personal information ranging from names, banking information, account balances, PIN numbers, and possible Social Security numbers.

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"An unauthorized third party" was able to compromise the TotalBank network, with bank officials notifying customers starting in early July. "The information did not include customer passwords or the type of information that would allow access to your bank account, which remains secure," said Luis de la Aguilera, TotalBank President and CEO.
There is a stronger call for the U.S. government to force banks - which already have stricter security protocols in place - to keep their customers safe. Cybercriminals find it extremely easy to sell and trade bulk information in organized underground forums.

California Governor Jerry Brown to decide on smartphone 'kill switch'
California Governor Jerry Brown is now taking a look at the mandatory smartphone 'kill switch' bill after it was passed by the state legislature. If Brown approves the bill, all smartphone devices sold in the state following July 2015 must have some type of anti-theft technology.

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"Our goal is to swiftly take the wind out of the sails of thieves who have made the theft of smartphones one of the most prevalent street crimes in California's biggest cities," noted Mark Leno (D - San Francisco), author of the controversial bill.
California's decision has become the strongest effort to clamp down on smartphone theft, which has led to robberies and crimes in metropolitan areas. Apple already has a kill switch option on its devices, so owners are able to remotely shut off phones. Meanwhile, Google and Microsoft are working on similar solutions for their devices.

D-Link DIR-880L AC1900 Wireless Router Review

Introduction

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Back in November, we had the opportunity to take a look at the DIR-868L as D-Link entered the 802.11ac market. The 868L offered up AC1750 capabilities with 1300Mbps on the 5GHz band and 450Mbps on the 2.4GHz band with a space saving tower design similar to the Apple AirPort.
Today, we shift gears, and move onto the latest solution from D-Link, this time an AC1900 product, dubbed the DIR-880L. The 880L carries the typical desktop form factor, that is to say the router is a low profile rectangular box.
Features of this router include dual band capabilities including 1300Mbps on the 5GHz band and 600Mbps on the 2.4GHz band, giving us the AC1900 marketing label. In addition to this, the DIR-880L is a cloud router, so the ability to manage your router remotely is feasible, and if you setup the integrated Shareport feature, access to the devices USB ports, which have been made available for storage, printers and scanners, is also available.

Pricing, Availability and Specifications

TweakTown image d_link_dir_880l_ac1900_wireless_router_review

The D-Link DIR-880L is an entry-level 802.11ac solution aimed to bring the latest technology in to the average consumers home. The 880L features two USB ports with one carrying USB 3.0 technology, along with three high gain antennas to aide in increased range ability. Each of the five RJ45 port include gigabit ethernet capability, as to eliminate any network bottlenecks.
The D-Link DIR-880L wireless router is listed at $189.99 with a one-year warranty. This positions the DIR-880L next to the Linksys EA6900, Netgear R7000 and ASUS RT-AC68U in the current market.
PRICING: You can find the D-Link DIR-880L wireless router 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 D-Link DIR-880L wireless router retails for $179.88 at Amazon.
Canada: The D-Link DIR-880L wireless router retails for CDN$177.99 at Amazon Canada.
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Phanteks Enthoo Luxe Full-Tower Chassis Review

Introduction, Specifications, and Pricing

TweakTown image phanteks_enthoo_luxe_full_tower_chassis_review

Phanteks fairly well known for offering colored CPU coolers, but they are also breaking ground in the chassis market lately. The first Phanteks chassis we had the pleasure of reviewing was the Enthoo Primo. Phanteks stormed onto the scene with the Enthoo Primo, and it turned out to be one of the most well designed and thought out layouts of any chassis we had seen before, or have seen since.
This chassis took water cooling into account at a level where the tubing and pump were even able to be hidden. The design also accommodated for plenty of radiator options for those looking to go nuts inside of a chassis, and still have a finished build that is amazingly clean looking.
Of course, then we got to see the much more economically friendly Enthoo Pro. This chassis surprised us in many ways. First off, you get a ton of case for the investment. Secondly, we were taken back with all of the carry over parts from the Primo that were still available in this much more affordable design. When we got our hands-on the slightly smaller Enthoo Pro, we soon found out that not only can Phanteks make an expensive chassis like no other, but even on a budget, they still broke the rules and offered one of the most feature rich full-tower designs in the $100 price range.
So, what is the next logical step for Phanteks to take? Well, it seems they were looking to somehow fill the gap between the Enthoo Primo, and the Enthoo Pro, and to do that, Phanteks is now introducing the Enthoo Luxe. With the Enthoo Luxe, we are dealing with space like the Pro offered, and Phanteks has somehow figured out a way to offer a design that aesthetically plays between the Primo and the Pro. However, despite the Luxe appearing as a hybrid of the Primo and the Pro, Phanteks has added something completely unexpected to make the Enthoo Luxe a chassis that can stand on its own, and be easily recognized.
Let's get to the heart of why we have you here today, and take the Phanteks Enthoo Luxe full-tower chassis for a spin around the block, and kick the tires a bit.

TweakTown image phanteks_enthoo_luxe_full_tower_chassis_review

Unlike any other company, Phanteks is sure to display every single option or specification that their chassis offers within their specifications list, so that you can be certain of what you are getting before the purchase is made. They start by listing the chassis' dimensions, which are 235mm of width, 560mm of height, and the 550mm of depth. Next, they state that this full-tower design made of aluminum, steel, and plastic. Then Phanteks dives inside of the Luxe to show us that it will house Micro-ATX, ATX, EATX, and even SSI EEB motherboards. We then move to the contents of the front I/O panel; here there are a pair of USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports, as well as the HD audio jacks. Taking the same elements in the side panel as its predecessors, we again find a split window, one for the name plate, and a much larger one to see your gear. Lastly, Phanteks makes sure that we know there is a PSU cover too.
Next, we find the Enthoo Luxe offers eight expansion slots in the back. At the front, we find a trio of 5.25" bays at the top. Below that, we find two racks that can hold six drives via plastic trays. These trays will work for either 3.5" or 2.5" drives, but there is an additional 2.5" drive tray that slides onto the back of the motherboard tray.
Cooling is not an issue with this design either. As we can see, the front can house a pair of 120mm fans, a pair of 140mm fans, or you can leave the supplied 200mm fan in place. The top of the chassis will allow for three 120mm fans, three 140mm fans, or there is an option to remove the pre-installed 140mm fan in order to make room for a 200mm fan. We still have options in the bottom too. Here we can install a pair of 120mm fans, or a single 140mm fan. The rear also has a 140mm fan already in place, but there are holes for a 120mm fan as well. Even the HDD rack offers room for a pair of 120mm fans. As for water cooling compatibility, the same rules apply as those for fan locations, with no mention of clearance issues.
Phanteks also provides us with a list of the chassis' limitations, if you can really call them that with a straight face. Video cards can be up to 347mm in length, or slightly less with a reservoir hung inside, and if you were to remove the HDD cages, that length increases to 472mm. APU coolers are allowed to be 193mm in height before they would rub the widow, and that covers almost every tower cooler known to man. They also offer a minimum of 27mm behind the motherboard tray for wiring, while other sections offer much more depth. They even go as far as to cover the 65mm of distance from the top of the chassis to the motherboard. We can also see that this chassis weighs 13.9 Kg while empty. Lastly, the Enthoo Luxe comes with a five-year warranty.
After shopping around, we did see that only a few select locations actually stock the Enthoo Luxe at this time. What we have found is that the Luxe does indeed fall between the Pro and the Primo when it comes down to pricing. Another note to add, which will affect pricing, is that this chassis comes in black as we received it, but it also comes in white as well. In the former color, we see the Luxe listed at $159.99, and for the latter, it will cost around $10 more. So, what does the Enthoo Luxe have that the Pro lacked? Stick with us and find out, as we are almost to the point where we can show you the awesomeness contained in this box.
PRICING: You can find the Phanteks Enthoo Luxe 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 Phanteks Enthoo Luxe (Black) retails for $159.99 at Amazon, and the Phanteks Enthoo Luxe (White) retails for $169.99 at Amazon.
Canada: The Phanteks Enthoo Luxe (Black) retails for CDN$159.99 at Amazon Canada, and the Phanteks Enthoo Luxe (White) retails for CDN$169.99 at Amazon Canada.
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