LG G3 updated with Android 5.0 Lollipop in South Korea to start with
LG is one of the first to drop Android 5.0 Lollipop onto its flagship G3 smartphone, in its home country of South Korea at first. This is the first step for the G3, with international versions of the handset to soon receive the new OS.
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Valve announces Steam Exploration Sale, major discounts on big games
Valve has kicked off its latest gaming specials, with the Steam Exploration Sale, which runs from November 26 to December 2. The Steam Exploration Sale has a bunch of games on sale, including Civilization: Beyond Earth which is down 30% from $89.99 to $62.99.
Right now, there are 5633 games on sale across the entire Steam library, so get in there and start saving some money!
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Apple iPhone 6s conceptual designs released featuring stainless steel
French website No Where Else has recently released some iPhone 6s conceptual design images, showing a stainless steel Apple Watch alongside a 4.5-inch iPhone and 7.6mm thick iPhone 6s.
The pictured iPhone 6s features a 'more aesthetic' design as quoted through the produced images, IPX6 stainless steel, increased body size to 7.6mm thickness to incorporate non-protruding camera and an updates volume control.
If you would like to view all of the product images, you can feel free to do so. We will link some of the most interesting conceptual designs below.
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AMD's Radeon R9 490X could feature over 1TB/sec memory bandwidth
We already know that the Radeon R9 390X is going to be a special card, where according to rumors we can expect it to arrive with a 4096-bit memory bus, made possible with High Bandwidth Memory, or HBM. This card should have memory bandwidth of a truly next-gen 640GB/sec. But, what comes after that, is going to be even better.
The second-gen HBM technology will allow for 8Gb per DRAM die, up from 2Gb on the first-gen HBM for starts. This means we should see GPUs with 8-16GB of VRAM on-board. Second, the bandwidth increases to 256GB/sec (up from 128GB/sec) which should arrive as around 1.28TB/sec of available memory bandwidth. Considering NVIDIA's second-generation Maxwell-based GeForce GTX 980s only have 224GB/sec of memory bandwidth on a 256-bit bus, the 4096-bit wide memory bus with 1.28TB/sec of bandwidth will surely do some insane things, especially at Ultra HD and beyond resolutions.
This is where it will get interesting; over 1TB/sec of memory bandwidth on a 4096-bit bus is going to be an amazing sight to behold, especially at 4K or 8K. Even more so on something like VR with the Oculus Rift, where it could render one eye separate to the other, at 1440p each, and still have memory bandwidth to spare. Things are going to get exciting with the Radeon R9 390X and beyond, but I think that's just the beginning. The R9 490X is going to be when things really kick into second gear, not only spitting on 'next-gen' consoles, but it's going to be when game developers hopefully wake up and realize they should be coding for these GPUs with insane amounts of memory bandwidth, as they're truly next, next-gen technologies.
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Kim Dotcom says he is broke, spent millions on his legal defense
Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom said he is "broke," after spending upwards of $10 million on legal expenses, and is now forced to represent himself at a bail hearing next week. The Simpson Grierson law firm stepped down representation of Dotcom two weeks ago, but hasn't issued a public statement regarding the case. The FBI says Dotcom received more than $200 million in "criminal proceeds," as Dotcom traveled the world, living an extremely high-profile lifestyle.
Dotcom faces extradition to the United States to face piracy charges - as the US government continues to be heavily influenced by copyright groups, lobbying politicians and lawmakers - as Dotcom wished he didn't try to become involved in New Zealand politics. In addition to dumping millions into the failed campaign, many Dotcom supporters eventually turned on him.
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Foxconn rumored to be making sapphire glass for Apple next-gen product
As according to 'China Economic Weekly News' and Chiphell, Foxconn Technology is rumored to be producing the next-generation of sapphire glass screens for Apple's iPhone platform. As it currently stands, they are one of Apple's main OEM partners and taking on this project will be yet another service they offer to the technology giants.
This deal is rumored to have taken place with Foxconn due to Apple's last partnered screen provider, GT Advanced Technologies, delacring bankruptcy a mere two months ago. The sapphire screen isn't confirmed for release in next-generation iPhones, but according to sources it seems like the most likely offering.
Market analysts have warned against the use of Sapphire glass on iPhone models however, claiming that the speed of production for this method of display is very low and could create a shortage in future iPhone supply. Previously, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 plus models didn't utilize sapphire glass screens, seeing local Sapphire production companies report low stock pricing.
In addition to iPhone utilization, Apple are reportedly planning to use this technology for their upcoming releases of the Apple watch.
We will continue to report as the story develops on exactly what the large scale technology company will use sapphire technology for.
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iPhone 6 and 6 Plus users reading habits have changed against tablets
According to latest reading services data, since the release of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in May this year these two devices have changed user's reading habits favorably toward the aforementioned smartphones and away from iPad's offerings.
The study also claims that due to the iPhone 6 Plus' big screen offering, the users have experienced on average, a 40% increase in video viewing.
Market analysts had already predicted these findings before the iPhone latest generation releases, claiming not only will it reduce tablet sales and usage but likely remove all need for users to utilize the iPad mini platform - which provides a very similar screen sizing to what the iPhone 6 Plus has to offer.
It's been reported that the growth rate for tablets in 2014 was only 12.7% in 2014 and has been expected to decrease to around 5% as soon as 2018.
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DayZ beta is coming late next year, is also arriving on consoles
After 12 months on Steam's Early Access, DayZ is getting some much needed updates, with its developer finally coming clean on what's going on with the open-world game next year.
The developer is splitting the updates into quarterly released, where in Q1 2015, we will see DayZ updated with a new zombie AI, basic vehicles, diseases and more. Q2 will see advanced vehicles, advanced animals, a new UI, player stamina, and more. Q3 will have traps, barricading, aerial transport, and a console prototype. Then in Q4, we'll see the beta unleashed, as well as animal companions, base building and Steam community integration.
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Android OS dominating iOS and Windows in tablet and smartphone market
News has just come to light that Android continues to dominate the global market in smartphones, controlling a massive total of 85% of all devices. This marks Apple and Windows OS systems falling further behind the leader, likely due to Chinese domestic phone offerings incorporating third-party Android OS platforms.
As far as tablets are concerned, IDC claims that Android's market share makes up for 67.7% of the total amount, alongside Apple's iOS offering falling to 27.5% and Windows sitting at just under 5%. However, Microsoft has experienced a growth of 67.3% over 2014, fllowing suit of Android who grow 16% in its own right. Unfortunately for Apple, as the competitors grow, they must fall - reporting a 12.7% drop over the same time period.
The tablet market is also changing. Whilst growing smaller each year in size, as users prefer to use one device (like their smartphone) over controlling multiple - it has been noted that people are buying tablets less often. IDC claims that the life-cycle for most tablets now reaches 3-4 years, alongside an expected 3 year expectancy rate for smartphones.
Another theory into Microsoft's rise and Androids continued dominance is Apple's tablet pricing - it's often noted that Apple iPad retail models are listed at a much higher price than its competitors offerings, this being on of the main arguments made by Android fans in their war waged against iOS.
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Ubisoft admits Assassin's Creed: Unity is broken, offers free DLC
The launch of Assassin's Creed: Unity didn't go too well at all, with the game still experiencing teething problems. Ubisoft has now come out and apologized to everyone, announcing it will be providing its upcoming "Dead Kings" expansion pack for free, to all AC:U players, as a way of saying sorry for shipping a clearly, very broken game.
For those who purchased the season pass or Gold edition of Assassin's Creed: Unity will get the DLC for 'free' anyway, so these people will be offered a free game. You can choose from Far Cry 4, The Crew, Watch Dogs, Assassin's Creed Black Flag, Rayman Legends, and Just Dance 2015.
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ASRock's X99 WS-E/10G features Quad LAN, 2xGbE, 2x10GbE ports
It looks like ASRock is about to unveil a true beast of a motherboard, in the form of the X99 WS-E/10G, which will feature no less than four Ethernet ports. Yes, four.
We also have 60A 12-phase power circuitry, plus inductor memory alloy, 12K Nichicon capacitors, Ultra Dual-N MOSFET, sapphire black PCB, eight DDR4 UDIMM/RDIMM ECC support, supporting up to 128GB of DDR4 RAM. There are 12 x SATA 6Gbps, an eSATA port, a SATA Express port, SATA DOM, M.2, support for PCIe 2.0 x4/SATA 6Gbps, four USB 3.0 ports, four USB 2.0 ports, and Realtek ALC1150 7.1-channel sounr with Purity Sound technology. It's quite the feature-packed motherboard, that's for sure.
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Deploying police body cameras could help avoid high-profile incidents
The unfortunate incident between officer Darren Wilson and Michael Brown, which left Brown dead and many people rioting in Ferguson, Missouri, has become a prominent platform in the promotion of body cameras. A growing number of police agencies are deploying wearable cameras, typically clipped to an officer's uniform, as a method to record officer interactions with members of the community - and a way to help provide insight into deadly encounters.
Department of Justice officials and other law enforcement experts share similar findings - and believe the use of body cameras could help prevent future incidents like in Ferguson. Civil liberty groups say the videos would help prevent officers from abusing their authority, while law enforcement groups mention citizens would be less likely to falsely accuse officers of wrongdoing.
However, there is concern that police could tamper with the videos, or officers simply didn't turn the camera on when they should have. There are privacy concerns, especially as some of the footage could find its way onto the Internet - and proves this still a lively discussion topic that will require all sides to come to the table and create solutions.
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3DHead CEO's exclusive interview rebutting Reddit user claims
Just yesterday we published an article on 3DHead's apparent disappearance from the market, after promising to provide an "Oculus Killer" as mentioned through their wacky marketing video.
David first mentioned the claims made regarding his 'FilmOn X' company, set to provide streamed broadcast TV to subscribers mobile phones, stating: "I've attached an article from Litigation daily that reviews the position of FilmOn X in the USA. Please note that FilmOn X is the company that was called Aereokiller not FilmOn TV.
I hope this helps clear up some misunderstandings." If anyone wishes to view this document, we've uploaded it to Google Drive.
He then addressed 3DHead itself, making sure to mention its features and costing - also stating that 3DHead will be making an appearance at the upcoming CES Las Vegas 2015 technology show, with its own booth on display.
"3DHead is not a VR knock off [of] Oculus but rather a 2D and 3D, 2K resolution projection system in the headset and a 1920x1080 tablet that has 3D viewing technology that does not require glasses. It's very popular in Asia and is now finding its way over to the West.
The handset and handset has the GCS3 Gamecaster tech bundled into it. There are two uses for this... one is for the motion tracking which is very advanced and the second is that with the use of a plugin the handset becomes a Virtual 3D Camera just like the Gamecaster but the difference is cost. Gamecaster sells to major studios like EA for $50,000 plus but our version will retail at $3,999 to studios. This gives them a very powerful tool to shoot 3D movies in real-time when incorporated with Autodesk products and Unreal Engine.
So we have two products one for consumers and one for professionals. These are being launched at CES at the 3DHead booth.
The design currently on the site is the prototype version the new version has much sleeker, much lighter design and the parts have been miniaturized even more.
The prices will come down in the future but right now it's a hell of a product because it is compatible with all the already existing games and platforms like Xbox and PlayStation. And guess what... its even compatible with Oculus."
As according to David, his project will provide users with a product that only works with PS3, XBOX and PC (as seen through his video), but will also provide game studios with a cheaper alternative for production and design when compared to what's currently on offer. We haven't been told what the expected retail price is through this statement to the public, but we will report on it as information is released to us.
David is well known for speaking his mind and in true fashion added the following to his contact with us: "As for jabs taken at FilmOn critics can suck my d***. I've attached a recent legal overview to what we have been doing. Yes Aereo has finally been killed. But FilmOn lives on and is a very profitable exciting business.
FilmOn was around long before Aereo and all the roadkill we've seen along the way. We are a global platform with different channel offerings geo filtered for different countries. And how it differs from the likes of Aereo... we are primarily ad funded and free to the consumer in SD mode."
Do you have any questions that you would like to ask David yourself? Feel free to leave them in the comment section below or on our Facebook page - we will keep in contact and report as the story develops.
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Experts still claim Edward Snowden data leaks cost lives
Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden was disgusted by NSA and GCHQ mass surveillance activities, and disclosed the questionable actions of both agencies. However, multiple lawmakers and politicians have spoken out against his actions, saying he has put military personnel and intelligence agents at risk.
"Consequently there are people dying who actually would now be alive," said Lord West, a former UK security minister and Navy admiral. "It is now critical that we move forward the Communications Data Bill that was paused so unreasonably because there is a very real danger that unless we do this, I think it is not exaggerating to say that people will die in this country who would have been safe if that had been in place."
Former New York Police Department commissioner Raymond Kelly also said Snowden's actions have allowed terrorists and criminals to change their tactics to regain anonymity.
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Barnes & Noble offers 7" Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK for $129 on Friday
Book retailer Barnes & Noble will have the 7-inch Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK device available to in-store customers on Black Friday for $129.99 while supplies last. The 10-inch model will be available for $249 both in-store and online, the company said in a press statement.
"We are excited to offer customers our fantastic lineup of NOOK devices at all excellent values, right on time for their holiday shopping," said Doug Carlson, Chief Marketing Officer, in a press statement. "In particular, customers will love our amazing one-day, in-store offer on the 7-inch device. Our customers and their families can enjoy a NOOK device together as they read books or watch movies, enhancing their shared holiday experience."
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Tablets running Microsoft Windows available for less than $100
Microsoft Windows is struggling to compete against Google Android and Apple iOS in the tablet market, but the company is steadily growing a following. For consumers operating on a budget - and seeking a Windows-powered tablet device - there are a few different models available for $100 or less.
Despite a low price tag, the tablets have just 32GB of storage and typically don't have high-resolutions - and typically have limited connectivity.
Windows saw a massive 67.3 percent year-over-year growth in 2014, and now accounts for 4.6 percent of the tablet market, according to the IDC research group.
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Report: GoPro planning to jump into the consumer drone market
Action camera maker GoPro plans to jump into the consumer drone market sporting high-definition cameras, which will launch in 2015, according to a report published by the Wall Street Journal. The drones should be available late next year and costs will range from $500 up to $1,000 per drone, but design styles are still unknown.
A GoPro spokesman told the WSJ that "jaw-dropping GoPro footage recorded from quadcopters," is already available - and producing impressive content. "Earlier this year, to study the policy implications and to protect the rights of our users, GoPro joined the Washington-based Small UAV coalition," the spokesman mentioned.
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Hacker pleads guilty to embezzling thousands from Wikileaks
Sigurdur Thordarson, a computer hacker and former Wikileaks associate, has pleaded guilty for embezzling at least $240,000 from the group. Operating under the name of "Siggi the Hacker," the Icelandic man claims he also became an FBI informant in 2011, though rejected accusations he stole any funds from the group.
"He was a volunteer who abused his position through fraud to obtain money from T-shirts and coffee mugs just after we were imposed with the banking blockade," said Kristinn Hrafnsson, Wikileaks representative. "We lodged a complaint in Denmark pertaining to a meeting that took place between him and FBI agents in 2011. We want that to be probed on the basis that it was an illegal operation according to Danish law."
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Researchers boost solar cell efficiency 21.8% with Blu-ray technology
Data storage affects every aspect of modern life, but it turns out the technology developed for Blu-ray data storage can also have other uses. Solar cells work by trapping light, and it turns out that the same patterns used on the surface of Blu-Ray disks can absorb 21.8% more light than other textures. Solar cell efficiency is measured by how many photons they can absorb, and current designs utilize quasi-random nanostructures to boost efficiency. The pits and grooves present on a Blu-ray are between 150 and 525 nanometers, which is coincidentally the perfect size for trapping photons.
The findings will be published in the journal Nature Communications under the title "Repurposing Blu-ray Movie Discs as Quasi-random Nanoimprinting Templates for Photon Management."
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Vodafone admits it accidentally sent too much information to police
The British government requested data on one journalist as part of Operation Elveden, focused on alleged bribes made to public officials for information, and "accidentally" received data on 1,000 News UK staff. Vodafone said there was some type of human error that led to the extra data being supplied, while police officials said they returned the information.
"Unfortunately, there was a human error during the processing of this information - which was drawn manually from a legacy system - as a consequence of which the Met Police were supplied with a corrupted dataset containing a significantly higher volume of metadata than had been the focus of the warrant received by Vodafone. The metadata in question relates to call logs and other information, such as pricing data, not the content or location of any communications."
Although the request was made legally, it is a glaring problem that needs to be fixed on Vodafone's side, to ensure extra records don't magically find their way to the government in the future. Citizens already are increasingly concerned about possible police and government surveillance, and News UK staff will likely be interested to hear more about this incident - and to learn if their information was analyzed before being returned.
"The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) recognized the sensitivity of the excess data provided and ensured it was retained securely, until it was returned to Vodafone," a police spokesman said. "The Metropolitan Police consulted with the Interception of Communications Commission's Office and the Information Commissioner on how this error should best be managed."
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Peripheral maker Razer teases upcoming e-sports documentary
Peripheral gaming company Razer today announced that it will screen the "Team Razer: Great Games" documentary during DreamHack Winter in Sweden on November 29. The documentary follows professional gamers playing StarCraft II, Dota 2 and League of Legends - and aims to show gamers an inside view of the current state of professional gaming.
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Kaspersky Lab: Consumers reckless when making online transactions
One-third of consumers are careless when making online transactions, opening them up to potential security problems, according to the Kaspersky Lab Consumer Security Risks Survey. Only 58 percent of Google Android smartphone users utilize a security solution on their mobile device, and 30 percent of consumers are storing financial data on their phones and tablets.
"When people ignore safety measures they can fall victim to cybercriminals," said Ross Hogan, Kaspersky Lab Global Head of the Fraud Protection Division. "However, the banks often end up having to pay for that negligence. With so many careless users, banks and e-payment systems operators must ensure themselves against financial and reputational risks by using specialized security solutions that can prevent cybercrime."
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Samsung unleashes free Far Cry 4 gaming bundle with 840 EVO purchase
Starting on Black Friday, and only available while supplies last, Samsung is offering a free Far Cry 4 download with any purchase of an 840 EVO SSD. The offer is only available from participating retailers, most notably Best Buy, Amazon, Newegg, Microcenter, Fry's, and Tiger Direct. Users will be able to download the game at a Samsung-hosted web address (Samsung.com/fc4) until September 1.
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Sony cuts PlayStation 3, PS4 game prices in pre-Black Friday sale
It's an even better time for console gamers, as Sony also joined the pre-Black Friday fun for gamers. The Japanese electronics company has cut prices for numerous PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 game titles ahead of Black Friday.
Gamers looking for a new console will be able to purchase the PS4 and Xbox One this year at discounted prices.
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Amazon cuts price of unlocked Fire Phone down to $199 to win customers
Amazon gets a lot of things right, but the launch and promotion of its Fire Phone certainly wasn't one of them. The company initially didn't price the device properly when it launched earlier this year, and now has cut the price of the 32GB unlocked Fire Phone to just $199 with no contract required.
The phone originally cost $449, but the $250 price cut shows how intent Amazon is with its current effort to sell the device. AT&T previously offered the Fire Phone for $199 on a two-year contract, but previously cut the price down to just $0.01 with a two-year contract.
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4K TV shipments soar as we approach the holiday shopping season
The 4K TV market is finally expanding rapidly as we enter the holiday shopping season. The total sales figures for retail 4K TV's year-to-date weighs in at 6.4 million units, but over 3 million of those TV's shipped in the last quarter alone. Retailers are obviously stocking up for huge Black Friday sales, and the continued price reductions for ultra-high definition TV's is obviously fueling the healthy sales figures.
Aside from excessive price, another significant reason many have forgone the move to 4K televisions is the lack of 4K media and players. Many of the early adopters are videophiles with impressive home theater systems, and the emergence of sensibly priced 4K-capable receivers is finally a reality. As the ecosystem of 4K capable devices continues to develop we expect a rapid increase.
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Baidu unveils the DuBike smart bike, featuring health perks
Baidu, the Chinese technology company, has teased the Internet with its new connected DuBike smart bike. The bike has multiple sensors that can collect rider data, heart rate, velocity, foot pressure, and seating pressure. DuBike also has the ability to convert kinetic energy into electricity, GPS, and a custom operating system that provides riders with updated routes and nearby users.
Baidu was careful not to add noticeable sensors on the outside of the bike, so hopefully bike thieves won't be drawn to the bike. Pricing information and scheduled release date weren't made available to consumers.
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Demand for drone pilots increasing, with salaries starting at $100K
Do you want to be a drone pilot? There is increasing need for private drone pilots, with salaries often starting at $100,000 per year - and the demand for these specially-trained workers is only increasing. The market is expected to create around 100,000 new jobs over the first 10 years, with a growing number of drones entering private US airspace.
Expect more university programs dedicated to helping groom the next generation of drone pilots.
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Microsoft adds native support for FLAC audio files in Windows 10
Audiophiles, rejoice! Windows 10 Project Manager Gabriel Aul has announced via Twitter that Microsoft will offer native FLAC support in their latest operating system. FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) is a commonly used lossless audio format that provides a more accurate reproduction of recordings. In other words, it sounds better than other formats, such as MP3, which compress recordings down to a more manageable size but lose quality in the process.
It's odd it took this long for Microsoft to support the popular FLAC codec, but in some ways it makes sense. MP3, while of inferior quality, creates files that are small and can be flung out to mobile devices which have limited capacity. MP3 also produces 'good enough' quality for the majority of users. FLAC files are absolutely huge, as anyone who has downloaded them (legally, of course) is well aware of. As new dense storage technologies are working their way to market, such as 3D NAND, we will begin to see portable devices with enough capacity to easily store our precious FLAC files. In the interim, storage on PC's is plentiful and cheap. Prices are hovering around 2.5c per GB, and users can easily store tens of thousands of recordings relatively cheaply.
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Home Depot faces almost 50 lawsuits related to data breach
Home Depot is now facing at least 44 lawsuits related to its massive data breach that it suffered earlier in 2014, along with several state and federal agencies investigating the incident. The data breach hit 56 million customers, with debit and credit card information at risk.
The breach was likely orchestrated by state-sponsored Russian hackers, with all of its retail stores impacted.
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HDD manufacturing rebounds and prices near $25 per TB for holidays
The floods in Thailand in 2011 sent a tidal wave of high prices through the HDD market. The ripples of the flood are just receding and HDD prices are finally rebounding. Black Friday sales are going to feature HDDs for roughly $25 a terabyte, and expect many of these great deals to come without the normal mail in rebate programs. External drives are also going to be exceptionally low priced and feature speedy USB 3.0 interfaces.
More units means lower prices and better deals as we hunt for Black Friday deals. Most consumer HDDs are somewhat similar in performance if they feature the same speed, and nearly all feature the same warranty period. If you are looking for the best hard drive price should be a major factor, as there is little to separate drives of the same speed.
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Shoppers are worried about data breaches, both online and offline
Consumers and retailers both took a beating in 2014, with a number of significant data breaches hitting millions of victims. A recent survey found that consumers are uneasy when shopping online, along with some customers avoiding retailers because of data breach concerns. Sixty-two percent of consumers are worried about online shopping, while 23 percent said they are making less online purchases, according to information from the International Data Group and NCC Group.
"The data suggests that this could continue," said Stephen Boyer, BitSight CTO. "It's going to take some time for retailers to right this ship. If everybody had cleaned up we would see very different results. I hope that we don't see another Target-like breach this year, but when we look at the sector we see that they are actually worse off."
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More than 3 billion people now browsing the Internet across the world
There are now more than 3 billion people with access to the Internet, as information and communication technology (ICT) growth has increased in almost every country across the world. Internet expansion has increased 6.6 percent year-over-year, as companies continue to expand Web access - especially in developing nations.
Denmark leads the world in the ITU ICT Development Index, with Korea following in the No. 2 spot.
Also worth noting, by the end of the year, there will be an estimated 7 billion phone subscribers throughout the world - the same population as residents, analysts expect.
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Sony to launch Xperia Z4 with its next-gen image sensor at CES 2015
It looks like one of the bigger rumors for CES 2015, at least for me, is the news of Sony launching its new Xperia Z4 smartphone at the Las Vegas-based event in January 2015.
The new image sensor works almost like anti-aliasing when it comes to pictures, giving them a much sharper look as if you were using a much more powerful camera. All the other specifications and grunt under the Z4 hood is just gravy, baby.
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Google introduces Liftware smart spoon that helps people with tremors
Tech giant Google is now promoting the Liftware spoon, a custom-designed smart utensil that is able to help people with tremors and Parkin's disease make eating easier. Lift Lab, the smart spoon's manufacturer, was acquired by Google earlier in 2014 - and has now been rolled into the Google X life sciences division.
The spoon is able to analyze how a hand is shaking, and uses hundreds of algorithms to make adjustments to stay balanced. There are more than 10 million people throughout the world that suffer from Parkin's disease and tremors, and the spoon can reportedly reduce shaking by an average 76 percent. The Liftware spoon is available now for $295.
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San Francisco startup Doorman delivers packages, fighting theft
To counter package theft, and make e-commerce shopping and delivery easier, San Francisco Bay Area startup Doorman will deliver packages to customers. The service costs $4 per package, or frequent ecommerce buyers can pay $19 or $29 per month for the silver and gold packages. Deliveries are made from 6:00PM until midnight, currently available only in San Francisco.
Doorman is designed to make it more convenient for residents to receive their packages, while also helping prevent against theft. Throughout some parts in the Bay Area, package theft - taken off house porches and from apartment doorsteps - as thieves tend to take packages while people are away from their house in the afternoon.
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Insight into the mind of a former NSA programmer/hacker
Many cybersecurity specialists working for the NSA and GCHQ tend to get burned out, and then head to the private sector. It provides a unique opportunity to hear more about some of the efforts the US government have employed to conduct organized cyberespionage against foreign governments.
"Whether they're cybercriminals or state sponsored actors, I think a lot of times they can get into a network using a less sophisticated approach or a variant of a known piece of malware... it's a lower risk operationally for them," said Jim Penrose, former NSA employee and part of the department's Tailored Access Operations (TAO) group. "They don't want to fire silver bullets unless it's absolutely necessary; like a zero day or something like that, or a previously unseen piece of malware. Those are really high quality and you want to save those for a time when it's absolutely critical."
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Xiaomi continues expansion at its own pace, less concerned of rivals
Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi has enjoyed a meteoric rise to become the No. 3 smartphone company in the world - but don't expect it to jump into new markets just for the sake of expansion. Xiaomi is focusing on China, India and Indonesia, for example, while Brazil, Russia, Mexico, Turkey and Thailand will have to wait until later down the road.
As Xiaomi continues to grow, the company will likely need its own manufacturing plants - and lessen the burden on its partners. However, it appears Xiaomi management is prepared to have new markets wait as it is able to establish itself further - showing impressive logic that other companies don't necessarily appreciate until it's too late.
"Xiaomi is facing a ten-year slog to internationalize," noted Neil Mawston, Strategy Analytics executive director. "Strong global growth outside the home base of China will not happen overnight."
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NASA has successfully 3D printed the first object on the ISS
NASA is doing some cool things on-board the International Space Station, with the US space agency taking up a 3D printer and printing out some cool faceplate.
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Amazon Selling Services has the retail giant doing on-site installs
Amazon is trialling a new marketplace for service providers, something it calls Selling Services, which wants to hook buyers up with professionals who can install, or perform services.
Amazon will take 20% of the service fee on jobs worth up to $1000, while jobs over $1000 will see Amazon taking 15%. Background checks will cost $50 per business, and $40 per participating employee. Amazon is trialling Selling Services in over a dozen cities and surrounding areas across the United States.
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Maniac Mansion spiritual successor funded on Kickstarter in a week
Last week we reported on Thimbleweed Park, the "true spiritual successor" to the super-awesome Maniac Mansion, which hit Kickstarter with a funding goal of $375,000. Well, one week later, it has been met, and isn't stopping.
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MyDigitalSSD Bullet Proof 5 (BP5) SATA m.2 Enclosure Review
The MyDigitalSSD Bullet Proof 5 comes in both diskless, 64GB, 128GB and 256GB capacities. Marketing numbers will depend on what SATA m.2 you decide to choose, but the enclosure itself is capable of delivering 475 MB/s read and 415 MB/s write. With this being an m.2 solution, the BP5 is capable of using 42mm, 60mm and 80mm SSDs. Compatibility extends to Windows and OS X, but you will want to use Windows 8 or OS X 10.8 to enjoy UASP support.
MSRP of the MyDigitalSSD in the 256GB is set at $179.99 with a one-year warranty.
The MyDigitalSSD Bullet Proof 5 is a rather unique storage solution in that it's the first to utilize the SATA m.2 form factor in a compact solution. Build quality of the enclosure was decent, but there is certainly room for improvement if they were to use a metal enclosure, like previous mSATA solutions.
Performance was great with sequential reads and random read operations, but the unit really suffered with incompressible data when writing to the drive. We assume this is because of the Phison controller on the m.2 SSD.
Overall, for those that want a complete ready to go solution, the Bullet Proof 5 is great if you can find one of the populated solutions available on Amazon, otherwise you may find yourself spending a bit more trying to put the unit together.
PRICING: You can find the MyDigitalSSD BP5 SuperSpeed USB 3.0 SATA M.2 NGFF SSD UASP Enclosure Combo with 256GB Solid State Drive - MDM2-BP5-256-COMBO 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 MyDigitalSSD BP5 SuperSpeed USB 3.0 SATA M.2 NGFF SSD UASP Enclosure Combo with 256GB Solid State Drive - MDM2-BP5-256-COMBO retails for $179.99 at Amazon.
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