IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 21/12/2014

New ghostly snailfish swimming at great depths in Mariana Trench
Oceanographers filmed a ghostly deep-sea snailfish 8,145 meters, around five miles, below the surface in the Mariana Trench. The 30-day research voyage took place aboard the Falkor ocean vessel, which also led to two or three other new species also recorded.

"We're pretty confident it's a snailfish," said Dr. Alan Jamieson, from the University of Aberdeen's Oceanlab, in an interview with ABC News. "Not that we know. It's a new species."

Snailfish tend to persevere in tough environments, but researchers were shocked to find the new ghostly species living so deep in the trench. However, this unique creature has broader fins which are translucent, an eel-like tail and stringy appendages that give it a better physical ability to live under so much water pressure.

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Xbox One VR kit confirmed by developers, should arrive at E3 2015
We've heard the rumors a few times now, and only just a few days ago we reported that we'd be seeing Microsoft unveil a VR headset for the Xbox One at E3 2015 but now developers have confirmed that they're working on an Xbox One VR head-mounted display (HMD).

VRFocus has spoken with "several studios" that have confirmed they're working on a device, but no specific information was shared. We should see Microsoft competing directly with Sony and its PS4 VR headset "Project Morpheus" as well as the king of the VR hill, Oculus VR and the Rift headset.


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North Korea offers joint investigation with the US over Sony hack
The US government may have pegged North Korea behind the big hack against Sony Pictures, but now the state news agency KCNA has reported that North Korea has proposed a joint investigation with the United States over the breach.

The FBI has come forward, formally accusing North Korea of the attack on Sony Pictures, where President Barack Obama has said that he would "respond proportionally." North Korea has added that it can prove it had nothing to do with the cyberattack against Sony Pictures, with a statement from the country saying that there would be "grave consequences" if the US government turns down its olive branch over the investigation, and continues to accuse North Korea of wrongdoing.


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NVIDIA rumored to launch GeForce GTX 960 in January, 150W power draw
When NVIDIA unveiled its Maxwell architecture in September, we were thoroughly impressed. Even the high-end GPUs were able to sip power, while providing an immense amount of power. Well, the time has come for the mid-range GPUs to come out and surprise with the rumors of a GeForce GTX 960 announcement continuing, something we should hear about next month.

The new Maxwell-based GeForce GTX 960 is reportedly set for an announcement on January 22, 2015 - a new GPU that would feature a single 6-pin PCIe connector. This means the GeForce GTX 960 would only consume a total of 150W, down from the 165W required on the high-end GeForce GTX 980. We should see third-party cards from the likes of ZOTAC, ASUS, GIGABYTE and others that will ramp things up with custom coolers and increased power requirements, but the reference GTX 960 will sip between 100-120W with a total TDP of 150W.

Where things will get interesting is how competitive NVIDIA prices the GTX 960 in the market, where we should expect a price in the US of between $200-$250, which should begin to push AMD up against the wall. AMD has plenty of cards in the mid-range GPU market, with the Radeon R9 285, R9 280, and then the slightly more expensive R9 280X and R9 290s, but NVIDIA could really start taking away some of those Radeon sales with this new GeForce GTX 960. Especially if it could release it at $199, it could be the card to buy for the first half of 2015.


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Green Man Gaming joins in on the festive gaming sale goodness
Valve may have kicked off its annual Steam Holiday Sale, but Green Man Gaming is becoming a bigger gaming sale force to be reckoned with, with their new Green Grogre holiday sale.

The digital games retailer has a slew of games on sale, which include Alien: Isolation for $25 and The Evil Within for $20.39. Total War: Rome 2 Emperor Edition is on sale for just $14.98, too. You can also jump on the massive Half-Life Complete Edition, or Tomb Raider Franchise compilations, both of which have a huge 75% off.

Green Man Gaming is running their Green Grogre holiday sale from now through to January 2, with various games to go on sale on a rotation.


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Facebook again dropping in popularity among teenagers, study indicates
No. 1 social networking site Facebook must do something to appeal more towards teenagers, as the site again dropped in popularity among users 13 to 17 years old, according to a survey conducted by Frank N. Magid Associates. Facebook usage among teenagers dropped from 95 percent in 2012 down to 94 percent in 2013, and further declined in 2014 to 88 percent.

Although 88 percent is still quite impressive, there is growing concern that Facebook no longer is the "in" thing for teenage users. Ironically, Facebook-owned Instagram is cannibalizing its market share, as other social networking websites continue to pressure Facebook. However, Facebook still seems to be in an ideal position to remain the most popular choice among teenagers, even though some have argued that the website has lost its touch.

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg noted that the "vast majority of US teens are on Facebook, and the majority of US teens use Facebook almost every day." - and Forrester Research numbers found Facebook is still the top social networking website among those aged between 12 and 17.


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Cyanogen CEO: "Samsung couldn't build a good OS if they tried"
Shots fired: During the launch of YU Digital's new smartphone, the CEO and founder of Cyanogen Kirt McMaster attended, where he had some striking things to say about Samsung during a Q&A session after the announcement of the smartpone from YU Digital's new Yureka smartphone.

McMaster said that its competitors can't match them, and then said "Samsung couldn't build a good OS if they tried." He continued, adding that Cyanogen is all about "super optimizing Android and taking it to a new level. since they started. We believe that... there's an opportunity to be the first or second dominant version of Android on the planet."

He didn't only go after Samsung, he had some not-so-nice things to say about Mozilla's Firefox and Samsung and Intel's collaborative OS, Tizen, are "irrelevant" they have "zero user bases" and "it's meaningless." Don't hold back, McMaster, don't hold back at all, okay? You can watch him cut into Mozilla and Samsung at the 1:16:45 mark on the YouTube video above.

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Notch's new $70 million mansion? Someone made it in Minecraft
Markus "Notch" Persson may have dropped $70 million on the most expensive house in Beverly Hills, outbidding the likes of JayZ and Beyonce, but someone has spent much more time and effort recreating the amazing mansion in... you guessed it... Minecraft.

Dan Bovey has spent considerable time rebuilding the massive mega-mansion, with a close to shot-for-shot comparison between the recreated one in Minecraft, and the real $70 million mansion. Impressive stuff!

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Miyamoto says Nintendo currently working on new consoles for gamers
Microsoft and Sony are clashing with their Xbox One and PlayStation 4 game consoles, while Nintendo quietly develops ideas for a new generation game console, according to Shigeru Miyamoto. It's not uncommon for companies to quickly begin development of a new game console while actively promoting its current offering - but plans typically remain quiet, with company executives not discussing anything with the media.

"For the time being, our focus is on the Wii U hardware, but Nintendo as a whole has groups working on ideas for new hardware systems," Miyamoto said in an interview with the AP. "While we're busy working on software for the Wii U, we have production lines that are working on ideas for what the next system might be."

It's possible the next Mario game could be saved until the next Nintendo console platform is made available - but the gaming world will have to wait for confirmation.


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Cybersecurity expert warns against retaliating against North Korea
The United States pointed towards North Korea being behind the massive Sony Pictures data breach, and many have argued for some type of retaliation against the country. However, trying to determine how to seek revenge on the North Korean government, in regards to cyberattacks, remains difficult. Trying a cyberattack in response would be risky, as the US has significantly more to lose if the North Koreans, along with its allies, decide to escalate the issue further.

"Nothing more," said Christopher Budd, online security communications professional, in a post published by GeekWire. "Yes, you read that right: nothing more. I believe that the U.S. should do nothing more in response to this situation than they already have: naming North Kore clearly as being behind this."

It seems more likely the US government will impose further sanctions on North Korea - and perhaps find ways to hurt the country's economy even further. Another idea is to find a way to distribute "The Interview" inside of North Korea, along with distributing "Team America" into the country - but that seems rather far-fetched.


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McAfee says cyber espionage attacks will only increase in 2015
Cyber espionage is a growing underworld business, with small nation states and foreign terror groups continuing to launch cyberattacks against enemies, according to a report released by McAfee Labs. Everything from distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks to malware being delivered via social engineering techniques are being added to cyber arsenals, used by increasingly sophisticated groups.

Established nations with cyber warfare programs will look for stealthier methods to gather intelligence and cripple political and military rivals - and developing cyber espionage programs remain dedicated to stealing finances and causing disruptions.

"Of particular note, McAfee Labs now sees sophisticated Eastern European cybercriminals shifting from quick, direct attacks on financial-institution customer credentials (leading to financial theft) to a more sophisticated advanced persistent threat (APT) approach in which they collect intelligence that they can either sell or use at a later date," according to the McAfee report.

A link to the full McAfee Labs report can be found here (PDF).


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BlackBerry's revenue drops 34%, ending the year on a bad note
BlackBerry's revenue dropped 34 percent during its fiscal third quarter, posting a net loss of $148 million, ending Q3 with $3.1 billion in cash. It may seem like a major financial loss, but the Canadian smartphone maker lost $4.4 billion during Q3 last year, and was a slightly smaller loss than reported during Q2.

The company expects it to take a "couple of quarters" before sales begin to increase, as BlackBerry still struggles to compete against the Apple iPhone - and smartphones from Samsung and other manufacturers using Google Android.

Here is what Chen said during the financial call: "Things are happening. I'm encouraged that they are happening, but I wouldn't say that all things are well. I mean we still need a lot of work and a lot of attention and working well together and that's what I'm spending most of my time on."


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Bitcoin advocate Charlie Shrem given two-year prison sentence
Bitcoin supporter Charlie Shrem, 25, was given a two-year prison sentence for his role in sending $1 million in bitcoins to Silk Road. He pled guilty earlier in the year for aiding and abetting an unlicensed money transmitting business. Shrem was a former vice chairman for the Bitcoin Foundation, and must also forfeit $950,000 for his role in the operation.

Shrem was described as someone who "excitedly" participated in the "very innovativeness" of drug trafficking, according to U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff. The bitcoin supporter faced up to five years in prison, while the court wanted a 57-month term - as Shrem's BitInstant company knowingly processed bitcoins that were used to sell and purchase drugs via Silk Road.

Shrem offered the following statement via Twitter: "I've been sentenced to 2 years, to self surrender in 90 days. Considering I was facing 30 years, justice has been served. #Bitcoin."


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Sony admits US console fight growing as Xbox One price cuts working
It will be fun to see analyst sales figures for console sales after Christmas, as Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Andrew House admits the Xbox One is giving the PlayStation 4 a run for its money. Even though sales are described as "in line" with Sony's previous expectations, the cheaper price tag for the Xbox One has led to a significant sales bump for Microsoft.

The Xbox One starts at $350 in the United States, while the PS4 is available starting at $400. The $50 price cut was announced in November and will continue to January 3, 2015.

It appears to be a good time to be a console gamer, as both companies also have several appealing console/game bundles available. Expect continued price cuts and increased competition from both companies in 2015, while they try to woo gamers to their respective platforms.


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T-Mobile was busted and will pay $90 million for cramming behavior
T-Mobile will have to fork over $90 million in refunds, fines and penalties for its longstanding "cramming" behavior, hitting its subscribers with unauthorized charges - and refusing to issue refunds when some subscribers found the charges.

"This is a major settlement that will put tens of millions of dollars back into the pockets of consumers," said Jessica Rich, director of the FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection, in a statement. "This case is about a core principle, that no business should bill a consumer for charges they did not authorize, period."

Cramming behavior seems to be quite popular among wireless carriers, and the most common type of cramming is premium Short Messaging Service (PSMS), normally focused on gossip and jokes of the day. AT&T and T-Mobile have already settled cramming cases, while Sprint is just beginning to face its own problems.


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GIGABYTE MW50-SV0 (Intel C612) Workstation Motherboard Review

Introduction

With the release of Intel's Haswell-EP Xeon processors, we see a large shift in how much computing power workstations can provide. In the single socket market, you can install CPUs that can run up to 18 cores/36 threads, and anywhere from two to four GPUs. The sweet spot with these boards is the ability to run three GPUs; if you need more than that, you might be better off looking at dual socket systems.

Here we have GIGABYTE's new MW50-SV0 single socket 2011-E workstation motherboard that has hit the sweet spot right on the button. When we look at the feature load out for the MWO-SV0, we find you can install a wide range of processors depending on budget and needs. Next is a standard number of RAM slots that allow you to install 64GBs of RAM using 8GB sticks, which is plenty for most applications.

The PCIe layout is ample enough to run up to three video cards, or two video cards and a more powerful storage controller. The mezzanine card slot adds network capabilities that you would normally have to use a PCIe slot for.

So far, everything looks nice for the MW50-SV0. Let's look at the retail package, and then we will look at the MW50-SV0's performance.

Packaging

The front of the retail box is simple, and yet has a nice, pleasing design. There are no noticeable markings to indicate what is inside the retail box. You will find what product is inside by looking at a sticker on the side of the box. This box can be used for many different motherboards, which results in lower packaging costs.

Here we see the back of the retail box. Just like the font of the box, the back is rather generic, and can be used for many different motherboards.

After opening the box, we get our first look at the insides. The motherboard comes packaged in an anti-static bag, and foam inserts surround the sides to protect it.

After removing the motherboard and foam inserts, we find a cardboard insert that flips open to reveal the accessories.

The MW50-SV0 does not come with a great deal of accessories; we find a minimal assortment of parts here. However, it does appear that we did not receive the full accessory list with our review sample. Here is the full break down of all the accessories that are included in the retail package, as listed on the GIGABYTE website:

• 1x Driver CD
• 1x I/O shield
• 1x User manual
• 2x SATA III 6Gb/s cables (500mm)
• 1x Mini-PCIe card bracket
• 1x CrossFire bridge
• 1x SLI bridge
• 1x Tri SLI bridge

... Read the rest in your browser!



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Illuminate & Customize Hardware with Satechi's Computer LED Light Strip
Satechi's Computer LED Light Strip, available now, allows users to choose from sixteen different vibrant colors in order to illuminate and bring any computer workspace to life. The Computer LED Light Strip can be easily applied to most hardware and customized to fit a user's needs and mood.

The Satechi Computer LED Light Strip's flexible and strong design allows users to position it into any number of unlimited desired positions using the attached 3M adhesive. Users can further customize the hardware by choosing between four color rotation modes and brightness levels via the included remote control.

• Flash mode: rotates red, green and blue
• Strobe mode: fades through red, green and blue
• Fade mode: fades through seven different LED colors
• Smooth mode: rotates through seven different LED colors

The high-brightness LEDs last up to 100,000 hours, and comes equipped with everything needed for easily installation. The kit includes two 12" RGB color LED light strips, 12V DV power cable, 4-pin D connector, controller and extension cable.

The Satechi Computer LED Light Strip is available now for an introductory price of $29.99 at Satechi.net and Amazon.com.

For more information on the Computer LED Light Strip and all of Satechi's award winning products, "like" Facebook.com/Satechi and follow @Satechi.


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Oceania to join the fight in Smite world championships season 2
Hi-Rez Studios, developer of SMITE, the free-to-play mythology-themed action game played by over 5 million people, today announced a flurry of activities to support their Oceanic fan-base. Chief among these announcements is the confirmation that Australian and New Zealand players will be able to compete in events leading to an Oceanic Regional Championship in 2015. The Oceanic Regional Champion will have a path to qualify for the Season 2 Smite World Championship.

After a successful showing at PAX Australia and well received launch of Oceanic servers in November, Hi-Rez Studios is also giving some early Christmas presents to SMITE players in the form of continued support for the region. These include:

• Breakfast of the Gods viewing parties for the finals of the inaugural SMITE World Championships, to be held on the morning of Monday 12 January in several cities across Australia and New Zealand.
• Online Oceanic league ladder - launching today in partnership with CyberGamer.com.au.
• Oceanic SMITE-Nites - regular community nights every Thors-day for local fans to find team-mates and play
• Local Agency - appointment of Surprise Attack Consulting to manage Oceanic activity on the ground.

"It was great to meet so many SMITE fans at PAX Australia and feel their love for the game," said Todd Harris, Chief Operating Officer of Hi-Rez Studios. "We're really excited to ramp up our activities in Oceania and can't wait to see what Australian and New Zealand players bring to the Season 2 next year."


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Innodisk Announces Mini-DIMM series DRAM with Very Low Profile height for Communications Applications
Innodisk, the service-driven flash provider, announces Very Low Profile(VLP) DRAM aimed at communications applications. These compact Mini-DIMM format memory modules are ACTA Compliant and a mere .70" tall, making them suitable for the most space-constrained blade servers, routers, telecommunications, and networking devices.

Ultra Low Profile

At just .70"(17.9mm) high, Innodisk's Mini-DIMM modules beat both the JEDEC VLP standard of .74" and the industry standard of .72". These ultra-low profile DIMMs not only fit easily into the most space constrained 1U blade servers and VLP-compatible embedded systems, their extra low profile means improved airflow and thermal performance. Even at this small size, the Mini-DIMM modules come up at capacities up to 8GB for higher memory densities.

ATCA Compliant

Innodisk's Mini-DIMMs are fully ATCA(Advanced Telecom Computing Architecture) Compliant, making them compatible with ATCA blade servers, switches, routers and other ATCA compliant communications equipment. Furthermore, the DIMMs are ARM and MIPS instruction set compatible, allowing them be used in a whole range of telecom system applications.

Enterprise Grade

With an in-house manufacturing and testing facility, Innodisk uses top-grade ICs in its Very Low Profile Memory. Each Mini-DIMM uses Enterprise-Grade chips for the best reliability, and goes through an 8-hour burn-in test, ensuring only the best quality DIMMs make it through.

Availability

Innodisk's Mini-DIMMs comes in capacities of 2, 4, and 8GB and speeds of 1066/1333/1600MHz DDR3. Both Registered and ECC memory modules are available for your mission critical application. Innodisks Mini-DIMMs are compatible with ARM and MIPS based systems common in telecommunications.

For product details, please visit: http://goo.gl/ZFA2lp


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Logitech Shareholders Approve Proposals, Including Dividend, at Annual General Meeting
Logitech International today announced that, at its annual general meeting held here today, the Company's shareholders approved a dividend of CHF 0.26 per share, an increase of 25 percent over the prior year, following a year of strong cash flow from operations.

Logitech shareholders eligible for the dividend must purchase the shares by the close of trading on Dec. 23, 2014 on the SIX Swiss Exchange or the Nasdaq Global Select Market. The dividend is expected to be distributed on Dec. 30, 2014. Shareholders will find more information about the dividend on the Logitech corporate website at http://ir.logitech.com.


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SYNNEX Corporation Broadens Cable Footprint with Time Warner Cable Business Class Distribution Agreement
SYNNEX Corporation, a leading distributor of IT products and services, has broadened its cable footprint by signing a distribution agreement with Time Warner Cable Business Class (TWCBC). With this addition, SYNNEX' cable offering through its MOBILITYSolv group now covers many of the major cable markets in the US.

By adding TWCBC, SYNNEX solution providers have access to a comprehensive suite of data, voice, video and managed cloud services. SYNNEX' network infrastructure helps businesses scale their ever-increasing bandwidth needs, while delivering cost savings, access to the latest technologies as they launch, speed that helps automate and enable the online workflow and agility to choose the best level of connectivity support for cloud infrastructure. Additionally, TWCBC's Partner Program provides attractive compensation and delivers added-value and choice for partners.

"By offering the best-in-class technology and geographic strength of Time Warner Cable Business Class, SYNNEX allows our solution providers to execute on the 'move' portion of our 'connect, move and control' mobility strategy," said Bob Stegner, Senior Vice President, Marketing, North America, SYNNEX Corporation. "This enables our solution providers to bring reliable, cable and fiber-based internet, voice, and TV products to their commercial customers, allowing them to gain more bandwidth at a cost-effective price."

"Our agreement with SYNNEX further enhances their holistic approach in enterprise mobility and significantly expands their geographic reach," said Jim Delis, Group Vice President of Partner Channels for Time Warner Cable Business Class. "Their innovative strategy and deep resources complement TWCBC's offerings to provide resellers with a truly game-changing solution."

SYNNEX began building out its cable practice by signing a distribution agreement with Comcast Business in 2013. With the addition of TWCBC, SYNNEX now covers most of the major cable markets in the US, demonstrating its continued progress in leading the mobility charge in IT distribution.

To learn more about TWCBC through SYNNEX Corporation, visit http://www.synnex.com/mobilitysolv or email mobilitysolv@synnex.com.


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The World's Fastest Charging External Battery: 100% in just 15 Minutes
Inspired by electric-vehicle supercharging technology, UK hardware start-up Petalite have announced the Petalite Flux, an external battery for your phone that can be charged to 100% (2,600mAh) in just 15 minutes; combined with their revolutionary Power Dock technology the Petalite flux can either be charged normally via USB or in just 15 minutes with 10 amps of power when using the Power Dock.

Petalite built the Flux to solve a clear issue with mobile phones: convenience when charging. Smartphones take an average of 2 hours per day to charge to 100%, that is over 56 days connected to a wall during a typical 2 year phone contract. Other external batteries exist but take hours to recharge once flat; with 15 minute charging you save 49 days of tethered wall charging throughout the life of your phone.

Engineered with performance in mind, the Flux is designed to keep up with the pace of modern life - a super-fast charge for people working and constantly on-the-go. The Flux removes the everyday worry of running out of power; an unneeded burden during the most pivotal moments of your day whether: you are out for lunch, at work, or socializing - you always have the power to stay connected.

Weighing 95g (3.35 oz), with a stylish, cylindrical design and utilizing automotive grade components, the Flux is incredibly durable and reliable, whilst also being ergonomic and light enough to fit within your hand, purse or pocket as you continue your daily routine. The Power Dock enables 10 amps of charging power compared to the 1 amp provided by the standard iPhone 6 charger, the secret to the Petalite Flux's performance.

Petalite CEO, Leigh Purnell, said: "I founded Petalite Battery Systems to permanently remove the stress and worry of having a mobile phone with a low battery when you are out. It is an increasing problem in modern life."

Currently Crowd-funding on Indiegogo here http://igg.me/at/petalite, the first generation of Petalite Flux and Power Dock are expected to be shipped worldwide to early adopters by June, 2015.


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Skylanders Unleashes Two New Elements for the First Time in Franchise History
For the first time since the launch of the Skylanders® franchise, two entirely new elements - Light and Dark - will be unleashed in the world of Skylands, announced Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc.

Two new Trap Masters, Knight Mare and Knight Light, will hit store shelves nationwide this holiday season via special Light and Dark Element Expansion Packs, ushering in new adventures in the lore of Skylanders® Trap Team. Each Element Expansion Pack contains a Trap Master, a special Trap capable of capturing either Light or Dark villains, as well as a location piece that unlocks a special level in the game. The Light and Dark Element Expansion Packs will be available at all major retailers nationwide for a suggested retail price of $29.99. Lucky Skylanders fans will be able to get their hands-on copies of the Light Element Expansion Pack, which will be available first at Toys"R"Us® stores nationwide starting Sunday, December 21.

Portal Masters will have the opportunity to explore new levels within the Skylanders Trap Team universe, where they will find never-before-seen villains to capture and environments to explore. Amongst these villains are Luminous and Nightshade, who belong to the Doom Raiders - the elite members of Kaos' army of Skylands' most notorious bad guys.

"It's amazing to see how deeply engrossed and fascinated our fans have been with the lore of the Skylanders franchise," said John Coyne, vice president of Consumer Marketing at Activision Publishing, Inc. "By unveiling new Light and Dark elements and heroes to the Skylanders universe, our fans around the world will have new ways of exploring all the magic, excitement and fun of Skylands."

The introduction of Light and Dark elements reveals additional backstory of the Skylanders universe for fans to explore. Long ago, Knight Light and Knight Mare were both protectors of Skylands until being sealed off in other realms. Now that they have joined the Trap Masters, Knight Light wields his Traptanium Blade and Knight Mare unleashes her deadly Traptanium Lance to bring down evil everywhere!

Skylanders Trap Team is playable with more than 175 unique toys from all previous games - Skylanders® SWAP Force, Skylanders® Giants and Skylanders® Spyro's Adventure. Every character is able to defeat and trap villains using Traptanium Traps, providing fans more ways to enjoy their collections. The game is available on the following platforms: Nintendo's Wii system and Nintendo's Wii U system; Xbox One and Xbox 360 games and entertainment systems from Microsoft; and PlayStation® 3 and PlayStation® 4 computer entertainment systems from Sony. A different adventure is also available on the Nintendo 3DS hand-held system. Additionally, the complete Skylanders Trap Team experience is available on Kindle Fire and Android tablets, as well as a variety of iPads®, including iPad® (3rd Generation), iPad® (4th Generation), iPad Air, iPad Air 2, iPad mini, iPad mini 2 and iPad mini 3.


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Quantum dot technology to join LG's Ultra HD TV lineup in 2015
LG Electronics (LG) today globally announced a new 4K ULTRA HD TV with quantum dot technology as a new component of its expanded TV lineup at the 2015 International CES®, Jan. 6-9 in Las Vegas. LG's 4K ULTRA HD TVs with quantum dot technology will offer a wider colour palette and improved colour saturation compared to conventional LED LCD TVs. LG Electronics has confirmed this new line-up will be launched in 2015 to complement LG's 4K ULTRA HD TV and OLED TV offerings.

LG's quantum dot technology displays an impressively wide colour gamut, making it ideal for high quality content. The technology works by harnessing nano crystals that range in size from 2 to 10 nanometres. Each dot emits a different colour depending on its size. By adding a film of quantum dots in front of the LED backlight, picture colour reproduction rate and overall brightness are enhanced.

Since the nano-sized dots emit extraordinarily vivid colours, quantum dot technology is able to enhance the already stunning colour expression of LG's 4K ULTRA HD In-Plane Switching (IPS) displays. The colour reproduction rate in LG's IPS panels, which offers high colour accuracy and wide viewing angles, is increased with the addition of the quantum dot film.

"Quantum dot's vibrant and vivid colour reproduction capabilities bring LG's LED/LCD TVs to the next level when it comes to picture quality," said In-kyu Lee, senior vice president and head of the TV and monitor division at the LG Electronics Home Entertainment Company. "The addition of 4K ULTRA HD TV with quantum dot technology to our TV lineup positioned under our award-winning OLED TVs further establishes LG as a leading provider of the most diverse and innovative TV display technologies in the industry."

Visitors to LG's booth at CES 2015 (Las Vegas Convention Center, Central Hall #8204) from Jan. 6-9 will have the opportunity to see LG's stunning 4K ULTRA HD TVs with their own eyes.


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HBO GO Now Available on Amazon Fire TV
Amazon today announced HBO GO is now available on Amazon Fire TV with an HBO subscription through participating affiliates, with integration of its full catalog into Fire TV's voice search. HBO GO will also be available on Fire TV Stick this spring.

"Since launch we've increased the number of services available on Amazon Fire TV by more than 4x," said Peter Larsen, Vice President Amazon Devices. "We're thrilled to add HBO GO, the most requested service, to Fire TV in time for the holidays. HBO has produced some of the most groundbreaking and award-winning TV shows and movies, and we are excited to bring this amazing content to our customers, all of which is accessible via voice search on your Fire TV remote."

"Given our longstanding relationship with Amazon, we're delighted to bring HBO GO to Amazon's Fire TV-offering our vast collection of award-winning TV series and movies to Fire TV users," said Jeff Dallesandro, Vice President, Digital Domestic Network Distribution, HBO. "We're thrilled to add this platform to the suite of HBO GO viewing options, offering our subscribers compelling new experiences like Amazon's unified voice search."

Since launch, Amazon Fire TV has more than quadrupled its selection, with over 700 apps and games now available. With the addition of HBO GO, Fire TV customers now have access to over 1,700 titles including every episode of new and classic HBO series, as well as HBO original films, miniseries, sports, documentaries, specials and a wide selection of blockbuster movies.

To celebrate the addition of HBO GO to the platform, Amazon Fire TV is available for just $79 through December 28 -order at http://www.amazon.com/FireTV.


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Plenty of Time to Order Online: Amazon Extends Free Shipping Order Cutoff to Dec. 19
Amazon today announced it extended holiday shipping deadlines, allowing customers to order with Free Shipping by Dec. 19 and receive items before the Christmas holiday. Prime members can order by Dec. 22 and, for the truly last-minute shoppers, customers in 12 major metro areas can choose from as many as a million eligible items for same-day delivery, order as late as 10:00 a.m. on Dec. 24 and have items delivered before Santa arrives. Customers will continue to find incredible holiday deals on the widest selection of gifts at amazon.com/todaysdeals.

Holiday Ordering Deadlines

For delivery by Christmas, visit amazon.com/amazonholidayshipping for details. The following ordering deadlines apply:

• Dec. 19: Free Shipping (order as late as 11:59 p.m. EST)
• Dec. 22: Two-Day Shipping (Free with Amazon Prime)
• Dec. 23: One-Day Shipping (As low as $2.99 per item with Amazon Prime)
• Dec. 24: Same-Day Delivery (order as late as 10:00 a.m. local time; $5.99 per shipment with Amazon Prime)
• Dec. 25: Give the gift of Prime or send an Amazon.com Gift Card

Prime Member on your Shopping List?

With tens of millions of them around the world, gift givers are likely to have a Prime member on their list this holiday. If so, Amazon has some suggestions. Find great ideas using the Amazon gift finder based on what other customers are buying now, or shop some of the most wished-for items by Prime members, including:

• Capital in the Twenty-First Century by Thomas Piketty
• GoPro Hero 3+ Black Edition
• Amazon Fire TV
• Kindle Paperwhite
• Disney's Frozen [Two-disc Blu-ray, DVD + Digital Copy]

Give the Gift of Prime

In addition to fast, free shipping on more than 20 million items, when shoppers give the gift of Prime, they are also giving a year's worth of entertainment. Membership includes unlimited streaming of tens of thousands of movies and TV episodes with Prime Instant Video, including the Golden Globe nominated Amazon Original Series Transparent. Plus, members can enjoy more than one million songs and hundreds of playlists with Prime Music, including the exclusive All Is Bright playlist, which features more than 40 newly-recorded holiday songs. But that's not all, members will find that Prime also includes 600,000 books to borrow with the Kindle Owners Lending Library (as frequently as a book a month), unlimited photo storage with Prime Photos, early access to select lightning deals and much more.

Order on Christmas Eve

Amazon Same-Day Delivery, including the "Get it Today" search feature, is available in 12 major metro areas, including Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Dallas, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, DC. Shoppers who need that perfect last-minute gift - from books to movies, toys and electronics or something to complete the holiday celebration - can choose from an expansive selection of same-day eligible items. For most same-day items, customers in those cities can order as late as 10:00 a.m. local time on Dec. 24 and have orders delivered to their home the very same day. Visit amazon.com/sameday to learn more.

Gift Cards that Say Surprise!

Amazon.com Gift Cards amazon.com/giftcards are the best way to get your friends and family what they've always wanted, even if you don't know what it is. Available in any amount from $0.50 to $2,000, Amazon.com Gift Cards are redeemable for millions of items, shipped or emailed for free, and never expire. New this holiday season is the Surprise! by Amazon App, a new e-card mobile app for tablets and smartphones that makes it easy to send a personalized e-card for the holidays. With Surprise! by Amazon, customers can quickly send a thoughtful note with an optional Amazon.com Gift Card to friends and family for all types of occasions, right from a mobile device. Visit amazon.com/surprise to download the free app and learn more.

Stocking Stuffers with a Story

To help make gift giving easier this holiday season, Amazon has gathered heart-warming stories - these stocking stuffers with a story help customers learn more about the creators behind some beautiful gifts. Learn more and find the perfect gift for everyone on the list, from gardeners to wine aficionados, bookworms, and more.

Bringing Smiles to Customers' Favorite Causes

When customers shop AmazonSmile at http://smile.amazon.com to deck the home or buy gifts this holiday, they can support their favorite charitable organization. Customers will find the exact same Amazon they know and love, with the added bonus that Amazon donates a portion of the purchase price to their favorite charitable organization. In its first year, Amazon has donated millions of dollars to AmazonSmile customers' favorite causes.

Free Shipping on Millions of Items

Amazon offers Free Shipping on millions of items every day, year-round, on eligible orders $35 and over.


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Angelbird Expands SSDwrk Series with 1TB Model
Angelbird, Austria's premium SSD manufacturer, is now offering the SSD wrk and SSD wrk for Mac with 1 terabyte of storage. The new drives combine the highest storage capacity with great performance, robustness and efficiency in an ultra-slim aluminum chassis - making it the perfect choice to upgrade a Mac, MacBook, MacBook pro, PC or Notebook.

Angelbird has made no compromises in quality for its new SSD wrk models, which boast an ultra-fast SATA 3.1 6Gb/s interface that is also fully downward compatible with legacy computers and operating systems. The SSD wrk uses the SMI 2246EN controller and the case is made of high-quality matt-black anodized aluminum and houses custom-packed multi-level-cell NANDs. The maximum read and write speeds are 564 and 456 megabytes per second. The new 1-terabyte versions reach 72.000 IOPS (Input/Output Operations per Second). With a height of only 7 millimeters the SSD wrk 1 terabyte fits even into the slimmest notebook or desktop case.

The SSD wrk for Mac is ideal for upgrading older Apple models to the ultra-fast SSD technology. Specifically the device is equipped with native TRIM support, a feature that works straight out of the box - enabled by default in OS X, including Yosemite. There is no need to install any additional software, drivers or a TRIM enabler. As with all models of the SSD wrk series, the 1 terabyte versions are equipped with additional over-voltage and ESD protection features as well as overload protection and EMS protection. Customer security is provided by a five-year warranty.

"We are happy to announce the extension of the successful SSD wrk-series with the two new 1 terabyte versions. This series now covers the entire consumer SSD spectrum, offering perfectly adapted models for every requirement," said Roman Rabitsch, CEO of Angelbird.

The two new 1 terabyte models of the SSD wrk are now available for 599.99 USD (483.25 EUR). All prices excl. VAT.


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Philips to acquire Volcano to expand global leadership position in image-guided therapy market
Royal Philips and Volcano Corporation, a global leader in catheter-based imaging and measurement solutions for cardiovascular applications, today announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement. Pursuant to the agreement, Philips will commence a tender offer to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Volcano for USD 18.00 per share, or a total equity purchase price of USD 1 billion (approx. EUR 800 million), to be paid in cash upon completion. The board of directors of Volcano has unanimously approved the transaction and recommends the offer to its shareholders. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2015.

In the last few years, Philips has created a leading image-guided therapy business through strategic investments in R&D, partnerships and technology licenses. Today, Philips has a rich portfolio of interventional imaging equipment, navigation tools, and services, and a sizeable global customer base, including each of the top 50 U.S. Heart Surgery and Cardiology hospitals. One in every three interventional X-ray systems sold globally is a Philips system. These systems provide the visual maps that allow the clinician to guide thin, tube-shaped instruments called catheters through the body, to the area of interest and perform the minimally invasive treatment.

In image-guided treatments of the heart and blood vessels, there is an increasing trend to use advanced catheters that are capable of producing ultrasound images of the interior of blood vessels (intravascular ultrasound or IVUS) or perform blood flow measurements (fractional flow reserve or FFR). There is a growing body of clinical evidence that the use of such technologies in conjunction with interventional X-ray helps improve procedural outcomes.

With 2013 sales of approximately USD 400 million, San Diego, California-based Volcano is a leader in catheter-based imaging and measurements for minimally invasive diagnostics and treatment of coronary artery disease and peripheral vascular disease. Volcano is the only company in the industry with a leading position in both IVUS imaging and FFR measurements. In addition, the company possesses the broadest product portfolio around these two technologies, a leading IP position and a nascent peripheral vascular therapeutics business that targets a segment with a double-digit growth rate.

The combination of two industry leaders will create new sources of recurring revenue streams and increase sales growth for Philips in the EUR 4 billion image-guided therapy market opportunity. Sales growth will be accelerated through Volcano's close customer relationships associated with its disposable products and channel synergies that will create cross-selling opportunities between both companies' existing customer bases. Furthermore, the combination of Volcano's proven clinical development and commercialization capabilities with Philips' next generation of imaging and measurement technologies, will allow Philips to introduce new solutions in higher growth segments such as the minimally invasive treatment of heart rhythm disorders and structural heart diseases. These are promising segments growing at double-digit rates.

"The agreement to acquire Volcano significantly advances our strategy to become the leading systems integrator in image-guided therapies," said Frans van Houten, Chief Executive Officer of Royal Philips. "Volcano's impressive and unique product portfolio is highly complementary to our strong offering in live image-guidance solutions, creating an opportunity to accelerate the revenue growth for our image-guided therapy business to a high single-digit rate by 2017. Our combined sales forces will be able to capture immediate cross selling opportunities, while our joint R&D teams will be able to develop new solutions to address significant unmet needs in the minimally invasive treatment of cardiovascular diseases."

Mr. Van Houten added: "Image-guided therapies provide significant benefits for healthcare systems and patients, including reduced patient trauma, shorter recovery times and hospital stays, and lower costs. As a result, our clinical partners and customers are asking for a tighter integration of imaging and measurement technologies to enable such therapies. This transaction allows us to provide our customers with an integrated solution to improve procedural outcomes at a decisive stage in the health continuum."

"I am very excited that Volcano will become part of Philips and join forces with its leading image guided therapy business," said Scott Huennekens, Volcano President and Chief Executive Officer. "This transaction will be beneficial for our shareholders, customers, partners and employees. There is a large and growing global market opportunity for image-guided therapies, and as part of Philips, we gain the scale and resources needed to accelerate our goals of improving patient outcomes on a global basis, lowering cost and delivering innovative diagnostics and therapies in the coronary and peripheral markets. In addition, our shared expertise in the image-guided therapy market will allow us to further globalize our leading IVUS and FFR product offerings and enter new product areas. We look forward to working closely with Philips and ensuring a smooth transition and closing."

Upon completion of the transaction, the Volcano business and its 1,800 employees will be part of a dedicated, new image-guided therapy business group within Philips, which will be led by Philips executive Bert van Meurs, an experienced leader in the health care industry with a proven track record in the image-guided therapy market.

Financials

The acquisition will create a strategically and financially compelling combination that will provide higher growth, additional operating leverage through more productive sales operations, and enhance commercialization opportunities in new, adjacent segments. Philips will drive operational performance improvements through cost synergies and the implementation of proven productivity improvement methodologies such as Lean. As a result, the transaction is expected to be accretive to Philips' reported earnings per share by 2017, and Philips targets an EBITA margin for its image-guided therapy business group of around 20% by 2017.

The transaction is structured as a cash tender offer by Philips for all of the issued and outstanding shares of Volcano, to be followed by a merger in which each share of Volcano not tendered in the tender offer will be converted into the USD 18.00 per share price paid in the tender offer. Pursuant to the merger agreement, the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including certain regulatory clearances in the US and in certain non-US jurisdictions. The tender offer is not subject to any financing conditions. Philips intends to finance the acquisition through a combination of cash on hand and the issuance of debt.


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DataHero Launches Google Analytics Integration
DataHero, the self-service cloud data visualization tool, today announced the launch of its Google Analytics integration. More than half of all businesses use Google Analytics on a daily basis and understand the limitations of having to export to Excel or write complex scripts to get what they need out of their data. With the DataHero integration, now everyone will be able to make data-driven decisions at the speed of business.

"The Google Analytics integration is one of the most requested by customers," said DataHero co-founder and CEO Chris Neumann. "Every marketer uses Google Analytics to track traffic and we're making the data visualization aspect easier to drive business decisions forward."

To start analyzing site traffic data, it's as easy as importing Google Analytics into a free DataHero account with just a few clicks. DataHero will create suggested charts based on the data, or users can create their own customized charts to easily identify the sources, goals, regions and campaigns that add the most to their bottom line.

"DataHero helps me visualize all of my key sales metrics, regardless of where the information lives," said Lester Lee, VP of Customer Development at Chute. "I've already saved countless hours on creating and refreshing charts using DataHero, and I have been making smarter decisions about the business."

This latest integration is just one example of how DataHero is empowering individuals to make sense of their data quickly--a trend that is likely to erupt in 2015.

To see a full list of DataHero integrations, visit: http://www.DataHero.com/connections


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